The new century cookery book

Various kinds of sauces known as chaud-froid sauces, and aspic jelly, aspic creams, &c., are brought largely into use for cold entrees. Such preparations, or adjuncts, must be prepared with great care : they must be made tasty, and on no account too stiff. The aspic especially should be well flavoured, limpid, and above all transparent and clear ; for if there be any defect in this, then the handsomest dishes are open to criticism, and very justly so. In any cold entree, the cook’s special aim, next to the proper cooking of the articles, must be that of rendering the dish or the dishes effective in appearance. This can only be done by introducing tastefully and pleasingly arranged designs in the decorations. When croutons of rice, bread, &c., are used, they should be cut with precision and taste. ENTREES CH ANDES DE VI ANDES ( HOT MEAT DISHES ) 267 Hatelets, silver skewers, ornamented with fancifully cut vegetables, and aspic garnishing, come largely into use with dishes of this kind. These add greatly to the effective appearance of any dish. The number of other dishes, less elaborate than those just named, is also very large. These, although smaller, require just as much care and attention, because in a sense they are equally important. In preparing cold dishes, allow plenty of time, do them beforehand. This kind of work should never be hurried, nor left over to be finished at the last moment. The choice of entrees and their preparation must on no account clash with either the fish, remove, or roast, nor must the sauces served with either be the same or similar in appearance. When three kinds of entrees are served the light entree must be served first and the cold last. A hot entree is generally served before a cold dish. Again an entree composed of small birds must go before one prepared from a large bird or large meat. The sauce for such dishes (hot) is always served in the dish and not separately, unless the dish will not hold sufficient sauce to go round the table, then some of the sauce may be handed round in a sauce-boat. In the case of light entrees, with some exceptions, the sauce is handed round separately as a rule ; a little sauce is often poured over the dish just to sauce it, or, as it is termed in culinary French, to nape. It depends entirely upon the fish as to whether a white or a brown entree should take the lead, and this naturally depends in a great measure upon the dishes selected. If the remove be a white meat it is best to serve the white entree first — that is, if there be two, a white and a brown entree — so as to prevent two dishes of a similar kind in colour following. If, however, the French service is adopted this rule must be reversed, as in the French fashion the remove is invariably brought on after the fish. All entrees should be handed round the table. CAILLES EN CAISSES A LA PEBIGOUBDINE 681. Canolettes a la Montglas. — 6 oz. puff-paste trimming 1 lamb's sweetbread, 1 small stick celery, 1 gill white sauce — Alle mande (No. 204) or bechamel (No. 202) — 2 mushrooms, 1 truffle, 1 egg, bread-crumbs, fried parsley, pepper and salt.