[1] A very minute description and drawings of the kitchen and
apparatus will be found at the end of the Receipts devoted to the
Kitchen of the Wealthy.
[2] The mashed potatoes which are to be used for dishing up as
described throughout this work, are simply prepared as follows:--Plain
boil or steam six or eight large mealy potatoes; when well done, peel
and put them into a stewpan with two ounces of butter, a little salt;
then with the prong of a fork whisk them till quite in purée; then add
two tablespoonfuls of milk, work up with a small wooden spoon till
forming a paste; then lay a small quantity on a clean cloth, roll it
to the circumference of a fourpenny or sixpenny piece, and form a
round with it in your dish according to the size of the entrée; alter
the proportion according to the size of the flanc or remove.
[3] The veal stock mentioned in the several receipts is made precisely
as the stock for white sauce.
[4] A culinary term.
[5] In France we have silver dishes on purpose for _au gratins_, in
which they are dressed and served to table, the gratin adhering to the
bottom of the dish.
[6] See Kitchen at Home.
[7] It would be advisable to have a mould purposely for borders of
this description two inches in height, half an inch in depth, and
eight inches in diameter, with a cylinder five inches in diameter;
these borders are by some always used instead of a border of mashed
potatoes, but I prefer the last-mentioned, being quicker made, the
entrées resting more steadily upon it, and, being laid thinly upon the
dishes, never interfering with any description of sauces.
[8] A cylinder copper mould is preferable to a plain one, but as
almost every kitchen has plain moulds, I describe this in preference.
[9] The flesh of the wild boar being rather difficult to obtain
in this country, the head being the only part considered worth
presenting, the flesh of the common pig may be used for the forcemeat
and interior, as well as the rind, which must be selected in pieces as
large as possible; a bottle of common port wine is an improvement in
the pickling.
[10] Some amateurs would prefer them stewed gently for eight hours,
but I consider they then lose half their flavour.
[11] If no mould, pat half a pound less butter in the paste and raise
the pie with your hands, making a bold ornament round and upon the top.
[12] The first time I served a salad of the above description after
inventing it was in a dinner which I dressed for some noblemen and
gentlemen who had made a wager as to which could send the best dinner,
myself or the artiste at a celebrated establishment in Paris, where
they had previously dined; my first course being full of novelty,
gained the approbation of the whole party, but the salad created
such an unexpected effect that I was sent for, and had the honour of
sitting at the table for an hour with them and over several rosades of
exquisite Laffitte; the salad was christened à la Soyer by General Sir
Alexander Duff, who presided over the noble party.
[13] For the description to make hot water paste for raised pies, see
pâté chaud (No. 618).
[14] Flan moulds are generally fluted, and about an inch and a half in
height.
[15] The only way to shape them properly is by taking a piece the
size of a walnut, and moulding it with your finger at the rim of the
stewpan; drop them upon a baking-sheet, and make them still more round
with the paste-brush in egging them over.
[16] In emptying the interior of this or any of the following cakes
for removes, care should be taken not to leave them either too thick
or too thin; if too thick it would not hold sufficient ice, and eat
very heavy, if the reverse it would be too delicate, and not hold
together in dishing up. About three quarters of an inch in most cases
would be the thickness required. Any of the Removes may be curtailed
in point of size, but the above would be sufficient for a dinner of
eighteen persons.
[17] These round paper cases are to be procured at Temple’s, Whitcomb
street, Belgrave square.
[18] To freeze quickly any description of ice the freezing-pot must
be well set, place it in the centre of the pail, which must be large
enough to give a space of four inches all round, break twelve pounds
of ice up small, which put round at the bottom six inches in depth,
over which put two pounds of salt, beat down tight with a rolling-pin,
then more ice, then salt, proceeding thus until within three inches
of the top of your freezing-pot, saltpetre mixed with the salt will
facilitate it in freezing.
[19] For this purpose I can recommend the stone bottles and apparatus
for preserving fruits invented by Mr. James Cooper, of No. 7, St.
John-street, Clerkenwell; I have used them upon several occasions
and for different descriptions of fruit, and have never met with any
system that so well preserved the freshness of the fruit, or which is
more simple in its operation.
[20] I consider too large a table to be as bad as too large a kitchen,
in which much time is lost in the cleaning, and more in running about
for articles required for use.
[21] The old fashioned triangular trivets seemed to have been made as
inconvenient as possible, being made only for one large stewpan to
stand over the fire, not leaving room for any smaller ones round.
[22] The maker of these gas stoves is Mr. Rikett, who constructs them
to perfection at a trifling expense according to their merit.
[23] Especially in France, where cookery was first cradled, and has
ever since been well nursed.
[24] Being a brown earthen pot, which costs about sixpence or a
shilling, and which with care would last twenty years; the more it is
used the better soup it makes.
[25] The receipts for paste being so simple in the other department of
this book, I shall, upon all occasions, refer my readers to them, (p.
478.)
[26] If you should have a little gravy, use it instead of water, if
not a piece of glaze added to half a pint of water would make a very
good gravy.
[27] It would be very easy to ascertain when done, by running a
packing-needle or sharp-pointed knife through, if tender it is done;
this remark also applies to any description of meat pies.
[28] Extracted from my “Délassements Culinaires,” lately published
by Jeffe, Burlington Arcade; a second edition of which will shortly
appear.
[29] To show plainly the interior of this dish, it has been drawn one
size larger than it is in reality. These dishes are only to be had by
applying to Mr. Soyer, of the _Reform Club_, or at Mr. George Smith’s,
No. 57, Conduit street, Regent street, he being the only manufacturer.
[30] “But though in his manner, none of her works has the least
subserviency of imitation, or the stiffness of copy.”--_Times._
[31] Gentleman’s Magazine.
[32] “La Cérès Anglaise.”
* * * * *
Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:
when add two tablespoonfuls=> then add two tablespoonfuls {pg 29}
two tablespoonfuls of liason=> two tablespoonfuls of liaison {pg 37 x 2}
when fill it up and your consommé=> then fill it up and your consommé
{pg 54}
have ready boiled a a quart=> have ready boiled a quart {pg 183}
have an ox tonge=> have an ox tongue {pg 210}
eight square dieces=> eight square pdieces {pg 402}
with which garnish the ballotins=> with which garnish the ballotins {pg
426}