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Classic
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page 42
Fill the fish with a nicely prepared stuffing of rolled cracker or stale bread
crumbs, seasoned with butter, pepper, salt, sage, and any other aromatic herbs
fancied; sew up; wrap in a well-floured cloth, tied closely with twine, and boil
or steam. The garnishes for boiled fish are: For turbot, fried smelts; for other
boiled fish, parsley, sliced beets, lemon or sliced boiled egg. Do not use the
knives, spoons, etc., that are used in cooking fish, for other food, or they
will be apt to impart a fishy flavor.
Fish to be boiled should be put into cold water and set on the fire to cook very
gently, or the outside will break before the inner part is done. Unless the fish
are small, they should never be put into warm water; nor should water, either
hot or cold, be poured on to the fish, as it is liable to break the skin: if it
should be necessary to add a little water while the fish is cooking, it ought to
be poured in gently at the side of the vessel.
Fish to be broiled should lie, after they are dressed, for two or three hours,
with their inside well sprinkled with salt and pepper.
Salt fish should be soaked in water before boiling, according to the time it has
been in salt. When it is hard and dry, it will require thirty-six hours soaking
before it is dressed, and the water must be changed three or four times. When
fish is not very salt, twenty-four hours, or even one night, will suffice.
When frying fish the fire must be hot enough to bring the fat to such a degree
of heat as to sear the surface and make it impervious to the fat, and at the
same time seal up the rich juices. As soon as the fish is browned by this sudden
application of heat, the pan may be moved to a cooler place on the stove, that
the process may be finished more slowly.
Fat in which fish has been fried is just as good to use again for the same
purpose, but it should be kept by itself and not be put to any other use.
TO FRY FISH.
Most of the smaller fish (generally termed pan-fish) are usually fried. Clean
well, cut off the head, and, if quite large, cut out the backbone, and slice the
body crosswise into five or six pieces; season with salt and pepper. Dip in
Indian meal or wheat flour, or in beaten egg, and roll in bread or fine cracker
crumbs--trout and perch should not be dipped in meal; put into a thick bottomed
iron frying-pan, the flesh side down, with hot lard or drippings; fry slowly,
turning when lightly browned. The following method may be deemed preferable:
Dredge the pieces with flour; brush them over with beaten egg; roll in bread
crumbs, and fry in hot lard or drippings sufficient to cover, the same
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Classic
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