Pastry, Confectionery, and Ices are so closely allied to Cookery, and they are so surely its complements, that it is impossible to omit them when dealing with Entremets, even though the latter be limited to the kind proper to the kitchen.
However, these subjects, which could supply matter for voluminous works, are too complex for it to be possible to cope thoroughly with them here.
I shall therefore confine myself to the expounding of their fundamental principles and the essential operations relating thereto, a knowledge of which is absolutely necessary for the successful preparation of Kitchen Entremets and Ices. The directions given hereafter are certainly too inadequate to convert an ordinary cook into a pastry-cook, a confectioner, or a “glacier”; but they will at least admit of his carrying out a complete dinner, if the necessity so to do should occur.
Elementary Preparations of Pastry which may be Applied to Entremets
[2338—VARIOUS ALMOND PREPARATIONS]
It is important that one should have skinned, splintered, and chopped almonds.
To Skin Almonds.—Throw them in a saucepan of boiling water, place the utensil on the side of the fire without allowing the boiling to continue, and let the almonds soak for seven or eight minutes. As soon as the skin slips when pressing them between one’s fingers, turn them out on to a strainer; cool them in cold water, and skin them. This done, wash them in cold water; drain them well; spread them on a very clean tray, and dry them in a mild oven.
Splintered Almonds.—Having skinned and washed the almonds, split them in two, and cut each half into five or six splinters. Dry the latter in the drying-box, and place them in the front of the oven for a while to colour slightly.
[688]
]They serve for nougat, and sometimes take the place of pignolis.
Chopped Almonds.—Having skinned the almonds, slightly dry them and chop them with a knife; rub them through a canvas sieve, the coarseness of which should be in accordance with that required for the chopped almonds.