Fried Rock

Clean and score your fish, wash, and wipe them dry, and season well with Cayenne pepper and salt. Let them stand at least one hour before they are cooked, that the seasoning may have time to penetrate them. Have ready a pan of hot lard, dredge flour over your fish, put them in the pan and fry them slowly, that they may be done through. They should be of a handsome brown on both sides. All pan fish are fried in the same way.

Boiled Rock

Scale a rock, take out the eyes and gills, draw it, and wash it well. Flour a cloth, wrap the fish in it, and boil it in plenty of water strongly salted. A common-sized fish requires about half a large teacupful of salt. Place your fish-kettle over a strong fire, and when the water boils put in the fish. Let it boil hard twenty minutes. Take it out of the cloth carefully, place it on your fish dish, and send it to the table. Have egg sauce in a sauce boat. Mashed potatoes are an accompaniment to boiled fish. Garnish the dish with green parsley. If any of the boiled fish should be left from dinner, it may be spiced as shad, and make an excellent relish for breakfast or tea.

Cold Boiled Rock Fish

Lay the fish in a deep dish. Put as much vinegar as will cover it into a kettle with some whole grains of allspice, a little mace and two or three cloves. Boil the vinegar and spice. Season the fish highly with Cayenne pepper and salt. Then pour the spiced vinegar over while boiling hot. When cold it makes a nice relish for breakfast. Any boiled fish may be prepared in the same manner.

Cold Rock Fish, Soused

Extract the bones from the cold fish which may have been left from dinner. Season the fish with Cayenne pepper, salt, a few grains of allspice, one or two cloves, and a sprig of mace. Put the fish into a deep dish. Boil enough vinegar to cover the fish, and pour it over boiling hot. In twelve hours it will be fit for the table.