James Beard's New Fish Cookery - James Beard [44]
Butter a fish mold and stir the mixture thoroughly before pouring it into the mold. Cover it with waxed paper or buttered brown paper and place it in a pan with about 1 inch of hot water. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until the mousse is firm.
Serve with a sauce mousseline (page 26), a sauce béchamel with shrimp or lobster added (page 23), or with a cucumber sour cream sauce (page 37). Tiny new potatoes and sliced cucumber salad are good accompaniments.
HALIBUT AU GRATIN
Poach a 3-to-4-pound halibut steak. Prepare a sauce Mornay (page 22). Place the fish in a flat baking dish and cover it with the sauce. Sprinkle with buttered crumbs and finely grated Swiss or Cheddar cheese and run under the broiler for a minute to brown.
HALIBUT SOUFFLÉ
Prepare as you would salmon soufflé (page 192). Serve with a Hollandaise, shrimp, or oyster sauce (pages 25–26, 24).
HALIBUT WITH LOBSTER
1 large lobster (2 to 21/2 pounds)
Court bouillon
2 halibut steaks (4 pounds)
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
Heavy cream
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley
Artichoke hearts filled with peas
Potato balls browned in butter
Poach the lobster in court bouillon (page 18). When it is cool, remove the meat from the shell, setting aside the tomalley and coral, if any. Return the shells to the bouillon. Cut the lobster meat into pieces and keep it warm.
Poach the halibut steaks in the bouillon according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Remove them to a hot platter. Strain the court bouillon and reduce it to 1 cup. Prepare a sauce velouté (page 21) using the bouillon, flour, butter, heavy cream, and seasonings; add the lobster tomalley and the coral. Arrange the lobster meat on one of the steaks, top with the other, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Garnish the platter with artichoke hearts filled with tiny green peas and small potato balls browned in butter. Serve the sauce separately.
COLD HALIBUT
Court bouillon (page 18)
Large piece of halibut or 2 halibut steaks
1 egg white
2 envelopes gelatin
2 cups well-seasoned mayonnaise
Sliced cucumbers, hard-cooked eggs, or other garnish
Vegetable salad (mixed vegetables, finely cut, small whole tomatoes and green peppers)
Prepare a rich court bouillon with fish bones and heads. Poach a large piece of halibut or 2 halibut steaks. For cold dishes, some people prefer one or two large pieces without bones. Others like the appearance of one large piece cut right through the center of the fish with the bone left in.
When the fish is done, remove it to a plate to cool. Reduce the bouillon to 4 cups for a large piece of fish. When the liquid is reduced, strain, and clarify it with the white of an egg (see page 18). Strain it again, this time through a linen napkin. Return it to the stove, bring it to a boil and add the gelatin which has been softened in 1/2 cup of cold water. Stir well and cool.
Skin the fish and arrange it on a serving dish. When the gelatin mixture is almost set, combine 1 cup of it with the mayonnaise and mask the fish with it. Decorate the top with slices of cucumber, ripe olives, hard-cooked eggs, tarragon leaves, or anything you like.
Prepare a mixed vegetable salad. Mix it with some of the jellied mayonnaise. Hollow out a few small tomatoes and small green peppers and fill them with the vegetable salad. Surround the fish with these. When the first coating of jelly is almost firm on the fish, add a coating of the plain jelly. Brush the tops of the stuffed tomatoes and peppers with jelly and chill thoroughly. When ready to serve, chop the remaining jelly and sourround the fish with it. Serve with a mayonnaise sauce (page 34).
VARIATIONS
1. Poach halibut in a simple court bouillon (page 18) or in plain salted water. Serve cold with mayonnaise and a potato and cucumber salad.
2. Poach the halibut and serve with a sauce