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Title: The Virginia Housewife
Author: Mary Randolph
Release Date: June 4, 2004 [eBook #12519]
Language: English
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THE VIRGINIA HOUSEWIFE
Or, Methodical Cook
By
MRS. MARY RANDOLPH
1860
Method Is the Soul of Management
PREFACE
The difficulties I encountered when I first entered on the duties of a
housekeeping life, from the want of books sufficiently clear and concise
to impart knowledge to a Tyro, compelled me to study the subject, and by
actual experiment to reduce every thing in the culinary line, to proper
weights and measures. This method I found not only to diminish the
necessary attention and labour, but to be also economical: for, when the
ingredients employed were given in just proportions, the article made
was always equally good. The government of a family, bears a Lilliputian
resemblance to the government of a nation. The contents of the Treasury
must be known, and great care taken to keep the expenditures from being
equal to the receipts. A regular system must be introduced into each
department, which may be modified until matured, and should then pass
into an inviolable law. The grand arcanum of management lies in three
simple rules:--"Let every thing be done at a proper time, keep every
thing in its proper place, and put every thing to its proper use." If
the mistress of a family, will every morning examine minutely the
different departments of her household, she must detect errors in their
infant state, when they can be corrected with ease; but a few days'
growth gives them gigantic strength: and disorder, with all her
attendant evils, are introduced. Early rising is also essential to the
good government of a family. A late breakfast deranges the whole
business of the day, and throws a portion of it on the next, which opens
the door for confusion to enter. The greater part of the following
receipts have been written from memory, where they were impressed by
long continued practice. Should they prove serviceable to the young
inexperienced housekeeper, it will add greatly to that gratification
which an extensive circulation of the work will be likely to confer.
M. RANDOLPH. Washington, January, 1831.
INTRODUCTION.
Management is an art that may be acquired by every woman of good sense
and tolerable memory. If, unfortunately, she has been bred in a family
where domestic business is the work of chance, she will have many
difficulties to encounter; but a determined resolution to obtain this
valuable knowledge, will enable her to surmount all obstacles. She must
begin the day with an early breakfast, requiring each person to be in
readiness to take their seats when the muffins, buckwheat cakes, &c. are
placed on the table. This looks social and comfortable. When the family
breakfast by detachments, the table remains a tedious time; the servants
are kept from their morning's meal, and a complete derangement takes
place in the whole business of the day. No work can be done till
breakfast is finished. The Virginia ladies, who are proverbially good
managers, employ themselves, while their servants are eating, in washing
the cups, glasses, &c.; arranging the cruets, the mustard, salt-sellers,
pickle vases, and all the apparatus for the dinner table. This occupies
but a short time, and the lady has the satisfaction of knowing that they
are in much better order than they would be if left to the servants. It
also relieves her from the trouble of seeing the dinner table prepared,
which should be done every day with the same scrupulous regard to exact
neatness and method, as if a grand company was expected. When the
servant is required to do this daily, he soon gets into the habit of
doing it well; and his mistress having made arrangements for him in the
morning, there is no fear of bustle and confusion in running after
things that may be called for during the hour of dinner. When the
kitchen breakfast is over, and the cook has put all things in their
proper places, the mistress should go in to give her orders. Let all the
articles intended for the dinner, pass in review before her: have the
butter, sugar, flour, meal, lard, given out in proper quantities; the
catsup, spice, wine, whatever may be wanted for each dish, measured to
the cook. The mistress must tax her own memory with all this: we have no
right to expect slaves or hired servants to be more attentive to our
interest than we ourselves are: they will never recollect these little
articles until they are going to use them; the mistress must then be
called out, and thus have the horrible drudgery of keeping house all
day, when one hour devoted to it in the morning, would release her from
trouble until the next day. There is economy as well as comfort in a
regular mode of doing business. When the mistress gives out every thing,
there is no waste; but if temptation be thrown in the way of
subordinates, not many will have power to resist it; besides, it is an
immoral act to place them in a situation which we pray to be exempt from
ourselves.
The prosperity and happiness of a family depend greatly on the order and
regularity established in it. The husband, who can ask a friend to
partake of his dinner in full confidence of finding his wife unruffled
by the petty vexations attendant on the neglect of household duties--who
can usher his guest into the dining-room assured of seeing that
methodical nicety which is the essence of true elegance,--will feel
pride and exultation in the possession of a companion, who gives to his
home charms that gratify every wish of his soul, and render the haunts
of dissipation hateful to him. The sons bred in such a family will be
moral men, of steady habits; and the daughters, if the mother shall have
performed the duties of a parent in the superintendence of their
education, as faithfully as she has done those of a wife, will each be a
treasure to her husband; and being formed on the model of an exemplary
mother, will use the same means for securing the happiness of her own
family, which she has seen successfully practised under the paternal
roof.
CONTENTS.
SOUPS.
Asparagus soup
Beef soup
Gravy soup
Soup with Bouilli
Veal soup
Oyster soup
Barley soup
Dried pea soup
Green pea soup
Ochra soup
Hare or Rabbit soup
Soup of any kind of old fowl
Catfish soup
Onion soup
To dress turtle
For the soup
Mock turtle soup of calf's head
BEEF.
Directions for curing beef
To dry beef for summer use
To corn beef in hot weather
Important observations on roasting, boiling, frying, &c.
Beef a-la-mode
Brisket of beef baked
Beef olives
To stew a rump of beef
A fricando of beef
An excellent method of dressing beef
To collar a flank of beef
To make hunter's beef
A nice little dish of beef
Beef steaks
To hash beef
Beef steak pie
Beef a-la-daube
VEAL.
Directions for the pieces in the different quarters of veal
Veal cutlets from the fillet or leg
Veal chops
Veal cutlets
Knuckle of veal
Baked fillet of veal
Scotch collops of veal
Veal olives
Ragout of a breast of veal
Fricando of veal
To make a pie of sweetbreads and oysters
Mock turtle of calf's head
To grill a calf's head
To collar a calf's head
Calf's heart, a nice dish
Calf's feet fricassee
To fry calf's feet
To prepare rennet
To hash a calf's head
To bake a calf's head
To stuff and roast calf's liver
To broil calf's liver
Directions for cleaning calf's head and feet
LAMB.
To roast the fore-quarter, &c.
Baked lamb
Fried lamb
To dress lamb's head and feet
MUTTON.
Boiled leg of mutton
Roasted leg of mutton
Baked leg of mutton
Steaks of a leg of mutton
To harrico mutton
Mutton chops
Boiled breast of mutton
Breast of mutton in ragout
To grill a breast of mutton
Boiled shoulder of mutton
Shoulder of mutton with celery sauce
Roasted loin of mutton
PORK.
To cure bacon
To make souse
To roast a pig
To barbecue shote
To roast a fore-quarter of shote
To make shote cutlets
To corn shote
Shote's head
Leg of pork with pease pudding
Stewed chine
To toast a ham
To stuff a ham
Soused feet in ragout
To make sausages
To make black puddings
A sea pie
To make paste for the pie
Bologna sausages
FISH.
To cure herrings
To bake sturgeon
To make sturgeon cutlets
Sturgeon steaks
To boil sturgeon
To bake a shad
To boil a shad
To roast a shad
To broil a shad
To boil rock fish
To fry perch
To pickle oysters
To make a curry of catfish
To dress a cod's head and shoulders
To make sauce for the cod's head
To dress a salt cod
Matelote of any kind of firm fish
Chowder, a sea dish
To pickle sturgeon
To caveach fish
To dress cod fish
Cod fish pie
To dress any kind of salted fish
To fricassee cod sounds and tongues
An excellent way to dress fish
Fish a-la-daub
Fish in jelly
To make egg sauce for a salt cod
To dress cod sounds
To stew carp
To boil eels
To pitchcock eels
To broil eels
To scollop oysters
To fry oysters
To make oyster loaves
POULTRY, &c.
To roast a goose
To make sauce for a goose
To boil ducks with onion sauce
To make onion sauce
To roast ducks
To boil a turkey with oyster sauce
To make sauce for a turkey
To roast a turkey
To make sauce for a turkey
To boil fowls
To make white sauce for fowls
Fricassee of small chickens
To roast large fowls
To make egg sauce
To boil young chickens
To roast young chickens
Fried chickens
To roast woodcocks or snipes
To roast wild ducks or teal
To boil pigeons
To roast pigeons
To roast partridges or any small birds
To broil rabbits
To roast rabbits
To stew wild ducks
To dress ducks with juice of oranges
To dress ducks with onions
To roast a calf's head
To make a dish of curry after the East Indian manner
Dish of rice to be served up with the curry, in a dish by itself
Ochra and tomatos
Gumbo--a West India dish
Pepper pot
Spanish method of dressing giblets
Paste for meat dumplins
To make an ollo--a Spanish dish
Ropa veija--Spanish
Chicken pudding, a favourite Virginia dish
To make polenta
Macaroni
Mock macaroni
To make croquets
To make vermicelli
Common patties
Eggs in croquets
Omelette souffle
Fondus
A nice twelve o'clock luncheon
Eggs a-la-creme
Sauce a-la-creme for the eggs
Cabbage a-la-creme
To make an omelette
Omelette--another way
Gaspacho--Spanish
Eggs and tomatos
To fricassee eggs
SAUCES.
Fish sauce to keep a year
Sauce for wild fowl
Sauce for boiled rabbits
Gravy
Forcemeat balls
Sauce for boiled ducks or rabbits
Lobster sauce
Shrimp sauce
Oyster sauce for fish
Celery sauce
Mushroom sauce
Common sauce
To melt butter
Caper sauce
Oyster catsup
Celery vinegar
VEGETABLES.
To dress salad
To boil potatos
To fry sliced potatos
Potatos mashed
Potatos mashed with onions
To roast potatos
To roast potatos under meat
Potato balls
Jerusalem artichokes
Cabbage
Savoys
Sprouts and young greens
Asparagus
Sea-kale
To scollop tomatos
To stew tomatos
Cauliflower
Red beet roots
Parsnips
Carrots
Turnips
To mash turnips
Turnip tops
French beans
Artichokes
Brocoli
Peas
Puree of turnips
Ragout of turnips
Ragout of French beans, snaps, string beans
Mazagan beans
Lima, or sugar beans
Turnip rooted cabbage
Egg plant
Potato pumpkin
Sweet potato
Sweet potatos stewed
Sweet potatos broiled
Spinach
Sorrel
Cabbage pudding
Squash or cimlin
Winter squash
Field peas
Cabbage with onions
Salsify
Stewed salsify
Stewed mushrooms
Broiled mushrooms
To boil rice
Rice journey, or johnny cake
PUDDINGS, &c.
Observations on puddings and cakes
Rice milk for a dessert
To make puff paste
To make mince-meat for pies
To make jelly from feet
A sweet-meat pudding
To make an orange pudding
An apple custard
Boiled loaf
Transparent pudding
Flummery
Burnt custard
An English plum pudding
Marrow pudding
Sippet pudding
Sweet potato pudding
An arrow root pudding
Sago pudding
Puff pudding
Rice pudding
Plum pudding
Almond pudding
Quire of paper pancakes
A curd pudding
Lemon pudding
Bread pudding
The Henrietta pudding
Tansey pudding
Cherry pudding
Apple pie
Baked apple pudding
A nice boiled pudding
An excellent and cheap dessert dish
Sliced apple pudding
Baked Indian meal pudding
Boiled Indian meal pudding
Pumpkin pudding
Fayette pudding
Maccaroni pudding
Potato paste
Compote of apples
Charlotte
Apple fritters
Bell fritters
Bread fritters
Spanish fritters
To make mush
CAKES.
Jumbals
Macaroone
To make drop biscuit
Tavern biscuit
Rusk
Ginger bread
Plebeian ginger bread
Sugar ginger bread
Dough nuts--a yankee cake
Risen cake
Pound cake
Savoy, or spunge cake
A rich fruit cake
Naples biscuit
Shrewsbury cakes
Little plum cakes
Soda cakes
To make bread
To make nice biscuit
Rice bread
Mixed bread
Patent yeast
To prepare the cakes
Another method for making yeast
Nice, buns
Muffins
French rolls
Crumpets
Apoquiniminc cakes
Batter cakes
Batter bread
Cream cakes
Soufle biscuits
Corn meal bread
Sweet potato buns
Rice woffles
Velvet cakes
Chocolate cakes
Wafers
Buckwheat cakes
Observations on ice creams
Ice creams
Vanilla cream
Raspberry cream
Strawberry cream
Cocoa nut cream
Chocolate cream
Oyster cream
Iced jelly
Peach cream
Coffee cream
Quince cream
Citron cream
Almond cream
Lemon cream
Lemonade iced
To make custard
To make a trifle
Rice blanc mange
Floating island
Syllabub
COLD CREAMS
Lemon cream
Orange cream
Raspberry cream
Tea cream
Sago cream
Barley cream
Gooseberry fool
To make slip
Curds and cream
Blanc mange
To make a hen's nest
Pheasants a-la-daub
Partridges a-la-daub
Chickens a-la-daub
To make savoury jelly
Turkey a-la-daub
Salmagundi
An excellent relish after dinner
To stew perch
PRESERVES
Directions for making preserves
To preserve cling-stone peaches
Cling-stones sliced
Soft peaches
Peach marmalade
Peach chips
Pears
Pear marmalade
Quinces
Currant jelly
Quince jelly
Quince marmalade
Cherries
Morello cherries
To dry cherries
Raspberry jam
To preserve strawberries
Strawberry jam
Gooseberries
Apricots in brandy
Peaches in brandy
Cherries in brandy
Magnum bonum plums in brandy
PICKLING.
Lemon pickle
Tomato catsup
Tomato marmalade
Tomato sweet marmalade
Tomato soy
Pepper vinegar
Mushroom catsup
Tarragon or astragon vinegar
Curry powder
To pickle cucumbers
Oil mangos
To make the stuffing for forty melons
To make yellow pickle
To make green pickles
To prepare vinegar for green or yellow pickle
To pickle onions
To pickle nastertiums
To pickle radish pods
To pickle English walnuts
To pickle peppers
To make walnut catsup
To pickle green nectarines, or apricots
To pickle asparagus
Observations on pickling
CORDIALS, &c
Ginger wine
Orgeat
Cherry shrub
Currant wine
To make cherry brandy
Rose brandy
Peach cordial
Raspberry cordial
Raspberry vinegar
Mint cordial
Hydromel, or mead
To make a substitute for arrack
Lemon cordial
Ginger beer
Spruce beer
Molasses beer
To keep lemon juice
Sugar vinegar
Honey vinegar
Syrup of vinegar
Aromatic vinegar
Vinegar of the four thieves
Lavender water
Hungarian water
To prepare cosmetic soap for washing the hands
Cologne water
Soft pomatum
To make soap
To make starch
To dry herbs
To clean silver utensils
To make blacking
To clean knives and forks
SOUPS
ASPARAGUS SOUP.
Take four large bunches of asparagus, scrape it nicely, cut off one inch
of the tops, and lay them in water, chop the stalks and put them on the
fire with a piece of bacon, a large onion cut up, and pepper and salt;
add two quarts of water, boil them till the stalks are quite soft, then
pulp them through a sieve, and strain the water to it, which must be put
back in the pot; put into it a chicken cut up, with the tops of
asparagus which had been laid by, boil it until these last articles are
sufficiently done, thicken with flour, butter and milk, and serve it up.
* * * * *
BEEF SOUP.
Take the hind shin of beef, cut off all the flesh off the leg-bone,
which must be taken away entirely, or the soup will be greasy. Wash the
meat clean and lay it in a pot, sprinkle over it one small
table-spoonful of pounded black pepper, and two of salt; three onions
the size of a hen's egg, cut small, six small carrots scraped and cut
up, two small turnips pared and cut into dice; pour on three quarts of
water, cover the pot close, and keep it gently and steadily boiling five
hours, which will leave about three pints of clear soup; do not let the
pot boil over, but take off the scum carefully, as it rises. When it has
boiled four hours, put in a small bundle of thyme and parsley, and a
pint of celery cut small, or a tea-spoonful of celery seed pounded.
These latter ingredients would lose their delicate flavour if boiled too
much. Just before you take it up, brown it in the following manner: put
a small table-spoonful of nice brown sugar into an iron skillet, set it
on the fire and stir it till it melts and looks very dark, pour into it
a ladle full of the soup, a little at a time; stirring it all the while.
Strain this browning and mix it well with the soup; take out the bundle
of thyme and parsley, put the nicest pieces of meat in your tureen, and
pour on the soup and vegetables; put in some toasted bread cut in dice,
and serve it up.
* * * * *
GRAVY SOUP.
Get eight pounds of coarse lean beef--wash it clean and lay it in your
pot, put in the same ingredients as for the shin soup, with the same
quantity of water, and follow the process directed for that. Strain the
soup through a sieve, and serve it up clear, with nothing more than
toasted bread in it; two table-spoonsful of mushroom catsup will add a
fine flavour to the soup.
* * * * *
SOUP WITH BOUILLI.
Take the nicest part of the thick brisket of beef, about eight pounds,
put it into a pot with every thing directed for the other soup; make it
exactly in the same way, only put it on an hour sooner, that you may
have time to prepare the bouilli; after it has boiled five hours, take
out the beef, cover up the soup and set it near the fire that it may
keep hot. Take the skin off the beef, have the yelk of an egg well
beaten, dip a feather in it and wash the top of your beef, sprinkle over
it the crumb of stale bread finely grated, put it in a Dutch oven
previously heated, put the top on with coals enough to brown, but not
burn the beef; let it stand nearly an hour, and prepare your gravy
thus:--Take a sufficient quantity of soup and the vegetables boiled in
it; add to it a table-spoonful of red wine, and two of mushroom catsup,
thicken with a little bit of butter and a little brown flour; make it
very hot, pour it in your dish, and put the beef on it. Garnish it with
green pickle, cut in thin slices, serve up the soup in a tureen with
bits of toasted bread.
* * * * *
VEAL SOUP.
Put into a pot three quarts of water, three onions cut small, one
spoonful of black pepper pounded, and two of salt, with two or three
slices of lean ham; let it boil steadily two hours; skim it
occasionally, then put into it a shin of veal, let it boil two hours
longer; take out the slices of ham, and skim off the grease if any
should rise, take a gill of good cream, mix with it two table-spoonsful
of flour very nicely, and the yelks of two eggs beaten well, strain this
mixture, and add some chopped parsley; pour some soup on by degrees,
stir it well, and pour it into the pot, continuing to stir until it has
boiled two or three minutes to take off the raw taste of the eggs. If
the cream be not perfectly sweet, and the eggs quite new, the thickening
will curdle in the soup. For a change you may put a dozen ripe tomatos
in, first taking off their skins, by letting them stand a few minutes in
hot water, when they may be easily peeled. When made in this way you
must thicken it with the flour only. Any part of the veal may be used,
but the shin or knuckle is the nicest.
* * * * *
OYSTER SOUP.
Wash and drain two quarts of oysters, put them on with three quarts of
water, three onions chopped up, two or three slices of lean ham, pepper
and salt; boil it till reduced one-half, strain it through a sieve,
return the liquid into the pot, put in one quart of fresh oysters, boil
it till they are sufficiently done, and thicken the soup with four
spoonsful of flour, two gills of rich cream, and the yelks of six new
laid eggs beaten well; boil it a few minutes after the thickening is put
in. Take care that it does not curdle, and that the flour is not in
lumps; serve it up with the last oysters that were put in. If the
flavour of thyme be agreeable, you may put in a little, but take care
that it does not boil in it long enough to discolour the soup.
* * * * *
BARLEY SOUP.
Put on three gills of barley, three quarts of water, few onions cut up,
six carrots scraped and cut into dice, an equal quantity of turnips cut
small; boil it gently two hours, then put in four or five pounds of the
rack or neck of mutton, a few slices of lean ham, with pepper and salt;
boil it slowly two hours longer and serve it up. Tomatos are an
excellent addition to this soup.
* * * * *
DRIED PEA SOUP.
Take one quart of split peas, or Lima beans, which are better; put them
in three quarts of very soft water with three onions chopped up, pepper
and salt; boil them two hours; mash them well and pass them through a
sieve; return the liquid into the pot, thicken it with a large piece of
butter and flour, put in some slices of nice salt pork, and a large
tea-spoonful of celery seed pounded; boil it till the pork is done, and
serve it up; have some toasted bread cut into dice and fried in butter,
which must be put in the tureen before you pour in the soup.
* * * * *
GREEN PEA SOUP.
Make it exactly as you do the dried pea soup, only in place of the
celery seed, put a handful of mint chopped small, and a pint of young
peas, which must be boiled in the soup till tender; thicken it with a
quarter of a pound of butter, and two spoonsful of flour.
* * * * *
OCHRA SOUP.
Get two double handsful of young ochra, wash and slice it thin, add two
onions chopped fine, put it into a gallon of water at a very early hour
in an earthen pipkin, or very nice iron pot; it must be kept steadily
simmering, but not boiling: put in pepper and salt. At 12 o'clock, put
in a handful of Lima beans; at half-past one o'clock, add three young
cimlins cleaned and cut in small pieces, a fowl, or knuckle of veal, a
bit of bacon or pork that has been boiled, and six tomatos, with the
skin taken off; when nearly done, thicken with a spoonful of butter,
mixed with one of flour. Have rice boiled to eat with it.
* * * * *
HARE OR RABBIT SOUP.
Cut up two hares, put them into a pot with a piece of bacon, two onions
chopped, a bundle of thyme and parsley, which must be taken out before
the soup is thickened, add pepper, salt, pounded cloves, and mace, put
in a sufficient quantity of water, stew it gently three hours, thicken
with a large spoonful of butter, and one of brown flour, with a glass of
red wine; boil it a few minutes longer, and serve it up with the nicest
parts of the hares. Squirrels make soup equally good, done the same way.
* * * * *
SOUP OF ANY KIND OF OLD FOWL.
_The, only way in which they are eatable._ Put the fowls in a coop and
feed them moderately for a fortnight; kill one and cleanse it, cut off
the legs and wings, and separate the breast from the ribs, which,
together with the whole back, must be thrown away, being too gross and
strong for use. Take the skin and fat from the parts cut off which are
also gross. Wash the pieces nicely, and put them on the fire with abort
a pound of bacon, a large onion chopped small, some pepper and salt, a
few blades of mace, a handful of parsley, cut up very fine, and two
quarts of water, if it be a common fowl or duck--a turkey will require
more water. Boil it gently for three hours, tie up a small bunch of
thyme, and let it boil in it half an hour, then take it out. Thicken
your soup with a large spoonful of butter rubbed into two of flour, the
yelks of two eggs, and half a pint of milk. Be careful not to let it
curdle in the soup.
* * * * *
CATFISH SOUP.
_An excellent dish for those who have not imbibed a needless prejudice
against those delicious fish._
Take two large or four small white catfish that have been caught in deep
water, cut off the heads, and skin and clean the bodies; cut each in
three parts, put them in a pot, with a pound of lean bacon, a large
onion cut up, a handful of parsley chopped small, some pepper and salt,
pour in a sufficient quantity of water, and stew them till the fish are
quite tender but not broken; beat the yelks of four fresh eggs, add to
them a large spoonful of butter, two of flour, and half a pint of rich
milk; make all these warm and thicken the soup, take out the bacon, and
put some of the fish in your tureen, pour in the soup, and serve it up.
* * * * *
ONION SOUP.
Chop up twelve large onions, boil them in three quarts of milk and water
equally mixed, put in a bit of veal or fowl, and a piece of bacon with
pepper and salt. When the onions are boiled to pulp, thicken it with a
large spoonful of butter mixed with one of flour. Take out the meat, and
serve it up with toasted bread cut in small pieces in the soup.
* * * * *
TO DRESS TURTLE.
Kill it at night in winter, and in the morning in summer. Hang it up by
the hind fins, cut off the head and let it bleed well. Separate the
bottom shell from the top, with great care, lest the gall bladder be
broken, which must be cautiously taken out and thrown away. Put the
liver in a bowl of water. Empty the guts and lay them in water; if there
be eggs, put them also in water. It is proper to have a separate bowl of
water for each article. Cut all the flesh from the bottom shell, and lay
it in water; then break the shell in two, put it in a pot after having
washed it clean; pour on as much water as will cover it entirely, add
one pound of middling, or flitch of bacon, with four onions chopped, and
set it on the fire to boil. Open the guts, cleanse them perfectly; take
off the inside skin, and put them in the pot with the shell; let them
boil steadily for three hours, and if the water boils away too much, add
more. Wash the top shell nicely after taking out the flesh, cover it,
and set it by. Parboil the fins, clean them nicely--taking off all the
black skin, and put them in water; cut the flesh taken from the bottom
and top shell, in small pieces; cut the fins in two, lay them with the
flesh in a dish; sprinkle some salt over, and cover them up. When the
shell, &c. is done, take out the bacon, scrape the shell clean, and
strain the liquor; about one quart of which must be put back in the pot;
reserve the rest for soup; pick out the guts, and cut them in small
pieces; take all the nice bits that were strained out, put them with the
guts into the gravy; lay in the fins cut in pieces with them, and as
much of the flesh as will be sufficient to fill the upper shell; add to
it, (if a large turtle,) one bottle of white wine; cayenne pepper, and
salt, to your taste, one gill of mushroom catsup, one gill of lemon
pickle, mace, nutmegs and cloves, pounded, to season it high. Mix two
large spoonsful of flour in one pound and a quarter of butter; put it in
with thyme, parsley, marjoram and savory, tied in bunches; stew all
these together, till the flesh and fins are tender; wash out the top
shell, put a puff paste around the brim; sprinkle over the shell pepper
and salt, then take the herbs out of the stew; if the gravy is not thick
enough, add a little more flour, and fill the shell; should there be no
eggs in the turtle, boil six new laid ones for ten minutes, put them in
cold water a short time, peel them, cut them in two, and place them on
the turtle; make a rich forcemeat, (see receipt for forcemeat,) fry the
balls nicely, and put them also in the shell; set it in a dripping pan,
with something under the sides to keep it steady; have the oven heated
as for bread, and let it remain in it till nicely browned. Fry the liver
and send it in hot.
* * * * *
FOR THE SOUP.
At an early hour in the morning, put on eight pounds of coarse beef,
some bacon, onions, sweet herbs, pepper and salt. Make a rich soup,
strain it and thicken with a bit of butter, and brown flour; add to it
the water left from boiling the bottom shell; season it very high with
wine, catsup, spice and cayenne; put in the flesh you reserved, and if
that is not enough, add the nicest parts of a well boiled calf's head;
but do not use the eyes or tongue; let it boil till tender, and serve it
up with fried forcemeat balls in it.
If you have curry powder, (see receipt for it,) it will give a higher
flavour to both soup and turtle, than spice. Should you not want soup,
the remaining flesh may be fried, and served with a rich gravy.
* * * * *
MOCK TURTLE SOUP OF CALF'S HEAD.
Have a large head cleaned nicely without taking off the skin, divide the
chop from the front of the head, take out the tongue, (which is best
when salted,) put on the head with a gallon of water, the hock of a ham
or a piece of nice pork, four or five onions, thyme, parsley, cloves and
nutmeg, pepper and salt, boil all these together until the flesh on the
head is quite tender, then take it up, cut all into small pieces, take
the eyes out carefully, strain the water in which it was boiled, add
half a pint of wine and a gill of mushroom catsup, let it boil slowly
till reduced to two quarts, thicken it with two spoonsful of browned
flour rubbed into four ounces of butter, put the meat in, and after
stewing it a short time, serve it up. The eyes are a great delicacy.
* * * * *
BEEF.
DIRECTIONS FOR CURING BEEF.
Prepare your brine in the middle of October, after the following manner:
get a thirty gallon cask, take out one head, drive in the bung, and put
some pitch on it, to prevent leaking. See that the cask is quite tight
and clean. Put into it one pound of saltpetre powdered, fifteen quarts
of salt, and fifteen gallons of cold water; stir it frequently, until
dissolved, throw over the cask a thick cloth, to keep out the dust; look
at it often and take off the scum. These proportions have been
accurately ascertained--fifteen gallons of cold water will exactly hold,
in solution, fifteen quarts of good clean Liverpool salt, and one pound
of saltpetre: this brine will be strong enough to bear up an egg: if
more salt be added, it will fall to the bottom without strengthening the
brine, the water being already saturated. This brine will cure all the
beef which a private family can use in the course of the winter, and
requires nothing more to be done to it except occasionally skimming the
dross that rises. It must be kept in a cool, dry place. For salting your
beef, get a molasses hogshead and saw it in two, that the beef may have
space to lie on; bore some holes in the bottom of these tubs, and raise
them on one side about an inch, that the bloody brine may run off.
Be sure that your beef is newly killed--rub each piece very well with
good Liverpool salt--a vast deal depends upon rubbing the salt into
every part--it is unnecessary to put saltpetre on it; sprinkle a good
deal of salt on the bottom of the tub. When the beef is well salted, lay
it in the tub, and be sure you put the fleshy side downward. Put a great
deal of salt on your beef after it is packed in the tub; this protects
it from animals who might eat, if they could smell it, and does not
waste the salt, for the beef can only dissolve a certain portion. You
must let the beef lie in salt ten days, then take it out, brush off the
salt, and wipe it with a damp cloth; put it in the brine with a bit of
board and weight to keep it under. In about ten days it will look red
and be fit for the table, but it will be red much sooner when the brine
becomes older. The best time to begin to salt beef is the latter end of
October, if the weather be cool, and from that time have it in
succession. When your beef is taken out of the tub, stir the salt about
to dry, that it may be ready for the next pieces. Tongues are cured in
the same manner.
* * * * *
TO DRY BEEF FOR SUMMER USE.
The best pieces for this purpose are the thin briskets, or that part of
the plate which is farthest from the shoulder of the animal, the round
and rib pieces which are commonly used for roasting. These should not be
cut with long ribs and the back-bones must be sawed off as close as
possible, that the piece may lay flat in the dish. About the middle of
February, select your beef from an animal well fatted with corn, and
which, when killed, will weigh one hundred and fifty per quarter--larger
oxen are always coarse. Salt the pieces as directed, let them lie one
fortnight, then put them in brine, where they must remain three weeks:
take them out at the end of the time, wipe them quite dry, rub them over
with bran, and hang them in a cool, dry, and, if possible, dark place,
that the flies may not get to them: they must be suspended, and not
allowed to touch any thing. It will be necessary, in the course of the
summer, to look them over occasionally, and after a long wet season, to
lay them in the sun a few hours. Your tongues may be dried in the same
manner: make a little hole in the root, run a twine through it, and
suspend it. These dried meats must be put in a good quantity of water,
to soak, the night before they are to be used. In boiling it is
absolutely necessary to have a large quantity of water to put the beef
in while the water is cold, to boil steadily, skimming the pot, until
the bones are ready to fall out; and, if a tongue, till the skin peels
off with perfect ease: the skin must also be taken from the beef. The
housekeeper who will buy good ox beef, and follow these directions
exactly, may be assured of always having delicious beef on her table.
Ancient prejudice has established a notion, that meat killed in the
decrease of the moon, will draw up when cooked. The true cause of this
shrinking, may be found in the old age of the animal, or in its diseased
state, at the time of killing. The best age is from three to five years.
Few persons are aware of the injury they sustain, by eating the flesh of
diseased animals. None but the Jewish butchers, who are paid exclusively
for it, attend to this important circumstance. The best rule for judging
that I have been able to discover, is the colour of the fat. When the
fat of beef is a high shade of yellow, I reject it. If the fat of veal,
mutton, lamb or pork, have the slightest tinge of yellow, I avoid it as
diseased. The same rule holds good when applied to poultry.
* * * * *
TO CORN BEEF IN HOT WEATHER.
Take a piece of thin brisket or plate, cut out the ribs nicely, rub it
on both sides well with two large spoonsful of pounded saltpetre; pour
on it a gill of molasses and a quart of salt; rub them both in; put it
in a vessel just large enough to hold it, but not tight, for the bloody
brine must run off as it makes, or the meat will spoil. Let it be well
covered, top, bottom and sides, with the molasses and salt. In four days
you may boil it, tied up in a cloth with the salt, &c. about it: when
done, take the skin off nicely, and serve it up. If you have an
ice-house or refrigerator, it will be best to keep it there. A fillet or
breast of veal, and a leg or rack of mutton, are excellent done in the
same way.
* * * * *
IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS ON ROASTING, BOILING, FRYING, &c.
In roasting butchers' meat, be careful not to run the spit through the
nice parts: let the piece lie in water one hour, then wash it out, wipe
it perfectly dry, and put it on the spit. Set it before a clear, steady
fire: sprinkle some salt on it, and when it becomes hot, baste it for a
time with salt and water: then put a good spoonful of nice lard into the
dripping-pan, and when melted, continue to baste with it. When your
meat, of whatever kind, has been down some time, but before it begins to
look brown, cover it with paper and baste on it; when it is nearly done,
take off the paper, dredge it with flour, turn the spit for some minutes
very quick, and baste all the time to raise a froth--after which, serve
it up. When mutton is roasted, after you take off the paper, loosen the
skin and peel it off carefully, then dredge and froth it up. Beef and
mutton must not be roasted as much as veal, lamb, or pork; the two last
must be skinned in the manner directed for mutton. You may pour a little
melted butter in the dish with veal, but all the others must be served
without sauce, and garnished with horse-radish, nicely scraped. Be
careful not to let a particle of dry flour be seen on the meat--it has a
very ill appearance. Beef may look brown, but the whiter the other meats
are, the more genteel are they, and if properly roasted, they may be
perfectly done, and quite white. A loin of veal, and hind quarter of
lamb, should be dished with the kidneys uppermost; and be sure to joint
every thing that is to be separated at table, or it will be impossible
to carve neatly. For those who _must_ have gravy with these meats, let
it be made in any way they like, and served in a boat. No meat can be
well roasted except on a spit turned by a jack, and before a steady
clear fire--other methods are no better than baking. Many cooks are in
the habit of half boiling the meats to plump them as they term it,
before they are spitted, but it destroys their fine flavour. Whatever is
to be boiled, must be put into cold water with a little salt, which will
cook them regularly. When they are put in boiling water, the outer side
is done too much, before the inside gets heated. Nice lard is much
better than butter for basting roasted meats, or for frying. To choose
butchers' meat, you must see that the fat is not yellow, and that the
lean parts are of a fine close grain, a lively colour, and will feel
tender when pinched. Poultry should be well covered with white fat; if
the bottom of the breast bone be gristly, it is young, but if it be a
hard bone, it is an old one. Fish are judged by the liveliness of their
eyes, and bright red of their gills. Dredge every thing with flour
before it is put on to boil, and be sure to add salt to the water.
Fish, and all other articles for frying, after being nicely prepared,
should be laid on a board and dredged with flour or meal mixed with
salt: when it becomes dry on one side, turn it, and dredge the other.
For broiling, have very clear coals, sprinkle a little salt and pepper
over the pieces, and when done, dish them, and pour over some melted
butter and chopped parsley--this is for broiled veal, wild fowl, birds
or poultry: beef-steaks and mutton chops require only a table-spoonful
of hot water to be poured over. Slice an onion in the dish before you
put in the steaks or chops, and garnish both with rasped horse-radish.
To have viands served in perfection, the dishes should be made hot,
either by setting them over hot water, or by putting some in them, and
the instant the meats are laid in and garnished, put on a pewter dish
cover. A dinner looks very enticing, when the steam rises from each dish
on removing the covers, and if it be judiciously _ordered_, will have a
double relish. Profusion is not elegance--a dinner justly calculated for
the company, and consisting for the greater part of small articles,
correctly prepared, and neatly served up, will make a much more pleasing
appearance to the sight, and give a far greater gratification to the
appetite, than a table loaded with food, and from the multiplicity of
dishes, unavoidably neglected in the preparation, and served up cold.
There should always be a supply of brown flour kept in readiness to
thicken brown gravies, which must be prepared in the following manner:
put a pint of flour in a Dutch oven, with some coals under it; keep
constantly stirring it until it is uniformly of a dark brown, but none
of it burnt, which would look like dirt in the gravy. All kitchens
should be provided with a saw for trimming meat, and also with larding
needles.
* * * * *
BEEF A-LA-MODE.
Take the bone from a round of beef, fill the space with a forcemeat made
of the crumbs of a stale loaf, four ounces of marrow, two heads of
garlic chopped with thyme and parsley, some nutmeg, cloves, pepper and
salt, mix it to a paste with the yelks of four eggs beaten, stuff the
lean part of the round with it, and make balls of the remainder; sew a
fillet of strong linen wide enough to keep it round and compact, put it
in a vessel just sufficiently large to hold it, add a pint of red wine,
cover it with sheets of tin or iron, set it in a brick oven properly
heated, and bake it three hours; when done, skim the fat from the gravy,
thicken it with brown flour, add some mushroom and walnut catsup, and
serve it up garnished with forcemeat balls fried. It is still better
when eaten cold with sallad.
* * * * *
BRISKET OF BEEF BAKED.
Bone a brisket of beef, and make holes in it with a sharp knife about an
inch apart, fill them alternately with fat bacon, parsley and oysters,
all chopped small and seasoned with pounded cloves and nutmeg, pepper
and salt, dredge it well with flour, lay it in a pan with a pint of red
wine and a large spoonful of lemon pickle; bake it three hours, take the
fat from the gravy and strain it; serve it up garnished with green
pickles.
* * * * *
BEEF OLIVES.
Cut slices from a fat rump of beef six inches long and half an inch
thick, beat them well with a pestle; make a forcemeat of bread crumbs,
fat bacon chopped, parsley, a little onion, some shred suet, pounded
mace, pepper and salt; mix it up with the yelks of eggs, and spread a
thin layer over each slice of beef, roll it up tight, and secure the
rolls with skewers, set them before the fire, and turn them till they
are a nice brown; have ready a pint of good gravy, thickened with brown
flour and a spoonful of butter, a gill of red wine, with two spoonsful
of mushroom catsup, lay the rolls in it, and stew them till tender;
garnish with forcemeat balls.
* * * * *
TO STEW A RUMP OF BEEF.
Take out as much of the bone as can be done with a saw, that it may lie
flat on the dish, stuff it with forcemeat made as before directed, lay
it in a pot with two quarts of water, a pint of red wine, some carrots
and turnips cut in small pieces and stewed over it, a head of cellery
cut up, a few cloves of garlic, some pounded cloves, pepper and salt,
stew it gently till sufficiently done, skim the fat off, thicken the
gravy, and serve it up; garnish with little bits of puff paste nicely
baked, and scraped horse-radish.
* * * * *
A FRICANDO OF BEEF.
Cut a few slices of beef six inches long, two or three wide, and one
thick, lard them with bacon, dredge them well, and make them a nice
brown before a brisk fire; stew them half an hour in a well seasoned
gravy, put some stewed sorrel or spinage in the dish, lay on the beef,
and pour over a sufficient quantity of gravy; garnish with fried balls.
* * * * *
AN EXCELLENT METHOD OF DRESSING BEEF.
Take a rib roasting piece that has been hanging ten days or a fortnight,
bone it neatly, rub some salt over it and roll it tight, binding it
around with twine, put the spit through the inner fold without sticking
it in the flesh, skewer it well and roast it nicely; when nearly done,
dredge and froth it; garnish with scraped horse-radish.
* * * * *
TO COLLAR A FLANK OF BEEF.
Get a nice flank of beef, rub it well with a large portion of saltpetre
and common salt, let it remain ten days, then wash it clean, take off
the outer and inner skin with the gristle, spread it on a board, and
cover the inside with the following mixture: parsley, sage, thyme
chopped fine, pepper, salt and pounded cloves; roll it up, sew a cloth
over it, and bandage that with tape, boil it gently five or six hours,
when cold, lay it on a board without undoing it, put another board on
the top, with a heavy weight on it; let it remain twenty-four hours,
take off the bandages, cut a thin slice from each end, serve it up
garnished with green pickle and sprigs of parsley.
* * * * *
TO MAKE HUNTERS' BEEF.
Select a fine fat round weighing about twenty-five pounds, take three
ounces saltpetre, one ounce of cloves, half an ounce of alspice, a large
nutmeg, and a quart of salt; pound them all together very fine, take the
bone out, rub it well with this mixture on both sides, put some of it at
the bottom of a tub just large enough to hold the beef, lay it in and
strew the remainder on the top, rub it well every day for two weeks, and
spread the mixture over it; at the end of this time, wash the beef, bind
it with tape, to keep it round and compact, filling the hole where the
bone was with a piece of fat, lay it in a pan of convenient size, strew
a little suet over the top, and pour on it a pint of water, cover the
pan with a coarse crust and a thick paper over that, it will take five
hours baking; when cold take off the tape. It is a delicious relish at
twelve o'clock, or for supper, eaten with vinegar, mustard, oil, or
sallad. Skim the grease from the gravy and bottle it; it makes an
excellent seasoning for any made dish.
* * * * *
A NICE LITTLE DISH OF BEEF.
Mince cold roast beef, fat and lean, very fine, add chopped onion,
pepper, salt, and a little good gravy, fill scollop shells two parts
full, and fill them up with potatos mashed smooth with cream, put a bit
of butter on the top, and set them in an oven to brown.
* * * * *
BEEF STEAKS.
The best part of the beef for steaks, is the seventh and eighth ribs,
the fat and lean are better mixed, and it is more tender than the rump
if it be kept long enough; cut the steaks half an inch thick, beat them
a little, have fine clear coals, rub the bars of the gridiron with a
cloth dipped in lard before you put it over the coals, that none may
drip to cause a bad smell, put no salt on till you dish them, broil them
quick, turning them frequently; the dish must be very hot, some slices
of onion in it, lay in the steaks, sprinkle a little salt, and pour over
them a spoonful of water and one of mushroom catsup, both made boiling
hot, garnish with scraped horse-radish, and put on a hot dish cover.
Every thing must be in readiness, for the great excellence of a beef
steak lies in having it immediately from the gridiron.
* * * * *
TO HASH BEEF.
Cut slices of raw beef, put them in a stew pan with a little water, some
catsup, a clove of garlic, pepper and salt, stew them till done, thicken
the gravy with a lump of butter rubbed into brown flour. A hash may be
made of any kind of meat that has been cooked, but it is not so good,
and it is necessary to have a gravy prepared and seasoned, and keep the
hash over the fire only a few minutes to make it hot.
* * * * *
BEEF STEAK PIE.
Cut nice steaks, and stew them till half done, put a puff paste in the
dish, lay in the steaks with a few slices of boiled ham, season the
gravy very high, pour it in the dish, put on a lid of paste and bake it.
* * * * *
BEEF A-LA-DAUBE.
Get a round of beef, lard it well, and put it in a Dutch oven; cut the
meat from a shin of beef, or any coarse piece in thin slices, put round
the sides and over the top some slices of bacon, salt, pepper, onion,
thyme, parsley, cellery tops, or seed pounded, and some carrots cut
small, strew the pieces of beef over, cover it with water, let it stew
very gently till perfectly done, take out the round, strain the gravy,
let it stand to be cold, take off the grease carefully, beat the whites
of four eggs, mix a little water with them, put them to the gravy, let
it boil till it looks clear, strain it, and when cold, put it over the
beef.
* * * * *
VEAL.
DIRECTIONS FOR THE PIECES IN THE DIFFERENT QUARTERS OF VEAL.
A loin of veal must always be roasted: the fillet or leg may be dressed
in various ways, the knuckle or knee is proper for soup or for boiling;
these are the pieces that compose the hind quarter. In the fore quarter,
the breast and rack admit variety in cooking; the shoulder and neck are
only fit for soup.
* * * * *
VEAL CUTLETS FROM THE FILLET OR LEG.
Cut off the flank and take the bone out, then take slices the size of
the fillet and half an inch thick, beat two yelks of eggs light, and
have some grated bread mixed with pepper, salt, pounded nutmeg and
chopped parsley; beat the slices a little, lay them on a board and wash
the upper side with the egg, cover it thick with the bread crumbs, press
them on with a knife, and let them stand to dry a little, that they may
not fall off in frying, then turn them gently, put egg and crumbs on in
the same manner, put them into a pan of boiling lard, and fry them a
light brown; have some good gravy ready, season it with a tea-spoonful
of curry powder, a large one of wine, and one of lemon pickle, thicken
with butter and brown flour, drain every drop of lard from the cutlets,
lay them in the gravy, and stew them fifteen or twenty minutes, serve
them up garnished with lemon cut in thin slices.
* * * * *
VEAL CHOPS.
Take the best end of a rack of veal, cut it in chops, with one bone in
each, leave the small end of the bone bare two inches, beat them flat,
and prepare them with eggs and crumbs, as the cutlets, butter some
half-sheets of white paper, wrap one round each chop, skewer it well,
leaving the bare bone out, broil them till done, and take care the paper
does not burn; have nice white sauce in a boat.
* * * * *
VEAL CUTLETS.
Cut them from the fillet, put them in a stew pan with a piece of nice
pork, a clove of garlic, a bundle of thyme and parsley, pepper and salt,
cover them with water and let them stew ten or fifteen minutes, lay them
on a dish, and when cold cover them well with the crumb of stale bread
finely grated, mixed with the leaves of parsley chopped very small, some
pepper, salt and grated nutmeg; press these on the veal with a knife,
and when a little dried, turn it and do the same to the other side; put
a good quantity of lard in a pan, when it boils lay the cutlets in
carefully that the crumbs may not fall; fry them a little brown, lay
them on a strainer to drain off the grease, do the same with the crumbs
that have fallen in the pan: while this is doing, simmer the water they
were boiled in to half a pint, strain it and thicken with four ounces of
butter and a little browned flour; add a gill of wine and one of
mushroom catsup, put in the cutlets and crumbs, and stew till tender;
add forcemeat balls.
* * * * *
KNUCKLE OF VEAL.
Boil a half pint of pearl barley in salt and water till quite tender,
drain the water from it and stir in a piece of butter, put it in a deep
dish; have the knuckle nicely boiled in milk and water, and lay it on
the barley, pour some parsley and butter over it.
* * * * *
BAKED FILLET OF VEAL.
Take the bone out of the fillet, wrap the flap around and sew it, make a
forcemeat of bread crumbs, the fat of bacon, a little onion chopped,
parsley, pepper, salt, and a nutmeg pounded, wet it with the yelks of
eggs, fill the place from which the bone was taken, make holes around it
with a knife and fill them also, and lard the top; put it in a Dutch
oven with a pint of water, bake it sufficiently, thicken the gravy with
butter and brown flour, add a gill of wine and one of mushroom catsup,
and serve it garnished with forcemeat balls fried.
* * * * *
SCOTCH COLLOPS OF VEAL.
They may be made of the nice part of the rack, or cut from the fillet,
rub a little salt and pepper on them, and fry them a light brown; have a
rich gravy seasoned with wine, and any kind of catsup you choose, with a
few cloves of garlic, and some pounded mace, thicken it, put the collops
in and stew them a short time, take them out, strain the gravy over, and
garnish with bunches of parsley fried crisp, and thin slices of middling
of bacon, curled around a skewer and boiled.
* * * * *
VEAL OLIVES.
Take the bone out of the fillet and cut thin slices the size of the leg,
beat them flat, rub them with the yelk of an egg beaten, lay on each
piece a thin slice of boiled ham, sprinkle salt, pepper, grated nutmeg,
chopped parsley, and bread crumbs over all, roll them up tight, and
secure them with skewers, rub them with egg and roll them in bread
crumbs, lay them on a tin dripping pan, and set them in an oven; when
brown on one side, turn them, and when sufficiently done, lay them in a
rich highly seasoned gravy made of proper thickness, stew them till
tender, garnish with forcemeat balls and green pickles sliced.
* * * * *
RAGOUT OF A BREAST OF VEAL.
Separate the joints of the brisket, and saw off the sharp ends of the
ribs, trim it neatly, and half roast it; put it in a stew pan with a
quart of good gravy seasoned with wine, walnut and mushroom catsup, a
tea-spoonful of curry powder, and a few cloves of garlic; stew it till
tender, thicken the gravy, and garnish with sweatbreads nicely broiled.
* * * * *
FRICANDO OF VEAL.
Cut slices from the fillet an inch thick and six inches long, lard them
with slips of lean middling of bacon, bake them a light brown, stew them
in well seasoned gravy, made as thick as rich cream, serve them up hot,
and lay round the dish sorrel stewed with butter, pepper and salt, till
quite dry.
* * * * *
TO MAKE A PIE OF SWEETBREADS AND OYSTERS.
Boil the sweetbreads tender, stew the oysters, season them with pepper
and salt, and thicken with cream, butter, the yelks of eggs and flour,
put a puff paste at the bottom and around the sides of a deep dish, take
the oysters up with an egg spoon, lay them in the bottom, and cover them
with the sweetbreads, fill the dish with gravy, put a paste on the top,
and bake it. This is the most delicate pie that can be made. The
sweetbread of veal is the most delicious part, and may be broiled,
fried, or dressed in any way, and is always good.
* * * * *
MOCK TURTLE OF CALF'S HEAD.
Have the head nicely cleaned, divide the chop from the skull, take out
the brains and tongue, and boil the other parts till tender, take them
out of the water and put into it a knuckle of veal or four pounds of
lean beef, three onions chopped, thyme, parsley, a tea-spoonful of
pounded cloves, the same of mace, salt, and cayenne pepper to your
taste--boil these things together till reduced to a pint, strain it, and
add two gills of red wine, one of mushroom and one of walnut catsup,
thicken it with butter and brown flour; the head must be cut in small
pieces and stewed a few minutes in the gravy; put a paste round the edge
of a deep dish, three folds, one on the other, but none on the bottom;
pour in the meat and gravy, and bake it till the paste is done; pick all
strings from the brains, pound them, and add grated bread, pepper and
salt, make them in little cakes with the yelk of an egg, fry them a nice
brown, boil six egg's hard, leave one whole and divide the others
exactly in two, have some bits of paste nicely baked; when the head is
taken from the oven, lay the whole egg in the middle, and dispose the
others, with the brain cakes and bits of paste tastily around it. If it
be wanted as soup, do not reduce the gravy so much, and after stewing
the head, serve it in a tureen with the brain cakes and forcemeat balls
fried, in place of the eggs and paste. The tongue should be salted and
put in brine; they are very delicate, and four of them boiled and
pealed, and served with four small chickens boiled, make a handsome
dish, either cold or hot, with parsley and butter poured over them.
* * * * *
TO GRILL A CALF'S HEAD.
Clean and divide it as for the turtle, take out the brains and tongue,
boil it tender, take the eyes out whole, and cut the flesh from the
skull in small pieces; take some of the water it was boiled in for
gravy, put to it salt, cayenne pepper, a grated nutmeg, with a spoonful
of lemon pickle; stew it till it is well flavoured, take the jowl or
chop, take out the bones, and cover it with bread crumbs, chopped
parsley, pepper and salt, set it in an oven to brown, thicken the gravy
with the yelks of two eggs and a spoonful of butter rubbed into two of
flour, stew the head in it a few minutes, put it in the dish, and lay
the grilled chop on it; garnish it with brain cakes and broiled
sweetbreads.
* * * * *
TO COLLAR A CALF'S HEAD.
After cleaning it nicely, saw the bone down the middle of the skull, but
do not separate the head, take out the brains and tongue, boil it tender
enough to remove the bones, which must be taken entirely out; lay it on
a board, have a good quantity of chopped parsley seasoned with mace,
nutmeg, pepper and salt--spread a layer of this, then one of thick
slices of ham, another of parsley and one of ham, roll it up tight, sew
a cloth over it, and bind that round with tape; boil it half an hour,
and when cold press it. It must be kept covered with vinegar and water,
and is very delicious eaten with sallad or oil and vinegar.
* * * * *
CALF'S HEART, A NICE DISH.
Take the heart and liver from the harslet, and cut off the windpipe,
boil the lights very tender, and cut them in small pieces--take as much
of the water they were boiled in as will be sufficient for gravy; add to
it a large spoonful of white wine, one of lemon pickle, some grated
nutmeg, pepper and salt, with a large spoonful of butter, mixed with one
of white flour; let it boil a few minutes, and put in the minced lights,
set it by till the heart and liver are ready, cut the ventricle out of
the heart, wash it well, lard it all over with narrow slips of middling,
fill the cavity with good forcemeat, put it in a pan on the broad end,
that the stuffing may not come out; bake it a nice brown, slice the
liver an inch thick and broil it, make the mince hot, set the heart
upright in the middle of the dish, pour it around, lay the broiled liver
on, and garnish with bunches of fried parsley; it should be served up
extremely hot.
* * * * *
CALF'S FEET FRICASSEE.
Boil the feet till very tender, cut them in two and pull out the large
bones, have half a pint of good white gravy, add to it a spoonful of
white wine, one of lemon pickle, and some salt, with a tea-spoonful of
curry powder, stew the feet in it fifteen minutes, and thicken it with
the yelks of two eggs, a gill of milk, a large spoonful of butter, and
two of white flour, let the thickening be very smooth, shake the stew
pan over the fire a few minutes, but do not let it boil lest the eggs
and milk should curdle.
* * * * *
TO FRY CALF'S FEET.
Prepare them as for the fricassee, dredge them well with flour and fry
them a light brown, pour parsley and butter over, and garnish with fried
parsley.
* * * * *
TO PREPARE RENNET.
Take the stomach from the calf as soon as it is killed--do not wash it,
but hang it in a dry cool place for four or five days; then turn it
inside out, slip off all the curd nicely with the hand, fill it with a
little saltpetre mixed with the quantity of salt necessary, and lay it
in a small stone pot, pour over it a small tea-spoonful of vinegar, and
sprinkle a handful of salt over it, cover it closely and keep it for
use. You must not wash it--that would weaken the gastric juice, and
injure the rennet. After it has been salted six or eight weeks, cut off
a piece four or five inches long, put it in a large mustard bottle, or
any vessel that will hold about a pint and a half; put on it five gills
of cold water, and two gills of rose brandy--stop it very close, and
shake it when you are going to use it: a table-spoonful of this is
sufficient for a quart of milk. It must be prepared in very cool
weather, and if well done, will keep more than a year.
* * * * *
TO HASH A CALF'S HEAD.
Boil the head till the meat is almost enough for eating; then cut it in
thin slices, take three quarters of a pint of good gravy, and add half a
pint of white wine, half a nutmeg, two anchovies, a small onion stuck
with cloves, and a little mace; boil these up in the liquor for a
quarter of an hour, then strain it and boil it up again; put in the
meat, with salt to your taste, let it stew a little, and if you choose
it, you may add some sweetbreads, and make some forcemeat balls with
veal; mix the brains with the yelks of eggs and fry them to lay for a
garish. When the head is ready to be sent in, stir in a bit of butter.
* * * * *
TO BAKE A CALF'S HEAD.
Divide the calf's head, wash it clean, and having the yelks of two eggs
well beaten, wash the outside of the head all over with them, and on
that strew raspings of bread sifted, pepper, salt, nutmeg and mace
powdered; also, the brains cut in pieces and dipped in thick butter,
then cover the head with bits of butter, pour into the pan some white
wine and water, with as much gravy, and cover it close. Let it be baked
in a quick oven, and when it is served up, pour on some strong gravy,
and garnish with slices of lemon, red beet root pickled, fried oysters
and fried bread.
* * * * *
TO STUFF AND ROAST A CALF'S LIVER.
Take a fresh calf's liver, and having made a hole in it with a large
knife run in lengthways, but not quite through, have ready a forced
meat, or stuffing made of part of the liver parboiled, fat of bacon
minced very fine, and sweet herbs powdered; add to these some grated
bread and spice finely powdered, with pepper and salt. With this
stuffing fill the hole in the liver, which must be larded with fat
bacon, and then roasted, flouring it well, and basting with butter till
it is enough. This is to be served up hot, with gravy sauce having a
little wine in it.
* * * * *
TO BROIL CALF'S LIVER.
Cut it in slices, put over it salt and pepper; broil it nicely, and pour
on some melted butter with chopped parsley after it is dished.
* * * * *
_ Directions for cleaning Calf's Head and Feet, for those who live in
the country and butcher their own meats._
As soon as the animal is killed, have the head and feet taken off, wash
them clean, sprinkle some pounded rosin all over the hairs, then dip
them in boiling water, take them instantly out, the rosin will dry
immediately, and they may be scraped clean with ease; the feet should be
soaked in water three or four days, changing it daily; this will make
them very white.
* * * * *
LAMB.
TO ROAST THE FORE-QUARTER, &c.
The fore-quarter should always be roasted and served with mint sauce in
a boat; chop the mint small and mix it with vinegar enough to make it
liquid, sweeten it with sugar.
The hind-quarter may be boiled or roasted, and requires mint sauce; it
may also be dressed in various ways.
* * * * *
BAKED LAMB.
Cut the shank bone from a hind-quarter, separate the joints of the loin,
lay it in a pan with the kidney uppermost, sprinkle some pepper and
salt, add a few cloves of garlic, a pint of water and a dozen large ripe
tomatoes with the skins taken off, bake it but do not let it be burnt,
thicken the gravy with a little butter and brown flour.
* * * * *
FRIED LAMB.
Separate the leg from the loin, cut off the shank and boil the leg;
divide the loin in chops, dredge and fry them a nice brown, lay the leg
in the middle of the dish, and put the chops around, pour over parsley
and butter, and garnish with fried parsley.
The leg cut into steaks and the loin into chops will make a fine
fricassee, or cutlets.
* * * * *
TO DRESS LAMB'S HEAD AND FEET.
Clean them very nicely, and boil them till tender, take off the flesh
from the head with the eyes, also mince the tongue and heart, which must
be boiled with the head; split the feet in two, put them with the pieces
from the head and the mince, into a pint of good gravy, seasoned with
pepper, salt, and tomato catsup, or ripe tomatoes: stew it till tender,
thicken the gravy, and lay the liver cut in slices and broiled over
it--garnish with crisp parsley and bits of curled bacon.
* * * * *
MUTTON.
The saddle should always be roasted and garnished with scraped
horse-radish. See general observations on roasting. Mutton is in the
highest perfection from August until Christmas, when it begins to
decline in goodness.
* * * * *
BOILED LEG OF MUTTON.
Cut off the shank, wrap the flank nicely round and secure it with
skewers, dredge it well with flour, and put it on the fire in a kettle
of cold water with some salt, and three or four heads of garlic, which
will give it a delicately fine flavour; skin it well, and when nearly
done, take it from the fire and keep it hot and closely covered, that
the steam may finish it; have carrots well boiled to put in the dish
under it, or turnips boiled, mashed smooth and stewed with a lump of
butter and salt, lay the mutton on, and pour over it butter melted with
some flour in it, and a cup full of capers with some of the vinegar;
shake them together over the fire till hot before you pour it on.
* * * * *
ROASTED LEG.
Prepare it as for boiling, be very careful in spitting it, cover it with
paper and follow the directions for roasting, serve it up garnished with
scraped horse-radish.
* * * * *
BAKED LEG OF MUTTON.
Take the flank off, but leave all the fat, cut out the bone, stuff the
place with a rich forcemeat, lard the top and sides with bacon, put it
in a pan with a pint of water, some chopped onion and cellery cut small,
a gill of red wine, one of mushroom catsup and a tea-spoonful of curry
powder, bake it and serve it up with the gravy, garnish with forcemeat
balls fried.
* * * * *
STEAKS OF A LEG OF MUTTON.
Cut off the flank, take out the bone, and cut it in large slices half an
inch thick, sprinkle some salt and pepper, and broil it, pour over it
nice melted butter with capers; a leg cut in the same way and dressed as
directed for veal cutlets, is very fine. It is also excellent when
salted as beef, and boiled, served up with carrots or turnips.
A shoulder of mutton is best when roasted, but may be made into cutlets
or in a harrico.
* * * * *
TO HARRICO MUTTON.
Take the nicest part of the rack, divide it into chops, with one bone in
each, beat them flat, sprinkle salt and pepper on them, and broil them
nicely; make a rich gravy out of the inferior parts, season it well with
pepper, a little spice, and any kind of catsup you choose; when
sufficiently done, strain it, and thicken it with butter and brown
flour, have some carrots and turnips cut into small dice and boiled till
tender, put them in the gravy, lay the chops in and stew them fifteen
minutes; serve them up garnished with green pickle.
* * * * *
MUTTON CHOPS.
Cut the rack as for the harrico, broil them, and when dished, pour over
them a gravy made with two large spoonsful of boiling water, one of
mushroom catsup, a small spoonful of butter and some salt, stir it till
the butter is melted, and garnish with horse-radish scraped.
* * * * *
BOILED BREAST OF MUTTON.
Separate the joints of the brisket, and saw off the sharp ends of the
ribs, dredge it with flour, and boil it; serve it up covered with
onions--see onion sauce.
* * * * *
BREAST OF MUTTON IN RAGOUT.
Prepare the breast as for boiling, brown it nicely in the oven, have a
rich gravy well seasoned and thickened with brown flour, stew the mutton
in it till sufficiently done, and garnish with forcemeat balls fried.
* * * * *
TO GRILL A BREAST OF MUTTON.
Prepare it as before, score the top, wash it over with the yelk of an
egg, sprinkle some salt, and cover it with bread crumbs, bake it, and
pour caper sauce in the dish. It may also be roasted, the skin taken off
and frothed nicely, serve it up with good gravy, and garnish with
current jelly cut in slices.
The neck of mutton is fit only for soup, the liver is very good when
broiled.
* * * * *
BOILED SHOULDER OF MUTTON.
Put it in cold water with some salt, and boil it till tender; serve it
up covered with onion sauce.
* * * * *
SHOULDER OF MUTTON WITH CELERY SAUCE.
Wash and clean ten heads of celery, cut off the green tops and take off
the outside stalks, cut the heads in thin slices, boil them tender in a
little milk, just enough for gravy, add salt, and thicken it with a
spoonful of butter and some white flour; boil the shoulder and pour the
sauce over it.
* * * * *
ROASTED LOIN OF MUTTON.
Cut the loin in four pieces, take off the skin, rub each piece with
salt, wash them with the yelk of an egg, and cover them thickly with
bread crumbs, chopped parsley, pepper and salt; wrap them up securely in
paper, put them on a bird spit, and roast them; put a little brown gravy
in the dish, and garnish with pickle.
* * * * *
PORK.
TO CURE BACON.
Hogs are in the highest perfection, from two and a half to four years
old, and make the best bacon, when they do not weigh more than one
hundred and fifty or sixty at farthest; they should be fed with corn,
six weeks at least, before they are killed, and the shorter distance
they are driven to market, the better will their flesh be. To secure
them against the possibility of spoiling, salt them before they get
cold; take out the chine or back-bone from the neck to the tail, cut the
hams, shoulders and middlings; take the ribs from the shoulders and the
leaf fat from the hams: have such tubs as are directed for beef, rub a
large table spoonful of saltpetre on the inside of each ham, for some
minutes, then rub both sides well with salt, sprinkle the bottom of the
tub with salt, lay the hams with the skin downward, and put a good deal
of salt between each layer; salt the shoulders and middlings in the same
manner, but less saltpetre is necessary; cut the jowl or chop from the
head, and rub it with salt and saltpetre. You should cut off the feet
just above the knee joint; take off the ears and nose, and lay them in a
large tub of cold water for souse. When the jowls have been in salt two
weeks, hang them up to smoke--do so with the shoulders and middlings at
the end of three weeks, and the hams at the end of four. If they remain
longer in salt they will be hard. Remember to hang the hams and
shoulders with the hocks down, to preserve the juices. Make a good smoke
every morning, and be careful not to have a blaze; the smoke-house
should stand alone, for any additional heat will spoil the meat. During
the hot weather, beginning the first of April, it should be occasionally
taken down, examined--rubbed with hickory ashes, and hung up again.
The generally received opinion that saltpetre hardens meat, is entirely
erroneous:--it tends greatly to prevent putrefaction, but will not make
it hard; neither will laying in brine five or six weeks in cold weather,
have that effect, but remaining in salt too long, will certainly draw
off the juices, and harden it. Bacon should be boiled in a large
quantity of water, and a ham is not done sufficiently, till the bone on
the under part comes off with ease. New bacon requires much longer
boiling than that which is old.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SOUSE.
Let all the pieces you intend to souse, remain covered with cold water
twelve hours; then wash them out, wipe off the blood, and put them again
in fresh water; soak them in this manner, changing the water frequently,
and keeping it in a cool place, till the blood is drawn away; scrape and
clean each piece perfectly nice, mix some meal with water, add salt to
it, and boil your souse gently, until you can run a straw into the skin
with ease. Do not put too much in the pot, for it will boil to pieces
and spoil the appearance. The best way is to boil the feet in one pot,
the ears and nose in another, and the heads in a third; these should be
boiled till you can take all the bones out; let them get cold, season
the insides with pepper, salt, and a little nutmeg; make it in a tight
roll, sew it up close in a cloth, and press it lightly. Mix some more
meal and cold water, just enough to look white; add salt, and one-fourth
of vinegar; put your souse in different pots, and keep it well covered
with this mixture, and closely stopped. It will be necessary to renew
this liquor every two or three weeks. Let your souse get quite cold
after boiling, before you put it in the liquor, and be sure to use pale
coloured vinegar, or the souse will be dark. Some cooks singe the hair
from the feet, _etcetera_, but this destroys the colour: good souse will
always be white.
* * * * *
TO ROAST A PIG.
The pig must be very fat, nicely cleaned, and not too large to lie in
the dish; chop the liver fine and mix it with crumbs of bread, chopped
onion and parsley, with pepper and salt, make it into a paste with
butter and an egg, stuff the body well with it, and sew it up, spit it,
and have a clear fire to roast it; baste with salt and water at first,
then rub it frequently with a lump of lard wrapped in a piece of clean
linen; this will make it much more crisp than basting it from the
dripping pan. When the pig is done, take off the head, separate the face
from the chop, cut both in two and take off the ears, take out the
stuffing, split the pig in two parts lengthways, lay it in the dish with
the head, ears, and feet, which have been cut off, placed on each side,
put the stuffing in a bowl with a glass of wine, and as much dripping as
will make it sufficiently liquid, put some of it under the pig, and
serve the rest in a boat.
* * * * *
TO BARBECUE SHOTE.[1]
This is the name given in the southern states to a fat young hog, which,
when the head and feet are taken off, and it is cut into four quarters,
will weigh six pounds per quarter. Take a fore-quarter, make several
incisions between the ribs, and stuff it with rich forcemeat; put it in
a pan with a pint of water, two cloves of garlic, pepper, salt, two
gills of red wine, and two of mushroom catsup, bake it, and thicken the
gravy with batter and brown flour; it must be jointed, and the ribs cut
across before it is cooked; or it cannot be carved well; lay it in the
dish with the ribs uppermost; if it be not sufficiently brown, add a
little burnt sugar to the gravy, garnish with balls.
* * * * *
TO ROAST A FORE-QUARTER OF SHOTE.
Joint it for the convenience of carving, roast it before a brisk fire;
when done, take the skin off, dredge and froth it, put a little melted
butter with some caper vinegar over it, or serve it with mint sauce.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SHOTE CUTLETS.
Take the skin from the hind-quarter, and cut it in pieces, prepare them
in the way directed for veal cutlets, make a little nice gravy with the
skin and the scraps of meat left, thicken it with butter and brown
flour, and season it in any way you like.
* * * * *
TO CORN SHOTE.
Rub a hind-quarter with saltpetre and common salt, let it lie ten days,
then boil it, and put either carrots or parsnips under it.
* * * * *
SHOTE'S HEAD.
Take out the brains, and boil the head till quite tender, cut the heart
and liver from the harslet, and boil the feet with the head; cut all the
meat from the head in small pieces, mince the tongue and chop the brains
small, take some of the water the head was boiled in, season it with
onion, parsley and thyme, all chopped fine, add any kind of
catsup--thicken it with butter and brown flour, stew the whole in it
fifteen minutes, and put it in the dish: have the heart roasted to put
in the middle, lay the broiled liver around, and garnish it with green
pickle.
* * * * *
LEG OF PORK WITH PEASE PUDDING.
Boil a small leg of pork that has been sufficiently salted, score the
top and serve it up; the pudding must be in a separate dish; get small
delicate pease, wash them well, and tie them in a cloth, allowing a
little room for swelling, boil them with the pork, then mash and season
them, tie them up again and finish boiling it; take care not to break
the pudding in turning it out.
* * * * *
STEWED CHINE.
Take the neck chine, rub it well with salt, lay it in a pan, put it in a
pint of water, and fill it up with sweet potatos nicely washed, but not
peeled, cover it close and bake it till done; serve it up with the
potatos, put a little of the gravy in the dish.
* * * * *
TO TOAST A HAM.
Boil it well, take off the skin, and cover the top thickly with bread
crumbs, put it in an oven to brown, and serve it up.
* * * * *
TO STUFF A HAM.
Take a well smoked ham, wash it very clean, make incisions all over the
top two inches deep, stuff them quite full with parsley chopped small
and some pepper, boil the ham sufficiently; do not take off the skin. It
must be eaten cold.
* * * * *
SOUSED FEET IN RAGOUT.
Split the feet in two, dredge them with flour and fry them a nice brown;
have some well seasoned gravy thickened with brown flour and butter;
stew the feet in it a few minutes.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SAUSAGES.
Take the tender pieces of fresh pork, chop them exceedingly fine--chop
some of the leaf fat, and put them together in the proportion of three
pounds of pork to one of fat, season it very high with pepper and salt,
add a small quantity of dried sage rubbed to a powder, have the skins
nicely prepared, fill them and hang them in a dry place. Sausages are
excellent made into cakes and fried, but will not keep so well as in
skins.
* * * * *
TO MAKE BLACK PUDDINGS.
Catch the blood as it runs from the hog, stir it continually till cold
to prevent its coagulating; when cold thicken it with boiled rice or
oatmeal, add leaf fat chopped small, pepper, salt, and any herbs that
are liked, fill the skins and smoke them two or three days; they must be
boiled before they are hung up, and prick them with a fork to keep them
from bursting.
* * * * *
A SEA PIE.
Lay at the bottom of a small Dutch oven some slices of boiled pork or
salt beef, then potatos and onions cut in slices, salt, pepper, thyme
and parsley shred fine, some crackers soaked, and a layer of fowls cut
up, or slices of veal; cover them with a paste not too rich, put another
layer of each article, and cover them with paste until the oven is full;
put a little butter between each layer, pour in water till it reaches
the top crust, to which you must add wine, catsup of any kind you
please, and some pounded cloves; let it stew until there is just gravy
enough left; serve it in a deep dish and pour the gravy on.
* * * * *
TO MAKE PASTE FOR THE PIE.
Pour half a pound of butter or dripping, boiling hot, into a quart of
flour, add as much water as will make it a paste, work it and roll it
well before you use it. It is quite a savoury paste.
* * * * *
BOLOGNA SAUSAGES.
Take one pound of bacon--fat and lean, one ditto veal, do., pork, do.,
suet, chop all fine, season highly: fill the skins, prick and boil them
an hour, and hang them to dry--grated bread or boiled rice may be added:
clean the skins with salt and vinegar.
* * * * *
FISH.
TO CURE HERRINGS.
The best method for preserving herrings, and which may be followed with
ease, for a small family, is to take the brine left of your winter stock
for beef, to the fishing place, and when the seine is hauled, to pick
out the largest herrings, and throw them alive into the brine; let them
remain twenty-four hours, take them out and lay them on sloping planks,
that the brine may drain off; have a tight barrel, put some coarse alum
salt at the bottom, then put in a layer of herrings--take care not to
bruise them; sprinkle over it alum salt and some saltpetre, then fish,
salt, and saltpetre, till the barrel is full; keep a board over it.
Should they not make brine enough to cover them in a few weeks, you must
add some, for they will be rusty if not kept under brine. The proper
time to salt them is when they are quite fat: the scales will adhere
closely to a lean herring, but will be loose on a fat one--the former is
not fit to be eaten. Do not be sparing of salt when you put them up.
When they are to be used, take a few out of brine, soak them an hour or
two, scale them nicely, pull off the gills, and the only entrail they
have will come with them; wash them clean and hang them up to dry. When
to be broiled, take half a sheet of white paper, rub it over with
butter, put the herring in, double the edges securely, and broil without
burning it. The brine the herrings drink before they die, has a
wonderful effect in preserving their juices: when one or two years old,
they are equal to anchovies.
* * * * *
TO BAKE STURGEON.
Get a piece of sturgeon with the skin on, the piece next to the tail,
scrape it well, cut out the gristle, and boil it about twenty minutes to
take out the oil; take it up, pull off the large scales, and when cold,
stuff it with forcemeat, made of bread crumbs, butter, chopped parsley,
pepper and salt, put it in a Dutch oven just large enough to hold it,
with a pint and a half of water, a gill of red wine, one of mushroom
catsup, some salt and pepper, stew it gently till the gravy is reduced
to the quantity necessary to pour over it; take up your sturgeon
carefully, thicken the gravy with a spoonful of butter rubbed into a
large one of brown flour;--see that it is perfectly smooth when you put
it in the dish.
* * * * *
TO MAKE STURGEON CUTLETS.
The tail piece is the best; skin it and cut off the gristle, cut it into
slices about half an inch thick, sprinkle over them pepper and salt,
dredge them with flour, and fry them a nice light brown; have ready a
pint of good gravy, seasoned with catsup, wine, and a little pounded
cloves, and thickened with brown flour and butter; when the cutlets are
cold, put them into the gravy and stew them a few minutes; garnish the
dish with nice forcemeat balls and parsley fried crisp.
* * * * *
STURGEON STEAKS.
Cut them as for the cutlets, dredge them, and fry them nicely; dish them
quickly lest they get cold; pour over melted butter with chopped
parsley, and garnish with fried parsley.
* * * * *
TO BOIL STURGEON.
Leave the skin on, which must be nicely scraped, take out the gristle,
rub it with salt, and let it lie an hour, then put it on in cold water
with some salt and a few cloves of garlic; it must be dredged with flour
before it is put into the water, skim it carefully, and when dished,
pour over it melted butter with chopped parsley, a large spoonful of
mushroom catsup, one of lemon pickle, and one of pepper vinegar; send
some of it to table in a sauce boat;--the sturgeon being a dry fish,
rich sauce is necessary.
* * * * *
TO BAKE A SHAD.
The shad is a very indifferent fish unless it be large and fat; when you
get a good one, prepare it nicely, put some forcemeat inside, and lay it
at full length in a pan with a pint of water, a gill of red wine, one of
mushroom catsup, a little pepper, vinegar, salt, a few cloves of garlic,
and six cloves: stew it gently till the gravy is sufficiently reduced;
there should always be a fish-slice with holes to lay the fish on, for
the convenience of dishing without breaking it; when the fish is taken
up, slip it carefully into the dish; thicken the gravy with butter and
brown flour, and pour over it.
* * * * *
TO BOIL A SHAD.
Get a nice fat shad, fresh from the water, that the skin may not crack
in boiling, put it in cold water on a slice, in a kettle of proper
length, with a wine glass of pale vinegar, salt, a little garlic, and a
bundle of parsley; when it is done, drain all the water from the fish,
lay it in the dish, and garnish with scraped horse-radish; have a sauce
boat of nice melted butter, to mix with the different catsups, as taste
shall direct.
* * * * *
TO ROAST A SHAD.
Fill the cavity with good forcemeat, sew it up, and tie it on a board of
proper size, cover it with bread crumbs, with some salt and pepper, set
it before the fire to roast; when done on one side, turn it, tie it
again, and when sufficiently done, pull out the thread, and serve it up
with butter and parsley poured over it.
* * * * *
TO BROIL A SHAD.
Separate one side from the back-bone, so that it will lie open without
being split in two; wash it clean, dry it with a cloth, sprinkle some
salt and pepper on it, and let it stand till you are ready to broil it;
have the gridiron hot and well greased, broil it nicely, and pour over
it melted butter.
* * * * *
TO BOIL ROCK FISH.
The best part of the rock is the head and shoulders--clean it nicely,
put it into the fish kettle with cold water and salt, boil it gently and
skim it well; when done, drain off the water, lay it in the dish, and
garnish with scraped horse-radish; have two boats of tatter nicely
melted with chopped parsley, or for a change, you may have anchovy
butter; the roe and liver should be fried and served in separate dishes.
If any of the rock be left, it will make a delicious dish next
day;--pick it in small pieces, put it in a stew pan with a gill of
water, a good lump of butter, some salt, a large spoonful of lemon
pickle, and one of pepper vinegar--shake it over the fire till perfectly
hot, and serve it up. It is almost equal to stewed crab.
* * * * *
TO FRY PERCH.
Clean the fish nicely, but do not take out the roes, dry them on a
cloth, sprinkle some salt, and dredge them with flour, lay them
separately on a board; when one side is dry, turn them, sprinkle salt
and dredge the other side; be sure the lard boils when you put the fish
in, and fry them with great care; they should be a yellowish brown when
done. Send melted butter or anchovy sauce in a boat.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE OYSTERS.
Select the largest oysters, drain off their liquor, and wash them in
clean water; pick out the pieces of shells that may be left, put them in
a stew pan with water proportioned to the number of oysters, some salt,
blades of mace, and whole black pepper; stew them a few minutes, then
put them in a pot, and when cold, add as much pale vinegar as will give
the liquor an agreeable acid.
* * * * *
TO MAKE A CURRY OF CATFISH.
Take the white channel catfish, cut off their heads, skin and clean
them, cut them in pieces four inches long, put as many as will be
sufficient for a dish into a stew pan with a quart of water, two onions,
and chopped parsley; let them stew gently till the water is reduced to
half a pint, take the fish out and lay them on a dish, cover them to
keep them hot, rub a spoonful of butter into one of flour, add a large
tea-spoonful of curry powder, thicken the gravy with it, shake it over
the fire a few minutes, and pour it over the fish; be careful to have
the gravy smooth.
* * * * *
TO DRESS A COD'S HEAD AND SHOULDERS.
Take out the gills and the blood from the bone, wash the head very
clean, rub over it a little salt, then lay it on your fish plate; throw
in the water a good handful of salt, with a glass of vinegar, then put
in the fish, and let it boil gently half an hour; if it is a large one,
three quarters; take it up very carefully, strip the skin nicely off,
set it before a brisk fire, dredge it all over with flour, and baste it
well with butter; when the froth begins to rise, throw over it some very
fine white bread crumbs; you must keep basting it all the time to make
it froth well; when it is a fine light brown, dish it up, and garnish it
with a lemon cut in slices, scraped horse-radish, barberries, a few
small fish fried and laid around it, or fried oysters--cut the roe and
liver in slices, and lay over it a little of the lobster out of the
sauce in lumps, and then serve it up.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SAUCE FOR THE COD'S HEAD.
Take a lobster, if it be alive, stick a skewer in the rent of the tail,
(to keep the water out,) throw a handful of salt in the water; when it
boils, put in the lobster, and boil it half an hour; if it has spawn on
it, pick them off, and pound them exceedingly fine in a marble mortar,
and put them into half a pound of good melted butter, then take the meat
out of the lobster, pull it in bits, and put it in your butter, with a
meat spoonful of lemon pickle, and the same of walnut catsup, a slice of
lemon, one or two slices of horse-radish, a little beaten mace, salt and
cayenne to your taste; boil them one minute, then take out the
horse-radish and lemon, and serve it up in your sauce boat.
N.B. If you cannot get lobsters, you may make shrimp, cockle, or muscle
sauce, the same way; if there can be no shell fish got, you then may add
two anchovies cut small, a spoonful of walnut liquor, a large onion
stuck with cloves--strain and put it in the sauce boat.
* * * * *
TO DRESS A SALT COD.
Steep your salt fish in water all night, with a glass of vinegar; it
will take out the salt, and make it taste like fresh fish; the next day
boil it; when it is enough take off the skin, pull it in fleaks into
your dish, then pour egg sauce over it, or parsnips boiled and beat
fine, with butter and cream; send it to the table on a water plate, for
it will soon grow cold.
* * * * *
MATELOTE OF ANY KIND OF FIRM FISH.
Cut the fish in pieces six inches long, put it in a pot with onion,
parsley, thyme, mushrooms, a little spice, pepper and salt--add red wine
and water enough for gravy, set it on a quick fire and reduce it
one-third, thicken with a spoonful of butter and two of flour; put it in
a dish with bits of bread fried in butter, and pour the gravy over it.
* * * * *
CHOWDER, A SEA DISH.
Take any kind of firm fish, cut it in pieces six inches long, sprinkle
salt and pepper over each piece, cover the bottom of a small Dutch oven
with slices of salt pork about half boiled, lay in the fish, strewing a
little chopped onion between; cover with crackers that have been soaked
soft in milk, pour over it two gills of white wine, and two of water;
put on the top of the oven, and stew it gently about an hour; take it
out carefully, and lay it in a deep dish; thicken the gravy with a
little flour and a spoonful of butter, add some chopped parsley, boil it
a few minutes, and pour it over the fish--serve it up hot.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE STURGEON.
The best sturgeons are the small ones, about four feet long without the
head, and the best part is the one near the tail. After the sturgeon is
split through the back bone, take a piece with the skin on, which is
essential to its appearance and goodness, cut off the gristle, scrape
the skin well, wash it, and salt it--let it lie twenty-four hours, wipe
off the salt, roll it, and tie it around with twine, put it on in a good
deal of cold water, let it boil till you can run a straw easily into the
skin, take it up, pull off the large scales, and when cold, put it in a
pot, and cover it with one part vinegar, and two of salt and water; keep
it closely stopped, and when served, garnish with green fennel.
* * * * *
TO CAVEACH FISH.
Cut the fish in pieces the thickness of your hand, wash it and dry it in
a cloth, sprinkle on some pepper and salt, dredge it with flour, and fry
it a nice brown; when it gets cold, put it in a pot with a little
chopped onion between the layers, take as much vinegar and water as will
cover it, mix with it some oil, pounded mace, and whole black pepper,
pour it on, and stop the pot closely. This is a very convenient article,
as it makes an excellent and ready addition to a dinner or supper. When
served up, it should be garnished with green fennel, or parsley.
* * * * *
TO DRESS COD FISH.
Boil the fish tender, pick it from the bones, take an equal quantity of
Irish potatos, or parsnips boiled and chopped, and the same of onions
well boiled; add a sufficiency of melted butter, some grated nutmeg,
pepper, and salt, with a little brandy or wine; rub them in a mortar
till well mixed; if too stiff, liquify it with cream or thickened milk,
put paste in the bottom of a dish, pour in the fish, and bake it. For
change, it may be baked in the form of patties.
* * * * *
COD FISH PIE.
Soak the fish, boil it and take off the skin, pick the meat from the
bones, and mince it very fine; take double the quantity of your fish, of
stale bread grated; pour over it as much new milk, boiling hot, as will
wet it completely, add minced parsley, nutmeg, pepper, and made mustard,
with as much melted butter as will make it sufficiently rich; the
quantity must be determined by that of the other ingredients--beat these
together very well, add the minced fish, mix it all, cover the bottom of
the dish with good paste, pour the fish in, put on a lid and bake it.
* * * * *
TO DRESS ANY KIND OF SALTED FISH.
Take the quantity necessary for the dish, wash them, and lay them in
fresh water for a night; then put them on the tin plate with holes, and
place it in the fish kettle--sprinkle over it pounded cloves and pepper,
with four cloves of garlic; put in a bundle of sweet herbs and parsley,
a large spoonful of tarragon, and two of common vinegar, with a pint of
wine; roll one quarter of a pound of butter in two spoonsful of flour,
cut it in small pieces, and put it over the fish--cover it closely, and
simmer it over a slow fire half an hour; take the fish out carefully,
and lay it in the dish, set it over hot water, and cover it till the
gravy has boiled a little longer--take out the garlic and herbs, pour it
over the fish, and serve it up. It is very good when eaten cold with
salad, garnished with parsley.
* * * * *
TO FRICASSEE COD SOUNDS AND TONGUES.
Soak them all night in fresh water, take off the skins, cut them in two
pieces, and boil them in milk and water till quite tender, drain them in
a colander, and season with nutmeg, pepper, and a little salt--take as
much new milk as will make sauce for it, roll a good lump of butter in
flour, melt it in the milk, put the fish in, set it over the fire, and
stir it till thick enough, and serve it up.
* * * * *
AN EXCELLENT WAY TO DRESS FISH.
Dredge the fish well with flour, sprinkle salt and pepper on them, and
fry them a nice brown; set them by to get cold; put a quarter of a pound
of butter in a frying pan; when it boils, fry tomatos with the skins
taken off, parsley nicely picked, and a very little chopped onion; when
done, add as much water as will make sauce for the fish--season it with
pepper, salt, and pounded cloves; add some wine and mushroom catsup, put
the fish in, and when thoroughly heated, serve it up.
* * * * *
FISH A-LA-DAUB.
Boil as many large white perch as will be sufficient for the dish; do
not take off their heads, and be careful not to break their skins; when
cold, place them in the dish, and cover them with savoury jelly broken.
A nice piece of rock-fish is excellent done in the same way.
* * * * *
FISH IN JELLY.
Fill a deep glass dish half full of jelly--have as many small
fish-moulds as will lie conveniently in it fill them with blanc mange;
when they are cold, and the jelly set, lay them on it, as if going in
different directions; put in a little more jelly, and let it get cold,
to keep the fish in their places--then fill the dish so as to cover
them. The jelly should be made of hog's feet, very light coloured, and
perfectly transparent.
* * * * *
TO MAKE EGG SAUCE FOR A SALT COD.
Boil four eggs hard, first half chop the white, then put in the yelks,
and chop them both together, but not very small; put them into half a
pound of good melted butter, and let it boil up--then pour it on the
fish.
* * * * *
TO DRESS COD SOUNDS.
Steep your sounds as you do the salt cod, and boil them in a large
quantity of milk and water; when they are very tender and white, take
them up, and drain the water out and skin them; then pour the egg sauce
boiling hot over them, and serve them up.
* * * * *
TO STEW CARP.
Gut and scale your fish, wash and dry them well with a clean cloth,
dredge them with flour, fry them in lard until they are a light brown,
and then put them in a stew pan with half a pint of water, and half a
pint of red wine, a meat spoonful of lemon pickle, the same of walnut
catsup, a little mushroom powder and cayenne to your taste, a large
onion stuck with cloves, and a slick of horse-radish; cover your pan
close up to keep in the steam; let them stew gently over a stove fire,
till the gravy is reduced to just enough to cover your fish in the dish;
then take the fish out, and put them on the dish you intend for the
table, set the gravy on the fire, and thicken it with flour, and a large
lump of butter; boil it a little, and strain it over your fish; garnish
them with pickled mushrooms and scraped horse-radish, and send them to
the table.
* * * * *
TO BOIL EELS.
Clean the eels, and cut off their heads, dry them, and turn them round
on your fish plate, boil them in salt and water, and make parsley sauce
for them.
* * * * *
TO PITCHCOCK EELS.
Skin and wash your eels, then dry them with a cloth, sprinkle them with
pepper, salt, and a little dried sage, turn them backward and forward,
and skewer them; rub a gridiron with beef suet, broil them a nice brown,
put them on a dish with good melted butter, and lay around fried
parsley.
* * * * *
TO BROIL EELS.
When you have skinned and cleansed your eels as before, rub them with
the yelk of an egg, strew over them bread crumbs, chopped parsley, sage,
pepper, and salt; baste them well with butter, and set them in a
dripping pan; serve them up with parsley and butter for sauce.
* * * * *
TO SCOLLOP OYSTERS.
When the oysters are opened, put them in a bowl, and wash them out of
their own liquor; put some in the scollop shells, strew over them a few
bread crumbs, and lay a slice of butter on them, then more oysters,
bread crumbs, and a slice of butter on the top; put them into a Dutch
oven to brown, and serve them up in the shells.
* * * * *
TO FRY OYSTERS.
Take a quarter of a hundred of large oysters, wash them and roll them in
grated bread, with pepper and salt, and fry them a light brown; if you
choose, you may add a little parsley, shred fine. They are a proper
garnish for calves' head, or most made dishes.
* * * * *
TO MAKE OYSTER LOAVES.
Take little round loaves, cut off the tops, scrape out all the crumbs,
then put the oysters into a stew pan with the crumbs that came out of
the loaves, a little water, and a good lump of butter; stew them
together ten or fifteen minutes, then put in a spoonful of good cream,
fill your loaves, lay the bit of crust carefully on again, set them in
the oven to crisp. Three are enough for a side dish.
* * * * *
POULTRY, &c.
TO ROAST A GOOSE.
Chop a few sage leaves and two onions very fine, mix them with a good
lump of butter, a tea-spoonful of pepper, and two of salt, put it in the
goose, then split it, lay it down, and dust it with flour; when it is
thoroughly hot, baste it with nice lard; if it be a large one, it will
require an hour and a half, before a good clear fire; when it is enough,
dredge and baste it, pull out the spit, and pour in a little boiling
water.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SAUCE FOR A GOOSE.
Pare, core and slice some apples; put them in a sauce pan, with as much
water as will keep them from burning, set them over a very slow fire,
keep them closely covered till reduced to a pulp, then put in a lump of
butter, and sugar to your taste, beat them well, and send them to the
table in a china bowl.
* * * * *
TO BOIL DUCKS WITH ONION SAUCE.
Scald and draw your ducks, put them in warm water for a few minutes,
then take them out and put them in an earthen pot; pour over them a pint
of boiling milk, and let them lie in it two or three hours; when you
take them out, dredge them well with flour, and put them in a copper of
cold water; put on the cover, let them boil slowly twenty minutes, then
take them out, and smother them with onion sauce.
* * * * *
TO MAKE ONION SAUCE.
Boil eight or ten large onions, change the water two or three times
while they are boiling; when enough, chop them on a board to keep them a
good colour, put them in a sauce pan with a quarter of a pound of butter
and two spoonsful of thick cream; boil it a little, and pour it over the
ducks.
* * * * *
TO ROAST DUCKS.
When you have drawn the ducks, shred one onion and a few sage leaves,
put them into the ducks with pepper and salt, spit and dust them with
flour, and baste them with lard; if your fire be very hot, they will
roast in twenty minutes; and the quicker they are roasted, the better
they will taste. Just before you take them from the spit, dust them with
flour and baste them. Get ready some gravy made of the gizzards and
pinions, a large blade of mace, a few pepper corns, a spoonful of
catsup, a tea-spoonful of lemon pickle; strain it and pour it on the
ducks, and send onion sauce in a boat.
* * * * *
TO BOIL A TURKEY WITH OYSTER SAUCE.
Grate a loaf of bread, chop a score or more of oysters fine, add nutmeg,
pepper and salt to your taste, mix it up into a light forcemeat with a
quarter of a pound of butter, a spoonful or two of cream, and three
eggs; stuff the craw with it, and make the rest into balls and boil
them; sew up the turkey, dredge it well with flour, put it in a kettle
of cold water, cover it, and set it over the fire; as the scum begins to
rise, take it off, let it boil very slowly for half an hour, then take
off your kettle and keep it closely covered; if it be of a middle size,
let it stand in the hot water half an hour, the steam being kept in,
will stew it enough, make it rise, keep the skin whole, tender, and very
white; when you dish it, pour on a little oyster sauce, lay the balls
round, and serve it up with the rest of the sauce in a boat.
N.B. Set on the turkey in time, that it may stew as above; it is the
best way to boil one to perfection. Put it over the fire to heat, just
before you dish it up.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SAUCE FOR A TURKEY.
As you open the oysters, put a pint into a bowl, wash them out of their
own liquor, and put them in another bowl; when the liquor has settled,
pour it off into a sauce pan with a little white gravy, and a
tea-spoonful of lemon pickle--thicken it with flour and a good lump of
butter; boil it three or four minutes, put in a spoonful of good cream,
add the oysters, keep shaking them over the fire till they are quite
hot, but don't let them boil, for it will make them hard and appear
small.
* * * * *
TO ROAST A TURKEY.
Make the forcemeat thus: take the crumb of a loaf of bread, a quarter of
a pound of beef suet shred fine, a little sausage meat or veal scraped
and pounded very fine, nutmeg, pepper, and salt to your taste; mix it
lightly with three eggs, stuff the craw with it, spit it, and lay it
down a good distance from the fire, which should be clear and brisk;
dust and baste it several times with cold lard; it makes the froth
stronger than basting it with the hot out of the dripping pan, and makes
the turkey rise better; when it is enough, froth it up as before, dish
it, and pour on the same gravy as for the boiled turkey, or bread sauce;
garnish with lemon and pickles, and serve it up; if it be of a middle
size, it will require one hour and a quarter to roast.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SAUCE FOR A TURKEY.
Cut the crumb of a loaf of bread in thin slices, and put it in cold
water with a few pepper corns, a little salt and onion--then boil it
till the bread is quite soft, beat it well, put in a quarter of a pound
of butter, two spoonsful of thick cream, and put it in the dish with the
turkey.
* * * * *
TO BOIL FOWLS.
Dust the fowls well with flour, put them in a kettle of cold water,
cover it close, set it on the fire; when the scum begins to rise, take
it off, let them boil very slowly for twenty minutes, then take them
off, cover them close, and the heat of the water will stew them enough
in half an hour; it keeps the skin whole, and they will be both whiter
and plumper than if they had boiled fast; when you take them up, drain
them, and pour over them white sauce or melted butter.
* * * * *
TO MAKE WHITE SAUCE FOR FOWLS.
Take a scrag of veal, the necks of fowls, or any bits of mutton or veal
you have; put them in a sauce pan with a blade or two of mace, a few
black pepper corns, one anchovy, a head of celery, a bunch of sweet
herbs, a slice of the end of a lemon; put in a quart of water, cover it
close, let it boil till it is reduced to half a pint, strain it, and
thicken it with a quarter of a pound of butter mixed with flour, boil it
five or six minutes, put in two spoonsful of pickled mushrooms, mix the
yelks of two eggs with a tea cup full of good cream and a little
nutmeg--put it in the sauce, keep shaking it over the fire, but don't
let it boil.
* * * * *
FRICASSEE OF SMALL CHICKENS.
Take off the legs and wings of four chickens, separate the breasts from
the backs, cut off the necks and divide the backs across, clean the
gizzards nicely, put them with the livers and other parts of the
chicken, after being washed clean, into a sauce pan, add pepper, salt,
and a little mace, cover them with water, and stew them till
tender--then take them out, thicken half a pint of the water with two
table spoonsful of flour rubbed into four ounces of butter, add half a
pint of new milk, boil all together a few minutes, then add a gill of
white wine, stirring it in carefully that it may not curdle; put the
chickens in, and continue to shake the pan until they are sufficiently
hot, and serve them up.
* * * * *
TO ROAST LARGE FOWLS.
Take the fowls when they are ready dressed, put them down to a good
fire, dredge and baste them well with lard; they will be near an hour in
roasting; make a gravy of the necks and gizzards, strain it, put in a
spoonful of brown flour; when you dish them, pour on the gravy, and
serve them up with egg sauce in a boat.
* * * * *
TO MAKE EGG SAUCE.
Boil four eggs for ten minutes, chop half the whites, put them with the
yelks, and chop them both together, but not very fine; put them into a
quarter of a pound of good melted butter, and put it in a boat.
* * * * *
TO BOIL YOUNG CHICKENS.
Put the chickens in scalding water; as soon as the feathers will slip
off, take them out, or it will make the skin hard and break: when you
have drawn them, lay them in skimmed milk for two hours, then truss and
dust them well with flour, put them in cold water, cover them close, set
them over a very slow fire, take off the scum, let them boil slowly for
five or six minutes, take them off the fire, keep them closely covered
in the water for half an hour, it will stew them enough; when you are
going to dish them, set them over the fire to make them hot, drain them,
and pour over white sauce made the same way as for the boiled fowls.
* * * * *
TO ROAST YOUNG CHICKENS.
When you kill young chickens, pluck them very carefully, truss and put
them down to a good fire, dredge and baste them with lard; they will
take a quarter of an hour in roasting; froth them up, lay them on the
dish, pour butter and parsley on, and serve them up hot.
* * * * *
FRIED CHICKENS.
Cut them up as for the fricassee, dredge them well with flour, sprinkle
them with salt, put them into a good quantity of boiling lard, and fry
them a light brown; fry small pieces of mush and a quantity of parsley
nicely picked, to be served in the dish with the chickens; take half a
pint of rich milk, add to it a small bit of butter, with pepper, salt,
and chopped parsley; stew it a little, and pour it over the chickens,
and then garnish with the fried parsley.
* * * * *
TO ROAST WOODCOCKS OR SNIPES.
Pluck, but do not draw them, put them on a small spit, dredge and baste
them well with lard, toast a few slices of bread, put them on a clean
plate, and set it under the birds while they are roasting; if the fire
be good, they will take about ten minutes; when you take them from the
spit, lay them upon the toasts on the dish, pour melted butter round
them, and serve them up.
* * * * *
TO ROAST WILD DUCKS OR TEAL.
When the ducks are ready dressed, put in them a small onion, pepper,
salt, and a spoonful of red wine; if the fire be good, they will roast
in twenty minutes; make gravy of the necks and gizzards, a spoonful of
red wine, half an anchovy, a blade or two of mace, one onion, and a
little cayenne pepper; boil it till it is wasted to half a pint, strain
it through a hair sieve, and pour it on the ducks--serve them up with
onion sauce in a boat; garnish the dish with raspings of bread.
* * * * *
TO BOIL PIGEONS.
Scald the pigeons, draw them, take the craw out, wash them in several
waters, cut off the pinions, turn the legs under the wings, dredge them,
and put them in soft cold water; boil them slowly a quarter of an hour,
dish them up, pour over them good melted butter, lay round a little
brocoli in bunches, and send butter and parsley in a boat.
* * * * *
TO ROAST PIGEONS.
When you have dressed your pigeons as before, roll a good lump of butter
in chopped parsley, with pepper and salt, put it in your pigeons, spit,
dust and baste them; if the fire be good, they will roast in twenty
minutes; when they are through, lay round them bunches of asparagus,
with parsley and butter for sauce.
* * * * *
TO ROAST PARTRIDGES OR ANY SMALL BIRDS.
Lard them with slips of bacon, put them on a skewer, tie it to the spit
at both ends, dredge and baste them, let them roast ten minutes, take
the grated crumb of half a loaf of bread, with a piece of butter, the
size of a walnut, put it in a stew pan, and shake it over a gentle fire
till it is of a light brown, lay it between your birds, and pour over
them a little melted butter.
* * * * *
TO BROIL RABBITS.
When you have cased the rabbits, skewer them with their heads straight
up, the fore-legs brought down, and the hind-legs straight; boil them
three quarters of an hour at least, then smother them with onion sauce,
made the same as for boiled ducks, and serve them up.
* * * * *
TO ROAST RABBITS.
When you have cased the rabbits, skewer their heads with their mouths
upon their backs, stick their fore-legs into their ribs, skewer the
hind-legs doubled, then make a pudding for them of the crumb of half a
loaf of bread, a little parsley, sweet marjoram and thyme, all shred
fine, nutmeg, salt and pepper to your taste, mix them up into a light
stuffing, with a quarter of a pound of butter, a little good cream, and
two eggs; put it into the body, and sew them up; dredge and baste them
well with lard, roast them near an hour, serve them up with parsley and
butter for sauce, chop the livers, and lay them in lumps round the edge
of the dish.
* * * * *
TO STEW WILD DUCKS.
Having prepared the fowls, rub the insides with salt, pepper, and a
little powdered cloves; put a shallot or two with a lump of butter in
the body of each, then lay them in a pan that will just hold them,
putting butter under and over them, with vinegar and water, and add
pepper, salt, lemon peel, and a bunch of sweet herbs; then cover the pan
close, and let them stew till done--pass the liquor through a sieve,
pour it over the ducks, and serve them up hot, with a garnish of lemon
sliced, and raspings of bread fried. The same way may teal, &c. be
dressed.
* * * * *
TO DRESS DUCKS WITH JUICE OF ORANGES.
The ducks being singed, picked, and drawn, mince the livers with a
little scraped bacon, some butter, green onions, sweet herbs and
parsley, seasoned with salt, pepper, and mushrooms; these being all
minced together, put them into the bodies of the ducks, and roast them,
covered with slices of bacon, and wrapped up in paper; then put a little
gravy, the juice of an orange, a few shallots minced, into a stew pan,
and shake in a little pepper; when the ducks are roasted, take off the
bacon, dish them, and pour your sauce with the juice of oranges over
them, and serve them up hot.
* * * * *
TO DRESS DUCKS WITH ONIONS.
Stuff the ducks as before, cut the roots off small onions, blanch them
in scalding water, then pick and put them into a stew pan with a little
gravy, set them over a gentle fire, and let them simmer; when they are
done, thicken them with cream and flour, and when the ducks are roasted,
dish them, pour the ragout of onions over, and serve them up hot.
* * * * *
TO ROAST A CALF'S HEAD.
Wash and pick the head very nicely; having taken out the brains and
tongue, prepare a good quantity of forced meat, with veal and suet well
seasoned; fill the hole of the head with this forced meat, skewer and
tie it together upon the spit, and roast it for an hour and a half. Beat
up the brains with a little sage and parsley shred fine, a little salt,
and the yelks of two or three eggs; boil the tongue, peel, and cut it
into large dice, fry that with the brains, also some of the forced meat
made up into balls, and slices of bacon. Let the sauce be strong gravy,
with oysters, mushrooms, capers, and a little white wine thickened.
* * * * *
TO MAKE A DISH OF CURRY AFTER THE EAST INDIAN MANNER.
Cut two chickens as for fricassee, wash them clean, and put them in a
stew pan with as much water as will cover them; sprinkle them with a
large spoonful of salt, and let them boil till tender, covered close all
the time, and skim them well; when boiled enough, take up the chickens,
and put the liquor of them into a pan, then put half a pound of fresh
butter in the pan, and brown it a little; put into it two cloves of
garlic, and a large onion sliced, and let these all fry till brown,
often shaking the pan; then put in the chickens, and sprinkle over them
two or three spoonsful of curry powder; then cover the pan close, and
let the chickens do till brown, often shaking the pan; then put in the
liquor the chickens were boiled in, and let all stew till tender; if
acid is agreeable squeeze the juice of a lemon or orange in it.
* * * * *
DISH OF RICE TO BE SERVED UP WITH THE CURRY, IN A DISH BY ITSELF.
Take half a pound of rice, wash it clean in salt and water--then put it
into two quarts of boiling water, and boil it briskly twenty minutes;
strain it through a colander and shake it into a dish, but do not touch
it with your fingers nor with a spoon.
Beef, veal, mutton, rabbits, fish, &c. may be curried and sent to table
with or without the dish of rice.
Curry powder is used as a fine flavoured seasoning for fish, fowls,
steaks, chops, veal cutlets, hashes, minces, alamodes, turtle soup, and
in all rich dishes, gravies, sauce, &c. &c.
* * * * *
OCHRA AND TOMATOS.
Take an equal quantity of each, let the ochra be young, slice it, and
skin the tomatos; put them into a pan without water, add a lump of
butter, an onion chopped fine, some pepper and salt, and stew them one
hour.
* * * * *
GUMBO--A WEST INDIA DISH.
Gather young pods of ochra, wash them clean, and put them in a pan with
a little water, salt and pepper, stew them till tender, and serve them
with melted butter. They are very nutritious, and easy of digestion.
* * * * *
PEPPER POT.
Boil two or three pounds of tripe, cut it in pieces, and put it on the
fire with a knuckle of veal, and a sufficient quantity of water; part of
a pod of pepper, a little spice, sweet herbs according to your taste,
salt, and some dumplins; stew it till tender, and thicken the gravy with
butter and flour.
* * * * *
SPANISH METHOD OF DRESSING GIBLETS.
Take the entrails of fat full grown fowls, empty them of their
contents--open them with a sharp knife, scrape off the inner coat; wash
them clean, and put them on to boil with the liver, gizzard, and other
giblets; add salt, pepper, and chopped onion--when quite tender, set
them by to cool; put some nice dripping or butter in a pan, when it
boils put the giblets, add salt, fry them a nice brown; when nearly
done, break six eggs in a bowl, beat them a little, pour them over the
giblets, stir them for a few minutes, and serve them up.
* * * * *
PASTE FOR MEAT DUMPLINS.
Chop half a pound of suet very fine--add one and a quarter pound of
flour, and a little salt--mix it up with half a pint of milk, knead it
till it looks light; take a bowl of proper size, rub the inside with
butter, roll out the paste and lay it in; parboil beef steaks,
mutton-chops, or any kind of meat you like; season it and lay it in the
bowl--fill it with rich gravy, close the paste over the top--get a very
thick cloth that will keep out the water; wet and flour it, place it
over the top of the bowl--gather it at bottom and tie it very securely;
the water must boil when you put it in--when done, dip the top in cold
water for a moment, that the cloth may not stick to the paste; untie and
take it off carefully--put a dish on the bowl and turn it over--if
properly made, it will come out without breaking; have gravy in a boat
to eat with it.
* * * * *
TO MAKE AN OLLO--A SPANISH DISH.
Take two pounds beef, one pound mutton, a chicken, or half a pullet, and
a small piece of pork; put them into a pot with very little water, and
set it on the fire at ten o'clock, to stew gently; you must sprinkle
over it an onion chopped small, some pepper and salt, before you pour in
the water; at half after twelve, put into the pot two or three apples or
pears, peeled and cut in two, tomatos with the skin taken off, cimblins
cut in pieces, a handful of mint chopped, lima beans, snaps, and any
kind of vegetable you like; let them all stew together till three
o'clock; some cellery tops cut small, and added at half after two, will
improve it much.
* * * * *
ROPA VEIJA--SPANISH.
Peel the skin from ripe tomatos, put them in a pan with a spoonful of
melted butter, some pepper and salt, shred cold meat or fowl; put it in,
and fry it sufficiently.
* * * * *
CHICKEN PUDDING, A FAVOURITE VIRGINIA DISH.
Beat ten eggs very light, add to them a quart of rich milk, with a
quarter of a pound of butter melted, and some pepper and salt; stir in
as much flour as will make a thin good batter; take four young chickens,
and after cleaning them nicely, cut off the legs, wings, &c. put them
all in a sauce pan, with some salt and water, and a bundle of thyme and
parsley, boil them till nearly done, then take the chicken from the
water and put it in the batter pour it in a dish, and bake it; send nice
white gravy in a boat.
* * * * *
TO MAKE POLENTA.
Put a large spoonful of butter in a quart of water, wet your corn meal
with cold water in a bowl, add some salt, and make it quite smooth, then
put it in the buttered water when it is hot, let it boil, stirring it
continually till done; as soon as you can handle it, make it into a
ball, and let it stand till quite cold--then cut it in thin slices, lay
them in the bottom of a deep dish so as to cover it, put on it slices of
cheese, and on that a few bits of butter; then mush, cheese and butter,
until the dish is full; put on the top thin slices of cheese and butter,
put the dish in a quick oven; twenty or thirty minutes will bake it.
* * * * *
MACARONI.
Boil as much macaroni as will fill your dish, in milk and water, till
quite tender; drain it on a sieve sprinkle a little salt over it, put a
layer in your dish then cheese and butter as in the polenta, and bake it
in the same manner.
* * * * *
MOCK MACARONI.
Break some crackers in small pieces, soak them in milk until they are
soft; then use them as a substitute for macaroni.
* * * * *
TO MAKE CROQUETS.
Take cold fowl or fresh meat of any kind, with slices of ham, fat and
lean--chop them together very fine, add half as much stale bread grated,
salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, a tea-spoonful of made mustard, a
table-spoonful of catsup, and a lump of butter; knead all well together
till it resembles sausage meat, make them in cakes, dip them in the yelk
of an egg beaten, cover them thickly with grated bread, and fry them a
light brown.
* * * * *
TO MAKE VERMECELLI.
Beat two or three fresh eggs quite light, make them into a stiff paste
with flour, knead it well, and roll it out very thin, cut it in narrow
strips, give them a twist, and dry them quickly on tin sheets. It is an
excellent ingredient in most soups, particularly those that are thin.
Noodles are made in the same manner, only instead of strips they should
be cut in tiny squares and dried. They are also good in soups.
* * * * *
COMMON PATTIES.
Take some veal, fat and lean, and some slices of boiled ham, chop them
very fine, and season it with salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, and a small
quantity of parsley and thyme minced very fine; with a little gravy make
some paste, cover the bottoms of small moulds, fill them with the meat,
put thin lids on, and bake them crisp; five is enough for a side dish.
* * * * *
EGGS IN CROQUETS.
Boil eighteen eggs, separate the yelks and whites, and cut them in dice;
pour over them a sauce a-la-creme, _(see sauce a-la-creme,)_ add a
little grated bread, mix all well together, and let it get cold; put in
some salt and pepper, make them into cakes, cover them well on both
sides with grated bread, let them stand an hour, and fry them a nice
brown; dry them a little before the fire, and dish them while quite hot.
* * * * *
OMELETTE SOUFFLE.
Break six eggs, beat the yelks and whites separately till very light,
then mix them, add four table spoonsful of powdered sugar, and a little
grated lemon peel; put a quarter of a pound of butter in a pan; when
melted, pour in the eggs and stir them; when they have absorbed the
butter, turn it on a plate previously buttered, sprinkle some powdered
sugar, set it in a hot Dutch oven, and when a little brown, serve it up
for a desert.
* * * * *
FONDUS.
Put a pint of water, and a lump of butter the size of an egg, into a
sauce pan; stir in as much flour as will make a thick batter, put it on
the fire, and stir it continually till it will not stick to the pan; put
it in a bowl, add three quarters of a pound of grated cheese, mix it
well, then break in two eggs, beat them well, then two more until you
put in six; when it looks very light, drop it in small lumps on buttered
paper, bake it in a quick oven till of a delicate brown; you may use
corn meal instead of flour for a change.
* * * * *
A NICE TWELVE O'CLOCK LUNCHEON.
Cut some slices of bread tolerably thick, and toast them slightly; bone
some anchovies, lay half of one on each toast, cover it well with grated
cheese and chopped parsley mixed; pour a little melted butter on, and
brown it with a salamander; it must be done on the dish you send it to
table in.
* * * * *
EGGS A-LA-CREME.
Boil twelve eggs just hard enough to allow you to cut them in
slices--cut some crusts of bread very thin, put them in the bottom and
round the sides of a moderately deep dish, place the eggs in, strewing
each layer with the stale bread grated, and some pepper and salt.
* * * * *
SAUCE A-LA-CREME, FOR THE EGGS.
Put a quarter of a pound of butter, with a large table-spoonful of flour
rubbed well into it in a sauce pan; add some chopped parsley, a little
onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and a gill of cream; stir it over the fire
until it begins to boil, then pour it over the eggs, cover the top with
grated bread, set it in a Dutch oven with a heated top, and when a light
brown, send it to table.
* * * * *
CABBAGE A-LA-CREME.
Take two good heads of cabbage, cut out the stalks, boil it tender, with
a little salt in the water--have ready one large spoonful of butter, and
a small one of flour rubbed into it, half a pint of milk, with pepper
and salt; make it hot, put the cabbage in after pressing out the water,
and stew it till quite tender.
* * * * *
TO MAKE AN OMELETTE.
Break six or eight eggs in a dish, beat them a little, add parsley and
chives chopped small, with pepper and salt; mix all well together, put a
piece of butter in a pan, let it melt over a clear fire till nearly
brown; pour in the eggs, stir it in, and in a few minutes it will be
done sufficiently; double it, and dish it quite hot.
* * * * *
OMELETTE--ANOTHER WAY.
Break six eggs, leave out half the whites--beat them with a fork, and
add some salt and chopped parsley; take four ounces of fresh butter, cut
half of it in small pieces, put them in the omelette, put the other half
in a small frying pan; when melted, pour in the eggs; stir till it
begins to set, then turn it up round the edges; when done, put a plate
on and turn the pan up, that it may not break--the omelette must be
thick, and great care must be taken in frying; instead of parsley, you
may use any kind of sweet herb or onion chopped fine, anchovy minced,
rasped beef, ham or tongue.
* * * * *
GASPACHO--SPANISH
Put some soft biscuit or toasted bread in the bottom of a sallad bowl,
put in a layer of sliced tomatos with the skin taken off, and one of
sliced cucumbers, sprinkled with pepper, salt, and chopped onion; do
this until the bowl is full; stew some tomatos quite soft, strain the
juice, mix in some mustard, oil, and water, and pour over it; make it
two hours before it is eaten.
* * * * *
EGGS AND TOMATOS.
Peel the skins from a dozen large tomatos, put four ounces of butter in
a frying pan, add some salt, pepper, and a little chopped onion; fry
them a few minutes, add the tomatos, and chop them while frying; when
nearly done, break in six eggs, stir them quickly, and serve them up.
* * * * *
TO FRICASSEE EGGS.
Boil six eggs for five minutes, lay them in cold water, peel them
carefully, dredge them lightly with flour, beat one egg light, dip the
hard eggs in, roll them in bread crumbs, seasoned with pepper, salt, and
grated nutmeg; cover them well with this, and let them stand some time
to dry--fry them in boiling lard, and serve them up with any kind of
rich, well seasoned gravy, and garnish with crisped parsley.
* * * * *
SAUCES.
FISH SAUCE, TO KEEP A YEAR.
Chop twenty-four anchovies, bones and all, two shallots, a handful of
scraped horse radish, four blades of mace, one quart of white wine, one
pint of anchovy liquor, one pint of claret, twelve cloves, and twelve
pepper corns; boil them together till reduced to a quart, then strain it
off into a bottle for use Two spoonsful will be sufficient for a pound
of butter.
* * * * *
SAUCE FOR WILD FOWL.
Take a gill of claret, with as much water, some grated bread, three
heads of shallots, a little whole pepper, mace, grated nutmeg, and salt;
let them stew over the fire, then beat it up with butter, and put it
under the wild fowl, which being a little roasted, will afford gravy to
mix with this sauce.
* * * * *
SAUCE FOR BOILED RABBITS.
Boil the livers, and shred them very small, chop two eggs not boiled
very hard, a large spoonful of grated white bread, some broth, sweet
herbs, two spoonsful of white wine, one of vinegar, a little salt, and
some butter; stir all together, and take care the butter does not oil.
* * * * *
GRAVY.
Take a rasher or two of bacon, and lay it at the bottom of a stew pan,
putting either veal, mutton, or beef, cut in slices, over it; then add
some sliced onions, turnips, carrots, celery, a little thyme, and
alspice. Put in a little water, and set it on the fire, stewing till it
be brown at the bottom, which you will know from the pan's hissing; then
pour boiling water over it, and stew it an hour and a half; but the time
must be regulated by the quantity. Season it with salt and pepper.
* * * * *
FORCEMEAT BALLS.
Take half a pound of veal, and half a pound of suet cut fine, and beat
in a marble mortar or wooden bowl; add a few sweet herbs shred fine, a
little mace pounded fine, a small nutmeg grated, a little lemon peel,
some pepper and salt, and the yelks of two eggs; mix them well together,
and make them into balls and long pieces--then roll them in flour, and
fry them brown. If they are for the use of white sauce, do not fry them,
but put them in a sauce-pan of hot water and let them boil a few
minutes.
* * * * *
SAUCE FOR BOILED DUCKS OR RABBITS.
Pour boiled onions over your ducks, or rabbits, prepared in this manner:
peel some onions, and boil them in plenty of water; then change the
first water, and boil them two hours: take them up and put them in a
colander to drain, and afterwards chop them on a board; then put them in
a sauce-pan, sprinkle a little flour over them, and put in a large piece
of butter, with a little milk or cream. Set them over the fire, and when
the butter is melted, they will be done enough. This is a good sauce for
mutton also.
* * * * *
LOBSTER SAUCE.
Boil a little mace, and whole pepper, long enough to take out the strong
taste of the spice; then strain it off, and melt three quarters of a
pound of butter in it. Cut the lobster in very small pieces, and stew it
till it is tender.
* * * * *
SHRIMP SAUCE.
Wash half a pint of shrimps very clean--mince and put them in a
stew-pan, with a spoonful of anchovy liquor, and a pound of thick melted
butter; boil it up for five minutes, and squeeze in half a lemon. Toss
it up, and put it in a sauce-boat.
* * * * *
OYSTER SAUCE FOR FISH.
Scald a pint of oysters, and strain them through a sieve; then wash some
more in cold water, and take off their beards; put them in a stew-pan,
and pour the liquor over them; then add a large spoonful of anchovy
liquor, half a lemon, two blades of mace, and thicken it with butter
rolled in flour. Put in half a pound of butter, and boil it till it is
melted--take out the mace and lemon, and squeeze the lemon juice into
the sauce; boil it, and stir it all the time, and put it in a boat.
* * * * *
CELERY SAUCE.
Wash and pare a large bunch of celery very clean cut it into little
bits, and boil it softly till it is tender; add half a pint of cream,
some mace, nutmeg, and a small piece of butter rolled in flour; then
boil it gently. This is a good sauce for roasted or boiled fowls,
turkeys, partridges, or any other game.
* * * * *
MUSHROOM SAUCE.
Clean and wash one quart of fresh mushrooms, cut them in two, and put
them into a stew-pan, with a little salt, a blade of mace, and a little
butter; stew them gently for half an hour, and then add half a pint of
cream, and the yelks of two eggs beat very well--keep stirring it till
it boils up. Put it over the fowls or turkies--or you may put it on a
dish with a piece of fried bread first buttered--then toasted brown, and
just dipped into boiling water. This is very good sauce for white fowls
of all kinds.
* * * * *
COMMON SAUCE.
Plain butter melted thick, with a spoonful of walnut pickle or catsup,
is a very good sauce; but you may put as many things as you choose into
sauces.
* * * * *
TO MELT BUTTER.
Nothing is more simple than this process, and nothing so generally done
badly. Keep a quart tin sauce-pan, with a cover to it, exclusively for
this purpose; weigh one quarter of a pound of good butter; rub into it
two tea-spoonsful of flour; when well mixed, put it in the sauce-pan
with one table-spoonful of water, and a little salt; cover it, and set
the sauce-pan in a larger one of boiling water; shake it constantly till
completely melted, and beginning to boil. If the pan containing the
butter be set on coals, it will oil the butter and spoil it. This
quantity is sufficient for one sauce-boat. A great variety of delicious
sauces can be made, by adding different herbs to melted butter, all of
which are excellent to eat with fish, poultry, or boiled butchers' meat.
To begin with parsley--wash a large bunch very clean, pick the leaves
from the stems carefully, boil them ten minutes in salt and water, drain
them perfectly dry, mince them exceedingly fine, and stir them in the
butter when it begins to melt. When herbs are added to butter, you must
put two spoonsful of water instead of one. Chervil, young fennel,
burnet, tarragon, and cress, or pepper-grass, may all be used, and must
be prepared in the same manner as the parsley.
* * * * *
CAPER SAUCE.
Is made by mixing a sufficient quantity of capers, and adding them to
the melted butter, with a little of the liquor from the capers; where
capers cannot be obtained, pickled nasturtiums make a very good
substitute, or even green pickle minced and put with the butter.
* * * * *
OYSTER CATSUP.
Get fine fresh oysters, wash them in their own liquor, put them in a
marble mortar with salt, pounded mace, and cayenne pepper, in the
proportions of one ounce salt, two drachms mace, and one of cayenne to
each pint of oysters; pound them together, and add a pint of white wine
to each pint; boil it some minutes, and rub it through a sieve; boil it
again, skim it, and when cold, bottle, cork, and seal it. This
composition gives a fine flavour to white sauces, and if a glass of
brandy be added, it will keep good for a considerable time.
* * * * *
CELERY VINEGAR.
Pound two gills of celery seed, put it into a bottle ind fill it with
strong vinegar; shake it every day for a fortnight, then strain it, and
keep it for use. It will impart a pleasant flavour of celery to any
thing with which it is used. A very delicious flavour of thyme may be
obtained, by gathering it when in full perfection; it must be picked
from the stalks, a large handful of it put into a jar, and a quart of
vinegar or brandy poured on it; cover it very close--next day, take all
the thyme out, put in as much more; do this a third time; then strain
it, bottle and seal it securely. This is greatly preferable to the dried
thyme commonly used, during the season when it cannot be obtained in a
fresh state. Mint may be prepared in the same way. The flavour of both
these herbs must be preserved by care in the preparation: if permitted
to stand more than twenty hours in the liquor they are infused in, a
coarse and bitter taste will be extracted, particularly from mint.
* * * * *
VEGETABLES.
TO DRESS SALAD.
To have this delicate dish in perfection, the lettuce, pepper grass,
chervil, cress, &c. should be gathered early in the morning, nicely
picked, washed, and laid in cold water, which will be improved by adding
ice; just before dinner is ready to be served, drain the water from your
salad, cut it into a bowl, giving the proper proportions of each plant;
prepare the following mixture to pour over it: boil two fresh eggs ten
minutes, put them in water to cool, then take the yelks in a soup plate,
pour on them a table spoonful of cold water, rub them with a wooden
spoon until they are perfectly dissolved; then add two spoonsful of oil:
when well mixed, put in a tea-spoonful of salt, one of powdered sugar,
and one of made mustard; when all these are united and quite smooth,
stir in two table spoonsful of common, and two of tarragon vinegar; put
it over the salad, and garnish the top with the whites of the eggs cut
into rings, and lay around the edge of the bowl young scallions, they
being the most delicate of the onion tribe.
* * * * *
TO BOIL POTATOS.
Wash them, but do not pare or cut them, unless they are very large; fill
a sauce-pan half full of potatos of equal size, (or make them so by
dividing the large ones,) put to them as much cold water as will cover
them about an inch; they are sooner boiled, and more savoury, than when
drowned in water; most boiled things are spoiled by having too little
water, but potatos are often spoiled by having too much; they must
merely be covered, and a little allowed for waste in boiling, so that
they must be just covered when done. Set them on a moderate fire till
they boil, then take them off, and set them by the fire to simmer
slowly, till they are soft enough to admit a fork; (place no dependence
on the usual test of their skin's cracking, which, if they are boiled
fast, will happen to some potatos when they are not half done, and the
inside is quite hard,) then pour off the water, (if you let the potatos
remain in the water a moment after they are done enough, they will
become waxy and watery,) uncover the sauce-pan, and set it at such a
distance from the fire as will secure it from burning; their superfluous
moisture will evaporate, and the potatos will be perfectly dry and
mealy. You may afterwards place a napkin, folded up to the size of the
sauce-pan's diameter, over the potatos, to keep them dry and mealy till
wanted, this method of managing potatos, is, in every respect, equal to
steaming them, and they are dressed in half the time.
* * * * *
TO FRY SLICED POTATOS.
Peel large potatos, 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 it on a quick fire, watch
it, and as soon as the lard boils and is still, put in the slices of
potatos, and keep moving them till they are crisp; take them up, and lay
them to drain on a sieve; send them up with very little salt sprinkled
on them.
* * * * *
POTATOS MASHED.
When the potatos are thoroughly boiled, drain and dry them perfectly,
pick out every speck, and rub them through a colander into a clean
stew-pan; to a pound of potatos put half an ounce of butter, and a
table-spoonful of milk; do not make them too moist; mix them well
together. When the potatos are getting old and specked, and in frosty
weather, this is the best way of dressing them--you may put them into
shapes, touch them over with yelk of egg, and brown them very slightly
before a slow fire.
* * * * *
POTATOS MASHED WITH ONIONS.
Prepare some onions by putting them through a sieve, and mix them with
potatos; in proportioning the onions to the potatos, you will be guided
by your wish to have more or less of their flavour.
* * * * *
TO ROAST POTATOS.
Wash and dry your potatos, (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 burned on the outside before they are warmed through.
Large potatos, will require two hours to roast them. To save time and
trouble, some cooks half boil them first.
* * * * *
TO ROAST POTATOS UNDER MEAT.
Half boil large potatos, drain the water from them, and put them into an
earthen dish or small tin pan, under meat that is roasting, and baste
them with some of the dripping; when they are browned on one side, turn
them and brown the other; send them up around the meat, or in a small
dish.
* * * * *
POTATO BALLS.
Mix mashed potatos with the yelk of an egg, roll them into balls, flour
them, or cover them with egg and bread crumbs, fry them in clean
dripping, or brown them in a Dutch oven. They are an agreeable vegetable
relish, and a supper dish.
* * * * *
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES.
Are boiled and dressed in the various ways we have just before directed
for potatos. They should be covered with thick melted butter, or a nice
white or brown sauce.
* * * * *
CABBAGE.
Pick cabbages very clean, and wash them thoroughly; then look them
carefully over again; quarter them if they are very large; put them into
a sauce pan with plenty of boiling water; if any skum rises, take it
off, put a large spoonful of salt into the sauce pan, and boil 'them
till the stalks feel tender. A young cabbage will take about twenty
minutes, or half an hour; when full grown, nearly an hour; see that they
are well covered with water all the time, and that no or smoke arises
from stirring the fire. With careful management, they will look as
beautiful when dressed as they did when growing. It will much ameliorate
the flavour of strong old cabbages, to boil them in two waters, _i.e._
when they are half done, to take them out, and put them into another
sauce pan of boiling water.
* * * * *
SAVOYS.
Are boiled in the same manner; quarter them when you send them to table.
* * * * *
SPROUTS AND YOUNG GREENS.
The receipt written for cabbages will answer as well for sprouts, only
they will be boiled enough in fifteen minutes.
* * * * *
ASPARAGUS.
Set a stew-pan with plenty of water on the fire, sprinkle a handful of
salt in it, let it boil, and skim it; then put in the asparagus prepared
thus: scrape all the stalks till they are perfectly clean; throw them
into a pan of cold water as you scrape them; when they are all done, tie
them in little bundles, of a quarter of a hundred each, with bass, if
you can get it, or tape; cut off the stalks at the bottom, that they may
be all of a length; when they are tender at the stalk, which will be in
from twenty to thirty minutes, they are done enough. Great care must be
taken to watch the exact time of their becoming tender; take them just
at that instant, and they will have their true flavour and colour; a
minute or two more boiling destroys both. While the asparagus is
boiling, toast a slice of a loaf of bread, about a half an inch thick;
brown it delicately on both sides; dip it lightly in the liquor the
asparagus was boiled in, and lay it in the middle of a dish; pour some
melted butter on the toast, and lay the asparagus upon it; let it
project beyond the asparagus, that the company may see there is a toast.
Do not pour butter over them, but send some in a boat.
* * * * *
SEA-KALE.
Is tied up in bundles, and dressed in the same way as asparagus.
* * * * *
TO SCOLLOP TOMATOS.
Peel off the skin from large, full, ripe tomatos--put a layer in the
bottom of a deep dish, cover it well with bread grated fine; sprinkle on
pepper and salt, and lay some bits of butter over them--put another
layer of each, till the dish is full--let the top be covered with crumbs
and butter--bake it a nice brown.
* * * * *
TO STEW TOMATOS.
Take off the skin, and put them in a pan with salt, pepper, and a large
piece of butter--stew them till sufficiently dry.
* * * * *
CAULIFLOWER.
Choose those that are close and white, and of a middle size--trim off
the outside leaves, cut off the stalk flat at the bottom, let them lie
in salt and water an hour before you boil them. Put them in boiling
water, with a handful of salt in it--skim it well, and let it boil
slowly till done, which a small one will be in fifteen minutes, a large
one in twenty--and take it up the moment it is enough: a few minutes
longer boiling will spoil it.
* * * * *
RED BEET ROOTS.
Are not so much used as they deserve to be; they are dressed in the same
way as parsnips, only neither scraped nor cut till after they are
boiled; they will take from an hour and a half to three hours in
boiling, according to their size; to be sent to the table with salt
fish, boiled beef, &c. When young, small and juicy, it is a very good
variety, an excellent garnish, and easily converted into a very cheap
and pleasant pickle.
* * * * *
PARSNIPS.
Are to be cooked just in the same manner as carrots; they require more
or less time, according to their size; therefore match them in size, and
you must try them by thrusting a fork into them as they are in the
water; when this goes easily through, they are done enough: boil them
from an hour to two hours, according to their size and freshness.
Parsnips are sometimes sent up mashed in the same way as turnips.
* * * * *
CARROTS.
Let them be well washed and scraped--an hour is enough for young spring
carrots; grown carrots will take from an hour and a half to two hours
and a half. The best way to try if they are done enough, is to pierce
them with a fork.
* * * * *
TURNIPS.
Peel off half an inch of the stringy outside--full grown turnips will
take about an hour and a half gentle boiling; try them with a fork, and
when tender, take them up, and lay them on a sieve till the water is
thoroughly drained from them; send them up whole; to very young turnips,
leave about two inches of green top; the old ones are better when the
water is changed as directed for cabbage.
* * * * *
TO MASH TURNIPS.
When they are boiled quite tender, squeeze them as dry as possible--put
them into a sauce pan, mash them with a wooden spoon, and rub them
through a colander; add a little bit of butter, keep stirring them till
the butter is melted and well mixed with them, and they are ready for
table.
* * * * *
TURNIP TOPS.
Are the shoots which grow out, (in the spring.) from the old turnip
roots. Put them in cold water an hour before they are dressed; the more
water they are boiled in, the better they will look; if boiled in a
small quantity of water, they will taste bitter; when the water boils,
put in a small handful of salt, and then your vegetables; they are still
better boiled with bacon in the Virginia style: if fresh and young, they
will be done in about twenty minutes--drain them on the back of a sieve,
and put them under the bacon.
* * * * *
FRENCH BEANS.
Cut off the stalk end first, and then turn to the point and strip off
the strings; if not quite fresh, have a bowl of spring water, with a
little salt dissolved in it, standing before you; as the beans are
cleansed and trimmed, throw them in; when all are done, put them on the
fire in boiling water, with some salt in it; when they have boiled
fifteen or twenty minutes, take one out and taste it; as soon as they
are tender, take them up, and throw them into a colander to drain. To
send up the beans whole, when they are young, is much the best method,
and their delicate flavour and colour is much better preserved. When a
little more grown, they must be cut lengthwise in thin slices after
stringing; and for common tables, they are split, and divided across;
but those who are nice, do not use them at such a growth as to require
splitting.
* * * * *
ARTICHOKES.
Soak them in cold water, wash them well, then put them into plenty of
boiling water, with a handful of salt, and let them boil gently till
they are tender, which will take an hour and a half, or two hours: the
surest way to know when they are done enough, is to draw out a leaf;
trim them, and drain them on a sieve, and send up melted butter with
them, with some put into small cups, so that each guest may have one.
* * * * *
BROCOLI.
The kind which bears flowers around the joints of the stalks, must be
cut into convenient lengths for the dish; scrape the skin from the
stalk, and pick out any leaves or flowers that require to be removed;
tie it up in bunches, and boil it as asparagus; serve it up hot, with
melted butter poured over it. The brocoli that heads at the top like
cauliflowers, must be dressed in the same manner as the cauliflower.
* * * * *
PEAS.
To have them in perfection, they must be quite young, gathered early in
the morning, kept in a cool place, and not shelled until they are to be
dressed; put salt in the water, and when it boils, put in the peas; boil
them quick twenty or thirty minutes, according to their age; just before
they are taken up, add a little mint chopped very fine; drain all the
water from the peas, put in a bit of butter, and serve them up quite
hot.
* * * * *
PUREE OF TURNIPS.
Pare a dozen large turnips, slice them, and put them into a stew-pan,
with four ounces of butter and a little salt; set the pan over a
moderate fire, turn them often with a wooden spoon; when they look
white, add a ladle full of veal gravy, stew them till it becomes thick;
skim it, and pass it through a sieve; put the turnips in a dish, and
pour the gravy over them.
* * * * *
RAGOUT OF TURNIPS.
Peel as many small turnips as will fill a dish; put them into a stew pan
with some butter and a little sugar, set them over a hot stove, shake
them about, and turn them till they are a good brown; pour in half a
pint of rich high seasoned gravy; stew the turnips till tender, and
serve them with the gravy poured over them.
* * * * *
RAGOUT OF FRENCH BEANS, SNAPS, STRING BEANS.
Let them be young and fresh gathered, string them, and cut them in long
thin slices; throw them in boiling water for fifteen minutes; have ready
some well seasoned brown gravy, drain the water from the beans, put them
in the gravy, stew them a few minutes, and serve them garnished with
forcemeat balls; there must not be gravy enough to float the beans.
* * * * *
MAZAGAN BEANS.
This is the smallest and most delicate species of the Windsor bean.
Gather them in the morning, when they are full grown, but quite young,
and do not shell them till you are going to dress them. Put them into
boiling water, have a small bit of middling, (flitch,) of bacon, well
boiled--take the skin off, cover it with bread crumbs, and toast it; lay
this in the middle of the dish, drain all the water from the beans--put
a little butter with them, and pour them round the bacon. When the large
Windsor beans are used, it is best to put them into boiling water until
the skins will slip off, and then make them into a puree as directed for
turnips--they are very coarse when plainly dressed.
* * * * *
LIMA, OR SUGAR BEANS.
Like all other spring and summer vegetables, they must be young and
freshly gathered: boil them till tender, drain them, add a little
butter, and serve them up. These beans are easily preserved for winter
use, and will be nearly as good as fresh ones. Gather them on a dry day,
when full grown, but quite young: have a clean and dry keg, sprinkle
some salt in the bottom, put in a layer of pods, containing the beans,
then a little salt--do this till the keg is full; lay a board on with a
weight, to press them down; cover the keg very close, and keep it in a
dry, cool place--they should be put up as late in the season, as they
can be with convenience. When used, the pods must be washed, and laid in
fresh water all night; shell them next day, and keep them in water till
you are going to boil them; when tender, serve them up with melted
butter in a boat. French beans (snaps) may be preserved in the same
manner.
* * * * *
TURNIP ROOTED CABBAGE.
The cabbage growing at the top is not good; cut the root in slices an
inch thick, peel off the rind, and boil the slices in a large quantity
of water, till tender, serve it up hot, with melted butter poured over
it.
* * * * *
EGG PLANT.
The purple ones are best; get them young and fresh; pull out the stem,
and parboil them to take off the bitter taste; cut them in slices an
inch thick, but do not peel them; dip them in the yelk of an egg, and
cover them with grated bread, a little salt and pepper--when this has
dried, cover the other side the same way--fry them a nice brown. They
are very delicious, tasting much like soft crabs. The egg plant may be
dressed in another manner: scrape the rind and parboil them; cut a slit
from one end to the other, take out the seeds, fill the space with a
rich forcemeat, and stew them in well seasoned gravy, or bake them, and
serve up with gravy in the dish.
* * * * *
POTATO PUMPKIN.
Get one of a good colour, and seven or eight inches in diameter; cut a
piece off the top, take out all the seeds, wash and wipe the cavity,
pare the rind off, and fill the hollow with good forcemeat--put the top
on, and set it in a deep pan, to protect the sides; bake it in a
moderate oven, put it carefully in the dish without breaking, and it
will look like a handsome mould. Another way of cooking potato pumpkin
is to cut it in slices, pare off the rind, and make a puree as directed
for turnips.
* * * * *
SWEET POTATO.
Take those that are nearly of the same size, that they may be done
equally--wash them clean, but do not peel them--boil them till tender,
drain the water off, and put them on tin sheets in a stove for a few
minutes to dry.
* * * * *
SWEET POTATOS STEWED.
Wash and wipe them, and if they be large, cut them in two lengths; put
them at the bottom of a stew pan, lay over some slices of boiled ham;
and on that, one or two chickens cut up with pepper, salt, and a bundle
of herbs; pour in some water, and stew them till done, then take out the
herbs, serve the stew in a deep dish--thicken the gravy, and pour over
it.
* * * * *
SWEET POTATOS BROILED.
Cut them across without peeling, in slices half an inch thick, broil
them on a griddle, and serve them with butter in a boat.
* * * * *
SPINACH.
Great care must be used in washing and picking it clean; drain it, and
throw it into boiling water--a few minutes will boil it sufficiently:
press out all the water, put it in a stew pan with a piece of butter,
some pepper and salt--chop it continually with a spoon till it is quite
dry: serve it with poached eggs or without, as you please.
* * * * *
SORREL.
Is dressed as the spinach; and if they be mixed in equal proportions,
improve each other.
* * * * *
CABBAGE PUDDING.
Get a fine head of cabbage, not too large; pour boiling water on, and
cover it till you can turn the leaves back, which you must do carefully;
take some of those in the middle of the head off, chop them fine, and
mix them with rich forcemeat; put this in, and replace the leaves to
confine the stuffing--tie it in a cloth, and boil it--serve it up whole,
with a little melted butter in the dish.
* * * * *
SQUASH OR CIMLIN.
Gather young squashes, peel, and cut them in two; take out the seeds,
and boil them till tender; put them into a colander, drain off the
water, and rub them with a wooden spoon through the colander; then put
them into a stew pan, with a cup full of cream, a small piece of butter,
some pepper and salt--stew them, stirring frequently until dry. This is
the most delicate way of preparing squashes.
* * * * *
WINTER SQUASH.
The crooked neck of this squash is the best part. Cut it in slices an
inch thick, take off the rind, and boil them with salt in the water;
drain them well before they are dished, and pour melted butter
over--serve them up very hot.
The large part, containing the seeds, must be sliced and pared--cut it
in small pieces, and stew it till soft, with just water enough to cover
it; pass it through a sieve and stew it again, adding some butter,
pepper, and salt; it must be dry, but not burnt. It is excellent when
stewed with pork chops.
* * * * *
FIELD PEAS.
There are many varieties of these peas; the smaller kind are the most
delicate. Have them young and newly gathered, shell and boil them
tender; pour them in a colander to drain; put some lard in a frying pan;
when it boils, mash the peas, and fry them in a cake of a light brown;
put it in the dish with the crust uppermost--garnish with thin bits of
fried bacon. They are very nice when fried whole, so that each pea is
distinct from the other; but they must be boiled less, and fried with
great care. Plain boiling is a very common way of dressing them.
* * * * *
CABBAGE WITH ONIONS.
Boil them separately, and mix them in the proportions you like; add
butter, pepper, and salt, and either stew them, or fry them in a cake.
* * * * *
SALSIFY.
Scrape and wash the roots, put them into boiling water with salt; when
done, drain them, and place them in the dish without cutting them up.
They are a very excellent vegetable, but require nicety in cooking;
exposure to the air, either in scraping, or after boiling, will make
them black.
* * * * *
STEWED SALSIFY.
Half boil it, cut it up, and put it in a stew pan, with a very little
water, and a spoonful of butter; stew them dry, and serve them up. For
change, you may, after stewing, cut them in scollop shells with grated
bread, and bake them; or make them into cakes, and fry them. They are
delicious in whatever way they can be dressed.
* * * * *
STEWED MUSHROOMS.
Gather grown mushrooms, but such as are young enough to have red gills;
cut off that part of the stem which grew in the earth--wash them
carefully, and take the skin from the top; put them into a stew pan with
some salt, but no water--stew them till tender, and thicken them with a
spoonful of butter, mixed with one of brown flour; red wine may be
added, but the flavour of the mushroom is too delicious to require aid
from any thing.
* * * * *
BROILED MUSHROOMS.
Prepare them as above directed--broil them on a griddle, and when done,
sprinkle pepper and salt on the gills, and put a little butter on them.
* * * * *
TO BOIL RICE.
Put two cups full of rice in a bowl of water, rub it well with the hand,
and pour off the water; do this until the water ceases to be
discoloured; then put the rice into two and a half cups of cold water;
add a tea-spoonful of salt, cover the pot close, and set it on a brisk
fire; let it boil ten minutes, pour off the greater part of the water,
and remove the pot to a bed of coals, where it must remain a quarter of
an hour to soak and dry.
* * * * *
RICE JOURNEY, OR JOHNNY CAKE.
Boil a pint of rice quite soft, with a tea-spoonful of salt; mix with it
while hot a large spoonful of butter, and spread it on a dish to cool;
when perfectly cold, add a pint of rice flour and half a pint of
milk--beat them all together till well mingled. Take the middle part of
the head of a barrel, make it quite clean, wet it, and put on the
mixture about an inch thick, smooth with a spoon, and baste it with a
little milk; set the board aslant before clear coals; when sufficiently
baked, slip a thread under the cake and turn it: baste and bake that
side in a similar manner, split it, and butter while hot. Small homony
boiled and mixed with rice flour, is better than all rice; and if baked
very thin, and afterwards toasted and buttered, it is nearly as good as
cassada bread.
* * * * *
PUDDINGS, &c.
OBSERVATIONS ON PUDDINGS AND CAKES.
The salt should always be washed from butter, when it is to be used in
any thing that has sugar for an ingredient, and also from that which is
melted to grease any kind of mould for baking--otherwise, there will be
a disagreeable salt taste on the outer side of the article baked.
Raisins should be stoned and cut in two, and have some flour sifted over
them--stir them gently in the flour, and take them out free from lumps;
the small quantity that adheres to them, will prevent their sticking
together, or falling in a mass to the bottom. Eggs must be fresh, or
they will not heal well: it is better to separate the yelks from the
whites always, though it is a more troublesome process; but for some
things it is essential to do so: when they are to be mixed with milk,
let it cool after boiling, or the eggs will poach; and only set it on
the fire a few minutes, to take off the raw taste of the eggs, stirring
it all the time. Currants require washing in many waters to cleanse
them; they must be picked and well dried, or they will stick together.
Almonds should be put in hot water till the skins will slip off, which
is called blanching; they must always be pounded with rose or orange
flower water, to prevent their oiling. When cream is used, put it in
just before the mixture is ready; much beating will decompose it. Before
a pudding or cake is begun, every ingredient necessary for it must be
ready; when the process is retarded by neglecting to have them prepared,
the article is injured. The oven must be in a proper state, and the
paste in the dishes or moulds, ready for such things as require it.
Promptitude is necessary in all our actions, but never more so than when
engaged in making cakes and puddings. When only one or two eggs are to
be used, cooks generally think it needless to beat them--it is an error:
eggs injure every thing, unless they are made light before they are
used. Cloths for boiling puddings should be made of German sheeting; an
article less thick, will admit the water, and injure the pudding.
* * * * *
RICE MILK FOR A DESSERT.
Boil half a pint of rice in water till tender, pour off the water, and
add a pint of milk with two eggs beaten well, stirred into it; boil all
together two or three minutes; serve it up hot, and eat it with butter,
sugar, and nutmeg. It may be sweetened and cooled in moulds, turned out
in a deep dish, and surrounded with rich milk, with raspberry marmalade
stirred into it, and strained to keep back the seeds--or the milk may be
seasoned with wine and sugar.
* * * * *
TO MAKE PUFF PASTE.
Sift a quart of flour, leave out a little for rolling the paste, make up
the remainder with cold water into a stiff paste, knead it well, and
roll it out several times; wash the salt from a pound of butter, divide
it into four parts, put one of them on the paste in little bits, fold it
up, and continue to roll it till the butter is well mixed; then put
another portion of butter, roll it in the same manner; do this till all
the butter is mingled with the paste; touch it very lightly with the
hands in making--bake it in a moderate oven, that will permit it to
rise, but will not make it brown. Good paste must look white, and as
light as a feather.
* * * * *
TO MAKE MINCEMEAT FOR PIES.
Boil either calves or hogs' feet till perfectly tender, rub them through
a colander; when cold, pass them through again, and it will come out
like pearl barley; take one quart of this, one of chopped apples, the
same of currants, washed and picked, raisins stoned and cut, of good
brown sugar, suet nicely chopped, and cider, with a pint of brandy; add
a tea-spoonful of pounded mace, one of cloves and of nutmegs; mix all
these together intimately. When the pies are to be made, take out as
much of this mixture as may be necessary; to each quart of it, add a
tea-spoonful of pounded black pepper, and one of salt; this greatly
improves the flavour, and can be better mixed with a small portion than
with the whole mass. Cover the moulds with paste, put in a sufficiency
of mince-meat, cover the top with citron sliced thin, and lay on it a
lid garnished around with paste cut in fanciful shapes. They may be
eaten either hot or cold, but are best when hot.
* * * * *
TO MAKE JELLY FROM FEET.
Boil four calfs' feet, that have been nicely cleaned, and the hoofs
taken off; when the feet are boiled to pieces, strain the liquor through
a colander, and when cold, take all the grease off, and put the jelly in
a skillet, leaving the dregs which will be at the bottom. There should
be from four feet, about two quarts of jelly: pour into it one quart of
white wine, the juice of six fresh lemons strained from the seeds, one
pound and a half of powdered loaf sugar, a little pounded cinnamon and
mace, and the rind thinly pared from two of the lemons; wash eight eggs
very clean, whip up the whites to a froth, crush the shells and put with
them, mix it with the jelly, set it on the fire, stir it occasionally
till the jelly is melted, but do not touch it afterwards. When it has
boiled till it looks quite clear on one side, and the dross accumulates
on the other, take off carefully the thickest part of the dross, and
pour the jelly in the bag; put back what runs through, until it becomes
quite transparent--then set a pitcher under the bag, and put a cover all
over to keep out the dust: the jelly looks much prettier when it is
broken to fill the glasses. The bag should be made of cotton or linen,
and be suspended in a frame made for the purpose. The feet of hogs make
the palest coloured jelly; those of sheep are a beautiful amber-colour,
when prepared.
* * * * *
A SWEETMEAT PUDDING.
Make a quart of flour into puff paste; when done, divide it into three
parts of unequal size; roll the largest out square and moderately thin,
spread over it a thin layer of marmalade, leaving a margin all round
about an inch broad; roll the next largest in the same manner, lay it
on, cover that with marmalade, leaving a margin; then roll the smallest,
and put it on the other two, spreading marmalade; fold it up, one fold
over the other, the width of your hand--press the ends together, tie it
in a cloth securely, and place it in a kettle of boiling water, where it
can lie at length without doubling; boil it quickly, and when done, pour
melted butter with sugar and wine in the dish.
* * * * *
TO MAKE AN ORANGE PUDDING.
Put two oranges and two lemons, into five quarts of water--boil them
till the rinds are quite tender; take them out, and when cold, slice
them thin, and pick out the seeds; put a pound of loaf sugar into a pint
of water--when it boils, slice into it twelve pippins pared and
cored--lay in the lemons and oranges, stew them tender, cover the dish
with puff paste, lay the fruit in carefully, in alternate layers--pour
on the syrup, put some slips of paste across, and bake it.
* * * * *
AN APPLE CUSTARD.
Pare and core twelve pippins, slice them tolerably thick, put a pound of
loaf sugar in a stew pan, with a pint of water and twelve cloves: boil
and skim it, then put in the apples, and stew them till clear, and but
little of the syrup remains--lay them in a deep dish, and take out the
cloves; when the apples are cold, pour in a quart of rich boiled
custard--set it in water, and make it boil till the custard is set--take
care the water does not get into it.
* * * * *
BOILED LOAF.
Pour a quart of boiling milk over four little rolls of bread--cover them
up, turning them occasionally till saturated with the milk; tie them
very tight in cloths, and boil them an hour; lay them in the dish, and
pour a little melted butter over them; for sauce, have butter in a boat,
seasoned with wine, sugar, and grated nutmeg.
* * * * *
TRANSPARENT PUDDING.
Beat eight eggs very light, add half a pound of pounded sugar, the same
of fresh butter melted, and half a nutmeg grated; sit it on a stove, and
keep stirring till it is as thick as buttered eggs--put a puff paste in
a shallow dish, pour in the ingredients, and bake it half an hour in a
moderate oven; sift sugar over it, and serve it up hot.
* * * * *
FLUMMERY.
One measure of jelly, one of cream, and half a one of wine; boil it
fifteen minutes over a slow fire, stirring all the time; sweeten it, and
add a spoonful of orange flower or rose water; cool it in a mould, turn
it in a dish, and pour around it cream, seasoned in any way you like.
* * * * *
BURNT CUSTARD.
Boil a quart of milk--and when cold, mix with it the yelks of eight
eggs; stir them together over the fire a few minutes; sweeten it to your
taste, put some slices of savoy cake in the bottom of a deep dish, and
pour on the custard; whip the whites of the eggs to a strong froth, lay
it lightly on the top, sift some sugar over it, and hold a salamander
over it until it is a light brown; garnish the top with raspberry
marmalade, or any kind of preserved fruit.
* * * * *
AN ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING.
Beat eight eggs very light, add to them a pound of flour sifted, and a
pound of powdered sugar; when it looks quite light, put in a pound of
suet finely shred, a pint of milk, a nutmeg grated, and a gill of
brandy; mix with it a pound of currants, washed, picked, and dried, and
a pound of raisins stoned and floured--tie it in a thick cloth, and boil
it steadily eight hours.
* * * * *
MARROW PUDDING.
Grate a large loaf of bread, and pour on the crumbs a pint of rich milk
boiling hot; when cold, add four eggs, a pound of beef marrow sliced
thin, a gill of brandy, with sugar and nutmeg to your taste--mix all
well together, and either bake or boil it; when done, stick slices of
citron over the top.
* * * * *
SIPPET PUDDING.
Cut a loaf of bread as thin as possible, put a layer of it in the bottom
of a deep dish, strew on some slices of marrow or butter, with a handful
of currants or stoned raisins; do this till the dish is full; let the
currants or raisins be at the top; beat four eggs, mix with them a quart
of milk that has been boiled a little and become cold, a quarter of a
pound of sugar, and a grated nutmeg--pour it in, and bake it in a
moderate oven--eat it with wine sauce.
* * * * *
SWEET POTATO PUDDING.
Boil one pound of sweet potatos very tender, rub them while hot through
a colander; add six eggs well beaten, three quarters of a pound of
powdered sugar, three quarters of butter, and some grated nutmeg and
lemon peel, with a glass of brandy; put a paste in the dish, and when
the pudding is done, sprinkle the top with sugar, and cover it with bits
of citron. Irish potato pudding is made in the same manner, but is not
so good.
* * * * *
AN ARROW ROOT PUDDING.
Boil a quart of milk, and make it into a thick batter, with arrow root;
add six eggs, half a pound of butter, the same of pounded sugar, half a
nutmeg, and a little grated lemon peel; put a paste in the dish, and
bake it nicely; when done, sift sugar over it, and stick slips of citron
all over the top.
* * * * *
SAGO PUDDING.
Wash half a pound of sago in several waters; put it on to boil in a
quart of milk, with a stick of cinnamon; stir it very frequently, for it
is apt to burn: when it becomes quite thick, take out the cinnamon, stir
it in half a pound of butter, and an equal quantity of sugar, with a
gill of wine; when cold, add six eggs and four ounces of currants that
have been plumped in hot water--bake it in a paste.
* * * * *
PUFF PUDDING.
Beat six eggs, add six spoonsful of milk, and six of flour, butter some
cups, pour in the batter, and bake them quickly; turn them out, and eat
them with butter, sugar and nutmeg.
* * * * *
RICE PUDDING.
Boil half a pound of rice in milk, until it is quite tender; beat it
well with a wooden spoon to mash the grains; add three quarters of a
pound of sugar, and the same of melted butter; half a nutmeg, six eggs,
a gill of wine, and some grated lemon peel; put a paste in the dish, and
bake it. For change, it may be boiled, and eaten with butter, sugar, and
wine.
* * * * *
PLUM PUDDING.
Take a pound of the best flour, sift it, and make it up before sunrise,
with six eggs beaten light; a large spoonful of good yeast, and as much
milk as will make it the consistence of bread; let it rise well, knead
into it half a pound of butter, put in a grated nutmeg, with one and a
half pounds of raisins stoned and cut up; mix all well together, wet the
cloth, flour it, and tie it loosely, that the pudding may have room to
rise. Raisins for puddings or cakes, should be rubbed in a little flour,
to prevent their settling to the bottom--see that it does not stick to
them in lumps.
* * * * *
ALMOND PUDDING.
Put a pound of sweet almonds in hot water till the skin will slip off
them; pound them with a little orange flower or rose water, to keep them
from oiling; mix with them four crackers, finely pounded, or two gills
of rice flour; six eggs, a pint of cream, a pound of sugar, half a pound
of butter, and four table-spoonsful of wine; put a nice paste in the
bottom of your dish, garnish the edges, pour in the pudding bake it in a
moderate oven.
* * * * *
QUIRE OF PAPER PANCAKES.
Beat sixteen eggs, add to them a quart of milk, a nutmeg, half a pound
of flour, a pound of melted butter, a pound of sugar, and two gills of
wine; take care the flour be not in lumps; butter the pan for the first
pancake, run them as thin as possible, and when coloured, they are done;
do not turn them, but lay them carefully in the dish, sprinkling
powdered sugar between each layer--serve them up hot. This quantity will
make four dozen pancakes.
* * * * *
A CURD PUDDING.
Put two quarts of milk on the fire; when it boils, pour in half a pint
of white wine, strain the curd from the whey, and pound it in a mortar,
with six ounces of butter, half a pound of loaf sugar, and half a pint
of rice flour, or as much crackers beaten as fine as flour; six eggs
made light, and half a grated nutmeg--beat all well together, and bake
them in saucers in a moderate oven; turn them out carefully in your
dish, stick thin slices of citron in them, and pour on rich melted
butter, with sugar and wine.
* * * * *
LEMON PUDDING.
Grate the rind from six fresh lemons, squeeze the juice from three, and
strain it; beat the yelks of sixteen eggs very light, put to them
sixteen table-spoonsful of powdered loaf sugar, not heaped up--the same
of melted butter; add the grated rind, and the juice, four crackers
finely pounded, or an equal quantity of rice flour; or for change, six
ounces of corn meal which is excellent--beat it till light, put a puff
paste in your dish, pour the pudding in, and bake it in a moderate
oven--it must not be very brown.
* * * * *
BREAD PUDDING.
Grate the crumb of a stale loaf, and pour on it a pint of boiling
milk--let it stand an hour, then beat it to a pulp; add six eggs, well
beaten, half a pound of butter, the same of powdered sugar, half a
nutmeg, a glass of brandy, and some grated lemon peel--put a paste in
the dish, and bake it.
* * * * *
THE HENRIETTA PUDDING.
Beat six eggs very light, sift into them a pound of loaf sugar powdered,
and a light pound of flour, with half a grated nutmeg, and a glass of
brandy; beat all together very well, add a pint of cream, pour it in a
deep dish, and bake it--when done, sift some powdered sugar over it.
* * * * *
TANSEY PUDDING.
Beat seven eggs very light, mix with them a pint of cream, and nearly as
much spinach juice, with a little juice of tansey; add a quarter of a
pound of powdered crackers or pounded rice made fine, a glass of wine,
some grated nutmeg and sugar; stir it over the fire to thicken, pour it
into a paste and bake it, or fry it like an omelette.
* * * * *
CHERRY PUDDING.
Beat six eggs very light, add half a pint of milk, six ounces flour,
eight ounces grated bread, twelve ounces suet, chopped fine, a little
salt; when it is beat well, mix in eighteen ounces preserved cherries or
damsins; bake or boil it. Make a sauce of melted butter, sugar and wine.
* * * * *
APPLE PIE.
Put a crust in the bottom of a dish, put on it a layer of ripe apples,
pared and sliced thin--then a layer of powdered sugar; do this
alternately till the dish is full; put in a few tea-spoonsful of rose
water and some cloves--put on a crust and bake it.
* * * * *
BAKED APPLE PUDDING.
Take well flavoured apples, bake, but do not burn them, rub them through
a sieve, take one pound of the apples so prepared, mix with it, while
hot, half a pound of butter, and half a pound of powdered sugar; the
rinds of two lemons grated--and when cold, add six eggs well beaten; put
a paste in the bottom of a dish, and pour in the apples--half an hour
will bake it; sift a little sugar on the apples when baked.
* * * * *
A NICE BOILED PUDDING.
Make up a pint of flour at sun rise, exactly as you do for bread; see
that it rises well--have a large pot of water boiling; and half an hour
before the puddings are to go to table, make the dough in balls, the
size of a goose egg; throw them in the water, and boil them quickly,
keeping the pot covered: they must be torn asunder, as cutting will make
them heavy; eat them with powdered sugar, butter, and grated nutmeg.
* * * * *
AN EXCELLENT AND CHEAP DESSERT DISH.
Wash a pint of small homony very clean, and boil it tender; add an equal
quantity of corn meal, make it into a batter with eggs, milk, and a
piece of butter; bake it like batter cakes on a griddle, and eat it with
butter and molasses.
* * * * *
SLICED APPLE PUDDING.
Beat six eggs very light, add a pint of rich milk, pare some apples or
peaches--slice them thin, make the eggs and milk into a tolerably thick
batter with flour, add a small cup of melted butter, put in the fruit,
and bake it in a deep dish--eat with sugar, butter, and nutmeg.
* * * * *
BAKED INDIAN MEAL PUDDING.
Boil one quart of milk, mix in it two gills and a half of corn meal very
smoothly, seven eggs well beaten, a gill of molasses, and a good piece
of butter, bake it two hours.
* * * * *
BOILED INDIAN MEAL PUDDING.
Mix one quart of corn meal, with three quarts of milk; take care it be
not lumpy--add three eggs and a gill of molasses; it must be put on at
sun rise, to eat at three o'clock; the great art in this pudding is
tying the bag properly, as the meal swells very much.
* * * * *
PUMPKIN PUDDING.
Stew a fine sweet pumpkin till soft and dry; rub it through a sieve, mix
with the pulp six eggs quite light, a quarter of a pound of butter, half
a pint of new milk, some pounded ginger and nutmeg, a wine glass of
brandy, and sugar to your taste. Should it be too liquid, stew it a
little drier, put a paste round the edges, and in the bottom of a
shallow dish or plate--pour in the mixture, cut some thin bits of paste,
twist them, and lay them across the top, and bake it nicely.
* * * * *
FAYETTE PUDDING.
Slice a loaf of bread tolerably thick--lay the slices in the bottom of a
dish, cutting them so as to cover it completely; sprinkle some sugar and
nutmeg, with a little butter, on each layer; when all are in, pour on a
quart of good boiled custard sweetened--serve it up cold.
* * * * *
MACCARONI PUDDING.
Simmer half a pound of maccaroni in a plenty of water, with a
table-spoonful of salt, till tender, but not broke--strain it, beat five
yelks, two whites of eggs, half a pint of cream--mince white meat and
boiled ham very fine, add three spoonsful of grated cheese, pepper and
salt; mix these with the maccaroni, butter the mould, put it in, and
steam it in a pan of boiling water for an hour--serve with rich gravy.
* * * * *
POTATO PASTE.
Boil mealy potatos quite soft, first taking off the skins; rub them
while hot through a sieve, put them in a stew pan over the fire, with as
much water as will make it the consistence of thick mush; sift one quart
of flour, and make it into a paste; with this mush, knead it till light,
roll it out thin, make the dumplins small--fill them with apples, or any
other fruit--tie them up in a thick cloth, and boil them nicely--eat
them with butter, sugar, and nutmeg.
* * * * *
COMPOTE OF APPLES.
Pare and core the apples, and if you prefer it, cut them in four, wash
them clean, and put them in a pan with water and sugar enough to cover
them; add cinnamon and lemon peel, which has been previously soaked,
scraped on the inside, and cut in strings; boil them gently until the
apples are done, take them out in a deep dish, boil the syrup to a
proper consistency, and pour it on them: it will take a pound of sugar
for a large dish.
* * * * *
CHARLOTTE.
Stew any kind of fruit, and season it in any you like best; soak some
slices of bread in butter; them while hot, in the bottom and round the
sides of a dish, which has been rubbed with butter--put in your fruit,
and lay slices of bread prepared in the same manner on the top: bake it
a few minutes, turn it carefully into another dish, sprinkle on some
powdered sugar, and glaze it with a salamander.
* * * * *
APPLE FRITTERS.
Pare some apples, and cut them in thin slices--put them in a bowl, with
a glass of brandy, some white wine, a quarter of a pound of pounded
sugar, a little cinnamon finely powdered, and the rind of a lemon
grated; let them stand some time, turning them over frequently; beat two
eggs very light, add one quarter of a pound of flour, a table-spoonful
of melted butter, and as much cold water as will make a thin batter;
drip the apples on a sieve, mix them with the batter, take one slice
with a spoonful of batter to each fritter, fry them quickly of a light
brown, drain them well, put them in a dish, sprinkling sugar over each,
and glaze them nicely.
* * * * *
BELL FRITTERS.
Put a piece of butter the size of an egg into a pint of water; let it
boil a few minutes--thicken it very smoothly with a pint of flour; let
it remain a short time on the fire, stir it all the time that it may not
stick to the pan, pour it in a wooden bowl, add five or six eggs,
breaking one and beating it in--then another, and so on till they are
all in, and the dough quite light--put a pint of lard in a pan, let it
boil, make the fritters small, and fry them of a fine amber colour.
* * * * *
BREAD FRITTERS.
Cut your bread of a convenient size, pour on it some white wine, and let
it stand a few minutes--drain it on a sieve, beat four eggs very light,
add four spoonsful of wine, beat all well together--have your lard
boiling, dip the bread in the egg, and fry it a light brown; sprinkle
sugar on each, and glaze them.
* * * * *
SPANISH FRITTERS.
Make up a quart of flour, with one egg well beaten, a large spoonful of
yeast, and as much milk as will make it a little softer than muffin
dough; mix it early in the morning; when well risen, work in two
spoonsful of melted butter, make it in balls the size of a walnut, and
fry them a light brown in boiling lard--eat them with wine and sugar, or
molasses.
* * * * *
TO MAKE MUSH.
Put a lump of butter the size of an egg into a quart of water, make it
sufficiently thick with corn meal and a little salt; it must be mixed
perfectly smooth--stir it constantly till done enough.
* * * * *
CAKES.
JUMBALS.
Put one pound of nice sugar into two pounds of flour, add pounded spice
of any kind, and pass them through a sieve; beat four eggs, pour them on
with three quarters of a pound of melted butter, knead all well
together, and bake them.
* * * * *
MACAROONE.
Blanch a pound of sweet almonds, pound them in a mortar with rose water;
whip the whites of seven eggs to a strong froth, put in one pound of
powdered sugar, beat it some time, then put in the almonds--mix them
well, and drop them on sheets of paper buttered; sift sugar over, and
bake them quickly. Be careful not to let them get discoloured.
* * * * *
TO MAKE DROP BISCUIT.
Beat eight eggs very light, add to them twelve ounces of flour, and one
pound of sugar; when perfectly light, drop them on tin sheets, and bake
them in a quick oven.
* * * * *
TAVERN BISCUIT.
To one pound of flour, add half a pound of sugar, half a pound of
butter, some mace and nutmeg powdered, and a glass of brandy or wine;
wet it with milk, and when well kneaded, roll it thin, cut it in shapes,
and bake it quickly.
* * * * *
RUSK.
Rub half a pound of sugar into three pounds of flour--sift it, pour on
half a pint of good yeast, beat six eggs, add half a pint of milk--mix
all together, knead it well: if not soft enough, add more milk-it should
be softer than bread; make it at night--in the morning, if well risen,
work in six ounces of butter, and bake it in small rolls; when cold,
slice it, lay it on tin sheets, and dry it in the oven.
* * * * *
GINGER BREAD.
Three quarts of flour, three quarters of a pound of brown sugar, a large
spoonful of pounded ginger, one tea-spoonful of powdered cloves--sift
it, melt half a pound of butter in a quart of rich molasses, wet the
flour with it, knead it well, and bake it in a slack oven.
* * * * *
PLEBEIAN GINGER BREAD.
Mix three large spoonsful of pounded ginger, with three quarts of
flour--sift it, dissolve three tea-spoonsful of pearl-ash in a cup of
water, and pour it on the flour; melt half a pound of butter in a quart
of molasses, mix it with the flour, knead it well, cut it in shapes, and
bake it.
* * * * *
SUGAR GINGER BREAD.
Take two pounds of the nicest brown sugar, dry and pound it, put it into
three quarts of flour, add a large cup full of powdered ginger, and sift
the mixture; wash the salt out of a pound of butter, and cream it; have
twelve eggs well beaten; work into the butter first, the mixture, then
the froth from the eggs, until all are in, and it is quite light; add a
glass of brandy butter shallow moulds, pour it in, and bake in a quick
oven.
* * * * *
DOUGH NUTS--A YANKEE CAKE.
Dry half a pound of good brown sugar, pound it and mix it with two
pounds of flour, and sift it; add two spoonsful of yeast, and as much
new milk as will make it like bread: when well risen, knead in half a
pound of butter, make it in cakes the size of a half dollar, and fry
them a light brown in boiling lard.
* * * * *
RISEN CAKE.
Take three pounds of flour, one and a half of pounded sugar, a
tea-spoonful of cloves, one of mace, and one of ginger, all finely
powdered--pass the whole through a sieve, put to it four spoonsful of
good yeast, and twelve eggs--mix it up well, and if not sufficiently
soft, add a little milk: make it up at night, and set it to rise--when
well risen, knead into it a pound of butter, and two gills of brandy;
have ready two pounds of raisins stoned, mix all well together, pour it
into a mould of proper size, and bake it in an oven heated as for bread;
let it stand till thoroughly done, and do not take it from the mould
until quite cold.
* * * * *
POUND CAKE.
Wash the salt from a pound of butter, and rub it till it is soft as
cream--have ready a pound of flour sifted, one of powdered sugar, and
twelve eggs well beaten; put alternately into the butter, sugar, flour,
and the froth from the eggs--continuing to beat them together till all
the ingredients are in, and the cake quite light: add some grated lemon
peel, a nutmeg, and a gill of brandy; butter the pans, and bake them.
This cake makes an excellent pudding, if baked in a large mould, and
eaten with sugar and wine. It is also excellent when boiled, and served
up with melted butter, sugar and wine.
* * * * *
SAVOY OR SPUNGE CAKE.
Take twelve fresh eggs, put them in the scale, and balance them with
sugar: take out half, and balance the other half with flour; separate
the whites from the yelks, whip them up very light, then mix them, and
sift in, first sugar, then flour, till both are exhausted; add some
grated lemon peel; bake them in paper cases, or little tin moulds. This
also makes an excellent pudding, with butter, sugar, and wine, for
sauce.
* * * * *
A RICH FRUIT CAKE.
HAVE the following articles prepared, before you begin the cake: four
pounds of flour dried and sifted, four pounds of butter washed to free
it from salt, two pounds of loaf sugar pounded, a quarter of a pound of
mace, the same of nutmegs powdered; wash four pounds of currants clean,
pick and dry them; blanch one pound of sweet almonds, and cut them in
very thin slices; stone two pounds of raisins, cut them in two, and
strew a little flour over to prevent their sticking together, and two
pounds of citron sliced thin; break thirty eggs, separating the yelks
and whites; work the butter to a cream with your hand-put in
alternately, flour, sugar, and the froth from both whites and yelks,
which must be beaten separately, and _only_ the froth put in. When all
are mixed and the cake looks very light, add the spice, with half a pint
of brandy, the currants and almonds; butter the mould well, pour in part
of the cake, strew over it some raisins and citron--do this until all is
in: set it in a well heated oven: when it has risen, and the top is
coloured, cover it with paper; it will require three hours baking--it
must be iced.
* * * * *
NAPLES BISCUIT.
Beat twelve eggs light, add to them one pound of flour, and one of
powdered sugar; continue to beat all together till perfectly light; bake
it in long pans, four inches wide, with divisions; so that each cake,
when done, will be four inches long, and one and a half wide.
* * * * *
SHREWSBURY CAKES.
Mix a pound of sugar, with two pounds of flour, and a large spoonful of
pounded coriander seeds; sift them, add three quarters of a pound of
melted butter, six eggs, and a gill of brandy; knead it well, roll it
thin, cut it in shapes, and bake without discolouring it.
* * * * *
LITTLE PLUM CAKES.
Prepare them as directed for pound cake, add raisins and currants, bake
them in small tin shapes, and ice them.
* * * * *
SODA CAKES.
Dissolve half a pound of sugar in a pint of milk, add a tea-spoonful of
soda; pour it on two pounds of flour--melt half a pound of butter, knead
all together till light, put it in shallow moulds, and bake it quickly
in a brisk oven.
* * * * *
TO MAKE BREAD.
When you find the barrel of flour a good one, empty it into a chest or
box, made for the purpose, with a lid that will shut close: it keeps
much better in this manner than when packed in a barrel, and even
improves by lying lightly; sift the quantity you intend to make up--put
into a bowl two gills and a half of water for each quart, with a
tea-spoon heaped up with salt, and a large spoonful of yeast for each
quart; stir this mixture well, put into another bowl one handful of
flour from every quart; pour a little of the mixture on to wet it, then
more, until you get it all in, taking great care that it be smooth, and
quite free from lumps; beat it some minutes, take one-third of the flour
out of the kettle, pour on the batter, and sprinkle over it the dry
flour; stop the kettle, and set it where it can have a moderate degree
of warmth: when it has risen well, turn it into a bowl, mix in the dry
flour, and knead it on a board till it looks quite light; return it to
the kettle, and place it where it can have proper heat: in the morning,
take the dry crust carefully from the top, put the dough on a board,
knead it well, make it into rolls, set them on tin sheets, put a towel
over, and let them stand near the fire till the oven is ready. In
winter, make the bread up at three o'clock, and it will be ready to work
before bed time. In summer, make it up at five o'clock. A quart of flour
should weigh just one pound and a quarter. The bread must be rasped when
baked.
* * * * *
TO MAKE NICE BISCUIT.
Rub a large spoonful of butter into a quart of risen dough, knead it
well, and make it into biscuit, either thick or thin: bake them quickly.
* * * * *
RICE BREAD.
Boil six ounces of rice in a quart of water, till it is dry and
soft--put it into two pounds of flour, mix it in well; add two
tea-spoonsful of salt, two large spoonsful of yeast, and as much water
as will make it the consistence of bread: when well risen, bake it in
moulds.
* * * * *
MIXED BREAD.
Put a tea-spoonful of salt, and a large one of yeast, into a quart of
flour; make it sufficiently soft, with corn meal gruel; when well risen,
bake it in a mould. It is an excellent bread for breakfast. Indifferent
flour will rise much better, when made with gruel, than with fair water.
* * * * *
PATENT YEAST.
Put half a pound of fresh hops into a gallon of water, and boil it away
to two quarts; then strain it, make it a thin batter with flour; add
half a pint good yeast, and when well fermented, pour it in a bowl, and
work in as much corn meal as will make it the consistency of biscuit
dough; set it to rise, and when quite light, make it into little cakes,
which must be dried in the shade, turning them very frequently; keep
them securely from damp and dust. Persons who live in town, and can
procure brewer's yeast, will save trouble by using it: take one quart of
it, add a quart of water, and proceed as before directed.
* * * * *
TO PREPARE THE CAKES.
Take one or more cakes, according to the flour you are to make; pour on
a little warm water; when it is dissolved, stir it well, thicken with a
little flour, and set it near the fire, to rise before it is used. The
best thing to keep yeast in, is a small mug or pitcher, with a close
stopper, under which must be placed a double fold of linen, to make it
still closer. This is far preferable to a bottle, and more easily
cleaned.
* * * * *
ANOTHER METHOD FOR MAKING YEAST.
Peel one large Irish potato, boil it till soft, rub it through a sieve;
add an equal quantity of flour, make it sufficiently liquid with hop
tea; and when a little warmer than new milk, add a gill of good yeast;
stir it well, and keep it closely covered in a small pitcher.
* * * * *
NICE BUNS.
Put four ounces of sugar with three quarters of a pound of flour; make
it up with two spoonsful of yeast, and half a pint of milk; when well
risen, work into it four ounces of butter, make it into small buns, and
bake them in a quick oven--do not burn them.
* * * * *
MUFFINS.
Sift a quart of flour, put to it a little salt, and a large spoonful of
yeast--beat the white of a fresh egg to a strong froth, add it, and make
the flour up with cold water, as soft as you can to allow it to be
handled; set it in a moderately warm place. Next morning, beat it well
with a spoon, put it on the griddle in a round form, and bake it nicely,
turning them frequently till done.
* * * * *
FRENCH ROLLS.
Sift a quart of flour, add a little salt, a spoonful of yeast, two eggs
well beaten, and half a pint of milk--knead it, and set it to rise: next
morning, work in an ounce of butter, make the dough into small rolls,
and bake them. The top crust should not be hard.
* * * * *
CRUMPETS.
Take a quart of dough from your bread at a very early hour in the
morning; break three fresh eggs, separating the yelks from the
whites--whip them both to a froth, mix them with the dough, and add
gradually milk-warm water, till you make a batter the thickness of
buckwheat cakes: beat it well, and set it to rise till near breakfast
time; have the griddle ready, pour on the batter to look quite round:
they do not require turning.
* * * * *
APOQUINIMINC CAKES.
Put a little salt, one egg beaten, and four ounces of butter, in a quart
of flour--make it into a paste with new milk, beat it for half an hour
with a pestle, roll the paste thin, and cut it into round cakes; bake
them on a gridiron, and be careful not to bum them.
* * * * *
BATTER CAKES.
Boil two cups of small homony very soft; add an equal quantity of corn
meal with a little salt, and a large spoonful of butter; make it in a
thin batter with three eggs, and a sufficient quantity of milk--beat all
together some time, and bake them on a griddle, or in woffle irons. When
eggs cannot be procured, yeast makes a good substitute; put a spoonful
in the batter, and let it stand an hour to rise.
* * * * *
BATTER BREAD.
Take six spoonsful of flour and three of corn meal, with a little
salt--sift them, and make a thin batter with four eggs, and a sufficient
quantity of rich milk; bake it in little tin moulds in a quick oven.
* * * * *
CREAM CAKES.
Melt as much butter in a pint of milk, as will make it rich as
cream--make the flour into a paste with this, knead it well, roll it out
frequently, cut it in squares, and bake on a griddle.
* * * * *
SOUFLE BISCUITS.
Rub four ounces of butter into a quart of flour, make it into paste with
milk, knead it well, roll it as thin as paper, and bake it to look
white.
* * * * *
CORN MEAL BREAD.
Rub a piece of butter the size of an egg, into a pint of corn meal--make
it a batter with two eggs, and some new milk--add a spoonful of yeast,
set it by the fire an hour to rise, butter little pans, and bake it.
* * * * *
SWEET POTATO BUNS.
Boil and mash a potato, rub into it as much flour as will make it like
bread--add spice and sugar to your taste, with a spoonful of yeast; when
it has risen well, work in a piece of butter, bake it in small rolls, to
be eaten hot with butter, either for breakfast or tea.
* * * * *
RICE WOFFLES.
Boil two gills of rice quite soft, mix with it three gills of flour, a
little salt, two ounces melted butter, two eggs beaten well, and as much
milk as will make it a thick batter--beat it till very light, and bake
it in woffle irons.
* * * * *
VELVET CAKES.
Make a batter of one quart of flour, three eggs, a quart of milk, and a
gill of yeast; when well risen, stir in a large spoonful of melted
butter, and bake them in muffin hoops.
* * * * *
CHOCOLATE CAKES.
Put half a pound of nice brown sugar into a quart of flour, sift it, and
make it into a paste, with four ounces of butter melted in as much milk
as will wet it; knead it till light, roll it tolerably thin, cut it in
strips an inch wide, and just long enough to lay in a plate; bake them
on a griddle, put them in the plate in rows to checker each other, and
serve them to eat with chocolate.
* * * * *
WAFERS.
Beat six eggs, add a pint of flour, two ounces of melted butter, with as
much milk as will make a thin batter--put in pounded loaf sugar to your
taste, pour it in the wafer irons, bake them quickly without browning,
and roll them while hot.
* * * * *
BUCKWHEAT CAKES.
Put a large spoonful of yeast and a little salt, into a quart of
buckwheat meal; make it into a batter with cold water; let it rise well,
and bake it on a griddle--it turns sour very quickly, if it be allowed
to stand any time after it has risen.
* * * * *
OBSERVATIONS ON ICE CREAMS.
It is the practice with some indolent cooks, to set the freezer
containing the cream, in a tub with ice and salt, and put it in the ice
house; it will certainly freeze there; but not until the watery
particles have subsided, and by the separation destroyed the cream. A
freezer should be twelve or fourteen inches deep, and eight or ten wide.
This facilitates the operation very much, by giving a larger surface for
the ice to form, which it always does on the sides of the vessel; a
silver spoon with a long handle should be provided for scraping the ice
from the sides as soon as formed: and when the whole is congealed, pack
it in moulds (which must be placed with care, lest they should not be
upright,) in ice and salt, till sufficiently hard to retain the
shape--they should not be turned out till the moment they are to be
served. The freezing tub must be wide enough to leave a margin of four
or five inches all around the freezer, when placed in the middle--which
must be filled up with small lumps of ice mixed with salt--a larger tub
would waste the ice. The freezer must be kept constantly in motion
during the process, and ought to be made of pewter, which is less liable
than tin to be worn in holes, and spoil the cream by admitting the salt
water.
* * * * *
ICE CREAMS.
When ice creams are not put into shapes, they should always be served in
glasses with handles.
* * * * *
VANILLA CREAM.
Boil a Vanilla bean in a quart of rich milk, until it has imparted the
flavour sufficiently--then take it out, and mix with the milk, eight
eggs, yelks and whites beaten well; let it boil a little longer; make it
very sweet, for much of the sugar is lost in the operation of freezing.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY CREAM.
Make a quart of rich boiled custard--when cold, pour it on a quart of
ripe red raspberries; mash them in it, pass it through a sieve, sweeten,
and freeze it.
* * * * *
STRAWBERRY CREAM
Is made in the same manner--the strawberries must be very ripe, and the
stems picked out. If rich cream can be procured, it will be infinitely
better--the custard is intended as a substitute, when cream cannot be
had.
* * * * *
COCOA NUT CREAM.
Take the nut from its shell, pare it, and grate it very fine; mix it
with a quart of cream, sweeten, and freeze it. If the nut be a small
one, it will require one and a half to flavour a quart of cream.
* * * * *
CHOCOLATE CREAM.
Scrape a quarter of a pound of chocolate very fine, put it in a quart of
milk, boil it till the chocolate is dissolved, stirring it
continually--thicken with six eggs. A Vanilla bean boiled with the milk,
will improve the flavour greatly.
* * * * *
OYSTER CREAM.
Make a rich soup, (see directions for oyster soup,) strain it from the
oysters, and freeze it.
* * * * *
ICED JELLY.
Make calf's foot jelly not very stiff, freeze it, and serve it in
glasses.
* * * * *
PEACH CREAM.
Get fine soft peaches perfectly ripe, peel them, take out the stones,
and put them in a China bowl: sprinkle some sugar on, and chop them very
small with a silver spoon--if the peaches be sufficiently ripe, they
will become a smooth pulp; add as much cream or rich milk as you have
peaches; put more sugar, and freeze it.
* * * * *
COFFEE CREAM.
Toast two gills of raw coffee till it is a light brown, and not a grain
burnt; put it hot from the toaster without grinding it, into a quart of
rich, and perfectly sweet milk; boil it, and add the yelks of eight
eggs; when done, strain it through a sieve, and sweeten it; if properly
done, it will not be discoloured. The coffee may be dried, and will
answer for making in the usual way to drink, allowing more for the
quantity of water, than if it had not gone through this process.
* * * * *
QUINCE CREAM.
Wash ripe quinces and boil them whole till quite tender--let them stand
to drain and cool--then rub them through a hair sieve; mix with the pulp
as much cochineal finely powdered, as will make it a pretty colour; then
add an equal quantity of cream, and sweeten it. Pears or apples may be
used, prepared in the same manner.
* * * * *
CITRON CREAM.
Cut the finest citron melons when perfectly ripe--take out the seeds,
and slice the nicest part into a China bowl in small pieces, that will
lie conveniently; cover them with powdered sugar, and let them stand
several hours--then drain off the syrup they have made, and add as much
cream as it will give a strong flavour to, and freeze it. Pine apples
may be used in the same way.
* * * * *
ALMOND CREAM.
Pour hot water on the almonds, and let them stand till the skins will
slip off, then pound them fine, and mix them with cream: a pound of
almonds in the shells, will be sufficient for a quart of cream--sweeten
and freeze it. The kernels of the common black walnut, prepared in the
same way, make an excellent cream.
* * * * *
LEMON CREAM.
Pare the yellow rind very thin from four lemons--put them in a quart of
fresh cream, and boil it; squeeze and strain the juice of one lemon,
saturate it completely with powdered sugar; and when the cream is quite
cold, stir it in--take care that it does not curdle--if not sufficiently
sweet, add more sugar.
* * * * *
LEMONADE ICED.
Make a quart of rich lemonade, whip the whites of six fresh eggs to a
strong froth--mix them well with the lemonade, and freeze it. The juice
of morello cherries, or of currants mixed with water and sugar, and
prepared in the same way, make very delicate ices.
* * * * *
TO MAKE CUSTARD.
Make a quart of milk quite hot, that it may not whey when baked; let it
stand to get cold, and then mix six eggs with it; sweeten it with loaf
sugar, and fill the custard cups--put on the covers, and set them in a
Dutch oven with water, but not enough to risk its boiling into the cups;
do not put on the top of the oven. When the water has boiled ten or
fifteen minutes, take out a cup, and if the custard be the consistence
of jelly; it is sufficiently done; serve them in the cups with the
covers on, and a tea-spoon on the dish between each cup--grate nutmeg on
the tops when cold.
* * * * *
TO MAKE A TRIFLE.
Put slices of Savoy cake or Naples biscuit at the bottom of a deep dish;
wet it with white wine, and fill the dish nearly to the top with rich
boiled custard; season half a pint of cream with white wine and sugar;
whip it to a froth--as it rises, take it lightly off, and lay it on the
custard; pile it up high and tastily--decorate it with preserves of any
kind, cut so thin as not to bear the froth down by its weight.
* * * * *
RICE BLANC MANGE.
Boil a tea-cup full of rice in a very small of water, till it is near
bursting--then add half a pint of milk, boil it to a mush, stirring all
the time; season it with sugar, wine, and nutmeg; dip the mould in
water, and fill it; when cold, turn it in a dish, and surround it with
boiled custard seasoned, or syllabub--garnish it with marmalade.
* * * * *
FLOATING ISLAND.
Have the bowl nearly full of syllabub, made with milk, white wine, and
sugar; beat the whites of six new laid eggs to a strong froth--then mix
with it raspberry or strawberry marmalade enough to flavour and colour
it; lay the froth lightly on the syllabub, first putting in some slices
of cake; raise it in little mounds, and garnish with something light.
* * * * *
SYLLABUB.
Season the milk with sugar and white wine, but not enough to curdle it;
fill the glasses nearly full, and crown them with whipt cream seasoned.
* * * * *
COLD CREAMS.
LEMON CREAM.
Pare the rind very thin from four fresh lemons, squeeze the juice, and
strain it--put them both into a quart of water, sweeten it to your
taste, add the whites of six eggs, beat to a froth; set it over the
fire, and keep stirring until it thickens, but do not let it boil--then
pour it in a bowl; when cold, strain it through a sieve, put it on the
fire, and add the yelks of the eggs--stir it till quite thick, and serve
it in glasses.
* * * * *
ORANGE CREAM.
Is made in the same manner, but requires more juice to give a flavour.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY CREAM.
Stir as much raspberry marmalade into a quart of cream, as will be
sufficient to give a rich flavour of the fruit--strain it, and fill your
glasses, leaving out a part to whip into froth for the top.
* * * * *
TEA CREAM.
Put one ounce of the best tea in a pitcher, pour on it a table spoonful
of water, and let it stand an hour to soften the leaves; then put to it
a quart of boiling cream, cover it close, and in half an hour strain it;
add four tea-spoonsful of a strong infusion of rennet in water, stir it,
and set it on some hot ashes, and cover it; when you find by cooling a
little of it, that it will jelly, pour it into glasses, and garnish with
thin bits of preserved fruit.
* * * * *
SAGO CREAM.
Wash the sago clean, and put it on the fire with a stick of cinnamon,
and as much water as will boil it thick and soft; take out the cinnamon,
and add rich boiled custard till it is of a proper thickness; sweeten
it, and serve in glasses or cups, with grated nutmeg on the top.
* * * * *
BARLEY CREAM.
Is made the same way--you may add a little white wine to both; it will
give an agreeable flavour.
* * * * *
GOOSEBERRY FOOL.
Pick the stems and blossoms from two quarts of green gooseberries; put
them in a stew pan, with their weight in loaf sugar, and a very little
water--when sufficiently stewed, pass the pulp through a sieve; and when
cold, add rich boiled custard till it is like thick cream; put it in a
glass bowl, and lay frothed cream on the top.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SLIP.
Make a quart of rich milk moderately warm: then stir into it one large
spoonful of the preparation of rennet, (see receipt to prepare rennet,)
set it by, and when cold, it will be as stiff as jelly. It should be
made only a few hours before it is used, or it will be tough and watery;
in summer, set the dish in ice after it has jellied--it must be eaten
with powdered sugar, cream, and nutmeg.
* * * * *
CURDS AND CREAM.
Turn one quart of milk as for the slip--let it stand until just before
it is to be served: then take it up with a skimming dish, and lay it on
a sieve--when the whey has drained off, put the curds in a dish, and
surround them with cream--use sugar and nutmeg. These are Arcadian
dishes; very delicious, cheap, and easily prepared.
* * * * *
BLANC MANGE.
Break one ounce of isinglass into very small pieces; wash it well, and
pour on a pint of boiling water; next morning, add a quart of milk, boil
it till the isinglass is dissolved, strain it, put in two ounces sweet
almonds, blanched and pounded; sweeten it, and put it in the mould--when
stiff, turn them into a deep dish, and put raspberry cream around them.
For a change, stick thin slips of blanched almonds all over the blanc
mange, and dress round with syllabub, nicely frothed. Some moulds
require colouring--for an ear of corn, mix the yelk of an egg with a
little of the blanc mange; fill the grains of the corn with it--and when
quite set, pour in the white, but take care it is not warm enough to
melt the yellow: for a bunch of asparagus, colour a little with spinach
juice, to fill the green tops of the heads. Fruit must be made the
natural colour of what it represents. Cochineal and alkanet root pounded
and dissolved in brandy, make good colouring; but blanc mange should
never be served, without raspberry cream or syllabub to eat with it.
* * * * *
TO MAKE A HEN'S NEST.
Get five small eggs, make a hole at one end, and empty the shells--fill
them with blanc mange: when stiff and cold, take off the shells, pare
the yellow rind very thin from six lemons, boil them in water till
tender, then cut them in thin strips to resemble straw, and preserve
them with sugar; fill a small deep dish half full of nice jelly--when it
is set, put the straw on in form of a nest, and lay the eggs in it. It
is a beautiful dish for a dessert or supper.
* * * * *
Little Dishes for a Second Course, or Supper.
PHEASANTS A-LA-DAUB.
Roast two pheasants in the nicest manner--get a deep dish, the size and
form of the one you intend to serve the pheasants in--it must be as deep
as a tureen; put in savoury jelly about an inch and a half at the
bottom; when that is set, and the pheasants cold, lay them on the jelly
with their breasts down; fill the dish with jelly up to their backs;
take care it is not warm enough to melt the other, and that the birds
are not displaced--just before it is to be served, set it a moment in
hot water to loosen it; put the dish on the top, and turn it out
carefully.
* * * * *
PARTRIDGES A-LA-DAUB.
Truss six partridges neatly, cover them with thin slices of fat bacon
taken from the top of a middling; this keeps them white, and gives a
good flavour; they must be wrapped entirely in it--roast them, and when
done, take off the bacon; let them get cold, and use jelly as for the
pheasants.
* * * * *
CHICKENS A-LA-DAUB.
Roast two half grown chickens, cut off the legs and wings, pull the
breast from each side entire, take the skin from all the pieces, lay it
in the dish, and cover it with jelly.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SAVOURY JELLY.
Put eight or ten pounds of coarse lean beef, or the same quantity of the
inferior parts of the fore quarter of veal, into a pot with two gallons
of water, a pound of lean salt pork, three large onions chopped, three
carrots, a large handful of parsley, and any sweet herb that you choose,
with pepper and salt; boil it very gently till reduced to two quarts;
strain it through a sieve--next day, take off the fat, turn out the
jelly, and separate it from the dregs at the bottom; put it on the fire
with half a pint of white wine, a large spoonful of lemon pickle, and
the whites and shells of four eggs beaten: when it boils clear on one
side, run it through the jelly bag.
* * * * *
TURKEY A-LA-DAUB.
Bone a small turkey, put pepper and salt on the inside, and cover it
with slices of boiled ham or tongue; fill it with well seasoned
forcemeat, sew it up and boil it--cover it with jelly.
* * * * *
SALMAGUNDI.
Turn a bowl on the dish, and put on it in regular rings, beginning at
the bottom, the following ingredients, all minced:--anchovies with the
bones taken out, the white meat of fowls without the skin, hard boiled
eggs, the yelks and whites chopped separately, parsley, the lean of old
ham scraped, the inner stalks of celery; put a row of capers round the
bottom of the bowl, and dispose the others in a fanciful manner; put a
little pyramid of butter on the top, and have a small glass with egg
mixed as for sallad, to eat with the salmagundi.
* * * * *
AN EXCELLENT RELISH AFTER DINNER.
Put some soup or gravy from any of the dishes on the table, into the
stew dish; add a good portion of pepper, vinegar, wine, catsup and salt;
let it be very highly seasoned; broil the legs, liver, and gizzard of a
turkey, the kidney of veal, or any thing you fancy; cut it up in small
pieces: when broiled, put it in the gravy, and stew it at table.
* * * * *
TO STEW PERCH.
Lay the perch in a deep pan with the heads on; sprinkle salt, pepper,
and a little chopped onion over each layer; when they are all in, take
as much water as will be sufficient to fill the pan less than half full;
add a gill of wine, one of catsup, a little lemon pickle and spice;
cover the pan, and let it stew gently till done; take out the fish
without breaking, put them in a deep dish, pour the gravy on, and neatly
turn them out.
* * * * *
PRESERVES.
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING PRESERVES.
The preserving pan should be made of bell metal, flat at the bottom,
very large in diameter, but not deep. It should have a cover to fit
closely, and handles at the sides of the pan, for taking it off with
ease when the syrup boils too fast. There should also be a large
chafing-dish with long legs, for the convenience of moving it to any
part of the room. The process is a tedious one; and if the
superintendent be not comfortably situated, the preserves cannot be
properly managed. A ladle the size of a saucer, pierced and having a
long handle, will be necessary for taking up the fruit without syrup.
When a chafing-dish cannot be procured, the best substitute is a brick
stove, with a grating, to burn charcoal. The sugar should be the best
double refined; but if the pure amber coloured sugar house syrup from
the West Indies can be got, it is greatly superior; it never ferments,
and the trouble is very much lessened by having ready made syrup, in
which it is only necessary to boil the fruit till clear. All delicate
fruit should be done gently, and not allowed to remain more than half an
hour after it begins to stew, before it is laid on dishes to cool; it
must be put into the syrup again for the same time; continue this until
it is sufficiently transparent. The advantage of this method is that the
preserves are less liable to boil to pieces, than when done all at one
time. It is injudicious to put more in the pan at once, than can lie on
the bottom without crowding. The pan must be made bright, and nothing
permitted to cool in it, lest it should canker. Delicate preserves
should be kept in small glasses or pots, that will not hold more than
one or two pounds, for the admission of air injures them; put letter
paper wet with brandy on the preserves, and cover the tops with many
folds of soft paper, that will tie round closely; keep them in a dry
place, and expose them constantly to the sun to check fermentation.
Fruit for preserving should be in full perfection, but not too ripe.
* * * * *
TO PRESERVE CLING-STONE PEACHES.
Get the finest yellow cling-stones, pare them, and lay them in a bowl;
have their weight of sugar pounded, and sprinkle it over them as they
are put in; let them stand two or three hours, put them together with
the sugar into the pan, add a little water, and let the peaches remain
till thoroughly scalded; take them out with the ladle, draining off the
syrup; should there not be enough to cover the peaches, add more Water,
boil it and skim it, return the fruit, and do them gently till quite
clear. Have some stones cracked, blanch the kernels, and preserve them
with the peaches.
* * * * *
CLING-STONES SLICED.
Pare the peaches, and cut them in as large slices as possible; have
their weight in sugar, and preserve them as the others.
* * * * *
SOFT PEACHES.
Get yellow soft peaches that are not quite ripe, pare and divide them,
scrape the places where the stones lay with a tea-spoon, and follow the
former directions.
* * * * *
PEACH MARMALADE.
Take the ripest soft peaches, (the yellow ones make the prettiest
marmalade,) pare them, and take out the stones; put them in the pan with
one pound of dry light coloured brown sugar to, two of peaches: when
they are juicy, they do not require water: with a silver or wooden
spoon, chop them with the sugar; continue to do this, and let them boil
gently till they are a transparent pulp, that will be a jelly when cold.
Puffs made of this marmalade are very delicious.
* * * * *
PEACH CHIPS.
Slice them thin, and boil them till clear in a syrup made with half
their weight of sugar; lay them on dishes in the sun, and turn them till
dry; pack them in pots with powdered sugar sifted over each layer;
should there be syrup left, continue the process with other peaches.
They are very nice when done pure honey instead of sugar.
* * * * *
PEARS.
The small pears are better for preserving than large ones. Pare them,
and make a syrup, with their weight of sugar, and a little water--leave
the stem on, and stick a clove in the blossom end of each; stew them
till perfectly transparent.
* * * * *
PEAR MARMALADE.
Boil the pears till soft--when cold, rub the pulp through a sieve, and
boil it to a jelly, allowing one pound of sugar to two of pears.
* * * * *
QUINCES.
Select the finest and most perfect quinces, lay them on shelves, but do
not let them touch each other; keep them till they look yellow and have
a fragrant smell; put as many in the preserving pan as can lie
conveniently, cover them with water, and scald them well: then take out
the cores, and put them in water; cover the pan and boil them some time;
strain the water, add to it the weight of the quinces in pounded loaf
sugar, dissolve and skim it, pare the quinces, put them in the pan, and
should there not be syrup enough to cover them, add more water--stew
them till quite transparent. They will be light coloured if kept covered
during the process, and red if the cover be taken off. Fill the space
the cores occupied with quince jelly, before they are put into the
pots--and cover them with syrup.
* * * * *
CURRANT JELLY.
Pick full ripe currants from the stem, and put them in a stone pot; then
set it in an iron pot of water--take care that no water gets in: when
the currants have yielded their juice, pour them into a jelly bag--let
it run as long as it will without pressing, which must be reserved for
the best jelly; you may then squeeze the bag to make inferior kind. To
each pint of this juice, put one pound of loaf sugar powdered--boil it
fifteen or twenty minutes--skim it clean, and put it in glasses; expose
them daily to the sun to prevent fermentation.
* * * * *
QUINCE JELLY.
Prepare the quinces as before directed, take off the stems and blossoms,
wash them clean, and cut them in slices without paring; fill the pan,
and pour in water to cover them--stew them gently, putting in a little
water occasionally till they are soft; then pour them into a jelly bag;
let all the liquor run through without pressing it, which must be set
aside for the best jelly; to each pint of this, put a pound of loaf
sugar pounded, and boil it to a jelly. The bag may be squeezed for an
inferior, but a very nice jelly.
* * * * *
QUINCE MARMALADE.
Boil the quinces in water until soft, let them cool, and rub all the
pulp through a sieve: put two pounds of it to one of sugar, pound a
little cochineal, sift in through fine muslin, and mix it with the
quince to give a colour; pick out the seeds, tie them in a muslin bag,
and boil them with the marmalade: when it is a thick jelly, take out the
seeds, and put it in pots.
* * * * *
CHERRIES.
The most beautiful cherries to preserve, are the carnation and common
light red, with short stems; select the finest that are not too ripe;
take an equal weight with the cherries of double refined sugar, make it
into a syrup, and preserve them without stoning, and with the stems on;
if they be done carefully, and the "Directions for preserving" closely
attended to, the stems will not come off, and they will be so
transparent that the stones may be seen.
* * * * *
MORELLO CHERRIES.
Take out the stones with a quill over a deep dish, to save the juice
that runs from them; put to the juice a pound of sugar for each pound of
cherries, weighed after they are stoned; boil and skim the syrup, then
put in the fruit, and stew till quite clear.
* * * * *
TO DRY CHERRIES.
Stone them, and save the juice: weigh the cherries, and allow one pound
of good brown sugar to three of the fruit; boil it with the juice, put
the cherries in, stew them fifteen or twenty minutes, take them out,
drain off the syrup, and lay the cherries in dishes to dry in the sun;
keep the syrup to pour over a little at a time, as it dries on the
cherries, which must be frequently turned over; when all the syrup is
used, put the cherries away in pots, sprinkling a little powdered loaf
sugar between the layers. They make excellent pies, puddings, and
charlottes.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY JAM.
To each pound of ripe red or English raspberries, put one pound of loaf
sugar--stir it frequently, and stew till it is a thick jelly.
* * * * *
TO PRESERVE STRAWBERRIES.
Get the largest strawberries before they are too ripe; have the best
loaf sugar, one pound to each of strawberries--stew them very gently,
taking them out to cool frequently, that they may not be mashed; when
they look clear, they are done enough.
* * * * *
STRAWBERRY JAM.
Is made in the same manner as the raspberry, and is very fine to mix
with cream for blanc mange, puffs, sweet-meat puddings, &c. &c.
* * * * *
GOOSEBERRIES.
Select young gooseberries, make a syrup with one pound of loaf sugar to
each of fruit; stew them till quite clear and the syrup becomes thick,
but do not let them be mashed. They are excellent made into tarts--do
not cover the pan while they are stewing.
* * * * *
APRICOTS IN BRANDY.
Take freshly gathered apricots not too ripe; to half their weight of
loaf sugar, add as much water as will cover the fruit; boil and skim it:
then put in the apricots, and let them remain five or six minutes: take
them up without syrup, and lay them on dishes to cool; boil the syrup
till reduced one half; when the apricots are cold, put them in bottles,
and cover them with equal quantities of syrup and French brandy. If the
apricots be cling-stones, they will require more scalding.
* * * * *
PEACHES IN BRANDY.
Get yellow soft peaches, perfectly free from defect and newly gathered,
but not too ripe; place them in a pot, and cover them with cold weak
lye; turn over those that float frequently, that the lye may act equally
on them; at the end of an hour take them out, wipe them carefully with a
soft cloth to get off the down and skin, and lay them in cold water;
make a syrup as for the apricots, and proceed in the same manner, only
scald the peaches more.
* * * * *
CHERRIES IN BRANDY.
Get the short stemmed bright red cherries in bunches--make a syrup, with
equal quantities of sugar and cherries; scald the cherries, but do not
let the skins crack, which they will do if the fruit be too ripe.
* * * * *
MAGNUM BONUM PLUMS IN BRANDY.
Select those that are free from blemish--make a syrup with half their
weight of sugar, and preserve them in the same manner directed for
apricots--green gages. The large amber, and the blue plums, are also
excellent, done in the same way.
* * * * *
PICKLING.
LEMON PICKLE.
Grate the yellow rind from two dozen fine fresh lemons, quarter them but
leave them whole at the bottom; sprinkle salt on them, and put them in
the sun every day until dry; then brush off the salt, put them in a pot
with one ounce of nutmegs, and one of mace pounded; a large handful of
horse radish scraped and dried two dozen cloves of garlic, and a pint of
mustard seed; pour on one gallon of strong vinegar, tie the pot close,
put a board on, and let it stand three months--strain it, and when
perfectly clear, bottle it.
* * * * *
TOMATO CATSUP.
Gather a peck of tomatos, pick out the stems, and wash them; put them on
the fire without water, sprinkle on a few spoonsful of salt, let them
boil steadily an hour, stirring them frequently; strain them through a
colander, and then through a sieve; put the liquid on the fire with half
a pint of chopped onions, half a quarter of an ounce of mace broke into
small pieces; and if not sufficiently salt, add a little more--one
table-spoonful of whole black pepper; boil all together until just
enough to fill two bottles; cork it tight. Make it in August, in dry
weather.
* * * * *
TOMATO MARMALADE.
Gather full grown tomatos while quite green; take out the stems, and
stew them till soft; rub them through a sieve, put the pulp on the fire
seasoned highly with pepper, salt, and pounded cloves; add some garlic,
and stew all together till thick: it keeps well, and is excellent for
seasoning gravies, &c. &c.
* * * * *
TOMATO SWEET MARMALADE.
Prepare it in the same manner, mix some loaf sugar with the pulp, and
stew until it is a stiff jelly.
* * * * *
TOMATO SOY.
Take a bushel of full ripe tomatos, cut them in slices without
skinning--sprinkle the bottom of a large tub with salt, strew in the
tomatos, and over each layer of about two inches thick, sprinkle half a
pint of salt, and three onions sliced without taking off the skins.
When the bushel of tomatos is thus prepared, let them remain for _three_
days, then put them into a large iron pot, in which they must boil from
early in the morning till night, constantly stirring to prevent their
sticking and mashing them.
The next morning, pass the mixture through a sieve, pressing it to
obtain all the liquor you can; and add to it one ounce of cloves,
quarter of a pound of allspice, quarter of a pound of whole black
pepper, and a small wine glass of Cayenne; let it boil slowly and
constantly during the whole of the day--in the evening, put it into a
suitable vessel to cool; and the day after, bottle and cork it well:
place it in a cool situation during warm weather, and it will keep for
many years, provided it has been boiled very slowly and sufficiently in
the preparation. Should it ferment it must be boiled a second time.
* * * * *
PEPPER VINEGAR.
Get one dozen pods of pepper when ripe, take out the stems, and cut them
in two; put them in a kettle with three pints of vinegar, boil it away
to one quart, and strain it through a sieve. A little of this is
excellent in gravy of every kind, and gives a flavour greatly superior
to black pepper; it is also very fine when added to each of the various
catsups for fish sauce.
* * * * *
MUSHROOM CATSUP.
Take the flaps of the proper mushrooms from the stems--wash them, add
some salt, and crush them; then boil them some time, strain them through
a cloth, put them on the fire again with salt to your taste, a few
cloves of garlic, and a quarter of an ounce of cloves pounded, to a peck
of mushrooms; boil it till reduced to less than half the original
quantity--bottle and cork it well.
* * * * *
TARRAGON OR ASTRAGON VINEGAR.
Pick the tarragon nicely from the stem, let it lie in a dry place
forty-eight hours; put it in a pitcher, and to one quart of the leaves
put three pints of strong vinegar; cover it close, and let it stand a
week--then strain it, and after standing in the pitcher till quite
clear, bottle it, and cork it closely.
* * * * *
CURRY POWDER.
One ounce turmeric, one do. coriander seed, one do. cummin seed, one do.
white ginger, one of nutmeg, one of mace, and one of Cayenne pepper;
pound all together, and pass them through a line sieve; bottle and cork
it well--one tea-spoonful is sufficient to season any made dish.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE CUCUMBERS.
Gather them full grown, but quite young--take off the green rind, and
slice them tolerably thick; put a layer in a deep dish, strew over it
some chopped onion and salt; do this until they are all in; sprinkle
salt on the top, let them stand six hours, put them in a colander--when
all the liquor has run off, put them in a pot; strew a little cayenne
pepper over each layer, and cover them with strong cold vinegar; when
the pot is full, pour on some sweet oil, and tie it, up close; at the
end of a fortnight, pour off the first vinegar, and put on fresh.
* * * * *
OIL MANGOS.
Gather the melons a size larger than a goose egg--put them in a pot,
pour boiling salt and water made strong upon them, and cover them up;
next day, cut a slit from the stem to the blossom end, and take out the
seeds carefully--return them to the brine, and let them remain in it
eight days; then put them in strong vinegar for a fortnight, wipe the
insides with a soft cloth, stuff them and tie them, pack them in a pot
with the slit uppermost; strew some of the stuffing over each layer, and
keep them covered with the best vinegar.
* * * * *
TO MAKE THE STUFFING FOR FORTY MELONS.
Wash a pound of white race ginger very clean; pour boiling water on it,
and let it stand twenty-four hours; slice it thin, and dry it; one pound
of horse-radish scraped and dried, one pound of mustard seed washed and
dried, one pound of chopped onion, one ounce of mace, one of nutmeg
pounded fine, two ounces of turmeric, and a handful of whole black
pepper; make these ingredients into a paste, with a quarter of a pound
of mustard, and a large cup full of sweet oil; put a clove of garlic
into each mango.
* * * * *
TO MAKE YELLOW PICKLE.
Put all the articles intended for the yellow pickle in a pot, and pour
on them boiling salt and water--let them stand forty-eight hours, take
advantage of a clear hot day, press the water from the articles, and lay
them to dry in full sunshine, on a table covered with a thick soft
cloth, with the corners pinned securely, that they may not blow up over
the things--the cloth absorbs the moisture; and by turning them
frequently on a dry place, they become white, and receive the colour of
the turmeric more readily--one day of clear sunshine is enough to
prepare them for the first vinegar. When dried, put them in a pot of
plain cold vinegar, with a little turmeric in it--let them remain in it
two weeks to draw off the water from them, and to make them plump--then
put them in a clean pot, and pour on the vinegar, prepared by the
following directions--this is the most economical and best way of
keeping them--mix the turmeric very smoothly, before you add it to your
pickles.
* * * * *
TO MAKE GREEN PICKLES.
Put the articles you intend to pickle, in a pot--and cover them with
boiling salt and water: put a thick cloth on the top, and then a plate
that will fit it--let it stand till the next morning, then pour off the
salt and water, boil it again, and cover them as before; do this until
your pickles are a good green--then put them in plain cold vinegar, with
some turmeric in it; and at the end of a fortnight, put them up, as you
do the yellow pickle.
* * * * *
TO PREPARE VINEGAR FOR GREEN OR YELLOW PICKLE.
One pound of ginger sliced and dried, one of horse-radish scraped and
dried, one of mustard seed washed and dried, one ounce long pepper, an
ounce of mace, and one of nutmegs finely pounded; put all these
ingredients in a pot, pour two gallons of strong vinegar on, and let it
stand twelve months, stirring it very frequently. When this vinegar is
used for the pickles, put two gallons more vinegar, with some mace and
nutmegs, and keep it for another year. When the prepared vinegar is
poured from the ingredients, do it very carefully, that it may be quite
clear. Pickles keep much better when the vinegar is not boiled. Should
the green pickles at any time lose their colour, it may be restored by
adding a little more turmeric. All pickles are best, when one or two
years old.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE ONIONS.
Get white onions that are not too large, cut the stem close to the root
with a sharp knife, put them in a pot, pour on boiling salt and water to
cover them, stop the pot closely, let them stand a fortnight, changing
the salt and water every three days; they must be stirred daily, or
those that float will become soft; at the end of this time, take off the
skin and outer shell, put them in plain cold vinegar with a little
turmeric. If the vinegar be not very pale, the onion will not be of a
good colour.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE NASTERTIUMS.
Gather the berries when full grown but young, put them in a pot, pour
boiling salt and water on, and let them stand three or four days; then
drain off the water, and cover them with cold vinegar; add a few blades
of mace, and whole grains of black pepper.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE RADISH PODS.
Cut them in nice bunches as soon as they are fully formed; they must be
young and tender--pour boiling salt and water on them, cover with a
thick cloth, and pewter plate, to keep in the steam; repeat this every
day till they are a good green; then put them in cold vinegar, with mace
and whole pepper; mix a little turmeric, with a small portion of oil,
and stir it into the vinegar; it will make the pods of a more lively
green. They are very pretty for garnishing meats.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE ENGLISH WALNUTS.
The walnuts should be gathered when the nut is so young that you can run
a pin into it easily; pour boiling salt and water on, and let them be
covered with it nine days, changing it every third day--take them out,
and put them on dishes in the air for a few minutes, taking care to turn
them over; this will make them black much sooner--put them in a pot,
strew over some whole pepper, cloves, a little garlic, mustard seed, and
horse-radish scraped and dried; cover them with strong cold vinegar.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE PEPPERS.
Gather the large bell pepper when quite young, leave the seeds in and
the stem on, cut a slit in one side between the large veins, to let the
water in; pour boiling salt and waler on, changing it every day for
three weeks--you must keep them closely stopped; if at the end of this
time, they be a good green, put them in pots, and cover them with cold
vinegar and a little turmeric; those that are not sufficiently green,
must be continued under the same process till they are so. Be careful
not to cut through the large veins, as the heat will instantly diffuse
itself through the pod.
* * * * *
TO MAKE WALNUT CATSUP.
Gather the walnuts as for pickling, and keep them in salt and water the
same time; then pound them in a marble mortar--to every dozen walnuts,
put a quart of vinegar; stir them well every day for a week, then put
them in a bag, and press all the liquor through; to each quart, put a
tea-spoonful of pounded cloves, and one of mace, with six cloves of
garlic--boil it fifteen or twenty minutes, and bottle it.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE GREEN NECTARINES OR APRICOTS.
Gather them while the shell is soft--green them with salt and water as
before directed; when a good green, soak them in plain vinegar for a
fortnight, and put them in the yellow pickle pot.
* * * * *
TO PICKLE ASPARAGUS.
Pour boiling salt and water on, and cover them close--next day, take
them out, dry them, and after standing in vinegar, put them with the
yellow pickle.
* * * * *
OBSERVATIONS ON PICKLING.
The vessels for keeping pickles should be made of stone ware, straight
from the bottom to the top, with stone covers to them; when the mouth is
very wide, the pickles may be taken out without breaking them The motive
for keeping all pickles in plain vinegar, previous to putting them in
the prepared pot, is to draw off the water with which they are
saturated, that they may not weaken the vinegar of the pot. Pickles keep
much better when the vinegar is not boiled.
* * * * *
CORDIALS, &c.
GINGER WINE.
To three gallons of water, put three pounds of sugar, and four ounces of
race ginger, washed in many waters to cleanse it; boil them together for
one hour, and strain it through a sieve; when lukewarm, put it in a cask
with three lemons cut in slices, and two gills of beer yeast; shake it
well, and stop the cask very tight; let it stand a week to ferment; and
if not clear enough to bottle, it must remain until it becomes so; it
will be fit to drink in ten days after bottling.
* * * * *
ORGEAT.
_A Necessary Refreshment at all Parties._
Boil two quarts of milk with a stick of cinnamon and let it stand to be
quite cold, first taking out the cinnamon; blanch four ounces of the
best sweet almonds, pound them in a marble mortar with a little
rose-water; mix them well with the milk, sweeten it to your taste, and
let it boil a few minutes only, lest the almonds should be oily; strain
it through a very fine sieve till quite smooth, and free from the
almonds, serve it up either cold or lukewarm, in glasses with handles.
* * * * *
CHERRY SHRUB.
Gather ripe morello cherries, pick them from the stalk, and put them in
an earthen pot, which must be set into an iron pot of water; make the
water boil, but take care that none of it gets into the cherries; when
the juice is extracted, pour it into a bag made of tolerably thick
cloth, which will permit the juice to pass, but not the pulp of your
cherries; sweeten it to your taste, and when it becomes perfectly clear,
bottle it--put a gill of brandy into each bottle, before you pour in the
juice--cover the corks with rosin. It will keep all summer, in a dry
cool place, and is delicious mixed with water.
* * * * *
CURRANT WINE.
Gather full ripe currants on a dry day, pick them from the stalks, and
weigh them; then crush them with your hands, leaving none whole; for
every two pounds of currants put one quart of water; stir all well
together, and let it stand three hours, and strain the liquor through a
sieve; then, for every three pounds of currants, put one pound of
powdered loaf sugar; stir it till the sugar is dissolved, boil it, and
keep skimming it, as long as any scum will rise; let it stand sixteen
hours to cool, before you put it in the cask--stop it very close. If the
quantity be twenty gallons, let it stand three weeks before you bottle
it; if it be thirty gallons, it must remain a month; it should be
perfectly clear when drawn off--put a lump of sugar in each bottle, cork
it well, and keep it in a cool place, or it will turn sour. This is a
pleasant and cheap wine--and if properly made, will keep good for many
years. It makes an agreeable beverage for the sick, when mixed with
water.
* * * * *
TO MAKE CHERRY BRANDY.
Get equal quantities of morello and common black cherries; fill your
cask, and pour on (to a ten gallon cask) one gallon of boiling water; in
two or three hours, fill it up with brandy--let it stand a week, then
draw off all, and put another gallon of boiling water, and fill it again
with brandy--at the end of the week, draw the whole off, empty the cask
of the cherries, and pour in your brandy with water, to reduce the
strength; first dissolving one pound of brown sugar in each gallon of
your mixture. If the brandy be very strong, it will bear water enough to
make the cask full.
* * * * *
ROSE BRANDY.
Gather leaves from fragrant roses without bruising, fill a pitcher with
them, and cover them with French brandy; next day, pour off the brandy,
take out the leaves, and fill the pitcher with fresh ones, and return
the brandy; do this till it is strongly impregnated, then bottle it;
keep the pitcher closely covered during the process. It is better than
distilled rose water for cakes, &c.
* * * * *
PEACH CORDIAL.
Gather ripe cling-stone peaches, wipe off the down, cut them to the
stone in several places, and put them in a cask; when filled with
peaches, pour on as much peach brandy as the cask will hold; let it
stand six or eight weeks, then draw it off, put in water until reduced
to the strength of wine; to each gallon of this, add one pound of good
brown sugar--dissolve it, and pour the cordial into a cask just large
enough to hold it--when perfectly clear, it is fit for use.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY CORDIAL.
To each quart of ripe red raspberries, put one quart of best French
brandy; let it remain about a week, then strain it through a sieve or
bag, pressing out all the liquid; when you have got as much as you want,
reduce the strength to your taste with water, and put a pound of
powdered loaf sugar to each gallon--let it stand till refined.
Strawberry cordial is made the same way. It destroys the flavour of
these fruits to put them on the fire.
* * * * *
RASPBERRY VINEGAR.
Put a quart of ripe red raspberries in a bowl; pour on them a quart of
strong well flavoured vinegar--let them stand twenty-four hours, strain
them through a bag, put this liquid on another quart, of fresh
raspberries, which strain in the same manner--and then on a third quart:
when this last is prepared, make it very sweet with pounded loaf sugar;
refine and bottle it. It is a delicious beverage mixed with iced water.
* * * * *
MINT CORDIAL.
Pick the mint early in the morning while the dew is on it, and be
careful not to bruise it; pour some water over it, and drain it--put two
handsful into a pitcher, with a quart of French brandy, cover it, and
let it stand till next day; take the mint carefully out, and put in as
much more, which must be taken out next day--do this the third time:
then put three quarts of water to the brandy, and one pound of loaf
sugar powdered; mix it well together--and when perfectly clear, bottle
it.
* * * * *
HYDROMEL, OR MEAD.
Mix your mead in the proportion of thirty-six ounces of honey to four
quarts of warm water; when the honey is completely held in solution,
pour it into a cask. When fermented, and become perfectly clear, bottle
and cork it well. If properly prepared, it is a pleasant and wholesome
drink; and in summer particularly grateful, on account of the large
quantity of carbonic acid gas which it contains. Its goodness, however,
depends greatly on the _time_ of bottling, and other circumstances,
which can only be acquired by practice.
* * * * *
TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE FOR ARRACK.
Dissolve two scruples flowers of Benzoin, in one quart of good rum.
* * * * *
LEMON CORDIAL.
Cut six fresh lemons in thin slices, put them into a quart and a half of
milk, boil it until the whey is very clear, then pass it through a
sieve; put to this whey, one and a half quarts of French brandy, and
three pounds of powdered loaf sugar; stir it till the sugar is
dissolved--let it stand to refine, and bottle it; pare some of the
yellow rind of the lemons very thin, and put a little in each bottle.
* * * * *
GINGER BEER.
Pour two gallons of boiling water on two pounds brown sugar, one and a
half ounce of cream of tartar, and the same of pounded ginger; stir them
well, and put it in a small cask; when milk warm, put in half a pint of
good yeast, shake the cask well, and stop it close--in twenty-four hours
it will be fit to bottle--cork it very well, and in ten days it will
sparkle like Champaigne--one or two lemons cut in slices and put in,
will improve it much. For economy, you may use molasses instead of
sugar--one quart in place of two pounds. This is a wholesome and
delicious beverage in warm weather.
* * * * *
SPRUCE BEER.
Boil a handful of hops, and twice as much of the chippings of sassafras
root, in ten gallons of water; strain it, and pour in, while hot, one
gallon of molasses, two spoonsful of the essence of spruce, two
spoonsful of powdered ginger, and one of pounded allspice; put it in a
cask--when sufficiently cold, add half a pint of good yeast; stir it
well, stop it close, and when fermented and clear, bottle and cork it
tight.
* * * * *
MOLASSES BEER.
Put five quarts of hops, and five of wheat bran, into fifteen gallons of
water; boil it three or four hours, strain it, and pour it into a cask
with one head taken out; put in five quarts of molasses, stir it till
well mixed, throw a cloth over the barrel; when moderately warm, add a
quart of good yeast, which must be stirred in; then stop it close with a
cloth and board. When it has fermented and become quite clear, bottle
it--the corks should be soaked in boiling water an hour or two, and the
bottles perfectly clean, and well drained.
* * * * *
TO KEEP LEMON-JUICE.
Get lemons quite free from blemish, squeeze them, and strain the juice;
to each pint of it, put a pound of good loaf sugar pounded; stir it
frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved, cover the pitcher
closely, and let it stand till the dregs have subsided, and the syrup is
transparent; have bottles perfectly clean and dry, put a wine glass full
of French brandy into each bottle, fill it with syrup, cork it, and dip
the neck into melted rosin or pitch; keep them in a cool dry cellar--do
not put it on the fire--it will destroy the fine flavour of the juice.
Pour water on the peels of the lemons, let them soak till you can scrape
all the white pulp off, then boil the peel till soft; preserve them with
half their weight of sugar, and keep them for mince pies, cakes, &c.
They are a very good substitute for citron.
* * * * *
SUGAR VINEGAR.
To one measure of sugar, put seven measures of water moderately warm;
dissolve it completely--put it into a cask, stir in yeast in the
proportion of a pint to eight gallons: stop it close, and keep it in a
warm place till sufficiently sour.
* * * * *
HONEY VINEGAR.
To one quart of clear honey, put eight quarts of warm water, mix it well
together: when it has passed through the acetous fermentation, a white
vinegar will be formed, in many respects better than the ordinary
vinegar.
* * * * *
SYRUP OF VINEGAR.
Boil two pounds of sugar with four quarts of vinegar, down to a syrup,
and bottle it. This makes an excellent beverage when mixed with water,
either with or without the addition of brandy. It is nearly equal a
flavour to the syrup of lime juice, when made with superior vinegar.
* * * * *
AROMATIC VINEGAR.
Put a portion of acetate of potash, (sal diureticus,) into a smelling
bottle; mix gradually with it half its weight of sulphuric acid, and add
a few drops of oil of lavender.
* * * * *
VINEGAR OF THE FOUR THIEVES.
Take lavender, rosemary, sage, wormwood, rue, and mint, of each a large
handful; put them in a pot of earthen ware, pour on them four quarts of
very strong vinegar, cover the pot closely, and put a board on the top;
keep it in the hottest sun two weeks, then strain and bottle it, putting
in each bottle a clove of garlic. When it has settled in the bottle and
become clear, pour it off gently; do this until you get it all free from
sediment. The proper time to make it is when the herbs are in full
vigour, in June. This vinegar is very refreshing in crowded rooms, in
the apartments of the sick; and is peculiarly grateful, when sprinkled
about the house in damp weather.
* * * * *
LAVENDER WATER.
Put a pint of highly rectified spirits of wine, to one ounce of
essential oil of lavender, and two drachms of ambergris; shake them well
together, and keep it closely stopped.
* * * * *
HUNGARIAN WATER.
One pint spirits of wine, one ounce oil of rosemary, and two drachms
essence of ambergris.
* * * * *
TO PREPARE COSMETIC SOAP FOR WASHING THE HANDS.
Take a pound of castile, or any other nice old soap; scrape it in small
pieces, and put it on the fire with a little water--stir it till it
becomes a smooth paste, pour it into a bowl, and when cold, add some
lavender water, or essence of any kind--beat it with a silver spoon
until well mixed, thicken it with corn meal, and keep it in small pots
closely covered--for the admission of air will soon make the soap hard.
* * * * *
COLOGNE WATER.
Three quarts spirits of wine, six drachms oil of lavender, one drachm
oil of rosemary, three drachms essence of lemon, ten drops oil of
cinnamon--mix them together very well.
* * * * *
SOFT POMATUM.
Get nice sweet lard that has no salt in it--put in any agreeable
perfume, beat it to a cream, and put it in small pots.
* * * * *
TO MAKE SOAP.
Put on the fire any quantity of lye you choose that is strong enough to
bear an egg--to each gallon, add three quarters of a pound of clean
grease: boil it very fast, and stir it frequently--a few hours will
suffice to make it good soap. When you find by cooling a little on a
plate that it is a thick jelly, and no grease appears, put in salt in
the proportion of one pint to three gallons--let it boil a few minutes,
and pour it in tubs to cool--(should the soap be thin, add a little
water to that in the plate, stir it well, and by that means ascertain
how much water is necessary for the whole quantity; very strong lye will
require water to thicken it, after the incorporation is complete; this
must be done before the salt is added.) Next day, cut out the soap, melt
it, and cool it again; this takes out all the lye, and keeps the soap
from shrinking when dried. A strict conformity to these rules, will
banish the lunar bugbear, which has so long annoyed soap makers. Should
cracknels be used, there must be one pound to each gallon. Kitchen
grease should be clarified in a quantity of water, or the salt will
prevent its incorporating with the lye. Soft soap is made in the same
manner, only omitting the salt. It may also be made by putting the lye
and grease together in exact proportions, and placing it under the
influence of a hot sun for eight or ten days, stirring it well four or
five times a day.
* * * * *
TO MAKE STARCH.
Wash a peck of good wheat, and pick it very clean; put it in a tub, and
cover it with water; it must be kept in the sun, and the water changed
every day, or it will smell very offensively. When the wheat becomes
quite soft, it must be well rubbed in the hands, and the husks thrown
into another tub; let this white substance settle, then pour off the
water, put on fresh, stir it up well, and let it subside; do this every
day till the water comes off clear--then pour it off; collect the starch
in a bag, tie it up tight, and set it in the sun a few days; then open
it, and dry the starch on dishes.
* * * * *
TO DRY HERBS.
Gather them on a dry day, just before they begin to blossom; brush off
the dust, cut them in small branches, and dry them quickly in a moderate
oven; pick off the leaves when dry, pound and sift them--bottle them
immediately, and cork them closely. They must be kept in a dry place.
* * * * *
TO CLEAN SILVER UTENSILS.
Dissolve two tea-spoonsful of alum in a quart of moderately strong
lye--stir in a gill of soft soap, and skim off the dross. Wash the
silver clean in hot water, let it remain covered with this mixture for
ten or fifteen minutes, turning it over frequently; then wash it in hot
soap suds, and rub it well with a dry cloth.
* * * * *
TO MAKE BLACKING.
A quarter of a pound of ivory black, two ounces of sugar candy, a
quarter of an ounce of gum tragacanth; pound them all very fine, boil a
bottle of porter, and stir the ingredients in while boiling hot.
* * * * *
TO CLEAN KNIVES AND FORKS.
Wash them in warm water, and wipe them till quite dry; then touch them
lightly over, without smearing the handles, with rotten stone made wet;
let it dry on them, and then rub with a clean cloth until they are
bright. With this mode of cleaning, one set of knives and forks will
serve a family twenty years; they will require the frequent use of a
steel to keep them with a keen edge--but must never be put into very hot
water, lest the handles be injured.
THE END.
Footnotes:
Footnote 1: Shote being a Provincial term, and not a legitimate English
Word, Mrs. R. has taken the liberty of spelling it in a way that conveys
the sound of the pronunciation more clearly than _shoat_, the usual
manner of spelling it.
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