Prepare a not too light cream fish forcemeat (No. 76) with some pike meat; also prepare a plentiful garnishing with good morils blanched and cooked, unshelled crawfish tails, slices from the tails of small freshly cooked lobsters, and poached oysters; lay all of these in a flat saucepan, and keep covered. Half an hour before serving fill a fancy border mold with the prepared forcemeat, and poach for twenty-five minutes in a bain-marie. Besides this put on to reduce three gills of veloute sauce (No. 415), incorporating into it slowly a few spoonfuls of good court bouillon (No. 38), and the oyster and crawfish broth; when this sauce becomes succulent, strain it over the garnishing, heat up without boiling, and finish with a piece of red butter (No. 580). At the last moment turn the border over on a hot dish and fill the center with the garnishings, dressing them in a dome without any sauce; on this lay four pretty cooked crawfish, having them whole, only the tails being shelled; place a small round truffle on the summit, and serve the sauce apart.

Fig. 411.