LARGE FISH, WHOLE.
strain, and add it to half a pint of rich, and very strong, fish stock, and pour this all into the pie when cold. If the fish stock is not strong enough to jelly of itself, dissolve in it 1oz. or so of best leaf gelatine, and use. For maigre purposes use smoked salmon, and strong fish stock, for the ham, and chicken stock.
Salmon and Lobster Pie.—Well wipe from 1lb. to 2lb. of salmon and cut it into three or four slices; chop up a tin of lobster, or a small lobster, and stir it into half a pint of rich béchamel sauce (we always use three-quarters of a pint of good, well-made lobster sauce instead of this). Butter a medium-sized piedish, and put into it a layer of the sauce, then a slice of salmon, repeating these layers till fish and sauce are alike used up, seasoning each layer as you add it with white and coralline pepper, salt, and a very little mace and nutmeg; sliced truffle or hardboiled egg may also be introduced between the layers; now pour in sufficient rich fish stock to moisten it, lay six or seven little fish quenelles on the top of all, dotting 1oz. to 1oz. of butter, cut up small, over the surface, and cover with a good puff pastecover decorated with pastry leaves, etc., and brush it over with beaten egg yolk. Bake in a fairly hot oven for an hour. This is as good hot as cold.
Sole à la Colbert.—Make an incision down the side of the backbone on the dark side of the fish, and break the backbone thus uncovered in two or three places with the handle of a cook's knife, being careful not to spoil the look of the fish. Now egg and breadcrumb it in the usual way, and fry a golden brown in plenty of hot fat. The flesh will shrink from the bone in the cooking. When ready to lift it out, drain well, then remove the broken backbone entirely, and fill up the cavity thus left with either a d'uxelles mixture, or green, or maître