Fifty dinners

This is perhaps the highest type of haricot, and is, if carefully done, most excellent. Choose a neck of mutton, cut it up into cutlets, shorten the bones of these close to the top of the meat, , ,, , . . , , , mutton and set all the trimmings to make a broth. ragoiit. The meat must be very neatly trimmed, and a good broth prepared ; then proceed as follows ; — Mince small four ounces of onion, three ounces of carrot, and three of turnip ; fry this in a fricandeau-pan over a low fire with an ounce and a half of butter, seasoning with salt and a dust of sugar. When partfried put in the pieces of meat and continue the frying till the latter are slightly browned ; then moisten up to half the height of the meat with broth and put in a bouquet garni. Let the liquid fall gradually to a glaze, keeping the vessel uncovered, and then moisten again level with the surface of the meat. Proceed as before to gradually reduce, once more moistening : when the meat seems half-cooked drain off the broth, trim the meat as for the ragout given in Menu xxv. : skim the fat from the broth and return both to the rinsed-out pan, adding a gill of white wine (chablis or sauterne), and simmering very slowly over a low fire till nearly cooked. At this point a garnish of vegetables must be added, according to the season. In early summer, peas, French beans, young carrots, and turnips, small new potatoes, and so on. In the winter, the contents of a small tin of French macedoine de legumes may be substituted at the end of the cooking, and the dish may be further garnished with small neatly turned balls or ovals cut out of potatoes. When the fresh young vegetables are available they should be neatly cut and added to the meat and broth during the last stage of the cooking being gently simmered with them till tender. For the home dinner the artichokes may be plainly boiled, and served with their leaves entire. Drain them well before dishing, and lay them on a hot napkin. Beurre fondu or butter melted, is, with a few drops of lemon-juice or anchovy vinegar, the best of all sauces for this vegetable. Put two ounces of the best fresh butter into a small saucepan with half a saltspoonful of salt, stir with a wooden spoon until the butter is half melted, take the saucepan off the fire, let the melting complete itself in the hot saucepan, and then empty it into a very hot sauceboat — one of silver, if possible, adding a dessert-spoonful of lemon-juice or the same of anchovy vinegar. A strawberry salad makes a nice summer entremets, and is a change after the too frequent appearance of strawberries and cream. Pick the fruit with care. BEEF-MARROW TOASTS. wiping off all dust, and arrange it in an old china bowl or deep dish, dust it over with castor sugar, and sprinkle it with old cognac or maraschino, putting layer over layer in the form of a pyramid, dusting each and sprinkling each, and finally pouring a liqueur-glass of the liqueur drop by drop over all. Keep the salad as cold as possible — not in a hot room — till wanted.