(2751). Lettuces Chopped With Croutons (Laitues Hachees Aux Croutons)

Pick and pare nicely some lettuce heads by removing the green leaves from the bottom of the stalk; detach all the leaves separately, and wash them in several changes of water, then blanch, refresh and drain; press down well to extract the liquid; pick over to remove all straws and other impurities that may be attached to the lettuce, then chop it up finely, and lay it in a saucepan with a piece of butter; dry over the tire, and season with salt and nutmeg, adding a pinch of flour; moisten with some clear gravy ( No. 404). and then dress. Surround the lettuce with croutons fried in butter. The gravy may be replaced by cream and the flour by veloute sauce (No. 415) or espagnole sauce (No. 414). Cos lettuce can be prepared and served the same way.

(2752). Lettuces Stuffed And Fried (Laitues Farcies Et Frites)

Pare and wash some lettuce heads in several changes of water, blanch them in a copper basin and cook in boiling, salted water for twenty minutes; drain, refresh and press out the liquid from each one separately. Spread them on a cloth, open the leaves, and fill each lettuce with a forcemeat ball an inch and a half in diameter, prepared as follows: Take a quarter of a pound of cooked chicken meat, the same of cooked ham, the same of cooked mushrooms, and add a pound of veal udder, a quarter of a pound of soaked and pressed-out bread-crumbs, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, minced chives and five egg-yolks, the whole to be well pounded in a mortar. Enclose the forcemeat ball in the lettuce. Wrap each of these in a slice of fat pork, braise lor one hour, drain and dip in egg and bread-crumbs, either whole or cut in two, fry to a fine color, and serve with a half-glaze sauce (No. 413) apart.

(2753). Lettuces With Half-Glaze Sauce - Stuffed (Laitues Farcies A La Sauce Demi-Glace)

Blanch some pared and well-washed lettuces for ten to twelve minutes; drain on a sieve, and press them singly to extract all the water, then double them over and range them in a sautoir lined with fat pork; season and moisten with broth (No. 194a), cover with buttered paper and cook for one hour on a slow lire. Drain the lettuces once more, open them and stuff with veal quenelle forcemeat (No. 92), closing them up again carefully; return to a clean sautoir one beside the other and pour over a little gravy (No. 404); cook once more for twenty minutes on a slow fire, drain and shape them prettily. Dress on a dish in a circle, and cover over with a little half-glaze sauce (No. 413).

(2754). Lettuces With Thickened Gravy - Braised (Laitues Braisees Au Jus Lie)

Trim some lettuce heads by removing the green leaves from the stalks; pare these stalks to a point, wash the lettuces in several waters, changing it each time, and then blanch for ten minutes in a copper basin with boiling salted water; drain on a sieve, press each one separately to extract all the liquid, and fold them lengthwise in two, wrapping each one in a thin slice of fat pork tied on with a thin string. Range them in a sautoir, braise in a mirepoix stock (No. 419) and broth ( No. 194a) half of each, and cover with buttered paper; let cook for one hour and a quarter on a slow tire or in the oven, being careful to baste occasionally during the operation. Drain the lettuces, dress them in a circle; strain the stock, remove its fat and reduce it well with a little espagnole sauce (No. 414); pour a third part of this over the lettuces and serve the remainder separately.

(2816). Romaine Or Cos Lettuce A La Rudini - Stuffed (Romaine Farcie A La Rudini)

Remove the green stalk leaves from six cos lettuces; cut each one lengthwise in two, remove the centers or hard parts, and blanch in boiling salted water; drain properly, and lay them on a cloth; suppress all the hard part from the leaves and stuff each half with veal quenelle forcemeat ( No. 92), into which mix the insides of four cooked and skinned sausages, also a coffeespoonful of finely cut-up chives. Roll the romaines into muff-shapes, wrap them around with fat pork, then braise and drain; strain and reduce the stock with espagnole sauce (No. 414), and pour this over after it has been well reduced.