BAKED JOHN DORY

Serves 4

l Unsalted butter, for greasing

l 1 bunch of fresh chives

l 1 bunch of fresh chervil

l 1 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley

l 4 skin-on John Dory or petrale

sole fillets, about 225g (8oz) each

l 1 egg, lightly beaten

l Salt and black pepper

l 60ml (2¼fl oz) fish stock

l 2tbsp dry white wine

For the croutons

l 3-4 thin slices of white bread

l 1tbsp unsalted butter

For the sauce

l 1tbsp unsalted butter

l 1tbsp flour

l 160ml (5½fl oz) fish

stock

l 1 anchovy fillet in

olive oil, minced

l Juice of ¼ of a lemon

l Salt and black pepper

l ½ a cucumber, peeled, if

desired, and thinly sliced

l Chopped parsley, chives and/or

chervil, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6 and butter a baking dish just large enough to hold the fish fillets in two layers.

Chop the chives, chervil and parsley roughly, discarding coarse stems, then toss together in a bowl. Brush the fish fillets all over with the egg and season. Scatter one-third of the herbs into the baking dish and place 2 fillets, skin-side down, on top. Sprinkle the flesh side of the fillets in the dish with the remaining herbs, coating them evenly. Place the remaining 2 fillets, skin-side up, on top of the fillets in the dish, so the herbs are sandwiched between the two layers. In a small cup or bowl, stir together the stock and wine, then pour into the dish. Bake the fish just until it flakes when tested with a fork, 10-15 minutes.

While the fish bakes, make the croutons. Cut each bread slice into 4 triangles. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof pan over a medium heat. Add the triangles and fry, turning as needed, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside in the pan.

When the fish is ready, remove from the oven and spoon out the liquid from the dish into a bowl. Keep the fish warm and leave the oven on. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Reduce the heat to low and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock little by little, stirring to prevent lumps. Continue to stir until smooth and slightly thickened.

Stir in the anchovy and lemon juice, then the reserved liquid from the baking dish.

Raise the heat to medium and bring to a simmer, stirring. Season, remove from the heat and keep warm.

Slip the pan with the croutons into the oven to warm. Arrange the fillets, skin-side down, on a warmed oval plate and decorate with the cucumber. Pour the sauce around the fillets, then garnish with herbs, if using. Arrange the warm croutons on the plate, and serve.

l 2 sachets (2½tsp each) powdered gelatine, or 8 gelatine sheets

In 1919, a year covered by the second season of Downton Abbey, festive printed wrapping paper was

The absence of modern transport and cooling techniques kept saltwater fish out of the reach of the kitchens of inland stately homes, but by the Downton era transport had improved and recipes for saltwater fish were appearing in cookery books. Rosamund and Mary sort the decorations Mary and her grandmother in their festive finery No Downton dinner would be complete without some form of moulded jelly or cream, and this is one of the simplest and most elegant. It was served at Edward VII’S coronation banquet in 1902, and is a lovely addition to a Christmas table. Champagne appears regularly at Downton, on occasions such as New Year’s Eve and at weddings. Put the Champagne bottle into the freezer 30 minutes before you start the recipe. This step ensures the bubbles will stay in the final jelly. In a small bowl, sprinkle the powdered gelatine, if using, over the water and let stand until softened, about 3-5 minutes. If using gelatine sheets, put the sheets into a bowl, add cold water to cover, and let soak until floppy, about 5-10 minutes. Open the Champagne and pour 120ml into a small pan. Return the Champagne to the freezer if you can stand the bottle upright. If not, put the bottle into the fridge. Add the sugar to the pan, place over a medium heat, and heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Liquefy the powdered gelatine by setting the bowl of softened gelatine into a larger bowl of very hot tap water. If using gelatine sheets, lift the sheets from the water, wring to release excess