Les Pointes D'Asperges

Pick some nice asparagus, not however of the finest, but all of an equal size. Cut off the tops only, about an inch long, and blanch them in water with a little salt, but do not boil them too much. Then put them with whatever you choose, but only at the last moment, and that for two different reasons; the first, because they are liable to turn yellow; the other, because they would give a bitter taste to the sauce. If you wish to serve any thing up with asparagus tops. you must put them into a little veloute, or Allemande. They do not look well in a brown sauce. For this reason they are seen in Macedoines, Chartreuses, pates de legumes, vol au vents, etc. If intended for soups, never put them in but at the moment you send up.

Hollandoise Verte, Or Green Dutch Sauce

Take a couple, or four spoonfuls of sauce tournee, reduced with a little consomme. Give a good seasoning to it; add a verd de persil, and work the sauce well. When you send up (and not before), add a little lemon-juice, for otherwise the sauce would turn yellow.

Dutch Sauce

Put into a stew-pan a tea-spoonful of flour, four spoonfuls of elder vinegar, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, the yolks of five eggs, and a little salt Put it on the fire, and keep continually stirring it. When it has acquired thickness enough, work it well, that you may refine it. If it should not be curdled, you have no occasion to strain it through a tammy; season well, and serve up.

La Godard

This is the same ragout as the financiere, only it serves to garnish a surloin of beef. You then add pigeons gautiers, and larded sweetbreads; keep your sauce thin, as you have nothing to mask*.

La Chambord

This is a agout like the financiere, with this difference, that you must first reduce a pint of Madeira wine, and mix it with the Espagnole. Add to the above garnish, soft roes of carp, some good-sized craw-fish, and two spoonfuls of essence of anchovies. The quenelles are to be poached in a spoon. This, to be performed properly, requires two spoons: fill one with the farce, which has been levelled all round, with a knife dipped into boiling water. With the other spoon, which is lying also in boiling hot water, take the quenelle out, and put it into a buttered stew-pan. When you have thus marked your quenelles, pour some boiling water into the stew-pan, and boil them for a quarter of an hour. A small quantity of salt is required in the water. Some people poach the quenelles in broth. In my opinion it is wasting the broth to no purpose.

* Mask signifies to cover; when you do not mean to mask, the sauce must be thinner.

Salmi Sauced, L'Espagnole

Cut four shalots, and a carrot into large dice, some parsley-roots, a few bits of ham, a clove, two or three leaves of mace, the quarter of a bay-leaf, a little thyme, and a small bit of butter. Put the whole into a stew-pan over a gentle fire; let it fry till you perceive the stew-pan is coloured all round. Then moisten with half a pint of Madeira wine, and a very small lump of sugar. Let it reduce to one half. Put in six spoonfuls of Espagnole and the trimmings of your partridges. Let them stew for an hour on the corner of the stove. Skim the fat off, taste whether your sauce be seasoned enough; strain it over the members, make it hot without boiling; dish the salmi, and reduce the sauce, which strain through a tammy. Then cover the salmi with the sauce.

La Sauce Robert

Cut some onions into small dice, fry them of a fine brown, moisten them with some Espagnole, or singez †, and moisten with some gravy of veal. Skim it, that the sauce may look bright; put in a little pepper and salt, and just before you send up, mix a spoonful of mustard.

La Livernoise

Is a Macedoine, which you make with some Espagnole, instead of bechamelle. Reduce some carrots and turnips a glace, then put them into the Espagnole, which must not boil. Mind that the sauce does not taste of the roots.

* Bain marie.- - See note to No. 42.

† Singez means, put flour to it with the dredging-box.

Le Hochepot

Turn some carrots, and in winter-time blanch them. When they are young, that operation may be dispensed with. Boil them in a little broth and sugar; when done, reduce the broth, and put the whole into a good Espagnole. Give them a good seasoning, skim the fat off, and serve up.