4 quarts water
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons salt
3 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 pounds spinach
1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 whole striped bass, 7-8 pounds (or salmon, if bass is out of season)

Combine water, vinegar, salt, carrots, onion, celery, bay leaves, and parsley in Dutch oven; bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes.

Carefully wash and devein spinach and cut into julienne (thin strips); sauté spinach and mushrooms in butter until mushrooms are tender. Rinse bass lightly with cold water; stuff with spinach-mushroom mixture; wrap in double thickness cheesecloth and tie tightly at both ends.

Place bass in large fish poacher or roasting pan; pour broth over fish, covering fish by at least 2 inches. Bring to boil and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Let fish rest in broth; cool and chill.

Unwrap bass from cheesecloth; peel off skin and place on serving platter. Serve with Green Mayonnaise (card 234); if desired, glaze with red madrilène (card 62)^*.

Yield: 10-12 servings
(Pictured – Salmon with Spinach Stuffing)

^*2 cans (10-oz size) tomato madrilène. If canned tomato madrilène is not available, make your own: Dissolve 2 packages unflavored gelatin in 1 cup water; heat 3 cups chicken broth in saucepan; stir in 4 tablespoons tomato paste; bring to low boil. Stir in gelatin. Flavor to taste with salt and hot sauce; cool and chill until jelled.

Copyright © 1977 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.