Jules Gouffe's instructions for Boeuf d la mode, referred to at p. 107 "Take about 4 lbs. of thick beef-steak cut square. Lard the meat and place it in a stewpan with rather less than a pint of white wine, a pint of stock, a pint of cold water, two calves' feet already boned and blanched, and two or three slices of bacon. Put it on the fire, adding about half an ounce of salt. Make it boil, and skim it as for a pot-au-feu; next, having skimmed it, add fully 1 lb. of carrots, one onion, three cloves, one faggot of herbs, and two pinches of pepper. Place the stewpan on the corner of the stove, cover it, and allow it to simmer very gently for four or five hours at least. Try the meat with a skewer to ascertain when it is sufficiently cooked; then put it on a dish with the carrots and the calves' feet, and keep them covered up hot until serving. Next, strain the gravy through a fine tammy; remove carefully every atom of grease, and reduce it over the fire about a quarter. Lastly, place the beef on the dish for serving; add the calves' feet, each having been cut in eight pieces, the carrots cut into pieces the size of a cork, and ten glazed onions. Arrange the calves' feet, carrots, and onions round the beef, pour the sauce over the meat, keeping the surplus for the next day. Taste it, in order to ascertain if sufficiently seasoned."

Gouffe continues: "The important question, after the choice of the meat, is the cooking, which must be done entirely by slow simmering; and this is one of the most essential points for success. For when exposed to a hot fire the result is a white, watery, insipid gravy, such as is too often found in kitchens where cooking is carelessly done. The gravy ought to be red in colour, rather gelatinous in consistence, and full of the agreeable flavour and nutritive matter of both meat and vegetables, which is the distinctive mark of the dish. To obtain this excellent quality, the vegetables should be put into the braising - pot at the proper time, so that all are cooked together." *

I cannot resist adding that Gouffe's directions amount almost to an early step in the direction of the slow process in cookery, which I have advocated so much during the last few years. This braise would probably be still more excellent if, after the initial boiling and skimming, it were submitted only to a temperature not exceeding 1750 Fahr. during seven or eight hours.

Consomme" of Fresh Vegetable Roots from Gouffe*

Cut in slices 2 1/4 lbs. of carrots and the same weight of onions; put them in a stewpan with some parsley, thyme, shalot, and celery, and also 1 lb. 2 ozs. of butter.

Fry gently to a red colour, add 8 3/4 pints of water, let it boil, and skim it.

Next put into it 1 3/4 pint of peas and a couple of lettuces.

Then add 1 1/4 oz. of salt, 1/3 oz. of whole pepper, 1 pinch of nutmeg, 3 cloves, if pint of dried peas, 1 3/4 pint of white haricots.

Let it simmer for three hours at the side of the fire, skim off the grease and strain through a cloth; then put aside for use {Op. cit., pp. 348, 349).

* J. Gouffe, "Le Livre de Cuisine," pp. 126 - 128. Paris: 1867.

This consomme may form the basis of spring soup, julienne, brunoise, aux aeufs poches, crecy, etc., fresh vegetables and other materials being added, after the analogy in each case of the potages gras.

The Author's Directions for Making Good Beef-tea.

Chop fine or mince with a machine, a pound and a half of gravy beef from which the fat has been removed.

Place it in an earthen jar with a lid, add a pint of cold water, and let it remain an hour, occasionally stirring and pressing the meat firmly with an iron spoon. Then place the jar, with the lid on, in a saucepan large enough to cover it, with water sufficient to reach nearly to the lid, but not near enough when gently boiling to rise above it and enter the jar.

The water in the saucepan is to be kept at about boiling point or a little under, at the corner of the fire, for three hours, adding a little water occasionally, to replace that which evaporates.

When the time has expired the jar may be removed, the beef-tea drained from the meat, which is then to be pressed as closely as possible through a coarse straining cloth so as to extract all the liquid.

After standing a short time the beef-tea will become clear, much light brown flaky matter falling to the bottom. By no means remove this, as it is nutritious material, unless any special orders have been given to the contrary.

Receipt for Beef-tea.

When cold, the fluid will be slightly gelatinous, varying somewhat as the meat used may vary in the amount of skin, tendon, or other fibrous tissue contained therein.

If, however, "shin of beef," which, of course, includes bone, is used as well as gravy beef, say a pound of each, add the meat detached from the bone to the pound of gravy beef and treat them together as already described; but utilize the bone by breaking it with a chopper or hammer, after which the pieces are to be placed in a small saucepan apart, with a pint of cold water, for an hour. Then the whole is to be slowly brought to boiling point, and to be maintained at the same until the liquid is reduced to the third of a pint, which is to be strained off and mixed with the beef-tea already made; a firm jelly will result when cold. A strong solution of gelatine has thus been added to the meat extractives and albumen obtained by the first process, materially improving the value of the compound.

When cold, remove the small quantity of fat which is always to be found on the surface, and heat what is required, as wanted. If the beef-tea is to be served as soon as made without cooling, remove as much of the fat as possible with a teaspoon, and the small remainder by means of white blotting - paper.

No better vessel exists for the treatment of the meat (not for the bones) than a small Warren pot (see p. 99).

Then it should be remembered that the beef-tea can be rendered far more nutritious, when the invalid is able to take any solid addition, by adding thereto a small quantity of well-minced rump-steak. For this purpose the meat should be brought to the condition of pulp by passing it three or four times through the best mincing machine which can be obtained, after having broiled the meat lightly only (see Mincing at pp. 168, 169).