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Fresh Beef Tongue, Gendarme

Wash well a fine, fresh, medium beef tongue. Slice one medium carrot, one onion, two branches celery, two ditto parsley, one clove sound garlic and one leek. Place all the vegetables in a large saucepan with half ounce butter, adding two cloves, one bay leaf, twelve allspice, eighteen whole black peppers and half teaspoon thyme. Brown the vegetables to a good brown colour, stirring well with a wooden spoon meanwhile, then lay the tongue over the vegetables, pour in one quart hot water, quarter of a pint claret, half pint tomato sauce and two gills demi-glace. Season with a teaspoon salt and half teaspoon white pepper. Cover the pan, and as soon as it comes to a boil place the pan in a moderate oven for two hours, being careful to turn the tongue once in a while. Take up the tongue and drop it into cold water for a minute, remove the skin and neatly trim it all around; keep it warm. Then place the pan on a brisk fire, reduce the sauce to a pint. Strain the sauce into another saucepan. Finely slice four medium, sound pickles, add six minced canned mushrooms; cut into small squares one red Spanish pepper and half ounce lean cooked ham, add to the strained sauce, mix well, boil for five minutes. Skim the fat off. Place the tongue on a hot dish, spread the sauce over and serve.