I watched the arrivals and departures of these beaux and their belles as though they were characters in a pièce de thé âtre. In retrospect, the Maison Calondre seems like a stage set with a dramatic charm all its own. I can see why Frenchmen have tried to open similar places in New York, and I can also see why they have never been able to capture the essence of the mood. The leisurely manner, the intimate graciousness that always combines with it a certain formality, are not compatible with New York's always quickening tempo.
We apprentis lived upstairs, over the shop, in a large room arranged like a dormitory. And each evening before going to bed, 1 would write in a notebook the things I had learned during the day. I still have those notebooks and 1 like to turn to them when I plan these classes in our classic French cuisine. Going back over the faded pages, I find myself recalling my mistakes. 1 also recall the little tricks of the chef's trade which I did not immediately comprehend, and the times when only the sure hand of Monsieur Calondre saved me from serious failure. These notebooks serve to remind me of details which I must emphasize if J am to be your teacher.
So we will continue with the subject of eggs. Last time, I discussed methods of cooking the egg. Now I want to discuss the dishes which contain eggs as an essential ingredient—the hollandaise, béarnaise and mayonnaise sauces and their variations, and the custards.
Eggs arc generally combined with other ingredients for three reasons: to enrich, to thicken or to give a lighter texture to a mixture. They form an emulsion with fatty substances such as the oil in mayonnaise or the butter in hollandaise. They coagulate with a hot liquid, as in the case of custards. When we finish a hot sauce with egg yolks, we speak of giving it “body, ” or, in French, du corps. The eggs also act as a binder, which is to say that they blend with the other ingredients to achieve a smoother, richer texture.
No prima donna is as temperamental as an egg. Eggs resent careless handling by the COOk and they must be worked slowly, almost lovingly.
For best results, use eggs which arc at room temperature. In many mixtures, mayonnaise for example, not only eggs but all the ingredients should be at room temperature.
Alors, let's consider hollandaise. Few gourmets fail to appreciate hollandaise sauce, but many, unfortunately, feel that success in making a hollandaise is a mystery and purely a matter of luck. The rules for making hollandaise are simple, and if followed will lead to a sauce that will not break down or curdle,
First, the sauce should be cooked in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. If the boiling point is reached, a little cold water should be added to the pot. Second, the butter used in making the sauce should be added gradually—one-third of it at a time—and after each addition the sauce should be thoroughly stirred. Professional sauce chefs prefer to make hollandaise with clarified butter—the clear fat which can be poured off the milky sediment when the butter is melted. Third, the sauce must be stirred rapidly, preferably with a wire whisk, from the moment it is begun until it is completed. Fourth, the sauce may be kept in a warm place for no longer than half an hour and stirred from time to time until it is served.
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