Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-15
AMERICAN FISH.
Ways of Cooking Them.

''Tain't no use taikin'. oar amt no place in
dc world Ike deflca Ter fish,, Said an cid col
oTed Cook itcehtty.
Tie tIuth OF her asseveration may be con-
nrn.ed any day 6y visit to one OF the great
fulton market fish houses and al inspection OF
the I!InitleSS var1e offered TO purchasers. But
While nature mad done So mucn the wrong
fe adednesS OF man often brings fish upon the
taoie in al Unsatisfactory Condition. IL is the
aim O. this article To give few plain and sim.
pie directions for the preparation OF fish for
family use, Without entering into a recital OF
elaborate recipes and sauces. For much OF The
Inform alton acknowledgment should be made
to Fish commissioner Eugene c. Backford who
Is an un0oubted authority Oh ali plsciCuijural
matters.
Fishermen themselves harm their own inter.
esIs AID the paiaIes or their customers by
allowing FISH to struggle their lives away 10
gasping agony after they are caught Ali .isu
should DE killed as soon as taken from the
water by making an inciSlon In The back IF The
neck with the small blade or knife and cut
upg The backbone. Many dealers prefer to
have live fish Oh their Stands because the dap.
ping attracts attention. A fish slowly dying,
however, becomes feveriSh, ana the flesh tends
TO ready disintegration, becoming soft and
flabby. aLo crumbling readily when oolled. An
excellent way OF killing HOLSTERS, whtcn Snouid
not be put into the kettle alive Is to bleed Them
This is done by making al inciSion under the
last joint OF the tall ana hanging the lobster up
by the head About half a teacupfui OF thick
SEMI transparent fluid, slightly whltisl, drains
Off. Death by this mel od renders III flesh Of
the lobster harder and Sweeter.
z i. -
Stale fish are soft and flexible with colorits,
glllS and fiimy, opaque eyes. Properly retclg.
Grated fish may be kept from summer until
spring in good condition tholgn when inc
temperature is too low the freezing and tina y.
Ing destroy the character OF the fish. Fish
should never be placed in actual contact with
ice
The manner In which fish should be cooked
depends, generally speaking, upon the size. A
large fish should be boiled or baked small one
bro,led or fried. In preparing fish for cooking
q n 81. T,,tr1
the fish carefully dried With cloth.
According 10 Miss Corson, In boiling f1sh those
OF large size should be placed in water cold and
well sailed, while small fish may be nut directly
into boiling water. Others recommend that the
water be always cold at first Half teacupfuI
of Vinegar-in Europe clareJ is used-corrects
the muddy taste OF some fresh water fish with
out imparting any acidity. Sliced lemon and a
few cloves and pepper-ccrns or a bouquet" or
herbs will add % the flavor OF boiled fish. This
bouquet OF herbs is composed OF little bay
dozen pepper-corn5 tied In a bunch of parsley
If the flesh OF a fish TO be baked is somewhat
dry, an Improvement Will be effected by cutting
Diagonal slashes along the Side and placing In
water 1p the baking pan. but olive Oil, fresh
butter, or salt pork can be used. The ordinary
Drown meat gravy warmed will be found excel
lent with baked fish. Brown sauce, often used
with baked fish, is made by putting In thick
saucepan for one pint Of sauce a tablespoonful
OF butter ana one of flour stirred over The fire
UH.ii pioWH, tAeu dcuiHS SLOWLY one pint or
water, stirring all the time that 1t may be
smooth, and seasoning with salt and pepper.
In broilng fish, the gridir0n should be but
te1ed and the flesh side placed next the fire first
and broiled to a light brown. while the
skin side Should be more thoroughly cooked
TO dark color. MaitTe dNotQ butter Is
an excellent eSos,N7n 81 addition to brolled fish
ter, one of parsley chopped fine. one teaspoon.
fui or lemon juice. one saltspoon of salt. and
one quarter or saltspoon Of pepper This Is
mixed cold and spread over the fish on coming
from the fire.
Fish can be fried to the best advantage In
good olive or sweet Oil. When this becomes so
hot that a light blue vapor arises drop the fish
In and fry TO light brown. Ii much frying is
done this Oil Can be used again and again
Either fresh butter or beef-drippings rank next,
though common sweet lard Is usually used
Many small fish are improved by being dipped
cracker crumbs before frying. All fried fish
should, as soon as cooked. be laid upon brown
paper. which VIII absorb the grease.
In addition to these usual methods, a fish
may DE stewed Miss Juliette Carson's recipe
for fish en- ntdtei0tte is as follows: Cut I'D the
fish into TWO inch pieces and put them over the
IRE In cold water containing a tablespoonful OF
salt, an onion stuck With cloves and Two table,
spoonfuls OF vinegar Boil for fifteen minutes.
then take up the fish, dry In clean cloth. roll
ln llOur, and Try In saucepan with two ounces
or cutter. When brown add boQuet of herbs
and pint OF boiling water. Season the mate
toue with tablespoonful Of salt and quarter
SaltSpoOnful or pepper. Peel pint OF button
onions, toss over The fire until brown, with a
teasIoonfll of butter and OF sugar. ana add to
the md1toue to siml.Ier one hour. IL the sauce
eVapOrates. add enough boiling water TO make
up the original quantity. When the 7nat.I0tte
is done, add glass OF wine ana serve with
cT0't0its OF Tried Dread.-N T. Ttib,tnp