n them carefully, and
brown them on the other: they may be considered ready when a thick smoke
rises. Lift them out carefully, and lay them before the fire on a
reversed sieve and soft paper, to absorb the fat. Particular attention
should be paid to this, as nothing is more disagreeable than greasy
fish: this may be always avoided by dressing them in good time, and
allowing a few minutes for them to get thoroughly crisp, and free from
greasy moisture. Dish them on a hot napkin, garnish with cut lemon and
fried parsley, and send them to table with shrimp sauce and plain melted
butter.

_Time_.--10 minutes for large soles; less time for small ones.

_Average cost_, from 1s. to 2s. per pair.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

SOLES WITH MUSHROOMS.

328. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of milk, 1 pint of water, 1 oz. butter, 1 oz.
salt, a little lemon-juice, 2 middling-sized soles.

_Mode_.--Cleanse the soles, but do not skin them, and lay them in a
fish-kettle, with the milk, water, butter, salt, and lemon-juice. Bring
them gradually to boil, and let them simmer very gently till done, which
will be in about 7 minutes. Take them up, drain them well on a cloth,
put them on a hot dish, and pour over them a good mushroom sauce. (_See_
Sauces.)

_Time_.--After the water boils, 7 minutes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

SPRATS.

329. Sprats should be cooked very fresh, which can be ascertained by
their bright and sparkling eyes. Wipe them dry; fasten them in rows by a
skewer run through the eyes; dredge with flour, and broil them on a
gridiron over a nice clear fire. The gridiron should be rubbed with
suet. Serve very hot.

_Time_,--3 or 4 minutes. _Average cost_, 1d. per lb.

_Seasonable_ from November to March.

TO CHOOSE SPRATS.--Choose these from their silvery appearance, as the
brighter they are, so are they the fresher.

SPRATS FRIED IN BATTER.

330. INGREDIENTS.--2 eggs, flour, bread crumbs; seasoning of salt and
pepper to taste.

_Mode_.--Wipe the sprats, and dip them in a batter made of the above
ingredients. Fry of a nice brown, serve very hot, and garnish with fried
parsley.

Sprats may be baked like herrings. (_See_ No. 268.)

DRIED SPRATS.

331. Dried sprats should be put into a basin, and boiling water poured
over them; they may then be skinned and served, and this will be found a
much better way than boiling them.

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