Fish should always be perfectly fresh when cooked. To select fresh ones observe the eyes; if they have a bright life-like appearance the fish is fresh; if, on the contrary, the eyes are sunken and dark colored, and have lost their brilliancy, they are certainly stale. Some judge by the redness of the gills, but they are sometimes colored to deceive customers.
Crabs should be of a dark green color, and when fresh from the water are always very lively, the same remarks hold good with regard to lobsters. If the tail of the lobster will return to its former position when pulled out, the lobster is fresh.
Never buy a clam or oyster if the shells are parted. If the valves are tightly closed the oyster is fresh.
BOILED ROCK.
12. Scale a rock, take out the eyes and gills, draw it and wash it well. Flour a cloth, wrap the fish in it, and boil it in plenty of water strongly salted. A common sized fish requires about half a large tea cupful of salt. Place your fish kettle over a strong fire, and when the water boils put in the fish. Let it boil hard twenty minutes. Take it out of the cloth carefully, place it on your fish dish and send it to the table. Have egg sauce in a sauce boat. Mashed potatoes are an accompaniment to boiled fish. Garnish the dish with green parsley.
If any of the boiled fish should be left from dinner it may be spiced as shad, and makes an excellent relish for breakfast or tea.
FRIED ROCK.
13. Clean and score your fish; wash and wipe them dry; season well with cayenne pepper and salt. Let them stand at least one hour before they are cooked, that the seasoning may have time to penetrate them. Have ready a pan of hot lard, dredge flour over your fish, put them in the pan and fry them slowly, that they may be done through. They should be of a handsome brown on both sides.
All pan fish are fried in the same way.