The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-05-22
cLe-FAsHloNED FISH DINNER.
when Properly Prepared 1t Is Ike
eeedingIy Pafatablc.

A fish dinner in New England farming
lands meant in the old times dinner
where salt Goldfish was the chief dish.
There are many places even near the
coast where the preserved cod is gen
orally preferred to the fresh fish. An
amusing story to this effect was told
by two New York gentlemen, VINO
traced their descent proudly from the
Mayfower. They visited cape Goa 10
look up ancestral matters. Finding the
hotel fare rather monotonous, they
asked the landlord of the primitive lit
tie inn if he could not give them little
variety. "You must have delicious
fish," one of the guests suggested, glanc-
ing at the sea near by. "oh, yes" re-
piled the landlord. 81 will give you.
fish for breakfast" and he did. 1t was
salt Goldfish picked up with eggs and
milk.
The salt fish dinner calls for con-
siderable care. The materials must be
of the best. A dark, rich fish is pre-
ferred to one of the clear white curing,
The only way to secure good salt cod
fish now is to buy it by the entire fish.
1t is then much nicer and cheaper,
though it is little more difficult to pre-
pare in some ways than the "boneless"
cod that comes packed in boxes. An en-
tire fish was usually cooked at once for
dinner in old England. Wash the fish
carefully, remove any dark spots and
let it soak over night If winter root
vegetables are served with it, wash them
and put them in soak the night before
in pan by themselves. Potatoes, beets
and onions were usually served with
a Goldfish dinner and sometimes carrots.
Take care that the fish is put 10 soak
in plenty of water, the skin side up;
otherwise the salt will not soak out OF
it. The next day lift the fish out of the
water and wash it well and lay it in a
large kettle of cold water, still placing
the skin side up. Let the water heat
slowly until bubbles rise on the side Of
the kettle. Keep the fish at this tenn
perature without once boiling. Boil
ing has the same effect on the albumen
Vi tue llal' NHdt II mas oi NSSS Ni'iNH
we know are always toughened by long
boiling. Cooking the fish slowly at II
low temperature renders it tender, and
the flesh then breaks into delicious
flakes when touched with the fork.
The old-fashioned sauce served uni
versally with this dinner was one Of
rich drawn butter, in which hard-boiled
eggs chopped fine were stirred Stir a
heaping tablespoonful of flour in half
cupful of butter. Add slowly cupful
of boiling water Put the sauce in a
saucepan on the stove and bring it slow
" to the point where it SINNERS, then
add a little pepper II the butter is
sufficiently sailed the sauce will not
need salt. Have ready two fresh eggs
that have been boiled for 20 minutes.
| Chop them fine and stir them into the
| drawn butter.
Sometimes pork scraps made OF salt
Iarding pork, cut in thin slices and fried
brown in crisp little rolls, are served
with Goldfish dinner. Skin the fish be-
fore putting it on the table. See that
| it is served as soon as it is cooked. Let
| all the vegetables, as well as the fish, be
served in perfection, and you will then
understand why old New England farm
wives took genuine pride in serving
this dinner at its best.-N. Y. Tribune
|