1857 Fish Chowder Cut the fish in pieces of an inch thick and two inches square.   Take half a dozen large slices of salt pork, and lay in the bottom of an iron pot, and fry till crisped.  Take the pork out of the fat, a layer of split crackers, some of the chopped pork, black and red pepper, and onion chopped fine, then another layer of fish, split crackers, &c.  Continue this till all the fish is used.  Barely cover the fish with water, and slowly stew it till it is tender.  Then take out the fish, and thicken the gravy with pounded cracker, and season it with mushroom, catsup, and the juice of a lemon.  Pour the gravy over the fish, after it has boiled up once.  Garnish it with slices of lemon. The Great Western Cook Book 1857