Blanquette of Chicken

A blanquette may be made from any cold cooked chicken or veal, cut into pieces about half an inch square. To every pint of these pieces allow:

• 1 gill of stock or water
• 1 gill of milk, or better, cream
• 1 tablespoonful of butter
• 1 tablespoonful of flour
• Yolks of two eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Put butter in frying-pan to melt (do not brown); then add the flour mix until smooth; add the stock, cream, salt, and pepper; stir continually until it boils; then add the meat, and stand over a very moderate fire until hot. Take from the fire, add the yolks well beaten, and serve at once in a small heated dish. Do not boil after adding the yolks, or it will curdle.

Steamed asparagus

Wash the asparagus well in cold water then cut it in pieces about an inch long, rejecting all the tougher parts. Put it in a kettle, cover with boiling water, and boil thirty minutes; then put it in a colander to drain. Now put it in a saucepan, pour over it a half-pint of cream, add a tablespoon of butter, salt, and black pepper; let boil up once, and serve.

{Excerpted from one of Mina’s cookbooks – considered to be “Philadelphia style” recipes – date unknown.}