The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-09
THE OLD NORTH STATE FOREVER
Whipping its Mountain Streams and Trolling
IN its Sparkling Billows.

offer an opinion, as my first brook trout
is still in his native element. Neverthe-
less, now we are discussing this subject
we may as well probe deeper into the
question of the relative values of our food
be extracted therefrom.
Take that fish against which so much
prejudice exists by reason of its shape,
the common eel of our ponds and streams.
This is most delicious dish when nicely
fried, possessing flavor entirely its own,
but it meets with but little favor in North
Carolina, as nearly all the great numbers
caught in the State are shipped north
where a price of ten cents pound tor
skinned stock is readily obtainable.
Spanish Mackerel and Pompano need
but little comment as everybody recog-
nizes their excellence and the market
prices attest the valuation placed on them
by the consuming public. The Kingfish
mentioned is not the Cero or other large
mackerel taken in such quantities around
the Florida coast and there called King
fish, but is the same fish that is known in
our markets at Sea Mullet and that com
mands so much attention from Charleston
consumers under the name of Whiting.
A fish very much neglected in our local
consumption is the large size of striped
bass Tor boiling and a reference to the
list will show how well the Northern mar
kets pay for it. striped bass, or as we
usually call him, a rock, of from to 10
pounds weight or even larger, properly
broiled and served with egg or other suit
| III 10 ind ha on
best fish, it being remembered that l
have never tasted fresh brook trout. 1t
is a pity that the practice Of boiling GER
tain species of our natives fishes does not
prevail more generally with us, as for
certain kinds, mostly those or firm, fiaky
flesh, rather coarse in grain and OF five
pounds weight and over, it is the method
par, excellence. And another reason Is
that if any be left over from the first
meal off large fish, the flesh may be
partly boned and then picked in vinegar
and little of the liquor in which it was
boiled, seasoned with salt anG pepper
and put away for a supper dish or the
next days dinner. When served cold
from the ice box it makes a most appetls-
ing hot weather dish. Sheepshead is a
fish suitable for this method of cooking
and even the low priced red drum is by
no means to be despised when properly
Boiled and fixed In the Hatteras set
Elements they use a good many red drum
of large size-say, 20 to 40 pounds-as
follows: The fish is skinned, then the two
sides are split off from the backbone and
are sailed down and dried, later on to
be used as we use the dried goldfish OF the
North. The great head, to which the
backbone has been left attached Is then
partially disjointed along with the back
bone and boiled with Irish potatoes, con-
shutting the dish known as drums head
and bone. l have tried this and found it
excellent, the gelatinous tissues OF the
tongue, jaws, cheeks, lips and other parts
OF the head with the rich gravy and a
dash OF vinegar, making a rich and well
favored stew. A big mullet or sea trout,
porgy, an extra large black bass, any
of these are good boilers and l would adj
wise housekeepers unfamiliar with this
method OF fish cookery to give it trial.
Of course fresh salmon and fresh cod are
always so cooked, but neither of them ever
appear on our markets.
In the local mullet camps of our coast
in the fall of the year, a big pot hangs
constantly over the fire with mullets and
sweet potatoes all boiling merrily togeth-
er, and any one wanting snack goes and
gets it camp fashion.
Capt. Ashes blue perch. or blue brim,
as it is often called. is a number one
pan fish, as are pretty much all the small
BASES and the sunfishes. This includes
strawberry bass or speckled perch, club,
robin, flyer, redthroat, rock bass google
eye, small specimens of black bass G.
kinds), leather-eared perch, white perch,
Yarmouth, yellow or raccoon perch, etc.
Our small pixies are first class pan fishes,
too, and I should personally rate nearly
all of the foregoing list of fresh-water
species above any of our small saltwater
fishes for the frying pan. And fresh
herring, fried brown and crisp. is no sar-