All plates are removed, and the various dishes passed, at
the guest's left : the wine is poured at the right. Hot plates
are served with all the dishes except foie-gras, caviare,
salads, and the cold sweets.
Great care should be exercised in preparing the dishes in
the kitchen, and in bringing them to the table in a perfectly
neat condition. The soup should not fill the tureen so far
as to endanger spilling. The dishes for fish should be suited
in size and shape to the contents. If the fish is boiled, it
should be served unbroken, on a napkin laid in the appro-
priate platter, and garnished with a few sprigs of fresh parsley
Il8 PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
or slices of lemon, the sauce being served in a sauce-boat :
if sauce is served on the dish with the fish, only, enough to
cover the centre of the dish should be used, and the fish
laid on it ; the rest is served in a sauce-boat. Entrees should
be very neatly arranged with the proper garnishes, with sauce
enough to surround them, but not to reach to the edge of
the dish. Very little gravy, or none at all, should be on the
dish with joints, as it is hkely to be spilled in carving ; and
the dish should be deep enough to contain all that may flow
from the cut meat.
In the service of English and American dinners, the soup,
salad, and large sweets are to be placed before the hostess ;
the fish, meats, and game which require carving, before the
host. If two dishes of a kind are served at a large dinner,
one is to be put before each. The relishes and small sweets
are placed in different parts of the table ; and the vegetables
are passed by the servants, after the large dishes are served,
a spoon and fork being in each dish, so that the guest can
easily help himself. When two large dishes are served at
once, there is always the possibility that one will be spoiled
by waiting until it is required ; and, besides, it is then neces-
sary that both hosts should be expert carvers. In the dinner
served a la Russe, the carving is all done at the side-table
by the servants. Sometimes the dishes are placed on the
table a moment, for the apjwobaition of the master or mis-
tress of the house, and then taken away to be carved ; but
this involves delay. In this form of service, the plates are
laid between each course, and the guests help themselves as
the waiters pass the dishes after they are carved.
In treating of the service of dinners, some general refer-
ence has been made to the different methods of placing the
dishes upon the table : here the full details will be given
of the three forms of service in vogue in this country and
abroad, — the English and American, and the service a la
FLOWERS, BILLS OF FARE, AND WINES. I I9
Russe which is much favored by caterers. With the English
service, much labor falls upon the hosts in the way of carving
and serving, but the effect is hospitable in the extreme. In
the dinner a la Russe, every care falls upon the servants, but
this necessitates a greater number than any other form of
service. The American dinner-service is not very trying to
the hosts, especially if dishes are chosen which can easily
be dispensed : the effect is homelike, and one well-trained
servant can attend eight or ten guests.
THK ENGLISH DINNER-SERVICE.
Page 69
Presented as published in 1885. 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
All plates are removed, and the various dishes passed, at the guest's left : the wine is poured at the right. Hot plates are served with all the dishes except foie-gras, caviare, salads, and the cold sweets.
Great care should be exercised in preparing the dishes in the kitchen, and in bringing them to the table in a perfectly neat condition. The soup should not fill the tureen so far as to endanger spilling. The dishes for fish should be suited in size and shape to the contents. If the fish is boiled, it should be served unbroken, on a napkin laid in the appropriate platter, and garnished with a few sprigs of fresh parsley
or slices of lemon, the sauce being served in a sauce-boat : if sauce is served on the dish with the fish, only, enough to cover the centre of the dish should be used, and the fish laid on it ; the rest is served in a sauce-boat. Entrees should be very neatly arranged with the proper garnishes, with sauce enough to surround them, but not to reach to the edge of the dish. Very little gravy, or none at all, should be on the dish with joints, as it is likely to be spilled in carving ; and the dish should be deep enough to contain all that may flow from the cut meat.
In the service of English and American dinners, the soup, salad, and large sweets are to be placed before the hostess ; the fish, meats, and game which require carving, before the host. If two dishes of a kind are served at a large dinner, one is to be put before each. The relishes and small sweets are placed in different parts of the table ; and the vegetables are passed by the servants, after the large dishes are served, a spoon and fork being in each dish, so that the guest can easily help himself. When two large dishes are served at once, there is always the possibility that one will be spoiled by waiting until it is required ; and, besides, it is then necessary that both hosts should be expert carvers. In the dinner served a la Russe, the carving is all done at the side-table by the servants. Sometimes the dishes are placed on the table a moment, for the approbation of the master or mistress of the house, and then taken away to be carved ; but this involves delay. In this form of service, the plates are laid between each course, and the guests help themselves as the waiters pass the dishes after they are carved.
In treating of the service of dinners, some general reference has been made to the different methods of placing the dishes upon the table : here the full details will be given of the three forms of service in vogue in this country and abroad, — the English and American, and the service a la
Russe which is much favored by caterers. With the English service, much labor falls upon the hosts in the way of carving and serving, but the effect is hospitable in the extreme. In the dinner a la Russe, every care falls upon the servants, but this necessitates a greater number than any other form of service. The American dinner-service is not very trying to the hosts, especially if dishes are chosen which can easily be dispensed : the effect is homelike, and one well-trained servant can attend eight or ten guests.
THK ENGLISH DINNER-SERVICE.