The Book of Household Management by Mrs. Beeton

pepper to taste, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, the juice of 1/2 lemon, hot dripping. _Mode_.--Cleanse the skate, lay them in a dish, with sufficient vinegar to cover them; add the salt, pepper, onion, parsley, and lemon-juice, and let the fish remain in this pickle for 1-1/2 hour. Then drain them well, flour them, and fry of a nice brown, in hot dripping. They may be served either with or without sauce. Skate is not good if dressed too fresh, unless it is crimped; it should, therefore, be kept for a day, but not long enough to produce a disagreeable smell. _Time_.--10 minutes. _Average cost_, 4d. per lb. _Seasonable_ from August to April. OTHER SPECIES OF SKATE.--Besides the true skate, there are several other species found in our seas. These are known as the _white_ skate, the long-nosed skate, and the Homelyn ray, which are of inferior quality, though often crimped, and sold for true skate. TO BAKE SMELTS.