Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Veal, Blanquette of, with Cucumbers.— Cut some cold veal into neat pieces about the size of a walnut and a quarter of an inch thick. Pare and quarter a large cucumber, and cut it into lengths of half an inch. Sprinkle a little salt upon these, and cover them with vinegar. Let them remain for half an hour. Drain them well, and dry them with a soft cloth. Dissolve a slice of fresh butter in a bright stewpan, and add a pinch of grated nutmeg and a small piece of sugar. Put in the slices of cucumber, and let them simmer gently till tender. Drain off the butter, pour some white sauce upon the cucumber, add the pieces of veal, and let all simmer gently together till the meat is quite hot. Place the veal on a dish, pour the sauce over, and garnish the dish with sippets. The white sauce should be made with nicely-seasoned veal stock made from the veal bones, and thickened with white thickening. It will be improved by stewing onions and mushrooms in it to flavour it, but it will be very good without them. A little lemon- juice may be stirred in at the last moment. Time to stew the cucumber in the butter, about half an hour. Probable cost, exclusive of the cold meat, about Is. 6d. Veal, Blanquette of, with Mushrooms. — Cut some cold dressed veal into pieces about an inch square and a quarter of an inch thick. Take a quarter of the bulk of the meat in button mushrooms, clean these with a piece of flannel and a little salt, and simmer them very gently with a slice of fresh butter till they are done enough. Put the pieces of veal in a saucepan, lay the stewed mushroooms upon them, and pour over all a little nicely-seasoned veal stock thickened with a Little piece of white thickening. Heat the preparation gently till it is on the point of boiling. Beat one or two eggs in a bowl, stir a spoonful of sauce into them, and add them gradually to the rest. Shake the sauce over the fire for a minute, but do not let it boil, or it will curdle. Add a table-spoonful of lemonjuice, and serve. If liked, the blanquette may be piled in the centre of a dish with a border of pastry round it. Time to simmer the mushrooms, ten to fifteen minutes. Veal, Blanquette of, with Mushrooms (another waj') . — Take from one to two pounds of cold dressed veal, and miuce it finely. Chop an onion, and fry it in butter till it begins to turn yellow. Stir in. with it a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and beat it with a spoonful of flour to a smooth paste. Moisten this with stock to make it of the consistency of cream, and add a table-spoonful of chopped mushrooms and a little pepper and salt. Simmer the sauce for about ten minutes, add the minced veal, and simmer it again until the meat is heated throughout, but it must not boil, or it will harden. If liked, the well-beaten yolks of two eggs and the strained juice of half a lemon may be added to the sauce. Time, altogether, about an hour. Suflicient for three or four persons.