No. 250. Saumon à la Crème (gratiné).

Proceed as for Turbot (No. 211). Many of my readers will probably make some remarks and think it singular that so many different fishes are served with the same sauces, but I must here observe that each fish brings with it its own flavour; and again, it is not to be supposed that any cook would send two different fishes the same day with the same sauce, when there is such a variety to choose from.

No. 251. Sole en matelote Normande.

Cut the fins off a fine fresh sole and make an incision down the back close to the bone, in which put some forcemeat of fish (No. 124), well seasoned with chopped eschalots and parsley, then butter a sauté-pan very lightly and put a teaspoonful of chopped eschalots into it with two glasses of white wine, lay the sole into it and season with a little pepper and salt, then cover it with some bechamel sauce (No. 7), and put it into a moderate oven for about twenty minutes or half an hour, (but try whether it is done with a skewer,) brown it lightly with the salamander, then take up the sole, dish it without a napkin, and make the sauce as follows: put six spoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7) in the sauté-pan with six ditto of milk, let it boil four minutes, keeping it stirred, then add one dozen oysters blanched, one dozen quenelles of whiting (No. 124), one dozen mushrooms, half a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, and four tablespoonfuls of cream, with a little cayenne pepper and sugar; pour the sauce over and round the fish, pass the salamander again over it and garnish round with fried bread cut in small triangles. The sauce may be passed though a tammie before the garniture is added if required. Fried smelts are frequently served as garniture around it.

No. 252. Sole au gratin.[5]

Cut the fins off a fine fresh sole, make an incision in the back, then butter a sauté-pan and put two teaspoonfuls of chopped onions in it with half a glass of white wine, then lay in the sole, cover it with a brown sauce (No. 1), and sprinkle some brown bread-crumbs over it, with a few small pieces of butter; then place it in a moderate oven twenty minutes or half an hour (try when done as before), take it out of the sauté-pan and dish without a napkin; then put four spoonfuls of stock and two of brown sauce in the sauté-pan, boil it five minutes, keeping it stirred, then add the juice of half a lemon, a teaspoonful of chopped mushrooms, one of chopped parsley, one of essence of anchovies, and a little sugar and cayenne pepper; pour the sauce round the fish, place it again in the oven for a quarter of an hour, pass the salamander over it and serve very hot.

No. 253. Sole à la Poltaise.

Trim a fine sole and make an incision down the back clearing the meat from the bone, then melt two ounces of butter, and mix with it a teaspoonful of chopped eschalots, one of chopped mushrooms, one of chopped parsley, and a glass of sherry; put the sole in a dish and pour the butter, etc., over it, sprinkle a few bread crumbs on it and put it in the oven twenty minutes or half an hour; when done pour a little anchovy sauce (No. 72) over it, and brown it lightly with the salamander.

No. 254. Sole à la Hollandaise.

Plain boil a sole in salt and water and pour the sauce over it (see Turbot à la Hollandaise, No. 206).