Cut into slices, of the same length and thickness, some bacon of the
finest quality ; trim away the outsides, place the slices evenly upon
each other, and with a sharp knife divide them obliquely into small
strips of equal size. For pheasants, partridges, hares, fowls, and
fricandeaux , the bacon should be about the eighth of an inch
square, and two inches in length ; but for meat which is to be larded
quite through, instead of on the outside merely, the bits of bacon
(properly called lardoons) must be at least the third of an inch
square.
In general, the breasts only of birds are larded, the backs and
thighs of hares, and the whole of the upper surface of a fricandeau :
these should be thickly covered with small lardoons, placed at re-
gular intervals, and in lines which intersect each other, so as to form
rather minute diamonds.
The following directions for larding a pheasant will serve equally
for poultry, or for other kinds of game : —
Secure one end of the bacon in a slight larding-needle, and on
the point of this take up sufficient of the flesh of the bird to hold
the lardoon firmly ; draw the needle through it, and part of the
bacon, of which the two ends should be left of equal length. Pro-
ceed thus, until the breast of the pheasant is entirely garnished with
lardoons, when it ought to resemble in appearance a cake thickly
stuck with strips of almonds.
The larger strips of bacon, after being rolled in a high seasoning
of minced herbs and spices, are used to lard the inside of meat, and
they should be proportioned to its thickness, as they must be passed
quite through it. For example : a four-inch slice from a rump of
beef will require lardoons of very nearly that length, which must be
* The line which passes round this stewpan just above the handle, is a mistake
of the designer, and conveys an erroneous idea of the form of the cover, and it
ought to have been omitted.
182
MODERN COOKERY.
[chap. ix.
drawn through with a large larding-pin, and left in it, with the ends
just out of sight on either side.
In France, truffles, anchovies, slices of tongue, and of fat, all
trimmed into proper shape, are occasionally used for larding. The
bacon employed there for the purpose is cured without any saltpetre
(as this would redden the white meats), and it is never smoked : the
receipt for it will be found in Chapter XIII.
A turkey is sometimes larded with alternate lardoons of fat bacon
and of bullock’s tongue, which has been pickled but not dried : we
apprehend that the lean of a half-boiled ham, of good colour, would
answer the purpose quite as well, or better
Larding the surface of meat, poultry, or game, gives it a good
appearance, but it is a more positive improvement to meat of a dry
nature to interlard the inside with large lardoons of well-seasoned,
delicate, striped English bacon.
BONING.
Very minute directions being given in other parts of our volume
for this, we confine ourselves here to the following rules : — in disen-
gaging the flesh from it, work the knife always close to the hone , and
take every care not to pierce the outer skin.
TO BLANCH MEAT OR VEGETABLES.
This is merely to throw either into a pan of boiling water for a
few minutes, which gives firmness to the first, and is necessary for
some modes of preparing vegetables.
Page 180
Presented as published in 1884. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Cut into slices, of the same length and thickness, some bacon of the finest quality ; trim away the outsides, place the slices evenly upon each other, and with a sharp knife divide them obliquely into small strips of equal size. For pheasants, partridges, hares, fowls, and fricandeaux , the bacon should be about the eighth of an inch square, and two inches in length ; but for meat which is to be larded quite through, instead of on the outside merely, the bits of bacon (properly called lardoons) must be at least the third of an inch square.
In general, the breasts only of birds are larded, the backs and thighs of hares, and the whole of the upper surface of a fricandeau : these should be thickly covered with small lardoons, placed at regular intervals, and in lines which intersect each other, so as to form rather minute diamonds.
The following directions for larding a pheasant will serve equally for poultry, or for other kinds of game : —
Secure one end of the bacon in a slight larding-needle, and on the point of this take up sufficient of the flesh of the bird to hold the lardoon firmly ; draw the needle through it, and part of the bacon, of which the two ends should be left of equal length. Proceed thus, until the breast of the pheasant is entirely garnished with lardoons, when it ought to resemble in appearance a cake thickly stuck with strips of almonds.
The larger strips of bacon, after being rolled in a high seasoning of minced herbs and spices, are used to lard the inside of meat, and they should be proportioned to its thickness, as they must be passed quite through it. For example : a four-inch slice from a rump of beef will require lardoons of very nearly that length, which must be
* The line which passes round this stewpan just above the handle, is a mistake of the designer, and conveys an erroneous idea of the form of the cover, and it ought to have been omitted.
[chap. ix.
drawn through with a large larding-pin, and left in it, with the ends just out of sight on either side.
In France, truffles, anchovies, slices of tongue, and of fat, all trimmed into proper shape, are occasionally used for larding. The bacon employed there for the purpose is cured without any saltpetre (as this would redden the white meats), and it is never smoked : the receipt for it will be found in Chapter XIII.
A turkey is sometimes larded with alternate lardoons of fat bacon and of bullock’s tongue, which has been pickled but not dried : we apprehend that the lean of a half-boiled ham, of good colour, would answer the purpose quite as well, or better
Larding the surface of meat, poultry, or game, gives it a good appearance, but it is a more positive improvement to meat of a dry nature to interlard the inside with large lardoons of well-seasoned, delicate, striped English bacon.
BONING.
Very minute directions being given in other parts of our volume for this, we confine ourselves here to the following rules : — in disengaging the flesh from it, work the knife always close to the bone , and take every care not to pierce the outer skin.
TO BLANCH MEAT OR VEGETABLES.
This is merely to throw either into a pan of boiling water for a few minutes, which gives firmness to the first, and is necessary for some modes of preparing vegetables.