1689—Poularde en Chaud-froid

Poach the pullet; let it cool in its cooking-liquor; cut it up, and clear the pieces of all skin. Dip the pieces in chaud-froid sauce, already prepared from the pullet’s cooking-liquor if possible, and arrange them on a tray. Decorate each piece with a fine slice of truffle; glaze with cold, melted jelly; leave to set, and trim the edges of the pieces, just before dishing them.

Old method of dishing: Formerly, chaud-froids were dished on a cushion of bread or rice, placed in the middle of a border of jelly; and, between each piece, cocks’ combs and mushrooms, covered with chaud-froid sauce or jelly, were set.

They were also dished on stearine tazzas, made in special moulds; but these methods, however much they may have been honoured by old cookery, are generally scouted at the present day.

The method of dishing detailed hereafter is steadily ousting them; it allows of serving much more delicate and more agreeable chaud-froids in the simplest possible way, and was inaugurated at my suggestion at the Savoy Hotel.

Modern method of dishing: Set the decorated pieces, coated with chaud-froid sauce, side by side on a layer of excellent aspic jelly, lying on the bottom of a deep square dish. Cover them with the same aspic, which should be half melted, and leave to set. When about to serve, incrust the dish in a block of carved ice, or surround it with the latter fragmented.

This procedure allows of using less gelatinous products in the preparation of the aspic, and the latter is therefore much more delicate, mellow, and melting.