The encyclopædia of practical cookery

Charcoal Biscuits. — At one time a very extensive demand for these existed, they having been strongly recommended by physicians for the relief of indigestion and heartburn. They are made by adding a small proportion of finely-powdered charcoal to ordinary biscuit dough, and making up and baking in the usual way. See Biscuits. CHARCUTERIE. — This term has been introduced into this country by foreign tradesmen, but with a different signification to that its original use implied. Charcutier is literally a pork-sausage butcher, or one who chops up flesh (chair) ; in England Charcuterie is applied to garlic sausages, preserved meats, fish, and other foreign foods, and Charcutier to him who sells them. CHARD. — This is a variety of the white beet, producing large succulent leaves, which are prepared for table use by blanching. Chard Salad. — Cut the leaves off the Chard without cutting the midrib, trim the midrib into equal-sized pieces, tie these in small bundles, and boil them for fifteen minutes. When cooked, drain the bundles, and leave them till cold ; then remove the strings, and place them in a salad-bowl. Mix some oil and vinegar in equal quantities, season with salt and pepper, and pour the mixture over the salad, then serve. The leaves of the Chard can be boiled and served as spinach. CHARLOTTES. — Charlottes Russes and Apple Charlottes are the dishes of this name with which we are most familiar in this country, and these are in their simplicity merely an arrangement of bread or biscuits shaped and set in a mould in such a manner that the interior can be filled up with stewed apples, apple or other fruit marmalade. Fig. 408. Charlotte-moulds. The moulds in use nowadays are simply shaped as in Fig. 408, and they are filled by cutting pieces of bread into such accurate shapes that they fit round the interior like the staves of a bucket. The edges are slightly bevelled to make them fit closely, and then the pieces are stuck together with jelly ; an ornamentally cut round fills the bottom of the mould, and then the interior is filled in with a sort of bavaroise, and the whole set upon ice to freeze. By whom this dish was invented, or after whom it was christened Charlotte, is a disputed point. The French confectioner is disposed to attribute it to Charlotte de Medici, wife of the son of the Prince of Conde ; but British confectioners claim it for the famous queen of George III. Goethe seems to have this idea when he wrote of Werther and this queen, for he says : Werther had a love for Charlotte, Such as world could never utter. Would you know how first he met her? She was cutting bread-and-butter. Possibly in the preparation of a Charlotte. Be that as it may, the dish is a great favourite, and gives a great charm to a supper- or light dinner-table. Chantilly Charlotte. — Line a dome-shaped mould with lady’sfinger biscuits, arranging them fancifully according- to taste ; put 1 pint or more of thick cream into a basin and whisk it with an egg-beater until it is a stiff froth. For 1 pint of cream, mix in gradually 4oz. of caster sugar and ½oz. of soaked gelatine. Flavour the cream with a few drops of orangeflower water or essence of violets ; pour it carefully ipto the mould with the biscuits, and pack the mould in pounded ice Charlottes — continued.