Welcome to Celtnet's Hannah Glassse's Recipes for How expensive a French Cook's Sauce is — This page gives you the entire contents of the Third Chapter: How Expenſive a French Cook's ſauce is from Hannah Glasses's 1747 volume,
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. Each recipe is given here in its original form, with a link underneath to the modern redaction, should you wish to replicate it. This is the first time that Hannah Glasse's book has been made available in its entirety on the internet. Enjoy...
These pages have been written to be as close to the 1747 original as possible, within the limitations of HTML. As a result, the long-s symbol 'ſ' has been used in the text wherever it features in the original. Typically this is used where the s precedes a long letter such as an I, t or 1 or another long-s (to create a ligature), or where the S precedds a curved letter such as an 'a', 'e', 'o' or 's'. As a result, in the original work 'seasoned skirret soop' is typeset 'ſeaſoned ſkirret ſoop'.
You will encounter many unfamiliar culinary terms and usages in this work. Where the recipe has been redacted into modern form, these are either defined in the redaction or a link to a definition is given. However, may of the terms can also be found by browsing or searching the
glossary of cooking and food terms pages on this site.
The text presented here is derived directly from Hannah Glasse's book and redacted specifically for this website. Please do not copy or use the content of these pages without first gaining permission.
Hanna Glasse's Third Chapter
CHAP. III.
Read this CHAPTER, and you will find how expenſive a French cook's ſauce is.
The French way of dreſſing partridges.
WHEN they are newly pickled and drawn, ſinge them : you muſt mince their livers with a bit of butter, ſome ſcraped bacon, green truffles, if you have any, parſley, chimbol, ſalt, pepper, ſweet-herbs, and all-ſpice. The whole being minced together, put it into the inſide of your partridges, athen ſtop both ends of them, after which give them a fry in the ſtew-pan ; that being done, ſpit them, and wrap them up in ſlices of bacon and paper ; then take a ſtew-pan, and having put in an onion cut into ſlices, a carrot cut into little bits, with a little oil, give them a few toſſes over the fire ; them moiſten them with gravy, cullis, and a little eſſence of ham. Put therein half a lemon cut into ſlices, flour cloves of garlic, a little ſweet baſil, thyme, a bay-leaf, a little parſley, chimbol, two glaſſes of white wine, and four of the carcaſſes of the parteidges ; let them be pounded, and put them in this ſauce. When the fat of your cullis is taken away, be careful to make it reliſhing ; and after your pounded livers are put into your cullis, you muſt ſtrain them through a ſieve. Your partridges being don, take them off ; as alſo take off the bacon and paper, and lay them in your diſh with your ſauce over them.
This diſh I do not recommend ; for I think it an odd jumble of traſh ; by that time the cullis, the eſſence of ham, and all other ingredients are reckoned, the partridges will come to a fine penny. But ſuch receipts as this is what you have in moſt books of cookery yet printed.
To make eſſence of ham.
TAKE the fat off a Wesſtphalia ham, cut the lean in ſlices, beat them well and lay them in the bottom of a ſtew-pan, with ſlices of carrots, parſnips, and onions, cover your pan, and ſet it over a gentle fire. Let them ſtew till they begin to ſtick, then ſprinkle on a little flour and turn them ; then moiſten with broth and veal gravy ; ſeaſon with tree or four muſhrooms, as many truffles, a whole leek, ſome baſil, parſley, and half a dozen cloves ; or inſtead of the leek, you may put a clove of garlic. Put in ſome cruſts of bread, and let them ſimmer over the fire for three quarters of an hour. Strain it, and ſet it by for uſe.
A cullis for all ſorts of ragoo.
HAVING cut three pounds of lean veal, and half a pound of ham into ſlices, lay it into the bottom of a ſtew-pan, put in carrots and parſnips, and an onion ſliced ; cover it, and ſet it a ſtewing over a ſtove : when it has a good colour, and begins to ſtick, put to it a little melted butter, and ſhake in a little flour, keep it moving a little while till the flour is fried ; then moiſten it with gravy and broth, of each a like quantity, then put in ſome parſley and baſil, a whole leek, a bay-leaf, ſome muſhrooms and truffles minced ſmall, three or four cloves, and the cruſt of two French rolls : let all theſe ſimmer together for three quarters of an hour ; then take out the ſlices of veal ; ſtrain it, and keep it for all ſorts of ragoos. Now comput the expence, and ſee if this diſh cannot be dreſſed as well without this expence.
A cullis for all ſorts of butchers meat.
YOU muſt make meat according to your company ; if ten or twelve, you cannot take leſs than a leg of beal and a ham, with all the ſat, ſkin, and outſide cut off. Cut the leg of veal in pieces about the bigneſs of your fiſt, place them in your ſtew-pan, and then the ſlices of ham, two carrots, an onion cut in two ; cover it cloſe, let it ſtew ſoftly at friſt, and as it begins to be brown, take off the cover and turn it, to colour it on all ſides the ſame ; but take care not to burn the meat. When it has a pretty brown colour, moiſten your cullis with broth made of beef, or other meat ; ſeaſon your cullis with a little ſweet baſil, ſome cloves, with ſome garlic ; pare a lemon, cut it in ſlices, and put it into your cullis, with ſome muſhrooms. Put into a ſtew-pan a good lump of butter, and ſet it over a ſlow fire ; put into it two or three hanffuls of flour, ſtir it with a wooden ladle, and let it take a colour ; if your cullis be pretty brown, you muſt put in ſome flour. Your flour being brown with your cullis, then pour it very ſoftly into your cullis, keeping your cullis ſtirring with a wooden ladle ; then let your cullis ſtew ſoftly, and ſkim off all the fat, put in two glaſſes of champaign, or other white wine ; but take care to keep your cullis very thin, ſo that you may take the fat well off and clarify it. To carify it, you muſt put it in a ſtove that draws well, and cover it cloſe, and let it boil without uncovering, till it boils over ; then uncover it, and take off the fat that is round the ſtew-pan, then wipe it off the cover alſo, and cover it again. When the cullis is done, take out the meat, and ſtrain your cullis through a ſilk ſtrainer. This cullis is for all ſorts of ragoos, fowls, pies, and terrines.
Cullis the Italian way.
PUT into a ſtew-pan half a ladleful of cullis, as much eſſence of ham, half a ladelful of gravy, as much of broth, three or four onions cut into ſlices, four or five cloves of garlic, a little beaten coriander-ſeed, with a lemon pared and cut into ſlices, a little ſweet baſil, muſhrooms, and good oil ; put all over the fire, let it ſtew a quarter of an hour, take the fat well off, let it be of a good taſte, and you may uſe it with all ſorts of meat and fiſh, particularly with glazed fiſh. This ſauce will do for two chickens, ſix pigeons, qualis, or ducklins, and all ſorts of tame and wild fowl. Now this Otalian or French ſauce, is ſauce.
Cullis of craw-fiſh.
YOU muſt get the middling ſort of craw-fiſh, put them over the fire, ſeaſoned with ſalt, pepper, and onion cut into ſlices ; being done, take them out, pick them, and keep the tails after they are ſcalded, pound the reſt together in a mortar l the more they are pounded the finer your cullis will be. Take a bit of veal, the bigneſs of your fiſt, with a ſmall bit of ham, an onion cut into four, put it into ſweat gently : if it ſticks but a very little to the pan, powder it a little. Moiſten it with broth, put in it ſome cloves, ſweet baſil in branches, ſome muſhrooms, with lemon pared and cut in ſlices : being done, ſkim the fat well, let it be of a good taſte ; then take out your meat with a ſkimmer, and go on to thicken it a little with eſſence of ham : then put in your craw-fiſh, and ſtrain it off. Being ſtrained, keep it for a firſt courſe of craw-fiſh.
A white cullis.
TAKE a piece of veal, cut it into ſmall bits, with ſome thin ſlices of ham, and two onions cut into four pieces ; moiſten it with broth, ſeaſoned with muſhrooms, a bunch of parſley, green onions, three cloves, and ſo let it ſtew. Being ſtewed, take out all your meat and roots with a ſkimmer, put in a few crumbs of bread, and let it ſtew ſoftly : take the white of a fowl, or two chickens, and pound it in a mortar ; being well pounded, mix it in your cullis, but it muſt not boil, and your cullis muſt be very white ; but if it is not white enough you muſt pound two dozen of ſweet almonds blanched, and put into your cullis ; then boil a glaſs of milk, and put it in your cullis : let it be of a good taſte, and ſtrain it off ; then put it in a ſmall kettle, and keep it warm. You must uſe it for white loaves, white cruſt of bread and biſquets.
Sauce for a brace of partridges, pheaſants, or any thing you pleaſe.
ROAST a partridge, pound it well in a mortar with the pinions of four turkies, with a quart of ſtrong gravy, and the livers of the partridges and ſome truffles, and let it ſimmer till it be pretty thick, let it ſtand in a diſh for a while, then put two glaſſes of Burgundy into a ſtew-pan, with two or three ſlices of onions, a clove or two of garlic, and the above ſauce. Let it ſimmer a few minutes, then preſs it through a hair-bag into a ſtew-pan, add the eſſence of ham, let it boil for ſome time, ſeaſon it with a good ſpice and pepper, lay your partridges, &c, in the diſh, and pour your ſauce in.
&mbsp;&mbsp;&mbsp;&mbsp;&mbsp;They will uſe as many fine ingredients to ſtew a pigeon, or fowl, as weil make a very fine diſh, which is equal to boiling a leg of mutton in champaign.
&mbsp;&mbsp;&mbsp;&mbsp;&mbsp;It would be needleſs to name any more ; though you have much more expenſive ſauce than this ; however, I think here is enough to ſhew the folly of theſe fine French cooks. In their own country, they will make a grand entertainment with the expence of one of theſe diſhes ; but here they want the little petty profit ; and by this ſort of legerdemain, ſome fine eſtates are juggled into France.
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The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy
