Required: Half a pound of white fish, such as whiting.

A dozen oysters.

Two ounces of flour.

One ounce of butter.

Three eggs.

Quarter of a pint of cream.

Quarter of a pint of oyster liquor.

Salt and pepper. Put the oysters in a saucepan with their liquor, and let them heat very gently until they plump up. Then beard them, afterwards cut each in four.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and stir over the fire until both are well mixed together; then add a quarter of a pint of the oyster liquor, and stir until the sauce thickens and the flour is cooked.

Remove all skin and bone from the fish; put the flesh in a mortar with the sauce, pound them well together, add the eggs one by one, mixing each well in. Season the mixture carefully with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Rub it through a sieve, then stir in the oysters, and, lastly, add the cream, after whipping it. Have ready a well-buttered mould, pour in the mixture, cover the top with a piece of buttered paper, and steam it gently for half an hour, or till set firmly.

Fish souffle

Turn it carefully on to a hot dish, pour over and round it a rich white sauce, flavoured with fish stock made from the bones and trimmings of the fish. Decorate the souffle with a neat border of prawns or shrimps, and the edge of the dish with alternate prawns or shrimps and fleurons - that is, small crescent-shapes of baked puff pastry. Some simple design cut out of truffle gives a very pleasing finish to the dish, but may be omitted if preferred.