To Boil Fish

Unless one has risen early in the morning and gone in a dory to the salmon weir bringing back her fish with her to be broiled for breakfast or boiled for dinner, she has not known what salmon is. Hard and firm as beefsteak, enticing in color, delicate in flavor, this in its real home is a treat. And salmon, because of its texture and the distribution of the oil in its body, is one of the best of fishes to cook by boiling. Boiling in general is a wasteful and tasteless way of cooking fish, but such firm and well-flavored varieties as salmon and bluefish may be cooked in this way. In the cooking of both meats and fish there is a Scylla and a Charybdis to avoid, and a middle course which must be pursued. Two things have to be kept in view in the boiling of fish - the effect of cold water and the appearance of the fish. Cold water draws out the juices; boiling water will contract and crack the skin. It is therefore necessary to cook the fish at the simmering point and with care.

Place the fish on a fish rack or sheet, or tie in a piece of cheesecloth, and place in hot water to which has been added a teaspoonful of salt and a tablespoonful of vinegar or lemon juice to each two quarts of water or stock. Bring quickly to boiling point, then let it cook at the simmering point until thoroughly done, no longer. Count the time from the moment the water reaches boiling point, estimating from five to eight minutes to a pound, depending upon the thickness of the fish, a thick solid fish taking longer than a slim, more delicate one. The fish is done when the flesh separates readily from the bones. When the fish is cooked lift it carefully from the water, drain, remove cloth, and serve on a folded napkin to absorb any extra liquid from the fish. Garnish with parsley or cress, and slices of lemon or beets, and serve with a hollandaise, bechamel, or drawn-butter sauce.

The decrease in nutritive value and flavor when a fish is boiled causes the use of what is called a court bouillon in the place of water. This is merely a stock made by sauteing vegetables, such as celery, carrot, and onion, chopped fine, in butter, adding vinegar, cloves, bay leaf, etc., and boiling with the addition of water until this is well-flavored. The fish is cooked in this, or it may be put in the water and the vegetables, spices, etc., added directly to this for the cooking process.

Fish is often marinated before cooking. Brush the flesh over with olive oil and sprinkle it with lemon juice; lay on top, slices of onion and strips of red or green pepper. Drain the fish and cook as desired. Cooked fish which is to be used as a salad is much improved by standing for several hours in equal parts of olive oil and vinegar, a little salt and paprika, and a few drops of onion juice. Drain, mix with salad dressing, and serve on crisp lettuce leaves.

The Baking Of Fish

The head and tail may be left on a fish that is to be baked. Fill the cavity with dressing, being careful not to get it so full that there will be no room for expansion of the crumbs during cooking. Sew the sides of the fish together over the dressing, using buttered string, so that it may be easily removed when the fish is served. If the fish is lean and dry, lard it as follows: Cut four or five gashes on each side of the backbone and insert in each a strip of salt pork to furnish fat during baking, thus adding juiciness and flavor to the flesh.

When the fish is to be served whole it should be trussed in an upright position, if possible. It bakes more evenly, browns better, and is more easily served. It is better to keep a baking dish or pan to be used solely for fish, the fishy taste being more difficult to remove; or use paper bags. Dredge the fish with salt and pepper; put pieces of salt pork in the pan under and around the fish, but add no water unless needed. The oven should be hot at first, so that the fish will brown in about thirty minutes. Then reduce the heat and bake the fish slowly for a second half-hour, basting it often with the fat in the pan.

Slices or fillets of fish are often baked in milk in an earthen dish, and are delicious. The bone may be removed from the center of a slice of fish, the cavity filled with dressing, and the top covered with buttered crumbs. Bake for about thirty minutes, and serve with a cream or hollandaise sauce. Small pieces of fish can be cooked with vegetables in a casserole very much as meat is cooked, and are a novelty.

The Broiling Process Any small, flat fish may be broiled, or a slice from a large fish used. An oily fish, however, is much better cooked in this way than a dry fish, as the fat present prevents the flesh from becoming hard. In fact, there are certain fish that connoisseurs say should be cooked in no other way.

If a whole fish is to be broiled, remove all scales, and split the fish down the backbone. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and if the flesh of the fish is dry instead of oily, spread it with soft butter or olive oil. Heat a wire broiler and grease it thoroughly with a piece of salt pork. Place the fish inside the broiler, with the thin part in the middle folded over so as to have a fish of even thickness. Hold the flesh side near the heat until browned; turn and brown on the skin side. Broil slowly on the flesh side for about twenty minutes more, then broil on the skin side for ten. Remove from the broiler to the serving platter, garnish, and serve.

If the broiling is to be done in a gas stove, the fish may be placed in a greased tin, skin side down, and put under the flame in the broiling oven. Leave the burners on full until the fish is nicely browned; then turn them down as low as possible and let the fish cook for about thirty minutes.

A planked fish is prepared in a similar way, except that the fish is cooked on an oiled plank instead of a tin. Before serving, a border of mashed potatoes is piped around the fish and browned slightly in the oven, vegetables are added, the plank is garnished as elaborately as desired, and sent to the table.