The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-24
A MASTER OF COOKERY
HE WAS A. CULINARY ARTIST AND
COULD TELL HOW TO COOK.
Some RecolIcctions of Thoma j. MUIR
rey of Gastronomic Fame-A
Chafng-Dish Illustration.
Philadelphia Record.

Philadelphia Record.
Murrey was TO our day what Brillat
Savarin was to his. He not only knew how
to cook and to tell others how TO cook, but
he held a facile pen, whereby he was en-
abled to hand down the secrets of good
and proper living to those who will follow
him for centuries to come. Surely. that is
something not TO be ashamed OF. To use
the gifts of nature to the best purpose is
a kindly and a beneficent art. Murrey
knew how to make sauces, and he knew
how to make salads and he knew how to
make soups, and that he was not parsi-
monious or miserly in his wealth of gastro-
nomic knowledge has been Jabundantly
proven by the fact that he left behind him
contributions to the literature of the art of
dining a number Of books, some OF them
famous.
Such was his fame as a true culinary
artist that in 1892 he was given charge of
the restaurant of the House of Repre-
sentative in Washington. which position he
occupied for some years, and while there
he made the enduring acquaintanceship
and won the continued regard of many of
the leading statesmen of the country.
AS a tribute to his memory from one who
knew and loved him well, the narrator
would like, for his own satisfaction, and
for your practical instruction, to tell you a
story regarding the mastery manner in
which Tom Murrey could make a chatting
dish talk. 1t happened as a result of badi-
mage between himself, the late Charles w.
Brooke-the leading criminal lawyer of his
day-and the one who tells this tale. Muir
rey said he would give a dinner at his w
table prepared entirely in a chatting dish.
He did. He sat placidly at the head OF the
mahogany, entertaining his guests, while
he cooked the dinner, his wife sitting at
the other end Of the table and never leav-
ing it during the entire meal, which covered
a period of five hours. Six sat around the
mahogany. Murrey, as he dipped a ladle In
a smoking tureen, said: Gentlemen, with a
very few exceptions, this is the only dish
you will have tonight that will not be pre-
pared, or at least its preparation COM
pleted, in a chatting dish upon the table.
Even the soup. however, / made myself.
and the only assistance 1 have had and
will have throughout the entire dinner has
come and Will come from our little 'slavey-
She, however, is simply a cleaner and car
rier, as IL were" The Slavey was a bright
eyed, tidy-looking colored girl. The soup
| proved to be a deliciously-made consomme,
with a teaspoonful of alphabetical spaghet-
ii in each plate, and containing as an inno-
walton some shredded sweet Spanish pep
per. 1t will be noticed in what follows that
this most delicious but rarely used vese-
table figured prominently In the repast:
Murrey was a good talker. He spoke of
his dishes in a way which gave zest TO the
appetite and made the food taste better.
THE OPENING RITE.
The first appearance of the chatting dish.
which was a round one, was after the soup
had been disposed of. When the gourmet
had lighted the alcohol lamp, which he did
with the air as though he was offering
sacrifice to the memory of Ajicius, he said:
Gentlemen, while the flame is burning /
will tell you what this dish contains and
how it has been prepared. 1 don't believe
in surrounding your guests food with mys-
terry. I think we enjoy viands better for
knowing exactly what they are. Frankly,
what / am now trying is an experiment. L
have never cooked it before. The receipt
for it can be found in no cook book. 1t Is
a creation of my own. You shall be the
judge and the jury to pass judgment upon 1t
Its basis is nothing more than shad roe.
For this company obtained one pair OF
roe, and having scalded them and removed
the thin membrane when they became cool,
/ placed them in a small saucepan, covered
them with white wine seasoned with half
a tedSpOOnIul OF SAN OHc dit a
very small piece of mace, and then having
covered the dish permitted the roe to SIM
mer for half ar hour.
"I had also washed a pint of scollops in
cold water, and having drained them put
them also in a saucepan and covered them
with hot water. | seasoned this with one
quarter of a teaspoonful of salt, an eighth
of a bay leaf, four whole allspices and two
cloves. These were also boiled for half an
hour with the saucepan covered. Then l
brought a third, but a smaller saucepan, in
requisition. In il / placed a heaping table,
spoonful of butter. and as ii melted
whisked 1t and added a heaping tablespoon
full OF flour and a gill of the water in which
the scollops were boiled. Having whisked
this together very rapidly, l added another
large spoonful of butter, another gill of the
scollop water, a tablespoonful of garlic
I j~uice-pressed fresh from the garlic-and a
quarter of a teaspoonful of salt. When this
was quite smooth and of a velvety appear
ance L Incorporated in the sauce a third
spoonful of butter. When this had cooled
somewhat I whisked into it the beaten
! yolks Of three eggs. Having drained the
water from the shad roe and the scollops, /
was now ready for the chatting dish. I
placed the roe in first and arranged the
scollops over them neatly, and then L COW
cred the latter with a thin but complete
layer of freshly grated horsera6ish-none
of your bottled stuff. / used fully half a
pint of it. over all this l poured the
sauce, and then the dish was ready for
Miranda to bring to the table. Now, when
ILlC HUI ~ dtlCl - y tHa ~
! sauce has melted we'll through the dish. we
will see what the gods have in store for
U.S."
DISH OF CUCUMBERS.
The dish was indeed a revelation. Not
only had the delights of shad roe-ordi-
narily dry and insipid-never before been
revealed, but the entire combination was
one which justified the verdict that those
seated about the table were figuring IN
! an evertful, If not a historical, occasion
the discovery of a new dish. Its discus
sion. however. had scarcely been begun
when the host excitedly exclaimed: Mi
ran2a, have you forgotten those cucum-
bers?" AS the missing dish was placed be-
fore him the gourmet said, inquiringly:
why is il that one never finds cucum-
bers properly prepared in a hotel or res
taurant? | have never seen them served as
they should be in a public place These
are very young cucumbers, with all the
white removed, and cut very thin. They
are covered with a French dressing, to
which has been added a tablespoonful of
| finely chopped dollhouse herbs. consisting
sides, three drops of garlic oil. This lat
| ter, by the way. is an innovation of my
own TO give a delicate suggestion of garlic
10 a dish without the rank taste. IT is
nothing more than a small bottle of fine
olive oil in which a piece of garlic is al
lowed 10 remain"