685. Chickens, A La Montmorency

Truss two or more chickens (as may be required), and let their breasts be entirely covered with close larding; next place them in a stewpan containing a wine mirepoix (No.. 236), covering the unlarded parts with thin layers of fat bacon; add as much good consomme as will suffice to reach up to the larding, cover the chickens with a round of buttered paper, and set them to braize gently on a slow fire, taking care that the lid of the stewpan be covered with live embers of charcoal, to effect the glazing of the larding. When the chickens are done, dish them up, garnish them with a white ragout a la Financiere (No. 1ST), or a ragout a la Parisienne (No. 203), and serve.

Chickens, a la Montmorency, may also be dished up with an ornamental crouslade in the centre, in which should be fixed five atelets, garnished as shown in the wood-cut, p. 235.

686. Chickens, A La Milanaise

These should be trussed and boiled, and when done, dished up with a ragout a la Milanaise, see Capon a la Milanaise (No. 677); they may also be garnished with a border of rissoles (No. 1020).

687. Chickens, A La Chivry

Truss the chickens so as to look very plump, boil or braize them in some white poele (No. 231) or broth; and when done, dish them up in the following manner : - Some small rings of onions about the size of a shilling should be first boiled in white broth, then filled with blanched ravigotte of chives, tarragon, and chervil, and afterward used to ornament the breasts of the chickens. Place these in their dish, pour under them a Chivry or Ravigotte sauce (No. 20), and send to table.

688. Chickens. A La Florentine

Truss two chickens, and lard the breasts very closely with black truffles cut into strips, which must be used instead of bacon for this purpose; the chickens should be covered with thin layers of fat bacon, (to prevent the truffles from drying and breaking off), then braized in white broth, and when done, dished up with an ornamental crous-tade of bread fried of a light-brown color, and placed in the centre of the dish, garnish with alternate groups of small quenelles of fowl colored with lobster spawn, truffles cut in the form of olives, mushrooms, large double cocks'-combs, and small croquettes of rice mixed with a little grated Parmesan cheese ; sauce the chickens, without masking the breasts, with some Allemande sauce, in which have been added two table-spoonsful of tomata sauce, and a little Chili vinegar. Fill the croustade with trimmed crayfish tails tossed in a little of the sauce, and serve. If this dish be intended for a grand dinner, four ornamental silver skewers, garnished with a double cocks'-comb, truffles, decorated quenelle, and a cray-fish, may be inserted in the croustade.

689. Chickens, A La Cardinal

Draw two chickens, taking care to leave the crop entire, cut off the feet two inches from the joint of the leg, and make an incision just under the thigh; insert the legs inside, and then put the chickens in a basin of cold water to soak for a quarter of an hour; after which, with the aid of the forefinger, detach the skin as much as possible from the breasts and legs of the chickens without tearing it ; they must then be placed upon a napkin, and all the water absorbed from them ; after which the interstices between the skin and fillets, etc, should be covered with some quenelle of fowl colored of a deep red with lobster spawn. The chickens are then to be trussed for boiling in the usual manner, being covered with thin layers of fat bacon, to protect the skin while braizing; place them in a stewpan with the customary vegetables, etc, moisten with white broth, and set them to braize very gently on a slow fire; care must be taken to prevent their boiling fast, as in that case the quenelle would burst the skins. "When done, dish them up with an ornamental fried bread croustade in the centre of the dish; garnish with small groups of glazed truffles, cocks'-combs, large quenelles of fowl decorated with truffles, button-mushrooms and cray-fish tails, and at each end place a larded sweetbread ; sauce with some Cardinal sauce (No. 48), insert four garnished ornamental silver skewers into the croustade, and serve.