A guide to modern cookery

After having shaped them like large garlic cloves, quickly parboil them. This done, treat them as directed under ‘* Carottes glacées,’’ and roll them sufficiently in their cookingliquor, reduced to the consistence of a thick syrup, to thoroughly coat them with it. 2124—CONCOMBRES FARCIS.—A Cut the cucumbers into two-inch lengths; peel, parboil, and drain them. Then hollow them out to form small, round cases; set them side by side in a sautépan, and cook them in butter. When they are three-parts cooked, fill them with a raw, chicken forcemeat, effecting this operation by means of a piping-bag. The forcemeat should be slightly moulded in the cucumber cases. Complete the cooking of the cucumber, gently, while poaching the forcemeat. 2125—CONCOMBRES FARCIS.—B Peel the cucumbers; split them open lengthwise, and empty them by means of a root-spoon. This done, parboil and drain without cooling them. Garnish each half-cucumber, level with the edges, with a chicken forcemeat, prepared with frangipane, and combined with a third of its weight of Duxelles. Reconstruct the cucumbers by placing the halves one against the other; wrap them each in a slice of bacon, and then in a piece of muslin, and finally string them. This done, braise them in the usual way. When they are cooked, remove their wrappings, and cut them into roundels the thickness of which is determined by the size of the piece of which they are the adjuncts. 2126—STACHYS (Crosnes du Japon) Whatever be their mode of preparation, stachys must be cleaned, parboiled, and kept firm, and cooked in butter without colouration. 2127—CROSNES A LA CREME After having parboiled the stachys and three-parts cooked them in butter, moisten with boiling cream, and complete their cooking while reducing the cream. Add a little thin, fresh cream at the last moment, and dish in a timbale. 2128—CROSNES SAUTES AU BEURRE After having parboiled, drained, and dried the stachys, put them in an omelet-pan containing some very hot butter, and toss them over a fierce fire, until they are well frizzled. Dish in a timbale, and sprinkle moderately with chopped parsley. 2129—CROSNES AU VELOUTE Completely cook the stachys in salted water. Drain them, and cohere them with the required quantity of Velouté flavoured with mushroom essence. 2130—CROQUETTES DE CROSNES Having cooked the stachys in salted water, and kept them somewhat firm, thoroughly drain them and mix them with a very reduced Allemande sauce, in the proportion of one-fifth pint per lb. of stachys. Spread this preparation on a buttered dish, and cool. Now cut this preparation into portions weighing about two oz.; shape these portions like balls, pears, quoits, or otherwise, dip them in beaten eggs, and roll them in very fine bread-crumbs. Plunge these croquettes into very hot fat five or six minutes before serving; drain them on a piece of linen; salt moderately, and dish on a napkin with very green, fried parsley. 2131—PUREE DE CROSNES Cook the stachys in salted water, keeping them somewhat firm, and add thereto four oz. of quartered potatoes per Ib. of stachys. As soon as they are cooked, drain the stachys and the potatoes; rub them through a sieve, and dry the purée over a very fierce fire. Add the necessary quantity of milk to bring the purée to its proper consistence; heat; add butter away from the fire, and dish in a timbale. 2132—SPINACH (Epinards) Spinach should only be prepared at the last moment, if possible. After having parboiled it in plenty of boiling salted water, cool it, press out all its contained water, and, according to circumstances, either chop it up or rub it through a sieve. If it has to be served with the leaves left whole, merely drain it on a sieve, without either pressing or cooling it.