Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-09-15
My Dear Doctor:
-
Doctor of Cookery.

My Dear Doctor:
/ am just back from my vacation and
an incident at the seashore leads me to
write you something of salmis and rag
outs. Entering a high class restaurant
the other day l overheard two ladies dis
cussing the bill of fare. The older one
was just about beginning a lunch. hav-
ing before her a salmi of duck, while
her companion had chosen a ragout of
beef. Both of them were enthusiastic
over the dishes before them and mourned
the fact that they could not have such
delicacies on the home table.
Now suppose some of your friends
are in a similar frame Of mind, and If
so, let US open their eyes. II had gone
to those two ladies and said to them
your salmis and ragouts are simply
warmed over meats that were left from
yesterdays meal they would have con-
sidered themselves insulted, yet such
was the case.
Any woman can have a salmi of duck
II she has some cold roast duck in the
house and will take the trouble to pre-
pare the dish. At the same time wish
to commend it to all your friends, and
suggest that 1t be cooked as follows:
Cut the meat from the duck and divide
II into small pieces. Break up the bones
and remnants. cover with cold water,
add couple of cloves and two or three
whole peppercorns and let the mixture
simmer slowly over moderate fire, add
ing at times a little soup stock. When
the liquid has boiled down to n cupful
for a pint of meat, set the dish back on
the range. Then fry good sized onion
in butter till brown, and add sufficient
cornstarch or flour to thicken. Strain
the liquor in which the bones were
boiled and add II gradually to the
Drowned butter, also putting in salt and
pepper to taste. a little lemon juice, a
couple of tablespoonfuls OF table sauce
and the pieces of meat. Cook slowly a
few minutes longer, add half dozen
fresh mushrooms or twice the number
of canned ones. chopped fine. and when
the latter are cooked you have a salmi
OF duck.
This dish is often served with French
peas, or may be placed on shallow dish
surrounded with brown mashed potato
If YOU desire salmi of venison or any |
other game treat the meat the same way
as YOU did the duck and the result will
be equally as pleasing.
Now what was true of the one dish the
ladies praised is true of the other Rag
out of beef is a nice palatable dish, and
one of the best ways of getting rid of cold
meat of that kind. Ii is simply prepared,
ard you should try it at the first oppor-
tunity. This is my way of preparing 1t,
adopted largely because it is so easily
understood by any one who is a fair
cook:
Cut a pint Of cold cooked beef into
half inch pieces, being careful to re-
move all bone or gristle. and II very fat
a portion of the fat. Put the meat into
stewpan. cover with boiling water and
let II simmer slowly until it is very ten
der. then add half can of mushrooms
cut fine. a little lemon juice and salt and
pepper to taste. Stir in cornstarch or
-four. previously wet with cold water,
and stirred to paste, to give the liquor
The required thickness, add caramel TO
color rich brown, and let the whole cook
for 10 minutes. Serve with plain or
potato, and in the season be
zure to have some green stuff as, for
instance. lettuce or tomato salad as a
side dish. The acid of the salad is jus.
what is needed to make the ragout tasty.
Here is another dish that is seasona-
HE inst now. which call fricasseed oys-
ters. Try this for lunch some day.
Cook one pint Of oysters in butter
until plump Drain; keep the oysters
warm and add enough cream to the
OYSTER liquor to make a cupful- Cook
1 tablespoonful of cornstarch- in Ike
amount of hot butter, and slowly add
he cream and oyster LIQUOR. Season
with a little lemon juice. and salt and
,epper to taste. Add one well beaten
.er to the sauce. Stir well, and. cooking
,lowly. add the oysters. Serve on toast
d bread and you will be pleased with the
.esult. Respectfully yours,