Recipes from the past
From Appropedia
The following unorganized list of recipes came from the Household Cyclopedia, published in 1881. It has hundreds of almost lost recipes, such as how the make mock turtle soup from a calf's head! It also contains some terms from our past that may take a bit of detective work. The book's list of measurements is placed first so that you will know about gills and pecks. And be careful of certain advice such as the suggestion to use molds made of lead for candy making. Remember it dates back over 100 years.
CULINARY ARTS
[edit] Weights And Measures.
Solids.
Butter, when soft, one pound is one quart.
Eggs, ten are one pound.
Flour, wheat, one pound Is one quart.
Meal, Indian, one pound two ounces is one quart.
Sugar, best brown, one pound two ounces is one quart.
Sugar, loaf, broken, one pound Is one quart.
Sugar, white, powdered, one pound one ounce is one quart.
Flour, four quarts are half a peck.
Flour, sixteen quarts are half a bushel.
Liquids
Four tablespoonfuls are half a gill.
Eight spoonfuls are one gill.
Two gills, or sixteen spoonfuls, are half a pint.
Two pints are one quart.
Four quarts are one gallon.
Sixty drops are one teaspoonful.
Four tablespoonfuls are one wineglassful.
Twelve spoonfuls are one teacupful.
Sixteen spoonfuls, or half a pint, are one tumblerful.
A Dish of Macaroni.
Boil 4 ounces of macaroni till it is quite tender, then lay it on a sieve to drain, and put it into a stewpan with about a gill of cream, and a piece of butter rolled in flour; stew it five minutes and pour it on a plate. Lay Parmesan cheese toasted all over it’ and send it up in a water-plate.
Cole-Slaw.
Get a fresh cabbage, take off the outside leaves, out it in half, and with a sharp knife shave it into fine slips. Put it into a deep dish, and pour over it a dressing prepared in the following manner:
Beat up 2 eggs, add to it 1 gill of vinegar and water mixed; place it on the range; when it begins to thicken stir in a piece of butter the size of a small walnut, a little salt, when cold pour it over the cabbage and stir it together; and before sending to table sprinkle with a little black pepper.
To boil Peas.
Early peas require about half an hour to boil and the later kinds rather longer, the water should boil when they are put in; when they are tough and yellow, they may be made tender and green by putting in a little pearl-ash or ashes tied up in a bag, just before they are taken up, this will tender all green vegetables, but do not put too much; when done dip them out; drain and season them with butter, pepper and salt; put a bench of parsley in the middle of the dish.
String Beans.
These, to be tender, should be boiled from three to four hours, after the strings have been very carefully removed. Add a little butter, salt and black pepper when they are dished.
Potatoes. - Fourteen ways of Dressing Them.
General Instructions. - The vegetable kingdom affords no food more wholesome, more easily prepared, or less expensive than the potato, yet, although this most useful vegetable is dressed almost every day, in almost every family-for one plate of potatoes that comes to table as it should, ten are spoiled.
Be careful in your choice of potatoes; no vegetable varies so much in color, size, shape, consistence and flavor. Choose those of a large size, free from blemishes, and fresh, and buy them in the mould; they must not be wetted till they are cleaned to be cooked. Protect them from the air and frost by laying them in heaps in a cellar, covering them with mats or burying them in sand or in earth. The action of frost is most destructive, if it be considerable, the life of the vegetable is destroyed, and the potato speedily rots.
1. Potatoes boiled. - Wash them, but do not pare or cut them unless they are very large; fill a saucepan half full of potatoes of equal size (or make them so by dividing the larger ones), put to them as much cold water as will cover them about an inch: they are sooner boiled, and more savory than when drowned in water; most boiled things are spoiled by having too little water, but potatoes are often spoiled by too much; they must merely be covered, and a little allowed for waste in boiling) so that they may be just covered at the finish.
Set them on a moderate fire till they boil, then take them off, and set them by the side of the fire to simmer slowly till they are soft enough to admit a fork (place no dependence on the usual test of their skin cracking, which, if they are boiled fast, will happen to some potatoes when they are not half done, and the inside is quite hard); then pour the water off (if you let the potatoes remain in the water a moment after they are done enough they will become waxy and watery), uncover the saucepan, and set it at such a distance from the fire as will secure it from burning; their superfluous moisture will evaporate, and the potatoes will be perfectly dry and mealy.
You may afterwards place a napkin, folded up to the size of the saucepan’s diameter, over the potatoes, to keep them hot and mealy till wanted.
This method of managing potatoes is in every respect equal to steaming them; and they are dressed in half the time.
There is such an infinite variety of sorts and sizes of potatoes, that it is impossible to say how long they will take to cook; the best way is to try them with a fork. Moderate sized potatoes will generally be done in fifteen or twenty minutes.
2. Cold Potatoes Fried. - Put a bit of clean dripping into a fryingpan; when it is melted slice in your potatoes with a little pepper and salt, put them on the fire, keep stirring them; when they are quite hot they are ready.
3. Potatoes Boiled and Broiled. - Dress your potatoes as before directed, and put them on a gridiron over a very clear and brisk fire; turn them till they are brown all over, and send them up dry, with melted butter in a cup.
4. Potatoes Fried in Slices or Shavings. - Peel large potatoes, slice them about a quarter of an inch thick, or cut them in shavings round and round as you would peel a lemon. Dry them well in a clean cloth, and fry them in lard or dripping. Take care that your fat and frying pan are quite clean; put the pan on a quick fire, watch it, and as soon as the lard boils, and is still, put in the slices of potatoes, and keep moving them till they are crisp; take them up and lay them to drain on a sieve: send them up with a very little salt sprinkled over them.
5. Potatoes Fried Whole.-When nearly boiled enough, as directed in No. 1, put them into a stewpan with a bit of butter, or some nice clean beef drippings; shake them about often (for fear of burning them) till they are brown and crisp; drain them from the fat. It will be an improvement to the three last receipts, previously to frying or broiling the potatoes, to flour them and dip them in the yolk of an egg, and then roll them in fine sifted breadcrumbs.
6. Potatoes Mashed. - When your potatoes are thoroughly boiled, drain dry, pick out every speck, etc., and while hot rub them through a colander into a clean stewpan, to a pound of potatoes put about half an ounce of butter, and a tablespoonful of milk; do not make them too moist; mix them well together.
7. Potatoes Mashed with Onions. - Prepare some boiled onions, by putting them through a sieve, and mix them with potatoes. In proportioning the onions to the potatoes, you will be guided by your wish to have more or less of their flavor.
8. Potatoes Excaloped. - Mash potatoes as directed in No. 6, then butter some nice clean scallop shells, or pattypans; put in your potatoes, make them smooth at the top, cross a knife over them, strew a few fine bread crumbs on them, sprinkle them with a paste brush with a few drops of melted butter, and then set them in a Dutch oven; when they are browned on the top, take them carefully out of the shells, and brown the other side.
9. Colcannon. - Boil potatoes and greens, or spinach, separately; mash the potatoes, squeeze the greens dry, chop them quite fine, and mix them with the potatoes with a little butter, pepper and salt; put it into a mould, greasing it well first; let it stand in a hot oven for ten minutes
10. Potatoes Roasted. - Wash and dry your potatoes (all of a size), and put them in a tin Dutch oven, or cheese toaster; take care not to put them too near the fire, or they will get burnt on the outside before they are warmed through. Large potatoes will require two hours to roast them.
11. Potatoes Roasted under Meat. - Half boil large potatoes, drain the water from them, and put them into an earthern dish, or small tin pan under meat that is roasting, and baste them with some of the dripping when they are browsed on one side, turn them and brown the other; send them up round the meat, or in a small dish
12. Potato Balls. - Mix mashed potatoes with the yolk of an egg, roll them into balls, flour them, or egg and breadcrumb them, and fry them in clean drippings, or brown them in a Dutch oven.
13. Potato Snow. - The potatoes must be free from spots, and the whitest you can pick out; put them on in cold water; when they begin to crack strain the water from them, and put them into a dean stewpan by the side of the fire till they are quite dry and fall to pieces; rub them through a wire sieve on the dish they are to be sent up in and do not disturb them afterwards.
14. Potato Pie. - Peel and slice your potatoes very thin into a pie dish. Between each layer of potatoes put a little chopped onion (three-quarters of an ounce of onion is sufficient for a pound of potatoes), between each layer sprinkle a little pepper and salt, put in a little water and cut about two ounces of fresh butter into little bits and lay it on The top, cover it close with puff paste. It will take about an hour and a half to bake it.
To Broil Tomatoes.
Wash and wipe the tomatoes, and put them on the gridiron over live coals, with the stem down. When that side is brown turn them and let them cook through. Put them on a hot dish and send quickly to table, to be there seasoned to taste.
To Bake Tomatoes.
Season them with salt and pepper. Flour them over, put them in a deep plate with a little butter and bake in a stove.
To Steam Potatos.
Put them clean-washed, with their skins on, into a steam saucepan, and let The water under them be about half boiling; let them continue to boil rather quickly, until they are done. If the water once relaxes from its heat the potato is sure to be affected, and to become soddened, let the quality be ever so good. A too precipitate boiling is equally disadvantageous, as the higher parts to the surface of the root begin to crack and open while the centre part continues unheated and undecomposed.
Mushrooms.
Be careful in gathering mushrooms that you have the right kind: they are pink underneath and white on the top, and the skin will peel off easily, but it sticks to the poisonous ones: and the smell and taste of the good ones are not rank. After you have peeled them, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and put them in a stewpan, with a little water and a lump of butter. Let them boil fast ten minutes, and stir in a thickening of flour and cream. They may be fried in butter, or broiled on a gridiron. They are sometimes very abundant in the fall, on ground that has not been ploughed for several years; they appear after a warm rain. They may be peeled, salted, and allowed to stand for some hours before cooking.
Chicken Pot-pie.
Take a pair of tender, fat chickens, singe, open and cut them into pieces, by separating all the joints. Wash them through several waters, with eight or ten pared white potatoes, which put into a pan, and, after seasoning highly with salt and black pepper, dredge in three tablespoonful of flour. Stir well together, then line the sides (half way up) of a medium-sized stew-kettle with paste made with two pounds of flour and one of butter. Put the chicken and potato into the kettle with water just suf-ficient to cover them. Roll out some paste for a cover, the size of the kettle, and join it with that on The sides; cut a small opening in the centre, cover the kettle, and hang it over clear fire or set it in the oven, as moist convenient turn the kettle round occasionally, that the sides may be equally browned. Two hours over a clear fire, or in a quick oven, will cook it. When done, cut the top crust into moderate-sized pieces, and place it round a large dish, then, with a perforated skimmer, take up the chicken and potatoes and place in the centre; cut the side crust and lay it on the top, put the gravy in a saucetureen, and send all to table hot.
Oatmeal Gruel.
Boil a handful of raisins in a pint of water for ten minutes. Mix 2 tablespoonsful of good oatmeal with a little cold water, and pour it into saucepan, and boil fifteen or twenty minutes. Salt a little, and sweeten to taste.
Arrow-root.
Mix 2 tablespoonsful of arrow-root (Bermuda is the best) in a little water to a paste. Add a little lemon or orange peel to a pint of boiling water, and stir in the arrowroot while boiling. Cook it till clear, and season with nutmeg and sugar to taste, and wine, if desired. Half milk and half water, or all milk, may be used instead of water.
Tapioca.
Cover 3 tablespoonsful of tapioca with water, and soak it two or three hours. Add a little water to it, and boil till clear. Sweeten to taste, and eat alone or with cream.
Tapioca Jelly.
Walsh thoroughly 2 tablespoonful of tapioca; pour over it a pint of water, and soak for three hours. Place it then over a slow fire and simmer till quite clear. If too thick, add a little boiling water. Sweeten with white sugar, and flavor with a little wine.
Apple Tapioca.
Pare, core, and quarter 8 apples, take 1/2 tablespoonful tapioca which has been all night soaking in water; add 1/2 teacupful white sugar, and a little nutmeg or cinnamon. Put the tapioca into a stewpan to simmer 10 minutes; then add The apples, and simmer ten minutes more. When cold it will form a jelly around the apples.
To make Dr. Kitchener’s Pudding.
Beat up the yolks and whites of 3 eggs, strain them through a sieve, and gradually add to them about a quarter of a pint of milk. Stir these well together. Mix in a mortar 2 ounces of moist sugar and as much grated nutmeg as will lie on a six pence; stir these into the eggs and milk; then put in 4 ounces of flour, and beat it into a smooth batter; stir in, gradually, 8 ounces of very fine chopped suet and 3 ounces of bread-crumbs. Mix all thoroughly together, at least half an hour before putting the pudding into the pot. Put it into an earthenware mould that is well buttered, and tie a pudding-cloth over it.
Nottingham Pudding.
Peel 6 good apples; take out the cores with the point of a small knife, tent be sure to leave the apples whole, fill up where the core was taken from with sugar, place them in a pie-dish, and pour over them a nice light batter, prepared as for batter pudding, and bake them an hour in a moderate oven.
To make Yorkshire Pudding.
This nice dish is usually baked under meat, and is thus made. Beat 4 large spoonful of flour, 2 eggs, and a little salt for fifteen minutes, put to them 3 pints of milk, and mix them well together: then butter a dripping-pan, and set it under beef, mutton, or veal, while roasting. When it is brown, cut it into square pieces, and turn it over, and, when the under side is browned also, send it to the table on a dish.
Dutch Pudding.
Cut a round piece out of the bottom of a Dutch loaf, and put that and the piece that was cut out into a quart of cold new milk, in the evening, and let it stand all night. If the milk is all soaked up by the morning, add some more. Put the piece in the bottom again, tic the loaf up in a cloth, and boil it an hour. Eat it with sugar, or with melted butter, white wine, and sugar sauce.
To make a Dish of Frumenty.
Boil an approved quantity of wheat; when soft, pour off thewater, and keep it for use as it is wanted. The method of using it is to put milk to make it of an agreeable thickness; then, warming it, adding some sugar and nutmeg. To make a Windsor Pudding.
Shred half a pound of suet very fine, grate into it half a pound of French roll, a little nutmeg, and the rind of a lemon. Add to these half a pound of chopped apples, half a pound of currants, clean washed and dried, half a pound of jar raisins, stoned and chopped, a glass of rich sweet wine, and 5 eggs, beaten with a little salt. Mix all thoroughly together, and boil it in a basin or mould for three hours. Sift fine sugar over it when sent to table, and pour whitewine sauce into the dish.
A Cheshire Pudding.
Make a crust as for a fruit pudding, roll it out to fourteen or fifteen inches in length and eight or sine in width; spread with raspberry jam or any other preserve of a similar kind, and roll it up in the manner of a collared eel. Wrap a cloth round it two or three times, and tie it tight at each end. Two hours and a quarter will boil it.
To make a Plain Pudding.
Weigh three-quarters of a pound of any odd scraps of bread, whether crust or crumb, cut them small, and pour on them a pint and a half of boiling water to soak them well. Let it stand till the water is cool, then press it out, and mash the bread smooth with the back of a spoon. Add to it a teaspoonful of beaten ginger, some moist sugar, and threequarters of a pound of currants. Mix all well together, and lay it in a pan well buttered. Flatten it down with a spoon, and lay some pieces of batter on the top. Bake it in a moderate oven, and serve it hot. When cold it will turn out of the pan, and eat like good plain cheesecakes.
Transparent Pudding.
Beat up 8 eggs, put them in a stew-pan with half a pound of sugar, the same of butter, and some grated nutmeg, and set it on the fire, stirring it till it thickens; then pour it into a basin to cool. Set a rich paste round the edge of your dish, pour in your pudding, and bake it in a moderate oven. A delicious and elegant article.
A Potato Rice Pudding.
Wash a quarter of a pound of whole rice; dry it in a cloth and beat it to a powder. Set it upon the fire with a pint and a half of new milk, till it thickens, but do not let it boil. Pour it out, and let it stand to cool. Add to it some cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace, pounded; sugar to the taste; half a pound of suet shred very small, and 8 eggs well beaten with some salt. Put to it either half a pound of currants, clean washed and dried by the fire, or some candied lemon, citron, or orange peel. Bake it half an hour with a puff cruet under it.
Swiss Pudding.
Butter your dish; lay in it a layer of bread crumbs, grated very fine; then boil 4 or 5 apples very tender, add a little butter nutmeg, and fine sifted sugar. Mix all up together, and lay on the bread-crumbs, then another layer of the crumbs; then add pieces of fresh better on the top, and bake in a slow oven for a quarter of an hour, until it becomes a delicate brown. It may be eaten hot or cold.
Carrot Pudding.
Take 1/4 peck of carrots, boil and mash them well; then add 1/2 pound flour, 1/2 pound currants, 1/2 pound raisins, 1/2 pound suet chopped fine, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoonful of cinnamon, 1 tea” spoonful of allspice. Boil four hours, and serve hot with sauce flavored with Madeira wine.
Plain Rice Pudding.
One quart of milk, 1/2 a teacupful of rice, 2 teaspoonsful of sugar, 1/2 of a nutmeg, grated; a small piece of butter, size of hickory-nut. Pick and wash the rice; add all the ingredients. Stir all well together, and put in a slack oven one and half to two hours. When done pour it in a puddingdish, and serve when cold. If baked in an oven, take off the brown skin before it is poured in the pudding-dish, and replace it on the Sop of the pudding as before.
Indian Pone.
Put on one quart of water in a pot, as soon as it boils stir in as much Indian meal as will make a very thin batter. Beat it frequently while it is boiling, which will require ten minutes; then take it off, pour it in a pan, and add one ounce of butter, and salt to taste. When the batter is luke-warm stir in as much Indian meal as will make it quite thick. Set it away to rise in the evening; in the morning make it out in small cakes, butter your tins and bake in a moderate oven. Or the more common way is to butter pans, fill them three parts full, and bake them. This cake requires no yeast.
Blackberry Mush.
Put your fruit in a preserving kettle, mash it to a pulp, with sugar enough to make it quite sweet. Set it over the fire, and, as soon as it begins to simmer, stir in very gradually two teaspoonsful of your to a quart of fruit. It should be stirred all the time it is boiling. Serve it either warm or cold, with cream. Raspberries may be cooked in the same way.
Potato Pudding.
Take 5 potatoes, boil, and mash there through a colander, with a little salt and 1 teacupful of milk or cream; 1/4 pound of butter, 1/2 pound of sugar, beaten to a cream. Beat 4 eggs, and stir them with the latter; then add the mashed potatoes when cool. Season with 1 tablespoonful of brandy and 1 nutmeg, grated, with a little cinnamon, Bake in a quick oven.
Bread Pudding.
Take a pint measure of bread broken small or crumbed; boil a quart of milk, with a little salt and pour it over the bread; cover and let the bread swell till it can be mashed smooth. Beat 4 eggs and stir into it, with 4 tablespoonsful of flour. Sprinkle a bag inside with flour, pour in the pudding, tie loosely, and boil one hour.
To make Oldbury Pudding.
Beat 4 eggs well, have ready a pint basin floured and buttered, pour in the eggs and fill it up with new milk previously boiled, and when cold beat them together, put a white paper over the basin, cover with a cloth, and boil it twenty minutes. Send it up with wine and butter sauce.
Quince Pudding.
Scald the quinces tender, pare them thin, serape off the pulp, mix with sugar very sweet, and add a little ginger and cinnamon. To a pint of cream put three or four yolks of eggs, and stir it into the quinces till they are of a good thickness. Butter the dish, pour it in, and bake it.
To make Raspberry Dumplings.
Make a puff paste, and roll it out. Spread raspberry jam, and make it into dumplings. Boil them an hour, pour melted butter into a dish, and strew grated sugar over it.
To make Raspberry and Cream Tarts.
Roll out thin puff paste, lay it in a patty-pan; put in raspberries, and strew fine sugar over them. Put on a lid, and when baked, out it open, and put in 1/2 a pint of cream, the yolks of 2 eggs well beaten, and a little sugar.
To make Paste for Tarts.
Put an ounce of loaf sugar, beat and sifted, to 1 pound of fine flour. Make it into a stiff paste, with a gill of boiling cream, and 3 ounces of butter. Work it well, and roll it very thin.
Pie Crust.
Sift a pound and a half of flour, and take out a quarter for rolling cut in it a quarter of a pound of lard, mixed with water and roll it out; cut half a pound of butter, and put it in at two rollings with the flour that was left out. For making the bottom crust of pies, put half a pound of lard into a pound of flour, with a little salt, mix it stiff, and grease the plates before you make pies; always make your paste in a cold place and bake it soon. Some persons prefer mixing crust with milk instead of water.
To make a good Paste for Large Pies.
Put to a peck of flour 3 eggs, then put in half a pound of suet and a pound and a half of butter. Work it up well and roll it out.
Another method. - Take a peek of flour, and 6 pounds of butter, boiled in a gallon of water, then skim it off into the flour, with as little of the liquor as possible. Work it up well into a paste, pull it into pieces till gold, then make it into the desired form.
Puff Paste.
Sift a pound of flour. Divide 1 pound of butter into four parts, cut one part of the butter into the flour with a knife; make it into dough with water, roll it, and flake it with part of the butter. Do this again and again till it is all in. This will make enough crust for at least ten puffs. Bake with a quick heat, for ten or fifteen minutes.
To make a Puff Paste.
Take a quarter of peck of flour, and rub it into a pound of better very fine. Make it up into a light paste with cold water just stiff enough to work it up. Then lay it out about as thick as a silver dollar; put a layer of butter all over, then sprinkle on a little flour, double it up, and roll it out again. Double and roll it with layers of butter three times, and it will be fit for use.
Mince Pies, not very rich.
Take 4 pounds of beef after it teas been boiled and chopped, 1 pound of suet, 2 pounds of sugar, 2 pounds of raisins, and 4 pounds of chopped apples, mix these together with a pint of wine and eider, to make it thin enough; season to your taste with mace, nutmeg, and orange-peel; if it is not sweet enough, put in more sugar. Warm the pies before they are eaten. Where persons are not fond of suet, put batter instead, and stew the apples instead of so much cider.
To make a Short Crust.
Put 6 ounces of butter to 8 ounces of flour, and work them well together; then mix it up with as little water as possible, so as to have it a stiffish paste; then roll it out thin for use.
Lemon Pudding.
Cut off the rind of 3 lemons, boil them tender’ pound them in a mortar, and mix them with a quarter of a pound of Naples biscuits boiled up in a quart of milk or cream; beat up 12 yolks and 6 whites of eggs. Melt a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, and put in half a pound of sugar, and a little orange-flower water. Mix all well together, stir it over the fire till thick, and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Put puff paste round the dish, then pour in the pudding, cut candied sweetmeats, and straw over, and bake it for three quarters of an hour.
Batter Pudding.
Take 6 ounces of fine flour, a little salt and 3 eggs, beat up well with a little milk, added by degrees till the batter is quite smooth, make it the thickness of cream, put into a buttered piedish and bake three-quarters of an hour, or into a buttered and floured basin tied over tight with a cloth, boil one and a half or two hours.
Newmarket Pudding.
Put on to boil a pint of good milk, with half a lemon peel, a little cinnamon boil gently for five or ten minutes, sweeten with loaf sugar, break the yolks of 5 and the whites of 3 eggs into a basin, beat them well, and add the milk, beat all well together, and strain through a fine hair sieve, have some bread and butter cut very thin, lay a layer of it in a piedish, and then a layer of currants, and so on till the dish is nearly full, then pour the custard over it, and bake half an hour.
Newcastle, or Cabinet Pudding,
Butter a half melon mould, or quart-basin, and stick all round with dried cherries, or fine raisins, and fill up with bread and butter, etc., as in the above, and steam it an hour and a half.
Vermicelli Pudding.
Boil a pint of milk, with lemon peel and cinnamon, sweeten with loaf sugar, strain through a sieve, and add a quarter of a pound of vermicelli, boil ten minutes, then put in the yolks of 5 and the whites of 3 eggs, mix well together, and steam it one hour and a quarter; the same may be baked half an hour.
Bread Pudding.
Make a pint of bread-crumbs, put them into stewpan with as much milk as will cover them, the peel of a lemon, and a little nutmeg, grated; a small piece of cinnamon; boil about ten minutes; sweeten with powdered loaf sugar, take out the cinnamon, and put in 4 eggs; beat all well together, and bake half an hour, or boil rather more than an hour.
Suet Pudding.
Suet, quarter of a pound; flour, 3 tablespoonfuls; eggs, 2; and a little grated ginger; milk, half a pint. Mince the suet as fine as possible, roll it with the rolling-pin so as to mix it well with the flour; beat up the eggs, mix them with the milk, and then mix all together; wet your cloth well in boiling water, flour it, tie it loose, put into boiling water, and boil an hour and a quarter.
Custard Pudding.
Boil a pint of milk, and a quarter of a pint of good cream; thicken with flour and water, made perfectly smooth, till it is stiff enough to bear an egg on it; break in the yolks of 5 eggs, sweeten with powdered loaf sugar, grate in a little nutmeg and the peel of a lemon; add half a glass of good brandy, then whip the whites of the 5 eggs till quite stiff, and mix gently all together; line a piedish with good puff paste, and bake half an hour.
Ground rice, potato flour, panada, and all puddings made from powders, are, or may be, prepared in the same way.
Boiled Custards.
Put a quart of new milk into a stewpan, with the peel of a lemon cut very thin, a little grated nutmeg, a small stick of cinnamon; set it over a quick fire, but be careful it does not boil over.
When it boils, set it beside the fire, and simmer ten minutes, break the yolks of 8, and the whites of 4 eggs into a basin, beat them well, then pour in the milk a little at a time, stirring it as quickly as possible to prevent the eggs curdling, set it on the fire again, and stir well with a wooden spoon.
Let it have just one boil; pass it through a fine sieve; when cold, add a little brandy, or white wine, as may be most agreeable to palate; serve up in glasses, or cups.
Pumpkin Pudding.
Two and a half pounds of pumpkin, 6 ounces of butter, 6 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of wine, 2 tablespoonsful of brandy, sugar to taste, 1 teaspoonfull of cinnamon and half a teaspoonful of ginger. Cut the pumpkin in slices, pare it, take out the seeds and soft parts; out it into small pieces, and stew it in very little water, until it becomes tender; then press it in a colander until quite dry; turn it out in a pan, put in the butter and a little salt, mash it very fine. When cool, whisk the eggs until thick and stir in; then add sugar to taste, with the brandy, wine, and spice. This is sufficient for three or four puddings. Line your plates with paste, and bake in a quick oven. Boiled Pudding.
One quart of milk, 5 eggs, 12 large tablespoonsful of flour.
Whisk the eggs very light, then put in the flour; add a little of the milk, and beat the whole perfectly smooth. Then pour in the remainder of the milk and enough salt, just to taste. Rinse your pudding-bag in cold water and flour it well inside. Pour in the mixture and allow a vacancy of from two to three inches at the top of the bag, as the pudding will swell as soon as it begins to boil. Be careful to tie the bag tight, and put it immediately in a large kettle of boiling water. Let it boil for two hours. As soon as it is taken out of the kettle, dip it for an instant into a pan of cold water. This prevents the pudding from adhering to the bag. Serve it immediately, as it would spoil by standing. It may be eaten with wine sauce, or any other sauce which may be preferred.
Indian Meal Pudding.
One quart of milk, 4 tablespoonfuls of very fine Indian meal, 3 ounces of butter, 5 eggs, 1/4 of a pound of sugar, a little salt, half a gill of brandy, half a grated nutmeg, a little cinnamon. Boil the milk and stir in the meal as if for mush.
Let it boil fifteen minutes, and beat it perfectly smooth. Add the salt and butter while it is hot. As soon as it becomes cool stir in the eggs, which have been beaten very thick, and then the other ingredients. If the quarter of a pound of sugar does not make the mixture sufficiently sweet, more may be added. Bake in a light paste like other puddings.
Rhubarb Pies.
Take off the skin from the stalks, cut them into small pieces; wash and put them to stew with no more water than that which adheres to them; when done, mash them fine and put in a small piece of butter, and when cool sweeten to taste and add a little nutmeg. Line your plates with paste, put in the filling, and bake in a quick oven. When done sift white sugar over.
Apple Dumplings.
Pare and core large tart apples. An apple-corer is better than a knife to cut out the seeds, as it does not divide the apple. Make a paste of 1 pound of flour and 1/2 pound of butter; cover the apples with the paste, tie them in cloth, but do not squeeze them tightly.
Tender apples will boil in three-quarters of an hour. Send to the table hot. Eat with butter and molasses, or sugar and cream.
Pancakes.
One pound of flour, 3 eggs beaten very light, as much milk as will make it as thick as cream, a little salt. Add the eggs to the flour with the milk; salt to taste. Stir all well together until perfectly smooth. Put in the pan a piece of lard about the size of a chestnut, as soon as it is hot put in two table-spoonsful of the batter, and move the pan about to cause the batter to spread. When done on one side turn it over. Serve them hot with any sauce you please.
Fritters.
One pound and a quarter of flour, 3 half pints of milk, 4 eggs. Beat the eggs until thick, to which add the milk. Place the flour in a pan and by degrees stir in the egg and milk, beating the whole until very smooth. Salt to taste. With a tablespoon drop them into hot lard, and fry a light brown on both sides. Send to table hot, and eat with nun’s butter, or butter and molasses.
Gold Custard.
Take 1/4 of a calf’s rennet, wash it well, cut it in pieces and put it into a decanter with a pint of Lisbon wine. In a day or two it will be fit for use. To one pint of milk add a teaspoonful of the wine. Sweeten the milk and warm it a little and add the wine and nutmeg, stirring it slightly. Pour it immediately into a dish, move it gently to a cold place, and in a few minutes it will become custard. It makes a firmer curd to put in the wine omitting the sugar. It may be eaten with sugar and cream.
Green Gooseberry Cheese.
Take 6 pounds of unripe rough gooseberries, cut off the blossoms and stems, and put them in cold water for an hour or two; then take them out, bruise them in a marble mortar, and put them into a brass pan or kettle over a clear fire, stirring them till tender; then add 4 1/2 pounds of lump sugar pounded, and boil it till very thick and of a fine green color, stirring it all the time.
Ale Posset.
Take a small piece of white bread, put it into a pint of milk and set it over the fire. Then put some nutmeg and sugar into a pint of ale, warm it, and when the milk boils pour it upon the ale. Let it stand a few minutes to clear.
Coffee for Thirty People.
Put 1 pound of best coffee into a stewpan sufficiently large to hold 7 quarts of water; put it on the fire to dry, or roast the coffee (be sure to shake it for fear it should burn), then take it off the fire and put the whites of two eggs into it, stir it till it is mixed, then pour on it 6 quarts of water boiling, let it stand 1/4 of an hour covered closely, then strain it through a jelly-bag, or let it stand awhile to settle; pour into an urn and serve hot for use.
Cocoa.
Grind one teacupful of cocoa into a coffee-mill. Put it in a small bag made of very thin muslin tie it close put it in a pot with three half pints of boiling water and l pint of boiling milk. Boil the whole for half an hour, then pour it into another pot and send it to table. This will be found to suit invalids much better than chocolate, as it contains no butter.
Wine Whey.
Boil a pint of milk and pour into it a gill of wine (Madeira or Sherry), and let it boil again, take it from the fire and stand a few moments without stirring. Remove the curd and sweeten the whey.
Milk Punch.
Into a tumbler full of milk put 1 or 2 tablespoonsful of brandy, whiskey, or Jamaica rum. Sweeten it well, and grate nutmeg on the top.
Egg andWine.
Beat a fresh raw egg well and add 1 or 2 tablespoonsful of wine. Sweeten to taste.
Icing for Cakes.
Put 1 pound of fine sifted, treble-refined sugar into a basin, and the whites of three new-laid eggs, beat the sugar and eggs up well with a silver spoon until it becomes very white and thick dust the cake over with flour and then brush it off, by way of taking the grease from the outside, which prevents the icing from running; put it on smooth with a palette knife and garnish according to fancy; any ornaments should be put on immediately, for if the icing gets dry it will not stick on.
A Plain Poundcake.
Beat l pound of butter and l pound of sugar in an earthen pan until it is like a fine thick cream, then beat in 9 whole eggs till quite light. Put in a glass of brandy, a little lemon-peel shred fine, then work in 1 1/4 pound of flour; put it into the hoop or pan and bake it for an hour. A pound plumcake is made the same with putting 1 1/2 pound of clean washed currants, and 1/2 pound of candied lemon-peel.
Plain Gingerbread.
Mix 3 pounds of flour with 4 ounces of moist sugar, 1/2 ounce of powdered ginger, and 13 pounds of warm molasses; melt 1/2 pound of fresh butter in it, put it to the flour and make it a paste, then form it into tarts or cakes, or bake it in one cake.
Another Method.
Mix 6 pounds of flour with 2 ounces of caraway seeds, 2 ounces of ground ginger, 2 ounces of candied orangepeel, the same of candied lemon peel cut in pieces, a little salt, and 6 ounces of moist sugar; melt 1 pound of fresh butter in about a pint of milk, pour it by degrees into 4 pounds of molasses, stir it well together, and add it, a little at a time, to the flour; mix it thoroughly, make it into a paste; roll it out rather thin and cut it into cakes with the top of a dredger or wine glass; put them on floured tins, and bake them in rather a brisk oven.
Gingerbread Poundcake.
Six eggs, l pint molasses, 1/2 pound sugar, 1/2 pound butter, wineglass of brandy, 1 lemon, 1 nutmeg, 3 tablespoonsful of ginger, 2 teaspoonfuls of ground cloves, l tablespoonful of cinnamon, l teaspoonful of soda. Flour enough to make a stiff batter.
Bath Cakes.
Mix well together 1/2 pound of butter, 1 pound of flour, 5 eggs, and a cupful of yeast. Set the whole before the fire to rise, which effected add a 1/4 of a pound of fine powdered sugar, 1 ounce of caraways well mixed in, and roll the paste out into little cakes. Bake them on tins.
Shrewsbury Cakes.
Mix 1/2 pound of butter well beaten like cream, and the same weight of flour, 1 egg, 6 ounces of beaten and sifted loaf sugar, and 1/2 ounce of caraway seeds. Form these into a paste, roll them thin, and lay them in sheets of tin; then bake them in a slow oven.
Portugal Cakes.
Mix into a pound of fine flour a pound of loaf sugar, beaten and sifted, and rub it into a pound of butter, till it is thick, like grated white bread, then put to it 2 tablespoonfuls of rose-water, 2 of sack, and 10 eggs; work them well with a whisk, and put in 8 ounces of currants. Butter the tin pans, fill them half full, and bake them.
Ginger Cakes without Butter.
Take 1 pound of sugar, 1/4 of a pound of ginger, l pint of water, 2 pounds of flour, and 8 caps of orange-peel. Pound and sift the ginger, and add l pint of water, boil it 5 minutes, then let it stand till cold. Pound the preserved orange-peel, and pass it through a hair-sieve; put the flour on a pasteboard, make a wall, and put in the orangepeel and ginger with the boiled water, mix this up to a paste and roll it out, prick the cakes before baking them.
Savoy Cakes.
To 1 pound of fine sifted sugar put the yolks of 10 eggs (have the whites in a separate pan), and set it, if in summer, in cold water if there is any ice set the pan on it, as it will cause the eggs to be beat finer. Then beat the yolks and sugar well with a wooden spoon for 20 minutes, and put in the rind of a lemon grated; beat up the whites with a whisk, until they become quite stiff and white as snow. Stir them into the batter by degrees, then add 3/4 of a pound of well-dried flour; finally, put it in a mould in a slack oven to bake.
Rice Cakes.
Beat the yolks of 15 eggs for nearly 1/2 an hour with a whisk, mix well with them 10 ounces of fine sifted loaf sugar, put in 1/2 a pound of ground rice, a little orangewater or brandy, and the rinds of 2 lemons grated, then add the whites of 7 eggs well beaten, and stir the whole together for 1/4 of an hour. Put them into a hoop and set them in a quick oven for 1/2 an hour, when they will be properly done.
Banbury Cakes.
Take 1 pound of dough made for white bread, roll it out, and put bits of butter upon the same as for puff-paste, till 1 pound of the same has been worked in; roll it out very thin, then cut it into bits of an oval size, according as the cakes are wanted. Mix some good moist sugar with a little brandy, sufficient to wet it, then mix some clean washed currants with the former, put a little upon each bit of paste, close them up, and put the side that is closed next the tin they are to be baked upon. Lay them separate, and bake them moderately, and afterwards, when taken out, sift sugar over them. Some candied-peel may be added’ or a few drops of the essence of lemon.
Cream Cakes.
Beat the whites of 9 eggs to a stiff froth, Stir it gently with a spoon lest the froth should fall, and to every white of an egg grate the rinds of 2 lemons; shake in gently a spoonful of double refined sugar sifted fine, lay a wet sheet of paper on a tin, and with a spoon drop the froth in little lumps on it near each other. Sift a good quantity of sugar over them, set them in the oven after the bread is out, and close up the mouth of it, which will occasion the froth to rise. As soon as they are colored they will be sufficiently baked; lay them by 2 bottoms together on a sieve, and dry them in a cool oven.
Crumpets.
Set 2 pounds of flour with a little salt before the fire till quite warm; then mix it with warm milk and water till it is as stiff as it can be stirred; let the milk be as warm as it can be borne with the finger, put a cupful of this with 3 eggs well beaten, and mixed with 3 teaspoonfuls of very thick yeast; then put this to the batter and beat them all well together in a large pan or bowl, add as much milk and water as will make it into a thick batter. Cover it close and put it before the fire to rise; put a bit of butter in a piece of thin muslin, tie it up, and rub it lightly over the iron hearth or frying-pan, then pour on a sufficient quantity of batter at a time to make one crumpet; let it do slowly, and it will be very light. Bake them all the same way. They should not be brown, but of fine yellow.
Muffins.
Mix a quartern of fine flour, 1 1/2 pints of warm milk and water, with 1/4 of a pint of good yeast, and a little salt, stir them together for 1/4 of an hour, then strain the liquor into 1/4 of a peck of fine flour; mix the dough well and set it to rise for an hour, then roll it up and pull it into small pieces, make them up in the hand like balls and lay a flannel over them while rolling, to keep them warm. The dough should be closely covered up the whole time; when the whole is rolled into balls, the first that are made will be ready for baking. When they are spread out in the right form for muffins, lay them on tins and bake them, and as the bottoms begin to change color turn them on the other side.
Another Recipe.
One quart of milk, 1 ounce of butter, 3 eggs, 4 tablespoonfuls of yeast; salt to taste; flour sufficient to make a thick batter. Warm the milk and butter together, when cool, whisk the eggs, and stir in. Then put 1 1/2 pounds of flour in a pan, to which add the milk and eggs gradually. If not sufficiantly thick for the batter to drop from the spoon, more flour may be added until of proper consistence, after beating well; then add the salt and yeast. Cover, and set the batter to rise in a warm place; when light, grease the muffin-rings and griddle, place the rings on, and fill them halffull of batter, when they are a lightbrown, turn them over, ring and muffin together. The griddle should not be too hot, or else the muffin will be sufficiently browned before cooked through. Send to table hot; split open, and eat with butter.
Flannel Cakes.
One pint of fine Indian meal, 1 pint of wheat flour, 1 teaspoonful of salt, 2 gills of yeast. Mix the wheat and Indian meal together, with as much tepid water as will make it into a batter, not quite as thin as for buckwheat cakes; then add the salt and yeast, and set them in a moderately warm place to rise. When light, bake them on a griddle; butter, and send to table hot.
Common Buns.
Rub 4 ounces of butter into 2 pounce of flour, a little salt, 4 ounces of sugar, a dessertspoonful of caraways, and a teaspoonful of ginger; put some warm milk or cream to 4 tablespoonsful of yeast; mix all together into a paste, but not too stiff; cover it over and set it before the fire an hour to rise, then make it into buns, put them on a tin, set them before the fire for 1/4 of an hour, cover over with flannel, then brush them with very warm milk and bake them of a nice brown in a moderate oven.
Cross Buns.
Put 2 1/2 pounds of fine flour into a wooden bowl, and set it before the fire to warm; then add 1/2 a pound of sifted sugar, some coriander seed, cinnamon and mace powdered fine; melt 1/2 a pound of butter in 1/2 a pint of milk; when it is as warm as the finger can bear, mix with it 3 tablespoonfuls of very thick yeast, and a little salt; put it to the flour, mix it to a paste, and make the buns as directed in the last receipt. Put a cross on the top, not very deep.
Rusks.
Beat up 7 eggs, mix them with 1/2 a pint of warm new milk, in which 1/4 of a pound of butter has been melted, add 1/4 of a pint of yeast, and 3 ounces of sugar; put them gradually into as much flour as will make a light paste nearly as thin as batter; let it rise before the fire 1/2 an hour, add more flour to make it a little stiffer, work it well and divide it into small loaves or cakes, about 5 or 6 inches wide, and flatten them. When baked and cold put them in the oven to brown a little. Those cakes when first baked, are very good buttered for tea; they are very nice cold.
Buckwheat Cakes.
One quart of buckwheat meal, 1 pint of wheat flour, 1/2 a teacupful of yeast; salt to taste. Mix the flour, buckwheat and salt with as much water, moderately warm, as will make it into a thin batter. Beat it well, then add the yeast; when well mixed, set it in a warm place to rise. As soon as they are very light, grease the griddle, and bake them a delicate brown, butter them with good butter, and eat while hot.
Sugar Biscuit.
Three pounds of flour; three-quarters of a pound of butter; one pound of sugar; one quart of sponge. Rub the flour, butter and sugar together, then add the sponge, with as much milk as will make a soft dough. Knead well and replace it in the pan to rise. This must be done in the afternoon; next morning knead lightly, make it into small cakes about the size of a silver dollar, and half an inch in thickness; place them on slightly buttered tins, one inch apart each way, set them in a warm place to rise; when light bake them in a quick oven; when done wash them over with a little water, not having the brush too wet, and let them remain on the tins until cool.
Dried Rusks
Take sugar biscuits which have been baked the day previous; cut them in half between the upper and under crusts with a sharp knife. Place them on tins, and soon after the fire has ignited in the oven put them in, and as the heat increases they become gradually dried through. When a light brown they are done. These are universally liked by the sick.
English Macaroons.
One pound of sweet almonds; 1 pound and a quarter of sugar, 6 whites of eggs, and the raspings of 2 lemons. Pound the almonds very fine with 6 whites of eggs, feel the almonds, and if they are free from lumps they will do; then add the powdered sugar, and mix it well with the lemon raspings. Dress them in wafer paper of the required shape; bake them in a moderate heat, then let them stand till cold, cut the wafer paper round them, but leave it on the bottoms.
Sponge Biscuits.
Beat the yolks of 12 eggs for half an hour; then put in 1 1/2 pounds of beaten sifted sugar, and whisk it till it rises in bubbles; beat the whites to a strong froth, and whisk them well with the sugar and yolks; work in 14 ounces of flour, with the rinds of 2 lemons grated. Bake them in tin moulds buttered, in a quick oven, for an hour; before they are baked sift a little fine sugar over them.
Bread Cheesecakes.
Slice a penny loaf as thin as possible; pour on it a pint of boiling cream, and let it stand two hours. Beat together 8 eggs, half a pound of butter, and a grated nutmeg; mix them into the cream and bread with half a pound of currants, well washed and dried, and a spoonful of white wine or brandy. Bake them in patty-pans, on a raised crust.
Rice Cheesecakes.
Boil 4 ounces of rice till it is tender, and then put it into a sieve to drain; mix with it 4 eggs well beaten up, half a pound of butter, half a pint of cream, 6 ounces of sugar, a nutmeg grated, a glass of brandy or ratafia water. Beat them all well together, then put them into raised crusts, and bake them in a moderate oven.
Apple Cakes.
Take half a quartern of dough, roll it out thin, spread equally over it 5 ounces each of coffee And sugar, a little nutmeg or allspice, and 2 ounces of butter; then fold and roll it again two or three times, to mix well the ingredients. Afterwards roll it out thin, and spread over it 4 rather large apples, pared, cored, and chopped small; fold it up, and roll until mixed. Let it stand to rise after. Half a pound of butter may be added.
Bread Cakes.
Take 1 quart ofmilk; stir in enough breadcrumbs to make a thin batter. Beat 3 eggs well and stir them in, adding a little salt, add 2 tablespoonfuls of flour. Bake them on the griddle and serve hot.
Waffles.
One quart of milk; 5 eggs; 2 ounces of butter. Warm the milk sufficiently to melt the butter, when cool separate the eggs and beat the yolks in the milk, with as much flour as will make it into thick batter, then salt to taste; lastly, beat the whites until stiff and dry, which stir in, half at a time, very lightly. Bake in irons. This method is very good; by it they may be made in a short time.
Sally Lunn.
Rub 3 ounces of butter into a pound of flour; then add 3 eggs beaten very light, a little salt, 1 gill of yeast, and as much milk as will make it into a soft dough. Knead it well. Put it in a buttered pan, cover it, and set it in a warm place to rise. Bake in a moderate oven, and send to table hot. To be eaten with butter.
A Cheap Fruit-Cake.
Take 4 pounds of flour, 3 of butter, 3 of sugar, 2 of raisins, 1 of currants, 2 dozen eggs, an ounce of mace, 3 nutmegs, and a half pint of brandy. If you want it dark put in a little molasses. Mix the ingredients together, and bake it from two to three hours.
Common Jumbles.
Take a pound of flour, half a pound of butter, and threequarters of a pound of sugar, 3 eggs, a little nutmeg, and rose brandy. Mix the butter and sugar together, and add the doer and eggs; mould them in rings, and bake them slowly.
Ginger-Nuts.
Half a pound of butter, half a pound of sugar, 1 pint of molasses, 2 ounces of ginger, half an ounce of ground cloves and allspice mixed, 2 tablespoonfuls of cinnamon, as much flour as will form a dough. Stir the butter and sugar together; add the spice, ginger, molasses, and flour enough to form a dough. Knead it well, make it out in small cakes, bake them on tins in a very moderato oven. Wash them over with molasses andwater before they are put in to bake.
TO MAKE PUNCH.
For a gallon of punch take six fresh Sicily lemons, rub the outsides of them well over with lumps of doublere-fined loaf-sugar, until they become quite yellow; throw the lumps into the bowl; roll your lemons well on a clean plate or table: out them in half and squeeze them with a proper instrument over the sugar, bruise the sugar, and continue to add fresh portions of it mixing the lemon pulp and juice well with it. Much of the goodness of the punch will depend upon this. The quantity of sugar to be added should be great enough to render the mixture without water pleasant to the palate even of a child. When this is obtained, add gradually a small quantity of hot water, just enough to render the syrup thin enough to pass through the strainer. Mix all well together, strain it, and try if there be sugar enough; if at all sour add more. When cold put in a little cold water, and equal quantities of the best cognac brandy and old Jamaica rum, testing its strength by that infallible guide the palate. A glass of calves’-foot jelly added to the syrup when warm will not injure its qualities.
The great secret of making good punch may be given in a few words: a great deal of fresh lemon juice - more than enough of good sugar - a fair proportion of brandy and rum, and very little water.
To make Nectar.
Put half a pound of loaf sugar into a large porcelain jug; add one pint of cold water, bruise and stir the sugar till it is completely dissolved; pour over it half a bottle of hock and one bottle of Madeira. Mix them well together, and grate in half a nutmeg, with a drop or two of the essence of lemon. Set the jug in a bucket of ice for one hour.
To Make Coffee.
The best coffee is imported from Mocha. It is said to owe much of its superior quality to being kept long. Attention to the following circumstances is likewise necessary. 1. The plant should be grown in a dry situation and climate. 2. The berries ought to be thoroughly ripe before they are gathered. 3. They ought to be well dried in the sun; and 4. Kept at a distance from any substance (as spirits, spices, dried fish, etc.) by which the taste and flavor of the berry may be injured.
To drink coffee in perfection, it should be made from the best Mocha or Java, or both mixed, carefully roasted, and after cooling for a few minutes, reduced to powder, and immediately infused, the decoction will then be of a superior description. But for ordinary use, Java, Laguayra, Maracaibo, Rio and other grades of coffee may be used. An equal mixture of Mocha, Java and Laguayra make an excellent flavor. We have been recently shown (1865) some samples of African coffee from Liberia, which is said to possess a very superior flavor, The following mode of preparing it may be adopted:
1. The berries should be carefully roasted, by a gradual application of heat, browning, but not burning them.
2. Grinding the coffee is preferable to pounding, because the latter process is thought to press out and leave on the sides of the mortar some of the richer oily substances’ which are not lost by grinding.
3. A filtrating tin or silver pot, with double sides, between which hot water must be poured, to prevent the coffee from cooling, as practised in Germany, is good. Simple decoction, in this implement, with boiling water is all that is required to make a cup of good coffee; and the use of isinglass, the white of eggs, etc., to fine the liquor, is quite unnecessary. By this means, also, coffee is made quicker than tea.
Generally, too little powder of the berry is given, It requires about one small cup of ground coffee to make four cups of decoction for the table. This is at the rate of an ounce of good powder to four common coffee cups. When the powder is put in the bag, as many cups of boiling water are poured over it as may be wanted, and if the quantity wanted is very small, so that after it is filtrated it does not reach the lower end of the bag the liquor must be poured back three or four times, till it has acquired the necessary strength.
Another Method. - Pour a pint of boiling water on an ounce of coffee; let it boil five or six minutes, then pour out a cupful two or three times and return it again, put two or three isinglass chips into it, or a lump or two of fine sugar; boil it five minutes longer. Set the pot by the fire to keep hot for ten minutes, and the coffee will be beautifully clear. Some like a small bit of vanilla. Cream or boiled milk should always be served with coffee. In Egypt, coffee is made by pouring boiling rater upon ground coffee in the cup; to which only sugar is added. 6.1. PLAIN COOKERY. 335 For those who like it extremely strong, make only eight cups from three ounces. If not fresh roasted, lay it before a fire till hot and dry; or put the smallest bit of fresh butter into a preserving-pan; when hot throw the coffee into it, and toss it about till it be freshened. Coffee most certainly promotes wakefulness, or, in other words, it suspends the inclination to sleep. A very small cup of coffee, holding about a wineglassfull, called by the French une demi tasse, drunk after dinner very strong, without cream or milk, is apt to promote digestion.
Persons afflicted with asthma have found great relief, and oven a cure, from drinking very strong coffee, and those of a phlegmatic habit would do well to take it for breakfast. It is of a rather drying nature, and with corpulent habits it would also be advisable to take it for breakfast. Arabian Method of Preparing Coffee.
The Arabians, when they take their coffee off the fire, immediately wrap the vessel in a wet cloth, which fines the liquor instantly, makes it cream at the top, and occasions a more pungent steam, which they take great pleasure in snuffing up as the coffee is pouring into the cups. They, like all other nations of the East, drink their coffee without sugar.
People of the first fashion use nothing but Sultana coffee, which is prepared in the following manner: Bruise the outward husk or dried pulp, and put it into an iron or earthen pan, which is placed upon a charcoal fire; then keep stirring it to and fro, until it becomes a little brown, but not of so deep a color as common coffee; then throw it into boiling water, adding at least the fourth part of the inward husks, which is then boiled together in the manner of other coffee. The husks must be kept in a very dry place, and packed up very close, for the least humidity spoils the flavor. The liquor prepared in this manner is esteemed preferable to any other. The French, when they were at the court of the king of Yemen, saw no other coffee drank, and they found the flavor of it very delicate and agreeable. There was no occasion to use sugar, as it had no bitter taste to correct. Coffee is less unwholesome in tropical than in other climates.
In all probability the Sultana coffee can only be made where the tree grows; for, as the husks have little substance if they are much dried, in order to send them to other countries, the agreeable flavor they had when fresh is greatly impaired.
Improvement in making Coffee.
The process consists in simmering over a small but steady flame of a lamp. To accomplish this a vessel of peculiar construction is requisite. It should be a straightsided pot, as wide at the top as at the bottom, and inclosed in a case of similar shape, to which it must be soldered airtight at the top. The case to be above an inch wider than the pot, and descending somewhat less than an inch below it. It should be entirely open at the bottom, thus admitting and confining a body of hot air round and underneath the pot. The lid to be double, and the vessel, of course, furnished with a convenient handle and spout. The extract may be made either with hot water or cold. If wanted for speedy use, hot water, not actually boiling, will be proper, and the powdered coffee being added, close the lid tight, stop the spout with a cork, and place the vessel over the lamp. It will soon begin to simmer, and may remain unattended, till the coffee is wanted. It may then be strained through a bag of stout, close linen, which will transmit the liquid so perfectly clear as not to contain the smallest particle of the powder.
Though a fountain lamp is preferable, any of the common small lamps, seen in every tin shop, will answer the purpose. Alcohol, pure spermaceti oil, or some of the recent preparations of petroleum are best, and if the wick be too high, or the oil not good, the consequence will be smoke, soot, and extinction of the aroma. The wick should be little more than one-eighth of an inch high. In this process, no trimming is required. It may be left to simmer, and will continue simmering all night without boiling over, and without any sensible diminution of quantity.
Parisian Method of making Coffee.
In the first place, let coffee be of the prime quality, grain small, round, hard and clear; perfectly dry and sweet, and at least three years old - let it be gently roasted until it be of a light brown color; avoid burning, for a single scorched grain will spoil a pound. Let this operation be per formed at the moment the coffee is to be used then grind it while it is yet warm, and take of the powder an ounce for each cup intended to be made; put this along with a small quantity of shredded saffron into the upper part of the machine, galled a grecque or biggin; that is, a large coffee-pot with an upper receptacle made to fit close into it, the bottom of which is perforated with small holes, and containing in its interior two movable metal strainers, over the second of which the powder is to be pinged, and immediately under the third; upon this upper strainer pour boiling water, and continue doing so gently until it bubbles up through the strainer, then shut the cover of the machine close down, place it near the fire, and so soon as the water has drained through the coffee, repeat the operation until the whole intended quantity be passed. Thus all the fragrance of its perfume will be retained with all the balsamic and stimulating powers of its essence; and in a few moments will be obtained -without the aid of isinglass, whites of eggs, or any of the substances with which, in the common mode of preparation, it is mixed - a beverage for the gods. This is the true Parisian mode of preparing coffee; the invention of it is due to M. de Belloy, nephew to the Cardinal of the same name.
A coffee-pot upon an entirely new plan, called the Old Dominion, and made in Philadelphia, Pa., is very much liked by some. Perhaps, however, the old mode of boiling and clearing with egg, or the French mode, with the biggie or strainer, is the best.
Sufficient attention is not, however, paid to the proper roasting of the berry, which is of the utmost importance, to have the berry done just enough and not a grain burnt. It is customary now in most large cities for grocers to keep coffee ready roasted, which they have done in large wire cylinders, and generally well done, but not always fresh.
Coffee Milk.
Boil a dessertspoonful of ground coffee in about a pint of milk a quarter of an hoer, then put in it a shaving or two of isinglass, and clear it; let it boil a few minutes, and set it on the side of the fire to fine. Those of a spare habit, and disposed towards affections of the lungs would do well to use this for breakfast, instead of ordinary coffee.
6.2 Cookery. It was the intention in our article on Cookery to divide it into two parts, separating fine from plain, every-day receipts, but this was found impractical, no two judgments agreeing upon the proper division, hence our abandonment of the plan, and leaving to each reader his or her own judgment.
To make a Savory Dish of Veal.
Cut some large scallops from a leg of veal, spread them on a dresser, dip them in rich egg batter; season them with gloves, mace, nutmeg and pepper beaten fine: make force-meat with some of the veal, some beef suet, oysters chopped, sweet herbs shred fine, strew all these over the scollops, roll and tie them up, put them on skewers and roast them. To the rest of the force-meat add two raw eggs, roll them in balls and fry them. Put them into the dish with the meat when roasted; and make the sauce with strong broth, an anchovy or a shallot, a little white wine and some spice. Let it stew, and thicken it with a piece of butter rolled in flour. Pour the sauce into the dish, lay the meat in with the force-meat balls, and garnish with lemon.
Lamb’s Kidneys, au vin.
Cut your kidneys lengthways, but not through, put 4 or 5 on a skewer, lay them on a gridiron over clear, lively goals, pouring the red gravy into a bowl each time they are turned, five minutes on the gridiron will do. Take them up, cut them in pieces, put them into a pan with the gravy you have saved, a large lump of butter, with pepper, salt, a pinch of flour, glass of Madeira (champagne is better), fry the whole for two minutes, and serve very hot.
Breast of Veal’ glacee.
Cut your breast as square as possible, bone it and draw the cut pieces together with a thread; put it into a pan with a ladle of veal bouillon, cover it with slices of salt pork and a buttered paper, previously adding 2 carrots in bits, 4 onions in slices, 2 bay leaves, 2 gloves, pepper and salt; put some coals on the lid as well as below; when two-thirds done take out the vegetables, reduce your gravy to jelly, turn your meat and set on the cover till done, it takes in all two hours and a half over a gentle fire.
Shoulder en Galatine.
Bone a fat, fleshy shoulder of veal, cut off the ragged pieces to make your stuffing, viz., 1 pound of veal to 1 pound of salt pork minced extremely fine, well seasoned with salt, pepper, spices, and mixed with 3 eggs, spread a layer of this stuffing well minced over the whole shoulder to the depth of an inch; over this mushrooms, slips of bacon, slices of tongue, and carrots in threads, cover this with stuffing as before, then another layer of mushrooms, bacon, tongue, etc., when all your stuffing is used, roll up your shoulder lengthways, tie it with a thread, cover it with slips of lardine and tie it up in a clean white cloth, put into a pot the bones of the shoulder, 2 calves-feet, slips of bacon, 6 carrots 10 onions, 1 stuck with 4 cloves, 4 hay leaves, thyme, and a large bunch of parsley and shallots, moisten the whole with bouillon; put in your meat in the cloth and boil steadily for three hours. Try if it is done with the larding needle; if so, take it up, press all the liquor from it and set it by to grow cold; pass your jelly through a napkin, put 2 eggs in a pan, whip them well and pour the strained liquor on them, mixing both together, add peppercorns, a little of the 4 spices, a bay leaf, thyme, parsley; let all boil gently for half an hour, strain it through a napkin, put your shoulder on its dish, pour the jelly over it and serve cold. Shoulder of Mutton.
Bone the larger half of your shoulder, lard the inside with well seasoned larding, tie it up in the shape of a balloon, lay some slips of bacon in your pan, on them your meat, with 3 or 4 carrots 5 onions, 3 gloves, 2 bay leaves, thymes and the bones that have been taken out moisten with bouillon, set all on the fire and simmer for three hours and a half; garnish with small onions.
Sheep’s Tongues.
Fifteen tongues are sufficient for R dish; waste and clean them well, throw them into hot water for twenty minutes, wash them again in cold water, drain, dry and trim them neatly, lard them with seasoned larding and the small needle; lay in your pan slips of bacon, 4 carrots in pieces, 4 onions, 1 stuck with 2 cloves, slips of veal, 2 bay leaves, thyme, and a faggot of shallots and parsley; put your tongues in, cover them with slips of larding, moisten the whole with bouillon, and let it simmer five hours.
To make an Excellent Ragout of Cold Veal.
Either a neck, loin, or fillet of veal will furnish this excellent ragout, with a very little expense or trouble. Cut the veal into handsome thin cutlets, put a piece of butter or clean dripping into a fryingpan; as soon as it is hot, flour and fry the veal of a light brown, take it out, and if you have no gravy ready put a pint of boiling water into the fryingpan, give it a boil up for a minute, and strain it into a basin while you make some thickening in the following manner: Put about an ounce of butter into a stewpan; as soon as it melts, mix with it as much flour as will dry it up; stir it over the fire for a few minutes, and gradually add to it the gravy you made in the fryingpan; let them simmer together for ten minutes (till thoroughly incorporated), season it with pepper, salt, a little mace, and a wineglass of mushroom catsup, or wine; strain it through a tammy to the meat: and stew l very gently till the meat is thoroughly warmed. If you have any ready boiled bacon, cut it in slices, and put it to warm with the meat.
To make Veal Cake.
Take the best end of a breast of veal, bone and out it into three pieces, take the yolk out of eight eggs boiled hard, and slice the whites, the yolks to be cut through the middle, two anchovies, a good deal of parsley chopped fine, and some lean ham cut in thin slices, all these to be well seasoned separately with Cayenne, black pepper, salt and a little nutmeg; have ready a mug the size of the intended cake, with a little butter rubbed on it, put a layer of veal on the bottom, then a layer of egg and parsley, and ham to fancy, repeat it till all is in, lay the bones on the top and let it be baked three or four hours, then take off the bones and press down the cake till quite cold. The mug must be dipped in warm water and the cake turned out with great care, that the jelly may not be broken which hangs round it.
To make Dry Devils.
These are usually composed of the broiled legs and gizzards of poultry, fish bones, or biscuits, sauce piquante. Mix equal parts of fine salt, Cayenne pepper and curry powder, with double the quantity of powder of truffles; dissect a brace of woodcocks rather under roasted, split the heads subdivide the wings, etc., etc., and powder the whole gently over with the mixture, crush the trail and brains along with the yolk of a hard boiled egg, a small portion of pounded mace, the grated peel of half a lemon and half a spoonful of soy, until the ingredients be brought to the consistence of a fine paste; then add a tablespoonful of catsup, a full wineglass of Madeira and the juice of two Seville oranges; throw the sauce along with the birds into a stew-dish, to be heated with spirits of wine; cover close up, light the lamp and keep gently simmering, and occassionally stirring until the flesh has imbibed the greater part of the liquid. When it is completely saturated, pour in a small quantity of salad oil stir all once more well together, put out the light and serve it round instantly.
To make an Olio.
Boil in a broth pot a fowl, a partridge, a small leg of mutton, five or six pounds of large slices of beef and a knuckle of veal, soak all these without broth for some time, turn the meat to give it a good color, and add boiling water, when it has boiled about an hour, add all sorts of best broth herbs; this broth, when good, is of a fine brown color.
To make Beef a la Mode.
Take 11 pounds of themouse buttock, or clod of beef; cut it into pieces of 3 or 4 ounces each put 2 or 3 large onions and 2 ounces of beef dripping into a large, deep stewpan; as soon as it is quite hot flour the meat and put it into the stew pan; fill it sufficiently to cover the contents with water and stir it continually with a wooden spoon when it has been on a quarter of an hour, dredge it with flour, and keep doing so till it has beef stirred as much as will thicken it, then cover it with boiling water. Skim it when it boils and put in 1 drachm of black ground pepper, 2 of all spice and 4 bay leaves; set the pan by the sic’ of the fire to stew slowly about 4 hours. This is at once a savory and economical dish.
Beef a la Mode.
Take out the bone from a round and with a sharp knife cut many deep incisions in the meat Then wash and season well with salt and pepper. Crumb the soft part of a loaf of bread, to which add one teaspoonful of sweet marjoram, the same of sweet basil, one small onion minced fine, two or three small blades of mace finely powdered with sufficient salt and pepper to season it. Rub all well together with five ounces of fresh butter. Mix all these ingredients well together. With this dressing fill all the incisions and fasten well with skewers. Tie a piece of tape round the meat to keep it in shape. Cut 3 or 4 thin slices of pickled pork, which place in a large stewkettle with 3 half-pints of water; put in the meat, stick 6 or 8 gloves over the top, cover the kettle very close and set it in a quick oven. It will take several hours to cook, as it requires to be well done. When sufficiently cooked place it on a heated dish remove the pork from the kettle, and, if not sufficient gravy, add a little boiling water and dredge in sufficient flour to make the gravy of a proper thickness; then stir in 1 dessertspoonful of sugar browned a very dark color, and season to taste. As soon as it comes to a boil add 1 gill of Madeira wine. After letting it simmer a short time put it in a sauce tureen, remove the skewers and tape from the meat, pour over the top 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of gravy and send all to table hot.
Bouillien Matelotte
Peel a handful of small onions, fry them in butter till they are of alight brown, throw in a handfull of flour, shake the pan well, add a glass of red wine, a pint of (bouillon) mace, salt, pepper, thyme and 2 bay leaves, bubble the whole gently till the onions are tender, and pour it over slices of cold bouilli. Set all in a saucepan well covered on hot ashes, to stand for 15 minutes. Take care it does not boil.
Beef en Daube.
Prepare a round or rump as for beef a 1a mode, well larded with the largest needle; put it into your pot with a spoonful of lard. Set the pot on hot goals, dust it with flour, turn your beef till it is well browned on both sides, have ready a kettle of bulling water, cover your meat, add in bits 6 large onions, 2 bunches of carrots and an egg plant in slices. Put on your lid and bubble slowly but steadily for 4 hours (for 16 pounds of beef longer if heavier) or till the skewer will pass easily into it. About half an hour before serving throw in a pint of smell mushrooms, season with pepper and salt, a dozen bay leaves and all kinds of spice. Set your beef in a deep dish and cover with the sauce.
Beef’s Tongue aux Champignons.
Wash your tongue well and boil for half an hour; season some larding with salt, pepper, all kinds of spice, shallots and chopped parsley; lard your tongue across; put it in a stewpan with a few slices of bacon and beef, carrots, onions, thyme, 3 bay leaves, 3 cloves; cover with bouillon and stew very gently for 4 hours: when done, skin your tongue and cut it up lengthways in the middle and under part, but not through, so that you can bend it up and lay it on your dish in the shape of a heart. Have ready a quantity of button mushrooms fried in butter, with a sprinkle of lemon juice moistened with boullion, and bubbled to a proper consistency. Pour it over your tongue and serve hot.
Fish en Matelotte.
Almost every kind of fish answers for this dish. Scale, clean and cut them in pieces, put them into a pan with a handful of small onions previously fried whole in butter, two bay leaves, a bunch of shallots and parsley, small mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper, pour over the whole as much red wine as will cover it; set your pan on a quick fire; when the wine is one-half gone, mix a spoonful of flour with a lump of butter roll it in little balls and put them one by one into your sauce, stirring it the whole time. Arrange your fish handsomely on a deep dish, pour over it the sauce and garnish with slices of lemon.
To Fry Sweetbreads
Boil them in salt and water about a quarter of an hour; then take them out and let them cool. Skin and cut them in half, season with pepper and salt, and dust a little flour over and fry them slowly in equal portions of butter and lard. When of a fine brown, puree them on a dish; then dust a little flour into the pan with the fat they were fried in; stir it well and pour in about a gill of hot water; season the gravy to your taste with salt and pepper, and as soon as it boils pour it over the sweetbreads and serve them hot.
Veal Cutlets.
Pound them well with a rolling-pin or potato masher; then wash and dry them on a clean towel, and season with pepper and salt. Have ready a pint of fine powdered cracker, which season with salt and pepper. Whisk 2 eggs with 1 gill of milk, and pour over the cutlets; then take 1 at a time and place in the crumbs, pat well with the back of a spoon in order to make the cracker adhere close to the meat. Put them into hot lard, and fry slowly until well done and handsomely browned on both sides.
Steak a la Soyer.
The rump-steak to be broiled, and to be dressed with pepper, salt, Cayenne and flour, all in a dredge-box together, keep constantly turning the stock and dredging it; chop up 1 small shallot, put it in a stewpan with a little catsup; when the steak is sufficiently done add a little butter to it; strain the sauce through a small sieve, and serve up very hot.
Kidneys a la Brochette.
Let your kidneys steep 5 minutes in cold water to soften the skin; remove it and split each; through the middle put a wooden or silver skewer if you have it, when they are skewered, season them with pepper and salt. Dip each into oil or melted butter, and broil them on a gridiron. Before you serve remove the skewers, unless they are of silver, and serve them on a dish with butter and fine herbs.
Beef Sanders.
Mince cold beef small with onions, add pepper and salt and a little gravy; put into a pie-dish or scallop-shells, until about 3 parts full. Then fill up with mashed potatoes. Bake in an oven or before the fire until done a light brown. Mutton may be cooked in the same way.
Timballe of Macaroni, with Chicken and Ham.
Simmer 1/2 pound macaroni in plenty of water, and a tablespoonful of salt till it is tender, but take care not to hove it too soft; strain the water from it; beat up 5 yolks and the whites of 2 eggs; take a pint of the best cream and the breast of a fowl and some slices of ham. Mince the breast of the fowl and some slices of ham, add them, with from 2 to 3 tablespoonful of finely grated Parmesan cheese, and season with pepper and salt. Mix all these with the macaroni, and put into a pudding-mould, well buttered. Let it strain in a stewpan of boiling water about 1 hour, and serve quite hot with rich gravy. It is very good cold.
Sweetbreads, French Style.
Take 3 large sweetbreads, put them into hot water, and let them boil 10 minutes; when cool, skin, but do not break them. Season with salt and pepper, and dredge over a little flour; then fry them slowly in butter a light brown on both sides. When done, place them on a dish, and remove all the brown particles from the pan (retaining the butter); then pour in, while off the fire, 1 gill of boiling water, and dredge in l dessertspoonful of browned flour, stirring it all the time. Then season with salt and water to taste; mix well, and, just before removing it from the fire stir in gradually 2 tablespoonsful of Madeira wine. After dredging in the flour, and seasoning the gravy, as soon as it comes to a boil, stir in the wine: while boiling hot, pour it over the sweetbreads, and send to table in a well heated (covered) dish.
Boiled Leg of Mutton a l’Anglaise.
Select a leg of mutton, rather fat,, and not kept above 3 or 4 days; trim it, and put it on to boil in a stock-pot or braizing-pan, filled up with cold water, when it boils, remove the scum, and put it on the side of the stove to continue gently boiling for about 2 1/2 hours; a handful of salt and a couple of turnips and carrots should be put into the pot to boil with the leg. When the mutton is done, drain and dish it up, garnish it round with mashed turnips, dressed with a little sweet cream, a pat of butter, pepper and salt; mould the trashed turnips in the shape of large eggs, with a tablespoon, and place these closely round the leg of mutton, introducing between each spoonful of mashed turnips a carrot nicely turned, that has been boiled, either with the mutton, or in some broth separately: pour some gravy under it, put a paper ruffle on the bone, and send it to table, accompanied with a sauce- boat of caper-sauce.
Roasted Sucking-Pig a l’Anglaise
In selecting a sucking-pig for the table, those of about 3 weeks old are generally preferred, their meat being more delicate than when allowed to grow larger. Let the pig be prepared for dressing in the usual way, that is, scalded, drawn, etc., pettitoes cut off, and the paunch filled with stuffing previously prepared for the purpose as follows: chop 2 large onions, and 12 sage-leaves, boil them in water for 2 minutes, and after having drained the sage and onions on to a sieve, place it in a stewpan with a pat of butter, pepper and salt, and set the whole to simmer gently for 10 minutes on a very slow fire, then add a double handful of bread-crumbs, 2 pats of butter, and the yolks of 2 eggs; stir the whole over the fire for 5 minutes, and then use the stuffing as before directed. When the sucking-pig is stuffed, sew the paunch up with twine; spit the pig for roasting, carefully fastening it on the spit at each end with small iron skewers, should be run through the shoulders and hips to secure it tightly, so that it may on no account slip round when down to roast. The pig will require about 2 hours to roast thoroughly, and should be frequently basted with a paste brush dipped in salad oil. Oil is better adapted for this purpose than either dripping or butter, giving more crispness to the skin; when basted with oil, the pig will, while roasting, acquire a more even and a finer color. When done, take it up from the fire on the spit, and immediately cut the head off with a sharp knife, and lay it on a plate in the hot closet. Next, cut the pig in two, by dividing it first with a sharp knife straight down the back to the spine, finishing with a meat-saw, a large dish should be held under the pig while it is thus being divided, into which it may fall when completely cut through; place the two sides back to beck on the dish, without disturbing the stuffing, split the head in two; put the brains in a small stewpan, trim off the snout and jaws, leaving only the cheeks and ears, place these one at each end of the dish, surround the remove with a border of small potatoes, fried of a light color, in a little clarified butter: pour under some rich brown gravy, and send to table with the following sauce: to the brains, put into a small stewpan as before directed, add a spoonful of blanched chopped parsley, pepper and salt, a piece of glaze the size of a large walnut, some well-made buttersauce, and the juice of a lemon; stir the whole well together over the fire, and when quite hot, send it to table separately, in a boat, to be handed round with the sucking-pig.
Braized Ham’ with Spinach, etc.
When about to dress a ham, care must be taken after it has been trimmed, and the thigh-bone removed, that it be put to soak in a large pan filled with cold water; the length of time it should remain in soak depending partly upon its degree of moisture, partly upon whether the ham be new or seasoned. If the ham readily yields to the pressure of the hand, it is no doubt new, and this is the case with most of those sold in the spring season for such as those a few hours’ soaking will suffice, but when hams are properly seasoned, they should be soaked for 24 hours. Foreign hams, however, require to be soaked much longer, varying in time from 2 to 4 days and nights. The water in which they are soaked should be changed once every 12 hours in winter, and twice during that time in summer; it is necessary to be particular also in scraping off the slimy surface from the hams, previously to replacing them in the water to finish soaking.
When the ham has been trimmed and soaked, let it be boiled in water for an hour, and then scraped and washed in cold water; place it in a braizing-pan with 2 carrots, as many onions, 1 head of celery, 2 blades of mace, and 4 cloves; moisten with sufficient common broth to float the ham, and then set it on the stove to braize very gently for about four hours. To obtain tenderness and mellowness, so essential in a well-dressed ham, it must never be allowed to boil, but merely to simmer very gently by a slow fire. This rule applies also to the braizing of all salted or cured meats. Where the ham is done, draw the pan in which it has braized away from the fire, and set it to cool in the open air, allowing the ham to remain in the braise. By this means it will retain all its moisture; for when the ham is taken out of the braize as soon as done, and put on a dish to get cold, all its richness exudes from it. The ham having partially cooled in its braise, should be taken out and trimmed, and afterwards placed in a braizing-pan with its own stock; and about three-quarters of an hour before dinner put either in the oven or on a slow fire. When warmed through place the ham on a baking-dish in the oven to dry the surface, then glaze it; replace it in the oven again for about three minutes to dry it, and glaze it again, by that time the ham, if properly attended to, will present a bright appearance. Put it now on its dish, and garnish it with well-dressed spinach, placed round the ham in tablespoonfuls, shaped like so many eggs, pour some sauce round the base, put a ruffle on the bone, and serve. Note. - Any of our home-cured hams, dressed according to the foregoing directions, may also be served with a garnish of asparagus-peas, young carrots, green peas, broad beans, French beans or Brussels sprouts.
Roast Turkey, a l’Anglaise.
Stuff a turkey with some well-seasoned veal stuffing, let it be trussed in the usual manner, and previously to putting it down to roast cover it with thin layers of fat bacon, which should be scoured on with buttered paper tied round the turkey, so as entirely to envelop it on the spit; then roast it, nod when done dish it up, garnish with stewed chestnuts and small pork sausages, nicely fried; pour a rich sauce round it, glaze the turkey, and send to table.
Plain Rump Steak.
The steak should be out rather thick, neatly trimmed seasoned with a little pepper and salt, and broiled over a clear fire, when done remove it carefully from the gridiron, in order to preserve the gravy which collects on its upper surface. Place the steak on its dish, rub a small pat of fresh butter over it, garnish round with grated horseradish, and send some beef gravy separately in a sauceboat.
Epicures, however, prefer the gravy which runs out of a juicy steak when well broiled to any other addition. Small ribs of beef, and especially steaks out from between the small ribs, form an excellent substitute for rump steaks both, when nicely broiled, may be served with cold Maitre e d’Hotel butter, anchovy ditto.
Beef Steak, a la Francaise
Cut one pound of trimmed fillet of beef across the grain of the meat into three pieces; flatten these with the cutletbat, and trim them of a round or oval form; then cut and trim three pieces of suet, half the size of the former: dip the steaks in a little clarified butter, season with pepper and salt, and place them on the gridiron over a clear fire to broil; when done glaze them on both sides; dish them up on two ounces of cold Maitre d’Hotel butter, garnish round with fried potatoes, and serve. These potatoes must be cut or turned in the form of olives, and fried in a little clarified butter.
Hashed Beef, Plain’,
Slice the beef up in very thin pieces, season with pepper and salt, and shake a little flour over it. Next chop a middle-sized onion, and put it into a stewpan with a tablespoonful of Harvey sauce, and an equal quantity of mushroom catsup; boil these together for two minutes, and then add half a pint of broth or gravy; boil this down to half its quantity, throw in the beef, set the bash to boil on the stove fire for five minutes longer, and then serve with sippets of toasted bread round it.
Slices of Braized Beef, a la Claremont.
Take braized beef remaining from a previous day’s dinner, and out in rather thin round or oval slices, placed in a saucepan in neat order, and warmed with a gravyspoonful of good stock; these must then be dished up in a circle, overlapping each other closely; pour some sauce over them, and serve.
Note. - Slices of braized beef warmed and dished up, as in the foregoing case, may be greatly varied by being afterwards garnished with macaroni prepared with grated cheese, a little glaze and tomato-sauce also with all sharp sauces, with purees of vegetables, and with vegetable garnishes.
Bubble and Squeak.
Cut some slices (not too thin) of cold boiled round or edge-bone of salt beef; trim them neatly, as also an equal number of pieces of the white fat of the beef, and set them aside on a plate. Boil two summer or Savoy cabbages, remove the stalks, chop them fine, and put them into a stewpan with four ounces of fresh butter and one ounce of glaze; season with pepper and salt. When about to send to table, fry the slices of beef in a sauce or fryingpan, commencing with the pieces of fat; stir the cabbage on the fire until quite hot, and then pile it up in the centre of the dish; place the slices of beef and the pieces of fat round it, pour a little brown sauce over the whole, and serve.
Mutton Cutlets, Plain.
Choose a neck of mutton that has been killed at least four days, saw off the scrag end, and as much of the rib-bongs as may be necessary in order to leave the cutlet-bones not more than three inches and a half long the spine-bones must also be removed with the saw, without damaging the fillet. Next cut the neck of mutton thus trimmed into as many cutlets as there are bones, detach the meat from the upper pert of each bone, about three-quarters of an inch, then dip them in water and flatten them with a cutlet-bat, trim away the sinewy part, and any superfluous fat. The cutlets must then be seasoned with pepper and salt, passed over with a pastebrush dipped in clari-fied butter, and nicely broiled over or before a clear fire. When they are done dish them up neatly, and serve with plain brown gravy under them.
Cutlets prepared in this way may also be served with either of the following sauces: Poor-man’s Poivrade; for which see another page.
Mutton Cutlets, Bread-crumbed and Broiled with Shallot Gravy.
Trim the cutlets in the usual manner, and season them with pepper and salt; then egg them slightly over with a paste-brush dipped in two yolks of eggs, beaten upon a plate for the purpose pass each cutlet through sorme fine bread-crumbs then dip them separately in some clarified butter, and bread-crumb them over once more; put them into shape with the blade of a knife, and lay them on a gridiron to be broiled over a clear fire, of a lightbrown color; then glaze and dish them up and serve them with plain or shallot gravy. These cutlets may also be served with any of the sauces directed to be used for plain broiled cutlets.
Sweetbreads Larded with Stewed Peas.
Three heart sweetbreads generally suffice for a dish. They must be procured quite fresh, otherwise they are unfit for the table, and should be steeped in water for several hours, and the water frequently changed, the sweetbreads are then to be scalded in boiling water for about X minutes and immersed in cold water for half an hour after which they must be drained upon a napkin trimmed free from any sinewy fat, and put between two dishes to be slightly pressed flat, and then closely larded with strips of bacon in the usual manner. The sweetbreads must next be placed in a deep saucepan on a bed of thinly sliced carrots, celery and onions, with a garnished faggot of parsely and green onions placed in the centre and covered with thin layers of fat bacon. Moisten with about a pint of good stock, place a round of buttered paper on the top, coyer with the lid, and after having put the sweetbreads to boil on the stove-fire, remove them to the oven or on a moderate fire (in the latter case live embers of charcoal must be placed on the lid) and allow them to braize rather briskly for about twenty minutes, frequently basting them with their own liquor. When dome remove the lid and paper covering and set them again in the oven to dry the surface of the larding; glaze them nicely and dish them up on some stewed peas (which see).
Sweetbreads prepared in this way may also be served with dressed asparagus, peas, French beans, scallops of cucumbers, braized lettuce, celery, and also with every kind of vegetable puree. To raise the sweetbreads above the garnish, or sauce served with them; it is necessary to place as many foundations as there are sweetbreads in the dish; these may be made either by boiling some rice in broth until it becomes quite soft, then working it into a paste, after this has been spread on a disk about an inch thick, a circular tin cutter must be used to stamp it out. They may also be prepared from veal force-meats or even fried croutons of bread will serve the purpose. Lamb Cutlets Bread-crumbed, with Asparagus Peas.
Trim the cutlets, season with pepper and salt, rub them over with a paste-blush dipped in yolks of eggs and roll them in bread crumbs, then dip them in some clarified butter and bread-crumb them over again; put them in shape with the blade of a knife and place them in neat order in a saucepan with some clarified butter. When about to send to table fry the cutlets of a light color, drain them upon a sheet of paper, glaze and dish them up; fill the centre with asparagus-peas, pour some thin sauce around them and serve.
Pork Cutlets Plain-broiled, with Gravy, etc.
These cutlets must be cut from the neck or loin of dairyfed pork, not too fat; they should be trimmed but very little, the rough part of the chine-bone only requiring to be removed, the skin must be left on and scored in six places. Season the cutlets with pepper and salt, and broil them on a gridiron over a clear fire; coke makes a better fire than coal for broiling, as it emits no gas and causes less smoke. Take care that they are thoroughly done and not scorched; dish them up with any of the following gravies or sauces, and serve: Sage and onion, shallot, onion, fine herbs, gravies, or essences, tomato sauce.
Venison Scallops.
Venison for this purpose ought to be kept until it has become quite tender; a piece of the end of the neck may be used. Cut the fillet from the bone, with all the fat adhering to it; remove the outer skin, and then cut it into scallops, taking care not to trim off more of the fat than is necessary; place them in a saucepan with clarified butter, season with pepper and salt, and fry them brown on both sides; pour off all the grease, add some scallops of mushrooms, a piece of glaze and a glass of Port wine; simmer the whole together over a stove-fire for about 3 minutes, and then pour in some Poivrade sauce; toss the scallops in the sauce on the fire until quite hot, and then dish them up with a border of’ quenelles of potatoes and serve. These scallops may also be served with sweet sauce, in which case the mushrooms must be omitted.
Venison chops
Cut the chops about an inch thick from the end of the haunch or the best end of the neck, flatten them a little with a cutlet-bat, trim them without waste, season with pepper and salt and broil them on a gridiron over a clear fire of moderate heat, turning therm over every 3 minutes while on the fire; when done through with their gravy in them, lift them carefully off the gridiron without spilling the gravy that may be swimming on the surface, dish them up with a Iittle rich brown gravy under therm, and serve some currant jelly or venison sweet sauce separately in a boat.
Fricassee of Chickens with Mushrooms, etc.
Procure 2 fat, plump chickens, and after they have been drawn, singe them over the flame of a charcoal fire, and then cut up into small members or joints in the following manner: First remove the wings at the second joint, then take hold of the chicken with the left hand, and with a sharp knife make 2 parallel cuts lengthwise on the back about an inch and a half apart, so as partly to detach or at least to mark out where the legs and wings are to be removed; the chicken must next be placed upon its side on the table, and after the leg and fillet (with the pinion left on the upper side) have been cut, the same must be repeated on the other, and the thigh-bones must be removed. Then separate the back and breast, trim these without waste and cut the back across into 2 pieces; steep the whole in a pan containing clear tepid water for about 10 minutes, frequently squeezing the pieces with the hand too extract all the blood. Next strew the bottom of a stewpan with thinly-sliced carrot, onion and a little c elery, 3 cloves, 12 pepper-corns, a blade of mace and a garnished faggot of parsley; place the pieces of chicken in close and neat order upon the vegetables, etc., moisten with about a quart of boiling broth from the stockpot, or failing this, with water; cover with the lid and set the whole to boil gently by the side of the stove-fire for about half an hour, when the chicken will be done. They must then be strained in a sieve and their broth reserved in a basin; next immerse the pieces of chicken in cold water, wash and drain them upon a napkin, and afterward trim them neatly and place them in a stewpan in the larder.
Then put 2 ounces of fresh butter to melt in a stewpan; to this add 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, and stir the mixture over the fire for 3 minutes without allowing it to acquire any color; it should then be removed from the stove, and the chicken broth being poured into it the whole must be thoroughly mixed together into a smooth sauce; throw in some trimmings of mushrooms and stir the sauce over the fire until it boils, then set it by the side to continue gently boiling to throw up the butter and scum. When the sauce has boiled half an hour skim it, reduce it by further boiling to its proper consistency, and then incorporate with it a leason of 4 yolks of eggs mixed with a pat of butter and a little cream; set the leason in the sauce by stirring it over the fire until it nearly boils, then pass it through a tammy into the stewpan containing the pieces of chicken, and add thereto half a pottle of prepared button-mushrooms. When about to send to table warm the fricassee without allowing it to boil, and dish it up as follows: First put the pieces of the back in the centre of the dish, place the legs at the angles, the bones pointed inwardly; next place the fillets upon these, and then set the pieces of breast on the top; pour the sauce over the entree, and place the mushrooms about the fricassee in groups; surround the entree with eight or ten glazed croutons of fried bread cut in the shape of hearts, and serve.
Note. - Truffles cut into scallops, or shaped in the form of olives, crayfish-tails, button-onions, or artichokebottoms cut into small pointed quarters, may also be served with a fricassee of chickens.
Pigeons a la Gauthier.
Procure 4 young, fat pigeons; draw, singe and truss them with their legs thrust inside; next put a half-pound of fresh butter into a small stewpan with the juice of a lemon, a little mignonette, pepper, and salt; place this over a stove-fire, and when it is melted put the pigeons with a garnished faggot of parsley in it, cover the whole with thin layers of fat bacon and a circular piece of buttered paper, and set them to simmer very gently on a slow fire for about 20 minutes, when they will be done. The pigeons must then be drained upon a napkin, and after all the greasy moisture has been absorbed place them in the dish in the form of a square, with a large quenelle of fowl (decorated with truffles) in between each pigeon; fill the centre with a ragout of crayfish tails; pour some of the sauce over and round the pigeons, and serve.
Rabbits a la Bourguignonne
Cut the rabbits up into small joints, season with pepper and salt, and fry them slightly over the fire without allowing them to acquire much color; adding half a pint of button-onions previously parboiled in water, a very little grated nutmeg, and half a pottle of mushrooms; toss these over the fire for five minutes, then add a tumblerfull of French white wine (Chablis or Sauterne), and set this to boil sharply until reduced to half the quantity; next add 2 large gravyspoonsful of Poivrade sauce (which see), simmer the whole together gently for ten minutes longer, and finish by incorporating a leason of 4 yolks of eggs, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and a dessertspoonful of chopped parboiled parsley; dish up the pieces of rabbit in a pyramidal form, garnish the entree with the onions, etc., placed in groups round the base, pour the sauce over it and serve.
Salmis of Wild Duck.
Roast a wild duck before a brisk fire for about 25 minutes, so that it may retain its gravy, place it on its breast in a dish to get cool, then cut it up into small joints comprising 2 fillets, 2 legs with the breast and back each cut into 2 pieces, and place the whole in a stewpan. Put the trimmings into a stewpan with 1/2 pint of red wine, 4 shallots a sprig of thyme, a bay-leaf, the rind of an orange free from pith, the pulp of a lemon, and a little Cayenne; boil these down to half their original quantity then add a small ladleful of sauce, allow the sauce to boil, skim it and pass it through a tammy on to, the pieces of wild duck. Then about to send to the table warm the salmis without boiling, dish it up, pour the sauce over it, garnish the entree with 8 heart-shaped croutons of fried bread nicely glazed, and serve.
Roast Hare.
Skin and draw the hare, leaving on the ears which must be scalped and the hairs scraped off pick out the eyes and cut off the feet or pads just above the first joint, wipe the hare with a clean cloth, and out the sinews at the back of the hindquarters and below the fore legs. Prepare some veal stuffing and fill the paunch with it, sew this up with string or fasten it with a wooden skewer then draw the legs under as if the hare was in sitting posture, set the head between the shoulders and stick a small skewer through them, running also through the neck to secure its position; run another skewer through the fore legs gathered up under the paunch, then take a yard of string, double it in two, placing the centre of it on the breast of the hare and bring both ends over the skewer, cross the string over troth sides of the other skewer and fasten it over the back. Split the hare and roast it before a brisk fire for about three-quarters of an hour, frequently basting it with butter or dripping. Five minutes before taking the hare up throw on a little salt, shake some flour over it with a dredger, and baste it with some fresh butter; when this froths up and the hare has acquired a rich brown crust take it off the spit, dish it up with water-cresses round it, pour some brown gravy under, and send some currant jelly in a boat to be handed round.
Roast Pheasant.
Draw the pheasant by making a small opening at the vent, make an incision along the back part of the neck, loosen the pouch, etc., with the fingers and then remove it; singe the body of the peasant and its legs over the flame of a charcoal fire or with a piece of paper, rub the scaly cuticle off the legs with a cloth, trim away the claws and spurs, cut off the neck close up to the back leaving the skin of the breast entire, wipe the pheasant clean, and then truss it in the following manner: Place the pheasant upon its breast, run a trussing-needle and string through the left pinion (the wings being removed), then turn the bird over on its back and place the thumb and fore-finger of the left hand across the breast, holding the legs erect; thrust the needle through the middle joint of both thighs, draw it out and then pass it through the other pinion and fasten the strings at the back; next pass the needle through the legs and body and tie the strings tightly; this will give it an appearance of plumpness. Spit and roast the pheasant before a brisk fire for about half an hour, frequently basting it; when done send to table with brown gravy under it and bread sauce (which see) separately fill a boat.
Wild Fowl, en Salmis.
Cut up a cold roast duck (wild), goose, brant, or whatever it may be. Put into a bowl or soup-plate (to every bird) a dessertspoonful of well made mustard, a sprinkle of cayenne and black pepper, with about a gill of red wine; mix them well together, set your pan on the fire with a lump of butter, when it melts add gradually the wine, etc., let it bubble a minute; put in your duck and bubble it for a few minutes. If your duck has proved tough when first cooked, use a saucepan and let it bubble till tender, taking care there is enough gravy to keep it from burning. Serve on dry toast very hot.
Pigeons.
Pigeons may be broiled or roasted like chicken. They will cook in three-quarters of an hour. Make a gravy of the giblets, season it with pepper and salt, and thicken it with a little flour and butter.
Terrapins.
Plunge them into boiling water till they are dead, take them out, pull off the outer skin and toe-nails, wash them in warm water and boll them with a teaspoonful of salt to each middling-sized terrapin till you can pinch the flesh from off the bone of the leg, turn them out of the shell into a dish, remove the sand-bag and gall, add the yolks of 2 eggs, cut up your meat, season pretty high with equal parts of black and cayenne pepper and salt. Put all into your saucepan with the liquor they have given out in cutting up, but not a drop of water, add 1/4 of a pound of butter with a gill of Madeira to every 2 middlesized terrapins; simmer gently till tender, closely covered, thicken with flour and serve hot.
To Stew Terrapins.
Wash 4 terrapins in warm water, then throw them in a pot of boiling water, which will kill them instantly; let them boil till the shells crack, then take them out and take off the bottom shell, cut each quarter separate, take the gall from the liver’ take out the eggs, put the pieces in a stewpan, pour in all the liquor and cover them with water; put in salt, cayenne, and black pepper and a little mace, put in a lump of butter the size of an egg and let them stew for half an hour, make a thickening of dour and water which stir in a few minutes before you take it up with two glasses of wine. Serve it in a deep covered dish, put in the eggs just us you dish it.
Chicken Stewed with New Corn.
Cut up the chickens as for pies, season them well, have green corn cut off the cob, put a layer of chicken in the bottom of a stewpan and a layer of corn, and so till you fill all in, sprinkle in salt, pepper and parsley and put a piece of butter in cover it with water and put on a crust with slits out in it, let it boil an hour, when done lay the crust in a deep dish. Dip out the chicken and corn and put it on the crust, stir in the gravy a thickening of milk and flour, when this boils up pour it in with the corn and chicken. Chicken and corn boiled together in a pot make very nice soup with dumplings.
Mayonnaise.
A cold roast fowl divided into quarters; young lettuce cut in quarters find placed on the dish with salad dressing; eggs boiled hard and cut in quarters, placed round the dish as a garnish; caper’ and anchovies are sometimes added.
Salmon Curry.
Have 2 slices of salmon, weighing about 1 pound each, which cut into pieces of the size of walnuts; cut up 2 middling-sized onions, which put into a stew-pan with 1 ounce of butter and a clove of garlic cut in thin slices; stir over the fire till becoming rather yellowish, then add a teaspoonful of curry powder, and half that quantity of curry paste. Mix all well together with a pint of good broth; beat up and pass through a tammy into a stewpan, put in the salmon, which stew about half an hour, pour off asmuch of the oil as possible. If too dry, moisten with a little more broth, mixing it gently; and serve as usual, with rice separate. Salmon curry may also be made with the remains left from a previous dinner, in which case reduce the curry sauce until rather thick before putting in the salmon, which only requires to be made hot in it. The remains of a turbot may also be curried in the same way, and so may any other kind of fish.
Pigeon Pie.
Truss half a dozen fine large pigeons, as for stewing; season them with pepper and salt, and fill them with veal stuffing or some parsley chopped very fine, and a little pepper, salt, and 3 ounces of butter mixed together. Lay at the bottom of the dish a rump steak of about a pound weight’ cut into pieces and trimmed neatly, seasoned and beat out with a chopper; on it lay the pigeons, the yolks of 3 eggs boiled hard, and a gill of broth: or water; wet the edge of the dish, and cover it over with puff-paste; wash it over with yolk of egg, and ornament it with leaves of paste, and the feet of the pigeons. Bake it an hour and a half in a moderate-heated oven. Before it is sent to table make an aperture in the top, and pour in some good gravy, quite hot.
Giblet Pie.
Clean well, and half stew 2 or 3 sets of goose giblets, cut the leg in 2, the wing and neck into 3, and the gizzard into 4 pieces. Preserve the liquor, and set the giblets by till cold; otherwise the heat of the giblets wi1l spoil the paste you cover the pie with; then season the whole with black pepper and salt, and put them into a deep dish, cover it with paste, rub it over with yolk of egg, ornament and bake it and a half in a moderate oven. In the mean time take the liquor the giblets were stewed in, skim it free from fat put it over a fire in a clean stewpan, thicken it a little with flour and butter, or flour and water, season it with pepper and salt and the juice of half a lemon: add a few drops of browning, strain it through a fine sieve, and, when you take the pie from the oven, pour some of this into it through a funnel. Some lay in the bottom of the dish a moderately thick rump-steak. If you have any cold game or poultry, cut it in pieces, and add it to the above.
Rump Steak Pie.
Cut 3 pounds of rump steak, that has been kept till tender into pieces half as big as your hand; trim off all the skin, sinews, and every part which has not indisputable pretensions to be eaten, and beat them with a chopper. Chop very fine half a dozen eschalots, and mix them with half an ounce of pepper and salt mixed; strew some of the mixture at the bottom of the dish, then a Iayer of steak, then some more of the mixture, and so on till the dish is full; add half a gill of mushroom catsup, and the same quantity of gravy, or red wine; cover it as in the preceding receipt, and bake it two hours. Large oysters parboiled, bearded, and laid alternately with the steaks, their liquor reduced and substituted instead of the catsup and wine, will be a variety.
Chicken Pie.
Parboil and then cut up neatly two young chickens; dry them; set them over a slow fire for a few minutes. Have ready some veal stuffing or forcemeat; lay it at the bottom of the dish, and place in the chickens upon it, and with it some pieces of dressed ham; cover it with paste. Bake it from an hour and a half to two hours. When sent to table add some good gravy, well seasoned and not too thick.
Duck pie is made in like manner, only substituting duck stuffing instead of the veal.
The above may be put into a raised French crust, and baked. When done take off the top, and put a ragout of sweetbread to the chicken.
Rabbit Pie.
Made in the same way, bait make a forcemeat to cover the bottom of the dish, by pounding a quarter pound of boiled bacon with the livers of the rabbits, some pepper and salt, some pounded mace, some chopped parsley, and an eschalot, thoroughly beaten together, and you may lay some thin slices of readydressed ham or bacon on the top of’ your rabbits.
Raised French Pie.
Make about 2 pounds of flour into a paste, as directed; knead it well, and into the shape of a ball; press your thumb into the centre, and work it by degrees into any shape (oval or round is the most general) till about five inches high; put it on a sheet of paper, and fill it with coarse flour or bran; roll out a covering for it about the same thickness as the sides; cement its sides with the yolk of egg; cut the edges quite even, and pinch it round with the finger and thumb, yolk-of-egg it over with a paste-brush, and ornament it in any way as fancy may direct, with the same kind of paste. Bake it of a fine brown color, in a slow oven, and when done cut out the top, remove the flour or bran, brush it quite clean, and fill it up with a fricassee of chicken, rabbit, or any other entree most convenient. Send it to table with a napkin under.
Raised Ham Pie.
Soak four or five hours a small ham; wash and scrape it well, cut off the knuckle, and boil it for half an hour, then take it up and trim it very neatly. Take off the rind and put it into an oval stewpan, with a pint of Madeira or Sherry, and enough veal stock to cover it. Let it stew for two hours, or till three-parts done; take it out and ’et in a cold place then raise a crust as in the foregoing receipt, large enough to receive it; put in the ham, and around it the veal forcemeat; cover and ornament. It will take about one hour and a half to bake in a slow oven. When done take off the cover, glaze the top, and pour round the following sauce, viz.: take the liquor the ham was stewed in, skim it free from fat, thicken with a little flour and butter mixed together, a few drops of browning, and some cayenne pepper.
The above is a good way of dressing a small ham, and has a good effect cold for a supper.
Raised Pork Pie.
Make a raised crust, of a good size, with paste, about four inches high, take the rind and chinebone from a loin of pork, cut it into chops, beat them with a chopper, season them with pepper and salt and powdered sage, and fill your pie; put on the top and close it, and pinch it round the edge; rub it over with yolk of egg, and bake it two hours, with a paper over to prevent the crust from burning. When done, pour in some good gravy, with a little ready-mixed mustard and a teaspoonful of catsup.
Scotch Minced Collops.
Take 2 pounds of the fillet of beef, chopped very fine, put it in a stewpan, and add to it pepper and salt and a little flour; add a little good gravy, with a little catsup and Harvey sauce, and let it stew for twenty minutes over a slow fire. Serve up very hot, garnished with fried sippet of bread. This quantity of beef makes a good-sized dish.
Beefsteak Pudding
Get rump steaks, not too thick, beat them with a chopper, cut them into pieces about half the size of your hand, and trim off all the skin, sinews, etc., have ready an onion peeled and chopped fine, likewise some potatoes peeled and cut into slices a quarter of an inch thick; rub the inside of a basin or an oval plain mould with butter, sheet it with paste as directed for boiled puddings, season the steaks with pepper, salt, and a little grated nutmeg, put in a layer of steak, then another of potatoes, and so on till it is full, occasionally throwing in part of the chopped onion, ’add to it half a, gill of mushroom catsup, a tablespoonful of lemon pickle, and half a gill of water or veal broth, roll out a top, and close it well to prevent the water getting in, rinse a clean cloth in hoot water, sprinkle a little flour over it, and tie up the pudding; have ready a large pot of water boiling, put it in, and boil it two hours and a half, take it up, remove the cloth, turn it downwards in a deep dish, and when wanted take away the basin or mould.
Vol au Vent.
Roll off tart paste till about the eighth of an inch thick, then with a tin cutter made for that purpose (about the size of the bottom of the dish you intend sending to table), cut out the shape, and lay a baking plate with paper, rub it over with yolk of egg; roll out good puff-paste an inch thick, stamp it with the same cutter, and lay it on the tart paste, then take a cutter two sizes smaller, and press it in the centre nearly through the puff-paste, rub the top with yolk of egg and bake it in a quick oven about twenty minutes, of a light brown color; when done take out the paste inside the centre mark, preserving the top, put it on a, dish in a warm place, and when wanted, fill it with a white fricassee chicken, rabbit, ragout of sweetbread, or any other entree you wish.
To make a Perigord Pie.
Take half a dozen partridges, and dispose of their legs in the same manner as is done with chickens, when intended to be boiled. Season them well with pepper, salt, a small quantity of cloves, and mace beaten fine. Cut 2 pounds of lean veal, and 1 pound of fat bacon into small bits, and put them into a stewpan with 1/2 a pound of butter, together with some shallots, parsley, and thyme, all chopped together. Stew these till the meat appears sufficiently tender. Then season it in the same manner as directed for the partridges. Strain and pound the meat in a mortar till it is perfectly smooth, then mix the pulp in some of the liquor in which it has been stewed. The piecrust being raised, and ready to receive the partridges, put them in with the above-mentioned forcemeat over them, and over that lay some thin slices of bacon. Cover the pie with a thick lid, and be sure to close it well at the sides, to prevent the gravy from boiling out at the place where the joining is made, which would occasion the partridges to eat dry. This sized pie will require three hours’ baking, but be careful not to put it in a fierce heated oven. A pound of fresh truffles will add considerably to the merits of this excellent pie.
Beefsteak and oyster Pie.
Cut 3 pounds of fillet of beef or rump steaks into large scallops, fry them quickly over a very brisk fire so as to brown them before they are half done, then place them on the bottom of the dish, leaving the centre open in two successive layers; fill the centre with four dozen oysters, previously parboiled and bearded, season with pepper and salt, and pour the following preparation over the whole. When the scallops of’ beef have been fried in a sauce or fryingpan, pour nearly all the grease out, and shake a tablespoonful of flour into it, stir this over the fire for one minute, and then add a pint of good gravy or broth, two tablespoonsful of mushroom catsup, and an equal quantity of Harvey sauce, and the liquor of the oysters; stir the whole over the fire, and keep it boiling for a quarter of an hour. Half an hour after this sauce has been poured into the pie, cover it with puff paste in the usual way, bake it for an hour and a half, and serve.
Chicken Pie, a la Reine.
Cut 2 chickens into small members, as for fricassee, cover the bottom of the pie-dish with layers of scallops of veal and ham placed alternately; season with chopped mushrooms and parsley, pepper and salt, then add a little white sauce; next place in the dish the pieces of chicken in neat order, and round these put a plover’s egg in each cavity, repeat the seasoning and the sauce, lay a few thin slices of dressed ham neatly trimmed on the top; cover the pie with puff paste. Ornament this with pieces of the same cut into the form of leaves, etc., egg the pie over with a paste-brush, and bake it for one hour and a half. A very good chicken pie may be made by omitting the plover’s eggs, mushrooms, ham, and the sauce; substituting for these the yolk of eggs boiled hard, chopped parsley, bacon, and a little mushroom catsup, some common gravy’ or even water.
Beefsteak and Oyster Pudding.
Line a two-quart pudding basin with some beef suet paste; fill this lining with a preparation similar to that described for making beefsteak and oyster pie, except that the sauce must be more reduced. When the pudding is filled, wet the edges of the paste round the top of the basin with a paste-brush dipped in water, cover it with a piece of suetpaste rolled out to the size of the basin, fasten it down by bearing all round the edge with the thumb, and then with the thumb and forefinger, twist the edges of the paste over and over so as to give it a corded appearance. This pudding must be either steamed or boiled three hours; when done turn it out of the basin carefully, pour some rich brown gravy under it and serve.
Kidney Pudding.
Cut two pounds of sheep’s or lamb’s kidneys into scallops, put them into a basin with some chopped parsley, shallot, and a little thyme, and season with pepper and salt, then add a large gravyspoonful of good sauce, and the juice of half a lemon; mix these ingredients well together. Line a basin with suet-paste, and fill the pudding with the foregoing preperation. Cover it in the usual way, steam or boil it for two hours and a half, and when sent to table pour under it some rich brown gravy, to which has been added a little lndian soy, and serve.
Eggs, au Gratin.
Boil the eggs hard, and when done take off the shells, cut them in slices, and set them aside on a plate. Next, put a large tablespoonful of white sauce into a stewpan to boil over the stove fire, and when it is sufficiently reduced, add 2 ounces of grated Parmesan cheese, a small pat of butter, a little nutmeg, pepper, the yolks of 4 eggs, and the juice of half a lemon; stir this quickly over the stove until it begins to thicken, and then withdraw it from the fire. Place the eggs in close circular rows, in the dish, spread some of the preperation in between each layer, observing that the whole must be dished up in the form of a dome; smooth the surface over with the remainder of the sauce, strew some fried bread-crumbs mixed with grated Parmesan cheese over the top, put some fried croutons of bread or pastry round the base, and set them in the oven to bake for about ten minutes, then send to table.
Omelet, with fine Herbs.
Break 6 eggs in a basin, to these add 1/2 a gill of cream, a small pat of butter broken in small pieces, a spoonful of chopped parsley, some pepper and salt, then put 4 ounces of fresh butter in an omelet-pan on the stove fire;; while the butter is melting, whip the eggs, etc., well together until they become frothy; as soon as the butter begins to fritter, pour the eggs into the pan, and stir the omelet as the eggs appear to set and become firm; when the whole has become partially set, roll the omelet into the form of an oval cushion, allow it to acquire a golden color on one side over the fire, and then turn it out on its dish; pour a little thin sauce’ or half glaze under it, and serve.
Omelet, with Parmesan Cheese.
Break 6 eggs into a basin, then add a gill of cream, 4 ounces of grated Parmesan cheese, some pepper, and a little salt; beat the whole well together, and finish the omelet as previously directed.
Eggs a la Dauphine.
Boil 10 eggs hard, take off the shells, and out each egg into halves, lengthwise; scoop the yolks out and put them into the mortar, and place the whites on a dish. Add 4 ounces of butter to the yolks of eggs, also the crumb of a Frenchroll soaked in cream, some chopped parsley, grated nutmeg, pepper and salt, and 2 ounces of grated Parmesan cheese; pound the whole well together and then add l whole egg and the yolks of 2 others; mix these well together by pounding, and use this preparation for filling the whites of eggs kept in reserve for the purpose, smooth them over with the blade of a small knife dipped in water, and as they are filled place them on a dish. Next, with some of the remaining part of the preperation spread a thin foundation at the bottom of the dish, and proceed to raise the eggs up in 3 or 4 tiers, to a pyramidal form, a single egg crowning the whole; 4 hardboiled yolks of eggs must then be rubbed through a wiresieve, over the entremets for them to fall upon in shreds, like vermicelli; place a border of fried croutons of bread round the base, and set the eggs in the oven for about twenty minutes, that they may be baked of a bright yellow color, when done withdraw them, pour some thin Bechamel round the entremets, and serve.
Pontiff’s Sauce.
Soak slices of veal, ham, sliced onions, carrots parsnips, and a white head of celery, add a glass of white wine