COOKING OF FISH

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 250, 18 July 1933, Page 5

COOKING OF FISH

Some Hints for the Novice

Although apparently one of the simplest, fish is really one of the most difficult of foodstuffs to buy and cook successfully. It is never wise to try to economise when buying fish: it deteriorates so rapidly that it should always be perfectly fresh and in season. If possible, the housewife should shop for it personally, in order to see that the flesh is firm and the gills red, before it is cleaned and cut into fillets, as when stale fish is placed on ice it regains a temporary freshness. Fish should never be kept in water, but should be well washed, first in salt water, then in cold running water, after which it should be dried thoroughly and cooked as soon as possible. The inexperienced usually fry fish, not realising that this is the most difficult way of cooking it satisfactorily. The fish should be coated with seasoned flour or egg and breadcrumbs, and should not be placed in Hie fat until the latter is still, with a blue vapour arising from it, not when it is merely bubbling, as is often done, thus rendering the fish sodden. Dripping, butter, or vegetable oil are good fats to use. Only a little fish should be placed in the pan at a time or it will be greasy and unappetising. Fried fish should be thoroughly drained on tissue paper before it is served, and it should be hot, crisp, and dry when done. A simple method of cooking, in which the novice can only err by overcooking (which dries the fish), is to bake it in the oven in a fireproof dish. A few pieces of butter, a little lemon juice, seasoning, and a moderate oven are all that are required. The fish should be well basted, and cooked for not more than half an hour. Any fillets or small fish can be cooked in this way. Another excellent way of baking is to cover the fish with well-seasoned milk, add a few rings of onion and a little diced carrot, cover the dish, and cook slowly for forty-five' minutes.

Many people boil fish, but steaming is simpler, and, with the exception of salmon, more satisfactory, as the fish has a more delicate flavour and is not so easily broken. If a steamer is not available, it can be cooked in butter or margarine between two deep plates on the top of a saucepan of boiling water. Twenty minutes is ample time, unless it is a thick piece of fish. If boiling is preferred care should be taken to simmer only. The temperature of the water should not be more than ISO degrees, or the fish will break; it will take from eight to ten minutes to the pound. Vinegar, lemon juice, or cooking wine added to the water help to keep it firm and a good colour.