Minced Salt Fish

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Ingredients 5 ingredients

Contains Milk Read from the ingredients, not verified. Check labels.

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Pick out all the bones and bits of skin the day that the fish is boiled, as it is most easily done while it is warm.
Next day chop it fine, and also all the potatoes left of the previous dinner;
they are better for this purpose than those that are just boiled.
Lay three or four slices of salt pork into a spider, and fry till they are crisped;
take them out, and put the chopped fish and potato into the middle, and press it out equally, so that the fat will be at the sides.
Cover it close;
after about five minutes put into the centre a gill of milk, and cover it again.
In a few minutes more stir it, but so carefully as not to disturb the sides and bottom, else a brown crust will not form.
Add more milk if it is too dry.
When thoroughly heated through, stir in a small piece of butter, loosen the crust from the sides with a knife, and turn it out upon a hot dish.
If it is done right, it will come out whole, and nicely browned.