Little French dinners

Poulet Saute a 1'Estragon (Chicken Saute with Tarragon). — Cut up a good-sized chicken (raw) as neatly and as skilfully as possible. The leg bones should be cut off short, the flesh being first pushed back, the sinews round it having been cut, and when the bone is chopped off, the flesh should be drawn forward again so as not to leave the leg bone sticking out when the piece of leg is cooked. When the pieces of fowl have all been neatly trimmed, sprinkle them with pepper and salt, and toss them in a saucepan with plenty of butter and a rasher of bacon cut in dice, till they are quite cooked. In the meantime, put some tarragon stalks into a saucepan with a tumblerful of clear gravy or very good stock. When it has boiled for half an hour, dish up the pieces of fowl, pour the gravy over them strained, and sprinkle on the surface some tarragon leaves, previously blanched and roughly chopped. Mashed potatoes may accompany this dish. Pousses de Navets aux Œufs Poches (Turnip-tops with Poached Eggs). — Pass through a hair sieve a quantity of turnip-tops previously boiled in salted water. Melt in a saucepan a couple of ounces of butter, add the turnip -top puree with pepper and salt to taste, and work it on the fire till it is of the desired consistency, adding a few tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese. Should the turniptops get too dry, add a little milk or cream. Make a bed of the puree, which should be rather stiff, in a dish, put round it a circle of triangular croutons of bread, placed on end and fried a light golden colour. On the bed of turnip - tops lay some eggs, poached in water with a little vinegar in it, and neatly trimmed with a round fluted cutter. Creme a la Russe (Russian Cream). — Put into a saucepan a pint of milk, half a pound of lump sugar, the grated Little French Dinners. 63 rind of three lemons, and one ounce of gelatine, previously soaked in a little water. Dissolve all these over the fire, then let the mixture cool for a short time, and stir in the yolks of three eggs, which are not to be beaten, and place it on the fire to curdle. Afterwards strain, and when cool, add the juice of three lemons and the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Stir all quickly together and pour into a wet mould. Turn out when set. MENU.— XXIL CONSOMME DON CABLOS. ROTJGETS EN PAPILLOTES. COTELETTES DE MOUTON A LA BRUNOISE. BEIGNETS DE CHAMPIGNONS. GATEAU DE SAISON. Consomme Don Carlos (Don Carlos Soup). — Whisk lightly the yolks and whites of two eggs, season with pepper and salt, and add enough water to allow of two small dariole moulds (buttered), being filled with the mixture. Place the moulds in a stewpan half filled with cold water, bring to the boil and then let the water simmer gently at the side of the stove till the custard is set. Leave them to get cold, turn them oiit, cut each mould of custard into slices rather more than one-eighth of an inch thick and cut these out again with a cutter into round lozenges about one-third of an inch in diameter ; place them carefully when done into the soup tureen, then cut some carrots into the shape of peas, put them in a saucepan on the fire with enough stock to cover them, and let them cook till quite tender. When in 64 Little French Dinners.