—Place the fillets of sole, prepared as in [No. 1421], on a dish. Season with a tablespoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of pepper, equally divided. Turn the third of one end of each fillet down, so as to have one end of each higher than the other. Lay at the bottom of a well-buttered sautoire a small sprig of thyme, a small branch of parsley, adding half a glass of white wine and half a glass of mushroom liquor, tightly cover the pan, and then place it on the hot range to cook for five minutes. Have in a sautoire a tablespoonful of butter, with one and a half tablespoonfuls of flour; mix all well together, then place the pan on the hot range, and slowly cook, without browning, for five minutes. Remove the fillets from off the range, nicely dress them on a hot serving dish, one overlapping another, cover them with another hot dish, and leave at the oven door to keep warm. Add now the gravy of the fillets to the butter and flour, briskly stirring meanwhile; add again half a cup of mushroom liquor, if at hand—if not, the same quantity of white broth ([No. 99]) will answer—and let just come to a boil; then place on the corner of the range for four minutes. Take two cooked lobster claws, if at hand, slice each one in half, then, with a tube half an inch in diameter, cut it into small pieces, place them in the sautoire in which the fillets were cooked, with one sound sliced truffle and eight whole mushrooms, and a teaspoonful of butter; heat it up; then strain through a sieve the other sauce into this, gently shuffle the pan, so as to mix the whole well together for two minutes, then pour the sauce over the fillets. Decorate the dish all around with six heart-shaped bread croûtons ([No. 133]), and send to the table.
1423. Fillets of Sole à la Thomas A. Edison.
—Put in a sautoire one peeled, finely chopped shallot, twelve chopped mushrooms, and a tablespoonful of butter, let slowly simmer on the corner of the hot range for five minutes. Season with one tablespoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of pepper, add a teaspoonful of freshly chopped parsley, and half a teaspoonful of chopped chervil, then pour in half a glass of white wine. Reduce the wine to one-half, and leave it on the corner of the range until further action. Place in a saucepan one tablespoonful of butter, with two tablespoonfuls of flour, cook on the range for five minutes, without browning, then add a cup and a half of hot milk, stirring continually while adding it; let come to a boil, season with one teaspoonful of salt, dredge in just a little grated nutmeg. Allow to slowly boil for twelve minutes. Add a tablespoonful of this preparation to the other containing the mushrooms and herbs, mix all well together for one minute. Prepare six fillets of sole as for [No. 1421]; lay them flat on a dish; mix a teaspoonful of salt with half a teaspoonful of pepper, equally season the fillets with it. Then evenly divide the mushroom garnishing among the six fillets, arranging it directly in the centre of each, crosswise; fold up each fillet carefully around the force lengthwise, then arrange them on a lightly buttered silver dish upright, one against the other, so as to prevent them from opening; sprinkle a little clarified butter over each, then place in the hot oven for five minutes. Remove from out the oven, place a whole mushroom on top of each fillet, right in the centre. Add now two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, to the white sauce which stands on the corner of the range, mix well together, then pour all the sauce evenly over the fillets, sprinkling a very little clarified butter over all. Place in a very hot oven to bake for five minutes. Remove from out the oven, nicely decorate the dish all around with six heart-shaped croûtons ([No. 133]), and serve.
1424. Fillets of Sole au Gratin à la James G. Blaine.
—Prepare the fillets of two medium-sized fine soles as in [No. 1421]. Season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper mixed, then place them on a lightly buttered silver dish, one overlapping another, and giving a crown-shape, pour over two tablespoonfuls of white wine; place a whole mushroom on top of each fillet, cover all with a well-buttered paper, place in the hot oven for three minutes. Remove them from the oven, and leave at the oven door to keep warm.
Place in a saucepan a cupful of white wine, with one medium-sized, sound, peeled, and finely chopped shallot, one clove, three whole peppers, and one branch of parsley, then reduce on the hot range to a quarter. Place a tablespoonful of butter in another small saucepan, with two tablespoonfuls of flour; let gently cook on a moderate range for five minutes; add a gill of hot white broth ([No. 99]), briskly stirring while adding it; now add the reduced wine to this, and let the whole slowly boil for ten minutes; pour in a gill of sweet cream or a gill of very good milk, with a heaped tablespoonful of good butter, thoroughly mix together with a wooden spoon. Strain it then through a fine sieve into a bowl, pour it over the fillets, evenly divided, sprinkle half a teaspoonful of grated Parmesan cheese over, and also a very little clarified butter over all; then place the dish in the oven for seven minutes; remove from the oven and serve.
1425. Fillets of Sole à la H. S. Jaffray.
—Have two medium-sized, fine, fresh soles, prepare the fillets exactly the same as for [No. 1421], mix a teaspoonful of salt with half a teaspoonful of pepper, and with it evenly season the fillets, place them in a hollow dish with a sprig of thyme, one bay-leaf, and a branch of parsley, squeezing in the juice of a medium-sized, sound lemon; cover with another dish, and let marinate until further action.
Have in a sautoire eight mushrooms with one truffle, all cut into small dice-shaped pieces, pour in two tablespoonfuls of Madeira wine, let gently simmer on the range until almost dry, then add one gill of hot tomato sauce ([No. 205]), and one gill of Espagnole sauce ([No. 151]), reduce the whole to one-half, which will take about eight minutes, then transfer into a cold dish, and let cool off. Remove the fillets from the marinade, pick out the six nicest, then with a keen knife make an incision in the side of each fillet, right in the centre, three inches in length by one and a half inches in width. Equally stuff the fillets with the preparation in the dish, give them a nice oval shape, then lay them in a lightly buttered silver dish. Cut the other two remaining fillets into three even strips, lengthwise, neatly pare the edges. Cut a fine, sound truffle with a tube half an inch in diameter, then cut it into very thin slices. Make four light incisions on the surface of each strip, quarter of an inch deep, insert a slice of truffle in each incision, and with a knife gently press down the opened parts, so as to hold in the truffles; place a strip over each fillet, right in the centre, lengthwise, pour half a wineglass of white wine at the bottom of the dish, sprinkle a very little clarified butter over all. Cover the fillets with a buttered paper, and then place in a moderate oven to bake for fifteen minutes. Remove from out the oven, take the paper off, pour a gill of hot Colbert sauce ([No. 190]) around the dish (not over the fillets), and then send to the table.