In regard to its nutritive value, fish compares favorably with meat, being rich in nitrogenous compounds, but it is deficient in fat, excepting such fish as salmon and sturgeon.

As ordinarily used, the term fish includes, besides the backbone fish, many other forms of sea food, such as oysters, clams, lobsters, shrimp, crabs and turtles.

The backbone forms of fish are divided into fresh and salt water fish.

Fish is not considered a well-balanced food, because it is deficient in fat and carbohydrates, and therefore it should be combined with other food materials to substitute what is lacking in the fish. It is rather alkaline in flavor, and it is usually served with a tart substance.

Fish deteriorates quickly on the market. Salt water fish is considered the best.

Fresh water fish should be taken from cold, clear water. That which comes from shallow, dirty water is inferior in flavor.

Appearance on market-Skin and flesh should never be torn, nor beads removed before preparation for cooking.

The fish should be firm, the eyes clear, and the gills bright.

Usually, fish with long, narrow bodies have a large number of bones. The thicker, shorter bodies have fewer bones.

Preparation for cooking - To scale, start at the tail, scaling at right angle with the scales.

If prepared for roasting, the head, tail and fins may be left on, but the eyes should always be removed.

The muscle fibers in fish are in flakes instead of bundles, as found in flesh of other animals.

The protein in fish is largely in form of gelatine. Therefore, great care should be exercised in the cooking, in order not to dissolve the gelatine.

Salt Water Fish

Cod.

Haddock.

Mackerel.

Blue Fish.

Striped Bass.

Halibut.

Smelts.

Fresh Water Fish

White Fish.

Perch.

Black Bass

Found In Both Salt And Fresh Water

Salmon.

Shad.

Caviar-the roe of the sturgeon.

Anchovy-small sea fish, found on south coast of France.

Mollusks, or soft-bodied animals, such as oysters, clams, scollops, are found in salt water. The shells are built up of mineral matter.

The oyster has neither head nor limbs, but has a strong mouth near the hinge end of its shell and two strong mussels, one to open the shell to take in food, and the other to close it.

Oysters grow crowded together, forming oyster beds. The east coast oysters are superior to the gulf coast oysters.

The green coloring in the oyster liver is due to the feeding of the oyster on certain sea weeds. Frequently they are not fed the proper kind of sea food, but are given a certain preparation treated with copper to give them the proper coloring.

Crustaceans, such as lobsters, crabs, shrimp, are animals consisting of jointed sections, each of which is covered with a hard shell. The flesh in composition is similar to that of other fish.

When To Obtain The Different Types Of Fish:

January

Cod, Haddock, Black Bass, White Perch, Spotted Trout, Nova Scotia Herring, Smelts, Spanish Mackerel, Halibut, Sunfish, Salmon, Pike.

February

Cod, Haddock, Halibut, Spotted Trout, White Perch. Herring, Smelts, Shad, Black Bass, Pike, Salmon, Flounders.

March

Cod, Haddock, Halibut, Smelts, White Perch, Herring, Shad, Spotted Trout, Salmon, Black Bass, Flounders, White Catfish, Red Catfish, Green Pike.

April

Cod, Haddock, Halibut, Shad, White Perch. Yellow Perch, White and Red Catfish. Flounders, Salmon, Bluefish, Delaware Herring, Sturgeon, Porgy, Butterfish.

May

Shad, Delaware Herring, Cod, Haddock, White Perch, Yellow Perch, Bluefish Sturgeon, Porgie, Flounders, Red and White Catfish, Halibut, Salmon, Spanish Mackerel, Butterfish.

June

Same as May, with addition of Sea Bass, Blackfish.

July

Same as June, but no Shad or Delaware Herring.

August

Same as July, but no Sturgeon.

September

Same as August, with addition of Round Mackerel, White-fish.

October

Same as September.

November

Same as October, but no Porgies or Blackfish.

December

Same as November, with addition of Blue Pike, Spotted Drum.

Fish must be perfectly fresh, and should be kept in a cold place until cooked.

Do not put in refrigerator on account of odor. The flesh should be firm and the eyes bright.

The inside and the outside of the fish should be thoroughly cleansed with a cloth wet with salt water. The head and tail may be removed. Dry fish need butter rubbed over them before broiling.

When fish is cooked the flesh separates from the bone. It should be served hot, with a sauce, or garnish with lemon, hard-boiled eggs or parsley.

Cold cooked fish may be used in various ways, as creamed, scalloped, etc.