—Prepare and cook three large or six small, fine artichokes the same as for [No. 900]. The large ones are to be eaten boiled, cooled, and served with the following sauce in a sauce-bowl: pound the yolk of a hard-boiled egg in a bowl, dilute it with two spoonfuls of vinegar, season with a pinch of salt, and half a pinch of pepper, a finely chopped shallot, and three tablespoonfuls of good oil. Mix well together, and serve.
The small artichokes may be served in the same way, or they can be eaten raw (as they frequently are in Europe), with the choke removed. Dress the artichokes on a dish with a folded napkin, and serve the sauce in a separate bowl.
903. Artichokes à la Florentine.
—Fill six parboiled fresh or conserved artichoke-bottoms with a preparation made of fresh sliced mushrooms, if at hand, a small, cooked cauliflower, weighing half a pound when pared, and stewed in half a pint of béchamel ([No. 154]), with two tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, seasoned with half a pinch of pepper, and the third of a pinch of nutmeg. Sprinkle with fresh bread-crumbs, and pour over them a little clarified butter; brown in the oven for ten minutes; place the artichokes in a hot dish, pour a gill of hot Madeira sauce ([No. 185]) over them, and serve.
904. Asparagus, Sauce Hollandaise.
—Scrape nicely and wash carefully two bunches of fine asparagus; tie them into six equal bunches, arranging the heads all one way, and chop off the ends evenly. Boil them until they are done in salted water, or from twenty to twenty-two minutes; lift them out, drain them thoroughly on a cloth, and lay them nicely on a dish with a folded napkin. Untie, and serve with half a pint of hot Hollandaise sauce ([No. 160]), in a separate bowl.
Asparagus with drawn butter is prepared in exactly the same way, and is served with a gill of drawn butter ([No. 157]).
905. Asparagus à la Vinaigrette.
—Prepare two bunches of sound asparagus as in [No. 904], and serve with half a pint of sauce vinaigrette ([No. 902]), after the asparagus has been thoroughly cooled. Asparagus can be served in this way either hot or cold.