FISH.
Chowder.
Take either a cod or haddock; skin it, loosen the skin about the head, and draw it down towards the tail, when it will peel off easily. Then run your knife down the back close to the bone, which you take out. Cut your fish in small pieces, and wash in cold water. Put the head on to boil in about two quarts of water, and boil twenty minutes. For a fish weighing six pounds, pare and slice thin five good-sized potatoes, and one onion. Place a layer of potatoes and onion in the pot, then a layer of fish, dredge in a little salt, pepper, and flour. Keep putting in alternate layers of potatoes and fish until all is used. Use about one tablespoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of pepper, one teacup of flour in all.
Have ready half a pound of salt pork fried blown. Pour this over the mixture; add about two quarts of cold water, then strain on the water in which the head has been boiled. If this is not water enough to cover, add more cold. Cover tight, and boil gently thirty minutes. If not seasoned enough, add what you please. When it has boiled twenty minutes, put in six crackers which have been soaked three minutes in cold water. If you wish to add milk and butter, you can do so about five minutes before taking it up; but for my taste, it is much nicer and more natural without either.
Fish Chowder, No. 2.
Four pounds of fish, half cod and half haddock, if you can get the two kinds, two onions, six potatoes, eight white browns, one quarter of a pound of salt pork, salt, pepper. Prepare the chowder as directed in the preceding rule; split the crackers and lay on top, pour over the whole hot water enough to cover, and boil fifteen minutes; then wet two tablespoonfuls of flour with one third of a cup of cream. Stir this into the boiling chowder, let it boil up once, and serve. When you cannot get the white browns, pilot bread will answer. When a very strong flavor of onion is desired, use four onions.—Mrs. T. Leighton.
Fried Cod.
Cut the fish into squares, wash and wipe dry. Take half a cup of flour, half a cup of sifted Indian meal, and a tablespoonful of salt. Mix all these thoroughly. Dip the fish into the mixture. Have ready a frying-pan with boiling fat, half lard and half pork fat; drop in your fish. Fry a dark-brown on one side, then turn and fry the same on the other side, but be very careful not to let the fish or fat burn. Have your dish hot, and lay your fish on it. Garnish the sides with the fried pork.
Broiled Cod, or Scrod.
Split, wash, and wipe dry a small cod. Rub the gridiron with a piece of fat pork, and lay the fish upon it, being careful to have the inside downward. If the fish is very thick, cook thirty minutes; but for an ordinary one, twenty minutes will be sufficient. Have the dish, in which you intend serving it, warm; place it upon the fish, and turn the dish and gridiron over simultaneously. If the fish sticks to the gridiron, loosen it gently with a knife. Have some butter warm, but not melted, with which to season it. Shake on a little pepper and salt, and send to the table.