56
COLD FISH.
setting this aside on ice to cool. Rub the fish through
a sieve to get rid of the bones, &c., and when this purée
is quite cold, blend it with the butter and liquor pre-
viously set aside. Make a pint of rich custard with
three-quarters of a pint of scalded milk and six egg yolks,
adding to this, when sufficiently thickened and nearly
cold, ½oz. to 1oz. of best leaf gelatine, previously dissolved
in a little milk; when this is thoroughly thick, whisk
the custard, working into it as you do so the pounded
fish, and before it sets add in lightly about half a gill of
stiffly-whipped cream, pour it all into a mould, and set
it aside on ice for a couple of hours at least; then turn out
and serve garnished with chopped aspic.
Whiting Cream (Mousseline de Merlan).—This may be
made precisely as above (but of course the fish in this case
must be cleaned), omitting the herbs, and seasoning
the fish with minced parsley, mace, coralline pepper, and,
if at hand, some minced mushroom. Instead of the
custard, you can use the cold Hollandaise sauce, stiffened
with gelatine, and serve garnished with watercress and
tomato salad. This cream is particularly delicate if made
with smelts. In any case, a few drops of essence of
anchovy should be added to the sauce.
Whiting and Oyster Cream (Crème de Merlan en
Surprise).—Prepare a whiting cream according to the
directions given for fish cream in the beginning of this
chapter; line a plain mould with aspic cream, about one-
third of an inch thick, and fill this with the whiting
cream. With a large spoon scoop out a hollow in the
centre of this mass, and fill up this cavity with bearded
and seasoned oysters, tossed in mayonnaise aspic, cover
this smoothly with some of the fish cream, previously
removed, and put it all aside to set; then turn it out,
and serve garnished with watercress and tomato salad.