Directions For Steeping Dried Fish

Every kind of fish, except stock-fish, are salted, or either dried in the sun, as the most common way, or in preparing kilns, and sometimes by the smoke of wood fires in chimney-corners, and, in either case, require being softened and freshened in proportion to their bulk, their nature, or dryness. The very dry sort, as bacalao, cod fish, or whiting, and such like, should be steeped in lukewarm milk and water, and the steep. ing kept as nearly as possible to an equal degree of heat. The larger fish should be steeped twelve hours; the small, such as whitings, etc. about two hours. The cod are therefore laid to steep in the evening ; the whitings, etc. in the morning before they are to be dressed. After the time of steeping they are to be taken out, and hung up by the tails until they are dressed. The reason of hanging them up is, that they soften equally as in the steeping, without extracting too much of the relish, which would make them insipid. When thus prepared, the small fish, as whitings, tusk, and such like, must be floured and laid on the gridiron, and when a little hardened on one side, must be turned and basted with oil upon a feather; and when basted on both sides, and heated through, take them up, always observing, that as sweet oil supples and supplies the fish with a kind of artificial juices, so the fire draws out these juices and hardens them. Therefore be careful not to let them broil too long; but no time can be prescribed, because of the difference of fires, and various sizes of the fish. A clear charcoal fire is much the best, and the fish kept at a good distance, to broil gradually. The best way to know when they are enough is, they will swell a little in the basting, and you must not let them fall again.

The sauces are the same as usual to salt fish; and the usual garnish, oysters fried in batter; but for a supper, for those that like sweet oil, the best sauce is oil, vinegar, and mustard, beat up to a consistence, and served up in a boat.

Should your fish be boiled, as those of a large sort usually are, it should be in milk and water, but not properly to say boiled, as it should only just simmer over an equal fire; in which way, half an hour will do the largest fish, and five minutes the smallest. Some people broil both sorts after simmering, and some pick them to pieces and then toss them up in a pan .with fried onions and apples. They are either way very good, and the choice depends on the weak or strong stomach of the eaters.

Dried Salmon

Dried salmon must be managed in a different manner; for though a large fish, they do not require more steeping than a whiting ; and should be moderately peppered when laid on the gridiron.

Dried Herrings

Dried herrings should be steeped the like time as the whiting, in small beer instead of milk and water; and to which, as to all kinds of broiled salt fish, sweet oil will always be found the best basting, and no ways effect even the delicacy of those who do not love it.