ells starting
wide open. After they are done, they should be taken from the shells,
washed thoroughly in their own water, and put in a stewing pan. The
water should then be strained through a cloth, so as to get out all
the grit; the clams should be simmered in it ten or fifteen minutes;
a little thickening of flour and water added; half a dozen slices
of toasted bread or cracker; and pepper, vinegar and butter to your
taste. Salt is not needed.

Four pounds of fish are enough to make a chowder for four or five
people; half a dozen slices of salt pork in the bottom of the pot;
hang it high, so that the pork may not burn; take it out when done
very brown; put in a layer of fish, cut in lengthwise slices, then a
layer formed of crackers, small or sliced onions, and potatoes sliced
as thin as a four-pence, mixed with pieces of pork you have fried;
then a layer of fish again, and so on. Six crackers are enough.
Strew a little salt and pepper over each layer; over the whole pour a
bowl-full of flour and water, enough to come up even with the surface
of what you have in the pot. A sliced lemon adds to the flavor. A cup
of tomato catsup is very excellent. Some people put in a cup of beer.
A few clams are a pleasant addition. It should be covered so as not
to let a particle of steam escape, if possible. Do not open it, except
when nearly done, to taste if it be well seasoned.

Salt fish should be put in a deep plate, with just water enough to
cover it, the night before you intend to cook it. It should not be
boiled an instant; boiling renders it hard. It should lie in scalding
hot water two or three hours. The less water is used, and the more
fish is cooked at once, the better. Water thickened with flour and
water while boiling, with sweet butter put in to melt, is the common
sauce. It is more economical to cut salt pork into small bits, and try
it till the pork is brown and crispy. It should not be done too fast,
lest the sweetness be scorched out.

Salted shad and mackerel should be put into a deep plate and covered
with boiling water for about ten minutes after it is thoroughly
broiled, before it is buttered. This makes it tender, takes off
the coat of salt, and prevents the strong oily taste, so apt to be
unpleasant in preserved fish. The same rule applies to smoked salmon.

Salt fish mashed with potatoes, with good butter or pork scraps to
moisten it, is nicer the second day than it was the first. The fish
should be m