—Take eight good-sized boiled and peeled potatoes (No. 982); cut them in slices a quarter of an inch in thickness; place them in a frying-pan with an ounce and a half of good butter. Season with a pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper; toss well for eight minutes, dress on a very hot dish, and serve with a little parsley sprinkled over.
—Peel, clean neatly, and boil in salted water for thirty minutes, eight good-sized, sound, round, yellow potatoes; drain and return them to the same pan, and mash them well, adding two egg yolks, and the whites beaten to a froth, three tablespoonfuls of cream, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, very little chives, half a pinch of salt, and the third of a pinch of nutmeg. Mix well together for two minutes, and dip about half a tablespoonful at a time into frying batter (No. 1185). Slide them into very hot fat, and leave them in for three minutes; this swells them, and forms them into a species of fritters. Place in a very hot dish with a folded napkin, and serve.
—Peel, wash, and drain nicely eight medium-sized mealy potatoes; cut them in quarters, put them in a saucepan, cover them with water, add a pinch of salt, cook for thirty minutes, and drain. Lay them in a mortar with an ounce of fresh butter, pound them well, and add three raw egg yolks. Season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper and the third of a pinch of nutmeg; mix well, and then divide into twelve parts, shaping each one like a cork, or any other shape desired. Dip them separately into beaten egg, and roll them in fresh bread-crumbs; fry a golden color for three minutes, and serve on a dish with a folded napkin.
—Peel, wash, drain, and cut into quarters eight good-sized potatoes; put them in a sautoire, cover with water, add a good pinch of salt, and boil for thirty minutes. Drain, rub them through a purée strainer, and put them in a saucepan with an ounce of butter, and half a pinch each of salt and white pepper. Stir well, adding half a cupfulof hot milk, until it becomes of a good consistency. Serve, garnished with six pieces of bread fried in butter.
—After boiling eight good-sized potatoes as forNo. 982, peel, and cut them into quarters; put them in a sautoire with an ounce of butter and half a pinch of chopped parsley; season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, toss them gently, and warm them slightly for five minutes. Place in a hot dish, and serve.
Sweet potatoes à l’Hollandaise are prepared the same way.
—Peel, clean, and with a No. 3 tube cut twelve medium-sized potatoes into inch-and-a-half-long pieces. Place them in a saucepan; cover with water, add a pinch of salt, and cook for twenty-five minutes. Drain, and place them in a hot dish; pour a gill of hot Périgueux sauce (No. 191) over them, and serve.
—Prepare twelve potatoes as forNo. 982; empty them with a potato-scoop, leaving the bottoms uncut; blanch them in boiling water for two minutes; drain, and fill them with sausage forcemeat (No. 220). Lay them in a buttered sautoire; place it in the oven, and cook for twenty minutes. Use for any garnishing desired.
—Hash eight medium-sized, cold, boiled potatoes; place an ounce and a half of good butter in a frying-pan, add the potatoes, season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, and toss them well in the pan for two minutes. Give them the shape of an omelet, and let them take a golden color, which will require five minutes. With a spoon take up all the butter which lies at the bottom of the pan; slide the potatoes carefully on a hot dish, and serve.
—Hash eight cold, boiled potatoes, and place them in a sautoire; add half a cupful of cream and half an ounce of butter; season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the third of a pinch of nutmeg; stir well with a wooden spoon for five minutes, until well heated, and serve.
—Prepare the potatoes as forNo. 1003; place them in a dish (a silver dish preferred); sprinkle over them two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, and two tablespoonfuls of fresh bread-crumbs; spread well over them a piece of butter the size of a nut; then place the dish in the oven. After ten minutes, when a good golden color, serve.
—Prepare some potatoes as for croquettes (No. 997); form them into twelve balls the size of a good-sized egg; scoop out the centres, and fill in with a salpicon (No. 256). Close the opening with a little more potato; dip them in beaten egg, then in fresh bread-crumbs, and fry them in very hot fat for three minutes. Lift, drain, and serve them on a hot dish with a folded napkin.
—Place some croquette preparation (No. 997) in a bag, and squeeze it upon a buttered baking-sheet, forming it into any shape required, and with a light hair brush cover the surface with a beaten egg. Brown lightly in the oven for eight minutes, and serve for various garnishings.
Balls can also be formed about the size of an egg; spread a little flour on the table; place the balls on top, and flatten them, shaping them nicely; cover the surface with a beaten egg; brown lightly in the oven on a buttered baking-sheet for eight minutes, and serve.
—Peel, wash, and drain eight medium-sized potatoes. Cut them into half-an-inch-square pieces; place them in a frying-pan with an ounce and a half of butter; season with a pinch of salt, toss well, and let them get a golden color (fifteen minutes will suffice). Drain the butter from the bottom of the pan, and place the potatoes in a hot dish; sprinkle a pinch of chopped parsley over, and serve.
—Peel, and clean nicely, twelve large potatoes; cut them into balls with a Parisian potato-scoop, then place them in a saucepan, covering them with water containing a pinch of salt. Cook for fifteen minutes; then strain them and place them in another saucepan with an ounce of fresh butter and a pinch of chopped parsley. Warm them well for five minutes, and add the juice of half a lemon before serving.
—Cut six medium-sized potatoes into quarters, and pare them like cloves of garlic; wash them well, and drain. Fry them slowly in moderately heated fat for ten minutes; lift, drain thoroughly, and put them in a sautoire with half an ounce of butter. Season with half a pinch of salt, heat well for two minutes, and serve.
—Peel eight good, mealy potatoes, and cut them into even pieces a quarter of an inch in thickness, shaping them as oval as possible. Fry them in moderately heated fat for eight minutes; then lift them out, and lay them aside for a few moments; plunge them into boiling hot fat, and the potatoes will swell considerably. Drain, and serve them on a dish with a folded napkin.
Sweet potatoes soufflées are prepared the same way.
N. B.—When cutting the potatoes for a soufflée, a continuous, sharp, and rapid cut should be made, so as to have them to perfection.
—Peel and clean six medium-sized potatoes; cut them with a sharp Saratoga potato-knife into thin slices; place them in cold water, wash thoroughly, drain, and plunge them into very hot fat for eight minutes. Take them out, drain thoroughly, and sprinkle over them half a pinch of salt. Serve them on a dish with a folded napkin.
—Peel, wash, and drain six medium-sized potatoes; cut them into as thin slices as possible; then wash them well again. Take a flat mold large enough to contain the potatoes, butter it well; put in a layer of potatoes, then a very light layer of grated cheese; season with a very little salt, and the same of pepper. Cover with another layer of potatoes, season again the same as before (the whole not to exceed half a pinch of each); then spread half an ounce of butter over them. Place the mold in the oven, and cook for thirty minutes; remove, turn it upside down on a hot dish, unmold, and serve.
—Peel and clean six medium-sized potatoes; cut them into square pieces two inches long by the third of an inch wide;wash well, and drain; place them in very hot fat for six minutes, then lift them out, and lay them on a cloth to drain. Sprinkle half a pinch of salt over, and serve them on a dish with a folded napkin.
—Prepare the same as inNo. 1013, cutting a little thinner.
—Clean and wash neatly a quarter of a pound of Italian rice; place it in a saucepan with a pint and a half of cold water and a pinch of salt; put the lid on, and boil for twenty-two minutes. Pour through a colander, being careful to let it drain thoroughly without crushing the rice, otherwise it will be spoiled. When well dried, return it to the saucepan, put the lid on, and leave it on the corner of the stove to dry gradually for five or six minutes. It will now be ready to use as required.
—Wash well and drain a quarter of a pound of good Italian rice; shred two ounces of bacon into small pieces, and place them in a saucepan with a medium-sized, chopped-up, raw cabbage, letting them steam for thirty minutes. Add a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley; put in the rice, and moisten with half a pint of white broth (No. 99). Cook for fully a quarter of an hour longer, and serve with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over it.
—Chop rather fine one good-sized, very sound, peeled onion. Melt two ounces of very good butter in a saucepan on a very brisk fire; add the onions, brown them for six or seven minutes, or until they have obtained a good golden color; then add ten ounces of well-picked Italian rice (a heaped cupful), with two good-sized chopped truffles; stir well with the spatula without ceasing for one and a half minutes, then add one quart of boiling and strained white broth (No. 99), lightly stir once only, and cook for fourteen minutes. Add six fine chopped mushrooms, and little by little, at intervals, another quart of boiling white broth—stirring almost constantly with the wooden spatula while cooking, very rapidly, for ten minutes more. Season with a heavy half-teaspoonful of salt, a light saltspoonful of white pepper, adding one and a half ounces of grated Swiss cheese, and a heaped teaspoonful of Spanish branch saffron, diluted in two tablespoonfuls of hot white broth, and strained. Cook for three or four minutes longer, stirring continually meanwhile; then pour it into a hot soup-tureen, and send to the table with a little grated Swiss cheese, separate. A little beef-marrow can be added to advantage, by making a small cavity in the centre, while yet in the pan, one minute before the time to serve, and plunging into it one tablespoonful of marrow.
—Scrape nicely a large bunch of fine oyster-plant; plunge it into cold water containing two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, so as to prevent it from turning black. Take it from the water, drain, and cut it into two-inch-long pieces. Place them in a saucepan, with two tablespoonfuls of vinegar and two tablespoonfuls of flour; mix well; cover with plenty of cold water and a handful of salt; put the lidon, and let them boil slowly for forty minutes. Then drain, and return them to a sautoire, with an ounce and a half of the best butter procurable; season with half a pinch of pepper, the juice of half a lemon, and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley. Heat well for five minutes, tossing occasionally; then place them in a hot, deep dish, and serve.
—Scrape nicely a good-sized bunch of fine, fresh oyster-plant; plunge it at once into acidulated water, and when well washed, drain, and cut it into two-inch pieces. Place them in a saucepan, and boil them in plenty of water, adding two pinches of salt, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and the same quantity of diluted flour. After forty minutes, or as soon as they bend to the finger, they are done. Lift them out, drain them well, and serve with a pint of hot poulette sauce (No. 598) poured over them.
—To be cooked the same as forNo. 1019; but after draining them, place them in a sautoire with a gill of béchamel sauce (No. 154) and a gill of sweet cream. Season with half a pinch of salt, a quarter of a pinch of pepper, and the third of a pinch of nutmeg. Let all heat well together for five minutes, stirring lightly with a wooden spoon, and serve in a hot, deep dish.
—Cook a good bunch of oyster-plant as forNo. 1019, and, when done, put it in a dish, and season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, and a tablespoonful of vinegar. Dip it well in a good fritter batter (No. 1190), and fry it in very hot fat for five minutes, separating the pieces with a spoon. Lift them up with a skimmer, drain on a cloth, sprinkle a very little salt over them, and serve on a folded napkin, decorating with a little fried parsley.
—Place six medium-sized, freshly cooked, and scraped ears of green corn (a can of canned corn will answer the purpose) in a saucepan, with half a pint of boiled Lima beans, adding a good-sized piece of butter weighing about an ounce, a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, the third of a pinch of grated nutmeg, and half a pint of milk. Heat it well for five minutes, add two tablespoonfuls of good, hot béchamel (No. 154); stir thoroughly, and serve.
—Wash and dry well six fine, sound red tomatoes. Cut the top of each up, without detaching, so that it will serve as a cover. Scoop out the inside of each with a vegetable-scoop; and place on a plate for further action. Season the inside of the six emptied tomatoes with one pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper, equally divided. Chop very fine one medium-sized, sound, peeled onion; place it in a saucepan with half an ounce of butter; and cook for three minutes on a brisk fire, being careful not to let get brown. Add six chopped mushrooms and one ounce of sausage-meat. Season with one pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper; cook for three minutes, stirring once in a while. Add now the tomatoes which were scooped out, with half a cupful of fresh bread-crumbs and a teaspoonful of fresh chopped parsley. Mix well together, and cook for two minutes longer, or until it comes to a boil; then place in a bowl to cool. Stuff the emptied tomatoes with the above preparation, close downthe covers, gently lay them on a tin plate (dish), cover them with a buttered paper, and cook in a moderate oven for eighteen minutes, and serve.
Stuffed tomatoes are served as a garnishing in various ways.
For egg-plants the same stuffing is used, but instead of tomatoes, use the scooped out egg-plant.
Green peppers the same, using half a very finely chopped-up green pepper in place of the tomatoes.
—Prepare six tomatoes exactly the same as inNo. 1023, substituting chicken forcemeat (No. 226) for the sausage meat, and pouring a gill of hot Madeira sauce (No. 185) on a hot dish, and dressing the tomatoes over.
—Take six good-sized, firm, red, fresh tomatoes; pare the underparts in case anything adheres, wipe them nicely, and slit them in halves. Lay them on a dish; season with a good pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and a tablespoonful of sweet oil; mix well together; keep the tomatoes in as good shape as when cut, then arrange them in a double broiler. Put them on a moderate fire, and cook for eight minutes on each side. Place in a hot dish; spread a gill of maître d’hôtel butter (No. 145) over them, and serve.
—Wipe neatly and peel eight fine, sound, fresh tomatoes; cut each one into six equal-sized pieces, and place them in a saucepan with two ounces of fresh butter, seasoning with a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and the third of a pinch of nutmeg. Cover the pan, and place it on the hot stove to cook for fifteen minutes. Take from off the fire, pour the tomatoes into a deep, hot vegetable-dish, and send them to the table very hot.
—Plunge six good-sized, fresh, sound tomatoes into boiling water for half a minute; drain, nicely peel them, cut each one into six pieces; put them into a saucepan with an ounce and a half of good butter, season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the third of a pinch of nutmeg. Cook slowly for twenty minutes, and add a very little powdered sugar (half a teaspoonful will be sufficient). Stir well, and cook for two minutes longer; then place in a hot, deep dish, and serve.
—Plunge in boiling water for half a minute six good-sized red, sound tomatoes; drain, and peel them neatly, then cut away the tops without detaching them entirely, and remove the seeds with a teaspoon. Divide an ounce of good butter into six equal parts, and put a piece into each tomato, seasoning with a light saltspoonful of salt, and half the quantity of pepper. Close the tops, and lay them in a buttered baking-dish, moistening each tomato with a very little sweet oil. Put them in a hot oven, and bake for twelve minutes. Remove, and with a cake-turner dress them on a hot dish, and serve.
—Take six good-sized, firm, red tomatoes; wipe, and cut them in halves through the sides. Place half a gill of sweet oil in a frying-pan; let it heat well; lay in it the tomatoes on the sides which were cut, and cook briskly for one minute. Butter well a tin baking-dish, and lay the tomatoes in this on the uncooked side,and season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper. Make a stuffing with one shallot, finely chopped, two cloves of crushed garlic, two hard-boiled egg yolks, a teaspoonful of chopped chives, the same of parsley, two medium-sized, finely chopped anchovies, and an ounce of butter. Mix well together in a bowl, and cover the tops of the tomatoes with the stuffing, dividing it equally. Sprinkle a little fresh bread-crumbs over them; drip three or four drops of clarified butter over each tomato; then place them in a very hot oven for eight minutes. Place them neatly on a hot dish, and serve.
—Take twenty-four medium-sized, sound okras, and wash them well in cold water. Drain thoroughly, and pare both ends. Have a saucepan containing salted boiling water, into which plunge the okras, and let them cook for fifteen minutes. Lift them out with a skimmer, and lay them on a cloth to drain. Use the boiled okras for sautéing, salad, or any other purpose desired.
—Prepare twenty-four okras as forNo. 1030. Place in a sautoire one ounce of good butter, one medium-sized minced onion, and a medium-sized, minced green pepper. Place on the stove for six minutes, until it is of a golden color, and add two raw, peeled tomatoes cut into pieces, three tablespoonfuls of Espagnole (No. 151), a pinch of salt, the third of a pinch of pepper, and one crushed clove of garlic. Add the okras, put the lid on, and cook slowly for fifteen minutes. Place in a hot, deep dish, sprinkle over them a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and serve.
—Cut a small, raw carrot with a vegetable-scoop; put it into salted boiling water, and cook for fifteen minutes; repeat with a small, raw turnip, cooking each separately; drain, and place them in a saucepan with half a gill of cooked peas, the same quantity of cooked half-inch lengths of string beans, two tablespoonfuls of cooked flageolets, and a small piece of cauliflower, if at hand. Moisten with half a pint of hot béchamel (No. 154), and season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the third of a pinch of nutmeg. Let it simmer well for ten minutes, and use when required.
—Prepare exactly as inNo. 1032, substituting half a pint of hot Madeira sauce (No. 185) for the béchamel.
—Wash a quart of very white hominy in fresh water; drain, put in a saucepan with a quart of cold water, and place it on the fire, adding a pinch of salt. Boil for thirty minutes, stirring it well, and serve.
—After preparing the hominy as forNo. 1034, put it to cool, and cut it into six slices. Dip each slice in beaten egg, roll them in fresh bread-crumbs, and fry in very hot fat until of a good golden color, for four minutes. Serve on a folded napkin, or use for garnishing when required.
A pinch of salt represents 205 grains, or a tablespoonful.
Half a pinch of pepper represents 38 grains, or a teaspoonful.
A third of a pinch of nutmeg represents 13 grains, or half a teaspoonful.
—Pare well a good-sized carrot and a good-sized turnip; cut them with a vegetable-scoop, and cook them in separate salted waters; the carrot fifteen minutes, and the turnip ten. Drain, let cool, then place them in a salad-bowl, dome-shaped. Cut two good-sized truffles into julienne-shaped pieces; keep them apart, and cut up six mushrooms the same way, also the breast of a cooked, medium-sized chicken, cut likewise. Cover the vegetables with a cluster of the truffles, the same of the mushrooms, and repeat with the chicken, keeping each article separate; form a small cavity in the centre of the dome, pour into it a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, a tablespoonful of vinegar, one tablespoonful of sweet oil, a pinch of salt, and half a pinch of pepper. Cover the cavity with a piece of cooked cauliflower, or Brussels-sprouts, or in default of both, cooked asparagus-tops will answer the purpose; send to the table, and mix well before serving it to the guests.
—Have eighteen bottled anchovies (or the same quantity of Norwegian anchovies if possible), soak them in cold water for two hours, so they are thoroughly unsalted, then drain them in a cloth, and remove the bones. Clean and pare a small head of lettuce, cut it into small pieces, and put it in a salad-bowl, covering it with two tablespoonfuls of Tartare sauce (No. 207). Decorate with the anchovies, two hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters, twelve capers, six stoned olives, and a small, cooked, sliced beet-root; season with half a pinch of pepper and one tablespoonful of vinegar. When ready to serve mix well together.
—Take two bunches of clear, white, fresh barbe de capucine; clean, and wipe them carefully and thoroughly, but do not wash the salad, as it loses its taste, and renders it too soft to use; cut it into three shreds, and place it in a salad-bowl. Mix well, in a wooden salad-spoon, two spoonfuls of vinegar, half a pinch of salt, and the third of a pinch of pepper, and pour it over the salad, then add one spoonful of oil, mix well, and serve immediately.
—Take one pound of lean, boiled, cold beef, the rump-part in preference; suppress all the fat, then cut it into pieces an inch and a half in length, as thinly as possible. Place the pieces in a bowl, season with a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and two medium-sized, cooked, and sliced potatoes, also a pinch of parsley, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and the same of sweet oil. Mix all well together, then arrange in a serving salad-bowl; decorate with six medium-sized pickles or beets, and serve.
—Take a medium-sized head of cooked cauliflower;pare off the root, and detach it into equal-sized flowerets; place these in a salad-bowl, seasoning with a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and sprinkle over a pinch of chopped parsley; add three tablespoonfuls of vinegar, two of good oil, and mix all well together with a wooden spoon, then serve.
—If the heads of celery be large and white, use two; if they should be small, use three. Pare off the green stalks, trim the roots nicely, and cut it into short shreds; wash thoroughly in cold water, lift it up with the hands, and drain in a cloth. When well drained, place the celery in a salad-bowl, and season with a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and one and a half wooden salad-spoonfuls of vinegar, also the same quantity of oil. Mix well, and serve.
—Prepare the celery exactly the same as forNo. 1041; and when in the salad-bowl, season with half a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and three tablespoonfuls of mayonnaise dressing (No. 206). Mix well just before serving.
—Cut a thin crust, off a French loaf of bread, two inches long by one inch square, sprinkle over it a very little salt, then take a good-sized clove of sound garlic; rub it over both sides of the bread-crust, reject the peel which adheres, and lay the crust at the bottom of the salad-bowl; place the salad over, and mix thoroughly together, serving immediately.
—Take a young, tender chicken of two and a half pounds; boil it in the soup-stock for one hour, or should it be a fowl, it will take from half to three-quarters of an hour longer; when cooked, let it get thoroughly cold. Bone the chicken, cut it up into small pieces, and put them into a deep dish; season with a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, one tablespoonful of vinegar, and six leaves of chopped lettuce, or a few leaves of the white of celery in preference, cut up. Mix well, place it in a salad-bowl, and cover with half a cupful of mayonnaise dressing (No. 206); decorate the top with a chopped, hard-boiled egg, a tablespoonful of capers, twelve stoned olives, quarters of two hard-boiled eggs, and six small, white lettuce leaves around the dish, then serve.
—Procure two medium-sized heads of white, fine, fresh chicory; pare off the green leaves, and cut away the root. Wash thoroughly, drain well in a salad-shaker or a linen napkin, then place it in a salad-bowl; season with half a pinch of salt and the third of a pinch of pepper, diluted in a salad-spoonful of vinegar, and add one and a half salad-spoonfuls of sweet oil. Mix thoroughly together, and send to the table.
—Prepare the salad exactly the same as for the above (No. 1045), only adding a chapon (No. 1043).
—Take twelve hard-shelled, live crabs; boil them in salted water, with half a cupful of vinegar, for twenty minutes; then drain and shell them. Pare off the gills; put a finger in the centre, to prevent the sand getting in the cavity; wash thoroughly and quickly under thefaucet, then pick the meat from the shell; put it in a salad-bowl and proceed the same as for the salmon salad (No. 1066).
—Procure a quart of very fresh, white dandelion; pare the roots and stale leaves, if any; then wash thoroughly in two different waters; drain nicely on a cloth, and place in a salad-bowl. Dilute a pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper in a salad-spoonful of vinegar, adding one and a half spoonfuls of sweet oil; mix thoroughly together, and serve.
—Proceed the same as for the above (No. 1048), only adding, when serving, two hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters.
—Take half the quantity of dandelion salad as for the plain (No. 1048); put it in a salad-bowl, adding two medium-sized, cooked beet-roots (No. 919); cut into thin slices, and season it exactly the same as forNo. 1049.
—Pare and clean a quart of fine white dandelion; wash well in two different waters; then drain in a cloth, and place it in a salad-bowl. Season with a third of a pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper; cut two ounces of bacon in dice-shaped pieces, put them in a frying-pan, place it on the stove, and let them get a good golden color, for about five minutes; put them into the salad; then place two tablespoonfuls of vinegar in the pan, and let it heat for half a minute; pour it over all, mix well together and serve.
—Take a quart of very fresh doucette, pare off the outer stale leaves, if any; also the roots, and wash well in two waters; drain in a napkin, and then place it in a serving salad-bowl. Season with one pinch of salt, and a half pinch of pepper diluted in a wooden salad-spoonful of vinegar; also with one and a half spoonfuls of sweet oil. Mix well together when ready to serve, but not before.
—Use a pint of doucette only, and three medium-sized cooked beet-roots, cut in slices; place them all in a salad-bowl, and season the same as for the above (No. 1052).
—Proceed the same as for doucette salad (No. 1052), only when ready to serve, decorate with two hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters.
—Have two heads of fine, white escarole; pare off the green leaves and cores. If the escarole be tolerably clean, wipe it carefully without washing it, as it should not be washed unless plenty of earth adheres to it. Place it in a salad-bowl, and season with half a pinch of salt and the third of a pinch of pepper, mixed in a wooden salad-spoonful of tarragon-vinegar, adding one and a half spoonfuls of oil. Mix well just before serving.
—Have six cooked, pickled lamb’s tongues; pare them neatly, and cut them into very thin slices; lay them in a dish, adding two cooked and sliced potatoes, a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and the same quantity of sweet oil. Mix the whole well together, then dress it in a bowl, sprinkle a littlechopped parsley over, and decorate with a few small lettuce-leaves. Send to the table.
—Take two fine, white heads of lettuce; pare off the outer green leaves and stems; cut the leaves in two, wash well in cold water, drain thoroughly in a wire basket, then place it in a salad-bowl, with the hearts on top. Mix half a pinch of salt and the third of a pinch of pepper in one salad-spoonful of vinegar, adding one and a half salad-spoonfuls of good sweet oil; pour this seasoning over the lettuce, mix all well together, and send to the table.
Lettuce salad should never be dressed longer than five minutes before the time to serve it.
—Dress a lettuce salad the same as for the above (No. 1057), and just before serving add two hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters.
—Prepare a lettuce salad the same as forNo. 1057, substituting three tablespoonfuls of sweet cream for the oil.
—Take a white head of lettuce, pare off the outer green leaves and core, wash, drain in a wire basket, then cut the leaves in two, and put them in a bowl. Have two fine, firm, peeled red tomatoes, prepared as forNo. 1070, cut them into thin slices, and place them over the lettuce, seasoning as follows: Mix a pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper in a wooden salad-spoonful of vinegar; add a spoonful and a half of oil, mix well, and serve.
—Take three pounds of boiled lobster; shell, and cut the meat into small pieces; lay them in a deep dish, seasoning with a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and a tablespoonful of vinegar, adding a few branches of the white of celery, likewise cut up. Mix well together, then transfer it to a salad-bowl, and pour over half a cupful of good mayonnaise dressing (No. 206), decorate with two hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters, six leaves of lettuce, twelve stoned olives, a tablespoonful of capers, and a little of the lobster coral, hashed well. Decorate nicely, according to taste, and serve.
—Take two fine, freshly boiled, medium-sized lobsters; cut them in two, and pick out all the meat from the shell, carefully abstracting the gall. Cut the meat into small, equal-sized, square pieces, and place them in a salad-bowl; shell three hard-boiled eggs, lay them on a plate, and with a knife chop them up as thoroughly as hashed potatoes; then add this to the lobster, also two finely chopped shallots, two teaspoonfuls of freshly chopped chives, and one and a half teaspoonfuls of finely chopped parsley. Take half a head of good and well-cleaned lettuce, chop it up very fine, add it to the lobster; then season with a pinch and a half of salt, a light pinch of fresh and finely crushed white pepper—two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, two tablespoonfuls of good sweet oil, and three tablespoonfuls of mayonnaise sauce (No. 206). Gently but thoroughly mix the whole together, then wipe well the edges of the salad-bowl with a napkin, and send this delicious salad to the table.
—Have a medium-sized carrot and turnip; peel, and wash them well, then cut them with a vegetable-scoop; put them into separate boiling salted waters, and cook the carrot fifteen minutes, and the turnip ten. Drain, and let thoroughly cool; place them in a salad-bowl with three tablespoonfuls of cooked peas, the same quantity of string beans cut into small pieces, a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, two tablespoonfuls of sweet oil, and one and a half tablespoonfuls of vinegar. Mix all thoroughly together. If there be any cooked cauliflower on hand, use it for decorating the bowl, or a few asparagus-tops or Brussels-sprouts will answer. Send to the table at once.
—Take two good-sized hearts of fine romaine; remove the outer greens; wipe, washing it carefully. Drain, then place it in a salad-bowl, sprinkling over a teaspoonful of chopped chives, half a teaspoonful of chopped chervil, the same of tarragon, and season with one pinch of salt, and half a pinch of pepper, diluted in a wooden salad-spoonful of vinegar, and one and a half spoonfuls of sweet oil. Mix thoroughly together, and serve immediately.
—Cut up separately, in small dice-shaped pieces, one ounce of cooked roast beef, same of cooked ham, same of cooked beef-tongue, same of cooked chicken, same of lean leg of cooked mutton, and two truffles cut into very small dice-shaped pieces. Put them in a salad-bowl, separating each kind by six boned anchovies; then pour a tablespoonful of Tartare sauce (No. 207) in the centre, covering the sauce with two chopped leaves of lettuce. Send it as it is to the table; for it should be mixed together just before serving only.
—Procure a piece of good salmon, plunge it into cold, salted water; add half a cupful of vinegar, one sliced carrot, one sliced onion, a bouquet (No. 254), and let cook for thirty minutes; drain, put aside to cool; then pare off the skin, and bone the salmon completely. When done, tear or break it into small pieces. Place these in a bowl, seasoning with a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, three tablespoonfuls of vinegar, two tablespoonfuls of sweet oil, and a pinch of chopped parsley. Mix all well together; then decorate the salad-bowl with six small lettuce-leaves, six stoned olives, twelve capers, and two hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters. Send to the table.
—Have a quart, or two pint boxes, of boiled and skinned shrimps, and proceed the same as for lobster salad (No. 1061).
—Take a quart of cooked string beans, and prepare it exactly the same as the cauliflower salad (No. 1040).
—Cut two ounces of cooked beef-tongue into small pieces; cut two cooked potatoes the same; also half a peeled apple, half a cooked beet-root, and half a cooked carrot. Place these in a bowl, adding the fillets of a boned herring cut in small pieces, and season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, a teaspoonful of diluted mustard, one tablespoonful of vinegar, and one and a half tablespoonfuls of oil. Mix all well together, then transfer to a serving salad-bowl, sprinkle over a pinch of chopped parsley, and serve.
—Take six fine, firm, red tomatoes; wipe them neatly, and plunge them into boiling water for one minute; drain in a cloth, remove the skins, pare off the stem side, let get cool, and then cut them into very thin slices; or, if preferred, into quarters, keeping them in a bowl, so that the juice be not wasted. Season with a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, a wooden salad-spoonful of vinegar, and the same quantity of oil. Mix thoroughly together, and serve as cold as possible. A teaspoonful of chopped chives may be added, if desired, which will give a delicious flavor.
—Prepare six tomatoes, the same as for the above (No. 1070), and when sliced, or quartered, in the salad-bowl, season with a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and two good tablespoonfuls of mayonnaise dressing (No. 206); mix well, and serve very cold.
—Procure three bunches of sound, fresh watercress; clean, and pare off the stalks, wash well, then dry in a cloth, place it in a salad-bowl, seasoning with half a pinch of salt, just a little pepper, and two wooden salad-spoonfuls of vinegar; mix well, and serve. Watercress salad does not require any oil.
—Peel ten medium-sized, sound, freshly cooked potatoes; cut them into small slices, lay them in a salad-bowl, and add a finely chopped onion and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley. Season with a pinch and a half of salt, one pinch of pepper, half a gill of vinegar, and three tablespoonfuls of sweet oil, then mix thoroughly and gently with a spoon and fork, without breaking the potatoes. Wipe the bowl neatly with a napkin, and send the salad to the table.
—Take three medium-sized, smoked herrings, lay them on the corner of the stove for half a minute on each side, then tear off the skin, cut off the heads, and split them in two; remove the bones, and cut them up into small square pieces. Place them in a salad-bowl with half a hashed onion, two hard-boiled eggs, cut in pieces, a cold boiled potato cut the same, and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley. Season with half a pinch of salt, one pinch of pepper, three tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and two of oil. Mix well together, and decorate with a small, cooked beet-root cut in slices, also twelve capers; then serve.
—Mince three medium-sized truffles very fine, also two large, cold, boiled potatoes; put the whole into a bowl, and season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the third of a pinch of nutmeg; pour half a glassful of champagne over all, and let rest for two hours, then add eighteen whole cooked mussels (No. 379), a teaspoonful of chopped chives, and the same quantity of chopped parsley. Mix all well together, then dress the salad into a bowl, decorating it with six small, white lettuce-leaves and six fillets of anchovies; then serve.
A pinch of salt represents 205 grains, or a tablespoonful.
Half a pinch of pepper represents 38 grains, or a teaspoonful.
A third of a pinch of nutmeg represents 13 grains, or half a teaspoonful.
—Have ready one pound of flour, one pound of fresh butter, one pint of ice-water, and a saltspoonful of salt. If the butter be salted instead of fresh, no salt is necessary, but wash the butter well before using it. Put the flour on the table, make a hollow space in the centre, then put in it one ounce of the butter, adding the pint of ice-water and the salt, and mix the whole well together, incorporating it gradually. Put it aside in a cool place for five minutes. Have ready the remaining fifteen ounces of butter, which must be very firm; sprinkle the space of a square foot of the table with a very little flour, place the dough on it, then lengthen and widen with a wooden roller to the thickness of half an inch, and lay the fifteen ounces of butter in one lump in the centre. Fold over the four edges so as to enclose it, then flatten again lightly with the roller until it forms a piece two inches thick, and then put it away to cool for ten minutes. Roll it again lengthwise, fold it in four, and let it rest for another five minutes; then repeat the same twice more, rolling it each time in a contrary direction. After five minutes it will be ready for use. This feuilletage, or puff paste, if put away carefully in a cool place, will keep for three days, and can be used for the following purposes: vol-au-vents of chickens, oysters, clams, shrimps, lobsters, codfish, crabs, and crawfish; also for making chicken patties, bouchées à la reine, all kinds of tarts, allumettes, mille-feuilles, chaussons, turnovers, petits pâtés à la religieuse, etc., etc.
—Sift on a table one pound of flour; make a hollow space in the centre, pour into it a pint of cold water, two ounces of butter, and half a saltspoonful of salt; then, with the hand, knead the ingredients well together for two minutes, and gradually and slowly incorporate the flour with the rest for four minutes. Lay the paste on a dish, and put it to rest in a cool place for three minutes. Have ready six ounces of well-washed butter in one lump, as for feuilletage (No. 1076); return the paste to the table, flatten it slightly, then put the lump of butter in the centre, fold over the edges, so as to enclose the butter, then roll it out lengthwise with the pastry roller, and refold the paste into three folds. Let it rest again in a cool place for three minutes, then roll it again, fold it as before, and set it in the ice-box for five minutes; the paste will now be ready to use, and by keeping it in the ice-box it will remain in good condition for three days.
—Sift one pound of flour onthe table, make a hollow in the centre, and pour into it half a pound of well-washed butter, a saltspoonful of salt, and a gill of cold water. Knead well the salt, butter, and water, using the hand, for two minutes, then incorporate the flour gradually, which will take three minutes more, and knead sharply with the hands. Detach it from the table, and roll it into a ball, then press it again on the table in different directions for two minutes; remove again from the table. Flour the table slightly, lay the paste over, and with the fingers of the right hand press down the paste in the centre, and with the left bring up the edges all around to the centre, repeat this three times, and when finished the paste must have its original shape; lay it on a dish, cover with a towel, and set it in a cool place to rest for twenty minutes.
—Cut a piece of white duck-cloth as follows: twenty-four inches wide at the top, twenty inches deep, and three inches at the lower end. Fold,and sew up lengthwise, so as to make a perfect cornet-bag. Hem the top and the bottom, and the pastry bag will then be ready for use.
The accompanying design will show how it should be made.