p. g. tips - or les astuces de Bertram W...

The good Abbé HP is reading 'Right Ho Jeeves' to pass the gloomy grisaille of December 2014 in literary jollity.  From this text, he has become fascinated by the recipes of Anatole, Aunt Dahlia's cook; in particular 'Nonnettes de Poulet Agnes Sorrel'.  Read on below...

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Bertram W and Jeeves in the two seater

Nonnettes de Poulet Agnès Sorel

Trousser 12 ortolans pour Entrée et les faire raidir au beurre un instant.
Lever les filets de 12 poulets de grains ; les dénerver ; aplatir légèrement ces filets et les réunir deux par deux, en mettant les bords de l'un sur l'autre: Cela, pour obtenir une plus large surface.
Au milieu de chacune de ces sortes d'abaisses de chair de poulet, mettre un ortolan ; l'envelopper dans l'abaisseet entourer celle-ci de quelques tours de fil pour la maintenir en forme de paupiette.
Ranger ces paupiettes dans un plat à sauter à bords baset, 5 minutes avant de servir, les arroser de 125 grammes de beurre très chaud.
Saler légèrement et cuire à four vif.
Après avoir retiré le fil, dresser les Nonnettes, chacune dans un croûton en pain de mie de forme carrée,
légèrement creusé, frit au beurre et farci intérieurement de Purée de Foie Gras.
Napper sobrement de Glace de Volaille légère, montée au beurre;
ajouter une goutte de jus de citron sur chaque Nonnette.

Truss up twelve buntings for the dish and stiffen them in butter for a while.
Fillet the twelve chickens, and remove the sinews, slightly flatten the filets and bring them together two-by-two, with the edges of one another: This in order to create the largest surface area.
In the middle of each of these reduced pieces of rolled-up chicken meat, put one of the buntings; wrap it in the reduced meat and surround it with a few turns of thread to keep it in shape of a eye.
Place these eye-shaped meatballs in a sauté pan to with high edges and sauté; 5 minutes before serving, sprinkle them with 125 grams of hot butter. Sprinkle with salt
Now bake in oven on high.
After removing the wire, straightening out the Nonnettes, and place each in a square slightly-dished crust base of soft bread crumbs, to be lightly pan-fried and stuffed in the interior with purée of foie gras.
Coat soberly with 'Glace de Volaille' and with butter;
Add a drop of lemon juice on each Nonnette.

the tomb of la belle Agnes Sorrel in Loches

"Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the Hotel Magnifique... there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty hangdog look which announces that an Englishman is about to talk French."

the first para of

P G Wodehouse - 'The Luck of the Bodkins'

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