with one ounce of butter and one tablespoonful of salt. When soft, chop
them up; meanwhile cook slowly in a stew-pan one sliced onion, a little
celery, half a turnip, two ounces of butter, one of ham, three or four
bay leaves, and a little grated nutmeg. Put in the artichokes, stir,
and add one tablespoonful of flour and one pint (or less) of milk to
form a proper thickness when boiled. Pass through a fine hair sieve and
serve hot.
* * * * *
_Leeks ‘alla Casalinga.’_
Cut off the root, peel the white part of the leek (about three inches),
and blanch them in hot water. Dry, braise them in butter, stock, and a
little sugar; and when well glacé serve at once.
_Leeks ‘al Forno.’_
Take twenty leeks, cut them into pieces two inches long, and put them
into cold water. Then boil them in plenty of salted boiling water, and
when done throw them again into cold water. Melt some fresh butter
in a sauce-pan and simmer the leeks over a slow fire, add seven
tablespoonfuls of a white sauce made with cream and chicken broth, a
sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, and the yolk of an egg. Mix well, then
put the leeks into a baking dish and brown them slightly in the oven.
Serve hot.
_Leeks ‘alla Salza Bianca.’_
Take twenty leeks, cut them into pieces two inches long and put
them into cold water. Then boil them in plenty of salted boiling
water, when done throw them again into cold water. Put fresh butter
into a sauce-pan and simmer the leeks over a slow fire, add five
tablespoonfuls of a white sauce made with cream and chicken broth, and
a little pepper. Serve up hot.
* * * * *
_Lentils ‘alla Corona.’_
After boiling one pint of lentils with a bouquet of sweet herbs, strain
them. Meanwhile mince some ham with a very little onion and put it to
brown with some butter; then add one or two ladlefuls of good stock,
boil, and strain. Pour this sauce over the lentils with a good piece of
butter, salt and pepper to taste, heat them, and garnish boiled beef or
pork with them.
_Lentils ‘in Istufato.’_
Put an earthen pot on the fire, and just before the water boils throw
in one pint of lentils. As it boils skim off the lentils which float to
the surface, and continue to do this until all are taken out; the few
which remain at the bottom of the pot must be strained through a sieve.
Chop up two anchovies, place them in a sauce-pan with some pure oil
and butter, and a little minced shallot, brown them well, put in the
lentils, and then add some good stock or soup. When cooked serve up hot.
_Lentils ‘alla Provenzale.’_
Leave one pint of lentils in cold water for twelve hours. Strain, put
them into hot water, and boil them rapidly; then cook them slowly for
about an hour, drain them well, put them back into boiling water and
cook until quite soft. Pass them through a sieve, and put them into a
sauce-pan with two ounces of butter, a very little onion juice, pepper
and salt to taste, and stir for a quarter of an hour over the fire.
Serve up very hot. Two tablespoonfuls of cream are a good addition.
_Lentil Purée._
Boil the lentils in water with a spoonful of butter, then rub them
through a sieve. Put some minced parsley, celery, carrot, and a very
little onion on the fire with two or three ounces of butter; when
brown, pour in a ladleful of good stock. Strain, flavour the lentils
with it, adding salt and pepper to taste. The purée should be pretty
stiff.
_Lentils ‘al Riso.’_
Cook the lentils as in ‘alla Provenzale.’ Then take half a pint of rice
and put it into an earthen pot of boiling water. When cooked, drain the
rice through a sieve, and stand it near the fire for ten or fifteen
minutes to dry. Place two ounces of butter in a frying-pan, and when
melted, add a small onion chopped up fine; when browned, put in the
lentils and rice, and stir them over the fire for a quarter of an hour.
Add a little salt and pepper, and serve up very hot.
* * * * *
_Lettuce ‘Farcite.’_
Cut off the roots, wash, and clean five or six lettuce heads. Put
them into boiling water for five minutes, then fill the inside with
force-meat. Tie the tops together, and put them in a sauce-pan, adding
a quarter of a pint of Marsala sauce, and the same of good white broth.
Add salt and pepper to taste, cover the sauce-pan with buttered paper,
and cook in the oven for fifteen minutes. Place the lettuces on a hot
dish (having untied them), pour the sauce over, and serve hot.
_Lettuce ‘al Forno.’_
Wash the lettuce, remove the faded leaves, and cut off the root. Tie
the tops together, lay the lettuces side by side in a baking-pan, and
pour in one and a half inches of stock. Cover the pan and put it in a
moderate oven for half an hour, adding stock when necessary. Place a
fork under the middle of each lettuce, raise and drain, and lay them
doubled up on a hot dish. Season the gravy in the pan with butter, salt
and pepper, thicken with one beaten egg, and pour it over the lettuce.
Serve hot.
_Lettuce ‘alla Spagnuola.’_
Remove the lower leaves and cut twelve fine lettuces in half, blanch,
then drain, and put them into a sauce-pan; sprinkle with salt, and
cover them with slices of lard and ham, moisten with a little broth,
cover the pan with greased paper, and cook in the oven. Drain and
remove the fat, then roll the lettuces in the shape of prunes, and lay
them on croûtons of buttered toast. Pour some sauce ‘Suprema’ (see
Sauces, p. 125) over them, and serve hot.
* * * * *
MACCARONI AND OTHER PASTES.
_Maccaroni ‘alla Béchamel.’_
Take three-quarters of a pound of blanched maccaroni (see p. 3) and
put it into a sauce-pan with three ounces of good fresh butter,
tossing until the butter is thoroughly absorbed. Then add five or six
tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, one spoonful of salt, a little pepper
and grated nutmeg, and quarter of a pint of sauce ‘alla Béchamel’ (see
Sauces, p. 119). Toss well together, without stirring, and heat for
five minutes. Place in a deep dish and serve up hot.
_Maccaroni ‘alla Crema.’_
Boil three-quarters pound of fresh maccaroni in plenty of salted water
for three quarters of an hour, with an onion stuck with two cloves
and half an ounce of butter. Drain it well (taking out the onion) and
put it back in a sauce-pan with four ounces of butter, four ounces of
grated Swiss cheese, and four of grated Parmesan cheese, a small pinch
of nutmeg, and a pinch of pepper. Add half a pint of veal broth, and
four or five tablespoonfuls of cream. Cook for five minutes, stirring
well, and as soon as the maccaroni is ropy serve up hot.
_Maccaroni ‘al Forno.’ No. 1._
Boil three-quarters of a pound of maccaroni as in above recipe. When
drained, put it into a baking dish, sprinkle with bread-crumbs and
grated Parmesan cheese, pour a little clarified fresh butter over it,
and place it in the oven for ten minutes. When of a golden colour serve
up at once.
_Maccaroni ‘al Forno.’ No. 2._
Break some large maccaroni into pieces about four inches long, and stew
it in consommé or veal broth until tender. Put a layer of maccaroni in
a dish, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Gruyère cheese grated fine.
Repeat the layers until the dish is full, then cover the top with a
thick layer of the cheese, some finely grated bread-crumbs, and small
bits of fresh butter. Bake long enough to brown the top, and serve at
once.
_Maccaroni ‘al Forno.’ No. 3._
Break enough maccaroni into bits one and a half or two inches long to
half-fill a pie-dish. Put it into salted boiling water, and boil for
twelve or fifteen minutes until perfectly soft. Shake the sauce-pan
often, or the maccaroni will stick to the bottom. Drain it well, then
put it into the dish with butter, salt, and grated cheese. Fill the
dish with milk, so as to cover the maccaroni, and bake until the milk
is absorbed and the top browned. For every half-pound of maccaroni one
and a half tablespoonfuls of melted butter must be used. Middle-sized
maccaroni is the best for this dish.
_Maccaroni ‘au Gratin.’_
Take three-quarters of a pound of blanched maccaroni (see p. 3). Make a
good white sauce, mix in plenty of grated Parmesan cheese, and add salt
and pepper to taste. Place the maccaroni and sauce in a dish, and bake
in a moderate oven until browned.
_Maccaroni ‘all’ Italiana.’_
Prepare three-quarters of a pound of fresh maccaroni as in ‘alla
Crema.’ Then place it in a sauce-pan with a gill of Vellutata sauce
(see Sauces, p. 127), to which add a little Marsala, and a quarter of a
pound of grated Parmesan cheese. Add very little salt, some pepper and
nutmeg, and cook slowly for ten minutes, tossing frequently. Serve on a
hot dish with grated Parmesan cheese separately.
_Maccaroni ‘al Latte.’_
Parboil three-quarters pound of long maccaroni in salted water, then
drain it well. Put half an ounce of flour and two ounces of butter into
a sauce-pan and stir them well; when they begin to colour, pour one and
a quarter to one and a half pints of milk in gradually, and boil for
ten minutes. Then put in the maccaroni and one ounce of grated Gruyère
cheese, stand the sauce-pan on the edge of the fire to simmer, and let
the maccaroni absorb the milk. When cooked, add one and a half ounces
more butter and one and a half ounces of grated Parmesan cheese, put
the maccaroni into a baking dish and cover it with grated bread-crumbs.
Place it in an oven and serve when browned.
_Maccaroni ‘alla Napolitana.’_
Boil and prepare three-quarters of a pound of maccaroni as in ‘alla
Crema.’ Drain, and put it in a sauce-pan with half a pint of sauce
‘Suprema,’ half a pint of Tomato sauce (see Sauces, pp. 125, 126),
a quarter of a pound of grated Parmesan cheese, two truffles, six
mushrooms, and half an ounce of tongue, all cut up into small pieces.
Cook over a sharp fire for ten minutes, tossing well all the time, and
serve hot.
_Maccaroni ‘alla Quaresima.’_
Parboil twelve ounces of maccaroni and drain it well. Put one onion,
a little parsley, and six anchovies all finely chopped up, into a
frying-pan with butter, and fry for six or eight minutes; add this to
the maccaroni with half a tumbler of white wine, one of fish soup (or
water), and a pinch of white pepper, boil over a slow fire for twenty
minutes, and serve at once sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.
_Maccaroni ‘alla Semplice.’_
Boil twelve ounces of maccaroni in salted boiling water, then drain
well and put them on a hot dish. Pour four ounces of fresh melted
butter over them and mix in gradually six ounces of grated Swiss
cheese. Stir with two forks, and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese
thickly over before serving hot.
_Maccaroni ‘alla Siciliana.’_
Blanch (see p. 3) and strain about three-quarters of a pound of fresh
maccaroni and cut it into small pieces, then mince one pound of roast
veal, four ounces of ham, slice four hard-boiled eggs, and mix with
one and a half tablespoonfuls of finely chopped-up sweet herbs, add
salt and pepper to taste. Butter a mould, and sprinkle it well with
bread-crumbs, then line it with thin paste; put in alternate layers of
maccaroni sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese, and of force-meat,
until the mould is full; add half a pint of good stock, cover with
paste and bake in a slow oven for about forty minutes. Serve hot.
_Maccaroni ‘Timbale alla Milanese.’_
Take one pound of flour, one pound of butter, a quarter of an ounce
of salt, and one wineglassful of water, and work the paste well; roll
it out thin and cover carefully the inside of a timbale shape. If any
air bubbles remain between the paste and the shape, prick them to let
out the air. Cook three-quarters of a pound of maccaroni in salted
boiling water, drain, and put it into a sauce-pan with some good gravy,
two ounces of butter, a little grated nutmeg, and some grated Gruyère
cheese; mix well, pour into the mould, and cover with a piece of paste
which fits, passing some white of egg with a brush round the join. Bake
in the oven for three-quarters of an hour, turn the timbale carefully
out of the shape and serve. The timbale can be enriched by adding thin
slices of hare, veal, or sweetbread, truffles and small mushrooms to
the maccaroni.
_Maccaroni ‘Timbale alla Napolitana.’_
Boil half a pound of maccaroni as in ‘alla Crema.’ Prepare a timbale
shape about seven inches in diameter and butter it. Arrange long
maccaroni round and round the mould inside until it is covered, and
then stand it in the ice-box until wanted. Put the remaining maccaroni
into a sauce-pan with two ounces of good butter, tossing well for
five minutes, then add a tablespoonful of salt and a little cayenne
pepper, five tablespoonfuls of grated Gruyère cheese, and a quarter of
a pint of Tomato sauce (see Sauces, p. 126), and again toss all well
together. Add some thin slices of truffles and boiled tongue, toss
for two minutes, and take it off the fire to cool for a quarter of an
hour. Then fill the mould with the maccaroni, taking great care not
to disturb the inside coil of maccaroni. Put the mould into a large
sauce-pan, filled to only half the height of the mould with water, and
place it in a moderate oven to cook for one hour. When done turn the
timbale carefully out of the mould on to a hot dish, pour a little hot
Tomato sauce round it, and serve.
* * * * *
OTHER PASTES.
_Agnellotti ‘alla Poggio Gherardo.’_
Take the meat of a boiled chicken (hare, pheasant, or any game will do
as well) and pound in a mortar with one truffle, two ounces of crumb
of bread soaked in veal broth, two ounces of butter, a pinch of salt,
the same of pepper, and a little grated nutmeg. When well worked into
a paste rub it through a sieve. Meanwhile take one pound of flour,
three eggs, half a tumbler of milk, and a pinch of salt, mix up into
a paste and work it well. Lay it aside for half an hour, then roll it
out very thin, divide it in half and let it dry. Then take one half and
put the meat paste on it in little heaps (half a teaspoonful) about
three inches distant from each other. Cover them with the other half
of paste, cut round the little heaps, and press the edges of the two
pastes together to prevent the meat stuffing from coming out. Put the
agnellotti into a sauce-pan with a great deal of salted boiling water
in it, and boil slowly. When done take them out with a strainer, season
with butter, grated Parmesan cheese, and good gravy. Serve very hot.
_Crescioni._
Boil a bunch of spinach, drain it well and put it to simmer with some
pure olive oil, a taste of shallot, some chopped parsley, and salt and
pepper to taste: season with some raisins (stoned) and some currants,
and a little sugar. Put the spinach into rounds of paste made of flour
and eggs, about two inches in diameter, and fold the paste over the
spinach (as you make a turnover). Fry in pure olive oil.
_Gnocchi ‘alla Romana.’_
Mix five and a half ounces of flour and two eggs in a sauce-pan, add
one pint of milk by degrees, and three-quarters of an ounce of Gruyère
cheese cut into bits. When the paste is cooked put in salt to taste,
and three-quarters of an ounce of good butter, spread it in a dish to
the thickness of three-quarters of an inch, and let it cool. Then cut
it into small square pieces and pile it in layers in a baking-dish with
three-quarters of an ounce of good butter in bits, and three-quarters
of an ounce of grated Parmesan cheese between the layers (but not on
the outside). Brown with the salamander or in a hot oven, and serve at
once.
_Gnocchi of Semolina._
Take one pint of milk, four and a half ounces of semolina and boil;
before taking it off the fire add salt to taste, one ounce of good
butter, and three-quarters of an ounce of Parmesan cheese. Before it
gets cold mix in two eggs, then pour it out on a dish, spreading it in
an even thickness of about three-quarters of an inch. When cold cut it
in small square pieces. Pile them one on another in a vegetable dish,
adding between each layer one ounce of good butter in bits, and some
grated Parmesan cheese (but not on the top), put the gnocchi into a hot
oven to be slightly browned, and serve hot.
_Pappardelle with Hare._
Make a paste with flour, and three eggs, roll it about the thickness of
a florin, and cut it into strips the width of a finger. Boil in salted
water and put it aside to dry. Cut up the fillets, or the thighs of
a hare (about eight ounces) into small pieces, mince one and a half
ounces of bacon, half a small onion, half a carrot, and a quarter of a
head of celery, and put them to cook with three-quarters of an ounce
of butter, and season with salt and pepper. When browned, sprinkle the
meat with one tablespoonful of flour, moisten it with one wine-glassful
of gravy, and let it simmer for a time, adding one and a quarter ounces
of butter and a little grated nutmeg. Place the pappardelle (the strips
of paste) on a hot dish, grate a little Parmesan cheese over them, add
the hare condiment, and serve hot.
_Spaghetti ‘con Acciughe.’_
Take twelve ounces of medium-sized spaghetti, parboil in slightly
salted water; meanwhile wash and bone five anchovies, chop them up
fine and put them into a sauce-pan with an abundance of pure olive
oil, and a pinch of pepper. Do not let them boil, but when hot add two
ounces of butter and the pulp of one or two tomatoes (or some tomato
conserve). Pour this sauce over the spaghetti and serve hot.
_Spaghetti ‘al Forno.’_
Boil three-quarters of a pound of fresh spaghetti in plenty of salted
water for three-quarters of an hour, adding an onion with two or three
cloves stuck into it and half an ounce of butter. Drain and place them
in a sauce-pan with half a pint of sauce ‘Alla Tedesca’ and half a pint
of sauce ‘Alla Béchamel.’ Add a good pinch of pepper, a little grated
nutmeg, and a quarter of a pound of grated Gruyère cheese. Toss well,
then put them in a baking-dish, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese
and bread-crumbs, pour a little clarified butter over them, and put
into the oven. When baked a golden colour (about fifteen minutes) serve
up hot.
_Spaghetti ‘all’ Italiana.’_
Boil the spaghetti as above (‘al Forno’), drain, add one pint of Tomato
sauce (see Sauces, p. 126) (or conserve) and a quarter of a pound of
grated cheese, add a little pepper and grated nutmeg, and cook for
ten minutes, tossing well. Serve hot with some grated Parmesan cheese
separate.
_Spaghetti ‘alla Napolitana.’_
Boil three-quarters of a pound of fresh spaghetti in plenty of salted
water for three-quarters of an hour, with an onion stuck with cloves,
and half an ounce of butter. Drain and put them into a saucepan with
half a pint of Tomato sauce (see Sauces, p. 126) (or tomato conserve),
half a pint of sauce ‘Suprema’ (see Sauces, p. 125), two truffles,
seven or eight mushrooms, and a piece of smoked tongue, all cut up
small. Add a little pepper, grated nutmeg, and a quarter of a pound of
grated Parmesan cheese. Cook for ten minutes, tossing well, serve hot
with some grated Parmesan cheese separate.
_Spaghetti, Timbaletti di._
Slide long pieces of spaghetti (or small maccaroni) gently into a
sauce-pan, turning them round so that they should not be broken. Boil
in salted water until tender, then lay them straight out on a cloth to
cool. Butter small moulds (about three inches high), and wind spaghetti
round inside them, beginning at the bottom. As you wind, fill each
mould with boiled maccaroni, pieces of sweetbread cut into small bits,
and button mushrooms, already cooked and prepared. Fill the moulds
rather tight, or the timbaletti will not stand up, cover them with
buttered paper, and stand them in a pan of hot water to cook in a slow
oven for half an hour. Turn the timbaletti carefully out of the moulds,
pour a little gravy round them, and serve hot.
_Tagliarini ‘al Formaggio.’_
Take one pound of flour, three eggs, half a tumbler of milk, and a
pinch of salt, mix up into a paste and work it well. Lay it aside
for half an hour, then roll it out very thin and let it dry before
cutting it into long thin strips (tagliarini). Boil these in salted
water over a very slow fire for twenty minutes and then drain well.
Meanwhile prepare four ounces of grated Parmesan cheese, five ounces
of grated Gruyère, and six ounces of butter; put a layer of tagliarini
into a baking-dish, and cover them with cheese and butter. Repeat the
alternate layers of tagliarini, cheese and butter, until the dish is
full. Sprinkle the top with bread-crumbs and bits of butter, bake in
the oven for quarter of an hour and serve in the baking-dish very hot.
_Tagliatelle with Ham._
Make a stiff paste with flour and eggs, roll it to the thickness of a
florin, cut it into strips half or three-quarters of an inch broad,
and parboil with a very little salt. Meanwhile cut up into small square
pieces a thick slice of ham, mince some carrot and celery (about the
same in quantity as the ham) and put them into a frying-pan with two,
or more, ounces of butter. When they begin to brown add some tomato
juice (or tomato conserve) and a cupful of broth (or water). Place
the tagliatelle, well strained, on to a hot dish, season with grated
Parmesan cheese, some bits of butter, and the ham.
_Tagliatelle ‘alla Romagnola.’_
Put one clove of garlic (or a sliced onion) and a bunch of parsley into
a frying-pan with some pure olive oil. As soon as the garlic (or onion)
begins to brown, add six or seven tomatoes cut in slices, and salt and
pepper to taste. When they are cooked strain off the gravy. Meanwhile
make a paste as in ‘Tagliatelle with Ham,’ parboil in plenty of
slightly salted water, then put it into a sauce-pan, pour the hot gravy
over it, add some butter and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, mix, and
serve at once.
_Tagliatelle with Sausages._
Prepare the tagliatelle as in the recipe ‘with Ham,’ only substitute
sausages for the ham.
_Tortelli._
Take seven ounces of curds (squeeze them through a cloth to extract
all the water), one and a half ounce of Parmesan cheese, one egg, and
one yolk of an egg, a little grated nutmeg and some allspice, a pinch
of salt, and a little chopped-up parsley. Mix well together and put
a spoonful on to little rounds of paste (about two and a half inches
in diameter). Fold the paste over the curds, as you would a turnover,
and put them into boiling salted water. Take them out with a strainer,
season with butter and Parmesan cheese and serve hot. The quantities
given ought to make about twenty-four tortelli.
* * * * *
_Macedoine of Vegetables._
Cut one carrot and one turnip into small dice, balls, or any fancy
shapes; take a quarter of a pint of green peas, a quarter of a pint
of young flageolet beans, a quarter of a pint of French beans cut
into slices half an inch long, and some small pieces of cauliflower.
Boil each vegetable separate, and drain them well before mixing them
together lightly with a sauce ‘Alla Panna’ or ‘Alla Béchamel’ (see
Sauces, pp. 119, 125), or a seasoning of melted butter, pepper, and
salt.
_Mushrooms (Pratajuoli[4]) ‘al Burro.’_
[4] Agaricus campestris. The mushroom usually cultivated in England.
Take large mushrooms, clean them carefully, break off the stalks and
peel the tops, put them on a gridiron, season with a little pepper and
salt, turn them, and when done serve up on a very hot dish; put a good
piece of fresh butter on to each, and a squeeze of lemon. Place them in
a hot oven for a minute, or even in front of a hot fire, and serve on
buttered toast.
_Mushrooms (Porcini[5]) ‘alla Casalinga’_
[5] Boletus edulis.
Peel two pounds of fine mushrooms and put them into fresh water. Melt
four ounces of butter in a sauce-pan with two or three spoonfuls of
pure olive oil, one or two leaves of mint, an anchovy finely chopped
up, and a little pounded parsley. Stir well together, put the mushrooms
into the sauce-pan, having first dried them well, and sprinkled them
with salt, then cook slowly. Serve up on slices of bread fried in
butter, and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over them.
_Mushrooms (Pratajuoli[6]) ‘alla Crema.’_
[6] Agaricus campestris.
Take one pound of fine mushrooms, break off the stalks, clean, wash,
and drain them. (If very large divide them in two.) Put them into a
sauté-pan with one ounce of fresh butter, season with one spoonful of
salt and half a spoonful of pepper, and cover the pan. Cook over a
moderate fire for six or seven minutes, then add half a cupful of cream
and two tablespoonfuls of Vellutata sauce (see Sauces, p. 127). Cook
for four minutes, and serve at once in a hot dish with croûtons (fried
bread).
_Mushrooms (Porcini[7]) ‘alla Francese’._
[7] Boletus edulis.