Salmon Steak Lucullus

Ingredients

• 1 salmon steak (darne)
• truffles
• Champagne
• aromatic vegetables (mirepoix or bouquet garni)
• crayfish tails (queues d'écrevisses)
• small vol-au-vents (petites bouchées)
• soft roe (laitances)
• oyster mousseline
• 1/2 butter, ordinary
• 1/2 crayfish butter (Beurre d'écrevisse)

Instructions

1. Remove the skin from one side of the salmon steak. Lard it with truffles, inserting the truffles into the flesh.
2. Braise the salmon in Champagne on a bed of aromatic vegetables (mirepoix or court-bouillon base), covered, until cooked through.
3. Prepare the garnish while the salmon braises: Fill small vol-au-vents with crayfish tails. Arrange soft roe in small cassole dishes. Prepare oyster mousseline (a light mousse of oysters) and poach gently in dariole molds until set.
4. For the sauce: Strain the braising liquid from the salmon. Reduce it over heat to concentrate the flavors. Mount the sauce with butter (beurre monté), using half ordinary butter and half crayfish butter (Beurre d'écrevisse) to finish, whisking gently off the heat to emulsify.
5. Arrange the salmon steak on a serving plate. Distribute the garnish of vol-au-vents, soft roe cassoles, and oyster mousselines around it. Nap lightly with the finished sauce or serve sauce separately.