A GUIDE TO MODERN COOKERY
A GUIDE TO MODERN COOKERY.
_SOME PRESS OPINIONS._
“This is probably one of the most important cookery books issued
this century, and will, it may be presumed, eventually take its
place alongside the familiar culinary classics of former days. It is
especially interesting as marking the inauguration of an entirely new
style of living. M. Escoffier’s book is a culinary education in itself,
and should take rank as a standard, be studied by all housekeepers who
have either large households or gourmets to cater for, and should most
certainly be placed in the hands of all persons training for high-class
cookery teachers.”—_Queen._
“His book is comprehensive. It begins at the beginning and explains
the principles, so that a lady who reads it may talk learnedly to her
cook; it deals fully with all the old-established dishes of different
countries; but its main feature is the number of delightful novelties
which it introduces to notice. There are plenty of recipes which may be
applied with advantage in the middle-class household where the lady in
the kitchen has nobody under her, for M. Escoffier’s directions deal
alike with humble and elaborate preparations.”—_Outlook._
“It is a big book written by a great cook, and it will be useful
not only to accomplished cooks and experienced housekeepers, but
also to beginners in the kitchen and the housekeeper’s room, for
M. Escoffier takes nothing for granted and explains very patiently all
the groundwork of the art of cookery before he discussed the _haute
cuisine_. It contains much that is interesting to the _gourmet_ as well
as much that is useful to the cook, for he has little tales to tell
concerning some of the dishes; and now and again a scrap of history
crops up.”—_Tatler._
“Even as you take up the volume a sense of pleasurable anticipation
takes possession of you, so pleasing is the cover, so clear and bold
is the type, and so delightful to the touch is the paper on which is
printed the garnered wisdom of the famous _chef_. A little reading
will soon show you that it is as full of sound wisdom, and of fresh
and interesting information, as Brillat-Savarin’s “Physiologie du
Goût”.”—_The Westminster Gazette._
“The ordinary good plain British cook will discover something worth the
learning on every page; the worried mistresses of small establishments
will cherish the book as a treasure-house of new ideas; the man who
likes a good dinner but has no special knowledge of the art of the
kitchen will find the preface and the introductions to the chapters
capital reading; and every English-speaking gourmet will have a well
thumbed copy of this very modern “Guide” upon his book-shelf. The book
is a comprehensive one, and at the same time a simple one. It is a
book that should be in every house.”—_Pall Mall Gazette._
[Illustration: _A. Escoffier_]
A GUIDE TO
MODERN COOKERY
BY
A. ESCOFFIER
OF THE CARLTON HOTEL
_WITH PORTRAIT_
NEW AND REVISED EDITION
[Logo: Windmill, 1920]
LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN
_Printed in Great Britain._
_First Printed, May 1907
Second Impression, December 1907
New and Revised Edition, January 1909
New Impressions, August 1911, May 1913,
March 1916, January 1920._
_Copyright 1907 by William Heinemann._
PREFACE
If the art of Cookery in all its branches were not undergoing a process
of evolution, and if its canons could be once and for ever fixed, as
are those of certain scientific operations and mathematical procedures,
the present work would have no _raison d’être_; inasmuch as there
already exist several excellent culinary text-books in the English
language. But everything is so unstable in these times of progress at
any cost, and social customs and methods of life alter so rapidly, that
a few years now suffice to change completely the face of usages which
at their inception bade fair to outlive the age—so enthusiastically
were they welcomed by the public.
In regard to the traditions of the festal board, it is but twenty
years ago since the ancestral English customs began to make way before
the newer methods, and we must look to the great impetus given to
travelling by steam traction and navigation, in order to account for
the gradual but unquestionable revolution.
In the wake of the demand came the supply. Palatial hotels were
built, sumptuous restaurants were opened, both of which offered their
customers luxuries undreamt of theretofore in such establishments.
Modern society contracted the habit of partaking of light suppers in
these places, after the theatres of the Metropolis had closed; and
the well-to-do began to flock to them on Sundays, in order to give
their servants the required weekly rest. And, since restaurants allow
of observing and of being observed, since they are eminently adapted
to the exhibiting of magnificent dresses, it was not long before they
entered into the life of Fortune’s favourites.
But these new-fangled habits had to be met by novel methods of
Cookery—better adapted to the particular environment in which they were
to be practised. The admirable productions popularised by the old
Masters of the Culinary Art of the preceding Century did not become
the light and more frivolous atmosphere of restaurants; were, in fact,
ill-suited to the brisk waiters, and their customers who only had eyes
for one another.
The pompous splendour of those bygone dinners, served in the majestic
dining-halls of Manors and Palaces, by liveried footmen, was part and
parcel of the etiquette of Courts and lordly mansions.
It is eminently suited to State dinners, which are in sooth veritable
ceremonies, possessing their ritual, traditions, and—one might even
say—their high priests; but it is a mere hindrance to the modern, rapid
service. The complicated and sometimes heavy menus would be unwelcome
to the hypercritical appetites so common nowadays; hence the need of a
radical change not only in the culinary preparations themselves, but in
the arrangements of the menus, and the service.
Circumstances ordained that I should be one of the movers in this
revolution, and that I should manage the kitchens of two establishments
which have done most to bring it about. I therefore venture to suppose
that a book containing a record of all the changes which have come into
being in kitchen work—changes whereof I am in a great part author—may
have some chance of a good reception at the hands of the public,
_i.e._, at the hands of those very members of it who have profited by
the changes I refer to.
For it was only with the view of meeting the many and persistent
demands for such a record that the present volume was written.
I had at first contemplated the possibility of including only new
recipes in this formulary. But it should be borne in mind that the
changes that have transformed kitchen procedure during the last
twenty-five years could not all be classed under the head of new
recipes; for, apart from the fundamental principles of the science,
which we owe to Carême, and which will last as long as Cooking itself,
scarcely one old-fashioned method has escaped the necessary new
moulding required by modern demands. For fear of giving my work an
incomplete appearance, therefore, I had to refer to these old-fashioned
practices and to include among my new recipes those of the former which
most deserved to survive. But it should not be forgotten that in a few
years, judging from the rate at which things are going, the publication
of a fresh selection of recipes may become necessary; I hope to live
long enough to see this accomplished, in order that I may follow the
evolution, started in my time, and add a few more original creations to
those I have already had the pleasure of seeing adopted; despite the
fact that the discovery of new dishes grows daily more difficult.
But novelty is the universal cry—novelty by hook or by crook! It is an
exceedingly common mania among people of inordinate wealth to exact
incessantly new or so-called new dishes. Sometimes the demand comes
from a host whose luxurious table has exhausted all the resources
of the modern cook’s repertory, and who, having partaken of every
delicacy, and often had too much of good things, anxiously seeks new
sensations for his _blasé_ palate. Anon, we have a hostess, anxious to
outshine friends with whom she has been invited to dine, and whom she
afterwards invites to dine with her.
Novelty! It is the prevailing cry; it is imperiously demanded by
everyone.
For all that, the number of alimentary substances is comparatively
small, the number of their combinations is not infinite, and the amount
of raw material placed either by art or by nature at the disposal of a
cook does not grow in proportion to the whims of the public.
What feats of ingenuity have we not been forced to perform, at times,
in order to meet our customers’ wishes? Those only who have had charge
of a large, modern kitchen can tell the tale. Personally, I have ceased
counting the nights spent in the attempt to discover new combinations,
when, completely broken with the fatigue of a heavy day, my body ought
to have been at rest.
Yet, the Chef who has had the felicity to succeed in turning out an
original and skilful preparation approved by his public and producing
a vogue, cannot, even for a time, claim the monopoly of his secret
discovery, or derive any profit therefrom. The painter, sculptor,
writer and musician are protected by law. So are inventors. But the
chef has absolutely no redress for plagiarism on his work; on the
contrary, the more the latter is liked and appreciated, the more
will people clamour for his recipes. Many hours of hard work perhaps
underlie his latest creation, if it have reached the desired degree of
perfection.
He may have forfeited his recreation and even his night’s rest, and
have laboured without a break over his combination; and, as a reward,
he finds himself compelled, morally at least, to convey the result
of his study to the first person who asks, and who, very often,
subsequently claims the invention of the recipe—to the detriment of the
real author’s chances and reputation.
This frantic love of novelty is also responsible for many of the
difficulties attending the arrangement of menus; for very few people
know what an arduous task the composing of a perfect menu represents.
The majority—even of those who are accustomed to receptions and the
giving of dinners—suppose that a certain routine alone is necessary,
together with some culinary practice, in order to write a menu; and few
imagine that a good deal more is needed than the mere inscription of
Courses upon a slip of pasteboard.
In reality the planning of these alimentary programmes is among the
most difficult problems of our art, and it is in this very matter that
perfection is so rarely reached. In the course of more than forty
years’ experience as a chef, I have been responsible for thousands
of menus, some of which have since become classical and have ranked
among the finest served in modern times; and I can safely say, that in
spite of the familiarity such a period of time ought to give one with
the work, the setting-up of a presentable menu is rarely accomplished
without lengthy labour and much thought, and for all that the result is
not always to my satisfaction. From this it may be seen how slender are
the claims of those who, without any knowledge of our art, and quite
unaware of the various properties belonging to the substances we use,
pretend to arrange a proper menu.
However difficult the elaboration of a menu may be, it is but the first
and by no means the only difficulty which results from the rapidity
with which meals are served nowadays. The number of dishes set before
the diners being considerably reduced, and the dishes themselves having
been deprived of all the advantages which their sumptuous decorations
formerly lent them, they must recover, by means of perfection and
delicacy, sufficient in the way of quality to compensate for their
diminished bulk and reduced splendour. They must be faultless in regard
to quality; they must be savoury and light. The choice of the raw
material, therefore, is a matter demanding vast experience on the part
of the chef; for the old French adage which says that “_La sauce fait
passer le poisson_” has long since ceased to be true, and if one do not
wish to court disapprobation—often well earned—the fish should not be
in the slightest degree inferior to its accompanying sauce.
While on the subject of raw material, I should like, _en passant_, to
call attention to a misguided policy which seems to be spreading in
private houses and even in some commercial establishments; I refer to
the custom which, arising as it doubtless does from a mistaken idea
of economy, consists of entrusting the choice of kitchen provisions
to people unacquainted with the profession, and who, never having
used the goods which they have to buy, are able to judge only very
superficially of their quality or real value, and cannot form any
estimate of their probable worth after the cooking process.
If economy were verily the result of such a policy none would object
to it. But the case is exactly the reverse; for, in the matter of
provisions, as in all commercial matters, the cheapest is the dearest
in the end. To obtain good results, good material in a sufficient
quantity must be used, and, in order to obtain good material, the
latter should be selected by the person who is going to use it, and who
knows its qualities and properties. Amphitryons who set aside these
essential principles may hope in vain to found a reputation for their
tables.
It will be seen that the greater part of the titles in this work have
been left in French. I introduced, or rather promulgated this system,
because, since it is growing every day more customary to write menus
in French, it will allow those who are unacquainted with the language
to accomplish the task with greater ease. Moreover, many of the
titles—especially those of recent creations—are quite untranslatable.
As the index, however, is in English, and in every case the order
number of each recipe accompanies the number of the page where it is to
be found, no confusion can possibly arise. I have also allowed certain
French technical terms, for which there exist no English equivalents,
to remain in their original form, and these will be found explained in
a glossary at the end of the book.
I preferred to do this rather than strain the meaning of certain
English words, in order to fit them to a slightly unusual application;
and in so doing I only followed a precedent which has been established
on a more or less large scale by such authors of English books on
French cooking as Francatelli, Gouffé, Ranhoffer, etc.
But the example for such verbal adoptions was set long ago in France,
where sporting and other terms, for which no suitable native words
could be found, were borrowed wholesale from the English language, and
gallicised. It is therefore not unreasonable to apply the principle
to terms in cookery which, though plentiful and varied in France, are
scarce in this country.
To facilitate the reading of the recipes, all words which are not in
common use, and of which the explanation will be found in the Glossary,
are italicised in the text.
In concluding this preface, which, I fear, has already overreached
the bounds I intended for it, I should like to thank those of my lady
clients as well as many English epicures whose kind appreciation has
been conducive to the writing of this work. I trust they will favour
the latter with the generous consideration of which they have so
frequently given the author valuable proofs, and for which he is glad
of an opportunity of expressing his deep gratitude.
CONTENTS
PART I
FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS
CHAPTER I PAGE
FONDS DE CUISINE 1
CHAPTER II
THE LEADING WARM SAUCES 15
CHAPTER III
THE SMALL COMPOUND SAUCES 24
CHAPTER IV
COLD SAUCES AND COMPOUND BUTTERS 48
CHAPTER V
SAVOURY JELLIES OR ASPICS 59
CHAPTER VI
THE COURT-BOUILLONS AND THE MARINADES 64
CHAPTER VII
ELEMENTARY PREPARATIONS 70
CHAPTER VIII
THE VARIOUS GARNISHES FOR SOUPS 87
CHAPTER IX
GARNISHING PREPARATIONS FOR RELEVÉS AND ENTRÉES 92
CHAPTER X
LEADING CULINARY OPERATIONS 97
PART II
RECIPES AND MODES OF PROCEDURE
CHAPTER XI PAGE
HORS-D’ŒUVRES 137
CHAPTER XII
EGGS 164
CHAPTER XIII
SOUPS 197
CHAPTER XIV
FISH 260
CHAPTER XV
RELEVÉS AND ENTRÉES OF BUTCHER’S MEAT 352
CHAPTER XVI
RELEVÉS AND ENTRÉES OF POULTRY AND GAME 473
CHAPTER XVII
ROASTS AND SALADS 605
CHAPTER XVIII
VEGETABLES AND FARINACEOUS PRODUCTS 624
CHAPTER XIX
SAVORIES 678
CHAPTER XX
ENTREMETS (SWEETS) 687
CHAPTER XXI
ICES AND SHERBETS 788
CHAPTER XXII
DRINKS AND REFRESHMENTS 816
CHAPTER XXIII
FRUIT-STEWS AND JAMS 820
GLOSSARY
_Abats_, stands for such butcher’s supplies as heads, hearts, livers,
kidneys, feet, &c.
_Aiguillettes_, see No. 1755.
_Ailerons_, see No. 1583.
_Amourettes_, see No. 1288.
_Anglaise_, to treat à l’Anglaise, see No. 174.
_Anglaise_, to cook à l’Anglaise, means to cook plainly in water.
_Anglaise_, a preparation of beaten eggs, oil and seasoning.
_Attereaux_, see No. 1219.
_Baba-moulds_, a kind of small deep cylindrical mould, slightly wider
at the top than at the bottom.
_Bain-Marie_, a hot-water bath in which utensils containing various
culinary preparations are immersed to keep warm, or for the
purpose of poaching or cooking.
_Barquettes_, see No. 314.
_Biscottes_, a kind of rusks.
_Blanch_, _Blanched_, see No. 273.
_Brandade_, see No. 1027.
_Brunoise-fashion_, see _Cut_ below.
_Canapés_, see No. 316.
_Caramel Stage_, see _Stages in the Cooking of Sugar_, below.
_Casserole_ (_En_), see No. 250.
_Cassolette_, a kind of hot hors-d’œuvre, moulded to the shape of a
small drum.
_Cèpes_, a kind of mushroom (Boletus edulis).
_Chartreuse-fashion_, see No. 1220.
_Chiffonade_, see No. 215.
_Chinois_, a very small green candied orange.
_Chipolata_, a kind of small sausages.
_Choux_, a kind of cake made from Pâte à Choux, q.v.
_Cisel_, _Ciseled_, to cut a vegetable after the manner of a
chaff-cutting machine.
_Clothe_, _Clothed_, _Clothing_ (of moulds), see No. 916.
_Cocotte_ (_En_), see No. 250.
_Concass_, _Concassed_, to chop roughly.
_Contise_, to incise a piece of meat at stated intervals, and to
insert slices of truffle, or other substance, into each incision.
_Crépinettes_, see No. 1410.
_Croustade_, see No. 2393.
_Croûtons_, pieces of bread of various shapes and sizes, fried in
butter. In the case of aspic jelly, croûtons stand for variously
shaped pieces used in bordering dishes.
_Cut_, Brunoise-fashion = to cut a product into small dice.
_Cut_, Julienne-fashion = to cut a product into match-shaped rods.
_Cut_, Paysanne-fashion = to cut a product into triangles.
_Dariole-moulds_, small Baba-moulds, q.v.
_Darne_, see No. 784.
_Daubière_, an earthenware utensil used in the cooking of Daubes.
_Écarlate_ (_A l’_), salted meat is said to be à l’écarlate when it is
swathed in a coat of scarlet jelly.
_Escarole_, Batavia chicory.
_Feuilletés_, a kind of puffs made from puff-paste.
_Flute_ (French, soup), a long crisp roll of bread.
_Fondue_, (1) a cheese preparation; (2) a pulpy state to which such
vegetables as tomatoes, sorrel, &c., are reduced by cooking.
_Fumet_, a kind of essence extracted from fish, game, &c.
_Galette_, a large quoit, made from puff-paste or short-paste, &c.
_Gaufrette_, a special wafer.
_Génoise_, see No. 2376.
_Gild_, _Gilding_, _Gilded_ (1) to cover an object with beaten eggs,
by means of a brush; (2) to give a golden sheen to objects by
means of heat.
_Gratin_, _Gratined_, see No. 268 to 272 inclusive.
_Hatelet_, an ornamental skewer; the word sometimes stands for
Attereaux.
_Julienne_, Julienne-fashion, see _Cut_.
_Langoustine_, a small variety of the Spiny Lobster.
_Large-Ball Stage_, see _Stages in the Cooking of Sugar_, below.
_Large-Crack Stage_, see _Stages in the Cooking of Sugar_, below.
_Large-Thread Stage_, see _Stages in the Cooking of Sugar_, below.
_Macédoine_, a mixture of early-season vegetables or fruit.
_Madeleine-mould_, a mould in the shape of a narrow scallop-shell.
_Manied_ (said of butter), see No. 151.
_Marinade_, see No. 168.
_Meringue_, see No. 2382. _Meringued_ = coated with meringue.
_Mirepoix_, see No. 228.
_Mise-en-place_, a general name given to those elementary preparations
which are constantly resorted to during the various stages of
most culinary operations.
_Morue_, Newfoundland or Iceland salt-cod.
_Mousses_, a class of light, hot or cold preparations of fish, meat,
poultry, game, etc., and sweets, moulded in large moulds in
sufficient quantities for several people.
_Mousselines_, same as above, but moulded in small quantities at a
time, enough for one person.
_Mousserons_, a kind of mushroom.
_Nappe Stage_, see _Stages in the Cooking of Sugar_, below.
_Orgeat_, a beverage made from syrup and almonds.
_Oxalis_, a Mexican vegetable, allied to sorrel, of which the roots
principally are eaten.
_Paillettes au Parmesan_, see No. 2322.
_Palmettes_, palm-shaped pieces of puff-paste, used in decorating.
_Panés à l’Anglaise_, treated à l’Anglaise, see _Anglaise_.
_Pannequets_, see No. 2403.
_Papillote_, see No. 1259.
_Pâte à Choux_, see No. 2373.
_Paupiette_, a strip of chicken, of fish fillet, or other meat,
garnished with forcemeat, rolled to resemble a scroll and cooked.
_Paysanne-fashion_, see _Cut_.
_Pluches_, the shreds of chervil, used for soups.
_Poële_, _Poëling_, see No. 250.
_Poêle_ (_A la_), see No. 395.
_Pralin_, see No. 2352.
_Pralined_, having been treated with Pralin, q.v.
_Printanier_ (Eng. Vernal), a name given to a garnish of early-season
vegetables, cut to various shapes.
_Profiterolles_, see No. 218.
_Râble_, the back of a hare.
_Ravioli_, see No. 2296.
_Ribbon Stage_, see No. 2376.
_Rissole_, to fry brown.
_Salpicon_, a compound of various products, cut into dice, and,
generally, cohered with sauce or forcemeat.
_Sauté_, _Sautéd_, a process of cooking described under No. 251.
_Sauté_, a qualifying term applied to dishes treated in the way
described under No. 251.
_Savarin-mould_, an even, crown-shaped mould.
_Small-Ball Stage_, see _Stages in the Cooking of Sugar_, below.
_Small-Crack Stage_, see _Stages in the Cooking of Sugar_, below.
_Small-Thread Stage_, see _Stages in the Cooking of Sugar_, below.
_Soufflé_, name given to a class of light, hot or cold preparations of
fish, meat, poultry, game, etc., and sweets, to which the whites
of eggs are usually added if the preparation is served hot, and
to which whisked cream is added if the preparation is served
cold.
_Soup-Flute_, see _Flute_.
_Stages in the Cooking of Sugar_:—
Small-Thread }
Large-Thread }
Small-Ball }
Large-Ball } See No. 2344.
Small-Crack }
Large-Crack }
Caramel }
Nappe, see No. 2955.
_Subrics_, see No. 2137.
_Suprême_, a name given to the fillet of the breast of a fowl. The
term has been extended to certain of the best parts of fish,
game, etc.
_Terrine_, a patty.
_Terrine à Pâté_, a special utensil in which patties are cooked.
_Tomatéd._ Preparations are said to be tomatéd when they are mixed
with enough tomato purée for the shade and flavour of the latter
to be distinctly perceptible in them.
_Vesiga_, the dried spine-marrow of the sturgeon.
_Zest_, the outermost, coloured, glossy film of the rind of an orange
or lemon.
PART I
FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF COOKING
CHAPTER I
FONDS DE CUISINE
Before undertaking the description of the different kinds of dishes
whose recipes I purpose giving in this work, it will be necessary to
reveal the groundwork whereon these recipes are built. And, although
this has already been done again and again, and is wearisome in the
extreme, a text-book on cooking that did not include it would be not
only incomplete, but in many cases incomprehensible.
Notwithstanding the fact that it is the usual procedure, in culinary
matters, to insist upon the importance of the part played by stock, I
feel compelled to refer to it at the outset of this work, and to lay
even further stress upon what has already been written on the subject.
Indeed, stock is everything in cooking, at least in French cooking.
Without it, nothing can be done. If one’s stock is good, what remains
of the work is easy; if, on the other hand, it is bad or merely
mediocre, it is quite hopeless to expect anything approaching a
satisfactory result.
The workman mindful of success, therefore, will naturally direct his
attention to the faultless preparation of his stock, and, in order
to achieve this result, he will find it necessary not merely to make
use of the freshest and finest goods, but also to exercise the most
scrupulous care in their preparation, for, in cooking, care is half
the battle. Unfortunately, no theories, no formulæ, and no recipes,
however well written, can take the place of practical experience in the
acquisition of a full knowledge concerning this part of the work—the
most important, the most essential, and certainly the most difficult
part.
In the matter of stock it is, above all, necessary to have a sufficient
quantity of the finest materials at one’s disposal. The master or
mistress of a house who stints in this respect thereby deliberately
forfeits his or her right to make any remark whatsoever to the _chef_
concerning his work, for, let the talent or merits of the latter be
what they may, they are crippled by insufficient or inferior material.
It is just as absurd to exact excellent cooking from a _chef_ whom one
provides with defective or scanty goods, as to hope to obtain wine from
a bottled decoction of logwood.
=The Principal Kinds of Fonds de Cuisine (Foundation Sauces and Stocks)=
The principal kinds of fonds de cuisine are:—
1. Ordinary and clarified consommés.
2. The brown stock or “_estouffade_,” game stocks, the bases of
thickened gravies and of brown sauces.
3. White stock, basis of white sauces.
4. Fish stock.
5. The various essences of poultry, game, fish, &c., the complements
of small sauces.
6. The various glazes: meat, game, and poultry.
7. The basic sauces: Espagnole, Velouté, Béchamel, Tomato, and
Hollandaise.
8. The savoury jellies or aspics of old-fashioned cooking.
To these kinds of stock, which, in short, represent the buttresses of
the culinary edifice, must now be added the following preparations,
which are, in a measure, the auxiliaries of the above:—
1. The roux, the cohering element in sauces.
2. The “Mirepoix” and “Matignon” aromatic and flavouring elements.
3. The “_Court-Bouillon_” and the “_Blancs_.”
4. The various stuffings.
5. The _marinades_.
6. The various garnishes for soups, for relevés, for entrées, &c.
(“Duxelle,” “Duchesse,” “Dauphine,” _Pâte à choux_, frying
batters, various _Salpicons_, Profiterolles, Royales, Œufs filés,
Diablotins, Pastes, &c.).
1—ORDINARY OR WHITE CONSOMMÉ
_Quantities for making Four Quarts._
3 lbs. of shin of beef.
3 lbs. of lean beef.
1½ lbs. of fowls’ carcases.
1 lb. of carrots.
½ lb. of turnips.
¾ lb. of leeks and 1 stick of celery.
¼ lb. of parsnips.
1 medium-sized onion with a clove stuck in it.
_Preparation._—Put the meat into a stock-pot of suitable dimensions,
after having previously strung it together; add the poultry carcase,
five quarts of water, and one-half oz. of grey salt. Place the
stock-pot on a moderate fire in such a manner that it may not boil too
quickly, and remember to stir the meat from time to time. Under the
influence of the heat, the water gradually reaches the interior of
the meat, where, after having dissolved the liquid portions, it duly
combines with them. These liquid portions contain a large proportion
of albumen, and as the temperature of the water rises this substance
has a tendency to coagulate. It also increases in volume, and, by
virtue of its lightness, escapes from the water and accumulates on the
surface in the form of scum. Carefully remove this scum as it forms,
and occasionally add a little cold water before the boil is reached in
order that, the latter being retarded, a complete expulsion of the scum
may be effected. The clearness of the consommé largely depends upon the
manner in which this skimming has been carried out. Then the vegetable
garnishing is added. The scum from these is removed as in the previous
case, and the edge of the stock-pot should be carefully wiped to the
level of the fluid, so as to free it from the deposit which has been
formed there. The stock-pot is then moved to a corner of the fire where
it may continue cooking slowly for four or five hours. At the end of
this time it should be taken right away from the fire, and, after half
a pint of cold water has been added to its contents, it should be left
to rest a few minutes with a view to allowing the grease to accumulate
on the surface of the liquid, whence it must be carefully removed
before the consommé is strained. This last operation is effected by
means of a very fine strainer, placed on the top of a white tureen
(clean and wide), which should then be placed in a draught to hasten
the cooling of the consommé. The tureen should not on any account be
covered, and this more particularly in summer, when rapid cooling is a
precautionary measure against fermentation.
=Remarks upon the Different Causes which Combine to Influence the
Quality of a Consommé=
It will be seen that I have not made any mention in the above formula
of the meat and the vegetables which have helped to make the consommé,
my reason being that it is preferable to remove them from the stock-pot
only after the broth has been strained, so as not to run the risk of
disturbing the latter.
The quality of the meat goes a long way towards settling the quality of
the consommé. In order that the latter be perfect, it is essential that
the meat used should be that of comparatively old animals whose flesh
is well set and rich in flavour. This is a _sine quâ non_, and the lack
of meat coming from old animals in England accounts for the difficulty
attaching to the making of a good consommé and savoury sauces in this
country. Cattle in England are killed at an age varying from three to
four years at the most; the meat thus obtained has no equal for the
purpose of roasts and grills, and anything approaching it is rarely
met with on the Continent. But when this same meat is used for boiling
or braising, it does not contain enough juice or flavour to yield a
satisfactory result.
This shortcoming is furthermore aggravated by a fault that many commit
who are employed in the making of consommés and stock. The fault in
question consists in cooking the bones simultaneously with the meat.
Now to extract that gelatinous element from bone which produces the
mellowness characteristic of all good consommés, it is necessary that
the gelatigenous bodies should be cooked for twelve hours at least, and
even after that time has elapsed they are still not entirely spent.
On the Continent the quality of the meat easily compensates for this
technical error, but such is certainly not the case in England, where
five hours’ stewing only results in a flat and insipid consommé.
I therefore believe that, in the case of either consommé or stock, the
formulæ of which I shall give later, it would be advisable for the
bones to stew at least twelve hours, and this only after they have
been well broken up, while the quantity of water used should be so
calculated as to suffice exactly for the immersion of the meat that
must follow. The contents of this first stock-pot should include half
of the vegetables mentioned, and the consommé thus obtained, after
having been strained and cooled, will take the place of the water in
the recipe, in accordance with the directions I have given above.
=The Uses of White Consommé=
White consommé is used in the preparation of clarified consommés, in
which case it undergoes a process of clarifying, the directions for
which will be given later. It also serves as the liquor for thick
soups, poached fowls, &c. It must be limpid, as colourless as possible,
and very slightly salted, for, whatever the use may be for which it is
intended, it has to undergo a process of concentration.
2—THE PREPARATION OF CLARIFIED CONSOMMÉ FOR CLEAR SOUPS
_Quantities for making four quarts._—Five quarts of ordinary consommé,
one and one-half lbs. of very lean beef, the white of an egg, one
fowl’s carcase (roasted if possible). First, mince the beef and pound
it in a mortar with the fowl’s carcase and the white of egg, adding
a little cold white consommé. Put the whole into a tall, narrow, and
thick-bottomed stewpan; then gradually add the cold, white broth, from
which all grease has been removed, that the whole may be well mixed.
Then the stewpan may be put on the fire, and its contents thoroughly
stirred, for fear of their burning at the bottom. When boiling-point
is reached, move the stewpan to a corner of the fire, so that the
soup may only simmer, for anything approaching the boil would disturb
the contents. A good hour should be enough to properly finish the
consommé, and any longer time on the fire would be rather prejudicial
than the reverse, as it would probably impair the flavour of the
preparation. Now carefully remove what little grease may have collected
on the surface of the consommé, and strain the latter through muslin
into another clean stewpan. It is now ready for the addition of the
garnishes that are to form part of it, which I shall enumerate in due
course.
=Remarks upon Clarifications=
For clarified consommés, even more than for the ordinary kind, it
is eminently advisable that the meat should be that of old animals.
Indeed, it is safe to say that one lb. of meat coming from an animal of
eight years will yield much better consommé than two lbs. would, coming
from a fattened animal of about three or four years. The consommé will
be stronger, mellower, and certainly more tasty, as the flesh of young
animals has absolutely no richness of flavour.
It will be seen that I do not refer to any vegetable for the
clarification. If the white consommé has been well carried out, it
should be able to dispense with all supplementary flavouring, and,
the customary error of cooks being rather to overdo the quantity of
vegetables—even to the extent of disguising the natural aroma of
the consommé—I preferred to entirely abandon the idea of vegetable
garnishes in clarifications, and thus avoid a common stumbling-block.
3—CHICKEN CONSOMMÉ
White chicken consommé is prepared in exactly the same way as ordinary
white consommé. There need only be added to the meat, the quantity of
which may be lessened, an old hen or a cock, slightly coloured on the
spit or in the oven.
For the clarification, the quantity of roast fowl-carcases used may be
increased, provided the latter be not too fat. The process, however, is
the same as in the clarification of ordinary consommés.
The colour of chicken consommé should be lighter than that of the
ordinary kind—namely, a light, amber yellow, limpid and warm.
4—FISH CONSOMMÉ
These consommés are rarely used, for Lenten soups with a fish basis are
generally thick soups, for the preparation of which the fish _fumet_
whereof I shall give the formula later (Formula No. 11) should avail.
Whenever there is no definite reason for the use of an absolutely
Lenten consommé, it would be advisable to resort to one of the ordinary
kind, and to finish off the same by means of a good fish essence
extracted from the bones of a sole or whiting. An excellent consommé
is thus obtained, more palatable and less flat than the plain fish
consommé.
If, however, one were obliged to make a plain fish consommé, the
following procedure should be adopted:—
=Clarification of Fish Consommé=
_Quantities for making Four Quarts._—Four and one-half quarts of
ordinary fish _fumet_ having a decided taste; one-half lb. of good
fresh caviare, or pressed caviare.
_Mode of Procedure._—Pound the caviare and mix the resulting pulp with
the cold fish _fumet_. Put the whole into a saucepan, place it on the
open fire, and stir with a spatula until the contents reach the boil.
Then move the saucepan to a corner of the fire, and let the consommé
simmer gently for twenty minutes, after which strain it through muslin
with great caution, and keep it well covered and in the warmth, so as
to prevent the formation of a gelatinous film on the surface.
Fish consommés are greatly improved by the addition of such aromatics
as saffron or curry, both of which considerably add to their quality.
5—GAME CONSOMMÉ
The necks, breasts, and shoulders of venison and of hare, old wild
rabbits, old pheasants, and old partridges may be used in the
production of game consommés. An ordinary consommé may likewise be
made, in which half the beef can be replaced by veal, and to which may
be added, while clarifying, a succulent game essence. This last method
is even preferable when dealing with feathered game, but in either case
it is essential that the meat used should be half-roasted beforehand,
in order to strengthen the _fumet_.
The formula that I give below must therefore only be looked upon as
a model, necessarily alterable according to the resources at one’s
disposal, the circumstances, and the end in view.
_Quantities for making Four Quarts of Plain Game Consommé._
3 lbs. of neck, shoulder, or breast of venison.
1½ lbs. of hare-trimmings.
1 old pheasant or 2 partridges.
4 oz. of sliced carrots, browned in butter.
½ lb. of mushrooms, likewise browned in butter.
1 medium-sized leek and 2 sticks of celery.
1 bunch of herbs with extra thyme and bay leaves.
1 onion, oven-browned, with 2 cloves stuck into it.
_Liquor._—Five and one-half quarts of water.
_Seasoning._—One oz. of salt and a few peppercorns, these to be added
ten minutes previous to straining the consommé.
_Time allowed for cooking._—Three hours.
_Mode of Procedure._—Proceed in exactly the same way as for ordinary
consommés, taking care only to half-roast the meat, as I pointed out
above, before putting it in the stewpan.
=The Clarification of Game Consommés=
The constituents of the clarification of game consommés vary according
to the kind of consommé desired. If it is to have a partridge flavour,
one partridge should be allowed for each quart of the consommé, whereas
if its flavour is to be that of the pheasant, half an old pheasant will
be required per each quart of the liquid. Lastly, in the case of plain
game consommés, one lb. of lean venison, hare, or wild rabbit should be
allowed for each quart of the required consommé.
_Mode of Procedure._—Whatever be the kind of game used, the latter must
be thoroughly boned and the meat well pounded, together with the white
of an egg per four quarts of consommé. About two oz. per quart of dried
mushrooms should now be added if they can be procured, while the bones
and the remains or carcases of game should be browned in the oven and
completely drained of all grease. The whole can now be mixed with the
cold game consommé. The clarification is then put over an open fire
(stirring incessantly the while), and as soon as the boil is reached
the saucepan must be moved to a corner of the fire, where its contents
may gently boil for three-quarters of an hour. The fat should then be
removed, and the consommé strained through muslin, after which cover up
until wanted.
6—SPECIAL CONSOMMÉS FOR SUPPERS
The consommés whose formulæ I have just given are intended more
particularly for dinners. They are always finished off by some kind of
garnish, which, besides lending them an additional touch of flavour,
gives them their special and definite character when they are served up
in the diner’s plate.
But the case is otherwise with the consommés served for suppers. These,
being only served in cups, either hot or cold, do not allow of any
garnishing, since they are to be _drunk_ at table. They must therefore
be perfect in themselves, delicate, and quite clear.
These special consommés are made in a similar manner to the others,
though it is needful to slightly increase the quantity of meat used
for the clarification, and to add to that clarification the particular
flavour mentioned on the _menu_—to wit, a few stalks of celery, if the
consommé is a celery one; a small quantity of curry, if the consommé is
given as “à l’Indienne”; or a few old roast partridges if it is to be
termed “Consommé au fumet de perdreau”; and so on.
The means by which one may vary the aroma of consommés are legion, but
it is highly important, what aroma soever be used, that the latter be
not too pronounced. It ought only to lend a distinctive and, at the
same time, subtle finish to the consommé, which, besides sharpening the
latter, should increase its succulence.
When the consommé is served cold it ought to have the qualities of an
extremely light and easily-melting jelly, barely firm; but when it is
too liquid, it rarely gives that sensation of perfection and succulence
to the palate of the consumer which the latter expects. When too firm
and too gelatinous it is positively disagreeable; therefore, if it is
to be relished, it should be just right in respect of consistency.
7—BROWN STOCK OR “ESTOUFFADE”
_Quantities for making Four Quarts._
4 lbs. of shin of beef (flesh and bone).
4 lbs. of shin of veal (flesh and bone).
½ lb. of lean, raw ham.
½ lb. of fresh pork rind, rinsed in tepid water.
¾ lb. of minced carrots, browned in butter.
¾ lb. of minced onions, browned in butter.
1 faggot, containing a little parsley, a stick of celery, a small
sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf.
_Preparation._—Bone and string the meat, and keep it in readiness for
the morrow. Break the bones as finely as possible, and, after having
besprinkled them with a little stock-fat, brown them in an oven; also
stir them repeatedly. When they are slightly browned, put them in a
conveniently large saucepan with the carrots, the onions, and the
faggot. Add five quarts of cold water, and put the saucepan on an open
fire to boil. As soon as the boil is reached skim carefully; wipe the
edge of the saucepan; put the lid half on, and allow the stock to cook
gently for twelve hours; then roughly remove the fat; pass the liquid
through a sieve, and let it cool.
This being done, put the meat in a saucepan just large enough to hold
it. Brown it a little in some stock-fat, and clear it entirely of the
latter. Add half a pint of the prepared stock, cover the saucepan,
and let the meat simmer on the side of the fire until the stock is
almost entirely reduced. Meanwhile the meat should have been repeatedly
turned, that it may be equally affected throughout. Now pour the
remainder of the stock, prepared from bones, into the saucepan, bring
the whole to the boil, and then move the saucepan to a corner of the
fire for the boiling to continue very slowly and regularly with the lid
off. As soon as the meat is well cooked the fat should be removed from
the stock, and the latter should be strained or rubbed through a sieve,
after which it should be put aside to be used when required.
_Remarks Relative to the Making of Brown Stock._—Instead of stringing
the meat after having boned it, if time presses, it may be cut into
large cubes before browning. In this case one hour and a half would
suffice to cook it and to extract all its juice.
Whether brown or white, stock should never be salted, because it is
never served in its original state. It is either reduced in order to
make glazes or sauces—in which case the concentration answers the
purpose of seasoning—or else it is used to cook meat which must be
salted before being cooked, and which, therefore, imparts the necessary
salt to its surrounding liquor.
Brown stock ought to be the colour of fine burnt amber, and it must be
transparent. It is used in making meat-glazes after reduction, also to
moisten meat for braising and to prepare brown sauces.
8—BROWN GAME STOCK
There is no difference between the game consommés and game stock, or,
otherwise stated, ordinary game consommé and brown game stock are one
and the same thing. The distinction lies in the ultimate use of this
preparation; it is clarified, as we have shown (Formula 5), if it be
intended for a clear soup, and it is used in its original state if it
is to be used for a thick game soup, for a sauce, or for reducing.
9—BROWN VEAL STOCK
Brown veal stock requires the same quantities of shin and trimmings of
veal as white veal stock (Formula 10). The time allowed for cooking is,
however, a little shorter, and this operation may be completed within
eight hours. This stock is mostly used as the liquor for poultry and
poëled game, while it may also serve in the preparation of thickened
veal stock. Being quite neutral in taste, it lends itself to all
purposes, and readily takes up the aroma of the meat with which it
may happen to be combined. It is admirably suited to the poaching of
quails, and nothing can supplant it in this particular.
10—WHITE VEAL STOCK, AND POULTRY STOCK
_Quantities for making Four Quarts._
8 lbs. of shin of veal, or lean and fresh veal trimmings.
1 or 2 fowls’ carcases, raw if they are handy.
12 oz. of carrots.
6 oz. of onions stuck with a clove.
5½ quarts of cold water.
4 oz. of leeks strung with a stick of celery.
1 faggot, including 1 oz. of parsley, 1 bay leaf, and a small sprig
of thyme.
_Preparation._—Bone the shins, string the meat, break up the bones as
small as possible, and put them in a stewpan with the water. Place on
an open fire, allow to boil, skim carefully, and then move to a side of
the fire to cook very gently for five hours. At the end of this time
put the stock into another stewpan, add the meat and the vegetables,
add water, if necessary, to keep the quantity of liquid at five quarts,
let it boil, and allow it to cook slowly for another three hours, after
which remove all grease from the stock, pass the latter through a fine
strainer or a colander, and put it aside until wanted.
_Remarks upon White Stock._—One should contrive to make this stock
as gelatinous as possible. It is therefore an indispensable measure
that the bones be well broken up and cooked for at least eight hours.
Veal never yields such clear stock as beef; nevertheless, the consommé
obtained from veal should not be turbid. It must, on the contrary, be
kept as clear and as white as possible.
_Poultry Stock_ is made by adding two old fowls to the above veal
stock, and these should be put into the liquor with the meat.
=Fish Stock=
11—WHITE FISH STOCK
_Quantities for making Four Quarts._
4 lbs. of trimmings and bones of sole or whiting.
½ lb. of sliced, blanched onions.
2 oz. of parsley, root or stalks.
½ bottle of white wine.
_Preparation._—Butter the bottom of a thick, tall stewpan, put in the
blanched onions and the parsley-stalks, and upon these aromatics lay
the fish remains. Add the juice of a lemon, cover the stewpan, put it
on the fire, and allow the fish to exude its essence, jerking the pan
at intervals. Moisten, in the first place, with the white wine; then,
with the lid off, reduce the liquid to about half. Now add four quarts
of cold water, bring to the boil, skim, and then leave to cook for
twenty minutes, only, on a moderate fire. The time allowed is ample
for the purpose of extracting the aromatic and gelatinous properties
contained in the bones, and a more protracted stewing would only impair
the savour of the stock.
_Remarks upon White Fish Stock._—The formula which I give above
diverges considerably from that commonly used, for, as a rule, fish
stock is diluted far too much, and is stewed for much too long a
time. I have observed that fish stock may be greatly improved by
rapid cooking, and it was this consideration that led me to dilute it
scantily, so as to avoid prolonged reduction.
It is likewise necessary to remember that in order to make perfect fish
stock, only the sole or whiting should be used. In a case of emergency,
however, _i.e._, if the supply of the latter were to run short, a
quarter of their weight of brill bones might be added to them. But all
other kinds of fish should be avoided in the preparation.
12—FISH STOCK WITH RED WINE
This stock is comparatively rarely used, because, in practice, it is
naturally obtained in the cooking of the fish itself, as, for instance,
in the case of the “Matelotes.” Be this as it may, with the recent
incursion of a custom which seems to demand, ever more and more, the
serving of fish without bones, the following formula will be worthy of
interest, as it is likely that its need will henceforth be felt with
increasing urgency.
Fish _fumet_ with red wine may be prepared from all fresh-water fish,
as well as from the remains of sole, whiting, chicken-turbot, and
brill. It is generally better, however, to have recourse to the bones
and remains of that fish which happens to be constituting the dish—that
is to say, the bones and trimmings of sole in a stock for fillet of
sole, the bones and trimmings of a chicken-turbot in a _fumet_ for a
chicken-turbot, and so on. The preparatory formula remains the same,
whatever the kind of fish used may be.
_Quantities for making Four Quarts of_ Fumet _with Red Wine_.—Four lbs.
of bones, heads, and trimmings of the fish to be served;
three-quarters lb. of minced white onions; three oz. of parsley stalks,
two bay leaves, four small sprigs of thyme, and four cloves of garlic;
two bottles of red wine and four pints of water.
_Mode of Procedure._—Put all the above-mentioned ingredients in a thick
and tall stewpan, boil, skim carefully, and allow to cook twenty to
thirty minutes on a moderate fire; then strain the stock through a
colander into a tureen, to be used when required.
_Remarks upon Fish Stock with Red Wine._—This stock stands reduction
far better than white fish stock. Nevertheless, I urge the advisability
of trying to obtain the required quantity without reduction. In its
preparation, one may use some mushroom parings, as in the case of white
stock, if these are handy, and they will be found to lend an agreeable
flavour to the fish _fumet_.
13—VARIOUS ESSENCES
As their name implies, essences are stock which hold a large proportion
of a substance’s aroma in a concentrated form. They are, in fact,
ordinary stock, only less diluted, with the idea of intensifying the
flavour of the treated ingredients; hence their utility is _nil_ if
the stock which they are intended to finish has been reasonably and
judiciously treated. It is infinitely simpler to make savoury and
succulent stock in the first place than to produce a mediocre stock,
and finally complete it by a specially prepared essence. The result in
the first instance is better, and there is economy of time and material.
The most one can do is to recommend, in certain circumstances, the use
of essences extracted from particularly well-flavoured products, as,
for instance, mushrooms, truffles, morels, and celery. But it would be
well to remember that, nine times out of ten, it is preferable to add
the product itself to the stock during the preparation of the same than
to prepare essences.
For this reason I do not think it necessary to dilate upon the subject
of essences, the need of which should not be felt in good cooking.
14—VARIOUS GLAZES
The various glazes of meat, fowl, game, and fish are merely stock
reduced to the point of viscosity. Their uses are legion. Occasionally
they serve in decking dishes with a brilliant and unctuous coating
which makes them sightly; at other times they may help to strengthen
the consistence of a sauce or other culinary preparation, while again
they may be used as sauces proper after they have been correctly
creamed or buttered.
Glazes are distinguished from essences by the fact that the latter
are only prepared with the object of extracting all the flavour
of the product under treatment, whereas the former are, on the
contrary, constituted by the whole base of the substance itself.
They therefore have not only its savour, but also its succulence and
mellowness, whereby they are superior to the essences, and cooking can
but be improved by substituting them for the latter. Nevertheless,
many _chefs_ of the old school do not permit the use of glazes in
culinary preparations, or, rather, they are of opinion that each
cooking operation should produce them on its own account, and thus be
sufficient unto itself. Certainly, the theory is correct when neither
time nor cost is limited. But nowadays the establishments are scarce
where these theories may be applied, and, indeed, if one does not make
an abuse of glazes, and if they be prepared with care, their use gives
excellent results, while they lend themselves admirably to the very
complex demands of modern customs.
15—MEAT GLAZE
Meat glaze is made by reducing brown stock (Formula 7) in a large
stewpan upon an open fire. As often as the stock is appreciably
reduced, during ebullition, it may be transferred to smaller stewpans,
taking care to strain it through muslin at each change of stewpan. The
glaze may be considered sufficiently reduced when it evenly veneers
a withdrawn spoon. The fire used for reducing should gradually wane
as the concentration progresses, and the last phase must be effected
slowly and on a moderate fire.
When it is necessary to obtain a lighter and clearer glaze, the
brown veal stock (Formula No. 9) should be reduced instead of the
“_Estouffade_.”
16—POULTRY GLAZE
Reduce the poultry base indicated in Formula 10, and proceed in
exactly the same way as for meat glaze (Formula 15).
17—GAME GLAZE
Use the game base (Formula 8), and proceed as for meat glaze (Formula
15).
18—FISH GLAZE
This glaze is used less often than the preceding ones. As it is only
used to intensify the savour of sauces, it is sufficient for this
purpose to prepare a white fish stock (Formula 11), which may be
diluted with the stock already prepared, and which may be reduced
according to the requirements. The name of fish _fumet_ or fish essence
is given to this preparation; its flavour is more delicate than that of
fish glaze, which it replaces with advantage.
CHAPTER II
THE LEADING WARM SAUCES
Warm sauces are of two kinds: the leading sauces, also called “mother
sauces,” and the small sauces, which are usually derived from the
first-named, and are generally only modified forms thereof. Cooking
stock only includes the leading sauces, but I shall refer to the small
hot sauces and the cold sauces at the end of the auxiliary stock.
Experience, which plays such an important part in culinary work,
is nowhere so necessary as in the preparation of sauces, for not
only must the latter flatter the palate, but they must also vary in
savour, consistence and viscosity, in accordance with the dishes they
accompany. By this means, in a well-ordered dinner, each dish differs
from the preceding ones and from those that follow.
Furthermore, sauces must, through the perfection of their preparation,
obey the general laws of a rational hygiene, wherefore they should be
served and combined in such wise as to allow of easy digestion by the
frequently disordered stomachs of their consumers.
Carême was quite justified in pluming himself upon the fact that during
his stay at the English Court his master—the Prince Regent—had assured
him that he (Carême) was the only one among those who had served his
Highness whose cooking had been at all easy of digestion. Carême
had grasped the essential truth that the richer the cooking is, the
more speedily do the stomach and palate tire of it. And, indeed, it
is a great mistake to suppose that, in order to do good cooking, it
is necessary to be prodigal in one’s use of all things. In reality,
practice dictates fixed and regular quantities, and from these one
cannot diverge without upsetting the hygienic and sapid equilibrium on
which the value of a sauce depends. The requisite quantities of each
ingredient must, of course, be used, but neither more nor less, as
there are objections to either extreme.
Any sauce whatsoever should be smooth, light (without being liquid),
glossy to the eye, and decided in taste. When these conditions are
fulfilled it is always easy to digest even for tired stomachs.
An essential point in the making of sauces is the seasoning, and it
would be impossible for me to lay sufficient stress on the importance
of not indulging in any excess in this respect. It too often happens
that the insipidness of a badly-made sauce is corrected by excessive
seasoning; this is an absolutely deplorable practice.
Seasoning should be so calculated as to be merely a complementary
factor, which, though it must throw the savour of dishes into relief,
may not form a recognisable part of them. If it be excessive, it
modifies and even destroys the taste peculiar to every dish—to the
great detriment of the latter and of the consumer’s health.
It is therefore desirable that each sauce should possess its own
special flavour, well defined, the result of the combined flavours of
all its ingredients.
If, in the making of sauces, one allowed oneself to be guided by those
principles which are the very foundation of good cookery, the general
denunciation of sauces by the medical faculty would be averted; and
this denunciation no sauce deserves if it be carefully prepared,
conformably with the laws prescribed by practice and its resulting
experience.
=The Roux=
The roux being the cohering element of leading sauces, it is necessary
to reveal its preparation and constituents before giving one’s
attention to the latter.
Three kinds of roux are used—namely, brown roux, for brown sauces; pale
roux, for veloutés, or cream sauces; and white roux, for white sauces
and Béchamel.
19—BROWN ROUX
_Quantities for making about One lb._—Eight oz. of clarified butter,
nine oz. of best-quality flour.
_Preparation._—Mix the flour and butter in a very thick stewpan, and
put it on the side of the fire or in a moderate oven. Stir the mixture
repeatedly so that the heat may be evenly distributed throughout the
whole of its volume.
The time allowed for the cooking of brown roux cannot be precisely
determined, as it depends upon the degree of heat employed. The more
intense the latter, the speedier will be the cooking, while the
stirring will of necessity be more rapid. Brown roux is known to be
cooked when it has acquired a fine, light brown colour, and when it
exudes a scent resembling that of the hazel-nut, characteristic of
baked flour.
It is very important that brown roux should not be cooked too rapidly.
As a matter of fact, among the various constituent elements of flour,
the starch alone acts as the cohering principle. This starch is
contained in little cells, which tightly constrain it, but which are
sufficiently porous to permit the percolation of liquid and fatty
substances. Under the influence of moderate heat and the infiltered
butter, the cells burst through the swelling of the starch, and the
latter thereupon completely combines with the butter to form a mass
capable of absorbing six times its own weight of liquid when cooked.
When the cooking takes place with a very high initial heat the starch
gets burned within its shrivelled cells, and swelling is then possible
only in those parts which have been least burned.
The cohering principle is thus destroyed, and double or treble the
quantity of roux becomes necessary in order to obtain the required
consistency. But this excess of roux in the sauce chokes it up without
binding it, and prevents it from despumating or becoming clear. At the
same time, the cellulose and the burnt starch lend a bitterness to the
sauce of which no subsequent treatment can rid it.
From the above it follows that, starch being the only one from among
the different constituents of flour which really effects the coherence
of sauces, there would be considerable advantage in preparing roux
either from a pure form of it, or from substances with kindred
properties, such as fecula, arrow-root, &c. It is only habit that
causes flour to be still used as the cohering element of roux, and,
indeed, the hour is not so far distant when the advantages of the
changes I propose will be better understood—changes which have been
already recommended by Favre in his dictionary.
With a roux well made from the purest starch—in which case the volume
of starch and butter would equal about half that of the flour and
butter of the old method—and with strong and succulent brown stock, a
Spanish sauce or Espagnole may be made in one hour. And this sauce will
be clearer, more brilliant, and better than that of the old processes,
which needed three days at least to despumate.
20—PALE ROUX
The quantities are the same as for brown roux, but cooking must cease
as soon as the colour of the roux begins to change, and before the
appearance of any colouring whatsoever.
The observations I made relative to brown roux, concerning the cohering
element, apply also to pale roux.
21—WHITE ROUX
Same quantities as for brown and pale roux, but the time of cooking is
limited to a few minutes, as it is only needful, in this case, to do
away with the disagreeable taste of raw flour which is typical of those
sauces whose roux has not been sufficiently cooked.
22—BROWN SAUCE OR ESPAGNOLE
_Quantities Required for Four Quarts._—One lb. of brown roux dissolved
in a tall, thick saucepan with six quarts of brown stock or estouffade.
Put the saucepan on an open fire, and stir the sauce with a spatula or
a whisk, and do not leave it until it begins to boil. Then remove the
spatula, and put the saucepan on a corner of the fire, letting it lean
slightly to one side with the help of a wedge, so that boiling may only
take place at one point, and that the inert principles thrown out by
the sauce during despumation may accumulate high up in the saucepan,
whence they can be easily removed as they collect.
It is advisable during despumation to change saucepans twice or even
three times, straining every time, and adding a quart of brown stock
to replace what has evaporated. At length, when the sauce begins to
get lighter, and about two hours before finally straining it, two lbs.
of fresh tomatoes, roughly cut up, should be added, or an equivalent
quantity of tomato purée, and about one lb. of _Mirepoix_, prepared
according to Formula No. 228. The sauce is then reduced so as to
measure four quarts when strained, after which it is poured into a wide
tureen, and must be kept in motion until quite cool lest a skin should
form on its surface.
The time required for the despumation of an Espagnole varies according
to the quality of the stock and roux. We saw above that one hour
sufficed for a concentrated stock and starch roux, in which case the
Mirepoix and the tomato are inserted from the first. But much more time
is required if one is dealing with a roux whose base is flour. In the
latter case six hours should be allowed, provided one have excellent
stock and well-made roux. More often than not this work is done in two
stages, thus: after having despumated the Espagnole for six or eight
hours the first day, it is put on the fire the next day with half its
volume of stock, and it is left to despumate a few hours more before it
is finally strained.
Summing up my opinion on this subject, I can only give my colleagues
the following advice, based upon long experience:—
1. Only use strong, clear stock with a decided taste.
2. Be scrupulously careful of the roux, however it may be made. By
following these two rules, a clear, brilliant, and consistent Espagnole
will always be obtained in a fairly short time.
23—HALF GLAZE
This is the Espagnole sauce, having reached the limit of perfection by
final despumation. It is obtained by reducing one quart of Espagnole
and one quart of first-class brown stock until its volume is reduced
to nine-tenths of a quart. It is then strained into a _bain-marie_ of
convenient dimensions, and it is finished, away from the fire, with
one-tenth of a quart of excellent sherry. Cover the _bain-marie_, or
slightly butter the top to avoid the formation of a skin. This sauce is
the base of all the smaller brown sauces.
24—LENTEN ESPAGNOLE
Practical men are not agreed as to the need of Lenten Espagnole. The
ordinary Espagnole being really a neutral sauce in flavour, it is quite
simple to give it the necessary flavour by the addition of the required
quantity of fish _fumet_. It is only, therefore, when one wishes to
conform with the demands of a genuine Lent sauce that a fish Espagnole
is needed. And, certainly in this case, nothing can take its place.
The preparation of this Espagnole does not differ from that of the
ordinary kind, except that the bacon is replaced by mushroom parings in
the Mirepoix, and that the sauce must be despumated for only one hour.
This sauce takes the place of the ordinary Espagnole, for Lenten
preparations, in every case where the latter is generally used, in
Gratins, in the Genevoise sauce, &c.
25—ORDINARY VELOUTÉ SAUCE
_Quantities Required for Four Quarts._—One lb. of pale roux (Formula
20), five quarts of white veal stock (Formula 10).
Dissolve the roux in the cold white veal stock and put the saucepan
containing this mixture on an open fire, stirring the sauce with a
spatula or whisk, so as to avoid its burning at the bottom. Add one oz.
of table-salt, a pinch of nutmeg and white powdered pepper, together
with one-quarter lb. of nice white mushroom parings, if these are
handy. Now boil and move to a corner of the fire to despumate slowly
for one and a half hours, at the same time observing the precautions
advised for ordinary Espagnole (Formula 22). Strain through muslin into
a smaller saucepan, add one pint of white stock, and despumate for
another half hour. Strain it again through a tammy or a sieve into a
wide tureen, and keep moving it with a spatula until it is quite cold.
I am not partial to garnishing Velouté Sauce with carrots, an onion
with a clove stuck into it, and a faggot, as many do. The stock should
be sufficiently fragrant of itself, without requiring the addition
of anything beyond the usual condiments. The only exception I should
make would be for mushroom parings, even though it is preferable, when
possible, to replace these by mushroom liquor. But this is always
scarce in kitchens where it is used for other purposes; wherefore it
is often imperative to have recourse to parings in its stead. The
latter may not, however, be added to the stock itself, as they would
blacken it; hence I advise their addition to the Velouté during its
preparation.
26—VELOUTÉ DE VOLAILLE
This is identical with ordinary Velouté, except that instead of having
white veal stock for its liquor, it is diluted with white poultry
stock. The mode of procedure and the time allowed for cooking are the
same.
26a—FISH VELOUTÉ
Velouté is the base of various fish sauces whose recipes will be given
in Part II.
Prepare it in precisely the same way as poultry velouté, but instead of
using poultry stock, use very clear fish _fumet_, and let it despumate
for twenty minutes only. (See fish _fumet_ No. 11.)
27—ALLEMANDE SAUCE OR THICKENED VELOUTÉ
Allemande Sauce is not, strictly speaking, a basic sauce. However, it
is so often resorted to in the preparation of other sauces that I think
it necessary to give it after the Veloutés, from which it is derived.
_Quantities Required for One Quart._
The yolks of 5 eggs.
1 pint of cold white stock.
1 quart of Velouté, well despumated.
½ the juice of a lemon.
¼ pint of mushroom liquor.
_Mode of Procedure._—Put the various ingredients in a thick-bottomed
sauté-pan and mix them carefully. Then put the pan on an open fire, and
stir the sauce with a metal spatula, lest it burn at the bottom. When
the sauce has been reduced to about one quart, add one-third pint of
fresh cream to it, and reduce further for a few minutes. It should then
be passed through a fine strainer into a tureen and kept moving until
quite cold.
Prepared thus, the Allemande Sauce is ready for the preparation of the
smaller sauces. Butter must only be added at the very last moment,
for if it were buttered any earlier it would most surely turn. The
same injunction holds good with this sauce when it is to be served in
its original state; it should then receive a small addition of cream,
and be buttered so that it may attain its required delicacy; but this
addition of butter and cream ought only to be made at the last moment,
and away from the fire. When a sauce thickened with egg yolks has any
fat substance added to it, it cannot be exposed to a higher temperature
than 140 degrees Fahrenheit without risking decomposition.
28—BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
_Quantities Required for Four Quarts._
1 lb. of white roux.
4½ quarts of boiling milk.
½ lb. of lean veal.
⅔ oz. of salt, 1 pinch of mignonette, and grated nutmeg, and 1 small
sprig of thyme.
1 minced onion.
_Preparation._—Pour the boiling milk on the roux, which should be
almost cold, and whisk it well so as to avoid lumps. Let it boil, then
cook on the side of the fire. Meanwhile the lean veal should have been
cut into small cubes, and fried with butter in a saucepan, together
with the minced onion. When the veal has stiffened without becoming
coloured, it is added to the Béchamel, together with salt and the other
aromatics. Let the sauce boil slowly for about one hour in all, and
then pass it through a tammy into a tureen; butter the top, lest a
crust should form.
When Béchamel is intended for Lenten preparations, the veal must be
omitted.
There is another way of making the sauce. After having boiled the milk,
the seasoning and aromatics should be added; the saucepan is then
covered and placed on a corner of the stove, so as to ensure a thorough
infusion. The boiling milk must now be poured on to the roux which
has been separately prepared, and the sauce should then cook for one
quarter of an hour only.
29—TOMATO SAUCE
_Quantities Required for Four Quarts._
5 oz. of salted breast of pork, rather fat.
6 oz. of carrots cut into cubes.
6 oz. of onions cut into cubes.
1 bay leaf and 1 small sprig of thyme.
5 oz. of flour.
2 oz. of butter, ½ oz. of salt, 1 oz. of sugar, a pinch of pepper.
10 lbs. of raw tomatoes or 4 quarts of same, mashed.
2 quarts of white stock.
_Preparation._—Fry the pork with the butter in a tall, thick-bottomed
saucepan. When the pork is nearly melted, add the carrots, onions, and
aromatics. Cook and stir the vegetables, then add the flour, which
should be allowed to cook until it begins to brown. Now put in the
tomatoes and white stock, mix the whole well, and set to boil on an
open fire. At this point add the seasoning and a crushed clove of
garlic, cover the saucepan, and place in a moderate oven, where it may
cook for one and one-half hours. At the end of this time the sauce
should be passed through a sieve or tammy, and it should boil while
being stirred. Finally, pour it into a tureen, and butter its surface
to avoid the formation of a skin.
_Remarks._—A purée of tomatoes is also used in cookery; it is prepared
in precisely the same fashion, except that the flour is omitted and
only one pint of white stock is added.
30—HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
_Quantities Required for One Quart._—One and one-half lbs. of
butter, the yolks of six eggs, one pinch of mignonette pepper and
one-quarter oz. of salt, three tablespoonfuls of good vinegar.
_Preparation._—Put the salt, the mignonette, the vinegar, and as much
water in a small saucepan, and reduce by three-quarters on the fire.
Move the saucepan to a corner of the fire or into a _bain-marie_,
and add a spoonful of fresh water and the yolks. Work the whole with
a whisk until the yolks thicken and have the consistence of cream.
Then remove the saucepan to a tepid place and gradually pour the
butter on the yolks while briskly stirring the sauce. When the butter
is absorbed, the sauce ought to be thick and firm. It is brought to
the correct consistence with a little water, which also lightens it
slightly, but the addition of water is optional. The sauce is completed
by a drop of lemon juice, and it is rubbed through a tammy.
_Remarks._—The consistence of sauces whose processes are identical
with those of the Hollandaise may be varied at will; for instance, the
number of yolks may be increased if a very thick sauce is desired, and
it may be lessened in the reverse case. Also similar results may be
obtained by cooking the eggs either more or less. As a rule, if a thick
sauce be required, the yolks ought to be well cooked and the sauce
kept almost cold in the making. Experience alone—the fruit of long
practice—can teach the various devices which enable the skilled worker
to obtain different results from the same kind and quality of material.
CHAPTER III
=The Small Compound Sauces=
_Remarks._—In order that the classification of the small sauces should
be clear and methodical, I divide them into three parts.
The first part includes the small brown sauces; the second deals
with the small white sauces and those suited to this part of the
classification; while the third is concerned with the English sauces.
=The Small Brown Sauces=
31—SAUCE BIGARRADE
This sauce is principally used to accompany braised and poëled
ducklings. In the first case, the duckling’s braising stock, being
thickened, constitutes a sauce. In the second case, the stock is clear,
and the procedure in both cases is as follows:—
1. After having strained the braising sauce, completely remove its
grease, and reduce it until it is very dense. Strain it once more
through muslin, twisting the latter; then, in order to bring the sauce
to its normal consistence, add the juice of six oranges and one lemon
per quart of sauce. Finish with a small piece of lemon and orange
rind cut regularly and finely, Julienne-fashion, and scalded for five
minutes.
2. Strain the poëling stock, for ducklings or wild ducks, through
linen; entirely remove the grease, and add four pieces of caramel sugar
dissolved in one tablespoonful of vinegar per one-half point of stock,
the juice of the oranges and the lemon and the Julienne of rinds, as
for the braised-ducklings sauce indicated above.
32—SAUCE BORDELAISE
Put into a vegetable-pan two oz. of very finely minced shallots,
one-half pint of good red wine, a pinch of mignonette pepper, and
bits of thyme and bay. Reduce the wine by three-quarters, and add
one-half pint of half-glaze. Keep the sauce simmering for half an hour;
despumate it from time to time, and strain it through linen or a sieve.
When dishing it up, finish it with two tablespoonfuls of dissolved
meat glaze, a few drops of lemon-juice, and four oz. of beef-marrow,
cut into slices or cubes and poached in slightly salted boiling water.
This sauce may be buttered to the extent of about three oz. per pint,
which makes it smoother, but less clear. It is especially suitable for
grilled butcher’s meat.
33—CHASSEUR SAUCE (Escoffier’s Method)
Peel and mince six medium-sized mushrooms. Heat one-half oz. of butter
and as much olive oil in a vegetable-pan; put in the mushrooms, and
fry the latter quickly until they are slightly browned. Now add a
coffeespoonful of minced shallots, and immediately remove half the
butter; pour one-half pint of white wine and one glass of liqueur
brandy into the stewpan; reduce this liquid to half, and finish the
sauce with: one-half pint of half-glaze, one-quarter pint of tomato
sauce, and one tablespoonful of meat-glaze. Set to boil for five
minutes more, and complete with a teaspoonful of chopped parsley.
34—BROWN CHAUD-FROID SAUCE
Put one quart of half-glaze into a sauté-pan with one-fifth pint of
truffle essence. Put the pan on an open fire, and reduce its contents;
while making same add to the sauce, in small quantities at a time, one
and one-half pints of jelly.
The degree of reduction in this sauce is a good third, but, to be quite
certain, a test of its consistence may be made by allowing it to
cool a little. After the reduction, carefully taste, and rectify the
seasoning if necessary; mix a little Madeira or Port with the sauce,
away from the fire, and strain through muslin or, preferably, through a
Venetian-hair sieve. Stir the sauce now and then while it cools, until
it is sufficiently liquid, and at the same time consistent enough,
to coat immersed solids evenly with a film of sauce. Its use will be
explained among the formulæ of the different kinds of Chaud-froids.
35—VARIETIES OF THE CHAUD-FROID SAUCE
_For Ducks._—Prepare the sauce as above, adding to it (for the
prescribed quantity) one-half pint of duck _fumet_ obtained from the
carcases and remains of roast duckling, and finish it, away from the
fire, with the juice of four oranges and a heaped tablespoonful of
orange rind, cut finely, Julienne-fashion, and scalded for five minutes.
_For Feathered Game._—Treat the Chaud-Froid sauce as indicated in
No. 34, adding one-half pint of the _fumet_ of the game constituting
the dish in order to lend it that game’s characteristic taste. Observe
the same precaution for the cooling.
_For Fish._—Proceed as in No. 34, but (1) substitute the Espagnole
of fish for the half glaze; (2) intensify the first Espagnole with
one-half pint of very clear fish essence; (3) use Lenten jelly instead
of meat jelly.
_Remarks upon the Use of Chaud-Froid Sauces._—The chaud-froid sauce
may be prepared beforehand, and when it is wanted it need only be
gently melted without heating it too much. It ought simply to be made
sufficiently liquid to give a good coating to substances immersed in it.
36—DEVILLED SAUCE
Put in a vegetable pan two oz. of sliced shallots and one-third pint
of white wine. Reduce the latter to two-thirds, add one-half pint of
half-glaze, reduce to two-thirds, season strongly with cayenne pepper,
and strain through muslin. This sauce may be served with grilled fowls
or pigeons. It also forms an excellent accompaniment to re-dished meat
which needs a spicy sauce.
37—“ESCOFFIER” DEVILLED SAUCE
This sauce, which may be bought ready-made, is admirably fitted to
accompany grilled fish and grills in general. In order to make it
ready, all that is needed is to add its own volume of fresh butter
to it, the latter being previously well softened so as to ensure its
perfect mixture with the sauce.
38—GENEVOISE SAUCE
Heat two oz. of butter in a stewpan; insert one lb. of Mirepoix
(No. 228) without bacon. Slightly brown, add two lbs. of head of salmon
and remains or bones of fish, and stew with lid on for twenty minutes.
Let the stewpan lean slightly to one side, so that the butter may be
drained; moisten with one bottle of excellent red wine; reduce the
latter by half; add one pint of Lenten Espagnole, and allow to cook
gently for half an hour.
Rub the sauce through a sieve, pressing it so as to extract all the
essence. Let it rest awhile; carefully remove the fat which has risen
to the surface, and add one liqueur-glass of burnt brandy, one-half
pint of red wine, and as much fish _fumet_. Boil again, then move
stewpan to the side of fire to despumate for one and one-half hours.
Frequently remove what the ebullition causes to rise to the surface,
this second period of cooking being only to ensure the purification
of the sauce. If the ebullition has been well effected, the sauce
should reach the proper degree of reduction and despumation at the same
moment of time. It is then strained through muslin or tammy, and it is
finished at the last minute with a few drops of anchovy essence and
four oz. of butter per quart of sauce.
N.B.—The Genevoise Sauce, like all red-wine sauces, may be served
without being buttered. It is thus clearer and more sightly in colour,
but the addition of butter in small quantities makes it mellower and
more palatable.
38a—REMARKS ON RED-WINE SAUCES
In the general repertory of cooking we also have, in the way of
red-wine sauces, the “Bourguignonne,” “Matelote,” and “Red-Wine”
sauces, which are closely allied to the “Genevoise,” and only differ
from it in details of procedure.
The “Bourguignonne” Sauce is composed of red-wine accompanied by
aromatics, and reduced by half. In accordance with ordinary principles,
it is thickened by means of three oz. of manied butter per quart of
reduced wine. This sauce is buttered with four oz. of butter per quart,
and is especially regarded as a domestic preparation for poached,
moulded, and hard-boiled eggs.
“Matelote” Sauce is made from Court-bouillon, with red wine which has
been used for cooking fish. This Court-bouillon, with the mushroom
parings added, is reduced by two-thirds, and is thickened with one
pint of Lenten Espagnole per pint of the reduced Court-bouillon.
This sauce should be reduced by a third, strained through a tammy, and
finished by means of two oz. of butter and a little cayenne per pint of
sauce.
The Red-Wine Sauce resembles the two preceding ones in so far as it
contains mirepoix browned in butter and diluted with red wine. The wine
is reduced by half, thickened by a pint of Lenten Espagnole per pint of
the reduction, and the sauce is despumated for about twenty minutes. It
is strained through a tammy, and finished, when ready, by a few drops
of anchovy essence, a little cayenne, and two oz. of butter per pint of
sauce.
39—GRAND-VENEUR SAUCE
Take one pint of Poivrade Sauce (No. 49) and boil it, adding one pint
of game stock to keep it light; reduce the sauce by a good third;
remove it from the fire, and add four tablespoonfuls of red-currant
jelly. When the latter is well dissolved, complete the sauce by
one-quarter pint of cream per pint of sauce.
This sauce is the proper accompaniment for joints of venison.
40—ITALIAN SAUCE
_Ordinary Italian Sauce._—Put into a stewpan six tablespoonfuls of
Duxelles (see No. 223), two oz. of very lean, cooked ham, cut very
finely, brunoise-fashion, and one pint of half-glaze tomatée. Boil
for ten minutes, and complete, at the moment of dishing up, with one
teaspoonful of parsley, chervil, and tarragon, minced and mixed.
_Lenten Italian Sauce._—Same preparation, only (1) omit the Ham, and
(2) substitute Lent Espagnole (combined with fish _fumet_ made from the
fish for which the sauce is intended) for half glaze with tomatoes.
41—THICKENED GRAVY
Boil one pint of poultry or veal stock (according to the nature of
the dish the gravy is intended for). Thicken this sauce by means of
three-quarters oz. of fecula, diluted cold, with a little water or
gravy, and pour this leason into the boiling gravy, being careful to
stir briskly.
The thickened gravy with the veal-stock base is used for choicest
pieces of butcher’s meat; that with a poultry-stock base is for fillets
of poultry.
42—VEAL GRAVY TOMATÉ
Add to one pint of veal stock two oz. of purée and one-quarter pint of
tomato juice, and reduce by a fifth. Strain the gravy through linen.
This gravy is for butcher’s meat.
43—LYONNAISE SAUCE
Finely mince two oz. of onions and brown them slightly in two oz.
of butter. Moisten with one-quarter pint of white wine and as much
vinegar; almost entirely reduce the liquid; add one and one-half pints
of clear half-glaze, and set to cook slowly for half an hour. Rub the
sauce through a tammy.
N.B.—The onion may be left in the sauce or not, according to the
preparation for which it is intended and the taste of the consumer.
44—MADEIRA SAUCE
Put one and one-half pints of half-glaze into a sauté-pan, and reduce
it on a brisk fire to a stiff consistence. When it reaches this point,
take it off the fire and add one-fifth pint of Madeira to it, which
brings it back to its normal consistence. Strain through a tammy, and
keep it warm without allowing it to boil.
45—MARROW SAUCE
Follow the proportions as indicated under “Sauce Bordelaise” (No. 32)
for the necessary quantity of this sauce, the Marrow Sauce being only
a variety of the Bordelaise. Finish it with six oz. per quart of beef
marrow, cut into cubes, poached and well drained, and one teaspoonful
of chopped parsley, scalded for a second. If the sauce is to accompany
vegetables, finish it, away from the fire, with three oz. of butter,
and then add the cubes of marrow and the parsley.
46—PIGNONS SAUCE
Take the necessary amount of Poivrade Sauce prepared according to
Formula No. 49, and let it boil. Now, for one pint of sauce, prepare
an infusion of juniper berries, with one-quarter pint of water and
two oz. of concassed berries; one oz. of grilled fir-apple kernels,
and one oz. of raisins, stoned and washed, and left to soak in tepid
water for about an hour. Finish the sauce, when dishing up, by adding
the infusion of juniper berries strained through linen, the grilled
kernels, the soaked raisins, and one-eighth pint of Madeira wine.
This sauce is specially suited to joints of venison.
47—PÉRIGUEUX SAUCE
Prepare a “Sauce Madère” as explained in No. 44, and add to the
half-glaze, to be reduced, half its volume of very strong veal stock,
and keep it a little denser than usual. Finish this sauce by adding
one-sixth pint of truffle essence and three oz. of chopped truffles
per quart of Madeira Sauce. It is used for numerous small entrées,
timbales, hot pâtés, &c.
48—PIQUANTE SAUCE
Put into a vegetable pan two oz. of minced shallots, one-quarter pint
of vinegar, and as much white wine. Reduce the liquid by a good half,
and add one pint of half-glaze; set the sauce to boil, and despumate
it for half an hour. At the last moment finish it, away from the fire,
with two oz. of gherkins, one oz. of capers, and a teaspoonful of
chervil, parsley, and tarragon, mixed; all the ingredients to be finely
chopped. This sauce generally accompanies grilled or boiled pork, and
cold meat re-dished and minced which needs spicy flavouring.
49—ORDINARY POIVRADE SAUCE
1. Heat two oz. of butter in a stewpan, and insert one lb. of raw
Mirepoix (No. 228). Fry the vegetables until they are well browned;
moisten with one-quarter pint of vinegar and one-half pint of Marinade
(Formula 169); reduce to two-thirds; add one pint of Espagnole Sauce,
and cook for three-quarters of an hour. Ten minutes before straining
the sauce, put in a few crushed peppercorns. If the pepper were put in
the sauce earlier, it might make it bitter.
2. Pass the sauce through a strainer, pressing the aromatics; add a
further one-half pint of Marinade, and despumate for one-quarter of an
hour, keeping it simmering the while. Strain again through tammy, and
finish the sauce, when ready for dishing, with two oz. of butter.
This sauce is suitable for joints marinaded or not.
50—POIVRADE SAUCE FOR VENISON
Fry, with two oz. of butter and two oz. of oil, one lb. of raw Mirepoix
(No. 228) to which are added four lbs. of well-broken bones and
ground-game trimmings. When the whole is well browned, drain the grease
away, and dilute with one pint of vinegar and one pint of white wine.
Reduce this liquid by three-quarters, then add three quarts of game
stock and a quart of Espagnole Sauce. Boil, cover the saucepan, and put
into a moderate oven, where it should stay for at least three hours.
At the end of this time take out the saucepan and pour its contents
into a fine sieve placed over a tureen; press the remains so as to
expel all the sauce they hold, and pour the sauce into a tall, thick
saucepan. Add enough game stock and Marinade, mixed in equal parts,
to produce three quarts in all of sauce, and gently reduce the latter
while despumating it. As it diminishes in volume, it should be passed
through muslin into smaller saucepans, and the reduction should be
stopped when only a quart of sauce remains.
N.B.—This sauce, like red-wine sauces, may be served as it stands. It
is brilliant, clear, and perhaps more sightly thus, but the addition of
a certain quantity of butter (four oz. per quart) makes it perfectly
mellow, and admirably completes its fragrance.
51—PROVENÇALE SAUCE
Peel, remove the seeds, press and concass twelve medium tomatoes.
Heat in a sauté-pan one-fifth pint of oil, until it begins to smoke
a little; insert the tomatoes seasoned with pepper and salt; add a
crushed garlic clove, a pinch of powdered sugar, one teaspoonful of
chopped parsley, and allow to melt gently for half an hour. In reality,
true Provençale is nothing but a fine fondue of tomatoes with garlic.
52—ROBERT SAUCE
Finely mince a large onion and put it into a stewpan with butter. Fry
the onion gently and without letting it acquire any colour. Dilute
with one-third pint of white wine, reduce the latter by one-third,
add one pint of half-glaze, and leave to simmer for twenty minutes.
When dishing up, finish the sauce with one tablespoonful of meat
glaze, one teaspoonful of mustard, and one pinch of powdered sugar.
If, when finished, the sauce has to wait, it should be kept warm in
a _bain-marie_, as it must not boil again. This sauce—of a spicy
flavour—is best suited to grilled and boiled pork. It may also be used
for a mince of the same meat.
53—ESCOFFIER ROBERTS SAUCE
This sauce may be bought ready-made. It is used either hot or cold. It
is especially suitable for pork, veal, poultry, and even fish, and is
generally used hot with grills after the equivalent of its volume of
excellent brown stock has been added to it. It may also be served cold
to accompany cold meat.
54—ROUENNAISE SAUCE
Prepare a “Bordelaise” sauce according to Formula No. 32. The diluent
of this sauce must be an excellent red wine. For one pint of sauce,
pass four raw ducks’ livers through a sieve; add the resulting purée to
the Bordelaise, and heat the latter for a few minutes in order to poach
the liver. Be careful, however, not to heat the sauce too much nor too
long, lest the liver be cooked. Serve this sauce with duckling à la
Rouennaise.
55—SALMIS SAUCE
The base of this sauce, which rather resembles the cullis, is
unchangeable. Its diluent only changes according to the kind of birds
or game to be treated, and whether this game is to be considered
ordinary or Lenten.
Cut and gently brown in butter five oz. of Mirepoix (Formula 228). Add
the shin detached from the limbs and the chopped carcase of the bird
under treatment, and moisten with one pint of white wine. Reduce the
latter to two-thirds, add one-half pint of half glaze, and boil gently
for three-quarters of an hour. Pass through a strainer, while pressing
upon the carcase and the aromatics, with the view of extracting their
quintessence, and thin the cullis thus obtained by means of one-half
pint of game stock or mushroom liquor, if the game be Lenten. Now
despumate for about one hour, finally reduce the sauce, bring it to its
proper consistency with a little mushroom liquor and truffle essence,
rub it through tammy, and butter it slightly at the last moment.
56—TORTUE SAUCE
Boil one-half pint of veal stock, adding a small sprig of sage, sweet
marjoram, rosemary, basil, thyme, and as much bay, two oz. of mushroom
parings, and one oz. of parsley. Cover and allow to infuse for half an
hour. Two minutes before straining the infusion, add four concassed
peppercorns.
After straining through fine linen, add one-half pint of half-glaze and
as much tomato sauce (away from the fire) with four tablespoonfuls of
sherry, a little truffle essence, and a good pinch of cayenne.
N.B.—As this sauce must be spicy, the use of cayenne suggests itself,
but great caution should be observed, as there must be no excess of
this condiment.
57—VENISON SAUCE
Prepare a Poivrade sauce for game, as explained in No. 50. Finish
this sauce with two tablespoonfuls of red-currant jelly, previously
dissolved, and mixed with five tablespoonfuls of fresh cream per pint
of sauce. This addition of cream and red-currants must be made away
from the fire.
Serve this sauce with big ground-game.
=Small White and Compound Sauces.=
58—AMERICAN SAUCE
This sauce is that of lobster prepared “à l’Américaine” (see No. 939).
As it generally accompanies a fish, the meat of the lobster or lobsters
which have served in its preparation is sliced and used as the garnish
of the fish.
59—ANCHOVY SAUCE
Put into a small stewpan one pint of unbuttered “Normande Sauce”
(No. 99), and finish it, away from the fire, with three oz. of anchovy
butter, and one oz. of anchovy fillets, washed, well sponged, and cut
into small pieces.
60—AURORE SAUCE
Into one-half pint of boiling velouté put the same quantity of very red
tomato purée (No. 29), and mix the two. Let the sauce boil a little,
pass it through a tammy, and finish, away from the fire, with three oz.
of butter.
61—LENTEN AURORE SAUCE
This sauce is made like the preceding one, _i.e._, with the same
quantities of velouté and tomato purée, replacing ordinary velouté by
fish velouté.
62—BÉARNAISE SAUCE
Put into a small stewpan one teaspoonful of chopped shallots, two oz.
of chopped tarragon stalks, three oz. of chervil, some mignonette
pepper, a pinch of salt, and four tablespoonfuls of vinegar. Reduce
the vinegar by two-thirds, take off the fire, let the stewpan cool a
little, and add to this reduction the yolks of five eggs. Now put the
stewpan on a low fire and gradually combine with the yolks six oz. of
melted butter. Whisk the sauce briskly, so as to ensure the cooking of
the yolks, which alone, by gradual cooking, effect the leason of the
sauce.
When the butter is combined with the sauce, rub the latter through
tammy, and finish it with a teaspoonful of chervil parings and chopped
tarragon leaves. Complete the seasoning with a suspicion of cayenne.
This sauce should not be served very hot, as it is really a mayonnaise
with butter. It need only be tepid, for it would probably turn if it
were over-heated. Serve it with grilled, butcher’s meat and poultry.
63—BÉARNAISE SAUCE WITH MEAT GLAZE, OTHERWISE VALOIS SAUCE OR FOYOT
SAUCE
Prepare a Béarnaise sauce as explained in No. 62. Complete it with
three tablespoonfuls of dissolved pale meat glaze, which may be added
in small quantities at a time. Serve it with butcher’s meat.
64—BÉARNAISE TOMATÉE SAUCE OR CHORON SAUCE
Proceed in exactly the same way as for Béarnaise No. 62. When the sauce
is made and rubbed through tammy, finish it with one-third pint of
very red tomato purée. In this case the final addition of chervil and
tarragon should not be made.
This is proper to “Tournedos Choron,” but it may accompany grilled
poultry and white, butcher’s meat.
65—BERCY SAUCE
Heat two oz. of chopped shallots. Moisten with one-half pint of white
wine and as much fish _fumet_, or, when possible, the same quantity of
fish liquor, the latter being, of course, that of a fish similar to the
one the sauce is to accompany. Reduce to a good third, add one-third
pint of velouté, let the sauce boil some time, and finish it, away from
the fire, with four oz. of butter (added by degrees), a few drops of
fish glaze, half the juice of a lemon, and one oz. of chopped parsley.
Serve with medium-sized poached fish.
66—BUTTER SAUCE
Mix two oz. of sifted flour with two oz. of melted butter. Dilute with
one quart of boiling water, salted to the extent of one-quarter oz. per
quart. Stir briskly to ensure a perfect leason, and do not allow to
boil. Add immediately the yolks of six eggs mixed with one-quarter pint
of cream and the juice of half a lemon. Rub through a tammy, and finish
the sauce with five oz. of best fresh butter.
Be careful that the sauce does not boil after it has been thickened.
67—BONNEFOY SAUCE, OR WHITE BORDELAISE SAUCE
Put in a stewpan two oz. of minced shallots and one-half pint of
Graves, Sauterne, or any other excellent white Bordeaux. Reduce the
wine almost entirely, add one-quarter pint of velouté, let it simmer
twenty minutes, and rub it through a tammy. Finish it, away from the
fire, with six oz. of butter and a little chopped tarragon.
Serve it with grilled fish and grilled white meat.
68—CAPER SAUCE
This is a derivative of the Butter Sauce described under No. 66, and
there need only be added two tablespoonfuls of capers per pint of
sauce. It frequently accompanies boiled fish of all kinds.
69—CARDINAL SAUCE
Boil one pint of Béchamel, to which add one-half pint of fish _fumet_
and a little truffle essence, and reduce by a quarter. Finish the
sauce, when dishing up, with three tablespoonfuls of cream and
three oz. of very red lobster butter (No. 149).
This sauce is poured over the fish.
70—MUSHROOM SAUCE
If this be intended for poultry, add one-fifth pint of mushroom liquor
and eight oz. of button-mushroom heads turned or channelled and cooked,
to one pint of very stiff Allemande Sauce.
If it be intended for fish, take one pint of fish velouté, thickened
with the yolks of four eggs, and finish it with mushroom liquor, as
above.
The sauce that I suggest for poultry may also be used for fish, after
adding the necessary quantity of fish _fumet_.
71—CHÂTEAUBRIAND SAUCE
Put one oz. of chopped shallots, a sprig of thyme and a bit of bay,
one oz. of mushroom parings, and one-quarter pint of white wine into
a stewpan. Reduce the wine almost entirely, add one-half pint of veal
gravy, and reduce again until the liquid only measures one-quarter
pint. Strain through muslin, and finish the sauce away from the fire
with four oz. of butter “Maître d’Hôtel” (No. 150), to which may be
added a little chopped tarragon. Serve with grilled fillet of beef,
otherwise “Châteaubriand.”
72—WHITE CHAUD-FROID SAUCE
Boil one pint of velouté in a stewpan, and add three-quarters pint of
melted white poultry jelly. Put the stewpan on an open fire, reduce
the sauce by a third, stirring constantly the while, and gradually
add one-half pint of very fresh cream. When the sauce has reached the
desired degree of consistency rub it through a tammy, and stir it
frequently while it cools, for fear of a skin forming on its surface,
for if this happened it would have to be strained again. When dishing
up, this sauce should be cold, so that it may properly coat immersed
solids and yet be liquid enough to admit of the latter being easily
steeped into it.
73—ORDINARY CHAUD-FROID SAUCE
Proceed exactly as above, substituting Allemande Sauce for the velouté,
and reducing the quantity of cream to one-quarter pint. Observe the
same precautions while cooling.
74—CHAUD-FROID SAUCE, A L’AURORE
Prepare a white Chaud-Froid (No. 72). The same may be coloured by the
addition of fine red tomato purée—more or less to match the desired
shade—or by an infusion of paprika, according to the use for which it
is intended. This last product is preferable when not too deep a shade
is required.
75—CHAUD-FROID SAUCE, AU VERT-PRÉ
Add to the velouté of the white Chaud-Froid sauce, at the same time as
the jelly, an infusion prepared thus:—Boil one-quarter pint of white
wine, and add to it one pinch of chervil stalks, a similar quantity of
tarragon leaves, chives, and parsley leaves. Cover, allow infusion to
proceed away from the fire for ten minutes, and strain through linen.
Treat the sauce as explained, and finish with spinach-green (No. 143).
The shade of the sauce must not be too pronounced, but must remain
a pale green. The colouring principle must therefore be added with
caution and in small quantities, until the correct shade is obtained.
Use this sauce for Chaud-froids of fowl, particularly that kind
distinguished as “_Printanier_.”
76—LENT CHAUD-FROID SAUCE
Proceed as for white Chaud-Froid, using the same quantities, and taking
note of the following modifications:—
1. Substitute fish velouté for ordinary velouté.
2. Substitute white fish jelly for poultry jelly.
_Remarks._—I have adopted the use of this ordinary Chaud-Froid sauce
for the glazing of fillets and escalopes of fish and Shell-fish,
instead of cleared Mayonnaise, formerly used, which had certain
inconveniences—not the least being the oozing away of the oil under
the shrinkage of the gelatine. This difficulty does not obtain in the
ordinary Chaud-Froid, the definite and pronounced flavour of which is
better than that of the cleared Mayonnaise.
77—“ESCOFFIER” CHERRY SAUCE
This sauce may be bought ready-made. Like the Roberts Sauce, it can be
served hot or cold. It is an excellent adjunct to venison, and even to
small ground-game. Saddle of venison with this sauce constitutes one of
the greatest dainties that an epicure could desire.
78—CHIVRY SAUCE
In one-half pint of boiling poultry stock put a large pinch of chervil
pluches, tarragon and parsley leaves, a head of young pimpernel (the
qualification here is very important, for this aromatic plant grows
bitter as it matures), and a good pinch of chives. Cover up, and
let infusion proceed for ten to twelve minutes; then add the liquid
(strained through linen) to one pint of velouté. Boil, reduce by a
quarter, and complete it with two oz. of Green Butter (No. 143). Chivry
Sauce is admirably suited to boiled or poached poultry.
79—CREAM SAUCE
Boil one pint of Béchamel Sauce, and add one-quarter pint of cream
to it. Reduce on an open fire until the sauce has become very thick;
then pass through tammy. Bring to its normal degree of consistency by
gradually adding, away from the fire, one-quarter pint of very fresh
cream and a few drops of lemon-juice. Serve this sauce with boiled
fish, poultry, eggs, and various vegetables.
80—SHRIMP SAUCE
Boil one pint of fish velouté or, failing this, Béchamel sauce, and add
to it one-quarter pint of cream and one-quarter pint of very clear fish
_fumet_. Reduce to one pint, and finish the sauce, away from the fire,
with two oz. of Shrimp Butter (No. 145) and two oz. of shelled shrimps’
tails.
81—CURRY SAUCE
Slightly brown the following vegetables in butter:—Twelve oz. of minced
onions, one oz. of parsley roots, four oz. of minced celery, a small
sprig of thyme, a bit of bay, and a little mace. Sprinkle with two oz.
of flour and a teaspoonful of curry pepper. Cook the flour for some
minutes without letting it acquire any colour, and dilute with one and
one-half pints of white stock. Boil, cook gently for three-quarters
of an hour, and rub through a tammy. Now heat the sauce, remove its
grease, and keep it in the _bain-marie_. Serve this sauce with fish,
shell-fish, poultry, and various egg-preparations.
N.B.—This sauce is sometimes flavoured with cocoa-nut milk in the
proportion of one-quarter of the diluent.
82—DIPLOMATE SAUCE
Take one pint of Normande Sauce, prepared according to No. 99, and
finish it with two oz. of lobster butter and three tablespoonfuls of
lobster meat, and truffles cut into small, regular tubes.
83—HERB SAUCE
Prepare one pint of white-wine sauce (No. 111). Finish it away from
the fire with three oz. of shallot butter, a tablespoonful of parsley,
chervil, tarragon, and chives, chopped and mixed. Serve this sauce with
boiled or poached fish.
84—GOOSEBERRY SAUCE
Prepare one pint of butter sauce, Formula No. 66. Meanwhile put one lb.
of green gooseberries into a small copper saucepan containing boiling
water. Boil for five minutes, then drain the gooseberries, and put them
in a little stewpan with one-half pint of white wine and three oz. of
powdered sugar. Gently cook the gooseberries, rub them through a tammy,
and add the resulting pulp to the butter sauce. This sauce is excellent
with grilled mackerel and the poached fillets of that fish.
85—HUNGARIAN SAUCE
Gently fry in butter, without colouring, two tablespoonfuls of chopped
onions seasoned with table-salt and half a teaspoonful of paprika.
Moisten with one-quarter pint of white wine, add a small faggot, reduce
the wine by two-thirds, and remove the herbs.
Finish with one pint of ordinary or Lenten Velouté, according to the
use for which the sauce is intended, and boil moderately for five
minutes. Then rub the sauce through a tammy, and complete it with
two oz. of butter. Remember this sauce should be of a tender, pink
shade, which it must owe to the paprika alone.
It forms an ideal accompaniment to choice morsels of lamb and veal,
eggs, poultry, and fish.
86—OYSTER SAUCE
Take one pint of Normande Sauce, finish it as directed in that recipe,
and complete it with one-quarter pint of reduced oyster liquor,
strained through linen, and twelve poached and trimmed oysters.
87—IVORY SAUCE, OR ALBUFERA SAUCE
Take the necessary quantity of Suprême Sauce, prepared as explained
in No. 106a. Add to this four tablespoonfuls of dissolved, pale, meat
glaze per quart of sauce, in order to lend the latter that ivory-white
tint which characterises it. Serve this sauce chiefly with poultry and
poached sweet-bread.
88—JOINVILLE SAUCE
Prepare one pint of Normande Sauce (No. 99), as given in the first
part of its formula, and complete it with two oz. of shrimp butter and
two oz. of crayfish butter. If this sauce is to accompany a fish à la
Joinville, which includes a special garnish, it is served as it stands.
If it is served with a large, boiled, ungarnished fish, one oz. of
very black truffles cut _Julienne-fashion_ should be added. As may be
seen, Joinville Sauce differs from similar preparations in the final
operation where crayfish and shrimp butter are combined.
89—MALTESE SAUCE
To the Hollandaise Sauce, given under No. 30, add, when dishing up,
the juice of two blood oranges (these late-season oranges being
especially suitable for this sauce) and half a coffeespoonful of grated
orange-rind.
Maltese Sauce is the finest for asparagus.
90—MARINIÈRE SAUCE
Take the necessary quantity of Bercy Sauce (No. 65), and add, per pint
of sauce, one-quarter pint of mussel liquor and a leason composed of
the yolks of three eggs.
Serve this with small poached fish and more particularly with mussels.
91—MORNAY SAUCE
Boil one pint of Béchamel Sauce with one-quarter pint of the _fumet_
of the fish, poultry, or vegetable, which is to constitute the dish.
Reduce by a good quarter, and add two oz. of Gruyère and two oz. of
grated Parmesan.
Put the sauce on the fire again for a few minutes, and ensure the
melting of the cheese by stirring with a small whisk. Finish the sauce
away from the fire with two oz. of butter added by degrees.
92—MOUSSELINE SAUCE
To a Hollandaise Sauce, prepared as explained (No. 30), add, just
before dishing up, one-half pint of stiffly-whipped cream per pint of
sauce.
93—MOUSSEUSE SAUCE
Scald and wipe a small vegetable-pan, and put into it one-half lb. of
stiffly-_manied_ butter, properly softened. Season this butter with
table-salt and a few drops of lemon-juice, and whisk it while gradually
adding one-third pint of cold water. Finish with two tablespoonfuls
of very firm, whipped cream. This preparation, though classified as a
sauce, is really a compound butter, which is served with boiled fish.
The heat of the fish alone suffices to melt it, and its appearance is
infinitely more agreeable than that of plain, melted butter.
94—MUSTARD SAUCE
Take the necessary quantity of butter sauce and complete it, away from
the fire, with one tablespoonful of mustard per pint of sauce.
N.B.—If the sauce has to wait, it must be kept in a _bain-marie_, for
it should not on any account boil. It is served with certain small
grilled fish, especially fresh herrings.
95—NANTUA SAUCE
Boil one pint of Béchamel Sauce, add one-half pint of cream, and reduce
by a third. Rub it through a tammy, and finish it with a further
addition of two tablespoonfuls of cream, three oz. of very fine
crayfish butter, and one tablespoonful of small, shelled crayfishes’
tails.
96—NEWBURG SAUCE
_First Method_ (_with Raw Lobsters_).—Divide a two lb. lobster into
four parts. Remove its creamy parts, pound them finely with two oz. of
butter, and put them aside.
Heat in a sautépan one and one-half oz. of butter and as much oil, and
insert the pieces of lobster, well seasoned with salt and cayenne. Fry
until the pieces assume a fine, red colour; entirely drain away the
butter, and add two tablespoonfuls of burnt brandy and one-third pint
of Marsala or old Sherry.
Reduce the wine by two-thirds, and wet the lobster with one-third pint
of cream and one-half pint of fish _fumet_. Now add a faggot, cover
the sautépan, and gently cook for twenty-five minutes. Then drain the
lobster on a sieve, remove the meat and cut it into cubes, and finish
the sauce by adding the creamy portions put aside from the first. Boil
so as to ensure the cooking of these latter portions; add the meat, cut
into cubes, and verify the seasoning.
N.B.—The addition of the meat to the sauce is optional; instead of
cutting it into cubes it may be stewed and displayed on the fish
constituting the dish.
97—SECOND METHOD (WITH COOKED LOBSTER)
The lobster having been cooked in a _Court-bouillon_, shell the tail
and slice it up. Arrange these slices in a sautépan liberally buttered
at the bottom; season them strongly with salt and cayenne, and heat
them on both sides so as to effect the reddening of the skin. Immerse,
so as to cover, in a good Sherry, and almost entirely reduce same.
When dishing up, pour on to the slices a leason composed of one-third
pint of fresh cream and the yolks of two eggs. Gently stir, away from
the fire, and roll the saucepan about until the leason is completed.
Originally, these two sauces, like the American, were exclusively
composed of, and served with, lobster. They were one with the two very
excellent preparations of lobster which bear their name. In its two
forms lobster may only be served at lunch, many people with delicate
stomachs being unable to digest it at night. To obviate this serious
difficulty, I have made it a practice to serve lobster sauce with
fillets or Mousselines of sole, adding the lobster as a garnish only.
And this innovation proved most welcome to the public.
By using such condiments as curry and paprika, excellent varieties of
this sauce may be obtained, which are particularly suited to sole and
other white Lenten fish. In either of these cases it is well to add a
little rice “à l’Indienne” to the fish.
98—NOISETTE SAUCE
Prepare a Hollandaise Sauce according to the recipe under No. 30. Add
two oz. of hazel-nut butter at the last moment.
Serve this with salmon, trout, and all boiled fish in general.
99—NORMANDE SAUCE
Put in a sautépan one pint of fish velouté, three tablespoonfuls of
mushroom liquor, as much oyster liquor, and twice as much sole _fumet_,
the yolks of three eggs, a few drops of lemon-juice, and one-quarter
pint of cream. Reduce by a good third on an open fire, season with a
little cayenne, rub through a tammy, and finish with two oz. of butter
and four tablespoonfuls of good cream.
This sauce is proper to fillet of sole “à la Normande,” but it is also
frequently used as the base of other small sauces.
100—ORIENTAL SAUCE
Take one pint of American sauce, season with curry, and reduce to a
third. Then add, away from the fire, one-quarter pint of cream per pint
of sauce.
Serve this sauce in the same way as American Sauce.
101—POULETTE SAUCE
Boil for a few minutes one pint of Sauce Allemande, and add six
tablespoonfuls of mushroom liquor. Finish, away from the fire, with
two oz. of butter, a few drops of lemon-juice, and one teaspoonful
of chopped parsley. Use this sauce with certain vegetables, but more
generally with sheep’s trotters.
102—RAVIGOTE SAUCE
Reduce by half, one-quarter pint of white wine with half as much
vinegar. Add one pint of ordinary velouté, boil gently for a few
minutes, and finish with one and one-half oz. of shallot butter and
one teaspoonful of chervil, tarragon, and chopped chives. This sauce
accompanies boiled poultry and certain white “_abats_.”
103—REGENCY SAUCE
_If this sauce is to garnish poultry_, boil one pint of Allemande Sauce
with six tablespoonfuls of mushroom essence and two tablespoonfuls of
truffle essence. Finish with four tablespoonfuls of poultry glaze.
_If it is to garnish fish_, substitute for the Allemande Sauce some
fish velouté thickened with egg-yolks and the essences of mushroom and
truffle as above. Complete with some fish essence.
104—SOUBISE SAUCE
Stew in butter two lbs. of finely-minced onions, scalded for three
minutes and well dried. This stewing of the onions in butter increases
their flavour. Now add one-half pint of thickened Béchamel; season with
salt and a teaspoonful of powdered sugar. Cook gently for half an hour,
rub through a tammy, and complete the sauce with some tablespoonfuls of
cream and two oz. of butter.
105—SOUBISE SAUCE WITH RICE
The same quantity as above of minced onions, scalded and well drained.
Garnish the bottom and the sides of a tall, medium stewpan with
some thin rashers of fat bacon. Insert the onions, together with
one-quarter lb. of Carolina rice, one pint of white consommé, a large
pinch of powdered sugar, and the necessary salt. Cook gently in the
front of the oven for three-quarters of an hour. Then pound the onions
and rice in a mortar, rub the resulting purée through a tammy, and
finish with cream and butter as in the preceding case.
N.B.—This sauce, being more consistent than the former, is used as a
garnish just as often as a sauce.
106—SOUBISE SAUCE TOMATÉE
Prepare a soubise in accordance with the first of the two above
formulæ, and add to it one-third of its volume of very red tomato purée.
=Remarks.=
1. The Soubise is rather a cullis than a sauce; _i.e._, its consistence
must be greater than that of a sauce.
2. The admixture of Béchamel in Soubise is preferable to that of rice,
seeing that it makes it smoother. If, in certain cases, rice is used as
a cohering element, in order to give the Soubise more stiffness.
3. In accordance with the uses to which it may be put, the Soubise
Tomatée may be finally seasoned either with curry or paprika.
106a—SUPRÊME SAUCE
The salient characteristics of Suprême Sauce are its perfect whiteness
and consummate delicacy. It is generally prepared in small quantities
only.
_Preparation._—Put one and one-half pints of very clear poultry stock
and one-quarter pint of mushroom cooking liquor into a sautépan. Reduce
to two-thirds; add one pint of “poultry velouté”; reduce on an open
fire, stirring with the spatula the while, and combine one-half pint of
excellent cream with the sauce, this last ingredient being added little
by little.
When the sauce has reached the desired consistence, strain it through
a sieve, and add another one-quarter pint of cream and two oz. of best
butter. Stir with a spoon, from time to time, or keep the pan well
covered.
107—VENETIAN SAUCE
Put into a stewpan one tablespoonful of chopped shallots, one
tablespoonful of chervil, and one-quarter pint of white wine and
tarragon vinegar, mixed in equal quantities. Reduce the vinegar by
two-thirds; add one pint of white wine sauce (No. 111); boil for a few
minutes; rub through a tammy, and finish the sauce with a sufficient
quantity of Herb Juice (No. 183) and one teaspoonful of chopped chervil
and tarragon. This sauce accompanies various fish.
108—VILLEROY SAUCE
Put into a sautépan one pint of Allemande Sauce to which have been
added two tablespoonfuls of truffle essence and as much ham essence.
Reduce on an open fire and constantly stir until the sauce is
sufficiently stiff to coat immersed solids thickly.
109—VILLEROY SOUBISEE SAUCE
Put into a sautépan two-thirds pint of Allemande Sauce and one-third
pint of Soubise purée (Formula 105). Reduce as in the preceding case,
as the uses to which this is put are the same. Now, according to the
circumstances and the nature of the solid it is intended for, a few
teaspoonfuls of very black, chopped truffles may be added to this sauce.
110—VILLEROY TOMATÉE SAUCE
Prepare the sauce as explained under No. 108, and add to it the third
of its volume of very fine tomato purée. Reduce in the same way.
_Remarks._—1. Villeroy sauce, of whatsoever kind, is solely used for
the coating of preparations said to be “à la Villeroy.”
2. The Villeroy Tomatée may be finally seasoned with curry or paprika,
according to the preparation for which it is intended.
111—WHITE WINE SAUCE
The three following methods are employed in making it:—
1. Add one-quarter pint of fish _fumet_ to one pint of thickened
Velouté, and reduce by half. Finish the sauce, away from the fire, with
four oz. of butter. Thus prepared, this white wine sauce is suitable
for glazed fish.
2. Almost entirely reduce one-quarter pint of fish _fumet_. To this
reduction add the yolks of four eggs, mixing them well in it, and
follow with one lb. of butter, added by degrees, paying heed to the
precautions indicated under sauce Hollandaise No. 30.
3. Put the yolks of five eggs into a small stewpan and mix them with
one tablespoonful of cold fish-stock. Put the stewpan in a _bain-marie_
and finish the sauce with one lb. of butter, meanwhile adding from time
to time, and in small quantities, six tablespoonfuls of excellent fish
_fumet_. The procedure in this sauce is, in short, exactly that of the
Hollandaise, with this distinction, that here fish _fumet_ takes the
place of the water.
=Hot English Sauces=
112—APPLE SAUCE
Quarter, peel, core, and chop two lbs. of medium-sized apples; place
these in a stewpan with one tablespoonful of powdered sugar, a bit of
cinnamon, and a few tablespoonfuls of water. Cook the whole gently with
lid on, and smooth the purée with a whisk when dishing up.
Serve this sauce lukewarm with duck, goose, roast hare, &c.
113—BREAD SAUCE
Boil one pint of milk, and add three oz. of fresh, white bread-crumb,
a little salt, a small onion with a clove stuck in it, and one oz. of
butter. Cook gently for about a quarter of an hour, remove the onion,
smooth the sauce with a whisk, and finish it with a few tablespoonfuls
of cream.
This sauce is served with roast fowl and roast feathered game.
114—CELERY SAUCE
Clean six stalks of celery (only use the hearts), put them in a
sautépan, wholly immerse in consommé, add a faggot and one onion with
a clove stuck in it, and cook gently. Drain the celery, pound it in a
mortar, then rub it through a tammy and put the purée in a stewpan.
Now thin the purée with an equal quantity of cream sauce and a little
reduced celery liquor. Heat it moderately, and, if it has to wait, put
it in a _bain-marie_.
This sauce is suited to boiled or braised poultry. It is excellent, and
has been adopted in French cookery.
115—CRANBERRY SAUCE
Cook one pint of cranberries with one quart of water in a stewpan,
and cover the stewpan. When the berries are cooked drain them in a
fine sieve through which they are strained. To the purée thus obtained
add the necessary quantity of their cooking liquor, so as to make a
somewhat thick sauce. Sugar should be added according to the taste of
the consumer.
This sauce is mostly served with roast turkey. It is to be bought
ready-made, and, if this kind be used, it need only be heated with a
little water.
116—FENNEL SAUCE
Take one pint of butter sauce (No. 66) and finish it with two
tablespoonfuls of chopped fennel, scalded for a few seconds.
This is principally used with mackerel.
117—EGG SAUCE WITH MELTED BUTTER
Dissolve one-quarter pound of butter, and add to it the necessary salt,
a little pepper, half the juice of a lemon, and three hard-boiled eggs
(hot and cut into large cubes); also a teaspoonful of chopped and
scalded parsley.
118—SCOTCH EGG SAUCE
Make a white roux with one and one-half oz. of butter and one oz.
of flour. Mix in one pint of boiling milk, season with salt, white
pepper, and nutmeg, and boil gently for ten minutes. Then add three hot
hard-boiled eggs, cut into cubes (the whites and the yolks).
This sauce usually accompanies boiled fish, especially fresh haddocks
and fresh and salted cod.
119—HORSE-RADISH OR ALBERT SAUCE
Rasp five oz. of horse-radish and place them in a stewpan with
one-quarter pint of white consommé. Boil gently for twenty minutes
and add a good one-half pint of butter sauce, as much cream, and
one-half oz. of bread-crumb; thicken by reducing on a brisk fire
and rub through tammy. Then thicken with the yolks of two eggs,
and complete the seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper, and a
teaspoonful of mustard dissolved in a tablespoonful of vinegar.
Serve this sauce with braised or roast beef—especially fillets.
119a—PARSLEY SAUCE
This is the Butter Sauce (No. 66), to which is added, per pint, a
heaped tablespoonful of freshly-chopped parsley.
120—REFORM SAUCE
Put into a small stewpan and boil one pint of half-glaze sauce and
one-half pint of ordinary Poivrade sauce. Complete with a garnish
composed of one-half oz. of gherkins, one-half oz. of the hard-boiled
white of an egg, one oz. of salted tongue, one oz. of truffles, and
one oz. of mushrooms. All these to be cut _Julienne-fashion_ and short.
This sauce is for mutton cutlets when these are “à la Reform.”
CHAPTER IV
COLD SAUCES AND COMPOUND BUTTERS
121—AIOLI SAUCE, OR PROVENCE BUTTER
Pound one oz. of garlic cloves as finely as possible in a mortar, and
add the yolk of one raw egg, a pinch of salt, and one-half pint of oil,
letting the latter gradually fall in a thread and wielding the pestle
meanwhile, so as to effect a complete amalgamation. Add a few drops of
lemon juice and cold water to the sauce as it thickens, these being to
avoid its turning.
Should it decompose while in the process of making or when made, the
only thing to be done is to begin it again with the yolk of an egg.
122—ANDALOUSE SAUCE
Take the required quantity of Mayonnaise sauce (No. 126) and add to it
the quarter of its volume of very red and concentrated tomato purée,
and finally add two oz. of capsicum cut finely, _Julienne-fashion_, per
pint of sauce.
123—BOHEMIAN SAUCE
Put in a bowl one-quarter pint of cold Béchamel, the yolks of four
eggs, a little table salt and white pepper. Add a quart of oil and
three tablespoonfuls of tarragon vinegar, proceeding as for the
Mayonnaise.
Finish the sauce with a tablespoonful of mustard.
124—GENOA SAUCE
Pound in a mortar, and make into a smooth, fine paste, one oz. of
pistachios and one oz. of fir-apple kernels, or, if these are not
available, one oz. of sweet almonds; add one-half tablespoonful of cold
Béchamel. Put this paste into a bowl, add the yolks of six eggs, a
little salt and pepper, and finish the sauce with one quart of oil, the
juice of two lemons, and proceed as for the Mayonnaise.
Complete with three tablespoonfuls of purée of herbs, prepared with
equal quantities of chervil, parsley, tarragon, and fresh pimpernel,
scalded for one minute. Cool quickly, press so as to expel the water,
and pass through a fine sieve.
Serve this sauce with cold fish.
125—GRIBICHE SAUCE
Crush in a basin the yolks of six hard-boiled eggs, and work them
into a smooth paste, together with a large tablespoonful of French
mustard, the necessary salt, a little pepper, and make up the sauce
with one pint of oil. Complete with one dessertspoonful of parsley,
chervil, and tarragon (chopped and mixed), as many capers and gherkins,
evenly mixed, and the hard-boiled whites of three eggs, cut short,
_Julienne-fashion_.
This sauce is chiefly used with cold fish.
126—MAYONNAISE SAUCE
Put in a basin the yolks of six raw eggs, after having removed the
cores. Season them with one-half oz. of table-salt and a little cayenne
pepper. Gradually pour one-fifth pint of vinegar on the yolks while
whisking them briskly. When the vinegar is absorbed add one quart of
oil, letting the latter trickle down in a thread, constantly stirring
the sauce meanwhile. The sauce is finished by the addition of the juice
of a lemon and three tablespoonfuls of boiling water—the purpose of the
latter being to ensure the coherence of the sauce and to prevent its
turning.
Mayonnaise prepared in this way is rather liquid, but it need only be
left to rest a few hours in order to thicken considerably. Unless it be
exposed to too low a temperature, the Mayonnaise, prepared as above,
never turns, and may be kept for several days without the fear of
anything happening to it. Merely cover it to keep the dust away.
_Remarks._—In the matter of that sauce there exist endless prejudices,
which I must attempt to refute:—
1. If the sauce forms badly, or not at all, the reason is that the
oil has been added too rapidly at first, before the addition of the
vinegar, and that its assimilation by the yolks has not operated
normally.
2. It is quite an error to suppose that it is necessary to work over
ice or in a cold room. Cold is rather deleterious to the Mayonnaise,
and is invariably the cause of this sauce turning in winter. In the
cold season the oil should be slightly warmed, or, at least, kept at
the temperature of the kitchen, though it is best to make it in a
moderately warm place.
3. It is a further error to suppose that the seasoning interferes with
the making of the sauce, for salt, in solution, rather provokes the
cohering force of the yolks.
_Causes of the Disintegration of the Mayonnaise_:—
1. The too rapid addition of the oil at the start.
2. The use of congealed, or too cold, an oil.
3. Excess of oil in proportion to the number of yolks, the
assimilating power of an egg being limited to two and one-half oz.
of oil (if the sauce be made some time in advance), and three oz.
if it is to be used immediately.
_Means of Bringing Turned Mayonnaise Back to its Normal State._—Put
the yolk of an egg into a basin with a few drops of vinegar, and mix
the turned Mayonnaise in it, little by little. If it be a matter of
only a small quantity of Mayonnaise, one-half a coffeespoonful of
mustard can take the place of the egg-yolk. Finally, with regard to
acid seasoning, a whiter sauce is obtained by the use of lemon juice
instead of vinegar.
127—CLEARED MAYONNAISE SAUCE
Take the necessary quantity of Mayonnaise and gradually add to it, per
one and one-half pints of the sauce, one-half pint of cold and rather
firm melting aspic jelly—Lenten or ordinary, according to the nature of
the products for which the sauce is intended.
_Remarks._—It is this very Mayonnaise, formerly used almost exclusively
for coating entrées and cold relevées of fish, filleted fish, escalopes
of common and spiny-lobster, &c., which I have allowed the Lenten
Chaud-froid (see remarks No. 76) to supersede.
128—WHISKED MAYONNAISE
Put into a copper basin or other bowl three-quarters pint of melted
jelly, two-thirds pint of Mayonnaise, one tablespoonful of tarragon
vinegar, and as much rasped or finely-chopped horse-radish. Mix up the
whole, place the utensil on ice, and whisk gently until the contents
get very frothy. Stop whisking as soon as the sauce begins to solidify,
for it must remain almost fluid so as to enable it to mix with the
products for which it is intended.
This sauce is used principally for vegetable salads.
129—RAVIGOTE SAUCE, OR VINAIGRETTE
Put into a bowl one pint of oil, one-third pint of vinegar, a little
salt and pepper, two oz. of small capers, three tablespoonfuls of fine
herbs, comprising some very finely chopped onion, as much parsley,
and half as much chervil, tarragon, and chives. Mix thoroughly. The
Ravigote accompanies calf’s head or foot, sheep’s trotters, &c.
Two or three tablespoonfuls of the liquor with which its accompanying
solids have been cooked, _i.e._, calf’s head or sheep’s trotters
liquor, &c., are often added to this sauce when dishing up.
130—REMOULADE SAUCE
To one pint of Mayonnaise add one large tablespoonful of mustard,
another of gherkins, and yet another of chopped and pressed capers,
one tablespoonful of fine herbs, parsley, chervil, and tarragon, all
chopped and mixed, and a coffeespoonful of anchovy essence.
This sauce accompanies cold meat and poultry, and, more particularly,
common and spiny lobster.
131—GREEN SAUCE
Take the necessary quantity of thick Mayonnaise and spicy seasoning,
and add to these, per pint of sauce, one-third pint of herb juice,
prepared as indicated hereafter (No. 132).
This is suitable for cold fish and shell fish.
132—VINCENT SAUCE
Prepare and carefully wash the following herbs:—One oz. each of
parsley, chervil, tarragon, chives, sorrel-leaves, and fresh pimpernel,
two oz. of water-cress and two oz. of spinach. Put all these herbs into
a copper bowl containing salted, boiling water. Boil for two minutes
only; then drain the herbs in a sieve and immerse them in a basin
of fresh water. When they are cold they are once more drained until
quite dry; then they must be finely pounded with the yolks of eight
hard-boiled eggs. Rub the purée thus obtained through a sieve first,
then through tammy, add one pint of very stiff Mayonnaise to it and
finish the sauce with a dessertspoonful of Worcestershire sauce.
=Cold English Sauces=
133—CAMBRIDGE SAUCE
Pound together the yolks of six hard-boiled eggs, the washed and dried
fillets of four anchovies, a teaspoonful of capers, a dessertspoonful
of chervil, tarragon, and chives, mixed. When the whole forms a fine
paste, add one tablespoonful of mustard, one-fifth pint of oil, one
tablespoonful of vinegar, and proceed as for a Mayonnaise. Season with
a little cayenne; rub through tammy, applying pressure with a spoon,
and put the sauce in a bowl. Stir it awhile with a whisk to smooth it,
and finish with one teaspoonful of chopped parsley.
It is suited to cold meats in general; in fact, it is an Anglicised
version of Vincent Sauce.
134—CUMBERLAND SAUCE
Dissolve four tablespoonfuls of red-currant jelly, to which are
added one-fifth pint of port wine, one teaspoonful of finely-chopped
shallots, scalded for a few seconds and pressed, one teaspoonful
of small pieces of orange rind and as much lemon rind (cut finely,
_Julienne-fashion_, scalded for two minutes, well-drained, and cooled),
the juice of an orange and that of half a lemon, one teaspoonful of
mustard, a little cayenne pepper, and as much powdered ginger. Mix the
whole well.
Serve this sauce with cold venison.
135—GLOUCESTER SAUCE
Take one pint of very thick Mayonnaise and complete it with one-fifth
pint of sour cream with the juice of a lemon added, and combine with
the Mayonnaise by degrees; one teaspoonful of chopped fennel and as
much Worcester sauce.
Serve this with all cold meats.
136—MINT SAUCE
Cut finely, _Julienne-fashion_, or chop, two oz. of mint leaves. Put
these in a bowl with a little less than one oz. of white cassonade
or castor sugar, one-quarter pint of fresh vinegar, and four
tablespoonfuls of water.
Special sauce for hot or cold lamb.
137—OXFORD SAUCE
Make a Cumberland sauce according to No. 134, with this difference:
that the _Julienne_ of orange and lemon rinds should be replaced by
rasped or finely-chopped rinds, and that the quantities of same should
be less, _i.e._, two-thirds of a teaspoonful of each.
138—HORSE-RADISH SAUCE
Dilute one tablespoonful of mustard with two tablespoonfuls of vinegar
in a basin, and add one lb. of finely-rasped horse-radish, two oz.
of powdered sugar, a little salt, one pint of cream, and one lb. of
bread-crumb steeped in milk and pressed. Serve this sauce very cold.
It accompanies boiled and roast joints of beef.
=Compound Butters for Grills and for the Completion of Sauces=
With the exception of those of the shell-fish order, the butters,
whose formulæ I am about to give, are not greatly used in kitchens.
Nevertheless, in some cases, as, for instance, in accentuating the
savour of sauces, they answer a real and useful purpose, and I
therefore recommend them, since they enable one to give a flavour to
the derivatives of the Velouté and Béchamel sauces which these could
not acquire by any other means.
With regard to shell-fish butters, and particularly those of the common
and spiny lobster and the crayfish, experience has shown that when they
are prepared with heat (that is to say, by melting in a _bain-marie_ a
quantity of butter which has been previously pounded with shell-fish
remains and afterwards strained through muslin into a basin of
iced-water where it has solidified) they are of a finer colour than the
other kind and quite free from shell particles. But the heat, besides
dissipating a large proportion of their delicacy, involves considerable
risk, for the slightest neglect gives the above preparation quite a
disagreeable taste. To obviate these difficulties I have adopted a
system of two distinct butters, one which is exclusively calorific and
prepared with heat, and the other which is prepared with all the creamy
parts, the trimmings and the remains of common and spiny lobsters,
without the shells, pounded with the required quantity of fresh butter
and passed through a sieve. The latter is used to complete sauces,
particularly those with a Béchamel base to which it lends a perfect
savour.
I follow the same procedure with shrimp and crayfish butters, sometimes
substituting for the butter good cream, which, I find, absorbs the
aromatic principles perhaps better than the former. With the above
method it is advisable to pass the butter or the cream through a very
fine sieve first and afterwards through tammy, so as to avoid small
particles of the pounded shell being present in the sauce.
139—BERCY BUTTER
Put into a small stewpan one-quarter pint of white wine and one oz. of
finely-chopped shallots, scalded a moment. Reduce the wine by one-half,
and add one-half lb. of butter softened into a cream; one teaspoonful
of chopped parsley, two oz. of beef marrow cut into cubes, poached in
slightly salted water and well drained, the necessary table-salt, and,
when dishing up, a little ground pepper and a few drops of lemon-juice.
This butter must not be completely melted, and it is principally served
with grilled beef.
140—CHIVRY OR RAVIGOTE BUTTER
Put into a small saucepan of salted, boiling water six oz. of chervil,
parsley, tarragon, fresh pimpernel, and chives, in equal quantities,
and two oz. of chopped shallots. Boil quickly for two minutes, drain,
cool in cold water, press in a towel to completely remove the water,
and pound in a mortar. Now add one-half lb. of half-melted butter, mix
well with the purée of herbs, and pass through tammy.
This butter is used to complete Chivry sauce and other sauces that
contain herb juices, such as the Venetian, &c.
140a—CHÂTEAUBRIAND BUTTER
Reduce by two-thirds four-fifths pint of white wine containing four
chopped shallots, fragments of thyme and bay, and four oz. of mushroom
parings. Add four-fifths pint of veal gravy, reduce the whole to half,
rub it through tammy, and finish it away from the fire with eight oz.
of Maître d’Hôtel butter (No. 150) and half a tablespoonful of chopped
tarragon.
141—COLBERT BUTTER
Take one lb. of Maître d’Hôtel butter (No. 150) and add six
tablespoonfuls of dissolved, pale meat glaze and one teaspoonful of
chopped tarragon.
Serve this sauce with fish prepared à la Colbert.
142—RED COLOURING BUTTER
Put on to a dish any available remains of shell-fish after having
thoroughly emptied and well dried them in the oven. Pound them until
they form a fine powder, and add their weight of butter.
Put the whole into a saucepan and melt in a _bain-marie_, stirring
frequently the while. When the butter is quite clarified strain it
through muslin, twisting the latter over a tureen of iced-water in
which the strained butter solidifies. Put the congealed butter in a
towel, press it heavily so as to expel the water, and keep cool in a
small bowl.
_Remarks._—A very fine and decided red colour is obtained by using
paprika as a condiment for sauces intended for poultry and certain
butcher’s meats, in accordance with the procedure I recommend for the
Hongroise. But only the very best quality should be used—that which is
mild and at the same time produces a nice pink colour without entailing
any excess of the condiment. Among the various kinds of paprika on the
market I can highly recommend that of Messrs. Kotangi, which I have
invariably found satisfactory.
143—GREEN COLOURING BUTTER
Peel, wash, and thoroughly shake (so as to get rid of every drop of
water) two lbs. of spinach. Pound it raw and then press it in a strong
towel, twisting the latter so as to extract all the vegetable juice.
Pour this juice into a sautépan, let it coagulate in a _bain-marie_,
and pour it on to a serviette stretched over a bowl in order to drain
away the water. Collect the remains of the colouring substance on the
serviette, making use of a palette-knife for the purpose, and put these
into a mortar; mix with half their weight of butter, strain through a
sieve or tammy, and put aside to cool. This green butter should in all
cases take the place of the liquid green found on the market.
144—VARIOUS CULLISES
Finely pound shrimp and crayfish shells, and combine with these the
available creamy parts and spawn of the common and spiny lobsters;
add one-quarter pint of rich cream per lb. of the above remains, and
strain, first through a fine sieve and then through tammy. This cullis
is prepared just in time for dishing up, and serves as a refining
principle in certain fish sauces.
145—SHRIMP BUTTER
Finely pound any available shrimp remains, add to these their weight of
butter, and strain through tammy. Place in a bowl and put aside in the
cool.
146—SHALLOT BUTTER
Put eight oz. of roughly minced shallots in the corner of a clean
towel, and wash them quickly in boiling water. Cool, and press them
heavily. Then pound them finely with their own weight of fresh butter
and strain through tammy.
This butter accentuates the savour of certain sauces, such as Bercy,
Ravigote, &c.
147—CRAYFISH BUTTER
Pound, very finely, the remains and shells of crayfish cooked in
Mirepoix. Add their weight of butter, and strain through a fine sieve,
and again through tammy, so as to avoid the presence of any shell
particles. This latter precaution applies to all shell-fish butters.
148—TARRAGON BUTTER
Quickly scald and cool eight oz. of fresh tarragon, drain, press in
a towel, pound in a mortar, and add to them one lb. of butter. Strain
through tammy, and put aside in the cool if it is not to be used
immediately.
149—LOBSTER BUTTER
Reduce to a paste in the mortar the spawn, shell, and creamy parts of
lobster. Add their equal in weight of butter and strain through tammy.
150—BUTTER A LA MAÎTRE D’HÔTEL
First manie and then soften into a cream one-half lb. of butter. Add a
tablespoonful of chopped parsley, a little salt and pepper, and a few
drops of lemon-juice.
Serve this with grills in general.
151—MANIED BUTTER
Mix, until perfectly combined, four oz. of butter and three oz. of
sifted flour. This butter is made immediately before the time of
dishing up, and is used for quick leasons like the Matelotes, &c.
The sauce to which manied butter has been added should not boil if
this can possibly be avoided, as it would thereby acquire a very
disagreeable taste of raw flour.
151a—MELTED BUTTER
This preparation, which is used principally as a fish sauce, should
consist of butter, only just melted, and combined with a little
table-salt and a few drops of lemon-juice. It should therefore be
prepared only at the last minute; for, should it wait and be allowed to
clarify, besides losing its flavour it will be found to disagree with
certain people.
152—BUTTER A LA MEUNIÈRE
Put into a frying-pan the necessary quantity of butter, and cook it
gently until it has acquired a golden tint and exudes a slight smell
of nut. Add a few drops of lemon-juice, and pour on the fish under
treatment, which should have been previously sprinkled with _concassed_
parsley.
This butter is proper to fish “à la Meunière” and is always served on
the fish.
153—MONTPELLIER BUTTER
Put into a saucepan containing boiling water equal quantities of
watercress leaves, parsley, chervil, chives, and tarragon (six oz. in
all), one and one-half oz. of chopped shallots, and one-half oz. of
spinach leaves. Boil for two minutes, then drain, cool, press in a
towel to expel water, and pound in a mortar with one tablespoonful of
pressed capers, four oz. of gherkins, a garlic clove, and the fillets
of four anchovies well washed.
Mix this paste with one and one-half lbs. of butter; then add the yolks
of three boiled eggs and two raw eggs, and finally pour in, by degrees,
two-fifths pint of oil. Strain through a fine sieve or through tammy,
put the butter into a basin, and stir it well with a wooden spoon so as
to make it smooth. Season with table-salt and a little cayenne.
Use this butter to deck large fish, such as salmon and trout; but it is
also used for smaller pieces and slices of fish.
_Remarks._—When this butter is specially prepared to form a coat on
fish, the oil and the egg yolks are omitted and only butter is used.
154—BLACK BUTTER
Put into a frying-pan the necessary amount of butter, and cook it until
it has assumed a brown colour and begins to smoke. At this moment add
a large pinch of _concassed_ parsley leaves and spread it immediately
over the object to be treated.
155—HAZEL-NUT BUTTER
Put eight oz. of shelled hazel-nuts, for a moment, in the front of
the oven, in order to slightly grill their skins and make them easily
removable. Now crush the nuts in a mortar until they form a paste, and
add a few drops of cold water with a view to preventing their producing
any oil. Add their equivalent in weight of butter and rub through tammy.
156—PISTACHIO BUTTER
Put into boiling water eight oz. of pistachios, and keep them on the
side of the fire until the peel may be easily removed. Drain, cool in
cold water, clean the pistachios, and finely pound while moistening
them with a few drops of water.
Add two oz. of butter and pass through tammy.
157—PRINTANIER BUTTER
These butters are made from all early-season vegetables, such as
carrots, French beans, peas, and asparagus heads.
When dealing with green vegetables cook quickly in boiling, salted
water, drain, dry, pound with their weight of butter, and rub through
tammy.
With carrots: Mince and cook with consommé, sugar, and butter until the
diluent is quite reduced. After cooling they are pounded with their own
weight of butter and rubbed through tammy.
CHAPTER V
=Savoury Jellies or Aspics=
Jellies are to cold cookery what consommés and stock are to hot.
If anything, the former are perhaps more important, for a cold
entrée—however perfect it may be in itself—is nothing without its
accompanying jelly.
In the recipes which I give hereafter I have made a point of showing
how melting jellies may be obtained, _i.e._, served in a sauce-boat
simultaneously with the cold comestible, or actually poured over it
when the latter lies in a deep dish—a common custom nowadays.
This method of serving cold entrées, which I inaugurated at the Savoy
Hotel with the “Suprême de Volaille Jeannette,” is the only one which
allows of serving a jelly in a state of absolute perfection.
Nevertheless, if a more solid jelly were required, either for the
decking of cold dishes or for a moulded entrée, there need only
be added to the following formulæ a few gelatine leaves—more or
less—according to the required firmness of the jelly.
But it should not be forgotten that the greater the viscosity of the
jelly the less value will the same possess.
The various uses of jellies are dealt with in Part II. of this work,
where the formulæ of their divers accompanying dishes will also appear.
158—ORDINARY ASPICS
_Stock for Ordinary Aspic.—Quantities for making Four Quarts._
4 lbs. of strung knuckle of veal.
3 lbs. of strung knuckle of beef.
3 lbs. of veal bones, well broken up.
3 calf’s feet, boned and blanched.
½ lb. of fresh pork rind, well blanched and with fat removed.
_Mode of Procedure._—Put the meats in a very clean and well-tinned
stockpot or stewpan. Add eight quarts of cold water, boil, and skim
after the manner indicated under No. 1. Having well skimmed the stock
add one oz. of salt, put it on the side of the fire, and let it boil
gently for four hours. Then remove the meat, taking care not to disturb
the stock. Carefully remove the fat, and garnish with one-half lb. of
carrots, six oz. of onions, two oz. of leeks, a stick of celery, and a
large faggot. Put the whole back on to the fire and cook gently for a
further two hours. Strain through a sieve into a very clean basin and
leave to cool.
_Clarification of Aspic._—When the stock, prepared according to the
above directions, has cooled, the grease that has formed on its surface
should be removed. Then pour off gently into a stewpan of convenient
size in such a way as to prevent the deposit at the bottom of the basin
from mixing with the clear liquor. Test the consistence of the aspic,
when it should be found that the quantities given above have proved
sufficient to form a fairly firm jelly. If, however, this be not the
case, a few leaves of gelatine steeped in cold water should be added,
being careful not to overdo the quantity. Now add to the stock two lbs.
of lean beef (first minced and then pounded together with the white of
an egg), a little chervil and tarragon, and a few drops of lemon-juice.
Place the saucepan on an open fire, stir its contents with a spatula
until the liquid begins to boil, remove it from the fire, and place it
on the side of the stove, where it may boil gently for half an hour.
At the end of this time take the saucepan off the fire and remove what
little grease has formed on the aspic while cooking. Strain through
a serviette stretched and fastened across the legs of an overturned
stool, and let the aspic fall into a basin placed between the legs.
Ascertain whether the liquid is quite clear, and if, as frequently
happens, this be not the case, what has already been strained should
once more be passed through the serviette, renewing the operation
until the aspic becomes quite transparent.
_Flavouring the Aspic._—The aspic obtained as above is limpid, has an
agreeable savour, and is the colour of fine amber. It now only requires
flavouring according to the tastes of the consumer and the purpose for
which it is intended. For this operation it should be allowed to become
quite tepid, and the following quantities of choice wine are added to
it, viz.:—
If the wine is of a liqueur kind, such as Sherry, Marsala,
Madeira, &c., one-fifth pint per quart.
If it is another kind of wine, for example, champagne, hock, &c.,
one-fourth pint per quart.
The wine used should be very clear, free from any deposit, and as
perfect as possible in taste.
159—CHICKEN ASPIC
The quantities of meat are the same as for ordinary aspic; there need
only be added to it either two oven-browned hens, or their equivalent
in weight of roasted fowl carcases, and poultry giblets if these are
handy. It is always better, however, to prepare the stock with the
hens and giblets and to keep the carcases for the clarification. This
clarification follows the same rules as that of the ordinary aspic,
except that a few roasted-fowl carcases, previously well freed from
fat, are added to it.
In the case of this particularly delicate aspic, it is more than ever
necessary not to overdo the amount of gelatine. It should be easily
soluble to the palate in order to be perfect.
160—GAME ASPIC
Prepare this aspic stock in exactly the same way as that of ordinary
aspic, only substitute game, such as deer, roebuck, doe, or hare,
or wild rabbit (previously browned in the oven), for the beef. When
possible also add to this stock a few old specimens of feathered game,
such as partridges or pheasants that are too tough for other purposes
and which suit admirably here.
The clarification changes according to the different flavours which are
to be given to the aspic. If it is not necessary to give it a special
characteristic, it should be prepared with the meat of that ground game
which happens to be most available at the time, adding to the quantity
used roast carcases of feathered game, the respective amounts of both
ingredients being the same as for ordinary aspic. If, on the other
hand, the aspic is to have a well-defined flavour, the meat used for
the clarification should naturally be that producing the flavour in
question, _i.e._, either partridge or pheasant, or hazel-hen, &c.
Some aspics are greatly improved by being flavoured with a small
quantity of old brandy. Rather than use an inferior kind of this
ingredient, however, I should advise its total omission from the aspic.
Without aromatisation the aspic, though imperfect, is passable; but
aromatised with bad brandy it is invariably spoilt.
LENTEN ASPICS
161—FISH ASPIC WITH WHITE WINE
The stock for this aspic is prepared in precisely the same manner as
fish stock, No. 1. The stewpan need not, however, be buttered previous
to the insertion of the onions, parsley-stalks, and fish-bones. If the
aspic is not required to be quite white, a little saffron may be added
to it, as the aroma of this condiment blends so perfectly with that of
fish.
When the stock is prepared its consistence should be tested, and
rectified, if necessary, by means of gelatine. The quantity of this
substance should on no account exceed eight leaves per quart of aspic,
and, at the risk of repeating myself, I remind the reader that the less
gelatine is used the better the aspic will be.
The clarification should be made with fresh caviare if possible,
but pressed caviare is also admirably suited to this purpose. The
quantities are the same as for the clarification of fish consommé,
No. 4.
In flavouring white fish aspics either dry champagne or a good Bordeaux
or Burgundy may be used. Take care, however—
1. That the wine used be of an unquestionably good quality.
2. That it be only added to the aspic when the latter is already
cold and on the point of coagulating, as this is the only means of
preserving all the aroma of the wine.
Finally, in certain cases, a special flavour may be obtained by the use
of crayfish, which are cooked, as for bisque, then pounded, and added
to the fish stock No. 11 ten minutes before straining it. A proportion
of four little crayfish à bisque per quart of aspic is sufficient to
secure an excellent aroma.
162—FISH ASPIC WITH RED WINE
This aspic stock is the _Court-bouillon_ with red wine No. 165, which
has served in cooking the fish for which the aspic is intended; this
fish is generally either trout or salmon; sometimes also, but less
commonly, a carp or a pike.
This stock must first of all have its grease thoroughly removed; it
should then be poured carefully away, reduced if necessary, and the
required quantity of gelatine added. This cannot be easily determined,
as all gelatines are not alike, and the stock may have contracted a
certain consistence from its contact with the fish. One can, therefore,
only be guided by testing small quantities cooled in ice, but care
should be taken that the aspic be not too firm.
The clarification of this aspic is generally made with white of egg
in the proportion of one white per quart. The white, half-whisked,
is added to the cold stock, and the latter is put over an open fire
and stirred with a spatula. As soon as it boils, the aspic is poured
through a serviette fixed on to the legs of an overturned stool. The
first drippings of the fluid are put back on to the serviette if they
do not seem clear, and this operation is repeated until the required
clearness is obtained.
It almost invariably happens that, either during the cooking of the
fish or during the clarification, the wine loses its colour through the
precipitation of the colouring elements derived from the tannin.
The only way of overcoming this difficulty is to add a few drops of
liquid carmine or vegetable red; but, in any case, it is well to
remember that the colour of red-wine aspic must never be deeper than a
sombre pink.
CHAPTER VI
=The Court-bouillons and the Marinades=
163—COURT-BOUILLON WITH VINEGAR
_Quantities Required for Five Quarts._
5 quarts of water.
½ pint of vinegar.
2 oz. of gray salt.
½ oz. of peppercorns.
¾ lb. of carrots.
1 lb. of onions.
A little thyme and bay.
2 oz. of parsley stalks.
_Preparation._—Put into a saucepan the water, salt, and vinegar, the
minced carrots and onions, and the parsley, thyme, and bay, gathered
into a bunch. Boil, allow to simmer for one hour, rub through tammy,
and put aside until wanted.
_Remarks._—Put the peppercorns into the _court-bouillon_ only twelve
minutes before straining the latter. If the pepper were in for too long
a time it would give a bitterness to the preparation. This rule also
applies to the formulæ that follow, in which the use of peppercorns is
also required.
This _court-bouillon_ is principally used for cooking trout and salmon,
as well as for various shell-fish.
164—COURT-BOUILLON WITH WHITE WINE
_Quantities Required for Two Quarts._
1 quart of white wine.
1 quart of water.
3 oz. of minced onions.
1 large faggot.
½ oz. of gray salt.
A few peppercorns.
_Preparation._—This is the same as for the _court-bouillon_ with
vinegar, except that it is boiled for half an hour and is strained
through tammy.
_Remarks._—If the _court-bouillon_ has to be reduced the quantity of
salt should be proportionately less. This preparation is principally
used for poaching fresh-water fish.
165—COURT-BOUILLON WITH RED WINE
Use the same quantities as for _court-bouillon_ with white wine, taking
care—
1. To replace white wine by excellent red wine.
2. To add four oz. of minced carrots.
3. To apportion the wine and water in the ratio of two-thirds
to one-third.
_Preparation._—The same as that of the former, with the same time for
boiling.
_Remarks._—If the _court-bouillon_ is to be reduced, the salt should
be less accordingly. When the _court-bouillon_ with red wine is to
constitute an aspic stock, fish _fumet_ with enough gelatine takes the
place of the water.
The uses of _court-bouillon_ with red wine are similar to those of the
white-wine kind.
166—PLAIN COURT-BOUILLON
The quantity of _court-bouillon_ is determined by the size of the
piece which it is to cover. It is composed of cold, salt water (the
salt amounting to a little less than one-half oz. per quart of water),
one-quarter pint of milk per quart of water, and one thin slice of
peeled lemon in the same proportion. The fish is immersed while the
liquor is cold; the latter is very slowly brought to the boil, and as
soon as this is reached, the receptacle is moved to the side of the
fire, where the cooking of the fish is completed.
This _court-bouillon_, which is used with large pieces of turbot and
brill, is never prepared beforehand.
167—SPECIAL COURT-BOUILLON, OR BLANC
This preparation is a genuine _court-bouillon_, though it is not used
in cooking fish.
_The Quantities Required for Five Quarts of this Court-bouillon are_:—
A little less than 2 oz. of flour.
1½ oz. of grey salt.
The juice of 3 lemons or ⅛ pint of good vinegar.
5 quarts of cold water.
Gradually mix the flour and the water; add the salt and the lemon
juice, and pass through a strainer. Set to boil, and stir the mixture
the while, in order to prevent the flour from precipitating; as soon
as the boil is reached, immerse the objects to be treated. These are
usually calf’s head or foot, previously blanched; sheep’s trotters,
cocks’ kidneys or combs, or such vegetables as salsify, cardoon, &c.
=Remarks upon the Use of Court-bouillon.=
1. _Court-bouillon_ must always be prepared in advance for all fish,
the time for poaching which is less than half an hour, except turbots
and brills.
2. When a fish is of such a size as to need more than half an
hour’s poaching, proceed as follows:—Place under the drainer of the
fish-kettle the minced carrots and onions and the faggot; put the fish
on the drainer, and cover it with water and vinegar, or white wine, in
accordance with the kind of _court-bouillon_ wanted and the quantity
required. Add the salt, boil, and keep the _court-bouillon_ gently
simmering for a period of time fixed by the weight of the fish. The
time allowed for poaching the latter will be given in their respective
formulæ.
3. Fish, when whole, should be immersed in cold _court-bouillon_; when
sliced, in the same liquor, boiling. The exceptions to this rule are
small trout “au bleu” and shell-fish.
4. If fish be cooked in short liquor the aromatics are put under the
drainer and the liquid elements of the selected _court-bouillon_ (as,
for example, that with red or white wine) are so calculated as to cover
only one-third of the solid body. Fish cooked in this way should be
frequently basted.
5. _Court-bouillon_ for ordinary and spiny lobsters should always be at
full boiling pitch when these are immersed. The case is the same for
small or medium fish “au bleu.”
6. Fish which is to be served cold, also shell-fish, should cool in the
_court-bouillon_ itself; the cooking period is consequently curtailed.
=Marinades and Brines.=
_Marinades_ play but a small part in English cookery, venison or other
ground-game being generally preferred fresh. However, in the event of
its being necessary to resort to these methods of preparation, I shall
give two formulæ for venison and two for mutton.
The use of the _marinade_ for venison is very much debated. Certainly
it is often desirable that the fibre of those meats that come from old
specimens of the deer and boar species be softened, but there is no
doubt that what the meat gains in tenderness it loses in flavour. On
the whole, therefore, it would be best to use only those joints which
come from young beasts.
In the case of the latter, the _marinade_ may well be dispensed with.
It would add nothing to the savour of a haunch of venison, such as may
be got in England, while it would be equally ineffectual in the case
of the roebuck or hare. A summary treatment of these two, with raw
_marinade_, may well be adopted, as also for deer.
As for cooked _marinade_, its real and only use lies in the fact that
during stormy summer weather it enables one to preserve meat which
would otherwise have to be wasted. It may, moreover, be used for
braised venison, but this treatment of game is very uncommon nowadays.
168—COOKED MARINADE FOR VENISON
_Quantities Required for Five Quarts._
½ lb. of minced carrots.
½ lb. of minced onions.
2 oz. of minced shallots.
1 crushed garlic clove.
1 faggot, including 1 oz. of parsley stalks, 2 sprigs of rosemary,
as much thyme, and 2 bay leaves.
_Preparation._—Heat one-half pint of oil in a stewpan, add the carrots
and onions, and fry them while stirring frequently. When they begin to
brown add the shallots, the garlic, and the faggot, then one pint of
vinegar, two bottles of white wine, and three quarts of water. Cook
this _marinade_ for twenty minutes, and add a further two oz. of salt,
one-half oz. of peppercorns, and four oz. of brown sugar. Ten minutes
afterwards pass it through a strainer and let it cool before inserting
the meats.
N.B.—In summer the _marinade_ very often decomposes, because of the
blood contained by the meat under treatment in it. The only means of
averting this is to boil the _marinade_ every two or three days at
least.
169—RAW MARINADE FOR BUTCHER’S MEAT OR VENISON
This _marinade_ is prepared immediately before using. The meat to be
treated is first salted and peppered on all sides, then it is put in a
receptacle just large enough to hold it, and laid therein on a litter
of aromatics, including minced carrots and onions, a few chopped
shallots, parsley stalks, thyme, and bay in proportion to the rest. Now
sprinkle the meat copiously with oil and half as much vinegar; cover
the dish with oil-paper, and put it somewhere in the cool. Remember to
turn the meat over three or four times a day, covering it each time
with a layer of vegetables.
This _marinade_ is very active, and is admirably suited to all
butcher’s meat and venison, provided these be not allowed to remain in
it for too long a time. It is very difficult to say how long the meat
must stay in these _marinades_; the time varies according to the size
and quality of the joints, and the taste of the consumer, &c. All that
can be said is that three hours should be sufficient to _marinade_ a
cutlet or escalope of roebuck, and that for big joints such as saddle
or leg the time should not exceed four days.
170—MARINADE FOR MUTTON, ROEBUCK-STYLE
This is exactly the same as cooked _marinade_, No. 168. There need only
be added one oz. of juniper berries, a few sprigs of rosemary, wild
thyme, and basil, two extra garlic cloves, and one quart less of water.
171—MARINADE WITH RED WINE FOR MUTTON
By substituting red wine for white in the preceding formula—the
quantity of the liquid equalling that of the water—and by slightly
increasing the quantity of aromatics, an excellent _marinade_ for
mutton is obtained, which in summer enables one to preserve meat,
otherwise perishable, for some days.
172—BRINE
_Quantities Required for Fifty Quarts._
56 lbs. of gray salt.
50 quarts of water.
6 lbs. of saltpetre.
3½ lbs. of brown sugar.
_Mode of Procedure._—Put the salt and the water in a tinned copper pan,
and put it on an open fire. When the water boils, throw in a peeled
potato, and, if the latter float, add water until it begins to sink.
If, on the contrary, the potato should sink immediately, reduce the
liquid until it is able to buoy the tuber up. At this stage the sugar
and saltpetre are added; let them dissolve, and the brine is then
removed from the fire and is allowed to cool. It is then poured into
the receptacle intended for it, which must be either of slate, stone,
cement, or well-jointed tiles. It is well to place in the bottom of
this reservoir a wooden lattice, whereon the meats to be salted may be
laid, for, were the immersed objects to lie directly on the bottom of
the receptacle, the under parts would be entirely shielded from the
brine.
If the meats to be salted are of an appreciable size, they should be
inoculated with brine by means of a special syringe. Without this
measure it would be impossible to salt regularly, as the sides would
already be over-saturated before the centre had even been properly
reached.
Eight days should be allowed for salting a piece of beef of what size
soever, above eight or ten lb., since the process of inoculation
equalises the salting.
Ox-tongue intended for salting, besides having to be as fresh as
possible, must be trimmed of almost all the cartilage of the throat,
and carefully beaten either with a beater or roller. Then it must be
pricked on all sides with a string-needle, and immersed in the liquid,
where it should be slightly weighted by some means or other in order
to prevent its rising to the surface. A medium-sized tongue would need
about seven days’ immersion in the brine.
Though brine does not turn as easily as the cooked _marinades_,
it would be well, especially in stormy weather, to watch it and
occasionally to boil it. But, as the process of boiling invariably
concentrates the brine, a little water should be added to it every time
it is so treated, and the test of the potato, described above, should
always be resorted to.
CHAPTER VII
=1. Elementary Preparations=
Before broaching the question of the numerous preparations which
constitute the various soup, relevé, and entrée garnishes, it will be
necessary to give the formulæ of the elementary preparations, or what
are technically called the _mise en place_. If the various operations
which go to make the _mise en place_ were not, at least summarily,
discussed here, I should be compelled to repeat them in each formula
for which they are required—that is to say, in almost every formula. I
should thus resemble those bad operators who, having neglected their
_mise en place_, are obliged to make it in the course of other work,
and thereby not only run the risk of making it badly, but also of
losing valuable time which might be used to better advantage.
Elementary preparations consist of those things whereof one is
constantly in need, which may be prepared in advance, and which are
kept available for use at a moment’s notice.
173—ANCHOVIES (FILLETS OF)
Whether they be for hors d’œuvres or for culinary use, it is always
best to have these handy.
After having washed and well wiped them, in order to remove the white
powder resulting from the little scales with which they are covered,
they should be neatly trimmed to the shape of extended oblongs. Then
detach the fillets from the bones by gentle pulling, divide each fillet
lengthwise into three or four smaller fillets, put the latter into
a small narrow dish or a little bowl, and cover them with oil. The
fillets may also be kept whole with a view to rolling them into rings.
174—ANGLAISE (FOR EGG-AND-BREAD-CRUMBING)
It is well to have this always ready for those dishes which are to be
_panés à l’anglaise_, or as many of the recipes direct: _treated à
l’anglaise_.
It is made of well-whisked eggs, salt, pepper, and one dessertspoonful
of oil per couple of eggs.
_Its Uses._—The solids to be _panés à l’anglaise_ are dipped into the
preparation described above, taking care that the latter coats them
thoroughly; whereupon, according to the requirements, they are rolled
either in bread-crumbs or in fine raspings. From this combination
of egg with bread-crumbs or raspings there results a kind of coat
which, at the moment of contact with the hot fat, is immediately
converted into a resisting crust. In _croquettes_ this crust checks the
escape, into the fat, of the substances it encloses, and this is more
especially the case when the _croquettes_ contain some reduced sauce,
or are composed of raw meats or fish whose juices are thereby entirely
retained. A solid prepared _à l’anglaise_ and cooked in fat should
always be put into the latter when this is very hot, so as to ensure
the instantaneous solidification of the egg and bread-crumbs.
N.B.—Objects to be treated _à l’anglaise_ are generally rolled in
flour before being immersed in the _anglaise_, for the flour helps the
foregoing to adhere to the object.
The crust formed over the solid thus acquires a density which is
indispensable.
174a—AROMATICS
Aromatics play a very prominent part in cookery, and their combination
with the condiments constitutes, as Grimod de la Reynière said, “the
hidden soul of cooking.” Their real object, in fact, is to throw the
savour of dishes into relief, to intensify that savour, and to give
each culinary preparation its particular stamp.
They are all derived from the vegetable kingdom; but, while some are
used dry, others are used fresh.
The first-named should belong to the permanent kitchen stock; they are:
_sage_, _basil_, _rosemary_, _sweet marjoram_, _thyme_, and _bay_.
Also to be included in the permanent stock are: _cinnamon_, _ginger_,
_juniper-berries_, _nutmeg_, _cloves_, _mace_, and _vanilla_.
The last-named comprise those aromatic herbs used fresh, such as:
_parsley_, _chervil_, _tarragon_, _pimpernel_, and _common savory_;
while, under this head, there may also be included: bits of common- and
Seville-orange rind and _zests_ of lemon rind.
174b—SEASONING AND CONDIMENTS
Seasonings are divided into several classes, which comprise:—
1. _Saline seasonings._—Salt, spiced salt, saltpetre.
2. _Acid seasonings._—Plain vinegar, or the same aromatised with
tarragon; verjuice, lemon juice, and common- or Seville-orange
juices.
3. _Hot seasonings._—Peppercorns, ground or _concassed_ pepper, or
mignonette; paprika, curry, cayenne, and compound spices.
4. _Saccharine seasonings._—Sugar and honey.
Condiments are likewise subdivided, the three classes being:—
1. _The pungents._—Onions, shallots, garlic, chives, and horseradish.
2. _Hot condiments._—Mustard, gherkins, capers, English sauces, such
as Worcester, Harvey, Ketchup, Escoffier’s sauces, &c.; the wines
used in reductions and braisings; the finishing elements of sauces
and soups.
3. _Fatty substances._—Most animal fats, butter, vegetable greases
(edible oils and cocoanut butter).
_Remarks._—In cookery it should be borne in mind that both excellence
and eatableness depend entirely upon a judicious use and a rational
blending of the aromatics, seasonings, and condiments. And, according
as the latter have been used and apportioned, their action will be
either beneficial or injurious to the health of the consumer.
In the matter of seasoning there can be no question of approximation or
half measures; the quantities must be exact, allowing only of slight
elasticity in respect of the various tastes to be satisfied.
175—CLARIFIED BUTTER
A certain quantity of clarified butter should always be kept ready and
handy.
To prepare this butter, put one lb. to melt in a saucepan large enough
to hold twice that amount. Place the saucepan on the side of the fire,
over moderate heat; remove all the scum which rises to the surface,
and, when the butter looks quite clear and all foreign substances have
dropped to the bottom, put the liquid carefully away and strain it
through muslin.
176—FAGGOTS (BOUQUETS GARNIS)
The name “faggot” is given to those little bunches of aromatics which,
when the contrary is not stated, are generally composed (in order to
weigh one ounce) of eight-tenths oz. of parsley stalks and roots,
one-tenth oz. of bay leaves, and one-tenth oz. of thyme. These various
aromatics are put neatly together so that no sprig of the one sticks
out beyond the others, and they are properly strung together.
177—CHERVIL
_Chopped Chervil._—Clean the chervil and remove the stalks; wash, dry
it well while tossing it, then chop it finely and put it aside on a
plate in the cool, if it is not for immediate use.
_Concassed Chervil._—Proceed as above, except that, instead of chopping
it, compress it between the fingers and slice it after the manner of a
chaff-cutter. _Concassed_ and chopped chervil are, if possible, only
prepared at the last moment.
_Chervil Pluches._—The pluches are greatly used in the finishing off
of soups. They are, practically, the serrated portions only of the
leaves, which are torn away in such a manner as to show no trace of the
veinings. They are immersed in water, and at the last moment withdrawn,
so as to be added, raw, to either soups or boiling consommés.
178—RASPINGS
Golden raspings are obtained by pounding and passing through a fine
sieve bread-crusts which have been previously well dried in the oven.
_White raspings_ are similarly prepared, except that very dry, white
crumb is used.
179—PEELED, CHANNELLED, AND ZESTED LEMONS
Lemons are greatly used in cookery, as dish and comestible
garnish. When a whole lemon is used for marinades of fish, for the
“_blancs_,” &c., it is well to peel it to the pulp, _i.e._, to remove
the peel and the whole of the underlying white. The lemon is then cut
into more or less large slices, according to the use for which it is
intended.
The rind of a lemon thus peeled may be cut into bits and used in this
form as the necessity arises. When cutting it up, flatten the rind
inside uppermost on the table, and, with a very sharp and flexible
knife, remove all the white; then slice the remaining peel (which
constitutes what is called _zest_) into strips about one inch wide, and
cut these laterally in fine _julienne-fashion_.
Scald the resulting bits for five minutes, cool them, drain them
carefully, and put them aside until wanted. Sometimes, instead of
cutting _julienne-fashion_, the _zest_ may be finely chopped, but the
rest of the process remains the same.
Lemons are channelled by means of a little knife, or a special
instrument for the purpose, which excises parallel ribbons from the
surface of the rind and lays the white bare. A lemon channelled in this
way is cut in two, lengthwise with the core; its two extremities are
removed, and the two halves are cut laterally into thin, regular slices
to look like serrated half-discs.
The lemon may also be cut at right angles to the core.
Fried fish, oysters, and certain game are generally garnished with
lemon slices fashioned according to the taste of the cook; but the
simplest, and perhaps the best, way is to cut the lemon through the
centre, after having trimmed the two ends quite straight, and then to
remove the rind roughly from the edge.
For whatever purpose the lemon be intended, it should be, as far as
possible, only prepared at the last moment. If it must be prepared
beforehand, it would be well to keep it in a bowl of fresh water.
180—SHALLOTS
_Chopped Shallots._—Clean the shallots, and, by means of a very sharp
knife, cut them lengthwise into thin slices; let these cling together
by not allowing the knife to cut quite through them, and, this done,
turn them half round and proceed in the same way at right angles to the
other cuts.
Finally, cut them laterally, and this will be found to produce very
fine and regular, small cubes.
_Ciseled Shallots._—The name “_ciseled_ shallots” is often erroneously
given to those shallots resulting from the above process.
But _ciseled_ shallots are merely laterally sliced, the result of which
operation is a series of thin, regular discs. _Ciseled_ or chopped
shallots should, when possible, only be prepared when required; if,
however, they must be treated in advance, they should be kept somewhere
in the cool until wanted.
181—SPICES
Strictly speaking, spices include cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, mace; and
the many varieties of peppers and pimenta, cayenne, paprika, &c.
These various condiments are found ready-made on the market, and they
need only be kept dry in air-tight boxes in order to prevent the escape
of their aroma.
But there is another kind of preparation, in cookery, to which the
name of spice or all-spice is more especially given. Nowadays several
market varieties of this preparation exist, and vie with each other for
custom, though in most cases they deserve it equally well.
Formerly this was not so, and every chef had his own formula.
The following is a recipe for the spice in question, which would be
found useful if it had to be prepared at a moment’s notice:—
_Obtain the following, very dry._
5 oz. of bay leaves.
3 oz. of thyme (half of it wild, if possible).
3 oz. of coriander.
4 oz. of cinnamon.
6 oz. of nutmeg.
4 oz. of cloves.
3 oz. of ginger-root.
3 oz. of mace.
10 oz. of mixed pepper (half black and half white).
1 oz. of cayenne.
Put all these ingredients into a mortar and pound them until they are
all able to pass through a very fine sieve. Put the resulting powder
into an air-tight box, which must be kept dry.
Before being used, this spice is generally mixed with salt (No. 188).
182—FLOUR
For whatever use the flour is intended, it is always best to sift it.
This is more particularly necessary in the case of flour used for
coating objects to be fried; for the latter, being first dipped into
milk, must of necessity let a few drops of that liquid fall into the
flour they are rolled in. Lumps would therefore form, which might
adhere to the objects to be fried if the flour were not sifted.
183—HERB JUICE
This is to finish or intensify certain preparations.
To prepare it, throw into a small saucepan of boiling water some
parsley, chervil, and tarragon and chive leaves, in equal quantities,
according to the amount of juice required.
Set to boil for two minutes, drain, cool, press the herbs in a towel,
twisting the latter; pound very finely, and extract the juice from the
resulting paste by twisting a strong towel round it.
Keep this juice in the cool.
184—BREAD-CRUMBS
Thoroughly rub, in a closed towel, some stale bread-crumb previously
well broken up. Pass it through a fine sieve or colander, according
as to whether it is required very fine or not, and put it aside in a
convenient receptacle.
185—CHOPPED ONION
Cut the onion finely, like the shallots, but if it is to be minced
with a view to making it even finer, it should be freed of its pungent
juice, which would cause it to blacken with exposure to the air.
To accomplish this, put the onion in the corner of a towel, pour plenty
of cold water over it, and twist the towel in order to express the
water. By this means the onion remains quite white.
186—TURNED OR STONED OLIVES
There are special instruments for stoning olives, but, failing these,
cut the fruit spirally from the stone with the point of a small knife.
Keep the olives in slightly salted water.
187—PARSLEY
_Chopped Parsley._—If parsley be properly chopped, no juice should be
produced. If, on the contrary, the operation be performed badly, it
amounts to a process of pounding which, perforce, expresses the juice.
In the latter case the particles cohere, and they are sprinkled with
difficulty over an object. To remedy this shortcoming, wash the
choppings in fresh water, as in the case of the onion, pressing in a
similar manner so as to expel the water.
_Concassed Parsley_ is that kind which is roughly chopped. When a
culinary preparation is dressed with _concassed_ parsley, the latter
should be added to it a few moments before serving, in order to undergo
a slight cooking process; whereas chopped parsley may be strewn over a
dish at the last moment.
It should be remembered that parsley, when quite fresh and used in
moderation, is an excellent thing; but, should it have remained too
long in the heat, it becomes quite insufferable.
I cannot, therefore, too strongly urge the advisability of using it in
the freshest possible state, and it would even be wiser to discard it
entirely than to be forced to ignore this condition.
_Parsley Sprays._—These are chiefly used in garnishing dishes, and
it is well for the purpose to make as much use as possible of the
curled-leaf kind, after having removed the long stalks. Keep the sprays
in fresh water until required.
_Fried Parsley._—This consists of the sprays, well drained of water
after washing, and immersed for an instant in very hot fat. The moment
it is fried carefully drain it, salt it, and place it in a clean towel,
where it may get rid of any superfluous grease. It is used to dress
fried viands.
188—SALT
Two kinds of salt are used in cooking, viz., grey, or sea-salt, and
rock-salt. Grey-salt is used more especially for Brines and in the
preparation of ices, as its grey colour does not allow of its being
used indiscriminately.
Be this as it may, many prefer it to rock-salt for the salting of
stock-pots, roasts, and grills. For the last two purposes it is crushed
with a roller, without being pounded, and the result should be such
that every grain is distinctly perceptible to the touch.
This salt, in melting over a roast or a grill, certainly imparts a
supplementary flavour to the latter which could not be got with the use
of rock-salt.
_Rock-salt._—This is found on the market in the forms of cooking and
table-salt. If the kitchen is only supplied with cooking salt, the
quantity required for several days should be dried, pounded in the
mortar, and passed through a fine sieve; and then put aside in a dry
place for use when wanted. Even table-salt, as it reaches one from the
purveyor, sometimes needs drying and passing through a sieve before
being used.
_Spiced Salt._—This condiment, which serves an important purpose in
the preparation of pies and galantines, is obtained from a mixture of
one lb. of table salt with three and one-half oz. of spices (No. 181).
This kind of salt should be carefully kept in a very dry place.
=2. The Various Kinds of Garnishes for Soups, Relevés, and Entrées, Hot
or Cold=
STUFFINGS AND FORCEMEATS
189—VARIOUS PANADAS FOR STUFFINGS
Panadas are those preparations which go to make the leason of
forcemeats and which ensure their proper consistence when they are
cooked. They are not necessary to every forcemeat; for the _mousseline_
kind, which are the finest and lightest, do not require them.
Nevertheless, they are useful for varying the taste and the uses of
forcemeats, and I thought it advisable to introduce them here. The
reader will thus be able to use either forcemeats with a panada base or
_mousseline_ forcemeats; in accordance with the requirements and his
resources.
190—A. BREAD PANADA
Put one-half lb. of the crumb of bread and one-half oz. of salt into
one-half pint of boiling milk. When the crumb has absorbed all the
milk, place the saucepan over a brisk fire and stir with a spatula
until the paste has become so thick as not to cling any longer to the
end of the spatula. Turn the contents of the saucepan into a buttered
platter, and lightly butter the surface of the panada in order to avoid
its drying while it cools.
191—B. FLOUR PANADA
Put into a small saucepan one-half pint of water, a little salt,
and two oz. of butter. When the liquid boils add five oz. of sifted
flour thereto, stirring the while over a brisk fire until it reaches
the consistence described in the case of bread panada. Use the same
precautions with regard to cooling.
192—C. FRANGIPAN PANADA
Put into a stewpan four oz. of sifted flour, the yolks of four eggs, a
little salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Now add by degrees three oz. of melted
butter and dilute with one-half pint of boiled milk. Pass through a
strainer, stir over the fire until the boil is reached; set to cook
for five minutes while gently wielding the whisk, and cool as in the
preceding cases.
193—CHICKEN FORCEMEAT WITH PANADA AND BUTTER
Remove the tendons from, and cut into cubes, one lb. of chicken-meat.
Pound, and add one-third oz. of salt, a little pepper and nutmeg. When
the meat is well pounded remove it from the mortar, and place in its
stead one-half lb. of very cold panada (see No. 190). Finely pound
this panada, and then add one-half lb. of butter thereto, taking care
that the two ingredients mix thoroughly. Now put in the chicken-meat,
and wield the pestle vigorously until the whole mass is completely
mixed. Finally, add consecutively two whole eggs and the yolks of
four, stirring incessantly the while and seeing that each egg is only
inserted when the one preceding it has become perfectly incorporated
with the mass. Rub through a sieve, put the forcemeat into a basin, and
smooth it with a wooden spoon.
Test the forcemeat by poaching a small portion of it in salted, boiling
water. This test, which is indispensable, allows of rectifying the
seasoning and the consistence if necessary. If it be found that the
forcemeat is too light, a little white of egg could be mingled with
it; if, on the other hand, it should be too stiff add a little softened
butter.
N.B.—By substituting for chicken veal, game, or fish, &c., any kind
of forcemeat may be made; for the quantities of the other ingredients
remain the same whatever the basic meat may be.
194—CHICKEN FORCEMEAT WITH PANADA AND CREAM
(=For Fine Quenelles.=)
Finely pound one lb. of chicken-meat after having removed the tendons,
and seasoned with one-quarter oz. of salt, a little pepper and nutmeg.
When the meat has been reduced to a fine paste, add, very gradually,
two oz. of white of egg. Finish with seven oz. of Frangipan panada
(No. 192), and work vigorously with the pestle until the whole is
amalgamated. Strain through a fine sieve, put the forcemeat into a
vegetable-pan sufficiently large to allow of ultimately working it with
ease, and place it on ice for a good hour.
This done, stir the forcemeat (still on the ice) for a few seconds with
a wooden spoon, then add, in small quantities at a time, one pint of
raw cream. At this stage complete the preparation by adding thereto
one-half pint of whipped cream. It should then be found to be very
white, smooth, and mellow. Test as directed in the preceding recipe,
and add a little white of egg if it be too light, and a little cream if
it be too stiff.
N.B.—This forcemeat may be prepared from all butcher’s meats, game, or
fish.
195—FINE CHICKEN FORCEMEAT OR “MOUSSELINE”
Remove the tendons from, trim, and cut into cubes, one lb. of
chicken-meat. Season with one oz. of salt, a little pepper and nutmeg.
Finely pound, and, when it is reduced to a paste, gradually add the
whites of two eggs, vigorously working with the pestle meanwhile.
Strain through a fine sieve, put the forcemeat into a vegetable-pan,
stir it once more with the wooden spoon for a moment or two, and
combine with it, gradually, one pint of thick, fresh cream, working
with great caution and keeping the receptacle on ice.
_Remarks Relative to Mousseline Forcemeat._—This, like the preceding
forcemeats, may be prepared from any kind of meat. The addition of
the white of egg is not essential if the meats used already possess a
certain quantity of albumen; but without the white of egg the forcemeat
absorbs much less cream.
This forcemeat is particularly suited to preparations with a shell-fish
base. Incomparably delicate results are obtained by the process, while
it also furnishes ideal quenelles for the purpose of garnishing soup.
In a word, it may be said of mousseline forcemeat that, whereas it can
replace all other kinds, none of these can replace it.
N.B.—_Mousseline forcemeats_ of all kinds, with meat, poultry, game,
fish, or shell-fish, may be made according to the principles and
quantities given above.
196—PORK FORCEMEAT FOR DIVERS USES
Remove the tendons of, and cut into large cubes, two lbs. of fillet
of pork, and the same weight of fresh, fat bacon. Season with one and
three-quarter oz. of spiced salt (No. 188), chop the fillet and bacon
up, together or separately, pound them finely in the mortar, and finish
with two eggs and two tablespoonfuls of brandy.
This forcemeat is used for ordinary pies and _terrines_. Strictly
speaking, it is “sausage-meat.” The inclusion of eggs in this forcemeat
really only obtains when it is used to stuff joints that are to be
braised, such as stuffed breast of veal; or in the case of pies and
terrines. The addition of the egg in these cases prevents the grease
from melting too quickly, and thus averts the drying of the forcemeat.
197—FORCEMEAT FOR GALANTINES, PIES AND TERRINES
Remove the tendons from, and cut into cubes, one lb. of fillet of
veal and as much fillet of pork; add to these two lbs. of fresh, fat
bacon, also cut into cubes. Season with three oz. of spiced salt, chop
the three ingredients together or apart, and then finely pound them.
Finish with three eggs and three tablespoonfuls of burnt brandy, strain
through a sieve, and place in a basin.
When about to serve this stuffing, add to it a little _fumet_
corresponding with the meat that is to constitute the dish. For
_terrines_, pies, and galantines of game, one-quarter or one-fifth of
the forcemeat’s weight of gratin stuffing (proper to the game under
treatment) is added.
198—VEAL FORCEMEAT WITH FAT OR GODIVEAU
Remove the tendons from, and cut into cubes, one lb. of fillet of
veal; also pare, _i.e._, detach skin and filaments from, two lbs. of
the very dry fat of kidneys of beef. First, chop these up separately,
then combine and pound them in the mortar. Season with one-half oz. of
salt, a little pepper, some nutmeg, and pound afresh until the veal and
fat become a homogeneous mass. Now add four eggs, consecutively, and at
intervals of a few minutes, without ceasing to pound, and taking care
only to insert each egg after the preceding one has been properly mixed
with the mass. Spread the forcemeat thus prepared on a dish, and put
the latter on ice until the next day.
The next day pound once more, and add little by little fourteen oz. of
very clean ice (in small pieces); or, instead, an equal weight of iced
water, adding this also very gradually.
When the godiveau is properly moistened, poach a small portion of it in
boiling water in order to test its consistence. If it be too firm, add
some more ice to it; if, on the other hand, it seem too flimsy, add a
little of the white of an egg. For the uses of godiveau and quenelles
see No. 205.
199—VEAL FORCEMEAT WITH FAT AND CREAM
Chop finely and apart one lb. of very white fillet of veal, with
tendons removed, cut into cubes, and one lb. of the fat of pared kidney
of beef.
Combine the veal and the fat in the mortar, and pound until the two
ingredients form a fine and even paste. Season with one-half oz. of
salt, a little pepper, and some nutmeg, and add consecutively two eggs
and two yolks, after the manner of the preceding recipe and without
ceasing to pound. Strain through a sieve, spread the forcemeat on a
dish, and keep it on ice until the next day.
Next day pound the forcemeat again for a few minutes, and add to it,
little by little, one and one-half pints of cream.
Test as before, and rectify if necessary, either by adding cream or by
thickening with the white of an egg.
200—CHICKEN FORCEMEAT FOR GALANTINES, PIES AND TERRINES
The exact weight of chicken-meat used as the base of this forcemeat
determines the quantities of its other ingredients. Thus the weight of
meat afforded by a fowl weighing four lbs. is estimated at twenty oz.
after deducting the fillets which are always reserved. Hence the
quantities for the forcemeat are regulated thus:—
Chicken-meat, twenty oz.; lean pork, eight oz.; fillet of veal,
eight oz.; fresh, fat bacon, thirty oz.; whole eggs, five; spiced salt,
two oz.; brandy, one-fifth pint.
Chop up, either together or apart, the chicken-meat, the veal, the
pork, and the bacon. Put all these into the mortar, pound them very
finely with the seasoning, add the eggs consecutively, and, last of
all, pour in the brandy.
=Remarks=
1. The quantity of spiced salt varies, a few grammes either way,
according as to whether the atmosphere be dry or damp.
2. According to the purpose of the forcemeat, and with a view to
giving it a finer flavour, one may, subject to the resources at one’s
disposal, add a little raw trimmings of _foie gras_ to it; but the
latter must not, in any case, exceed one-fifth of the forcemeat in
weight.
3. As a rule, forcemeat should always be rubbed through a sieve so as
to ensure its being fine and even.
4. Whether the foie gras be added or not, chicken forcemeat may always
be completed with two or three oz. of chopped truffles per lb. of its
volume.
201—GAME FORCEMEAT FOR PIES AND TERRINES
This follows the same principles as the chicken forcemeat, _i.e._,
the weight of the game-meat determines the quantities of the other
ingredients. The proportions are precisely the same as above as regards
the veal, the pork, the bacon, and the seasoning. The procedure is also
the same, while the appended remarks likewise apply.
202—GRATIN FORCEMEAT FOR ORDINARY HOT, RAISED PIES
Put into a sautépan containing one oz. of very hot butter, one-half lb.
of fresh, fat bacon, cut into large cubes, brown quickly, and drain on
a dish.
Quickly brown in the same butter one-half lb. of fillet of veal cut
like the bacon and drain in the same way.
Now rapidly brown one-half lb. of pale, calf’s liver, also cut into
large cubes. Put the veal and the bacon back into the sautépan with
the liver, add the necessary quantity of salt and pepper, two oz. of
mushroom parings, one oz. of truffle parings (raw if possible), chopped
shallots, a sprig of thyme, and a fragment of bay. Put the whole on the
fire for two minutes, drain the bacon, the veal, and the liver, and put
the gravy aside. Swill the sautépan with one-quarter pint of Madeira.
Pound the bacon, veal, and liver quickly and finely, while adding
consecutively six oz. of butter, the yolks of six eggs, the gravy that
has been put aside, one-third pint of cold, reduced Espagnole, and the
Madeira used for swilling.
Strain through a sieve, place in a tureen, and smooth with the wooden
spoon.
N.B.—To make a gratin forcemeat with game, substitute for the veal that
game-meat which may happen to be required.
203—PIKE FORCEMEAT FOR QUENELLES A LA LYONNAISE
Forcemeats prepared with the flesh of the pike are extremely delicate.
Subject to circumstances, they may be prepared according to any one
of the three formulæ (Nos. 193, 194, 195). There is another excellent
method of preparing this forcemeat which I shall submit here, as it is
specially used for the preparation of pike forcemeat à la Lyonnaise.
Pound in a mortar one lb. of the meat of a pike, without the skin or
bones; combine with this one-half lb. of stiff frangipan, season with
salt and nutmeg, pass through a sieve, and put back into the mortar.
Vigorously work the forcemeat in order to make it cohere, and gradually
add to it one-half lb. of melted beef-fat. The whole half-pound,
however, need not necessarily be beef-fat; beef-marrow or butter may
form part of it in the proportion of half the weight of the beef-fat.
When the forcemeat is very fine and smooth, withdraw it from the mortar
and place it in a bowl surrounded with ice until wanted.
204—SPECIAL STUFFINGS FOR FISH
These preparations diverge slightly from the forcemeats given above,
and they are of two kinds. They are used to stuff such fish as
mackerel, herring, shad, &c., to which they lend a condimentary touch
that makes these fish more agreeable to the taste, and certainly more
digestible.
_First Method._—Put into a bowl four oz. of raw, chopped milt,
two oz. of bread-crumb, steeped in milk and well pressed, and one and
one-half oz. of the following fine herbs, mixed in equal quantities and
finely chopped:—Chives, parsley, chervil, shallots, sweet basil, half a
garlic clove (crushed), then two whole eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Chop up all these ingredients together so as to mix them thoroughly.
_Second Method._—Put into a bowl four oz. of bread-crumb steeped in
milk and well pressed; one-half oz. of onion and one-half oz. of
chopped shallots, slightly cooked in butter, and cold; one oz. of raw
mushrooms, chopped and well pressed in a towel; a tablespoonful of
chopped parsley; a piece of garlic the size of a pea, crushed; salt,
pepper, and nutmeg, and two eggs.
Mix it as above.
205—FORCEMEAT BALLS OR QUENELLES
_Divers ways of Moulding and Poaching them._—Whatever be the required
size or shape of quenelles there are four ways of making them:—(1) By
rolling them; (2) by moulding them with a spoon; (3) by forming them
with a piping-bag; (4) by moulding them by hand into the shape of a
kidney.
1. _To roll quenelles_ it is necessary to keep the forcemeat somewhat
stiff, and therefore this process could not well apply to the
_mousseline_ forcemeats. Place one-quarter lb. of forcemeat, when
ready, on a floured board, and, with hands covered in flour, roll the
preparation until it has lengthened itself into the form of a sausage,
the thickness of which depends upon the required size of the intended
quenelles.
Cut up the sausage of forcemeat laterally with a floured knife, and
roll each section with the finger-ends until the length it assumes is
thrice that of its diameter. The balls should be put aside on a floured
tray as soon as they are made.
_The Poaching of Rolled Quenelles._—When all the forcemeat has been
used up, the balls are gently tilted into a saucepan containing
boiling, salted water, so calculated in quantity as to allow of their
not being too tightly squeezed. The saucepan is covered and kept on
the side of the fire until all the balls have risen to the surface and
are almost out of the water. They are then removed with a skimmer and
placed in a bowl of cold water.
At last, when they have properly cooled, they are carefully drained on
a cloth and put aside on a dish until required.
When the quenelles are needed for immediate use it would be better not
to cool them.
2. _To Mould Quenelles with a Spoon._—This method may be applied to all
forcemeats, and allows of the balls being much softer, as the forcemeat
need not be so stiff. First, butter the sautépan or the tray, whereon
the balls are to be laid, by means of a brush, and let the butter cool.
Put the sautépan on the table in front and a little to the right of
one; on the left, place the sautépan or bowl containing the forcemeat,
and on the further side of the buttered sautépan there should be a
receptacle containing hot water, into which the spoon used for moulding
is inserted. For ordinary quenelles two coffee-spoons are used, one of
which is kept in the hot water as stated above. Now, with the other
held in the left hand, take up a little of the forcemeat (just enough
to fill the spoon); withdraw the second spoon from the hot water and
place it, with its convex side uppermost, on the other spoon.
This smoothens the upper surface of the forcemeat. Now, with the
help of the second spoon, remove the whole of the contents of the
first spoon, and overturn the second spoon on the spot in the tray or
sautépan which the ball is intended to occupy. The second spoon, being
at once moist and hot, allows the forcemeat to leave it quite easily in
the shape of a large olive. Renew this operation until the whole of the
forcemeat has been used.
_The Poaching of Spoon-moulded Quenelles._—When all the balls have
been moulded, place the tray on the side of the stove and pour enough
boiling, salted water over them to moisten them abundantly. Leave them
to poach, and from time to time move the tray; then, when they have
swollen sufficiently and seem soft and firm to the touch, drain them.
If they are to be used at once they should be placed directly in the
sauce. If they have been prepared in advance, it would be well to cool
them as directed under rolled quenelles.
3. _To Form Quenelles with a Piping-bag._—This process is especially
recommended for small, fine, and light forcemeat balls intended for
soup garnish. For, besides being extremely quick, it allows of making
them in any desirable size or shape.
Butter a tray or a sautépan, and leave to cool. Put the forcemeat into
a bag fitted with a pipe at its narrowest end. The pipe may be grooved
or smooth, and its size must be in accordance with that intended for
the proposed balls. Now squeeze out the latter, proceeding in the usual
way and laying them very closely.
_The Poaching of Quenelles made by the above Process, with ordinary or
Mousseline Forcemeat._—These quenelles are poached in exactly the same
way as the spoon-moulded ones.
_The Poaching of Godiveau Quenelles made with a Piping-bag._—These
quenelles or balls are laid on a piece of fine, buttered paper, which
in its turn is placed upon a buttered tray. The godiveau must not be
too stiff, and the balls are laid by means of the piping-bag side by
side and slightly touching one another. When the tray is covered push
it into a very moderate oven for a few minutes. The balls are poached
when a thin dew of grease may be seen to glisten on their surfaces. On
the appearance of this dew withdraw them from the oven and overturn the
tray, carefully, upon a marble slab, taking care that the tray does not
press at all upon the balls, lest it crush them. When the latter are
nearly cold the paper which covers them is taken off with caution, and
all that remains to be done is to put them carefully away on a dish
until they are wanted.
4. _To Mould Forcemeat with the Fingers._—This excellent process is
as expedient as that of the bag, and it produces beautifully shaped
balls. Place on the edge of a table, in front of one, a saucepan
three-quarters full of boiling, salted water, the handle of the
receptacle being turned to the far side. Now take a piece of string one
yard in length, double it over, and tie the free ends to a weight of
two lbs., letting the two strands twist round each other.
This done, there should be a loop at the top of the string. Put
this loop round the handle of the saucepan, and draw the string
diametrically across the latter, letting the weight pull the string
tightly down on the side opposite to the handle. When this has been
effected the operator, with his left hand, takes some of the forcemeat,
smoothening it with a spoon, and, placing the spoon near the string
with his right, first finger, he removes from its extremity a portion
of the preparation about equal to the intended size of the balls. This
portion of the forcemeat remaining suspended on his first finger, the
operator now scrapes the latter across the string, and the ball falls
beneath into the saucepan containing the water. When all the stuffing
has been moulded in this way the saucepan is placed on the fire to
complete the poaching of the balls, and the precautions indicated in
the preceding processes are observed.
CHAPTER VIII
=The Various Garnishes for Soups=
ROYALES.
206—ORDINARY ROYALE
Put one oz. of chervil into one pint of boiling consommé, cover the
saucepan, and let infusion proceed away from the fire for twenty
minutes. Now pour this infusion over two eggs and six yolks, beaten
briskly in a basin, and mix with the whisk. Strain through muslin,
and carefully remove therefrom the froth that has formed. Pour into
buttered moulds; poach in a _bain-marie_, as in the case of cream, and
take great care that the water in the _bain-marie_ does not boil.
According to the way in which the royale is to be divided, it may be
poached either in large or small “Charlotte” moulds; but the latter,
large and small alike, must be well buttered.
If the preparation be put into large moulds, thirty-five or forty
minutes should be allowed for poaching; if, on the other hand, the
moulds are small, about fifteen minutes would suffice.
Always let the royale cool in the moulds.
207—DESLIGNAC OR CREAM ROYALE
Boil one pint of thin cream, and pour it, little by little, over one
egg and six yolks, well whisked in a basin. Season with a little salt
and nutmeg, strain through muslin, and, for the poaching, follow the
directions given above.
208—CHICKEN ROYALE
Finely pound three oz. of cooked white chicken-meat, and add thereto
three tablespoonfuls of cold Béchamel. Put this paste in a bowl, season
with a little salt and a dash of nutmeg, dilute with one-fifth pint of
cream, and strain through tammy.
Thicken this preparation with one egg and the yolks of three, and poach
in small or large moulds, in accordance with the procedure already
described.
209—GAME ROYALE
Finely pound three oz. of the cooked meat of that game which gives its
name to the preparation, and add three tablespoonfuls of cold Espagnole
Sauce and one-fifth pint of rich cream, in small quantities at a time.
Warm the seasoning with a very little cayenne, strain through tammy,
thicken with one egg and three yolks, and poach as before.
210—FISH ROYALE
Stew in butter four oz. of fillet of sole cut into cubes, or the same
quantity of any other fish suited to the nature of the intended soup.
Cool, pound finely, and add, little by little, two tablespoonfuls of
cold Béchamel and one-quarter pint of cream. Season with salt and a
pinch of nutmeg, and strain through tammy. Thicken by means of the
yolks of five eggs, and poach in large or small moulds.
211—CARROT OR CRÉCY ROYALE
Stew gently in butter five oz. of the red part only of carrots. Cool,
crush in a mortar, and gradually add two tablespoonfuls of Béchamel
and one-fifth pint of rich cream. Season with table-salt and a pinch
of castor sugar, and deepen the tint of the royale with a few drops
of vegetable red. Strain through tammy, thicken with one egg and four
yolks, put into moulds, and poach.
212—FRESH PEAS OR ST. GERMAIN ROYALE
Cook one-half lb. of fresh, small peas in boiling water with a bunch
of chervil and a few leaves of fresh mint. Pass through a sieve, and
dilute the resulting purée (in a saucepan) with two-fifths of its
volume of the liquor it has been cooked in and one-fifth of cream.
Add a little sugar, the necessary salt, one egg, and two yolks. Pass
through a fine strainer, and poach in well-buttered moulds.
213—VARIOUS ROYALES
Royales may also be made with leeks, celery, &c., the procedure being
as follows:—
Finely mince six or seven oz. of the chosen vegetable; stew the same
gently and thoroughly in butter, and strain through tammy. Add to the
resulting purée three tablespoonfuls of Béchamel, one-fifth pint of
cream, two eggs, and four yolks. Put into large or small moulds, and
poach.
_Remarks._—In order that these royales may have the required delicacy,
I should urge the reader not to exceed the prescribed quantities of
eggs and yolks, these being so calculated as to exactly produce the
density required.
214—THE DIVIDING-UP OF ROYALES
When the poaching is done take the mould or moulds out of water, and
leave the royale to cool in them. Do not turn out the moulds whilst the
preparation is hot, as it would surely scatter. It only assumes the
necessary solidity for being divided up by means of the aggregation and
contraction of its various constituents during the cooling process.
_If the royale has been poached in small moulds_, slightly trim the
cylinders of _royale_, divide them up laterally into discs, and stamp
them uniformly with a plain or indented fancy cutter.
_If the royale has been poached in large moulds_, withdraw it from
these, and place it on a serviette; trim the tops, cut into half-inch
slices, and stamp with small, fancy cutters of different shapes. These
little divisions of _royale_ must always be stamped very neatly and
quite regularly.
215—CHIFFONADE
The name “_Chiffonade_” is given to a mince of sorrel or lettuce,
intended as a complement for such soups as “Potage de santé,” “le
Germiny,” &c., or various clear consommés like “Julienne.”
To prepare _Chiffonade_, first carefully shred the sorrel or lettuce,
and remove therefrom all the leaf-ribs. Carefully wash the leaves, and
squeeze the latter tightly between the fingers of the left hand and the
table. Now cut them into fine strips with a sharp knife.
If the chiffonade be intended for a consommé, add it to the latter
half an hour before dishing up; it is thus actually cooked in the soup
itself. If, as is most often the case, it be intended for a thick soup,
it is better to let it melt well in butter, to moisten it with a little
consommé, and to let it boil for ten minutes before adding it to the
soup.
Whatever the purpose be for which it is made, _chiffonade_ should
always be prepared with very tender sorrel or lettuce.
216—DIRECTIONS FOR SOUP WITH PASTES
Vermicelli and the various Italian pastes should measure about
three oz. per quart of consommé. They should first be thrown into
boiling, salted water, where they are left to poach for three minutes,
whereupon they are drained, cooled, and their cooking is completed in
the consommé.
The parboiling of these pastes is necessary in order to get rid of the
little agglomerations of flour which adhere to them, and which would
otherwise make the consommé cloudy.
Tapioca, sago, salep, &c., should also be apportioned at about
three oz. per quart. But this is only an average, for the quality of
this kind of products varies greatly, and it is best to choose the
goods of an excellent maker, and, in order to avoid surprises, to abide
by that choice.
These products need no parboiling; they are merely sprinkled into the
boiling consommé while stirring the latter, and they are left to cook
until the soup is quite clear. The boiling should be gentle, and the
scum should be removed as often as it forms.
The time allowed for cooking naturally varies in accordance with the
quality of the goods, but the absolute transparency of the consommé is
an infallible sign of its having been completed.
Brazilian, Japanese, and other pearls are used in the same quantities,
but they should poach for thirty minutes if required to be very
transparent.
217—THREADED EGGS
Beat up three eggs in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and strain
through a sieve. Now pour the eggs into a fine strainer, hold same over
a sautépan containing some boiling consommé, and shift it about in such
wise as to let the egg fall in threads into the boiling liquid beneath,
and thus immediately coagulate. Drain the egg-threads very carefully
lest they break.
218—PROFITEROLLES FOR SOUPS
These consist of little choux about the size of a large hazel-nut,
stuffed with some kinds of purée, such as that of _foie gras_ with
cream, or of chicken, or of vegetables, &c. Four _profiterolles_ should
be allowed for each person.
To make _profiterolles_, put a few tablespoonfuls of “_pâte à choux_”
without sugar (No. 2374) into a piping-bag fitted with a smooth pipe,
whose orifice should be about one-quarter inch in diameter. Squeeze out
portions of the preparation on to a tray, so as to form balls about the
size of a small hazel-nut; _gild_ by means of beaten egg applied with a
fine brush, and cook in a moderate oven.
Do not take the _profiterolles_ from the oven until they are quite dry.
CHAPTER IX
=Garnishing Preparations for Relevés and Entrées=
219—POTATO CROQUETTES
Cook quickly in salted water two lb. of peeled and quartered potatoes.
As soon as they seem soft to the finger, drain them, place them in the
front of the oven for a few minutes in order to dry them, and then tilt
them into a sieve lying on a cloth, and press them through the former
without rubbing.
Place the purée in a sautépan; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg;
add one oz. of butter, and dry; _i.e._, stir over a brisk fire until
the purée becomes a consistent paste.
Take off the fire, complete with the yolks of three eggs, well mixed
with the rest, and turn the paste out on to a buttered dish, taking
care to spread it in a rather thin layer, so as to precipitate its
cooling. Butter the surface to prevent the preparation’s drying.
To make croquettes, equal portions of this paste, _i.e._, portions
weighing about one and one-half oz. of it, are rolled on a flour-dusted
board into the shape of a cork, a ball, or a quoit. These are now
dipped into an _Anglaise_ (No. 174) and rolled in bread-crumbs or
raspings, the latter being well patted on to the surface of the
_croquettes_, lest they should fall into the frying fat. Let the
patting also avail for finishing off the selected shape of the objects.
These are then plunged into hot fat, where they should remain until
they have acquired a fine, golden colour.
220—DAUPHINE POTATOES
Prepare as above the required quantity of paste, and add thereto
per lb. six oz. of pâte à choux without sugar (No. 2374).
Mix the two constituents thoroughly.
Dauphine potatoes are moulded in the shape of small cylinders, and they
are treated _à l’Anglaise_, like the _croquettes_.
221—DUCHESSE POTATOES
These are the same as the _croquettes_, though they are differently
treated. They are made on a floured board in the shape of diminutive
cottage-loaves, little shuttle-shaped loaves, small quoits, and
lozenges or rectangles. They are _gilded_ with beaten egg, and when
their shape is that of quoits, rectangles, or lozenges, they are
streaked by means of a small knife.
After this operation, which is to prevent the _gilding_ from
blistering, they are baked in the oven for a few minutes previous to
being used in dressing the dishes they accompany.
222—MARQUISE POTATOES
Take one lb. of _croquette_ paste and add thereto six oz. of very
red, reduced tomato-purée. Pour this mixture into a bag fitted with a
large, grooved pipe, and squeeze it out upon a baking-tray in shapes
resembling large meringues.
Slightly _gild_ their surfaces with beaten egg, and put them into the
oven for a few minutes before using them to dress the dish.
223—ORDINARY OR DRY DUXELLE
The uses of Duxelle are legion, and it is prepared thus:—Slightly
fry one teaspoonful of onions in one tablespoonful of butter and oil
mixed. Add to this four tablespoonfuls of mushroom stalks and parings,
chopped and well pressed in a towel with the view of expelling their
vegetable moisture. Stir over a brisk fire until the latter has
completely evaporated; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and one
coffeespoonful of well-chopped parsley, mixing the whole thoroughly.
Transfer to a bowl, cover with a piece of white, buttered paper, and
put aside until wanted.
224—DUXELLE FOR STUFFED VEGETABLES (Tomatoes, Mushrooms, &c.)
Put six tablespoonfuls of dry duxelle into a small stewpan, and add
thereto three tablespoonfuls of half-glaze sauce containing plenty of
tomato, crushed garlic the size of a pea, and two tablespoonfuls of
white wine. Set to simmer until the required degree of consistence is
reached.
N.B.—A tablespoonful of fine, fresh bread-crumbs may be added to the
duxelle in order to thicken it.
225—DUXELLE FOR GARNISHING SMALL PIES, ONIONS, CUCUMBERS, ETC.
To four tablespoonfuls of dry duxelle add four tablespoonfuls of
ordinary pork forcemeat (No. 196).
226—MAINTENON (preparation used in stuffing preparations à la Maintenon)
Put one pint of Béchamel into a vegetable-pan with one-half pint of
Soubise (No. 104), and reduce to half while stirring over a brisk
fire. Thicken, away from the fire, by means of the yolks of five eggs,
and add four tablespoonfuls of minced mushrooms, either cooked in the
ordinary way or stewed in butter.
227—MATIGNON
This preparation serves chiefly for covering certain large joints of
butcher’s meat, or fowl, to which it imparts an appropriate flavour.
It is made as follows:—Finely mince two medium carrots (the red part
only), two onions, and two sticks of celery taken from the heart. Add
one tablespoonful of raw lean ham, cut _paysanne-fashion_, a sprig of
thyme, and half a leaf of bay, crushed.
Stew in butter, and finally swill the saucepan with two tablespoonfuls
of Madeira.
228—MIREPOIX
The purpose of Mirepoix in culinary preparations is the same as that of
Matignon, but its mode of use is different.
Its constituents are the same as those of the Matignon, but instead of
being minced they are cut up into more or less fine dice, in accordance
with the use for which the preparation is intended.
Instead of the ham, fresh and slightly-salted breast of pork may be
used, while both the ham and the bacon may be excluded under certain
circumstances.
229—FINE OR BORDELAISE MIREPOIX
Coarse Mirepoix, which are added to certain preparations in order to
lend these the proper flavour, are generally made immediately before
being used, but this is not so in the case of the finer Mirepoix, which
chiefly serves as an adjunct to crayfish and lobsters. This is made in
advance, and as follows:—
Cut into dice four oz. of the red part only of carrots, the same
quantity of onion, and one oz. of parsley stalks. In order that the
Mirepoix may be still finer, these ingredients may now be chopped, but
in this case it is advisable to thoroughly press them in a corner of a
towel, so as to squeeze out their vegetable moisture, the mere process
of stewing not being sufficient for this purpose.
Should this water be allowed to remain in the Mirepoix, more
particularly if the latter must be kept some time, it would probably
give rise to mustiness or fermentation.
Put the ingredients into a small stewpan with one and one-half oz. of
butter and a little powdered thyme and bay, and stew until all are well
cooked. This done, turn the preparation out into a small bowl, heap
it together with the back of a fork, cover it with a piece of white,
buttered paper, and put aside until wanted.
230—VARIOUS SALPICONS
This term stands for a certain preparatory method applied to a series
of preparations.
Salpicons are _simple_ or _compound_. Simple if they only contain one
product, such as the meat of a fowl, or of game, butcher’s meat, foie
gras, various fish, ham or tongue, mushrooms, truffles, &c. Compound if
they consist of two or more of the above-mentioned ingredients which
may happen to combine suitably.
_The preparatory method_ consists in cutting the various ingredients
into dice.
_The series of preparations_ arises from the many possible combinations
of the products, each particular combination bearing its own name.
Thus Salpicons may be Royal, Financier, Chasseur, Parisien,
Montglas, &c.; of whichever kind, however, Salpicons are always
incorporated with a vehicular sauce which is in accordance with their
constituents.
231—BATTER FOR VARIOUS FRITTERS
Put into a bowl one lb. of sifted flour, one-quarter oz. of salt, one
tablespoonful of oil or melted butter, and the necessary quantity of
barely lukewarm water. If the batter is to be used at once mix the
ingredients by turning them over and over without stirring with the
spoon, for this would give the preparation an elasticity which would
prevent its adhering to immersed solids. Should the batter be prepared
beforehand, however, it may be stirred, since it loses its elasticity
when left to stand any length of time.
Before using it add the whites of two eggs whisked to a froth.
232—BATTER FOR VEGETABLES (Salsify, Celery, &c.)
Put one lb. of sifted flour into a bowl with one-quarter oz. of salt
and two tablespoonfuls of oil or melted butter. Dilute with one egg and
the necessary quantity of cold water. Keep this batter somewhat thin,
do not stir it, and let it rest for a few hours before using.
233—BATTER FOR FRUIT AND FLOWER FRITTERS
Put one lb. of flour into a bowl with one-quarter oz. of salt and
two tablespoonfuls of oil or melted butter. Dilute gradually with
one-quarter pint of beer and a little tepid water.
When about to use the batter mix therewith the whites of two eggs
whisked to a froth.
N.B.—Keep this batter thin, if anything, and above all do not stir
overmuch.
234—BATTER FOR OVEN-GLAZED FRUIT FRITTERS
Mix one lb. of flour with two tablespoonfuls of oil, a grain of salt,
two eggs (added one after the other), the necessary quantity of water,
and one oz. of sugar. Keep this preparation in a lukewarm place to let
it ferment, and stir it with a wooden spoon before using it to immerse
the solids.
_Remarks._—Batter for fruit fritters may contain a few tablespoonfuls
of brandy, in which case an equal quantity of the water must be
suppressed.
235—PROVENÇALE (preparation for stuffing cutlets à la Provençale)
Put one pint of Béchamel into a vegetable-pan and reduce it until it
has become quite dense. Thicken it with the yolks of four eggs, and
finish it away from the fire with a crushed piece of garlic as large as
a pea, and one-quarter lb. of grated cheese.
CHAPTER X
=Leading Culinary Operations=
236—THE PREPARATION OF SOUPS
The nutritious liquids known under the name of Soups are of
comparatively recent origin. Indeed, as they are now served, they
do not date any further back than the early years of the nineteenth
century.
The soups of old cookery were, really, complete dishes, wherein the
meats and vegetables used in their preparation were assembled. They,
moreover, suffered from the effects of the general confusion which
reigned in the menus of those days. These menus seem to have depended
in no wise, for their items, upon the progressive satisfaction of the
consumers’ appetites, and a long procession of dishes was far more
characteristic of the meal than their judicious order and diversity.
In this respect, as in so many others, Carême was the reformer, and,
if he were not, strictly speaking, the actual initiator of the changes
which ushered in our present methods, he certainly had a large share in
the establishment of the new theories.
Nevertheless, it took his followers almost a century to bring soups to
the perfection of to-day, for modern cookery has replaced those stodgy
dishes of yore by comparatively simple and savoury preparations which
are veritable wonders of delicacy and taste. Now, my attention has been
called to the desirability of drawing up some sort of classification
of soups, if only with the view of obviating the absurdity of placing
such preparations as are indiscriminately called Bisque, Purée, Cullis,
or Cream under the same head. Logically, each preparation should have
its own special formula, and it is impossible to admit that one and the
same can apply to all.
It is generally admitted that the terms _Veloutés_ and _Creams_, whose
introduction into the vocabulary of cookery is comparatively recent,
are peculiarly well suited to supplant those of _Bisque_ and _Cullis_,
which are steadily becoming obsolete, as well as that too vulgar
term _Purée_. Considerations of this kind naturally led me to a new
classification of soups, and this I shall disclose later.
I shall not make any lengthy attempt here to refute the arguments of
certain autocrats of the dinner-table who, not so many years ago, urged
the total abolition of soups. I shall only submit to their notice
the following quotation from Grimod de la Reynière, one of our most
illustrious gastronomists: “Soup is to a dinner what the porch or
gateway is to a building,” that is to say, it must not only form the
first portion thereof, but it must be so devised as to convey some idea
of the whole to which it belongs; or, after the manner of an overture
in a light opera, it should divulge what is to be the dominant phrase
of the melody throughout.
I am at one with Grimod in this, and believe that soups have come to
stay. Of all the items on a menu, soup is that which exacts the most
delicate perfection and the strictest attention, for upon the first
impression it gives to the diner the success of the latter part of the
meal largely depends.
Soups should be served as hot as possible in very warm plates,
especially in the case of consommés when these have been preceded by
cold hors-d’œuvres.
Hors-d’œuvres are pointless in a dinner, and even when oysters stand as
such they should only be allowed at meals which include no soup.
Those hors-d’œuvres which consist of various fish, smoked or in oil,
and strongly seasoned salads, leave a disagreeable taste on the
consumer’s palate and make the soup which follows seem flat and insipid
if the latter be not served boiling hot.
=Classification of Soups=
This includes (1) clear soups, (2) thick soups, (3) special soups of
various kinds, (4) classical vegetable soups, including some local
preparations.
237—CLEAR SOUPS
Clear soups, of whatever nature the base thereof may be, whether
butcher’s meat, poultry, game, fish, shell-fish, or turtle, &c., are
made according to one method only. They are always clear consommés to
which has been added a slight garnish in keeping with the nature of the
consommé.
238—THICK SOUPS
These are divided into three leading classes as follows:—(1) The
Purées, Cullises, or Bisques. (2) Various Veloutés. (3) Various Creams.
_Remarks._—Though the three preparations of the first class are
practically the same, and, generally speaking, the Cullises and the
Bisques may be considered as purées of fowl, game, or shell-fish, it is
advisable to distinguish one from another by giving each a special name
of its own.
Thus the word _Purée_ is most suitably applied to any preparation with
a vegetable base. The term _Cullis_ is best fitted to preparations
having either poultry, game, or fish for base, while bisque, in spite
of the fact that in former days it was applied indiscriminately to
purées of shell-fish, poultry, pigeons, &c., distinctly denotes a purée
of shell-fish (either lobster, crayfish, or shrimp, &c.).
In short, it is imperative to avoid all ambiguities and to give
everything its proper name, or, at least, that name which identifies it
most correctly.
239—PURÉES
Farinaceous vegetables, such as haricot-beans and lentils, and the
floury ones, such as the potato, need no additional thickening
ingredient, since the flour or fecula which they contain amply suffices
for the leason of their purées.
On the other hand, aqueous vegetables like carrots, pumpkins, turnips,
celery, and herbs cannot dispense with a thickening ingredient, as
their purées of themselves do not cohere in the least.
_Cohering or Thickening Elements; their Quantities._—In order to effect
the coherence of vegetable purées, either rice, potato, or bread-crumb
cut into dice and fried in butter may be used.
The proportion of these per pound of vegetables should be respectively
three oz., ten oz., and ten oz. Bread-crumb dice, prepared as described
above, were greatly used in old cookery, and they lend a mellowness to
a purée which is quite peculiar to them.
_The Dilution of Purées._—Generally this is done by means of ordinary
white consommé, though in certain cases, as, for instance, if the soup
is a Lenten one, milk is used.
_The Finishing._—When the purées have been strained and brought to the
required consistence they should be boiled and stirred. Then they are
placed on the side of the fire to simmer for twenty-five or thirty
minutes. It is at this stage that they are purified by means of the
careful removal of all the scum that forms on their surface.
When dishing up complete them, away from the fire, with three oz. of
butter per quart of soup, and pass them once more through a strainer.
_Purée Garnishes._—These are usually either small fried crusts, small
dice of potato fried in butter, a _chiffonade_, some kind of little
_brunoise_, or, more generally, chervil _pluches_.
240—CULLISES
Cullises have for their base either poultry, game, or fish.
_The thickening ingredients used are_:—
_For fowl_, two or three oz. of rice, or three-quarters pint of poultry
velouté per lb. of fowl.
_For game_, three or four oz. of lentils, or three-quarters pint of
game Espagnole per lb. of game.
_For fish_, a clear panada made up of French bread soaked in boiling
salted milk. Use five oz. of bread and one good pint of milk per lb.
of fish. Having strained and made up the Cullises, boil them while
stirring (except in the case of fish cullises, which must not boil,
and must be served as soon as they are made), then place them in a
_bain-marie_ and butter their surfaces lest a skin should form.
At the last moment complete them with two or three oz. of butter per
quart.
The garnish of poultry or game cullises consists of either small dice
of game or fowl-fillets, which should be kept aside for the purpose;
a fine _julienne_ of these fillets, or small quenelles made from the
latter, raw.
The garnish of fish cullis is generally fish-fillets poached in butter
and cut up into small dice or in _julienne-fashion_.
241—BISQUES
The invariable base of Bisques is shell-fish cooked in _mirepoix_.
Their thickening ingredients are, or may be, rice, fish velouté, or
crusts of bread fried in butter, the proportion being three oz. of
rice, ten oz. of bread-crusts, or three-quarters pint of fish velouté
per lb. of shell-fish cooked in _mirepoix_ (No. 228).
When the soup is strained, treat it in precisely the same way as the
cullises.
The garnish consists of small dice of the meat from the shell-fish
used. These pieces should have been put aside from the first.
242—THE VELOUTÉS
These differ from the purées, cullises, and bisques in that their
invariable thickening element is a velouté whose preparation is in
harmony with the nature of the ingredients of the soup, these being
either vegetables, poultry, game, fish, or shell-fish.
_The Preparation of the Velouté._—Allow three and one-half oz. of white
roux per quart of the diluent. This diluent should be ordinary consommé
for a velouté of vegetables or herbs, chicken consommé for a poultry
velouté, or very clear fish _fumet_ for a fish or shell-fish velouté.
The procedure is exactly the same as that described under No. 25 of the
leading sauces.
_The Apportionment of the Ingredients._—In general, the quantities of
each constituent are in the following proportion:—Velouté, one-half;
the purée of the substance which characterises the soup, one-quarter;
the consommé used to bring the soup to its proper consistence,
one-quarter. In respect of finishing ingredients, use, for thickening,
the yolks of three eggs and one-fifth pint of cream per quart of soup.
Thus for four quarts of poultry velouté we arrive at the following
quantities:—
Poultry velouté, three pints; purée of fowl obtained from a cleaned and
drawn hen weighing about three lbs., one quart; consommé for regulating
consistence, one quart; leason, twelve yolks and four-fifths pint of
cream.
_Rules Relative to the Preparation._—If the velouté is to be of
lettuce, chicory, celery, or mixed herbs, these ingredients are scalded
for five minutes, drained, gently stewed in butter, and added to the
prepared velouté in which their cooking is completed.
If carrots, turnips, onions, &c., are to be treated, finely mince them,
stew them in butter without allowing them to acquire any colour, and
add them to the velouté.
If fowl be the base, cook it in the velouté. This done, withdraw it,
remove the meat, finely pound same, and add it to the velouté, which is
then rubbed through tammy.
In the case of fish the procedure is the same as for fowl. For game,
roast or _sauté_ the selected piece, bone it, finely pound the meat,
and combine the latter with the velouté, which should then be rubbed
through tammy.
For shell-fish, cook these in a _mirepoix_, finely pound them together
with the latter, add to the velouté, and pass the whole through tammy.
_The Completing of Velouté._—Having passed the soup through tammy,
bring it to its proper degree of consistence with the necessary
quantity of consommé, boil while stirring, and place in a _bain-marie_.
At the last moment finish the soup with the leason and two oz. of
butter per quart of liquid.
_Garnish for Velouté._—In the case of vegetables: _Chiffonade_, fine
_printaniers_, or _brunoise_.
For fowl and game: The fillets of one or the other, poached and cut
into small dice or in _julienne-fashion_; little quenelles made with
the raw fillets, or either fowl or game royales.
For fish: Small dice or fine _julienne_ of fish fillets poached in
butter.
For shell-fish: Small dice of cooked shell-fish meat put aside for the
purpose.
_Remarks._—In certain circumstances these garnishes are increased by
means of three tablespoonfuls of poached rice per quart of the soup.
243—THE CREAMS
Practically speaking, the preparation of the creams is the same as that
of the veloutés, but for the following exceptions:—
1. In all circumstances, _i.e._, whatever be the nature of the soup,
velouté is substituted for clear Béchamel.
2. The correct consistence of the soup is got by means of milk
instead of consommé.
3. Creams do not require egg-yolk leasons.
4. They are not buttered, but they are finished with one-fifth or
two-fifths pint of fresh cream per quart.
Creams allow of the same garnishes as the veloutés.
244—SPECIAL SOUPS AND THICKENED CONSOMMÉS
These are of different kinds, though their preparation remains the
same, and they do not lend themselves to the requirements of veloutés
or creams. I should quote as types of this class the Ambassador, à
l’Américaine, Darblay, Faubonne, &c.
The same holds good with thickened consommés, such as “Germiny,”
“Coquelin,” &c.
245—VEGETABLE SOUPS
These soups, of which the “Paysanne” is the radical type, do not
demand very great precision in the apportionment of the vegetables
of which they are composed; but they need great care and attention,
notwithstanding.
The vegetables, in the majority of cases, must undergo a long stewing
in butter, an operation the object of which is to expel their vegetable
moisture and to saturate them with butter.
In respect of others which have a local character, the vegetables
should be cooked with the diluent, without a preparatory stewing.
246—FOREIGN SOUPS
In the course of Part II. of this work I shall allude to certain soups
which have a foreign origin, and whose use, although it may not be
general, is yet sufficiently common. If only for the sake of novelty
or variety, it is occasionally permissible to poach upon the preserves
of foreign nations; but apart from this there exist among the recipes
of foreigners many which can but enrich their adopter, besides being
generally appreciated.
=2. Braising, Poaching, Sautés, and Poëling.=
Except for the roasts, grills, and fryings, which will be discussed
later, all culinary operations dealing with meat are related to one of
the four following methods: Braising, _poëling_, poaching, and sautés.
These four methods of cooking belong, however, to the sauces, and this
explains how it is that the latter hold such a pre-eminent position in
French cookery.
Before devoting any attention to particular formulæ, which will be
given in the second part of this work, it seemed desirable to me to
recapitulate in a general way the theory of each of these cooking
methods. These theories are of paramount importance, since it is only
with a complete knowledge of them that good results may be obtained by
the culinary operator.
247—ORDINARY BRAISINGS
Of all the various culinary operations, braisings are the most
expensive and the most difficult. Long and assiduous practice alone
can teach the many difficulties that this mode of procedure entails,
for it is one which demands extraordinary care and the most constant
attention. Over and above the question of care and that of the quality
of meat used, which latter consideration is neither more nor less
important here than in any other cooking operation, there are also
these conditions to be fulfilled in order that a good braising may be
obtained, namely, that excellent stock should be used in moistening,
and that the braising base be well prepared.
_Meats that are Braised._—Mutton and beef are braised in the ordinary
way, but veal, lamb, and poultry are braised in a manner which I shall
treat of later.
Meat intended for braising need not, as in the case of roasts, be
that of young beasts. The best for the purpose is that derived from
an animal of three to six years of age in the case of beef, and one
to two years in the case of mutton. Good meat is rarely procured from
animals more advanced than these in years, and, even so, should it be
used, it would not only be necessary to protract the time of cooking
inordinately, but the resulting food would probably be fibrous and dry.
Properly speaking, meat derived from old or ill-nourished beasts only
answers two purposes in cookery, viz., the preparation of consommés and
that of various kinds of stock.
_The Larding of Meats for Braising._—When the meat to be braised is
ribs or fillet of beef, it is always interlarded, and consequently
never dry if of decent quality. But this is not the case with the meat
of the rumps, or with leg of mutton. These meats are not sufficiently
fat of themselves to allow of prolonged cooking without their becoming
dry. For this reason they are larded with square strips of bacon fat,
which should be as long as the meat under treatment, and about half an
inch thick. These strips of fat are first seasoned with pepper, nutmeg,
and spices, besprinkled with chopped parsley, and then _marinaded_ for
two hours in a little brandy. They should be inserted into the meat
equidistantly by means of special larding needles. The proportion of
fat to the meat should be about three oz. per lb.
_To Marinade Braisings._—Larded or not, the meats intended for braising
gain considerably from being _marinaded_ for a few hours in the wines
which are to supply their moistening and the aromatics constituting the
base of their liquor. Before doing this season them with salt, pepper,
and spices, rolling them over and over in these in order that they may
absorb the seasoning thoroughly. Then place them in a receptacle just
large enough to contain them, between two litters of aromatics, which
will be detailed hereafter; cover them with the wine which forms part
of their braising-liquor, and which is generally a white or red “vin
ordinaire,” in the proportion of one-quarter pint per lb. of meat, and
leave them to _marinade_ for about six hours, taking care to turn them
over three or four times during that period.
_The Aromatics or Base of the Braising._—These are thickly sliced and
fried carrots and onions, in the proportion of one oz. per lb. of meat,
one faggot, including one garlic clove and one and one-half oz. of
fresh, blanched bacon-rind.
_To Fry, Prepare, and Cook Braised Meat._—Having sufficiently
_marinaded_ the meat, drain it on a sieve for half an hour, and wipe
it dry with a clean piece of linen. Heat some clarified fat of white
consommé in a thick saucepan of convenient size, or a braising-pan,
and when it is sufficiently hot put the meat in the saucepan and let
it acquire colour on all sides. The object of this operation is to
cause a contraction of the pores of the meat, thereby surrounding the
latter with a species of cuirass, which prevents the inner juices from
escaping too soon and converting the braising into a boiling process.
The frying should, therefore, be a short or lengthy process according
as to whether the amount of meat to be braised be small or large.
Having properly fried the meat, withdraw it from the braising-pan,
cover it with slices of larding-bacon if it be lean, and string it. In
the case of fillets and ribs of beef, this treatment may be dispensed
with, as they are sufficiently well supplied with their own fat.
Now pour the _marinade_ prepared for the meat into the braising-pan,
and place the meat on a litter composed of the vegetables the
_marinade_ contained. Cover the pan and rapidly reduce the wine
therein. When this has assumed the consistency of syrup add sufficient
brown stock to cover the meat (it being understood that the latter only
just conveniently fills the pan), cover the braising-pan, set to boil,
and then put it in a moderate oven. Let the meat cook until it may be
deeply pricked with a braiding needle without any blood being drawn.
At this stage the first phase of braising, whereof the theory shall
be given hereafter, comes to an end, and the meat is transferred to
another clean utensil just large enough to hold it.
With respect to the cooking liquor, either of the two following modes
of procedure may now be adopted:—
1. If the liquor is required to be clear it need only be strained, over
the meat, through muslin, while the braising-pan should be placed in
the oven, where the cooking may go on until completed, interrupting it
only from time to time in order to baste the meat. This done, thicken
the liquor with arrow-root, after the manner of an ordinary thickened
gravy (No. 41).
2. If, on the contrary, a sauce be required, the liquor should
be reduced to half before being put back on the meat, and it is
restored to its former volume by means of two-thirds of its quantity
of Espagnole sauce and one-third of tomato purée, or an equivalent
quantity of fresh tomatoes.
The cooking of the meat is completed in this sauce, and the basting
should be carried on as before. When it is cooked—that is to say, when
the point of a knife may easily be thrust into it without meeting with
any resistance whatsoever—it should be carefully withdrawn from the
sauce; the latter should be again strained through muslin and then
left to rest, with a view to letting the grease settle on the surface.
Carefully remove this grease, and rectify the sauce with a little
excellent stock if it is too thick, or by reduction if it is too thin.
_The Glazing of Braised Meat._—Braised meat is glazed in order to make
it more sightly, but this operation is by no means essential, and it is
quite useless when the meat is cut up previous to being served.
To glaze meat place it as soon as cooked in the front of the oven,
sprinkle it slightly with its cooking liquor (gravy or sauce), and push
it into the oven so that this liquor may dry. Being very gelatinous,
the latter adheres to the meat, while its superfluous water evaporates,
and thus coats the solid with a thin film of meat-glaze. This operation
is renewed eight or ten times, whereupon the meat is withdrawn from the
oven, placed on a dish, and covered until it is served.
_Various Remarks relative to Braising._—When a braised meat is to be
accompanied by vegetables, as in the case of beef à la mode, these
vegetables may either be cooked with the meat during the second
braising phase, after they have been duly coloured in butter with a
little salt and sugar, or they may be cooked separately with a portion
of the braising-liquor. The first procedure is the better, but it
lends itself less to a correct final dressing. It is, therefore, the
operator’s business to decide according to circumstances which is the
more suitable of the two.
I pointed out above that the cooking of braised meat consists of two
phases, and I shall now proceed to discuss each of these, so that the
reader may thoroughly understand their processes.
It has been seen that meat, to be braised, must in the first place be
fried all over, and this more particularly when it is very thick. The
object of this operation is to hold in the meat’s juices, which would
otherwise escape from the cut surfaces. Now, this frying produces a
kind of cuirass around the flesh, which gradually thickens during
the cooking process until it reaches the centre. Under the influence
of the heat of the surrounding liquor the meat fibres contract, and
steadily drive the contained juices towards the centre. Soon the heat
reaches the centre, where, after having effected a decomposition of the
juices therein collected, the latter release the superfluous water they
contain. This water quickly vaporises, and by so doing distends and
separates the tissues surrounding it. Thus, during this first phase, a
concentration of juices takes place in the centre of the meat. It will
now be seen that they undergo an absolutely different process in the
second.
As shown, the disaggregation of the muscular tissue begins in the
centre of the meat as soon as the temperature which reaches there is
sufficiently intense to vaporise the collected juices. The tension
of the vapour given off by the latter perforce increases by dint of
finding no issue; it therefore exerts considerable pressure upon the
tissues, though now its direction is the reverse of what it was in the
first place, _i.e._, from the centre to the periphery.
Gradually the tissues relax under the pressure and the effects of
cooking, and, the work of disaggregation having gradually reached
the fried surface, the latter also relaxes in its turn and allows
the constrained juices to escape and to mix with the sauce. At the
same time, however, the latter begins to filter through the meat, and
this it does in accordance with a well-known physical law, namely,
capillarity. This stage of the braising demands the most attentive
care. The braising-liquor is found to be considerably reduced and no
longer covers the meat, for the operation is nearing its end. The bared
meat would, therefore, dry very quickly, if care were not taken to
baste it constantly and to turn it over and over, so that the whole
of the muscular tissue is moistened and thoroughly saturated with the
sauce. By this means the meat acquires that mellowness which is typical
of braisings and distinguishes them from other preparations.
I should be loth to dismiss this subject before pointing out two
practices in the cooking of braisings which are as common as they are
absolutely wrong. The first of these is the “_pinçage_” of the braising
base. Instead of laying the fried meat on a litter of aromatics,
likewise fried beforehand, many operators place the meat, which they
often omit to fry, on raw aromatics at the bottom of the braising-pan.
The whole is sprinkled with a little melted fat, and the aromatics are
left to fry, on one side only, until they begin to burn on the bottom
of the receptacle.
If this operation were properly conducted it might be tolerated, even
though aromatics which are only fried on one side cannot exude the same
savour as those which are fried all over. But nine times out of ten the
frying is too lengthy a process; from neglect or absent-mindedness the
aromatics are left to burn on the bottom of the pan, and there results
a bitterness which pervades and spoils the whole sauce.
As a matter of fact, this process of “_pinçage_” is an absurd
caricature of a method of preparing braisings which was very common in
old cookery, the custom of which was not to prepare the braising-liquor
in advance, but to cook it and its ingredients simultaneously with the
meat to be braised. This method, though excellent, was very expensive,
the meats forming the base of the braising-liquor consisting of thick
slices of raw ham or veal. The observance of economy, therefore,
long ago compelled cooks to abandon this procedure. But routine has
perpetuated the _form_ of the latter without insisting upon the use of
its constituents, which were undoubtedly its essential part. Routine
has even, in certain cases, aggravated the first error by instituting
a habit consisting of substituting bones for the meats formerly
employed—an obviously ridiculous practice.
In the production of ordinary consommé (No. 1) we saw that bones, even
when taken from veal, as is customary in the case of braising-liquor,
require, at the very least, ten to twelve hours of cooking before
they can yield all their soluble properties. As a proof of this it is
interesting to note that, if bones undergo only five or six hours of
cooking, and are moistened afresh and cooked for a further six hours,
the liquor of the second cooking yields more meat-glaze than that of
the first; though it must be admitted that, while the latter is more
gelatinous, it has less savour. But this gelatinous property of bones
is no less useful to braisings than is their savour, since it is the
former that supplies the mellowness, which nothing can replace and
without which the sauce can have no quality.
Since, therefore, the longest time that a braising can cook is from
four to five hours, it follows that, if bones be added thereto, their
properties will scarcely have begun disaggregating when the meat is
cooked. They will, in fact, have yielded but an infinitesimal portion
of these properties; wherefore their addition to the braising is, to
say the least, quite useless.
It now remains to be proved that the above method is bad from another
point of view.
I suppose I need not fear contradiction when I assert that, in
order that a braising may be good, its sauce should be short and
correspondingly substantial; also that the sauce obtained from a piece
of meat moistened with a quart of liquid cannot be so good as that
resulting from the moistening of a pint only.
It is more particularly on this account that I advise a braising
utensil which can only just hold the meat, for since, in the first
stage, the meat is only moistened with the braising-liquor, the
smaller the receptacle may be the less liquor will it require, and the
latter will in consequence be the tastier. Hence, if bones be added to
the braising, the utensil must necessarily be larger, and a greater
quantity of braising-liquor must be used. But this liquor will not
be nearly so savoury as that obtained from the process I recommend;
in fact, it will be but a rather strong broth, quite unfit for the
impregnation of the meat, and the final result will be a tasteless lump
of fibre instead of a succulent braising.
I must apologise to the reader for my insistence with regard to these
questions, but their importance is such that success is beyond reach in
the matter of brown sauces and braisings unless the above details have
been thoroughly grasped. Moreover, the explanations given will afford
considerable help in the understanding of operations which I shall give
later; therefore it is to be hoped that the examination of the theories
involved, however long this has been, will prove of use and assistance.
248—BRAISING OF WHITE MEATS
_The braising of white meats_ as it is now effected in modern cookery
is, strictly speaking, not braising at all, inasmuch as the cooking is
stopped at the close of the first of the two phases which I mentioned
when discussing brown braisings. True, old cookery did not understand
braising in the way that the modern school does, and under the ancient
régime large pieces, especially of veal, were frequently cooked until
they could almost be scooped with a spoon. This practice has been
generally, though mistakenly, eschewed, but its name survives.
White braisings are made with the neck, the saddle, the loin, the
fillets, the fricandeaus, and the sweet-bread of veal, young turkeys
and fat pullets, and sometimes, though less frequently, relevés of
lamb, hindquarters or saddle. The procedure is the same for all these
meats; the time of cooking alone varies in accordance with their size.
The aromatics are the same as those of the brown braisings, but the
frying of them is optional.
The moistening liquor is brown veal stock (No. 9).
_Mode of Procedure._—Except for the veal sweet-bread, which is always
blanched before being braised, the meats or poultry to be treated may
always be slightly stiffened and browned in butter, on all sides. This
is not essential in all cases, but I think that when they do undergo
something of the kind they dry less quickly. Now place them in a
utensil just large enough to hold them and deep enough to keep the lid
from touching them. Place the aromatics under them and moisten with a
little veal stock; set to boil on a moderate fire, and reduce the veal
stock with the lid on. When this stock has assumed the consistence of
a glaze, add a further similar quantity of fresh stock, and reduce as
before. The third time moisten the veal until it is half covered, and
push the pan into a moderate oven.
The meat needs constant basting while it cooks, in order to avoid its
drying; and, as the stock is very gelatinous, it forms a coating on
the surface which resists the evaporation of the contained juices; for
these, being insufficiently constrained by the slight frying the meat
has undergone, tend to vaporise under the influence of the heat.
It is for this reason that the stock must be reduced to a glaze before
finally moistening. If the moistening were all done at once, the liquor
would not be sufficiently dense to form the coating mentioned above,
and the meat would consequently dry on being set to cook.
Braised white meat is known to be cooked when, after having deeply
pricked it with a braiding needle, it exudes an absolutely colourless
liquid. This liquid denotes that the piece is cooked to the centre, and
as a result thereof the blood has decomposed.
There lies the great difference between brown braisings and white-meat
braisings. The latter are practically roasts, and they should not be
made with any but young poultry or meats, very fat and tender, for
they cannot go beyond their correct time of cooking, which equals that
of roasts, without immediately losing all their quality. A quarter of
an hour too much in the cooking of a kernel of veal weighing about
six lbs. is enough to make the meat dry and unpalatable, and to
thoroughly spoil it, whereas a brown braising cannot be over-cooked,
provided it do not burn.
White braised meats are generally glazed, and this process is
especially recommended for larded pieces, which, though less common
nowadays than formerly, can still claim many votaries.
249—POACHINGS
However nonsensical it may sound, the best possible definition of
a poaching is a boiling that does not boil. The term _poach_ is
extended to all slow processes of cooking which involve the use of a
liquor, however small. Thus the term poach applies to the cooking in
_court-bouillon_ of large pieces of turbot and salmon, as well as to
fillets of sole cooked with a little fish _fumet_, to hot _mousselines_
and _mousses_, cooked in moulds, to quenelles which are cooked in
salted water, to eggs announced as “poached,” to creams, various
royales, &c. It will readily be seen that among so many different
products, the time allowed for the cooking in each case must differ
sometimes widely from the rest. The treatment of them all, however, is
subject to this unalterable principle, namely, that the poaching liquor
must not boil, though it should reach a degree of heat as approximate
as possible to boiling-point. Another principle is that large pieces
of fish or poultry be set to boil in cold liquor, after which the
latter is brought to the required temperature as rapidly as possible.
The case may be the same with fillets of sole, or poultry, which are
poached almost dry; but all other preparations whose mode of cooking
is poaching gain by being immersed in liquor which has reached the
required temperature beforehand.
Having regard to the multitudinous forms and kinds of products that
are poached, it would be somewhat difficult to state here the details
and peculiarities proper to each in the matter of poaching; I think,
therefore, I should do better to leave these details to the respective
recipes of each product, though it will now be necessary to disclose
the way of poaching poultry, if only with a view to thoroughly
acquainting the reader with the theory propounded above.
Properly prepare the piece of poultry to be poached, and truss it with
its legs folded back alongside of the breast.
If it is to be stuffed, this should be done before trussing.
If it is to be larded or studded, either with truffles, ham, or tongue,
rub it when trussed on the fillets and legs with half a lemon, and dip
the same portions of its body (namely, those to be larded or studded)
for a few moments in boiling white stock. The object of this operation
is to slightly stiffen the skin, thus facilitating the larding or
studding.
_The Cooking of the Piece of Poultry._—Having stuffed, larded, or
studded it, if necessary, and having, in any case, trussed it, place
it in a receptacle just large enough to hold it, and moisten with some
excellent white stock previously prepared.
Set to boil, skim, put the lid on, and continue the cooking at a low
simmer. It is useless to work too quickly, as the operation would not
be shortened a second by so doing. The only results would be:—
1. Too violent evaporation, which would reduce the liquor and disturb
its limpidness.
2. The running of a considerable risk of bursting the piece of poultry,
especially when the latter is stuffed.
The fowl, or whatever it may be, is known to be cooked when, after
pricking the thick of the leg close to the “drumstick,” the issuing
liquid is white.
_Remarks._—(_a_) The need of poaching poultry in a receptacle just
large enough to hold the piece is accounted for as follows: (1) The
piece must be wholly immersed in the stock during the cooking process.
(2) As the liquor used is afterwards served as an accompanying sauce
to the dish, the less there is of it the more saturated does it become
with the juices of the meat, and, consequently, the better it is.
(_b_) (1) The white stock used in poaching should be prepared
beforehand, and be very clear.
(2) If the piece of poultry were set to cook with the products
constituting the stock, even if these were more than liberally
apportioned, the result would be bad, for inasmuch as a fowl, for
example, can only take one and one-half hours, at the most, to cook,
and the time required for extracting the nutritious and aromatic
principles from the constituents of the stock would be at least six
hours, it follows that the fowl would be cooking in little more than
hot water, and the resulting sauce would be quite devoid of savour.
250—POËLINGS
Poëlings are, practically speaking, roasts, for the cooking periods
of each are the same, except that the former are cooked entirely or
almost entirely with butter. They represent a simplified process of old
cookery, which consisted in enveloping the object to be treated, after
frying it, in a thick coating of _Matignon_. It was then wrapped with
thin slices of pork fat, covered with buttered paper, placed in the
oven or on a spit, and basted with melted butter while it cooked. This
done, its grease was drained away, and the vegetables of the _matignon_
were inserted in the braising-pan wherein the piece had cooked, or in a
saucepan, and were moistened with excellent Madeira or highly seasoned
stock. Then, when the liquor had thoroughly absorbed the aroma of the
vegetables, it was strained, and its grease was removed just before
dishing up. This excellent method is worthy of continued use in the
case of large pieces of poultry.
_Preparation of Poëled Meats._—Place in the bottom of a deep and thick
receptacle, just large enough to hold the piece to be poëled, a layer
of raw _matignon_ (No. 227). The meat or piece of poultry is placed
on the vegetables after it has been well seasoned, and is copiously
sprinkled with melted butter; cover the utensil, and push it into an
oven whose heat is not too fierce. Set it to cook gently in this way,
after the manner of a stew, and frequently sprinkle with melted butter.
When the meats or the pieces of poultry are cooked, the utensil is
uncovered so that the former may acquire a fine colour; then they
are transferred to a dish which should be kept covered until taken
to the table. Now add to the vegetables (which must not be burned) a
sufficient quantity of brown veal stock (No. 9), transparent and highly
seasoned; set the whole to boil gently for ten minutes, strain through
a serviette, carefully remove all grease from the poëling stock and
send it to the table in a sauceboat at the same time as the meat or
poultry, which, by the bye, is generally garnished.
_Remarks on Poëlings._—It is of paramount importance that these be not
moistened during the process of cooking, for in that case their savour
would be the same as that of braised white meats.
Nevertheless, an exception may be made in the case of such feathered
game as pheasants, partridges, and quails, to which is added, when
nearly cooked, a small quantity of burnt brandy.
It is also very important that the vegetables should not have their
grease removed before their moistening stock is added to them. The
butter used in the cooking absorbs a large proportion of the savour of
both the vegetables and the meat under treatment, and, to make good
this loss, it is essential that the moistening stock remain at least
ten minutes in contact with the butter. At the end of this time it may
be removed without in the least impairing the aroma of the stock.
_Special Poëlings known as “En Casserole,” or “En Cocotte.”_—The
preparations of butcher’s meats, of poultry, or game, known as “en
casserole” or “en cocotte,” are actual poëlings cooked in special
earthenware utensils and served in the same. Generally, preparations
known as “en casserole” are simply cooked in butter, without the
addition of vegetables.
When the cooking is done, the piece under treatment is withdrawn for
a moment, and some excellent brown veal stock (No. 9) is poured into
the utensil. This is left to simmer for a few minutes; the superfluous
butter is then removed; the piece is returned to the earthenware
utensil, and it is kept hot, without being allowed to boil, until it is
dished up.
For preparations termed “en cocotte,” the procedure is the same, except
that the piece is garnished with such vegetables as mushrooms, the
bottoms of artichokes, small onions, carrots, turnips, &c., which are
either turned or regularly pared, and half cooked in butter before
being used.
One should endeavour to use only fresh vegetables, and these should be
added to the piece constituting the dish in such wise as to complete
their cooking with it.
The earthenware utensils used for this purpose improve with use,
provided they be cleaned with clean, fresh water, without any soda or
soap. If new utensils have to be used, these should be filled with
water, which is set to boil, and they should then undergo at least
twelve hours’ soaking. For the prescribed time this water should be
kept gently boiling, and then the utensil should be well wiped and
soaked anew, in fresh water, before being used.
251—THE SAUTÉS
What characterises the process we call “sauté” is that the object
treated is cooked _dry_—that is to say, solely by means of a fatty
substance such as butter, oil, or grease.
Sautés are made with cut-up fowl or game, or with butcher’s meat
suitably divided up for the purpose.
All products treated in this way must be frizzled—that is to say, they
must be put into the fat when it is very hot in order that a hardened
coating may form around them which will keep their juices within. This
is more particularly desirable for red meats such as beef and mutton.
The cooking of _fowl sautés_ must, after the meats have been frizzled,
be completed on the stove or, with lid off, in the oven, where they
should be basted with butter after the manner of a roast.
The pieces are withdrawn from the utensil with a view to swilling the
latter, after which, if they be put back into the sauce or accompanying
garnish, they should only remain therein a few moments or just
sufficiently long to become properly warm.
The procedure is the same for _game sautés_.
_Sautés of butcher’s meats_ (red meats), such as tournedos, kernels,
cutlets, fillets, and noisettes, are always effected on the stove; the
meats are frizzled and cooked with a small quantity of clarified butter.
The thinner and smaller they are, the more rapidly should the frizzling
process be effected.
When blood appears on the surface of their raw side, they should be
turned over; when drops of blood begin to bedew their other side, they
are known to be cooked.
The swilling of the utensil obtains in all sautés. After having
withdrawn the treated product from the saucepan, remove the grease
and pour the condimentary liquid (a wine), that forms part of the
accompanying sauce, into the saucepan.
Set to boil, so that the solidified gravy lying on the bottom may
dissolve, and add the sauce; or simply add the swilling liquid to the
prepared sauce or accompanying garnish of the sauté. The utensil used
must always be just large enough to hold the objects to be treated. If
it be too large, the parts left uncovered by the treated meats burn,
and swilling is then impossible, whence there results a loss of the
solidified gravy which is an important constituent in the sauce.
_Sautés of white, butcher’s meats_, such as veal and lamb, must also be
frizzled in hot fat, but their cooking must be completed gently on the
side of the fire, and in many cases with lid on.
Preparations of a mixed nature, which partly resemble sautés and partly
braisings, are also called sautés. Stews, however, is their most
suitable name.
These dishes are made from beef, veal, lamb, game, &c., and they are to
be found in Part II. under the headings Estouffade; Goulash; Sautés:
Chasseur, Marengo, Bourgeoise; Navarin; Civet; &c.
In the first stage of their preparation, the meats are cut up small and
fried like those of the sautés; in the second, slow cooking with sauce
or garnish makes them akin to braised meats.
=3. Roasts, Grills, Fryings.=
=Roasts.=
Of the two usual methods of roasting, the spit will always be used in
preference to the oven, if only on account of the conditions under
which the operation is effected, and whatever be the kind of fuel
used—wood, coal, or gas.
The reason of this preference is clear if it be remembered that, in
spite of every possible precaution during the progress of an oven
roast, it is impossible to avoid an accumulation of vapour around the
cooking object in a closed oven. And this steam is more particularly
objectionable inasmuch as it is excessive in the case of delicately
flavoured meats, which latter are almost if not entirely impaired
thereby.
The spitted roast, on the contrary, cooks in the open in a dry
atmosphere, and by this means retains its own peculiar flavour. Hence
the unquestionable superiority of spitted roasts over the oven kind,
especially in respect of small feathered game.
In certain circumstances and places there is no choice of means, and,
_nolens volens_, the oven has to be used; but, in this case at least,
all possible precautions should be observed in order to counteract the
effects of the steam above mentioned.
252—LARDING BACON FOR ROASTS
Poultry and game to be roasted ought generally to be partly covered
with a large thin slice of larding bacon, except those pieces of game
which in special cases are larded.
The object and use of these slices are not only to shield the fillets
of fowl and game from the severe heat of the fires but also to prevent
these from drying while the legs, which the heat takes much longer to
penetrate than the other parts, are cooking. The slices of bacon should
therefore completely cover the breasts of fowl and game, and they
should be tied on to the latter by means of string.
In some cases roasts of butcher’s meat are covered with layers of
veal- or beef-fat, the object of which is similar to that of the bacon
prescribed above.
253—SPITTED ROASTS
The whole theory of roasts on the spit might be condensed as follows:—
In the case of butcher’s meat, calculate the intensity of the heat used
according to the piece to be roasted, the latter’s size and quality,
and the time it has hung. Experience, however, is the best guide,
for any theory, whatever be its exactness, can only give the leading
principles and general rules, and cannot pretend to supply the place of
the practised eye and the accuracy which are the result of experience
alone.
Nevertheless, I do not say with Brillat Savarin that a roaster is born
and not made; I merely state that one may become a good roaster with
application, observation, care, and a little aptitude.
The three following rules will be found to cover all the necessary
directions for spitted roasts:—
1. All red meats containing a large quantity of juice should be
properly set, and then, according to their size, made to undergo the
action of a fire capable of radiating a very penetrating heat with
little or no flame.
2. In the case of white meats, whose cooking should be thorough, the
fire ought to be so regulated as to allow the roast to cook and colour
simultaneously.
3. With small game the fuel should be wood, but whatever fuel be used
the fire ought to be made up in suchwise as to produce more flame than
glowing embers.
254—OVEN ROASTS
The degree of heat used for each roast must be regulated according to
the nature and size of the latter after the manner of spitted roasts.
An oven roast, in the first place, should always be placed on a
meatstand, and this should be of such a height that at no given moment
during the cooking process the meat may come in contact with the juices
and fat which have drained from it into the utensil beneath. Failing a
proper stand, a spit resting upon the edges of the utensil may be used.
No liquid of any kind, gravy or water, need be put in the baking-pan.
The addition of any liquid is rather prejudicial than otherwise, since
by producing vapour which hangs over the roast it transforms the latter
into a stew.
_Remarks._—Whether spitted or in the oven, a roast must always be
frequently basted with a fatty substance, but never with any other
liquid.
255—THE GRAVY OF ROASTS
The real and most natural gravy for roasts is made from the swilling
of the baking- or dripping-pan, even if water be used as the diluent,
since the contents of these utensils represent a portion of the
essential principles of the roast fallen from it in the process of
cooking. But to obtain this result neither the utensils nor the gravy
ought to have burned; the latter should merely have solidified, and for
this reason a roast cooked in a very fierce oven ought to be laid on a
pan only just large enough to hold it, so that the fat may not burn.
The swilling can in any case only produce a very small quantity of
gravy, consequently, when it happens that a greater quantity is
required, the need is met beforehand by preparing a stock made from
bones and trimmings of a similar nature to the roast for which the
gravy is required. The procedure for this is as follows:—
Place the bones and trimmings in a pan with a little fat and literally
roast them. Then transfer them to a saucepan, moisten so as to cover
with tepid, slightly-salted water, and add thereto the swillings of the
pan wherein they were roasted. Boil, skim, and set to cook gently for
three or four hours, according to the nature of the products used. This
done, almost entirely remove the grease, strain through muslin, and put
aside for the purpose of swilling the dripping- or baking-pan of the
roast.
_Swilling._—Having removed the roast from the spit or oven, take off a
portion of the grease from the baking- or dripping-pan, and pour into
it the required quantity of prepared gravy. Reduce the whole by half,
strain through muslin, and almost entirely remove grease.
It is a mistake to remove all the grease from, and to clarify, the
gravy of roasts. Treated thus they are certainly clearer and more
sightly, but a large proportion of their savour is lost, and it should
be borne in mind that the gravy of a roast is not a consommé.
In the matter of roast feathered game, the accompanying gravy is
supplied by the swilling of the utensil, either with water or a small
quantity of brandy. This is a certain means of obtaining a gravy whose
savour is precisely that of the game; but occasionally veal gravy is
used, as its flavour is neutral, and it therefore cannot impair the
particular flavour of the reduced game gravy lying on the bottom of the
utensil. The use of stock prepared from the bones and trimmings of game
similar to that constituting the dish is also common.
256—THE DRESSING AND ACCOMPANIMENTS OF ROASTS
As a rule, a roast ought not to wait. It ought only to leave the spit
or oven in order to be served. All roasts should be placed on very
hot dishes, slightly besprinkled with fresh butter, and surrounded
by bunches of watercress (this is optional). The gravy is invariably
served separately.
Roasts of butcher’s meat and poultry are dished up as simply as
possible.
Small roasted game may be dished up on fried slices of bread-crumb
masked with _gratin_ stuffing (No. 202).
When lemons accompany a roast, they should be served separately. Pieces
of lemon that have once served to garnish a dish must not be used, for
they have mostly been tainted by grease.
The mediæval custom of dishing game with the plumage has been abandoned.
Roast feathered game à l’anglaise is dished up with or without potato
chips, and the three adjuncts are gravy, bread-crumbs, and bread-sauce.
In northern countries game roasts are always accompanied either by
slightly sugared stewed apples, or by cherry or apricot jam.
257—GRILLS
Those culinary preparations effected by means of grilling belong to
the order called cooking by concentration. And, indeed, in almost
all cases, the great object of these operations, I might even say the
greatest object, is the concentration, in the centre, of the juices and
essences which represent, most essentially, the nutritive principles of
the products cooked.
A grill, which is, in short, but a roast on an open fire, stands, in my
opinion, as the remote starting-point, the very genesis of our art.
It was the primæval notion of our forefathers’ infantile brains; it was
progress born of an instinctive desire to eat with greater pleasure;
and it was the first culinary method ever employed.
A little later, and following naturally, as it were, upon this first
attempt, the spit was born of the grill; gradually, intelligence
supplanted rude instinct; reason began to deduce effects from supposed
causes; and thus cooking was launched forth upon that highroad along
which it has not yet ceased steadily to advance.
_Fuel for Grills._—That mostly used, and certainly the best for the
purpose, is live coal or small pieces of charcoal. Whatever fuel be
used, however, it is essential that it produce no smoke, even though
the grill fire be ventilated by powerful blowers which draw the smoke
off. More especially is this necessary, though I admit the contingency
is rare, when artificial ventilation has to be effected owing to
the fire’s burning in the open without the usual help of systematic
draughts; for if smoke occasioned by foreign substances or by the
falling of the fat itself on to the glowing embers were not immediately
carried away, either artificially or by a convenient draught, the
grills would most surely acquire a very disagreeable taste therefrom.
_The Bed of Charcoal._—The arrangement of the bed of charcoal under
the grill is of some importance, and it must not only be regulated
according to the size and kind of the products to be grilled, but also
in such wise as to allow of the production of more or less heat under
given circumstances.
The bed should therefore be set in equal layers in the centre, but
varying in thickness according as to whether the fire has to be more or
less fierce; it should also be slightly raised on those sides which are
in contact with the air, in order that the whole burning surface may
radiate equal degrees of heat.
The grill must always be placed over the glowing fuel in advance, and
it should be very hot when the objects to be grilled are placed upon
it, otherwise they would stick to the bars, and would probably be
spoiled when turned.
=Grills Classified.=
Grills may be divided into four classes, of which each demands
particular care. They are: (1) Red-meat grills (beef and mutton);
(2) White-meat grills (veal, lamb, poultry); (3) Fish; (4) Grills
coated with butter and bread-crumbs.
258—RED MEAT GRILLS
I submit as a principle that the golden rule in grills is to strictly
observe the correct degree of heat which is proper to each treated
object, never forgetting that the larger and richer in nutrition the
piece of meat, the quicker and more thorough must be its initial
setting.
I have already explained, under braisings, the part played by, and the
use of, rissoling or setting; but it is necessary to revert to this
question and its bearing upon grills.
If large pieces of meat (beef or mutton) are in question, the better
their quality and the richer they are in juices, the more resisting
must be the rissoled coating they receive. The pressure of the
contained juices upon the rissoled coating of this meat will be
proportionately great or small according to whether the latter be rich
or poor, and this pressure will gradually increase with the waxing heat.
If the grill fire be so regulated as to ensure the progressive
penetration of heat into the cooking object, this is what happens:—
The heat, striking that surface of the meat which is in direct
communication with the fire, penetrates the tissues, and spreads
stratiformly through the body, driving the latter’s juices in front of
it. When these reach the opposite, rissoled, or set side of the meat,
they are checked, and thereupon, absorbing the incoming heat, effect
the cooking of the inner parts.
Of course, if the piece of meat under treatment is very thick, the
fierceness of the fire should be proportionately abated the moment the
initial process of rissoling or setting of the meat’s surface has been
effected, the object being to allow the heat to penetrate the cooking
body more regularly. If the fierceness of the fire were maintained, the
rissoled coating on the meat would probably char, and the resulting
thickness of carbon would so successfully resist the passage of any
heat into the interior that, in the end, while the meat would probably
be found to be completely burnt on the outside, the inside would be
quite raw.
If somewhat thinner pieces are in question, a quick rissoling of their
surfaces over a fierce fire, and a few minutes of subsequent cooking,
will be all they need. No alteration in the intensity of the fire need
be sought in this case.
_Examples._—A rumpsteak or Châteaubriand, in order to be properly
cooked, should first have its outsides rissoled on a very fierce fire
with a view to preserving its juices, after which cooking may proceed
over a moderate fire so as to allow of the gradual penetration of the
heat into the centre of the body.
Small pieces such as tournedos, small fillets, noisettes, chops, may,
after the preliminary process of outside rissoling, be cooked over the
same degree of heat as effected the latter, because the thickness of
meat to be penetrated is less.
_The Care of Grills while Cooking._—Before placing the meats on the
grill, baste them slightly with clarified butter, and repeat this
operation frequently during the cooking process, so as to avoid the
possible drying of the rissoled surfaces.
Grilled red meat should always be turned by means of special tongs, and
great care should be observed that its surface be not torn or pierced,
lest the object of the preliminary precautions be defeated, and the
contained juices escape.
_Time of Cooking._—This, in the case of red meats, is arrived at by the
following test: if, on touching the meat with one’s finger, the former
resist any pressure, it is sufficiently cooked: if it give, it is clear
that in the centre, at least, the reverse is the case. The most certain
sign, however, that cooking has been completed is the appearance of
little beads of blood upon the rissoled surface of the meat.
259—WHITE-MEAT GRILLS
That superficial rissoling which is so necessary in the case of red
meats is not at all so in the case of white, for in the latter there
can be no question of the concentration of juices, since these are only
present in the form of albumen—that is to say, in the form of juices
“in the making,” so to speak, which is peculiar to veal and lamb.
For this kind of grills keep a moderate fire, so that the cooking and
colouring of the meat may take place simultaneously.
White-meat grills should be fairly often basted by means of a brush,
with clarified butter, while cooking, lest their outsides dry.
They are known to be cooked when the juice issuing from them is quite
white.
260—FISH GRILLS
Use a moderate fire with these, and only grill after having copiously
sprinkled them with clarified butter or oil. Sprinkle them similarly
while cooking.
A grilled fish is cooked when the bones are easily separated from the
meat. Except for the fatty kind, such as mackerel, red mullet, or
herrings, always roll fish to be grilled in flour before sprinkling
them with melted butter. The object of so doing is to give them a
golden external crust, which, besides making them more sightly, keeps
them from drying.
261—THE GRILLING OF PRODUCTS COATED WITH BUTTER AND BREAD-CRUMBS
These grills generally consist of only small objects; they must be
effected on a very moderate fire, with the view of enabling them to
cook and acquire colour simultaneously. They should also be frequently
besprinkled with clarified butter, and turned with care, so as not to
break their coating, the object of which is to withhold their contained
juices.
262—FRYINGS
Frying is one of the principal cooking processes, for the number of
preparations that are accomplished by its means is very considerable.
Its procedure is governed by stringent laws and rules which it is best
not to break, lest the double danger of failure and impairment of
material be incurred.
The former is easily averted if one is familiar with the process,
and pays proper attention to it, while the latter is obviated by
precautions which have every _raison d’être_, and the neglect of which
only leads to trouble.
The question of the kind of utensil to employ is not so immaterial
as some would think, for very often accidents result from the mere
disregard of the importance of this matter.
Very often imprudence and bluster on the part of the operator may be
the cause of imperfections, the greatest care being needed in the
handling of utensils containing overheated fat.
Utensils used in frying should be made of copper, or other resisting
metal; they should be in one piece, oval or round in shape, and
sufficiently large and deep to allow, while only half-filled with fat,
of the objects being properly affected by the latter. The necessity of
this condition is obvious, seeing that if the utensil contain too much
fat the slightest jerking of it on the stove would spill some of the
liquid, and the operator would probably be badly burnt.
Finally, utensils with vertical sides are preferable to those with the
slanting kind; more especially is this so in large kitchens where, the
work involving much frying, capacious receptacles are required.
263—FRYING FAT—ITS PREPARATION
Any animal or vegetable grease is suitable for frying, provided it be
quite pure and possess a resisting force allowing it to reach a very
high temperature without burning. But for frying on a large scale, the
use of cooked and clarified fats, such as the fat of “pot-au-feu” and
roasts, should be avoided.
A frying medium is only perfect when it is able to meet the demands of
a protracted operation, and consists of fresh or raw fats, chosen with
care and thoroughly purified by cooking.
Under no circumstances may butter be used for frying on a large
scale, seeing that, even when thoroughly purified, it can only reach
a comparatively low degree of heat. It may be used only for _small,
occasional fryings_.
The fat of kidney of beef generally forms the base of the grease
intended for frying on a large scale. It is preferable to all others on
account of its cheapness and the great length of time it can be worked,
provided it receives the proper care.
Veal-fat yields a finer frying medium, but its resistance is small, and
it must, moreover, always be strengthened with the fat of beef.
Mutton-fat should be deliberately discarded, for, if it happen to be
that of an old beast, it smells of tallow, and, if it be that of a
young one, it causes the hot grease to foam and to overflow down the
sides of the utensil, this leading to serious accidents.
Pork-fat is also used for frying, either alone, or combined with some
other kind.
In brief, the fat of kidney of beef is that which is best suited
to fryings on a large scale. Ordinary household frying, which does
not demand a very resisting grease, may well be effected by means
of the above, combined with an equal quantity of veal-fat, or a
mixture composed of the fat of kidney of beef, veal, and pork in the
proportions of one-half, one-quarter, and one-quarter respectively.
The grease used for frying ought not only to be melted down, but also
thoroughly cooked, so that it may be quite pure. If insufficiently
cooked, it foams on first being used, and so demands all kinds of extra
precautions, which only cease to be necessary when constant heating
at last rectifies it. Moreover, if it be not quite pure, it easily
penetrates immersed solids and makes them indigestible.
All grease used in frying should first be cut into pieces and then put
into the saucepan with one pint of water per every ten lbs.
The object of the water is to assist in the melting, and this it does
by filtering into the grease, vaporising, and thereby causing the
latter to swell. So long as the water has not completely evaporated,
the grease only undergoes the action of liquefaction, _i.e._, the
dissolution of its molecules; but its thorough cooking process, ending
with its purification, only begins when all the water is gone.
The grease is cooked when (1) the membranes which enveloped it alone
remain intact and are converted into greaves; (2) it gives off smoke
which has a distinct smell.
At this stage it has reached such a high temperature that it is best
to remove it from the fire for about ten minutes, so that it may cool;
then it must be strained through a sieve, or a coarse towel, which must
be tightly twisted.
264—THE VARIOUS DEGREES OF HEAT REACHED BY THE FRYING MEDIUM, AND THEIR
APPLICATION
The temperature reached by a frying medium depends upon the latter’s
constituents and its purity. The various degrees may be classified as
moderately hot, hot, very hot.
The expression “boiling hot” is unsuitable, seeing that fat never
boils. Butter (an occasional frying medium) cannot overreach 248° F.
without burning, whereas if it be thoroughly purified it can attain
from 269° to 275° F.—a temperature which is clearly below what would be
needed for work on a large scale.
Animal greases used in ordinary frying reach from 275° to 284° F. when
moderately hot, 320° F. when hot, and 356° F. when very hot; in the
last case they smoke slightly.
Pork-fat (lard), when used alone, reaches 392° F. without burning. Very
pure goose dripping withstands 428° F.; and, finally, vegetable fats
may reach, without burning, 482° F. in the case of cocoa-nut butter,
518° F. with ordinary oils, and 554° in the case of olive oil.
The temperature of ordinary frying fat may be tested thus: it is
moderately hot when, after throwing a sprig of parsley or a crust
of bread into it, it begins to bubble immediately; it is hot if it
crackles when a slightly moist object is thrust into it; it is very hot
when it gives off a thin white smoke perceptible to the smell.
The first temperature, “moderately hot,” is used (1) for all products
containing vegetable water the complete evaporation of which is
necessary; (2) for fish whose volume exacts a cooking process by means
of penetration, previous to that with concentration.
In the first degree of heat with which it is used the frying fat
therefore only effects a kind of preparatory operation.
The second temperature, “hot,” is used for all products which
have previously undergone an initial cooking process in the first
temperature, either for evaporation or penetration, and its object is
either to finish them or to cover them with a crimped coating.
It is also applicable to those products upon which the frying fat
must act immediately by concentration—that is to say, by forming a
set coating around them which prevents the escape of the contained
substances.
Objects treated with this temperature are: all those _panés à
l’anglaise_ or covered with batter, such as various _croquettes_,
_cromesquis_, cutlets, and collops à la Villeroy, fritters of all
kinds, fried creams, &c.
In this case the frying medium acts by setting, which in certain cases
is exceedingly necessary.
1. If the objects in question are _panés à l’anglaise_, _i.e._, dipped
in beaten eggs and rolled in bread-crumbs, the sudden contact of
the hot grease converts this coating of egg and bread-crumbs into a
resisting crust, which prevents the escape of the substances and the
liquefied sauce contained within.
If these objects were plunged in a fat that was not sufficiently hot,
the coating of egg and bread-crumbs would not only imbibe the frying
medium, but it would run the risk of breaking, thereby allowing the
escape of the very substances it was intended to withhold.
2. The same holds with objects treated with batter. Hence the absolute
necessity of ensuring that setting which means that the covering of
batter solidifies immediately. As the substances constituting these
various dishes are cooked in advance, it follows that their second
heating and the colouring of the coating (egg and bread-crumbs or
batter) take place at the same time and in a few minutes.
The third temperature, “very hot,” is used (1) for all objects that
need a sharp and firm setting; (2) for all small objects the setting of
which is of supreme importance, and whose cooking is effected in a few
minutes, as in the case of whitebait.
265—FRYING MEDIUM FOR FISH
Every frying medium, used for work on a large scale, which has acquired
a too decided colouring through repeated use, may serve in the
preparation of fish even until its whole strength is exhausted.
Oil is best suited to the frying of fish, especially the very small
kind, owing to the tremendous heat it can withstand without burning,
for this heat guarantees that setting which is so indispensable.
Except in this case, however, the temperature of the frying medium
should be regulated strictly in accordance with the size of the fish
to be fried, in order that its cooking and colouring may be effected
simultaneously.
Except _Nonats_ and whitebait, which are simply rolled in flour, fish
to be fried are previously steeped in slightly salted milk and then
rolled in flour. From this combination of milk and flour there results
a crisp coating which withholds those particular principles that the
fish exude while cooking.
When finished, fried fish are drained, dried, slightly salted,
and dished on a serviette or on paper, with a garnish of fried
parsley-sprays and sections of channelled lemon.
266—THE QUANTITY OF THE FRYING MEDIUM
This should always be in proportion to the quantity or size of the
objects to be fried, bearing in mind that these must always be entirely
submerged.
Without necessarily exaggerating, the quantity should invariably be
rather in excess of the requirements, and for this reason, viz., the
greater the amount of fat, the higher will be the temperature reached,
and the less need one fear a sudden cooling of the fat when the objects
to be treated are immersed. This sudden cooling is often the cause of
great trouble, unless one be working over a fire of such fierceness
that the fat can return in a few seconds to the temperature it was at
before the objects were immersed.
267—THE CARE OF THE FRYING MEDIUM
Every time a frying fat is used it should, after having been melted,
be strained through a towel, for the majority of objects which it has
served to cook must have left some particles behind them which might
prove prejudicial to the objects that are to follow.
Objects that are “_panés_” always leave some raspings, for instance,
which in time assume the form of black powder, while those that have
been treated with flour likewise drop some of their coating, which, in
accumulating, produces a muddy precipitate on the bottom of the utensil.
Not only do these foreign substances disturb the clearness of the fat
and render it liable to burn, but they are exceedingly detrimental to
the objects that are treated later.
Therefore, always strain the fat whenever it is used—in the first place
because the proper treatment of the objects demands it, and, secondly,
because its very existence as a serviceable medium depends upon this
measure.
268—GRATINS
This culinary operation plays a sufficiently important part in the work
to warrant my detailing at least its leading points.
The various kinds of the order “Gratins” are (1) the Complete Gratin;
(2) the Rapid Gratin; (3) the Light Gratin; (4) Glazing, which is a
form of Rapid Gratin.
269—COMPLETE GRATIN
This is the first example of the series; it is that whose preparation
is longest and most tiresome; for its principal constituent, whatever
this is, must be completely cooked. Its cooking must moreover be
coincident with the reduction of the sauce, which is the base of the
gratin, and with the formation of the gratin proper, _i.e._, the
crimped crust which forms on the surface and is the result of the
combination of the sauce with the raspings and the butter, under the
direct influence of the heat.
In the preparation of complete gratin, two things must be taken into
account:—(1) The nature and size of the object to be treated, and
(2) the degree of heat which must be used in order that the cooking of
the object, the reduction of the sauce, and the formation of the gratin
may be effected simultaneously.
The base of complete gratin is almost invariably ordinary or Lenten
duxelle sauce (No. 223), in accordance with the requirements.
The object to be treated with the gratin is laid on a buttered
dish, surrounded with slices of raw mushrooms and chopped shallots,
and covered with duxelle sauce. The surface is then sprinkled with
raspings, and copiously moistened with melted butter. Should the piece
be large, the amount of sauce used will be proportionately greater, and
the reverse, of course, applies to medium or smaller sizes.
Take note of the following remarks in the making of complete gratins:—
1. If too much sauce were used in proportion to the size of the object,
the latter would cook and the gratin form before the sauce could reach
the correct degree of consistence by means of reduction. Hence it
would be necessary to reduce the sauce still further on the stove, and
thereby give rise to steam which would soften the coating of the gratin.
2. If the sauce used were insufficient, it would be reduced before the
cooking of the object had been effected, and, more sauce having to be
added, the resulting gratin would be uneven.
3. The larger the piece, and consequently the longer it takes to cook,
the more moderate should be the heat used. Conversely, the smaller it
is, the fiercer should the fire be.
When withdrawing the gratin from the oven squeeze a few drops of
lemon-juice over it, and besprinkle it with chopped parsley.
270—RAPID GRATIN
Proceed as above, with duxelle sauce, but the products treated with
it, viz., meats, fish, or vegetables, are always cooked and warmed in
advance. All that is required, therefore, is to effect the formation of
the gratin as quickly as possible.
To do this, cover the object under treatment with the necessary
quantity of salt, besprinkle with raspings and butter, and set the
gratin to form in a fierce oven.
271—LIGHT GRATIN
This is proper to farinaceous products, such as macaroni, lazagnes,
noodles, gnocchi, &c., and consists of a combination of grated cheese,
raspings, and butter. In this case, again, the only end in view is the
formation of the _gratin_ coating, which must be evenly coloured, and
is the result of the cheese melting. A moderate heat is all that is
wanted for this kind of _gratin_.
Also considered as light _gratins_ are those which serve as the
complement of stuffed vegetables such as tomatoes, mushrooms,
egg-plant, and cucumber. With these the _gratin_ is composed of
raspings sprinkled with butter or oil, and it is placed in a more or
less fierce heat according to whether the vegetables have already been
cooked or partially cooked, or are quite raw.
272—GLAZINGS
These are of two kinds—they either consist of a heavily buttered sauce,
or they form from a sprinkling of cheese upon the sauce with which the
object to be glazed is covered.
In the first case, after having poured sauce over the object to be
treated, place the dish on another dish containing a little water.
This is to prevent the sauce decomposing and boiling. The greater the
quantity of butter used, the more intense will be the heat required, in
order that a slight golden film may form almost instantaneously.
In the second case, the sauce used is always a Mornay (No. 91). Cover
the object under treatment with the sauce, besprinkle with grated
cheese and melted butter, and place in fairly intense heat, so that a
slight golden crust may form almost immediately, this crust being the
result of the combined cheese and butter.
273—BLANCHINGS
The essentially unsuitable term blanchings is applied in the culinary
technology of France to three classes of operations which entirely
differ one from the other in the end they have in view.
1. The blanching of meats.
2. The blanching, or, better, the parboiling of certain vegetables.
3. The blanching of certain other vegetables, which in reality
amounts to a process of cooking.
_The blanching of meats_ obtains mostly in the case of calf’s head and
foot and the sweet-bread of veal, sheep’s and lambs’ trotters, and
lamb’s sweet-bread. These meats are first set to soak in cold, running
water until they have quite got rid of the blood with which they are
naturally saturated. They are then placed on the fire in a saucepan
containing enough cold water to abundantly cover them, and the water is
gradually brought to the boil.
For calf’s head or feet, boiling may last for fifteen or twenty
minutes; veal sweet-bread must not boil for more than ten or twelve
minutes; while lamb sweet-bread is withdrawn the moment the boil is
reached.
As soon as blanched, the meats are cooled in plenty of fresh water
before undergoing their final treatment.
_The blanching of cocks’ combs_ is exceptional in this, namely, that
after the combs have been cleansed of blood—that is to say, soaked in
cold water, they are placed on the fire in cold water, the temperature
of which must be carefully kept below 113° F. When this degree is
approached, take the saucepan off the fire and rub each comb with a
cloth, dusted with table-salt, in order to remove the skins; then cool
the combs with fresh water before cooking them.
Many people use the blanching process with meats intended for
“blanquette” or “fricassée.” I regard this procedure as quite
erroneous, as also the preliminary soaking in cold water.
If the meats or pieces of poultry intended for the above-mentioned
preparations be of a good quality (and no others should be used), they
need only be set to cook in cold water, or cold stock, and gradually
brought to the boil, being stirred repeatedly the while. The scum
formed should be carefully removed, and, in this way, perfectly white
meats and stock, with all their savour, are obtained.
As to meats or pieces of poultry of an inferior quality, no soaking
and no blanching can make good their defects. Whichever way they are
treated they remain dry, gray, and savourless. It is therefore simpler
and better to use only the finest quality goods.
An excellent proof of the futility of soaking and blanching meats
intended for “fricassées” and “blanquettes” lies in the fact that
these very meats, if of good quality, are always perfectly white when
they are braised, poëled, or roasted, notwithstanding the fact that
these three operations are less calculated to preserve their whiteness
than the kind of treatment they are subjected to in the case of
“blanquettes” and “fricassées.”
Mere routine alone can account for this practice of soaking and
blanching meats—a practice that is absolutely condemned by common sense.
The term “blanching” is wrongly applied to the cooking of green
vegetables, such as French beans, green peas, Brussels sprouts,
spinach, &c. The cooking of these, which is effected by means of
boiling salted water, ought really to be termed “à l’anglaise.” All the
details of the procedure, however, will be given when I deal with the
vegetables to which the latter apply.
Lastly, under the name of “blanching,” there exists another operation
which consists in partly cooking certain vegetables in plenty of water,
in order to rid them of any bitter or pungent flavour they may possess.
The time allowed for this blanching varies according to the age of the
vegetables, but when the latter are young and in season, it amounts to
little more than a mere scalding.
Blanching is chiefly resorted to for lettuce, chicory, endives,
celery, artichokes, cabbages, and the green vegetables; carrots,
turnips, and small onions when they are out of season. In respect of
vegetable-marrows, cucumbers, and chow-chow, blanching is often left to
the definite cooking process, which should then come under the head of
the “à l’anglaise” cooking.
After the process of blanching, the vegetables I have just enumerated
are always cooled—that is to say, steeped in cold water until they are
barely lukewarm. They are then left to drain on a sieve, previous to
undergoing the final cooking process to which they are best suited,
this generally being braising.
=6. Vegetables and Garnishes=
_Various Preparations._
274—THE TREATMENT OF DRY VEGETABLES
It is wrong to soak dry vegetables. If they are of good quality, and
the produce of the year, they need only be put into a saucepan with
enough cold water to completely cover them, and with one oz. of salt
per five quarts of water.
Set to boil gently, skim, add the aromatic garnish, quartered carrots,
onions, with or without garlic cloves, and a faggot, and set to cook
gently with lid on.
_Remarks._—If the vegetables used are old or inferior in quality, they
might be put to soak in soft water; but this only long enough to swell
them slightly, _i.e._, about one and one-half hours.
A prolonged soaking of dry vegetables may give rise to incipient
germination, and this, by impairing the principles of the vegetables,
depreciates the value of the food, and may even cause some harm to the
consumer.
275—BRAISED VEGETABLES
Vegetables to be braised must be first blanched, cooled, pared, and
strung.
Garnish the bottom of a saucepan with blanched pork-rind, sliced
carrots and onions, and a faggot, and cover the sides of the utensil
with thin slices of bacon. Lay the vegetables upon the prepared litter,
and leave them to sweat in the oven for about ten minutes with lid on.
The object of this oven-sweating is to expel the water. Now moisten
enough to cover with white stock, and set to cook gently.
This done, drain, remove string, and cut to the shape required. Lay
them in a sautépan, and, if they are to be served soon, cover them with
their reduced stock from which the grease has been removed.
If they are prepared in advance, simply put them aside in suitable
basins, cover them with their cooking-liquor, which should be strained
over them, boiling, and without its grease removed, and cover with
buttered paper.
=Adjuncts to Braised Vegetables=
According to the case, the adjunct is either the braising-liquor,
reduced and with all grease removed, or the same completed by means of
an addition of meat-glaze.
Occasionally, it may be the braising-liquor slightly thickened with
half-glaze and finished with butter and the juice of a lemon.
276—LEASON OF GREEN VEGETABLES WITH BUTTER
First thoroughly drain the vegetables and toss them over the fire for a
few minutes, in order to completely rid them of their moisture. Season
according to the kind of vegetable; add the butter away from the fire,
and slightly toss, rolling the saucepan meanwhile on the stove with the
view of effecting the leason by means of the mixing of the butter with
the treated vegetables.
277—LEASON OF VEGETABLES WITH CREAM
Vegetables to be treated in this way must be kept somewhat firm. After
having thoroughly drained them, put them into a saucepan with enough
boiling fresh cream to well moisten without covering them.
Finish their cooking process in the cream, stirring occasionally the
while.
When the cream is almost entirely reduced, finish, away from the fire,
with a little butter.
The leason may be slightly stiffened, if necessary, by means of a few
tablespoonfuls of cream sauce.
278—VEGETABLE CREAMS AND PURÉES
Purées of dry and farinaceous vegetables may be obtained by rubbing the
latter through a sieve.
Put the purée into a sautépan, and dry it over a brisk fire, adding one
and one-half oz. of butter per pint of purée; then add milk or cream in
small quantities at a time, until the purée has reached the required
degree of consistence.
For purées of aqueous vegetables, such as French beans, cauliflowers,
celery, &c., a quarter of their volume of mashed potatoes should be
added to them in order to effect their leason.
In the case of vegetable creams, substitute for the thickening of
mashed potatoes an equivalent quantity of succulent and stiff Béchamel
sauce.
279—GARNISHES
In cookery, although garnishes only play a minor part, they are,
nevertheless, very important, for, besides being the principal
accompaniments to dishes, they are very often the adornment thereof,
while it frequently happens that their harmonious arrangement
considerably helps to throw the beauty of a fine joint or bird into
relief.
A garnish may consist of one or more products. Be this as it may, its
name, as a rule, distinctly denotes, in a word, what it is and how it
is made.
In any case, it should always bear some relation to the piece it
accompanies, either in the constituents of its preparation or with
regard to the size of the piece constituting the dish.
I merely add that, since the constituents of garnishes are strictly
denoted by the name the latter bear, any addition of products foreign
to their nature would be a grave mistake. Likewise, the omission of any
constituent is to be avoided, as the garnish would thereby be out of
keeping with its specified character.
Only in very exceptional circumstances should any change of this kind
be allowed to take place.
The constituents of garnishes are supplied by vegetables, farinaceous
products, quenelles of all kinds, cocks’ combs and kidneys, truffles
and mushrooms, plain or stuffed olives, molluscs (mussels or oysters),
shell-fish (crayfish, shrimps, lobster, &c.), butcher’s supplies, such
as lamb’s sweet-bread, calf’s brains, and calf’s spine-marrow.
As a rule, garnishes are independent of the dish itself—that is to say,
they are prepared entirely apart. At other times they are mixed with
it, playing the double part of garnish and condimentary principle, as
in the case of Matelotes, Compotes, Civets, &c.
Vegetables for garnishing are fashioned and treated in accordance with
the use and shape implied by the name of the dish, which should always
be the operator’s guide in this respect.
The farinaceous ones, the molluscs and shell-fish, undergo the
customary preparation.
I have already described (Chapter X.) the preparation of quenelles and
forcemeats for garnishing. Other recipes which have the same purpose
will be treated in their respective order.
PART II
RECIPES AND MODES OF PROCEDURE
In Part I. of this work I treated of the general principles on
which the science of cookery is founded, and the leading operations
constituting the basis of the work.
In Part II. I shall proceed from the general to the particular—in other
words, I shall set forth the recipes of every dish I touch upon, its
method of preparation, and its constituent parts.
With the view of making reference as easy as possible, without
departing from a certain logical order, I have adopted the method of
classifying these recipes in accordance with the position the dishes
they represent hold in the ordinary menu, and thus, starting with
the hors-d’œuvres, I go straight on to the dessert. I was compelled,
however, to alter my plan in the case of eggs, which never appear on
the menu of a dinner save in Lent.
These I have therefore placed immediately after the hors-d’œuvres,
which, like eggs, should only be served at luncheons, for reasons I
shall explain later.
It will be seen that I have placed the Savouries before the Entremets,
instead of after the Ices, as is customary in England. My reason for
this apparent anomaly is that I consider it a positive gastronomical
heresy to eat fish, meats, fowl-remains, &c., after delicate Entremets
and Ices, the subtle flavour of the latter, which form such an
agreeable item in a dinner, being quite destroyed by the violent
seasoning of the former.
Moreover, the very pretext brought forward in support of this practice,
so erroneous from the gastronomical standpoint, namely, “that after
a good dinner it is necessary to serve something strange and highly
seasoned, in order to whet the diner’s thirst,” is its own condemnation.
For, if appetite is satiated and thirst is quenched, it follows that
the consumer has taken all that is necessary. Therefore, anything more
that he may be stimulated to take will only amount to excess, and
excess in gastronomy, as in everything else, is a fault that can find
no excuse.
At all events, I could agree to no more than the placing of the
Savouries before mild Entremets, and, even so, the former would have
to consist of light, dry preparations, very moderately seasoned, such
as Paillettes with Parmesan, various kinds of dry biscuits, and small
tartlets garnished with cheese _soufflé_.
In short, if I expressed my plain opinion on the matter, I should
advise the total suppression of Savouries in a dinner.