The French cook.: Prescribing the way of making ready of all sorts of meats, fish and flesh, with the proper sauces, either to procure appetite, or to advance the power of digestion. Also the preparation of all herbs and fruits, so as their naturall crudities are by art opposed; with the whole skil of pastry-work. Together with a treatise of conserves, both dry and liquid, a la mode de France. With an alphabeticall table explaining the hard words, and other usefull tables. / Written in French by Monsieur De La Varenne, clerk of the kitchin to the Lord Marquesse of Uxelles, and now Englished by I.D.G.

How to make all kinds of Potage.

1. A Bisque of young Pigeons.

Take young Pigeons, cleanse them well, and truss them up, which you shall doe in making a hole with a knife below the sto∣mack, and thrusting the legs through it; Whiten them, that is, put them into a pot with hot water, or with pot broath, and co∣ver them well; then put them in the pot with a small twig of fine hearbs, & fil up your pot with the best of your broths, have a speci∣all care that it may not become black; then dry your bread, and stove it in the Pigeon broth; then take up after it is well seasoned with salt pepper and cloves, garnished with the young pigeons cock's combes, sweetbreads of veale, mushrums, mutton juice, and pi∣staches; serve it up, and garnish the brims of the dish with slices of lemon.

2. Potage of Health.

Take Capons, cleanse them well, truss them up, and put them in the pot with broth, and cover them, lest the broath doe wax black; season them well with salt, seeth them well with store of good hearbs; in winter, white succorie; then take up and garnish with your hearbs, viz. with cardes and par∣sley roots, or succorie, and serve.

3. Potage of Partridges with Coleworts.

Cleanse them well, lard them with great lard, truss them up, and put them in the pot

with good broath; put also your coleworts in the pot with your Partridges; after they are sodden, you shal pass into it a little melted lard, and season them with cloves and pepper; then stove or soake your crusts, garnish them with sweet breds of veale, or with Saucidges, if you have any, then serve.

4 Potage of Ducks with Turnips.

Cleanse them, lard them with great lard, then pass them in the pan with fresh seame or melted lard; or else rost them on the spit three or foure turnes, then put them in the pot, and take your turnips, cut them as you will, whiten them; flower them and pass them in fresh seame or lard, untill they be very brown; put them in your Ducks, seeth all well, and stove or soak your bread well, to the end that your potage be thickned; If you have capars you shall mixe some with it, or a little vinegar; take up, and garnish with Tur∣nips, then serve.

5. Potage of Pullets with Sparagus.

After they are well trussed up, whiten them well, and put them in the pot with a sheet of lard over them; fill your pot with your best broth, & season them with salt and a lit∣tle pepper, & set them not seeth too much, dry you bread & stove or soak it, and garnish it with your pullets, with sparagus fried and broken, mushrums, combs, or with the gib∣lets of your pullets, with a few pistaches, and juice of mutton, and garnish the brim of

your dish with lemon, then serve.

6. Potage of marbled Partriges.

When your Partridges are well trussed up, lard them with great lard, and whiten them, then put them in the pot; seeth them well, & season them with salt, then put in your bread and stove or soak it; garnish your potage with it, and with mushrums, boyle them a little on the fire, putting therein some white al∣mond broath and some mutton juice, pista∣ches and lemon, then serve.

7. Potage of Quelckchoses, or Liverings.

Take a fillet of Veale, cut it very thinne, stuffe it very well, and cause it to take colour in a tourt pan, or between two dishes; put the slices thereof into a small pot with some of the best broath; season them, stove or soak your bread, and garnish it with your liverings, mushrums, truffes, sparagus, mutton juice, pissaches, if you will, or lemon, then serve.

8. Potage of marbled quailes.

After they are trusted up and whitned, flower them, and pass them with lard or fresh seam, then put them in the pot, seeth them well, and season them with salt; stove or soak your bread, and garnish it with your quailes, with truffes, mushrums, combs, lemon, and pistaches, then serve.

9. Potage of wood pigeons garnished.

Take wood pigeons or big pigeons, whi∣ten, and lard them, with middle sised lard, then put them in the pot, and seeth them wel

with seasoning of salt, and a twig of time stove your your bread, then garnish it with your pigeons, bottoms of hartichocks, and sparagus, then serve.

10. Potage of small vayles.

Take foure or six small loaves, take out of them all the crumme through, a small hole made on the top, take off the top and dry it, with the bread, frie them with fresh seam or lard, then stove or soak your bread with your best broath, and besprinckle it with almond broath, then put your loaves to garnish your potage, & fill them with combes, sweetbreads gibblets, truffles, mushrums, and cover them; put some broath therein untill the bread bee soaked; before you serve, powre on it some juice, and what you have then serve.

11. The Queens Potage.

Take Almonds, beate them, and boyle them with good broth, a bundle of hearbs, and a peece of the inside of a lemon, of crums of bread a little, then season them with salt, have a care they burne not, stirre them very often, & strain them. Then take your bread & stove or soak it with your best broath, which you shal make thus. When you have taken the bones out of some roasted partridge or capon, take the bones and beate them well in a mor∣ter, then take some good broath, seeth all these bons with a few mushrums, & strain all through a linnen cloath, and with this broath stove or soak your bread, and as it doth stove,

besprinckle it with broath of almonds and with juice, then put into it a little of some very smal hash, be at of partridge or of capon, and alwaies as it doth stove, put in it some almond broath untill it be full; then take the fire-shovell red hot, and pass it over it. Garnish your potage with cockes combes, pistaches, granates, and juice, then serve.

12. Princesse's Potage.

Take of the same Broth of the Queen's Potage taken out of the rosted bones, stove a loaf of bread with the crust, and after a smal hash of Partridges, which you shall strew upon your Bread, so thin as it may not ap∣pear: stove it and fill it by little and little, Garnish it with the smallest Mushrums, Combes, Stones, or Kidneis, Pistaches, Le∣mon, and much Iuice, then serve.

13. Jacobin's Potage.

Take Capons, or Partridges, rost them, take our the bones, and mince the brain of them very small, take also the bones of them, break them, and seeth them with Broth in an earthen Pot, with a bundle of Herbes, then strain them through a linnen cloth, stove your Bread, lay on it a bed of Flesh, or of Cheese, if you will, a bed of Almond Broth, and boil it well, and fill it byd egr••s, then Garnish it with the small ends of Wings, without bones at one end; take three Eggs, with a little or Almond Broath, if you have any, or of other, beat

them together, and powre them on your Po∣tage; pass the fire-shovell over it, then serve.

14. Potage of Cockerels.

Dross and whiten them, steeping them a while in fresh Water, or in Broath, then put them in the Pot with some other Broath well seasoned with Salt; Take up, and Gar∣nish them with all that you have remain∣ing of Garnish, upon a loaf stoved, and serve.

15. Potage of Teales with Hypocrast.

Take Teales, dress and cleanse them well, whiten them as above said, and being sticked within with some Lard, frie them a little with Lard or fresh Seam, then put them in the Pot; When they are almost sodden, you shall throw in it some Brignolls, with a piece of Sugar, and shall Garnish your Potage with the Teales and Brignolls:

16. Brown Potage of Larkes.

Take Larkes, and draw them, whiten them, flower them, and pass them in the pan with Butter, Lard, or fresh Seam, un∣till they be very brown, then put them in the Pot with good Broth and a bundle of Herbs, and seeth them; Stove well a loaf, which you shall Garnish with your Larks, Beef Pallats; Mutton juice, and Lemon, then serve.

17. Potage of young Pigeons.

Take young Pigeons, scald them well, and put them in the Pot with good Broath and a

bundle of Herbs; Seeth them well with a sheete of Lard, then take them upon a sto∣ved loaf, and Garnish them with Hartichokes and Sparagus fried, green Pease or Lettice ••hen serve.

18. Potage of Teal with the juice of Turnips.

Take Teales, and rost them, then put them in the Pot with good Broath, next take some turnips, whiten them, flowre them, and pass them in the pan, so that they be very brown, put them with your Teal and seeth them to∣gether, and when you will take up, strain the Turnips through a linnen Cloath for to take out the juice of them, wherewith you shall Garnish your Potage, together with your Teal, and with Pomgranats, then serve.

19. Potage of Beatilles.

Take your Beatilles, scald them well, pass them in the pan as a Fricasse of Pullets, put them in the pot with good Broath, and let them consume well, stove a loaf which you shall garnish with your beatills, with much juice of Mutton and Rams-stones, then serve.

20. Potage of Pullets with Coliflowers.

Put them in the Pot with with good Broath, seeth them with a bundle of Herbs, and season them well with Salt, Clove, Pepper; And grate a little Nutmegge or crust of Bread, when you are ready to serve, Garnish with them your loave stoved with Coliflowers, and Mutton juice, and serve.

21. Potage of Pullets in Ragoust.

When they are rosted, cut them into quar∣ters, then put them between two dishes after the manner of a Ragoust, with some Broath from the Pot; Stove your Bread in crust, and Garnish it with your Pullets, putting about a few Mushrums and Sparagus, then serve.

22. Potage of young Pigeons rosted.

Put them in the Pot with good Broath well seasoned with salt and clove, seeth them: then stove your crusts and garnish them with your pigeons, and what you shall have to put in it; have a care that your potage be brown, then serve.

23. Potage of Goose with Pease-Broath.

Take Geese or other, as you will, put them in the Pot and seeth them well, then take your Pease and seeth them well, then pass them through a strainer very fine, & put your Pease Broath into a Pot with a bundle of herbes, pass a little Lard in the pan, and when it is melted, throw it into the Pot, and when you will serve, stove your Bread with your Geese-Broath, then powre your Pease-Broath over it; Which to make green, you must not let your Pease to seeth outright, but when they are half sodden, stamp them in a Morter, and strain them with good Broath; or if it is in winter, take Peetes or Sorrell; stamp and strain it, and power the juice a∣bout your Potage when you are ready to serve.

24. Potage of Goose-giblets.

Whiten them well, and put them in the pot

with broath, a bundle of herbes and a sheet of lard; seeth them well, so that being sodden they may show white, stove your bread, and garnish it with your giblets, which you shall whiten if you will, and put on them a few minced capars, then serve.

25. Potage of Geese with Pease.

Put your Geese in a pot with Broath, after you have dressed and whitened them well; Seeth and season them well; Frie your Pease a little in the pan, then put them into a small Pot with a little Broath, and when they are well s••dden, stove your Bread, and Garnish it with your Geese and with their Giblets, and with your Pease whole or strain∣ed, then serve Garnish'd with Lettice.

26. Potage of Salt-Goose with Pease-Broath.

Your Goose being well salted, and cut in∣to four quarters, if it be too much salted, make it fresher, then Lard it with great Lard, and seeth it well; When your Pease are sod, pass them through a strainer as Pease Broath, and season it well according to your Palate; Boil your Goose a very little in this Pease-Broath, stove your Bread with other broath if you have any in another Pot, and over the Pease-Broath you shall powre a little Mutton juice for to Marble it, then serve.

27. Potage of Pullets with green Pease.

After your Pullets are well scalded and trussed up, put them in the Pot with good Broath, and scum them well; Then pass your

Pease in the pan with Butter or Lard, and stove them with some Lettice whitened, tha is, which you have steeped in fresh Watert Stove also your Bread, and then Garnish i•• with your Pullet, Pease, and Lettice, then serve. and serve.

28. Potage of Pigeons with green Pease.

It is made like that of Pullets, but that, if you will, you need not strain your Pease into Pease-Broath.

29. Potage of salt meat with Pease.

Seeth well your salt meat, be it Pork, or Goose, or any other; take up and powre your Pease-Broath over it, then serve.

30. Potage of young Rabbets.

When they are well dressed, whiten them, and pass them in the pan with Butter or Lard, then put them in the Pot with good Broath, and a bundle of Herbes, and seeth them as it is fitting, stove well your Bread, and Garnish it with your young Rabbets, Mushrums and Truffles, and with what you have, then serve,

31. Potage of Abatis of Lambs.

After your Abatis are well whitened, put them in the Pot with good Broath, a bundle of hearbs, & a sheet of Lard, that is a sheet of fat Lard or Bacon, seeth them well, and stove your Bread, and when you are ready to serve, powre a white Broath over it that is, yolks of Eggs and Verjuice, then serve.

32. Potage of Larks with a sweet Sauce.

Plume them, and draw them, then flower them, and pass them in the pan with Lard or fresh Seam, then put them in the Pot with good Broath, half a pint of white Wine, and half a pound of Sugar, and seeth them well; stove your Bread, Garnish it with your Larks, and serve.

33. Potage of Knuckle of Veal.

Put your Knuckle of Veal in the Pot with good Broath, Seeth and scim it well, put therein some white Succorie; Stove your Bread, Garnish it with the Knuckle, Succo∣rie and Mushrums, then serve.

34. Potage of a Breast of Veal.

Whiten it in fresh Water, then put in the Pot with good Broath, seeth it, and put there∣in some good Herbs, and a few Capars, and all being well seasoned, take up on your sto∣ved Bread, then serve,

35. Potage of Mav••s, or Thrushes.

Truss them up, and draw them, then flower them, and pass them in the pan with Butter or Lard, then put them in the Pot with good Broath, and seeth them well with a bundle of herbes; Stove your Bread, and Garnish it with your Thrushes, Beef-Pallats, and Mushrums, then serve.

36. Potage of Tortoise.

Take your Tortoises, cut of the Head and Feet, seeth them in Water, and when they are neer sodden, put a little white Wine

therein, some fine Herbes, and some Lard. When they are sod, take them out of the shell, and take out the Gall, cut them into peeces, and pass them in the pan with good Butter, then stove them in a dish, as also your Bread, with some of your Broath, Gar∣nish it with your Tortoises well seasoned, with Sparagus cut, with juice and with Le∣mon, then serve.

37. Potage of sucking Pigge.

After you have dressed him neatly, cut it into five peeces, whiten them in some Broath or fresh Water, and put them in the Pot with good Broath, put some fine Herbes to it, and a peece of Lard, but have a care they do not boil drie; Stove your Bread, and Garnish it with your Pigge, the Head in the midst of the quarters, and the Purtnances or Abatis round about the dish, then serve.

38. Potage of mine'd Mutton.

Take a joint of Mutton, mince it with beef suet, or Marrow, and stove it in a Pot, stove also your Bread in a dish with the best of your Broaths; After this, Garnish it with your Ach••s, or minc'd meat, together with juice, Combes, Beat••lles filled with dry Bread, o∣therwise Tailladins, that is, peeces of Bread of the length and bigness of a finger, in the shape of Lardons, which you shall pass in the pan with good butter, untill they be brown, and as it were rosted, and stove it well also, then serve.

39. Potage of Knuckle of Beef.

Smother it well in a Pot, untill it be almost boiled to peeces, and well seasoned with a bundle of herbes, Cloves, Capers, Mushrums, Truffles; Then stove your Bread, and Gar∣nish it with your Knuckle and it's imple∣ments.

40. Potage of Capon with Rice.

Take a Capon, dress it well, and put it in the Pot with good Broath well seasoned, take your Rice well pickt, wash and dry it before the fire, then seeth it by degrees with good Broath; Stove your Bread, put your Capon on it, and Garnish it with your Rice; if you will, you may put some Saffron to it, and serve.

41. Potage of Pullets with Rice.

It is made after the same way as the Capon; Dress them, truss them up, put them in the Pot, and season them alike; Make your Rice ready the same way, your Bread being stoved and Garnished as above said, serve.

42. Potage of Knuckle of Beef with Tailladins.

Whiten your Knuckle, seeth and season it well, and with the Broath seeth also your Tailladin; You shall put with it an Onion stuckt with Cloves, and a little thin, then stove your Bread, and Garnish it with the Knuckle and with your Tailladins, which are peeces of Bread of the length and bigness of one finger, passed and fried in the

pan with Butter, or Lard, as above said, in the 38th. Article; If you will, you may put some Saffron in it, then serve.

Capon with Tailladin, and all other meat is done the same way, and being made ready thus, it shall be called such meat with Tailladin.

43. Potage of the Boyler, or great Pot.

Stove some crusts of brown Bread with some good broath of your boyler, great pot or beefe pot, seasoned with pepder, salt, and a little minc'd parsley, then serve; the first cuttings of loafes are served in the like man∣ner, without parsley or pepper if you will.

44. Potage of a Calfs-head fry'd.

When it is sodden, take out the bones, and cut it into as many peeces as you will, then flower it and fry it with butter or lard, then stove your bread, and garnish it with what you have fry'd; serve the dish well filled and garnished, as with mushrums, pom-granats, or sliced lemons, and juice of lemons.

45. Potage of fryed Mutton with Turnips.

Take the upper ends of the brests of mut∣ton, fry them, and seeth them well, untill they be fit to receive the turnips, which after you have cut them into slices or peeces, and also well fried, you shall put with your mut∣ton well sod, & seasoned with clove, salt, and a bundle of hearbs; stove your bread, and take up; If your potage is not thick enough, fry a little flowre into the broth for to thick∣en

it, and mixe with it some white pepper and vinegar, then serve.

46. Potage of the handles or knuckles of shoulders with Ragoust.

When your handles or knuckles are white∣ned in fresh water, floure them, & pass them in the pan with butter or lard, seeth them in an earthen pan with al the implements which can abide seething, as sparagus, mushrums truffles, stove your bread or crusts with good broath, and garnish it with your handles or knuckles, sparagus, mushrums, and all what you have, then serve.

47. Potage of rosted Woodcocks.

After they are rosted, put them in the pot with good broath and a bundle of hearbs, & seeth them well; then stove your bread▪ and garnish it with your woodcocks, and all what you have, then serve.

You may also doe in the same manner, as of the marbled partridge.

48. Halfe a Bisque.

Take pigeons somewhat big, open them, and seeth them as the Bisque, whereof you will easily finde the making, if you have re∣course to the table, garnish and season them also the same way, so that it may be as good as the bisque, if you can, then serve.

49. Jacobin's potage with cheese.

Take a Capon garnished with his bones fit∣ted, as wings and legs, & some cheese, whereof you shall make as many beads as of flesh, and

you shall besprinkle all with almond broath, if you can; If it be not thick enough, allay two or three egs, and give it colour with the fireshovell. Now to make your broath the better, stamp the bones, and boyle them with the best of your broaths, well seasoned; stove your bread, which you may garnish with pistaches, lemons or pomgranats, then serve.