Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 10 June 1915, Page 57

Domestic

(By Maureen.)

- ; V The Art of Cooking Fish.*' Do not wash fish too much as by so doing you lose some of the flavor. Some fish are cut open before being emptied others have insides drawn out. Be careful not to disfigure the fish. Clean it thoroughly, and see that no blood is left on the bone. If the fish feels slimy rub it with a little salt. Scales should be scraped off with a knife, scraping from the tail upward, , and the fish well rinsed afterwards. In cutting off the fins, cut from the tail upward. In taking out the eyes, if the skin over them is tough, cut - first with a pair, of scissors, then the eyes can be easily pulled out, or pushed out from inside. Fish that have a strong flavor should be soaked in salt •water before being cooked. Thorough cleaning of fish is essential to its wholesomeness. Frying of Fish. There arc two kinds of frying, called respectively wet (or French) frying and dry frying. Wet frying is cooking in a large quantity of fat, sufficient to cover the articles to be fried. Clarified fat, oil, or lard may be used for the purpose. The fat must be put into a plain iron stewpan, neither tinned nor enamelled, as the great heat would destroy the lining. Success depends upon getting the fat to the right, degree of heat. It must be quite still. If it bubbles it shows that it contains water, which must pass off by evaporation before the fat can reach the required heat. A blue, smoky vapor should also lie seen rising from it. It should then be used at once, or drawn from the fire to prevent its burning, and making an unpleasant smell. Fish to be fried must first be coated with flour, egg, and bread crumbs, or batter. Small fish, pieces of fish, or made-up fish, such as fish cakes, cutlets, etc.,

may be fried in - this fat; but larger pieces, which" require more cooking, must' be done by' : the slower method—dry frying. -Do not put too ..many pieces into the pan at one time, as they will cool the. fat too much, and always bring it to the boiling point-again before adding more fish. If the fat is not sufficiently hot, it will soak into the articles fried, and make them greasy instead of crisp. Either a frying basket or perforated 1 spoon must be used for lifting out the fish. : Let them fry a brown color, and always drain in kitchen paper before serving. Always dish fried things on a doily or dish paper. The fat must not be left on the fire when finished with, but should be strained through a piece of muslin into a tin basin and put aside for further use. If care is taken of it in this way it will keep for a long time, and will not be found an extravagance. Dry Frying of Fish.—This is suitable for larger pieces of fish, such as cod or salmon steaks, and whole haddocks, which require a longer time to cook than French frying allows. Dry frying means frying in a saute or frying pan with a small quantity of fat. The fat must be made smoking hot before the fish is placed in it, so that the outside is sealed up, and the juice and flavor retained. Brown the fish first on one side, then turn it over with a knife or fish slice, and brown on the other side. When cooked, lift out and drain on paper. Serve on a hot dish. Household Hints. To clean a porcelain kettle fill it half full with hot water, and put in a tablespoonful of powdered borax; let it boil. If this does not remove* all the stains scour with a cloth rubbed with soap and borax. Steel knives that are not in general use may be kept from rusting if they are dipped in a strong solution of soda (one part water to four parts soda). Then wipe dry, roll in flannel, and keep in a dry place.