This section is from the book "Twenty-Five Cent Dinners For Families Of Six", by Juliet Corson. Also available from Amazon: Twenty-Five Cent Dinners.
Make this soup from any rich, glutinous fish, such as cod's head, halibut neck, flounders, skate, or any cheap fish which is in season, and which you can buy for five or six cents a pound. Chop one or two onions, fry them in a pot with two ounces of drippings, till light brown; season with a level tablespoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, and a teaspoonful of sweet herbs of any kind, then add two quarts of hot water, and let all boil for ten minutes; meantime mix quarter of a pound of oatmeal with one pint of cold water, and wash and cut in two-inch pieces about two pounds of fish; when the soup has boiled ten minutes, put the fish into it, and carefully stir in the oatmeal; let it boil twenty minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning; it will then be ready to use. The seasoning-, drippings, and oatmeal, will cost about five cents, and the fish ten more; with the addition of bread and potatoes, say five cents' worth of either, it makes an excellent meal, costing about twenty cents.
Fry together in the bottom of a saucepan four ounces of salt pork and two onions sliced; when brown season with a teaspoonful of sweet herbs, and a very little salt and pepper; meantime peel and slice half a dozen medium-sized potatoes, and lay them in cold water; and cut in small slices two pounds of any fish which costs about five cents per pound; when the onions and pork are brown, put the potatoes and fish upon them in layers, seasoning with a level table -spoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper; pour over all cold water enough to cover the ingredients, and let them cook twenty minutes after they begin to boil; soak half a pound of sea-biscuit in cold water, and when the chowder is nearly done lay them on it, and pour over them half a pint of milk; in five minutes the chowder will be ready to use. The onions, pork, and seasoning will cost five cents; the potatoes, crackers and milk five more; and the fish ten cents; total for two quarts of good chowder twenty cents.
 
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