Fillets of Soles

Ingredients

• large soles
• egg
• fine bread crumbs
• lard
• flour
• 1/3 of volume butter
• pounded shrimps
• bread crumbs
• mace
• cayenne
• large portion pounded lobster
• lobster coral
• clarified butter
• salt
• pepper or cayenne
• 1 teaspoonful parsley, minced
• béchamel sauce

Instructions

1. Using a very sharp knife, divide the flesh of the sole down the middle of the back.
2. Separate the flesh from the fins.
3. Raise the flesh clear from the bones with care.
4. For simple fried fillets: divide and trim the fillets into good form.
5. Coat the fillets with egg.
6. Cover with fine bread crumbs.
7. Fry in the usual way and serve with appropriate sauces.
8. For rolled fillets: roll each fillet up its entire length if very small, or after dividing once if large.
9. Fasten with light twine or a short thin skewer.
10. Coat with egg and bread crumbs, then fry in plenty of boiling lard, or flour lightly and fry for eight to ten minutes.
11. For stuffed baked fillets: if the fish are not very large, bone them without parting in the middle.
12. Spread each side with either pounded shrimps mixed with one-third their volume of butter, a few bread crumbs, and high seasoning of mace and cayenne; or use pounded lobster mixed with a large portion of coral and the same seasoning and butter proportion.
13. Roll the prepared fillets from tail to head.
14. Lay in a dish with the ingredients directed for soles au plat.
15. Cover well with bread crumbs and clarified butter.
16. Bake in a moderate oven for twelve to sixteen minutes, or until the crumbs colour to a fine brown.
17. For fried strips or squares: cut fillets into small strips or squares of uniform size.
18. Lightly dredge with pepper or cayenne, salt, and flour.
19. Fry in butter over a brisk fire.
20. Well drain the fried pieces.
21. Sauce with good béchamel flavoured with one teaspoonful of minced parsley.