Entrees are, in common terms, what are called made-dishes; of course, these are dishes upon which, in the high class of cookery, the talent of the cook is displayed. Great care should be observed in dishing them up, for the eye is a great assistance to the palate; it often hap-Eens that the carelessness of the servant destroys the labors of the cook, by the manner in which the dish is taken from the kitchen to the dining-room. In some measure to avoid that, I direct a small thin border of mashed potatoes, about half an inch wide and a quarter of an inch deep, to be placed on the bottom of the dish, which keeps each object in its place: they should always be served exceedingly hot.

Made Dishes Of Beef

The remainder of any cooked joints of beef may be advantageously and economically dressed in the following ways:

381. Hashed Beef - Cut the beef into small thin slices, which lay upon a plate, and to every pound of beef add half a table-spoonful of flour, a little chopped onion or eschalot, two salt-spoonfuls of salt, and a half one of pepper, mix the whole well together, and put it into a saucepan, with half a pint of water, stir it over the fire until upon the point of boiling, when set it at the corner of the fire to simmer for ten minutes; it is then ready to serve. A great improvement to the appearance of hash may be effected by adding a few spoonfuls of brown gravy (No. 177), or a teaspoonful of coloring (No. 178), which might always be kept in a bottle. The flavor of any kind of hash may be varied, by adding a few sprigs of parsley, or thyme, or a couple of bay-leaves, or a little tarragon, or a few spoonfuls of catsup, Soyer' s, Harvey's, Soho, or Reading sauce.