The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-12-09
HOUSEHOLD HELPS.


Purchase those which are fresh.
the fresher the better. The white kinds
are the least nutritious, and the oily the
most difficult of digestion. When fish
are fresh and in season, the muscles are
firm and they boil white; when ont of
season they boil blush and flabby.
Most kinds of fish are best IN cold
weather. Mackeral are best in August,
September and October, halibut IN May
MI .Tune OYSTERS are good from Sen
TENDER to April. HOLSTERS are best at
the season when oysters are not good.
As soon as possible after the fish are
caught, remove the scales and entrails,
and scrape out every particle of blood
and flavoring with n spoonful of sauce or
brown catsup. Pour over fish. Now
oil mixed with vinegar, pepper and salt,
and Il little tomato catsup.
: brook trout must have no elaborate
cooking but just enough fiavoring to
enhance its native aroma.
FISH PIE-Take few pieces of bacon
and place at the bottom of pie dish.
Cut up fresh cod or fresh haddock and
place over it in layers, finishing with a
couple of slices of bacon. Sprinkle in
between small finely chopped onion
aud parsley. Flavor with pepper and
salt Make a brown gravy by heating a
piece of butter. stirring in a little -four,
when brown adding some warm water
teaspoonful of flour stirred into the but
ter VIII be sufficient.
Cover the trout with piece of greasy
paper aud let ii gently frizzle IN the pan
or put pieces of bacon under it and over
it and let it frizzle.
Make a fine salad to this dish.
Steam a trout and pour over 1t some
fish: it requires great nicely in cooking
or its flavor is lost The flavor Of the
brook troHt Is exceedingly delicate and
must be dealt with In a gentle manner.
Brook front should be placed in boiling
water but over steam boiling 1t in water
soddens it and takes away its flavor.
When steaming it put into the water
some peppercorns and very little salt
sauce for trout may be made OF
melted butter and parsley, or capers or
tomatoes. or even mushrooms. Trout
deserves a delicate havoring.
4 second way OF cooking trout Is to
melt piece of fresh butter, stir into 1t
some water, and place the trout into 1t,
adding peppercorns and a little salt;
Place round several slices of lemon and
cover up very close. Stew like this
twenty minutes Take ont and strain
the gravy over the trout.
If Won wish the gravy thi1kened one
serving fish Is to have everything hot
aud quickly dished, 50 that all may 60
to the table at once. Serve fresh with
with squash and green peas salt fish
with beets and carrots, salt pork and
potatoes, and parsnips with either.
Brook TRoUr.-The trout is peculiar
baked, boiled and broiled, and smelts
are cooked by dropping into boiling fat
One of the most essential things III
VIII separate easily. The addition of
salt and vinegar TO water in which fish is
boiled seasons the fish and at the same
time hardens the water, thus much i'm
proving the fish. In boiling fish always
plunge 1t into boiling water and then let
it simmer gently until done. In case of
salmon, put into tepid water instead Of
hot. to preserve the rich color
To fry fish dip in egg and bread
crumbs, and use lard, not butter.
Garuish with parsley, celery tops or
lemon. Halibut Is best cut in slices aud
fried or boiled. Bass are good any way.
Salt shad and mackerel must be soaked
over night for broiling. Surgeons are
best fried. Black and white fish are
best broiled or fried. A broiled fish is
done when the eyes turn white.
Along the Atlantic coast there Is a
great variety of fish. The blue fish is
excellent, boiled or baked, with dress
ing of bread, butter and onions. Sea
bass are boiled with egg sauce and
garnished with parsley. Salmon are
and the white skin that lies along the
blackstone, being careful not to crush
the fish. Rinse thoroughly in cold
water, using only what is necessary for
al.
place on ice until ready to cook. To re-
move the earthly taste from fresh-water
fish, sprinkle with salt and let it stand
over night, or at least few hours before
cooking; rinse off, wipe dry, and, to
completely take up all moisture, wrap in
a dry napkin. Fresh-water fish should
never be soaked in water except when
frozen, and then should be cooked I'M
mediately. Salt fish may be soaked
over night, changing the water once or
twice if very salt. To freshed fish, place
it with the feshy side down, so that the
salt may go to the bottom, where 1t ma
turally settles.
Fish should always be well done
baked or fried, it is most palatable,
though some prefer it boiled. When
one has no fish kettle (made purposely to
boil the fish, wrap it in a cloth, lay IN
circle on a plate and set IN the kettle.
When done the fish may be lifted entire
out of the kettle without breaking, and
can then be removed to the platter. In
boiling fish allow five to ten minutes to
the pound, according to thickness, after
putting it in the water. To test, pass a
knife along bone, and if done the flesh
make crust, as for pot-pie, and piece
over. Bake gently and quickly, so as
not to dry out the goodness of the fish.
Prepare potatoes plain, steamed, or with
parsley sauce.