—Take the fillets from three fine soles, as for the above; fold them in two, and lay them in a buttered, flat saucepan, with half a glassful of white wine, three tablespoonfuls of mushroom liquor, and half a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and cook for six minutes; then lift them up, drain, and arrange them on a dish. Reduce the gravy to one-half, add twelve blanched oysters, and six sliced mushrooms, moistening with half a pint of Allemande sauce ([No. 210]). Thicken the sauce well with a tablespoonful of good butter, tossing well till dissolved, and add the juice of half a lemon. Garnish the sides of the dish with the oysters and mushrooms, and pour the sauce over the fish. Decorate with three small, cooked crawfish, three fried smelts, and three small, round croquettes of potatoes ([No. 997]).
319. Soles au Gratin.
—Proceed as for [No. 318]. Put three tablespoonfuls of cooked, fine herbs ([No. 143]) in the bottom of a deep baking-dish, fold the fillets in two, and place them in, crown-shaped. Season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, then moisten with half a glassful of white wine, and bake for five minutes. Take out the dish, decorate it with twelve mushroom buttons, adding half a pint of good Espagnole sauce ([No. 151]). Sprinkle over with fresh bread-crumbs, pour on a few drops of melted butter, and bake once more for three minutes, then press the juice of half a lemon over the fillets, add half a pinch of chopped parsley, and serve. (All fish au gratin are prepared the same way.)
320. Fried Soles, sauce Colbert.
—Select six small soles, cut off their heads, and make an incision down the backbone. Season with one pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and the juice of half a lemon; roll in fresh bread-crumbs and beaten eggs, then flatten them well, and leave them to drip for a few minutes; fry them for three minutes in very hot fat; drain, add another half a pinch of salt, and arrange them on a dish on a folded napkin. Garnish with a quarter of a bunch of fried parsley, and serve with half a pint of Colbert sauce ([No. 190]) separate.
321. Fried Soles à la Horly.
—Fry twelve fillets of sole as for [No. 320], and serve with half a pint of tomato sauce ([No. 205]) separate.
322. Fillets of Sole, Joinville.
—Take the fillets of three soles, fold them, and lay them crown-shaped in a buttered, flat stewpan, moistening with half a glassful of white wine, and three tablespoonfuls of mushroom liquor. Season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook on a moderate fire for six minutes. Arrange the fillets on a dish, and put it on the side of the stove; reduce the gravy to half, adding one cooked lobster claw, one truffle, and three mushrooms, all cut julienne-shaped. Add half a pint of Allemande sauce ([No. 210]); stir it well, and pour it over the soles before serving, inserting a piece of truffle and a mushroom button on each fillet, also in every one stick a picked shrimp, with its head erect, if at hand, and then serve.