The flesh of fish when in season, i. e., before spawning, is solid
and boils firm and curdy. It should be used as fresh as possible, as
it soon spoils. White fleshed fish are the most easily digested, and
the oily varieties like mackerel, salmon and eels, are the most difiicult
of digestion. White fleshed fish is the most delicate, and the red
fleshed and oily kinds the most nourishing. Fish is highly nitrog-
enous, and requires an abundant use of starchy food in combination
with it, to sux5ply a sufiicient amount of heat^giving material; and,
owing to the lack of oil in the white fleshed varieties, they are best
cooked in fat. Lemon juice or vinegar (being acid) are excellent as
an accompaniment, or in the sauces, for fish and shellfish, because of
the alkaline nature of their juices. It is essential to the wholesome-
ness of fish that they should be thoroughly cleaned and cooked.
The popular idea that fish aid brain and nervous development because of tho
phosphorus they contain is wholly erroneous. There is no relation between the
amount of phosphorus passing through the system and the intensity of thought.
It is not because of the j)hosphorus they contain that fish, oysters and eggs, are
suitable for students, but because they are easily digested, and those leading sed-
entary lives do not need the hearty food suited to a day^laborer, besides which they
are adapted to those on whose nervous energies there are large drains because of
the large amount of nitrogenous material which they contain. It should also be
said that fish contains no larger per cent, of phosphorus than meat.
Cleaning Fish. — Fish should be cleaned as soon as possible after
being caught. Make an incision in the under side from the gills half
way down, and take out the insides; carefully remove the thin black
membrane lining the cavity, as it is apt to impart a bitter flavor
to the whole fish if it is left. It is best to remove the white part ad-
hering to the bone, called the sound, although some people leave it.
Do not cut off the tail and head^if it is to be served whole. Scrape
from the tail towards the head to remove the scales; take out the
eyes, and wash in strongly salted water; dry carefully, and wrap a
cloth sprinkled with salt around it, and keep near the ice. The salt
checks the outflow of the juices. Handle the fish as little as possible,
a,nd do not wash it too much (one water is usually enough) and do
48
FISH 49
not let the fish soak in the water, as that will extract the juices
and detract from its value. Keep fish in a cool place near the ice,
but do not let ice touch it, as that will soften and injure, if it does
not spoil it. Do not keep fish in the ice chest, as it will taint any-
thing like milk or butter. Keep any fish left after the meal in the
same way.
To Skin a Fish — Cut a narrow strip along the backbone, using a
sharp knife, and removing the fin on the back; then run up the knife
through and under the bony part of the gills and peel the skin off
backwards toward the tail, holding the bony part of the gills with the
thumb and finger; then peel off the skin from the other side in the
same manner, and throw it away.
Page 34
Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The flesh of fish when in season, i. e., before spawning, is solid and boils firm and curdy. It should be used as fresh as possible, as it soon spoils. White fleshed fish are the most easily digested, and the oily varieties like mackerel, salmon and eels, are the most difficult of digestion. White fleshed fish is the most delicate, and the red fleshed and oily kinds the most nourishing. Fish is highly nitrogenous, and requires an abundant use of starchy food in combination with it, to supply a sufficient amount of heat^giving material; and, owing to the lack of oil in the white fleshed varieties, they are best cooked in fat. Lemon juice or vinegar (being acid) are excellent as an accompaniment, or in the sauces, for fish and shellfish, because of the alkaline nature of their juices. It is essential to the wholesomeness of fish that they should be thoroughly cleaned and cooked.
The popular idea that fish aid brain and nervous development because of tho phosphorus they contain is wholly erroneous. There is no relation between the amount of phosphorus passing through the system and the intensity of thought. It is not because of the phosphorus they contain that fish, oysters and eggs, are suitable for students, but because they are easily digested, and those leading sedentary lives do not need the hearty food suited to a day^laborer, besides which they are adapted to those on whose nervous energies there are large drains because of the large amount of nitrogenous material which they contain. It should also be said that fish contains no larger per cent, of phosphorus than meat.
Cleaning Fish. — Fish should be cleaned as soon as possible after being caught. Make an incision in the under side from the gills half way down, and take out the insides; carefully remove the thin black membrane lining the cavity, as it is apt to impart a bitter flavor to the whole fish if it is left. It is best to remove the white part adhering to the bone, called the sound, although some people leave it. Do not cut off the tail and head if it is to be served whole. Scrape from the tail towards the head to remove the scales; take out the eyes, and wash in strongly salted water; dry carefully, and wrap a cloth sprinkled with salt around it, and keep near the ice. The salt checks the outflow of the juices. Handle the fish as little as possible, and do not wash it too much (one water is usually enough) and do
not let the fish soak in the water, as that will extract the juices and detract from its value. Keep fish in a cool place near the ice, but do not let ice touch it, as that will soften and injure, if it does not spoil it. Do not keep fish in the ice chest, as it will taint anything like milk or butter. Keep any fish left after the meal in the same way.
To Skin a Fish — Cut a narrow strip along the backbone, using a sharp knife, and removing the fin on the back; then run up the knife through and under the bony part of the gills and peel the skin off backwards toward the tail, holding the bony part of the gills with the thumb and finger; then peel off the skin from the other side in the same manner, and throw it away.