Beefsteak (Porterhouse): Carve in two pieces, cutting tenderloin and sirloin from the middle bone. Cut in uniformly thick slices, serving a piece for a portion, rare, medium or well done, as may be preferred. Rib or Sirloin Roast: Hold firmly, skin side up. Carve in thin, parallel slices, from crisp edge to bone, then slip knife under slices and cut from bones. Rump Steak: Cut in thin, parallel slices with grain of meat. Serve like rib or sirloin with dish gravy for each portion. Fillet of Beefs: Cut across diagonally, beginning at thick end. Slices should be no more than half an inch thick. Leg of Lamb: With rounding side up, plunge carving fork in center of roast, and cut in thin, parallel slices across grain to bone. Boned leg of lamb is more easily carved. Saddle of Mutton: Make cuts parallel to backbone, half to three-quarters inch apart; then crosscuts at right angles to former, two to two and a half inches long. Slip knife beneath bone to free meat. Loin of Veal or Lamb: Cut backbone of each rib before cooking. Cut roast between ribs, serving one for a portion. Carve Crown of Lamb in the same way. Roast Turkey or Roast Chicken, Capon or Guinea Hen: With bird on back, insert carving fork across highest point of breastbone. Holding it here firmly, cut through skin between second joint and body, close to the latter. Pull back leg and second joint in one piece with knife; disjoint, then cut off wing. Breast meat must be carved in thin, parallel slices. Use knife to part second joints from drumsticks and carve them in slices. Always complete carving one side of a bird before carving the other. Light meat and dark meat, together with stuffing, should be included in each portion, unless a preference is indicated. Broilers: Should be cut in halves, and the halves halved, severing at joints. According to size of broiler a quarter or a half is served as an individual portion. Domestic Duck: Bird on back (drumsticks to right of carver, as with all fowl) the carving fork is thrust through breast. The joints lie much farther back than those of chickens or turkeys. After removing leg and wing, make cuts in breast meat parallel to breastbone, three-quarters of an inch apart, and remove by sliding knife under meat. Small pieces of rich meat, dark, may be cut from the sides of the duck. Game Duck: First cut breast meat from one side, then from other. Half a breast is the individual portion. Legs and wings are too tough, as a rule, for satisfactory table use.
CHAPTER XI: PLANNING A MENU
Food value and contrast—the avoidance of duplicating flavors—are main points in menu planning. An elaborate menu must alternate its light and heavy courses.
SOUP
Thin soups for formal dinners, cream or thick soups for informal ones is the rule. With Consommé, Bread or Cheese Sticks; with thick soups Crackers or Croutons; with Oyster Stew, Oyster Crackers are the proper thing. Soup garnishings (clear soup) include: Shredded Sprouts, Boiled Macaroni cut in rings, Noodles, Lemon Slices, Italian Pastes and Grated Parmesan Cheese, and Sliced Cooked Chestnuts and Royal Custard. Radishes, Celery and Olives are served after the soup.
HORS D’OEVRES
Cocktails or Canapés beginning a dinner call for plain sandwiches or wafers. When Oysters or Clams (or any seafood cocktails) are served, Graham or Brown Bread Sandwiches are grateful. With oysters served raw on shell, a Horseradish Sandwich is proper. Tabasco, Grated Horseradish, Catsup, Cayenne, or Cocktail Sauce are in order for oysters or clams, and a half lemon should always be laid on the oyster plate.
FISH
Fish flavoring’s include Lemon Juice (lemon sliced with or without the rind, or served in quarters or halves) or Tarragon Vinegar. Sauce Tartare is always appropriate for fried fish. Broiled Halibut or Pompano gain by a Sauce Hollandaise. With Baked or Broiled Shad Cucumber Cream Sauce is in order. Broiled fish in general should be mated with rich, heavy sauces, and may be accompanied by Boiled Potato Balls, and Maître d’Hotel butter. When Halibut or Flounder are steamed or baked in fillets, they call for a piquantly flavored sauce: Caper, Brown Tomato, Shrimp or Lobster. Drawn Butter Sauce, Caper or Hollandaise Sauce, are best with Boiled Hot Salmon; Green Mayonnaise, Vinaigrette or Sauce Tartare with Cold Boiled Salmon. Vegetables do not properly accompany fish in a dinner of many courses. Yet broiled fish may be served with Corn and Shell Beans; white fish of various sorts with Tomatoes, stuffed or fried; and Salmon with Peas.