Miss Parloa's kitchen companion

sharp-pointed vegetable-knife, cut through the skin all round the fish, lengthwise, first on one side and then on the other. Now loosen the skin at the head, and draw it gently from the flesh. You will be obliged to use the knife occasionally. When one side has been skinned, turn the fish and skin the other. Next slip the knife between the flesh and bone, and remove all the flesh in two pieces. Cut into small pieces, — perhaps four inches long and three wide. Spread a table-spoonful of soft butter over a gratin dish, and lay these pieces or fillets in the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and keep in a cool place until the time for cooking. Make a pint of sauce in the following manner: Mix one table-spoonful of flour and three of butter, and add to the mixture a slice of onion, a bay leaf, a pint of chicken stock, and salt and pepper to suit your taste. Simmer gently for twenty minutes ; then add a tablespoonful of lemon juice. Strain the sauce, and pour it over the fish. Have ready a teacupful of fine dried breadcrumbs. Season them lightly with salt and pepper, and sprinkle them over the sauce and fish. Put the dish into a hot oven, and bake for twenty minutes ; then serve immediately in the same dish. Fried Flounder. Scrape the flounder, and then cut off the head and fins. Wash quickly in cold water, and then wipe dry. Season generously with salt, — a teaspoonful to two pounds of fish. Now cover with the beaten egg, and then with fine bread crumbs, being careful to have every part well coated with the egg and crumbs. Fry in fat for seven minutes, and drain on brown paper. Serve on a warm napkin, with a garnish of fried parsley. Tartar sauce should be provided in a small fancy dish. * Boiled Striped Bass. Prepare the water for the bass the same as for the red snapper, omitting, however, the vinegar. Cut the fins from the fish. See that it is free of scales ; then wash it quickly in cold water. Lower it into the fish-kettle, and move the kettle forward where the water will boil. As soon as it begins to boil, move back where it will just bubble for twenty minutes, if the fish be under three pounds, and for twenty-five minutes, if it be over three pounds. When done, lift it from the water and drain well. Now slip it on a warm dish, and serve with any of the following-named sauces : Dutch, Bernaise, remoulade, anchovy, or tomato. Sheep's-head, black bass, lake trout, white-fish, etc., all may be boiled and served the same as striped bass. Breaded Fillet of Bass. Get small bass for this dish. The striped kind is the best, but black bass is very good. Fish weighing about a pound and a half will give handsome fillets. Clean and fillet the fish (see page 172). Season the fillets generously with salt and lightly with pepper. Now dip in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs, being careful that every part is covered with egg and crumb. Place in the frying-basket, but do not let the pieces touch. Fry in fat for three minutes and a half. On taking from the basket, drain on brown paper. Serve very hot with Tartar sauce. Black-fish, rock bass, halibut, flounders, white-fish, etc., may be filleted and prepared in the same manner. Broiled Smelts.