medium-sized soles. Cut them straight on the back bone--commencing from
the head right down to the tail. Carefully remove both fillets on the
back with a sharp knife, turn them over, and do the same; make a light
incision with a knife at the tail part--sufficiently large to get hold
of with the thumb and forefinger--having in the right hand a keen knife
placed flat under the fillet; carefully pull the skin with the left
hand, holding the knife firmly and flatly, then proceed the same with
the rest, and the fillets will be ready for use.
=1422. Fillets of Sole à la Miss Miege.=--Place the fillets of sole,
prepared as in No. 1421, on a dish. Season with a tablespoonful of salt
and a teaspoonful of pepper, equally divided. Turn the third of one end
of each fillet down, so as to have one end of each higher than the
other. Lay at the bottom of a well-buttered sautoire a small sprig of
thyme, a small branch of parsley, adding half a glass of white wine and
half a glass of mushroom liquor, tightly cover the pan, and then place
it on the hot range to cook for five minutes. Have in a sautoire a
tablespoonful of butter, with one and a half tablespoonfuls of flour;
mix all well together, then place the pan on the hot range, and slowly
cook, without browning, for five minutes. Remove the fillets from off
the range, nicely dress them on a hot serving dish, one overlapping
another, cover them with another hot dish, and leave at the oven door
to keep warm. Add now the gravy of the fillets to the butter and flour,
briskly stirring meanwhile; add again half a cup of mushroom liquor, if
at hand--if not, the same quantity of white broth (No. 99) will
answer--and let just come to a boil; then place on the corner of the
range for four minutes. Take two cooked lobster claws, if at hand, slice
each one in half, then, with a tube half an inch in diameter, cut it
into small pieces, place them in the sautoire in which the fillets were
cooked, with one sound sliced truffle and eight whole mushrooms, and a
teaspoonful of butter; heat it up; then strain through a sieve the other
sauce into this, gently shuffle the pan, so as to mix the whole well
together for two minutes, then pour the sauce over the fillets. Decorate
the dish all around with six heart-shaped bread croûtons (No. 133), and
send to the table.
=1423. Fillets of Sole à la Thomas A. Edison.=--Put in a sautoire one
peeled, finely chopped shallot, twelve chopped mushrooms, and a
tablespoonful of butter, let slowly simmer on the corner of the hot
range for five minutes. Season with one tablespoonful of salt and a
teaspoonful of pepper, add a teaspoonful of freshly chopped parsley, and
half a teaspoonful of chopped chervil, then pour in half a glass of
white wine. Reduce the wine to one-half, and leave it on the corner of
the range until further action. Place in a saucepan one tablespoonful of
butter, with two tablespoonfuls of flour, cook on the range for five
minutes, without browning, then add a cup and a half of hot milk,
stirring continually while adding it; let come to a boil, season with
one teaspoonful of salt, dredge in just a little grated nutmeg. Allow to
slowly boil for twelve minutes. Add a tablespoonful of this preparation
to the other containing the mushrooms and herbs, mix all well together
for one minute. Prepare six fillets of sole as for No. 1421; lay them
flat on a dish; mix a teaspoonful of salt with half a teaspoonful of
pepper, equally season the fillets with it. Then evenly divide the
mushroom garnishing among the six fillets, arranging it directly in the
centre of each, crosswise; fold up each fillet carefully around the
force lengthwise, then arrange them on a lightly buttered silver dish
upright, one against the other, so as to prevent them from opening;
sprinkle a little clarified butter over each, then place in the hot oven
for five minutes. Remove from out the oven, place a whole mushroom on
top of each fillet, right in the centre. Add now two tablespoonfuls of
grated Parmesan cheese, to the white sauce which stands on the corner of
the range, mix well together, then pour all the sauce evenly over the
fillets, sprinkling a very little clarified butter over all. Place in a
very hot oven to bake for five minutes. Remove from out the oven, nicely
decorate the dish all around with six heart-shaped croûtons (No. 133),
and serve.
=1424. Fillets of Sole au Gratin à la James G. Blaine.=--Prepare the
fillets of two medium-sized fine soles as in No. 1421. Season with a
teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper mixed, then place
them on a lightly buttered silver dish, one overlapping another, and
giving a crown-shape, pour over two tablespoonfuls of white wine; place
a whole mushroom on top of each fillet, cover all with a well-buttered
paper, place in the hot oven for three minutes. Remove them from the
oven, and leave at the oven door to keep warm.
Place in a saucepan a cupful of white wine, with one medium-sized,
sound, peeled, and finely chopped shallot, one clove, three whole
peppers, and one branch of parsley, then reduce on the hot range to a
quarter. Place a tablespoonful of butter in another small saucepan, with
two tablespoonfuls of flour; let gently cook on a moderate range for
five minutes; add a gill of hot white broth (No. 99), briskly stirring
while adding it; now add the reduced wine to this, and let the whole
slowly boil for ten minutes; pour in a gill of sweet cream or a gill of
very good milk, with a heaped tablespoonful of good butter, thoroughly
mix together with a wooden spoon. Strain it then through a fine sieve
into a bowl, pour it over the fillets, evenly divided, sprinkle half a
teaspoonful of grated Parmesan cheese over, and also a very little
clarified butter over all; then place the dish in the oven for seven
minutes; remove from the oven and serve.
=1425. Fillets of Sole à la H. S. Jaffray.=--Have two medium-sized,
fine, fresh soles, prepare the fillets exactly the same as for No. 1421,
mix a teaspoonful of salt with half a teaspoonful of pepper, and with it
evenly season the fillets, place them in a hollow dish with a sprig of
thyme, one bay-leaf, and a branch of parsley, squeezing in the juice of
a medium-sized, sound lemon; cover with another dish, and let marinate
until further action.
Have in a sautoire eight mushrooms with one truffle, all cut into small
dice-shaped pieces, pour in two tablespoonfuls of Madeira wine, let
gently simmer on the range until almost dry, then add one gill of hot
tomato sauce (No. 205), and one gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151),
reduce the whole to one-half, which will take about eight minutes, then
transfer into a cold dish, and let cool off. Remove the fillets from the
marinade, pick out the six nicest, then with a keen knife make an
incision in the side of each fillet, right in the centre, three inches
in length by one and a half inches in width. Equally stuff the fillets
with the preparation in the dish, give them a nice oval shape, then lay
them in a lightly buttered silver dish. Cut the other two remaining
fillets into three even strips, lengthwise, neatly pare the edges. Cut a
fine, sound truffle with a tube half an inch in diameter, then cut it
into very thin slices. Make four light incisions on the surface of each
strip, quarter of an inch deep, insert a slice of truffle in each
incision, and with a knife gently press down the opened parts, so as to
hold in the truffles; place a strip over each fillet, right in the
centre, lengthwise, pour half a wineglass of white wine at the bottom of
the dish, sprinkle a very little clarified butter over all. Cover the
fillets with a buttered paper, and then place in a moderate oven to bake
for fifteen minutes. Remove from out the oven, take the paper off, pour
a gill of hot Colbert sauce (No. 190) around the dish (not over the
fillets), and then send to the table.
=1426. Fillets of Sole à la Chas. Webb.=--Prepare the fillets of two
medium sized fine soles as for No. 1421. Season them with a teaspoonful
of salt mixed with half a teaspoonful of pepper; keep them on a dish
for further action. Have in a sautoire on the hot range one
tablespoonful of butter well heated; add to it half a medium-sized
sound, peeled, finely chopped onion; let slowly simmer without browning
for three minutes, then add eight minced mushrooms, one teaspoonful of
fresh, finely chopped parsley, half a teaspoonful of chopped chervil;
season with a teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper, mix
all well together while cooking for one minute, then moisten with two
tablespoonfuls of white wine, and reduce until almost dry, then leave
the sautoire on the corner of the range. Have in a small saucepan on the
hot range, one tablespoonful of good butter well mixed with two
tablespoonfuls of flour; let slowly cook for five minutes without
browning, then gradually add a cupful of hot milk, briskly stirring
while adding; boil for two minutes, then strain it through a sieve into
the sautoire with the other preparation, mix all well together with the
spatula while cooking for two minutes longer, and leave on the corner of
the range. Lightly butter a silver dish, carefully place in the eight
fillets, one overlapping another, all around the dish, in curb-chain
shape; moisten their surface with a tablespoonful of white wine,
sprinkle just a little clarified butter over them, and place in the hot
oven for three minutes. Remove from out the oven, arrange eight whole
fine mushrooms outside and all around the fillets, so that the stalk of
each mushroom should be in each curb-chain and the button outside.
Place then the garnishing over the fillets evenly divided; sprinkle
again a very little clarified butter over all. Place in the hot oven to
bake for five minutes. Take from out the oven, squeeze the juice of half
a sound lemon over the fillets, and then send to the table.
=1427. Fillets of Sole à la Gen. Sherman.=--Have eight fillets of sole
prepared exactly the same as in No. 1421, and proceed with the
garnishing precisely the same as No. 1426, only before placing them in
the oven the first time, add twelve small, sound, freshly opened
oysters, placing them right in the centre of the dish, and moistening
the surface of the fillets with the liquor of the oysters instead of the
wine; place in the hot oven for three minutes, and then continue the
same operation.
=1428. Fillets of Sole à la Cornelius Vanderbilt.=--Prepare the fillets
of two medium-sized fine fresh soles, as for No. 1421, place the six
largest ones on a plate, season them with a teaspoonful of salt, and
half a teaspoonful of pepper mixed together; lay them in the ice-box
till further action. Put the two remaining fillets in the mortar, pound
them until they are a perfect paste, then add the white of one egg,
thoroughly mix together, gradually add half a cup of sweet cream,
sharply and continually stir with the pounder while adding it, season
with a teaspoonful of salt, and the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne
pepper, also a very little grated nutmeg, sharply mix the whole together
for one minute; remove it from the mortar, pass it through a fine sieve
into a bowl, pressing it with a wooden spoon. Take the six fillets from
the ice-box, carefully make an incision at the side of each, right in
the centre, three inches in length by one and a half in width. Place
half of the preparation in a paper cornet, and with it equally stuff the
six fillets. Lightly butter a pan (a tin one by preference) large enough
to easily hold the fillets. Have six small, well-cleaned fresh smelts
four inches in length; then with a keen, small knife carefully cut each
smelt, beginning right in the centre at the base of the head, following
down the back bone right through to the tail, cutting it entirely
through, so that the head will hold both parts; remove the back bone of
each, then arrange a smelt on top of each fillet lengthwise, and with
the fingers twist each fillet of the smelt inwardly, up to the base of
the head, so that they will represent two rings three-quarters of an
inch in diameter; proceed the same with all. Place the rest of the force
in a paper cornet, gently press the preparation into each ring of the
smelts, up to the surface. Cut with a tube, half an inch in diameter, a
good sized, sound, truffle; then slice it into twelve even pieces,
arrange one slice right in the centre of each ring over the force,
sprinkle a very little clarified butter over all; pour on the bottom of
the pan half a glass of white wine and half a glass of mushroom liquor
or white broth. Cover all with a buttered paper, and place in a moderate
oven to bake for eighteen minutes. Remove from out the oven, take the
paper off, then with a palette knife, or a cake turner, lift up the
fillets one by one, and dress them on a very hot dish. Add either half a
cup of mushroom liquor or white broth (No. 99) to the gravy in the pan,
place it on the range, and let boil for one minute; then strain it into
a saucepan on the range, add to it a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce,
squeeze in the juice of half a sound lemon, and finally pour in half a
gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151), boil for one minute more, and then
pour in the gravy around the fillets, but not over them, and send to the
table.
=1429. Fillets of Sole à la E. A. Buck.=--Have the fillets of two medium
sized fine, fresh, soles prepared as in No. 1421, place six of them on a
plate. Season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of
pepper, and lay them aside till wanted. Place in a saucepan one finely
chopped shallot, a teaspoonful of freshly chopped parsley, half a
teaspoonful of freshly chopped chervil, and moisten with two wine
glasses of white wine. Reduce on the hot range to one-quarter. Cut the
two reserved fillets into very small dice-shaped pieces, and add them to
the rest in the pan; then cook the whole for five minutes longer,
thicken with a tablespoonful of Allemande sauce (No. 210), adding at the
same time a tablespoonful of very good butter; mix well together, and
leave the pan on the corner of the range to keep warm. Thoroughly heat,
in a pan on the hot range, half a gill of clarified butter, then place
into it the six fillets as rapidly as possible to fry on one side only,
for one minute; immediately remove them from the pan, and place them on
a napkin to dry. Lightly butter a silver dish, arrange the fillets over
it, the cooked side up, in crown shape. Place the above preparation
evenly over each fillet, right in the centre, and with a table knife
give them a pretty dome shape, covering the fillets entirely. Sprinkle a
little Parmesan cheese over each, also a very little clarified butter,
then place them in the hot oven to bake for eight minutes, so that they
should obtain a good golden color. Remove from out the oven, pour a gill
of hot tomato sauce (No. 205) around the dish, but none over the
fillets, and then send to the table.
=1430. Fillets of Sole à la Marguerite.=--Prepare the fillets of two
fine fresh soles the same as in No. 1421, place them on a dish, season
with a teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of white pepper;
turn, fold under about one inch of each fillet, place them in a buttered
sautoire, pour over half a glassful of white wine, and half a glassful
of mushroom liquor, cover with a buttered paper, and lay aside till
further action.
Place in a saucepan one tablespoonful of very good butter, with two
tablespoonfuls of flour, mix well together while cooking on the range
for five minutes, without browning, then add a gill of hot white broth,
(No. 99) sharply stirring while adding it, let slowly cook on the corner
of the range for twelve minutes; season with half a teaspoonful of salt
and just the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper. Crack the yolk
of one egg in a bowl, squeeze in the juice of half a sound lemon, then
gradually add a ladleful of sauce to the egg, continually stirring
meanwhile; now pour it into the saucepan, briskly stirring while adding
it, but under no circumstances allow it to boil again. Have eighteen
small sound fresh mussels, wash them well in two different waters,
drain, place then in a small saucepan, tightly cover with the lid, place
on a moderate range. Cook for five minutes, or until they are completely
opened; remove them from the fire, lay the pan on a table, then with a
skimmer, take the mussels out, pick out the mussels, lay them on a dish,
suppressing the shells. Strain the liquor of the mussels into the sauce
on the range, mix thoroughly together.
Place the fillets in the oven to bake for five minutes. Remove them from
the oven, dress on a hot serving dish, giving them a crown shape, one
overlapping another; pour the gravy of the fillets also into the
saucepan on the corner of the range, thoroughly mix together again, then
add a tablespoonful of very good fresh butter, pour in half a cup of
sweet cream, mix well again. Place in another saucepan twelve fine fresh
picked shrimps and the prepared mussels; strain then the sauce through a
fine sieve over mussels and shrimps, gently shuffle the pan, so as to
mix all well together, and then pour it over the fillets of sole:
decorate the dish with six heart-shaped croûtons (No. 133), and
immediately send to the table.
=1431. Fillets of Shad à la C. Bliss.=--Procure a fine roe shad,
thoroughly scale, then split it right down the back, carefully remove
the roes, and also the bones, then cut it in half, lay one half aside
with its roe for some other purpose. Cut out from the other half six
equal fillets diagonally, one inch thick, suppress the skin of each
fillet, nicely pare off the corners, and then place them on a large soup
plate. Season with a teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper,
the third of a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, squeeze in the juice of a
medium-sized sound lemon, add one sprig of thyme, one branch of parsley,
a bay-leaf, and three cloves. Gently mix the whole well together,
without breaking the fillets, and then let marinate till further
action.
Place the roe belonging to the half shad in a saucepan on the hot range,
with a tablespoonful of very good butter, and half a wineglassful of
white wine; let slowly cook for five minutes. Carefully remove the roe
with a skimmer, place it on a dish, and then, with a knife, remove the
skin from all around, place it back into the saucepan, and add another
half a glass of white wine, gently mix with a fork, so as to thoroughly
separate the eggs, and then let slowly simmer on the corner of the
range. Place in another saucepan a tablespoonful of butter and one and a
half tablespoonfuls of flour, mix well together on the hot range for
five minutes, without browning; add to it now a cup of hot milk, briskly
stir until it comes to a boil. Season with a teaspoonful of salt, and
half a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper; cook for five minutes longer,
then strain it through a sieve into the other saucepan, and mix the
whole well together for two minutes, and leave it again on the corner of
the range. Take the fillets from the marinade, gently lay them on a
napkin, remove all the herbs that may adhere around them, fold the
napkin over and gently dry them. Steep each fillet in beaten up egg, and
then, gently turning them in fresh bread-crumbs, immediately plunge them
into very hot fat to fry for four minutes, so that they all shall obtain
a good golden color. Place six oval-shaped croûtons on a hot dish. Take
up the fillets, place one on each croûton around the dish; pour the
prepared sauce around, but not over them, and immediately send to the
table.
=1432. Fillets of Shad à la Chas. C. Delmonico.=--Prepare six fillets of
shad as for No. 1431, place them on a dish, season with a teaspoonful of
salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, and lay aside until further
action. Place the roe of half the shad in a saucepan on the fire with a
tablespoonful of butter and a glass of white wine, and let simmer for
five minutes, then with a skimmer remove the roe, place it on a dish,
remove the skin from all around, and place it back in the pan. Season
with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, and with a
fork separate the eggs; add now eight finely chopped mushrooms, a
teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and half a teaspoonful of finely chopped
chives. Cook for five minutes longer, then pour it into a dish to cool.
Heat in a frying-pan on the fire two tablespoonfuls of clarified butter;
rapidly place the six fillets in the pan, and fry for a half a minute on
each side, but no more. Remove them from the pan with a palette-knife or
a cake turner, place on a dish and leave there until further action.
Have six double sheets of unruled white paper, cut each in a half-breast
shape, eight inches long by four and a half in width, open each half
heart paper, which will then represent a full heart-shape form, grease
each one well with clarified butter; lay them on a table, one beside
another. Prepare twelve very thin slices of cooked ham, one inch square;
place one slice over each half-heart paper, right in the centre, place
on top of each slice of ham two tablespoonfuls of the preparation
waiting for action, then lay a fillet over each garnishing, then again
two tablespoonfuls of garnishing over each fillet, and another slice of
ham over all. Gently fold the paper over each fillet, then fold each
paper in small folds, one inch in width, beginning at the widest part of
each paper, coming right down to the end, and then give a sharp twist,
so as to firmly close them. When all finished, place them in a tin
baking-pan, not in a black one; place in a moderate oven to bake for
eight minutes. Remove from out the oven, dress them on a hot dish, one
overlapping another, and with the points up, and immediately send to the
table.
=1433. Fillets of Shad à la Whitelaw Reid=.--Place the six fillets of
shad, prepared the same as in No. 1431, on a dish, season with a
teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper. Slice up in
julienne shape half a medium-sized, sound peeled onion, and half a
well-scraped carrot; place these in a saucepan, with half a teaspoonful
of butter, a branch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, half a bay-leaf, four
whole peppers, and two cloves; place the pan on the range, and let
gently simmer for three minutes; then gently lay one shad roe in the
centre of the pan, without breaking it; pour in a half glass of white
wine, tightly cover the pan, and let slowly simmer for ten minutes.
Remove the roe, place it on a hot dish to keep warm. Add to the carrot
two gills of either mushroom liquor, or white broth (No. 99), and let
simmer again for five minutes. If using mushroom liquor, season with one
teaspoonful of salt; if broth, no salt will be required. Place in a
saucepan one tablespoonful of butter with two tablespoonfuls of flour;
mix well together for five minutes on the hot range, without browning;
gradually add to the latter the stock of the other pan; sharply mix the
whole together until it comes to a boil. Place the fillets in a buttered
sautoire, with twelve freshly opened, medium-sized oysters--their
liquor; tightly cover the pan, and slowly cook on the range for five
minutes. Then remove the fillets with a palette knife; arrange three at
each side of the roe, one overlapping another. Add twelve mushrooms to
the oysters; heat up for one minute; then place at each end of the roe a
cluster of both oysters and mushrooms, (six of each). Have the yolk of
an egg in a bowl, squeeze into it the juice of half a medium-sized,
sound lemon; add then also half a gill of sweet cream; beat well
together, then gradually pour into the same bowl three tablespoonfuls of
the sauce from the pan, continually stirring meanwhile; then add this to
the sauce in the pan, mix the whole well together for one minute. Strain
it through a fine sieve, right over the fish, covering all, and then
send to the table.
=1434. Fillets of Shad à la Keppler and Schwarzman.=--Prepare six
fillets of shad as for No. 1431. Season with a teaspoonful of salt and
half a teaspoonful of pepper, and place them in a dish for further
action.