Upon the operation of stuffing the turkey a vast amount
of ingenuity has been expended. Thus, the disciples of the
‘ Almanach,’ at the head of these M. de Gussy, directed the
turkey to be killed and drawn, and while warm to be filled
with 8 lb. of truffles ; it was then to be hung as long as was
compatible with preservation, to let the truffle flavoui' pene-
trate the flesh, and then only was it to be plucked and
trussed for cooking, receiving an entirely new stuffing {truffes
vierges) after the removal of the first truffles.
A reasonable stuffing, or garnish in lieu of stuffing, is a
great addition to the bird, and should rarely be omitted.
Thus, of a 'plcdn forcemeat of veal and pork, well spiced,
about a pound may be placed under the skin in front of the
breast, that which holds the crop during life ; and such
stuffing produces a hopeful impression of contents. A large
turkey to be roasted or braised will take about 4 lb. of
truffles✪ Stuffed Turkey with Truffles in its cavity ; they should be previously fried with
bacon, spices, and fat livers, including the liver of the
turkey itself. It is then called dinde an truffes or d la
Perigord, and placed amongst the removes (De Courchamps).
On the other hand, Brillat-Savarin termed the dinde au
trttff'es a rdti. This was considered heretical by the sur-
vivors of the orthodox fraternity of truffle-worshippers, and
Courchamps, the old friend of Lauraguais and of the
Ximeneses, who had often been a guest at the little soupers
of Sophie Arnould and of Marshal Eichelieu, wrote the
following note to his recipe, in which, as Dumas says, one
can recognise the hatred — one might almost say the con-
tempt— which the nobility of the sword has always shown
for the nobility of the gown :
‘ It is hardly necessary for us to observe that the dinde mac
FRENCH DISCUSSIONS ON ROAST TURKEY 491
truffes should only be served amongst the large dishes in the
first service. Nothing is so heavily philistrose, and so much
according to the taste of the Chaussee d’Antin, as to cause
to be served, or even to allow to appear, a dinda aux triiffes
in the guise of a dish of roast da rot). One does not
comprehend how the author of the “ Physiologie du Goiit
has been able to deceive himself upon such a point. On the
part of M. Brillat-Savarin this is the effect either of singular
levity or of a prodigious illusion. The esteem which he
had deserved in other respects, and the consideration with
which his work has been treated, have much suffered by
this.’
This passage is an example of the illiberality bred by
conceit. The proposition that a man’s character is to come
in question by his declaring an actually roasted turkey to
be a roast is not only absurd, but outrageous. The world
has accepted some refinement out of the practice of the
French kitchen, but when its patrons attempt to impose a
canon of dining, and to persecute those that do not conform
to it with such language as that of M. de Courchainps just
quoted, that same world will refuse to be befooled, and
assert its right to eat turkey either as a remove or as a
roast, or under any other appropriate title it may please.
Page 309 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Upon the operation of stuffing the turkey a vast amount of ingenuity has been expended. Thus, the disciples of the ‘ Almanach,’ at the head of these M. de Gussy, directed the turkey to be killed and drawn, and while warm to be filled with 8 lb. of truffles ; it was then to be hung as long as was compatible with preservation, to let the truffle flavour penetrate the flesh, and then only was it to be plucked and trussed for cooking, receiving an entirely new stuffing {truffes vierges) after the removal of the first truffles.
A reasonable stuffing, or garnish in lieu of stuffing, is a great addition to the bird, and should rarely be omitted. Thus, of a 'plcdn forcemeat of veal and pork, well spiced, about a pound may be placed under the skin in front of the breast, that which holds the crop during life ; and such stuffing produces a hopeful impression of contents. A large turkey to be roasted or braised will take about 4 lb. of truffles in its cavity ; they should be previously fried with bacon, spices, and fat livers, including the liver of the turkey itself. It is then called dinde aux truffes or d la Perigord, and placed amongst the removes (De Courchamps). On the other hand, Brillat-Savarin termed the dinde au trttff'es a rdti. This was considered heretical by the survivors of the orthodox fraternity of truffle-worshippers, and Courchamps, the old friend of Lauraguais and of the Ximeneses, who had often been a guest at the little soupers of Sophie Arnould and of Marshal Eichelieu, wrote the following note to his recipe, in which, as Dumas says, one can recognise the hatred — one might almost say the contempt— which the nobility of the sword has always shown for the nobility of the gown :
‘ It is hardly necessary for us to observe that the dinde aux
FRENCH DISCUSSIONS ON ROAST TURKEY 491
truffes should only be served amongst the large dishes in the first service. Nothing is so heavily philistrose, and so much according to the taste of the Chaussee d’Antin, as to cause to be served, or even to allow to appear, a dinde aux truffes in the guise of a dish of roast da rot). One does not comprehend how the author of the “ Physiologie du Goiit has been able to deceive himself upon such a point. On the part of M. Brillat-Savarin this is the effect either of singular levity or of a prodigious illusion. The esteem which he had deserved in other respects, and the consideration with which his work has been treated, have much suffered by this.’
This passage is an example of the illiberality bred by conceit. The proposition that a man’s character is to come in question by his declaring an actually roasted turkey to be a roast is not only absurd, but outrageous. The world has accepted some refinement out of the practice of the French kitchen, but when its patrons attempt to impose a canon of dining, and to persecute those that do not conform to it with such language as that of M. de Courchamps just quoted, that same world will refuse to be befooled, and assert its right to eat turkey either as a remove or as a roast, or under any other appropriate title it may please.
Records on this page
Stuffed Turkey with Truffles