No. 251 Sole en matelote Normande.
Cut the fins off a fine fresh sole and make an incision down the back close to the bone, in which put some forcemeat of fish (No. 124), well seasoned with chopped eschalots and parsley, then butter a sauté-pan very lightly and put a teaspoonful of chopped eschalots into it with two glasses of white wine, lay the sole into it and season with a little pepper and salt, then cover it with some bechamel sauce (No. 7), and put it into a moderate oven for about twenty minutes or half an hour, (but try whether it is done with a skewer,) brown it lightly with the salamander, then take up the sole, dish it without a napkin, and make the sauce as follows: put six spoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7) in the sauté-pan with six ditto of milk, let it boil four minutes, keeping it stirred, then add one dozen oysters blanched, one dozen quenelles of whiting (No. 124), one dozen mushrooms, half a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, and four tablespoonfuls of cream, with a little cayenne pepper and sugar; pour the sauce over and round the fish, pass the salamander again over it and garnish round with fried bread cut in small triangles. The sauce may be passed though a tammie before the garniture is added if required. Fried smelts are frequently served as garniture around it.