Quenelles de poisson

French cooking. 12 steps

1/2 pt water	bring to boil		Remove water from heat, beat in flour thoroughly, beat over moderate heat 1-2 minutes until mixture forms a mass and begins to film bottom of pan	Paste must be firm enough to hold its shape when formed into quenelles. With a wet spoon, dip out a rounded mass of the cold paste. Transfer the spoon to your left hand. Smooth the top of the paste with the inverted bowl of a second wet spoon. Slip the second spoon under the quenelle to loosen it, and drop into the barely simmering stock. Rapidly form remaining quenelles. Poach, uncovered, 15-20 minutes, never going beyond the barest suggestion of a simmer. Quenelles are done when they have doubled in size and roll over easily. They will keep 1-2 days, brushed with butter in a lightly buttered dish and covered with greaseproof paper, refrigerated.
1 teaspoon salt
2 oz butter
4 oz flour	sift
2 eggs			One by one, beat in until thoroughly blended
2 egg whites
1 1/2 lb whiting	skinless and boneless	Put twice through mincer, or pound and sieve. Electric liquidizers are not suitable	Beat in vigorously. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
big pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper
2-6 tablespoons cream	chilled		Just before cooking, vigorously beat in cream by spoonful.
fish stock	simmering

In case of disaster, if the quenelle paste is too soft to poach, declare it to be a mousse: put into buttered moulds, set in tin of boiling water, bake in moderate oven until mousse risen and beginning to shrink from sides of mould.