Chapter XIX: Part 19

Is more used as a sauce for entrées than as an entremet, the spring of the year is the only time it can be used for second course; pick and well wash a sufficient quantity of sorrel, drain and put it into a stewpan without any water, stir over the fire till it is melted, then lay it upon the back of a hair sieve, and with a wooden spoon rub it through into a dish; then put it into a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter and a spoonful of flour, mix well, season with a little pepper and salt, and half a pint of good stock, let boil; then take it from the fire and stir in four new-laid eggs separately, stirring a minute over the fire after each, then add three pats of butter, and serve as in the last, or in a deep silver dish, with eight poached eggs upon the top, or use for entrées if required.

No. 1091. _Laitue braisée à la Pensionnaire._

Procure twenty fine young cabbage-lettuces, pick off some of the outside leaves, wash the lettuces well, and blanch them in plenty of water till tender, then throw them into cold water, press in a cloth; tie up, put them in a stewpan with a little good stock, and braise in a moderate oven or over a moderate fire half an hour, then take them out and drain them upon a cloth, turn half the point of the green leaf over to give an oval shape, arrange them in a sauté-pan, cover with a good demi-glace (No. 9), and put them into the oven; poach twelve eggs, then make a border of mashed potatoes upon your dish, upon which dress the eggs and lettuces alternately, showing a little of the white, sauce over with a good sauce fines herbes (No. 26) and serve.

No. 1094. _Laitues farcis._

Prepare twenty fine lettuces, blanch them ten minutes in boiling water, throw them in cold water, press them in a cloth, then take out some of the interior, and fill with some forcemeat (No. 120) with which you have mixed some chopped parsley and mushrooms; tie them up and braise as above three quarters of an hour, take them up, drain, and serve with a sauce demi-glace (No. 9) over them.

No. 1095. _Fèves de Marais._

When young are very delicate, take two quarts directly they are shelled and boil them nearly ten minutes in salt and water, try if done, drain them upon a sieve, then put them in a stewpan, pour half a pint of good sauce maître d’hôtel (No. 43) over, and add a little chopped tarragon and powdered sugar, and serve. They are also very good plain boiled, with a few pats of butter laid over them.

No. 1096. _White Haricots Beans._

There is perhaps no white vegetable more in vogue in France than this, but although so well appreciated there and eaten by many English gourmets, they never think of having them dressed at home; it is true that the haricot in France is what the potato is in England, when in their prime and just taken from their shells, there are a great many epicures who would not dine without them. The reason I so strongly recommend them is because I have seen thousands of them in noblemen’s gardens, many of which are quite spoiled, and some dried for the winter season, when they might be dressed and eaten in their prime; I think, however, that when my readers know the simplicity of dressing them, and their moderate expense, they will at least give them a trial. They are very numerous about the month of September, but when old and dry I do not recommend them, they being very hard of digestion, and only fit to be used dry as directed in other parts of this work.

Have one quart of them fresh shelled, have also two quarts of water boiling, in which you have put two ounces of butter and a little salt, put in your beans and boil them about half an hour, or till tender, drain quite dry upon a sieve, then put them in another stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter, a little pepper and salt, toss them a few minutes over the fire, and when very hot turn them out upon your dish and serve.

No. 1097. _Haricots blancs à la Brétonne._

Boil the beans as in the last, then put two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions in a stewpan with an ounce of butter, stir over the fire till they become rather yellowish, then add half a pint of brown sauce (No. 1) and a piece of glaze the size of a walnut; boil a few minutes, then add the beans, drain quite dry, season rather high, and when quite hot pour them upon your dish and serve.

No. 1098. _Haricots blancs à la Maître d’Hôtel._

Boil the beans as before, and when done drain quite dry and put them into a stewpan with six ounces of maître d’hôtel butter (No. 79); toss them over, add a little more seasoning if required, and serve when quite hot. They may also be served plain boiled with a little butter upon them.

No. 1099. _Tomates au gratin._

Take ten fine tomatas not too ripe, cut a little from the top of each, press out the pips and juice, but do not break the skins or press away any of the flesh; fill the interior with a sauce as directed for artichauts à la barigoule (No. 1072), stand them in a sauté-pan, egg and bread-crumb all over, stand them in a hot oven a quarter of an hour, salamander of a good colour, and dress them pyramidically upon your dish.

No. 1100. _Tomates à la Piémontaise._

Proceed as above, but using a little garlic (scraped) in the sauce, likewise put a little salad-oil in the sauté-pan which serve under them.

No. 1101. _Mushrooms plain broiled._

Choose them rather large and black underneath, peel the skin from the top, and broil over a sharp fire, seasoning with pepper and salt; when done, place a small piece of butter upon each and serve; ten minutes is sufficient time to broil good-sized ones.

No. 1102. _Mushrooms farcis._

Procure twelve middling-sized mushrooms, scoop out part of the interior, make a good sauce aux fines herbes (No. 26) very thick, to which add the interior of the mushrooms, and a few bread-crumbs; fill your mushrooms, egg and bread-crumb over, place them in a sauté-pan in the oven twenty minutes, salamander a light colour and serve on a napkin.

No. 1103. _Croute aux champignons._

Procure a very fresh pottle of white mushrooms, which peel and trim, pass a few chopped onions in a stewpan with a small piece of butter (do not let them get brown), add a pint of sauce béchamel (No. 7); when boiling put in the mushrooms (raw), let simmer half an hour, season with a little salt, pepper, and sugar, and finish with a liaison of two yolks of eggs mixed with half a gill of cream, move round over the fire till it thickens, dress them upon your dish in the crust of a French roll, scooped out and fried for that purpose, and sauce over.

No. 1104. _Young Carrots in their glaze._

Scrape forty young carrots, which put into a stewpan with a teaspoonful of sugar, four young onions, a bunch of parsley, and a bay-leaf; just cover with a good white stock and stew till the carrots are tender, then take them out and dress in the form of a dome by sticking them into mashed potatoes; strain the stock they were stewed in through a napkin into a stewpan, add to it half a pint of brown sauce (No. 1), and reduce till it adheres to the back of the spoon, then add two pats of butter, sauce all over and serve.

No. 1105. _Young Turnips in their glaze._

Proceed exactly as for the carrots, only using white sauce instead of brown, and finishing with a liaison of one yolk of egg mixed with a spoonful of cream.

No. 1106. _Oignons Printaniers au Sirop dorée._

Peel about forty spring onions, each about the size of a walnut, put them into a stewpan, with one ounce of butter and one of powdered sugar, toss them occasionally over the fire, (but be careful not to break the outer skin,) until covered with a light glaze; cover with a white stock and stew very gently till quite done, drain them upon a cloth, dress neatly upon a border of mashed potatoes, reduce and skim the stock till nearly a glaze, add two pats of butter, sauce over and serve.

No. 1107. _Macédoine de Légumes Printanières._

Stew ten onions, ten carrots, and ten turnips, as directed in the preceding articles, dress them upon a border of mashed potatoes in three separate rows, have ready a white macédoine de légumes (No. 98), in which you have introduced some peas and asparagus heads nicely blanched, which dress in the centre as high as possible, and sauce over the vegetables with their stock reduced to a thin glaze.

No. 1108. _Pommes de Terre a la Maître d’Hôtel._

For dressing in sauce there is no potato to equal the French red kidney potato, which will keep as it is cut, whilst a round mealy potato would crumble to pieces, but being rather difficult to procure obtain some waxy kidney potatoes, which boil and stand by to get cold, then peel and cut them in slices, which put in a stewpan, with a little pepper, salt, and about half a pint of stock, set them upon the fire, let them boil two or three minutes, then add (if a sufficient quantity for a flanc dish) three quarters of a pound of fresh butter, keep shaking the stewpan round over the fire till the butter is melted, it will thus form its own sauce, finish with a tablespoonful of chopped parsley and the juice of a lemon, turn out upon your dish and serve. The potatoes require to be cut in slices the size of a halfpenny, but double the thickness; if not able to obtain the proper potatoes use melted butter instead of stock to boil them in, or having no consistence they would form a purée.

No. 1109. _Pommes de Terre sautées au beurre._

Cut your potatoes after boiling them as above, put half a pound of butter in a sauté-pan, let it melt, then put in the potatoes, fry a light yellow colour, season with a little pepper, salt, and lemon-juice; dress them upon a napkin and serve.

No. 1110. _Pommes de Terre à la Lyonnaise._

Cut your potatoes as above, then put three quarters of a pound of butter in a sauté-pan, with thirty button onions cut in rings, place them upon the fire and when becoming yellowish put in your potatoes, season with chopped parsley, salt, lemon-juice, and a good pinch of black pepper; when rather yellow and quite hot, serve.

No. 1111. _Lentilles_

Are only used in the winter, they are dried; put one quart of them in warm water, and let them soak two hours, then put them in a stewpan, with three quarts of water, a quarter of a pound of butter, and a little salt, let them simmer two hours, but they may require either more or less time, as that depends entirely upon the quality, there being two sorts, the smaller ones being the best. This perhaps is the only dish of vegetables that we have inherited from the ancients. Century after century have they been in vogue; they are mentioned in Scripture, and several of our great masters have immortalized that ancient dish in some of their most celebrated pictures; although not much in vogue in England, in France and upon the continent they are much used, especially in Lent. When boiled tender drain them upon a sieve, put them into a stewpan, with a little pepper, salt, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and a quarter of a pound of butter, with which you have mixed a teaspoonful of flour; keep tossing them over upon a sharp fire, and when quite hot dress in a croustade or within a border of mashed potatoes, as they would not look well dressed flat.

No. 1112. _Lentilles à la Comte au riz._

Cook your lentils as above, then put four pats of butter in a stewpan, with two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, pass them a few minutes over the fire, then add half a tablespoonful of flour, mix well and moisten with a little of the liquor from the lentils, boil two minutes keeping it stirred, then add your lentils and a little chopped parsley, boil altogether and finish with a liaison of two yolks of eggs mixed with half a gill of cream, stir in quickly and when it thickens serve as in the last.

No. 1113. _Truffles._

Périgord is the only place renowned throughout the world as the favourite soil for this recherché vegetable, and our celebrated diplomatist, Talleyrand de Périgord, was indeed a worthy owner, for he was not only a great diplomatist but likewise a great gourmet. Having an interview with any distinguished personage upon any question of political importance, after patiently hearing, his usual reply was, I will consider of it after dinner; perhaps your excellency will favour me with a call to-morrow morning;--and ringing the bell often call for his bill of fare and order some of his most favourite dishes. But in eulogizing Talleyrand and the produce of his estate I must not forget to mention that the truffles of Piedmont though partly white are very excellent, likewise in Burgundy, and many very good ones are now found in the southern counties of England, especially in Hampshire, but none are equal to those from Périgord. The white are dressed the same as the black.

No. 1114. _Truffes au vin de Champagne._

Soak twelve large truffles in lukewarm water two hours, then with a rather hard scrubbing-brush clean them well in two or three waters, picking the dirt from the eyes with a small pointed knife, when thoroughly clean cover the bottom of a stewpan with slices of fat bacon, one carrot, one turnip, two onions, (cut in slices,) a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf, six cloves, and one blade of mace, put in the truffles, which half cover with some good white stock, let simmer half an hour, then add half a pint of champagne, simmer another half hour, but be sure the cover of the stewpan fits tight, take off the stewpan and surround it with ice with a weight upon the cover; when quite cold drain and serve upon a napkin. None but the black truffles ought to be dressed in the above manner. I generally serve their liquor, which is excellent, in a sauce-boat with them. Season a little more if required.

No. 1115. _Croute aux Truffes._

Wash them as in the last and peel lightly with a knife, cut them into thin slices, put two ounces of butter in a sauté-pan, then your truffles, which season rather highly with pepper, salt, and two glasses of sherry, set them over a slow fire, turning them over occasionally; when tender and becoming glazy add a pint of demi-glace (No. 9), shake all round together over the fire a few minutes, add a little sugar, and serve them over four crusts, thus: cut two French rolls in halves lengthwise, scoop out the crumb, butter the crusts and broil them, glaze, lay them upon your dish and pour the truffles over.

No. 1116. _Truffes en croustade à l’Italienne._

Cut and fry a very pretty croustade of bread, dress it upon your dish, sauté your truffles as in the last, pour them into the croustade and sauce over with a white Italienne sauce (No. 31).

No. 1117. _Truffes demi Piémontaise._

Procure some truffles as large as possible, wash and peel as before, cut them in slices and put them into a sauté-pan, with six tablespoonfuls of salad oil, fry very gently, add two pieces of bruised garlic, a glass of sherry, and six spoonfuls of tomata sauce (No. 37), mix altogether well, boil gently, add a little sugar and juice of lemon, and serve them in your dish upon a piece of toasted bread.

No. 1118. _Truffes à la Dino._

If you should have some of the truffes au vin de champagne left from a previous dinner, scoop out the interior so as to leave them quite shells, chop what you have taken from them rather coarse, with a few mushrooms, mix them with a quarter of a pound of forcemeat of fowl (No. 122), season well, and fill each truffle with it, egg them all over and cover with some chopped truffles, braise them slowly in some good stock for one hour, and serve with a sauce à la purée de truffes (No. 53) under them.

No. 1119. _Omelette aux fines herbes._

Break eight eggs in a stewpan, to which add a teaspoonful of very finely chopped eschalots, one of chopped parsley, half ditto of salt, a pinch of pepper, and three good tablespoonfuls of cream, beat them well together, then put two ounces of butter in an omelette pan, stand it over a sharp fire, and as soon as the butter is hot pour in the eggs, stir them round quickly with a spoon until delicately set, then shake the pan round, leave it a moment to colour the omelette, hold the pan in a slanting position, just tap it upon the stove to bring the omelette to a proper shape, and roll the flap over with a spoon, turn it upon your dish, glaze lightly, and serve with a quarter of a pint of good demi-glace (No. 9) round; omelettes must not be too much done, and must be served as soon as done.

No. 1120. _Omelette au Jambon._

Break eight eggs, season, beat and fry as above, but adding two ounces of lean cooked ham, minced and chopped with the eggs, and using but half the quantity of salt, glaze and sauce round precisely as above.

No. 1121. _Omelette aux Truffes._

Make an omelette as for fines herbes, with the addition of two preserved truffles chopped very fine, have also three middling-sized truffles cut in slices, reduce half a pint of sauce demi-glace (No. 9) one third, add a little sugar and the truffles, boil three minutes, have the omelette fried in the pan, and when just ready to turn out upon the dish, put the truffles in the centre, with some of the sauce, turn the flap over with a spoon, turn on to your dish, glaze, and pour the remainder of the sauce round.

No. 1122. _Omelette aux Champignons._

Proceed exactly as for the last, merely substituting mushrooms for the truffles.

No. 1123. _Omelette aux Olives._

Boil half a pint of sauce demi-glace (No. 9) in a stewpan, reduce it one third, then add twelve stoned olives, and a little sugar; make an omelette as for fines herbes, put the olives in the interior, glaze, and sauce round.

No. 1124. _Omelette à la Jardinière._

Prepare rather more than half a pint of sauce à la jardinière (No. 100), have it hot in a stewpan, then make an omelette as before, and when ready to turn upon your dish put some of the sauce in the centre; glaze the omelette, pour the remainder of the sauce round, and serve.

No. 1125. _Omelette aux Huîtres._

Put half a pint of good oyster sauce (No. 69) in a stewpan, let it be well seasoned, reduce it one third, add twelve or sixteen blanched oysters, let boil up, then stir in a liaison of one yolk of egg mixed with a tablespoonful of cream; do not let it boil; when it thickens have an omelette as in the last; pour the sauce over, glaze, and serve.

No. 1126. _Omelette aux filets de Soles._

Put half a pint of good thick oyster sauce in a stewpan upon the fire; you have previously filleted a middling-sized sole, cut each fillet into six or eight small pieces, and when the sauce boils throw them in, boil three minutes, finish the sauce with a liaison, and proceed as in the last.

No. 1127. _Omelettes aux Moules._

Proceed exactly as for omelette aux huîtres, but using muscles and sauce (see No. 70) instead of oysters.

No. 1128. _Omelette de Homard._

Make about half a pint of nice red lobster sauce (No. 68), into which put the flesh of a small lobster cut in dice; when hot have ready an omelette as before, put some of the sauce in the interior, turn out upon your dish, glaze, and pour the remainder of the sauce round.

No. 1129. _Omelette au Sucre._

Break eight eggs into a stewpan, into which put a teaspoonful of sugar and four tablespoonfuls of cream; put two ounces of butter in an omelette-pan when quite hot, but not discoloured, pour in the eggs, and proceed as for the omelette aux fines herbes (No. 1119), turn out upon your dish, shake some powdered sugar over, salamander a nice colour, and serve.

No. 1130. _Omelette au Confiture._

Make an omelette precisely as in the last, and just before turning it upon your dish put two or three spoonfuls of jam or marmalade in the centre, sugar over, salamander, and serve.

No. 1131. _Omelette au Rhum._

The same as the last, but the moment of going to table pour three glasses of rum round and set it on fire.

Sweet omelettes may also be served with apricots passed in sugar or rhubarb, as directed in Nos. 1142, 1184; for the remainder of entremets of eggs, see Kitchen at Home.

ENTREMETS.

_Observations upon Pastry._

Although the art of making pastry is very nearly as old as the world, having been the delight of the ancients, and of the sensual inhabitants of Asia, it is only within the last twenty years that it has attained any degree of perfection, which is partly due to the talent and intelligence of my illustrious compatriot and confrère, CAREME, who has left little or no room for innovation in that vast field of culinary delight; but I shall endeavour as much as possible to simplify the present excellent system, and introduce as much novelty as I can into that department, which is considered the greatest ornament of the second course; I must here likewise observe that as ages change so also do the fashions. Fifteen years ago large ornamental pieces, (or pièces montées,) were very much in vogue, but at the present time I know many epicures that would object to sit down before those once favorite monuments, or colossal sugar ornaments, the modern table embellishments having very properly fallen into the hands of the silversmith. Simplicity, the mother of elegance, being now the order of the day.

_Of different sorts of Paste._

The variety of pastes is to the pastry what first stocks are to soups and sauces, and must be very properly first described, particularly as it is here to which I must refer my readers for paste even used for the hors-d’œuvres and entrées; to succeed you must be particular in your proportions, and very careful in the mixing, for although there is nothing more simple if pains be taken, so will the least neglect produce a failure, nor is it only with the making of the paste that pains must be taken, but likewise with the baking, for as paste badly made would not improve in baking, neither will paste, however well made, be good if badly baked; should the oven be too hot the paste would become set and burn before it was done; and, again, if too cold it would give the paste a dull heavy appearance, but an oven properly heated (which can be readily known by a little attention on the part of those in the habit of using it) will give it a clear brilliant appearance.

For every description of pastry made from puff paste, try if the oven is hot by placing your hand about half way in, and hold it there about a quarter of a minute, if you can hold it there that time without inconvenience it would not be hot enough, but if you cannot judge of the heat, the safest method would be, try a piece of the paste previous to baking the whole; I apply these few observations to all my readers, but particularly to the uninstructed, as a person of continual practice cannot fail to be aware of the truth of them.

No. 1132. _Puff Paste._

Put one pound of flour upon your pastry slab, make a hole in the centre in which put the yolk of one egg and the juice of a lemon, with a pinch of salt, mix it with cold water (iced in summer, if convenient) into a softish flexible paste, with the right hand dry it off a little with flour until you have well cleared the paste from the slab, but do not work it more than you can possibly help, let remain two minutes upon the slab; then have a pound of fresh butter from which you have squeezed all the buttermilk in a cloth, bringing it to the same consistency as the paste, upon which place it; press it out with the hand, then fold the paste in three so as to hide the butter, and roll it with the rolling-pin to the thickness of a quarter of an inch, thus making it about two feet in length, fold over one third, over which again pass the rolling-pin; then fold over the other third, thus forming a square, place it with the ends top and bottom before you, shaking a little flour both under and over, and repeat the rolls and turns twice again as before; flour a baking-sheet, upon which lay it, upon ice or in some cool place (but in summer it would be almost impossible to make this paste well without ice) for half an hour, then roll twice more, turning it as before, place again upon the ice a quarter of an hour, give it two more rolls, making seven in all, and it is ready for use when required, rolling it whatever thickness (according to what you intend making) directed in the following receipts. When I state that upwards of a hundred different kinds of cakes may be made from this paste, I am sure it will be quite sufficient to urge upon every cook the necessity of paying every attention to its fabrication, as it will repay for the study and trouble.

No. 1133. _Puff Paste with Beef Suet._

Where you cannot obtain good butter for making paste, the following is an excellent substitute: skin and chop one pound of kidney beef suet very fine, put it into a mortar and pound it well, moistening with a little oil, until becoming as it were one piece, and about the consistency of butter, proceed exactly as in the last using it instead of butter.

No. 1134. _Half Puff Paste._

Put one pound of flour upon your pastry slab with two ounces of butter, rub well together with the hands, make a hole in the centre, in which put a pinch of salt and the yolk of an egg with the juice of a lemon; mix with water as before, then roll it out thin and lay half a pound of butter (prepared as for puff paste) rolled into thin sheets over, fold it in three, roll and fold again twice over, lay it in a cold place a quarter of an hour, give another roll and it is ready for use where required; this paste is mostly used for fruit tarts, for which it is well adapted.

No. 1135.[13] _Pâte à dresser._

Put three pounds of the best flour upon your pastry slab, make a hole in the centre, in which put a pound of butter, half an ounce of salt, and the yolks of six eggs; the butter must not be too firm, add half a pint of water, squeeze all well together with your hand, mixing the flour in by degrees, tearing well to pieces with the right hand, holding it with the left until it forms a smooth but stiffish paste, but if so stiff that you cannot work it without cracking, press out flat with your hand, sprinkle water upon it, fold over, press out again, proceeding in like manner until you have obtained the consistency required; you must also be careful not to make it too soft, as in either case you would not be able to use it. This paste must not be too much worked after it is mixed or it would become greasy; more care must be exercised in summer than in winter in this respect, it is used for raised pies either hot or cold.

No. 1136. _Pâte fine or Pâte à foncer._

Put three pounds of best flour upon your pastry slab, make a hole in the centre, in which put an ounce of salt, two pounds of fresh butter, six eggs, and sufficient water to form it into a rather stiffish paste (it will require about half a pint), mix well together, drawing in the flour by degrees; when well mixed, roll out four times as for puff paste, let remain half an hour and it is ready for use where directed.

No. 1137. _Pâte d’Office or Confectioner’s Paste._

Weigh one pound and a half of flour, which put upon your slab, make a hole in the centre, in which put one pound of sifted sugar, mix it well with twelve eggs into a stiffish paste, having first well dissolved the sugar with the eggs, work it well, it is then ready for use.

This paste was very much used when pièces montées were so much in vogue, but in the several receipts in which it is referred to, it is used upon quite a new principle, and very much simplified; this paste, with the above proportions, ought to be very stiff, but still pliable enough to be worked without breaking; should it be too stiff add more eggs, or too soft more flour, the half or quarter of the above quantity may of course be made.

No. 1138. _Pâte d’Amande._

Blanch a pound of almonds, put one fourth of them into a mortar, pound well, moistening with a little water to prevent them oiling; when pounded to a paste take it out, add another fourth, and proceed in like manner till they are all done, then rub them through a hair sieve and put them into a preserving pan with one pound and a half of sifted sugar, set over a slow but equal fire, keep stirring for about five-and-twenty minutes, clearing it from the sides of the pan, press with your finger and if it feels tough take it out and put in the mortar with the eighth of an ounce of gum tragacanth, soaked and squeezed through a napkin; add the juice of a lemon, and pound well together till quite cold, it is then ready for use, but if not used directly roll it up in a ball and place it upon a plate under a basin to keep moist, it will keep for weeks if moist. Of this paste you can form stands, or convert it into any ornament your fancy may direct. Low stands are the best for entremets, being much better than the old-fashioned ones, that were made eight or ten inches in height, and when a jelly or cream served upon it was cut even by the most experienced person as soon as the first spoonful was taken the remainder was often seen dancing upon the table, to the horror of all persons of good taste. For myself I never use anything of the description, except for cold luncheon or supper, and even then of the most simple construction.

No. 1139. _Pastillage or Gum Paste._

Put two ounces of gum tragacanth into a small basin, pour a quart of filtered water over it, and cover the basin with a sheet of paper to keep it free from dust; let soak twenty-four hours, then pour off the water and place the gum in a strong cloth, through which squeeze it on to a plate, not leaving a particle in the cloth; then place it upon your pastry slab, work it round with your hand until as white as cream, have an equal quantity of starch-powder, and powdered sugar, which you have passed through a silk sieve, work it in by degrees, keeping it well worked with the hand until it becomes a stiffish paste, firm enough to roll and cut into any shape required. It may be used instead of pâté d’amande.

No. 1140. _Vol-au-Vents_

Of all things in pastry require the most care and precision; they that can make a good vol-au-vent may be stamped as good pastrycooks, although many variations in working puff paste, all others are of a secondary importance. Make a pound of puff paste (No. 1132) giving it only six rolls and a half instead of seven, leave it an inch in thickness, make a mark upon the top either round or oval, and according to the size of your dish, then with a sharp-pointed knife cut it out from the paste, holding the knife with the point slanting outwards; turn it over, mark the edges with the back of your knife, and place it upon a baking sheet, which you have sprinkled with water; egg over the top, then dip the point of the knife into hot water, and cut a ring upon the top a quarter of an inch deep, and half an inch from the edge of the vol-au-vent, set in a rather hot oven, if getting too much colour cover over with a sheet of paper, do not take it out before done, or it would fall, but when quite set cut off the lid and empty it with a knife; if for first course it is ready, but if for second, sift sugar all over, which glaze with the salamander. Regulate the thickness of the paste from which you cut the vol-au-vent, according to the size you require it, the smaller ones of course requiring thinner paste. A vol-au-vent for entrées will take about half an hour to bake, and as the common iron ovens often throw out more heat upon one side than the other, it will require turning two or three times to cause it to rise equal; it ought to be when baked of a light gold colour.

No. 1141. _Vol-au-vent de Pêches._

Put three quarters of a pound of sugar in a sugar-pan, with the juice of a lemon and about half a pint of water, place it upon the fire and boil till becoming a thickish syrup; then have twelve peaches not quite ripe, which cut in halves, break their stones and blanch the kernels, throw six halves with the kernels into the syrup, boil three minutes, take them out with a skimmer, lay them upon a dish and take off their skins, stew the rest in syrup in like manner, six at a time; when all done pour what liquor runs from them again into the syrup, which reduce to a good thickness, pass it through a tammie into a basin, when cold pour a little over the peaches and leave until ready to serve, dress the peaches in your vol-au-vent with the syrup over, served as a compote with small pastry around it; in stewing the fruit, be careful that it does not catch in the least, a round-bottomed pan or regular sugar-pan is the best to use for this purpose, but if not convenient a common stewpan may be used.

No. 1142. _Vol-au-vent d’Abricots._

Cut twelve apricots, not quite ripe, in halves, break their stones and blanch their kernels, which with the apricots put into a sugar-pan with three quarters of a pound of lump sugar broken into small pieces, the juice of a lemon, and a glass of sherry; stew them ten minutes over a quick fire, moving them round occasionally, then pour them into a basin, which stand upon the ice, when quite cold fill your vol-au-vent and serve; should the apricots be quite ripe, proceed as directed for the peaches, but leaving their skins on.

No. 1143. _Vol-au-vent of Greengages._

Proceed exactly as in the last, only using twenty or twenty-four greengages instead of the apricots.

No. 1144. _Vol-au-vent de Cerises._

Pick and stone four pounds of cherries, which put into a pan with three quarters of a pound of powdered sugar, stew them about twenty minutes over a sharp fire, moving them occasionally, place them upon the ice till cold, when fill your vol-au-vent and serve. Should the syrup be too thick, reduce it until thick enough to envelop the fruit.

No. 1145. _Vol-au-vent de Poires._

Take twelve middling-sized ripe pears, which cut in halves, peel them neatly, and take out the cores; throw them into a pan, in which you have put the juice of two lemons, and the thin rind of one cut in thin strips and three quarters of a pound of sugar broken small; pass them over a sharp fire, moving them occasionally till tender, put them upon the ice to get cold; when ready, fill your vol-au-vent, and serve.

No. 1146. _Vol-au-vent de Pommes._

Procure twenty small golden pippins, peel them neatly, and take out the cores with a long round vegetable cutter; rub them over with lemon, and stew till tender in syrup made from three quarters of a pound of sugar as for the peaches (No. 1141); when cold dress them as high as possible in a vol-au-vent, and when ready to serve, pour the syrup over.

No. 1147. _Vol-au-vent d’Oranges._

Take ten fine oranges, cut them in halves, peel them, but not to lose their shapes, have a rather thicker syrup than usual, simmer the oranges five minutes, ten at a time, lay them upon a dish, reduce the syrup, and when cold dress in pyramid in a vol-au-vent, and pour the syrup over.

No. 1148. _Gateau de Millefeuille à la Moderne._

Make a pound of puff paste, give it nine rolls, roll out to the thickness of two penny-pieces, from which cut ten round pieces, each about five inches in diameter, sprinkle water over two baking-sheets, upon which lay them, wet lightly with water, and sprinkle a little rough sugar over them, but not too coarse; bake very crisp in a moderate oven, keeping them as white as possible; when baked lay one upon your dish, which cover with apricot marmalade; then another, which cover with orange marmelade; then another, which cover with currant jelly, proceeding thus to the top; when finished mask the whole over with apricot marmalade, sprinkling plenty of very finely chopped pistachios round, and decorate the top with what dessert fruits you have in season, cherries, strawberries, or raisins, dressed in pyramid.

No. 1149. _Turban à la Crème aux Macarons amers._

Give half a pound of puff paste (No. 1132) ten rolls, and from it cut eight round pieces of the same size as in the last; then with the same cutter cut three pieces out of each in the form of middling-sized leaves, wet lightly upon the top, and dip them into some coarse sugar (pounded and sifted through a coarse wire sieve), place them upon a wet baking-sheet, and bake in a moderate oven as white as possible; then have ready a round board a quarter of an inch thick, and, according to the size of your dish, made of pâte d’office (No. 1137) and baked in a moderate oven; boil also half a pound of sugar au cassé (No. 1379), dip the ends of the pieces of pastry singly into it, and build them in crown upon the rim of your board, one row surmounted by another, dressed the reverse way; make a meringue mixture with two whites of eggs (see No. 1218), which lay in fillets, with a paper cornet upon the top; sprinkle over with some very green chopped pistachios, and set in a warm place to dry, but not any longer than necessary; whip a pint of good double cream very stiff, with which mix a little sugar, a quarter of a pound of crushed ratafias, and a glass of good noyeau; put the cream in the turban when ready to serve.

No. 1150. _Puit de Fruit aux Blanches Couronnes._

Make half a pound of puff paste (No. 1132) give it nine rolls, from it cut eight round pieces half an inch in thickness, then with a cutter, four sizes smaller, cut a piece from the centre of each, so as to form rings; place them upon a baking-sheet, wet the tops lightly, and sprinkle a little coarse sugar over; bake them in a moderate oven as white as possible, dress one upon the bottom of your dish, cover it with a sweetmeat of some description, and proceed in like manner to the top; fill with any of the fruits as described for the vol-au-vents, have a little cream whipped very stiff lay it in piping with a paper cornet, between each ring, and garnish the top tastefully with fillets of red currant jelly or green angelica.

No. 1151. _Gateau de Pithiviers._

Blanch and pound well half a pound of almonds, moistening them with a little white of egg to keep them from oiling; put a quarter of a pound of butter in a basin, with a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, beat well together till it becomes smooth and creamy, then add the yolks of four eggs; beat two minutes longer, add the pounded almonds, with two ounces of crushed ratafias, and half a gill of whipped cream; you have previously made half a pound of puff paste (No. 1132), divide it nearly in halves, having one piece larger than the other, mould them gently into two balls, roll out the smallest to the thickness of a penny, keeping it quite round, lay it upon a baking-sheet, put the above mixture in the centre, and spread it over, leaving the space of half an inch from the edge all round, roll out the other piece of paste rather larger and thicker than the former, wet the first sheet round the edges with a paste-brush, and cover the other over, closing it carefully, trim and notch round, egg over the top, and with the back of your knife sketch some design upon it; bake three quarters of an hour in a warm oven, but when the paste is sufficiently coloured, cover with a sheet of paper; when done sift a little sugar over, and glaze with the salamander.

The original cake is baked quite white by using water instead of eggs, and throwing sugar over; my objection to which is, that many people in this country, from its appearance, fancy it is not sufficiently baked, and must be indigestible; it may, however, be baked either way, according to fancy.

No. 1152. _Tourte d’Entremet à la Crème._

Make a piece of paste thus: place six ounces of flour upon your slab, with three ounces of butter, rub well together, make a hole in the centre, in which put one egg, a teaspoonful of powdered sugar, and a very little water, mix well together, then mix the whole into a stiffish paste; roll it out of the size and shape you want your tourte, and place it upon a baking-sheet, then have ready a pound of puff paste, roll it to about three quarters of an inch in thickness, cut out a piece exactly of the same size and shape as the other, cut out the centre, so as to leave a band of about an inch in breadth, wet the piece of paste upon the baking-sheet, and place the band upon it at the rim, pressing down lightly; egg it upon the top, but do not let it touch the side; mark round with the back of your knife every quarter of an inch, and fill the interior with frangipane (No. 1295), bake about half an hour in a warm oven, and serve when cold.

Should you require the tourte for a flanc instead of an entremet, you must roll the paste oval instead of round, and make a long band of puff paste, which lay round the rim, carefully joining it at each end, by cutting one end slantwise under, and the other over, making it of the same thickness; egg the band upon the top, but do not let it run over the edges previous to baking.

No. 1153. _Tourte d’Entremet à la Marmelade de Pommes._

Prepare a sheet of paste upon a baking-sheet as before, in the centre of which put some apple marmalade (No. 1389) spread it within an inch and a half of the edges all round, roll out a piece of the trimmings of puff paste very thin, from which cut about forty narrow bands, wet the edges of the paste, and string the bands tastefully over the marmalade, forming diamond shapes; have ready a band of puff paste as in the last, which place round the apples, pressing it closely to the bottom sheet, egg the top, and bake as in the last; when done shake sugar over the top, and glaze lightly with the salamander.

No. 1154. _Tourte d’Entremet au Confiture._

Prepare a sheet of paste upon your baking-sheet as before, in the centre of which put some apricot, greengage, or strawberry jam; roll out a very thin sheet of puff paste, wet the edges of the sheet, and cover over the jam, closing it down at the edges; trim it level, have ready a band of paste, as in the last, wet round, place the band round, press it close, then with a sharp-pointed knife make incisions upon the thin paste over the marmalade, cutting quite through, forming some fancy design, wet slightly, throw sugar over, egg the band upon the top, and bake as before.

No. 1155. _Tartelettes pralinées aux Abricots._

Have ready buttered twelve or as many small tartelette pans as you may require, line each one with a piece of puff paste cut with a cutter of the same size as the pans, force up the edges with your thumb and finger, put a small ball (made of stiff flour and water paste) in each, and bake them nicely in a very hot oven; when done take out the little balls, turn the tartelettes upside down, shake powdered sugar over the bottom of each, and glaze with a salamander, turn them over, shake sugar in the interior, which also glaze with the salamander; you have previously chopped two ounces of almonds very fine, which put into a basin, with two ounces of sugar, and mix well with the white of an egg, spread a little upon the bottom of each tartelette, shake a little sugar over and place them in a slow oven to dry; when ready to serve put an apricot in each, stewed as for the vol-au-vent d’abricots (No. 1142). They may be served salamandered very crisp upon both sides, omitting the almonds.

No. 1156. _Tartelettes de Pêches._

Make your tartelettes as in the last and fill with peaches dressed as for vol-au-vent (No. 1141).

No. 1157. _Tartelettes aux Cerises._

Proceed as before, filling them when baked with cherries dressed as for the vol-au-vent (No. 1144).

No. 1158. _Tartelettes aux Groseilles vertes._

Make the tartelettes as before, have ready three pints of young green gooseberries, which put into a sugar-pan with three quarters of a pound of lump sugar and half a wineglassful of water, place them over a sharp fire, moving them round occasionally till done, which you may ascertain by their shrivelled appearance, if too much done they will become quite brown, put them in a basin and leave them till quite cold, when fill the tartelettes and serve.

No. 1159. _Tartelettes of Greengages._

Prepare your tartelettes as before and fill with greengages prepared as directed for the vol-au-vent (No. 1143).

No. 1160. _Tartelettes aux Fraises._

Prepare the tartelettes as before, pick a fine pottle of strawberries, which put into a basin, with two ounces of powdered sugar and a little powdered cinnamon, shake them well together, fill the tartelettes and serve.

No. 1161. _Tartelettes de Pommes._

Prepare the tartelettes as usual, and have ready prepared ten apples (golden pippins) cut each one in halves, take out the cores and peel them neatly, put the juice of a lemon in your sugar-pan into which throw them as you peel them; when they are all done add half a pound of lump sugar and a little thin lemon-peel cut in strips, stew them gently till tender and leave them to get cold in their syrup, then fill the tartelettes, half an apple in each, mix a little apricot marmalade with the syrup, pour a little over each and serve.

No. 1162. _Tartelettes de Poires._

Prepare the tartelettes as before, then have eight or ten small ripe pears, cut them in halves and proceed precisely as with the apples in the last, serve the same.

No. 1163. _Tartelettes of Cranberries._

Prepare the tartelettes as directed, then have ready three pints of cranberries which you have drained and stewed over a sharp fire, with one pound of lump sugar and two ounces of green angelica cut in fillets, until the syrup becomes very thick, place them upon the ice till cold, when fill the tartelettes and serve.

The cranberries sold in London I believe are from America; they are tolerably good, but nothing to compare to those I have used in Shropshire and Wales; they grow in that part of the country in meadows close to the water; upon my first going there I was quite unacquainted with the merit of this beautiful fruit, but soon perceived that very beautiful entremets might be made from them, besides plain tarts, for which they were daily used; their bitterness and peculiar wild flavour rendering them very palatable and wholesome. I have thought proper to make this remark, knowing that so few people are aware of their merit and that so many are actually spoilt for want of gathering.

No. 1164. _Tartelettes d’Oranges._

Prepare the tartelettes as described, have eight oranges, peel and cut off the white pith and divide each orange into twelve pieces, make a syrup with half a pound of sugar and half a pint of water, reduce till rather thick, then throw in half the oranges, let them boil one minute, take them out, lay them upon a dish, and put in the remainder, stew one minute as before, reduce the syrup again, and when nearly cold pour it over the oranges; when ready fill your tartelettes and serve.

No. 1165. _Fauchonettes à la Vanille._

Line eighteen tartelette pans with puff paste as for tartelettes, but do not work up the edges so high, have also a crème made in the following manner: put a pint of milk into a stewpan and when it boils put in a stick of vanille, and reduce the milk to half, in another stewpan have the yolks of three eggs, with an ounce and a half of powdered sugar and one of sifted flour, with a grain of salt, pour in the milk, taking out the vanille, place over a slow fire, keep stirring till it thickens; when cold fill the tartelettes and bake them nicely in a moderate oven, when baked and cold have ready a meringue mixture of four eggs, (see No. 1218,) a teaspoonful of which lay upon each, spreading it quite flat with a knife, make a ring of seven small button meringues round each upon the top with a larger one in the centre, sift sugar over and place them in a slow oven till of a light brown colour and the meringue quite crisp; to serve, dress them pyramidically upon your dish.

No. 1166. _Dauphines._

Line eighteen tartelette-pans with puff paste, and place a small piece of apricot or other marmalade in the centre, which cover with a custard made as directed in the last, bake them in a moderate oven; when cold prepare a meringue mixture (No. 1218) of five eggs, with which form a very high pyramid upon the top of each tartelette, sift sugar over and place them in a slow oven to dry, keeping them very white; serve cold, dressed round upon a napkin.

No. 1167. _Tartelettes à la Pompadour._

Line eighteen tartelette-pans with puff paste, have also eighteen pieces of brioche paste (No. 1321), each the size of a walnut, roll them out to the thickness of a penny-piece, keeping them round, place a piece of apricot or other marmalade in the centre, wet the paste, fold it over the marmalade to form a ball, and turn them over into your tartelettes, wet the tops, turn them over on some rough pounded sugar, place them upon a baking-sheet, bake in a moderate oven, dress pyramidically upon a napkin and serve quite hot.

No. 1168. _Mirlitons aux Fleurs d’Orange._