Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1415

Rh may be divided; when the fish is of moderate size serve for two helpings only. Next remove the backbone, tail and head, and divide the lower half in the same way.

First run the knife down the centre of the back and along the whole length of the fish. Then cut downwards from the backbone to the middle of the fish, cut through the centre and remove the piece from the back. Next cut the lower part of the fish in the same manner.

A slice of the thick part should always be accompanied by a smaller piece of the thin from the belly, where lies the fat of the fish.

The usual way of helping this fish is to cut it quite through, bone and all, distributing it in nice and not too large pieces. The guests should be asked which part they prefer. The middle part is generally thought better than either head or tail. The head should be cut off, not laid on a guest's plate.

In helping filleted soles, one fillet is given to each person.

First run the knife down the centre of the fish. Then cut downwards (only through to the bone) and remove portions in the manner shown in the illustration. Next take away the backbone and head of the fish, and treat the lower half in the same way.

First run the fish-slice down the thickest part of the fish, quite through to the bone, and then cut slices towards the sides of the fish and upwards as shown in the engraving. When the carver has removed all the meat from the upper side of the fish, the backbone should be raised, and the under side helped as the upper.

These are carved in the same manner as a turbot. Of the latter the head is the best part.