Cordials.
To begin with the oysters or clams: place some finely chopped ice on each soup-plate, with a small fancy napkin on top. Arrange the oysters or clams nicely on top of each plate, with a piece of lemon, and serve. With this course serve also Haut Sauterne. It is understood that the oysters or clams are to be served after all the guests are seated. It should be made a rule never to remove any plates while some of the guests are still eating. When all have finished, remove the oyster-plates and leave dinner-plates in their stead; then serve the soup. The servant is expected to present a plate of each kind to each guest, and ask which is preferred. Serve sherry with the soup. Always serve the plates on the right side, and remove on the left. Serve timbales. First put a spoonful of sauce on each plate, and then the timbale; at the same time you are serving the timbale, remove the cold plates and serve the fish. Put the fish on the plates, then the sauce, with a few potatoes on the same plate. Serve Rauenthaler-Berg. Remove the plates and serve fillet of beef, which should be cut in small, even slices. Put the sauce on the plate, and then the fillet. Place the artichokes on the same plate. Serve Pommery Sec with this and with the other course. Remove the plates and serve saddle of mutton. Cut the loin of the saddle lengthwise, and then crosswise, and serve with a little gravy and a spoonful of string-beans on the same plate. When this course is finished, serve the sweetbreads. Put the sauce first on the plate, as with the fillet, with a spoonful of peas. With this serve Chateau Latour. The next course, terrapin, should be served in a very hot tureen. Before serving, add a little fine sherry; mix well, and give each guest a small portion. Serve more Chateau Latour with this course.
After this comes sorbet. This can be served in glasses or in shells; for instance, take six lemons or six small oranges, cut off the tops, take the soft parts out of them, and in them place the sorbet. Arrange them on cold dessert-plates, decorated with small fancy napkins or fancy paper. While the guests are enjoying the sorbet, remove sherry, Sauterne, and Hock glasses, no matter if empty or full. (Replace knives and forks before serving the sorbet.)
Now come canvas-back ducks. Before serving, place them for a moment before the host, so that all the guests can see them. Cut off only the breasts, and serve with a little of the gravy and a small piece of fried hominy, on very hot plates; then pass around the currant jelly. You can serve a whole breast or a half one; however, during a hearty dinner, a half one is preferable; this is entirely at the disposition of the host. Serve celery salad with mayonnaise dressing on separate dessert-plates, with forks, and then serve Chambertin.
When this course is finished, remove all side dishes, casters, and salt and pepper cruets, and leave nothing on the table but flowers, fruits, and cakes. Clean the table neatly with a brush or napkin, and then place dessert spoons and forks at each cover. Serve plum pudding the same as omelette au rum. Pour the rum over the pudding, spread powdered sugar on top, and, with a spoon, keep pouring the burning liquid over it until it ceases to burn. Then cut in slices and serve, putting some of the liquid on each plate.
Vanilla and pistache ice-cream should be served on cold dessert-plates with fancy paper underneath, and with dessert spoons and forks. Serve the cakes with the ice-cream.
When this course is finished, serve to each guest a finger-bowl, with a thin slice of lemon in the water. Small cups for coffee should be passed at the same time. Fruits, nuts, and raisins come next. It is customary with some old American families to introduce at this course a bottle of very old Madeira wine; but this is certainly not necessary.
Now comes the last, the coffee, which must be served fresh and very hot, for the preparation of which the author refers you to [page 381]. At the same time serve cordials, and the dinner will be completed.