A false assumption of magnificence on the part of culinary
authors shows itself in the recital 0/ garnishes to dishes, only
a small proportion of which is ever executed. On perusal
of many examples, we find that the more indifferent are the
materials of the dishes, the more laborious and expensive
are the garnishes recommended to be incorporated with or
added to them. Garnishes have many uses, e.g., that of
increasing the nutritive value, or bulk, or sufficiency for
service of a dish, which by itself would be insufficient;
thus, a chicken might not be sufficient for a carver to serve
six plates, but when stuffed and moderately garnished it
would probably be sufficient. Now, in all cases in which
the original material, be it fish, bird, joint, or vegetable,
is sufficient, a garnish can only be intended as a means of
heightening the taste, but not as increasing the nutritive
value of the dish ; in all these cases it must be kept within
the narrowest limits of quantity, and should never be applied
as a means of merely impressing the eye. When, therefore,
we give indications or hints for garnishes to many dishes,
the readers should bear in mind that we do this only to
assist them with suggestions to be used occasionally, but by
no means to be regularly adhered to. On the contrary, we
maintain that a well-cooked dish requires very few if any
external additions. We do not underestimate the value of
the external appearance of dishes, we also recognise that
their appearance is of influence as regards their appreciation
by gustation ; but no one can judge a farce by its looks, or
a dish masked by a thick sauce by its garnish, and there-
fore w'e advise our readers to bestow all care, in the first
place, upon the taste and appearance of the prime material
of the dish, before they expend any thought, material, or
labour upon collateral objects, croustades, croutons, fleurons,
quenelles, crayfish, cocks’ combs and kernels, truffles, and
646
THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY
all the useless so-called oruameuts of the silver hatelets and
trappings of an uneatable kind with w'hich dishes are now
so frequently overloaded. And we should, all the art of
preserving notwithstanding, urge them to consult the seasons
regarding the fruit which they bring forth, and use it while
it be in season, and avoid the employment of materials out
of season, which are always purchased not only at the cost
of quality, but also of money which might be employed
more advantageously.
There are some differences in the modes of serving dinners
after the manner termed ‘ d la Franqaise ’ and ‘ d la Busse.'
The French mode of serving a dinner consists in placing on
the table all the dishes of a service, and then taking them
away again in order to carve or to serve them ; the so-called
Bussian mode consists in either placing the dishes already
carved upon the table (in which case an attempt is some-
times made to cause the pieces to maintain the aggregation
of their original parts, which is always difficult and rarely
successful), or in not placing the dishes on the table at all,
but on the sideboard, and carving them there, and sending
the carved pieces to the guests singly.
Page 407
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
A false assumption of magnificence on the part of culinary authors shows itself in the recital 0/ garnishes to dishes, only a small proportion of which is ever executed. On perusal of many examples, we find that the more indifferent are the materials of the dishes, the more laborious and expensive are the garnishes recommended to be incorporated with or added to them. Garnishes have many uses, e.g., that of increasing the nutritive value, or bulk, or sufficiency for service of a dish, which by itself would be insufficient; thus, a chicken might not be sufficient for a carver to serve six plates, but when stuffed and moderately garnished it would probably be sufficient. Now, in all cases in which the original material, be it fish, bird, joint, or vegetable, is sufficient, a garnish can only be intended as a means of heightening the taste, but not as increasing the nutritive value of the dish ; in all these cases it must be kept within the narrowest limits of quantity, and should never be applied as a means of merely impressing the eye. When, therefore, we give indications or hints for garnishes to many dishes, the readers should bear in mind that we do this only to assist them with suggestions to be used occasionally, but by no means to be regularly adhered to. On the contrary, we maintain that a well-cooked dish requires very few if any external additions. We do not underestimate the value of the external appearance of dishes, we also recognise that their appearance is of influence as regards their appreciation by gustation ; but no one can judge a farce by its looks, or a dish masked by a thick sauce by its garnish, and therefore w'e advise our readers to bestow all care, in the first place, upon the taste and appearance of the prime material of the dish, before they expend any thought, material, or labour upon collateral objects, croustades, croutons, fleurons, quenelles, crayfish, cocks’ combs and kernels, truffles, and
all the useless so-called ornaments of the silver hatelets and trappings of an uneatable kind with which dishes are now so frequently overloaded. And we should, all the art of preserving notwithstanding, urge them to consult the seasons regarding the fruit which they bring forth, and use it while it be in season, and avoid the employment of materials out of season, which are always purchased not only at the cost of quality, but also of money which might be employed more advantageously.
There are some differences in the modes of serving dinners after the manner termed ‘ d la Franqaise ’ and ‘ d la Busse.' The French mode of serving a dinner consists in placing on the table all the dishes of a service, and then taking them away again in order to carve or to serve them ; the so-called Bussian mode consists in either placing the dishes already carved upon the table (in which case an attempt is sometimes made to cause the pieces to maintain the aggregation of their original parts, which is always difficult and rarely successful), or in not placing the dishes on the table at all, but on the sideboard, and carving them there, and sending the carved pieces to the guests singly.