In noticing, however, the decline and fall of the venison
pasty, it would be unjust to ignore the Continental survival of
the raised pie in the shape of the alwa3^s welcome " Yol-au-
Yent," a piece of pastry for which, since it presents consider-
able difficulty to the cook, I append here a seriously
thought-out recipe. Having prepared your puff paste Avith a
pound of flour and the same of butter, give it five turns,
moisten the surface of the paste, fold it in tAvo, let it rest five
minutes, then place it on a floured sheet of paper, and cut
it to the size required for your " Yol-au-Yent." The paste
should be cut to a shape for Avhich the cover of a stCAv-pan
Avill serve very Avell. When cut, turn it out on a baking
sheet, flute the sides, and make a circular incision on the top,
half an inch from the circumference, then bake for thirty-five
minutes. When of a golden brown colour, take it out, open,
and empty it, slip on a hot dish, and fill your crust Avith a
ragout composed of lamb's or calf's SAveetbreads in slices,
scollops of fat li\^er, sliced truffles, mushrooms, cock's-combs,
and quenelles. Put your ragout in by layers, basting Avith
broAvn sauce and half a glass of Madeira✪ Yol-au-Vent. Then put on the
top, Avhich Mrs. Cook may decorate according to her taste and
fancy. Let the " Yol-au-Yent " have just another Avhiff of the
oven, and then serve it hot. The quenelles of Avhich I speak
are merely a forcemeat of minced chicken mixed Avith eggs,
made into small shapes, and poached in boiling AA-ater.
42 THE THOnOUGH GOOD COOK.
Savouries and Tit-Bits.
I venture to think that there is a mild kind of madness
prevaiUng among people Avho like nice dinners touching
savouries, and especially in connection with the stage of the
repast at which the zests in cpiestion should be served. Over
and over again have I said in print that when you have
consumed a well-cooked dinner, and have passed gently and
satisfactorily from the soujd to the fish, thence to an entree,
thence to a joint or some game, thence to a special dish of
vegetables, and linally to the sweets, it is in a sense mon-
strous to indulge in a savoury, the very taste of which must
necessarily spoil your appetite for dessert. How on earth can
you enjoy the exquisite flavour of jieaches and grapes and
pine-apples, or good sound British apples, when your tongue
has only a minute or two previously been excited by cayenne
pepper or curry powder, or some other condiment used in
confecting these confounded savouries ? Why do you eat
them ? Our fathers used to devour devilled toast and pick
the burnt flesh from devilled bones after dinner and while
they were drinking their wine, and they did so in order to
provoke an artificial thirst which would stimulate them to
drink more wine. But delicate ladies and moderately drink-
ing gentlemen, who have not the slightest desire to swill
wine after dessert, have surely no need of savouries at the
end of dinner.
I know perfectly well, however, that when a lady has
made up her mind to anything, that thing has got to be
done ; and so I have carefully selected some recipes for
savouries. To discover them in the best sources of culinary
information has been no easy task. They are almost entirely
ignored by such illustrious masters of the gastronomic art as
Udo and Gareme. Even in a work so modern as Kettner's-
CHATS ABOUT COOKEBY. 43
Page 33 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
In noticing, however, the decline and fall of the venison
pasty, it would be unjust to ignore the Continental survival of
the raised pie in the shape of the alwa3^s welcome " Yol-au-
Yent," a piece of pastry for which, since it presents consider-
able difficulty to the cook, I append here a seriously
thought-out recipe. Having prepared your puff paste Avith a
pound of flour and the same of butter, give it five turns,
moisten the surface of the paste, fold it in tAvo, let it rest five
minutes, then place it on a floured sheet of paper, and cut
it to the size required for your " Yol-au-Yent." The paste
should be cut to a shape for Avhich the cover of a stCAv-pan
Avill serve very Avell. When cut, turn it out on a baking
sheet, flute the sides, and make a circular incision on the top,
half an inch from the circumference, then bake for thirty-five
minutes. When of a golden brown colour, take it out, open,
and empty it, slip on a hot dish, and fill your crust Avith a
ragout composed of lamb's or calf's SAveetbreads in slices,
scollops of fat li\^er, sliced truffles, mushrooms, cock's-combs,
and quenelles. Put your ragout in by layers, basting Avith
broAvn sauce and half a glass of Madeira. Then put on the
top, Avhich Mrs. Cook may decorate according to her taste and
fancy. Let the " Yol-au-Yent " have just another Avhiff of the
oven, and then serve it hot. The quenelles of Avhich I speak
are merely a forcemeat of minced chicken mixed Avith eggs,
made into small shapes, and poached in boiling AA-ater.
42 THE THOnOUGH GOOD COOK.
Savouries and Tit-Bits.
I venture to think that there is a mild kind of madness
prevaiUng among people Avho like nice dinners touching
savouries, and especially in connection with the stage of the
repast at which the zests in cpiestion should be served. Over
and over again have I said in print that when you have
consumed a well-cooked dinner, and have passed gently and
satisfactorily from the soujd to the fish, thence to an entree,
thence to a joint or some game, thence to a special dish of
vegetables, and linally to the sweets, it is in a sense mon-
strous to indulge in a savoury, the very taste of which must
necessarily spoil your appetite for dessert. How on earth can
you enjoy the exquisite flavour of jieaches and grapes and
pine-apples, or good sound British apples, when your tongue
has only a minute or two previously been excited by cayenne
pepper or curry powder, or some other condiment used in
confecting these confounded savouries ? Why do you eat
them ? Our fathers used to devour devilled toast and pick
the burnt flesh from devilled bones after dinner and while
they were drinking their wine, and they did so in order to
provoke an artificial thirst which would stimulate them to
drink more wine. But delicate ladies and moderately drink-
ing gentlemen, who have not the slightest desire to swill
wine after dessert, have surely no need of savouries at the
end of dinner.
I know perfectly well, however, that when a lady has
made up her mind to anything, that thing has got to be
done ; and so I have carefully selected some recipes for
savouries. To discover them in the best sources of culinary
information has been no easy task. They are almost entirely
ignored by such illustrious masters of the gastronomic art as
Udo and Gareme. Even in a work so modern as Kettner's-
CHATS ABOUT COOKEBY. 43