Bagration Soup, Meatless (Potage Bagration maigre)

Ingredients

• 1.5 liters velouté de poisson (fish velouté), clear
• 250 grams mushrooms, very fresh
• 150 grams butter
• sole fillets
• quenelles (small dumplings) of sole forcemeat
• crayfish tails, sliced

Instructions

1. Prepare 1.5 liters of clear fish velouté in the ordinary manner, taking care that the soup is made quickly. (See the observation in the article on Smelt Velouté.)
2. Clean, peel, and pass 250 grams of very fresh mushrooms through a fine sieve. Add the mushroom purée to the velouté, allow it to cook for 7 to 8 minutes, then strain through cheesecloth (étamine).
3. Heat without allowing it to boil. Finish at the moment with the ordinary velouté liaison (egg yolk and cream) and 150 grams of butter.
4. For the garnish: julienne of 2 small sole fillets poached in butter and lemon juice; small quenelles made from sole forcemeat with crayfish butter; crayfish tails sliced thin.