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2 cups cooked rice

1 pound salmon, flaked

4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

1/4 cup chopped parsley

11/2 cups sauce béchamel (page 23)

1 or 2 tablespoons curry powder

Place alternate layers of rice, fish, eggs, parsley, and béchamel (which has been mixed with the curry powder) in the top of a double boiler or in a mold. Place over hot water and heat thoroughly.

You may wish to serve additional béchamel with curry as a sauce.

VARIATION

Omit the curry and use tomato sauce spiced with chili powder. Or instead of the béchamel use heavy cream — enough to moisten the mixture.

SALMON MOUSSE

See halibut mousse, page 129.

Smoked Salmon – Hot Dishes

SMOKED SALMON À LA BERNARD

4 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 small onion, sliced

1 pound smoked salmon

Butter

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped parsley

Barely cover the potatoes and onions with unsalted water and boil until just turning tender. Place the salmon on top and continue cooking until the potatoes are soft and the salmon is heated through. Serve in bowls with the broth from the bottom of the pan, a dab of butter, and a grind of fresh pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

SMOKED SALMON ROLLS

1/2 recipe flaky pastry

6 to 8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon

Finely chopped green onion

Freshly ground black pepper

Beaten egg

Prepare the pastry and roll out into a 9-inch circle. Cover the top with strips of the salmon and add seasonings. Cut the circle into wedge-shaped pieces and roll each one tightly, beginning at the outside edge. Brush the rolls with beaten egg and bake at 425° for about 15 minutes. Serve hot with cocktails.

Cold Salmon Dishes

GRAVAD LAX (SWEDISH MARINATED SALMON)

4 to 5 pounds salmon, dressed weight, bone removed

2/3 cup salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

Bit of saltpeter

Fresh dill

Cut the salmon into two even pieces. Combine the salt, sugar, pepper, and saltpeter* together and rub the salmon well with this mixture. Line the bottom of a deep pan or casserole with dill branches, place a piece of salmon on them skin side down, sprinkle the top with the spices, and add more dill sprigs. Place the second piece of salmon on this, skin side up. Put a board and a weight on top and place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours or more.

This dish is not cooked. The action of the spices and seasonings gives it an unusual texture and a remarkably good flavor. It is excellent sliced thin and served with black bread as a cocktail snack, or it is a pleasant addition to a luncheon plate of cold meat and salad.

Gravad Lax is traditionally served with a mustard sauce, made by combining 4 tablespoons dark, highly seasoned, prepared mustard with 1 teaspoon powdered mustard, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, and 1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil. Combine all the above ingredients well, and mix with 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped dill.

Another delicious way to serve Gravad Lax is to slice it very thin and broil it with the skin attached.

COLD POACHED SALMON

The ultimate in summer dining is cold salmon. New York restaurants proudly advertise it, especially as the “season’s first.” It is a spectacular dish for a buffet supper.

Poach the salmon in a highly spiced court bouillon (page 19). It is wise to use a cheesecloth or cotton wrapper for the fish so that you can lift it from the boiler without breaking it.* When the fish is done remove it from the bouillon and set the bouillon aside to cool. While the fish is cooling, carefully remove the skin and trim the fish so that it looks inviting. If you are serving a whole fish, you may want to leave the head and tail on it. This gives it a classical appearance. Arrange your fish on a large platter and garnish with sliced cucumbers, tiny or sliced tomatoes, greens — parsley or masses of watercress — and thin slices of lemon with scalloped edges or cut into any fancy shapes you wish.

Serve the salmon with any of these sauces:

1. Mayonnaise (page 34)

2. R