New Royal Cook Book Part 17

2 cups finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter or bacon drippings 4 cups rice water or vegetable stock 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 1/8 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Cook onions and b.u.t.ter or drippings in covered saucepan, shaking pan often. When onions are tender add rice water or stock; boil 5 minutes; add seasoning and chopped parsley.

Fish

When a fish is fresh the flesh is firm and the gills are a bright pink.

To clean: Hold fish by the tail and with a sharp knife sc.r.a.pe off scales toward the head; wipe with damp cloth; slit underside; carefully remove entrails; wash with cold water, removing all clots of blood from backbone.

Always cook fish thoroughly.

Broiled Fish

Clean, wash, and split, removing backbone and fins along the edge. Very large fish should be cut into slices. Dry with cheesecloth; season with salt and pepper. Cook on well-greased broiler, from 10 to 20 minutes, turning once. Remove to hot platter; add melted b.u.t.ter and sprinkle with chopped parsley; garnish with slices of lemon and serve.

Baked Fish

Prepare as for "Broiled fish." Brush pan with drippings; place fish, skin side down; dust with salt, pepper and flour; pour over 2 tablespoons melted b.u.t.ter and 1/2 cup milk. Bake in hot oven 20 to 25 minutes or until brown. Remove to hot platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Fried Fish

Clean, removing head and tail, unless fish are small; wash with cold water and dry with cheesecloth; dust with salt, pepper and flour on both sides. Heat one tablespoon bacon drippings or other fat in heavy pan over hot fire. Put in fish; brown quickly on both sides; reduce heat and fry 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve with chopped parsley and lemon or sauce tartare.

Planked Fish

Prepare as for "Broiled fish." Heat plank, brush with drippings and dust with salt and pepper. Place fish, skin side down, doubling thin part so that it will not burn. The oven must be hot before putting in plank; cook 20 minutes; reduce to moderate heat and leave in oven 10 to 20 minutes longer. Melt 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter, add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and pour over fish. Garnish with potato roses, lemon and parsley and serve on the plank.

Codfish b.a.l.l.s

1 cup salt codfish 2 cups potatoes, cut into cubes or small pieces 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 tablespoon b.u.t.ter 1 egg

Pick over, wash and shred fish into small pieces. Put potatoes into deep saucepan; cover with cold water; add fish and boil until potatoes are soft. Take off fire; drain well; beat up with wire whip or fork until light and all lumps are out of potatoes; add seasoning, b.u.t.ter and slightly beaten egg. Drop by spoonfuls into deep fat, hot enough to brown a piece of bread in 40 seconds and fry until golden brown. Drain on brown paper and serve immediately.

Fish Chowder

2 or 3 slices salt pork 6 medium-sized potatoes 1 small onion 3 lbs. fresh fish 2 quarts milk 2 teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cut pork in dice pieces; fry crisp, and turn into chowder kettle. Pare and cut potatoes into pieces. Peel and chop onion fine. Put potatoes into kettle with part of onion. Cut fish into convenient pieces; and lay over potatoes; sprinkle over with rest of onion; add seasoning and enough water to come to top of fish; cover closely and cook until potatoes are soft; add milk and let it scald up again. Pilot bread or crackers, split and soaked, may be added just before last boiling. If milk is not available a smaller quant.i.ty of water may be used.

Boiled Lobsters or Crabs

The lobster should be purchased alive and plunged into boiling Water in which a good proportion of salt has been mixed. Continue to boil according to size about 20 minutes. Crabs should be boiled in the same manner, but only a little more than half the time is necessary.

To open a boiled lobster, wipe off sh.e.l.l, break off large claws; separate tail from body; take body from sh.e.l.l, leaving "lady" or stomach, on sh.e.l.l. Save green fat and coral; remove small claws; remove woolly gills and discard, break body through middle and pick out meat from joints. Cut with sharp scissors through length of under side of tail, draw meat from sh.e.l.l. Draw back flesh on upper end and pull off intestinal cord and discard. Break large claws and remove meat.

Creamed Oysters

To each 30 oysters use 1 cup thin Cream Sauce, page 35. Drain oysters, saving liquor for soup, put into shallow pan over quick fire and cook about one minute or until edges curl, stirring constantly, and add to sauce.

Or put on oysters with 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter; add 1 tablespoon flour which has been mixed with a little cold water; add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Worcestershire sauce may be added if desired. Boil 1 minute and serve on thin squares of toasted bread; garnish with parsley.

Scalloped Oysters

25 oysters 2 cups bread crumbs 1/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Grease dish and cover bottom with bread crumbs, then lay oysters in carefully; season and cover with bread crumbs; pour over milk and cover top with b.u.t.ter. Bake in hot oven 15 to 20 minutes.

Fried Oysters

Wash and drain oysters. Season with salt and pepper, dip in flour, egg and then bread or cracker crumbs. Fry in hot fat until golden brown.

Drain well and garnish with lemon and parsley.

Clam Chowder

25 clams 6 potatoes 1 onion 1/8 lb. finely cut salt pork 2 teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 quart milk

Chop hard parts of clams. Slice potatoes and onion thin. Put pork into kettle and cook a short time; add potatoes, onion, seasoning and juice of clams. Cook 2-1/2 hours; then add clams. Boil 15 minutes and just before serving add hot milk.

Sh.e.l.l Fish a la Newburg

2 cups finely cut shrimp, scallops, lobster, or crab meat 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup milk 2 hard boiled eggs 1 teaspoon salt cayenne pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 cup sherry

If canned fish is used cover with cold water 20 minutes and drain. Melt b.u.t.ter in saucepan; add flour and stir until smooth; add cold milk slowly; boil until thick. Rub egg yolks through strainer and add, stirring until smooth; add seasoning, and finely chopped egg whites; add fish; put all in top of double boiler over fire for 15 minutes; add sherry and serve immediately.

Meats

Roasting