LUNCH DISHES

Vol-au-vent (161)
Snails à la Ménagère (162)
New Potatoes Sautéed in Butter (144)
Leg of Lamb Provençal Style (163)
Braised Lettuce (136)
Fruit Tart (130)

DINNER DISHES
Cardinal Soup (135)
Calf's Liver in Sauce (164)
French Peas (118)
Stuffed Pigeons in Jus (105) Asparagus Hollandaise (165)
Madeira Crust (166)

161. Vol-au-vent.
Half a pound of puff pastry, 125 grams of butter, 60 grams of flour, half a liter of broth, mushrooms, truffles, kidneys, cockscombs, sweetbreads, poultry dumplings. Vol-au-vents are easily confused with pies. The main difference is that the cooked vol-au-vent is made of puff pastry, while the pie has a base and lid made of shortcrust pastry, and only the outer layer is made of puff pastry. The vol-au-vent is taller than the pie. Both are filled in much the same way, that is, with fat fillings, such as poultry stews, cockscombs, sweetbreads, brains, eel pieces, scallops, meatballs, etc. For the lean version, the interior is prepared with cod in béchamel sauce, sole fillets, turbot, and other fish also in béchamel sauce, mixed with mushrooms, crayfish tails, etc. For the vol-au-vent crust, take half a pound of puff pastry and give it six turns. Roll out this dough to a centimeter thick and cut it to the size of the dish in which the vol-au-vent will be placed. Place the dough on a pie dish and brown it on top, leaving only the edges. To make the lid, make a half-centimeter-deep incision all around and about two centimeters from the edge; place in a hot oven for half an hour or three-quarters of an hour, depending on the size of the vol-au-vent. When it is cooked, remove the lid and the crumb, return the crust to the oven for a minute or two, remove, place on the dish, and garnish with whatever you have prepared.
The following filling, easy to make, can be served at the finest tables.
Place a quarter of the butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, add about 60 grams of flour, and make a roux; Moisten with half a liter of broth, half a glass of mushroom cooking liquid, and the same amount of truffle cooking liquid, until the sauce coats the spoon; reduce over the heat; strain through a strainer into a bain-marie. Add sliced truffles, kidneys, cockscombs, sweetbreads, and chicken quenelles, which you mix with the sauce, and pour into the vol-au-vent just before serving.

162. Snails à la ménagère.
Four dozen vine snails, a spoonful of flour, a glass of white wine, a bouquet garni, an egg yolk, salt, and pepper.
If the snails are not covered, they must be starved for a week in a tightly closing container. After this time, or immediately if they are covered, cook them in boiling water for twenty minutes; Remove them from their shells, remove the small black intestine, wash them in several waters, and cook them again for ten to fifteen minutes in cold salted water. Remove and drain them. Place them in a saucepan with butter and a spoonful of flour. Stir for a few moments, then add white wine, or water and broth. Add thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and mushrooms to taste. Cook for three-quarters of an hour; thicken the sauce with an egg yolk and enhance the flavor with a dash of vinegar or lemon juice.

163. Leg of Lamb Provençal Style.
One small leg of lamb, 125 grams of grated bacon, a bouquet garni, a glass of white wine, a glass of consommé, about thirty cloves of garlic, and two or three spoonfuls of cognac.
Prepare and lard as for braised leg of lamb. Place it in a long saucepan with 125 grams of grated bacon and brown it until it has a nice color.
Add a bouquet garni and a little garlic, moisten with a glass of white wine and a glass of consommé, and add two or three spoonfuls of cognac.
Cover with buttered paper and place the lid on the saucepan. Let it cook over low heat for four or five hours, depending on its size.
Take about thirty garlic cloves and cook them in plenty of salted water. Once cooked, drain them and pass through a sieve.
When the leg of lamb is cooked, remove the meat, untie it, and arrange on a warm platter. Add the garlic purée to the leg of lamb, which has been well degreased and passed through a sieve, put it in a separate sauceboat, and serve.

164. Calf's Liver in Sauce.
500 grams of liver, 30 grams of butter, half a glass of wine, a spoonful of flour, one onion, salt, and pepper. Cut the liver into pieces and quickly brown it in a pan with 50 grams of butter or fat and a finely chopped onion. When it has lost its red color, season with salt and sprinkle with a spoonful of flour, stirring briskly with a spatula. Moisten with half a glass of white wine and a handful of hot water or broth. Let it cook for a few moments, stirring constantly.
The liver will be even more delicious if you add a little can of tomato, a few chopped mushrooms, or a little meat juice to the sauce. Serve with chopped parsley if desired.
The liver prepared this way can be placed in a border of rice cooked in broth, or with mashed potatoes.

165. Asparagus Hollandaise.
One kilo of asparagus, two egg yolks, a spoonful of flour, 120 grams of butter, salt and nutmeg, water, and the juice of one lemon.
Rake and cook the asparagus in boiling, salted water. After draining them on a cloth, serve them on a platter arranged in a pyramid and accompanied by hollandaise sauce.
To preserve the asparagus tips whole, you can stand the bunches upright, with the heads slightly raised from the water. Since this part of the asparagus is more tender, the boiling water that covers them will be enough to cook them to perfection:
Hollandaise sauce. In a small saucepan, place two egg yolks, add a spoonful of flour and 40 grams of butter, a little salt and nutmeg. Mix everything together, then dilute with two deciliters of cold water. Stir over the heat until it boils; the sauce should then be smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add 100 grams of butter, stirring constantly. You can also add the juice of one lemon.

166. Madeira Crusts.
Eight slices of breadcrumbs, powdered sugar, butter, 100 grams of Smyrna raisins, the same amount of Malaga raisins, and the same amount of Corinth raisins, a quarter of candied peel, 150 grams of sugar, a fifth of a liter of Madeira raisins and a sprig of zest, and four spoonfuls of apricot marmalade.
Cut eight slices of brioche or breadcrumbs one finger thick; trim them equally. Sprinkle the brioche with sugar and brown in the oven; if using bread, brown with butter in a sauté pan, then sprinkle with sugar. Peel 100 grams of Smyrna raisins, as many Malaga raisins, and as many Corinth raisins; wash in hot water and place them in a saucepan with a quarter of the candied peel, cut into small cubes. Take 150 grams of sugar, which you will soak in the water and melt in a saucepan; add a fifth of a liter of Madeira and a sprig of zest; bring to a boil and pour over the raisins. Remove from the heat after a single boil. Thicken the liquid with four spoonfuls of apricot marmalade. Arrange the crusts in a wreath on a platter and arrange the raisins and fruit in the center, drizzling with the sauce.

THE HEARTH CRICKET.

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
SUMMER DRINKS (continued).

Mint Smasch. Fill a large soda glass two-thirds full with finely crushed ice; Add the juice of one lemon, a Bordeaux glass of wine, and a few fresh spearmint leaves. Mix everything together vigorously and serve with a straw.

Orangeade. Halve some oranges, soften them slightly by squeezing them in your hands. Squeeze out the juice. After removing the seeds, add sufficient sugar and water. This will create a refreshing and pleasant drink.

Cooked Orangeade. Boil orange slices in water for a few minutes; strain and pour the hot liquid over the orange rind. Let cool and sweeten.

Raspberry Punch. Pour 10 liters of tea infusion over five pounds of carefully peeled raspberries. Strain through a fine sieve, add five pounds of sugar cubes, and melt them over the stovetop. Once this is achieved, let it cool, add 5 liters of good cognac, 2 or 3 grams of citric acid, which you have dissolved separately in a little water, which will bring out the raspberry flavor.

Mint Julep (American drink). Add a spoonful of powdered sugar, four spearmint leaves, and two glasses of fine champagne to a large soda glass. Stir well and serve with two or three mint leaves, grapes, strawberries, or raspberries, depending on the season. Serve with large Bassom Carasser (American drink). Place a very cold egg yolk in a glass half-filled with crushed ice. Add a tablespoon of powdered sugar and three small glasses of fine champagne. Shake and serve, sprinkling lightly with freshly grated nutmeg.