Chapter XI: Fish (1)

The meat of fish is the animal food next in importance to that of birds and mammals. Fish meat, with but few exceptions, is less stimulating and nourishing than meat of other animals, but is usually easier of digestion. Salmon, mackerel, and eels are exceptions to these rules, and should not be eaten by those of weak digestion. White fish, on account of their easy digestibility, are especially desirable for those of sedentary habits. Fish is not recommended for brain-workers on account of the large amount of phosphorus (an element abounding largely in nerve tissue) which it contains, but because of its easy digestibility. It is a conceded fact that many fish contain less of this element than meat.

Fish meat is generally considered cheaper than meat of other animals. This is true when compared with the better cuts of meat, but not so when compared with cheaper cuts.

To obtain from fish its greatest value and flavor, it should be eaten fresh, and in season. Turbot, which is improved by keeping, is the only exception to this rule.

_To Determine Freshness of Fish._ Examine the flesh, and it should be firm; the eyes and gills, and they should be bright.

Broiling and baking are best methods for cooking fish. White fish may often be fried, but oily rarely. Frozen fish are undesirable, but if used, should be thawed in cold water just before cooking.

On account of its strong odor, fish should never be put in an ice-box with other food, unless closely covered. A tin lard pail will be found useful for this purpose.

White and Oily Fish

White fish have fat secreted in the liver. Examples: cod, haddock, trout, flounder, smelt, perch, etc.

Oily fish have fat distributed throughout the flesh. Examples: salmon, eels, mackerel, bluefish, swordfish, shad, herring, etc.

=Cod= belongs to one of the most prolific fish families (Gadidoe), and is widely distributed throughout the northern and temperate seas of both hemispheres. On account of its abundance, cheapness, and easy procurability, it forms, from an economical standpoint, one of the most important fish foods. Cod have been caught weighing over a hundred pounds, but average market cod weigh from six to ten pounds; a six-pound cod measures about twenty-three inches in length. Large cod are cut into steaks. The skin of cod is white, heavily mottled with gray, with a white line running the entire length of fish on either side. Cod is caught in shallow or deep waters. Shallow-water cod (caught off rocks) is called rock cod; deep-water cod is called off-shore cod. Rock cod are apt to be wormy. Cod obtained off George’s Banks, Newfoundland, are called George’s cod, and are commercially known as the best fish. Quantities of cod are preserved by drying and salting. Salted George’s cod is the best brand on the market. Cod is in season throughout the year.

_Cod Liver Oil_ is obtained from cods’ livers, and has great therapeutic value. Isinglass, made from swimming bladder of cod, nearly equals in quality that made from bladder of sturgeon.

=Haddock= is more closely allied to cod than any other fish.

It is smaller (its average weight being about four pounds), and differently mottled. The distinguishing mark of the haddock is a black line running the entire length of fish on either side. Haddock is found in the same water and in company with cod, but not so abundantly. Like cod, haddock is cheap, and in season throughout the year. Haddock, when dried, smoked, and salted, is known as _Finnan Haddie_.

=Halibut= is the largest of the flatfish family (Pleuronectidæ), specimens having been caught weighing from three to four hundred pounds. Small, or chicken, halibut is the kind usually found in market, and weighs from fifteen to twenty-five pounds. Halibut are distinctively cold-water fish, being caught in water at from 32° to 45° F. They are found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, where they are nearly identical. The halibut has a compressed body, the skin on one side being white, on the other light, or dark gray, and both eyes are found on the dark side of head. Halibut is in season throughout the year.

=Turbot= (called little halibut) is a species of the flatfish family, being smaller than halibut, and of more delicate flavor. Turbot are in season from January to March.

=Flounder= is a small flatfish, which closely resembles the sole which is caught in English waters, and is often served under that name.

=Trout= are generally fresh water fish, varying much in size and skin-coloring. Lake trout, which are the largest, reach their greatest perfection in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, but are found in many lakes. Salmon trout is the name applied to trout caught in New York lakes. Brook trout, caught in brooks and small lakes, are superior eating. Trout are in season from April to August, but a few are found later.

=Whitefish= is the finest fish found in the Great Lakes.

=Smelts= are small salt-water fish, and are usually caught in temperate waters at the mouths of rivers. New Brunswick and Maine send large quantities of smelts to market. Selected smelts are the largest in size, and command higher price. The Massachusetts Fish and Game Protective Law forbids their sale from March 15th to June 1st. Smelts are always sold by the pound.

=Bluefish= belongs to the Pomatomidæ family. It is widely distributed in temperate waters, taking different names in different localities. In New England and the Middle States it is generally called Bluefish, although in some parts called Snappers, or Snapping Mackerel. In the Southern States it is called Greenfish. It is in season in our markets from May to October; as it is frozen and kept in cold storage from six to nine months, it may be obtained throughout the year. The heavier the fish, the better its quality. Bluefish weigh from one to eight pounds, and are from fourteen to twenty-nine inches in length.

=Mackerel= is one of the best-known food fishes, and is caught in North Atlantic waters. Its skin is lustrous dark blue above, with wavy blackish lines, and silvery below. It sometimes attains a length of eighteen inches, but is usually less. Mackerel weigh from three-fourths of a pound to two pounds, and are sold by the piece. They are in season from May 1st to September 1st. Mackerel, when first in market, contain less fat than later in the season, therefore are easier of digestion. The supply of mackerel varies greatly from year to year, and some years is very small. _Spanish mackerel_ are found in waters farther south than common mackerel, and in our markets command higher price.

=Salmon= live in both fresh and salt waters, always going, inland, usually to the head of rivers, during the spawning season. The young after a time seek salt water, but generally return to fresh water. Penobscot River Salmon are the best, and come from Maine and St. John, New Brunswick. The average weight of salmon is from fifteen to twenty-five pounds, and the flesh is of pinkish orange color. Salmon are in season from May to September, but frozen salmon may be obtained the greater part of the year. In the Columbia River and its tributaries salmon are so abundant that extensive canneries are built along the banks.

=Shad=, like salmon, are found in both salt and fresh water, always ascending rivers for spawning. Shad is caught on the Atlantic Coast of the United States, and its capture constitutes one of the most important fisheries. Shad have a silvery hue, which becomes bluish on the back; they vary in length from eighteen to twenty-eight inches, and are always sold by the piece, price being irrespective of size. _Jack shad_ are usually cheaper than _roe shad_. The roe of shad is highly esteemed. Shad are in season from January to June. First shad in market come from Florida, and retail from one and one-half to two dollars each. The finest come from New Brunswick, and appear in market about the first of May.

_Caviare_ is the salted roe of the sturgeon.

=Herring= are usually smoked, or smoked and salted, and, being very cheap, are a most economical food.

SHELLFISH

I. Bivalve Mollusks

=Oysters= are mollusks, having two shells. The shells are on the right and left side of the oyster, and are called right and left valves. The one upon which the oyster rests grows faster, becomes deeper, and is known as the left valve. The valves are fastened by a ligament, which, on account of its elasticity, admits of opening and closing of the shells. The oyster contains a tough muscle, by which it is attached to the shell; the body is made up largely of the liver (which contains _glycogen_, animal starch), and is partially surrounded by fluted layers, which are the gills. Natural oyster beds (or banks) are found in shallow salt water having stony bottom, along the entire Atlantic Coast. The oyster industry of the world is chiefly in the United States and France, and on account of its increase many artificial beds have been prepared for oyster culture. Oysters are five years old before suitable for eating. Blue Points, which are small, plump oysters, take their name from Blue Point, Long Island, from which place they originally came. Their popularity grew so rapidly that the supply became inadequate for the demand, and any small, plump oysters were soon sold for Blue Points. During the oyster season they form the first course of a dinner, served raw on the half shell. In our markets, selected oysters (which are extremely large and used for broiling) Providence River, and Norfolk oysters are familiarly known, and, taken out of the shells, are sold by the quart. Farther south, they are sold by count.

Oysters are obtainable all the year, but are in season from September to May. During the summer mouths they are flabby and of poor flavor, although when fresh they are perfectly wholesome. _Mussels_, eaten in England and other parts of Europe, are similar to oysters, though of inferior quality. Oysters are nutritious and of easy digestibility, especially when eaten raw.

_To Open Oysters._ Put a thin flat knife under the back end of the right valve, and push forward until it cuts the strong muscle which holds the shells together. As soon as this is done, the right valve may be raised and separated from the left.

_To Clean Oysters._ Put oysters in a strainer placed over a bowl. Pour over oysters cold water, allowing one-half cup water to each quart oysters. Carefully pick over oysters, taking each one separately in the fingers, to remove any particles of shell which adhere to tough muscle.

=Clams=, among bivalve mollusks, rank in value next to oysters. They are found just below the surface of sand and mud, above low-water mark, and are easily dug with shovel or rake. Clams have hard or soft shells. Soft-shell clams are dear to the New Englander. From New York to Florida are found hard-shelled clams (quahaugs). _Small quahaugs_ are called _Little Neck Clams_ and take the place of Blue Points at dinner, when Blue Points are out of season.

=Scallops= are bivalve mollusks, the best being found in Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay. The central muscle forms the edible portion, and is the only part sent to market. Scallops are in season from October first to April first.

II. Crustaceans

=Lobsters= belong to the highest order of Crustaceans, live exclusively in sea-water, generally near rocky coasts, and are caught in pots set on gravelly bottoms. The largest and best species are found in Atlantic waters from Maine to New Jersey, being most abundant on Maine and Massachusetts coasts. Lobsters have been found weighing from sixteen to twenty-five pounds, but such have been exterminated from our coast. The average weight is two pounds, and the length from ten to fifteen inches. Lobsters are largest and most abundant from June to September, but are obtainable all the year. When taken from the water, shells are of mottled dark green color, except when found on sandy bottoms, when they are quite red. Lobsters are generally boiled, causing the shell to turn red.

A lobster consists of body, tail, two large claws, and four pairs of small claws. On lower side of body, in front of large claws, are various small organs which surround the mouth, and a long and short pair of feelers. Under the tail are found several pairs of appendages. In the female lobster, also called hen lobster, is found, during the breeding season, the spawn, known as _coral_. Sex is determined by the pair of appendages in the tail which lie nearest the body; in the female they are soft and pliable, in the male hard and stiff. At one time small lobsters were taken in such quantities that it was feared, if the practice was long continued, they would be exterminated. To protect the continuance of lobster fisheries, a law has been passed in many States prohibiting their sale unless at least ten inches long.

Lobsters shed their shells at irregular intervals, when old ones are outgrown. The new ones begin to form and take on distinctive characteristics before the old ones are discarded. New shells after twenty-four hours’ exposure to the water are quite hard.

Lobsters, being coarse feeders (taking almost any animal substance attainable), are difficult of digestion, and with some create great gastric disturbance; notwithstanding, they are seldom found diseased.

_To Select a Lobster._ Take in the hand, and if heavy in proportion to its size, the lobster is fresh. Straighten the tail, and if it springs into place the lobster was alive (as it should have been) when put into the pot for boiling. There is greater shrinkage in lobsters than in any other fish.

_To Open Lobsters._ Take off large claws, small claws, and separate tail from body. Tail meat may sometimes be drawn out whole with a fork; more often it is necessary to cut the thin shell portion (using scissors or a can opener) in under part of the tail, then the tail meat may always be removed whole. Separate tail meat through centre, and remove the small intestinal vein which runs its entire length; although generally darker than the meat, it is sometimes found of the same color. Hold body shell firmly in left hand, and with first two fingers and thumb of right hand draw out the body, leaving in shell the stomach (known as the _lady_), which is not edible, and also some of the green part, the _liver_. The liver may be removed by shaking the shell. The sides of the body are covered with the _lungs_; these are always discarded. Break body through the middle and separate body bones, picking out meat that lies between them, which is some of the sweetest and tenderest to be found. Separate large claws at joints. If shells are thin, with a knife cut off a strip down the sharp edge, so that shell may be broken apart and meat removed whole. Where shell is thick, it must be broken with a mallet or hammer. Small claws are used for garnishing. The shell of body, tail, and lower part of large claws, if not broken, may be washed, dried, and used for serving of lobster meat after it has been prepared. The portions of lobsters which are not edible are _lungs_, _stomach_ (lady), and _intestinal vein_.

=Crabs= among Crustaceans are next in importance to lobsters, commercially speaking. They are about two and one-half inches long by five inches wide, and are found along the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts to Florida, and in the Gulf of Mexico. Crabs, like lobsters, change their shells. _Soft-shell_ crabs are those which have recently shed their old shells, and the new shells have not had time to harden; these are considered by many a great luxury. _Oyster crabs_ (very small crabs found in shells with oysters) are a delicacy not often indulged in. Crabs are in season during the spring and summer.

=Shrimps= are found largely in our Southern waters, the largest and best coming from Lake Pontchartrain. They are about two inches long, covered with a thin shell, and are boiled and sent to market with heads removed. Their grayish color is changed to pink by boiling. Shrimps are in season from May first to October first, and are generally used for salads. Canned shrimps are much used and favorably known.

_Reptiles._ Frogs and terrapin belong to a lower order of animals than fish,—reptiles. They are both table delicacies, and are eaten by the few.

Only the hind legs of frogs are eaten, and have much the same flavor as chicken.

Terrapin, although sold in our large cities, specially belong to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, where they are cooked and served at their best. They are shipped from the South, packed in seaweed, and may be kept for some time in a dark place. Terrapin are found in both fresh and salt-water. The Diamond Back, salt-water terrapin, coming from Chesapeake Bay, are considered the best, and command a very high price. Terrapin closely resembling Diamond Back, coming from Texas and Florida, are principally sold in our markets. Terrapin are in season from November to April, but are best in January, February, and March. They should always be cooked alive.

TO PREPARE FISH FOR COOKING

=To Clean a Fish.= Fish are cleaned and dressed at market as ordered, but need additional cleaning before cooking. Remove scales which have not been taken off. This is done by drawing a knife over fish, beginning at tail and working towards head, occasionally wiping knife and scales from fish. Incline knife slightly towards you to prevent scales from flying. The largest number of scales will be found on the flank. Wipe thoroughly inside and out with cloth wrung out of cold water, removing any clotted blood which may be found adhering to backbone.

Head and tail may or may not be removed, according to size of fish and manner of cooking. Small fish are generally served with head and tail left on.

=To Skin a Fish.= With sharp knife remove fins along the back and cut off a narrow strip of skin the entire length of back. Loosen skin on one side from bony part of gills, and being once started, if fish is fresh, it may be readily drawn off; if flesh is soft do not work too quickly, as it will be badly torn. By allowing knife to closely follow skin this may be avoided. After removing skin from one side, turn fish and skin the other side.

=To Bone a Fish.= Clean and skin before boning. Beginning at the tail, run a sharp knife under flesh close to backbone, and with knife follow bone (making as clean a cut as possible) its entire length, thus accomplishing the removal of one-half the flesh; turn, and remove flesh from other side. Pick out with fingers any small bones that may remain. Cod, haddock, halibut, and whitefish are easily and frequently boned; flounders and smelts occasionally.

=To Fillet Fish.= Clean, skin, and bone. A piece of fish, large or small, freed from skin and bones, is known as a fillet. Halibut, cut in three-fourths inch slices, is more often cut in fillets than any kind of fish, and fillets are frequently rolled. When flounder is cut in fillets it is served under the name of _fillet of sole_. Sole found in English waters is much esteemed, and flounder is our nearest approach to it.

WAYS OF COOKING FISH

_To Cook Fish in Boiling Water._ Small cod, haddock, or cusk are cooked whole in enough boiling water to cover, to which is added salt and lemon juice or vinegar. Salt gives flavor; lemon juice or vinegar keeps the flesh white. A long fish-kettle containing a rack on which to place fish is useful but rather expensive. In place of fish-kettle, if the fish is not too large to be coiled in it, a frying-basket may be used placed in any kettle.

Large fish are cut in thick pieces for boiling, containing the number of pounds required. Examples: salmon and halibut.

Pieces cut from large fish for boiling should be cleaned and tied in a piece of cheese-cloth to prevent scum being deposited on the fish. If skin is not removed before serving, scald the dark skin and scrape to remove coloring; this may be easily accomplished by holding fish on two forks, and lowering into boiling water the part covered with black skin; then remove and scrape. Time required for boiling fish depends on extent of surface exposed to water. Consult Time Table for Boiling, which will serve as a guide. The fish is cooked when flesh leaves the bone, no matter how long the time.

BOILED MACKEREL, GARNISHED WITH POTATO BALLS, CUCUMBER RIBBONS SLICES
OF LEMON CUT IN FANCY SHAPES, AND PARSLEY.—_Page 161._
]

HOLLENDEN HALIBUT.—_Page 167._
]

STUFFED HADDOCK READY FOR BAKING.—_Page 164_.
]

SMELTS PREPARED FOR COOKING.—_Page 173._
]

=To Broil Fish.= Cod, haddock, bluefish, and mackerel are split down the back and broiled whole, removing head and tail or not, as desired. Salmon, chicken halibut, and swordfish are cut in inch slices for broiling. Smelts and other small fish are broiled whole, without splitting. Clean and wipe fish as dry as possible, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in well-greased wire broiler. Slices of fish should be turned often while broiling; whole fish should be first broiled on flesh side, then turned and broiled on skin side just long enough to make skin brown and crisp.

To remove from broiler, loosen fish on one side, turn and loosen on other side; otherwise flesh will cling to broiler. Slip from broiler to hot platter, or place platter over fish and invert platter and broiler together.

=To Bake Fish.= Clean, and bake on a greased fish-sheet placed in a dripping-pan. If a fish-sheet is not at hand, place strips of cotton cloth under fish, by which it may be lifted from pan.

=To Fry Fish.= Clean fish, and wipe as dry as possible. Sprinkle with salt, dip in flour or crumbs, egg, and crumbs, and fry in deep fat.

=To Sauté Fish.= Prepare as for frying, and cook in frying-pan with small amount of fat; or, if preferred, dip in granulated corn meal. Cod steak and smelts are often cooked in this way.

TABLE SHOWING COMPOSITION OF THE VARIOUS FISH USED FOR FOOD

Articles Refuse Proteid Fat Mineral Water
matter

Bass, black 54.8 9.3 .8 .5 34.6

Bluefish 55.7 8.3 .5 .5 35.

Butterfish 42.8 10.2 6.3 .6 40.1

Cod, fresh 52.5 8. .2 .6 38.7

Cod, salt, 22.2 .3 23.1 54.4
boneless

Cusk 40.3 10.1 .1 .5 49.

Eels 20.2 14.6 7.2 .8 57.2

Flounder 61.5 5.6 .3 .5 32.1

Haddock 51. 8.2 .2 .6 40.

Halibut, sections 17.7 15.1 4.4 .9 61.9

Herring 42.6 10.9 3.9 .9 41.7

Mackerel 44.6 10. 4.3 .7 40.4

Mackerel, Spanish 34.6 13.7 6.2 1. 44.5

Perch, white 62.5 7.2 1.5 .4 28.4

Pickerel 47.1 9.8 .2 .7 42.2

Pompano 45.5 10.2 4.3 .5 39.5

Red Snapper 46.1 10.6 .6 .7 42.

Salmon 39.2 12.4 8.1 .9 39.4

Shad 50.1 9.2 4.8 .7 35.2

Carbohydrates

Shad, roe 2.6 20.9 3.8 1.5 71.2

Refuse

Sheepshead 66. 6.4 .2 .5 26.9

Smelts 41.9 10. 1. 1. 46.1

Trout 48.1 9.8 1.1 .6 40.4

Turbot 47.7 6.8 7.5 .7 37.3

Whitefish 53.5 10.3 3. .7 32.5

Carbohydrates

Lobsters 61.7 5.9 .7 .8 .2 30.7

Clams, out of 10.6 1.1 2.3 5.2 80.8
shell

Oysters, solid 6.1 1.4 .9 3.3 88.3

Crabs, soft-shell 15.8 1.5 2. .7 80.

_W. O. Atwater, Ph.D._

Boiled Haddock

Clean and boil as directed in Ways of Cooking Fish. Remove to a hot platter, garnish with slices of “hard-boiled” eggs and parsley, and serve with Egg Sauce. A thick piece of halibut may be boiled and served in the same way.

Boiled Salmon

Clean and boil as directed in Ways of Cooking Fish. Place on a hot platter, remove skin, and garnish with slices of lemon and parsley. Serve with Egg Sauce I or II, or Hollandaise Sauce.

Steamed Halibut, Silesian Sauce

Steam by cooking over boiling water a piece of halibut weighing two pounds, and serve with Silesian Sauce.

1½ tablespoons vinegar
⅛ teaspoon powdered tarragon
3 peppercorns
Bit of bay leaf
Sprig of parsley
½ teaspoon finely chopped shallot
Salt and cayenne
Yolks 3 eggs
⅔ cup Brown Stock
¼ cup butter
1 tablespoon flour
½ tablespoon capers
½ tablespoon parsley

Cook first six ingredients until reduced one-half; strain, add yolks of eggs well beaten, one-half, each, brown stock and butter, and cook over hot water, stirring constantly until thickened. Then add, gradually, remaining butter mixed with flour and stock. As soon as mixture thickens, add capers, parsley finely chopped, and salt and cayenne.

Broiled Scrod

A young cod, split down the back, and backbone removed, except a small portion near the tail, is called a scrod. Scrod are always broiled, spread with butter, and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Haddock is also so dressed.

Broiled Chicken Halibut

Clean and broil as directed in Ways of Cooking Fish. Spread with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and garnish with slices of lemon cut in fancy shapes and sprinkled with paprika and parsley.

Broiled Swordfish

Clean and broil fish, spread with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve with Cucumber Sauce I, or Horseradish Sauce I.

Broiled Shad Roe

Wipe, sprinkle with salt and pepper, put on greased wire broiler, and broil five minutes on each side. Serve with Maître d’Hôtel Butter. Mackerel roe are delicious cooked in this way.

Broiled Pompano with Fricassee of Clams

Clean and broil fish as directed in Ways of Cooking Fish (see p. 160). When nearly cooked, slip from broiler onto a hot platter and brush over with melted butter. Surround with two borders of mashed potatoes, one-inch apart, forced through a pastry bag and tube. Arrange ten halves of clam-shells between potato borders, at equal distances; fill spaces between shells with potato roses. Place in oven to finish cooking fish and to brown potatoes. Just before serving, fill clam-shells with

=Fricassee of Clams.= Clean one pint clams, finely chop hard portions and reserve soft portions. Melt two tablespoons butter, add chopped clams, two tablespoons flour, and pour on gradually one-third cup cream. Strain sauce, add soft part of clams, cook one minute, season with salt and cayenne, and add yolk of one egg slightly beaten.

Baked Haddock with Stuffing

Clean a four-pound haddock, sprinkle with salt inside and out, stuff, and sew. Cut five diagonal gashes on each side of backbone and insert narrow strips of fat salt pork, having gashes on one side come between gashes on other side. Shape with skewers in form of letter S, and fasten skewers with small twine. Place on greased fish-sheet in a dripping-pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, brush over with melted butter, dredge with flour, and place around fish small pieces of fat salt pork. Bake one hour in hot oven, basting as soon as fat is tried out, and continue basting every ten minutes. Serve with Drawn Butter, Egg or Hollandaise Sauce.

Fish Stuffing I

½ cup cracker crumbs
½ cup stale bread crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Few drops onion juice
¼ cup hot water

Mix ingredients in order given.

Fish Stuffing II

1 cup cracker crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Few drops onion juice
───────┬───────────────────────────────
Parsley│1 teaspoon each, finely chopped
Capers │
Pickles│
───────┴───────────────────────────────

Mix ingredients in order given. This makes a dry, crumbly stuffing.

Baked Bluefish

Clean a four-pound bluefish, stuff, sew, and bake as Baked Halibut with Stuffing, omitting to cut gashes on sides, as the fish is rich enough without addition of pork. Baste often with one-third cup butter melted in two-thirds cup boiling water. Serve with Shrimp Sauce.

Breslin Baked Bluefish

Split and bone a bluefish, place on a well-buttered sheet, and cook twenty minutes in a hot oven. Cream one-fourth cup butter, add yolks two eggs, and when well mixed add two tablespoons, each, onion, capers, pickles, and parsley, finely chopped; two tablespoons lemon juice, one tablespoon vinegar, one-half teaspoon salt, and one-third teaspoon paprika. Sprinkle fish with salt, spread with mixture, and continue the baking until fish is done. Remove to serving dish and garnish with potato balls, cucumber ribbons, lemon cut in fancy shapes, and parsley.

Bluefish à l’Italienne

Clean a four-pound bluefish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put on buttered fish-sheet in a dripping-pan. Add three tablespoons white wine, three tablespoons mushroom liquor, one-half onion finely chopped, eight mushrooms finely chopped, and enough water to allow sufficient liquor in pan for basting. Bake forty-five minutes in hot oven, basting five times. Serve with Sauce à l’Italienne.

Baked Cod with Oyster Stuffing

Clean a four-pound cod, sprinkle with salt and pepper, brush over with lemon juice, stuff, and sew. Gash, skewer, and bake as Baked Halibut with Stuffing. Serve with Oyster Sauce.

Oyster Stuffing

1 cup cracker crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1½ teaspoons lemon juice
½ tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 cup oysters

Add seasonings and butter to cracker crumbs. Clean oysters, and remove tough muscles; add soft parts to mixture, with two tablespoons oyster liquor to moisten.

Baked Haddock with Oyster Stuffing

Remove skin, head, and tail from a four-pound haddock. Bone, leaving in large bones near head, to keep fillets in shape of the original fish. Sprinkle with salt, and brush over with lemon juice. Lay one fillet on greased fish-sheet in a dripping-pan, cover thickly with oysters, cleaned and dipped in buttered cracker crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Cover oysters with other fillet, brush with egg slightly beaten, cover with buttered crumbs, and bake fifty minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with Hollandaise Sauce I. Allow one pint oysters and one cup cracker crumbs.

Baked Halibut with Tomato Sauce

2 lbs. halibut
2 cups tomatoes
1 cup water
1 slice onion
3 cloves
½ tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
¾ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper

Cook twenty minutes tomatoes, water, onion, cloves, and sugar. Melt butter, add flour, and stir into hot mixture. Add salt and pepper, cook ten minutes, and strain. Clean fish, put in baking-pan, pour around half the sauce, and bake thirty-five minutes, basting often. Remove to hot platter, pour around remaining sauce, and garnish with parsley.

Baked Halibut with Lobster Sauce

Clean a piece of halibut weighing three pounds. Cut gashes in top, and insert a narrow strip of fat salt pork in each gash. Place in dripping pan on fish-sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dredge with flour. Cover bottom of pan with water, add sprig of parsley, slice of onion, two slices carrot cut in pieces, and bit of bay leaf. Bake one hour, basting with one-fourth cup butter and the liquor in pan. Serve with Lobster Sauce.

Hollenden Halibut

Arrange six thin slices fat salt pork two and one-half inches square in a dripping-pan. Cover with one small onion, thinly sliced, and add a bit of bay leaf. Wipe a two-pound piece of chicken halibut and place over pork and onion. Mask with three tablespoons butter creamed and mixed with three tablespoons flour. Cover with three-fourths cup buttered cracker crumbs and arrange thin strips of fat salt pork over crumbs. Cover with buttered paper and bake fifty minutes in a moderate oven, removing paper during the last fifteen minutes of the cooking to brown crumbs. Remove to hot serving dish and garnish with slices of lemon cut in fancy shapes sprinkled with finely chopped parsley and paprika.

Baked Mackerel

Split fish, clean, and remove head and tail. Put in buttered dripping-pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dot over with butter (allowing one tablespoon to a medium-sized fish), and pour over two-thirds cup milk. Bake twenty-five minutes in hot oven.

Planked Shad or Whitefish

Clean and split a three-pound shad. Put skin side down on an oak plank one inch thick, and a little longer and wider than the fish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and brush over with melted butter. Bake twenty-five minutes in hot oven. Remove from oven, spread with butter, and garnish with parsley and lemon. The fish should be sent to the table on plank. Planked Shad is well cooked in a gas range having the flame over the fish.

The Planked Whitefish of the Great Lakes has gained much favor.

Planked Shad with Creamed Roe

Select a roe shad and prepare same as Planked Shad. Parboil roe in salted, acidulated water twenty minutes. Remove outside membrane, and mash. Melt three tablespoons butter, add one teaspoon finely chopped shallot, and cook five minutes; add roe, sprinkle with one and one-half tablespoons flour, and pour on gradually one-third cup cream. Cook slowly five minutes, add two egg yolks and season highly with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Remove shad from oven, spread thin part with roe mixture, cover with buttered crumbs, and return to oven to brown crumbs. Garnish with mashed potatoes forced through a pastry bag and tube, small tomatoes, slices of lemon and parsley.

Planked Haddock

Skin and bone a haddock, leaving meat in two fillets. Sauté fillets separately, using a generous quantity of butter and cooking until well browned on one side. Remove to planks, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with mashed potatoes, outlining the original shape of the fish, making as prominent as possible head, tail, and fins. Bake until potatoes are well browned, when fish should be thoroughly cooked. Finish garnishing with parsley and slices of lemon sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.

Baked Stuffed Smelts

Clean and wipe as dry as possible twelve selected smelts. Stuff, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and brush over with lemon juice. Place in buttered shallow plate, cover with buttered paper, and bake five minutes in hot oven. Remove from oven, sprinkle with buttered crumbs, and bake until crumbs are brown. Serve with Sauce Bearnaise.

=Stuffing.= Cook one tablespoon finely chopped onion with one tablespoon butter three minutes. Add one-fourth cup finely chopped mushrooms, one-fourth cup soft part of oysters (parboiled, drained, and chopped), one-half teaspoon chopped parsley, three tablespoons Thick White Sauce, and one-half cup Fish Force-meat.

Smelts à la Langtry

Split and bone eight selected smelts. Cut off tails, and from tail ends of fish turn meat over one inch onto flesh side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and brush over with lemon juice. Garnish with Fish Force-meat forced through a pastry bag and tube, and fasten heads with skewers to keep in an upright position. Arrange in a buttered pan, and pour around white wine. Cover with buttered paper, and bake from fifteen to twenty minutes. Just before taking from oven, sprinkle with lobster coral forced through a strainer. Serve with Aurora Sauce.

=Aurora Sauce.= Melt three tablespoons butter, add three tablespoons flour, and pour on gradually one and one-half cups cream and one tablespoon meat extract. Season with salt and cayenne, and add lobster coral and one-half cup lobster dice.

Baked Shad Roe with Tomato Sauce

Cook shad roe fifteen minutes in boiling salted water to cover, with one-half tablespoon vinegar; drain, cover with cold water, and let stand five minutes. Remove from cold water, and place on buttered pan with three-fourths cup Tomato Sauce I or II. Bake twenty minutes in hot oven, basting every five minutes. Remove to a platter, and pour around three-fourths cup Tomato Sauce.

Baked Fillets of Bass or Halibut

Cut bass or halibut into small fillets, sprinkle with salt and pepper, put into a shallow pan, cover with buttered paper, and bake twelve minutes in hot oven. Arrange on a rice border, garnish with parsley, and serve with Hollandaise Sauce II.

Fillets of Halibut with Brown Sauce

Cut a slice of halibut weighing one and one-half pounds in eight short fillets, sprinkle with salt and pepper, put in greased pan, and bake five minutes; drain, pour over one and one-half cups Brown Sauce I, cover with one-half cup buttered cracker crumbs, and bake.

Fillets of Haddock, White Wine Sauce

Skin a three and one-half pound haddock, and cut in fillets. Arrange in buttered baking-pan, pour around fish three tablespoons melted butter, three-fourths cup white wine to which has been added one-half tablespoon lemon juice, and two slices onion. Cover and bake. Melt two tablespoons butter, add two tablespoons flour, and pour on liquor drained from fish; then add one-half cup Fish Stock (made from head, tail, and bones of fish), two tablespoons heavy cream, yolks two eggs, salt, and pepper. Remove fillets to serving dish, pour over sauce strained through cheese-cloth, and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

Halibut à la Poulette

A slice of halibut, weighing 1½ lbs.
¼ cup melted butter
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Few drops onion juice
¼ teaspoon salt

Clean fish and cut in eight fillets. Add seasonings to melted butter, and put dish containing butter in saucepan of hot water to keep butter melted. Take up each fillet separately with a fork, dip in butter-roll and fasten with a small wooden skewer. Put in a shallow pan, dredge with flour, and bake twelve minutes in hot oven. Remove skewers, arrange on platter for serving, pour around one and one-half cups Béchamel Sauce, and garnish with yolks of two hard-boiled eggs rubbed through a strainer, whites of hard-boiled eggs cut in strips, lemon cut fan-shaped, and parsley.

Moulded Fish, Normandy Sauce

Remove skin and bones from a thick piece of halibut, finely chop fish, and force through a sieve (there should be one and one-third cups). Pound in mortar, adding gradually whites two eggs. Add one and one-fourth cups heavy cream, and salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Turn into a buttered fish-mould, cover with buttered paper, set in pan of hot water, and bake until fish is firm. Turn on serving dish and surround with

PLANKED HADDOCK.—_Page 168._
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FILLETS OF FISH À LA BEMENT.—_Page 171._
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OYSTER COCKTAIL I.—_Page 180._
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OYSTER COCKTAIL II.—_Page 180._
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=Normandy Sauce.= Cook skin and bones of fish with three slices carrot, one slice onion, sprig of parsley, bit of bay leaf, one-fourth teaspoon peppercorns, and two cups cold water, thirty minutes, and strain; there should be one cup. Melt two tablespoons butter, add three tablespoons flour, fish stock, one-third cup heavy cream, and yolks two eggs. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and Sauterne.

Halibut à la Martin

Clean two slices chicken halibut and cut into eight fillets. Season with salt and brush over with lemon juice. Arrange on a tin plate covered with cheese-cloth, fold cheese-cloth over fillets, and cook in steamer fifteen minutes. Remove to serving dish, garnish with small shrimps, and pour around sauce, following directions for Normandy Sauce, omitting Sauterne, and seasoning to taste with grated cheese and Madeira.

Fillets of Fish à la Bement

Prepare and cook fish same as for Halibut à la Martin. Insert tip of small lobster claw in each fillet, and garnish with a thin slice of canned mushroom sprinkled with parsley and a thin circular slice of truffle. Serve with

=Lobster Sauce III.= Remove meat from a one and one-half pound lobster and cut claw meat in cubes. Cover remaining meat and body bones with cold water. Add one-half small onion, sprig of parsley, bit of bay leaf, and one-fourth teaspoon peppercorns, and cook until stock is reduced to one cup. Melt three tablespoons butter, add three tablespoons flour, and pour on gradually the stock; then add one-half cup heavy cream and yolks two eggs. Season with salt, lemon juice, and paprika; then add lobster cubes.

Halibut à la Rarebit

Sprinkle two small slices halibut with salt, pepper, and lemon juice; then brush over with melted butter, place in dripping-pan on greased fish-sheet, and bake twelve minutes. Remove to hot platter for serving, and pour over it a Welsh Rarebit.

Sandwiches of Chicken Halibut

Cut chicken halibut in thin fillets. Put together in pairs, with Fish or Chicken Force-meat between, first dipping fillets in melted butter seasoned with salt and pepper and brushing over with lemon juice. Place in shallow pan with one-fourth cup white wine. Bake twenty minutes in hot oven. Arrange on hot platter for serving, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, garnish with Tomato Jelly, and serve with Hollandaise Sauce.

Sole à la Bercy

Skin and bone two large flounders, and cut into eight fillets. Put into a buttered pan, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and add one-fourth cup white wine. Cover and cook fifteen minutes. Remove to serving dish, pour over Bercy Sauce, and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

=Bercy Sauce.= Fry one tablespoon finely chopped shallot in one tablespoon butter five minutes; add two tablespoons flour, and pour on gradually the liquor left in pan with enough White Stock to make one cup. Add two tablespoons butter, and salt and cayenne to taste.

Halibut au Lit

Wipe two slices chicken halibut, each weighing three-fourths pound. Cut one piece in eight fillets, sprinkle with salt and lemon juice, roll and fasten with small wooden skewers. Cook over boiling water. Cut remaining slice in pieces about the size and shape of scallops. Dip in crumbs, egg, and crumbs, and fry in deep fat. Arrange a steamed fillet in centre of each fish-plate, place on top of each a cooked mushroom cap, and put fried fish at both right and left of fillet. Serve with Mushroom Sauce, and garnish with watercress and radishes cut in fancy shapes.

=Mushroom Sauce.= Melt three tablespoons butter, add three tablespoons flour, and pour on gradually, while stirring constantly, one cup Fish Stock. When boiling-point is reached, add one-half cup cream, three mushroom caps, sliced, and one tablespoon Sauterne. Season with salt and pepper. The Fish Stock should be made from skin and bones of halibut. The mushroom caps on fillets should be cooked in sauce until soft.

Fried Cod Steaks

Clean steaks, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dip in granulated corn meal. Try out slices of fat salt pork in frying-pan, remove scraps, and sauté steaks in fat.

Fried Smelts

Clean smelts, leaving on heads and tails. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in flour, egg, and crumbs, and fry three to four minutes in deep fat. As soon as smelts are put into fat, remove fat to back of range so that they may not become too brown before cooked through. Arrange on hot platter, garnish with parsley, lemon, and fried gelatine. Serve with Sauce Tartare.

Smelts are fried without being skewered, but often are skewered in variety of shapes.

_To fry gelatine._ Take up a handful and drop in hot, deep fat; it will immediately swell and become white; it should at once be removed with a skimmer, then drained.

Phosphated or granulated gelatine cannot be used for frying.

Smelts à la Menière

Clean six selected smelts, and cut five diagonal gashes on each side. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, cover, and let stand ten minutes. Roll in cream, dip in flour, and sauté in butter. Add to butter in pan two tablespoons flour, one cup White Stock, one and one-third teaspoons Anchovy Essence, and a few drops lemon juice. Just before sauce is poured around smelts, add one and one-half tablespoons butter and one teaspoon finely chopped parsley.

Fried Fillets of Halibut or Flounder

Clean fish and cut in long or short fillets. If cut in long fillets, roll, and fasten with small wooden skewers. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper, dip in crumbs, egg, and crumbs, fry in deep fat, and drain on brown paper. Serve with Sauce Tartare.

Fried Fish, Russian Style, Mushroom Sauce

Cut two slices chicken halibut in fillets, sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper, pour over one-third cup white wine, cover, and let stand thirty minutes. Drain, dip each piece separately in heavy cream, then in flour, and fry in deep fat. Cook skin and bones removed from fish with five slices carrot, two slices onion, sprig parsley, bit of bay leaf, one-fourth teaspoon peppercorns, and two cups cold water until reduced to one cup liquid. Make sauce of two tablespoons butter, three tablespoons flour, the fish stock, and one-third cup heavy cream. Add yolks two eggs, salt, pepper, cayenne, and white wine to taste.

Arrange fish on serving dish, cover with one-half pound mushroom caps cleaned, then sautéd in butter, and pour over sauce.

Fried Eels

Clean eels, cut in two-inch pieces, and parboil eight minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in corn meal, and sauté in pork fat.

Fried Stuffed Smelts

Smelts are stuffed as for Baked Stuffed Smelts, dipped in crumbs, egg, and crumbs, fried in deep fat, and served with Sauce Tartare.

Fried Shad Roe

Parboil and cook shad roe as for Baked Shad Roe. Cut in pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and brush over with lemon juice. Dip in crumbs, egg, and crumbs, fry in deep fat, and drain.

Soft-shell Crabs

Clean crabs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in crumbs, egg, and crumbs, fry in deep fat, and drain. Being light, they will rise to top of fat, and should be turned while frying. Soft-shell crabs are usually fried. Serve with Sauce Tartare.

=To Clean a Crab.= Lift and fold back the tapering points which are found on each side of the back shell, and remove spongy substance that lies under them. Turn crab on its back, and with a pointed knife remove the small piece at lower part of shell, which terminates in a point; this is called the apron.

Frogs’ Hind Legs

Trim and clean. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in crumbs, egg, and crumbs again, then fry three minutes in deep fat, and drain.

Terrapin

To prepare terrapin for cooking, plunge into boiling water and boil five minutes. Lift out of water with skimmer, and remove skin from feet and tail by rubbing with a towel. Draw out head with a skewer, and rub off skin.

=To Cook Terrapin.= Put in a kettle, cover with boiling salted water, add two slices each of carrot and onion, and a stalk of celery. Cook until meat is tender, which may be determined by pressing feet-meat between thumb and finger. The time required will be from thirty-five to forty minutes. Remove from water, cool, draw out nails from feet, cut under shell close to upper shell and remove. Empty upper shell and carefully remove and discard gall-bladder, sandbags, and thick, heavy part of intestines. Any of the gall-bladder would give a bitter flavor to the dish. The liver, small intestines, and eggs are used with the meat.

Terrapin à la Baltimore

1 terrapin
¾ cup White Stock
1½ tablespoons wine
Cayenne
1½ tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Yolks 2 eggs

To stock and wine add terrapin meat, with bones cut in pieces and entrails cut in smaller pieces; then cook slowly until liquor is reduced one-half. Add liver separated in pieces, eggs, butter, salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Terrapin à la Maryland

Add to Terrapin à la Baltimore one tablespoon each butter and flour creamed together, one-half cup cream, yolks two eggs slightly beaten, and one teaspoon lemon juice; then add, just before serving, one tablespoon Sherry wine. Pour in a deep dish and garnish with toast or puff paste points.

Washington Terrapin

1 terrapin
1½ tablespoons butter
1½ tablespoons flour
1 cup cream
½ cup chopped mushrooms
Salt
Few grains cayenne
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Sherry wine

Melt the butter, add flour, and pour on slowly the cream. Add terrapin meat with bones cut in pieces, entrails cut smaller, liver separated in pieces, eggs of terrapin, and mushrooms. Season with salt and cayenne. Just before serving, add eggs slightly beaten and two tablespoons Sherry wine.

WAYS OF USING REMNANTS OF COOKED FISH

Fish à la Crême

1¾ cups cold flaked fish (cod, haddock, halibut, or cusk)
1 cup White Sauce I
Bit of bay leaf
Sprig of parsley
½ slice onion
Salt and pepper
½ cup buttered cracker crumbs

Scald milk, for the making of White Sauce, with bay leaf, parsley, and onion. Cover the bottom of small buttered platter with one-half of the fish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pour over one-half the sauce; repeat. Cover with crumbs, and bake in hot oven until crumbs are brown. Fish à la crême, baked in scallop shells, makes an attractive luncheon dish, or may be served for a fish course at dinner.

Turban of Fish

2½ cups cold flaked fish (cod, haddock, halibut, or cusk)
1½ cups milk
1 slice onion
Blade of mace
Sprig of parsley
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
Lemon juice
Yolks 2 eggs
⅔ cup buttered cracker crumbs

Scald milk with onion, mace, and parsley; remove seasonings. Melt butter, add flour, salt, pepper, and gradually the milk; then add eggs, slightly beaten. Put a layer of fish on buttered dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add a few drops of lemon juice. Cover with sauce, continuing until fish and sauce are used, shaping in pyramid form. Cover with crumbs, and bake in hot oven until crumbs are brown.

Fish Hash

Take equal parts of cold flaked fish and cold boiled potatoes finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper. Try out fat salt pork, remove scraps, leaving enough fat in pan to moisten fish and potatoes. Put in fish and potatoes, stir until heated, then cook until well browned underneath; fold, and turn like an omelet.

Fish Croquettes

To one and one-half cups cold flaked halibut or salmon add one cup thick White Sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and spread on a plate to cool. Shape, roll in crumbs, egg, and crumbs, and fry in deep fat; drain, arrange on hot dish for serving, and garnish with parsley. If salmon is used, add lemon juice and finely chopped parsley.

Fish and Egg Croquettes

Make same as Fish Croquettes, using one cup fish and three “hard-boiled” eggs finely chopped.

Scalloped Cod

Line a buttered baking-dish with cold flaked cod, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with a layer of oysters (first dipped in melted butter, seasoned with onion juice, lemon juice, and a few grains of cayenne, and then in cracker crumbs), add three tablespoons oyster liquor; repeat, and cover with buttered cracker crumbs. Bake twenty minutes in hot oven. Serve with Egg or Hollandaise Sauce I.

Salmon Box

Line a bread pan, slightly buttered, with warm steamed rice. Fill the centre with cold boiled salmon, flaked, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a slight grating of nutmeg. Cover with rice and steam one hour. Turn on a hot platter for serving, and pour around Egg Sauce II.

WAYS OF COOKING SALT FISH

Creamed Salt Codfish

Pick salt codfish in pieces (there should be three-fourths cup), and soak in lukewarm water, the time depending upon hardness and saltness of the fish. Drain, and add one cup White Sauce I. Add one beaten egg just before sending to table. Garnish with slices of hard-boiled eggs. Creamed Codfish is better made with cream slightly thickened in place of White Sauce.

Fish Balls

1 cup salt codfish
2 heaping cups potatoes
1 egg
½ tablespoon butter
⅛ teaspoon pepper

Wash fish in cold water, and pick in very small pieces, or cut, using scissors. Wash, pare, and soak potatoes, cutting in pieces of uniform size before measuring. Cook fish and potatoes in boiling water to cover until potatoes are soft. Drain through strainer, return to kettle in which they were cooked, mash thoroughly (being sure there are no lumps left in potato), add butter, egg well beaten, and pepper. Beat with a fork two minutes. Add salt if necessary. Take up by spoonfuls, put in frying-basket, and fry one minute in deep fat, allowing six fish balls for each frying; drain on brown paper. Reheat the fat after each frying.

Salted Codfish Hash

Prepare as for Fish Balls, omitting egg. Try out fat salt pork, remove scraps, leaving enough fat in pan to moisten fish and potatoes. Put in fish and potatoes, stir until heated, then cook until well browned underneath; fold, and turn like an omelet.

Toasted Salt Fish

Pick salt codfish in long thin strips. If very salt, it may need to be freshened by standing for a short time in lukewarm water. Place on a greased wire broiler, and broil until brown on one side; turn, and brown the other. Remove to platter, and spread with butter.

Kippered Herrings

Remove fish from can, and arrange on a platter that may be put in the oven; sprinkle with pepper, brush over with lemon juice and melted butter, and pour over the liquor left in can. Heat thoroughly, and garnish with parsley and slices of lemon.

Baked Finnan Haddie

Put fish in dripping-pan, surround with milk and water in equal proportions, place on back of range, where it will heat slowly. Let stand twenty-five minutes; pour off liquid, spread with butter, and bake twenty-five minutes.

Broiled Finnan Haddie

Broil in a greased broiler until brown on both sides. Remove to a pan, and cover with hot water; let stand ten minutes, drain, and place on a platter. Spread with butter, and sprinkle with pepper.

Finnan Haddie à la Delmonico