363. Capon or Poulard à l’Estragon

The Modern Housewife · Soyer, Alexis · 1849
Source
The Modern Housewife
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (20)
For the bird
For the stewpan
For finishing the gravy
Serving suggestion
Instructions (17)
  1. Truss the bird for boiling.
  2. Rub the breast with half a lemon.
  3. Tie thin slices of bacon over the breast.
  4. Cover the bottom of a small stewpan with thin slices of bacon.
  5. Add beef, veal, or lamb trimmings, two onions, a little carrot, turnip, and celery.
  6. Add two bay-leaves, one sprig of thyme, a glass of sherry, two quarts of water.
  7. Season lightly with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
  8. Simmer about one hour and a quarter, keeping continually a little fire on the lid.
  9. Strain three parts of the gravy into a small basin.
  10. Skim off the fat from the strained gravy.
  11. Pass the skimmed gravy through a tammy into a small stewpan.
  12. Add a drop of gravy or coloring to give it a nice brown color.
  13. Boil a few minutes longer.
  14. Add about forty tarragon leaves.
  15. Add a tablespoonful of good French vinegar.
  16. Pour the prepared gravy over the capon when you serve it.
  17. Clarifying the gravy is an improvement.
Original Text
363. Capon or Poulard à l’Estragon.—I have been told many fanciful epicures idolize this dish. The bird should be trussed for boiling; rub the breast with half a lemon, tie over it some thin slices of bacon, cover the bottom of a small stewpan with thin slices of the same, and a few trimmings of either beef, veal, or lamb, two onions, a little carrot, turnip, and celery, two bay-leaves, one sprig of thyme, a glass of sherry, two quarts of water, season lightly with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, simmer about one hour and a quarter, keeping continually a little fire on the lid, strain three parts of the gravy into a small basin, skim off the fat, and pass through a tammy into a small stewpan, add a drop of gravy or coloring to give it a nice brown color, boil a few minutes longer, and put about forty tarragon leaves; wash, and put in the boiling gravy, with a tablespoonful of good French vinegar, and pour over the capon when you serve it; by clarifying the gravy, it is an improvement. All kinds of fowls and chickens are continually cooked in this manner in France. They are also served with rice.
Notes
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