Skewers of Lampreys, Marinade Sauce

Skin a fine lamprey, clean well and cut off the head, also the thin tail end, then divide it into quarter-inch pieces; lay these in a tureen with sliced onions, parsley, a clove of garlic, truffle peelings, aromatic herbs, allspice, salt and a little brandy, and let macerate for a few hours in a cool place, tossing them about at short intervals; when sufficiently steeped drain them off and wipe dry; run an iron skewer (Fig. 176) through, alternating each slice with one of fresh, fat salt pork. Set these brochettes on a baking sheet, pour a little butter over and cook them in the oven, basting frequently with more melted butter. Add to the marinade two gills of brown sauce (No. 414), as well as half a pint of stock (No. 194a); remove all scum rising for a quarter of an hour while standing it on the side of the range; remove all its fat and afterward strain the sauce, pour into it half a glassful of Marsala wine, reduce again for ten minutes, keeping it in a bain-marie (Fig. 122). When the pieces of fish are cooked, take them from the oven, sprinkle them liberally with salt and dress on a dish, surrounding them with cut-up lemons, and serve the sauce separately.