All the dressing for decorating the dish should always be prepared before the fillets are dressed on the dish.
—Procure a fine, fresh, striped, small bass of about three pounds, scale, remove the entrails, and wash thoroughly. Cut the head off, and split it into half right down the back bone, remove all the bones. Cut out three even fillets from each half, suppress the skin, neatly pare them all around, giving them a heart-shaped form. Evenly season with a tablespoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper, and place on a dish till further action.
Place in a sautoire one finely chopped sound shallot, with half a medium sized sound green pepper, cut into small dice-shaped pieces; place the pan on the hot range, adding a teaspoonful of butter; let slowly simmer for three minutes, without letting get brown. Add now the parings of the fillets, with eight whole mushrooms and one truffle, all chopped very fine,pour in half a glassful of white wine, let reduce to three-quarters. Season with half a teaspoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of pepper, and then leave it on the corner of the range.
Have a saucepan on the range with a tablespoonful of butter and two heaped tablespoonfuls of flour; mix thoroughly together, and let stand on the corner of the range for five minutes without browning; gradually add a cupful of hot milk, continually stirring while adding it, and let slowly simmer for twelve minutes. Add two tablespoonfuls of this sauce to the other preparation to thicken, thoroughly mixing together for two minutes. Take from off the fire, lay on a table.
Lightly butter a baking pan; lay the six fillets over it, seeing that they do not touch one another; then equally divide the preparation over each fillet—well spread; place on top of this a teaspoonful of the white sauce, which is waiting action on the range, gently spreading it with a small knife, so as to completely cover the first layer of each fillet. Arrange four very thin slices of truffles, cut with a tube half an inch in diameter, right in the centre of each fillet, lengthwise, one overlapping the other. Sprinkle a very little clarified butter over all, pour half a glassful of white wine at the bottom of the pan (not over the fillets), then place in a moderate oven for ten minutes. Remove from the oven, gently arrange them on a hot serving dish with a palette knife. Add to the remaining sauce on the fire, half a gill of sweet cream, let it come to a boil; strain it through a fine sieve into a hot bowl, then pour it all around the fillets, but not over them, and send to the table.
—Procure a fine, fresh, medium-sized bluefish, from two and a half to three pounds, thoroughly remove the entrails, cut the head off, split in half right down the backbone, remove the spine, cut each half into three equal pieces, triangular shape, neatly pare the edges. Place the fillets in a well-buttered baking-pan. Season with a tablespoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of pepper; pour a glassful of white wine over all, and let marinate until further action. Place in a saucepan the parings of the fish, as well as the back-bone; cut it into three pieces, suppressing the head; place the pan on the hot range, pour in a glass of white wine, and a quart of cold white broth (No. 99), let it come to a boil, and then immediately skim it; add now one sprig of thyme, a very small bay-leaf, one branch of parsley, one medium-sized, sound, sliced onion, and one small sliced carrot; then let slowly simmer for fifteen minutes.
Place in a small saucepan one tablespoonful of butter, and two of flour, thoroughly mix on the range for seven minutes, or until it obtains a good golden color. Strain the fish-broth into a bowl, then gradually add it to the roux (flour), continually stirring meanwhile; add to this half a gill of tomato sauce, let all cook for ten minutes, skim it once in a while. Add twelve sound whole mushrooms; leave on the corner of the range till further action. Now place the fillets in the hot oven to bake for ten minutes. Remove from out the oven, carefully dress them on a hot dishin star shape. Remove the mushrooms from the sauce with a skimmer, place them right in the centre of the fillets, pour the sauce over all, so as to completely cover the fillets, and serve.
—Have four ounces of lean cooked ham, thoroughly pound it in the mortar; add to it now one ounce of hard fresh butter, mix well together; add four fine, small Antwerp anchovies; the juice of a small sound lemon, or the juice of one lime, if at hand, and not quite the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper; pound the whole well together again. Remove it from the mortar, place on a dish in the ice-box until further action.
Cut out from an American stale bread six round pieces four inches in diameter and an inch thick, place them on a tin baking-pan, sprinkle a very little clarified butter over each, and place in the hot oven for four minutes, or until they have obtained a good golden color. Remove from the oven, and cool for one minute. Have in a saucepan on the fire two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese and a tablespoonful of grated Swiss cheese, with a tablespoonful of sweet cream, and continually stir until thoroughly dissolved. Remove it then from the fire, and let slightly cool off.
Take the preparation from the ice-box, and equally divide it over the croûtons, giving them a dome shape, and then equally divide also the cheese over the preparation. Place them in a baking-dish, and bake them in a very hot oven for three minutes. Take from out the oven, dress on a hot serving-dish with a folded napkin over it. Have six stoned olives, turn half a small anchovy around each olive, place one on top of each canapé upright, decorate the dish with a few parsley greens, and serve.
—Place in a mortar four ounces of the finest quality of Russian caviare, the juice of a fine sound lime, thoroughly mix for three minutes; add to it a finely peeled, sound, chopped shallot, and not quite the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, also half an ounce of fresh firm butter, four anchovies (small), and the yolk of one hard-boiled egg; sharply pound the whole well together until to a perfect paste, then remove it from the mortar, and leave on a dish in the ice-box till called for.
Cut out from an American stale bread six round croûtons four inches in diameter by one inch in thickness; lay them on tin baking-pan, sprinkle a very little clarified butter over each, and place in the hot oven for four minutes. Take them out, and let cool off for one minute. Remove the preparation from the ice-box, and evenly divide it over the six croûtons, giving a nice dome shape. Chop up very fine the white of the hard-boiled egg which is left over, lay it on a saucer, adding to it two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, mix well, and equally divide it over the six canapés. Arrange them on a baking-dish, place in a very hot oven for three minutes. Remove from out the oven, dress them on a hot serving-dish with a folded napkin over it; decorate the dish all around with a few parsley greens, and six quarters of lemon, arranged at equal distances, and then serve.
—Procure a fine fresh bass of about four to five pounds, neatly scale it, remove the entrails, and wash it well. Have a fish-kettle with one carrot and one onion, finely sliced, placed at the bottom; add one sprig of thyme and one parsley root, one bay-leaf, six cloves, and twelve whole peppers, place the fish lifter over the ingredients, and then lay the bass in a straight position on the lifter; completely cover the bass with cold water, add four heaped tablespoonfuls of salt and half a glass of vinegar; place it on the range, and let slowly come to a boil, which ought to take about thirty minutes.
Have in a saucepan half a finely chopped-up shallot, with a good glassful of red wine; reduce on the range to just one-half, add to it one gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151), let come to a boil, squeeze in the juice of half a sound lemon, and leave on the corner of the range till required. Peel eight small, sound potatoes, give them a nice egg-shape, wash them, place in cold water with a tablespoonful of salt, and boil for about twenty minutes; drain them, lay a napkin over to keep warm.
Have twelve freshly opened medium-sized oysters, place in a sautoire with their own liquor, let them come to a boil on the range, skim well, and add a tablespoonful of good butter, with twelve small mushrooms. Cut the tail part of a small cooked lobster into half an inch square pieces, add it to the oysters, let cook together for two minutes. Lift up the fish with the lifter, let drain over the kettle for one minute, then gently slide it on a hot dish with a folded napkin over it, place a cluster of four potatoes at each end of the fish. Have either six scallop or clam shells well cleaned. Place two oysters on each shell, then two mushrooms, and equally divide the lobster on the six shells.
Add to the sauce in the pan in which the oysters were cooked, one tablespoonful of demi-glace (No. 185), mix a little, and then evenly pour it over the six fillets. Arrange three shells at each side of the fish. Strain the other sauce into a sauce-bowl, and send to the table separate.
—Procure a fine striped bass of about six pounds; scale, remove the entrails, and thoroughly wash it. Place at the bottom of a fish kettle one sliced carrot, one sliced onion, one parsley root, one bay-leaf, four cloves, and twelve whole peppers. Place the lifter over the vegetables, and then gently lay the bass straight on top of it. Completely cover the fish with cold water. Season with a handful of salt, adding a wineglassful of white wine, then let slowly heat on a moderate fire until it comes to a boil. Remove the kettle from the fire, and let it thoroughly cool off in its own broth. Remove the fish from the kettle, lay it on a cold dish, dampen a napkin in the broth, and completely cover the fish with it to prevent the bass getting dry; then place it in the ice-box until further action. Strain three quarts of the fish broth into a saucepan, add a medium-sized sound, sliced lemon, and let it reduce on the hot range to one-half, add one leaf of Peter Cooper’s clarified gelatine (if not at hand, use one ounce of the other gelatine), let thoroughly dissolve,stirring it meanwhile with a wooden spatula. Prepare in a bowl the white of two fresh eggs, including the shells; thoroughly mix together; add now a cupful of cracked ice. Remove the gelatine from the range, place it on a table; gradually add to the eggs a ladleful of the gelatine, continually stirring the eggs meanwhile; and then add this to the saucepan, stirring while adding it; place it on the corner of the range, let it slowly come to a boil, and then boil for two minutes. Remove it from the fire; strain it twice through either a wet flannel bag or a wet clean napkin into a vessel, and let cool off.
Wash well and boil two quarts of fine white hominy for thirty-five minutes; season with a tablespoonful of salt, pour it into a flat pan, and let thoroughly cool off.
Take the fish from the ice-box, remove the napkin, gently lay it over the prepared hominy. Cut with a knife a square piece of about three ounces of jelly; let it lightly dissolve in a pan on the corner of the range, stirring continually. Prepare a pint and a half of mayonnaise, as forNo. 206; add the dissolved jelly to the mayonnaise, mixing it thoroughly, then with a wooden salad-spoon pour the mayonnaise right straight down the centre of the fish, beginning at the head right down to the tail, and continue so on until the fish is completely masked from head to tail; put it in a cool place to let the mayonnaise and jelly get firm.
Have six small cleaned timbales, one and a half inches in diameter by two inches deep; place at the bottom of each a thin, round slice of truffle, cut with a tube half an inch in diameter. Dissolve about two ounces of jelly, taking care that it is not very hot, pour a teaspoonful of the jelly at the bottom of each timbale. Have a bowl with ice-water in it, dip in each timbale without letting any water get into them; turn them gently, so as to have them completely coated inside with the jelly. Have six heaped tablespoonfuls of cooked macédoine (No. 1032) on a dish; season with a teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of white pepper, and a teaspoonful of good wine vinegar, mix all well together, then equally divide it into the six timbales, but do not pour the vinegar remaining on the plate; pour in the balance of the dissolved jelly evenly over the macédoine in each timbale, place them in the ice-box to cool.
With a keen knife cut the hominy from all around as near the fish as possible, so that it will have exactly the same shape; remove the hominy that was cut away. Pass the palette of a cake-turner at the head part, right under the hominy, gently raise it up, and with the left hand in the centre under the hominy lift it up, and carefully lay it on a cold dish. Unmold the six timbales by lightly dipping them in warm water, so as to have them easily detached; place them at equal distances around the dish. Cut out six triangular-shaped croûtons of jelly one inch thick, two inches in length by one and a half inches in width, place one between each timbale, and it will be ready to send to the table.
It would be advisable to prepare the above fish one day before the time of serving, and dress on the dish one hour before sending it to the table.If any of the fish remains it can be utilized for patties, cutlets, or croquettes.
—Have two fine, medium-sized sound salt mackerel. Let them soak in plenty of cold water for at least eighteen hours, changing the water two or three times. Take out and thoroughly dry; remove the back bone of each. Arrange them on a well-oiled fish-broiler, split part upward, and then with a hair brush gently oil the surface. Place them on a very brisk fire for five minutes, on the split side, and two minutes on the skin side. Remove them from the broiler, dress on a hot dish, pour half a gill of drawn butter over, decorate the dish with one lemon cut in quarters and some parsley greens, and send to the table.
—Prepare two fine salt mackerel exactly the same as for the above (No. 1441). But instead of broiling them, place them in a saucepan, with plenty of cold water, on the hot range, and as soon as they come to a boil place the pan aside and let slowly cook for seven minutes longer. Remove them carefully with a skimmer, drain well, dress on a hot serving-dish, place a cluster of Hollandaise potatoes (No. 999) at each end of the dish, decorate the sides with six quarters of lemon, three at each side, and serve with half a gill of drawn butter in a sauce-bowl separately.
—Have one pound of fine fresh white-bait, thoroughly wash them in cold water; the water in which they are washed must be very cold, a piece of ice can even be added to it, so as to keep them firm; thoroughly drain, then inclose them in a dry towel and lightly shake them so as to thoroughly dry. Dip them in cold milk. Mix together two cups of cracker dust with one cupful of flour, roll the white-bait into this, and then fry them in very hot fat for one minute only. Remove, and thoroughly drain, sprinkle over a tablespoonful of salt equally divided. Dress on a hot dish with a folded napkin, and immediately send to the table.
White-bait should never be prepared in advance, except one minute before the time of serving, as they are very easily spoiled.
—Prepare a pound of fine whitebait the same as the above (No. 1443); when fried, mix a tablespoonful of salt with a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper and equally sprinkle it over all; dress on a hot dish, decorate with six slices of broiled bacon (No. 754), and serve.
—Have three dozen fine, large, fresh box oysters opened into a bowl; thoroughly drain their liquor off, and then place them in a sautoire on the fire with half an ounce of good butter. Season with a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, and then cook them as rapidly as you possibly can for ten minutes. Pour in two tablespoonfuls of good Madeira wine or sherry. Beat up in a bowl the yolks of three fresh raw eggs with half a pint of sweet cream, then add it to the oysters, and continually shuffle the sautoire until reaching boiling-point, then transfer them in a chafing-dish or hot soup tureen, sprinkle a tablespoonfulof good Madeira wine or sherry over all, tightly cover, and send to the table.
—Have three dozen good-sized, fine freshly opened box oysters, put them in a bowl. Season with a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, and entirely suppress their liquor, seeing that they are almost dry. Have six small silver scallop-shells, lightly butter the interior of each, then evenly spread a tablespoonful of fresh bread-crumbs in each shell, gently lay six oysters in each shell over the crumbs, and then sprinkle a tablespoonful of bread-crumbs on the oysters in each shell; place half a teaspoonful of good butter in the centre of each shell; place them in a very hot oven to bake for fully fifteen minutes, or until they have obtained a good golden color. Remove them from the oven. Dress the six shells on a hot serving-dish, with a folded napkin, and send to the table.
—Have twenty-four fine freshly opened soft clams, neatly clean them, then place them in a saucepan with their own liquor. Season with a teaspoonful of pepper only; place the pan on the fire and let them just come to a boil. Remove from the fire; let them cool for one minute.
Take six silver skewers; run a skewer through a clam right in the centre, then run the skewer through a small square piece of raw bacon, then another clam, a piece of bacon, and so on until you have four clams and four pieces of bacon alternately on each skewer. Then gently sprinkle them with fresh bread-crumbs, place them on the broiler, and broil for one and a half minutes on each side, remove from off the fire, dress the six skewers on a hot serving-dish, pour half a gill of maître d’hôtel (No. 145) over them; decorate the dish with six pieces of lemon cut in quarters and a few parsley-greens, and serve hot.
—Have two fine diamond-back terrapin prepared the same as inNo. 60. Suppress the claws as well as the galls, then cut them into very small even pieces.
Have a well-cleaned chafing-dish, light the jets of the alcohol lamp, pour into the water pan sufficient boiling water to fill it up to half its height. Arrange the dish over the water pan, place in the dish half an ounce of very good fresh butter, and then put in the terrapin also. Season with a tablespoonful of salt and half a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, moisten with a gill of very good Madeira wine (the older the better), tightly place the cover of the chafing-dish on, and then reduce the wine to one-half, which will take fifteen minutes, without disturbing it.
Beat up, in a bowl, the yolks of four fresh eggs with half a pint of sweet cream. Remove the cover from the chafing-dish, then pour in the beaten-up eggs and cream, gently shuffle the dish, so as to mix all well together, arrange the cover on again, and let gently simmer for twenty-five minutes longer, gently shuffling the dish containing the terrapin every five minutes. Extinguish the light of the lamp and send to the table.
—Prepare the terrapinexactly in the same manner as above, only substituting four hard-boiled egg yolks for the four fresh ones, and serving the same.
—Prepare two fine diamond-back Cheasapeake Bay terrapin, same as inNo. 60. Discard the claws, as also the galls; cut them into small equal pieces, then place the terrapin in the ready chafing-dish with one ounce of fresh butter, as inNo. 1448. Season with a tablespoonful of salt and half a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, tightly cover the plate, and let gently simmer for fifteen minutes. Remove the cover, pour in half a wineglassful of good Madeira wine, tightly cover, and let gently simmer for about fifteen minutes longer. Lift up the cover, then squeeze in the juice of a small, sound, juicy lemon, carefully suppressing all the seeds, adding one teaspoonful of fresh, finely chopped parsley, cover tightly again, gently shuffle the dish so as to mix all well together. Extinguish the light of the lamp, and send to the table, either in the chafing-dish or in a hot soup tureen.
—Procure two fine Chesapeake Bay diamond-back terrapin, parboil and prepare them the same as forNo. 60; then suppress the claws and galls; cut them into small equal pieces. Have the chafing-dishes ready lighted and the pan half filled with boiling water; arrange the dish over the pan, place the terrapin in the dish with one ounce of very good butter. Season with one tablespoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper; then let gently simmer for twenty minutes; uncover, and pour in one wineglassful of good Madeira wine, put the cover on, and immediately send to the table with a decanter of sherry separately.
—Have two dozen of rather good-sized, fine, freshly opened oysters, suppress their liquor, then place them in a saucepan on the fire with half an ounce of very good butter; gently boil them for three minutes, then add half a wineglassful of good old Madeira wine, let the wine reduce one-half. Break into a bowl four fresh egg yolks, with half a pint of sweet cream, then with the wire whip thoroughly beat them up, and then add it to the oysters, continually and briskly stirring while adding it; let all cool for three minutes, briskly stirring meanwhile. Remove from off the fire, pour into a hot deep dish or tureen and send to the table.
—Neatly peel six fine, sound, not too ripe yellow bananas, cut each one in halves, crosswise, place them on a dish. Have a well-prepared batter as forNo. 1190; gently and carefully roll them in the batter one by one, so as to keep them in their original form. Place them in very hot fat, and fry for ten minutes. Lift them up with a skimmer, thoroughly drain. Dress them on a hot dish with a folded napkin, and serve.
—Select six very firm, sound, red bananas; carefully peel them, cut each one into halves lengthwise, place them on a dish, one beside another, sprinkle two tablespoonfuls of flour over, gently and carefully roll them in the flour without disturbing their shapes.
Have two gills of sweet olive-oil in a sautoire on the hot range, and when very hot, with the medium of a flat spoon transfer the half bananas gently into the very hot oil, and fry them for five minutes on one side, then turn them over and fry for five minutes on the other side. Gently lift them up with a skimmer one by one, carefully dress them on a hot dish with a folded napkin, and send to the table.
—Have six firm, sound, not too ripe bananas; neatly peel them, and proceed to fry them in exactly the same manner as above (No. 1454), but using the same quantity of clarified butter instead of sweet-oil.
—Have a pan on the fire with plenty of water, with two tablespoonfuls of salt; and thoroughly boiling, gently slide in three-quarters of a pound of fine Italian macaroni without breaking it. Should any stick out of the pan, gently press it down when the water boils again so as to have it as long as possible. Boil it for seventeen minutes. Remove from the fire, drain well, lightly refresh it in cold water, drain again, and then it will be ready for use whenever desired. Spaghetti is blanched the same way.
—Take the above quantity of blanched macaroni, place it in a sautoire on the fire, with three ounces of butter, tossing well until it has thoroughly absorbed the butter; then add five heaped tablespoonfuls of grated Swiss cheese, season with a tablespoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of white pepper, and the third of a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, and pour in a gill of hot Béchamel sauce (No. 154). Toss all well together, while thoroughly heating for five minutes. No spoon or fork should be used for mixing, as it only needs tossing. Place it in a hot hollow dish or tureen, and send it to the table.
—Instead of preparing three-quarters of a pound of macaroni as inNo. 954, prepare only half a pound. Have a nice round timbale about six to seven inches in diameter, lightly butter the interior. Cut one good-sized sound truffle with a tube one inch in diameter, cut also a small piece of cooked smoked beef tongue, of the red part, with the same tube, then cut both into very thin even slices. Place one slice of truffle at the bottom of the timbale right in the centre, then place four pieces of tongue at equal distances around the slice of truffle. Arrange macaroni all around each piece of tongue, beginning at the side of the truffle and ending at the other side. Have four pieces of truffle cut in diamond-shape; place one piece at each section of the macaroni, then arrange a large macaroni completely around the design, as close as possible, and continue the same until the mold is completely covered all around, and then lay in the ice-box until further action.Place the remaining macaroni in a saucepan with two ounces of good butter, tossing well while heating for five minutes, season with a tablespoonful of salt and a third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, adding five heaped tablespoonfuls of grated Swiss cheese and a gill of tomato sauce; (No. 205) toss well again, to mix well together. Cut the remainder of the tongue and truffles into thin slices, and add them to the macaroni; gently toss again for two minutes; take from off the fire, and let cool off for fifteen minutes. Take the decorated mold from the ice-box, and then carefully fill it with the above preparation, being very careful not to disturb the design. Place the timbale into a large saucepan, fill the pan with water, up to half the height of the timbale, then place it in a moderate oven to cook for one hour and a half. Remove from out the oven, take the timbale out of the water. Have a hot serving-dish, then carefully turn the timbale over the dish, lift up the mold, pour half a gill of hot tomato sauce around the dish, and send to the table.
—Prepare half a pound of spaghetti exactly the same as forNo. 1456. Have a piece of cooked smoked beef tongue,red part; cut off a very thin slice, two and a half inches in length by two in width, and with a pointed sharp knife cut out of it a shield, then cut a cross out right in the centre of the shield, one inch in length by one in width. Have the white of a cooked egg, cut out of it a thin slice, then cut into a cross, to fit the one cut out of the centre of the shield. Take a round timbale mold, from six to seven inches in diameter, place the shield at the bottom of the mold right in the centre, carefully lay the egg cross right in the centre of the shield, gently pressing it down. Have one cooked string bean about two inches long, cut it in half, then place one piece at each side of the shield, beginning at the end, going up to half the height of the shield. Split twelve cooked peas into halves, arrange six pieces alongside of each string bean, so as to represent olive branches, then arrange the spaghetti all around the mold, the same as for the macaroni, and proceed exactly the same with the rest, and send to the table.
—Procure half a quart of fine, sound rubchens (turnips), scrape, pare, and wash them well. Have a saucepan on the fire, with plenty of cold water and a heaped tablespoonful of salt, add the rubchens, and as soon as it comes to a boil, drain the water out, add now to the rubchens a heaped tablespoonful of good butter, a teaspoonful of powdered sugar, and a teaspoonful of salt; pour in half a gill of white broth (No. 99) or consommé, tightly cover the pan, and let slowly cook for one hour, gently tossing them once in a while. Have in a saucepan on the range one tablespoonful of good butter and four tablespoonfuls of flour. Mix well together with the wooden spatula for five minutes without browning, then gradually add one pint of hot milk, continually mixing while adding it. Season with a teaspoonful of salt, a very little grated nutmeg, and let thoroughly cook for ten minutes. Remove it from the fire, strain it through a fine sieve into the pan with the rubchens, add thenhalf a tablespoonful of good butter, briskly shuffle the pan while cooking for three minutes longer, so as to have them well mixed together; pour it into a hot vegetable dish, and serve.
—Prepare half a quart of rubchens in the same manner as inNo. 1460, and after they have been cooked for one hour place them in a sautoire with one ounce of good butter, toss them gently until they obtain a light brown color, which will take about eight minutes; add then a teaspoonful of very finely chopped fresh parsley, gently toss them once more, transfer them into a hot vegetable dish, and send to the table.
—Have half a quart of fine, sound rubchens (turnips) prepared as inNo. 1460, and then proceed with the whole operation exactly the same, only substituting one pint of hot demi-glace sauce (No. 185) for the cream, serving the same.
—Sift on a table four pounds of the best flour procurable, transfer two pounds of it into a bowl of the capacity to hold ten quarts. Make a hollow space in the centre of the flour in the bowl, then put in it one ounce of compressed yeast, pour in one pint of lukewarm water, then with the hand thoroughly dissolve the yeast in the water for three minutes thereafter; gradually incorporate the flour for five minutes, then sharply knead the whole for five minutes. Fully cover the bowl with a napkin, lay the bowl in a warm place of about eighty degrees temperature, to let the sponge rise for two hours. During that length of time the sponge will double, after about one hour and a half (after being put away) then fall, and again rise double. Have in a vessel one pint of lukewarm water, or the same quantity of lukewarm milk, add one and a half ounces of salt, thoroughly dissolve for one minute, then pour it into the bowl with the sponge, and thoroughly knead the whole well together for five minutes. Now gradually add the two remaining pounds of flour, constantly kneading meanwhile. which ought to take about fifteen minutes, to have it smooth and consistent. Lift up the dough with the hands and sharply knock it against the bottom of the bowl for at least six or seven different times, so as to have it of a firm consistency; then cover the bowl with a napkin, place it in a warm place, the same temperature as before, to rise for two hours again; by this time the dough should be raised double. Remove the napkin and transfer the dough on a lightly floured table. Cut out a two-pound piece, and with the hands roll and press it into a ball shape for three minutes, then lay it aside. Cut out another of the same weight, roll and press it in the same way as the first. Cut the remainingdough into twelve equal pieces, and roll them also into ball shapes, and let rest for three minutes.
—Have a square tin pan eighteen inches long; lay over it a duck cloth twice longer than the pan; flute the cloth up two inches high, and two inches apart from one another. Take a rolling-pin six inches long by half an inch thick, lay it crosswise over a small ball shape right in the centre, and with both hands press it down almost to the bottom, then slightly roll the pin, taking care to leave the third of an inch intact; remove the pin, then place the shape-like roll into a section of the fluted cloth in the pan, and then proceed with five more exactly the same. Now take one of the remaining small balls, and with the hands roll it out to the length of four inches, and then place it in the fluted cloth and proceed the same with the other five.
—Take one of the large ball-shaped pieces of dough, and with the hands roll it out evenly to eighteen inches long. Flute a section of the cloth in the pan three inches high by four inches wide, then gently lay the dough in it; cover all with a sheet of paper, and then place the pan in a warm place to rise. Evenly roll out the last ball-shaped dough with the hands, twenty-four inches long, then firmly join (or connect) both ends together, giving it a pretty round ring shape; place it then into a baking pan, lay a sheet of paper over, and put it in a warm place to rise.
—Allow the rolls and fluttes to rise for three-quarters of an hour. Then transfer them into a baking-sheet, keeping them one inch apart one from another. Make three small diagonal incisions on top of the six fluttes; then place them in a hot oven to bake for thirty minutes. Remove from out the oven, lay aside, and serve when desired.
—Take a board eighteen inches long by five inches wide and half an inch thick. Lightly flour it, and place it right alongside of the French-loaf-shaped one, and with the hands lift up the cloth on the opposite side, turning the loaf on the board, and then carefully turn the loaf from the board into a baking-sheet. Make three light incisions diagonally on top, and place it in the hot oven. Immediately make four light incisions, at equal distances on top of the ring-shaped one in the pan, and place it also in the upper section of the oven, and let both bake for one hour. Remove them from out the oven, and they will be ready to serve.
—Place in a vessel one and a half pounds of flour, half an ounce of fine salt, half an ounce of powdered sugar, and one ounce of baking powder. Mix all well with the hand for one minute, then transfer the whole into a sieve, over another vessel; press the ingredients through, remove the sieve; add one ounce of good butter, then with the hand mix all well for one minute; pour into it one pint of fresh milk, then knead the whole well together for five minutes. Transfer the dough on a lightly floured table, and with a rolling-pin roll out the doughto three-quarters of an inch thick. Cut out from it, with a round paste-cutter, two inches in diameter, thirty equal pieces, and lay them close together on a buttered baking-pan. Moisten their surface with fresh milk, place them in the hot oven to bake for twenty minutes. Remove from out the oven, lay aside, and serve when required.
—Place in a wooden bowl six ounces of flour, six ounces of Indian meal, and six ounces of rye flour; mix well together; then add two ounces of butter and one teaspoonful of saleratus; mix thoroughly for two minutes; add now half a pint of molasses and one pint of sour milk; mix the whole well together for five minutes. Have a brown-bread mold sufficiently large to hold three quarts, butter the interior well, transfer the preparation into it. Then place the mold in a deep pan five inches high; fill the pan with warm water, place it in a moderate oven to steam for three hours and a half without disturbing it. Take from out the oven, lift up the mold from the pan, turn it onto a dish, remove the mold, and it will be ready to serve.
—Procure two pounds of fine rump part of beef, pare off all the fat, then place it in a Salisbury chopping machine and chop it until very fine; remove from the machine, put it on a table, discard all the sinews, then season with a pinch of salt (a tablespoonful), half a pinch of pepper (a heaped teaspoonful), thoroughly knead all together, then make six balls of equal size.
Pour a tablespoonful of sweet-oil on a plate, lightly and gently roll each steak in the sweet-oil, then place them on the broiler and broil for three minutes on each side; remove from the fire, dress them on a hot dish, decorate with a little water-cress, and serve.
If no Salisbury machine be on hand, chop the beef very fine on a wooden board.
—Procure a fine fillet of prime beef of about six pounds, neatly pare it, remove the sinews from the top; cut three truffles in oblong pieces, two ounces of uncooked lean ham, and two ounces of larding pork, all cut the same way; then with a larding-needle lard the fillet, with a row of ham crosswise on the surface; then one row of pork, and then one of truffles, and continue the same with the rest until down to the end of the fillet; place in a pan one sliced carrot, one sliced onion, one bay-leaf, and a few scraps of pork, lay the fillet over, sprinkle over all one tablespoonful of salt, pour over half a cupful of clarified butter; cover the fillet with a well-buttered paper, and then lay aside until further action.
Lightly butter the interior of a tin mold about two inches longer thanthe fillet, so as to make a solid pedestal for the fillet. Cut into oblong pieces two good-sized red carrots, two fine white, cooked turnips, seeing that they are all cut the same length; arrange a line of cooked green peas, by preference, all around the edges of the bottom of the mold, then arrange a piece of carrot over the peas, slightly inclined toward the right, then a piece of turnip inclined in the same way, and continue so all around the mold; place another line of peas parallel to the other, right over the carrots and turnips; arrange another line of carrots and turnips the same as the other, but this one inclined toward the left. Boil in a quart of white broth (No. 99) for twenty minutes half a pound of well-picked Italian rice; then carefully pour the rice right in the centre of the mold, avoiding disturbing the vegetables; place the mold in a baking-pan, with hot water in it up to half its height, place in a moderate oven for twenty minutes, remove from out the oven, and keep in a warm place until further action.
Place on a wooden board half a pound of flour, make a small hollow space in the centre, place in it four ounces of butter, gradually add one gill of cold water, gently kneading meanwhile until all well mixed together, sprinkle a very little flour over it, and let rest for a few minutes. Have four round molds, three inches in diameter by two and a half in depth, very lightly butter the inside of each. Roll out three-quarters of the dough to a quarter of an inch thick, then with it line the inside of the four molds, fill them with cracker dust, place them on a tin pan, and bake in the oven for ten minutes; remove from out the oven, let cool, throw out the cracker dust, then turn each mold upside down on a table, lift up the molds and let cool for awhile. Roll out the rest of the dough as thin as possible, then cut out leaves with a wheeled paste-cutter one inch and a half long; take the yolk of one egg and a tablespoonful of water, beat up in a bowl, then with a hair brush completely glaze the exterior all around of the four croustades: completely cover the croustades with the cut out leaves all around, commencing at the top, with the points upward, one overlapping another. Lightly glaze the leaves now with the beaten egg and water, and then place in the hot oven for three minutes, to let them get a good golden color; take from out the oven, lay aside until further action.
Now place the fillet in the oven to roast for thirty-five minutes, basting it occasionally with its own gravy. Remove it from the oven, have a large hot dish ready, carefully unmold the rice right in the centre of the dish, then gently arrange the fillet on top of the rice right in the centre; fill two croustades with hot mushroom garnishing (No. 230), and fill the other two with hot jardinière (No. 1033); place one mushroom croustade on each side of the fillet, and a jardinière at each end. Pour into the pan in which the fillet was cooked half a glassful of Madeira wine, place on the hot range and let come to a boil; add now to it a gill of white broth (No. 99), let boil for two minutes, then thicken with two tablespoonfuls of Espagnole sauce (No. 151), let come to a boil again, skim off all the fat, strain through a fine sieve into a sauce bowl, and send the fillet to the table with the sauce separate.
—Cut out from a piece of fillet of beef of about two pounds six small even fillets; neatly pare them all around, lay them on a dish until further action. Place in a saucepan one finely chopped sound shallot, with a teaspoonful of butter; let slowly simmer on the range for three minutes without browning; add to it six mushrooms, cut into small dice-shaped pieces, and two sound truffles, cut the same way; pour in one tablespoonful of Madeira wine, reduce until almost dry, then thicken with one tablespoonful of Espagnole sauce (No. 151). Cook for two minutes, take off the fire and let cool.
Thoroughly pound in a mortar two ounces of lean, raw veal, season with a heaped teaspoonful of salt and the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper; mix well together, then add the whites of two raw eggs, mix thoroughly again. Gradually add a gill of sweet cream, continually stirring meanwhile; then press it through a fine sieve into a bowl, place it in the ice-box until called for. Mix a tablespoonful of salt with a teaspoonful of white pepper; equally season the six fillets all around. Have on the hot range, two tablespoonfuls of very hot clarified butter in a sautoire, then place the fillets into it, one beside another, and cook on one side only for two minutes. Remove then from the sautoire, place on a dish, the cooked side up. Equally divide the mushrooms, truffles, etc., over each fillet, and with a table-knife give a nice dome shape.
Take the preparation from the ice-box; completely cover the surface of the force on each fillet with this, and with the knife give them also a nice dome shape. Take six small mushrooms, cut off the stems, place one button on each fillet, right in the centre. Cut a good, sound truffle into six equal slices, then with a tube half an inch in diameter cut out from each slice six pieces—quarter-moon shape. Arrange six pieces around each mushroom at equal distances, so that they represent wind-mills. Carefully place each fillet in a buttered sautoire; place on the hot range to cook for one minute only. Then put them in a moderate oven for five minutes.
Remove them from out the oven; place on a hot serving-dish six round, fried, bread croûtons the size of the fillets, one inch thick. Dress one fillet on top of each croûton, pour two gills of hot Colbert sauce (No. 190) around the dish and send to the table.
—Have six fine, nicely pared French lamb chops; place on a dish, mix a tablespoonful of salt with a teaspoonful of white pepper and with it equally season the chops all around and leave on the dish.
Take two ounces of raw, lean lamb; place it in the mortar. Season with a teaspoonful of salt and the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper;thoroughly pound it, add the whites of two eggs, thoroughly mix together, then add very gradually one gill of sweet cream, continually mixing while adding it, pass it through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cut into small dice-shaped pieces, one ounce of cooked smoked beef tongue, and two mushrooms cut the same way; place these in a sautoire on the hot range, with a teaspoonful of Madeira wine, and reduce until almost dry, and then place in the bowl with the force, mix all well together, and lay it aside for further action.
Thoroughly heat two tablespoonfuls of clarified butter in a sautoire, place the six chops in it and cook for two minutes, but one sideonly; then dress on a dish, the cooked side up, and equally divide the force among the six chopson top, giving them a pretty dome shape. Cut six thin slices of cooked tongue from the reddest part, then with a tube one inch in diameter cut out from each slice a piece; then with a tube half an inch in diameter, cut out another piece, right from the centre of each. Cut out of a sound truffle six very thin slices, then with a tube half an inch in diameter, cut out six round pieces. Arrange in the centre of each chop a slice of tongue, place a slice of truffle right in the centre of the tongue. Arrange a ring of cooked green peas all around the tongue.
Carefully place them in a well-buttered sautoire and cook for one minute on the hot range; then place them in the oven for five minutes. Have a hot serving-dish with six heart-shaped croûtons (No. 133) placed in star-shape around the dish. Gently lay a chop on each croûton—handles out; adjust a paper ruffle on each and serve with the following sauce separate.
Have in a sautoire one sound, green pepper, cut up in small dice-shaped pieces, with half a teaspoonful of clarified butter; let slowly simmer for one minute, then add a gill of tomato sauce (No. 205), just one drop of Tabasco sauce, and half a gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151). Cook all together for five minutes, then pour it into a hot sauce bowl and send to the table.
—Have in a pan on the fire one tablespoonful of butter, with one medium sized, sound, shelled, chopped shallot; let gently cook for three minutes, without allowing it to get brown; then add six finely chopped mushrooms, one teaspoonful of freshly chopped parsley. Season with half a pinch of salt and a saltspoonful of pepper. Cook for five minutes, mixing all well together meanwhile; then add one tablespoonful of Espagnole sauce (No. 151), and boil for one minute longer. Remove it from the fire, and lay it aside until further action.
Cut out from a fine, tender leg of lamb six equal-sized nice fillets; neatly pare them, evenly season them with a tablespoonful of salt and a heaped teaspoonful of pepper. Fry them for one minute on each side in a pan on the hot range, with a very little butter; then place each fillet on a dish and let cool for at least one minute.
Cut out six equal pieces of paper in heart-shapes, oil them evenly, then arrange a very thin slice of lean, cooked ham on one side of each oiled paper, then place one teaspoonful of the above preparation over eachslice of ham, then a fillet, another teaspoonful of the preparation, and lastly, one more thin slice of cooked ham. Cover with the second part of the paper, close by folding the edges firmly, one fold overlapping the other, and when all done, arrange them in a baking-pan, place them in a moderate oven to cook for five minutes. Remove from out the oven; neatly dress them on a hot serving-dish, and send to the table with a pint of hot financière garnish (No. 246) in a separate bowl.
—Prepare and proceed from beginning to end exactly the same as above, only substituting one pint of Italian sauce for the financière garnishing.
—Blanch six medium-sized fine heart sweetbreads as inNo. 601, lard the surface of each; place in a sautoire one sliced carrot, one sliced onion, one sprig of thyme, one bay-leaf, six whole peppers, and a small piece of rind of pork; arrange the breads over, place on the hot range for three minutes; then add a gill of white broth (No. 99), let come to a boil, then cover them with a well-buttered paper, and place them in a moderate oven to cook for twenty-five minutes. While the breads are cooking prepare the garnishing as follows:
Have in a sautoire one tablespoonful of butter, one finely chopped shallot, and cook for one minute, without browning; add to it two finely chopped mushrooms, one chopped truffle, and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, let slowly cook together for two minutes. Season with a saltspoonful of salt only, adding a tablespoonful of Madeira wine and a tablespoonful of the gravy in which the sweetbreads are cooking; then reduce for four minutes, and leave on the corner of the range. Prepare six croustades exactly the same as forNo. 264. When ready, equally divide the garnishing among the six croustades. Remove the breads from out the oven, place one bread in each croustade, with the larded side up, and leave them at the oven door to keep warm; add to the pan in which the breads were cooked a gill of tomato sauce (No. 205); reduce on the fire for four minutes. Strain it through a fine sieve into a hot bowl, and then pour it over the six sweetbreads, equally divided. Have a hot dish with a folded napkin, gently dress the croustades, and immediately send to the table.
—Neatly peel three medium-sized, sound onions, then slice them nicely, and place them at the bottom of a saucepan large enough to hold half a gallon; lay over theonions a layer of fat bacon cut in slices a quarter of an inch thick. Slice three medium-sized, fine, sound carrots, and place them over the bacon, as a third layer. Over all this place a tablespoonful of salt, one sprig of thyme, six whole peppers, four cloves, one branch of parsley, and one sprig of sweet marjoram. Upon this lay two calves’ feet, finely chopped up, and one pound of lean beef, finely minced. Cover the pan and place it on the corner of the range, and let gently simmer undisturbed for fully an hour.
Then uncover the pan and pour in boiling water sufficient to cover the contents and no more; then put on the cover, and place the pan by the side of the fire to simmer for one hour longer. Then uncover, and strain the liquor through a clean napkin, without disturbing the other contents in the pan; carefully skim off the little fat that floats over with a clean piece of blotting paper or a skimmer, and just before serving add a wineglassful of good Madeira wine.
N. B.—After the broth has been poured off, the contents of the pan must not by any means be thrown away, for you will fill up the pan again with boiling water and add a few more sweet herbs, and letting it simmer gently for two hours, will produce a second edition of the Restorative, nearly, if not quite, as good as the first.
Would urgently recommend the above soup specially to persons suffering from weakness of the stomach.
—Slice up two medium-sized, sound, scraped carrots and one medium-sized, sound, peeled onion; place these in a saucepan on the fire; add a few scraps of larding pork, fry all together for three minutes; then add again one bay-leaf, three cloves, six whole peppers, a sprig of thyme, one branch of parsley, and one green leaf of celery. Cut up a ham bone, if at hand, if not, a slice of ham can be used in its place, and add it to the saucepan. Tightly cover, and let slowly cook for eight minutes. Remove the cover, add a gill of white broth (No. 99). Boil for two minutes longer. Transfer it into a stone jar, and use whenever required in other recipes.
—Procure a fine, medium-sized spring turkey from four to five pounds. Singe, draw, wash the inside and wipe well; split it right in half, down the back only, open it, crack the bones in the legs between the first and second joints; nicely flatten it. Season with a tablespoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of pepper, lightly oil it on both sides; place it in a double broiler, and broil on a moderate fire for fifteen minutes on the bone side, and five minutes only on the skin side. Dilute in a bowl one tablespoonful of English mustard with a teaspoonful of Worcestershire sauce and one tablespoonfulof white vinegar; mix thoroughly together with a wooden spoon, adding half a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, and lastly half a teaspoonful of good olive-oil; mix well again together. Remove the turkey from the fire, lay it on a dish, and then mask it all around with the above preparation; sprinkle a very little fresh bread-crumbs over all; place it again on the broiler and broil just for one minute longer on each side. Remove it, dress on a hot dish, pour half a gill of hot maître d’hôtel (No. 145) over and serve.
—Procure two fine Philadelphia chickens weighing from two to two and a half pounds each. Singe, draw, wash, and wipe well. Cut off the two legs from each chicken, then carefully cut off the breast on both sides of each chicken, leaving the small fillets attached to the breast-bone; entirely cut away the breast-bone of each chicken, then cut both breasts in half, cross-wise. Make a light incision on the joint of each leg, take out the small bone from the first to the second joint, which will easily detach, cut off the feet. Nicely pare all; and place them on a dish. Place the carcases in a saucepan with all the small bones and parings, scald the feet in boiling water for three minutes; remove, pick off the skin, which can be easily done, and return them to the saucepan; lay the rest of the chickens on top of this, pour in two quarts of fresh water, place the pan on the range and let just come to a boil; then thoroughly skim. Season with one tablespoonful of salt. Now with a skimmer take up the breasts, legs, wings, and fillets; lay them on a dish to cool off. Add to the broth six whole peppers, two cloves, one bay-leaf, one sprig of thyme, very little nutmeg, one medium-sized, scraped carrot, cut into four pieces, and one small, sound onion; then let boil for twenty minutes without covering the pan. Place in a saucepan four heaped tablespoonfuls of good butter, and eight tablespoonfuls of flour; thoroughly mix together; place on the range, and cook very slowly for ten minutes, without browning, stirring once in a while. Strain the broth into a bowl, and then very gradually add to the flour, sharply and continually stirring meanwhile; let slowly boil on the corner of the range for twelve minutes. Have in a bowl the yolks of three eggs and the juice of one good, sound lemon; mix well together. Remove the sauce from the range, add to the eggs a ladleful of sauce, little by little, stirring briskly meanwhile.
Now add the eggs to the saucepan, place it on the range again, briskly stirring until it comes to a boil. Remove it from the fire, strain through a fine sieve into another saucepan.
Have a flat pan with fresh bread-crumbs at the bottom, dip one by one the pieces of chicken in the sauce, then lay them in the pan over the bread-crumbs, side by side; lightly sprinkle a little bread-crumbs over, and let cool off five minutes. Then steep each piece in beaten egg, then fresh bread-crumbs; fry them in hot fat for eight minutes, or until they have obtained a good golden color. Remove and thoroughly drain them. Have a hot serving-dish with a folded napkin; nicely dress the pieces over,decorate the dish all around with two sound lemons cut in quarters, and a little parsley greens. Add to the sauce in the pan a gill of sweet cream; heat up without boiling, pour it into a sauce bowl, and send all to the table.
—Have two fine chickens of about two pounds each; singe, draw, wash, and wipe well; cut off the breasts of each chicken, then cut the breasts into very thin, square pieces. Season them with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, and lay on a dish until further action. Have in a saucepan on the hot range one tablespoonful of butter and two tablespoonfuls of flour; thoroughly mix for five minutes, without browning; gradually add a cupful of hot milk, continually stirring while adding it; season with half a teaspoonful of salt, the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper and a very little grated nutmeg; let slowly cook for twelve minutes. Heat up in a sautoire one tablespoonful of clarified butter, then add the pieces of chicken; cook slowly for five minutes, tossing them well, and taking special care not to let them get brown; moisten with a tablespoonful of Madeira wine, let reduce for thirty seconds, then strain the other through a fine sieve into the chicken, mix well together, let slowly simmer on the corner of the range for five minutes. Place on a board or a marble table a quarter of a pound of sifted flour, make a hollow space in the centre; have in it three ounces of good butter; gradually pour in a gill of cold water, mixing well together meanwhile, until it is thoroughly incorporated; sprinkle a little flour over and let rest for five minutes. Have six tartlet molds, lightly butter them, roll out the paste to an eighth of an inch thick, then with a pastry cutter cut out six pieces, two inches in diameter larger than the tartlet molds. Arrange one piece into each mold, gently press it around with the fingers, fill up each mold with cracker-dust, and then place them in a moderate oven for ten minutes. Remove them from the oven, empty them of the cracker-dust, remove from the molds, and then fill them with the prepared chicken, equally divided, and giving them a pyramid shape. Have six thin slices of truffle, place one slice on top of each right in the centre, dress on a hot silver dish a folded napkin and send to the table.
The remaining legs can be used for broiling, stewing, or for soup purposes.
—Have six fine, fresh, fat woodcocks; pick well, remove the entrails, place the hearts and livers on a plate, then remove the skin from the neck and head of each, and with a keen knife pick out the eyes. Cut the heads and necks right close to the body, lay them on a plate. Cut out two very thin slices oftruffle, then with a tube, the same size of the eyes, cut out twelve pieces; insert one piece in each eye of the heads, and lay them on a dish for further action. Now with a small, sharp knife make an incision right along the back. Begin boning from the neck right down toward the breast on both sides of each bird, carefully avoid making any holes in the skin, and when down to the second joint cut it, so as to easily remove the carcass of each, leaving the legs intact; cut away the claws of each bird. Season the inside with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, equally divided among the six birds, and then leave on a dish. Have in a sautoire on the fire one tablespoonful of butter, with half a finely chopped shallot; let cook for one minute without browning, then add four finely chopped mushrooms, one truffle, and hearts and livers all cut in the same way; let all cook together for three minutes, sharply stirring meanwhile; season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, add to it a tablespoonful of Madeira wine, cook for one minute; add a teaspoonful of finely chopped parsley and two tablespoonfuls of fresh bread-crumbs; thoroughly mix together, then place it on the corner of the range. Lay the birds one alongside another with the skin side down; place a tablespoonful of the garnishing right in the centre of each bird. Arrange a head over the force of each bird, so that nothing but the head remains out. Fold up both sides of the bird so as to have them represent their natural forms. Have a lightly buttered sautoire, place each bird on its back in the sautoire, one alongside another, gently turning the birds upward, sprinkle over a very little clarified butter, then place in a very hot oven for five minutes. Prepare six croustades as forNo. 264; equally divide the remainder of the force among the six croustades. Remove the birds from out the oven, neatly arrange a bird in each croustade. Dress them on a hot dish, leave at the oven door to keep warm. Add to the pan in which they were cooked half a wineglassful of Madeira wine; reduce it to one-half, then add half a gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151) and half a gill of tomato sauce (No. 205); let boil for two minutes; skim off the fat, strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, equally divide it over the six birds, and send to the table.
N. B.—The croustades should always be prepared before the woodcocks are cooked.
—Prepare a saddle of venison exactly the same as inNo. 878, but substituting the following garnishing for the two other sauces. Soak eighteen fine, sound, large, Italian raw marrons in fresh water for a night. Have on the fire a pan with plenty of hot water, and as soon as it comes to a boil, immediately plunge in the chestnuts, cover the pan, and let boil for one minute only. Remove the pan from off the fire, drain the chestnuts, then with a pointed knife gently peel them. Place in a saucepan on the hot range one quart of water with four ounces of sugar; let come to a boil, then add half a vanilla bean, as also the chestnuts, and slowly boil for twenty minutes. Remove them from the range, place the marrons in a bowl with half oftheir own liquor, then allow to cool off. Place the balance of the liquor on the fire, add to it two tablespoonfuls of currant jelly, and continually stir until the jelly is thoroughly dissolved; then thicken with half a gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151), and let slowly cook on the corner of the range. Prepare a pâté-à-chou, exactly the same as inNo. 1240. Slide a tube down in the pastry bag (No. 1079) one inch in diameter, and put the paste in the bag. Have a lightly buttered pan ready, then carefully press the paste down into it, making twelve equal button-shape forms one inch and a half in diameter. Place them in a moderate oven to bake for eight minutes. Remove from out the oven, let slightly cool off. Cut a piece off from the top of each, one inch in diameter, then fill the inside of each with chutney. Place on top of each a marron. Dress the saddle on a hot serving-dish, decorate the dish all around with the twelve choux. Strain the sauce into a sauce-bowl, and serve separate. The remaining pâté-à-chou can be used for any other purpose desired, as also the six marrons.
—Prepare six fine venison chops as inNo. 885; season them with a heaped teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepperonly, and lay them aside until further action.
Tyrolienne Garnishing.—Have in a saucepan on the hot range one tablespoonful of good butter, adding five medium-sized, sound, peeled, and cored apples, cut into thin slices, and four tablespoonfuls of sugar; cover the pan, and let cook for twenty-five minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon at the bottom once in a while to prevent burning. Have on the range in another pan four tablespoonfuls of currant jelly, with two wineglassfuls of port wine; mix all well together until the jelly is thoroughly dissolved; then let slowly boil on the corner of the range for three minutes. Remove the apples from the range, press them through a fine sieve into a bowl. Now broil the chops for four minutes on each side. Place the apple-sauce right in the centre of a hot serving-dish, giving a pyramid shape, then dress the chops around it, one overlapping another. Pour the currant-jelly sauce around the chops, but not over them; adjust a paper ruffle on each chop and send to the table.
—Procure and prepare a fine saddle of venison, exactly the same as inNo. 878; suppress the currant-jelly sauce, and serve with the following garnishing: