FISH are dressed in a variety of ways, according to taste. They are boiled, broiled, baked, stewed and fried, but the most common methods are broiling and frying—broiling when required to be done in a plain way, and frying when a high relish or flavor is to be given. In all modes of preparing fish for the table much care is required to prevent them from being broken or disfigured. In determining the signs of freshness and good condition the utmost caution must also be exercised. In a wholesome state the eye of the fish will appear bright, the gills of a fine, clear red, the body stiff, the flesh firm and the odor not unpleasant. They should be well cleaned, scraped and rinsed, care being taken not to let them soak longer than necessary, as fish, like meat, lose flavor by remaining too long in the water. In opening and removing the entrails of the fish, be very careful not to allow the smallest particle of offensive matter to remain inside. Wash out the blood, scraping it carefully from the back-bone. A fish can be dressed without splitting it entirely down from head to tail. Smelts and other small fish are drawn or emptied at the gills. It is very desirable to have boiled fish served with the flesh as firm as possible; this can be accomplished by putting a small piece of saltpetre with the salt into the water in which it is boiled: a quarter of an ounce is enough for a gallon. Fish should never be left in the water after they are done, but taken up and laid upon a sieve to drain. Salt fish must always be well soaked in plenty of cold water for a night, or until the flesh is well softened.
SELECT a choice piece of this large and delicate-looking fish, and, after carefully washing and drying with a soft towel, cut it into thick fillets, remove the bone with a sharp knife, cut the fillets into slices, place them upon a suitable dish and take off the skin. Season with a little salt and pepper, and place upon each slice a piece of good butter. Dip the slices into a pan of beaten yolk of egg seasoned with grated nutmeg and powdered mace (already prepared); having ready another pan of grated bread-crumbs, dip the slices into it also, then place them in a hot frying-pan of boiling lard. When one side becomes fried sufficiently, turn the slices, and when all are done remove them from the frying-pan and drain. Send to the table hot.
TAKE a piece of the fish weighing from four to six pounds; score the back deeply, and lay it on the strainer in your kettle, with the back undermost. Cover it with cold water and throw in a handful of salt. Do not let it come to boil too fast. Skin carefully when the fish becomes hard; hang the kettle higher or diminish the fire under it, so as to let the liquor simmer twenty-five or thirty minutes. Strain it, and send the fish to the table garnished with grated horseradish in alternate heaps, and curled parsley, accompanied with a boat of egg sauce.
What is left of the halibut prepare for the supper-table by mincing it when cold, and seasoning it with a dressing of salt, cayenne, sweet oil, hard-boiled eggs and a large proportion of vinegar.
CUT your halibut steaks an inch thick, wipe them with a dry cloth, and season with salt and cayenne. Have ready a pan of yolk of eggs well beaten and a dish of grated bread-crumbs. Put some fresh lard or beef drippings in a frying-pan, and hold it over the fire till it boils. Dip your cutlets in the egg, and then in the bread-crumbs. Fry a light brown; serve up hot, with the gravy in the bottom of the dish. Salmon or any large fish may be fried in the same manner.
SCRAPE, split, wash and dry the shad on a cloth; season with pepper and salt; grease the gridiron well; as soon as it is hot, lay the shad on to broil. One side being well browned, turn it. It should broil a quarter of an hour or more, according to thickness. Butter well, and send to table hot.
The roes of the shad are relished by many persons as a great nicety. They should be carefully washed, and then parboiled in salted water. Season with salt and cayenne pepper, dredge with flour and fry in fresh lard. When they are nicely browned on both sides, dish, and send to table hot.
MANY people are of the opinion that the very best method of cooking a shad is to bake it. Stuff it with bread-crumbs, salt, pepper, butter and parsley, and mix this up with beaten yolk of egg; fill the fish with it, and sew it up or fasten a string around it. Pour over it a little water and some butter, and bake as you would a fowl. A shad will require from an hour to an hour and a quarter to bake.
PROCURE at a house-furnishing store a shad-board of oak. It is better to purchase one ready made, the cost being only about seventy-five cents. These boards are very strong and smooth, and furnished with thick wires crossing the board diagonally. These secure the fish without nailing. The plank should be well seasoned. Cut off the head and tail of the finest shad you can get, split it down the back, and, after a good washing, wipe it dry. Scatter upon it some salt and pepper. Having placed the plank before the fire until it has become very hot and ready to char, place the shad (spread open) within the wires crossing the hot board, with the back next to the plank, the head downward. Roast, and in a little while turn the other end of the board, placing the tail downward. That the juice of the fish may be well absorbed, turn the board frequently up and down. When sufficiently roasted, add some fresh butter, and send to the table on the board, under which place a large tray or dish. Shad cooked in this way are greatly relished by, parties who in the shad-season frequently repair to the banks of our rivers where there are shad-fisheries, and purchase of the fishermen the shad fresh from the water.
DIVIDE fine fresh shad into halves, fry them a nice brown, and set them away till cold, having, of course, salted and peppered them properly. Make a pickle of a quart of good vinegar, a blade of mace, the rind of a lemon, a few pepper-corns and a pepper; simmer all together, then pour it over the shad hot, cover down close, and stand for a day or more before using.
SKIN the salmon, and clean it thoroughly by wiping with a cloth (water would spoil it); cut it into small pieces, which rub with salt; let them remain till thoroughly drained; then lay them in a dish, and season with powdered mace, cloves and pepper to taste. Add a quarter of a pound of butter, and bake; when quite done drain them from the gravy, press into pots for use, and when cold pour over them clarified butter.
CUT the salmon into layers; have ready some eggs boiled hard and chopped; put both into half a pint of thin cream, and two or three ounces of butter rubbed with a teaspoonful of flour; skim it, and stir till boiling hot; make a wall of mashed potatoes round the inner edge of a dish, and pour the above in it.
As much of the excellence of this most delicate and delicious fish depends upon the manner in which it is dressed, great care should be taken to properly prepare it. After having thoroughly cleaned and washed the fish, soak it an hour or two in salt and water to draw off the slime; let it remain three-quarters of an hour in cold water, after which drain and wipe it dry; then score the back deeply with a knife. By rubbing the fish over with a cut lemon its color will be greatly improved. The fish-kettle should be large and very clean. Lay the fish on the strainer of the kettle, with its back downward; cover well with equal proportions of milk and water, adding a small spoonful of salt. Do not let it come to a boil too fast, and skim carefully; when the scum has ceased to rise, diminish the heat under the kettle, and let it simmer for about half an hour or more, not allowing it to boil hard. When the fish is done, take it up carefully with a fish-slice, and pour over it a sauce prepared in the following manner: Mix together very smoothly with a broad-bladed knife a quarter of a pound of fresh butter and two tablespoonfuls of flour; put them into a clean sauce-pan and hold it over the fire, and stir them till melted. Then add a large salt-spoonful of powdered mace, and as much cayenne as will lay on a sixpence. It will be much improved by the addition of some boiled lobster, chopped small. When the sauce has simmered five minutes, add very gradually half a pint of rich cream, and let it come almost to a boil, stirring all the time. The hot sauce may either be poured over the fish, or it may be sent to the table in a sauce-boat; in which case you may ornament the fish with the coral of the lobster, put on in a handsome figure.
REMOVE the skin; cut from the tailpiece slices half an inch thick; rub them well with salt, and broil them over a clear fire of bright coals. Butter, sprinkle with cayenne pepper, and send them to the table hot, garnished with slices of lemon.
Another way is to make a seasoning of bread-crumbs, sweet herbs, pepper and salt. First dip the slices of sturgeon in a beaten yolk of egg, then cover them with seasoning; wrap them up closely in sheets of white paper well buttered, and broil them over a clear fire. Send them to the table either with or without the paper.
AFTER the fish has been nicely cleaned, put it into a pot with water enough to cover it, and throw in salt in the proportion of half a tea-spoonful to a pound of fish. Boil it slowly until the meat is tender and easily separates from the bones. A large fish will require an hour to cook. When done, serve on a hot dish, and have a few hard-boiled eggs, cut in thin slices, laid around it and over it. Have egg-sauce in a boat to eat with it.
THE best fish for chowder are haddock and striped bass. Cut the fish in pieces about one inch thick and two inches long. Cut five or six good slices of the best salt pork, lay them in the bottom of an iron pot and fry till crisp; take out the pork, leaving the fat; chop the pork fine; put into the pot a layer of fish, a layer of split crackers and some of the chopped pork, a little red and black pepper, a little chopped onion, then another layer of fish, split crackers and seasoning, and so on till all the fish is used. Then just cover all with water, and stew slowly till all is tender. Thicken the gravy with cracker-crumbs and catsup if you like; take out the fish, boil up the gravy once, squeeze in the juice of a lemon, and pour the gravy over the fish. Add salt if necessary.
WHEN the fish are scaled and thoroughly cleaned, brush them over with egg and cover with bread-crumbs. Have ready some boiling lard, put the fish in, and fry a nice brown. Serve with melted butter or anchovy sauce.
THEY should not be washed more than is necessary to clean them. Dry them in a cloth; then lightly flour them, but shake it off. Dip them into plenty of egg, then into bread-crumbs grated fine, and plunge them into a good pan of boiling lard; let them continue gently boiling, and a few minutes will make them a bright yellow-brown. Take care not to remove the light roughness of the crumbs, or their beauty will be lost.
CATFISH must be cooked quite fresh—if possible, directly out of the water. The larger ones are generally coarse and strong; the small-sized fish are the best. Wash and clean them, cut off their heads and tails, remove the upper part of the back-bone near the shoulders, and score them along the back with deep gashes or incisions. Dredge them with flour, and fry them in plenty of lard, boiling fast when the catfish are put into the pan. Or you may fry them in the drippings or gravy saved from roast beef or veal. They are very nice dipped in a batter of beaten egg and grated bread-crumbs, or they may be done plain, though not in so nice a way, with Indian meal instead of bread-crumbs. Drain off the lard before you dish them. Touch each incision or cut very slightly with a little cayenne before they go to table. Catfish are equally a breakfast or a supper dish.
AFTER skinning, emptying and washing them as clean as possible, cut them into short pieces, and dry them well with a soft cloth; season them with fine salt and cayenne, flour them thickly, and fry them in boiling lard; when nicely browned, drain and dry them, and send to the table with plain melted butter and a lemon, or with fish-sauce. Eels are sometimes dipped into batter and then fried, or into egg and fried bread-crumbs, and served with plenty of crisped parsley.
AFTER washing, the fish must remain in water all night to soak; then boil it and remove the bones. Chop and work it until entirely fine; put it in a basin with water; add a large piece of butter, two eggs, and beat it thoroughly until it thickens, without boiling. Have some potatoes ready prepared and nicely mashed; work the fish and potatoes thoroughly together as above, seasoning with cayenne and salt; make the mixture into fine cakes, and fry them in lard, a light brown on both sides.
PICK any cold fish left from the dinner into fine bits, carefully removing all the bones. Thicken some boiling milk with flour wet to a batter with cold milk, and stir the fish into it; season with pepper, butter and salt. Put it into a pudding-dish, and spread cracker or bread-crumbs thickly over the top to prevent the milk from scorching, and set into the oven to bake just long enough to brown nicely. This is a good way to use up cold fish, making a nice breakfast dish or side dish for dinner.
SALT fish must of course always be well soaked in cold water at least twelve hours before cooking. It should then be put on to boil in plenty of cold water without any salt, and, when thoroughly done, should be well drained free from any water and placed on a dish with plenty of well-boiled parsnips. A sauce may be poured over the fish; it can be made as follows: Mix two ounces of butter with three ounces of flour, pepper and salt, a small glassful of vinegar and a good half pint of water. Stir this on the fire till it boils. A few hard-boiled eggs chopped up and mixed in this sauce would add to the excellence of the dish.
To make a good dish of terrapins it is essential that the terrapins be of the very best quality. Select the largest, thickest and fattest, the females being the best. Put them whole into boiling water, add a little salt, and boil them until thoroughly done; after which, take off the shell, extract the meat and remove carefully the sand-bag and gall, also all the entrails; they are unfit to eat, and are no longer used in cooking terrapins for the best tables. Cut the meat into pieces, and put it into a stew-pan with its eggs, and sufficient fresh butter to stew it well. Let it stew till quite hot throughout, keeping the pan carefully covered, that none of the flavor may escape, but shake it over the fire while stewing. In another pan make a sauce of beaten yolk of egg, highly flavored with madeira or sherry and powdered nutmeg and mace, and enriched with a large lump of fresh butter. Stir this sauce well over the fire, and when it has almost come to a boil, take it off. Send the terrapins to the table hot in a covered dish, and the sauce separately in a sauce-tureen, to be used by those who like it, and omitted by those who prefer the genuine flavor of the terrapins when simply stewed with butter. This is now the usual mode of dressing terrapins in Maryland, Virginia and many other parts of the South, and will be found superior to any other.
IF purchased alive, lobsters should be chosen by their weight (the heaviest are the best) and their liveliness and briskness of motion. When freshly boiled they are stiff, and their tails turn strongly inward; when the fish appear soft and watery, they are stale. The flesh of the male lobster is generally considered of the finest flavor for eating, but the hen lobster is preferred for sauce and soups, on account of the coral. Throw the lobsters into a kettle of fast-boiling salt and water, that life may be destroyed in an instant. Let them boil for about half an hour. When done, take them out of the kettle, wipe them clean, and rub the shell with a little salad oil, which will give a clear red appearance. Crack the large claws without mashing them, and with a sharp knife split the body and tail from end to end. The head, which is never eaten, should also be separated from the body, but laid so near it that the division is almost imperceptible. Send to table and dress in any way preferred.
PUT the crabs into a kettle of boiling water, and throw in a handful of salt. Boil from twenty minutes to half an hour. Take them from the water when done and pick out all the meat; be careful not to break the shell. To a pint of meat put a little salt and pepper; taste, and if not enough add more, a little at a time, till suited. Grate in a very little nutmeg, and add one spoonful of cracker or bread-crumbs, two eggs well beaten, and two tablespoonfuls of butter (even full); stir all well together; wash the shells clean, and fill each shell full of the mixture; sprinkle crumbs over the top and moisten with the liquor; set in the oven till of a nice brown; a few minutes will do it. Send to the table hot, arranged on large dishes. They are eaten at breakfast or supper.
AFTER boiling the crabs in salt and water about twenty-five minutes, take them out, break off the claws, wipe the crabs very clean, throw away the small claws, but the large ones may be cracked and sent to table. Rub a little sweet oil on the shells, to make them a fine color.
PUT as many good fresh oysters, with their liquor, as you think you will need, into a pan on the stove to heat, but not to boil. Drain the juice off into a saucepan; as soon as it boils add half a pound of butter and some pepper; when this boils add a pint of cream and thicken a little with flour; after this boils up once, put in the oysters, and more salt if necessary. Serve hot.
Many persons prefer oysters stewed in water instead of cream. Make in all respects the same, substituting only the water for the cream.
WHEN fried in bread-crumbs oysters are much the best. Select the largest and finest fresh oysters, and, after freeing them from all the small particles of shell, put them into a colander and pour over a little water to rinse them; then place them on a clean towel and dry them. Have ready some grated bread-crumbs, seasoned with pepper and salt, and plenty of yolk of egg beaten till very light; and to each egg allow a large teaspoonful of rich cream or of the best fresh butter. Beat the egg and cream together. Dip each oyster first into the egg and cream, and then into the crumbs. Repeat this twice, until the oysters are well coated all over. Have ready boiling, in a frying-pan, an equal mixture of fresh butter and lard. It must come nearly to the edge or top of the frying-pan, and be boiling fast when the oysters go in, otherwise they will be heavy and greasy, and sink to the bottom. Fry them of a yellow brown on both sides. Send them to table hot.
MAKE a batter of milk, flour, eggs, cream of tartar, saleratus, and salt in proper proportion. Make no thicker than for pancakes. Drop an oyster into each spoon of batter as you dip it out, and fry in hot lard; brown well on both sides.
SELECT the largest and finest oysters. The gridiron, which should be a double one, made of wire, should be well greased with butter; and having placed the oysters so that they will all receive the heat equally, set them over a brisk fire, and broil both sides without burning them. Let them be served hot, adding a small lump of fresh butter, pepper and salt.
TAKE fifty large oysters; remove every particle of shell which may adhere to them, put them into a colander and pour over a little water to rinse them. After letting them drain, put them into a stew-pan with a quarter of a pound of butter, salt, black and red pepper to taste. Put them over a clear fire, and stir while cooking. As soon as they commence to shrink remove them from the fire, and send to table hot in a well-heated covered dish.
TAKE baker’s bread at least three days old. Strain your oysters, put a layer of them on the bottom of your dish, with bits of butter, salt, pepper and a very little mace; spread over them a layer of bread-crumbs, and continue till the dish is full, having bread-crumbs on top. Pour in a cup of the liquor of the oysters. Bake one hour. Be very careful not to have the layers of bread too thick.
MAKE a batter with three eggs, a little nutmeg, some powdered mace, a little flour, and a little salt; dip in the oysters, and fry them a nice brown in boiling lard or butter. Send to the table hot, garnished with parsley.
TAKE two dozen nice large oysters, drain them from their own liquor, put a layer of rice, boiled very dry, in your pudding-dish, then a layer of oysters, then a layer of rice, and another of oysters, and a third of rice. Mix two ounces of butter, one gill of cream, half a gill of their own liquor and one well-beaten egg; season with pepper and salt, and pour over the pudding; bake fifteen or twenty minutes.
STRAIN the liquor from the oysters, and put it on to boil with butter, pepper and a thickening of bread-crumbs and milk well beaten together, and after boiling a few minutes throw in the oysters. Let them remain five minutes, take them off, and when warm add the beaten yolks of three eggs. Line a buttered dish with a rich paste, and fill with white paper or a clean napkin, to support a lid of paste, and bake it. When lightly browned, take off the lid, remove the paper or napkin, pour in the oysters, set a few minutes in the oven and send to table hot.
TAKE two hundred oysters of the largest size, rinse them in their own liquor, put them in a stew-pan, strain the liquor to them, and let them come to a boil—just and no more. Take them out of the liquor, have ready a quart or more of pure cider vinegar, boiled with whole pepper, a little salt, mace, cloves and nutmeg. When it is cool pour it over the oysters. Before serving add a few raw cranberries and thin slices of lemon.
OPEN carefully into a chopping-bowl, saving the liquor, but be careful that no gritty particles from the shell fall in; chop coarsely, and sprinkle over some pepper. Have ready a mixture of egg and grated cracker thickened with a little flour. Take up the clams one by one with a spoon, and dip them into the mixture. Fry slowly in plenty of butter or lard.
TAKE twenty-five clams and chop them fine, leaving out the juice; four eggs beaten, one cup of sour cream (if you have no cream, use one cup of buttermilk and a piece of butter the size of an egg, melted and well mixed); one cup of flour, one small spoonful of saleratus. Then fry in butter, and spread them well with good sweet butter when you take them out of the frying-pan. Serve them up hot.
TAKE a sufficient quantity of small sand-clams, wash the shells thoroughly, put them into a pot of boiling water, and when the shells open take out the clams, drain them, chop into small pieces, throwing aside the toughest portions. Season with black pepper and powdered mace, and mix them with grated bread-crumbs and fresh butter. Have ready some large and well-cleansed clamshells, and fill them to the edge with the mixture, moistening it slightly with the liquor; cover the surface with grated crumbs, and add to each one a small bit of butter; place them in an oven and bake to a light brown. Send them to the table in the shells they were baked in, nicely arranged on suitable dishes. Scolloped clams are eaten at breakfast and supper.
In this manner oysters are sometimes prepared, and served up in large clam-shells. Boiled crabs are also cooked, minced and prepared in this way, and sent to the table in the back-shell of the crab. The scollops are all improved by mincing among them some hard-boiled eggs minced or chopped, or some raw egg beaten.