Before dressing fish of any kind great care should be taken that it is well washed and cleansed, but be cautious not to wash it too much, as the flavour is much diminished by too much water. When boiling fish put a little salt and a little vinegar into the water to give the fish firmness. Be careful to let fish be well done, but not to let it break. When very fresh, cod and whiting are very much improved by keeping a day, and rubbing a little salt down the back-bone. Fresh-water fish often have a muddy smell and taste, which is easily got rid of by soaking it. After it has been thoroughly cleansed in strong salt and water, if the fish is not too large, scald it in the same, then dry and dress it.

Put the fish in cold water, and let it boil very gently, or the outside will break before the inside is warm. Put all crimped fish into boiling water, and when it boils up some cold water should be put into it to check it and keep it simmering. All fish should be taken out of the water the instant it is done, or it will become woolly. To ascertain when it is done, the fish-plate may be drawn up, and, if done, the meat will leave the bone. To keep it hot, and to prevent it losing its colour, the fishplate should be placed across the fish-kettle, and a clean cloth put over the fish.

Small fish may be nicely fried plain, or done with egg and bread crumbs, and then fried. Upon the dish on which the fish is to be served should be placed a damask napkin, folded, and upon this put the fish, with the roe and liver; then garnish the dish with horseradish, parsley, and lemon.

To broil or fry fish nicely, after it is well washed, it should be put in. a cloth, and when dry, wetted with egg and bread crumbs. It will be much improved by being wetted with egg and crumbs a second time. Then have your pan with plenty of boiling dripping or lard, put your fish into it, and let it fry rather quickly till it is of a nice brown and appears done. If it is done before being nicely browned,' it should be taken from the pan, placed on a sieve before the fire to drain and brown. If wanted very nice, put a sheet of cap paper to receive the fish. Should you fry your fish in oil, it obtains a much finer colour than when done in lard or dripping. Never use butter, as it makes the fish a bad colour. Garnish your dish with green or fried parsley.

In broiling fish, be careful that your gridiron is clean; place it on the fire, and when hot rub it over with suet to hinder the fish from sticking. The fish must be floured and seasoned before broiling. It must be broiled over a clear fire only, and great care must be taken that it does not burn or become smoky.

Broiled fish for breakfast should always be skinned, buttered, and peppered.

Fish are boiled, fried, broiled, baked, stewed, in fact cooked in every imaginable fashion; those named are the chief methods. In every kind the greatest attention and cleanliness must be exercised. A broken, disfigured, abrased, or ill-cooked dish of fish presented at table, is quite sufficient to destroy the taste for it for ever; on the contrary, when neatly done it heightens the relish which every one possesses more or less, and imparts an appetite where one may be wanting, while the cook is held in grateful remembrance.'