Home › The Principles of Cookery › Turbot, Baked

Turbot, Baked

Empty, wash, and dry a moderate-sized turbot. Rub with butter the inside of the dish in which it is to be baked, and sprinkle upon it a little pepper and salt, grated nutmeg, and finely-chopped parsley. Place the turbot upon this, and sprinkle a little more seasoning on the upper part of the fish. Put two or three ounces of butter broken in little pieces here and there upon it, dredge it well with flour, and add two glassfuls of light wine, and, if it is at hand, one or two table-spoonfuls of oysterbroth or mushroom-juice. Bake the fish in a moderate oven, and when it is done enough lift it carefully upon the dish on which it is to be served, keep it hot, and prepare the sauce as follows. Pour the liquor from the baking-dish into a saucepan, thicken with a little flour and butter, stir over the fire for a minute or two, and then serve in a tureen. The sauce may be varied by the addition of a little essence of anchovy, nutmeg, cayenne, and lemon-juice; or a little white sauce may be added, or a dozen mushrooms, or a dozen scalded and bearded oysters. Garnish the turbot with scraped horseradish and sliced lemon or fried bread or green parsley. Time to bake the turbot, twenty to thirty minutes, according to size. Probable cost, uncertain. Sufficient, a moderate-sized turbot for five or six persons.