FRIED SKATE

Prepare and clean the fish and cut into suitable pieces for serving.

Dip in flour, then in egg, then in crumbs, and fry in deep fat.

Serve with any preferred sauce.

BOILED SKATE

Prepare and clean a small skate and cut into convenient pieces for serving. Put into a kettle an onion and a carrot sliced, a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, two bay-leaves, a tablespoonful each of salt and pepper-corns, and half a cupful of vinegar. Put the fish on this, add cold water to cover, and boil slowly for forty-five minutes. Drain and serve with any preferred sauce.

BOILED SKATE WITH BLACK b.u.t.tER

Boil the skate until tender in salted and acidulated water to cover, with onion, thyme, parsley, bay-leaves, and pepper to season. Drain the fish and pour over half a cupful of browned b.u.t.ter to which a [Page 364]

tablespoonful of vinegar has been added.

BOILED SKATE WITH CAPER SAUCE

Cook the fish in salted and acidulated water to cover, adding a sliced onion, two bay-leaves, and a bunch of parsley to the water, with salt and pepper to season. Drain, place on a hot dish, and serve with Caper Sauce.

BOILED SKATE WITH OYSTER SAUCE

Boil the fish in salted and acidulated water to cover, drain, and serve with Oyster Sauce.

BAKED SKATE

Skin the fish and cut into suitable pieces for serving. Put into a b.u.t.tered saucepan with the juice of half a lemon and a bunch of sweet herbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, and pour in two cupfuls of milk. When nearly tender, drain, brown in the oven, thicken the sauce with b.u.t.ter and flour cooked together, pour around the fish and serve.

SKATE WITH FINE HERBS

b.u.t.ter a baking-dish and put into it pieces of prepared skate.

Sprinkle with chopped mushrooms, onion, and parsley, season with [Page 365]

salt and pepper, add two winegla.s.sfuls of Sherry and half a cupful of stock. Sprinkle with crumbs and bake. Take up the fish carefully and add to the liquid enough brown stock to make the required quant.i.ty of sauce. Thicken with b.u.t.ter and flour cooked together, add a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, a teaspoonful of anchovy essence, and the juice of half a lemon. Pour around the fish and serve.

SKATE a L'ITALIENNE

Put the prepared fish into a b.u.t.tered saucepan with a bean of garlic, one bay-leaf, two sprigs of thyme, a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, three cloves, and salt and pepper to season. Sprinkle with flour, cover the fish with milk, and simmer gently until done, then drain. Put into a serving-dish, sprinkle with grated cheese, and garnish with boiled b.u.t.ton onions and triangles of fried bread. Strain the sauce over and serve.

SKATE a LA ROYALE

Parboil small pieces of skate, drain, cool, and marinate in oil and vinegar, seasoning with salt and pepper. Drain, dip in batter, and fry. Serve with any preferred sauce.

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THIRTY-FIVE WAYS TO COOK SMELTS

BROILED SMELTS--I

Dip prepared smelts in lemon-juice and seasoned melted b.u.t.ter, then in flour; broil in a double-broiler, and serve with Remoulade Sauce.

BROILED SMELTS--II

Draw and clean large smelts, dip in oil, season with salt and pepper, and broil on a double-broiler. Serve with Maitre d'Hotel Sauce.

BROILED SMELTS--III

Split and bone large smelts, rub with seasoned oil, and broil. Serve with Bearnaise Sauce.

BROILED SMELTS--IV

Soak the prepared fish for an hour in seasoned olive-oil, drain, broil carefully, and serve with Maitre d'Hotel Sauce.

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BROILED SMELTS--V

Take off the heads, split the fish, remove the back-bone, and broil for five minutes on a b.u.t.tered broiler. Garnish with lemon and parsley and serve with melted b.u.t.ter, made very hot with red pepper.

BROILED BONED SMELTS a LA BEARNAISE

Split a dozen good-sized smelts, take out the back-bone, rub with seasoned oil, and broil on a double-broiler. Pour Bearnaise Sauce into the platter, lay the smelts upon it, and serve.

BROILED SMELTS WITH ONION SAUCE

Clean six or seven large smelts, dip in beaten egg, then into seasoned crumbs, and string on skewers by the heads. Broil, basting with melted b.u.t.ter as required. Fry two teaspoonfuls of chopped onion in b.u.t.ter, but do not brown. Take from the fire, add a teaspoonful of vinegar, and an equal quant.i.ty of minced parsley. Pour into a bowl and put on ice until cool. When ready to serve, mix a tablespoonful and a half of fresh b.u.t.ter with the sauce and make it into small b.a.l.l.s. Serve one ball of the b.u.t.ter with each fish.

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BAKED SMELTS--I

Remove the heads, split, dip in melted b.u.t.ter, then in flour. Put into a b.u.t.tered baking-pan, bake for ten minutes, sprinkle with cayenne and lemon-juice, and serve.

BAKED SMELTS--II

Put prepared smelts into a b.u.t.tered baking-dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley and mushrooms, and salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to season. Pour over half a cupful of white wine, cover with a Cream Sauce, sprinkle with crumbs, dot with b.u.t.ter, and bake in the oven. Squeeze lemon-juice over and serve in the baking-dish.

BAKED SMELTS--III

Clean eighteen or twenty smelts and put into a baking-dish with one tablespoonful each of chopped onion and celery, a winegla.s.sful of white wine, and salt and pepper to season. Cover with large fresh mushrooms and a cupful of Spanish Sauce. Sprinkle with crumbs, dot with b.u.t.ter, and bake in a hot oven. Sprinkle with parsley, squeeze lemon-juice over, and serve.

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BAKED SMELTS a LA DUXELLES

Put a dozen cleaned and prepared smelts into a b.u.t.tered baking-dish and sprinkle with chopped onion, parsley, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg, cover with Drawn-b.u.t.ter Sauce to which a winegla.s.sful of white wine has been added. Sprinkle with crumbs, dot with b.u.t.ter, and bake for thirty minutes. Squeeze lemon-juice over and serve.

BAKED SMELTS a LA MANTON

Prepare according to directions given for Baked Smelts a la Duxelles, omitting the chopped onion and the wine from the sauce. Sprinkle with crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, dot with b.u.t.ter, and brown in the oven. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over and serve.

FRIED SMELTS--I