The new practical housekeeping

Or, put a piece of butter in a saucepan, dredge in some flour, and stir over the fire some minced cold fish, chopped mushrooms, bread-crumbs, herbs and shallot, pepper and salt; cook until thick and when cold form into balls. Egg and bread-crumb them twice, fry a nice brown in hot fat, arrange in pyramid form on a plate and garnish with parsley. Fish Dressing. — Two cups bread or cracker crumbs, one of mashed potatoes, one well-beaten egg, two tablespoons butter, teaspoon sage and savory, or a little thyme, and one dozen chopped clams or oysters ; moisten with warm rich new milk, salt and pepper to taste. This dressing is also good for duck or game with a finely chopped onion added. Or, for a plainer dressing, take one pint bread-crumbs, two tablespoons melted butter, one raw egg, pepper, salt and one tablespoon celery seed. Fish Fritters. — Put two tablespoons flour in a bowl with half saltspoon salt, and stir in gradually a gill tepid water and tablespoon salad oil (melted butter or fat will do), and the well-frothed whites of two eggs. The batter is the better for standing before used, and if made without the eggs it must stand at least four hours. If the fish are small skin them, wipe dry with a cloth and put the tail in the mouth ; roll well in flour — dusting is not sufficient — dip them into the batter and fry in hot fat. If the fish are large, bone and cut into neat slices and dry, flour and fry them as small fish. To make them extra nice rub the fish first with powdered spices or herbs, then roll in flour and dip in batter. Or fritters may be made of any cold fish, which must be minced very fine, or, better, pounded in a mortar ; add any seasoning liked, spices, herbs, onions, etc., and either stir the fish in the batter and drop by spoonfuls into the fat, or carefully place little heaps of it on spoonfuls of the batter and put into the hot fat with the fish uppermost. Fish Pies. — Salmon, eels, cod, mackerel, trout, herrings, flounders, salt fish, and in short almost any kind of fish are good in pies. Large fish must of course be used in slices, small fish must have heads, tails and fins removed, bone them also if possible, and flat fish should be skinned. Line a shallow baking pan or a pie tin with a nice paste, or rich baking powder crust, leaving a good rim, and put the fish in, covered with a rich, highly-seasoned white sauce, or with bits of butter plentifully strewn over, and season with salt, pepper, herbs and spices to taste ; when the white sauce is not used add cream and fine bread-crumbs or cracker dust — and hard-boiled eggs, chopped, if liked — ^to a pie made of cold fish, and many like them in a pie made of any fresh fish. Alternate layers of oysters seasoned with nutmeg and chopped parsley, with the bread-crumbs and fish, make a very nice Fish Oyster Pie, but should be put in dish without the under crust. Cover with bread-crumbs, which must be browned, or with a good crust, pinching the edges well together and bake. Some prefer to cut pie paste in strips and lay in cross-bars over the top with a roll of the paste round the edge. A pie of ordinary size will bake in a moderate oven in about an hour. If of cold cooked fish much less time will be required. If the fish is first lightly fried in butter the flavor of the pie will be greatly improved.