HORS-D’ŒUVRES
=General Remarks=
The preparations described hereafter all belong to the order of cold
hors-d’œuvres. I did not deem it necessary to touch upon the hot kind,
for, apart from the fact that these are very seldom served in England,
at least under the head of hors-d’œuvres, they are mostly to be found
either among the hot Entrées or the Savouries proper.
Generally speaking, hors-d’œuvres should only form part of a meal that
does not comprise soup, while the rule of serving them at luncheons
only ought to be looked upon as absolute.
It is true that restaurants à la carte deliberately deviate from this
rule, but it should be remembered, in their case, that, in addition
to the fact that “hors-d’œuvres de luxe,” such as caviare, oysters,
plovers’ and lapwings’ eggs, &c., are mostly in question, they also
find the use of hors-d’œuvres expedient if only as a means of whiling
away the customers’ time during the preparation of the various dishes
that may have been ordered.
Moreover, the hors-d’œuvres enumerated are not subject to the
same objection as those composed of fish, salads, and _marinaded_
vegetables. The use of cold hors-d’œuvres in these special cases is
thus, to a certain extent, justified, but it is nevertheless to be
regretted that an exception of this kind should degenerate into a
habit, and that it should be made to prevail under circumstances which,
in themselves, are insufficient warrant for the abuse.
In Russia it is customary to have a sideboard in a room adjoining
the dining-room, dressed with all kinds of special pastries, smoked
fish, and other products, and these the diners partake of, standing,
together with strong liqueurs, before taking their seats at the table.
The general name given to the items on the sideboard is “Zakouski.”
Caterers and hotel-keepers in different parts of the world, more
zealous than judicious, introduced the custom of the zakouski without
allowing for the differences of race, which are due, to some extent, to
the influence of climate; and at first, probably owing to everybody’s
enthusiasm for things Russian, the innovation enjoyed a certain vogue,
in spite of the fact that, in many cases, the dishes served resembled
the Zakouski in name alone, and consisted of cold and very ordinary
hors-d’œuvres, served at the dining-table itself.
At length the absurdity of investing such common things as
hors-d’œuvres with an exotic title began to be perceived, and nowadays
the occasions are rare when the Russian term is to be found on a menu;
nevertheless, the custom unfortunately survives.
For my own part, I regard cold hors-d’œuvres as quite unnecessary in a
dinner; I even consider them counter to the dictates of common sense,
and they are certainly prejudicial to the flavour of the soup that
follows.
At the most, caviare might be tolerated, the nutty taste of which,
when it is quite fresh, can but favourably impress the consumer’s
palate, as also certain fine oysters, provided they be served with
very dry Rhine wine or white Bordeaux. But I repeat that hors-d’œuvres
consisting of any kind of fish, salad, _marinaded_ vegetables, &c.,
should be strictly proscribed from the items of a dinner.
The custom of serving cold hors-d’œuvres at lunch is, on the contrary,
not only traditional, but indispensable, and their varied combinations,
thrown into relief by tasteful and proper arrangement, besides lending
a cheerful aspect to the table, beguile the consumer’s attention and
fancy from the very moment of his entering the dining-room. It has been
said, with reason, that soups should foretell the dominant note of the
whole dinner, and cold hors-d’œuvres should in the same way reveal that
of a luncheon.
Possibly it was with a sense of the importance of hors-d’œuvres, from
this standpoint, that their preparation was transferred from the
_office_ (the exclusive concern whereof used, formerly, to be the
hors-d’œuvres) to the kitchen.
The results of this change manifested themselves immediately in
prodigious variations and transformations of the hors-d’œuvres, both
in respect of their preparation and dishing-up, so much so, indeed,
that perhaps in no other department of culinary art has there been such
progress of recent years.
Their variety is infinite, and it would be impossible to compute, even
approximately, the number of combinations an ingenious artist could
effect in their preparation, seeing that the latter embraces almost
every possible use of every conceivable esculent product.
Well may it be said that a good hors-d’œuvrier is a man to be prized in
any kitchen, for, although his duties do not by any means rank first
in importance, they nevertheless demand in him who performs them the
possession of such qualities as are rarely found united in one person,
viz., reliable and experienced taste, originality, keen artistic sense,
and professional knowledge.
The hors-d’œuvrier should be able to produce something sightly and good
out of very little, and the beauty and attractiveness of a hors-d’œuvre
should depend to a much greater degree upon his work and the judicious
treatment of his material than upon the nature of the latter.
=Preparation for Hors-d’Œuvres=
280—BUTTERS AND CREAMS
The seasoning of butters for hors-d’œuvres is effected when dishing
them up. When prepared in advance, they ought to be placed in a bowl
and put aside somewhere in the cool, covered with a piece of clean
paper.
281—ANCHOVY BUTTER
Wash twelve or fifteen anchovies in cold water, and dry them
thoroughly. Remove the fillets from the bones, pound them smoothly with
four oz. of butter, rub the whole through a fine sieve, smooth it with
a spoon, and put it aside.
282—CAVIARE BUTTER
Pound three oz. of pressed caviare with four oz. of butter, and rub
through a fine sieve.
283—SHRIMP BUTTER
Pound four oz. of shrimps with four oz. of butter; rub through a fine
sieve first, then through muslin, after having softened the preparation.
This may also be made from the shelled tails of shrimps, which process,
though it is easier, does not yield a butter of such delicate taste as
the former.
284—CURRY BUTTER
Soften four oz. of butter in a bowl, and add thereto sufficient
curry-powder to ensure a decided taste. The exact quantity of curry
cannot be prescribed, since the quality of the latter entirely governs
its apportionment.
285—CRAYFISH BUTTER
Cook the crayfish with _mirepoix_, as for Bisque. Finely pound the
shells after having removed the tails, and add thereto four oz. of
butter per two oz.; rub through a fine sieve first, then through muslin.
N.B.—The whole crayfish may be pounded, but the tails are usually laid
aside with a view to supplying the garnish of the toasts for which the
butter is intended.
286—RED-HERRING BUTTER
Take the fillets of three red-herrings; remove the skins, and pound
finely with three oz. of butter. Rub through a fine sieve.
287—LOBSTER BUTTER
Pound four oz. of lobster trimmings and spawn, and a little of the
coral with four oz. of butter. Rub through a fine sieve.
288—MILT BUTTER
Poach four oz. of milt in a covered and buttered sauté-pan, with the
juice of half a lemon; pound in the mortar, and add to the preparation
its weight of butter and a teaspoonful of mustard. Rub through a fine
sieve.
289—MONTPELLIER BUTTER (GREEN BUTTER)
See Compound Butter for Sauces (No. 153).
290—HORSE-RADISH BUTTER
Grate two oz. of horse-radish and pound with four oz. of butter. Rub
through a fine sieve.
291—SMOKED SALMON BUTTER
Finely pound four oz. of smoked salmon with as much butter, and rub
through a fine sieve.
292—PAPRIKA BUTTER
Soften four oz. of butter in a bowl, and mix therewith a small
teaspoonful of paprika infused in a few drops of white wine or
consommé, with a view to strengthening the colour of the paprika.
293—PIMENTO BUTTER
Pound four oz. of preserved or freshly-cooked capsicum; add as much
butter thereto, and rub through a fine sieve.
294—CAVIARE CREAM
Pound four oz. of preserved caviare and add thereto, little by little,
two tablespoonfuls of fresh cream and two oz. of softened butter. Rub
through a fine sieve, and finish the preparation by an addition of
three tablespoonfuls of whisked cream.
N.B.—This cream and those that follow often take the place of the
butters in the preparation of hors-d’œuvres. The addition of previously
well-softened butter to these creams is necessary in order to make them
sufficiently consistent when they cool.
295—LOBSTER CREAM
Pound four oz. of lobster trimmings, spawn, and coral, and add thereto
three tablespoonfuls of fresh cream and two oz. of softened butter.
Rub through a sieve, and complete the preparation with whisked cream,
as above.
296—GAME CREAM
Pound four oz. of cold, cooked game-meat with three tablespoonfuls of
fresh cream and two oz. of softened butter. Rub through a sieve, and
finish the preparation with three tablespoonfuls of whisked cream.
297—SMOKED SALMON CREAM
Finely pound four oz. of smoked salmon, and add thereto, little by
little, three tablespoonfuls of fresh cream and two oz. of softened
butter. Rub the whole through a sieve, and finish with an addition of
three tablespoonfuls of whisked cream.
298—TUNNY CREAM
Finely pound four oz. of tunny in oil, and finish the cream similarly
to that of the Smoked Salmon.
299—CHICKEN CREAM
Finely pound four oz. of cold fowl (white parts only) and add thereto
two tablespoonfuls of fresh cream and two oz. of softened butter. Rub
through a sieve, and finish with three tablespoonfuls of whisked cream.
N.B.—This cream ought to be made and seasoned with salt immediately
before being served.
299a—MUSTARD SAUCE WITH CREAM
Put three tablespoonfuls of mustard in a bowl with a little salt,
pepper, and a few drops of lemon-juice. Mix the whole and add, little
by little, the necessary quantity of very fresh cream.
HORS-D’ŒUVRES
300—ANCHOVY ALLUMETTES
Roll some puff-paste trimmings into rectangular strips two and one-half
inches wide and one-eighth inch thick. Spread thereon a thin coating of
fish stuffing, finished with anchovy butter; lay the anchovy fillets,
prepared beforehand, lengthwise on this stuffing, and cut into pieces
about one inch wide. Place the pieces on a baking-tray, and set to bake
in the oven for twelve minutes.
301—ANCHOVY FILLETS
Cut each halved anchovy, which should have been previously _marinaded_
in oil, into two or three little fillets. Place them across each
other in a hors-d’œuvre dish, after the manner of a lattice; garnish
with chopped parsley and the chopped white and yolk of a hard-boiled
egg, alternating the colours. Put a few capers on the fillets, and
besprinkle moderately with oil. Anchovy fillets may also be served on a
salad of _ciseled_ lettuce, for the sake of variety.
302—FRESH MARINADED ANCHOVIES
Take a few live anchovies, cleanse them, and put them in salt for two
hours. This done, plunge them in smoking oil, where they may remain
only just long enough to stiffen. Drain, place them in a moderately
acid _marinade_, and serve on a hors-d’œuvre dish with a little
_marinade_.
303—ROLLED ANCHOVIES
Turn some fine olives and stuff them with anchovy butter; when quite
cold, encircle them with a ring of anchovy fillet, kept whole.
304—ANCHOVY MEDALLIONS
Cut into discs, about the size of half-a-crown, potatoes boiled in
water or baked beetroot. Cover their edges with fine anchovy fillets
_marinaded_ in oil, and garnish their centres either with caviare,
chopped hard-boiled egg, or milt purée, &c.
305—ANCHOVY PAUPIETTES
Prepare some thick slices of _blanched_ and _marinaded_ cucumber, about
the size of half-crowns, and hollow their centres slightly. Place
rings composed of the fillets of anchovies in oil upon these slices,
and fill up their centres with tunny cream or the cream of any fish or
shell-fish.
306—ANCHOVY WITH PIMENTOS
Prepare some anchovy fillets in oil, and place them across each other
in a lattice, using fillets of pimento alternately with those of the
anchovies. Garnish in the same way as for anchovy fillets, _i.e._, with
the chopped white and yolk of a hard-boiled egg, and chopped parsley.
307—NORWEGIAN ANCHOVIES OR KILKIS
These are found ready-prepared on the market. Place them on a
hors-d’œuvre dish with some of their liquor, and without any garnish.
308—SMOKED EEL
Serve it plain, cut into fillets.
309—EEL WITH WHITE WINE AND PAPRIKA
Divide the eel into lengths of three and one-half inches; poach these
in exactly the same way as for _matelote_, but with white wine and
paprika seasoning. Let them cool in their cooking-liquor; cut the
pieces lengthwise into large fillets, and cover them with the liquor
after all grease has been removed therefrom and it has been clarified
and cleared.
310—EEL AU VERT
Stew in butter two oz. of sorrel, one-quarter oz. of parsley, as much
chervil, a few tarragon leaves, a little fresh pimpernel, two oz. of
tender nettle, one-quarter oz. of savory, a sprig of green thyme, and a
few sage-leaves, all of which must be _ciseled_. Remove the skins from
two lbs. of small eels, suppress the heads, and cut into pieces two
inches long. Put these pieces with the herbs, stiffen them well, and
add one pint of white wine and a little salt and pepper. Set to cook
for ten minutes, thicken with the yolks of four eggs and a few drops of
lemon-juice, and leave to cool in a bowl. This preparation of eel is
served very cold.
311—EEL AU VERT A LA FLAMANDE
Remove the skin from, and cut into small pieces, two lbs. of small
eels. Stiffen the pieces in butter, moisten with one pint of beer,
season, and set to cook for ten minutes. Add the herbs enumerated
above, raw and roughly chopped. Once more set to cook for seven or
eight minutes, thicken with fecula if the sauce is too thin, and
transfer the whole to a bowl to cool. Serve very cold.
312—ARTICHOKES A LA GRECQUE
Take some very small and tender artichokes. Pare them, cut the leaves
short, and plunge them into a large saucepan of acidulated water. Set
to parboil for eight or ten minutes, drain, cool in fresh water, and
drain once more in a sieve.
For twenty artichokes prepare the following liquor:—one pint of water,
one-quarter pint of oil, a little salt, the juice of three lemons, a
few fennel and coriander seeds, some peppercorns, a sprig of thyme, and
a bay-leaf. Set to boil, add the parboiled artichokes, and leave to
cook for twenty minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Serve these artichokes very cold upon a hors-d’œuvre dish, accompanied
by a few tablespoonfuls of their cooking-liquor.
313—SMALL ARTICHOKE-BOTTOMS
Remove the leaves and the hearts of some little artichokes; trim their
remaining bases, and plunge each as soon as trimmed into acidulated
water lest they blacken. Cook them “au blanc” (No. 167), and leave them
to cool in their liquor.
Drain them well, dry them, place them in a pan, and _marinade_ them for
twenty minutes in oil and lemon-juice. This done, garnish them, either
with a _salpicon_ thickened with mayonnaise, a milt or other purée, a
small _macédoine_, or a vegetable salad, &c. Place on a hors-d’œuvre
dish with a garnish of parsley sprays.
314—BARQUETTES
These are a kind of small Croustades with indented edges, made in very
small, boat-shaped moulds, and they may be garnished in any conceivable
way.
As their preparation is the same as that of Tartlets, see the latter
(No. 387); also refer to “Frivolities” (No. 350).
315—SMOKED HAMBURG BEEF
Cut it into very thin slices; divide these up into triangles, and roll
the latter into the shape of cones. The slices may also be served flat.
Dish up at the last moment, and serve very cold.
316—CANAPÉS AND TOAST
In the matter of hors-d’œuvres, the two above names have the same
meaning. The preparation consists of small slices of the crumb of
bread, about one-quarter inch thick, slightly toasted and with a
garnish on one of their sides. The garnish is subject to the taste
of the consumer, the resources at the disposal of the cook, or the
latter’s fancy, which may here be fully indulged.
But the garnish, par excellence, for Canapés or Toast, is fresh butter
combined with a fine mince of white roast chicken-meat, the meat of
shell-fish or fish, or cheese, &c., as I pointed out above under the
butters for hors-d’œuvres.
Whatever be the garnish of Canapés or Toast, and even when it would
be unreasonable to let butter form a part of it, as, for example, in
the case of _marinaded_ fish, anchovies, filleted herring, &c., it is
always best to put plenty of butter on the pieces of toast while they
are still hot, with the view of keeping them soft.
When the garnish consists of a purée, _i.e._, a compound butter, I
should advise the use of a piping-bag fitted with a grooved pipe, for
laying the preparation upon the toast. This method is both clean and
expeditious, and lends itself to any fanciful arrangement which the
varying shape of the toast may suggest.
The principal shapes given to the toast are as follows: round, square,
rectangular, oval, triangular, crescented, star-like, crossed, &c.
They should never exceed one and one-half inches in diameter, and a
corresponding size in the other shapes.
I shall only indicate here a few kinds of specially garnished toast,
and leave the thousand and one other kinds for the operator himself to
discover.
317—ANCHOVY TOAST
Make the pieces of toast oval. Cover with anchovy butter, and place
thereon, lattice-wise, some fillets of anchovy cut to the length of
the toast. Garnish the pieces of toast all round with the separately
chopped whites and yolks of hard-boiled eggs, alternating the colours.
318—CAVIARE TOAST
Make the pieces of toast round; cover with caviare butter; garnish
the edges with a thread of softened butter, laid on by means of a
piping-bag fitted with a grooved pipe. Put fresh caviare in the centre.
319—SHRIMP TOAST
Make the pieces of toast round; cover with shrimp butter, and garnish
by means of a border composed of shelled shrimps’ tails with a caper in
the centre.
320—CITY TOAST
Make the pieces of toast round, and cover with a thick coating of
the following preparation, viz.:—Four oz. of fresh butter, softened;
two oz. of fresh Gruyère and two oz. of Parmesan, both grated; a
dessertspoonful of cream, and a little salt and cayenne. Cover this
preparation with two half-discs, which when juxtaposed are equal in
circumference to the round of the toast. The half-discs should be cut
respectively from a Lyons sausage and a Gruyère cheese; both should be
thin, and equal in thickness.
321—DANISH TOAST
Prepare some slices of brown bread, equal in thickness to the toast;
but only heat, do not grill them. Spread some horse-radish butter over
them, and cover with alternate strips of smoked salmon, caviare, and
filleted herrings _marinaded_ in white wine. Now stamp the garnished
slices with a sharp fancy-cutter, the shape of which is optional.
322—CRAYFISH TOAST
Make the pieces of toast crescented; cover with crayfish butter,
deck the edges with a string of softened butter, and garnish with a
crayfish’s tail, cut into two lengthwise. The two halves of the tail
should be placed in the middle of each crescent, close together and
with their thickest side innermost.
323—TONGUE TOAST
Prepare some slices of crumb of bread, equal in thickness, and
toast them. Now garnish with a coating, half as thick as the slices
themselves, of mustard butter. Cover the butter with thin slices of
very red, salted tongue, and let the butter harden.
Stamp out the pieces of toast with a star-shaped fancy-cutter, which
should be dipped from time to time in boiling water in order to
facilitate the operation. Finally, make a rosette of mustard butter in
the middle of each piece of toast.
324—LUCILE TOAST
Make the pieces of toast oval, cover with mustard butter, and border
their edges with a line of finely chopped and very red tongue. Garnish
the middle of each with chopped white chicken-meat, and in the centre
drop a pinch of chopped truffle.
325—VARIOUS CAROLINES
These are very small éclairs of _pâte à choux_ without sugar. When
quite cold, garnish them inside with a purée, either of tongue, fowl,
game, or foie gras, &c., then coat them thinly with a chaud-froid sauce
in keeping with the purée forming the inside garnish.
When the sauce has cooled, glaze it, by means of a brush, with a little
cold melted jelly, with a view to making it glossy.
N.B.—Carolines are also used as a garnish for certain cold
preparations, aspics, &c.
326—CAVIARE AND BLINIS
Caviare is undoubtedly the richest and most delicate of hors-d’œuvres,
granted, of course, that it be of good quality and consist of large,
light-coloured, and transparent particles. Its price is always high,
owing to the difficulty attending its importation. It is served very
simply, either in a silver timbale or in its original receptacle,
surrounded with ice, and accompanied by a dish of Blinis, whereof the
preparation is as follows:—
Make a thin paste with one oz. of yeast and one lb. of sifted flour
diluted with one pint of lukewarm milk. Leave this paste to ferment for
two hours in a lukewarm atmosphere, and then add thereto one-half lb.
of flour, the yolks of four eggs, a pinch of salt, one-half pint of
tepid milk; mix the whole without letting it acquire any body, and
finally add the whites of four eggs, whisked. Let the preparation
ferment for half an hour, and, when about to serve, cook the Blinis
quickly, after the manner of pancakes, in special little omelet-pans.
Dish them up very hot on a napkin.
Failing fresh caviare, the pressed and salted kind may also be used
for hors-d’œuvres. Some cooks serve finely-chopped onions with fresh
caviare, but a worse practice could not be imagined. Fresh caviare, the
flavour of which is perfect, does not need any supplementary condiment.
327—CELERY “A LA BONNE-FEMME”
Take equal quantities of very tender celery sticks and peeled,
quartered and cored russet apples. Finely mince the celery and apples,
season with a mustard-and-cream sauce, and place on a hors-d’œuvre dish.
328—CELERY A LA GRECQUE
Select a few hearts of celery, very equal; trim, wash, and parboil
them in acidulated water, as directed under “artichokes à la Grecque.”
Prepare the cooking-liquor from the same ingredients, using the same
quantities thereof, and cook similarly.
Serve very cold on a crystal hors-d’œuvre dish with a portion of the
cooking-liquor.
329—CELERIAC
Quarter, peel, and cut the vegetable in _julienne_ fashion. Prepare the
seasoning with mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar; add the _julienne_
of Celeriac and mix thoroughly. When the roots are quite soft, a
seasoning consisting of mustard-and-cream sauce is preferable.
329a—MARINADED CÈPES
Select some very small and fresh _cèpes_. Parboil them for eight
minutes, drain and cool them, put them into a basin, and cover them
with the boiling _marinade_ after having passed the latter through a
strainer.
_Marinade for Two lbs. of Cèpes._—Put into a saucepan one pint of
vinegar, one-third pint of oil, a crushed clove of garlic, a fragment
of bay, and a little thyme, six peppercorns, a pinch of coriander, a
few fennel leaves, and a small root of parsley. Set to boil for five
minutes. Leave the mushrooms to _marinade_ for five or six hours before
using them.
329b—CHERRIES A L’ALLEMANDE
Take five lbs. of Morella cherries, put them into a bottle, as in the
case of cherry brandy, and add thereto three cloves, a fragment of
cinnamon, some grated nutmeg, and a sprig of tarragon. Pour over the
cherries two quarts of vinegar, boiled with one-half lb. of brown sugar
and properly cooled. Cork the bottle, and leave the fruit to macerate
for a fortnight.
329c—BRAINS A LA ROBERT
Cook well-cleansed sheep’s or lamb’s brains in _court-bouillon_, and
cool. Divide them up into thin and regular slices, and place them on a
hors-d’œuvre dish. Rub the brain remains through a fine sieve, combine
the resulting purée with a mustard-and-cream sauce, and add thereto a
fine _julienne_ of the white part only of celery.
Cover the slices of brain with the sauce.
329d—CUCUMBER A LA DANOISE
Cut the cucumber to the shape of small _cassolettes_ or _barquettes_,
_blanch_ and _marinade_ them.
Garnish with a preparation composed of a purée of salmon mixed with
fillets of herring and chopped, hard-boiled eggs in equal quantities.
Sprinkle a little chopped horse-radish over the garnish.
330—STUFFED CUCUMBERS
Prepare them as above, in the shape of small _barquettes_ or
_cassolettes_. Cook them, at the same time keeping them firm;
_marinade_ them for twenty minutes, when they are quite cold, in oil
and vinegar, and garnish them, by means of a piping-bag, either with
a thick purée, some mince-meat thickened with mayonnaise, or a small
vegetable _macédoine_, &c.
331—CUCUMBER SALAD
Carefully peel the cucumbers, cut them into two lengthwise, remove
their seeds, and mince finely. Place them in a bowl, sprinkle with
table-salt, and leave them to exude their vegetable moisture for
twenty-five minutes. This done, drain them, press them in a towel,
season with pepper, oil, and vinegar, and add some chopped chervil.
332—CUCUMBER AND PIMENTO SALAD
Select some very fresh, medium-sized cucumbers, peel them, and cut them
into pieces two inches in length. Cut these pieces spirally, beginning
at their peripheries and working towards their centres; then cut them
diametrally, so as to produce curved strips of the vegetable. Add an
equal quantity of pimentos cut into strips, and season as in the case
of cucumber salad.
333—YORK CONES
Cut slices from a York ham as thinly as possible, and trim them to the
shape of triangles. Roll the triangles into cones, and garnish their
insides (by means of a piping-bag fitted with a grooved pipe) with any
butter or cream. (See Nos. 280 to 299.)
334—TONGUE CONES
Proceed as for York Cones.
335—MOULDED CREAMS
Prepare a hors-d’œuvre cream in accordance with any one of the recipes
(Nos. 294 to 299). Put this cream into very small, slightly-oiled, and
ornamented moulds, and leave it to set in the cool or on ice. Empty
the moulds, at the moment of dishing up, either directly upon a dish,
on tartlets garnished with a purée in keeping with the cream, or on
toast. With these moulded creams, endless varieties of delicate and
recommendable little hors-d’œuvres may be prepared, while in their
preparation the moulds used in pastry for “petits fours” may serve a
useful purpose.
336—SHRIMPS AND PRAWNS
Get these very fresh and serve them on boat-shaped hors-d’œuvre dishes,
arranging them so that they overlap one another. Either garnish the
middle of the dishes with curled-leaf parsley, or lay the crustacean
directly upon parsley.
337—DUCHESSES
This hors-d’œuvre is almost equivalent to the Carolines (No. 325),
except that the shape of the Duchesses is that of little _choux_, about
the size of a pigeon’s egg, and that, as a rule, they are merely glazed
with some melted jelly, and not covered with a chaud-froid sauce.
Sprinkle them with chopped pistachios, and serve them very cold on
ornamented dish-papers.
338—NANTUA DUCHESSES
Stuff the little _choux_, referred to above, with crayfish purée, and
sprinkle them, again and again, with cold, melted jelly, in order to
cover them with a transparent film.
339—DUCHESSES A LA REINE
Stuff the little _choux_ with a purée of fowl with cream. Glaze with
jelly, as above, and sprinkle some very black, finely-chopped truffles
over the jelly.
340—DUCHESSES A LA SULTANE
Stuff the little _choux_ with a purée of fowl, completed with pistachio
butter. Glaze with jelly, and sprinkle a little chopped pistachio upon
each little _chou_.
341—CAVIARE DUCHESSES
Stuff with fresh caviare or caviare cream. Glaze with jelly and serve
iced.
342—SMOKED-SALMON DUCHESSES
Stuff the little _choux_ with a purée of smoked salmon and butter, and
glaze them with a maigre jelly.
343—NORWEGIAN DUCHESSES
Stuff the _choux_ with a purée of Kilkis and butter, and glaze with
jelly.
344—KAROLY ECLAIRS
These are little éclairs stuffed with a purée made from the entrails of
woodcock with champagne. The purée is buttered and slightly seasoned.
Cover the éclairs with a brown chaud-froid sauce, mask them with game
jelly, and serve them, iced, on ornamented dish-papers.
345—CRAYFISH EN BUISSON
Prepare them in accordance with the recipes “à la nage” or “à la
marinière,” and serve them very cold.
346—MARINADED SMELTS
Fry some well-dried and floured smelts in oil; as soon as this is done,
put them in a deep dish or a bowl. Add to the oil, per pint (which
quantity should be allowed for every two lbs. of the fish), eight
unpeeled garlic-cloves, an onion, and a carrot cut into thin, round
slices, all of which vegetables should be slightly fried. Drain off
the oil, moisten with one-quarter pint of vinegar and as much water,
and season with a little salt, two small pimentos, a small bay-leaf,
a sprig of thyme, and a few parsley stalks. Dip the smelts for twelve
minutes in this _marinade_, and transfer them to the dish, where they
may be left to _marinade_ for twenty-four hours.
Serve very cold with a portion of the _marinade_.
347—FENNEL A LA GRECQUE
Same process as for artichokes and celery à la Grecque.
348—FRESH FIGS
Place them on a layer of very green leaves, and surround them with
broken ice.
349—FOIE GRAS
If in the form of a sausage, cut it into thin slices. If potted, shape
it into little shells, after the manner in which butter is sometimes
served, only a little smaller. In all cases serve it iced, and as soon
as it is ready.
350—FRIVOLITIES
I adopted the above term for those small, light, and elegant little
preparations, the radical types whereof are _barquettes_ and tartlets,
which often take the place of hors-d’œuvres on a menu. The term seems
plain, clear, and explicit, and no other could denote more happily this
series of trifles which constitute mere gewgaws of the dining-table.
351—FROGS OR NYMPHS A L’AURORE
For various reasons, I thought it best, in the past, to substitute the
mythological name “Nymphs” for the more vulgar term “Frogs” on menus,
and the former has been universally adopted, more particularly in
reference to the following “Chaud-froid à l’Aurore”:—
Poach the frogs’ legs in an excellent white-wine _court-bouillon_. When
cooled, trim them properly, dry them thoroughly in a piece of fine
linen, and steep them, one after the other, in a chaud-froid sauce
of fish with paprika, the tint of which should be golden. This done,
arrange the treated legs on a layer of champagne jelly, which should
have set beforehand on the bottom of a square, silver dish or crystal
bowl. Now lay some chervil _pluches_ and tarragon leaves between the
legs in imitation of water-grasses, and cover the whole with champagne
jelly to counterfeit the effect of water.
Send the dish to the table, set in a block of ice, fashioned as fancy
may suggest.
352—SALAD OF FILLETED SALTED HERRINGS
Remove the fillets whole; take off the skins; set to soak and then trim
them. Dish, and cover them with the following sauce:—Add the purée of
eight soft roes, moistened with two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, to four
tablespoonfuls of mayonnaise. Season with onion, parsley, chervil,
chives, and tarragon, all finely chopped; flavour moderately with
cayenne.
353—FRESH HERRINGS MARINADED IN WHITE WINE
For twelve herrings, put one pint of white wine into a saucepan, with
one-quarter pint of vinegar, an onion cut into thin slices, half a
carrot cut into grooved roundels, a faggot, the necessary salt, and a
few peppercorns. Set to boil gently for twenty minutes.
Place the cleaned herrings in a sauté-pan, pour the boiling _marinade_
upon them, and let them poach for fifteen minutes.
Serve them very cold with the _marinade_, the roundels of carrot, and
thin strips of onion.
354—LUCAS HERRINGS
Raise the fillets from fine salted herrings, soak them first in cold
water, and then in milk for an hour.
Prepare a sauce as follows:—Beat up the yolks of two eggs in a bowl
with salt and pepper and one tablespoonful of mustard; add five
tablespoonfuls of oil and two of vinegar, proceeding as in the case
of mayonnaise, and complete with shallots and one dessertspoonful of
chopped chervil and gherkins. Season with cayenne, immerse the drained
and dried fillets of herrings in this sauce, and send them to the table
on a hors-d’œuvre dish.
355—HERRINGS A LA LIVONIENNE
Take some fine salted herrings’ fillets, clean them, and cut them into
dice. Place these in a bowl, and add thereto, in equal quantities,
some cold, boiled potatoes and russet apples cut into dice, parsley,
chervil, and chopped fennel and tarragon. Season with oil and vinegar,
salt and pepper; make the preparation into shapes resembling herrings,
and place the heads and tails, which should have been put aside for the
purpose, at each extremity of every supposed herring.
356—HERRINGS A LA RUSSE
Cut some fine, cleaned fillets of salted herrings into thin slices.
Dish up, and alternate the rows of sliced fillets with rows of sliced,
cold, boiled potatoes. Season with oil and vinegar, and finish up with
chopped chervil, fennel, tarragon, and shallots.
357—HERRINGS WITH FRENCH BEANS
These hors-d’œuvres can only be served at their best in the months
of September and October, when the first shoals of herrings begin to
appear. Dutch fishermen know of a means of salting and _marinading_
this fish, which greatly increases its value, and it is not unusual
to pay as much as two or three shillings for one in the early part
of the season. They can only be kept a few days, but they form an
excellent dish, and their flavour is exquisite. Before serving them, it
is only needful to skin them, whereupon they may be dished up with a
little chopped parsley. Send a bowl of French beans to the table with
them, the vegetables having been freshly cooked, kept somewhat firm,
buttered, and not cooled. Some cooks serve the beans cold, in the form
of a salad, but as a rule they are preferred hot with butter, while the
herrings should be very cold.
358—OYSTERS
The best oysters to be had are those of Whitstable, Colchester,
Burnham, and Zeeland. The green, French Marennes, which might equal the
above, are not favoured by everyone on account of their colour. Ostend
oysters are also excellent, but they are neither as delicate nor as
fleshy as the English ones.
Oysters are the dish par excellence; their delicacy satisfies the most
fastidious of epicures, and they are so easily digested that the most
delicate invalid can partake of them freely. With the exception of
caviare, they are the only hors-d’œuvres which should ever appear on
the menu of a well-ordered dinner.
Oysters ought to be served very cold; hence the prevailing custom of
dishing them on ice. In England they are served plain on the flat half
of the shell, whereas in France and elsewhere they are left in the
hollow half, which is better calculated to retain the natural liquor
of the oyster, held in high esteem by many. Send some slices of brown
bread and butter to the table with the oysters.
The various methods of treating oysters will be given hereafter in the
chapter dealing with fish. I have given them merely because consumers
and caterers alike may wish to have them; but the real and best way of
serving oysters is to send them to the table raw.
359—ARDENNES HAM
This is served like smoked breast of goose, cut, raw, into thin and
even slices.
360—CANTALOUP MELON
Melon makes an excellent hors-d’œuvre for summer luncheons. It should
be just ripe, and have a nice perfume. Serve it as fresh as possible.
361—ENGLISH MELONS
The English variety of melons is inferior in quality to the French.
Their shape is oval, their peel is yellow, thin, and smooth, and their
pulp, which is white, more nearly resembles the water-melon than the
melon in flavour.
362—MELON WITH PORT, MARSALA, OR SHERRY, &c.
Select a Cantaloup or other melon of the same kind as the former, and
let it be just ripe. Make a round incision about the stalk, three
inches in diameter; withdraw the plug thus cut, and through the
resulting hole thoroughly remove all the pips by means of a silver
spoon.
Now pour one-half pint of best Port, Marsala, or Sherry into the
melon, replace the plug, and keep the melon for two or three hours in
a cooler surrounded by broken ice. Do not cut the melon into slices
when serving it. It should be taken to the table, whole, and then the
piece containing the stalk is withdrawn and the fruit is cut into
shell-like slices with a silver spoon, and served with a little of the
accompanying wine upon iced plates.
363—VARIOUS MELONS
France produces a large variety of melons, of which the principal kinds
are the Sucrins of Tours, the St. Laud melon, the black melons of the
Carmes, &c. They are all excellent, and are served like the Cantaloups.
364—NATIVES WITH CAVIARE
This is a typically luxurious hors-d’œuvre. Cook some little tartlet
crusts for hors-d’œuvre (No. 387). When about to dish up, garnish
these with a tablespoonful of fine, fresh caviare; make a hollow in
the latter and place therein a fine Whitstable oyster (cleared of
its beard), seasoned with a little powdered pepper and a drop of
lemon-juice.
365—SMOKED BREAST OF GOOSE
Cut it into the thinnest possible slices, and garnish with very green
parsley.
366—PLAIN OLIVES
Olives of all kinds are suitable for hors-d’œuvres, and they are served
plain. Three or four varieties are known, all of which are excellent,
provided they be fleshy, firm, very green, and moderately salted.
367—STUFFED OLIVES
For this purpose, select large Spanish olives and stone them, either
by cutting them spirally, or by means of a special machine. In the
place of the stone, put one of the butters or creams for hors-d’œuvres
(Nos. 280 to 299). Before serving these olives, it is well to let them
rest awhile in a moderately warm atmosphere. For, since stuffed olives
are generally kept in the cool, immersed in oil with which they become
thoroughly saturated, it follows that the moment they are put into
contact with a slightly higher temperature they will exude that oil.
Wherefore, if the above precaution were not observed, by the time the
olives reached the table they would, more often than not, be swimming
in oil, when they would be neither nice nor appetising.
368—PLAIN LAPWINGS’ AND PLOVERS’ EGGS
Though the lapwing and the plover are different in respect of their
plumage, they are, nevertheless, birds of similar habits and haunts,
and their eggs are remarkably alike. The latter, which are a little
larger than pigeons’ eggs, have a light-green shell covered with black
spots.
When cooked, the albuminous portions acquire a milky colour, and never
assume the solidity of the whites of other eggs.
When served as a hors-d’œuvre, these eggs are always boiled hard. Put
them in a saucepan of cold water, and leave them to cook for eight
minutes after the boil is reached. Cool them, shell their pointed ends,
and serve them in a nest composed of watercress or curled-leaf parsley.
N.B.—Test the freshness of the eggs before boiling them by plunging
them in a bowl of cold water. If they float, their freshness is
doubtful, and they should be discarded.
369—LAPWINGS’ EGGS IN ASPIC
Decorate a border-mould according to taste, and let a thin coating of
very clear aspic jelly set on the bottom of the utensil. Besprinkle the
articles used in decorating with a few drops of melted jelly, in order
to keep them from shifting; then cover them with a few tablespoonfuls
of jelly, and let it set. On this coating of jelly arrange the shelled,
hard-boiled lapwings’ eggs with their points downwards, so that they
may appear upright when the aspic is withdrawn from the mould. Fill up
the mould by means of successive layers of melted jelly.
When about to serve, dip the mould into hot water; quickly wipe it, and
then turn the aspic out on to a folded napkin lying on a dish.
370—LAPWINGS’ EGGS A LA MODERNE
Boil the eggs soft; mould them in _dariole-moulds_, coated with
jelly, and garnished in _Chartreuse_ fashion. Heap a vegetable-salad,
thickened with mayonnaise, in the middle of the dish, and place the
eggs removed from their moulds all round.
371—LAPWINGS’ EGGS A LA CHRISTIANA
Cook the eggs as above; shell them; slice a piece off their thicker
ends to make them stand, and arrange them on a dish, placing them upon
little tartlet-crusts, garnished with a foie-gras purée.
For twelve eggs put two tablespoonfuls of foie-gras purée in a small
saucepan; add thereto one tablespoonful of chopped truffles and as much
melted jelly, the latter with a view to making the preparation more
liquid. Take some of this preparation in a tablespoon and pour it over
the eggs, taking care that each of these gets well covered with it.
Let the coating set in the cool, and dish up the tartlets on a napkin,
arranging them in the form of a circle with curled-leaf parsley as a
centre-garnish.
372—LAPWINGS’ EGGS A LA MOSCOVITE
Boil the eggs hard; cool and shell them. Prepare as many tartlet-crusts
as there are eggs. When dishing up, garnish the tartlets with a
coffeespoonful of caviare, and place one egg in the middle of each.
373—VARIOUS HARD-BOILED EGGS
With hard-boiled eggs for base, a large number of hors-d’œuvres may be
made. I shall limit myself to a few only, which, by means of a small
change in their form, garnish, or ornamentation, may be varied at will:—
_Egg Discs._—Cut the eggs laterally into roundels one-third inch
in thickness, and discard the two end-pieces of each egg, in order
that the shapes may be almost uniform, and that the yolks may appear
about the same size throughout. In the centre of each roundel make a
little rosette of butter, by means of a small, grooved pipe. Different
butters, such as the Shrimp, Montpellier, Caviare, and other kinds, may
be used with the view of varying the colours.
_Halved, Stuffed Eggs._—Take some very small, hard-boiled eggs; cut
them into two, lengthwise; remove the yolks, and trim the oval hollow
of each of the remaining whites to the shape of an oblong, the edges of
which may then be indented.
_Garnish_, either with a purée of tunny, salmon, milt, &c., or a
hash or _salpicon_ of lobster, shrimp, &c., thickened by means of
a mayonnaise with jelly, or a fine _macédoine_ of vegetables with
mayonnaise, or a purée composed of the withdrawn yolks combined with a
little butter, some cold Béchamel sauce, and herbs.
_Quartered, Stuffed Eggs._—The simplest way of doing this is to proceed
as above; to stuff the halved white with a buttered purée, or a purée
mixed with jelly, to leave the stuffing to set, and then to cut the
halves in two.
_Salad of Eggs._—With alternate rows of sliced eggs and either
tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, or beetroot, and a salad-seasoning
composed of oil and vinegar or cream, a dozen different salads may be
prepared, each of which constitutes an excellent hors-d’œuvre.
374—LARK PÂTE
For this hors-d’œuvre use the ready-made pâte, which is obtained either
in pots or crusts. Thoroughly set it by means of ice; turn it out of
its receptacle, cut it into very small and thin slices, and arrange
them on a hors-d’œuvre dish with a little broken jelly in the middle.
375—MILD, GRILLED CAPSICUM
Grill the capsicum on a moderate fire until the skins are so scorched
as to be easily removed.
Now cut them up _julienne-fashion_, and season with oil and vinegar.
376—RADISHES
In the preparation of hors-d’œuvres by the kitchen, radishes are
used chiefly as a garnish. When they constitute a hors-d’œuvre of
themselves, their preparation is relegated to the pantry.
They are used especially in imitating the pendulous flowers of the
fuchsia; sometimes, too, they are sliced and placed on cut cucumber to
form a dish-border; but their uses in garnishing are as numerous as
they are various.
377—AMERICAN RELISHES
These consist of divers kinds of fruit and of small onions and
gherkins, prepared with vinegar, seasoned with sugar and cinnamon, and
flavoured with cayenne.
They resemble what the Italians call “Aceto-dolce.” This hors-d’œuvre
is accompanied by special cinnamon biscuits, and remains on the table
throughout the meal.
378—RILLETTES AND RILLONS
Both these preparations, which belong to the province of the
pork-butcher, may be found on the market.
The rillettes are served in their pots, and are always sent to the
table very cold.
379—RED MULLET A L’ORIENTALE
Select small ones, as far as possible. Place them in an oiled pan, and
add peeled and _concassed_ tomatoes, parsley-root, fennel, thyme, bay,
a little garlic, peppercorns, coriander, and saffron, the latter being
the dominating ingredient.
Cover the whole with white wine; salt moderately, set to boil, and then
leave to poach on the side of the fire for twelve or eighteen minutes,
in accordance with the size of the mullet.
Leave the fish to cool in their cooking-liquor, and serve them with a
little of the latter and a few slices of peeled lemon.
380—SARDINES
The various kinds of sardines for hors-d’œuvres may be found on the
market.
381—SALADS
Salads for hors-d’œuvres may consist of an endless diversity of
products, and their preparation varies so that it would be impossible
to prescribe fixed rules for the latter. I shall therefore restrict
myself to saying merely that they should be made as light and as
sightly as possible, in order that they may be in keeping with the
general idea and purpose of hors-d’œuvre.
382—GOTHA AND MILAN SALAMI
Cut these into very thin slices, and place them, one on top of the
other, on a hors-d’œuvre dish, in the form of a crown, with a sprig of
curled-leaf parsley in the middle. They may also be laid flat upon a
litter of parsley.
383—ARLES, BOLOGNE OR LARGE LYONS SAUSAGES
Cut these up and arrange them like the Salami.
384—FOIE-GRAS SAUSAGES
Cut into thin roundels and dish up with chopped aspic jelly as a
centre-garnish.
385—SMOKED SALMON
Cut into triangular, thin slices; roll these into cones, and arrange in
the form of a crown with curled-leaf parsley in the middle.
386—SPRATS
These are smoked sardines. Select the very fleshy ones, for there exist
many kinds, a few of which are dry and quite flavourless.
In order to prepare them, suppress the heads and remove or leave on the
skins, in accordance with the consumer’s taste. Put them on a dish with
some finely-chopped shallots, chopped parsley, and oil and vinegar,
using a very little of each ingredient. Leave them to _marinade_ for
five or six hours, taking care to turn them over from time to time so
as to thoroughly saturate them with the _marinade_.
387—TARTLETS AND BARQUETTES
These articles play an important part in the service of hors-d’œuvres,
and represent the class I designated under the name of _Frivolities_.
The garnishes suitable for tartlets are likewise used with
_barquettes_, the latter only differing from the former in their shape.
The directions which follow below, and which should be carefully noted,
apply equally to both.
_Special Paste for Tartlets and Barquettes._—Sift one lb. of flour
on to a mixing-board; make a hole in the centre, into which put
one-eighth oz. of salt, one-half lb. of cold, melted butter, one egg,
the yolks of two, and a few drops of water. Mix the whole into a paste,
handling it as little as possible; roll it into a ball, and put it
aside in the cool for two hours.
_The Preparation of Tartlet- and Barquette-crusts._—Roll out the paste
to the thickness of one-eighth inch, and stamp it with an indented
fancy-cutter into pieces of the same size as the tartlet-moulds to be
used, which in this case are the same as for “_petits fours_,” and,
therefore, very small.
The fancy-cutter should be round for tartlets, and oval for
_barquettes_. Lay the paste in the moulds, prick the parts lying on the
bottom, lest they should blister, garnish the insides with pieces of
kitchen-paper to protect the paste, and fill them with rice or flour.
Bake in a moderate oven; remove the rice or flour, the sole object of
which was to preserve the shape of the tartlets or _barquettes_; turn
the latter out of their moulds, and set them to cool.
_The Garnishes of Tartlets and Barquettes._—These may be divided into
two classes, viz., (1) those with a compound butter for base, (2) those
with an aspic jelly base.
The first class comprises all the garnishes I gave for _Canapés_
and Toast, as also all those which the operator’s fancy, taste, and
inventiveness may devise.
The second class generally consists of a layer, on the bottom, of some
kind of _mousse_, upon which a whole piece of a different colour from
the _mousse_ is placed, and which is then coated with a very clear
jelly.
_Example._—Garnish the bottom of a tartlet or _barquette_ with a
coating of pink, shrimp, crayfish or lobster _mousse_. Upon this lay
a very white poached oyster, or a slice of hard-boiled egg, stamped
with an indented fancy-cutter. In the centre of the yolk put a little
lobster coral, and coat the whole with jelly to the level of the
tartlet edges.
The explanations given above warrant my refraining from a more detailed
discussion of these delicate preparations. Sufficient has been said to
allow of any operator, with a little taste and inventiveness, easily
making an endless variety of combinations.
388—TUNNY IN OIL
This is found on the market, and it may be served as it stands. It is
very greatly used as a garnish for hors-d’œuvres.
389—TUNNY WITH TOMATOES
Lay alternate slices of tunny and tomato upon a hors-d’œuvre dish, and
between each slice lay a thin round of onion. Garnish the edge of the
dish with a border composed of sliced potato, and sprinkle the whole
with an ordinary salad seasoning.
390—MOCK TOMATOES
Select some about the size of a walnut, and peel them carefully. Press
them in a piece of linen, and set them to _marinade_ for half an hour
in oil and vinegar. Then stick a small piece of parsley stalk into each
tomato, in imitation of the stalk, and surround it with little leaves
made from green butter by means of a small piping-bag.
391—TOMATOES A L’AMÉRICAINE
Select some firm, medium-sized tomatoes, and cut them into thin slices.
Put them into a dish with salt, pepper, oil, and a few drops of
vinegar, and leave them to _marinade_ for twenty minutes. Then arrange
them on a hors-d’œuvre dish, garnishing the border with fine rings of
onion.
392—TOMATOES A LA MONÉGASQUE
Select some small tomatoes about the size of walnuts, and cut a slice
from each in the region of the stalk. Squeeze out all their water and
seeds, and _marinade_ them, inside, for twenty minutes. Prepare a mince
of tunny with oil, and add thereto, per two oz. of the fish, half a
tablespoonful of finely-chopped onion, a tablespoonful of chopped
parsley, chervil, and tarragon, and a small, hard-boiled egg, also
chopped.
Thicken the whole with a tablespoonful of thick mayonnaise; put it into
a bag fitted with a smooth, medium-sized pipe, and garnish the tomatoes
with the preparation, using enough of the latter to form a kind of dome
upon each tomato.
393—QUARTERED TOMATOES
Use medium-sized tomatoes, somewhat firm and with very smooth skins.
Peel them and empty them, and then fill them, either with a fish purée
cleared with jelly, or with a _macédoine_ of vegetables thickened by
means of a mayonnaise with jelly. Place on ice for half an hour, and
cut the tomatoes into regular quarters. The tomatoes may also be cut
into four, previous to stuffing them, whereupon they may, with the help
of a piping-bag fitted with a grooved pipe, be filled with one of the
compound butters.
394—MARINADED TROUT
Select some very small trout, clean and dress them, and poach them in a
white-wine _court-bouillon_ (No. 164) to which vinegar has been added
in the proportion of one-third of its volume.
Leave the fish to cool in the liquor, and dish up with a few
tablespoonfuls of the latter, placing some thin, grooved slices of
lemon upon the fish.