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FILLETS OF SOLE WITH SCALLOPS MORNAY

4 fillets of sole

1/2 pound scallops

White wine

Sauce Mornay (page 22)

Paprika

Toast points

Poach the fillets and the scallops in white wine according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12) and season to taste. Remove from the liquid and keep hot. Reduce the wine broth and use it to make the sauce Mornay, which should be well seasoned. Place the fillets in a flat baking dish. Add the scallops to the sauce and pour it over the fish. Run under the broiler to glaze, sprinkle with paprika, and serve garnished with fried toast points.

DEEP-FRIED SOLE

Fillets of sole should be fried at a temperature of 375° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 11). If you overcook it, you will have a dish that resembles sawdust and that has no more flavor than the breading materials. It is much more difficult to fry fish well than to grill or poach it.

Fish fillets for frying should be dredged with flour, dipped in a mixture of well-beaten eggs and milk, then rolled in crumbs or corn meal until they are thoroughly covered. Then they should be carefully lowered into the hot fat. When cooked, drain on absorbent paper. Salt and pepper.

For the average frying you will want 2 eggs beaten with about 3/4 cup of milk. Corn meal is exceedingly popular with many people as a covering for fish because of the added flavor it gives. Others use cracker crumbs, bread crumbs, prepared cereals, and various mixes for pancakes and foodstuffs. But whatever you use, be sure the pieces of fish are thoroughly covered.

FRIED FILLET OF SOLE

Follow the directions above and serve with a tartar sauce (pages 35–36), sauce Béarnaise (page 26), or with lemon wedges.

JULIENNE OF SOLE

These are also called goujons* of sole. Cut the fillets into small strips and fry as you do whole fillets. These make a most unusual appearance on a platter — the small strips, golden brown, piled high, with a garnish of parsley and a bowl of sauce. They taste wonderful, too. Serve them with cocktails and have a bowl of tartar sauce (pages 35–36) at hand for dunking. Pass plenty of paper napkins.

VARIATIONS

1. Serve fried fillets with French-fried parsley and a good tomato sauce (page 23). French-fried parsley is simple: Merely dip a bunch of parsley into the hot fat and fry for about 2 minutes, or until crisp. The flavor is unforgettably good.

2. Serve fried fillets on a bed of onions fried in butter until soft. Make a sauce by frying 1 chopped onion and 1/2 pound of chopped mushrooms in plenty of butter. Add 4 chopped dill or sour pickles, some chopped parsley, and a good slug of lemon juice. Heat this well, season to taste, and pour over the fillets on the bed of onions. Sprinkle with paprika.

3. Fry julienne of sole and arrange on a mound of rice. Serve with a sauce made with 11/2 cups of sauce velouté (page 21) flavored with 1 tablespoon of curry powder and 3 tablespoons of chutney. Top with grated coconut.

ROLLED FILLETS

Spread fillets with anchovy butter (page 32) or herb butter (page 33), roll, and fasten with toothpicks. Roll in flour, dip in a beaten egg and milk mixture, roll well in crumbs, and fry according to the directions above.

STUFFED SAUTÉED FILLETS

4 fillets of sole

Fish forcemeat (page 41)

Flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

Crumbs or corn meal

6 tablespoons butter

3 ounces sherry

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup sauce béchamel (page 23)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 grilled tomatoes

Spread the fillets with forcemeat, roll, and secure with toothpicks. Dust with flour, dip in beaten egg and milk, and roll well in crumbs or corn meal. Sauté the rolls in butter according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10). Remove to a hot platter. Rinse the pan well with sherry, add the tomato paste and the béchamel, blend thoroughly, and let it come to a boil. Taste for seasoning. Surround the fillets with grilled tomatoes and serve the sauce separately.

STUFFED FILLETS

4 fillets