High Tea

Ingredients

• oysters in some form, as fricasseed, fried, broiled, steamed, or panned, or in croquettes
• bread-and butter (brown or graham bread cut thin is good with oysters)
• chicken — broiled or fried
• broiled birds
• French chops
• potatoes in some form, as d la parisienne, French fried, or hashed with cream and browned
• cold tongue or ham
• warm bread in some shape, as French rolls, sally-lunn, tea-biscuit, rusk, or waffles
• salad — lettuce and tomato mayonnaise, or chicken, lobster, or salmon
• olives and some fancy cheese — Brie, Roquefort, or Gorgonzola
• dessert may be quite simple, as, say, preserved or brandied fruit with fancy cakes

Method

1. 1

   Begin with oysters in some form, served with bread-and-butter.

2. 2

   Follow with chicken, broiled birds, or French chops, accompanied by potatoes.

3. 3

   Next, serve a salad with olives and cheese.

4. 4

   Finally, present a dessert of preserved fruits or cakes.

As published

This recipe was extracted from What to eat, how to serve it (1891) by Christine Terhune Herrick, page 71. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

HIGH TEA FOR a small company the high tea is an excellent form of entertainment. It is not suitable for a large assembly, but when a limited number of guests have been invited to spend the evening in some such recreation as card-playing, it is very pleasant to ask them first to high tea. Or if the latter part of the evening is to be devoted to dancing, a chosen fe^y of the guests may be invited to tea first, and the remainder requested to come later. In that case no supper should be offered to the dancers except cake, ices, and coffee. Should the dining-table be large enough to accommodate all the guests bidden to the high tea, it may be drawn to the requisite length, and all the company seated about it. But if, from the limited dimensions of the dining-room, or because it better suits the fancy of the hostess, small tables are pre- Z 1. Tr-^ ^.m !!. aZTX TT m ^i-ilJli: I'iJ--*: ZL 11^ llSI CLSr llil iLe light li :z.T Ij'.rr "ll"- Lr 55 ^i^ei n izjij be spread TT.ii ^.:ztt i 'i.i:r»rT •:«• & tea d: th. Flowers -1 ,.l1 1 V LL zlr: zllI'^ ::>:-i: a f reirr centie- T c-:-'r. i:i i ti^r^ huit l^ >Tr>a^' vases set abont Lcf^ 'uz. : :L-r.>r- In-iiTi-iiial l«>uqaets are not at all r:«^>es:Jirr. The places sbonld be ar- KiT.^'^i a.^ us:;^, t^ith small silver for each coir-!^, anl the csxial accompanimeDts of b Mtt^rr-j Lat^s — or of bread-and-butter plates — salt-celliirs, glasses, napkins, etc. If it is wiiira v.eatLer, the table mav be further Ixautified bv the bowls or baskets of fresh fruits that are to make part of the dessert, and, in winter, dishes of cake, of preserved or brandied fruits, etc., may be on the table. Should the hostess prefer, however, these may be placed on the sideboard, thus allow- ing space for the more substantial viands, \vhich at a tea are seldom relegated to the position on tlie side-table that they would take at dinner. 272 HIGH TEA At the head of the table sits the hostess, with the tea-tray in front of her. It by no means follows, howeyer, because this repast is called a tea that the Chinese herb should be en evidence. If the party is composed chiefly of young people, the chances are strongly in favor of their preference being for coffee or chocolate. They may be offered their choice of these beverages, which the hostess pours out, the servant passing them with cream and sugar, that each may add of these to suit himself. Kussian tea may pos- sibly be offered, but even this is apt to be less popular than either chocolate or coffee. Should small tables be used, the hostess may preside over a tray placed upon one of them,* or, when it seems more convenient, the cups may be filled outside, and passed to each with the cream-pitcher and sugar-bowl. It saves some delay in serving if there are a cream-pitcher and sugar-bowl on each table. These little tables may be covered with small cloths or large napkins, and need have noth- ing else upon them beyond the necessary furniture for each place, except, perhaps, a 18 . 273 WHAT TO EAT — HOW TO SEBYE IT vase of flowers. While small tables are often admirable as accommodating more people with comfort than could be seated at a large table, yet the latter gives opportunity for a prettier display of floral decoration, china, silver, etc., than is afforded by the former. The bill of fare is easily arranged. There are no raw oysters or clams, as at a lunch or dinner ; and while bouillon may be provided, it is not at all necessary. The meal may be- gin with oysters in some form, as fricasseed, fried, broiled, steamed, or panned, or in cro- quettes. With them are passed bread-and butter (brown or graham bread cut thin is good with oysters) or rolls. The plates are then removed, and the next course brought in. This maj^ consist of chicken — broiled or fried — or broiled birds, or French chops, and of potatoes in some form, as d la parisienne^ French fried, or hashed with cream and browned. Cold tongue or ham is sometimes also passed at this time, and warm bread in some shape, as French rolls, sally-lunn, tea- biscuit, rusk, or waffles. The coffee or choc- 274 HIGH TEA olate is also served at this stage in the pro- ceedings. After this course comes a salad — ^lettuce and tomato mayonnaise, or chicken, lobster, or salmon — fresh plates being served for this, as a matter of course. Olives and some fan- cy cheese — Brie, Roquefort, or Gorgonzola — usually come with the salad. Cheese at this stage is strongly recommended by the epi- cure ; but it is not essential, except to those who hold, in the words of the old doggerel, that " A dinner (or supper) without cheese Is like a kiss without a squeeze." The table is now cleared, and the dessert brought in. This may be quite simple, as, say, preserved or brandied fruit with fancy cakes

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.