Fish Pate

Directions

Filet fish and put it into a marinade made of the shallots, lime juice, white wine, thyme, bay leaf, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Let marinate an hour.

Grind all but two of the filets.

Cook the filets in the marinade until just done, about 6 minutes.

Remove the filets, and reduce the marinade by half.

Heat the milk, butter and salt in a saucepan and add flour, all at once.

Beat vigorously until the panade forms a ball and beat in egg yolks off the heat, one at a time.

Add ¼ cup of ground fish to a food processor and whir the machine, then add ¼ cup panade and a small piece of ice.

When half of the fish and panade are used, add eggs and a yolk.

Continue alternating the panade, fish and ice.

Add salt, pepper, and cayenne and then slowly add the cream while the machine is running.

Add nutmeg and butter and finish with butter and tarragon.

Line a terrine with buttered paper (the chef used butter wrappers) and put in half the ground fish mixture.

Lay the filets on this and top with the remaining mixture.

Put the terrine in a larger pan and add water halfway up the terrine.

Cook in a 350℉ (180℃) oven for 45 minutes or until the mousse is puffed and brown.

Invert, trim and serve in slices with sauce.

Sauce: Chop the crabs up in rough pieces and cook them in butter with shallots, thyme and parsley until crabs turn color.

Add wine, salt, pepper, cayenne and cream.

Heat to boiling, add the bay leaf, and reduce until thick.

Strain into another pan and reduce again until the consistency of whipping cream.