PLANKED FISH
Prepare as for "Broiled Fish." Heat plank, brush with drippings and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange fish on plank skin side down, doubling thin part so that it will not burn. Cook in hot oven 20 minutes. Remove from oven; surround fish with mashed potato roses and return to oven baking until potatoes and fish are brown. Melt 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter, add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and pour over fish. Garnish with lemon and parsley and serve on the plank.
CODFISH b.a.l.l.s
1 cup salt codfish 2 cups potatoes, cut into small pieces 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 tablespoon b.u.t.ter 1 egg
Pick over fish and shred into small pieces. Put potatoes into deep saucepan; cover with cold water; add fish and boil until potatoes are soft. Take off fire; drain well; beat up with wire whip or fork until light and all lumps are out and potatoes and fish are thoroughly mixed; season; add b.u.t.ter and beaten egg. Drop by spoonfuls into deep fat (hot enough to brown a piece of bread in 40 seconds) and fry until golden brown. Drain on brown paper and serve immediately.
FISH CHOWDER
2 or 3 slices salt pork 6 medium sized potatoes 1 small onion chopped fine 3 lbs. fresh fish 2 teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 quarts milk
Cut pork in small pieces; fry crisp and turn into chowder kettle. Pare potatoes and cut into pieces. Add with part of onion. Cut fish into convenient pieces, and lay over potatoes; sprinkle with rest of onion; add seasoning and enough water to come to top of fish; cover closely and cook until potatoes are done; add milk and let it scald up again.
If desired split pilot crackers may be added just before last boiling.
If milk is not available a somewhat smaller quant.i.ty of water may be used.
BOILED LOBSTERS OR CRABS
Lobsters should be purchased alive and plunged into boiling water in which a good proportion of salt has been added. Continue to boil according to size about 20 minutes. Crabs should be boiled in the same manner, but only a little more than half the time is necessary.
The only parts of lobster not used are the "lady," gills and intestinal cord.
To open a boiled lobster, wipe off sh.e.l.l, break off large claws; separate tail from body; take body from sh.e.l.l, leaving "lady" or stomach, on sh.e.l.l. Put aside green fat and coral; remove small claws; remove woolly gills from body, break latter through middle and pick out meat from joints. Cut with sharp scissors through length of under side of tail, draw meat from sh.e.l.l. Draw back flesh on upper end and pull off intestinal cord. Break large claws and remove meat.
CREAMED OYSTERS
To each 30 oysters use 1-1/2 cups thick cream sauce page 35. Put oysters with liquor into shallow pan over quick fire and boil about one minute or until edges curl, and add cream sauce, stirring; until smooth.
Or put on oysters with 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter; when cooked add 1 tablespoon flour which has been mixed with little cold water; add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Worcestershire sauce may be added if desired. Boil 1 minute and serve on thin squares of toasted bread, garnish with parsley.
SCALLOPED OYSTERS
25 oysters 2 cups bread crumbs 1/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Grease dish and cover bottom with bread crumbs, then lay oysters in carefully; season and cover with bread crumbs; pour over milk and cover top with b.u.t.ter; bake in hot oven 15 to 20 minutes.
FRIED OYSTERS
Wash and drain oysters. Season with salt and pepper, dip in flour, egg and then bread or cracker crumbs. Fry in deep hot fat until golden brown. Drain well and garnish with lemon and parsley.
CLAM CHOWDER
25 clams 6 potatoes 1 onion 2 or 3 slices salt pork 2 teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 quart milk
Chop hard parts of clams. Slice potatoes and onion thin. Put pork into kettle and cook a short time; add potatoes, onion, seasoning and juice of clams. Cook about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft; add clams.
Boil 15 minutes and just before serving add hot milk.
Sh.e.l.l FISH A La NEWBURG
2 cups finely cut shrimp; scallops; lobster or crab meat 2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup milk 2 hard boiled eggs 1 teaspoon salt cayenne pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 cup sherry
If canned fish is used cover with cold water 20 minutes and drain.
Melt b.u.t.ter in sauce pan; add flour and stir until smooth; add milk slowly; boil until thick. Rub yolks of eggs through strainer and add, stirring until smooth; add seasoning, and finely chopped egg whites; add fish which has been cut into small pieces; put all in top of double boiler over fire for 15 minutes; add sherry and serve immediately.
MEATS
ROASTING
Wipe meat with damp cloth. Trim and tie into shape if necessary. Put some pieces of fat in bottom of pan and season with salt and pepper.
Have oven very hot at first and when meat is half done reduce heat.
Baste every 10 to 15 minutes. If there is danger of fat in pan being scorched add a little boiling water. Roast 10 to 15 minutes for each pound of meat, in proportion as it is desired rare or well done.
BROILING
The rules for roasting meat apply to broiling, except that instead of cooking in the oven it is quickly browned, first on one side and then on other, over hot coals or directly under a gas flame, turning every minute until done. Meat an inch and one-half thick will broil in 8 to 15 minutes. Season after it is cooked.
PAN BROILING OR FRYING
Put meat to be broiled or fried in very hot frying pan, with very little or no fat. Turn every few minutes until cooked. Season and serve immediately. Steaks and chops may be pan-broiled without any fat in the pan. For thin gravy pour a little boiling water into pan after meat is taken out.
BOILING AND STEWING
Fresh meat should be put into boiling water and boiled over hot fire for about 5 minutes; reduce heat and boil very gently about 20 minutes for each pound. Salt and spices may be added for seasoning; vegetables may be boiled in water with the meat. The broth of boiled meat should always be saved to use in soups, stews and gravies. Salt meats should be put over the fire in cold water, which as soon as it boils should be replaced by fresh cold water, repeating until water is fresh enough to give meat a palatable flavor. Salted and smoked meats require about 30 minutes very slow boiling, to each pound. Vegetables and herbs may be boiled with them to flavor. When they are cooked the vessel containing them should be set where they will keep hot without boiling until required, if to be served hot; if to be served cold, they should be allowed to cool in the liquor in which they were boiled. Very salty meats, or those much dried in smoking should be soaked overnight in cold water before boiling.
POT ROASTING
A tough cut of meat may be first browned in fat, then cooked in small amount of water either in oven or in iron kettle on top of stove. This method requires long, slow cooking.