The new century cookery book

Truss the pheasant as for roasting, place it on a roasting pan with a little dripping and the mirepoix above named. Roast it in the oven till three parts done, then take up the bird, untruss it, and remove the fillets from the breast. Cut the carcase into small pieces and fry in the mirepoix, adding about an ounce of butter and the ham cut up small. Stir in the flour and let it get a chestnut brown colour, add’ the barley and stir the whole a few minutes longer over the fire. Moisten with the wine and add gradually the stock and about a pint of water. Stir till it boils, skim, and let simmer for about 1\ hour. Pound the fillets of pheasant in a mortar with the remainder of the butter, and add the cream ; when sufficiently pounded, rub the whole through a fine sieve. Pass the soup through a tammy, return to the stewpan, add the puree above named, season to taste, re-heat, and serve with some very small game quenelles. 183. Creme d’Asperges a la Printaniere. — 1 bundle asparagus, 2 oz. butter, 2 oz. flour, 3 pints white stock, 1 pint milk, pepper, nutmeg, salt, sugar, 1 gill cream, a handful of cooked green peas and beans. Clean the asparagus, cut off the tips and cook separately, as these will be required for garnish ; cut the stalks, as far as tender, into small pieces, wash thoroughly in salted water, boil till partly cooked in salted water and drain. Put the butter in a stewpan, when melted add the flour, cook a little, stir in the stock and milk, let it boil up, skim, add the asparagus, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and a good pinch of sugar. Cook till tender, and rub through a fine sieve. Return to stewpan, add cream, and a little more milk if needed. Put peas, French beans, and cooked asparagus tips (about a handful of the latter) in a soup-tureen, pour the puree over, and serve. 184. Creme de Concombre d la Heine (Cucumber Cream). — 3 large cucumbers, 3 oz. butter, 2 oz. flour, 2 pints chicken stock, 1 pint of milk, 1 gill cream, 2 egg-yolks, seasoning, bread croutons. Peel the cucumbers, cut them into quarters, remove the seeds, and slice coarsely. Parboil in salted water, drain, and put in a stewpan with one ounce of butter, let stew for about half an hour ; season with pepper, salt, and half a teaspoonful of sugar. Melt the remaining twoounces of butter in another stewpan, stir in the flour, cook it without browning ; add the cooked cucumber, dilute with the stock, boil up, skim, add the milk boiling. Cook slowly for twenty minutes. Rub- through a fine sieve. Stir cream and yolks of eggs well together, pour in with the puree, return on the fire, stir until the liaison of egg and cream is formed, then pour into a soup-tureen and serve with croutons. 185. Potage au Potiron ( French Pumpkin Soup). — 3 lbs. ripe pumpkin, 3 oz. butter, 1 bay-leaf, % lb. stale bread, 1 onion, 1 quart milk, 1 quart stock, \ gill cream, 2 yolks of eggs, salt, pepper, 1 pinch of sugar, fried bread croutons.