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Sweetbreads, Vol-Au-Vent Of

Soak two large fine sweetbreads in water for a couple of hours. Boil them quickly for ten minutes, and throw them into cold water. When cool, dry them perfectly, cut them into small pieces, and dredge flour upon them. Melt two ounces of butter in a saucepan, put in the pieces of sweetbread, and add the third of a pint of white stock, the strained juice of a lemon, two table-spoonfuls of sherry or Madeira, a bunch of sweet herbs, the thin rind of half a lemon, half a blade of mace, two cloves, and a little pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg. Let the sauce boil up once, skim it, and let the sweetbreads simmer gently until done enough. Take them up, strain the sauce, and mix with it gradually the yolks of two eggs beaten up with four table-spoonfuls of cream. Stir the sauce over the fire for a minute or two, but do not let it boil. Make a vol-au-vent case four inches in diameter (see VOL-AU-VENT). Bake it until done enough, scoop out the centre, and fill it with the mince. Serve the vol-au-vent very hot on a neatly-folded napkin. This dish will be much improved if a few mushrooms and browned potatoes are added to the preparation. Clean and skin eighteen or twenty button mushrooms, put them into a saucepan, cover with boiling water, and add the strained juice of a lemon and a little salt. Let them boil quickly for ten or twelve minutes. Make a dozen small balls of mashed potatoes, dip these in egg, and make them hot in the oven. Fill the vol-au-vent case (which, if the mushrooms and potatoes are added, will need to be six inches in diameter) with layers of sweetbread, potato balls, and mushrooms. Pour the sauce over all, and serve.