How to Cook Fish Part 59

Boil a whitefish in salted water and flake fine with a fork. Bring to the boil two cupfuls of milk and thicken it with a tablespoonful of corn-starch rubbed smooth in a little cold water. Take from the fire, add salt and pepper to season, two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, and two eggs well-beaten. b.u.t.ter a baking-dish, put in a layer of fish, cover with sauce, season with grated nutmeg, and repeat until the dish is full. Cover with crumbs, dot with b.u.t.ter, and brown in the oven.

WHITEFISH AU GRATIN--II

Skin and bone the fish, cut into small squares, and season with salt and pepper. Brown two tablespoonfuls of flour in b.u.t.ter, and add gradually two cupfuls of stock or milk. Cook until thick, stirring constantly, seasoning with salt, pepper, lemon-juice, minced parsley, grated onion, and a tablespoonful of vinegar. b.u.t.ter a baking-dish, put in a layer of the fish, cover with sauce, and repeat until the dish is full. Cover with crumbs, dot with b.u.t.ter, and brown in the oven.

WHITEFISH a LA MAiTRE D'HoTEL

Clean, split, and bone a large whitefish, dip in seasoned oil, broil, [Page 447]

and serve with Maitre d'Hotel Sauce.

WHITEFISH a LA POINT SHIRLEY

Clean, split, and bone the fish, and put into a b.u.t.tered baking-pan, skin-side down. Season with salt, red pepper, and lemon-juice, add enough boiling water to keep from burning, and bake. Serve with Maitre d'Hotel Sauce.

PLANKED WHITEFISH--I

b.u.t.ter a fish-plank and tack a large cleaned and split whitefish on it, skin side down. Rub with b.u.t.ter, season with salt and pepper, and cook in the oven or under a gas flame. Put a border of mashed potato mixed with the beaten white of egg around the fish, using a pastry tube and forcing bag. Put into the oven for a few minutes to brown the potato, and serve with a garnish of lemon and parsley.

PLANKED WHITEFISH--II

Clean and split a large whitefish, remove the bone, and tack on a b.u.t.tered fish-plank, skin-side down. Season with salt, pepper, b.u.t.ter, and lemon-juice, and bake in the oven.

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CREAMED WHITEFISH a LA MADISON

Steam a large whitefish until tender, take out the bones, and flake fine. Cook together one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter and two of flour, add two cupfuls of milk, and cook until thick, stirring constantly.

Season with parsley, thyme, grated onion, salt, and pepper, take from the fire, add two eggs well-beaten, and three tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter. Put in a b.u.t.tered baking-dish a layer of fish, then a layer of sauce, and repeat until the dish is full, having crumbs and b.u.t.ter on top. Brown in the oven.

JELLIED WHITEFISH

Boil two pounds of whitefish in salted and acidulated water, with four bay-leaves, a tablespoonful of pepper-corns, and half a dozen cloves. Take out the fish, strain the liquid, and reduce by rapid boiling to a quant.i.ty barely sufficient to cover the fish. Add the juice of a lemon and two ounces of dissolved gelatine. Flake the fish with a fork, removing all skin, fat, and bone, mix with the liquid, pour into a fish mould, wet with cold water, and put on ice until firm. Serve with Mayonnaise or Tartar Sauce.

WHITEFISH CROQUETTES

One cupful of cold boiled fish flaked fine.

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Add to it half a cupful of mashed potatoes, half a cupful of bread-crumbs, half a cupful of cream, the beaten yolks of two eggs, and salt and pepper to season. Shape into croquettes, dip into the beaten white of eggs, then into crumbs, and fry in deep fat.

Garnish with parsley and serve with any preferred sauce.

WHITEFISH WITH FINE HERBS

Put a large whitefish in a b.u.t.tered baking-pan with salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, minced parsley, chopped onions, and mushrooms to season. Moisten with white wine and white stock, and bake, basting frequently. Cover with Veloute Sauce, sprinkle with crumbs, dot with b.u.t.ter, bake brown, squeeze lemon-juice over, and serve.

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EIGHT WAYS TO COOK WHITING

BROILED WHITINGS

Trim the fish and score on both sides, dip in oil, broil, and serve with Maitre d'Hotel Sauce.

BOILED WHITINGS

Clean and trim the fish, boil in salted water, drain, and serve with any preferred sauce.

FRIED WHITINGS

Trim and skin the fish, skewer in a circle, dip into beaten eggs, then in seasoned crumbs, and fry in fat to cover. Serve with any preferred sauce.

FILLETS OF WHITING a LA MAiTRE D'HoTEL

Saute the prepared fillets in fresh b.u.t.ter, seasoning with pepper and salt. Drain, and serve with Maitre d'Hotel Sauce.

FILLETS OF WHITING a LA MAReCHALE

Parboil the prepared fillets, drain, cool, spread with very thick [Page 452]

Cream Sauce, dip in crumbs, then in beaten eggs, then in crumbs, and fry in fat to cover. Serve with any preferred sauce.

FILLETS OF WHITING a L'ORLY

Fillet the whitings and remove the skin from each. Marinate for two hours in oil and vinegar with pepper, salt, thyme, bay-leaf, parsley, and shallot to season. Drain, dip in flour, and fry in deep fat.

FILLETS OF WHITING a LA ROYALE

Prepare according to directions given in the recipe for Fillets of Whiting a l'Orly, dipping in batter before frying.

WHITING WITH FINE HERBS

Clean and skin the fish well and fasten them with their tails in their mouths. Put on a b.u.t.tered baking-dish, season with salt, pepper, and powdered sweet herbs, pour over a little melted b.u.t.ter, cover, and bake. Allow one fish for each person and serve in the dish in which they are baked.

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ONE HUNDRED MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES

BAKED FISH

Prepare a Cream Sauce, seasoning with grated onion, minced parsley, and powdered mace. Take from the fire, add the yolks of two eggs, and salt and pepper to taste. Put a layer of cold cooked flaked and seasoned fish into a b.u.t.tered baking-dish, spread with the sauce, and repeat until the dish is full, having sauce on top.

Sprinkle with crumbs, dot with b.u.t.ter, and brown in the oven. This may be baked in individual dishes if desired.

FISH b.a.l.l.s

Prepare a fish stock from the skin, bones, and tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of fish, seasoning with bay-leaf, onion, mace, cloves, and garlic. Boil slowly for an hour in water to coyer. Chop the raw fish with a few blanched almonds and a little garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and mace, and shape into small b.a.l.l.s. Strain the stock, bring it to the boil, drop the b.a.l.l.s in, and simmer slowly for twenty minutes.

Skim out the b.a.l.l.s and put on ice. Beat six eggs thoroughly with a [Page 454]

little cold water and add them gradually to the boiling stock. Cook in a double-boiler until smooth and thick. Take from the fire, add the juice of two lemons, and a tablespoonful of tarragon vinegar.