Various Preparations of Soles and Fillets of Sole.

906—MOUSSELINES DE SOLES

The directions given under “_Mousselines de_ Saumon” (No. 797) apply in all circumstances to _Mousselines_ of Sole. I shall therefore refrain from repeating the recipe, since, the quantities remaining the same, all that is needed is the substitution of the meat of sole for that of salmon. Thus, I shall only state here, by way of reminding the reader, that these excellent preparations admit of all the fish sauces and garnishes, and that they may also be accompanied by all purées of fresh vegetables.

907—TURBAN DE FILETS DE SOLES A LA VILLARET

Raise the fillets of three soles; flatten them slightly with a moistened beater, and trim them very straight on either side.

Liberally butter a medium-sized savarin-mould. Lay the fillets aslant in this mould, with their tail-ends over-reaching its inner edge and their other ends projecting over its outer edge; slip a fine slice of truffle between each, and let them slightly overlap one another.

When the mould is completely lined with the fillets of sole, fill it up with lobster _mousseline_ forcemeat. Gently tap the mould on a folded napkin lying on the table, with the object of settling the forcemeat, and then draw the overhanging ends of the fillets across the latter.

Set to poach in a _bain-marie_ in a moderate oven.

This done, take the mould out of the _bain-marie_; let it stand for a few minutes, and then turn it upside-down upon the dish. Leave it to drain; soak up the liquid that has leaked out on to the dish; take off the mould, and moisten the surface of the fillets by means of a small brush dipped in melted butter. The object of this last measure is to glaze the fish and to remove therefrom the froth resulting from its poached albumen.

Now garnish the centre of the moulding with shrimps’ tails, mushrooms, poached milt, and slices of truffle, the whole cohered by means of Béchamel sauce finished with lobster butter.

Send a sauceboat of Béchamel sauce, finished with lobster butter, to the table at the same time as the fish.

908—TURBAN DE FILETS DE SOLES ET SAUMON VILLARET

Proceed as in the preceding recipe, but alternate the fillets of sole with very red slices of salmon of the same size as the fillets.

The combination yields an excellent result, and the varying strips of white and orange which constitute the body of the moulded crown lend sightliness to the dish.

N.B.—The designation “à la Villaret,” relating to the crown alone, in no wise affects the constituents of the garnish; these may either remain the same as those of the preceding recipe, or may be replaced by something similar. The sauce alone remains unalterable, and this should be a good Béchamel finished with lobster butter.

909—TIMBALE DE FILETS DE SOLES CARDINAL

For ten people, prepare a timbale crust (No. 2394) the diameter of which should be greater than the height; line it with fine, short paste, and decorate it with noodle paste.

Raise the fillets of three medium-sized soles, flatten them slightly; coat them with whiting forcemeat prepared with crayfish butter, and roll them into scroll-form. Also prepare ten small slices of the meat of a medium-sized ordinary or spiny lobster’s tail, ten small grooved and cooked mushrooms, fifteen slices of truffle, and three-quarters pint of Cardinal sauce finished with a lobster butter.

When about to serve, lay the poached, rolled fillets of sole (well drained) in a circle round the bottom of the timbale; put the slices of lobster and the mushrooms in the centre, and cover the whole with Cardinal sauce.

Set upon the sauce, just over the centre of the timbale, a large, grooved mushroom (cooked and kept very white), and encircle the latter with fifteen slices of truffle.

Place the timbale, thus garnished, on a folded napkin lying on a dish, and serve at once.

910—TIMBALE DE FILETS DE SOLES CARMÉLITE

Prepare (1) a timbale crust as above; (2) a lobster à la New-burg made from raw lobster (No. 948); (3) twelve rolled fillets of sole stuffed with fish forcemeat finished with lobster butter; (4) three oz. of sliced truffles.

Poach the rolled fillets in fish _fumet_; slice the meat of the lobster’s tail, and put the poached fillets, the slices of lobster and the slices of truffle into the lobster sauce. Heat the whole well, without boiling; pour the sauce and garnish into the timbale crust, and deck the top with twelve fine slices of truffle.

Dish the timbale on a folded napkin, and serve instantly.

911—TIMBALE DE FILETS DE SOLES GRIMALDI

Prepare:—(1) A rather deep timbale crust, and decorate it with noodle paste. (2) Cook, as for bisque, twenty-four small _langoustines_; wrench off their tails; cut them into two lengthwise, and keep them hot in butter. (3) Finely pound the _langoustines’_ carapaces, and add thereto one-third pint of fine Béchamel. Rub through a fine sieve first, and then through tammy. Put the resulting cullis into a saucepan, and heat without boiling it; intensify the seasoning; add a few tablespoonfuls of cream, little by little; put the prepared tails in the cullis, and keep the latter in the _bain-marie_. (4) Cut four oz. of _blanched_ and somewhat stiff macaroni into pieces, and add thereto one-sixth pint of cream and three oz. of sliced truffle. Heat until the macaroni has completely absorbed the cream; thicken with one-sixth pint of Béchamel sauce finished with fish _fumet_; add one and one-half oz. of butter cut into small lumps, and keep hot. (5) Coat sixteen fillets of sole with truffled fish forcemeat; roll the fillets into scroll-form, and, at the last minute, poach them in fish _fumet_.

To garnish the timbale, spread a layer of macaroni on the bottom thereof, lay half of the rolled fillets upon the macaroni, and cover these with half of the _langoustines’_ tails in the cullis.

Repeat the procedure, in the same order, with what is left of the garnishes, and finish the timbale with a layer of the _langoustines’_ tails.

Set the timbale on a folded napkin lying on a dish, and serve immediately.

912—TIMBALE DE FILETS DE SOLES CARÊME

Flatten the fillets of three medium-sized soles, and trim them neatly.

Liberally butter a pound-cake mould, and line it with the fillets, placing them side by side with their tails lying round the centre of the bottom of the mould, and their opposite ends projecting above the brim. Press them well, that they may take the shape of the mould.

Completely coat the fillets with a layer, one-half inch thick, of fish forcemeat.

Put the mould in the front of the oven for a few minutes in order to poach the forcemeat, which, in adhering to the fillets, gives the required firmness to the timbale.

When the forcemeat has been poached and is stiff, withdraw the timbale from the oven, and cut off the pieces of fillet that project above the edges of the mould. Fill the timbale to within one-third inch of its brim with a garnish of shrimps and poached oysters and mussels, small button-mushrooms, and slices of truffle, all of which should be cohered with a thick and highly-seasoned Béchamel sauce. Cover this garnish with the projecting pieces of fillets, already cut off, and close the timbale by means of a thin layer of that forcemeat which served in coating the fillets. Poach for thirty minutes in a _bain-marie_ and in a moderate oven. After taking the timbale out of the _bain-marie_, let it stand for a few minutes; overturn it on a round dish; take off the mould; deck it on top with a garland consisting of six little _paupiettes_ of salmon, each stuffed with a crayfish tail, and surmounted by an encrusted crayfish carapace.

Serve a Nantua sauce separately.

913—TIMBALE DE FILETS DE SOLES MARQUISE

For a timbale large enough for ten people, prepare:—

1. An even or fluted timbale crust.

2. A garnish consisting of twelve rolled or folded fillets of sole poached in fish _fumet_, twelve poached oysters (cleared of their beards), twenty-four small quenelles of salmon, and twenty slices of truffle.

Heat this garnish after having added a few drops of fish _fumet_ to it, and then thicken it with one-half pint of white-wine sauce prepared with paprika.

Put the above garnish into the timbale, which should be very hot; set the latter on a folded napkin, and serve at once.

914—The Preparation of PAUPIETTES OF FILLETS OF SOLE SALMON, &c.

The _paupiettes_ (or fillets rolled after the manner of a scroll) are served either as entrées like fillets of sole, of which they are but a special kind, or as a garnish. For the second purpose, not only should they be smaller than for the first, but very small fillets are generally selected for the preparation of the _paupiettes_.

In order to make _paupiettes_, first remove the nervous film from the outside surfaces of the fillets, and then slightly flatten the latter with the blade of a large knife; trim them on both sides, and coat them on their flayed side with a thin layer of fish forcemeat, truffled or not, in accordance with the requirements.

Now roll them into scroll-form; smooth the forcemeat that projects from the top end, and the _paupiettes_ are done.

Stand them upright in a buttered sautépan to poach, and take care to place them snugly together lest they lose their shape while the operation is in progress. Moisten them with sufficient fish _fumet_ (No. 11) to cover them; poach them in a moderate oven, and remember, as in the case of fillets of sole, not to let the poaching-liquor boil.

All the garnishes and sauces suited to fillets of sole likewise obtain with _paupiettes_, provided the difference in their shape be taken into account when dishing up.

For salmon _paupiettes_, cut slices two-thirds inch wide, one-half inch thick, and the length of a fillet of sole, from a skinned fillet of salmon. In view of the unusual fragility of salmon’s flesh, the slices of fillets should be carefully flattened in order to give them the width and thickness of a fillet of sole. This done, spread forcemeat on them, and roll them as explained above.