[64]CHAPTER VIThe Court-bouillons and the Marinades163—COURT-BOUILLON WITH VINEGARQuantities Required for Five Quarts.5 quarts of water.½ pint of vinegar.2 oz. of gray salt.½ oz. of peppercorns.¾ lb. of carrots.1 lb. of onions.A little thyme and bay.2 oz. of parsley stalks.Preparation.—Put into a saucepan the water, salt, and vinegar, the minced carrots and onions, and the parsley, thyme, and bay, gathered into a bunch. Boil, allow to simmer for one hour, rub through tammy, and put aside until wanted.Remarks.—Put the peppercorns into thecourt-bouillononly twelve minutes before straining the latter. If the pepper were in for too long a time it would give a bitterness to the preparation. This rule also applies to the formulæ that follow, in which the use of peppercorns is also required.Thiscourt-bouillonis principally used for cooking trout and salmon, as well as for various shell-fish.164—COURT-BOUILLON WITH WHITE WINEQuantities Required for Two Quarts.1 quart of white wine.1 quart of water.3 oz. of minced onions.1 large faggot.½ oz. of gray salt.A few peppercorns.Preparation.—This is the same as for thecourt-bouillonwith vinegar, except that it is boiled for half an hour and is strained through tammy.Remarks.—If thecourt-bouillonhas to be reduced the quantity of salt should be proportionately less. This preparation is principally used for poaching fresh-water fish.165—COURT-BOUILLON WITH RED WINEUse the same quantities as forcourt-bouillonwith white wine, taking care—1. To replace white wine by excellent red wine.[65]2. To add four oz. of minced carrots.3. To apportion the wine and water in the ratio of two-thirds to one-third.Preparation.—The same as that of the former, with the same time for boiling.Remarks.—If thecourt-bouillonis to be reduced, the salt should be less accordingly. When thecourt-bouillonwith red wine is to constitute an aspic stock, fishfumetwith enough gelatine takes the place of the water.The uses ofcourt-bouillonwith red wine are similar to those of the white-wine kind.166—PLAIN COURT-BOUILLONThe quantity ofcourt-bouillonis determined by the size of the piece which it is to cover. It is composed of cold, salt water (the salt amounting to a little less than one-half oz. per quart of water), one-quarter pint of milk per quart of water, and one thin slice of peeled lemon in the same proportion. The fish is immersed while the liquor is cold; the latter is very slowly brought to the boil, and as soon as this is reached, the receptacle is moved to the side of the fire, where the cooking of the fish is completed.Thiscourt-bouillon, which is used with large pieces of turbot and brill, is never prepared beforehand.167—SPECIAL COURT-BOUILLON, OR BLANCThis preparation is a genuinecourt-bouillon, though it is not used in cooking fish.The Quantities Required for Five Quarts of this Court-bouillonare:—A little less than 2 oz. of flour.1½ oz. of grey salt.The juice of 3 lemons or ⅛ pint of good vinegar.5 quarts of cold water.Gradually mix the flour and the water; add the salt and the lemon juice, and pass through a strainer. Set to boil, and stir the mixture the while, in order to prevent the flour from precipitating; as soon as the boil is reached, immerse the objects to be treated. These are usually calf’s head or foot, previouslyblanched; sheep’s trotters, cocks’ kidneys or combs, or such vegetables as salsify, cardoon, &c.Remarks upon the Use of Court-bouillon.1.Court-bouillonmust always be prepared in advance for all fish, the time for poaching which is less than half an hour, except turbots and brills.[66]2. When a fish is of such a size as to need more than half an hour’s poaching, proceed asfollows:—Place under the drainer of the fish-kettle the minced carrots and onions and the faggot; put the fish on the drainer, and cover it with water and vinegar, or white wine, in accordance with the kind ofcourt-bouillonwanted and the quantity required. Add the salt, boil, and keep thecourt-bouillongently simmering for a period of time fixed by the weight of the fish. The time allowed for poaching the latter will be given in their respective formulæ.3. Fish, when whole, should be immersed in coldcourt-bouillon; when sliced, in the same liquor, boiling. The exceptions to this rule are small trout “au bleu” and shell-fish.4. If fish be cooked in short liquor the aromatics are put under the drainer and the liquid elements of the selectedcourt-bouillon(as, for example, that with red or white wine) are so calculated as to cover only one-third of the solid body. Fish cooked in this way should be frequently basted.5.Court-bouillonfor ordinary and spiny lobsters should always be at full boiling pitch when these are immersed. The case is the same for small or medium fish “au bleu.”6. Fish which is to be served cold, also shell-fish, should cool in thecourt-bouillonitself; the cooking period is consequently curtailed.Marinades and Brines.Marinadesplay but a small part in English cookery, venison or other ground-game being generally preferred fresh. However, in the event of its being necessary to resort to these methods of preparation, I shall give two formulæ for venison and two for mutton.The use of themarinadefor venison is very much debated. Certainly it is often desirable that the fibre of those meats that come from old specimens of the deer and boar species be softened, but there is no doubt that what the meat gains in tenderness it loses in flavour. On the whole, therefore, it would be best to use only those joints which come from young beasts.In the case of the latter, themarinademay well be dispensed with. It would add nothing to the savour of a haunch of venison, such as may be got in England, while it would be equally ineffectual in the case of the roebuck or hare. A summary treatment of these two, with rawmarinade, may well be adopted, as also for deer.[67]As for cookedmarinade, its real and only use lies in the fact that during stormy summer weather it enables one to preserve meat which would otherwise have to be wasted. It may, moreover, be used for braised venison, but this treatment of game is very uncommon nowadays.168—COOKED MARINADE FOR VENISONQuantities Required for Five Quarts.½ lb. of minced carrots.½ lb. of minced onions.2 oz. of minced shallots.1 crushed garlic clove.1 faggot, including 1 oz. of parsley stalks, 2 sprigs of rosemary, as much thyme, and 2 bay leaves.Preparation.—Heat one-half pint of oil in a stewpan, add the carrots and onions, and fry them while stirring frequently. When they begin to brown add the shallots, the garlic, and the faggot, then one pint of vinegar, two bottles of white wine, and three quarts of water. Cook thismarinadefor twenty minutes, and add a further two oz. of salt, one-half oz. of peppercorns, and four oz. of brown sugar. Ten minutes afterwards pass it through a strainer and let it cool before inserting the meats.N.B.—In summer themarinadevery often decomposes, because of the blood contained by the meat under treatment in it. The only means of averting this is to boil themarinadeevery two or three days at least.169—RAW MARINADE FOR BUTCHER’S MEATOR VENISONThismarinadeis prepared immediately before using. The meat to be treated is first salted and peppered on all sides, then it is put in a receptacle just large enough to hold it, and laid therein on a litter of aromatics, including minced carrots and onions, a few chopped shallots, parsley stalks, thyme, and bay in proportion to the rest. Now sprinkle the meat copiously with oil and half as much vinegar; cover the dish with oil-paper, and put it somewhere in the cool. Remember to turn the meat over three or four times a day, covering it each time with a layer of vegetables.Thismarinadeis very active, and is admirably suited to all butcher’s meat and venison, provided these be not allowed to remain in it for too long a time. It is very difficult to say how long the meat must stay in thesemarinades; the time varies according to the size and quality of the joints, and the taste of the consumer, &c. All that can be said is that three hours should be sufficient tomarinadea cutlet or escalope of roebuck,[68]and that for big joints such as saddle or leg the time should not exceed four days.170—MARINADE FOR MUTTON, ROEBUCK-STYLEThis is exactly the same as cookedmarinade, No.168. There need only be added one oz. of juniper berries, a few sprigs of rosemary, wild thyme, and basil, two extra garlic cloves, and one quart less of water.171—MARINADE WITH RED WINE FOR MUTTONBy substituting red wine for white in the preceding formula—the quantity of the liquid equalling that of the water—and by slightly increasing the quantity of aromatics, an excellentmarinadefor mutton is obtained, which in summer enables one to preserve meat, otherwise perishable, for some days.172—BRINEQuantities Required for Fifty Quarts.56 lbs. of gray salt.50 quarts of water.6 lbs. of saltpetre.3½ lbs. of brown sugar.Mode of Procedure.—Put the salt and the water in a tinned copper pan, and put it on an open fire. When the water boils, throw in a peeled potato, and, if the latter float, add water until it begins to sink. If, on the contrary, the potato should sink immediately, reduce the liquid until it is able to buoy the tuber up. At this stage the sugar and saltpetre are added; let them dissolve, and the brine is then removed from the fire and is allowed to cool. It is then poured into the receptacle intended for it, which must be either of slate, stone, cement, or well-jointed tiles. It is well to place in the bottom of this reservoir a wooden lattice, whereon the meats to be salted may be laid, for, were the immersed objects to lie directly on the bottom of the receptacle, the under parts would be entirely shielded from the brine.If the meats to be salted are of an appreciable size, they should be inoculated with brine by means of a special syringe. Without this measure it would be impossible to salt regularly, as the sides would already be over-saturated before the centre had even been properly reached.Eight days should be allowed for salting a piece of beef of what size soever, above eight or ten lb., since the process of inoculation equalises the salting.Ox-tongue intended for salting, besides having to be as[69]fresh as possible, must be trimmed of almost all the cartilage of the throat, and carefully beaten either with a beater or roller. Then it must be pricked on all sides with a string-needle, and immersed in the liquid, where it should be slightly weighted by some means or other in order to prevent its rising to the surface. A medium-sized tongue would need about seven days’ immersion in the brine.Though brine does not turn as easily as the cookedmarinades, it would be well, especially in stormy weather, to watch it and occasionally to boil it. But, as the process of boiling invariably concentrates the brine, a little water should be added to it every time it is so treated, and the test of the potato, described above, should always be resorted to.
5 quarts of water.½ pint of vinegar.2 oz. of gray salt.½ oz. of peppercorns.¾ lb. of carrots.1 lb. of onions.A little thyme and bay.2 oz. of parsley stalks.
5 quarts of water.½ pint of vinegar.2 oz. of gray salt.½ oz. of peppercorns.
5 quarts of water.
½ pint of vinegar.
2 oz. of gray salt.
½ oz. of peppercorns.
¾ lb. of carrots.1 lb. of onions.A little thyme and bay.2 oz. of parsley stalks.
¾ lb. of carrots.
1 lb. of onions.
A little thyme and bay.
2 oz. of parsley stalks.
Preparation.—Put into a saucepan the water, salt, and vinegar, the minced carrots and onions, and the parsley, thyme, and bay, gathered into a bunch. Boil, allow to simmer for one hour, rub through tammy, and put aside until wanted.
Remarks.—Put the peppercorns into thecourt-bouillononly twelve minutes before straining the latter. If the pepper were in for too long a time it would give a bitterness to the preparation. This rule also applies to the formulæ that follow, in which the use of peppercorns is also required.
Thiscourt-bouillonis principally used for cooking trout and salmon, as well as for various shell-fish.
1 quart of white wine.1 quart of water.3 oz. of minced onions.1 large faggot.½ oz. of gray salt.A few peppercorns.
1 quart of white wine.1 quart of water.3 oz. of minced onions.
1 quart of white wine.
1 quart of water.
3 oz. of minced onions.
1 large faggot.½ oz. of gray salt.A few peppercorns.
1 large faggot.
½ oz. of gray salt.
A few peppercorns.
Preparation.—This is the same as for thecourt-bouillonwith vinegar, except that it is boiled for half an hour and is strained through tammy.
Remarks.—If thecourt-bouillonhas to be reduced the quantity of salt should be proportionately less. This preparation is principally used for poaching fresh-water fish.
Use the same quantities as forcourt-bouillonwith white wine, taking care—
1. To replace white wine by excellent red wine.
[65]2. To add four oz. of minced carrots.
3. To apportion the wine and water in the ratio of two-thirds to one-third.
Preparation.—The same as that of the former, with the same time for boiling.
Remarks.—If thecourt-bouillonis to be reduced, the salt should be less accordingly. When thecourt-bouillonwith red wine is to constitute an aspic stock, fishfumetwith enough gelatine takes the place of the water.
The uses ofcourt-bouillonwith red wine are similar to those of the white-wine kind.
The quantity ofcourt-bouillonis determined by the size of the piece which it is to cover. It is composed of cold, salt water (the salt amounting to a little less than one-half oz. per quart of water), one-quarter pint of milk per quart of water, and one thin slice of peeled lemon in the same proportion. The fish is immersed while the liquor is cold; the latter is very slowly brought to the boil, and as soon as this is reached, the receptacle is moved to the side of the fire, where the cooking of the fish is completed.
Thiscourt-bouillon, which is used with large pieces of turbot and brill, is never prepared beforehand.
This preparation is a genuinecourt-bouillon, though it is not used in cooking fish.
A little less than 2 oz. of flour.1½ oz. of grey salt.The juice of 3 lemons or ⅛ pint of good vinegar.5 quarts of cold water.
A little less than 2 oz. of flour.1½ oz. of grey salt.
A little less than 2 oz. of flour.
1½ oz. of grey salt.
The juice of 3 lemons or ⅛ pint of good vinegar.5 quarts of cold water.
The juice of 3 lemons or ⅛ pint of good vinegar.
5 quarts of cold water.
Gradually mix the flour and the water; add the salt and the lemon juice, and pass through a strainer. Set to boil, and stir the mixture the while, in order to prevent the flour from precipitating; as soon as the boil is reached, immerse the objects to be treated. These are usually calf’s head or foot, previouslyblanched; sheep’s trotters, cocks’ kidneys or combs, or such vegetables as salsify, cardoon, &c.
1.Court-bouillonmust always be prepared in advance for all fish, the time for poaching which is less than half an hour, except turbots and brills.
[66]2. When a fish is of such a size as to need more than half an hour’s poaching, proceed asfollows:—Place under the drainer of the fish-kettle the minced carrots and onions and the faggot; put the fish on the drainer, and cover it with water and vinegar, or white wine, in accordance with the kind ofcourt-bouillonwanted and the quantity required. Add the salt, boil, and keep thecourt-bouillongently simmering for a period of time fixed by the weight of the fish. The time allowed for poaching the latter will be given in their respective formulæ.
3. Fish, when whole, should be immersed in coldcourt-bouillon; when sliced, in the same liquor, boiling. The exceptions to this rule are small trout “au bleu” and shell-fish.
4. If fish be cooked in short liquor the aromatics are put under the drainer and the liquid elements of the selectedcourt-bouillon(as, for example, that with red or white wine) are so calculated as to cover only one-third of the solid body. Fish cooked in this way should be frequently basted.
5.Court-bouillonfor ordinary and spiny lobsters should always be at full boiling pitch when these are immersed. The case is the same for small or medium fish “au bleu.”
6. Fish which is to be served cold, also shell-fish, should cool in thecourt-bouillonitself; the cooking period is consequently curtailed.
Marinadesplay but a small part in English cookery, venison or other ground-game being generally preferred fresh. However, in the event of its being necessary to resort to these methods of preparation, I shall give two formulæ for venison and two for mutton.
The use of themarinadefor venison is very much debated. Certainly it is often desirable that the fibre of those meats that come from old specimens of the deer and boar species be softened, but there is no doubt that what the meat gains in tenderness it loses in flavour. On the whole, therefore, it would be best to use only those joints which come from young beasts.
In the case of the latter, themarinademay well be dispensed with. It would add nothing to the savour of a haunch of venison, such as may be got in England, while it would be equally ineffectual in the case of the roebuck or hare. A summary treatment of these two, with rawmarinade, may well be adopted, as also for deer.
[67]As for cookedmarinade, its real and only use lies in the fact that during stormy summer weather it enables one to preserve meat which would otherwise have to be wasted. It may, moreover, be used for braised venison, but this treatment of game is very uncommon nowadays.
½ lb. of minced carrots.½ lb. of minced onions.2 oz. of minced shallots.1 crushed garlic clove.1 faggot, including 1 oz. of parsley stalks, 2 sprigs of rosemary, as much thyme, and 2 bay leaves.
½ lb. of minced carrots.½ lb. of minced onions.2 oz. of minced shallots.1 crushed garlic clove.
½ lb. of minced carrots.
½ lb. of minced onions.
2 oz. of minced shallots.
1 crushed garlic clove.
1 faggot, including 1 oz. of parsley stalks, 2 sprigs of rosemary, as much thyme, and 2 bay leaves.
1 faggot, including 1 oz. of parsley stalks, 2 sprigs of rosemary, as much thyme, and 2 bay leaves.
Preparation.—Heat one-half pint of oil in a stewpan, add the carrots and onions, and fry them while stirring frequently. When they begin to brown add the shallots, the garlic, and the faggot, then one pint of vinegar, two bottles of white wine, and three quarts of water. Cook thismarinadefor twenty minutes, and add a further two oz. of salt, one-half oz. of peppercorns, and four oz. of brown sugar. Ten minutes afterwards pass it through a strainer and let it cool before inserting the meats.
N.B.—In summer themarinadevery often decomposes, because of the blood contained by the meat under treatment in it. The only means of averting this is to boil themarinadeevery two or three days at least.
Thismarinadeis prepared immediately before using. The meat to be treated is first salted and peppered on all sides, then it is put in a receptacle just large enough to hold it, and laid therein on a litter of aromatics, including minced carrots and onions, a few chopped shallots, parsley stalks, thyme, and bay in proportion to the rest. Now sprinkle the meat copiously with oil and half as much vinegar; cover the dish with oil-paper, and put it somewhere in the cool. Remember to turn the meat over three or four times a day, covering it each time with a layer of vegetables.
Thismarinadeis very active, and is admirably suited to all butcher’s meat and venison, provided these be not allowed to remain in it for too long a time. It is very difficult to say how long the meat must stay in thesemarinades; the time varies according to the size and quality of the joints, and the taste of the consumer, &c. All that can be said is that three hours should be sufficient tomarinadea cutlet or escalope of roebuck,[68]and that for big joints such as saddle or leg the time should not exceed four days.
This is exactly the same as cookedmarinade, No.168. There need only be added one oz. of juniper berries, a few sprigs of rosemary, wild thyme, and basil, two extra garlic cloves, and one quart less of water.
By substituting red wine for white in the preceding formula—the quantity of the liquid equalling that of the water—and by slightly increasing the quantity of aromatics, an excellentmarinadefor mutton is obtained, which in summer enables one to preserve meat, otherwise perishable, for some days.
56 lbs. of gray salt.50 quarts of water.6 lbs. of saltpetre.3½ lbs. of brown sugar.
56 lbs. of gray salt.50 quarts of water.
56 lbs. of gray salt.
50 quarts of water.
6 lbs. of saltpetre.3½ lbs. of brown sugar.
6 lbs. of saltpetre.
3½ lbs. of brown sugar.
Mode of Procedure.—Put the salt and the water in a tinned copper pan, and put it on an open fire. When the water boils, throw in a peeled potato, and, if the latter float, add water until it begins to sink. If, on the contrary, the potato should sink immediately, reduce the liquid until it is able to buoy the tuber up. At this stage the sugar and saltpetre are added; let them dissolve, and the brine is then removed from the fire and is allowed to cool. It is then poured into the receptacle intended for it, which must be either of slate, stone, cement, or well-jointed tiles. It is well to place in the bottom of this reservoir a wooden lattice, whereon the meats to be salted may be laid, for, were the immersed objects to lie directly on the bottom of the receptacle, the under parts would be entirely shielded from the brine.
If the meats to be salted are of an appreciable size, they should be inoculated with brine by means of a special syringe. Without this measure it would be impossible to salt regularly, as the sides would already be over-saturated before the centre had even been properly reached.
Eight days should be allowed for salting a piece of beef of what size soever, above eight or ten lb., since the process of inoculation equalises the salting.
Ox-tongue intended for salting, besides having to be as[69]fresh as possible, must be trimmed of almost all the cartilage of the throat, and carefully beaten either with a beater or roller. Then it must be pricked on all sides with a string-needle, and immersed in the liquid, where it should be slightly weighted by some means or other in order to prevent its rising to the surface. A medium-sized tongue would need about seven days’ immersion in the brine.
Though brine does not turn as easily as the cookedmarinades, it would be well, especially in stormy weather, to watch it and occasionally to boil it. But, as the process of boiling invariably concentrates the brine, a little water should be added to it every time it is so treated, and the test of the potato, described above, should always be resorted to.