Twenty-four Little French Dinners and How to Cook and Serve Them Part 3

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=Brochet a la Tartare.=--Cut a fresh pike into slices and marinade each slice separately with a sauce made of sufficient olive oil, black pepper, a minced onion, finely cut mushrooms and chopped parsley. Cover the fish with breadcrumbs and broil, brus.h.i.+ng occasionally with the marinade. When it is a golden color remove from the fire, place on a hot platter and serve sprinkled with parsley with a tartar sauce in a sauceboat.

=Biftecks sautes aux Olives.=--Cut the steak into six pieces and toss in a frying pan with lard. When well done sprinkle with seasoning and remove from the fire. Then take half a gla.s.s of white wine, a tablespoonful of consomme, two or three dozen green olives, with the pits removed, and boil together for a few minutes. Set the steak in a crown on the platter and in the center place the dressing. Pour the gravy from the frying pan over all and serve.

=Pommes de Terre a la Lyonnaise.=--Take a dozen potatoes of the same size, cut into pieces the size of a quarter of a dollar, roll in flour and put into a frying pan with boiling fat, taking them out when they are a golden brown. Also fry some thin slices of onion, mix with the potatoes, sprinkle with salt and serve garnished with parsley.

=epinards au Gratin.=--Boil two pounds of spinach and chop very fine.

Beat up two eggs to each pound of spinach, mix with it and sprinkle the whole with breadcrumbs. Pour over some olive oil or melted b.u.t.ter and heat thoroughly in the oven in a vegetable dish.

=Beignets Souffles.=--Put a pound of flour, a pinch of salt, a liquor gla.s.s of rum, the yolks of three eggs and a quant.i.ty of lukewarm water into a mixing dish and beat these together till it shrinks from the dish. Then mix in the well-beaten whites of the eggs and then allow to rise for an hour or so. Have a baking dish very hot and put in the paste in pieces the size of a nut, which will triple in size while cooking.

Let them cook to a golden color, remove from the fire and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve hot.

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Consomme Royale Filet de Sole a la Venetienne Salade Barbe de Capucin Beignets de Peches

=Consomme Royale.=--Beat two eggs and mix them with half a cup of milk and a pinch of salt. Pour into a basin, stand this in a larger one containing hot water, place in the oven and bake till the contents of the small basin are firm, renewing water in the larger dish if necessary. Allow to cool and when set cut into small well-shaped pieces, pour over them a quart of hot consomme and serve immediately.

=Filet de Sole a la Venetienne.=--Place in a b.u.t.tered tin two small or one large onion cut in thin slices, a little chopped parsley, a bayleaf, one or two whole cloves and salt and pepper. Lay the fillets of two soles on these with a generous piece of b.u.t.ter, pour over half a pint of white stock and a small gla.s.s of white wine. Cover the tin with oiled paper, and bake in the oven for about twelve minutes. When the fish is cooked take out all the liquor except just enough to keep the fish moist as it remains in the oven turned very low, strain it and add three-quarters of an ounce of flour and the same amount of b.u.t.ter. Bring the sauce to a boil, take it from the fire, add the yolk of an egg and a good amount of blanched parsley and chervil, chopped very fine. Arrange the fillets of sole on a hot dish, pour the sauce over and serve.

=Salade Barbe de Capucin.=--Carefully pick over and break into convenient pieces the required amount of chicory and place in a salad bowl well rubbed with an onion. Just before serving pour over a French dressing, remembering to be in making it "a spendthrift for oil, a miser for vinegar, a counselor for salt and a madman to stir it all up."

=Beignets des Peches.=--Peel, stone and cut in halves some firm peaches.

Toss about in a bowl with sugar, being careful not to break. Put a pound of flour in a basin and stir in gradually half a pint of water. Mix the whites of two stiffly beaten eggs with this batter and then add one and a quarter ounces of melted b.u.t.ter. Bring olive oil to a good heat in a frying pan, dip each piece of peach in the batter and fry in the fat.

When lightly browned drain on a cloth or paper, lay on a baking dish, sift powdered sugar over and glaze by placing in a hot oven a few minutes. Arrange in pyramid shape on a folded napkin on a hot dish and serve immediately. Canned peaches, if firm, may, of course, be subst.i.tuted for the fresh fruit.

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Cotelettes de Saumon, a l'Anglaise Pommes de Terre, Marquise Pet.i.ts Pois a la Paysanne Salade Americaine Choux au Chocolat

=Cotelettes de Saumon, Anglaise.=--Divide slices of salmon into shape of cutlets, sprinkle with pepper and salt and put into a saucepan with a small amount of b.u.t.ter and toss over the fire. When cooked take out and drain, place on a hot dish and serve with the following sauce: Put three tablespoonfuls of veloute sauce into a saucepan, reduce slightly and add one egg, four ounces of b.u.t.ter, a little salt, cayenne, some finely minced parsley and the juice of half a lemon. Mix together well over the fire till the ingredients are blended and it is ready.

=Pommes de Terre, Marquise.=--Boil potatoes in salted water and pa.s.s through a sieve. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, chopped parsley and a little chopped thyme. Moisten with some good gravy or stock and form into small b.a.l.l.s. Dip each in well beaten egg and fry to a light brown in b.u.t.ter.

=Pet.i.ts Pois a la Paysanne.=--Take fresh green peas, or canned ones if the former are not available, put over the fire in a saucepan with plenty of b.u.t.ter and stir frequently. Cut one or two rashers of bacon in very small dice and toss them in a saucepan over the fire. When the bacon is well fried, mix in with the peas and let the two finish cooking together, seasoning with pepper, salt and a little sugar.

=Salade Americaine.=--Cut in rounds resembling a quarter-dollar equal quant.i.ties of new potatoes, carrots and beet root, all previously cooked. Then add a sour apple, cut in the same shape, and a few anchovies cut in small pieces. Pour over this a dressing of three parts oil to one of vinegar, add pepper, salt, mustard and chopped parsley.

Pile the salad up and surround with cress.

=Choux au Chocolat.=--Into a small saucepan put half a cup of water with two ounces of b.u.t.ter and one of sugar. When boiling add gradually two and a half ounces of finely sifted flour and stir till the mixture is stiff. Take from the fire, stir some more, then add two eggs, one at a time, beat the whole well, and leave to cool. b.u.t.ter a baking sheet, lay the paste on it in round b.a.l.l.s the size of a plum and bake in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes. Allow to cool and then make an incision in the side of each and fill with whipped cream slightly flavored with vanilla or with jam. Just before serving glaze each chou slightly with a chocolate icing.

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Consomme d.u.c.h.esse Saumon, Sauce Piquante Rissolettes de Buf Salade a la Reine Creme Noyau

=d.u.c.h.esse Consomme.=--Boil four tablespoonfuls of rice (ground) in four cups of water for fifteen minutes, adding half a teaspoonful each of salt and sugar. When the rice is soft and just before serving add a quart of warmed milk, bring to a boil, adding lastly a dash of pepper and paprika.

=Saumon, Sauce Piquante.=--Take slices of salmon about three-quarters of an inch in thickness and place in a saucepan with hot fish broth mixed with a small quant.i.ty of wine. Allow to simmer for fifteen minutes. When cooked remove and wipe free from broth, place on a hot platter and serve with a sauce made as follows: Melt a quant.i.ty of b.u.t.ter, flavor to taste with tarragon vinegar, pepper, mustard, fennel and such spices as are liked. Stir over the fire till cooked, move to the side of the stove, thicken with the yolk of an egg and serve.

=Rissolettes de Buf.=--With four cups of finely minced beef mix one cup of breadcrumbs, adding one boiled onion, a little essence of anchovies, salt, pepper and a raw egg. Make into b.a.l.l.s, roll in breadcrumbs and fry slowly. Prepare a gravy by boiling the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of the meat in the water in which the onion was boiled, thicken with flour or cornstarch, add three teaspoonfuls of lemon juice and pour over the rissolettes which should be arranged on a heated platter around a heap of mashed potatoes.

=Salade a la Reine.=--Lay strips of endive lengthwise on the salad plates and cross them with peeled tomatoes cut in sections like an orange. Dress with a French salad dressing.

=Creme Noyau.=--Pound in a mortar together a quarter pound of Jordan and an ounce of bitter almonds with a scant half cup of cream and two ounces of sugar. Rub through a sieve into a bowl, add a pint of whipped cream flavored with Noyau and then an ounce of gelatine dissolved. Pour into a mould to set. Serve with champagne wafers.

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Consomme a la Madrilene Perches aux Fines Herbes Filets Mignons aux Pommes de Terre Aubergines Farcies Omelette au Rhum

=Consomme a la Madrilene.=--Put through a medium sieve five or six boiled ripe tomatoes, or a can of tomatoes, allow to cool and pack in a freezer. Add to a cold consomme and serve in cups.

=Perches aux Fines Herbes.=--Prepare six fresh perch and marinade them with two tablespoonfuls of olive oil, a sprig of parsley, a little pepper and salt and allspice, bayleaf and other strong spices chopped fine. Keep the fish in this for about an hour, remove and roll in breadcrumbs lightly flavored with spices. Grill over a low fire till a golden brown in color and serve with b.u.t.ter sauce.

=Filets Mignons aux Pommes de Terre.=--Marinade the required number of small filets mignon of mutton in b.u.t.ter seasoned with salt and chervil.

Leave for an hour or more and just before they are to be served, grill them, basting frequently with the b.u.t.ter. Flavor with lemon juice and serve with b.u.t.tered fried potatoes.

=Aubergines Farcies.=--Cut eggplants in halves lengthwise, remove the inside and of this make a farcie by mixing it with chopped parsley, two chopped onions and salt and pepper. Stuff the eggplant halves with this mixture and put the combination into a ca.s.serole containing a good quant.i.ty of melted b.u.t.ter and allow to simmer over a slow fire till all is thoroughly done. Cover the tops with breadcrumbs, add a drop of oil or a little melted b.u.t.ter and keep piping hot till served.

=Omelette au Rhum.=--Prepare an omelette as for any sweet omelette and just before serving place on a hot platter, pour rum over, ignite and carry to the table blazing.