Thanks to modern methods of canning, refrigeration and transportation, our finny friends may be bought in markets everywhere and served in hundreds of delectable dishes to bring new food flavor to t h e daily menu. When prepared well, no apologies are necessary for serving fish. It then isn't just another inexpensive way of giving the family their protein foods, but becomes a tasty meal in its own right.

Both dill and sweet pickles, chopped, impart a new flavor to fish when used in the stuffing. Rub lemon juice over fish to be baked, broiled or fried. Again and this is a trick worth knowing - a bit of lemon juice sprinkled on canned salmon or tuna before creaming or scalloping, brings out all the flavor of the fish. When making fish casseroles with leftover fish, or with the various kinds of canned fish, add India relish or chopped sweet mustard pickle for a zestful contrast in flavors.

Codfish Steaks With Mushroom Sauce

6 small or 3 large codfish steaks

1 small onion

1/4 lb. mushrooms

6 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

Salt and pepper

Paprika

Put codfish steaks in oiled baking dish. Chop onion and mushrooms. Cook in the 6 tablespoons water and the butter 3 minutes. Add flour and stir in until well blended. Add milk, and keep stirring. When mixture boils, season with salt and pepper. Pour over fish. Dust top with paprika and bake in moderate oven (375 degrees F.) 25 minutes or until fish is tender.

If you are fond of fried fish, you will like the following dish. Inexpensive and quickly prepared, it is just the thing for those emergencies when hungry, unexpected guests arrive. Serve with lemon wedges or chill sauce, mashed potato nests filled with peas, and plenty of bread and butter for a hearty meal.

Sardine Cutlets

1 10-oz. can sardines

(Herring) packed in mustard sauce

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

Bread crumbs

Drain excess sauce from sardines. Mix together egg and water. Dip sardines in bread crumbs, then in egg mixture and then again in bread crumbs. Fry in hot fat at 375 degrees F. until golden brown. Serve with chill sauce. Serves 3.

Perch Baked With Tomato

1 lb. quick-frozen fillets of red perch

1 tablespoon minced onion

2 tablespoons butter

1.5 cups canned tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

5 drops Worcestershire sauce

Separate fillets (frozen or thawed) and arrange in shallow baking dish. Saute onion in butter, add tomatoes and seasonings, and boil 5 minutes. Sprinkle fillets with a little salt and pepper. Pour sauce over fish. Bake in hot oven (450 degrees F.) 20 minutes, or until done. Serves 2 to 3.

Tuna Vegetable Casserole

1 cup cooked carrots, sliced

1 cup cooked peas

1 teaspoon minced onion

1 cup tuna fish

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cooking oil

4 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cups milk

Combine carrots, peas, onion, fish and salt in a 1.5 quart oiled casserole. Blend together oil, flour, pepper and salt in saucepan. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Pour over tuna and vegetable combination and top with dropped biscuit crust. Bake in hot oven (425 degrees F.) 25 minutes. Serves 6.

Dropped Biscuit Crust

1.5 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons shortening

3/4 cup milk (about)

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening. Add enough of the milk to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonsful on top of Tuna Vegetable Casserole and bake as specified in recipe above.

Fish Croquettes, pickle sauce

Mix 1.5 cups cooked fish with 1 cup thick white sauce (3 tablespoons flour to 1 cup milk). Season to taste. Spread on platter to cool. Shape into croquettes, roll in crumbs, egg and crumbs. Fry in deep fat until golden brown. Serve with Pickle Sauce made as follos: Melt 1 tablespoon butter, stir in 1 tablespoon flour; slowly add 1 cup milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup chopped pickle.