766. Vol'Au'Vent Of Cod, A La Creme

Crimped cod is best for this purpose, although plain cod may be used, bur, in either case, the fish must be dressed in boiling water, with plenty of salt thrown in at the same time. A few minutes, in most instances, will suffice to boil this kind of fish, especially if it be crimped. If allowed to remain in the water after it is done, it becomes soft and tasteless. When the cod is boiled, drain it upon a napkin, and as soon as all the water has been absorbed, put the flakes and the sounds carefully, without breaking them up, into a stewpan, containing enough rich cream Bechamel (No. 6) for the entree, to this add 2 oz. of grated fresh Parmesan cheese and the juice of a lemon; toss the whole together over the fire with care, so as to avoid breaking the pieces; when it is quite hot, garnish the vol'au' vent, and serve.

767. Vol'Au'Vent Of Salt Fish, A L'Anglaise

The whitest and thickest fish are the best for this purpose. About 2 lbs. will suffice; cut from the middle of the fish, and soak it in cold water for forty-eight hours previously to its being dressed, the water being changed every six hours. Set the fish on in cold water, and when it boils remove the scum, and set it by the side of the stove to finish boiling. As soon as it is done, drain it on a sieve or a napkin, and when all the water is absorbed from it, remove it in large flakes into a stewpan containing some scollops of dressed parsnips, in the proportion of one-third to the quantity of fish, and a like quantity of slices of eggs, boiled hard; to these add enough cream Bechamel sauce (No. 6) for the entree; toss the whole gently over a stove-fire until quite hot, then garnish a large vol' au' vent with this ragout, and serve.

768. Tourte* Of Whitings, A La Dauphine

Procure four large fresh whitings, fillet them, and set one-half aside on a plate in a cool place; with the remainder prepare some quenelle force-meat (No. 245), which, when finished, gather up in a basin, and mould with dessert-spoons into quenelles. Trim the four remaining fillets, cut each in two transversely, and after paring off the angles, decorate or contises them in manner following: Place the fillet lengthwise upon the edge of the kitchen table, then make incisions across with a knife, cutting down in a slanting direction, and in these openings insert small, round, thin scollops of red tongue, black truffle or green gherkins. Next, place these in a sauta-pan with 4 oz. of clarified butter, season with a little salt, and squeeze the juice of a lemon over them; cover with thin layers of fat bacon, or a round of paper buttered, and set them aside in the larder till wanted. While this is going on, make an extract or essence with the bones and trimmings of the whitings, as follows: - Put the bones, etc, into a stewpan, with two shalots, one bay-leaf, and a sprig of thyme, eight pepper-corns, a blade of mace, and a handful of parsley ; moisten with two glasses of white wine (French is preferable), and a pint of white broth. Set this to boil gently on the stove-fire for half an hour, then strain it through a sieve; boil it down nearly to a glaze, and mix it with enough Allemande sauce, or Bechamel, for the entree, and pass it through a tammy into a stewpan containing the quenelles of whiting before alluded to, with the addition of a dozen button-mushrooms, double that quantity of crayfish-tails and claws, trimmed, and 3 oz. of truffles, cut into thick slices ; toss the whole together gently over the fire until quite hot, then garnish the tourte with this ragout, and with the fillets before mentioned (previously set in the oven for ten minutes to simmer, and afterward drained on a napkin) make a border round the inner edge of the Vol' au' vent, or tourte; place a group of crayfish-tails, previously warmed in a small stewpan with a bit of glaze, and a morsel of lobster-coral butter (to color them), and crown the whole with a large crayfish, trimmed, having one prong of each claw stuck into its tail; sauce neatly with the remainder of the sauce, and serve quickly.

* Directions for making this kind of Tourte will be found in that part of the work which treats of Puff-pastry.