On devient cuisinier, on nail rôtisseur. Brillat-Savarin said that anyone can Iearn to be a cook, but one must be born knowing how to roast. Some people may believe him, but not I. And nor my white-hatted colleagues. Brillat-Savarin was no cook. If he were. he would know that one must learn to be a rôtisseur, just as one must learn to be a potager or a saucier.
Of all the kitchen arts. roasting makes the greatest demands on the cook. The rôtisseur must exercise unerring judgment and make split-second decisions, and eternal vigilance is the price of his perfection. As soon as the roasts begin to cook in the ovens, the watching begins. Down the line of ovens the chef goes, opening on schedule each oven door, pulling out the enormous pans, turning the meat in this one, the birds in that, and basting-forever and again pouring the pan liquids over the meat with his long-handled spoon. As the dinner hour approaches, the chef tests the meat by tapping it with his first two fingers, much as a doctor taps a patient's chest. The feel, the way the meat responds to his thumping-soft, springy or firm-tells him whether the meat is raw, rare, or well-done. He lifts the chickens to let the juices run from their insides. If the juices are clear and colorless, the bird is done. Even the slightest pink tinge indicates that more cooking is needed. Or the chef may pierce the thickest part of meat or bird with a long metal skewer or with his long-lined fork and watch the juices that ooze out. Blood-red juices mean that the meat is very rare, pink means medium-rare, and a clear liquid indicates that the meat is well-done. To the roaster-and he invariably has learned his craft the hard way under exacting masters-roasting means much more than simply putting something into the oven, setting the temperature control, and leaving things to take care of themselves.
And the rôtisseur must also have ingenuity, ingenuity enough to cope with emergencies in the kitchen that promise to rouse the wrath of a guest or the temperament of a headwaiter. I recall the day a waiter, so frightened that his mouth twitched, came to me in panic: “Monsieur Louis, 1 put an order for roast chicken for a small dinner party into my pocket and forgot to give it to the rôtisseur. And the guests have arrived.” He knew, as I did. that his job was at stake, because at the old Ritz we always roasted specially ordered chickens just at serving time.
“Tell the captain, '' I said, “to keep the soup and fish courses on the table as long as he can. I'll have the chickens ready.” And 1 rushed to the kitchen.
I knew there would be small chickens in the told room, cleaned, trussed, and ready for the oven, and that the huge kettle of deep fat was always kept hot on the range, ready for frying potatoes or other foods. So 1 grabbed four chickens. hurried them into the fat. and while they sizzled and cooked, told the rôtisseur to put a roasting pan with plenty of butter in it into the oven. Fifteen minutes in the very hot fat was enough to color the chickens and partially cook them. At that point we lifted them out, drained them well, sprinkled them inside and out with salt, and then rolled them in the melted butter in the roasting pan until they were completely and generously coated. Ten or twelve minutes in the oven and they were roasted to a beautiful brown. When we tested the second joints, we found the birds done to a juicy turn, as succulent a platter of roast chicken as that jittery waiter ever took to the dining room.
There was a time when all roasting was done on a spit before an open fire. As a matter of fact, the kitchens in many of the great private homes of France and England still use the revolving spit over an open fire instead of a closed oven for roasting, and many connoisseurs maintain that this is the only fit way to roast a fine piece of meat or a good bird. The theory of spit roasting is that intense radiant hear, applied evenly to all the surfaces of the meat, browns the outside perfectly and lets the good flavor of the meat develop more fully than it can in the inevitably steamy atmosphere of the closed oven. As the meat turns on the spit, its juices and fat drip over and into it, assuring succulence. During the last fifty years the oven has replaced the spit in hotel and restaurant kitchens, and chefs have learned to manage their ovens and roasting pans to achieve similar results.
Don't try to roast anything but finegrained, tender meat. Tender cuts come from the parts of the animal that get the least exercise, and the animal must be properly raised and fattened. The cuts of beef suitable for roasting are the rib sections, the sirloin, the filet, and sometimes the rump. The filet contains so little fat that it is greatly improved by larding with strips of fat pork. Suitable cuts of lamb and pork include the loin and rack and the hindquarters, that is, the legs of the lamb, and the hams, either fresh or cured, of the porker. The loin, the rack, the rump, and often the breast of veal are roasted, The rump of veal has little fat, and since it must be well cooked, it may become too dry during roasting. The rump, therefore, should be larded with strips of fat pork, or it may be braised rather than roasted to retain its moistness, and even then larding will improve the meat.
The rules which a rôtisseur follows are simple. He starts with a good hot oven, sometimes reducing the heat when the meat or bird begins to brown. How much he lowers the temperature depends on the size of the piece being cooked. The smaller it is, the hotter the oven should be. A squab, for example. should be roasted at a temperature of 400 degrees or more, a turkey at 350 degrees or less. When the roast can be conveniently turned in the pan, as can poultry and legs of lamb, it is turned frequently. Of course, every roast is regularly and thoroughly basted. Alors, all this turning and basting may seem to be added work, but it is well worth the trouble if you are cooking for gourmets. Such care is probably more important for poultry than for anything else. Turning a bird from side to side encourages the juices to drip through the breasts instead of draining away from them. Basting combats any tendency the flesh may have to become dry during cooking. The results of your care will be very obvious when the roast is carved at the table.
Roasting poultry pases more problems than roasting meat does. Should you stuff it, and if so, with what? With bread crumbs or rice or sweet potatoes? Should the stuffing be dry, moist or bland? Tasty with chestnuts and mushrooms or rich and savory with foie gras and truffles? Do you know how to truss your bird? Unless the bird is trussed. the heat of the oven invariably forces the legs and wings away from the body, and the meat, particularly the breast, cooks dry. Should you put water in the roasting pan? Would that prevent a scorched, bitter-tasting gravy?
I like to roast chickens the way my mother did. I can still see her in her white blouse and black skirt, with a big full apron tied around her waist, bent over the open oven, basting for a holiday dinner two or three chickens browning side by side in the black roasting pan that had once belonged to my grandmother. She put just a little water in the pan, probably to compensate for the uncertain beat of her old stove. The pan sat right on the oven floor. Each time fresh wood was added to the fire, the temperature would shoot up, and without the water the pan juices might have been scorched. I like to add a little water to the roasting pan even in our modern ovens because it permits me to use a higher temperature without danger of burning the drippings, and to me a quickly cooked bird seems tastier.
Many of our guests at the Ritz knew about Maman's way of roasting chicken. and when they ordered a special dinner, they would ask the maître d' to have the chickens cooked that way. One famous guest I remember particularly well. Lord Beaverbrook, on one of his first visits to the old Ritz, asked for a chicken roasted with butter and served with plain pan gravy. [ said to him. “Oh, yes, we can do that; it's the French way my mother taught me.”
The next day Lord Benverbrook telephoned: “Always cook my chicken your mother's way, Louis; that's the best chicken I've ever had in America.”
The French are also very fond of chicken roasted in a partly covered casserole. The skin is not quite so crisp as it is when the chicken is routed in an open pan, but the bird is cooked too quickly to seem braised. Many cooks put vegetables in the casserole, too.
As Bordeaux, my old friend of Paris days, once said, “It takes an accident to make us appreciate the things we take for granted.” One day when he was chef at Baron Rothschild's in London, he had a capon roasting on the spit, just ready to be served. He told the kitchen maid to take it off when, as he said in his mixed French and English, “Zut, she burn her finger and drop the chicken onto les cendres de la cheminée.” The bird could not be rescued from the ashes of the fireplace, and there was no time to cook another. Fortunately, there were some chickens roasting en casserole for the servants' dinner. So Bordeaux served one of those to the Baron, and, to his relief, the Huron enjoyed it so much that be sent down to ask why the chickens hadn't always tasted that good.
In the hotel kitchen we cook many birds, usually from ten to thirty, side by side in a very large pan with a few inches or so between them. We cover them generously with fresh drippings. any fat except lamb, and baste them regularly. If you cook two or three birds at a time in your oven, remember to keep the temperature somewhat higher than you would for a single bird. Otherwise, too much steam forms and the chickens are apt to taste more stewed than roasted as a consequence.
To truss a bird, a chef uses a kitchen needle six or eight inches long, threaded with strong white string. He pierces the second joint or thigh, pushes the needle through the body and the other second joint; then he comes back and pierces the leg and pushes the needle through the body and the oilier leg; he goes back again through the wing, the body, and the other wing. The ends are tied across the back. Another string is run through the folded-back wing tips and tied. The string is never crossed or tied over the breast because it would leave a noticeable mark.
Stuffing is a matter of personal taste. Large birds such as turkeys, geese, capons. and large chickens are usually stuffed; the smaller ones are just as often roasted without stuffing. I have only two warnings. If you bother with sniffing. then go to the trouble and expense to make it good. And spoon the stuffing in lightly, never pack it in!
Poulet Rôti à la Mode de ma Mère (My Mother's Roast Chicken)
Clean and singe a 3-ponnd chicken and truss the legs and wings close to the body. Season it with salt inside and out. Place the chicken on its side in a roasting pan. spread over it 2 tablespoons butter, and add ¼ cup water to the pan. Roast the chicken in a hot oven (400° F.) for about 10 minutes and turn it on its other side. When it begins to take on a golden color, reduce the heat to $75° F. and continue to cook. turning and basting every 15 minutes and adding more water as necessary. There should be just enough water to keep the juice in the pan from scorching. Cook for I to 1 ½ hours or until done, turning the bird on its back for the last 15 minutes to brown the breast. To test, pierce the second joint with a two-tined kitchen fork Or a metal skewer; if the juice which comes out is clear and colorless, the bird is done; if it has a pink tinge, more cooking is needed.
Remove the chicken from the pan. Add ½ cup water or sunk to the pan and cook over a moderate flame for a few minutes, stirring in all the brown crustiness. Correct the seasoning with salt and swirl in 1 tablespoon butter. Remove the pan gravy from the heat before the butter has completely melted. Serves 4.
Poulet Rôti en Casserole (Roast Chicken en Casserole)
Clean and singe a 3 to 3 ½-pound chicken and truss the legs and wings clow to the body. Season it with salt inside and out and put a clove of garlic in the cavity. Place the chicken on its side in a casserole large enough to accommodate the bird and vegetables. Add a little good fat and cook the chicken over a low flame or in a moderate oven (350° F.) with the casserole partly covered until the bird is brown on one side. Turn it to brown the Other side and continue to cook for about 30 minutes, turning and basting the chicken with the fat. Pour off the fat and reserve it. Pur 12 small white onions and 2 tablespoons butter around the bird and continue to cook until the onions are brown. Add 4 potatoes, peeled and Cut into 24 pieces, and 2 more tablespoons butter and cook with the casserole partly covered until the potatoes are brown. Add ¼ pound diced salt pork, blanched and sautéed until brown in the reserved fat, ¼ pound mushroom caps, browned in a little fat, and ½ cup chicken stock or water and cook 20 to 30 minutes longer, or until the chicken is done when the second joint is tested. Remove the chicken, carve, and arrange it on a warm serving platter. Place the vegetables around it and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve the gravy from the casserole separately. Serves 4.
Roan Turkey or Capon
Clean and singe the bird and stuff it if desired. Truss the legs and wings close to the body and season it with sat. Lay the bird on its side in a roasting pan with slices of fat pork over the breast and spread it generously with good fat. Roast the bird in a hot oven (425° F.) for 15 minutes, turn it on its other side, and cook for 15 minutes longer. Reduce the heat to 350° F. and cook until done, turning from side to side and basting about every 20 minutes. Place the bird on its back for the last 15 minutes. Allow about 15 minutes per pound and an extra 5 minutes per pound if the bird is stuffed. Test by piercing the second joint with a twotined kitchen fork or metal skewer. If the juice which comes out is clear and colorless, the bird is done; if it has a pink tinge, more cooking is needed. If the fat in the pan tends to burn during the cooking, add a little water and keep adding it at necessary.
Remove the bird to a warm serving platter and make a pan gravy: Pour off the fat in the pan. add 1 cup water or stock, and stir in all the brown crustiness. Swirl in 2 tablespoons butter and correct the seasoning with salt. A 12pound turkey serves 10.
Roast Stuffed Goose
Make a stuffing as follows: Sauté 2 onions, chopped, in 3 tablespoons goose fat until they are golden. Mix the ontons with the chopped liver of the goose. Add 1 teaspoon salt and poultry seasoning to taste, ½ pound each fresh lean pork and fresh fat pork, both ground. or 1 pound sausage meat, 3 tablespoons cognac, 1 egg. beaten, 12 to 15 cooked chestnuts, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly and stuff the goose. Sew up the vent, truss the legs and wings close to the body, and rub the outside with a little salt.
Lay the goose on its side in a roasting pan; pour ½ cup hot water into the pan, and roast the bird in a hot oven (425° F.) for 1 hour. Turn the goose on its oilier side and continue to cook, turning every half hour and basting frequently. As the water cooks away, add more and skim off the surplus fat that collects in the pan. Roast for about 15 to 16 minutes per pound, but test for doneness by piercing the second joint with a two-tined fork or metal skewer. If the juice which comes out is clear and colorless, the bird is done; if it has a pink tinge, more cooking is needed. Put the goose on its back for the last 15 minutes to brown the breast. Remove the goose to a warm serving platter, remove fat from pan, and make a pan gravy following the directions for turkey gravy. A 12-pound goose serves 10.
Meat should be roasted à point, to the appropriate degree of doneness for each kind of meat. For beef and lamb, except real baby lamb, à point is rare or medium rare. The degree of rareness depends on personal taste and, to an extent, on the animal, beef usually being served a bit more rare than lamb. Veal or pork or baby lamb is roasted à point when it is well-done, care being taken, however, not to overcook it so that it becomes dry and flavorless. Careful watching and frequent testing toward the end of the roasting time are needed to stop the cooking at the right point. In planning the meal it is wise to allow a little more time than the weight of the meat indicates for cooking and then let it reposer-“rest”-out of the oven 20 minutes before carving. This allows the juice to be reabsorbed by the tissues, giving the meat a succulent tenderness.
A chef frequently puts a thick layer of coarse salt on the outside of a roast of beef, moistening it just enough to form a crust which hardens in the oven and seals in all the juices. In the home kitchen a piece of suet tied around the roast plays somewhat the same role; the hot fat seals the outside of the meat and prevents it from becoming dry.
Roast Prime Ribs of Beef
Rub a rib roast of beef with salt and spread it generously with good fat. Put it in a roasting pan, curved side up, so that it rests on the bones. If it does not have a layer of fat, put a slice of beef suet on top. Brown the beef in a hot oven (450° F.) for about 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 350° F., and continue to roast, basting frequently, until it is done. Allow about 10 to 12 minutes per pound for rare, 15 minutes for medium, and 18 minutes for well-done roasts. In cooking a very large roast, add a few tablespoons water to the pan to prevent the fat from burning. Remove the meat to a warm serving platter and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
To make the gravy, pour off the fat from the pan, add about 1 cup stock or water, and cook over a moderate flame. stirring in all the brown crustiness in the pan. Correct the seasoning with salt and swirl in I tablespoon butter. Remove the gravy from the fire before the butter has completely melted. Add the juice which runs on the platter when the roast in carved to the gravy. Serve with Yorkshire Pudding.
Yorkshire Pudding
Sift together 1 ½ cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and a little grated nutmeg. Stir in 2 cups milk, 2 eggs, beaten, and ¼ cup melted suet or 1 cup finely chopped suet taken from around the kidney. Put about ¼ cup melted fat or drippings from the roast beef in a large shallow pan and put it in the oven to heat. Pour in the batter and bake in a moderate oven (375° F.) for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut in pieces and serve with the roast beef.
Roast Filet of Beef
All the fat has to be removed from the outside of a tenderloin because beneath it are skin and sinews that must be cut away. Therefore, it is important to lard the meat with strips of larding pork or to have thin slices of larding pork tied around the outside. Alter roasting, the meat is often spread with glace de viande, or beef extract, to give it a rich flavor and an attractive brilliance. Roast the filet in a hot oven (450° F.) for about 8 minutes per pound. Filet of beef is usually served with a rich sauce and garnished with stuffed mushrooms, stuffed artichoke bottoms, small tomatoes, and asparagus tips, or other elaborate garnishes.
Roast Leg of Lamb
Rub a leg of lamb with garlic or put a few thin slices into tiny slits cut in the flesh. Sprinkle the meat with salt, spread it with good fat, and roast in a moderate oven (375° F.), turning the lamb often and basting frequently. If the leg is from a very young lamb, allow about 18 minutes per pound for well-done meat. For a larger leg weighing 6 to 7 pounds, allow about 12 to 15 minutes per pound for medium-rare. If the fat in the pan tends to scorch during the roasting, add a few spoonfuls water. Remove the lamb to a warm serving platter and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Serve with pan gravy.
Roast Leg of Limb Bûcheronne
Rub a medium-sized leg of lamb generously with garlic or insert slivers of garlic into tiny slits cut in the meat, Sprinkle the meat with salt, spread it with good far, and roast in a moderate oven (375° F.) for 2 hours. Remove the meat from the pan to a serving platter and make the pan gravy.
While the meat is roasting, prepare the following garnish: Drain 2 large cans of cepes and sauté them in ½ cup very hot oil until they are golden brown. Drain the cepes and transfer them to another pan containing 3 tablespoons butter. Season them with salt and pepper and add I tablespoon chopped shallots, 1 clove of garlic, crushed. I tablespoon chopped parsley, and 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs, Cook for a few minutes until the crumbs are brown, shaking the pan to combine the ingredients as they cook. Peel 5 or 6 medium potatoes and cut them into slices the size of a silver dollar. Parboil the slices for 2 minutes and drain. Heat 3 or 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet, add the potatoes, and cook in a hot oven (450° F.) or over a moderate flame until they are golden brown, turning them from time to time. Season with salt. Slice the lamb and arrange the slices on a warm serving platter. Arrange the potatoes and the cepes alternately around the meat and sprinkle the potatoes with chopped parsley. Serve pan gravy separately.
Roast Saddle of Limb
Sprinkle a saddle of lamb with salt, spread it with good fat, and put it in a roasting pan with ½ cup water. Roast the saddle in a hot oven (425° F.), basting frequently. If too much fat cooks out of the lamb, skim it from the pan. Replenish the water as necessary. Roast for about 1 ½ hours or allow about 15 minutes per pound. Remove the lamb from the pan and make pan gravy.
Roast Loin or Rack of Veal
Sprinkle a loin or rack of veal with salt, put it in a roasting pan, and spread it with good fat. Roast the meat in a moderate oven (375° F.) for about 18 to 20 minutes per pound, adding water to the pan if the fat tends to scorch. Baste often during the cooking. Test carefully by piercing a thick section and make sure that the juice that comes out is clear and colorless. Any tinge of pink means that the meat must be cooked longer because veal should always be well-done.
Roast Loin of Pork
Sprinkle a loin of pork with salt, put it in a roasting pan. and roast in a moderate oven (375° F.) for about 20 to 25 ! minutes per pound, or until the meat tests done, basting often. Remove the excess fat from the pan and add a little water if the fat tends to scorch. Serve with pan gravy.