The Art of German Cooking and Baking/Headcheese and Gelatines

2545380The Art of German Cooking and Baking — Headcheese and GelatinesLina Wachtelborn Meier

CHAPTER 9.

Head-Cheese and Gelatines.


The various preparations of Gelatines, Aspic, Head-Cheese, Poultry and Fish Jellies.


No. 1—HOW TO PREPARE GELATINE.

  • 4 lbs. of pork sward or skin
  • 4 lbs. of pigs' feet
  • 6 qts. of water
  • 7 whites of eggs and the shells
  • 1 qt. of white wine
  • Juice of 3 lemons

Preparation: The pork sward and pigs' feet are cleaned well in cold water, then put in cold water and brought to boil. As soon as they begin to boil, pour this water off and cut the sward up into small pieces, chop the feet into several pieces and put on the stove with 6 qts. of cold water to boil for 7 hours. The feet may be taken out before this time if you wish to use them for a meal. The broth must boil down to 2½ qts.; this is strained through a fine sieve, set aside to cool, and all fat removed from the top.

Whites of eggs, wine and lemon juice are thoroughly beaten together; the egg shells are crushed and all this put into the broth. Then put the broth over the fire once more and stir constantly until it boils. Remove at once, cover up the pot and place it in a moderate oven until the liquid is perfectly clarified. Put a clean white cloth over a pot and strain the broth through it. This must be as clear as water. Put into glass jars, seal and set them in a boiler with water at the bottom, the jars resting on a tray. Cover the kettle and boil for 1 hour. This gelatine will keep and may be used for sweet or sour gelatines.

Remarks: The pigs' feet may be served with a brown sweet-sour gravy. They may be eaten cold if put in vinegar, onion slices, salt and pepper-corns for 2 days.


No. 2—MEAT GELATINE FOR PATIENTS.

Quantity 1½ qts.

  • 1 lb. of beef
  • 2½ lbs. veal cartilage
  • Salt
  • ¾ qt. of water
  • 1 small carrot

Preparation: The beef and the veal cartilage are washed and cut into small pieces, the carrot is scraped, but left whole. Then this meat, the carrot and 1 pinch of salt are put into a glass jar with ¾ qt. of water, sealed and slowly cooked in a boiler with water at the bottom, the jar resting on a tray, for 4 hours. After that, strain the broth, let it get cold and remove the fat, then serve it to the patient in spoonfuls.

Remarks: Instead of beef, you may use poultry.


No. 3—GELATINE OR HEAD-CHEESE FROM POULTRY BOUILLON.

Quantity for 4–6 Persons.

  • 1 young, fried or boiled chicken
  • ¾ qt. good beef bouillon
  • 2 tbsps. of Madeira or white wine
  • ½ tsp. of meat extract
  • 5 layers of ½ box of white gelatine
  • 2 sour pickles.

Preparation: The fried chicken is cut into small pieces, the pickles are peeled and sliced. The strong beef broth is heated and the gelatine dissolved in it with wine, meat extract and salt added, then strained and tasted as to seasoning. Put ¼ pt. of the warm fluid into a porcelain dish, skim off all fat, let it get cold and put on the sliced pickles and a few tablespoonfuls of broth, let it cool, arrange the chicken meat on it in the form of scales, pour the rest of the broth on and let it get cold and stiff. Then turn it out on a platter and garnish with parsley. Asparagus cut into small pieces may also be used in this gelatine.

Remarks: Instead of chicken you may use veal roast, tongue or goose liver from which all hard fried meat and cartilage is removed.


No. 4—HEAD-CHEESE FROM PIGS' FEET AND CALF'S TONGUE.

Quantity for 6 Persons.

  • 4 pigs' feet
  • 2 calves' tongues
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • ⅛ pt. of white wine
  • 3 tbsps. of vinegar
  • Some salt
  • 1 small onion
  • ½ bay-leaf
  • ¼ tsp. of meat extract
  • 1 sour pickle, cut into small pieces
  • 2 qts. of water
  • 4 pepper-corns

Preparation: Pigs' feet and calves' tongues are cleaned well, put on to boil with the water, salt, pepper, onion, bay-leaf. Cover the pot and boil until well done, then take the skin off the tongue and cut it with the rest of the meat into small pieces.

Strain the bouillon and add vinegar, lemon juice, wine and meat extract. Put the meat into a dish, pour the bouillon on and set to cool. Then turn it out on a platter and serve with head lettuce or potato salad, vinegar and oil, mayonnaise dressing or with fried potatoes.


No. 5—HEAD-CHiEESE FROM OX-TONGUE.

Quantity for 6 Persons.

  • 1 pickled ox-tongue
  • ½ qt. strong beef bouillon
  • 4 pieces of white gelatine
  • 1 tbsp. of capers
  • 4 sliced pickles
  • ½ pt. sliced champignons
  • ⅛ pt. white wine
  • Some champignon water
  • ½ tsp. of meat extract
  • Some vinegar

Preparation: The tongue is cleaned and put on to boil in cold water until tender. It is then skinned and sliced, ½ pt. of vinegar poured on and left for a few hours. The bouillon is seasoned with salt, wine, champignon juice, lemon juice, some vinegar and the 4 pieces of gelatine are dissolved in the bouillon. The tongue, champignon and pickle slices and capers are put into a porcelain dish, the bouillon poured on and cooled; then turned out on a platter and served.


No. 6—HEAD-CHEESE FROM GOOSE OR DUCK.

Quantity for 6 Persons.

  • 1 goose, 8 to 10 lbs.
  • 6 calves' feet

For Cooking.

  • 6 qts. of water
  • Salt
  • 6 pepper-corns
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 bay-leaf
  • 1 large sliced onion
  • Some soupgreens
  • 1 tsp. of meat extract
  • ½ cup of good vinegar
  • 4 whites of eggs and shells

Preparation: The goose and calves' feet are cleaned and well jointed, then put to boil in cold water with all the other ingredients. When the goose is tender, take it out of the broth, remove all spices that may adhere to it, place it into a porcelain or stone jar. Let the calves' feet cook until boiled down to 3 qts., remove all fat and season with vinegar, meat extract and salt if necessary. Put in the crushed egg shells, beat the white of egg with water and add it to the bouillon, let it come to boil and then set aside to simmer until the white of egg curdles. After one hour, strain the bouillon and pour it through a white cloth over the goose meat.

Remarks: If you wish to prepare the head-cheese quickly, omit the calves' feet and use 35 pieces of gelatine dissolved in 3 qts. of bouillon, which is also clarified with white of egg and egg shells.

Remarks: The meat of the calves' feet may be breaded in roll crumbs, fried in butter and served with a raisin gravy. If you wish to make this head-cheese from duck, take 2 ducks.


No. 7—HEAD-CHEESE FROM PARTRIDGE.

Quantity for 6 Persons.

  • 3 partridges
  • 2 qts. of water
  • Salt
  • 4 pepper-corns
  • ½ onion
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 bay-leaf
  • 2 tbsps. of lemon juice
  • 4 tbsps. of Madeira or good white wine
  • 2 whites of eggs and egg shells
  • 15 pieces of gelatine or
  • 1/20 of a lb.
  • ¼ tsp. of meat extract

Preparation: The partridges are cleaned and dressed and put to boil in cold water with the spices. When it is done, carve it and put it into a porcelain dish. Let the bouillon boil down to 1¼ qts., season with white wine or Madeira, lemon juice and meat extract and remove all fat, then dissolve the gelatine in it. Stir the whites of eggs with some bouillon and add it with the egg shells, then boil for a few minutes and set aside to simmer until the bouillon is clear. Strain it through a sieve and a cloth and pour it on to the meat to cool. Turn it out on a platter and garnish with lettuce and lemon slices.


No. 8—FISH IN JELLY.

Quantity for 6 Persons.

  • 2½ lbs. of fish
  • 2½ qts. of water
  • Salt
  • 4 pepper-corns
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 lemon slices
  • 2 tbsps. of vinegar
  • 4 tbsps. of lemon juice
  • ¼ pt. of white wine
  • 10 pieces of white gelatine
  • 1 bay-leaf

Preparation: Put the water on with all the other ingredients and boil, then put in the fish after being dressed and cleaned and let it simmer gently for ½ hour. Take out the fish, remove the bones and cut it up into large pieces. The fish stock is boiled down to 1¼ qts. and the gelatine dissolved in it, then boiled for one hour, strained and poured on the fish to cool. Serve it on a glass platter garnished with head lettuce.


No. 9—EEL IN JELLY.

Quantity for 6 Persons.

  • 3 lbs. of eel
  • 1½ qts. of water
  • ¼ qt. of wine vinegar
  • 10 pepper-corns
  • 3 cloves
  • Salt
  • 2 bay-leaves
  • 1 sliced onion
  • Some soupgreens
  • ¼ lemon, sliced
  • 12 layers of white gelatine
  • ¼ tsp. of meat extract
  • 2 hard boiled eggs
  • White of 1 egg

Preparation: The eel is skinned, cut in pieces and the intestines taken out. The 1½ qts. of water are brought to boil with vinegar, pepper-corns, salt, bay-leaf, onions, lemon slices and soupgreens; add the eel and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Take out the pieces of eel and boil the broth down to 1 qt.. Into this put the crushed egg shells, the white of egg mixed with some broth, ¼ teaspoonful of meat extract and the gelatine and cook for a minute, then set aside. When the bouillon is clear, strain it through a fine cloth. Slice the two hard boiled eggs and cover the bottom of a porcelain dish with t!hem, then pour on some jelly and fish bouillon and let it get cold. After that put the eel pieces on and the rest of the sliced egg, then pour the rest of the stock over and let it get cold. When it is stiff, turn it out on a plate and garnish with head lettuce. It is best to prepare this dish the day before using it.


No. 10—SALMON IN JELLY.

Quantity for 6 Persons.

  • 2½ lbs. of salmon
  • 1½ qts. of water
  • ½ cup of wine vinegar
  • 1 cup of white wine
  • ½ sliced onion
  • ¼ sliced lemon
  • 12 pepper-corns
  • 5 cloves
  • 2 bay-leaves
  • 10 pieces of gelatine
  • 2 whites of eggs and shells
  • 10 crab tails if you like
  • Salt

Preparation: Into the water put the wine vinegar, the wine, salt, pepper-corns, bay-leaves, cloves, onion slices, lemon slices and let it come to boil. Clean the fish well and put it into this water to simmer gently for ½ to ¾ hour. After this take the fish out, remove the bones, cut in pieces and boil down the stock to 1 qt. Beat the whites of 2 eggs with some of the broth and add it, also the crushed shells and 10 pieces or layers of gelatine. Let this mass cook a second and set aside to clarify, then strain through a fine cloth.

Place the pieces of fish and crab tails into a porcelain dish, pour the fish stock on and put it on ice to cool quickly. Then turn it out on a glass platter and garnish with head lettuce and lemon slices. Serve with a mayonnaise dressing.


No. 11—OYSTERS AND CAVIAR IN JELLY.

Quantity for 6 Persons.

  • 1 qt. strong beef bouillon
  • 3 tbsps. of white wine
  • 1 tsp. of lemon juice
  • 12 layers of gelatine
  • 4 doz. oysters
  • ¼ lb. of caviar, ice
  • 2 whites of eggs and shells

Preparation: The beef bouillon must be clear and free from fat; season it with white wine and lemon juice, and dissolve the gelatine in it. Stir the white of egg with some bouillon and add it, put in the crushed egg shells to cook for a second, then set aside to clarify. Strain it through a fine cloth. Fresh oysters are opened, cleaned and cut out of the shells. A dish is set on chopped ice, some oysters are placed in a circle into the dish and sufficient cold bouillon put on to cover; then let them get stiff. Repeat this until all oysters have been used. Put the rest of the bouillon on top and let it get stiff.

The caviar is poured into a sieve, let very cold water run over it until it becomes granular. In the center of the oyster jelly cut out a round hole, large enough to hold the quantity of caviar at hand. Heat the oyster jelly that has been cut out and pour it over the caviar. When it is perfectly stiff, turn it out on a platter and garnish with lemon slices and lettuce leaves. Serve with a cold mustard dressing.


No. 12—GOOSE-LIVER IN JELLY.

Quantity for 6 Persons.

  • 1½ lbs. of fat goose liver
  • ¼ lb. of truffles
  • ¼ lb. of champignons
  • ¾ qt. very strong beef or chicken broth
  • ½ tsp. of meat extract
  • 3 tbsps. of Madeira
  • 10 pieces of white gelatine
  • 1 white of egg and shell for clearing

'Preparation:' Remove all fat from the broth. Dissolve the gelatine in it, color with the meat extract and season with Madeira. Add to it the white of egg beaten into some of the broth, and the crushed shell, cook a second and set aside to clarify, then strain through a fine cloth.

Skin the goose liver and cut it into 1½ inch slices, also the truffles and lard the liver slices with the truffles, then stew slowly in a little butter. When done, place them on blotting paper to drain off the fat. The champignons are cooked in bouillon for 10 minutes.

Into a dish set in crushed ice put part of the bouillon, let it get stiff and put in half of the goose liver, also half of the champignons. Some more bouillon is poured over this and cooled; then repeat this same process until all goose liver, champignons and broth have been used. Let it get stiff, turn it out on a platter and serve with a cold mustard dressing and potato salad.