Côtelettes à la Sévigné

Côtelettes à la Sévigné (Sévigné-style lamb cutlets) teach a precise bit of classical timing: one side of the meat is browned in butter, its cooked face carries a cool dome of mushroom and artichoke, and the oven finishes meat, filling, and crumb together. The one true thing to know before touching the pan is that the croquette mixture must be cold and stiff enough to stand in a spooned mound. If it slumps, the coating cannot save it.

The original kitchen assumed mutton cutlets, a garnish cook with croquette filling waiting, Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174) ready beside the crumbs, and a salamander overhead to colour everything quickly. Its saucier and stockpot that never went cold belonged to the larger brigade, but not to this formula, so don't invent a sauce for it. At home, thick lamb rib chops replace the harder-to-find mutton, a small roux-bound filling supplies exactly eight heaped spoonfuls, and a hot upper oven with a brief broiler finish replaces the salamander. Lamb is tenderer, so the oven time is shorter. One cook, one stove, one evening.

Bowls held ready by separate stations are brigade scaffolding and can go. What stays is the dish: fry one side only, crown that side, paner à l’anglaise (coat with flour, prepared egg mixture, and crumbs), then finish in the oven. Chill the filling until a spoonful stands proud before you brown the first cutlet.