Large Fish, Whole. — à la Chévreuse

The "Queen" cookery books. No.13. Fis... · S. Beaty-Pownall · 1903
Source
The "Queen" cookery books. No.13. Fish "part 2 - cold fish"
Status
success · extracted 4 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (11)
Instructions (16)
  1. Scale and well wash a good cut of fish (approx. 5-6lb).
  2. Wrap the fish in thin slices of larding or fat bacon, tying with broad tape.
  3. Place the fish in a fish kettle, moistening it to half its depth with rich fish stock, strongly flavoured with Chablis or Sauterne.
  4. Bring the stock to the boil, then simmer gently until the fish is done.
  5. Lift the fish into a pan and let it cool in its own liquor.
  6. When nearly cold, remove the bacon and skin, and trim the fish neatly.
  7. Lay the fish flat on a reversed dish.
  8. Brush the fish all over with rather stiff aspic.
  9. Mentally divide the fish into five portions, reserving three for the centre.
  10. Cover the two outside parts with a smooth coating of yellow mayonnaise aspic and let it nearly set.
  11. For the centre, use thinly sliced cucumber. Arrange slices in a row from the outside band of mayonnaise, placing another row over these to imitate fish scales, graduating the slices in size until all parts are covered with pale green scales.
  12. For the cucumber scales, slice without peeling entirely, just cutting off the ridges to leave bits of skin for a frilly look.
  13. Once the scales are arranged, fix them with a little just liquid aspic to keep steady, and glaze.
  14. Finish by forcing out lines of truffle butter at the edges and about half an inch inside the mayonnaise bands at the ends.
  15. Add little stars of Montpélier butter down the centre of each yellow band.
  16. Press out a thick rope of chopped aspic.
Original Text · last edited 4 days ago
LARGE FISH, WHOLE. fish, which does not suffer from the extraneous condiments, as does our native fish, which is always best served as plainly as possible. — à la Chévreuse.—For this a good cut from the middle of the fish is usually taken, though of course, if desired, the whole fish could be thus treated. Scale and well wash a good cut, say 5lb. or 6lb. at least, wrap it in thin slices of larding or fat bacon, tying these on with broad tape, and place the fish in a convenient-sized fish kettle, moistening it to half its depth with rich fish stock, strongly flavoured with Chablis or Sauterne; bring this to the boil, and let it simmer very gently till done, then lift it into a pan and let it cool in its own liquor. When nearly cold remove the bacon and the skin, and trim it neatly. Lay the fish flat on a reversed dish, and brush it all over with rather stiff aspic. Divide the length mentally into five portions, reserving three for the centre. Cover the two outside parts with a smooth coating of yellow mayonnaise aspic, and leave this till nearly set. For the centre have thinly sliced cucumber, and arrange these slices in a row from the outside band of mayonnaise, placing another row over these to imitate the fish scales, graduating the slices to the size of the fish, till all the parts left are evenly covered with these pale green scales. For this purpose, before slicing the cucumber, instead of peeling it entirely, just cut off the ridges so as to leave bits of the skin, and thus give it a frilly sort of look. When this is finished, fix it all with a little just liquid aspic to keep it steady, and glaze it. Finish it by forcing out lines of truffle butter at the edges, and just half an inch or so inside the bands of mayonnaise at the ends, and little stars of Montpélier butter down the centre of each yellow band. Press out a thick rope of chopped aspic
Notes
—