(273). Puree Of Lentils, Chantilly (Puree De Lentilles Chantilly)

Unsalt a pig's head for twelve bonis, partially cook it; put into a saucepan one and a half quarts of picked and washed lentils, add the half pig's head, and moisten with four quarts of cold water to cover all well, then add two carrots cut in four lengthwise, four onions, one with two clove-in it. half a pound of well pared raw ham, and boil slowly until all be thoroughly cooked, then take out the half head, bone it, remove all the fat, and put it under a weight to reduce it to three-eighths of an inch thick; drain the lentils, suppress the vegetables and ham, and pound the lentils, diluting them with their own broth. Strain all through a sieve, add two quarts of bechamel (No. 409), and heat it up without boiling; skim and when ready to serve, incorporate into it a good piece of fine butter. Cut the gelatinous parts of the head into dice, and serve them with the soup as a garnishing, also some croutons of bread fried in butter.

(274). Puree Of Leveret Or Young Rabbit, St. James (Puree De Levraut Ou Lapereau St. James)

Remove all the bones from the leverets or young rabbits, break up the carcasses, and fry them in butter with minced onions, carrots and a bunch of parsley garnished with thyme, bay leaf and celery, moisten with four quarts of broth, let the liquid boil up, then skim, and season with salt, pepper and cloves, continue to boil for one hour, then strain through a sieve. Cut up the meat in three quarter inch squares; fry these in butter with two ounces of lean ham, adding four tablespoonfuls of flour, and mix all well together, then moisten with the above stock, let boil and finish cooking. When the meats are well done, drain them off, and pound them in a mortar, diluting this puree with the stock, then press it through a sieve or tammy, the latter being preferable, for all purees are improved by being pressed through a tammy, as it removes any grains that may be in them. Ileal the soup without boiling, season to taste, and incorporate into it a piece of good butter weighing a quarter of a pound, stirring it sharply with a spoon till thoroughly melted.

Add a garnishing composed of small game and cream forcemeat (No. 75) timbales, the size and shape of half a pegion's egg, poached in a slack oven and served in the soup.

(275). Puree Of Oatmeal Toulousaine (Puree D'Avenas Toulousaine)

Put three pints of water into a saucepan; when it boils, drop into it like rain, six ounces of oatmeal coarsely ground, salt and one ounce of butter, let cook for three hours, dilute it with three pints of white broth, and pass it through a tammy, return it to the fire stirring it continually, and at the first boil remove it to the side of the fire, and let boil and despumate for twenty-five minutes; skim all the fat, season with salt, nutmeg and sugar, and just when ready to serve, incorporate into it a piece of fine butter; pour the soup into a soup tureen with a garnishing of bread croutons an inch in diameter sprinkled over with butter and browned in the oven, also croutons made of firm Royal cream (No. 241), using whites of eggs instead of yolks, poached in a slack oven, and cut into squares.