Woman's Institute Library of Cookery
Chapter 85 : 2 c. tomatoes Few slices onion 1 bay leaf 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 thin slices bac

2 c. tomatoes Few slices onion 1 bay leaf 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 thin slices bacon 1 Tb. flour 2 lb. halibut steak

Heat the tomatoes, onion, and bay leaf in water. Add the salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Cut the bacon into small squares, try it out in a pan, and into this fat stir the flour. Pour this into the hot mixture, remove the bay leaf, and cook until the mixture thickens. Put the steaks into a baking dish, pour the sauce over them, and bake in a slow oven for about 45 minutes. Remove with the sauce to a hot platter and serve.

47. BAKED FILLETS OF WHITEFISH.--When whitefish of medium size can be secured, it is very often stuffed and baked whole, but variety can be had by cutting it into fillets before baking it. Besides producing a delicious dish, this method of preparation eliminates carving at the table, for the pieces can be cut the desired size for serving.

Prepare fillets of whitefish according to the directions for filleting fish in Art. 28. Sprinkle each one with salt and pepper, and dip it first into beaten egg and then into bread crumbs. Brown some b.u.t.ter in a pan, place the fish into it, and set the pan in a hot oven. Bake until the fillets are a light brown, or about 30 minutes. Remove to a hot dish, garnish with parsley and serve with any desired sauce.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 21]

48. FILLET OF FLOUNDER.--In appearance, flounder is not so attractive as many other fish, but it is a source of excellent flesh and is therefore much used. A very appetizing way in which to prepare flounder is to fillet it and prepare it according to the accompanying recipe, when it will appear as in Fig. 21.

Secure a flounder and fillet it in the manner explained in Art. 28. Cut each fillet into halves, making eight pieces from one flounder. Cut small strips of salt pork or bacon, roll the pieces of flounder around these, and fasten with a toothpick. Place in a baking dish with a small quant.i.ty of water, and bake in a hot oven until a good brown. Serve hot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 22]

49. PLANKED FISH.--Like planked steak, planked fish, which is ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 22, is a dish that appeals to the eye and pleases the taste. The fish is baked on the plank and then surrounded with a border of potatoes, the fish and potatoes making an excellent food.

To prepare planked fish, thoroughly clean and bone a medium-size whitefish, shad, haddock, or any desired fish. Grease a plank and place the fish on it. Lay some strips of bacon across the top of the fish, place in a hot oven, and bake for about 30 minutes or a little longer if necessary. Boil potatoes and prepare them for piping by mas.h.i.+ng them, using 4 tablespoonfuls of milk, 1 tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, and one egg to each 2 cupfuls of potato. Then, with a rosette pastry tube, pipe a border of potatoes around the edge of the plank, so that it will appear as in Fig. 22. Likewise, pipe rosettes of potatoes on the strips of bacon placed on top of the fish. Then replace the plank with the fish and potatoes in the oven, and bake until the potatoes are brown. Garnish with parsley and serve.

50. FRIED FISH.--Very small fish or slices of larger fish are often fried in deep fat. When they are prepared in this way, they are first dipped into beaten egg and then into crumbs or corn meal to form a coating that will cling to their surface. Coated with such a material, they are fried in deep fat until the surface is nicely browned. After being removed from the fat, they should be drained well before serving.

51. FRIED PERCH.--When fried in deep fat, perch is found to be very appetizing. To prepare it in this way, secure a perch and scale and clean it. Cut it crosswise into 2-inch strips, roll each piece in flour, and fry in deep fat until nicely browned. Serve hot with lemon or with a sauce of some kind.

52. FRIED EEL.--If an appetizing way to cook eel is desired, it will be found advisable to fry it in deep fat. When it is to be cooked in this way, skin and clean the eel and cut it into thick slices. Pour some vinegar over the slices, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and allow them to stand for several hours. Remove the pieces from the vinegar, dip each one into slightly beaten egg and then into flour, and fry in deep fat until well browned. Serve plain or with a sauce.

53. SAUTeD FISH.--Without doubt, the most popular way to prepare fish is to saute them. This method may be applied to practically the same kinds of fish that are fried or broiled, and it is especially desirable for the more tasteless varieties. It consists in browning the fish well in a small quant.i.ty of fat, first on one side and then on the other. If fat of good flavor is used, such as bacon or ham fat, the flavor of the fish will be very much improved. Before sauteing, the fish or pieces of fish are often dipped into slightly beaten egg and then rolled in flour, very fine cracker crumbs, or corn meal, or the egg is omitted and they are merely covered with the dry, starchy material. The effect of this method of cooking is very similar to that of deep-fat frying, except that the outside tissues are apt to become, very hard from the application of the hot fat because of the coating that is generally used. Since most fish breaks very easily, it is necessary that it be handled carefully in this method in order that the pieces may be kept whole.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 23]

54. SAUTeD SMELTS.--To be most satisfactory, smelts are generally sauted, as shown in Fig. 23. Fish of this kind are prepared for cooking by cutting off the heads and removing the entrails through the opening thus made; or, if it is desired to leave the heads on, the entrails may be removed through the gill or a small slit cut below the mouth. At any rate, these fish are not cut open as are most other fish.

With the fish thus prepared, roll them in fine cracker crumbs and saute them in melted b.u.t.ter until they are nicely browned. Serve with slices of lemon.

55. SAUTeD HALIBUT STEAK.--Slices of halibut, when firm in texture and cut about 3/4 inch thick, lend themselves very well to sauteing. Secure the required number of such slices and sprinkle each with salt and pepper. Then spread melted b.u.t.ter over each steak, and roll it in fine crumbs. Place fat in a frying pan, allow it to become hot, and saute the halibut in this until well browned.

56. SAUTeD PICKEREL.--A variety of fresh-water fish that finds favor with most persons is pickerel. When this fish is to be sauted, scale and clean it and cut it crosswise into 2-inch strips. Then roll each piece in flour, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and saute the slices in hot fat. When one side is sufficiently brown, turn and brown on the other side.

57. STEWED FISH.--Like boiling, stewing extracts flavor and nutriment from fish. The process differs, however, in that the fish is cooked gently by simmering. This cookery method is employed for fish that is inclined to be tough. Usually, vegetables, such as carrots and onions, are cooked with the fish in order to impart flavor. To prevent the fish from falling apart, it may be wrapped in cheesecloth or gauze.

58. STEWED FRESH HERRING.--When fresh herring can be obtained, it can be made into a delicious dish by stewing it with onions, parsley, and carrots. In this method of preparation, the herring should not be permitted to stew rapidly; it will become more tender if it simmers gently. As herring are rather small fish, weighing only about 1/2 pound, it will usually be necessary to obtain more than one for a meal.

Clean the required number of fresh herring, place them in a saucepan, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Brown some slices of onion in b.u.t.ter, and add the same number of slices of carrots and a generous quant.i.ty of parsley. Add enough boiling water to these vegetables to cover them and the fish, and pour both over the fish. Place all on the fire and simmer gently until the fish is tender. Remove the fish from the water and serve. The vegetables are used merely to add flavor, and they will have practically boiled away by the time the fish is cooked.

59. STEWED EEL.--Eel is delicious when stewed. When allowed to simmer slowly with several slices of onion and a little parsley, it becomes both tasty and tender.

Skin and clean the eel that is to be stewed, remove all the fat, and cut into pieces about 2 inches long. Season well with salt and pepper and place in a saucepan with several slices of onion, 1 tablespoonful of chopped parsley, and 2 tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter. Add enough cold water to cover well, and allow the eel to simmer gently until it is tender enough to be pierced with a fork. Remove from the water and serve hot.

RECIPES FOR SALT AND SMOKED FISH

60. PLACE OF SALT AND SMOKED FISH IN THE DIET.--In regions where fresh fish cannot be obtained or in seasons when they are scarce everywhere, the housewife will do well to use salt and smoked fish. These varieties of fish not only will give her a chance to vary the diet, but will enable her to provide at a more economical price, food that, pound for pound, contains more nutriment than the same fish when fresh. While some of the varieties of smoked and salt fish may not be obtainable in all communities, the housewife will do much toward bringing the supply to her community by requesting them from the dealer. When a dealer knows that there is a demand for certain kinds, he will make an effort to secure the varieties wanted.

61. FRESHENING SALT AND SMOKED FISH.--The cooking of salt and smoked fish is not a difficult matter, but it always involves the freshening of the fish before any cooking method can be applied. This consists in placing the fish in a large quant.i.ty of water and allowing it to stand until enough of the salt has been extracted to suit the taste. Some kinds of fish are so salty that they require considerable soaking, whereas others require only a little freshening. However, it is usually advisable to change the water several times. If it is desired to hasten the extraction of the salt, the fish should be raised above the bottom of the vessel by means of a wire rack or several clean sticks. In the case of very thick fish, several gashes may be cut into the flesh to permit the salt to pa.s.s out more readily.

62. CREAMED CODFISH.--Since codfish is a rather dry fish, containing little fat, it is usually combined with some other food to make it more appetizing. In the case of creamed codfish, the cream sauce supplies the food substances in which the fish is lacking and at the same time provides a very palatable dish. When codfish is prepared in this way, boiled potatoes are usually served with it.

To make creamed codfish, freshen the required amount of codfish by pouring lukewarm water over it. Shred the fish by breaking it into small pieces with the fingers. Pour off the water, add fresh warm water, and allow the fish to stand until it is not too salty. When it is sufficiently freshened, drain off all the water. Melt a little b.u.t.ter in a frying pan, add the fish, and saute until slightly browned. Make a medium white sauce and pour it over the codfish. Serve hot with boiled potatoes.

63. CODFISH b.a.l.l.s.--Another excellent way in which to serve codfish is to combine it with mashed potatoes, make these into b.a.l.l.s, and fry them in deep fat. These give variety to meals and also afford an opportunity to serve a nutritious food.

Freshen the codfish as explained in Art. 61, and then mince it very fine. Add an equal amount of freshly cooked hot potato that has been put through a potato ricer or mashed fine. Mix thoroughly and, if necessary, season with salt and pepper. Shape into b.a.l.l.s and fry in deep fat. Drain well and serve hot.

64. SAUTeD SALT MACKEREL.--When an extremely tasty dish that will afford a change from the usual daily routine of meals is desired, sauted salt mackerel will be found very satisfactory.

Freshen salt mackerel that is to be sauted by putting it into a saucepan and covering it with cold water. Place this over the fire, and allow the water to heat to almost the boiling point. Pour off the water, and saute the fish in b.u.t.ter or other fat until nicely browned. If desired, pour a small amount of thin cream over the mackerel just before removing it from the pan, allow this to heat, and serve it as a sauce with the mackerel.

65. BAKED FINNAN HADDIE.--When haddock is cured by smoking, it is known as _finnan haddie_. As fish of this kind has considerable thick flesh, it is very good for baking. Other methods of cookery may, of course, be applied to it, but none is more satisfactory than baking.

To bake a finnan haddie, wash it in warm water and put it to soak in fresh warm water. After it has soaked for 1/2 hour, allow it to come gradually to nearly the boiling point and then pour off the water. Place the fish in a baking pan, add a piece of b.u.t.ter, sprinkle with pepper, and pour a little water over it. Bake in a hot oven until it is nicely browned. Serve hot.

66. CREAMED FINNAN HADDIE.--The flavor of finnan haddie is such that this fish becomes very appetizing when prepared with a cream sauce. If, after combining the sauce with the fish, the fish is baked in the oven, an especially palatable dish is the result.

To prepare creamed finnan haddie, freshen the fish and shred it into small pieces. Then measure the fish, put it into a baking dish, and pour an equal amount of white sauce over it. Sprinkle generously with crumbs and bake in a hot oven until the crumbs are browned. Serve hot.

67. BOILED SALMON.--When smoked salmon can be secured, it makes a splendid fish for boiling. If it is cooked until tender and then served with a well-seasoned sauce, it will find favor with most persons.

Freshen smoked salmon in warm water as much as seems necessary, remembering that the cooking to which it will be subjected will remove a large amount of the superfluous salt. Cover the salmon with hot water, and simmer slowly until it becomes tender. Remove from the water, pour a little melted b.u.t.ter over it, and serve with any desired sauce.

RECIPES FOR CANNED FISH

68. CANNED FISH IN THE DIET.--As a rule, canned fish is a comparatively cheap food and there is no reason why the economical housewife should not make frequent use of the various kinds. It should be bought, however, from a reputable firm, in order that the greatest value may be obtained for the money spent. In addition, it should be used as soon as possible after the can has been opened; if all of it cannot be utilized at one time, it should be placed in a covered receptacle--not a metal one--and kept cold to prevent it from spoiling. Often canned fish can be served without any further preparation than removing it from the can.

However, as some varieties, particularly salmon and tuna fish, are much used in the preparation of both cold and cooked dishes, several recipes are here given for these varieties.

69. CREAMED TUNA FISH.--Combining tuna fish with a cream sauce and serving it over toast makes a dish that is both delicate and palatable--one that will prove very satisfactory when something to take the place of meat in a light meal is desired.

CREAMED TUNA FISH (Sufficient to Serve Six)

3 Tb. b.u.t.ter 3 Tb. flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1/8 tsp. paprika 1-1/2 c. hot milk 1-1/2 c. tuna fish 1 egg

Melt the b.u.t.ter in a saucepan and add the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir well, pour in the milk, and when this has thickened add the tuna fish. Allow this to heat thoroughly in the sauce. Just before serving, add the slightly beaten egg and cook until this has thickened.

Pour over toast and serve.

70. SALMON MOLD.--A change from the usual way of serving salmon can be had by making a salmon mold such as is ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 24. Besides being a delicious dish and providing variety in the diet, salmon mold is very attractive.

SALMON MOLD (Sufficient to Serve Six)

2 c. salmon 2 Tb. vinegar 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1 Tb. gelatine 1-1/2 c. boiling water