FoodNet

The European cookbook for American homes (from Italy, Spain, Portugal and France)

1936

Page 123 · 2 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1936. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Cover beef, bones, vegetables, and bouquet with 2 quarts cold water, bring slowly to boil, add i teaspoon saltBrittany Crust Soup and skim. Simmer 3 hours, adding salt and pepper the last hour. Strain and reheat. Mince vegetables fine, mix with nutmeg and cheese, and arrange on the rounds of toast; lay in buttered baking pan and brown in the oven. Serve on a hot platter to be eaten while partaking of the hot broth. If Parmesan is not at hand use hard, dry cheese, since soft "store" cheese would ruin such a fine soup. Parmesan, it will be remembered, is Italy's great gift, not only to French cooking, but to that of the whole world. The French cook, as well as the Spanish, has a way with the "bouilli," or beef left from soup or "pot-au-feu," and dresses it in tasty ways which make up for its loss of flavor. The meat left from this soup turns up on the family table next day "au gratin," "sur le gril," or "frites" (see recipes). CRAYFISH BISQUE (Bisque aux Ecrevisses) 3 tablespoons butter 2 cloves 2 onions, minced 1 bay leaf 1 leek, minced 2 dozen crayfish 1 carrot, minced 1 pint white wine 1 bit celery root, minced 4 parsley sprigs 2 quarts veal or chicken broth 3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs 2 egg yolks, beatenCrayfish Bisque FRENCH 293 Heat butter and slowly fry onions, leek, carrot and celery root 10 minutes, cool slightly and add broth. Boil 20 minutes; add cloves and bay leaf, and reduce heat. Meanwhile drop cray- fish in boiling water mixed with wine, add parsley and cook 15 minutes. Drain, saving liquid; crack shells, remove meat from shells and claws, discarding intestines. Save out a few of the largest bits of the tails. Grind all other portions of meat, including the shells, fine, with the crumbs, and add to boiling broth. Boil 35 minutes. Strain and press through a sieve. Quickly reduce liquid in which crayfish were cooked and add. Add tails; season; remove from fire, let stand a moment, and add egg yolks, being careful that boiling has ceased, so yolks will not curdle. LOBSTER BISQUE (Bisque aux Homard) Follow recipe for Bisque aux Ecrevisses, substituting a small lobster for the crayfish. SHRIMP BISQUE {Bisque aux Crevettes) Follow recipe for Bisque aux Ecrevisses, substituting an equal quantity of shrimps; shells and heads of shrimps being ground the same as the crayfish. BISQUE OF POULTRY OR BIRDS {Bisque aux Volaille) Follow recipe for Bisque aux Ecrevisses, substituting flesh of poultry or birds. There will be nothing to take the place of shells for color and flavor, so a larger bulk of meat must be used. 294 THE EUROPEAN COOKBOOK Provence BOUILLABAISSE Bouillabaisse is but an aigo-sau (see recipe) enriched with a small lobster, crayfish or crabs, and perhaps an eel, and a cup o£ white wine added to the boiling liquid. It is colored with saffron to taste. The dish should be made for 8 persons, or more, since the greater the variety of hard- and soft-fleshed fish, the better the flavor.