Chapter XV: Relevés and Entrées (5)

Boil, stirring the while, and add two-thirds lb. of fresh _concassed_ tomatoes or one-fifth pint of tomato purée; one crushed clove of garlic, and a large faggot. Cover and cook in the oven for one hour.

This done, transfer the pieces of mutton, one by one, to another saucepan with twenty small, new onions; twenty pieces of new trimmed carrots; twenty pieces of new turnips, cut to the shape of long olives and tossed with butter in a frying-pan; twenty small, new potatoes, cut into two, and trimmed, or whole; one-sixth pint of fresh peas, and an equal quantity of raw French beans, cut into lozenges. Strain the sauce over the whole; set to boil, and continue cooking slowly in the oven for one hour; taking care from time to time to baste the overlying vegetables with sauce.

Dish in a timbale and serve very hot.

N.B.—When put into the sauce, the vegetables cook much less quickly than in boiling water. In the Navarin, moreover, they are cooked by means of gradual penetration; thus, by slackening the cooking speed of the Navarin, they are cooked to the required extent.

1354—PILAW DE MOUTON A LA TURQUE

Mutton Pilaff is, in fact, nothing but a Navarin in which the tomatoes dominate the other ingredients; it is flavoured with ginger or saffron, according to circumstances, and the usual vegetables are replaced by rice. Prepared in this way, it does not lend itself very well to the exigencies of a restaurant service.

More often, therefore, it is treated like curried mutton; but, instead of serving it with rice à l’Indienne, it is dished in the midst of a pilaff-rice border. Sometimes, too, the rice is served separately, after the manner of a curry dish.

HOUSE LAMB.

1355—BARON (OR PAIR OF HIND-QUARTERS) OF LAMB

1356—DOUBLE (OR PAIR OF LEGS) OF LAMB

1357—QUARTER OF LAMB

1358—FILLET OF LAMB

1359—SADDLE AND NECK OF LAMB

Large joints of lamb for Relevés are cut like those of mutton.

One joint, however, should be added, which is “The Haunch”; and this consists of one leg and half the loin attached.

Large joints of house lamb should be _poëled_ or roasted. Their most suitable adjunct is either their own stock, or a thickened, highly seasoned and clear gravy.

House Lamb Relevés are chiefly garnished with early-season or new vegetables; but all the garnishes given under Mutton Relevés may also be served with them, provided the difference in size be taken into account. In addition to these garnishes, saddle of lamb admits of all the preparations given under saddle of veal (Nos. 1181 to 1191).

1360—SELLE D’AGNEAU DE LAIT ÉDOUARD VII.

Completely bone the saddle from underneath, in suchwise as to leave the skin intact; season it inside, and place in the middle a fine foie gras, studded with truffles and _marinaded_ in Marsala.

Reconstruct the saddle, and wrap it tightly in a piece of muslin; put it in a saucepan just large enough to hold it, on a litter of pieces of bacon rind, cleared of all fat and _blanched_. Moisten, enough to cover, with the braising-liquor of a cushion of veal; add thereto the Marsala used in _marinading_ the foie gras, and poach for about forty-five minutes.

Before withdrawing the saddle, make sure that the foie gras is sufficiently cooked. Remove the muslin, and put the saddle in an oval _terrine à pâté_ just large enough to hold it. Strain the cooking-liquor over it, without clearing the former of grease, and set it to cool.

When the saddle is quite cold, carefully clear away the grease that lies upon it, first by means of a spoon and then by means of boiling water. Serve it very cold, in the terrine as it stands.

1361—CARRÉ D’AGNEAU BEAUCAIRE

Having trimmed the neck of lamb, as explained, brown it in butter; surround it with eight small, Provence half-artichokes, and cook gently in the oven. The artichokes in question have no chokes and are very tender.

Meanwhile, peel, press, _concass_ and season four or five tomatoes, and fry them in butter. When they are ready, add a large pinch of chopped tarragon to them.

Dish the tomatoes; set the neck upon them, and surround it with the stewed half-artichokes.

1362—CARRÉ D’AGNEAU EN COCOTTE A LA BONNE FEMME

Fry a shortened and well-trimmed neck of lamb, in butter.

This done, transfer it to an oval _cocotte_ with ten small onions browned in butter, and two medium-sized potatoes, cut into large dice, shaped like garlic cloves, and _blanched_. Sprinkle the whole with melted butter and cook gently in the oven.

Serve the preparation as it stands, in the _cocotte_, placing the latter on a folded napkin.

1363—CARRÉ D’AGNEAU A LA BOULANGÈRE

Fry the neck of lamb with butter, in an earthenware dish, and surround it with sliced onions, tossed in butter, and sliced potatoes; both of which vegetables should be in quantities in proportion to the size of the piece of meat. The “à la Boulangère” procedure is always the same, and was explained under No. 1307, but allowances should always be made for the particular size and tenderness of the piece.

1364—CARRÉ D’AGNEAU GRILLÉ

Having shortened and well trimmed the neck, season it; sprinkle it with melted butter, and grill it gently.

When it is almost cooked, sprinkle it again with melted butter and bread-crumbs, and let it acquire a golden colour while completely cooking it.

Serve very hot with mint sauce and a suitable garnish.

1365—CARRÉ D’AGNEAU MIREILLE

Prepare some Anna potatoes (No. 2203) in an oval earthenware dish, and add a third of the quantity of potatoes of raw, minced artichoke-bottoms.

When the potatoes are three-parts cooked, stiffen the neck in butter; place it on the potatoes, and complete the cooking of the two, basting often the while with melted butter.

Send the preparation to the table on the dish that has served in the cooking process.

1366—CARRÉ D’AGNEAU PRINTANIER

Prepare the following garnish: eight small onions, half-cooked in butter; ten carrots of the size and shape of garlic cloves, cooked in consommé and glazed; and ten turnips of the same shape and size, similarly treated.

Put these vegetables into a _cocotte_ with three tablespoonfuls of fresh peas; the same quantity of raw, French beans, cut into lozenge form; two or three tablespoonfuls of good and very clear stock, and complete the cooking of the whole.

Meanwhile, _poële_ the neck of lamb, which should have been shortened and trimmed in the usual way. Dish the neck of lamb and serve the vegetables in the _cocotte_.

1367—CARRÉ D’AGNEAU SOUBISE

Having shortened and trimmed the neck of lamb, stiffen it in butter; surround it with one-half lb. of finely-minced and well-blanched onions, and complete the cooking of both by stewing.

This done, transfer the neck to a dish and keep it hot. Add one-quarter pint of boiling Béchamel sauce to the onions, and rub them quickly through tammy or a fine sieve. Heat this Soubise; finish it with one and one-half oz. of butter, and pour it over the neck.

Border the dish with a thread of rather light meat glaze, and serve.

1368—CARRÉ D’AGNEAU A LA TOSCANE

Shorten the neck of lamb; suppress the cartilaginous portions and stiffen it in butter. Garnish the bottom of an oval earthenware dish, of the same size as the neck, with a layer of Anna potatoes (No. 2203). Set the neck on this layer, and cover it over with a second layer of the same potato preparation. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan; cook in the oven as for Anna potatoes, and take care that the bottom be so well set as to prevent any of the juices of the joint from exuding and depositing on it.

Serve the dish as it stands.

1369—LEG AND SHOULDER OF LAMB

All the recipes given under Haunch and Double (pair of legs), may be applied to the legs and shoulders of house lamb.

The shoulders are often grilled, the operation being effected over a moderate fire after the joints have been incised lattice-fashion, and the same applies to the breast. The “à la Boulangère” treatment (No. 1307) admirably suits the legs and shoulders of house lamb.

1370—CUTLETS

According to custom, lamb cutlets are usually served like “Noisettes,” _i.e._, two are allowed for each person.

As a rule, when they are to be grilled, they are previously dipped in melted butter and sprinkled with fine bread-crumbs.

When they are to be _sautéd_ they are treated _à l’anglaise_ (egg and bread-crumbs) except when, subject to their mode of preparation, they have to be served plain or stuffed.

1371—CÔTELETTES D’AGNEAU DE LAIT A LA BULOZ

Prepare:—(1) a rizotto (No. 2238) with truffles, in proportion to the number of cutlets; (2) some very reduced Béchamel sauce, combined with one-half oz. of grated Parmesan per one-fifth pint of the sauce, and allowing one small tablespoonful of it for each cutlet.

Half-grill the cutlets; dry them, and cover them, on both sides, with the reduced sauce. As soon as the cutlets have received their coat of sauce, dip them, one by one, into beaten egg (_anglaise_); roll them in very fine bread-crumbs mixed with grated Parmesan. Thoroughly press this coating of bread-crumbs with the flat of a knife, that it may adhere well to the egg and produce a crust at the close of the operation. This done, set the cutlets in a sautépan of very hot, clarified butter, and brown them on both sides.

Dish the rizotto in a very even layer; set the cutlets in a circle on the rice, and fix a frill to the bone of each.

1372—CÔTELETTES D’AGNEAU DE LAIT MARÉCHALE

Treat the cutlets _à l’anglaise_, and cook them in clarified butter.

Dish them in a circle, with a fine slice of truffle upon each; and, in their midst, set a nice heap of asparagus-heads cohered with butter.

1373—CÔTELETTES D’AGNEAU DE LAIT MILANAISE

Treat the cutlets _à l’anglaise_, but add to the bread-crumbs the quarter of their weight of grated Parmesan.

Cook the cutlets in clarified butter. Dish them in a circle, and, in their midst, arrange a garnish “à la milanaise” (see Côte de Veau à la Milanaise, No. 1258.)

1374—CÔTELETTES D’AGNEAU DE LAIT MORLAND

Slightly flatten the cutlets, dip them in beaten egg, and roll them in finely-chopped truffle, which in this case answers the purpose of bread-crumbs. Press the truffle with the flat of a knife, that it may thoroughly combine with the egg, and cook the cutlets in clarified butter. Dish them in a circle; garnish the centre of the dish with a mushroom purée (No. 2059), and surround the cutlets with a thread of buttered meat glaze.

1375—CÔTELETTES D’AGNEAU DE LAIT NAVARRAISE

For twelve cutlets, make a preparation consisting of four oz. of ham, four oz. of cooked mushrooms, and one-half oz. of chopped, red capsicums; the whole being cohered by means of a very reduced Béchamel sauce, flavoured with truffle essence.

Grill the cutlets on one side only, and garnish them on their grilled side with a tablespoonful of the above preparation, which should be shaped like a dome upon them.

Set the cutlets upon a tray as soon as they are garnished; sprinkle the surface of the preparation, covering them with grated cheese and melted butter, and place them in the oven, that their cooking may be completed and the _gratin_ formed. Meanwhile, toss twelve seasoned half-tomatoes in oil. Dish these tomatoes in a circle; set a cutlet upon each, and border with a thread of tomato sauce.

1376—CÔTELETTES D’AGNEAU DE LAIT NELSON

Grill the cutlets, and, at the same time, prepare as many bread-crumb _croûtons_ as there are cutlets, and of exactly the same shape as the latter. Fry the _croûtons_ in butter, and coat them with foie-gras purée.

Place a grilled cutlet on each coated _croûton_, and a slice of truffle on the kernel of each cutlet. Now, by means of a piping-bag, fitted with an even pipe, cover the cutlets with some soufflé au Parmesan (No. 2295a); dish them in a circle, and put them in the oven for five minutes, that the _soufflé_ may poach.

After withdrawing them from the oven, garnish the centre of the dish with a heap of asparagus-heads, cohered with butter.

1377—CÔTELETTES D’AGNEAU DE LAIT FARCIES A LA PÉRIGUEUX

Cook the cutlets in butter on one side only, and cool them under slight pressure.

Garnish the cooked side of each with a tablespoonful of forcemeat with butter (No. 193), which should have received a copious addition of chopped truffles. Shape this forcemeat dome-fashion, by means of the flat of a small knife, dipped in tepid water, and set the cutlets, one by one, on a tray. Now put them in the front of the oven for seven or eight minutes that the forcemeat may be poached.

Dish them in a circle, and pour a Périgueux sauce in their midst.

1378—EPIGRAMMES D’AGNEAU

A lamb “epigram” consists of a cutlet, and a piece of braised breast, cooled under slight pressure and cut to the shape of a heart of the same size as the cutlets. The cutlets and the pieces of breast must be treated _à l’anglaise_, and _sautéd_ or grilled according to circumstance.

Epigrams should be dished in a circle, the cutlets and the pieces being alternated.

They are usually garnished with braised chicory, or _macédoines_ of early-season vegetables.

1379—RIS D’AGNEAU

Lamb sweetbreads are, according to circumstances, either used as the principal constituent of various preparations, or they answer the purpose of a garnish.

Due allowance having been made for their particular size, they may be treated after the same manner as veal sweetbreads; that is to say, once they have been cleared of blood, they are _blanched_ and braised according to the nature of the selected mode of preparation.

If they are to form part of a large garnish, cohered by means of a brown sauce, they are braised brown and glazed. If they stand as an adjunct to poached fowl, they may be either studded or left plain, and braised white.

Apart from their two uses as principal and garnishing constituents, the undermentioned methods of preparation, explained in the various preceding series, may be applied to them; viz.:—

_Attereaux_, _Brochettes_, _Croustades_, _Pâté chaud_, _Vol au vent_, &c.

1380—SAUTÉ D’AGNEAU PRINTANIER

Prepare the following garnish:—Twenty new carrots, cut to the shape of large olives, cooked in consommé and glazed; twenty pieces of turnip, similarly treated; fifteen small, new onions, cooked in butter; twenty very small new potatoes, cooked in butter (or _à l’anglaise_ if desired); three tablespoonfuls of peas; the same quantity of French beans cut into lozenge-form, and an equal quantity of small flageolet beans. The three last vegetables should be cooked _à l’anglaise_, and kept rather firm.

Cut two lbs. of shoulder and breast of lamb into pieces weighing two oz., and completely cook them in butter without any moistening.

This done, transfer them to a dish. Swill the saucepan with three tablespoonfuls of water; add five tablespoonfuls of pale meat glaze; heat without boiling, and finish with two and one-half oz. of butter.

Put the pieces of lamb and the vegetables into this sauce, and gently rock the saucepan, that all the ingredients may partake of the sauce.

Serve in a hot timbale.

1381—PILAW D’AGNEAU

Proceed exactly as explained under “Pilaw de Mouton” (No. 1354), only bear in mind that the time allowed for cooking should be proportionately shortened in view of the greater tenderness of lamb’s meat.

1382—CURRIE D’AGNEAU

Proceed as for “Currie de Mouton,” after duly allowing, as above, for the greater tenderness of the meat.

PORK

=Relevés and Entrées.=

1383—FRESH LEG OF PORK

1384—FRESH PORK FILLETS

1385—FRESH NECK OF PORK

Relevés of fresh pork are only served at family and bourgeois meals. They are always roasts and allow of all the dry or fresh vegetable garnishes, as well as the various vegetable purées, and the pastes, such as macaroni, noodles, polenta, gnochi, &c. I shall, therefore, give only a few recipes, and shall select Fresh Neck of Pork as the typical joint.

1386—FRESH NECK OF PORK A LA CHOUCROÛTE

Roast the neck of pork and withdraw it from the oven a few minutes before it is done.

Keep it in the stove for an hour, that its cooking may be completed gently; but remember, that if a stove is not available, the cooking of the piece should be well finished in the oven; for pork is indigestible when it is not thoroughly well cooked.

Meanwhile, prepare a garnish of sauerkraut (No. 2097), and, during the last hour of its cooking, sprinkle it frequently with the fat of the neck.

Dish the neck; clear the sauerkraut of any superfluous fat, and set it round the piece of meat in spoonfuls; slightly pressing it in so doing.

1387—FRESH NECK OF PORK WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Roast the neck of pork. Three-parts cook the Brussels sprouts; completely drain them, and put them round the piece of meat, that they may complete their cooking in its gravy and fat, being frequently basted the while.

For this preparation it is well to roast the neck in an earthenware dish, in which it may be served with its garnish—a much better plan than that of transferring it to another dish.

1388—FRESH NECK OF PORK WITH RED CABBAGE A LA FLAMANDE

Roast the neck of pork; dish it and surround it with a garnish of red cabbages, prepared à la Flamande (No. 2098).

Sprinkle the garnish of vegetables with the gravy of the joint, three-parts cleared of grease.

1389—FRESH NECK OF PORK WITH STEWED APPLES

Roast the neck of pork and see that it is well done.

Meanwhile, peel and mince one lb. of apples; put them in a saucepan with one oz. of sugar and a few tablespoonfuls of water; seal the lid of the saucepan well down, so as to concentrate the steam inside, and cook quickly. When about to serve, thoroughly work the apple purée with a wire whisk, in order to smooth it. Dish the neck with its gravy, three-parts cleared of grease, and serve the apple purée separately in a timbale.

1390—FRESH NECK OF PORK A LA SOISSONNAISE

Roast the neck on a dish that may be sent to the table.

When it is three-parts done, set one quart of cooked and well-drained haricot beans round it, and complete the cooking gently. Serve the dish as it stands.

1391—BOILED SALTED PORK A L’ANGLAISE

Cook plainly in water three lbs. of shoulder, breast, or gammon of bacon, and add thereto a garnish of vegetables as for boiled beef, and six parsnips.

Serve the vegetables round the piece of meat, and send a pease-pudding (prepared as directed below) separately.

_Pease-pudding_: put one lb. of a purée of yellow or green, split peas into a basin, and mix therewith three oz. of melted or softened butter, three eggs, a pinch of salt, another of pepper, and a little nutmeg. Pour this purée into a pudding basin, and poach it in steam or in a _bain-marie_.

This preparation may also be put into a buttered and flour-dusted napkin; in which case, close the napkin up purse-fashion, tying it up securely with string, and cook the pudding in the same stewpan with the pork. This procedure is simpler than the first and quite as good.

Very often a purée prepared from split, yellow or green peas, is used instead of the pudding given above.

1392—PORK PIE

Completely line the bottom and sides of a pie-dish with thin slices of raw ham, and prepare, for a medium-sized dish:—(1) one and one-half lbs. of fresh pork in collops, seasoned with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with two tablespoonfuls of dry Duxelles (No. 223), a pinch of parsley and another of chopped sage; (2) one and one-half lbs. of raw, sliced potatoes, and one large, chopped onion.

Garnish the bottom of the dish with a litter of collops; cover with potatoes and onions; spread another litter of collops, and begin again in the same order. Add one-quarter pint of water; cover with a layer of fine paste or puff-paste trimmings, which should be well sealed down round the edges; _gild_ with beaten egg; streak the paste with the prongs of a fork; make a slit in the centre of the covering of paste for the escape of steam, and bake in a moderate oven for about two hours.

=Fresh-pork Cutlets.=

1393—FRESH-PORK CUTLETS A LA CHARCUTIERE

Season the cutlets; dip them in melted butter, and sprinkle them with fine raspings. Grill them gently, and baste them from time to time.

Dish them in a circle; pour a Charcutière sauce in their midst, and serve a timbale of potato purée separately.

_Charcutière sauce for eight or ten cutlets_: prepare one pint of Robert sauce (No. 52) and mix with it, just before dishing up, two oz. of gherkins, cut in short _julienne_ fashion or minced.

1394—FRESH-PORK CUTLETS A LA FLAMANDE

Season the cutlets, and fry them on both sides in butter or fat.

Meanwhile, peel and slice some eating apples, allowing three oz. of the latter for each cutlet, and put them in an earthenware dish. Set upon them the half-fried cutlets; sprinkle with fat, and complete their cooking, as well as that of the apples, in the oven.

Serve the dish as it stands.

1395—CÔTES DE PORC FRAIS A LA MILANAISE

Treat the cutlets _à l’anglaise_, but remember to add one quart of grated Parmesan to the bread-crumbs. Cook them gently in butter.

Dish in a circle; set a milanaise garnish (No. 1258) in the centre, and serve a tomato sauce separately.

1396—FRESH-PORK CUTLETS WITH PIQUANTE OR ROBERT SAUCE

Season and grill or _sauté_ the cutlets. Dish them in a circle, with Piquante or Robert sauce in their midst.

N.B.—(1) Cutlets accompanied by either of the two above-mentioned sauces, may be treated with melted butter and bread-crumbs and grilled or _sautéd_; but, in this case, the sauce should be served separately.

(2) For cutlets with Piquante sauce, border the dish on which they are served with gherkins, and send the sauce either separately or on the dish.

(3) All the garnishes given under fresh neck of pork may accompany grilled or _sautéd_ pork cutlets.

1397—SUCKING PIG

Stuffed or not stuffed, sucking pigs are always roasted whole, and the essential point of the procedure is that they should be just done when their skin is crisp and golden.

While cooking, they should be frequently basted with oil; the latter being used in preference to any other fatty substance owing to the greater crispness it gives to the skin of the sucking pig.

Serve a sauceboat of good gravy at the same time.

1398—ROAST STUFFED SUCKING PIG A L’ANGLAISE

For a sucking pig of medium weight, prepare the following forcemeat:—Cook three lbs. of large onions with their skins, and let them cool. This done, peel and finely chop them, and put them in a basin with one lb. of the chopped fat of kidney of beef, one lb. of soaked and well-pressed bread-crumb, four oz. of parboiled and chopped sage, two eggs, one oz. of salt, a pinch of pepper and a little nutmeg.

Mix the whole well, and put this stuffing inside the sucking pig. Sew up the latter’s belly; put it on the spit, and roast as directed above.

Serve separately, either a timbale of apple sauce or of mashed potatoes. Four oz. per lb. of selected raisins, washed and swelled in tepid water, are sometimes combined with the apple sauce.

1399—ZAMPINO DE MODÈNE

Zampino, or stuffed leg of pork, is a product of Italian pork-butchery.

It is cooked like a ham, after having been tied in a napkin lest its skin burst.

Served hot, it is accompanied by a Madeira or tomato sauce, a garnish of boiled, braised, or _gratined_ cabbages; of French beans, or of potato purée.

1400—ZAMPINO FROID

Zampino is served cold, alone or mixed with other meats; but it is used more particularly as a hors-d’œuvre. For this purpose, cut it into the thinnest possible slices.

1401—OREILLES A LA ROUENNAISE

After having singed and well cleaned the inside of the pig’s ears, cook them in water, salted to the extent of one-third oz. of salt per quart, together with a garnish of vegetables as for pot-au-feu. This done, cut them across in suchwise as to have the end where the flesh is thickest on one side, and the thinnest end on the other side of the strips.

Chop up the thick portion; cut the other into collops, and put the whole into a saucepan with one-quarter pint of half-glaze with Madeira.

Cook gently for thirty minutes. This done, add to the minced ears, one and one-half lbs. of sausage meat and a pinch of chopped parsley. Divide up the whole into portions, weighing three oz; wrap each portion in a piece of pig’s caul, insert a collop of ear into the wrapping, and give the latter the shape of ordinary _crépinettes_. Grill gently, until the cooking is three-parts done; sprinkle with butter and raspings, and complete the cooking of the _crépinettes_, colouring them in so doing.

Dish in a circle, and serve a Madeira sauce at the same time.

1402—OREILLES A LA SAINTE MENEHOULD

Cook the ears as explained above, and let them cool.

Cut them in two, lengthwise; coat them with mustard; sprinkle them with melted butter and raspings, and grill them gently.

Ears are usually served plain, but they may be accompanied by apple sauce.

1403—PIEDS DE PORC TRUFFÉS

Truffled pig’s trotters may be bought already prepared; all that remains to be done, therefore, is to grill them.

Sprinkle them with melted butter; grill them very gently, basting them from time to time the while, and serve them with a Périgueux sauce.

1404—PIEDS DE PORC PANES

Sprinkle the pig’s trotters copiously with melted butter, and put them on the grill, which should be very hot.

Grill them very gently, turning them with care; and serve them plain, or with a tomato purée separately.

=Boudins.=

1405—BOUDIN BLANC ORDINAIRE

Chop and afterwards pound one-half lb. of very lean fresh pork, and three-quarters lb. of fat fresh bacon. Add one and one-half oz. of foie gras, and rub through a fine sieve.

Put this forcemeat into a basin, and finish it with two fresh eggs; one and one-half oz. of chopped onion, cooked in butter without colouration; one-sixth pint of thick cream; one-half oz. of salt, a pinch of white pepper, and a little nutmeg.

Mix the whole well; put it into the gut, without overfilling the latter, and tie round with string at regular intervals. Now set the boudins on a willow lattice, and plunge them into a receptacle full of boiling water. From this moment keep the water at 203° F., and let the boudins poach for twelve minutes. This done, withdraw them, and let them cool.

Before serving them, grill them very gently, and, as a precautionary measure, wrap them in buttered paper. Do not _cisel_ them, but prick them with a pin.

Serve a purée of potatoes with cream at the same time.

1406—BOUDINS BLANCS DE VOLAILLE

Pound separately one lb. of raw chicken fillets and three-quarters lb. of fresh fat bacon.

Combine the two products in the mortar; pound again with the view of thoroughly mixing them, and add three oz. of chopped onion, cooked in butter without colouration, together with a little thyme and bay; one-half oz. of salt, a pinch of white pepper, and a little nutmeg.

Mix the whole well, and add four eggs, one by one, working the forcemeat vigorously the while with the pestle.

Rub through a fine sieve; return the forcemeat to the mortar, and add thereto, little by little, one pint of boiled and very cold milk.

Put the forcemeat into the gut; poach it in the _bain-marie_, and set it to grill, observing the same precautions as in the preceding recipe.

Serve a purée of potatoes with cream at the same time as the boudins.

1407—BOUDINS NOIRS

Make the following preparation, putting the various ingredients into a basin:—One lb. of very fresh pork fat, cut into large dice, and half-melted; one sixth pint of thick cream; two eggs; six oz. of chopped onions, cooked in lard without colouration; two-thirds oz. of salt, a pinch of pepper, and a little spice; a pinch of wild-thyme leaves, and a leaf of bay, both chopped.

Mix the whole well with one pint of blood of pork, and put it into the gut without over-filling it, for it should be borne in mind that the preparation swells in poaching.

Set the boudins on willow lattices or baskets; plunge them into boiling water, and, from that time, keep the latter at 203° F.

Let them poach for twenty minutes, and remember to prick all those that, by rising to the surface, show they contain air, which might burst their skins. When about to serve them, _cisel_ them on both sides, and grill them very gently.

They are generally accompanied by a potato purée with cream.

1408—BOUDINS NOIRS A L’ANGLAISE

Have ready the same preparation as for black boudins, given above, and add to it three-quarters lb. of rice, cooked in consommé and kept somewhat firm. Poach as before, and leave to cool. _Cisel_ the boudins, and grill them over a moderate fire.

Serve very hot with an apple purée.

1409—BOUDINS NOIRS A LA FLAMANDE

Have ready the same preparation as for black boudins, and add to it three oz. of moist sugar, two oz. of raisins, and the same quantity of currants, washed and swelled in lukewarm water.

Put the preparation into the gut, and poach in the usual way.

When about to serve, grill these boudins gently, after the manner of black boudins, and send them to the table with a sugared apple sauce.

=Crépinettes and Sausages.=

1410—CRÉPINETTES TRUFFÉES

Add to two lbs. of very good sausage-meat, four oz. of chopped truffles, and two tablespoonfuls of truffles cooking-liquor. Mix the whole well; divide into portions weighing two and one-half oz., and wrap each portion in a square of pig’s caul. Shape the _crépinettes_ thus formed rectangularly. Sprinkle with melted butter, and grill gently.

Dish them in a circle; pour a Périgueux sauce in their midst, and serve a potato purée with cream separately.

1411—CRÉPINETTES A LA CENDRILLON

Prepare the _crépinettes_ as above; wrap them in a double sheet of buttered paper; over them set a heap of cinders covered with burning embers, and keep the latter alive for a space of twenty minutes, when the cooking operation should be completed.

Formerly, the above was the mode of procedure, but nowadays the crépinettes are merely enveloped, each in an oval layer of paste. They are then _gilded_, their tops are streaked, and, after having been laid on a tray, they are baked in a warm oven for twenty minutes.

This done, they are dished on a napkin.

1412—SAUCISSES ANGLAISES

The most well-known of English sausages are those of Cambridge.

They are cooked like the French kind, and they are often served at breakfasts as an adjunct to bacon. Sometimes, too, they serve as a garnish to roast fowls, young turkeys, &c.

Their seasoning is often excessive.

1413—SAUCISSES AU VIN BLANC

_First Method._—Put the sausages in a well-buttered sautépan; poach them gently in the oven, and dish them on thin crusts of bread fried in butter.

For twelve sausages, swill the sautépan with one-sixth pint of white wine; reduce this to half; add one-sixth pint of half-glaze sauce; boil for a few minutes, and finish, away from the fire, with one and one-half oz. of butter. Pour this sauce over the sausages.

_Second Method._—Stiffen the sausages in butter; add one-third pint of white wine, and complete their poaching. Set them on fried crusts; reduce the wine by two-thirds, and add thereto the yolk of one egg, a few drops of lemon juice, two tablespoonfuls of pale melted meat-glaze, and three oz. of butter. Pour the sauce over the sausages.

1414—SAUCISSES DE FRANCFORT ET DE STRASBOURG

Plunge the sausages into a saucepanful of boiling water, and then poach them for no more than ten minutes; should they be allowed to cook for a longer time, they would only lose their quality.

They may be served with a hors-d’œuvre dish of grated horse-radish, and an apple sauce separately; but their proper adjunct is braised sauerkraut.

=Ham.=

However deservedly pork may be praised, it could never have been included among the preparations of first-class cookery (except subsidiarily) had it not been for the culinary value of hams.

With the latter it triumphs, and, be they of Bayonne or York, of Prague or Westphalia, no other joints enjoy more favour than these as Relevés.

Though it is somewhat difficult to decide which one of the various kinds of ham should be adopted, in my opinion that of Bohemia, known as Prague ham, is best for a warm dish, and that of York for a cold dish.

The latter is also excellent when served hot, but, even so, for this purpose it is inferior to the Prague kind, the delicacy of which is incomparable.

Still, York ham ranks first in the opinion of many, for it should be remembered that England has no rival in the preparation of seasoned pork, and her famous bacon, the renown of which is enormous, constitutes one of the greatest discoveries in the science of gastronomy.

1415—HOT HAM—Its Preparation

York ham is the kind chiefly used.

After having soaked it in cold water for six hours, brush it and remove the pelvic bone; put it into a stewpan of cold water, and set to boil. This done, keep the water just simmering, that the ham may cook after the poaching method.

There is no need of any seasoning or aromatic garnish. As often as possible, leave the ham to cool in its cooking-liquor. If the ham is to be braised, take it out of the water thirty minutes before it is cooked. Skin it; clear it of any superfluous fat, and put it in a braising-pan, just large enough to hold it, with two-thirds pint of some such wine as Madeira, Port, Xeres, Chypre, &c. Select the wine in accordance with the title of the dish on the menu.

Having thoroughly sealed down the lid of the pan, put it in the oven, and continue the cooking of the ham gently for one hour, turning it over from time to time during the operation. If it have to reach the table whole, glaze it at the last moment.

Its usual adjunct is a light and highly seasoned half-glaze sauce, combined with some of the braising-liquor, cleared of all grease.

1416—JAMBON A LA CHANOINESSE

Having poached the ham as explained above, braise it in white wine, adding thereto three oz. of mushroom parings.

Dish and send separately a garnish of large, fresh noodles, cohered with butter and a Soubise purée, and completed with a _julienne_ of truffles.

Serve separately a half-glaze sauce, combined with the braising-liquor, cleared of all grease and reduced.

1417—JAMBON A LA CHOUCROÛTE

Completely cook the ham by poaching; skin and trim it.

_If served whole_, send, separately, some braised sauerkraut and potatoes, freshly cooked _à l’anglaise_. Serve a half-glaze sauce with Rhine wine at the same time.

_If served already carved_, arrange the slices in a circle on a round dish; put the sauerkraut in their midst, and border with the potatoes.

Serve, separately, the same sauce as before.

1418—JAMBON A LA MAILLOT

Poach the ham; braise it, and glaze it at the last moment. Set it on a long dish, and surround it with the following garnish, arranged in alternate heaps:—Carrots and turnips, cut to the shape of large, elongated olives, cooked separately in consommé, and glazed; small onions cooked in butter; braised and trimmed half-lettuces; peas and French beans cohered with butter separately.

Serve apart a thickened gravy combined with some of the braising-liquor, cleared of all grease.

1419—JAMBON A LA PRAGUE SOUS LA CENDRE

Poach the ham and drain it on a dish. Remove the skin and all the black, outside parts. Prepare a piece of patty paste large enough to enclose the ham. Besprinkle the surface of the ham with powdered sugar; glaze quickly at the salamander, and place the ham (glazed side undermost) on the layer of paste.

Draw the ends of the paste towards each other; seal them together, with the help of a little moisture, in such wise as to enclose the ham completely; turn the latter over, and put it on a tray with the sealed side of the paste lying underneath. _Gild_ and streak, make a slit in the middle of the paste for the escape of steam, and put the joint in the oven.

Leave it there until the paste is dry and well coloured. After taking the ham out of the oven, inject into it, through a prepared hole, a large wineglassful of Port wine or Sherry. Stop up the hole with a little pellet of paste; dish, and serve immediately.

Serve at the same time a garnish of Gnochi, spinach, or Soufflé au Parmesan (No. 2295a).

The best adjunct to Prague ham is a very light glaze prepared with Port wine, and buttered at the last minute.

1419a—JAMBON DE PRAGUE A LA METTERNICH

Prepare a ham “sous la cendre” as described above.

Send to the table with it as many fine collops of foie-gras, tossed in butter and each covered with a nice slice of truffle, as there are diners. Send also a timbale of asparagus-heads.

The waiter in charge then puts a slice of ham, a collop of foie-gras, and a tablespoonful of asparagus-heads on each plate and serves.

The sauce should be a Madeira flavoured with truffle essence.

1419b—JAMBON DE PRAGUE A LA NORFOLK

Prepare a ham as in No. 1419. Serve each slice of it with one collop of braised veal sweetbread and one tablespoonful of fresh peas _à la paysanne_.

Send as an adjunct the braising-liquor of the veal sweetbread.

1420—VARIOUS GARNISHES FOR BRAISED HAM

The garnishes best suited to ham relevés are:—

_Spinach; new broad beans; braised lettuce; endives; fresh peas à la paysanne._

_Noodles; Spaghetti; various Macaronis; Gnochi; Purées of fresh beans, broad beans._

The most usual accompanying sauce is half-glaze with Madeira.

1421—JAMBON SOUFFLÉ

This is a variety of the ham _soufflés_ given hereafter. The preparation used is the same, and it may be made either from raw or from cooked ham.

After having completely boned it, but for the end bone, which must be kept, cook the ham, and cool it.

Now cut it horizontally, one-half inch above its bone, from the extremity of the end bone to the head of the latter. At the last-mentioned point, make a vertical incision meeting and ending at the first; remove the cushion of ham, which should by now be quite separated from the rest of the joint, and put aside for some future purpose.

All that remains of the ham, therefore, is a thick piece adhering to the end-bone. Carefully trim this piece, and surround it with a strong band of buttered paper, tied on by means of string, the purpose of which is to hold in the soufflé.

This done, put a sufficient quantity of soufflé de Jambon (described hereafter) on the remaining meat of the ham to reconstruct it entirely. Smooth the surface of the preparation with the flat of a knife (dipped in cold water), and so finish off the contour of the ham. Decorate according to fancy; place the dish containing the ham on a saucepanful of boiling water, and put the two in the oven with the view of obtaining the maximum amount of steam, which latter helps to poach the _soufflé_. This _souffléd_ ham may be poached just as well in a steamer.

When the preparation is properly poached, remove the band of paper; dish the ham, and send one of the garnishes or sauces given for braised ham separately.

1422—SOUFFLÉS AU JAMBON

Ham _soufflés_ are prepared after two recipes; in the first, cooked ham is used, and in the second the ham is raw. This last procedure is derived from _mousseline_ forcemeat, and, inasmuch as the preparation resulting from it is less flimsy than that of the first, it is preferred when a large number of people have to be served.

1423—THE PREPARATION OF THE SOUFFLÉ WITH COOKED HAM

Finely pound one lb. of lean, cooked ham, and add thereto, one after the other, three tablespoonfuls of very cold Béchamel sauce. Rub through a fine sieve; put the resulting purée into a sautépan, and finish with one-quarter pint of very creamy and boiling Béchamel sauce, flavoured with ham essence; four egg-yolks, and the whites of six eggs, beaten to a stiff froth.

This preparation may be combined with three oz. of grated Parmesan, and the two flavours will be found to blend very agreeably.

Prepared in this way, it is particularly well suited to the “Jambon Soufflé,” the recipe whereof is given above (No. 1421).

1424—THE PREPARATION OF THE SOUFFLÉ WITH RAW HAM

Following the quantities given under “Farce mousseline” (No. 195), make the _soufflé_ preparation, and add thereto four tablespoonfuls of reduced and very cold Béchamel sauce per lb. of raw ham.

Keep the forcemeat somewhat stiff, and finish it with the whites of four eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, per lb. of ham.

1425—SOUFFLÉ DE JAMBON ALEXANDRA

Make the _soufflé_ preparation after one of the methods given above. Spread it in layers in a buttered timbale, alternating the layers of _soufflé_ with others of asparagus-heads cohered with butter. Smooth the surface to the shape of a dome; decorate with a fine slice of truffle, and cook in a moderate oven, of a temperature suited to this kind of preparation. Serve the _soufflé_ as soon as it is ready. If it be small, spread only one layer of asparagus-heads in the middle of it.

If it be large, spread two or three layers of asparagus-heads.

1426—SOUFFLÉ DE JAMBON CARMEN

Add to the selected one of the two _soufflé_ preparations—either will do—for one lb. of ham, the purée of one-half lb. of pressed tomatoes, cooked in butter with one half-capsicum, rubbed through a sieve and very much reduced.

Dish the _soufflé_ in a buttered timbale; sprinkle the surface with a pinch of red capsicum, cut in fine _julienne_ fashion, and cook as described above.

1427—SOUFFLÉ DE JAMBON GASTRONOME

Dish the selected ham _soufflé_ preparation in layers in a buttered timbale, and between each layer of it spread a litter of noodles, tossed in butter.

Sprinkle the surface with chopped truffles; set a ball of truffle well in the centre of the _soufflé_, and cook in the usual way.

1428—SOUFFLÉ DE JAMBON MILANAISE

Dish the ham _soufflé_ preparation in a buttered timbale, and spread it in alternate layers with a fine garnish à la Milanaise (No. 1258).

Deck the surface with small pieces of poached macaroni, fried in butter; sprinkle with grated cheese, and cook the _soufflé_ in a moderate oven.

1429—SOUFFLÉ DE JAMBON PERIGOURDINE

Dish the soufflé preparation in layers in a buttered timbale, and between each layer spread a litter of truffle slices. Besprinkle the surface with chopped truffles, and cook the _soufflé_ in the usual way.

1430—MOUSSES ET MOUSSELINES CHAUDES DE JAMBON

_Mousses_ and _Mousselines_ are made from the same preparation as “Farce mousseline de jambon,” in pursuance of the general principles given under No. 195.

The need of differentiating the terms arises from the fact that _mousses_ are poached in a mould the contents of which are sufficient for a number of people, whereas _mousselines_ are spoon-moulded quenelles, shaped like eggs.

In the preparation of “Farce mousseline de jambon” it is necessary to allow, in the salt seasoning, for the amount of salting the ham has already received.

If the meat of the ham is not very red, the colour of the forcemeat may be intensified by means of a little vegetable red, in order that it may be of a distinct pink shade.

1431—TREATMENT AND ACCOMPANIMENT OF HAM MOUSSE

Put the forcemeat in a deep border-mould, somewhat like a Charlotte, and poach it under cover in a _bain-marie_.

That the poaching may be regular, keep in water at a constant temperature of 205° or 208° Fahrenheit, and allow forty-five minutes for the operation in the case of a _mousse_ made in a quart mould.

The preparation is seen to be cooked when it swells and rises in the mould.

As soon as this occurs, withdraw the latter from the _bain-marie_; let it stand for five minutes, that its contents may settle; turn it upside-down on a dish, and wait two minutes before removing the mould. In any case, do not take off the mould until the liquid which has drained from it, all round the dish, has been soaked up. Ham _mousses_ are chiefly accompanied by Suprême sauce, or Veloutés with curry or paprika; sometimes, too, a highly-seasoned and buttered half-glaze sauce, with Madeira, Port, or Marsala may be used. The most suitable garnishes for ham _mousses_ are those I have already given for Ham.

1432—TREATMENT AND POACHING OF HAM MOUSSELINES

As I have already stated, _mousselines_, like quenelles, are moulded with a spoon.

They may also be laid, by means of a piping-bag, on the bottom of the well-buttered sautépan in which they are to be poached; they are shaped like meringues, even or grooved, and, in either case, they are decorated with lozenges, crescents, or discs, &c., of ham or truffle.

Having carried out the selected method of preparation, cover them with boiling water, salted to the extent of one-third oz. per quart, and poach them for from eighteen to twenty minutes, taking care to keep the water at a constant temperature of 208° F. These _mousselines_ may also be poached dry in a steamer or in a drying stove.

1433—MOUSSELINES DE JAMBON ALEXANDRA

Decorate the _mousselines_, prepared according to one of the two methods above described, with one lozenge of ham and another of truffle. Poach them; drain them well, and dish them in the form of a crown. Cover them with an Allemande sauce, flavoured with ham essence, and combined with two oz. of grated Parmesan per pint of the sauce, and glaze quickly.

After taking the _mousselines_ out of the oven, set in their midst a heap of asparagus-heads, cohered with butter.

1434—MOUSSELINES DE JAMBON A LA FLORENTINE

Spread a layer of shredded spinach, fried in butter, on a dish.

Upon it set the poached and well-drained _mousselines_; cover them with the same sauce as that prescribed for the “Mousselines Alexandra,” and glaze them quickly.

1435—MOUSSELINES DE JAMBON A LA HONGROISE

Poach the _mousselines_, the forcemeat of which must be flavoured with paprika. Drain them; dish them in a circle; cover them with Hongroise sauce, and glaze them quickly.

On withdrawing the dish from the oven, set a fine heap of baked cauliflowers with cheese in the middle of it.

1436—MOUSSELINES DE JAMBON AUX PETITS POIS

Proceed exactly as described under No. 1433, but substitute for the asparagus-heads a garnish of very small peas cohered with butter.

=Cold Ham.=

1437—JAMBON FROID A LA GELÉE

When ham is to be dished cold, it should, if possible, be allowed to cool in its cooking-liquor, except when it has to be boned. In the latter case, take it out as soon as it is cooked; incise it underneath, following the edge of the cushion; detach and remove the bones.

Now roll up the ham; bind it tightly in a piece of linen, and cool it under pressure.

Whether boned or unboned, skin it when it is cold; remove some of its fat, and sprinkle it with cold, melted aspic until the latter covers it evenly.

Dish it up; fix a frill to it, and surround it with fine aspic dice.

1438—JAMBON SOUFFLÉ FROID

Proceed exactly as in No. 1421, but substitute for the _soufflé_ preparation therein described the cold ham _mousse_ below.

1439—MOUSSE FROIDE DE JAMBON

_The Preparation of the Mousse._—Finely pound one lb. of very lean, cooked ham; add to it one-third pint of cold Velouté, and rub through a fine sieve.

Put the resulting purée into a basin; season it; work it on ice for a few minutes, and mix therewith, little by little, one-quarter pint of melted aspic. Finally combine two-thirds pint of half-beaten cream with it.

The _mousse_ may be moulded, either in an aspic-_clothed_ mould, decorated with truffles, as explained under No. 956, or in small _cassolettes_, lined with a thin strip of paper inside their brims, after the manner of small, cold _soufflés_.

As the dishing and serving of _mousses_ are always the same, the reader is begged to refer to those recipes dealing with the question.

1440—MOUSSE FROIDE DE JAMBON A L’ALSACIENNE

Take a deep, square dish and garnish it, half-full, with fine, ham _mousse_. Even the surface of this layer of _mousse_, and, when it has set, arrange upon it some shells, raised by means of a spoon dipped in hot water, from a foie-gras Parfait. As soon as this is done, pour over the foie-gras shells, a sufficient quantity to cover them of half-melted succulent chicken aspic with Madeira, and let this jelly set.

When about to serve, incrust the dish in a block of ice.

1441—MOUSSE DE JAMBON AU BLANC DE POULET

Garnish a deep, square dish with some ham _mousse_. When the latter has set, arrange thereon the _suprêmes_ of a very white, poached fowl. These _suprêmes_, cut into regular collops, should be coated with a white chaud-froid sauce.

Cover with aspic, as directed under “Mousse à l’Alsacienne,” and serve.

N.B.—If desired, the collops need not be coated with chaud-froid sauce, but, in this case, they should be covered with aspic.

1442—MOUSSELINES FROIDES DE JAMBON

These _mousselines_ are made from the same preparation as that used for the _mousse_, and, but for the basic ingredient, which is not the same, they are treated after the manner described under “Petites Mousses de Homard” (No. 958). To avoid needless repetition, therefore, the reader will kindly substitute the word ham for lobster in the recipe just referred to.