Fish Soups.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 17, 22 April 1908, Page 61

Fish Soups.

As in other soups, the first step is to prepare a foundation stock, and this can be done by adding the bones of a cod’s head to the water in which the head was boiled, and boiling them fast from six to eight hours until a large quantity of gelatine has boiled from the bones into the water. Fish bones and trimmings, such ps fins and skin, which are left when fisli is filleted, can be used instead of the cod’s head bones, and these can be obtained from a fishmonger at the merest nominal charge should the household supply be scanty. The great point to remember is that fish which is used in making soup, no matter whether trimmings or cheap coarse fish, cannot be too fresh. A piece of fish which is slightly tainted becomes less unpleasant when boiled, because some of the taint boils out into the water, end this being the cast*, it is easy to see bow objectionable would be the soup made from tainted fish. THE FLAVOURING OF THE SOUU, is the next <*onsideration. and Jhis needs a little care. ’l'he stock, which is prepared from fish, has a more decided flavour than that which is prepared from meat, and the vegetables and seasonings must be jiyliciously blended so that the fishy flavour shall not prepomlerate. To ensure this it is well to add t b(‘ vegetables to the stock while it is being made, so that the full vegetable flavour shall be extracted, and to use <*(dery or onions, both of which accord well with fish, in larger proportions than is usual with meat soups. Sweet herbs, parsley, mace, and cayenne arc all useful flavourers. I he stock may bp used as the sole liquid, or milk may be added, and the soup is greatly improved by the addition of any sauce left over from the fish course of the previous day, such as white sauce, caper sauce, egg sauce, anchovy sauce, or oyster sance.