The Century Cook Book Part 21

Then add 2 quarts of hot water, 1 cup of vinegar or wine, 3 peppercorns, 3 cloves, 1 bay-leaf, 1 teaspoonful of salt.

=BAKED FISH=

After the fish is carefully washed and dried, put in the stuffing, and sew up the opening with a trussing needle; then cut three gashes in each side of the fish, and lay a lardoon of salt pork in each cut. Next, run a trussing needle, holding a double white cotton cord, through the head, the middle of the body, and the tail. Draw the fish into the shape of the letter S, and tie the cord firmly. In order to cook evenly, it is better to have the fish upright, and by trussing as directed it will hold that position. Dredge the fish with salt, pepper, and flour, and lay it on slices of larding pork in a baking pan. Place also over the back slices of pork. Allow fifteen minutes to each pound, and baste frequently. The pork should supply sufficient liquid for basting; if not, add a very little water. The fish can be more easily removed if a baking sheet is used in the bottom of the pan. (See ill.u.s.tration facing page 118.)

Serve with a brown sauce. Garnish with lemon and parsley.

Haddock, bluefish, shad, and ba.s.s are good for baking.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FISH PREPARED TO BAKE. (SEE PAGE 115.)]

=STUFFINGS FOR BAKED FISH=

Put a large tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter into a saucepan. When melted stir into it

1 cupful of cracker or dry bread crumbs, 1 teaspoonful of chopped onion, 1 teaspoonful of chopped capers, 1/4 teaspoonful salt, 1/4 teaspoonful pepper, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley.

If a moist stuffing is preferred, add one quarter cupful of milk, stock or water.

=BREAD STUFFING=

Fry a tablespoonful of chopped onion in a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter. Add a cupful or more of stale bread, which has been soaked in hot water, then pressed dry. A tablespoonful each of chopped parsley, suet, and celery, one quarter teaspoonful each of salt and pepper, and a dash of powdered thyme (if liked). When it is well mixed, remove from the fire and add an egg.

=TO BROIL FISH=

Fish to be broiled are split down the back. After being washed and well dried, they should be rubbed with oil or b.u.t.ter, or the skin floured, to keep from sticking. The broiler should be made hot and greased with a piece of salt pork before the fish is laid on. The hot wires will sear the lines which should always show on broiled dishes. The fire must be clear and hot for small fish, more moderate for large ones, so the outside may not be burned before the inside is cooked. When there is danger of this, the broiler may be laid on a pan in the oven to complete the cooking. The broiler should be turned as often as the cook counts ten, and as the skin burns easily, it must be carefully watched. When done, the wires should be carefully raised from both sides so as not to break the meat, and the fish turned on to a hot dish and spread with b.u.t.ter, salt, and pepper, or better, a maitre d'hotel sauce. This sauce makes a more evenly distributed mixture. A wreath of water-cresses laid around the fish makes a good garnish, and is an acceptable accompaniment to any broiled dish. Lemon is also used for garnish and flavor.

Shad, bluefish, and mackerel are most frequently cooked in this way.

=TO SAUTe FISH=

Small or pan fish, and fish cut into slices, are often sauted. After the fish is washed and dried, dredge it with salt and pepper, and roll in flour, then dip in egg and roll in bread crumbs, cracker dust, or in corn-meal. Put into a frying-pan a few pieces of salt pork, and after sufficient grease has tried out, lay in the fish; or one tablespoonful of lard and one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter may be used instead of the fat pork. b.u.t.ter burns, and should not be used alone. The grease must be very hot, and only enough of it to cover the bottom of the pan one eighth of an inch deep. Turn the fish with a broad knife or pancake turner, and with care to not break the meat. When cooked an amber color it is ready to turn.

Slices of halibut should be marinated (see page 79) before being coated with flour. Lay the fish or slices overlapping each other on a hot dish.

Serve with quarters of lemon, and garnish with parsley. (See ill.u.s.trations facing pages 114 and 124.)

=TO FRY FISH=

Fish to be fried are first well washed and dried, then dredged with salt, pepper, and flour, then dipped in egg, and rolled in bread or cracker crumbs. The fish should be completely incased in the egg and crumbs, leaving no opening for the grease to enter. The same rule applies to frying fish as to other articles (see page 72). They must have entire immersion, and the fat smoking hot.

=TO FRY SMELTS=

Smelts, after being washed, dried, and sprinkled with salt and pepper, are dipped in egg, then rolled in bread or cracker crumbs. The head and tail pinned together with a small skewer, or wooden tooth-pick (to be removed after they are fried), makes them into rings, and is a pretty way of serving them either by themselves or for garnis.h.i.+ng other fish dishes. Cook only as many as will cover the bottom of the frying-basket at one time (see rules for frying, page 72). Dress the smelts on a folded napkin, and serve with Mayonnaise or with Tartare sauce.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SMELTS FRIED IN RINGS. (SEE PAGE 117.)]

=FRIED SMELTS ON SKEWERS=

Use medium sized smelts, clean carefully, and wipe them dry. Dredge them with salt and pepper; dip them in egg and roll them in crumbs. String three or four on each skewer, the skewer pa.s.sing through the eyes. Place them in a frying-basket, a few at a time, and immerse in very hot fat.

Prepare at a time only as many as will go in the frying-basket. The time given to rolling them is only as long as required for the fat to regain the right degree of heat. Dress on a napkin and serve with Mayonnaise, Tartare sauce, or quarters of lemon.

=BROILED SMELTS=

Split the smelts down the back and remove the bone. Lay them on a hot broiler, which has been rubbed with suet, to prevent sticking. Broil over hot coals for two minutes on each side. Put into a dish some Bechamel sauce, and lay the broiled fish on the sauce, or they may be spread with maitre d'hotel sauce. Serve at once while very hot.

=FRIED FILLETS OF FISH=

Remove fillets as directed on page 112. Dip them in salted milk, roll in flour, then in egg and fresh bread crumbs. Fry as soon as prepared in hot fat. Fillets may also be cooked by sauteing. Arrange the fillets on a napkin or hot dish, overlapping each other. Serve with Bearnaise, Mayonnaise or Tartare sauce.

=WHITEBAIT=

Wash the whitebait with great care, and dry well by rubbing them in a napkin. Roll them in flour, using enough to entirely cover them. Toss them on a sieve to shake off the loose flour. Place them in a fine wire basket, and immerse in smoking hot fat for one minute, or just long enough to give them a light amber color. The fish are so small, it takes but a moment to cook them, and there is danger of burning them by leaving them in the fat too long. They should be crisp and dry. Only enough to make one layer on the bottom of the basket should be fried at once. Too many will cool the fat, and also will stick together. The fat must be brought to the right degree of heat before putting in the second basketful. They should be floured only just before going into the fat.

The flour becomes damp if it remains on the fish for any time, and they will then neither take color nor become crisp. Turn them on to a paper, sprinkle with salt, and keep them in a warm oven until all are cooked.

Have a hot dish with a folded napkin on it standing on the warming shelf. Place the whitebait between the folds of the napkin, and serve immediately. They cool rapidly, and should not be cooked until just in time to serve. They are easily prepared, and very nice when crisp and hot, but will not be right unless care is given to the small details.

Serve with quarters of lemon.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WHITEBAIT. (SEE PAGE 118.)]

=BOILED HALIBUT STEAKS=

Lay two chicken halibut steaks into a shallow stew pan, sufficiently large to allow them to lie side by side. Cover them with court bouillon or with hot water, and add a slice of carrot, onion, piece of celery, bay-leaf, four cloves, six peppercorns, and juice of half a lemon. Let simmer until done. Or they may be put into a baking pan, with a little water, covered with another pan or greased paper, and steamed in the oven until cooked. Lift out the slices with a skimmer and broad knife, and with care not to break them; lay them on a hot dish, one a little overlapping the other.

Garnish with boiled potato b.a.l.l.s, and serve with egg or with Hollandaise sauce. (See ill.u.s.tration facing page 124.)

=HALIBUT--TURKISH STYLE=

(RECEIPT GIVEN AT ONE OF MRS. RORER'S LECTURES)

Place on the bottom of a baking pan two or three slices of onion, then a cutlet of halibut, and put a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter cut into small bits over the top of the fish. Cut three skinned tomatoes into quarters, slice a sweet green pepper into ribbons, and put the tomatoes and pepper on the fish. Put the pan on the shelf of the oven to cook first the vegetables, but do not let it remain there long enough to discolor or change their shape; then remove it to the bottom of the oven, baste it well, and finish the cooking. When done place it carefully on a hot dish, and pour over it the juice from the pan. The fish should retain its whiteness, and the vegetables their color, giving a very pretty as well as delicious dish.

=SCALLOPED FISH=

2 pounds halibut or any white fish, boiled with 1 slice onion, 1 stalk celery, 1 sprig parsley, 6 peppercorns, 4 cloves, 1 bay-leaf, Juice of one-half a lemon, 1 cupful white sauce, Mashed potato.