No. 255. Sole aux fines herbes.
Boil a sole as before (if the sole is very fresh it may be put in boiling water, but it is best to let it only simmer) in salt and water, and dish it without a napkin; have ready the following sauce: put in a stewpan six teaspoonfuls of chopped onions and a piece of butter, fry the onions a light brown, then add eight tablespoonfuls of brown sauce (No. 1), and let it boil at the corner of the stove ten minutes, then add a teaspoonful of chopped mushrooms, half ditto of chopped parsley, one ditto of essence of anchovies, and the juice of a quarter of a lemon; pour it over the fish and serve. This sauce must be rather thick but not too much so.
No. 256. Sole à la Maître d’Hôtel.
Boil the sole as above and dish it without a napkin; then put four tablespoonfuls of melted butter, and four ditto of bechamel sauce (No. 7) in a stewpan, with four of broth, when it boils add two ounces of fresh butter, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, the juice of a lemon, and a little pepper and salt; pour the sauce over the fish and serve.
No. 257. Sole a l’Italienne.
Boil a sole as usual, then have ready the following sauce: put two teaspoonfuls of chopped eschalots in a stewpan with a very little salad oil, fry them a few minutes, but keep them quite white, drain off the oil, and add two tablespoonfuls of white wine, ten ditto of white sauce (No. 7), four ditto of boiled milk, and let it simmer ten minutes at the corner of the fire, skim it well, then add a teaspoonful of chopped mushrooms, a little chopped parsley, the juice of half a lemon, and two tablespoonfuls of cream; mix the whole well together, season it a little more if required and pour it over the fish.
No. 258. Soles plain fried.
Lard and oil together is much better to fry in than butter, for the milk that remains in the butter is sure to burn; the only way to use butter is to clarify it, but that is very expensive, lard by itself being as good as anything, but be careful that it is clean and not burnt; cut off the fins of the sole and dip it in flour, then egg and bread-crumb it, but do not put it in the lard unless it is quite hot, which you may easily ascertain by throwing a drop of water in it; if it is hot enough it will make a hissing noise; allow the sole ten minutes to fry, or less, according to the size, dish it upon a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve shrimp sauce (No. 73) in a boat.
Observe the above receipt, to fry all kinds of fish, as eels, smelts, whitings, flounders, perch, gudgeons, &c. Four pounds of lard would be sufficient, and would do for several occasions.