A guide to modern cookery

pose the point of a needle, and, when the nests are quite clean, drain them and put them into the consommé. At this stage set the consommé to boil, gently, for thirty or thirty-five minutes without interruption. During this time the gummy portions of the nests will melt into the consommé, giving the latter its characteristic viscidity, and there will only remain visible those portions which, in the natural state, constitute the framework of the nests; that is to say, little threads not unlike superfine transparent vermicelli. 592—CONSOMME AUX CEUFS DE FAUVETTE I introduced this consommé in honour of the illustrious singer, Adelina Patti. It consists of a chicken consommé, which should be made as perfect as possible, and a garnish composed of the poached eggs of small birds. : 5903—CONSOMME OLGA Prepare one quart of excellent ordinary consommé, and add thereto, when about to serve and away from the fire, one-quarter pint of port wine. Also cut into a fine julienne the quarter of a small celeriac, the white of a leek, and the red part only of a small carrot. Stew this julienne in butter and complete its cooking in consommé, reducing the latter to a glaze. When about to serve put this julienne in a soup tureen, add a few tablespoonfuls of a julienne of salted gherkins, and pour thereon the consommé with port. 504—CONSOMME D’ORLEANS Lay on a buttered tray ten small quenelles of ordinary chicken forcemeat, ten others of chicken forcemeat combined with a very red tomato purée, and ten more of the same forcemeat, combined with a purée of spinach, all the quenelles being grooved. Ten minutes before serving poach these quenelles, drain them, put them in the soup-tureen, and pour therein one quart of chicken consommé thickened with three tablespoonfuls of poached tapioca strained through linen. Add a pinch of chervil pluches. i 505—CONSOMME D’ORSAY Prepare one quart of very clear chicken consommé, also make fifteen small quenelles of pigeon forcemeat moulded to the shape of eggs by means of a very small spoon, and poach the yolks of ten eggs, taking care to keep them very soft. Put the quenelles and the poached yolks into the soup-tureen with a julienne of three fillets of pigeon and a tablespoonful of asparagus-heads, and pour thereon the boiling consommé. Serve at once. 596—OX-TAIL SOUP For Ten People.—Garnish the bottom of a small stock-pot or stewpan with one fine carrot and two medium-sized onions cut into roundels and browned in butter, and one faggot. Add two small ox-tails, or one of medium size weighing about four Ibs. (The tails should be cut into sections, each of which should contain one of the caudal vertebre, and they should then be browned in the oven.) Also add two lbs. of gelatinous bones, broken very small and likewise browned in the oven. Now proceed exactly as for brown veal stock (No. 9), taking note that the whole moistening must consist of no more than two and one-half quarts of ordinary broth and one quart of water. Set to boil very gently for four and one-half or five hours. This done, strain the broth, which should be reduced to two and one-half quarts, and completely remove its grease. Transfer the largest sections of the tails, by means of a braiding-needle, one by one to another saucepan. Cover them with broth, and keep them warm for the garnish. Finely chop one Ib. of very lean beef; put this mince into a saucepan with the white of a leek cut into dice and half the white of an egg, and mix thoroughly. Add the broth, the grease of which has been removed, set to boil, stirring constantly the while, and then leave to simmer for one hour, which is the time required for the beef to exude all its juices and for the clarification of the broth.