HINTS ABOUT FISH.

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18697, 25 July 1932, Page 5

HINTS ABOUT FISH.

In buying fish it Is important to see that it is really fresh. The really fresh fish is unmistakeabJe. The flesh is firm anil the, skin covered with clear slime which makes it slippery. The eye is full and bright, not at all sunken or dull. The gills are red and if the llcsh is pressed with the finger the dent does not remain, but will fill up again immediately. These tests should always' be applied when fish is bought on the beach. In the shops the fish •has usually been wall washed, and the sliminess has therefore gone. T*he best guide then is the fullness and brightness of the eye, because fish that has been kept in a refrigerator is always firm when it is taken out. 'When boiling fish a little vinegar as well as salt should be added to the water. It helps to keep the fish firm and white. Some epicures insist that fish taken from the sea should be boiled in salt water. Firm white mutton dripping and olive oil are the best mediums in which to fry fish. -Olive oil is too expensive for the average household, but a jar of clean dripping should be kept for the purpose of frying fish, and not used for any other purpose. If care Is taken not to iet. it burn, and if it is carefully strained after each use, it can be used three or four times. Plenty of fat should be used, so that the fish can float in it, and a deeper vessel than a frying ■pan is desirable to use, a wide, rather shallow saucepan being ideal. It is ■often more satisfactory to fillet the fish for frying, because it then takes up less room and is easier to manage. Flounders, for example, which are almost Invariably served wholly, ar*» awkward to cook because of their size. They can be filleted very easily, and arc then much easier to cook and can lie used more economically. The fat for frying should be heated until a faint blue smoke begins to rise, otherwise the fish wit be greasy. And all fries tlsli should he drained well on soft, crumpled paper before being served. There is nothing more disagreeable or indigestible than greasy fried fish.