ICES
Ices, with their accompanying “petits fours,” bring the dinner to a close—at least as far as Cookery is concerned; and, when they are well prepared and daintily dished, they are the consummation of all that is delicate and good. In no other department of the work has the culinary artist so freely indulged his fancy, or created such delectable kickshaws; and, though Italy be the cradle of the ice-worker’s art, though the Neapolitans have deservedly maintained their reputation as authorities in this matter, to French workmen, certainly, is due the credit of those innovations which have perfected this important branch of dietetic science.
[2744—THE MAKING OF ICES]
Whatever be the kind of ices required, they should always be prepared in advance; for none of these preparations can be made ready at a moment’s notice.
There are two distinct operations in the confection of ices:—
(1) The making of the preparation.
(2) The freezing and the moulding of the preparation. I shall begin by dealing with the second operation, which remains the same for all ices, and is the essential part of the procedure.
To freeze an ice preparation is to surround it with broken ice, mixed with sodium chloride (sea-salt or freezing salt) and saltpetre. The action of these two salts upon the ice causes a considerable drop in the temperature, which speedily congeals any contiguous liquid. Subject to their nature, ices are either moulded and frozen directly in their moulds, like the light ices: iced Biscuits, iced [Soufflés], Puddings, [Mousses], Parfaits, Bombes, etc.; or first frozen in a special utensil called a freezer, and then moulded and frozen afresh. Cream and syrup ices are prepared by the second method; and this I shall now describe.
The freezers, in which the freezing takes place, are generally wielded by hand, either directly or by means of some mechanism. They should be of pure tin, and fitted, at their base on to a central [789] ]pivot which turns in a socket, fixed in the wooden case which holds the freezer.
Having hermetically closed the latter, surround it with broken ice containing three lbs. of salt and eight oz. of saltpetre per twenty-five lbs.