Thnballs, or French timbales, derive their name from their
shape, that of a drum. If this derivation had not been
limited, all pates, vol-an-vents, and tourtes of a cylindrical
shape would have come under it. These latter, however,
go by their own specialized names, and the name of tim-
bales is restricted to soft, edible, pudding-like cases, con-
structed of boiled macaroni or nouilles, and filled with
entrees, such as ragovLts, fricassees, farces, or preparations
of macaroni and nouilles, themselves partaking of the char-
acter of entremets. Such dishes with the name of timball,
though very old, are often omitted from so-called modern
culinary works, or are paraphrased and made unrecognisable
{e.g.,ih.e one taken ex Simpson, p. 101). They are, however,
not only of great historical interest, but of considerable
practical value, particularly for households which from any
circumstance are temporarily restricted in the use of flesh
food. Timballs admit of the application of much con-
structive and ornamenting skill on the part of the cook.
When the cases are constructed of macaroni or nouilles
alone, the timball may be termed shnple or plain ; when it
receives a case of pastry, it may be termed compound. Of
this latter category are timballs of macaroni and cJiichen, of
nouilles and quenelles, of macaroni lined tuith forcemeat of
chichen- quenelles filled loith a blanquette of fowl ; all
these admit of interesting variations. The plain timballs
are more simple in material and workmanship, but, if well
prepared, are excellent dishes ; they are made upon the
lines of puddings, so as not to have any liquid sauce in
their inteiuor, and derive their cohesion from eggs, their
savour from meat, cheese, or fungi, and their structure
from macaroni and nouilles.
To the number of receptacles for prepared savoury dishes
which it is intended to put upon the table in an attractive,
or conspicuous, or compendious form, has of late been
added a modification of the raised pie-case, made of rice
574
THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY
paste, which, when closed, passes by the misleading name
of casserole, when open by that of border. It is such an
advantage for meat to be enclosed in paste that the mere
variation of the enclosing medium requires no notice. But
it challenges notice when the variation results in the dete-
rioration of the quality of the product which is yielded as
purchase value for the supposed improvement in the external
appearance. The casserole au riz is a preparation which has
had its evolution, as is evident from the following definition
of its earliest stage : ‘ A piece of cooked meat may be en-
closed in rice which has been boiled and moistened with a
little bouillon and lard ; make a round ball of it, and bake it
in the oven until it has a little colour.’ As in all evolutions
there are abortive segmentations, so here we have one
effected by De Courchamps ; a casserole of rice is described
as an imitation (of the shape) of a piineapple, the material
being a mixture of rice and apples ; thus an entremets of
rather difficult construction was proposed to take the place
of an entree of relative simplicity.
Page 362
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
Thnballs, or French timbales, derive their name from their shape, that of a drum. If this derivation had not been limited, all pates, vol-an-vents, and tourtes of a cylindrical shape would have come under it. These latter, however, go by their own specialized names, and the name of timbales is restricted to soft, edible, pudding-like cases, constructed of boiled macaroni or nouilles, and filled with entrees, such as ragouts, fricassees, farces, or preparations of macaroni and nouilles, themselves partaking of the character of entremets. Such dishes with the name of timball, though very old, are often omitted from so-called modern culinary works, or are paraphrased and made unrecognisable (e.g., the one taken ex Simpson, p. 101). They are, however, not only of great historical interest, but of considerable practical value, particularly for households which from any circumstance are temporarily restricted in the use of flesh food. Timballs admit of the application of much constructive and ornamenting skill on the part of the cook. When the cases are constructed of macaroni or nouilles alone, the timball may be termed simple or plain ; when it receives a case of pastry, it may be termed compound. Of this latter category are timballs of macaroni and chicken, of nouilles and quenelles, of macaroni lined tuith forcemeat of chichen- quenelles filled loith a blanquette of fowl ; all these admit of interesting variations. The plain timballs are more simple in material and workmanship, but, if well prepared, are excellent dishes ; they are made upon the lines of puddings, so as not to have any liquid sauce in their interior, and derive their cohesion from eggs, their savour from meat, cheese, or fungi, and their structure from macaroni and nouilles.
To the number of receptacles for prepared savoury dishes which it is intended to put upon the table in an attractive, or conspicuous, or compendious form, has of late been added a modification of the raised pie-case, made of rice
paste, which, when closed, passes by the misleading name of casserole, when open by that of border. It is such an advantage for meat to be enclosed in paste that the mere variation of the enclosing medium requires no notice. But it challenges notice when the variation results in the deterioration of the quality of the product which is yielded as purchase value for the supposed improvement in the external appearance. The casserole au riz is a preparation which has had its evolution, as is evident from the following definition of its earliest stage : ‘ A piece of cooked meat may be enclosed in rice which has been boiled and moistened with a little bouillon and lard ; make a round ball of it, and bake it in the oven until it has a little colour.’ As in all evolutions there are abortive segmentations, so here we have one effected by De Courchamps ; a casserole of rice is described as an imitation (of the shape) of a piineapple, the material being a mixture of rice and apples ; thus an entremets of rather difficult construction was proposed to take the place of an entree of relative simplicity.