very best quality. If mayonnaise flavour you must
have, use any of the mayonnaise aspic—red, white, or
green, and when this is fairly set, case it all in just
liquid plain aspic, as this keeps off the air and preserves
the sauce.
But undoubtedly the best material for this masking
is a savoury butter of some kind, such as maître d'hôtel,
Gascony, etc. as it will make a smooth, even surface,
if carefully spread with a broad-bladed knife. This
can, of course, be further decorated with olives, hard-
boiled egg, aspic, or fried bread croûtons, etc., to taste.
Tomato or other aspic may also be used for this purpose,
or mayonnaise aspic, if carefully coated with a layer
of aspic or savoury jelly at the last. Or, if liked, a
nice white chaufroix sauce made with fish stock, etc.,
may be recommended, as it enhances the flavour and
appearance at the same time, without entailing a great
amount of trouble.
Cold fried fish, again, is particularly good if attention
be given to the frying, and cold darnes de saumon à la
Juive, or a good Sole Colbert will be appreciated by
most people, though for some reason neither is often
seen, and the respect for cold fried fish appears to be
felt almost entirely in Jewish households in this country.
Fish pies of various kinds may also be commended
as pièces de résistance, as palatable as they are un-
common. They are made in precisely the same way
as meat pies, a farce of inferior fish being used to line
and fill the crannies of the pie-dish, in which are imbedded
the fillets of more delicate fish, and such addenda as
oysters, prawns, lobster, or crab meat, hard-boiled
egg, etc., with all appropriate seasoning; whilst such
a dish as the salmon pie given in the next chapter is
a welcome addition to the sideboard or buffet at any