Quite in a special parenthesis by themselves onght to
be kept all plats which can be served cold, such as the
chaud-froid, chartreuse, petits galantines, truffled cutlets,
(fee, for in a climate such as this an iced entree cannot fail
to attract attention, whilst for providing contrast, and
other reasons, I shall speak of presently, it is invaluable.
Having thus arranged the various dishes which come
"Binder the head of entrees in a systematic form, the task of
selection therefrom must be governed by the sort of
dinner you intend to give, the different items that compose
your menu, and the capabilities of your cook. As a rule,
you should generally, for the sake of contrast, select one
dish from class one, and the other from either class two,
or three ; or an iced entree followed by one from either
of the two richer classes.
I have already advised you never to attempt to give
more than two entrees, and I repeat the advice now, be
your dinner a banquet for forty covers, or a party of eight
friends. The menu of the best mess dinner I ever attend-
ed in India (given to a late Governor of Madras whose
taste in culinary matters was proverbial) contained but
one iced, and one elaborate entree. These were, of course,
served separately, and to provide against delay, there
were (for forty guests) four dishes formed of each compo-
sition.
In ordering your entrees, you should carefully consider
the amount of work your cook will have upon his hands at
the critical time of serving them, and bear in mind that the
more he has to do then, the more likely will he be to make
mistakes. Is it not unfair to expect your cook to serve
ewqually well two hot entrees demanding attentive manipula-
tion up to the last moment ? Select, therefore, for one of
jour side-dishes something that can be prepared before-
hand, and be easily heated when required, so that your
HINTS ABOUT ENTREES. 63
chefs attention need not be distracted from tlie other. On
these grounds the iced entree is a grand invention. It can
be made early in the day, and then set in the ice-box,
ready to follow the fish or releve, as the case may be, with-
out delay, and the sauce can also be similarly treated.
Dishes that merely require heating in the oven are a god-
send to a cook, for he can compose them at his leisure
during the afternoon, and put them aside till within a few
minutes of the time when they are wanted, keeping their
sauces nice and hot in the bain-marie pan. But the un-
happy man who has (say) to turn out a delicately grilled
dish of cutlets a la Maintenon, with Jcramoushys aux JiuUres
to follow — independently of game, joint, sweets, &c., all
needing a watchful eye — is surely to be pitied.
Page 36
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
Quite in a special parenthesis by themselves ought to be kept all plats which can be served cold, such as the chaud-froid, chartreuse, petits galantines, truffled cutlets, (fee, for in a climate such as this an iced entree cannot fail to attract attention, whilst for providing contrast, and other reasons, I shall speak of presently, it is invaluable.
Having thus arranged the various dishes which come "Binder the head of entrees in a systematic form, the task of selection therefrom must be governed by the sort of dinner you intend to give, the different items that compose your menu, and the capabilities of your cook. As a rule, you should generally, for the sake of contrast, select one dish from class one, and the other from either class two, or three ; or an iced entree followed by one from either of the two richer classes.
I have already advised you never to attempt to give more than two entrees, and I repeat the advice now, be your dinner a banquet for forty covers, or a party of eight friends. The menu of the best mess dinner I ever attended in India (given to a late Governor of Madras whose taste in culinary matters was proverbial) contained but one iced, and one elaborate entree. These were, of course, served separately, and to provide against delay, there were (for forty guests) four dishes formed of each composition.
In ordering your entrees, you should carefully consider the amount of work your cook will have upon his hands at the critical time of serving them, and bear in mind that the more he has to do then, the more likely will he be to make mistakes. Is it not unfair to expect your cook to serve equally well two hot entrees demanding attentive manipulation up to the last moment ? Select, therefore, for one of jour side-dishes something that can be prepared beforehand, and be easily heated when required, so that your
chefs attention need not be distracted from tlie other. On these grounds the iced entree is a grand invention. It can be made early in the day, and then set in the ice-box, ready to follow the fish or releve, as the case may be, without delay, and the sauce can also be similarly treated. Dishes that merely require heating in the oven are a godsend to a cook, for he can compose them at his leisure during the afternoon, and put them aside till within a few minutes of the time when they are wanted, keeping their sauces nice and hot in the bain-marie pan. But the unhappy man who has (say) to turn out a delicately grilled dish of cutlets a la Maintenon, with Cromesquys aux Huîtres to follow — independently of game, joint, sweets, &c., all needing a watchful eye — is surely to be pitied.