FoodNetArchive

The encyclopædia of practical cookery

1890

Page 380 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
(2) Prepare 3 dozen fresh and rather small soft Clams, throw away all the hard part, retaining nothing but the body ; place them in a stewpan with 2oz. of butter, ^ pinch of pepper, a finely-chopped shallot, and i wineglassful of Madeira wine, and cook on the hot stove for seven minutes ; then add 1 gill of Spanish sauce, 1 pinch of chopped parsley, the juice of a medium-sized lemon, and loz. of butterClams in Cream, stirring the whole well for three minutes longer, without letting it boil. Pour the whole into a hot dish, and serve at once. CLAREMONT SAUCE. — See Sauces. CLARENCE PUDDING. — See Puddings. CLARET (Fr. Clairet ; It. Clarette, from clari or clar, “ clear ”). — Of all tlie wines produced in Prance, there are none so famous as the Red Bordeaux. Not only are these wines famous for full bodies, bouquet, and delightful flavour, hut also for a richness of hue which is so remark- able that the name of the wine has provided a distinctive name for a colour, and for the simple processes employed in its manufacture. Indeed, Continental vintners are wont to observe that all other wines require special skill in manipulation ; but Claret makes itself. From the time of this wine being introduced into Great Britain and Ireland it gained great favour, especially in the smaller island, where, according to Irish historians, For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Claret — continued. Claret soon became the prime dinner-drink of the “ quality.” Amongst the descendants of those who came over from Normandy with the Conqueror to this country. Claret was almost a necessity of life ; but, as the old Saxon taste for mead and other sweets would assert itself at times, it became necessary to qualify Claret with sugar and spices. This led to a demand for mulled Claret, and to this day we find in England, Claret-cup, and other Claret concoctions, preferred to Claret plain. A writer on the subject of wines, says of Claret : “ Those who are not connoisseurs in it would not easily be enabled, from any description, to realise an idea of its beauties. Its colour, for instance, is difficult (even in these days of new hues) of definition — it is, in fact, ‘ Claret colour,’ and nothing else. To define an odour is a task equally, if not more onerous, and I can think of nothing closer to convey a notion of the bouquet of Claret than a combination of raspberries and violets ; the body is ‘ round,’ fruity, and soft as satin, and all the components are so happily blended into a homogeneous whole that during the degustation of good Claret all the senses seem to be simultaneously gratified. It is not, however, merely as a sybaritic luxury that I would wish Claret to be known; higher praise may be accorded to it as one of the most refreshing, the most cooling, and the most invigorating beverages, easy of digestion, and even assisting that process, a mildly stimulating and inebriating drink, in every way fulfilling the Scriptural character, as a ‘ wine that maketh glad the heart of man.’ ”