Médaillons de Saumon

Médaillons de Saumon (small salmon fillet rounds) teach the discipline of cold masking. Before touching a pan, know this: the cooked salmon must be flat, dry, and thoroughly chilled before the sauce reaches it. Warm fish loosens the emulsion, while damp fish sends it sliding toward the tray.

The original assumed a garde-manger working beside a saucier, clear fish aspic from stock never off the fire, matching cutters, and ample cold-room space. It did not call for the salamander, because there is nothing here to brown. At home, one center-cut fillet makes twelve medallions, a second tray and two tins become the light press, and strained fish stock reinforced with gelatin supplies the aspic. That equipment was brigade scaffolding, and it can go. Pocher à sec (cooking gently without added liquid), pressing, trimming after cooking, masking with mayonnaise collée (mayonnaise strengthened with aspic), and glazing with cold melted aspic are the dish. They stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.

The finished medallions are coral beneath an ivory coat, with chervil held under a clear glaze that catches the light. Chill and dry the trimmed rounds before masking them. If the mayonnaise slides, scrape it back, blot the fish, and chill both again. Ça se rattrape.