No. 103. Concombres à blanc.
Get three best quality fresh cucumbers, cut them in pieces about two inches long, peel each separately, then cut the outside in three slices (or four, if large), leaving the seeds in one piece in the middle, trim off all the edges neatly; put half a tablespoonful of sugar into a stewpan with an ounce of butter, a little chopped eschalots, and the cucumber, pass them over a moderate fire ten minutes without breaking, and keep them quite white, then add a little white broth (No. 133), just enough to cover them, let them simmer until tender, then lay them, with a colander spoon, on a sieve to drain; put twelve tablespoonfuls of bechamel sauce (No. 7) into the stewpan with six of white broth, skim off all the butter, let it reduce until rather thick; season it with a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt, a little pepper, and half a gill of cream; when ready to serve add the cucumbers.
No. 104. Concombres à brun.
Prepare and stew the cucumbers exactly the same, only brown them slightly, reducing the same quantity of demi-glace (No. 9) instead of the white sauce.
No. 105. Purée de Concombres.
Cut the cucumbers in pieces and stew them as above (No. 103), put all the trimmings, and some of the worst-shaped pieces into a stewpan with an ounce of butter and half a spoonful of chopped onions, pass them over a moderate fire twelve minutes, add three tablespoonfuls of veal stock (No. 7), and let them simmer until quite tender; then put a tablespoonful of flour, mix it well, add four more of stock, and six ditto of bechamel sauce (No. 7), season with half a teaspoonful of sugar, a quarter ditto of salt, and a little pepper, rub it through a tammie. When wanted, warm it very quickly, and add half a gill of cream; put the pieces into the purée and serve; it must not be too thick.
No. 106. Epinard au Jus.
Pick all the stalks off and wash the spinach very dean in several waters, have ready a large stewpan of boiling water, in which you have put a handful of salt, put in the spinach, and let it boil as quickly as possible about twenty minutes; when quite tender put it into a colander and press the water out until there is none remaining, then chop it very fine; put one pound of spinach into a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter, stir it with a wooden spoon over a moderate fire until the butter is melted; then add a little flour, eight tablespoonfuls of brown sauce (No. 1), half a teaspoonful of salt, half ditto of sugar, a little white pepper, and very small quantity of grated nutmeg; a little glaze may be added; finish with two ounces of fresh butter.
No. 107. Blanched Mushrooms.
Get a pottle of fresh mushrooms, cut off the dirt and like-wise the heads (reserving the stalk for chopping), wash the heads in a basin of clean water, take them out and drain in a sieve; put into a stewpan two wine-glasses of cold water, one ounce of butter, the juice of half a good lemon, and a little salt; turn or peel each head neatly, and put them into the stewpan immediately, or they will turn black; set your stewpan on a brisk fire, let them boil quickly five minutes, put them into a basin ready for use; chop the stalks and peel very fine, put them into a stewpan with three tablespoonfuls of the liquor the mushrooms have been boiled in; let them simmer three minutes, put them into a jar, and use where indicated.