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SOLE (a la Colbert)

Take a thick sole, scale it, draw off the dark skin, and clean the fish; with a sharp knife loosen the flesh from the bone on one side, without taking it off; make an incision on both sides of the bone down the length of the fish, and with the handle of a knife break it in one or two places, so that when the fish is done enough the bone may be removed without spoiling the appearance of the fish. Replace the flesh on the bone where it has been disturbed; egg and bread-crumb the fish, let it stand an hour, and then fry in the usual way (see SOLE, FRIED). When done enough, carefully remove the back-bone, and in the cavity thus made place a little maitre d'hotel butter. Serve the fish on a hot dish, garnish with parsley, and send a cut lemon, or, if preferred, plain melted butter or maitre d'hotel sauce to table with it. The maitre d'hotel butter may be made as follows. Wash a handful of picked parsley-leaves, chop them finely, put them into the corner of a napkin, dip them in cold water, and wring them dry. This second washing will decrease the raw taste of the parsley. Put it in a basin, and with it a piece of fresh butter the size of an egg, a little pepper and salt, and a table-spoonful of lemon-juice. Mix the butter and parsley with the point of a knife till smooth and creamy, when it will be ready for use. It must not be melted, or it would turn oily. Time, about twenty minutes to fry a thick fish. Probable cost, 1s. 6d. Sufficient for two or three persons.