Home Cookery Of Fish (1946)

fish is an excellent source of protein and everybody needs protein to build and repair body tissue because of refrigerated transportation a great variety of fish is available in fish markets all over the country the fish come from the sea and from inland lakes and rivers here are steaks from North Pacific halibut here are white fish from one of the Great Lakes cleaned and dressed for marketing and here are frozen Phillips from North Atlantic cod in this film we'll see how to boil a cod fillit how to broil a halibut steak and how to stuff and bake the white fish let's watch mrs. Clayton she left a frozen cod fill it outside the freezing compartment so it would thaw a Phil it is the meaty side of a fish it is practically boneless because Cod has very little connective tissue it tends to fall apart particularly when boiled to keep the flesh from falling apart mrs. Clayton cooks the Philip on a plate around which she ties a piece of cheesecloth this is a convenient way to handle the Philip it will cook by direct contact with hot salted water now the water is boiling so into the kettle goes the cod Filat mrs. Clayton lowers the heat so that the water just simmers this one-pound Phillip will simmer for ten minutes to make the boiled card even more appetizing mrs. Clayton is preparing an egg sauce when the white sauce has thickened she adds chopped hard cooked eggs now the sauce is ready how about the fish it's been simmering for 10 minutes that means it's done so mrs. Clayton removes it promptly if she overcooked the Filat it might fall apart or lose nutritive value let's see how it looks perfectly cooked the piece is intact this is enough for two generous servings the combination of the sauce with the boiled card reminds us that there is no ground for the old superstition that fish and milk may not be eaten together from an egg yolk saved for garnishing golden flakes are grated onto the top of the sauce to increase its eye appeal parsley sprigs at an interesting accent as well as precious vitamin a properly cooked and attractively served what a delicious fish treat a boiled Cod Phillip makes this is mrs. young she's getting ready to broil a halibut steak for the protein part of her dinner first salt then a dash of pepper and now oil because halibut is a lean fish a steak is a cross-section slice from a large fish there's not much bone in a fish steak actually only a small part of the backbone onto the rack of the broiler breeze to prevent sticking goes the halibut stake if Broyles best about two inches below the flame mrs. younge notes the time she knows that after eight minutes one side of the steak will be done because halibut tends to dry out during broiling she bastes it on both sides oil melted fat or drippings may be used basting keeps the fish moist and helps to bring out its delicious flavor he prepares her garnishes while the steak is cooking after a final seven minute period the steak is thoroughly cooked on both sides mrs. Jung is very careful not to break the steak while she moves it to the hot platter now garnished and ready for the table the broiled halibut has both eye and flavor appeal mrs. Dudley is preparing to bake a white fish she salts it inside and outside with a dressing made from bread crumbs celery onions fat and seasoning she stuffs the white fish loosely to allow for expansion of the dressing during baking skewers close the opening and keep the dressing from spilling out a string holds it all together now the skin is sliced several times to allow for shrinkage that will occur while the white fish is cooking finally the white fish is basted with melted fat to keep it from drying out and also to bring out its flavor note that the back fin has been removed entirely now the fish is ready for the oven mrs. Dudley has already heated the oven to a temperature of 350 degrees white fish is cooked for 12 to 15 minutes per pound this 4 pound white fish will therefore require about one hour potatoes are baked at the same time so as to utilize the same heat unit about 20 minutes before the fish is done mrs. Dudley puts in stuffed tomatoes to complete the main course of her big fish dinner whether lean or fat fish should be basted several times during baking because white fish is fat its own juices provide basting strips of bacon added at the same time improve the flavor of the fish mrs. Dudley uses the last few minutes of baking to prepare the garnish which should be fresh crisp and tender now let's see the tomatoes and the potatoes are done the white fish is brown and tender overcooking it would dry it out and toughen it now the big fish dinner is ready to be assembled for the table mrs. Dudley is very careful when she removes the white fish she doesn't want it to break now she removes the metal skewers and the string the tasty dressing has been moistened and enriched by juices from the fish the gay and well-composed arrangement of tomatoes lemon slices and chicory provides a pleasing and nutritious frame for the savory baked whitefish