French dishes for American tables

68. Puree Soubise a la Princesse. Blanch six onions in boiling water, with a little salt, until they become soft. Drain and dry them in a napkin. Then put them in a saucepan with an ounce of butter, on a very gentle fire, so that they may only color slightly ; add two ounces of flour, a little salt, pepper, and a very little nutmeg ; moisten with a pint and a half of consomme (stock, Art. i), and the same of cream. When beginning to boil, press through a sieve, heat again on the fire, adding half an ounce of butter, and serve. 69. Puree of Potatoes a la Jackson. Bake in the oven half a dozen potatoes. Take out the inside, which put in a saucepan with an ounce of butter. Mix thoroughly together with a spoon, and season with a little salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and a very little nutmeg. Moisten with a pint and a half of consomme (stock), press through a sieve, put back on the fire, and as soon as beginning to boil add a pint and a half of cream ; heat without boiling, then add four yolks of eggs well mixed in a little water, and serve. 70. Puree of Jerusalem Artichokes. Clean a dozen Jerusalem artichokes, cut them in pieces, and put them in a saucepan with a little butter, salt, and a pinch of sugar. As soon as they begin to color slightly, add a pint and a half of consomme (stock, Art. 1), boil a little longer, and press through a sieve. Put back on the fire until beginning to boil, add an ounce of butter, a pint and a half of cream, and when very hot, without boiling, add the yolks of four eggs, which you have previously mixed well in a little water. You may serve with small squares of bread fried in butter if desired. 71. Puree of Fowl a la Reine. Clean a chicken, and put it in a saucepan with a quart of consomme (stock, Art. 1), a carrot, an onion, and a clove. Simmer very gently for three hours ; take out the fowl, cut off the white meat, and pound very fine. Remove the grease carefully from your soup in which the fowl has been cooked, then add the pounded chicken, and put through a sieve. Heat it up again on the fire, add a pint and a half of cream, taking care that it does not boil, add very little nutmeg, pepper, salt, a very little sugar, an ounce of butter, and the yolks of four eggs, well mixed in a little water. Serve. 72. Puree of Partridge. Remove the shells of two dozen French chestnuts, which boil five minutes, remove the skins, and put the chestnuts in a saucepan with a little salt and water, and boil for about five minutes. Cut off all the meat from a cold partridge, which pound in a mortar, together with the chestnuts, and then press through a sieve. Boil the bones of your partridge for about half an hour in three pints of consomme (stock, Art. 1), adding a wineglass of sherry, strain, and add it to your chestnuts and partridge. Put in a saucepan two tablespoonfuls of flour, with an ounce of butter, a little pepper, and salt. Mix all well together, and add them to your puree, which should be very hot. When economy is no object, you may add two partridges instead of one, which will give a better flavor to your puree, to which, if you find too thick, you may add a little more consomme.