Next in importance was the most fashionable restaurant of early days,
the Iron House. It was built of heavy sheet iron that had been brought
around the Horn in a sailing vessel, and catered well, becoming for
several years the most famed restaurant of the city. Here, in Montgomery
street, between Jackson and Pacific, was the rendezvous of pioneers, and
here the Society of California Pioneers had its inception, receiving
impressions felt to the present day in San Francisco and California
history. Here, also, was first served Chicken in the Shell, the dish
from which so many later restaurants gained fame. The recipe for this as
prepared by the Iron House is still extant, and we are indebted to a
lady, who was a little girl when that restaurant was waning, whose
mother secured the recipe. It was prepared as follows:

Chicken in a Shell

Into a kettle containing a quart of water put a young chicken, one
sliced onion, a bay leaf, two cloves, a blade of mace and six
pepper-corns. Simmer in the covered kettle for one hour and set aside to
cool. When cool remove the meat from the bones, rejecting the skin. Cut
the meat into small dice. Mix in a saucepan, over a fire without
browning, a tablespoonful of butter, a tablespoonful of flour, then add
half a pint of cream. Stir this constantly until it boils, then add a
truffle, two dozen mushrooms chopped fine, a dash of white pepper and
then the dice of chicken. Let the whole stand in a bain marie, or
chafing dish, until quite hot. Add the yolks of two eggs and let cook
two minutes. Stir in half a glass of sherry and serve in cockle shells.



Early Italian Impression