Bisque of Crawfish a la Persigny

Remove the small black vein found in the center of the tail from forty-eight crawfish, using for this purpose either the tip of a knife, or else by twisting it round to the right, and pulling the fin away from the middle of the tail, and the vein attached to this will come off at the same time; it is most necessary to abstract this as it is always filled with sand. Wash the crawfish well; put them into a saucepan with a pint of broth, and the same quantity of white wine, salt, black pepper, two ounces of butter, two minced shallots, parsley and bay-leaf; boil for fifteen minutes, then drain and empty the bodies of twelve of the finest among them; pound the others to a fine paste, adding one quart of veloute sauce (No. 415), and one quart of broth; let boil again for fifteen minutes, then add to the bisque, half a pound of sliced bread, buttered and browned in the oven; simmer for fifteen minutes longer; then strain first through a sieve, and then through a tammy. Heat it up once more, and just when ready to serve, incorporate into it a quarter of a pound of fine butter, with a little red pepper added; fill the empty bodies with chicken forcemeat (No. 62) and lobster or crawfish butter mixed; poach them in boiling water, and when done cut them lengthwise in two; have also a garnishing of crusts made with savarin, a quarter of an inch square, dried in the oven, and served separate.