NINE WAYS TO COOK SKATE

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 BUTTER

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 butter 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 buttered 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 butter and flour cooked together, pour around the fish and serve.

SKATE WITH FINE HERBS

Butter 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 wineglassfuls 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 quantity of sauce. Thicken with butter and flour cooked together, add a tablespoonful of butter, 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 buttered saucepan with a bean of garlic, one bay-leaf, two sprigs of thyme, a tablespoonful of butter, 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 button 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.