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Gratin

Gratin is a French forcemeat. It may be made either of the lean part of veal or the breast and wings of a fowl. Take a calf's udder, and boil it gently, with as much water as will cover it, until sufficiently cooked. Let it cool, cut away all the upper part, and divide the rest into small pieces, which must be pounded in a mortar until they can be passed through a coarse sieve. Take equal parts of veal and cooked liver, cut them into small pieces, and put them in a saucepan with a little salt and pepper, and a table-spoonful of savoury herbs, powdered. Fry them in a little butter for ten minutes, then mince finely, and pound the meat until perfectly smooth, with half the quantity of veal udder. If necessary, butter may be substituted for the udder. Pound all thoroughly, and, whilst pounding, add three raw eggs at different times. Make up a small ball of the forcemeat, and throw it into boiling water, to try whether it is light and properly seasoned. If it be too firm, add a little water; if too soft, another egg. Probable cost of veal, 1s. per pound. The term "au gratin" is applied to certain dishes, covered with sauce and breadcrumbs, and browned in the oven, which are generally served in the earthenware utensils in which they have been baked or otherwise cooked.