Part 38 (1/2)

314. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_.--Cleanse and skin the skate, lay it in a fish-kettle, with sufficient water to cover it, salted in the above proportion. Let it simmer very gently till done; then dish it on a hot napkin, and serve with shrimp, lobster, or caper sauce.

_Time_.--According to size, from 1/2 to 1 hour. _Average cost_, 4d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from August to April.

CRIMPED SKATE.

315. INGREDIENTS.--1/8 lb. of salt to each gallon of water.

_Mode_.--Clean, skin, and cut the fish into slices, which roll and tie round with string. Have ready some water highly salted, put in the fish, and boil till it is done. Drain well, remove the string, dish on a hot napkin, and serve with the same sauces as above. Skate should never be eaten out of season, as it is liable to produce diarrhoea and other diseases. It may be dished without a napkin, and the sauce poured over.

_Time_.--About 20 minutes. _Average cost_, 4d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from August to April.

TO CHOOSE SKATE.--This fish should be chosen for its firmness, breadth, and thickness, and should have a creamy appearance. When crimped, it should not be kept longer than a day or two, as all kinds of crimped fish soon become sour.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THORNBACK SKATE.]

THE SKATE.--This is one of the ray tribe, and is extremely abundant and cheap in the fis.h.i.+ng towns of England. The flesh is white, thick, and nouris.h.i.+ng; but, we suppose, from its being so plentiful, it is esteemed less than it ought to be on account of its nutritive properties, and the ease with which it is digested. It is much improved by crimping; in which state it is usually sold in London. The THORNBACK differs from the true skate by having large spines in its back, of which the other is dest.i.tute. It is taken in great abundance during the spring and summer months, but its flesh is not so good as it is in November. It is, in regard to quality, inferior to that of the true skate.

SKATE WITH CAPER SAUCE (a la Francaise)

316. INGREDIENTS.--2 or 3 slices of skate, 1/2 pint of vinegar, 2 oz. of salt, 1/2 teaspoonful of pepper, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, 2 bay-leaves, 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme, sufficient water to cover the fish.

_Mode_.--Put in a fish-kettle all the above ingredients, and simmer the skate in them till tender. When it is done, skin it neatly, and pour over it some of the liquor in which it has been boiling. Drain it, put it on a hot dish, pour over it caper sauce, and send some of the latter to table in a tureen.

_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 4d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from August to April.

_Note_.--Skate may also be served with onion sauce, or parsley and b.u.t.ter.

SMALL SKATE FRIED.

317. INGREDIENTS.--Skate, sufficient vinegar to cover them, salt and pepper to taste, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, the juice of 1/2 lemon, hot dripping.

_Mode_.--Cleanse the skate, lay them in a dish, with sufficient vinegar to cover them; add the salt, pepper, onion, parsley, and lemon-juice, and let the fish remain in this pickle for 1-1/2 hour. Then drain them well, flour them, and fry of a nice brown, in hot dripping. They may be served either with or without sauce. Skate is not good if dressed too fresh, unless it is crimped; it should, therefore, be kept for a day, but not long enough to produce a disagreeable smell.

_Time_.--10 minutes. _Average cost_, 4d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from August to April.

OTHER SPECIES OF SKATE.--Besides the true skate, there are several other species found in our seas. These are known as the _white_ skate, the long-nosed skate, and the Homelyn ray, which are of inferior quality, though often crimped, and sold for true skate.

TO BAKE SMELTS.

318. INGREDIENTS.--12 smelts, bread crumbs, 1/4 lb. of fresh b.u.t.ter, 2 blades of pounded mace; salt and cayenne to taste.