C

CABARDES  French  red and rose wines produced in the region of the Aude, to the north of Carcasonne, by 2,200 hectares (5,400 acres) of vineyard next to those of the Minervois.  The  verities of vine from which these wines are made include Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Carignan, syrah, Cabernert auvignon and Merlot. Now upgraded to ac status, these are  promising wines with a pleasing bouquet and good  ageing potential.  Drink with grilled (broiled) dishes, roast pork, kidneys and calf’s liver.

CABARET (establishment)  The modern cabaret, a nightclub or restaurant with a floor show, has little in common with the original French cabaret, which until the end of the 19^th century was a modest bar serving mainly wine.

            Before the 17^th century, there was a clear distinction in France between the taverne and the cabaret.  Originally, the novelty of the cabaret consisted of  selling wine a l’assiette, serving it on a table at which the customer could sit and possibly have something to eat.  If the cabaret proprietor did not have permission to do this, the wine was sold au pot (by the jug).

            Henri IV reorganized the wine retailers as follows 91) wine merchants selling wine by the jug did so without having a taverne – an opening  was made in the outer grille of the shop, through which the purchaser would pass his jug; (2) tavern-keepers sold drinks in a place arranged for this  purpose; (3) proprietors of cabarets served not only drinks, but also food – they had permission to provide nappe’el assisette (tablecloth and plate) service.  Both tavern- keepers and proprietors of cabarets employed criers to go through the streets announcing the price of the wine sold in the premises.

            In the 13^th century, among the first cabarets were  the Trois Mailletz, frequented by scholars form the Sorbanne who were extremely rowdy, according to  the priests of Saint-Severin, and the Pomme de Pin.  In the course of the following centuries, the best-known cabarets were the Sabot (Saint-Marcel district), where Ronsard was a frequent customer, and the Ecu d’Argent (near the Place Maubert), where menage was said to have set up residence.  The  Epee de Bois and the Mouton Blanc (in the Rue de la Verrerie) were the meeting  places of La Fontaine, Boileau and Racine (who wrote les Plaideurs there).  Cabarets thus become fashionable in the 17^th century and were frequented, in particular, by writers and artists, who later patronized the cafes, restaurants and  brasseries. In the  19^th century, low-class cabarets again attached  the Romantics. Some  of  then were squalid hovels, like those described by Eugene Sue in Les Mysteries de Paris.  It was  at the gate of one such cabaret – the Chat Blanc – that the  body  of  Gerar de Nerval was found hanging.

            The etymology of the world has given rise to  various interpretations, possible roots are the Hebrews word cabar  (to meet), the Celtic words cah (head) and aret (ram – an animal sacrified to Bacchus), the  Latin cabare (to dig, to make a cellar), the Arabic khamarat (a place where  drinks are sld), and, more recently, the Dutch cabret, itself derived from the  old Picardly word combrette, meaning ‘little room’.

CABASSOL A stew made from sheep’s heads simmered in white wine. It is a speciality of Albi in Languedoc (in this  rgion cabassol means ‘head’). At Resquista (Aveyron) there is a Cabassol Club, where it is customary to eat the stew on shorove Tuesday.  The tongue, brains, checks and ears are considered to be delicacies.  At Lodeve near herault, cabassol is made with lamb’s feet, heads and mesentery (intestinal membranes), cooked with ham and knuckle of  veal. It is served with vinagrette and  puree of  lamb’s brains, Sometimes, it is eaten with stockpot vegetables and herbs.  In rouergue, cabassol is simply a lamb stock.

CABBAGE A widely cultivated vegetable of the family Cruciferae.  Wild cabbage, from which all the cultivated varieties are derived, is a perennial with broad thick curly leaves, growing in coastal regions  of western Europe.  Known for over  4,000 years in Europe, it was at first valued for its medicinal properties, but later was used as food, particularly as a basis for soups. Through cultivation and selection white, green and red varieties of cabbage were produced, as well as many other brassicas – including Brussels sprouts, cauliflower  and broccoli.

            The different  varieties of full-hearted cabbage are  distinguished by their colour (white, green or red),their shape (rounded for winter cabbages, pointed  for spring cabbages), the texture of their leaves (crinky in Savoy cabbages, or smooth) and whether they are soft- or hard-hearted.  Ideally, cabbage should have crisp shiny leaves and, where applicable, a dense heart.  Cabbage  is included in numerous garnishes (a la flamande, a l’auvergnate, a la bercbonne, a la strasbourgeoise) and can be preapred in  many ways.  It is used as a base for soups, stews and stuffings.  White and red cabbage predominate in the  cookery of eastern and northern Europe, while green  cabbage is more popular in the west and south.

RECIPES

Green or White Cabbage

Braised cabbage

Prepare a cabbage: blanch, drain, cool in cold water and drain once again.   Separate the  leaves and discard the large ribs.  Scrape and dice a carrot.  Line  a flameproof casserole with bacon rashers (slices)  stripped of half their fat and add the diced carrot,  then the cabbage, forming a heap. Add salt, pepper, a little grated nutmeg, an onion stuck with a clove  and a bouquet garni.  Two-thirds cover the cabbage with stock and put a very thin strip of bacon on top.  Cover and bring to boil over a ring. Then  place the casserole in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F, gas 4) and cook for about 1½ hours.

Green cabbage salad

Remove any withered out leaves, cut the cabbage  into four and blanch for about 12 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain, cool and wipe. Cut the quarters into a julienne and season with a well-spiced  vinaigrette,  Sprinkle with chopped herbs or finely shredded spring onions (scallions).

Paupiettes of cabbage

Blanch a whole cabbage for 7-8 minutes in boiling  salted water, then drain and cool it.  Pull off  to be delicacies. At Lodieve  near herault, cabassol is  made with lamb’s feet, heads and mesentery (intestinal membrane), cooked with ham and knuckle of  veal. It is served with vinaigrette and  a puree of  lamb’s brains. Sometimes, it is eaten with stockpot vegetables and herbs. In Rourgue, cabassol is simply a lamb stock.

CABBAGE A widely cultivated vegetable of the  family (cruciferae. Wild cabbage, from which all the  cultivated varieties are derived, is a perennial with broad thick curly leaves, growing in coastal regions  of western Europe.  Known for over 4,000 years in Europe, it was at first valued for its medicinal properties, but later was used as food, particularly as  a basis for soups. Through cultivation and selection,  white, green and red varieties of cabbage were  produced, as a well as many other brassicas – including Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli.

            The different varieties of full-hearted cabbage are distinguished  by their colour (white, green or red), their shape (rounded for winter cabbages, pointed  for spring cabbages), the texture of their leaves (crinkly in Savory cabbages, or smooth) and whether they are sof- or hard-hearted. Ideally, cabbage  sould have crisp shiny leaves and, where  applicable,  a dense heart. Cabbage is included in numerous garnishes (a la flamande, a l’auvergnate, a la berichonne, a la strasburgeoise) and can be  prepared in  many ways.  It is used as a base for soups, steps and  stuffings.  White and red cabbage predominate in the cookery of eastern and northern Europe, while green  cabbage is more popular in the west and south.

RECIPES

Green or White cabbage

Braised cabbage

Prpare a cabbage blanch, drain, cool in cold water and drain  once again.  Separate the leave and discard the large ribs. Scrape and dice a carrot.  Line a flameproof casserole with bacon rashers (slices) stripped of half their  fat and add the diced carrot, then the cabbage, forming a heap.  Add salt, pepper, a little graced nutmeg, an onion stuck with a clove  and bouquet garni. Two-thirds cover the cabbage  with stock and put a very thin strip of  bacon on  top.  Cover and bring to the boil over a ring  then  place the casserole in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F, gas 4) and cook for about 1½ hours.

Green cabbage salad

Remove any withered out leaves, cut the cabbage in to four and blanch for about 12 minutes  in boiling  salted water, drain, cool and wipe.  Cut the quarters into a julienne and season with  a well-spiced vinaigrette. Sprinkle with chopped herbs or finely shredded spring onions (scallions).

           

Paupiettes of cabbage

Blanch a whole cabbage for 7-8 minutes in boiling salted water, then drain and cool it.  Pull off the large outer leaves, removing the tougher ribs. Chop the leaves from the central heart and to them add an equal volume of forcemeat.  Make  paupiettes by rolling this mixture in the large leaves, using 1 tablespoon per leaf; tie them up with kitchen thread. Braise as for stuffed cabbage, but reduce the cooking time to 1 ¼  hours. These paupiettes form a  perfect garnish for braised meat.

Stuffed cabbage

Blanche a whole cabbage in salted boiling water for 7-8 minutes. Cool it in cold water, drain and remove  the stump (core).  Moisten a piece of fine cloth or muslim (cheescoloth), wring  it out and lay it  on the working surface. On top of the  cloth, lay four lengths of kitchen thread to form a star shape. Place the cabbage in the centre of the crossed threads and open out the larger leaves one  by one. Remove  the central  heart, chop and mix with an equal volume of the fine well-seasoned pork forcemeats. Fill the centre of the cabbage with the mixture, then fold back the large leaves to recreate the original shape.  On top, place two very thin strips of fat bacon in a cross and secure them by knotting the  threads over them. Wrap the cabbage in the cloth and tie it up.

            Line a flameproof casserole with 100 g (4 oz) bacon, 150 g (5 oz. 1 cup) diced carrots and 150 g  (5 oz. 1 cup) finely diced onion, put the cabbage on  top and barely cover it with rich stock.  Cover, bring  to the boil, then cook in a preheated oven at  200°C (400°F, gas 6) for 1½ hours.  Drain the cabbage, unwrap it and remove the strips of fat bacon. (alternatively, the cabbage may be prepared and  cooked in a net, and without the strips of bacon.) serve the cabbage in a deep dish, keeping it hot, and coat with the cooking juices, reduced by half.

Red cabbage

Pickled red cabbage

Prepare the cabbage cut it into quarters, remove and discard the large ribs, then cut it into strips.  Place in a large basin, sprinkle with a generous tablespoon of fine salt and mix.  Cover and leave for  at least 48 hours in a cool place, turning over several times. Drain the cabbage and arrange it in layers in an earthenware jar, inserting between each layer 4-5 peppercorns, 3 small pieces of by leaf  and half a garlic clove, chopped. Boil enough red wine vinegar to cover the cabbage, leave to cool, then cover the cabbage with it.  Seal the jar and  leave to marinate for at least 36 hours. It can be served in various hors d’oeuvre or as a condiment with cold beef or pork.

Red cabbage a la flamande

Remove any withered leave, slice off the stump (core) at the base of the leaves and cut the cabbage into four, then into thin strips.  Wash and dry. Melt 40 g ( 1½ oz. 3 tablespoons)  butter in a saucepan, add the cabbage, sprinkle with salt and pepper, moisten with 1 tablespoons vinegar, then cover and  cook over a gentle heat. Meanwhile, peel 3 or 4  tart apples, cut them into quarters, remove the core and slice then finely. Add them to the cabbage after 1 hour of cooking, sprinkle with 1 tablespoons brown sugar, replace the lid and cook for a further  20 minutes. Serve to accompany boiled pork or  boiled or braised beef.

Red cabbage a la limousine

Prepare the cabbage and cut it into thin strips. Melt 4 tablespoons lard (shortening) in a saucepan. Add the cabbage and about 20 large peeled sweet chestnuts.  Add sufficient stock to barely cover the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, cover the pan and leave to cook gently for abut 1½ ours.  Serve to accompany roast pork or pork chops.

Red cabbage salad

Select a very fresh and tender red cabbage 9break off a large leaf to test if), remove the large outer  leaves, cut the cabbage into four and remove the large outer leaves, cut the cabbage into four and remove the white centre.  Slice  the quarters into fine strips, about  5 mm (1/4  in) wide, blanch tem for  5 minutes in boiling water, then cool and wipe them. Place in  a salad bowl, sprinkle with 200 ml (7 fl oz, ¾ cup)boiling red win vinegar, mix, cover and leave to marinate for 5-6 hours.  Drain the cabbage and season it with salt, pepper and oil, unblanched red  cabbage can be used for a very crisp salad; shred  the wedges finely. Add 2 tablespoons of soft brown sugar with the vinegar if liked.

CABEOU A small soft French cheese (45% fat content) from quercy and Rouergue, made from a  of goat’s milk, ewe’s milk and cow’s milk.(the literal meaning of the world is ‘little  goat’) It is a fairly firm ivory-white cheese with a fine bluish crust and a nutty flavour. The main varieties of Cabecou are Cahors, Gramat, Entrygues, livermon, Rocamadour and Gourdon, all in season from April to November. Some of the cheese are wrapped in vine leaves and stored in a jar with vinegar. They are  eaten when they turn pink. In Quercy, the cheese is  soaked in plum brandy.

CABERNET FRANC.  The eighth most important red grape variety in France, grown particularly in Bordeaux and the Loire, but also grown extensively  in Italy, California and Argentina.  Depending on the region, it is known as Bouchet (in Bordaux), Bouchy (in the Pyerenees) an dBretton (in the Loire Valley), it loose, medium-sized bunches have small  black berries with a thin skin which ripen a week  earlier than cabernet Sauvignon.

            The Cabernet Franc is used in making most of the  AOC red wines of Boardaux (particularly St-Emillion), where it is often blended with Cabernet  Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec.

            Use on its own  in the loire Valley (Chinon, Bourgeaul, Saint-Nicolas-de bourgeuil.  Saumur cook over a gentle heat.  Meanwhile, peel 3 or 4 tart apples, cut them into quarters, remove the core and slice them finely. Add them to the cabbage after I hour of cooking , sprinkle with a 1 tablespoon brown sugar, replace the lid and cook for a further  20 minutes. Serve to accompany boiled pork or  boiled ro braised beef.

Red cabbage a la limousine

Prepare the cabbage and cut it into thin strips. Melt 4 tablespoons lard (shortening) in a saucepan.  Add the cabbage and about 20 large peeled sweet chestnuts.  Add sufficient stock to barely cover the vegetables.  Season with  salt and pepper, cover the pan and leave to cook gently for about 1½ hours.  Serve  to accompany roast pork or pork chops.

Red cabbage salad

Select a very fresh and tender red cabbage  (break  off a large leaf to test it), remove  the large outer leaves, cut the cabbage into four  and remove the  white centre. Slice the quarters into fine  strips, about 4 mm (1/4 in). wide, blanch them for 5 minutes in boiling water, then cool and wipe them. Place in a salad bowl, sprinkle with 200 ml (7 fl oz, ¾ cup) boiling red wine vinegar, mix, cover and leave to  marinate for 5-6 hours.  Drain the cabbage and season it with salt, pepper and oil.  Unblanched red cabbage can be used for a very crisp salad: shred  the wedges finely.  Add 2 tablespoons of soft brown sugar with the vinegar if liked.

Other recipes See confit, sausage, sau-fassum.

CABECOU. A small soft French cheese (45% fat content)  from Quercy and Rouergue, made from a  mixture of goat’s milk, ewe’s milk and cow’s milk.  (The literal meaning of the world is ‘little goat’).  It is a fairy firm ivory-white cheese with a fine bluish crust and a nutty flavour. The main varieties of Cabecou are Cahors, Gramat, Entraygues. Livermon, Rocamadour and Gourdo, all in season  from April to  November.  Some  of the cheeses are wrapped in vine leaves and stored in a jar with vinegar.  They are eaten when they turn pink.  In Quercy,  the cheese is  soaked in plum brandy.

CARBERNET FRANC  The eight most important red grape variety in France, grown  particularly in Bordauex and the Loire, but also grown extensively in Italy, California and Argentina, Depending on the  region, it is known as Buochet (in Bordeaux), Bouchy (in the Pyrenees) and  Breton (in the Loire Valley).  It loose, medium-sized bunches have small black berries will a thin skin which ripen a week earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon.

            The Cabernet Franc is used in making most of the  AOC red wines of bordeaux (particularly St. Emilion) where  it is often blended with Cabernet  Sauvignon, Merlot and Melbee.

            Used on its own in the Louire Valley (Chinon, Bourgeoul, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgeouil, Champigny), a produces wines with bouquets of strawberries and violets, which should be drunk fairly young.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON The noblest of French red grape varieties and now grown extensively around the world . it has small, tightly packed bunches of grapes which are dark and thick skinned, with a high ratio of pips to juice.

            The vine buds and the  fruit ripens late, which can be a problem in marginal climates. It is  used as a major variety in many Bordeaux blends to provide colour and structure along with a bouquet and  flavour reminiscent of blackcrurants. It is planted  extensively in Chile, California and Australia where the  grapes ripen fully to give softer berry flavours.  Many New World winemakers prefer not to blend Cabernet Sauvignon with other varieties.

CABESSAL, EN a method of preparing stuffed hare, which is tied up with string so that it forms a round and can be booked in a circular dish. It is then said to be en cabessal.  The method originated  in the rgion of Limousin and Perigord.  A Cabessal (or Chabessal) is also a French dialect world of the  twisted cloth that women wore on their  heads to carry a pitcher of water.

RECIPE

Hare en cabessal

Skin and gut a hare, reserving the liver and blood.  Pound the liver with a garlic clove, then add the  blood and 1 tablespoon vinegar. On the day before  cooking, place the hare in a marinade of red wine, oil, carrots, thinly sliced onions and shallots, thyme.  A bay leaf, a clove, salt and pepper. Prepare a stuffing with 500 g (18 oz) fillet of veal, 250 g (9 oz)  raw  ham, 205 g (9 oz) fresh pork, 2 garlic cloves and 2 shallots. Chop the ingredients finely, season with  salt and pepper, and bind with an egg.  Remove the hare from the marinade, wipe and stuff.

            Sew up the opening in the belly.  Bard the hare all  over with larding bacon, then tie it with string to  that  it forms around  dish with a little  goose or pork grease, some pieces of larding bacon and a few small onions. Add a small glass of brandy and a bottle of good-quality red or white wine, then a roux made with flour and goose fat. Cover the dish and cook in  a preheated oven 150°C (300 °f, gas 2) for 4 or 5 ours. When  three-quarters cooked, add the pounded liver and blood. Check the seasoning. When cooking is complete, the sauce should be substantially reduced.

            When serving, remove the string, the larding bacon and the bones (which should come away easily from the flesh).  Serve with croutons of bread fried in goose fat, which may be rubbed with garlic if desired.

CABINET PARTICULAR A private room placed at the disposal of customers by certain de luxe restaurants. They were  very fashionable in Paris under the Second Empire and during the Belle Epoque in such establishments as the Café  Anglais, the Café de Prunier and the Café de Laperouse.

CABOULOT A  small French suburdan or country café, or a small modest restaurant that permits dancing.  The  term appeared in 1852, being  a Franche Comete word meaning ‘hut’ or ‘small room’. It is  described as a popular meeting place in a song by  Francis Carco.

CABRALES The DOP handmade blue cheese (45—48% fat content) from the Picos de Europa mountain region of northern Spain is made from  a mixture of unpasterurized goat’s, ewe’s or cow’s milk. Commercial versions use pasteurized milk.  Produced  in 18-20 cm (7-8 in) diameter wheels weighing  around 2.5—4.5 kg (5-9 lb), the cheese is wrapped in  green foil instead of the original leaves. The best cheese are available in the spring. The paste has intense purple veining with a robust flavour and salty tang. Serve as part of a cheeseboard or mix  with  chopped black olives to spread on toast.  The Spanish also use this cheese in sauces to serve with  steak or vegetables.

CACIOCAVALLO an Italian DOP cheese made from cow’s milk (44% fat content) and often smoked. It is spun-cut or pasta pilata cheese with  a compact, straw-coloured pasta and a pale, fine, oily crust.  It is moulded into the shape of a narrow ground with a smaller swelling on top and weighs  3-4 kg (6½-9 lbs. Its name, a combination of the  Italian words cacio (cheese) and caravllo (horse), could come from the fact that the ripening cheeses are tied together  in pairs with wisps of straw and  hung on sticks (a cheval, that is mounted) to dry. Another possibility is that it was  named  after the seal of kingdom of Naples, which  depicted a galloping horse and was imprinted on the cheese in the  14^th century. It is  also possible that it was so named because.  Caciocavallo was originally made with mare’s milk. Today, the best Caciocavallo still comes from southern Italy.  It is  usually eaten at the end of  a meal. It is matured for a long period, it becomes  very hard and a is then granted before it is used.

CADILLAC a sweet white wine area, situated in the Bordeaux region, across the Garonne River from the Sauthernes vineyard.  The wines  are made from  the semillion, Sauvignon Blanc and  Muscadelle vines, the grapes being picked when ripe or overripe.  Formerly, Cadillac was included in the Premieres Cotes  de Bordeaux AOC, but now it is produced in 21  parishes (communes), including Langoiran and  Gabarnac. Usually drunk as a dessert wine, it may  also be enjoyed with  foie gras or as an aperitif.

CADRAN BLEU  a former café-restaurant in Paris, in the Boulevard do Temple. Having  opened in 1773 as a small café, if was damaged during the storming of the Bastille and  was subsequently used as a meeting place for the leaders of the uprising of 10 August 1792.  It  become a very popular restaurant under the Consulate (179-1804) and the Empire, specializing in wedding and banquets (with its room, seating a  hundred people, but poorly heated and lighted’, according to Monsieur de Jouy in 1813). The establishment also provided private rooms of  dubious  repute. The house had not one upright window or  storey, wrote  Balzac in Le Cousin Pons.  Around 1840, the Cadran Belu had declined as a fashionable  place. A battery of artillery shook the building  in the Revolution  of 1848, and in 1860 it was demolished.

CAERPHILLY Shapped like a small millstone weighing around 3.5 kg (8 lbs), this semi-hard pressed  cow’s milk cheese was traditionally made in Wales,  but it is now produced in both England and Wales.  The  best cheeses are farm-made from unpasteurized milk.  They are lightly pressed and brinted for 24 h hours before being rubbed with rice flour. The flavour is deilcate but subtle, with a lightly salty quality.

CAESAR’S MUSHROOM Edible wild mushroom with an orange yellow cap., known  as the  royal agaric or the “king of mushrooms’ because of  the fineness of its fresh and its scent. Found in  southern   France, Caesar’s mushroom likes warmth and even survives a certain amount of dryness. It  grows spontaneously in woods, particularly in open oak grove  with a good aspect, and also in coppices and plantations of sweet chesnut trees, from  summer to  autumn. When harvested in its juvenile stage, it is important not to confuse it with the white agaric (amantie blance), which is fatal, or the fly agaric which is highly toxic

RECIPE

Hazclnut and Caesar’s mushroom soup

Clean, peel and finally dice 657 g (1½ lb) Caesar’s  mushrooms, then was and shared 6 round lettuces. Season the lettuce with salt and pepper and 1½ tablespoons  caster (superfine) sugar. Heat 75 g (3 oz. 6 tablespoons) butter in a saucepan until it  begins to turn brown, then put in the lettuce and  the mushrooms; cook over a low heat, with  the  pan covered, for 30 minutes.  Add a knuckle of veal, 1 litre ( 1½  pints, 4½ cups ) milk and 6 tablespoons rice which has been boiled for 1 minutes.  Salt lightly  and mix in 1 tablespoon fairy-ring mushrooms (marasmius oreades) or wood blewits (Lepista nuda) in dried or powdered  form.  Cook over a moderate heat for 2 hours.

            Take out the knuckle and rub the soup through a fine sieve, return it to a low heat. Pound a handful  of shelled and skinned hazelnuts and mix them with 75 g (3 oz. 6 tablespoons) butter.  Press this paste through a fine sieve into hot tureen; add 3 egg yolks and 120 ml (4½ fl oz. 1/3 cup) double (heavy) cream. Pour  on the soup, beating vigorously.

CAFÉ A  place selling drinks (particularly coffee, bee, wine, aperitifs and fruit juices) and also  snacks  (sandwiches and salads).  Originally, only coffee was  served in these establishments.

            The first café in the world was opened inconstantinople in 1550 in 1672 an armenian called Pascal set up a  little stall selling cups of coffee at the Saint-German fair in Paris.  His  sources was only fleeting and he left to try his luck in other  European countries.  For some  time, the fashion of selling coffee to be drunks at home continued in Paris.  The French gradually, however, discovered the social aspects of drinking coffee in a public place, combined  with the delights of conversation. Until  then, there  had only been premises selling wine, such as  the calbarets and tavernes. The cafes, or maissons de café , began to open they sold brandy, sweetened  wines and liqueurs, as well as coffee. In 1696 the lemonade and brandy vendors’ guild was formed .

Palais-Royal, Grands Boulevards, Left Bank and bougnats  The first café (in the modern sense) was the  Café Procope, opened in 1696 by an Italian.  Cafes soon became a new way of life: people read the news there, played chess or cards, exchanged ideas, talked politics and smoked.  The hero of Montesquieu’s  Lettres persattes said. ‘If I were the king of this country.  I would close the cafes, because the people who frequent those places become tediously overheated in the brain when they go there’  The ‘club’ cafes boasted a clientele of artists, officers and writers.  In the 17^th century, and more especially the 18^th century, the cafes became the meeting places of men of letters and literary critics:  La Fontaine, Crebillon, Fontenelle and the Encyclopedists were the habitues.  The cafes of the Palais-Royal galleri es – ‘por ticoes of the Revolution’ – included the Foy.  Regence, Mille Colonnes, Aveugles and Caveau; they became highly fashionable meeting places for discussing politics and listening to the best orators.

After the revolutionary turmoil, rustic cafes, cafes with performers, and pleasure gardens, such as the Tivoli and Frascati, opened.  However, the return of the Boudsons put the political cafes (for example, the Lemblin) back into fashion.  Here, in front of the bourgeoisie, dandies vied for the limelight with journalist.  The Romantics deserted the Palais-Royal and literary life took refuge in the salons, where tea was the main drink.

Soon, when the Grands Boulevards became the focus of attention in the capital, it was the ice-cream sellers and the restaurateurs who drew the crowds with establishments such as the Café Riche, the Café de Paris and the Tontoni, but nevertheless the café survived.  It often took the form of a club or society.  On the terraces of the fashionable cafes and in the first cafes-concerts (cafes with performers) – supervised by the “garcon de café” clad in his black jacket and long white apron – artists and singers, writers, dandies, grisetics (French working girils) and young celebrities could be found.  Such establishments included the Café des Varietes and the Divan Lepeletier.  The cafes of the Left Bank also began to become important.  These were the domain of writers, poets and intellectuals, while the newly emerging brasscries constituted serious competion for thecafe-restaurants.  In the early 1900s, the Montmarte cafes served many artists.  Later on, Montparnasse stole the limelight with the Closerie des Lilas, and the Parisian tradition of café life survived after the war in the Café de Flore and at the Deux Magots.

After the arrival of the bougnuts (wine and coal merchants) in the 19^th century, the corner cafes owned by the bougnuts became firmly established, here the petit noir (cup of black coffee), the bullion de rouge’ (glass of red wine) and pastis are consumed) at the bar and card games are played.  (Note that in France, café or rut de café is a light red wine served in cafes at the bar.)

Cafes in Europe.  In England, coffee was at first regarded as a paanacea against alcoholism, and the  coffee houses were all the more successful as the  turmoil in the political parties at the end of the 17^th century created a need for public meeting place.  Also English literature was then going through its ‘French’ period.

            In Germany, cafes were set up on hamburg, Berlin and especially  Leipzig, a town of printers that was frequented by writers and wits (J.S. Bach even composed a Coffee. At the beginning of the  18^th century, the right to sell coffee was restricted to  four ‘distillers’, but the fashion for drinking coffee became so widespread that the law was flouted and coffee beans were illegally roasted.  Bootlegging was  organized and ersatz versions of coffee appeared. In Berlin, cafes, assumed the signing tradition of  cabarets. However, in Germany, most coffee was drink at home, with plenty of cakes. It was, moreover, more of a woman’s drink, as men usually preferred beer

            In Vienna, the café became firmly established in 1683, when the invading Turks abandoned 500 sacks of coffee. this was given to Kolschitzky, the hero of  the victory over the invaders, and it was he who turned Turkis coffee into Vinnese coffee. It was  filtered, flavoured  with honey, enrich with cream and usually served with croissants.  The Viennese had always considered the café to be a natural  extention of their homes and offices.  They spent many hours there – in the morning to read the news, in the afternoon to discuss business and in the evening  to talk, receive guests and play billiards. It was in Vienna that the café-concert was born.  The  great Viennese cafes that perpetuate the tradition, with their hangings,  soft lights and wooden panelling, are the  Sacher, a veritable  national institution.  The same grand scale is seen in the salon de tbe (tea room), an important  place  for political and literary notables in Lisbon and  Budapest.

            Italian cafes existed before the first ones opened in France – especially in Venice, where the coffee shop  (celebrated by Goldoni) was part of daily life.  However, the most famous ones date from the 18^th  century:  the Greco opened in Rome in 1760, and the Florian, which opened in Venice in 1720, held public concerts under the arcade of Saint Mark’s Square, its elegant rooms were frequented by such figures as Mme de Stael, George Sand, Alfred de Musset and Marcel Proust.

CAFÉ ANGLAIS An establishment se up in the Boulevard de Italiens in Paris in 1802. It was named in honour of the Peace of Amiens, which had just been signed and which everybody hoped, would  make the start of a long period of peace with England. English breakfast  was served there (see café handy). At first, it was frequented by coachmen and servants, but in 182 as new owner, Paul Chevreuil, made it into a fashionable restaurant, famous for its  roats and grilled (broiled) dishes. According to Veron this was ‘the place in Paris where one dines best.  However, it was with the arrival of Adolphe Duglere that the Café Anglas acquired a great gastronomic  reputation, it was here that  the great chef created potage Germany, poulard a la d’Albufera, sole Dugleen and Anna potatoes. At that time, the clientele of the Café Anglais came from the world of finance and the smart Parisian set. The Grand seize(one of  its private rooms where the King  of Prossia, Emperor  Nicolas II and Bismarck had supper) was immortalized in Offenback’s La Vie parisienne.  The house was demolished in 1913, but its cellar, and the wood panelling of the Grand Seize, were purchased by Andre  Terrail, the owner of the Tour d’argent, who married  the daughter of the last owner of the Café Anglais.

            Before the Revolution, another café Anglais existed in Paris, at the quai Conti. Its habitues used to meet there to read the English newspaper.

CAFÉ AU LAIT Coffe made with milk. It is usually drunk at breakfast in France. The fashion originated in Vienna and goes back to the end of the 17^th century in France café au lait was the favourite drink of Marie-antoinette.

            Opinions have always been divided about the benefits of this drink, which is said to be indigestible and rather unrefined.  Madame de servigne, however, wrote in 1680.  ‘we have a fancy to skim the good milk and mix it with sugar and good coffee. It is  marvelous, and will greatly console me for lent, Du Bois, may doctor, approved it for  the chest and for  chills. In those days it was called lait cafee, or café laite, and was recommended for  its nutritional properties. It is rapidly became popular and Sebastian Mercier remarked, in this Tableaux de paris. Café au lait has become  the eternal breakfast of workers on building sites. They say that in most cases, it keeps them going until evening. However, Balzac, in his  Nouvelle Theorie du dejeuner, was intransigent.  ‘To offer café au lait  is not a mistake, it is hudicrous. Only porter now drink such a vulgar mixture. The  drink saddens the soul… and weakens the nervous  system.’  For many years in the countryside of northern and eastern France, the evening meal  consisted of a bowl of café au lait with bread and  a cheese.

CAFÉ DE FOY, An establishment set up in Paris  1725, under the arcade of the Montpensier galleery at  the Palais-Royal. Famous for its ice creams and sorbets, it was the legendary place where Camille Desmoulins harangued the crowd on 13 July 1789.  The following day he stormed the Bastille.  The jacobins and Muscadins alternately made it their  headquarters, on each occasion purifying the premises by burning gin. It was fashionable until 1820, after which it declined, and  Grimod de  La  Reyniere deplored its ‘smoked wood panels, dim gothic chandeliers, cups without handles  and cracked glasses’.  The freehold was put up for sale in 1863, but no purchase was found.

CAFÉ DE LA PAIX this Parisan café, which was docorated by Garmier, opened in 1862 on the ground of the Grand Hotel, Boulevard des Capucines.  It was frequented mainly by foreigners staying in the Grand Hotel. In the belle epoque (the  edwardian era), the smart  set came to eat an English breakfast  (see café Handy) or to have supper after the  opera, savouring the specialties of the chefs.  Nignon and  then escoffer.  Massenet, Zola, maupassant, and later Truman, lecderc, Callas and Chagall were among the  habitues of the Café de la Paix, an international  meeting place for artists and high society.

CAFÉ DE MADRID An establishment in the  Boulevard Montmartre in Paris, which suddenly became fashionable in 861, when the owner of the Café  des Varietes, situated  opposite, refused to subscribe to the newspaper Le Boulevard, which one of  h is customers had just set up.  To support the founder of the paper, some  of the customers deserted the Café des varietes for the café de Madrid, were the opponents of the imperial regine were already meeting.  Gambetta, Henri de Rochefrot, Bandelaire, Villiers de T’isle-Adam, Monselect, and future members of the commune frequented it assiduously; Alphonse Allais was  also an  habitue of the Madrid.

CAFÉ DE PARIS an establishment that opened in Paris in 1822 in the Boulevard de Italiens.  Regarded as the ‘temple of elegance’, it was  frequented by  dandies, fashionable ladies and such celebrities as Musset, Balzac, Dumas, Gautier and Veron, Successive managers brought with tem a spectacular cuisine: Belle Alliance pheasant stuffed with truffles and  rock patridges sur piedestal.  The owner (the Marchioness of Hertford) specified in the lease that the café must always close its doors at 10 pm.  It ran successfully for 20 years, but then declined  and finally disappeared in 1856.

            Another  café  de Paris, just as splendid, smart and  expensive as the first one, was in business in the capital from 1878 to 1953, in the Avenue de l’Opera. Opened by Auguste Joliveau, it was frequented by the Goncourts and their friends and the Prince of  Wales, the future Edward VII.  Leopold Mourier managed it from 1897 to 1923, engaging famous chefs (such as Tony Girod) whose creations marke da milestone in culinary history, with such dishes as snipe a la Diane.

CAFÉ DES AVEUGLES an establishment that opened during the Revolution, at the Palais-Royal in  Paris, in the basement of the Lemblin. It was frequented at first by the snas-culottes. A notice announced:  ‘Here you will be honoured by the  title  of ‘citizen” and can use the  familiar from of address, and smoke.'’ An  orchestra composed of five blind people, including one women, inspired boisterous evenings, and it was claimed that blind musicians were  employed so that they could not see the  scenes of debauchery taking place before  them.  The  café de Aveugles (literally, café  of the blind) closed down in 1867.

CAFÉ DES VARIETES An establishment that opened in 1807 in Paris, in the Boulevard Monmartre. It began modetly, in a one-storey building  backing on to the Passage des Panoramas, but was extended in 1831.   The natural meeting place of  actors  from the Theatre des Varietes, it remained  open late at night, attracting such famous  customers  as Villiesrs de I’sle-Adam, Daudet, Murger, Baudelaire and Banville, who would come and enjoy the  onion soup.  its decline began in the 1960s.

DCAFE D’ORSAY Set up in Paris at the beginning of the 19^th century, on the corner of the Quai d’Orsay (now the Quai Anatole-rance) and the Rue du  Bac, this establishment was the meeting place of  officers from a barracks then occupying the site of  the Palais d’Orsay.  Musset and Barbey d’Aurevily were also customers. The cae them became the  headquarers of the members of the central committee of the Commune. It had a particularly high reputation in 1975 and was later frequented by the editors of L’officiel.

CAFÉ DU CAVEAU An establishment that  was  opened in Paris in 1784 by Cuisinier, in the Beaujolais gallery at the Palais-Royal. It was frequented by  artists and musicians, including Boieldieu, Mehul, Talma, David, Chenier and Rodoute, and it was here  that supproters of Puccini and Admirers of Gluck contronted one another .  Coffee with cream and hot chocolate were served.  In a small comlumned timple called La Rotonde, built in front of the café’s arcade in 1802, it was possible to see the table at which Bonaparte had eaten.  The Café de Caveau (not to be  confused with the Caveau) was in business until about 1885.

CAFÉ HARDY.  This was opened in 1799 in the Boulevard des Italiens, in Paris.  It became famous after 1804, when Mme hardy started serving English breakfast.  Customers selected their meat from a buffet, then a head waiter would skewer it on a fork  and have it grilled (broiled) on silver grill in a  white marble fireplace.  The gourmets of the capital there, paying very high prices for kidneys,  cutlets, andouillettes with truffles and poultry joints en papillote. This caused Cambaceres to say: “You have  to be very rich to go to Hardy, and very hardy to go  to Riche’ (another famous café in the same boulevard).  The establishment declined in about 1836 and the building was demolished. Four years later, a new restaurant (La Maison Doree) opened on the same site.

CAFÉ LIEGEOIS an iced dessert, made of coffee mixed with fresh cream.  Alternatively, it may be  made with coffee ice cream, served in a large glass, with a tablespoon of very strong coffee and topped  with Chantilly cream. The origin of this  dessert is actually vietnnese. Café viennoise was popular al over Europe, but the Germanic associations of a  name caused  it to  changed during World War I.

CAFÉ NAPOLITAN Situated in Paris at No. 1. Boulevard des Carpucines, this establishment (originally called the Café de la Ville de Naples) was  famous from 1870 to 1910 for its selection of ice cream and scorbets.  Its  elegant  terrace was  frequented by fashionable Parisians, with such personalities as Counteline, Catulle Mendes, Barbey d’Aurevilly, Lucen Guitry, Jean Lorraine  and Laurent Tailhade among the clientele.

CAFETERIA  A self-service restaurant. The ready prepared  hot and cold dishes are displayed on the counters or placed in automatic dispenses. In the latter, the choice is reduced to such food as sindwiches, pizzas, guiches, and cakes and pastries.  The food may be eaten sitting down or standing. Hot  and cold drinks may also be supplied, often in automatic vending machines. The world appeared in France in the 1950s, and came from Spain.  In  France, ‘coffee-shops’ are similar establishments that may be  supplemented by table service by table service.

CAFETIERE A utensil for making or serving coffee.  The  word cafetiere appeared in 1985, when coffee-drinking began in France, and the use of the  cafetiere became widespread in the reign of Louis XV; it was later provided with a heating plate and a spirit lamp.  Flaubert recalls this antique device in  Madame Bovary:  ‘Madame Homais reappeared, bearing one of those unsteady machines  that have to  be heated with spirit of wine, for Homais like to  make his coffee at the table, having, besides, roasted it himself, ground it himself and compounded it  himself.’

            For a long time only two models of coffee maker  were known in France : the  infuse, in which the coffee was held in a filter, and the Dubelloy cafetiere, in which the coffee was filtered.  The latter, which  appeared after 1850 and is known as cafetiere de grandmere, was a wide  not, made of fire clay.  Another, method of making coffee became   widespread in the period between the World War – the  Gona. It consists of two interconnecting toughened glass vessels placed one on top of the other and heated either with a spirit lamp or with an electric or gas heater.

            During the 1950s Italian coffee makers began to be widely used in many coffee has and restaurants. These aluminium or stainless steel coffee makers are placed directly over heat. Water is heated up in the  base until it boils, then it is forced up under pressure, through  a metal filter basket filled with ground coffee.

            At about this time coffee makers using filters (either filter paper or filter pistons) began  to be used  for very finely ground coffee.  Electronic coffee makes use this method; they work by heating water  in a container and passing it through a filter full of coffee  into a glass jug which stands on a thermostatically controlled hotplate, keeping the  coffee hot for a limited period  of time.  Espresso coffee makers make  stronger coffee using finely ground coffee; they work under pressure using the  same principles as that for the Italian coffee makers.

            The traditional coffee pot, which  is often part of a coffee service, may be made of porcelain, earthenware, silver, silver gilt or stainless steel. It is used for  making coffee using the ‘jug method’, the simplest and quickest way of making coffee.  Allow 1 tablespoon medium-ground coffee per person, and scald  the pot before adding the coffee. Although this method is still used occasionally, electric coffee makers have gained in popularity.

CAFÉ TURB A Parisian establishment opened  in 1780 in the Boulevard  du Temple and decorated  entirely in the Turkish style. There were summer-houses, arbours and  bowers that were lit up every night in the gardens alongside the boulevard, and a well-known orchestra played quadrilles. The  café  turc wa still fashionable under Louis-Philippe, but  did not survive the changes in the boulevard. It  became a restaurant for weddings and bonquets.

CAFFIENE an alkaloid present  in coffee (1-2%). Tea (1.5-3%) and cola nuts (2-3%), with  stimulating, tonic and diuretic  properties. When taken in excessive amounts, caffeine can become toxic. The quantity of caffeine contained in a cup of coffee varies according to the origin of the beats.  Robusta beans contain two and a half times more caffeine than  arabica  beans.  Indian and Sri Lankan (Ceylon) teas are normally richer in caffeine than China teas. Decaffeinated coffees and teas have become popular.

CAGHUSE.  Also known as cagbuse. A  speciality from Picardy,  made with  a pierce of pork knuckle,  liberally covered with finely onions and butter. It is cooked in the oven and served cold.  The  caghuse is traditionally made in an earthenware dish, greatest with land (shortening).

CAHORS. A red wine from south-western France. It  was awarded the appellation d’origine (controlee in  2876. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Cahons region produced a red wine that was very famous in the Middle Ages. The hundred Years’ War and the protectionism practiced by the citizens of Bordeaux  curtailed the selling of Cahors wines, which had to  be transported by boatmen down the Rivers Lot and Garonne to the Gironde region and the port of  Bordeaux, from where  they might be shipped to England and  northern Europe.

            The region of Cahors is situated to the east of  Bordeaux and to the north of Toulouse, not far from the Bergerac vineyard. It is  a limestone plateau (les Causes) through which the River Lot flows. The  vineyard extends over the reddish stony soil, along the banks of the Lot, between Cahors and Soturac. It  is made up of small plots scatterd over 50 km (31 miles) and is exposed to the south and southeast.  The  main vine variety is the Malbec (or Cot). Which the Cahors vine-growers call Auxerrois. Other varieties aer merlot and Tannat.  Cahors wine is so dark and tannic and that  it should traditionally be kept  for three to five years in cask and five  to then years in bottle before being drink. The young wine is inclined to the harsh and unrewarding, but later it  becomes fine,  full of fragrance, well balanced and dark red Modern versions are becoming  less tannic  and they mature  earlier.  It is an elegant accompaniment  to many spiced dishes, meats with sauce and  game.

CAILLEBOTTE In Poitou and Anjou, a dish made with curdled milk and served cold with fresh cream and sugar. The  world comes from catiller (to curdle)  and botter  (to coagulate on a rush mat). In order regions, the name is given to a cream cheese made from cow’s milk (in Aunis and Saintonge) or from goat’s milk (in Saintonge and Poitou). When  catillebotte is drained  in a woven rush basket, it is called joncbee. The traditional preparation of Poitou castillebotte  involve adding a pinch of cardoon flower to curdle the milk.  Le Vaternne’s le Confiturier francois (1664) contained a recipe for this dish.

RECIPE

Poitou caillebottes

Infuse a pinch of cardoon flower in a very small amount of water for 5-6 hours.  Pour the liquid into 1 litre (1¾  pints, 4½ cups) fresh milk and leave until it coagulates.  Using a knife, cut the resulting solid mass into squares and heat gently until it boils.  The curds are cooked when the pieces separate and float in the whey. After chilling, remove the whey and replace it with fresh milk. Top with fresh cream and sweeten to taste.

CAILLETTE A small flat sausage made of minced pork and green vegetables. It is cooked in the oven and may be eaten hot or cold.  (caillettes are said to have originated in the Ardeche, but they are prepared in the whole of south-eastern France.  The seasoning and secondary ingredients vary from region to region, and even from village to village to village, truffles are used  in Pierrelatte, spinach in Soyans, greens in Chabeuil (where a caillette-tasting society, the confrerie de Chevaliers du  Taste-Cailelttee, was established in 1967), pig’s and beer in Valence and  pig’s liver a la pagetoise in Puget-Theniers. Catillettes  are similar to a type of sausage made in Cornwall, which is served with mustard and mashed potato.

RECIPES

Ardeche caillettes

Blanch 250g (9 oz. 3 cups) beet leaves, an equal quantity of spinach and a large handful of dendelion leaves, nettles and poppy leaves.  Drain and chop  finely.   Also chop 250 g (9 zo.  I packed cup) pig’s liver, an equal quantity of lights (lungs) and a little fat bacon and mix togeher.  Brown a chopped onion in some lard (shortening) and add the meat, vegetables and a garlic clove; season with salt and  pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat, divide the mixture into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball.  Wrap each ball in  pigs caul and pack them choose together in an eartheware dish. Put a strip of fat bacon on each coillette  and cook in preheated oven at 200°C  (400°F, gas  6) for 30—40 minutes.  Cool the coillettes  and store in earthenware  pots, covered with lard,  they may be served hot, browned in lard, or cold with a dandelion salad.

Provencale caillettes

Use only beet leaves, spinach and fine sausagemeat.  Make a mixture consisting of half meat and half vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and add some  chopped garlic. Divide  the mixture into balls  about the size of a tangerine, wrap them in caul fat, and  flatten them slightly. Bake in a preheated oven at  200°C (400°F, gas 6 ) for about 40 minutes. Serve  the caillettes either very hot, with a well-seasoned  tomato sauce, or completely chilled with a salad.

CAILLIER A wooden drinking vessel used in the  Middle Ages and until the end of the 16^th  century. The largest of these vessels were used as containers for wine  and the bowl-shaped lids were used as  drinking cups.

CAISSES Also known as caissettes.  Cases used in  cookery, pastry-making and confectionery. Savoury preparation en caisse (in cases) or en caissette (in small cases) are served as hot hors d’oeuvre or small entrees. They are generally filled with salpicons,  ragouts or the various filings used  for harquettes, patties pies or tartlets. The  cases are served in small round or oval receptacles made of ovenproof china, tempered glass, metal, plastic or light aluminium (frequently used for caterers’ preparations).  Petitis fours, certain sweetmeats (bouchees) and cakes (such as individual babas ) are  placed in cassettes made of pleatd paper.  Caisses de Wassy are famous  sweetmets from champagne made of meringue with almonds, apparently created because Mary Stuart stayed in the town.

            The term caisse is also used in France to denote various tins (pants and similar kitchen utensils.

CAJUN COOKERY Cajun cooking was introduced to Louisiana by the  Acadians, descendants of 17^th-century French settlers in Nova Scotia (then known as Acadia), who were driven out in the mid 18^th century by the British. They fled to New Orleans, taking with them their French-influenced cooking style Cajun evolved from Cagian, the Indian interpretation  of Acadian.

            Cajun cooking is often grouped with Creole cooking (see Creole cookery) and the two styles overlap in the use of ingredients and seasonings. Cajun  cooking is referred to as more country style than  creole, with its full-bodied, spicy and rich approach.  With  the same local ingredients, it is hardly surprising that onions, peppers and celery provide the same base for many savoury dishes, often seasoned  and thickened with file powder. Shared recipes  include gumbo and jambalaya.

            Features of Cajon cooking include the traditional use of pork fat and a dark roux, cooked to a rich brown as a starting point for many stews.   Etouffee combines freshwater crayfish with onions, peppers and tomatoes, crayfish are just as likely to feature in a blisque ofr jambulaya.  The same  stew may be prepared with chicken instead of crayfish, with the  chicken fried to a deep rich brown in the fried to a deep rich brown in the first stages.  Dirty rice is a cajun dish of rice cooked with chicken giblets – taking its name form the colour given by the liver and other giblets, the flavour is  good and rich.

            The idea of browning ingredients seasoned with dry spices until they are virtually black is associated with contemporary Cajun cooking.  A mixture of dry spices is rubbed on ingredients before grilling or pan-frying them in a heavy dry pan until almost black and the spices smoke. This method is particularly good for oily fish and rich or fatty meats.

CAKES AND GATEAUX Although both terms can be used for savoury preparations (meat cakes or vegetables gateaux) their main use is for sweet baked  goods.  Cakes can be large or small, plain or fancy, light or rich, Gateau is generally used for fancy, but light, preparations, often with fresh decoration, such as fresh fruit or whipped cream. Whereas a cake  may remain fresh decoration or ingredients that do not keep well, such as fresh decoration or ingredients that do not  keep well, such as fresh fruit or whipped cream. In France, the word ‘gateau’ designates various patisserie items based on puff pastry, shortcrust pastry (basic pie dough, sweet pastry, paste sablee, choux  pastry, Genoese and whisked sponges and meringue.  To these may be added various additional ingredients, such as ground almonds, almonds paste, chocolate, fruit (fresh, preserved or dried), fondant or water icing (frosting), pastry and butter creams, liqueurs and fresh cream. 

            The word gateau is derived from the Old French wasted, meaning ‘focused. The first gateaux were simply flat round cakes made with flour and water, but over  the centuries these were enriched with honey, eggs, spices, butter, cream and milk. From the very earliest times, a large number of French provinces have produced cakes for which they are noted.  Thus Artois had gateaux razis, and Boubonnais the ancient tartes de fromage broye, de crème et de moyeux d’oeulz.  Heath cakes are still made in Normandy, Picardy, Poitouu an din some provinces of the south of France.  They are called  variouisl fottaces, fonacbes, fonees or fouyasses, according to the district.

            Until the 17^th century it was usual at Whitsunitide in Paris to throw down nienles and outblies (wafers), local Parisian confections, on the head of the worshippers gathere under the valued roofs of the  cathedral of Notre-Dame.  At the same time blazing  wicks were showered on the congregation.

            Among the many pastries which were in high  favour from the 12^th to the 15^th  centuries in Paris and other cities were echatudes, of which two variants, the flageols and the gobeth, were especially prized by the people of Paris, and darioles, small turtles covered with narrow strips of pastry.  Two  kinds of darioles were made, one filled with cream cheese, the other with frangipane cream.  Talemouses, which are known today as talmouses (cheese turnovers), were also much apprecited.

            Casse-museau is a hard dry pastry still made today; rations, petities cchoux and gateaux featilletes are mentioned in a charter by Robert, Bishop of Amiens in  1311, which proves that puff pastry was known in France before the 17^th century, when, someone  writers claims, the process of making puff pastry was invented.

            In the following centuries, pastrycooks, organized into guilds, produced not only the pastries  listed above, but also brioches, spice cakes, waffle of various kinds, marzipan biscuits, tarts and flans decorated in various  ways, pates royales (a kind of  meringue), almond cakes, dough cakes, cracknels and flamiches. Then came grand architectural, creations (pieces montees), often more decorative than delectable. In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, cakes  became masterpieces of refinement and ingenuity, especially where pastrycooks were in the service of a prince or a large house.

§  Traditional cakes  Many cakes  have a ceremonial  or  symbolic significance, linked to a religious feast -  such as Christmas, Easter, Epiphany (Twelfth-Night cake)  and Candlemas. In Addition, cakes have  always featured prominently in family celectrations (for baptisms, birthdays and weddings). Formerly, tourteaux fromages were served in Poitou at wedding breakfasts. In Britanny, the bride and groom were given the gateatu de la demande. In the country, cakes were provided for social evenings and gatherings, market days and threshing days.

A number of foreign  cakes are also well-known in France(strudel, fruit cake, baklava, vatrushki, linzerlotte and panettone).  On this subject, jean-Paul

Same gives a supervising  example of culinary anthropmorphism: ‘Cakes are human, they are like faces Spanish cakes are ascetic with a swaggering appearance, they crumble into dust under the tooth, Greek cakes are greasy like little oil lumpsy when you press them, the oil oozes out. German cakes are bulky and soft like shaving cream; they are made so that  obese easily tempted men can eat them indulgently, without worrying what they taste like but simply to  fill their mouths with sweetness. But  those Italian cakes had a cruel perfection really small and flawless, scarcely bigger than petitis fours, they gleamed.  Their on the sideboard like pieces of painted porcelain.

RECIPES

Fruit cake

Soften 125 g (4½ oz,½ cup butter at room temperature. Cream it with 125 g (4½ oz,½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar and a pinch of salt until  pale and soft. Add 3 eggs, one at a time. Mix 175 g  (6 oz, 1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder.  Wash and dry g (9 oz. 1½ cups)  currants or mixed dried fruit and add them to the flour.  Mix well and stir into the mixture of butter, sugar and eggs.  Refrigerate the mixture  for 30 minutes.

            Butter a loaf tin (pan) about 23 cm (9 in) long, line it with buttered greaseproof (wax) paper and fill with the cake mixture.  Bake in a preheated oven at 240°C (475°F, gas 9) for about 12 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180° (350°F, gas 4) and bake for 45 minutes.  Check that the cake is sufficiently cooked by piercing with the point of a knife, which should come out clean.  Allow  the cake to become lukewarm  before removing from the tin. Cool on a rack.

Gateau Alexandra

Gently melt 100 g (4 oz, 4 squares) sweetened chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water.  Whisk 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg and 125 g (4½ oz, 2/3 cup) caster (suerpfine) sugar in a basin until the mixture  is almost white and is very thick.  Blend in 75 g  (3 oz. ¾ cup) ground almonds, then the melted  chocolate, 3 tablespoon plain (all-purpose) flour, and 75 g (3 oz, 2/3 cup) cornflour (cornstarch). Whisk 3 egg whites  with a pinch of salt until stiff,  then gently blend them into the chocolate mixture together  with 75 g (3 oz, 1/3 cup) melted butter.

            Grease and flour  an 18 cm (7 in) square cake in (pan) and pour in the mixture.  Bake in a preheated  ove at 180°F, gas 4 ) for 50 minutes. When  cool, cover the cake with 200 g 97 oz, 2/3 cup) apricot jam, then refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

            Meanwhie, melt 75 g (3 oz, 3 squares) chocolate  with 2 tablespoons water and,  in another sacuepan, very gently warm through 200 g (7 oz. 1 cup) fondant.  Add the melted  chocolate to the fondant the mixture must be liquid enough to be  spread easily.  Cover the cake with this chocolate fondant, then store in a cool place until ready to serve.

gateau flamand

make a smooth pastry dough by mixing 175g (6 oz,  11/2 cups) sifted plain (all-purpose) flour, 65 g (2½ oz. 5 tablespoons) butter, 50 g (2 oz. ¼ cup)sguar, 1 egg and pinch of salt. Roll it out to a thickness of 3 mm (1/8 in ) and use to line a buttered  manqué mould or sandwich tin (layer cake pan)2o cm (8 in) in diameter, place it in the refrigerator.

            For the filling, mix together 125g (4½ oz,  2/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar,  1 teaspoon vanilla  sugar and 100 g 94 oz. 1 cup) ground almonds.  Whisk in 3 egg yolks, one by bone, then add 3 tablespoons kirsch and continue to whisk the mixture  until it turns white until very stiff and blend them into the mixture together  with 40 g (1½ oz, 3 tablespoons) melted butter.

            Pour the filing into the lined mould and bake  in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F, gas 6 ) for about 45 minutes. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool for a least 15 minutes  before taking out of the mould. Melt 200 g (7 oz, 1 cup) fondant very slowly in a saucepan. Blend in 3 tablespoons kirsch  and spread the fondant over the cake. Decorate  with glace (candied) cherries and sticks of angelica.

Gateau le parisien

Pare the zest from a lemon, blanch it for 1 minute, cool, dry and cut into short very fine julienne  strips.  Whisk 3 egg yolks with 100 g (4 oz.½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar until the mixture is almost  white. Pour in 25 g (1 oz, ¼ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour 40 g (1½ oz., 1/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, 40 g ( 1 ¼ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, 40 g (1½ cup) cornflour (cornstarch), I teaspoon  vanilla sugar and the zest, then carefully fold in the 3 egg whites, whisked with a pinch of salt until very stiff.  Pour this mixture into  a buttered fairly  deep 23 cm 99 in) sandwich tin (layer cake pan) or manque mould and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F, gas 6) for 40 minutes.

            During this time, make a fragipane cream with 3 egg yolks, 7 g (3oz. 6 tablespoons) caster sugar, 25 g (1 oz. ¼ cup) cornflour, 400 ml (14fl oz. 1 ¾ cups) milk.  I1 teaspoon vanilla sugar and 125 g  (4½ oz. 1 cup) ground almonds.  Blend in 125 g  (41/2 oz,½ cup) chopped crystallized (candied ) fruits.

            When the cake is cooked, leave it to cool.  Makes some Italian meringue with 3 egg whites, 2 tablespoons icing (confectioner’s) sugar, and 175 g9 6 oz, ¾ cup) caster sugar. Cut the cooled cake into 3  equal rounds.  Cover each layer with the frangipane  cream and crystallized fruit mixture and re-form the cake. Spread some meringue on the top, then fill a fluted piping bag with the zest of the merinque and decorate all round the cake  with regular motifs.  Sprinkle  the meringue with icing sugar and put in a preheated oven at 180°c (350°F, gas 4). Take out  the cake as soon as the maringue turns brown. Leave to cool completely.

Honey and cherry cake

Soften 100 g (4 oz. 1/3 cup) butter at room temperature. Divide into small pieces, and then cream with 100 g (4 oz,½ cup) caste (superfine) sugar, a large pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons liquid honey. Mix in 1 tablespoon baking powder, 200 g (7 oz. 1 ¾ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour and 3 eggs, added one at a time. Flovour with 2 tablespoons rum. Halves 9125 g (4½ oz,½ cup) glace (candied) cherries  and  add them to the cake  mixture.  Pour  immediately into buttered loaf tin (pan) and bake in a  preheated oven at 190°C (375°F, gas 5 ) for about  45 minutes. If the cake is browning too quickly. Cover it with a piece of foil.  Turn the cooked cake out of the tin when lukewarm and leave to cool on  a rack. Decorate with glace cherries  an piece of  angelica.

Marble cake

Melt 175 g 96 oz. ¾ cup) butter very slow, without letting it become hot.  Whisk in 200 g (7 oz. ¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar and then 3 egg  yolks.  Sift 175 g (16 oz.  1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder and stir into the egg mixture. Whisk 3 egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and fold them into the mixture.  Divide the mixture in half.  Fold 25 g (1 oz.  ¼ cup) cocoa into one portion.  Pour the two mixture into a greased 20 cm (8 in) cake tin (pan) in alternated thin layers. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C (350°F, gas 4) for 1-1 ¼ hours.)

Strewberry gateau

Wash, hull and dry 1 kg (2¼ lb). Large strawberries. Bring 150 g (5 oz. 2/3 cup) granulated sugar and 5½ tablespoons water to the boil, add 2 tablespoons of  kirsch and 2 tablespoons wild strawberry liqueur.  Place an 18 x 23 cm (7 x 9 in) rectangle of sponge cake on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof (was0 paper.  Soak it with one-third of the syrup. (whip 500 g (18 oz. 2 ¼  cups) butter cream to make it lighter and, using a wooden spatula, incorporate  100 g (4 oz, ½  cup) of confectioner’s  custard (pastry cream ).  Spread one-third of this  mixture on the sponge cake.  Arrange the strawberries on top, very close together  and pointing  upward, pressing them well into the cream. Pour 2 tablespoons kirsch on top and sprinkle on 25 g  (1 oz, 2 tablespoons ) caster (superfine) sugar.     Level  the top of the strawberries using a serrated knife and cover with the remaining butter cream mixture, smoothing the top and sides with the spatula.   Cover with another rectangle of sponge cake the  same size and pour the remaining syrup over it.  Coat the gateau with a thin layer of pistachio-flavoured almond paste (75 g. 3 oz, 1/3 cup). Leave  the strawberry gateau for at least 8 hours in the  refrigerator.  Before  serving, tidy the edges with a  knife dipped in hot water.  Decorate with strawberries sliced into a fan shape and coated with 100 g (4 oz, 1/3 cup) of apricot glaze, applied with  pastry brush.

CALABASH The fruit of various plants of the gourd family.  The sweet calabash is a creeping shrub from America and Africa. Its soft delicate flesh may be eaten raw in a salad. Baked in the oven, boiled, stewed with bacon and herbs (in martinique) or curried with beef (in Sri Lanka). In Japan, the flesh of some calabashes is dried, cut into thin strips and used as a garnish for soups.  When dried, the  fruit becomes hard and woody. These gounds are hollowed out and used as kitchen utensils, drinking vessels and other articles.

            In South America liquid extracted from the pulp is used to make a syrup.

           

CALAMARI see squid.

CALCIUM A mineral that is essential for the development and functioning of the human body and is  an important constituent of the bones and teeth.  The  principal source of calcium are milk, yogurt and cheese. Calcium  is also found in fish in which bones  are eaten, green leafy  vegetables and a variety of other foods.

CALDEIRADA  A thick Portuguese soup made  from mollucs and fish with white wine, poured  over slices of bread glazed with olive oil.

RECIPE

Caldeirada

Mix together 1 finely chopped onion, ¼  chopped pepper, 2 small tomatoes, peeled, seeded and crushed, ½ teaspoon crushed garlic, salt and black pepper from the mill.  Place 12 clams in a heavy-based casserole with 60 ml (2 fl oz, ¼ cup) olive oil.  Cover with half the mixture of vegetables, then 400 g (14 oz) white fish, skipped, filleted and cut into pieces, and 300 g (11 oz) squid, cleaned  and cut into strips. Cover with the remaining vegetables and add 200 ml (7 fl oz, ¾ cup) white wine.  Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20  minutes.  Heat 60 ml (2 fl oz. ¼ cup) olive oil in a  frying  pan and fry 4 slices  of sandwich bread on both sides until golden.  Drain on paper towels.  Put 1 slice of bread on each plate. Pour a ladle of stock over each slice, then arrange the fish, clams and squid on top.  Sprinkle generously with finely chopped parsley.

CALDO VERDE A Portuguese national dish consisting of a soup made with olive oil, potatoes and dark green Portuguese curly cabbage. It is garnished with slices of garlic sausage and served with maize (corn) bread and red wine. The cabbage ahs a very strong  falvour and is cut into very thin strips.

CALIFORNIAN WINE  Despite California’s long history of winemaking, its influence  did not become important until the latter part of the 20^th century. California’s grasp of modern winemaking in the 1870s was the driving force in opening  up the New  World of wine. A small  cluster of wines from the  Napa Valley, produced by pioneers such as Robert Mondavi, Joe Heitz and Warren Winiarski, were the first to prove that quality winemaking was not necessarily confined to the classic regions of Europe.

            Vine-growing was introduced to Mexico by Cortes in the early 16^th century and slowly spread to the  north via the Spanish missions. It was not until the  second half of the 19^th century, when California  ceased to be Mexican and became  one of the States of the Untion, that modern vine-growing really began. The  credit for this goes to a few pioneers, including the great Hungarian nobleman, Agoston haraszthy,  considered to be the ‘father of Californian wine-growing.  They imported a large number  of European vines to replace that of the Mission – a variety of grape formerly introduced by the Jesuits, which has  a very high yield but produces only mediocre wines.

            Phylloxera in the late  1800s followed  by prohibition had a severe effect on the industry. In the late 1980s the resources of California’s wine  industry were tested again when a second wave of Phylloxera swept  through the State. Many growers used this as an opportunity to replant with greater consideration to variety, density, training and soil type.

            Three-quarters of California’s grape growing is  concentrated in the Central  Valley – between Sacramento in the north and Bakersfield in the south. This   hot, dry, irrigated area is the source of much of  California’s inexpensive, ‘jug wine’ made from a range of grapes, including French Colombard,  Chenin Blanc and Zinfandel.

            In contrast with the central Valley, the Napa Valley, north of San Francisco, is renowned for its quality rather  than quantity.  This narrow, flat, 30 km. (18 mile) long valley has a unique climate, heavily influenced by a natural fog bank extending from the  San Francisco Bay which lowers temperatures.  This is  heartland of California’s top-quality producers, many of whom make wines which  can challenge the best from around the world.  Cabernet Sauvignon does particularly well here, as do Syrah and Chardonnay. Sonoma Valley to the west of  Napa and Mendocino to the north are less famous but also capable of making good wines. Los carmeros to the  south produces some excellent Pinot Noir and this is  the centre of California’s quality sparkling wine industry, some of which is owned by outposts of  French champagne houses.  South of San Francisco, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey and Santa Barbara all produce quality wines for international and  local markets.

            After a fairly erratic development, involving trial and error, the European vine finally became adapted  to growth in the varied soils and climates of California. Two  major vine-growing areas can be distinguished  the relatively cold north coast, which  produces table wines, some of which re excellent and the much warmer inland valleys, producing mainly sweet wines and dessert wines, which are high in alcohol but in general of rather indifferent  quality.

§  Table wines The California wineries are out standing well equipped and planned. They make in general, three main types of wine. The inexpensive red, white and rose ‘jug wines’ are often from table grapes (such as Thompson Seedless) and tend to be somewhat mediocre.  Some of the better-quality wines bear European names, often those of classic grape varieties, but the use of classic regional names  is declining  and it must be said that such wines bear  scant relation to their French counterparts. The ‘varietal wines’ bear the names of the grape or grapes  from which they are made, although regulations do  not yet insist on a 100 % use of these varieties, which  is something often stressed on label’s by top producers. Such  wines can equal in quality many European  fine wines.

§  Sweet and sparkling wines. The  aperitif and sweet  wines are, in general, versions of European classics – sherry, port, Tokay, and so on, few of them attaining more than  ordinary quality. The sparkling  wines, however, made by the champagne process, can be  really good, notably the dry ones.

CALISSON a diamond-shaped sweetmeat from  provence produced on a small scale.  Calissons are actually a centuries-old speciality of Aix-en Provence.  In the 17^th century they were distributed  among the congregation during religious ceremonies  held in memory of the plague of 1630. Later, they were traditionally eaten at Easter.  The Provencal word calissoun (or carissoun), which comes from  the Latin Canna  (a reed), is used for the wire stand on which confectioners display crystallized (candied) fruit and calissons.

            Callisson  are made of 40% blanched  almonds and 60% crystallized fruit (melon with a little orange) mixed with orange-flower water and syrup.  The mixture is placed on a base unleavened bread and  coated with royal icing.  Calissons should be bought when very fresh and soft and kept only for a short  time. They must be protected from the air as they dry quickly.

CALVADOS Brandy made distilling cider.  Cider distillation is a very old tradition in Normandy – it was mentioned in 1553 in the diary of Gillies de Gouberville, a gentleman of the cotentin.  The best Calbados in made with cider that is over a  year old.

            Distilling may be carried out throughout  the year, but it is usually from March to April  and August to September. Traditional stills with a double distillation are used for the  appellation countrolee Calvados, which is made in the Auge rigion, comprising part  of the department of Calvados and several crommunes of the Orne and Eure. The appellation reglementee  Calvados are made by a single distillation process.

            Calvados is a harsh rough brandy, 72° alcohol per volume, which must mature  for a time in oak casks. It may be sold only after  a year’s ageing.  It is usually  categorized as follows: Trois etoiles’ or Trois Pommes’ Calvados are aged for two years   in wood:’Vieux’ or “Reserve’ are aged for three years, “VO’ (Vevery Old) or ‘Vieille Reserve’ for four years; ‘VSOP for five years,: ‘Extra’, ‘Napoleon’, ‘Hors d’Age’ or Age Inconnu’ for more than five years.

            Since the middle of the 20^th century, Calvados has been subject to strict controls and, in export markets, has become one of the most  sought after  French spirits. (it is not, however, the same as the American spirit applejack.) old Calvados is to be enjoyed  as a digestive, in a tulip glass. The Normans and Bretons have  popularized the customs of café calva: the brandy is either served in a small glass at the same time as the coffee, or else is poured into  the empty coffee cup while this is still warm (see  Trou normand.)

            Like  most spirits, Calvados may be used in cooking and pastry-making, particularly in dishes that are  Norman specialties, such  as chicken or leg of mutton with cream and Calvados, apple desserts, omelettes and crepes flambees.

CAMACHO’S WEDDING An episode in Don Quizote in which the hero and Sancho Panza attended  the wedding feast of a wealthy farmer, Camacho The enormous number of dishes served at this  repast has become provbial and the expression noces de Camache is used to describe a particular sumptuous feast costing an inordinate amount of  money, ‘The first thing that met sancho’s eyes was a whole ox spitted on the trunk of an elm and, in the  hearth over which it was to roast, there was a fair mountain of wood burning. Six earthen pots were arranged around this blaze… whole sheep disappeared within them as if they were pigeons. Innumerable skinned hares and fully plucked chickens, hanging on the trees, were soon to be swallowed up in these pots. Birds and game too, of all kinds, were  also hanging from the branches so that they were  kept cool in the air… There were piles of white loaves, like heaps of wheat in burns… cheeses, built  up like bricks, formed walls and two cauldrons of oil, bigger than dver’s vats, were used for frying pastries, which were lifted out with two sturdy shovels  and then plunged into another  cauldron of honey standing nearby.’

CAMBACERES, JEAN-JACQUES REGIS DE

French jurist, politician and gastronome (born Monpellier, 1754; died Paris, 1824). During  a particularly turbulent period in French history (from the French Revolution to the Restoration), Camabaceres adroitly  advanced his career in the public sphere. He proved  equally skilled in gastronomy. His table was reputed  to be the most sumptuous and lavish in Paris  equalling that of Talleyrand, and the dinners that he  gave at h is house in Rue Saint-Dominique were celebrated.  Cambaceres chose the dishes himself and knew all the  gastronomics skills, so that he was regarded as a supreme arbiter of taste. But  he was  accused  of stinginess and gluttony by the famous chef, Carme, probably in an effort to blacken the  name of the man  that rivalled Caremes’s employer Talleyrad, who also practiced ‘table politics’, during the Congress of Lune’ville, when Bonaparte ordered that postal services should carry nothing but despatches and food parcels were banned, Cambaceres pleaded:  ‘How can one make friends without exquisite dishes! It is mainly through the table that one governs!” the firt Gonsul described in his favour.

            More often than not, Cambaceres was accompanied by the Marquis d’Aigrefeuille, his faithful taster and table companion, to whom Grimod de la Reyniere dedicated his first Almanach de gourmands. An anectodal guide to Paris.  Cambaceres also prescribed over Grimod’s Jury of Tasters’ from  1805 onwards.  A  healthy eater and generous host,  who entertained distinguished guests on behalf of Napoleon, he died of apoplexy at the age of 70, after Louis XVII granted him permission to return from exile.

            Three very elaborate dishes were named after him a cream soup of chicken, pigeon and crayfish, garnished with quenelles made with the same meats; a7 timbale of macaroni and foie gras; and salmon trout with crayfish and truffles.

CAMBRIDGE SAUCE An emulsified sauce found  in traditional English cooking that is made from  anchovies, egg yolks and mustard. It is served as an  accompaniment to cold meats.

RECIPE

Cambridge sauce

Thoroughly desalt 6 anchovies, then remove the bones. Blend together 3 hard-boiled (hard-cooked) egg yolks, the anchovy flesh, 1 teaspoons capers and  a small bunch of tarragon and chervil.  Add 1 teaspoon English mustard to the mixture and season with  pepper. Thicken  with groundnut (peasant) oil  or sunflower oil, as for mayonnaise, then add 1 tablespoon vinegar. Adjust the seasoning.  Add  chopped chives and parsley.

CAMEL A ruminant manual of Asia an dAfrica, which possesses either one  hump dromedary) or  two Camel meat, mostly from young animals, whose  tender flesh is similar to veal, is consummed in several countries of North Africa and the Middle East. The thigh  joint of the dromedary is cooked chopped, as  meataballs, or whole in marinade. In Mongolia, the fat from the hump is issued to make a widely used butter.  The heart and other  offal are also eaten.  Considered unclean in the Bible, the camel was highly esteemed a choice dish. Parish during the 1870 siege, it  appeared on the Christmas  Eve menu at the Vision restaurant.  Camel’s milk is a nutritious and well balanced  food for humans.

CAMELINE  A cold condiment for pates, roasts and fish, used in medieval time.  It was  made of grilled bread soaked in wine, drained, squeezed and  ground with spices (cinnamon, ginger, pepper cloves and nuttmeg), then diluted  with vinegar.  After sieving, the sauce was kept in a pot, ready for use  Taillevent criticized lazy people  criticized lazy people ‘who rather than make a pepper sauce to accompany stuffed young pig, are content to eat it with cameline’. A special  version, served with fried fish, was called aux comelins (bread, cinnamon and garlic cloves ground with vinegar and fish liver).

CAMEMBERT A soft cheese (45-50% fat content) made from cow’s milk, pale yellow in colour with a  white furry skin speckled with brown flecks.  Each cheese measures about 11 cm (4 ½ in) in diameter and is 3—1 cm (1 ½ in) thick,

            There is a story that this cheese was inverted at  the time of the French Revolution in the Auge region a Normandy. A certain Marie Hated, who had hidden a recalcitrant priest from Brie, developed a new  cheese by combining the method used in Normandy with that used in Brie.  Marie Harel disclosed her  secreted to her daughter, who set herself up in the village of Camembert near Vimoutiers (Orme) to sell  the cheeses. While passing through the region for the opening of the Paris-Granville line, Napaleon II tasted the cheese and found it delicious.  On learning that it came from Camembert, the Emperor named it  after the village.  However, amembert cheese is recorded in parish records as having been around as  early as 1681. Whatever de origins, the name was  never registered and a judgment  of 1926 stipulated that Camembert could not have an appellation d’orginae. This  is why camembert is now mass produced throughout France and even in other countries.

            Towards the end of the 19^th century, a certain M. Ridel invented the cylindrical wooden box that  enabled the cheese to be transported. The white mould with which Camembert is covered today was  selected in 1910. (originally, Camambert was covered with blue mould and wrapped in straw.)

§  Manufacture. Real farmhouse Camembert cheeses are rare today, but dairy  cheeses are manufactured on both a small and large scale.  It takes 4 litres  (7 pints, 4 quarts) milk to make a Camembert. The  best cheeses, made from raw milk curdled with rennet, are mouled with a ladle, then drained, salted, turned over.  Removed from the mould and left to  mature for about month in a dry cellar that the  skin forms naturally. The cheese should be wrapped  in transparent parchment paper, thereby showing  the slightly bulging skin with its uneven coating of  fur and orange streaks.  The  aroma should be delicate and full-flavoured. Since  August  1983, the AOP Camambert de Normandie has been reserved for  cheeses manufactured in the five departments of Normandy, which are produced in this way and are sold in thin wooden boxes. The village of Camembert  is not in these regions and no cheese is actually made there.

Mass-produced Camemberts are made  from pasteurized skimmed milk to which pasteurized cream is added. They are of  uniform quality and keep longer than traditionally made cheeses, but the taste  is never as good. They are drained faster and mouled mechanically . Demi –camemberts. (half-Camameberts) and Camembert portions are also found.

CAMERANI, BARTHELEMY-ANDRE Italian comedian and gastronome (born Ferrara, c. 1735; died Paris , 1816),  working mainly in France, he  became administrator of Favart and Feydeau the attres. But  above all, Camerani was famous for his  groumandise, being a member of Grimod de La Reyniere’s Juyr of Tasters’ and giving his name to a  soup which he invented and which was served around 1810 in the Café Anglais, when he was working at the Opera-comique.

            In classic French cuisine, the name of Camerani is  also applied to a garnish for poached chicken and  calve’s sweetbreads, consisting of small tartles filled  with a pure of foie gras (topped with slices of truffle and pickled ox tongue cut into the shape of  cockscombs) and macaroni a l’Pitalienne, all bound  together with supreme source.

RECIPE

Camerani soup

Slowly cook in butter 200 g (7 oz. ½ cups) finely shredded mixed vegetables, including a small turnip. Add 2 chicken livers, peeled and diced very finely, season with salts and pepper, and brown  over a  brisk heat. Meanwhile, cook 125 g (41/2 oz) Naples  macaroni in fast-boiling salted water.  Drain, bind together  with butter and season.  In a serving dish, buttered and sprinkled with grated Permasan, arranged alternate layers of the macaroni and the chicken liver mixture, also sprinkled with Parmesan.  Heat gently for a few minutes before serving.

CANAPE A slice  bread cut into various shapes and garnished.  Cold canapes are served at buffets or  lunches or with cocktails or aperitifs; hot canapes  are served as entrees or used as foundations for various dishes. When  served with game birds, canapes are generally fried in  butter and spread with a gratin forcement, a puree made of the internal organs of  the bird (cooked undrawn) or foie gras.

RECIPES

Preparation of canapes

Unlike sandwiches, which consists of 2 slices of  bread with a filling in the midldl, canapes are made with a single slice of bread; they may be rectangular; round or triangular in shape and the bread can also  be lightly toasted. Cold canapes are usually made  from white bread (slightly stale, so that  it does not  crumble, and with the crust removed ) or rye bread; hot canapes are made from white  or whole meal bread. Cold canapes should be served as soon  as possible after preparation to they do not dry out.  They may be stored in a cool place covered with a  cloth (a damp cloth if kept in a hot or dry place0.

            There is a wide variety of garnishes for canapes, including all the garnishes indicated for croutes as well as various flavoured butters, spinach mixed with  bechamel sauce and Parmesan( a la florentine ), ham, scrambled eggs with cheese, and sardines (fresh sardines (fresh sardine fillets or puree of sardines in oil with hard-boiled-hard-cooked –egg and English mustard).

Cold canapes

Canapes a la bayonnaise

Spread some slices of bread with parsley butter and garnish with very thin slices of Bayonne ham cut to the exact size of the bread.  Glaze with aspic.

Canapes a la boardelaise

Spread some slices of bread with shallot butter Garnish with a salpicon of cooked cep mushrooms and lean ham surrounded by a thin border of paprika butter.

Canapes with anchovies

Spread some Montpellier butter on lightly toasted  rectangular slices of bread cut to the same length as the anchovies. Garnish each canape with 2  anchovy fillets separated by cooked egg white and egg yolk  (chopped separately) and chopped parsley.

Canapes with asparagus

Spread some thickened mayonnaise on rectangular slices of bread.  Arrange very small asparagus tips on each canape and ‘tie’ each bunch with a thin strip of green or red sweet pepper.

Canapes with cavier

Spread fresh buter on some round slices of bread and garnish with caviar. Sprinkle each with a little lemon juice and a pinch of chopped chives.  Very  thick soured (sour) cream may be used instead of butter if desired.

Canapes with shrimps, lobster or langouste

Spread shrimp (or lobster) butter on some round slices of bread. Garnish canape with a rosette of shrimp tails (or a medallion of lobster or langouste tail) and a border of chopped parsly or shrimp butter.

Canapes with smoked eel

Spread some round slices of bread with mustard butter or horseradish butter. Garnish each slice  with 2 or 3 thin slices of smoked eel arranged in a rosette..surround with a double order of hard –boiled (hard-cooked  egg yolk and chopped chives.  Sprinkle with a little lemon juice.

Canapes with smoked salmon

Butter some slices of bread and garnish with slices  of smoked salmon cut to the exact size of the bread. Garnish  each canape with half a slice  of  fluted lemon.

Canapes with watercress

Spread watercress butter on some  round or rectangular  slices of bread.  Garnish each canape with a centre of blanched watercress leaves and a border of chopped hard-boiled (hard-cooked) egg (yolk and white together).

Danish canapes

Spread horseradish butter on some rectangular slices of black rye bread. Garnish with strips of  smoked salmon or smoked herring, filling the  spaces with salmon roe or peeled rounds of lemon cut in half and fluted.

Harliquin canapes

Spread some flavoured butter or thickened mayonnaise  on slices of bread cut into various shapes garnish with various chopped items: pickled ox  (beef) tongue, ham, truffles, yolks  and whites of  hard-boiled (hard-cooked) eggs, parsley. Surround  the canapes with a thin border of butter.

Herring canapes a la hollandaise

Spread some slices of bread with a puree of herring soft roe.  Garnish each canape with strips of smoked  herring fillet, arranged to form a lattice, sprinkle  with a little lemon juice and fill the lattice spaces  with chopped hard-boiled (hard-cooked) egg yolk.

Hot Canapes

Canapes with cheese

Butter some slices of bread. Top with a thick layer of Gruyere cheese (or Comte, Beaufort, Cheddar.  Appenzell), either grated or cut into very thin strips. Brown in a hot oven.  The canapes may be served with seasoned tomato sauce.  Alternatively grated Gruyere can be added to a well-reduced bechamel sauce, seasoned with caynne, and spread over the slices of bread, which are then sprinkled  with grated Gruyere or small cubes of Gruyere and browned in a preheated oven at 230°C (450°F, gas8).

Canapes with crab

Finely crumble the crab meat (fresh  or canned),  removing  all the cartilage, and flavour with a little lemon juice.  Add  an equal amount of bechamel sauce seasoned with nutmeg or saffron. Butter  some lightly toasted slices  of white bread and  spread them with the crab mixture. Sprinkle with fresh breadcrumbs and melted  butter and brown in  a preheated oven at 230°C (450°F, gas 8).  Garnish with half a round of flutted lemon.

Canapes with mushrooms

Prepare  a dry well-browned duxelless of mushrooms and add bechamel sauce (1 part to 3 parts duxells). Spread  this on lightly toasted slices of bread and sprinkle with fresh breadcrumbs and  little melted butter.  Brown  in a preheated oven  at  230°C (450°F, gas 8).

CANCALAISE, A LA A term describing several fish dishes using oysters from the Bay of  Canale, in Brittany. Whiting sole or brill a la camacalaise are stuffed with poached oysters and prawn tails and coated with Normady sauce or white wine sauce.

            Fish consomme a la camalaise with tapioca is garnish with poached oysters. Sometimes sole fillets cut into small strips (en julienne) or small quenelles of pike are added.

RECIPES

Fillets of sole a la cancalaise

Fillet the soles and poach some oysters, allowing 2 per fillet. Fold the fillets and poach them in a full-bodied fish fumet to which the poaching water  from the oysters has been added.  Drain the fillets, retaining the juices, and arrange them on a dish in the form of a turba.  Garnish the centre of the dish with peeled prawns (shelled shrimp) and arrange 2 oysters on each fillet. Coat with a white  wine sauce to which the reduced cooking juices have been added.

Ragout a la cancalaise

Remove the beards from some oysters and poach n their own liquid or a well-seasoned fish fumet. Add some peeled prawns (shelled shrimp) and bind all the ingredients together with normande sauce.  This ragout is used for filling pies, tarts and volsan vent. It can also  accompany whole fish or fish fillets, such as whitening, sole for brill.

CANCOILLOTTE A specially of the Franche-Come region based on metton, a skimmed cow’s-milk cheese. Metton takes the form of hand hazelnut-sized grains with a strong smell and has a  long ripening process.  The cheese is mixed in a bain marie with salted water and fresh butter to form a  pale-yellow homogeneous paste, with a strong  flavour. It is sweetened with white wine and eaten warm.

CANDISSOIRE A flat rectangular cooking utensil with raised edges and a removable wire grid forming the base.  The candissoire is used  to hold such items as crystallized (candied) fruits or fresh petits four fours after glazing with melted sugar. It is also used for draining small pastries soaked with alcohol, especially, individual babas.

CANDALEMAS the Christian festival held on  2 February to celebrate the Presentation of Christ at  the Temple and the Purification of the Virgin Mary The rod comes from the Latin Festel Comdelarian (feast of the candles) because  many candles are lit in churches  on that day. The origin of candlemas is the  ancient Roman festival of fertiilty. Lupercalia, dedicated to the  god Pan.  Pope Getasius I abolished it in 492 and replaced it with processions holding lighted candles to symbolize the light  of the divine Spirit.  The festival also coincided with the resumption of work in the fields after the regions of winter. This is probably why candlemas is the occasions when flourbased dishes such as pancakes and fritters, are  made. Pancakes were considered to be a symbol of  the sun because of their round shape and golden colour. To use  the wheat from the previous harvest was also a means a attracting a blessing upon the  future harvest.

            The tradition of making pancakes is a very old one. It was mentioned in Le Menagier de Paris  (1393), and there are various superstitions attached  to it.  In burgundy, you must toss one on the top of the cupboard to avoid being short of money during  the year! While  pancakes the being made, shame on the clumsy one who drops it while turning it! At the Candlemas of 1812, prior to his depature  for the  Russian campaign, Napoleon made some copies a la Malmaison. It is said that four out of the five he made were successful, thus forecasting his victory in four battles.  The fifth spoils pancake worried him, and on the day of the Moscow fire, he said to Marshal Ney: “it is the fifth pancake!”

CANDYFLOSS A confection known as  cotton candy in the United States, made from colourted  sugar syrup (usually white or pink), cooked and spun using  a special machine into spidery threads which  are rolled around a stick like a wool on a distaff. The  earliest machine, operated by a crank shaft, appeared in France at the Paris Exposition of 1900.  Today, high-speed electric machines are used.

CANDY SUGAR Refined crystallized sugar. The  Arabic word qandi means ‘cane sugar’, but candy sugar can be made from sugar beer or sugar cane. It  was used therapeutically from the 12^th century onwards and was often flavoured with rose, violet lemon or redcurrant.

            Candy sugar takes the form of large crystals, which are obtained  by slowly cooling a concentrated sugar syrup s that  it crystallizes around threads stretched out in the tank.  Brown candy sugar is obtained from a brown syrup.

            Candy sugar dissolved very slowly and is performed to ordinary sugar for preparing fruits in a brandy and  domestic liqueurs, sine it allows time for the flavour of the fruits to emerge. It is also used in making champagne.

CANELLING. The technique of making V-shaped, grooves over the surface of a vegetable or a fruit for decoration, using  a canele knife. The vegetable of fruit is often sliced after the canelle grooves have  been cut, to make decorative  boarders to the slices.

CANESTRATO Traditionally made in central and southern Italy from ewe’s milk or a mixture of cow’s and ewe’s milk, this semi-hard cheese takes it name from the baskets in which it ripens and the imprint they  leave on the rind. The ewe’s milk cheeses may also be known as Pecorino canestrato or Pecorino Sicliana.

CANETTE A traditionally French in bottle characterized  by having a porcelianbung with a rubber  washer, which is attached  with a metal champ.  This  bung has been largely replaced with a seal.  The  word canette  originated  in Picardy and originally meant an elongated jug. It is also used to hold sparkling lemonade.

CANNA A vigorous tropical plant with a thick  fleshy underground stem.  Which is  eaten as a vegetables.  Some varieties produce  an edible starch, used particularly in Australia, where it is known  as  ‘Queensland arrowroot’.

CANNELLONI A type of pasta dish originating in  Italy.  The word derives from canna (reed ) and literally  means ‘big tubes’.  Pasta squares are simmered in water and a knob of savoury filling is placed in the centre of  each. They are then rolled up into cylinders to form  the connelloni, usually covered with tomato sauce and cooked au gratin.  Alternatively can be  bought in the form of dried tubes, ready for filling.

RECIPES

Cannelloni a la bechannel

Chop 2 large onions and soften them in 25 g (1 oz.  2 tablespoons) butter.  Chop 3 slices of ham and about 250 g (9 oz)  cooked chicken, add these to  the onions and adjust the seasoning.  Make a bechamel sauce with 50 g (2 oz, ¼ cup) butter, 50 g (2 oz, ½ cup) plain (all-purpose ) flour, 500 ml  (17 fl oz, 2 cups) milk, salt, pepper and grated nutmet.  Add 75 g (3 oz, ¾ cup) grated cheese and the  chopped meat and onions.  Fill fresh pasta rectangles with this mixture, then roll them up. Alternatively, use  bought connelloni tubes cooked according to  the packet instruction.  Butter an ovenproof gratin dish and arrange the cannellon in it.  Cover with the remaining bechamel sauce.  Sprinkle with 50 g  (2 oz. ½ cup) grated cheese and a few knots of  butter. Brown in a preheated oven at 240° C (47F, gas 9 ) or under a hot grill (broiler).

Cannelloni a la Florentine

Hard-boil (hard-cook) 2 egg and remove  the shells.  Boil some spinach and drain it.  Make a very smooth bechamel sauce.   Roughly chop the spinach and heat it  gently in butter, allowing 25 g (1 oz, 2 tablespoons) butter to  1 kg (2 ¼ lb). Spinach. Finely chop the hard-boiled eggs and add to the spinach.  Also add 2 raw egg yolks mixed with 100 ml (4 fl oz, 7 tablespoons) double (heavy) cream, 40 g (1 ½  oz.  ½  cup)  grated  Pamesan cheese, salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.  Gently reheat the mixture without boiling, then  leave to cool.  Fill fresh pasta rectangles with this  mixture and roll them up.  Alternately, use bought cannelloni tubes cooked according to the packet instructions.  Arrange in a buttered ovenproof dish, cover with the bechamel sauce and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and a few knobs of butter.  Cook  in a preheated oven at 240°C (475°F, gas 9) or under a hot grill (broiler ) until the surface is brown and crusty.

Meat cannelloni

Fil fresh pasta rectangles with a meaty bolognese sauce.  Roll them up and arrange in a buttered ovenproof dish. Alternatively, use bought cannelloni tubes cooked according to the packet instructions. Cover with tomato sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese, and place in preheated oven at 240°C (754°F, gas 9) or under a hot grill (broiler) until the  surface is well browned.

Seafood cannelloni

Fill fresh pasta rectangles with a stuffing of crab meat or chopped peeled prawns (shelled shrimp) bound with a well-seasoned bachamel sauce. Roll up the cannelloni and arrange in a buttered oven-proof dish. Alternatively, use bought cannelloni tubes cooked according to the packet instructions. Cover with normande sauce, sprinkle with a few  knobs of butter and cook in preheated oven at 240 ° c (475

F, gas 9) or under a grill (broiler) until the surface is well browned.

CANOLE.  A dry biscuits that is a specially of Rochechouart (haute-Vienne region). It originated in 1371, during the hundred Years’ War.  The town, which  had been under siege by the English, was relieved by due Guesclin.  The inhabitants duly pillage the enemy camp and found wheat and fresh eggs, with which they made these biscuits, mockingly named  after the captain of the English troops, Sir Robert Canolles (or Knoblles).

CANON-FRONSAC AOC red wines from Fromsac, east of Bordeaux and near Libourne. The vineyards are on Limestone slopes overlooking the Dordogne, Canon-Fronsae is part of Fraonsac. The  wines are full-bodied, well-balaned and deep in  tone; they usually benefit 3-5 years’ bottle age.

CANOTIERE, A LA A name usually given to poached freshwater fish covered with batarde sauce.  It is also given to a carp dish in which the carp is  stuffed with a fish mousse, baked in a white wine stock, then a fish mousse, baked in a white wine stock, then arranged on a gratin dish with sliced shallots and mushrooms and lemons juice, and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. The  sauce, which is made with the reduced cooking juices, is thickened with  butter. The dish is garnished with crayfish cooked in  court-buillion, and with fleurons (crescents of puff pastry).  The same stuffing and garnish are used for  matelote a la camahere.

RECIPE

Matelote a la canotiere

Butter a frying pan and make a bed of 150 g (5 oz, 1 cup) sliced onions and 4 crushed garlic clvoes. add 1.5 kg (3 ¼ lb) freshwater fish (carp, eel) cut into equal-sized pieces, a large  bouquet garni and  1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 2/3 cups dry white wine. Bring to  the boil. Add 100 ml (4 fl oz, 7 tablespoons) brandy and flame.  Cover and gently summer for about 25 minutes. Drain the fish pieces, placing them in  another  frying pan, and retain the stock. To the fish add 125 g (4 ½  cups ) cooked button mushrooms and 125 g (4 ½ oz., ¾ cup)  small glazed  onions.  Reduce the fish stock by two-thirds and  bind with beurre manie – for a litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups of stock, bind  with 50 g (2 oz, ½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour kneaded with 50 g (2 oz., ¼ cup) butter; finally, add a further add a further  150 g (5 oz,  2/3 cup) butter.  Pour the sauce over the fish and simmer gently.    Serve the matelote plain, with  rice, or garnished with gudgeons fried in bread-crumbs, or whitebait, and crayfish cooked in a court-bouillon.

CANTAL. A high-fat (45% fat content) cow’s-milk  cheese from the Avuvergne region of France. It is  ivory in colour with a naturally darker crust, a flexible finely granulated texture and a sweet nutty flavour riper cheeses are a little firmer and more  highly flavoured.  It is also called Fournme du Cantal or Fourme de Salers (where the cows produce  a rich  full flavoured milk).  An OP label means that the production region is strictly defined as the department of Cantal and the arrondissements of Tulle, Ussel, rioude, Clermont-Ferrand and Issoire. Cantal is considered  the ancestor’ of French cheese.  Pliny the Elder mentioned it, as did Gregoire de Tours.  The similarity of its manufacture to that of British cheddar suggests that the Romans may have introduced the technique to the Bretons across the English channel.

            Cantal comes in the form of a cylinder, 35—40 cm (14—16 in). high and the same in diameter, weighing  35—45 kg (77-100 lb.). diary Cantal is produced all the year round, whereas farm Cantal comes from the  shepherds’ buts of the Cantal.  Connoisseurs prefer it  when it has matured for three montsh the thick  crust sinks into the cheese, forming brown marks, and it has a fairly sharp taste.  A smaller central is also produced , called a cantolet or cantolon, weighing 4-10 kg (9-22lb.) an  intermedate petit cantal weighs 2022 kg (44-48 lbs. ) cantal is often served  after a meal, with wine and fruit; it is also widely used in gratins, coutes, soups and souffes, as well  as in typically regional dishes (such as aligot, gatis, patrnque and truffade).

CANTHARUS A bell-shaped drinking vessel used by the Greks and Romans.  Made of ceramic, bronze  or silver it stood on a single foot and had two vertical handles that those above the rim.

CANTONNAISE, A LA The French term for a garnish rice dish inspired by Cantonese cuisine.  For Cantonese fried rice, the grains must be well separated form each other  after cooking.  The rice is  cooked plain, then left to rest for a few hours in the  refrigerator, it should be fluffed up from time  to time  to aerate it.  For the garnish, some land (shortening) is heated in a frying pan, together with salt, smoked  bacon for ha, or even lacquered pork) cut up into small pieces, chopped celery sticks and prawns (shrimp). After a few minutes, the rice is added ; when this is but, some eggs are broken into the pan. The mixture  is stirred until the eggs are just set.

            The dish can  also include crab meat, shellfish bamboo shoots or peas.  The  traditional  Chinese seasoning is soy sauce and rice alcohol.

CAPACITY Also referred to as content. The volume of a vessel, which determines the quantity of a substance it can hold. In practice, the term capacity is used for bottles and  cans of liquid and content for  other receptacles. There  is always a difference  between the nominal content of a receptacle  (the capacity) and the actual content (volume or net weight contained).

CAPE GOOSEBERRY The fruit of a bush originating in Peru, which grows wild in hedgerows and thickets in the warm coasted regions of the Atlantic  and Mediterranean.  Also called physallis, Chinese  lanten, strawberry tomato, love-in-a-cage and winter  cherry, the Cape gooseberry is yellow or red, the size of a small cherry, and is enclosed  in a papery brown calyx.  It has a tart flavour and is used to  make syrups, jams and aperitifs, as well  as in fruit salads, sorbets and ice creams. It also make an  excellent accompaniment to some savoury foods, particularly fish or rich meats.

RECIPES

Cape gooseberry compote

Dissolve 500 g (18 oz, 2 ½ cups) lump or granulated sugar in 200 ml (7 ft oz, ¾ cup) water. Strip the fruits from their  calyces and drop them into the  boiling syrup. Cook for 5 minutes, then drain and  put them into a compote dish. Add the rind of a lemon to the syrup, reduce this by a quarter and pour it over the fruit.  The rind should not be  cooked with the  fruit as it would affect its flavour.

Cape gooseberry jam

Gently heat 800 g (1 ¾ lb. 3 ½ cups) lump or granulated  sugar with 800 g (1 /34 lb) cape gooseberries. Stir from time to time until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil. Boil the jam until the setting point is reached, then pour into jars immediately.

CAPER. The flower had of a shrub which is native to eastern. Asia but widespread in n hot regions.  Capers are used as a condiment, either pickled in  vinegar or preserved n brine or in dry, coarse salt. Salted capers are rinsed before use.  When pickled, they are sour but still of flavour.  The Romans sued them to season fish sauces. Capers are also  used to flavour rice and meetballs (lamb) and veal) and garnish pizzas; they go well with mustard and  horseradish.  (see Gribiche, Rvigote).  The flower buds of nasturtium, butercup, marigold and bottom are sometimes used as substitutes for capers.

RECIPE

Caper sauces

To accompany boiled fish, add 2 tablespoons pickled capers, well drained, to 250 ml (8 fl oz. 1 cup) hollandaise sauce or butter sauce.

            To accompany English-style boiled muttons, prepare melted butter sauce, adding the mutton cooking juices to the roux, followed by well-drained capers and  a little anchovy essence (extract) or a  puree of desalted anchovies.

CAPERCAILLIE The largest species of grouse. The adult make is the size of  a turkey and can weigh up to 8kg (18 lb).  The hunting of female and young cpaercaillies is forbidden. The bind lives in coniferous hilly woodlands, feeling on coniferous hilly woodlands, feeding on confer shoots,  which gives its flesh a pronounced flavour of resin. It is  rare in France, being found in the mountains  of the Ardennes.  Vosges and Pyrenees. The black grouse is often preferred for cookery: its delicate flesh is whiten than of the  pleasant, but it is  prepared  in the same way.

CAPILOTADE A ragout originally from classic French cookery, made of cooked meat leftovers (poultry, beef or veal) that are stewed until they disintegrate. The word comes from the  Spanish capirotula, which was a brown sauce made with garlic, eggs and herbs, used to cover the cut pieces of  meat.  the expression en capilotade (meaning  in small pieces is used in cookery, particularly for  poultry dishes.

RECIPE

Chicken en capilotade

Take a chicken (boiled, braised, poached or  roasted) and remove the bones. Cut the meat  into  small pieces and place in a well-reduced cold sauce (chasseur, Italian, Portuguese or Provencall). Cover and leave to simmer gently until the  meat forms a  has. Then pour into a deep dish.

            Alternatively, the chicken and sauce can be poured into a grain dish, sprinkled with breadcrumbs  and knobs of butter, then cooked in a preheated oven at 240°C (475°F, gas 9) or under  a hot  grill (broiler) until the surface is well browned. Served with rice a la Creole.

CAPITAINE.  Sea fish related to the sea bass, sometimes  called grand pourceau (‘big swine’), living off  the coast of West Africa, where it enters the estuaries and swims up the rivers.  About 50 cm (20 in) long, it  has a pinky-white flesh with a very delicate flavour which it preserved s well and does not lose in cooking. It may be steamed grilled (broiled) on one side like salmon, cooked en papillote or chopped up with  tartare sauce, herbs and lemon. In Senegal, it often forms purt of the bou diene.

RECIPE

Capitaine in banana leaves

Wash 4  medium-sized banana leaves, remove the  central rib, then scald briefly to soften them.  Lay them out flat and place I capitaine fillet on each fillet on each one. Plunge 2 tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds, then remove the skin and seeds and roughly chopped the flesh. Halve and thinly slice I  onion, then cook it briefly in a little olive oil until slightly softened but not cooked.  Allow  long enough to take the raw edge off the flavour of the  onion.  Season the pieces of fish with salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes and onion on top. Fold the banana leave over and secure with cocktail sticks (toothpicks). Steam for 30 minutes. Sauteed  or steamed okra go well with the steamed fish.

CAPLIN father of two species of marine fish, up to 15 cm (6 in) long. Once is a Mediterranean species; the other is common in the English Channel and the  Bay of Biscay.  They have a fairy thickset body, brownish-yellow on the  sides and white on the belly.  The large’ head has large bulbous eyes  and a bomb under the chin. The  two species are distinguished by the spacing of the  cuadal fins. The caplin, whose delicate flesh flakes easily, is used especially in fish soups.

CAPON A young cock that has been castrated and  flattered. The meat is remarkably  tender and this  method of rearing poultry is a very ancient one.  It  was a speciality of the French city of Le Mans, but gradually disappeared because of the cost and the  length of time involved. In  Bresse and Landes.  Hommonal castration of cockerels has been  banned since 1959.  Capon is  prepared in the same way as chicken.

            The abundance and great delicacy of the flesh of a capon is due to the accumulation of fat, which is stored in successive layers in the muscles.  A capon may weigh as a much as 6 kg (13 lbs.)

            Gapon form Landes are fet on maize (corn) and are yellow, whereas those from Bresse are white. They are suitable for serving on festive occasions when there are plenty of guets.

RECIPE

Roasted poached capon with pampkin

gratin

seasoned the body cavity of a 3-3.5 kg (6 ½ - 8 lb) capon. Place I peeled onion and a large bunch and  of taragon and parsley in the cavity, then truss the capon security. Place in a large pan and pour in enough chicken stock to cover.  Heat, gently until simmer gently for 30 minutes.   Drain the capon well and transfer it to a roasting thin (Pan).

            dot the capon with 50 g (2 oz, ¼ cup) butter  and roast it in preheated oven at 240°C (475°F,  gas 9) for 30 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 220°C (425°F gas 7) and cook for a further 30 minutes.  Baste the bird well, then add 2 diced carrots, 1 cho, ped onion, the chopped green part of 1 leek, 1 dice 3 celery stick, I crushed garlic clove and  1 bouquet garni to the container.  Turn the vegetables in the juices and cook for a further ½-1 hour.  Basting frequently, until the capon is cooked. Cover  the top loosely with foil,  if necessary to prevent the  capon from becoming to brown.

            Meanwhile, peel and seed a 3 gk (6 ½ lb) pumpkin and cut it into wedge. Cook the pumpkin in  boiling salted water with 1 bouquet garni and 3  peeled garlic cloves for 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain  the pumpkin thoroughly.

            Press the garlic cloves over the bottom of a large gratin dish.  Coarsely mash the pumpkin with a fork, adding salt to taste, a little grated nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne pepper.  Spread the pumpkin out  evenly in the dish. Pour 400 ml (14 fl. Oz. 1 ¾ cups)  double (heavy) cream over the pumpkin and  sprinkle with 90 g (3 ½ oz., 1 cup) grated Gruyere cheese. Place the pumpkin gratin in the oven with the capon for the final 15-20 minutes cooking, until it is golden and bubbling.

            Transfer the capon to a serving platter. Skim off and reserve excess fat, then add 100 ml (4 fl oz 7 tablespoons( dry white wine to the vegetables remaining in the roasting tin.  Boil until well reduced and nearly dry.  Pour in 250 ml (8 fl oz, 1 cup) chicken stocks and bring to the boil for a  few minutes, scraping all the cooking juices into the liquor. Strain through a fine sieve and return to the  pan. bring to the boil and boil until reduced slightly and full flavoured. Whisk in a knob of butter and a little of  reserved cooking fat. Serve this sauce with the carved capon and the pumpkins gratin.

CAPONATA. A Sicilian speciality made of aubergines (eggplants), celery and tomatoes, sliced  and fried in olive  oil and flavoured with capers, olives and anchovy fillets. This dish is served as a  cold hops d’oeuvre .

RECIPE

Caponata

Peel, 4 aubergines (eggplants), cut into large dice and sprinkle with salt.  When they have lost some of their water, wash and wipe them and try in oil.  Cut the following ingredients into very small pieces: 100 g (4 oz, ¾ cup) olives, a head of celery scalded in salted water, 4 desalted anchovies and 50 g (2 oz. 3 tablespoons) capers. Slices an onion  and brown in  oil Heat up 200 ml (7 fl oz, ¾ cup) tomato passta (puree) with 50 g (2 oz, ¼ cup) sugar until it is well reduced and darker in colour. Then add 3 tablespoons vinegar and leave to simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add some  chopped parsley, then mix the sauce with the aubergines and other  ingredients.  Allow to cook thoroughly.  Arrange  in the shape of a done a vegetables dish.

CAPSICUM The botanical name for the species of  plants bearing peppers Capsicum annam includes the mild peppers, simply referred to as peppers, and sometimes  known as capsicums, sweet of bell peppers.  Pimiento or pimento.  Capsicum frudescens  produces hot peppers or chillie peppers, known as  chillies, and capsicum cbinense also yields hot chillies, including  the Scotch bonnet and Habanero varieties. Belonging to the same family as the tomato and aubergine (eggplant), they were discovered by Christopher Calumus in America and described by botanists at the beginning of the 10^th century; they soon spread through Europe and the rest of the  world. Capsicums are sold  fresh, dried or ground See pepper and Chilli.

CAPUCIN A small savoury tartlet, filled with Gruyere choux pastry and served as a hot entee.

RECIPE

Capucins

Make  a rich shortcrust pastry (basic pie dough) using 200 g (7 oz., 1 ¾  cups).  Plain (all-purpose) flour, 100 g (4 oz. ½ cup) well-softened butter, a large pinch of salt and 2 or 3 tablespoons very cold water.  Use this pastry to line 8 tartlet tins (pans)  also make some choux pastry using 250 ml (8 ft oz. 1 cup) water, 50 g (2 oz, ¼ cup) butter, a large  pinch of salt and 125 g (4 ½ oz, I heaped cup) plain flour.  Then, away from the heat and one at a time. Add 3 whole eggs and 75 g (3 oz, ¾ cup) grated Gryuere cheese. Place a ball of the Gruyere Choux pastry in each tartlet and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F, gas 5 ) . serve hot.

CAQUELON An earthenware dish with a glazed interior, used in southern France to cook dishes that require simmering.  Originally it was placed in hot ashes. When used on a cooker (stove), a difusing device most be placed between the caquelon and  the gas flame or hotplate.  It is customary to rub the inside with a garlic clove the first time it is used, so that it does not crack. In south-western France, it is  called a Toupia pale caremel colour at 160°C (325°F). Pour the caramel  into the mould and tilt the muold in all directions to distribute the caramel over the bottom and sides. Continue to tuilt until the caramel no longer flows.

CARAMELS. Sweet (candies), often square-shaped,  made from a mixture of sugar, cooked glucose syrup and dairy products (milk, butter or cream), plus vegetable fats and flavorings. These are various types—hard and soft caramels, fudge, hopje and toffee-depending on the composition, degree of cooking, shape and flavour. The French town of isigny, famous for  its milk, also makes  famous caramels.

§  HARD CARAMELS – These are made using glucose syrup, sugar, water and milk.  Fats and flavourings are also added.  After homogenization, the mixture is  heated until it reaches the required degree of hardness, then cooled, cut up and (if required) wrapped. Hard caramel is also made into lollipops. Although cocoa, coffee or vanilla can be used as flavouring, it is essentially milk, more or less caramelized, that  gives it is flavour.

§  SOFT CARAMELS – The Glucose syrup is dissolved in an emulsion of milk and fats, then cooked and flavoured  with vanilla, cocoa, coffee or hazelnuts.  Cutting is done after cooling.

Making caramel at home requires special equipment, particularly a wooden frame in which the caramel sets.

RECIPES

Hard chocolate caramels

Mix 250 g (9 oz. Generous 1 cup) granulated sugar 100 ml (4 fl oz, 7 tablespoons) double (heavy cream, 40 g (2 or 2 tablespoons) honey or glucose and 50 (2 oz. ½ cup) cocoa in a thick saucepan.  Heat while stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture  reaches a temperature of  142°C (288°F).Oil a marble or other  heat-resistant surface and a caramel frame, pour the caramel into the middle of the frame and leave to harden, but do not allow to cool completely. Remove the frame and pass a flexible metal spatula under the sheet of  caramel to detach it from the surface. Cut the caramel into 2 cm (3/4 in)  squares.

Hard coffee caramels

Mix 250 g (9 fl oz. 7 tablespoons)  double (heavy) cream, 1 tablespoon coffee and 12 drops of lemon juice in a thick saucepan.  Heat while stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture reaches a temperature of 142°C (288°F).  oil a  marble or other heat-resistant surface and a caramel frame, and proceed as for chocolate caramels.

Soft butter caramels

Place 250 g (9 oz, generous 1 cup) granulated sugar, 100 ml (4 fl oz, 7 tablespoons) milk, and 3 tablespoons honey or liquid glucose in a thick saucepan.  Add a vanilla pod (bean) split into two and bring to the boil while stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. Add  150 g (5 oz, 2/3 cup) butter in small quantities  and lower the heat. Continue to cook while stirring, until the temperature reaches 120°C (248°F).  oil a marble or other heat resistant surface and 4 caramel rules or an 18 cm (7 in) tart ring. Remove the vanilla pod from the saucepan and pour the caramel into the ring or  between the rules, on top of the prepared surface.  Leave to cool completely for 2-3 hours before cutting up the caramel with a large knife.

Soft cream caramels.

Put 250 g (9 oz.  Generous 1 cup) granulated sugar, 250 ml (8 fl oz. 1 cup) double (heavy) cream,  1 tablespoon coffee extract and 2 tablespoons honey or liquid glucose into a thick saucepan.  Stir over a high heat with a wooden spoon, then reduce  the heat and allow the cooking to continue at a simmer, still stirring, until the temperature reaches  120°C (248°F).  Continue as for soft butter  caramels. The  coffee can be replaced with 75 g  (3 oz. ¾ cup) cocoa or 150 g (5 oz.  1 ¼ cups) crushed hazelnuts or pistacio nuts, moistened  with boiling milk and pressed through a sieve.

CARAWAY An aromatic plant, common in central and northern  Europe that is grown mainly for its brown oblong seeds.  When dried, these are used as a spice, particularly in eastern Europe, to flavour sauerkrut and stews  and to accompany certain cheeses (Gouda and Munster). In Hungary and Germany, where caraway is very popular, it is used to flavour bread and cakes.  In Britain, it is added to cooked potatoes and baked in cakes and baiscuits (shakespear’s shallow invites Falstaff to partake of ‘a last year’s pippin of  mine own graffing, with a dish of caraways’). In France, it is used  to flavour Vosges dragees. Caraway is also widely used in making liqueurs, such as Kummei, Vespetto, schnapps  and aquavit.  Caraway was used in prehistoric times  (the seeds have been found at  ancient sites) and was  appreciated by the Romans, who ate the root like a  vegetable.

CARBONADE.  A Flemish specially made of slices  of beef that are browned  and then cooked with onions  and beer. The word comes from the Italian carbonata (charcoal-grilled). The name carbonade (or carbonade) is also given to grilled (broiled) pork loin, as well as to certain beef stews with red wine prepared in the south of France.

RECIPE

Carbonade a la flamande

Slice 250 g (9 oz, 1 ½ cups) onions. Cut 800 g (1 ¾ lb) beef flandk or duck steak into pieces or thin slices, and brown over a high heat into a frying  pan in 40 g (1 ½ oz, 3 tablespoons) lard.  Drain.  Fry the onions until golden in the same fat. Arrange the meat and onions in a flameproof casserole in alternate layers, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper.  Add a bouguet garni.  Deglaze the frying pan with 600 ml (1 pint, 2 ½ cups) beer and 3 tablespoons of beef stock (fresh or made with concentrate). Make a brown roux with 25 g (1 oz. 2  tablespoons) butter and 25 g (1 oz. ¼ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, and add the beer mixture, then ½ teaspoon brown sugar.  Adjust the seasoning. Pour the mixture  into the casserole, cover and leave to cook very gently for 2 ½ hours.  Serve in the casserole.

CARCASS.  An animal after slaughter and processing at the abattoir.  The ratio between  the weight of  the carcass and  the weight of the live animal represents  the killing-out  percentage and reflects the animal’s  meat ield. Large cattle, calves and sheep are bled after slaughter, then skinned and eviscerated; the feet and head are cut off Pigs, on the other  hand, are not skinned,  and the carcass includes the  head and feet. For large cattle the carcass is cut into four quarters, fast-cooking parts are at the back, low cooking parts at the front.  The ‘fifth quarter’ companies  the offal and byproducts. The  carcasses  are hung from large pegs, called chevilles in French, which is why butchers’ wholsale’ suppliers are  called chevillards.

CARDAMOM also known as cardamon.  An aromatic plant from the Malabar region or south-western India, whose capsules contain seeds that the dried and  used as a spice.  Cardamon is used much more in the  East than in Europe, except for Scandinavian countries, where it is used to spice mulled wines, stewed fruit, cakes, flans and some  charcuterie products.  White cardamoms, occasionally found in some Indian stores and used in some sweet recipes, are bleached green cardamoms. Green cardamoms are the most  widely used.  The small, papery, pale green and conicall pods cover  chambers containing tiny black seeds. Their  flavour is refreshing, with citrus and cocalyptus  qualities, it is  light but distinctive  and invasive.

            Brown cardamoms are large, hairy and brown black in colour. They are used in Indian cooking in  some savoury dishes, to which they are added whole and removed after cooking.  Their flavour is less ‘clean’ not as fresh and not as distinct Cardamom is widely used in Indian cooking, both savoury and sweet it is also chewed as a breast freshener.  In Arab countries  its spicy flavour is appreciated with coffee.

CARDINAL A fish dish that is garnished with lobster escalopes (or sometimes  slices of truffle) or  coated with a white sauce containing lobster stock.  The name refers to the colour of the lobster after  cooking, just is the French very cardinaliser is used  to describe sellfish cooked  in stock – their shell s became red, like a cardinal’s robes.

            Cardinal is also the name of iced deserts containing red fruit (such as bombe cardinal) or fruit desserts.  The fruit can either be cold (raw or poached), sometimes arranged on vanilla ice cream and coated with  strawberry or raspberry sauce, or hot (poached) and coated with the reduced cooking juice plus cassis (blackcurrant liqueur), as a pears cardinal.

RECIPES

Bombe cardinal

Line conical ice mould with strawberry or raspberry ice cream and fill the inside with vanilla mouse mixture favored with praline.

Brill cardinal

Prepare the fish, season with salt and pepper, then stuff with pike  forcemeat to which  lobster butter has  been added. Poach the brill in white wine, drain and  arrange on the serving dish.  Garnish with think  medallions  of lobster, cover with cardinal sauce and  sprinkle with lobster coral.

Cardinal eggs in moulds

Buter some dariole, sprinkle the bottom  and sides with  lobster coral, break an egg into each mould and cook in a bain marie. Fill some baked  tarlet cases with salpicon cardinal and invert each mould into a tarlet.  Cover with cardinal sauce.

Cardinal sauce

Heat 200 ml (7 fl oz, ¾ cup) cream sauce and  100 ml (4 fl oz, 7 tablespoons) fish stock and reduce and bring to the boil.  Remove from the heat and add 50 g (2 oz, 4 tablespoons) lobster butter.  Season with  a little caynne and strain through a conical strainer. Garnish with a spoonful of chopped  truffles, unless the recipe already  contains them.

Salpicon cardinal

Chop some lobster meat, truffles and mushrooms, and bind with cardinal sauce.

Strawberries cardinal

Arrange  some chilled strawberries in glass goblets. Cover with fresh raspberry puree and sprinkle with fresh almond flakes.

CARDOON A southern European plant, related to  the globe artichoke, whose leafstalk is eaten as a  vegetable  cardoons are available at the end  of autumn and in winter, in the south of France they were formerly traditionally eaten with Christians  dinner. In Tours, they are cooked  au gratin.

            When purchases, the stalks must be firm, creamy white  in colour, wide and plump. They are sold with the  leafy part and top of the root, which means they can be kept for a few days in cold salted water.   The  stalks are especially good fried or with bone marrow, they can also be served cold, with vinaigrette.  They are casually used to garnish white or red meats (with the meat, butter or bechamel sauce).

RECIPES

Cooking cardoons, cutting off the hard  stems. Remove the tender stalks, one by one, and  cut into 7.5 cm (3 in) slices; sprinkle with lemon juice.  Cut the  heart into four and plunge the stalks  and heart into boiling water. Bring back to the boil, cover  and leave to simmer very gently until tender.

Buttered cardoons

Braise some blanced cardoons in butter for 20 minutes.  Arrange in vegetable dish and sprinkle with roughly chopped mint or parsley.

Cardoon puree

Preapre some buttered cardoons and reduce  to a puree by pressing through a sieve or using a  blender.  If desired, a third  of its volume of potato puree  or a few tablespoons of thick bechamel sauce may be added, add butter to serve.

Carbon sald

Cut some cooked cardoons into thick matchisticks. Add some well-seasoned  vinaigrete and sprinkle with chervil and roughtly chopped parsley.

Cardoons in behamel sauce

Drain the blanched cardoons and arrange on a flameproof dish. Add butter, cover and leave to  simmer for 15 minutes.  Now, add some bechamel sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Serve in a vegetable dish.

Cardoons Mornay

Drain the cooked cardoons and arrange on a buttered gratin dish. Cover with Mornay sauce and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and melted butter.  Brown in a preheated overn at 240°C  (75°F, gas 9).

Cardoons with  herbs

Braise some blanched cardoons in butter.  Add several tablespoons of fines herbes sauce and  simmer for 10 minutes.

Fried cardoons

Drain the cooked cardoons and marinate for 20  minutes in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and chopped  parsley.  They dip the cardoons in batter  and deep-fry in hot oil. Drain and season with salt.

CAREME, MARIE-ANTOINE  (known as Antonin) French chef and pastry cook 9born Paris, 1783; died Paris, 1833). Born into a large  and very poor at the age of ten, to be taken in by the owner  of low-class restaurant at the Maine gate, where he learned  the rudiments of cookery.  At 16, he became  an apprentice to Bailly of the Rue Vivienne, one of  the best pastry cooks in Paris Amazed by Careme’s abilities and willingness to learn to learn, Bailly encouraged him.  Then the  young man’s talents became noticed  by Talleyrand, who was a customer at Bailly’s  and  he offered to take Careme into  his service.

Careme’s genius.  For 12 years Careme managed tehTalleyrand kitchens. The  culinary  and artistic talents of his chef enabled  Taileyrand to wield gastronomy effectively as a diplomatic tool.. Careme also  served the Prince Regent  of England, the future King George IV, and was then sent to the court of Tsar Alexander I, he was responsible  for introducing some  classic Russion dishes into French cuisine, including  borsch and koulibiac.  Careme numbered among his  other employers the Viennese Court, the British Embassy, Princess Bagration and Lord Steward.  He  spent  his last years with Baron de Rothschild and died at 50, burned out by the flame of his genius and  the charcoal of the roasting spit’ (Laurent ‘Talaillhade), but having realized  his dream: “To publish a complete book on the state of my profession in our times.

            The  worlds written by Careme include le Patissier pittoresque (1815), Le maitre d’batedl francais (1822).  L’Art de la cuisine au XIX siecle 91833). This last work was published in lives volumes, the two were written by his follower,  plumerey.  Written in  majestic style, Careme’s books invite the  reader to  the table of the emperor, kings and princes of  whom their author worked. Alexander  I said to Tallerand: “What we did not know was that he taught us to eat.

§  Careme’s contribution.  A theoretician as well as a practitioner, a tireless worker  as well  as an artistic genus, Careme nonetheless had a keen sense of  what was fashionable and entertaining. He understood that the new aristocracy, born under the Consulat, needed luxuty and ceremony. So he prepared  both spectacular and refined recipes, including chatreuses, desserts on pedestals, elaborate garnishes  and embellishments, new decorative trimmings and novel assemblies

A recognized founder of French grande cuisine, Careme placed it at the forefront of national prestige.  His work as theoretician, sauce chef, pastry cook, designer and creater of recipes raised him to the  pinnackle of his profession.  Some of his formulae are still famous, especially his sauces.

            Careme was proud of his unique arts sensitive to decoration and struck on elegance, he always had a sense of posterity.  He wanted to create of school of cookery that would gather together the most famous  chefs, in order to ‘set the standard for beauty in classical and modern cookery, and attest to the distant future that the French chefs of the 19^th century were  the most famous in the world.

            In parallel with his strictly culinary of literary activities, Careme was also concerned  with details  of equipment. He redesigned certain kitchen utensils, changed the shape of saucepans to pour sugar, designed moulds and even concerned  himself with details of clothing, such as the shape of the hat. The  vol-au-vent and large meringues are attributed to  him.  Although an incomparable pastry cook, he was also famous for sauces and soups there are 186.  French  ones and 103 foreign ones in L’Art de La cuisine). Yet  on Reading some of his recipes, one may wonder if he was concerned more with ceremony than gastronomy, in fact, Cereme used money, political power and social connections to enhance his reputation, indeed, he considered that only the great people in the world could appreciate him. Certainly  his name is es on in the recipes he created and the dishes name d in his honur.

RECIPES

Eggs in moulds Careme

Butter somedariole moulds; sprinkle  the buttom and sides  with truffies and pickled  ox (beef) tongue cut up into small squares.  Break an egg into each mouled and cook in a bain marie. Remove  the eggs  from  the moulds and place on some artichoke hearts.  Garnish with a ragout of lamb’s sweetbreads, truffles and mushrooms.   Add some cream to a Madeira sauce and cover the eggs with the mixture.  Place a round of pickled ox tongue, cut  out a saw-tooth pattern on each one.

Soft-boiled or poached eggs Careme

Braise  some artichoke hearts in butter  and arrange  the eggs, either soft-boiled (soft-cooked) or  poached, on them.  Garnish as in the previous recipe.

CARREBBEAN CABBAGE The edible root of an anum, which is  cultivated in the West Indies as a  vegetable .  in is prepared like trunip:  scraped, washed, cut into slices and cooked in boiling water. The Caribbean cabbage and the closely related  Asheen cabbage are ingredients in West Indian stews  (the leaves are also used) and acompany colombos  and curries. The grated root is used in the preparation of across. The root  is also a source of starch and  even of  drink (loadgi, typical  of Jamaica).

CARIBOU Canadian name for reindeer, which is generally held to be the most highly flavoured of game animals.  It is commercial production is permitted and regulated, and carried  out by the fruit people, who maintain their ancestral right to hunt it. The animal is butchered and cooked  in the same  way as beef. It  is often served rare with  a pepper  sauce, accompanied by a pear  cooked in red wine or by winter vegetable, such as grated ceeleriac or  beertroot (red beef).

            Garibon, is also the name  of a Quebec apertifi  made of sweet red wine with added alcohol.

CARIGNAN, A LA a traditional boute cusine dish made with lamb cutlets and fillet (sirloin) steak, sauteed, then arranged on Anna potatoes (shaped into litele tarts) and served with a sauce made by  delglazing the pan with port and tomato-flavoured  veal stock. The garnish consists of buttered asparagus tips and eggs mouleded in a duchesse mixture  breaded, fried, scooped out and filled with foie grasspuree.

            The same name is sued for a cold dessert in which a pear, peach or apple is poached, hollowed our and filled  with chocolate ice cream, them  arranged on a Genoese sponge base and covered with vanilla fondant.

CARMELITE, A LA A cold dish consisting chicken supremes, covered with chaud froid sauce garnished with slices of muffle and dressed with a mausseline of crayfish and crayfish tails.

     The name because of its asociation with the Cannelite nuns white habit and black veil, is also used for an egg dish, in which soft-boiled (soft-cooked) or posched eggs are arranged in a flan crust, garnished with creamed mussels and covered with white wine sauce.

CARMEN  Any of various dishes, including consomme, eggs or fillets of sole that contain tomato or pimiento and generally, a highly seasoned garnish or flavouring a Lespagnole.

     Carmen salad consits of boiled rice, diced white chicken, strips of red sweet pepper and peas, all flavoured with a mustard and chopped tarragon vinalgrette.

Recipe

Eggs sur le plat Carmen

Cook some eggs sur le plot, then cut round

the whites with a circular pastry (cookie) cutter, fry in oil some round slices of stale bread with the crusts removed.  Cover each slice of bread with a slice of ham of the same size and place an egg on top.  Cover with well-seasoned and reduced tomato sauce.

CARMINE.  A natural red food colouring also called cochinent or carminic acid (EI20).  It is used especially in confectionery and patiserie – jams, jellies, filled biscuits (cookied), fruit pastes, ice creams, instant desserts and preserved red fruits.  Carmine is also used to colour delicatessen meats and cured meat products, preserved shrimps, and dried fish, syrups, liqueurs and aperitifs, and flavoured cheeses and milks.

CARNIVAL  A programme of popular festivities and masquerade that traditionally took palce in the days preceeding Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. The word comes from the Italian carnevale (Shrove Tuesday) which derives from carne leranare (leaving out meat), a reference to the Lenten fast immediately following the carnival period, during which the Chruch forbade the consumption of meat and cakes.

    The carnival theoretically extended from Twelfth Night to Ash Wednesday, but it used to reach a climax at the Shrove Tuesday meal, traditionally marked by an abundance  of all types of meat (hence the customs of a procession with the fatted ox). In the champagne region, this last rich meal had to include pig’s trotters (feet), and in Ardeche, pigs ears. The cocks that had lost that  day’s fight were eaten in the Marine region., while in Touraine the special dish was a leg of great. Other  traditional shrove Tuesday dishes included a stuffed rabbit (in  Limuosin), a huge volau-vent containing chicken in salsify sauce (Query) and the famous aioli (garlic mayonnaise) of Provence.

            Carnaval  originated in the Roman feasts of the calends (first day) of march, which celebrated the  awakening of nature. Onthis occasion, the rules  were broken and disguises worn, straw dolls were burned amidst shouting and chanting. (The word carnaval in folk tradition still means a grotesque mannequin that is solemny burned or buried on ash Wednesday) hence, in the French countryside, magical rites are combined with feasting in particular, the  stock from the  stockpot was sprinkled around the houses of the Morvan region toward off snakes, around the hen houses  to ward  off foxes and  angoumois, or on the manure  heap to make it bigger, in limoousin.

            The large attendance at these festivities meant there was a need for  fairly cheap cakes, quickl prepanacakes and also waffles and fritters.  Crespets de Lamdes, merrevilles and botteraux, Sainte-Menehould fazerolles and sologne generous.  Also, worthy of  mention are Beffort secbu (dried appeles or  pears with slices of bacon) and the cheese soup in Isere. In Nivernais, the Shrove Tuesday mead consisted of : pasta bouillon, boiled beef  with vegetables, coq au sang (or with white sauce), roast goose or  turkey, garlic and out0oil salad, white cheese with cream and palum tart with flamed marc brandy.

CAROB The bean from the carob tree which is native to the Mediterranean region but is cultivated  in other  warm climates.  Up to 30 cm (12 in) long, the carolo bean has a nutritions refreshing pup, as  rich in sugar as molasses. It contains hard reddish seeds, which in the Kabylia region of North Africa  are crushed and sued to make puncakes.  In the food industry, carob meat (EA10) is that day’s fight were  eaten in the Marne region, while in Touraine the special dish was a leg of goat. Other traditional  Shrove Tuesday dishes included a stuffed rabbit a huge volau-vent containing chicken in salsify sauce and the famous aoli (garlic mayonnaise) of  Provence.

   Carnival originated in the Roman feasts of the calends (first day) of march, which celebrated the awakening of nature. On this occasion, the rules were broken and disguese worn. Straw dolls were burned amidst shouting and chanting. Hence, in the French countriside, magical rites are combined with feasting. In particular, the stock from the stockpot was sprinkled around the houses of the Morvan region to ward off snakes, around the hen houses to ward off foxes inAngoumois, or on the manure heap to make it bigger, in Limousine.

CAROLINE A savoury mainiature echair, baked in the oven, then filled with a cheese or ham mixture, or with caviar, salmon mousse or foie gras. Carolines, also known as Karoly eclairs are served hot or cold as buffet snacks.  They can also be made to the size of an ordinary éclair and served as an  hars d’ocuvre or as a hot entrée.

RECIPES

Carolines a la hollandaise

Prepare  a sugarless choux paste. Using a piping bag, squeeze out some small eclairs, about 4 cm (1 ½ in.) long on to a baking sheet. Brush with  beaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C (425 °F, gas 7) for  10 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F, gas 4) and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.  Allow to cool.  To make enough filling for  12 carolines, desalt 4 herring fillets, train, and wipe them. Pound the fillets, or put them into a blender, together with 2 hard-boiled (hard-cooked) egg yolks and 75 g (3 oz, 6 tablespoons) butter.  Add 1 teaspoon chives  and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Gently split the eclairs along the side and put the filling bag. Brush the  carolines with melted butter and immediately sprinkle with a little hard-boiled egg yolk and  chopped persley.  Cool before serving

Carolines is la mousse de foie gras

Make some small eclairs as for carliens a la hoilandaise.  Prepare some duck (or goose) fole gras mousse and add an equal quantity of butter and (Optional) a little Cognac, Pipe the filling into the  split eclaris.  Chill before serving.

Carolines joinville

Mke some small eclairs as for carolines a la holilandaise.  To fill 12 Carolinas, prepare  a thick bechamel sauce using  25 g (1 oz, 2 tablespoons) butter, 25 g (1 oz, ¼ cup ) plain (all-purpose) flour; and 200 ml (7 fl oz, ¾ cup) milk.  Heat 75-100 g (3-4 oz. About ½ cup) peeled (shelled) shrimps in some butter, flame them with marc brandy and add to the  bechamel sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.  Finally, pipe the filling into the  split eclairs and brush the eclairs with melted  butter. Cool before serving.

CARP. A freshwater fish, found in sluggish rivers and also reared commercially on fish  farms.  Up to  1 m (39 in.) long, the carp’s  thick body is covered with thick scales and is brownish on the back, golden yellow on the sides and whitish on the belly. Its small toothless mouth has four minute barbs.  Improved yields have been obtained by crossbreeding, which has produced the leather carp that has scales only in mid-body and at the base of the fins, and the mirror carp, which  is the finest variety, with scales only at the base of the fins.  When buying carp, choose a plump one that is carrying egg’s, or  milk. With, spawning taking place between April and  June, carp are  empty at this time. If a live carp is  chosen, the fashmonger should kill and gut it, removing the gall bladder, which is at the base of the throat and is difficult to extract.  It is advisable to  soak the gutted and scaled  fish in a bowl of vinegar  and water (which should be replenished as necessary) in order to remove  its ‘muddy’ taste.

            The carp can be roasted, stuffed (especially a la juive). Grilled (broiled), cooked in court-bouillon or  stewed in white wine or beer, small fish can also be fried. Carp has been eaten since the Middle.  Ages, and used to be the dish of kings. They were usually cooked in wine with a lot of spices.  The tongue was considered a delicacy.  Carp is also the fish most  prized by the Chinese, the lips are considered the finest part.  (teep-frozen.  Asiatic carp are  sold in France, their lesh is regarded as firmer and tastier than French carp.

RECIPES

Carp a la chinoise

Clean and gut a carp weighing about 1.5 g (3 ¼ lb.)and cut it into sections.  Finely  chop2 large onions and fry, in oil until slightly  brown.  Add 2 tablespoons vinegar; 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon freshly grated root ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger).  1-2 tablespoon rice alcohol (or more  brandy.  Salt, pepper and a glass of water, stir, cover and leave to cook for about 10 minutes fry the carp pieces in oil for 10 minutes, then add the  sauce and leave to cook for other  4-5 minutes. Some strips of cucumber may be added to the carp along with the sauce, if desired.

Carp a l’alsacienne

Choose a carp weighing at least  1.5 kg. (3 ¼ lb.  And  clean  and gut it. Fill  it with a fish cram forcemeat,  clean and gut it. Fill it width a fish cream forcemeat, place in a buttered ovenproof dish and add mixture of court bouillon and white wine so that it half-fills the dish (one-third court-bouillon to two-thirds white wine). Cook for 30-40 minutes in a preheated  oven at 220°F, gas 7) protecting with buttered greasedproof (wax) paper if necessary.  Drain retaining the liquid, and arrange  the fish on a bed of sauerkraut, surround it with small boiled potatoes.  And keep hot.  Reduce the cooking liquid, bind with a little beurre manie and cove the fish with it.

Fried carp

Select a small carp, weighing about 400 g (14 oz.) clean, gut, wash and wipe the fish. Immerse it  in milk, then in flour, and then deep-fry in hot oil. When cooked, remove, drain and add salt. Garnish with fried parsley and lemon quarters.

Stuffed carp a l’ancienne

(from a recipe by Careme provided by Plumerey) Take a large carp that is carrying eggs (milk), remove the scales and bones, and lift of the flesh. Taking car to leave the backbone intact, complete with head and tail. To the carp flesh, add the meat from a small eel., as desalted anchovies, and make a fairly firm quaenelle forcemeat in the usual way, but without adding any sauce.  Scald the ross, cut into several pieces, sauce in butter with a little  lemon juice, add some  truffles  and mushrooms and bind with  a few spoonfulls of chick allemande sauce.

            Take  a tin tray that is as long  the carp and butter it chickly. Spread a layer of stuffing on it, about  2.5 cm (1 in) thick, making it the, the shape of  the carp. On the place the carp backbone with head and tail and attached.  Cover the backbone with a little stuffing and cover this with the roes regout; then add another layer of stuffing, 2.5 cm. (1 in.) thick, still in the shape of the carp Smooth with a knife dipped in hot water.

            Butter  a baking sheet large enough to hold the carp and sprinkle breadcrumbs on the butter. Carefully heat the tin tray to that the butter smelts and slide the carp on to the baking sheet without  damaging the shape. Brush with beaten egg, coat the  top with breadcrumbs.  Press the breadcrumbs down firmly and cover with clarified butter.  Then ,  with the tip of a small spoon, press in a pattern of scales, starting  at the head.

            Cook the carp in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F, gas 6) for 45 minutes, basting  frequently with clarified butter during cooking so that it turns a golden colour. When it is cooked, transfer it  carefully from the baking sheet to the serving dish. With a long fish slice.  Work some fish essence intoa financiere sauce and serve in a sauceboat to accompany it.

CARPACCIO An Italian antipasto (appetizer) consisting  of very thin slices of raw beef served, cold with a creamy vinalgrette sauce made with olive oil.  This dish, named in honoru of the Renaissance Venetian painter, originates from Harry’s. but in venice (not connected with the famous American bar in Paris.)

RECIPE

Remove the fat, nerves and gristle from a piece of  very tender sirloin weighing 1.25 kg (2 ¾ lb.) so as  to obtain a meat cylinder.  Put in the freezer.  When it has hardened sufficiently, cut into very thin slices  using a very sharp knife. Arrange these sliced on plates, season lightly with salts and put back in the  refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.  Mix 200 ml (7 fl. Oz, ¾ cup)  mayonnaise with 1 or 2 teaspoons of Worcessershire sauce and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.  Season with salt and white pepper. Pour a little of this sauce over the slices of meat, making a few decorative motifs with it.

CARPET SHELL (CLAM) palaourde A birvalve mollusc, 3-5 cm (1 ¼-2 in. )long that is more plentiful  on the  Atlantic coast and in the English Channel than in the Mediterranean.  Its thin shell, convex in the centre , is pole yellow to dark grey marked with brown spots and two series of very fine streaks, one radiating the other concentric, forming a lattice. Carpet shells are eaten raw in  seafood platter or stuffed like muscles.

    Three very closely related species of false carpet shells (or clams) are distinguished by the colour of  the inside of the valves (gold or pink instead of pale grey) and by the fineness of the radiating streaks, only visible with a magnifying glass.  They are less  delicate than the true carpet shells.

CARRAGEEN Also known as carragheen. A  red seaweed, known as Irish moss, of the group that also produce agar-agar, so much used in the food processing industry as a getting agent.  Its fan-shaped fronds gross on the low water-line on the socks of  the American and European Northern Atlantic Shore (up as far as Sacaninavian), but it is particularly associated with Ireland .  in late summer it is picked, washed and dried for about ten days in the skin, when it turns silvery white. It is named after the Irish village of Carragheern, the classic Irish in which it is used is milk jelly.

CARRE DE L’EST.  A  soft high fat (45% fat content) cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk, and  originating from Champagne and Lorraine, where it is now moss produced.  Sold in boxes 7.5-19 cm.(3-4 in) square and 25-3 cm (1-1 ¼ in)  deep, Carne de lEst is a mild cheese with a white deoury crust.

            The term ‘carre ‘ is also applied to Normandy cheeses, related to Bondard, from the Pays de Bray or the Pays d’Auge.

CARRE, FERDINAND  French engineers (born Moislains, Somme, 1824; diet Pommeuse, Seine-et-Marne, 19000, who pioneered methods of refrigeration. One of Carre’s machines was installed in 1859 at the Velten brewery in Marseille.  In 1862 at the Universal London Exhibition, he exhibited an ice machine with an output of 200 kg (440 lb) per hour.  In 1877, alter setting up a business exporting machines to Germany, England and the United States, he repeated Teller’s experiment: he  equipped the ship paraguay with refrigerated holds and loaded it with 80 tons of meat destined for Buenos Aires ‘On the return voyage, with Argentine meat on  board, Carre’s refrigerator ship ran aground on the coast of Senegal.  In spite of a two-month delay, the emat arrived at le Havre in perfect condition and  a great banquet was held to celebrate the event.

CARROT A vegetable grown widely for its orange-red edible root. It is one of the most popular and versatile of vegetables.

            Although  the ancients recognized that carrot is good for the eyesight, they did not cultivate it as a vegetable.  Until the Renaissance era, carrots had a yellowish tough root, very woody in the centre and,  like other root crops,  it never appeared among high-class foodstuffs.  Little, the carrot was improved and cultivated varieties  were sold in the markets. It s orange dates from the middle  of the 19^th century.

§  Carrots throughout the year. The first new carrots may be round or slightly elongated and sold in bunches.  Traditional early carrots include Grlots – tender, sweet and full of flavour – or the Bellot variety.  Nantaise carrots are another   classic variety – long with a crisp texture.

Long or semi-long crop carrot are used freshly clug or stored for winter use.  They are not as sweet, light  and crisp as the new and early varieities, but they have a full flavour and crunchy, firm text tune. If the carrots are old, split then in half and hollow them, discarding the yellow  core

§  Cooking. To retain the maximum nutritional value, carrots should not be scraped or peeled, but brushed under running water, because the vitamins are concentrated in the skin. However, because of  the risk pesticide residues, it is advisable to peel or scrape them.

Carrots are widely used in savoury dishes  worldwide. Along with onions, carrots are an essential flavouring ingredient for stocks, soups, casseroles  and sauces, they are also used in a standard mirepoix of vegetables as a base for roasting poultry and ment, carrots flavour fish and seafood dishes, from  lightly steamed shellfish to baked chinky fillets steaks and whole fish. They are also used to flavour dishes or mixed vegetables, pulse and grins.

Carrots are also a valuable ingredient in their own right.  They make delicious soup. as a vegetable – across into thick or fine slices, lengthways into wedges, fingers or julienne strips; or they can be cut into chunks or dice.  Baby carrots are usually cooked  whole.  They can be boiled, steamed, stir-fried or glazed by cooking with the minimum of water and a  little butter.  The latter method is excellent for fine fingers or julienne to accompany fish, poultry or  ment main, dishes. They can be cooked on their  own  or in combination with other vegetables. Tarragon goes very well with carrots as does orange.

Used raw, they may be coarsely or finely grated, or pared into ribbons for use in salads.  Dressed with a little vinaigrette and tossed with chopped parsley, cheryil or tarragon, they make an excellent salad they are an ingredient in the classic coleslaw.  Carrot sticks are popular crudites.

The sweet flavour of carrots simmered in milk and sugar, flavoured  with a little cardamon and enriched with nuts and raisins. They are used in  cookies and the popular American-style carrot cake.  Carrots also feature in preserves, including, an Indian syrup-based preserve. Carrots were used very successfully to make a sweet preserve resembling marmalade when orange were scaree in the 1940’s

Carrot juice is also a popular drink, both bought and freshly extracted.

RECIPES

Carrot flan

Bake a pastry flan case blind and fill with a lightly sweetened carrot puree. Cover with slices of  glazed carrot, pour over the cooking juices from  the carrots, and place in a preheated oven at 240°C (475°F, gas 9) for a few minutes.

Carrot puree

Cook 500 g *18 oz) sliced new carrots in staled water to which 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon butter has been added.  When the carrots are cooked, drain and make into a puree by pressing them through a fine sieve or using a blender.  Heat the puree, adding a few spoonfuls of the carrots cooking liquid if it is too thick.  At the last moment, add 50 g (2 oz.  ¼ cup) fresh butter. Mix well and arrange on  a vegetable dish.  Carrot puree can also be made using the carrots from a pot-au-feu.

Carrot puree with cream

Heat 4 tablespoons double (heavy) cream and add to some carrot puree.

Carrots with cream.

Cut some old carrots into segments and hallow out the centres.  Cook in salted water, and before they become soft, drain, cover with boiling  cream and reduce by  two-thirds.  Arrange in a vegetable dish and serving very hot.

Carrots with raisins

Cut some new carrots into slices and fry in melted  butter. Lightly sprinkle with flour, then add just enough water to cover them and I tablespoon brandy. Cover. Halfway through cooking (after about 15 minutes), add a handful of raisins.  Finish cooking with the lid on over a gentle heat.

Glazed carrots

Clean some new, preferably fat, carrots, leaving medium-sized ones whole, cut cutting large ones  into halves or quarters. Place in a frying pain large  enough to hold them all without overlapping. Cover with cold water. For every 500 ml (17 tl oz, 2 cups) water add 25 g (1 oz, 2 tablespoons) sugar, 50 g (2 oz, ¼  cup) butter and ½ teaspoon salt. (when old carrots are used, hallow out the centres, scaled them and drain, then cooked with sugar and butter).  Bring  to the boil over a high heat.  When the water is boiling briskly, lower the heat cover the  pan and leave to simmer until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. The carrots should now be cooked.  Shake the pan so that the carrots are coated with the syrupy liquid.

            Glazed carrots may be served with bechamel sauce (add a few spoonfuls of the sauce at the last moment), butter, cream (cover with boiling cream and reduce by two-thirds). Herbs (sprinkle with chopped parsley or chervil) or meat juices (add a few spoonfuls of roast veal or poultry cooking juices.).

Grated carrots with currants

Steep some dried currants in barely tepid lemon juice, add then to grated raw carrots mixed  with well-seasoned olive oil vinalgrette.

CARROT CAKE A cake typical of North America, consisting of a sponge made of flour, eggs, sugar and oil, in which puree or grated carrots are incorporated. Alternatively, a creamed butter and sugar  mixture may be used as base, Thick and moist, carrots cake is coated with a vanilla icing (frosting) and it  may be served with nuts and raisins.

CARVING The action of slicing or cutting up meat, poultry, game or fish into sections, either for serving or for further preparation.

            The art of carving was formerly held in great esteem and attended by a certain amount of ceremony (see Ecuyer tranchant).  In ancient times, specialist carvers gave courses in cutting up and carving, using wooden ‘chickens with pieces that  could be fitted together again.  Noblemen in the Middle Ages like  to  show off their skill, and Joinville recounts with pride  that he carved one day at the King of Navarre’s table.  In the 17^th century, young gentlemen were trained  in the carving of meat and  thus learned  how to distinguish the best joints.  The  wing of birds who scratch at the earth with their  feet; the leg of birds who live in the air; the while meat of large roast poultry; the skin and the ears of  a suckling pig; the saddle and the legs of hares and rabbits’, large  fish, such as salmon or pike, were cut in two, and the front portion, considered the most delicate, was placed at the head of the table, where the honoured guest sat.

            Modern carvers, particularly in the  catering trade, must combine culinary competence with a knowledge of anatomy, manual dexterity and a certain panache.  Each joint of meat or species of poultry requires a particular carving technique. As a general  rule, meat is carved perpendicularly to the direction of the muscle of fibres, the slices should be as large as possible and of even thickness. The introduction of service a la russe (Russian style), in which meat is presented already cut up, has caused the disappearance from many tables of an operation that was formerly done with pride by the master of the house.

CARVING KNIEF. A knife with a very long – 18-35 cm (7 – 14 in). – flexible blade and a sharp point. It is used for thinly slicing bacon and roast meat, hot or cold.

CASANOVA DE SEINGALT, GIOVANNI GIACOMO Italian adventurer (born Venice, 1725, died Dux, Bohemia, 1798). Famous for his romantic  and chivalrous exploits, Casanova was an attentive  observer of contemporary gastronomic etiquette. This, and his own culinary tastes, occupy an important place in his Memoires, he invented a special  vinegar to season hard-boiled (hard-cooked) egg and anchovies, he advocated Chambertin as an  accompaniment to Roquefort cheese; and he claimed that forcemeat of  beatilles and very frothy chocolates worked  as an effective restorative.  Between adventures, he would often make a detour to taste famous  pates, the rare Hermitage Blanc of the Cotes-duRhone.  Grenoble’s liqueur, Gennoese cep mushrooms and Leipzig’s skewered larks. Truffles, oysters, champagne and  Marashino owe their  reputation as aphrodistacs largely to him. The Prince of Ligne said of him. at 73, no longer a god in the garden or a satyr in the forest, he is a wolf at table.

CASHEW APPLE.  A fleshy pear-shaped swelling that is part of the fruit of the cashew trees; the  cashew nut hangs below this swelling.  The cashew apple is picked when ripe  and usually eaten with sugar because it is slightly tart.  In Brazil, where it is  widely used, it is made into jams, jellies, compotes  and beverages, and fermented to produce a dessert wine and a vinegar.

CASHEW NUT The fruit of the cashew tree, originally from South America but widely  cultivated in India and other  tropical countries since the 16^th century.  The nut contains as smooth creamy-white kidney-shaped kerniel with a mild, slightly sweet flavour and  tender texture. In Europe it is usually eaten dried, roasted and salted as an appetizer and in salads. In  Indian cooking it is used in a variety of dishes, including lamb curry, beef stew, rice with prawns vegetable dishes, stuffings for chicken, and cakes and  biscuits (cookies).

CASK. Tonneau Wine casks come in a wide range of  different sizes, some of which have special regional names, such as the Bordeaux barrique, The  word tonneau, however, comes from tonnee, a very large cask formerly used, especially in the port of Bordeaux, to store wine and then ship it, the mighty cask baing rolled from the quayside into the hold of a ship in the wine fleet.according to how many tonnes the hold could take,the capacity of the vessel began to be given in terms of tonnage, a system still in use today. The tonne itself is no longer used, but the english word ‘tun’ perpetuates its association with a gigantic wooden container, such as is still used for cider and beer.

CASSATA An iced dessert of Italian origin, made of bombe paste set in a rectangular mould and lined  with fruit ice cream. The name means ‘little case’ due to its brick shape, although triangular cassatas can be found. A cassata can also be an ice cream shaped like a brick, consisting of several ice creams of different flavours with a filling, of chantilly cream.

            On the other hand, Sicilian cassata, also in the shape of a brick, is a cake. It is made with slices of  enoa cake (a type of light fruit cake) steeped in Maraschinos or currcao and covered with a mixture of Ricotta cheese, flaked chocolate, crystallized (candied) fuits and sugar syrup; the whole is finally coated with a thick layer of chocolate.  This christmas and Easter cake is also traditionally eaten at weddings.

RECIPE

Strawberry cassava

Prepare 100 ml (17fl oz. 2 cups) strawberry ice cream (see ices and cie creams), the same quantity of vanilla’s ice cream, and 400 ml (14 fl oz. 1 /34 cups) whipped cream mixed with crystallized (candied) fruits steeped in brandy or a liqueur.  Spread the  vanilla ice cream in a rectangular mould, cover with the whipped cream and fruits, and place in the  freezer until the  cram just hardens. Cover with  the strawberry ice cream, press down firmly smooth the surface and leave to set.

CASSE-MUSEAU a very hard biscuit (cookie) that keeps well; it was formely very common  in France, but is now made only n certain areas. The  name, meaning ‘jaw breaker’, come from its hardness and from the custom of tossing biscuits at the  fce during certain popular festivals, such as the Rogation Procession  held in Poitiers.  In Corsica they are known as sciappa denti (tooth-breaker).  The  casse-musseau is usually made of a mixture of  coarsely chopped almonds and curd cheese, which is rolled into a sausage shape, cooked, then cut into slices and returned to the oven; this double baking produces the very hard consistency.

CASSEROLE A cooking utensils, made of metal or other ovenproof material, which is fitted with a lid and designed for long, slow cooking in the  oven. Many are  decorative enough to use as serving dishes. The name is also given to the food cooked in a casserole.

            In classic Franch cookery, a csserole is a dish  generally made with cooked rice mouled into the shape of a casserole or timbale; it  can also be made in a duchess potato mould.  Rarely made nowadays, these dishes can have various fillings, including mouses, fat or lean minced (ground) meat, game puree, calves or lamb’s sweetbreads and escalopes  of truffled foie gras.  Casserole can also be garnished a la sagan, a la venitienne, a la bouquetiere,  a la regence and a la Nantua. If the contents are  cold, they can be glazed with aspic jelly.

RECIPE

Rice casserole a l’ancienne

(from a recipe by Careme) ash about 1 kg(2 ¼ lb) long-grainrice in several changes of warm water, thenplace it isa large saucepan.  Cover with  cold water and heat;  after it has boiled for several seconds, drin, then moisten the rice with about two to the three tiems its own volume of beef stock and thicken with fat skimmings from a chicken broth. Return the pan to the heat.  As soon as the rice boils, take it off the heat and remove  the scum from the surface. Now simmer gently, stirring after about 1 hour and again after further 20-25 minutes.  The rice should now be soft. (further stock may be added during cooking in order to keep the rice moist). Remove from the heat, stir for several minutes with a spatula and allow to cool.

            When the rice is only just warm, work it with a wooden spoon until the grains have all burst and the rice is a smooth paste, adding a little stock of  necessary.  Pile the rice into a baking tin (pan), forming a casserole shape about 13 cm (5 in) high; smooth it well. Garnish with slices of carrot. Now coat the surface of the rice casserole with a little  clarified butter and cook in a preheated oven at 160°C (325 °F, gas 3 ) for about 1 ½ hours. During  cooking, it will turn bright yellow. When cooked, carefully remove the garnished top crust and remove fro the inside all the  rice that does not adhhere  to the crus, even if this that the  crust is very thin.  Mix a large spoonful of rice taken from the interior with a little sauce (bechamel, espagnole or any other suitable sauce, depending on the filling to be used), and glaze the crust with this mixture after putting the filling in the case.

            If good stock or fat are unavailable, the rice  can be moistened with water, butter and salt.  This will make the rice much whiter.

            Careme also gave a recipe for small individual rice casserole (casserolettes).  They are  placed on a baking sheet in a hot oven and cooked until evenly coloured.

           

CASSIS AOC wines from a vineyard close to the  small  Provencal port of Cassis, between Marseille  and La Clotat.  This vineyard, famous since  the 15th century, is known especially  for its dry white wine.  The vines, planted on the chalky cliffs overlooking the seat, include such varieites as Clairette, Marsanne, Sauvignon Blanc and Ugni blanc. The sunny  southerly aspects is sheltered by the hills, which protect tehvines from the mistral.  They are also protected rom excessive heat by the proximity of the sea.  Cassis also produces a little red and rose  wine from Grenache,  mourvedere, Carignan, cinsault and  other verieities of grape.  But the white wines remain the most attractive and ar enjoyed particularly for their  fruitiness, freshness and delicacy. They are among the  best white wines of Provence and are a delightful complement to bouillabaisse.

CASSIS A liqeur of pronounced flavour  made by  macerating blackcurrants in  spirit and sweetening  the resulting liquid. There are several categories: 14° for most ordinary and culinary purposes; 15° for ‘crème de casis; 20°for ‘double crème’ or ‘super cassis’; and there are even versions of 25°.  Cassis is  a speciality of Dijon and the Cote d’ore; it was  first  made commercially in 1841 by one Claude Joly.  The  popularity of Kir has stimulated production.  This drink, a Burgundy aperif consisting of a spoonful  of cassis liqueur topped up with dry white wine, has  acquired th ename of the late canon Kit, Mayor of  Dijon and a Resistance hereo.  ‘Kit royale’ is made  with sparkling wine.

RECIPE

Cassis

For every litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) of eau de vie, take 12 small washed leaves from the  tip of a blackcurrant branch and place them in a bowl together with 1 clove and a good pinch of crumbled stick cinnamon. Wash and dry the blackcurrants and  weight them. Crush them roughly and ptu them in the bowl, allowing 1 kg (21/4 lb. 9 cups) blackcurrants per 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) eau de view. Now  add 800 g (1 ¾ lb. 3 cup) granulated sugar  per kg (2 ¼ lb. 9 cups) of blackcurrants and mix all  the  ingredients thoroughly.  Pour into jars, seal and store, preferably  in a warm sunny place, for abuot 1 month. Then pour thecontents through a cloth secured over a large bowl and extract all the liquid. Filter  and bottle.  If the liqueur is too strong, some  sugar dissolved in cold water can be added – about 500 g (18 oz. 2 ¼ cups)  sugar per 500 ml (17 fl oz, 2 cups ) water.

CASSOLETTE A small container with lugs or a short handle, made of heatproof porcelain, tempered glass or metal, which is used to prepare  and serve hot entrees or certain hors d’oeuvre and cold puddings.  The word can also apply to a variety of dishes that are several in cassolettes.  Savoury cassolettes may consist  of sulpicons and ragouts of all sorts, including sweetbreads, chopped chicken, mushrooms and fish mousses, bound with a white or borwn sauce; sweet cassolettes, which are sometimes  served in nougat  cups instead of the cassolette itself, can include flavoured creams, custards and peahed fruits.

CASSONADE Rqw crystallized sugar extracted directly from the juice of the sugar cane.  The small  irregular crystals have a high-brown colour and a slight taste of rum, caused by the residues of gum and wax. When further  refined, cassonade makes  white cane sugar.

            Cassonade is used to make  chuttneys and features in certain recipes from northern Europe, including civet of hare.  Flemish red cabbage and black pudding (blood sausage), and in some sausage), and in some southern European ones, such as Pezenas mutton pie. In  cake-making it gives a special flavour to tarts and  yeast cakes.

            Until  the 16^th century cassonade was called casson and took the form of an iregular loaf of  crumby sugar.

           

RECIPES

Belgian cassonade tart

Make some pastry using 250 g (9oz, 2 ¼ cups)  plain (all-purpose) flour, 125 g (4 ½ oz, ½ cup) butter, a  pinch of salt, and 4 tablespoon cold water; Roll into a ball and leave to rest for 3-4 hours. The use it it line a tart tin (pan) and bake blind in a pre heated oven at 200°C (400°F, gas 6).  Grind 150-200 g (5-7 oz, 1 ¼ - 1 ¾ cups ) almonds ina blender  and mix with 3 egg yolks, 200 mil (7 fl oz ¾ cp) double (heavy) cream, and 300g (1 l oz,  1 ¾  cups) cassonade (raw brown sugar).  Beat 3 egg  whites until they form stiff peask an dadd to the  mixture. Pour into the tart case and bake for about 40 minutes.

French cassonade tart

Mix together  125 g (4 ½ oz, ½ cup) melted butter, 2 egg yoks an da pinch of salt.  Sprinkle in 250 g (o oz. 2 ¼ cups) sifted  self-raising flour and add sufficient water to give a smooth firm dough) – about  3 ½ tablespoons. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in a cloth and leave to rest for 1 hour.  Butter a baking sheet and roll out th epastry into a circle.  Pinch aroudn the rm and, with  the tip of a knife,  lightly trace lozenge shapes on the top.  Sprinkle evenly with 150 g (5 oz. ¾ cup) cassonde (raw brown sugar) and divide 50 g (2 oz, 4 tablespoons) butter into small balls and place these on top of the sugar. Place in a preheated  oven at 200°C (400°F, gas 6) and bake for about 35—40 minutes.

CASSOULET A dish, originally form languedoc, which consists of harico (navy) beans cooked  in a stewport with pork rinds and seasonings. A garnish of meals, which varies from region to region, and a a gratin topping are added in the final stages. The word comes from cassole, the name of the glazed earthenware’s cooking pot traditionally used.

            The haricot beans (known as mounjetos) are the  essential ingredients, giving cassoulet its creamines  and flavour – originally, fresh broad (fava) beans were used; lharicots come from Spain and were  not used  in France until the 19^th century, Cassoulet is  divided into three types  according to the meats used.  Prosper Meontagne called them the ‘Trinity”, the ‘Father bein the cassoulet from Castelmadary, the ‘Son’  the ca soulet from Carcassone and the ‘Holy Ghost’ that from toulouse. The  first, which is  undubtedly the oldes, contains pork (join, ham, leg sausage and fresh rinds) with perhaps a piece of preerved goose.  In carcassone, leg of muttonand, during the shooting season, partridge are used, the same ingredients are used in Toulouse as in Castelnaudary  but in smaller quantities, the difference beign made up with fresh lard, Toulouse  sausage, mutton and dack or goose. Other variations exist, including Montauban (with Pmiers beans garnished with sausages and garlic sausage) and Comminges (with pork rinds and mutton).  There is also a fish cassoulet, made with salt cod (which replaces the duck or goose).

            Whatever the ingredients, the Etats Geenraux de la Gastronomic francaise of 1966 decreed the following propoortions for cassoulet: at  least 30% pork (which can include sausage and Toulouse sausage), mutton or preserved goose; 70^th haricot bems and stock,  fresh pork rinds, herbs and flavourings.

            The prepatation of cussoulet requires that the beans and the meat are cooked at the same time  (pork and mutton are cooked separately) while  braising the rinds and cooking the sausages. A final coating of breadcrums is essential for a fine golden crust.  Purists insist on certain  refinements, such as  rubbing the cooking pot with a garlic clove and above all, breaking the grath  crust several times.  (seven tiems in Castelnatudary toulouse).

            Now far removed from the mutton and bean stew made by the Romans and Spaniards, cassoulet has become a classic dish.  In 1909, at a journalists lunch, President Fallieres, a native of Lot-et-Garonne, had a cassoulet made to his own instructions, which  he then ordered to be put on the menu at the Elysee Palace once a week.  But this dish remains a subject of controversy, especially regarding the addition of mutton; this is considered by some a sacrilege (except in the Toulouse version, according  to Closs – Jouve)  and by other, such as Prosper Montagne and  James de Coquet, as indispensable, Curnonsky, how ever, would accept  only the inclusion of poached  sausages, a small piece of shoulder of lamb, goose  in tomato sauce and garlic sausage.

            The Guide gourmand de la France (Hachette) by Gault and Millau describes the preparation of the  Toulouse, as set out by the famous local  cok and eminent  gastronomic  writer from the  south-west, Louise Cazals. Soak  the white haritcot  beans (known as cocos) for 12 horus.  Boil  them in salted water for a good hours, tehn drain. Return them to the cooker (stove), this time into boiling water, and add the bacon rinds, which have first  been blanched and rolled up, the carrots cut into  rounds, and some garlic cloves.  Add a sausage and leave the ingredients to cook togeher.  Meanwhile, lightly brown a goose quarter with good-quality goose fat and two crushed garlic cloves, plus two peeled seeded tomatoes. Add the goose to the  haricot beans and leave to cook for a further 2 hous. Do not forget a bouquet garni. Put the  sausage (cut into slices0 and the haricot beans into  a stewpot or earthenware casserole, add the fresh sausage and cook in a slow oven. Allow a crust to  form, which you then break eight times during the  cooking.  Serve in the cooking pot. To conclude; it is said that the Toulouse cassoulet is the most complete (or least simple).  Of all the regional cassoulets. It is, of course, subject to mirror variations.  The dish is generally accompanied by a Corbeires wine (which is found more and more often on the wine lists of toulouse) or, better still, by a hearty old  Villaudric.’

            The  syndicat d’initiateive (tourist office) of Castelnaudary, which  proclaims its city to be the world capital of cassulef, provides the following recipe.  ‘Here we give the ingredients for the true dish as it  is still prepared by local families in Castelmaudary.  First of all is the choice of bean, preferably the lingot. Secondly the meat – hock of pork, port ribs, pork rinds, local sausage and preserved goose liver  from lauragais. Place the beans is a pot (preferably earthenware), cover them with cold water and blanch tem by bringing to the boil for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain of this water and cover the beans with  fresh warm water.  Garnish by adding a good helping of pork rinds cut into reasonably large pieces and  add some  hash made from a large piece of salted fat, a small piece of slightly rancid fat and a generous  quantity of garlic. Add some  salt and leave to simmer for about 2 ours preferably on the hearnt.  The beans should be well cooked but remain firm.  In a large pan male the fat off the preserved goose, then remove the goose and fry the meat in the fat. Off preserved goose is not available, goose or pork fat can he used.) when these preparations have been completed, place the ingredients in a cassole (never use  any other type of utensils, for example enamel or  glass) as follows first a layer of beans, rinds and   juice, then a layer of meat, which is tehn covered by the remaining beams. Pepper the surface generously. Separately cookd a fresh sausage in a frying pan or in teh oven until it is lighly  browned. Then coil the  sausage on the surface of the cassoulet, press down lightly  and spirnkle teh whole surface with the boiling hot fat from the sausage. Put the cassole into the  oven and leave to cook until a brown uniform crust forms on top.  Break the crust and allow it to reform several times, as desired.  Check the cassoulet from time to time and if if appears to be dry, sprinkle with warm water, but he careful not to down it. Allow to cook for 3 to 4 hours.  Serve very hot in its cooking pot.  Make it the day before to serve at lunchtime, or  early in the  morning  for the evneing meal.

            Important note -  never use smoked  meat, strashbouting sasuages or mutton.

RECIPES

Cassoulet (1)

(from a recipe given by a gourment from Castelnaudary) Use a galzed earthenware pot, known as a toupix, to cook white haricot (navy) beans – those from Pamiers and Cazeres are best – with seasoning, plus the usual meat, vegetables, garlic and herbs.  When the beans are well cooked but still whole, put them in a special cooking pot (of Issel earthenware), the sides of which have been lined with fresh bacon rinds (these are cooked with the beans).  Add the pork hock, fat, sausage and a leg of preserved goose.  Srinkle the top with coarse breadcrumbs and then with goose fat.  Place in a baker’s oven (ideally fuelled by mountain gorse) and cook gently for several hours.  When a beautiful golden crust has formed, break it with a wooden golden crust has formed, break it with a wooden spoon, repeat this essential operation two or three times.  Then you will have a fine cassoulet that can be served with either a fine red Aquitaine wine or an old Minervois wine.

Cassulet (2)

(from a recipe by Prosper Montagne) For 8 people, soak 1 litre (1-1/4 pints, 4-1/2 cups), white haricot (navy) beans in cold water for a few hours (but do not allow them to ferment).  Drain, thn add to them 300 g (11 oz.) pork fat, 200 g (7 oz) fresh pork rind tied in a bundle, a carrot, a onion sudded with cloves and a bouquet garni containing 3 garlic cloves.  Season carefully, using very little salt as the fat contains salt.  Add enough water to allow the beans to ‘swim’ well.  Simmer gently so that the beans remain intact but are well cooked.

            Place some dripping or goose fat ina separate pan and brown 800 g (1 ¾ lb) pork  sparerib or  bladebone and 500 g (18 oz) oned shoulder of  mutton, well seasoned with salt and pepper. When  the meats are well browned, put them in a large  frying pan contining 200 g (7 oz. 1 ¾ cups ) cooked  chopped conion, a bouguet garni and 2 crushed garlic cloves.  Cover and cook. Moisten from time to time with good meat juice or stock from the stock pot. If desired, add some spoonfuls of tomato puree or 3 peeled, seeded and crushed tomatoes.

            When the beans are almost  cooked, remove the vegetables and bouquet garnis and add the pork, mutton and onions, together with some garlic sausage, a leg of preserved gosse or duck, and, if  desired, a piece of home-made  sausage. Simmer gently for a furhter hour.  Remove al the meat from  the beans and drain. Cut the mutton, pork and  goose (or duck) into equal pieces and cut the rind into ractangles, the sausage  into slices (removing the skin) and the fresh sausage into small rings.

            Line a large earhenware dish or individual dishes  with the rind, then add a layer of  the  various meats (moistured with their  sauce) and  another  layer of beans, seasoning each layer with freshy gruond pepper.  On top of the final layer palce the pieces of fat, the remaining rind and some  sliced sausage. Sprnkle with white breadcrumbs and melted goose fat. Cook gently in the oven (preferably a baker’s oven) for about 1 ½ hour.  Serve in the cooking dish.

CASTIGLIONE, A LA A preparation in which small pieces of meat are fried, arranged on slices of aubengine (eggplant) fired in butter, topped with slices of pouched bone marro and garnished with  large mushroom caps stauffed with risotio and gratn mixtures, sole or fish fillets (place, whiting) a la castigloione are glazed with a white wine  and garnished  with mushrooms, lobster pieces and steamed potatoes.

CASTILLANE, A LA  A term used for lamb, topped with crushed tomatoes thickened in olive oil (these are  sometimes placed in tartles and arranged beside the meat) and served with eroquette potatotes  and fried  onion rings. The sauce is based on veal and  tomato.  This preparation is used only for lamb or mutton, which  is a famous product of the Castile region of Spain.

CATALANE, A LA  A term used to described garnishes inspired by Spanish cooking (Cataloia, in particular, is famous for its seafoods and garlic). Chicken, lamb or veal sauteed a la catalane is garnished with tomato quarters fried in butter, chestnuts  poached  in consomme, chipolatass and stoned (pitted ) blanched olives, large pieces of meat are garnished with diced aubergines (eggplants) fired in oil  and rice pilaf. Grilled tournedos an dnoisettes of lamb are arranged on a bed of artichoke hearts and  surrounded by grilled tomatoes.

Fried eggs a la catalane

Cook separately some seeded tomato halves and  aubergine (eggplant) silices in olive oil.  Add salt, pepper, a little crushed garlic and some chopped parsley. Cover a serving dish with the vegetables.  Fry the eggs in the same pan and slide on the  vegetables.

Sausages la catalane

In a frying pan, fry 1 kg (2 ¼ lb.) thick sausages in dripping until they are golden then drain and  remove them.  Add 2 tablespoons flour to the pan and stir until it is coloured, then add 1 tablespon tomato puree (paste0, 120 ml (4 ½ floz. ½ cup) white wine, and  120 ml (4 ½ oz. ½ cup) stock. Stir well, cook for 10 minutes, then sieve. Blanch 24 peeled garlic clves.  Return  the sausages to the  frying pan, add the garlic, a bouquet garni and a piece  of dried orange  peel.  Pour the sleved  sauce on to the sausage, cover and cook gently for 30 minutes. Fresh breads rumbs may be used instead of flour, if desired.

Stuffed aubergines a la catalane

Cut 2 good-sized aubergines (eggplants) in half lengthways to form boat shapes.  Leaving a 1 cm (1/2 in) rim around the top, scoop out the flesh without damaging the skin. Chop the flesh together  with 2 hard-boiled (hard-cooked) eggs, 2 crushed  garlic2 large chopped onions per aubergine, add it to the egg and aubergine mixture, and fill the  aubergine boats.   Arrange in an oiled ovenproof dish, sprinkle with fresh bradcrumbs and oil, and  cook in a preheated oven at 220°C (425°F, gas 7-).

CATERER One who prepares meals to order for private individuals or dishes to be taken away.

            Under the Ancien Regime, tratieurs formed a corporation, specializing  in wedding, feasts and banquets.  They also had  the right to hir out cutlery, crockery and table linen. The profession of traiteur was at that time considered more honorable than that the innkeeper or rousseur. The traiteur was the  predeccessor of the restaurateur, the difference being  that customers were not  able to eat on his premises. In addition, as Brillat-savarin said at the end of the  18^th century, traiteurs ‘cojuld only self whole joints;  and anyone wishing to entertain friends had to order  in advance, so that those who had not the good for  time to be invited to some wealthy house left the  great city wthout discovering the delights of Parisian cuisine’. Restaurant  were not yet in existence and  respectable people did not frequent inns. However, following the succes of restauratns towards the end of the 19^th century, the term traiteur acquired a  rather derogatory meaning and was applied to  restaurants of the lowest class na wine merchants who provided meals.

            The modern caterer specializes in banguets, cocktail parties and lunches, served either in the clients’ homes or in hired rooms. These services can be provided by pastrycooks, confectioners, restaurateurs and dlicatessen owners.

            The kitchen of the pastrycook who provides a catering service is very different from that of the restaurateur, firstly because the transport an dreheating  of dishes require special methods and secondly because he has to cater sometimes for several thousand and sometimes for a mere dozen.  The dishes provided typically include croustades,  bouchees, timbales, vol-au-vent, pates, galantines and ballotines, cahuds-froids, dishes in aspic, canapes and, of course, set pieces for special occ occasions and a variety of desserts, ice creams and petits  fours.  Restaurants providing a catering service often  offer dishes from their menu which can be easily  transported, such as cassoulet, sauerkraut, confit and civet.

CATFISH An American freshwater fish that inhabits  calm waters and is found principally in the Missisippi basin it is 30-35 cm (12-14 in). long with  scaleless, sticky, blackish skin, a massive head with eight whisker-like barbels around the mouth and a  second fatty dorsal fin. Despite its ugly appearance,  the flesh is excellent and practically boneless.  It can  be prepared in the same way as trout or perch.

            The Europesn catfish (Silurus glanis) is a very large freshwater fish of central European origin,  which is found in the Danube, some Swiss lakes and  sometimes in the River Doubs in France.  Growing  up to 4 m (13 ft) long and weighing as much as 200 g (440 lb), it has a massive six-barbed head, a  small dorsal fin close to the head an da very long  anal fin which extends over more than half the  abdomen. Its flesh, which is firm and white but  rather fatty, resembles that of the eel.

AUCHOISE, A LA  Describing dishes of the Caux region in France, especially saddle of hare or  rbbit, marinated in white wine  with herbs, cooked in the oven, then sprinkled wth the reduced marinade and coated in a sauce made by binding the  reduced juices with fresh thick cream and mustard. Serve garnished with Reeinette apple fired in buter.

            Sole a la cauchoise is braised in cider in the oven,  ten coated with a sauce made from the cookng  juics snd butter. It is garnished with shrimps  (famous in the Caux region) coked in a court bouillon t which fried mssels, poached oysters nd mushrooms have been added.

            Cauchoise salad combines potato slices, slender  celery sticks and slivers of cooked ham. It is  seasoned with a sauce made of fresh cream, cider vindegar and chervil.

RECIPE

Tarte cauchoise

Prepare some shot-crust pastry (baisc pie dough).  Roll into a ball and leave to rest in a cool place for at least 1 hour. Line a flan tin (tart pan) and bake  blind, Soften 800 g (1/4 lb. 5 cups) finely chopped  onion in butter.  Beat 1 whole egg, mix in 200 ml (7 fl oz. ¾ cup) double (heavy) cream, then add salt, pepper and a little grated nutmet.  Allow to thicken on a gentle  heat , without boiling, then add the onions.  Fill the flan case with chicken leftovers  or finely chopped veal or ham and cover them with  theonion mixture.  Do with flecsks of butter and cool in a preheated oven at 20°C (400°F as 6 ) of 15-20 minutes.

CAYK A known as caul fat.  A thin membrane veined with fat tat encloses the stomach, of animals, particularly tha of the  pig.  N charcuterie, the caul is soaked to soften it  an dmake it easier  to handle;it is used, for example to wrap arroundthe sausagemat  when making crepinettes. Numerous other culinary preparation cooking stuffed leaves, larded  calif’s liver, fricarideau, foie gras, panes and terrines.

CAULDRON A large deep made of cast iron or copper, with a det achable handle. It was formerly used for cookng thick soups and stews in the hearth,  hanging from the chimney-hook. Varying in shape  according to different regions (curved sides, with or without feet), it is used today mainly for decoration.

CAULIFLOWER Ddescribed by Arab botanists and known to the Romans, the cauliflower originally came from Cyprus and was introduced to France from Italy in the middle of the 16^th century.  Having  been served to Loouis XIV, the cauliflower was calivated extensively particularly in Britany.  The edible  part is the flower head, popularly known as the ‘heart’ or ‘head’ it white, compact and hard with many compressed flowers buds.  The trimmed caulilflower may weight 1-25 kg (2 ¼-5 1/2lbs.). very small califlowers can also be found, each providing a single  portion. These are firm and white, but do not have the flavours of the large cauliflowers.

            The heart is surrounded by crisp bljuish-green leaves, whose condition is a good guide to the freshness of the hart.  The heart shold be compact, white, firm and undamaged, with no green shoots between the florets. The leaves should be very crisp; do not buy a cauliflower without leaves – it is probable old.  Cauliflowers are sold individually, not by  weight , and only about half is usable.  Allow about  200 g (7 oz per) person if served cooked and 100 g  (4 oz) if served raw.

§  Cooking cauliflowers cauliflower is the most easily  digested member of the cabbage family and can  be cooked either whole or as florets.it often gives  off a strong smel during cooking. It can be blanched  in fast-boiling unsalted water, then cooked in a white stock; a cust of stale bread can be aded to absorb some of the smell. Lemon juuice may be added after cooking to keep the cauliflower white.  It can be  eaten raw, in a vegetable fondue, cooked in water (for soup, puree or cold salad), in a souffie, au gratin,  a la bollandaise, a la polonaise, and also  lightly  braied, sauteed or fried after blanching. It is included in pickles and is a feature of all Du Barry preparation. The leaf ribs and the stump (core) may be used to prepare  soups or vegetables loavs.

RECIPES

Cauliflower au gratin

Divide the heart into  florets and cook them in  salted water or stream. Remove drain and toss them in butter. Transfer to a buttered  gratin dish,  coat with Mornay sauce, sprinkle with grated  grruyere cheese and melted butter, and brown for about  10 minutes ina preheated oven at 230°C  (450°F, gas 8). The Gruyere may be replaced by  Parmesan, which may be sprinkled in the dish before adding the couliflower.

Sauteed cauliflower

Divide the heart into florets and steam them until  they are still slightly firm and do not disintegrate.  Heat some butter in a frying pan or saute pan and  lighlty brown the florets.  Arrange them in a  vegetable dish moisten with  the cooking butter in a frying pan or saute pan and  ligthly brown the florests.  Arrange them in a vegetable dish and moisten with the cooking butter.  Cauliflower  may also be sauteed in olive oil with chopped garlic.

CAVEAU.  A literary,  epicurean and gastronomic  society founded in Paris in 1729 by Prion, Colle, Galler and Crebillion the Younger, during a dinner at Landelles’s famous restaurant, Le Caveau, in the Rue Buci. Boucher, Rameau and Maurepas were also members.  The rule of the society was strick any member who lacked decorum durign the discussions had to drink water.  The society was dissolves in 1757 after internal disputes disputes, but was restarted some  years later at the Palais-Royal on the initiative of General Pelletier.  It lasted until 1976 and was patronized by the  performers of the Vauderville theatre, who published nine volumes of songs entitled Les Diners du Vandeville. A new Caveau, founded by  Amand Gouffe, was named the Caveu  Moderne-Segur the Older, Desaughiers, Cadet-Gassicourt,  Grimod de la Reynaiere and Beranger were members  for several years the society publised Le Journal des gourmands et ales belles, and it held dinners at the Rocher de Cancale until 1817.  The last Caveau was reformed in 1834 but did not last long and  never achieved the success of its predecessor.

CAVIAR Stugrgeon’s eggs that  have been salted and  allowed to mature.  The word comes from the Italian caviale, itself derived from the Turkish kauyar.  It apears as early as 1532 in Rabelais Pantagruel, in which caviar is described as the choice  hors d’oeuvre, Colbert organized the production of caiar  in the Gironde using  the sturgeons passing  through  the estuary. But the caviar  we know today is Rossian. It was introduced to France in the 1920s following the exile of Russian princess during the Universal Exhibition of 1925 the Petrossian Brothers  learned, through their Russian Friends, that caviar was known to very few French people.  Charles Ritz  formally launched caviar by putting it  permanently on the menu at his hotel.

            The sturgeon lives in the sea, but returns in witner to estuaries throughout temperature regions of Asia to  lay its eggs. Today the Caspian Sea provides 88% of  the world’s  caviar. The surgeon was still common in the Gironde at the beginning of the 20^th century, but it becomes so rare tha fishing for it is prohibited.

            The former  soviet Union ws for a long time the sole producer of caviar. But  since 1953, factories on  Iran’s Caspian coast have prduced 180 tonnes annually; Russia produes 1,800 tonnes every year .

            The eggs constitute about 10% of the female’s body weight.  After they have been removed, they are  washed, drained, put into brine, drained again and  finaly packed into tins (cans).  There are two sorts caviar in grains and pressed caviar. The name ‘red  caviar’ is sometimes used incorrectly for salamon eggs.

§  Types of caviar. Sold fresh or sometiems pasteurrized, there are three types differently by size coloru and species of sturgeon.

§  Belluga the most expensive  and produced by the largest species, which can weight up to 800 kg (1,700 lb).  The eggs are more or less dark grey, firm, heavy and well separated. These are the biggest hut most fragile egs, and if they burst the caviar becomes oily.

§  OSSETRA Characterized by smaller more even grains, which  are golden yellow to brown and quite oily; consisdered by many as the best.

§  SEVRUGA produced  by small sturgeons, which are  the most prolific and give very small light- no dark grey eggs. This is the cheapeast type.

§  Prossed caviar This is made from the ripest eggs, taken towards the end of the fishing season, which  are then compressed.  Abuot 5 kg (11 lb) fresh caviar are needed to make 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) pressed caviar. It has a strong and rather oily taste and is sometimes  considered too salty, although it is appreciated by  Russioan coinnossecurs.

Caviar is a  semi-conserve and perishable; it should  be kept between - 2°C and +4°C (28-39°F). as an hors d’oeuvure, allow 50 g (2 oz., 3 ½ tablespoons) per person  crushed ice take the tin (can ) out of the refrigerator an our before serving  Blinis and sourced (sour) cream or lightly butterd toast make an ideal accompaniment never use lemon, which affects the taste.

RECIPES

Raw scallops with caviar

Open and trim the scallops. In an earthenware dish mix 2 tablespoons pure olive oil and 3 tablespoons groundnut (peanut) oil. Slice the raw white and coral meat into rings. Dip eac ring in the oil mixture, wipe off the excess oil and put them on a  place, allowing 2 scallops per serving. Season each plate with 3 pinches of salt and 3 turns of the pepper milk. With the tip of a coffeespoon handle, place 5-6 grains and surround the caviar grains with slices of coral meat. serve with  hot buttered toasts.

Smoked salmon frivolities with caviar

Cut six 18 x 7.5 cm (7 x 3 in) rectangles from  6 very fine, large slices of smoked salmon and set aside.  Place the leftovers in a blender and add 25 g (1 oz, 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature.  Puree the contents briefly until smooth. Gently heat 60 ml (2 fl oz, ¼ cup) prawn stock over a low flame. Add 1 ½ sheets of leaf gelatine or  1 ¼ teaspoons (1/2 envelope) powdered gelatine, previously softened or sponged in cold water, to the stock and stir until dissolve.  Pour this mixture into the blender, then add 1 drop of Worscestershire sauce and 2 drops of tabasco. Pulse the blender just 2 or 3 times.  Whip 120 ml  (4  ½ f oz, ½ cup) chilled double (heavy) cream in a  cold mixing bowl until it forms stiff peaks on the  whisk. Add one-third of the salmon puree and stir carefully until thoroughly combined, then stir  in the  rest of the puree.

            Place pieces of cling film (plastic wrap), slightly  larger thant the  pieces of salmon on the lcing film and spread 2 tablespoons  of  the  mousse lengthways along the centre of each. Using the cling film, roll up the salmon slices from their  long sides into  cigar shapes. Twist the ends of the cling film to  keep the salmon rolls in shape.  Chill for at least 2 hours, but not mor than 24 hours.

            Remove the cling film from the rolls and cut then in half.  Arrange ina V-shape on a very cold palts and garnish with a ribbon of caviar along the  line whre the edges meet.  Garnish with slices of  lemon and serve.

CAVOUR The name given to two garnishes inspired by Piedmontese cooking  and named after  the Italian statesman. One is used with veal  escalopes (scallops) or veal sweetbreads, which are fried, drained and arranged on polenta biscuits.  They are then surrounded with grilled (broiled) mushroooms and garnished with puree chicken livers  and slices of truffle.

            The other Cavour garnish, for large pieces of meat, consists of croquettes of semolina and ravioli.

CELERIAC a variety of celery grown for its fleshy swollen stem base, which can wiegh 800 g –1 kg (1 ¾-2 ¼ lb).  Celeriac has a rough sruface and thick skin. It is sold without the leaves, lokign like a  heavywhite boil. Select vegetables that have as even a surface as possible to avoid waste when  peeling.  The celeriac should not be celeraic should not be cracked.  Celeraic is treated like the majority of root vegetables in that it  is peeled and (usually) cut up before cooking. It can  be used raw-grated, shredded or cut into sticks.  Its  pale flesh de clours with prolonged exposure to air,  so ti should be tossed with lemon juice or a suitable  dressing. Ce reria is  milder than celery and it has a  ‘firm’ rather  than crisp texture. Coarsely grated or shredded, it goes well with creamy dressigns.

            Celeraic can be cooked in a variety  of dishes. Plain boiled celeriac  can be mashed with butter or pureed with  cream, it goes well with potatoes, mashed to a smooth and luffy texture. It can be  braised and served oated with sauce or sued in soups and casseroles.  Fine strips of celeriac are suitable for stir-frying.

            Celery salt, which is extracted from dried pulverized celeriac, is used as a condiment for tomato juice, vegetable moulds and salads sauces. It is also  used in salt-free diets.

RECIPES

Prepaaration of celeraic

Peel like  a potato, rinse and sprinkle with lemon juice. To eat cooked, cut into pieces and blanch for  5 minutes in boiling salted water.  “to serve as a  vegetable. It may be braised, cooked in its juices or prepared  as a julienna and braised. It can also  be prepared as a puree (like cardoons) and as a cream soup. Steamed in slices, it retains all its  flavour.

Celeraic croquettes

Peel a celebriac root, cut it into pieces and blanch.  Then cook in salted water for about 30 minutes. Add the same weight of peeled potatoes and leave until cooked.  Drain the vegetables and dry, either inte oven or in asaucepan. Pass them through a vegetable mill and mix the resulting pure with egg yolks – 4 per 1 kg) 2 ¼ lb) of puree – and chopped  parsley. Divide  the paste obtained into little balls,  flatten then out and coat in batter.  Plunge the corquettes into boiling oil or fat and leave to turn golden, then remove and drain on paper towels.  Serve with oast beef, veal, pork, leg of lamb or leg of venison.

Celeriac en remoulade

Peel a large celeraic root, grate is coarsely and blanche for 2 minutes in boiling salted water.  Drain and refresh with cold water. Dry thoroughly. Add  remoulade sauce and, if desired, sprinkle with  chopped parsley.

Celeriac julienne

Peel a celetriac roodt and cut into thick strips. Blanch  for 3 minutes in boiling salted water, then refresh in  cold water  and drain.  Put the strips into a pan with  a knob of butter and a little sugar, to taste. Cover and sweat for about 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and sprinkle with finely chopped herbs. Use to  garnish roast meats., fried meats and braised fish, such as cod.

Stuffed celeria a la paysnne

Cut some small celeraic roots in half and blanch them. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a lining at least  1 cm (1/2 in) tick. Dice the pulp and add an equal volume of both carrots and onions softened in butter. Season with salt and pepper. Fil the half celeriacs with this mixture  and place on a buttered  overproof dish. Sprinkle with graated gruyere cheese and small knobs of butter.  Pour 3 tablespoons stock into the dish and cook in a preheated oven at 220°(425°F, gas 7) until browend.

CELERY A vegetable grown for its roots, stems, leaves and seeds, al of wich  can be used.  Wild celeery, from which cultivated strains have been developed, was used both gastronomically, for sups and fish dishes, and therapeutically, as smelling salts.  For  a logn time, both popular  opinion  and gastronomic writers  consiered celery to be an aphrodisiac.

            Several varieties of cultivated celery are grown  for  their white fleshy sticks, which are easily broken when fresh. Canned celcery hearts and slices, preserved in natural  juice, are sued as a garnish celery is also very suitable for freezing. It can be kept fresh for several days if the bottoms of the sticks are stood in cold salted water, it becomes limp if simply put in  the refriferator. The sticks are eaten raw, in mixed salds or cooked.

            The leaves fresh or dried, cari serve as a garnish for salads, soups sauces and stock and may be used in bruished dishes. The  seeds are sued as a seasoning, having a taste similar to fennel. Celery salt is prepared from celeraic.

RECIPES

Preparation of celery

Remove the hard outer stems and the green leafy  branches. Trim the ae to a point and cut the  sticks to a length of about 20 cm (8 in). for eating  raw, detach the sticks from oen antoher wash tem and remove the stringy fibres, for cooking  wash the trimmed celery in cold water, splaying  out the sterms..  remove the stringyouter sticks, rinse  the rest, then blanch in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain, salt the insides and tie the  sticks in bunches. Braised celery hearts can accompany fatty meats, roasts and chicken. Celery can also be cooked in bechamel sauce, au gratin, in meat juice or gravy, or with bone marrow. Celery puree is used in soups and in a sauce for boiled or braised poultry.

Brasied celery

Drain some blanched celery sticks on a cloth. Tie them in bunches of two or three, and place  themin a butterd flameproof casserole line with  bacon rinds or chopped bacon, chopped onions and slicd carrots. Add sufficient st ock to cover the  vegetables and seasoning to taste.  Bring to the boil over the heat, then cover and transfer to a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F, gas 4) to cook for  1 ½ hours.

            Celery can be prepared  au maigre by omitting the bacon rinds and replacing the stock with water.

Celery in butter

Blance and drain the sticks and place them in a well-buttered pan.  add salt and pepper. Moisten with seven  / spoonfuls of white stocks or water, cover and cook for about 45 minutes.

Celery sauce

Trim and slice the tender sticks and hearts from two bunches of celery. Place in  a saucepan with a bouquet gaarnish and an onion studded with cloves.  Add sufficient stock just to cover the contents, cover and heat until simmering. Simmer until the  celery is tender.  Puree the celery with its cooking jucies and return it to the  rinsed pan.  add 2000 mil (7 fl oz. ¾ cup) cream sauce, and reduce until the  required consitency is achieved.  Adjust the seasoning  and sprinkle with very finely chopped parsley. This sauce can accompany boiled or braised poultry.

Celery with bechamel sauce

Braise the celery and ararnge in a buttered dish.  Sweeat for 10 miutes. Cover with behcamel  sauce and simmer for  a few minutes.

Celery with cream

Blanch the celery and cut  each stick in half lengthways. Arrange in a butterd flameproof casserole and season with salt and pepper. Cover with light stock and bring to the boil. Cover the casserole and transfer to a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F, gas 4 ) to cook for about 1 hour.

            Drain the celery and bend the pieces in half, arranging them in a vegetable dish. To make the  sauce, skim any butter off the cooking liquid, reduce, and add 3 tablespoons bechamel  sauce.  Moistn with 200 ml (7 fl oz, ¾ cup) double (heavy) cream and reduce by half. Add 1 tablespoon butter, mix, sieve and pour the sauce over the celery.

CELESTINE A chicken dish named by the chef at the Cercle restaurant in Lyon in honour of the owner  of the restaurant. A young chicken is fried with  mushrooms and peeled tomatoes. Flamed with Cognac, moistened with white wine and served with powdered garlic and chopped pasley. This  recipe was given by its creater to lucien Tendret, who make it famous.

            The name is also used for a chicken soup thickened with tapioca and garnished with strips of pancake seasoned with fines herbes pooached chicken breast and a coating of chervil (a brunnoise of truffles can replace the fines herbes in te pancakes). Certain ingredients of thi s soup are found in  omelette at la Celestine.

RECIPE

Omelette a la Cleestine

Prpare two small flat omelettes.  Place one on a round late, garnish with chicken breast and cover with a thick cream sauce containing chopped parsley.  Place the second omeltte on top and sprinkle with melted buter.

CENDRE One of various cow’s-milk cheeses produced in Burgundy (Aisy Cendre, which contains 45% fat) or  in Orleanais and Champagne (the Cendres of Argonne, Riceys and Rocroi, which contain 30% fat).  Soft-centred and yellow in colour, cendres are fairly firm to the touch and disc-shaped. They are matured in wooden boxes or lined with the  ashes and have a fairly strong flavour.

CENDRE, SOUS LA A rustic method of cooking meaning literally under the ashes’, which requires an open hearth or a wood fire. It is used mainly for  cooking potatoes and truffles. It is also possible to  cook poultry or an animal with  protective coat, such as hedgehog, in this way.

§  POTATOES SOUS LA CENDRE Preferably choose some fine  Fontenay potatoes; wash and dry them. Slide them under  the hot coals (with the fire extinguished) and leave without disturbing  for 35-40 minutes. Dust them off and serve with semi-salted butter.  They can be cooked wrapped in foil if the fire is still glowing and there are few ashes.

§  TRUFFLES SOUS LA CENTRE Brush the truffles carefully in could water, wash and wipe them. Dip them  in Cognac or Armagnac, then wrap them singly in pieces of buttered foil or greaseproof (wax) paper. If  the embes are very ho, the truffles are placed in an earthnware pie dish with a lid, which is slipped uner the embers. If the fire is almost out, the wrapped  truffles may be placed directly under the  cinders.  Cooking takes 35-45 minutes.

CENTREPIECE.  An item of gold plat or porcelain that is placed in the centre of the table  as decoration ofor a large formal dinner. The centrepice is  usually in the form of a lng try lined with mirror, on which candelabra, bakets of fruit or vases of flowers are displayed.

            The use of conterepieces goes back to the Middle Ags, but it was  in the 17^th , 18^th and 19h centuries that this type of table decoration had its heyday.

CEP  cepe. An edible boletus mushrooms with a large bulbous stalk that resembles a tree trunk, known as porcini in Itlian and particularly popular as a dried  fungi. Tehre are over 20 edible varieites, which may be recognized by their swollen stalks and the distinctie  tubes (the ‘choke’ or ‘beard’) that line the inner surface of the cap.

            Two varieties are highly valued in gastronomy the  Bordeaux (whitish to dark brown cap; swollen stalk; becomes cylindrical when the mushroom is old), traditionaly known as the ‘peny’ bun’ in England, and the bronzed cep (every dark-coloured: bulging silk ) which is particularly deficious and  flavoursome in mid-September. These varieties are   grown in south-western France, Sologne and Alsace and are sold between July and October. The pine  cep (mahogany-brown) and the reticulated cep (yellow-ochre) are also very highly esteemed.

            Ceps are always beter when young then it is sufficient to wipe them gnelty with a damp closth. The  bases of the stalls are removed when they are too ripe or  maggoy. In wet weather, the  ‘choke’ of certain ceps becoems slimmy and must be  removed, as it  would spoil any dish.

            The finest cops may be eaten raw in salad, cut  into thin slices, but they are especially delicious cooked, particularly in an omelette, in a verloute or  as a garnish (for confit, stew or river fish). They may by preserved by drying or oil.

            Many French regions have cep specialities. In auvergne, chataigneraie ceps are eaten stuffed. In  Aquitaine, they are prepared  en cocotte, stuffed or  cooked in embers.  In Poitou and south-western  France, they are grilled (broiled) in walnut oil Bonleaus keps, always cooked in aoil (rather than  butter), are dressed with garlic or parsley.  Auch is famous for its ceps in white wine.  In gascony, they are eaten a la viande (studded with garlic and  accompanied by raw ham), grilled, in a stew or with  salmis.  Brantome is one of the most imprtant producing centers in France, several hundred tonnes  of ceps are sent to Bordaux and Paris each year.

            The culinary value of ceps has been appreciated only since the 18^th century.  Their popularity can be traced to the court of Stanislas Leszczynski in Lorraine, hence the adjective polonuis (polish) applied to the Bordaux cep.

RECIPES

Baked ceps

Wipe 4 perfect cep caps.  Make a cross-shaped cut on top of each and place in an ovenproof dish or  roasting tins (pan).  season lighgly with salt and pepper and add a drop of olive oil.  Put in a  preheated oven at 240°C (475°F, gas 9) for 5  minutes.  Turn the ceps, season again and bake for  a  furtehr 3 minutes.  Arrange  the ceps with  their  undersides facing upwards and garnish eah  with a  very thin slice of lightly cooked fole gras or diced lightly grilled Parma ham. Serve with a red chicory salad, in a dressing of shery vinegar and olive oil.

Ceps a la bordelaise

Trim the ceps; cut them into thin slices if they are very large, havle them if of medium size, or leave tehm whole if they are small.  Put them in a shallow  frying pan with oil and lemon juice elave to cook  slowly with the lid on for 5 minutes, then drain.  Heat some oil in another  frying pan, place the ceps in it and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly brown them, then drain.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve very hot.

            In Paris, ceps a la bordelaise are lightly fried and served with chopped shallots, fried bread and chopped parsley.

Ceps a la hongroise

Trim and wash 500 g (18 oz) ceps. Cut them into thin slices if they are large; leave them whole if they are small. Cook them slowly in butter with 2 tablespons chopped onion, salt, peper and 1 teaspoon paprika. Then add sufficient crème fraiche to cover  the contents of the pan and redue. Finally, sprinkle  with chopped parsley if desired.

Ceps a la mode bearnaise

Trim and wash some large ceps and put them in the oven to release the excess juices. Stud then with garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, coat with oil and grill(broil) them.chop and mix some breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley and brown this mixture in a frying pan with oil. Scatter the grilled ceps on top and serve immediately.

Ceps a lar provencale

Prepare as for ceps a la bordelaise, but use olive oil and fry for longer.  When cooked, sprinkle with chopped garlic as well as parsley.

Ceps au gratin

Trim the ceps, separating the caps from the stalks; season with salt and pepper, then coat with melted  butter or oil.   Arrange the caps in a buttered or oiled gratin dish with their tops downwards.  Chop the stalks and add 1 choped shallot for every 200 g (7 oz, 2 cups) stalks, together with some parsley,  brown in oil and season with salt and pepper.  Finaly add 1 tablespoon fresh breadcrumbs for every 200 g & oz. 2 cups) stalks and mix all the  ingredients together. Fill the caps with this mixture, sprinkle with some more fresh breadcrumbs, moisten with oil or melted butter, and brown in a preheated oven at 240°C (475°F, gas 9) or under a  hot grill (broiler).

Ceps en terrine

Trim and wash 800 g (1 ¾ lb) ceps and separate the  caps form the  salks. Chop the stalks together with 3-4 garlic cloves. 3-4 shallots and a small bunch of  parsley and brown everything ina shallow frying pan in 3 tablespoons olive oil.  Add salt and pepper. Place the caps in a separate covered frying  pan with  2 tablespoons olive oil and  some salt, and heat gently until they have discharged their juices. Drain  them.  Line the botton and sides of an ovenproof  earthenware dish with very thin rashers (slices) of  smoked bely bacon. In it, place a layer of the caps,  tehn the chopped mixture, tehn a second layer of caps. Cover with more smoked rashers, put the  lid on the dish, place  ina preheated oven at 200°C (40°F, gas 6) and leave to took for just under an  hour.

Grilled ceps

Throughly clean  and trim some fresh ceps. Lightly  slit the caps and marinate the ceps for at least 30 minutes in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, chopped garlic, chopped parsley, a pinch of  cayenne, salt and pepper. Drain the ceps and grill (broil) them. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and  serve very hot. Alternatively, the ceps, moistened  with melted butter or simply washed and wiped, may be sprinkled with salt and pepper; quickly grilled and basted with oil or melted at the  time of serving.

Marinated ceps

Tri and wash 800 g (1 ¾ lb) ceps and cut into thin slices.  Plunge them into boiling oil for 2 minutes, then cool them under cold water and wipe off the  excess.  For the marinade, heat a mixture of 200 ml  (7 fl. Oz. ¼ cup) olive oil. 3 tablespoons wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon chopped fennel, 2 teaspoons lemon peel a bay leaft cut into four, 2 small sprig of rhyme, salt and freshly ground pepper.  Bring this  mixture  to the boil and leave to boil for 5 minutes.  Place the  ceps in an earthenware dish and cover with the boiling marinade, strained through a sieve. Add 2 large garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon chopped  parlsey.  Stir, them leave in  a cool place for at least 24 hours before serving.

Other recipes. See chicken, egg (scrambled eggs), omeelette (omelettes cooked with their flavouring), saute.

CEPAGE The French word meaning variety of  vine, or ‘varietal’. The grape vine, vitis vinifera, has existed since before records were kept. There  are no thousaands of varieties, but in Farnce only about 50 types are in use. The institut National des Appellations d’Origine specifies the capages for each AOC wine and others subejct to regional controls. Some  wines, such as red Bordeaux (claret), are made from  several  grape varieties in conjunction; others are masde from a single variety – red Burgundy and  Beaujolis, Muscadet, Sancerre, and so on.  In Alsace the wine are named after the single  grape varieties  that are used to make them – Sylvaner, Riesling,  Gewurztraminer, and ohters.  It is should be noted that  in some regions a variety may have a local name or nickname; for example, the Chenin Blanc may be  known as the Pineau de la Loire, and the sauvignon is the Blanc Fume of Pouilley-sur-Loire.

CEREAL  Any of several grasses cultivated widely for their seeds (grain), which provide a staple food  for humans and their livestock. Different cereals are  grown in different regions of the globe; wheat and  barley in temperate paris of Europe and Asia; rye and oats in northern and eastern Europe, rice in the  wetter warm-temperate and subtropical parts of Asia maize (com) on the American continent; and millet and sorghum in Africa. Cereals in their simplest forms remain the basic foodstuff in many countries, especially the poorest ones, but industrialized countries h ave tended to favour more elborate processed foods.  Types of refined cereals that are  easy to prepare and quick to cok have replaced crude grains. Products such as pastas, pastries, breads and breadfast cereals are popular. However, there is a renewed interest in natural foods, including unproceessed cereals.

            Their dietarty role as important sources of unrefined carbohydrate and fibre is valued and they are also  appreciated for their texture flavoured and versality.

§  WHOLE  CEREALS. The husks have to be removed from some grains, such as rice, barley and and oats, as they are to hard for human consumption. Wheat and rye can be milled with their  husks. Refine  cereals have less flavour and are less nutritious than  whole creals.

§  FLARES Grains of wheat, oats or maize (corn) that have been  crushed, steam-cooked, crushed again and  grilled.

§  PUFFED GRAINS Grains of maize (corn) or rice  that have been subjected to a vacuum, this causing  them to swell up; they are sometiems coated with sugar

§  PRETREATED GRAINS grains that have been cooked slowly in their husks before refining; this operation concentrates  the  nutrients in the centre of the grain.

§  PRECOOKED GRAINS Grains (whole or portions of grains)  partially steam-cooked and then dried, this  reduces the cooking time.

CERISE SUR LE GATEAU A milk chocolate gateau, created in 1993 by Pierre Henrme  (a French pastry chef born in 1961), who was responsible for the composition, and Yann Pennor, who designed  it.  The round gateau consists of a biscuit dacquoise (crushed almonds sponge mixed with butter cream)  on which rests a layer of almond-flavoured puff pastry and chocolate cream filing separated by thin leaves of milk chocolate.  The top consists of crème chantilly flavoured with chocolate. This  aasembly is then cut into equal parts; six of these prts are piled upon on topped with  a crystallized (candied) cherry. The gateau is presented in a specially made case, which gives the illusion that it is a large slice of cake lying on its side.

CERVELLE DE CANUT A speciality of Lyons traditionally served in taverns as a mid-morning snack. It  consists of fairly soft curd cheese known as claqueret, which is well beaten, seasoned with salt  and pepper and blended with shallot chopped with  herbs, crème fraiche, white whine and a little oil.

CEVENOLE, A LA  A term describing one of  many sweet or savoury dishes that contain chestnuts, a speciality of the Ardeche region of France. Used in purees, stews, whole or poached, chestnuts can accompany a range of roasts and braised meats,  inlcuidng loin of pork, mutton, calves’ sweetbreads, fillet of beef and game . Marrons glaces are used in a variety of hot, cold and iced sweets.

RECIPES

Ragout a la cevenole

The garnish for this ragout consist of braised chestnuts, small glazed onions and very  coarsely diced lean bacon, blanched and lightly fried.  The  pan juices from the braised meat of the ragout are used to bind the garnish.

Sweet Dishes

Bavarian cream a la cevenole

Make a Bavarian cream mixture and add an equa volume of pureed marrons glaces flavoured with  kirsch.  Brush a round mould with sweet almond oil  and heap the mixture into it.  Set in the refrigeraor,  then turn out on the  serving dish.  Decorate with piped Chantlilly cream and halved marrons glaces.

Choux a la cevenole

Prepare some sweet choux buns. Mix together  equal volumes of chestnut cream and whipped  cream sweetened with vanilla-flavoured sugar and fill the choux with it.

Coupe glace a la cevenole

Prepare separately 500 ml (17 fl oz, 2 cups) vanilla ice cream and 300 ml (1/2 pint. 1 ¼ cups) Chantilly cream.  Add  1 liqueur glass of kirsch to 250 g (9 oz, 1 ¼ cps) marron-glace fragments and divide equally between 4 sundae glasses. Cover each with  layer of the vanilla ice cram and smooth the surface.   Uses a piping bag with a fluted nozzle to decorate with the Chantilly cream, then arrange some marons glaces and sugar violets on top.

Crepes a la cevenole

Prepare some sweet pancakes, Spread them out on the workshop and cover each with a thin layer of marron-glace puree flavoured with rum.  Fold the pancakes over, arrange  tehm in an ovenproof serving dish, dust with sugar and glaze in the oven.  Serve very hot.

CEVICHE also known as cebiche. A dish, characteristic of Peruvian cookery, that is based on a raw fish marinated in lemon juice and is served with sweet limes,  raw onion rings, tomatoes and boiled sweetcorn.

CHABICHOU A small goat’s milk cheese from poitou, which contains 45% butterfat and has a soft  centre and a natural crust. Usually, in the shape of a  truncated cone, but sometiems cylindrical, it weighs about 100 g (4 oz) and s sold unwrapped when farm-produced, wrapped in paper from a dairy.  It  amy eaten fresh. When ripened, it is firm without being hard, with a fairly pronounced flavur and a strong goatlike smell. It is at its best in the summer.

CHABILIS White burgundy of worldwide repute.  Situated between Tonnerre and Auxerre and crossed by the smal unnavigable River Serein, the Chablis vineyard acquird fame because of the high quality of its white wines. Monks played a great part in the history of the vineyard. The first monks, in 867, were those of the abbey of Saint-martin-de-Tours; the Cittercians of Pontigny arrived three centuries later.  Since then, the sale of Chablis wines has been increasing al the time, in spite of the ravages of wars, vine phylloxera (in 1893) and, above al, frosts,  which almost completely destroyed the vineyard in 1957 and did much damage in 1985.  The name chablis’ has acquird common usage in the United  States and Australia as a generic term to describe any dry white wine of unspecified origin.  Within the European Union, it use is protected to refer only to  the wines of the specific Chablis region.

            Chablis, situated in the north of burgundy, is nearer to certain vineyards of the Loirei) Pouilly and Sancerre) than to Beaune. The vines are grown on billsides in poor. Shallow, chalky soil.  The Chardonnay vine, which is called beaunois (of Beaune) in the region, is today the only one authorized for the production of  AOC Chablis.  The work of the grower, already arduous on such a barren soil, is often ruined by May frosts, as the vineyard is particularly exposed.

            Chablis is a very dry white wine that can keep  well. Pale yellow in colour with glints of green, it is at the same time powerfuland delicate.  There are  in order of merit, four categories – Chablis grand cru, Chablis premier cru, Chablis, and petit Chablis – originating from different soils and grown under  conditions of varying exposure.

§  Seven Chablis grands crus are officially recognized: Vaudesir, Les Clos, Grenouiles, Les Preuses, Bougros, Valmur and Blanchots.

§  Chablis premiers crus, of which there are about 40, coem hom neighbrouing parishes situated on the banks of the River Serein.  Some well-known names  are Montmains, Vaillons, Beugnons, monte-de-Tonnerre and Fourchaume.

§  Chablis and petit chablis come from within the delimited AOC region.

CHAFING DISH a small  item of  portable-kitchen equipment consisting of a pan fitted over a surce of  heat, usualy a spirit lamp, but sometimes at butane gas burner or an electric elements.  Made of copper, stainless steel or silver plate, it is used to cook  dishes at table, such as fondues (when it forms part of tehfondue set ) or flambe dishes.

            It can  also serve as a hotplate, for keeping cooked dishes warm.

CHAI This term, meaning ‘wine store’, is mostly used in the Bordeaux region, where underground cellars cannot be excavated, to designate the place where the wines mature, in vat or cask. The maitre de  chai decides when to draw off the wine and bottle it.

CHAKCHOUKA A traditional Arabian and North African dish comprising  a ragout of potatoes and  onions, cooked in oil and seasoned with chilli peppers, harissa, and tomato sauce, over which eggs are broken; when the eggs are cooked, the dish is  sprinkled with dried  mint.  The potatoes may be  replaced by green peas, beans, a mixture of sweet peppers and tomatoes or couragettes (zucchini) and  aubegins (eggplants). Chakehouka is often garnished with grilled merguez or slices of dried meat.

CHALEUTH A desert jewish cusine, made from a mixture of breadcrumbs, finely sliced apples, eggs and sugar, flavoured with rum, raisins and cinnamon.  The dish is baked in an oiled  casserole and  served warm.  It is also prepared by cooking sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon, again in a casserole but between two pastry crusts, the  top being sprinkled with small pieces of fat.

CHALLAH Jewish loaf, pronounce  ‘Halah’ (the speeling that may be used in Arab countries).  Made from  white bread  dough enriched with eggs, and  sometimes flavoured with saffron, the  loaf is plaited and glazed with egg, then sprinkled with poppy or  seasame seeds.  Challah is served on the sabbath and  for festivals.

CHALLONNAISE, A LA A classic garnish, now rare used, instended to accompany poultry and calves sweetbreads. Named after the town of  chalon-sur-saone in France, it consists of cockscombs an dkidnesy, mushrooms and thin slices of  truffle in a supreme sauce.CHAMBARAND An unpasteurized soft cow’s-milk cheese (45 % fat) from Dauphine, lightly pressed and with a natural washed crust.   Created by the Trappists of the Abbey of Chambarand, it is asmal round, 8 cm (3 ½ in ) in diameter, weighing  165 g (5 ½ oz.).  smooth and light dochre in colour, it has a mild, creamy flavour.

CHAMBERTIN A famous  red Burgundy vineyard in the Cote-de Nuits which, together with Chambertin Clos de Beze, make up a 28 hectare (70 acre)  vineayrd.  The name s derive from the plot (clos) at  Gevrey, given in about Ad 630 to the monks of the Abbey of Beze.  The owner of the adjacent field, a man called Berlin copied the monks sucessful methods. The Pinot Noir is grown on a chalky soul tha also includes ferruginous marls.  There are a numer of grands crus sites that may put their  names before that of Chambertin – Charmes, Latricieres, Mazis, Griottes, Ruchottes and Chapelle. They  are al magnificetn wines and should  be served with  respect and in the context of the food.

RECIPES

Chambertin sauce

Peel and dice 2 carrots and 2 onions.  Soften them with 20 g (3/4 oz. 1 ½ tablespoons) buter in a shallow frying pan.  add a bouquet garni, 100 g (4 oz. 1 ¼ cups) chopped mushrooms (including stalks and peelings), half a chopped garlic clove, 250 g (9 oz with 500 ml (17 fl oz, 2 cups) Chambertin and cook for at least 20 minutes in a covered pan.  remove tehlid and reduce by a third. Pass through a conical strainer and bind with 1 tablespoon beurre manie.

Fillets of sole with chamberti

Season some fillets of sole with salt and peper and  fold them in two.  Buter an ovenproof casserole and line the bottom with finely diced carots, chopped onions, fresh crumbled thyme and a crushed by leaf. Add some choped mushrooms stalks; the caps wil serve for the garnish.  Arrange the fillets in the dish, dab them with knobs of butter and barely cover them with Chambertin.  Cover with the lid and bake in a preheated oven at 240°C (475°F, gas 9).  Remove  and drain the fillets, then  arange then in th serving dish; keep hot. Reduce the cooking liquid by one-third , pass through a conical strainer and bind the strained liquor with 1 tablespon beurre manie.  Coat the fillets with this sauce and garnish with sauteed mushroom caps and small glazed ddonions.

CHAMBOLLE-MUSGNY A parish in the Corde-Nuits in Burgundy, famous for the musigny and Bonnes Mare grnds crus vineyards among others. These covers about 24 hectares (59 acres). Other well known wines originating here, and combining their names with that of the parish, include premiers crus Les Amoureuses, Les Charmes, Les Combettes and Les Grands Murs.A very small quantity of white Chambolle- Musigny is made but is seldom found outside the region.

Chicken cooked in beer

Cut a 1.25 kg (2 ¾ lb) chicken into pieces and fry them in butter in a casserole until golden.Add 2 peeled, chopped shallots and fry lightly. Add  60 ml ( 2 ft oz. ¼ cup) Dutch gin and flambe it. Now  add 400 ml ( 14 ft oz. 1 ¾ cups) beer, 60 ml ( 2 ft oz. ¼ cup) crème fraiche, 1 bouquet garni, salt and little cayenne pepper.Cover and simmer.Clean and finely slice 250 g ( 9 oz) mushrooms and add the contents of the casserole.After 45 minutes of cooking, take the chicken pieces out of the casserole, drain and arrange on a s erving dish.Put aside in a warm place. Remove the bouquet garni, add 60 ml (2 ft oz. ¼ cu) crème fraiche and reduce by half. Mix a little of the sauce with an egg yolk and stir, then pour back into the casserole and beat vigorously. Pour the suace over the chicken and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

Chicken dauphinoise

Insert some slivers of truffle beneath the skin of a good  large Bresse chicken.Sprinkle with salt and pepper inside, then stuff with its own liver 100 g  (4 oz, ½ cup) foie, gras, both diced, mixed with a little chopped trufle.Truss the bird and put it in a pork bladder, sprinkle again with a little salt and pepper, add 3 tablespoons brandy and the same quantity of Madeira, then seal thebladder.

   Make some stock with the giblets, pour it into a flameproof casserole, add the chicken in th bladder and bring to the boil.Cook gently for 45 minutes.Remove the chicken from the pan, being careful not to pierce the bladder, untie it and drain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Remove the forcemeat from the chicken and press ti through a sieve. Cut the chicken inro joint arrange on a warm dish. Thicken the cooking liquid with the sieved forcemeat and serve separately in a sauceboat.

Chicken in a salt crust

In a bowl mix together  1 kg ( 2 ¼ 9 cups) plain ( all-purpose) flour, the same weight of coarse sea salt and 100 ml ( 4 ft oz. 7 tablespoons) cold water, Knead this dough and roll it out on a pastry board.Sprinkle the inside of a chicken with salt and pepper and insert a sprig of rosemary, a bay leaf, its own liver and the livers of 2 other chickens. Place the chicken on the dough, wrap it up and seal it, place on a baking sheet and cook in a preheated oven at 160 ^oC (325 ^oF, gas 3) for 1 ½ hours. Break off the hard salty crust and discard, remove the chicken and carve.Serve with a salad dressed with walnut oil.

Chicken Maryland

Cut the raw chicken into joints and dip the pieces into cold milk. Drain them, coat with floru and fry in butter until golden.Continue cooking over a very low heat, turning once, until cooked through. Meanwhile, place the carcass and giblets in a saucepan with garlic, onion, a little stock and some milk. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes, then strian the liquid and pour over the fried chicken pieces.Garnish with fried bacon rashers (slices) and serve with corn fritters or grilled (broiled) corn on the cob.

Chicken mireille

Heat 65 g (2 ½  oz. 5 tablespoons) butter in a sauce pan and gently cook a large Bresse chicken, cut into 8 pieces are firm, but not coloured, add 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) dry white wine and reduce until almost all the liquid has evaporated.Add 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) fresh morels, carefully cleaned, washed and patted dry, then 1 litre ( 1 ¾ pints 4 ½ cups) double  (heavy)cream cook gently for 35 minutes.

   Remove the pieces of chicken and the morels and arrange on a hot serving dish.Reduce the cooking liquid to 500 ml ( 17 ft oz. 2 cups) Thicken it with 1 egg yolk, whisking over the heat but  not allowing it to boil. Pour this sauce over the chicken.

Chicken petit-duc

Cook some morels and truffle slivers in butter. Saute a chicken a brun, then drain it and keep warm in a serving dish.Deglaze the pan in which the chicken was cooked with 3 tablespoons Madeira, reduce  and then mositen with 150 ml ( ¼ pint 2/3 cu) demi-glaze sauce.Garnish the chicken with the morels and truffles and pour the sauce over.

Chicken rosiere

Stuff a large roasting  chicken with panada forcemeat made with cream, truss and bard it then cook in white stock, like chicken with tarragon. Prepare separaely some slices of calves, sweetbreads cooked in white stock, and a mushroom puree. Untie the chicken, remove the barding fat, cut into joints and arrange in a round dish, surround by the calves, sweetbreads and the forcemat, cut into slices. Pour over all this a sauce made from the cooking liquid, strained and reduced.Serve the mushroom puree separately.

Chicken with artichokes

Saute a chicken a brun, adding some artichoke quarters ( blanched in salted water) halfway through the cooking period.Drain the chicken and its garnish, arrange in a serving dish and keep warmDeglaze the cooking pan with whie wine and stock, reduce, thicken with a little beurre manie and pour this sauce over the chicken and artichokes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Chicken with basil

Saute the chicken a brun.Drain it and arrange on a warm dish. Deglaze the cooking pan with 200 ml (7 ft oz ¾ cup) dry white wine.Add 1 tablepsoon chopped fresh basil and whisk in 50 g ( 2 oz. 4 tablespoons) butter. Pour this sauce over the chicken.

Chicken with ceps

Saute a chicken o brun in equal quantities of butter and oil. Three quarters of the way through the cooking time, add 300 g ( 11 oz 4 cups) ceps or other mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in oil, then  2 chopped shallots.Finish cooking Arrange the drained chicken and mushrooms in a serving dish.Deglaze the casserole with 100 ml ( 4 ft oz 7 tablespoons) white wine reduce, then pour it over the chicken and mushrooms. Sprinkle with chopped parsley A small crushed garlic clove can be added to the sauce.

Chicken with cream

Saute a chicken a blanc, drain it arrange on a serving dish and keep warm. Pour off the cooking fat from the pan, add 150 ml ( ¼ pint, 2/3 cup) dry cider and reduce until all the liquid has evaporated.Then mix in 200 ml ( 7 ft oz, ¾ cup) double (heavy) cream and reduce just enough to make the sauce very smooth, adjust the seasoning. Pour the sauce over the chicken and spirnkle with chopped parsley.The chicken can be flamed I n Calvados, or the cider can be replaced with white wine.

Chicken with oysters

Saute a chicken a blanc.Poach 12 oysters in their own liquid.Drain the cooked chicken and keep warm in a serving dish. Deglaze the cooking pan with 100 ml ( 4 ft oz 7 tablespoons) white wine and the liquid from the oystes, reduce by half and add 100 ml ( 4 ft oz. 7 tablepsoons) chicken veloute sauce.Add a squeeze of lemon j uice, then 40 g time. Arange the oysters around the chicken and pour the sauce over.

Chicken with plantains

Saute a chicken a brun in a flameproof casserole, when golden, add 1 large chopped onions, 5 peeled tomatoes and 250 g ( 9 oz) streaky bacon, cut into  pieces. Cook for 1 hour, occasionally adding a little cold water to prevent the fat from blackening season with salt and pepper.While the chicken is cooking cut 12 plantains in half and boil them in a  saucepan of water for 30 minutes. Drain them and palce in a casserole with the chicken, simmer for  a further 15 minutes.Serve very hot.

Chicken with rice a la bourbon

Fry a large roasting chicken with a little lard (shortnening) in a flameproof  casserole, until just golden.Add 1 finely chopped onion, 2 whole carrots, 1 tablespoon tomato puree (paste) and a bouquet  garni. Season with salt and peppr half, cover with stock and cook gently for 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours, according to the size of the bird.

  Blanch 250 g ( 9 oz 1 ¼ cups) rice for 5 minutes, then dran and cool. Add twice its voume of stock to the rice and cook until soft, but do not allow the grains to distintegrate (about 18 minutes) Pack into a greased ring mould and unould on to a round serving dish. Cut the chicken into pieces and arrange in the middle.Strain the chicken cooking liquid and pour it over the chicken.

Chicken with rice and supreme sauce

Truss a large chicken as for roasting and cook it in white stock, like chicken with tarragon, but for only 40 minutes.Blanch 250 g ( 9 oz. 1 ¼ cups) rice for 5 minutes, drain it, rinse it and drain once more. Drain the half cooked chicken, strain the stock, then return the chicken to the casserole, add the drained rice and the stock it should come to about 3 cm ( 1 ¼ in) above the rice. Add 25 g ( 1 oz 2 tablespoons) butter and continue cooking gently for 20 minutes.With the rest of the stock, make a supreme sauce. Place the chicken on a warm dish, pour over a little of the sauce and surround with rice.Serve the remaining sauce separately in a sauceboat.

Chicken with tarragon

Clean a large roasting chicken and put a bunch of tender tarragon sprigs inside it. Truss as for roasting, rub lightly with half a lemon and bard the breast and back with thin slices of rindless bacon. Place in a flameproof casserole and just cover with white stock, adding a small bunch of tarragon. Cover, bring quickly to the boil, then cook gently for about 1 hour (when prickled, the juice which comes out of the chicken should be clear).Drain the chicken, untie it and remove the barding fat and the tarragon leaves and put it in a warm place on a  serving dish.

  Thicken the cooking liquid with a little arrowroot or beurre manie strain it and add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon. Pour a little of this sauce over the chicken and serve the remainder in a sauceboat.

   Alternatively, the casserole can be deglazed with a glass of white wine and a little thickened and strained veal stock to which a handful of chopped tarragon elaves has been added.

Chicken with tarragon in aspic

Cook a large roasting chicken in white stock as in the recipe for chicken with tarragon. Drain it, untruss it and pat dry, leave it to cool, then place it in the refrigerator.

   Skim  the fat off the cooking liquid and strain it, then heat it, adding 20 g (3/4 oz. 3 envelopes) powdered gelatine completely dissolved in cold water. In a saucepan, whisk together 100 g ( 4 oz. ¾ cup) lean minced (ground) beef, 1 egg white and a handful of tarragon elaves, roughly chopped. Add the cooking liquid, whisking all the time, and bring to the boil.Simmer gently for 30 minutes, then strain the liquid, add 100 ml ( 4 ft oz. 7 tablespoons) Madeira and leve to cool.

Steamed stuffed chicken with ragout of brocoli

Peel 100 g ( 4 oz) carrots and 100 g ( 4 oz) turnips. Chop very finely and cook in boiling water.At the same time, cook separatley 100 g (4 oz) unpeeled courgettes. (zucchin) in boiling water making sure they remain firm.Drain thoroughy and dice.

   Braise 500 g (18 oz) calves, sweetbreads until bron and cut into small dice.Strain the braising juices and reduce to a quarter of their original quantity. Pour 100 ml ( 4 ft oz 7 tablespoons) of thie reduced juices on to thesweetbreads, finely chopped carrots, turnips and courgettes.

   Using a wide kitchen knife, flatten 4 chicken fillets between 2 pices of cling film (plastic wrap) Sprinkle  a little pepper on top, then put a small amount of sweetbread mixture in the centre. Roll individually into small cylinders and wrap in cling film.Stream for 20 minutes.

   Cook 575 g ( 1 ¼ lb) broccoli for a few minutes in boiling  salted water. Fry 1 finely chopped onion and 150 g ( 5 oz. 2/3 cup) lardons of smoked srreaky bacon in 20 g ( ¾ oz 1 ½ tablespoons) butter, until golden, then add the broccoli.Season with salt and pepper and keep warm. Unwrap the chicken filelts and cut them in half. Put 2 half chicken fillets on each plate and pour over the braising juice.Arrange the broccoli and the smoked bacon around the fillets.

Spring Chicken

 Frbilled spring chicken

 Prepare the spring chicken en crapoudine, Sprinke with salt and pepper, brush lightly with clarified butter on both sides and half roast it in a prehated oven at 240^oC (475^oF. gas 9) Mix 2 tablespoons msutard with a little cayenne and brush this over the chicken. Coat generously with fresh breadcrumbs and sprinkle with a little clarified butter.Finish cooking under the grill (broiler) on both, side Serve with gherkins (sweet dill pickles) lemon havles and devilled sauce.

Fried spring chicken

Cut a spring chicken into 6 pieces ( 2 wings, 2 legs and 2 pieces of breast) Mix 2 tablespoon oil with 1 tablespoon lemonn juice, some salt and pepper, a little cayenne, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, 1 tablespoon very finely chopped parsley and, if liked ½  teaspoon ground ginger. Mariinate the chicken pieces in this mixture for 30 minutes. Drain them coat in breadcrumbs, then deep fry  very hot oil ( 180^oC, 350^oF) When they are golden (13-15 minutes) drain on paper towels, sprinkle with the salt and serve with lemon quarters.

Spring chicken a la sicilienne

Boil some pasta shapes in salted water. Drian, reheat for a few minutes inv ery hot butter, then  mix with a pure of pistachio nuts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and leave to cool. Stuff the chickens with this mixture and truss them, then spit-roast basting frequently. Three-       uarters of the way through cooking,s prinkle with fresh breadcrumbs and allaow to colour.   Serve the cooking juices as a gravy separately.

CHICK PEAS  A bushy leguminous plant, cultivated in southern Europe for its rounded edible pealike seeds, which are enclosed in pds. The English name is  derived from the French chicke, from the Latin cicero is said to have been so nicknamed because of the pea shaped wart on the end of his nose. The plant originated in the Medierranean basin and the seeds may be sold dried or precooked in cans.

   Dried chick peas should always be soaked before cooking Canned chick peas are cooked and need draining, then rinsing. Used in purees, soups and stews, they feature in numerous dishes I the south of France and also in Spain and the Middle East olla podrida, puchero, hummnus and cocido.They are a traditional ingredient in sauces served with couscous and are used in various preparations with dried beans and even in salads.Chick peas and chick pea flour (besan) are also popular in Indian cooking.

RECIPES

Chicken peas a la catalane

Soak 500 g  (18 oz. 3 cups) chick peas in cold water for at least 12 hours, changing the water several times.Drain them and place in a pan with a carrot, an onion, 2 celery sticks and the white part of an onion, 2 celery sticks and the white part of a leek, all thinly sliced.Add a piece of smoke bacon weighing about 250 g ( 9 oz) and a bouquet garni and cover with 2 litres ( 3 ½ pints 9 cups) cold water. Bring to the boil, skim, add salt and pepper, reduce the heat and add 3-4 tablespoons oil.

  Simmer gently for 2-3 hours, depending on the quality of the chick peas. Then add a piece of  strong chorizo and cook for a further 30 mintues. Remove the bouquet garni, the bacon and the chorizo and drain the chick peas.Then put the chick peas into a saucepan together with 200 ml (7 ft oz. ¾ cup) tomato sauce spiced with garlic. Cut the chorizo into slices, the bacon and add them to the chick peas. Simmer for 15 minutes, pour into a  deep dish and serve piping hot.

Ragout of mutton with chick peas

Soak some chick peas in cold water for at least 12 hours, changing the water several times. Then place in a large pan of cold water allowing 2 litres (3 ½ pints, 9 cups) for every 500 g ( 18 oz, 3 cups) chick peas.Bring to the boil, skim add some salt and simmer gently for abourt 2  ½ hours. Drain.

Prepare a mutton ragout a la bonne femme, but add the chick peas (instead of potatoes) with the bacon. Cook for a further 30 minutes.

CHICORY (ENDIVE)  A winter vegetable with tightly bunched leaves that form a firm elongated heart. In about 1850, a peasant from the Brussels suburbs observed that wild chicory roots cultivated in warmth and shade grew elongated shoots with yellowish edible leaves. Later, a Belgian botanist  called Brezier improved the technique of etiolation to produce the modern chicory. It first appeared at Les Halles in paris in October 1879.

   The nomenclature of this vegertable is rather confusing it is called chicory in English and endive or Belgian endive in theUnited States (in England, endive is a curly leaved salad plant called chicory in America) For the sake of clarity, the English nomenclature is used in this article.

   Chicory is grown in northern France,Belgium (where it is called chicon or witloff and cooked au gratin, virtually a national dish) and the Netherlands, andis avaialble from October to May. Carefully cleaned and packed, and kept in the dark to prevents it from turning green the chicory should be firm, shiny, swollen and umblemished.

Chicory for coffee  Certain varieties of chicory in the north of France and in Belgium with large smooth roots are used as a substitute for coffee. These roots are dried, cut, roated and then ground to make an infusion. Chicory is produced commercially in the form of grounds, a soluble powder or as a liquid exrract. It gives a bitter and very dark coloured drink, which is often blended with breakfast coffee. Chicovery has been used as a substitute for coffee since 1769) first in Italy and then inGerman, It does not have the aroma or stimulating properties of coffee.

Trimming and preparation  Remove any damaged leaves, rinse the chicory quickly in water, dry and wipe.Avoid soaking it in water, because this makes it bitter. Hollow out a small cone about 2.5 cm ( 1 in) high from the base using a knife this is where the bitterness is concentrated.Never scald or blanch chicory.

  Chicory can be served raw in salads with vinaigrette and often with hard boiled (hard cooked) eggs and any of the various ingredients used in winter salads, including beetroot (red beets)  apples, nuts, cheese and orange or pgrapefruit quarters. For cooked dishes, chicory heads are braised and draiend, they can then be coated with bechamel sauce, sprinkled with noisette butter, served with gravy or with plain butter and herbs, topped with grated cheese and browned, or made into a puree. They can be served as an accompaniment to roasts and poultry. They can also be braised, make into a chiffonade or prepared as fritters, (especially when  served with fish). As a main dish, chicory is braised rolled in slices of ham and coated with a port and raisin sauce, or stuffed (with a fatty or lean stuffings) and browned on top.

 RECIPES

                                                                                    Braised chicory

Trim and wash 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) chicory and place in a  flameproof casserole with 25 g (1 oz. 2 tablespoons) butter, a pinch of salt, the juice of a quarter of a lemon, and 3 tablespoons water. Bring quickly to the boil without a lid, then leave to boil over a medium heat for 35 minute.

   The chicory can also be braised by cooking very gently in 50 g (2 oz. 4 tablespoons) butter, with a pinch of salt and a few drops of lemon juice, but without water, for 45 minutes.

Chicory a la Mornay

Braise some chicory heads, drain them, and add 300 ml (1/2 pint, 1 ¼ cups) Mornay sauce to the cooking juices. Coat an ovenproof dish with this sauce and put the chicory in the dish.Cover with more sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese and then lightly with melted butter, and brown in a preheated oven at 240 ^oC (475 ^oF, gas 9).

Chicory au gratin

Braise some chicory heads and drain them thoroughly.Arrange them in a gratin dish that has been buttered and sprinkled with grated cheese (Comte, Gruyere, Parmesan or even dried Edam).Sprinkle the chicory with more grated cheese and melted butter, then brown in a preheated oven at 240 ^oC (475 ^oF, gas 9)

Chicory fritots

Braise some chicory heads, keeping them fairly firm, then drain thoroughly and leave to cool.Cut them into quarters and steep for 1 hour in olive oil containing some lemon juice and pepepr. Drain, dip in batter and deep fry in very hot oil (180 ^oC, 350 ^oF. When  the fritters have turned golden, remove sprinkle with fine salt and serve with fried parsley.

Chicory puree

Braise some chocry until very soft, then rub through a sieve or use blender to obtain a puree. Butter or cream can be added 9reduce the cream a little first) as can white sauce use 300 ml ( ½ pint, 1 ¼ cups) sauce per 1 kg ( 2 ¼ lb) puree. The puree can be browned in a hot oven if desired.

Chicory salad a la flamande

Wash and wipe some fresh chicory. Separate the leaves and divide them in half, trimming if necessary. Wipe thoroughly. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Add some diced cooked beetroot (red beet) and garnish with peeled orange quarters. Season with a mustard vinaigrette and sprinkle with chopped hard boiled (hard-cooked) egg yolk and chopped chives.

Chicory with Ham

Braise some chicory heads. Prepare some very thick white sauce (enough for 2-4 tablespoons per head) and add 50 g (2 oz. ½  cup) grated Gruere cheese per 250 ml (8 ft oz. 1 cup) sauce.Drain the chicory heads, wrap each in a slice of Paris ham and arrange side by side in a buttered gratin dish. Cover with the hot white sauce, sprinkle with grated. Gruyere cheese and dot with butter.Brown in a  preheated oven at 240 ^oC(475 ^oF, gas 9).

Chicory with noisette butter

Braise some chicory heads, drain them and put them in a serving dish.Add 20 g (3/4 oz, 1 ½ tablespoon) butter to the cooking juices and reduce until they turn brown. Sprinkle the chicory with the noisette butter.

Scallop and chicory cassolettes

Cut 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) chicory into 1 cm (1/2 in) segments, wash, drain and sprinkle with lemon juice. Season with salt and sugar, and 2 tablespoon groundnut (peanut) oil and fry for 7-8 minutes in butter without covering the pan.Shell and trim some scallops, put them in a frying pan, season with salt, pepper and a little cayenne, and brown (3-4 minutes) keeping them fairly soft.Arrange them in consolettes on top of the chicory.Reduce 3 tablespoons port by two thirds, add the juice of a lemon and 50 g (2 oz. 4 tablespoons) butter cut into pieces, then whisk into an emulsion. Add a little lemon zest, pour over the scallops and serve.

CHIFFONNADE   A preparation of sorrel, chicory lettuce or other leaves, cut into even shreds or strips.Cutting en chiffonnade in the term for shredding, green leaves.The leaves may be cut very finely or into wider strips  as required for the recipe.A chiffornade may be softened in butter garnish moistened with stock, milk or cream and used as a garnish for soup. Lettuce chiffonnade may be used to garnish cold bors d’oeuvre.

RECIPES

Chiffonnade of chicory with cream

Wash and dry the chicory (endive) and remove the small bitter cone situated at the root.Cut the leaves into thin strips 1 cm (1/2 in) wide. Melt some butter in a shallow frying pan and add the chicory use 40-50 g (1 ½ -- 2 oz, 3-4 tablespoons) butte for  each 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) chicory.Stir and add ½  teaspoon sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and salt and pepper.Cover the pan and cook gently for 30-35 minutes. Stir in 100-150 ml (4-5 ft zo ½-3/4 cup) double (heavy0 cream and heat quickly Serve very hot.

Chiffonmade of cooked lettuce

Prepare in the same way as chiffonnade of raw lettuce. Melt some butter in a shallow frying pan and add the lettuce chiffonnade and some salt use 40 g (1 ½ oz. 3 tablespoons) butter per 500 g (18 oz.) lettuce leaves. Cook gently without a lid until all the vegetable juice from the lettuce has evaporated. Then add 2 tablespoons double (heavy0 cream and reheat.

Chiffonnade of raw lettuce

Wash and dry some lettuce leaves, discarding the coarser leaves. Roll up several leaves and cut each roll into very thin strips.Toss in vinaigrete if it is to be used as a garnish for meat, fish or cold shellfish. It may also be mixed with green walnuts., a jullienne of ham, meat or cold chicken and Emmental cheese, and then sprinkled with vinaigrette and chopped herbs.

CHILL  To cool an item of food, a drink or a dish quickly. Ice cream in chilled by surrounding it with crushed ice or by placing in  the freezer so that it sets. Jellies, cold mouses and terrines are chilled in the coldest part of the refrigerator prior to serving. When preparing some foods, such as certain forcemeats, the ingredients should be chilled when mixed by placing them in a bowl over crushed ice.

   Champagne is chilled by placing the bottle in a  bucket of crushed ice and water (never I the refrigerator) A cocktail is chilled by shaking it with ice in a cocktail shaker or pouring the mixture over crushed ice.

CHILLI  Related to the pepper (sweet or bell pepper) this is a hot fruit of the capsicum family generally referred to as a spice but, depending on type, also used as a vegetable. Native to South America, there is now  a vast array of different chillies, ranging . from mild varieties to extremely fiery examples, and a large number of types are found in Mexico and the West Indies.Some traditional West Indian varieties have colourful names, for example zozio pepper, meaning parrot’s tongue.Chinese lantern pepper and seven courts bouillons pepper.

   Portuguese and Spanish explorers itroduced chilli peppers to Asia, they were then taken to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Harissa, a chillli sauce used in North African cooking, is known particuarly as a  seasoning for couscous. Pickled chillies are often served whole in the Middle East. Several kinds of chillies are used in Indian cooking fresh or dried as chilli powder, and India is one of the world’s foremost chilli producers.Sichuan cuisne, in China makes use of small hot chillies many Indonesian and That dishes are also  spiced with small, hot chillies.

   In Europe, the cooking of Spain and Portugal includes mild and hot chillies, dried chillies feature in Italian dishes and fresh chillies are used in some regional Italian specialities.

  Chilli products include dried chillies, whole or crushed in flakes, chilli powder, of which there are different types, chilli sauces, chilli paste, and chilli oil (oil infused with chillies).

Mild and sweet to fiercely hot  One of the best known scales for grading the heat of chillies is the Scovilla heat scale, devised in the United States of America early in the last century and based on taste tests for detecting capsacin, the substance that gives the chillies their hot flavour.The score ranges from units for sweet peppers to 120,000 units or more for some of the very they Africa chillies. In terms of buying chillies for home use, most stores indicate whether they are mild, hot or very hot, it is a good idea to remember that some of the very small chillies are extremely hot. Small and dark green are usually good indicators of a hot flavour. There are of course, also large and/ or red varieties with a powderfull flavour.

   Individual taste also varies and those who are used to eating chillies do not notice the heat, so they require more for an intense flavour. Those who do not eat chillies often should take care when making authentic dishes from areas where chillies are widely authentic dishes from areas where chillies are widely used, such as Mexico and India, as the amount suggested may be far too hot for the unintimated palate. Try chillies and their products sparingly at first until acquainted with their flavour.

  Types of chillies.Chillies range in colour from pale creamy white through green, yellow, orange, red to black. They may be tiny or large and long, similar to long sweet peppers. As for all ingredients, as their international popularity has grown and their use become more varied, many plants, have been crossed to provide a broader range. The following examples give some indication of the choice, but there are literally hundreds used in cooking around the world.

  Preparing chillies Chillies may be used whole (then removed from the dish before serving for a mild flavour) or cut up. Large mild chilies can be stuffed or prepared in other ways as a  vegetable. The seeds inside chillies are extremely hot and should be removed unless a fiery result be required. Capsalcin is the alkaloid substance that give chillies their hot flavour it is also a severe irritant which can burn the skin, particularly delicate areas around the eyes and nails or any cuts. Capsacin in particularly concentrated in the white fibrous core and path, and the seeds. When rinsed under running water, hot chillies give off a pepper gas.  Always wash your hands thoroughly after preparing chillies and avoid touching your eyes, alternatively, use disposable plastic gloves to prepare chillies.

CHILI CON CARNE   A Mexican dish that is popular throughout the United States  it was a typical dish in the cookery of the pioneers of Texas. The name means literally chili peppers with meat, and the authentic dish is a ragout of minced (ground) or cubed beef cooked with thinly sliced onions and seasoned with chili peppers, powdered cumin and other spices. Red kidney beans are sometimes added during the cooking although purists object to them.

CHILLI POWDER  A hot spice prepared from ground dried red chillies and varying in intensity.The type of chillies are not usually specified and the spice is usually hot some products are labelled as hot chilli powder indicating that they are extremely hot.  Some types of chilli powder include other spices of ingredients, for example, chili powder or seasoning used for chilli con carne may be flavoured with cumin, garlic and oregano.

CHIMAY ALA  The name of various preparations dedicated to the Princes of Chimay (formerly0 Madame Tallien) who was a regular guest at the sumptuous dinners given by the Vicconte de Barras under the Directory Chicken a la chimay is a dish of lightly braised chicken stuffed with buttered noodles and foremeat, coated with gravy and served with noodles and buches of asparagus tips. Hard boiled  or soft boiled eggs a la chimay are prepared with mushrooms and cooked au gratin.

RECIPE

Hard boiled eggs a la Chimay

Cut some hard boiled (hard cooked) eggs in half lengthways and remove the yolks. Pound the yolks in a mortar with an equal amount of very dry mushroom duxelles.Fill the white with the mixture and arrange them in a buttered ovenproof dish. Coat with Mormay sauce and sprinkle with grated Gruyere cheese. Moistn with melted butter and bake for a few minutes in a preheated oven at  240 ^oC (475 ^oF gas 9)

CHINESE ARTICHOKE  A plant cultivated for its edible tubers. Originating in Japan, this delicate vegetable was brought to France by the agronomist Paileux and first cultivated in 1882 at Crosne. Chinese artichokes taste similar to Jerusalem artichokes, once cleaned and blanched, they may be fried, cooked slowly in butter or prepared like Jerusalem artichokes. The Chinese artichoke was a very popular exotic vegetable between 1890 and 1920, but since then its popularity has declined, despite its delicate flavour, because it dried out quickly and takes a long time to peel.

RECIPE

Preparation of Chinese artichokes

Instead of peeling with a vegetable peeler, place the Chinese artichokes in a strong linen cloth with a  handful of sea salt and shake them vigorously. Wash them and remove all the remaining skin. Alternatively they may be scrubbed and cooked in their skins. Blanch slightly in slated water, then cook them slowly in butter in a pan with the lid on, without letting them colour. Prepared in this way. Chinese artichokes may be served as a vegetable or as a garnish for roasts.They may also be dressed with cream, herbs or gravy.

CHINESE CABBAGE   Of the numerous varieties of Chinese cabbage, two are readily available in most supermarkets pak choi (bok choy) and pe-tsai Example of these are shown in the illustration of vegetables in the cabbage family accompanying the entry on Cabbage.

   Pak choi does not form a heart its  white and fleshy leaf stalks somewhat resemble celery sticks and it has bright green leaves. The elongated leaves have smooth edges and are 20-50 cm 08-20in) in long. Pak choi is stir-fried or added to soups and casserories.

   The popular Chinese cabbage or Chinese leaves known as pe-tsai, resembles a large cos lettuce, the heart reaches 40-50 cm (16-20 in) and its irregularly serrated leaves extend to the base of their stalks. It is eaten raw and finely shredded in salads poached or stir fried.

   In Chinese cookery, stir-fried or braised cabbage in often part of composite dishes of fish and shellfish, poultry or meat. The cabbage may also be used in mixed vegetable dishes or in vegetarian dishes or in vegetarian dishes . The leaves may be filled, folded into bundles or rolled and steamed. They are sometimes, used as scoops for eating finely cut, full flavoured cooked mixtures, such as minced poultry, pigeon or meat.

RECIPE

Chinese cabbage a la pekinoise

Remove  the outer leaves from a Chinese cabbage and slice the heart into 10 cm (4 in) strips. Cut some very thin slices of ham to the same length and finely slice 5 or 6 spring onions (scallions) and their stems. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a shallow frying pan, add the cabbage and brown for 2-3 minutes. Arrange the pieces of cabbage in a steaming basket, add the sliced onion and a little fine salt, and s team for 30 minutes. Then insert the slices of ham between the pieces of cabbage and steam for a  further 4-5 minutes. Serve the cabbage and ham together.

Sichuan style Chinese cabbage

Clean a Chinese cabbage and cut it into pieces about 3 cm (1 ¼ in) long. Wash, blanch, cool and drain. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a frying pan. Chop a large garlic clove and lightly brown it in the oil. Add the cabbage a little Sichuan pepper and some salt, stir well and leave to cook for 1 minute.Then add 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar and stir well for 1 minute. Adjust the seasoning and serve very hot.

CHNOIS   A conical strainer with a handle. There are various models the chonois with a metallic mesh is used for straining broths, sauces, fine creams, syrups and jellies, which need to be very smooth, the perforated tinplate chinois is used to strain thick sauces, which are pressed through with a pestle to remove the lumps.

CHINOIS CONFIT  The French name for a small bitter Chinese orange, macerated in several syrups of increasing concentration then drained and crystallized. The tree that  produces this fruit is native to China, but grows wild in Sicily. The chinois is usually green, as it is picked before it is ripe, when it is considered to be at its best for crystallization.

CHINON  A mainly red AOC wine pf the :pore/The are extremely over the left bank and to the banks of the Vienne, its tributary, around the ruins of the  castle where Joan of Arc came to find the Dauphin  and encouraged him to kick the English out of France. Later, Rabelais, whose family had a vineyard at the foot of the citadel, sang the praises of the wine of Chinon. He called it this good Breton wine that does not grow in Britanny, because chinon is made from the Cabernet Franc grape, known locally as the Breton.

  Fuller styles of Chinon with potential for long term ageing are produced mainly on the tuffeau limestone slopes of Cravant les Coteaux, while  lighter wines are produced from vines grown on the sandy, gravelly soils near the river.

CHINONAISE, ALA  In classic French cookery, a garnish for large joints of meat comprising potatoes sprinkled with chopped parsley and small balls of cabbage stuffed with sausagemeat and braised.

   In the region ofChinon, hare and lamprey, lightly browned in walnut oil, are also described as a la chinonaise.

CHIPOLATA  A small fresh sausage, about 2 cm ( ¾ in) in diameter, made with medium or coarsely chopped sausagemeat enclosed in a natural casing or a synthetic one. Chipolatas are eaten fried or grilled. The name comes from the Italian word cipolla and was originally  applied to a stew made with onions and small sausages.

CHIPOLATA, A LA  A garnish for game, braised poultry, meat or eggs consisting of braised chestnuts, glazed small onions, glazed carrots, sauteed mushrooms, blanced and lightly fried strips of bacon and fried chipolatas.The garnish may be bound with reduced Madeira sauce.

  In classic French cookery, the term describes a pudding based on pig’s kidney, forcemeat and small sausages.

RECIPE

Pudding a la chipolata

Stone (pit) 12 Agen prunes and steep for 1 hour in red wine. Brown a thinly sliced pig’s kidney a chopped veal. Flavour with mixed spice and salt.Cook 4 tablespoons large macaroni until al dente. Grease and flour a fine cloth. Mix the kidney, macaroni, forcemeat and prunes with 16 chipolatas and tie the mixture very tightly in the cloth. Poach for 1 hour in either a chicken broth or a very concentrated stock. Untie the pudding and serve hot with a charcutiere sauce.

CHIPS (FRENCH FRIES)  Fingers of potatoes, deep fried until crisp and golden outside, tender inside. Chips are thicker than French fires, which are cut in thin sticks. American potato chips are called crisps in Britain.

   Good chips are cooked in very hot, high quality oil or fat, drained when tender and very lightly browned, then fried very briefly a second time. This makes the chips crips and slightly puffy.

CHIQUE  A large bonbon made of cooked sugar filled with almonds and flavoured with mint, aniseed or lemon.Chiques from Montluycon and Allauch are famous.

CHIQUETER  A French culinary term, meaning to indent the edges of vol-au-vent cases, pies and cheese straws with a small knife. This helps them to swell during cooking and is decorative.

CHIROUBLES  One  of the Beaujolais regional wines smooth, light and fruity, this is possibly the one that is the most enjoyable when drunk young and cool.

CHIROUBLES  One of the Beaujolais regional wines smooth, light and fruity, this is possibly the one that is the most enjoyable when drunk young, and cool.

CHIVES  An aliaceous plant, related to the spring onion (scallions) that produces small elongated bulbs and clumps of tubular green leaves. The leaves are chopped and used for seasoning salads and omellettes.

CHIVRY  A flavoured butter containing herbs that may be used with cold hors d’oeuvre. It is also used  to flavour chivry sauces. The chivry sauce served with fish is made with a fish stock, while the sauce served with poached chicken or soft boiled  (soft cooked) or poached eggs is prepared with a chicken veloute.

RECIPES

Chicken a la chivry

Poach a chicken in a white stock. Slowly cook some green asparagus tips in butter and prepare some green peas a la franchise. Cook some artichoke hearts in a court bouillon and use half of them to garnish the asparagus tips and the other half to garnish the peas. Arrange the vegetables around the chicken and coat with chivry sauce.

Chivry butter

To prepare about 250 g (9 oz. 1 cup) butter use 150 g (5 oz. 2 cups) mixed parsley, tarragon, chervil, chives and, if possible, burnet, and 2 tablespoons chopped shallot. Blanch the mixture for 3 minutes in boiling water, drain, cool immediately in cold water and wipe dry. Chop very finely (or pound in a mortar) add 200 g (7 oz. ¾ cup) butter, season with salt and pepper and press through a fine sieve.

Chivry sauce for eggs and poultry

Put 100 ml (4 ft. oz. 7 tablespoons) dry white wine. 1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot and 1 tablespoon chopped chervil and tarragon in a small saucepan. Reduce  by half. Add 300 ml (1/2 pint, 1 ¼ cups) chicken veloute and reduce by a third. Finally add 2 tablespoons chivry butter and press, through a fine sieve.

Soft boiled or poached eggs a la chivry

Fry some round croutons and place a soft boiled (soft-cooked) or poached egg on each. Garnish with asparagus tips that have been slowly cooked in butter and coat with chivry sauce.

CHLODNIK  An iced soup of Polish origin, common to several Slavonic countries.The word literally means refreshment.The soup is made with sorrel beetroot (red beet) leaves and cucumber puree. It is sometimes thickened with wheat semolina, flavoured fenned and tarragon, and garnished with various ingredients, such as slices of hard boiled  eggs, crayfish and fresh diced cucumber.

CHOCOLATE  Essentially a mixture of cocoa and sugar, to which milk, honey, dried fruits or other products may be added.

   The first French chocolate factory was situated in Bayonne, where a guild of chocolate makers had existed since 1761. The city exported chocolate to Spain and Paris, and its trade calendar of 1822 quotes more than 20 prestigious firms.

  In 1778 the first bydraulic machine for crushing and mixing the chocolate paste appeared in France, and in 1819 Pelletier built the first factory to use steam. It ws at about this time that the famous family businesses were set up in Europe.Van Houten in the Netherlands (1815C.J. Van Houten discovered a method of solubilization in 1828  Cadbury and Rowntree in England and Suchard, Nestle, Lindt and Kohler in Switzerland.Docteur Peter, a Swiss, was responsible for the invention of milk chocolate in 1818.After 18850,  the chocolate industry was developed throughout the world.

   Chocolate is not only used in confectionery but is also an essential ingredient of numerous cakes, pastries and desserts.

   Soon after its introduction into France, the medical profession considered chocolate to be a panacea for fevers and chest or stomach illnesses. Cocoa was registered in the codex in 1758 and the confectioners of the 18^th and 19^th centuries gladly became apothecaries, chocolate was believed to have medicinal  chocolates were sold by Debauve  and others of his profession. These included pungatives, cough mixtures,  aids to digestion, aids to put on weight antispasmodies tonics and carminatives.The expression health chocolate, for the mixture containing only sugar and cocoa, remained common until the beginning of the 20^th century.

Chocolate products Apart from the wide variety of confectionery and chocolate snack products, there are also preparations intended for use in cooking.        

·         Cocoa powder. This is normally unsweetened. It is strongly flavoured and widely used in cooking, particularly in baking, as well as for flavouring drinks.

·         Drinking Chocolate  This is a mixture of sugar and cocoa.Its main use is for flavouring drinks. It is used in some baking recipes, but its sugar content makes it unsuitable as a direct substitute for cocoa powder its flavour is also milder.

·         Chocolate Flavoured Care covering. These are inexpensive products with a low cocoa butter content and containing a high proportion of vegetable fat. They are manufactured to melt easily and successfully, but they have an inferior flavour and are not recommended for use in good quality recipe.

·         Types of chocolate

·         Chocolate converture.  This is high quality plain or bitter chocolate for use in cooking and preparing confectionery. It  has a high cocoa butter content and is suitable for use in gataux, mousses and chocolate icing (frosting) or sauces.

·         Plain or Bitter Dessert Chocolate (semisweet or bittersweet) This is dark in colour and lightly sweetened. There are many types of different quality, some less sweet and more bitter  than others.

·         Mix Chocolate. This is sweeter and has milk solids added.Again, the types and quality vary.

·         White Chocolate.  This is available in varying qualities. It is made from sweetened pale cocoa butter.

The quality of chocolate  The quality of chocolate depends both on the quality of the raw materials and on the care taken at the different stages of manufacture roasting and crushing the cocoa beans and mixing the cocoa paste or mass with sugar and possibly milk.

     A good chocolate is shiny brown, breaks cleanly and is free of lumps, tiny burst bubbles and white specks. It melts on the tongue like butter, has a true flavour of chocolate rather than of cocoa and is neither greasy nor sticky.

   The cocoa butter content and price are indicators or quality. Inferior chocolate may contain a small proportion of cocoa butter and other vegetable fats.

   For cakes and desserts, it is best to choose a dessert chocolate with a high cocoa content, the flavour may be intensified by adding unsweetened cocoa . For coating decoration, icing or making fondants, chocolate converture is used.

Tempering   chocolate  This different fats in cocoa butter melt at different temperatures. To achieve a  smooth, glossy result some types of chocolate with a high cocoa butter content have to be tempered before use.  His involves heating and cooling  specific temperatures, then working the chocolate with a palette knife or spatula to ensure that the fats are thoroughly combined. Chocolate conventure has to be tempered before use.

Classic chocolate dishes.  The basis of chocolate cakes is often a sponge cake mixture,, a Genoese cake mixture or a meringue. Sachertorte, Doboschtorie and Black Forest galteau bear witness to the quality of chocolate patisserie in Germany andAustria. Italy is renowned for the traditional New Year’s Eve cake, the pan pepato of Ferrara a brioche flavored with cocoa, sweetened with honey, enriched with almonds and lemon zest, coated with chocolate and decorated with sweets and Sicilian cassata. In France, the great classics are theQueen of Sheba  theYule log, the dacquoise, marble cake paves and the various desserts that  are decorated with chocolate vermicelli or grated chocolate also be added to confectioner’s custards  and it may be mixed with butter and used as a filling, for example in eclairs and choux. It may also be used in the sauce that coats profiteroles, Belle-Helene fruits, puddings, brioches or iced desserts.

   Chocolate is a basic flavoring for ices, ices-cream desserts and cooked custards. It is also used in various charlottes, souffles and mouses.

  When making biscuits it may be used as a filling or a coating and in Viennese baking it is used to make small chocolate flavoured loaves.

  Chocolate is used extensively in confectionery for making a great variety of bouchees, truffles, chocolate and Eastern eggs.

   The use of chocolate in savoury cookery is less well known. Chocolate was commonly used by the Aztecs and one of the great dishes of Mexican cookery is still mole poblano de guajolote. In  1809, Baron Brisse suggested cooking scoter  with chocolate. In Spain, two dishes use bitter chocolate in a sauce, calves tongue and langouste, specialities of Aragon.Finally, inSicily, there is a popular recipe for jugged hare with chocolate.

RECIPES

Bacchus

Two days in advance, prepare some macerated raisins, wash 75g (3 oz. 2/3 cup) Californian raisins or sultanas (golden raisins) in lukewarm water changing the water several times.Soak for 4 minetes, then drain and place in a non stick saucepan. Cook gently, s tirring until the raisins are hot. Add a small liqueur glass of rum and flammable white rotating the saucepan. When the raisins have coloured slightly, remove from the heat, then transfer to a  dish. Cover and leave to macerate for 2 days.

   Make two meringue bases using 6 egg whites and 100 g (4 oz ¾ cup) icing (confectioner’s) sugar, whisked into a soft merinque. Fold in 100 g (4 oz. 1 cup) ground almonds and bake the mixture in  a  Swiss  roll tin (jelly roll pan ) Leave to cool in the  tin. Make a chocolate sponge cake base and whipped chocolate ganache. Prepare a syrup with equal quantities of water and granulated sugar flavoured with a little rum.

   Saturate the chocolate sponge with this syrup . Add two thirds of the raisins to the ganache. Assemble the cake, starting with a layer of the almond base, then add a layer of ganache with raisins, chocolate sponge, another layer of ganache and, finally a second layer of the almond base.Decorate the top with a few raisins. Glaze the whole cake with pouring ganache.Place in the refrigerator until set. Serve with creme anglaise and any remaining macerated raisins.

Chocolate cake

Separate 3 eggs.Add 125 g (4 ½ oz. ½ cup) aster (superfine) sugar to the yolks and beat until the mixture is pale, thick and foamy.

   Break 150 g (5 oz. 5 squares) bitter (bittersweet) chocolate into small pieces in a saucepan. Heat it gently with 4 tablespoons milk in a bain marie with the lid on.

  Blend 125 g (4 1/z oz.1/2 cup) softened butter with the chocolate, stir until it has melted and become smooth and then our the chocolate mixture into a  warm mixing bowl. Immediately add the egg yolk mixture and stir briskly. In a clean bowl, wisk the egg whites until stiff.Add 125 g (4 ½, oz. 1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour to the chocolate mixture and stir until combined. Then quickly fold in the whisked egg whites.

   Pour the mixture into a buttered mangue mould and bake in a preheated oven at 190 ^oC(375 ^oF, gas 5 ) for about 45 minutes.

   Meanwhile, prepare a caramel with 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Roll 10 walnuts in the caramel and set aside on oiled plate.

   When the cake is cooked, leave it to cool in its mould and prepare a chocolate icing (frosting) Turn out the cold cake on to a rack over a dish. Pour the icing over the cake and spread it over the top and sides with a palette knife. Decorate with the walnuts.

Chcolate Genosse sponge

Melt 65 g (2  ½ oz. 5 tablespoons) butter in a bain marie and use part of it to butter a Genoese mould.

   In a heartproof bowl, mix 75 g (3 oz. 6 tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar with an equal  quantity of cocoa and 4 eggs. Place over a saucepan of hot, not boiling water or in a bain marie, and whisk until the mixture is greatly increased in volume and thick.Remove from the heat or bain marie and continue to whisk until completely cool (the mixture should run off the whisk in a ribbon).

   Fold in 125 g (4 ½ oz. 1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour and the remaining melted butter. Pour into the mould and cook in a preheated oven at 180 ^oC (350 ^oF, gas 4 ) for 25 minutes.

   Turn the cake out on to a rack and leave it to cool. Cut the cake horizontally in half. Sandwich the layers of cake together with chocolate butter cream or whipped cream. The outside may be spread with cream and coated with toasted chopped almonds.

Chocolate ice cream

Beat g egg yolks and 200 g (7 oz. ¾ cup0 caster (superfine) sugar, together until pale and thick. Melt 250 g (9 oz. 1 ½ cups) grated bitter 9bittersweet) chocolate in a covered pan with 200 ml (7 ft. oz ¾ cup) water.Add  1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 ½ cups) boiling milk to the chocolate and stir well until the mixture is completely smooth. Pour the boiling chocoalte mixrure over the egg yolk mixture and cook over a very gentle heat until the custard coats the spoon. Immediately dip this saucepan in cold water  to prevent further cooking and continue to beat until the cream is lukewarm.Stir it occasionally until it is completely cold. Complete the ice cream in the usual way.

  For a richer ice cream, replace 200 ml (7 ft. oz. ¾ cup) of the milk with the same volume of double (heavy) cream, and use 10 egg yolks instead of 8.

Chocolate icing

Sift 100 g (4 oz. 1 cup) icing (confectioner’s) sugar Melt 125 g (4 ½ oz) bitter (bitterweet) chocolate in a bain marie, working it with a wooden spoon.Add the sifted icing, sugar, then 65 g (2 1/1 oz. 5 tablespoons) butter. When the mixture is completely smooth, add 40 g (1 ½  oz, 3  tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar and 1 tablespoon double (heavy) cream. Stir until smooth, then remove at once from the heat.

CHOCOLATE A hot or cold drink made by mixing chocolate or cocoa in water or milk, or  mixture of both.

   It was in the form of a drink that chocolate was discovered in Mexico and then introduced into Europe by the Spanish.The Aztecs prepared a  highly spiced beverage with cocoa beans that were roasted, pounded in a mortar and mixed and flavorued with pepper, chills, vanilla annatto and sometimes honey and dried flowers. The emperor Montezuma had zocoatl of different colours served in gold cups at the end of meals.The people also consumed large quantities of chocolate in the form of a thick paste, often thickened with comflour.

   The Jesuits were the first to improve this exotic product in order to make a profit from it. Chocolate, at this time was always prepared with water, but it was very sweet and flavoured with vanilla strengthened with ambergris and musk. Soon chocolate became fashionable among Spanish high society.

   In 1615, Ann of Austria introduced this novelty to the French court and her maids of honour circulated the recipes. Even under Louis XIV, who had little sympathy for his queen liking for his drink, chocolate was still regarded as a curiosity. It was in England that it became customary to prepare it with milk and even to add Madeira and beaten eggs. The Chruch did not consider that chocolate broke the fast (although doctors thought it more nourishing than beef and mutton) and the days of Lent became already sweetened. Society ladles had the drink served in church  during the sermons. The Marquise de Sevigne wrote.The day before yesterday. I took some chocolate to digest my dinner in order to sup well, and I took some yesterday evening so as to nourish myself well and he able to fast until  evening that is why I find it pleasant because it acts according to the purpose.

RECIPES

Foamy chocolate

For 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 ½ cups)milk, allow 200-250 g (7-9 oz. 7-9 squares) chocolate and 1 tablespoon vanilla floured sugar or a pinch of pwdered cinnamon.Brak the chocolate into the chocolate begins to soften, add the chosen flavouring together with a small cup of boiling milk. Beat the chocolate thoroughly with a whisk. Then gradually pour in the remaining milk.Warm over a  gentle heat, whisking at all the time to make the chocolate foamy. For   a richer drink. 100 ml (4 ft oz. 7 tablespoons) single (light) cream may be added. The vanilla or cinnamon may be replaced by 1 tablespoon instant coffee.

Ice chocolate

Prepare a foamy chocolate as in the recipe above, but reduce the quantity of chocolate to125-150 g (4 ½ -5 oz. 4 ½ -5 squares) and add 2-3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar.Allow the chocolate to cool completely and then put it in a blender, adding crushed ice. Serve immediately.

Viennese chocolate

Melt 200 g (7 oz. 7 squares) chocolate in a bain marie with a cup of milk.Stir, while letting it come to the boil slowly (about 10 minutes) Heat 750 ml (1 ¾ pint, 3 ¼ cups) milk with 1 tablespoon sugar. Pour it into a saucepan and whisk for 5 minutes. Make a Chantilly cream by whisking 5 tablespoons double (heavy0 cream with 2 tablespoons icing (confectioner’s) sugar and flavour with vanilla. Pour the chocolate into cups and top each with a dome of Chantilly cream

CHOCOLATE POT   A tall vessel for serving hot chocolate. It is often shaped like a truncatted come or like a jug, with a spout and a horizontal wooden handle. The chocolate pot has a lid pierced with a hole for a beater to pass through to make the chocolate foam. The pot may be made of sivler plated metal, solid silver, porcelain of earthware. The first models, which came from  Spain with Maria Theresa of Austria, appeared in France in the reign  of Louis XIV.

CHOCOLATES Confectionery made from Chocolate or covered   in chocolate. There are many different types of filled chocolate, the filling may consist of coloured and flavoured fondant cream , praline, almond paste, soft caramel, nougat, liqueur or liqueur soaked fruit. The chocolate coating is very liquid when hot and rich in cocoa butter. In the case of liqueurs, these are first poured into starch moulds to crystallize, the liqueur sweets are then removed from the starch and carefully brushed before being coated. Fruit, such as cherries in brandy, are first dipped in fondant and then coated in chocolate after about two weeks, the moisture from the cherry causes the fondant layer to liquefy, c producing a cherry liqueur.

   The coating for moulded chocolates is poured into moulds, which are immediately turned over, thereby emplying most of the chocolate and leaving only a  thin filn which forms the outside of the chocolate. The filling it then poured into the mould and allowed to set. Finally, the chocolates are sealed with chocolate coating which becomes the base.

CHOCOALTE TRUFFLE  Confectionery  made of chocolate melted with buttter or cream, sugar and sometimes eggs. The truffles are flavoured with brandy rum whisky, vanilla, cinnamon or coffee and shaped into balls, which are coated with chocolate or rolled in cocoa.

  Chocolate truffles, which keep only for a short time, are traditionally given at Christmas in France. They are a good accompaniment to coffee Muscadines are long truffles, dipped in chocolate, then sprinkled with icing (confectioner’s) sugar Chambery truffles, or truffettes, a speciality of the town, are made of praline mixed with chocolate, fondant icing and butter, then coated with cocoa and sugar or rolled in grated chocolate.

RECIPES

Chocolate truffles with butter

To make 20 truffles, melt in a bain marie 250 g (9 oz. 9 squares) bitter (bittersweet) chocolate with 1 tablespoon milk.When the mixture is very smooth, add 100 g (4 oz ½ cup) butter cut into small pieces and mix well. Blend in 2 egg yolks, then 3 tablespoons double (heavy) cream and 125 g (4 ½ oz. 1 cup) icing (confectioner’s) sugar. Leave in the refrigerator for 25 hours. Shape the truffles rapidly, spooning out the paste with a teaspoon and rolling it into walnut sized balls on a marble surface with the palm of the hand. Drop them one by one into a bowl containing 50 g (2 oz. ½ cup) unsweetened cocoa, twisting the bowl to coat the truffles with cocoa. Store in a cool place.

Chocolate truffles with cream

Melt 300 g (11 oz 11 swares0 bitter (bittersweet) chocolate and 75 g (3 oz. ¾ cup) pure cocoa with 120 ml (4 ½ ft. oz. ½ cup) strong coffee in a bain marie. Mix well Heat 250 ml (8 ft. oz. 1 cup) double  (heavy) cream and as soon as it starts to boil, mix with the chocolate paste.Remove from the heat and leave for a few hours in a cool place. Pipe into small balls on foil, leave in a cool place for 1 ½ hours then roll in pure cocoa.

Truffles to paprika

 Melt 150 g (5 oz, 5 squares) bitter (bittersweet) chocolate.Add 175 ml(6 ft oz. ¾ cups) boiling whipping cream and mix well. Leave to cool, Finely chop 40 g (1 ½ oz 3 tablespoons) prunes inArmagnac and incorporate into the paste.Shape into small balls and roll in a mixture of half unsweetened cocoa, half mild paprika.Store in a cold place.

CHOESELS  A speciality of Belgian cocokery consisting of a ragout made with various kinds of meat and offal (variety meats) especially beef pancreas simmered with onions and beer.

RECIPE

Choesels a la bruxelloise

Clean and blanch a choice calf’s sweetbread, cool it under a press and cut it into thin slices. Cut an oxtail into pieces. Clean a heifer’s kidney and cut it into pieces. Peel and finely slice 100 g(4 oz. 1 ½ cups) onions. Heat 100 g (4 oz. ½ cup) clarified beef dripping in a frying pan, add the pieces of oxtail and sweetbread, and brown gently for 45 minutes. Then add  1 kg (2 ¼ lb) breast of veal cut into even sized pieces, together with the thinly sliced onions.Brown again, still stirring for 30 minutes. Add the pieces of kidney. When they have stiffened, add 300 ml (1/2 pint 1 ¼ cups) lambic (begian beer)  a bouquet garni salt and a pinch of cayenne. Cook very gently for 30 minutes.Finally add a bottle of lambic and 500 ml (17 ft. oz. 2 cups) mishroom stock to the choesels.

CHOISEUL  A preparation of poached sole or fillets of sole coated with a white wine sauce containing a  julienne of blanched truffles.

CHOISY  Any of various preparations containing lettuce.The Choisy garnish for meat (tourmedos steak, veal chops or rib of veal) combines chateau potatoes with braised lettuce. Choisy omelette is filled with a creamed lettuce chiffomanade and surrounded by a thin border of cream sauce. Sole Choisy is poached, coated with while wine sauce and garnished with julienne of lettuce and mushrooms. Potage Choisy is a cream of lettuce soup.

CHOLENT  A  Jewish stew containing beans and kosher beef or chicken, traditionally prepared in a sealed pot and cooekd in ashes. The name is derived from the Helnew word for warm. Does

CHOP The technique of cutting food into very small pieces, using either a knife or a hand chopper or food processor. The resulting food is cut into small pieces, fairly even in size  and the texture varies from very coarse to very fine, depending on requirements. The French term bacbage can also describe food that has been chopped, although the more common French word is hacbis.

CHOP. Also known as a cutlet. A small cut of meat comprising a rib bone and the meat attached to it. The animal whose meat is sold by butchers normally have 13 pairs of ribs, commonly called ribs for beef, chops or cutlets in veal and lamb, chops to pork and cutlets or noisettes in stag or venson.

Beef – The rib with the bone in is a prime cut, for roasting in the oven or grilling. It is marked and full of flavour and can be of various thicknesses. The back ribs, which are cut into slices entrecote style, are somewhat finner in texture, when boned, they can be roasted in the same way as boned middle rib, whose flavour is very fine.

Mutton and lamb .  Best end of neck cutlets  cut from the loin with a long bone often decorated with a paper frill when serving) have lean flesh which forms a central nut surrounded by fat. The middle neck cutlets are more fatty, with meat which extends along the bone Loin chops (both Joints) do not have the long bone and the nut is joined to a band of meat with strips of fat in it, rolled up on itself.

  What the French call lamb chops are lamb cutlets cut across the best end (ribs) and comprising two cutlets joined together at the bone, but cut less thick than a single one.They are also known honeties d agmeau

Pork . Loin chops from the hind loin have lean and fairly dry meat. When cut from the foreloin, they are more fleshy wider and more tender. When taken from the spare rib they are more fatty Chinese spare ribs come from the belly and are often barbecued. In wild boar, both mature and young, the cutlets can be eaten marinated and fried.

Veal.  Prime and best and of neck cutlets (ribs) are lean and tender in the centre, more fatty at the edge, and can be fried or grilled, Middle neck cutlets which are firmer and more sinewy, are better fried . Loin chops are fairly wide, they are often stuffed and sometimes coated in breadcrumbs. The Parisian chop is a slice from the breast.

CHOPE  A large cylindrical goblet with a handle, used for drinking beer.  It appeared in France in about 1845, at the time when the great Paris brasseries were set up. The chope is made of stoneware, pottery, thick glass or sometimes power and may be fitted with a hinged lid.

CHOPSTICKS  Chopsticks are used as cooking and eating utensils in the Far East. They can be made of bamboo, lacqueured  wood, plastic, china or ebony and often bear simple designs or elaborate decoration. Chinese chopsticks are sometimes slightly larger than Japanese chopsticks, and the latter are tapered to pointed ends.

   In the same way as etiquette is applied to the use of knives and forks, there are correct and polite methods of handling chopsticks.They must not be sucked (since they are considered to be an extension of the fingers) and the tips should be at the same level, the ends, however must never be stood on the table in order to bring them together.According to Chinese etiquette, they must be held in the middle. If they are held too high, it is considered a sign of arrogance, too low means lack of elegance. In Japan, however the higher they are held the better. Etiquette also dictates the ways in which chopstocks should be laid on the table and set aside  during or at the end of a meal.

   Chopsticks used in food preparation and cooking are larger and longer. Especially long ones are used for rearranging and mixing food during cooking, for example, when stir frying..

CHOP SUEY  A popular Chinese style dish invented at the end of the 19 century in the Untied States very immigrant Chinese cooks for heir American customers. It consists of a mixture of Oriental vegetables, particularly  bean sprouts, sometimes accompanied by seafood or meat (such as chicken or pork)

RECIPES

Chopsuey

Prepare a julienne of young vegetables in season, such as carrot, turnip, leek, onion, peppers and courgettes (zucchini) Place them in a shallow frying pan with some oil 2 tablespoons for 500 g (18 oz, 4 ½ cups) vegetables. Stir well, and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.During the cooking time, cut some spring onions (scallions) into small sticks. Pick over and rinse some bean sprouts and drains. Chop finely 1 small garlic clove and dice some peeled and seeded tomatoes. Add the bean sprouts to the pan, mix well and stir fry for 1 minute. Finally add the tomato, onion, garlic, pepper and 2 tablespoons soy sauce to 500 g (18 oz 4 ¼ cups) vegetables with a little salt if necessary. Mix and serve hot. This mixture may also be seasoned with  1 teaspoon sesame oil.

CHORBA  A thick Arabic soup, made from pieces of lamb’s tail and lambs cutlets sauteed in oil with onions and tomatoes to which coungrettes garlic thyme and bay leaves are added. This is covered with water, finished off with whole haricot beans or chick peas, and seasoned with red pepper, black pepper and saffron. Before the soap is served, macaroni or vermicelli and dried fruit is added. Similar dishes are found in the cooking of the Balkans, with the Yugoslav corbat and the Romanian or Bulgarian etobed.

CHORIZO  Spanish sausage flavoured with  red peppers available as two main types. The cooking variety is spain’s main pork sausage and it may be smoked or plain, varying according to focal recipes, but red in appearance and yielding bright coloured juices flavoured with garlic during cooking. Sausages tied with red string are hotter than those with ordinary string.

   The second type of chorizo is the cured sausage larger than the cooking sausage, this pava appear is sliced and eaten as a tapa, served uncooked on bread.

CHORON  A French cook from Caen who became chef de cuisine of the famous Voisin restaurant. He invented a hot emulsified sauce to serve with grilled fish, tournedos steaks and soft boiled or practiced eggs, and also a garnish for sauteed meat consisting of noisette potatoes with artichoke heart filled with either green peas or asparagus tips in butter. During the siege of 1870, Choron served several dishes at Voisin based on elephant including elephant’s trunk in chasseur sauce and elephant bourguignon.

RECIPE

Choron sauce

Dilute 200 mll (7 ft. oz. ¾ cup) bearnaise sauce with 2 tablespoons tepid tomato puree which ahs been well reduced and sieved. It is essential to use a very concentrated puree.

CHOU  A small sweet or savoury bun, made from choux paste, eaten cold, often filled with a cream or garnish. In patisserie, choux are often used to make croquemboucbes or are filled or iced to make profiteroles,. Savoury choux, filled with savoury mixtures, such as shellfish, vegetables, cream cheese and foie gras, are served as hors d’oeuvre.

CHOULEND  A kind of Jewish ragout made with braised beef. Since the rules of the Sabbath forbid fires being lit from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. The prolonged slow cooking gives these dishes a remarkable flavour.

CHOUQUETTE  A small unfilled chou bun sprinkled with a little granulated sugar. Made from ordinarily choux paste, chouquettes are sold at baker’s and confectioner’s shops.

CHOUX PASTE Although it is often referred to as choux pastry, choux is completely different from other types of pastry such as short crust, flaky puff, filo and so on. The mixture is based on a paste of flour and water, enriched with butter, then lightened with egg and by thorough beating. When cooked, the paste rises to form a crisp shell with a thin moist lining of cooked paste and a hollow centre. The paste can be baked to make small or large buns  or rings. It can also be deep fried.

   The first stage in making the paste is to heat the liquid and butter until the butter melts. This should be done slowly at first, without allowing the liquid to boil. When the butter has melted bring the mixture to the boil as quickly as possible. Add the sifted plain flour immediately and all at once, and remove the pan from the heat. Stir the mixture until it forms a smooth thick paste that comes away from the side of the pan in a soft ball. If the mixture is too thin, cook it briefly until thickened. Do not beat the paste at this stage or the fat will separate out slightly, making it oily. Leave the paste to cool slightly, then gradually mix in beaten eggs and beat until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

   Flavouring ingredients, such as grated cheese, herbs, spring onions, a little sugar or vanilla, can be added to the paste. To make fritters or beignets, chopped or diced ingredients, such as vegetables or fruit, can be added.

   Use a piping bag or spoon to shape the paste.Bake the paste at a high temperature first, so that is rises well, then reduce the temperature to allow the shell to cook. When cooked, the choux paste should be browned and crisp outside, hollow and moist inside. To prevent the cooked paste from softening.

Slit  it as soon as it is removed from the oven to allow steam to escape.

   Uncooked choux paste freezes well. Shape and open freeze the mixture, then pack the pieces in polythene bags when firm. Cook from frozen, allowing slightly longer. Unfilled cooked paste also freezes well, but it tends to soften, so should be placed in a hot oven for 1-2 minutes to crisp up before any filling is added.

RECIPES

Choux paste

To make about 40 small buns. 20 larger buns or eclairs, measure 250 ml (8 ft. oz, `1 cup) water or milk and water (in equal proportions) into a saucepan. Add a large pinch of salt and 65 g (2 ½ oz, 5 tablespoons) butter cut into small pieces. Add 2 teaspoons) butter cut into small pieces. Add 2 teaspoons caster (superfine) sugar for sweet choux. Heat gently until the butter melts, then bring to the boil. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, take the pan off the heat, add 125 g (4 ½ oz, 1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour all at once and mix quickly. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook the paste until is thickens, stirring it takes about 1 minute for the paste to leave the sides of the saucepan. Do not overcook the mixture or beat it vigorously as this  will make it greasy or oily. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Beat in 2 eggs, then 2 more eggs, one after the other, continuing to beat hard until a smooth glossy paste is obtained. Use as required.

Making choux buns or fingers

Transfer the pastry to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle, 1 cm (1/2 in) in diameter, and pipe small balls, 4-5 cm ( 1 ½ -2 in) in diameter, on to a lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them out so they do not stick to each other as they swell during cooking. Alternatively pipe the paste into larger buns or fingers to make eclairs.

  Bake choux pastries ina preheated oven at 220^oC (425 ^oF, gas 4) and continue to cook, allowing a further 10 minutes for small buns or  up to 25 minutes for large puffs.Transfer cooked choux pastries to a wire rack to cool and split them immediately to allow steam to escape, so that they stay crisp outside, but slightly moist on the inside.

Savoury Choux

Cheese puffs

Prepare a bechamel sauce using 25 g (1 oz. 2 tablespoons) butter, 25 g (1 ox, ¼ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour and 300 ml. ( ½  pint 1 ¼  cups) milk. Add 75 g (3 oz. ¾ cup) grated Gruyere or Cheddar cheese, or 50 g ( 2oz. ½ cup) Parmesan, a little grated nutmeg, salt and pepper . Leave to cool until lukewarm. Fill the split choux buns or finger with this mixture. Cover with foil and reheat gently in a preheated oven at 160 ^oC (325 ^oF, gas 3) As an alternative, the quantity of cheese may be reduced by half and 75 g (3 oz. ¾ cup) finely diced ham added.

Choux a la nantua

Fill some small cooled choux buns or fingers with cold crayfish mouse. Keep hem cool. They can be served with a hot natua sauce if desired.

Green vegetable puffs

Fill some small cooled choux buns or fingers with a thick puree of green peas, French beans and asparagus tips, bound with cream.

Sweet Choux

Almond choux fritters

To make about 20 fritters, use 500g  (18 oz) choux paste and 100 g (4 oz. 1 cup) shredded almonds. Scatter the almonds over a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 220 ^oC (425 ^oF, gas 7) until golden.Mix these almonds with the choux paste.In a deep pan, heat some oil to 175 ^oC (345 ^oF) Drop teaspoonfuls of paste into the oil to make the fritters, which turn over by themselves in the oil when they are cooked (about 6 minutes) Cook them in batches of 10. Drain the fritters on paper towels and serve them hot, sprinkled with plenty of icing (confectioner’s) sugar. They may be accompanied with a fruit sauce, such as apricot, cherry or raspherry.

Apple cream puffs

Fill some choux with a well blended mixture of thick apple puree and a third of its weight of confectioner’s custard flavoured with Calvados.Dust the choux generously with icing (confectioner’s) sugar.

Chantilly cream puffs

These are made to resemble swans. Prepare some choux paste, using the quantities in the basic recipe, and place it in a piping bag fitted with a plain 1.5 cm (3/8 in) diameter nozzle. On to a lightly oiled baking sheet, pipe 10 oval-shaped buns, each about the size of a soupspoon. Now replace the nozzle with one 4-5 mm (about ¼ in) in diameter and pipe 10 ‘S’ shapes, 5-6 cm (2-2 ½ in) long on to the sheet. Cook the S shapes, which will be the swans necks. Following the basic recipe, allowing about 15 minutes for the S shape once the temperature is  reduced and 20-25 minutes for the buns.

   During this time, prepare this Chantilly cream, using 400 ml (14 ft oz. 1 ¾  cups) very cold double (heavy) cream, 100 ml (4 ft oz. 7 tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar. Place the cream, milk and vanilla sugar in a  chilled bowl and begin to whip. When the cream starts to thicken, add the caster sugar while continuing to whip. Place the cream in cool place.

   Split and cool the buns. Then cut the top off each bun and cut the tops in half lengthways, they will form the swans wings.Fit the piping bag with a large diameter fluted nozzle, fill the bag with the Chantilly cream and fill the buns with it, forming a dome on each. Place a neck at one end of each bun and stick the wings into the cream on either side. Dust generously with icing (confectioner’s) sugar.

Cherry cream puffs

Prepare some confecitoner’s custard, flavour it with kirsch and add some stoned (pitted) well-drained cherries in syrup. Separately prepare some white fondant icing (frosting) flavoured with kirsch. Fill and decorate the choux as for coffee cream puffs.

Chilboust coffee cream puffs

Prepare enough choux paste for 12  puffs. Using a piping bag, pipe the paste into balls on a buttered baking sheet and sprinkle with shredded almonds.Cook them, leave to cool, then fill with Chiboust cream flavoured with coffee. Cool before serving so that the cream becomes firm.

Chocolate cream puffs

Prepare some confectioner’s custard and flavour it will melted chocolate. Separately prepare some chocolate fondant icing (frosting) using 200 g (7 oz. ¾ cup) fondant icing and 50 g (2 oz. ½ cup) cocoa blended with 2 tablespoons water.Fill and decorate the choux as in the recipe for coffee choux.

Coffee cream puffs

Fill some cooked choux with confectioner’s custard flavorued with coffee essence (strong black coffee) Prepare 200 g (7 oz. ¾ cup) fondant icing (frosting), flavour it with coffee essence (or instant coffee made  up with 2 tablespoons of water) and heat until it is runny. Ice the tops of the puffs with the fondant and leave to cool completely.

Pastry cream puffs

Prepare 12 choux and fill them with confecitoner’s custard made using 250 m (8 ft. oz. 1 cup) milk, 3 egg yolks, 50 g (2 oz. ¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar, 100 g (4 oz. 1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour. Flavour the custard to taste. The filled puffs may be dusted with icing (confectioner’s) sugar or iced with fondant and, if desired, decorated with crystallized (candied) fruits.

Pastry cream puffs with grapes

Prepare some confecitoner’s custard, flavour it slightly with marc brandy and add some fresh grapes with the skins and seeds removed.Fill some choux with the custard and sprinkle them generously with icing (confectioner’s) sugar.

CHRISTMAS  The feast of the Nativity of Christ, some of whose customs and celebrations are taken from the pagan festival of the same date, which is officially replaced in AD 336.

  Prominent among the festivities  is the distribution of gifts, a custom often associated with one of the great figures of popular myth- St. Martin in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, St. Nicholas in the north and east of France, and Father Christmas.An ancient custom in many regions of France is for god parents to give their godchildren  a cake in the shape of puppet, a swaddled infant or perhaps jut a spandle. In Ardeche this cake is known as Pere Janvier. In northern France it is called cougnou (cugnot or cougnant, hersthbroden in Flemish) and consists of a brioche cake decorated with raisins and sprinkled with icing sugar. In Berry the cake is called naulet.

   The custom of the village children going from house to house on Christmas Eve is a very ancient one. Good wishes and Christmas carols brought their reward, traditionally food bacon, eggs, flour, sweet candies, dried fruit and cakes. In Burgundy the cornette, a cornet shaped wafer made from cornmeal, has given its name to the annual round of visits. In Touraine, children are given the guillaumeu, a long cake split at both ends, specially made for the event.

The Christmas meal.  The main celebration of Christmas centres on a special meal, although what is eaten varies from country to country. In France the traditional Christmas meal was the reveillon, a  super eaten on Christmas morning, immediately on returning from Midnight mass. The word comes from reveiller, meaning to begin a new watch  after Midnight Mass.The length of the three low masses and the time taken to walk to church and back used to justify a substantial meal eaten in the early hours of Christmas morning.

   Virtually throughout France, roast turkey with chestnuts has become the classic Christmas dish. In former times, different region of France had their own specialities, a daube  in Armagnac, sauerkraut and goose liver inAlsace, aligot in  Auvergne, black pudding (blood sausage) in Nivernais and goose in south western France. In the southeast, a large supper was eaten before Mass, consisting of cauliflower and salt cod with raito, or perhaps snails, grey mullet with olives or omelllette with artichokes and fresh pasta.

   In Germany carp is the traditional Christmas dish, and in some region carp are still fattened for Christmas form August onwards. However, the main dish today is more likely to be goose, turkey, venison,  wild  boar, a roast or even veal schnized.Some traditional foods are always eaten, particularly apples, walnuts and almonds.

   In Sweden, a centuries old tradition at Christmas was marinated ling served in a white sauce with butter, potatoes, mustard and black pepper. This has been replaced by a new favorite dish, roast goose stuffed with apples and prunes and garnished with red cabbage, caramelized potatoes and cranberry sauce, dessert may be rice porridge or rice with almonds covered with cherry compote. In Norway, large roast pork chops are served with saucerkraut flavoured with cumun, while the Finns cook a ham in a rye flour pastry case. All scandinavian countries celebrate Christmas with a sumptuous smorgasbord.

CHRISTMAS CAKE  A fruit cake traditionally eaten in Britain over the Christmas period. Rich in dried fruits, almonds, spices and usually alcohol. After baking, the top and sides are spread with apricot jam, covered with a thin layer of almond paste, then         coated with icing (frosting) and decorated Glace (candied) cherries and springs of holly can provide a simple seasonal finishing touch.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING  A British steamed fruit pudding traditionally served at Christmas `and also known as plum pudding. Containing suet, breadcrumbs, flour and a high proportion of dried fruit, it is boiled or steamed for several hours and served flambeed with rum or brandy. It improves with keeping and can be stored for up to a year.

This  pudding has a long recorded history. It was first made  as a Christmas Eve dish of frumenty, with hulled wheat and milk. By the early medieval period, it was made with meat broth thickened with oatmeal and flavoured with eggs, currants, dried plums and spices such as mace and giner, it had become plum portridge. Elizabethans changed the oats to breadcrumbs and added suet, ale or wine.The big change came with the invention of the floured cloth for boiling puddings. By 1675, it became a round cannonball shape, and remained so for 250 years.The Victorians replaced the dried plums with raisins, currants and peel. Basin puddings were introduced well into the 20^th century.

  Charles Dickens, in A Christmas Carol, alluded to this distinctive pudding to which the English remain greatly attached. Oh All that steam The pudding had just been taken out of the cauldron. Oh. That smell. The same as the one which prevailed on washing day. It is that of the cloth which wraps the pudding. Now, one would imagine oneself in a restaurant and in a confecitoner’s at the same time, with a laundry next door. Thirty seconds later Mrs.Cratchit entered, her face crimson, but smilling proudly, with the pudding resembling a cannon ball, all  speckled, very firm, sprinkled with brandy in flames and decorated with a sprig of holly stuck in the centre. Oh.! The marcellous pudding.

RECIPE

Christmas pudding

 Finely chop 500 g (18 oz, 3 ½ cups) suet.Wash and dry 500 g (18 oz. 3 cups) seedless raisins, the same amount of sultanas (golden raisins) and 250g (9 oz.1 ½  cups) currants.Finely chop 250 g (9 oz. 1 ½ cups) candied peel or 125 g (4 ½ oz. ¾  cup) orange peel and 125 g (4 ½ oz. 1 /2 cup) orange peel and 125 g (4 ½ oz ½ cup) glace (candied) cherries. 125 g (4 ½ oz 1 cup) blanched almonds and the zest of  2 lemons. Mix all the ingredient together with 500 g (18 oz. 9 cups) fresh breadcrumbs. 125 g (4 ½ oz 1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour,  1 tablespoon mixed spice the same amount of cinnamon, half a nutmeg (grated) and a pinch of salt. Add 300 mll (1/2 pint, 1 ¼ cups) milk and, one by one 7 or 8 beaten eggs. Next, add 300ml (1/2 pint 1 ¼ cups) rum ( or brandy) and the juice of 2 lemons. Mix everything together thoroughly to obtain a smooth paste.

  Wrap the mixture in floured cloths, shaping the portions into balls, or spoon into a greased pudding basin (heatproof mould) Steam or boil.

  Keep the pudding in its cloth or basin for at least 3 weeks, in a cool place.Before serving steam the pudding for 2 hours, then turn it out, sprinkle it with rum or brandy and serve it blambeed, decorated with a sprig of holly.

  

CHRISTMAS YULE LOG  A log shaped cake, traditionally prepared for the Christmas festivities. It is usually made of rectangular slices of Genoese is usually made of rectangular slices of Genoese sponge spread with butter cream and placed one on top of the other, and then shaped into log, it is coated with chocolate butter cream, applied with a piping bag to simulate bark. The cake is decorated with holly leaves made from almond paste, meringue mushrooms and small figures. A Swiss roll (jelly roll) may be used instead of sliced Genoese cake. There are also ice cream logs, some made entirely of different flavoured ice creams and some with the inside made of parfait or a bombe mixture.

    The cake is a fairly recent creation of the Parisian pastrycooks, inspired by the real logs which used to be burned in the health throughout Christmas Eve. Before then, the cakes of the season were generally brioches or fruit loaves.

RECIPES

Chestnut log

Line 2 shallow square cake tins (pans) measuring about 23 cm (9 in) square with squares of greaseproof (wax0 paper.Prepare a Genoese cake mixture using 125 g (4 ½ oz. 1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour. 4 eggs and 125 g  (4 ½ oz ½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar. Spread the mixture in the buttered lined tins with a moistened metal spatula, leaving a gap of 2 cm (3/4 in) between the mixture and the top of the tin. Put straight into a preheated oven at about 180 ^oC(350 ^oF, gas 4) and bake for 25-30 minutes.Take the tins out of the oven, turn over on to a cloth and immediately remove the paper from the bottom of the cakes.Cover with another cloth and allow to cool.

  Prepare 200 ml (7 ft oz. ¾ cup) sugar syrup by boiling 100 g (4 oz. ½ cup) granulated sugar with 100 ml (4 ft oz. 7 tablespoons) water and flavour it with run or vanilla. To prepare the chestnut mixture, soften 225 g (8 oz, 1 cup) butter with spatula and add 450 g (1 lb. 2 cups) chestnut cream and if, desired, 2 tablespoons rum. Beat the mixture for 6-8 minutes until light and flutty, then divide into 2  portions. Soak the 2 squares of cake in the cooled sugar syrup and spread each with half the chestnut mixture. Place the 2 squares of cake facing each other and roll the first one up tightly, then wrap the second one over the first. Cut both ends off diagonally and stick these to the top of the log to represent knots in the wood. Place the cake in the refrigerator  for 1 hour. Soften the remaining cream again and cover the entire log with it. Mark with the progs of a fork to imitate the bark. Decorate with 8 marrons glaces, put back in the refrigerator and dust with icing )confectioner’s) sugar just before serving.

Chocolate log

Prepare Genoese cakes as for the chestnut log. To prepare the syrup, boil 100ml (4 ft. oz, 7 tablespoons) water and 100 g(4 oz, ½ cup) granulated sugar in a small saucepan allow to cool, then add 2 tablespoons rum. Finally, prepare a chocolate flavoured butter cream using 400 g (14 oz 1 ¾ cups) butter. Using a pastry brush, cover the 2 cakes with rum syrup, coat with three quarters of the cream and roll up as for the chestnut log. Completely cove the log with the remaining cream and make uneven furrows along it with a fork. Decorate with small sugar or meringue shapes and store in a cool palce until required for serving.

CHRYSANTHEMUM  The petals are used in Japan,  China and Vietnam for adding to salads. Their taste is similar to that of cress.

CHTCHI Also known as tschy or stschy.A thick Russian soup, based on braised saucerkraut cooked in a thickned stock, to which are added pieces of blanched brisket of beef, poached duck or chicken, salted bacon and smoked sausages. Chtchi is served in a soup tureen with smetana  and fenned or chopped parsley. Chtchi is also prepared with green vegetables.

CHUB   A freshwater fish 30-50 cm (12-20 in) long with a greenish brown back and silvery belly.Several species are known the common chub has a big round head, others have angular heads. All have quite soft flesh but are full of bones, they are therefore kept for fish stews (except for the smallest ones, which are sometimes eaten fried)

CHUCK  A lean boneless cut of beef from the shoudler, also known as blade.This traditional cut for casseroles and stews is gelatinuous and best braised slowly in dishes such as carbonade, daube or beef a la mode. The name macreuse is used for a type of wild duck whose flesh could formerly be eaten during Lent.

CHUFA   Also known as tiger nut or earth almond, this is a small vegetable tuber from a plant in the sedge family. The outside is brown and slightly wrinkled, the flesh white and crisp, with a slightly sweet, nutty flavour. It can be eaten raw or cooked.

CHUMP END (LOIN)  A joint of lamb, mutton or venision lying between the leg (gigot) and loin. It may be tied up, boned and stuffed before roasting or cut into succulent chops for grilling (broiling)

  The French equivalent settle, means saddle, but it should not be confused with the English saddle of meat, which consists of the two joined loins. The two legs, chump end and saddle together, make an elegant banqueting dish called a baron.

   The chump is a prime piece of meat, which inspired Monselet to write.

RECIPES

Chumb end of Lamb Belle Otero

Bone a chump end of lamb weighing 2.25 kg (5 lb) Make a stock with 250 g (9 oz. 1 ½ cups) finely diced trimmings browned in butter with the bones, a carrot and a medium sized onion (cut up into small pieces), and season with salt and pepper. After browning add 100 ml (4 ft oz. 7 tablespoons) white wine.Reduce, then add 300 ml (1/2 pint, 1 ¼ cups) stock simmer for 1 hour, then pass through a fine strainer.

  Prepare the forcemeat. Finely dice an onion, a celery stick and a carrot, and cook gently in a knob butter. Add 200 g (4 oz) whole truffles, and then 100 ml (4 ft oz. 7 tablespoons) port and 200 ml  (7 ft oz, ¾ cup) strong chicken stock. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook for 15 minutes. Take the truffles out and reduce the liquid. Prepare a duxelles with 500 g (18 oz. 6 cups) button mushroom (cleaned and finely chopped, then wrung out in a cloth to extract all their juice) cooked for 10 minutes in butter with 4 chopped shallots, salt, pepper and nutmeg. To the duxelles, add 50 g (2 oz 2/3 cup) cooked diced truffles and 65 g (2 ½ oz) foie gras cut into matchsticks. Bind with a little of the truffle cooking liquid and season with salt and peper.

   Stuff the lamb with this forcemeat, then arrange the remaining truffles on top, together with anothr 65 g (2 1/2 oz) foie gras matchsticks.Roll and tie up the meat, wrap it in barding them tie it up again. Roast for 50 minutes in a preheated oven at 220 ^oC (425 ^oF gas 7) Serve the meat juices mixed with the truffle juices in a sauceboat.Untie the string remove the barding and garnish the meat with  bunches of buttered asparagus tips or baised artichoke hearts. Medoc would complement this dish.

Chump end of lamb Callas

Bone a chump end of lamb weighing about 2.75 kg (6 lb) trim the excess fat and season with salt and pepper. Prepare a mushroom julienne, cook it in butter and leave it to cool. Also prepare a julienne of fresh truffles. Put the truffle julienne down the centre of the meat with the mushroom julienne on each side.Roll and tie up the joint. Roast in a preheated oven at 220^oC(425 ^oF, gas 7) allowing 12 minutes per 450 g (1 lb) Deglaze the roasting pan with a little veal stock and  sherry. Serve with buttered asparagus tips.

CHUNK  A regular shaped piece obtained by cutting  up an elongated foodstuff or preparation such as a celery stick or croquette mixture. The French word troncon also refers to a short wide piece cut from the middle of a large flatfish such as turbot or brill.

CHURN  The apparatus used for agitating cream to make butter. The traditional churn is a teak barrel which rotates about a horizontal axis. The plungers fixed to the walls assist the churning process. Modern commercial churns are made of stainless steel and the churning process is contiuous. They are equipped with beaters and mixers which gives the butter the required consistency and the maintained at a constant temperature of 10-13 ^oC (50-55 ^oF). The speed of rotation varies from 25 to 50 rpm.

   Small plastic household churn of 3 litre (5 pint, 13 cup) capacity with stainless steel beaters are also available. They should only be half filled to allow the mechanical action to take place as the weight of the cream falls from one end to the other.

CHURROS  Long, thin Spanish fritters, rolled or wound round on themselves, prepared with a batter made of cornflour (cornstarch) water with salt, and fried in boiling oil. Churros are eaten with sugar for breakfast.

CHUTNEY  A savoury preserve made of fruits or vegetables cooked in vinegar with sugar and spices until it has the consistency of  jam. Chutney is served as a condiment or relish. Considered as typically Indian, chutney from the Hindustani chatni (strong spices) is in fact a  British speciality dating from the colonial era. Chutneys, sold in jars under various trade names, may contain exotic fruits as well as tomatoes, onions and familiar vegetables. Some chutneys are reduced to a pulp, others retain recognizable pieces of their ingredients, all are characterized by a syrupy and sometimes highly spiced juice which coats the ingredients.

   As well as cooked chutcney, fresh chutneys, made from raw ingredients may be prepared Indian cooking includes many fresh chutneys of finely cut vegetables mixed with chopped fresh herbs and/o r spices. These are not preserve, but are prepared specifically as an appetizer or to accompany particular dishes.

RECIPES

Apple and mango chutney

Peel and finely slice 1.5 kg (3 ¼ lb) cooking apples. Bring 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) white vinegar to  the boil, put the apples in it and cook for 5 minutes. Add 500 g (18 oz. 3 ¼ cups) brown sugar, 25 (1 oz. ¼ cup) finely sliced chillies, 200 g (7 oz. 1 ¼  cups) seedless raisins, 200 g (7 oz. 1 ¼ cups) sultanas (golden raisins) 100 g (4 oz. ½ cup) sorted and washed currants. 500 g (18 oz. 2 ¾ cups) candied lemon peel cut into large dice and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Season with 25 g (1 oz. 1 ½ tablespoons) salt. 125 g (4 ½ cup) mustard seeds and 2 tablespoons ground ginger. Finally, add 500 g (18 oz.) well drained canned mangoes. Cook for about 25 minutes. Scald some jars and pour the hot chutney into them cover and seal.

Fruit chutney

Cut ¼ red (bell) pepper into 3 mm (1/8 in) dice, having first removed the membrane and seeds. Peel 1 pear, 1 Granny Smith apple and 1 pineapple and cut into 5 mm (1/4 in) dice. Peel  25 g (1 oz.) of  fresh root ginger and chop very finely. Put 2 tablespoons rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the diced pepper and fruits, ginger, 1 tablespoon currants and  5 cumin seeds. Bring to the boil and cook over a brisk heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and put in a jar. It will keep a few days in the refrigerator.

Pineapple chutney

To 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) white vinegar, add 500 g (18 oz.  3 ¼ cups) moist brown sugar, 2 tablespoons mustard seeds, 5 cloves. 1 cinnamon stick and 1 teaspoon ground ginger. Boil for 15 minutes, then add the drained contents of 2 large cans of pineapple pieces and 250 g (9 oz. 1 ½ cups) of both sultanas (golden raisins) and raising. Leave to cook gently without a lid until the mixture has the consistency of jam. Scald some bottling jars, preferably ones with a rubber ring and a metal clip and pour the hot chutney into them.

Spanish onion chutney

Peel and slice 2 kg (4 ½ lb ) Spanish onions or large mild onions. Tip them into a large saucepan along  with 675 g (1 ½ lb, 3 ½ cups) brown sugar, 400 g (14 oz 2 ½ cups) raisins or sultanas (golden raisins) 400 ml (14 ft oz. 1 ¾ cups) dry white wine, 400 ml (14 ft oz. 1 ¾ cups) white wine vinegar, 2 garlic cloves, 300 g (11 oz) crystallized (candied) ginger cut into pieces, a pinch of curry powder and 5 cloves. Boil for 1 ¾ -2 hours, leave to cool completely, then put in jars.

CIDER  A drink produced by the natural fermentation of apple juice. The  word comes from the Greek sikera and the production of cider certainly dates from antiquity. In France regulations were introduced under Charlemagne, and in the 12^th centuryu cider making became established in Normandy and Britanny, where the climate is very favourable for growing apples. Here, cider completely supplanted barley beer.

   Calvados, Manche, Orne, Ille-et-Vilaine and Mayenne remain the most important areas of production. The ciders of Dinan and Fouesnant are equally famous.Britain also produces and consumes a great range of ciders, generally pale in colour with a higher alcohol content than in France, where processes such as sweetening and reconstitution with apple concentrate are prohibited in the United States the term cider refers to pressed apple juice which is used to make sweet cider, hare cider, vinegar and applejack.

   Several hundred varieties of apple are used for the manufacture of cider some are sweet, but most are rather bitter or even sour. The cider maker’s skill lies in blending different varieties to obtain an agreeable and well balanced cider. The  apples are gathered when ripe, then left in a heap for several days before being crushed and pressed. Fermentation, which occurs naturally without the addition of yeast or sugar, take about a month. According to its style and quality and the intended market, it may then be filtered to clarify it, and pasterized to make it keep longer. Both still  sparkling ciders are produced. Its thirst quenching  tang and fruity flavour make cider a refreshing drink.

  The use of cider in cooking is a characteristic of Britany and Normandy, particulary in recipes for fish chicken, rabbit and tripe. In  Britanny, one sits by the fire in the evenings eating chestnuts and drinking sweet cider, as Theodore Botrel sang in La Paludicie. The bowl or cup of cider traditional in Britanny is an excellent accompaniment to the region'’ pancakes.

RECIPES

Chicken with cider

Peel,  quarter and core 500 g (18 oz) sour apples, cut half of them into thin slices. Season the inside the gelatine that surround the meat, cut the meat into pieces and arrange in a warmed serving dish.

   Lightly brown the apple slices under the grill. Wash, wipe and chop some parsley. Mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon double (heavy) cream, add it to the veal cooking liquor, then strain everything. Beat this sauce with a whisk and adjust the seasoning.Arrange the onions and mushrooms around the knuckle. Coat the knuckle with the sauce, putting a little on the garnish too. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve the well browned apple slices separately.

Wild rabbit with farm cider

Remove the bones from a baron (saddle and legs) of young rabbit weighing about 1.5 kg (3 ¼ lb) Prepare a brunoise of carrots, celeriac, celery sticks and leeks (green parts) Blanch the vegetables separately, then cool and bind together using  3 egg yolk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepare 200 ml (7 ft. oz. ¾ cup) rabbit stock using the bones, 2 carrot, 1 onion, a bouquet garni, 250 ml (8 ft oz 2 cup) farm cider, 250 ml (8 ft oz  1 cup) water, salt, and pepper.

  Spread the baron of rabbit out on its back season with salt and peper, and stuff it with the brunoise. Pull the sides of the legs and belly together over the brunoise and tie up with string, Lay the rabbit in an ovenproof eartheware dish or casserole contianing bed of diced vegetables (2 carrots, 2 red onions and 2 shallots) mixed with diced dessert (eating) apple.Roast it with butter in a preheated oven at 240 ^oC(475 ^oF gas 9) for 15-20 minutes so that it remains pink. Keep it hot, covered with a sheet of foil.

  Boil 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) milk and allow to cool. Peel and slice 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) potatoes, Shred half a green cabbage, blanch and cool. Butter an ovenproof, preferably earthenware, dish and arrange in it a layer of the potatoes, sprinkled with salt and pepper, then a layer of the cabbage, a layer  of Emmental cheese, and so on, finishing with a layer of potatoes and Emmental. To the cooled milk, add 4 well beaten eggs and a few knobs of butter and pour over the potatoes.Cook in a preheated oven at 200-220 ^oC (400-425 ^oF, gas 6-7 for 45 minutes. Keep hot.

  For the sauce to accompany the rabbit, add 500 ml (17 ft. oz 2 cups) farm cider to the pan juices and reduce by two –third, add a small glass of demi-glace, the rabbit stock and 250 ml (8 ft. oz. 1 cup) double (heavy) cream. Cook over a gentle heat for  5 minutes. Chop some chives and chervil and sprinkle over the sauce.

   Surround the rabbit with cress and serve it with the sauce and the potato cake.

CIGARETTE  A cylindrical biscuit (cookie) also called cigarette russe, prepared with langues de-chat mixture. After baking, the discs are rolled into a cylinder shape around a wooden stick while they are still lukewarm and malleable.

RECIPES

Cigarettes russes

Butter a baking sheet. Melt 100 g (4 oz. ½ cup) butter in a bain marie.Whisk 4 egg whites into very  stiff peaks, adding a pinch of salt. In a mixing bowl, blend 90 g (3 ½ oz. 1 cup less 2 tablespoons) plain (all-purpose) flour, 165 g (5 ½ oz. ¾ cup less 1 tablespoon) caster (superfine) sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla- flavoured sugar and the melted butter. Carefully add the egg white. Spread this mixture on the baking sheet, making very thin discs about 7.5 cm (3 in) in diameter, bake only 3 or 4 at a time. Place them in a preheated oven at 180 ^oC(350 ^oF, gas 4 ) and cook for 10 minutes or until the biscuits turn golden. Loosen them and roll each around the handle of a wooden spoon while still hot. Leave them to cool completely.

Lemon cigarettes

Prepare as in the previous recipe, but before baking add to the mixture some finely chopped candied lemon peel, use 100 g (4 oz. 2/3 cup) peel for the quantities given in the recipe. Once the cigarettes have cooled, fill both ends with lemon flavoured butter cream (see creams) using a piping bag.

CINCHONA  A tree originating in Peru and cultivated chiefly in Indonesia for its bark, which is rich in quinine. Cinchona bark is also used in the manufacture of aperitifs and alcoholic drinks.

CINGHALAISE, A LA  Describes preparations of cold fish or white meats accompanied by cinghalaise, or Ceylon style, sauce, a kind of vinaigrette to which a salpicon of vegetables in oil and herbs is  added. Only the presence of the curry powder is evocative of Sri Lanka (Ceylon).

RECIPE

Cinghalaise sauce

Peel a courgette (zucchini)  and cook it in water until it is just slightly firm. Finely dice equal quantities of green and red sweet peppers, tomato pulp, cucumber and the cooked courgette. To this salpicon, add some sieved hard boiled (hard cooked) egg yolk, curry powder, salt, pepper, lemon juice, oil and chopped parsley and chives.

CINNAMON  A spice obtained from the bark of several tropical trees. The bark is removed, dried and rolled up to make a tube, light fawn or dark grey in colour, depending on the species. The most popular varieties of cinnamon are from Sri Lanka and China.Cinnamon imparts  a sweet penetrating aroma commony found in the form of a powder and sometimes as an oil or an extract. It is one of the oldest spices, mentioned in Sanskrit texts and the Bible and used by the ancients to flavour wine. In the Middle Ages it was widely used in stews, soups, custards and poultry fricassees. In France it is mainly used in compotes and desserts, and to flavour mulled wine. In eastern Europe its uses are much more  numerous, in patisserie, soups and meats. In Indian and Asian cooking it is widely used in savoury dishes as well as for sweet recipes.

Recipe

Mulled wine with cinnamon and cloves

Wash a small orange and stick 2 cloves into it. Leave to macerate for 24 hours in 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) red wine. Remove the orange, pour the wine into a pan, sweeten to taste and add 1 cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and allow the cinnamon to infuse according to taste. Remove the cinnamon and reheat the wine.

CIOPPINO  A dish from San Francisco consisting of a stew of white fish, large prawns (shrimp) clams and mussels, with a garlic, tomato and white wine base.

CITEAUX  An uncooked pressed cow=s milk cheese  (45% fat) from Burgundy with a washed crust.Made by the Cistecian monks of the Abbey of Citeaux, Coete d’or, it is a discs shaped cheese 18 cm (7 in) in diameter and 4 cm (1 ¾ in) thick, weighing about 1 kg (2 ¼ lb).Citeaux is similar to Saint Paulin, but its taste is more fruity.

CITRON  A citrus fruit originally from China (not Persia, as was formerly believed) and similar to the lemon. It has been use sicne the 16^th century or before. In France the citron tree is cultivated particularly in Corsica and on the Cote d’Azur. The fruit is  larger than the lemon and slightly pear shaped, with a thick glossy skin. It is rarely eaten raw and gives little juice, which can be used like lemon juice. Although employed in jams and marmalades, the citron is used mainly for its peel, which is candied as an ingredient for cake making and for biscuits and puddings. In Corsica it is also used to make a liqueur, Cedratine, and to fill sweets(candies.)

CITRONNER  A French culinary term meaning to flavour or sprinkle a dish with lemon juice. The term also means to rub the surface of certain vegetables (artichoke hearts, celeriac, mushrooms) with a cuit lemon, or to sprinkle them with lemon juice, to prevent discoloration.

CITRUS FRUITS  Fruits of the genus Citrus, including the orange, Seville (bitter) orange, bergamot, grapefruit, pomelo, (shaddock), tangerine, clementine, lemon, lime, citron and sweet lime, as well as hybrids of this genus (citrange) and related genera (kumquat). Originally from Asia, citrus fruits whose French name, agrumes, comes from the Latin acrumen (bitter flavoru) gradually spread throughout the world, particularly to Mediterranean countries (Israel, Spain, Italy) and to the united States (Florida, California).

   These fruits, which are rich in vitamin C, have an acid flavour to varying degrees. They are widely consumed either as fresh fruit or in cakes, pastries and preserves, such as crystallized fruit (particularly citron and bergamot) jams and sweets (candies). They are also used in distilling (Curacao) and in some recipes are combined with meat (pork) and poultry (duck).The most important role of citrus fruits, however, is in the fruit juice industry (natural or concentrated). Several by products play an important part in the food industry aromatic essential oils, extracted from the skin. Pectin, which comes from the white part of the rind, and oils made from some pips.

CIVET  A game stew typically made from wild rabbit, hare, venison or young wild boar, prepared with red wine and thickened with the animal’s blood or pig’s blood, this gives it its oily texture and distinctive colouring.Small onions and pieces of larding bacon are generally included. The name is derived from cive (spring onion or scallion), which was formerly used to flavour all stews, particularly hare.

   Certain seafood and fish dishes served in sauce are also called civet, at Dinard, abalones en civet are cooked in red wine with onions and strips of larding bacon. In French provincial areas, civets are also prepared from goose giblets or squirrel, in southwestern France, squirrel is cooked in a roux moistured with red wine, with onions and orange zest.

RECIPES

Civet of hare or jugged hare

(basic preparation)

Skin and gut (clean) the hare. Carefully collect the blood and put to one side along with the liver, having removed the gall bladder, and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Detach the thighs and forelegs and chop each thigh in half, splintering the bones as little as possible, cut the saddle into 4 pieces. Place all the pieces in a deep dish and season with salt, pepper, thyme and powdered bay leaf. Add a large finely sliced onion, 3-4 tablespoon oil and at least 1 tablespoon Cognac. After marinating for 24 hours, the hare is ready to be cooked a la flamande, a la francaise or a la lyonnaise.

Civet of hare

Prepare a hare as described above and marinate overnight in red wine contianing 3 onions (halved) a sliced carrot and a sprig of thyme.

   The following morning, drain the hare in a colander. Heat 250 ml (8 ft oz. 1 cup) oil and 40 g (1 ½ oz. 3 tablespoons) butter in a frying pan and lightly brown the pieces of hare on each side, as well as the onions and carrots from the marinade. Then place the pieces in a saucepan and sprinkle with flour. Moisten with the wine from the marinade, a trickle of Cognac and 1 tablespoon tomato puree (paste) add 2 garlic cloves crushed in their skins, a bouquet garni, a quarter of a bay leaf (crushed) salt and pepper. Mix well and leave to simmer for 2 hours.

  Separately, cook 20 small onions in a little water to which 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar has beena dded.Cut 250 g (9 oz) small mushrooms into quarters (or leave tiny button mushrooms whole) and brown them in some butter.Dice 150 g(5 oz) smoked bacon, blanch it, then cook it gently in a frying pan.

  When the hare is cooked, arrange the pieces in a dish and keep hot. Chop up the hare’s liver and mix it  with the blood.Add it to the cooking liquor and bring to the boil. Pass through a fine strainer to form a sauce. Add the garnish of onions, mushrooms and pieces of bacon. Adjust the seasoning, pour the sauce over the hare and serve accompanied by fresh noodles.

Civet of hare a  la flamande

Marinade a hare as described in the basic preparation of civet of hare.Drain the pieces of marinated hare, brown them in about 40 g (1 ½ oz, 3 tablespoons) butter in a flameproof casserole, dust them with 2 tablespoons flour and again lightly brown them, turning them with a wooden spoon. Press the liver through a sieve along with the blood and add to it  1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) red wine, then add 200 ml (7 ft. oz, ¾ cup) wine vinegar. Pour this mixture into the casserole, add some salt, pepper, 25 g (1 oz. 3 tablespoons) moist brown sugar and a large bouquet garni. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

  During this time, peel and finely slice 500 g (18 oz) onions and brown them in some butter. Add them to the casserole after the 15 minutes have elapsed and leave to finish cooking gently with the lid on. Cooking time depends on the age of the animal, the tip of a knife should pass easily into the flesh when it is cooked.

  Remove the cooked hare, drain and place the pieces in a saute dish. Strain the cooking liquid to remove the onions, pour it into the saute dish cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Fry some croutons in butter and spread them with redcurrant jelly.Serve the civet in a deep dish, garnished with the croutons. If desired, the ends of the croutons can be dipped in the sauce and then in chopped parsley.

CLAFOUTIS  A dessert from the Limousin region of France, consisting of black cherries arranged in a buttered dish and covered with fairly thick batter. It is served lukewarm, dusted with sugar. As a rule, the cherries are not stoned (pitted) but simply washed and stalked, since the kernels add their flavour to the batter during cooking.The Academie francaise, which had defined clafoutsis as a sort of fruit flan were faced with protests from the inhabitants of Limoges and changed their definition to a cake with black cherries. Nevetherless there are numerous variations using red cherries or other fruits. The word comes from the provincial dialect word.

RECIPE

Clafoutis

Remove the stalks from 500 g (18 oz) washed black cherries, dust them with 50 g (2 oz. ¼ cup) caster  (superfine) sugar and leave for at least 30 minute. Butter a baking tin (pan) and fill it with the cherries. Put 125 g (4 ½ oz. 1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour in a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt, 50 g (2 oz. ¼  cup) caster sugar and 3 well beaten eggs, mix well, then add 300 ml (1/2 pint, 1 ¼ cups) milk and mix thoroughly again. Pour the mixture over the cherries and bake in a preheated oven at 180 ^oC(350 ^oF, gas 4) for 35-40 minutes. When it is lukewarm dust with icing (confectioner’s) sugar.

CLAIRET  A light coloured French wine, deeper in tone than pink, but not a vibrant red, which is a specialty of the Bordeaux region. In the past, it might have been made by mixing red and white wine illegal for rose wines today.

    The word derives from the colour of the wines of Bordeaux, which in the Middle Ages, when the EnglishCrown owned the entire region of the Gironde, were lighter in tone  than the wines of the hinterland that were shipped through the port of Bordeaux. This is why the English term for red Bordeaux is still claret in spite of attempts within the EC to impose the use of red Bordeaux, it had to be agreed that centuries of use of the word laret entitled the UK to retain the expression.

Clairette  A white wine grape, grown mainly in the Midi, Because of its grapey flavour I t has often been used with the Muscat. It is found in many wines of the south of France, including some with AOC, Clairette de Die made in the Drome, is a  sparkling wine made using no more than 30% Clairette grapes, fermented according to the methode dioise, a two part fermentation process followed by decantation and rebottling.Cremant de Die is made from 100% Clairette grapes fermented using the traditional method.

   The Clairettes of Bellegarde and of Languedoc are full bodied, dry, still white wines, of a definite yellow colour. The former are at least 11.5% the latter about 13%.

CLAM   Name given to a vast number of related shellfish, all bivalve molluses. They include the venus shells which cover over 500 types.The hinged shells are marked with fine circular striations and they may also have ribs radiating from the hinged area outwards. Clams are gathered from sandy and muddy estuaries, particularly on the east coast of the United States, but also in the French region of Charente. They are eaten raw or cooked like oysters or ala commodore.

  Claims are cooked by a variety of methods, depending on their size and texture. Small clams are tender and cook quickly, but very large, giant clams are cut up and simmered or stewed until tender. Small shellfish can be steamed, fried or grilled medium sized examples can be braised or stuffed and baked.

   Clam  chowder is a soup made from vegetables, onions and clams garnished with strips of larding bacon, it originated in New England.A clambake is  a picnic, originally along the east coast of the United States, at which clams and other shellfish are cooked on heated stones under a layer of seaweed.

RECIPE

Clam soup

Dice 100 g (4 oz) salted bacon, 1 medium-sized onion, 2 celery sticks, 1 red pepper and 1 green pepper. Blanch the bacon for 3 minutes in boiling water, then cool it, wipe it and soften it in a pan containing some butter, without colouring it. Then add the vegetables, sprinkle on 1 tablespoon flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Sprinkle with 1.5 litres (2 ¾ pints 6 ½ cups) stocks and bring to the boil.

    Open 36 clams near a heated oven, retaining the liquid. Prepare the clams, chop up the trimmings and put them in a saucepan with the clam liquor plus 200 ml (7 ft. oz, ¾ cup) water. Cook for 15 minutes, strain and add this stock to the soup. Return the soup to the boil, add the clams, bring to the boil again, cover, then turn off the heat.Boil 300 ml (1/2 pint, 1 ¼ cups) double (heavy) cream and add it to the soup along with 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 100 g (4 oz. ½ cup) butter. Heat and serve with crushed or whole crackers.

CLAMART  Any of various dishes that include green peas, either whole or in a puree. It is named after a district of the Hauts de Seine that used to be famous for its pea crops. Clamart soup is a puree of fresh green peas in consomme, served with fried croutons, poached eggs Clamart are served on canapes spread with puree, scrambled eggs. Clamart are served with the peas left whole.The name is also given to puff pstry patties filled with creamed puree, to chicken en cocotte, to a saute and to sweetbreads served with fresh green peas or a Clarmart garnish.

  The true Clamart garnish, for small items of sauteed red meat, comprises trtlets or artichoke bottoms filled with green peas in butter, for larger pieces, chateau potatoes are added.

RECIPE

Artichokes Clamart

Clean a lettuce and cut it into long thin shreds. Wash 12 small young globe artichokes, break off the stalks and cut away the large leaves. Butter a flameproof casserole and arrange the artichokes in it. Add 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) shelled fresh green peas, the lettuce, some salt, 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar and 3 tablespoons water. Cover and cook very gently. Serve in the cooking dish, adding 1 tablespoon butter at the last minutes.

CLAQUEBITOU  An upasteruized goat milk cheese from Burgundy, nto aged. Cream, and flavorued with garlic, parsley and chopped herbs. Of varying shape and weight.Claquebitou is strong smelling and has a fragrant taste which is much appreciated as a groutaillon.

CLARENCE  Name of various fish and shellfish dishes whose only common feature is a curry flavoured Mornay or Newburg sauce.

  Salmon cutlets Clarence are prepared by lining a mould with salmon escalopes and filling it with salmon or lobster mousse. This is then poached removed from the mould, arranged on a base of the same mouse and garnished with mushrooms and shimps. The sauce is served separately. Fillets of sole are poached and arranged on a rosette of duchesse potatoes, coated with sauce and garnished with slices of truffle.

  The word also describes a bombe of pineapple ice cream filled with a violet bombe mixture.

CLAREQUET  In old French cookery a transparent jelly prepared with  verjuice and apples or gooseberries.The fruits were reduced to a puree, mixed with their weight in sugar, then put in glass moulds., called clarequet moulds, these were placed in a drying oven to set the jelly, so ensuring that it would keep.

CLARIFICATION  The process of rendering a turbid or cloudy substance clear. Clarification is applied mainly to liquids, especially stocks and jellies, but the term is also used for sugar, butter and eggs.

* Clarification of stock.  Poultry or other stock can be served like soup, garnished in different ways, without having been clarified this is white consomme, which can also be used in sauces, stews or braised dishes. Clarified stock is used for fine soups, such as consomme, and for savoury jellies, such as aspic. Clarification of beef stock involves using chopped lean beef, egg white and an aromatic vegetable brunoise. When the broth boils, the egg whites coagulate, trapping the particles that were making the liquid cloudy. The consequent loss in flavour is restored by the lean beef and the vegetables.

   Fish, poultry or game stocks are clarified by simmering with egg white, with or without the main  ingredients. For charcuterie items with a jelly base, the egg whites are often replaced by blood.

* Clarification of wine   This is achieved by various processes, including filtration and fining 0 the addition of a suitable agent (egg white, blood, albumen, bentonite) to the wine is cask or vat. The fining agent will attract any particles in suspension in the young wine.Filtration usually takes place prior to bottling.

RECIPE

Clarification of beef stock

In a deep heavy based saucepan, put 800 g (1 ¾ lb) finely chopped lean meat and 100 g (4 oz. 1 cup) very finely diced vegetables. Add the white from a  very fresh egg and mix well. Gradually add 2.5 litres (4 ¼ pints. 11 cups) tepid stock. Whisk while heating until it boils. Reduce the heat and simmer very gently for 1 ½ hours. Strain the stock through a  muslin lined (cheesecloth-lined) sieve.

CLAVARIA  Any mushroom of a genus containing many species. Usually found in woodland, they are generally whitish or yellow and shaped like a club, lacking a distinct cap, hence their name, from  the Latin clava. Nearly all the edible but they are not great delicacies. After removing the tip of the stalks, clavaria may be cooked au gratin, sauteed with garlic or preserved in vinegar.

CLEAN  To remove he viscera from fish, poultry or game before cooking.

 Sea fish, usually sold partly cleaned, must be trimmed and scaled and the grey skin should be  removed. Large round fish, such as hake, are cleaned through an incision made in the belly.Smaller fish, such as whiting or trout, are cleaned by removing the viscera through the gill covers, thus avoiding opening the belly (unless they are to be stuffed) Large flatfish such as turbot are cleaned on the dark side, while smaller flatfish, like sole, are cleaned by removing the grey skin and then making an incision on the right side. In most cases, the gills are removed. After cleaning, the fish are carefully washed.

  Poultry is often sold with the intestines already removed. Drawing, which takes place after singeing and trimming, is carried out by first loosening the skin around the neck to remove the digestive and respiratory tracts, fat, gland and crop. Then the index finger should be inserted through the neck to loosen the lungs. Finally, the anal orifice should be enlarged slightly and the gizzard, liver, heart and lungs pulled through together, taking care not to damage the gall bladder If the intestine have not previously been removed from the birds, they are taken out at this point. The bird is then ready to be trussed or jointed.

CLEMENTE  A hybrid of the tangerine and Seville orange, produced in 1902 in Algeria by Pere Clement. , orange coloured and spherical, the Clementine has a firm skin, which adheres to the juicy pulp.

   Clementines, which are more acid and less aromatic than tangerines, come principally from Spain, Morocco, Italy or Algeria.

    The Corsican clementine has orange red skin, is highly scented and contians no seeds. It is usually sold with its leaves.

   The Spanish clementine comes in several varieties, including the choice smaller fruit and the larger Nules and Oroval varieties.

   The Monreal clementine, from Spain or Algeria, is fairly rare. It appears from mid-October.

   Clementines may also be crystallized or preserved in brandy. The juice is used for sorbets and drinks. It is used in patisserie and confectionery in the same way as the orange. A liqueur is made from it and in England it is used with vinegar and spices to make pickles.

CLERMONT   Any of several dishes containing chestnuts or cabbage, characteristic products of the Auvergne, of which Clermont Ferrand is the capital.

   Clemont garnish for large pieces of red meat combines pauplettes of green cabbage with lightly friend potatoes, a sauce is made from the pan juices of the meat plus the liquid in which the paupiettes of cabbage were cooked, with braised meat, and braising base or a demi- glace sauce is used.

   Clermont garnish for small sauteed pieces of meat comprises fried artichoke quarters and onions stuffed with chestnut puree and braised, the whole is coated with a Madeira deglacage.Bavarian cream a la Clermont is a cold dessert made with rum and chestnut puree.

CLITOCYBE  Any mushroom belonging to a genus containing numerous species, some of which are edible.Clitocybes are characterized by having gills that extend along the stalk and a drooping cap with a depression in the centre, the name comes from the Greek klitos  (sloping) and kube (head) The best for eating are the funnel shaped clitocybe  the nebulous or petit gris clitocybe the geotropic or tete de moine clitocybe  and the sweet smelling clitocyle. All must be picked when young and consumed fresh, with the stalks discarded. Their anisceed, bitter almond ormint flavour is sometimes fairly strong, so they are used in small quantities to flavour a dish of more insipid mushrooms. They must be cooked thoroughly.

RECIPE

Omelette with green clitocybes

Choose 18 caps of aniseed flavoured green clitocybes and clean them thoroughly. Brown the 6 choicest ones whole in butter with 1 ½ teaspoons chopped onions. Cook in a covered  pan for 10 minutes over a gentle heat.Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.Cut the remaining 12 caps into thin strips and cook in butter for 5 minutes  over a moderate heat.Remove and drain in a fine sieve.

   Beat 8 fresh eggs lightly as for an omelette, add salt and a little curry powder, and blend in 8 knobs of butter, then the drained julienne of mushrooms. Cook the omelette in very hot olive oil, constantly moving the frying pan over a brisk heat and lifting up the edges. Serve garnished with the 6 whole caps and accompanied with a green salad dressed in walnut oil containing ½ teaspoon anisette.

CLITOPILE  PETITE –PRUNE  A greyish white edible mushroom, also called meunier or mousseron. Its tender flesh has a delicate smell of fresh flour and cooks rapidly. It is used to flavour blander mushrooms and when dehydrated, serves as a condiment.

CLOCHE  A convex dish cover made of stainless steel or silver plated metal with a knob or a handle.The choche is used mainly in restaurants to keep food hot.Some restaurants, which provide plate service, use individual cloches for their dishes. It was  formerly widely used in Britain, where hot breakfast or dinner dishes were traditionally placed on the sideboard.

   The cheese cloche, hemispherical and made of glass or wire gauze, protects cheeses from the air and from files, it generally rests on a round wooden or marble tray.

CLOD   Butcher’s term for a neck muscle of beef. The clod is soft and gelatinous and can be braised, cooked a la mode, in a carbonade and in a pot au-feu.

CLOS DES MORILLONS A Parisian wine made from vines planted in terraces in the Square Georges Brassens in the 15^th arrondissenment, where the enormous abattoirs of the Rue des Morillons used to stand. The grape harvest is enough to make about  600 bottles, and it is a very pleasant occasion for all who live in the vicinity and for many curious visitors.

CLOVE  The sun dried flower bud of the clove tree, used since ancient times as a spice.Brown and hard, cloves are about 1 cm (1/2 in) long, with a head 4 m  ( 1/6 in) in diameter.

   Introduced into Europe in about the 4^th century, cloves were for a long time in as much demand as pepper. The Chinese used them well before the Christian era for their medicinal and culinary properties.Cloves originated in the Moluccas, where the Dutch for many years held the monopoly of their cultivation, but they were introduced into Reunion in the 17^th century and then into the West Indies. In the Middle Ages, great use was made of cloves for their alleged medicinal properties, oranges studded with cloves were supposed to guard against the plague and in Naples clove pastilles were made as  aphrodislacs.

COAT  To cover an item with a batter, sauce or other preparation in order to protect it during cooking or improve its appearance or taste.Food is dipped in batter or coated in egg and breadcrumbs to protect it during deep frying.

  Traditionally, before refrigerators and freezers were common, a coating of fat was applied to prevent air from entering and spoiling pots of cooked food. A layer of clarified butter or other set fat is the classic topping for pates and terrines. Confits should always be completely coated with fat for better preservation. A layer of olive oil on the  surface of some preserves serves the same purpose.

   In the food industry, many foodstuffs are coated with a neutral substance to improve presentation and extend shelf-life. Coated coffee has been treated to make the beans black and shiny.

COCHONNAILLE  A synonym for charcuterie, sometimes used ironically, suggesting the idea of abundance. The traditional French coutnry buffets and village feasts featured vast assortments of sausages, galantines, hams, pates and other charcuterie.

COCIDO  A Spanish pot=au-feu. The ordinary cocido originated in Castile, but numerous regional varieties exist. The cocido of Madrid consists of three dishes served in turn from a pot that has simmered for a long time firstly the stock, strained, enriched with vermicelli and traditionally served with white wine, next a dish of chick peas and boiled vegetables potatoes, carrots and cabbage which are added to the cocido in the final stages of cooking and become impregnated with the juices from the meats, and finally a dish of meats  comprising pieces of beef, chorizo, pickled pork, loin of pork, chicken and little meat balls sometimes marrow bones, black pudding  and fresh bacon are added. The vegetables and meats are served with red wine and accompanied by sauces and each dish is eaten with crusty bread.

COCK A LEEKIE  A Scottish speciality, whose name means literally cock and leek. It is a substantial soup, based on  chicken and leeks, with barley and prunes. A more refined version is based on chicken consomme, leek and chicken.

RECIPE

Cock-a-leekie

Prepare a chicken consomme.Cut the white parts of some leeks into fine strips, 200 g (7 oz) are required for 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) consomme. Cook this julienne slowly in 20 g (3/4 oz 1 ½ tablespoons) butter for 15 minutes. Cut  into strips the white chicken flesh that was used to prepare the consomme and add the leek and chicken juliennes to the consomme.

COCKLE  A bivalve molluce, 3-4 cm (1 ¼ -1 ½ in ) long, which is found near or on the sea bed. The  two equal shells have 26 clearly marked ribs and enclose a knob of flesh and tiny coral. Sold by volume cockles may be eaten raw, but are generally cooked, like mussels.Since they retain sand inside the shell, they should be left to clear in salt water for 12 hours or so before they are consumed. The cockless of Picardy,k called henous are highly regarded.

COCKSCOMB  A fleshy red outgrowth on the top of the head of a cock.For use in cookery it needs to be fairly large, but nowadays most breeds of domestic fowl have small combs and in any case are usually slaughtered when young. Today cockcombs  are used in recipes as a garnish for barquettes and croustades. They were frequently used in traditional French cookkery in numerous garnishes, including ambassadeur, chalonnaise, financiere, gauloise, Godard and Regence.

   Pickled ox (beef) tongue and fine slices of truffle are sometimes cut into the shape of cockscombs for garnish.

RECIPE

Preparation of cockscombs

Prick the combs lightly with a needle and put them under cold running water, pressing them with the fingers to dispel the blood. Cover with cold water and cook until the water reaches a temperature of 40-45^oC(104-113 ^oF), when the skin of the combs begins to detach itself.Drain the combs and rub them one by one in a cloth sprinkled with the fine salt.

   Remove the outer skin, put the combs in cold water and, when  they are white, plunge them into a boiling white court bouillon. Cook for 35 minutes.

Cockscombs en attereaux a la Villeroi

Cook the cockscombs as described above drain and  dry them, then cover with Villeroi sauce. Leave to cool on a grid.Cover the combs with egg, sprinkle with breadcrums and fry in clarified butter.

Salpicon of cockscombs

Cook the cockscombs in the manner described above and dice them.Heat them for a few minutes in Madeira or any other dessert wine. Add  a few tablespoons of chicken veloute, white sauce or a very reduced Madeira sauce.

COCKTAIL  A mixed drink made according to a variety of recipes and containing liqueurs, spirits, syrup, spices, and so on, the end products being pleasing to both eye and palate. The origin of the word is somewhat obscure. It may refer to the shades of colour in a cock’s tail, but it is more likely to derive from American racecourse slang, dating from the early part of the 19^th century.

   Drinking cocktails became particularly fashionable between the two world wars, a time when famous bars were opened in all the capitals of Europe.Barmen, expert in the art of making cocktails, christened their creations with names that have become  classics Manhattan gin fizz and Bloody Mary.

   The word cocktail is also used in cookery to describe various cold hos d’oeuvre, such as prawn cocktail or lobster cocktail.A macedoine of fruit may also be called fruit cocktail.

COCKTAIL SNACK   Known in France as amuseguele, this is a small bite-sized savoury item that is served with aperitifs.Depending on the occasion, cocktail snacks may comprise an extensive or limited range of hot or cold hors. D’oeuvre.Examples include plain or stuffed olives, salted nuts, savoury biscuits (crackers) flavoured with cheese, paprika or ham, potato crisps small hot cocktail sausage, cubes of hard cheese on small sticks, canapes, miniatrue pizzas or quiches, savoury allumettes and shredded raw vegeta bles.

COCO  The plumlike fruit of a tropical tree cultivated in the West Indies and CentralAmerica, which is also known as icaco plum.The skin is yellow, white, red or purplish, depending on the variety.The white flesh is soft with a rather sour taste and the kernel is edible. The fruit is also known as the handle plum or the cotton plum and may be eaten raw or used as a preserve.

COCOA   A powder made from cocoa beans, which are the seeds of the cacao, a tropical tree 4-12 m (13-39 ft) high.Each fruit (pod) contains 25-40 beans, rounded or flattened in shape and grey purplish or bluish in colour depending on the variety. The beans are extracted from the ripe pods and heaped up into mounds so that they ferment.This process destroy the germ and helps to develop their flavour. They are then sorted, washed, dried and roasted.

   Cocoa butter is the natural fatty material in cocoa beans. It is a relatively firm product, yellowish white in colour and is pressed from the paste in variable proportions when manufacturing cocoa powder. Extra cocoa butter is sometimes added in the manufacture of block chocolate, to make it liquid enough to coat sweets and cakes.

COCONUT   The fruit of the coconut palm, a tall tree probably originating in Melanesia, but now widely cultivated throughout the tropics.The coconut has a very hard woody shell and is enclosed in a thick fibrous husk.The shell is lined with a firm white pulp and the hollow centre contains a sweet milky white liquid which  makes a refleshing d rink. The pulp is rich in fat which is unlike other vegetable oils, high in saturated fat.

   Used as food in southeast Asia and Polynesia from the earliest times, the coconut was discovered by the explorer Marco Polo, who described the Pharaoh’s nut as a fruit full of favour, sweet as sugar and white as milk, providing at the same time both food and drink. A Portuguese doctor who made a detailed study of the coconut in the 16^th century wrote. This fruit is called coquo because it has three pores on its surface, giving it the appearance of human being head. The first specimen to arrive in Paris was presented to the Academic Francaise by Charles Perrault in 1674.

   A coconut can be opened can be opened either by cracking the shell with a hammer or by first piercing the two ends so that the liquid runs out and then heating it in the oven until it cracks, the pulp can b then be extracted quite easily. The dried pulp is refined and deodorized to produce coconut butter, used as a cooking fat.

RECIPES

Coconut Cakes

Prepare a syrup using 200 g (7 oz. ¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar and 200 ml (7 ft oz. ¾ cup) water.Whisk 4 egg yolks in a bowl over hot (but not boiling) water, then slowly pour in the surgar syrup, whisking constantly.When the yolks have almost doubled in volume, remove the bowl from the hot doubled in volume, remove the bowl from the hot water and whisk until the mixture is cold. Make 250 ml (8 ft. oz. 1 cup) fresh  Chantilly cream, adding 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar and 2 tablespoons rum. Blend well, then add the egg-yolk mixture and 300 g (11 oz. 4 cups) fresh or desiccated (shreded) grated coconut. Pour into a deep sandwich tin (layer cake pan) and put in the freezer until the mixture is firm to the touch. Then remove the cake from the tin, cover with grated coconut and  keep in the refrigerator until required.

Coconut preserve

Open some  coconuts, extract the pulp and g rate it. Prepare a syrup using 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) granulated sugar to l litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) water and flavour it with either vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar. Mix together equal quantities of the grated pulp and the syrup and cook very gently until the jam becomes transparent. Pot as for jam.

Coconut pyramids

Open a coconut, extract the pulp and grate it. Add 75 g (3 oz. ¾ cup) ground almonds.150 g (5 oz. 2/3 cup) sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (or a few drops of vanilla extract) and 2 or  3 egg whites, depending on their size. Mix well together, then add another 3 egg whites, whisked to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt. Divide this mixture into portions about the size of tangerines, shape them into pyramids and arrange them on a buttered or oiled  baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 ^oC (350 ^oF, gas 4) for about 12 minutes.

COD  a large fish, up to 1.8 m (6 ft) long, with an elongated powerful body, very pronounced fins and large head. It has a heavy whisker like barbel on its lower jaw. Its colour varies from greyish green to brown and it has dark spots on the back and sides and a whitish belly.Cod is found in the cold seas of the North Atlantic 0-10 ^oC (32-50 ^oF) The female is very  fertile and can lay up to 5 million eggs. The eggs, known as roe, can be sold freshly boiled or smoked.

RECIPES

Braised cod a la flamande

Season slices of cod with salt and pepper. Butter an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with chopped shallots and parsley. Arrange the cod in the dish and just cover with dry white wine. Place a slice of peeled lemon on each piece of cod. Bring to the oil, then cook in a preheated oven at 220 ^oC (425 ^oF, gas 7) for about 15 minutes. Remove the fish and drain.  Arrange the slices on the serving dish and keep warm.Reduce the juices by boiling, then add some pieces of butter, stir and pour the sauce over the cod. Sprinkle with roughly chopped parsley.

Cod braised in cream

Cut 800 g (1 ¾ lb) cod fillets into 5 cm (2 in) squares.Season with salt and pepper. Cook 150 g (5 oz, 2/3 cup) chopped onions in melted butter in a pan and then add the cod. Fry the pieces on all sides until firm. Add 200 ml (7 ft. oz. ¾ cup) dry white wine and reduce by three quarters. Add 200 ml *7 ft. oz. ¾ cup) double (heavy) cream, cover the pan and simmer slowly until the fish is nearly cooked. Remove the lid and reduce the cream over a high heat.

Cod in aspic

Prepare a fish aspic. Make a ratatouille with 3  tomatoe, 1 aubergine (eggplant) 2 courgettes (zuchini) 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons olive oil, some thyme, bay leaves and basil. Dissolve 15 g (1/2 oz, 2 envelopes) gelatine in 4 tablespoons hot water over a pan of simmering water and add to the rataouille. Lightly oil 4 ramekins and half fill them with the ratatouille. Set aside to cool and  then place in the refrigerator. In the meantime, place the cod fillets in an ovenproof dish, add butter and white wine, and cook in a preheated oven at 220 ^oC(425 ^oF, gas 7) Arrange a piece of fillet in each ramekin, and cove with the fish aspic. Refrigerate until it is time to serve, remove from the moulds and serve chilled.

Cod with herbs

Coarsely chop ½ bunch flat leaf parsley, ½ bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro) and ½ bunch of fresh mint. Finely chop 2 white onions. Mix together. Prepare the sauce with 80 ml (3 ft. oz. 1/3 cup0  lemon juice 60 ml (2 ft oz. 1 ¼ cup) groundnut (peanut) oil, 4 teaspoons soy sauce, salt and pepper. Peel the tomatoes, cut into quarters, remove the seeds and cut into diamond shapes. Arrange them round the 4 plates and in the centre of each plate put 25 g (1 oz) spinach shoots. Steam 4 fillets of cod, 200 g (7 oz) each. Pour the sauce over the herb mixture. Place the fish on the spinach and pour the herb sauce over it.

Roast cod

Trim a cod weighing 1.5 1.8 kg (3 ¼ -4 lb) Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with oil and lemon juice, and leave to steep for 30 minutes. Drain the cod, place it on a spit and brush with melted butter. Then roast before a brisk fire, basting frequently with melted butter oil, for 30-40 minutes. Arrange on a serving dish and keep hot. Deglaze the cooking residue in the pan with dry white wine, reduce and spoon the juice over the fish.The fish may also be roasted in the oven, provided that it is placed on a wire rack so that it does not lie in the cooking juice.

COEUR DE NEUFCHATEL  A soft cow’s milk cheese (45% fat) from Normandy with a red tinged crust, white and downy.Coeur de Neufchatel is a smooth, heart shaped cheese with an astringent, fruity flavour, weighing 165-300 g (5 ½ - 11 oz)

COFFEE  The coffee tree, native to the Sudan and Ethiopia, but now widely cultivated, bears small red berries that contain the seedsThe word coffee comes from the Italian caffe, which is derived from the Turkish kabuve and the Arabic quahwah.The Arabic word originally designated any stimulating  drink.

RECIPES

Arabic coffee

Put 50 g (2 oz. 1/3 cup) very finely ground aravica coffee and 100g  (4 oz. 1/2 cup) granulated sugar into a coffee pot that has a wide bottom and a narrow neck. Boil 500 ml (17 ft. oz. 2 cups) water in a  small saucepan and pour it into the coffee pot all at once. Heat the coffee pot until the coffee boils, stirring continuously. Remove the pot from the heat and then replace it. Repeat this procedure twice more. When the coffee boils for the third time, tap the bottom of the coffee pot sharply on a  flat surface. The coffee ground will then begin to sink towards the bottom. Pour the coffee into cups, adding 1 teaspoon hot water to each cup. The grounds will then settle completely.

Coffee essence

Pour some boiling water over ground coffee place in a filter, using 450 g (1 lb. 5 cups) coffee per 1 litre ( 1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) water. Colelct the coffee and pour it through the filter 3 more times. The colour may be intensified by adding a little caramel.

Coffee ice cream

Blend together 6 eggs, 200 g (7 oz. ¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar and 3 tablespoons instant coffee to make a custard.Whip 200 ml (7 ft. oz. ¾ cup) cold  double (heavy) cream with a quarter of its  volume of very cold milk and 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar. Fold the whipped cream gently into the cold custard and leave it to freeze in an ice-cream maker.The ice cream can be decorated with sugar coffee beans or coffee sugar crystals.

Coffee Syrup

Finely grind 500 g (18 oz. 5 ½ cups) coffee, and pour 1.5 litres (2 ¾ pints 6 ½ cups) boiling water very slowly over it. Add the hot coffee to 2.5 kg  (5 ½ lb. 11 cups) granulated sugar in a pan and dissolve over a very low heat to prevent it from boiling. Remove the syrup from the heat just before it reaches boiling point.

Coffee with burgundy marc

Put some very hot coffee into  hot  coffee pot. Add sugar, according to taste, and stir.Add a liqueur glass of Burgundy marc for each 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) coffee and stir again. Foam will form on the top of the coffee . Put 1 teaspoon crushed ice into each cup followed by the very hot coffee.

Ice coffee

Use 300 g (11 oz. 3 ½ cups) freshly ground coffee and 750 ml (1 ¼ pints, 3 ¼ cups) boiling water. Pour into a bowl with 575 g (1 ¼ lb 2 ½ cups) granulated sugar. Dissolve the sugar and chill the infusion. Add to the coffee 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) vanilla flavoured cold boiled milk and 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) single (light) cream. Serve chilled.

COGNAC  A world famous brandy distilled from wine, made in the delimited region around Cognac in the Charente region of France. Distillation of the local  wine began in the 17^th century, when the market for both wine and salt, especially to the Dtuch and Hanseatic League export markets, suffered a decline and was also at a disadvantage because of the popularity of Bordeaux wines. Distillation not only disposed of the surplus crop, but brandy as such was easier to transport.

   History attributes the invention of Cognac to a  certain Chevailier de la Croix-Marrons, who is said to have been the first to have had the idea of heating wine to capture its soul, He then put the distilled wine through the still once more.This distillation, at  first considered to be a last resort in times of glut, came into general use. The brandy from the Cognac region soon gained an exceptional reputation for quality. The name Cognac was not applied to the brandy itself until 1783.

    Today, Cognac is made exclusively by the distillation of white wine form selected grapes, mainly Ugni Blanc. The wine is made and distilled within the delimited area, which spread over two departments. Brandies distilled elsewhere have neither the same taste nor the same quality.

COLA NUT  Also known as a kola nut. The seeds of the cola tree of Africa and South America.Rich is caffeine, they are chewed for their stimulating effects. The caffeine content is similar to that of coffee, but its tonic effect is less harsh and more prolonged.

   In the United States and Europe, cola nuts are used to make biscuits (cookies) and more importantly, in the  manufacture of non-alcoholic fizzy cola drinks. These drinks are made with natural fruit extracts and also contain caffeine and preservatives. They are drunk chilled and are sometimes flavoured with lemon. Colas are an ingredient in certain cocktails, particularly those containing whisky or rum. The oldest and best known is Coca-Cola, which was created in Atlanta in the Untied States in 1886.

COLBERT  The name given to a method of preparing fish, especially sole, in which the fish is filleted and dipped in egg and breadcrumbs before frying. It is served with a flavoured butter, such as maitre d’hotel butter or Colbert butter. Colbert butter is also served with grilled meat, other grilled fish, fried oysters and softboiled eggs. Colbert sauce is used as an accompaniment to vegetables as well as grilled meat and fish. Finally, the name Colbert is also given to a chicken consomme  to an egg dish and to a dessert made with apricots.

   All these preparations are probably dedicated to Jean Baptise Colbert, a minister of Louix XIV, who employed Audiger as the head of his household.

RECIPES

Colbert butter

Add 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon and 1 tablespoon meat glaze to 200 g (7 oz. ¾ cup) maitre d’hotel butter.

Colbert sauce

Blend 2 tablespoons meat glaze with 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remvoe from the heat and incorporate 125 g (4 ½ oz. ½ cup) softened butter. Season and add a generous pinch each of grated nutmeg and cayenne. Stir continuously while adding the juice of half a lemon, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 1 tablespoon Madeira.

Fried osyters Colbert

Shell the osyters and poach them in their own liquid. Drain them, remove the beards and allow to coll. Dip each oyster in milk and coat with flour.Deep fry in oil and arrange on a napkin. Garnish with lemon quarters and fried parsley. Serve with Colbert butter.

Sole Colbert

Remove the dark skin from the sole and slit the flesh on either side of the backbone. Raise the fillets and break the backbone in 2 or 3 places so that it may be easily removed after cooking. Dip in milk and coat in egg and breadcrumbs. Fry the sole, drain it and remove the backbone. Fill the cavity with Colbert butter. Serve on long dish and garnish with fried parsley.

COLBY  The popular American hard pressed cow’s milk cheese is dyed a deep orange yellow colour as for American Cheddar, but it is softer and more open, with a lacy texture and a milk flavour. Colby cheeses made in an elongated shape are known as Longhorn.

COLCANNON  A very popular Irish dish made from mashed potatoes and green cabbage, mixed with butter or milk and strongly flavoured with chopped chives, parsley and pepper.

COLLAGE  The French term for fining separating particles in suspension in young wine. This is done by adding a fining agent, according to the region and the wine, this may be egg white, albumen, gelatine or benetonite. The fining agent is mixed with the wine in cask or vat and attracts the particles to itself, so that the wine may then be racked off.

COLLATION  Originally, a light meal eaten by Roman catholic on fasting days.The word comes from the Latin word collatio, meaning coming together. It marked a devotional meeting of monks that was followed by a light repast. A collation may also be used to mean a quick meal usually eaten outside normal mealtimes.

COLOMBO A mixture of spices that are often used in the French West Indies.It was imported by Ceylonese  coolies who had come to work in theCaribbean and was named after Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. Colombo powder is a mild  variation on curry powder and contains garlic,, coriander. Indian wood salfron, curcuma, dried mango pulp and cinnamon.

COLOURING AGENTS  Additives used in confectionery, cake making, dairy products and drinks. Their function is essentially a psychological one to give the products a more appetizing appearance, which can often mislead the consumer about the composition of the products.

   The use  of colouring agents in food is not a new innovation. In the Middle Ages, butter was coloured with marigold flowers, and even at the time their use was subject to certain regulations. Saffron, spinach and caramel have been used as colouring agents for many centuries.

    Some colouring agents are natural or manufactured according to a natural formula, others are synthetic. The former are almost all of vegetable origin, except for cochineal and carmine, which are obtained from insects. The red azo dyes form the most important group of synthetic colouring agents. All additives have to be stated in lists of ingredients on packaging.

COMINEE  In ancient times, a culinary term for dishes that contained cumin.This spice was widely used in the Middle Ages for seasoning soups, poultry dishes and fish dishes. Taillevent’s Viandier gives recipes for cominee d’amandes  cominee de gelines and cominee d’esturgeon.

RECIPE

Cominee de gelines

(from an ancient recipe) Boil some chickens in wine and water. Skim off the fat and remove the chicken. Beat some egg yolks, mix them with the cooking liquid from the chickens and add cumin. Replace the chickens.

COMMODORE  A term used to describe a very elaborate garnish for poached fish, in which fish quenelles, crayfish tail crouquettes and mussels a la Villeroi are mixed together in a crayfish bisque.

  Consomme commode is made with a fish stock thickened with arrowroot and garnished with pieces of poached clam and diced tomatoes cooked in the stock.

COMPOTE  A preparation of fresh or dried fruit, cooked either whole or in pieces in sugar syrup. It does not keep for as long as jam.

    Fresh fruit should be cooked by poaching it in syrup over  a gentle heat, or else by fast boiling. A compote can be made with several different kinds of fruit. The fruit should be arranged in a fruit bowl or dish and served as a dessert. It may  be served either slightly warm or chilled, accompanied by whipped cream or sprinkled with cinnamon, vanilla sugar or biscuit (cookie) crumbs. Fresh fruit compotes may be used to prepare rather more elaborate desserts, such as sundaes and mouses.This kind of fruit puree can also be used as an ingredient in turnovers, tarts and charlottes.

RECIPES

Apple compote

Prepare a syrup as for apricot compote (recipe below)  Peel the apples, cut them into quarters, remove the pips (seeds) and cover them with lemon juice. Boil the syrup, add the apples remove as soon as they are tender. Serve either warm or cold.

Apricot compote

Halve the apricots, remove the stones (pits) and extract and blanch the kernels. Cook the fruit for about 20 minutes in syrup use 350 g (12 oz. 1 ½  cups) granulated sugar to 600 ml (1 pint 2 ½ cups) water. Arrange the apricot halves in a fruit bowl with half kernel on each pour the syrup over.

Baked apricot compote

Place some apricot halves in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle them with sugar and bake in a preheated oven at 180 ^oC (350 ^oF gas 4) for about 20 minutes Serve in a fruit dish.

Bake cherry compote

Stone (pit) the cherries, place them in adeep dish and sprinkle with caster (superfine) sugar to taste. Leave for 3-4 hours so that the juice runs out then cover and cook in a preheated oven at 180 ^oC (350 ^oF, gas 4) for about 20 minutes.

Bilberry compote

Dissolve 500 g (18 oz. 2 ¼  cups) caster (superfine) sugar in 200 ml (7 ft. oz, ¾ cup) water. Add a little grated lemon zests, and boil for 5 minutes.Clean 1 kg (2 ¼ lb 5 cups) bilberries (huckleberries) add them to the syrup and boil for 80-10 minutes. Drain the bilberries using a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl. Reduce the syrup by one-third and pour it over the bilberries. Serve well chilled. When prepared by this method, the bilberries can be used to make a tart.

CONDE  Name given to various methods of preparing food which were dedicated to the French general, Conde the Great (1621-86) and his descendants by family chefs. Also sometimes referred to as a la Conde

   Savoury dishes are characterized by the presence of a puree of red kidney beans.

  Condes, or Conde cakes, are small cakes made of puff pastry covered with a layer of royal icing with almonds.

   The terms are also applied to cold desserts based on rice ad poached fruit, classically, the fruit should be apricots in syrup, arranged in a crown around a cake of rice coated with an apricot and kirsh sauce and decorated with cherries and crystallized  fruit. This basic recipe has many variations, using slices of pineapple, peaches or strawberries, but always  including rice cooked in milk and a fruit sauce.

CONDIMENTS Food substances used to heighten the natural flavour of foods, to stimulate the appetite, to aid digestion or else to preserve certain products. The term condiment is used today to include spices, seasonings, sauces, fruit and various cooked or uncoooked preparations. Strictly  speaking, however, a seasoning is a substance added to food while it is being prepared, whereas a condiment, chosen to harmonize  with the taste of the food, can be either an accompaniment or a preserving agent.

   The custom of adding condiments to food is as ancient as cookery itself. Originally  it was a means of preserving. Most condiments are of vegetable origin herbs, spices, dried or crystallized fruit, and aromatic vegetables, some, such as the  Vietnamese nuoc-mam, are based on dried and pounded fish or shellfish.

CONFIT  A piece of pork, goose, duck or turkey cooked in its own fat and stored in a pot, covered in the same fat to preserve it. The  confit is one of  the oldest forms of preserving food and is a specialty of south western France.Simin Palay, in  Cuisine du pays, describes this speciality from the Basque and Bearn  regions, Lean pork or a quarter of fowl is rubbed with salt, soaked in brine, then drained and dried and cooked slowly in fat with flavouring and seasonings, finally, it is put into a pot and stored in a cool dry place. Confit of goose or duck, fattened on maize is often prepared with a mixture of pork and poultry fats. If the pot is made of tin plate, the confit must always be well covered by fat.

RECIPES

Confit of goose

Clean the inside of a fat goose thoroughly and remove the bones, keeping the carcass whole. Cut  into  quarters. Place in a container and season very liberally with coarse salt, then leave in a cold palce for 24 hours to allow the salt to penetrate thoroughly into the flesh. Cook in a large copper caulidron with 2 kg (4 ½ lb) goose fat for 2 hours. Make sure the fat simmers while cooking but do not allow it to boil. While the fat is still hot, strain it into a stoneware pot and place the pieces of goose in the  fat so they are completely covered. Leave to cool and then cover the pot. To obtain an authentic confit, store in a cellar for 5-6 months. For confit of duck follow the same method.

Confit of goose a la bearnaise

Heat a quarter of preserved goose in its own fat and keep hot in a serving dish. Peel and slice some potatoes and fry them in the confit fat. Chop some parsley and garlic together, add to the potatoes and reheat. Surround the confit with the potatoes and serve very hot.

CONFRERIES  Also known as orders and brotherhoods. In the Middle Ages in France, many of those involved with wine formed associations devoted to preserving local traditions and upholding the quality of their particular wines, in addition to acting as benevolent societies to assist members and their  families in need. They exercised considerable control over the production and marketing of wines and spirits, but at the time of the French Revoluiton many ceased their operations, both because of the civic disturbance and because in many regions, the great estates and vineyards changed hands.But records and certain traditions were not quite lost. In Alsace, for example, where the Confrerie Saint Etiene was founded in the 14^th century, the ban announced to growers that they could start picking their grapes.

CONGER EEL  A common fish in the English Channel and the Atlantic. It is called sili mor in Britany, orratza in Gascony, it is also found in the Mediterranean, where it is known as fiela or fela.Its body is long and smooth and tis skin is of a brownish grey colour without visible scales. It is a carnivore and has large jaws and strong teeth. Normally it measure 0.5 – 1.5 m (1 ½ -5 ft) and weighs 5-15 kg (11-35 lb) but it can it can reach 3 m (10 ft) and 50 kg (110 lb) The conger can be found on the market all the every round, either whole  in pieces or sliced. The flesh, which is firm but rather tasteless, is particularly suitable for  soups and matelotes. Slices cut between the middle of the body and the head  can be roasted.

ONVERSATION  A small pastry with an almond filling.According to the Dictionnaire de I Academie des gastronomes, they were created at the end of the 18^th century, taking their name from the title of a popular work. Les Conversations d’ Emilie, by Mme d’Epinay (1774) They consist of covered puff pastry tarlets filled with a  rum flavoured frangipane or with almond cream and topped by a layer of royal icing. The tartlets are decorated with thin bands of pastry crisscrossed over the top.

RECIPE

Conversations

Break 3 eggs, separating the yolks from the whites.Work 150 g (5 oz. 2/3 cup) butter into a paste with a wooden spatula, adding 150 g (5 oz. 2/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar, then the 3 yolks one by one. Mix well, then add 175 g (6 oz. 1 ½ cups) ground almonds, 50 g (2 oz. ½ cup) cornflour (cornstarch) and 1 teaspoon vanilla-flavoured  sugar. Beat thoroughly to obtain a well blended mixture.

   Cut 400 g (14 oz) puff pastry into 3 portions. 2 of them equal, the  third smaller. Roller out the 2 equal, portions into sheets and use one of them to line 8 greased tartlet moulds. Fill each tartlet with the almond cream and moisten the edges of the pastry with water. Then place the moulds close together and cover them with the second sheet of pastry. Pass the rolling pin over this, cutting the pastry off on the rims of the moulds.

   Whisk 2 of the egg whites until stiff, adding 200 g (7 oz, 1 ¼ cups) icing (confectioner’s) sugar. Spread this icing (frosting) over the tartlets. Roll out the remaining pastry, cut it into thin strips and intertwine these in diamond shapes on the icing. Leave for 15 minutes before cooking in a preheated oven at 190 ^oC (375 ^oF, gas 5) for 30 minutes.Allow them to cool before serving.

COOKING  The process of heating food so as to render it safe and palatable. While some foods have to be cooked before  eating, others are usually consumed raw and many may be eaten either raw or cooked, depending on the result required. The reason for cooking are not always purely aesthetic, but they may be for food safety. Cooking can destroy natural toxins that make some raw foods poisonous dried kidney beans and other beans are a good example. Cooking also make food digestible.

    The effect of cooking depends on the method used, the type of food and additional ingredients. Complex  chemical changes take place during preparation and cooking to alter the appearance, texture, flavour and aroma of food.

   Food may become tender or firm on cooking.Solid fats melts, oils become more fluid and foods with a high fat content, such as cheese, soften and with a high fat content, such as cheese, soften and may become runny. Other types of food soften may become runny.  Others types of food soften vegetables and fruit become tender, then soft and they may break down, rice and grains.

COOKING BALL  A perforated metal utensil of variable size consisting of two halves  that open, either to enclose food that needs to be cooked in boiling water, or to immerse dried plants for infusion.    

COOLER  A deep cylindrical or oval receptacle made of glass, china or metal. Bottles are plunged into the iced or salted water in the container to keep cool. The cooler can was also be set on the table to serve certain foods which must be eaten very cold, such as caviar, it  sometimes has a double bottom, which contains crushed ice.   

   Coolers have been in use since the Middle Ages, in the 17^th century and 18^th centuries  they formed part of the table setting. Glasses, particularly champagne glasses, could be cooled in china receptacles with sloping deeply channeled sides in which the glasses were placed upside down.    

COPPER  A reddish metal used in the manufacture of many cooking utensils. It is an excellent conductor of heat and cooking pans with a copper base distribute heat evenly.Copper heats up and cools down rapidly and therefore enables greater control to be exercised in certain cooking methods. Although uncoated copper was popular for cooking utensils, especially in professional kitchens, the uncoated metal reacts with food and liquids, particularly acidic ingredients., and corrodes quickly, forming an oxide coating that is toxic when eaten in significant amounts or regularly.

COPRA  The dried kernel of the coconut, from which an oil is exrracted.This oil, called coconut oil or copra oil, is then refined and used in the manufacture of margarines.     

COQUE  ALA  The French term for describing the familiar method of cooking a soft boiled  eggs, by immersing the whole egg for 3-4 minutes in boiling water and eating it from the shell. This expression is also applied to any food which is poached without peeling or indeed to any which is eaten directly from its skin, such as avocados or artichokes.

RECIPE

Avocado a la coque

Cut an avocado in half just before serving and remove the stone (pit) Pour into the centre a vinaigrette flavoured with chopped shallots, a mayonnaise to which a little lemon juice and tomato ketchup have been added or a tomato sauce with a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

COQUELET  A young cook weighing 450-575 g (1-1 ¾ lb) its meat, which has scarcely had time to mature, is rather tasteless. It may be roasted, grilled (broiled) or fried in breakcrumbs, and requires a  sauce with a strong flavour (lemon, green pepper). Young cocks should not be cut into pieces, they are generally cut into two lengthways.

RECIPE

Coquelets en crapaudine a I’americaine

Split and flatten 2 young cocks as spatchcocks. Chop 2-3 garlic cloves and some  parsley. Add salt, 3 tablespoons oil, a good quantity of pepper, 2 teaspoons ground ginger and a pinch of cayenne. Cover the cocks inside and outside with this mixture, then the cocks inside and outside with this mixture, then marinate them for 1 hour. Grill (broil) briskly and serve them with a green salad or mixed salad.

CORKSCREW  An implement used to open a bottle sealed by a cork. The standard corkscrew has a  spiral thread, which can be flat or rounded and is usually nickel plated. The rounded stem is preferable because there is less risk of the cork crumbling. The spiral must be 6-8 cm (21/4- 3 ½ in ) long so that the cork which is quite long in a good bottle, is pierced al the way through. Its tip must be sharp and designed tin such a way that it is not centered in the spiral.

   There are numerous models of corkscrew, some fitted with a casing to protect the neck of the bottle, others with a lever or even with a gearing down system to limit the strain, but also to avoid moving the bottle too much. Some corkscrews are also fitted  with a bottle  too much. Some corkscrew are also fitted with a bottle opener and a blade for cutting the seal.

    Another system operates with two blades of unequal length. Which are inserted between the neck and the cork, and this obviates the need to pierce the cork. There is also a device which pierces the cork and injects gas underneath. This has the effect of effortlessly forcing out the cork. It is only recommended for a crumbly cork which is in danger of breaking.

CORNED BEEF   Cured beef, of American origin, which may be sold in cans. Pieces of beef are cooked, preserved with salt or brine, and then canned with beef fat and jelly.From the end of the 19^th century military slang gave the name bully beef to the preserved beef distributed by the army. During World War I, the corned beef salvaged from American stocks was known as bully beef. It can be eaten cold with salad, or heated up and served with an onion sauce., in the United States it is mostly eaten in a hash or sandwiches.

CORNET  A cone shaped pastry. The cornets used as ice-cream cones are made from wafer biscuit. Filled cornets  are usually made from puff pastry, cooked while rolled around cornet moulds, and then filled with confecitoners’s custard. Chilboust cream of Chantilly cream and decorated with chopped crystallized fruit. Murat cornets  are made from the mixture used for languages de chats, filled with sweetened whipped cream and sometimes decorated with candied violets.

   The word is also used for a slice of ham or salmon rolled up filled with a cold preparation and served as an hors d’oeuvre.

RECIPES

Ham cornets with foie gras mouse

Roll up some small but fairly thick slices of ham into cornets.Fill them with foie gras mouse (using a piping bag). Arrange on a bed of lettuce or on a dish garnished with cubes of port flavoured aspic jelly.

Smoked salmon cornets with fish roe

Roll up some small slices of smoked salmon into cornets.Fill them with fish roe (caviar, salmon or lumpfish).Arrange them on a bed of shredded lettuce dressed with vinaigrette.Garnish with fluted lemon halves. The base of the cornet can be filled with a little cream mixed with a few drops of lemon juice and grated horseradish, or else this cream can be served in a sauceboat at the same time as the cornets, with hot blinis.

CORNISH PASTY  A pastry turnover traditionally made with short pastry but often made using puff pastry. Filled with a mixture of diced beef, onions, potatoes and other root  vegetables. Originally from the country of cornwall in England, they were  lunchtime snacks for miners. The twisted pastry at the ends of the turnover acted as handles for the men to hold, then discard when they were blackened by dirty fingers. Traditionally, large pasties were made with a savoury filling one side and sweet the other. In modern times, Cornish pasties are smaller and lighter, and served as a hot snack.

COTIGNAC A pink sweetmeat, popular inFrance, made from a sweetened quince paste. It is sold in small round boxes made of thin wood and its pink colour is due to the natural oxidation of the fruit while it is drying out. It can be homemade although the most famous cotignac is the one made industrially at Orleans. It is said that cotignac was made in France in the time of Joan of Arc, and her  effigy is used to decorate the boxes, but there is no evidence of its existence before the time of Louix XI.

   Quince paste has its origins in antiquity and ancient recipes indicate that it was formerly made with honey. Greek legend recounts how the nymphs  offered  it to Jupiter when he was a child. This has given rise to the popular 19^th century tradition that to eat cotignac from Orleans benefited the minds of  unborn children a good pretext for satisfying the craving of pregnant women for sweet things.

RECIPE

Cotignac

Wash and peel some quinces, remove the seed and tie them  in a small piece of muslin (Cheesecloth).Cut the quinces into quarters and place them in a pan with a small amount of water about 5 tablespoons per 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) fruit together with the seeds in a muslin bag. Cook over a very low heat until the quinces are soft and squeeze the bag of seeds to obtain the maximum flavour. Remove the seeds and reduce the pulp to a puree.

   Weigh the puree and pour it into a basin with 400 g (14 oz. 1 3/4 cups) sugar to each 500 g (18 oz. 2 1/4 cups) puree. Reduce the puree, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until a small ball of the mixture is able to retain its shape.Spread the paste evenly on a oiled baking sheet and leave to dry out, preferably in a very cool oven. Cut the paste into squares and coat with caster (superfine) sugar. Pack into boxes, separating the layer with greaserpoof(wax) paper, and store in a dry place.

COTRIADE  A fish soup from the coast of Britany, prepared with butter or lard (shortening) onions and potatoes. The word is said to have been derived from  cotet, one of the pieces of wood on which the caulidron rested when the fish was cooked over a wood fire. Anotehr possibility is that it is derived from the French word coterie an old name for the ship’s crew, who were given certain fish as food.Thus, a cotriade would have been made with the more common types of fish, the more rare or expensive ones, such as turbot or sole, being reserved for sale.

RECIPE

Contriade

The fish should be selected from the following sardines, macherel, sea bream (porgy) angler, hake, cogner eel, gurnard and horse macherel (saurel) (for a more delicate dish, do not allow the proportion of oily fish, such as sardines and macherel, to exceed a quarter of the total weight). 1 or 2 large fish heads may also be included.

   Cut 3 good sized onions into quarters and cook in a large pan with 25 g (1 oz. 2 tablespoons) butter or lard (shortening) until they are pale golden. Add 3 litres (5 pints, 13 cups) water and 6 peeled sliced potatoes. Flavour with thyme, bay leaf and other herbs. Bring to the boil and cook for about 15 minutes, then  add 1.5 kg (3 ¼  lb) cleaned pieces of fish. Cook for a further 10 minutes. Pour the stock from the resulting soup on to some slices of bread and serve the fish and potatoes separately, with a sauceboat of vinaigrette.

COTTAGE CHEESE  A fresh cow’s milk cheese (4-8% fat content). Cottage cheese has a soft, more or less granular consistency and an acid taste.

COULIS A liquid puree of cooked seasoned vegetables or shellfish . It  may be used to  enhance the flavour of a sauce, it may itself be used as a sauce, or it may be used as an ingredient in soup. Fruit coulis are sauces made with raw or cooked fruit.Red fruit strawberries or yellow fruit  may be used the sauces are served as an accompaniment to hot or cold desserts, including ice creams.

  In the past, sauces of any kind were called coulis and were prepared in advance using a type of funnel known as a couloir.

RECIPES

Fresh fruit coulis

Prepare 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) fresh fruit (apricots, stawberries, peaches, redcurrants or any other suitable fruit in season) Chop into pieces where necessary and puree in a blender with some caster (superfine) sugar use 575 –800 g (1 ¼ -1 ¾ lb, 2 ½ - 3 ½ cups) depending on the acidity of the fruit). Add the sugar a little at a time while blending.

Raspberry coulis

Sort, clean and wipe 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) raspberries. Reduce to a puree in a blender together with about 500 g (18 oz, 2 ¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar.

Tomato coulis

Choose firm ripe tomatoes. Cover them with boiling water and allow to stand for about 30 seconds, then peel them. Halve the tomatoes and remove their seeds.Sprinkle the cut surfaces of the tomatoes with salt and turn them over so that the juice drains away. Then puree them in a blender with a little lemon juice and 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar for each 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) tomatoes used. After blending, reduce the resulting puree further by boiling it for a few minutes (this is not always necessary) Press through a sieve, season with salt and pepper, and cool.

COUPE  A rounded receptacle of varying size, individual coupes are cups or goblets of glass, stainless steel or silver plate, often on a stem, in which ice cream, fruit salads or similar desserts are served. These desserts themselves are also known as coupes.They may be simple or elaborate, coated with syrup or chocolate sauce, and decorated with whipped cream, crystallized fruit, biscuits or wafers. Coupes made with ice cream are known as sundaes in Britain and the United States.

   The champagne coupe is a stemmed glass goblet that is wider than it is high. Large coupes, with or without a stem, are used for arranging fresh fruit, fruit salads and desserts.

RECIPES

Apricot coupes

Soak some diced fresh or canned apricots and some apricot halves in brandy.Divide the diced  fruit among some sundae dishes (2 tablespoons per  dish) Cover with layer of apricot water ice, smooth out the surface and top  with an apricot half and some fresh split almonds.Sprinkle with a few drops of brandy or kirsch.

Coupes a la cevenole

Prepare 500 ml (17 ft. oz. 2 cups) vanilla ice cream, as described in the recipe below. Macerate 300 g (11 oz. 1 ½ cups) split marrons glaces in 200 ml. (7 ft oz. ¾ cup) rum for 1 hour. Chill 6 sundae dishes in the refrigerator.Fifteen minutes before serving, divide the marrons glaces among the sundae dishes and cover with vanilla ice cream. Decorate the dishes with whipped cream using a  piping bag. Each dish can be topped with crystallized (candied) violets.

Coupes malmaison

Prepare 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) vanilla ice cream, as described in the recipe below. Remove the seeds from 400 g (14 oz) Muscat grapes, plunge them into a saucepan of boiling water and then immediately into cold  water, then drain and peel them. Boil together 3 tablespoon water with 150 g (5 oz. 2/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar until the sugar just caramelizes. Divide the ice cream among 4 sundae dishes, cover with the grapes and top with the caramel.

Hawaiian cream coups

Prepare 500 ml (17 ft. oz. 2 cups) almond milk and keep it in a cool place. Wash pat dry and hull 300 g (11 oz. 2 ½ cups) strawberries, cutting large ones in half. Peel and dice the flesh of a fresh pineapple. Line some sundae dishes with the strawberries and diced pineapple and completely cover with the almond milk. Top with a layer of raspberry couilis about 100 g (4 oz. ½ cup). Decorate each dish with piped rosettes of whipped cream.

Jamaican coupes

Prepare 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) coffee ice cream, having added 1 tablespoon coffee extract to the boiling milk.Chill 6 sundae dishes in the refrigerator.Clean 165 g (5 ½ oz. 1 cup) currants and macerate them in 100 ml (4 ft. oz. 7 tablespoons ) run for 1 hour. Peel a pineapple and cut the flesh into small dice. Divide the diced pineapple among the sundae dishes and cover with coffee ice cream. Sprinkle the drained currants over the top.

Pear and caramel cream coupes

Prepare 250 g (9 oz. 1 ¼  cups) caramel cream  and keep in a cool place. Divide 500ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) almond milk among 8 sundae dishes and place in the refrigerator. Divide 16 diced canned pear halves among the dishes, cover with caramel cream and put into a cool place. A few moments before serving, decorate with piped rosettes of whipped cream.

Pineapple coupes

Cut some fresh or canned pineapple into dice and diamond shapes and macerate them for 1 hour in white rum. Place 2 tablespoons diced pineapple in each dish, cover with vanilla ice cream and smooth out the surface. Decorate each dish with the pineapple diamonds and sprinkle with a few drops of the white rum.

Vanilla ice cream for coupes

For about 500 ml (17 ft. oz. 2 cups) ice cream, use 4 egg yolks, 250 ml (8 ft oz. 1 cup) milk, 1 vanilla pod (bean) 125 g (4 ½ oz. ½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar, and 2 tablespoon double (heavy) cream. Split the vanilla pod in two, add it to the milk, and bring to the boil. Work the egg yolks into the sugar with a wooden spoon. When the mixture lightens in colour, add the boiling milk, little by little, whisking constantly.  Heat the mixture, add the cream and continue to heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the wooden spoon. Strain the mixture into a bowl and allow to cool, stirring continuously. Pour into an ice-cream churn and operate this until the ice cream is frozen.

COURGETTE (ZUCCHINI)  A variety of marrow (summer squash) usually eaten when young and immature. It has a fine, shiny outer skin, which is edible, and firm flesh with a delicate taste. For a long time it was used primarily in Mediterranean countries, but it is now widely popular and available throughout the year.

   Courgettes vary in size from baby vegetables with their flowers still intact and small, firm and fine textured examples, to large, slightly woolly produce. As well as the usual long green skinned vegetables, there  are yellow courgettes and round courgettes.

*Preparing and cooking. The peel may be left on or the courgettes may be very finely peeled, leaving a bright green layer covering the creamy white flesh. They may be thickly or thinly sliced, or cut into wedges, sticks or fine julienne. Courgettes can be steamed, breaised, sweated in a little butter, friend, deep fried or cooked as fritters. They are equally delicious baked, stuffed, coated in sauce or cooked au gratin.

    Courgettes are also good raw cut into fingers or wedges to be served with crudites or used in salads. Coarsely grated courgette may be tossed with a little vinaigrette and chopped fresh herbs or pared ribbons of courgette go well in green salads.

   Courgette flowers are a delicacy when deep fried in a light batter and served with lemon juice. They may be stuffed and fried as fritters or steamed.

RECIPES

Preparation of courgettes

Remove the stalks from the courgettes and wipe them. Depending on the recipe, courgettes may or may not be peeled (it is essential to peel them for purees, but optional for fritters).Strips of peel may be removed from the courgettes to make them look decorative in a ratatouille, for example.

Courgette flowers with truffles

Chop 500 g (18 oz) button mushrooms and sprinkle them with the juice of ½ lemon. Melt 25 g 91 oz. 2 tablespoons(  butter in a frying pan and add 1 tablespoon chopped shallots.As soon as the butter begins to sizzle, add the mushrooms, season with salt, stir and cook for 3-4 mintues.Drain in a  fin colander over a small saucepan and reserve the liquid.Return the mushrooms to the pan and dry over a high heat, then reduce the heat to the minimum setting or turn it off. Pour 5 tablespoon single (light) cream into a

Mixing bowl, add 2 egg yolks and stir the mixture with a whisk. Add to the mushrooms, stirring with the whisk, and cook very gently for 2 minutes. Do not overheat or boil the mixture as it will curdle. Check the seasoning and allow to cool.

   Drain 6 black truffles (each 15 g ½ oz) and add their juice to that of the mushrooms. Taking great care not to damage them, wipe clean 6 courgette (zucchini) flowers without washing them. Open up the petals and put 2 teaspoons of the mushroom mixture inside each flower. Put 1 truffle in the middle of each flower and close up the petals again. Place the flowers in the top part of a couscous pan or steamer and cover with foil. Trim and wash 500 g (18 oz) tender spinach or mache, and set aside.

  Reduce the mushroom juice until only 3 tablespoons remains. Whisk in 250 g (9 oz. 1 cup) butter cut into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bain marie.

  Steam the flowers for 15 minutes. Arrange the uncooked spinach or mache on a dish and place the courgette flowers on it. Pour the butter sauce over the courgette flowrs. Sprinkle with chervil and serve.

Courgette puree

Peel and slice the courgettes, place them in a saucepan and just cover them with water. Add some salt and 3-4 garlic cloves and cook  them, covered for about 15 minutes. If the resulting puree is very watery, dry it carefully on the heat without allowing it to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add some butter, Pour the puree into a vegetable dish and sprinkle with chopped herbs, or spread it in a greased gratin dish, top with grated Gruyere cheese and butter, and brown in the oven.

Courgette salad

Peel the courgettes and cut the flesh into fine strips. Toss with a little well-seasoned vinaigrette and sprinkle with a mixture of chopped chevil and tarragon. Serve at once.

Courgette salad with lime

Lightly peel and coarsely grate the courgettes. Toss with a little lime juice and the grated zest of  ½ -1 lime. Add a generous sprinkling of snipped chives and a little chopped fresh coriander leaves. Season to taste, toss well and serve at once.

Courgettes a la nicoise

Partially peel the corugettes, slice them thinly and saute them in oil with an equal quantity of peeled tomatoes. Add some parsley and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.

Courgettes a la provencale

Do not peel the corugettes. Cut them into long thick slices, sprinkle them with salt and leave for 15 minutes. Then pat them dry, coat them with flour and saute them in oil in a frying pan. Brush a gratin dish with oil, cover the bottom with rice cooked in meat stock, then add some of the courgette slices. Saute some slices of tomato and onion inn oil and add chopped parsley and garlic. Place the onion and tomato slices in the gratin dish on the courgettes and cover with the remaining courgettes. Sprinkle with grat ed cheese and brown in a preheated oven at 230 ^oC (450^oF, gas 8)

Glazed courgettes

Cut the courgettes into small  uniform olive-shaped pieces. Blanch them lightly in salted water and drain them. Palce them in a saute pan with 2 tablespoons butter, a pinch of salt and a small amount of sugar. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil and cook, covered, over a low heat until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Saute the courgettes in this reduced sauce.

   Glazed courgettes may be used as a garnish for poached fish or roast, fried or sauteed white meats.

Sauteed corugettes

Slice the courgettes and toss them with a little flour. Season with salt and saute in oil or butter.Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Stuffed courgettes

Cut the courgettes in half lengthways and hollow them out. Prepare the following stuffing cook some rice and drain. Mix with minced (ground) lamb, chopped onion and fennel softened in butter. Crushed garlic and seasoning.

  Fill the courgette halves with the stuffing and place them close together in a greased ovenproof dish. Cover and cook in a preheated oven at 180 ^oC((350 ^oF, gas 4) for about 1 hour or until the filling is cooked and the courgettes are tender. Uncover for the final 20 minutes.Serve coated with tomato sauce.

COURT BOUILLON  A spiced aromatic liquor or stock used mainly for cooking fish and shellfish, but also for preparing white offal and certain white meats  Wine and vinegar may sometimes be added to the court-bouillon, which is usually prepared in advance and allowed to cool. Food cooked in the liquid absorbs the flavour of the ingredients. Freeze dried court bouillon is available in France, it is easy to use and time saving as it is simply diluted with water.

RECIPES

Cour-bouillon eau de sel

This is the easiest kind of court-bouillon to prepare as it consists only of salted boiling water – use 15 g (1/2 oz.  1 tablespoon) coarse sea salt per 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 ½ cups) water. It is not usually flavoured, but a little thyme and a bay leaf may be added if desired.

Court-bouillon with milk

Add 1 finely shredded onion, a sprig of thyme, salt and pepper to equal quantities of milk, and water (the court-bouillon should cover the food that is to be cooked) it is used principally for cooking flatdish, such as brill or turbot, or smoked or salted fish, such as smoked haddock or salt cod (in the latter case to do not  add salt).

COUSCOUS   A  traditional North African ingredient made with hard wheat semolina and sometimes with barley or, in Tunisia, with green wheat. It was discovered by the French during the reign of Charles X during the conquest of Algeria. There is still some doubt about the original meaning of the word, which is derived from the Arabic kouskous. Some experts believe that the word was originally used for  the food in a bird’s beak used to feed its young. Leon Isnard, who considers that it is the Gallic form of rac keskes  maintians that it is derived phonetically from the words koskos, keuscass, koskosou and kouskous, used in different parts of North Africa from a cooking pot in which semolina is steamed. Made of earthenware or alpha glass, the pot, which is pierced with hole, sits on top of another similar pot containing water or stock. Other experts believe that the sound of the word describes the noise made by the steam as it passes through the holes in the pot.

RECIPES

Preparing traditional couscous

In country villages, where couscous is simply a dish of semolina flavoured with rancid butter (smen) and served with whey, the women prepare the grain in the traditional way by skillfully rolling it by hand. Hard-wheat semolina and flour are placed in a wooden dish (kestr0 or in an earthenware dish, together with a small amount of cold salted water. By boiling the semolina, the flour progressively binds itself around each grain. The grain is then sieved, which enables the particles to be sorted according to their size.

Cooking traditional couscous

The grain is steamed in a couscous pan.Fill thepot two third with water or stock and bring it quickly to the boil. Then fit the keskes (steamer) containing the samolina on to the pot. Tie a damp cloth around the part where the keskes and the pot meet so that no st eam escapes.After about 30 minutes remove the semolina from the couscous pan, put it in large round dish with a raised edge, coat the grains with oil and break up the lumps with the hands. Put the couscous back in the keskes to steam it and repeat the operation twice more. Without forgetting to work the grain between each steaming.After the third steaming, arrange small knobs of butter on the semolina and serve.

   During the second the third steaming, vegetables or meat are added to the pot and raisins are mixed with the grain.

COW  The female of the domestic cattle from the time of its first calving. The  cow is generally bred for producing milk and calves, but in France a good proportion of beef comes from milch cows which are no longer  needed for milk. Such cows are fattened up for the butcher at an early age, giving meat which is often more tender and has more flavour than that from a  bullock.

COZIDO  A type of Portuguese and Spanish stew consisting of chorizo sausage. Cabbage, carrots, chick peas, white haricot beans, pig’s ears, and a piece of charcuterie similar to a black pudding or white pudding. With the addition of vermicelli, the cooking liquid is eaten as soup.

CRAB  One of a large gorup of crustaceans characterized by a wide flat body protected by a hard shell. Carbs are decapods, having five pairs of legs, these vary in size according to the species, but the first pair (pincers) are generally much larger an equipped with strong claws.

   In general, crab may not be as highly rated as lobster but its white meat is fine and delicate while the brown meat found in the body, and including the liver and roe, is rich and full flavoured. When buying live crab, look for a plump and heavy creature. Male crabs have larger claws and provide more meat than females. To determine the sex, check the tail or abdomen which is curled under the crab, the female has wide rounded tail flap while the male has  narrow, more pointed tail. Crab is usually sold  cooked and often dressed. When buying whole cooked crab, shake the shell and reject it if it contains water.

   Crabmeat is available frozen or canned.Canned Russian chatka crab from the cold waters of the Kamachatka peninsula is a world class delicacy, when referred to as extra this indicates that the can contains 100% claw meat. Canned crab claws from other species are also available. By way of complete contrast, crab sticks are a manufactured fish product that bear no resemblance to crab and they are to be avoided.

RECIPES

Crab a la bretonne

Plunge a live crab into boiling lemon or vinegar court-bouillon. Cook for 8-10 minutes, then drain and cool. Remove the legs and claws and take out the contents of the shell. Clean the shell thoroughly. Cut the meat from the shell in two, put it back in the clean shell and arrange the legs and claws around. Garnish with parsley or lettuce leaves and serve with a mayonnaise.

Crab feuilletes

Prepare 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) puff pastry. Wash and scrub 2 crabs, plunge them into boiling water for 2 minutes and then drain them. Pull off the claws and the legs, crack the shells and cut the bodies I n two. Remove the dead man’s fingers and discard. Chop 1 carot, 1 onion, 1 shallot, white part of ½ leek and 1 celery stick.

   Heat 40 g (1 ½ oz, 3 tablespoons) butter in a saucepan, add the pieces of crab, then the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until and crab shell turns red. Add 3 tablespoons heated cognac and flame. Then add 1 bottle dry white wine, 1 generous tablespoon tomato puree (paste), a piece of dried orange peel, salt, pepper, a dash of cayenne pepper. I crushed garlic clove and a small bunch of parsley. Bring just to the boil, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the crab and cook the sauce, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes. Shell the piece of crab to remove the meat. Puree the sauce in a blender and rub it though a sieve, then mix half of it with the crab meat. Allow to cool completely.

   Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 5 mm (1/4 in) Cut it into rectangles measuring about 13 x 8 cm (5 x 3 in) and score their tops in criss-cross patterns with the tip of a knife. Glaze with beaten egg and cook in a preheated oven at 230 ^oC (450 ^oF, gas 8) for aobut 20 minutes. When the feuilletes are cooked, slice off their tops. Place the bases on serving plates and top with the crab mixture.  Replace the pastry tops and serve with the remaining sauce.

Crab Salad

Clean and cook 2 large crabs. Wash, scald and cool 500 g (18 oz. 4 ½ cups) bean sprouts and dry them. Mix 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon ketchup or very concentrated sieved tomato puree and at least 1 tablespoon brandy. Mix the crabmeat, the bean sprouts and the sauce and serve on a bed of lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Crabs in broth

Chop a large onion. Peel and roughly chop 4 tomatoes. Peel and crush 2 large garlic cloves. Plunge 2 crabs in salted boiling water, cook for 3 minutes, then remove the claws and legs and take out the contents of the shell. Crush the empty shell and the intact legs and brown them in 25 g ( 1 oz. 2  tablespoons) fat or 2 tablespoons oil together with the onion. Add the tomatoes, a large pinch of ground ginger, a pinch of salffron, a pinch of cayenne, the garlic and a sprig of thyme. Moisten with  plenty of stock  cover and simmer very gently for about 2 hours.

    Strain through a sieve, pressing well to obtain a fairly thick sauce. Adjust the seasoning. Crush the claws and remove the flesh, cut the flesh from the shell in four, then brown all the flesh together in fat or oil in a saute pan. Pour the sauce over the top, bring back to the boil and cook for 5-6 minutes. Serve in a soup tureen, accompanied with rice a la creole.

Staffed crabs au gratin

Wash and brush some crabs. Plunge them in court bouillon with lemon. Bring back to the boil, cook for about 10 minutes, then drain and leave to cool. Detach the claws and legs and remove their meat. Take out all the meat and creamy parts from the  shells, discarding any gristle. Crumble or dice the meat finely. Wash and dry the shells.

   Mix  the creamy parts with a few spoonfuls of Mornay sauce and spread this mixture over the bottom of each shell. Then fill with diced or crumbled crabmeat and top with Mornay sauce.Finally, sprinkle with grated cheese, pour on some melted butter, and bake in a preheated oven at 240 ^oC (475 ^oF, gas 9) until the surface is brown.

CRAQUELIN  A small light crunchy cake or biscuit. It can be a dry petit four (a speciality of Saint-Malo, Binic, Vendee and Beaume-les-Dames), a sort of echaude or a cake of unrisen unsweetened dough made into various shapes, Craquelins formerly resembled three cornered hats or eggs. The word, known as early as 1265, derives from the Dtuch crakeline.

RECIPE

Craquelins as petits fours

Knead 250 g (9 oz. 2 ¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour with 125 g (4 ½ oz. ½ cup) butter, 2 egg yolks, 3 tablespoons cold milk, 25 g (1 oz. 2 tablespoons)  caster (superfine) sugar and a generous pinch of salt. Leave the dough to rest for 2 hours, then roll it out to a thickness of 1.5 cm (5/8 in) Cut it into 5 cm (2 in) squares, arrange the squares on a baking sheet, glaze them with egg and bake in a preheated oven 240 ^oC (475 ^oF, gas 9) until golden brown. Sprinkle with vanilla-flavoured sugar when cooked.

CRAYFISH  A freshwater crustacean resembling a small llobster, the species found in Europe growing to 15-20 cm (6-8 in) long.

   During the late 19^th and 20 th centuries, crayfish became rare in Europe as a result of overfishing, pollution and disease. However, stocks have returned to some area and crayfish are  also farmed. Different species fished in France include the redclaved crayfish found particularly in the Auvergne, the smaller white clawed variety, a mountain stream variety, and the comparatively newly introduced American species.

   The American crayfish native to California is known as the signal crayfish for its blue green  stripes on the pincers. Being more resilient than the original European species, this crayfish is now stocked in Sweden and Germany.the Madagascar crayfish is one of the largest species and the Murray River crayfish of Australia is the second largest ype, growing to 50 cm (20 in) long.The Marron is another species native to Australia and subject to farming in order to protect the natural stocks.

RECIPES

Crayfish a la bordelaise

Prepare a finely diced mirepoix of vegetables. Toss 24 crayfish in melted butter and season with salt, pepper and a little cayenne. Pour brandy over the crayfish and set alight, then just cover with dry white wine. Add the vegetable mirepoix and cook together for a  maximum of 10 minutes. Drain the crayfish and arrange them in a deep dish. Keep hot. Bind the cooking stock with 2 egg yolks, then beat in 40 g (1 ½ oz. 3 tablespoons) butter. Adjust the seasoning to give the sauce a good strong flavour. Cover the crayfish with this sauce and serve at once, piping hot.

CREAM  A dairy product conisting of the part of milk, rich in far, which ahs been separated by skimming or otherwise. Often an increase in the thickness of cream denotes an increase in fat content, but this is not always true as the viscosity of cream can be controlled by manufacturing processes, giving a  variation in the thickness of creams of the same fat content. For example, double cream is available I n either pouring or spooning consistencies.

    Originally the cream was separated from the milk be gravity. When milk is left to stand in a vessel, fat globules cluster or aggregate and, being lighter than the rest of the milk, float to form a layer of cream. This can be skimmed off by hand.

CREAM SOUP  A thickened, smooth soup enriched with milk and/ or cream. Traditionally, cream soups are based on a roux of  fat and flour with stock and milk added. This is used to cook the main ingredients for the soup until tender. The soup is then pureed or pressed through a sieve and enriched with cream before serving. Alternatively, a white sauce may be used or the soup can be thickened with flour, rice flour or cornflour. Root vegetables, such as potatoes or celeriac, may be pureed with liquid to thicken the soup. Breakcrumbs also give a creamy consistency. The basic  ingredient can be fish or shellfish, poultry, vegetables or grains. Bright herbs, such as parsley, chieves or chervil, bring colours to pale cream soups and crips garnishes, such as  croutons, provide contrasting texture.

RECIPES

Traditional basic cream soups

Shred and blanch the chosen vegetable, then cook it in butter in a covered pan, using 40-50 g (1 ½ -2 oz. 3-4 tablespoons) butter per 500 g (18 oz.) vegetables. Prepare 750 ml (1 ¼ pints, 3 ¼ cups) white  sauce by adding 900 ml (1 ½ pints, 1 quart) milk to a white roux of 25 g (1 oz, 2 tablespoons) butter and 40 g (1 ½ oz. 6 tablespoons) plain (all-purpose) flour. Mix this sauce with the lightly cooked vegetables and simmer gently for 12-18 minutes depending on the vegetable used. Puree in a food processor or blender, few tablespoons of white consomme (or milk if the soup is to be meatless) Heat and adjust the seasoning. Add 200 ml (7 ft. oz. ¾ cup) single (light) cream and stir while heating.

Enriching with cream and egg yolks

To enrich a soup in the final stages, just before serving, beat 2 egg yolks with 150 ml (1/4 pint, 2/3 cup) single (light) cream until smooth. Stir in a ladleful of the hot soup. Reduce the heat under the soup to ensure that it is not boiling, then stir in the egg yolk and cream mixture. Cook gently for 1-2 minutes, stirring, but do not allow the soup to boil or the egg and cream will curdle.

Cream of asparagus soup

Following the recipe for traditional basic  cream soups, blanch 400 g (14 oz) asparagus tips and cook them in butter in a covered pan. Add 750 ml (1 ¼ pints, 3 ¼ cups) white sauce and puree in a food processor or blender. Do not cook the asparagus and bechamel together, but reheat and season the soup before serving.

CREAMS Sweet preparations with the consistency of cream. The term for a wide variety of desserts and dessert toppings or accompaniment, creams may be based on custards or sweet sauces, enriched with cream or lightened with whipped cream. Whipped desserts, such as zabaglione or syllabub, are classed as creams.

   Alternatively, creams may be prepared from set mixtures, for example with gelatine or melted chocolate. Bavarian cream is an example of a custard mixture lightened with whipped  cream, usually with an additional setting agent, such as gelatine or melted chocolate.

   A cooked sauce, thickened with flour or arrowroot, may form the base for a cream as can a fruit puree. Fruit fools, purees of cooked fruit lightened and enriched with custard and/or whipped cream, are also included in this category.

    Although traditionally enriched with milk or cream, yogurt or fromage frais may be used for contemporary, lighter results. Similarly creamy mixtures resembling dairy creams can be prepared from bean curd or by grinding and pureeing plain nuts with a little fruit juice, typically apple juice.

RECIPES

Almond cream

Beat 2-3 whole eggs as for an omelette and put them aside. Beat 150 g (5 oz. 1 cup) blanched or ground almonds with the same weight each of sugar and of butter until pale and creamy. When the mixture is thoroughly blended, beat in the eggs one by one.

Caramel cream for decorating desserts

Cook 200 g (7 oz. ¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar in 100 ml (4 ft oz. 7 tablespoons) water to obtain a golden caramel. Pour 250 ml (8 ft.  oz. 1 cup) double (heavy) cream into a large deep basin, sprinkle it with the caramel, and whish. Then transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over a gentle heat. Meanwhile work 225 g (8 oz. 1 cup) butter with a spatula in the deep basin until soft. Test a drop of the caramel cream in a bowl of cold water, if it forms a firm ball, the cream is cooked. Then pour it over the butter, whipping  briskly. Set aside in  a cool place until used.

Lemon cream

For 8 people, use 2 lemons, 5 eggs, 125 g (4 ½ oz. ½ cup) butter and 200 g (7 oz. 1 ½ cups) icing (confectioner’s) sugar. Grate the rind from one of the lemons. Then squeeze both lemons  and strain the juice. Whisk the eggs with a fork. Melt the butter over a very gentle heat, add the sugar and lemon juice and bring to the boil. Sprinkle the whisked eggs with this mixture, whisking quickly to obtain a very smooth cream. Return to the saucepan, add the grated lemon zest and bring to the boil over a gentle heat, whisking all the time. Pour the lemon cream into a bowl and leave to cool before placing it in the refrigerator.

French Butter Creams

French butter cram orcreme au beurre may be used to sandwich and coat layered cakes or gateaux. It can be piped and used for decoration.

Coffee crème au beurre

Add coffee essence (extract) or instant coffee to the milk used when making a custard base. To flavour cream made with sugar syrup, blend the coffee essence or instance coffee with cream, using 1 teaspoon coffee essence to 300 ml (1/2 pint, 1 ¼  cups)double (heavy) cream, the mixture should become homogeneous when heated.

Praline crème au beurre

Blend some finely crushed praline into the prepared cream, using 50 g (2 oz. ½ cup) praline for 300 ml. (11 fr. Oz. 1 2/3 cups) cream.

CRECY  Any of various dishes that contain carrots. Puree Crecy is a carrot puree used as a base for a soup and as a garnish for various dishes, including poahced eggs, omelette and fillets of sole. In consomme Crcy, the carrots are shredded into a brunoise, while for tournedos Crecy they are turned and glazed.

   It is not known whether the name  derives from the produce of Crecy-la-Chapelle or Crecy-en-Ponthieu in  Somme,

RECIPES

Artichokes Crecy

Prepare 12 very small fresh artichokes and put them in a generously buttered saute pan.Turn 800 g (1 ¾ lb) small new carrots and add them to the saute pan. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Moisten with 4 tablespoons water, cover and cook slowly for about 40 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter just before serving.

Crecy soup

Scrape 500 g (18 oz) very tender carrots, slice thinly and cook them with 50 g (2 oz. ¼ cup) butter in a covered pan. Add 1 tablespoon shredded onion, pinch of salt and ½ teaspoon sugar. When the vegetables are soft, and 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) beef or chicken consomme, bring to the boil and add 100 g (4 oz. ½ cup) rice. Cook slowly with the lid on  for about 20 minutes, then put it through a blender and strain Add a few more spoonfuls of consomme, heat and add 25 g (1 oz, 2 tablespoons) butter. Adjust the seasoning. Serve with small croutons fried in butter.

Fillets of sole Crecy

Wash, clean and fold up the fillets of sole. Poach them in a fish fumet for 5 minutesm drain them and arrange on a long dish.Strain the stock, reduce and add 2 tablespoons bechamel sauce and the same amount of carrot puree. Mix well and heat. Coat the fillets with this sauce and garnish them with very small glazed new carrots.

CREMANT  This term was used to describe champage wines with less atmosphere pressure than fully sparkling champagne, but it is now reserved for the finest French sparkling wines made by the traditional method. The principal sources of Cremant are Alsace, Die, Bourgogne, Loire, Limoux and Bordeaux.

CRÈME   A sweet liqueur  with a syrup consistency. Crème are obtained by soaking various substances in brandy or a spirit containing  sugar syrup, fruit (pineapple, bananas, blackcurrants, strawberries, tangerines, sloes, raspherries) various plant parts (vannilla, mint, cocoa, tea, coffee) or flowers (violet, rose) These liqueurs were fashionable in the 19^th century and often had exotic name, such a s crème de Barbade and crème civole, cremes are usually drunk as a digestant in small glasses. They are also included in cocktails and sometimes served as an aperitit with ice and water.

   The French word crème is also used tin a culinary context for cream soups, for dairy cream and for  a wide variety of sweet preparations.

CRÈME BRULEE A dessert consisting of a rich custard of egg yolks, sugar and cream, often flavoured, which is set by cooking in the oven. The chilled custard is covered with brown sugar and caramelized under a very hot grill or with a blowtorch.

CRÈME CATALANE  A Spanish cooked cream, similar to confectioner’s custard (pastry cream) but thicker as a result of slightly different proportions of ingredients, and flavoured with lemon zest and cinnamon. Traditionally served in flat-bottomed stoneware ramekins, the top is often carmalized.

CREOLE, A LA  The name given to numerous sweet and savoury preparation inspired by West Indian cookery. In particular, the term refers  to a method of preparing rice by cooking it in plenty  of water, draining it and then drying it in the oven in buttered dish. It is finished with tomatoes, sweet peppers and onions, and served with various meats, poultry, fish and shellfish.Sweet dishes a la creole contain rum,pineapple,vanilla or banana. 

Recipes

SavouryDishes

Calves liver a la creole

Cut some fat bacon into very small strips and marinate them in a mixture of oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Use them to lard some slices of calves liver and them marinate the lever for 20 minutes in the same mixture. Drain them, coat them with flour and cook them in a frying pan in some lard [shortening].Remove the slices of liver from the pan and keep them warm in a buttered dish. For every 6 slices of liver, flavour the juices in the frying pan with 2 table spoons chopped onion and 1 table spoon chopped parsley. Brown the onion and parsley and then add 1tablespoon white breadcrumbs, salt pepper and 1tablespoon tomato puree (paste) diluted with 3-4 tablespoons white  wine. Heat the sauce, stirring continuously, and adjust the seasoning. Coat the liver with the sauce.

Chicken a la creole

Cut a chicken of about 1.5 kg (3 ¼ lb) into 8 pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat 3 table spoons oil in a saute pan and brown the chicken pieces. Cover and cook gently for 20-30 minutes. Then  hot on serving dish, skim the pot of the cooking juices and add 4 slice canned pineapple (cut into pieces) to the saute  pan, together with 3-4  tablespoons of the pineapple syrup. The add 2 tablespoons lime juice and a dash of cayenne. Reduce the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Coat the chicken pieces with sauce and garnish them with pineapple.

Fillets of brill a la creole

Remove the fillets from a brill, clean them and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Coat them in flour and cook them in oil in a frying pan. When they are cooked, sprinkle them with lemon juice and arrange them on a warmed serving dish. In the same pan fry a mixture of chopped garlic and  parsley (1 tablespoon for 6 fillets) and pour this over the fillets, together with some oil flavoured with chilli peppers. Brown some halves of tomato in  oil and stuff them with rice pilaf. Garnish the fillets with the stuffed tomatoes and with diced sweet peppers that have been slowly cooked in oil.

Sweet Dishes

Bavarin cream a la creole

Grease a mould  with sweet almond oil and fill it with alternating layers of rum-flavoured and pineapple flavoured basic Bavarian cream, separating the layers with finely chopped bananas soaked in rum.  Place in the refrigerator for about 3 hours. Then turn it out on to a dish and decorate with Chantily cream. Sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts.

CREPE    A pancake, made by cooking a thin batter sparingly in a very thin layer in a frying or special crepe pan. The word comes from the Latin crispus. Meaning curly or wavy.

    Crepe  batter is prepared I n advance and allowed to stand so that the flour swells and any air beaten in during  preparation has time to dissipate. After standing a little extra liquid may by added if the battle has become slightly too thick. Standing and thinning ensures that the batter does not rise and that the crepes are fine and even. Wheat or buckwheat  flour may be used of the latter, they are often called  and either milk or water to mix. If beer is used to mix the batter, it rises slightly. The number of eggs used depends on the individual recipe, but the batter must always have a pouring consistency. Some recipes require the addition of sugar. he crepes may be fried in oil or butter.

RECIPES

Savoury Crepes

Mix 500 g 18 oz, 4 ½ cups]plain (all-purpose]flour with 5-6 beaten eggs and a large pinch of salt. Then gradually add 1litre 1 ¾  pints,4 1/3    cups]milk or, for lighter pancakes,500 ml (17 fl) oz, 2 cups water. The better may also be made with equal quantities of bear and milk, or the milk may be replaced by white consomme.Finally,add 3 tablespoons oil,either one with little taste, such, as groundnut (peanut)oil or sunflower oil or, if the recipe requires it, use olive  oil;25g(1oz ,2 tablespoon) melted butter may also be added.Leave the batter to stand for 2 hours.Just before making  the crepes, dilute the butter with a little water (100-200 ml,4-7 fl oz,1/2-3/4 cup)

Buckwheat crepes or galettes

Mix 250g(9 oz,2  ½ cups)buckwheat flour and 250g(9 oz,2  ¼ cups) plain (all purpose) flour (or use all buckwheat flour)in a bowl with 5-6 beaten eggs and large pinch of salt.

Add, a little at a time,500ml(17fl oz ,2 cups) milk and 70 ml(1 ¼ pints,3 ¼ cups) water and then 3-4 tablespoon oil.Leave the butter to stand for 2 hours at room temperature.Just before making thecrepes, thin the batter with 100ml(4fl oz,7 tablespoons)water as necessary.

Eggs and cheese crepes

Prepare some buckweat crepes as discribed above. After turning each crepe over in the pan to cook the other side, break an egg on top.As soon as the white is set, season lightly, sprinkle with grated cheese and fold each crepe into square. Serve immediately, very hot.

Ham crepes

Prepare 12 savoury crepes. Prepare separately a bechamel sauce with 40g(1 1/2oz,3 tablespoons)butter 40g (1 1\2, 6 tablespoons)plain (all purpose)flour,500ml (17fl oz,2 cups) milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add 150g (5 oz,2/3 cup)diced Paris or Yolk ham and 50 g (2 oz, ½ cup) grated cheese to the sauce .Cool and fill each crepe with one twelfth of this mixture. Roll up the crepes and arrange them in a buttered ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with 50 g (2 oz. ½ cup) grated cheese and 25 g (1 oz. 2 tablespoons) melted butter and brown in a preheated oven at 230 ^oC (450 ^oF, gas 8)

Mushroom crepe

Prepare some savoury crepe batter as above and leave it to stand. Meawhile, prepare a duxelle with 500g (18 oz,6 cups) mushrooms, 1 or 2 shallots, a small garlic cloves 20 g (3/4 oz. 1 ½ tablespoons)butter, salt and pepper, and 300 ml ( ½ pint, 1 ¼ cups) bechamel sauce.

   Make 12 crepes, cooking each one as follow: melt a knob of butter in a frying pan and pour a small quantity of batter into the pan, tilting it in a directions to spread a thin film of batter. Cook over a moderate heat until the crepe slides when the pan is shaken. Then turn the crepe over and cook the other side for about 2 minutes. Place  a tablespoon of the mixed bechamel sauce and duxelles on each crepe and roll it up. Arrange the crepes close together on a lightly buttered ovenproof dish and sprinkle them with 50 g (2 oz. ½ cup) grated cheese. Top with 25 g (1 oz. 2 tablespoons) melted butter and either brown them under the grill (broiler) or reheat them in a preheated oven at 230 ^oC (450 ^oF, gas 8)Serve very hot spoons double (heavy) cream.

Sweet Crepes

Sweet crepe batter

Mix 500 g (18 oz, 4 ½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour with 1 tablespoon vanilla-flavoured sugar (or a few drops of vanilla extract), 5-6 beaten eggs and a small pinch of salt. Gradually stir in 750 ml (1 ¼  pints, 3 ¼ cups) milk and 250 ml (8 ft oz. 1 cup) water. Flavour with a small glass of rum. Cognac, Calvados or Grand Marnier, depending on the recipe. Finally add 40 g (1 ½ oz, 3 tablespons) melted butter or a mixture of 25 g 91 oz, 2 tablespoons)melted butter and 2 tablespoons oil. Leave the batter to stand for 2 hours. Just before making the crepes, dilute the batter with a little water or milk 100-200 ml (4-7 ft oz. 1.2 –3/4 cup).

  It was formerly the custom to add 2-3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar to the batter, in addition to the vanilla-flavoured sugar.Today, the crepes are usually sprinkled with sugar when cooked, according to individual tastes.

Apple and walnut crepes

Make some sweet crepes. Lightly brown some thin slices of apple in butter and sprinkle them with sugar. Cover a quarter of each crepe with the apple slices and a few peeled moist walnuts. Fold the crepes in four and sprinkle with sugar. The crepe may be flamed with Calvados or with another fruit liqueur.

Chartreuse crepes

Prepare a crpe batter in the usual way. Fifteen minutes before making the crepes, prepare the filling. Beat 50 g (2 oz. ¼ cup) butter to soft paste and add 50 g (2 oz. ¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar, 3 crushed meringues and 3 tablespoons green Chartreuse. Add 6 c rushed macaroons, the grated zest of an orange and 3 tablespoons. Cognac to the batter and mix well. Thin the batter with 100 ml (4 ft oz. 7 tablespoons) water and cook the crepes. Spread each one with the filling and fold in four. Dust with icing (confectioner’s) sugar and serve very hot.

Pork crepinettes

Prepare some small flatsausages using either fine pork forcemeat into portions of about 100 g (4 oz. ½  cu) and wrap each one in a rectangular piece of previously soaked and dried pig’s caul.Coat each crepinette in egg and breadcrumbs, brush with melted butter and grill (broil) under a moderate heat (The crepinettes may be grilled or fried without a coating of breadcrumbs).The classic garnish is a puree of potatoes or of harcot (navy) beans, but they may also be served with buttered green vegetables.

CRESS  Any of various plants of the mustard family which are cultivated for their sharp tasting leaves, which can be eaten raw or cooked.

   Cress is believed to be native to the Middle East but is naturalized and widely cultivated in Europe. In the 14^th century, it was used mainly for medicinal purposes, but gradually began to be used in soups. It was not until about 1810 that methods of cultivating  the cress in cress beds were introduced in France from Germany. The district of Senlis specialized in growing cress and it soon found a niche in gastronomy in about 1850, the Café Riche included cress puree on its menu.

  Today, cress produced in France mainly in Oise, Essonne and Seine-Maritime, When cress is to be eaten raw, it should be picked over carefully, the thicker stens and yellowing leaves removed, and the rest washed and  drained carefully. It should not be left to soak in water. Wild cress should not be eaten as it can transmit parasite.

RECIPE

Watercress puree

Cook some watercress in butter for about 5 minutes, until wilted. Puree in a blender or food processor. Add one-third of its volume of either potato puree or a puree or split peas. Add some fresh butter or cream and finish with a little finely chopped raw cress.

CREPINETTE  A small flat sausage, generally made of sausagemeat mixed with chopped parsley and wrapped in caul. Crepinettes may also be made with lamb, veal or poutlry, prepared with salpicon of meat and mushrooms, sometimes garnished with truffles and bound with white or brown stock.This mixture is enclosed in fine forcemeat and the whole is wrapped in caul. Crepinettes are brushed with melted butter  sauted or cooked in the oven. They are served with a potato puree, lentils or boulangere potatoes. They can be served with a s trongy seasoned sauce or, if they are truffled, with a Perigueux sauce.

   Cinderella pork crepinettes (pieds de Cendrillon) are made of fine truffled pork forcemeat. Salpicon of pig’s feet is mixed with diced truffles and mushrooms, bound with concentrated veal stock and placed in the middle of each crepinette. Traditionally cooked in wood-ash, wrapped in pieces of buttered paper, today they are wrapped in caul or in paper thin pieces of pastry before being cooked in the oven.

   Crepinetes may be used to stuff game and poultry with rather dry flesh, such as rabbit or guinea fowl. In the Gironde, crepinettes are fried and served with oysters from the Arcachon basin and wine wine.

RECIPES

Calves brain crepinettes

Soak a pig’s caul in cold water for a few hours. Clean 2 calves brains in cold water to which vinegar has been added. Then gently simmer the brains in 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) well-seasoned courtbouillon for aobaut 10 minute.s Drain, wipe them thoroughly and allow to cool. Fry 400 g (14 oz, 4 ½ cups) chopped mushrooms. 1 chopped shallot, 1 chopped garlic clove and some chopped parsley in a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Season with salt and pepper.

  Wipe the caul, stretch it gently so as not to tear it, and cut it into 5 pieces. Cut each brain into 5 slices. Lay each slice in the middle of a piece of caul, cover with mushrooms and place a second slice of brain on top. Wrap in the cault.Roll the crepinettes in 40 g (1 ½ oz, 3 tablespoons) melted butter, then in some fresh white breadcrumbs, and fry lightly in butter until they turn brown. Serve very hot with a vegetable puree.

CRISPBREAD A small thin crisp biscuit (cracker) made from whole meal (whole grain) rye flour. It is sometimes flavoured with sesame seed, linseed or cumin. It was originally made by Swedish peasants and was intended to be stored for long periods. Today it is manufactured on a large scale, especially in Scandinavia, Germany Britain. Exported all  over the world, it is buttered and eaten with cheese and smoked fish. It is also recommended for low caloric diets.

CRISPS (POTATO CHISP)   Thin round slices of fired salted potato that are mass produced and sold bags. Crips are served in France and Britain with aperitifs, or with grills and roasts. This method of preparating fried potatoes is a very old one, it used to be called pommes en litards  In the United States they are known as potato chips.

RECIPE

Potato chisps

Wash and peel some large firm potatoes.Cut them into very thin round slices (preferably with a mandoilin cutter or in a food processor) and immediately place them inn cold water.Leave to soak for 10 minutes and then dry them thoroughly. Plunge the slice once only into frying oil at 185 ^oC (365 ^oF) Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

CROCKERY  All the items and accessories made of earthenware or china needed for service at the table or use in the kitchen, plates, cups, saucers, bowls, dishes, egg cups and so on.

CROISSANT  A crescent shaped roll generally made with a leavened dough.

   This delicious pastry originated in Budapest, in 1686, when the Turks were besieging the city. To reach the centre  of the town, they dug underground passages. Bakers, working during the night, heard thenoise made by the Turks and gave the  alarm. The assailants were repulsed and the bakers who had saved the city were granted the privilege of making a special pastry in the form of a crescent in memory of the emblem on the Ottoman flag.

  Bakers usually sell two sorts of croissant, those made with butter and the others, which no law obliges them to declare are made with margarine. Croissants may be served at breakfast or tea, or filled with ham, cheese, mushrooms or chicken.

   A very popular speciality in Lorraine is the croissant , filled with dried fruit and coated with egg white or sugar.The term croissant is also used for a semicircular petit four make with almond paste and topped with pine nuts or flaked almonds.

RECIPES

Parisian croissants

Blend 25 g (1 oz.) fresh years (2 cakes compressed years) or 15 g (1/2 oz) dried yeast (3 teaspoons  active dry yeast) with 250 ml (8 ft oz, 1 cup) lukewarm milk. Put 500 g (18 oz., 4 ½ cups0 plain (all purpose) flour into a mixing bowl and add 65 g (2 ½ oz 1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar and 7 g ( ¼ oz. 1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar and 7 g ( ¼ oZ 1 ½  teaspoons) salt. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the mixture of milk and yeast into the centre. Mix quickly with the fingertips and as soon as the liquid is completely absorbed by the flour cover the dough with a cloth and leave it to stand for 30-60 minutes, depending on the room temperature.

  Toll out the dough into a rectangle and dot with butter. Fold into three and repeat rolling, dotting with butter and folding twice more using 250 g (9 oz. 1 cup) softened butter. Allow the dough to stand for 30 minutes.

  Then roll it out to a rectangle about 45 x 15 cm (18 x 6 in) and cut it into triangles.Roll up the triangles, starting at the base and working towards the top. Place the croissants on a baking sheet, curving them into crescents. Allow them to rise further in a draught-free place for 15-45 minutes, depending on the room temperature. Brush with beaten egg yolk and bake in a  preheated oven at 220 ^oC (425 ^oF, gas 7) for about 10 minutes.

Viennese croissants

Blend 15 g (1/2 oz) fresh yeast (1 cake compressed yeast) or 7 g ( ¼ oz) dried yeast (1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast) with 1 tablespoon tepid water. Dissolve 25 g (1 oz. 2 tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar and pinch of salt in a 1tablespoon milk. Heat 225 g (1 oz. 2 tablespoons) butter with mixture of 5 tablespoon water and 5 5tablespoons milk.  Put 250 g (9 oz. 2 ¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour into a large bowl, make a well, and add the  sugar / salt/ milk mixture followed by the mixture of butter, water and milk. Finally add the diluted yeast. Mix all these ingredients together thoroughly to obtain a smooth paste. Leave the dough in a warm place for 1 hour so that it doubles in volume.

   Spread out the dough on a floured dish and cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then roll out the  dough into a thin rectangle on a floured surface. Cut 75 g ( 3 oz. 6 tablespoons) butter into small pieces and distribute them over two- thirds of the rectangle. Fold it into three, starting with the unbuttered third. Roll the dough out a second time, cover and replace in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Repeat the operation again using a further 75g  (3 oz. 6 tablespoons) butter and finish by rolling out the dough into a square of about 20 cm (8 in). Cover and refrigerate again for a further 30 minutes.

  Then roll it out into a very thin rectangle measuring  30 x 60 cm (12 x 24 in) Cut the rectangle into two lengthways, and cut each half into 6 triangles. Roll up each triangle from base to top.Arrange the croissants on a buttered baking, sheet, allowing plenty of space between them.’Leave them to stand for 1 hour.Brush the croissants with beaten egg and bake for 3 minutes in a preheated oven at 240 ^oC (475 ^oF, gas 9) Lower the temperature to200 ^oC (400 ^oF, gas 6) and bake for about a further 12 minutes. Watch them carefully during the last few minutes to ensure they do not overcook.

Savoury Croissant

Cheese croissants

Split some baked croissants on one side.Butter the inside and fill with thin slices of Gruyere or Emmental cheese.Sprinkle with pepper and heat through in a preheated oven at 240 ^oC(475 ^oF, gas9). Serve immediately.The butter and cheese may be replaced by a well-reduced bechamel sauce containing cheese.

Shrimp Croissants

Use 6 croissants baked without sugar.Make 200 ml (7 ftl oz. ¾ cup) well reduced prawn sauce (see shrimps and prawns) Split the croissants on one side and fill them generously with the sauce. Heat  through in a preheated oven at 240 ^oC (475 ^oF, gas 9) and serve very hot.

Sweet Croissants

Pound together in a mortar 300 g (11 oz. 2 ¾ cups) whole shelled almonds and 150 g (5 oz. 2/3 cup) vanilla-flavoured sugar, gradually moistening with sufficient  egg white to obtain a paste that can be rolled in the hand.Add 2 tablespoons flour to the paste and divide it into pieces about the size of a walnut.Roll each piece with the hands into the shape of a cigar with slightly pointed ends 9flour your palms if necessary) Dip each cigar in beaten egg, roll in some flaked (slivered) almonds and shape into small croissants. Arrange them on sheets of greaseproof (wax) paper on baking sheets. Glaze with egg yolk and cook for about 12 minutes I n a preheated oven at 200 ^oC (400 ^oF, gas 6 ) until they are golden brown. As soon as they are cooked, brush them with sweetened milk.

CROQUEMBOUCHE   A decorative cone shapd preparation built up of small items of patisserie or confectionery and glazed with a caramel syrup to  make it crisp. The croquembouche is usually placed on a base of nougat. It is built around a conical mould, also called a croquembouche, which is removed through the base when the small pieces are securely fixed to each other by the solidified caramel. It is traditionally served in France at buffets, weddings and first communication meals.

  The trational croquembouche is made of little chou buns, sometimes filled with some kind of  cream and dipped in sugar cooked to the crack stage. Croquenbouches are also made with crystallized (candied) or sugar coated fruits, brandy snaps, marzipan sweets (almond paste candies) meringue, or nougat, sugar flowers or spun caramel.

RECIPE

Chestnut croquembouche

(from Caremes recipe) Take 60 choice roasted chestnuts, peel them carefully and remove any traces of urning. Glaze by dipping them in sugar cooked to the crack stage, one by one, and place them on a smooth round mould, 18 cm (7 in ) in diameter and 13 cm (5 in) deep.This croquembouche must be assembled at the last minute before serving because the moisture in the chestnuts tends to soften the sugar and make it lose both its consistency and its gloss.

RECIPE

Croque-monsieur a la brandade

Light coat with oil 2 slices of bread from which the crusts have been removed.Spread brandade of salt cod on one of the slices, cover with slices of tomato, then place the second slice of bread on top. Brown on a grid in a preheated oven at 240 ^oC (475 ^oFm gas 9) or under a grill (broiler).

CROQUET  A dry petit four in the shape of a small stick generally made of almonds, sugar and egg white, Croquets are very often regional specialities. The best known are the croquets  of Berry, Sologne, and Perigord, the golden croquets o Sens, the lace like croquets of Nivernais, the croquets of Barsur-Aube and Bordeaux (made with unskinned almonds) and the croquets of Vinsobres and Valence (made with whole almonds).

CROQUETTE  A small savoury or sweet preparation. Savoury crouettes, made with a salpicon of fish, meat, poultry, ham, mushroom or calves sweet breads, are served hot as an hors d’oeuvre or as a garnish (especially potato croquettes) sweet croquettes are made with rice chestnuts or semolina.

   The basic mixture is bound with a fairly thick sauce, white, supreme, veloute, curry, tomato or cheese bechamel for savoury croquettes, confectioner’s custard  for sweet croquette. Croquettes are shaped into corks, sticks, balls or rectangles. They are usually coated with breadcrumbs,  plunged into very hot oil and fried until they are crisp and golden. They are arranged in the shape of a pyramid, turban or crown on a dish lined with a dolly or napkin, and savoury croquettes are sprinkled with fried parsley.Croquettes are always served with a sauce related to the main ingredient of the mixture  The most common are fish croquettes  and croquette potatoes, served with sauteed or grilled meat.

   Sweet croquettes may also be made with very thick confecitoner’s custard, cut into diamond shapes or rectangles, which are coated with breadcrumbs and friend.

RECIPES

Savoury Croquettes

Preparation of Croquette mixture

Mix 500 g (18 oz. 4 ½ cups) of the main ingredient of the croquettes (cooked poultry, game, veal, lamb offal) minced (ground) or cut into very small dice, with 250 g (9 oz. 3 cups) cooked diced mushrooms and possibly 75 g (3 oz. 1 cup) diced. Moisten with 100 ml (4 ft. oz. 7 tablespoons) Madeira, place in a covered pan and heat gently. Then add 400 ml (14 ft oz. 1 ¾ cups) well reduced veloute sauce, thickened with 3 egg yolks. Stir the mixture well, over the heat, then spread evenly on a buttered baking sheet and dab the surface with butter to prevent it from forming a crust. Leave to cool completely before making the croquettes.

  Divide the cold mixture into portions of 50-75 g (2-3 oz) Roll these out on a floured flat surface and shape them into corks, balls, eggs or rectangles. Dip them in a mixture of egg and oil beaten together and then cover them completely with the  breadcrumbs.

   Place the croquettes in a frying basket, plunge into oil heated to 175-180 ^oC (347-356 ^oF), and deep fry until they are crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels and arrange on a napkin in a pyramid or turban shape.Garnish with parsley and serve with an appropriate sauce.

   When the croquettes are served as a small entrée, they are often accompanied by a garnish of fresh vegetables coated in butter or a puree of vegetables. The croquettes themselves, if they are made very small, may be used as a garnish for large roasts, joints, poultry, game or fish.

Beef croquettes

Cut some boiled beef and some lean ham into very small dice. Make a well-reduced bechamel sauce with 50 g (2 oz. ¼ cup) butter, 50 g (2 z. ½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, 500 ml (17 ft oz, 2 cups) milk, grated nutmeg, and salt and pepper, beat in 1 egg yolk. Bind the salpicon with the sauce and leave to cool.Finish according to the basic method and serve with a well seasoned tomato sauce.

   The bechamel may be replaced by rice, using two thirds salpicon to one third rice cooked in meat stock.

Cheese croquettes (1)

Make a bechamel sauce with 50 g (2 oz. ¼ cup) butter, 50  (2 oz. ½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, 400 ml (14 ft oz. 1 ¾ cups) milk a little grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add to the boiling bechamel 100 ml (4 ft. oz. 7 tablespoons) double (heavy) cream and 125 g (4 ½ oz. 1 cup) grated cheese (Gruyere, Emmental or Edam).Stir until the cheese is melted and adjust the seasoning. Leave to cool. Finish the preparation as in the basic recipe.

Cheese cheese  croquettes (2)

Beat together 3 whole eggs and 2 yolks. Boil 500 ml (17 ft. oz. 2 cups) milk. Pour into a saucepan 50 g  (2 oz. ½ cup) sifted flour and 50 g (2 oz. ½ cup) rice flour. Add the beaten eggs and mix well. Dilute  with the  boiled milk and season with salt and pepper, grated nutmeg and a dash of cayenne. Bring to the boil and cook  for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Add 125 g (4 ½ oz. 1 cup) grated cheese (Gruyere, Emmental or Edam) and stir until melted. Leave to cool and finish the preparation as in the basic recipe.

Viennese croquettes

Make a salpicon of equal quantities of lamb’s sweetbreads poached in court-bouillon, lean ham, mushrooms, which have been cooked slowly in butter and chopped onions softened in butter., add just enough veloute sauce, reduced and seasoned with paprika, to bind everything together well. Finish the croquettes according to the  basic method, moulding them into disc shapes. Serve with round slices of fried onion and a paprika flavoured tomato sauce.

Mussel croquettes

Prepare a salpicon of mussels a la mariniere and thinly sliced mushrooms which have been cooked slowly in butter. Add half of its volume of well reduced bechamel sauce to which some filtered juice from the mussels has been added. Finish the croquettes according to the basic method. Serve with a white wine sauce.

Potato croquettes

Peel and quarter 1.5 kg(3  ¼ lb) floury potatoes and cook in salted boiling water until they are quite  tender (at least 20 minutes)Drain the potatoes and dry them out over a low heat.Press through a sieve or blend them to a puree, add about 50 g (2 oz. ¼ cup) butter and gradually work in 4 beaten egg yolks with a fork. Spread the puree in a buttered dish and leave to cool completely.

  Work the puree into a ball, using floured hands, then roll the ball into a long narrow cylinder, cut it into sections about 6 cm (2 ½ in) long. Round these sections slightly. Roll them in flour, coat with a mixture of 2 eggs lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon oil, and cover with  breadcrumbs. Deep fry the croquettes in oil heated to 180 ^oC(356 ^oF) for about 3 minutes, until they turn golden. Drain on paper towels and serve very hot with roast or grilled (broiled) meat.

Rice croquettes

Mix together 500 g (18 oz. 3 cups) rice cooked au gras with 125 g (4 ½ oz, 1 cup) grated Parmesan cheese. Bind with a beaten egg and check the seasoning. Mould into cork shapes and finish according to the basic method. Serve with a well seasoned tomato sauce.

Rice croquettes a l ancienne

(from Careme’s recipe)  Cook 175 g (6 oz, 2/3 cup) short grain rice in good stock. Mix it with 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese and a little nutmeg. Divide into 10 portions, make hollows in each and fill them with a salpicon of game or fowl combined with reduced veloute sauce. Close up the balls, roll in finely grated Parmesan, and finally in the palm of the hand to make the croquetes completely round. Dip in egg and coat with breadcrumbs mixed with finely grated parmesan cheese, and deep fry. Garnish with fried parsley.

Sweet Croqyettes

Apricot Croquettes

Cook 500 g (18 oz) apricots in syrup.,, drian, dry and cut itno large dice. Add 400 ml (14 ft oz. 1 ¾ cups) very thick confectioner’s custard. Flavour the mixture with rum and leave to cool completely. Divide into portions of 50-65 g (2-2  ½ oz.) Mould each portion into a small ball, flatten slightly and roll in flour, beaten egg and fresh breadcrumbs. Deep fry in oil heated to 175-180 ^oC (347-356 ^oF) and serve with hot apricot sauce.

Chestnut croquettes

Dip some chestnuts in boiling wate and peel them.Cook them in a light syrup-500 g (18 oz. 2 ¼ cups) granulated sugar per 1 litre (1 ¾  pints, 4 1/3 cups) water flavoured with vanilla. Press the chestnuts through a sieve to obtain a puree and thicken it with egg yolks and butter – 5 egg yolks and 50 g (2 oz. 4 tablespoons) butter per 500 g (18 oz 2 ¼ cups) puree. Spread the mixture on a buttered baking sheet and leave to cool completely. Cut into rectangles of about 50 g (2 oz) cover with egg and breadcrumbs and deep fry in oil heated to 180 ^oC(356 ^oF). Serve the croquettes very hot with a fruit sauce flavoured with Cognac or Armanac.

   Instead of chestnuts, 500 g (18 oz. 4 ½ cups) sieved marrons glaces may be used, blended with 400 ml (14 ft oz, 1 ¾ cups) confectioner’s custard flavoured with rum. Cognac or Armagnac.

Rice croquettes

Prepare some rice in milk using 125 g (4 ½ oz, 2/3 cup) rice, after cooking, add 5-6 egg yolks (or 3 whole eggs beaten as for an omelette). Lave to cool completely, then divide into portions of about 50 g (2 oz.) Mould them into cork shapes, coat with egg and breadcrumbs, and deep-fry in oil heated to 180 ^oC(356 ^oF) until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with a hot fruit sauce flavoured with Grand Marnier.

CROTTIN DE CHAVIGNOL  A French goat’s milk cheese made in Sancerre.  Containing at least 45% butter-fat, it has a soft centre and a natural crust, mottled with a white, blue or brown mould. Crotin can  be eaten when it has ripened for three months until dry, when it is crumbly, with a piquant flavour, and gives off a fairly strong smell, it is also eaten fresh, when it is milder and white. Originally, only very mature cheeses, with a strong smell and almost very mature cheese, with a strong smell and almost black colour, were entitled to be called Grottin. Grottin comes  in the form of a small flattened ball, weighing about 50 g (2 oz) A distinction is made between farm Crottin, which is enjoyed with a full bodied wine, and dairy Crottin, slightly more insipid and rarely matured, which may be used for souffles and salads. In Berru. Crottin was traditionally prepared by placing it under the grill for a few minutes, sometimes coated with breadcrubms, and then serving it hot accompanied by a green salad of endives or dandelions.

RECIPE

Roasted crottins de Chavignol on a salad with walnuts of Correze

Arrange 6 well matured cRottins de Chavignol on a baking sheet and put them in a preheated oven at 240 ^oC (475 ^oF gas 9) they must lose their first fat. Fry 6 slices of pain de compagne in butter until golden. Place the little cheeses on top and serve with a green salad including 65 g (2 ½ oz, ½ cup) chopped green walnuts (or use pickled walnuts). Seasoned with vinaigrette.

CROUPION  The rear end of the body of birds, consisting of the last two dorsal vertebrae and bearing the tail feathers. Called the parson’s nose in Britain, it is a very tasty part, particularly from chickens and turkeys.

   In ducks and geese, the sebaceous glands situated on either side of the parson’s nose must be removed before cooking as they can give the meat an unpleasant taste.

CROUSTADE  A preparation consisting of a case of lining pastry, puff pastry, hollowed out bread, duchess potato mixture, semolina or rice, which is fried or heated in the oven and filled with a salpicon, ragout, vegetables or a puree, bound with a suitable reduced sauce.Croustades, which were originally made in the south of France are eaten as hot hors d’oeuvre, but they are  also used in certain garnishes for large scale cookery (filled with kidneys, vegetables or crayfish tails).

RECIPES

Bread croustades

Cut  some thick stale bread into slices 5-6 cm (2-2 1/2 in) thick, remove the crusts and trim to the desired shape. On the top, make a cricular incision with the tip of a knife to a depth of 4-5 cm (1 ½ -2 in) to mark the lid.Deep fry the croustades in oil heated 175-180 ^oC (347-256 ^oF) until they are golden.Drain  Take off the lid and remove all the crumb from the inside. Line the croustades with a thin layer of forcemeat (according to the filling).  Leave for 5-6 minutes at the front of a hot oven with the door open. Fill with the chosen mixture. All the fillings recommended for timbales and vol-au-vent are suitable for bread croustades.These croustades may also be made using round bread rolls.

Duchess potato croustades

Spread the duchess potato mixture in a 4-5 cm (1 ½ -2 in) thick layer on an oiled baking sheet and leave to cool completely. Use a smooth round cutter to cut into shapes 7.5 cm (3 in0 in diameter. Coat these croustades with egg and breadcrumbs. To mark the lid, make a circular incision in the top 1 cm (1/2 in) from the edge and 3-4 cm (1 ¼ -1 ½ in) deep. Deep fry in oil heated to 180 ^oC )356 ^oF) until golden. Drain and dry on paper towels. Remove the lid and hollow out the inside, leaving only a base and a wall, about 1 cm (1/2 in) thick. Fill the croustades according to the instructions given in the recipe.

Puff pastry croustades

Sprinkle the worktop with flour and roll out puff pastry to a thickness of about 1-2 cm (1/2 –3/4 in) Using a pastry (cookie) cutter, cut rounds 7.5-10 cm (3=4 in) in diameter.With a smaller cutter, make a circle centred on the first, with a diameter 2 cm (3/4 in) smaller, taking care not to cut right through the pastry, this smaller cricle will form the lid of the croustades. Glaze with egg yolk and place in a prehated oven at 230 ^oC (450 ^oF, gas 8). As soon as the crust has risen well and turned golden, take the croustades out of the oven. Leave until lukewarm, then take off the lid and, with a spoon, remove the soft white paste which is inside. Leave the croustades to cool completely.

   Alternatively, roll the pastry to a thickness of only 5 mm ( ¼ in) and cut half of it into circles 7.5-10 cm (3-4 in) in diameter, and the rest into rings of the same external diameter and 1 cm (1/2 in) wide. Brush the base of the rings with beaten egg and place them on the circles, glaze the whole with beaten egg and cook.

CROUTE  A pastry case or slice of bread used to hold savoury or sweet preparation. Pastry croutes (puff or shortcrust) are cooked blind and then filled, they include timbales, vol-au-vent and bouchees.

  Croutes served as hot hors d’oeuvre are round or square slices of bread from which the crusts have been removed, fried in butter until they are a golden colour and topped with various preparations (ham, mushrooms, anchovies or seafood) they are sometimes coated with a little thick sauce and cooked au gratin.

   Croutes served as hot desserts are stale slices of savarin, brioche or milk bread, dried in the oven and spread with poached or crystallized (candied) fruits moistened with syrup, sprinkled with shredded almonds or coated with jam, and often arranged in a border or crown shape.

RECIPES

Savoury Croutes

Preparation

Cut some round pieces of bread, 4-5 cm (1 ½ -2 in_ in diameter and 2 cm (3/4 in)  thick, from a stale loaf. Use a round cure with a diameter smaller than  that  of the croutes to press lightly on each croute to mark the lid. Fry the croutes in butter or oil. When they are golden, drain and remove the central circles for lids, then hollow out. Fill according to the recipe instructions. Instead of frying the croutes, they can be brushed with butter and browned in a preheated oven at 220 ^oC (425 ^oF, gas 7)

Fruit croutes

Cut a stale savarin into slices 1 cm (1/2 in) thick. Place these slices on a baking sheet, dust them with fine sugar and glaze them in a preheated oven at 230 ^oC (450 ^oF, gas 8). Reassemble the savarin on a large round dish, alternating the croutes with slices of canned pineapple. Place around this crown, alternately, quartrs of pears and apples, cooked in vanilla-flavoured syrup and well drained. Fill the inside of the crown with a salpicon of various fruits cooked in syrup and well drained. Fill the inside of the crown with a salpicon of various fruits cooked in syrup and drained. Decorate the top with glace cherries, angelica lozenges, quarters of crystallized (candied) apricots, small golden and green preserved oranges and halved almonds. Warm the crown in a preheated oven at 150 ^oC (300 ^oF, gas 2).

  When ready to serve, coat it with apricot sauce flavoured with rum or kirsch, and serve more of this sauce separately. Croutes containing other types of fruit cooked in syrup (apricot, peach, pear, plum, nectarine) are prepared in the same way.

Turban of coutes a la Beauvilliers

Cut from a stale brioche 12 rectangular slices, 6 cm (2 ½ in ) long and slightly wider than a banana. Arrange these slices on a baking sheet, dust with caster (superfine) sugar and glaze in a preheated oven at 230 ^oC (450 ^oF, gas 8) Peel 6 bananas and cut them in half lengthways. Lay these banana halves on a buttered baking sheet, sprinkle them with caster sugar and cook them for 5 minutes in the preheated oven at 230 ^oC (450 ^oF, gas 8).

   Make a turban shape on a round ovenproof dish, alternating the bananas and the slices of brioche. Cook some semolina in sweetened vanilla flavoured milk, bind with egg yolks, and add a salpicon of crystallized (candied) fruit, macerated in a fruit liqueur. Fill the centre of the turban with this mixture. Sprinkle the whole preparation with finely crumbledd macaroons, moisten with melted butter crumbled macaroons, moisten with melted butter and brown in the preheated oven. Just before serving surround the turban with a thin ribbon of apricot sauce flavoured with rum or with a fruit liqueur.

CROUTES FOR SOUP  Thick slices of French bread which have been partly hollowed out or cut in two lengthways and dried in the oven.Croutes are served with all kinds of soups, usually separately, either plain, garnished or filled.

   Croutes a Fancienne are stuffed with stockpot vegetables  and cooked au gratin.Croutes au pot are moistened with the stock pot fat and browned in the oven. The name consomme crofile au pot is sometimes given to the stockpot broth garnished with vegetables cut into small pieces, grated Gruyere cheese and round slices  of flute, hollowed out and grilled or baked.

    In the Middle Ages, the thin slices of bread soaked in stock, wine or milk, which were served with gruels or liquid stews, were called soupes. Later, the name croute was given to lightly browned slices of bread served after the soup, these were coated with puree, garnished with crayfish or asparagus tips, and moistened with partridge gravy or cooked au gratin using Parmesan cheese.

RECIPES

Croutes for consomme

Divide a French loaf (flute or ficlle) ionto slice 5 cm (2 in) long. Cut each slice in half lengthways and remove the soft part.Dry out the croutes in a cool oven and arrange them in a dish. Alternatively the slices can be brushed with melted butter or olive oil and baked in the oven until golden. Serve separately with the broth from a pot-au-feu or a consomme.

Stuffed croutes a I ancienne

Cut a French loaf (flute) into slices 4 cm (1 ½ in) long. Remove three-quarters of the soft part and dry the crusts in a cool oven.Fill them with vegetables from the stockpot, which have been chopped or pressed through a sieve. Arrange them in a dish, sprinkle with grated cheese, moisten with melted butter and brown them in a preheated oven at 230 ^oC (450 ^oF, gas 8) or under the grill (broiler).These croutes may also be prepared with very small round rolls, hollowed out, dried, filled and cooked au gratin.

CROUTON   A small piece of bread which is toasted, lightly browned in butter, fried in oil or simply dried I n the oven. Diced croutons are used to garnish certain preparations (soups, green salads, are included in composite garnishes. Cut into hearts, diamonds, crescents, triangles, circles or stars, they are used as a complementary garnish for dishes in sauces or puree and to decorate the border of the serving dish. Croutons spread  with a gratin forcement are used as a base for some types of game and poultry. Large crouton supports are used to raise large hot or cold items for buffets so that added garnishes do not mask the food. They are not intended to be eaten.

RECIPES

Crouton omelette

Bear  some eggs for an omelette, add some small diced croutons which have been fried in butter and  cook the omellette. Serve the omelette with a ribbon of well reduced spiced tomato sauce poured around it and sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Croutons flavoured with thyme

Peel the cloves of half a head of garlic and remove the green part from each cloves. Place in a blender with 100 g (4  oz, ½ cup) slightly salted butter, ½  teaspoon flat-leaf parsley, ½ teaspoon powdered thyme, ½ teaspoon thyme leaves, ½  teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon marjoram, 1 small can anchovies with the oil, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepepr.Cut a statle baguette into diagonal slices.Coat generously with this mixture, and put under the grill (broiler) until crusty yet soft.

CROWN  A method of arranging certain sweet or savoury dishes in the form of a ring. (using a ring mould), a border (for rice) or a crown (lamb cutlets arranged back to back). The centre of the arrangement is usually decorated or garnished. The terms turban or border are also used.

  Brioches and bread en couronne are shaped in the form of a crown or ring.

CRUDITES  Raw vegetbles or frutis served as an into little sticks and accompanied by cold sauces. Crudites include carrots, celeria, cucumber, sweet peppers, red cabbage, celery, fennedl, fresh broad beans, cauliflower, tomatoes, mushrooms, radishes, small artichokes, quarters of grapefruit, orange and apple, round slices of banana sprinkled with lemon, slices or avocado and, although it is cooked, beetroot.The various items are often presented as an assortment, with several sauces. A plat of crudites may also include a hard boiled egg in mayonnise.

RECIPE

Basket of crudites

Choose some very fresh raw vegetables, little carrots, celery sticks, radish, cucumber, sweet peppers, very small artichokes known as poivrades, cauliflower, mushrooms, fennel.

   Scrape the carrots and radishes, leaving the small green leaves on the radishes. Thoroughly remove the strings from the celery sticks, cut them into four. Peel the pepper (optional) cut open, take out the white membrane and seeds, and cut the flesh into thin strips. Peel the cucumber and cut into sticks. Pull the cauliflower apart into small  florets. Wipe and slice the mushrooms. Clean the fennel bulb and cut it into thick slices. Just before serving break the stalks of the artichokes, cut them in four, remove the chokes and sprinkle the cut part with lemon juice.

   Line a wickerwork basket with a napkin and arrange the vegetables in it, in bunches. If it is not to be served immediately, cover it with a cloth and put in a cool place. Serve accompanied by a mayonnaise with herbs, a tarragon vinaigrette, an anchovy sauce and a cream cheese sauce.

CRUMPET  A small spongy yeast cake with holes on the top surface, cooked on a griddle in a special ring about 7.5 cm (3 in) in diameter. In England, crumpets are usually served at tea time, toasted and spread with plenty of butter.

RECIPE

Crumpets

In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons tepid water, 25 g (1 oz) fresh yeast (2 cakes compressed yeast) and  ½ teaspoon sugar until completely dissolved. Leave the bowl in a warm place until the mixture has doubled in volume. Put 150 g (5 oz. 1 ¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour and pinch of salt in a large mixture bowl. Make a well and pour 100  ml (4 ft oz. 7 tablespoon) milk into the middle.Add 1 whole egg. Stir the batter with a spoon, add 1 tablespoon butter a really smooth batter is obtained Cover the bowl with a napkin and put it in warm place, shelltered from draughts, for 1 hour or until the batter has doubled in volume.

  Clarify 50 g (2 oz ¼ cup) butter and use to grease the bottom of a large heavy griddle or frying pan and also the insides of some 7.5 cm (3 in) rings. Place 3 or 4 rings on the griddle over a moderate heat. Drop 1 tablespoon batter into each ring it spreads immediately and fills the ring. When the crumpets begin to bubble, turn them over with a palette knife (spatula), then lightly brown the other side for 1-2 minutes. Place the crumpets on a dish and cover them with foil. Butter the rings and the griddle again and continue making crumpets until the batter is used up. Toast before serving.

CUCUMBER. The fruit of an annual climbing plant of the gourd family, which is generally eaten raw but it is also good cooked.

   Originating in the foothills of the Himalayas, where it once grew wild, the cucumber has been cultivated in India for more than 3000 years. It was introduced into Egypt and carefully cultivated by the Hebrews in Galilee. Plinty recounts that the Romans and Greeks were very found of cucumber. In France cucumber was eaten during the reign of Charlemagne, butit was La Quintine who organized its cultivation under glass, so that it could be served at Louis XIV’s table as early as April. It is long and cylindrical in shape, with firm, watery, pale green flesh, which is crisp, cool and slightly bitter to the taste its fine green skin is shiny and usually smooth.

Varieties:  There are several varieties of cucumber, classified in two types- those gown exclusively in greenhouses, known as Dutch, and those cultivated either in the open or under glass frames, known as ridge, they differ more in size, shape and shade of  green than in taste.

  Cucumber should be bought very fresh and firm, never wrinkled. It is often peeled, since its skin can be quite bitter. When served raw, it is sometimes salted and drained to extract excess water and intensify  the flavour of  the vegetable. Salting does make the flesh soft but careful salting and draining prevents, the liquor from the cucumber diluting the flavour of any seasoning or dressing tarragon dressing, cream or yogurt, for example.

   Cucumber can also be eaten cooked, either baked in the oven, sauteed I n butter or else cooked au gratin.Served in its own juice or in a sauce, it can accompany meat or fish. It can also be stuffed either raw or cooked.Cucumber is just as popular in northern and eastern European cookery  as in Mediteranean countries.

RECIPES

Preparation of cucumbers

For hot dishes, peel the cucumbers, split in half lengthways and remove the seeds, cut the flesh into even sized chunks and then again into segments, plunge into boiling water for 2 minutes to blanch them, then drain.

  For cold dishes, peel the cucumbers, split in half lengthways and remove the seeds, they can then either be kept intact for stuffing, cut into segments or else simply cut into semicircular slices or quarters, the flesh can also be cut into circular slices without splitting lengthways.

Cold Dishes

Cold cucumber soup

Cut a large cucumber into small pieces. Peel 12 small new onions and cut into quarters.Chop these vegetables  in a food processor and put them into a blender with the same quantity of cottage cheese and some salt and pepper, the resultant puree should be well seasoned. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Then dilute the puree with iced water to obtain the consistency of a fairly thick soup and sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley.

Cucumber salad

Cut the cucumber into semicircular slices.Add a well seasoned vinaigrette generously flavoured with herbs (parsley, chervil, chieves) or coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves.This salad can be served as an hors d’oeuvre or to accompany cold white meat or fish.

Cucumber stuffed with crab

Split in half and hollow out 3 medium sized cucumber of regular shape. Sprinkle with fine salt and leave to sweat for about 1 hour. Mash 250 g (9 oz. 1 cup) crabmeat (fresh or canned) and dice some fennel finely (enough for 3 tablespoons).Also dice very finely 150 g (5 oz.) cooked ham heel (rind) Make some mayonnaise with 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons mustard and 250  ml (8 ft. 0z. 1 cup0 oil, add salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon each of wine vinegar and tomato ketchup. Mix together the mayonnaise, crabmeat, fennel and ham. Adjust the seasoning. Drain the cucumber halves thoroughly and fill with the stuffing. Keep in a cool place, when ready to serve, sprinkle the cucumbers with chopped herbs and arrange on lettuce leaves.

   Instead of mayonnaise, double (heavy) cream flavoured with tomato ketchup, lemon juice and cayenne can be used, and shelled prawns can be substituted for the crabmeat.

Stuffed cucumber a la russe

Finely slice a cucumber and cut each slice into quarters. Cut 3 other cucumbers into boat shapes. Mash the contents of a can of tuna or salmon, roughly chop 6 small (pearl) onions and mix together the fish, onions, and quartered cucumber slices with 300 g (11 oz. 1 ½ cups) cottage cheese (well drained) Season with salt and pepper. Fill the cucumber boats with this mixture and put in a cool place. When ready to serve, sprinkle with 1 sieved hard boiled (hard cooked) egg and chopped herbs.

Hot Dishes

Buttered cucumber

Place blanched segments of cucumber in a saute pan with some butter allow 50 g (2 oz. ¼ cup) per 1 kg ( 2 ¼  lb) of cucumber, add salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons water. Begin by boiling fast, then cover and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes. Just before serving, add a fresh piece of butter, stir, pour into a vegetable dish and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Buttered cucumber can be served with poultry and white fish.

Cucumber with cream

Cut the cucumber flesh into segments and blanch. Grease a saute pan, add the pieces of cucumber with some salt and pepper, cover and cook very gently for about 10 minutes, then add some heated double(heavy) cream allow 200 ml (7 ft oz. ¾ cup) per 1 kg (2 ¼  lb) of cucumber flesh and continue cooking uncovered. The cucumber can also after salting and draining, be cooked au gratin or served with Mornay sauce.

CUISINE CLASSIQUE  All the cookery techniques of traditional french cuisine which evry chef should k now and master.These are codified in the Guide cultinaire by Auguste Escoffer, the result of important research in the course of which the complex cuisines of Antonin Careme, Jules Goulffe and Urban Francois Dulbois were simplified and refined  Cuisine classique also includes the inheritance of traditional regional recipes. Many chefs of the present have drawn heavily on this melting pot to create some of the greatest contemporary dishes.

CULINARY EXHIBITIONS  Until 1914, there were two rival exhibitions in Paris, dating back to the beginning of the century, the Salon Culinate and the Exposition Internationale d Alimentation et d’ Hygiene. Consisting mainly of demonstrations of very elaborate and decorative dishes, this type of exhibition is rarely held today. However, the food industry still organizes shows to demonstrate new materials, products and services.

CULTIVATEUR  A clear soup made with vegetables and salted belly of pork (salt pork). It is the restaurant version of the classic vegetable and bacon soup. It is served with diced lean bacon, which may be placed on thin slices of bread.

RECIPE

Potage cultivateur

Cut 2-3 small carrots and 1 small turnip into large dice, prepare 6 tablespoons diced leeks (white part only) and 2 tablespoons diced onions. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Cook the prepared vegetable together in 50 g ( 2 oz. ½ cup) butter in a covered pan. Moisten with 1.5 litres (2 ¼ pints 6 ½ cups) white consomme and cook for 1 ½ hours. About 25 minutes before serving add 150 g (5 oz ¾ cup) sliced potatoes and 75 g (3 oz. ½ cup) well blanched diced bacon.

     The potatoes can be replaced by rice.

CUMBERLAND SAUCE   A traditional English sweet sour sauce that is usually served cold with venison, braised ham, mutton, or roast or braised duckling. It is made with port, orange and lemon juice and zest, and redcurrant jelly.

RECIPE

Cumberland sauce

Remove the zest from an orange and a lemon and cut into fine strips, cook 1 generous tablespoon of the zest very gently in 200 ml (7 ft oz. ¾ cup) port for about 20 minutes. Remove the zest and add to the port  2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly, then a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne. Mix, bring to the boil, add the juice of the orange and lemon, then strain. Mix in the cooked strips of zest.

CUMIN  An aromatic plant with small, elongated spindle shaped seeds that are used as a spice, either whole or ground. They  have a piquant and slightly bitter taste combined with a warmth that is evident in their aroma. There are biblical references to its use in soup and bread, and the Romans used it to flavour sauces and grilled (broiled) fish and to preserve meal. It was often included in the recipes of  the Middle Ages Cumin is widely used in cooking. It is a classic flavouring for bread and is also used in certain preparations of cold meat and cheeses, such  as Munster cheese. Cumin seeds are popular for rice dishes  and ground cumin is essential in many Indian dishes.

CUP  A thinking receptacle in various shapes, sizes and materials and provided with a handle. Cups are made of porcelain, farence, earthenware, glass, plastic or even metal. In former times, cups were made without a handle, or with two handles, or even with a lid, and they were not always accompanied by a saucer.  In the 15^th century, cups were used for both hot and cold drinks. Peasants drank from plain or engraved wooden cups. Before the French Revolution, the wine provided in cabarets was served in cups made of heavy fatence. Decorative cups, usually ade of hard stone mounted in gold or silver, were embellished with precious stones. From the 18^th century onwards, fatence and porcelain services became very widespread, but individual cups were also made, such as the trembleuse and the tasse a moustaches, with an inner lip that enabled men to drink from it without wetting their mousetaches.

CUP   A mixed drink usually with one ingredient used as a base and often prepared for several servings. Cups may be made by macertating fruit (such as peeled citrus fruits, cherries, pears, peaches or bananas) in liqueurs, spirits, wine or sometimes cider, beer, champagne or sparkling wines. Cups were enormously popular in the 19^th century and, more recently for parties.Some cups may be ideal as thirst quenchers when based on wine diluted with fruit juice or lemonade.Pimms is perhaps the best known commercial cup.

RECIPES

Cider Cup

Mix together 1 glass of Calvados, 1 glass of Maraschino, 1 glass of Curacao and 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 1/3 cups) sweet cider. Add some ice cubes, slices of peeled orange and chilled soda water. Stir gently and decorate with thin slices of fruit.

Peach cup

Slice 500 g (18 oz) stoned (pitted) ripe peaches, add 150 g (5 oz. 2/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar and 500 ml (17 ft oz. 3 cups) apple juice and leave to macerate for 1 hour. Then add 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 ½ cups) dry white  wine and 3 tablespoons Curacao and place in the refrigerator. Add 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) chilled soda water just before serving.

Saint James’s cup

Dissolve 200 g (7 oz, ¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar in 250 ml (8 ft. oz. 1 cup) water.Add 500 ml (17 ft. oz. 2 cups) Cognac, an equal wuantity of rum, 1 glass of Curacao, 1 litre (1 ¾ pints, 4 ½ cups) very strong cold tea and some crushed ice. Mix with I bottle of dry sparkling cider just before serving.

Sauternes cup

Mix together 1 glass of Curacao, 1 glass of Cognac, about 12 cherries in brandy, 1 bottle of Sauternes and a little chilled soda water. Add a few slices of lemon, cucumber peel and ice cubes.

CUPBEAKER  An officer in charge of serving drinks to kings and princes under the French Ancient Regime.The position of cupbearer, which was instittuted in France during Carolingian times, can be traced back to the Byzantine court.This was one of  the most prestigious and lucrative posts concerned with serving the royal food and drink, but in practice the cupbearer himself only fulfilled this function at coronations.

  

CURACAO a liqueur based  on sweet or bitter oranges(originally it was made from the dried peel of the bitter oranges from the island of Curacao, off the north coast of Venezuela). It is now made by many liqueur houses and often sold as triple see., it may be colourless, yellow or orange.Curacao is used in various cocktails and also for  culinary purposes, notably for flavouring cakes, pastries, souffles, and above all, for making crepes Suzette  The best known form of this popular liqueur  is the one evolved by Cointreau, one of the top-selling liqueurs of the world.

RECIPE

Curacao

(domestic recipe) Macerate 250 g( 9 oz.1 ½ cups) dried orange peel and the grated rind of 2 Seville (bitter) oranges in 3 litres (5 pints, 13 cups) alcohol in a large hermetically sealed jar for 1 month. Make a syrup with 1.25 litres (2 1/4 pints, 5 1/2 cups) water and 2.5 kg (5 ½ lb 11 cups) granulated sugar. Strain the maceration, mix with the syrup, bottle and leave to mature. If liked, the liqueur may be coloured with a little caramel.

CURD  Milk coagulated either by the action of rennet or by natural fermentation. Curdling is the first stage in the manufacture of cheese. In the French countryside, naturally cradled milk has always been  a standard dessert, sometimes forming an essential part of the dinner. It may be eaten sweetened or mixed with fruit, or savoury and seasoned with herbs. The savoury dish is usually accompanied by boiled potatoes, particularly in Britany where it is called lait cuit (cooked milk) or marri, and in Lorraine where it is called matton or brocq. In Corsica, it is the custom to give a young bride on the threshold of her new home a bowl of goat’s milk curdled with the stomach of a suckling kid.

CURRY The idea of curry as a dish flavoured with curry powder was a British invention or, more appropriately a misrepresentation of spiced Indian dishes. Originating from kari, meaning sauce and used to describe the spicy Indian sauces served with rice or other foods. Curry does not exist in traditional Indian cooking as a particular dish seasoned with a set mixture of spices. However, the name has been adopted by some Indian restaurants, often to describe a range of inferior dishes prepared by simmering different ingredients in a standard sauce. The sauce is often varied by increasing the quantity of chilli powder to produce milk medium or hot curries.

   In Europe the mixtures were prepared to fixed formulas during the era of the East India Company and sold by the Dutch and British, the first were published at the beginning of the 18^th century. Beauvilliers proposed one in 1814. In 1889, at the Universal Paris Exhibition, the composition of curry powder was set by decreee 34 g (1.2 oz) tamarind, 44 g (1.5 oz) onion, 20 g (0.7 oz) coriander 5 g (0.17 oz) chilli pepper, 3 g (0.1 oz) turmeric, 2 g (0.08 oz) cumin 3 g (0.1 oz) fenugreek, 2 g (0.08 oz) pepper 2 g (0.08 oz ) mustard.

   A typical contemporary curry powder may include, for example, turmeric, coriander, cumin, pepper, cloves, cardamon, ginger, nutmeg, tamarind and chilli pepper. It may be further seasoned with fennel, caraway, ajowan seeds, dried basil, mustard seeds and cinamon.

  In India the spices in kari vary according to the individual cook, the region caste and customs, as  well, of course, as the main ingredient or dish which it is intended to complement. Even though a cook may use a flavouring mixture, traditionally it would be freshly prepared for each dish. In practice, mixtures such as garam masala may be made in larger quantities and stored in an airtight container.

Well balanced flavour.  The seasoning of the dish does not begin and end with a mixture of ground spices fresh spices, such as ginger or chillies, and whole species, typically cardamoms, are often vital. Onion and garlic frequently feature and bay leaves, fenugreek leaves or curry leaves may be used. The ultimate flavour of the sauce or dish is also the result of careful preparation roating the spices, frying the flavouring ingredients and adding spices at different stages during cooking. Many dishes are  finished with a final dressing of spices cooked in butter or ghee or sprinkled with ground roasted spices.The important pint that early curry recipes or spice mixtures missed is that a hot flavour is not necessarily a prerequite. Warm flavours from mild spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and cardamam, and the refreshing eucalyput citrus tones of cardamons are often important. Finally, rarley are such dishes domianted bsingle overpowering flavour even fiery dishes laden with chillies should be carefully balanced, so that the flavour of the main ingredients and any other spices are clearly in evidence.

International curries. Although the typical European interpretation of a curry based on an inferior, lurid yellow curry powder may have tainted the image of dishes taking the name, in practice a wide variety of good quality international dishes have evolved. Curries feature in the cooking of many countries where Indian spice mixtures are used in combination with local ingredients and cooking styles.African and Southeast Asian curries are well known, especially those of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Rich in the use of coconut milk, lime and dried shrimps or shrimp paste, there are many delicious Oriental seafood curries and spiced noodle dishes.

Curry products.   Commercial curry powders, pastes and sauces have improved and they are often associated with particular regional Indian origins or styles of cooking. Superior brands and carefully blended spices are available and these, along with high quality pastes or sauces, can be useful for seasoning savouries and dishes that are not intended to be authentic. However, inferior products still exist and cheap hot and bright yellow curry powders must be avoided.

Preparing curries or spiced dishes. Paying attention to technique is as improtant as the careful use  of spices. Roasting spices before grinding them enhances their flavour and is recommended when they are to be added during the later stages of cooking or directly to a sauce. When roasting spices, take care not to overcook them or allow them to become too hot and burn as this will make them bitter. They are aromatic and just changing colour when ready.

  When whole or ground unroasted spices are used, they should be cooked gently in a little butter, ghee or oil before the liquid is added. Spices are often cooked with onions, ginger and other ingredients fried in the first stages of cooking.  Cooked spices and flavouring ingredients can be pureed to a paste and used as a marinade.

   Marinating allows the spices to penetrate the main ingredients beofr cooking. The spices may be mixed with an oil or yogurt paste or they may be roasting and used as a dry rub. This is also a good method of helping to achieve tender results, especially when using citrus fruit juice and yogurt.

   Long  gentle cooking allows time for the spices to mingle and for the flavour of the dish to mature. Some spinced dishes benefit from being cooked in advance, cooled, chilled and thoroughly reheated before serving (particularly meat curries).

   Warm spices may be added at the end of cooking, particularly cumin, coriander, cinnamon or nutmeg. These canb e roasted and ground or whole spices can be cooked in a little butter and trickled over the dish this method is often used for dal or dishes of cooked pulses.

RECIPES

Curry Power

This is a useful general spice mixture and enough for seasoning 600-900 ml )1-1 ½ pints, 2 ½ -3 ¾ cups) sauce or a dish to yield 4-6 portions, depending on the ingredints. Place 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 4 green cardomoms, 2 tablespoon cumin seeds and 4 tablespoon coriander seeds in a  small saucepan. Roast the spices gently, shaking the  pan frequently, until they are just aromatic.Remove from the pan and cool, then grind to a powder in a spice   grinder or pestele and mortar. Mix in 2 teaspoons ground fenugreek, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric and ½ teaspoon chilli powder.

Chicken curry

Draw singe and clean a medium sized chicken, then cut it into quarters and divide each quarter into 3-4 pieces (make sure the chicken bones are cut cleanly, without splinttering). In a flameproof casserole containing lard (shortening) or butter, cook 2 medium onions. 100g (4 oz. ¾ cup) ham and 2 peeled dessert (eating apples, all choped and seasoned with crushed garlic, thyme, bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and powdered mace. Then add the chicken pieces and cook until lthey are firm, stirring them in the mixture without letting them get too cloured.

  Add the prepared curry powder (above).Add 2 tomatoes, peeled, crushed and seeded, and mix  well. Mositen with 250  ml (8 ft oz. 1 cup) coconut milk (or almond milk)  Simmer with the lid on for about 35 minutes. Ten minutes befor serving, add 150 ml (1/4 pint, 2/3 cup) double (heavy) cream and the juice of 1 lemon. Continue to reduce the sauce until the desired conssistency is achieved.

  Arrange the chicken pieces in a dish and serve with rice prepared as follows: boil 250 g (9 oz. 1 ½ cups) rice for 15 minutes in salted water, stirring often, drain and wash several times in cold water. Empty on to a metal plate, wrap in a towel and dry in a preheated oven at 110 ^oC(225 ^oF, gas ¼) for 15 minutes.

Chicken curry can also be made using the recipe for lamb curry.

Lamb curry

Mix 1 tablespoon frshly grated root ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger) a pinch of saffron, 3 tablespoons oil, a large pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper. In this mixture, roll  1.5 kg (3 ¼ lb) neck or shoulder of lamb cut up into pieces, and leave to marinate for 1 hour. Peel and crush 3 large tomatoes.Brown the pieces of meat in a large saucepan containing 25 g (1 oz. 2 tablespoons) lard (shortening) then remove from the pan.

  In the same fat, fry 4 large sliced onions until golden, then add the crushed tomatoes, the prepared curry poweder (above) 3 finely chopped garlic cloves and a bouquet garni. Leave to brown for 5 minutes. Peel and grate an acid apple, add to the pan and stir for 2-3 minutes. Repalce the meat in the pan, stir, add a small cup of coconut milk or semi skimmed milk, cover and leave to finish cooking gently for about 40 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.

  Serve this curry very hot with boiled rice, cashew nuts, raisins, and pineapple and banana dice flavoured with lemon juice, all in separate dishes.

Monkfish curry a la creole

Cut about 1 kg (2 ¼ lb) monkfish into pieces, fry in oil until golden, then drain. In the same oil, fry 100g (4 oz. ¾ cup) finely chopped onion until golden, then add 2 or 3 peeled crushed tomatoes, a pinch of saffron, 1 tablespoon freshly grated root ginger (or 1 teaspoon freshly grated root ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger), 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, a bouquet grani, a piece of orange peel and 2 teaspoons of the prepared curry powder (above) Stir ove a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, then add 250 mll (8 ft oz. 1 cup) hot water, cayenne, salt and pepper.Cover and leave to  cook very gently for 30 minutes.Remove the bouquet garni and orange peel and serve with rice a la creole.

CUSSY, LOUIS, MARQUIS DE  One of the wittiest gastronones of the early 19^th century . He held the post of prefect of the palace under Napoleon 1. If his great friend Grimod de la Reyniere is to be believed, Cssy invented 366 different ways of preparing chicken a different dish for each day, even in a leap year.

   In 1843 he published Les Classiques de la table, in which he devoted many pages to the history of gastronomy. He also wrote several articles.As principal steward of the emperor’s household, he looked after the wardrobe, the furniture and the provisions of the court. When Louis XVIII succeeded Napoleon, it is said that at first he refused to have anything to do with Cussy, but that later, learning that he was the creator of strawberries a la Cussy, he gave him a post of responsibility.

   Chefs have dedicated several recipes to him, including a garnish for meat or poultry consisting of artichoke hearts filled with mushroom puree, cooked au gratin, topped with cocks kidneys and fine slices of truffle, and coated with a port or Madeira sauce.

RECIPES

Potatoes a la Cussy

Cut off both ends of big yellow potatoes, and cut them with a special cutter (called a colonne) into cork-shaped chunks, about 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter.Cut them into slices 5 mm (1/4 in) thick. Dry on a cloth to absorb all water. Put them into a bigt pan with 225 g (8 oz. 1 cup) hot clarified butter and cook gently so that they colour without sticking to the pan or drying up. In the meantime, slice 6-8 truffles, toss them in butter with 1 tablespoon Madeira and a walnut sized piece of chicken aspic. When  the potatoes are cooked and have acquired a fine golden colour, remove them from the heat and add the truffles and the juice of half a lemon and serve piping hot.

Salpicon a la Cussy

Prepare a salpicon of braised calves sweetbreads truffles and mushrooms which have been cooked slowly in butter. Bind with cocnentrated Madiera sauce.

Turnovers a la Cussy

Fill circles of puff pastry with a forcemeat of creamed whitting or other white fish to which anchovy fillets (cut into small strips) and chopped truffles have been added.Fold the pastry over into turnovers. Place on a buttered baking sheet, brush with beaten egg, and bake in a preheated oven at 230 ^oC (450 ^oF, gas 8) until golden brown.

CUSTARD  A hot or cold mixture, set or thickened with eggs or egg yolks. The term primarily refers to sweet mixtures of milk or cream with eggs. There are several basic types of sweet custard and numerous variations on them they also form the base for a wide range of desserts. There are two main types, pouring custards or custard sauces and baked or set custards.

Custard desserts   Any of the custard sauces, including a sabayon, may be used as the base for frozen desserts, including ice creams or parfaits. They ae often used as a base for chilled set creams mousses or souffles.

  Many cooked desserts, hot or cold, rely on a baked custard.British bread and butter pudding is a good example the layers of buttered bread are soaked in a custard mixture before baking. More sophisticated desserts are made on the same principle, for example with sponge cake, enriched with alcohol. Baked custard filligns are also used for tarts.

  Baked custards also feature in unusual puddings, such as fried custard, made by coating and frying chilled set custard, and delicately spiced Indian desserts prepared from sweet cake or bread soaked in saffron custard and baked.Bread soaked in custard and fried is also a classic peasant pudding.

Savoury custards.  The same principle is also used for certain savoury mixtures. The typical filling for quiche is a good example, where cream and eggs are  set on a base of savoury ingredients. Light fish custards are vegetable custards may be steamed or baked in individual dishes. Oriental cooking also includes savoury custards, based on eggs but without the cream or milk flavoured with finely cut savoury ingredients. A savoury dish of bread soaked in custard and baked, especially flavoured with cheese, makes a classic family supper, similarly, slices of bread soaked in beaten egtgs and milk can be fried and served as a savory snack.

 Making Custards   Custards rely on lightly set gegg for success, overheating the mixture or cooking it for too long will make the egg set completely and it will separate from the liquid, becoming curdled.Gently heating, usually over a bain marie or pan of hot (not boiling) water on the hob (stove top) or in a bain marie in the oven, is essential to avoid curdling. The perfect, smooth baked custard is strained and allowed to stand, then cooked, gently for just the right length of time, any slight bubles or open texture indicate overcooking or too high a temperature.

   For best results, the liquid should be heated and allowed to cool until warm or hand hot before it is added to the eggs. The eggs should be well beaten and the custard mixture strained through a fine sieve.

  Crème patissiere is boiled because the flour prevents the egg yolks from curdling. A little cornflour can be added to custards to help stabilize them and reduce the risk of curdling.

Custard products   Custard powder, invented by Alfred Bird in Birmingham, England in 1837, is a cornflour product with dried egg, colouring and flavouring. It does not resemble egg custard.Various products are produced based on this types of flavoured cornflour mixture.

RECIPES

Confectioner’s Custard (Pastry

Cream  Confectioner’s custard (1)

In a thick based saucepan, place 50 g (2 oz. ½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, 175 g (6 oz. ¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar, a pinch of salt. 15 g ( ½ oz.1  tablespoon) unsalted butter and 4 whole eggs. Work this mixture with a whisk. Infuse a vanilla pod 9bean) in 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) milk, bring to the boil and add it to the mixture. Stir well, place the saucepan over the heat and boil for a few minutes, stirring all the time to prevent the custard from sticking to the bottom.Remove the vanilla pod, pour the custard into an earthenware dish and allow to cool, stirring from time to time.

Confectioner’s custard (2)

Split a vanilla pod (bean), boil it in 500 ml (17 ft oz, 2 cups) milk, then remove it. Beat 3 egg yolks with 75 g (3 oz. 6 tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar when mixture has turned white, add 40 g (1 ½ oz. 1/3 cup) cornflour (cornstarch0 Then gradually add the boiling vanilla flavoured milk, whisking all the time. Put the mixture in a saucepan over a gentle heat and boil for 1 minute, whisking vigorously . Pour the custard into a deep bowl and leave to cool.

Chocolate confectioner’s custard

Use 75 g –100 g (3-4 squares) cooking chocolate for 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) confectioner’s custard. Cut the chocolate into small pieces, add them to the hot custard and stir with a wooden spoon until they have melted completely.

Cofee confectioner’s custard

Stir 1 teaspoon coffee essence (coffee extract) or 1 tablespoon instant coffee into every 500 ml (17 oz. 2 cups) hot confectioner’s custard.

Crème Anglaise

Crème anglaise

Blend 250 g (9 zo. 1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar, a pinch of salt and 8 egg yolks in a pan using a whisk. Boil 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) milk flavoured with vanilla or the zest of either a lemon or an orange. When the sugar egg yolk mixture forms ribbons, gradually add the warm (not boiling) milk. Mix well, keeping the pan on the heat and stirring continuously until the first signs of boiling. At this point the yooks are sufficiently cooked and the custard should cling to the spoon. Press the hot custard through a fine sieve or a silk strainer. Keep it hot in a bain marie if it is to accompany a hot dessert otherwise pour it into a basin, stir until it is compeltely cool and keep it in a cool place.

  A simpler and lighter version of this can be made by reducing the number of egg yolks to 5-6  adding ½ teaspoon arrowroot, starch or cornflour (cornstarch) when mixing the eggs and sugar. This gives a slightly thicker consistency and helps to prevent the custard from curdling if allowed to overheat.

Custard cream with liqueur

When the custard is completley cold add 1 tablespoon liquuer (Curacao, kirsch, Maraschino or rum, for example).

Custard flavoured with coffee or tea

Add coffee essence (extract0 or instant coffee to the milk used for preparing the custard. Alternatively, tea canb e infused in the milk, which is then strained.

Orange or lemon custard

For the quantities in the basic recipe, add the finely grated zest of 1 orange or lemon to the milk and infuse for 1 hour before making the custard. If required, shred the pared zest of 1 fruit very finely, boil until tender, and add to the warm custard.

Based Custards

Chocolate custard

Melt 100 g (4 oz.  4 squares0 cooking (unsweetened) chocolate in a bain marie with 1 tablespoon milk when the mixture is quite smooth, add 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) milk, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Whisk 6 eggs with 100 g (4 oz ½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar until pale and thick.Gradually add the chocolate flavorued milk, whisking it all the time.Strain the custard into 6 ramekins and cook in a bain marie in a preheated oven at 190 ^oC (375 ^oF, gas 5) for 25-30 minutes.

Take the moulds out of the bain marie, leave to cool and chill well.

Fried Custard

Fried custard fritters

Boil 500 ml (17 ft oz. 2 cups) milk with 1 tablespoon vanilla flavoured sugar. In a mixing bowl, beat 5 egg yolks  with 100 g9(4 oz ½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar until the mxiture is white.Beat in 75 g (3 oz. ¾ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour and gradually add the boiling milk, whisking it well. Pour the mixture into a saucepan, boil over a gentle heat for 3 minutes, stirring all the time, then remove from the heat and leave to cool until lukewarm.Spread the custard evently over a buttered baking sheet to a thickness of 1.5 cm. (5/8 in) and leave it to cool compeltely. Cut it into rectangles, diamonds or circles, dip these in batter and plunge them into hot oil at a temperature of 170-180 ^oC (338-356 ^oF) Drain and dust with icing (confectioner’s) sugar.

Fried custard with crystallized fruits

Macerate 100 g (4 oz. 2/3 cup) diced crystallized (candied) fruits in 100 ml (4 ft oz. 7 tablespoons) Grand Marnier. Prepare some custard for frying as in the previous recipe and blend the fruit with it. Lightly oil a baking sheet and pour the custard on to it to form an even layer, 2 cm (3/4 in) thick, leae to cool before putting in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Then cut the custard into diamond shapes and coat with beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Fry in hot oil at a temperature of 175-180 ^oC(347-350 ^oF) until lightly browned, then drain on paper towels. Dust with icing (confectioner’s) sugar and serve very hot.

CUSTARD APPLE  The fruit of a tree that originated int Peru and is cultivated in many tropical countries. Similar fruits produced by related species include the soursop (or bullocks’ heart) and the cinnamon apple.The custard apple is grown in the Near East, Central America and the south ofSpain. It  is the size of an orange, with a rough green skin, which turns blackish brown when the fruit is properly ripe. The flesh is white and juicy and has a  sweet sour flavour with a rose like scent. The chilled fruit is cut in half, the black seeds are remvoed and it is usually eaten with a small spoon. It can also be  used in sorbets and fruti salads.

CUSARD MARROW  A species of climbing gourd which is eaten as a vegetble, it is called chayote in France, Christophine, or brionne in the West Indies and chouchoute in Madagascar and Polynesia. Originating from Mexico, where its young  shoots are eaten like asparagus, the custard marrow is cultivated in tropical countries and in North Africa. It remains rough skin and several spines, and is as big as two fists, with deep longitudinal ribs. Its firm homonegous white flesh is crisp. It does not have a very pronounced flavour, it has a light water content.

   The custard marrow keeps for a long time. Beofre completely ripe, it may be consumed raw in salads, peeled, cored and finely sliced. It is especially common in Caribbean cookery. Not fully ripe until it starts to germinate, the gourd is peeled and pureed for making acras and very fine gratins. It is an essential ingredient in mange mele (ratatouille with streky bacon and coconut milk) and accompanies spiced dishes such as kid colombo or pork curry It may also be made into a souffle.

RECIPE

Custard marrows ala martiniquaise

Press some boiled custard marrows in a cloth to extract the maximum amont of owater and mix this pulp with bread soaked in milk.Brown some peeled and finely sliced spring onions (scallions) in butter, then blend with themixture of bread and custard marrow. Season and spread out in a gratin dish, smoothing the top. Moisten with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh breadcrumbs and reheat in the oven.

CUTLET  A shpaed cutlet  consists of boned minced (ground) meat, poultry or fish that is bound with sauce and shaped into a cutlet. It may then be dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in butter .Egg cutlets are made in a similar way. Hard boiled (hard-cooked) eggs are chopped, bound with a reduced bechamel sauce containing raw egg yolks, coated with breadcrumbs and fried. Mushrooms, ham or pickled tongue can be added. Shaped cutlets are served as a hot starter.

RECIPE

Shaped curlets

Chop cooked poultry, game or meat into small dice or reduce to a very dry paste. Slwoly and gradually add a thick bechamel sauce (with or without tomato puree) a thick Mornay sauce or an allemande sauce. The resulting mxiture must have an even consistency.Add some chopped herbs (parsley tarragon, mint) Roll out the  mixture evenly  on a greased surface and allow it to cool compeltely.Divide the mixture into portions weighing bout 75 g (3 oz.) Shape each portion into a cutlet, dip in beaten egg with a little added oil and coat with fresh breadcrumbs.Fry the cutlets in clarified butter.Serve garnished with vegetables and quarters of lemon.

CUTTLEFISH A mollusc related to the squid, which is about 30 cm (12 in0 long and lives on weedy coated sea beds. Its body resembles a greish oval bag with a mauve sheen and it has a fairly large head with ten irregular tentacles, two of which are very long. The bag is almost completely surrounded with fins and encloses a hard part the cuttlebone.The cuttlefish has several regional Frnech nicknames margate, sepia, supion, Like the squd, the cuttlefish has an ink sc, which means that it can be cooked in its ink as it is in Spain Cuttlefish are cooked like squid, but the flesh is quite tough and has to be beaten vigorously. The romans were very fond of it and it is still eaten in Italy, Spain and south western France, especially stuffed or a l americaine.

CUVEE The contents of a wine vat (cuvee) and hence a blending of various vats or casks into a harmonious whole.The term is used particularly in Champagne, where the ingredients of the cuvee come from different wines of different vineyard plots, different grapes, and, for the non-vintage wines, of different years.

Terms associated with this word include tete de cuvee and premiere cuvee but the legality of their use depends on the region;s laws.

CRYNIKI  Also known as cierniki, pumplings made with cottage cheese, served as a hot hors d’oeuvre with soured (sour) cream.Alternatively, they may be poached and served with melted butter or cooked in timbales with grated cheese and butter. Cyrniki are of Polish origin, but also form part of the repertoire of Russian cuisine.The cheese is mixed with eggs and flour (seasoned with salt and pepepr) until it forms a soft dough.Small triangles or discs,  about 2 cm (3/4 in) thick, are cut out of this dough, floured, and then lightly browned in butter in a frying pan.