Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-12-11
Cooking and Serving Fish.

Cooking and Serving Fish.
When housewife explains the absence
Of fish from her menus by saying, my
family does not like fish," the inference
is that she does not know how to cook
and serve it properly, for fish more than
most foods, needs careful preparation
for the table.
The first necessity is the selection OF
the fish, and If the housewife cannot
trust her marketman to deliver fresh
goods, then she must learn what consti.
tutes fresh fish and do her marketing
personally. This may seem an unneces-
sary trouble, with the telephone in the
house, but it will pay better in the table
service. When the fish ia in steaks 1t
will have glittering, fine, clear skin and
firm flesh. These same rules apply to
the smaller fish, only they will also have
clear eyes, red gills and bright, shiny
scales.
One of the most economical although
expensive fish is the halibut, for there Is
almost no waste about it and tits equally
fine for frying or boiling.
The following table will be guide to
the housekeeper in selecting her fish for
cooking, and If it is pasted in the cook
book it will save many minute in plan
ming her dinners beforehand:
For Broiling-Bluefish, large cells,
split, shag, whiteflsh, trout, fresh sal
mon, Spanish mackerel, weakfish, sea
trout, shoal halibut, chicken halibut,
cod scrod, bonito mackerel, fresh mack
erel.
For Baking-Bluefish, shad, fresh
mackerel, paddock, halibut, striped bass,
whitefsb, lake trout, large oysters,
quahog clans, Holsters.
For Frying-Butterfish, shad, cod
steaks, swordfsh, bluefsh, porgies,
bonito mackerel, pickerel, ciscoes, vel
low perch, brook trout, smelts, had
dock, halibut, salmon, cells, tinker
mackerel, bullheads, white perch, white-
fish, softshell crabs, live Holsters, long
neck clans, scallops, large oysters.
Sauteing-Cod steak, yellow perch,
brook trout, smelts, paddock, halibut,
cells, bullheads, white perch, whitefish,
scallops, large oysters, CLAIMS, shrimps,
lake trout.
For Stewing-Lobster, cod, oysters,
shrimps, quahog CLAIMS, chopped seal
lops.
Best for Boiling-Salmon, cod, sword
fish, paddock, black bass, sturgeon, red
snapper, halibut.
For Chowders-Cod and halibut mix
ed, halibut, paddock, eels, little-neck
clans, long-neck CLAIMS, quahog CLAIMS,
oysters.
In this table it will be noticed that
both frying and sauteing are mentioned,
and word may be added for the benefit
of the young housskeeper who has not
yet learned to distinguish between these
two methods. FRYING is coating the fish
with beaten egg, then with fine bread or
cracker crumbs or cornmeal, and i'm
mersing the fish in smoking hot fat to
cook until done; and this Is considered
by most cooks as the proper way to serve
certain kinds of fish. All flsh croquettes
should be cooked after this fashion, and
oysters done in this way are as nearly
must be exercised in the coating process
80 that the fish will not part and the dish
be made mussy for serving. Others pre-
fer the sauteing process, and when this
Is done we'll the results will be very
satisfactory. Pork drippings make the
best foundation for the sauteing, as but
ter burns rapidly, and too often the fish
Is scorched before the flesh has become
done. By adding little butter to the
pan few minutes before the fish Is
finished, it will impart a flavor and aid
10 browning the flesh and skin. The fat
must be placed in a hot frying pan be-
fore the fish is added; then the fish plac-
ed flesh side down and cooked until 1t
can be separated.
The fish Is then turned with q broad
bladed knife and the skin allowed to
brown. Never let the fish simmer in the
fat after 1t is ready to serve. II 1t must
stand, lay It on several thicknesses Of
cloth and place In warming oven. II
the cloth Is not convenient, then use
plain paper.
It will be found better to have the
marketman clean the fish, and ask him
to split It down the back instead of tho
belly, a. is too often done, especially In
small towns. The fish will lie In fryer
or broiler much better II the former
method Is pursued. Some families al.
ways have the heads leftou the fish, and
In the case Of cod there are It'd bits over
the nose and the cheeks that are always
sought for by the epicure. Smells
should have the heads left on, ~ tho
fish is so small that the shape will be
spoiled II the heads are removed.
All the fine cooking will be lost It the
fish Ia not we'll served, and this need
take but.a moment Of the housekeeper's
time. Green parsley and water oress
can be bought nearly all the year around,
even In the small towns and cities, and
lemons are always to be had. A tuft Of
parsley or cress and slice Of tho lemon