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.

The way of making, allaying, or thickning to be kept for sauces, to the end that one may not be put to the trouble of making them on every occasion, when one may have need of them.

Thickning of Almonds.

PEele well your Almonds and stamp them in a mortar, then put them with good broth, crummes of bread, yolks of egges, juice of lemon, an onion, salt, cloves, and three or four mushrums; seeth all these a very little while, pass them through the strainer, and put it into a pot to use it upon occasion.

Thickning of Mushrums.

Take the stalkes of Mushrums, with a few stamped Almonds, Onion, Parsley, crums of bread, yolks of egs and capers; boyl all with good broth, and season it well, mixe with it a slice of lemon, then pass it through a strai∣ner,

and put it into a pot to use it upon oc∣casion.

Thickning of flowre.

Melt some lard, take out the mammocks, put your flowre into your melted lard, seeth it well, but have a care it stick not to the pan, mixe some onion with it proportionably; when it is enough, put all with good broth, mushrums, and a drop of vinegar; then after it hath boyled with its seasoning, passe all through the strainer, and put it in a pot; when you will use it, you shall set it upon warm embers for to thicken or allay your sauces.

Thickning of trouffles.

Take dry flowre, which you shall allay with good broth, trouffles, onions, mushrums, and a twigge of thime, stamp all together, and boyl it with your flowre allayed, pass it through the strainer, and put it in a pot; it will be usefull for the thickning of your En∣trees (or first courses) or ragousts.

You may use these thicknings in Lent, so that you put no eggs in it: They may also be usefull for all, as for the first and second courses, and for the Entremets (or Inter∣courses.

Method for the making the juice of Mushrums, of Beef, or of Mutton, which may be usefull for many Sauces and Ragousts.

Juice of Mushrums.

TAke the least of your Mushrums, wash them well with their skinnes and stalks, without taking off any thing, boyl them in a pot with good broth, as they are boyling, put in a bundle of herbs, an onion stuck with cloves, and some peeces of rosted meat, all well seasoned with salt; after they are well boyled, passe them through the strainer, and put it into a pot, for to use it at need. It may be usefull for all kinds of Ragousts, even for potages; and it doth often passe for juice of Mutton.

The juice of beef, or of mutton.

Rost your meat a little more than half, be it beef or mutton, prick it with a knife, and press it in a press if you have any, it will be the better; after it is pressed, and the juice taken out, take one spoonfull of good broth, besprinkle your meat with it, and take out of it again what juice you can; put it in a pot with a little salt, and mixe with it the juice of a lemon when you are ready to use it.

The way of garnishing with Pistaches.

Peele your Pistaches in warm water, put

them in cold water again, and for to use them mince them a very little, for to put them a∣bout your dishes.

The garnish of lemon.

You must take out the seeds, slit it long wise, and cut it into slices, after this put it into some water, ready to use it upon and about your dishes.

The garnish of Pomegranat.

Take the reddest, take out the peele and the seeds, for to garnish upon and about your dishes.

A Method for to take out the juice and waters of flesh, for to give unto the Sick.

The juice of mutton, veale, or capon.

AFter they are rosted and pressed, take out the juice, and because that the juice of Mutton is hotter than the other, it must be corrected and mixed with that of Veal; and of either of them thus made ready, cause your sick body to take one spoonful every two houres.

Another way for the same water.

For such as have need of much cooling, take a bottle without osier, and with a very

wide neck, cut your meat, veale, and pullen, small enough, so that it may goe into the bottle; this done, you shall stop it carefully with a peece of paste firm and hard, and some parchment over it, tie it well, and put it in a kettle full of hot water as far as the neck: Boyl it well for the space of three houres; after it is sod, unstop your bottle, and take the juice out of it, which you shall cause your sick to use (or even they who are in full health, and stand in need of cooling) with other juice of rosted meat, or with some broth, all according to the need and strength of both. You are to observe that the juice of rost meat is much stronger and more nourish∣ing than that of boyled meat, though it be in greater quantity.

For want of a bottle you may use a Coque∣mare, stopping it well with paste, and with parchment over it.

Water of pullet.

Dresse your Pullet, and when it is very cleane, fill it up with barley, and seeth it in a pot with a good quantity of water, so that it boyles to a quart; after it hath boyled un∣till the barley is burst, passe all through a strainer, and let it coole. It must be used cold, and this water may be given to sucking children.

Panadoe.

Take some good broth, and crummes of bread very small, boyl them well toge∣ther,

and at the latter end, put in it some yolkes of eggs, very little salt, and some le∣mon juice.

Other Panadoe.

Take the flesh of Capon or Partridge well minced, stamp it well in a mortar, then al∣lay it with broth of health, that is, broth of the great pot, a few crummes of bread, and salt, after it is stoved, mixe with it some yolks of eggs for to thicken it, and some lemon juice.