Relevés and Entrées

The derivative sauces of the Espagnole are not, as a rule, suited to entrées garnished with vegetables. Thickened gravy is better.

The finest adjunct, however, is meat-glaze, which should receive an addition of four oz. of butter per pint, and should be slightly acidulated by means of a few drops of lemon juice. This glaze ought to be so light as not to impaste the vegetables.

Such vegetables as asparagus-heads, peas, French beans, macédoines, &c., have a disintegrating action upon the sauces, and this is owing either to their natural moisture or to their leason. As a result of this action the preparation has an unsightly appearance when served upon the diner’s plate.

With Châteaubriand sauce (No. 71, Châteaubriand Sauce) or buttered meat-glaze this objection does not obtain, seeing that this sauce does not decompose, but combines admirably with the garnish, and lends the latter a certain noticeable mellowness.

I therefore emphasise this point, viz., that the derivative sauces of the Espagnole and tomato sauces should be exclusively used with such preparations garnished with truffles, cock’s combs and kidneys, quenelles and mushrooms, as “la Financière,” “la Godard,” &c.

Ox tails, sectioned or unsectioned, are usually braised, and only the thicker half of the caudal appendage is ever used.

With the exception of veal sweetbreads, it cannot be denied that this meat is considerably less popular in England than abroad, nor does it ever seem to appear on important menus in this country.

Of course, and the fact must not be lost sight of, English veal is admittedly inferior in quality—badly fattened, and mostly red, soft, and dry. Probably, therefore, its unpopularity may be the indirect cause of its poor quality; for it is inconceivable that a country so famous for cattle-rearing as England undoubtedly is could not produce veal equal in quality to its beef, mutton, and pork, if rearers thought it worth their while to perfect that special branch of their business. Be this as it may, almost all the best veal consumed in England comes from the Continent, principally from France, Belgium, and Holland; and, in this respect, I not only refer to the larger joints, but to those odd parts such as the head, the liver, the sweetbreads, &c., the continental quality of which is likewise very superior to that of the English produce.

Calf’s liver is served chiefly as a breakfast or luncheon entrée.

Nevertheless, in ordinary menus, it is sometimes served as a relevé, braised and whole.

From the culinary standpoint, the ovine species supplies three kinds of meat, viz:—

Mutton—properly so-called when the meat is derived from the adult animal.

Lamb—the young, weaned sheep, not yet fully grown, the meat of which is the more highly esteemed the younger the animal is.

House Lamb—the sheep’s unweaned young that has not yet grazed.

The “Pauillac” lamb, which is imported from France, is the most excellent example of the last kind. Good house lambs are also killed in England; they are quite equal to Pauillac lamb, but their season is short. As regards ordinary English mutton and lamb, however, the delicacy and quality of these meats are unrivalled.

But for its greater delicacy and tenderness, grass lamb, which corresponds with what the French call “agneau de pré-salé” is scarcely distinguishable from mutton. The recipes suited to it are the same as those given for mutton; and all that is necessary is to allow for differences of quality in calculating the time of cooking.

House lamb, the white flesh of which is quite different, admits of some of the mutton recipes; but it is generally prepared after special formulæ, the details of which I shall give hereafter.

When served roasted, hot or cold, mutton and grass and house lamb are always accompanied by mint sauce, the recipe for which I gave under No. 136, Mint Sauce.

In view of the similarity of their preparations, and in order to avoid finicking repetitions, I have refrained from giving separate recipes for lamb and mutton respectively. The reader will therefore bear in mind that the formulæ relating to mutton also apply to grass lamb.

However deservedly pork may be praised, it could never have been included among the preparations of first-class cookery (except subsidiarily) had it not been for the culinary value of hams.

With the latter it triumphs, and, be they of Bayonne or York, of Prague or Westphalia, no other joints enjoy more favour than these as Relevés.

Though it is somewhat difficult to decide which one of the various kinds of ham should be adopted, in my opinion that of Bohemia, known as Prague ham, is best for a warm dish, and that of York for a cold dish.

The latter is also excellent when served hot, but, even so, for this purpose it is inferior to the Prague kind, the delicacy of which is incomparable.

Still, York ham ranks first in the opinion of many, for it should be remembered that England has no rival in the preparation of seasoned pork, and her famous bacon, the renown of which is enormous, constitutes one of the greatest discoveries in the science of gastronomy.