Skin and bone well three medium-sized soles; put the fillets in a stewpan, and cover them with salted water, adding a few drops of vinegar. Cook for about six minutes. Then take them off, drain well, and arrange them on a dish. Pour one ounce of melted butter over, with the juice of half a lemon; garnish with green parsley, and serve with twelve pieces of potatoes a l'Anglaise (No. 109) separate.

20. Soles Normande

Take the fillets from three fine soles, as for No. 19; fold them in two, and lay them in a buttered, flat saucepan, with half a glassful of white wine, three tablespoonfuls of mushroom liquor, and half a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and cook for six minutes; then lift them up, drain, and arrange them on a dish. Reduce the gravy to one-half, add twelve blanched oysters, and six sliced mushrooms, moistening with half a pint of Allemande sauce (No. 114). Thicken the sauce well with a tablespoonful of good butter, tossing well till dissolved, and add the juice of half a lemon. Garnish the sides of the dish with the oysters and mushrooms, and pour the sauce over the fish. Decorate with three small, cooked crawfish, three fried smelts, and three small round croquettes of potatoes (No. 115).

21. Soles Au Gratin

Proceed as for No. 20. Put three tablespoonfuls of cooked, fine herbs (No. 113) in the bottom of a deep baking-dish, fold the fillets in two, and place them in, crown-shaped. Season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, then moisten with half a glassful of white wine, and bake for five minutes. Take out the dish, decorate it with twelve mushroom buttons, adding half a pint of good Espagnole sauce (No. no). Sprinkle over with fresh bread-crumbs, pour on a few drops of melted butter, and bake once more for three minutes; then press the juice of half a lemon over the fillets, add half a pinch of chopped parsley, and serve. (All fish au gratin are prepared the same way.)