RECIPES AND MODES OF PROCEDURE
In Part I. of this work I treated of the general principles on
which the science of cookery is founded, and the leading operations
constituting the basis of the work.
In Part II. I shall proceed from the general to the particular—in other
words, I shall set forth the recipes of every dish I touch upon, its
method of preparation, and its constituent parts.
With the view of making reference as easy as possible, without
departing from a certain logical order, I have adopted the method of
classifying these recipes in accordance with the position the dishes
they represent hold in the ordinary menu, and thus, starting with
the hors-d’œuvres, I go straight on to the dessert. I was compelled,
however, to alter my plan in the case of eggs, which never appear on
the menu of a dinner save in Lent.
These I have therefore placed immediately after the hors-d’œuvres,
which, like eggs, should only be served at luncheons, for reasons I
shall explain later.
It will be seen that I have placed the Savouries before the Entremets,
instead of after the Ices, as is customary in England. My reason for
this apparent anomaly is that I consider it a positive gastronomical
heresy to eat fish, meats, fowl-remains, &c., after delicate Entremets
and Ices, the subtle flavour of the latter, which form such an
agreeable item in a dinner, being quite destroyed by the violent
seasoning of the former.
Moreover, the very pretext brought forward in support of this practice,
so erroneous from the gastronomical standpoint, namely, “that after
a good dinner it is necessary to serve something strange and highly
seasoned, in order to whet the diner’s thirst,” is its own condemnation.
For, if appetite is satiated and thirst is quenched, it follows that
the consumer has taken all that is necessary. Therefore, anything more
that he may be stimulated to take will only amount to excess, and
excess in gastronomy, as in everything else, is a fault that can find
no excuse.
At all events, I could agree to no more than the placing of the
Savouries before mild Entremets, and, even so, the former would have
to consist of light, dry preparations, very moderately seasoned, such
as Paillettes with Parmesan, various kinds of dry biscuits, and small
tartlets garnished with cheese _soufflé_.
In short, if I expressed my plain opinion on the matter, I should
advise the total suppression of Savouries in a dinner.