Sandwiches for Ball-suppers is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic snack of sandwiches filled with fowl coated in mayonnaise, game coated in salmis sauce or fish coated in herbed mayonnaise that are mounded on bread croutons and served garnished with truffles, hard-boiled egg whites, pickles and herbs. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Sandwiches for Ball-suppers.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Sandwiches for Ball-suppers that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 364.—SANDWICHES FOR BALL-SUPPERS.
Cut a number of thin scollops of either roast fowl, game, or of any kind of cooked fish, or of tunny, lobster, or the tails of picked prawns, or crayfish : let the scollops of fowl be masked over with white mayonaise sauce, those of game masked with salmis sauce in which has been mixed some aspic jelly ; the scollops of fish masked over with mayonaise sauce coloured with chopped tarragon, chervil, and chives; and the scollops of lobster or prawns or Crayfishtails masked with mayonaise sauce coloured with pounded lobster coral. Let the scollops so far prepared be adjusted upon thin croutons of fried bread of corresponding size and shape ; decorate their surface with truffle, white of hard egg, Indian pickle, or the leaves of tarragon or chervil: the details of this sort of decoration are to be stamped out with fancy tin cutters (to be obtained only at Adams' kitchen utensil warerooms in the Haymarket, St. James's). These sandwiches must then be dished in circular rows ; some Italian salad, No. 372, to be placed in the centre, ornamented round the base with aspic jelly. They are then to be served to the ladies as a dainty worthy of their appreciation.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
roast fowl or game or cooked fish, cut into scollops
tinned tuna, lobster meat, pickled prawns or crayfish mayonaise salmis sauce mixed with aspic jelly
chopped tarragon, chervil and chives
pounded lobster coral, strained through a sieve
thin croutons of fried bread
truffle, white of hard-boiled egg, Indian pickle, tarragon leaves or chervil leaves, to decorate
Italian salad
Method:
Strip the meat from the bird and mince very small. Combine in a bowl with the truffle and tongue. Work the meat glaze into the hot salmis sauce them mix with the meat and truffle mince.
Turn into a loaf tin and place in the refrigerator to chill and harden. Once set, turn the mixture out of the tin and slice. Trim the slices to fit slices of milk rolls that have been buttered. Arrange on a tray and serve.
