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recipe november/december
2005
A puff of hot air: Soufflés.
Two recipes by Carême.
Dutch
version of this recipe
Dessert is the triumphant closure of
an elaborate dinner. It must be something special to capture the attention of
the already satisfied eater. Hunger has long since dissappeared, all that is left
is gratification of the senses.
The recipes for these months are for
two sweet soufflés, one with strawberries
and one with mint. Both recipes
are from the famous French cook Marie-Antoine (Antonin) Carême (1783-1833).
The
life of Antonin Carême.
His life is a succes story. He had a difficult start: Having been born in a poor working class family with many
children, he was put out on the streets of Paris at the age of ten because by then
he was considered to be able to fend for himself.
He found work in a restaurant. After six years he was discovered by the famous
pâtissier Bailly. His new master instructed him in the arts of pâtisserie, but
also enabled him to learn to read and write.
After two years in the service of Bailly, he was again discovered, this time by
Talleyrand. Carême went into service as pâtissier, but used his time well by
learning the cook's office from Talleyrand's master chef Boucher. In the twelve
years Carême was to work here, he cooked for many high personages like Napoleon Bonaparte
and King Louis XVIII.
After twelve years Carême left Paris for England, where he was to cook for the
Prince-Regent (son of King George III, the later George IV).
England did not agree with Carême, and in 1818 he was back in Paris.
For a short while, because his next patron, Czar Alexander I, took him to
Petersburg. But Russia was no more to Carême's taste than England was.
 |
After a stay in Vienna Carême
returned to France. His new employees were James (1792-1868) and Betty Rothschild (1805-1886,
see portrait on the left). The social acceptation of the "nouveau
riche" Rothschilds was due in part to the elaborate meals that were served
at their table.
In 1833 Carême died from a stroke after a lingering illness probably caused by tuberculosis
and long-term exposure to carbon-monoxide. At the time there was
a great cholera epidemic. His remains were buried during the night, without
ceremonial, at the then new graveyard
Montmartre (opened in 1825), which was already filling up fastly because of the
large number of cholera victims. It was to be years before a tombstone
was placed on his grave, at first nobody even knew the exact location of the
grave.
 |
Cookbooks
by Carême.
Carême has written a number of cookbooks.
The first two concern his first love, pâtisserie: Le
Pâtissier Royal Parisien ou Traité Elementaire
et Pratique de la Pâtisserie Ancienne et Moderne
and Le Pâtissier Pittoresque, both published in 1815. These books
did not only contain recipes, but also architectural designs for sugar
confectionary. To Carême sugar architecture was quite as serious as the
designing of real buildings. In the Pâtissier Pittoresque there are
plates illustrating for example the differences between Ionic, Doric and
Corinthian columns. To him, pâtisserie was one of the branches of architecture.
Pâtisserie is not only sugar and sweets, it also covers the territory of
pasties and paté, so in these books you'll also find recipes for savoury
pasties and such.
In 1822 Carême publishes Le Maître d'Hôtel Français, ou parelle de la cuisine ancienne et moderne, considérée sous le rapport de l'ordonnance des menus, selon les quatre saisons.
With this book he displays himself as an alround cook. It contains an overview
of meals which were served in the previous years in Paris, St. Petersburg,
London and Vienna to a plethora of noble and important men and women.
The next cookbook appears in 1828, Le Cuisinier Parisien. This focusses
on recipes for cold buffets with dishes like aspic and
chaudfroid.
Although he was in poor health during the last years of his life, Carême worked
hard to complete his chef d'oeuvre L'Art
de la cuisine français au 19ème siècle. This encyclopaedic work on the
classical French cuisine consists of five parts. The first three parts were
published in
1833, the last two parts were finished by friend and colleague Plumerey when
Carême died before being able to finish his great work. (See the printed
biography of Carême, Cooking for Kings).
Looking at the career of Carême,
one can but agree with the saying that he was "le cuisinier des rois et le roi des cuisiniers"
(cook of kings, and king of cooks).
By the way, am I the only one who
sees the irony of a famous cook with the surname "Lent"? (Because that
is what "carême" means: the forty day period of penance and fasting
between Ash Wednessday and Easter)
Soufflé:
Handle with care!
Back to the soufflé recipes. Both come from Le Pâtissier Royal. They
are sweet soufflés, meant to be served hot. But mind you, there are also
savoury soufflés (like cheese-soufflé, broccoli-soufflé) and soufflés that
are served cold.
I have picked two recipes, to demonstrate the two basic preparations for these
soufflés.
The first recipe is based on pureed fruit,
without fat or egg yolks. This results in a light, easily digested soufflé, but
it collapses rather quickly. The second recipe is based on milk or cream that is
thickened with cooked rice or (more modern) a roux with flour, and egg yolks.
This soufflé is much firmer, but also less easy on the stomach (and our
cholesterol and slim figures!).
Carême was not the inventor of the soufflé, but he was one of the first to
publish recipes for it. The dish "soufflé" dates from the end of the
eighteenth century. Antoine Beauvilliers (1754-1817), once cook to King Louis XIV
and later owner of the first real restaurant in Paris, "Le Grand Taverne de
Londres" (since 1783), served many a soufflé in his career, although his L'Art
du Cuisinier with the first soufflé recipes in print wasn't published until
1814.
To Carême the soufflé was "la reine de la
pâtisserie chaude, ancienne et moderne" (the queen of hot pastry, old and
modern). In his days soufflés were baked in a pastry case, called a croustade,
that was lined with buttered sheets of paper. This pastry case was usually baked
in advance. In my adaptation of the recipes I have not used a croustade, but a
modern soufflé dish. These croustades were not only used for soufflé, pasties
were also served in it. The correct preparation of the croustade was of great
importance to Carême. That is why Le
Pâtissier Royal starts with an extensive introduction describing the ins
and outs of the making of puff pastry.
You can see from the original recipes that a
soufflé is one of the more difficult dishes to prepare. If you work hazardly or
hasty, you won't serve a proudly raised soufflé, but a pathetic mess that no
viagra will ever get to rise again!
Soufflés purely based on puréed fruit without additional thickeners are the
most susceptible to collapsing. Carême advises to use a portable field oven
heated with glowing ashes for transportation, to keep the soufflés draught-free
and warm.
As conclusion some important advise: 1. If you
make one large soufflé it is better to use a low, wide mould than a high,
narrow one. I prefer to use small individual soufflé dishes. 2. Don't even
THINK about opening the oven door while the soufflé is baking! 3. Use a
moderate heat to bake the soufflé. 4. Serve the soufflé as soon as possible.
This means that you have to time the moment the soufflé enters the oven
rightly. 5. Take care that during transport of the soufflé it is as warm and
draught-free as possible.
Soufflé Parisien aux fraises.
This is the text as found in Le Patissier Royal Parisien ou Traité Elementaire
et Pratique de la Patisserie Ancienne et Moderne, second impr., 1828, pp.
364-365.
Soufflés Parisiens aux fraises
Après avoir épluché un beau panier de belles fraises et de bon fruit,
vous les écrasez. Vous les passez en purée à l'étamine fine; vous
mêlez une livre et demie de sucre en poudre avec dix-huit blancs d'oeufs
foutés bien fermes. Lorsque le tout et bien amalgamé, vous ys mêlez la
purée de fraises parfaitement incorporée. Vouz verser l'appareil dans
une croustade comme à l'ordinaire; vous terminez l'opération de même de
ci-dessus. On procédera de la même manière pour faire des soufflés de
framboises, de groseilles, de prunes de reine-claude et de mirabelle.
Comme ces sortes de soufflés sont très-susceptibles à la cuisson, on
les fait encore de la manière suivante: On prépare la moitié de
l'appareil des soufflés français décrits précédemment; mais on n'y
met que huit jaunes d'oeufs et peu de sucre. Ensuite vous mettez cet
appareil avec l 'une des trois recettes décrites ci-dessus; mais vous ne
mêlez tout qu'apres avoir préparé entièrement le soufflé comme pour
entrer au four. Le soufflé aux framboises se prépare de même qui
celui-ci. |
Parisian soufflé with
strawberries.
After picking over a large basket of good strawberries and fruit, crush
them. Strain them to a purée through a fine-meshed sieve. Temper with one
and a half pound of powdered sugar with eighteen stiffly beaten egg
whites. When everything is well mixed, you mix in the strawberry purée
until it is perfectly absorbed. Pour the preparation in a pastry crust as
usual, complete the work the same way as [described] above. One proceeds
in the same manner to make soufflé with raspberries, red currants,
greengage plums and mirabelles.
Because these kinds of soufflés are very susceptible to the baking, one
makes them also in the following manner: One prepares half of the
preparation for french soufflés described before; but one adds but eight
egg yolks and a little sugar. Then you make this preparation with one of
the three recipes described above, but you won't mix all before you have
completely prepared the soufflé up to the moment that it's ready for the
oven. The soufflé with raspberries is prepared in the same manner as this
one. |
The
modern adaptation of the recipe for strawberry soufflé.
For the modern adaptation of this
dish I have used the first method. The result is a wonderfully light soufflé.
The second method is described extensively in the second recipe. On the picture
below right you see six strawberry soufflés in individual moulds baking in the
oven.
This strawberry soufflé is really very easy to make if you follow the
instructions.
For six to eight persons.
List of ingredients:
250 gram (1 2/3 cup) strawberries (Smell them
before buying them: no smell, no taste)
100 gram (1/2 cup) sugar (maybe more if the strawberries aren't very sweet of themselves)
5 whites of eggs
icing sugar for decoration
soufflé dish with a content of 1½ liter (6 cups/3 pints), or several small individual moulds
butter and icing sugar for the mould
Preparation in advance:
Separate the eggs.
Purée the hulled strawberries in a blender or a passevite. Add half of the
sugar, taste, and add more sugar if you so desire.
Butter the soufflé mould and sprinkle the inside with icing sugar.
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350ºF.
Beat the egg whites until they stand
up in peaks. Add 50 gram sugar and continue beating the whites to a glossy
whiteness. Add a little of the eggwhites to the strawberry purée, mix well,
then pour the purée into the bowl with the beaten egg whites. Mix lightly, and
pour the preparation into the buttered and sugared soufflé mould. For a good
result the mould be filled almost up to the rim.
Bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until slightly browned and
concave on top.
To serve:
Sprinkle some icing sugar on the soufflé and serve immediately!
You could garnish with slices of fresh strawberry, whipped cream, and maybe a
sprig of mint (although that is rather cliché).
Soufflé
Français
à la menthe.
This is the text as found in Le Patissier Royal Parisien ou Traité Elementaire
et Pratique de la Patisserie Ancienne et Moderne, second impr., 1828, p.361
and 353-355. It is a very, very long recipe, the modern adaptation is not quite as
verbose. Straight
to the modern adaptation.
Soufflé français
à la menthe.
Ayez de la menthe frisée et fraîchement cueillie; vous la mettez dans le
lait presque en ébullition, avec le zeste d'un citron coupé très
légèrement. L'infusion étant faite, vous la passez à la serviette, et
vous terminez l'opération. Voyez-en les détails dans le premier article
de la chapitre. |
French soufflé with mint.
(p.361)
Have freshly picked spearmint (Mentha spicata var. crispata). Put it in
the milk that is almost boiling, with the finely cut peel of a lemon. When
the infusion is ready ytou strain it through a cloth and finish the
recipe. See for details the first article of the chapter. |
Soufflé français
à la vanille.
Ayez douze verres de bon lait bouilli, dans lequel vous jettez deux
gousses de vanille. Le lait étant reduit d'un quart, vous le passez à la
serviette dans une grande casserole, et, pendant que l'infusion se
fait, vous lavez à plusieurs eaux tièdes une livre de riz Caroline.
Ensuite vous le mettez dans une casserolée (sic) d'eau froide sur le feu,
et, après quelques minutes d'ébullition, vous égouttez le riz dans un
tamis. Vous le versez ensuite dans l'infusion de vanille, et le remettez
sur le feu. Lorsqu'il est bien bouillant, vous placez la casserole sur les
cendres rouges, afin que ce riz se crève doucement: ne mettez pas de feu
sur le couvercle. Après trois quarts d'heure de cuisson, vous y joignez
une livre de sucre en poudre, huit onces de beurre fin et une pincée de
sel: remuez le tout parfaitement. Remettez de la cendre rouge dessous la
casserole, pour faire mijoter le riz, sans discontinuer, pendant encore
une bonne heure, après quoi les grains de riz doivent être doux et
moelleux à la pression des doigts. Alors vous le passez promptement à
l'étamine fine, comme une purée. Vous mettez ensuite cette crème de riz
dans une grande casserole, que vous placez sur des cendres rouges, afin
que'elle se maintienne chaude; pendant ce temps, vous fouettez seize
blancs d'oeufs. Dès qu'ils sont presque assez fermes, faites ôter la
crème du feu, et mêlez-y les seize jaunes d'oeufs. L'appareil doit être
de la consistance d'une crème-pâtissière ordinaire, sinon vous ajoutez
un peu de crème fouettée au liquide, afin de la rendre mollette
convenablement. Vous y mèlez le quart des blancs, ensuite le reste. Vous
mêlez cet appareil avec légèreté, comme on mèle la pâte à biscuit.
Le tout étant bien amalgamé, vous versez láppareil dans une croustade
(1) préparée à cet effet. Vous mettez le soufflé au four chaleur
modérée, et lui donnez de deux heures à deux heures et demie de
cuisson. Quand il est prèt à servir, vous mettez de la cendre rouge sur
un grand plafond. Vous ôtez le soufflé du four pour le mettre dessus,
afin de le soutenir. Pendant ce temps, vous le masquez de sucre en poudre,
que vous faites glacer avec la pelle rouge, ou bien sans être glacé, et
tout simplement masqué de sucre en poudre; puis vous le portez bien vite
auprès de la salle à manger, où alors vous enlevez le soufflé avec un
couvercle de casserole. Vous le posez sur son plat, qui doit être
recouvert d'une belle serviette damassée. Otez les feuilles de papier qui
soutiennent le soufflé, et servez-le promptement.
Ce soufflé servi de suite par l'amphitryon, est d'un moelleux parfait, et
qui ne laisse rien à desirer au palais le plus délicat.
Cette crème de riz convient infiniment mieux aux soufflés, parce qu'elle
à plus de consistance et qu'elle se soutient plus que la fécule de
pommes de terre, et même que la farine de crème de riz et de marrons.
Cependant ces farines sont aimables, sous le rapport qu'en un court espace
de temps on peut marquer l'appareil du soufflé, tandis que, pour
préparer la crème de riz, il faut au moins deux heures. Cela n'empêche
pas que l'on doit donner la préférence à cette dernière.
Detail de l'appareil. Douze verres de lait réduits à neuf, deux
gousses de vanille, une livre de sucre, une livre de riz Caroline, huit
onces de beurre d'Isigny, une pincée de sel, seize jaunes et seize blancs
fouèttés.
On observa les mêmes détails et les mêmes soins pour marquer tous les
appareils des soufflés qui suivent. Je vais donner une idée seulement
des infusions et des odeurs qui les distinguent les uns des
autres.
(1) Cette croustade doit avoir onze pouces de diamètre sur trois pouces
six lignes de hauteur; vous l'entourez avec trois feuilles de papier
beurré. On fait cuire cette croustade d'avance, comme une croustade de
pâté chaud à la financière, cependant en la dressant très mince. On
peut la faire cuire en même temps que le soufflé; elle réussit tout
aussi bien: mais le soufflé demande alors un peu plus de cuisson. Je
préfère la croustade cuite
d'avance. |
French soufflé with
vanilla.
(pp.353-355)
Take twelve glasses of good boiled milk, add two vanilla pods. When the
milk has been reduced by a quarter you strain it through a cloth into a
large pan. And while the infusion simmers you wash long grain rice several
times in luke-warm water. Then you put it in a pan with cold water on the
fire, and after it has boiled a few minutes you drain the rice in a
strainer. Then you add it to the infusion of vanilla, and put it back on
the fire. When it is boiling you place the pan on red ashes so the rice
can simmer softly. Do not put any coals (fire) on the lid. After a
simmering of three quarters of an hour you add one pound of sugar to it,
eight ounces of fine butter and a pinch of salt. Stir everything well.
Again put glowing embers under the pan to let the rice simmer without pause for at
least an hour, after which the rice grains must be soft and resilient to
the touch. Then you'll strain it right away through a fine meshed sieve,
like a purée. Then you put this rice pudding in a large pan which you
place on glowing embers to keep it warm. Meanwhile you beat sixteen egg whites.
As soon as they are firm enough you take the pudding off the fire and
temper it with the sixteen egg yolks. The preparation must have the
consistency of simple pastry cream, if not you add some semi-whipped cream
to make it soft enough. Mix in a quarter of the whites, then the rest.
Blend this preparation lightly, like when one blends sponge batter. When it
has been blended enough, you pour the preparation into a croustade (1)
that has been prepared to this end. Place the soufflé in the oven at
moderate heat for two to two-and-a-half hour. When it is ready to be
served, you place glowing embers on a large shallow dish. You take the
soufflé from the oven to place it on top [i.d. on top of the hot ashes].
Meanwhile you sprinkle it with powdered sugar which you glaze with a
red-hot fire shovel, or without it being glazed and simply covered with
powdered sugar. Then you carry it very quickly to the dining-hall,
where you lift the soufflé with the cover of a pan (? this is what
I read, but I can't imagine what you're supposed to do here). You position it on its
dish that must be covered with a nice damast serviette. Remove the sheets
of paper that support the soufflé, and serve it at once.
This soufflé, that will be served by the host, is of a perfect softness,
and leaves nothing to wish for even to the most pampered palate.
This rice pudding is infinitely more suitable for soufflés, because it
has more body and keeps better than potato flour, and even than flour of
rice pudding (does he mean plain rice flour or something else?) and of
chestnuts. However, these flours are appropiate, with the understanding
that in a short period of time one can make the preparation of the
soufflé, while, to make a rice pudding, one needs at least two hours.
That doesn't prevent that one must give prevalence to the last.
List of ingredients: twelve glasses of milk reduced to nine, two
vanilla pods, a pound of sugar, a pound of Carolina rice, eight ounces of
butter from Isigny, a pinch of salt, sixteen yolks and sixteen beaten
whites.
One follows the same directions and observes the same care in making all
the preparations for soufflés that follow. I will just give an idea of
the infusions and flavourings that distinguish one from the other.
(1) This pastry case must be eleven inches (27,5 centimeter) across to
three inches and six "lines" (9 centimeter) high. You dress it
with three sheets of buttered paper. One bakes this pastry case in
advance, like a pastry case for hot paté à la financière, but dresses
it very thinly. One can bake it at the same time as the soufflé. It will
also turn out well, but the soufflé needs a little more baking time. I
prefer the pastry case to be baked in advance.
|
The
modern adaptation of the recipe for mint soufflé.
Well, that was quite a mouthful, the recipe above. The modern adaptation will
need (slightly) less words.
Nowadays this kind of soufflé is made with a roux based on butter and flour,
but because this is a historical recipe, the soufflé will be made with cooked
rice, even though this will take more time. However, as in the recipe for
strawberry soufflé, I haven't used a croustade.
This soufflé is heavier than the strawberry soufflé, so the amounts below are
enough for twelve people as dessert. But it is easy to halve the amounts.
 |
List of ingredients :
For the infusion:
a handful of mint leaves (not the stalks!)
grated peel of 1 lemon
8 decilitres (3 1/3 cup/1 2/3 pint) milk
And:
180 gram (1 2/3 cup + 1 Tbsp.) icing sugar
180 gram (1 cup - Tbsp.) rice
80 gram (1/3 cup) unsalted butter
pinch of salt
6 yolks and 6 whites of eggs
some extra cream if necessary
extra butter and icing sugar for the mould
Optional: 2 Tbsp. crème de menthe
Garnish:
thin slices of lemon, mint leaves/flowers, silverpills
soufflé dish with a content of 1½ liter (6 cups or 3 pints), or 12 small soufflé dishes
Preparation in advance:
You start with the flavouring of the soufflé, in this case an infusion of mint
and lemon in milk.
Pour boiling water over the lemon to remove the thin wax layer (even when you
use ecologically grown lemons). Grate the peel (only the yellow, not the white).
Pick the mint leaves (don't use the stalks), wash or wipe them clean, and cut or
tear them in strips.
Heat the milk with the lemon peel and the mint leaves, let this simmer on a low
fire (the milk mustn't boil) until the milk has evaporated with 25% to six
decilitres. Then strain the milk.
Meanwhile wash the rice with lukewarm water, then put it on the fire in a pan
with enough cold water. Bring to the boil, let boil for two or three minutes,
then strain the rice.
Now take a pan with a thick bottom, put in the rice and the milk-infusion, heat
until almost boiling. Now cover the pan with a lid, and temper the fire to very
low (use a heat diffuser if necessary). Let the rice simmer for an hour. Fifteen
minutes before the rice is ready, add butter, powdered (or icing) sugar and a pinch of
salt. Stir very carefully until everything has blended. When the rice is done it
has to be pureed, either by straining it or using a blender. The pureed rice
must be of a creamy consistency, add some whipped cream if it is too stiff. Return the
pureed rice to the pan and keep warm. If you so chose, you can stir some crême
de menthe through the rice. That is not in the original recipe, but I like it.
Separate the eggs while the rice is
simmering. grease a soufflé mould with butter and sprinkle the inside with
icing sugar.
Preheat the oven to 170ºC/335ºF.
Preparation:
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of
salt.
Temper the yolks with the warm puréed rice. To avoid curdling, start with mixing
a little of the warm purée with the yolks, whilst stirring. Add some more of the
purée, keep stirring. When the yolks have reached about the same temperature as
the rice, you can add them to it, stirring the purée well. Replace the pan on a
very low fire and keep stirring the rice purée until the yolks are completely
incorporated. Now spoon the beaten whites through the mixture, first a quarter,
then the rest. Pour the mixture in a soufflé mould, or in several small
individual soufflé moulds. Place them in the oven, slightly below the center.
According to Carême the soufflé must bake for at least two hours, but at
170ºC it suffices to bake small soufflés for 25 minutes, and a large one for
not more than 35 minutes.
To serve:
Sprinkle the soufflé with icing sugar. Carême suggests caramellizing the
sugar by holding a red-hot fire scoop over the soufflé. That is not an item
most modern kitchens will have laying about, but more recent recipes as p.e. in
Escoffier's Ma Cuisine, suggest sprinkling the soufflés with the sugar
five minutes before the end of the baking. However, you'll have to open the
ovendoor to do that. I prefer to sprinkle the soufflés with the sugar and serve
them right away.
How
to separate eggs?
Very simple: Pour the raw egg on the fingers of your (clean!) hand, and let the
white run through your fingers. The yolk will remain wiggling on your fingers.
If you absolutely must, buy an egg separator, but when nature has provided us
with the perfect tool, why waste money? Other people use the eggshell
halves to separate the yolk from the white, but these shells have sharp
edges.
How does one beat egg whites?
Although this is wide-spread knowledge, I 'll state it here once more: a
soufflé is made with beaten egg whites, and egg whites will never be stiff
enough unless the eggs are at room temperature to start with, and all used
kitchen implements are absolutely fat-free. I live in a temperate climate, so my
eggs never see the inside of a refrigerator anyway, but if you keep your eggs
refrigerated, remember to take them out at least an hour before using them..
Crack the eggs one by one above a seperate bowl. If the yolk breaks you can't
use the white for the soufflé, and if you crack all eggs above the same bowl
and the last yolk breaks, you'll have to throw away all the whites. So you'll
need three bowls, one to break the eggs in, and two others to collect the separated
yolks and whites. If you're unsure whether the bowl is absolutely grease-free,
just rub a slice of lemon in it, then rinse with water and dry with a clean
cloth.
Butter
from Isigny: Isigny is situated in Normandy, between Cherbourg and Le Havre.
The butter from Isigny was famous as early as the sixteenth century. The
producers claim that the combination of briny sea-breeze and the quality
of the meadows the cows graze on give butter from Isigny its unique quality.
Old French measures: Pouce=1 inch=2,5 centimeter;
Ligne= 1/12 pouce=0,226 centimeter;
Livre=489,5 gram;
Once=1/16 livre=30,59 gram (so this is NOT the same as the imperial ounce, which
is 28,35 gram!). If you want to have other than metric unities you'll
have to find out for yourselves.
Here is a page with more old
French measures.
Bibliography
The editions mentioned are the
ones in my possession. The links are to available editions.
Carême,
Le Pâtissier Pittoresque. Extraits choisis et presentés par Allen S. Weiss. Ed.
Mercure de France, 2003.
Antonin Carême, Le Patissier Royal Parisien ou Traité Elementaire
et Pratique de la Patisserie Ancienne et Moderne, second edition, 1828 (with
thanks to Joop Witteveen, who kindly allowed me to study his volume).
Auguste
Escoffier Ma
Cuisine. Escoffier voor iedereen. (This is the Dutch edition of Ma
Cuisine (1934) H&S,
Utrecht, 1988)
Ian Kelly,
Cooking for Kings, The life of Antonin Carême, the first celebrity chef.
Short Books, 2003.
Anne Willan,
Great
Cooks and their Recipes. From Taillevent to Escoffier.
Bulfinch Press (Am. edition), 1992.
Carême
on dough.
The following is not an exact
translation, just an impression.
Puff pastry: There is quite a difference in making
puff pastry in the winter and in the summer. The pastry must remain cool at all
times, so during the summer heat special emasures have to be taken to ensure an
excellent puff pastry. Carême suggests packing the dough in ice in
between turnings. Carême differs from the common opinion that pastry dough
must rest, he suggests baking it as soon as it has its final shape. A
practised pâtissier should be able to start from scratch to baking the pastry
dough in the oven within fifteen minutes in winter (when it is cold).
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Start with dumping the sifted flour on a worktop, which in
the summer is preferably a marble top. Make a "crown" or
"fountain" of this small flour mount by making a hole in the middle
that you make wider and wider until it resembles more a dyke surrounding a
lake.The lake, that is the water with salt end egg yolks which are poured in
carefully, without breaking the "dyke" of flour. Using your
fingertips, you mingle more and more of the flour with the liquids. This is much
more fun to do than throwing everything in a food processor!
Now the dough is mixed well without adding the butter, and rolled out. Then
three quarters of the butter that is cut in small pieces are divided over the
sheet of dough, and the dough is folded in three, rolled out and folded again.
After a few minutes rest (during the summer the dough is packed in ice for this
rest) the dough is rolled out once more, the remaining butter is divided over
the sheet of dough, and the folding and rolling out is repeated once or twice.
The dough has now been folded and rolled out again eight to sixteen times in
all, resulting in a light pastry that will rise beautifully in the oven.
The next dough Carême describes is puff pastry based on other fats: suet, lard
and oil. Cleaned suet is ground with olive oil or lard in a mortar until it has
the consistency of "winter butter". Using equal amounts of suet and
lard will result in a quite attractive crust, however, the crust must be eaten
warm.
You can also prepare a dough based on veal fat that comes from cooked udders (I
don't understand this, do veals have udders? I thought not!), that is treated
the same way as beef fat (i.e. mixed with lard or oil). You can also use suet of
veal.
If you prepare dough with just lard, you melt it, and baste the rolled out dough
with it instead of covering it with pieces of cold butter.
Dough with oil is made as dough with lard.
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Pastry dough: To make pastry dough for large
pasties and croustades you dress a buttered mould with thinly rolled sheets of
dough. The consistency of the dough must be exactly right. If the dough is too
dry, it is hard to dress the mould, and the crust will crack. If on the other
hand the dough is too moist, it won't bake well either. You can remedy both by
adding small amounts of flour or water at a time to the dough until it is right.
The dough is made with flour, egg yolks, butter, water and a little salt. This
dough must be kneaded thoroughly (as opposed to puff pastry, which must
emphatically NOT be kneaded at all!), until you get a firm, elastic ball of
dough. Protect the dough from drying out by keeping it in a moist towel. In the
summer heat you must work quickly, because the dough can get "burned"
by the heat of the hands, and it will crumble. When this happens you cut the
ball in four slices, sprinkle them with water, pile them up again and knead them
for a short time. Now you can use the dough. In the winter it is easier to make
dough, but even then you must pay attention that it is of the right humidity.
This is the pastry dough that the croustades for soufflés are made of. On the
picture to the left the two upper crusts and the one on the lower left is for
baking soufflés (at least, in the note to the recipe for soufflé français
it says that the croustade is made in the maner of hot paté à la financière,
and these are the crusts that are recommended for that recipe).
Modern recipes for pastry dough.
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This page was updated on
23-07-09 (d-m-y).
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All text and pictures of dishes are the intellectual property of
Coquinaria and may not be reproduced without permission and acknowledgement..
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