This section is from the book "The Epicurean", by Charles Ranhofer. Also available from Amazon: The Epicurean, a Complete Treatise of Analytical and Practical Studies on the Culinary Art.
Pare into ovals some fillets taken from a fish, season with salt and pepper; fry them in oil and when done, dress either in a row or in a circle. Fry a little flour in oil without browning, add chopped onions, and one bay leaf, moisten with good court bouillon (No. 38) to obtain a rather light sance, reduce it well, pass it through a tammy, throw in small capers and cover the fish with this sprinkle.
Lift off the fillets and remove the skin, pare them to the shape of a half heart, season with salt and cover one side with fish quenelle forcemeat ( No. 90); range them in a buttered sautoir, the pointed end toward the center of the pan. On the round end place a crescent made of the red meat found in the lobster claws having it an eighth of an inch in thickness; between the pointed end of the fillet and the crescent imitate a rosette with five halved pistachios. Moisten with a little court bouillon ( No. 38), cover over with a, buttered paper and place to cook in a slack oven. When done, dress them flat ill a circle and fill the center with a garnishing composed of truffles, mushrooms and escalops of lobster mingled with some lean espagnole sauce (No. 416; made with Madeira, reduced properly and thickened; finish with fresh butter. At the tip of each fillet attach a fancy favor frill (No. 10) and serve with a separate sauce-boat of the same sauce.
Select a good fresh kingfish, take off the fillets, suppressing the skin; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then fold them in two and pare nicely: butter the bottom of a baking dish, bestrew it with chopped onions and mushrooms; range the fillets over, laying a fluted mushroom (No. 118) on each fillet. Pour over a cold half-glaze sauce (No. 413), pour into the bottom of the dish, three or four tablespoonfuls of white wine; bestrew bread-crumbs over, and sprinkle the surface with a brush dipped in melted butter. Set the dish into a moderately heated oven, and let the fillets cook for fifteen to eighteen minutes; after removing the dish lay it on another to be sent to the table.
Butter a baking dish, and place in it the fish folded in two, nicely pared; pour over some white wine, lay mushroom heads on top, and mask with a brown sauce (No. 416), into which a quarter as much tomato sauce (No. 549) has been mixed. Bestrew the surface with bread raspings, pour melted butter over all, and bake and cook in a hot oven; when serving press the juice of a lemon on it, and besprinkle with chopped parsley.
Cut off the fins from well cleaned fish, split them from head to tail on the belly side, in order to take out the dorsal bone: season with salt and pepper. Butter the bottom of a small baking dish, cover it over with chopped mushrooms and onions, and lay the open kingfish on top upside down, the skin side underneath; pour half a gill of white wine in the bottom of the dish, and besprinkle the top with gastrite; pour over a little melted butter, and bake in a moderate oven for twelve to fifteen minutes. After taking the fish from the fire, slip into the bottom a few spoonfuls of half-glaze sauce (No. 413) finished with lemon juice.
Take the crumb part of a stale loaf of bread, put it in a towel with a little flour, close the towel and work the bread so it will crumble, then pass it through a fine sieve, and mix it with a little chopped up parsley and grated parmesan or Swiss cheese.
 
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