Mushroom Forcemeat

Ingredients

• 4 oz small mushrooms, peeled and trimmed
• 1.5 oz good butter
• cayenne
• mace
• 4 oz fine bread-crumbs
• 1.5 oz good butter
• cooking liquid from mushrooms
• 1 saltspoonful salt
• 0.33 saltspoonful cayenne
• 0.33 saltspoonful mace
• 0.33 saltspoonful nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon lemon-rind, grated
• 1 to 2 egg yolk

Instructions

1. Trim the stems closely from small, just-opened mushrooms, peel them, and remove the gills.
2. Dissolve 1½ oz of good butter in a saucepan and add the mushrooms with a light sprinkling of cayenne and mace.
3. Stew the mushrooms gently over low heat, shaking them frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Pour the mushrooms into a dish, spread them out, and tilt the dish to let the cooking liquid drain away.
5. Once completely cold, mince the mushrooms finely.
6. Mix the minced mushrooms with the bread-crumbs, 1½ oz fresh butter, and a little of the reserved cooking liquid if the mixture seems too dry.
7. Add 1 saltspoonful of salt, one-third as much cayenne, mace, and nutmeg, and 1 teaspoonful of grated lemon-rind.
8. Beat the whole forcemeat thoroughly with 1 or 2 unbeaten egg yolks until well combined.
9. Beat the forcemeat well in a mortar if possible to improve its texture.
10. Use the forcemeat poached in small balls in soup for 5 to 6 minutes, or fried and served alongside roast fowl or minced veal for 6 to 8 minutes, or stuff it into boiled fowls, partridges, or turkeys.