(2686). Artichoke Bottoms With Cream Bechamel Baked (Fonds D'Artichauts Bechamel A La Creme, Au Gratin)

Drain some cooked artichoke bottoms (Fig. . 546-548) on a cloth, selecting those of equal size; fill the hollow in the center with a layer of delicate chicken godiveau (No. 82); cover this with cream bechamel sauce (No. 411) and besprinkle the surface with grated parmesan, pouring some butter over. Range them at once in a sautoir, having its bottom covered with a little good gravy (No. 404); baste over with more melted butter and bake in a moderate oven for twenty minutes; they should be of a nice color. Dress in a circle on a dish and pour some cream bechamel in the center.

(2687). Artichoke Bottoms With Marrow (Fonds D'Artichauts A La Moelle)

Incase there be no fresh artichokes canned ones can be procured at any time of the year. Drain and range the cooked bottoms in a flat saucepan; moisten with a little good unskimmed stock (No. 194a) with white wine; heat them simply over a slow fire, but if too hard boil them until perfectly done. Soak two or three pieces of raw beef marrow, without the bone; wrap them up in fine pieces of muslin and poach for a quarter of an hour in stock (No. 194a). Just when prepared to serve drain the artichoke bottoms carefully, wipe them on a towel, and drain the pieces of marrow as well; unwrap these and let get partly cold; then cut them across in thick slices and glaze them with a brush; keep them for a few moments at the oven door, then set one slice in the hollow of each artichoke bottom; dress these on a dish, cover with a little brown sauce ( No. 414) reduced with Madeira wine, not having it too consistent. For garnishing artichoke bottoms, a macedoineof vegetables (No. 680) may be substituted for the marrow, or else green peas, Parisian style (No. 2745)), with which mix a quarter as much cooked chicken, using only the white part cut in three-sixteenths of an inch squares.

(2688). Artichokes Quartered A La Colbert, Stuffed A La Villeroi, Fried And Braised (Quartiers D'Artichauts A La Colbert, Farcis A La Villeroi, Frits Et Fraises)

To prepare these artichokes the hard outside leaves must first be removed, the remaining ones shortened and the bottoms pared; then divide them in four, blanch in salted acidulated water until the choke detaches easily; throw them into cold water, drain and pare once more (see Fig. 545). They can be cooked in several ways, either sauteing in butter to finish the cooking, and adding just when ready to serve some meat glaze (No. 402), lemon juice, seasoning and chopped parsley. Or they can be cooked in a white stock (No. 182), and then served in their natural state, either by tilling the space between the leaves and the bottom with chicken quenelle forcemeat (No. 89) that has had cooked fine herbs (No. 385) mingled in, then poached and cov ered with Villeroi sauce (No. 560), breaded and fried. Those not stuffed may also be breaded a la Villeroi and fried. They can also be braised in a sautoir lined with bards of fat pork; moisten Willi mirepoix stock (No. 419). and cover with more bards of fat pork.

When done dress them in a vegetable dish, and have .half of their stock skimmed and strained over; reduce the other half with espagnole sauce (No. 414), and when well reduced fill some hollowed-out bread-crusts (No. 51) with blanched marrow; cover with a part of this last sauce, and serve the remainder in a sauce-boat.