Independently of the method in which you purpose to
cook them, a gi^eat deal depends upon the careful trimming
of a dish of mutton cutlets. How uninviting do these
miniature chops look when they have been cut anyhow
from the joint to which they belonged ? First, saw off
the ends of the row of bones level, and cut off the outer
flap ; now take a very sharp knife, and divide the row of
cutlets down to the bone with one clean decided cut between
each of them, and, lastly, sever them with a single stroke
of the chopper. Now, lay them on your board, and give
them a few strokes with your cutlet bat, trim them into
shape, and then place them in the marinade. The hungry
HINTS ABOUT ENTREES. 67
man may be able, no doubt, to eat the cutlets his cook may
send him, " rough hew them as he may," but for an entree^
we must study appearance.
Little paper frills placed round the ends of the bones of
the cutlets before serving, give a finish to your entree.
A cutlet to be grilled should be dipped at once in a little
melted butter, or salad oil, and broiled over a clear fire.
If to be stewed, it should be first browned by being turned
frequently in a satt^^e-pan with a little melted butter ; the
previously prepared gravy and vegetables should then be
put into the stew-pan, in which the cutlet should simmer
gently till done. The whole success of a stew depends
upon simmering. If the cook carelessly allow the gravy
in the pan to come to the boil, the cutlets (or anything
else) will be done for.
How often are hashes, and rechauffes of cold meat sent
to table as hard and tasteless as leather, simply because
the cook permitted them to boil ? Hashes and salmis of
cold meat and game may be defined, properly speaking,
as carefully composed sauces in which meat is placed
cold, and then gradually heated until sufficiently hot to
serve. My own rule with a salmis is to take it off the fire
as soon as the steam rises freely from the_ surface, to turn
it immediately into a silver dish heated with scalding
water, and send it up.
Hashes and salmis are much improved if the cold meat
composing them be soaked in the sauce for some time
before cooking.
The process of bread-crumbing a cutlet deserves far more
care than a great majority of cooks bestow upon it. To do
this really nicely (for an entree), you should proceed in this
way. Lift your cutlet from the marinade, drain it a
moment, then dip it into the following composition : — two
eggs, one dessert-spoonful of salad oil, and one dessert-
68 CULINARY JOTTINGS FOR MADRAS.
spoonful of water, well beaten together. Then tnrn it
over and over in a plateful of fine, stale bread-crumbs
which have been dried in the oven, pounded, and thoroughly
sifted. It should then be laid aside for half an hour, after
which it should be dipped again, and again rolled in
crumbs. Amongst the crumbs may be sprinkled some
finely-minced parsley and shallot, with s^ovae poicdered dried
sweet herbs, and grated cheese✪ Bread-Crumbed Cutlet is sometimes added with
marked effect. The frying should be conducted in abund-
ance of boiling fat, and the colour of the cutlets should be
a pale golden brown.
Page 39 · 1 recipe record on this page
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
Independently of the method in which you purpose to cook them, a great deal depends upon the careful trimming of a dish of mutton cutlets. How uninviting do these miniature chops look when they have been cut anyhow from the joint to which they belonged ? First, saw off the ends of the row of bones level, and cut off the outer flap ; now take a very sharp knife, and divide the row of cutlets down to the bone with one clean decided cut between each of them, and, lastly, sever them with a single stroke of the chopper. Now, lay them on your board, and give them a few strokes with your cutlet bat, trim them into shape, and then place them in the marinade. The hungry
man may be able, no doubt, to eat the cutlets his cook may send him, " rough hew them as he may," but for an entree^ we must study appearance.
Little paper frills placed round the ends of the bones of the cutlets before serving, give a finish to your entree.
A cutlet to be grilled should be dipped at once in a little melted butter, or salad oil, and broiled over a clear fire. If to be stewed, it should be first browned by being turned frequently in a satt^^e-pan with a little melted butter ; the previously prepared gravy and vegetables should then be put into the stew-pan, in which the cutlet should simmer gently till done. The whole success of a stew depends upon simmering. If the cook carelessly allow the gravy in the pan to come to the boil, the cutlets (or anything else) will be done for.
How often are hashes, and rechauffes of cold meat sent to table as hard and tasteless as leather, simply because the cook permitted them to boil ? Hashes and salmis of cold meat and game may be defined, properly speaking, as carefully composed sauces in which meat is placed cold, and then gradually heated until sufficiently hot to serve. My own rule with a salmis is to take it off the fire as soon as the steam rises freely from the_ surface, to turn it immediately into a silver dish heated with scalding water, and send it up.
Hashes and salmis are much improved if the cold meat composing them be soaked in the sauce for some time before cooking.
The process of bread-crumbing a cutlet deserves far more care than a great majority of cooks bestow upon it. To do this really nicely (for an entree), you should proceed in this way. Lift your cutlet from the marinade, drain it a moment, then dip it into the following composition : — two eggs, one dessert-spoonful of salad oil, and one dessert-
spoonful of water, well beaten together. Then tnrn it over and over in a plateful of fine, stale bread-crumbs which have been dried in the oven, pounded, and thoroughly sifted. It should then be laid aside for half an hour, after which it should be dipped again, and again rolled in crumbs. Amongst the crumbs may be sprinkled some finely-minced parsley and shallot, with some powdered dried sweet herbs, and grated cheese is sometimes added with marked effect. The frying should be conducted in abundance of boiling fat, and the colour of the cutlets should be a pale golden brown.
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Bread-Crumbed Cutlet