Cassell's dictionary of cookery

only in excellence. It is highly esteemed, and -deservedly so, as its flesh is firm and delicate. It is caught in great abundance all the year Tound, and may therefore be almost always obtained in good condition. Soles are best when quite fresh, though in cool weather they may be kept until the sec'ond day without being materially spoiled. In fishing towns they may frequently be bought alive, then killed, and fried immediately. They are then in perfection. The skin of the back is sometimes black and sometimes white, the colour varying with the nature of the ground on which the fish feeds. Soles vary in size, from the little fish called tongues or slips to large fish weighing eight or nine pounds per pair. Those in roe are rather insipid in flavour. They are best filleted. Very large fish may be boiled and served like turbot, which they somewhat resemble in flavour. Soles may be served in a variety of ways, but are best when fried. To prepare them, scale and gut them, and take the skin off the back; wash them well, and be careful to take out the roe ; wash it, and return it to its place, pressing it down upon the bone ; trim the fins neatly, drj' the fish perfectly, wrap it in a soft cloth, and leave it in a cool place to stiffen till wanted. When practicable, soles should be cleaned a couple of hours before they are dressed. Sole (a la Colbert). — Take a thick sole scale it, draw off the dark skin, and clean it ; with a sharp knife loosen the flesh from the bone on one side, without taking it oflc; make an incision on both sides of the bone down the length of the fish, and with the handle of a knife break it in one or two places, so that when the fish is done enough the bone may be removed without spoiling the appearance of the fish. Replace the flesh on the bone where it has been disturbed ; egg and bread-crumb the fish, let it stand an hour, and then fry in the usual way [see Sole, Fried]. When done enough, carefully remove the back bone, and in the cavity thus made place a little maitre d' hotel butter. Serve the fish on a hot dish, garnish ■with parsley, and send a cut lemon, or, if preferred, plain melted butter or maitre d'hotel sauce to table with it. The maitre d'hotel butter may be made as follows : — Wash a handful of picked parsley-leaves, chop them finely, put them in the corner of a napkin, dip them in cold water, and wring them dry. This second washing will decrease the raw taste of the parsley. Put it in a basin, and with it a piece of fresh butter the size of an egg, a little pepper and salt, and a table-spoonful of lemon- juice. Mix the butter with the parsley near the fire till it looks like cream, when it will be ready for use. It miist not be melted, or it would turn oily. Time, about twenty minutes to fry a thick fish. Probable cost, Is. 6d. Sufficient for two or three persons. Sole ( a la Maitre d' Hotel) . — Have two or three soles filleted ; stew the heads and bones in about half a pint of water, place the fillets of the soles in a flat cotelette-pan in about a wine-glassful of this water, simmer two and a half minutes each side ; turn the remainder of the water into sauce, by putting two ounces of butter, a little cayenne and salt and chopped parsley, thickening with arrowroot ; add a tea-spoonful of shallot vinegar, or the squeeze of half a lemon, pour over, and serve.