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Sole Baked with Shrimps

A sole fillet filled with shrimp and breadcrumbs, baked until golden.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 10 ingredients
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Why it works: Anchovy and sauce are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,057 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓

Sole Baked with Shrimps

Oven, in the book's wordsA moderate oven

Ingredients

Directions

The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.

Prepare the fish

  1. Remove the skin from the sole and make an incision down the center as for filleting, then gently lift the flesh on each side.

Make the stuffing

  1. Chop the shrimps coarsely and mix with white breadcrumbs, cayenne, salt (if needed), anchovy essence, half the egg, and enough white sauce or milk to moisten.

  2. Press the mixture lightly inside the fish, filling the gap without closing the sides.

  3. Flatten the surface to level with the fish.

Bake and serve

  1. Brush the top with the remaining egg and sprinkle with brown breadcrumbs.

  2. Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Anchovy + saucetop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,057 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

  2. Shrimp + anchovytop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together440 recipes

    Shared aroma: hexanol (green, fruity).

  3. Shrimp + buttertop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,931 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, green).

  4. Anchovy + eggtop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,330 recipes

    Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

  5. Anchovy + buttertop 13% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,697 recipes

    Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sole
Forms the main body that holds the stuffing while it bakes.
Shrimps
Add savory flavor and a tender, moist texture to the stuffing.
Egg
Binds the stuffing together and, brushed on top, helps the crumbs brown.
White breadcrumbs
Absorb moisture and give the stuffing a light, soft body.
Anchovy essence
Adds a salty, savory depth that enhances the seafood flavor.

The step that matters

Pressing the stuffing in lightly. Packing the stuffing too firmly or closing the sides can make the filling dense and stop it cooking evenly, while loose packing lets it fall out. Light pressure keeps it tender and holds its shape.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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