French dishes for American tables

382. Onions Glaces. Peel a dozen small onions, color them lightly in a frying-pan on the fire with a little lard. Then put them in a saucepan with half a pint of consomme (stock, Art. 1), a pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer very gently until the consomme" is reduced three quarters, then pour it on a dish, your onions placed on top, and serve. 383. Fried Egg-Plant. Peel an egg-plant, cut it in slices about a third of an inch thick, dip them in three beaten eggs, to which you have added a pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle them with breadcrumbs, and fry them in very hot lard, drain, and serve them. 384. Egg-Plant farcied. Take four small egg-plants, peel them and separate them in two, scoop out the inside, which fill with a chicken farce (Art. 11), and sprinkle a few bread-crumbs on top. Cut an onion and a carrot in slices, and put them in a saucepan, with a branch of thyme, a bay-leaf, two cloves, and a clove of garlic. Place your eggplants on top. Moisten within three quarters of their height with consomme (stock, Art. 1), and a claret-glass of white wine. Put them in the oven for an hour, pouring over them, from time to time, some of the liquid in the pan. Pour over them half a pint of Spanish sauce (Art. 80), to which you have added a wineglass of sherry, and serve. 385. Cucumbers farcied. Divide four medium-sized cucumbers in two, after having pared them. Scoop out the inside and fill with a chicken farce (Art. n). Put a sliced onion in a saucepan on the fire, with three slices of ham cut thin, place your cucumbers on top, moisten with a claret-glass of white wine, and the same of Spanish sauce (Art. 80). Then send them to the oven, pouring over them, from time to time, the liquid in the pan, which, when the cucumbers are sufficiently done, strain, pour over your cucumbers on a dish, and serve. 386. Cucumbers with Cream. Peel half a dozen cucumbers, cut them in medium-sized square pieces, soak them for two hours in some vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Turn them over from time to time, drain them, and dry them on a cloth, pressing the moisture from them. Put them in a saucepan on the fire, with an ounce of butter, half a pint of consomme" (stock, Art. 1), several branches of parsley, inclosing two cloves, two branches of thyme, a clove of garlic, and tie all together, add a pinch of salt. When they are cooked, drain them, add them to half a pint of bechamel sauce (Art. 83), the juice of half a lemon, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, and serve very hot. * 387. Lentils a la Mattre d'Hotel. Wash three pints of lentils, put them in a saucepan with two quarts of water and a pinch of salt. Boil them very slowly for an hour, or until perfectly tender, then drain them, put them in a saucepan on the fire for a moment, with four ounces of butter, a little salt, a pinch of pepper, nutmeg, and a tablespoonful of chopped parsley. Remove your saucepan from the fire, mix the yolks of two eggs in two tablespoonfuls of water, add them to your lentils, mixing all well together, and serve. 388. Puree of Lentils. Prepare and boil as the foregoing, press them through a sieve, add about three ounces of butter, salt, pepper, and a very little nutmeg. Heat them on the fire for a few moments, and serve.