—Pare nicely four heads of fine celery, and cut it into pieces two inches in length; wash thoroughly; remove from the water with the hands, and lay it on a napkin. By so doing no sand will adhere to the celery. Blanch it in boiling salted water for five minutes; remove, drain, and put it in a sautoire with two ounces of butter and one tablespoonful of fecula; stir all well together, and moisten with half a pint of consommé ([No. 100]). Cook and reduce the whole for twenty minutes; when done, thicken with two beaten egg yolks diluted in three tablespoonfuls of cream, and add the third of a pinch of grated nutmeg. Serve garnished with six croûtons ([No. 133]).
930. Celery à la Moëlle de Bœuf.
—Take six heads of fine celery, cut off the green leaves, pare neatly, wash thoroughly, drain, and tie each head near the end where the green part has been cut away. Blanch them in salted boiling water for ten minutes, then remove, drain, and put them in a sautoire, with a pint of Madeira sauce ([No. 185]). Cook for fifteen minutes. Arrange the heads on a hot dish; remove the strings, and add to the sauce in the sautoire eighteen slices of marrow half an inch thick. Cook for one minute, being careful not to break the pieces of marrow; pour the sauce over the celery, and serve.
931. Cardons à la Moëlle.
—Prepared exactly the same as in [No. 930].
932. Chicory, with Cream or White Sauce.
—Clean and pick three large heads of chicory; throw away all the outer green leaves; wash them in two waters, drain, and blanch them in boiling, salted water. Remove them after ten minutes, and cool them in fresh water. Take them out, and press out the water thoroughly; then chop up the chicory, and place it with four ounces of butter in a saucepan, and cook a quarter of an hour, or until dry. Pour over it two glassfuls of cream or milk, a very little at a time, reduce, and grate in a third of a pinch of nutmeg; add a pinch of salt and half a pinch of pepper; stir well together, leave it on for five minutes, and serve with six heart-shaped croûtons ([No. 133]) around the dish.
933. Chicory, with Gravy.
—Take six large, fine, fresh heads of chicory, pare any outer leaves that may be damaged, leaving the root intact; wash well in two waters, remove, and put them to blanch for ten minutes in salted boiling water. Take them out, put them back into cold water, and let them cool off thoroughly. Drain neatly, and cut them in halves. Put a piece of lard skin at the bottom of a sautoire, add one carrot, one onion, both cut up, and a bouquet ([No. 254]). Place the chicory on top, season with half a pinch of salt, half a pinch of pepper, and a third of a pinch of nutmeg, and cover with a buttered paper. Place the sautoire on the stove, and when the chicory is a golden color (not letting it take longer than ten minutes), moisten with half a pint of white broth ([No. 99]). Put it in the oven for thirty minutes; arrange the chicory on a hot dish, strain the sauce over, and serve.