Salmon Trout In Aspic

1 x 1.5 kg/3 lb salmon trout, cleaned
salt
freshly ground black pepper
polyunsaturated vegetable oil
600 ml/1 pint aspic jelly
2 tablespoons chopped herbs such as tarragon
and dill
300 ml/1/2 pint reduced-calorie mayonnaise
Garnish:
tarragon, fennel or dill sprig
3 medium tomatoes, halved, scooped out and
filled with cooked peas (optional)
3 hard-boiled eggs, halved, yolks sieved and
creamed with reduced-calorie mayonnaise, then
piled back into whites
Y2 cucumber, thinly sliced

Wash the trout under running water and remove any blood along the inside of the backbone. Wipe with kitchen paper towels and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper.

Lay the fish on a large piece of well-oiled aluminium foil and twist the foil edges together to form a loose but watertight parcel. Place the parcel on a baking sheet and bake in the centre of a preheated moderate oven (180 °C/3511 °P, Gas Mark 4) for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, make up the aspic jelly and leave to cool.

When the fish is cooked, remove the parcel from the oven and leave, unopened, to allow it to cool a little. While the fish is still warm, open the parcel and skin the fish. To do this, cut the skin around the head and across the tail and peel it away from the flesh. Roll the fish over and repeat on the other side. Carefully transfer the fish to a flat serving dish. When the aspic is on die point of setting (if necessary, stir it over crushed ice until it coats the back of a metal spoon), spoon a thin film of jelly over the fish and leave to set.

Garnish the fish with a spray of herbs, coat with a second layer of aspic and leave to set again. Chill the remaining aspic until set. Chop the set aspic into small pieces and arrange the pieces along either side of the fish. Set the filled tomatoes (if using) and eggs alternately in the chopped aspic and border the dish with overlapping slices of cucumber. Stir the freshly chopped herbs into the mayonnaise and serve separately.

SER VES 6