Put a quarter of a pound of sifted flour into a basin with four eggs, mix them together very smoothly, then add half a pint of milk or cream, and a little grated nutmeg, put a piece of butter in your pan (it requires but a very little), and when quite hot put in two tablespoonfuls of the mixture, let spread all over the pan, place it upon the fire, and when coloured upon one side turn it over, then turn it upon your cloth; proceed thus till they are all done, then spread apricot or other marmalade all over, and roll them up neatly, lay them upon a baking-sheet, sift sugar over, glaze nicely with the salamander, and serve upon a napkin; the above may be served without the marmalade, being then the common pancake.
REMOVES. SECOND COURSE.
My readers could not have failed to remark the numerous innovations in all classes of dishes throughout this work, which nothing but constant study, practice, and profound knowledge of the art could have brought to perfection. In the following Removes still greater innovations will be found than in any other department, for I have always aimed at producing the greatest effect upon the last dishes sent to table, particularly as they are the ones over which each convive has time to pass remarks, and admire, if properly executed. The transformation of the second course from the first has never failed to give the greatest satisfaction, and has often caused the greatest hilarity at table; some parties, unacquainted with them, have ordered their removal, thinking they belonged to the first course, whilst others have actually carved them before discovering their mistake. And, again, those Removes being only demi-glacé, and not too sweet, refresh the palate, disposes it more favorably for the dessert, and does not prevent the freely partaking of the ices which there cannot be avoided. Any kind of ice pudding, however excellent when done to perfection, is too close an imitation of the dessert ices, and properly belong to the confectioner.
To regenerate that finish of the dinner, which is very properly much thought of in England, it only requires a little artistic feeling, which is soon acquired by practice and perseverance. To simplify them as much as possible, I have only described one sort of sponge-cake, which is always varied in flavour by the different kinds of fruits and ices with which they are filled.
The introduction of atelettes of fruit in the Removes as well as in the jellies, is also quite a new idea, and renders the appearance of both very novel as well as very handsome.
No. 1298. Gateau Britannique à l’Amiral.
Make a sponge-cake of twenty eggs as directed (No. 1369), have a tin mould in the shape of a vessel, which paper well at the sides, to prevent the mixture running over whilst baking (the mould requires to be eighteen inches in length, six in breadth, and high in proportion); butter and lightly flour the interior of the mould, into which pour the mixture, which bake an hour and a half in a moderate oven (this cake requires to be baked a day or two before using); mask the exterior with chocolate iceing (No. 1383) to imitate the colour of a ship, when quite dry partly empty the interior,[16] leaving a piece across in the centre, to fix the mast upon, which you have made of pâte d’office (No. 1137), as also the ladders, rigging, and guns, by rolling pieces of the paste to the thickness required with the hands, cutting them to the lengths required, and baking them a light colour in a moderate oven; mask the guns with chocolate iceing, made rather darker than for the cake, and form the muzzles with small rings of puff paste, place them judiciously at the sides, as also the mast and rigging at their respective places (see design), place the vessel upon a dish, laying rather upon one side, lay rolls of gelée à la bacchante (No. 1240) round, over which lay thin slices of the same to form waves, make the sails of wafer or rice-paper, fix them to the mast as if filled with wind, upon the side the vessel is laying on, have also a flag made of the same material, painted with a little water-colour, which place at the stern; well soak the interior with wine and brandy, mixed with apricot marmalade, just before serving, and when ready fill with a delicate vanilla ice (No. 1381); you have previously formed some ropes of spun sugar, which affix to the rigging at the moment of serving.
This dish has a pleasing effect, and, unlike many ornamental dishes, the whole of it is eatable. It may be rather difficult for many, but with a few trials, aided by the above directions, I flatter myself it may be easily accomplished, but of course a great deal depends upon the taste of the person employed, who, if they could not accomplish one thing, would resort to another, and succeed in making a very handsome dish. Should you have no mould to bake the cake in, bake it in something as near as you can to the size, and afterwards shape it with a knife; and, again, should it be inconvenient to make the green jelly for garnishing, any other description of white clear jelly may be used. The remains and trimmings are very good made into cabinet pudding.
No. 1299. Hure de Sanglier glacé en surprise,
Or mock boar’s head; this dish, although more simple than the last, is no less pleasing. Make a sponge-cake of thirty eggs (No. 1369), which bake (in an oval baking-dish or common tin dish-cover) nearly two hours; the cake requires to be ten inches in thickness at one end, and about six at the other (which may be accomplished by tilting the dish slightly upon one end to bake the cake); the next day cut it into the shape of a dressed boar’s head with a knife, then carefully take out the interior to within an inch of the surface, in as large pieces as possible, put the pieces back again to keep the cake in its proper shape, turn it over upon the bottom of a large dish, and mask it all over with a chocolate iceing as near as possible to the colour of the real boar’s head, form the eyes with white iceing, placing a dried cherry in the centre, and forming the eyelashes with thin fillets of pistachios, make the tusks of gum paste (No. 1139) or pâte d’office (No. 1137), and the ears of puff paste (No. 1132), by working it a little with the hands, giving them their shape, and baking them upon two round cutters of a corresponding size, fix them with a stiffish paste made of flour and white of eggs, when done, upon the head, and mask them also with chocolate iceing; fix in the tusks, and when well dried and ready to serve empty the interior, which soak with a little brandy, and fill with a lemon-cream ice (No. 1385) in which you have introduced four glasses of curaçoa, turn it over upon a silver dish, glaze over with currant jelly, melted and mixed with a little wine, and garnish with gelée au citron (No. 1225) made reddish with a little cochineal, to give it the colour of a brown aspic (No. 1360), form some bold design upon the top (between the eyes) with it in croutons, and the remainder chopped and also in croutons around.