se 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.

[Illustration: THORNBACK SKATE.]

THE SKATE.--This is one of the ray tribe, and is extremely
abundant and cheap in the fishing towns of England. The flesh is
white, thick, and nourishing; 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
destitute. 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,