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Sole, Fricasseed

Take a pair of large soles and one small one; clean, skin, and fry all three, and drain them on a sieve before the fire to free them from fat. Raise the flesh of the small sole from the bones, tear it into flakes, and mix with it an equal quantity of finely-grated bread-crumbs, a tea-spoonful of picked and chopped parsley, a pinch of grated lemon-rind, and a little pepper and salt. Mix these ingredients thoroughly, and with the fingers work into the mixture two ounces of fresh butter and one egg. Make it up into small balls, and fry these in hot fat. Put half a pint of good stock into a saucepan, thicken it with brown thickening, and add a table-spoonful of lemon-juice and a glassful of port or claret. Season with salt and cayenne, if required. Let it boil till it is thick and smooth, lay the soles and the balls into it, and simmer all gently together till the fish is heated throughout. Lift the soles upon a dish, place the balls round them, pour the sauce over all, garnish with cut lemon and parsley, and serve very hot. Time to simmer the fish in the gravy, three or four minutes. Probable cost, 3s. 6d. Sufficient for four or five persons.