Part 11.] Pond Fish. 85 



Preparing Fish for Cooking. 



When taken from warm, muddy, shallow water they can 

 be much improved in quality and flavor and put in good shape 

 for table use by putting them in small ponds or pools or even 

 in galvanized-iron stock-tanks where fresh water can be sup- 

 plied from a spring or pump. Under such circumstances fish 

 should be fed with corn chop, wheat, corn or graham bread, 

 or almost any kind of clean vegetable or animal food. 



For food purposes they should not be allowed to die but 

 should be killed and allowed to bleed and immediately dressed. 

 Fish that are allowed to die either in or out of the water, are 

 never as good as those that have been killed, bled and properly 

 handled. 



Catfish should be skinned and dressed soon after being 

 killed. 



After washing the fish in cool water, using a little salt in 

 the water when the fish are bloody, allow the water to drain 

 from them for a few minutes. Then roll each piece in very 

 fine corn meal, flour or cracker-crumb dust, or a combination 

 of these materials, and fry or bake to a good, rich doughnut 

 brown in a mixture of hot bacon fat and good butter. 



Never place fish in anything but smoking hot fat to cook 

 them, and never use what some people call "cooking butter" 

 for frying fish or anything else. Thus handled and cooked 

 bullheads will be found tasty, nutritious, if not a delicious 

 food fish. 



