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Carbonnades a la Flamande

A historical recipe from A guide to modern cookery, by Escoffier, A. (Auguste) (1907).

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A historical recipe

A guide to modern cookery, by Escoffier, A. (Auguste) (1907). Project Gutenberg eBook #71395.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

France

Known as a French recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 4 ingredients

  1. three lbs. of lean shoulder
  2. one and one-quarter lbs. of minced onions
  3. four oz. of brown roux
  4. one and one-half oz. of powdered sugar

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
  • Oven and hot trays. Use dry oven gloves for trays and dishes: a hot tray looks just like a cold one. Open the oven door away from your face and let the first rush of heat out.
  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. Cut three lbs.
  2. of lean shoulder or cushion of beef into thin, short slices.
  3. Season the latter with salt and pepper, and brown them quickly on both sides in stock fat.
  4. At the same time toss one and one-quarter lbs.
  5. of minced onions in butter, until they are well browned.
  6. Put the slices of beef and the onions in alternate layers into a saucepan, and in their midst place a faggot.
  7. Drain the grease from the sautépan in which the slices were fried;
  8. swill with one and one-half pints of beer (old Lambic in preference);
  9. add the same quantity of brown stock, thicken with four oz.
  10. of brown roux;
  11. finish the seasoning with one and one-half oz.
  12. of powdered sugar;
  13. set to boil, stirring the while, and strain this sauce over the slices of beef and the onions.
  14. Cover and cook gently in the oven for from two and one-half to three hours.
  15. N.B.—Carbonnades are served thus, mingled with the onions;
  16. but they may also be dished in a timbale and covered with a Soubise consisting of the onion and the sauce rubbed through tammy.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Frying pan
  • Saucepan
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Wooden spoon
  • Sieve
  • Colander
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From A guide to modern cookery, by Escoffier, A. (Auguste) (1907). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #71395 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/71395). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.