Raw chicken, veal, game, fish, etc., scraped and pounded to a pulp with raw eggs, sifted and mixed with cream or other fat, and sometimes with sauce or panada, is called forcemeat. The most delicate of all entrees are made with forcemeat. A forcemeat without panada is the most delicate, then comes forcemeat made with flour panada, and the firmest forcemeat of all is that made with a bread panada. The chicken, fish, etc., used as the foundation of forcemeat, and which gives the name to the dish, should be very fresh. This is true of all articles cooked by other means than roasting and broiling. Forcemeat in which panada is used is sometimes called quenelle forcemeat, and varieties in which there is no panada mousseline forcemeat; still, while the first is perhaps better adapted for quenelles, which are often cooked without molds, either variety may be used in any dish where forcemeat is called for. We give here two general recipes for forcemeat; either one may be used in recipes where different preparations are suggested. Other articles than chicken may be used provided the weight of the sifted pulp remains the same. By varying the proportions of the ingredients great diversity of texture is secured.

Unmolding Forcemeat Preparations

Take the molds from the water, let them stand undisturbed two or three minutes (longer for a large mold), loosen the article with a pointed knife, at the edge of the mold; tip from side to side to make sure it does not adhere to the mold at any point and invert on a soft, even layer of cloth to take up any possible liquid, then transfer with a spatula to the serving dish; pour sauce around and they are ready to serve. Sauce may be poured over undeco-rated timbales or forcemeat preparations.

A preparation cooked in a large mold, should be unmolded upon the serving dish; it cannot be safely moved. After unmolding, with a soft cloth take up the liquid surrounding it.

Chicken Forcemeat, With Panada And Butter

Use white meat only; scrape the pulp from the tendons and fibers; there should be one pound of pulp. Pound the pulp, add half a pound of panada, a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper and pound again; then add half a pound of butter and continue the pounding until the whole mass is smooth. Add two whole eggs and four yolks, one at a time, pounding in each egg thoroughly before the addition of the next. When all the eggs are added and the mixture is smooth press it through a sieve. A gravy strainer set in part of a double-boiler answers nicely. Have ready a saucepan of boiling water; roll a bit of the forcemeat into a ball and drop in the water; remove to a place where the water will remain just below the boiling point for six or eight minutes. If the forcemeat be too soft beat in the white of another egg; if it be tough or too firm add a little softened (not melted) butter, beating it in thoroughly.

Chicken Mousseline Forcemeat

1 pound of chicken pulp

2 whites of eggs (unbeaten)

¼ teaspoonful of mace or nutmeg

1 teaspoonful of salt ½ teaspoonful of pepper 2 cups of thick sweet cream

Sift the mixture after the meat and whites of eggs with seasonings have been pounded together smoothly, then gradually beat in the cream.