ESSENTIALS OF COOKING VOLUME 3-2
SELECTION OF POULTRY
GENERAL INFORMATION
5. The selection of any kind of poultry to be used as food is a matter
that should not be left to the butcher. Rather, it should be done by
some one who understands the purpose for which the poultry is to be
used, and, in the home, this is a duty that usually falls to the
housewife. There are a number of general facts about poultry, and a
knowledge of them will assist the housewife greatly in performing
her tasks.
6. CLASSIFICATION OF POULTRY.--Poultry breeders and dealers divide the
domestic fowls into three classes. In the first class are included those
which have combs, such as chickens, turkeys, and guinea fowls. Quails
and pheasants belong to this class also, but they are very seldom
domesticated. The birds in this class are distinguished by two kinds of
tissue--light meat on the breast and dark meat on the other parts of the
body. In the second class are included those fowls which swim, such as
ducks and geese. These are characterized by web feet and long thick
bills, and their meat is more nearly the same color over the entire
body. The third class is comprised of birds that belong to the family of
doves. Pigeons, which are called squabs when used as food, are the
only domesticated birds of this class. They stand between the other two
classes with respect to their flesh, which has some difference in color
between the breast and other muscles, but not so much as chicken and
other fowls of the first class.
7. INFLUENCE OF FEEDING AND CARE ON QUALITY.--To some extent, the breed
affects the quality of poultry as food; still this is a far less
important matter than a number of things that the purchaser is better
able to judge. Among the factors that greatly influence the quality are
the feeding and care that the birds receive up to the time of slaughter.
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These affect not only the flavor and the tenderness of the tissue, as
well as the quantity of tissue in proportion to bone, but also the
healthfulness of the birds themselves. To keep the birds in good health
and to build up sufficient flesh to make them plump, with as much meat
as possible on the bones and a fair amount of fat as well, the food they
get must be clean and of the right kind. Likewise, the housing
conditions must be such that the birds are kept dry and sufficiently
warm. The living space, also, must be adequate for the number that are
raised. Domestic fowls are not discriminating as to their food, and when
they are forced to live in dirt and filth they will eat more or less of
it and thus injure the quality of their flesh. Poultry that comes into
the market looking drawn and thin, with blue-looking flesh and no fat,
shows evidence of having had poor living conditions and inadequate
feeding. Such poultry will be found to have a less satisfactory flavor
than that which has received proper care.
8. EFFECT OF SEX ON QUALITY.--When birds of any kind are young, sex has
very little to do with the quality of the flesh. But as they grow older
the flesh of males develops a stronger flavor than that of females of
the same age and also becomes tougher. However, when birds, with the
exception of mature ones, are dressed, it would take an expert to
determine the sex. The mature male is less plump than the female, and it
is more likely to be scrawny. Likewise, its spurs are larger and its
bones are large in proportion to the amount of flesh on them.
Very often the reproductive organs of young males are removed, and the
birds are then called capons. As the capon grows to maturity, it
develops more of the qualities of the hen. Its body becomes plump
instead of angular, the quality of its flesh is much better than that of
the cock, and the quantity of flesh in proportion to bone is much
greater. In fact, the weight of a capon's edible flesh is much greater
than that of either a hen or a cock. In the market, a dressed capon can
usually be told by the long tail and wing feathers that are left on, as
well as by a ring of feathers around the neck. Female birds that are
spayed are called poulards. Spaying, or removing the reproductive
organs, of female birds, however, makes so little improvement that it is
seldom done.
9. PREPARATION OF POULTRY FOR MARKET.--The manner in which poultry is
prepared for market has a great bearing on its quality as food. In some
cases, the preparation falls to the producer, and often, when birds are
raised in quantities, they are sold alive and dressed by the butcher.
However, poultry that is to be shipped long distances and in large
quantities or stored for long periods of time is usually prepared at a
slaughtering place. This process of slaughtering and shipping requires
great care, for if attention is not given to details, the poultry will
be in a state of deterioration when it reaches the consumer and
therefore unfit for food.
In order to avoid the deterioration of poultry that is slaughtered some
distance from the place of its consumption, each bird is well fed up to
within 24 hours before it is killed. Then it is starved so that its
alimentary tract will be as empty as possible at the time of killing.
Such birds are killed by cutting the large blood vessel running up to
the head. When properly done, this method of killing allows almost all
the blood to be drained from the body and the keeping qualities are much
improved. At practically the same time, the brain is pierced by the
knife thrust, and as soon as the bleeding commences the fowl becomes
paralyzed. As the tissues relax, the feathers may be pulled easily from
the skin without immersing the bird in hot water. This method of
plucking, known as dry plucking, is preferable when the skin must be
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kept intact and the poultry kept for any length of time. The head and
feet are left on and the entrails are not removed. The poultry is then
chilled to the freezing point, but not below it, after which the birds
are packed ten in a box and shipped to the market in refrigerator cars
or placed in cold storage. Unless the poultry is to be cooked
immediately after slaughter, such measures are absolutely necessary, as
its flesh is perishable and will not remain in good condition for a long
period of time.
10. COLD-STORAGE POULTRY.--Poultry that has been properly raised,
killed, transported, and stored is very likely to come into the market
in such condition that it cannot be readily distinguished from freshly
killed birds. When exposed to warmer temperatures, however, storage
poultry spoils much more quickly than does fresh poultry. For this
reason, if there is any evidence that poultry has been in storage, it
should be cooked as soon as possible after purchase.
There are really two kinds of cold-storage poultry: that which is kept
at a temperature just above freezing and delivered within a few weeks
after slaughtering, and that which is frozen and kept in storage a much
longer time. When properly cared for, either one is preferable to
freshly killed poultry that is of poor quality or has had a chance to
spoil. Poultry that has been frozen must be thawed carefully. It should
be first placed in a refrigerator and allowed to thaw to that
temperature before it is placed in a warmer one. It should never be
thawed by putting it into warm water. Thawing it in this way really
helps it to decompose.
A sure indication of cold-storage poultry is the pinched look it
possesses, a condition brought about by packing the birds tightly
against one another. Storage poultry usually has the head and feet left
on and its entrails are not removed. Indeed, it has been determined by
experiment that poultry will keep better if these precautions are
observed. The removal of the entrails seems to affect the internal
cavity of the bird so that it does not keep well, and as a matter of
safety it should be cooked quickly after this has been done in the home.
SELECTION OF CHICKEN
11. To be able to select chicken properly, the housewife must be
familiar with the terms that are applied to chickens to designate their
age or the cookery process for which they are most suitable. Chicken
is a general name for all varieties of this kind of poultry, but in its
specific use it means a common domestic fowl that is less than 1 year
old. Fowl is also a general term; but in its restricted use in cookery
it refers to the full-grown domestic hen or cock over 1 year of age, as
distinguished from the chicken or pullet. A broiler is chicken from 2
to 4 months old which, because of its tenderness, is suitable for
broiling. A frying chicken is at least 6 months old, and a roasting
chicken is between 6 months and 1 year old. With these terms
understood, it can readily be seen that if fried chicken is desired a
2-year-old fowl would not be a wise purchase.
The quality of the bird is the next consideration in the selection of
chicken. A number of things have a bearing on the quality. Among these,
as has already been pointed out, are the feeding and care that the bird
has received during its growth, the way in which it has been prepared
for market, and so on. All of these things may be determined by careful
observation before making a purchase. However, if the bird is drawn, and
especially if the head and feet are removed, there is less chance to
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determine these things accurately.
12. GENERAL MARKS OF GOOD QUALITY.--A chicken older than a broiler that
has been plucked should not be scrawny nor drawn looking, nor should
the flesh have a blue tinge that shows through the skin. Rather, it
should be plump and well rounded. There should be a sufficient amount
of fat to give a rich, yellow color. It should be plucked clean, and
the skin should be clear and of an even color over the entire bird.
Tender, easily broken skin indicates a young bird; tougher skin
indicates an older one. The skin should be whole and unbroken;
likewise, when pressed with the fingers, it should be neither flabby
nor stiff, but pliable.
13. The increase of age in a chicken is to some extent an advantage,
because with age there is an increase in flavor. Thus, a year-old
chicken will have more flavor than a broiler. However, after more than
a year, the flavor increases to such an extent that it becomes strong
and disagreeable. With the advance of age there is also a loss of
tenderness in the flesh, and this after 1-1/2 or 2 years becomes so
extreme as to render the bird almost unfit for use. As the age of a
chicken increases, the proportion of flesh to bone also increases up to
the complete maturity of the bird. Hence, one large bird is a more
economical purchase than two small ones that equal its weight, because
the proportion of bone to flesh is less in the large bird than in the
small ones.
14. DETERMINING THE AGE OF CHICKEN.--An excellent way in which to
determine the age of a chicken that has been dressed consists in feeling
of the breast bone at the point where it protrudes below the neck. In a
very young chicken, a broiler, for instance, the point of this bone will
feel like cartilage, which is firm, elastic tissue, and may be very
easily bent. If the bird is about a year old, the bone will be brittle,
and in a very old one it will be hard and will not bend.
15. If the head has been left on, the condition of the beak is a means
of determining age. In a young chicken, it will be smooth and unmarred;
in an old one, it will be rough and probably darker in color. If the
feet have been left on, they too will serve to indicate the age. The
feet of a young chicken are smooth and soft; whereas, those of an old
bird are rough, hard, and scaly. The claws of a young one are short and
sharp; but as the bird grows older they grow stronger and become blunt
and marred with use. The spur, which is a projection just above the foot
on the back of each leg, is small in the young chicken, and increases in
size as the age increases. However, the spurs are more pronounced in
males than in females.
16. Another way of telling the age of dressed chicken is to observe the
skin. After plucking, young birds usually have some pin feathers left in
the skin. Pin feathers are small unformed feathers that do not pull
out with the larger ones. Older birds are usually free from pin
feathers, but have occasional long hairs remaining in the skin after the
feathers have been plucked. These do not pull out readily and must be
singed off when the chicken is being prepared for cooking.
17. DETERMINING THE FRESHNESS OF CHICKEN.--There are a number of points
that indicate whether or not a chicken is fresh. In a freshly killed
chicken, the feet will be soft and pliable and moist to the touch; also,
the head will be unshrunken and the eyes full and bright. The flesh of
such a chicken will give a little when pressed, but no part of the flesh
should be softer than another. As actual decomposition sets in, the skin
begins to discolor. The first marks of discoloration occur underneath
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the legs and wings, at the points where they are attached to the body.
Any dark or greenish color indicates decomposition, as does also any
slimy feeling of the skin. The odor given off by the chicken is also an
indication of freshness. Any offensive odor, of course, means that the
flesh has become unfit for food.
18. LIVE CHICKENS.--Occasionally chickens are brought to the market and
sold alive. This means, of course, that the birds are subjected to a
certain amount of fright and needless cruelty and that the work of
slaughtering falls to the purchaser. The cost, however, is decreased a
few cents on the pound. Such birds must be chosen first of all by weight
and then by the marks that indicate age, which have already been given.
SELECTION OF POULTRY OTHER THAN CHICKEN
19. The determination of quality, especially freshness, is much the same
for other kinds of poultry as it is for chicken. In fact, the same
points apply in most cases, but each kind seems to have a few
distinguishing features, which are here pointed out.
20. SELECTION OF TURKEYS.--Turkeys rank next to chickens in popularity
as food. They are native to America and are perhaps better known here
than in foreign countries. Turkey is a much more seasonal food than
chicken, it being best in the fall. Cold-storage turkey that has been
killed at that time, provided it is properly stored and cared for, is
better than fresh turkey marketed out of season.
21. The age of a turkey can be fairly accurately told by the appearance
of its feet. Very young turkeys have black feet, and as they mature the
feet gradually grow pink, so that at more than 1 year old the feet will
be found to be pink. However, as the bird grows still older, the color
again changes, and a 3-year-old turkey will have dull-gray or blackish
looking feet. The legs, too, serve to indicate the age of turkeys. Those
of a young turkey are smooth, but as the birds grow older they gradually
become rough and scaly. A young turkey will have spurs that are only
slightly developed, whereas an old turkey will have long, sharp ones.
22. Turkeys are seldom marketed when they are very young. But in spite
of the fact that this is occasionally done, the mature birds are more
generally marketed. Turkeys often reach a large size, weighing as much
as 20 to 25 pounds. A mature turkey has proportionately a larger amount
of flesh and a smaller amount of bone than chicken; hence, even at a
higher price per pound, turkey is fully as economical as chicken.
23. SELECTION OF DUCKS.--Ducks probably come next to turkeys in
popularity for table use. Young ducks are sold in the market during the
summer and are called spring duck. The mature ducks may be purchased
at any time during the year, but they are best in the winter months.
The flexibility of the windpipe is an excellent test for the age of
ducks. In the young bird, the windpipe may be easily moved; whereas, in
the old one, it is stationary and quite hard. The meat of ducks is dark
over the entire bird, and the greatest amount is found on the breast.
Its flavor is quite typical, and differs very much from turkey and
chicken. However, there is a comparatively small amount of meat even on
a good-sized duck, and it does not carve to very good advantage; in
fact, more persons can be served from a chicken or a turkey of the same
weight. Young ducks are rather difficult to clean, as a layer of fine
down, which is not easily removed, covers the skin.
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24. SELECTION OF GEESE.--Geese are much more commonly used for food in
foreign countries than in America. Their age may be told in the same way
as that of ducks, namely, by feeling of the windpipe. The flesh is dark
throughout and rather strongly flavored. The fat is used quite
extensively for cooking purposes, and even as a butter substitute in
some countries. Because of this fact, geese are generally fattened
before they are slaughtered, and often half the weight of the bird is
fat. The livers of fattened geese reach enormous proportions and are
considered a delicacy. They are used for pate de fois gras. Usually,
this is put up in jars and brings a very high price.
25. SELECTION OF PIGEONS.--Pigeons are raised primarily for their use
as squabs. These are young birds about 4 weeks old, and their meat is
tender and agreeable to the taste. The meat of the mature pigeon becomes
quite tough and unpalatable. The breast is the only part of the bird
that has meat on it in any quantity, and this meat is slightly lighter
in color than that which comes from the remainder of the body. Midsummer
is the best season for squabs, but they can be purchased at other times
of the year. The cost of squabs is too high to allow them to be used
extensively as a food in the ordinary household.
TABLE I
GUIDE TO THE SELECTION OF POULTRY
Market Name Weight Age Season
Pounds
Squab broiler 3/4 to 1-1/4 6 to 8 wk. April to July
Broiler 1-1/2 to 2 2 to 4 mo. May to Sept.
Frying chicken 2-1/2 to 3 6 mo. June to Oct.
Roasting chicken 3 to 6 6 mo. to 1 yr. All Year
Fowl 4 to 5 over 1 yr. All Year
Capon 6 to 10 6 to 8 wk. May to Sept.
Turkey broiler 1-1/2 to 4 2 to 4 mo. June to Sept.
Roasting turkey 8 to 25 6 mo. to 3 yr. Oct. to Jan.
Spring Duck 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 2 to 6 mo. May to Dec.
Roasting Duck 4 to 8 6 mo. to 1 yr. Best in winter
Green goose 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 2 to 6 mo. May to Dec.
Roasting goose 4 to 8 6 mo. to 1 yr. Oct. to Mar.
Squab 1/2 to 3/4 4 wk. June to Sept.
Guinea hen broiler 1 to 2 2 to 4 mo. Aug. to Nov.
Guinea fowl 3 to 5 6 mo. to 1 yr. Oct. to Mar.
26. SELECTION OF GUINEA FOWLS.--Guinea fowls are coming into common use
as food. The young birds are preferable to the older ones. They are
ready for the market in early autumn, while the old birds may be
procured at any time. The breast meat of guinea fowls is almost as light
as that of chicken, but all the meat of this bird has a gamy taste,
which is absent in the chicken. If this particular flavor is much
desired, it may be developed to even a greater degree by allowing the
bird to hang after killing until the meat begins to "turn," that is,
become "high." Such meat, however, is not usually desirable in the
ordinary menu.
27. SELECTION OF PHEASANT, PARTRIDGE, AND QUAIL.--Pheasant, partridge,
and quail are usually considered game birds, but certain varieties are
being extensively domesticated and bred for market. Such birds are small
and are used more in the nature of a delicacy than as a common
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article of food.
28. TABLE OF POULTRY AND GAME.--In Table I are given the market names of
the various kinds of poultry and game birds, as well as the
corresponding age, the weight, and the season of the year when they are
most desirable. This table will serve as a guide in selecting poultry
that is to be used as food.
COMPOSITION OF POULTRY
29. The composition of poultry is very similar to that of meats. In
fact, poultry is composed of protein, fat, water, mineral salts, and
extractives that do not differ materially from those found in meats. The
protein, which usually varies from 15 to 20 per cent., is a much more
constant factor than the fat, which varies from 8 to 40 per cent. This
variation, of course, makes the total food value high in some kinds of
poultry and low in others. For instance, in a young broiler that has not
been fattened, the food value is extremely low; whereas, in a mature
well-fattened bird, such as a goose, which increases very markedly in
fatty tissue after reaching maturity, it is extremely high. A factor
that detracts considerably from the edible portion of poultry is the
waste material, or refuse. This consists of the bones, cartilage, head,
feet, and entrails, or inedible internal organs. The greater the
proportion of such waste material, the more the total nutritive value of
the flesh is reduced. It is claimed that birds that have light-colored
flesh do not become so fat as those which have dark flesh. This, of
course, makes their nutritive value less, because the fat of poultry is
what serves to supply a large part of the nutrition. There is no
particular difference, as is commonly supposed, between the red and
white meat of poultry. The difference in color is due to a difference in
the blood supply, but this does not affect the composition to
any extent.
* * * * *
PREPARATION OF POULTRY FOR COOKING
PREPARATION OF CHICKEN
30. As has been implied, poultry must be properly prepared before it is
ready for cooking; likewise, the method of cookery determines how it
must be prepared. For example, if it is to be roasted, it must be drawn;
if it is to be stewed, it must be drawn and cut into suitable pieces;
and so on. The various steps that must be taken to make poultry suitable
for cooking are therefore considered here in detail.
31. DRESSING A CHICKEN.--Although, as has been shown, the housewife does
not have to dress the chicken that she is to cook--that is, kill and
pluck it--there may be times when she will be called on to perform this
task or at least direct it. A common way of killing chicken in the home
is simply to grasp it firmly by the legs, lay it on a block, and then
chop the head off with a sharp hatchet or a cleaver. If this plan is
followed, the beheaded chicken must be held firmly until the blood has
drained away and the reflex action that sets in has ceased. Otherwise,
there is danger of becoming splashed with blood.
32. After a chicken has been killed, the first step in its preparation,
no matter how it is to be cooked, consists in removing the feathers, or
plucking it, as this operation is called. Plucking can be done dry by
simply pulling out the feathers. However, a bird can be plucked more
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readily if it is first immersed in water at the boiling point for a few
minutes. Such water has a tendency to loosen the feathers so that they
can be pulled from the skin easily. Unless the chicken is to be used at
once, though, dry plucking is preferable to the other method. Care
should be taken not to tear or mar the skin in plucking, and the
operation is best performed by pulling out the feathers a few at a time,
with a quick jerk. In a young chicken, small feathers, commonly called
pin feathers, are apt to remain in the skin after plucking. These may be
pulled out by pinching each with the point of a knife pressed against
the thumb and then giving a quick jerk.
33. Whether live poultry is dressed by a local butcher or in the home,
the length of time it should be kept after killing demands attention.
Such poultry should either be cooked before rigor mortis, or the
stiffening of the muscles, has had time to begin, or be allowed to
remain in a cool place long enough for this to pass off and the muscles
to become tender again. Naturally, if this softening, or ripening,
process, as it is sometimes called, goes on too long, decomposition will
set in, with the usual harmful effects if the meat is used as food.
34. SINGEING A CHICKEN.--On all chickens except very young ones, whether
they are home dressed or not, hairs will be found on the skin; and, as
has been mentioned, the older the bird the more hair will it have. The
next step in preparing a chicken for cooking, therefore, is to singe it,
or burn off these hairs. However, before singeing, provided the head has
not been removed, cut it off just where the neck begins, using a kitchen
cleaver or a butcher knife. To singe a dressed chicken, grasp it by the
head or the neck and the feet and then revolve it over a gas flame or a
burning piece of paper for a few seconds or just long enough to burn
off the hairs without scorching the skin. After singeing, wash the skin
thoroughly with a cloth and warm water. Then it will be ready for
drawing and cutting up.
35. DRAWING A CHICKEN.--By drawing a chicken is meant the taking out of
the entrails and removing all parts that are not edible. Although this
work will be done by some butchers, the better plan is to do it at home,
for, as has been stated, chicken or any other poultry must be cooked
very soon after the entrails are removed. Chicken that is to be roasted
is always prepared in this way, as the cavity that remains may be filled
with stuffing. Drawing is also necessary when chicken is to be cooked in
any other way, as by stewing or frying, but in addition it must be cut
up. The procedure in drawing a chicken is simple, but some practice is
required before deftness will result.
36. In order to draw a chicken, carefully cut a lengthwise slit through
the skin on the neck, and slip the fingers down around the crop, which
is a small sack that holds the food eaten by the chicken. Then pull
the crop out, and with it the windpipe, taking pains not to tear the
skin nor to break the crop.
Next, remove the tendons, or thick white cords, from the legs, so as to
improve the meat. These may be easily removed, especially from a chicken
that is freshly killed; that is, one in which the flesh is still moist.
Simply cut through the skin, just above the foot, being careful not to
cut the tendons that lie just beneath the skin; then slip a skewer or
some other small, dull implement, as a fork, under the tendons, pull
down toward the foot until they loosen at the second joint, and pull
them out. With the tendons removed, the feet may be cut off. To do
this, cut through the skin where the two bones join. As the joint
separates, cut through the remaining tendons and skin on the back of
the legs.
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37. Proceed, next, to cut a crosswise slit through the skin between the
legs at a point above the vent, so that the entrails may be removed.
This slit should be just large enough to admit the hand and no larger.
Insert the fingers of one hand in this slit and gently move them around
the mass of the internal organs, keeping them close to the framework of
the bird. This will loosen the entrails at the points where they are
attached to the body. Then, inserting the hand, slip the fingers around
the mass at the top, near the neck, and with one pull remove the entire
internal contents. The lungs, or lights, as they are sometimes called,
do not come out with this mass. They will be found covered with a
membrane and tightly fastened inside the breast bone, and must be
removed by pulling them out with the tips of the fingers. After the
entrails are removed, pour clean cold water into the cavity, rinse it
well several times, and pour the water out.
38. Among the contents drawn from the chicken will be found the heart,
the liver, and the gizzard. These are called the giblets. They are the
only edible internal organs, and must be separated from the rest. To do
this, squeeze the blood from the heart, and then cut the large vessels
off close to the top of it. Then cut the liver away. In handling this
part of the giblets extreme care must be taken, for tightly attached to
it, is the gall bladder, which is a tiny sack filled with green fluid,
called bile. If this sack breaks, anything that its contents touches
will become very bitter and therefore unfit to eat. The gall bag should
be cut out of the liver above the place where it is attached, so as to
be certain that it does not break nor lose any of the bile. Next,
remove the gizzard, which consists of a fleshy part surrounding a sack
containing partly digested food eaten by the chicken. First trim off
any surplus fat, and carefully cut through the fleshy part just to the
surface of the inside sack. Then pull the outside fleshy part away from
the sack without breaking it, an operation that can be done if the work
is performed carefully. After removing the giblets and preparing them
as explained, wash them well, so that they may be used with the rest of
the chicken. As a final step, cut out the oil sack, which lies just
above the tail.
39. CUTTING UP A CHICKEN.--When chicken that has been drawn is to be
fried, stewed, fricasseed, or cooked in some similar way, it must be cut
into suitable pieces. In order to do this properly, it is necessary to
learn to locate the joints and to be able to cut squarely between the
two bones where they are attached to each other. To sever the legs from
the body of the chicken, first cut through the skin underneath each leg
where it is attached to the body, bend the leg back far enough to break
the joint, and then cut through it, severing the entire leg in one
piece. When the legs are cut off, cut each one apart at the joint
between the thigh and the lower part, making two pieces. To sever the
wings from the body, cut through the skin where the wing is attached,
and bend it back until the joint breaks. Then cut it off where the ends
of the bones are attached to the joint. When both legs and both wings
are removed, proceed to cut the body apart. Place the chicken, neck
down, on a table, and cut down through the ribs parallel with the
breast and the back, until the knife strikes a hard bone that it cannot
cut. Then firmly grasp the breast with one hand and the back with the
other and break the joints that attach these parts by pulling the back
and the breast away from each other. Cut through the joints, so that
the back, ribs, and neck will be in one piece and the breast in
another. If desired, the breast may be divided into two pieces by
cutting it.A lso, as the back will break at the end of the ribs, it may
be cut into two pieces there. Finally, cut the neck from the top piece
of the back.
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The pieces of chicken thus procured may be rinsed clean with cold
water, but they should never be allowed to stand in water, because this
will draw out some of the extractives, or flavoring material, soluble
albumin, and mineral salts.
40. PREPARING CHICKEN FEET.--Many persons consider that chicken feet are
not worth while for food. This, however, is a mistaken idea, for they
will add to the flavor of soup stock or they may be cooked with the
giblets to make stock for gravy. Chicken feet do not contain much meat,
but what little there is has an excellent flavor and should be removed
for use when creamed chicken or any dish made with left-over chicken is
to be cooked.
To prepare chicken feet for use as food, scrub the feet well and pour
boiling water over them. After a minute or two, remove them from the
water and rub them with a clean cloth to peel off the scaly skin.
Finally remove the nails by bending them back.
41. UTILIZING THE WING TIPS.--The last joint, or tip, of chicken wings
has no value as food, but, like the feet, it will help to add flavor to
any stock that is made. This small piece of wing may be removed and then
cooked with the feet and giblets.
PREPARATION OF POULTRY OTHER THAN CHICKEN
42. PREPARATION OF TURKEY.--The preparation of a plucked turkey for
cooking is almost identically the same as that of a plucked chicken.
Begin the preparation by singeing it; that is, hold it over a flame and
turn it so that all the hairs on the skin will be burned off. Then look
the skin over carefully, remove any pin feathers that may not have been
removed in plucking, and wash it thoroughly. Next, cut off the head,
leaving as much of the neck as possible. Draw the tendons from the legs
as in preparing chicken; the ease with which this can be done will
depend greatly on the length of time the turkey has been killed. Then
cut off the legs at the first joint above the foot.
Having prepared the external part of the turkey, proceed to draw it.
First, remove the crop by cutting a slit lengthwise in the neck over the
crop, catching it with the fingers, and pulling it out. Next, cut a slit
between the legs, below the breast bone, and draw out the internal
organs. Clean and retain the giblets. Remove the lungs, wash out the
cavity in the turkey, and cut off the oil bag on the back, just
above the tail.
Turkey prepared in this way is ready to stuff and roast. It is never cut
into pieces in the ordinary household until it has been cooked and is
ready to serve. Directions for carving are therefore given later.
43. PREPARATION OF DUCK AND GOOSE.--The preparation of duck and goose
for cooking does not differ materially from that of turkey or chicken.
Like turkey, duck or goose is generally roasted and not cut up until it
is ready to serve. It will be well to note that young ducks are covered
with small feathers, or down, which is very difficult to remove.
However, the down may be removed by pulling it out with a small knife
pressed against the thumb. When the down is removed, proceed with the
preparation. Singe, wash, remove the head and feet, draw, wash the
inside of the bird, and remove the oil sack. Goose may be prepared for
cooking in the same way.
44. PREPARATION OF SMALL BIRDS.--Squabs, partridge, pheasant, and other
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small birds are usually cooked by broiling. To prepare such a bird for
cooking, singe, remove any small feathers that may remain, wash, remove
the head and feet, and draw, following the directions given for drawing
chicken. When it is thus cleaned, lay the bird open. To do this, begin
at the neck and cut down the back along the spine. If desired, however,
the bird may be cut down the back before drawing and the entrails
removed through the cut down the back. Finally, wash the inside and wipe
it dry, when the bird will be ready for broiling.
* * * * *
COOKING OF POULTRY
COOKERY METHODS
45. With poultry, as in the case of meats of any kind, it is the
composition that determines the method of cookery; and, as the structure
and composition of the tissue of poultry do not differ materially from
those of meats, the application of the various cooking methods is
practically the same. Young and tender birds that have comparatively
little flesh, such as young chickens, squabs, and guinea fowl, are
usually prepared by such rapid methods as frying and broiling.
Medium-sized poultry, including chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks,
and geese, require more cooking, and this, of course, must be done at a
lower temperature; therefore, such poultry is generally roasted. Old
poultry, particularly old chicken, or fowl, which is apt to be tough,
requires still more cooking, and for this reason is stewed, braized, or
fricasseed. The recipes for the cooking of various kinds of poultry here
given will serve to make clear the cookery method to employ, as well as
how to carry it out to advantage.
PREPARATION BY BROILING
46. The method of broiling in the case of poultry of all kinds does not
differ in any way from the same method applied to cuts of meat. Since
broiling is a rapid method of cookery and heat is applied at a high
temperature, it is necessary that the poultry chosen for broiling be
young and tender and have a comparatively small amount of meat on
the bones.
Broiled poultry is not an economical dish, neither is it one in which
the greatest possible amount of flavor is obtained, since, as in the
case of the meat of animals used for food, the flavor develops with the
age of the birds. However, broiled poultry has value in the diet of
invalids and persons with poor appetite and digestion, for if it is
properly done it is appetizing and easily digested.
47. BROILED POULTRY.--Poultry that is to be broiled must first be
dressed, drawn, and cleaned. Then, as has been mentioned for the
preparation of small birds, lay the bird open by cutting down along the
spine, beginning at the neck. This will permit the bird to be spread
apart. When it is thus made ready, washed, and wiped dry, heat the
broiler and grease it. Then place the bird on the broiler and expose it
to severe heat. Sear quickly on one side, and turn and sear on the other
side. Then reduce the heat to a lower temperature and broil more slowly,
turning often. To prevent burning, the parts that stand up close to the
flame may be covered with strips of bacon fastened on with skewers;
also, to get the best results, the side of the bird on which the flesh
is thick should be exposed to the heat for a greater length of time than
the other side. If there is any danger of the high places burning in the
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broiler, the bird may be removed and the cooking continued in a hot
oven. Broiled poultry should be well done when served. This means, then,
particularly in the case of chickens, that the broiling process should
be carried on for about 20 minutes. When the bird is properly cooked,
remove it from the broiler, place it on a hot platter, dot it with
butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, garnish, and serve.
PREPARATION BY FRYING
48. As has been mentioned, birds slightly older and larger than those
used for broiling should be fried, because frying is a slower method and
gives the flesh a more thorough cooking. However, most of the dishes
commonly known as fried poultry are not fried, but sauted in shallow
fat. The same principles employed in sauteing any food are applied in
the cooking of poultry by this method; that is, the surface is seared as
quickly as possible and the cooking is finished at a lower temperature.
Often in this cooking process, the pieces to be sauted are dipped into
batter or rolled in flour to assist in keeping the juices in the meat.
49. FRIED CHICKEN.--To many persons, fried chicken--or, rather, sauted
chicken, as it should be called--is very appetizing. Chicken may be
fried whole, but usually it is cut up, and when this is done it serves
to better advantage. Likewise, the method of preparation is one that
adds flavor to young chicken, which would be somewhat flavorless if
prepared in almost any other way.
Frying is not a difficult cookery process. To prepare chickens, which
should be young ones, for this method of preparation, draw, clean, and
cut them up in the manner previously explained. When they are ready,
wash the pieces and roll them in a pan of flour, covering the entire
surface of each piece. Then, in a frying pan, melt fat, which may be
chicken fat, bacon fat, part butter, lard, or any other frying fat that
will give an agreeable flavor. When the fat is thoroughly hot, place in
it the pieces of floured chicken and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
As soon as the pieces have browned on one side, turn them over and brown
on the other side. Then reduce the heat, cover the frying pan with a
tight-fitting lid, and continue to fry more slowly. If, after 25 or 30
minutes, the meat can be easily pierced with a fork, it is ready to
serve; if this cannot be done, add a small quantity of hot water,
replace the cover, and simmer until the meat can be pierced readily. To
serve fried chicken, place the pieces on a platter and garnish the dish
with parsley so as to add to its appearance.
50. GRAVY FOR FRIED CHICKEN.--If desired, brown gravy may be made and
served with fried chicken. After the chicken has been removed from the
frying pan, provided an excessive amount of fat remains, pour off some
of it. Sprinkle the fat that remains with dry flour, 1 tablespoonful to
each cupful of liquid that is to be used, which may be milk, cream,
water, or any mixture of the three. Stir the flour into the hot fat.
Heat the liquid and add this hot liquid to the fat and flour in the
frying pan. Stir rapidly so that no lumps will form, and, if necessary,
season with more salt and pepper to suit the taste.
Gravy may also be made in this manner: Stir cold liquid slowly into the
flour in the proportion of 1 tablespoonful of flour to 1 cupful of
liquid, which may be milk, cream, water, or any mixture of the three.
Add the cold liquid and flour to the frying pan containing a small
amount of fat in which the chicken was fried. Stir rapidly until the
gravy has thickened and there are no lumps.
Very often the giblets, that is, the liver, heart, and gizzard of
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chicken, are used in making gravy. For example, the giblets may be
cooked in water until they are tender and then sauted in butter to
serve, and when this is done the water in which they were cooked may be
used for making gravy. Again, if it is not desired to eat them in this
way, they may be chopped fine and added to gravy made from the fat that
remains from frying.
51. MARYLAND FRIED CHICKEN.--Maryland fried chicken is a popular dish
with many persons. As a rule, corn fritters are used as a garnish and
Served with the chicken, and strips of crisp bacon are placed over the
top of it. Often, too, potato croquettes are served on the same platter,
a combination that makes almost an entire meal.
To prepare Maryland fried chicken, draw, clean, and cut up young
chickens. Then wash the pieces and dry them with a soft cloth. Sprinkle
the pieces with salt and pepper, and dip each into fine cracker crumbs
or corn meal, then into beaten egg, and again into the crumbs or the
corn meal. Next, melt in a frying pan chicken or bacon fat, part butter,
lard, or any other fat for frying. When it is hot, place the pieces of
chicken in it. Fry them until they are brown on one side; then turn and
brown them on the other side. Lower the temperature and continue to fry
slowly until the meat may be easily pierced with a fork. When the
chicken is done, pour 2 cupfuls of white sauce on a hot platter and
place the chicken in it. Then garnish and serve.
52. FRIED CHICKEN WITH PAPRIKA SAUCE.--Chickens that are a trifle older
than those used for plain fried chicken may be prepared to make what is
known as fried chicken with paprika sauce. If in preparing this dish the
chicken does not appear to be tender after frying, it may be made so by
simmering it in the sauce.
To prepare this chicken dish, which is tempting to many, draw, clean,
and cut up a chicken as for frying. Then melt fat in a frying pan, place
the pieces in the hot fat, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and brown
on both sides quickly. When both sides are brown, continue to fry the
pieces until they are tender. Then sprinkle all with 2 level
tablespoonfuls of flour, add 2 cupfuls of milk or thin cream, and allow
this to thicken. Then sprinkle with paprika until the sauce is pink. Let
the chicken simmer slowly until the sauce penetrates the meat a little.
Serve on a platter with a garnish.
PREPARATION BY ROASTING
53. Roasting is the cookery process that is commonly employed for
preparing chickens that are of good size, as well as turkeys, ducks, and
geese. It is also followed at times for cooking guinea fowl, partridges,
pheasants, and similar small birds. As a rule, birds prepared in this
way are filled with stuffing, which may be made in so many ways that
roasted stuffed poultry makes a delightful change in the regular
routine of meals.
54. ROAST CHICKEN.--Roasting is the best method to employ for the
preparation of old chicken unless, of course, it is extremely old and
tough. Then stewing is about the only method that is satisfactory.
Chicken for roasting should weigh no less than 3 pounds. Chicken
prepared according to the following directions makes a dish that is very
appetizing.
To prepare chicken for roasting, clean and draw it in the manner
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previously given. When it is made clean, rub salt and pepper on the
inside of the cavity, and stuff the cavity of the chicken, with any
desirable stuffing. Directions for preparing stuffing are given later.
Also, fill with stuffing the space from which the crop was removed,
inserting it through the slit in the neck. Thread a large darning
needle with white cord and sew up the slit in the neck, as well as the
one between the legs, so that the stuffing will not fall out. Also,
force the neck inside of the skin, and tie the skin with a piece of
string. Then, truss the chicken by forcing the tip of each wing back of
the first wing joint, making a triangle; also, tie the ends of the legs
together and pull them down, tying them fast to the tail. Trussing in
this manner will give the chicken a much better appearance for serving
than if it were not so fastened; but, of course, before it is placed on
the table, the strings must be cut and removed. After stuffing and
trussing, put the chicken on its back in a roasting pan, sprinkle it
with flour, and place it in a very hot oven. Sear the skin quickly. Then
reduce the temperature slightly and pour a cupful of water into the
roasting pan. Baste the chicken every 10 or 15 minutes with this water,
until it is well browned and the breast and legs may be easily pierced
with a fork. Remove to a platter and serve. If gravy is desired, it may
be made in the roasting pan in the same way as for fried chicken. The
giblets may be cut into pieces and added or they may be left out and
served after first cooking and then browning them.
55. ROAST TURKEY.--In America, roast turkey is usually considered as a
holiday dish, being served most frequently in the homes on Thanksgiving
day. However, at times when the price is moderate, it is not an
extravagance to serve roast turkey for other occasions. Roasting is
practically the only way in which turkey is prepared in the usual
household, and it is by far the best method of preparation.
Occasionally, however, a very tough turkey is steamed before roasting in
order to make it sufficiently tender.
The preparation of roast turkey does not differ materially from the
method given for the preparation of roast chicken. After the turkey is
cleaned, drawn, and prepared according to the directions previously
given, rub the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Then stuff
with any desirable stuffing, filling the cavity and also the space under
the skin of the neck where the crop was removed. Then sew up the
opening, draw the skin over the neck and tie it, and truss the turkey by
forcing the tip of each wing back of the first wing joint in a
triangular shape and tying both ends of the legs to the tail. When thus
made ready, place the turkey in the roasting pan so that the back rests
on the pan and the legs are on top. Then dredge with flour, sprinkle
with salt and pepper, and place in a hot oven. When its surface is well
browned, reduce the heat and baste every 15 minutes until the turkey is
cooked. This will usually require about 3 hours, depending, of course,
on the size of the bird. For basting, melt 4 tablespoonfuls of butter or
bacon fat in 1/2 cupful of boiling water. Pour this into the roasting
pan. Add water when this evaporates, and keep a sufficient amount for
basting. Turn the turkey several times during the roasting, so that the
sides and back, as well as the breast, will be browned. When the turkey
can be easily pierced with a fork, remove it from the roasting pan, cut
the strings and pull them out, place on a platter, garnish, and serve.
Gravy to be served with roast turkey may be made in the manner
mentioned for making gravy to be served with fried chicken.
56. ROAST DUCK.--While young duck is often broiled, the usual method of
preparing this kind of poultry is by roasting; in fact, roasting is an
excellent way in which to cook duck that is between the broiling age and
full maturity.
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57. Duck is roasted in practically the same way as chicken or turkey. In
the case of a young duck, or spring duck, however, stuffing is not
used. After it is drawn and cleaned, truss it by folding back the wings
and tying the ends of the legs to the tail, so as to give it a good
appearance when served. Season with salt and pepper and dredge with
flour, and, over the breast, to prevent it from burning, place strips of
bacon or salt pork. When thus made ready, put the duck in a roasting
pan, pour in 1/2 cupful of water, and cook it in a hot oven until it is
very tender, basting it about every 15 minutes during the roasting.
About 15 minutes before the roasting is done, remove the strips of bacon
or pork, so as to permit the breast underneath them to brown. Serve on a
platter with a garnish. Make gravy if desired.
58. In the case of an old duck, proceed as for roasting chicken or
turkey; that is, draw, clean, stuff, and truss it. In addition, place
strips of bacon or salt pork over its breast. Place it in a roasting
pan, pour 1/2 cupful of water into the pan, and put it in a hot oven.
During the roasting baste the duck every 15 minutes; also, as in
roasting a young duck, remove the bacon or salt pork in plenty of time
to permit the part underneath to brown. When the surface is well browned
and the meat may be easily pierced with a fork, place the duck on a
platter, remove the strings used to sew it up, garnish, and serve. Make
gravy if desired.
59. ROAST GOOSE.--Specific directions for roasting goose are not given,
because the methods differ in no way from those already given for
roasting duck. Very young goose, or green goose, is usually roasted
without being stuffed, just as young duck. Older goose, however, is
stuffed, trussed, and roasted just as old duck. A very old goose may be
placed in a roasting pan and steamed until it is partly tender before
roasting. Apples in some form or other are commonly served with goose.
For example, rings of fried apple may be used as a garnish, or apple
sauce or stewed or baked apples may be served as an accompaniment. Make
gravy if desired.
60. ROAST SMALL BIRDS.--Such small birds as guinea fowl, partridge,
pheasant, quail, etc. may be roasted if desired, but on account of being
so small they are seldom filled with stuffing. To roast such poultry,
first clean, draw, and truss them. Then lard them with strips of bacon
or salt pork, and place in a roasting pan in a very hot oven. During the
roasting, turn them so as to brown all sides; also, baste every 15
minutes during the roasting with the water that has been poured into the
roasting pan. Continue the roasting until the flesh is very soft and the
joints can be easily pulled apart. Serve with a garnish. Make gravy
if desired.
61. STUFFING FOR ROAST POULTRY.--As has been mentioned, stuffing, or
dressing, of some kind is generally used when poultry is roasted.
Therefore, so that the housewife may be prepared to vary the stuffing
she uses from time to time, recipes for several kinds are here given.
Very often, instead of using the giblets for gravy, they are cooked in
water and then chopped and added to the stuffing. Giblets are not
included in the recipes here given, but they may be added if desired.
The quantities stated in these recipes are usually sufficient for a bird
of average size; however, for a smaller or a larger bird the ingredients
may be decreased or increased accordingly.
BREAD STUFFING
4 c. dry bread crumbs
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1/2 c. butter
1 small onion
1 beaten egg
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. celery salt, or 1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. powdered sage (if desired)
1/4 tsp. pepper
Pour a sufficient amount of hot water over the bread crumbs to moisten
them well. Melt the butter and allow it to brown slightly. Add the
onion, chopped fine, to the butter and pour this over the bread crumbs.
Add the beaten egg, salt, celery salt, and other seasonings, mix
thoroughly, and stuff into the bird.
CRACKER STUFFING
3 c. cracker crumbs
1 small onion (if desired)
1/3 c. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. powdered sage (if desired)
1/4 tsp. pepper
Moisten the cracker crumbs with hot milk or water until they are quite
soft. Brown the chopped onion with the butter and pour over the
crackers. Add the seasonings, mix thoroughly, and stuff into the bird.
OYSTER STUFFING
3 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. oysters
| c. chopped celery
Moisten the bread crumbs with a sufficient amount of hot water to make
them quite soft. Brown the butter slightly and add it, with the
seasonings, to the bread. Mix with this the oysters and chopped celery.
Stuff into the bird.
CHESTNUT STUFFING
1 pt. blanched chestnuts
1 pt. bread crumbs
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tb. chopped parsley
Blanch the chestnuts in boiling water to remove the dark skin that
covers them. Cook them until they are quite soft, and then chop them or
mash them. Moisten the bread crumbs with hot water and add the
chestnuts. Brown the butter slightly and pour it over the mixture. Add
the seasonings and chopped parsley and stuff.
GREEN-PEPPER STUFFING
1 qt. dried bread crumbs
1 c. stewed tomatoes
1/4 c. melted butter
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2 Tb. bacon fat
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 c. finely chopped green pepper
2 Tb. chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Moisten the bread crumbs with the stewed tomatoes and add a sufficient
amount of hot water to make the crumbs quite soft. Melt the butter and
bacon fat, add the onion, green pepper, and the seasonings, and pour
over the crumbs. Mix thoroughly and stuff.
RICE STUFFING
2 c. steamed rice
2 c. bread crumbs
1 c. stewed tomatoes
1/4 c. chopped pimiento
2 Tb. chopped parsley
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. butter
4 small strips bacon, diced and fried brown
Mix the steamed rice with the bread crumbs. Add the stewed tomatoes,
pimiento, chopped parsley, chopped onion, salt, pepper, melted butter,
bacon and bacon fat, and a sufficient amount of hot water to moisten the
whole well. Mix thoroughly and stuff.
PEANUT STUFFING FOR ROAST DUCK
1 pt. cracker crumbs
1 c. shelled peanuts, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of Cayenne pepper
1/4 c. butter
Hot milk
Mix the crumbs and the chopped peanuts. Add the salt, pepper, and
Cayenne pepper, and pour over them the melted butter and a sufficient
amount of hot milk to soften the whole. Stuff into the duck.
LIVER STUFFING FOR ROAST DUCK
1 duck liver
1/4 c. butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tb. chopped parsley
1 egg
Chop the liver and saute in the butter to which has been added the
chopped onion. Pour over the bread crumbs. Then add the salt, pepper,
finely chopped parsley, and the beaten egg. Pour over all a sufficient
amount of water to moisten well. Stuff into the duck.
BONED CHICKEN
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62. To offer variety in the serving of chicken, as well as to present an
easily carved bird, the process known as boning is often resorted to.
Boning, as will be readily understood, consists in removing the flesh
from the bones before the bird is cooked. Boned chicken may be prepared
by roasting or broiling. In either case, the cookery process is the same
as that already given for poultry that is not boned. If it is to be
roasted, the cavity that results from the removal of the bones and
internal organs should be filled with stuffing or forcemeat, so that the
bird will appear as if nothing had been removed. If it is to be broiled,
stuffing is not necessary. Cooked boned chicken may be served either hot
or cold. Of course, other kinds of poultry may be boned if desired, and
if the directions here given for boning chicken are thoroughly learned
no difficulty will be encountered in performing this operation on any
kind. Boning is not a wasteful process as might be supposed, because
after the flesh is removed from the bones, they may be used in the
making of soup.
63. Before proceeding to bone a chicken, singe it, pull out the pin
feathers, cut off the head, remove the tendons from the legs, and
take out the crop through the neck. The bird may be drawn or not before
boning it, but in any event care must be taken not to break any part of
the skin. With these matters attended to, wash the skin well and wipe it
carefully. First, cut off the legs at the first joint, and, with the
point of a sharp knife, loosen the skin and muscles just above the
joint by cutting around the bone. Cut the neck off close to the body.
Then, starting at the neck, cut the skin clear down the back to the
tail. Begin on one side, and scrape the flesh, with the skin attached
to it, from the back bone. When the shoulder blade is reached, push the
flesh from it with the fingers until the wing joint is reached.
Disjoint the wing where it is attached to the body and loosen the skin
from the wing bone down to the second joint. Disjoint the bone here and
remove it up to this place. The remaining bone is left in the tip of
the wing to give it shape. When the bone from one wing is removed, turn
the chicken around and remove the bone from the other wing. Next, start
at the back, separating the flesh from the ribs, taking care not to
penetrate into the side cavity of the chicken, provided it has not
been drawn. Push the flesh down to the thigh, disjoint the bone here,
and remove it down to the second joint. Disjoint the bone at the other
joint, and remove the skin and meat from the bone by turning them
inside out. If the bone has been properly loosened at the first joint of
the leg, there will be no trouble in slipping it out. When this is done,
turn the meat and skin back again, so that they will be right side out.
Then proceed in the same way with the other leg. Next, free the flesh
from the collar bone down to the breast bone on both sides. When the
ridge of the breast bone is reached, care must be taken not to break
the skin that lies very close to the bone. The fingers should be used
to separate the flesh at this place. When the sides and front have been
thus taken care of, free the skin and the flesh from the bones over the
rump. After this is done, the skeleton and internal organs of the
undrawn bird may be removed, leaving the flesh intact.
If the boned chicken is to be roasted, the entire chicken, including the
spaces from which the wing and leg bones were removed, may be filled
with highly seasoned stuffing. When this is done, shape the chicken as
much as possible to resemble its original shape and sew up the back. The
chicken will then be ready to roast. If the boned chicken is to be
broiled, shape it on the broiler and broil.
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PREPARATION BY STEWING AND OTHER COOKING METHODS
64. CHICKEN STEW WITH DUMPLINGS OR NOODLES.--Perhaps the most common way
of preparing chicken is to stew it. When chicken is so cooked, such an
addition as dumplings or noodles is generally made because of the
excellent food combination that results. For stewing, an old chicken
with a great deal of flavor should be used in preference to a young one,
which will have less flavor.
In order to prepare chicken by stewing, clean, draw, and cut up the bird
according to directions previously given. Place the pieces in a large
kettle and cover them well with boiling water. Bring all quickly to the
boiling point and add 2 teaspoonfuls of salt. Then remove the scum,
lower the temperature, and continue to cook at the simmering point. Keep
the pieces well covered with water; also, keep the stew pot covered
during the cooking. When the chicken has become tender enough to permit
the pieces to be easily pierced with a fork, remove them to a deep
platter or a vegetable dish. Dumplings or noodles may be cooked in the
chicken broth, as the water in which the chicken was stewed is called,
or they may be boiled or steamed separately. If they are cooked
separately, thicken the broth with flour and serve it over the chicken
with the noodles or dumplings.
65. FRICASSEE OF CHICKEN.--For chicken that is tough, fricasseeing is an
excellent cooking method to employ. Indeed, since it is a long method of
cookery, a rather old, comparatively tough fowl lends itself best to
fricasseeing. Fricassee of chicken also is a dish that requires a great
deal of flavor to be drawn from the meat, and this, of course, cannot be
done if a young chicken is used.
To prepare fricassee of chicken, clean and cut the bird into pieces
according to the directions previously given. Put these into a saucepan,
cover with boiling water, add 2 teaspoonfuls of salt, bring to the
boiling point quickly, skim, and reduce the temperature so that the meat
will simmer slowly until it is tender. Next, remove the pieces of
chicken from the water in which they were cooked, roll them in flour,
and saute them in butter or chicken fat until they are nicely browned.
If more than 2 or 2 1/2 cupfuls of broth remains, boil it until the
quantity is reduced to this amount. Then moisten 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls
of flour with a little cold water, add this to the stock, and cook until
it thickens. If desired, the broth may be reduced more and thin cream
may be added to make up the necessary quantity. Arrange the pieces of
chicken on a deep platter, pour the sauce over them, season with salt
and pepper if necessary, and serve. To enhance the appearance of this
dish, the platter may be garnished with small three-cornered pieces of
toast, tiny carrots, or carrots and green peas.
66. CHICKEN PIE.--A good change from the usual ways of serving chicken
may be brought about by means of chicken pie. Such a dish is simple to
prepare, and for it may be used young or old chicken.
To prepare chicken pie, dress, clean, and cut up a chicken in the usual
manner. Put it into a saucepan, add a small onion and a sprig of
parsley, cover with boiling water, and cook slowly until the meat is
tender. When the meat is cooked, add 2 teaspoonfuls of salt and 1/4
teaspoonful of pepper, and when it is perfectly tender remove it from
the stock. Thicken the stock with 1 tablespoonful of flour to each
cupful of liquid. Next, arrange the chicken in a baking dish. It may be
left on the bones or cut into large pieces and the bones removed. To it
add small carrots and onions that have been previously cooked until
tender and pour the thickened stock over all. Cover this with
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baking-powder biscuit dough made according to the directions given in
Hot Breads and rolled 1/4 inch thick. Make some holes through the
dough with the point of a sharp knife to let the steam escape, and bake
in a moderate oven until the dough is well risen and a brown crust is
formed. Then remove from the oven and serve.
67. CHICKEN CURRY.--Chicken combined with rice is usually an agreeable
food combination, but when flavored with curry powder, as in the recipe
here given, it is a highly flavored dish that appeals to the taste of
many persons.
CHICKEN CURRY
1 3 lb. chicken
2 Tb. butter
2 onions
1 Tb. curry powder
2 tsp. salt
2 c. steamed rice
Clean, dress, and cut up the chicken as for stewing. Put the butter in a
hot frying pan, add the onions, sliced thin, then the pieces of chicken,
and cook for 10 minutes. Parboil the liver, gizzard, and heart, cut them
into pieces and add them to the chicken in the frying pan. Sprinkle the
curry powder and the salt over the whole. Add boiling water or the stock
in which the giblets were cooked, and simmer until the chicken is
tender. Remove the meat from the frying pan and place it on a deep
platter. Surround it with a border of steamed rice. Thicken the stock in
the frying pan slightly with flour and pour the gravy over the chicken.
Serve hot.
68. CHICKEN EN CASSEROLE.--Food prepared in casseroles always seems to
meet with the approval of even the most discriminating persons; and
chicken prepared in this way with vegetables is no exception to the
rule. For such a dish should be selected a chicken of medium size that
is neither very old nor very young. Any flavor that the bird contains is
retained, so a strong flavor is not desirable.
In preparing chicken en casserole, first clean, dress, and cut it up in
the manner directed for stewed chicken. Place the pieces in a casserole
dish, together with 1 cupful of small carrots or larger carrots cut into
strips. Fry a finely chopped onion with several strips of bacon, and
cut these more finely while frying until the whole is well browned. Then
add them to the meat in the casserole dish. Also, add 1 cupful of potato
balls or 1 cupful of diced potatoes. Season well with salt and pepper,
add 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, and over the whole pour sufficient hot
water to cover. Cover the casserole dish, place it in a moderate oven,
and cook slowly until the chicken is tender. Serve from the dish.
69. JELLIED CHICKEN.--The housewife who desires to serve an unusual
chicken dish will find that there is much in favor of jellied chicken.
Aside from its food value, jellied chicken has merit in that it appeals
to the eye, especially if the mold used in its preparation has a
pleasing shape.
JELLIED CHICKEN
1 3 or 4 lb. chicken
2 tsp. salt
Several slices of onion
1 hard-cooked egg
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1 pimiento
Several sprigs of parsley
Clean, dress, and cut up the chicken. Put it into a saucepan and cover
with boiling water. Season with the salt and add the slices of onion.
Cook slowly until the meat will fall from the bones. Remove the chicken
from the saucepan, take the meat from the bones, and chop it into small
pieces. Reduce the stock to about 1 1/2 cupfuls, strain it, and skim off
the fat. With this done, place slices of the hard-cooked egg in the
bottom of a wet mold. Chop the pimiento and sprigs of parsley and mix
them with the chopped meat. Put the mixture on top of the sliced egg,
and pour the stock over the whole. Keep in a cool place until it is set.
If the stock is not reduced and more jelly is desired, unflavored
gelatine may be dissolved and added to coagulate the liquid. To serve
jellied chicken, remove from the mold, turn upside down, so that the
eggs are on top and act as a garnish, and then cut in thin slices.
70. CHICKEN BECHAMEL.--Still another chicken dish that may be used to
break the monotony of meals is chicken bechamel, the word bechamel being
the name of a sauce invented by Bechamel, who was steward to Louis XIV,
a king of France.
CHICKEN BECHAMEL
1 good-sized chicken
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. small mushrooms
1/4 c. chopped pimiento
3 Tb. flour
1 c. thin cream
Clean, dress, and cut up the chicken. Place the pieces into a saucepan,
and cover with boiling water. Add the salt and the pepper, and allow to
come to the boiling point. Remove the scum and simmer the chicken slowly
until it is tender. Remove the chicken from the liquid, take the meat
from the bones, and cut it into small pieces. Add to these the mushrooms
and chopped pimiento. Reduce the stock to 1 cupful and thicken it with
the flour added to the thin cream. Cook until the sauce is thickened.
Then add to it the chopped chicken with the other ingredients. Heat all
thoroughly and serve on toast points or in timbale cases, the making of
which is explained in Meat, Part 2.
71. COOKING OF GIBLETS.--As has been pointed out, the giblets--that is,
the liver, heart, and gizzard of all kinds of fowl--are used in gravy
making and as an ingredient for stuffing. When poultry is stewed, as in
making stewed chicken, it is not uncommon to cook the giblets with the
pieces of chicken. The gizzard and heart especially require long, slow
cooking to make them tender enough to be eaten. Therefore, when poultry
is broiled, fried, or roasted, some other cookery method must be
resorted to, as these processes are too rigid for the preparation of
giblets. In such cases, the best plan is to cook them in water until
they are tender and then saute them in butter. When cooked in this way,
they may be served with the poultry, for to many persons they are very
palatable.
DISHES FROM LEFT-OVER POULTRY
72. Left-over poultry of any kind is too valuable to be wasted, but even
if this were not so there are so many practical ways in which such
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left-overs may be used to advantage that it would be the height of
extravagance not to utilize them. The bones that remain from roast fowl
after carving are especially good for soup making, as they will yield
quite a quantity of flavor when they are thoroughly cooked. If
sufficient meat remains on the carcass to permit of slicing, such meat
may be served cold. However, if merely small pieces are left or if fried
or broiled poultry remains, it will be advisable to make some other use
of these left-overs. It is often possible for the ingenious housewife to
add other foods to them so as to increase the quantity and thus make
them serve more. For example, a small quantity of pork or veal may be
satisfactorily used with chicken, as may also pieces of hard-cooked
eggs, celery, mushrooms, etc. In fact, salads may be made by combining
such ingredients and salad dressings. To show the use of left-overs
still further, there are here given a number of recipes that may well
be used.
73. Chicken Salad.--A common way in which to utilize left-over chicken
is in chicken salad. Such salad may be served to advantage for luncheons
and other light meals.
CHICKEN SALAD
2 c. cold diced chicken
1 c. chopped celery
1 small onion, chopped
Salad dressing
2 hard-cooked eggs
Mix the meat with the chopped celery and onion. Marinate with
well-seasoned vinegar or a little lemon juice. French dressing may be
used for this if oil is desired. Just before serving pour off any excess
liquid. Add any desired salad dressing. Heap the salad on lettuce leaves
and garnish with slices of the hard-cooked eggs.
74. Chicken a la King.--Chicken a la king is not necessarily a left-over
dish, for it may be made from either left-over chicken or, if desired,
chicken cooked especially for it. It makes an excellent dish to prepare
in a chafing dish, but it may be conveniently prepared in a saucepan on
the fire and served in any desirable way.
CHICKEN A LA KING
3 Tb. fat (butter or bacon fat or part of each)
2 Tb. flour
3/4 c. chicken stock
1 c. milk or thin cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. mushrooms
1/4 c. canned pimiento
1-1/2 c. cold chicken
2 eggs
Melt the fat in a saucepan, add the flour, and stir until well mixed.
Heat the stock and the milk or cream, pour this into the mixture, stir
rapidly, and bring to boiling point. Add the salt and the mushrooms,
pimientoes, and cold chicken cut into pieces 1/2 to 1 inch long, allow
the mixture to come to the boiling point again, and add the slightly
beaten eggs. Remove from the fire at once to prevent the egg from
curdling. Serve over pieces of fresh toast and sprinkle with paprika.
75. Chicken Croquettes.--Left-over chicken may be used to advantage for
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croquettes made according to the following recipe. When the ingredients
listed are combined with chicken, an especially agreeable food will be
the result. If there is not sufficient cold chicken to meet the
requirements, a small quantity of cold veal or pork may be chopped with
the chicken.
CHICKEN CROQUETTES
3 Tb. fat
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 c. chicken stock or cream
2 c. cold chicken, chopped
1/4. mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp. parsley, chopped
1 egg
Fine bread crumbs
Melt the fat in a saucepan, add the flour, and stir until well blended.
Add the salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat the stock or cream and add to
the mixture in the saucepan. Stir constantly until the sauce is
completely thickened. Then add the chopped chicken, mushrooms, and
parsley. When cold, shape into oblong croquettes, roll in the egg,
slightly beaten, and then in fine crumbs. Fry in deep fat until brown.
Serve with a garnish or some vegetable, such as peas, diced carrots, or
small pieces of cauliflower, as well as with left-over chicken gravy or
well-seasoned white sauce.
76. TURKEY HASH.--Possibly the simplest way in which to utilize
left-over turkey meat is to make it up into hash. Such a dish may be
used for almost any meal, and when made according to the recipe here
given it will suit the taste of nearly every person.
TURKEY HASH
2 Tb. butter
1/2 c. coarse rye-bread crumbs
1 small onion, sliced
2 c. finely chopped cold turkey
1/2 c. finely chopped raw potato
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 pt. milk
Melt the butter in a saucepan. When brown, add to it the rye-bread
crumbs and mix well. Then add the sliced onion, chopped turkey, potato,
salt, and pepper. Cook for a short time on top of the stove, stirring
frequently to prevent burning. Pour the milk over the whole, and place
the pan in the oven or on the back of the stove. Cook slowly until the
milk is reduced and the hash is sufficiently dry to serve. Serve on
buttered toast.
77. CHICKEN WITH RICE.--Left-over chicken may be readily combined with
rice to make a nutritious dish. To prepare chicken with rice, add to
left-over gravy any left-over cold chicken cut into small pieces. If
there is not enough gravy to cover the meat, add sufficient white sauce;
if no gravy remains, use white sauce entirely. Heat the chicken in the
gravy or the sauce to the boiling point. Then heap a mound of fresh
steamed or boiled rice in the center of a deep platter or a vegetable
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dish and pour the chicken and sauce over it. Serve hot.
78. Baked Poultry With Rice.--A casserole or a baking dish serves as a
good utensil in which to prepare a left-over dish of any kind of
poultry, because it permits vegetables to be added and cooked
thoroughly. Baked poultry with rice is a dish that may be prepared in
such a utensil.
Line a casserole or a baking dish with a thick layer of fresh steamed or
boiled rice. Fill the center with chopped cold poultry, which may be
chicken, turkey, duck, or goose. Add peas, chopped carrots, potato, and
a few slices of onion in any desirable proportion. Over this pour
sufficient left-over gravy or white sauce to cover well. First, steam
thoroughly; then uncover the utensil and bake slowly until the
vegetables are cooked and the entire mixture is well heated. Serve from
the casserole or baking dish.
SERVING AND CARVING POULTRY
79. Poultry of any kind should always be served on a platter or in a
dish that has been heated in the oven or by running hot water over it.
After placing the cooked bird on the platter or the dish from which it
is to be served, it should be taken to the dining room and placed before
the person who is to serve. If it is roasted, it will require carving.
If not, the pieces may be served as they are desired by the individuals
at the table. Poultry having both dark and white meat is usually served
according to the taste of each individual at the table. If no preference
is stated, however, a small portion of each kind of meat is
generally served.
80. The carving of broiled or roast chicken, turkey, duck, or goose may
be done in the kitchen, but having the whole bird brought to the table
and carved there adds considerably to a meal. Carving is usually done by
the head of the family, but in a family in which there are boys each one
should be taught to carve properly, so that he may do the carving in the
absence of another person.
For carving, the bird should be placed on the platter so that it rests
on its back; also, a well-sharpened carving knife and a fork should be
placed at the right of the platter and the person who is to serve. To
carve a bird, thrust the fork firmly into the side or breast of the
fowl and cut through the skin where the leg joins the body, breaking
the thigh joint. Cut through this joint, severing the second joint and
leg in one piece. Then, if desired, cut the leg apart at the second
joint. As the portions are thus cut, they may be placed on a separate
platter that is brought to the table heated. Next, in the same manner,
cut off the other leg and separate it at the second joint. With the
legs cut off, remove each wing at the joint where it is attached to the
body. Then slice the meat from the breast by cutting down from the
ridge of the breast bone toward the wing. After this meat has been
sliced off, there still remains some meat around the thigh and on the
back. This should be sliced off or removed with the point of the knife,
so that the entire skeleton will be clean. If the entire bird is not to
be served, as much as is necessary may be cut and the remainder left on
the bones. With each serving of meat a spoonful of dressing should be
taken from the inside of the bird, provided it is stuffed, and,
together with some gravy, served on the plate.
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GAME
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
81. GAME, which includes the meat of deer, bear, rabbit, squirrel, wild
duck, wild goose, partridge, pheasant, and some less common animals,
such as possum, is not a particularly common food. However, it is
sufficiently common to warrant a few directions concerning its use. Game
can be purchased or caught only during certain seasons, designated by
the laws of various states. Such laws are quite stringent and have been
made for the protection of each particular species.
82. The meat of wild animals and birds is usually strong in flavor. Just
why this is so, however, is not definitely known. Undoubtedly some of
the strong flavor is due to the particular food on which the animal or
the bird feeds, and much of this flavor is due to extractives contained
in the flesh.
When game birds and animals have considerable fat surrounding the
tissues, the greater part of it is often rejected because of its
extremely high flavor. By proper cooking, however, much of this flavor,
if it happens to be a disagreeable one, can be driven off.
The general composition of the flesh of various kinds of game does not
differ greatly from that of similar domestic animals or birds. For
instance, the flesh of bear is similar in its composition to that of fat
beef, as bear is one of the wild animals that is very fat. Venison, or
the meat obtained from deer, contains much less fat, and its composition
resembles closely that of very lean beef. Rabbits and most of the wild
birds are quite lean; in fact, they are so lean that it is necessary in
the preparation of them to supply sufficient fat to make them more
appetizing.
RECIPES FOR GAME
83. Only a few recipes for the preparation of game are here given,
because, in the case of wild birds, the cookery methods do not differ
materially from those given for poultry, and, in the case of such
animals as bears, the directions for preparing steaks and other cuts are
identical with the cooking of similar cuts of beef. Rabbit and squirrel
are perhaps the most common game used as food in the home; therefore,
directions for cleaning and cooking them receive the most consideration.
84. PREPARING A RABBIT FOR COOKING.--In order to prepare a rabbit for
cooking, it must first be skinned and drawn, after which it may be cut
up or left whole, depending on the cookery method that is to
be followed.
To skin a rabbit, first chop off the feet at the first joint; then
remove the head at the first joint below the skull and slit the skin of
the stomach from a point between the forelegs to the hind legs. With
this done, remove the entrails carefully, proceeding in much the same
manner as in removing the entrails of a chicken. Then slit the skin from
the opening in the stomach around the back to the opposite side. Catch
hold on the back and pull the skin first from the hind legs and then
from the forelegs. If the rabbit is to be stewed, wash it thoroughly and
separate it into pieces at the joints. If it is to be roasted or
braized, it may be left whole. A rabbit that is left whole presents a
better appearance when it is trussed. To truss a rabbit, force the hind
legs toward the head and fasten them in place by passing a skewer
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through the leg on one side, through the body, and into the leg on the
other side. Then skewer the front legs back under the body in the same
way. In such a case, the head may be left on or removed, as desired.
85. ROAST RABBIT.--Roasting is the cookery process often used to prepare
rabbit. To cook it in this way, first skin and clean the animal and
stuff it. Any of the stuffings previously given may be used for this
purpose. Then skewer the legs in position, place strips of bacon across
the back, put in a roasting pan, and dredge with salt and pepper. Also,
add 1/2 cupful of hot water to which has been added a little butter or
bacon fat. Roast in a quick oven, and baste every 15 minutes during the
roasting. A few minutes before the rabbit is tender enough to be pierced
with a fork, remove the strips of bacon so that the flesh underneath may
brown. Then remove from the pan and serve.
86. SAUTED RABBIT.--If it is desired to prepare a rabbit by sauteing,
skin and clean it, cut it into pieces, and dry all the pieces with a
soft cloth. Then melt bacon fat in a frying pan, and when it is hot
place the pieces of rabbit in it and allow them to brown. Add several
sprigs of parsley and two small onions, sliced, season with salt and
pepper, add a slice or two of bacon, and pour water over the whole until
it is nearly covered. Place a cover on the frying pan and simmer slowly.
Add water when it is necessary. When the meat is tender, remove it from
the frying pan. Then thicken the fluid that remains with a small amount
of flour so as to make a gravy. Serve hot.
87. RABBIT PIE.--Rabbit made into pie is also a desirable way in which
to serve rabbit. To prepare such a dish, skin and clean one or more
rabbits and cut them up into as small pieces as possible, removing the
largest bones. Put these pieces into a baking dish, and over them place
bacon cut into small strips. Sprinkle all with chopped parsley, salt,
and pepper, and add a few slices of onion, as well as some strips of
carrot and potato, if desired. Pour a sufficient amount of boiling water
over the whole and allow to simmer slowly until the meat is partly
cooked. Then place in the oven and cook until the meat is tender. Next,
dredge the contents of the baking dish with flour and cover with a
1/4-inch layer of baking-powder biscuit dough. Make several slits
through the dough to allow the steam to escape. Bake until the dough
becomes a well-browned crust. Serve hot in the baking dish.
88. BROILED SQUIRREL.--For cooking, squirrel is cleaned in practically
the same way as rabbit. Squirrel may be made ready to eat by stewing,
but as it is so small a creature, broiling is the usual method of
preparation. To broil a squirrel, first remove the skin and clean it.
Then break the bones along the spine, so that the squirrel can be spread
out flat. When thus made ready, place it on a well-greased hot broiler
and sear it quickly on one side; then turn it and sear the other side.
Next, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, place strips of bacon across the
back, and allow it to broil slowly until it is well browned. Squirrel
may be served in the same way as rabbit.
89. CUTS OF VENISON.--The meat obtained from deer, called venison, as
has been mentioned, may be cut up to form cuts similar to those obtained
from beef, such as steaks and roasts. Although such meat is a rarity, it
will be well to be familiar with a few of the methods of cooking it.
These, however, do not differ materially from the methods of cooking
other meats.
90. BROILED VENISON.--To prepare venison for broiling, cut a steak from
1 to 1-1/2 inches thick. Place this on a well-greased broiler and broil
until well done. Serve on a hot platter. Garnish the broiled venison
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with parsley and pour over it sauce made as follows:
SAUCE FOR BROILED VENISON
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tb. currant jelly
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. port wine
6 finely chopped Maraschino cherries
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, salt, ground cinnamon,
currant jelly, lemon juice, and the port wine, which should be heated
with 1 cupful of water. Cook until the flour has thickened, remove from
the fire, and add the cherries.
91. ROAST FILLET OF VENISON.--If a fillet of venison is to be roasted,
proceed by larding it with strips of salt pork. Then place it in a pan
with one small onion, sliced, a bay leaf, and a small quantity of
parsley, 1 teaspoonful of salt, and 1/4 teaspoonful of pepper. Dilute
1/4 cupful of vinegar with 3/4 cupful of water and add a teaspoonful of
Worcestershire sauce. Pour this over the fillet and place it in a hot
oven. Cook until the liquid has evaporated sufficiently to allow the
venison to brown. Turn, so as to brown on both sides, and when quite
tender and well browned, serve on a hot platter.
92. ROAST LEG OF VENISON.--If a leg of venison is to be roasted, first
remove the skin, wipe the meat with a damp cloth, and cover it with a
paste made of flour and water. Then put it into a roasting pan and roast
in a very hot oven. Baste with hot water every 15 minutes for about 1
1/2 hours. At the end of this time, remove the paste, spread the surface
with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and continue to roast for 1
to 1 1/4 hours longer. Baste every 15 minutes, basting during the last
hour with hot water in which has been melted a small quantity of butter.
Then remove the venison from the pan and serve it on a hot platter with
any desired sauce.
POULTRY AND GAME
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
(1) Of what value is poultry in the diet?
(2) What effect do the feeding and care of poultry have upon it as food?
(3) Mention briefly the proper preparation of poultry killed for market.
(4) (a) What are the most important things to consider when poultry is
to be selected? (b) Give the points that indicate good quality
of poultry.
(5) How would you determine the age of a chicken?
(6) How would you determine the freshness of a chicken?
(7) (a) What are the marks of cold-storage poultry? (b) Should
cold-storage poultry be drawn or undrawn? Tell why.
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(8) How should frozen poultry be thawed?
(9) Tell briefly how turkey should be selected.
(10) At what age and season is turkey best?
(11) Discuss the selection of: (a) ducks; (b) geese.
(12) (a) How does the composition of poultry compare with that of
meat? (b) What kind of chicken has a high food value?
(13) (a) How should a chicken be dressed? (b) What care should be
given to the skin in plucking?
(14) Give briefly the steps in drawing a chicken.
(15) Give briefly the steps in cutting up a chicken.
(16) How is poultry prepared for: (a) roasting? (b) frying? (c)
broiling? (d) stewing?
(17) (a) Describe trussing, (b) Why is trussing done?
(18) Give briefly the steps in boning a chicken.
(19) Tell briefly how to serve and carve a roasted bird.
(20) Discuss game in a general way.
ADDITIONAL WORK
Select a fowl by applying the tests given for selection in the lesson.
Prepare it by what seems to you to be the most economical method. Tell
how many persons are served and the use made of the left-overs. Compute
the cost per serving by dividing the cost of the fowl by the number of
servings it made.
At another time, select a chicken for frying by applying the tests given
in the lesson. Compute the cost per serving by dividing the cost of the
chicken by the number of servings it made.
Compare the cost per serving of the fried chicken with that of the fowl,
to find which is the more economical. In each case, collect the bones
after the chicken is eaten and weigh them to determine which has the
greater proportion of bone to meat, the fowl or the frying chicken.
Whether you have raised the poultry yourself or have purchased it in the
market, use the market price in computing your costs. Weigh the birds
carefully before drawing them.
* * * * *
FISH AND SHELL FISH
* * * * *
FISH
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FISH IN THE DIET
1. FISH provides another class of high-protein or tissue-building food.
As this term is generally understood, it includes both vertebrate
fish--that is, fish having a backbone, such as salmon, cod, shad,
etc.--and many other water animals, such as lobsters, crabs, shrimp,
oysters, and clams. A distinction, however, is generally made between
these two groups, those having bones being regarded properly as fish
and those partly or entirely encased in shells, as shell fish. It is
according to this distinction that this class of foods is considered in
this Section. Because all the varieties of both fish and shell fish are
in many respects similar, the term sea food is often applied to them,
but, as a rule, this term is restricted to designate salt-water products
as distinguished from fresh-water fish.
2. Fish can usually be purchased at a lower price than meat, and for
this reason possesses an economic advantage over it. Besides the price,
the substitution of fish for meat makes for economy in a number of ways
to which consideration is not usually given. These will become clearly
evident when it is remembered that nearly all land animals that furnish
meat live on many agricultural products that might be used for human
food. Then, too, other foods fed to animals, although not actually human
foods, require in their raising the use of soil that might otherwise be
utilized for the raising of food for human beings. This is not true in
the case of fish. They consume the vegetation that grows in lakes,
streams, and the ocean, as well as various kinds of insects, small fish,
etc., which cannot be used as human food and which do not require the
use of the soil. In addition, much of the food that animals, which are
warm-blooded, take into their bodies is required to maintain a constant
temperature above that of their surroundings, so that not all of what
they eat is used in building up the tissues of their bodies. With fish,
however, it is different. As they are cold-blooded and actually receive
heat from their surroundings, they do not require food for bodily
warmth. Practically all that they take into the body is built up into a
supply of flesh that may be used as food for human beings.
3. With fish, as with other foods, some varieties are sought more than
others, the popularity of certain kinds depending on the individual
taste or the preference of the people in a particular locality. Such
popularity, however, is often a disadvantage to the purchaser, because a
large demand for certain varieties has a tendency to cause a rise in
price. The increased price does not indicate that the fish is of more
value to the consumer than some other fish that may be cheaper because
it is less popular, although quite as valuable from a food standpoint.
The preference for particular kinds of fish and the persistent disregard
of others that are edible is for the most part due to prejudice. In
certain localities, one kind of fish may be extremely popular while in
others the same fish may not be used for food at all. Such prejudice
should be overcome, for, as a matter of fact, practically every fish
taken from pure water is fit to eat, in the sense that it furnishes food
and is not injurious to health.
In addition, any edible fish should be eaten in the locality where it is
caught. The transportation of this food is a rather difficult matter,
and, besides, it adds to the cost. It is therefore an excellent plan to
make use of the kind of fish that is most plentiful, as such practice
will insure both better quality and a lower market price.
4. As is well known, fish is an extremely perishable food. Therefore,
when it is caught in quantities too great to be used at one time, it is
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preserved in various ways. The preservation methods that have proved to
be the most satisfactory are canning, salting and drying, smoking, and
preserving in various kinds of brine and pickle. As such methods are
usually carried out in the locality where the fish is caught, many
varieties of fish can be conveniently stored for long periods of time
and so distributed as to meet the requirements of the consumer. This
plan enables persons far removed from the Source of supply to procure
fish frequently.
* * * * *
COMPOSITION AND FOOD VALUE OF FISH
COMPOSITION OF FISH
5. COMPARISON OF FISH WITH MEAT.--In general, the composition of fish is
similar to that of meat, for both of them are high-protein foods.
However, some varieties of fish contain large quantities of fat and
others contain very little of this substance, so the food value of the
different kinds varies greatly. As in the case of meat, fish is lacking
in carbohydrate. Because of the close similarity between these two
foods, fish is a very desirable substitute for meat. In fact, fish is in
some respects a better food than meat, but it cannot be used so
continuously as meat without becoming monotonous; that is to say, a
person will grow tired of fish much more quickly than of most meats. The
similarity between the composition of fish and that of meat has much to
do with regulating the price of these protein foods, which, as has
already been learned, are the highest priced foods on the market.
6. PROTEIN IN FISH.--In fish, as well as in shell fish, a very large
proportion of the food substances present is protein. This proportion
varies with the quantity of water, bone, and refuse that the particular
food contains, and with the physical structure of the food. In fresh
fish, the percentage of this material varies from 6 to 17 per cent. The
structure of fish is very similar to that of meat, as the flesh is
composed of tiny hollow fibers containing extractives, in which are
dissolved mineral salts and various other materials. The quantity of
extractives found in these foods, however, is less than that found in
meat. Fish extracts of any kind, such as clam juice, oyster juice, etc.,
are similar in their composition to any of the extractives of meat,
differing only in the kind and proportions. In addition to the muscle
fibers of fish, which are, of course, composed of protein, fish contains
a small quantity of albumin, just as meat does. It is the protein
material in fish, as well as in shell fish, that is responsible for its
very rapid decomposition.
The application of heat has the same effect on the protein of fish as it
has on that of meat, fowl, and other animal tissues. Consequently, the
same principles of cookery apply to both the retention and the
extraction of flavor.
7. FAT IN FISH.--The percentage of fat in fish varies from less than 1
per cent. in some cases to a trifle more than 14 per cent. in others,
but this high percentage is rare, as the average fish probably does not
exceed from 3 to 6 or 7 per cent. of fat. This variation affects the
total food value proportionately. The varieties of fish that contain the
most fat deteriorate most rapidly and withstand transportation the least
well, so that when these are secured in large quantities they are
usually canned or preserved in some manner. Fish containing a large
amount of fat, such as salmon, turbot, eel, herring, halibut, mackerel,
mullet, butterfish, and lake trout, have a more moist quality than those
111 / 148
which are without fat, such as cod. Therefore, as it is difficult to
cook fish that is lacking in fat and keep it from becoming dry, a fat
fish makes a more palatable food than a lean fish. The fat of fish is
very strongly flavored; consequently, any that cooks out of fish in its
preparation is not suitable for use in the cooking of other foods.
8. CARBOHYDRATE IN FISH.--Like meat, fish does not contain carbohydrate
in any appreciable quantity. In fact, the small amount that is found in
the tissue, and that compares to the glycogen found in animal tissues,
is not present in sufficient quantities to merit consideration.
9. MINERAL MATTER IN FISH.--In fish, mineral matter is quite as
prevalent as in meat. Through a notion that fish contains large
proportions of phosphorus, and because this mineral is also present in
the brain, the idea that fish is a brain food has become widespread. It
has been determined, however, that this belief has no foundation.
FOOD VALUE OF FISH
10. FACTORS DETERMINING FOOD VALUE.--The total food value of fish, as
has been shown, is high or low, varying with the food substances it
contains. Therefore, since, weight for weight, the food value of fat is
much higher than that of protein, it follows that the fish containing
the most fat has the highest food value. Fat and protein, as is well
known, do not serve the same function in the body, but each has its
purpose and is valuable and necessary in the diet. Some varieties of
fish contain fat that is strong in flavor, and from these the fat should
be removed before cooking, especially if the flavor is disagreeable.
This procedure of course reduces the total food value of the fish, but
it should be done if it increases the palatability.
11. RELATIVE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF FISH AND MEAT.--When fish and meat are
compared, it will be observed that some kinds of fish have a higher food
value than meat, particularly if the fish contains much fat and the meat
is lean. When the average of each of these foods is compared, however,
meat will be found to have a higher food value than fish. To show how
fish compares with meat and fowl, the composition and food value of
several varieties of each food are given in Table I, which is taken from
a United States government bulletin.
TABLE I
COMPARISON OF COMPOSITION AND FOOD VALUE OF FISH AND MEAT
----------------------------------------------------------------
| Composition | Total |Food Value|
|-------------------| Food | per Pound|
Edible Portion | Protein | Fat | Value | Due to |
|Per Cent.|Per Cent.|per Pound | Protein |
| | | Calories | Calories |
----------------------------------------------------------------
Fish: | | | | |
Bass, black........| 20.6 | 1.7 | 443 | 373 |
Bluefish...........| 19.4 | 1.2 | 401 | 352 |
Carp...............| 17.4 | 2.6 | 421 | 315 |
Catfish............| 14.4 | 20.6 | 1,102 | 262 |
Halibut steak......| 18.6 | 5.2 | 550 | 337 |
Lake trout.........| 17.8 | 1.0 | 363 | 323 |
Red snapper........| 19.2 | 1.0 | 389 | 348 |
112 / 148
Salmon (canned)....| 21.8 | 12.1 | 888 | 396 |
Whitefish..........| 22.9 | 6.5 | 680 | 415 |
| | | | |
Meat: | | | | |
Beef, round, | | | | |
medium fat.......| 20.3 | 13.6 | 895 | 368 |
Chicken, broilers..| 21.5 | 2.5 | 492 | 390 |
Fowl...............| 19.3 | 16.3 | 1,016 | 350 |
Lamb, leg..........| 19.2 | 16.5 | 870 | 348 |
Pork chops.........| 16.6 | 30.1 | 1,455 | 301 |
----------------------------------------------------------------
12. A study of this table will show that on the whole the percentage of
protein in the various kinds of fish is as much as that in meat, while
in a few instances, it is greater. This proves that so far as the
quantity of protein is concerned, these two foods are equally valuable
in their tissue-forming and tissue-building qualities. It will be seen
also that the percentage of fat in fish varies greatly, some varieties
containing more than meat, but most of them containing less.
Furthermore, the total food value per pound, in calories, is for the
most part greater in meat than in fish, whereas the food value per pound
due to protein is equivalent in most cases, but higher in some of the
fish than in the meat.
13. It must also be remembered that the drying or preserving of fish
does not in any way decrease its food value. In fact, pound for pound,
dried fish, both smoked and salt, contains more nutritive value than
fresh fish, because the water, which decreases the food value of fresh
fish, is driven off in drying. However, when prepared for eating, dried
fish in all probability has more food value than fresh fish, because
water or moisture of some sort must be supplied in its preparation.
14. The method of preparing dried or preserved fish, as well as fresh
fish, has much to do with the food value obtained from it. Just as
nutritive value is lost in the cooking of meat by certain methods, so it
may be lost in the preparation of fish if the proper methods are not
applied. To obtain as much food value from fish as possible, the various
points that are involved in its cookery must be thoroughly understood.
Certain facts concerning the buying of fish must also be kept in mind.
For instance, in canned fish, almost all the bones, skin, and other
inedible parts, except the tails, heads, and fins of very small fish,
have been removed before packing, indicating that practically all the
material purchased is edible. In the case of fresh fish, a large
percentage of what is bought must be wasted in preparation and in
eating, the percentage of waste varying from 5 to 45 per cent.
15. DIGESTIBILITY OF FISH.--The food value of any food is an important
item when its usefulness as a food is taken into account, but of equal
importance is the manner in which the body uses the food; that is,
whether it digests the food with ease or with difficulty. Therefore,
when the value of fish as a food is to be determined, its digestibility
must receive definite consideration. As has already been explained, much
depends on the cooking of the food in question. On the whole, fish is
found to be more easily digested than meat, with the exception perhaps
of a few kinds or certain cuts. That physicians recognize this
characteristic is evidenced by the fact that fish is often used in the
feeding of invalids or sick people when meat is not permitted.
16. The ease with which fish is digested is influenced largely by the
quantity of fat it contains, for this fat, acting in identically the
same way as the fat of meat, has the effect of slowing the digestion
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that is carried on in the stomach. It follows, then, that with possibly
one or two exceptions the kinds of fish most easily digested are those
which are lean.
17. In addition to the correct cooking of fish and the presence of fat,
a factor that largely influences the digestibility of this food is the
length of the fibers of the flesh. It will be remembered that the parts
of an animal having long fibers are tougher and less easily digested
than those having short fibers. This applies with equal force in the
case of fish. Its truth is evident when it is known that cod, a lean
fish, is digested with greater difficulty than some of the fat fish
because of the length and toughness of its fibers. This, however, is
comparative, and it must not be thought that fish on the whole is
digested with difficulty.
18. Another factor that influences the digestibility of fish is the
salting of it. Whether fish is salted dry or in brine, the salt hardens
the fibers and tissues. While the salt acts as a preservative in causing
this hardening, it, at the same time, makes the fish preserved in this
manner a little more difficult to digest. This slight difference need
scarcely be considered so far as the normal adult is concerned, but in
case of children or persons whose digestion is not entirely normal its
effect is likely to be felt.
PURCHASE AND CARE OF FISH
TABLE II
NAMES, SEASONS, AND USES OF FRESH FISH
NAME OF FISH SEASON METHOD OF COOKERY
Bass, black....... All the year........... Fried, baked
Bass, sea......... All the year........... Baked, broiled, fried
Bass, striped..... All the year........... Baked, broiled, fried
Bass, lake........ June 1 to January 1.... Baked, broiled, fried
Bluefish.......... May 1 to November 1.... Baked, broiled
Butterfish........ October 1 to May 1..... Fried, sauted
Carp.............. July 1 to November 1... Baked, broiled, fried
Catfish........... All the year........... Fried, sauted
Codfish........... All the year........... Boiled, fried, sauted,
baked, broiled
Eels.............. All the year........... Fried, boiled, baked
Flounder.......... All the year........... Sauted, fried, baked
Haddock........... All the year........... Steamed, boiled, fried
Halibut........... All the year........... Boiled, fried, creamed
Herring........... October 1 to May 1..... Sauted, fried, broiled
Kingfish.......... May 1 to November 1.... Boiled, steamed, baked
Mackerel.......... April 1 to October 1... Baked, broiled,
boiled, fried
Perch, fresh...... September 1 to June 1.. Fried, broiled
water
Pike, or.......... June 1 to January 1.... Fried, broiled, baked
pickerel, fresh
water
Porgies, salt..... June 15 to October 15.. Fried, sauted
water
Red snapper....... October 1 to April 1... Boiled, steamed
Salmon, Kennebec.. June 1 to October 1.... Broiled, baked, boiled
Salmon, Oregon.... October 1 to June 1.... Broiled, baked, boiled
114 / 148
Shad.............. January 1 to June 1.... Baked, broiled, fried
Shad roe.......... January 1 to June 1.... Broiled, fried
Sheepshead........ June 1 to September 15. Boiled, fried
Smelts............ August 15 to April 15.. Fried, sauted
Sole, English..... November 1 to May 1.... Baked, broiled, fried
Sunfish........... May 1 to December 1.... Fried, sauted
Trout, fresh...... April 1 to September 1. Baked, broiled, fried,
water boiled, sauted
Weakfish, or...... May 15 to October 15... Baked, broiled
sea trout
Whitebait......... May 1 to April 1....... Fried, sauted
Whitefish,........ November 1 to March 1.. Baked, fried, sauted,
fresh water broiled
19. PURCHASE OF FISH.--The housewife has much to do with the market
price of fish and the varieties that are offered for sale, for these are
governed by the demand created by her. The fisherman's catch depends on
weather conditions, the season, and other uncertain factors. If the
kinds of fish he secures are not what the housewife demands, they either
will not be sent to market or will go begging on the market for want of
purchasers. Such a state of affairs should not exist, and it would not
if every housewife were to buy the kind of fish that is plentiful in her
home market. So that she may become familiar with the varieties that the
market affords, she should carefully study Tables II and III, which give
the names, seasons, and uses of both fresh fish and salt and smoked
fish. With the information given in these tables well in mind, she will
be able not only to select the kind she wants, but to cooperate better
with dealers.
TABLE III
NAMES, SEASONS, AND USES OF SALT AND SMOKED FISH
NAME OF FISH SEASON METHOD OF COOKERY
SALT FISH
Anchovies........ All the year.. Served as a relish, stuffed
with various highly
seasoned mixtures, used
as flavor for sauce
Codfish, dried... All the year.. Creamed, balls
Herring, pickled. All the year.. Sauted
Mackerel......... All the year.. Broiled, fried, sauted
Salmon, salt..... All the year.. Fried, broiled, boiled
SMOKED FISH
Haddock, or...... October 15 to. Broiled, baked, creamed
finnan haddie April 1
Halibut.......... October 1 to.. Baked, broiled, fried
April 1
Herring.......... All the year.. Served as a relish
without cooking
Mackerel......... October 1 to.. Baked, boiled, fried
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November 1
Smoked salmon.... All the year.. Baked, boiled, fried
Shad............. October 1 to.. Baked, boiled, fried
May 1
Sturgeon......... October 1 to.. Baked, boiled, fried
May 1
Whitefish........ October 1 to.. Baked, boiled, fried
May 1
20. Another point to be considered in the purchase of fish is the size.
Some fish, such as halibut and salmon, are so large that they must
usually be cut into slices or steaks to permit the housewife to purchase
the quantity she requires for immediate use. Other fish are of such size
that one is sufficient for a meal, and others are so small that several
must be purchased to meet the requirements. Fish about the size of
smelts lend themselves readily to frying and sauteing, whereas the
larger kinds, like whitefish, may be prepared to better advantage by
baking either with or without suitable stuffing. Much use is made
of pike, but carp has been more shunned than sought after. However, when
carp is properly cooked, it is a very palatable food, and, besides, it
possesses high food value.
21. In the purchase of fish, the housewife, provided she is not obliged
to have fish for a particular day, will do well also to get away from
the one-day-a-week purchasing of fish; that is, if she is not obliged to
serve fish on Friday, she should endeavor to serve it on some other day.
Even twice a week is not too often. If such a plan were followed out,
fishermen would be able to market their catch when it is procured and
the waste of fish or the necessity for keeping it until a particular day
would be overcome.
22. Another way in which the housewife can help herself in the selection
of fish is to become familiar with all the varieties of edible fish
caught in or near her community. When she has done this, it will be a
splendid plan for her to give those with which she is unfamiliar a
trial. She will be surprised at the many excellent varieties that are
obtained in her locality and consequently come to her fresher than fish
that has to be shipped long distances.
23. FRESHNESS OF FISH.--In the purchase of fish, the housewife should
not permit herself to be influenced by any prejudice she may have as to
the name or the appearance of the fish. However, too much attention
cannot be paid to its freshness.
Several tests can be applied to fish to determine whether or not it is
fresh; therefore, when a housewife is in doubt, she should make an
effort to apply them. Fish should not give off any offensive odor. The
eyes should be bright and clear, not dull nor sunken. The gills should
have a bright-red color, and there should be no blubber showing. The
flesh should be so firm that no dent will be made when it is touched
with the finger. Fish may also be tested for freshness by placing it in
a pan of water; if it sinks, it may be known to be fresh, but if it
floats it is not fit for use.
24. CARE OF FISH IN THE HOME.--If fish is purchased in good condition,
and every effort should be made to see that it is, the responsibility of
its care in the home until it is presented to the family as a cooked
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dish rests on the housewife. If, upon reaching the housewife, it has not
been cleaned, it should be cleaned at once. In case it has been cleaned
either by the fish dealer or the housewife and cannot be cooked at once,
it should be looked over carefully, immediately washed in cold water,
salted slightly inside and out, placed in a covered enamel or porcelain
dish, and then put where it will keep as cold as possible. If a
refrigerator is used, the fish should be put in the compartment from
which odors cannot be carried to foods in the other compartments. In
cold weather, an excellent plan is to put the fish out of doors instead
of in the refrigerator, for there it will remain sufficiently cold
without the use of ice. However, the best and safest way is to cook the
fish at once, so that storing it for any length of time after its
delivery will not be necessary.
Salt and smoked fish do not, of course, require the same care as fresh
fish. However, as many of these varieties are strong in flavor, it is
well to weaken their flavor before cooking them by soaking them or, if
possible, by parboiling them.
PREPARATION OF FISH FOR COOKING
25. CLEANING FISH.--Fish is usually prepared for cooking at the market
where it is purchased, but frequently a fish comes into the home just as
it has been caught. In order to prepare such a fish properly for
cooking, the housewife must understand how to clean it. The first step
consists in removing the scales. To do this, place the fish on its side,
grasp it firmly by the tail, and then with the cutting edge of a knife,
preferably a dull one, scrape off the scales by quick motions of the
knife toward the head of the fish. When one side has been scraped
clean, or scaled, as this operation is called, turn the fish over and
scale the other side.
With the fish scaled, proceed to remove the entrails. Cut a slit in the
belly from the head end to the vent, using a sharp knife. Run the
opening up well toward the head, and then through the opening formed
draw out the entrails with the fingers.
If the head is to be removed, it should be cut off at this time. When a
fish is to be baked or prepared in some other way in which the head may
be retained, it is allowed to remain on, but it is kept more for an
ornament than for any other reason. To remove the head, slip a sharp
knife under the gills as far as possible, and then cut it off in such a
way as not to remove with it any of the body of the fish.
Whether the head is removed or not, make sure that the cavity formed by
taking out the entrails is perfectly clean. Then wash the fish with cold
water and, if desired, cut off the fins and tail, although this is not
usually done. The fish, which is now properly prepared, may be cooked at
once or placed in the refrigerator until time for cooking.
26. BONING FISH.--In the preparation of some kinds of fish, it is often
desired to bone the fish; that is, to remove the backbone and the ribs.
After the fish has been thoroughly cleaned, insert a sharp-pointed
knife in the back where it is cut from the head, and loosen the
backbone at this place. Then, slip the knife along the ribs away from
the backbone on both sides. After getting the bone well loosened at the
end, cut it from the flesh all the way down to the tail. When thus
separated from the flesh, the backbone and the ribs, which comprise
practically all the bones in a fish, may be lifted out intact.
117 / 148
27. SKINNING FISH.--Some kinds of fish, especially those having no
scales, such as flounder, catfish, and eels, are made more palatable by
being skinned. To skin a fish, cut a narrow strip of the skin along the
spine from the head to the tail. At this opening, loosen the skin on
one side where it is fastened to the bony part of the fish and then
draw it off around toward the belly, working carefully so as not to
tear the flesh. Sometimes it is a good plan to use a knife for this
purpose, working the skin loose from the flesh with the knife and at
the same time pulling the skin with the other hand. After removing the
skin from one side, turn the fish and take off the skin from the other
side in the same way. Care should be taken to clean the fish properly
before attempting to skin it. If the fish is frozen, it should first be
thawed in cold water.
28. FILLETING FISH.--As many recipes require fish to be cut into
fillets, that is, thick, flat slices from which the bone is removed,
it is well for the housewife to understand just how to accomplish this
part of the preparation. While this process varies somewhat in the
different varieties of fish, the usual steps are the ones here
outlined. After thoroughly cleaning the flounder and removing the skin,
lay the fish out flat and cut the flesh down through the center from
the head end to the tail. Then, with a knife, work each half of the
flesh loose from the bones. With these two pieces removed, turn the
fish over, cut the flesh down through the center, and separate it from
the bones in the same manner as before. If a meat board is on hand, it
is a good plan to place the fish on such a board before removing the
flesh. The strips thus produced may be cut into pieces of any preferred
size.
* * * * *
RECIPES FOR FISH AND FISH ACCOMPANIMENTS
METHODS OF COOKING FISH
29. As Tables II and III show, practically all methods of cookery are
applicable in the cooking of fish. For instance, fish may be boiled,
steamed, baked, fried, broiled, sauted, and, in addition, used for
various kinds of bisques, chowders, and numerous other made dishes. The
effect of these different methods is exactly the same on fish as on
meat, since the two foods are the same in general construction. The
cookery method to select depends largely on the size, kind, quality, and
flavor of the fish. Just as an old chicken with well-developed muscles
is not suitable for broiling, so a very large fish should not be broiled
unless it can be cut into slices, steaks, or thin pieces. Cook cutting
fish with knife. Such a fish is usually either stuffed and baked or
baked without stuffing, but when it is cut into slices, the slices may
be sauted, fried, broiled, or steamed.
Some varieties of fish are more or less tasteless. These should be
prepared by a cookery method that will improve their flavor, or if the
cooking fails to add flavor, a highly seasoned or highly flavored sauce
should be served with them. The acid of vinegar or lemon seems to assist
in bringing out the flavor of fish, so when a sauce is not used, a slice
of lemon is often served with the fish.
RECIPES FOR FISH SAUCES AND STUFFINGS
30. As many of the recipes for fish call for sauce and stuffing, recipes
118 / 148
for these accompaniments are taken up before the methods of cooking fish
are considered. This plan will make it possible for the beginner to
become thoroughly familiar with these accompaniments and thus be better
prepared to carry out the recipes for cooking fish.
31. SAUCES FOR FISH.--Sauces are generally served with fish to improve
their flavor and increase their nutritive value. Some kinds of fish,
such as salmon, shad, butterfish, Spanish mackerel, etc., contain more
than 6 per cent. of fat, but as many of the fish that are used for food
contain less than this, they are somewhat dry and are improved
considerably by the addition of a well-seasoned and highly flavored
sauce. Then, too, some fish contain very few extractives, which, when
present, as has been learned, are the source of flavor in food. As some
of the methods of cooking, boiling in particular, dissolve the few
extractives that fish contain and cause the loss of much of the
nutritive material, it becomes almost necessary to serve a sauce with
fish so prepared, if a tasty dish is to be the result.
32. The sauces that may be used with fish are numerous, and the one to
select depends somewhat on the cookery method employed and the
preference of those to whom the fish is served. Among the recipes that
follow will be found sauces suitable for any method that may be used in
the preparation of fish. A little experience with them will enable the
housewife to determine the ones that are most satisfactory as to both
flavor and nutritive value for the different varieties of fish she uses
and the methods of cookery she employs.
LEMON CREAM SAUCE
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
1 c. thin cream
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon or 1 Tb. vinegar
Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and continue stirring
until the two are well mixed. Add to this the thin cream and stir until
the mixture is thick and boils. Season with salt, pepper, and the juice
of the lemon or the vinegar.
SPANISH SAUCE
2 Tb. butter
1 slice of onion
2 Tb. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 c. milk
1/4 c. tomato puree
1/4 c. chopped pimiento
Brown the butter with the onion, add the flour, salt, and pepper, and
stir until well blended. Add the milk and allow the mixture to cook
until it thickens. To this add the tomato and pimiento. Heat thoroughly
and serve.
NUT SAUCE
1 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
2 Tb. peanut butter
119 / 148
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 c. meat stock
Melt the butter and add the flour and peanut butter. When they are well
mixed, allow them to brown slightly. Add the salt and pepper to this
mixture and pour into it the meat stock. Bring to the boiling point
and serve.
HORSERADISH SAUCE
1/2 c. cream
1/4 c. boiled salad dressing
2 Tb. grated horseradish
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. mustard
Whip the cream until stiff; then add the salad dressing, horseradish,
salt, paprika, and mustard. When well blended, the sauce is ready
to serve.
EGG SAUCE
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
3/4 c. milk
/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tb. vinegar
1 egg
1 Tb. chopped parsley
Melt the butter, add the flour, and stir until well blended. Add the
milk, salt, and pepper, and cook until the mixture thickens. To this add
the vinegar, the egg chopped fine, and the chopped parsley. Heat
thoroughly and serve.
TOMATO SAUCE
2 c. tomato puree
1 small onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
6 cloves
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Strain stewed tomato to make the puree. Put this over the fire in a
saucepan with the sliced onion, the bay leaf, and the cloves. Cook
slowly for about 10 minutes. Strain to remove the onion, bay leaf, and
cloves. Melt the butter, add the flour, salt, and pepper, and into this
pour the hot tomato. Cook until it thickens and serve.
MUSHROOM SAUCE
2 Tb. butter
1 slice of carrot
1 slice of onion
Sprig of parsley
120 / 148
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tb. flour
1 c. meat stock
1/2 c. mushrooms
2 tsp. lemon juice
Put the butter in a frying pan with the carrot, onion, parsley, salt,
and pepper, and cook together until brown. Remove the onion, carrot, and
parsley. Stir in the flour, brown it slightly, and then add the meat
stock. Cook together until thickened. Just before removing from the
fire, add the mushrooms, chopped into fine pieces, and the lemon juice.
Allow it to heat thoroughly and then serve.
DRAWN-BUTTER SAUCE
1/4 c. butter
2 Tb. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 c. hot water
2 hard-cooked eggs
Melt the butter, and add the flour, salt, and pepper. Pour into this the
hot water, and cook until the mixture thickens. Slice the eggs into
1/4-inch slices and add these to the sauce just before removing from
the stove.
33. STUFFING FOR FISH.--As has been mentioned, fish that is to be baked
is often stuffed before it is put into the oven. The stuffing not only
helps to preserve the shape of the fish, but also provides a means of
extending the flavor of the fish to a starchy food, for bread or cracker
crumbs are used in the preparation of most stuffings. Three recipes for
fish stuffing are here given, the first being made of bread crumbs and
having hot water for the liquid, the second of cracker crumbs and having
milk for the liquid, and the third of bread crumbs and having stewed
tomato for the liquid.
FISH STUFFING No. 1
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. hot water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. onion juice
1 Tb. chopped parsley
2 c. fine bread crumbs
Melt the butter in the hot water, add the salt, pepper, onion juice, and
parsley, and pour over the crumbs. Mix thoroughly and use to stuff
the fish.
FISH STUFFING No. 2
1/2 c. milk
2 c. cracker crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. melted butter
1 Tb. chopped parsley
1 egg
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Warm the milk and add it to the crumbs, together with the salt, pepper,
melted butter, and parsley. To this mixture, add the beaten egg. When
well mixed, use as stuffing for fish.
FISH STUFFING No. 3
2 Tb. butter
1 Tb. finely chopped onion
1 Tb. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 Tb. chopped sour pickles
1/2 c. stewed tomato
2 c. stale bread crumbs
Melt the butter and add the onion, parsley, salt, pepper, pickles, and
tomato. Pour this mixture over the crumbs, mix all thoroughly, and use
to stuff the fish. If the dressing seems to require more liquid than the
stewed tomato, add a little water.
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.
[Illustration: FIG. 16]
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
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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.
39. BROILED FISH.--The best way in which to cook small fish, thin strips
of fish, or even good-sized fish that are comparatively thin when they
are split open is to broil them. Since in this method of cooking the
flavor is entirely retained, it is especially desirable for any fish of
delicate flavor.
To broil fish, sear them quickly over a very hot fire and then cook them
more slowly until they are done, turning frequently to prevent burning.
As most fish, and particularly the small ones used for broiling, contain
almost no fat, it is necessary to supply fat for successful broiling and
improvement of flavor. It is difficult to add fat to the fish while it
is broiling, so, as a rule, the fat is spread over the surface of the
fish after it has been removed from the broiler. The fat may consist of
broiled strips of bacon or salt pork, or it may be merely melted butter
or other fat.
40. BROILED SCROD WITH POTATO BORDER.--Young cod that is split down the
back and that has had the backbone removed with the exception of a small
portion near the tail is known as scrod. Such fish is nearly always
broiled, it may be served plain, but it is much more attractive when
potatoes are combined with it in the form of an artistic border.
To prepare this dish, broil the scrod according to the directions given
in Art. 39. Then place it on a hot platter and spread butter over it.
Boil the desired number of potatoes until they are tender, and then
force them through a ricer or mash them until they are perfectly fine.
Season with salt, pepper, and butter, and add sufficient milk to make a
paste that is a trifle stiffer than for mashed potatoes. If desired, raw
eggs may also be beaten into the potatoes to serve as a part of the
moisture. Fill a pastry bag with the potatoes thus prepared and press
them through a rosette tube in any desired design on the platter around
the fish. Bake in a hot oven until the potatoes are thoroughly heated
and are browned slightly on the top.
41. BROILED FRESH MACKEREL.--Probably no fish lends itself better to
broiling than fresh mackerel, as the flesh of this fish is tender and
contains sufficient fat to have a good flavor. To improve the flavor,
however, strips of bacon are usually placed over the fish and allowed to
broil with it.
Clean and skin a fresh mackerel. Place the fish thus prepared in a
broiler, and broil first on one side and then on the other. When seared
all over, place strips of bacon over the fish and continue to broil
until it is done. Remove from the broiler, season with salt and pepper,
and serve.
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42. BROILED SHAD ROE.--The mass of eggs found in shad, is known as the
roe of shad. Roe may be purchased separately, when it is found in the
markets from January 1 to June 1, or it may be procured from the fish
itself. It makes a delicious dish when broiled, especially when it is
rolled in fat and bread crumbs.
Wash the roe that is to be used and dry it carefully between towels.
Roll it in bacon fat or melted butter and then in fine crumbs. Place in
a broiler, broil until completely done on one side, turn and then broil
until entirely cooked on the other side. Remove from the broiler and
pour melted butter over each piece. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and
serve hot.
43. BAKED FISH.--Good-sized fish, that is, fish weighing 4 or 5 pounds,
are usually baked. When prepared by this method, fish are very
satisfactory if they are spread out on a pan, flesh side up, and baked
in a very hot oven with sufficient fat to flavor them well. A fish of
large size, however, is especially delicious if its cavity is filled
with a stuffing before it is baked.
When a fish is to be stuffed, any desired stuffing is prepared and then
filled into the fish . With the cavity well filled, the edges of the
fish are drawn together over the stuffing and sewed with a coarse
needle and thread.
Whether the fish is stuffed or not, the same principles apply in its
baking as apply in the roasting of meat; that is, the heat of a quick,
hot oven sears the flesh, keeps in the juices, and prevents the loss of
flavor, while that of a slow oven causes the loss of much of the flavor
and moisture and produces a less tender dish.
44. Often, in the baking of fish, it is necessary to add fat. This may
be done by putting fat of some kind into the pan with the fish, by
spreading strips of bacon over the fish, or by larding it. In the dry
varieties of fish, larding proves very satisfactory, for it supplies
the substance in which the fish is most lacking. Larding is done by
inserting strips of bacon or salt pork that are about 3 inches long and
1/4 inch thick into gashes cut into the sides of the fish.
45. BAKED HADDOCK.--As haddock is a good-sized fish, it is an especially
suitable one for baking. However, it is a dry fish, so fat should be
added to it to improve its flavor. Any of the methods suggested in Art.
44 may be used to supply the fat that this fish needs.
When haddock is to be baked, select a 4 or 5-pound fish, clean it
thoroughly, boning it if desired, and sprinkle it inside and out with
salt. Fill the cavity with any desired stuffing and sew up. Place in a
dripping pan, and add some bacon fat or a piece of salt pork, or place
several slices of bacon around it. Bake in a hot oven for about 1 hour.
After it has been in the oven for about 15 minutes, baste with the fat
that will be found in the bottom of the pan and continue to baste every
10 minutes until the fish is done. Remove from the pan to a platter,
garnish with parsley and slices of broiled bacon, and serve with any
desired sauce.
46. BAKED HALIBUT.--Because of its size, halibut is cut into slices and
sold in the form of steaks. It is probably one of the most economical
varieties of fish to buy, for very little bone is contained in a slice
and the money that the housewife expends goes for almost solid meat.
Halibut slices are often sauted, but they make a delicious dish when
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baked with tomatoes and flavored with onion, lemon, and bay leaf, as
described in the accompanying recipe.
BAKED HALIBUT
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 c. tomatoes
Few slices onion
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 thin slices bacon
1 Tb. flour
2 lb. halibut steak
Heat the tomatoes, onion, and bay leaf in water. Add the salt and pepper
and cook for a few minutes. Cut the bacon into small squares, try it out
in a pan, and into this fat stir the flour. Pour this into the hot
mixture, remove the bay leaf, and cook until the mixture thickens. Put
the steaks into a baking dish, pour the sauce over them, and bake in a
slow oven for about 45 minutes. Remove with the sauce to a hot platter
and serve.
47. BAKED FILLETS OF WHITEFISH.--When whitefish of medium size can be
secured, it is very often stuffed and baked whole, but variety can be
had by cutting it into fillets before baking it. Besides producing a
delicious dish, this method of preparation eliminates carving at the
table, for the pieces can be cut the desired size for serving.
Prepare fillets of whitefish according to the directions for filleting
fish in Art. 28. Sprinkle each one with salt and pepper, and dip it
first into beaten egg and then into bread crumbs. Brown some butter in a
pan, place the fish into it, and set the pan in a hot oven. Bake until
the fillets are a light brown, or about 30 minutes. Remove to a hot
dish, garnish with parsley and serve with any desired sauce.
48. FILLET OF FLOUNDER.--In appearance, flounder is not so attractive as
many other fish, but it is a source of excellent flesh and is therefore
much used. A very appetizing way in which to prepare flounder is to
fillet it and prepare it according to the accompanying recipe.
Secure a flounder and fillet it in the manner explained in Art. 28. Cut
each fillet into halves, making eight pieces from one flounder. Cut
small strips of salt pork or bacon, roll the pieces of flounder around
these, and fasten with a toothpick. Place in a baking dish with a small
quantity of water, and bake in a hot oven until a good brown. Serve hot.
49. PLANKED FISH.--Like planked steak, planked fish, is a dish that
appeals to the eye and pleases the taste. The fish is baked on the
plank and then surrounded with a border of potatoes, the fish and
potatoes making an excellent food.
To prepare planked fish, thoroughly clean and bone a medium-size
whitefish, shad, haddock, or any desired fish. Grease a plank and place
the fish on it. Lay some strips of bacon across the top of the fish,
place in a hot oven, and bake for about 30 minutes or a little longer if
necessary. Boil potatoes and prepare them for piping by mashing them,
using 4 tablespoonfuls of milk, 1 tablespoonful of butter, and one egg
to each 2 cupfuls of potato. Then, with a rosette pastry tube, pipe a
border of potatoes around the edge of the plank. Likewise, pipe
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rosettes of potatoes on the strips of bacon placed on top of the fish.
Then replace the plank with the fish and potatoes in the oven, and bake
until the potatoes are brown. Garnish with parsley and serve.
50. FRIED FISH.--Very small fish or slices of larger fish are often
fried in deep fat. When they are prepared in this way, they are first
dipped into beaten egg and then into crumbs or corn meal to form a
coating that will cling to their surface. Coated with such a material,
they are fried in deep fat until the surface is nicely browned. After
being removed from the fat, they should be drained well before serving.
51. FRIED PERCH.--When fried in deep fat, perch is found to be very
appetizing. To prepare it in this way, secure a perch and scale and
clean it. Cut it crosswise into 2-inch strips, roll each piece in flour,
and fry in deep fat until nicely browned. Serve hot with lemon or with a
sauce of some kind.
52. FRIED EEL.--If an appetizing way to cook eel is desired, it will be
found advisable to fry it in deep fat. When it is to be cooked in this
way, skin and clean the eel and cut it into thick slices. Pour some
vinegar over the slices, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and allow
them to stand for several hours. Remove the pieces from the vinegar, dip
each one into slightly beaten egg and then into flour, and fry in deep
fat until well browned. Serve plain or with a sauce.
53. SAUTED FISH.--Without doubt, the most popular way to prepare fish is
to saute them. This method may be applied to practically the same kinds
of fish that are fried or broiled, and it is especially desirable for
the more tasteless varieties. It consists in browning the fish well in a
small quantity of fat, first on one side and then on the other. If fat
of good flavor is used, such as bacon or ham fat, the flavor of the
fish will be very much improved. Before sauteing, the fish or pieces of
fish are often dipped into slightly beaten egg and then rolled in flour,
very fine cracker crumbs, or corn meal, or the egg is omitted and they
are merely covered with the dry, starchy material. The effect of this
method of cooking is very similar to that of deep-fat frying, except
that the outside tissues are apt to become, very hard from the
application of the hot fat because of the coating that is generally
used. Since most fish breaks very easily, it is necessary that it be
handled carefully in this method in order that the pieces may be
kept whole.
54. SAUTED SMELTS.--To be most satisfactory, smelts are generally
sauted. Fish of this kind are prepared for cooking by cutting off the
heads and removing the entrails through the opening thus made; or, if
it is desired to leave the heads on, the entrails may be removed
through the gill or a small slit cut below the mouth. At any rate,
these fish are not cut open as are most other fish.
With the fish thus prepared, roll them in fine cracker crumbs and saute
them in melted butter until they are nicely browned. Serve with
slices of lemon.
55. SAUTED HALIBUT STEAK.--Slices of halibut, when firm in texture and
cut about 3/4 inch thick, lend themselves very well to sauteing. Secure
the required number of such slices and sprinkle each with salt and
pepper. Then spread melted butter over each steak, and roll it in fine
crumbs. Place fat in a frying pan, allow it to become hot, and saute the
halibut in this until well browned.
56. SAUTED PICKEREL.--A variety of fresh-water fish that finds favor
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with most persons is pickerel. When this fish is to be sauted, scale
and clean it and cut it crosswise into 2-inch strips. Then roll each
piece in flour, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and saute the slices
in hot fat. When one side is sufficiently brown, turn and brown on the
other side.
57. STEWED FISH.--Like boiling, stewing extracts flavor and nutriment
from fish. The process differs, however, in that the fish is cooked
gently by simmering. This cookery method is employed for fish that is
inclined to be tough. Usually, vegetables, such as carrots and onions,
are cooked with the fish in order to impart flavor. To prevent the fish
from falling apart, it may be wrapped in cheesecloth or gauze.
58. STEWED FRESH HERRING.--When fresh herring can be obtained, it can be
made into a delicious dish by stewing it with onions, parsley, and
carrots. In this method of preparation, the herring should not be
permitted to stew rapidly; it will become more tender if it simmers
gently. As herring are rather small fish, weighing only about 1/2 pound,
it will usually be necessary to obtain more than one for a meal.
Clean the required number of fresh herring, place them in a saucepan,
and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Brown some slices of onion in
butter, and add the same number of slices of carrots and a generous
quantity of parsley. Add enough boiling water to these vegetables to
cover them and the fish, and pour both over the fish. Place all on the
fire and simmer gently until the fish is tender. Remove the fish from
the water and serve. The vegetables are used merely to add flavor, and
they will have practically boiled away by the time the fish is cooked.
59. STEWED EEL.--Eel is delicious when stewed. When allowed to simmer
slowly with several slices of onion and a little parsley, it becomes
both tasty and tender.
Skin and clean the eel that is to be stewed, remove all the fat, and cut
into pieces about 2 inches long. Season well with salt and pepper and
place in a saucepan with several slices of onion, 1 tablespoonful of
chopped parsley, and 2 tablespoonfuls of butter. Add enough cold water
to cover well, and allow the eel to simmer gently until it is tender
enough to be pierced with a fork. Remove from the water and serve hot.
RECIPES FOR SALT AND SMOKED FISH
60. PLACE OF SALT AND SMOKED FISH IN THE DIET.--In regions where fresh
fish cannot be obtained or in seasons when they are scarce everywhere,
the housewife will do well to use salt and smoked fish. These varieties
of fish not only will give her a chance to vary the diet, but will
enable her to provide at a more economical price, food that, pound for
pound, contains more nutriment than the same fish when fresh. While some
of the varieties of smoked and salt fish may not be obtainable in all
communities, the housewife will do much toward bringing the supply to
her community by requesting them from the dealer. When a dealer knows
that there is a demand for certain kinds, he will make an effort to
secure the varieties wanted.
61. FRESHENING SALT AND SMOKED FISH.--The cooking of salt and smoked
fish is not a difficult matter, but it always involves the freshening of
the fish before any cooking method can be applied. This consists in
placing the fish in a large quantity of water and allowing it to stand
until enough of the salt has been extracted to suit the taste. Some
kinds of fish are so salty that they require considerable soaking,
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whereas others require only a little freshening. However, it is usually
advisable to change the water several times. If it is desired to hasten
the extraction of the salt, the fish should be raised above the bottom
of the vessel by means of a wire rack or several clean sticks. In the
case of very thick fish, several gashes may be cut into the flesh to
permit the salt to pass out more readily.
62. CREAMED CODFISH.--Since codfish is a rather dry fish, containing
little fat, it is usually combined with some other food to make it more
appetizing. In the case of creamed codfish, the cream sauce supplies the
food substances in which the fish is lacking and at the same time
provides a very palatable dish. When codfish is prepared in this way,
boiled potatoes are usually served with it.
To make creamed codfish, freshen the required amount of codfish by
pouring lukewarm water over it. Shred the fish by breaking it into small
pieces with the fingers. Pour off the water, add fresh warm water, and
allow the fish to stand until it is not too salty. When it is
sufficiently freshened, drain off all the water. Melt a little butter in
a frying pan, add the fish, and saute until slightly browned. Make a
medium white sauce and pour it over the codfish. Serve hot with
boiled potatoes.
63. CODFISH BALLS.--Another excellent way in which to serve codfish is
to combine it with mashed potatoes, make these into balls, and fry them
in deep fat. These give variety to meals and also afford an opportunity
to serve a nutritious food.
Freshen the codfish as explained in Art. 61, and then mince it very
fine. Add an equal amount of freshly cooked hot potato that has been put
through a potato ricer or mashed fine. Mix thoroughly and, if necessary,
season with salt and pepper. Shape into balls and fry in deep fat. Drain
well and serve hot.
64. SAUTED SALT MACKEREL.--When an extremely tasty dish that will afford
a change from the usual daily routine of meals is desired, sauted salt
mackerel will be found very satisfactory.
Freshen salt mackerel that is to be sauted by putting it into a saucepan
and covering it with cold water. Place this over the fire, and allow the
water to heat to almost the boiling point. Pour off the water, and saute
the fish in butter or other fat until nicely browned. If desired, pour a
small amount of thin cream over the mackerel just before removing it
from the pan, allow this to heat, and serve it as a sauce with
the mackerel.
65. BAKED FINNAN HADDIE.--When haddock is cured by smoking, it is known
as finnan haddie. As fish of this kind has considerable thick flesh,
it is very good for baking. Other methods of cookery may, of course, be
applied to it, but none is more satisfactory than baking.
To bake a finnan haddie, wash it in warm water and put it to soak in
fresh warm water. After it has soaked for 1/2 hour, allow it to come
gradually to nearly the boiling point and then pour off the water. Place
the fish in a baking pan, add a piece of butter, sprinkle with pepper,
and pour a little water over it. Bake in a hot oven until it is nicely
browned. Serve hot.
66. CREAMED FINNAN HADDIE.--The flavor of finnan haddie is such that
this fish becomes very appetizing when prepared with a cream sauce. If,
after combining the sauce with the fish, the fish is baked in the oven,
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an especially palatable dish is the result.
To prepare creamed finnan haddie, freshen the fish and shred it into
small pieces. Then measure the fish, put it into a baking dish, and
pour an equal amount of white sauce over it. Sprinkle generously with
crumbs and bake in a hot oven until the crumbs are browned. Serve hot.
67. BOILED SALMON.--When smoked salmon can be secured, it makes a
splendid fish for boiling. If it is cooked until tender and then served
with a well-seasoned sauce, it will find favor with most persons.
Freshen smoked salmon in warm water as much as seems necessary,
remembering that the cooking to which it will be subjected will remove a
large amount of the superfluous salt. Cover the salmon with hot water,
and simmer slowly until it becomes tender. Remove from the water, pour a
little melted butter over it, and serve with any desired sauce.
RECIPES FOR CANNED FISH
68. CANNED FISH IN THE DIET.--As a rule, canned fish is a comparatively
cheap food and there is no reason why the economical housewife should
not make frequent use of the various kinds. It should be bought,
however, from a reputable firm, in order that the greatest value may be
obtained for the money spent. In addition, it should be used as soon as
possible after the can has been opened; if all of it cannot be utilized
at one time, it should be placed in a covered receptacle--not a metal
one--and kept cold to prevent it from spoiling. Often canned fish can be
served without any further preparation than removing it from the can.
However, as some varieties, particularly salmon and tuna fish, are much
used in the preparation of both cold and cooked dishes, several recipes
are here given for these varieties.
69. CREAMED TUNA FISH.--Combining tuna fish with a cream sauce and
serving it over toast makes a dish that is both delicate and
palatable--one that will prove very satisfactory when something to take
the place of meat in a light meal is desired.
CREAMED TUNA FISH
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
3 Tb. butter
3 Tb. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika
1-1/2 c. hot milk
1-1/2 c. tuna fish
1 egg
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, salt, pepper, and
paprika. Stir well, pour in the milk, and when this has thickened add
the tuna fish. Allow this to heat thoroughly in the sauce. Just before
serving, add the slightly beaten egg and cook until this has thickened.
Pour over toast and serve.
70. SALMON MOLD.--A change from the usual way of serving salmon can be
had by making a salmon mold such as is illustrated in Fig. 24. Besides
being a delicious dish and providing variety in the diet, salmon mold is
very attractive.
129 / 148
SALMON MOLD
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 c. salmon
2 Tb. vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 Tb. gelatine
1-1/2 c. boiling water
Remove all skin and bones from the salmon when it is taken from the can,
and mince it thoroughly with a fork. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Prepare the gelatine by dissolving it in the boiling water. Add the
seasoned salmon to the prepared gelatine. With cold water, wet a
ring-shaped mold having an open space in the center. Pour the
salmon-and-gelatine mixture into this mold, and allow it to stand until
it solidifies. Arrange a bed of lettuce leaves on a chop plate, turn the
mold out on this, and fill the center with dressing. Serve at once. A
very desirable dressing for this purpose is made as follows:
DRESSING FOR SALMON MOLD
1 c. cream
2 Tb. vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tb. sugar
1 c. finely chopped cucumber
Whip the cream until it is stiff, and add the vinegar, salt, and sugar.
Fold into this the finely chopped cucumber.
71. SALMON PATTIES.--Delicious patties can be made from salmon by
combining it with bread crumbs and using a thick white sauce to hold the
ingredients together. These may be either sauted in shallow fat or fried
in deep fat.
SALMON PATTIES
(Sufficient to Serve Eight)
2 c. finely minced salmon
1 c. fresh bread crumbs
1 c. thick white sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Dry bread crumbs
With the salmon, mix the fresh bread crumbs and the white sauce. Season
with salt and pepper. Shape into round patties, roll in the dry bread
crumbs, and fry in deep fat or saute in shallow fat. Serve hot with or
without sauce.
72. CREAMED SALMON WITH RICE.--A creamed protein dish is always more
satisfactory if it is served on some other food, particularly one high
in carbohydrate. When this is done, a better balanced dish is the
result. Creamed salmon and rice make a very nutritious and appetizing
combination.
CREAMED SALMON WITH RICE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. salmon
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1 c. medium white sauce
Steamed rice
Break the salmon into moderately small pieces and carefully fold these
into the hot white sauce. Serve this on a mound of hot steamed rice.
RECIPES FOR LEFT-OVER FISH
73. So as not to waste any food material, it is necessary that all
left-over fish be utilized in some way. This is not so simple a matter
as in the case of meat, because fish is one of the foods that are not
popular as a left-over dish. Still fish left-overs can be used if a
little thought is given to the matter. Of course, it is a wise plan to
prepare only the quantity of fish that can be consumed at the meal for
which it is cooked, but should any remain it should not be thrown away,
for some use can be made of it. A point to remember, however, is that
fish is not satisfactory in soup of any kind except a fish soup;
therefore, bits of left-over fish may be added to only such soups as
clam chowder or other fish chowder.
Whether the fish has been boiled, steamed, baked, fried, sauted, or
prepared in any other way, it may always be made into croquettes. When
used for this purpose, all the bones should be carefully removed. These
may be easily taken out after the fish has become cold. If the fish has
been stuffed and part of the stuffing remains, it may be broken into
pieces and used with the flesh of the fish. A recipe for croquettes in
which fish is combined with rice follows.
74. FISH CROQUETTES.--If any quantity of left-over fish is on hand, it
may be combined with rice to make very tasty croquettes.
FISH CROQUETTES
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1-1/2 c. cold fish
1 c. cold steamed rice
1 c. thick white sauce
Salt and pepper
1 egg
Crumbs
Mince the fish into small pieces, mix with the rice, and add the white
sauce. Season with salt and pepper and shape into croquettes. Dip into
slightly beaten egg, roll in crumbs, and fry in deep fat. Drain and
serve with any desired sauce.
75. CREAMED FISH IN POTATO NEST.--Fish may also be combined with mashed
potato to produce a most appetizing dish. Line a baking dish with hot
mashed potato, leaving a good-sized hollow in the center. Into this pour
creamed fish made by mixing equal proportions of left-over cold fish and
white sauce. Season well with salt and pepper, sprinkle with crumbs, and
dot the top with butter. Bake until the crumbs are brown. Serve hot.
* * * * *
SHELL FISH
NATURE, VARIETIES, AND USE OF SHELL FISH
76. Besides the varieties of fish that have already been considered, the
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general term fish also includes SHELL FISH. Fish of this kind are
different in structure from bony fish, for they are acquatic animals
that are entirely or partly encased in shells. They include mollusks,
or bivalves, such as oysters, clams, and scallops, and crustaceans,
such as lobsters, crabs, and shrimp.
77. The popularity of the edible varieties of mollusks and crustaceans
mentioned depends largely on whether they can be easily obtained and
whether they are pleasing to the local or individual taste. As they are
found in salt rivers, bays, and other shallow salt-water sources, their
greatest use is among people living near the seashore, but they are much
favored where they can be procured in edible condition. They are not so
cheap as many other fish foods; that is, a certain amount of money will
not purchase so great a quantity of shell fish, lobster for instance, as
some of the well-known varieties of fish proper, such as halibut or
whitefish. Lobsters and crabs are usually more expensive than oysters
and clams; consequently, they are used more often to provide a delicacy
or to supply something more or less uncommon for a special meal.
78. Several precautions should be observed in purchasing shell fish. For
instance, crabs and lobsters should be purchased alive. They are usually
shipped on ice so that they will remain in this condition for some time,
and they are displayed on ice in the markets for the same reason. Such
shell fish should be kept alive until they are plunged into boiling
water to cook. Oysters and clams bought in the shell must also be alive
when purchased. A tightly closed shell indicates that they are alive,
whereas a slightly open shell proves that they are dead. If these two
varieties are bought out of the shells, the fish themselves should not
be accompanied by a great quantity of liquid. Considerable liquid is an
indication that the oysters or clams have been adulterated by the
addition of water. Formerly it was the custom to keep oysters in fresh
water, as the water they absorb bloats or fattens them. This practice,
however, has fallen into disfavor.
79. Shell fish lend themselves admirably to a large variety of dishes,
including soups, entrees, salads, and substitutes for meat dishes. They
possess a great deal of distinctive flavor, their food value is
comparatively high, and, provided they are in good condition and are
properly prepared, they are healthful and easily digested. It can
therefore be seen that shell fish have much to recommend their use.
There is considerable danger, however, in using any varieties that are
not perfectly fresh or freshly cooked. In the case of mollusks, or
bivalves, much harm has resulted from the use of those which have been
grown or bred in unsanitary surroundings. Because of these facts, it is
of the utmost importance that great care be exercised in selecting and
preparing shell fish.
80. COMPOSITION AND FOOD VALUE OF SHELL FISH.--In composition, the
varieties of fish included under shell fish do not differ greatly from
fish proper. Most of them, however, contain more waste and less of the
food substances than fish, so that their food value is somewhat lower.
Table IV will serve to give a good idea of the composition and food
value of the several varieties of shell fish, and in studying it, a good
plan will be to compare it with Table I, which gives the food value of
fish. As will be observed, protein forms a very large proportion of the
food substance of shell fish. Also, they contain more carbohydrates than
fish, the amount ranging from .4 to 5.2 per cent., which is in the form
of sugar. Although this amount is too small to warrant much
consideration as a supply of carbohydrates, it is mentioned because it
is an interesting fact.
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TABLE IV
COMPOSITION AND FOOD VALUE OF SHELL FISH
Name of Fish Water Protein Fat Total Ash Food Value
Carbo- Per Pound
hydrates Calories
Clams, removed
from shell 80.8 10.6 1.1 5.2 2.3 340
Crabs, whole 77.1 16.6 2.0 1.2 3.1 415
Lobsters, whole 79.2 16.4 1.8 .4 2.2 390
Oysters, in shell 86.9 6.2 1.2 3.7 2.0 235
Scallops 80.3 14.8 .1 3.4 1.4 345
TABLE V
SEASONS FOR SHELL FISH
NAME OF FISH SEASON
Clams, hard shelled..............All the year
Clams, soft shelled..............May 1 to October 15
Crabs, hard shelled..............All the year
Crabs, soft shelled..............March 1 to October 15
Lobsters.........................All the year
Oysters..........................September 1 to May 1
Scallops.........................September 15 to April 1
Shrimp...........................March 15 to June 1, and
September 15 to October 15
81. SEASONS FOR SHELL FISH.--With the exception of clams and lobster,
which can be obtained all the year around, shell fish have particular
seasons; that is, there is a certain time of the year when they are not
suitable for food. It is very important that every housewife know just
what these seasons are, so that she will not include the foods in the
diet of her family when they should not be used. Table V, which will
furnish her with the information she needs, should therefore be
carefully studied.
* * * * *
OYSTERS, CLAMS, AND SCALLOPS
OYSTERS AND THEIR PREPARATION
82. OYSTERS, CLAMS, and SCALLOPS are salt-water fish that belong to the
family of mollusks, or soft-bodied animals. They are entirely encased in
hard shells, which, though of the same general shape, differ somewhat
from each other in appearance. Oysters are larger than clams and have a
rough, uneven shell, whereas clams have a smooth, roundish shell. The
three varieties of mollusks are closely related in their composition
and in their use as food, but as oysters are probably used more
commonly than the others they are considered first.
83. COMPOSITION OF OYSTERS.--Oysters occupy a prominent place among
animal foods, because they are comparatively high in protein. In
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addition, they contain a substance that most flesh foods lack in any
quantity, namely, carbohydrate in the form of glycogen, and for this
reason are said to resemble milk closely in composition. A comparison
of the following figures will show how these foods resemble each other:
WATER PROTEIN FAT CARBOHYDRATE MINERAL SALTS
Milk......... 87.0 3.3 4.0 5.0 .7
Oysters...... 86.9 6.2 1.2 3.7 2.0
Oysters, as will be observed, contain only a small quantity of fat, and
for this reason their total food value is somewhat lower than that of
milk. A pint of milk has a value of 325 calories, while the same
quantity of oysters has an approximate value of only 250 calories.
Because of the difference in the cost of these two foods, oysters
costing several times as much as milk, the use of oysters is not so
cheap a way of supplying food material.
84. DIGESTIBILITY OF OYSTERS.--When merely the ability of the digestive
tract to handle oysters is taken into consideration, they are said to be
easily digested if they are served raw or are properly prepared. This is
due to the fact that when taken as a food they are disposed of in a
comparatively short time by the stomach. In addition, their absorption
from the alimentary tract is quite complete; that is, they contain
little or no waste material. But, just as cooking has much to do with
the digestibility of other protein foods, so it has with oysters. For
this reason, the housewife who wishes to feed her family this food in
its most digestible form must thoroughly understand all phases of
its cooking.
85. HEALTHFULNESS OF OYSTERS.--Much illness has been attributed to
oysters, and without doubt they have been the cause of some typhoid and
some ptomaine poisoning. A knowledge of the reason for these diseases
has done much to eliminate them. It is now definitely known that much of
the typhoid caused from eating oysters was due to the conditions under
which they were grown. In their growth, oysters fasten themselves to
stationary things, such as rocks or piles driven into the ground
underneath the water, and they obtain their food by simply opening the
shell and making use of minute particles of plant and animal life that
they are able to extract from the water. When the water was not clean or
when sewage was turned into it, typhoid germs were transmitted to
persons who took oysters as food. At present, there is scarcely any
danger from such causes, for more care is now given to the conditions
under which oysters grow. Ptomaine poisoning from oysters was caused by
eating them when they had been improperly cared for in storage or had
been taken from the shells after they were dead. Unless persons handling
oysters know how to take care of them, this danger is still likely
to exist.
86. PURCHASING OYSTERS.--To be able to purchase oysters intelligently,
the housewife should be familiar with the names of the various kinds.
These names are dependent on the locality from which the oysters come,
and include Blue Points, Cape Cods, Cotuits, Lynn Havens, and numerous
other varieties. It should be remembered that the varieties raised in
different localities are quite distinctive, differing to some extent in
both size and appearance. Unless the purchaser is familiar with the
different varieties, almost any of the small oysters are likely to be
sold to her for one of the small varieties and, likewise, any of the
large oysters for one of the large varieties. While this is of small
consequence, provided the quality is satisfactory and the price is
right, it is well for every housewife to familiarize herself with the
names of the various kinds, so that she may know just what variety she
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is purchasing.
87. When oysters are bought in the shell, they should be alive, a fact
that can be determined by the tightly closed shell, as has already been
stated. If the shells are not closed or can be easily pried apart, it
may be known that the oysters are not good and that they should be
rejected. When it is possible to procure them, oysters that have been
removed from the shells immediately after being taken from the beds are
preferable to those which have not been removed from the shells before
shipping. When purchased out of the shells, oysters should be grayish in
color, should have no disagreeable odor, and should contain no excess
water or liquid. After being purchased, oysters should be kept on ice
unless they can be cooked at once.
The season for oysters is from September to April, inclusive. While in
some localities they can be purchased at other times during the year,
they are not likely to be so good. In fact, it is not safe to use
oysters during the warm months.
88. IMPORTANT POINTS IN COOKING OYSTERS.--The protein of oysters, like
that found in other foods, is coagulated by heat. Long heat, provided it
is sufficiently intense, makes oysters tough, and in this condition they
are neither agreeable to eat nor readily digested. When they are to be
cooked at a high temperature, therefore, the cooking should be done
quickly. If they are to be cooked at a temperature below the boiling
point, they may be subjected to heat for a longer time without becoming
so tough as when a high temperature is used. Cooking quickly at a high
temperature, however, is preferable in most cases to long, slow cooking.
For example, in the preparation of oyster stew, long cooking produces no
better flavor than short cooking at a high temperature and renders
oysters far less digestible.
89. OPENING OYSTERS.--Unless oysters are bought already opened, it
becomes necessary to open them in the home before they can be served raw
or cooked. To open oysters is not difficult, and with a little
experience the work can be done with ease. It will be well to note that
the two shells of an oyster, which are called valves, are held
together by a single muscle, known as the adductor muscle, that lies
near the center, and that this muscle must be cut before the shell will
open readily. Before attempting to open oysters, however, they should be
scrubbed with clean water, so as to remove any sand that may be on the
shells. When the oysters are cleaned, insert the point of a knife into
the hinged, or pointed, end and push the blade between the valves until
they appear to separate, when it will be known that the muscle has been
cut. Then, lay the valves open and loosen the oyster from the shell by
slipping the knife under it.
If the oysters that are being opened are to be cooked before serving,
simply drop them with their liquid into a suitable vessel and discard
the shells. Before using the oysters, remove them from the liquid, look
them over carefully to see that no small particles of shells cling to
them, and wash them in clean, cold water to remove any sand that may be
present. Also, strain the liquid through a cloth, so that it will be
free from sand when used in the preparation of the dish for which the
oysters are to be used or for the making of soup or broth.
Oysters that are to be eaten raw are frequently served on the half
shell. Therefore, if they are to be used in this way, place each oyster,
as it is loosened in the process of opening, into the deeper shell, and
discard the other one. Very often good-looking oyster shells are saved
in order that they may be used from time to time in serving raw oysters
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that are bought already opened.
90. RAW OYSTERS.--When an appetizer is desired in a meal that is to
consist of several courses, raw oysters are often used for the first
course. Oysters that are to be eaten raw may be served in the shells or
removed from them. They are bland in flavor, however, and require some
sharp, highly seasoned sauce in order to give them sufficient snap. The
sauces commonly used for this purpose include cocktail sauce, chilli
sauce, catsup, horseradish, and tobasco sauce. Sometimes, though, lemon
juice or vinegar and pepper and salt are preferred to sauce. As a rule,
crisp crackers, small squares of toast, or wafers and butter accompany
raw oysters in any form, and sometimes celery and radishes are
served, too.
91. When a cocktail sauce is served with raw oysters, they are generally
referred to as OYSTER COCKTAILS. Two methods of serving these are in
practice. In one, the cocktail sauce is put into a small glass placed
in the center of a soup plate filled with cracked ice, and the oysters,
usually six in half shells, are arranged around the glass, on the ice.
In the other, the desired number of oysters that have been removed from
the shells are dropped into a stemmed glass containing the cocktail
sauce, and the glass is placed in a bowl of cracked ice. An oyster
fork, which is a small, three-pronged fork, is always served with raw
oysters, and usually a piece of lemon is supplied in addition to the
cocktail sauce.
92. OYSTER STEW.--If an extremely nutritious way of preparing oysters is
desired, oyster stew should be selected. This is perhaps the simplest
way in which to cook oysters, and yet care must be exercised in making
this dish, for the oysters should not be cooked too long and the milk,
which must be brought to the boiling point, should not be allowed to
burn. Oyster stew makes an excellent dish for lunch. It should not be
served as the first course of a heavy meal because of the large amount
of nutriment it contains.
OYSTER STEW
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 qt. oysters
1 qt. milk
2 Tb. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Pour 1 cupful of water over the oysters, look them over carefully, and
remove any pieces of shell that may cling to the oysters, making sure
that any particles of sand are washed off. Heat this liquid to the
boiling point and then strain it through a cloth. Put the milk on the
fire to heat, and when hot, add the butter, salt, and pepper, and
strained liquid. After the whole mixture has come to the boiling point,
pour in the oysters and cook until they look plump and the edges begin
to curl. Remove from the heat and serve with crisp crackers.
93. CREAMED OYSTERS.--Another nutritious way in which to prepare oysters
and at the same time produce a dish that is pleasing to most persons is
to cream them. After being creamed, oysters may be served over toast or
in timbale cases.
CREAMED OYSTERS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
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2 Tb. butter
24 oysters
1-1/2 c. medium white sauce
Salt and pepper
6 slices toast or 6 timbale cases
Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the oysters, and heat them in the
butter until the edges begin to curl slightly. Pour the hot oysters into
the hot white sauce, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve
over toast or in timbale cases.
94. SCALLOPED OYSTERS.--No food makes a more palatable scalloped dish
than oysters. Oysters so prepared are liked by nearly every one, and the
ingredients with which they are combined help to give such a dish
balance so far as the food substances are concerned. Care should be
taken, however, in the baking of scalloped oysters, for they are likely
to become tough if they are cooked too long.
SCALLOPED OYSTERS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. bread crumbs
2 Tb. butter
1 c. cracker crumbs
1 pt. oysters
Salt and pepper
1 c. milk
Butter the bread crumbs with the butter, and then mix them with the
cracker crumbs. Sprinkle the bottom of a greased baking dish with
one-fourth of the crumbs, and over this put a layer of oysters that have
been previously cleaned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add
one-fourth more of the crumbs. Add another layer of oysters, sprinkle
with salt and pepper, and place the remainder of the crumbs on top.
Strain the liquid from the oysters through a piece of cloth, mix this
with the milk, and pour over the dish thus prepared. Place in a hot
oven, and bake until the mixture is thoroughly heated and the top
is brown.
95. FRIED OYSTERS.--Of all the dishes prepared from oysters, fried
oysters undoubtedly find favor with the greatest number of persons.
However, unless care is taken in frying the oysters, they are likely to
be somewhat indigestible. Deep fat should be used for this purpose, and
it should be hot enough to brown a 1-inch cube of bread a golden brown
in 40 seconds.
FRIED OYSTERS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
24 large oysters
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
Fine cracker crumbs
Salt
Pepper
Thoroughly dry the oysters by laying them on one end of a soft cloth and
patting them with the other. Beat the egg and add the milk to it. Dip
the oysters into the cracker crumbs, then into the egg-and-milk mixture,
and again into the crumbs. Fry in deep fat until brown. Remove from the
fat, drain well, and place on oiled paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
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and serve hot.
96. OYSTER PIE.--Baking oysters into a pie is another means of combining
a protein food with foods that are high in other food substances. As
oyster pie is somewhat hearty, it may be used as the main dish of a
heavy meal.
OYSTER PIE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 pt. oysters
1 c. medium white sauce
Salt and pepper
Baking-powder biscuit dough
Cut each of the oysters into three or four pieces, and place them in a
greased baking dish. Pour over them the hot white sauce and the juice
from the oysters. Season with salt and pepper. Over the top, place a
layer of the biscuit dough rolled about 1/4 inch thick. Set in a hot
oven and bake until the crust is brown.
97. PIGS IN BLANKETS.--When something entirely different in the way of
oysters is desired, pigs in blankets should be tried. This is a very
good name for the dish given in the accompanying recipe, for the oysters
are rolled up in a strip of bacon, which serves as a blanket. They are
especially suitable for a light meal, such as luncheon or a dainty lunch
that is to be served to company.
PIGS IN BLANKETS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
18 large oysters
18 thin strips of bacon
After the oysters have been cleaned, roll each one in a strip of bacon.
Fasten the bacon where the edges meet by running a toothpick through at
this point. Place in a broiler and broil on one side until brown; then
turn them and broil until the other side is brown. Serve hot.
98. OYSTER FRITTERS.--Variety may also be secured in the use of oysters
by making oyster fritters. When such fritters are nicely browned and
served with an appetizing sauce, an attractive as well as a tasty dish
is the result.
OYSTER FRITTERS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 pt. oysters
1 egg muffin batter
Clean the oysters and cut each into four or five pieces. Make a one-egg
muffin batter and to it add the cut oysters. Drop the mixture by
spoonfuls into deep fat and fry until brown. Remove from the fat, drain,
and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with a desired sauce.
CLAMS AND THEIR PREPARATION
99. NATURE AND DIGESTIBILITY OF CLAMS.--Clams are bivalves similar to
oysters in both form and composition. Because of the similarity in
composition, they are utilized in much the same ways as oysters, being
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used extensively for food in parts of the country where the supply is
large. There are numerous varieties of clams, and some of them differ
slightly from each other in appearance, color, and flavor. Preference
for the different varieties is largely a matter of individual taste.
Clams may be purchased loose or in the shell and they may be served in
or out of the shell. However, when bought in the shell, they must be
purchased alive and must be subjected to the same tests as are oysters.
As in the case of oysters, they may be eaten raw or cooked. Their
preparation for cooking is similar to that of oysters. In the raw state,
they are easily digested, but upon the application of heat they become
tough, and the longer they are cooked, the tougher they become. It can
therefore be seen that the digestibility of clams is influenced very
much by cooking.
100. OPENING CLAMS.--If clams are to be opened in the home, First wash
the clams to remove the sand, and then place a clam on a hard surface
so that the pointed edge is up. Insert the thin edge of a knife into
the very slight groove between the shells, or valves, and with a heavy
utensil of some kind strike the top of the knife several times so as to
separate the valves. Then, as in opening oysters, spread the shells
apart, as shown, and loosen the clam from the shell it adheres to.
101. RAW CLAMS.--Like oysters, raw clams are generally served as a
cocktail, or an appetizer, at the beginning of a meal. If they are to be
served in the half shell, place them in a dish of cracked ice; if they
are to be served without the shells, place the required number in a
stemmed glass that is set in a dish of cracked ice. In either case,
lemon or a suitable sauce, or both, should be supplied.
102. STEAMED CLAMS.--Steaming is the method generally adopted when clams
in large numbers are cooked for a "clam bake," but there is no reason
why it cannot be used by the housewife when she wishes to cook only
enough for her family. When large quantities are to be steamed, use is
generally made of a steamer, but the housewife will find that she can
steam a few clams very satisfactorily in a saucepan or a similar vessel.
To prepare steamed clams, scrub the shells of the clams until they are
perfectly clean. Place the desired number thus cleaned in a saucepan and
add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan about 1 inch. Allow this
to cook until the shells of the clams open. Remove the clams from the
pan and serve them in the shells. Provide each person with a small dish
of melted butter into which to dip the clams as they are removed from
the shells to be eaten. The liquid found in the clams may be poured from
the shell before the clams are served, and after being well seasoned may
be served as clam broth.
103. BAKED CLAMS.--Another very appetizing way in which to prepare clams
is to combine them with bread crumbs, season them well, and then bake
them until they are well browned. Select several good-sized clams for
each person to be served. Scrub the shells well and open them. Remove
the clams and chop them into small pieces. To each cupful of chopped
clams, add 2 cupfuls of buttered bread crumbs, 1 tablespoonful of
chopped parsley, 1 tablespoonful of chopped pimiento, and 1
tablespoonful of onion juice. Season the mixture with salt and pepper
and fill the shells with it. Place these in a shallow pan and bake in a
very hot oven until the crumbs are well browned on top. Serve hot.
104. FRIED CLAMS.--As oysters make a very desirable dish when fried in
deep fat, so clams may be treated in this way, too. Remove the desired
number of clams from the shells, wash them thoroughly, and dry them on a
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clean towel. Dip them into beaten egg, and finally into the crumbs. Fry
in deep fat until they are a golden brown. Serve with slices of lemon.
SCALLOPS AND THEIR PREPARATION
105. NATURE OF SCALLOPS.--Scallops, which are another form of bivalves,
are less commonly used for food than oysters and clams. Scalloped dishes
get their name from the fact that scallop shells were originally used
for their preparation. Not all of the scallop is used for food; merely
the heavy muscle that holds the two shells together is edible. Scallops
are slightly higher in protein than oysters and clams and they also have
a higher food value than these two mollusks. The most common method of
preparation for scallops is to fry them, but they may also be baked in
the shells.
106. FRIED SCALLOPS.--If scallops are properly fried, they make an
appetizing dish. As they are a rather bland food, a sauce of some kind,
preferably a sour one, is generally served with them.
Select the desired number of scallops and wash thoroughly. Dip first
into either fine bread crumbs or cracker crumbs, then into beaten egg,
and again into the crumbs. Fry in deep fat until a golden brown, remove,
and drain. Serve with lemon or a sour sauce, such as horseradish or
tomato sauce.
107. BAKED SCALLOPS.--If a tasty as well as a slightly unusual dish is
desired to give variety to the diet, baked scallops will undoubtedly
find favor. As shown in the accompanying recipe, mushrooms are one of
the ingredients in baked scallops and these not only provide additional
material, but improve the flavor.
To prepare baked scallops, clean the desired number, parboil for 15
minutes, drain, and cut into small pieces. For each cupful of scallops,
melt 2 tablespoonfuls of butter in a frying pan, saute in it 1
tablespoonful of chopped onion, and add 1/2 cupful of chopped mushrooms.
When these have browned, add 2 tablespoonfuls of flour and 1 cupful of
milk. Cook until thick and then add the scallops. Fill the scallop
shells with the mixture, sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs, place in
the oven, and bake until the crumbs are brown.
* * * * *
LOBSTERS, CRABS, AND SHRIMP
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
108. The shell fish, LOBSTERS, CRABS, and SHRIMP, come under the head of
crustaceans; that is, animals consisting of jointed sections, each of
which is covered with a hard shell. Their flesh is similar in
composition to that of other fish, but it is tougher and harder to
digest. However, it is popular because of its unique and delicate
flavor. In fact, whenever these varieties of fish can be obtained along
the seacoast or within a reasonable distance from the place where they
are caught, they are considered a delicacy. If they can be shipped alive
to any point, they are perfectly safe to use, although quite high in
price because of their perishable nature.
109. Unless such shell fish can be procured alive in the markets, the
use of a good brand of any of them canned is recommended. In fact,
canned lobster, crab, and shrimp are very satisfactory and may be
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substituted for any of the fresh cooked varieties in the recipes that
follow. It is true that some persons object to canned food because
ptomaine poisoning sometimes results, but it has been found that
ptomaine poisoning is more liable to result from eating these foods when
they are bought in the market in poor condition than when they are
secured in canned form. Care must be exercised, however, whenever use is
made of canned food of any kind. Upon opening a can of any of these
varieties of fish, the entire contents should be removed from the can at
once and used as soon as possible. It must be remembered that the
ptomaine poisoning that is sometimes caused by eating canned foods is
not due to the fact that the foods come in tin cans, but that they are
allowed to stand in the cans after they are opened. Upon their being
exposed to the air, putrefaction sets in and causes the harmful effect.
110. Lobsters, crabs, and shrimp are very similar in composition, shrimp
being slightly higher in protein and total food value than the others.
If they are not prepared in an indigestible way, they are comparatively
easy to digest. It has been proved a fallacy that lobster and ice cream
are a dangerous combination, for if both are in good condition they may
be combined with no ill effects to the normal individual.
LOBSTERS AND THEIR PREPARATION
111. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.--Of these three types of sea food,
lobsters are perhaps the most popular. They are found along the North
Atlantic and North Pacific seacoasts. Alive, they are mottled
bluish-green in color, but upon being cooked they change to bright red.
As soon as they are caught, many of them are packed in ice and shipped
alive to various points, while others are plunged immediately into
boiling water and sold cooked. Lobsters vary greatly in size. Only
those 9 inches or more in length can be sold, the smaller ones being
thrown back into the water. When they are purchased either raw or
cooked, they should be heavy for their size; that is, they should be
heavy because of their plumpness and good condition.
112. PRELIMINARY PREPARATION.--To prepare a lobster, which should be
alive, grasp it firmly by the back, plunge it quickly, head first, into
a kettle of rapidly boiling water, and then submerge the rest of the
body. Be sure to have a sufficient amount of water to cover the lobster
completely. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes; then lower the flame or remove
to a cooler part of the stove and cook slowly for 1/2 hour. Remove from
the water and allow to cool.
After being prepared in this way, a lobster may be served cold or it may
be used in the preparation of various made dishes. If it is to be used
without further preparation, it is often served from the shell, which is
usually split open. Mayonnaise or some other sauce is generally served
with lobster. The flesh is removed from the shell with a small fork as
it is eaten.
113. REMOVING LOBSTER FROM THE SHELL.--The majority of the dishes made
from lobster require that the flesh be removed from the shell. To do
this, first pull off the two large claws and the four pairs of small
claws, and break the tail from the body. Then with scissors, cut a
single slit the entire length of the shell covering the under part of
the tail and remove the flesh inside the tail in a whole, large piece.
The intestinal tract, which can be readily observed, will be found
embedded in this piece and running the entire length. Slash the flesh
and remove it. Next remove the flesh of the body from the shell,
retaining only that part which appears to be fibrous, like the flesh of
141 / 148
the tail. The stomach, which is called "the lady" because its inside
appearance closely resembles a lady sitting in a chair, should not be
removed from the shell. However, care should be taken to obtain all the
flesh surrounding the bones in the bony part of the lobster. The coral
substance, that is, the roe of the lobster, should also be removed, as
it can be used for a garnish.
With the flesh removed from the shell, proceed to take out that
contained in the claws. Break open the large claws, using a nut cracker
or a small hammer for this purpose, and remove the flesh that they
contain. If the small claws are to be used for a garnish, as is often
done, remove the flesh without breaking them; otherwise break them as
in the case of the large ones.
114. LOBSTER COCKTAIL.--Practically all varieties of shell fish make
most satisfactory cocktails, and lobster is no exception. To make a
lobster cocktail, shred or cut into small pieces the flesh of a lobster
that has been prepared according to the directions just given. Chill the
shreds or pieces and then serve them in stemmed cocktail glasses with
any desirable cocktail sauce.
115. SCALLOPED LOBSTER.--Persons who care for the flavor of lobster will
find scalloped lobster a very attractive dish. When prepared in this
way, it is suitable either for luncheon or for dinner.
SCALLOPED LOBSTER
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. lobster meat
1 c. medium white sauce
2/3 c. buttered bread crumbs
1 hard-cooked egg
Salt
Pepper
Mix the lobster with the medium white sauce. Butter a baking dish, place
half of the crumbs in the bottom, and pour over them the lobster and
white sauce. Slice the hard-cooked egg over the top of the lobster,
season the whole well with salt and pepper, and sprinkle the remainder
of the crumbs over the top. Place in a hot oven and bake until the
crumbs are brown. Garnish with sprays of parsley and serve at once.
116. DEVILED LOBSTER.--A dish that is delicious and at the same time
very attractive is deviled lobster. After removing the flesh from the
shell, the shell should be cleaned thoroughly, as it is to be used as a
receptacle in which to put the lobster mixture for baking. When removed
from the oven, this dish can be made more attractive by garnishing it
with the lobster claws and tail.
DEVILED LOBSTER
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 Tb. chopped onion
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
1 tsp. salt
Dash of Cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 Tb. lemon juice
1 Tb. chopped parsley
142 / 148
1 c. milk
2 c. lobster meat
1/4 c. buttered cracker crumbs
Saute the onion in the butter, and to this add the flour, salt, Cayenne
pepper, paprika, pepper, lemon juice, and parsley. Mix well and add the
milk. When the whole has cooked until it is thick, add the lobster. Pour
the mixture into the clean shell of the lobster, sprinkle with cracker
crumbs, and place in the oven long enough to brown the crumbs. Remove
from the oven, place on a serving dish, garnish with the claws and tail
of the lobster, if desired, and serve at once.
117. LOBSTER A LA NEWBURG.--When lobster a la Newburg is mentioned, one
naturally thinks of a chafing dish, for this is one of the dishes that
is very often made in a chafing dish and served at small social
gatherings. However, it can be made just as satisfactorily on the
kitchen stove and is a dish suitable for a home luncheon or
small dinner.
LOBSTER A LA NEWBURG
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 Tb. butter
1 Tb. flour
2 c. lobster
1/2 tsp. salt
Few grains of Cayenne pepper
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. thin cream
1 tsp. vinegar
1 Tb. lemon juice
2 egg yolks
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and into this pour the
lobster meat cut into rather large pieces. Add the salt, pepper, milk,
and cream; cook together until thick, and then pour in the vinegar and
lemon juice. Beat the egg yolks and stir them into the cooked mixture,
using care to prevent them from curdling. When the mixture has
thickened, remove from the stove and serve over toast.
118. LOBSTER CROQUETTES.--Probably the most attractive dish that can be
made out of lobster is the one explained in the accompanying recipe. As
this is artistically garnished, and at the same time extremely
appetizing, it is suitable for a meal that is intended to be very nice,
such as a dainty luncheon. If the elaborate garnishing here suggested is
not desired, the croquettes may be served with merely a suitable sauce.
LOBSTER CROQUETTES
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. thick white sauce
2 eggs
2 c. diced lobster meat
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Fine bread crumbs
Prepare the white sauce and allow it to cool. Add one beaten egg and the
lobster meat. Season with the salt and pepper. Shape into croquettes,
roll in beaten egg, then in crumbs, and fry in deep fat until an even
brown. Drain, stick a lobster claw into the end of each, and arrange on
143 / 148
a platter with the claws around the outside. Pour a medium white sauce
over the opposite ends and the centers of the croquettes and over this
sprinkle the lobster coral and hard-cooked egg yolks, which have been
forced through a sieve. In the center of the platter, arrange a small
mound of parsley and one of the large claws of the lobster.
CRABS AND THEIR PREPARATION
119. NATURE OF CRABS.--Numerous varieties of crabs are obtained along
the seashores of the United States, and most of them measure not more
than 5 or 6 inches across. Shell fish in this form are used for food
both before the shells have hardened, when they are known as
soft-shelled crabs, and after the shells have grown hard, when they
are called hard-shelled crabs. To be at their best, crabs should be as
heavy as lobsters in proportion to their size. Their flesh should be
firm and stiff and their eyes should be bright. The male crab has a
smaller body and longer claws than the female. In food value, crabs are
quite similar to lobsters.
Tiny oyster crabs are found in the shells of crabs as well as in
oysters. These are considered a great delicacy and are used chiefly for
garnishing, because they are very small and, as a rule, are not found in
large numbers.
120. PRELIMINARY PREPARATION.--Before either soft-shelled or
hard-shelled crabs can be used as food, a certain amount of preparation
is necessary. In the case of hard-shelled crabs, plunge them alive into
hot water, allow them to come to the boiling point, and cook slowly for
1/2 hour. It is a good plan to add 1 tablespoonful of salt for each crab
that is being boiled. While the crabs are cooking, remove the scum that
rises to the top. When they are sufficiently cooked, open the shells and
take out the meat, being careful to remove all the meat from the claws.
Soft-shelled crabs require a somewhat different kind of preparation.
With this variety, lift up the points on each side of the back shell and
remove the spongy substance that is found under them. In addition, take
off the apron, which is the small piece that occurs at the lower part of
the shell and that terminates in points. The crabs are then ready for
frying, which is the method of cooking that is usually applied to
this variety.
121. CRAB-FLAKE COCKTAIL.--Crab meat is used for cocktails in the same
way as oysters, clams, and lobster. In fact, no better appetizer to
serve at the beginning of a meal can be found. To make crab-flake
cocktail, remove the meat from the shells of cooked hard-shelled crabs
in the way just explained, and chill it. Then place it in stemmed
glasses and serve with cocktail sauce.
122. DEVILED CRABS.--Variety in the cooking of hard-shelled crabs can be
secured by deviling them according to the accompanying directions. As
will be observed, this is done in practically the same way that lobster
is deviled.
DEVILED CRABS
(Sufficient to Serve Four)
2 Tb. butter
4 crabs
1 c. cream sauce
1 Tb. onion juice
144 / 148
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash Cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 egg
Cracker crumbs
Put the butter in a frying pan, add the meat from the four crabs, and
pour into this the cream sauce. Season with the onion juice, salt,
Cayenne pepper, and pepper. Add the well-beaten egg and allow the
mixture to cook until the egg has thickened, being careful not to let it
curd. Fill the back shells of the crabs with this mixture, sprinkle with
cracker crumbs, place in a hot oven, and bake until brown. Serve hot
or cold.
123. FRIED SOFT-SHELLED CRABS.--After soft-shelled crabs are prepared in
the manner explained in Art. 120, they are usually fried in deep fat.
Egg and cracker dust or flour are used to make a coating for the crabs.
FRIED SOFT-SHELLED CRABS
(Sufficient to Serve Four)
4 soft-shelled crabs
1 egg
Cracker dust or flour
Salt and pepper
Prepare the crabs by removing the apron and the spongy substance under
the shell of each crab. Beat the egg slightly. Roll the crabs first in
the egg and then in the cracker dust or the flour. Fry in hot, deep fat
until a golden brown. Remove from the fat, drain, and sprinkle well with
salt and pepper to season. Serve hot or cold.
124. CREAMED CRAB MEAT.--When the meat of hard-shelled crabs is creamed,
it makes a very dainty dish, especially if it is served over toast or in
timbale cases. To give a touch of color and at the same time add a
little flavor, chopped pimiento is generally added.
Boil the desired number of hard-shelled crabs and remove the meat from
the shells. For each cupful of crab meat, prepare 1 cupful of medium
white sauce. Add the crab meat, season well, and, if desired, add some
chopped pimiento. Serve hot over toast or in timbale cases.
SHRIMP AND THEIR PREPARATION
125. NATURE OF SHRIMP.--Shrimp are similar to crabs and lobsters in
composition and in the methods of preparation. They differ considerably
in appearance, however, and are smaller in size. When alive, shrimp are
a mottled greenish color, but upon being dropped into boiling-hot water
they turn red. When they have cooked sufficiently, the meat, which is
very delicious, may be easily removed from the shells. After the meat of
shrimp is thus prepared, it may be used cold in a salad or a cocktail or
it may be utilized in a number of ways for hot dishes. Very often a
chafing dish is used in the preparation of such dishes, but this utensil
is not necessary, as they may be cooked in an ordinary utensil on a
stove of any kind.
126. CREAMED SHRIMP.--The usual way of preparing shrimp is to cook it
with mushrooms and then serve it over toast, or, in timbale cases.
Creamed shrimp is dainty in appearance, pleasing to the taste, and
145 / 148
highly nutritious.
CREAMED SHRIMP
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. medium white sauce
1 c. diced shrimp
1 c. chopped mushrooms
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Heat the white sauce, and to it add the shrimp, mushrooms, salt, and
pepper. Beat a little butter into the mixture to improve the flavor,
heat, and serve in timbale cases, as shown, or over toast.
127. SHRIMP A LA SALLE.--Shrimp also makes an appetizing and attractive
dish when combined with tomato and green pepper. The accompanying recipe
gives directions for the preparation of such a dish, which is called
shrimp a La Salle.
SHRIMP A LA SALLE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 Tb. butter
1 c. shredded shrimp
1 c. stewed tomato
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 Tb. chopped onion
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Brown the butter in a saucepan and add the shrimp, tomato, green pepper,
onion, celery salt, salt, and pepper. Heat all together thoroughly, and
serve over toast.
COCKTAIL SAUCES
128. The various kinds of shell fish are served so frequently as
cocktails that cocktail sauces are much in demand. The foundation of
these sauces is always tomato catsup, but the ingredients used for
seasoning usually vary according to individual taste. The following
recipes make amounts sufficient for one serving:
COCKTAIL SAUCE I
1/4 tsp. grated horseradish
Juice of 1/4 lemon
12 drops tobasco sauce
10 drops Worcestershire sauce
1 Tb. tomato catsup
COCKTAIL SAUCE II
1 Tb. tomato catsup
1 Tb. grapefruit juice
1 tsp. spiced vinegar
Dash of tobasco sauce
Sprinkling of salt
Dusting of chopped parsley
146 / 148
Mix the ingredients thoroughly and serve with oysters, clams, lobster,
shrimp, or crab meat thoroughly chilled.
FISH AND SHELL FISH
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
(1) (a) For what food may fish be substituted in the diet? (b) How
does fish compare with meat as to its usefulness as food?
(2) (a) What food substances are present in fish? (b) How does the
food value of fish compare with that of meat?
(3) (a) Discuss the digestibility of fish. (b) How does the salting
of fish for preservation affect its digestibility?
(4) How does the housewife's purchase of fish affect the market price?
(5) What methods of cookery should be used in preparing: (a) large
fish? (b) small fish?
(6) Mention the tests for determining the freshness of fish.
(7) Discuss the care of fish in the home.
(8) Give the steps in the preparation of a fish for cooking.
(9) Give the steps in the boning of a fish.
(10) (a) What are fillets? (b) Tell briefly how fillets are
obtained.
(11) Why are sauces frequently served with fish?
(12) (a) What is larding? (b) How may fish be larded? (c) For what
purpose is larding done?
(13) How may salt fish be freshened?
(14) (a) Mention the shell fish. (b) Discuss their usefulness in the
diet.
(15) What precautions should be taken in the purchase of shell fish?
(16) Discuss the composition and food value of shell fish.
(17) Compare the composition of milk with that of oysters.
(18) (a) What is the season for oysters? (b) How are oysters opened?
(19) (a) How are clams opened? (b) What is the effect of long
cooking on clams?
(20) (a) How are lobsters prepared? (b) Mention the two kinds of
crabs. (c) How do these differ?
ADDITIONAL WORK
Mention the varieties of fish most common in your local market.
147 / 148
Compare the cost of a sufficient amount of fish to serve your family
with the cost of beef and either veal or lamb served to the same number
of persons at other times. Submit your results.
* * * * *
148 / 148
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