A guide to modern cookery by A. Escoffier

ROASTS AND SALADS In the first part of this work I explained the fundamental principles governing the treatment of Roasts, and I now have to add only a few words to what has already been said. Recipes may be consummate in detail and in accuracy, and still they will be found wanting in the matter of Roasts; for experience alone can tell the operator whether the joint he is treating be old or young, fresh or stale; whether it must be cooked quickly or slowly, and all the theories that I might advance on this subject, though perhaps they might not be useless, would at least prove impracticable nine times out of ten. I shall not prescribe any limit of time for Roasts, except in very special cases, and even so that limit will only be approximate. Nothing can be made precise in the matter; long practice alone, away from books, will teach it; for book-rules can only be understood when the light of practical knowledge is focussed upon them. 1942—ACCOMPANIMENT OF ROASTS It struck me as desirable that I should give in this chapter the recipes of the various preparations which, in England, are served with Roasts:—Yorkshire Pudding, Veal Stuffing, &c. Having treated of the accompanying sauces to Roasts in Part I, I need only recall them here. 1943—YORKSHIRE PUDDING (For Beef Roasts) Mix one-half lb. of sifted flour with six eggs and one quart of boiled milk, adding the eggs one by one and the milk little by little. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour this preparation into a deep baking-pan, containing some very hot dripping, and bake in the oven. If the joint be roasted on the spit, put the Yorkshire pudding under it, on taking the former out of the oven, and let it thus become saturated with the gravy and fat that fall from the roast. Cut into squares or lozenges, and set these round the Roast or serve them separately. 1944—SAGE AND ONIONS STUFFING (For Turkeys, Ducks and Geese) Bake four large onions in the oven with their skins on. This done, peel them and finely chop them; fry them in butter with a pinch of dry green chopped sage. Add bread-crumbs, soaked in milk and pressed, equal in weight to the onions, and half the weight of chopped veal fat. 1945—VEAL STUFFING (For Veal and Pork) This stuffing is made from equal quantities of chopped suet, sifted bread-crumbs, and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper as for an ordinary forcemeat, and be liberal with the nutmeg. Cohere this forcemeat with three small eggs per two lbs. of the above preparation. 1946—ROASTS OF BUTCHER’S MEAT I must remind the reader of this principle, viz.: that however natural it may seem in a dinner to serve a roasted joint as a Remove, a piece of butcher’s meat must never stand as a Roast. Roasts really only comprise _Fowl_ and _Feathered Game_, provided the menu only announces one roast. If two are announced, the second generally consists of some kind of crustacean, such as a _Lobster_, a _Spiny Lobster_ or _Crayfish_, generally served in the form of a _Mousse_; or of a preparation of foie gras, _i.e._: either a _Pâté_, a _Terrine_, a _Mousse_ or a Parfait; sometimes, too, by a very good ham or a derivative preparation thereof. =Beef Roasts= 1947—ROAST RIBS OF BEEF Clear the joint of the vertebræ and the yellow ligaments. Roast before a moderately fierce fire, and place the joint if possible in an uncovered braising-pan, the sides of which may protect the meat during the cooking process. 1948—ROAST UPPER-FILLET Break the projecting bones of the vertebræ, and sever the yellow ligament at various points. For this joint the heat should be fiercer than in the previous case, the limit of time being less. 1949—ROAST SIRLOIN These enormous pieces are scarcely trimmed; the excess of flank alone is suppressed; but the fillet must remain covered by a considerable thickness of fat, which protects it while roasting. Without this precautionary measure, the under-cut would be cooked long before the upper-fillet, and would dry up. The fire should be concentrated, regular and not too fierce for this joint. The flat bones of the vertebræ must be broken at their base, but not detached. 1950—FILLET OF BEEF Fillet of beef intended for roasting should be carefully cleared of its two sinewy envelopes. But, since this trimming tends to let it dry while cooking, were the meat left as it stands, it is customary to lard it with strips of fresh fat bacon, which protect it; or it may be wrapped in slices of bacon. In certain circumstances, it is covered on top and beneath with slices of beef fat, flattened to the thickness of a rasher of bacon by means of a beater, and tied on with string. Fillet of beef should be cooked with a somewhat fierce fire, and, in England, it is usually kept underdone towards the centre. N.B.—Large roast joints of beef are always accompanied by Yorkshire pudding, grated Horse-radish or Horse-radish sauce (No. 119 or 138). 1951—RÔTIS DE VEAU (Veal Roasts) In my opinion, the spit does not suit veal, whatever be the quality of the latter. _Poëling_ (No. 250) is preferable and suits it better. The quality of meat can but be enhanced under the treatment I suggest, more particularly as the _poëling_-liquor constitutes a much richer gravy than that which generally accompanies veal roasted on the spit. In English cookery roast veal is always accompanied by boiled ham or breast of bacon. _Veal Stuffing_ (No. 1945) poached in steam in a special mould, and cut into slices, is sent at the same time. Roast joints of veal are generally _the Loin_, the best end, the _Neck_ or the _Fillet_. Sometimes, too, but more rarely, _the Cushion_ is roasted. 1952—MUTTON AND LAMB ROASTS Mutton and Lamb are the best possible meats to roast, and, as far as they are concerned, the culinary treatment might be limited to roasting. True, good results are obtained from poaching mutton and _poëling_ home-lamb; but it is advisable only to have recourse to these methods when a menu requires varying. The Mutton joints roasted are _the Leg_, _the Double or Pair of Hind-legs_, _the Baron_ or (_Hindquarters_), _the Saddle_ and _the Neck_. The Shoulder also makes an excellent roast, but it may only appear on more or less unimportant menus. Roast joints of mutton and lamb are always accompanied by Mint Sauce (No. 136). 1953—PORK ROASTS Pork roasts may only appear on very ordinary menus, and really belong to domestic cookery. The pork joints for roasting are _the Legs_, _the Fillets_, and _the Neck_. The joints selected should be those derived from very young animals, and the rind should be left upon them, and cut deeply in criss-cross lines, so as to form a lozenge pattern. Pork should always be roasted before a fierce fire, and it is accompanied by its gravy and Sage and Onions (No. 1944) or Apple sauce (No. 112). Sometimes Apple sauce is replaced by Cranberry sauce (No. 115); while Roberts sauce Escoffier is also admirably suited to these roasts. 1954—VENISON ROASTS I have already pointed out that Roebuck is not very much eaten in England, and that this excellent ground game must be used without having been _marinaded_. Every piece of roebuck must be trimmed and cleared of tendons, larded with larding bacon, or, at least, carefully wrapped in the latter; and roasted before a fierce fire and kept underdone towards the centre. The joints of roebuck most commonly roasted are _the Legs_ and _the Saddle_. _The fallow Deer_ and _the Stag_ supply the greater part of the Venison consumed in England; and when these animals are of good quality their flesh is covered by a thick coat of white fat, which is very highly esteemed by connoisseurs. Only the neck and the haunch are roasted, and the latter consists of one leg with half of the saddle attached. This venison is never _marinaded_, but it should be kept for as long as possible in a dry and well-aired place, that the meat may be gamy. Before hanging the joint, dredge it well with a mixture of flour and pepper, that it may keep dry and free from the flies. When about to prepare this Venison, scrape off the coating of flour; wrap it in an envelope of firm suet dough. Cover the whole with oiled paper, tied on with string; and place the joint before a regular, red fire, concentrated and fierce. When the joint is thought to be cooked, peel off its envelope; season it with salt; sprinkle it with a few pinches of flour, and plenty of melted butter, and brown it as quickly as possible. Large joints of Venison allow of the following adjuncts:—_Poivrade sauce_ and its derivatives, such as _Venison sauce_ and _Grand-Veneur sauce_; also _the Cumberland_ and _Oxford_ sauces of English cookery. Generally a sauceboat of red-currant jelly is sent with these joints, unless the accompanying sauce already contains some of it. =Fowl Roasts= 1955—PULLETS Large birds, when roasted, should always be salted inside, trussed and covered with slices of bacon. They should be cooked before a concentrated and moderately fierce fire. About ten minutes before unhooking them, remove their covering of bacon, that their breasts may colour. A bird is known to be cooked when the juice which issues from it, if it be held over a plate, is white. Having ascertained that it is cooked, set it on a very hot dish and serve it instantly. In England it is customary to surround the fowl with grilled sausages or slices of bacon, and to send a sauceboat of bread sauce (No. 113) at the same time as the gravy. 1956—TRUFFLED PULLET Empty the pullet intended for truffling, by means of a little hole on the side of the belly, and remember to keep the skin of the neck whole. This done, remove the collar bone at the summit of the breast, and detach the skin from the whole of the breast. For a fine pullet, there will be needed one and one-half lbs. of truffles. After having well brushed and washed the truffles, carefully peel them; select one of the largest; cut it into slices, and put these aside. Now quarter the other, letting each piece weigh about three oz. Pound the truffle peel with two lbs. of very fresh pork fat, and rub the whole through a sieve. Take about one-half lb. of this fat; melt it, together with a bay-leaf; and, when it is quite liquid, add the quartered truffles to it (seasoned with salt and pepper), and simmer the whole for about ten minutes. This done, take it off the fire; leave to cool almost entirely under cover, and mix with what remains of the truffled fat. Stuff the pullet with this preparation, and slip between the bird’s skin and the flesh of its breast some thin slices of bacon. Upon the slices of bacon place the reserved slice of truffle; carefully sew up all the openings in the pullet with very thin string; wrap it in one or two sheets of buttered paper; put it on the spit, and stand it before a concentrated fire which should be kept at an even heat throughout the process of roasting. About one-quarter of an hour before serving, remove the paper and the slices of bacon, that the breast may colour. Set on a hot dish, and send the gravy, which should be kept rather fat, separately. The time allowed for roasting a fine fowl is somewhere between one and one-quarter to one and one-half hours. 1957—CHICKEN A LA REINE AND SPRING CHICKENS The directions given for the pullet also apply to other kinds of fowl, provided the difference in size be taken into account. 1958—SPRING CHICKENS A LA RUSSE Truss the chicken and soak its breast for five minutes in boiling water, that the flesh and the skin may be stiff. Lard it with thin strips of bacon and anchovy fillets; fill it with smooth, truffled sausage-meat, and roast it on the spit. At the last moment, when the bird is cooked, baste it by means of a special paper horn, with burning melted bacon fat, which should frizzle the fowl’s skin as it falls upon it. Serve a Rémoulade sauce separately. 1959—ROAST CHICKS These birds should, if possible, be cooked “_à la casserole_.” 1960—ROAST YOUNG TURKEYS Before trussing the young turkey, clear its legs of all tendons; an operation effected by means of two incisions made on the inside of the legs, above and below the last joint. Seize the tendons one by one; fasten them to a braiding needle, and gently turn the latter, thus rolling the tendons round it. Young turkey is covered with slices of bacon and roasted like the Pullet. It may be stuffed with Sage and Onions (No. 1944), or it may be accompanied by Veal Stuffing (No. 1945), poached in steam in a special mould, and cut into slices set around the bird. It is often accompanied, also, by boiled or grilled bacon, or grilled sausages. _A Bread sauce_ or _a Cranberry sauce_ may be served in addition to the gravy. 1961—TRUFFLED YOUNG TURKEY Proceed as for truffled pullet, after taking the difference of size into account in order to increase the quantity of truffles and fat, as also the time limit. 1962—ROAST GOSLING The Gosling, in order to be roasted, should just have reached its full growth. In England the bird is stuffed with Sage and Onions (No. 1944), and it is always accompanied by Apple Sauce (No. 112). This roast must not stand waiting, and ought to be served very hot. 1963—CANETON RÔTI (Roast Duckling) Aylesbury duckling, which is equal to the Nantes variety, is generally stuffed with Sage and Onions before being roasted. Its most usual adjunct is Apple Sauce, which is sometimes replaced by melted, red-currant jelly or a Cranberry Sauce. 1964—CANETON ROUENNAIS See the various recipes dealing with this bird (Nos. 1761 and 1762). 1965—PINTADE (Guinea Fowl) This bird is only roasted when quite young, and it is treated like the pheasant, with which it has some points in common. 1966—YOUNG PIGEONS (Squabs) Select them fresh from the nest and very plump. They must be roasted before a very fierce fire and only just done. Their skin must be kept crisp. =Ground-Game Roasts= 1967—HARE The piece supplied by the hare for roasting is the “Râble” (the back), which constitutes that part of the animal reaching from the root of the neck to the tail, the latter being included. The “Râble” should be cleared of all tendons, and delicately larded with bacon. Roast before a fierce fire for twenty minutes, and have it only just done. The usual adjunct to this piece is Poivrade Sauce. In Northern countries, the adjunct is most commonly some slightly-sugared, stewed apples, or red currant jelly. In Germany, the pan in which the Râble is roasted is swilled with sour cream, and this cream constitutes the accompaniment. Sometimes a few drops of lemon juice or a tablespoon of melted meat glaze is added. 1968—YOUNG RABBIT The various recipes for Hare also apply to the young wild rabbit. =Feathered-Game Roasts= 1969—FAISAN RÔTI Everything I said in the preceding chapter concerning the classification of feathered game applies in this instance. All birds intended for roasting should be young, plump, and fat. They should also be high in the case of pheasants, partridges, and the various kinds of woodcock and snipe. A pheasant for roasting should always be covered with slices of bacon. An excellent practice which greatly improves the bird is that of stuffing it with a piece of fresh pork fat, pounded with peelings of fresh truffles, if possible. Instead of well-pounded fresh pork fat, an equal weight of fresh butter may be used. This fatty substance impregnates the meat when it melts, and keeps the bird from becoming dry while cooking. The method also applies to partridge. Roast pheasant is generally accompanied by two trimmed half-lemons and a dish of potato chips. The gravy, which should be fat, is served in a sauceboat, and bread sauce or some bread-crumbs fried in butter are sent at the same time. 1970—FAISAN RÔTI A LA PERIGOURDINE Stuff the pheasant with two oz. of pounded fresh pork fat, two oz. of foie-gras trimmings, and a similar quantity of raw-truffle parings, the whole pounded together and combined with one-half lb. of raw truffles, cut into large dice. After having covered the pheasant with slices of bacon, roast it in accordance with the directions given under Truffled Pullet. It is better, however, to cook and serve it in a _cocotte_. 1971—FAISAN A LA GUNZBOURG Bone two fine snipes; empty them of their intestines; fry these in butter, and crush them on a plate. Chop up the meat of the snipes, combining half its weight of cream with it, and as much butter; season with salt and pepper, and add the crushed intestines and four oz. of truffles cut into large dice. Stuff a fine pheasant with this preparation; roast it “_en casserole_,” or rather in a _cocotte_. At the last moment sprinkle with a little _fumet_, prepared from the snipes’ carcasses. 1972—PARTRIDGES The above recipes, dealing with pheasants, may be applied to partridges. 1973—QUAILS Select them white, very fat, and with the fat firm. Wrap them in a buttered vine-leaf and a thin slice of bacon, and roast them before a fierce fire for ten or twelve minutes. Dish on small bread-crumb _croûtons_, fried in butter with half-lemons. Serve their gravy, which, of course, should be very short, separately. 1974—ROAST ORTOLANS Wrap each in a vine-leaf; set them on a tray, moistened with salted water, and cause them to set in a fierce oven for four or five minutes. The small amount of water lying on the bottom of the utensil produces an evaporation which prevents the ortolans’ fat from melting; consequently there is no need of slices of bacon, butter, or gravy. Each ortolan may be served in a half-lemon, shaped like a basket. N.B.—The ortolan is sufficient in itself, and it ought only to be eaten roasted. The products sometimes served as adjuncts to it, such as truffles and foie gras, are deleterious, if anything, to its quality, for they modify the delicacy of its flavour, and this modification is more particularly noticeable the more highly flavoured the adjunctive products may be. With its accompaniments it becomes a sumptuous dish, for the simple reason that it is expensive; but it does not follow that the true connoisseur will like it; it must be plainly roasted to suit him. 1975—ORTOLANS AUX QUESTCHES Cut two large questches into halves, and allow one half for each ortolan. Garnish the inside of each with a piece of butter the size of a hazel-nut; set them on a tray, and put them in the oven. When they are almost cooked, on each half of the questches place a moistened ortolan, wrapped in a vine-leaf, and bake them in a very hot oven for four minutes. Salt them when taking them out of the oven, and sprinkle them, by means of a brush, with verjuice. Serve them as they stand, but the questches are not eaten; they only serve as a support for the ortolan. 1976—ORTOLANS AU SUC D’ANANAS Heat some fresh butter in a flat, earthenware _cocotte_, and allow one-quarter oz. of it to each ortolan. Roll the previously salted ortolans in this butter, and put them in a very hot oven for three minutes. When taking them out of the oven, sprinkle them with a few tablespoonfuls of very cold pine-apple juice. Cover the _cocotte_, and serve immediately. The _cocotte_ should be just large enough to hold the ortolans. 1977—ROAST WOODCOCK It should be just sufficiently high. Remove its gizzard; truss it, piercing the legs with the beak, after having drawn the eyes; cover it with slices of bacon, and cook it before a good fire for from fifteen to eighteen minutes. Dish on a cushion of fried bread, and serve the swilling-liquor separately, which in this case should be brandy and a few drops of good game gravy. 1978—SNIPES AND BECOTS For the preparation, proceed as for the woodcock. Cause to set before a fierce fire, and cook for nine minutes. 1979—GRIVES ET MERLES DE CORSE (Thrushes and Corsican Blackbirds) Truss them, and wrap them in slices of bacon. Insert a juniper berry into the thrushes. Roast before a moderately fierce fire for ten or twelve minutes, and dish on small cushions of fried bread. Serve a very short gravy separately. 1980—MAUVIETTES (Larks) Wrap them in very thin slices of bacon, and impale them on a skewer, or discard the slices of bacon, and merely impale them on a skewer, separating them by _blanched_ squares of breast of bacon. Roast for ten minutes before a fierce fire. Dish on small fried _croûtons_, with quarters of lemon and bunches of watercress all round. 1981—CANARDS SAUVAGES (Wild Duck) SARCELLES (Teal) PILETS (Widgeons and Pintails) These birds are not covered with slices of bacon, and are roasted before a fierce fire. _Wild duck_ must be kept underdone, and, in view of this, twenty minutes suffice for the roasting. Dish with lemons and bunches of watercress all round. _Wild duck, roasted English-fashion._—Treat it as above; send an apple sauce to the table with it. _Wild duck à la Bigarrade._—This is roasted in a similar manner. Surround it with sections of orange, skinned raw, and serve a clear Bigarrade sauce separately. The _teal_, which is a small, wild duck, is roasted before a fierce fire for from ten to twelve minutes, and is surrounded with lemons and watercress. _Widgeons_ and _pintails_ are treated like the teal, but they are allowed three or four minutes more in the roasting. 1982—PLUVIERS DORÉS (Golden Plover) VANNEAUX (Lapwings) CHEVALIERS DIVERS (Various Sandpipers) These birds are not covered with slices of bacon; they must be roasted before a very fierce fire, and kept somewhat underdone. They must be served as soon as ready, as waiting is prejudicial to them. They admit of no accompaniment or garnish, except a very short gravy. 1983—GROUSES, COQS DE BRUYÈRE (Black Game) GELINOTTES (Hazel-hens) These birds must be very fresh when roasted, and should be kept moderately underdone. They allow of the same adjuncts as pheasant, _i.e._, bread sauce, bread-crumbs, potato chips, and gravy; and their breasts alone are served as a rule. Grouse and hazel-hens, when they are young, make incomparably fine roasts. SALADS Salads are of two kinds: simple, or compound. Simple, or raw salads always accompany hot roasts; compound salads, which generally consist of cooked vegetables, accompany cold roasts. 1984—THE SEASONING OF SALADS