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Poulet En Cotelettes

Chicken cutlets may either be made of the legs only of three or four fowls, the superior parts of which have been used in other ways, or a fresh chicken may be divided into cutlets. When the legs only are used, cut out the thigh-bone, and leave the drumstick untouched. Cover the joints with slices of fat bacon, and stew in nicely-seasoned stock until they are quite tender. Lift them out, put them between two dishes with a weight over them, and let them get quite cold. Trim them neatly, and rub them with a savoury powder made of a tea-spoonful of salt, a pinch of cayenne, a quarter of a tea-spoonful of powdered mace, and the eighth of a small nutmeg, grated. Dip them in beaten egg and then into bread-crumbs, and fry them in hot fat till they are lightly browned. These cutlets may either be served without sauce, with the juice of a lemon squeezed over them, or they may have white or brown sauce poured round them. The sauce may be made by stewing the bones and trimmings of the chicken. If a whole chicken is used, the bones should be removed, and six cutlets should be made by flattening and shaping neatly the legs, wings, breast, and merry-thought. They should then be rubbed with the savoury powder, egged, breaded, and fried, as above. Time, three or four minutes to fry the cutlets which have been already dressed; ten minutes to fry those from a fresh chicken. Probable cost of chickens, 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. each. Sufficient, allow two cutlets for each person.