N.B.—1. In view of the decided flavour of the smelt, and the really disagreeable taste it imparts to a preparation which contains overmuch of it, its flesh should never exceed the proportion of one-third of the required quantity of fish. The remaining two-thirds should be supplied by a fish of neutral flavour, such as the sole or dory, both of which are admirably suited to this purpose.
2. The velouté d’éperlans should, like almost all fish veloutés, be prepared as quickly as possible, and at the last moment. The process should not last longer than thirty minutes, for, if there be any delay, the preparation will turn and lose its flavour.
3. For this soup I elected to use a panada as the thickening element, instead of a fish velouté, the reason being that, were the latter used, the taste of fish would in the end be too pronounced.
[681—VELOUTÉ D’ÉPERLANS JOINVILLE]
Proceed in the matter of the base of the soup as in No. [680].
Finish the velouté with an ordinary leason and one and one-half oz. of shrimp butter.
Garnish with six crayfish tails, cut into four pieces, and one tablespoonful of a short [julienne] of truffles and mushrooms.
[682—VELOUTÉ[!-- TN: acute invisible --] D’ÉPERLANS PRINCESSE]
The same as above, with twelve small quenelles of smelt forcemeat with crayfish butter, and one tablespoonful of very green asparagus-heads per quart of velouté.