FISH DISHES

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 23 April 1935, Page 8

FISH DISHES

Some Cooking Hints

Many women are afraid of fish—when it comes to cooking it. They never feel sure that it is going to turn out a success. Sometimes they get marvellous results and the. next time it. is nothing but an unappetising, flavourless mess that no one wants to eat. You must- take care, in cooking fish, otherwise it- will he flavourless. 1‘ ish has a very delicate flavour that is: easily ruined by wrong cobbing.'

Fried fish, . for. instance, is generally overcooked, and the flavour is lost because the fish becomes dried up, or the juices are allowed to escape from the pan. Therefore fish should be fried quickly Jat high temiterabUre, ; and it should fee always coated. so that none of the juices can escape. The whole aim when frying fish should be to keep the flavour in and the goodness too. : That is why a coating is used when frying fish, and: the coatin" should always be something 13 coagulates in heat quickly—such as. C "*>- and flour (in the form of battci), ViiiTk and flour, egg and breadcrumbs, oatmeal, or just flour alone. Butter is not used for trying fish as a rule, as it smokes at a low temperature and would therefore be burned before it was hot enough for trying., When fish is cooked in blitter it is usually baked or poached it, ami the fish is allowed to absorb the hutte , thus adding to the flavour. Buttei substitutes should never be used as they -contain too much water. Laid or, clarified dripping, are the best fats, oi cooking oil can be used in some cases. Fish for frying should be perfectly dry before coating or emersmg. in, the. fat. For shallow , frying, an. ordinary iron or aluminium frying pan can be used, and. for deep frying an u uh >i ed iron or aluminium saucepan with ijing basket sholud be used. Do no use a tin lined or enamelled pan for deep frying as the high temperature that is necessary to heat the fat «i»y melt the tin or crack the enamel, firming baskets ca.ii be bought to • most saucepans or you can buy. a special pan and basket for deep fry in S-

A thicker coating is necessary for . deep frying tliqn for shallow frying. A fish stealc’ can he dipped in juilt and then in seasoned flour and cooked : in the frying .pan in fat to come: half- - way up the steak, turning ih w%P it is brown on one side; hut if cooxed in deep fat a. coating of egg and breadcrumbs should be used. Or, the fish... can be dipped in ordinary pudding batter and dropped straight into the, fat without using a frying basket. ; Always see the smoking hot fat is,, ready so that the fish can, bb put Tu, immediateiy .it is coated. - If the fisH ;; is allowed to lie about,'the either runs off. (as in the case of batter) or St becomes sodden (m the case of e"" and breadcrumbs) and the fish will "be overcooked before the coating, browns—if, it 'ev<st browns :at,.ML . -v;;; •\nd don’t on ohv account be tempted* to puhyour fish into the pan before, the bluh-smoke arises from the fat, if you haven’t .Hie patience to wart for this vomr-fob m be soggy Mid .taste-, loss ' and a . revolting, .unappetising . , colour. . Never put in too many pieces at once.Ais this reduces the ture of the tat- too, much. ;