Evening star., 1902-02-22
THEMODERN COOKS ART
LEAVING OFF MEAT SAID TO BE
WISE.
Good Recipes Suggested for Plain
and Fancy Cook
ing.

would have delighted the cultivated tastes
Of the princely gourmets of Greece and
Rome.
The wonderful swiftness of modern trans
portation has made it unnecessary for the
twentieth century Lucullus to spend mil
lions to provide his estate with an artificial
briny reservoir.
Fortunately, too, time has brought COM
parative immunity to the fishes. which are
no more subjected to such horrible tor
lures as was the red mullet, whose dying
agonies were once prolonged in order that
it's changing death hues might delight the
eyes Of heartless sybarites gathered about
the costly Roman banquet tables.
1t Is a question. however, whether mod
ern cooks can vie with the ancient ones
in the preparation of the fishes. No longer
there found chefs who can prepare
fishes and send them to the table looking
as natural as If alive. The Greeks, the
Romans and the French have been the fish
eating nations of the world. Louis Kill
Francis and Henry of Navarro were nota-
BILE fish lovers. Porpoises seals and even
whales were in the middle ages used as
food. Now the poorest peasant would
seorn to touch them Instead the, the market market
merits the ancients were unacquainted
Oysters CLAIMS. Holsters, crabs and shrimps.
each afording chapter In culinary annals,
are sold reasonable that the poor day
laborer can dine upon what would have af-
forded Apicius feast.
The Spring List.
During Lent fresh salmon, haddock. hall
but, founders. whitefish, smelts, bass.
soles, cells, Spanish mackerel, sheepshead,
white and yellow perch sea trout, tomcods,
shad, catfish, carp, Holsters. crabs, oysters.
clans, shrimps and scallops are all in sea-
SON
Ordinarily fish is merely one Of the
courses at dinner. but when meat is cut
off during Lent the fish may be promoted
to make the principal dish From the hy-
gienic standpoint there is a good deal of
common sense in Lenten dieting. The con-
system. and abstinence from it even for
forty days will give the digestive system
an opportunity to recuperate, for fish is
much easier to digest.
spoil and should If possible be used the
day that they are caught Invalids will
find cod. haddock. whiting and all fiat
fishes good
Things to Know.
To detect their freshness notice that the
flesh is firm and we'll covered with scales
and that the eyes are bright. The dealer
will remove the entrails when the fish is
purchased.
II the fish is to be served whole. the head
and fins should not be removed, although
d
fish should be thawed in cold water
The taste of fresh water fishes is often
improved by soaking them In salt water.
though sometimes they are scalded in salt
and water This will remove the objection
able muddy odor which sometimes detracts
from their merits.
Care must be taken in pouring water
upon the fishes after they are placed in
the Kettle and set upon the range to cook.
The liquid must be added gently by pour
ing 1T in over the side of the vessel
Boil haddock and Goldfish six minutes for
every pound; bass, salmon and halibut ten
to fifteen minutes. A lobster as a rule, re-
quires half an hour to forty minutes Large
fishes should bake about one hour and
small ones twenty to thirty minutes Brol-
ing requires a quarter to half an hour. ac-
cOrding to the size Of the fish, very small
specimens being finished in five to ten min
uteS.
Fish which contains few bones may be
converted into fillets by dividing the flesh
from the backbone in long. wide strips and
then removing any smaller bones. Soles
supply the best fillets.
Garnish and Sauce.
Boiled fish is served in a long platter and
may be accompanied by potato balls or gar
nished with slices Of hard boiled eggs sprigs
Of parsley or vegetables cut In fancy
shapes.
Sauce is served with the fish. Bechamel
French white sauce and hollandaise or
archoyy sauce make excellent accompani-
mentS.
Broiled fish is served with maitre d'hotel
sauce and garnished with parsley or water
cress. with slices of lemon scattered over
the fish. Fried and baked fishes are SINH
1arly garnished.
Complete sets Of fish china, including plat
ter, sauce dish and plates, are to be found
In the shops. They are decorated with ma
rine scenes.
The following recipes, which will not be
found in the ordinary cook book may sug-
gest novel ways Of serving fish:
Fresh herrings make delicious dish IL
cooked au gratin. They are prepared thus:
Take six fresh herrings, split them. but off
the heads, remove the inside and the back
bone and wipe them clean with bit of
kitchen paper. Butter a f1reproof china
dish thickly, place the herrings in it. sprinkle
them with teaspoonful of minced pars-
ley. ditto small onions, ditto fried bread
crumbs; pour over them a gill of tomato
catsup which has been mixed with tea
few more breadcrumbs on top, place a bit
Of butter here and there and bake in a
moderately hot oven for from fifteen to
twenty minutes. Take out and serve In the
dish they were cooked In. If liked, the
roes can be removed and used for the
savory. but the dish is greatly improved IL
they are left in.
Boiled Cod.
Crimped Cod-Wipe about two pounds of
middle cut Of crimped cod. set 1t on the
strainer In the fish kettle, cover 1t COM
pletely with hot water. season with a small
handful of salt an onion, two cloves. twen-
ty peppercorns and two tablespoonfuls of
white wine vinegar. Let all come to the
boil quickly. then simmer gently for about
five minutes. Remove the fish from the
water directly 1t Is cooked and drain it
thoroughly. Dish on a folded serviette
garnish with chopped parsley and chopped
yoik Of egg and serve with a good oyster
sauce.
Anchovy Biscuits-Put two ounces of -four
into a basin, add little salt and cayenne
and mix In two ounces of grated cheese;
then rub in two ounces of butter and mix
to a paste with the yolk of an egg which
has been beaten up with a teaspoonful of
anchovy sauce.
Add a few drops of carmine to make the
paste pale pink and. after rolling 1t out to
about one-eighth of an inch in thickness.
stamp 1t out with a diamond shaped cutter
into little biscuits. Prick them in the mid
die and let them cool on sieve when DONE
Butter baking sheet. lightly place the bis
cults on 1t and bake them in a quick oven.
Mix neufchatel cream cheese in a basin
with one ounce of grated parmesan cheese,
season with celery salt and cayenne and
add sufficient green coloring to make the
cheese mixture pale green. Force a small
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