SOME SOUTH AFRICAN FISH

• Sole,
• Stock fish,
• Stump nose,
• Cape Salmon,
• Seventy-four,
• Silver Fish,
• White Line Fish

BOILED FISH

Boil fish very, very gently.

When you boil or steam fish add a little salt and vinegar to the water.

Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar to 2 quarts water.

Keep fish water for sauces and soups.

Fish is cooked when bones separate easily.

FRIED FISH.

(1) Coat with egg and breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and fry in boiling fat. (2) Dip first in milk then in flour and salt and fry.

(3) Dip in batter and fry.

 

BATTER.

Beat 1 egg,

Add 2 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons milk, salt and pepper.

Good dripping or oil should be used for frying and when a faint blue smoke rises from the fat it is the right temperature for frying.

Drain on cooking paper.

 

GRILLED FISH

After fish has been washed and dried brush over with a little oil or melted butter. Place on clean hot gridiron rubbed over with suet.

Grill over clear fire or under electric grill.

FRIED SOLE

Wash and skin sole, cut off fins and head and dry.

Shake flour, pepper and salt over sole, dip it into beaten egg and cover with fine breadcrumbs.

Fry in deep, hot fat.

FILLETS OF SOLE IN MILK

Take some fillets of sole, roll and lay in a buttered Pyrex dish.

Season and cover with milk and a few drops vinegar and dab with butter. Cover dish with buttered paper and bake in moderate oven.

BAKED FISH IN TOMATO SAUCE

Clean a 3Ib. fish and put into baking dish with seasoning.
Fry one large onion in slices and place on fish with a few slices of
tomato.

Make a good tomato sauce and pour over fish and bake in
moderate oven for 40 minutes.

Baste often.

CREAMED FISH

1½lf pounds of any delicate fish.

Remove skins and bones and pound meat very fine.

Cook 1 cup stale breadcrumbs in 2 cups of milk, add 2 tablespoons butter, 1 of cream, pepper and salt and, when cold, add to the fish.

Beat thoroughly and add 2 well beaten eggs.
Place mixture in buttered Pyrex dish and stand in a baking dish filled
with hot water, cover with cooking paper and bake 1 hour.

FISH AND CHEESE

Any left over fish, mashed potatoes, white sauce, cheese, butter, pepper and salt.

Smear as many individual fireproof dishes as are required or one large
dish.

Put in a layer of flaked fish, cover with white sauce.

Spread well beaten, mashed potatoes on top, sprinkle with grated cheese, dab with butter and bake in oven for half an hour.

Serve very hot.                                                                    

FISH CAKES

Use left over fish, mashed potatoes, parsley, butter, egg, pepper and salt. Salmon can be used.

Remove skin and bone from fish and mix with equal quantity of
potatoes.

Add pepper, salt, parsley and a little butter.

Moisten with a portion of the egg, shape into cakes and dip in egg and breadcrumbs.
Fry to a nice brown and serve with tomato sauce.
For the children put a cross of scrambled eggs on each cake.

SCALLOPED FISH

6 – 8ozs. Of cooked fish, half a pint white sauce,

2ozs. of breadcrumbs,

2ozs.of grated cheese,

2 hard boiled eggs

Salt and pepper and seasoning.

Flake fish, cover with sauce which has been mixed with cheese and eggs — keep back some egg to decorate.

Put into greased pie dish, cover with crumbs and heat thoroughly.

Garnish with egg and parsley.

BAKED STUFFED FISH

Wash and dry the fish.

Place on board and with sharp knife split from head to tail.

Remove bones and fill with stuffing.

Sew up and bake in moderate oven with greased paper on top.
Stuffing

 ½Ib.of breadcrumbs,

2ozs. of suet,

½ teaspoon of herbs,

Chopped parsley,

1 egg,

Pepper and salt,

Onion if liked.

Mix all together, bind with egg and a little milk if necessary.

KEDGEREE

Use any cold fish. — To 1Ib. fish allow ¼lb rice,

2 hard boiled eggs,

2ozs.of butter,

Pinch of salt and pepper.

Boil and dry the rice, divide fish into flakes

Cut whites of eggs into slices and grate the yolks.

Melt butter in saucepan and add fish, rice, whites of eggs, salt and pepper.

Stir till thoroughly hot.

Heap mixture on hot dish and decorate with yolk of egg.

Serve very hot.

MADRAS KEDGEREE

1½ cups cooked corn rice,

1½ oz. butter, 2 tablespoons chopped onion,

1Ib.of cooked fish,

1 dessertspoon curry powder,

Pinch of salt,

2 medium tomatoes,

1 teaspoon sugar, lemon juice or vinegar,

1 egg (hard-boiled).

Fry the onion in the butter until they are translucent.

Stir in curry powder, cook, for a few minutes.

Add skinned, sliced tomatoes, sugar, salt and lemon juice.

Flake the fish and add the curry sauce, stir in rice.

Heat thoroughly.

Turn the Kedgeree into a hot dish and garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg.

FIN NAN HADDOCK

Soak a Haddock in cold water for half an hour.

Dry, cut in large pieces and place in stew pan with two dessertspoons butter.

Put lid on closely and steam for 10 to 15 minutes.

Make a white sauce and pour over fish and butter, and boil for a few minutes. (White sauce recipe at the bottom of the Fish recipes)

Serve very hot with toast.

FISH CUSTARD

Any white filleted fish, 1 dessertspoon flour, % oz. butter, 1 egg, 1 teacup milk, pepper and salt.

Cut fish into pieces and place in Pyrex dish, sprinkle with pepper and
salt.

Put flour into a bowl and mix carefully with milk, well beaten egg,
and the melted butter.

Pour over fish and bake in moderate oven for 40 minutes.   

SOLES AND OLIVE SAUCE

Have the soles filleted. Sprinkle with pepper and salt and add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Roll up each fillet with a stuffed olive inside it.

Put the fillets into a buttered dish, dab with pieces of butter, cover with greased paper and bake in a moderate oven till tender.

Make a white sauce and add to it a few chopped olives.

Pour the sauce round the fillets and garnish with halved olives.  

SOLE STEAMED

Skin sole and put the tail into the mouth.

Place it on a well buttered plate, sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and lemon juice and cover with a buttered paper.

Place on a saucepan containing boiling water and cover with another plate.

Cook from 30 to 40 minutes turning the fish once.

Make a little white sauce, pour over sole and serve.

Garnish with parsley and lemon.          

SALMON MOULD

I small tin salmon, 1 heaped dessertspoon gelatin, pepper, salt, vinegar, cut-up pickles to taste.

Dissolve gelatin in cup hot water, put other ingredients
in bowl and mix with gelatin.

Line a wet mould with hard-boiled egg, beetroot and tomato, pour in mixture and allow the mixture to set.

Turn out on dish, garnish with lettuce.               

CURRIED FISH

Use fish, onions, curry powder, few orange leaves, vinegar, salt, 1 or 2 chilies or a little cayenne pepper.

Cut the fish into small slices about an inch in thickness, sprinkle with
salt.

Fry in boiling fat. Slice onions 1 large onion to 1Ib. fish.

Cook the onions in a little water, not too soft.

After draining add the vinegar, enough to cover fish, chilies, curry powder, 1 dessertspoon to 1Ib. of fish, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Boil for a few minutes. Allow to cool.

Put the fish into a deep earthenware jar in layers with onions and curry sauce between each layer.

Pour over the remaining sauce and cover closely.

In two days it will be ready for use.

A few orange leaves or bay leaves could be put on top of the fish.

A little chutney added to the sauce improves the flavor.

STEAMED FISH FOB INVALIDS

Use 1 slice of filleted fish, small piece of butter, salt and lemon.

Wipe the fish, season with salt and lemon, place on greased plate and cover with buttered paper.

Steam over boiling water till done for about half an hour.

Serve with butter parsley and lemon or with a white sauce made with bones of fish.

FISH OMELETTE’S

Beat 2 eggs slightly and season with salt and pepper.

Melt one tablespoon butter in frying pan and pour in the egg mixture together with 2 tablespoons cold flaked fish.

Stir for a few seconds then leave until set and browned on bottom.

Fold over and serve.

FISH FIE (Cape Dish)

Remains of cold boiled fish, 2 onions fried in dripping, salt, mustard, tomato sauce, mashed potato, 1 egg.

Clear fish from the bone,

Break into small pieces, mix with onion, sea­soning, butter, tomato sauce, half an egg and a little mashed potato.

Pack in a buttered dish, cover with mashed potato, brush with the egg. Bake three-quarters of an hour.

FISH BAKED IN CUSTARD

Take a small stock fish, remove the skin and bones and cut into fillets. Lay the fish in a greased baking dish, sprinkle over salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, and 2 tablespoons grated cheese.

Mix together, 2 eggs, slightly beaten, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 cup milk.

Season with salt and pepper, then pour over fish, bake in a moderate oven until custard is set.

FISH SANDWICH

Thin slices of white fish, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons onions (finely chopped), 1 egg, 1½ tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, 3 dessertspoons capers, tartar sauce, 3Oz’s.  soft bread­crumbs.

Fry the onions in butter until they are translucent.

Mix breadcrumbs with onions and capers, and seasoning, and bind all with the egg.

Place a little stuffing on a slice of fish and cover each with another slice. Put them in a buttered dish, cover and bake at 350 until the flesh is quite white.

Time required about 25 minutes.

Serve garnished with slices of olives or cucumber and tartar sauce.

A GOOD FISH DISH

1Ib. fish (cooked), ½ pint whipped sour cream, 2 cups breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.

Flake fish and season with salt and pepper.

Place a layer of bread­ crumbs on greased Pyrex dish, follow with layer of fish and a layer of whipped cream.

Repeat until the dish is full.

Bake in a moderate oven to a golden brown (¾ hour). 

FISH SOUFFLE (Invalid Dish)

1Ib. white fish, steamed or boiled, 1 cup milk, tablespoon white breadcrumbs, nut of butter, squeeze lemon juice, whites of two eggs, seasoning.

Pound or flake fish finely.

Boil milk and sprinkle in breadcrumbs.
Cook till bread is absorbed.

Add fish, nut of butter, lemon juice and seasoning.

Cool slightly and add stiffly beaten whites of eggs.

Pour into buttered casserole and bake ½ hour in moderate oven.

Minced chicken may be used instead of fish.   

FISH SOUFFLE

2 tablespoons butter, 4 eggs, 4 tablespoons flour, ½Ib. boiled or baked fish, 1 pint milk, the juice of half a lemon.

Make a sauce of the butter, flour and milk.

Add yolks of eggs and the fish flaked.

Whip whites to a stiff froth and fold in.

Add salt and pepper.

Bake till done, about 30 minutes, in a moderate oven.

Serve at once or soufflé will be tough.

FISH GARNISHES

Lemon, parsley, sliced tomato, lettuce.

FISH SAUCES

• White,
• Anchovy,
• Béchamel,
• Egg,
• Parsley,
• Tartar,
• tomato

WHITE SAUCE

Use 1 oz. flour, 1 oz. butter, % pint milk, salt and pepper.

Half milk and half stock can be used.

Melt butter in small saucepan, stir in the flour, cook for a few minutes but do not brown.

Add milk and seasoning, stir till it boils and cook for a few minutes.

For the cream sauce – use cream in place of milk.

To make parsley sauce, add chopped parsley.

To make egg sauce, add chopped hard-boiled egg.

To make anchovy sauce, add I teaspoon anchovy essence, squeeze of lemon juice, cayenne pepper.

Béchamel SAUCE

Use 1 oz. butter, 2ozs.flour, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 bay leaf, ½pint milk, 1 gill stock.

Melt butter, stir in flour and cook for a few minutes without browning. Pour in liquid and stir well till it boils, add vegetables, etc., simmer for three-quarters of an hour and strain.

TOMATO SAUCE

6 tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 gill stock, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tea­spoon sugar, cayenne pepper, pinch bicarbonate of soda.

Cut tomatoes into slices and stew with onion, salt and stock till quite soft. Drain and add cayenne, sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.

If necessary thicken with a little corn flour and add a dash of Worcester sauce.

TARTAR SAUCE

¼ pint mayonnaise sauce, 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped capers, 1 tablespoon vinegar.

Stir all together and use as required.