Practical gastronomy and culinary dictionary

For a brown roux, leave it on the fire or put in a moderately heated oven until it attains a Hght brown or chestnut colour. Roux should at all times be allowed to cool a few minutes before the moistening is added. It need not be used immediately, for it will keep some time if put in a covered jar and kept in a dry place. The proportion of moisture used is one quart of liquid to four ounces of flour. 11, A Mirepoix, A mirepoix is the foundation for flavouring sauces, braised meats, and a number of thick soups. Its com- position consists of the following ingredients, which must be varied according to the quantity required : — 2 carrots weighing about 5 oz. each. 2 onions weighing about 4 oz. each. 1 oz. of parsley or parsley root. 2 bay leaves. 1 blade of mace. 1 or 2 shallots. 1 sprig of thyme. 12 peppercorns. 2 cloves. ^ lb. of raw fat ham or fat bacon. i lb. beef or veal trimmings. (The latter may be left out.) ^ oz. mignonette pepper. Method. — Prepare the vegetables, cut the bacon, &c., into small pieces ; fry in a stewpan a Hght brown colour. Add the vegetables cut in slices ; stir over the fire until light brown, then add the herbs, &c. If required for sauce or brown purees, add the need- ful quantity of roux, and moisten with about two quarts ELEMENTARY METHODS AND RULES. 361 of stock and half a pint of white wine. Stir and cook gently for one hour or longer. 12, Salpicon, A salpicon is a mince of either chicken, game, foie-gras, or veal with tongue, ham, mushrooms and truffles. The whole is cut into small dice and put into some prepared sauce — Allemande, Bechamel, or brown sauce. The quantity required depends upon the dish it is to be used in. If for croquettes, only a small quantity is used for binding the mixture. Salpicon is mostly used for filling bouchees (small puff-paste patties), when it is heated up in the sauce. Oysters and lobsters, shrimps, and fillets of sole are frequently used for bouchees, in which case the filling is thus prepared, and is known under the general name of Salpicon, ham or tongue being of course omitted. IS. Hints oil Cooking Meats. Cutting^. — When cuttting meat for cooking, always cut across the grain of the muscle. Cleaning^. — Meat for roasting or braising should never be washed. Wipe it with a damp cloth, or scrape it, if it requires cleaning or drying. Seasoning. — As a general rule, meat should be seasoned with salt, &c., just before it is taken up. Keeping on Ice. — Never place meat directly on the ice ; put it on a dish or plate on the ice. Boiling. — The art of boiling meat is to put it on in boiling water, with enough water to well cover it. Boil up quickly (this keeps in the juice and flavour). Salt meat should be put on in warm water, not boiling, as this helps to extract some of the salt. When the meat boils draw on to the side of the stove, and let boil slowly, or simmer until done. Time for Boiling.— Fifteen to twenty minutes should be allowed to each pound of fresh meat, according to 362 RECHERCHE COOKERY. the kind and size of meat. The time is reckoned from the moment it begins to boil, and not when put into the pan. Salt meat requires longer to boil than fresh meat. 14, JBraiser (to braise).