First Broth

Take part of a breast or of a rump of beef, with some of the parures, or trimmings. Put the meat into a stock-pot with cold water. Set it on the fire, and watch the proper moment to skim it well. If this broth is not clear and bright, the other broths and sauces will also be spoilt. Be particular in skimming off the black scum; pour a little cold water into the above to raise up the white scum. When all the scum has been skimmed off, put in a few carrots, turnips, heads of celery, and leeks, four large onions, one of which is to be stuck with cloves; then throw a handful of salt into the stock-pot, and let the whole simmer for five hours. Strain the broth through a cloth, or a double silk sieve. Lay the piece of beef in some of the broth, to keep it hot. This first broth serves to moisten all the other broths, of which the different names are as follows: -

Gravy Of Beef

Trim, with layers of fat bacon, the bottom of a thick stew-pan; cut four large onions by halves, lay the flat part over the bacon; take a few slices of beef, put them in the same manner as in the gravy of veal, moisten with the first broth only. Let this sweat, in order to get all the gravy out of the beef, and when the broth is reduced, thrust a knife into the meat; let it stew gently on a slow fire, till the gravy be of a light brown*. Next moisten with some first broth, throw in a large bunch of parsley and of green onions, a little salt, and a pepper corn. Let the whole boil for one hour; take the fat off, and drain it through a silk sieve, to use it when wanted.

* The browner the glaze is, the better, but care must be taken not to burn it, as it will then be bitter.

L'Aspic

Take a handful of aromatic herbs, such as burnet, chervil, and tarragon. Boil them in white vinegar; when the vinegar is well scented, pour into your stew-pan some consomme of fowl reduced; season well before you clarify. When the aspic is highly seasoned, break the white of four eggs into an earthen pan, and beat them with an osier rod; throw the aspic into those whites of eggs, and put the whole on the fire in a stew-pan; keep beating or stirring till your jelly gets white, it is then very near boiling. Put it on the corner of the stove, with a cover over it, and a little fire on the top of it. When quite clear and bright, strain it through a bag or sieve, to be used when wanted.

N.B. If you should want to use it for a mayonaise, or as a jelly in moulds, you must make sure of its being stiff enough. If it be not, add to it, either a knuckle of veal or a calf's foot; put it into a small mould in ice, for trial; when you may ascertain whether it may be used in large moulds, which, it is to be observed, require the jelly to be quite firm. You must use chiefly those parts which have tendons about them, as knuckles of veal, calves' feet, etc.

Jelee Of Meat, For Pies

The jelee of meat for pies is not to be prepared in the same manner as the aspic. Neither aromatic herbs nor vinegar are to be used. The jelee is to be made as follows: Put into a stew-pan a good piece of beef, two calves' feet, a knuckle of veal, remnants of fowl, or game, according to the contents of your pies, two onions stuck with cloves, two carrots, four shalots, a bunch of parsley and green onions, some thyme, bay-leaves, spices, etc. and a small piece of ham. Sweat the whole over a very slow fire, then moisten with some good broth, let the stew-pan be covered close, and those ingredients stew for four hours, but very gently. When done, taste it, season it well, and clarify it as you do the aspic. In order that it may keep the better, put it into ice.

Le Suage, Or L'Empotage

Mark† in a marmite twenty pounds of beef, a knuckle of veal, a hen, and if you have any remnants of fowl or of veal, you may put them in likewise. Moisten this stock-pot with two large ladles full of broth. Sweat it over a large fire. Let it boil to glaze without its getting too high in colour. Next fill it up with some first broth that is quite hot. Put some vegetables into this pot, which is intended for making soup only. But you must put very few into the consommes which are to be reduced, and would have a bitter taste if they were to retain that of the roots, and accordingly not be fit to be used in delicate cookery. L'empotage requires no more than five hours to be done; strain it through a silk sieve, and use it when you have occasion for it.