Recipes From Old Books

Fish.

Stewed Fish

Cut the fish in small pieces and sprinkle on salt; then in 1/2 pint of water boil one onion (sliced) and when cooked, pour off the water; then add 1 cup water, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a saltspoon *1 of pepper, and a sprig of parsley or other herbs. Boil the fish in this till done, and serve very hot. Rub to a cream 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 large teaspoon of flour, and thicken the gravy with it. Any fresh water fish can be thus stewed.

Time to stew, about 20 minutes.

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*1 On page 12, Smileys relates that, “4 saltspoons of liquid equal 1 teaspoon.” Smileys does not provide a definition of a dry saltspoon. One quarter teaspoon is probably an accurate enough equivalent.

All text information above the dashed line taken from page 53 of Smiley, ed. Smiley's CookBook and Universal Household Guide: The Toronto Daily Star Edition. Chicago: Smiley Publishing Company, 1901. The background image of fish is taken from a plate in Smileys facing page 48. The editor of this site claims no copyright for the image.

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