A Classic at Christmas.

Today, December 26th …

Yes, I know I promised you a fruitcake story for today, but in retrospect it seemed a heavy topic for the day after a heavy-eating day. And in any case, I have too much post-feasting cleaning up to do myself (but what a good day!) – so when I realised that I had not selected a suitable fruitcake recipe for the day, I made an executive decision to change topic.

I hope you like this 1921 Boxing Day menu from the Hotel Rubens, London S.W 1.

MENU du DINER

Royal Natives
-
Consomme a l’Ancienne
-
Supreme de Salmon Chambort
-
Tournedos Rossini
Haricots Verts
Pommes Chateau
-
Cailles de Vigne au Raisins
Salade de Saison
-
Coupe Mexicaine
Mignardises
-
Café 6d.

Lunedi le 26 Decembre 1921

Here is Escoffier's recipe for the Tournedos Rossini.

Tournedos Rossini.
Seasoning: 4 tournedos, butter, 4 croûtons, fried in butter, meat jelly, 4 slices foie gras, Madeira, 12 slices truffle, dem-glace sauce.
Season and sauté the tournedos in butter. Cover each crouton with a little meat jelly and place the tournedos on top. Arrange on a serving dish. Sauté foie gras in butter and place a slice on each tournedos. Add a little Madeira to the pan in which the tournedos were cooked, boil, add the slice of truffle and the very well reduced demi-glace sauce. Pour over the tournedos.
Serve with a dish of noodles, mixed with butter and Parmesan cheese.

[As for the Royal Natives, you'll have to shoot a few for yourself today .... ]

Tomorrow’s Story...

Papal Pasta.

A Previous Story for this Day...

Last year we had a story set during the Boer War era, called 'Keeping Husbands at Home'.

Quotation for the Day.

From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it. Katharine Whitehorn, English writer, in 1962.