[171-+] The very indifferent manner in which the operation of frying fish is usually performed, we suppose, produced the following _jeu d'esprit_, which appeared in _The Morning Chronicle_:--
"The King's bench reports have cook'd up an odd dish, An action for damages, _fry_ versus _fish_. But, sure, if for damages action could lie, It certainly must have been _fish_ against _fry_."
The author of _The Cook's Cookery_, 8vo. page 116, does not seem to think this fish can be too fresh; for he commences his directions with, "_If you can_, get a cod _hot_ out of the sea," &c.
[172-*] The skate comes to the New-York market in the spring, but is not esteemed, as we have many better fish. The part about the flap or side-fin is best. A.
[172-+] The TAIL is so much thinner than the thick part of the body, that, if boiled together, the former will be boiled too much, before the latter is done enough; therefore it should be dressed separate; and the best way of cooking it is to fry it in slices or fillets. See No. 151.
"_Cod_ generally comes into good season in October, when, if the weather is cold, it eats as fine as at any time in the year; towards the latter end of January and February, and part of March, they are mostly poor; but the latter end of March, April, and May, they are generally particularly fine; having shot their spawn, they come in fine order. _The Dogger-bank cod_ are the most esteemed, as they generally cut in large, fine flakes; the north-country cod, which are caught off the Orkney Isles, are generally very stringy, or what is commonly called _woolly_, and sell at a very inferior price, but are caught in much greater abundance than the Dogger cod. The cod are all caught with hook, and brought alive in well-boats to the London markets. The cod cured on the Dogger-bank is remarkably fine, and seldom cured above two or three weeks before brought to market; the _barrel cod_ is commonly cured on the coast of Scotland and Yorkshire. There is a great deal of inferior cured salt-fish brought from Newfoundland and Iceland.
"The SKULL of a Dogger-bank cod is one of those concatenations of _tit-bits_ which some epicures are fond of, either baked or boiled: it is composed of lots of pretty playthings or such finery, but will not do for those who want a good meal: it may be bought for about 2_s._: either boil it whole, or cut it into pieces, flour and dry them, and then egg and crumb, and fry them, or stew it (No. 158).