FoodNet

The profession of cookery, from a French point of view

1894

Page 32 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1894. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
When making tarts of fresli fruit, the " bour- geoise ^^ will invariably make a marmalade of lier fruit before laying it on her crust; placing a lattice-work of strips of pastry to finish off the top. A fruit ^^ pie," or tart, witli tke crust over the fruit, is quite unknown in France. Puddings are but little adopted in French families, gaufres and biscuits, with ^^ confiture," in winter, or compote of fruit in summer. Fresh fruit and cheese is the general finish to a dinner. 94 SOME GATEAUX AND COMPOTES. Pastry ciiid sv/eets are only inclLilged in on Sundays and extra occasions. Nearly all fruits may be made into compotes. The syrnp should be made first by dissolving sugar in water, and allowing it to boil ; then the fruit is added, whole or divided, and cooked until tender ; the syrup remaining after the fruit is removed may be boiled till it thickens, and receive colouring to make it contrast, if desired. A compote of apples, pared and quartered, cooked in clear syrup, the remaining liquor coloured with cochineal, makes a very pretty dish. Pears invariably receive the addition of claret, and they are cooked in the oven^ as they require a much longer time. The wine is thought no extravagance, as it so greatly enriches the fruit. There is a very wide difference between a compote and ^^ stewed fruit," but with the former, as with the latter, the addition of a little whipped cream or custard is a great improvement. The good ^^ menagere " generally prefers to make her own ^^ liqueurs.'^ For all of them the fruit is steeped in spirit till all the goodness is extracted, then sugar equal to the weight of the SOME GATEAUX AXD COMPOTES. 95 liquor is added, and all boiled together for about tweiit}^ minutes. AVlien cool_, it is bottled off. They make very ^vliolesome drinks Avith the addition of water. There is a sweefc pickle of very high repute ia Switzerland. Date-plumS;, dry and sound, and not too ripe, are taken and placed in salt and water for forty-eight hours. They are then drained and dried in the sun. Afterwards they are put into jars, and boiling vinegar with pounded sugar (a pound to a pint) is poured over them. When cool, they are closely covered and set away. It is a delicious pickle for cold meat. Cherries also are very good done this way. Souffle un Citpon. A souffle may be either steamed or baked ; in either case it must be eaten without a moment's loss of time, as it falls directly. Re- member also to only partly fill the mould which is used; this species of "gateau^' usually trebles itself in size while cooking*. To make a souffle for six persons, take a pint of milk, four ounces of lump sugar, and three fresh eggs. Boil the milk and sugar, together 96 SOME GATEAUX AND COMPOTES. witli the pared leuioii riiid^ in a lined saucepan. Mix smootlily with a little cold milk, two table- spoonfuls of flour, then pour the boiling milk on to this, taking care there are no lumps. Return all to the saucepan, and boil, stirring rapidly, for three or four minutes, then pour this into a basin. Souffle un Citron