MEATS.
152
pan with a quart of cold water, a teaspoonful of
salt, a slice of celery root, and one moderate leek.
Bring it all to the boil, then skim carefully, after
which draw it to the side of the stove; only allow it
to simmer, as gently as possible, till the fowl is
tender, then lift out the bird and keep it hot (but
without drying it); meanwhile strain the liquor in
which it cooked, and in it cook some nice green
asparagus (or only the tips), previously blanched for
five minutes in boiling salted water; when these are
cooked dish the fowl neatly, with a little of its own
gravy, and the asparagus round it, and send to table
with chervil sauce in a boat. For this you make
rather rich melted butter, using half milk, half
stock—of that in which the fowl was cooked—say one-
third of a pint of each, for an ounce of butter and
a dessertspoonful of sifted flour; add to this when
well blended a teaspoonful of finely chopped chervil,
boil for four or five minutes, and serve. The liquor
in which the fowl is cooked should be carefully
saved, as if freed from fat, and garnished with any
of the asparagus left over, and heated, it makes a
delicate and tempting broth.
Poulet au jus.—Truss the bird as for roasting,
with the liver, etc., inside as previously recommended,
and bard it neatly; lay into a stewpan about 1oz. of
butter, and the fowl, and allow it to fry till nicely
browned, when you pour in rather less than a gill of
good stock, with a seasoning of salt and pepper,
cover the pan down closely, weighting it to prevent
the escape of the steam, and cook it very gently for
one and a half hours, turning it over once during