Miss Leslie's New Cookery Book

large, they are generally coarse and strong. They must be cooked quite fresh; if possible, directly out of the water. They are very popular at fishing parties. Wash and clean them, cutting off their heads and tails, and removing the upper part of the back-bone, near the shoulders. Score them along the back, with deep gashes or incisions. Dredge them with flour, and fry them in plenty of lard, boiling fast when the cat-fish are put into the pan. Or, you may fry them in the drippings or gravy saved from roast beef, or veal. They are very nice dipped in a batter of beaten egg and grated bread-crumbs, or they may be done in a plain, though not so nice a way, with indian meal instead of bread-crumbs. Drain off the lard before you dish them. Touch each incision or cut, _very slightly_, with a little cayenne before they go to table. Cat-fish are a breakfast dish, and are also eaten at supper. Porgie and tutaug are cooked in this manner. Any fish may be fried as above, when not split open. FINE CHOWDER.--This is Commodore Stovens's receipt:--Take four table-spoonfuls of minced onions that have been fried with slices of salt pork; two pilot-biscuits broken up; one table-spoonful of minced sweet marjoram, and one of sweet basil; a quarter of a bottle of mushroom catchup; half a bottle of port wine; half a nutmeg grated; a few cloves, and mace, and pepper-corns; six pounds of fresh cod, and sea-bass, cut in slices. Put the whole into a pot, with water enough to cover it about an inch. Boil it steadily for an hour, carefully stirring it. Serve it up hot in a large deep dish. Chowder may be made as above, substituting clams for the cod. The clams must be chopped small. You may, for variety, make chowder with oysters, or with boiled lobsters, or crabs; always beginning the mixture with pork fried with onions. YANKEE CHOWDER.--Having sliced very thin some salt fat pork, season it with pepper, lay it in the bottom of a large iron pot, set