To Bake Fish.
Clean and dry the fish very thoroughly, put it on a baking tin, greased with a little oil or butter, sprinkling pepper and salt over it. Cover with a well-greased sheet of paper, bake from 10 minutes to ½ an hour, according to the size of the fish. Remove the paper, and serve the fish with chopped parsley and the strained liquor from the tin.
To Boil Fish.
When the fish is thoroughly cleaned, put it on a strainer or dish, place it in a saucepan with boiling water sufficient to cover it, some salt and a tablespoonful of vinegar. Simmer gently till the skin begins to crack.
Some of the liquor in which the fish was boiled can be used for making a sauce.
To Broil Fish.
Clean and dry the fish thoroughly, split it open, flour it, sprinkle with chopped parsley, pepper, and salt. Grease a gridiron with oil or butter, and broil the fish over or in front of a very clear fire from 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with small pieces of butter before serving. Before broiling mackerel or herrings lay them in a mixture of salad oil and tarragon vinegar for an hour.
Hints on Frying.
This method of cooking fish requires the utmost care. It is most important that the fish should be very carefully dried, and that the oil should be at the right temperature. To test this throw in a small piece of bread, and if it brown in less than a minute the oil has reached the correct heat. When the oil is perfectly still, and a blue smoke rises, the temperature may also be considered right. The fish must be well covered in oil, and the pieces must not come in contact with one another.