The new century cookery book

Cut the truffles into thin slices or small dice ; poach the chicken quenelles in stock or consomme, strain, and moisten with a little sauce ; add the truffles with the quenelles, drain the artichoke-bottoms, and fill them with the above. Place the fillet on a neatly-shaped bed of cooked rice on an oblong dish, garnish with the filled artichoke-bottoms and Dauphine potato croquets ; brush over the fillet with some liquid meat-glaze, and serve with the sauce, which should be served separately. 1199. Filet de Boeuf à la Xeres. — About 3 lbs. middle cut of fillet of beef, 2 oz. butter, about 1 lb. cooked ox-tongue, lardingbacon, 1 glass port, 1 gill stock, 6 artichoke-bottoms, green peas, new potatoes, tomato sauce (No. 271), pepper and salt. Pare the fillet, removing the skin and part of the fat, by means of a wooden spoon ; make a slit through the centre of the fillet (outside) and insert the piece of ox-tongue, neatly trimmed, into the opening made. Lard the surface of the fillets with strips of fat bacon. Butter a saute or oblong flat braisiere, put in the fillet, larded side upwards. Season with pepper and salt, cover with a buttered paper and cook in a brisk oven for about ten minutes, so as to acquire a nice colour, moisten with a gill of rich stock and a glass of port wine, and continue to cook until done according to requirements, which is usually underdone (saignant). When ready for table dress the fillet on a croute of bread, or bed of rice neatly shaped. Put about a gill of tomato sauce with the liquor in which the fillet was cooked, let the whole be reduced, and then strain. Cook the peas and toss them, in a little fresh butter. Warm up the artichokes, fill up each bottom with peas and place them round the dish, also the potatoes, which should be ready boiled and fried whole in butter. The sauce is best served separately. On sending the fillet to table the top should be well glazed over with meat-glaze. 1200. Boiled Beef or Mutton. —Wipe the meat, cut off any superfluous fat, and weigh the joint. Put the meat into a stewpan of boiling water, sufficient to cover it. Season with salt, and let boil fast for five minutes to harden the outside. Remove the scum, add some vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, and onions, and let simmer gently until tender. Average time allowed for cooking is twenty minutes to the pound and twenty minutes* over. Salted or pickled meat should be placed in cold or tepid' water, and must be brought slowly to the boil. Boiled beef is served with a garnishing of cooked carrots and turnips and small suet dumplings. Boiled mutton is garnished with vegetables — i.e. carrots, turnips, and onions — and is served with caper sauce (see ‘ Sauces ’ ). 1201. Braised Beef d la Mode. — 3 to 4 lbs. rump of beef, larding -bacon, a piece of lemon, a sprig of thyme, 1 bay -leaf, 2 cloves, an onion, 1 oz. butter, 1 oz. flour, 1 quart stock, 2 carrots, 8 to 10 small button onions, a bouquet garni (No. 2), a glass of claret, pepper and salt.