Miss Parloa's New Cook Book

by Maria Parloa

Chicken in Jelly.

For each pound of chicken, a pint of water. Clean the chicken, and put to boil. When it comes to a boil, skim carefully; and simmer gently until the meat is very tender--about an hour and a half. Take out the chicken, skin, and take all the flesh from the bones. Put the bones again in the liquor, and boil until the water is reduced one half. Strain, and set away to cool. Next morning skim off all the fat. Turn the jelly into a clean sauce-pan, carefully removing all the sediment; and to each quart of jelly add one-fourth of a package of gelatine (which has been soaked an hour in half a cupful of cold water), an onion, a stalk of celery, twelve pepper-corns, a small piece of mace, four cloves, the white and shell of one egg and salt and pepper to taste. Let it boil up; then set back where it will simmer twenty minutes. Strain the jelly through a napkin. In a three-pint mould put a layer of jelly about three-fourths of an inch deep. Set in ice water to harden. Have the chicken cut in long, thin strips, and well seasoned with salt and pepper; and when the jelly in the mould is hard, lay in the chicken, lightly, and cover with the liquid jelly, which should be cool, but not hard. Put away to harden. When ready to serve, dip the mould in warm water and then turn into the centre of a flat dish. Garnish with parsley, and, if you choose, with Tartare or mayonnaise sauce.

Chicken Chaud Froid.

Skin two chickens, and cut in small pieces as for serving. Wash, and put them in a stew-pan with enough white stock to cover, and one large onion, a clove, half a blade of mace, a bouquet of sweet herbs and half a table-spoonful of salt. Let this come to a boil; then skim carefully, and set back where it will simmer for one hour. Take up the chicken, and set the stew-pan where the stock will boil rapidly. Put three table-spoonfuls of butter in the frying-pan, and when it melts, stir in two table-spoonfuls of flour, and cook until smooth, but not brown. Stir this into the stock, of which there must be not more than a pint; add four table-spoonfuls of glaze, and boil up once. Taste to see if seasoned enough; if it is not, add more salt and pepper. Now add half a cupful of cream, and let boil up once more. Have the chicken in a deep dish. Pour this sauce on it, and set away to cool At serving time, have large slices of cold boiled sweet potatoes, fried in butter till a golden brown, handsomely arranged on a warm dish. On them place the chicken, which must be very cold. On each piece of the meat put a small teaspoonful of Tartare sauce. Heap the potatoes around the edge of the dish, garnish with parsley, and serve.

To Remove a Fillet from a Fowl or Bird.

Draw the skin off of the breast, and then run a sharp knife between the flesh and the ribs and breast-bone. You will in this way separate the two fillets from the body of the bird. The legs and wings of the largest birds and fowl can be boned, and stuffed with force-meat, and then prepared the same as, and served with, the fillet. The body of the bird can be used for soups. Fillets from all kinds of birds can be prepared the same as those from chickens.

Chicken Fillets, Larded and Breaded.

Lard the fillets, having four fine strips of pork for each one, and season with salt and pepper. Dip in beaten egg and in fine bread crumbs. Fry ten minutes in boiling fat. Serve on a hot dish with a spoonful of Tartare sauce on each.

Chicken Fillets, Braised.

Lard the fillets as for breading. For each one lay a slice of fat pork in the bottom of the braising pan, and on this a very small piece of onion. Dredge the fillets well with salt, pepper and flour, and place them on the pork and onion. Cover the pan, and set on the stove. Cook slowly half an hour; then add one pint of light stock or water and the bones of one of the chickens. Cover the pan, and place in a moderate oven for one hour, basting frequently with the gravy. If the gravy should cook away, add a little more stock or water, (there should be nearly a pint of it at the end of the hour). Take up the fillets, and drain; then cover them with soft butter, and dredge lightly with flour. Broil till a light brown. Serve on a hot dish with the sauce poured around. Or, they can be dressed on a mound of mashed potato, with a garnish of any green vegetable at the base, the sauce to be poured around it.