JEWISH METHOD OF FRYING FISH
Scale the fish with the utmost thoroughness, remove the entrails, wash very thoroughly, and salt both inside and out. Then cut the fish into convenient slices, place them on a strainer and leave them there for an hour.
Meanwhile, place some flour in one plate and some beaten eggs in another, and heat a large frying-pan half full of oil or butter. Now wipe your fish slices thoroughly with a clean cloth, dip them first in flour and then in beaten eggs and finally fry until browned.
In frying fish very hot oil is required. If a crumb of bread will brown in twenty seconds the oil is hot enough. Put fish in a frying basket, then into the hot oil and cook five minutes. Drain on brown paper and arrange on platter. Do not stick knife or fork into fish while it is frying.
When the oil has cooled, strain it, pour it into a jar, cover it and it will be ready for use another time. It can be used again for fish only.
ANOTHER METHOD OF FRYING FISH
Thoroughly mix six ounces of flour with an ounce of olive oil, the yolk of an egg, and a pinch of salt. Stir in one gill of tepid water and allow the whole to stand for half an hour in a cool place. Next beat the white of an egg stiff and stir into the batter. Dip each fish into the mixture, then roll in bread crumbs and cook in boiling oil. Butter must not be used. In frying fish do not allow the fish to remain in the spider after it has been nicely browned, for this absorbs the fat and destroys the delicate flavor. Be sure that the fish is done. This rule applies to fish that is sautéd.
SAUTÉD FISH
Clean fish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in flour or cornmeal and cook in spider with just enough hot butter to prevent it sticking to the pan. Shake the pan occasionally. Brown well on under side, then turn and brown on the other side.
LEMON FISH
Boil three tablespoons of vinegar, one sliced onion, six whole peppers, salt, one piece of stick cinnamon, and a little water, then add sliced fish. When fish has boiled twenty minutes remove and arrange on platter. Strain the gravy and add the well-beaten yolks of two eggs, juice of two lemons, sugar to taste and twelve grated almonds. Let all come to a boil, then pour over the fish, sprinkle finely chopped parsley on top and garnish with sliced lemons. Bluefish, mackerel, shad, salmon and porgies may be cooked with this sauce.
SWEET SOUR FISH
First cut up and salt the fish. Shad, trout or carp can be used. Put on fish kettle with one and one-half cups of water and one cup of vinegar, add one onion cut in round slices, one dozen raisins, one lemon cut in round slices, two bay leaves, six cloves. When this mixture begins to boil, lay in your fish and cook thoroughly. When done remove fish to platter.
Put liquor back on stove, add three tablespoons of granulated sugar (which has been melted and browned in a pie plate without water), then add two tablespoons of flour which has been rubbed smooth with a little water. Let boil well and pour over fish. If not sweet enough add more sugar. Serve cold.
SWEET AND SOUR FISH
Place the fish in strong salt water for one hour before cooking. Take three parts of water and one of vinegar, put in saucepan with some sliced onions and some raisins, and let boil until tender. Add brown sugar to taste, a piece of rye bread from which the crust has been removed, and some molasses. Boil the sauce, then place the fish in and let all cook twenty minutes. When done, arrange on platter with sliced lemon and chopped parsley.
SWEET SOUR FISH WITH WINE
Put on to boil in fish kettle, one glass water, one-half glass vinegar, two tablespoons of brown sugar, one-half dozen cloves, one-half teaspoon of ground cinnamon, one onion cut in round slices. Boil thoroughly, then strain and add to it one lemon cut in round slices, one goblet of red wine, one dozen raisins, one tablespoon of pounded almonds; put on stove again, and when it comes to a boil, add fish that has been cut up and salted. Cook until done, remove fish to a platter, and to the liquor add a small piece Leb-kuchen or ginger cake, and stir in the well-beaten yolks of four eggs; stir carefully or it will curdle. If not sweet enough add more sugar. Pour over fish. Shad or trout is the best fish to use.
FISH STOCK
Put in a saucepan a tablespoon of butter or butter substitute, add a tablespoon each of chopped onion, carrot and turnip. Fry them without browning, then add fish-bones, head, and trimmings, a stalk of celery, sprigs of parsley and of thyme, a bay-leaf, a tomato or a slice of lemon. Cover with water and let them simmer for an hour or more. Season with salt and pepper and strain.
PIKE WITH EGG SAUCE
Clean the fish thoroughly, and wash it in hot water, wipe dry and salt inside and out. If you heat the salt it will penetrate through the meat of the fish in less time. Take a kettle, lay in it a piece of butter about the size of an egg; cut up an onion, some celery root, parsley root and a few slices of lemon, lay the fish in, either whole or cut up in slices; boil in enough water to just cover the fish, and add more salt if required, add a dozen whole peppers, black or white; season with ground white pepper. Let the fish boil quickly. In the meantime beat up the yolks of two eggs, and pound a dozen almonds to a paste, add to the beaten yolks, together with a tablespoon of cold water. When done remove the fish to a large platter; but to ascertain whether the fish has cooked long enough, take hold of the fins, if they come out readily your fish has cooked enough. Strain the sauce through a sieve, taking out the slices of lemon and with them garnish the top of the fish; add the strained sauce to the beaten eggs, stirring constantly as you do so; then return the sauce to the kettle, and stir until it boils, remove quickly and pour it over the fish. When it is cold garnish with curly parsley.
GEFILLTE FISCH
Prepare trout, pickerel or pike in the following manner: After the fish has been scaled and thoroughly cleaned, remove all the meat that adheres to the skin, being careful not to injure the skin; take out all the meat from head to tail, cut open along the backbone, removing it also; but do not disfigure the head and tail; chop the meat in a chopping bowl, then heat about a quarter of a pound of butter in a spider, add two tablespoons chopped parsley, and some soaked white bread; remove from the fire and add an onion grated, salt, pepper, pounded almonds, the yolks of two eggs, also a very little nutmeg grated. Mix all thoroughly and fill the skin until it looks natural. Boil in salt water, containing a piece of butter, celery root, parsley and an onion; when done remove from the fire and lay on a platter. The fish should be cooked for one and one-quarter hours, or until done. Thicken the sauce with yolks of two eggs, adding a few slices of lemon.
This fish may be baked but must be rolled in flour and dotted with bits of butter.
RUSSIAN FISH CAKES
Take three pounds of fish (weakfish or carp, pickerel or haddock or whitefish, any fat fish with a fish poor in it). Remove skin and bones from the fish and chop flesh very fine, add a good-sized onion, minced or grated, make a depression in the centre of the chopped fish and add three-quarters cup of water, one-half cup of soft bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste, one-fourth cup of sugar, two egg