Directions For Broiling Boiling And Frying Fish Recipe

Fish for boiling or broiling are the best the day after they are caught.

They should be cleaned when first caught, washed in cold water, and half

a tea cup of salt sprinkled on the inside of them. If they are to be

broiled, sprinkle pepper on the inside of them--keep them in a cool

place. When fish is broiled, the bars of the gridiron should be rubbed

over with a little butter, and the inside of the fish put towards the

fire, and not turned till the fish is nearly cooked through--then butter

the skin side, and turn it over--fish should be broiled slowly. When

fresh fish is to be boiled, it should either be laid on a fish strainer,

or sewed up in a cloth--if not, it is very difficult to take it out of

the pot without breaking. Put the fish into cold water, with the back

bone down. To eight or ten pounds of fish, put half of a small tea cup

of salt. Boil the fish until you can draw out one of the fins

easily--most kinds of fish will boil sufficiently in the course of

twenty or thirty minutes, some kinds will boil in less time. Some cooks

do not put their fish into the water till it boils, but it is not a good

plan, as the outside gets cooked too much, and breaks to pieces before

the inside is sufficiently done. Fish for frying, after being cleaned

and washed, should be put into a cloth to have it absorb the moisture.

They should be dried perfectly, and a little flour rubbed over them. No

salt should be put on them, if you wish to have them brown well. For

five or six pounds of fish, fry three or four slices of salt pork--when

brown, take them up, and if they do not make fat sufficient to fry the

fish in, add a little lard. When the fish are fried enough, take them

up, and for good plain gravy, mix two or three tea spoonsful of flour

with a little water, and stir it into the fat the fish was fried in--put

in a little butter, pepper, and salt, if you wish to have the gravy

rich--add spices, catsup and wine--turn the gravy over the fish. Boiled

fish should be served up with drawn butter, or liver sauce, (see

directions for making each, Nos. 41 and 51.) Fish, when put on the

platter, should not be laid over each other if it can be avoided, as the

steam from the under ones makes those on the top so moist, that they

will break to pieces when served out.

Great care and punctuality is necessary in cooking fish. If not done

sufficiently, or if done too much, they are not good. They should be

eaten as soon as cooked. For a garnish to the fish, use parsely, a

lemon, or eggs boiled hard, and cut in slices.