The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book. Victor Hirtzler
reddish-black outside skin with the fingers, and put again in fresh cold water so the blood will run out, and the brains remain white after being cooked. Now put in a casserole two quarts of water, a heaping spoonful of salt, one-half glass of vinegar, two onions, one-half of a carrot, and a bouquet garni. Boil for five minutes, and then add the brains and boil for two minutes, then let it stand in the hot broth for about one-half hour. Then remove the brains, cut in two lengthwise and lay on a platter, sprinkle with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, one spoonful of French capers, and a little chopped parsley, chives and chervil. Put in a frying pan three ounces of sweet butter and cook until very dark brown, nearly black; and pour over the brains. Then put in the same pan one-third of a cup of vinegar, let it become hot, and pour over the brains also.
Potatoes persillade. Cut two dozen potatoes to the shape of a small egg. Put in a pot, cover with cold water, add a spoonful of salt, and boil slowly so they will not break. When they are nearly soft drain off the water, add one ounce of butter, cover, and simmer until the butter is melted. Then sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Fillet of sole, Villeroi. Put the fillets of a large sole in a buttered pan, add some salt and a glass of milk, bring to a boil, and then set on the side of the stove for ten minutes; then remove the fish to a platter. Mix in a cup one spoonful of flour and one spoonful of butter; add this to the broth in the pan from which the fish has been removed, and boil for five minutes; then add one cup of cream, and two ounces of sweet butter and whip well until melted, season with salt and pepper, and strain over the fish.
Asparagus Polonaise. Put four pounds of boiled fresh asparagus, (for four persons), on a platter. In a frying pan put three ounces of fresh butter, and one-half cup of fresh bread crumbs, and fry until the crumbs are golden yellow. Then pour over the tips of the asparagus, sprinkle with a little pepper and chopped parsley. A hard-boiled egg chopped fine, may be added if desired.
Boiled fresh asparagus. Fresh asparagus should be peeled very thin with a sharp knife, and well washed. If to be served hot, put in boiling salt water over a hot fire about twenty minutes before serving. They should not be cooked in advance. If to be served cold, as soon as the asparagus is done pour a glass of cold water over them so they will not continue cooking and become too soft. Allow to cool in the broth, and before serving lay on a towel or napkin to allow the water to drip off.
MARCH 14
| BREAKFAST | LUNCHEON | ||||
| Baked beans, Boston style | Omelet with oysters | ||||
| Brown bread | Veal chops, sauté in butter | ||||
| Buttermilk | Purée of salad | ||||
| Coffee | Camembert cheese, crackers Coffee | ||||
| DINNER | |||||
| Little Neck clams | |||||
| Chicken okra soup | |||||
| Salted almonds | |||||
| Aiguillettes of bass, Massena | |||||
| Vol au vent Toulouse | |||||
| Roast capon, giblet sauce | |||||
| Stewed asparagus Château potatoes | |||||
| Endives salad | |||||
| Parfait Napolitain | |||||
| Assorted cakes Coffee | |||||
Purée of salad. (Vegetable). Boil in salted water, lettuce or any other kind of green salad. When done drain off the water and press through a fine colander. Add butter and a little cream.
Aiguillettes of bass, Massena. Put four fillets of bass in a buttered pan, season with salt and pepper; add one-half glass of white wine and one-half glass of stock, bouillon, fish broth or water, cover with buttered paper, and put in oven to bake. When done place the aiguillettes on a platter and cover with the following sauce: Heat one and one-half ounces of butter in a sauce pan, add one spoonful of flour and allow to become brown, add the fish broth left from cooking the bass, one spoonful of meat extract, and one-half spoonful of Worcestershire sauce. Boil for ten minutes, then add one-half teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, and strain through cheese cloth. Boil one dozen clams and cut in two; cut half of the tail of a lobster in small squares, and six heads of mushrooms cut in two. Put all of this in the strained sauce, and season well.
Giblet sauce. Clean the giblets of chickens, turkeys, or other fowl, boil in salt water, and chop. Put in casserole two chopped onions, and two ounces of butter, and simmer for ten minutes, or until soft and yellow. Then add one tablespoonful of flour, and simmer again until brown. Add the gravy from a roast, the chopped giblets and a little of the water the giblets were boiled in. Cook for half an hour, season with salt and pepper and chopped parsley. A little sherry wine may be added before serving, if desired.
Stewed asparagus. Cut up some asparagus tips and cook in a casserole in salt water until soft. Mix a spoonful of flour and one ounce of butter and add to the asparagus, with some of the water used for boiling. Use only enough water to cover the asparagus. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and pepper, and serve in a deep dish.
White bean soup. Soak a quart of beans over night. Put in a vessel with four quarts of water, or a mild soup stock. Add a half pound of lean bacon, and a shinbone, if desired. Start to boil rapidly, then remove to back of stove and cook for several hours until the beans drop to pieces. Skim from time to time. Meanwhile chop very fine an onion, a carrot and a stalk of celery, and simmer in butter until they take on a slightly brown color. Add a spoonful of flour, a potato cut in small dices, and the water from the beans. Strain the beans, and to the purée add the cooked vegetables; cut the bacon in small pieces, and cook all together for twenty minutes. Season with salt, pepper and chopped parsley.
MARCH 15
| BREAKFAST | LUNCHEON | ||||
| Bananas with cream | Crab salad | ||||
| Scrambled eggs with asparagus tips | Consommé in cups Cheese straws | ||||
| Toast | Fried whitebait, rémoulade | ||||
| Coffee | Lamb chops Sauté potatoes | ||||
| Escarole and chicory salad | |||||
| Roquefort cheese, crackers Coffee | |||||
| DINNER | |||||
| Pot au feu | |||||
| Loin of pork, baker's oven style | |||||
| Mashed turnips | |||||
| Celery root and field salad | |||||
| Fancy ice cream | |||||
| Assorted cakes Coffee | |||||
Fried whitebait. Wash the whitebait well and dry on a towel or napkin. Roll in milk, then in flour, and fry in very hot swimming lard, just enough to make them crisp. Lay them on a napkin, sprinkle with salt, and garnish with fried parsley and quartered lemons. Serve brown bread and butter sandwiches and sauce Tartar or rémoulade.
Pot au feu. Put in a pot one brisket of beef; or five pounds of short ribs of beef; two gallons of cold water, and a handful of salt. Bring slowly to a boil and skim well, so the broth will remain clear. When the boiling point is reached add two whole carrots, two turnips, three stalks of leeks, one stalk of celery, a bouquet garni, one small head of Savoy cabbage, and two large onions, all well washed. Bring to the boiling point again, cover, and put on the side of the stove where it will simmer slowly. The vegetables will be done before the meat, so when they are cooked remove them and throw out the bouquet garni. Let the beef cook until very soft. Cut the vegetables, with the exception of the onions, in thin slices; and when the beef is done strain the broth over the vegetables. Give it another boil, season well, add some chopped chervil, and serve with toasted bread crusts, separate.