Recipe for Spatchcocked Rat with Bread Sauce

I had an email from my american publisher yesterday telling me to get blogging, so this is my first blog. It is a recipe for Spatch-cocked Rat with Bread Sauce which Nathan learned as a midshipman in the gunroom of HMS Hermes in 1783 - the last year of the American War of Independence. He refers to it in a conversation over dinner in the latest Seth Hunter novel, PRICE OF GLORY, to be published in the UK by Hodder Headline in Spring 2010 and subsequently in the United States by McBooks.
To make Spatchcocked Rat first catch your rat. This can be done in a number of ways which will be described in a subsequent blog.
Next singe over a candle flame to rid the skin of fur and any impurities
Next cut off the paws to rid the animal of its claws, wash thoroughly, and then split the rat from tail to chin, removing the entrails which you may set to one side for use in the sauce.
Next spread the rat out on a flat surface and beat flat with a belaying pin or similar object to crush the bones, taking this opportunity to remove the teeth which you may discard.
Insert a sharp skewer in the posterior of the rat and out through the chin and roast over flame until it is well cooked.
To make the sauce:
Wash the entrails in salt water and then chop very finely and crush in a stone mortar.
Add such flavourings as you can obtain, such as a pinch of pepper, mace and a little vinegar.
Add broken biscuit or stale bread.
Boil for a few minutes and simmer, stirring frequently, for a further half hour.
Pour the bread sauce over roasted rat and serve immediately.