FoodNetArchive

Cookery and housekeeping

1882

Page 129

Presented as published in 1882. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Parboil the artichokes, one for each person. Strip the leaves off the artichokes, and take out the choke ; then stuff them with breadcrumbs, parsley, mushrooms, truffles, shallots, and any savoury meat, all chopped fine, and seasoned to taste. Line a stew- pan with bacon, ham, carrots, sweet herbs, and arrange the artichokes side by side upon them ; pour over all a glass of white wine (Chablis), and let them cook in the oven, the stewpan tightly covered, till quite tender ; strain the liquid remaining in the stewpan, add some baked flour, let it simmer, pass again through the strainer, and pour round (not over) the artichokes. Artichokes a I'ltalienne. Proceed as in the previous recipe, but make the stuffing of fried onion, chopped very small, browned breadcrumbs and scraped Parmesan cheese. Finish in the oven. Artichokes a la Holiandaise. Boil the artichokes, make a puree with the eatable part of the leaves, and use it to fill the bottoms. Put a little Dutch sauce on each, and surround the bottoms with some more of the sauce. ASPARAGUS. 319 Mayonnaise of Artichokes. Proceed as before, let the artichokes get cold. Mask each bottom with mayonnaise sauce ; and sprinkle chopped parsley and capers, or grated tongue, over each. Cream of Artichokes. Parboil the artichokes, strip off the leaves and press out the eatable part of each leaf, remove the chokes from the bottoms, and pass through the tamis all the pulp thus obtained, season with salt and pepper ; and if the taste of onions is liked, add to the artichoke pulp a little onion pulp. Mix with double cream, and steam in a mould very slowly for about twenty minutes. Turn out of the mould, and serve with a cream sauce round. This is another of those dishes which may be called the vegetarian's dainty dishes. Asparagus. There are two kinds of asparagus, that which is green from tip to stem, and that which is green and purple at the tip, with a long white stem. The green kind takes much less time to boil ; ten to fifteen minutes may make it tender, whilst the other kind may re- quire as long as thirty minutes. The water in which asparagus is cooked must not only boil when the bundle of asparagus is put in, but must continue to boil the whole time. Salt in the proportion of I oz. to 2 quarts of water is to be put in. The bundle oi 320 ASPARAGUS. asparagus must be even at the stems' end, so as to stand upright in the saucepan, the tips being an inch above the water. Care must be taken not to break off the tips at any stage, either in cleaning, boihng, or dishing up. The water must be allowed to drain before placing the asparagus on a bed of toasted bread the same length as the asparagus in an oval dish. . Asparagus is sold tied up in bundles with large stalks outside and small ones inside ; this makes it very difficult to cook evenly. The best plan is to take out the small stalks and use them as the floating garnish for soup, or as 'pointes d'asperge.' Dutch sauce should be sent up with boiled asparagus. Cold asparagus is an excellent dish, eaten with oil and vinegar, or with mayonnaise sauce. Sprue and Eggs. When asparagus is too long and thin to be served en brajtche, a very good dish is made with it thus : Cut into lengths of an inch ; boil till tender, but not too soft ; drain thoroughly.