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Grenadins of Chicken, Astor

Have three tender spring chickens of one and a quarter to one and a half pounds each, detach the legs and keep them on a plate, cut off the wings, then carefully lift up the breasts, remove the skin and bones from the breasts, split each breast open without separating, then lay them open on a clean board. Finely chop two ounces raw, lean veal, place in a mortar with an egg yolk and pound to a paste, then rub it through a sieve into a bowl, add two saltspoons salt, half saltspoon cayenne pepper, half saltspoon grated nutmeg, one finely chopped truffle, gradually pour in two tablespoons cream, sharply stirring while adding it, season the breasts with half teaspoon salt and two saltspoons pepper, spread the force inside the breast, evenly divided , fold them up so as to entirely enclose the force, heat two tablespoons clarified butter in a sauteuse, adding ten well-cleaned, medium-sized, fresh, sliced mushrooms, and cook them for five minutes, frequently tossing meanwhile, lift them up with a skimmer and keep them on a plate. Arrange the breasts in the mushroom pan and gently fry them for four minutes on each side, moisten with one and a half gills good Sauterne wine and two tablespoons good sherry, cover the sauteuse and let them reduce to half the quantity on the range, pour in one and a half gills cream, season with a half teaspoon salt and saltspoon cayenne, shuffle the pan and cook for eight minutes. Prepare six heart-shaped bread croutons of the same size as the grenadins, quarter-inch in thickness, dip them in melted butter, then place them on a tin, set in the oven until they obtain a nice golden colour on both sides, remove, arrange them on a hot dish, star-like, place a grenadin on top of each crouton and keep them hot until required. Mix in a saucepan one ounce butter with tablespoon flour and heat it for half a minute, stirring well meanwhile, then pour the contents of the sauteuse in the pan, continually mix until it comes to a boil, strain the sauce through a Chinese strainer into another saucepan, add the mushrooms and let boil for ten minutes, pour over the grenadins, sprinkle a little chopped truffle over all and serve.

N. B. Remove the feet and second joint bones from the six legs of the three chickens and place them into an earthen jar, adding one sliced carrot, a sliced onion, a crushed bean garlic, branch parsley, branch chervil, six tarragon leaves, sprig thyme, blade mace, bay leaf, one clove, teaspoon allspice, teaspoon whole black pepper and teaspoon salt. Moisten with a half pint claret, two gills water and the juice of half a sound lemon, mix well, cover the pan and keep in the ice box until Saturday's dinner, for chicken-leg dijonnaise. Thoroughly clean the carcasses of three chickens and keep for chicken broth at Saturday's luncheon.