Lamb Fricassee - Peas

Hongroise Potatoes Asparagus Pineapple Fanchonettes

Lamb Fricassee

Wipe 1 1/2 lbs. lamb, cut from the fore quarter into pieces for serving, cover with boiling water and cook slowly below the boiling point until the meat is tender. Remove from the water, cool, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dredge with flour and saute in butter until golden brown in color. Remove from the pan to a hot dish, make 1 c brown gravy (3 T flour), using the liquid in which the meat was cooked and from which the fat has been skimmed. Add the meat to the gravy, reheat, and serve on a platter with green peas for a border.

Green Peas

Shell 1 qt. green peas, cover with cold water and let stand 1/2 h. Skim off the undeveloped peas that rise to the top, drain off the water; add a small quantity boiling water, say 1 c to 1 pt. of peas, and cook from 20 to 60 m, according to the age of the peas. Add more water from time to time, if necessary, but do not have much excess to drain off when the peas are cooked. Add salt the last 15 m of cooking. When tender, drain, add 2 T butter, dash of pepper. Pour around the lamb fricassee.

Hongroise Potatoes

Wash, pare and cut into 1/2 inch cubes enough potatoes to fill 2 c; cover with boiling salted water and parboil 3 m; drain, add 1/4 c butter and cook slowly until tender and slightly browned. Make 1 c white sauce (2 T flour), add few drops onion juice if desired, then add slowly the beaten yolk of 1 egg. Pour over the potato cubes, add 1 T finely chopped parsley, and serve.

Asparagus

Wash 1 bundle of asparagus, and cut into, 1/2 inch lengths, using the tender portions only. Save the tough ends for soup. Set the tips aside, as they will not require as much cooking as the rest of the asparagus. Cover the pieces with boiling salted water and cook until tender, adding the tips, about 15 minutes after the cooking has commenced. Drain, reserving the liquid for soup, add 2 T butter, 1/2 t salt, and a dash of pepper. Serve at once.

Pineapple Fanchonettes

Beat together 3 eggs, 1/4 t salt, 2/3 c sugar, 1/2 c grated pineapple, and the juice and grated rind of 1/2 lemon. Turn the mixture into patty pans or tart pans, lined with plain paste (1 1/2 c flour, 1/3 c shortening, 1/4 t salt, 1/4 t baking powder, ice water, p. 130), and bake in a moderate oven. When partly cold cover with meringue, white of 2 eggs, left from Hongroise Potatoes and Cucumbers a la Poulette, beaten stiff with 2 T sugar (p. 131), brown the top, then cool. Serve cold.

Preparing The Meal

About 1 1/2 h before dinnertime, shell the peas and cover with cold water for 1/2 h, wash, pare, dice, and cook the potatoes. Wash the asparagus, cut into 1/2 in. lengths, and cook about 25 m in boiling salted water. Then cook the peas in boiling water. Add the tips after the rest of the asparagus has been cooking 15 m. Now saute the lamb cooked in the morning, and while browning make the sauce for the potatoes. Remove the meat to a hot platter and make the brown gravy. Drain and season the asparagus, also the peas, add the potatoes to the sauce, heat, and serve the dinner. The Pineapple Fanchonettes, made in the morning should be served cold.