RECIPES FOR FRESH FISH

34. BOILED FISH.

--Boiling extracts flavor and, to some extent, nutriment from the food to which
this cookery method is applied. Therefore, unless the fish to be cooked is one that has a very strong
flavor and that will be improved by the loss of flavor, it should not be boiled. Much care should be
exercised in boiling fish, because the meat is usually so tender that it is likely to boil to pieces or to fall
apart.

35.
A utensil in which fish can be boiled or steamed very satisfactorily is shown in Fig. 16.
This fish boiler, as it is called, is a long, narrow, deep pan with a cover and a rack on which the
fish is placed. Attached to each end of the rack is an upright strip, or handle, that permits the rack
containing the fish to be lifted out of the pan and the fish thus removed without breaking. To assist
further in holding the fish together while it is cooking, a piece of gauze or cheesecloth may be
wrapped around the fish before it is put into the pan.

36.
When a fish is to be boiled, clean it and, if
desired, remove the head. Pour sufficient boiling water to cover the fish well into the vessel in which it
is to be cooked, and add salt in the proportion of 1 teaspoonful to each quart of water. Tie the fish in a
strip of cheesecloth or gauze if necessary, and lower it into the vessel of slowly boiling water. Allow the
fish to boil until it may be easily pierced with a fork; then take it out of the water and remove the cloth,
provided one is used. Serve with a well-seasoned sauce, such as lemon cream, horseradish, etc.

37. BOILED COD.

--A fish that lends itself well to boiling is fresh cod. In fact, codfish prepared
according to this method and served with a sauce makes a very appetizing dish.
Scale, clean, and skin a fresh cod and wrap it in a single layer of gauze or cheesecloth. Place it in a
kettle or a pan of freshly boiling water to which has been added 1 teaspoonful of salt to each quart of
water. Boil until the fish may be easily pierced with a fork, take from the water, and remove the gauze or
cheesecloth carefully so as to keep the fish intact. Serve with sauce and slices of lemon.

38. STEAMED FISH.

--The preparation of fish by steaming is practically the same as that by boiling,
and produces a dish similar to boiled fish. The only difference is that steamed fish is suspended over the
water and is cooked by the steam that rises instead of being cooked directly in the water. Because the
fish is not surrounded by water, it does not lose its nutriment and flavor so readily as does boiled fish.
If fish is to be cooked by steaming, first clean it thoroughly. Wrap in a strip of gauze or cheesecloth
and place in a steamer. Steam until tender, and then remove the cloth and place the fish on a platter. As
steaming does not add flavor, it is usually necessary to supply flavor to fish cooked in this way by
adding a sauce of some kind.