Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-23
COOKING LEN1'EN FARE
How to Prepare Fish in a
xe { u
Variety Of Ways.
CHEESE AS A. SAV0RY
sco11ops MADE a Il SUBSTITUTES
FOR OYSTERS
-tffE
Boned smellets, Fi1leted Founders
and an Imitation "New-
burg"
ma Oh
CHEESE AS A. sAVORY

With mid-Lent comes the ever recurring
problem of making the fish-diet palatable
and varied. BY this time. the average
housekeeper has exhausted her receipts for
Lenten fare and welcomes any combina-
ton which bears the stamp Of novelty.
Cheese can be added to many fish dishes
with excellent results, not only because it
improves the flavor. but because 1t has Ger
tain nutritive qualities which fish lack To
avoid any unpleasant after effects, in using
cheese for any receipt add a pinch Of car
Donate Of potash. This Is as simple as BIZ
carbonate of soda and absolutely tasteless
None but fish with a white flesh should be
combined with cheese. If a lettuce salad
is served with this dish, the combination
will contain potash salts and the bi-carbo-
nate may be omitted.
HOLSTERS are just now very expensive, but
the hunger for a "Newburg'' may be ap-
peased by a substitute little known but al
ways approved after a first tri3l. This Is
scollops. Cover them with boiling water
and allow them to stand three minutes.
Drain and dry with towel, and then pre-
pare as for lobster a la Newburg. Except
for the shape, they cannot be distinguished
from the more expensive shell fish.
Boned Smelts.-Epicures declare In favor
of the large smelts. as the flesh Is flrmer
than that Of the smaller sort. Split each fish.
and. by removing the backbone with care,
the smaller bones will come away also. Put
two tablespoonful of butter in hot frying
pan and brown. but do not burn. Have the
fish well dried and slip them carefully into
the hot butter. They must not be cooked
too fast. When brown on both sides, they
should be done through. Pour little Of the
butter over them when serving If 1t has all
cooked away, brown a little more and add
quickly while the fish are still hot. Serve
very hot, In a nest of parsley. Smelts pre-
pared after this receipt have snap Pc
culiarly their own. Some cooks broil the
smelts first and pour melted butter over
them afterward. Either way brings good
results.
Filleted Flounders.-If properly prepared.
these can hardly be distinguished from the
English sole, famous on both sides OF the
water. They average about a pound and
half each. and one fish will Yield three nice
fillets The butcher will do the boning with
out extra charge. Each filIet IS dried rolled
In a beaten egg, then in sifted bread crumbs.
then back into the egg, with a final dip into
the crumbs, after which they are dropped
into boiling fat and cooked ike croquettes.
A better way Is to have one OF the wire
baskets made, for this purpose. dipping 1t
into the boiling fat, SO that the fillets will
not break. nat
Dreamed Fish in shelIs.-Use white fish
left over from the broied piece OF the night
before, preferably haddoek or cod. The
former has the higher flavor. Remove skin
and bones. Do not flake. but use a silver
meat. This is important as, when shredded.
the fish becomes woody and foses firmness.
1t should have been sa1tedf IN n the first cook
ing. ...... .t..sr. aI,
Dreaming Of the consistency Of thick cream
Thin sauce means a Failure of the entire
dish. Melt a tablespoonful Of butter in
saucepan, and when 1t bubbles stir In the
same measure of sifted -four. When the
mixture Is smooth stir in half a pint Of
milk added slowly. If the milk is fourth
cream so much the better Stir carefully
until all is smooth and like custard. Add
salt and white pepper to taste. set aside to
cool, and. If needed, season the bits Of fish.
Serve in shells. with sprig Of parsley.
Oyster Fritters.-These are the old-fash-
toned sort, for which Delmonico was ia
nous in his early days. Choose plump
oysters and drain Heat the boiling point
one cup of Juice and one cup of milk to
avoid curdling, and stir together. When
and salt to taste. Sift into this about one
half pint of flour and teaspoonful Of bak
ing powder. The batter should be of the
consistency OF griddle cake batter. Enyel-
and cook in mixed boiling butter and lard.
ladling the boiling fat over as if frying an
egg. The oyster will puff up and quickly
become brown. Serve at once on hot plates
with bits OF lemon. The oysters may be
cooked in deep lard, like croquettes. but the
use of lard and butter in a shallow pan fol-
lows the original recipe.
Prawns in shells.-Delicious for the fish
course, or for the principal dish for supper
and luncheon Prawns are the gulf shrimp
and are sold, ready boiled, by measure They
are much larger than the ordinary shrimp
and should be chosen for dreaming. The
small shrimp Is suitable only for infor-
NAL meal.
To prepare the prawns for cooking in In
dividual shells cut with a silver knife.
Never shred any fish except sailed cod.
Melt a tablespoonful of butter in an agate
saucepan. When boiling hot but not brown
stir in a rounded tablespoonful of sifted
flour, and when smooth, add slowly half a
pint Of milk and cream. mixed in the pro-
portion of three fourths milk and one fourth
cream. Cook until smooth in double
boiler. season to taste. using either cayenne
or white pepper, and If the flavor is liked,
add leaf or so of the bay. The bay leaf
should be added to the cold milk, brought
to boil and then strained out Add the
prawns to the sauce and serve in shells.
To serve small shrimps.-Spread slices of
brown bread with butter. Have the shrimps
parsley and lemon. Each shrimp is then
taken between the finger tips the head and
she'll are discarded. and the succulent NOR
sci remaining Is eaten with brown bread
sandwiches.
Deviled oysters.-Drain the oysters. chop
rather fine and then drain again. For two
dozen oysters rub together tablespoonful
Of butter. two tablsspoonfuls, of flour and
stir into one-half pint Of boiling cream.
When thick remove from the fire and stir
the mixture into the beaten yoiks Of two
eggs. Add salt and cayenne to taste. Have
the deep shells of the oyster. washed and
ready. Fill with the mixture. sprinkle with
egged bread crumbs and ada small dots OF
five minutes. If not brown at the end of
this time. color to the right t1nt by holding
them over red-hot shovel og salamander.
Cooked this way. they win BE tender and
juicy. but If allowed to remain in the oven
longer than five minutes3 hheyfwin be tough
and dry.