must always be delicate), and the appropriateness
of the liquid used in making the panade. For
instance, in souffle a la bourgeoise, for which cold
roast beef or mutton may be taken, the gravy of the
meat may be used, or failing this, water strengthened
with a little Worcester, Harvey, or anchovy sauce,
and at the last a little wine, may be substituted ; if
game is to be the foundation, “ perfume ” a little
ordinary bone stock with the broken up bones and
trimmings of the game, a few drops of wine, Ac., as
you choose; for white meat, a delicately flavoured
white sauce may be employed ; while for fish souffles
6*
ENTREES.
I have known careful housewives use the milk in
which a Finnan haddock had been cooked for
breakfast, to dilute the panade ; or the remains of
last night’s melted butter or oyster sauce were
utilised. In fact souffles once mastered, form a
dainty and invaluable method of using up all sorts
of scraps that would otherwise be wasted, and for
that reason should really form an important part of
the succeeding chapter on rechauffes. However, for
gala use, the meat should always be raw, and if
possible sieved after pounding, though for ordinary
household use this rather troublesome process may
be omitted ; but any way care must be bestowed on
the smoothness of the pounding.
Mousses differ from souffles by their lightness, as
for the above proportions four egg yolks should be
used, and a good spoonful or two of stiffly whipped
cream should replace one of the egg whites. In fact
many chefs replace the egg whites entirely by stiffly
whipped cream, but though this gives a delicious
and delicate lightness to the dish, it results in so
soft a mixture as to demand great experience and
deftness in the cookery. Mousses are always turned
out, in fact many people hold that the turning out
of a souffle transforms it into a mousse, but the real
difference is in the greater lightness of the latter.
Mousses, like souffle's, may be served in small
portions instead of one whole dish, and make
delicious entrees ; in such cases they are frequently
called zephyres, from their fragility. Cooks often,
when experienced in preparing these dishes, omit a
portion of the pulped meat, replacing it by tiny dice
65
SOUFFLES, MOUSSES, &c.
of any flavouring meat to taste, adding tlieso in at
the last with the whipped cream. But if this is
done, the meat or substance so added must always
have been previously cooked ; for instance little
cubes of foie gras may be added at the last thus and
impart a most delicate flavour to a mousse of
chicken or game ; in fact are infinitely to be pre-
ferred to the use of bottled truffles, which never
seem to preserve their aroma as they do when
imbedded in pate. If truffles are used (and they
should always be fresh ones) they should be added
thus at the last, the trimmings having been utilised
in the making of the panade. (If one may be
pardoned a digression, it would be well could one
impress on both mistress and cook that bottled
truffles are seldom if ever satisfactory, for they do
not bottle well, and unless of very first rate prepara-
tion have little of their distinctive fragrance left
after a month or two’s bottling. A jar of pate de
foie gras truffle imparts fully more flavour and is
not at all more expensive than the bottle of truffles).
Page 31
Presented as published in 1901. 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
must always be delicate), and the appropriateness of the liquid used in making the panade. For instance, in souffle a la bourgeoise, for which cold roast beef or mutton may be taken, the gravy of the meat may be used, or failing this, water strengthened with a little Worcester, Harvey, or anchovy sauce, and at the last a little wine, may be substituted ; if game is to be the foundation, “ perfume ” a little ordinary bone stock with the broken up bones and trimmings of the game, a few drops of wine, Ac., as you choose; for white meat, a delicately flavoured white sauce may be employed ; while for fish souffles
6*
I have known careful housewives use the milk in which a Finnan haddock had been cooked for breakfast, to dilute the panade ; or the remains of last night’s melted butter or oyster sauce were utilised. In fact souffles once mastered, form a dainty and invaluable method of using up all sorts of scraps that would otherwise be wasted, and for that reason should really form an important part of the succeeding chapter on rechauffes. However, for gala use, the meat should always be raw, and if possible sieved after pounding, though for ordinary household use this rather troublesome process may be omitted ; but any way care must be bestowed on the smoothness of the pounding.
Mousses differ from souffles by their lightness, as for the above proportions four egg yolks should be used, and a good spoonful or two of stiffly whipped cream should replace one of the egg whites. In fact many chefs replace the egg whites entirely by stiffly whipped cream, but though this gives a delicious and delicate lightness to the dish, it results in so soft a mixture as to demand great experience and deftness in the cookery. Mousses are always turned out, in fact many people hold that the turning out of a souffle transforms it into a mousse, but the real difference is in the greater lightness of the latter. Mousses, like souffle's, may be served in small portions instead of one whole dish, and make delicious entrees ; in such cases they are frequently called zephyres, from their fragility. Cooks often, when experienced in preparing these dishes, omit a portion of the pulped meat, replacing it by tiny dice
of any flavouring meat to taste, adding these in at the last with the whipped cream. But if this is done, the meat or substance so added must always have been previously cooked ; for instance little cubes of foie gras may be added at the last thus and impart a most delicate flavour to a mousse of chicken or game ; in fact are infinitely to be preferred to the use of bottled truffles, which never seem to preserve their aroma as they do when imbedded in pate. If truffles are used (and they should always be fresh ones) they should be added thus at the last, the trimmings having been utilised in the making of the panade. (If one may be pardoned a digression, it would be well could one impress on both mistress and cook that bottled truffles are seldom if ever satisfactory, for they do not bottle well, and unless of very first rate preparation have little of their distinctive fragrance left after a month or two’s bottling. A jar of pate de foie gras truffle imparts fully more flavour and is not at all more expensive than the bottle of truffles).