Fish
Fish fresh from the lakes or sea is excellent food. The point of freshness is a very important one, for all kinds spoil quickly, and, unless you can be quite sure how long they have been out of the water, it is better to find some other food for your invalid. Some shell-fish, such as crabs and lobsters, are especially dangerous, and should not be eaten by either sick or well, unless they are known to be in perfect condition. For the sick they had better not be used at all.
“The flesh of good fresh fish is firm and hard, and will rise at once when pressed with the finger. If the eyes be dull or sunken, the gills pale, and the flesh soft and flabby, the fish is not fresh.” (Mrs. Lincoln.)
Fish with red blood, such for instance as salmon, are highly nutritious but not easily digested, partly because of the amount of fat distributed through the flesh. Herring and mackerel belong to this class. White fish, such as cod, haddock, turbot, halibut, and flounder, contain comparatively little fat, and that mostly in the liver. They are easy of digestion, and possess a delicate flavor. When in season and just from their native element, these fish are delicious, and make excellent food for the sick, on account of the ease with which they are digested.
To Prepare. If fish be brought from market with the scales on, as is usually the case, it is a very easy matter to remove them. A large sheet of brown paper, or a newspaper, and a knife not very sharp, are all that are necessary. Spread the paper on the table, lay the fish upon it, and then with the blade of the knife held parallel with the body of the fish, or nearly so, not at right angles to it, push off the scales. They will come off easily, and will not fly unless you turn the edge of the knife too much. Should this happen, the paper will catch the scales, and when the fish is finished all the refuse can be rolled up in the paper and burned. After removing the scales, cut off the head, fins, and tail. Make a slit on the under side, and take out the contents of the cavity, clearing out everything that is not flesh. Then wash the fish quickly in a stream of cold water, wipe it, and set it in a cool place (a refrigerator if you have it) until it is required for cooking. Do not lay it directly on ice, for the juices of the fish are dissolved by the water which is formed as the ice melts, and its delicate flavor is thus impaired.
WHEN IN SEASON
| Cod | All the year. |
| Haddock | All the year. |
| Cusk | Winter. |
| Halibut | All the year. |
| Flounders | All the year. |
| Salmon | May to September. |
| Shad | Spring. |
| Bluefish | June to October. |
| Whitefish | Winter. |
| Swordfish | July to September. |
| Smelts | September to March. |
| Perch | Spring and summer. |
| Mackerel | April to October. |
| Oysters | September to May. |
| Clams | All the year. |