Yet, in truth, granted a little care and good will, a souffle, whether baked or steamed, is no very recondite preparation. The point to observe is the due proportions, which are as follows : For a meat or fish souffle you mast reckon a full gill of thick sauce (or rather liquid panade) to every three or four eggs used; the meat or fish giving the dish its distinctive character, minced as fine and pounded as smooth as possible, being added in the proportion of rather more than an ounce of the puree to each egg, i.e., for the yolks of three and the whites of four eggs you would need a full gill of sauce or panade, and 3|oz to 4oz. of the meat puree, The method is simple enough. Begin with the panade by stirring together over the fire an ounce each of butter and fine sifted flour, till these are 62 ENTRIES. perfectly amalgamated, when yon dilute them with a gill of water, millc, or good stock (this varies accord- ing to the meat used, as brown or espagnole sauce for brown meat or game ; veloute, or bechamel for chicken or any white meat ; or fish stock for fish), let this cook over the fire very gently (being careful not to let it colour if for white meat), for eight or ten minutes, to insure the flour being perfectly cooked ; then stir in the minced or pounded meat (using your judgment as to whether you add 3|oz. or 4oz., according to its solidity) with seasoning and flavouring to taste, and lastly the yolks separately, stirring one well in before adding in the next ; and lastly stir in quickly and lightly the whites of the eggs whisked to a very stiff froth, and at once pour it all into the papered souffle tin or case, and set it in a sharp, but not fierce oven ; as, though this must be hot enough to raise the souffle quickly, it must not be so hot as to darken the surface too rapidly at first ; in fact, after a few minutes the heat may be slightly slackened. The quantities given will require about half an horn’s cooking. The mixture rises enormously in the cooking, therefore the case (whether tin, china, or paper, and about 5in. across, and 4in. deep) should not be more than half full to start with, and should have a band of well-buttered, stiffish paper (projecting fully 2in. above the edge of the case), firmly tied or fastened round it to prevent the contents of the mould running over and wasting. (See Fig. 12 of papered mould.) If preferred the above mixture may be cooked in small paper or china cases instead of one large SOUFFLES, MOUSSES, &c. 63 one, and will take from twelve to fifteen minutes to cook. A matter deserving attention is the buttering of the paper band, and the souffle case, especially if the souffle is to be steamed instead of baked. A good coating of butter should be actually spread, not merely lightly rubbed (as some cookery books advise) on the band and the case, or else the souffle will not turn out neatly, or if baked will be ragged when the band is removed. All souffle's are made in the above fashion, their distinction depending on their seasoning (which Fig. 12.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Yet, in truth, granted a little care and good will, a souffle, whether baked or steamed, is no very recondite preparation. The point to observe is the due proportions, which are as follows : For a meat or fish souffle you mast reckon a full gill of thick sauce (or rather liquid panade) to every three or four eggs used; the meat or fish giving the dish its distinctive character, minced as fine and pounded as smooth as possible, being added in the proportion of rather more than an ounce of the puree to each egg, i.e., for the yolks of three and the whites of four eggs you would need a full gill of sauce or panade, and 3|oz to 4oz. of the meat puree, The method is simple enough. Begin with the panade by stirring together over the fire an ounce each of butter and fine sifted flour, till these are perfectly amalgamated, when you dilute them with a gill of water, milk, or good stock (this varies according to the meat used, as brown or espagnole sauce for brown meat or game ; veloute, or bechamel for chicken or any white meat ; or fish stock for fish), let this cook over the fire very gently (being careful not to let it colour if for white meat), for eight or ten minutes, to insure the flour being perfectly cooked ; then stir in the minced or pounded meat (using your judgment as to whether you add 3|oz. or 4oz., according to its solidity) with seasoning and flavouring to taste, and lastly the yolks separately, stirring one well in before adding in the next ; and lastly stir in quickly and lightly the whites of the eggs whisked to a very stiff froth, and at once pour it all into the papered souffle tin or case, and set it in a sharp, but not fierce oven ; as, though this must be hot enough to raise the souffle quickly, it must not be so hot as to darken the surface too rapidly at first ; in fact, after a few minutes the heat may be slightly slackened. The quantities given will require about half an hour's cooking. The mixture rises enormously in the cooking, therefore the case (whether tin, china, or paper, and about 5in. across, and 4in. deep) should not be more than half full to start with, and should have a band of well-buttered, stiffish paper (projecting fully 2in. above the edge of the case), firmly tied or fastened round it to prevent the contents of the mould running over and wasting. (See Fig. 12 of papered mould.) If preferred the above mixture may be cooked in small paper or china cases instead of one large one, and will take from twelve to fifteen minutes to cook. A matter deserving attention is the buttering of the paper band, and the souffle case, especially if the souffle is to be steamed instead of baked. A good coating of butter should be actually spread, not merely lightly rubbed (as some cookery books advise) on the band and the case, or else the souffle will not turn out neatly, or if baked will be ragged when the band is removed. All souffle's are made in the above fashion, their distinction depending on their seasoning (which Fig. 12.

The "Queen" cookery books: Entrees