Chapter III
FISH
Cooking. It is essential that fish should be perfectly fresh, thoroughly cleaned, and carefully cooked. If underdone it is not eatable; if cooked too long it loses flavor and becomes dry. The sooner it is cooked after being taken from the water, the better. Freshness. When fresh, the eyes are bright, the gills red, the flesh firm and odorless.
Dressing.Ordinarily the fishman removes the scales and draws the fish before delivering it; but if not, this should be done at once, and the fish thoroughly washed, but not allowed to soak in water, then wiped dry and put into the refrigerator, on the ice, the skin side down, but not in the same compartment with butter, milk, or other foods which absorb flavors.
Keeping Frozen Fish. Fish that are frozen should be laid in cold water until thawed, but not allowed to remain in the water after they become flexible.
Trimming. The head and tail should be left on, and the fins trimmed, of any fish which is to be served whole.
The bones. When the fillets only are to be used, the head and bones may be used for a fish soup.
To skin, bone, and remove the fillets. To separate a fish, cut through the skin all around, then, beginning at the head, loosen the skin and strip it down. By putting salt on the hand a firmer grasp may be obtained, and with the aid of a knife the skin can be removed without tearing the flesh. After the skin is taken off from both sides, slip the knife under the flesh, and keeping it close to the bone, remove the fillets. The fillets may then be cut into two or more pieces according to the size of the fish, care being used to have them of uniform size and shape.
Fillets taken from small fish and from flounders or other flat fish are sometimes rolled and held until cooked with small skewers. Wooden toothpicks serve this purpose very well.
Fish containing many bones are not suitable for fillets.