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Sole, Baked

Take a thick and very fresh sole, scale, skin, and trim it, wipe it dry with a soft cloth, and if convenient let it lie folded in this in a cool place for an hour or more before dressing. Season lightly with salt and pepper, flour well, and, if liked, egg and bread-crumb the sole twice. Lay it in a buttered baking-dish, put little pieces of butter here and there upon it, and bake in a moderate oven. Shake the dish occasionally to keep the fish from sticking to the bottom. When done enough, lay it on a reversed sieve before the fire for a few minutes to drain the fat from it. Put it on a hot dish, covered with a napkin, and garnish with parsley and cut lemon. Send melted butter flavoured with anchovy sauce and chilli vinegar to table in a tureen; or make sauce by mixing the gravy which flows from the fish with a little lemon-juice, a tea-spoonful of the essence of anchovies, and a spoonful of stock. A glassful of wine is sometimes added to the sauce thus made, but it is scarcely necessary. If more than one sole is to be baked, it should be remembered that they must be done in single layers, that is, they must not be laid one upon the top of another. Time to bake the sole, ten to fifteen minutes. Probable cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per pair. Sufficient, one good-sized sole for three persons.