A guide to modern cookery

Cutlets are always cut from such fowls as chickens 2 la Reine, or very fleshy, spring chickens. The same rule applies to suprémes : though, sometimes, the latter are cut from pullets. But, in that case, as they would be too large, they are cut into three or four very regular pieces, which are slightly flattened, and trimmed to the shape of hearts or ovals; except when they have to be stuffed. In the latter case, they are opened in the thickness, by means of the point of a small knife, to form sacks; and, in the resulting interstice the selected stuffing is inserted, with the help of a piping-bag fitted with a little, even pipe, and in a sufficient quantity to fill out the suprémes well. Suprémes and cutlets are always cooked without liquor, or almost so; for should any moistening liquid even approach the boil, it would immediately harden them. If they be desired poached, it would be best to cook the whole fowl, and cut them from the latter when it is cooked. This is how they are prepared, according as to whether they be required colourless or sautéd; though the brown method of preparing them is applied more particularly to cutlets. Cutlets or suprémes sautéd: Season them with salt; roll them in flour; set them in a vegetable pan containing some very hot clarified butter, and quickly gild them on both sides. These pieces of fowl are so tender that they are cooked and gilded at the same moment of time. Cutlets or suprémes prepared without colouration: Season them, and set them in a vegetable-pan, containing some fresh, melted, unclarified butter. Roll the suprémes in this butter; add a few drops of lemon juice; thoroughly seal the vegetablepan, and put it in a very hot oven. A few minutes suffice for the poaching of the suprémes, which are known to be ready when they seem resilient to the touch, and are perfectly white. Important Remarks: Chicken Suprémes or cutlets should never be allowed to wait, lest they harden. They should be cooked quickly, at the last moment; dished and served immediately. The shortest wait is enough to spoil them, and to make an insipid and dry preparation of what should be an exquisite dish. N.B.—The recipes given hereafter for suprémes may of course be applied to fillets, cutlets, ailerons, blanc de poulet, &c. 1584—SUPREMES DE VOLAILLE AGNES SOREL Line some oval buttered tartlet-moulds with mousseline forcemeat. Upon the latter, put some raw, sliced mushrooms, tossed in butter; cover with forcemeat so as to fill the mould, and poach in the bain-marie. Turn out in a circle on a round dish; put a poached supréme on each tartlet; coat with Allemande sauce; deck with a truffle girt by a ring of very red tongue, and surround the supréme with a thread of pale, meat glaze. ny nt ie Pres 1585—SUPREMES DE VOLAILLE ALEXANDRA Poach the suprémes dry. Dish them with a few slices of truffle set upon them; coat them with Mornay sauce, flavoured with chicken essence, and glaze quickly. Surround with small heaps of asparagus-heads, cohered with butter. 1586—SUPREMES DE VOLAILLE AMBASSADRICE Poach the suprémes dry. Dish them; coat them with supréme sauce, and surround them with lamb sweetbreads, studded with truffles and cooked without colouration, alternated with faggots of asparagus-heads. 1587—SUPREMES DE VOLAILLE ARLESIENNE Season and dredge the suprémes, and toss them in clarified butter. Meanwhile, fry in oil some egg-plant roundels and some seasoned and dredged roundels of onion. Also prepare a garnish of tomatoes tossed in oil. Dish the egg-plant roundels in a circle on a round dish; set the suprémes thereon, and garnish the latter with the tossed tomatoes and the fried onions, set in small heaps upon them. Serve a delicate, tomatéd half-glaze sauce separately. 1588—SUPREMES DE VOLAILLE BOISTELLE