THE FINE ART OF PIKE COOKING 



time and utensils serve, the bodies are immersed 

 for some thirty minutes or so in a salt bath, a 

 treatment especially advised for fish from sloughs or 

 water impregnated with decaying vegetable matter. 

 Lacking time, the fish are thoroughly washed in as 

 cold water as is obtainable, wiped dry, and salted. 

 Three or four slices of bacon are placed in the fry-pan 

 and the fat extracted. I remove the bacon and place 

 on a warm plate near the fire. Now while the fat is 

 smoking hot, I drop in the fish, cut up into convenient 

 pieces, and fry, being careful not to burn. (Strictly 

 speaking, this process is not frying, but, as the cooks 

 say, "sauting." No more do I fry fish in deep fat.) 

 I remove the fish from the pan to the warm plate and, 

 if obtainable, squeeze over it the juice of half a lemon. 

 The despiser of the "river snake" will be surprised at 

 the tastiness of the dish. 



The outdoor cook may vary the dish in many ways. 

 The flavor imparted by dropping a slice or two of 

 onion in the fat is relished by those fond of the escu- 

 lent bulb. A judicious dash of red pepper or other 

 aromatic condiment will add variety. If the pickerel 

 cook is working where watercress (peppergrass) can 

 be gathered, a few fresh sprays should be served with 

 the dish. While I prefer bacon fat for frying fish, 

 there are folks who do not like the flavor. For them 

 olive oil or sweet butter is preferable, though for the 

 woodsman bacon is the only thing. To my mind, the 

 secret of successful "frying" lies in having the fat 

 piping hot and the fish dry. While I have advised 

 cutting up the fish, if the pan is large enough or the 

 fish small enough they can be fried whole. I know of 

 nothing more appetizing in appearance than a couple 



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