1. Always cut off carefully all parts that have been
hroionecl in the previous cooking, such as skin^ &c.
2. Use the trimmings, and all bones, assisted by any-
thing you may have to spare, to make the strongest broth
you can for your rechauffe.
3. Be generous in your allowance of butter and eggs,
and, if recommended in the recipe you are following, do
not refuse a small modicum of cream.
4. Never be without red- currant j elly , olives, anchovies,
grated cheese, grated^bread-crunibs (bottled), mushroom-
ketchup, o^od vinegar, bottled garden herbs, and a mild
sauce like Harvey;.
5. Try to maintain a little kitchen garden, in large
pots, or boxes, containing English curled parsley, marjo-
ram, thyme, garden-cress, and celery. The last need not
be planted for its root's sake, the leaves and stalks provide
the cook with his flavouring agent,
6. Teach your cook that meat that has been once cook- ' /
ed, does not require to be boiled or stewed de novo. Des-
cribe a hash or a mince to him as meat gently warmed u]i
in gravy or sauce separately made to receive it.
You must now turn back to Chapter X in which I tried
t-o explain the fundamental principles of sauce-making.
15
170 CULINARY JOTTINGS FOR MADRAS.
The success of the recliaufe wholly depends upon the care
bestowed upon the composition of the sauce in which it is
heated up ; or by which it is enriched and diluted. This
maxim holds good no matter what your dish may be : the
hash, the salmis, the mince, the croquette, croustade, casso-
lette, little patty, hramo2isK-ij, ^'c, cjr., all lean upon their
a^ Espagnole or veloute as the case may be.
Cold fish of any kind gives us valuable material for
little breakfast dishes. Fairly large slices of firm fish, not
overboiled in the first instance, may be advantageously
warmed up whole, au gratin, or in a nicely-made white or
brown sauce flavoured according to taste, and accompanied
by pieces of cooked cucumber, or vegetable marrow. But
if at all broken up, it is better to serve cold fish en caisses,
or en corpdlles, or to work it up into croquettes or crous-
tades. Broken fragments of cold fish are very nice when
added to, and tossed about with, a goodly allowance of
" buttered-egg." This can be served on toasts, or poured
out upon a silver dish. A colouring of tomato sauce is an
improvement.
Another tasteful way of serving cold fish is to cut it
into small pieces, like a coarse mince, and toss it about in
a hot sauce-pan containing some previously boiled, hot
maccaroni, stirring in with it a bountiful supply of melted
butter, and a little tomato -puree (or sauce) ; when the con-
tents of the sauce-pan are thoroughly well heated, turn
them out on a very hot dish, and serve at once. This can,
of coui'se, be composed upon a charcoal fire in the veran-
dah, hard by the dining-room door. Gentlemen, whose
appetites require stimulating, may fancy some chopped
green chilli, some cayenne or Nepaul pepper, or a few
drops of " Tabasco ;" but, to my mind, the dish is better
without a suspicion of the evil one.
Cold fish is almost invariably presented to you by Ra-
masamy in the form of what he is pleased to call " fish-
RECHAUFFES. 171
Page 95
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
1. Always cut off carefully all parts that have been browned in the previous cooking, such as skin, &c.
2. Use the trimmings, and all bones, assisted by anything you may have to spare, to make the strongest broth you can for your rechauffe.
3. Be generous in your allowance of butter and eggs, and, if recommended in the recipe you are following, do not refuse a small modicum of cream.
4. Never be without red-currant jelly , olives, anchovies, grated cheese, grated bread-crumbs (bottled), mushroomketchup, good vinegar, bottled garden herbs, and a mild sauce like Harvey.
5. Try to maintain a little kitchen garden, in large pots, or boxes, containing English curled parsley, marjoram, thyme, garden-cress, and celery. The last need not be planted for its root's sake, the leaves and stalks provide the cook with his flavouring agent,
6. Teach your cook that meat that has been once cook- ' / ed, does not require to be boiled or stewed de novo. Describe a hash or a mince to him as meat gently warmed u]i in gravy or sauce separately made to receive it.
You must now turn back to Chapter X in which I tried to explain the fundamental principles of sauce-making.
The success of the recliaufe wholly depends upon the care bestowed upon the composition of the sauce in which it is heated up ; or by which it is enriched and diluted. This maxim holds good no matter what your dish may be : the hash, the salmis, the mince, the croquette, croustade, cassolette, little patty, bramesouski, ^'c, cjr., all lean upon their a^ Espagnole or veloute as the case may be.
Cold fish of any kind gives us valuable material for little breakfast dishes. Fairly large slices of firm fish, not overboiled in the first instance, may be advantageously warmed up whole, au gratin, or in a nicely-made white or brown sauce flavoured according to taste, and accompanied by pieces of cooked cucumber, or vegetable marrow. But if at all broken up, it is better to serve cold fish en caisses, or en corpdlles, or to work it up into croquettes or croustades. Broken fragments of cold fish are very nice when added to, and tossed about with, a goodly allowance of " buttered-egg." This can be served on toasts, or poured out upon a silver dish. A colouring of tomato sauce is an improvement.
Another tasteful way of serving cold fish is to cut it into small pieces, like a coarse mince, and toss it about in a hot sauce-pan containing some previously boiled, hot maccaroni, stirring in with it a bountiful supply of melted butter, and a little tomato -puree (or sauce) ; when the contents of the sauce-pan are thoroughly well heated, turn them out on a very hot dish, and serve at once. This can, of course, be composed upon a charcoal fire in the verandah, hard by the dining-room door. Gentlemen, whose appetites require stimulating, may fancy some chopped green chilli, some cayenne or Nepaul pepper, or a few drops of " Tabasco ;" but, to my mind, the dish is better without a suspicion of the evil one.
Cold fish is almost invariably presented to you by Ramasamy in the form of what he is pleased to call " fish-