A guide to modern cookery by A. Escoffier

RELEVÉS AND ENTRÉES The difference between Relevés and Entrées needs only to be examined very superficially in order for it to be seen how entirely the classification hangs on the question of bulk. Indeed, with very few exceptions, the same alimentary products—butcher’s meat, fish, poultry, and game—may be used with perfect propriety in the preparation of either Relevés or Entrées. And if the mode of preparation and the nature of the garnishing ingredients are sometimes dissimilar, it is owing to that difference in bulk referred to above, on account of which the Relevés, being more voluminous, are usually braised, _poëled_, poached, or roasted; while the Entrées, consisting of smaller pieces, are chiefly _sautéd_, poached, or grilled. In the menus of old-fashioned dinners à la Française, the line of demarcation between Relevés and Entrées was far more clearly defined, the latter being generally twice, if not thrice, as numerous as the former. The first service of a dinner for twenty people, for instance, comprised eight or twelve Entrées and four soups, all of which were set on the dining-table before the admission of the diners. As soon as the soups were served, the Relevés, to the number of four, two of which consisted of fish, took the place of the soups on the table; they _relieved_ the soups; hence their name, which now, of course, is quite meaningless. The Russian method of serving greatly simplified the practice just described. Nowadays a dinner rarely consists of more than two soups, two Relevés (one of which is fish), and two or three Entrées for the first service. Very often the fish Relevé, instead of being a large piece of fish, only consists of fillets of sole, of chicken-turbots, &c., or timbales, which are real entrées; while the Relevés (consisting of large pieces of butcher’s meat or game), instead of being served as common sense would dictate, _i.e._, after the fish Relevé, when the diner’s appetite is still keen, are placed, according to English custom, after the Entrées. Thus, as the two above examples show, the parts played by the Relevés and Entrées respectively are very far from being clearly defined; and I therefore resolved to treat of them both in the same chapter, and to append a few grills (usually accompanied by various sauces and garnishes), which are really only luncheon-roasts. The indications given concerning the class to which the recipes belong will suffice to avoid confusion. RELEVÉS AND ENTRÉES OF BUTCHER’S MEAT BEEF 1043—FILLET OF BEEF (Relevé) Fillet of beef for a Relevé may consist either of the whole piece, trimmed, studded, or larded, or a more or less large piece cut from the whole, and treated after one of the methods suited to the whole fillet. The fillet may be braised, _poëled_, or roasted; but the last two modes of preparation suit it best, as it is generally preferred underdone and somewhat red towards the centre. The garnishes for a Relevé of fillet of beef are as numerous as they are varied; and, as they are applicable not only to fillet of beef but to all Relevés of butcher’s meat, I give them here in preference, since fillet of beef may be considered the choicest of Relevés. 1044—FILETS DE BŒUF ANDALOUSE Having removed all the connective tissue from the fillet, lard it with thin strips of bacon, and _poële_ or roast it. Glaze it at the last moment; set it on a long dish, and surround it with:—(1) Some grilled half-capsicums, filled with rice à la grecque (No. 2253); (2) roundels of egg-plant, two inches in diameter and one inch thick, hollowed out to form cases, fried in oil, and garnished with _concassed_ tomatoes tossed in oil. Arrange the half-capsicums and the egg-plant alternately round the fillet, and place a grilled _chipolata_ sausage between each. _Sauce to be sent separately._—The gravy taken from the _poëling_-stock, strained, cleared of all grease, and thickened. 1045—FILET DE BŒUF BOUQUETIERE Having larded the fillet and _poëled_ or roasted it, set it on a long dish and surround it with:—(1) Small heaps of carrots and turnips, turned by means of a small grooved spoon, and cooked in consommé; (2) small heaps of little potatoes turned to the shape of olives and cooked in butter; (3) small heaps of peas and of French beans, cut into lozenges and cohered with butter; (4) five bunches of cauliflower. Arrange these different products in such wise as to vary their colours and throw them into relief. Serve the gravy of the fillet separately, after having cleared it of all grease and strained it. 1046—FILET DE BŒUF CAMARGO Trim the fillet; suppress the long muscle lying on its thicker side (Fr. chaîne), and open the meat lengthwise from the same side. Withdraw the meat from the inside of the fillet so as to leave a wall of meat only one-half inch thick all round. Finely chop the withdrawn meat and combine with it, per lb., little by little, from four to five tablespoonfuls of cream and four oz. of fresh foie gras. Season with salt and pepper, rectify the consistence of the paste, and add thereto, per lb., two oz. of chopped truffles. Fill the hollow fillet with this forcemeat, thereby returning it to its original shape, and stud its top surface with pointed pieces of truffle one inch long by one-quarter inch wide, stuck into the meat aslant. In order to facilitate this operation, bore the meat, before the insertion of the pieces of truffles, by means of a small knife. Now cover the fillet with slices of bacon and string it laterally, leaving a space of one inch between each strand. _Poële_ the meat carefully, and take care that the forcemeat inside be well, but not over-done. This may be ascertained by thrusting a braiding needle into the thickest part of the fillet, as soon as the meat seems resisting and elastic to the touch. If the needle withdraws clean, the fillet is ready. Now glaze it, after having cut away the string and removed the slices of bacon; dish it, and surround it with the following garnish:—Small tartlet-crusts garnished by means of noodles with cream; a slice of foie gras stamped out with a round cutter and tossed in butter, upon the noodles; and a fine slice of truffle on the foie gras. _Sauce to be sent to the table separately._—The reduced _poëling_-liquor of the fillet, cleared of all grease, and added to a Périgueux sauce. 1047—FILET DE BŒUF CHÂTELAINE Lard the fillet, _poële_ it, and glaze it just before dishing up. Set it on a long dish, and surround it with the following garnish:—(1) Medium-sized artichoke-bottoms garnished with thick Soubise; (2) fine, peeled chestnuts cooked in the _poëling_-liquor; (3) small heaps of lightly browned potatoes, cooked in butter at the last moment. _Sauce to be sent separately._—The reduced _poëling_-liquor of the fillet, cleared of all grease and added to a Madeira sauce. 1048—FILET DE BŒUF CLAMART Lard the fillet and roast it. Set it on a long dish and surround it with:—(1) Little tartlet-crusts garnished with peas, prepared à la Française (No. 2193), combined with the _ciseled_ lettuce used in their cooking-process, and cohered with butter; (2) small quoits of “Pommes Macaire” (No. 2228). Arrange the tartlet-crusts and the quoits alternately. _Sauce to be sent separately._—The gravy slightly thickened. 1049—FILET DE BŒUF DAUPHINE Lard the fillet and _poële_ it. Glaze it at the last moment; set it on a long dish, and surround it with a garnish of potato _croquettes_ à la Dauphine, moulded to the shape of corks, and fried just before dishing up. _Sauce to be sent separately._—Pale half-glaze with Madeira. 1050—FILET DE BŒUF DUBARRY Lard the fillet with bacon, and roast it. Set it on a long dish, and surround it with small heaps of cauliflower moulded to the shape of balls, coated with Mornay sauce, besprinkled with grated cheese, and put in the oven for the _gratin_ to form just in time for the dishing up. Send a thickened gravy to the table separately. 1051—FILET DE BŒUF DUCHESSE Either roast or _poële_ the larded fillet. If it be _poëled_, glaze it at the last moment. Set it on a long dish and surround it with potatoes à la Duchesse (the shape of which may be varied according to fancy), lightly browned and coloured in the oven for a few minutes before the dishing. _Sauce to be sent separately._—Half-glaze with Madeira. 1052—FILET DE BŒUF FINANCIÈRE _Poële_ the larded fillet. Glaze it at the last moment and set it on a long dish. Surround it with a garnish consisting of (1) quenelles of ordinary forcemeat; (2) grooved and cooked button-mushroom heads; (3) cocks’ combs and kidneys; (4) turned and _blanched_ olives. Each garnish should be placed on the dish in distinct heaps. Cover the garnish with a little financière sauce, and send the same sauce separately. 1053—FILET DE BŒUF GASTRONOME Insert truffles, cut to the shape of ordinary larding-bacon, into the fillet, and set the latter to _marinade_ for four or five hours in one-quarter pint of Madeira. This done, thoroughly wipe it; cover it with slices of bacon, and braise it in Madeira. When about to serve it, remove the slices of bacon; glaze it slightly, and set it on a long dish. Surround it with a garnish consisting of (1) large and thick slices of truffle, cooked in a fine _mirepoix_ with champagne; (2) fine chestnuts cooked in consommé and glazed; (3) fine cocks’ kidneys, rolled in pale, thin meat-glaze; (4) noodles tossed in butter. These different garnishes should be arranged in alternate heaps, and connected by means of medium-sized truffles cooked in Madeira. _Sauce to be sent separately._—Half-glaze combined with the cooking-liquor of the truffles, strained through linen and reduced to two-thirds. 1054—FILET DE BŒUF GODARD Lard the fillet with alternate strips of bacon and salted tongue, and _poële_ it. Glaze it a few minutes before serving; set it on a long dish, and surround it with a garnish consisting of (1) quenelles of ordinary forcemeat with chopped mushrooms and truffles added thereto, moulded by means of a coffee-spoon, and poached just before dishing up; (2) turned and cooked button-mushroom heads; (3) glazed lamb sweet-breads; (4) cocks’ combs and kidneys; (5) truffles fashioned like olives. Slightly coat these garnishes, which should be arranged in heaps, with sauce; finish the dish with four oval quenelles decked with tongue and truffle, and place one of these at either end and side of the dish. _Sauce to be sent separately._—A Godard sauce combined with the cooking-liquor of the fillet, cleared of all grease and reduced. 1055—FILET DE BŒUF HONGROISE Lard the fillet and roast it. Set it on a long dish and surround it with a garnish consisting of medium-sized onions, cooked in white consommé, and glazed in butter at the last minute. _Sauce to be sent separately._—Thin Soubise with paprika. 1056—FILET DE BŒUF JAPONAISE Lard the fillet and _poële_ it. Glaze it just before dishing; set it on a long dish, and surround it with a garnish consisting of (1) small _croustades_ cooked in grooved brioche-moulds and garnished with Japanese artichokes cohered by means of velouté; (2) potato _croquettes_ moulded to the shape of eggs and fried just before dishing up. Arrange the _croustades_ and the _croquettes_ alternately. Send the gravy of the fillet, strained and cleared of all grease, to the table separately. 1057—FILET DE BŒUF JARDINIÈRE Lard the fillet and roast it. Set it on a long dish and surround it with the following garnishes, which should be arranged in distinct heaps in such wise as to alternate their colours:—Carrots and turnips, raised by means of a grooved spoon-cutter and cooked separately in consommé; peas, French beans in lozenge-form and small flageolets, each of which vegetables should be cooked in a manner in keeping with its nature, and separately cohered with butter; portions of freshly-cooked cauliflower, kept very white and of tight growth. Send some Hollandaise sauce for the cauliflower, and some clear gravy, to the table, separately. 1058—FILET DE BŒUF LORETTE Lard the fillet and _poële_ it. Glaze it at the last moment; set it on a long dish, and surround it with a garnish as follows:—(1) A small pyramid of Lorette potatoes (No. 2226) at either end of the fillet; (2) fine heaps of asparagus-heads, cohered with butter, on either side. Send some _tomatéd_ half-glaze separately. 1059—FILET DE BŒUF MACÉDOINE Prepare the fillet as directed under “Filet de Bœuf Jardinière.” Set it on a long dish and surround it with a _Macédoine_ garnish. The latter comprises the same ingredients as the “_Jardinière_”; but, instead of their being heaped separately, they are mixed together and cohered by means of butter. 1060—FILET DE BŒUF AU MADÈRE ET AUX CHAMPIGNONS Lard and _poële_ the fillet. Glaze it; dish it as before, and surround it with fine mushroom-heads, turned and grooved. Send to the table, separately, a Madeira sauce finished with the _poëling_-liquor, cleared of all grease and reduced. 1061—FILET DE BŒUF MODERNE Lard the fillet alternately with bacon and tongue, and _poële_ it. Glaze it just before dishing; set it on a long dish, and surround it with garnish as follows:—On either side of the fillet lay a row of small “chartreuses,” made in small, hexagonal moulds. To make these “chartreuses,” butter the moulds and deck the bottom of each with a slice of truffle, big enough to almost entirely cover it. Now line the sides of the moulds with various vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, peas, and French beans; each of which vegetables should be cooked as its nature requires. Arrange them in such wise as to vary their colours, and spread over the whole a thin layer of rather flimsy forcemeat. Fill up the moulds with braised cabbage, which should be well pressed with the view of ridding it of all its moisture, and put the chartreuses in a _bain-marie_ ten minutes before dishing the fillet. At either end of the fillet set some braised half-lettuces, arranging them so that they frame the ends of the fillet in half-circles. Between the lettuce and the chartreuses set four round quenelles, decorated with salted tongue and poached in time to be ready for the dishing of the meat. Send to the table, separately, the _poëling_-liquor of the fillet, cleared of all grease, strained, and slightly thickened with arrowroot. 1062—FILET DE BŒUF MONTMORENCY Lard the fillet and _poële_ it. Glaze it just before dishing up, and set it on a long dish. Send to the table, separately, a Madeira sauce finished with the _poëling_-liquor of the fillet, to which add (per pint of the sauce) three tablespoonfuls of red-currant jelly; two tablespoonfuls of finely-grated horse-radish, or the latter finely grated first, and then chopped; thirty moderately-sweetened cherries, set to soak in tepid water seven or eight minutes beforehand, and drained just before being added to the sauce. 1063—FILET DE BŒUF NIVERNAISE Lard the fillet and _poële_ it. Glaze it at the last moment; set it on a long dish, and surround it with garnish as follows:—(1) Heaps of small carrots, shaped like elongated olives, cooked in white consommé and a little butter and sugar, and rolled in their cooking-liquor (reduced to the consistence of syrup), with the view of glazing them. Send the _poëling_-liquor (cleared of all grease and strained) to the table separately. 1064—FILET DE BŒUF ORIENTALE Roast the fillet “plain,” _i.e._, without previously larding it. Set it on a long dish, and surround it with the following garnish, taking care to alternate the ingredients, viz., (1) timbales of rice à la grecque (No. 2253) moulded in buttered _dariole-moulds_, each timbale being placed on a medium-sized half-tomato, seasoned and tossed in butter; (2) _croquettes_ of sweet potatoes, moulded to the shape of corks, and fried just before dishing up. Send to the table, separately, a highly seasoned tomato sauce. 1065—FILET DE BŒUF PERIGOURDINE Lard the fillet and _poële_ it. Glaze it just before dishing up; set it on a long dish, and surround it with medium-sized truffles, freshly cooked in Madeira and fine _mirepoix_, and glazed. Send a Périgueux sauce separately. 1066—FILET DE BŒUF PETIT DUC Lard the fillet and _poële_ it. Glaze it in good time; set it on a long dish, and surround it with the following garnish:—(1) crisp, small patties of puff paste garnished with asparagus-heads cohered by means of cream sauce; (2) medium-sized artichoke-bottoms, prepared in the usual way, and garnished with slices of truffle. Send, separately, a light, meat glaze, combined with four oz. of butter per one-half pint. 1067—FILET DE BŒUF PORTUGAISE Lard the fillet and roast it. Set it on a long dish, and garnish it as follows:—