Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-23
THE KING OF ALL
FISH FOR TABLE
Judgment Of Bon Vivants Twen-
ty-fve Years Ago Still
Unassailable

WHEN the hre-eaten tower of the old
w Times Building. now being d'smantled
by workmen, was the saucy capsheaf upon a
lively newspaper hive. there was broad
plate-glass window almost directly below Il,
on the first floor, looking out on Eighth
street where three or four gay spirits were
wont TO congregate of an afternoon and dis
cuss the topics OF the town.
The general makeup OF the group was
subject to change. but young Frank Nc
Laughlin was invariably one and Louis n.
Megargee was always the dominating CEN
ter. Megargee was then conducting his
breezy Seen and Heard" column In the
Times and Mclaughlin was business man
ager of the paper They were both bon
rivants, but Megarsee was by long odds the
bon-vivanter Of the two. lie had eaten and
drunk everything necessary for the compile
tion OF ones education In the art OF the
trencherman. and he was an authority upon
good living. He also wrote quite as enter
tainingly of other things Of which he knew
less He was never dull, though occasionally
inaccurate. But upon the pleasures Of the
table lie wrote mouth-waterngly and with
Il sure pen.
We thought Of him the other day when
we were discussing the possibility of whale
steak soon coming to bless or clutter. our
bill of fare, and we wondered what his judg-
mcnt would be. We remember breaking
into his circle before that pate-glass win
dow in the Times Office, Ole February after
noon quarter of century ago, to ask
what arrangements had been made for the
approaching annual dinner Of the Friendly
Sons of st. Patrick. Phil J. Walsh, the in
stallment man. who was present, at once
brought up the question of the proper fish
for the occasion and launched Megargee
upon a dissertation which not only held his
hearers for an hour, but later entertained
n larger audience through his column In the
paper.
His main theme was cod fresh cod !; and
he called 1t the most luscious and satisfying
seafood that ever tickled a palate. lie told
of session he had had with Colonel Tom
Ochiltree. John Wise, of Virginia; John
Chamberlin, of Washington. and other high
livers. at which all the fish of the sea and
the rivers that flow into the same were
picked apart and discussed, Chamberin
began by making out "a fine case for the
hogfish of the James River, which lie de-
cared to be the finest pantish in all the world.
Tom Ochtree's candidate was the pompano,
particularly those OF the family caught in
Mobile Bay They were good when broiled,
lie said, but supreme in flavor when DELI
cately boiled in Il napkin.
John Wise spoke, with beaming face. of
the Spanish mackerel, but Chamberin
snorted disdainfuly The Spanish mackerel,
he said, lacked character and wasn't even
a second-rate pantish.
THE best fish that swims," said he, "is
the cod and If lie were not SO common he
would be priced as one of the greatest gas
tronomlc luxuries we have. defy any one
to name any other living creature which can
be put to so many edible purposes. 1t is
amazing the number of dishes you can make
from the cod. and when you have exhausted
him in his first state, you can fly to him
in his salted condition and begin a new
round of delicacies. There is hardly any
thing you can't do with him. His tongue.
either boiled or broled is delicacy, and
his head is capable Of treatment that places
1t upon a par even with terrapin. l will
guarantee to take Gods head and prepare
It In "A manner the result Of which will tax
the palate Of any one of you to distinguish
between it and diamondback terrapin. How
do I manage It? Well, first the Gods head
| should be thoroughly washed in cold water
| and then placed in an iron kettle. with just
enough water to make steam for it; of
course, being covered with napkin. When
it falls to pieces, take out the bones--only
don't remove the eyes-and place the frag-
ments in n chatting dish. Put in 1t plenty of
pepper some salt. the best butter and some
| cream-not too much Greenland dash of
| good Madeira, if you wish. and after the
| chafng dish has done its work, you have
| before you a dish which almost equals ter
| rapin and costs many pennies less
| That" said Megargee, in conclusion, lis
| my Judgment. too. So let ii be somewhat OF
| cod for the st. Patrick's Day dinner"
| And II you'll look up that old menu you'll
| hnd it there L. n. u.