Fish

Fish Broiled in Oven

1111

Ingredients

• Fish weighing from 2 to 4 pounds
• Salt
• Pepper
• Butter
• Lemon
• Pimento or parsley

Utensils

• Broiler or shallow baking-pan
• Sharp knife
• Pancake-turner
• Long-handled fork

Directions

1.

Remove the head and tail, wash the fish thoroughly and split it lengthwise down the back.

2.

Grease the broiler or baking-pan thoroughly, open the fish, and place it flat on the broiler or baking-pan with the skin side down.

3.

Place the broiler or baking-pan in the lower oven, close to the flame, and cook for five minutes.

4.

Reduce the heat by turning the gas down or lowering the rack of the oven.

5.

Cook from twenty to forty minutes, depending upon the weight of the fish.

6.

With a long-handled fork and a pancake-turner, carefully lift the fish onto the hot platter, sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, put a few bits of butter on it, squeeze a little lemon juice over it, and garnish the platter with sprigs of parsley.

Fish Broiled in Frying-Pan

1111

Ingredients

• 1 pound small fish or fish-steaks
• ½ cup corn-meal or bread crumbs
• ¼ cup lard or drippings
• Salt
• Pepper

Utensils

• Plate for crumbs
• Covered frying-pan
• Long-handled fork
• Colander and paper

Directions

1.

Wash the fish, dry it, and roll it in corn-meal or bread crumbs.

2.

Melt the lard or drippings in a frying-pan over the fire.

3.

When the fat begins to smoke, place the fish in it.

4.

Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and cook slowly for five minutes.

5.

Remove the cover of the pan and brown the fish on both sides.

6.

Put the fish in soft crumpled paper in the colander, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve as soon as possible.

Remarks

Small fish cooked in this way should be split, but the heads and tails need not be removed.

A little additional fat may be added during the cooking process, if necessary to prevent burning.

Baked Fish

1111

Ingredients

• Fish weighing 2 pounds or more
• Stuffing
• 6 slices salt pork
• Salt
• Pepper
• Bread crumbs
• Flour

Utensils

• Large needle, with thread
• Baking-pan
• Large spoon

Directions

1.

Make the stuffing in accordance with directions for Stuffing for Baked Fish.

2.

Wash the fish, stuff it, and sew it up.

3.

Place slices of salt pork on the bottom of a baking-pan, and lay the fish on these slices.

4.

Sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper, flour, and bread crumbs, and lay two slices of salt pork on the top of the fish.

5.

Pour one cup of hot water in the pan around the fish, and place the pan in a moderately hot oven.

6.

Cook fifteen minutes to each pound of fish, basting often.

Remarks

It is taken for granted that the fish will be cleaned by the dealer.

The head and tail may be removed if desired.

Serve with gravy made in accordance with directions for Gravy for Baked Fish.

Stuffing for Baked Fish

1111

Ingredients

• ½ cup bread crumbs
• ½ cup cracker crumbs
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon grated onion
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Pepper

Utensils

• Saucepan
• Grater
• Vegetable-knife

Directions

1.

Melt the butter in a saucepan.

2.

Add the bread and cracker crumbs to the melted butter, and then add all the other materials, mixing thoroughly.

3.

Add boiling water, stirring in a very little at a time, until the mixture is sufficiently moist to hold together well.

Remarks

In addition to the materials above-mentioned, any or all of the following may be added, if desired:

• 1 teaspoon sweet marjoram
• Few grains celery salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 4 olives
• teaspoon lemon juice

Gravy for Baked Fish

1111

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Utensils

• Small saucepan
• Strainer

Directions

1.

Melt the butter in a saucepan.

2.

Add the flour to the butter, and mix thoroughly.

3.

Strain the liquid from the pan in which the fish was baked into a measuring-cup, and add enough hot water to fill the cup.

4.

Add this liquid to the butter-and-flour mixture, stirring constantly over the fire until it thickens and boils.

5.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.

Boiled Fish

1111

Ingredients

• Fish weighing from 2 to 4 pounds

Utensils

• Large covered saucepan
• Colander

Directions

1.

Wash the fish, cut off the head and tail, and tie or sew the fish in a piece of clean white cheese-cloth.

2.

Put the fish in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling water, to which a tablespoon of vinegar has been added.

3.

Reduce the heat at once, and let simmer for thirty minutes if the fish weighs 2 pounds, and fifteen minutes longer for each additional pound.

4.

Lift the fish out of the saucepan, and put it into a colander to drain.

5.

When thoroughly drained open the cloth, lift the fish out by the sides of the cloth, and roll it carefully onto a hot serving platter.

Remarks

Serve with Hollandaise Sauce.

Creamed Fish

1111

Ingredients

• 1 cup cold fish-flakes
• 1 cup White Sauce No. 2

Utensils

• Plate
• 2 forks

Directions

1.

If left-over fish or canned fish is used, shred it into small pieces with two forks.

2.

Make White Sauce No. 2 in accordance with the directions.

3.

Add the fish to the White Sauce in the saucepan, set the saucepan over the fire, and heat to the boiling-point, stirring slowly to prevent scorching.

Remarks

Serve on strips of buttered toast.

If desired, the creamed fish may be put in a baking-dish, covered with buttered bread crumbs, and baked for fifteen minutes in a moderate oven, or until browned.

Fried Oysters

1111

Ingredients

• ½ pint oysters
• 1 egg
• Salt
• Pepper
• Bread crumbs
• Fat for frying

Utensils

• Strainer
• Bowl
• Dover beater
• Frying-kettle
• Long-handled fork
• Colander with paper

Directions

1.

Put the oysters in a strainer, let the liquid drain away, and then pour cold water through the oysters in the strainer.

2.

Beat the egg in a small bowl.

3.

Roll each oyster in the bread crumbs, then dip it in the beaten egg, and roll again in the crumbs.

4.

Fry the oysters in hot fat until well browned, putting each oyster as it is fried on soft paper in a colander.

Scalloped Oysters

The keyword exceeded the maximum length of 150 characters.

1111

Ingredients

• ½ pint oysters
• 1 cup White Sauce No. 2
• 1 cup buttered cracker crumbs

Utensils

• Baking-dish
• Strainer

Directions

1.

Make White Sauce No. 2, according to the directions.

2.

Put the oysters into a strainer, draining the liquid into the White Sauce in the saucepan.

3.

Pour cold water through the oysters in the strainer.

4.

Mix the oysters and the White Sauce together.

5.

Put half the mixture into a baking-dish, cover with ½ cup of the cracker crumbs, add the remainder of the oysters, and cover with the rest of the crumbs.

6.

Bake in a moderate oven for fifteen minutes, or until browned.

Remarks

See Remarks under Oyster Stew.

Creamed Salt Codfish

1111

Ingredients

• ½ pound salt codfish
• 1 cup White Sauce No. 2

Utensils

• 2 forks
• Strainer
• Tablespoon
• Saucepan

Directions

1.

Soak the fish overnight in cold water.

2.

Shred the fish with two forks, removing the skin and bones.

3.

Put the shredded fish in a saucepan of boiling water, reduce the heat, and let simmer gently for ten minutes.

4.

Pour the cooked fish into a strainer, and with a spoon press out all water.

5.

Make White Sauce No. 2, in accordance with the directions.

6.

Add the fish to the White Sauce, mix well, and reheat.

Remarks

Creamed Codfish is usually served on a platter garnished with bits of buttered toast, slices of hard-boiled egg, or slices of lemon.

Codfish Balls

1111

Ingredients

• ¼ pound salt codfish
• 3 or 4 potatoes
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Fat for frying

Utensils

• 2 forks
• Saucepan
• Bowl
• Dover beater
• Strainer
• Bread-board
• Colander with paper
• Frying-pan
• Perforated spoon

Directions

1.

Soak the fish overnight in cold water.

2.

Boil and mash the potatoes in accordance with directions for Potatoes—Irish or Sweet and Mashed Potatoes.

3.

Remove all skin and bones from the fish, and shred it with two forks.

4.

Put the shredded fish into a saucepan of boiling water, reduce the heat, and let simmer gently for ten minutes.

5.

Remove the saucepan from the fire, pour the contents through a strainer, and with a spoon press out all the water from the fish.

6.

Measure the fish in a cup, and add it to twice as much mashed potato as there is fish.

7.

Beat the egg and add it with the salt to the fish and potato, mixing the whole thoroughly.

8.

Sprinkle flour on the bread-board, and put the mixture a spoonful at a time on the board, rolling or moulding each spoonful into a ball.

9.

Fry the balls in plenty of hot fat in a frying-pan.

10.

When the balls are browned, lift them from the fat with a perforated spoon, and place them on soft crumpled paper in the colander.

Sauces for Fish

Hollandaise Sauce

1111

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 eggs (yolks only)
• 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• Few grains cayenne

Utensils

• Bowl
• Dover beater
• Double-boiler
• Tablespoon

Directions

1.

Beat the 2 egg-yolks in a bowl.

2.

Melt the butter in the upper part of the double-boiler, placing this part directly over the fire.

3.

Add the flour to the melted butter, and mix well.

4.

Add ½ cup of hot water, and stir constantly over the fire until the boiling-point is reached.

5.

Pour this mixture into the bowl with the beaten egg-yolks, stirring together well.

6.

Pour the mixture from the bowl into the upper part of the double-boiler, set this part into the lower part, and place the boiler over the fire.

7.

Beat the mixture with the dover beater, while cooking, until it becomes fairly thick.

8.

Add the seasonings mentioned above.

Remarks

One teaspoon of chopped parsley and ½ teaspoon of grated onion may be added with the other seasonings, if desired.

Lemon Butter Sauce

1111

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

Utensils

• Tablespoon
• Bowl
• Knife
• Lemon-squeezer

Directions

1.

"Cream" the butter.

2.

Add the lemon juice slowly to the butter while stirring, then add the chopped parsley, and mix thoroughly.

Remarks

Serve with boiled or baked fish. All the sauce may be placed on the hot whole fish when the latter is ready for serving, or it may be added to the individual portions at the table.

Soups

The Plain Sailing Cook Book

Meats

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929. It was adapted by the Observatory from a version produced by Wikisource contributors.

This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Please note that the original source material has been altered by a human editor or was human-edited with AI-assist to be easier to read and search for on the Observatory. To find the original source material as it was originally written and/or formatted, please click here.

• Frontmatter
• Preface
• Introduction
• Equipment and Supplies
• General Kitchen Necessities
• Preparing and Mixing Utensils
• Cooking Utensils
• Staple Supplies
• Handling the Recipe
• Directions for Measuring
• Regulating the Heat
• A Few Definitions
• Some Useful Suggestions
• Recipes
• Soups
• Fish
• Meats
• Poultry
• Vegetables
• Salads and Salad Dressings
• Pastry
• Puddings
• Cakes, Cookies, Etc.
• Ice Cream and Ices
• Hot Beverages
• Cereals
• Eggs
• Hot Breads and Griddle-Cakes
• Fruits
• White Sauces
• Index
• About This Digital Edition