season with salt and pepper and mix with them enough spinach to make the
eggs appear green. Put the frying pan on the fire with only enough oil
to grease it and when very hot put in a portion of the eggs, moving the
frying pan so as to make a very thin omelet. When well cooked, remove it
from the frying pan and repeat the operation once or twice in order to
have two or three very thin omelets. Put these one over the other and
cut them in small strips that are to be browned in butter adding a
little grated cheese. These strips of omelet, resembling noodles, form a
tasty and attractive dressing for a fricandeau (veal stew) or a similar
dish.
61
VEAL KIDNEY OMELET
(Frittata di rognone di vitella)
Take a veal kidney, open it lengthwise and leave all its fat. Season
with oil, salt and pepper, broil it and cut in thin slices. Beat enough
eggs in proportion to the size of the kidney, season them with salt and
pepper, both in moderate quantity and mix with them a sprig of parsley
and some grated cheese. Put the sliced kidney in the eggs, mix all
together and make an omelet with some butter.
62
PUFF PASTE
(Pasta sfoglia)
The =Pasta sfoglia= is not too difficult to make and if the following
instructions are carefully followed, this fine and light paste can
easily be prepared. It is well to have a marble slab to roll it on but
this is not absolutely necessary. A warm, damp day is not favorable for
the making of the =Pasta sfoglia=, which succeeds better when the
weather is cold and dry.
Mix half a pound of flour of the very best quality with a piece of
butter as big as a walnut, some warm, but not hot water, enough salt and
a teaspoonful of good brandy. When the paste is formed knead it well for
about half an hour, first with the hands, then throwing it repeatedly
with force against the bread board. Make a cake of a rectangular form,
wrap it in cloth and let it rest for a while. Meanwhile work with the
hand 1/2 lb. of butter that has been kept previously on ice or, better,
in a bowl of ice-water, until it becomes smooth and flexible, then make
of it a little cake like that of the paste and throw it in a bowl of
cold water. When the dough has rested take the butter from the water,
wipe it with a cloth and dip it in flour.
Roll the paste only as long as it is necessary to enclose within the
cake of butter. This is placed in the middle and the edges of the sheet
of paste are drawn over it, closing well with fingers moistened in a
little water so that no air remains inside. Then begin to flatten, first
with the hands, then with the rolling pin, making the sheet as thin as
possible, but taking care that the butter does not come out. If this
happens throw at once a little flour where the butter appears and always
have the marble slab (or bread board) and the rolling pin sprinkled with
flour. Fold it over, making three even layers of paste, and again roll
the folded strip, repeating the operation six times and letting the
paste rest from time to time for a few minutes. At the last time, fold
it in two and reduce it to the necessary thickness that is, about one
third of an inch. After each folding press the edges gently with the
rolling pin to shut in the air, and turn the paste so as to roll in a
different direction.
When the paste has had six turns cut it into the desired forms and put
on ice, or in a cold place for twenty to thirty minutes before putting
it on the oven, which must be very hot, with the greatest heat at the
bottom.
The puff paste is used for paté shells and vol-au-vent cake and for
light pastries of all kinds.
63
PASTE FOR FRYING
(Pastella per fritto)
Dilute three teaspoonfuls of flour with two teaspoonfuls of oil. Add two
eggs, a pinch of salt, and mix well. This mixture will take on the
aspect of a smooth cream and is used to glaze fried brains, sweetbreads
and the like. All these things are first to be scalded in boiling salt
water. Add a pinch of salt and one of pepper when taking from the water.
The brains, sweetbreads etc. are then to be cut in irregular pieces,
thrown into the paste, or cream, described above and fried in oil or
good lard.
In frying these are often united to liver or veal cutlets. The liver
must be cut in very thin slices and the cutlets beaten with the side of
a big knife and given a good shape. Season with salt and pepper, dip in
beaten egg and after a few hours sprinkle with bread crumbs and fry.
Serve with lemon.
64
CHICKEN STUFFING
(Ripieno di pollo)
The ingredients are 1/4 lb. lean veal or pork or breast of turkey and
chicken giblets. Cook this meat together with a little hash of onion,
parsley, celery, carrot and butter. Season with salt pepper and spices,
moistening it with broth. Take dry from the fire, take off the soft
parts of the giblets, add a few dry mushrooms softened in water, a
little slice of lean fat ham and chop everything fine. Into the sauce
that has remained from the cooking throw enough breadcrumbs to make a
tablespoonful of hard soaked bread. Mix it with the chopped hash, add a
pinch of grated cheese and two eggs and fill the chicken with all this,
sewing up the opening afterwards. The chicken can be boiled or stewed.
If boiled you will have an excellent bouillon, but pay attention when
cutting the chicken to extract the stuffing in one piece in order to
slice it.
65
MEAT STUFFING FOR VOL-AU-VENT
(Ripieno di carne per pasticcini di pasta sfoglia)
This stuffing can be made either with stewed veal or chicken giblets or
sweetbreads. The latter are preferable, being more delicate and a taste
of truffles greatly improves the stuffing. If sweetbreads are used, put
them on the fire with a piece of butter and season with salt and pepper.
When they have begun to take color, complete the cooking with some brown
stock, then cut them in pieces as little as a bean. Add one or two
spoons of =Balsamella= (see No. 54) a little tongue, one or two slices
of ham cut in little squares, a pinch of grated cheese and a taste of
nutmeg, seeing that the ingredients are in such quantities as to make
the mixture tasty and delicate. Leave it cool well, as in this way it
hardens and can be worked better.
In order to enclose it in paté shells made with puff-paste (see No. 57)
there are two ways. One is to cook the shells filled with the stuffing,
the other to fill them after they are cooked. In the first case put the
stuffing in the prepared disk of paste, moisten the edge with a wet
finger, cover with another disk of paste and cook. In the second case,
which is more convenient because the shells can be prepared one day
before, the two disks are put together without the stuffing, but in the
upper disk a circular cut must be made as large as a half dollar coin.
The paté on cooking swells and leaves an empty space in the interior.
Lifting with the point of a knife the little circle above, which has the
form of a cover, the interior space can be made larger, filled with the
stuffing and covered with the little cover. In this way it is enough to
warm them before sending to the table. The puff-paste must always be
glazed with the yolk of eggs.
If a large vol-au-vent is to be filled instead of little paté-shells, a
ragout of chicken giblets and sweetbread, cut in large pieces, is
better.
66
PORK LIVER FRIED
(Fegato di maiale fritto)
Cut in to thin slices some pork liver, sprinkle with flour and fry in
good lard. It must be served with its sauce. Squeeze in a lemon while it
is frying.
67
FRIED CROQUETTES, BOLOGNA STYLE
(Fritto composto alla Bolognese)
Take a piece of stewed lean veal, a little brain boiled or stewed, and a
slice of ham. Chop and grind everything fine. Add a yolk of egg or a
whole egg, according to the quantity, and a little =Balsamella= (see No.
54). Put the hash on the fire and stir until the egg is cooked. Add
finally grated cheese, a taste of nutmeg, and, if you have them, some
truffles chopped very fine and put in a plate. When quite cold make some
little balls as large as a walnut and roll them in flour. Then dip in
beaten egg and bread crumb ground very fine, repeating the operation
twice, and fry.
68
ROMAN FRY
(Fritto alla Romana)
I.
Put on the fire a hash of onion and butter and when it is well browned
cook in it a piece of lean veal seasoned with salt and pepper. When the
meat begins to brown put in a little sherry wine to complete the
cooking.
Pound the whole to soften it a little using the sauce remained and if
this is not enough add some broth and finally the yolk of an egg. See
that the whole is not softened too much.
Now take some wafers, not too thin and cut them in squares similar to
those used by druggists. Beat one egg and the white from the other egg,
then take a wafer, dip it in the egg and place it on a layer of bread
crumbs ground fine. On the wafer put a little ball of the compound
above, then dip another wafer in the egg, make it touch the bread crumbs
only from the part that remains outside, and with this cover the
compound attaching it to the lower wafer. Sprinkle again with bread
crumbs if necessary and put the piece aside repeating the operation
until all the meat is disposed of. Cook in oil or fat and serve with
lemon.
With half a pound of meat about twenty filled wafers should be obtained.
69
ROMAN FRY
II.
This can be made when you happen to have some breast of roast chicken
left over. Some chicken breast, two or three slices of tongue and ham,
one tablespoonful of grated cheese, a taste of nutmeg, are the
ingredients used. Remove the skin of the chicken and cut it as well as
the tongue and the ham, into little cubes. Make a =Balsamella= (see No.
54) in sufficient quantity and when it is cooked add the above
ingredients and let it cool well to fry using the wafer as in the
preceding.
70
RICE PANCAKE
(Frittelle di riso)
Cook thoroughly 1/4 lb. of rice in about a pint of water giving it taste
with a little piece of sugar and a taste of lemon peel. Leave it cool
and then add three yolks of eggs and a little flour. Mix well and let
the whole rest for several hours. When you are going to fry beat the
white of an egg to a froth, add it to the rice and throw into the frying
pan one tablespoonful at a time.
Serve hot sprinkled with confectionery sugar.
71
KIDNEY SAUTÉ
(Rognoni saltati)
Take one large kidney, or two or three small kidneys, open them and
remove all the fat. Cut lengthwise in thin slices, salt and pour as much
boiling water as is needed to cover them. When the water is thoroughly
cooled, drain it and wipe well the slices with a cloth, then put them in
a frying pan with a small piece of butter. Turn them often and when they
have cooked for five minutes put in a pinch of flour and season with
salt and pepper. Leave them on the fire until thoroughly cooked and when
you are going to take them away add another piece of butter, a sprig of
chopped parsley and a little broth if needed. The kidney must not be
kept too much on the fire, because in that case it hardens.
72
LEG OF MUTTON IN CASSEROLE
(Cosciotto di castrato in cazzaruola)
Take a shoulder or a leg of mutton and after having boned it, lard it
with small pieces of bacon dipped in salt and pepper. Salt moderately
the meat then tie it tight and put it on the fire in a pan that contains
a piece of butter and one large onion larded with clover. When it begins
to brown, take it away from the fire and add a cup of broth, or of
water, a little bunch of greens and some tomatoes cut in pieces. Put
again on a low fire and let it simmer for three hours, keeping the
saucepan closed, but opening from time to time to turn the meat. When it
is cooked, throw away the onion, rub the sauce through a sieve, remove
its fat and put it with the meat when served. The mutton must not be
overdone, for in this case it cannot be sliced.
73
STEWED CUTLETS
(Scaloppine alla Livornese)
Take some slices of tender beef, beat them well and put them in a
saucepan with a piece of butter. When this is all melted, put one or two
tablespoonfuls of broth to complete the cooking, season with salt and
pepper, add a pinch of flour and before taking them from the fire put
in a pinch of chopped parsley.
74
CUTLETS OF CHOPPED MEAT
(Scaloppine di carne battuta)
Take some good lean beef, clean it well, removing all little skins and
tendons, then first chop and after grind the meat fine in the grinder.
Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of grated cheese. Mix well and give
the meat the form of a ball then with bread crumbs over and beneath
flatten it with the rolling pin on the bread board making a sheet of
meat as thick as a silver dollar. Cut it in square pieces, as large as
the palm of the hand and cook in a saucepan with butter. When these
cutlets are browned, pour over some tomato sauce and serve.
If you prefer, use your hands instead of the rolling pin and then you
can give them the shapes you like.
If you have some left over meat this can perfectly well be mixed with
the raw meat and chopped and ground together.
75
VEAL CUTLETS STEWED
(Scaloppine alla Genovese)
Cut some lean veal meat into slices and, supposing it be a pound or a
little more, without bones, chop one fourth of a middle-sized onion and
put it in a saucepan with oil and a little piece of butter. Put over the
cutlets, one layer over the other, season with salt and butter and put
on the fire. When the meat which is below is browned put in a
teaspoonful of flour and after a while a hash of parsley with half a
clove of garlic. Then detach the cutlets the one from the other, mix
them, let them drink in the sauce, then pour hot water and a little
tomato sauce. Make it boil slowly and not much to complete the cooking
and serve with abundant sauce and with little diamonds of toast.
76
STUFFED CUTLET
(Braciuoline ripiene)
Slice from a piece of veal (about one pound) seven or eight cutlets and
beat them well with a knife blade to flatten them. Then chop some tender
veal meat and one or two slices of ham and add a small quantity of
marrow bone (of veal) and grated cheese. The marrow and the grated
cheese must be reduced to a paste with the blade of a knife. One egg is
then added to tie up the hash and a pinch of pepper, but no salt on
account of the ham and the cheese that already contain it. Spread the
cutlets and put the hash in the middle, then roll them up and tie them
with strong thread.
Now prepare a small hash with a little onion, a piece of celery a piece
of carrot and a small quantity of corned beef and put it in the fire in
a saucepan with a small piece of butter, at the same time that you put
the cutlets. Season with salt and pepper and when they begin to brown
pour some tomato sauce and complete the cooking with water. Before
serving, remove the thread with which the cutlets have been tied.
77
MEAT OMELETTE
(Polpettone)
Take one pound of veal, without bones, clean it well taking away all
skins and tendons and then chop it together with a slice of ham. Season
moderately with salt pepper and spices, add one whole egg then with
moistened hands make a ball of the chopped meat and sprinkle with flour.
Make a hash with two or three slices of onion (not more) parsley,
celery, and carrot, put it on the fire with a piece of butter and when
it is browned throw in the =Polpettone=. Brown well on all sides and
then pour in the saucepan half a tumbler of water in which half a
tablespoonful of flour has been previously diluted. Cover and make it
simmer on a very low fire, seeing that it doesn't burn. When you serve
with the gravy squeeze the juice of half a lemon over it.
If desired a hard boiled egg can be put shelled in the center of the
meat ball, so that it gives it a better appearance when sliced.
78
LAMB WITH PEAS
(Agnello ai piselli)
Take a piece of lamb from the hind side, lard it with two cloves of
garlic cut in little strips and with some sprigs of rosemary. Chop fine
a piece of lard and a slice of corned beef. Put the lamb on the fire
with this hash and a little oil and let it brown after seasoning with
salt and pepper. When it is browned add a piece of butter, some tomato
sauce, or tomato paste dissolved in water or soup stock and complete the
cooking. Take away the lamb, put the peas in the gravy, and when they
have simmered a little and are cooked put back the lamb and serve.
79
SHOULDER OF LAMB
(Spalla d'agnello)
Cut the meat of a shoulder of lamb in small pieces, or squares. Chop two
small onions, brown them with a piece of butter and when they are
browned put the meat and season with salt and pepper. Wait until the
meat begins to brown and then add another piece of butter dipped in
flour. Mix the whole and complete the cooking with soup stock or water
with bouillon cubes poured in little by little.
80
BREAST OF VEAL STEWED
(Stufatino di petto di vitella)
Break a piece of breast of veal leaving all its bones.
Make a hash with garlic, parsley, celery and carrot; add oil, pepper and
salt and put on the fire with the meat. Turn it over often, and when it
begins to brown, sprinkle over a pinch of flour and a little tomato
sauce or tomato paste diluted in water. Complete the cooking with broth
or water. Finally add a piece of butter and pieces of celery cut in big
pieces which must have been before half cooked in water and browned in
butter. Care must be taken to keep the saucepan always covered, in this
as in other stews.
81
VEAL WITH GRAVY
(Vitella in guazzetto)
First take about one pound of veal and tie it well. Then cover the
bottom of the saucepan with some thin slices of corned beef and a piece
of butter. Over this place half a lemon cut in four thin slices from
which the skin and the seeds must be removed. Over all this put the veal
which must be well browned on all sides, but care must be taken not to
burn it on account of the small quantity of liquid. Afterward, remove
the superfluous fat and pour over a cup of hot milk, that has boiled.
Cover the saucepan and complete the cooking. Before serving rub the
gravy through a sieve.
82
TRIPE WITH GRAVY
Boil some tripe in water and when it is boiled, cut it in strips, one
quarter of an inch wide and wipe it well with a cloth. Then put it in a
saucepan with butter, and when this is melted, add some brown stock or
good tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper, cook thoroughly and add
a pinch of grated cheese before taking from the saucepan.
83
VEAL LIVER IN GRAVY
(Fegato di vitella al sugo)
Chop fine a scallion or an onion, make it brown in oil and butter, and
when it has taken a dark red color, throw in the liver cut in thin
slices. When half cooked season with salt, pepper and a pinch of
chopped parsley. Make it simmer on a low fire so that the gravy remains,
and serve in its gravy, squeezing over some lemon juice when sent to the
table.
In this and in similar cases, when using scallions or onions, some
advise putting these in a cloth after being chopped and dip them in cold
water squeezing them dry after.
84
MUTTON CUTLETS AND FILET OF VEAL
(Braciuole di castrato e filetto di vitella)
Put in saucepan a slice of ham, some butter, a little bunch composed of
carrot, celery and stems of parsley and over this some whole cutlets of
mutton seasoned with salt and pepper. Make them brown on both sides, add
another piece of butter, if necessary, and add to the cutlets some
chicken giblets, sweetbreads and fresh or dry mushrooms (the latter
softened in water), all cut in pieces. When all this begins to brown,
pour some soup stock and let it simmer on a low fire. Sprinkle a little
flour and finally pour a wineglass (or half a tumbler) of white wine
leaving it boil a little more. When ready to serve remove the ham and
the greens, rub the gravy through a sieve and remove the superfluous
fat.
85
TENDERLOIN WITH MARSALA
(Filetto al marsala)
Roll a piece of the tenderloin, tie it and, if it is about two pounds,
put it on the fire with a middle-sized onion cut in thin slices, some
thin slices of ham and a piece of butter, seasoning but moderately with
salt and pepper. When it is browned from all sides and the onion is
consumed, sprinkle a pinch of flour, let this take color and then pour
some soup stock or water. Make it simmer on a low fire, then rub the
gravy through a sieve, skim off the fat and with this and half a small
tumbler of Marsala or Sherry wine put it back on the fire to simmer
again. Serve with the gravy neither too liquid nor too thick.
The filet can also be larded with bacon and cooked in butter and Marsala
only.
86
MEAT GENOVESE
(Carne alla Genovese)
Take thick slices of good lean veal, weighing about a pound, beat it and
flatten it well. Beat three or four eggs, season them with salt and
pepper, a pinch of grated cheese and some chopped parsley. Fry the eggs
in butter in the form of an omelet about the size of the meat over
which it will be laid, cutting it where it overlaps and putting the
pieces where it lacks so as to cover the meat entirely. After that roll
tight the meat together with the omelet and tie it with thread. Then
sprinkle some flour over it and put it in a saucepan with a piece of
butter, seasoning with salt and pepper. When it is well browned on all
sides, pour some soup stock to complete the cooking and serve it in its
gravy which will be thick enough on account of the flour.
87
RICE PUDDING WITH GIBLETS
(Sfornato di riso con rigoglie)
Make a good brown stock (see No. 13) and use the same for the rice as
well as for the giblets. To these add some thin slices of ham and brown
them first in butter, seasoned moderately with salt and pepper,
completing the cooking with brown stock. A taste of mushrooms will be
found useful.
Brown the rice equally in butter, then complete the cooking with hot
water. Drain and put the brown stock, adding grated cheese and two
beaten eggs, when the rice has cooled a little.
Take a smooth mold, round or oval, grease it evenly with butter, cover
the bottom with buttered paper and place in it the rice to harden it in
the oven. When taken from the mold pour over the gravy from the
giblets, slightly thickened with a pinch of flour and serve with the
giblets around, seeing that there is plenty of gravy for them.
88
PUDDING GENOESE
(Budino alla genovese)
Chop together a slice of veal, some chicken breast and two slices of ham
and then grind or better pound them, with a small piece of butter, a
tablespoonful of grated cheese and a crumb of bread soaked with milk.
Rub through a sieve and add three tablespoonfuls of =Balsamella= (see
No. 54) which you will make thick enough for this dish, three eggs and
just a taste of nutmeg, mixing everything well.
Take a smooth mold, grease it evenly with butter and put on the bottom a
sheet of paper, cut according to the shape of the bottom and equally
greased with butter. Pour over the above ingredients and cook in a
vessel immersed in boiling water (double boiler).
When taken from the mold, remove the paper and in its place put a gravy
formed with chopped chicken giblets cooked in brown stock. Serve hot.
89
LIVER LOAF
(Pane di fegato)
Cut about one pound of veal liver in thin slices and four chicken livers
in two parts and put all this in a saucepan with rosemary and a piece of
butter. When this is melted put in another piece and season with salt
and pepper. After four or five minutes at a live fire, remove the liver
(dry) and grind it together with the rosemary. In the gravy that remains
in the saucepan put a big crumb of bread, cut into small pieces and make
a paste that will also be ground with the liver. Then rub everything
through a sieve, add one whole egg and two yolks and a pinch of grated
cheese, diluting with brown stock or water. Finally put in a smooth mold
with a sheet of paper in the bottom, all evenly greased with butter and
cook in a double boiler. Remove from the mold when cool and serve cold,
with gelatine.
90
VEAL WITH TUNNY
(Vitello tonnato)
Take two pounds of meat without bones, remove the fat and tendons, then
lard it with two anchovies. These must be washed and boned and cut
lengthwise, after opening them, making in all eight pieces. Tie the
piece of meat not very tight and boil it for an hour and a half in
enough water to cover it completely. Previously put into the water one
quarter of an onion larded with clover, one leaf of laurel, celery,
carrot and parsley. Salt the water generously and don't put the veal in
until it is boiling. When the veal is cooked, untie, dry it and keep it
for two or three days in the following sauce in quantity sufficient to
cover it.