Slices of fish, small skinned whiting, or fillets of fish can be cooked to perfection both as to flavour and substance by steaming, whereas boiling would render them woolly and tasteless. If it is only a small quantity of fish which requires cooking it may be steamed on a plate. Grease the plate with butter and lay the fish neatly on it. Season to taste and squeeze a little lemon juice over the top. Put a piece of well-greased paper on the top and cover with a second plate, or the saucepan lid. Place this on the top of a saucepan of boiling water and allow it to remain from twenty to thirty minutes, or until the fish is sufficiently cooked. The liquid on the plate should be served with the fish or made into a sauce with a little flour and butter, and then poured over the fish. Note. — This is an excellent way of serving fish for an invalid Frying This is one of the most popular ways of cooking fish, and small fish✪ Grilled Fish are perhaps more palatable pre- pared in this way than by any other method. Un- fortunately frying is badly understood in many households, and the productions called fried fish are not only greasy and unsightly, but unpalatable and indigestible as well. Fish properly fried should be of a pretty brown colour, dry and crisp, and as free from grease as if it had never been touched by fat. Even the paper on which it is served should show little or no sign of grease. All kinds of fish may be fried in one way or an- other. Small fish are better fried whole, larger ones should be filleted or cut in slices. Before fish is fried it must be made very dry, and the outside must be coated with some prepara- tion, which will prevent the fat entering. There are several different ways of coating the fish. The first and simplest method is to dip it into flour, seasoned with pepper and salt✪ Fried Fish. The flour used should be fine and dry, and if at all lumpy should be sieved before using. Fine oatmeal is some- times used instead of flour. Another way is to dip the fish in milk after the first coating of flour and then in flour again. Then, again, the fish may be dipped in frying batter (see Recipe 1861) to coat the outside. This is only suitable for small pieces of fish, and it makes them look like a fritter. Perhaps the most satisfactory method of all is to egg and bread-crumb the fish, and this certainly has the best appearance when finished. Whichever method is adopted the fish itself must always be neatly trimmed, and then the coat- ing on the outside complete so that there is no opening left for the fat to enter. If flour, or flour and milk are used as a coating, this must be applied just before the fish is to be cooked, otherwise the flour becomes moist and the fish does not fry well. Batter also can only be used at the last minute. Egging and bread-crumbing may, on the other hand, be done sometime before the fish is to be fried, and even the night before if the fish is to be served for breakfast. There are two different methods of frying fish, wet frying and dry frying. The former is the most suitable for small fish or fillets of fish, the latter for larger fish or pieces of fish, which require a slower process of cooking. Wet Frying or French Frying. — This is cooking in a large quantity of fat sufficient to cover the fish. For full directions see p. 248.

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Slices of fish, small skinned whiting, or fillets of fish can be cooked to perfection both as to flavour and substance by steaming, whereas boiling would render them woolly and tasteless. If it is only a small quantity of fish which requires cooking it may be steamed on a plate. Grease the plate with butter and lay the fish neatly on it. Season to taste and squeeze a little lemon juice over the top. Put a piece of well-greased paper on the top and cover with a second plate, or the saucepan lid. Place this on the top of a saucepan of boiling water and allow it to remain from twenty to thirty minutes, or until the fish is sufficiently cooked. The liquid on the plate should be served with the fish or made into a sauce with a little flour and butter, and then poured over the fish. Note. — This is an excellent way of serving fish for an invalid Frying This is one of the most popular ways of cooking fish, and small fish are perhaps more palatable pre- pared in this way than by any other method. Un- fortunately frying is badly understood in many households, and the productions called fried fish are not only greasy and unsightly, but unpalatable and indigestible as well. Fish properly fried should be of a pretty brown colour, dry and crisp, and as free from grease as if it had never been touched by fat. Even the paper on which it is served should show little or no sign of grease. All kinds of fish may be fried in one way or an- other. Small fish are better fried whole, larger ones should be filleted or cut in slices. Before fish is fried it must be made very dry, and the outside must be coated with some prepara- tion, which will prevent the fat entering. There are several different ways of coating the fish. The first and simplest method is to dip it into flour, seasoned with pepper and salt. The flour used should be fine and dry, and if at all lumpy should be sieved before using. Fine oatmeal is some- times used instead of flour. Another way is to dip the fish in milk after the first coating of flour and then in flour again. Then, again, the fish may be dipped in frying batter (see Recipe 1861) to coat the outside. This is only suitable for small pieces of fish, and it makes them look like a fritter. Perhaps the most satisfactory method of all is to egg and bread-crumb the fish, and this certainly has the best appearance when finished. Whichever method is adopted the fish itself must always be neatly trimmed, and then the coat- ing on the outside complete so that there is no opening left for the fat to enter. If flour, or flour and milk are used as a coating, this must be applied just before the fish is to be cooked, otherwise the flour becomes moist and the fish does not fry well. Batter also can only be used at the last minute. Egging and bread-crumbing may, on the other hand, be done sometime before the fish is to be fried, and even the night before if the fish is to be served for breakfast. There are two different methods of frying fish, wet frying and dry frying. The former is the most suitable for small fish or fillets of fish, the latter for larger fish or pieces of fish, which require a slower process of cooking. Wet Frying or French Frying. — This is cooking in a large quantity of fat sufficient to cover the fish. For full directions see p. 248.

Cookery for every household