Codfish Muddle (Old New England Dish)
1 quart of sweet milk
4 soda crackers (we use traditonal Graham Crackers)
1 to 1 1/2 lbs of fresh cod fish
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 pinch of Salt, or to taste
Soak your cod if it was salted for two or three hours in fresh water. If the cod is fresh- scale and slice it into small slices. Put one quart of sweet fresh milk into the deep cast iron saucepan with fresh cod cut into small slices. Add into this sauce some crumbs of about four soda crackers broken rather fine, and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, if preferred- ad some black pepper. Cook the fish on the slow flame for half an hour, add the good dollop of butter into the sauce and serve very hot. Some love to use the heavy cream or half and half with a milk and at the end of cooking add some splash of the fresh lemon juice into this sauce.
SERVED WITH GRAHAM CRACKERS- ALWAYS- ADDED INTO THE SOUP AND SAUCE.
THIS IS THE TRADITIONAL WAY MY FAMILY PREPARES THE TRADITIONAL PURITAN FISH - THE BAKED COD. THIS IS A NICE TREAT OF THE SUNDAY BRUNCH OF OUR FAMILY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, GREAT BRITAIN, NEW ENGLAND, GERMANY AND LITHUANIA, AS WELL AS THE WHOLE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE TRADITIONAL BAKED COD IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE TRADITIONAL AMERICAN STAPLE, BUT THIS DISH IS AS WELL LOVED BY OUR LUTHERAN FAMILIES IN POLAND, HUNGARY, AUSTRIA, SWEDEN, LITHUANIA AND WORLDWIDE. BAKED COD CAN BE PREPARED BY THE FAMILIES ALL THROUGH THE YEAR, THOUGH THIS IS ONE OF THE MORE FESTIVE DISHES OF THE LATE AUTUMN, THANKSGIVING AND HALLOWEEN SEASON. THE SPICES THEY MAY BE SERVED WITH, ARE MOSTLY THE BLACK PEPPER AND SALT. GARNI WITH FINELY CHOPPED FRESH CELERY, FINELY CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY OR FINELY CHOPPED DILL OR FINELY CHOPPED FRESH CHIVES. THE BAKED COD IS TRADITIONAL STAPLE OF THE LATE AUTUMN IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND IS AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR MORE THAN HUNDRED OF YEARS, HOWEVER THIS IS CONSIDERED TO BE MORE OF A SEASONAL MEAL OF THE LATE AUTUMN, HALLOWEEN AND ALL SAINTS EVE, AND IS SELDOM CONSUMED AS THE DISH OF WINTER TIME. THE BAKED COD IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE REAL AMERICAN DELICACY AND THE CROWN OF THE FESTIVE FAMILY DINNER TABLE.
THIS IS TRADITIONAL RECIPE OF THE GRAND AMERICAN CUISINE.-HISTORICAL RECIPE WHICH DATES 1800DS. THE BAKED COD IN MILK SAUCE WAS CONSIDERED AS THE SAFE AND SCROMPTUOUS ALL YEAR ROUND DISH, SUITABLE AND ALLOWED FOR THE LITTLE CHILDREN AND TODDLERS, IF THE HEAVY SPICE, LIKE THE BLACK PEPPER, CHIVES WAS AVOIDED.