Striped or Rock Bass a la Bercy

Prepare two small bass each of two pounds, and when very clean cut the heads into pieces, adding a few large bones from other fish; put all these into a small saucepan and moisten to their height with a good fish court bouillon, prepared with white wine (No. 39); season, let the liquid boil for a quarter of an hour so as to extract all the essence from the bones, then strain and skim off the fat. Have a small oval baking-tin with raised edges, just large enough to hold the fillets of fish; sprinkle over with chopped up onions, shallots, and mushroom parings; lay the fillets of fish on top and moisten to its heighth with some of the above court bouillon; after the liquid has come to a boil, set the pan into a moderate oven so that the fish cooks for fifteen minutes, then drain and dress the fillets on a medium sized dish covering it with a smaller one to keep it hot.

Strain the broth, free it from fat, and pour into it two spoonfuls of good white wine, then let it reduce to the consistency of a half-glaze; take it off, stir in a piece of butter, finishing with lemon juice; pour this sauce over the fish. Glaze this sauce immediately with an iron or gas salamander for two minutes, or if there be neither, lay the dish on a thick baking sheet and set it in a brisk oven, being careful not to disturb the sauce. The delicacy of this preparation depends entirely upon the excellence of the court bouillon.