Practical household cookery

Fillet three mackerel as follows : — Place the fish on the slab with its back toward you, then run the knife in, just below the gills, turn the edge of the blade under, press with the fingers of the left hand full on the upper end of the fish, and bearing with the blade of the knife upon the side of the backbone, draw the knife gently down to the tail, then turn the mackerel over and take the fillet off the other side. When this is done cut each fillet in ^ two, trim the ends nicely, and put them in a buttei^ ^ sauti^-pan; season with salt and pepper, and add two | ounces of clarified butter ; cover the fillets with a round of buttered paper; set the pan over a moderate fire to simmer for about a quarter of an hour ; after which, dress the fillets up in a dish in a circle, pour over some Venetian sauce (No. 206), and serve. 423. STEWED FILLETED MACKEREL Fillet three mackerel as in the foregoing, and take the skin off ; put these in a frying or baking pan with three ounces of melted butter, salt and pepper-corns to taste, a little chopped parsley and an onion shred fine. Set these on a moderate fire to stew nicely, taking care to turn the fillets without breaking them. When cooked, dish these up in a circle, pour in the pan half a pint of Tomato or Italian sauce ; stir the contents well on the fire till nicely hot, then pour the sauce over the fish and serve. Remarks on Sole. To the public in general soles are the most important of sea-fish, as they are required by all classes of society, the upper class getting the largest and best quality, the poorer the smaller and inferior fish. The supply of soles to the London market is very fluctuating on account of their migratory habits ; retiring to great depths in the ocean, during the winter and in stormy weather. The flesh of the sole is white, and possesses a delicacy and flavour superior to that of all other fish. It is generally recommended to invalids and convalescents as a most nourishing and digestive food. 424. BOILED SOLES. Remove the gills, cut off the heads transversely, cleanse the insides, strip or pull off the brown skins, scrape the other sides, then with a pair of large scissors trim away the fins close up to the fillets of two large soles. After which, wash and wipe them thoroughly, then immerse in boiling salt water, and let them boil for twelve or fifteen minutes, according to their size. When the soles are cooked dish up and serve with Butter sauce (No. 157) in a boat apart. 425. FRIED SOLES. Trim and clean four soles of moderate size, as in the foregoing. Flour these well on both sides, then pass them through breadings (No. 269) and bread-raspings (No. 268). After which, dip them in warm frying fat, and gradually increase the heat till the soles are of a nice pale-brown colour, when they must be taken out. Drain them on a cloth, sprinkle each with salt, dish up on a napkin, garnish with a few sprigs of fried parsley and a lemon cut in quarters, and serve with or without some Shrimp, Lobster, Melted Butter, or Hollandaise sauoa Note, — ^Moderate-sized soles only should be used for frying, as when large they must necessarily take a consideTable time in the frying, on account of their thickness, and imbibe a greater portion of the fat, and therefore contract a strong flavour. They are also less likely to appear crisp, although this is so essential a requisite in all fried fish. 426. SOLES A LA COLBERT.