the oven, which must be very hot, with the greatest heat at the
bottom.

The puff paste is used for pate shells and vol-au-vent cake and for
light pastries of all kinds.

63

PASTE FOR FRYING

(Pastella per fritto)

Dilute three teaspoonfuls of flour with two teaspoonfuls of oil. Add two
eggs, a pinch of salt, and mix well. This mixture will take on the
aspect of a smooth cream and is used to glaze fried brains, sweetbreads
and the like. All these things are first to be scalded in boiling salt
water. Add a pinch of salt and one of pepper when taking from the water.
The brains, sweetbreads etc. are then to be cut in irregular pieces,
thrown into the paste, or cream, described above and fried in oil or
good lard.

In frying these are often united to liver or veal cutlets. The liver
must be cut in very thin slices and the cutlets beaten with the side of
a big knife and given a good shape. Season with salt and pepper, dip in
beaten egg and after a few hours sprinkle with bread crumbs and fry.
Serve with lemon.

64

CHICKEN STUFFING

(Ripieno di pollo)

The ingredients are 1/4 lb. lean veal or pork or breast of turkey and
chicken giblets. Cook this meat together with a little hash of onion,
parsley, celery, carrot and butter. Season with salt pepper and spices,
moistening it with broth. Take dry from the fire, take off the soft
parts of the giblets, add a few dry mushrooms softened in water, a
little slice of lean fat ham and chop everything fine. Into the sauce
that has remained from the cooking throw enough breadcrumbs to make a
tablespoonful of hard soaked bread. Mix it with the chopped hash, add a
pinch of grated cheese and two eggs and fill the chicken with all this,
sewing up the opening afterwards. The chicken can be boiled or stewed.
If boiled you will have an excellent bouillon, but pay attention when
cutting the chicken to extract the stuffing in one piece in order to
slice it.

65

MEAT STUFFING FOR VOL-AU-VENT

(Ripieno di carne per pasticcini di pasta sfoglia)

This stuffing can be made either with stewed veal or chicken giblets or
sweetbreads. The latter are preferable, being more delicate and a taste
of truffles greatly improves the stuffing. If sweetbreads are used, put
them on the fire with a piece of butter and season with salt and pepper.
When they have begun to take color, complete the cooking with some brown
stock, then cut them in pieces as little as a bean. Add one or two
s