(702). Prawns, Crawfish, Crabs Or Lobsters With Raw Fine Herbs Garnishing (Garniture De Crevettes, Ecrevisses, Crabes Ou Homards Aux Fines Herbes Crues)

After the prawns are cooked, refresh and shell them; leave them whole and saute them in butter, seasoning with salt, pepper, and raw fine herbs, also the juice of a lemon. Crawfish tails may be left whole. For crabs, take out the largest piece, from the crab, and for lobsters cut them in escalops or slices, three-sixteenths of an inch in thickness; finish them the same as for the above.

(703). Provencal Garnishing (Garniture A La Provencale)

Prepare for this garnishing eighteen small stuffed tomatoes a la Provencal (No. 2885), eighteen stuffed mushrooms (No. 692), adding to them a bit of garlic, and eighteen croquettes, made with half a pound of minced onions blanched for ten minutes in plenty of water, then fried colorless in butter with their same weight of minced cooked artichoke bottoms, add an allemande sauce (No. 407), and when cold make small croquettes with this preparation, letting them be round and flat; bread-crumb and then dip them in egg, bread-crumb again and fry them a fine color. Garnish around the remove, with these, alternating the tomatoes, the stuffed mushrooms, and the croquettes.

(704). Puree Of Artichoke Bottoms And Jerusalem Artichokes (Pure'E De Fonds Dartichauts Et De Topinambours)

Cut out two pounds of artichoke bottoms,,and blanch them in salted water, drain and mince up fine; lay this into four ounces of butter, but do not let color, then drain off the butter, and moisten with a quart of broth (No. 189); let cook slowly until the bottoms are done, and when the moisture is reduced, add one pint of bechamel (No. 409), and reduce the preparation once more, but without ceasing to stir for an instant until it becomes consistent. Season, rub through a sieve and put this puree into a saucepan to heat while stirring, but it must not boil. Just when ready to serve add four ounces of fine butter. Prepare the Jerusalem artichokes exactly the same, the only difference being that they are peeled and minced raw before frying them in butter, then finish exactly the same as for the artichoke bottoms; all purees for garnishing, should be of such consistency as not to spread.

(705). Puree Of Asparagus (Puree D'Asperges)

Break off the tender ends of sufficient green asparagus to obtain a pound of tops. Blanch these in boiling, salted water in a copper basin, then drain them well and fry in a saucepan with four ounces of butter. Moisten with a pint of broth (No. 189), and let them cook until this is entirely reduced, then pound the asparagus in a mortar, adding a pint of very thick bechamel sauce (No.409), season with salt and sugar, reduce the whole, press through a fine sieve, and return the puree to the saucepan, to heat without boiling; stir in at the last moment two ounces of fine butter.

(706). Puree Of Beans Bretonne (Puree De Haricots Bretonne)

Mince half a pound of onions; set them in a saucepan with four ounces of butter, a bunch of parsley garnished with bay leaf, garlic, thyme and salt; let fry slowly, browning the onions slightly. Let one pound of white beans soak for twelve hours, then boil them with two ounces of butter added, and when nearly done, drain and pound them in a mortar with the onions, suppressing the parsley; add a pint of bechamel (No. 409), two gills of double cream, and two tablespoonfuls of chicken glaze (No. 398): press through a tammy (No. 170) and add two ounces of butter at the very last moment.