The "A1" cookery book

To Boil Soles. — Cleanse and wash the fish carefully, cut off the fins, but do not skin the fish. Lay them in a fish-kettle with enough cold water to cover them, and allow 4 oz. of salt to each gallon of water. Let the water come gradually to a boil, and keep it simmering from five to ten minutes according to size. Drain the fish well and serve with shrimp sauce, lobster sauce, plain melted butter, or anchovy sauce. Fried Filleted Soles. — After the soles are filleted they are prepared and cooked precisely the same as soles, but Dutch sauce can be served with them if preferred to melted butter. To Fry Soles . — Skin and wash the soles, cut off the fins, and wipe them very dry, and let them remain in the cloth until it is time to dress them. Have ready some fine bread-crumbs (browned are best) and beaten yolk of egg. Dredge the soles with a little flour, brush over with egg, and cover with bread-crumbs. The soles must not be put into the frying-pan till the fat has ceased bubbling and is giving off a blue flame. There must always be sufficient fat (whether it be lard or olive oil) to entirely cover the fish. When the soles are cooked on one side turn them carefully and brown on the other. They take about ten minutes to fry, according to their size. When they are done remove carefully from the pan and lay them on kitchen paper on a hot dish, so that all the fat drains away. Dish on a very hot dish, garnish with lemon and, when liked, fried parsley. Plain melted butter should be served with them. Soles with Mushrooms.— Fillet the soles and roll each fillet, keeping it in shape with a small skewer or tape. Put 1 pint of milk, 1 pint of water, 1 oz. butter, 1 oz. salt, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice into the fish-kettle, lay in the fillets and bring them gradually to boiling-point. Then let them simmer very gently for ten minutes. Take out the fillets and remove the skewers, and set them upright in a dish. Pour over them a sauce made as follows : — i lb. button mushrooms, i pint milk, 1 pint cream, 2 oz. butter, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, cayenne, 2 oz. flour, a little mace and salt. Mix the butter and flour in an enamel saucepan, stir till thoroughly mixed and smooth, then add the milk and cream and other ingredients, stirring all the time. It will take about ten minutes to boil. To Boil a Turbot. — Clean it, and then rub salt lightly over the outside to remove the slime, and rinse it. On no account remove the fins of a turbot, as they are considered a delicacy. To prevent the skin of the white side from cracking make an incision down the back of the fish. Rub the white side with lemon. Lay the fish in a very clean fish-kettle with enough cold water to cover it, and add £ lb. of salt to each gallon of water, and two tablespoons of vinegar. Let it gradually come to a boil, and skim very carefully ; keep it gently simmering, and on no account let it boil fast, or it will spoil the fish. When the meat separates easily from the bone it is sufficiently boiled. Take it out and let it drain well, and dish it up. Garnish with slices of lemon and parsley. Lobster spawn, rubbed through a sieve, is sometimes added. Lobster sauce, shrimp sauce, or plain melted butter should be sent to table with this fish. After the water boils turbot takes from fifteen to thirty minutes to cook, according to the size of the fish.