Chapter IV: Part 4

_Genoise._--Put two ounces of butter in a small saucepan, set it on the fire, and when melted, mix in it a tablespoonful of flour; stir for one minute, add one-fourth of a carrot, sliced, stir now and then, and when nearly fried, add also a pint of broth, half a pint of claret wine, a small onion, and a clove of garlic, chopped; two cloves, a bay-leaf, two stalks of parsley, one of thyme, salt, and pepper; boil gently about one hour and forty minutes, and strain. If it boils away, add a little broth. Put it back on the fire with about half an ounce of butter, boil gently for about ten minutes, and it is ready for use.

This sauce is excellent with any kind of boiled fish, but especially with trout, pike, and pickerel.

A trout served with a _genoise_ sauce is considered a _recherche_ dish.

_Hollandaise._--Set one ounce of butter on the fire in a saucepan, and when melted, add half a tablespoonful of flour, stir, and when turning rather yellow, add half a pint of broth, stir for one minute; add also four sprigs of parsley and four mushrooms chopped fine (one truffle sliced, if handy, would be excellent), a liquor-glass of Madeira, Port, or Sherry wine; boil gently ten minutes, stirring the while, and serve.

_Indian._--This sauce may be used with fish, in summer and in southern places.

Have a stewpan on a moderate fire, with two ounces of butter in it; when melted, add a teaspoonful of pimento, salt, a pinch of saffron, and one of grated nutmeg, also one and a half tablespoonfuls of flour--the latter you sprinkle in, little by little, stirring the while; cover with broth, boil twelve minutes and strain; afterward add two ounces of butter, stir a little, and use.

_Italian._--Tie together two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, and a bay-leaf; put them in a stewpan with two or three mushrooms cut fine, one shallot, a small onion with a clove stuck in it, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, and half a pint of white wine; set on a gentle fire, and reduce it half; then add about one tablespoonful of olive-oil and half a pint of broth, simmer forty minutes, strain, and use.

_Lobster._--Chop very fine or pound some of the flesh of a boiled lobster. Take a white or blonde sauce, and instead of taking it from the fire when done, turn the chopped flesh into it with a little piece of butter; stir, give one boil, and it is ready for use.

_Craw-fish, prawn, shrimp,_ and _crab_ sauces are made the same as _lobster_ sauce.

_Madeira._--Mix cold in a saucepan two ounces of butter with a tablespoonful of flour, set on the fire and stir till it turns rather brown; when add nearly a pint of gravy, stir till it is becoming thick; then add half a pint of Madeira wine, little by little, stirring the while, give one boil only, salt to taste, and then strain and use.

_Champagne_ sauce is made in the same way, except that it must be poured in faster and used immediately.

All wine sauces may be made in the same way. We mean wine sauces for meat or fish.

_Maitre d'Hotel._--This sauce is sometimes called _butter_ _maitre d'hotel_. Mix and knead well together in a bowl, two ounces of butter, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley and the juice of a half lemon; salt to taste and use.

Pepper, grated nutmeg, and chopped chives, may be added if liked. Using vinegar instead of lemon-juice makes an inferior sauce.

_Mayonnaise._--In warm weather it is necessary to put the bowl on ice while making it. Put one or two yolks of fresh eggs in a bowl with a small pinch of salt; commence stirring with a box-wood spoon, or, what is still better, a stone or marble pestle. Stir without interruption, always in the same way and describing a circle. It is more easily done if the bowl is held steady. After having stirred about half a minute, commence pouring the oil in, drop by drop, and as soon as you see that it is thickening pretty well, add also a few drops of vinegar and same of lemon-juice; then continue with the oil in the same way. Every time that it becomes too thick, add a little vinegar, but continue stirring. You put as much oil as you please; two bottles of oil might be used and it would still be thick. Spread it on chicken salad, etc.

_Tartar._--Chop some capers and shallots very fine, mix them well with a _mayonnaise_ when made, and you have a Tartar sauce.

_Mushroom._--Proceed exactly as for caper-sauce, using chopped mushrooms instead of capers.

_Piquante._--Take a small saucepan and set it on the fire with two ounces of butter in it, and when melted add a small onion chopped; stir, and when nearly fried add a tablespoonful of flour, stir, and when turning rather brown, add half a pint of broth, salt, pepper, a pickled cucumber chopped, four stalks of parsley, also chopped, and mustard; boil gently about ten minutes, add a teaspoonful of vinegar; give one boil, and serve.

_Another way._--Set the chopped onion on the fire with one gill of vinegar, and boil gently till the vinegar is entirely absorbed, or boiled away. Make the same sauce as above in another pan, omitting the onion and vinegar, and when done mix the two together, and it is ready for use.

_Another._--Add three shallots, chopped fine, to the chopped onion, and proceed as above for the rest.

_Parisienne._--Make a bunch of seasonings with six sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, and two cloves; put it in a saucepan with half a pint of chopped truffles, and about a pint of white wine; set on the fire and boil gently till about half reduced, strain, put back on the fire, turn into it, little by little, stirring the while, nearly a pint of gravy or _consomme_; continue stirring now and then till it begins to turn rather thick, add pepper to taste, strain, and use with fish and game.

_Poivrade._--Put a piece of butter the size of an egg in a stewpan, and set it on the fire; when melted, sprinkle in it, little by little, about a tablespoonful of flour, stirring the while; when of a proper thickness, and of a brownish color, take from the fire, add a tablespoonful of vinegar, a wine-glass of claret wine, a glass of broth, a shallot cut in two, a middling-sized onion, also cut in two, with a clove stuck in each piece, a sprig of thyme, one of parsley, a bay-leaf, a clove of garlic, a little salt, and two pepper-corns; boil about twenty minutes, strain and use.

The vinegar, shallot, and onion may be boiled separately as for a _piquante_ sauce.

_Polonaise._--Put four ounces of butter in a saucepan on the fire, and when melted add two or three tablespoonfuls of the soft part of bread, bruised in a coarse towel; stir for about one minute, salt to taste, and use.

Like the _Parisienne_, it is used with game.

_Poulette._--Set a stewpan on the fire with a piece of butter the size of an egg in it; when melted, sprinkle in it a tablespoonful of flour, stirring the while; pour gently in it also, and little by little, a glass of warm water, and a wine-glass of white wine, or broth instead of both, salt, pepper, a sprig of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, a chopped shallot, a little nutmeg, four small white onions, and two or three mushrooms (the latter cut fine and fried in butter before using them); simmer till the whole is well cooked, strain and use.

In case it should be found too light, add when done, and before taking from the fire, two or three yolks of eggs, and the juice of a lemon.

_Princesse._--Make a cream-sauce with one pint of cream and set it on a moderate fire; immediately turn into it, stirring the while, about half a pint of reduced, good meat gravy; when thoroughly mixed, add two or three ounces of butter, stir for a couple of minutes longer, strain and use immediately.

It is a very rich sauce, used with boiled fish and roasted or baked meat.

_Provencale._--Chop fine two or three mushrooms, and two shallots; put the whole in a stewpan with a clove of garlic, and two tablespoonfuls of olive-oil; set on a moderate fire, and leave till half fried; then sprinkle in it half a teaspoonful of flour, stirring the while; add also half a pint of white wine, and as much broth, and two small onions, two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, half a bay-leaf, salt, and pepper; simmer about half an hour, take from the fire, and a few minutes after skim off the fat; take out the garlic, onions, parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf, and it is then ready for immediate use.

_Ravigote._--Chop fine, and in equal proportion, two tablespoonfuls of chervil, tarragon, and pepper-grass, also, in equal proportion, one teaspoonful of burnet and table celery; place the whole in a stewpan with salt and pepper, cover with broth, set on the fire, and boil twenty minutes; after which take from the fire, and strain. Mix two ounces of butter with flour enough to make a paste, put it with the sauce on the fire, add a tablespoonful of cider vinegar; simmer till of a proper thickness, and use.

_Robert._--Put about four ounces of butter in a stewpan, set it on a moderate fire; when melted, sprinkle in it about a tablespoonful of flour, stirring the while; when of a brownish color, add three small onions chopped fine, salt, and pepper; stir, and leave on the fire till the whole is turning brown, then add a glass of broth, boil about thirty minutes, and strain; mix well in a cup one teaspoonful of vinegar, one of sugar, and one of mustard, which mix again with the sauce, and it is ready to be used.

_Remolade._--Chop very fine a small handful of chervil, tarragon, and burnet, in equal proportion, and put them in a saucer or boat; add salt, pepper, nutmeg grated, and mustard, to taste; also one or two hard-boiled eggs cut in dice; mix the whole gently and well; then add the vinegar, and lastly the oil. The two latter ones are put in little by little, stirring gently the while. Serve as it is.

_Another._--Proceed as for the above, except that you chop fine with the chervil, etc., some parsley, shallot, and garlic; the five spices in equal proportion.

When finished, add also a pinch of sugar.

_Roux._--Set a small saucepan on a moderate fire, with two ounces of butter in it; sprinkle into it, when melted, a tablespoonful of flour; stir, and when turning brown, use.

_Shallot._--Chop the shallots, and proceed as for caper-sauce, using them instead of capers.

_Soubise._--Put about half a pint of good meat gravy in a saucepan; set it on the fire, and when boiling add half a gill of Madeira wine; when well mixed, add also two or three tablespoonfuls of _puree_ of white onions, salt, and pepper; boil five minutes, stirring now and then, and it is made.

A _soubise_ is an excellent sauce for baked or boiled fish, also for roasted meat.

_Supreme._--This sauce is made in several ways. We will give here the three principal ones:

1. Make an _Allemande_ sauce; and when done, add to it two ounces of butter and half a gill of _consomme_; stir and mix, and place on a brisk fire to start it boiling at once; take it from the fire as soon as it becomes thick; then add a few drops of lemon-juice, and use.

2. Make a _roux_; add to it about half a pint of chicken gravy; stir or boil five or six minutes; then add two ounces of butter, the juice of a lemon, a pinch of parsley chopped fine; give one boil, and use.

3. This is made like No. 2, except that you use an _Allemande_ sauce instead of a _roux_, and besides the pint of chicken gravy, etc., you add also half a gill of white wine.

It is used especially with roasted chicken and game.

_Tomato._--If you use fresh tomatoes, blanch them first; if preserved, use them as they are in the can. Put one pint of tomatoes in a saucepan with a small onion and a clove of garlic sliced; also two stalks of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, one clove, six pepper-corns, and salt; boil gently till reduced about one-third, when mash gently through a strainer or sieve; all the tomato-seed and seasonings must remain in the strainer; put back on the fire, with a little piece of butter; give one boil, and it is done.

_Truffle._--This sauce is made like a caper-sauce, using chopped or sliced truffles instead of capers.

_Veloute._--This and gravy is nearly the same thing. It is gravy made as directed for gravy, with the addition of a dozen mushrooms chopped fine; and is used for sauces, like gravy, to make sauces richer than with broth.

_Vinaigrette._--Put salt and pepper in a saucer (and mustard, if it is to be used with butcher's meat; but with fish, chicken, or birds, it is really too strong; it neutralizes the delicate flavor of the object), and pour vinegar over, little by little, beating with a fork at the same time; then pour the oil, also little by little, and while beating; a little chopped parsley is also added; and serve with cold meat, fish, or vegetables.

It is quickly made, is good, and makes an excellent dish for breakfast, served as we said above.

_White._--Put two ounces of butter in a small saucepan and set it on the fire, stir a little, and as soon as melted, remove on a rather slow fire; add a tablespoonful of flour, stir continually till thoroughly mixed (two or three minutes); then add again about a pint of boiling water, pouring gently, and stirring the while, take off when it begins to turn thick; add a yolk of egg beaten with a teaspoonful of cold water, mix it well with the rest, and it is ready for use; after having mixed, also salt and white pepper to taste.

_Oyster._--Add to a white sauce some oysters blanched; then stir and mix with the whole the juice of half a lemon.

_Muscle._--Boil the muscles about one minute and make as oyster-sauce.

SAUCES FOR PUDDINGS.

_Milk._--Put in a block-tin saucepan four tablespoonfuls of sugar, one of flour, four yolks of eggs, one pint of milk; essence to flavor, and mix the whole well; set on a good but not sharp fire, stir continually till it begins to become rather thick; take off, turn over the pudding, and serve.

_Madeira._--Set a saucepan on the fire with one ounce of butter in it; as soon as melted, add half a tablespoonful of flour, stir till it turns rather yellow, and add also one pint of water, four ounces of sugar, and a few drops of burnt sugar; boil gently, about twenty-five minutes; add nearly a gill of Madeira wine, boil again ten minutes, and serve in a boat.

_Rum._--Proceed as for Madeira-sauce, except you use half a gill of rum instead of Madeira.

_Brandy._--Proceed as for rum-sauce, using the same proportion of brandy.

FARCES AND GARNITURES,

CALLED ALSO GARNISH AND GARNISHING, USED TO DECORATE OR ORNAMENT DISHES.

_With Bread._--Put in a tureen about a pound of the soft part of bread, and cover with broth; when it has absorbed the broth, place it in a stewpan, set it on a slow fire, and leave till it becomes a thick paste; stir now and then, then mix well with it three yolks of eggs, and it is ready for use.

_With Cabbage._--Throw into boiling water a little salt and a middling-sized cabbage; boil it half an hour, take it from the kettle with a skimmer, throw it in cold water, and drain it, pressing it a little in the drainer to force the water out; cut off the stump, and chop the cabbage fine. Have in a stewpan on the fire, three or four ounces of fresh butter; put the cabbage in when the butter is half melted, sprinkling on while stirring a teaspoonful of flour; pour on it, little by little, some broth, stirring the while, and when it has a fine brownish color, wet with broth enough to boil it; season with salt, a little grated nutmeg, and four pepper-corns; boil gently till the sauce is thick enough, take away the pepper-corns, and use.

_With Combs of Chicken._--Soak the combs over night in cold water, and then clean them well by wiping roughly with a coarse towel, wetted and salted; wash and drain them; put a dozen of them in a saucepan with two sweetbreads blanched, cover the whole with broth, and boil till done; then add salt, pepper, a few drops of lemon-juice, and it is ready for use.

_With Cauliflowers._--Proceed as for cabbage in every particular, except that it does not require as long doing.

With _Croutons._--Cut pieces of soft part of stale bread in different shapes, and fry them on both sides in butter or fat.

For potage, they are cut in dice, but for decorating dishes, they are cut either round, square, oblong, or of a heart, star-like, half moon, butterfly, or flower shape, and about one-quarter of an inch thick. Take them off with a skimmer, and turn into a colander to drain.

The cut _d_ is used for potage, and _a_, _b_, _c_, etc., are used to decorate.

_Duxelle._--Make a _fines-herbes_ sauce, and when ready to be used, add half a gill of gravy, and give one boil; add also two or three yolks of eggs, simmer one minute, and use warm.

Mushrooms, whole or in slices, may be added at the same time the yolks of eggs are added.

_With Eggs._--Mash and mix well together six hard-boiled yolks of eggs with three yolks not cooked, salt and pepper. Put the mixture in parts on the paste-board, which must be previously dusted with flour; roll each part and give it the shape of a small egg (a pigeon's egg or a little larger). When the whole is thus prepared, drop in boiling water, boil till cooked, and use to decorate meat or fish.

_Financiere._--A garniture _financiere_ is the same as a garniture with combs of chicken, to which are added some mushrooms and truffles, both cut in slices.

It is generally served with a roast chicken.

_With Livers._--Geese livers are the best, being the fattest. Drop two geese livers in boiling water and a little salt, boil three minutes and drain. Put in a saucepan one gill of broth, same of white wine, Sauterne or Catawba, a tablespoonful of gravy, six pepper-corns, two or three stalks of parsley, salt, and the livers; set on the fire and boil gently for about twenty-five minutes. Take off the livers, boil a few minutes longer to thicken the sauce, turn it over the livers through a strainer, and it is ready.

The same may be done with the livers of poultry or any other kind of birds; the seasonings are the same, and the proportion is according to the size or to the number of livers.

Besides being used as garnishing, it may be served as a breakfast dish.

_Macedoine._--Blanch a dozen of Brussels cabbages. Blanch also half a dozen asparagus cut in pieces about an inch long. Put four ounces of butter in a saucepan on the fire, and when melted put it into a gill of carrots, same of turnips, both cut with a vegetable spoon, also a dozen small onions; stir now and then till the whole is about half done, when add a little over a pint of broth and the Brussels cabbages; boil about ten minutes. Then add again the blanched asparagus, half a dozen mushrooms, broth just enough to cover the whole, simmer till every thing is done, salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of sugar and it is ready for use.

Water may be used instead of broth, but is inferior.

A _macedoine_ may be served with any meat--roasted, baked, or broiled.

_With Mushrooms._--Chop fine half a pint of fresh mushrooms and two tablespoonfuls of parsley. Set a saucepan on the fire with two ounces of fat grated salt pork in it, as much butter, and as soon as the butter is melted put the mushrooms and parsley in; season with salt, pepper, a little grated nutmeg, and a quarter of a pint of white wine; let boil gently till reduced to a jelly, and use.

When done, three or four yolks of eggs may be mixed with it.

_With Onions._--Put a dozen onions in a crockery saucepan and half cover them with broth. Cover the pan as well as possible, simmer till cooked, then add a teaspoonful of sugar, salt, simmer again for about ten minutes, basting now and then, and serve warm with beef, mutton, or venison.

_Quenelles._--Chop fine one pound of fresh veal, half lean and half fat--the fat nearest the kidney is the best; then pound it well and mash it through a sieve. Mix two yolks of eggs with it, and season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg grated, and powdered cinnamon. Spread flour on the paste-board, put a teaspoonful of meat here and there; roll gently each part into small balls, using as little flour as possible. They may also be rolled of an olive shape. Throw the balls into boiling broth or boiling water at the first boiling, boil five minutes and drain. As soon as cold they are ready for use.

_Boulettes_, _fricadelles_, _godiveau_, and _quenelles_ are one and the same thing.

Whole eggs may be used instead of the yolks only, add also a few bread-crumbs. To the seasonings above some parsley chopped fine may be added.

Make _quenelles_ with any kind of meat--butcher's meat, poultry, and game, also with fish well boned.

To the lean meat add the same weight of fat veal, as above directed, or, in its stead, beef suet.

Truffles or mushrooms, or both, may be added to the mixture, either of meat or of fish.

_Quenelles_ are used for garnitures, etc. They may be fried instead of boiled.

_Salpicon._--Cut in dice an equal quantity of each, and to weigh altogether about one pound and a half, calf sweetbreads, livers, or flesh of fowls, and ham--three kinds in all; also two mushrooms and two truffles; all must be nearly cooked in water beforehand. Put them in a stewpan, season with salt, pepper, a bay-leaf, a clove of garlic, an onion, a sprig of parsley, and one of thyme; cover with half a pint of broth, and as much of white wine; set on a slow fire; it must not boil, but simmer gently; stir now and then till the whole is well cooked; take out the bay-leaf, onion, garlic, parsley, and thyme. In case the sauce should not be thick enough, add a little fecula, stir, and leave awhile longer on the fire, and it is ready for use.

_With Truffles._--Slice the truffles and put them in a saucepan with a pinch of sugar, broth and claret wine enough to cover them, half of each, simmer for about twenty minutes, add a little potato starch, boil gently till it begins to thicken, and use.

_Lobster Butter._--Put the flesh of the two large claws of a boiled lobster with a little of the inside, about a tablespoonful, in a mortar and pound well. Add about the same volume of good butter and pound again till the whole is well mixed. It is then mashed through a fine sieve, and is ready for use. When the lobster has coral, it is pounded with the rest, and gives a fine color to the butter.

If the lobster has no coral, a piece of the reddest part of the shell is pounded with the rest, when the butter is to be colored.

This butter may be used instead of ordinary butter for fish-sauces, or for making a _maitre d'hotel_ for boiled fish, or for garnishing the same.

To clarify it, just put the butter into a bowl when made, put the bowl in a boiling _bain-marie_ for about half an hour, take off and immediately turn it through a cloth into a bowl half full of cold water. The cloth must be rather twisted, to cause the butter to run through. When it is in the bowl, stir it till rather hard; work it in a ball, and wipe it dry.

Thus clarified it is finer than when used merely mixed.

The same butter may be made, and in the same way, with _craw-fish_, _prawns_, and _shrimps_.

_Horse-radish Butter._--Grate some horse-radish and mix it well with about the same volume of butter, mash through a sieve, and it is ready for use.

_Tarragon_ and _garlic_ butter are made as the above.

If the butter be found too strong, use more butter and less of garlic, etc.

_Ravigote Butter_ (called also _Beurre de Montpellier_).--Blanch the following spices: parsley, tarragon, chives, chervil--parsley and chervil in equal proportion and about half as much of the two others, about two handfuls altogether--drain dry and put them in a mortar with two anchovies boned, one shallot chopped and bruised in a coarse towel, half a dozen capers, a rather small piece of pickled cucumber, four ounces of butter, two hard-boiled yolks of eggs, and the juice of half a lemon. Pound the whole well together, then add a tablespoonful of essence of spinach, mix well, mash through a sieve, and use.

This butter is excellent to decorate and to eat with cold fish. It is sometimes used with cold birds.

_Hazel-nut Butter._--Pound some hazel-nuts or filberts and then mix throughly with good butter, mash through a sieve, and use as ordinary butter. The proportion according to taste. It is easily prepared, and is delicious.

Do the same with _pea-nuts_, or any other nut.

_Melted Butter._--Put butter in a crockery vessel and place it above a pan of water or some other liquid, heated but not boiling, so that the butter will melt slowly and gradually. Sometimes the butter may be wanted soft only, or what is called melted soft, or thoroughly melted. It is easy to obtain those different states above with heated liquor, and the butter, though melted, is more firm than when melted on the fire.

_Scented Butter._--Whenever a certain flavor is desired with butter, put a piece of firm and good butter in a bowl with a few drops of essence, knead well, and then mash through a sieve.

PUREES.

_Purees_ are made with vegetables, but when the flesh or poultry or other birds is mashed through a sieve after being cooked, it is sometimes called a _puree_ also.

The bones of a ham, after the flesh is disposed of, is the most excellent thing you can put with the vegetables to boil them in order to make _purees_.

One-third of the bones of a middling-sized ham is enough for about a quart of vegetables.

When you have no ham bones, use four ounces of good salt pork, as lean as possible; but never use smoked pork, it gives a disagreeable taste to the puree.

_Of Dry Beans, white or colored, Kidney, Lima, or any other kind._--Dry beans must be soaked in cold water, or even in lukewarm water, when in a hurry. According to the nature of the beans, they must be soaked for from six to twenty-four hours.

Soak a quart of beans as directed above; drain and put them in a saucepan with one-third of the bones of a ham, or about four ounces of salt pork; cover with cold water, season with a bay-leaf, a sprig of thyme, two of parsley, two middling-sized onions, with two cloves stuck in them, and a carrot cut in pieces; when the whole is well cooked, throw away thyme, bay-leaf, onions, and cloves; mash well through a colander all the rest except the bacon.

While mashing them through the colander, wet them with some of the water in which they have boiled, else it would be difficult and long.

When mashed, put them in a saucepan with a little broth or water, salt, and two ounces of butter; stir now and then till the butter is melted and thoroughly mixed with the rest, and it is ready for use. The quantity of broth or water is according to how thick or thin they are wanted. The salt pork is good to eat.

_Of Lentils._--It is made in the same way as that of beans, except that they do not require to be soaked more than five or six hours in cold water.

_Of Peas (dry or split)._--Proceed as for lentils in every particular.

_Of Chestnuts._--Remove the skin of a quart of chestnuts and drop them in boiling water, with a little salt. As soon as the under skin comes off easily, take them from the fire, drain, drop them in cold water, and then remove the under or white skin; put them in a saucepan with about one quart of broth, set on the fire and boil gently till well done, and mash through a colander.

Then put the chestnuts, and what is left of the broth, in a saucepan, set on the fire, stir, add a pinch of sugar and an ounce of butter; give one boil, and it is made.

_Of Green Peas._--Wash a quart of green peas in cold water, and drain; put two quarts of cold water on the fire in a saucepan, with a little salt, and at the first boil throw the peas in, season with three or four sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, two onions, and two cloves, a carrot in slices, salt, and pepper; boil till tender. It may take only two minutes, or it may require half an hour, according to how tender the peas are.

Mash through a colander, and finish like puree of beans, using either broth or water. With broth it is richer and better.

_Of Lima Beans._--Proceed for green Limas as for green peas.

_Of Sweet Corn._--It is made like that of green peas.

_Of Asparagus._--Cut the eatable part of the asparagus in pieces, and proceed as for _puree_ of green peas.

_Of Potatoes._--Steam a quart of potatoes, and then mash them well; put them in a saucepan with half a pint of milk, two ounces of butter, and salt; set on the fire, stir now and then, take off and use. It takes about fifteen minutes after being set back on the fire.

_Another way._--Proceed as above, using broth or water instead of milk.

_Of Jerusalem Artichokes._--Prepared as potatoes.

_Of Carrots._--Clean well, and cut in slices, a dozen middling-sized carrots; put them in a stewpan with four ounces of butter, and set on the fire; when about half fried, cover with broth or water; season with half a bay-leaf, a small sprig of thyme, one of parsley, a small onion, and a clove stuck in it; when the whole is well cooked, throw away onion, clove, bay-leaf, and thyme, mash the rest through a colander; then put back on the fire, with a little butter; simmer for about two hours, stirring occasionally, and it is made.

In case it should turn too thick, add broth or water.

The longer they are simmered, the better the taste.

_Of Turnips._--Proceed as with carrots in every particular.

_Of Celery._--It is always made with turnip-rooted celery. Clean the celery well, wash and cut it in pieces, and prepare as _puree of carrots_, adding a teaspoonful of sugar.

_Of Cauliflowers._--Separate the branches, and throw them in boiling water and salt; boil two minutes and drain. Put them on the fire with broth or water, enough just to cover them, two or three stalks of parsley, and salt to season.

Boil gently till tender; remove the parsley; mash through a colander; put back on the fire with a little butter and white pepper, simmer about ten minutes, stirring now and then the while, and it is ready for use.

Instead of butter, some cream may be added.

_Of Pumpkin._--Made exactly the same as that of cauliflowers, after the pumpkin is peeled and cut in pieces.

_Of Squash._--Same as pumpkin.

_Of Spinach._--Clean the spinach, and cut off the stem; the leaf only is good; wash and drain it; put cold water and a little salt on the fire, and throw the spinach in at the first boil. When tender, drain and drop immediately in cold water; drain again, and then chop it very fine. After being chopped, it may be mashed through a sieve, to have it finer; put it back on the fire without any water at all, and when it gets rather dry, add a little flour; stir and mix; add again a little gravy or good broth; stir, then salt to taste, and it is ready for use.

If the spinach is young and tender, it takes only two or three minutes boiling before chopping it.

From the time it is put back on the fire, it takes about five or six minutes to finish it.

_Of Sorrel._--Proceed as with spinach in every particular.

_Of Mushrooms._--Clean well and cut in pieces a quart of fresh mushrooms; soak them in cold water, in which you have put the juice of a lemon; drain, and chop them fine. Put a stewpan on the fire, with a piece of butter the size of a duck's egg; when melted, put your mushrooms in; when half fried, add the juice of a lemon, finish frying, then cover with some roux-sauce; let simmer till it becomes rather thick, strain and use.

_Of Onions._--Peel, quarter, and blanch for eight minutes, a dozen onions. Drain and put them in a saucepan with four or six ounces of butter, according to the size of the onions; set on a slow fire, stir now and then till well done; then season with salt, a little flour, stir for two minutes to cook the flour, and mix it thoroughly with the rest; take from the fire; add cream, little by little, stirring the while. It does not require much cream to make the _puree_ of a proper thickness. Mash through a sieve or fine colander, add a pinch of sugar, and it is ready for use.

It makes an excellent _puree_, and is good served with nearly every kind of meat.

Made with white onions, and properly mashed through a sieve, it looks like cream, and is almost as white as snow.

FISH.

The Indians bleed the fish as soon as caught, because the flesh is firmer when cooked.

The Dutch and the French bleed the cod, which accounts for the better quality and whiteness of their cod-fish.

_To select._--To be good, fish must be fresh. It is fresh when the eyes are clear, the fins stiff, the gills red, hard to open, and without bad odor.

_To clean and prepare for boiling._--The sooner fish is cleaned the better. Cut the belly open, take the inside out, wash well and wipe dry immediately with a clean towel, inside and out. Place the eggs or soft roes inside, and tie with twine. It is then ready to be boiled.

If not cooked as soon as cleaned and prepared, keep it on ice.

_To clean and prepare for baking, frying, roasting, and to cut in pieces, etc._--Scale the fish well, holding it by the head or tail; cut the belly open and take the inside out; trim off the fins, gills, and tail; wash well inside and out, and wipe dry immediately.

Keep it on ice if not used immediately.

_Same Family, or Kind._--We give only one receipt for all the fishes of the same family, or having the same kind of flesh, as they are cooked alike, and require the same spices.

Almost every kind of fish is boiled, broiled, fried, or stewed. Some are better boiled than broiled, others better fried than stewed, etc. With few exceptions, any eatable fish may be cooked in these four ways. Few are roasted.

_To know when cooked enough._--It is very difficult, if not entirely impossible, to tell how long it takes to cook fish, as it depends as much on the size, kind, or quality of the fish as on the fire; but as soon as the flesh comes off the bones easily, the fish is cooked; this is very easy to be ascertained with a knife.

_To improve._--Clean the fish as for baking, etc., and lay it in a crockery vessel with the following seasonings under and upon it: parsley and onions chopped fine, salt, pepper, thyme, bay-leaves, and vinegar or oil; turn it over occasionally, and leave thus for two or three hours.

_To bone._--Slit the fish on one side of the backbone and fins, from head to tail; then run the knife between the bones and the flesh so as to detach the whole side from the rest; do the same for the other side.

For a flounder, or any other flat fish, slit right in the middle of both sides of the fish so as to make four instead of two pieces.

The head, bones, and fins are not used at all, and are left in one piece.

_To serve, when boiled._--The fish is placed on a napkin and on a dish or platter, surrounded with parsley, and the sauce served in a saucer.

_To skin._--Take hold of the piece of fish by the smaller end, and with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand; run the knife between the flesh and skin, moving the knife to and fro as if you were sawing. Throw away the skin, and the fish is ready for cooking.

If the skin were breaking, as it happens sometimes, take hold of it again, and proceed as before.

_To decorate._--Fish may be decorated with jelly, but it is easier and more sightly with craw-fish. The skewers are stuck in the fish as they are in a _fillet of beef_.

The craw-fish when boiled are red like the lobster, and, besides using them with skewers, some may be placed all around the fish; it is delicate eating as well as sightly. Skewers are never used with fish in _vinaigrette_, or when the fish is cut in pieces. The craw-fish has only to be boiled before using it for decorating fish.

_Shrimps_ and _prawns_ are used the same as craw-fish.

_Oysters_ are also used, raw or blanched; run the skewer through a large oyster or craw-fish, then through a slice of truffle; again through an oyster, truffle, etc.; through two, three, or more of each, according to the size of the skewer or of the fish.

_Fish-kettle._--A fish-kettle must have a double bottom. It is more handy to take the fish off without breaking it, and there is no danger of having it spoiled while cooking. Fish-kettles are found in every house-furnishing store.

_Baked._--Clean and prepare the fish, as directed for baking; put it in a baking-pan with salt, pepper, and butter spread all over it; just cover the bottom of the pan with water or broth; place a piece of buttered paper over it and bake. Baste two or three times; take off when done, and serve warm with a sauce.

While the fish is baking you prepare the sauce, put it in a boat, and serve warm with the fish.

A baked fish may be served with its gravy only, adding a few drops of lemon-juice or vinegar, or with any kind of sauce, according to taste.

_Balls._--Fish-balls are often called _fish-cakes_ or _fish-croquettes_. They are generally made with cold fish, but it may be cooked especially to make balls.

Fish, full of bones, like shad, is not fit to make balls; cod is the easiest.

Commence by chopping the flesh very fine, then chop fine also a small piece of onion and fry it with butter (half a middling-sized onion with two ounces of butter are enough for half a pound of fish); when fried stir in it a tablespoonful of flour, and about half a minute after turn the fish in with about a gill of broth or water, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg; stir till it turns rather thick, which will take two or three minutes; take from the fire, mix two yolks of eggs with it; put back on the fire for about one minute, stirring the while; then add two or three mushrooms or one truffle, or both, chopped fine. Turn the mixture into a dish, spread it, and put it away to cool for two or three hours, or over night.

Before cooking, mix the whole well, the upper part being more dry than that which is under; put it in parts on the paste-board, roll each part to the shape you wish, either round, oval, or flat; the paste-board must be dusted with bread-crumbs or flour to help in handling the mixture, then boil or fry, according to taste.

It may also be baked in cakes.

When fried, they may be dipped in beaten egg, rolled in bread-crumbs, and then fried in hot fat. (_See_ Frying.)

_Boiled._--Clean and prepare the fish as directed, and put it in a fish-kettle; cover it with cold water (sea-water is the best); add the following seasonings to a pound of fish: two stalks of parsley, one of tarragon if handy, one tablespoonful of vinegar, and half a middling-sized onion sliced; salt if boiled in fresh water. Set on the fire, and, for a fish weighing two pounds or under, take off at the first boiling--it is done enough. For a fish weighing five pounds, boil five minutes, etc., that is, about one minute for each pound. If it were a thick slice of fish instead of a whole one, weighing two or three pounds, it should be boiled two or three minutes longer, etc., according to thickness.

_Broiled._--Slit the fish on the back and clean it; salt and pepper it; have a little melted butter and spread it all over the fish, on both sides, with a brush, and broil it. (_See_ Broiling.)

While the fish is broiling, prepare a _maitre d'hotel_ sauce, spread it on the fish as soon as dished, and serve.

It may also be served with anchovy butter.

_Fried._--Any small fish of the size of a smelt, or smaller, is better fried than prepared in any other way.

Clean and prepare the fish as directed, wipe it dry. Dip it in milk, place in a colander for five minutes, then roll in flour, and fry. It may also be fried just rolled in flour.

_Another way._--When wiped dry, dip in beaten egg, roll in bread-crumbs, and fry.

_Another._--When wiped dry, dip the fish in butter, and fry. Then the fish is dropped in hot fat (_see_ Frying), turned into a colander, salted, and served hot, with fried parsley around or in the middle, according to how the fish is arranged in the dish.

Fry the following as above: _carp_, _tench_, _frost_, _bass_, _perch_, _black and blue fish_, _gold_, _loach_, _mullet_, _porgy_, _weak_, _flounder_, _pike_, _pickerel_, _smelt_, _sun_, _herring_, and _white-fish of the lakes_.

_A la Orly._--If it is small fish, like the smelt, it is prepared whole; if the fish is larger, it must be boned and skinned, and cut in pieces about two inches long. Roll the fish, or pieces of fish, slightly in flour; dip it in beaten egg, and roll it again in bread-crumbs; then fry it in hot fat as above.

When fried, serve it with a tomato-sauce.

The fish may be served on a napkin in a dish, and the sauce in a boat or saucer.

_Roasted._--The following fishes only are roasted: _eel_, _salmon_, _shad_, _pike_, _turbot_.

Clean and prepare as directed, and then tie with twine. Spread salt, pepper, and melted butter (with a brush) all over the fish, and then envelop it in buttered paper; set on the spit and roast. Baste with a little melted butter, and remove the paper about five minutes before it is done.

When on the dish the twine is cut off and removed, and it is served as hot as possible with the following sauces, to which tarragon is added in making them, if handy: _caper_, _Hollandaise_, _Mayonnaise_, _piquante_, _poivrade_, and _remolade_. A roast fish is served after roast meat.

_Another way._--Clean, and cut in slices half an inch thick, or leave entire, as it suits you; skin it well; lay it in a crockery vessel, spread over it some chopped parsley, grated nutmeg, salt, pepper, and two gills of white wine (this is for about three pounds), leave thus two hours; then take the fish only, envelop it in buttered paper, fix it on the spit before a good fire, baste with the wine and seasonings from the crockery dish, and when nearly done take the paper off; finish the cooking, basting the while, and serve with the drippings, to which you may add a little vinegar, sweet-oil, and mustard.

If there is any left, you can serve it cold the next day with an oil-sauce.

_Saute._--Scale, clean, and prepare the fish as directed. For one pound of fish put about one ounce of butter in a frying-pan on the fire, and when melted put the fish in; fry it on both sides, and serve it with a _maitre d'hotel_.

_Stewed._--Clean and prepare as directed three pounds of fish, cut it in pieces about two inches long. Put in a fish-kettle four ounces of butter, kneaded with a teaspoonful of flour, and the same of chopped parsley, add two or three mushrooms cut in pieces, salt and pepper, then the fish and a glass of claret wine, or a wine-glass of vinegar; cover with water, set on a good fire, boil gently till cooked; dish the pieces of fish, strain the sauce on them, spread the pieces of mushrooms over, and serve.

_Stuffed._--When cleansed, cut out the backbone from the head to within two inches of the tail, and fill its place with the following mixture: soak stale bread in cold water and then squeeze the water out; put one ounce of butter into a saucepan and set it on the fire; as soon as melted, fry in it one middle-sized onion, chopped fine; then add the bread; stir for two minutes, add also salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, two or three tablespoonfuls of broth; stir again two or three minutes; take the pan from the fire, add a yolk of egg, put back on the fire for half a minute, stirring the while, take off again, add a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and use. When full, tie the fish with twine; place it in a baking-pan, salt and pepper it; spread a little butter on it also; cover the bottom of the pan with cold water, bake and serve with its gravy.

If there is not gravy enough, or if it has dried away, add a little broth a few minutes before taking from the oven.

_Fish au Gratin._--Bone and skin the fish as directed. For a fish weighing about two pounds, spread one ounce of butter on a tin plate or baking-pan, spread over it half an onion, chopped; place the pieces of fish on them; add salt, pepper, a tablespoonful of vinegar or a wine-glass of white wine, and half an ounce of butter; spread over and bake.

While it is baking, put in a small saucepan one ounce of butter, and set it on the fire; when melted, add half a tablespoonful of flour, stir, and, when it is turning yellow, add also about one gill of broth, two tablespoonfuls of meat-gravy, the juice of the fish when baked (if the fish be not done when the time comes to put the juice in the pan, keep the pan in a warm place, and wait), salt, and pepper; boil gently about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the fish in a tin or silver dish, spread three or four mushrooms sliced over it; turn the sauce gently over the whole, dust with bread-crumbs; put half an ounce of butter, in four or five pieces, on the whole; bake ten or twelve minutes, and serve in the dish in which it is.

_In Matelote._--Every kind of fish is good in _matelote_, but the following are the best: _bass_, _black-fish_, _blue-fish_, _carp_, _eel_, _perch_, _pickerel_, _pike_, _porgy_, _tench_, _trout_, and _craw-fish_.

A _matelote_ may be made of eels alone, but it is better with eels and one, two, or three other kinds of fish.

Eels tasting of mud are not good. There is a sure way of taking away the muddy taste, but it is a rather expensive one. Boil them a few minutes in claret wine and a little salt, before using them.

Clean, and prepare as directed, one pound of eels, one pound of pike, and one pound of trout, or one pound of any of the fishes named above--in all, three pounds. Cut the fish in pieces about two inches long, fry it slightly with a little butter, and put it away for awhile.

Put four ounces of butter in a saucepan and set it on the fire; when melted, add two tablespoonfuls of flour, stir, and, when the flour is turning rather brown, add also about a quart of broth, a pint of claret, a bunch of seasonings, composed of half a dozen stalks of parsley, two of thyme, two bay-leaves, and two cloves, also salt, pepper, two cloves of garlic, and six button onions; boil gently for about half an hour. Then put the fish in with from six to twelve mushrooms, broth enough to cover the whole, if the broth and wine already in do not cover it; boil gently for about half an hour, or till the fish is cooked, tossing the saucepan now and then; dish the fish; place the mushrooms and onions all over; sprinkle the sauce over it through a strainer, and serve warm. _Croutons_ may be served around.

_Another, or Mariniere._--Prepare and cut the fish as for the above, but instead of frying it put it in a saucepan, into which you have put previously about half a dozen sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, two bay-leaves, two cloves of garlic, twelve small onions, two cloves, salt, and pepper; when the fish is placed over the above seasonings, cover entirely with claret wine. Set the saucepan on a sharp fire, and, as soon as it boils, throw into it a glass of French brandy, set it on fire, and let it burn. It will not burn very long, but enough to give a good taste to it. As soon as it stops burning, knead four ounces of butter with a tablespoonful of flour, and put it in the pan; toss the pan gently now and then till done. It takes about forty minutes with a good fire.

When done, dish the fish carefully, place the mushrooms all over it, the onions all around, strain the sauce over the whole, and serve warm.

_Croutons_ may also be served with the rest; put around the fish one _crouton_, then an onion, and so on, all around.

_Another._--Proceed as for the above, in every particular, except that you cover the fish and seasonings with broth and white wine, half of each, instead of claret. Serve in the same way.

A _matelote_ may be made three or four days in advance, and then warmed in boiling water (_bain-marie_) just before serving it.

Many prefer a _matelote_ made four days before eating it, and prepared in the following way: When made, put it away to cool as quickly as possible; twenty-four hours after that, warm it in boiling water; cool, and warm again in the same way once a day. If the sauce becomes thick, add a little broth. Serve warm.

_Vinaigrette_.--Boil a fish as directed, take it from the kettle and let cool; then dish it. Chop fine the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs; do the same with the two whites; chop also a handful of parsley. Put a string of the yolks on both sides of the fish, then along that a string of the whites, and along these a string of the parsley; along the parsley, and about half an inch apart, a string of capers. Cut a lemon in sixteen slices, and in the following way: first split the lemon in two lengthwise, then split again each half in two and lengthwise also; by splitting four times, you have sixteen pieces, resembling somewhat the carpels of oranges. After the first splitting, hold the piece of lemon with the nail of the left thumb, the rind downward, and always split lengthwise and in the middle. Place eight pieces on each side of the dish and along the capers, and serve cold, with stalks of parsley on top of the fish, and also two or three in its mouth.

Serve with it a vinaigrette, in a saucer or boat.

The following fishes, _bass_, _black and blue fish_, _carp_, _cat_, _dory_, _drum_, _gar_, _gurnard_, _herring_, _king_, _lump_, _mackerel_, _parr_, _perch_, _pickerel_, _pike_, _pilot_, _porgy_, _roach_, _rock_, _scup_, _sucker_, _sword_, _tautog_, _tench_, _trout_, _troutlet_, _weak_, and _weaver_, after being baked or boiled as directed, may be served with the following sauces: _anchovy_, _caper_, _genevoise_, _genoise_, _au gratin_, _Hollandaise_, _Italienne_, _matelote_, _tomato_, _Tartar_, and _vinaigrette_.