The various glazes of meat, fowl, game, and fish are merely stock reduced to the point of viscosity. Their uses are legion. Occasionally they serve in decking dishes with a brilliant and unctuous coating which makes them sightly; at other times they may help to strengthen the consistence of a sauce or other culinary preparation, while again they may be used as sauces proper after they have been correctly creamed or buttered.
Glazes are distinguished from essences by the fact that the latter are only prepared with the object of extracting all the flavour of the product under treatment, whereas the former are, on the contrary, constituted by the whole base of the substance itself. They therefore have not only its savour, but also its succulence and mellowness, whereby they are superior to the essences, and cooking can but be improved by substituting them for the latter. Nevertheless, many chefs of the old school do not permit the use of glazes in culinary preparations, or, rather, they are of opinion that each cooking operation should produce them on its own account, and thus be sufficient unto itself. Certainly, the theory is correct when neither time nor cost is limited. But nowadays the establishments are scarce where these theories may be applied, and, indeed, if one does [14] ]not make an abuse of glazes, and if they be prepared with care, their use gives excellent results, while they lend themselves admirably to the very complex demands of modern customs.
[15—MEAT GLAZE]
Meat glaze is made by reducing brown stock (Formula [7]) in a large stewpan upon an open fire. As often as the stock is appreciably reduced, during ebullition, it may be transferred to smaller stewpans, taking care to strain it through muslin at each change of stewpan. The glaze may be considered sufficiently reduced when it evenly veneers a withdrawn spoon. The fire used for reducing should gradually wane as the concentration progresses, and the last phase must be effected slowly and on a moderate fire.
When it is necessary to obtain a lighter and clearer glaze, the brown veal stock (Formula [No. 9]) should be reduced instead of the “Estouffade.”
[16—POULTRY GLAZE]
Reduce the poultry base indicated in Formula [10], and proceed in exactly the same way as for meat glaze (Formula [15]).
[17—GAME GLAZE]
Use the game base (Formula [8]), and proceed as for meat glaze (Formula [15]).