Mousse Of Crab Meat

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh crab meat, preferably lump
• 1 pound skinless, boneless white fish such as monkfish, striped bass and so on
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 egg
• Salt to taste, if desired
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Butter for greasing a mold
• White butter sauce (see recipe)

Eight or more servings

Preparation

1. Pick over the crab meat. Remove and discard any pieces of shell or cartilage.
2. Cut the fish into cubes and add them to the container of a food processor or electric blender. Add the cayenne, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Start blending while gradually adding the cream. Blend until smooth.
3. Add one cup of the crab meat and continue blending until the mixture is smooth.
4. Spoon and scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining crab meat and carefully fold it into the mousse mixture.
5. Butter a six-cup ring mold. Fill the mold with the crab mixture and smooth over the top.
6. Bring water to the boil in the bottom of a steamer. Place the ring mold on a steamer rack and place the rack over the boiling water. Cover closely and steam 10 minutes or until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees. Let the mousse stand on a rack for five minutes.
7. Unmold the mousse onto a round serving dish. Pour off or wipe away any liquid that accumulates around the mousse.
8. Slice the mousse into individual serving portions and serve with a little white butter sauce spooned over each portion.

• You may, if you wish, make quenelles with the crab mixture. To do this, lay out about eight rectangles of plastic wrap or aluminum foil, each about 6 by 12 inches, on a flat surface. Butter each rectangle on the exposed side. Spoon one-half cup or slightly more of the crab mixture into the center of each. Roll the plastic wrap or foil carefully to neatly and tightly enclose the crab mixture. Put the rolls in the top of a steamer and cook about five minutes. Remove the plastic wrap or foil and serve.

About 40 minutes