Soyer's standard cookery

Make a forcemeat of minced oysters, mushrooms, breadcrumbs and butter, with herbs and seasoning to taste, and with this stuff a dozen and a half large smelts from which the bones have previously been removed. Lay them in a baking dish and pour over them half a pint of good white stock or milk with an ounce of butter, the juice of a lemon, and a little minced onion. Bake for half an hour and garnish with parsley before serving. * Soles, Fried. Have about four pounds of lard or clean fat in a small fish-kettle, which place over a moderate fire, cut off the fins of the sole, and dip it into flour, shake part of the flour off, have an egg well beaten upon a plate, with which brush the fish all over, and cover it with bread-crumbs; ascertain if the lard is hot, by throwing in a few bread-crumbs; it will hiss if sufficiently hot, put in the fish, which will require nearly ten minutes' cooking, and ought to be perfectly crisp, drain it on a cloth, dish upon a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve shrimp sauce in a boat. The above quantity of lard or fat, if carefully used and not burnt, would do for several occasions, by straining it off each time after using. All kinds of fish, such as eels, smelts, whitings, flounders, perch, gudgeons, etc., are fried precisely in the same manner. * The American Flounder or Fluke is the same as the English Sole. Soles, Saute in Oil. Trim the fish well, dip it into a couple of eggs, well beaten, put six tablespoonfuls of salad-oil in a saucepan, place it over the fire, and when quite hot put in your sole, let it remain five minutes, turn over, and saute upon the other side; ten or twelve minutes will cook it, according to the size; serve upon a napkin without sauce; they are excellent cold. Sole a la Meuniere. Cut the fins off a sole, and make four incisions across it upon each side with a knife, then rub half a tablespoonful of salt and chopped onions well into it, dip in flour, and broil it over a slow fire; also have ready two ounces of fresh butter, mixed with the juice of a lemon, and a little cayenne which rub over the sole, previously laid in a hot dish, without a napkin, turn the fish over once or twice, put it in the oven a minute, and serve very hot. Soles Aux Fines Herbes. Put a spoonful of chopped shallots into a saucepan, with a glass of sherry and an ounce of butter, place the sole in, pour nearly half a pint of melted butter over it, or four spoonfuls of brown gravy or water, upon which sprinkle some chopped parsley, place it in a moderate oven for half an hour, take the sole out of the pan, dress upon a dish without a napkin, reduce the sauce that is in the pan over a sharp fire, add a little Harvey sauce and essence of anchovy, pour over •the sole, and serve. Soles may also be plain boiled, using the same precautions as directed for turbot, and serve without a napkin, and a cream sauce poured over; or it may be served upon a napkin garnished with parsley, and a little shrimp sauce, or plain melted butter, in a boat. Plain Soles. Soles may be served whole or filleted, and a large number of recipes given for the whole fish may be adapted to its fillets. As a rule, the fillets are more frequently found upon the menu, as they dish more elegantly, and are more easily served than the whole fish. Sole Arlesienne.