Chapter XXIII: Part 23

=1411. Eggs à la Cockrane.=--Take two sweet Spanish peppers, one ounce of cooked smoked beef tongue, cut them with a tube into slices the size of a cent, place them on a dish with six mushroom buttons until further action. Chop up very fine one sound peeled shallot, and put in a sautoire with a teaspoonful of butter, let cook for two minutes on the hot range. Chop up very fine the remainder of the tongue and Spanish peppers, place them in the sautoire with the shallot, moisten with a tablespoonful of Madeira wine, let simmer for one minute, then add half a gill of tomato sauce (No. 205), and half a gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151). Cook for two minutes. Add now the peppers, tongue, and mushrooms (which were laid on a dish) and let boil for one minute more. Arrange six fried bread croûtons on a hot dish. Poach six very fresh eggs as for No. 404, and place one egg on each croûton, then with a larding needle take up one mushroom from the pan, and lay it on the top of the egg right in the centre, then take up a piece of pepper, lay it on the right of the mushroom, lengthwise, and then take up a piece of tongue, and place it on the left of the mushrooms, and continue the same with the rest of the eggs. Pour the remaining sauce around the dish, but not over the eggs, and immediately send to the table.

=1412. Eggs à la Lloyd Aspinwall.=--Take out from a can six large cêpes, lay them on a dish, and with a tube two inches in diameter, cut them perfectly round; place them in a sautoire on the range, with a tablespoonful of clarified butter and a finely chopped sound shallot; let cook for three minutes on a brisk fire, tossing well once in a while. Season with a tablespoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of pepper, adding the third of a clove of garlic finely chopped up; toss all well for one minute longer, and then lay the pan on the corner of the range. Have a deep silver dish lightly buttered; take up the six cêpes from the pan, arrange them nicely around the dish, place the dish at the oven door to keep warm.

Chop up very fine the remaining trimming of the cêpes, place them in the same pan in which the cêpes were cooked, add half a teaspoonful of freshly chopped parsley, squeeze in the juice of half a medium sized sound lemon, add a gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151), and let the whole boil for one minute; pour the sauce all around the cêpes, but not over them. Crack a fresh egg over each cêpe, being careful not to break the yolk, sprinkle a little salt over each egg, place them in the hot oven for two minutes; remove from out the oven, and immediately send to the table.

=1413. Omelette Crême de Vanille à la R. A. C. Smith.=--Pour into a saucepan on the hot range two gills of fresh milk, add to it four ounces of powdered sugar, and also one vanilla bean, let come to a boil, take the pan from off the range, and let cool off. Remove the vanilla bean, dry it with a napkin, place it in a glass bottle with powdered sugar, cork it tightly, and use whenever necessary, as it will keep for any length of time. Add to the milk three heaped tablespoonfuls of _rice flour_--which can be had at Park & Tilford’s--and with a wire whip thoroughly beat together, place the pan on the hot range, and continually stir until it boils, then place the pan on the corner of the range, and let cook slowly for twelve minutes; strain it through a very fine hair sieve into a bowl, add to it a teaspoonful of fresh butter, mix it thoroughly, and then leave it in a warm place for further action.

Make an omelette exactly as for No. 450, and just before folding the sides up place half of the preparation right in the centre, fold up, and gently turn it on a hot silver dish; place the rest of the preparation in the pastry bag (No. 1079), in which you previously slide down a small tube at the bottom, press down, make a small rose at each end of the omelette, dredge a little powdered sugar over the omelette, gently glaze it with a red iron, decorate the sides with any kind of dry cakes at hand, cut in triangular shape, and send to the table.

=1414. Omelette à la Clark.=--Make preparation exactly the same as for No. 1413, only substituting half a wine glass of Maraschino for the vanilla, and proceed with the rest precisely the same.

=1415. Omelette Hughes.=--Have a preparation made the same as in No. 1413, but using a teaspoonful of extract of orange flower, in place of the vanilla, proceed and serve the same.

=1416. Omelette à la E. L. Godkin.=--Cut into quarters three fine sound small limes; place them in a saucepan on the hot range, with one wineglassful of white wine (but not Rhine wine); let reduce to three quarters--which will take about six minutes. Place a clean napkin over a bowl; pour the whole over the napkin; fold it up at both ends, then sharply twist the ends in different directions, until the juice is all squeezed into the bowl. Have a preparation the same as in No. 1413, and use the above instead of the vanilla, proceeding with the rest exactly in the same way.

=1417. Omelette à la M. Ballou.=--Grind two heaped tablespoonfuls of fresh roasted coffee (Java and Mocha by preference). Pour in a saucepan on the hot range one and a half cups of fresh milk; adding four and a half ounces of powdered sugar, and as soon as the milk boils, immediately add the coffee, thoroughly mixing with a spoon meanwhile; tightly cover the pan and place it on the corner of the range to infuse for three minutes, taking special care not to let it boil again. Strain it through a fine napkin into another saucepan, and let cool off; add then three tablespoonfuls of _rice flour_, thoroughly beat it with a whip, place it on the fire, and continually stir until it comes to a boil; then place the pan on the corner of the range and let slowly cook for twelve minutes. Make an omelette as in No. 450, and just before folding it up, place half of the preparation right in the centre, fold up, turn it onto a hot silver dish; liberally dredge the omelette with powdered sugar, glaze the surface with a red iron. Slide down a small tube into the pastry-bag (No. 1079), pour the rest of the preparation in, make a fancy border around the omelette, and send it to the table.

=1418. Omelette à la Mrs. W. L. Brown.=--Place in a pan two ounces of chocolate, with just enough milk to dissolve it on the hot range; add a cup and a half of fresh milk; continually stir until it comes to a boil. Dilute two tablespoonfuls of rice flour into two tablespoonfuls of milk, and add it to the chocolate, stirring briskly meanwhile; place the pan on the corner of the range, and let gently simmer for fifteen minutes, but do not allow it to boil.

Have an omelette made as in No. 450, and before folding place half of the preparation right in the centre, fold up, turn it over a hot silver dish. Place the balance of the preparation into the pastry-bag (No. 1079), with a small tube previously slided down; and by pressing the preparation, make a nice rosette at each end of the omelette. Decorate the dish all around with six lady-fingers cut in triangular shaped pieces; carefully press a little of the contents of the bag on each piece of lady-fingers, so as to have them represent pretty, small roses. Liberally dredge them with powdered sugar, then glaze the omelette with a red iron, and then send to the table.

N. B.--All these sweet omelettes should always be promptly made for the time of serving, otherwise it would be sufficient cause to fail to have them to perfection.

=1419. Eggs-Cocotte.=--Have six small thoroughly cleaned cocotières ready. Chop up, very fine, one medium-sized, sound peeled shallot, and the half of a sound peeled onion; place them in a sautoire on the range with a tablespoonful of butter, and cook slowly for three minutes, taking care not to let get brown. Chop up, very fine, twenty-four canned mushrooms, add them to the rest with one tablespoonful of freshly chopped parsley and a saltspoonful of chopped chervil (if at hand); season with a tablespoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of pepper, mix all well together with the spatula for a second, then add a gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151), and let all cook slowly for five minutes.

Pour a tablespoonful of the sauce into each cocotière, then break a fresh egg into each cocotière, pour a teaspoonful of the sauce over each egg, well spread. Place the cocotières on a tin dish, and bake in a very hot oven for two minutes. Remove from out the oven, lay them on a dish with a folded napkin and send to the table.

=1420. Eggs-Cocotte à la Wm. Bracken.=--Prepare and proceed exactly the same as above, only substituting one gill of hot Allemande sauce (No. 210) for the gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151) and serve the same.

FISH.

=1421. How to prepare Fillets of Sole.=--Procure two fine, fresh, medium-sized soles. Cut them straight on the back bone--commencing from the head right down to the tail. Carefully remove both fillets on the back with a sharp knife, turn them over, and do the same; make a light incision with a knife at the tail part--sufficiently large to get hold of with the thumb and forefinger--having in the right hand a keen knife placed flat under the fillet; carefully pull the skin with the left hand, holding the knife firmly and flatly, then proceed the same with the rest, and the fillets will be ready for use.

=1422. Fillets of Sole à la Miss Miege.=--Place the fillets of sole, prepared as in No. 1421, on a dish. Season with a tablespoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of pepper, equally divided. Turn the third of one end of each fillet down, so as to have one end of each higher than the other. Lay at the bottom of a well-buttered sautoire a small sprig of thyme, a small branch of parsley, adding half a glass of white wine and half a glass of mushroom liquor, tightly cover the pan, and then place it on the hot range to cook for five minutes. Have in a sautoire a tablespoonful of butter, with one and a half tablespoonfuls of flour; mix all well together, then place the pan on the hot range, and slowly cook, without browning, for five minutes. Remove the fillets from off the range, nicely dress them on a hot serving dish, one overlapping another, cover them with another hot dish, and leave at the oven door to keep warm. Add now the gravy of the fillets to the butter and flour, briskly stirring meanwhile; add again half a cup of mushroom liquor, if at hand--if not, the same quantity of white broth (No. 99) will answer--and let just come to a boil; then place on the corner of the range for four minutes. Take two cooked lobster claws, if at hand, slice each one in half, then, with a tube half an inch in diameter, cut it into small pieces, place them in the sautoire in which the fillets were cooked, with one sound sliced truffle and eight whole mushrooms, and a teaspoonful of butter; heat it up; then strain through a sieve the other sauce into this, gently shuffle the pan, so as to mix the whole well together for two minutes, then pour the sauce over the fillets. Decorate the dish all around with six heart-shaped bread croûtons (No. 133), and send to the table.

=1423. Fillets of Sole à la Thomas A. Edison.=--Put in a sautoire one peeled, finely chopped shallot, twelve chopped mushrooms, and a tablespoonful of butter, let slowly simmer on the corner of the hot range for five minutes. Season with one tablespoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of pepper, add a teaspoonful of freshly chopped parsley, and half a teaspoonful of chopped chervil, then pour in half a glass of white wine. Reduce the wine to one-half, and leave it on the corner of the range until further action. Place in a saucepan one tablespoonful of butter, with two tablespoonfuls of flour, cook on the range for five minutes, without browning, then add a cup and a half of hot milk, stirring continually while adding it; let come to a boil, season with one teaspoonful of salt, dredge in just a little grated nutmeg. Allow to slowly boil for twelve minutes. Add a tablespoonful of this preparation to the other containing the mushrooms and herbs, mix all well together for one minute. Prepare six fillets of sole as for No. 1421; lay them flat on a dish; mix a teaspoonful of salt with half a teaspoonful of pepper, equally season the fillets with it. Then evenly divide the mushroom garnishing among the six fillets, arranging it directly in the centre of each, crosswise; fold up each fillet carefully around the force lengthwise, then arrange them on a lightly buttered silver dish upright, one against the other, so as to prevent them from opening; sprinkle a little clarified butter over each, then place in the hot oven for five minutes. Remove from out the oven, place a whole mushroom on top of each fillet, right in the centre. Add now two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, to the white sauce which stands on the corner of the range, mix well together, then pour all the sauce evenly over the fillets, sprinkling a very little clarified butter over all. Place in a very hot oven to bake for five minutes. Remove from out the oven, nicely decorate the dish all around with six heart-shaped croûtons (No. 133), and serve.

=1424. Fillets of Sole au Gratin à la James G. Blaine.=--Prepare the fillets of two medium-sized fine soles as in No. 1421. Season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper mixed, then place them on a lightly buttered silver dish, one overlapping another, and giving a crown-shape, pour over two tablespoonfuls of white wine; place a whole mushroom on top of each fillet, cover all with a well-buttered paper, place in the hot oven for three minutes. Remove them from the oven, and leave at the oven door to keep warm.

Place in a saucepan a cupful of white wine, with one medium-sized, sound, peeled, and finely chopped shallot, one clove, three whole peppers, and one branch of parsley, then reduce on the hot range to a quarter. Place a tablespoonful of butter in another small saucepan, with two tablespoonfuls of flour; let gently cook on a moderate range for five minutes; add a gill of hot white broth (No. 99), briskly stirring while adding it; now add the reduced wine to this, and let the whole slowly boil for ten minutes; pour in a gill of sweet cream or a gill of very good milk, with a heaped tablespoonful of good butter, thoroughly mix together with a wooden spoon. Strain it then through a fine sieve into a bowl, pour it over the fillets, evenly divided, sprinkle half a teaspoonful of grated Parmesan cheese over, and also a very little clarified butter over all; then place the dish in the oven for seven minutes; remove from the oven and serve.

=1425. Fillets of Sole à la H. S. Jaffray.=--Have two medium-sized, fine, fresh soles, prepare the fillets exactly the same as for No. 1421, mix a teaspoonful of salt with half a teaspoonful of pepper, and with it evenly season the fillets, place them in a hollow dish with a sprig of thyme, one bay-leaf, and a branch of parsley, squeezing in the juice of a medium-sized, sound lemon; cover with another dish, and let marinate until further action.

Have in a sautoire eight mushrooms with one truffle, all cut into small dice-shaped pieces, pour in two tablespoonfuls of Madeira wine, let gently simmer on the range until almost dry, then add one gill of hot tomato sauce (No. 205), and one gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151), reduce the whole to one-half, which will take about eight minutes, then transfer into a cold dish, and let cool off. Remove the fillets from the marinade, pick out the six nicest, then with a keen knife make an incision in the side of each fillet, right in the centre, three inches in length by one and a half inches in width. Equally stuff the fillets with the preparation in the dish, give them a nice oval shape, then lay them in a lightly buttered silver dish. Cut the other two remaining fillets into three even strips, lengthwise, neatly pare the edges. Cut a fine, sound truffle with a tube half an inch in diameter, then cut it into very thin slices. Make four light incisions on the surface of each strip, quarter of an inch deep, insert a slice of truffle in each incision, and with a knife gently press down the opened parts, so as to hold in the truffles; place a strip over each fillet, right in the centre, lengthwise, pour half a wineglass of white wine at the bottom of the dish, sprinkle a very little clarified butter over all. Cover the fillets with a buttered paper, and then place in a moderate oven to bake for fifteen minutes. Remove from out the oven, take the paper off, pour a gill of hot Colbert sauce (No. 190) around the dish (not over the fillets), and then send to the table.

=1426. Fillets of Sole à la Chas. Webb.=--Prepare the fillets of two medium sized fine soles as for No. 1421. Season them with a teaspoonful of salt mixed with half a teaspoonful of pepper; keep them on a dish for further action. Have in a sautoire on the hot range one tablespoonful of butter well heated; add to it half a medium-sized sound, peeled, finely chopped onion; let slowly simmer without browning for three minutes, then add eight minced mushrooms, one teaspoonful of fresh, finely chopped parsley, half a teaspoonful of chopped chervil; season with a teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper, mix all well together while cooking for one minute, then moisten with two tablespoonfuls of white wine, and reduce until almost dry, then leave the sautoire on the corner of the range. Have in a small saucepan on the hot range, one tablespoonful of good butter well mixed with two tablespoonfuls of flour; let slowly cook for five minutes without browning, then gradually add a cupful of hot milk, briskly stirring while adding; boil for two minutes, then strain it through a sieve into the sautoire with the other preparation, mix all well together with the spatula while cooking for two minutes longer, and leave on the corner of the range. Lightly butter a silver dish, carefully place in the eight fillets, one overlapping another, all around the dish, in curb-chain shape; moisten their surface with a tablespoonful of white wine, sprinkle just a little clarified butter over them, and place in the hot oven for three minutes. Remove from out the oven, arrange eight whole fine mushrooms outside and all around the fillets, so that the stalk of each mushroom should be in each curb-chain and the button outside.

Place then the garnishing over the fillets evenly divided; sprinkle again a very little clarified butter over all. Place in the hot oven to bake for five minutes. Take from out the oven, squeeze the juice of half a sound lemon over the fillets, and then send to the table.

=1427. Fillets of Sole à la Gen. Sherman.=--Have eight fillets of sole prepared exactly the same as in No. 1421, and proceed with the garnishing precisely the same as No. 1426, only before placing them in the oven the first time, add twelve small, sound, freshly opened oysters, placing them right in the centre of the dish, and moistening the surface of the fillets with the liquor of the oysters instead of the wine; place in the hot oven for three minutes, and then continue the same operation.

=1428. Fillets of Sole à la Cornelius Vanderbilt.=--Prepare the fillets of two medium-sized fine fresh soles, as for No. 1421, place the six largest ones on a plate, season them with a teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper mixed together; lay them in the ice-box till further action. Put the two remaining fillets in the mortar, pound them until they are a perfect paste, then add the white of one egg, thoroughly mix together, gradually add half a cup of sweet cream, sharply and continually stir with the pounder while adding it, season with a teaspoonful of salt, and the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, also a very little grated nutmeg, sharply mix the whole together for one minute; remove it from the mortar, pass it through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing it with a wooden spoon. Take the six fillets from the ice-box, carefully make an incision at the side of each, right in the centre, three inches in length by one and a half in width. Place half of the preparation in a paper cornet, and with it equally stuff the six fillets. Lightly butter a pan (a tin one by preference) large enough to easily hold the fillets. Have six small, well-cleaned fresh smelts four inches in length; then with a keen, small knife carefully cut each smelt, beginning right in the centre at the base of the head, following down the back bone right through to the tail, cutting it entirely through, so that the head will hold both parts; remove the back bone of each, then arrange a smelt on top of each fillet lengthwise, and with the fingers twist each fillet of the smelt inwardly, up to the base of the head, so that they will represent two rings three-quarters of an inch in diameter; proceed the same with all. Place the rest of the force in a paper cornet, gently press the preparation into each ring of the smelts, up to the surface. Cut with a tube, half an inch in diameter, a good sized, sound, truffle; then slice it into twelve even pieces, arrange one slice right in the centre of each ring over the force, sprinkle a very little clarified butter over all; pour on the bottom of the pan half a glass of white wine and half a glass of mushroom liquor or white broth. Cover all with a buttered paper, and place in a moderate oven to bake for eighteen minutes. Remove from out the oven, take the paper off, then with a palette knife, or a cake turner, lift up the fillets one by one, and dress them on a very hot dish. Add either half a cup of mushroom liquor or white broth (No. 99) to the gravy in the pan, place it on the range, and let boil for one minute; then strain it into a saucepan on the range, add to it a teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, squeeze in the juice of half a sound lemon, and finally pour in half a gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151), boil for one minute more, and then pour in the gravy around the fillets, but not over them, and send to the table.

=1429. Fillets of Sole à la E. A. Buck.=--Have the fillets of two medium sized fine, fresh, soles prepared as in No. 1421, place six of them on a plate. Season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, and lay them aside till wanted. Place in a saucepan one finely chopped shallot, a teaspoonful of freshly chopped parsley, half a teaspoonful of freshly chopped chervil, and moisten with two wine glasses of white wine. Reduce on the hot range to one-quarter. Cut the two reserved fillets into very small dice-shaped pieces, and add them to the rest in the pan; then cook the whole for five minutes longer, thicken with a tablespoonful of Allemande sauce (No. 210), adding at the same time a tablespoonful of very good butter; mix well together, and leave the pan on the corner of the range to keep warm. Thoroughly heat, in a pan on the hot range, half a gill of clarified butter, then place into it the six fillets as rapidly as possible to fry on one side only, for one minute; immediately remove them from the pan, and place them on a napkin to dry. Lightly butter a silver dish, arrange the fillets over it, the cooked side up, in crown shape. Place the above preparation evenly over each fillet, right in the centre, and with a table knife give them a pretty dome shape, covering the fillets entirely. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over each, also a very little clarified butter, then place them in the hot oven to bake for eight minutes, so that they should obtain a good golden color. Remove from out the oven, pour a gill of hot tomato sauce (No. 205) around the dish, but none over the fillets, and then send to the table.

=1430. Fillets of Sole à la Marguerite.=--Prepare the fillets of two fine fresh soles the same as in No. 1421, place them on a dish, season with a teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of white pepper; turn, fold under about one inch of each fillet, place them in a buttered sautoire, pour over half a glassful of white wine, and half a glassful of mushroom liquor, cover with a buttered paper, and lay aside till further action.

Place in a saucepan one tablespoonful of very good butter, with two tablespoonfuls of flour, mix well together while cooking on the range for five minutes, without browning, then add a gill of hot white broth, (No. 99) sharply stirring while adding it, let slowly cook on the corner of the range for twelve minutes; season with half a teaspoonful of salt and just the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper. Crack the yolk of one egg in a bowl, squeeze in the juice of half a sound lemon, then gradually add a ladleful of sauce to the egg, continually stirring meanwhile; now pour it into the saucepan, briskly stirring while adding it, but under no circumstances allow it to boil again. Have eighteen small sound fresh mussels, wash them well in two different waters, drain, place then in a small saucepan, tightly cover with the lid, place on a moderate range. Cook for five minutes, or until they are completely opened; remove them from the fire, lay the pan on a table, then with a skimmer, take the mussels out, pick out the mussels, lay them on a dish, suppressing the shells. Strain the liquor of the mussels into the sauce on the range, mix thoroughly together.

Place the fillets in the oven to bake for five minutes. Remove them from the oven, dress on a hot serving dish, giving them a crown shape, one overlapping another; pour the gravy of the fillets also into the saucepan on the corner of the range, thoroughly mix together again, then add a tablespoonful of very good fresh butter, pour in half a cup of sweet cream, mix well again. Place in another saucepan twelve fine fresh picked shrimps and the prepared mussels; strain then the sauce through a fine sieve over mussels and shrimps, gently shuffle the pan, so as to mix all well together, and then pour it over the fillets of sole: decorate the dish with six heart-shaped croûtons (No. 133), and immediately send to the table.

=1431. Fillets of Shad à la C. Bliss.=--Procure a fine roe shad, thoroughly scale, then split it right down the back, carefully remove the roes, and also the bones, then cut it in half, lay one half aside with its roe for some other purpose. Cut out from the other half six equal fillets diagonally, one inch thick, suppress the skin of each fillet, nicely pare off the corners, and then place them on a large soup plate. Season with a teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, the third of a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, squeeze in the juice of a medium-sized sound lemon, add one sprig of thyme, one branch of parsley, a bay-leaf, and three cloves. Gently mix the whole well together, without breaking the fillets, and then let marinate till further action.

Place the roe belonging to the half shad in a saucepan on the hot range, with a tablespoonful of very good butter, and half a wineglassful of white wine; let slowly cook for five minutes. Carefully remove the roe with a skimmer, place it on a dish, and then, with a knife, remove the skin from all around, place it back into the saucepan, and add another half a glass of white wine, gently mix with a fork, so as to thoroughly separate the eggs, and then let slowly simmer on the corner of the range. Place in another saucepan a tablespoonful of butter and one and a half tablespoonfuls of flour, mix well together on the hot range for five minutes, without browning; add to it now a cup of hot milk, briskly stir until it comes to a boil. Season with a teaspoonful of salt, and half a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper; cook for five minutes longer, then strain it through a sieve into the other saucepan, and mix the whole well together for two minutes, and leave it again on the corner of the range. Take the fillets from the marinade, gently lay them on a napkin, remove all the herbs that may adhere around them, fold the napkin over and gently dry them. Steep each fillet in beaten up egg, and then, gently turning them in fresh bread-crumbs, immediately plunge them into very hot fat to fry for four minutes, so that they all shall obtain a good golden color. Place six oval-shaped croûtons on a hot dish. Take up the fillets, place one on each croûton around the dish; pour the prepared sauce around, but not over them, and immediately send to the table.

=1432. Fillets of Shad à la Chas. C. Delmonico.=--Prepare six fillets of shad as for No. 1431, place them on a dish, season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, and lay aside until further action. Place the roe of half the shad in a saucepan on the fire with a tablespoonful of butter and a glass of white wine, and let simmer for five minutes, then with a skimmer remove the roe, place it on a dish, remove the skin from all around, and place it back in the pan. Season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, and with a fork separate the eggs; add now eight finely chopped mushrooms, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and half a teaspoonful of finely chopped chives. Cook for five minutes longer, then pour it into a dish to cool. Heat in a frying-pan on the fire two tablespoonfuls of clarified butter; rapidly place the six fillets in the pan, and fry for a half a minute on each side, but no more. Remove them from the pan with a palette-knife or a cake turner, place on a dish and leave there until further action. Have six double sheets of unruled white paper, cut each in a half-breast shape, eight inches long by four and a half in width, open each half heart paper, which will then represent a full heart-shape form, grease each one well with clarified butter; lay them on a table, one beside another. Prepare twelve very thin slices of cooked ham, one inch square; place one slice over each half-heart paper, right in the centre, place on top of each slice of ham two tablespoonfuls of the preparation waiting for action, then lay a fillet over each garnishing, then again two tablespoonfuls of garnishing over each fillet, and another slice of ham over all. Gently fold the paper over each fillet, then fold each paper in small folds, one inch in width, beginning at the widest part of each paper, coming right down to the end, and then give a sharp twist, so as to firmly close them. When all finished, place them in a tin baking-pan, not in a black one; place in a moderate oven to bake for eight minutes. Remove from out the oven, dress them on a hot dish, one overlapping another, and with the points up, and immediately send to the table.

=1433. Fillets of Shad à la Whitelaw Reid=.--Place the six fillets of shad, prepared the same as in No. 1431, on a dish, season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper. Slice up in julienne shape half a medium-sized, sound peeled onion, and half a well-scraped carrot; place these in a saucepan, with half a teaspoonful of butter, a branch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, half a bay-leaf, four whole peppers, and two cloves; place the pan on the range, and let gently simmer for three minutes; then gently lay one shad roe in the centre of the pan, without breaking it; pour in a half glass of white wine, tightly cover the pan, and let slowly simmer for ten minutes. Remove the roe, place it on a hot dish to keep warm. Add to the carrot two gills of either mushroom liquor, or white broth (No. 99), and let simmer again for five minutes. If using mushroom liquor, season with one teaspoonful of salt; if broth, no salt will be required. Place in a saucepan one tablespoonful of butter with two tablespoonfuls of flour; mix well together for five minutes on the hot range, without browning; gradually add to the latter the stock of the other pan; sharply mix the whole together until it comes to a boil. Place the fillets in a buttered sautoire, with twelve freshly opened, medium-sized oysters--their liquor; tightly cover the pan, and slowly cook on the range for five minutes. Then remove the fillets with a palette knife; arrange three at each side of the roe, one overlapping another. Add twelve mushrooms to the oysters; heat up for one minute; then place at each end of the roe a cluster of both oysters and mushrooms, (six of each). Have the yolk of an egg in a bowl, squeeze into it the juice of half a medium-sized, sound lemon; add then also half a gill of sweet cream; beat well together, then gradually pour into the same bowl three tablespoonfuls of the sauce from the pan, continually stirring meanwhile; then add this to the sauce in the pan, mix the whole well together for one minute. Strain it through a fine sieve, right over the fish, covering all, and then send to the table.

=1434. Fillets of Shad à la Keppler and Schwarzman.=--Prepare six fillets of shad as for No. 1431. Season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, and place them in a dish for further action.

Cut one ounce of raw, lean ham into very small dice-shaped pieces, place it in a saucepan with half a teaspoonful of butter on the range; let gently simmer for two minutes, but do not allow to get brown; then add to it one fine, sound, peeled, chopped shallot, four mushrooms, and two truffles cut into small dice-shaped pieces, pour in a glass of white wine, then place in the shad roe. Cover the saucepan tightly, and let simmer for five minutes. Gently remove the roe with a skimmer, lay it on a dish, and remove the skin from all around, replace it in the pan, prick it with a fork so as to separate the eggs. Season with a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, and then cook for five minutes longer. Place in a small saucepan one tablespoonful of butter and two tablespoonfuls of flour, mix well together on the hot range for five minutes without browning, then add to it two gills of hot white broth (No. 99); stir well till coming to a boil, grate in just a little nutmeg, place the pan at the corner of the range, and let simmer for eight minutes. Have the yolk of an egg in a bowl with two tablespoonfuls of sweet cream; beat well together, and then, take two tablespoonfuls of the sauce from the pan and add it to the cream and yolk, thoroughly mix, then add it to the sauce in the saucepan, thoroughly mix the whole for one minute, while heating, but it should not be allowed to boil again. Strain it through a fine sieve into the pan with the garnish, mix all well together, and keep it in a warm place. Have a well-buttered sautoire, lay the six fillets one alongside another, pour over them two tablespoonfuls of white wine, place six mushroom buttons with the fillets, tightly cover the sautoire and let slowly cook on the range for five minutes, remove the pan from the fire. Have six heart-shaped croûtons ready (No. 133). Arrange one croûton on a hot dish, the pointed part toward the border of the dish, and then, with a palette knife, gently take up one fillet, place it on about half the length of the croûton overlapping, then another croûton, a fillet, and so on, giving them a crown shape; place one mushroom on top of each fillet, then gently pour the garnishing over all without disarranging them. Cut into half, lengthwise, a medium sized sound lemon, then cut one half into very thin slices, crosswise, then arrange them jointly all around the border of the dish with the rind outward; cut one sound truffle into very thin slices, and with a tube, one quarter of an inch in diameter, cut out as many round pieces as there are slices of lemon; place a piece on each lemon right in the centre on the edge where it was cut first. Cut out from the remaining slices of the truffle as many diamond-shaped pieces, as there are pieces of lemon; place a piece between each section of the lemon and serve.

All the dressing for decorating the dish should always be prepared before the fillets are dressed on the dish.

=1435. Fillet of Bass à la Chauncey M. Depew.=--Procure a fine, fresh, striped, small bass of about three pounds, scale, remove the entrails, and wash thoroughly. Cut the head off, and split it into half right down the back bone, remove all the bones. Cut out three even fillets from each half, suppress the skin, neatly pare them all around, giving them a heart-shaped form. Evenly season with a tablespoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper, and place on a dish till further action.

Place in a sautoire one finely chopped sound shallot, with half a medium sized sound green pepper, cut into small dice-shaped pieces; place the pan on the hot range, adding a teaspoonful of butter; let slowly simmer for three minutes, without letting get brown. Add now the parings of the fillets, with eight whole mushrooms and one truffle, all chopped very fine, pour in half a glassful of white wine, let reduce to three-quarters. Season with half a teaspoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of pepper, and then leave it on the corner of the range.

Have a saucepan on the range with a tablespoonful of butter and two heaped tablespoonfuls of flour; mix thoroughly together, and let stand on the corner of the range for five minutes without browning; gradually add a cupful of hot milk, continually stirring while adding it, and let slowly simmer for twelve minutes. Add two tablespoonfuls of this sauce to the other preparation to thicken, thoroughly mixing together for two minutes. Take from off the fire, lay on a table.

Lightly butter a baking pan; lay the six fillets over it, seeing that they do not touch one another; then equally divide the preparation over each fillet--well spread; place on top of this a teaspoonful of the white sauce, which is waiting action on the range, gently spreading it with a small knife, so as to completely cover the first layer of each fillet. Arrange four very thin slices of truffles, cut with a tube half an inch in diameter, right in the centre of each fillet, lengthwise, one overlapping the other. Sprinkle a very little clarified butter over all, pour half a glassful of white wine at the bottom of the pan (not over the fillets), then place in a moderate oven for ten minutes. Remove from the oven, gently arrange them on a hot serving dish with a palette knife. Add to the remaining sauce on the fire, half a gill of sweet cream, let it come to a boil; strain it through a fine sieve into a hot bowl, then pour it all around the fillets, but not over them, and send to the table.

=1436. Fillet of Bluefish à la Vénitienne.=--Procure a fine, fresh, medium-sized bluefish, from two and a half to three pounds, thoroughly remove the entrails, cut the head off, split in half right down the backbone, remove the spine, cut each half into three equal pieces, triangular shape, neatly pare the edges. Place the fillets in a well-buttered baking-pan. Season with a tablespoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of pepper; pour a glassful of white wine over all, and let marinate until further action. Place in a saucepan the parings of the fish, as well as the back-bone; cut it into three pieces, suppressing the head; place the pan on the hot range, pour in a glass of white wine, and a quart of cold white broth (No. 99), let it come to a boil, and then immediately skim it; add now one sprig of thyme, a very small bay-leaf, one branch of parsley, one medium-sized, sound, sliced onion, and one small sliced carrot; then let slowly simmer for fifteen minutes.

Place in a small saucepan one tablespoonful of butter, and two of flour, thoroughly mix on the range for seven minutes, or until it obtains a good golden color. Strain the fish-broth into a bowl, then gradually add it to the roux (flour), continually stirring meanwhile; add to this half a gill of tomato sauce, let all cook for ten minutes, skim it once in a while. Add twelve sound whole mushrooms; leave on the corner of the range till further action. Now place the fillets in the hot oven to bake for ten minutes. Remove from out the oven, carefully dress them on a hot dish in star shape. Remove the mushrooms from the sauce with a skimmer, place them right in the centre of the fillets, pour the sauce over all, so as to completely cover the fillets, and serve.

=1437. Canapés à la Edw. Van Volkenberg.=--Have four ounces of lean cooked ham, thoroughly pound it in the mortar; add to it now one ounce of hard fresh butter, mix well together; add four fine, small Antwerp anchovies; the juice of a small sound lemon, or the juice of one lime, if at hand, and not quite the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper; pound the whole well together again. Remove it from the mortar, place on a dish in the ice-box until further action.

Cut out from an American stale bread six round pieces four inches in diameter and an inch thick, place them on a tin baking-pan, sprinkle a very little clarified butter over each, and place in the hot oven for four minutes, or until they have obtained a good golden color. Remove from the oven, and cool for one minute. Have in a saucepan on the fire two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese and a tablespoonful of grated Swiss cheese, with a tablespoonful of sweet cream, and continually stir until thoroughly dissolved. Remove it then from the fire, and let slightly cool off.

Take the preparation from the ice-box, and equally divide it over the croûtons, giving them a dome shape, and then equally divide also the cheese over the preparation. Place them in a baking-dish, and bake them in a very hot oven for three minutes. Take from out the oven, dress on a hot serving-dish with a folded napkin over it. Have six stoned olives, turn half a small anchovy around each olive, place one on top of each canapé upright, decorate the dish with a few parsley greens, and serve.

=1438. Canapés à la Frank A. Watson.=--Place in a mortar four ounces of the finest quality of Russian caviare, the juice of a fine sound lime, thoroughly mix for three minutes; add to it a finely peeled, sound, chopped shallot, and not quite the third of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, also half an ounce of fresh firm butter, four anchovies (small), and the yolk of one hard-boiled egg; sharply pound the whole well together until to a perfect paste, then remove it from the mortar, and leave on a dish in the ice-box till called for.

Cut out from an American stale bread six round croûtons four inches in diameter by one inch in thickness; lay them on tin baking-pan, sprinkle a very little clarified butter over each, and place in the hot oven for four minutes. Take them out, and let cool off for one minute. Remove the preparation from the ice-box, and evenly divide it over the six croûtons, giving a nice dome shape. Chop up very fine the white of the hard-boiled egg which is left over, lay it on a saucer, adding to it two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, mix well, and equally divide it over the six canapés. Arrange them on a baking-dish, place in a very hot oven for three minutes. Remove from out the oven, dress them on a hot serving-dish with a folded napkin over it; decorate the dish all around with a few parsley greens, and six quarters of lemon, arranged at equal distances, and then serve.

=1439. Striped Bass Boiled à la Lorenzo C. Delmonico.=--Procure a fine fresh bass of about four to five pounds, neatly scale it, remove the entrails, and wash it well. Have a fish-kettle with one carrot and one onion, finely sliced, placed at the bottom; add one sprig of thyme and one parsley root, one bay-leaf, six cloves, and twelve whole peppers, place the fish lifter over the ingredients, and then lay the bass in a straight position on the lifter; completely cover the bass with cold water, add four heaped tablespoonfuls of salt and half a glass of vinegar; place it on the range, and let slowly come to a boil, which ought to take about thirty minutes.

Have in a saucepan half a finely chopped-up shallot, with a good glassful of red wine; reduce on the range to just one-half, add to it one gill of Espagnole sauce (No. 151), let come to a boil, squeeze in the juice of half a sound lemon, and leave on the corner of the range till required. Peel eight small, sound potatoes, give them a nice egg-shape, wash them, place in cold water with a tablespoonful of salt, and boil for about twenty minutes; drain them, lay a napkin over to keep warm.

Have twelve freshly opened medium-sized oysters, place in a sautoire with their own liquor, let them come to a boil on the range, skim well, and add a tablespoonful of good butter, with twelve small mushrooms. Cut the tail part of a small cooked lobster into half an inch square pieces, add it to the oysters, let cook together for two minutes. Lift up the fish with the lifter, let drain over the kettle for one minute, then gently slide it on a hot dish with a folded napkin over it, place a cluster of four potatoes at each end of the fish. Have either six scallop or clam shells well cleaned. Place two oysters on each shell, then two mushrooms, and equally divide the lobster on the six shells.

Add to the sauce in the pan in which the oysters were cooked, one tablespoonful of demi-glace (No. 185), mix a little, and then evenly pour it over the six fillets. Arrange three shells at each side of the fish. Strain the other sauce into a sauce-bowl, and send to the table separate.

=1440. Cold Bass à la James Gordon Bennett.=--Procure a fine striped bass of about six pounds; scale, remove the entrails, and thoroughly wash it. Place at the bottom of a fish kettle one sliced carrot, one sliced onion, one parsley root, one bay-leaf, four cloves, and twelve whole peppers. Place the lifter over the vegetables, and then gently lay the bass straight on top of it. Completely cover the fish with cold water. Season with a handful of salt, adding a wineglassful of white wine, then let slowly heat on a moderate fire until it comes to a boil. Remove the kettle from the fire, and let it thoroughly cool off in its own broth. Remove the fish from the kettle, lay it on a cold dish, dampen a napkin in the broth, and completely cover the fish with it to prevent the bass getting dry; then place it in the ice-box until further action. Strain three quarts of the fish broth into a saucepan, add a medium-sized sound, sliced lemon, and let it reduce on the hot range to one-half, add one leaf of Peter Cooper’s clarified gelatine (if not at hand, use one ounce of the other gelatine), let thoroughly dissolve, stirring it meanwhile with a wooden spatula. Prepare in a bowl the white of two fresh eggs, including the shells; thoroughly mix together; add now a cupful of cracked ice. Remove the gelatine from the range, place it on a table; gradually add to the eggs a ladleful of the gelatine, continually stirring the eggs meanwhile; and then add this to the saucepan, stirring while adding it; place it on the corner of the range, let it slowly come to a boil, and then boil for two minutes. Remove it from the fire; strain it twice through either a wet flannel bag or a wet clean napkin into a vessel, and let cool off.

Wash well and boil two quarts of fine white hominy for thirty-five minutes; season with a tablespoonful of salt, pour it into a flat pan, and let thoroughly cool off.

Take the fish from the ice-box, remove the napkin, gently lay it over the prepared hominy. Cut with a knife a square piece of about three ounces of jelly; let it lightly dissolve in a pan on the corner of the range, stirring continually. Prepare a pint and a half of mayonnaise, as for No. 206; add the dissolved jelly to the mayonnaise, mixing it thoroughly, then with a wooden salad-spoon pour the mayonnaise right straight down the centre of the fish, beginning at the head right down to the tail, and continue so on until the fish is completely masked from head to tail; put it in a cool place to let the mayonnaise and jelly get firm.

Have six small cleaned timbales, one and a half inches in diameter by two inches deep; place at the bottom of each a thin, round slice of truffle, cut with a tube half an inch in diameter. Dissolve about two ounces of jelly, taking care that it is not very hot, pour a teaspoonful of the jelly at the bottom of each timbale. Have a bowl with ice-water in it, dip in each timbale without letting any water get into them; turn them gently, so as to have them completely coated inside with the jelly. Have six heaped tablespoonfuls of cooked macédoine (No. 1032) on a dish; season with a teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of white pepper, and a teaspoonful of good wine vinegar, mix all well together, then equally divide it into the six timbales, but do not pour the vinegar remaining on the plate; pour in the balance of the dissolved jelly evenly over the macédoine in each timbale, place them in the ice-box to cool.