Where a dish of vegetables are required for second course, if there should be two flancs contrive to let the vegetables make one of them; but if there should only be four dishes in the second course they may be dressed upon one of them, as also in larger dinners, and especially when there are a great many vegetables in season.

No. 1056. Asparagus

Is one of the most favourite vegetables we have, and is generally served plain; the large grass is preferred, although the smaller is, in my opinion, the fullest flavour for a dish; you require a hundred large ones or a hundred and a half of small, scrape and cut them of equal lengths, (about eight inches,) and tie them in bundles of fifteen; about twenty minutes before ready to serve have a gallon of water, in which you have put two ounces of salt, boiling in a stewpan, put in your grass, let boil quickly, and when tender take it up, dress in pyramid as high as possible upon a piece of toasted bread, and serve melted butter (No. 71) or sauce Hollandaise in a boat.

No. 1057. Asperges en petits Pois.

Procure a bunch of small green asparagus, or sprue, break off the green tops carefully, avoiding the white parts, cut the tops into pieces the size of large peas, boil them in half a gallon of water into which you have put an ounce of salt: when tender strain them off, but be careful they are not too much done, or they would go in purÉe and taste watery; drain them dry upon a sieve and put them into a stewpan, with eight spoonfuls of white sauce (No. 7), a little pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg, with a teaspoonful of powdered sugar; place the stewpan upon the fire, move them round gently, add four pats of butter, and when melted finish with a liaison of one yolk of egg mixed with a quarter of a gill of cream; move it round over the fire, and when it thickens pour them upon your dish and dress croutons of fried bread round; or they may be served in a croustade of bread.

No. 1058. Sea-Kale.

The short thick kale is the best, trim it nicely, about sixteen heads will be sufficient for a dish, boil till tender in a gallon of water, with two ounces of salt, take them out, place them on a clean cloth to drain, and dress them pyramidically upon a piece of toasted bread; serve plain melted butter separate in a boat.

No. 1059. CÉleri À la MoËlle de Boeuf.

Procure ten fine heads of celery, cut them to about seven inches in length, (the red celery is the best,) if too thick take off some of the outside sticks, wash and trim them nicely, blanch ten minutes in boiling water, drain them on a cloth, put them into a convenient-sized stewpan just covered with a good white stock, in which let them stew gently till tender, drain them, dress upon toast, place four large pieces of marrow round, (which you have boiled in water,) and sauce over with a pint of good brown sauce (No. 1), which you have reduced with half a pint of the stock the celery was stewed in, and seasoned with a little sugar.

No. 1060. CÉleri À la Chetwynd.

Trim and blanch ten fine heads of red celery, as in the last, blanch also twelve middling-sized onions twenty minutes, place them in a stewpan with the celery, cover with veal stock (No. 7), and stew gently till tender, dress the celery upon toast with the onions round and sauce over with a good white bechamel sauce (No. 7) which you have reduced with half a pint of the stock the vegetables were cooked in till becoming thickish, then add half a gill of very thick cream, a little sugar, and sauce over.

No. 1061. Salsifis À la Poulette.

Salsifis although a very favourite vegetable on the continent and very plentiful in England, is seldom used, but I hope the following recipes will tend to bring it more in vogue.

Choose fifteen or twenty young ones, scrape the black skin, cut them into pieces three inches long, rub each piece with lemon and throw them into water, then put two onions, a carrot, one turnip, and a head of celery, all cut small into a stewpan, with a handful of parsley, a quarter of a pound of lean ham, a little thyme, two bay-leaves, and a quarter of a pound of beef suet chopped fine, stir it over a sharp fire ten minutes, then add two ounces of flour, (stir well in,) fill up with two quarts of water, with the juice of a lemon, stir it till it boils, then put in your salsifis which stew gently till tender, take them out and lay them upon a cloth to drain, then put a pint of white sauce (No. 7) into another stewpan, with half a pint of white stock, stir over a sharp fire till boiling, then add twenty button mushrooms and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley; season with a little pepper, salt, grated nutmeg, and powdered sugar, put in the salsifis, let simmer gently for half an hour, (the sauce must be rather thick,) take out and dress it in two rows upon a border of mashed potatoes, finish the sauce with a liaison of two yolks of eggs mixed with a gill of cream, stir over the fire till it thickens but do not let it boil; sauce over and serve.

No. 1062. Salsifis À la MoËlle de Boeuf.

Prepare the salsifis as above; when very tender dress it upon your dish, have four large pieces of beef marrow (well boiled in water), sauce over with a good demi-glace (No. 9), garnish with croutons of fried bread in the shape of hearts, and serve with a piece of marrow upon each.

No. 1063. Fried Salsifis.

Cook the salsifis as before, let them get cold in the stock, then take them out, drain upon a cloth, and trim them all of equal sizes, then put them in a basin, with a spoonful of vinegar, four of salad oil, and a little pepper and salt, let them marinade six hours, turning over occasionally a quarter of an hour before serving, dip each piece separately in a fritter batter (No. 1285) and fry them in a stewpan of hot lard, when done lay them on a cloth and dress in pyramid upon a napkin, garnish with fried parsley, and serve.

Salsifis well cooked and tender, when cold, is very good in salad or to ornament a mayonnaise.

No. 1064. Concombres farcis en demi-glace.

Procure four very fine cucumbers, which cut into pieces three inches in length, peel them and take out the seeds with a long round cutter, then have ready some very nice forcemeat of veal (No. 120), into which you have put a little chopped basil, thyme, and laurel leaf, put a piece of bacon at each end, which tie on, place them in a stewpan, with a little stock, and stew gently three quarters of an hour or till tender, then drain them upon a cloth, trim each end, and dress in pyramid upon a border of mashed potatoes, but be careful not to break them; sauce over with a good demi-glace (No. 9) and serve; the forcemeat must not be too delicate.

No. 1065. Concombres farcis À la crÈme.

Proceed with the cucumbers as in the last, but sauce over with a celery sauce À la Chetwynd (No. 1060).

No. 1066. Croustade aux Concombres.

Prepare a plain croustade according to the size of your dish, and three inches in height, then have four cucumbers, which cut into pieces two inches and a half long, peel them, split each piece into three, take out the seeds and trim them neatly, put them in a stewpan with an ounce of butter, a teaspoonful of sugar, and cover with white stock, let them stew till tender, drain them upon the back of a sieve; in another stewpan have a pint of good bechamel sauce (No. 7), which reduce till rather thick, then add the cucumber and a little powdered sugar, place on the fire, and when boiling finish with a liaison of one yolk of egg mixed with two tablespoonfuls of cream: place the croustade upon your dish, pour the ragout into it, and serve.

No. 1067. Vegetable Marrows.

Are excellent when young and about the size of turkeys’ eggs; peel fifteen and boil them in half a gallon of water, into which you have put two ounces of butter and two ounces of salt, boil twenty minutes, or till quite tender, drain them upon a cloth, and dress upon a border of mashed potatoes, in the form of an oval dome; sauce over with a pint of good melted butter (No. 71), with which you have introduced a liaison of two yolks of eggs mixed with half a gill of cream. All sauces for vegetables require to be rather thick, as it is impossible to drain the vegetables quite dry to serve them hot. Vegetable marrows dressed as above may also be served with a white sauce À l’Italienne (No. 31).

No. 1068. Jerusalem Artichokes.

Are very useful vegetables when judiciously employed, as my readers will perceive by many of the foregoing recipes; they are good five months in the year, from October till March, and some seasons much longer; when they become too rough they have lost their succulence, and are only fit to flavour stocks: take about thirty of the best shaped ones and as near as possible of the same size; turn them into the shape of pears, boil in salt and water, with which you have put a quarter of a pound of butter; when tender take them out, drain them upon a cloth, and dress in the form of a dome; sauce over with melted butter (No. 71), sauce Hollandaise (No. 66), sauce bechamel (No. 7), sauce ravigote (No. 44), or sauce tomate (No. 37).

No. 1069. Cauliflowers and Brocoli.

Both vegetables are very excellent and universally employed; they require great particularity in cleaning; the best way is to throw plenty of salt over them and put them in cold water till ready to cook, boil them in salt and water till tender, but not too much done or they will not hold together; the heads should not be too large, and the best are close and firm; when done dress some nice green Brussels sprouts upon a border of mashed potatoes with the cauliflowers in the centre, mix nearly half a pint of good white sauce (No. 7), with the same quantity of melted butter (No. 71), and when hot add a liaison of one yolk of egg mixed with two spoonfuls of cream; sauce over and serve; they may also be served with a sauce À la maÎtre d’hÔtel (No. 43).

No. 1070. Chouxfleurs au Parmesan.

Boil three cauliflowers as before, and when done drain them upon a cloth, then put a pint of good white sauce (No. 7) in a stewpan, with half a pint of milk, season with a little pepper, salt, and cayenne, reduce it over a sharp fire till getting thick, add half a pound of grated Parmesan cheese and a quarter of a pound of grated Gruyer, mix well and stir in two yolks of eggs, then put a little at the bottom of your dish, dress some of the cauliflower in pieces upon it, which again cover with sauce, proceeding thus till you have formed a dome, finishing with the sauce all over, egg and bread-crumb lightly, put it in a warm oven a quarter of an hour, salamander of a light brown colour, and serve.

No. 1071. Artichokes.

Are very great favourites with most epicures, and their flavour renders them worthy of so high an appreciation.

Have six not over large but of a very good size, trim the bottoms rather close till it shows the white streak, cut also an inch from the top with a pair of scissors, and a little off the point of each leaf, have a gallon of water (into which you have put half a pound of salt,) boiling, put in the artichokes and boil one hour, or till you can pull out a leaf with facility, take them up, lay them upon a cloth to drain, upside down, dress them upon a napkin, and serve with melted butter separate in a boat; they may be boiled previously and kept in cold water till wanted, and are ready by merely dipping them in boiling water.

No. 1072. Artichokes À la Barigoule.

Trim your artichokes as above and blanch twenty minutes, place them in cold water, then scoop out the interior with the handle of a spoon and your fingers, taking out every particle from the interior, have some fat in a stewpan very hot, into which dip the tops of the artichokes till of a yellow colour, then put them back upon the cloth; you have scraped a quarter of a pound of fat bacon, which put into a stewpan, with four tablespoonfuls of oil, four of chopped onions and eschalots, two of chopped mushrooms, and one of chopped parsley, a little thyme, two bay-leaves, and a little pepper, salt, and sugar; pass the whole ten minutes over a moderate fire, then add a pint of brown sauce (No. 1), boil twenty minutes, stir in two spoonfuls of bread-crumbs and set it in a cold place; when cold mix it again and put an equal proportion in each artichoke; tie a square piece of fat bacon a quarter of an inch in thickness upon each, tie them across with string and put them into a flat stewpan, with three pints of good stock, set them in a moderate oven to braise for about three quarters of an hour, or till you can take a leaf out with facility, then take them out, drain them on a cloth, take off the string and bacon, and dress them upon your dish four at the bottom and two at the top, with two spoonfuls of demi-glace (No. 9) in each. For the amateur who does not object to the flavour of onions, dressed in the above manner they are most appreciated.

No. 1073. Artichauts À la Bordelaise.

Proceed exactly as above, but filling them with the following sauce (instead of the sauce there mentioned): peel thirty large button onions and cut them in rings, put them in a stewpan with a little oil, and fry of a light yellow colour, add half a pint of white sauce (No. 7), and two tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs, mix well, then add eighteen stoned olives, and the fillets of four anchovies well washed, stew till all is well cooked, then season with a little pepper, sugar, and a piece of scraped garlic the size of a pea, fill the artichokes, and when done serve with a little white sauce in each.

No. 1074. Artichauts À l’Italienne.

Take four good artichokes, cut them in quarters and trim them well, cutting all the green from the bottoms and taking out all the fur from the interior, put them in a stewpan of boiling water (to blanch) a quarter of an hour; then take them out, drain them upon a cloth, put a tablespoonful of chopped onions in a sautÉ-pan with a tablespoonful of oil, and one of wine, pass them one minute over the fire, then put in the artichokes, which cover with brown sauce and a little stock, stew them gently over a moderate fire till you can pull out a leaf with facility, take them out and dress in turban upon a border of mashed potatoes, put a tablespoonful of chopped mushrooms into the sautÉ-pan, reduce the sauce to a proper consistency, season with a little sugar and salt if required, sauce over and serve.

No. 1075. Artichauts au VeloutÉ.

Prepare the artichokes as above, and blanch them, put an ounce of butter in a sautÉ-pan, lay in the artichokes, which cover with a good white sauce (No. 7); place a lid upon the sautÉ-pan, and put them in a moderate oven till done, then take out the artichokes, which dress in turban as above; put a little milk in the sautÉ-pan, reduce the sauce till rather thickish, add a little sugar, and finish with a liaison of two yolks of eggs mixed with a gill of cream, pass through a tammie and sauce over.

No. 1074. Artichaux À la Bruxellaise.

Dress a border of artichokes as in the last, upon a border of mashed potatoes, and have ready a quart of very nice Brussel sprouts dressed À la maÎtre d’hÔtel (No. 1083), which dress in pyramid in the centre. This dish can only be served in the autumn season of the year, as it is only then both vegetables can be obtained.

No. 1075. Peas.

The best of all green vegetables, and the delight of millions, whilst their profusion renders them attainable by all; like the asparagus, they belong to that season of flavour, the spring of the year, but remain in season till a much later period; when young the English method of cooking them is good, because the more succulence there is in a vegetable the less zest they require to make them palatable. To describe the different sorts would be almost an endless, and to a certain extent a useless task, but the Prussian blues are, in my opinion, the very best; to plain boil them, have two quarts of fresh-shelled peas, with a sprig of young mint, about ten leaves (the greatest fault with most people is putting too much), have a gallon of water boiling upon the fire, in which you have put two ounces of salt, when boiling put in your peas, let them boil as fast as possible from ten to fifteen minutes, try whether they are tender, if so strain them through a cullender, dress them upon your dish with two pats of butter upon the top and serve; or when drained put them into a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, and a good teaspoonful of powdered sugar, place over a fire, and keep tossing them until the butter is melted, dress them either plain upon your dish or in a bread croustade.

No. 1076. Pois au sucre Anglo-FranÇais.

When you have boiled and drained two quarts of young peas, put them in a stewpan with six young green onions in a bunch, six spoonfuls of white sauce, a little pepper and salt, and two teaspoonfuls of powdered sugar, let simmer ten minutes, then stir in a liaison of two yolks of eggs mixed with half a gill of cream, do not let them boil, but when the sauce becomes thickish and hangs to the peas turn them out upon your dish and serve, previously taking out the onions.

No. 1077. Pois au sucre À la FranÇaise.

The manner of dressing peas directed in the last keeps them very green, which the French style does not, unless very young, but to balance, their flavour is superior; and although the eye must be pleased to a certain extent, my principal business is with the palate.

Put two quarts of young peas in a good-sized stewpan with six young onions, a bunch of parsley, and a quarter of a pound of fresh butter; just cover the peas with cold water and rub them well together with the hands, pour off all the water, add a good bunch of parsley, a tablespoonful of sugar, and a teaspoonful of salt; set the stewpan upon a sharp fire, moving them round very often, if young twenty minutes is quite sufficient, but when tender they are done (if they should become too dry add a very little water), when done take out the onions and the bunch of parsley; you have previously mixed a tablespoonful of flour with two ounces of fresh butter, mix well with the peas, stir them over the fire till they become thickish, then add a liaison of two yolks of eggs (mixed with half a pint of milk or cream), season a little more if required, stir the liaison in quickly, do not let it boil, and when it thickens they are ready to serve, they must not, however, be too thick or too thin.

No. 1078. French Beans.

Cut enough young beans into strips to make a good flanc dish; have a stewpan with a gallon of water in which you have put a quarter of a pound of salt, when boiling put in the beans, which boil very fast till tender; when done strain them off, lay a bed of them upon your dish, upon which lay two pats of butter, sprinkle them over with pepper and salt, then more beans, proceeding thus till you have formed a pyramid, serve very hot.

No. 1079. Haricots verts sautÉ au buerre.

When boiled as above, put them in a stewpan with six ounces of fresh butter, season with a little chopped parsley, sugar, pepper, and salt; toss them over a sharp fire, and when quite hot dress them in pyramid.

No. 1080. Haricots verts aux fines herbes.

Boil the beans as before, when boiled put two spoonfuls of chopped onions in a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter, pass them a few minutes over the fire, keeping them quite white, add a spoonful of flour (stir well in) and a pint of good white stock, boil until it adheres to the back of a spoon; then add your beans, toss them well together, add a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, the juice of a lemon, a little pepper, salt, and sugar, finish with six pats of butter, and four spoonfuls of liaison (No. 119), dress them as high as possible upon the dish, or in a croustade of bread.

No. 1081. Haricots verts À la Poulette.

Boil the beans as before, when done drain them quite dry, put them into a stewpan with three parts of a pint of bÉchamel sauce (No. 7), six spoonfuls of stock, pepper, salt, sugar, a bunch of green onions, and parsley; stew gently ten minutes, take out the bunch, add a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and finish with a liaison of two yolks of eggs mixed with a gill of cream, stir in quickly, and when it begins to thicken serve as in the last.

No. 1082. Brussels Sprouts sautÉ au beurre.

The small firm ones are the best; boil a sufficient quantity in salt and water about twenty minutes, or till tender, as directed for the beans; when done put them in a stewpan, with a little pepper, salt, and sugar, a quarter of a pound of butter, and the juice of a lemon, when quite hot dress them as high as possible upon your dish.

No. 1083. Brussels Sprouts À la MaÎtre d’HÔtel.

Boil a sufficient quantity of sprouts as before, and dress them upon your dish in pyramid; then put a pint of melted butter in a stewpan, let boil, and whilst boiling add a quarter of a pound of maÎtre d’hÔtel butter (No. 79), stir it in quickly and sauce over, or sauce them in layers as you dress them up.

No. 1084. Choux de Bruxelles À la CrÈme en turban de Concombres.

Make a turban of cucumbers, cut and dressed as directed (No. 103), form the turban upon a border of mashed potatoes; boil sufficient Brussel sprouts, which dress in pyramid, sauce over the cucumbers with a good sauce Hollandaise (No. 66), and over the sprouts with a good sauce bÉchamel (No. 7), but not too thick, so that the Brussel sprouts may show through it; they may likewise be dressed in a border of Jerusalem artichokes, which gives a great variety to those favourite vegetables; peas and French beans may also be dressed in a turban of the above description.

No. 1087. Spinach

Is a very wholesome and digestible vegetable, excellent for invalids, but still more so for those in good health, because an invalid can only have it plain-dressed, whilst a person in health can enjoy it in any of the tasty ways in which it is dressed. Pick and wash it very clean in three or four waters, for as nothing is worse than spinach when gritty, so likewise there is nothing more troublesome to get quite clean, from its growing so near the earth; boil in plenty of salt and water about a quarter of an hour, then drain it through a sieve, and squeeze quite dry with a cloth, chop very fine (which I consider is better than passing through a wire sieve), put it in a stewpan with half a pound of fresh butter, pepper, salt, half a teaspoonful of sugar, and a little grated nutmeg, stir five minutes over a sharp fire, pour it out upon your dish, and serve with croutons of fried bread round; the above proportion is for half a sieve.

No. 1088. Epinards au jus.

Proceed exactly as above, adding half a tablespoonful of flour, and when well mixed half a pint of good demi-glace (No. 9), glaze the croutons which you garnish with and serve.

No. 1089. Epinards À la FranÇaise.

When your spinach is well chopped put it into a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, stir over the fire till quite hot, then add a tablespoonful of flour; season with a little pepper, salt, sugar, and grated nutmeg, mix well, then add half a pint of good stock, stir ten minutes over the fire, add a quarter of a pound more butter, after taking it from the fire; when melted pour it out upon your dish and serve as before. The old system was to make a roux, which frequently got rather overdone, and gave the spinach more the flavour of sauce, thus destroying the aroma; but the flour, if added proportionably, gives no flavour, and slightly thickens.

No. 1090. Epinards au sucre.

Prepare the spinach as before and put it into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of butter and a little pepper and salt; when quite hot add a tablespoonful of flour, mix well, moisten with half a pint of milk, boil a few minutes, and when ready to serve stir in a quarter of a pound of butter and a teaspoonful of powdered sugar, serve as before.

No. 1091. Endive au jus.

In France this vegetable (which is mostly used in England for salads) is as popular for entrÉes and entremets as spinach, its bitterness rendering it very wholesome. Procure twelve heads, pick off all the green leaves, wash each head in two or three waters, and boil them in salt and water till tender, then put them in a basin of cold water, press every one; cut off the roots and chop the remainder fine, but not quite so fine as spinach, put it in a stewpan, place over the fire, and stir until becoming rather dry; then add half a pint of good brown sauce, and a piece of veal glaze the size of a walnut, season with a little pepper, salt, sugar, and grated nutmeg, and dress in a croustade of bread, or within a border of croutons of fried bread, which you have stuck upright upon your dish with a stiffish paste made from whites of eggs and flour; put the dish in the oven till the paste is set, and if desired, serve poached eggs upon the top.

No. 1092. Sorrel.

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.