, and have explained how it is that this
addition of a small quantity of sauce conveys the idea that a much,
larger number of oysters had been used than would have been antici-
pated from the original tasting of the soup. Alas ! however, for human
weakness, I fear that in too many instances I may have spoiled many a
tureenful of soup. I can imagine well the soup, the cook with a spoon
in one hand and a bottle of apehovy sauce in the other. She adds, say,
the desired quantity, and stirs it up and tastes. Her impression is this :
“ Oh, this is an improvement ! ” But what follows ? Again the spoon
is filled. “We must have some more of this ! ” is the impression that
instantly flashes across her mind. She proceeds, and what is the result ?
She sends up to table in a very short time soup in which no vestige of
the flavour of oysters remains, and the unhappy guests have to eat, as
best they may, what may be called very weak, thin, anchovy sauce.
Another point with regard to sauces which I would impress on the
minds of all cooks is the extreme danger of using them to flavour soups ;
indeed I do not know any one soup whatever which requires the addition
of sauce. Of course, in making rich brown gravies, which are stronger
than soups, the case is different. But here again the tendency is to
jeopardise the sauce by adding too much rather than too little. So,
too, in using Worcestershire sauce, for almost any purpose. Worcester-
shire sauce, of all, possesses perhaps the most pungent and marked
flavour, and, when used in moderation, few sauces are more valuable.
But how many dishes have been absolutely ruined by the injudicious
use of this popular condiment !
I have repeatedly throughout the present work given receipts, and
have endeavoured, as a rule, to place as high a model as possible for
INTRODUCTION.
Xll
the guidance of the cook. I believe that if success in cooking is
to be attained, it is impossible to have too high a standard of
excellence. I have throughout adopted the method usually pursued
at that well-known place, the Freemasons’ Tavern, which is gene-
rally admitted to be one of the leading establishments, not only in
London, but in Europe. On several occasions when I have been in
doubt I have consulted M. Burlet, and I beg here to thank him for his
kind assistance. I would, however, remind housekeepers that when
they have a high model of excellence placed before them, it does not
necessarily follow that they are obliged to carry out the receipt in its
entirety. It is obviously far easier to take away than to add. For
instance, in many of the directions I have given truffles. Now, although
truffles are a very great improvement to most dishes, they are by no
means essential. If we were to order a vol au vent a la financiere or a
vol ail vent a la Toulouse at the Freemasons’ Tavern, we should, of
course, get truffles with our vol au vent. In the majority of restaurants,
however, about London, the truffles would be omitted as a necessary
consequence of the price charged for the dish. So again, whenever I
have ordered boiling cream, most housekeepers would be fully aware
that boiling milk, with a yolk of egg beaten up afterwards in it, is a
very common substitute, though not equal to the cream in flavour.
Page 9
Presented as published in 1880. 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
, and have explained how it is that this addition of a small quantity of sauce conveys the idea that a much, larger number of oysters had been used than would have been anticipated from the original tasting of the soup. Alas ! however, for human weakness, I fear that in too many instances I may have spoiled many a tureenful of soup. I can imagine well the soup, the cook with a spoon in one hand and a bottle of anchovy sauce in the other. She adds, say, the desired quantity, and stirs it up and tastes. Her impression is this : “ Oh, this is an improvement ! ” But what follows ? Again the spoon is filled. “We must have some more of this ! ” is the impression that instantly flashes across her mind. She proceeds, and what is the result ? She sends up to table in a very short time soup in which no vestige of the flavour of oysters remains, and the unhappy guests have to eat, as best they may, what may be called very weak, thin, anchovy sauce.
Another point with regard to sauces which I would impress on the minds of all cooks is the extreme danger of using them to flavour soups ; indeed I do not know any one soup whatever which requires the addition of sauce. Of course, in making rich brown gravies, which are stronger than soups, the case is different. But here again the tendency is to jeopardise the sauce by adding too much rather than too little. So, too, in using Worcestershire sauce, for almost any purpose. Worcestershire sauce, of all, possesses perhaps the most pungent and marked flavour, and, when used in moderation, few sauces are more valuable. But how many dishes have been absolutely ruined by the injudicious use of this popular condiment !
I have repeatedly throughout the present work given receipts, and have endeavoured, as a rule, to place as high a model as possible for
the guidance of the cook. I believe that if success in cooking is to be attained, it is impossible to have too high a standard of excellence. I have throughout adopted the method usually pursued at that well-known place, the Freemasons’ Tavern, which is generally admitted to be one of the leading establishments, not only in London, but in Europe. On several occasions when I have been in doubt I have consulted M. Burlet, and I beg here to thank him for his kind assistance. I would, however, remind housekeepers that when they have a high model of excellence placed before them, it does not necessarily follow that they are obliged to carry out the receipt in its entirety. It is obviously far easier to take away than to add. For instance, in many of the directions I have given truffles. Now, although truffles are a very great improvement to most dishes, they are by no means essential. If we were to order a vol au vent a la financiere or a vol ail vent a la Toulouse at the Freemasons’ Tavern, we should, of course, get truffles with our vol au vent. In the majority of restaurants, however, about London, the truffles would be omitted as a necessary consequence of the price charged for the dish. So again, whenever I have ordered boiling cream, most housekeepers would be fully aware that boiling milk, with a yolk of egg beaten up afterwards in it, is a very common substitute, though not equal to the cream in flavour.