without the napkin. Meanwhile heat an oz. of fresh butter until it becomes nut-brown in colour, then add a teaspoonful of vinegar and a little chopped parsley. Pour this hot over the fish, garnish with sprigs of parsley and serve.
632.—SKATE WITH CAPER SAUCE. (Fr.—Raie, Sauce aux Câpres.)
Ingredients.—2 or 3 slices of skate, ½ a pint of vinegar, 2 ozs. of salt, ½ a teaspoonful of pepper, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, 2 bay-leaves, 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme, sufficient warm water to cover the fish, caper sauce (No. 182).
Method.—Put all the above ingredients into a fish-kettle, and simmer the skate in them until tender. When it is done, skin the skate neatly, and pour over it some of the liquor in which it has cooked. Drain well, put it on a hot dish, pour over it a little caper sauce, and send the remainder to a table in a tureen.
Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost, 2s. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from August to April.
Note.—Skate may be served with onion sauce, or parsley and butter.
633.—SKATE, SMALL, FRIED. (Fr.—Raitons Frits.)
Ingredients.—Skate, sufficient vinegar to cover them, salt and pepper to taste, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, the juice of ½ lemon, frying-fat.
Method.—Cleanse the skate, lay them in a dish, with vinegar to cover them, add the salt, pepper, onion, parsley, and lemon-juice, and let the fish remain in this pickle for 1½ hours. Drain them well, flour them or cover them with egg and breadcrumbs, and fry in hot fat until nicely browned. They may be served either with or without sauce. Skate is not good if dressed too fresh, unless it is crimped, and it should, therefore, be kept for a day.
Time.—10 minutes. Average Cost, from 4d. per lb. Seasonable from August to April.
634.—SMELTS, TO BAKE. (Fr.—Eperlans au Gratin.)
Ingredients.—12 smelts, breadcrumbs, 2 ozs. of fresh butter, salt and cayenne to taste.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish thoroughly in a cloth, and arrange them nicely in a flat baking-dish. Cover them with fine breadcrumbs, and place over them little pieces of butter. Season and bake for 15 minutes. Just before serving, add a squeeze of lemon-juice, and garnish with fried parsley and cut lemon.
Time.—15 minutes. Average Cost, from 1s to 2s. per dozen. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from October to May.
