No. 1455 — Pike Roulade with Aspic
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 1455 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Clean a three-pound pike, salt for an hour, wash and dry. Remove the head, slit lengthwise along the backbone and carefully remove all bones without piercing the skin.
Lay the fish skin open on a napkin. Mince the boneless flesh and mix with a finely chopped onion fried in half a spoonful of butter.
Scramble two or three eggs in another half spoonful of butter. Add five or six cleaned anchovies, half a French loaf soaked in milk and lightly squeezed, a spoonful of butter, nutmeg, crushed black and allspice pepper and salt.
Pound and sieve the mixture, then stir in one or two additional eggs.
Spread stuffing on the fish, roll into a cylinder, tie in a napkin with thread and cook in water with root vegetables, remaining fish bones and two or three spoonfuls of vinegar.
When fish and forcemeat are cooked, lift out, cool under a light press and remove the cloth. Slice evenly.
For aspic return all bones to cooking broth and reduce to one glass; clarify with roe, colour with red gelatine or caramel, strain through a napkin and cool.
Cut the set aspic attractively or mince for garnish. Serve mustard sauce No. 479, or vinegar, olive oil and mustard, or horseradish with vinegar.
To provide
3 Russian pounds pike and ¼ pound butter 1 onion and 5–6 anchovies 4–6 eggs and 2–3 allspice berries 2–3 black peppercorns ½ French loaf Nutmeg and 1 carrot | ½ parsley, ½ celery and ½ leek 1 onion 10 allspice berries 1–2 bay leaves 2–3 spoonfuls vinegar and 2–3 lumps sugar |