The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-08-11
THE OLD NORTH STATE FOREVER
Whipping its Mountain Streams and Trolling
in its Sparkling BiIows>

DuI ItItle COMMENT DIS VERY DOuy teCOS-
nizes their excellence and the market
prices attest the valuation placed on them
by the consuming public. The Kingfsh
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
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 viii show how we'll the Northern mar
kets pay for it. A striped bass, or as we
usually call him, a rock. OF from 6 to 10
pounds weight or even larger, properly
broiled and served with egg or other suit
able sauce, is to my mind perhaps our
best fish, it being remembered that l
have never tasted fresh brook trout. 1t
Is a pity that the practicesOf boiling GER
tain species of our natives fishes does not
prevail more generally with us, as for
certain kinds. mostly those OF firm, flaky
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 a large fish, the flesh may be
partly boned and then picked in vinegar
and a little of the liquor in which it was
boiled, seasoned with salt ana pepper
and put way for a supper dish or the
next days dinner. When served cold
from the ice box 1t makes a most appetls-
ing hot weather dish. Sheepshead is Il
fish suitable for this method of cooking
. and even the low priced red drum Is by
TO 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 salted 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 lett attached Is then
partially disjointed along with the back
bone and boiled with Irish potatoes, con-
stituting the dish known as drums head
and bone. | have tried this and ound it
! excellent. the gelatinous tissues of the
tongue, jaws, cheeks, lips and other parts
of the head, with the rich gravy and Il
dash of vinegar, making a rich and well
favored stew. A big mullet or sea trout,
a porgy, an extra large black bass, any
of these are good boilers and | would adj
wise housekeepers unfamiliar with this
method Of fish cookery to give 1T a 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 a snack goes and
gets it camp fashion.
Capt. Ashes blue perch, or blue brlm,
as it is often called. is a number one
pan fish, as are pretty much all the small
Dasses and the sunfishes. This includes
strawberry bass or speckled perch, club,
robin, flyer. redthroat, rock bass, goggle
eye, small specimens OF black bass &
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 hist OF tresh-Watei
sDecies above any of our small saltwater
fishes for the frying pan. And a 1reSi
herring, fried brown and crisp, Is no sar-
dine. although possibly the parent OF
some.
For brOiling or baking l don't know
that we get anything better than a nice
shad. ANYWAY, a good, fresh, plump shad
be it buck or roe, with body cavity wei
filed with a suitable, properly seasoned
dressing, and well baked III 4 quick oVen
served with a plain or fancy sauce as taste
decides and brought to the table red no
from the oven, forms about as good al
excuse for over-eating as one often en-
co11nters. A planked shad IS sand to bt
something out of sight, but here again
ann guided entirely by the OPINION o
others.
Years ago l tried Il camper recipe OF
several kinds of small fishes with some de
gree of success. Clean your fish out don
scale it. Put a slice of bacon INSIDE an'
wrap the whole fish III a layer OF mos
!, claw not too thick. Deposit the Whole II
Inc embers of your camp ire, completely
hurving it in the live Goals and hot aShes
When done Ct have forgotten the rule
governing the time Of cooklng) femoV
, from fire and break off the clay WnlcI
will come away with the SKIN OF the us
attached. leaving the meat clean not an
with all the natural flavor preserved.
thought fish thus cooked very near pei
faction the last time | tried IT Dut Una
,vas some wears ago and there may hav
, haen virtue added by the open ar SUI
,~o,,ndings and the resulting campers al
petite.
! Fish are often regarded specially a