Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1882

1688 Fourth Service.

Curious ornaments in cakes, both savoury and sweet, jellies and blomonges in variety of shapes, figures and colours.

Nine dishes. In striking contrast is the appended menu of a dinner given in 1803. From the menu it will be seen that the dinner was an elaborate one, and the order of service is typical of that which prevailed during the first half of the nineteenth century. Like all dinners à la Française, it consisted of first and second service, of which soup and fish formed no part, these being regarded simply as a prelude to the meal. At the commencement of a dinner à la Française the top and bottom of the table were respectively occupied by dishes of fish. Two soups, one white and the other brown, or if of corresponding colour contrasting in other respects, were disposed at the sides of the table with the centrepiece between them, the fish sauces being placed midway between the centrepiece and the dish of fish to which each sauce was appropriate. In the "First Service" the fish was replaced by the relevés and the soup by the flancs, the hors d'oeuvre and entrées being disposed at the corners and down the sides of the table. In the "Second Service" all the cold entremets, whether sweet or savoury, were arranged in the centre of the table, a space on either side of the centrepiece being reserved for the flancs, and the top and bottom for dishes of game. The game being disposed of, the dishes were replaced by hot sweets. This service being concluded, cheese, butter and biscuits, with celery, cucumber and salad were handed round, after which, when the table was cleared and the cloth drawn, the dessert and wine were placed on the bare shining mahogany of polished oak, and thus concluded the meal.

MENU OF A DINNER SERVED IN 1803. Potages.

à la Imperatrice.

à la purée de pois verts, à 1'Esturgeon à la Chinoise.

Poissons..

Turbot à la Water. Truites à la Beaufort.

Water-souchet de Limandes.

Hors d'Œuvres.

de Niochi au Parmesan de White-bait frits.

Relevés.

Jambon aux épinards.

Poulardes a la chiory.