Turbot. — Turbot is one of the best of fish, if not quite the
best, and is never so good as when quite plainly dressed, and
served without the ridiculous patterns in lobster coral so often
strewn over it by cooks. Turbots may be had all the year
round, but are considered to be at their best in May. Thev
are often very large, but a Turbot weighing from five to ten
pounds will be found the best. If a “ cut ” of Turbot and not a
whole fish is ordered it should be taken from the middle of the
back. Six pounds is the general allowance for a party of eight
if sent in by the fishmonger, but half that quantity is quite
enough. A “ cut ” of Turbot should never be boiled, or it will
be woolly and tasteless ; it should be gently poached in fish-
broth (see page 69).
The fins of Turbot are considered a great delicacy. Turbots
have no scales, but a series of bony excrescences on the back.
Lobster Sauce or Dutch Sauce is served with Turbot.
Brill. — Brill belongs to the same family as Turbot, but is a
longer, narrower, and much smaller fish. A Brill has scales on
both sides. Brill is always in season, and the best weigh
about a pound. They can be boiled or steamed, but are much
the best when filleted.
Fillets of Brill au bleu. — Cut a fillet off each side of the
Brill, and then make a good broth with the bones and
trimmings, assisted by two ounces each of shredded onion and
carrot, a bunch of parsley, a dessertspoonful of blended thyme
and marjoram, a saltspoonful of salt, twelve peppercorns,
and a joint and a half of water. Bring the broth to the boil
once, simmer it for half an hour, strain it off into either
an enamelled pan or a fire-proof earthenware pan (on no
account use a tinned saucepan), set this on the fire, and as soon
as boiling begins add the fillets. This will check the boiling ;
as soon as it recommences modei'ate the fire to simmering, cover
the pan, and add a large claretglassful of sound light claret.
Let the fillets cook very slowly in the broth for about eighteen
minutes. When done, drain them and place them in a very
hot dish, carefully covered up. Strain the broth in which they
were cooked, thicken it, stir in half an ounce of glaze✪ Fillets of Brill au Bleu, bring to
the boil once, and pour over the fish through a pointed strainer.
The claret gives the fish a bluish tint, “ au bleu." \_Wyvern.'\
SOLES
73
Soles. — Soles are among tlie best, and tlie most expensive,
of fish. They are to be had at all times, but lose much of their
flavour in February, March, and April. Soles used to be found
a foot or eighteen inches long, but owing to their wholesale
destruction by trawlers it is now rare to find a Sole on our coasts
more than twelve inches in length and eight ounces in weight.
Soles like a sandy shore, and four out of the forty species of this
fish are found on our coasts. These are Common Soles, Lemon
Soles (coarser and yellow in colour), Variegated Soles (found on
the South Coast), and Small Soles (which are only five inches
long). “ Slips ” are young Soles. The skin of a boiled Sole is
considered to be very nutritious and digestible. But it must
be boiled in fish broth, not in water. ✪ Boiled Sole
Page 42 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1898. 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
Turbot. — Turbot is one of the best of fish, if not quite the best, and is never so good as when quite plainly dressed, and served without the ridiculous patterns in lobster coral so often strewn over it by cooks. Turbots may be had all the year round, but are considered to be at their best in May. Thev are often very large, but a Turbot weighing from five to ten pounds will be found the best. If a “ cut ” of Turbot and not a whole fish is ordered it should be taken from the middle of the back. Six pounds is the general allowance for a party of eight if sent in by the fishmonger, but half that quantity is quite enough. A “ cut ” of Turbot should never be boiled, or it will be woolly and tasteless ; it should be gently poached in fishbroth (see page 69).
The fins of Turbot are considered a great delicacy. Turbots have no scales, but a series of bony excrescences on the back. Lobster Sauce or Dutch Sauce is served with Turbot.
Brill. — Brill belongs to the same family as Turbot, but is a longer, narrower, and much smaller fish. A Brill has scales on both sides. Brill is always in season, and the best weigh about a pound. They can be boiled or steamed, but are much the best when filleted.
Fillets of Brill au bleu. — Cut a fillet off each side of the Brill, and then make a good broth with the bones and trimmings, assisted by two ounces each of shredded onion and carrot, a bunch of parsley, a dessertspoonful of blended thyme and marjoram, a saltspoonful of salt, twelve peppercorns, and a joint and a half of water. Bring the broth to the boil once, simmer it for half an hour, strain it off into either an enamelled pan or a fire-proof earthenware pan (on no account use a tinned saucepan), set this on the fire, and as soon as boiling begins add the fillets. This will check the boiling ; as soon as it recommences moderate the fire to simmering, cover the pan, and add a large claret-glassful of sound light claret. Let the fillets cook very slowly in the broth for about eighteen minutes. When done, drain them and place them in a very hot dish, carefully covered up. Strain the broth in which they were cooked, thicken it, stir in half an ounce of glaze, bring to the boil once, and pour over the fish through a pointed strainer. The claret gives the fish a bluish tint, "au bleu." [Wyvern.]
SOLES
Soles.— Soles are among the best, and tlie most expensive, of fish. They are to be had at all times, but lose much of their flavour in February, March, and April. Soles used to be found a foot or eighteen inches long, but owing to their wholesale destruction by trawlers it is now rare to find a Sole on our coasts more than twelve inches in length and eight ounces in weight. Soles like a sandy shore, and four out of the forty species of this fish are found on our coasts. These are Common Soles, Lemon Soles (coarser and yellow in colour), Variegated Soles (found on the South Coast), and Small Soles (which are only five inches long). “ Slips ” are young Soles. The skin of a boiled Sole is considered to be very nutritious and digestible. But it must be boiled in fish broth, not in water.
Records on this page
Fillets of Brill au BleuBoiled Sole