An excellent preparation is produced by mingling equal propor-
tions of lobster and of anchovy butter in the mortar, or one-third of
the anchovy with two of lobster : to this some of the white flesh of
the latter can be added to give another variety, after it has been
prepared by the receipt for houdirettes , Chapter III.
TRUFFLED BUTTER (AND TRUFFLES POTTED IN BUTTER.)
{For the breakfast or luncheon table.')
Cut up a pound of sweet fresh butter, and dissolve it gently over a
clear fire ; take off the scum which will gather thickly upon it, and
when it has simmered for three or four minutes, draw it from the fire,
and let it stand until all the butter-milk has subsided ; pour it softly
from this upon six ounces of ready-pared sound French truffles, cut
into small, but rather thick, slices, and laid into a delicately clean
enamelled saucepan ; add a full seasoning of freshly pounded mace
and fine cayenne, a small saltspoonful of salt, and half a not large
nutmeg✪ Truffled Butter. When the butter has become quite cold, proceed to heat the
truffles slowly, shaking the saucepan often briskly round, and stew
them as gently as possible for twenty minutes, or longer should they
not then be very tender. If allowed to heat, and to boil quickly,
they will become hard , and the preparation, as regards the truffles ,
will be a comparative failure. Lift them with a spoon into quite
dry earthen or china pans, and pour the butter on them ; or add to
them sufficient of it only to cover them well and to exclude the air,
and pot the remainder of the butter apart : it will be finely flavoured,
and may be eaten by delicate persons to whom the truffle itself would
be injurious. It may also be used in compounding savoury sauces,
and for moistening small croustades before they are fried or baked.
The truffles themselves will remain good for months when thus pre-
pared, if kept free from damp ; and in flavour they will be found ex-
cellent. The parings taken from them will also impart a very agree-
able savour to the butter, and will serve extremely well for it for im-
mediate use. They will also be valuable as additions to gravies or to
soups.
We should observe, that the juice which will have exuded from
the truffles in the stewing will cause the preparation to become
mouldy, or otherwise injure it, if it be put into the pans either with
them or with the butter. The truffles must be well drained from it
when they are taken from the saucepan, and the butter must remain
140
MODERN COOKERY.
[chap. vi.
undisturbed for a few minutes, when it can be poured clear from the
juice, which will have subsided to the bottom of the pan. We have
given here the result of our first experiment, which we found on
further trial to answer perfectly.
ENGLISH SALADS.
Page 146 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1884. 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
An excellent preparation is produced by mingling equal proportions of lobster and of anchovy butter in the mortar, or one-third of the anchovy with two of lobster : to this some of the white flesh of the latter can be added to give another variety, after it has been prepared by the receipt for croquettes , Chapter III.
TRUFFLED BUTTER (AND TRUFFLES POTTED IN BUTTER.)
{For the breakfast or luncheon table.')
Cut up a pound of sweet fresh butter, and dissolve it gently over a clear fire ; take off the scum which will gather thickly upon it, and when it has simmered for three or four minutes, draw it from the fire, and let it stand until all the butter-milk has subsided ; pour it softly from this upon six ounces of ready-pared sound French truffles, cut into small, but rather thick, slices, and laid into a delicately clean enamelled saucepan ; add a full seasoning of freshly pounded mace and fine cayenne, a small saltspoonful of salt, and half a not large nutmeg. When the butter has become quite cold, proceed to heat the truffles slowly, shaking the saucepan often briskly round, and stew them as gently as possible for twenty minutes, or longer should they not then be very tender. If allowed to heat, and to boil quickly, they will become hard, and the preparation, as regards the truffles, will be a comparative failure. Lift them with a spoon into quite dry earthen or china pans, and pour the butter on them ; or add to them sufficient of it only to cover them well and to exclude the air, and pot the remainder of the butter apart : it will be finely flavoured, and may be eaten by delicate persons to whom the truffle itself would be injurious. It may also be used in compounding savoury sauces, and for moistening small croustades before they are fried or baked. The truffles themselves will remain good for months when thus prepared, if kept free from damp ; and in flavour they will be found excellent. The parings taken from them will also impart a very agreeable savour to the butter, and will serve extremely well for it for immediate use. They will also be valuable as additions to gravies or to soups.
We should observe, that the juice which will have exuded from the truffles in the stewing will cause the preparation to become mouldy, or otherwise injure it, if it be put into the pans either with them or with the butter. The truffles must be well drained from it when they are taken from the saucepan, and the butter must remain
[chap. vi.
undisturbed for a few minutes, when it can be poured clear from the juice, which will have subsided to the bottom of the pan. We have given here the result of our first experiment, which we found on further trial to answer perfectly.
ENGLISH SALADS.
Records on this page
Truffled Butter