When young are very delicate, take two quarts directly they are shelled and boil them nearly ten minutes in salt and water, try if done, drain them upon a sieve, then put them in a stewpan, pour half a pint of good sauce maître d’hôtel (No. 43) over, and add a little chopped tarragon and powdered sugar, and serve. They are also very good plain boiled, with a few pats of butter laid over them.
No. 1096. White Haricots Beans.
There is perhaps no white vegetable more in vogue in France than this, but although so well appreciated there and eaten by many English gourmets, they never think of having them dressed at home; it is true that the haricot in France is what the potato is in England, when in their prime and just taken from their shells, there are a great many epicures who would not dine without them. The reason I so strongly recommend them is because I have seen thousands of them in noblemen’s gardens, many of which are quite spoiled, and some dried for the winter season, when they might be dressed and eaten in their prime; I think, however, that when my readers know the simplicity of dressing them, and their moderate expense, they will at least give them a trial. They are very numerous about the month of September, but when old and dry I do not recommend them, they being very hard of digestion, and only fit to be used dry as directed in other parts of this work.
Have one quart of them fresh shelled, have also two quarts of water boiling, in which you have put two ounces of butter and a little salt, put in your beans and boil them about half an hour, or till tender, drain quite dry upon a sieve, then put them in another stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter, a little pepper and salt, toss them a few minutes over the fire, and when very hot turn them out upon your dish and serve.
No. 1097. Haricots blancs à la Brétonne.
Boil the beans as in the last, then put two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions in a stewpan with an ounce of butter, stir over the fire till they become rather yellowish, then add half a pint of brown sauce (No. 1) and a piece of glaze the size of a walnut; boil a few minutes, then add the beans, drain quite dry, season rather high, and when quite hot pour them upon your dish and serve.
No. 1098. Haricots blancs à la Maître d’Hôtel.
Boil the beans as before, and when done drain quite dry and put them into a stewpan with six ounces of maître d’hôtel butter (No. 79); toss them over, add a little more seasoning if required, and serve when quite hot. They may also be served plain boiled with a little butter upon them.
No. 1099. Tomates au gratin.
Take ten fine tomatas not too ripe, cut a little from the top of each, press out the pips and juice, but do not break the skins or press away any of the flesh; fill the interior with a sauce as directed for artichauts à la barigoule (No. 1072), stand them in a sauté-pan, egg and bread-crumb all over, stand them in a hot oven a quarter of an hour, salamander of a good colour, and dress them pyramidically upon your dish.