Garnishing Preparations for Relevés and Entrées

219—POTATO CROQUETTES

Cook quickly in salted water two lb. of peeled and quartered potatoes. As soon as they seem soft to the finger, drain them, place them in the front of the oven for a few minutes in order to dry them, and then tilt them into a sieve lying on a cloth, and press them through the former without rubbing.

Place the purée in a sautépan; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; add one oz. of butter, and dry; _i.e._, stir over a brisk fire until the purée becomes a consistent paste.

Take off the fire, complete with the yolks of three eggs, well mixed with the rest, and turn the paste out on to a buttered dish, taking care to spread it in a rather thin layer, so as to precipitate its cooling. Butter the surface to prevent the preparation’s drying.

To make croquettes, equal portions of this paste, _i.e._, portions weighing about one and one-half oz. of it, are rolled on a flour-dusted board into the shape of a cork, a ball, or a quoit. These are now dipped into an _Anglaise_ (No. 174) and rolled in bread-crumbs or raspings, the latter being well patted on to the surface of the _croquettes_, lest they should fall into the frying fat. Let the patting also avail for finishing off the selected shape of the objects. These are then plunged into hot fat, where they should remain until they have acquired a fine, golden colour.

220—DAUPHINE POTATOES

Prepare as above the required quantity of paste, and add thereto per lb. six oz. of pâte à choux without sugar (No. 2374).

Mix the two constituents thoroughly.

Dauphine potatoes are moulded in the shape of small cylinders, and they are treated _à l’Anglaise_, like the _croquettes_.

221—DUCHESSE POTATOES

These are the same as the _croquettes_, though they are differently treated. They are made on a floured board in the shape of diminutive cottage-loaves, little shuttle-shaped loaves, small quoits, and lozenges or rectangles. They are _gilded_ with beaten egg, and when their shape is that of quoits, rectangles, or lozenges, they are streaked by means of a small knife.

After this operation, which is to prevent the _gilding_ from blistering, they are baked in the oven for a few minutes previous to being used in dressing the dishes they accompany.

222—MARQUISE POTATOES

Take one lb. of _croquette_ paste and add thereto six oz. of very red, reduced tomato-purée. Pour this mixture into a bag fitted with a large, grooved pipe, and squeeze it out upon a baking-tray in shapes resembling large meringues.

Slightly _gild_ their surfaces with beaten egg, and put them into the oven for a few minutes before using them to dress the dish.

223—ORDINARY OR DRY DUXELLE

The uses of Duxelle are legion, and it is prepared thus:—Slightly fry one teaspoonful of onions in one tablespoonful of butter and oil mixed. Add to this four tablespoonfuls of mushroom stalks and parings, chopped and well pressed in a towel with the view of expelling their vegetable moisture. Stir over a brisk fire until the latter has completely evaporated; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and one coffeespoonful of well-chopped parsley, mixing the whole thoroughly.

Transfer to a bowl, cover with a piece of white, buttered paper, and put aside until wanted.

224—DUXELLE FOR STUFFED VEGETABLES (Tomatoes, Mushrooms, &c.)

Put six tablespoonfuls of dry duxelle into a small stewpan, and add thereto three tablespoonfuls of half-glaze sauce containing plenty of tomato, crushed garlic the size of a pea, and two tablespoonfuls of white wine. Set to simmer until the required degree of consistence is reached.

N.B.—A tablespoonful of fine, fresh bread-crumbs may be added to the duxelle in order to thicken it.

225—DUXELLE FOR GARNISHING SMALL PIES, ONIONS, CUCUMBERS, ETC.

To four tablespoonfuls of dry duxelle add four tablespoonfuls of ordinary pork forcemeat (No. 196).

226—MAINTENON (preparation used in stuffing preparations à la Maintenon)

Put one pint of Béchamel into a vegetable-pan with one-half pint of Soubise (No. 104), and reduce to half while stirring over a brisk fire. Thicken, away from the fire, by means of the yolks of five eggs, and add four tablespoonfuls of minced mushrooms, either cooked in the ordinary way or stewed in butter.

227—MATIGNON

This preparation serves chiefly for covering certain large joints of butcher’s meat, or fowl, to which it imparts an appropriate flavour. It is made as follows:—Finely mince two medium carrots (the red part only), two onions, and two sticks of celery taken from the heart. Add one tablespoonful of raw lean ham, cut _paysanne-fashion_, a sprig of thyme, and half a leaf of bay, crushed.

Stew in butter, and finally swill the saucepan with two tablespoonfuls of Madeira.

228—MIREPOIX

The purpose of Mirepoix in culinary preparations is the same as that of Matignon, but its mode of use is different.

Its constituents are the same as those of the Matignon, but instead of being minced they are cut up into more or less fine dice, in accordance with the use for which the preparation is intended.

Instead of the ham, fresh and slightly-salted breast of pork may be used, while both the ham and the bacon may be excluded under certain circumstances.

229—FINE OR BORDELAISE MIREPOIX

Coarse Mirepoix, which are added to certain preparations in order to lend these the proper flavour, are generally made immediately before being used, but this is not so in the case of the finer Mirepoix, which chiefly serves as an adjunct to crayfish and lobsters. This is made in advance, and as follows:—

Cut into dice four oz. of the red part only of carrots, the same quantity of onion, and one oz. of parsley stalks. In order that the Mirepoix may be still finer, these ingredients may now be chopped, but in this case it is advisable to thoroughly press them in a corner of a towel, so as to squeeze out their vegetable moisture, the mere process of stewing not being sufficient for this purpose.

Should this water be allowed to remain in the Mirepoix, more particularly if the latter must be kept some time, it would probably give rise to mustiness or fermentation.

Put the ingredients into a small stewpan with one and one-half oz. of butter and a little powdered thyme and bay, and stew until all are well cooked. This done, turn the preparation out into a small bowl, heap it together with the back of a fork, cover it with a piece of white, buttered paper, and put aside until wanted.

230—VARIOUS SALPICONS

This term stands for a certain preparatory method applied to a series of preparations.

Salpicons are _simple_ or _compound_. Simple if they only contain one product, such as the meat of a fowl, or of game, butcher’s meat, foie gras, various fish, ham or tongue, mushrooms, truffles, &c. Compound if they consist of two or more of the above-mentioned ingredients which may happen to combine suitably.

_The preparatory method_ consists in cutting the various ingredients into dice.

_The series of preparations_ arises from the many possible combinations of the products, each particular combination bearing its own name.

Thus Salpicons may be Royal, Financier, Chasseur, Parisien, Montglas, &c.; of whichever kind, however, Salpicons are always incorporated with a vehicular sauce which is in accordance with their constituents.

231—BATTER FOR VARIOUS FRITTERS

Put into a bowl one lb. of sifted flour, one-quarter oz. of salt, one tablespoonful of oil or melted butter, and the necessary quantity of barely lukewarm water. If the batter is to be used at once mix the ingredients by turning them over and over without stirring with the spoon, for this would give the preparation an elasticity which would prevent its adhering to immersed solids. Should the batter be prepared beforehand, however, it may be stirred, since it loses its elasticity when left to stand any length of time.

Before using it add the whites of two eggs whisked to a froth.

232—BATTER FOR VEGETABLES (Salsify, Celery, &c.)

Put one lb. of sifted flour into a bowl with one-quarter oz. of salt and two tablespoonfuls of oil or melted butter. Dilute with one egg and the necessary quantity of cold water. Keep this batter somewhat thin, do not stir it, and let it rest for a few hours before using.

233—BATTER FOR FRUIT AND FLOWER FRITTERS

Put one lb. of flour into a bowl with one-quarter oz. of salt and two tablespoonfuls of oil or melted butter. Dilute gradually with one-quarter pint of beer and a little tepid water.

When about to use the batter mix therewith the whites of two eggs whisked to a froth.

N.B.—Keep this batter thin, if anything, and above all do not stir overmuch.

234—BATTER FOR OVEN-GLAZED FRUIT FRITTERS

Mix one lb. of flour with two tablespoonfuls of oil, a grain of salt, two eggs (added one after the other), the necessary quantity of water, and one oz. of sugar. Keep this preparation in a lukewarm place to let it ferment, and stir it with a wooden spoon before using it to immerse the solids.

_Remarks._—Batter for fruit fritters may contain a few tablespoonfuls of brandy, in which case an equal quantity of the water must be suppressed.

235—PROVENÇALE (preparation for stuffing cutlets à la Provençale)

Put one pint of Béchamel into a vegetable-pan and reduce it until it has become quite dense. Thicken it with the yolks of four eggs, and finish it away from the fire with a crushed piece of garlic as large as a pea, and one-quarter lb. of grated cheese.