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EMITSONIAN
OCT 20 1992
LIBRARIES

DIVISION Or FISHES
U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
BUREAU OF FISHERIES

Economic Circular No. 23 : : 3 : | 2 F : : Issued March 8, 1917

THE SABLEFISH, ALIAS BLACK COD.’

An Introduction to One of the Best and Richest of American Foo
Fishes, With Recipes for Cooking It. |

4

To gain entrance to the best society a new fish, like a new neigh-
bor, must be vouched for and properly introduced. Cod, mackerel,
salmon, and a few other members of old and respected fish families
of Europe, which came to the shore of America even before the
Pilgrim Fathers, were at once recognized and accepted by the May-
flower immigrants and their successors, and there was established
from among them a veritable “ codfish aristocracy ” of the markets.
From time to time other fish have been added to the élite, but their

number is still far short of the “four hundred,” which probably
could be included if our available aquatic food supplies were fully
utilized.

Within a few years, however, the democracy of high prices has
upset the old exclusiveness and has given to previously unknown or
obscure fishes an opportunity to be pushed to the fore and to demon-
strate that they are entitled to regard, at least equal to that accorded
to those of longer standing in the community. The tilefish has

«By H. F. Moore, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Fisheries.
81648°—17

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established an assured position, and the ghayfich is living aown the
reputation which it acquired as a pirate and, is agauiring Ae Se
bility as a fish whose acquaintance is worth cul oi i.

The Bureau of Fisheries now presents the sablefish, eine for no
reason of its own making, has lived heretofore under the sins “ black
cod:” It is not a cod, and is not related to the members of that
family by lineage, structure, or edible qualities. When it was dis-
covered on the Alaska coast in 1811 the only name which it bore was
the barbarous one used by the Indians, and the early white settlers
and explorers, with the unconventionality common in new communi-
ties, gave it a nickname based on superficial appearances. So long
as the fish was practically unutilized the misnomer was of little
moment, but now that it is entering into commerce it becomes de-
ceptive and not only runs the risk of being banned under the pure-
food laws, but is actually misleading to the consumer, who may buy
it under the impr ession that in its edible qualities it resembles
the cod.

The cod is dry-meated, while the sablefish is one of the richest and
fattest of American fishes and is to be cooked differently. Its flesh
is firm, white, and flaky, with a full, rich flavor, while the fats are
almost gelatinous in their consistency. A high authority on dietetics
in the department of home economics of the University of Wash-
ington says that it “is excellent from an economic standpoint, as
there is little waste, being almost free from bone and requiring
very little time for cooking. It is suitable for the humblest home
on account of its price and for the millionaire’s table from its fine-
ness of texture and delicious flavor.”

Until now its excellence has been known to but a few persons on
the Pacific coast, but the time has come when, on account of its edible
qualities and low price, it should be made known to all. It is found
in the deep water off the coast from San Francisco to Alaska, and is
particularly abundant from Oregon northward. It has been caught
more or less freely by the halibut fishermen for many years, but has
been regarded as a nuisance rather than at its true worth, because,
with the characteristic American heedlessness of the value of natural
resources, it has been neglected by the consumer and there has been
no market for it. Millions of pounds have been returned to the sea
annually, while the people who should have been using it have been
clamoring for investigations into the reasons for the high cost of
living. Here is one reason which requires no legislation for its
correction. ‘

The sablefish as caught averages about 15 pounds in weight, al-
though it grows much larger. On account of its firm texture it
“ ships ” well and is therefore available fresh far from its home in the
Pacific, and frozen (just as good) as far east as New York and New

England. To obtain the frozen fish at its best the housewife should
buy it still “in the frost” and thaw it in cold water immediately
before using.

“ Barbecued” sablefish is one of the most delicious of sea foods.
The fish is kippered or lightly pickled and smoked and in that con-
dition, if kept cool and dry, will keep perfectly for 10 or 12 days.
As the frozen fish may be thawed and then barbecued this product
should soon be available everywhere. The fish is also excellent
salted, and as it does not rust, although fat, there should be a broad
market for it in that state to the mutual advantage of the fisherman
and the consumer.

The culinary experts whose recipes follow advise that the fish
should not be allowed to stand unduly long in water, and that it be
handled carefully in cooking, as the flaky character of the cooked
flesh causes it to break apart readily.

All fish meals should include green vegetables, and this is particu-
larly important with rich, fat species like the sablefish. Miss Rausch
suggests the following examples of inexpensive fish dinners:

(1) (2) (3)
Boiled sablefish, Fried sablefish, Baked sablefish,
Boiled potatoes, Tomato sauce, Stewed tomatoes,
Parsley sauce, Escalloped potatoes, Celery,
“Spinach, Cold slaw, Lettuce salad,
Tomato salad, Apple pudding, Cranberry pudding,
Baked apples, Coffee. Coffee.
Coffee.

SIMPLE RECIPES.

1. Sablefish hash.t—One cup cold, cooked fish chopped with 1 cup cold, cooked
potato. Season with salt and pepper. Fry in salt pork or bacon drippings,
or in butter.

2. Fried sablefish.-—Slice fish 1 inch thick; roll in cracker meal. Fry in
butter or lard until well done. Very nice served with saratoga chips and
sliced lemon.

3. Fried sablefish.t—Wipe dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dip in flour
or corn meal. Fry in hot fat (either butter or good drippings of salt pork)
being sure that the fat is very hot before putting in the fish. For broiling
or frying do not cut slices thinner than 1 inch as they will break when turned.
Use a pancake turner to turn slices.

4. Broiled sablejfish..—Wipe dry, season well, place under gas broiler with
oven door open. Do not cook too near heat as this: causes it to become tough.
Pour off the fat as it fries out. When one side is browned, turn and cover the
unbrowned side with coarse bread crumbs. Cook until a golden brown.

5. Boiled or steamed sablefish.,—Four pounds of fresh fish. Rub with salt —_

and wash in fresh water. Place on fire one-half gallon of water with 2 onions,
4 cloves, 2 bay leaves, one-half cup of vinegar, and tablespoonful of dry salt.

“Contributed by Miss Mary F. Rausch, department of home economics, University of
Washington, Seattle, Wash.
> Contributed by J. C. Grant, chef, Arctic Club, Seattle, Wash.

+

Let it come to boil then drop fish in. Boil 20 minutes. Serve with cream
sauce, two hard boiled eggs; minced, and a little chopped parsley.

' 6. Steamed sablefish.c—Wipe dry slices of fish and season well with salt,
pepper, and a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice. Put on a pie tin, cover
with a loose clean cloth, and steam for about 12 minutes. Serve with sauce
Seattle made as follows: Take a small piece of the raw fish; put it in a
saucepan with one-fourth cup sliced carrot, 1 slice of onion, bay leaf, parsley,
salt and pepper. Cover with cold water and cook 30 minutes. Drain and add
to 1 tablespoonful of melted butter cooked with 1 tablespoonful of flour. Cook
2 minutes and add 2 or 8 tablespoonfuls of cream.

7. Boiled sablefish..—To 1 quart hot water (not boiling), add 1 tablespoonful
of vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of salt, and 1 slice of onion. Into this place the fish
tied in a cloth; do not cook too long. It is difficult to give the time for cooking
as fish vary greatly; try it with a knife, and if the flesh leaves the bone easily
it is done. A slice 1 inch thick should take 12 minutes. Drain and serve with
egg sauce.

Egg sauce: Melt 2 tablespoonsfuls of butter, add 2 tablespoonsfuls of flour,
one-half teaspoonful of salt, and a shake of pepper. Cook 1 minute, add 1 cup
boiling water, 1 teaspoonful of parsley, 1 teaspoonful of lemon juice, and 1
hard-boiled egg chopped very fine.

8. Baked sablefish.°-—Two pounds of fish cut into slices 1 inch thick. Place
in well-buttered pan with 1 minced onion and 1 cup of water, sprinkle top with
cracker meal, a little salt and paprika. Bake in covered pan 15 minutes, remove
cover and brown well.

9. Baked sablefish..—Put fish in baking pan with salt, pepper, and enough
water to cover bottom of pan, adding a few drops of vinegar. Serve with
stuffing and tomato sauce.

Stuffing: Take 1 loaf of baker’s bread, pour one-half cup boiling water over it, .

squeeze dry, add 1 tablespoonful chopped sage, 1 teaspoonful chopped onion, salt

and pepper to taste, 1 tablespoonful butter, and a little grated lemon rind. ©

Bake in shallow pan until brown. Cut in squares and serve hot.

10. Sabdlefish Port Townsend style.A—Cover a slice of fish with milk, adding
salt, pepper, 1 slice of onion, and sprig of parsley ; then bake.

11. Baked sablefish in green peppers..—Flake the cooked fish and mix it with
equal amount of bread crumbs. If not moist enough, add little milk or water.
Add onion juice, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Cut tops off
green peppers, fill with mixture, cover with buttered crumbs, and bake 30
minutes.

12. Sablefish and tomatoes.t—One pound of fish in one piece. Put in deep
pan, cover with 1 pint of canned or fresh tomatoes, teaspoonful of salt, 1 bay
leaf, 1 clove, 1 minced green pepper, 1 onion, and a little paprika. Bake in a
hot oven 20 minutes.

18. Sablefish au gratin.~—Boil 1 pound of fish and let cool. Pick apart into
flakes, place in buttered pan, add 1 pint of cream sauce, season well with salt,

pepper, and paprika, sprinkle on top with bread crumbs, little butter to brown.
Serve with sliced lemon.

14. Broiled sablefish with parsley butter.t—One slice or cutlet of fish, butter
well on both sides, place on broiling irons until well done. Mince 6 sprigs of
parsley and juice of 1 lemon in one-half cup of warm butter. Pour over fish
and serve with potato croquettes.

“Contributed by Miss Mary F. Rausch, department of home economics, University of
Washington, Seattle, Wash. :

> Contributed by J. C. Grant, chef, Arctic Club, Seattle, Wash.

9)

15. Sablefish with steamed potato.t—One-half pound well-carved fish. (AI-
ways pick out the thick pieces when buying.) Place fish in steamer with 3
small potatoes and cook for 25 minutes. Serve with drawn butter and lemon.

16. Sablefish luncheon rolls.\—Make a white sauce, adding chopped parsley
and a few drops of lemon juice and 1 hard-boiled chopped egg if desired. Cut
eff the top of fresh rolls and remove crumbs. Brush rolls with melted butter
and brown in oven. Fill with creamed fish and serve very hot.

17. Fillet of sablefish tartar sauce.<—Three pounds fish, run knife along back-
bone, divide fish in half, then slice one-sixth of an inch thick in shape of small
fillets. Roll in flour, then in egg and milk, cover in cracker meal, and fry in
butter until well done. Serve with tarter sauce.

18. Fish cakes—EHacellent made with sablefish.-—Chop fine 1 onion and fry
it in 2 tablespoonsfuls of butter. When tender add 1 tablespoonful of flour.
Chop very fine some cold, boiled sablefish, add above mixture and a pinch of
nutmeg, and stir until it seems thick. A very little water or broth may be
added. Cook about 5 minutes, remove from fire, add 2 beaten egg yolks, and
cool for 2 or 38 minutes. Make into flat cakes and fry like potato cakes in
very best drippings.

19. Sablefish supper dish.-—Fried sablefish left from dinner and cold, boiled
potatoes. Put layer of each in baking dish; cover with white sauce; repeat;
put buttered bread crumbs on top and bake until brown.

20. Sablefish Huntingdon.°—Chop fine cold boiled fish, add 2 tablespoonsfuls
butter (to about 2 cups of fish), 1 teaspoonful of salt, 1 teaspoonful of parsley,
2 cups of milk, slice of onion, and 1 cup of fine bread crumbs. Stew for about
15 minutes, or until smooth; arrange stiff-mashed potato on a pan; make a
wall; fill center with fish and bake until brown.

21. Sablefish @ la Créole.oX—Cook 1 finely chopped green pepper in enough
butter to keep from burning; add 1 chopped onion, one-half can tomatoes,
Cook 10 minutes, or until tender; remove from stove, add 1 cup milk, 2 cups
cold boiled fish, and reheat but do not boil. Season well.

22. Kippered sablefish.,—Kippered sablefish is delicious flaked and served
cold on toast or in a Sandwich, or steamed, or rather heated in a steamer and
served with boiled potatoes and butter or parsley sauce. It can be heated
in oven, but is better if heated over boiling water.

23. Kippéred sablefish.-—Take 2 cups boiled rice and add 1 chopped onion,
salt, and pepper. Add 2 cups of kippered fish. Mix soft and heat but do
not use any moisture.

MORE ELABORATE RECIPES.

24. Broiled sablefish maitre Whotel.~—Cut fish into half-pound steaks, dip-
ping it into sweet butter or cooking oil before placing on broiling irons. When
well done, remove and place on hot platter. To keep fish light and fluffy,
cover with hot platter, for when exposed to open air it becomes soggy and flat.

Maitre d’hotel: Melt 3 ounces of good butter, add 1 tablespoonful of chopped
parsley, a little nutmeg, and juice of 1 lemon. Pour over fish just before serv-
ing. ‘

25. Stuffed sablefish._—Four pounds of fish. Take 2 bunches of celery
chopped fine, one-half pound crab meat, 2 pounds bread flakes, 4 eggs, half a
small onion. Season well with salt, pepper, and a little savory. Bake 1

«Contributed by J. C. Grant, chef, Arctic Club, Seattle, Wash.
> Contributed by Miss Mary F. Rausch, department of home economics, University of
Washington, Seattle, Wash.

6

hour in moderate oven. Serve with fish sauce of one-half pint Madeira wine,
1 pint of espagnole sauce, 1 gill of mushroom catsup, a little lemon juice, and
cayenne pepper to taste.

26. Meli Melo Seattle.-—Two small squares of sablefish, 6 prongs Dungeness
crab, 4 craw fish, 6 little-neck clams, 1 dozen shrimp. Sauté 1 small shallot
and 1 or 2 green peppers, cut in small pieces about one-fourth of an inch, in
good butter to a golden brown. Add 1 glass of sherry wine, 1 glass of heavy
cream, sO as to cover the whole. Place all together in a saucepan; let simmer
for about 5 to 8 minutes; finish with a lump of good sweet butter.

27. Flakes of sablefish au gratin.<—T'wo pounds of sablefish steamed until
well done. Remove and shred it. Place in small ramekins. Take 3 ounces
sweet butter, 1 pint double cream, 1 finely chopped shallot, salt and pepper;
let simmer to half the amount. Add 2 ounces of white wine and juice of 1
lemon. - Pour over fish, dust with bread crumbs, and place in au gratin oven

~

5 minutes. Serve with strips of toast or cheese sticks.

28. Baked sablefish a la Créole.t—Cut into cutlets of 1 inch thick; place in
well-buttered pan; glaze cutlets with 1 egg, one-half cup pure cream, salt, and
pepper, well beaten. Stripe each piece with bacon and sprinkle with bread
crumbs; add enough tomato bouillon to keep moist while baking. Serve with
creole sauce of 1 pint tomato sauce, 2 chopped sweet peppers, 3 minced fried
shallots, one-half glass Madeira wine.

29. Fillet of sablefish, anchovy butter.t—Take fillet nicely trimmed; roll in
flour and.fry well done in butter; keep well covered when frying; spread with
anchovy butter and bread crumbs; put in hot au gratin oven for 3 minutes or
until nicely browned. Serve with lemon and potato quenelles.

30. Steamed fillet of sablefish, hollandaise.t—Cut and trim small fillet; wrap
1 large oyster well seasoned with salt and lemon juice; fasten with skewer ;
place in steamer 20 minutes. Serve on hot plate with a rich hollandaise sauce
made of 1 cup of sweet butter, one-half cup lemon juice, 1 cup of chicken
stock, a little salt and cayenne pepper. Boil and pour into a liaison of egg
yolks until thick as mayonnaise.

31. Boiled sablefish, purée of shrimp.—Cut into steaks of 1 pound each;
place in saucepan of boiling water to which you have added 2 bay leaves, 2
peppercorns, 1 small onion, one-half cup of white wine, and salt. Serve with
purée of shrimp, using 4 ounces shrimp, 2 ounces of sweet butter, one-half
ounce. sherry wine. Let simmer 5 minutes; add 1 pint double cream. Simmer
until reduced to half the amount. Serve hot.

32. Sablefish planked (Arctic Club).°—Six pounds of fish stuffed with small
oysters and bread crumbs well seasoned; place in pan and bake 1 hour in
moderate oven; keep well moistened with white wine, Madeira wine, and broth
of chicken or veal. When well done, remove and place on plank, with border
of duchesse potatoes. Return to oven until potatoes are a golden brown.
Place on each side 3 stuffed sweet peppers, 3 stuffed tomatoes, and 8 artichoke
‘bottoms. Cover the top of fish with rings of French-fried onion and a bouquet
‘of asparagus tips striped with pimentos on head of fish.

33. Sablefish sauté a la bordelaise.-—Split fish into halves; put in stewpan
with a little butter, 5 kernels garlic, 3 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, and salt and
cayenne pepper, with 1 glass claret and 1 of white wine. Put on stove,
well covered. Simmer for 20 minutes. Just before removing from stove add
1 glass of espagnole or tomato sauce. Place on platter with a border of fish
croquettes,

>. Contributed by J. C. Grant, chef, Arctic Club, Seattle, Wash.
WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1917

MA