The complete cook book

TO BAKE FISH. To bake evenly, a fish should stand upright in the pan, which can be managed by supporting it on either side, or by putting it over a little bowl or cup, if no filling is to be used. A long fish may be trussed to stand by running a cord (in a trussing or darning needle) through the head, middle of the body and tail, and drawing the fish to shape the letter S, the cord being removed before serving. Every housekeeper should have a special dripping pan for baking fish, and there should be a removable tin sheet in the bottom of it, for easy handling of the fish. When a fish is filled and trussed for baking, cut gashes across it at inch intervals, and lay in these tiny strips of sweet salt pork; rub all over The Complete Cook Book. 53 with soft butter, season with salt and pepper, dredge well with flour, and place in the pan on the sheet, with some very thin slices of salt pork under it. As soon as the flour is brown, pour in half a cupful of boiling water, and begin the basting. Cover tightly, and continue the baking, basting at ten-minute intervals, until the fish is done. Fifteen minutes to the pound is the general rule for baking, but this must vary with the heat of the oven, size and condition of the fish. When done, slide the fish from the sheet to a hot platter, garnish with cresses, and send hot to the table. With baked fish any preferred sauce may be used, Hollandaise and tartare being favorites. A good pan-sauce may be made (pouring off most of the fat and proceeding as in roast meat gravy), to which chopped hardboiled eggs should be added. Never pour a sauce over a baked fish, but serve in a gravy-boat or around the fish on the platter. In the latter case serve Parisienne potatoes or potato souffle in another dish. When the sauce is in a boat, Saratoga potatoes may be used as a border around the fish. IMPENADA. For this dish use bass, haddock or cod, and bake in an earthen crock. First, line the vessel with one large, sliced onion, then fill it nearly half full with sliced, raw potatoes. Season with salt and red pepper, then add a thick layer of fish, filling the rest of the vessel with potatoes. Add a full half bottle of ketchup, and one-quarter pound butter. After mixing a teaspoonful of flour with water, add same and fill crock with water until nearly full. Put in hot oven and bake three hours. Stewed tomatoes may be used, according to taste. BROILED SPANISH MACKEREL AND POMPANO. Split the fish down the back and season with salt and pepper ; rub it over with . olive oil and place it over a charcoal broiler which has just been rubbed with salt 54 The Complete Cook Book. pork. Lay the fish on the broiler flesh side down, and broil a golden brown. Then turn and brown the skin side. If the fish is so thick that it browns before cooking through slide it into a fish pan and cook inside the oven until thoroughly done. Sauce: Mix one tablespoonful of butter with one tablespoonful of flour over the stove, and add slowly one-half pint of cold water and the juice of one lemon and another lemon sliced. Take out seeds and let all boil together. SALMON PUFFS. To a one-pound can of salmon add twelve chopped almonds, one teaspoonful of grated onion, one teaspoonfulof white pepper; mix this and then add the unbeaten whites of three eggs and stir in carefully one-half pint of cream whipped to a stiff froth. Fill your timbale molds with this mixture and cook twenty minutes in a moderate oven. Fresh salmon may be boiled and used if preferred. Sauce : Two tablespoonfuls of butter and two tablespoonfuls of flour rubbed together. Add slowly one pint of boiling water and stir a moment over the fire. Take from the fire and carefully add another tablespoonful of butter, yolks of four eggs and two tablespoonfuls of vinegar. Strain and add a little chopped parsley. A SEASONABLE ENTREE.