The extremes of New York's climate are always an unpleasant surprise to Europeans. Of course, northern Europe can be very cold and southern Europe very hot, but you don't usually find both conditions in the same country! As it happens, New York's winter of 1911, my second in this country, was the coldest on record until that time; and the summer that followed was the hottest on record, so that my own introduction to the rigors of New York's weather was not what you'd call gradual!
By the summer of 1912, my second season at the Ritz-Carlton, we had to face the fact that the heat was drastically affecting the business in our dining rooms, and Mr. Goelet found an ideal solution—an outdoor dining room. The architects created a Japanese garden in the open courtyard between the Ritz and the Carlton House. A tiny stream stocked with goldfish wound through narrow grassy banks, small decorative trees grew in pots, flowers bloomed everywhere, cages of singing birds swung from the trees and from bamboo supports, and bamboo awnings formed a roof over the tablet. This cool rendezvous quickly became the talk of the town, so a la mode with New York society and also with travelers in town on their way to Europe that it was almost impossible to get a table without a reservation. Today almost any fine eating place is likely to be crowded, but in 1912 popularity of that kind was something to be proud of.
Dining alfresco at the Ritz was a very elegant and sophisticated occasion indeed and we offered an appropriately elegant menu. In the Oval Room, through which one passed to reach the new Japanese Garden, we set up an elaborate cold buffet that would not have shamed the Paris or London Ritz, laden with extravagantly decorated dishes inaspic and pièces montées of meats, fish, and poultry that reflected the artistry of the chefs who prepared them.
I must here make the point that aspics and Chaudsfroids are more than beautiful and delicious, important as these two attributes are. They also serve, in hot weather, to keep cold foods from drying out. The jellied coating, in effect, imprisons the succulence which ordinary unprotected chilling might dry our and destroy.
My friend Philées Gilbert, a celebrated chef and writer on gastronomy, tells the story of how Chaud-froid got its unusual name. According to Gilbert—there are, of course, many versions of the tale—the story began in the eighteenth century, at the château of the Maréchal de Luxembourg in Montmorency. His table was reputed to be one of the best in France and invitations to dinner at the château were eagerly sought. The guests were just about to sir down, at one such dinner, when a messenger arrived from King Louis XV, summoning the maréechal at once to an emergency meeting of the King's Council. There was nothing to do but to ask the guests to go on with dinner without their host, and they did so. When the maréchal arrived home late that evening, he ordered the meal served to him, and all the dishes were brought in again, just as they had been presented earlier to the dinner guests. All except the chicken. It had been finished in a sauce rich with egg yolks; if it were to be heated through, the sauce would undoubtedly curdle. So the chicken was brought in cold. The gelatin in the chicken stock had jellied the sauce, and the maréchal, tasting it, pronounced it delicious and dubbed it Chaud-froid— made hot, served cold.
Similar accidents have produced oilier recipes which have stood the test of years. Cold chicken broiled with mustard, for instance, is one of these. Of course, broiled chicken diable, as it is sometimes called, had always been served hot at the Ritz. One day, Theodore, our maître d'hôtel, had to ask us to cancel an order which had been prepared for a party. The chickens were beautifully done, and I was convinced that they would taste as good cold as anything we bad on the cold buffer. We arranged each half chicken on a slice of bam and served it with a cool salad; the new dish proved such a succès fou that it remained on the summer menu at the Ritz for more than thirty years.
When I hear people say that they do not like cold meat or poultry, I know that they have never eaten them properly cooked. Meat and poultry that are to be served cold should never be over-cooked, and they should not be carved until they are cool. A bird should not be transferred directly from the oven or broiler to the refrigerator. It should be allowed to cool gradually. And unless it is going to be coated with aspic or chaud-froid, it should not be refrigerated at all. Long chilling dries the flesh and invests it with an unpleasant clamminess. Here is where aspic's special talent for protecting the freshness and the flavor of poultry is most valuable.
It is a sensible precaution to make aspic a day or two before you plan to use it, so that you can test its firmness. If after several hours in the refrigerator it seems too quivery, gelatin may be added, in the proportion of 1 envelope of gelatin to 3 or 4 cups of semiliquid aspic. Soften the gelatin in 3 tablespoons cold water, bring the aspic to the boiling point, and dissolve the gelatin in it. If the original aspic has remained quite liquid, use 1 envelope of gelatin to stiffen every 2 cups of stock.
Aspic should be so clear that it sparkles. This crystal clarity is achieved by adding to the stock egg whites or egg whites mixed with lean chopped beef, using I or 2 egg whiles for each quart of stock. Beat the whites lightly with a fork, combine them with ½ pound ground beef, add the mixture to the stock, and bring the stock to a boil, stirring it constantly with a wire whip or a slotted spoon. The instant the stock reaches the boiling point, stop stirring it. Let it simmer gently, without touching it, for 40 minutes. With a skimmer lift our as much of the egg white and beef as possible and strain the aspic through several thicknesses of cheesecloth. Aspic will keep indefinitely in a home freezer and for about a week in the refrigerator.
Aspics and chauds-froids should be as cold as is possible without actually jelling when they are used, and the food which they are to cover should also be cold. If the aspic begins to stiffen as it is being applied it may be softened over heat.
People who are willing to take the trouble to prepare an elaborate aspic pièce montée are also willing to create the necessary elegant decorations, which in classic French cuisine include flower designs and geometrical patterns made with truffles, hard-cooked egg whites and yolks, and leaves of tarragon or chervil. The truffles and egg whites are sliced thin and cut into the desired shapes and the egg yolks may be passed through a fine sieve. Tarragon leaves are plunged into boiling water for a minute, then into ice water. This treatment makes them pliable and preserves the natural green color. Chervil's feathery delicacy makes it more attractive than the more commonplace parsley. The serving plate may be garnished with tiny cherry tomatoes and water cress, with cherries, with white grapes. with orange slices, or with a salad of thinly sliced cucumber in lettuce nests or tomato cups. Cornucopias of thinly sliced ham, filled with a mixture of horseradish and whipped cream, make an attractive garnish. And of course aspic itself is used as a garnish. For this purpose it is poured into a shallow pan in a layer ½ inch thick, congealed. and cut into small diamonds. Crescents, or other shapes, or it may be stirred with a fork and forced through a pastry bag in decorative strips and mounds, or spooned onto a platter to serve as a bed for the jellied preparation.
Chaud-Froid de Fricassée de Poulet(Chicken Fricassee Chaud-Froid)
Clean and singe 2 young chickens weighing about 2 ½ pounds each. Remove the breasts and the legs with the second joints and season them with ½ teaspoon salt and a little pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, lay the chicken pieces in it, and add 8 small white onions and 12 cleaned fresh mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes, until the chicken is firm but has not taken on color. Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot, 1 clove garlic, crushed, and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix all together well. Add 1 cup white wine. 1 ½ cups liquid aspic, and a faggot made by tying together 1 stalk of celery, 4 sprigs of parsley. ½ bay leaf, and a little thyme. Cover the pan and simmer the chickens slowly for 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the breasts and cook the legs for 5 minutes longer. Lay the chicken on a serving dish, remove the skin if you wish, place the mushrooms on the chicken, and arrange the onions around it.
Cook the sauce until it is reduced to half its original quantity. Mix 2 egg yolks with ½ cup warm heavy cream and combine it with the sauce. Correct the seasoning with salt and bring the sauce just to the boiling point, stirring constantly, but do not allow it to boil. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and cool it. Coat the cooled chicken and the mushrooms with this chaud froid.
Aspic
Place in a large kettle 3 pounds each of beef bones and veal shin bones, 6 calf's feet, prepared, 3 each of carrots, onions, and leeks, all sliced, 1 stalk of celery, 2 tablespoons salt, and 2 gallons water. Bring the liquid to a boil, skim it, and boil it gently for about 5 hours, skimming as needed. Strain the stock, cool it, and remove the fat from the surface. Clarify as follows: Beat lightly 4 egg whites, mix them with 1 pound lean chopped beef, and add the mixture to the cold broth. Add 12 peppercorns, 1 tablespoon salt, 4 sprigs each of tarragon and chervil, 6 sprigs of parsley, and 1 bay leaf. Heat slowly, stirring constantly until the boiling point is reached, reduce the heat, and simmer the stock very gently for 50 minutes. Strain the stock through fine muslin and add to it ½ cup Sherry or Madeira. If calf's feet are not available, add to the hot strained broth 2 envelopes gelatin softened in ½ cup cold water. Chill the aspic. If it does not congeal, reheat it and add more gelatin. Aspic keeps for a week in the refrigerator, indefinitely in the home freezer.
Calf's Feet for Aspic
Have the butcher split the feet. Wash them well, put them in a kettle, add salted water to cover and bring the water to a boil. Cook the bones for about 5 minutes, until the scum stops coming to the top. Rinse the bones well and add them to the soup kettle.
Chicken Aspic
To the recipe for aspic, add a fowl and a quantity of prepared chicken feet.
Chicken Feel for Aspic
Remove the nails, wash the feet, and put them in a kettle with salted water to cover. Bring the water to a boil. When the skin loosens, plunge the feet into cold water, remove the skins and discard them. Add the cleaned feet to the soup kettle.
Poulet à I'Estragon à la Gelée (jellied Chicken with Tarragon)
Clean and singe a 3-pound chicken. Remove the leaves from 5 or 6 stalks of tarragon and set them aside for garnishing. Put 2 or 3 of the tarragon stems into the cavity of the chicken, truss the bird for roasting, and sprinkle it with salt. Lay the bird on its side in a roasting pan and spread it with 2 tablespoons butter. Add ¼ cup hot water to the pan. Roast in a moderately hoc oven (375° F.) (or 20 to 25 minutes, turn the bird, and roast it for 20 to 25 minutes longer to brown both sides. Baste the bird frequently with the pan juices and add a little more water if necessary. During the last few minutes of cooking turn the chicken on its back to brown the breast. The chicken is done when the juice that comes out when the second joint is pierced with a fork is clear and colorless, with no tinge of pink.
Remove the bird to a platter, letting the juice from the cavity drain into the roasting pan. To the pan add ¼ cup aspic, bring the mixture to a boil, skim the fat from the surface, season the liquid with salt, and strain it and cool it. Plunge the reserved tarragon leaves into boiling water and parboil them for a few seconds. Drain them, plunge them into ice water, and dry them on a towel. When the chicken has cooled. detach the legs and the breast and take out the small bones. Reshape the bird on a rack and coat it with the jellied gravy. Chill the bird well, place it on a serving dish, and decorate it with the tarragon leaves. Finish with a coat of clear aspic.
Poussin à la Véronique en Gelée(Jellied Chicken with Grapes)
Have the butcher bone 6 squab chickens weighing about 1 pound each. Or remove the feet and the wing tips and bone the squabs as follows: Cut down the back to open the bird. With a very sharp small knife detach the rib bones and other bones from the meat, keeping meat and skin intact. Remove the breast bones, still working from the inside, push back the flesh around the second joint, and carefully cut the meat away from the second joints and legs and pull the bones out. Remove the wing bones the same way.
Spread the buned birds flat on a board, skin side down, and season them with a little salt. Spread them thickly with goose liver mousse and roll them up. Tie the rolls with soft string, tying the legs and second joints close to the body. Roast in a moderately hot oven (375° F.), basting often with butter, for about 35 or 40 minutes. Add a little water if the butter starts to scorch in the pan. Remove the birds to a platter and cool them.
Discard the fat from the pan and add 2 tablespoons Sherry or Madeira, I tablespoon meat extract, and 3 tablespoons aspic. Boil the sauce for a minute or two, stirring to combine all ingredients. and strain and cool it. Discard the trussing strings, arrange the birds on a serving dish, and coat them lightly with the sauce. Garnish the dish with seedless white grapes. Chill well and coat all with another layer of sauce.
Mousse de Foie Gras (Goose Liver Mousse)
Work 6 tablespoons goose liver with a wooden spoon until it is very smooth and force it through a line sieve into a saucepan set in a pan of chopped ice. Add 2 tablespoons soft butter, working it in well with the goose liver. Season to taste with salt and a little white pepper and fold in thoroughly 2 tablespoons whipped cream
Supréme de Poularde Rose Marie (Jellied Breast of Chicken with Tomato Mousse)
Prepare a tomato mousse and spread it about ½ inch thick on a serving platter. Chill until set and cover with a layer of chicken aspic. On the chicken aspic arrange overlapping slices of cooked chicken breasts. Decorate the slices with tarragon and chervil leaves. Garnish the platter with cherry tomatoes and cover all with a thin layer of clear aspic.
Tomato Mousse
Peel 6 or 8 large tomatoes, cut them in half, and press out juice and seeds. Chop the pulp and force it through a fine sieve to make a purée. Add enough tomato juice to make about 2 cups. Soften 1 ½ envelopes gelatin in ¼ cup cold water and dissolve it over hot water. Add the gelatin to the tomato puree and strain the aspic through a fine sieve. Whip 1 cup cream stiff and stir the tomato mixture slowly into the whipped cream. Add 1 or 2 drops of red vegetable coloring, if necessary, to make the mousse an attractive tomato red.
Jellied Chicken Pie
Mix in a bowl 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion. 1 ½ tablespoons chopped parsley, 12 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced) 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, a little pepper, ¼ cup Sherry, I quart strong chicken broth, and 1 ½ cups aspic. Put 6 uncooked chicken breasts into a casserole or use individual baking dishes, Pour the mushrooms and the seasoned liquid over the chicken. Cover the casserole and bake it in a moderately hot oven (375° F.) for about 1 hour. Cool and chill until the liquid jells. Remove the lid, garnish each breast with a small slice of cooked ham and 2 slices of hard-cooked egg and cover the garnish with a thin layer of aspic. Chill well and sprinkle with a little chopped parsley. Traditionally, the baking dish is covered with a crust of pie dough which is not eaten.
Poulet Froid Moutarde (Cold Chicken with Mustard)
Clean and split tender young broilers weighing about 2 pounds each. Season them with salt, brush them with butter, and broil them or roast them in a hot oven until they are just done. Do not overcook. Spread the birds with a thin layer of prepared mustard, dip them in dry crumbs, sprinkle with melted butter, and brown the crumbs under the broiler. Cool the chickens but do not refrigerate them. Garnish each bird with a slice of cooked ham, a slice of pickle, and water cress, and serve with it a sauce made by mixing together equal parts of Worcestershire sauce and of finely chopped tarragon, chives, chervil, and parsley. A salad of tomatoes, or potatoes, or tossed greens makes an excellent accompaniment.
Capon Virginia
Clean and singe a capon or a large roasting chicken weighing about 5 pounds. Truss the legs and wings close to the body. In a saucepan combine 2 quarts water with 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 1 leek, 3 sprigs of parsley, 2 stalks of celery, and I tablespoon salt. If any chicken bones are available, add them also. Bring this court-bouillon to a boil, skim as needed, and cook it slowly for 1 hour. Remove the vegetables and the bones, and cook the chicken in the stock for 40 minutes, or until it is done. Cool the bird in the stock.
Lay the bird on a board on its back. Using a very sharp knife, cut the breasts carefully from the carcass. Then cut away the bones under the breasts, leaving a bowl-like cavity with the legs and second joints intact at the sides. Fill the cavity with ham mousse, rounding it up to reshape the bird. Remove the skin from the breasts and slice the meat neatly. Arrange the slices on each side of the rounded surface of the ham mousse. Decorate with tarragon leaves that have been parboiled for a few seconds, then put in cold water and drained, and with chervil leaves and slices or small designs of truffle. Chill thoroughly and coat with clear aspic. Pour a ½-inch layer of aspic in a cold serving dish and place the chicken on it. Let all congeal. Garnish with small cornucopias of sliced Virginia ham stuffed with grated horseradish mixed with whipped cream, and with cucumber salad in tiny lettuce nests.
Mousse de Jambon(Ham Mousse)
Put enough ham through the food chopper, using the finest blade, to make ½ cup. Add 1 cup meat broth, 1 cup tomato juice, and ½ teaspoon paprika, and bring the mixture to a boil. Soften 1 envelope gelatin in 2 tablespoons cold water and dissolve it in the hot mixture. Force the mixture through a fine sieve and cool it over cracked ice, stirring. Fold in 2 cups whipped cream, 1 tablespoon Sherry, and I or 2 drops red vegetable coloring. Chill the mousse until it begins to congeal and use it to fill the capon for capon Virginia.
This ham mousse can also be poured into a serving bowl, decorated with tarragon leaves, chervil, and truffle slices, and coated with aspic, or it may be molded in aspic.
Suprême de Caneton à l'Orange (Jellied Breast of Duckling with Orange)
Roast 2 ducklings weighing about 5 pounds each for about 1 hour, until they are just done. Remove the peel from 1 large orange, discard the white pith, and cut the zest into julienne strips. Cover the strips with water, parboil them for 2 minutes, and drain. Put the zest into a howl with 2 tablespoons Curaçao. Remove the breasts from the cooled ducklings; the skin may be removed or not. Melt 2 ½ cups aspic, drain the Curaçao from the orange julienne, and add the liqueur to the aspic. Arrange the breasts on a serving dish, sprinkle them with the well-drained orange julienne, and put them in the refrigerator to chill. Chill the aspic, but do not allow it to congeal. Coat the duck breasts with the aspic and chill them. Garnish the dish with orange slices. Chill the remaining aspic until it is stiff, chop it fine, and use it to decorate the platter, forcing it through a pastry tube into rounds or strips.