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1. With a pastry brush or paper towel, spread the bottom and sides of a 1½ -quart loaf pan or mold with 1 tablespoon of soft butter and sprinkle the mold with the 2 tablespoons of dry bread crumbs.
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2. Tip the mold from side to side to be sure that the crumbs are evenly distributed, then turn the mold over and knock it gently against a table or other hard surface to tap out any excess crumbs.
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3. Cut the fish into small pieces and place a few pieces at a time in the jar of an electric blender, along with a couple of tablespoons of the combined light and heavy cream to facilitate the pureeing.
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4. Blend at high speed, turning the machine off after the first few seconds to scrape down the sides of the jar with a rubber spatula. Continue to blend, one batch at a time, until all of the fish is a smooth puree. As you proceed, use as much of the cream as you need, to form a smooth puree.
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5. Place the pureed fish in a large mixing bowl, beat in the 2 teaspoons of salt and the 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch, and slowly add any of the cream that was not used in the blender, beating vigorously until the mixture is very light and fluffy.
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6. Pour it into the prepared mold and then bang the mold sharply on the table to settle the pudding and eliminate any air pockets. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
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7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a sheet of aluminum foil and seal it tightly around the top of the mold. Place the mold in a baking pan and pour into the pan enough boiling water to come ¾ of the way up the sides of the mold.
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8. Set the pan in the middle of the oven for 1 to 1¼ hours, regulating the heat if necessary so that the water simmers but does not boil; if it boils, the pudding will have holes.
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9. When the top of the pudding is firm to the touch and a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out dry and clean, the pudding is done.
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10. Remove the mold from the oven and let the fish pudding rest at room temperature for 5 minutes, so that it can be more easily removed from the mold. Pour off all of the excess liquid in the mold.
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11. Then run a sharp knife around the inside of the mold, place a heated platter on top of it and, holding the mold and plate together, quickly invert the two to remove the pudding from the mold.
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12. Clear the plate of any liquid with paper towels and serve the "Fiskepudding" while still hot.
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TO MAKE FISH BALLS:
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1. Prepare the fish in the blender as described above. Chill the pureed fish in the mixing bowl for about 30 minutes, then roll about 1 tablespoon of the fish in your hands at a time, to make 1-inch balls.
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2. Refrigerate them, covered with wax paper, until you are ready to cook them. Poach these "Fiskefarse" by dropping them into 3 or 4 inches of barely simmering salted water for 2 or 3 minutes, or until they are firm to the touch.
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3. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon, drain them thoroughly and serve as part of a fish soup.
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