Soyer's standard cookery

Procure two pounds of brioche paste, unsweetened. Take one and a half pounds of small salmon collops and stiffen in butter. Also prepare two or three ounces of mushrooms, together with an onion chopped small (both to be fried in butter) ; half a pound of semolina or rice cooked in consomme, two hard-boiled eggs chopped small; one pound of vesiga chopped up and cooked in consomme. To cook the vesiga take two and a half ounces of dried vesiga, soak in cold water for four hours, after which cook for three and a half hours in white consomme. Roll out the brioche paste into strips twelve inches long, eight inches wide and a quarter of an inch thick. On these spread, successively, layers of semolina (or rice), collops of salmon, chopped vesiga, eggs, mushrooms and onion, and lastly a layer of semolina (or rice). Moisten the edges of the paste and bring the two ends together with the above layers of material within. Then pinch the remaining edges together and turn over the join just made. Over all put another strip of paste and set the paste on a baking-tin to rise for about forty-five minutes. Now spread a thin coating of melted butter over the top, sprinkle with raspings and Make two holes in the top of the paste to allow the vapors to escape. (This can be done by curling round the finger two thin pieces of cardboard or stiff paper and inserting the same in the paste, like small chimneys.) Bake in a moderate oven for one hour. Stewed Salmon. Take three pounds of fresh salmon, and after carefully scaling and washing, lard the fish finely and place it in a stewpan, with a pint of clear stock, two carrots, and two onions minced, a little thyme, three bay leaves, a pinch of grated nutmeg, a few peppercorns and salt to taste. Simmer very gently for about two hours and then remove the fish. Strain the sauce — carefully removing any fat — and reduce it to a glaze, which should be poured over the fish. The salmon is usually served upon a puree of green peas, asparagus, or any other vegetable that is preferred. Salmon Croquettes. Tinned fish may be used for this dish, though of course fresh salmon is better. Heat half a pint of good white stock and stir into it the yolks of two eggs, half an ounce of butter, the juice of an onion, a little parsley, pepper and salt. Remove the bones and skin from the salmon, chop finely, and stir sufficient into the stock to make a moderately stiff paste. When the mixture is cool, make it into croquettes which should be dipped in egg and bread-crumbs and fried until a golden brown color. Drain all fat carefully from them and serve with a border of parsley. Tartare sauce is often served with this dish. Baked Shad. Split open the fish and stuff with a forcemeat made of its roe, some mushrooms, bread-crumbs, butter, parsley, thyme and bay leaf, chopped and thoroughly mixed together. Bind or sew up the fish and bake it in an earthenware dish well buttered for half an hour, basting with white stock to which has been added lemon juice, sherry, and onion. Coulibiac of Salmon.