The fish should be thoroughly washed, and soaked in cold water over
night. In the morning change the water, and put on to cook. As soon as
the water comes to the boiling point set back where it will keep
_hot_, but will _not boil_. From four to six hours will cook
a very dry, hard fish, and there are kinds which will cook in half an
hour. The boneless codfish, put up at the Isles of Shoals, by Brown &
Seavey, will cook in from half an hour to an hour. Where a family uses
only a small quantity of salt fish at a time, this is a convenient and
economical way to buy it, as there is no waste with bone or skin. It
comes in five pound boxes, and costs sixty cents.


Dropped Fish Balls.

One pint bowlful of raw fish, two heaping bowlfuls of pared potatoes,
(let the potatoes be under medium size), two eggs, butter, the size of
an egg, and a little pepper. Pick the fish very fine, and measure it
lightly in the bowl. Put the potatoes into the boiler, and the fish on
top of them; then cover with boiling water, and boil half an hour.
Drain off all the water, and mash fish and potatoes together until
fine and light. Then add the butter and pepper, and the egg, well
beaten. Have a deep kettle of _boiling_ fat. Dip a table-spoon in
it, and then take up a spoonful of the mixture, having care to get it
into as good shape as possible. Drop into the boiling fat, and cook
until brown, which should be in two minutes. Be careful not to crowd
the balls, and, also, that the fat is hot enough. The spoon should be
dipped in the fat every time you take a spoonful of the mixture. These
balls are delicious.