Are very great favourites with most epicures, and their flavour renders them worthy of so high an appreciation.
Have six not over large but of a very good size, trim the bottoms rather close till it shows the white streak, cut also an inch from the top with a pair of scissors, and a little off the point of each leaf, have a gallon of water (into which you have put half a pound of salt,) boiling, put in the artichokes and boil one hour, or till you can pull out a leaf with facility, take them up, lay them upon a cloth to drain, upside down, dress them upon a napkin, and serve with melted butter separate in a boat; they may be boiled previously and kept in cold water till wanted, and are ready by merely dipping them in boiling water.
No. 1072. Artichokes à la Barigoule.
Trim your artichokes as above and blanch twenty minutes, place them in cold water, then scoop out the interior with the handle of a spoon and your fingers, taking out every particle from the interior, have some fat in a stewpan very hot, into which dip the tops of the artichokes till of a yellow colour, then put them back upon the cloth; you have scraped a quarter of a pound of fat bacon, which put into a stewpan, with four tablespoonfuls of oil, four of chopped onions and eschalots, two of chopped mushrooms, and one of chopped parsley, a little thyme, two bay-leaves, and a little pepper, salt, and sugar; pass the whole ten minutes over a moderate fire, then add a pint of brown sauce (No. 1), boil twenty minutes, stir in two spoonfuls of bread-crumbs and set it in a cold place; when cold mix it again and put an equal proportion in each artichoke; tie a square piece of fat bacon a quarter of an inch in thickness upon each, tie them across with string and put them into a flat stewpan, with three pints of good stock, set them in a moderate oven to braise for about three quarters of an hour, or till you can take a leaf out with facility, then take them out, drain them on a cloth, take off the string and bacon, and dress them upon your dish four at the bottom and two at the top, with two spoonfuls of demi-glace (No. 9) in each. For the amateur who does not object to the flavour of onions, dressed in the above manner they are most appreciated.
No. 1073. Artichauts à la Bordelaise.
Proceed exactly as above, but filling them with the following sauce (instead of the sauce there mentioned): peel thirty large button onions and cut them in rings, put them in a stewpan with a little oil, and fry of a light yellow colour, add half a pint of white sauce (No. 7), and two tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs, mix well, then add eighteen stoned olives, and the fillets of four anchovies well washed, stew till all is well cooked, then season with a little pepper, sugar, and a piece of scraped garlic the size of a pea, fill the artichokes, and when done serve with a little white sauce in each.
No. 1074. Artichauts à l’Italienne.
Take four good artichokes, cut them in quarters and trim them well, cutting all the green from the bottoms and taking out all the fur from the interior, put them in a stewpan of boiling water (to blanch) a quarter of an hour; then take them out, drain them upon a cloth, put a tablespoonful of chopped onions in a sauté-pan with a tablespoonful of oil, and one of wine, pass them one minute over the fire, then put in the artichokes, which cover with brown sauce and a little stock, stew them gently over a moderate fire till you can pull out a leaf with facility, take them out and dress in turban upon a border of mashed potatoes, put a tablespoonful of chopped mushrooms into the sauté-pan, reduce the sauce to a proper consistency, season with a little sugar and salt if required, sauce over and serve.
No. 1075. Artichauts au Velouté.
Prepare the artichokes as above, and blanch them, put an ounce of butter in a sauté-pan, lay in the artichokes, which cover with a good white sauce (No. 7); place a lid upon the sauté-pan, and put them in a moderate oven till done, then take out the artichokes, which dress in turban as above; put a little milk in the sauté-pan, reduce the sauce till rather thickish, add a little sugar, and finish with a liaison of two yolks of eggs mixed with a gill of cream, pass through a tammie and sauce over.