A Dish of Fish

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 822, 29 April 1955, Page 32

A Dish of Fish

| ISH is a very valuable food, and we should make it a fre- | quent part of our dietespecially sea fish, which is rich in phosphorus and iodine. Phosphorus is needed for our nerves, and iodine is valuable in checking the development of goitre. All fish is an excellent protein food (tissue building) and is also rich in mineral matter. It should be eaten as regularly as meat or cheese or eggs. Moreover, groper (hapuka), terakihi, herrings, pilchards and mullet are all rich in oil-another ef our necessities. Flounder, sole and cod are more delicate fish, but in them the fatty value lies chiefly in the liver, instead of being distributed through the flesh, as in the others mentioned, so that we do not profit quite as much by them. generally wasted, which is as bad as wasting our vegetable water. These socalled waste parts are rich in gelatine, a valuable source of protein, and they should be boiled and the liquor strained, and used either for fish soup, or to make the sauce to serve with the meal. How often we leave the skins and bones at the fish shop, and carry home the cutlets or fillets! It may save a little trouble, but we are throwing away half our nourishment. The bones, skins and heads of fish are | The most popular ways of cooking fish are frying or boiling-ngither of which can be regarded as specially good. Fried fish is often hard to digest, and boiled fish loses much of its food value into the water, which is too often thrown away! Baking and grilling, and steaming fish are all good methods of cooking. Some people like to wrap the fish in greased or buttered paper, for both ‘baking and steaming. This saves the | juices, which can be poured over the fish when served. A British magazine published a statement during the war, when the food situation at Home was so difficult, which cited the children of poor fishermen in the Outer Hebrides as the healthiest in Great Britain, as a result of their daily food being fish, milk, potatoes and green vegetables. Fresh Herring Fritters This is good for the families of small boys who go fishing. Cut open the herrings. Carefully take out backbone; cut off heads and tails. Then put herrings through the mincer. Make a batter, put in the minced fish and fry in hot fat by tablespoonsful. Fish Soup Some fish heads and bones, bought cheaply from fishmonger, cover well with water and boil for about half an hour, Strain through fine sieve into clean ' saucepan (to make sure there are no scales). Add an equal quantity of milk, a little grated onion and carrot to taste, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Thicken to required consistency with cornflour mixed with a little milk; just before serving add a good knob of butter, which makes a smoother soup. Serve very hot. Fish with Mushrooms Cook mushrooms in butter till tender. Rub fillets with lemon juice. Cool and chop mushrooms, spread on fillets, roll

up, cook 20 minutes in well buttered casserole. Pineapple Fish

This is a Chinese recipe given me by an English lady who had just arrived after a lengthy stay in Hong Kong. Two pounds fillet of flounder, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 42 teaspoon salt (cooking), 1 teaspoon sherry, 1 scallion (spring onion), 2 tablespoons cornflour, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons lard, 1 tablespoon sugar, %2 cup water, 10 ounces of tinned pineapple. Cut each fillet into 2 or 3 pieces. Shred the scallion. Mix the soy sauce, salt, sherry, and scallion shreds and soak the fish pieces in the mixture for 10 minutes. Heat the lard in a skillet until hot. Mix the cornflour and eggs. Dip the fish into this before frying. Fry for 2 minutes for each of the two sides. Transfer the fried pieces to plate. Mix the water, sugar and pineapple with the cornflour paste left and boil till the mixture becomes translucent. Pour it over the fried fish. This dish may be left in the oven for several minutes before serving, but long standing and too high a temperature make it tough. Garnish this dish with pieces of the pineapple which is very good eaten with fish. Mussel Soup Mussels, minced’ very finely, make a good soup not unlike Toheroa; and paua fish and pipis may all be treated in much the same way. Mince up with a very little onion and parsley (the new electric pulverizers do this job very well). Cover well. with water, add pepper and salt. and simmer gently till soft and tender'Y, to % hour. Strain through coarse sieve, add equal quantity of milk, and a good knob of butter. Thicken with cornflour mixed to a paste with top milk. Alternatively, add a small cup of fresh cream just before serving. Fish Roe This may be bought by the pound and is sold apart from the fish. The roe consists of the eggs of the fish and may be served in several ways, but it is always simmered first in salted water with a little vinegar added. Fish roe is valuable for the iodine and other food material it contains. Groper roe is usually in the New Zealand market. Cod roe in New Zealand is small. Caviare is the salted roe of the sturgeon. Fried Roe After simmering, drain and cut into thick slices, dip these into beaten egg which has been seasoned with pepper and salt, then coat well with browned crisp bread-crumbs, and fry in deep fat until a delicate brown. Very nice, served with tomato puree or tomato sauce. Scalloped Roe Drain after simmering for 10 minutes, in salted water with a dash vinegar. Cut into small pieces, and just heat through in a ‘good rich white sauce, seasoned with parsley. Serve with fingers of toast or with mashed potatoes. Or pour the sauce and roe into a buttered oven-dish, cover with bread-crumbs, dot with plenty of knobs of butter, and brown nicely in the oven.