412. Fricandeau

The Modern Housewife · Soyer, Alexis · 1849
Source
The Modern Housewife
Status
success · extracted 12 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (16)
For the fricandeau
For the sauce
Optional addition
Instructions (24)
  1. Lay on the bottom of a stewpan six or eight slices of bacon.
  2. Place the fricandeau on the bacon.
  3. Take two onions and two small carrots cut in slanting pieces and place them round the fricandeau.
  4. Make a bouquet of ten sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, and two of bay-leaf, and put it in with two cloves and half a blade of mace.
  5. Add about a pint of broth or water, so as not to cover the larding. If no broth, use water and a teaspoonful of salt.
  6. Cover the stewpan with a sheet of buttered paper.
  7. Set it on a moderate fire.
  8. When on the point of boiling, put it in a slack oven.
  9. Let it remain in the oven for two or three hours.
  10. Be careful every twenty minutes to moisten or baste the fricandeau with the gravy which is in the stewpan.
  11. Ten minutes before it is removed from the oven, take off the paper, in order that the top may obtain a nice yellow color.
  12. If the oven should not be hot enough, place live coals on the lid of the stewpan until done.
  13. Try if it is tender with a pointed knife.
  14. If you have no oven ready, stew gently on a hot plate, or by the side of the stove, with the lid on and live coals on the top.
Sauce preparation
  1. Take the gravy from the stewpan (it should be about half a pint; if not, add water).
  2. Pass the gravy through a fine sieve into a basin.
  3. Remove the fat from the top.
  4. Put the gravy into a small stewpan.
  5. Reduce it a little to a demi-glaze.
  6. Mix half a teaspoonful of arrow-root in a cup with a little water.
  7. Put the arrow-root mixture into the gravy and boil for two minutes.
  8. The sauce ought to be of a bright yellow color and transparent.
Serving
  1. The fricandeau should be served with gravy under it.
  2. If a piece of udder can be procured, stew it with the fricandeau and serve it in the same dish.
Original Text
412. I take a stewpan of a convenient size, and lay on the bottom six or eight slices of bacon, and place the fricandeau on them; I then take two onions, two small carrots cut in slanting pieces, which place round it; I then make a bouquet of ten sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, two of bay-leaf, which I put in with two cloves, half a blade of mace, and about a pint of broth or water, so as not to cover the larding; if no broth, use water and a teaspoonful of salt, cover it with a sheet of buttered paper, set it on a moderate fire; when on the point of boiling, put it in a slack oven, where let it remain for two or three hours; be careful every twenty minutes to moisten or baste the fricandeau with the gravy which is in the stewpan; the slower it is done the better; ten minutes before it is removed from the oven, take off the paper, in order that the top may obtain a nice yellow color; if the oven should not be hot enough, place live coals on the lid of the stewpan until done, try also if it is tender with a pointed knife. This dish ought to be carved with a spoon, being so tender; but I prefer to cut it with a very sharp knife, as it is more inviting in appearance. If you have no oven ready, stew gently on a hot plate, or by the side of the stove, with the lid on and live coals on the top. If you let it burn by any neglect or accident, do not tell your friends that I gave you the receipt, as it would eat so very bad, and I should lose my good name. It can be served with any sauce or purée, but the one I prefer is as follows: Take the gravy from the stewpan, which ought to be about half a pint, if not so much add water, pass it through a fine sieve into a basin, remove the fat from the top, put it into a small stewpan, reduce it a little to a demi-glaze, mix half a teaspoonful of arrow-root in a cup, with a little water, put it in the gravy, boil two minutes; it ought to be of a bright yellow color, and transparent; the fricandeau should be served with gravy under it. The following purées are excellent to serve with it: sorrel, endive, peas, beans, artichokes, and spinach; tomato, mushroom, and cucumber sauces, &c. If a piece of udder can be procured, stew it with the fricandeau, and serve it in the same dish. This receipt will well repay the trouble attending it. The following is very good, and more simple.
Notes
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