Mince 1 lb. of veal, chicken, or any white meat, very fine; if uncooked, stew it first gently on the fire ½ hour in ½ pt. of stock, but should the meat havé been cooked before, it will merely require warming up again in a little cream or stock, or gravy, if cream be scarce, or in a little Béchamel, or other white sauce, see Sauces for Meat, “Sauce for Macaroni Pie,” White Sauce for Rabbit, under Sauces for Poultry and Game, is also good for this pie.
Stew some macaroni soft in salt and water, and cut it into dice; add to the meat. Bacon fat (the red lean of bacon is too salt and hard), ham, or tongue should also be minced with the meat, and the remains of a sweetbread if it ean be spared. If the sauce wants thickening, dredge a little flour into the pan, and add ½ teacupful of thin cream, or more gravy if preferred; of course more Béchamel is better than flour and cream.
Button mushrooms or peelings of the large flat mushrooms much improve the flavour, or you may use instead truffles, grated Parmesan cheese, or even stewed peas.
Serve on a hot-water dish with a cover over it. There is no pastry; it is merely a delicate mince.
If to be shaped as a pie, the sides must be of strong paste (not to eat), and only the top, which is of “feuilletage” (see Paste and Pastry) will be eaten. The pastry is baked separately, sides and top powdered with grated Parmesan, then the pie mixture is poured in, and the pastry top clapped over.