(1275). Soles A La Richelieu-Fillets (Filets De Soles A La Richelieu)

Raise twelve fillets from the soles; pare them their whole length and flatten; season and lay them on a buttered raised-edged baking tin with the parings and bones, half a bottle of white wine, sprigs of parsley, bay leaf, salt, and whole peppers; make a court bouillon by boiling twenty minutes; strain it, and cover the fillets, and poach them partially only; a few moments will suffice for this. Drain and range them on another clean baking sheet, covering over with a buttered paper, and let get cold under a weight, then pare them once more; strain the above stock, skim off the fat. and reduce it to a half-glaze, incorporating it slowly into a little espagnole sauce ( No. 414) with the oyster and mushroom broth. When the sauce is of a sufficient succulence strain and keep it in a bain-marie. Make a pike forcemeat (No. 76). Butter some oval rings three and one-half inches by one and three-quarter inches, and a quarter of an inch thick, lay these on sheets of buttered paper, till them with pike forcemeat; smooth nicely, and range on top the pared fillets: set the rings on a baking sheet one beside another, cover with buttered paper cut in the desirable size.

This operation may be performed a few hours before dinner time, that is if the baking sheets can be kept on ice to prevent the forcemeat from souring. Fifteen minutes before serving set the sheets in a slow oven to heat the fillets, and poach the forcemeat. After taking them out lift off the paper, then with a fish skimmer remove each bed of forcemeat and fillets without disarranging them whatever, remove the rings and the paper, dress at once on a dish and surround with very hot garnishing of twelve quenelles godiveau of pike (No. 83), and two dozen channeled mushrooms (No. 118) on the Other; as soon as the dishes are garnished set them into the heater. At the very last moment heat the sauce while stirring, adding butter in moderation; remove the dish from the heater, drain off the liquid and lightly cover the fish garnisshings with the sauce. Send a sauce-boat of the sauce into which has been added two dozen oysters, from which the hard parts have been removed, trimmed and cut in large dice.

(1276). Soles A La Rochelaise (Soles A La Rochelaise)

Remove the black skin from a fine sole; insert the knife on each side to separate the fillets without detaching them; lay the fish on a buttered dish, the black skin side underneath; moisten with white wine and oyster broth, season and set on top some small pieces of butter; place it in the oven to cook without coloring. Drain off the stock, add a minced onion, and reduce it to half, pouring in a little espagnole sauce (No. 414), and thickening with butter and lemon juice; strain this through a tammy; garnish around the sole with mushroom heads and the soft part of oysters; add chopped parsley, pour part of the sauce over the whole, serve the rest separately.