cooks, this extraordinary _marmite_--or stockpot--of Monsieur
Deharme, a restaurateur in the Rue des Grands-Augustins. He calls
it “the everlasting _marmite_,” as, at the date of writing (1803),
it had not been off the fire for eighty-five years! During that time
it had cooked at least three hundred thousand capons, for Monsieur
Deharme’s specialty was the purveying of well-cooked hot capons at
any hour of the day and night. His establishment was always open,
and the procession of succulent birds to the _marmite_ was unending;
in fact, the Deharme fowl was regenerated perpetually in one long
procession of--apparently--the same bird, born anew for each successive
customer. The author adds that this _marmite_ was celebrated throughout
Europe--and no wonder.
In preparing some of the recipes in preceding chapters, Chafers may
find some difficulty, if it be summer-time, in keeping one portion of
the dish hot whilst the other portion is cooking. When I have no fire
in the room, I use a copper tray with two spirit lamps underneath. This
is a splendid invention and no Chafer should be without one. Then there
is another useful thing to remember. The lower hot-water dish, if
filled with water and put over the lamp, only half turned up, will keep
food warm in the Chafing Dish for ever so long. This is often useful
to know, as it is so pleasant to find something unexpectedly prepared
and ready when one had feared that all the cooking had to be done by
oneself. After a late night’s work such a surprise is very comforting.
In preparing a Chafing-Dish meal it is important to remember the
sequence of cooking, so that the waits between the courses shall not be
too long. I use two Chafing Dishes, so that there need be no delay; one
can be cleaned whilst the other is in use. If you are making soup, have
the fish ready so that it only wants hotting up. If your second course
takes a little time, fill up the interval with something cold, or a
salad. Work out your plan carefully beforehand so that there can be no
possibility of accident, and if the occasion be special, and you wish
to shine to your very best advantage, I earnestly recommend you to have
a full-dress rehearsal the day before, and time yourself accurately
for each dish; then there can be little chance of failure.
The setting forth of menus seems to me to be an entirely futile method
of filling up a cook-book. No one ever follows them, because things
never happen just so as to make all the materials simultaneously
available. It is much better to dip here and there in a book--to choose
a soup, a meat, and a salad; or a fish, a bird, and a savoury; or a
soup, a fish, and a sweet (an it be Friday)--to suit your convenience,
pocket, and taste of the moment.
Further, as I have already explained, I do not pretend to have done
more than touch on the fringe of the possibilities of the Chafing Dish.
I have only described what I have done, and hinted at what others may
do. But what I particularly want to draw attention to is the scope for
original research in the cult of Chaffinda. A long winter’s evening
is much more profitably spent experimenting with the Chafing Dish
than--well, playing Patience, for instance.
I do not desire to make every unmarried man and woman a cook. Far from
it. But it would do us no harm to think a little more of the quality
of the food we eat, and less of the quantity. Few of us, however, are
so stomach-ridden as Mynheer Welters, Burgomaster of Dilburg, in a
delightful novel published thirty years ago, called “The Burgomaster’s
Family,” by Christine Muller, and translated from the Dutch by Sir
John Shaw-Lefevre. Burgomaster Welters worshipped his stomach. What a
good dinner was to him no words can express. It was the realisation
of all his dreams and wishes. The content of soul and the feeling of
philanthropy which his eyes expressed after such a dinner must have
been seen to be described. He was accused of marrying Widow de Graaff
because she knew the recipe of a certain pie which she would not
divulge at a less price than marriage. If any one spoke of glorious
summer, he only thought of early vegetables; France reminded him of
Veuve Cliquot, and Germany of Bavarian beer.
An American Chafing-Dish book in my possession contains the following
quaint apothegm: “The Chafing Dish not only makes possible the
sincerest expression of the most perfect hospitality, but it seems the
true symbol of good fellowship.” The sentiment herein expressed is
unimpeachable, and I should like to be able to use such pretty talk
myself. It is exactly what I wanted to explain, but being clumsy in the
expression of intimate feeling, I cannot get beyond something to this
effect: “The Chafing Dish is a handy thing to have about the house, and
turns up usefully at the most unexpected moments. It is a ripping good
idea!”
[Illustration]
INDEX
PAGE
Almonds, Salted, 153
Alderman’s Walk, 34
Anchovy and Cucumber Salad, 136
Anchovy Eggs, 147
Antiquity of the Chafing Dish, 3
Apple Fritters, 179
Apples, Stewed, 181
Whiskey, 187
Artichokes, Braized, 115
Artichoke Chips, Fried, 115
Bacon and Cauliflower Salad, 136
Banana Cream, 185
Beans, Broad, 120
Italian, 120
French, 119
Haricot, 122
Beef, Chipped, 86
Devilled, 84
Steak, 83
Strips, 21
Bigarade Sauce, 173
Bills of Fare, 33
Bird’s-Nest Soup, 51
Biscuits, Devilled, 154
Savoury, 152
Black Butter Sauce, 169
Bloaters, Grandfather’s, 77
Bombay Toast, 153
Braized Artichokes, 115
Olives, 152
Bread Salad, 136
Sauce, 168
Brigands’ Fowls, 99
Broad Beans, 120
Italian, 120
Brown Sauce, 165
Browned Tongue, 31
Brussels Sprouts, 121
Bubble and Squeak, 90
Butter, Black, Sauce, 169
Sauce, 164
Buttered Lobster, 63
Carrot Soup, 49
Cauliflower and Bacon Salad, 136
Celeriac Salad, 131
Celery Salad, 130
Chafed Salmon, 59
Chafing Dish, Antiquity of, 3
Outfit, 19
Chapon, The, 128
Cheese, Matador, 151
Chestnuts, 123
Coffee, 182
Devilled, 153
Chicken, Brigands’, 99
Creamed, 102
Howtowdie, 100
Minced, 24
Roman, 101
Chicory Salad, 130
Chipped Beef, 86
Cleanliness, 29
Cockroach Soup, 51
Cocotte, Eggs en, 145
Cod Pudding, 60
Coffee Barometer, 188
Chestnuts, 182
Cold Meats, 30
Court Bouillon, 69
Cream Banana, 185
Creamed Chicken, 102
Smelts, 72
Creçy Soup, 49
Cross Star Soups, 40
Cucumber and Anchovy Salad, 136
Cutlets, Mutton, 27
Dandelion Leaves, 130
Decoration of Dinner Table, 198
Devilled Beef, 84
Biscuits, 154
Chestnuts, 153
Devil, The, 154
Digestive Prawns, 65
Dining-room Temperature, 196
Dinner, Music at, 197
Table Decoration, 198
Eggs, 139
Anchovy, 147
en Cocotte, 145
Kempton, 146
Lady Effingham’s, 145
Newmarket, 146
Poached, 141
Scrambled, 141
Eels, Matelote, 76
Nettled, 76
Souchet, 75
Endive Salad, 130
Etena Jarvat, 94
Fatiguing, A, Salad, 128
Figs, Stuffed, 186
Fisherman’s Sauce, 173
Flattered Lobster, 64
Fowl, Brigands’, 99
Roman, 101
French Beans, 119
Names, 34
Menus, 34
Fried Artichoke Chips, 115
Herrings, 57
Parsley, 122
Pineapple, 182
Potatoes, 113
Tomatoes, 114
Fritters, Apple, 179
Frizzled Ham, 88
Gallimaufrey, 89
Game, Minced, 24
Germiny Soup, 52
Gröt, Skansk, 186
Grandfather’s Bloaters, 77
Green Peas, 123
Goulasch, 93
Gubbins’ Sauce, 170
Ham, Frizzled, 88
in Hades, 88
Jellied, 22
Toast, 151
Haricot Beans, 122
Herrings, Fried, 57
Hodge’s Sausages, 92
Howtowdie, 100
Hurried Sardines, 71
Italian Broad Beans, 120
Sauce, 170
Jardinière Salad, 136
Jellied Ham, 22
Kabobs, 99
Kedgeree, 73
Martin Harvey’s, 74
Kempton Eggs, 146
Lady Effingham’s Eggs, 145
Leeks, Welsh, 119
Lettuce Salad, 130
Lobster, Buttered, 63
Flattered, 64
Polly, 63
Locust Soup, 51
Macaroni, 155
Madeleine Sauce, 169
Maître d’Hôtel Sauce, 166
Martin Harvey’s Kedgeree, 74
Mary’s Potatoes, 112
Mashed Potato Salad, 131
Matador Cheese, 151
Matelote of Eels, 76
Mayonnaise, 7
Mealies, 125
Meat, Cold, 30
Menus, 33
Milk, Rice, 185
Minced Chicken, 24
Game, 24
Mushrooms, 116
Stewed, 117
Music at Dinner, 197
Mustard Sauce, 168
Mutton Cutlets, 27
Saddle of, 34
Steaks, 94
Mutton, Turkish, 94
Venison, 95
Nettled Eels, 76
Newmarket Eggs, 146
Oddments, 177
Olives, Braized, 152
Omelettes, 142
Onions, 9
Sauce, 170
Outfit of Chafing Dish, 19
Oysters, 68
Palestine Soup, 47
Parsley, Fried, 122
Peas, 123
Pea Soup, 42
Perigueux Sauce, 174
Pheasant, Yesterday’s, 104
Pineapple, Fried, 182
Piquant Sauce, 166
Plump and Wallop, 96
Poached Eggs, 141
Polly, Lobster, 63
Poor Man’s Sauce, 169
Soup, 46
Potatoes and Point, 97
Fried, 113
Mary’s, 112
Mashed Salad, 131
Salad, 130
Sala’s, 112
Uglies, 112
Prawns, Digestive, 65
On the Grass, 67
Wiggle, 66
Preserved Soups, 40
Pudding, 178
Cod, 60
Purée of Spinach, 116
Rabbit, Welsh, 149
Ravigote Sauce, 166
Ravioli, 157
Reform Sauce, 167
Rehearsals, Necessary, 202
Remoulade Sauce, 166
Rhubarb, Stewed, 181
Rice Milk, 185
Robert Sauce, 28
Romaine Salad, 130
Roman Fowl, 101
Rules for Salad, 128
Rump Steak, 83
Saddle of Mutton, 34
Salads, 128
Anchovy and Cucumber, 136
Bacon and Cauliflower, 136
Bread, 136
Cauliflower, 130
and Bacon, 136
Celeriac, 131
Celery, 130
Chestnuts and Sprouts, 135
Chicory, 130
Cucumber and Anchovy, 136
Dandelion, 130
Endive, 130
Green Peas and Walnuts, 135
Jardinière, 136
Lettuce, 130
Mixture, 127
Potato, 130
Mashed, 131
Romaine, 130
Rules, 128
Sprouts and Chestnuts, 135
Tomato, 130
Walnuts and Green Peas, 135
Sala’s Potatoes, 112
Salmon, Chafed, 59
Salted Almonds, 153
Sardines in a Hurry, 71
Waldorf, 71
Sauces, 159
Bigarade, 173
Black Butter, 169
Bread, 168
Brown, 165
Butter, 164
Fisherman’s, 173
Gubbins’, 170
Italian, 170
Madeleine, 169
Maître d’Hôtel, 166
Mustard, 168
Onion, 170
Perigueux, 174
Piquant, 166
Poor Man’s, 169
Ravigote, 166
Reform, 167
Robert, 28
Remoulade, 166
Soubise, 167
White, 165
Sausages, Hodge’s, 92
Savoury Biscuits, 152
Scrambled Eggs, 141
Scouse, 98
Skansk Gröt, 186
Smelts, Creamed, 72
Smothered Turbot, 70
Soubise Sauce, 167
Souchet of Eels, 75
Sprats, 61
Soups, 38
Bird’s-nest, 51
Carrot, 49
Cockroach, 51
Creçy, 49
Cross Star, 40
Germiny, 52
Locust, 51
Palestine, 47
Pea, 42
Poor Man’s, 46
Preserved, 40
Turtle, 43
Spinach Purée, 116
Sprats, Souchet, 61
Sprouts and Chestnut Salad, 135
Stargazer Pie, 60
Steak, Beef, 83
Mutton, 94
Rump, 83
Stewed Apples, 181
Mushrooms, 116
Rhubarb, 181
Strips of Beef, 21
Stuffed Figs, 186
Sweets, 175
Tagliatelli, 156
Temperature of Dining-room, 196
Thistles, 118
Toast, 26
Bombay, 153
Ham, 151
Tomatoes, 114
Tomatoes, Fried, 114
Tongue, Browned, 31
Trout in Small Broth, 69
Turbot, Smothered, 70
Turkish Mutton, 94
Turtle Soup, 43
Uglies, Potatoes, 112
Vegetables, 108
Vegetarianism, 108
Venison Mutton, 95
Waldorf Sardines, 71
Walk, Alderman’s, 34
Walnut and Green Pea Salad, 135
Welsh Leeks, 119
Rabbit, 149
Whiskey Apples, 187
White Sauce, 165
Wiggle Prawns, 66
Yesterday’s Pheasant, 104
Zrazy, 87
Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO.
London & Edinburgh
Transcriber's Notes:
Italics are shown thus: _sloping_.
Variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained.
Perceived typographical errors have been changed.