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_, 1_d._ 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, Dried.
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.
SPRATS, Fried in Batter.
_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.
SPROUTS, to Boil Young.
_Ingredients._—To each ½ gallon of water allow 1 heaped tablespoonful
of salt; a _very small_ piece of soda. _Mode._—Pick away all the
dead leaves, and wash the greens well in cold water; drain them in
a colander, and put them into fast-boiling water, with salt and
soda in the above proportion. Keep them boiling quickly, with the
lid uncovered, until tender; and the moment they are done, take
them up, or their colour will be spoiled; when well drained, serve.
The great art in cooking greens properly, and to have them a good
colour, is to put them into _plenty of fast-boiling_ water, to let
them boil very quickly, and to take them up the moment they become
tender. _Time._—Brocoli sprouts, 10 to 12 minutes; young greens,
10 to 12 minutes; sprouts, 12 minutes, after the water boils.
_Seasonable._—Sprouts of various kinds may be had all the year.
STEW, Irish.
_Ingredients._—3 lbs. of the loin or neck of mutton, 5 lbs. of
potatoes, 5 large onions, pepper and salt to taste, rather more
than 1 pint of water. _Mode._—Trim off some of the fat of the above
quantity of loin or neck of mutton, and cut it into chops of a moderate
thickness. Pare and halve the potatoes, and cut the onions into thick
slices. Put a layer of potatoes at the bottom of a stewpan, then a
layer of mutton and onions, and season with pepper and salt; proceed in
this manner until the stewpan is full, taking care to have plenty of
vegetables at the top. Pour in the water, and let it stew very gently
for 2½ hours, keeping the lid of the stewpan closely shut the _whole_
time, and occasionally shaking the preparation to prevent its burning.
_Time._—2½ hours. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 2_s._ 8_d._
_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable._—Suitable for a winter
dish.
STEW, Irish.
_Ingredients._—2 or 3 lbs. of the breast of mutton, 1½ pint of
water, salt and pepper to taste, 4 lbs. of potatoes, 4 large onions.
_Mode._—Put the mutton into a stewpan with the water and a little salt,
and let it stew gently for an hour; cut the meat into small pieces,
skim the fat from the gravy, and pare and slice the potatoes and
onions. Put all the ingredients into the stewpan, in layers, first a
layer of vegetables, then one of meat, and sprinkle seasoning of pepper
and salt between each layer; cover closely, and let the whole stew very
gently for 1 hour, or rather more, shaking it frequently to prevent its
burning. _Time._—Rather more than 2 hours. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 6_d._
_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable._—Suitable for a winter
dish.
_Note._—Irish stew may be prepared in the same manner as above, but
baked in a jar instead of boiled. About 2 hours or rather more in a
moderate oven will be sufficient time to bake it.