Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Dining Car Cookbook
Page 4
“We continue to receive complaints that French-fried potatoes are cold and soggy when served. Reports from supervisory personnel indicate this condition results from one of several undesirable practices: (1) Potatoes being prepared in advance and being reheated in oven when orders received; (2) Potatoes being cut too large, blanched off prior to meal service, and then not sufficiently cooked when orders received; (3) and potatoes being cooked in oil so hot that they are brown on the outside but only partially cooked through.”
T H I S I S T H E P R O P E R P R O C E D U R E
“The recipe of ACL Steak Platter, page 54 of your Recipe Book, shows French-fried potatoes are to be cut ½ inch in thickness. They should also be cut ½ inch in width, and the length of the potato, with ends squared. On trains where only a few orders are anticipated, they are to be cooked to order. For heavy service, it will be permissible to partially cook the potatoes at the beginning of the meal; but in such cases, they should be finished off in the French fryer as ordered, and must be hot, crisp, and thoroughly cooked.”
“I cannot stress too strongly the importance of cutting the potatoes in the correct thickness. Failure to do so will result in discipline. Look at the handle of a coffee cup. This is ½ inch – the size of potatoes should be the same thickness.”
Waiters are to serve the order consisting of chicken, potatoes in basket, mixed salad (same as used for ACL steaks) on cold tea plate, pat of butter on butter chip and two rolls on tea plate, all at the same time. Do not serve the salad, rolls, or butter until you bring out the chicken. Hot service plate to be placed in front of guest. Beverages to be served at any time desired by guest.
Any additional items such as soups, juices, desserts, etc., that may be ordered by guest must be added to meal check before served and additional charges made by steward or waiter-in-charge.
J. B. MASHBURN
Superintendent of Dining Cars
Author’s note: Railroad dining cars very rarely made money. Industry-wide, each dollar of revenue cost approximately $1.36 to generate.
At the same time, the service in a dining car was extremely important to railroad officials, because you never knew who your customers were; you could be serving an official with one of your major shippers and a bad meal could cause him to suggest to the company that they consider moving their freight traffic to a competitor’s lines.
Because of this competition, the Dining Car Departments were very particular in making sure that all meals be served consistently according to the instructions. This memo illustrates the importance that the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad put on one of their signature dishes.
SLICED CHICKEN, HAM, POTATO SALAD, PICKLED BEETS
Arrange chicken and ham in center of cold platter.
Portion: 2 slices of white meat and 2 slice of dark meat of chicken and one slice of ham. On one end of platter place three slices pickled beets, each slice overlapping, on single crisp lettuce leaf. Mold ½ cup potato salad in egg cup and turn out on single crisp lettuce leaf on other end of platter. Sprinkle potato salad with chopped parsley. See recipe for potato salad.
SLICED CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS SPEARS, EN CASSEROLE—5 PORTIONS
1 4lb roasting chicken (boiled), breast and legs thinly sliced
20 Asparagus spears (canned), four to each portion
1 quart chicken fricassee sauce, well seasoned and very hot
Melted butter
Paprika
2½ kitchenspoons* grated American cheese
Heat the sliced chicken in a little well seasoned chicken broth and divide the chicken into five portions, each having an equal amount of both white and dark meat. Place in five casseroles; on top of the chicken place four asparagus spears. Pour over each portion enough of the fricassee sauce so as to come up to within half an inch of the top of the casserole. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese, a few bread crumbs, a few drops of melted butter, and a dash of paprika; then bake in a moderately hot oven until of a nice golden color. Serve very hot. See recipe for fricassee sauce.
SLICED CHICKEN ON TOAST, CHEESE SAUCE, GRILLED TOMATO, EN CASSEROLE-1 PORTION
3 thin slices dark meat of roasting chicken
2 thin slices white meat of roasting chicken
Make above very hot in chicken broth and drain well.
1 slice of fresh toast trimmed and cut round, to fit shirred egg dish
Use Welsh Rarebit cheese for this entrée.
Serving-Make the shirred egg dish very hot by placing on top of range. Lay the well drained chicken on top of toast in the dish, pour piping hot cheese sauce over top of chicken and garnish with two slices of grilled tomato on top of cheese. Serve at once, underlining shirred egg dish with tea plate. No additional service plate is needed for this entrée as it is eaten directly from shirred egg dish. Tomatoes must not be placed on top of cheese sauce until waiter is ready to take order to patron. See instructions for grilled tomato.
TURKEY SALAD
4 cups diced boiled turkey
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
10 single stalks of celery, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon capers
5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 pimento, chopped
Remove meat from turkey, and dice the meat and celery in ¼ inch pieces. Season with salt and white pepper and moisten lightly with oil and vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes, pour off vinegar, add mayonnaise, capers, and pimento and mix.
ROAST YOUNG TURKEY, DRESSING, CRANBERRY SAUCE
Clean turkey, remove pin feathers, and carefully wash before stuffing. Turkey must be stuffed before roasting and must be tied well to prevent dressing from falling out while roasting. Place turkey in roasting pan, season with salt and pepper and add a bouquet of vegetables. Pour clear meat drippings over top of each turkey. The breast should always be placed down in the pan to retain moisture in the breast meat, and the turkey should be basted frequently while roasting. Before turkey is done, turn breast side up to brown. After removing turkey from pan, strain surplus fat into a pot, add flour to the browned residue of vegetables and drippings to make a roux. Add sufficient stock, season with salt and pepper, and let cook for one-half hour. Strain. In carving, remove all dark meat and cut it up, but slice the breast only as ordered. Both varieties of meat should be served in each portion. See recipe for dressing.
Service: Place a generous basting spoon of dressing on hot medium platter, arrange dark meat on top of the dressing, and cover with giblet gravy. Then place the white slices on top of the gravy. Garnish with a sprig of parsley and use a hot dinner plate for service. Cranberry sauce to be served in a sauce dish on the side.
TURKEY CUTLETS, CREAM SAUCE-20 cutlets, 10 portions
3½ cups cooked ground turkey
1 cup finely diced onions
1 cup finely diced mushroom
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup clarified turkey fat or butter
½ cup finely diced pimento
3 egg yolks
1 cup flour
Dash of nutmeg
Celery salt, salt, white pepper
Braise celery, onions, and mushrooms slowly in the clarified turkey fat or butter until soft. Add enough flour to make a stiff roux. Season with celery salt, salt, white pepper, and dash of nutmeg. Add enough boiling turkey stock to make a thick paste, let cook for five or six minutes, then fold in the ground turkey meat and the pimentos. Mix thoroughly and finally add the beaten egg yolks. Then shape into cutlets and set aside for later cooking. Before frying, dredge the cutlets with flour, dip in egg wash, then into cracker meal or bread crumbs. Fry in very hot deep grease until golden brown.
Service: Serve two cutlets on bed or cream sauce on hot dinner plate, with triangular piece of freshly made toast on side of cutlet. Garnish with sprig of parsley.
SLICED TURKEY WITH ASPARAGUS SPEARS, AU GRATIN-Boil turkey for this entrée and for turkey salad.
Following is for five (5)
portions but one (1) turkey will, of course, make more than five (5) portions.
1 turkey, boiled, breast and legs thinly sliced
20 asparagus spears (canned) four to each portion
2½ kitchenspoons grated American cheese [1 kitchenspoon = 4 Tablespoons]
1 quart of turkey fricassee sauce, well-seasoned and very hot
Melted butter
Bread crumbs
Paprika
Heat the turkey in a little well-seasoned turkey broth and, when hot, drain off the broth. Place sliced turkey, light and dark meat, in five casseroles; on top of turkey place four asparagus spears. Pour over each portion enough fricassee sauce to fill casserole within one-half inch of the top. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese, a few bread crumbs, a few drops of melted butter, and a dash of paprika. Bake in a moderately hot oven until of a nice golden brown color. Serve very hot. See recipe for fricassee sauce.
TURKEY A LA KING, ON TOAST, EN CASSEROLE
Boil turkey for turkey salad and turkey a la king, reserve stock.
¾ cup clarified turkey fat or butter
½ cup diced green peppers
¾ lb fresh mushrooms
8 cups cooked turkey, equal amounts white and dark meat, flaked in 1-inch thin squares
½ cup diced pimento
2 quarts cream sauce
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons sherry wine
Turkey stock
6 egg yolks
Peel caps and remove thin slice from bottom of stem of fresh mushrooms and slice. Braise green peppers and mushrooms in fat or butter until tender but not brown. Add to this the turkey. Heat thoroughly. In separate saucepan prepare rich cream sauce, using half milk and half cream and turkey stock seasoned with celery salt, salt, and white pepper. Remove from fire and add the six egg yolks beaten into the cup of cream. Return sauce to fire and let simmer slowly for a couple of minutes, then add it to the turkey, mushrooms, and green peppers. Mix carefully and add diced pimentos and sherry wine. Caution-Do not permit to boil after adding the wine.
Service: Serve in large hot shirred egg dish on fresh toast. Underline with tea plate. Just before serving, garnish with two strips pimento crossed over top and sprinkle lightly with paprika. Hot dinner plate for service.
MEATS-BEEF, CORNED BEEF
BEEFSTEAK AND MUSHROOM PIE, EN CASSEROLE
(10 portions, use butt or flank)
5 lbs of meat, cut in 1½-inch pieces
½ cup of fat
3 onions, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
3 outside stalks of celery, sliced
1 cup flour
2 cups stewed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
4 allspice
2 quarts water
Trim surplus fat off meat, season with salt and pepper. Heat the fat in sauté pan. Add the meat, sear and brown well. When properly browned, remove meat. Let meat juice which has cooked out of meat reduce until fat is clear, then add onils, carrots, and celery. Braise vegetables until of good color, dust with flour and add water. Let come to boiling, stirring well, now place the meat back into the sauce, cover pan, and braise over slow fire until the meat is done. Remove meat only to a clean saucepan, add mushrooms, strain the gravy over, mix well, and let once more come to a boil.
Preparation of mushrooms:
1½ pounds, fresh heads and stems sliced. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter add mushrooms and sauté 10 minutes. Place 4 pieces of meat in casserole, add sufficient mushrooms and sauce. Cover with pie crust in which 2 or 3 cuts have been made to let steam escape, brush with egg wash, and bake in oven until crust is done and brown.
BRAISED BEEF STEW WITH VEGETABLES, EN CASSEROLE – 12 portions
5 lbs. lean, trimmed beef
2 cups stewed tomatoes
1 cup flour
2 cups boiled diced potatoes
2 quarts stock
3 onions
Salt, white pepper to taste
3 carrots
½ cup fat
3 outside stalks of celery, diced
Use raw beef cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in pot with sufficient grease to start the moisture from the meat, and add carrots, celery, and onions. Cook until slightly browned, then add flour for roux. Cook for a few minutes until flour is thoroughly absorbed. Then add tomatoes and stock and let simmer until tender. Season with salt and white pepper, add potatoes, and simmer for a few minutes. Put one kitchenspoon [4 Tablespoons] green peas over top of stew in casserole just before serving and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Service – Underline with tea plate. Use a hot dinner plate for service.
BOILED CORNED BEEF WITH NEW GREEN CABBAGE
Wash off the brine, place meat in cold water (no salt) and cook until tender. Corned beef should be allowed to cool in stock in which it was cooked to prevent dryness.
Cabbage—Remove the dry outside leaves, cut the head into four or six pieces, depending on size., remove core, wash well, and cook in the broth in which the corned beef was cooked.
Service – Place cabbage on service plate with slices of corned beef over top. One vegetable on service plate; other in side dish.
BRAISED BEEF TIPS WITH NOODLES, EN CASSEROLE 15 to 17 servings
5 pounds beef round or butt. Trim off excess fat, cut in ½ inch squares, and sauté until browned. Dredge with flour and place in oven until flour is browned. Add soup stock, three large minced onions, and simmer until tender and gravy is slightly thickened. Add enough tomato sauce to color. Season well with salt and pepper.
Cook noodles separately, in salted water, until done but not mushy, and remove to steam table crock. Add a little butter.
Service – fill casserole 2/3 full of noodles and cover with meat and gravy. Place a little chopped parsley on top at time of service. Serve piping hot.
BRAISED SHORT RIBS OF BEEF – 7 portions
5 lbs short ribs
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 cup peeled tomatoes
½ cup fat
4 carrots, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 quart stock
3 onions, sliced
4 whole allspice
½ cup flour
Salt, white pepper, to taste
Trim and remove excess fat from short ribs. Cut into portion size and tie with twine. Place in roasting pan with vegetables, spices, and crushed garlic. Braise slowly in oven until ¾ done. Remove meat, skim off excess fat, and add flour to make a roux, and cook for 5 or 6 minutes. Then add tomatoes and stock. Replace meat in pan and finish cooking in gravy until done. Season with salt and white pepper. Strain gravy and serve over meat.
NEW ENGLAND BOILED DINNER (CORNED BEEF) – 15 portions
5 lbs brisket of corned beef
3 head cabbage
30 small onions
15 white turnips
15 whole beets
4 lbs boiled salt pork
15 carrots
15 potatoes
1 bunch chopped parsley
Place corned beef in a pot, cover with cold water, and cook until tender. Select small turnips, carrots, potatoes, and pearl onions, and boil them with the meat, adding them to the pot just before the meat is tender. Boil the beets separately in some of the broth in which the meat and vegetables were cooked. Cook the cabbage with the meat, quartering and removing the cores. When vegetables are done, remove them from the pot, and leave the corned beef in the broth.
Service – Place cabbage in the center of a hot dinner plate and lay 2 thin slices of trimmed corned beef and one slice of salt pork (remove the rind) on top of the cabbage. Arrange the cooked vegetables around the corned beef in this order: beet, boiled potato, carrot, turnip, and onion, to provide an attractive color effect. Cover all with a spoonful of broth. Be sure to arrange vegetables just as shown above. Serve horseradish on the side in a covered mustard cup, underlined with AD saucer, mustard spoon or AD spoon inserted in cup.
COLD SLI
CED CORNED BEEF, POTATO SALAD, PICKLED BEETS
Line cold medium platter with a single crisp lettuce leaf. Serve a liberal portion of the cold sliced corned beef, and place in center of platter. Mold potato salad in egg cup, ½ filled, and turn out on one end of the platter. Cross two strips of pimento over the top. Place 4 slices of cold pickled beets on other end of platter, each slice overlapping the other. Garnish with sprig of parsley and a slice of dill pickle.
Cold service plate for service. Hot vegetables in side dishes, if ordered. Mustard should be placed on table at time of service.
BAKED MEAT LOAF WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE -18 portions
4 lbs ground raw beef
2 lbs ground fresh pork
2 medium onions, minced
2 cups bread crumbs
2 eggs
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sage
1 cup chicken or beef broth
(If no pork is available, use 6 lbs ground beef)
Brat eggs slightly, add beef and remaining ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Form into loaf shape, four inches in diameter. Place loaves into greased baking pan and bake in medium oven for about two hours. Cover baking pan for last hour of cooking to conserve moisture