August  12

James Buchanan Brady's Birthday
 

James Buchanan Brady was one of the most conspicuous symbols of fin de siecle America's age of opulence. He was a financier railroad equipment manufacturer, and philanthropist whose total collection of diamond dinner jewelry was estimated at more than $2,000,000.00 (approximately $50 million in today's market), thereby giving him the nickname of "Diamond Jim Brady Diamond Jim is was also known for his romantic association with singer Lillian Russell, a famous full-figured singer of the era. It is said that her eating habits were a perfect match for his own. Diamond Jim  was a glutton of immense proportions, often spending several hundred dollars a day for his own meals. One of his favorite restaurants was Rector's on Broadway near 43rd Street. George Rector once said that Diamond Jim was the best twenty-five customers that he ever had. A typical Brady meal would begin with three dozen oysters, followed by a half-dozen crabs and a few bowls of turtle soup. Brady would then consume several lobsters, two or three canvas­back ducks, more seafood, a few sirloin steaks, several pastries, and a box or two of candy. This was just dinner. Brady also ate a comparable breakfast, a midmorning snack, lunch, and what the British call "High Tea" which was more than a full dinner by itself.
		James Buchanan Brady

On one of Diamond Jim's European trips, he developed a passion for a variation of fillet de sole Marguery ,the recipe for which was a guarded secret at Cafe Marguery in Paris. When he returned home he had George Rector send his son to Europe to learn how to make the dish. His son dropped out of classes at Cornell University the next day, sailed to France,  and landed a dishwashing job at Cafe Marguery under an assumed name. Over the next two years, he worked his way up until he was able to learn the closely guarded recipe for the sauce, He then sailed back to the US, and prepared the dish for Brady at his father's restaurant, after which it was known as Fillet of Sole Marguary a la Diamond Jim.

So what would be more appropriate way to celebrate Diamond Jim's birthday than with Fillet of Sole Marguary a la Diamond Jim and watching Preston Sturges' biopic Diamond Jim (1936) with Edward Arnold as Jim and Alice Faye as Lillian Russell?

1. Preheat over to 325º F
2. Place fumet and haddock in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
   Reduce to medium heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Strain and reserve haddock for
   some other use (i.e., chowder). Add salt and pepper to enriched fumet.
3. Butter an 11" x 7-1/2" x 1-1/2" baking dish. Arrange fillets of sole on bottom of dish.
   Arrange shrimp in a boarder surrounding the fillets. Place the oysters in the center.
   Pour 1 cup of fumet over seafood. Cover. Bake for about 15 minutes or until fish begins
   to flake easily. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature for warming oven.
4. Carefully tilt baking dish and extract fumet with a baster. Place baking dish in warming oven.
   Place extracted fumet in a small saucepan. Add additional fumet to total 1 cup.
   Quickly reduce fumet over high heat to 1/4 cup.
5. Place reduced fumet in the top of a double boiler over rapidly boiling water. Add butter and
   stir until butter melts. Add egg yolks, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Whisk until thickened.
6. Remove baking dish from oven. Turn on broiler. Cover seafood with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley.
   Place baking dish 4" under broiler for about 3 minutes or until browned. Serve immediately.

Serves 4