A FISH TALE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 118, 26 September 1941, Page 45

A FISH TALE

ISH is an important source of iodine and other minerals, and is rich in Vitamin D, the deficiency of which results in malnutrition, dental decay and. soft bones. It is, however, chiefly in the roe and liver of fish that this vitamin is contained, so do not discard these valuable portions. Fish must be cooked in only moderate heat, and for a comparatively short time. Overcooking makes it dry and tasteless, Like the white of egg, it is rendered tough and indigestible by hard boiling, and should, therefore, be steamed or very gently simmered, or "coddled." By serving it with good white sauce, or sliced onions and tomatoes, a green vegetable and mashed potato, a little fish may be made to go a long way, if it is scarce or expensive. Essential Commodities Let me quote a paragraph from a recent issue of the Overseas Magazine: "After all, we can supply ourselves in the Old Country with the four essential commodities of green vegetables, potatoes, milk and fish. It is just as well to remember that the healthiest children in the whole of Great Britain were dis-covered-where do you think? Not in the towns, not in the Home Counties, or in the rich farming districts; but in the Outer Hebrides, among the poor fisherfolk! The pity of it is that it takes a war to teach us even the most ordinary common sense." Fish Roe This is sold in most fish shops by the pound, and separate from the fish. Groper or hapuka roe is generally availeble. It may be fried or scalloped, but tnust, in either case, be first simmered for about ten minutes, in salted water, fwith a dash of vinegar added. Fried Roe After simmering, drain and cut into ck slices, dip these into beaten egg hich has been seasoned with pepper énd salt, then coat well with browned ¢risp breadcrumbs, and fry in deep fat tintil a delicate brown. Very nice, served With tomato puree or tomato sauce. Bcalloped Roe | Drain after simmering for 10 minutes, {n salted water, dash with vinegar. Cut into small pieces, and just heat through ff a good rich white sauce, seasoned th parsley. Serve with fingers of toast with mashed potatoes. Or pour the uce and roe into a buttered oven-dish, over with breadcrumbs, dot with plenty f knobs of butter, and brown nicely in. oven. Kromeskies (Fish Roes) After the roes have been simmered as @bove, cut them into suitable slices, and

wrap a rasher of bacon around each piece, fastening with a tiny skewer. Dip into batter and fry in boiling fat. Remove skewer, and serve on slices of fried bread. Russian Fish Pie For this you will need about 341b. of flaky pastry, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 tablespoons cold white sauce, 1b. of cooked white fish, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, a little pepper, salt and cayenne. Divid@ the pastry into two, and roll out each piece into a square. Flake the fish into a basin, removing all the skin and bones, of course, and season to taste with salt, lemon juice, pepper, and cayenne or paprika. Lightly mix in the cold white sauce. Now put half this fish mixture on to each square of pastry, cover each mound of fish with the sliced hard boiled eggs. Brush the edges of the pastry square with cold water, and fold it up like an envelope. Turn each little pie or tart upside down on a buttered baking tin. Mark across the tops in diamonds with a knife, and glaze with a beaten egg diluted with a tablespoon. of milk. Bake about 25 minutes in a hot oven. Russian Salmon Place the contents of a tin of good salmon in a casserole or dish. Remove the big pieces of bones, and break it up into flakes. Cover this with a liberal amount of rice, which has been boiled in slightly salted water till soft, and then dried. Over this pour a curry sauce, made in the usual way by melting the butter in a saucepan, stirring in the flour, a little curry powder, and gradually the milk. Also add a pinch of salt. Decorate the top of the dish with sliced hard boiled eggs, and chopped parsley. Heat through in oven. Butterfish and Oysters. This is delicious, and an ingenious way of making a few oysters go a long way. Into a buttered oven dish put a layer of butterfish fillets, which have been rubbed over with a cut lemon. Put some dabs of butter on each, and then put a layer of oysters, which have been rolled in crisp "flakes" or browned breadcrumbs. Cover with another layer of butterfish, dot with butter, sprinkle with " flakes" or breadcrumbs, and bake in a moderate oven, either with or without a lid at first, but. certainly without a lid at the last, so that the top is crisp and brown. Smoked Fish Puffs (Devonshire) Half a pound of smoked fish (blue cod is excellent), simmered in water, or milk and water, till tender. Save this liquor, using some of it when flaking up the cooked fish, and add 2ozs. of flour, sifted with a pinch of baking powder, a tablespoon of finely chopped parsley, and

2 beaten eggs. Add a little milk if necessary to make the mixture of a soft consistency like a sponge sandwich. Have ready some very hot fat (still and smoking) and drop in tablespoonfuls of the mixture. Fry golden brown. They will puff up. beautifully. Serve very hot with mashed potatoes. Poached Fish Put fillets of fish, or whole flounder or sole, in a shallow saucepan or deep frying pan. Half cover with boiling water, and add a little salt and lemon juice, or vinegar. Or half cover with equal partsof boiling water and milk, and add a little salt only. Cover and simmer slowly until. the fish begins to separate, about eight to twelve minutes, according to the thickness. Lift out carefully with a fish slice, or perforated spoon, being care(Continued on next page)

_ (Continued from previous page) ful not to break the fish. Thicken the liquor with flour or cornflour, adding a good knob of butter and some finely — chopped parsley. Spanish Baked Fish _ Brown some fish fillets in hot fat, after seasoning with salt and pepper. Put them into an oven dish, cover with thin slices of onion, then pour over all, sufficient preserved or tinned tomatoes to cover. Sprinkle with paprika, and bake in a moderate oven about 375 degrees for about half an hour. Fish Puff Cakes Two fillets of schnapper, one egg, 3 tablespoons of milk, 1% teaspoon of onion juice, 2 heaped tablespoons of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped. parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Steam the fish just long enough for it to be boned and skinned easily. Beat the egg well, add the milk and seasoning, sift in the flour and baking powder, and add the flaked fish. Fold it all in lightly, and drop tablespoonfuls in hot fat. Brown én one side, then turn, and finally drain on white paper. Serve with chip potatoes. Baked Flounder Fillets _ Butter well a casserole, and put in a thick layer of good white sauce, contain-

ing plenty of onion. Lay fillets of flounder on this, sprinkle with pepper and salt, dot with butter, and sprinkle with grated or "slivered" cheese. Bake in a moderate oven about half an hour. Fish Batter (from Mosgiel) Drop one egg yolk, unbroken, into 4ozs. of sifted flour. Beat a little. Add a little tepid water, to make a smooth batter. Leave to stand for 10 minutes. Then add the egg whites beaten stiff, with a little salt. Dip the fish into this batter and fry in boiling fat.