No. 1467 — Cold Fish Mayonnaise with Salad and Green Sauce
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 1467 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Cut three Russian pounds of large boneless fish such as tench, pike, salmon, large perch or whitefish into fillets a finger thick.
Arrange on a baking sheet with one and a half spoonfuls of melted butter, salt and sprinkle with a small glass of wine and juice of half a lemon.
As soon as the undersides turn pale, turn the pieces, ensuring they cook through without browning dark. Cool on a round dish.
Prepare aspic from fish bones, scales, isinglass and, if desired, ruffe or roach, with roots, spices, vinegar and champignons.
Clarify with two or three egg whites or fish roe, reduce to three and a half glasses, strain through a napkin and cool.
Beat in half a glass of olive oil while gradually adding two spoonfuls of vinegar to create mousse. Dip each piece of fish in it, arrange in a ring with salad around and green sauce in the centre.
For sauce mince ten pitted olives, ten anchovies, ten gherkins, a spoonful of capers and ten boiled yolks; pound and sieve.
In a stoneware bowl beat two raw yolks pale with a teaspoon of Sarepta mustard, adding olive oil by drops and a teaspoon of vinegar. Add two lumps of fine sugar, chopped dill, chervil and tarragon, salt and spinach essence.
For salad boil sliced green beans in salted water, rinse cold and chill. Prepare asparagus, potatoes and cauliflower in the same way.
Mix these vegetables with fresh cucumber, baked beetroot, parsley, dill, tarragon and chervil, cut into slices or cubes. Dress with two or three spoonfuls of vinegar, olive oil, salt, mustard and a little sugar.
Set the fish ring around the salad and fill the centre with the green sauce.
To provide
3 Russian pounds large fish 3 pounds small fish and 2 zolotnik isinglass or gelatine 1½ spoonfuls butter and a small glass wine ½ lemon, 2 carrots and 1 parsley root 1 celery root, 1 leek and 3 onions 5–7 allspice berries 1–2 bay leaves 5–6 champignons and ½ glass olive oil ½ glass sherry and ½ glass vinegar ⅛ Russian pound pressed caviar or 2–3 egg whites For sauce: 10 olives, gherkins and 10 anchovies | 1 spoonful capers and 10 eggs 2 yolks and ¾ glass olive oil 1 spoonful vinegar and herbs 2 handfuls spinach and 2 lumps sugar For salad: 12 green beans and 6–9 asparagus spears 6 potatoes and 1 beetroot 1 cauliflower and 2 cucumbers Vinegar, parsley, dill, tarragon and other herbs Olive oil, mustard, 2–3 lumps sugar, salt and pepper |