birds, splitting them down the back first. Save the feet. Make a
force-meat of _pate de foie gras_ and panada in equal proportions;
season highly, spread the inside of the birds, sew them up as nearly in
shape as possible; bake seven to ten minutes, then dip them into glaze;
put a little pale aspic in a dozen dariole moulds, enough to cover the
bottom a quarter of an inch, and when just set put in a bird breast
down; set on ice a few minutes, then pour in aspic to cover the bird a
quarter of an inch. Put on ice. Turn out, and on the top of each strew
pistachio nuts chopped very fine. Insert the two feet of the bird,
scalded and dried, to stand up from the centre.
_Chaudfroid of Reed-birds._--Prepare as in last recipe with _pate de
foie gras_ force-meat. Butter a dozen dariole moulds. Put a bird in
each, breast downward; put the dariole moulds in a pan with a little
water, and set it in the oven for fifteen minutes; when cold, turn out
the birds, wipe them, dip each in brown _chaudfroid_ sauce, and put them
on a dish to cool. When cold, lay them in rows against a pile of chopped
aspic.
_Brown Chaudfroid Sauce_ is made by putting a pint of Spanish sauce, a
gill of cream, half a pint of aspic jelly together, and boiling them
until they are reduced one quarter. Skim constantly, and strain for use.
_White Chaudfroid Sauce_ is simply bechamel and aspic treated in the
same way. It differs, of course, from plain bechamel in having the
piquant flavor of the aspic; in appearance there is little difference.
XVIII.
COLD ENTREES.
_Iced Savory Souffle._--This dish can be made of fish, game, or chicken,
but is considered best made of crab. Cut up the crab, or whatever it may
be, into small pieces; let it soak in mayonnaise sauce for two or three
hours. Have some well-flavored aspic jelly, half liquid; whip it till it
is very frothy; put some of this at the bottom of the dish it is to be
served in--a silver one is most effective; then place a layer of crab
well seasoned, and fill it up with aspic and crab alternately until the
dish is nearly full; place a band of stiff paper round, and fill in with
whipped aspic; set it on ice for two hours; take off the paper, and
serve.
_Savories._--Within the last few years, which may, perhaps, be called
the renaissance of cooking in England, since Kettner, in his "Book of
the Table," shows that in the Middle Ages that country was famous for
its cuisine, while France was still benighted--within the last few
years, then, there has grown up a fashion of introducing preparations
called _savories_. They vary very much, from the tiny little _bouchette_
of something very piquant, to be taken between courses as an
appetizer--which, I believe, was the original idea--to quite important
dishes suitable as entrees for formal breakfasts or suppers. But it is
with the original "savory" as a piquant mouthful that they will take
their place in this book. So important a part have they come to play in
English _menus_ (I am not now speaking of simple dinners) that the
invention of a new "savory" is something to be proud of, and it is said
that the very best are invented by the _bons vivants_ themselves, seldom
by the _chef_. One lady has written a book of which _savories_ is the
only branch of cooking treated, and she says in her preface, "Savories
being at present so fashionable, and novelties in them so eagerly
inquired for, I have been induced to publish a small book on the
subject."
In looking over any list of small savories we find many of our old
friends in it, such as _cheese canapes_, _angels on horseback_, _anchovy
toast_, etc. With these familiar dainties we will have nothing to do,
only the mention of them will serve to show that any little piquant
morsel may be used as an appetizer served as _hors d'oeuvres_.
_The Savage Club Canapes._--These must be made small enough not to
require dividing--in other words, can be eaten at one mouthful. Cut
slices of stale Vienna bread a quarter of an inch thick, stamp out from
them with a very small cutter circles about the size of a fifty-cent
piece. Saute these in a little hot butter till they are a very pale
brown. Lay them on paper when done, to absorb grease. Stone as many
small olives as you have guests; fillet half as many small
anchovies--that is to say, split them, and remove the bones and scales;
wash them, dry them, and roll each one up as small as possible, and
insert it in an olive in place of the stone. Now trim one end of the
olive so that it will stand; then put a drop of thick mayonnaise on the
centre of one of the rounds of fried bread, which, of course, must be
quite cold; stand the stuffed olive on it neatly, and put one drop of
mayonnaise on the top, to cover the opening in the olive. A variation,
and I think an improvement, on this bouchee, is to use a little softened
aspic to attach the olive, and a small quantity finely chopped to crown
it. Still another plan is to put a tiny disk of bright-red beet on the
top, using aspic to cement it there.
_Canapes a la Bismarck._--Cut circles with a small cutter from slices of
stale bread a quarter of an inch thick; saute in butter till they are a
light brown; spread over each when cold a thin layer of anchovy butter;
curl round on each an anchovy well washed, boned, and trimmed; sprinkle
very finely shred olives over them. Anchovy butter is two parts butter
and one of anchovy paste.
_Caviare Canapes._--Cut some slices of bread a quarter of an inch thick;
cut disks from them with a small round cutter; fry them pale brown in
butter. When about to use them chop a large handful of water-cress
leaves very fine, taking care to press them in a cloth to remove all
water before you begin to chop; when they are almost as fine as pulp,
mix with them an equal amount of butter; when well blended, spread each
canape with it, and spread a layer of caviare on the top.
_Prawns en Surprise._--Cut some small rounds of bread and butter, not
more than two inches in diameter and a quarter inch thick. Peel some
prawns; steep them in mayonnaise sauce a few minutes; place three on
each round of bread-and-butter, with a small piece of water-cress on
each. Place over all some whipped aspic jelly; strew lobster coral over
them.
_Prince of Wales Canapes._--Take some fine prawns, three anchovies, two
gherkins, and two truffles. Bone the anchovies and wash them, peel the
prawns, and then cut all the ingredients into very small dice. Make a
sauce as follows: Bruise a hard-boiled yolk of egg in a mortar with a
tablespoonful of salad oil, a saltspoonful of mustard; mix with this an
anchovy and a teaspoonful of tarragon that has been scalded and chopped;
pound all well together, and pass through a sieve with a teaspoonful of
tarragon vinegar and a speck of cayenne; mix enough of this with the
prawns, etc., to season the mixture. Salt, it will be observed, is not
mentioned, because the anchovies and prawns may be salt, but this can
only be known to the cook by tasting. Butter some small water biscuits
(crackers), put a small teaspoonful of the mixture on each, and cover
with finely chopped aspic. Garnish by putting a spot of green gherkin on
one, a spot of red beet on another, and on a third one of truffle, and
so on alternately.
_Shrimp Canapes._--Fry some rounds of bread as directed for other
canapes. Make some shrimp butter by pounding equal quantities of
shrimps, from which heads, tails, and shells have been removed, and
fresh butter till they form a smooth mass; spread the fried bread with
it. Place whole shrimps on the top in the shape of a rosette, in the
centre of which put a tiny pinch of chopped parsley.
_Cheese Biscuits a la St. James._--Take three tablespoonfuls of the
finest flour, half a pound of cream curds, and five ounces of Brie
cheese, which has been carefully scraped, and a pinch of salt; pound all
in a mortar; add five ounces of softened butter and three eggs, to make
a very stiff paste, which must be rolled very thin, and cut into round
biscuits. Bake in a very quick oven, and serve hot.
_Kluskis of Cream Cheese._--Take half a pound of fresh butter, six eggs,
six tablespoonfuls of cream cheese, a pinch of powdered sugar, salt, and
sufficient grated bread crumbs to make a paste, adding cream if it
crumbles; mix well together, and roll into small balls; poach them in
boiling water until firm (no longer). Serve hot, with a spoonful of
poivrade sauce on each.
_Cold Cheese Souffles._--Grate one and a half ounces of Gruyere cheese;
the same of Parmesan. Whip half a pint of cream and a gill of aspic
jelly to a high froth; stir in the cheese; season with salt, cayenne,
and made mustard to taste. Fill little paper baskets or very small
ramequin cases, grate cheese over the top, and set on ice to get firm.
The above mixture may be frozen just as you would ice-cream, but very
firm, then cut out in little cubes, and serve on canapes of fried bread;
it is then called "Croutes de Fromage Glace."
_Oysters a la St. George._--Take the beards from two dozen oysters; put
the melt (or soft roe) of two Yarmouth bloaters into a saute pan with
two ounces of butter; dry and flour the oysters, and saute them with
the melt. Have some squares of bread fried a nice light brown; place a
nice piece of the melt on each square, and an oyster on top; squeeze a
few drops of lemon juice on each, and serve very hot.
_Allumettes._--For these fantastic little trifles you require anchovies
preserved in oil--not in salt; they are found at all Italian groceries
and at the larger American grocers'. Wipe them free from scales and oil;
cut each into long, thin strips. Have ready some plain pastry rolled
very thin; envelop each strip of anchovy in pastry; pinch closely, so
that it will not burst open, and fry in very hot fat for a half-minute,
or saute them in butter till crisp and yellow. Serve log-house fashion,
using two allumettes for each crossing instead of one; put fried parsley
in the corners, and serve very hot.
_Eggs a la St. James._--Take as many eggs as you have guests, and boil
them hard in buttered dariole moulds; the moulds must be large enough to
hold the egg when broken into it, but not much larger. When quite cold
remove the eggs; slice off the white at one end of each, taking care to
preserve the shape. Scoop out the yolk; mix this with a teaspoonful of
chopped truffles, a little pepper and salt, and put it back very neatly
into the whites. Coat the eggs with aspic jelly several times. Serve
them upside down, that is, the uncut part upward. Put a spoonful of
half-mayonnaise (mayonnaise mixed with whipped cream) on each, and a few
specks of chopped truffle.
A variety of this dish has anchovy paste in very small quantity in place
of truffle, and the mayonnaise just made pink with it.
XIX.
GALANTINES, BALLOTINES, ETC.
Galantines are so useful and handsome a dish in a large family, or one
where many visitors are received, that it is well worth while to learn
the art of boning birds in order to achieve them. Nor, if the amateur
cook is satisfied with the unambitious mode of boning hereafter to be
described, need the achievement be very difficult.
Experts bone a bird whole without breaking the skin, but to accomplish
it much practice is required; and even where it is desirable to preserve
the shape of the bird, as when it is to be braised, or roasted and
glazed for serving cold, it can be managed with care if boned the easier
way. However, if nice white milk-fed veal can be obtained, a very
excellent galantine may be made from it, and to my mind to be preferred
to fowl, because, as a matter of fact, when boned there is such a thin
sheet of meat that it but serves as a covering for the force-meat (very
often sausage-meat), and although it makes a savory and handsome dish,
it really is only glorified sausage-meat, much easier to produce in some
other way. This is, of course, not the case with turkey; but a boned
turkey is so large a dish that a private family might find it too much
except for special occasions. On the other hand, galantines of game,
although the birds may be still smaller, are so full of flavor that it
overwhelms that of the dressing.
The following process of boning, however, applies to all birds. To
accomplish the work with ease and success, a French boning-knife is
desirable, but in the absence of one a sharp-pointed case-knife may do.
Place the bird before you, breast down, with the head towards you. Cut a
straight line down the back through skin and flesh to the bone. Release
with the left thumb and forefinger the skin and flesh on the left side
nearest to you, and with the right hand keep cutting away the flesh from
the bone, pulling it away clear as it is cut with the left hand. When
you reach the wing joint cut it clean away, leaving the bone in the
wing, and continue cutting with the knife close to the bone until all
the meat from the left breast is released. Return to the back and
continue to separate the meat from the bone, always keeping the edge of
the knife pressed close to the latter, until the leg is reached; twist
it round, which will enable you to get the skin over it, and cut the
joint from the body bone. Proceed with the right side in the same way,
using your left hand for cutting and your right to free the meat (to
some this would be very awkward, and when it is so turn the bird round).
The bird will now be clear of the carcass. Lay the bird flat on the
board, inside upward, then cut out the wing-bone and proceed to the
legs; cut the meat on the inside of each thigh down to the bone and
clear the meat from it, cutting it each side until you can lift the
bone out; then free the drumstick in the same way.
If it be intended to stuff the bird in form, it would be necessary to
bone the leg and wings from the inside, but for a galantine it is
useless trouble, as they are to be drawn inside the bird. Spread out the
bird, having drawn legs and wings inside, season with a teaspoonful of
salt and half a saltspoonful of white pepper mixed together, and rubbed
over the flesh, which must have been made as even as possible by cutting
the thick parts and spreading them over the thin ones. If there are any
bits of meat clinging to the bones they must be carefully gathered
together and chopped with a pound of veal and two ounces of lean cold
boiled ham, with four ounces of fat, sweet, salt pork. (Butter may be
substituted if pork is objected to). When all is chopped as fine as
sausage-meat, season rather highly with pepper and salt. Spread a layer
an inch thick over the bird; then add some long strips of tongue, some
black truffles cut into dice half an inch square, and a few pistachio
nuts. Dispose these, which may be called the ornamental adjuncts of the
galantine, judiciously, so that when cut cold they will be well
distributed. Cover carefully with another layer of force-meat, fold both
sides over so that the force-meat will be well enclosed, form it into a
bolster-shaped roll, tie it up in a linen cloth securely with string at
each end, and sew the cloth evenly along the middle, so that the shape
will keep even. Put it into a stewpan with stock enough to cover it, two
onions, two carrots sliced, a stick of celery, a small bunch of parsley,
a dozen peppercorns, an ounce of salt, and the bones of the bird, well
cracked. Let it _simmer gently_ for three hours and a half. Take it up,
strain the liquor, and let the galantine get nearly cold. Take off the
cloth; wring it quite dry; put it on again, rolling the galantine as
tight as possible; tie firmly, and place it on a platter; cover with
another platter, and place a heavy weight upon it to press it into
shape. Let the stock get cold. Take off the grease. Add a
half-teaspoonful of sugar and the juice of a quarter of a lemon to the
stock, and reduce by rapid boiling to a half-glaze, that is to say, a
jelly firm enough to cut into forms without being tough. Clear with
white of egg in the usual way, and when quite transparent pour part into
shallow dishes, leaving enough to cover the galantine. Color one dish a
rich clear brown; leave the rest light. When the jelly thickens, but is
not quite set, cover the galantine with it half an inch thick. When the
jelly is cold, cut it into what are called _croutons_, which may mean
vandyked strips, to be laid across, triangles, squares, or any fancy
shapes; the pieces and trimmings are chopped to scatter over the dish or
lay in small piles round.
_Ballotines_ are small galantines made by treating small birds as
directed in last recipe, only that the force-meat should have a larger
proportion of truffles, and be made of the same kind of bird; for
instance, grouse would have rich force-meat of grouse. One grouse,
however, would make two or four ballotines; quails make two, to be
served as individuals.
_Galantine of Breast of Veal._--Bone a breast of young white veal very
carefully, spread it out as flat as possible on the board, pare the meat
at the ends for about an inch so that the skin may project beyond. Take
all the scraps of meat that may have come from boning, provided they are
not sinewy; take also twelve ounces of veal cutlet, and half the
quantity of fat unsmoked bacon. Chop very fine, seasoning all rather
highly. When the meat is fine, season the inside of the veal. Mix with
the force-meat tongue, truffles, and pistachio-nuts or olives, all cut
into half-inch dice (the tongue larger). So mix these that they will
come at regular intervals through the stuffing. Roll the breast round
the stuffing, which is not spread, but laid in a mass, and sew the veal
together. Fasten it up in a cloth, tie securely at the ends, then tie
bands of tape round at intervals to keep it in shape.
Braise this galantine for six hours in stock, which may be made of a
small knuckle of veal and the bones and trimmings. Vegetables as
directed for chicken galantine.
Let the galantine be cold before it is untied. Garnish and glaze as
directed for chicken.
Galantine is occasionally made of sucking pig, and is very popular in
France. The pig must be carefully boned, all but the head and feet. A
sufficient quantity of veal, of fat unsmoked bacon, and of bread panada
must be chopped and pounded to make enough force-meat to stuff the pig
in the proportion of one part bacon, two panada, and three of veal,
seasoned with a teaspoonful of onion juice and two of powdered sage.
The pig's liver must have been boiled in stock, and cut in dice. There
must be fillets or strips of rabbit or chicken, a few chopped truffles
and olives. Mix well. Lay in the fillets as you stuff the pig, and when
full sew up the opening. Try to keep the shape as near as possible. Then
braise slowly for four to five hours, as directed for galantine of veal.
Do not remove the cloth till it is cold.
XX.
HOW TO "FILLET."--COLD GAME PIES.
I have spoken several times of "filleting." To some readers an
explanation of the term may be necessary. To "cut up" a bird does not
indicate the meaning, nor does the term "to carve" it do so, because to
carve means to cut up or divide with an exact observance of joints and
"cuts." Filleting, when applied to anything without bones, as the breast
of a bird or boned fish, means to cut into very neat strips that are
thicker than slices; but when you are directed to "fillet" a grouse or a
chicken, it is intended that you should cut it into small neat portions
regardless of joints and without the least mangling of it; therefore a
very sharp knife must be used, and either a small sharp cleaver or a
large cook's knife only to be employed when a bone has to be cut
through.
_To Fillet Cooked Birds: Grouse, Pheasants, or Poultry._--Cut the bird
in half straight down the middle of the breast-bone, using a large sharp
knife for the purpose. Lay each half on the table and take out the
breast-bone from either side. If the bird is a large fowl, duck, or
partridge, each breast will make three fillets, and leave a good piece
with the wing, but average birds only make two breast fillets. Chop off
the pinions within an inch of the meat, then cut the wing in two neatly;
drumsticks are to be chopped off close to the meat, and divided into two
fillets (if a large chicken or duck; leave game whole); cut the thigh in
two also. Trim very neatly; leave no hanging skin; indeed, when
filleting for _chaudfroids_ the skin should be entirely removed, and
both it and the leg-bones are removed for pies. When possible, it is
better not to use the drumsticks. From a chicken they make an admirable
"devil," and from game they help the bones and trimmings to make a rich
gravy; so it is no waste to discard them.
Cold pies are of two kinds: the one cooked in a terrine or dish without
pastry; the other in what the English call a "raised paste," and the
French a _pate chaude_. Those with paste--which is seldom eaten--are far
handsomer, but do not keep so well--that is to say, they must be eaten
within three or four days even in winter; while in a terrine carefully
kept in a cool airy place the pie will be good at the end of three
weeks.
On the other hand, the pie in a terrine is much less trouble to make.
Proceed as follows:
_Game Pie._--Make some force-meat thus: Fry a quarter of a pound of fat
ham cut in dice with half a pound of lean veal. Take the ham up before
it gets brown, as you do not need it crisp; when the veal is cooked take
that up also, and if there is enough of the ham fat in the pan, put in
half a pound of calf's liver cut up in dice, if not, saute it in
butter. In sauteing all these they must be often stirred, as you want
them well cooked and yet not very brown. When done they must be finely
chopped, then pounded in a mortar, with a small teaspoonful of salt, and
half a saltspoonful of pepper. Then add a dozen mushrooms chopped, and
mix the whole.
A game pie is usually made rather large, and the greater variety of game
used, the better; partridge, pheasant, grouse, hare, all help one
another, but at least two kinds are necessary. It must be boned and
neatly filleted into small joints. Put on all the bones and trimmings to
stew in three pints of water, with a good-sized carrot, onion, a stick
of celery, a small bouquet, a clove, a teaspoonful of sugar, one of
salt, and a little pepper; boil all this until the bones look white and
dry when out of the stock. Strain, and reduce by rapid boiling to a
half-glaze; put a layer of the force-meat at the bottom of the dish,
then one of boned game, with a sprinkling of pepper and salt, and either
a little finely chopped parsley or, what is far better, a few thin
slices of truffles; pour over a little of the reduced stock; fill the
dish in this way to within an inch of the top; make a plain
flour-and-water paste, lay it on the pie, and make a hole in the centre,
bake slowly in a pan of hot water. When cold, remove the paste, cover
the top with chopped aspic, fold a napkin, and serve the terrine on it,
with a wreath of parsley round the base. Game pie is not a dish to be
eaten at one or even two meals (unless very small), therefore the aspic
must be fresh each time it is served.
_French Method of Making a Game Pie or Pate Chaude._--Make a paste of
two pounds of flour and one of lard or butter, with salt to taste and
about half a pint of water; knead it into a smooth, rather hard paste;
put it into a damp napkin for an hour. Butter a raised pie dish--a tin
one that opens to release the pie--line it with the paste rolled half
an inch thick, letting it come half an inch above the dish; line the
inside of the paste with buttered paper, bottom and sides, and fill with
rice or corn meal; cover with another piece of buttered paper, wet the
top of the pastry all round, and lay a cover of thin pastry over it;
trim very neatly, make a hole in the centre, and ornament with leaves
cut from the paste and laid on; the under side should be slightly
moistened to make them adhere. Brush the surface with well-beaten egg,
and bake about an hour, when it should be a nice golden brown. Take off
the cover; after it has slightly cooled, remove the rice or meal and the
buttered paper; take the case from the mould, and brush it all over with
egg inside and out; set it in the oven until the glazing dries, and any
part that may not be sufficiently brown becomes the color of the cover,
which, being glazed at first, is not returned to the oven.