_As for the fillets, we first smooth them on both sides
with the flat blade of a knife, and then either roll them
like a rolypoly pudding, or else fold them loosely over.
In either case we must remember to keep the side of the
fillet which was nearest the bone to the outside, otherwise
they will not keep their shape. We sprinkle a little salt
on each fillet, and squeeze a few drops of lemon-juice
over them to keep them white ; lay them in a well-greased
How to Cook Fish.
89
baking-tin (of course, if we have chosen to roll the fillets,
we must stand the little rolls on end in the tin), lay a
sheet of buttered paper over the fish, and bake in a quick
oven until a skewer will pierce them to the centre with
ease. We drain them on kitchen paper, place them on a
dish, pour the sauce over or round them, and serve. They
will be done in about six minutes.
Is not this an easy way of cooking fish? It is such a
good way, too. The fillets look well and taste well ;
there are no bones, and everything is excellent all round.
Of course, a little pains must be taken to dish the fillets
neatly. If they have been simply folded over, they
sliould be arranged in a circle, with one fillet overlapping
the other, and the sauce or cooked vegetables may be
put into the centre. If they have been rolled, the rolls
may be put on a dish and small heaps of different colours
may be put on the top of each by way of garnish. A
little hard-boiled yolk of egg, a teaspoonful of green
parsley, a slice of pink ham, or a little red chili, all
chopped small, will answer the purpose excellently, and
if the colours are contrasted prettily, and the sauce is put
round neatly, the dish will look quite unique.
There is still another way of baking flat fish which
renders it so savoury and delicious that I must describe
it. Sole cooked in this way is called An
gratin xs a phrase usually applied to food which is covered
with bread-crumbs and baked till brown. In preparing
it we may either keep the fish whole or fillet it as in the
last recipe.
Take a moderate-sized sole, w'ash and skin it, and dry
it in a cloth ; cut off the fins with a sharp knife, and nick
the fish in two or three places on both sides. Procure a
quarter of a shalot, four small mushrooms, a teaspoonful
of chopped parsley, a slice of bread which has been rubbed
through a sieve to make fine crumbs, a little lemon-juice,
half a teacupful of strong gravy, and a little pepper and
salt. The mushrooms, parsley, and shalot must all be
chopped finely, and the bread crumbs must be put on a
tin in the oven until lightly browned. Butter a flat
baking-tin and sprinkle over it half the chopped mushroom
and shalot, and a little pepper and salt, squeeze half a
teaspoonful of lemon-juice over ; lay the sole upon the
90
The Gul's Own Cookery Book.
savoury mixture, sprinkle the remainder of the ingredients
over it, and add a little more lemon-juice and the gravy,
and a small piece of butter placed here and there on the
fish✪ Baked Sole. Sprinkle the bread-crumbs thickly over all, and
bake in a quick oven. When soft in the thickest part, it
is done. It will take about ten minutes, but it must on
no account be over-cooked. Serve on a hot dish, and
garnish prettily.
Page 57 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1882. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
_As for the fillets, we first smooth them on both sides with the flat blade of a knife, and then either roll them like a rolypoly pudding, or else fold them loosely over. In either case we must remember to keep the side of the fillet which was nearest the bone to the outside, otherwise they will not keep their shape. We sprinkle a little salt on each fillet, and squeeze a few drops of lemon-juice over them to keep them white ; lay them in a well-greased
How to Cook Fish.
baking-tin (of course, if we have chosen to roll the fillets, we must stand the little rolls on end in the tin), lay a sheet of buttered paper over the fish, and bake in a quick oven until a skewer will pierce them to the centre with ease. We drain them on kitchen paper, place them on a dish, pour the sauce over or round them, and serve. They will be done in about six minutes.
Is not this an easy way of cooking fish? It is such a good way, too. The fillets look well and taste well ; there are no bones, and everything is excellent all round.
Of course, a little pains must be taken to dish the fillets neatly. If they have been simply folded over, they should be arranged in a circle, with one fillet overlapping the other, and the sauce or cooked vegetables may be put into the centre. If they have been rolled, the rolls may be put on a dish and small heaps of different colours may be put on the top of each by way of garnish. A little hard-boiled yolk of egg, a teaspoonful of green parsley, a slice of pink ham, or a little red chili, all chopped small, will answer the purpose excellently, and if the colours are contrasted prettily, and the sauce is put round neatly, the dish will look quite unique.
There is still another way of baking flat fish which renders it so savoury and delicious that I must describe it. Sole cooked in this way is called Au gratin xs a phrase usually applied to food which is covered with bread-crumbs and baked till brown. In preparing it we may either keep the fish whole or fillet it as in the last recipe.
Take a moderate-sized sole, w'ash and skin it, and dry it in a cloth ; cut off the fins with a sharp knife, and nick the fish in two or three places on both sides. Procure a quarter of a shalot, four small mushrooms, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a slice of bread which has been rubbed through a sieve to make fine crumbs, a little lemon-juice, half a teacupful of strong gravy, and a little pepper and salt. The mushrooms, parsley, and shalot must all be chopped finely, and the bread crumbs must be put on a tin in the oven until lightly browned. Butter a flat baking-tin and sprinkle over it half the chopped mushroom and shalot, and a little pepper and salt, squeeze half a teaspoonful of lemon-juice over ; lay the sole upon the
[illustration: The Girl's Own Cookery Book.]
savoury mixture, sprinkle the remainder of the ingredients over it, and add a little more lemon-juice and the gravy, and a small piece of butter placed here and there on the fish. Sprinkle the bread-crumbs thickly over all, and bake in a quick oven. When soft in the thickest part, it is done. It will take about ten minutes, but it must on no account be over-cooked. Serve on a hot dish, and garnish prettily.
Records on this page
Baked Sole