The real Italian method (called à l’Estoufade).
Boil and proceed as before, but make the gravy as follows, and use it instead of the preceding:—Take two pounds of rump of beef, larded through, put in a small stewpan with one quarter of a pound of butter, fry gently for one hour, turning almost continually, when forming a glaze add a pint of broth, let simmer another hour very gently indeed, take the fat off, and use that gravy instead of that above described; a little tomato sauce may be introduced if handy; serve the beef at the same time in a separate dish.
APPENDIX.
No. 1360. Aspic,
Or Savoury Jelly, extracted from the succulence of meat, when well made, is very inviting at any season of the year, especially in the summer, besides being the principal ornament and garniture of those savoury dishes which relieve the monotony of the second course. The tediousness and expense of its preparation in the old-fashioned manner has often been the cause of its being omitted, which has also prevented gourmets from partaking of the second course, but where well served, its delightful flavour will restore, cleanse, and invigorate the palate, causing each guest to partake more freely of the savoury dishes, which will afford a zest to the delicate Lafitte or Château Margot, which flows so generously in the glasses of true epicures. By following closely my new receipt, I venture to say that any cook, with a little experience, will produce an aspic fit for the table of a crowned head.
Take two large knuckles of veal, which cut in large dice, having about six pounds of meat, well butter the bottom of a middling-sized stewpan, put in the meat, with one pound of lean ham and two calf’s feet, cut up, breaking the bones, add half a gill of water, and place the stewpan over a sharp fire, stirring the meat round occasionally until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a whitish glaze, then fill it up with five quarts of water, add three onions, one small carrot, one turnip, half a head of celery, six peppercorns, one clove, half a blade of mace, a teaspoonful of salt, and a bunch of parsley, with which you have mixed two bay-leaves and a few sprigs of thyme, also two apples, peeled and cut in quarters; when boiling place it at the corner of the stove, let simmer gently for three hours, skimming off every particle of fat, or it would interfere with the clarification; it should be reduced to about a half, pass it through a fine cloth into a basin, place a little in a mould upon ice to ascertain if sufficiently firm, if too firm add a little light broth, but if, on the contrary, too weak, reduce it until you have obtained the consistency of strong calf’s-foot jelly, place the remainder in a stewpan upon the fire, taste if to your palate; have the whites of six eggs in a basin, with the shells, whisk them half a minute, add a gill of water or broth, two spoonfuls of tarragon vinegar, and a little salt, beat all together, have the stock boiling upon the fire, whisk round, pour in the eggs at once, and keep whisking a few minutes; set the stewpan at the corner with the lid on, upon which place some live charcoal, and let it remain five minutes, have a fine napkin, which tie in a square upon the top of your jelly-stand, through which pass it into a basin, pouring the first that runs through again into the napkin, when passed and set it is ready for use where directed. Should you require the aspic to partake of the flavour of fowl, twenty minutes before passing the stock, thrust a fowl just roasted into it, leaving it but a very short time. The same remark also applies to game of any description, should you require the aspic of such a flavour. To obtain aspic of a fine gold colour, let your stock draw down to a pale yellowish glaze before filling it up, or add a spoonful of brown gravy (No. 135); three very distinct colours may likewise be made of aspic, without introducing the colour-box of some celebrated artists, that is, leaving the one nearly white, the other a gold colour, as above mentioned, and the other quite a dark brown, adding more brown gravy and reducing it a little, clarifying it separately, and colouring before the clarification; place it in three separate sauté-pans or flat moulds, which place upon ice, when set, ornament your dishes tastefully, it will produce an excellent effect, especially in a large supper. Should you not succeed in clarifying it the first time, the operation must be again performed.
No. 1361. Mayonnaise à la gelée.
Put a quarter of a pint of melted aspic upon ice in a stewpan, which keep whisking until becoming a white froth, then add half a pint of salad-oil and six spoonfuls of tarragon vinegar, by degrees, first oil, and then vinegar, continually whisking until it forms a white smooth sauce, to all appearance like a cream; season with half a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter ditto of pepper, and a little sugar, whisk it a little more, and it is ready to serve; it is usually dressed pyramidically over the article it is served with. The advantage of this sauce (which is more delicate than any other) is, that you may dress it to any height you like, and it will remain so for a long time; if the temperature is not too hot it will remain hours without melting or appearing greasy.