How To Fry

Small fish or fillets of large fish may be covered with egg and crumbs and fried in deep fat. Wash the fish and dry them thoroughly, being careful not to bruise the flesh. Roll in egg, slightly beaten and diluted with two tablespoonfuls of cold water, and cover with fine bread crumbs. Or, if you prefer, dip the fish in a thin batter. The outside of the fish must be completely covered with something which will cook instantly when plunged into the hot fat. Have enough hot fat in a deep frying pan to entirely cover the fish. Put a few fish in a frying basket at a time and brown in hot fat. Drain on brown paper and serve with tartare or some other as highly seasoned sauce. Extreme care must be taken, especially in frying fish, to cook long enough to be thoroughly done, but not so long that flesh becomes dry and hard.

The three points to observe in successful frying are to have the fat smoking hot, a fat-proof covering over the fish, and that after frying the fish should be thoroughly drained before serving.

Sauted Fish

To saute means to brown first on one side and then on the other in a small amount of fat. Rich, oily fish should not be cooked in this way, as they are already too rich in fat, which changes in flavor if allowed to cook from the fish and become overheated.

Wash the fish and wipe dry. Season with salt and pepper, cover with Indian meal or white flour. Cook some salt pork in a hot frying pan until the fat is well tried out. Put in the fish and let them cook until nicely browned on both sides. Be careful not to have the fire so hot that the fish will burn before it cooks through.

Halibut In Lemon Sauce

Three pounds of halibut, cut into pieces, four inches long and one inch thick, two onions, medium size, sliced thin, two cupfuls of water, three tablespoonfuls of oil, one tablespoonful each of ground ginger and mace, and one-eighth teaspoonful of red pepper dissolved in one cupful of boiling water, one cupful of strained lemon juice, three tablespoonfuls of flour, two tablespoonfuls of chopped parsley, three eggs, one-half cupful of canned tomatoes. Wash the fish, then salt it, let it stand for two hours; take the water, onions, and oil, and boil until the onions are cooked, then pour this into a bowl. Put the fish in a saucepan, pour the onion mixture over the fish, also the dissolved spices and tomatoes; boil until the fish is cooked. Beat the eggs and flour together, then add the lemon juice, pour a little of the gravy that is on the fish into this, beat well so that the eggs will not curdle, pour this on the fish and let it simmer for a few minutes, place the fish on a platter, and the sauce in a gravy bowl. Set aside to cool. Any fish can be used, but it will not be as rich.

Baked Halibut

From a slice of halibut about four inches thick, carefully remove the bone and spread the fish apart. Fill the hole with bread dressing seasoned with butter, salt, a very little onion and sage. Cover the top with thin slices of bacon. Place on a rack in a baking pan with a little water and baste until baked. Set the bacon aside, and when ready to serve, place around the fish. The bacon will burn if left on the fish until baked. Thicken the gravy and serve separately.