Creams allow of the same garnishes as the veloutés. 244—SPECIAL SOUPS AND THICKENED CONSOMMES These are of different kinds, though their preparation remains the same, and they do not lend themselves to the re- quirements of veloutés or creams. I should quote as types of this class the Ambassador, a 1’Américaine, Darblay, Faubonne, &c. The same holds good with thickened consommés, such as ‘*Germiny,”’ ‘* Coquelin,”’ &c. 245—VEGETABLE SOUPS These soups, of which the ‘‘ Paysanne ”’ is the radical type, do not demand very great precision in the apportionment of 99 LEADING CULINARY OPERATIONS 103 the vegetables of which they are composed; but they need great care and attention, notwithstanding. The vegetables, in the majority of cases, must undergo a long stewing in butter, an operation the object of which is to expel their vegetable moisture and to saturate them with butter. In respect of others which have a local character, the vege- tables should be cooked with the diluent, without a preparatory stewing. 246—FOREIGN SOUPS In the course of Part II. of this work I shall allude to certain soups which have a foreign origin, and whose use, although it may not be general, is yet sufficiently common. If only for the sake of novelty or variety, it is occasionally permissible to poach upon the preserves of foreign nations; but apart from this there exist among the recipes of foreigners many which can but enrich their adopter, besides being generally appreciated. 104 GUIDE TO MODERN COOKERY 2. BRAISING, POACHING, SAUTES, AND PO#LING. Except for the roasts, grills, and fryings, which will be dis- cussed later, all culinary operations dealing with meat are re- lated to one of the four following methods: Braising, poéling, poaching, and sautés. These four methods of cooking belong, however, to the sauces, and this explains how it is that the latter hold such a pre-eminent position in French cookery. Before devoting any attention to particular formula, which will be given in the second part of this work, it seemed desirable to me to recapitulate in a general way the theory of each of these cooking methods. These theories are of paramount importance, since it is only with a complete knowledge of them that good results may be obtained by the culinary operator. 247—ORDINARY BRAISINGS Of all the various culinary operations, braisings are the most expensive and the most difficult. Long and assiduous practice alone can teach the many difficulties that this mode of procedure entails, for it is one which demands extraordinary care and the most constant attention. Over and above the question of care and that of the quality of meat used, which latter considera- tion is neither more nor less important here than in any other cooking operation, there are also these conditions to be fulfilled in order that a good braising may be obtained, namely, that excellent stock should be used in moistening, and that the braising base be well prepared. Meats that are Braised.—Mutton and beef are braised in the ordinary way, but veal, lamb, and poultry are braised in a manner which I shall treat of later. Meat intended for braising need not, as in the case of roasts, be that of young beasts. The best for the purpose is that derived from an animal of three to six years of age in the case of beef, and one to two years in the case of mutton. Good meat is rarely procured from animals more advanced than these in years, and, even so, should it be used, it would not only be necessary to protract the time of cooking inordinately, but the resulting food would probably be fibrous and dry. Properly speaking, meat derived from old or ill-nourished beasts only answers two purposes in cookery, viz., the prepara- tion of consommés and that of various kinds of stock. LEADING CULINARY OPERATIONS 105

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Creams allow of the same garnishes as the veloutés. 244—SPECIAL SOUPS AND THICKENED CONSOMMES These are of different kinds, though their preparation remains the same, and they do not lend themselves to the requirements of veloutés or creams. I should quote as types of this class the Ambassador, a 1’Américaine, Darblay, Faubonne, &c. The same holds good with thickened consommés, such as ‘*Germiny,”’ ‘* Coquelin,”’ &c. 245—VEGETABLE SOUPS These soups, of which the ‘‘ Paysanne ”’ is the radical type, do not demand very great precision in the apportionment of the vegetables of which they are composed; but they need great care and attention, notwithstanding. The vegetables, in the majority of cases, must undergo a long stewing in butter, an operation the object of which is to expel their vegetable moisture and to saturate them with butter. In respect of others which have a local character, the vegetables should be cooked with the diluent, without a preparatory stewing. 246—FOREIGN SOUPS In the course of Part II. of this work I shall allude to certain soups which have a foreign origin, and whose use, although it may not be general, is yet sufficiently common. If only for the sake of novelty or variety, it is occasionally permissible to poach upon the preserves of foreign nations; but apart from this there exist among the recipes of foreigners many which can but enrich their adopter, besides being generally appreciated. 2. BRAISING, POACHING, SAUTES, AND PO#LING. Except for the roasts, grills, and fryings, which will be discussed later, all culinary operations dealing with meat are related to one of the four following methods: Braising, poéling, poaching, and sautés. These four methods of cooking belong, however, to the sauces, and this explains how it is that the latter hold such a pre-eminent position in French cookery. Before devoting any attention to particular formula, which will be given in the second part of this work, it seemed desirable to me to recapitulate in a general way the theory of each of these cooking methods. These theories are of paramount importance, since it is only with a complete knowledge of them that good results may be obtained by the culinary operator. 247—ORDINARY BRAISINGS Of all the various culinary operations, braisings are the most expensive and the most difficult. Long and assiduous practice alone can teach the many difficulties that this mode of procedure entails, for it is one which demands extraordinary care and the most constant attention. Over and above the question of care and that of the quality of meat used, which latter consideration is neither more nor less important here than in any other cooking operation, there are also these conditions to be fulfilled in order that a good braising may be obtained, namely, that excellent stock should be used in moistening, and that the braising base be well prepared. Meats that are Braised.—Mutton and beef are braised in the ordinary way, but veal, lamb, and poultry are braised in a manner which I shall treat of later. Meat intended for braising need not, as in the case of roasts, be that of young beasts. The best for the purpose is that derived from an animal of three to six years of age in the case of beef, and one to two years in the case of mutton. Good meat is rarely procured from animals more advanced than these in years, and, even so, should it be used, it would not only be necessary to protract the time of cooking inordinately, but the resulting food would probably be fibrous and dry. Properly speaking, meat derived from old or ill-nourished beasts only answers two purposes in cookery, viz., the preparation of consommés and that of various kinds of stock.

A guide to modern cookery