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.

A Method how to make several sorts of Preserves, both dry and liquid, with some other small curiosities, and dainties for the mouth.

Apricots liquid.

BOyl some water, and mixe with it some old lees of wine proportionably, a handfull or thereabouts, for one hundred of Apricots, which you must put into this boyling water, & stir them with a spoon, until you perceive that they peel on the thumb; after that, take them out, put them into fresh water, and peel them very clean; boyl again some water, put your Apricots into it, and let them boil in it four or five boylings; then steep them in water; and prick them on the stalk; take sugar propor∣tionably, dip your Apricots in it, and seeth them as it is fitting.

Another way of liquid Apricots.

Take such a quantity of Apricots as you will,

peel them as well and as neatly as you can, boyl some water, put your Apricots in it, and let them boil a little; take them out forth∣with, and put them into fresh water, seeth your sugar into a preserve, pass your Apricots into it, and boyl them a very little while; stew them, and let them lie there untill the next day morning, keeping alwaies a small fire under.

Dry Apricots.

Drain them, and turn them into ears, or in round, then bestrew them with sugar in pow∣der, and dry them in a stove.

Another way of dryed Apricots.

Take the hardest, and drain them, then seeth some sugar as for to preserve with it, put your Apricots in it, yet something stronger; boyl them over the fire, and take them out; after that you shall glase them, and put them upon straw; if they are not dry enough, be∣strew them with sugar in powder, and dry them before the fire.

Conserve of Roses.

Take Roses of Provins, the reddest you can get, dry them as much as you can in a silver plate over a small fire, and stirre them often with your hand; after they are very dry, stamp them in a mortar, and then pass them through a very fine sive; then allay them with the juice of lemon, over which you shall put half an ounce of Roses beaten into powder; and for want of juice of lemon, take verjuice: Take

some sugar, and seeth it to the first plume, that is, till the first skin, or trust is seene on the sugar, when it is boiled enough; after it is sod, take it off from the fire, and whiten it with the wooden slice, then put in your roses untill your conserve hath taken a colour; If by chance your sugar was too much sod, mixe with it the juice or halfe the juice of a le∣mon, proportionably to what you thinke fit∣ting; then let your conserve coole a while and take it out.

Conserve of lemon.

Take a lemon and grate it, put the grating of it in water, and after a while take it out, and drye it moderately before the fire. Take some sugar, and seeth it, the first plume or skinne, as it shall make, take it off of the fire, and put the grating of your lemon in it, and whiten it with the wooden slice, and put in a little of juice of lemon, which is necessary for it, then make up your conserve.

Conserve of pomegranate.

Take a pomegranate, and presse it for to take out the juice; then put in on a silver plate, and drie it on a small fire, or on some warme cinders; seeth your sugar untill the plume or skinne appeare, and more then o∣thers; after it is well sod, take it off of the fire, and whiten it; then put your juice in it, and take out your conserve.

Conserve of pistaches.

Take pistaches, and stamp them, seeth the sugar till the plume or skinne appeare, and

then whiten it; afterwards put in your pi∣staches, and stirre them in it, then take up your conserve upon paper.

Conserve of fruits.

Take lemon peele, pistaches, apricots, and cherries, cut them into small peeces, bestrew them with powder sugar, and drie them neere a small fire; take some sugar, seeth it till the plume or skin appeare somewhat strong, then without taking it off of the fire, put your fruits in, and when you perceive the same plume or skinne, take it out, and whiten it, and when you see the small glasse (or ice) on it, take out your conserve with a spoone.

Slices of gammon.

Take some pistaches stamped by them∣selves, some powder of rose of Provins by themselves, allayed with the juice of lemon, and some almonds stamped also by them∣selves, and thus each by it selfe; seeth about one pound and a half of sugar as for conserve; after it is sod, sever it into three parts, where∣of you shall put, and preserve the two upon warme cinders, and into the other your shall powre your roses, and after you have allayed them well in this sugar, powre all together into a sheet of double paper, which you shall fold up two inches high on the foure sides, and tie it with pines on the foure corners; af∣ter this when this first sugar, thus powred shall be halfe cold, and thus coloured, take of your almonds, mixe them into one of the

parts of sugar left on the warme cinders, and powre them over this implement, and do the like also of the pistaches; Then, when all is ready to be cut with the knife, beat down the sides of the sheet of paper, and cut this sugar into slices of the thicknesse of halfe a crown.

White fennell.

Take fennell in branches, and cleanse it well; drie it, and when it is drie, take the white of an egge, and flower of orenge wa∣ter; beat all together and dippe the fennell into it, then put some powder sugar over it, and drie it neere the fire upon some sheets of paper.

For to make red fennell.

Take the juice of pomgranat with the white of an egge, beat all together, and dippe your fennell in it, put powder sugar to it, as to the other, and drie it at the Sun.

For to make blew fennell.

Take some tourne sol, and grate it in water, put in a little powder of Iris, and some white of eggs, beat all together, and dippe your fennell into this water, and then put in some powder sugar, and drie it as the other.

For to whiten geliflowers, roses, and violets.

Take the white of an egge, with a small drop of flower of orenge water, beat them to∣gether, and steep your flowers in it; then take then out, and as you take them out, shake them, put powder sugar over them, and dry them neere the fire.

You may use the same way for to whiten

red corants, cherries, respasses, and strawber∣ries.

Cherries liquid.

Take the fairest you can, and take out the stones, some sugar proportionably to your che∣ries, and boile them together untill the sirrup be well formed, and sod as much as you shall thinke fitting: If you will at the same time take out some drie, draine up a portion of the same cherries, and take some sugar, which you shall seeth into a conserve, put in your cher∣ries, boile them, and take them out.

Plummes of all sorts, liquid.

Take plummes and prick them, then throw them into a bason of boiling water, and boile them softly a little while; let them steep in fresh water, & drain them, then seeth your su∣gar a very little, powre your plums into it, and boile them in it a while; then set them in the stove, if you will; or else, if you finde them not enough, boile againe your sirrup a while, put in your plummes againe, and boile them yet a little.

Green Almonds.

They are made ready as the apricots.

Verjuice liquid.

Take the fairest you can get, and take out all the seeds; boile some water, and let your verjuice steep a little in it, then put it into some sugar a little sod, and boile it seaven or eight high boilings, and take it out.

Dry verjuice.

Draine it well, seeth some sugar into a con∣serve, and put your verjuice in; set it on the

fire, and cause it to take the same seething, as it had when you have mixed it, so that the plume, or skinne or crust of it be very strong.

Bottoms of hartichocks.

Take of bottoms of hartichocks what quan∣tity you will, pare them altogether, and take out the choake carefully, then boile some wa∣ter, put your hartichoaks in, and let them ly therein, untill they be very well sod; then put them into sugar, and boile them therein foure or five boilings, and let them rest in it, then draine them, and take them out.

Buttons of roses dry.

Take the buttons of roses, give them five or six pricks with a knife, and boile them tenne or twelve boilings in water; then take some sugar, melt it, put your rose buttons in, and let them yet boile eight or ten boilings. For to make them drie, use them as you doe the orenges, whereof the making is set down a little below.

Ponsif.

Take good ponsif, cut it into slices and put it into fresh water with one handfull of white salt; let them steep five or six houres, and then boile them in water untill they be sod; take them out, and draine them, then take some sugar, and boile it, and put into it your slices of ponsif, seeth them againe in the su∣gar proportionably, and take them out.

Lemons whole.

Peele them to the white, and cut them at the sharp end, boile some water, and put

them in, until they be half sod; Take them out, put out the water, and put them in againe in other water boiling very high, and make an end of seething them in it. Take them out and put them in fresh water, then melt some sugar, and put your lemons in it.

Orenges.

Take the reddest, and the smoothest, or the most yellow: Pare them and slit them at the end, and let them steep two whole dayes in fresh water, which you shall change twice a day, boile some water in a bason, put your orenges in it, and seeth them half, take them out, and make an end of seething them in o∣ther boiling water; then set them a draining, and take some sugar proportionably to your orenges, with as much water; boile all with your orenges with high boiling, then take them out, and draine them.

How to make white walnuts.

Take walnuts, pare them to the white, and steep them in water six whole dayes, and doe not faile to change the water twice each day; then seeth them in water, and when they are sod, stick them with a clove, with cinnamon, and with a slit of preserved lemon; then take some sugar, and seeth it, put your walnuts in, and let them boile in it ten or twelve boil∣ings, then take them out, draine them and dry them.

Paste of Apricots.

Take them very ripe, and pare them, then put them in a pan without water, and stirre them often with a scimmer, untill they be ve∣ry

dry; take them off of the fire, and mixe them with as much sugar sod into a Conserve, as you have of paste.

Paste of Cherries.

Take some Cherries, boyl them in water, & pass them through a sive; on a good quart of pap of Cherries, put four ounces of pap of Apples, which you shall seeth and strain also; mix all together; dry it, & make it ready as a∣bovesaid.

Paste of gooseberries and of verjuice.

They are made the same way as that of Cherries.

Paste of Quinces.

Take Quinces, seeth them whole in water, and pass them through a course sive; then dry them in a pan over the fire, as the aforesaid paste, mixe them with sugar, and give them five or six turns over the fire, without boyling, make them ready half cold, and so of the rest.

How to make some Massepain.

Take Almonds and peel them, steep them in water, and change it until the last be clear altogether, stamp them with the white of an egge, and water of orange flower, then dry them with a little sugar over the fire, after this you shal stamp them four or five blows in the mortar, and work them as you will.

How to make cakes of Cherries, of Apricots, of Pistaches, and of Almonds.

Take of Cherries, or of Apricots, what you will, stamp them in a mortar with sugar in powder, until they be stiffe enough for to be wrought; bake them before you doe glase

them, and glase them at the top and under∣neath. The Pistaches and Almonds are made ready more easily and are easier to make cakes with.

For to make the sheets of them, steep some gum in water of orange flowers, stamp your al∣monds or pistaches in a mortar with a peece of gum; allay all together with sugar in pow∣der, then make & work up a paste as you will.

You may of the same paste make a glasing very clear, mixing a little musk with it, and be carefull to clense it well at the top, then cut it in length, in round, or into any other form.

The baking of it requires a great care and circumspection; put it in the oven, or in the tourte panne with fire under and above, but a little less above.

How to make other light pasts.

Take the white of an egge, beat it well with a little water of orange flowers, and allay it with a few pistaches or almonds, what you wil. Work them very wel with some sugar in pow∣der, and put in a little musk; bake this in a tourte panne with a few hot cinders both a∣bove and under.

How to make a tourte after the Combalet.

Take three yolks of egs without any whites, half a pound of lemon peel, with some water of orange flowers, and some musk; stamp a le∣mon peel, mix all together, and dry it with a handful of sugar, in beating of it; then put all in a pan, and give it three or four turns over

the fire; make up a tourte, and put it in the tourte panne with some sugar in powder upon and under, and close it up, and put some fire round about it; when it is half baked, take it up, and set it a drying in the oven.

How to make some small sheets of paste glased.

Take all sorts of dry fruits, and stamp them with water of orange flowers, fil your sheets of past with these fruits, which wil form up a cer∣tain thickness, capable & fit for to glase them, leave a little of it at the top, and bake them in the tourt panne until the glasing be risen up: which to bring to pass, put some fire upon, and none under.

How to make the sirrup of cherries.

Take some cherries, press them, and take out the juice, strain them, and give them two or three boilings over the fire, then put in some sugar proportionably, three quarterns for one quart of juice. The sirrup of Rasberries is made alike.

How to make Lemonade.

It is made severall waies, according to the diversity of the ingredients. For to make it with Jasmin, you must take of it about two handfull, infuse it in two or three quarts of water, the space of eight or ten houres; then to one quart of water you shall put six ounces of sugar; those of orange flowers, of muscade roses, ••nd of gelliflowers are made after the same way. For to make that of lemon, take some lemons, cut them, and take out the juice, put it in water as abovesaid pare another lemon, cut it into slices, put it among this juice, and

some sugar proportionably.

That of orange is made the same way.

How to make dry Quinces.

Take some Quinces, pare them, and boyl them in water, take them out & put them in to some boyling sugar; when they are sod, take them out, and powre them into sod sugar, out of which take them out, and dry them as the oranges and other fruits abovesaid.

How to make white hypocrast.

Take three quarts of the best white wine, half a pound of sugar more or less, an ounce of cinamon, two or three marjoram leaves, two corns of peper unstamped, passe all through the straining bag with a small corn of musk, and two or three peeces of lemon, after that, let all infuse together for the space of three or four hours.

The claret is made with claret wine, with the same ingredients, and in the same way.

How to make whipped cream.

Take a quart of milk, and put it into an earthen pan with about a quarter of a pound of sugar; take also one pint of sweet creame, which you shall mixe with your milk by de∣grees as you are whipping of it with rods, you shall by degrees take off the sc••m, and put it in a dish after the form of a pyramid.

How to make creame sod.

Take some sweet cream, with one quart or two of Almonds well stamped, then mixe all in a pan, stir it, and seeth it on a small fire and

when you perceive it to become thick, take two yolks of egs, allay them with a little su∣gar in powde, powre them into your cream, and give it yet four or five turnings.

How to make the English cream.

Take sweet cream, and make it something lukewarm in the dish wherein you will serve it, then take the bigness of a corn of wheat of runnet, and allay it with a little milk.

How to make gelee of gooseberries.

Take some gooseberries, press them, and strain them through a napkin; measure your juice, and put near upon three quarterns of sugar to one quart of juice; seeth it before you mixe it, and seeth again together; after they are mixed, try them on a plate, and you shal know that it is enough, when it riseth off.

That of Rasberries is made the same way.

How to make the gelee of verjuice.

Take verjuice, and give it one boyling in water, strain it through a course linnen cloth, and seeth some apples, the decoction whereof you shall mixe with it, and the rest as above∣said.

The gelee of Cherries is made the same way.

How to make the gelee of apples.

Make a decoction of your Apples, strain it through a napkin, and mixe with it three quarterns of sugar, or thereabouts to one quart of decoction, &c.

How to make the gelee of Quinces.

Make also a decoction of Quinces; make it

also a little reddish, strain it through a nap∣kin, and put it with sugar as the others.

How to make bisket.

Take eight eggs, one pound of sugar into powder, with three quarters of a pound of flowre, mixe all together, and thus it will be neither too soft, nor too hard.

How to make Maccaron.

Take one pound of peeled Almonds; steep them in fresh water, and wash them until the water be clear; drain them, and stamp them in a mortar; besprinkle them with three whites of egs, instead of water of orange flowers, put in a quartern of sugar in powder, and make your paste, which you shall cut upon the pa∣per after the form of Maccaron; bake it, but take heed you give it not the fire too hot; af∣ter it is baked, take it out of the oven, and set it up in a place warm and dry.

How to make the Marmalat of Quinces of Orleans.

Take fifteen pounds of Quinces, three pounds of sugar, and two quarts of water, boil all together; after it is well sod, pass it by little and little through a napkin, and take out of it what you can; then put your de∣coction in a bason with four pounds of sugar, seeth it; for to know when it is enough, trie it on a plate, and if it doth come off, take it quickly from off the fire, and set it up in boxes, or somewhere else.

How to make Strawberries.

Take the paste of Massepain, rowl it in your hands into the shape of Strawberries, then dip them in the juice of Barbaries, or of red Corants, and stir them well; after this, put them in a dish, and dry them before the fire, and when they are dry, dip them againe three or four times in the same juice.

How to make the Caramel.

Melt some sugar with a little water, and let it seeth more than for a conserve; put in∣to it some sirrup of Capilaire, and powre all into fresh water.

How to make the Muscadin.

Take the powder of sugar, a little of gum Adragan, which you shall steep in water of o∣range flowers, stamp all together, make it into Muscadin, and dry it afar off before the fire, or at the sun.

How to make Snow paste.

Take powder of sugar, and gumme Adra∣gan proportionably, stamp all together; and put in some good water, then make up your sheet of paste.

How make a cake of Pistaches.

Take half a pound of powder of sugar, a quartern of Pistaches, for one penny of gum Adragan, and one drop of sweet water; stamp all together, and when the paste is made, make your cakes of the thickness of a half crown, and bake them in the oven.

Rasberries preserved.

Make your sirrup with the decoction of Apples, when it is well sod, put your Ras∣berries in, give them only one boyling, take them out, and put them where you will for to keep them.

Quinces liquid.

Take them very yellow, and without spots, cut them into quarters, and seeth them in water, untill they be well sod, and very soft; then drain them, & put your sugar in the same water, which you shall seeth a little more than sirrup; put your Quinces in again, and put in their seeds, taken out first and wrap∣ped into a linnen cloath, for to give them a colour, and when they are enough, take them out.

For to make a composte of Apples.

Take some Pippins, and pare them very smooth, and without spots; if they are big, cut them into four quarters, if they are small, cut them into halfes, and take out the seeds, and all other superfluities; as you pare them throw them in water; and after they are all in, put the water and apples in a panne, with some sugar, to the proportion of a quartern and a half to eight great apples, and a little cinamon; instead of which in winter, when the apples have less juice, you may put one glass of white wine; boyl all until the apples be soft under your fingers; then take them out peece by peece, and press them between

two spoones, and set them on a plate, then straine your sirrup through a napkin folded in two; after it is strained, put it in the pan againe, for to make a gelee of it, which you shall know to be sod, if you take some with a small spoone, and that the drops doe fall like small peeces of ice; then take it off from the fire, and when it is halfe cold, put it over your apples, that are set on the plate.

Compost of apples John.

It is made the same way, but that the skin must not be taken off.

How to make the marmalat of apples.

Take ten or twelve apples, pare them and cut them, as you pare them, as farre as the co••••e, and put them into cleere water; then take the apples, and the water wherein they doe steepe, with half a pound of sugar, or lesse, if you will, powre them into a panne, seeth them, as they seeth crush them, least they should burne; and when there is almost no more water, passe all through a sive; Take what you have passed, and put it in the same pan againe, with the grating of halfe a lemon, or orenge, before steeped above a quarter of an houre into some warme water, and strained through a linnen cloth, for to know, and take out the bitternesse of it; as they seeth, stirre alwayes least your marmalat do burne; you may know that it is sod when it is as into a gelee, and sheweth lesse moistnesse; and when it is as it ought to be, take it off of the

fire, and spread it with a knife, the thickness of two half crowns.

How to make the compost of peares.

Take what peares you will, so that they be good, pare them, and take out the seeds, the hardnesse which is at the head of the peare, and the other superfluities, as of the apples; If they are big, cut them into halfes or quar∣ters; if they are small, into three parts; then put them in a panne, with water, sugar, and some cinnamon; when they are half sod, powre into them a glasse of strong red wine, and keep them alwayes covered close, because it causeth them to become red; give them as much seething, or thereabouts, as you would give to the sirrup of other preserves.

Another way.

Bake some apples in warme cinders, when they are baked, pare them, cut them into halfes or quarters, according to their higness, and take out the inside; make a sirrup with sugar, and the juice of a lemon, or the wa∣ter of orenge flowers; powre your peares in∣to this sirrup, and give them one boiling, then put them on a plate.

How to make marons after the Limosine.

Seeth some marons after the ordinary way, when they are sod, peele them, and in peeling them, flat them a little between your hands; set them on a plate, and take some water, su∣gar, and the juice of lemon, or of water of orenge flowers, make a sirrup with it, when

it is made, powre it boiling upon your ma∣rons, and serve them hot or cold.

Another way.

If you will whiten them, take the white of an egge and some water of orenge flowers, beat them together, dippe your marons into it, and put them in a dish with some powder of sugar, Rowle them untill they be covered with it, then drye them neere the fire.

How to make the compost of lemon.

Make a gelee of apples, and seeth it, after it is sod, take a big lemon, pare it very thick, and neere the juice, cut it in two, and in length, and divide these two parts into many slices, take out the seedes, and throw these slices into your gelee; give it yet ten or twelve boilings, so that your gelee may yet have its first seething; take it off of the fire, and let it become halfe cold; fill a plate with lemon slices, and cover them with your gelee.

How to make the lemon paste.

Take some sugar in powder, and some whites of eggs with a little of the grating of the flesh of lemon, stamp all together in a mortar, and if perchance there were too many eggs, put in some flowre of sugar, so with stamping you may bring what is in your mor∣tar into a paste fit to be wrought with; worke it after the ordinary, and your cakes as you will, after the thickness of halfe a finger, or lesse if you will. Bake them upon paper in the oven, or in a tourte pan, with fire above and

under, with mediocritie. Have a care that they become not yellow, and as soone as you doe perceive that they begin to take that color take them out, for they are enough.

How to make the bisket of Sav••y.

Take six yolkes, and eight whites eggs, with one pound of sugar in powd•••• three quarters of a pound of good flowre made of good wheat, and some anise seed, beat all well together, and boile it; make a paste neither too soft nor too hard, if it is too soft, you may mixe with it some flowre of sugar, for to harden it; when it is well proportioned, put it into moules of white tinne made for the purpose; and then bake them half in the oven; when they are halfe baked, take them out, and moisten them at the top with the yolks of eggs; after that put them in the oven againe; for to make an end of baking; when they are so baked that they are not too much burned, nor too soft, take them out, and set them in a place which is neither too coole, nor too dry.