Sturgeon in Aspic Zalivnaya Ryba (russian)
Ingredients
- 2 pound fish fillets (sturgeon, salmon, perch, catfish, or other non-bony fish)
- salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 black peppercorns
- 5 allspice berries
- 1 carrot
- 1 parsley root, or 2 ounces celery root
- 1 onion
- 2 tablespoon gelatin
- peeled thin lemon slices, quartered
- thinly sliced pickles, preferably homemade
- Greek olives, halved and pitted
- parsley leaves
- cream-style horseradish or mayonnaise
Instructions
Be sure that all bones have been removed from the fillets. Cut the fillets into 12 pieces about 1 inch thick, salt lightly, and let sit for 30 minutes. To make the court bouillon and aspic: pour 6 cups of water into a 3 quart pot, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, the spices, carrot, parsley root, and onion, and bring to boil. Lower the heat and let simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the fish is just done. Do not overcook. In a cup, soften the gelatin in 1/4 cup of cold water. Strain 4 cups of the broth into 2-quart saucepan, add the gelatin, and stir until it dissolves, reheating the broth briefly, if necessary. Cut the cooked carrot into 1/4 slices. Arrange the fish pieces in a serving platter 2,5-3 inches deep, and decorate with carrot and lemon slices, sliced pickles, olive halves, and parsley. Pour the aspic over the fish carefully, so that the decorative arrangement is not disturbed. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Serve the horseradish or mayonnaise separately in a bowl or sauceboat. Serves 8-12 as an appetizer or 6 as an entree