Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/453

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Ingredients.—2 medium-sized soles, ½ a pint of mushroom sauce, No. 257, milk, salt and pepper.

Method.—Skin and trim the soles, place them in an earthenware baking-dish, sufficiently large to allow the fish to lie flat, but one above the other if more convenient. Sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper, barely cover with milk, and put over all a greased paper, to keep in the steam. Cook in a moderate oven for 10 or 15 minutes, then drain well, and place the soles on a hot dish. Make the sauce as directed, but before adding the mushrooms, boil well to reduce, in order that some or all of the liquor from the dish may be mixed with it, otherwise the sauce would be too thin. Season to taste, pour over the fish, and serve.

Time.—To cook the soles, from 10 to 15 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. to 2s. 6d., exclusive of the sauce. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.

Ingredients.—1 medium-sized sole, 1 oz. of butter, 2 or 3 tomatoes sliced, 1 onion sliced, 1 finely-chopped shallot, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of anchovy-essence, brown breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Method.—Skin the sole and make an incision down the centre as for filleting, and raise the flesh from the bone on each side as far as possible. Mix the butter, onion, parsley, and anchovy-essence well together, and put the mixture inside the sole. Arrange the slices of onion and tomato alternately, and overlapping each other on the top of the fish; or if less onion is preferred, surround each slice of tomato by a single ring of onion. Mix together a dessertspoonful of grated Parmesan cheese, and a dessertspoonful of brown breadcrumbs, and sprinkle these over the fish. Place small pieces of butter on the top, cover with a greased paper, and bake for about 20 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve with tomato or brown sauce.

Time.—To bake, about 20 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. 3d. Sufficient for 3 persons. Seasonable at any time.

Dried sprats should be put into a basin, and boiling water poured over them; they may then be skinned and served, and this will be found a much better way than boiling them. They can also be broiled.