Page:Art of Cookery 1774 edition.djvu/346

308 TO a peck of sprats, two pounds of common salt, a quarter of a pound of bay-salt, four pounds of salt-petre, two ounces of sal prunella, two penny-worth of cochineal, pound all in a mortar, put them into a stone pot, a row of sprats, a layer of your compound, and so on to the top alternately. Press them hard down, cover them close, let them stand six months, and they will be fit for use. Observe that your sprats be very fresh, and don't wash nor wipe them, but just take them as they come out of the water. TAKE a quarter of a peck of smelts, half an ounce of pepper, half an ounce of nutmeg, a quarter of an ounce of mace, half an ounce of petre-salt, a quarter of a pound of common salt, beat all very fine, wash and clean the smelts, gut them, then lay them in rows in a jar, and between every layer of smelts strew the seasoning with four or five bay-leaves, then oibl red wine, and pour over them enough to cover them. Cover them with a plate, and when cold tie them down close. They exceed anchovies. MIX yolks of eggs and flour together in a pretty stiff paste, so as you can work it up cleverly, and roll it as thin as it is possible to roll a paste. Let it dry in the sun; when it is quite dry, with a very sharp knife cut it as thin as possible, and keep it in a dry place. It will run up like little worms, as vermicella does; though the best way is to run it throug ha coarse sieve, whilst the paste is soft. If you want some to be made in haste, dry it by the fire, and cut it small. It will dry by the fire in a quarter of an hour. This far exceeds what comes from abroat, being fresher. TAKE the large flaps of mushrooms, pick nothing but the straws and dirt from it, then lay them in a broad earthen pan, strew a good deal of salt over them, let them lie till next