THE BASSES: FRES H-W ATER AND MARINE 



ley. Arrange slices of lemon, slices of hard-boiled 

 eggs, some chopped pickles, and a few capers, with 

 boiled potato-balls around the dish, and serve with 

 a rich Hollandaise sauce. Black or sea bass can be 

 cooked, in the same way. 



In roasting and frying, much the same method 

 can be used as that mentioned for fresh- water bass, 

 except that in baking or roasting a little more fat 

 is required. In my judgment the flesh of the sea- 

 basses has no equal in salt-water fishes, no matter 

 which way they are cooked, providing they are well 

 cooked, for underdone fish is uneatable. If over- 

 done it loses its flavor or is too dry. Some prefer 

 fish served with all its skin removed. This can be 

 done either before or after cooking. If before, 

 skin from the head, loosen and strip it down with 

 the aid of a sharp knife. 



In carving a fish, when cooked, always cut to 

 the bone in slices, then remove the bone and cut 

 as before. Even a small fish should not be cut 

 right through. Remove first the whole of the side 

 that is uppermost as it lies in the dlish. 



The fresh- water basses can be filleted with great 

 advantage and little loss of flesh. First scale thor- 

 oughly, and remove the fins ; then cut carefully from 

 the back, closely shaving the back-bone to the belly, 

 repeating the same work on the other side, and the 

 skeleton remains with little flesh, if care be taken in 

 the work. These fillets can be cut in two and fried 



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