Pike Mousseline with Crawfish

By corlear

Mousseline de Brochet Dijonnaise

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound raw pike, free of bones
• 3/4 cup sweet butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 small head of lettuce
• 1 tablespoon chopped chervil
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• freshly ground pepper
• pinch of nutmeg
• 2 cups whipped cream (measured after whipping)
• 25 cooked crawfish tails (or the equivalent in diced lobster meat)
• 30 small mushroom caps
• butter for sautéeing
• 2 cups warm stock, made of the bones, head, and trimmings of the pike
• 1 cup cream
• 4 beaten egg yolks
• 5 tablespoons butter

Preparation

Step 1

Pound in a mortar 3/4 pound of raw pike, free of bones, which has first been put through a chopper. Force the pounded flesh through a strainer and work it again in the mortar, incorporating little by little 3/4 cup sweet butter, 2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1 small head of lettuce, parboiled, chopped, and forced through a sieve, 1 tablespoon chopped chervil, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, some freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Work for 30 minutes with a wooden spatula in a bowl placed on ice.

Stir in 2 cups whipped cream (measured after whipping).

Turn the mixture into a buttered ring mold and poach it over hot water for 35 minutes. Unmold the mousseline on a round platter and place in the center 25 cooked crawfish tails (or the equivalent in diced lobster meat) and 30 small mushroom caps, sautéed in butter.

Make the following sauce and pour some of it over the mousseline and the garniture, serve the rest in a saucedish:

To 2 cups warm stock, made of the bones, head, and trimmings of the pike, add 1 cup cream combined with 4 beaten egg yolks. Heat gradually, stirring continously, being careful not to let the sauce boil. Add 5 tablespoons butter, a little at a time, and the crawfish or lobster essence obtained by cooking the shells in a little butter, adding hot water, and simmering down to 2 to 3 tablespoons in quantity.