are good salted, peppered, and rolled in salted corn-meal or flour, and
fried in boiling-hot lard, but better egged and bread-crumbed before
frying. They should be served _immediately_, or they will lose their
crispness and flavor. When served as a garnish for a large fish, they
should be fried in the shape of rings. This is easily done by putting
the tail of the fish into its mouth, and holding it with a pin. After it
is fried, the pin is withdrawn, as the fried fish will hold its shape.
Place these rings around the fish, with an additional garnish of parsley
and lemon slices; or the rings may be served alone in a circle around
the side of a platter, with a tomato or a _Tartare_ sauce in the
centre.
There can be no prettier manner of serving them alone than one often
seen in Paris. They are fried in the usual manner; then a little silver
or silver-plated skewer four inches long is drawn through two or three
of the smelts, running it carefully through the eyes. One skewerful,
with a slice of lemon on top, is served for each person at table. If the
silver-plated skewers are too extravagant, little ones of polished wire
will answer.
FRIED SLICES OF FISH, WITH TOMATO SAUCE (_Fish à l’Orlay_).
Bone and skin the fish, and cut it into even slices; or if a flounder or
any flat fish is used, begin at the tail, and, keeping the knife close
to the bone, separate each side of the fish neatly from it; then cut
each side in two, lengthwise, leaving the fish in four long pieces.
Remove the skin carefully. After having sprinkled pepper and salt over
them, roll each piece first in sifted cracker or bread crumbs, then in
half a cupful of milk mixed with an egg, and then in the crumbs again.
They are better fried in a _sauté_ pan in a little hot butter; yet they
may be _sautéd_ in a little hot lard, with some neat slices of pork, or
fried in boiling lard.
Pour tomato sauce No. 2 (see page 125) on a hot platter, arrange the
pieces of fish symmetrically on it, and serve immediately.