Lettuce Braized, German Style

No. 818. - Prepare the Lettuce as in No. 817, and when cooked drain them on a napkin and sponge off the grease. Then dish them up and pour over them some Allemande sauce, reduced with cream.

Stuffed Lettuce

No. 819. - Prepare one dozen heads of Lettuce as in No. 817, and when parboiled immerse them in cold water, then press them in the hands and dry them. Put them on a towel on the table, spread out the leaves of each head and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add in the middle of each head some forced meat of veal (Godiveau) flavored with cooked fine herbs. Put the Lettuce in shape again, trim them and arrange them in a deep flat saucepan, lined with thin slices of fat pork. Moisten them with veal gravy, then let them boil, after which cover the saucepan and set it in the oven. Sprinkle them with the gravy occasionally, so they will glaze nicely. When cooked dish them up, strain off the gravy, take off the grease, and serve the gravy with them.

Lettuce Stuffed And Fried

No. 820. - Prepare the Lettuce the same as in No. 819, and when cooked drain them on a sieve, and sponge off the grease with a napkin. Then bread them and dip them in beaten eggs, and then bread them again in fresh bread crumbs. Fry them in hot lard and serve them on a napkin, with a garniture of fried parsley.

Lettuce With Cream

No. 821. - Trim off the outer leaves of one dozen heads of Lettuce and wash the heads in cold water several times. Then put them in a saucepan, with boiling water lightly salted, and let them cook for ten minutes on a brisk fire. Then immerse them in cold water, drain them in a colander and press them dry in the hands. Then chop them fine. Put six ounces of butter in a saucepan, and when melted add two spoonfuls of flour, and let it cook to a light brown. Then add the Lettuce, stirring it in well, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add in slowly a pint of cream and let it cook for ten minutes. Before serving, garnish it with hard boiled eggs, cut in quarters, and with toasted bread, cut in fancy shapes.

Lettuce, With Gravy

No. 822. - Proceed the same as in No. 821, but in place of cream add some veal gravy or a good broth. Garnish with poached eggs or toast.

Lettuce For Garniture

No. 823. - When Lettuce is to be used for garnishing joints or large entre'es, use the braized or stuffed Lettuce as in Nos. 817, 818, 819 and 820. When it is used for garnishing small entrees and broiled meats, use Lettuce with cream or gravy, as in Nos. 821 and 822. When it is used as a salad garniture select the inner leaves and steep them in cold water until ready for use. Keep the hearts to place on the top of the salad, or cut them in fine shreds and garnish around the dish, alternating with eggs.

Lettuce Salads

No. 824. - Trim off the outer leaves of the Lettuce, wash the heads in cold water, trim the leaves, and then drain them on a salad strainer. Before using, drain them on a napkin, being careful not to press the leaves. Pat them in a salad bowl and season with salt, pepper, sweet oil and vinegar.

Note. - Dress the salad only when ready for use. Germans generally add some sliced young onions and a mustard dressing. This is made by mashing the yolk of a hard boiled egg in a salad bowl, diluting it with oil and vinegar, and adding mustard. Then mix it well together and season with salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the Lettuce, and mix it well with a wooden spoon and fork in a careful manner. Americans, especially in New England, dress the salad with sugar, vinegar, and cream. In the South they use oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, or with a Mayonnaise dressing, and garnished with hard boiled eggs. The French add some fine chopped chervil and tarragon, and occasionally a clove of garlic, chopped fine, or some garlic rubbed on a crust of bread (Chapon). The Spaniards and Mexicans add some fine sliced green peppers, with sliced green onions. The English use a dressing made with the yolks of hard boiled eggs, diluted with oil, vinegar, and the juice of onions or shallots, and seasoned with salt and pepper. For a family dinner dish up the salad plain, with hard boiled eggs separately, or as a garniture. It requires an expert to dress a salad well. When ready for the salad the hostess should dress it, or if one of the company is noted as a good salad dresser, she should request him to dress it.