Julian

The Julian is a very considerable Potage, and may be made in this manner: Having roasted a Leg of Mutton, let the Fat and Skin be taken away, and let it be put into a Kettle or Pot, of a sufficient bigness to hold some Broth for the Potage. Then add a good piece of Beef; another of a Fillet of Veal; a fat Capon; Carrets, Turneps and Parsneps, two of each; Parsly-roots, Celery and an Onion Stuck with Cloves; and let all boil together a long while, to the end that your Broth may be sufficiently enrich'd. In the Mean time, another Pot must be provided, and therein three or four Bundles of Asparagus, as much Sorrel as my be cut with a Knife at two strokes and some Chervil. Let them be well boil'd with some Broth taken out of the great Pot, and when the Crusts are soak'd, let the Asparagus and Sorrel be laid in order upon them, but nothing round about.

Julian-Potages are also made of a Breast of Veal, Capons, fat Pullets, Pigeons and other sorts of Meat: When they are well prepar'd and scalded, let them be put into a Pot with good Broth and a Bunch of fine Herbs; afterwards adding the above-mentioned Roots and Pulse; which may also serve to garnish the Potage, with Heaps of Asparagus chopt into pieces, and nothing else, but what is green, such as green Pease, etc.
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The court & country cook, faithfully translated out of French into English by J. K. A. J. Churchill, London, 1702, p. 140.

Oils

The Oil is a very considerable Potage, which may be serv'd up as well on Days of Abstinence, as on Flesh-days.

An Oil for Flesh-days
Take all sorts of good Meats, viz. Part of a Buttock of Beek, a Fillet of Veal, a piece of a Leg of Mutton, Ducks, Partridges, Pigeons, Chickens, Quails, a piece of raw Gammon, Sausages and Cervelas, all roasted or fried brown: Let them be put into a Pot, every Thing according to the time that is requisite for boiling it, and let a thickening Liquor be made of the brown Sauce to be mingled together. As soon as the scum is taken off, season your Meats, with Pepper, Salt, Cloves, Nutmeg, Coriander-seed and Ginger, all well pounded, with Thyme and sweet Basil, and wrapt up in a Linnen-cloth. Afterwards add all sorts of Roots and Herbs well scalded, accordingly as you shall think fit, such as Carrets, Turneps, Parsnips, Cabbage, Parsly-roots, Onions, Leeks and other Herbs in Bunches. In the mean while, you are to provide Cuvets, Silver-pots and other Vessels proper for that purpose, and when your Potage is sufficiently boil'd, let some Crusts be broken into pieces, and laid a soaking in the same Broth, after it has been clear'd from the Fat, and well season'd. Before it is serv'd up, pour in a great deal of Borth, still continuing to take away the Fat; dress your Fowls and other Meats, and garnish them with the Roots, if you have only one great Dish: Otherwise they may be serv'd up without Roots; putting the Cuvets on a Silver-dish, with a Silver-ladle in it, with which every one of the Guests may take out some Soop, when the Oil is set on the Table.

An Oil for Fish-days
Take some good Broth, Peas-soop, or half Fish-broth; let all the above-mentioned Roots be put into it, and boil'd as much as is requisite: Then dress your Oil, with a Profitrolle-loaf in the middle, and garnish it with Roots.
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The court & country cook, faithfully translated out of French into English by J. K. A. J. Churchill, London, 1702, p. 166-167.

Potages

Altho' mention has been alread made of several Potages, as well for Flesh-days, as those of Abstinence; particularly , the Bisk, Casserolle, Oil and Julian, as also Potage of Lambs-heads, Pike, Cray-fish, Sea-ducks, Muscles and some others, according to the espective Messes that were treated of: Nevertheless this Subject is very copious, and capable of furnishing matter for a large Article. A general Account has likewise been given of the peculiar Broths, that ought to constitute the Body of all those Potages, and of all others, as also of the Cullises that usually made.
* * * * *
The court & country cook, faithfully translated out of French into English by J. K. A. J. Churchill, London, 1702, p. 197.

Potage à la Reyne, with Partridges, Quails, or other sorts of Fowl

Let fresh Partirdges, after they have been scalded and well truss'd, be boil'd in good Broth, with a good Faggot of fine Herbs, some thin slices of Bacon and pieces of Lemmon; whilst a Cullis is making of the Breast of a roasted fat Pullet, or Capon; minc'd and pounded in a Mortar, with the Crum of a Loaf soak'd in Broth, and strain'd thro' the Hair-sieve. Let this Cullis be put into a little Pot, well cover'd; and let your Potage, that ought to be made of Bread-crusts, be laid a soaking with strained Broth. Afterwards set your Fowls in the same Potage, sprinkle all with good Gravy, and before they are served up, squeeze the Juice of a Lemmon into the Cullis: A farced Loaf must also be put in the middle of the Potage, with the Fowls round about; the Cullis must be pour'd upon them; and a Border is to be made about the Dish, with farced Cocks-combs, Sweet-breads of Veal larded and roasted, other Slices of Veal-sweet-breads in Ragoo, and Artichoke-bottoms: Lastly, the Breasts of the Partridges, or other Fowls, must be cover'd with Slices of black Truffles, and all dispos'd of in a good order. As for the farced Loaf, it must be stuff'd with a good Hash of a roasted Fowl, pieces of Truffles and Mushrooms, and small Asapragus-tops, according to the Season.

A lesser quantity of Potage, may be made of a single Partridge, without a farced Loaf, observing all the rest of the Circumstances, as much as Convenience, or the allowed Expences will admit of.

A Potage of farced Partridges, may be also prepar'd; which ought to be garnish'd with larded Fricandoes dress'd in a Ragoo, also Veal-sweet-breads, Mushrooms, Artichoke-bottoms, Cocks-combs, and Truffles; adding the Juice of a Lemmon, when brought to Table.
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The court & country cook, faithfully translated out of French into English by J. K. A. J. Churchill, London, 1702, p. 201-202.

Potage after the Italian Mode

This potage is a kind of Oil dress'd in a large Dish, after having made a Partition in it, in form of a Cross, with Paste baked in the Oven. In one of the Squares, a Bisk is to be put; in the second a Potage, of young Chickens; in the third, a Potage à la Reyne, with a Profitrolle-loaf; and in the fourth, a Potage of farced Partidges; all in their peculiar Broths, and with different Garnitures, as rich as they possibly can be.
* * * * *
The court & country cook, faithfully translated out of French into English by J. K. A. J. Churchill, London, 1702, p. 212.

Sainserelle à l'Espagnole & à l’Italienne - is this Stracciatella or Spätzle?

Take bread crumbs [without crust] & grated Parmesan, half and half; bind the whole with an egg(s), & drop into boiling broth, & cook, stirring constantly, for fear it does not stick to the bottom; once cooked, draw it out with a skimmer & serve in a dish with a little broth; it is used as soup if one wants.
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Sainserelle à l'Espagnole & à l’Italienne.
Vous prenez de la mis de pain & du Parmesan rapé, autant de l'un que de l'autre; vous déliez le tout avec des œufs entiers, & après vous y mettez du bouillon, & le faites cuire en remuant toujours, de peur que cela ne s'attache au fond; étant cuit, vous le dressez dans son plat, & servez un peu liquide; cela sert de potage si l’on veut.

Le Cuisinier Gascon. A Amsterdam. 1740, p.38.

Rafiolis - Raviolis

Roll out your rissoles paste: make a farce [filling] of spinach wilted in butter, & add cream, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, & egg yolks to bind the farce; season with salt and pepper for good taste & let it cool; dollop this farce on your paste as for rissoles, & cut them with a corer or pastry wheel, & arrange them on a dish [dusted with flour to keep from sticking] and let dry for one hour before cooking; bring [a large pot of] water to the boil, add salt, drop your Rafiolis in one after the others; let cook a half hour [this seems excessive—7-10 minutes]; withdraw them with a skimmer & arrange them in layers in a baking dish with melted butter & grated Parmesan; pour more melted butter over the top and broil until hot & bubbly. On fat [days], you serve it with beef marrow in the farce, with Parmesan, & cooked in bouillon [broth, brodo not boiling water], always with grated cheese in the farce.

Observations:
It's amazing how little farce it takes to fill rafiolis. This dish must have resulted from poverty--all good cooks need a way to stretch a little meat or cheese into a full meal and filled pastas do this.

This pasta rolling pin for rafiolis may not have been used in the 18thC, but it is a modern implement to thrill! Making rafiolis is a snap! Here are three videos that show how to roll out the paste, how to fill it and how to use the rafioli cutting pin. Enjoy.

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Rafiolis.
Vous tirez de cette pâte sur vos mains, & l'etendez sur une table de côté & d'autre: vous avez une farce d'epinards passés au beurre, & vous y met¬tez de la crême, de la mie de pain, fromage de Parmesan rapé, & jaunes d'œufs, pour lier la farce; assaisonnez de bon goût; vous y mettez de la moëlle de bœuf, & laissez refroidir; vous couchez cette farce sur votre pâ¬te comme des rissoles, & les coupez avec une videlle, & les arrangez sur un plat; une heure avant que de servir, vous avez de l'eau bouillante, vous y mettez un peu de sel, vous y mettez vos Rafiolis les une après les autres; laissez cuire une demie heure; étant cuits & prêts à servir, vous les retirez avec une écumoire & les retirez dans leur plat par lits; un lit de Rafiolis, un lit de Parmesan & de beurre frais fondu; étant arrangez, au dernier lit vous y mettez davan¬tage de Parmesan & du beurre par-dessus, & servez chaud, vous en faites en gras de même, avec Parmesan, moëlle de Bœuf, mais cuits au bouillon, tou¬jours du fromage rapé dans la farce.

Le Cuisinier Gascon. A Amsterdam. 1740, p.31.

Pâté de Macaronis à l’Italienne - Macaronis Pie, Italian-style

Make a batch of Macaronis [pasta dough] with eggs, a little water, a little salt, [knead, rest, roll out over and over until the dough is strong]; lay four or five sheets of rolled pasta [between floured towels, & let them dry, then cross [cut] in tailladins [tagliatelles] two fingers-width [these really are the description of pappardelle—wide fettuccine]: liberally salt a kettle of boiling water and cook the Macaronis for seven minutes in this water, & remove and rinse them in a colander; mix together thin slices of ham [I used turkey bacon], truffles, mushrooms, chopped beef marrow, fresh butter, powdered cinnamon, grated Parmesan, gravy &/or coulis [purée of meat juice and vegetables used in cooking ragu] in a bowl: add your Macaronis, & mix the whole together, season with salt and pepper for good taste and set aside; make a pie crust, usually Pâte brisée [short crust], as much as necessary for your timbale mold [I used a charlotte pan], butter it very well, & put arranged bands of pastry [fancy cut shapes] according to your imagination; then insert your crust pastry, & put your macaronis mixture inside & cover it with a disk of pastry, sealing sides and bottom well, & bake for one hour & one half; when it’s done, you reverse it [unmold] onto a serving dish, & make a hole in the top [usually part of the design is cut away and replaced after filling with gravy] and use a funnel to pour in enough gelatinous jus [gravy] to fill the spaces in the timbale. Cool [these pies are usually served cold or at room temperature after chilling], slice and serve.

Observations:
When laying your fancy shapes of pasta over the buttered pan bottom, be sure and brush the unbuttered side with egg wash so that the crust will adhere to the shapes after the large envelope of pastry is inserted into the pan; otherwise, the decorations will detach when unmolding the pastry.

Today this pastry is called a tortellini pie (The Splendid Table, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, p. 175) or Timbale Milanaise (La Bonne Cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange, p.456). Both books give excellent instructions. Quite a lot of effort is required in its making, but the macaronis pie is a beautiful dish for a festival meal.

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Pâté de Macaronis à l’Italienne.
Vous faites une pâte avec des œufs, un peu d'eau, un peu de sel; qu'elle soit ferme; vous en faites quatre ou cinq abaisses, & les laissez sécher, après vous les coupez en tailladins grands de deux doigts: vous avez de l'eau bouillante; vous y mettez du sel: faites cuire les tailla¬dins un demi quart d'heure dans cette eau, & les égoûtez dans la passoire; vous avez jambon en tranches bien minces, truffes, champignons, moëlle de Bœuf hachés, beurre frais, canelle en poudre, Parmesan rapé, jus & coulis: vous met¬tez le tout avec vos Macaronis dans une casserolle, & mêlez le tout ensemble de bon goût; vous avez une pâte brisée à l'ordinaire; vous prenez une casse¬rolle comme il faut, vous la beurrez par tout, & vous y met¬tez des bandes de pâte arran¬gées votre fantaisie; vous y mettez une abaisse de pâte dessus comme une timballe ordi¬naire, & vous y mettez votre appareil dedans & recouvrez d'une autre abaisse à l'ordinaire, & la faites cuire au four une heure & demie; étant cuite, vous la renversez dans son plat, & vous y faites un trou pour y jetter un jus lié de bon goût, & servez.

Le Cuisinier Gascon. A Amsterdam. 1740, p.36.

Strouille à l’Italienne - Savory Strudel - Boiled

This savory strudel is boiled, not baked and is also known by [strucolo, rotolo or strukel]; also similar to napkin dumpling. Again, this is a dish found on the margins of Northern & Eastern Italy, and reflects those cuisines of the surrounding areas.

Savory Italian Strudel
Use the same paste* as with rissoles; make a farce [filling] in this manner: sauté finely diced onions in butter until light golden; add fine bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, cream, some egg[s] to bind, stir & season to taste, & let it cool; roll out your paste and put it on a floured tablecloth on a large work surface, continue stretching and rolling dough until very thin; spread your farce evenly over the dough, & begin to roll this strudel longitudinally by using the tablecloth to help you turn the roll, & tighten the roll [not loosely rolled]; wrap it in a well tied up cloth, & put it to cook in boiling water, with a little salt, for one hour; draw it out, unroll from the cloth & cut it in slices, & arrange it in a dish; cover with more grated Parmesan & melted butter & serve. It is also done sometimes with cabbage, spinach, sorrel, cheese or beef marrow.

*Rissolles Paste or Italian Pasta Dough
Make a paste with flour, egg whites, salt, & tepid water; knead it soft [until smooth for about 10 minutes] & let it rest below [covered by] a pan for 15 to 30 minutes; roll out in the manner the recipe directs.

Observations:
I used sorrel and found this strudel tangy and delicious; I served it with browned butter.

Shredded cabbage fried and seasoned with cardamom is also a delicious filling.
This strudel comes away from the dumpling cloth very easily. Allow it to cool slightly before slicing.

* * * * *
Strouille à l’Italienne.
C'est la même pâte** qu'aux rissolles; vous faites une farce de cette maniere: vous hachez des oignons bien menus en des, & les passez au beurre; presque cuits, vous y mettez de la mie de pain bien fine, Parmesan rapé, de la crême, quelques œufs pour lier le tout assaisonné de bon goût, & le laissez réfroidir; vous avez votre pâte ci-devant; vous étendez une nape sur une table, vous saupoudrez de la farine; vous étendez votre pâte dessus, comme pour des rissolles; vous jettez votre farce dessus, & vous en couvrez la pâte le plus mince que vous pouvez avec votre couteau; ayant étendu cette farce, vous roulez cette pâte comme un boudin en long, & la retournez en rond; vous l'enveloppez dans un torchon bien ficelé, & la mettez cuire à l'eau bouillante, avec un peu de sel, pendant une heure; étant cuite, vous la tirez & la coupez par tronçons, & l'arrangez dans un plat, du Parmesan rapé dessus, & beurre frais que vous faites fondre, jettez dessus, & servez. Il s'en fait aux choux, aux épinards, à l'oseille, & a la moëlle de Bœuf, & fromage.

**Pâte à Rissolles à l’Italienne
Vous faites une pâte avec farine, blancs d'œufs, sel, & de l'eau tiede; vous la faites molle & la laissez reposer dessous une casserolle, vous en servez de cette maniere.

Le Cuisinier Gascon. A Amsterdam. 1740, p.39.

Nioc à l'Italienne - Gnocchi

The French had not begun to eat potatoes (1740); it is not plain that Italians were then either.


Nioc Dough:
1/4 cup butter plus enough boiling water to make 1 cup liquid
2 cups dried bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
2 eggs
10 or so tablespoons cold water
Butter and grated Parmesan for the sauce
OPTIONS
Handful of chopped, minced and pounded Partridge or other poultry flesh, or
Handful of very finely chopped and squeezed dry, blanched spinach, or
Bits of cooked marrow or other meat/drippings

Melt butter and add enough boiling water to make a cup of liquid. Pour the bread crumbs into a bowl and add the boiling water and butter. Let stand 10 minutes. Mound the flour on your pastry board and make a well in the flour [holding some of the flour back to add as needed. Add the eggs, 10 tablespoons water, grated Parmesan and soaked bread crumbs to the well [now is also the time to add the optional ingredients—keeping in mind that on Fast (maigres) days, no meat or extra grease would be used]. Blend them together with a fork, gradually stirring in the flour by drawing in the flour into the liquids. Continue to stir in flour until the mixture has become a rough dough, knead it by hand 10 minutes, or until elastic. [You may not have used all of the flour or extra tablespoons of water.] Wrap the dough or cover with a bowl and let it stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Take 1/4 of the dough (keep the rest covered) and divide it into 10 pieces, keeping all but the one you are rolling covered. Roll out each piece into a 1/2-inch in diameter dowel shape. Cut each roll into pieces half of your little finger’s length. Gnocchi pieces have traditionally been further rolled on a grooved board or back of the fork to produce grooves that will help the sauce it’s served with to adhere. Leave each piece to dry on a lightly floured surface, such as a basket or tray, which will aid in getting the gnocchi into the cooking water.

Have ready a large pot of boiling water. It is not necessary to add salt to the water as the Parmesan should be enough seasoning. Drop gnocchi into boiling water, stirring up at the beginning to prevent sticking. When they float to the top, they are done; remove with a slotted spoon to a large pan with melted butter and toss with grated Parmesan. Use a bit of the cooking water to stretch the sauce if necessary. For Feast days [not Fast] you can boil in broth.

Nioc à l'Italienne.
Il s'en fait de plusieurs façons en gras comme en maigre; pour les grasses vous maniez du beurre dans une casserolle, avec du fromage rape, de la mie de pain, un peu de farine, & des œufs entiers, de la chair de Perdrix, ou autres vollailles, un peu de sel; vous mêlez bien le tout, & y mettez de la moëlle de Bœuf hachée; pour les maigres elles se font de même, l'on n'y met point de moëlle, ni de chair; vous les faites vertes, si vous voulez, en y mettant des épinards; vous mettez une casserolle sur le fourneau avec de l'eau; quand elle bout, vous les coupez à même l'appareil gros comme la moitié du petit doigt; a mesure que vous les mettez dans l'eau, en mettant la derniere vous couvrez la casserolle & l'ôtez de dessus le feu; étant prêt à servir, vous les dressez a sec avec du fromage, du beurre par-dessus, & servez; pour les grasses vous les faites cuire au bouillon, & les servez avec leur bouillon de bon goût.

Le Cuisinier Gascon. A Amsterdam. 1740, p.44.

Houblon - Hops Shoots

A delicious spring green, similar in taste to asparagus, is houblon or hops, the shoots of which can be eated steamed, braised or fried. The male flowers can also be eaten in salads. The female cones are used later in the season to impart a certain bitter flavor to beer.

Using "leftover" greens

I have been toying with the ends of the romaine heads, chopping them into shreds and then combinging them with cheese, bread crumbs, aromatics . . . then using the mixture to stuff vegetables and pasta before baking. I like the texture and crunch the ends of the lettuces give to stuffings. My husband commented that a touch of citrus zest may allay the excess "greeness" taste when baking in vegetables. Now this is quite a suggestion, since he often thinks I use too much zest . . . I'll give it a try next time.

Pot Herb Pie--A Spring Tonic

Nicholas Bonnefons recommend a wide variety of greens for pies: spinach, which he deemed to be excellent, orache, chicory, white beet or Swiss chard and finally a small amount of sorrel and purslane to heighten the flavor. In 1615, Champlain planted cabbages, white beets and other necessary herbs in Nouvelle France.

Pot Herb Pie
1 pound of mixed greens (dandelions would be good, as well)
2 eggs
1 pint bechamel (white sauce)
nutmeg
salt and pepper
lemon zeste
icing sugar and rose water--a sprinkle of each

Remove stems from greens. Boil in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain, chop and squeeze dry. Make bechamel by stirring milk into a roux of butter and flour--grate in nutmeg and lemon zeste. Simmer until thick. Beat eggs and stir in greens. Add to bechamel. Pour into pie shell of fine pastry. Sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of rose water. Bake in a moderate oven. Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.* * * * *Recipe adapted from A Taste of History, the Origins of Québec's Gastronomy. Marc Lafrance & Yvon Desloges, Les Éditions de la Chenelière inc., Québec, 1989, p. 19

Animelles frites - or Rocky Mountain Oysters

Larousse Gastronomique includes animelles [testicles, also an item of offal or abats blancs] and oysters among its list of foods considered aphrodisiacs. In 18thC France, de Troy's the Oyster Luncheon, depicts men seated around a luncheon table surfeiting on oysters, presumably prior to their afternoon trysts. Rocky Mountain Oysters, testicles from sheep, as well as other animals, are deep fried and served up in mounds at annual Western male rendesvous, where testosterone abounds in its purest form. This post is in honor of Meat and Greet #1.

ANIMELLES: name for the testicles of the ram [sheep]. Usually served three ways.
    Cut them into four or eight pieces after removing the skin; dredge in crushed salt & flour; fry until crisp.
    Make a paste [batter] of flour & beer or wine, add a little oil and salt and stir [set aside to allow the flour to moisten as in crepe batter]. Fry the animelles slices (or whole depending on size) until half done in hot oil, drain & then dip them in the batter [paste]; & fry until crisp; drain and serve with fried parsley.
    Marinate animelles with onions, parsley, pepper, clove, vinegar & a little stock [this will cause the testicles to firm up or blanch {set the flesh} and remove any excess blood or fluid]; drain, dip in beaten eggs; then into bread crumbs; fry, & serve with fried parsley.

OBSERVATION MÉDECINALE
    The animelles are nourishing & strengthening: they become even more so, when they are cooked with paste, eggs & spices; but they are less agreeable to delicate people with feeble stomachs.
* * * * *
ANIMELLES: on appelle ainsi les testicules du bélier. On les sert de ces trios façons.
    On les coupe par morceaux en quatre ou huit; on en ôte la peau; on met dessus un peu de sel pilé & de farine; on les fait frire jusqu’à ce qu’elles soient croquantes.
    On fait une pâte avec farine détrempée de biere, ou vin, dans laquelle on met un demi-verre d’huile avec du sel. On fait frire les animelles à moitié, & on les met dans cette pâte; & ensuite on les remet à la friture; on les garnit de persil frit, pour servir.
    On les fait mariner avec oignons, persil, poivre, girofle, vinaigre & un peu de bouillon; on les trempe dans des œufs battus; on les pane; on les fait frire, & on les sert garnies de persil frit.

OBSERVATION MÉDECINALE
    Les animelles seules sont un mets nourrissant & fortifiant: elles le deviennent bien davantage, étant accommodée comme elles le sont ici avec de la pâte, des œufs & des épices; mais elles conviennent moins aux personnes delicates & aux estomacs foibles.


Dictionnaire Portatif de Cuisine, d'Office, et de Distillation. Chez Vincent, Paris 1767, p. 49.

In addition to fried parsley as a garnish, consider saucing them with butter and cream.

Anchois - anchovy

image source

Anchovy, a small fish of the sea, usually preserved in salt in small barrels; one usually makes salads of them--it is the most common way to eat them; wash [soak] them in wine or water, then split them in two [at this point you may have to clean them if they were preserved whole--innards & fins] & remove fillets; properly arrange them on small lettuces & garnish with fresh chervil. Puréed anchovy is used in ragouts, as well for fat [days] as for thin [fast days]. Fry them if you want crisp anchovies for hors d’œuvres after dipping them in a batter made with water, flour, an egg, a little salt & pepper; serve with a drizzle of orange juice & [sprinkle with] fried parsley.

La nouvelle maison rustique, ou, Économie generale de tous les biens de campagne: la manière de les entretenir & de les multiplier : donée ci-devant au public / par le Sieur Louis Liger. Paris : Saugrain, 1755, Tome II, IV. Part. LIV. IV. Chap. I. La Cuisine. B., p. 795-796.

Anchois, petits poissons de mer qu’on apporte tout confits au sel dans de petits barils; on en fait ordinairement des salades, & c’est la façon la plus commune de les manger; on les lave pour cela dans du vin ou de l’eau, puis on les fend en deux & on leve l’arrête du milieu; on les arrange proprement sur de petites laitues & l’on garnit de jeune cerfeuil. On fait aussi un coulis d’anchois, & il entre dans plusieurs ragouts, tant gras que maigres. On frit si l’on veut les arêttes d’anchois qui ont servi, après les avoir trempés dans une pâte faite avec de l’eau, de la farine, un œuf, un peu de sel & poivre; ils servent de garnitures ou hors-d’œures, avec oranges & persil frit.

Champignons ragoût - mushroom ragout

Mushroom Ragout. After they are well cleansed [brushed off], pass them in the pan with very fresh butter, parsley and chibol [scallions] minced, season and stove [cook] them, and when you are ready to serve, put into it the juice and peel of lemon and serve.

The French Cook, François Pierre La Varenne, Englished in 1653, p. 96.

Beignets à fleurs d'courges & Fromage

My squash and pumpkins do not realize that Fall is coming on--they are still producing a bumper crop of blossoms. Today I picked all of the ones that have not set fruit and fried them up for supper.

Fritter (Beignet) Batter
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup flour
sticks of cheese 1/2" x 2"
fresh or dried herbs, optional for flavor
salt and pepper
olive oil & butter for frying

Beat egg whites until stiff. Beat yolks separately; add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of fresh or dried herbs. Stir whites into yolk mixture.

Stuff sticks of cheese into blossoms, dredge in flour, then into fritter batter. Fry at medium low heat in melted olive oil and butter. Serve with cold beer and crusty bread--welcome to Fall!

Pissenlit or Dandelions

Dandelions (dente lion) or pissenlit (piss in bed—from its use as a diuretic) is an herb with many uses. Leaves harvested early in spring can be eaten as a salad vegetable; its blossoms make a delicate wine, jelly and syrup for flavoring drinks. Its leaves can also be cooked like spinach.

When cooking older dandelion leaves (now when they are tough, instead of waiting for fresh ones in the Fall) requires a slightly more complicated cooking technique. Gather your greens, rinse, and blanch in boiling water for 10 minutes (this will remove some of the bitterness this green is known for). Drain and continue cooking with fresh water for about 10-20 minutes, or until tender to your taste. Serve with vinegar and oil.

Dandelion greens can also be wilted in a pan of hot oil and a little minced garlic and/or onions. Again, serve with vinegar.

Hard-cooked eggs can be grated or sliced over the greens, as well. And the flavors of your vinegars and oils will change its flavor, too.

Blog appétit #10, Chartreuse du poulet, du chicon et du carottes

Chartreuse : plat moulé des choux ou les laitues et la viande, les poissons ou le jeu braisés dans des couches successives.

En l'honneur été et de blog appetit--deux ingrédients choisis par Mijo--carottes et chicon ou chicorée--mon chartreuse.

Chartreuse:
Poulet et graisse crus de poulet
Épices mélangées
Miettes de pain
Eau-de-vie fine
Chicon ou chicorée
Carottes
Feuilles de chou
Sel et poivre

Sauce:
Bouillon de poulet
Échalotes découpées
Chicorée déchiquetée
Beurre
Vin blanc
La feuille de chicorée ou de crème fraîche pour garnissent

Faites cuire les carottes légèrement coupées en tranches pendant trois minutes, les immergez immédiatement dans l'eau de glace. Vidangez et arrangez dans une casserole beurrée de Charlotte en long, en laissant la tranche excessive pour draper le bord fini de la casserole. Rectifiez le poulet avec de la graisse de poulet. Remuez en miettes, épices, eau-de-vie fine et sel et poivre de pain pour goûter. Formez un disque de farce et le placez sur des carottes. Coupez la chicorée et le cuisinier pendant deux minutes dans à l'eau bouillante, le drain et les immergez immédiatement dans l'eau de glace. Avec une cuillère encochée, placez un peu de verts sur le disque du poulet. Pat un certain mélange de poulet sur un rond de feuille et d'endroit de chou sur le vert. Continuez de poser la farce de poulet, verts et le chou pousse des feuilles jusqu'à ce que le moule de Charlotte soit plein. Pliez les extrémités découpées en tranches par carotte au-dessus des couches et les pesez vers le bas avec une soucoupe. Placez dans le bain d'eau et faites cuire pour une heure ou jusqu'à fait. Enlevez du bain d'eau et si servir chaud, soigneusement unmold sur le chou blanchi part sur le plateau de portion. Faites une sauce à beurre par sautéing des échalotes et des verts déchiquetés en beurre. Ajoutez le bouillon et le vin blanc et réduisez légèrement. Ajustez l'assaisonnement avec du sel et le poivre. Versez les tranches finies de chartreuse.

Si servant le froid chartreuse, placez un poids sur le moule cuit et refroidissez. Unmold et tranche. Servez avec de un peu de la sauce et une petite cuillerée de fraîche de crème.

Vin : blanc.

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Chartreuse of Chicken and Chicon and Carrots

In honor of Spring and blog appetit, two ingredients were chosen by Mijo--carrots and chicon or chicory--my chartreuse. This dish continues the theme of food cooked in [containers or crusts] molds, this time a charlotte, which come in sizes from tiny to large and were pictured in Diderot's Encyclopedie, 1769.

Chartreuse: molded dish of braised cabbages or lettuces and meat, fish or game in successive layers.

Chartreuse:
Raw chicken and chicken fat
Mixed spices
Bread crumbs
Brandy
Chicon or chicory
Carrots
Cabbage leaves
Salt and pepper

Sauce:
Chicken broth
Diced shallots
Shredded chicory
Butter
White wine
Chicory leaf or crème fraîche for garnish

Cook thinly sliced carrots for three minutes, immediately immerse in ice water. Drain and arrange in a buttered charlotte pan lengthwise, leaving excess slice to drape over edge of pan. Grind chicken with chicken fat. Stir in bread crumbs, spices, brandy and salt and pepper to taste. Form a disk of farce and place on carrots. Chop chicory and cook for two minutes in boiling water, drain and immediately immerse in ice water. With a slotted spoon, place a small amount of greens onto disk of chicken. Pat some chicken mixture onto a round of cabbage leaf and place on green. Continue layering chicken farce, greens and cabbage leafs until charlotte mold is full. Fold carrot sliced ends over layers and weight down with a saucer. Place in water bath and cook for one hour or until done. Remove from water bath and if serving warm, carefully unmold onto blanched cabbage leaves on serving platter. Make a butter sauce by sautéing shallots and shredded greens in butter. Add broth and white wine and reduce slightly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour over slices of chartreuse.

If serving chartreuse cold, place a weight on top of the cooked mold and chill. Unmold and slice. Serve with a bit of sauce and a small dollop of crème fraîche.

Wine: white and crisp.

Timbales

Timbale—drum-shaped mold, either small or large, used to shape and bake a filling in a container [crust]. Some people believe that timbale is actually a thimble and some molds reflect this shape. Think of a large timbale being baked in a soufflé dish or a charlotte mold. Small timbales can be baked in ramekins, special molds or even oven-proof cups.

As we learned in Darioles, by mid-18thC people were becoming concerned about the necessity of baking in crusts—an added calorie count—and were looking for ways of cooking without having to eat the container. Most modern timbales reflect this continued idea, and are usually layers of cooked pastes or custards, pasta or rice and vegetables and/or meats baked in molds and inverted onto sauces when plated. Ingredients and sauces can be served either hot or cold and are especially tasty when served in season.

As an example, Dione Lucas suggests using lobster coral to line a buttered timbale mold in which to bake an egg. Both she and Julia Child suggest using crepes to line the mold and to fold over the top [which ends up being the bottom when unmolded] to contain savory ragouts.

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Dictionnaire Portatif de Cuisine, d'Office, et de Distillation. Chez Vincent, Paris 1767, p. 350.

Name given to any sort of ragout that one locks up in a pie [either a pastry crust or other manner of food used to contain the ragout once it is cooked and will hold its shape when unmolded], & which one bakes in an oven. Only your imagination and your mold limits you in the size or [crust] or filling of your timbale—any kind of ragout can be baked in a [crust] in a timbale.

Nom qu’on a donné à toute espece de ragout qu’on enferme dans un pâté, & qu’on fait cuire au four. On en peur faire, & imaginer d’autant de façons qu’il y a de sorte de ragouts, qui peuvent se mettre en pâté.