NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES 3 3433 07897540 0 1 1 by WG THE COMPLETE COOK. مثبت 7997 PLAIN AND PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS FOR COOKING AND HOUSEKEEPING; WITH UPWARDS OF t SEVEN HUNDRED RECEIPTS: CONSISTING OF DIRECTIONS FOR THE CHOICE OF MEAT AND POULTRY : PREPARATIONS FOR COOKING, MAKING OF BROTHS AND SOUPS; BOILING, ROASTING, BAKING, AND FRYING OF MEATS, FISH, &c. SEASONINGS, COLOURINGS, COOKING VEGETABLES ; PREPARING SALADS, CLARIFYING; MAKING OF PASTRY, PUDDINGS, GRUELS, GRAVIES, GARNISHES, &c. AND, WITH GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING WINES. WITH ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS, BY J. M. SANDERSON, Of the Franklin House. PHILADELPHIA: LEA AND BLANCHARD.. 1846. í ALE THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 798948 A ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS R 1935 Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1843, by LEA AND BLANCHARD, in the clerk's office of the district court of the United States in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. J. FAGAN, STEREOTYPER. J, AND W. KITE, PRINTERS (9) PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION. THE following work has been written, not only with the view o furnishing a complete Cookery Book, but also for the purpose of in structing, in a simple manner, inexperienced mistresses and servants, in the elementary principles of the culinary science; not losing sight of endeavouring to inculcate the relative duties of the employer and the employed. Almost the only cookery book in our language, in which reasons are given for the doctrine laid down, is “ The Cook's Oracle,” by the late Dr. Kitchiner. The Doctor's work, though ex- ceedingly valuable, is a book fitted more for the improvement of the initiated, than for the instruction of those who possess no knowledge of the subject. There are many other books of cookery to which exceptions might be taken, but we have no wish to enhance our own work by depreciating the labours of others. We have done our best to produce a book, which all who can read may understand, and by which all may be instructed. Dr. Kitchiner says, in his “Rudiments," and says truly, “I have taken much more pains than any of my pre- decessors to teach the young cook how to perform, in the best manner, the common business of her profession.” In our "rudiments," we have endeavoured to teach that which a woman should know before she can be called a young cook," as well as that which a young cook has to learn. To conclude; ours is a book intended for the use of persons who keep servants, and those who keep none. If we give expensive re- ceipts, we also show, that good, substantial dishes, and the most deli- cate, may be prepared at as little, or even less, expense than the ordinary, or common preparations of food. In our receipts, in particu- lar, we have written, necessarily written, many things which have been written before, but we feel assured that, taken as a whole, our work will not be found devoid of originality. For the art of baking, and all the little knick-knacks of fancy bread, such as biscuits, sweet cakes, &c., and for confectionary, we refer our readers to two little works, by the Editor of “The k,” called “The Baker,” and “The Confectioner,"** which form part of the series of " Industrial Guides." * " The Baker” and “The Confectioner" will shortly be published by Lea & Blanchard, at 25 cents, in one volume. 99 1* (3) 1 1 PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. It is said that “Good wine needs no bush," and according to the same rule a good book should require no apology, (as a preface generally appears to be). In this instance, as we are not the author, we intend to devote the small space allowed us, to the praise of this our adopted work; for, of all the English books on this subject, 'none, according to our ideas, possess half the claims to public approval as this one does. The author, whoever he is, is certainly a proficient in his business; and, although making no pretensions to a literary character, has laid down his rules and precepts in a clear and concise manner. Very few additions or alterations have been made in this work; in fact none, excepting where circumstances rendered it necessary; it being considered best to send it forth to the Ame- rican world with all its beauties untouched; at the same time we wish it to be understood that we do so, not because the subject is a barren one; on the contrary, were we to condense all the necessary information we have on this science, we should swell our small book to the dignity of a three-volumed work ; but, by so doing, we should place it beyond the reach of that class to whom its precepts will prove most valuable. We hav therefore concluded, after due reflection, to leave such labours alone until we have more time and experience. The American stomach has too long suffered from the vile concoctions inflicted on it by untutored cooks, guided by sense- less and impracticable cook-books; and it is to be hoped, that (5) 1 ** vi PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. as this subject is now becoming more important in these days of dyspepsia, indigestion, &c., a really good book will be well patronised, and not only read, but strictly followed; and let it not be said hereafter that “the American kitchen is the worst in the world." As we have made but few alterations or improvements, we do not consider it at all necessary to offer to the public any apology for our seeming presumption in thus undertaking, at our age, to edit a work which we think requires little improve- ment, and consequently no great degree of talent on our part. Should we ever undertake anything original, we shall then act with more humility. All that we ask, in the present case, is the wide and extended use of the “Complete Cook," 99 THE COMPLETE COOK. RELATIVE DUTIES OF MISTRESS AND MAID. In this our little work, we more particularly address ourselves to Cook Maids in small families, where two maid servants only are kept, and where, consequently, all the business of the kitchen falls upon the cook, both as regards cleaning and cooking. In such families, it is true, the mistress in the house will take a part in the business of cooking upon herself; a most laudable custom, both as regards eco- nomy, and the real interests of the cook maid. To such mistresses, particularly the younger portion, it is hoped our little book will not be unacceptable. Cooking is neither a mean, nor a simple art. To make the best and the most of everything connected with the suste- nance of a family, requires not only industry and experience, but also considerable mental capacity, or, at any rate, an aptness to learn. One of the principal, if not the principal, requisite, in a cook, is order-that faculty by which a person is enabled to keep all things in their proper places. Without order there can be no cleanliness, an- other indispensable requisite in a cook: to be always cleaning, is not to be clean. There are some foolish, fussy women, who, with all the disposition on earth to be clean, not having order, dirty one thing as fast as they clean another. Nor is order an essential requisite, as regards the cleanliness of a kitchen, and of kitchen utensils, only; in dressing food, without order there can be no good cooking. We have said, that the mistress will take a part in a small family in the business of cooking. We, perhaps, should have rather said, ought to take a part; for we are sorry to say, that there is too much reason to believe, that good housewifery is much neglected in the educating of young ladies now-a-days. "If a mistress be really not 'acquainted with the general principles of cooking, she ought to do one of two things either to make herself acquainted with them as an humble learner, or to keep out of the kitchen altogether; for her ignorant interference with a good cook maid will do no good, but may do a great deal of harm. And while on this subject we must give a word of friendly advice to the unfortunate cook, who may happen to fall in with an ignorant, irritable mistress. Let her take care to refrain from going into a passion with her: if the mistress scolds, let the maid be mild; and above all, let her not scold again, or answer in an angry or insulting manner. This is a hard thing to do, we are aware, particularly where a servant feels herself injured; but if she can do it, she will not only gain the victory over her mistress, but she (13) DUTIES OF MISTRESS MAID. 15 AND We shall conclude this our friendly advice to young cooks, by an extract from the “ Cook's Best Friend,” by the late Dr. Kitchiner. Nothing can be done in perfection, which must be done in a hurry, (except catching of fleas),-—" Therefore,” says the Doctor, “if you wish the dinner to be sent up to please your master and mistress, and do credit to yourself, be punctual; take care, that as soon as the clock strikes the dinner bell rings. This shows the establishment is orderly, is extremely gratifying to the master and his guests, and is most praiseworthy in the attendants. But remember you cannot ob- tain this desirable reputation without good management in every respect; if you wish to ensure ease and independence in the latter part of your life, you must not be unwilling to pay the price for which only they can be obtained, and earn them by a diligent and faithful performance of the duties of your station in your young days, in which if you steadily persevere, you may depend upon ultimately receiving the reward your services deserve." All duties are reciprocal; and if you hope to receive favour, endea- vour to deserve it by showing yourself fond of obliging, and grateful when obliged. Such behaviour will win regard, and maintain it; enforce what is right, and excuse what is wrong. Quiet, steady perseverance, is the only spring which you can safely depend upon infallibly to promote your progress on the road to inde- pendence. If your employers do not immediately appear to be sensible of your endeavours to contribute your utmost to their comfort and interests, be not easily discouraged; persevere, and do all in your power to Endeavour to promote the comfort of every individual in the family; let it be manifest that you are desirous to do rather more than is re- quired of you, than less than your duty; they merit little who perform nothing more than what would be exacted. If you are desired to help in any business that may not strictly belong to your department, un- dertake it cheerfully, patiently, and conscientiously. The foregoing advice has been written with an honest desire to augment the comfort of those in the kitchen, who will soon find, that the ever-cheering reflection of having done their duty to the utmost of their ability, is in itself, with a Christian spirit, a never-failing source of comfort in all circumstances and situations, and that " Virtue is its own reward." Having thus briefly touched upon the relative duties of mistress and maid, we shall now proceed to make some general remarks (and though general, we think them most important) as respects the busi- ness of Cooking as an art, or, more properly speaking, as a science. MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL. 16 THE COMPLETE COOK. INTRODUCTORY GENERAL REMARKS ON COOKERY-IM PORTANCE OF GOOD COOKERY AS REGARDS HEALTH AND TEMPERANCE. It is an old, and somewhat vulgar saying, though very expressive, that “God sends meat, and the devil cooks.” This adage shows, that cooking has always been considered of some importance in this coun- try, even among the lowest classes of society. A great deal too little attention, however, is paid to the art of preparing food for the use of those who eat; and we think we may say, without much exaggera- tion, that in many families, even to this day, one-half of their meat is wasted, and the other half spoilt. But the mere waste arising from this system of cooking, or rather want of system, is not the greatest evil, though this is an enormous one; the diseases that badly dressed food occasions to the stomach are even a greater evil than the one to which we have first referred. A bad cook will turn that which was intended by the Giver of all good for the nourishment of the body into a sort of poison. The functions of the stomach, when loaded with crude, undressed, or half-dressed meat, are unable to digest it. Hence the stomach is not only injured, but a train of diseases is engendered, sufficient to render one's life miserable. From the cause alluded to arises acidity, or sourness of the stomach, which gives rise again to heart-burns, hiccups, flatulencies, or wind; which again creates pains in the stomach and head, and, indeed, in other parts of the body. Then again we have, from the same cause, the various descriptions of nightmare, horrid dreams, and restless nights.' Country people, in agricultural districts in particular, think themselves, when so afflicted, bewitched, or possessed by the devil, when, in fact, if pos- sessed at all, they are possessed by bad cookery and indigestible diet. Instead of resorting to charms, such persons ought to resort to a dose of opening medicine, and take care to eat food which is not spoilt by dressing. But the greatest of all ills by which we can be afflicted, ill-dressed, indigestible food will bring about intellectual confusion- perhaps madness---for be assured, that a deranged stomach is always, more or less, accompanied with a deranged head. In support of these opinions we might adduce many authorities of the highest reputation, but we shall content ourselves with the fol- lowing :- ;-" It cannot be doubted,” says Dr. Cheyne, that the clear, ready, and pleasant exercise of the intellectual faculties, and their easy and undisturbed application to any subject, is never to be obtain- ed but by a free, regular performance of the natural functions, which the lightest (most digestible) food can only procure.” Again, Dr. Cheyne says, " he that would have a clear head must have a clean stomach. It is sufficiently manifest how much uncomfortable feelings of the bowels affect the nervous system, and how immediately and completely the general disorder is relieved by an alvine evacuation.” Then we have the testimony of Abernethy, who says, “we cannot reasonably expect tranquillity of the nervous system, whilst there is INTRODUCTOR Y REMARKS. 17 disorder of the digestive organs. As we can imbibe no permanent source of strength but from the digestion of our food, it becomes im. portant on this account, that we should attend to its quantity, quality, and the periods of taking it, with a view to ensure its proper diges. tion.” But what says Dr. Kitchiner, who was an able physician, and' the most learned and scientific writer upon the culinary art ? “The stomach,” he asserts, " is the main-spring of our system; if it be not sufficiently wound up to warm and support the circulation, the whole business of life will, in proportion, be ineffectually performed-we can neither think with precision-walk with vigour-sit down with com- fort-nor sleep with tranquillity. There would be no difficulty in proving, that it influences (rnuch more than people imagine) all our actions." "One of the greatest, perhaps the greatest, moral writers of our age, Dr. Samuel Johnson, was a man,” says Boswell, “ of very nice discrimination in the science of cookery.” He often remarked, " that some people have a foolish way of not minding, or pretending not to mind, what they eat; for my part, I mind my belly very studiously and very carefully, and I look upon it, that he who does not mind his belly, will hardly mind any thing else.” To this, Kitchiner adds, “the Doctor might have said, cannot mind any thing else.” The energy of our brains is sadly dependent on the behaviour of our bowels. Those who say, 'tis no matter what we eat, or what we drink, may as well say, 'tis no matter whether we eat, rr whether we drink. Again, as to the relative importance of cookery as science. Mr. Sylvester, in, his Domestic Economy, says, that it is not difficult to foresee, that this department of philosophy must become the most popular of all others, because every class of human beings is inter- ested in its result.” Again, the same writer says, “ if science can really contribute to the happiness of mankind, it must be in this de- partment. The real comfort of the majority of men in this country is sought for at their own fire-sides: how desirable then it becomes to give every inducement to be at home, by directing all the means of philosophy to increase domestic happiness!" Dr. Waterhouse, in his Lectures, thus speaks of the stomach :- “The faculty the stomach has of communicating the impressions made by the various substances that are put into it is such, that it seems inore like a nervous expansion from the brain than a mere receptacle for food." From allusions in the great Milton's writings, it is quite evident, that he appreciated the science of cookery highly. Speaking of phi- losophy, he says, “ 'Tis a perpetual feast of nectar'd sweets, Where no crude surfeit reigns." Again, “That which is not good is not delicious To a well-governd and wise appetite." But we have better evidence than these allusions, of Milton's at- 18 THE COMPLETE COOK. tachment to nicely dressed dishes. In his brother's, the judge's testimony, in support of a puncupative will, which it was alleged he made before his death in favour of his third and last wife, a passage occurs, to the effect, that, approving of his dinner on a certain occasion, he said, "this will do; get something nice for me to eat, for when I am gone it will be all your's." We quote from memory. The cele- brated Dr. Parr, the great Grecian and theologian, was much attached to good eating himself, and thought it very necessary, both for the health of the body and the mind. A few weeks before his death, for he was perfectly conscious that he had but a short time to live, he made arrangements for his funeral; and, amongst other things, he prepared a bill of fare for his funeral dinner. The dishes were all cold. He expressed his regret to a clerical friend of ours, that he could not give them a hot dinner, " but that is impossible,” he said, "for there is not convenience in the house to cook for so large a number. I am much afraid,” he continued, " lest you parsons should get a hot dinner for yourselves, and leave the poor laymen to the cold meat; but I should be very angry if I could know it. I always liked to take care of my own stomach, and of other people's. If that is wrong, nothing can be right.” There are people who imagine, that it is beneath the dignity of a philosopher to trouble himself about eating ; such a one was that gay fribble of a marquis, who, finding Descartes enjoying himself over a good dinner, exclaimed, Hey! what do you philosophers eat dain- ties?" “Do you think,” replied Descartes, "that God made good things only for fools ?" There is a point with regard to the importance of good cookery, upon which we have not touched, though one of first-rate consequence, namely, temperance, from the neglect of which so many, and such deadly, evils arise. Let a man load his stomach with crude, indi- gestible food, that is, ill-dressed meats or other substances, and what is the consequence ? he feels ill-in fact, he is ill-his mind does not possess its proper vigour and elasticity; in one word, the whole man, mind and body, is disordered-unhinged. He seeks relief in spirits, and he obtains it, perhaps, temporarily. Hence is the beginning of dram drinking, and all its concomitant evils; which it would fill a volume to enumerate. The members of temperance societies, and the promoters of temperance in general, would do well to turn their attention to this point, and we think they will agree with us on the importance of diffusing the art of cookery—the art of preparing good and wholsome food—as widely as possible among the people. In this country we have the best of all descriptions of butcher's meat in the world, and, with a few exceptions, the worst cooks. If the poor, half-fed meats of France, were dressed as our cooks, for the most part, dress our well-fed excellent meats, they would be absolutely ineatable. In France, the cooks, both private and public, contrive to make most excellent and easily digestible food, out of substances that we should throw away, as perfectly incapable of being rendered fit to eat, or at least palatable. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 19 It has been proved by Dr. Prout, that sugar, butter, or oil, and white of egg, or substances partaking of their nature, form the chief alimentary food of man. The saccharine, or sugary principle, in its extended sense, is mostly derived from vegetables. A proper know- Jedge of these principles forms the basis, or foundation, of French cookery, or, indeed, every other good system of cookery. It does not follow, however, that it is necessary that a cook should understand these things philosophically, so as to be able to give a reason for them. It is sufficient for him or her to take for granted the maxims or rules that have been deduced from them, and act accordingly. In France, most substances intended for food are exposed, by means of oil or butter, or grease, in a frying-pan, to a heat of 6000 Fahren- heit, that is, nearly three times hotter than boiling water. This is done by frying, or by some other method similar to frying. They are then put into a macerating or stewing vessel, with a little water, and kept for several hours at a temperature, or heat, below the boiling point; that is to say, the liquid is never allowed to bubble up, nor yet scarcely to simmer. By these united processes, it has been clearly proved, that the most hard and tough substances, whether vegetable or animal, are, more or less, reduced to a state of pulp, fit for the action of the stomach, and consequently for easy digestion. In this country, the majority of cooks, particularly in small families, toss the meat into a large quantity of water, make the water boil as speedily as possible, and as fast as possible; and foolishly imagine, that it will be sooner and better done. But what is the consequence ? The outside of the meat is rendered so tough, that it will not admit the heat to penetrate the inside, which remains undone, and the result is, that both the outside and inside meat are spoilt, or at least greatly damaged, both as respects flavour and wholesomeness. Here an anecdote occurs to us, which, though it has been before related, will serve to illustrate our subject. An Irishman was ordered by his master to boil him an egg for his breakfast, and was particularly en- joined to boil it soft. After waiting for more than ten minutes, the Inaster inquired after his egg, which, however, was not forthcoming ; the servant was seeing about it. Another five minutes elapsed, when the impatient master was coolly told his egg was not done — Yer honour told me to bile it soft, and sure I've biled it a quarter of an hour, and it is as hard as ever." Our ignorant, and too often unteachable, cook maid, would laugh at the simplicity of the Irishman--not considering that the very means she uses to make meat tender and palatable, that is, fast boiling, are just as absurd as those taken by Paddy to boil an egg soft. There is no rule, they say, without an exception ; but, generally speaking, ill-dressed meats, or even solid food well-dressed, taken in large quantities, are indigestible. It is a mistake to imagine, that people who take violent exercise in the open air, are always free from indigestion, and those numerous diseases to which it gives rise. That they are not so liable as those confined to a house, or a workshop is true; and there are some stomachs that appear to be able to digest 20 TIE COMPLETE COOK. any thing; but these are exceptions to the general rule—they do not affect the truth of the rule itself. PHILOSOPHICAL COOKERY.-COUNT ROMFORD. The first person, perhaps, with any pretensions to learning and philosophy, who studied the dressing of meat, for food, as a science, was a gentleman of the name of Thompson, who was afterwards created Count Romford, by one of the German princes. This excel- lent and ingenious individual lived in the last century. He demon. strated, by experiments, the principles which in our foregoing remarks we have merely asserted. We are about to give an abstract of some of his observations and experiments on this subject, which are so simply and clearly detailed, that they are perfectly intelligible to every common intellect, and we are sure will be read with interest and advantage, not only by cooks, but also by all classes of persons interested in the health and welfare of society at large. The process by which food is most commonly prepared for the table -BOILING-is so familiar to every one, and its effects are so 'uniform, and apparently so simple, that' few have taken the trouble to inquire how, or in what manner, these effects are produced; and whether any and what improvements in that branch of cookery, are possible. So little has this matter been made an object of inquiry, that few, very few indeed, it is believed, among the millions of persons who for so many ages have been daily employed in this process, have ever given themselves the trouble to bestow one serious thought on the subject. The cook knows from experience, that if his joint of meat be kept a certain time immersed in boiling water it will be done, as it is called ir .he.language of the kitchen ; but if he be asked what is done to it? or how, or by what agency, the change it has undergone has been effected ? if he understands the question, it is ten to one but he will be embarrassed; if he does not understand it, he will probably an- swer, without hesitation, that “the meat is made tender and eutable by being boiled.” Ask him if the boiling of the water be essential to the success of the process ? he will ariswer, " without doubl.” Push him a little farther, by asking him whether, were it possible to keep the water equally hot without boiling, the meat would not be cooked as soon and as well, as if the water were made to boil? Here it is probable that he will make the first step towards acquiring know- ledge, by learning to doubt. When you have brought him to see the matter in its true light, and to confess, that in this view of it, the subject is new to him, you may venture to tell him (and to prove to him, if you happen to have a ther. mometer at hand,) that water which just boils is as hot as it can pos. sibly be made in an open vessel. That all the fuel which is used in making it boil with violence is wasted, without adding in the smallest degree to the heat of the water, or expediting or shortening the pro- cess of cooking a single instant: that it is by the heat—its intensity-and the lime of its duration, that the food is cooked; and not by boiling PHILOSOPHICAL COOKERY. 21 or ebullition or bubbling up of the water, which has no part whatever in that operation. Should any doubts still remain with respect to the inefficacy and inutility of boiling, in culinary processes, where the same degree of heat may be had, and be kept up without it, let a piece of meat be cooked in a Papin's digester, which, as is well known, is a boiler whose cover (which is fastened down with screws) shuts with so much nicety that no steam can escape out of it. In such a closed vessel, boiling (which is nothing else but the escape of steam in bub- bles from the hot liquid) is absolutely impossible ; yet, if the heat ap- plied to the digester be such as would cause an equal quantity of water in an open vessel to boil, the meat will not only be done, but it will be found to be dressed in a shorter time, and to be much tenderer, than if it had been boiled in an open boiler. By applying a still greater degree of heat to the digester, the meat may be so much done in a very few minutes as actually to fall to pieces, and even tho very bones may be made soft. Were it a question of mere idle curiosity, whether it be the boiling of water, or simply the degree of heat that exists in boiling water by which food is cooked, it would doubtless be folly to throw away time in its investigation ; but this is far from being the case, for boiling cannot be carried on without a very great expense of fuel; but any boiling hot liquid (by using proper means for confining the heat) may be kept boiling hot for any length of time, without any expense of fuel at all. The waste of fuel in culinary processes, which arises from making liquids boil unnecessarily, or when nothing more would be necessary than to keep them boiling hot, is enormous; there is not a doubt but that much more than half the fuel used in all the kitchens, public and private, in the whole world, is wasted precisely in this rnanner. But the evil does not stop here. This unscientific and slovenly manner of cooking renders the process much more laborious and trou- blesome than otherwise it would be; and (what by many will be con- sidered of more importance than either the waste of fuel, or the increase of labour to tie cook) the food is rendered less savoury, and very probably less nourishing, and certainly less wholesome. It is natural to suppose that many of the finer and more volatile parts of food (those which are best calculated to act on the organs of taste) must be carried off with the steam, when the boiling is violent: but the fact does not rest on these reasonings: it is proved to a de- monstration, not only by the agreeable fragrance of the steam that rises from vessels in which meat is boiled, but also from the strong flavour and superior quality of soups which are prepared by a long process over a very slow, gentle fire. But the volatile parts of food are not only delightful to the organs of taste-the Editor has no doubt that they are also stimulating and refreshing to the stomach. In many countries where soups constitute the principal part of the food of the inhabitants, the process of cooking lasts from one meal time to another, and is performed almost without either trouble or expense. ! ) 2 22 THE COMPLETE: COOK.. I'I As soon as the soup is served up, the ingredients for the next meal are put into the pot (which is never suffered to cool, and does not re- quire scouring ;) and this pot, which is of cast iron, or of earthenware, being well closed with its thick wooden cover, is placed by the side of the fire, where its contents are kept simmering for many hours, but are seldom made to boil, and never but in the gentlest manner possible. Were the pot put in a close fire-place (which might easily be con- structed, even with the rudest materials, with a few bricks or stone, or even with sods, like a camp-kitchen,) no arrangement for cooking could well be imagined more economical or more convenient. Soups prepared in this way are uncommonly savoury, and there is little doubt that the true reason why nourishing soups and broths are not more in use among the common people in most countries, is because they do not know how good they really are, nor how to prepare them; in short because they are not acquainted with them. There is another important reason which the Editor must add the common people for the most part cannot spare time from their labour to stay at home and attend to them. To form a just idea of the enormous waste of fuel that arises from making water boil and evaporate unnecessarily in culinary processes, we have only to consider how much heat is expended in the forma tion of steam. Now it has been proved by the most decisive and un exceptionable experiments that have ever been made by experimentati philosophers, that if it were possible that the heat which actually combines with water, in forming steam (and which gives it wings to fly up into the atmosphere,) could exist in the water, without changing it from a dense liquid to a rare elastic vapour, this water would be neated by it to the temperature of red-hot iron. Many kinds of food are known to be most delicate and savoury when cooked in a degree of heat considerably below that of boiling water; and it is more than probable that there are others which would be ime proved by being exposed to a heat greater than that of boiling water. In many of the seaport towns of our New England States, it has been a custom, time immemorial, among people of fashion, to dine one day in the week (Saturday) on salt fish, and a long habit of preparing the same dish bas, as might have been expected, led to very considerable improvements in the art of cooking it. We have often heard foreigners who have partaken of these dinners, declare that they never tasted salt fish dressed in such perfection. The sea cret of this cooking is to keep the fish a great many hours in water, which is just scalding hot, but which is never made actually to boil. The Count being desirous of finding out whether it was possible to roast meat with a much gentler heat than that usually employed, put a shoulder of mutton in a machine contrived for drying potatoes: the result, which we give in the Count's own words, was as follows: “ After trying the experiment for three hours, and finding it showed no signs of being done, it was concluded that the heat was nut suffi- : ciently intense, and, despairing of success, it was abandoned to the cookmaids. PHILOSOPHICAL COOKERY. 23 2- 4* It being late in the evening, and the cookmaids thinking, per- haps, that the meat would be as safe in the drying machine as any where else, left it there all night; when they came in the morning sto take it away, intending to cook it for their dinner, they were much surprised to find it already cooked, and not merely eatable, but per- fectly done, and most singularly well tasted. This appeared to them the more miraculous, as the fire. under the machine was quite gone out before they left the kitchen in the evening to go to bed, and as they had locked up the kitchen when they left it and taken the key. This wonderful shoulder of mution was immediately brought in tri- umph, and though we were at no great loss to account for what had happened, yet it certainly was unexpected : and when the meat was tasted we were much surprised indeed to find it very different, both in taste and flavour, from any we had ever tasted. It was perfectly tender, but though it was so much done it did not appear to be in the least sodden or insipid, on the contrary, it was uncommonly savoury and high-flavoured. It was neither boiled, nor roasted, nor baked. Its taste seemed to indicate the manner in which it had been pre- pared : that the gentle heat to which it had for so long a time been exposed, had by degrees loosened the cohesion of its fibres, and con- cocted its juices, without driving off their fine and more volatile parts, and without washing away or burning and rendering rancid its oils.' Having given an abstract of Romford's opinions and experiments on boiling water as a medium for the preparation of meat for the food of man, we shall now take an opportunity of remarking, that the same rule will not apply to the cooking of the greater part of vegetables, which must be put into the water boiling hot, and which cannot be boiled too quickly. This does not apply, however, to potatoes, which cannot be boiled too slowly. These things, however, will be treated of more particularly in the receipts, which we shall give for the cooking of different kinds of vegetables. * Seasoning is a very important element in the art of cookery. Ex- perience is absolutely necessary to acquire this art, which to be pro- perly done, requires great judgment and delicacy of taste. All the recommendations of Dr. Kitchiner and others to season by weight and measure, as apothecaries serve out drugs, are in the nature of the thing impracticable. “What's one man's meat is another man's poison,” is a homely proverb, but a true one. So in seasoning, what one person likes, another may dislike. The writers we have alluded to ridicule the idea of directing the cook to use a pinch of that, and a dust of the other. M. Ude justly observes," that where the quantities are indefinite, it is impossible to adjust the exact proportions of spice, or other condiments, which it will be necessary to add in order to give the proper flavour." If these remarks are correct, and who can doubt it, the general terms “handful, pinch, and dust,” are the best that can be applied as directions upon such a subject. In the use of salt in cooking, considerable judgment is required. The best rule is to employ as little as possible. It is easy to make a dish too fresh, salt; but if made too salt, it cannot be made fresh 24 THE COMPLETE COOKI A again. Sugar may be applied with advantage in various dishes, where it is not generally used in this country, and which will be enumerated hereafter, but great care must be taken, that in such pre- parations it should be employed to enrich, not to sweeten. The taste of sugar should not predominate, or even be recognised. We allude more particularly to soups and gravies, and in some cases in vegeta- bles, such as green peas for instance. Meat intended to be broiled, or fried, should be well peppered, but never salted; salt renders it hard. The author of "Domestic Cookery" says, that "salt should not be put into the water in which vegetables are boiled." We dis- agree with this lady; indeed, she disagrees with herself; for in another part of her book she directs salt to be put into the water in which potatoes are to be boiled; and we are quite sure it is very necessary in boiling cabbage, savoys, and most other descriptions of greens. It ought to be well understood, that pepper and all descriptions of spice require to be subjected to the action of heat to bring out their genuine flavour. Thus it will be seen, that though it is very prac- ticable to sweeten or salt things after they are dressed, it is not so as respects flavouring them with spice. In the use of spices it is, how- ever, very important to take care that the aroma (commonly called smell), which they give forth, should not be allowed to evaporate or escape. Druggists and medical men always keep their essential oils, tinctures, volatile spirits and volatile gums, in ground stopper bottles, which are perfectly air-tight. This puts us in mind of a foolish cus- tom, which cannot be too much deprecated, of exposing in the open air aromatic herbs, such as marjoram, thyme, mint, and several others, which are known by the general term of sweet herbs, and which are extensively used in seasoning. These herbs ought always to be kept as much as possible excluded from the air. This may be partially effected by tying the dried herbs in paper bags, but it is much better to reduce the leaves to a coarse powder, and confine it in well-corked bottles. RULES AND MAXIMS OF THE KITCHEN. In our foregoing remarks we have endeavoured to explain the leading principles upon which the art of cookery is founded-princi- ples with which the young cook should become thoroughly acquainted. We now proceed to lay down a series of rules or maxims, relative to the dressing of meat, and the general management of the kitchen. These rules should be well studied, and the most important of thein committed to memory. By doing this a cook will save a great deal of trouble and loss of time, and she will also, by her knowledge of the general principles of the art, be enabled to vary, and probably im- prove the receipts, which she may have occasion to consult. In short, when she knows what must be always done, and what must never be done, she is, in a great measure, mistress of her art, inasmuch as the details will be easily acquired by practice. RULES OF THE KITCHEN. 25 2 WHAT MUST ALWAYS BE DONE, AND WHAT MUST NEVER BE DONE, 1. Keep yourself clean and tidy; let your hands, in particular, be. always clean whenever it is practicable. After a dirty job always wash them. A cleanly cook must wash her hands many times in the course of the day, and will require three or four aprons appropriated to the work upon which she is employed. Your hair must never be blowsy, nor your cap dirty. 2. Keep apart things that would injure each other, or destroy their flavour. 3. Keep every cloth, saucepan and all other utensils to their pro- per use, and when done with, put them in their proper places. 4. Keep every copper stewpan and saucepan bright without, and perfectly clean within, and take care that they are always well tinned. Keep all your dish-covers well dried, and polished; and to effect this, it will be necessary to wash them in scalding water as soon as removed from the table, and when these things are done let them be hung up in their proper places. 5. The gridiron, frying-pan, spit, dripping-pan, &c., must be per- fectly cleaned of grease and dried before they are put in their proper places. 6. Attention should be paid to things that do not meet the sight in the way that tins and copper vessels do. Let, for instance, the pudo ding cloth, the dish-cloth, and the dish-tub, be always kept perfectly clean. To these may be added, the sieve, the cullender, the jelly- bag, &c., which ought always to be washed as soon after they are used as may be practicable. 7. Scour your rolling-pin and paste-board as soon after using as possible, but without soap, or any gritty substance, such as sand or brick-dust, put them away perfectly dry. 8. Scour your pickle and preserve jars after they are emptied ; * dry them and put them away in a dry place. 9. Wipe your bread and cheese-pan out daily with a dry cloth, and scald them once a week. Scald your salt-pan when out of use, and dry it thoroughly. Scour the lid well by which it is covered when in use. 10. Mind and put all things in their proper places, and then you will easily find them when they are wanted. 11. You must not poke things out of sight instead of cleaning hem, and such things as onions, garlick, &c., must not be cut with the same knife as is used in cutting meat, bread, butter, &c. Milk must not be put in a vessel used for greasy purposes, nor must clear liquids, such as water, &c., be put into yessels, which have been used for milk, and not washed; in shart, no vessel must be used for any purpose for which it is not appropriated. 12. You must not suffer any kind of food to become cold in any metal vessel, not even in well-tinned iron saucepans, &c., for they will impart a more or less unpleasant flavour to it. Above all things 1 26 THE COMPLETE COOK I. you must not let liquid food, or indeed any other, remain in brass or copper vessels after it is cooked. The rust of copper or brass is absolutely poisonous, and this will be always produced by moisture and exposure to the air. The deaths of many persons have been occasioned by the cook not attending to this rule. 13. You must not throw away the fat which, when cold, accumu- lates on the top of liquors in which fresh or salt meat has been boiled; in short, you ought not to waste fat of any description, or any thing else, that may be turned to account; such as marrow-bones, or any other clean bones from which food may be extracted in the way of soup, broth, or stock, or in any other way: for if such food will not suit your table, it will suit the table of the poor. Remember, " Wil. ful waste makes woful want." 14. A very essential requisite in a cook is punctuality: therefore rise early, and get your orders from your mistress as early as possible, and make your arrangements accordingly. What can be prepared before the business of roasting and boiling commences should always be prepared. 15. Do not do your dirty work at a dresser set apart for cleanly preparations. Take care to have plenty of kitchen cloths, and mark them so as a duster may not be mistaken for a puddingcloth, or a knife-cloth for a towel. 16. Keep your spit, if you use one, always free from rust and dust, and your vertical jack clean. Never draw up your jack with a weight 17. Never employ, even if permitted to do so, any knives, spoons, dishes, cups, or any other articles in the kitchen, which are used in the dining room. Spoons are sure to get scratched, and a knife used for preparing an onion, takes up its flavour, which two or three cleanings will not entirely take away. 18. Take great care to prevent al. preparations which are delicate in their nature, such as custards, blancmange, dressed milks, &c., &c., from burning to which they are very liable. The surest way to ef- fectually hinder this is to boil them as the carpenter heats bis glue, that is, by having an outside vessel filled with water. 19. You ought not to do any thing by halves. What you do, do well, If you clean, clean thoroughly, having nothing to do with the “ slut's wipe," and the “lick and a promise.' 20. And last, though not least, be teachable: be always desirous to learn-never be ashamed to ask for information, lest you should ap- pear to be ignorant; for be assured, the most ignorant are too fre- quently the most self-opinionated and most conceited; while those who are really well informed, think humbly of themselves, and regret that they know so little. upon it. CHOICE AND PURCHASING OF BUTCHERS' MEAT. Inferior joints of the best animals should always be preferred to the prime joints of the ill-fed or diseagen beasts. Inferior joints of good CHOICE OF BUTCHERS' MEAT. 27 meat such as stickings, legs and shins of beef, shoulders of mutlon and veal, may, if well dressed, be made as nourishing and palatable as the superior joints, and may be bought much cheaper; but no cooking, however well executed, will ever make bad meat good. Ill-condi tioned beasts, too, are for the most part unhealthy. 21. Beef.-Ox beef is considered, truly, the best. Bull beef is coarse, tough, and has a strong, disagreeable smell and taste. Next to ox beef, that of a young heifer (if spayed the better) is preferred. Some persons, indeed, think it is the best. It is the most delicate and tender of all description of beef. Cow beef, particularly a young cow that has not had more than two or three calves, is very good. The grain is closer, and the fat whiter, than ox beef. Good beef has a fine, smooth, open grain, interlarded with thin streaks of delicate fat; and is of a deep healthy looking red colour. When the fat is of a dirty yellow colour, the meat is not good : it indicates its having been fed upon artificial food, such as oil cake. Grass-fed meat, or that fed upon hay and corn meal, is the best. When beef is old, a horny streak runs between the fat and lean; the harder this is, the older the meat. The flesh is not good flavoured, and eats tough. 22. Mutton.-Good mutton is firm in the grain; of a bright red colour; the lean delicately interlarded with thin streaks of fat; the fat itself being of a brightish white, tinted with a delicate pink. The fat of rotten mutton, in which the sheep was afflicted with a liver disease, is always of a dead white, and the flesh is of a pale colour. Such mutton is both unwholesome and unsavoury. The best way to detect this kind of mutton, is to examine the liver before it is re- moved from the sheep. If the liver be without bladders, or other marks of disease, the mutton is sound. Ewe mutton is not so good as wether mutton; the flesh is generally paler, and the texture finer. The best mutton is that which is fed upon the natural grasses. This is the reason why the Welsh and mountain Scotch muttons are so firm, short, and sweet. The sheep have liberty to choose their own food. Mutton fed on rape and turnips does not eat so well, nor near 80 well, as the grass-fed. Ram mutton has a strong, and, in some seasons of the year, an exceedingly disagreeable flavour. It is said that wether mutton, to be eaten in perfection, should be five years old; but it is scarcely ever kept to that age. In wether mutton there is a knob of fat on the part of the leg, where in the ewe you will find a part of the udder. 23. Venison when young has the cleft of the haunch smooth and close, and the fat is clear, bright and thick. In old venison, the cleft is wide and tough. If, after running a long, narrow, sharp knife into the lean of venison, it comes out without smelling, the venison is sweet, Some persons like it a little gone, and others a good deal. This state of putrescency is called by gourmands haut gout, high tasted; we should rather say at once, stinking. Venison requires more keeping than any other sort of meat to make it tender, unless it be dressed immediately it is killed, that is, before it is cold, 24. Veal. This meat, to be truly good, delicate, fine favoured, and 28 * THE COMPLETE COOK. !> goes first. tender, ought not to be more than five or six weeks old, and, of course, fed exclusively upon the milk of the mother. Writers on cookery gravely tell us, that the whiteness of veal is partly caused by the calf licking chalk. This is nonsense. The chalk is given to prevent calves from scouring, not to make their flesh white. However, whiteness is no proof of veal being good and juicy; it is caused by frequent bleeding. The flesh of the bull calf is said to be the firmest, but not so white. The fillet of the cow calf is sometimes preferred for the udder. The kidney of good veal is well covered with healthy looking fat, thick and firm. The bloody vein in the shoulder should look blue ; if it be of any other colour, the meat is stale. Fresh veal is dry and white. When it is spotty and clammy it is stale. The kidney is gone when the fat or suet upon it is not firm. The kidney 25. Lamb that is fresh will have the veins bluish in the neck and fore-quarter. If there be a faint smell under the kidney it is not fresh. When the eyes are sunk in the head, it is a sure sign the lamb has been killed too long. Grass lamb; which is the only lamb that is in perfection, comes in in April, but it is better in May and June; that is to say, when men with hard hands can afford to eat it, and when there are green peas to eat with it. House lamb, for those who can afford to pay for it, and like to eat it, may be obtained all the year round. 26. Pork.-The quality of this kind of meat depends in a great measure upon its feeding. If grossly fed, it is bad, for the pig will eat any thing in the absence of delicate food. Dairy-fed pork we are told is the best: it is good, but we think not the best. To our taste, that is to be preferred in every respect which is fed not merely on dairy food, but upon good wholesome corn meal, whether of barley, oats, peas, or beans. Cookery writers tell us, that “if the rind is tough, and cannot easily be impressed by the finger, the meat is old;" and they add, that a thin rind is a merit in all pork.” These direc- tions are no guide whatever to the choice of pork: the rind may be made thin by dressing, but there are those, and no bad judges either, who prefer thick rinds. Moubray, on Poultry, &c., says, " the west- ern pigs from Berks, Oxford, and Bucks, possess a decided superiority over the eastern of Essex, Sussex, and Norfolk; not to forget another qualification of the former, at which some readers may smile, a thick ness of the skin, whence the crackling of the roasted pig is a fine gelatinous substance, which may be easily masticated, whilst the crackling of the thin-skinned breeds is roasted into good block tin, the reduction of which would almost require teeth of iron.” So much for thin rinds. When pork is fresh, the flesh will be smooth and dry; when stale, clammy. What is called measly pork is to be avoided as a poison. It may be known by the fat being full of kernels, and by the general unwholesomeness of its appearance. 27. Bacon is good when the fat is almost transparent and of a de: licate transparent pink tinge. The lean should adhere to the bone, be of a good colour, and tender. Yellow streaks in bacon show it is CHOICE OF POULTRY, EGGS, FISH, &c. 29 becoming rusty ; when all is yellow, all is rústy and unfit to eat. Bacon and hams are frequently spoilt in the curing. Taste a little of the lean, and you will be able to judge whether it be too salt or not. 28. Hams are the best part of the pig when properly cured, per- fectly sweet, and not too salt. To ascertain whether a ham is tainted, run a sharp knife under the bone, and if it comes out with a pleasant smell, and clean, the ham is good. Summary of Directions.-Choose meat that has a clear red liver, free from knots and bladders, with kidneys firm, close, and well sur- rounded with firm, hard fat; the skirts which line the ribs should be full and fat. Meat possessing these qualifications may be depended on as of the first quality; but if the kidney or kernels of an animal have spots resembling measles, as is too frequently the case with pork, the ineat is unwholesome. We have said thus much on the choice of meats, but persons who keep up what is called an establishment, will do best to trust to their 'butcher, porkman, fishmonger, and poulterer, and not to choose at all, excepting tradesmen, taking care to deal only with the most respect- able in the neighbourhood. CHOICE OF POULTRY, EGGS, AND FISH, AND SEASONS OF FISH. Poultry of all kinds are preferred of a short thick make, broad and plump in the breast and thick in the rump and fat in the back. The spurs should be short as indicating youth, and the comb red as indi- cating health. The beak, bill, and claws, in a young bird will be tender, and the skin of the legs comparatively smooth; the contrary are certain indications of an old bird. But the best test of a fowl, as respects its age, is to try the two bones which run by the side of the belly to the vent; if these are gristly and easily broken at the end, the fowl is young. To judge of the age of geese or ducks, little or no dependence is to be placed upon the colour of the legs and bills- this varies according to complexion; but if the bills and feet have coarse red streaks, or a tinge of red in thein, the bird is old. In young geese and ducks the above marks are not to be seen, and the webs will be smooth and thin. 29. Rabbits, young and in good condition, will be fat about the kidneys, and by the side of the belly. The flesh should be white, and if young, the legs will break easily. 30. Fowls are plentiful from August to January; chickens come in about April, tame ducks in May, continue through the summer months, and go out in October. Young geese may be dressed in the latter end of May and through the summer, but a goose is not thoroughly ripe till after stubbling, that is, about Michaelmas. Tur. key poults are in season from May onwards, but turkeys are in high season about Christmas. 31. Rabbits and Pigeons may be had the year round; wild rab 30 THE COMPLETE COOK. bits are best in the winter season; young pigeons may be had in February, and till September.; wood-pigeons in December and January 32. Game. Hares, partridges and pheasants from September through the winter: the game season closes with February. All kinds of water-fowl are most plentiful in keen, dry weather, especially v cold weather, after snow; also larks, wood-cocks, snipes, &c. 33. Eggs.- New eggs have always a rough fresh-looking shell, but this appearance may be effected by artificial speans, and the purchaser be cheated with rotten ones, instead of getting fresh. A new-laid egg will sink in water, bad ones are more or less buoyant; but this is a tedious way of testing eggs. The best way is to form a sort of tube with the left hand, holding with the right hand the egg, close and opposite to this tube, in the light. If the egg is good the meat will look clear, and partly transparent; if bad, it will look dark with black spots in it. 34. Fish should be broad and thick of their kind, their eyes bright, gills red, and the scales close and shining: fish should feel firm to the touch and stiff. Stale fish have always a loose, limber feel, especially about the vent; their eyes are sunk and dim, the scales loose and Aabby, and the whole has a dingy, disagreeable appearance. Lobsters and crabs are to be judged by their weight; if they feel light, they have wasted themselves by long keeping. 35. Seasons of Fish. — There are some kinds of fish absolutely poisonous eaten out of season; such are salmon, and skate. The following will give some idea of the seasons of fish, but they vary according to the weather. Cod comes in about October, and goes out about February; it is sometimes good for a short time about August. Salmon comes in in February, is in high season during May, June, and July, declines in August, and is quite out in September. Pickled salmon is good from May till September. Herrings are in season as long as they are full of roe; when shotten, they are worthless. Sprats are best in frosty weather. Lobsters and crabs are plentiful in the spring and early part of the summer. Haddock, flounders, muscles, come in in September or October, and are out about April or May. Jacks or pikes, eels, perch, tench, carp, and other fresh water fish, become plentiful about April or May, according to the weather. Eels are never out of season, but in cold weather are hardly to be procured. Hallibut is in season from the beginning of May until the end of September. PREPARATIONS FOR COOKING. 36. A great deal has to be done before the cook can commence the operation of cooking. She has to truss her fowls and prepare her fish, butcher's meat, and vegetables, with other things not necessary to mention here. Never wash butcher's meat except for the purpose of cleansing it of blood, which would otherwise disfigure it wher dressed. Few joints require this operation; heads, hearts and scrage PREPARATIONS FOR COOKING. 31 always require to be well wasted before they are cooked, but if they or any thing else are intended for rousting or frying, they should first be rendered perfectly dry, by rubbing with a coarse cloth, of otherwise. Salt rubbed in with warm water will speedily remove the blood and cleanse the meat. Hares must be always well washed with salt and water, or milk and water. 37. Trussing is little required in butcher's meat; but loins, boned and stuffed, such as those of beef, mutton and pork, must of course be trussed. This is done by spreading the stuffing and seasoning over them, then rolling them up as tightly as possible, tying up with a tape or string, and securing all by skewers. The long flap of the fillet of veal must be filled with stuffing, and then secured as above directed. * 38. All kinds of poultry should be killed the first thing in the morning, when their crops are empty. They should be plucked while they are warm; be sure take out all the fues, and let the hair be singed off with white paper. It is recommended to crop fowls and pigeons immediately you have them; but there is a difference of opinion as to the time of drawing them; some say they should be drawn as soon as killed, or at least as soon as bought, which prevents the disagreeable flavour so often perceived in chickens; others say, and indeed the generality of cooks are of this opinion, that they should not be drawn till just before they are dressed, as it is apt to make them dry: we are of opinion that poultry should be drawn soon after they are killed; we do not believe that this makes them dry, though we are sure that to leave them undrawn will be apt to make them stink. 39. In drawing poultry, or removing the entrails, a very small slit may be made under the vent with a penknife, at which slip in the fore-finger, and if there is any internal fat about the vent, draw it out, as it is in the way of taking out the entrails, and, if left in, would be very strong when roasted. Next get hold of the gizzard, which may be known by its being the hardest part of the interior; draw it out carefully; it will generally bring the whole of the intestines with it, but if the liver should be left, again slip in the finger and take hold of the heart, which will bring out with it the liver, which you not touch for fear of bursting the gall-bladder. The heart is generally left in by poulterers, but it is much better out, as it is apt to give à bloudy appearance to the interior of the fowl. Trim round the vent with a pair of scissors. 40. Be careful to take away the gall-bladder from the liver with- out breaking it, for if one drop of the gall escapes, the whole liver is spoilt. The gizzard consists of two parts, with a stomach or bag in the middle, containing gravel and undigested food ; one part of the skin by which the two parts of the gizzard are united is rather nar- rower than the other; slit this with a knife, and turning the gizzard inside out, remove the stomach bag and trim round the gizzard, but avoid cutting the skin by which it is joined in the middle. 41. In trussing poultrv, cut off the neck about two joints from ita He must 32 THE COMPLETE COOK. 39 commencement at the shoulders, but be sure to leave half an inch, or more, of the skin longer than the part of the neck remaining, for the purpose of wrapping over on being tied. 42. The legs of fowls intended to be roasted should be taken off about one inch below the first joint; the feet and legs of young chickens are generally left on, but they must be scalded in boiling water, and the claws and outside scaly skin taken off. Thrust the liver through a slit made in the skinny part of one pinion, and the gizzard through the other; then turn the top of the pinion over the back, lay the legs close to the sides; with a wire skewer fix the middle joint of the pinion outside of the knee joint of the leg, and so through the body to the other knee and pinion; with a short skewer fix the lower joint to the lower part of the body; then the feet, or whatever part of them is left, may turn back over the belly. The skewer for this purpose must go through the sidesmen, fixing the stumps or feet between them. For a fowl that is to be boiled, a slit is made on each side of the belly, and the leg-stump tucked in. 43. To remove the crop and windpipe of those whose heads are left on, open the skin a little just in front of the throat; then pull each separately gently, first from the beak or bill, then from the stomach. Fowls whose heads are taken off may have the crop removed by putting the finger down the throat. The windpipe is easily removed in the same way. tiety 1 extra afy W [Trussed Fowl for roasting.) 44. Before dressing, a little flour should be dusted over fowls. Poulterers, to make the bird look plump, often break the breast bone; this is a bad practice--it lets the air into the fowl, and drys the meat; it often breaks the gall-bladder, and, of course, spoils the fowl, and it always renders the bone troublesome. The head of capon, we ought to observe, is often twisted under the wing in the same way as a pheasant's 45. Ducks have the feet always left on, but the wings must be taken off at the middle joint; in doing this, leave more skin than be- longs to the bone. The feet must be scalded, and the skin and claws taken away; they then must be turned over the back. In placing the skewers, keep the thigh joints outside of the pinions, and run the skewer through the leg, then through the bit of skin that hangs below the pinion, then through the body, the other pinion, skin, and the PREPARATIONS FOR COUKING. 33 other leg The short skewer must be inserted just above the joint, which is twisted to turn back the feet. Tie the skin round the throat; put in the seasoning at the vent and turn the rump through a small slit in the apron, IT "1859d Sus 1986 on maat E B food 1 Mei et ch [Trussed Duck for roasting.) 46. Geese are trussed exactly in the same way as ducks, except the feet are cut off, and dressed with the giblets. The liver is some- times dressed separately, and considered by some persons a great delicacy. A piece of greased white paper should be laid over the breast, and secured with a string, not skewers, before a goose is put down to roast. 47. Turkeys are trussed the same way as fowls, but the sinews of the leg must be drawn out before trussing. The gizzard of a turkey intended to be roasted should be scored, and both gizzard and liver covered with the caul of veal or lamb; but buttered paper does as well, and is more generally used: this is to prevent them becoming dry. The breast should be secured in the saine way, with a piece of buttered paper. Nicely clean th? head, and twist it under the wing. 48. Pigeons should be cleared with great care. For roasting, truss with the feet on; tie the joints close down the rump, and turn the feet over the front (see engraving). Most people season them. For s. [Trussed Pigeon for roasting.] [Trussed Pheasant.] berita tentoon boiling or stewing, cut off the feet, and truss just as fowls for boiling. For broiling, lay them open by cutting them down the back, and lav 3 34 THE COMPLETE COOK. ing them flat. As pigeons have no gall; no extra care will be required with the liver. 49. Pheasants, Partridges, and Guinea Fowls, are trussed with the head tucked under the wing, and the feet on, which are twisted and tied to the rump, and turned back over the breast. The liver may be used in the stuffing. 50. Wild Ducks, and all other web-footed wild fowl, should have the feet left on, and be cleaned and trussed in the same manner a tame ducks. 51. Woodcocks, Plovers, &c., and all other birds that live by suc tion, are not drawn; the feet are left on, the knees twisted round (Trussed Woodcock.) each other, and raised over the breast, by which means each foot turns back and falls on the side of the rump. 52. Hare, trussed for roasting, has the legs turned back without disjointing, so that the haunches are thrown up, much in the form that a cat is often seen sitting—the end bones of the fore and hind legs meet each other, and lie side by side. Two skewers should be inserted, one where the end of the leg meets the fleshy part of the shoulder, and the other where the end of the shoulder meets the fleshy part of the leg; the head is fixed back with a skewer thrust [Trussed Hare.) into the mouth, through the head, and into the back between the shoulders. The belly should be slit no more than is necessary for taking out the paunch. To secure its keeping in place, a string is PREPARATIONS FOR COOKING. 35 employed for bracing it; the string is laid across the back, twisted round the end of both skewers, and brought back across the back and tied. In skinning hares and rabbits, particularly hares, the ears and tails should be preserved entire, as they improve the appearance of these dishes on the table, and are much esteemed. 53. Rabbits for boiling are opened all the way down the belly; joint the legs at the rump so as to admit of their turning along the sides; turn the shoulders back to meet them, so that the lower joints of each lie straight along, side by side; the head should be skewered down to the right shoulder. Rabbits for roasting are trussed like hares. [Trussed Rabbit for boiling.] If any 54. Fawns or Kids are generally trussed and dressed in the same way as hares. As the flesh is of a dry nature, they should be covered with a caul or buttered paper, which should be tied on, not skewered. Fawns will not keep above a day or two at the furthest. 55. Sucking Pigs, the moment they are killed, should be put into cold water for a few minutes. Some persons then rub them over with powdered resin: others object to this on account of the flavour of the resin, which the pig will retain, if not well washed. Put the pig for half a minute into a pail or pan of boiling water, and take it out and pull off the hair or bristles as quickly as possible. should remain, put it again into hot water; when quite free from hair, wash it thoroughly with warm water, and then rinse it several times in cold water, that no flavour of the resin may remain. The feet should be taken off at the first joint: then make a slit down the belly and remove the entrails; once more wash the pig inside and out in cold water, and wrap it in a wet cloth till you are ready to dress it, which should be done as soon as possible. Fill the belly with season- ing, and sew it up; skewer back the legs, and the trussing is com- pleted. The feet, heart, liver, lights, and melt, are to be dressed separately, when well cleaned. This dish is called pig's pettitoes. 56. Fish, in cleaning, should have every particle of the entrails very carefully removed. If the blood has settled down the back-bone, or elsewhere, it should be carefully taken away, and care should be taken not to break the gallbladder of the liver. Some fish must be slit in order to clean ther; others may have their entrails drawn out at the gills, which should be always done when it is practicable. Mackerel, perch, &c. are cleaned in this way. Flat fish may be so 36 1 THE COMPLETE COOK cleaned, but it is usual to make a slanting slit on one side, just below the gill, in order to put in the finger and remove the clotted blood from the back-bone. Fishes with scales should be scraped from the tail to the head, till all the scales are removed; others, such as soles and eels, are skinned. The cook ought not to depend upon the clean- ing of fish by the fishmonger, but carefully examine them before dressing 57. Eels are remarkably tenacious of life, and appear to suffer after they are cut into several pieces. In order to take the sense of feeling entirely from this fish, it is only necessary, before it is skinned, to pierce the spinal marrow, just at the back of the skull, right through, when all feeling in the eel will instantly cease, though it has the appearance of being alive. Then raise the skin, at the part cut or pierced, draw it back over the mouth and head, secure the head with a strong fork to a table, or dresser, and draw back the whole skin. To prevent the eel from slipping through your hands, rub them with salt, and you will then draw off the skin easily. Eels, except very small ones, require to be slit all the way from the vent to the gills, and the inside of the back-bone should be rubbed with salt. The liver, roe or melt, are much esteemed, and should be therefore pre- served. 58. Fish without Scales, &c.—Cod, mackerel, whiting, and some other fish, being without scales, need nothing doing to them except drawing them and washing or wiping. Sprats, for broiling, should have a long bird-skewer run through their eyes, or a common knitting, needle. Neither sprats nor the silver-stringed herring, which is the best, should ever be drawn. They should be wiped dry and clean, Fish for frying, should not be washed if it be possible to avoid it. If they require washing, it should be done an hour or two before they are fried, and wrapped up in a coarse cloth till they are thorough- ly dry. 59. Turbot, Plaice, Flounders, f-c., having been gutted and wiped, should be sprinkled with salt, and hung up for several hours before dressing. 60. Cod, having been drawn and washed, will eat firmer if it be sprinkled with salt some time before putting it into the fish-kettle, with cold water, where it may remain an hour or two before boiling, or it may be hung up like plaice, &c. 61. Oysters, if fresh from the sea, that is, uncleansed by the fish. monger, should, as soon as received, be laid in a pan or tub, with the flat shell upwards, and the whole fish covered with spring water; to which put a pint of salt to every two gallons of water. In a few hours the fish will have cleansed themselves, and become fit for use. If they are required to be kept longer, the water should be taken away at night, and renewed in the morning; but they are never better than after they have been in the water from six to ten hours. There are persons who recommend that they should always be kept under water, which they say should be renewed every twelve hours. Such persons forget that oysters, in their natural state, are not under PREPARATIONS FOR COOKING. 37 water when the tide is out. Some writers recommend fresh water, but for what reason we know not, except to spoil the fish. Others order them to be sprinkled with flour, or oatmeal, for the purpose of making the fish white. We believe it has no such effect much less will it feed them. Clear fresh spring water with a little salt, is the best ; in this they will soon scour themselves, and become delicately white. Oysters should be opened very carefully-be turned round on the shell--the lower shell preserves the liquor best, and then served immediately; but they are better when eaten and opened at table. Every moment the oyster is kept after it is opened, injures it in quality and flavour. If served on the flat side of the shell, the liquor should be preserved and used for flavouring.--N. B. Oysters when taken fresh from the clean sea, that is, from beds de- void of mud, require no cleansing; but, on the contrary, we are as- sured on good authority, are much better without it. The process of cleansing deprives the fish of its flavour to a certain extent, and very much weakens the delicious liquor in the shell. 62. Vegetables, particularly green, in preparing for dressing, re- quire great attention in point of cleanliness. If vegetables for boiling can be gathered perfectly clean, immediately before being put in the pot, they preserve their colour much better without washing. But this will seldom be the case, particularly with those purchased of the greengrocer. When they are a little stale, which is almost always the case, if not gathered in your own garden, putting them in water for a few hours will refresh them. Salt and water should be used for the purpose of bringing out the slugs, or caterpillars, which sum- mer cauliflowers and cabbage very often abound. Every drop of cold water, if possible, should be shaken out of them before boiling. Green peas, broad beans and French beans, ought not to be washed. Tur. nip greens, if quite clean and fresh, are better not washed; but if otherwise they must be washed through several waters. 63. Asparagus, Artichokes, Spinach, fc.-Scrape the stalks of asparagus clean, tie them up with tape, in bundles of twenty-five or thirty each; cut off the ends of the stalks to an equal length. If quite fresh they need not be washed. Artichokes require thorough wash- ing, and should be soaked two hours or so in water before dressing. Spinach should be picked leaf by leaf; washed in three or four waters, and thoroughly drained. Celery should be well soaked. 64. Potatoes and Jerusalem Artichokes should be well scrubbed with a birch broom, besom, or scrubbing brush, and washed very clean just before boiling; but they should never be the least wetted till they are about to be dressed. Some persons like them best boiled in the skins; they are best peeled before boiling when they are old or specky. 65. Carrots, Parsnips, Beetroots, and Turnips.-Carrots and parsnips should be well washed and scrubbed, but not scraped, as it is apt to injure the flavour. After boiling, rub the skins with a coarse cloth. For soups, &c., they should be scraped. Beetroots should be washed and scrubbed very clean, but if the red sort be scraped, or cut 3* 38 THE COMPLETE COOK. with a knife, the colour will escape. When done, carefully rub with a rough cloth. Wash and peel turnips. Having given directions for the preparations for cooking, we now proceed to Cooking itself; and shall begin with SOUPS AND BROTHS, &c. In our general directions we have given pretty full instructions on the art of making broths, stews, &c., which instructions are of them- selves sufficient to enable a young cook, possessed of diligence and common sense, to prepare the different varieties of these dishes, with- out the assistance of particular receipts. We give, however, the fol- lowing: 66. Clear Gravy Soups.-Cut half a pound of ham into slices, and lay them at the bottom of a large stew-pan, or stock pot, with two or three pounds of veal and the same weight of lean beef; break the bones and lay them on the meat; pare two turnips and skin two large onions; wash clean, and cut into pieces two large carrots, two heads of celery; put in a large blade of mace, and three cloves; cover the stew-pan close, and set it over a clear fire; when the meat begins to stick at the bottom of the stew-pan, turn it, and when there is a nice brown glaze at the bottom of the stew-pan cover the meat with hot water; put in half a pint when it is coming to a boil; take off the scum, and put in half a pint more of cold water; then skim it again, and continue to do so till no more scum rises: now set it on one side of the fire to boil gently for four hours; strain through a clean tamis (do not squeeze it, or the soup will be thick) into a clean stone pan; let it remain till it is cold, then remove all the fat; when you bottle it, be careful not to disturb the settlings at the bottom of the pan. The broth should be of a fine amber colour, and very clear. If it is not quite as bright as you wish it, put it into a stew-pan; break two whites and the shells of eggs, mix well together and put them into the soup, set it on a quick fire, and stir it with a whisk till it boils, then set it on one side till it settles; run it through a fine napkin; then it is ready. If you skim your broth carefully as directed above, it will be clear enough; clarifying it impairs the flavour.-Observe. This is the basis of almost all gravy soups, which are called by the name of the vegetables that are put into them: carrots, turnips, onions, celery, and a few leaves of chervil, make what is called spring soup; to this a pint of green peas, or asparagus, or French beans cut into pieces, or a cabbage lettuce, is an improvement. With rice, Scotch barley, or vermicelli, maccaroni or celery, cut into lengths, it will be the soup usually called by those names. Or turnips scooped, round or young onions, will give you a clear turnip or onion soup. The roots and vegetables used must be boiled first, or they will im- pregnate the soup with too strong a flavour. Seasoning for those soups is the same, viz. salt, and a very little cayenne pepper. 67. Ox Tail Soup.-Take three or four ox tails; divide at the joints; well wash, and soak them. Put them on the fire; to each SOUP S' 'AND BROTIS, &c. 39 tail allow a quart of water; when they boil, take off all the scum. If four tails add four onions, and eight or ten corns of allspice and black pepper to each tail. Simmer it slowly till the meat on the bones is tender. Then take out the tails, scrape off all the meat and cut it small; strain the soup through a sieve. To thicken it, take two ounces of butter, and as much flour as it will take up; mix it well with the whole, and let it simmer another half hour. If not perfectly smooth, it must be strained again; then put in the meat, with a glass of wine, a table-spoonful of mushroorn catsup, a little cayenne, and salt to taste; simmer it again a few minutes. . Or instead of thicken- ing the soup, the meat may be returned to the gravy and warmed again, with or without the addition of carrots and turnips. 68. Hotch-potch.- Take lamb or mutton chops, and stew them in good gravy, with the addition of almost every kind of vegetable. A summer hotch-potch is composed of young onions, carrots, asparagus, green peas, lettuce, turnips, spinach, and parsley; a winter one is com- posed of full- -grown turnips cut small, old carrots cut small or grated, celery and onions sliced, dried peas—the green or blue sort are the best colours for this purpose. The peas will take much longer boiling than either meat or green vegetables. Put them in the liquor boiling, and let them boil an hour before the addition meat, and the other vege- tables. The proportion is four pounds of meat to a gallon of stock, and two quarts of vegetables. Boil the meat and vegetables between two and three hours, slow boiling, with the lid on. If you add green peas or asparagus tops among the vegetables, keep out nearly all of them till within half an hour of sending them to table; then let them poil fast till tender. Season with salt and pepper, and serve all to- gether. Some people make it of brisket of beef, and add a bunch of sweet herbs. The beef will require stewing longer. A leg of beef, cut in pieces, and stewed six or seven hours, with carrots and the other ingredients, makes very good soup. A little small beer is in improvement to all brown soups. 69. F Broth.--Thick-skinned fish, and those which have gluti- bous, jelly-like substances, are the best. The liqnor which eels have Jeen boiled in is good enough of itself, as they require but little water. The liquor in which turbot or cod has been boiled, boil again, with the addition of the bones. If purposely made, small eels, or grigs, or flat fish, as flounders, soles, plaice or dabs, or the finny parts of cod, will do for the purpose. A pound of fish to three pints of water; add peppercorns, a large handful of parsley, and an onion ; and boil till reduced to half. A spoonful of catsup, or vinegar, is an improve- ment. This broth is very nourishing and easy of digestion; but for a sick person, leave out the catsup or vinegar. 70. Cock-a-leeky Soup.- Take a small knuckle of veal, and a large fowl, or a scrag of mutton instead veal. An old fowl will do. Add three or four large leeks, cut in pieces of half an inch long. Simmer in three quarts of good broth for an hour. Then add as many more Jeeks, and season with pepper and salt. Let it boil three-quarters of an hour longer, and serve all together. The leeks which are put 40 THE COMPLETE COOK. in first, is with the intention of thickening the soup; and those which kre put in last, should retain their form and substance. 71. Scotch Brose, or Crowdy.—Take half a pint of oatmeal; put it before the fire, and frequently turn it till it is perfectly dry and of a light brown. Take a ladle-full of boiling water, in which fat meat has been boiled, and stir it briskly to the oatmeal, still adding more liquor till it is brought to the thickness desired, which is about that of a stiff batter; a little salt and pepper may be added, if the liquor with which it was made was not salt. Kale brose is the same thing, but with the addition of greens, cut small, and boiled in the liquor, 72. Pease Soup. -Put a quart of split peas to three quarts of boiling water, not more (Dr. Kitchiner says cold water,) with half a pound of bacon, not very fat, or roast beef bones, or four anchovies; or, instead of water, the liquor in which beef, mutton, pork or poultry, has been boiled; it will be very much better, but taste the liquor, as it must not be too salt. Wash two heads of celery, cut small (half a drachm of celery seed, pounded fine, and put into the soup, a quarter of an hour before it is finished, will flavour three quarts,) two onions peeled, and a sprig of savoury, or sweet marjoram, or lemon thyme. Let it simmer very gently, stirring it every quarter of an hour, to keep the peas from sticking to or burning at the bottom of the pot. Simmer till the peas are tender, which will be in about three hours. Some cooks now slice a head of celery and half an ounce of onions, and fry them in a little batter, and put them into the soup, till it is lightly browned; then work the whole through a coarse hair sieve, and then through a fine sieve, or through a tamis, with the back of a wooden spoon; then put it into a clean stew-pan, with a tea-spoonful of ground black pepper; let it boil again for ten minutes, and if any fat arises skim it off. Send up on a plate some toasted bread, cut into little pieces, an inch square; or cut a slice of bread (that has been baked two days) into dice, not more than half an inch equare ; put half a pound of quite clean dripping, or lard, into an iron frying-pan; when it is hot fry the bread; take care to turn the bread with a slice, that it may be of a delicate brown on both sides; take it up with a fish-slice, and lay it on a sheet of paper to drain the fat; be careful that this is done nicely. Send them up in one side dish, and dried and powdered mint, or savoury, in another. The most economical method of making pease soup, is to save the bones of a joint of roast beef, and put them into the liquor in which mutton, or beef, or pork, or poultry, has been boiled, and proceed as in the first receipt. A hock or shank bone of ham, a ham bone, the root of a longue, or a red or pickled herring, are favourite additions with some people ; others send up rice or vermicelli with pease soup. Pease soup may be made sa- voury and agreeable to the palate, without any meat, by putting two ounces of fresh and nicely clarified beef, mutton, or pork dripping, with two ounces of oatmeal, and mix this well into a gallon of soup prepared with the peas and vegetables, according to the first receipt, or in water alone. 73. Pease Soup and Pickled Pork.- Take two pounds of pickled SOUP'S 'AND BROTHS, &c. 41 pork, which will make very good broth for pease soup; if the pork is too salt, put it in water on the over-night." The pork should not be in salt more than two days. Put on the articles, mentioned in the first receipt, in three quarts of water; boil these gently for two hours; then put in the pork, and boil gently for an hour and a half, or two hours, according to the thickness of the pork; when done, wash the pork clean in some hot water; send it up in a dish, or cut it into little pieces, and put thein into the iureen, with the toasted bread, &c., or as in the first receipt. 'The meat being boiled no longer than to be done enough to eat, you can get excellent soup without the expense of any other meat. 74. Plain Pease Soup.–To a quart of split peas, and two heads of celery, and a large onion, put three quarts of broth, or soft water; let them simmer gently over a slow fire for three hours. Stir them up every quarter of an hour, to prevent the peas sticking at the bottom of the pot, and burning. 75. Spanish Soup. —Take about three pounds of beef, off the leg or shin, with or without the bone-if' with the bone, well crack it-à pound of knuckle of ham, or gammon. More than cover them with water, and when it boils skim it, and add a tea-spoonful of pepper. The ham will probably make it sufficiently salt—if not, add a little. Let this simmer by the side of the fire until it is three parts done, which will take two hours and a half. And then well wash some cabbage plants, or small summer cabbage; cut these into small pieces, also onions cut small; a tea-cup full of rice, with a bit of eschalot; put these in the saucepan, and let it simmer a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, until the rice is boiled enough. Then take it from the fire; separate the meat, vegetables, and rice, from the soup, and eat the soup before the meat. Separate the meat from the bones, and mix it with the vegetables. If the plants are too strong, scald them before putting them in the saucepan. In the summer, a few young peas make a great improvement. Leeks are better than onions, as you can have more in quantity of vegetables. The Spaniards use garlic. This will dine a family of seven or eight people. 76. Chicken Broth.—Chicken bones, and the heads and feet, make a basin of good broth, provided the fowls have been boiled, and the liquor used instead of water. The heads and feet of four fowls may be boiled in a quart of water, with the addition of an onion and a blade of mace, a little pepper and salt. Chicken broth may be enriched by the addition of a knuckle bone of veal, a bit of beef, or three or four shank bones of mutton. 77. Mutton Broth.--Scrags of mutton, or sheeps' heads, make a very good family dinner. Two or three scrags of mutton, or two she heads, may be put on in a two-gallon pot; when it boils, skim it well, then add six ounces of Scotch or pearl barley, or rice; let it boil an hour or more; then add eight or ten turnips, three or four car- rots, cut up, and four or five onions. Half an hour before serving, put in a few small suet dumplings, a little parsley, and a few marigold blossoms. This broth should boil two hours and a half, or three hours. 42 THE COMPLETE COOK. ner. reen. The knuckle of a shoulder of mutton answers very well in this man- Serve the meat on a separate dish, and the broth, dumplings, and vegetables, all together in a large tureen. 78. Mutton Chop Broth.-Cut the chops from a neck or loin of mutton; cut as much as is required into thin chops ; put them in a stew.pan, with an onion or two, a little salt, and cold water enough to cover them. Skim well when it boils, and let it stew slowly three- quarters of an hour, or an hour. Turnips may be boiled in this liquor, or boiled separately, and mashed. Serve the broth and meat to- gether. In broth intended for invalids, the vegetables and spice should be left out. 79. Soup and Buuilli.—For the bouilli, roll five pounds of brisket of beef tight with a tape, put it into a stew-pan; four pounds of the leg of beet; about seven or eight quarts of water; boil these up quick; scum it; add one large onion, six or seven cloves, some whole pep- per, two or three carrots, a turnip or two, a leek, two heads of celery; stew them very gently, closely covered, for six or seven hours; about an hour before dinner, strain the soup through a piece of flannel (put the rough side upwards,) or a hair sieve; have ready boiled carrots and turnips sliced, spinach, a little chervil, and sorrel, two heads of endive, one or two of celery, cut in pieces. Put the soup into a tu- The carrots and turnips in separate dishes; add a little salt and cayenne to the soup. Take the tape from the bouilli very care- fully, and serve in a dish. A leg or shin of beef, with a piece of fat beef, will answer the purpose. 80. A Cheap Soup.—T'wo pounds of lean beef, six onions, six po- tatoes (parboiled,) one carrot, one turnip, half a pint of split peas, four quarts of water, some whole pepper, a head of celery, a red herring; when boiled, rub through a coarse sieve, add spinach and celery boiled, dried mint, and fried bread. 81. Veal Soup.-Cut the meat off in thin slices; put the meat in a large jug or jar; put to it a bunch of sweet herbs, half an ounce of almonds, blanched, and beat fine ; pour on it four quarts of boiling water; cover it close, and let it stand all night by the fire; the next day, put it into an earthen vessel; let it stew very slowly till it is re- duced to two quarts; take off the scum as it rises while bojling, and let it stand tº settle; then pour it clear off, and put it into a clean saucepan; mix with three ounces of either boiled rice or vermicelli. 82. Calf's Head Soup.-Take a calf's head, wash it clean, stew it with a bunch of sweet herbs, an onion stuck with cloves, mace, pearl barley, and Jamaica pepper; when it is very tender, put to it some stewed celery ; season it with pepper; and serve it with the head in the middle. 83. Giblet Soup.-The most economical way is to take a pound or two of beef skirts, or of knuckle of veal; cut it into pieces two or three inches square; a set of goose giblets, or four sets of ducks', or the head, neck, and feet, of a turkey or two, or of six or eight fowls; all of these are good, either separate or together. Clean them well. split the heads, cut the gizzards across, crack the pinions and feet SOUPS AND BROTHS, & €. 43 bones. Put all together into a stew-pan, with an ounce of butter; the red part of two or three carrots cut up, two or three onions sliced, and a clove or two of eschalots. Shake it over a clear slow fire a few minutes, to draw the gravy, then add water or broth enough to cover the whole ; let it simmer two hours or more, then season with salt and pepper, and a large spoonful of catsup, and serve all together. It may be thickened with rice or barley, which should be added as soon as it boils.-A more expensive way: Prepare the giblets as above and set them on with good gravy, enough to cover them; tie in a muslin bag an onion or two, a small bundle of sweet herbs, a few leaves of sweet basil, and twenty corns of allspice, the same of black pepper. . Let it simmer till the giblets are tender, then take them out and cover up close while you thicken the gravy; remove also the bag of spice and herbs. Make some force meat balls as follows: when the livers are done enough to chop fine, take them out or part of them, pound them fine with half their weight in butter, and the yolks of three hard-boiled eggs; season with salt, cayenne, nutmeg, sage, and onions, scalded and chopped very fine, and also a leaf or two of sweet basil. Mix with half a tea-cup full of bread crumbs, wet with the yolk of an egg, and make up into little balls with a little flour Hava ing removed the giblets, thicken the soup with butter and four, and when it boils add the balls; let them simmer a quarter of an hour, then add a glass uf wine, a large table-spoonful of catsup, and the juice of half a Seville orange or lemon. Put in the giblets to warm through, and it is ready. 84. Kitchiner's cheap Soup.-Wash in cold water four ounces of Scotch barley, and put into five quarts of water, with four ounces of sliced onions; boil gently one hour, and pour it into a pan; then put into a saucepan from one to two ounces of fresh beef or mutton dripping. Dripping for this purpose should be taken out of the pan as fast as it drips from the meat; if suffered to remain in the pan it is apt to become rancid. If no dripping is at hand, melted suet will do, or two or three ounces of fat bacon minced fine. When melted in the saucepan, stir into it four ounces of oatmeal, and rub them together until they become a soft paste. Then add, by degrees, a spoonful at a time, the barley broth, stirring it well together till it boils. For seasoning, put in a tea-cup or basin a drachm of celery or cress seed, or half a drachm of each, and a quarter of a drachm of cayenne, finely powdered, or a drachm and a half of black pepper finely powdered, or half allspice; mix them smooth with a little of the soup; then stir it into the rest; simmer it gently another quarter of an hour, season with salt, and it is ready. The flavour may be varied by any variety of herbs, or thickening with garlic or eschalot instead of celery; a larger portion of onions, or carrots and turnips, or rice, or paste, instead of oatmeal or barley. 85. Soup Maigre. -Divide two or three heads of celery, two large carrots, three or four moderate-sized turnips, some onions, two young lettuces, a handful of spinach leaves, and a little sorrel. Cut the worst half of the vegetables in small pieces, and put them into the TIE COMPLETE COOK. stew-pan with three ounces of butter; let them fry till the vegetables are brown and the butter absorbed; put a gallon of boiling water into the pan; when it boils fast, skim it well, stir in a little flour, and add some stale crust of bread; put in two dozen of black peppers, and the same of allspice, with two or three blades of mace; let it simmer for an hour and a half, then set it aside for a quarter of an hour, then strain it off very gently, so as not to disturb the settlings at the bot- tom of the stew-pan, which clean. When the soup has stood two hours, pour it back again, avoiding to disturb any sediment, if any should escape from the first draining. Cut up the remainder of the vegetables and boil them in water five minutes, then drain them, and when the soup again boils, add them to it, and let it simmer till they are tender, which will be about three-quarters of an hour; season with salt, cayenne, and a table-spoonful of catsup: If green peas are in season, the liquor in which they have been boiled, added to the soup, is a great improvement. 86. Mock Turtle.-Have the head and broth ready for the soup the day before it is to be eaten; it will take eight hours to prepare it properly. Get the calf's head with the skin on, the fresher the better, take out the brains and wash the head several times in cold water, let it soak in spring water for an hour, then lay it in the stew-pan, cover it with cold water, and half a gallon over; as it becomes warm a great deal of scum will rise, which must be immediately removed; let it boil gently for one hour, then take it up. When almost cold cut the head into pieces about an inch and a half long and an inch and a quarter broad; the tongue into mouthfuls, or rather make a side dish of the tongue and brains. When the head is taken out, put in about five pounds of knuckle of veal, and as inuch beef; add to the stock all the trimmings and bones of the head; skim it well, then cover it close, let it boil five hours; reserve two quarts of this to make gravy sauce, then strain it off and let it stand till the next morning; then take off the fat, put a large stew-pan on the fire, with half a pound of good fresh butter, twelve ounces of onions sliced, four ounces of green sage chopped; let these fry one hour; rub in half a pound of four by degrees, add your broth till it is the thickness of cream; season it with a quarter of an ounce of ground allspice and half an ounce of black pepper, ground very fine, salt to your taste, add the rind of one lem in peeled very thin; let it simmer very gently for one hour and a half, then strain it through a hair sieve, do not rub your soup to get it through the sieve or it will make it grouty ; if it do not run through easily, knock a wooden spoon against the side of the sieve; put it into a clean stew-pan with the head, and season by adding, to each gallon of soup, half a pint of wine, Madeira, or claret if you wish it dark; two table-spoonfuls of lemon juice, the same of catsup, one of essence of anchovy, a tea-spoonful of curry powder, or a quarter of a drachm of cayenne, the peel of a lemon pared very thin. Let it simmer gently till the meat is tender; this may take from half an hour to an hour; take care that it is not over-done; stir it fre- quently to prevent the meat sticking to the bottom of the stew-pan; SOUPS AND BROTIS, &c. 45 en the meat is quite done, take out the lemon peel, and the soup is ready. Serve with force meat stuffing, or balls. 87. Carrot Soup.-Wash and scrape six large carrots, peel off the red outside (which is the only part used for this soup), put it into a gallon 'stew-pan, with one head of celery, and an onion cụt into thin pieces; take two quarts of veal, beef, or mutton brotn, put the broth to the roots, cover the stew-pan close, and set it on a slow stove for two hours and a half, when the carrots will be soft enough; put in a tea-cup full of bread crumbs, boil for two or three minutes, rub it. through a tamis, or hair sieve, with a wooden spoon, add broth, and make it nearly as thick as pease soup; season it with a little salt, and send it up with some toasted bread, cut into pieces half an inch square. The celery and onions should be sliced and fried in butter, or nicely clarified dripping, and then put in the stew-pan and the broth added to it. Or thus: Put some beef bones with four quarts of liquor in which a leg of mutton or beef has been boiled, two large onions, a turnip, pepper and salt, into a stew-pan, and stew for three hours; have ready six large carrots scraped, and cut thin; strain the soup on them, stew them till soft enough to pulp through a hair sieve, or a coarse cloth; then boil the pulp with the soup, which is to be as thick as pease soup. Make the soup the day before it is to be used; add cayenne. Pulp only the red part of the carrot, and not the yel- low. The soup is better made with a shin of beef. 88. Curry or Mulligatawny Soup.-Cut four pounds of a breast of veal into pieces about two inches long and one inch broad; put the trimmings into a stew-pan with two quarts of water, with twelve corns of black pepper, and the same of allspice; when it boils skim it clean, and let it boil an hour and a half; then strain it off; while it is boiling, fry of a nice brown in butter the bits of veal, and four onions; when they are done put the broth to them, put it on the fire; when it boils skim it clean, let it simmer half an hour, then mix two spoonfuls of curry, and the same of flour, with a little cold water, and a tea-spoonful of salt; add these to the soup, and simmer it till the veal is quite tender, and it is ready; or bone a couple of fowls or rab- bits, and stew them the same as veal, and you may put in a bruised eschalot, and some mace and ginger, instead of black pepper and all- spice. The fowls and rabbits should be cut into joints, and fried of a nice brown in some batter. 89. Eel Soup.-To make a tureen full, take two middling sized onions, cut them in half, and cross your knife over them two or three imes; put two ounces of butter into a stew-pan; when it is melted, put in the onions, stir them in the pan till they are of a light brown; cut into pieces three pounds of unskinned eels, put them into your stew-pan, and shake them over the fir five minutes; then add three quarts of boiling water, and when they boil, take the scum off very clean, and then put in a quarter of an ounce of the green leaves (not dried) of winter savoury, the same of lemon-thyme, and twice the quantity of parsley, two drachms of allspice, the same of black pepper; cover it close, and let it boil gently for two hours, skim it 4 46 THE COMPLETE COOK. clean and strain it off. To thicken it, put three ounces of butter into a clean stew-pan; when it is melted stir in as much flour as wu make it of a thick paste, then add the liquid by degrees, let it simmer for ten minutes, and pass it through a sieve, then put your soup on in a clean stew-pan, and have ready some little square pieces of fried fish of nice light brown-either eels, soles, plaice, or skate, will do, the fried fish should be added about ten minutes before the soup is served up. Force meat balls are sometimes added. Excellent fish- soup may be made of cod's head, or skate, or flounders, boiled in no more water than will cover them, and the liquor thickened with oatmeal, &c. 90. Gourd Soup should be made of full-grown gourds, but not those that have hard skins; slice three or four, and put them into a stew-pan with two or three onions and a good bit of butter, set them over a slow fire till quite tender, be careful not to let them burn; then add two ounces of crust of bread, and two quarts of good con- sommé, season with salt and cayenne pepper; boil ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, skim off all the fat, and pass it through a tamis when quite hot. Serve up with fried bread. 91. Game Soup.-In the game season it is easy to make very good soup at a little expense, by taking all the meat off the breasts of any cold birds that have been left on the preceding day, and pound it in a mortar; beat to pieces the legs and bones, and boil in some broth for an hour; boil six turnips, and mash them and strain them through a tamis cloth, with the meat that has been pounded in a mortar; strain your broth and put a little of it at a time into the tamis to help you to strain all of it through. Put your soup kettle near the fre, but do not let it boil. When ready to dish your dinner, have six yolks of eggs mixed with half a pint of cream, then strain it through a sieve; put your soup on the fire, and as it is coming to boil, put in the eggs, and stir it well with a wooden spoon. Do not let it boil, or it will curdle. 92. Turnip and Parsnip Soups are made the same as carrot soup 93. Celery Soup.--Split six heads of celery into slips about two inches long; wash them well, lay them on a hair sieve to drain, and put them into three quarts of gravy soup in a gallon soup pot; set it by the side of the fire to stew very gently till the celery is tender- this will take about an hour; if any scum rises, take it off. Season it with a little salt. When celery cannot be procured, half a drachm of the seed pounded fine may be considered as the essence of celery, which may be had very cheap, and can be bought at any season; put this in about a quarter of an hour before the soup is done, and a little sugar will give as much flavour to half a gallon of soup as two heads of celery-or add a little essence of celery. 94. Lamb Stew.—Take a lamb's head and lights, and wash them; remove all the bones and skin from the nose, put them in the pot with some beef stock made with three quarts of water and two pounds of shin of beef, strained; boil very slowly for an hour, wash and string two or three good handfuls of spinach, put it in twenty minutes before 48 THE COMPLETE COOK. on a large fiat dish, so as to be a quarter of an inch deep; when cold, turn it out, and, with a paste cuiter, divide into squares of half an ounce or an ounce each. Or pour it into the round parts of basins or cups turned upside down. Put them in a warm room, and turn them frequently for eight or ten days, then they will be thoroughly dry and hardened like glue. Put them in a tir. box, or a glass case, in a dry place, and they will keep for years. If at any time the surface appears mouldy, wipe it off , or the taste will penetrate the mass. The chief use of this article is in country places, or at sea, where fresh meat cannot be obtained. A basin of broth, soup or gravy of any strength, may be had in five minutes, by dissolving one or more of these cakes in boil- ing water; any flavouring ingredients may be added at pleasure. See Flavouring. 97. Green Turtle Soup. This recipe has been collated from the best authorities, to which is added our own experience. The day be- fore you wish to serve up the soup it will be necessary to cut off the head of your turtle, and place it in a positio'to allow all the blood to be drained from it. The next morning open tie turtle, being careful to do so without breaking the gall. After cutting all around the upper and lower shell, drain the water off, divide the meat in small pieces, and wash clean and carefully. Then put the shells in a large pot of boiling water, where you let them remain until you find they separate from the flesh readily; but no longer, as the softer parts must be boiled again. Keep the liquor and stew the bones thoroughly; after which it is to be used for moistening the broth. The flesh of the in- terior parts, and the four legs and head, must be cooked in the follow. ing manner. Mask the bottom of a large stew-pan with slices of ham, over which lay two or three knuckles of veal, according to the size of the turtle; and over the veal place the inside flesh of the turtle, co- vering the whole with the other parts of the turtle. Add to it about a gallon of the liquor in which the bones were stewed, and place on the fire until thoroughly done, which you must ascertain by sticking your knife into the feshy part of the meat; and if no blood issue from it, add another gallon of the liquor. Then throw in a bunch of the stalks of sweet marjoram, lemon thyme, bay leaves, savoury, com- mon thyme, and sweet basil; also a handful of parsley and green onions, and a large onion stuck with cloves, and a few grains of pep- per. Let the whole stew until thoroughly done, say from three to four hours. The leaves of the herbs are to be used for making a sauce, to be described hereafter. When the larger portions of the turtle are done, place them aside to be used when wanted. When the flesh is also thoroughly done, drain on a dish, and make a white thickening very thin, and add to it through a tamis some portion of the liquor of the bones, and place on the fire until it boils ; and, having arrived at the proper consistency, neither too thick nor too thin, set the stew- nan on the side of the stove, and skim off all the white scum and fat that arises to the surface. Then cut the softer parts-green fat and white meat-into dice of about an inch square (without any waste,) and add to the sauce, which must be allowed to simmer gently uinti BROTHS OR STOCKS, QLAZE, &c. 49 sufficiently done, when it must be taken off, at the same time 'skim: ming it carefølly. Then take the leaves of the sweet basil, sweet marjoram, lemon thyme, common thyme and winter savoury, together with a handful of parsley, some green onions, a large onion cut in four pieces, with a few leaves of mace; put the whole in a stew-pan with a quarter of a pound of butter. Let this simmer on a slow fire until melted, and add a bottle of Madeira and a small lump of sugar, and boil gently for an hour. Then rub it through a tamis, and add to your sauce, which you must boil until no white scum arises; then with a skimmer drain out all the bits of turtle, and put them into a clean stew-pan, and pass the sauce through a tamis into the stew. pan containing the turtle, and proceed as follows. Take out the fleshy part of a leg of veal, say about one pound, scrape off all the meat without leaving any of the fat or sinews in it, and soak in about the same quantity (one pound) of crumbs of bread, which, when well soaked, squeeze and put into a mortar with the veal, a small quantity of calf's udder, a little butter, the yolks of four eggs hard boiled, a lit- tle cayenne pepper, salt and spices, and pound the whole very fine. Then thicken the mixture with two whole eggs, and the yolk of a third ; and, to try its consistency, put it in boiling hot water; if you find it too thin, add the yolk of another egg. When it is perfected, take one half of it, and add some chopped parsley. Cook it and roll into balls the size of the yolk of an egg ; poach them in boiling wa- ter with a little salt. The other half must be made also into balls, and place the whole on a sieve to drain. Before serving your soup, squeeze the juice of two or three lemons, with a little cayenne pep- per, and pour it into the soup. The fins may be served as a side dish, with a little turtle sauce. When lemon juice is used, be careful that the lemons are good; a musty lemon will spoil all the turtle, and too much will destroy its flavour. 98. Irish Stew.—Take two pounds of potatoes; peel and slice, and parboil, and throw away the water; rather more than two pounds of mutton chops, either from the loin or neck; part of the fat should be taken off; beef two pounds, six large onions sliced, a slice of ham, or lean bacon, a spoonful of pepper, and two of salt. This stew may be done in a stew-pan over the fire, or in a baker's oven, or in a close covered earthen pot. First put a layer of potatoes, then a layer of meat and onions, sprinkle the seasoning, then a layer of potatoes, and again the meat and onions and seasoning; the top layer should be po- tatoes, and the vessel should be quite full. Then put in half a pin of good gravy, and a spoonful of mushroom catsup. Let the whol stew for an hour and a half; be very careful it does not burn. BROTHS OR STOCKS, GLAZE AND GRAVIES. These articles are all nearly allied to each other, differing princi- pally in degrees of strength. In extensive establishments, a large quantity of stock, both brown and white, is constantly kept. Stocks are distinguished by the names of first stock, or long broth, in the 4* 50 1 HE COMPLETE COOK. French kitchen, "le grand bouillon"-second stock, in French, " jus de beuf,"-and jelly stock, in French, consommé.” In preparing a regular dinner, they will all be found exceedingly useful. The ma. terials for the making of stocks will not cost much, if the cook does her duty. In such case, she will take great care of all the trimmings of ineat, and the necks, heads, gizzards, feet, &c., of game and poul- try. Boiled and roast meat gravy not used ought to be carefully collected and kept. The author of " The Housekeeper's Guide," says, “ We should recommend the cook when she sets away after the dinner the meat on clean dishes, to collect in one basin every drop of roast meat gravy; in another, every drop of boiled meat gravy; and in another, every little bit of trimming of dressed meat, and pour over it some hot liquor, in which meat has been boiled, or hot water. Next morning, when she prepares meat for dressing, let her collect all the little trimming bits, and boil them with the liquor and bits set by the day before. This may be done before the fire is wanted for other pui poses. Thus she will always have gravy in store for every emer. gency. Then if she have white sauce to prepare, such as celery or oyster sauce, parsley and butter, or caper sauce, the cold boiled meat gravy (which she will most likely find a stiff jelly) will form an ex- cellent basis for it, much more rich and relishing than water. If she wants good brown gravy for roast meat, or fried, the cold roast meat gravy will enrich and colour the stock or store gravy, with the addi- tion of any flavouring that may be required. Good managers, who attend to this every day, do not know what it is to be distressed for gravy, or running to the butcher's for gravy beef.” The cook, we must add, should be careful to have her broth or stock clear, and devoid of fat, which, eaten by itself, that is, unincorporated with farinaceous or vegetable substances, is very indigestible, yielding little or no nourishment, but when so incorporated, fat becomes very nutritious and wholesomc-more so indeed, according to some writers, than lean meat. 99. First Stock, or Beef Broth, fc.-Wash a leg or shin of beef very clean; let the butcher crack the bone in two or three places, and take out the marrow; add meat trimmings, and heads, necks, gizzards, feet, &c., of game and poultry; cover them with cold water; watch and stir up well, and the moment the simmering commences skim it very clear of all the scum. Then add some cold water, which will make the remaining scum rise, and skim it again. Nofat should enter into the composition of broth of this description, nor indeed of any other, unless incorporated with meal by way of thickening. Stock should be quite clear and limpid. When the surface of the broth is quite clear, put in carrots, turnips, celery, and onions, accord- ing to the quantity. Some persons direct one moderate sized carrot, a head of celery, two turnips, and two onions. But this is a very poor criterion as to the quantity which ought to be rised of these vegetables, which differ so much in size. No taste of sweet herbs, spice, &c., should be given to the stock. After the vegetables are added, cover it close, and set it by the side of the fire, and let it sim- BROTHS OR STOCKS, GLAZE, &c. 51 mer very gently, not wasting the broth, for four or five hours, or more, according to the weight of the meat. Strain through a sieve into a clean, dry stone pan, and put it in a cold place, for use. This is the basis for all sorts of soup and sauce, whether brown or white. The meat may be used for immediate food, or for making potted beef that is, if it be not overdone to rags. 100. The following method has been adopted in the kitchen of the reviser for several years past, and is inserted as being more concise than the English plan: - Put in a large boiler, of the capacity of six or seven gallons, two large skins of beef; a small piece of the rump of about five pounds; five gallons of water, and two handsf.' of salt; place the pot on the fire, and before it commences to boil, and whilst boiling, skim it carefully and frequently, adding a little cold water to bring up the scum completely. When you find no more scum rising to the top, add three large carrots, three turnips, and three onions with six cloves stuck in them (that is, two cloves in each onion), and let it boil for four or five honrs. Before using it, skim all the fat off the top, and strain it through a double sieve. If the beef is to be used, let it be taken out of the pot when cooked, and pour over it a little of the top of the broth, to keep it moist until it may be wanted, when you can serve it with such sauce as you may fancy. For a family it will be necessary to make the broth about once a week, but great care should be taken to keep a portion always on hand. 101. Second Stock may be made from the meat left after straining the first stock off, by covering it with water, and by letting it go on boiling for four or five hours. This stock will produce good glaze, or portable soup (see 316). 102. Glaze is a strony gravy boiled as quick as possible till it thickens, as directed in braising (see 316). 103. Beef Gravy, sometimes called second stock, or in French jus de beuf, is thus made :- Take a slice of good lean ham, or lean bacon, four or five pounds of gravy beef, cut into eight or ten pieces, a car- rot, an onion with two cloves stuck in it, and a head of celery. Cover the bottom of a clean well-tinned stew-pan with these things, putting in the ham first, and then put a pint of stock, or water; cover close; set over a moderate fire till the water is so reduced as to just save the ingredients from burning, then turn it all about and let it brown slightly and equally all over. You must put in three quarts of boiling water just at the moment the meat has obtained its proper colour; if it is suffered to burn, the gravy will have a bad taste, and if the water is put in too soon the gravy will want flavour. When it boils up, skim carefully and clean the sides of the stew-pan with a cloth. The gravy ought to be delicately clean and clear. Set it by the side of a fire, and stew gently for about four hours; strain through a tamis sieve, skim it carefully, and put it in a cold place. If well managed, that is, not boiled too fast, it will yield two quarts of good gravy. 104. Gravy for Roast Meut. - Take the trimmings off the joint you are about to cook, which will make half a pint of plain gravy. Colour by adding a few drops of burnt sugar. If you do not wish to 32 THE COMPLETE COOK. :: make gravy in this way, about half an hour before the meat is done mix a salt-spoonful of salt with a full quarter of a pint of boiling water: drop this by degrees on the brown parts of the meat, set a dish under to catch it, and set it by; the meat will soon brown again. When the gravy you have made is cold take the fat from the surface, and when the meat is done, warm up the gravy and put it in the dish. Or you may make good browning for roast meat by saving the brown bits of boiling or roast meat: cut them small, put them into a basin and cover them with boiling water, and put them away; next put them into a saucepan and boil two or three minutes, then strain it through a sieve, and put by for use. When you want gravy for use put two table-spoonsful in a quarter of a pint of boiling water, with a little salt. If for roasted veal, put three table-spoonsful into half a pint of thin melted butter. The gravy which remains in the dish after the family has dined should be put by to enrich hashes or little made dishes. 105. Gravy for Boiled Meat is nothing more than a tea-cup full of the liquor in which the meat has been boiled, carefully skimmed and free from fat. 106. Gravy for Roast Veal. — Make in the same way as for any other roast meat, and make a tea-cup full of thick melted butter, or melt the butter in the gravy. The same gravy for target or loin of lamb. 107. Rich brown Gravy for Poultry, Ragout, or Game.-If your stock or store gravy is poor, to enrich it add one pound of meat to one pint of your store gravy; cut the meat clear from the bones, chop it up as fine as mince meat, chop also one ounce of ham, or gammon, unless you have by you the gravy that has settled in the dish from a ham. Lay at the bottom of the stew-pan one ounce of butter, an onion sliced, and the chopped meat; cover it close, and set it on a clear, slow fire; move it about to prevent it sticking. When the gravy draws, and the meat is rather brown, add by degrees the liquor ; when it boils, put in the bones of the meat, chickens' head and feet; and when it boils again carefully skim it. Add a crust of bread toasted brown, a sprig of winter savoury, or lemon thyme and parsley, a dozen berries of allspice, a strip of lemon peel, and a dozen black peppercorns; cover it close and keep it boiling gently till it is reduced to half; when cold, take off all the fat and thicken it with the following thickening: Melt a piece of butter in a saucepan; take out all the buttermilk that may be at the top, then sprinkle flour into it, shaking it all the time: make it a thick paste, and stir this into your gravy boiling. SAUCES. These are a very numerous class of condiments, particularly in French cookery. Foreigners say that the English have only one sauce (melted butter) for vegetables, fish, flesh, and all other eatables require ing sauce and they add, with some truth, that they seldom make SAUCES. 53 it good. It certainly is a very general sauce, botn in England and the United States; and, therefore, we shall begin our recipes with 108. Melted Butter cannot be made good with mere flour and water. Dr. Kitchiner says, that he has tried every way of making this sauce, and gives it as his opinion that the following, if carefully observed, will be always found to give satisfaction: Cut two ounces of butter into little bits, put it into a clean stew-pan, with a large tea- spoonful of flour, arrow-root, or potatoe starch, and add two table- spoonsful of milk; when thoroughly mixed, add six table-spoonsful of water, hold it over the fire, and shake it round the same way every minute, till it begins to simmer; then let it boil up. This is a good recipe for melted butter where it is not intended to be used with acids or wine, which will have the effect of curdling the milk. Pure water is best when the melted butter is intended for fish and puddings, to which any mixture of wine is intended. Clear stock or gravy, instead of water, is preferable when it is intended to be eaten with roast meat, or for vegetables to be eaten with roast meat. The old-fashioned method of mixing is as good as the Doctor's. It is as follows: Break up the butter on a trencher, and work the flour into it thoroughly, then add it to the cold liquid in the saucepan; or you may drop the flour, a quarter of an hour before it is set on the fire, on the top of the liquid, without stirring at all; when the flour has all sunk to the bottom, shake it round till the flour is well incorporato1 with the liquid; then add the butter, and melt over a clear brisk fire. Fresh, rich cream is sometimes used instead of milk, water, or gravy. You should take care that your saucepan for melted butter be always well tinned, and kept delicately clean. Some recommend a silver sauce- pan; but this seems to us to be a stupid piece of extravagance. Dr. Kitchiner, however, who talks a great deal about economy, gravely tells us that a pint silver saucepan will not cost more than four or five pounds! Melted butter is frequently spoilt in the making; for ordinary purposes it should be of the thickness of good cream, but when intended to be mixed with flavouring, it should be of the thick- ness of light batter. If by any chance it become oiled, put a spoonful of cold water to it, and stir it with a spoon, or pour it back and for- wards till it is right again. By mixing such vegetables as parsley, chervil , and others, generally eaten with melted butter, and sending them to the table on a little plate, those who like their flavour may mix for themselves. In the same way, all descriptions of flavouring essences, such as catsup, anchovy, &c., &c., may be mixed at table. This plan will be found to be a great saving in butter. 109. Sauce for Fricassee of Fowls, Rabbits, white Meat, Fish, or Vegetables.-You have no occasion to buy meat for these sauces, as their flavour is but small. The liquor that has boiled fowls, veal, or rabbit, or a little broth that you may have by you, or the feet and necks of chickens, or raw or dressed veal, will do very well. Stew with a little water any of these, add to it an onion sliced, a bit of le- mon peel, a little pounded mace or nutmeg, some white peppercorns, and a bunch of sweet herbs, until the flavour is good; then strain it, 54 THE COMPLETE COOK, and add a little good cream, a piece of butter, and a little flour; sait to your laste. A squeeze of lemon may be added after the sauce is taken from the fire, shaking it well. Yolk of egg is frequently used in fricassee, but if you have cream it is better, as the egg is apt to curdle. 110. Sauce for cold Fowl, or Partridge.—Boil two eggs hard, rub them down in a mortar with an anchovy, two dessert spoonfuls of oil, three of vinegar, an eschalot, cayenne (sometimes,) and a tea-spoon- ful of mustard. All should be pounded before the oil is added; then strain it; eschalot vinegar instead of eschalots eats well; if so, omit one spoonful of the common vinegar: salt to your taste. 111. A very rich Mushroom Sauce for Fowls or Rabbits.- Pick, rub and wash a pint of young mushrooms, and sprinkle with salt to take off the skin. Put thein into a saucepan with a little salt, å blade of mace, a little nutmeg, a pint of cream, and a piece of butter rolled in flour: boil them up and stir till done, then pour it into the dish with the chickens; garnish with lemon. If you cannot get fresh mushrooms, use pickled ones, done white, with a little mushroom pow- der with the cream. 112. Sauce for boiled Carp, or Boiled Turkey.—Make sonie melted butter with a little water and a tea-spoonful of four, and add a quarter of a pint of cream, half an anchovy not washed, chopped fine; set it over the fire, and as it boils up, add a large spoonful of Indian soy: if that does not give it a fine colour, put a little more; add a little salt, and half a lemon; stir it well to prevent it curdling. 113. Green Sauce for green Geese or Ducklings. -A glass of white wine, some scalded gooseberries, a pint of sorrel juice, some white sugar, and a bit of butter. Boil them up, and serve in a boat. 114. Egg Sauce.- Boil the eggs hard, chop them fine, then put them into melted butter. 115. Onion Sauce.-Take the skins off ripe onions, remove the rooty fibres and the tops, let them lie in salt and water an hour, then put them into a saucepan of boiling water, and boil them till they are tender. You should allow them plenty of water. When tender, skin them, cut them exceedingly small, or rub them through a colan- der; season them with pepper and salt, and mix with an equal quan- tity of thick melted butter. This sauce is usually eaten with shoulder or leg of mutton. If you wish it very mild, use the large silvery onions, and boil them in several waters. Onion sauce is also eaten with rabbits, boiled ducks, tripe, and sometimes with a scrag of mut- ton or veal. 116. Apple Sauce.-Take four or five juicy apples, two table-spoon- fuls of cold water or cider; instead of putting the lid on, place the parings over the apples, and put them by a gentle fire. When they sirk they are done; remove the saucepan from the fire, and beat up the apples; take the parings from the top first, add a bit of butter. à tea-spoonful of fine powdered sugar, and a dust of nutmeg. 117. Gooseberry Sauce. ---Scald half a pint of green gooseberries ; do then till they are tender, but not broken ; drain them on a sieve; SAUCES. 57 good gravy, brown or white, as to bring it to a proper thickness, sea. son it with salt, and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. - 137. Sharp Sauce for Venison. --Best white wine vinegar half a pint, loaf sugar pounded a quarter of a pound; simmer it gently; skim, and strain it through a tamis. 138. Sweet Sauce for Venison. --Currant jelly, either black or red, melled and served hot; others like it sent to table as jelly. 139. Wine Sauce for Venison, Hare, or Haunch of Mutton.- Take equal parts of rich mutton gravy, without any flavourings, and port wine. Simmer them together to half a pint, add a table-spoonful of currant jelly, let it just boil up. 140. Sauce for a Pig.-Three quarters of a pint of good beef gravy, six or eight leaves of sage, chopped very fine, a blade of mace, a tea. cup full of bread crumbs, and eight white peppercorns; let them boil six or eight minutes, then stir into the sauce the brains, gravy, and whatever sticks about the dish on which you have split the pig, one ounce of butter rolled in flour, two table-spoonfuls of cream, and one or two of catsup, if liked; simmer a minute or two, and serve in a sauce tureen. - 141. Turtle Sauce.-To a pint of rich beef gravy, thickened, put a wine glass of Madeira, six leaves of basil, the juice and peel of half a lemon, a few grains of cayenne or curry powder, an eschalot slieed, a table spoonful of essence of anchovy; simmer together five minutes, then strain, and add a dozen turtle force meat balls. This sauce is used for calf's head, or hashed or stewed veal, or for any other rich dish in imitation of turtle. 142. A Sauce for all sorts of Fish.-Half a pint of port or claret, half a pint of rich gravy, a little nutmeg, three anchovies, two table- spoonfuls of catsup, and salt; simmer all together till the anchovies are done, then add three ounces of butter thickened with flour, arrow. root, or potatoe mucilage; when it boils, add some scraped horse- radish, a dozen or two of oysters, a lobster cut in bits, a few smai. mushrooms, and half a pint of picked shrimps or crawfish. This sauce is intended to pour over the fish-boiled carp, tench, pike, whiting, boiled cod, and haddock. 143. Pudding Sauce.-Half a glass of brandy, one glass of white wine, a little grated rind of lemon, half an ounce of grated loaf sugar, and a little powdered cinnamon, mixed with melted butter. It is a good way to keep a bottle of these ingredients to mix with melted butter when wanted. In a bottle containing one pint of brandy and two pints of sherry, steep the kernels of apricots, nectarines, and peaches, with an ounce of shaved lemon rind, half an ounce of mace, and a quarter of a pound of loaf sugar; pour off clear to mix with but- ter. I'wo table-spoonfuls will flavour a boat of sauce; the mace and lemon peel may be steeped in half a pint of brandy, or a pint of sherry, for fourteen days; strain, and add a quarter of a pint of capillaire. 144. Custard Sauce. — For rice or other plain puddings, or with fruit pies, stir a pint of sweet cream in a double saucepan till it boils; beat the yolks of two or three egge, with a spoonful of cold cream, 5 58 THE COMPLETE COOK. and an ounce of powdered sugar; pour the boiling cream to them, and pour backwards and forwards two or three times to prevent curuling; ihen set the inner saucepan over the boiling water, and stir it con- tinually one way till it thickens. Serve in a china basin with grated nutmeg, or pounded cinnamon strewed over the top. 145. Roe Sauce. - Boil the soft roes of mackerel, clear away all the skin, and broise them with the back of a wooden spoon; beat up the yolk of an egg with a little salt and pepper, a little fennel and parsley scalded and chopped fine, rub the whole together, and stir into melted butter. Some people prefer a spoonful catsup, essence of anchovy, or walnut pickle. BOILING. As this is the most common mode of preparing food for human sustenance, it is therefore the more necessary that its principles should be well understood; for though the operations of boiling may appear to be very simple, yet a great deal of skill and judgment is required to carry them into effect properly. We repeat, that the young cook ought to read attentively our observations upon this sub- ject, in the " Introductory Remarks.” Instead of using the word boiling, we ought rather to have said, the mode of preparing meats for food by means of hot water; for we are quite convinced, that all ineats are more or less injured by being subjected to a boiling heat; that is, a heat of 212° of Fahrenheit. We have dressed salt cod fish in water never exceeding 145° of heat, and it was much more tender, and better flavoured, than when dressed in boiling water: we ought to add, that the fish is required to remain in this partially hot water four or five hours, in which time it becomes divested of the salt, and eats, comparatively speaking, quite fresh. 146. Take care that your vessel is large enough for the water to cover the meat, and to surround it. Do not suffer the steam to escape; and to effect this, see that the lid of the vessel fits it as closely as possible; by this means the water may be kept at a proper heat, that is to say, nearly simmering, but not bubbling, whereby fuel will be saved, and the meat much better dressed. In short, one of the greatest errors that can be committed in boiling meat, is to suffer the water to boil violently. It has the effect of hardening the outside of the joints, or, in other words, making it tough, while the inside will be raw, or only partially done. 147. Always prefer soft water to hard, whenever the former is to be procured. River, or clean rain water, should be used in preference to hard spring water; but your water must always be as pure and as bright as possible. 148. In making up a fire for cooking, regard must be had as to whether it is intended for boiling or roasting, or for both. A moderate fire is best for boiling, but a brisk and somewhat fierce fire is required for roasting. If you are going to roast and boil at the same fire, you must take care that your boiling vessels are sufficiently far removed BOILING. 59 from it. With a good kitchen range, or steam cooking apparatus, all this may be done without difficulty or trouble. *.. 149. All fresh meats are directed by the generality of culinary writers to be put into the pot, or saucepan, when the water is warm, not hot; but salt meat, for the most part, should be put in when the water is perfectly cold; by this means the superfluous salt will be extracted from it. The pot should not, with fresh meat, be allowed to boil, or rather to arrive at the boiling point, under forty or fifty minutes; more time should be taken with salt meat. The usual direction is, as above, to put fresh meat into warm water -- but we are convinced, that the better plan is always to use cold. Meat, thoroughly cooked, will take twenty minutes boiling to each pound. Salt; a little more. 150. When the scum rises, let it be carefully removed; and if the heat of the water is checked with a small portion of cold water, it will throw up an additional scum, which must, of course, be also care- fully taken away. The scum rises just as the water is beginning to boil. The nice clear appearance of the meat, when done, in a great measure depends upon attending to the above directions. 6 151. When the liquor in your vessel once boils, after all the scum has been cleared away, let it continue to simmer till the meat is done. From fifteen to twenty minutes is generally directed to be allowed for each pound of nieat, but twenty is better. Never stick your fork into meat, whether boiling or roasting, upon any account; the effect will be to let out the gravy. Bacon is an exception. 152. Meats of any description, just killed, and still warm, whether to be roasted or boiled, will do as soon, and cat as tender, as meat which has hung the usual time; but if once suffered to become cold after slaughtering, it will require more dressing, and after all will not eat so tenderly, unless hung a proper time. 153. Meat which has been frozen must be immersed in cold water two or three hours, or till the frost is taken out of it, before it is dressed, or it will never be well done. In cold weather meat requires more dressing than in warm. 154. Salt meat will require more boiling than fresh, and thick parts, whether salt or fresh, rather more than thin ones. 155. In boiling bacon, if very salt, it is a good plan to take away & part or the whole of the water, when it is on the point of boiling, and filling up the pot with cold water. This process renders it more mild. Bacon or ham is done when the skin is easily removed, or the fork leaves it readily. 156. Hams, beef, tongues, and even pork, which have been kept long in pickle, should be soaked before they are boiled — if hard, in warm water. A ham weighing twenty pounds, or upwards, will take from five to six hours to dress it well (the water should not boil); and a large dry tongue should be boiled, or rather simmered, for four hours or more. The following is a good plan to dress a ham: Put a certain quantity of suet into the pan which is to be used for the cook- ing of the ham; then put in the ham and cover it with paper, over 60 THE COMPLETE COOK . which lay a cover of coarse paste, or the paper may be used without the paste, or the paste without the paper; place the pan in the oven, where let it remain till the ham is done. The gravy coming from the meat will be a jelly, which, mixed with fresh stock or broth for gravies, &e. will greatly improve it. 157. Meat boiled by steam requires no water unless soup is wanted. Meat boiled in the ordinary way should not be permitted to touch the bottom of the pot. This object may be effected by placing a fish-drain in the pot, or by putting a plate upside down in it, or laying some skewers across it a little way from the bottom.. 158. There is a method of boiling meat without allowing it to touch or come in contact with the water. This plan, which is little followed in America, has been strongly recommended. To effect this object, fowls filled with oysters may be boiled in a bladder, or in a close jar, by which means they are deliciously stewed, and the flavour and animal juices are all preserved. Meat of any description may be dressed in a similar manner, that is, by putting it into a close jar and immersed in water, which is kept boiling till the meat is done. The Scotch dress their haggis in this way, and the custom was fol- lowed by the ancient Romans. Similar modes of dressing meat are used by savages in different parts of the world. 159. Any thing that is to be warmed and sent to the table a second time, should be put into a basin or jar, placed in hot water, which is not permitted to come to the boiling point. If allowed to boil, the meat will harden, or the sauce will be reduced and become thick; by avoiding these chances the flavour will be preserved, and the viands may be warmed up more than once without injury. The steam ap- paratus now employed in most kitchens, is admirably adapted to this purpose, since the heat can be regulated by the required temperature. 160. The heads, brains, and so forth, of animals, every thing in fact, which in the cleaning process requires soaking, should be soaked in warm, not hot water, as the hot will fix the blood, and injure both the appearance and flavour of the viand. All cooks must be particu- lar in keeping their saucepans well skimmed; nothing will more completely spoil a dish of any kind than the neglect of this essential point. In order to take off the fat from the braise, or any other gravy, plunge the basin containing it into cold water; the fat will immedi- ately coagulate, and may be removed. 101. It is much better to dress meat immediately after it is killed, that is, while it is warm, than to suffer it to get cold, and not let it hang a proper length of time. Indeed, there is no doubt that meat dressed while warm is as tender, or nearly as tender, as when it has heen hung for some days. If, therefore, you cannot procure well. hung meat, and can get that which has been just killed, you ought to prefer the latter. 162. Bacon, ham, and salt beef, may be done, if you want to use your fire for vegetables, half an hour before serving, as it will not sustain any injury by remaining that time in the hot liquor; but all other descriptions of meat would be injured by such a course of proceeding BOILING. BUTCHIER'S MEAT, &c. 61" 163. Potatoes must never be boiled with meat, or indeed with any thing else, for the meat is injured by the potatoes and the potatoes by the meat. • 164. You may boil turnips, carrots, parsnips, and pease pudding, with salt meat; by so doing these vegetables will be improved, and the meat not injured ; but the liquor will not keep so long, though it will be rendered better for some kinds of soup. 165. Green vegetables, such as savoys, &c., should be always put into boiling water with a handful of salt, particularly if they are harsh and strong; they are generally kept boiling till they are done. In warm countries, in Italy, for instance, they first boil them in a large quantity of water for a considerable time; but as this will neither make them sweet nor tender, they are frequently taken out of the pot, and well washed in cold spring water; they are then boiled again till they are sweet and tender. Old tough meat may be simi- larly treated with like effect. : 166. Old potatoes must never be put into warm or hot water. On che contrary, the water in which this useful vegetable is boiled should be perfectly cold when the potatoes are first put in. New potatoes are better put in boiling water. BOILING.-BUTCHER'S MEAT AND POULTRY. The general directions which we have given for boiling in the pre- ceding pages, if they have been well studied by the young cook, as we trust they have, render it useless for us to go into the question at any length; we shall, therefore, content ourselves with a few special directions relative to the dressing of the different things designated at the head of this section. It will not be necessary to give a great multiplicity of receipts; før if the general principles of boiling are well understood, and we have spared neither time nor space to make them so, the cook will find no difficulty in preparing any particular dish without especial directions from us, or any other writer. The receipts which follow are selected according to the best of our judg- ment. We do not pretend to say that they are original; upon such a subject it is impossible to be original, with the exception, perhaps, of a few instances. Dr. Kitchiner apologises in his “ Cook's Oracle," for his "receipts differing a little from those in former cookery books." Very different is this open and candid proceeding from that of a voluminous writer of great pretensions, who claims the following mode of dressing rice, which is as old as the introduction of that article into this country, as original ! “ Tie some rice in a cloth, leaving plenty of room for it to swell; boil it in water for an hour or two, and eat it with butter and sugar, or milk." 167. Boiled Beef.--Fresh boiled beef is called beef bouilli by some, but in the French kitchen the term means fresh beef dressed, without absolutely boiling, it being suffered only to simmer till it is done. Indeed, it may be laid down as a general rule, that whether you are dressing beef bouilli, or any other meat, it should never be suffered 5* 62 THE COMPLETE 000K. to go into a boiling gallop, except for a minute or two, for the pur- pose of throwing up the scum. After the scum is all cleared away, let it simmer till it is done. But you must be careful not to let your meat boil too quickly; for this purpose it should be put over a mo- derate fire, and the water made gradually hot, or the meat will be hardened, and shrink up as if it were scorched; but by keeping the meat a certain time heating, without boiling, the fibres of the meat dilate, and it not only yields the scum more freely, but the meat is rendered more tender. The advantage of dressing fresh meat in the way practised by the French with regard to fresh beef is twofold. In the first place, meat dressed in this manner affords much more nourishment than it does cooked in the common way, is easy of diges- tion, and will yield soup of a most excellent quality. (See Soup and Bouilli, and 99.) 168. Boiled Salt Beef.-A piece of beef of fifteen pounds will take three hours, or more, simmering after it has boiled, and it ought to be full forty minutes on the fire before it does boil; skim carefully; put a tea-cup full of the liquor, and garnish with sliced carrots. Vegeta- bles, carrots, turnips, kale, parsnips; sauce, melted butter. Pease pudding is sometimes boiled with salt beef, and the liquor, if not too salt, will make good pease soup. An aitch, or H bone of beef, a round, or ribs salted and rolled, and indeed all other beef, are boiled in the same way. Briskets and other inferior joints require, perhaps, more attention than superior ones; they should in fact rather be stewed than boiled, and in a small quantity of water, by which means, if good meat, they will be delicious eating. 169. Mutton. A leg will take from two to three hours boiling. Accompaniments -- parsley and butter, caper sauce, eschalot, onion, turnips, carrots, spinach, &c., and to boiled mutton in general. 170. Neck of Mutton. As the scrag end takes much longer to boil, some people cut it off and boil it half or three-quarters of an hour before the rest, as it is apt to be bloody, however well washed; you had better skim it well. When it is time to put the best end in, add cold water to check the heat, allowing an hour and a half or three-quarters, after the second boiling up. Cut off some of the fat before dressing, or at least peel off the skin when taken up. For accompaniments, see 169. 171. Shoulder, boiled. The whole is sometimes boiled, and some times cut in half, taking the knuckle part, and leaving the oyster for roasting ; it will take not less than two hours slow boiling, though it may not weigh above five pounds. Boil it either plain or in broth, Accompaniments, 169. 172. Breast, boiled, will require from two and a half, to three hours. Accompaniments, 169. 173. Sheeps' Heads, plain boiled.-Boil them two hours; before boil- ing, take out the brains, wash them clean and free from all skin ; chop about a dozen sage leaves very small, tie them in a small bag, and let them boil half an hour, then bent them up with pepper and salt, and BOILING BUTCHERS' MEAT, &c. 63 half an ounce of butler; pour it over the head, or serve in a boat or tureen; skin the tongue before serving. Accompaniments, 169. 174. Leg of Lamb, boiled.-From an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half. Accompaniments-caper sauce, melted butter, turnips, spinach, carrots, &c. 175. Neck, boiled.-One hour; if very large, an hour and a quar- ter. 176. Lamb's Head and Pluck.- Parboil the lights and a small bit of the liver till it will chop fine, and boil the head in the same liquor; it will take nearly an hour to boil; scald the brains, tied up in a small bag, with five or six sage leaves, chopped very fine; they will take twenty minutes to do; warm the mince in a little of the liquor, sea- soned with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; thicken with flour, and half an ounce of butter, and stir in the brains. Take up the head ; skin the tongue; pour over the mince; sippets of toasted bread and slices of lemon. The liver, heart, and sweetbread, to be fried, and laid round the dish with slices of bacon; or served in a separate dish, which is preferable, as the liver requires a little brown gravy. Vegetables, turnips, carrots, &c. Browned.After boiling, wash the head with the yolk of an egg ; sprinkle with bread crumbs and chopped parsley, and brown it in a dutch oven, the mince to be poured round it. Some people like the flavour of catsup in the mince; others like a little sliced lemon peel, and a spoonful or two of cream. 177. Boiled Veal.A knuckle, whether of leg or shoulder, will take full two hours. A scrag of neck or breast, an hour and three. quarters to two hours. Sauce, melted butter, parsley and butter, celery, &c. 178. Calf's Head, boiled. Let it be cut in half by the butcher, and all the inside bones removed; take out the brains, wash the head well in several waters, with a little salt, to draw out the blood; boil it slowly in plenty of water two hours or two hours and a quarter. Sauce. Well clean the brains, and boil them in a cloth half an hour, with about a dozen sage leaves chopped fine, or parsley, or part of each; when done, beat them up in a small saucepan, with a little salt and pepper, one ounce of butter, and a little lemon juice; have them ready quite hot to pour over the tongue, when skinned. Some peo- ple mix the brains with parsley and butter, and pour over the whole head. However it is dressed, it is usually garnished with sliced lemon. 179. Tripe, when raw, will take four or five hours simmering. If previously well boiled, twenty minutes to three-quarters of an hour. It may be in milk, or milk and water, or equal parts of milk and its own liquor. Boil with the tripe eight or ten large onions. To keep the tripe warm, serve it in the liquor, and beat up the onions with pepper, salt, and butter; or the tripe may be served without liquor, and the onion sauce poured over. If onions are not approved, serve parsley and butter, or caper sauce. Tripe may be cut in pieces the size of a hand, dipped in batter and fried, with rashers of bacon 64 THE COMPLETE Cook/ 11,7 laid round the dish.-N. B. Mustard is always an accompaniment of tripe, and generally vinegar also. In some of the English towns, particularly at Birmingham, famous for tripe, the belly or paunch of the animal, after being well cleaned, (in doing which thoroughly great attention and care must be observed,) is sent to the oven in a deep earthenware pot, or jar, closely covered over the top, and baked, or rather stewed, in just a sufficient quantity of water, for four or five hours, or till it is well done. It is sold while yet hot, in the public-houses or tripe shops, at so much a “large or small cut,” with a proportionate quantity of broth," that is, the liquor in which it has been stewed; nothing else is eaten with it, except mustard and salt. In Birmingham it is usually eaten for supper, and of course by candle-light, and at no other meal; a relation of ours, however, was so fond of it, that he used to have the dining-room darkened, and the candles lit, in order that he might partake of it for his dinner, under the same apparent circumstances as at supper. We have heard of whist devotees who could not play the game with any gusto by daylight, and who resorted to the same expedient to imitate night as our tripe gourmand. Tripe cooked in the Birming ham fashion is delicious-far, very far, superior to that gotten in London ; this may be partly accounted for by the fact that all meat is greatly deteriorated by being twice subjected to heat. 180. Cow-heel in the hands of a skilful cook, will furnish several good meals; when boiled tender, cut it into handsome pieces, egg and bread-crumb them, and fry them a light brown; lay them round a dish, and put in the middle of it sliced onions fried, or the accompani- ments ordered for tripe. 181. Pig's Pettitoes consist of the feet and internal parts of a suck- ing pig. Set on with a quantity of water, or broth ; a button onion or two may be added, if approved-also, four or five leaves of sage chop- ped small. When the heart, liver, and lights, are tender, take them out and chop fine; let the feet simmer the while; they will take from half to three-quarters of an hour to do. Season the mince with salt, nutmeg, and a little pepper, half an ounce of butter, à table-spoonful or two of thick cream, and a tea-spoonful of arrow-root, flour, or pota- toe starch; return it to the saucepan, in which the feet are; let it boil up, shaking it one way. Split the feet, lay them round in the mince. Serve with toasted sippets. Garnish. Mashed potatoes. 182. Salt Pork requires long boiling, never less than twenty minutes to a pound, and thick joint considerably more. A leg of ten pounds will take four hours simmering, a spring two hours, a porker's head the same. Be very careful that it does not stick to the pot. No sauce is required, except a quarter of a pint of the liquor in which it was boiled, to draw the gravy, and plenty of good fresh mustard. A chine is usually served quite dry. The vegetable accompaniments are pease pudding, turnips, carrots, and parsnips. 183. Pickled Pork, which is usually bought pickled, requires to be well washed before boiling, and must boil very slowly. It is seldom caten alone, but as an accompaniment to fowls, or other white meat. BOILING.-BUTCHER'S MEAT, &c. 65 1, 184. Bacon, Ham, Tongues.-First, well wash and scrape clean, If very salt, it may soak in cold water a few hours; allow plenty of water, fresh rain or river water is best ; put it in when the chill iş off, and let it be a good while coming to the boil, then keep it very gently simmering. If time allows, throw away nearly or quite all the Jiquor of bacon as soon as it boils up, and renew it with fresh cold water; reckon the time from the second boiling. A pound of streaky bacon will require three-quarters of an hour to boil; a quarter of an hour for every additional pound. If good bacon it will swell in boiling, and when done the rind will pull off easily. Take it up on a common dish to remove the rind, and sprinkle it over with bread raspings, sifted through a flour dredge, or grater. A ham of twelve or fourteen pounds will require four or five hours simmering, or four hours baking in a moderate oven. When done, remove the skin as whole as possible, and preserve it to cover over the ham and keep it moist. If to be served hot, strew raspings as above; but if intended for eating cold, omit the raspings. It will be much the more juicy for not cutting hot. Set it on a baking stand, or some other contrivance, to keep it from touching the dish; this preserves it from swamping in the fat that drips from it, keeps the fat nice and white for use, and also makes the ham keep the longer from becoming mouldy, by the outside being perfectly dry. Whether hot or cold, garnish with parsley. A neat's tongue, according to its size, age, and freshness, will require from two hours and a half to four hours slow boiling. When done, it will stick tender, and the skin will peel off easily. A dried chine, or hog's cheek, may be allowed the same boiling as bacon, viz. four pounds an hour and a half, and a quarter of an hour for every additional pound. 185. To poach Eggs.--The best vessel for this purpose is a frying pan; but it must be kept for that purpose only, or the grease will ad- here to the water, and spoil the delicate appearance of the eggs. A wide-mouthed stew-pan will do as well. Both the vessel and water must be delicately clean. Break the eggs into separate cups; when - the water boils, gently slip in the eggs, and set the vessel on the hob for a minute or so, till the white has set, then set it over the fire; let it once boil up, and the eggs are done. The white should retain its transparency, and the yellow appear brightly through it. Take up very carefully with a slice; trim off any rough edges of white, and · serve on buttered toast, a piece for each egg, a little larger than the egg itself; or on a fish drainer. Garnish with sliced bacon or ham, sausages, or spinach. 186. Turkeys, Capons, Chickens, fc., are all boiled exactly in the same manner, only allowing time according to their size. A chicken will take about twenty minutes--a fowl, forty -- fine five-toed fowl or a capon, about an hour--a small turkey, an hour and a half-ma large one, two hours or more. Chickens or fowls should be killed at least one or two days before they are to be dressed.* Turkeys (espe- * If they are dressed immediately after they are killed, before the flesh is cold r. poultry eat equally tender. 6* 66 THE COMPLETE COOK.... cially large ones) should not be dressed till they have been killed three or four days at least-in cold weather, six or eight-or they will neither look white nor eat tender. Turkeys and large fowls should have the strings or sinews of the thighs drawn out. Fowls for boiling should be chosen as white as possible: those which have black_legs should be roasted. The best use of the liver is to make sauce. Poul- try must be well washed in warm water ; if very dirty from the singe- ing, &c., rub them with a little white soap, but thoroughly rinse it off before you put them into the pot. Make a good and clear fire; set on a clean pot, with pure and clean water, enough to cover the turkey, &c.; the slower it boils, the whiter and plumper it will be. When there rises any scum, remove it; the common method of some (who are more nice than wise) is to wrap them up in a cloth, to prevent the scum attaching to them; which if it do by your neglecting to skim the pot, there is no getting it off afterwards, and the poulterer is blamed for the fault of the .cook. If there be water enough, and it is attentively skimmed, the fowl will both look and eat much better this way than when it has been covered up in the cleanest cloth; and the colour and flavour of your poultry will be preserved in the most delicate per fection. FISH. 187. Salmon to boil. - The water should be blood-warm: allow * plenty to cover the fish, with a good handful of salt, and a quarter of à pint of vinegar; this makes the fish boil firm. Remove the scum as fast as it rises. Keep it at a very gentle boil from half an hour to an hour, according to the thickness of the fish. When the eyes start, and the fins draw out easily, it is done. Lay the fish-drainer across the kettle a minute or two before shifting the fish. Sauce, lobster, shrimp, anchovy, or parsley and butter. Melted butter is the uni- versal sauce for fish, whether boiled, fried, or baked. Whatever other sauce is served, plain melted butter must never be omitted: we shall therefore only refer to the number of other sauces suitable for parti. cular kinds of fish. Observe, also, potatoes, either boiled or mashed, are the only vegetables eaten with fish, excepting parsnips with salt fish. 188. Broiled Salmon.-- This is a good method of dressing a small quantity of salmon for one or two persons. It may be cut in slices the whole round of the fish, each taking in two divisions of the bone; or the fish may be split, and the bone removed, and the sides of the : fish divided into cutlets of three or four inches each: the former method is preferable, if done neatly with a sharp knife. Rub it thoroughly dry with a clean rough cloth; then do each piece over with salad oil or butter. Have a nice clean gridiron over a very clear fire, and at some distance from it. When the bars are hot through wipe them, and rub with lard or suet to prevent sticking; lay on the salmon, and sprinkle with salt. When one side is brown, carefully turn and brown the other. They do equally well or better in a tin, ) 67 FISH. or flat dish, in an oven, with a little bit of butter, or sweet oil; 'or tuey may be done in buttered paper on the gridiron. Sauce, lobster or shrimp. 189. Baked Salmon. - If a small fish, turn the tail to the mouth, and skewer it; force meat may be put in the belly, or, if part of a large fish is to be baked, cut it in slices, egg it over, and dip it in the force meat. Stick bits of butter about the salmon (a few oysters laid round are an improvement). It will require occasional basting with the butter. When one side becomes brown, let it be carefully turned, and when the second side is brown, it is done. Take it up carefully, with all that lies about it in the baking dish. For sauce, melted butter, with two table-spoonsful of port winé, one of catsup, and the juice of a lemon, poured over the fish; or anchovy sauce in a boat. 190. Pickled Salmon. Do not scrape off the scales, but clean the fish carefully, and cut into pieces about eight inches long. Make a strong brine of salt and water; to two quarts, put two pounds of salt, and a quarter of a pint of vinegar; in all, make just enough to cover the fish; boil it slowly, and barely as much as you would for eating hot. Drain off all the liquor; and, when cold, lay the pieces in a kit or small tub. Pack it as close as possible, and fill up with equal parts of best vinegar and the liquor in which the fish was boiled. Let it remain so a day or two, then again fill up. Serve with a garnish of fresh fennel. The same method of pickling will apply to sturgeon, mackerel, herrings, and sprats. The three latter are sometimes baked in vinegar, flavoured with allspice and bay leaves, and eat very well; but will not keep more than a few days. 191. Turbot, Halibut, and Brill, boiled. - Score the skin across the thick part of the back, to prevent its breaking on the breast, which it would be liable to do when the fish swells in boiling. Put the fish in the kettle in cold water, with a large handful of salt; as it comes to boil, skim it well, and set it aside to simmer as slowly as possible for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. If it boil fast it will break. It may be garnished with fried smelts or gudgeons, laid all round like spokes of a wheel. Sauce, lobster or shrimp. 192. Soles and Dutch Plaice may be boiled exactly in the same way as turbot, and with the same garnish and sauce, or with parsley, fennel, or chervil sauce. If you have not a turbot kettle, these flat fish boil very well in a large frying pan, provided it admits depth of Water to cover them. 1193. Soles, fried. Having cleaned, wipe them thoroughly dry, and keep them in a coarse cloth an hour or two before using. In case any moisture should remain, flour them all over, and again wipe it off. They may be fried either with or without bread crumbs or oatmeal. If bread crumbs are to be used, beat up an egg very finely; wash over the fish with a paste-brush; then sprinkle over it bread crumbs or oatmeal, so that every part may be covered, and one part not be thicker than another. Lift up the fish by a fork stuck in the head, and shake off any loose crumbs that may adhere. Have plenty of fat in your pan, over a brisk fire, and let it quite boil before you 68 TII E COMPLETE COOK. put the fish in. The fat may bě salad oil, butter, lard or dripping. If sweet and clean, the least expensive answers as well as the best, but let there be enough to cover the fish. Give the fish a gentle shove with a slice, that it may not stick to the pan. In about four or five minutes one side will be brown ; turn it carefully, and do the other; wbich, being already warm, will not take so long. The best way to turn a large sole, is to stick a fork in the head, and raise the tail with a slice, otherwise it is liable to be broken with its own weight. If the soles are very large, it is a good way to cut them across in four or five pieces, by which means the thick parts can have more time allowed them, without overdoing the thin. The very same rules will apply to the frying of Dutch plaice, flounders, eels, jack perch, roach, and other fresh-water fish. Jack and eels to be cut in pieces three or four inches long. Sauce, anchovy, parsley and butter, or melted butter flavoured with mushroom catsup. Garnish, sprigs of parsley or lemon juice. 194. Soles or Eels, stewed. They may be first half fried, so as to give them a little brownness; then carefully drain them from fat; season with pepper and salt, and set them on with as much good beef gravy as will cover them. Let them simmer very gently for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, according to their thickness, but be very careful that they be not overdone. Take up the fish very gently with a slice. Thicken the sauce with flour and butter; flavour with mushroom catsup and port wine; simmer a minute or two, then strain it over the fish. Some people do not like the addition of wine, and instead thereof mix the thickening with a tea-cup full of good eream, seasoned with cayenne and nutmeg, and with or without the addition of a spoonful of catsup. 195. Cod. The head and shoulders, comprehending in weight two- thirds or three-quarters of the fish, is much better dressed separately; the tail being much thinner would be broken to pieces before the thicker parts are done. The best way of ing the tail, is to fry it. For boiling cod, allow plenty of room and water, that the fish may be perfectly covered. Put it in blood-warm water, with a large handful of salt. Watch for its boiling, that it may be set a little aside. A small cod will require twenty minutes after it boils; a large one, half an hour. When the fins pull easily, and the eyes start, the fish is done. Slip it very carefully on the fish plate, that it may not be broken. Take out the roe and liver, which are much esteemed ; they will serve to garnish the dish, together with horse-radish and slices of lemon, or fried smelts, or oysters. Sance, oyster. The sound, a fat jelly-like substance, along the inside of the backbone, is the great delicacy of the fish. Cod is sometimes boiled in slices. Let them be soaked half an hour in salt water; then set on with cold spring water and salt, just enough to cover them. Let it boil up; then carefully skim and set aside for ten minutes. Serve with the same sauce as above. Slices of cod are much better fried as soles. . Slices of crimped cod, for boiling, are put in boiling water, and when done Berved on a napkin. .' FISH. 69 196. Ling is a large fish, somewhat resembling cod, and may be dressed in the same way, but is very inferior in quality. 197. Haddock is but a poor fish, make the best of it. It may be boiled, and served with egg sauce, but it is better stuffed, and baked or broiled, and served with good gravy, or melted butter, flavoured with anchovy or mushroom catsup. 198. Whitings may be skinned or not. Fasten the tail to the mouth; dip the eggs and bread crumbs, or oatmeal, and fry as soles ; or they may be cut in three or four pieces, and fried. They do not take long to fry; not more than five minutes; but several minutes should be allowed to drain the fat from them, as the veauty of them is to be perfectly dry. Sauce, anchovy, or parsley and butter. 199. Sturgeon.-If for boiling take off the skin, which is very rich and oily; cut in slices; season with pepper and salt; broil over a clear fire; rub over each slice a bit of butter, and serve with no other accompaniment than lemon; or the slices may be dipped in season- ing or force meat, twisted in buttered white paper, and so broiled. For sauce, serve melted butter with catsup. Garnish with sliced emnon, as the juice is generally used with the fish. 200. Roast Sturgeon. -A piece of sturgeon may be tied securely on a spit, and roasted. Keep it constantly basted with butter, and when nearly done dredge with bread crumbs. When the flakes begin to separate, it is done. It will take about half an hour before a brisk fire. Serve with good gravy, thickened with butter and flour, and enriched with an anchovy, a glass of sherry wine, and the juice of half a Seville orange or lemon. 201. Stewed Sturgeon.- Take enough gravy to cover the fish; set it on with a table spoonful of salt, a few corns of black pepper, a bunch of sweet berbs, an onion or two, scraped horse-radish, and a glass of vinegar. Let this boil a few minutes; then set it aside to become pretty cool; then add the fish; let it come gradually to boil; and then stew gently till the fish begins to break. Take it off im- mediately; keep the fish warm; strain the gravy, and thicken with a good piece of butter; add a glass of port or sherry wine, a grate of nutmeg, and a little lemon juice. Simmer till it thickens, and then pour over the fish. Sauce, anchovy. 202. Mackerel, boiled. Put them on with cold water and salt. When the kettle boils, set it aside, but watch it closely, and take up the moment the eyes begin to start, and the tail to split. Sauce, parsley and butter (fennel), or roe sauce, or gooseberry sauce. Gar- nish, fennel and slices of lemon. 203. Broiled Mackerel.--Cut a slit in the back that they may be thoroughly done. Lay them on a clean gridiron (having greased the bars), over a clear, but rather slow, fire. Sprinkle pepper and salt over them; when thoroughly done on both sides, take them up on a very hot dish without a fish plate. Rub a bit of butter over each fish, and put inside each a little fennel and parsley, scalded and chopped, seasoned with pepper and salt, and a bit of fresh butter. Fennel sauce, parsley and batter. 6 70 THE COMPLETE COOK. 204. Baked or Pickled Mackerel.- Take off the heads; open the fish; take out the roes, and clean them thoroughly; rub the inside with pepper, salt, and allspice, and replace the roes. Pack the fish close in a deep baking pan; cover with equal parts of cold vinegar and water, and two bay leaves. Tie over strong white paper doubled, or still thicker. Let them bake an hour in a slow oven. They may be eaten hot, but will keep ten days or a fortnight. Cold butter, and fresh young fennel (unboiled), are eaten with them. Sprats or her- rings may be done in the same way. 205. Skate and Thornback.—These fish (like cod) are frequently crimped, that is, slashed in slices, by which means the meat contracts, and becomes more firm as the watery particles escape. Cut them in pieces, and boil in salt and water; serve with anchovy sauce; or they may be fried with egg and bread crumbs, as soles; or stewed as soles. 206. Smelts, Gudgeons, Sprats, or other small Fish, fried. Clean and dry them thoroughly in a cloth, fry them plain, or beat an egg on a plate, dip them it, and then in very fine bread crumbs, that have been rubbed through a sieve: the smaller the fish, the finer should be the bread crumbs-biscuit powder is still better; fry them in plenty of clean lard or dripping; as soon as the lard boils and is still, put in the fish; when they are delicately browned, they are done; this will hardly take two minutes. Drain them on a hair sieve, placed before the fire, turning them till quite dry. 207. Trout is sometimes fried, and served with crisp parsley and plain melted butter. This answers best for small fish. They are sometimes broiled, which must be done over a slow fire, or they will break. While broiling, sprinkle salt and baste with butter ; serve with anchovy sauce, to which may be added a few chopped capers and a little of the vinegar. The sauce is generally poured over the fish. 208. Stewed Trout.-When the fish has been properly washed, lay it in a stew-pan, with half a pint of claret or port wine, and a quart of good gravy; a large onion, a dozen berries of black pepper, the same of allspice, and a few cloves, or a bit of mace; cover the fish-kettle close, and let it stew gently for ten or twenty minutes, according to the thickness of the fish ; take the fish up, lay it on a hot dish, cover it up, and thicken the liquor it was stewed in with a little flour; season it with a little pepper, salt, essence of anchovy, mushroom catsup, and a little chili vinegar; when it has boiled ten minutes, strain it through a tamis, and pour it over the fish; if there is more sauce than the dish will hold, send the rest up in a boat. 209. Red Mullets.—These delicate fish are sometimes fried, and served with anchovy sauce; but more frequently either stewed or baked. 210. Eels, fried. — Skin and gut them, and wash them in cold water; cut them in pieces four inches long; season them with pep- per and salt; beat an egg well on a plate, dip thein in the egg, and ihen in fine bread crumbs; fry them in fresh clean lard; drain there FISH. 71 well from the fat; garnish with crisp parsley. Sauce, plain, and melted butter sharpened with lemon juice, or parsley and butter. 211. Boiled Eels.-Twist them round and round, and run a wire skewer through them. Do them slowly in a small quantity of salt and water, with a spoonful of vinegar, and a handful of parsley. They may be put in cold water, and will take very few minutes after they boil. Sauce, parsley, or fennel, and butter. 212. Pike or Jack.-For either baking or boiling, it is usual to stuff' them with pudding. To secure it, bind it round with narrow tape. The fish may be dressed at full length, or turned with its tail in its mouth. For boiling, use hard water with salt, and a tea-cup full of vinegar; put it in blood-warm, and when it boils set it aside that it may simmer slowly. It will take from ten minutes to half an hour, according to its size. Sauce, oyster. Garnish, slices of lemon, laid alternately with horse-radish, If baked, being stuffed, put it in a deep dish, with a tea-cup full of gravy, and some bits of butter stuck over it. Serve with rich thickened gravy, and anchovy sauce. For frying, the fish is to be cut in pieces, and may be done with egg and bread crumbs, as soles. The usual sauce is melted butter and catsup, but anchovy or lobster sauce is sometimes used. 213. Carp, fried. The same as soles; make sauce of the roe, and anchovy sauce with lemon juice. 214. Carp, stewed.-With the addition of preserving the blood, which is to be dropped into port or claret wine, well stirring the whole time, carp may be stewed in the same manner as sturgeon, the wine and blood to be added with the thickening, and the whole poured over the fish. Sippet of bread toasted, sliced lemon and barberries. The same process for lampreys. 215. Perch, boiled.-Put them on in as much cold spring water as will cover them, with a handful of salt. Let them boil up quickly; then set aside to simmer slowly for eight, ten, or fifteen minutes, ac- cording to their size. Sauce, parsley and butter, or fennel, or melted butter with catsup. 216. Salt Fish. It should be soaked a considerable time in soft water, changing the water two or three times. The length of time required will be according to the hardness or softness of the fish. One night will do for that which has been but a fortnight or three weeks in salt; but some require two or even three nights' soaking, and to be laid through the intermediate days on a stone floor. Set it on in cold or luke-warm water, and let it be a long time coming to boil. It should be kept at a slow simmer from half an hour to an hour and a half. When done enough, lay the tin fish-drainer across the kettle; remove any straggling bones and skin; pour through a quart of boil. ing water to rinse it, and serve with plenty of egg sauce, red beet- root, parsnips, and mashed potatoes. Some of the parsnips and beet- roots should be served whole, or in slices for garnish, together with horse-radish, and a dish also of equal parts of red beet-root and pars- nips, mashed together, with pepper, butter, and cream. Salt fish is sometimes served with the vegetables. When boiled as above, it is 72 COMPLETE COOK. THE broken in flakes, and stewed a few minutes in good gravy, flavoured with onions or eschalots, but not salted, and thickened with flour, but- ter, and cream; then beat up with it either potatoes, or parsnips and beet-root, mashed with cream and butter. Sauce, egg. Salt fish, whether cod, ling, haddock, or salmon, is often cut in slices, soaked in beer, and broiled as red herrings for a breakfast relish. 217. Terrapins.—This is a favourite dish for suppers and parties; and, when well cooked, they are certainly very delicious. Many persons in Philadelphia have made themselves famous for cooking this article alone. Mrs. Rubicam, who during her lifetime always stood first in that way, prepared them as follows. Put the terrapins alive in a pot of boiling water, where they inust remain until they are quite dead. You then divest them of their outer skin and toe-nails; and, after washing them in warın water, boil them again until they become quite tender, adding a handful of salt to the water. Having satisfied your- self of their being perfectly tender, take off the shells and clean the terrapins very carefully, removing the sand-bag and gall without breaking them. Then cut the meat and entrails into small pieces, and put into a saucepan, adding the juice which has been given out in cutting them up, but no water, and season with salt, cayenne, and black pepper, to your taste; adding a quarter of a pound of good but- ter to each terrapin, and a handful of flour for thickening. After stir- ring a short time, add four or five table-spoonfuls of cream, and a half pint of good Madeira to every four terrapins, and serve hot in a deep dish. Our own cook has been in the habit of putting in a very little mace, a large table-spoonful of mustard, and ten drops of the gall; and, just before serving, adding the yolks of four hard boiled eggs. During the stewing, particular attention must be paid to stirring the preparation frequently; and it must be borne in mind, that terrapins cannot possibly be too hot. 218. Oysters au gralin.—Take the best oysters you can find, and dry them on a napkin; you then place them on a silver shell, made expressly for the purpose, or fine, large, deep oyster shells, if handier, which should be well cleaned, placing in them four or six oysters, according to their size ; season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, parsley, mushrooms hashed very fine, a small quantity of bread crumbs, with which the surface of the oysters must be covered, placing on top of all a small piece of the best butter. Then put them in a hot oven, and let them remain until they acquire a golden colour. Serve them hot. 219. Oysters, slewed.-- For this purpose the beard or fringe is generally taken off. If this is done, set on the beards with the liquor of the oysters, and a little white gravy, rich but unseasoned; saving boiled a few minutes, strain off the beards, put in the oysters, and thicken the gravy with flour and butter (an ounce of butter to half a pint of stew,) a little salt, pepper, and nutmeg, or mace, a spoonful of catsup, and three of cream; some prefer a litile essence of anchovy to ratsup, others the juice of a lemon, others a glass of white wine; the flavour may be varied according to taste. Simmer till the stew is ROASTING. 73 9 thick, and warmed through, but avoid letting them boil. Lay toasted sippets at the bottom of the dish and round the edges. 220. A more simple, and, as we think, a better method is to put, say two hundred oysters in a saucepan with nothing but their own juice; place them on a brisk fire, and let them remain, stirring them occasionally, until they begin to boil, then remove them, and pass the juice through tin colander, leaving the oysters to drain. Then mix well together three-quarters of a pound of good butter, and a handful of flour. When this is done, strain the juice of the oysters through a sieve into the saucepan containing the butter and flour, and put it on the fire again, and add pepper and salt to your taste, stirring the whole fre- quently and briskly. When it begins to boil again, add the oysters, and the following articles, well beaten together, viz., the yolks of three eggs, two table-spoonfuls of milk, and the juice of half a lemon; whilst adding these, stir the whole briskly, and serve immediately. 221. Oysters, fried.-Large oysters are the best for this purpose. Simmer for a minute or two in their own liquor; drain perfectly dry; dip in yolks of eggs, and then in bread crumbs, seasoned with nutmeg, cayenne, and salt; fry them of a light brown. They are chiefly used as garnish for fish, or for rump steaks; but if intended to be eaten alone, make a little thick melted butter, moistened with the liquor of the oysters, and serve as sauce. 222. Broiled Oysters.-- The oysters should be the largest and finest you can get. Prepare your gridiron, which should bri a double one made of wire, by rubbing with butter, and having placed your oysters so that they will all receive the heat equally, set them over a brisk fire, and broil both sides without burning them. Let them be served hot, with a small lump of fresh butter, pepper and salt, added to them, Some establishments serve them egged and breaded; either way, however, they are good. ROASTING, 223. Mind that your spit is clean, and take care that it passes through the meat as little as possible. Before it is spitted, see that the meat is jointed properly, particularly necks and loins. When on the spit it must be evenly balanced, that its motion may be regular, and all parts equally done; for this purpose, take care to be provided with balancing skewers and cookholds; a cradle spit is the best. 224. The bottle or vertical jack is an excellent instrument for roasting, better than spits for joints under forty pounds; but if you have neither of these things, as is often the case in small families, a woollen string twisted round a door key makes a good substitute. In this case a strong skewer should be passed through each end of the joint, in order that it may be conveniently turned bottom upwards, which will insure an equality of roasting and an equal distribution of the gravy. A Dutch oven is a convenient utensil for roasting small joints; but by far the best and most economical thing of the kind is, improperly, called the American oven, by which you may roast ment before a sitting-room fire, without any extra fuel, and without the i st. 6*. ,j 9:! 74 THE COMPLETE COOK. slightest inconvenience to the persons occupying the apartment, This contrivance will save, in the course of a year, all the expense, and more, of its original cost, in bakings, with this additional consi- deration, that meat so dressed will be equal to roasted meat. Meat cooked in a common oven, to say nothing of the abstracting of the dripping by the generality of bakers, is greatly inferior, both in flavour and tenderness, to that dressed in the American oven, where the air is not confined. It is not, however, meat alone that may be dressed in the American oven. All sorts of cakes may be made in it, and indeed, all the operations of baking and roasting may be performed by it, on a limited scale, but sufficiently large for a small family in contracted circumstances; in short, with the addition of the recent improvement, a sort of oval iron covering, we have baked bread before a parlour fire as perfectly as it could be produced by the regular pro- cess of baking; in one word, no family, whether in poor or middling circumstances, ought to be without the American oven, which may be had for a few shillings. 225. The fire for roasting should be made up in time, but it is better not to be very hot at first. The fire should, in point of size, be suited to the dinner to be dressed, and a few inches longer at each end than the article to be roasted, or the ends will not be done. 226. Never put meat down to a fierce fire, or one thoroughly burnt up, if you can possibly avoid it; but if not, you must take care and place it a considerable distance from the grate; indeed, meat should always be done slowly at first; it is impossible to roast a joint of very considerable size well under some hours. It is said that George III., who lived principally upon plain roasted and boiled joints, employed cooks who occupied four, five, or even six hours in roasting a single joint; but the result amply repaid the loss of labour and time; the meat was full of gravy, perfectly tender, and of a delicious flavour. 227. In placing paper over the fat to preserve it, never use pins or skewers; they operate as so many taps, to carry off the gravy; be- sides, the paper frequently starts from the skewers, and is, conse- quently, liable to take fire, to the great injury of both the flavour and appearance of the meat. For these reasons, always fasten on your paper with tape, twine, or any other suitable string. 228. The fire should be proportioned to the quantity of the meat intended to be roasted, as we have intimated above. For large joints make up a good strong fire, equal in every part of the grate, and well backed by cinders or small coals. Take care that the fire is bright and clear in the front. The larger the joint to be roasted, the farther it must be kept from the fire till nearly done-mind that. When you have to roast a thin and tender thing, let your fire be little and brisk. 229. When your fire is moderately good, your meat, unless very small, ought not to be put down nearer than from ten to fifteen inches off the grate; in some instances a greater distance would be prefer- able, but it is impossible to lay down any definite rule on this subject. 230. Slow roasting, like slow boiling, is the best, and the more ROASTING, 'BROILING, &c. 75 slow, in reason, the better. The time usually directed to be allowed for roasting meat, where the fire is good, the meat screen sufficiently large, and the meat not frosted, is rather more than a quarter of an hour to a'pound, but we take this to be too short a time; however, the cook must judge for herself; much will depend upon the tempera- ture of the atmosphere, &c., and more upon the degree of basting it has undergone. I'he 'more the meat is basted the less time it will take to do, for the meat is rendered soft and mellow outside, and con- sequently, adınits the heat to act upon the inside. On the contrary, meat rendered hard on the outside by having too hot a fire, or neglect- ing to baste, the fire is prevented from operating upon the interior. When the meat is half clone the fire should be well stirred for brown- ing, that is, it must be made to burn brightly and clearly. When the steam begins to rise, depend upon it the meat is thoroughly done, that is, well saturated with heat, and all that goes off from the meat in evaporation is an absolute waste of its most savoury and nourish- ing particles. 231. A good cook will be particular to place her dripping pan so as to catch the dripping, but not the loose hot coals which may chance to fall from the fire. Your dripping pán should be large, not less than twenty-eight inches long and twenty inches broad, and should have a well-covered well on the side from the fire, to collect the drip- ping; " this,” says Dr. Kitchiner, “ will preserve it in the most deli- cate staté." 232. Roasting and boiling, as being the most common operations in cooking, are generally considered the most easy; this is a great error: roasting, in particular, requires unremitting attention to per- form it well, much more so than stewing, or the preparing many made dishes. A celebrated French author, in the Almanack des Gour- mands, says, that the art of roasting victuals to the precise degree, is one of the most difficult things in this world, and you may find half a thousand good cooks sooner than one perfect roaster; five minutes on the spit, more or less, decide the goodness of this mode of cookery." ROASTING, BROILING, AND FRYING. Before entering into any detail as to the best method of preparing the different dishes under this head, we must recomiend the young cook to again carefully read our preliminary observations on roasting. We may here too be allowed to er ter our most decided protest against baking meat, generally speaking whether in the common brick oven, or in the iron ovens attached to kitchen ranges, particularly in the latter, unless they have a draught of air through them, when they will dress, or rather roast meat very well. Meat cannot be subjected to the influence of fire without injury, unless it is open to the air, by which the exhalations are carried off, and the natural flavour of the meat is preserved. Under the idea of saving fuel, persons are induced to use stoves in their kitchen instead of ranges. They should con- 76 THE COMPLETE COOK. șider, however, that baking not only injures the meat, but absolutely spoils the dripping, which from roasted meat is much more valuable than the extra cost of coals. For a small family, we recommend the bottle jack—and for large establishments, a kitchen range, a smoke jack, and the usual quantity of plating for stewing, or boiling. In the following receipts we have generally indicated the time which a joint will take roasting, but a good cook will never wholly depend upon time, either in roasting or boiling; she ought to exercise her own judgment, as to whether a thing is done or not. When roast meat streams towards the fire, it is a sure sign that the meat is nearly done. On no account, whatever, should gravy be poured over any thing that is roasted. It makes the meat insipid, and washes off the frothing, or dredging. 233. Sirloin of Beef, roasted. Sirloin or ribs, of about fifteen pounds, will require to be before a large sound fire about three and a half or four hours; take care to spit it evenly, that it may not be heavier on one side than the other; put a little clean dripping in the dripping pan (tie a piece of paper over it to preserve the fat), baste it well as soon as it is put down, and every quarter of an hour all the time it is roasting, till the last half hour; then take off the paper, and make some gravy for it; stir the fire and make it clear; to brown and froth it, sprinkle a little salt over it, baste it with butter, and dredge it with flour; let it go a few minutes longer, till the froth rises; take it up. Garnish it with a hillock of horse-radish, scraped as fine as possible with a very sharp knife. A Yorkshire pudding is an excellent accompaniment. The inside of the sirloin should never be cut hot, but reserved entire for the hash, or a mock hare. 234. Rump and Round.—Rump and rounds of beef are sometimes roasted; they require thorough doing, and much basting to keep the outside from being dry. It should be before the fire from three hours, and upwards, according to size. Gravy and garnish as above. 235. Mock Hare. The inside lean of a sirloin beef may be dressed so as to resemble hare, and is by many people greatly pre- ferred to it. Make a good stuffing. If possible, get the inside meat of the whole length of sirloin, or even of two, lay the stuffing on half the length, turn the other end over and sew up the two sides with a strong twine, that will easily draw out when done; roast it nicely, taking care to baste it well, and serve with sauces and garnishes the same as hare; or, it may be partly roasted and then stewed, in rich thickened gravy with force meat balls, and sauce. 236. Ribs of Beef, boned. — Take out the ribs, &c. and roll it as round as possible; bind with tape; roast with or without veal stuffing, laid over before rolling. Thoroughly soak it, and brown it before a quick fire. Roast beef accompaniments, and, if liked, wow-wow 237. Roasting Mutton. - A saddle of mutton of ten or twelve pounds will take from two hours and a half to three hours roasting. Mutton should be put before a brisk fire; a saddle of mutton requires to be protected from the heat by covering it with paper, which should - sauce. ROASTING, BROILING, &c. 77 be taken off about a quarter of an hour before it is done; when of a pale-brown colour, baste it; flour it lightly to froth. The leg of mutton, the shoulder, the loin, the neck, the breast, and the haunch, require the same treatment as the saddle, with the exception of papering, which, however, may be sometimes required. The haunch should be served with plain but rich mutton sauce, and with sweet sauce; of course separately. 238. Mutton, Venison fashion. - Hang till fit for dressing a good neck of mutton; two days before dressing it, rub it well twice each day with powdered allspice, and black pepper; roast it in paste, as ordered for the haunch of venison. 239. Roasting Veal.—This meat requires particular care to roast it a nice brown; the fire should be the same as for beef; a sound large fire for a large joint, and a brisker for a smaller: soak tho- roughly, and then bring it nearer the fire to brown; baste on first putting down, and occasionally afterwards. When done and dished, pour over it melted butter, with or without a little brown gravy. Veal joints, not stuffed, may be served with force meat balls, or rolled into sausages as garnish to the dish; or fried pork sausages. Bacon or ham, and greens, are generally eaten with veal. 240. Fillet of Veal of from twelve to sixteen pounds will require from four or five hours at a good fire; make some stuffing or force meat, and put it under the flap, that there may be some left to eat cold, or to season a hash ; brown it, and pour good melted butter over it; garnish with thin slices of lemon and cakes or balls of stuffing. A loin is the best part of the calf, and will take about three hours roasting; paper the kidney fat and back. A shoulder from three hours to three hours and a half; stuff it with the force meat ordered for the fillet of veal, or balls made of 271. Neck, best end, will take two hours ; same accompaniments as the fillet. The scrag part is best in a pie or broth. Breast from an hour and a half to two hours. Let the caul remain till it is almost done, then take it off to brown it; baste, flour and froth it. 241. Veal Sweetbread.—Trim a fine sweetbread (it cannot be too fresh), parboil it for five minutes, and throw it into a basin of cold water. Roast it plain, or beat up the yolk of an egg, and prepare some bread crumbs. When the sweetbread is cold, dry it thoroughly in a cloth; run a lark-spit or a skewer through it, and tie it on the ordinary spit; egg it with a paste-brush; powder it well with bread crumbs, and roast it. For sauce, fried bread crumbs round it, and melted butter, with a little mushroom catsup, or serve them on but- tered toast, garnished with egg sauce, or with gravy. Instead of spitting them, you may put them into a tin dutch oven or fry them. 242. Roasting Lamb. – To the usual accompaniments of roasted meat, lamb requires green mint sauce or salad, or both. Some cooks, about five minutes before it is done, sprinkle it with a little fresh- gathered and finely minced parsley, or crisped parsley. Lamb and all young meats ought to be thoroughly done; therefore, do not take either lamb or veal off the spit till you see it drop white gravy. 8 T JI E COMPLETE COOK. 943. When green mint cannot be got, mint vinegar is an acceptable sub- stitute for it, and crisp parsley, on a side plate, is an admirable | accompaniment. Hind-quarter of eight pounds will take from an hour and three-quarters to two hours; baste, and froth it. A quarter of a porkling is soinetimes skinned, cut, and dressed lamb fashion, and sent up as a substitute for it. The leg and the loin of lamb, when little, should be roasted together, the former being lean, the latter fat, and the gravy is better preserved. Fore-quarter of ten pounds, about two hours. It is a pretty general custom, when you take off the shoulder from the ribs, to squeeze a Seville orange, or lemon, over them, and sprinkle them with a little pepper and salt; this may be done by the cook before it comes to table. Some people are not remarkably expert at dividing these joints nicely." Leg of five pounds, from an hour to an hour and a half. Shoulder, with a quick fire, an hour. Ribs, almost an hour to an hour and a quarter; joint them nicely, crack the ribs across, and divide them from the brisket after it is roasted. Loin, an hour and a quarter.' Neck, an hour. Breast three-quarters of an hour. well done, it is disgusting to the sight and poisonous to the stomach. In the gravy of pork, if there is the least tint of redness,” says Dr. Kitchiner, “ it is enough to appal the sharpest appetite. Other meats under-done are unpleasant, but pork is absolutely uneatable." A Leg of eight pounds will require about three hours; score the skin across in narrow stripes (some score it in diamonds) about a quarter of an inch apart; stuff the knuckle with sage and onion minced fine, and a little grated. bread, seasoned with pepper, salt, and the yolk of an egg, See 252 and 270. Do not put it too near the fire ; rub a little sweet oil on the skin with a paste-brush, or a goose-feather; this makes the crackling crisper and browner than basting it with dripping, and it ! will be a better colour than all the art of cookery can make it in any other way; and this is the best way of preventing the skin from blistering, which is principally occasioned by its being put too near the fire. 244. Leg of Pork roasted without the skin ; or Mock Goose.- Parboil a leg of pork, take off the skin, and then put it down to roast; baste it with butter, and make a savoury powder of finely minced or dried or powdered sage, ground black pepper, salt, and some bread crumbs rubbed together through a colander; you may add to this a little very finely minced onion; sprinkle it with this when it is almost roasted; put a half pint of made gravy into the dish, and goose stuffing under the knuckle skin, or garnish the dish with balls of it, fried or broiled. 245. Spare rib: when you put it down to roast, dust on some flour, and baste it with a little butter; dry a dozen sage leaves, rub them through a hair sieve, put them into the top of a pepper box, and about a quarter of an hour before the meat is done baste it with butter; dust the pulverised sage, or savoury powder, in, or sprinkle it with duck stuffing ; some people prefer it plain. ROASTING. 79 1 246. Loin of Pork, of five pounds, must be kept at a good distance from the fire, on account of the crackling, and will take about two hours—if very fat, half an hour longer: stuff it with duck stuffing (252 and 270 ;) score the skin in stripes about a quarter of an inch apart, and rub it with salad oil. You may sprinkle over it some of the savoury powder recommended for the mock goose (244.) 247. Sucking Pig should be about three weeks old, and it ought to be dressed as quickly as possible after it is killed; if not quite fresh, the crackling can never be made crisp. It requires constant attention and great care in roasting. As the ends require more fire than the middle, an instrument called the pig-iron has been contrived to hang before the latter part. A common fat iron will answer the purpose, or the fire may be kept fiercest at the ends. A good stuffing may be made as follows:- Take five or six ounces of the crumb of stale bread; crumble and rub through a colander; mince very fine a handful of sage, and a large onion; mix with an egg, pepper, salt, and a piece of butter about the size of an egg; fill the belly, and sew it up; put it to the fire, and baste it with butter tied up in a rag, by applying it to the back of the pig. Kitchiner recommends basting it with olive oil till it is done. It should never be left. It should be placed before a clear brisk fire, at some distance; and great care should be taken that the crackling should be nicely crisped, and delicately browned. It will require from an hour and a half to two hours, according to the size of the pig. When first put to the fire, it should be rubbed all over with fresh butter, or salad oil; ten minutes after this, and when the skin looks dry, dredge it well with flour all over. Let this re- main on an hour, and then rub it off with a soft cloth. A sucking pig being very troublesome to roast, is frequently sent to the oven. А clever baker will do it so as to be almost equal to roasted; he will re- quire a quarter of a pound of butter, and should be told to baste it well. (See 284.) Before you take the pig from the fire, cut off the head, and part that and the body down the middle; chop the brains very fine with some boiled sage leaves, and mix them with good veal or beef gravy, or whal runs from the pig when you cut the head off. Send up a tureen full of gravy besides. Currant sauce is still a favourite with some of the old school. Lay your pig back to back in the dish, with one half of the head on each side, and the ears at each end, which you must take care to make nice and crisp, or you will get scolded, and deservedly. When you cut off the pettitoes, leave the skin long, round the end of the legs. 248. Turkey, Turkey Poults, and other Poultry.--A fowl and a turkey require the same management at the fire, only the latter will take longer time. Let them be carefully picked, break the breast- bone (to make them look plump,) and thoroughly singe them with a sheet of clean writing paper. Prepare a nice brisk fire for them. Make stuffing according to 269; stuff them under the breast where the craw was taken out; and make some into balls, and boil or fry them, and lay them round the dish; they are handy to help, and you can reserve some of the inside stuffing to eat with the cold turkey, ar ROASTING. 81 For sauces, see 111; or liver and parsley, and those ordered in the last receipt. 250. Goose.- When a goose is well picked, singed and cleaned, make the stuffing with about two ounces of onion, and half as much green sage; chop them very fine, adding four ounces of stale bread crumbs, a bit of butter about as big as a walnut, and a very little pep- per and salt (to this some cooks add half the liver, parboiling it first,) the yolk of an egg or two, and, incorporating the whole together, stuff the goose; do not quite fill it, but leave a little room for the stuffing to swell. From an hour and a half to an hour and three-quarters will roast a fine full-grown goose. Send up gravy and apple sauce with it. Geese are called green till they are about four months old. 251. Canvass Back Ducks, or Red Neck Ducks.--Let your duck be young and fat, if possible; having picked it well, draw it and singe carefully, without washing it, so as to preserve the blood, and conse- quently, all its flavour. You then truss it, leaving its head on for the purpose of distinguishing it from common game, and place it on the spit before a brisk fire, for at least fifteen minutes. Then serve it hot, in its own gravy, which is formed by the blood, &c., on a large chafing dish. I'he best birds are found on the Potomac river; they have the head purple, and the breast silver colour, and it is considered superior in quality and flavour to any other species of wild duck. The season is only during the cold weather. 252. Duck.- Mind your duck is well cleaned, and wiped out with a clean cloth; for the stv'ling, take an ounce of onion and half an ounce of green sage; chup them very fine, and mix them with two ounces of bread crumbs, a bit of butter about as big as a walnut, a very little black pepper and salt, and the yolk of an egg to bind it; mix these thoroughly together, and put into the duck. From half to three-quarters of an hour will be enough to roast it, according to the size ; contrive to have the feet delicately crisp, as some people are very fond of them ;-lo do this nicely, you must have a sharp fire. Gravy sauce, and sage and onion sauce. To hash or stew ducks, the same as goose. If you think the raw onion will make too strong an impression upon the palate, parboil it. To insure ducks being ten- der, in moderate weather kill them a few days before you dress them. 253. Haunch of Venison.—To preserve the fat, make a paste of flour and water, as much as will cover the haunch; wipe it with a dry cloth in every part; rub a large sheet of paper all over with but- ter, and cover the venison with it; then roll out the paste about three- quarters of an inch thick. Lay this all over the fat side, cover it with three or four sheets of strong white paper, and tie it securely on with packthread; have a strong close fire, and baste your venison as soon as you lay it down to roast (to prevent the paper and string from burn- ing;) it inust be well basted all the time. A buck haunch which ge- nerally weighs from twenty to twenty-five pounds, will take about four hours and a half roasting in warm, and longer in cold, weather. A naunch of from twelve to eighteen pounds will be done in about three nours, or three hours and a half, A quarter of an hour before it is done, the string must be cut, and the paste carefully taken off; now 7 82 THE COMPLETE COOK. baste it with butter, dredge it lightly with flour, and when the froth rises, and it has got a very light-brown colour, it is done. Garnish the knuckle bone with a ruffle of cut writing paper, and send it up with good strong (but unseasoned) gravy in one boat, and currant jelly sauce in the other, or currant jelly in a side plate (not melted.) See for Sauces, 137, 138, 139. Buck venison is in greatest perfection from Midsummer to Michaelmas, and doe from November to January. Neck and Shoulder of venison are to be treated the same way as the haunch, but they will not take so much time, nor do they need the paste covering 254. A Fawn should be dressed as soon after it is killed as pos- sible; when very young, it is dressed the same as hare; but they are better eating when the size of the house lamb, or when they are large enough to be roasted in quarters. The hind-quarter is consid- ered the best. Fawns require a very quick fire. They are so deli- cate that they must be constantly basted, or be covered with sheets of fat bacon; when nearly done, remove the bacon, baste it with butter, and froth it. Serve with venison sauce. 255. A Kid is very good eating when a suckling, and when the dam is in fine condition. Roast, and serve it like a fawn or hare. 256. Hare when young is easy of digestion, and very nourishing- when old, the contrary, unless rendered so by keeping and dressing. When you receive a hare, take out the liver--if it be sweet, parboil it, and keep it for stuffing. Wipe the hare quite dry; rub the inside with pepper, and hang it in a cool place till it is fit to be dressed, that is to say, till it comes to the point of putrefaction, but not putrefied. Then paunch and skin, wash and lay it in a large pan of cold water four or five hours, changing the water two or three times; lay it in a clean cloth; dry it well, and truss. To make the stuffing, see 272. Let it be stiff; put it in the belly, and sew it up tightly. The skin must be cut to let the blood out of the neck. Some persons baste it with skimmed milk, but we decidedly prefer dripping; it ought to be constantly basted till it is nearly done; then put a little bit of butter into your basting ladle; flour and froth nicely. Serve with good gravy and currant jelly. Cold roast hare, chopped to pieces, and stewed in water for a couple of hours, will make excellent soup. 257. Rabbit.-Put it down to a sharp clear fire; dredge it lightly and carefully with flour; take care to have it frothy and of a fine light brown; boil the liver with parsley while the rabbit is roasting; when tender, chop them together; put half the mixture into melted butter, use the other half for garnish, divided into little hillocks. Cut off the head, divide it, and lay half on each side the dish. A fine well-grown and well-hung warren rabbit, dressed as a hare, will eat very much like it. 258. A Pheasant should have a smart fire, but not a fierce one; baste it, butter and froth it, and prepare sauce for it. Some persons, the pheasant being a dry bird, put a piece of beef or rump steak into the inside before roasting. It is said that a pheasant should be sus. pended by one of the long tail feathers till it falls. It is then ripe SE A SONINGS. 83 and ready for the spit, and not before. If a fowl be well kept, and dressed as a pheasant, and with a pheasant, few persons will discover the pheasant from the fowl. 259. Guinea Fowls, Partridges, Pea Fowls, Blackcock, Grouse, and Moorgame, are dressed in the same way as pheasants. Par- tridges are sent up with rice sauce, or bread sauce, and good gravy, Blackcock, moorgame, and grouse, are sent up with currant jelly and fried bread crumbs. 260. Wild Ducks, Widgeon, and Teal, are dressed before a clear fire, and on a hot spit. Wild ducks will require fifteen or twenty minutes to do them in the fashionable way, but to do them well will require a few minutes longer. Widgeon and teal, being smaller birds, of course will require less time. 261. Woodcocks and Snipes are never drawn; they should be tied on a small bird spit, and put to roast at a clear fire; a slice of bread is put under each bird, to catch the trail, that is the excrements of the intestines; they are considered delightful eating; baste with butter, and froth with flour; lay the toast on a hot dish, and the birds on the toast; pour some good gravy into the dish, and send some up in a boat. TH are generally roasted from twenty to thirty minutes- but some epicures say, that a woodcock should be just introduced to the cook, for her to show it the fire, and then send it up to table. Gar- nish with slices of lemon. Snipes are dressed in the same way, but require less time. 262. Pigeons, when stuffed, require some green parsley to be chopped very fine with the liver and a bit of butter, seasoned with a little pepper and salt; or they may be stuffed with the same as a fillet of veal. Fill the belly of each bird with either of these compositions. They will roast in about twenty or thirty minutes. Serve with parsley and butter, with a dish under them, with some in a boat. Garnish with crisp parsley, fried bread crumbs, bread sauce, or gravy. 26 Small Birds. The most delicate of these are larks, which are in high season in November and December. When cleaned and prepared for roasting, brush them with the yolk of an egg, and roll in bread crumbs; spit them on a lark-spit, and tie that on a larger spit; ten or fifteen minutes at a quick fire will do them; baste them with fresh butter, and sprinkle them with bread crumbs till they are quite covered, while roasting. Sauce, grated bread fried in butter, which set to drain before the fire that it may harden; serve the crumbs under the larks when you dish them, and garnish them with slices of leinon. Wheatears are dressed in the same way. 264. Reed Birds.—Having carefully picked your birds, which should be very fat, draw them with the greatest care possible so as not to rob them of any fat, and truss them on a skewer, which you fasten to the spit, and cook them before a brisk fire; a very few minutes is requisite. In serving them, place them on buttered toast, and pour a small portion of gravy over them. Let them be hot. This is generally considered the best manner of serving reed birds, although many persons prefer them breaded and fried, or barbacued. 1 84 THE COMPLETE COOK. When they are very fat it is unnecessary to draw them. The season for this delicious bird is from the middle of September to the first or second week in October. SEASONINGS. The art of making seasonings, or stuffings, principally consists in so proportioning the flavours as that none may predominate, or be tasted more than another. In stuffing, care must be taken to leave room for swelling; if not, it is apt to be hard and heavy. 265. Seasoning for Roast Pork, Ducks, or Geese.—Two-thirds onion, one-third green sage, chopped fine, bread crumbs equal in weight to the sage and onions; season with a little pepper and salt, and incorporate it well with the yolk of an egg or two, and a bit of butter. Some omit the bread crumbs, and some again do not like the onions, while others add to them a clove of garlic. 266. Seasoning for a Sucking Pig.-A large teacup full of grated bread, two ounces of butter, season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper; scald two small onions, chop fine, and about thirty leaves of young sage, and egg beat fine, and mix altogether, and sew it in the belly of the pig: 267. Seasoning for a Goose. -Scald the liver, chop fine, crumb twice its weight in bread, chop fine four small onions, or an equal weight of chives, half the weight of green sage, half an ounce of butter, the yolk of an egg, and a table spoonful of potato starch; season highly with salt and pepper; mix well. 268. Chesnut Seasoning for Goose.-Fry or boil chesnuts till the outer skin comes off very easily, and the inside will pound or grate; reduce them to powder, scald the liver of the goose, and an onion or two, the juice of a lemon, season with pepper, cayenne, salt; mix well together. STUFFINGS AND FORCE MEATS. 269. Stuffing for Veal, Roast Turkey, Fowl, frc. -Mince & quarter of a pound of beef marrow (beef suet will do,) the same weight of bread crumbs, two drachms of parsley leaves, a drachm and a half of sweet marjoram (or lemon thyme,) and the same of grated lemon peel, an onion, chopped very fine, a little salt and pepper, pound thoroughly together, with the yolk and white of two eggs, and secure it in the veal with a skewer, or sew it in with a needle and thread. Make some of it into balls or sausages; flour and fry or boil them, and send them up as a garnish, or in a side dish, with roast poultry, veal, or cutlets, &c. This is sufficient quantity for a turkey poult; a very large turkey will require twice as much; an ounce of dressed ham may be added to the above, or use equal parts of the above stuffing and pork sausage meat. 270. Goose or Duck stuffing:- Chop very fine about one ounce of green sage leaves, two ounces of onion also chopped fine (both un. STUFFINGS, &c. 85 boiled,) a bit of butter about the size of a walnut, four ounces of bread crumbs, a little salt and pepper, the yolk and white of an egg ; some add to this a little apple. 271. Force meat balls for turtle, mock turtle, or made dishes:- Pound some veal in a marble inortar, rub it through a sieve with as much of the udder as you have of veal, and about the third of the quantity of butter; put some bread crumbs in a stew-pan, moisten with milk, add a little chopped eschalot, and a little parsley; rub them well together in a mortar till they form a smooth paste; put it through a sieve, and when cold, pound and mix all together, with the yolk of three eggs boiled hard; season it with curry powder, or cayenne pepper and salt; add the yolks of two unboiled eggs, rub it well together, and make small balls; a few minutes before your soup is ready, put them in. 272. Stuffing for Hare.-- Three ounces of fine bread crumbs, two ounces of beef suet, chopped fine, eschalot half a drachm, one drachm of parsley, a drachm of lemon thyme, marjoram, winter savoury, a drachm of grated lemon peel, and the same of pepper and salt; mix these with the white and yolk of an egg ; do not make it thin, for if it is not stiff enough, it will be good for nothing; put it in the hare and sew it up. If the liver is quite sound, parboil it, mince it very fine, and put to the stuffing. 273. Veal Force meat. Of undressed veal take two ounces, scrape it quite fine, and free from skin and sinews, the same quantity of beef or veal suet, and the same of bread crumbs; chop fine one drachm of lemon peel, two drachms of parsley, the same quantity of sweet herbs, and half a drachm of mace or allspice beaten to a fine powder ; pound all together in a mortar, break into it the yolk and white of an egg, rub it all well together, and season with pepper and salt. This may be made more savoury by adding cold pickled tongue, eschalot, anchovy, cayenne, or curry powder. 274. Stuffing for Pike, Carp, or Haddock. — A dozen oysters bearded and chopped, two yolks of eggs, a small onion, or two cloves of eschalot and a few sprigs of parsley chopped fine, season with cayenne, mace, allspice, pepper, and salt; add their weight of bread crumbs, or biscuit powder, then put two ounces of butter into a stew- pan, and simmer them till they have sucked up the butter; as they begin to bind, sprinkle over them more bread crumbs or biscuit powder, till the whole forms into a ball, with which stuff the fish. Some people like the addition of ham or tongue scraped, and suet or marrow instead of butter. Another way. Beef suet, or marrow and fat bason, and fresh butter, two ounces of each ; pound them with the meat of a lobster, ten or twelve oysters, one or two anch Fies; season with thyme, parsley, knotted marjoram, savoury, chopped fine and scalded ; add salt, cayenne, and nutmeg, a few drops of essence of eschalot; add the yolk of an egg, and bread crumbs. This pudding will be suffi. ciently done in the belly of the fish, if you do not add the eschaut in substance. 86 THE COMPLETE TOOK. 275. Stuffing for Heart and many other purposes. Take half a pound of grated bread; chop fine a quarter of a pound of beef or lamb suet, or beef marrow; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg ; a handful of parsley leaves, thyme about a quarter as much, six sprigs of marjoram and vervain, winter savoury or knotted marjoram, and the juice of a quarter of a lernon. Mix well with two eggs well beaten. You may add a dozen of oysters, chopped, and the liquor, or two ounces of dressed ham, chopped. This stuffing may be used for a turkey, with an equal quantity of sausage meat parboiled; rub them well together, and keep out half a pound, to which add an egg, to make up into balls and fry, and lay round the dish as a garnish. Turkey is sometimes stuffed with chesnuts (see 267); take basil and parsley instead of onions, and add a quarter of a pound of dressed ham grated, and a little nutmeg. 276. A very rich stuffing for Veal, Poultry, and Game.—Take two pounds of beef suet, one pound of bread crumbs, a tea spoonful of thyme, the same quantity of marjoram, a tea-cup full of chopped parsley, chopped eschalot a table spoonful, half a lemon grated, half a nutmeg, half an ounce each of salt and pepper, and five eggs, well mixed. 277. Veal Cake.--Boil six eggs hard, cut the yolks in two, butter a mould; lay some of the pieces of egg at the bottom, sprinkle salt, pepper, and chopped parsley; then lay thin slices of veal and ham; sprinkle again with the seasoning, and then eggs, and so on till the dish is filled. Then add gravy, till it covers the top of the meat; spread ove ounce of butter over the top, tie it over with paper, and bake one hour; then press it close together with a spoon, and let it stand till cold. Another way is to pound the meat instead of slices, wo-thirds of lean veal and one-third of fat ham. When the cake is wanted, set the mould in boiling water for a minute or two, and the cake will turn out. 278. Force ineal for Veal or Fowls.-- Take equal parts of cold veal, beef suet, hain or gammon, a few parsley leaves, a small onion, the rind of leinon a little; chop all together very fine; season with pepper, salt, cayenne, mace, or nutmeg; pound the whole in a mortar, with an equal quantity of bread crumbs, and add two eggs to bind it. This is a good force meat for patties. 279. Light force meat balls.-Cold veal or chicken a quarter of a pound, chopped, half a pound of suet, chopped, crumbs of bread a tea- cup full. Season with sweet herbs, and spice and eschalots, and three or four eggs beat separately; mix these articles with all the yolks and as much of the whites as is necessary to bring it to a moist paste, roll them in small balls, and fry them in butter, or lard, for garnish to roast turkey, fowl, &c. 280, Egg balls.--Boil four eggs for ten minutes and put them into cold water; when they are cold beat the yolks in a mortar with the yolk of a raw egg, some chopped parsley, a tea-spoonful of flour, a pinch or two of salt, and a little black pepper, or cayenne; rub them well together, roll them into small balls, and boil them two minutes. BAKING MEAT, &c.' 87 281. Brain balls. Take a calf's brains, or two or three lanıbs', scald them for ten minutes, quite free from every bit of vein and skin, beat up with seasoning the same as egg balls, adding a tea spoonful of chopped sage; rub a tea-cup full of bread crumbs, three tea spoonfuls of flour, and a raw egg with them. Make them up into balls, rub each ball with bread, fry them with butter or lard; serve as a garnish to calf's head, or as a separate side dish. 282. Curry balls. —Take bread crumbs, the yolk of an egg boiled hard, and a bit of fresh butter; beat together in a mortar, and season with curry powder ; make them into small balls, and boil or fry them. BAKING MEAT, &c. 283. As baking is the only means by which the poor inhabitants of towns for the most part can enjoy a joint of meat at home, * we shall say a word or two upon the subject, particularly with regard to those joints which, when they are carefully baked, most resemble roasted ones. Legs and loins of pork, legs of mutton, fillets of veal, &c., may be baked with advantage, if the meat be good and tolerably fat. Besides the joints here enumerated, there are many others which may be baked, providing the meat is not poor or lean. The follow- ing are observations on baking meat by a well-experienced baker; they are particularly deserving the aitention of a careful house- keeper. 284. “A pig when sent to the baker prepared for baking should have its ears and tail covered with buttered paper, properly fastened on, and a bit of butter tied up in linen to baste the back with, other. wise it will be apt to blister. With a proper share of attention from the baker, this way is thought to be equal to a roasted one. 285. “A goose prepared as for roasting, taking care to have it on a stand, and when half done, to turn the other side upwards. A duck should be treated in the same way. 286. “ After a buttock of beef has been in salt about a week, well wash it, and put it in a brown earthen pan with a pint of water, cover the pan quite over and tightly with two or three thicknesses of cap or foolscap paper (never use brown paper — it contains tar, &c.). Bake for four or five hours in a moderate heated oven. perly soaked may be baked in the same way. 287. “Bakers are in the habit of baking small cod fish, haddock, and mackerel, with a dust of flour and some bits of butter put on them. Eels, when large and stuffed. Herrings and sprats in a brown pan, with a little vinegar and a little spice, and tied over with paper. ' A hare, prepared the same as for roasting, with a few pieces of butter and a liitle drop of milk put into the dish, and basted several times, will be found nearly equal to roasting; or cut it up, season it properly, put it into a ju or pan, and cover it over, and bake it in a A ham pro- *We hope, however, in a few years, to see the American oven supersede the cus- tom of dressing meat in the public bake-house. 88 THE COMPLETE COOK. moderate oven for about three hours. In the same manner legs and shins of beef, ox cheeks, &c., prepared with a seasoning of onions, turnips, &c., may be baked : they will take about four hours; let them stand till cold to skin off the fat; then warm up altogether, or part, as you may want it. 288. « The time that each of the above articles should take, depends much upon the state of the oven; they should be sent to the baker in time, and he must be very neglectful if they are not ready at the time they are ordered." 289. We may be here allowed to remark, that the process of dress- ing meat in an oven in a covered pan is more analogous to stewing than it is to baking. It is, however, an excellent mode of cooking. T'he great objection to baking meat in an open pan, and among many other different descriptions of dishes, is the bad flavour which is apt to be imparted to it. There is, too, another objection to baked meat, which arises from the exclusion of the external air, or for want of a draught. The exhalations from the ineat in baking, &c., not being carried off, they have a tendency to sodden it. 290. Dr. Kitchiner, no mean authority, deprecates the machines which the economical grate-makers call roasters, being in fact, as he asserts, “in plain English-ovens." The Doctor intimates, that these things are all very well for saving fuel, but affirms that the rational epicure, who has been accustomed to enjoy beef well roasted, will soon discover the difference. Notwithstanding this high authority, we have no hesitation in stating, that meat cooked in the roaster attached to Flavell's cooking apparatus, is as good as meat roasted before the fire. But we ought to observe, that Mr. Flavell's roaster has a current of air passing through it when so employed, but when used as an oven the current of air is prevented by the introduction of a damper. We can state from the experience of some years, that the apparatus alluded to is a most excellent contrivance for cooking generally 291. " Nothing can be more preposterous," says Mr. Sylvester, in his • Philosophy of Domestic Economy,' " and inappropriate, than the prevailing construction and management of a gentleman's kitchen. Before the discovery of the stew hearths, all the culinary processes were carried on with one immense open grate, burning as much fuel in one day as might do the same work for ten. The cook and the furniture of the kitchen get a proportion of this heat, the articles to be dressed another portion, but by far the greatest quantity goes up the chimney. 292. “The introduction of the stew hearth has in some degree reduced the magnitude of these grates; but they are yet disgraceful to science and common sense. In the present state (1819) of culinary improvement, a kitchen may be fitted up with apparatus, requiring much less labour and attention, with much less consumption of fuel ; rendering the food more wholesome and agreeable, and also prevent- ing that offensive smell which has made it so often necessary to detach the kitchen from the rest of the house." PRYING. 89 293. The stew hearth is a most useful addition to the ordinary kitchen grate, but small families of limited means are seldom possessed of one. A stew hearth, indeed, or a substitute for one, which may be easily obtained, is indispensable in French, and indeed in good Enge lish cookery. FRYING. 294. Frying, as is properly observed by Dr. Kitchiner, is often a convenient mode of cookery; it may be performed by a fire which will not do for roasting or boiling, and by the introduction of the pan between the ineat and the fire, things get more equally dressed. 295. Be very particular that your frying pan is perfectly clean be- fore using it. Never use any oil, butter, lard, or drippings, which are not perfectly free from salt, and pp:fectly sweet and fresh. As frying is, in fact, boiling in oil fat, it is of the first importance that your fat should be clean, or it will spoil the look as well as the flavour, and salt will prevent the meat from browning. 296. Good oil is, perhaps, the best to fry in, but sweet fresh lard, or clarified mutton or beef suet, will answer every purpose, nearly, if not quite as well as the best oil or butter, and, what is of greater importance, at a much less expense. Nice clean dripping is almost as good as any thing. After you have done frying preserve your fat, which, if not burnt, will do for three or four fryings; but fat in which fish has been fried will do for nothing else. 297. If your fat is not of a proper heat, your frying cannot be well done ; this is, in short, the great secret in frying, which the young cook ought and must acquire. The frying pan must be always set over a sharp and clear fire, or otherwise the fat is too long before it becomes ready. When the fat has done hissing, or bubbling, that is, when it is still, you may be pretty sure that it is hot enough. It is a good way to try the heat of your fat , by throwing a little bit of bread into the pan; if it fries crisp, the fat is of the right heat-if it burns the bread, it is too hot. 298. When your things are well done, take care and drain all the fat from them most thoroughly, particularly those that have been fried in bread crumbs, &c.; if you do not, your cookery will be marred. Fried fish ought to be quite dry. This depends in a great measure upon the fat in which they are dressed being of a proper heat. If the fish are well done, and are well drained of the fat, they will become quite dry and crisp in a few minutes after they have been taken out of the pan. If this, however, should not be the case, and the fish on the contrary should be damp and wet, lay them on a soft cloth before the fire, turning them occasionally till they are dry. They will sometimes take ten or fifteen minutes drying. 299. In preparing bread crumbs in a considerable quantity, in order to save unbroken the crust, and preserving it fit for the table, cut your loaf into three equal parts, that is, cut off the bottom and top crusts, and use the middle part or the crumb for your frying. The 00 THE COMPLETE COOK. bread should be at least two days old. A good and cheap substitute for bread is oatmeal, which will cost, comparatively speaking, nothing It is scarcely necessary to refer the cook to our general remarks upon the above operation. Frying is preferred by many persons to broiling; and our own opinion is, that steaks, chops, &c., may be dressed with much more certainty and regularity by the former, than by the latter, method. But plenty of oil, butter, or sweet grease, must always be used, or the frying will be imperfect. 300. Sieaks.--Cut them rather thinner than for broiling; put some butter, or, what is much cheaper and quite as good, some clarified dripping or suet, into an iron frying-pan, and when it is quite hot put in the steaks, and keep turning them until they are done enough. The sauce for steaks, chops, cutlets, &c., is made as follows:--Take the chops, steaks or cutlets, out of the frying pan; for a pound of meat, keep a table-spoonful of the fat in the pan, or put in an ounce of but- ter; put to it as much flour as will make it a paste; rub it well toge- ther over the fire till they are a little brown; then add as much boil- ing water as will reduce it io the thickness of good cream, and a ta- ble-spoonful of mushroom or walnut catsup, or pickle, or browning; let it boil together a few minutes, and pour it through a sieve to the steaks, &c. To the above is soinetimes added a sliced onion, or å minced eschalot, with a table-spoonful of port wine, or a little escha- lot wine. Garnish with scraped horse-radish, or pickled walnut, gher. kins, &c. Some beef-eaters like chopped eschalots in one saucer, and horse-radish grated in vinegar in another. Broiled mushrooms are fa- vourite relishes to beef-steaks. 301. Beef-steaks and Onions. The steaks are fried as directed above; the common method is to fry the onions cut small, but the best plan perhaps is to use onions prepared as directed in 115. 302. Sausages. Sausages are not good unless they are quite fresh. Put a bit of butter or dripping into a frying-pan, before it gets hot put in the sausages, shake the pan, and kerp turning them (be careful not to break or prick them in so doing); fry them over a very slow fire till they are nicely browned on all sides; when they are done, lay them on a hair sieve, place them before the fire for a couple of minutes to drain the fat from them. The secret of frying sausages is, to let them get hot very gradually--then they will not burst, if they are not stale. You may froth them by rubbing them with cold fresh butter, and lightly dredge them with flour, and put them in a cheese-toaster for a ininute. The common practice to prevent their bursting is to prick them with a fork; but this lets out the gravy. 303. Veal Cutlets should be about half an inch thick ; trim and flat- ten; fry in plenty of fresh butter, or good dripping; when the fire is very fierce, you must turn them often—but when not so, do them brown on one side before you turn them. Make gravy of the trim- mings, &c.; you may add some browning, mustiroom or walnut cat. sup, or lemon, pickle, &c. Or you may dress them as follows: Cut the veal into pieces about as big as a crown piece; beat them with a 92 THE COMPLETE COOK . BROILING. 308. Let your gridiron be quite clean, particularly between the bars, and keep it bright on the top. Before using it, you should be careful to make the bars thoroughly hot, or otherwise that part of the meat which is covered by the bars will not be equally done with the other parts of the steak or chop. 309. Chops, steaks, or slices for broiling, should be from half to three quarters of an inch in thickness; if too thick, they will be done outside before the inside and if too thin, they will be dry and gravyless, 310. In broiling, a brisk and clear fire is indispensable, and to obtain this you should prepare your fire in time, so that it may burn clear. It is a good plan to lay over a pretty strong fire a layer of cinders, or coke; some use charcoal, but cinders or coke are equally good. If your fire is not bright you cannot give the nice brown ap- pearance to the meat, which is not only pleasing to the eye, but is relishing to the taste. 311. The bars of the best gridirons are made concave, terminating in a trough to catch the gravy, and keep the fat from falling into the fire and making a smoke, which will spoil both the appearance and taste of the broil . Before using the gridiron the bars should be rubbed with clean mutton suet. The cook should watch the moment when the broil is done. Send it to the table immediately on a hot dish, from whence it should be transferred to the mouth all hot ! smoking hot!!! The upright gridiron, which is made of strong wire and may be now bought in the streets for a few pence, is, as Dr, Kitchiner avers, the best, as it can be used at any fire, without fear of smoke, and the trough under it preserves all the gravy. The Dutch oven, or bonnet, may be substituted for the gridiron, when the fire is not clear. 312. Steaks and Chops.-Meat to be broiled should be hung till it is tender; the inside of a sirloin of beef, cut into steaks, is greatly preferred by most people. But steaks are generally cut from the rump (the middle is the best), about six inches long, four inches wide, and half an inch thick. Do not beat them, it makes them dry and tasteless. Steaks should be done quickly; for this purpose, take care to have a very clear brisk fire, throw a little salt on it, make the gridiron hot, and set it slanting to prevent the fat from dropping into the fire, and making a smoke. It requires more practice and care than is generally supposed to do steaks to a nicety; and for want of these little attentions, this very common dish, which every body is supposed capable of dressing, seldom comes to table in perfection. Some like it under, some thoroughly, done. It is usual to put a table-spoonful of catsup, or a little minced eschalot, into a dish before the fire, while you are broiling; turn the steak with a pair of steak- tongs; it will be done in about ten or fifteen minutes; rub a bit of butter over it, and send it up garnished with pickles and finely scraper horse-radish. Serve with the usual sauces. BRAISING,,LAZING, &c. 93 313. Kidneys.-Cut them through the long way, score them, sprinkle a little pepper and salt on them, and run a wire skewer through them to keep them from curling on the gridiron, so that they may be evenly broiled. Broil them over 'a very clear fire, turning them often till they are done; they will take about ten or twelve minutes, if the fire is brisk : or, fry them in butter, and make gravy. from thein in the pan (after you have taken out the kidneys), by put- ting in a tea spoonful of flour; as soon as it looks brown, put in as much water as will make gravy; they will take five minutes more to fry than to broil . Serve with the usual sauce. Some cooks chop à few parsley leaves very fine, and mix them with a bit of fresh butter and a little pepper and salt, and put a little of this mixture on each kidney. 314. A Fowl or Rabbit.- Pick and truss it the same as for boil. ing, cut it open down the back, wipe the inside clean with a cloth, season it with a little pepper and salt, have a clear fire and set the gridiron at a good distance over it, lay the chicken on with the inside towards the fire (you may egg it and strew some grated bread over it), and broil it till it is a fine brown; take care the fleshy side is not burnt. Lay it on a hot dish, pickled mushrooms or mushroom sauce thrown over it, or parsley and butter, or melted butter flavoured with mushroom catsup. Garnish with slices of lemon, and the liver and gizzard, slit and notched, seasoned with pepper and salt, and broiled nicely brown. 315. Pigeons.-Clean them well, and pepper and salt them; broil them over a clear slow fire; turn them often, and put a little butter on them; when they are done, pour over them either stewed or pickled mushrooms, or catsup and melted butter. Garnish with fried bread crumbs, or sippets. Or, when the pigeons are trussed for broil- ing, flat them with a cleaver, taking care not to break the skin of the backs or breast; season them with pepper and salt, a little bit of but- ter, and a tea spoonful of water, and tie them close at both ends; so, when they are brought to table, they bring their sauce with them Egg and dredge them well with grated bread (mixed with spice and sweet nerbs), lay them on the gridiron, and turn them frequently; if your nre is not very clear, lay them on a sheet of paper well but tered, to keep them from getting smoked. They are much better broiled whole. 2 BRAISING, GLAZING, BLANCHING, LARDING, AND BONING. 316. A braiser, or braising pan, is a sort of oblong camp kettle, with a bordered lid, on which, and secured by the border, is put small burning coal, charcoal, or wood ashes. The lid should fit the pan as close as possible. 317. Braising. To braise your meat, put the meat into the braiser (a good stew-pan will answer the purpose, but not so well).; then cover the meat with thick slices of ſat bacon; lay round it six or eight 8 94 THE COMPLETE Cook.' onions, a bunch of sweet herbs, some celery, and if it be to brown, some thick slices of carrots; meat trimmings, or fresh meat bones, a pint and a half of water, or the same quantity of stock, which will make it richer than water will; over the meat lay a sheet of white paper, season and put the pan, with the lid well fastened down and tight, over a moderately hot stove, rather slow. It will require two or three bours, according to its size or quality. The meat and gravy are then put into a colander to drain, but be sure to keep it quite hot, skim the gravy very carefully, and boil it as quick as you can till it thickens; then glaze the meat-and if it has been larded, put it into the oven for a few minutes. 318. Glazing consists in covering meat with a preparation called glaze, which is strong gravy boiled as quick as possible till it thickens, as directed in braising. The glaze is put on with a brush kept for the purpose. Hams, tongues, and stewed beef, may be thus glazed, if thought proper. 319. Blanching is performed by putting the article in cold water over the fire, and when it boils up, take it out and plunge it into cold water, and let it remain till quite cold. This will make it white and plump. Tongues, palates, &c., are said to be blanched, when after long boiling the skin can be easily peeled off. 320. Larding and Forcing. Possess yourself of larding pins of different sizes ; cut slices of bacon into bits of proper length, quite smooth; pierce the skin and a very little of the meat with the larding pin, leaving the bacon in; the two ends should be of equal length outwards. "Lard in rows the size you think proper. Forcing is nothing more than stuffing fowls, &c., with force meat, which is generally put in between the skin and the flesh. 321. Boning To bone any bird, the cook should begin first to take out the breast-bone; she will then have sufficient space to remove the back with a sharp small knife, and then she must take out the leg bones. The skin must be preserved whole, and the meat of the leg be pushed inwards. COLOURINGS, THICKENINGS, FLAVOURINGS, SEASON: INGS, STOCKS, GRAVIES, SAUCES, STUFFING, FORCE- MEAT, AND CLARIFYING. Having laid down, as we trust, clearly and fully, under the pre- ceding heads, all that is necessary to be known, generally speaking, with regard to ordinary dishes, we shall now proceed to treat of those preparations which are employed in the compounding of made dishes, together with those articles which the prudent, care-taking cook wil. always keep by her as stores, ready to be used when wanted. By *made dishes' we mean not only those commonly so called, but also those in the dressing of which other articles are sometimes, or al- ways, used by way of stuffing, seasoning, &c.—such, for instance, as geese, ducks, and roast pork. This done, we shall then give direc- COLOURING, OR BROWNING. 95 tions for the choice of meat, fish, and poultry, recipes for cooking them, and the best mode of carving them, under separate heads. Recipes for cooking all other dishes, will also, of course, be given. COLOURING, OR BROWNING. 322. The greater part of the preparations for colouring are very unwholesome, or, in other words, very indigestible. They are em- ployed to give the appearance of richness, but they are worse than useless, being used for the silly purpose of pleasing the eye only, generally at the expense of the stomach and taste. Most of the pre- parations for colouring are a medley of burnt butter, spices, catsup, wine, flour, and other things not necessary to mention. A French writer says, the generality of cooks calcine bones till they are as black as a coal, and throw them hissing hot into the stew-pan, to give a brown colour to their broths and soups. These ingredients, under the appearance of a nourishing gravy, envelop our food with stimulat- ing acid and corrosive poison. Such things as essence of anchovy are frequently adulterated with colouring matters containing red lead ! The following recipes for colouring are pretty harmless, and, except for the purpose of pleasing the eye, as useless as they are innocent. Some persons, instead of colouring or browning their soups after they are made, brown the meat of which they are intended to be made, by putting it into a stew-pan with a little butter, salt, and pep- per, but without water; then covering it close, placing it over a clear fire, all the time shaking it to keep it from sticking to the pan, till the meat becomes of a light brown, when the liquor of which the soup or gravy is to be made is added. The best colouring is, perhaps, the following: Half a pound of powdered lump sugar and a table-spoonful of water, put into a clean saucepan, or frying-pan, and set over a slow fire and stirred with a wooden spoon till it is of a fine brown colour, and begins to smoke; then add an ounce of salt, and dilute by degrees with water, till it is of the thickness of soy; boil, take off the scum, and put it into well. corked bottles; or you may, provided you do not wish to keep the above by you, colour your gravies or soups by pounding a tea-spoonful of lump sugar, and putting it into an iron spoon, which hold over a quick fire till the mixture becomes of a dark-brown colour; mix with the soup or gravy while it is hot. Some persons use butter in the first mixture instead of water. Toasted bread, quite hard and of a deep brown, not burnt, may be put into the boiling gravy, without stirring, ard then carefully strain off the gravy without any crumbs of bread in it. You may also colour with four browned on a flat-iron over the fire. Various favour ing articles serve also the purpose of colouring. 96 THE COMPLETE COOK! 1 THICKENINGS. 323. Flour, or some other farinaceous article, is, or ought to be, the basis of all thickenings; starch of potatoes, or indeed any other pure starch, is a good substitute for flour. We do not recommend pre- parations of Carraghan moss, ivory dust, or eggs; they are trouble- some, and not at all necessary. A table-spoonful of potatoe or any other starch, such as arrow-root, mixed in two table-spoonsful of cold water, and stirred into soup, sauce, or gravy, &c. and afterwards sim- mered, just before serving, will thicken a pint. Flour will also answer the same purpose, In large establishments, the following thickening is generally kept ready prepared; the French call it roux; it is thus made: Put some fresh butter, if clarified the better, (or some use the skimmings of the pots, clean and not impregnated with vegetables,) into a stew-pan over a clear slow fire; when it is melted, add fine flour sufficient to make it the thickness of paste; stir well together when over the fire, for ten or fifteen minutes, till it is quite smooth and of a fine "yellow-boy'' colour. Do all this gradually and patiently, or you will spoil your thickening by getting it burnt, or giving to it a burnt flavour, which will spoil your gravy, &c. Pour it into an earthen pan for use, it will keep for a fortnight; and if, when cold, it is thick enough to be cut with a knife, a large spoonful will be enough to thicken a quart of gravy, &c. Most made dishes, such as sauces, soups, and ragouts, are thus thickened. The broth or soup, &c., to which the thickening is put, must be added by degrees, so as to incorporate them well together. To cleanse or finish a sauce, put into a pint two table-spoonsful of broth, or warm water, and put it by the side of the fire to raise any fat, &c., which must be carefully removed as it comes to the top. We would strongly recommend mistresses of families, particularly those residing in the country, where potatoes are cheap, to keep a good stoek of potatoe starch always by them. If kept dry and from he air, it will keep almost for any length of time. Damaged po- tatoes will yield starch or mucilage, if raw. It may be made from the old potatoes, when by germination in the spring they have be- come unfit for the table, or from the refuse of a newly gathered crop in the autumn. The starch will be found extremely useful, not only in a thickening, but also for mixing with wheat flour in making bread, &c. Starch may be made, and is made, from various vege- table substances, and used as a substitute for corn flour. The follow- ing is the mode of making potatoe starch; arrow-root starch and all other starehes are made by a similar process: The potatoes must be carefully washed and peeled, and every speck removed; provide yourself with a number of deep dishes, ac- cording to the quantity of starch you wish to make; for every pound of potatoes to be prepared in each dish, put a quart of clear water; grate them into the water on a bread grater; stir it up well, and then pour it through a hair sieve, and leave it ten minutes to settle, or till the water is quite clear; then pour off the water, and put to it a FLAVOURINGS. 97 quart of fresh water: stir it up, then let it settle, and repeat this till the water is quite clear. You will at last find a fine white powder at the bottom of the vessel ; lay this on a piece of paper in a hair sieve to dry, either in the sun or before the fire; when thoroughly dry, it is ready for use, is perfectly tasteless, and may be used to thicken melted butter, instead of flour. A great deal of the arrow- root sold in the shops is neither more nor less than potatoe starch. Though we strongly recommend it as effectual and economical for the above purpose, for an invalid it is very inferior in strength and nutricious qualities to the Indian arrrow-roof starch. 324. White Thickening.--Put half a pound of good butter into a sauce-pan, and melt over a slow fire, then drain the butter and take out the buttermilk, then add to the butter enough flour to make a thin paste, and place it on the fire for fifteen minutes, taking care not to let it colour. Pour it into a pan and let it stand until wanted. FLAVOURINGS. 325. Judiciously prepared flavourings are of the first importance in the higher branches of cookery, and indeed, they are indispensably necessary in all descriptions of made dishes. The principal agents employed for flavouring are mushrooms, onions, anchovy, lemon juice and peel, vinegar, wine, especially claret, sweet herbs, and savoury spices. A good housewife will always take care to have a stock of the principal flavourings by her ready for use, as occasion may re- quire. They are easily prepared for keeping, and the making of essences and flavoured vinegars, &c., from the herbs, is a very agree- able employment, and one highly becoming a good wife and mistress of a family. We by no means wish to undervalue elegant accom- plishments in ladies, but accomplishments after all are but ornaments, whereas good housewifery is an essential; so thought our ancestors two hundred years ago, and so continue to think all those who set a proper value on the comforts of domestic life. Markham, in his English Housewife, 1637, says, “to speak then of the knowledge which belongs to our British housewife, I hold the most principal to be a perfect skill in cookery. She that is utterly ignorant therein, may not, by the lawes of strict justice, challenge the freedom of mar- riage, because, indeed, she can performe but half her vow; she may love and obey, but she cannot cherish and keepe her husband." Having said enough, we trust, to induce young ladies, particularly in the above quotation, to take our advice into their consideration, we shall proceed to make a few observations on taste, as intimately con- nected with this part of our subject. A correct taste is a qualification which every cook ought to possess, but few persons naturally do possess it, and therefore, the palate re- quires to be cultivated as much in the culinary art, as the eye in the art of drawing. But tastes differ in different persons, and therefore, the cook, in providing a dinner, ought, if possible, to consult the tastes of the parties who are to eat it, rather than her own. This subject, 8* 98 THE COMPLETE COOK. however, if pursued, will run us out to a much greater extent than our limits will allow, and, after all, we should not be able to lay down any definite rules of taste. There is one direction which we shall give, and which a cook will find it worth her while to attend to, namely, whenever she finds the palate become dull by repeatedly tasting, one of the best ways of refreshing it is to masticate an apple, or to wash her mouth well with milk. FLAVOURINGS, ESSENCES, POWDERS, &c. 326. To prepare sweet Herbs for keeping. It is highly desirable, according to the taste and style of living of the family, that prepara- tions of sweet herbs, either in powder, dried bunches (the powder is best,) or in the form of essences and tinctures, be always kept at hand, ready for use. The following is the best way of preparing them :-Gather your herbs, including thyme of the various sorts, marjoram and savoury, sage, mint, and balm, hyssop and pennyroyal, when they are come to full growth, just before they begin to flower; when they must be gathered perfectly free from damp, dust, dirt, and insects. Cut off the roots, and tie the herbs in small bundles. Dry as quick as possible, either in the sun, in a dutch oven before the fire, or in a dry room with a thorough draught. When quite dry, pick off the leaves, and rub them till they are reduced to a fine powder, when bottle close for use. Seeds of parsley, fennel, and celery, should be kept for the purpose of flavouring, when the green 'herb cannot be obtained. 327. Savoury Soup Powder is compounded of parsley, winter sa- voury, sweet marjoram, and lemon thyme, of each two ounces ; sweet basil, one ounce; verbinia leaves and knotted marjoram, of each half an ounce; celery seed and bay leaves (some leave out the bay leaves,) of each two drachms. Dry in a Dutch oven, thoroughly, but not to scorch; then rub the leaves to a fine powder. The seeds will be best ground, but pounding will do; sift all through a hair sieve, and bottle * for use. This is an excellent compound. 328. Curry Powder may be made almost, if not altogether, as good as the Indian, by taking three ounces of coriander seeds; turmeric two or three ounces; black pepper, mustard, and ginger, one ounce of each ; allspice and lesser cardamons, hialf an ounce each, and cumin seed, a quarter of an ounce. Put the ingredients in a cool oven for the night; thoroughly pound and mix together, and close bottle for use. Do not use cayenne in a curry powder. 329. Powder for Ragouts.-A good powder for flavouring ragouts is compounded of salt, one ounce; mustard, lemon peel, and black pepper, ground, of each half an ounce; allspice and ginger, ground, nutmeg, grated, and cayenne pepper, of each a quarter of an ounce. Dry in a Dutch oven before a gentle fire; pound in a mortar, and sift through a hair sieve. 330. Powder for Brown made dishes.--Black pepper and Jamaica, ground, of each half an ounce; nutmeg, grated, half an ounce; cinna- FLAVOUR INQ-S, &c. 99 mon, in powder, a quarter of an ounce; cloves, one drachm; dry; finely powder and bottle, 331. Powder for White made dishes.-White pepper half an ounce; nutmeg a quarter of an ounce; mace one drachin; dried le- mon peel, grated, one drachin. 332. Preserved Orange and Lemon Peels.-Shave the thin skin, without a particle of white, off your superfluous Seville orange and lemon peel; put in a mortar, with a small lump of dried sugar to each peel ; beat them well till the rind and sugar be blended together in a kind of marmalade ; let the inixture be pressed close in a bottle, with a tea-spoonful of brandy at top, and secure from the air with a cork or bladder. This will be found a better flavouring, and more handy than grating dry rinds. 333. Essences, or Tinctures of Herbs, &c.-Combine their essen tial oils with good tasteless spirits (which is better than brandy, and much cheaper) in the proportion of one drachm of essential oil to two ounces of spirits; or fill a wide-mouthed bottle with the leaves, seeds, roots, or peel, perfectly dry, then pour over them spirits of wine, vine- gar, or wine; keep the mixture steeping in a warm place, not hot, for twelve or fourteen days, when strain and bottle close for use. Bot- tles with glass stoppers are best. These essences are very handy, and are to be had all the year round. 334. Essence of Anchovies.--Purchase the best anchovies, that have been in pickle about a year. Pound twelve of them in a mortar to a pulp, then put them into a well-linned saucepan, by the side of the fire, with two table-spoonfuls of best vinegar sherry, or brandy, or mushroom catsup; stir it very often till the fish are melted, then add fifteen grains in weight of the best cayenne pepper ; stir it well, then rub it through a hair sieve with a wooden spoon; bottle and cork very tight with the best cork. When the bottle is opened, cork it well again with a new cork, as the least air spoils it. That which re- mains in the sieve makes a pleasant relish for breakfast or lunch, with bread and butter. If a large quantity is made, press it down in small jars. Cover it with clarified butter, and keep it in a cool place. 335. Anchovy Powder.-Pound the anchovies in a mortar, rub them through a sieve, make them into a paste with the finest flour, dried, toll it into thin cakes; dry thein before a slow fire; when quite crisp. pound or grate them to a fine powder, and put into a well-stopped bottle. It will keep good for years, and is a savoury relish sprinkled on bread and butter, 336. Oyster Powder.- Open the oysters carefully, so as not to cut them, except in dividing the gristle from the shells; put them into a mortar; add about two drachrns of salt to a dozen oysters, pound them and rub them through the back of a hair sieve, and put them into a mortar again, with as much flour, thoroughly dried, as will make them into a paste; roll it out several times, and lastly, flour it and roll it out the thickness of half a crown, and divide it into pieces about an inch square; lay them in a dutch oven before the fire, take care they do not burn, turn them every half-hour, and when they 798948 A 100 THE COMPLETE COOK. over, begin to dry, crumble them; they will take about four hours to dry; then pound them fine, sift them, and put them into bottles; seal them 337. Spirit of mixed Herbs. Take winter savoury, lemon thyme, sweet basil, and lemon rind, celery seed one drachm, steep them in a pint of spirits of wine. Then drain and bottle the liquor. The herbs, after draining, will keep two or three weeks, and may be used for fla- vouring. 338. Tincture of Lemon or Seville Orange Peel.-Half fill a wide mouthed bottle with good spirits; shave the thin rind off the lemon, and put it into the bottle until it is full: it may be either strained off into bottles, or suffered to remain on the rind. 339. Spirits of mixed Spice.-Black pepper one ounce, allspice half an ounce, both finely powdered ; nutmeg quarter of an ounce, grated ; infuse in a pint of spirits of wine, strain, and bottle. MADE DISHES. There is little to be added to our general remarks on this subject, under the heads of Stewing, Hashing, Thickening, Flavouring, &c. Made dishes are almost innumerable. They are, however, nothing more than meat, poultry, or fish, stewed very gently till they are ten- der, with a thickening sauce of some kind or other poured over them. Their difference consists in their flavour, which may be so modified by an ingenious cook as to make them almost endless. Let our pre- liminary remarks on these subjects be well studied. We subjoin a few receipts. 340. Calf's Head. Take the half of one, with the skin on; put it into a large stew-pan, with as much water as will cover it, a knuckle of ham, and the usual accompaniments of onions, herbs, &c., and let it simmer till the flesh may be separated from the bone with a spoon; do so, and while still hot cut it into as large a sized square as a piece will admit of; the trimming and half the liquor put by in a tureen; to the remaining half add a gill of white wine, and reduce the whole of that, by quick boiling, till it is again half consumed, when it should be poured over the large square piece, in an earthen vessel, sur- rounded with mushrooms, white buttoned onion, small pieces of pickled pork, half an inch in breadth, and one and a half in length, and the tongue in slices, and simmered till the whole is fit to serve up; some brown force meat balls are a pretty addition. After this comes from table, the remains should be cut up in small pieces, and mixed up with the trimmings and liquor, which (with a little more wine,) pro- perly thickened, will make a very good mock turtle soup for a future occasion. 341. Hashed Meat.-Cut the meat into slices about the thickness of two shillings, trim off all the sinews, skin, and gristle, put nothing in but what is to be eaten, lay them on a plate ready; prepare your sauce to warm in it, put in the meat, and let it simmer gently till it MADE DISHE's. 101 is thoroughly warm; do not let it boil, as that will make the meat tough and hard. 342. Hashed Beef or Mutton. One tea-spoonful of Harvey sauce, one of Tomata sauce, the saine quantity of any other sauce; pepper, salt, cayenne, 'half a wine glass of port wine, and a couple of capsi- cums cut fine; mix with the remains of the gravy of the preceding day, of beef or mutton; if necessary to thicken, add one shake of the flour dredger. This is a good hash. 343. Sandwiches are an elegant and convenient luncheon, if nicely prepared; the bread should be neatly cut with a sharp knife; what- ever is used must be carefully trimmed from every bit of skin, gristle, &c., and nothing must be introduced but what you are absolutely cer- tain will be acceptable to the mouth. 344. A good Scotch Haggis.—Make the haggis-bag perfectly clean; parboil the draught, boil the liver very well, so as it will grate, dry the meat before the fire, mince the draught and a pretty large piece of beef very small; grate about half of the liver, mince plenty of suet and some onions small; mix all these materials very well to- gether, with a handful or two of the dried meal ; spread them on the table, and season them properly with salt and mixed spices; take any of the scraps of beef that are left from mincing, and some of the wa- ter that boiled the draught, and make about a quart of good stock of it; then put all the haggis meat into the bag, and that broth in it; then sew up the bag, but be sure to put out all the wind before you sew it quite close. If you think the bag is thin, you may put it in a cloth. If it is a large haggis, it will take at least two hours boiling. 345. Mr. Phillips's Irish Stew.—Take five thick mutton chops, or two pounds off the neck or loin; two pounds of potatoes, peel them, and cut them in halves; six onions, or half a pound of onions, peel and slice them also. First, put a layer of potatoes at the bottom of your stew-pan, then a couple of chops and some of the onions; then again potatoes, and so on, till the pan is quite full; a small spoonful of white pepper, and about one and a half of salt, and three gills of broth or gravy, and two tea-spoonfuls of mushroom catsup; cover all very close in, so as to prevent the steam from getting out, and let "them stew for an hour and a half on a very slow fire. A small slice of ham is a great addition to this dish. Great care should be taken not to let it burn. 346. Mutton Chops delicately stewed, and good Mutton Broth.- Put the chops into a stew-pan with cold water enough to cover them, and an onion; when it is coming to the boil, skim it, cover the pan close, and set it over a very slow fire till the chops are tender; if they have been kept a proper time, they will take about three-quarters of an hour very gentle simmering. Send up turnips with them-they may be boiled with the chops; skim well, and then send all up in a deep dish, with the broth they were stewed in. 347. Minced Collops.—Take beef, and chop and mince it very small, to which add some salt and pepper; put this, in its raw state, "into small jars, and pour on the top some clarified butter. When in- MA DE MEATS. 103 half the quantity, when it should be strained, and those parts of the hare which have been infused in the vinegar, should (with the whole contents of the dish) be added to it, and stewed till quite done. Those who like onions may brown half a dozen, stew them in part of the gravy, and dish them round the hare. Every ragoût should be dressed the day before it is wanted, that any fat which has escaped the skim- ming spoon may with ease be taken off when cold. 354.' Jugged Hare.—Wash it very nicely, cut it up in pieces proper to help at table, and put them into a jugging pot, or into a stone jar, just sufficirntly large to hold it well; put in some sweet herbs, a roll or two of rind of a lemon, and a fine large onion with five cloves stuck in it; and if you wish to preserve the flavour of the hare, a quarter of a pint of water; if you are for a ragoût, a quarter of a pint of claret or port wine, and the juice of a lemon. Tie the jar down closely with a bladder, so that no steam can escape; put a little hay in the bottom of the saucepan, in which place the jar; let the water boil for about three hours, according to the age and size of the hare (take care it is? not over-done, which is the general fault in all made dishes,) keep- ing it boiling all the time, and fill up the pot as it boils away. When quite tender, strain off gravy from fat, thicken it with flour, and give it a boil up; lay the hare in a soup dish, and pour the gravy to it. You may make a pudding the same as for roast hare, and boil it in a cloth, and when you dish your hare, cut it in slices, or make force meat balls of it for garnish. For sauce, currant jelly. Or a much easier and quicker way of proceeding is the following : Prepare the hare as for jugging; put it into a stew-pan with a few sweet herbs, half a dozen cloves, the same of allspice and black pepper, two large onions, and a roll of lemon peel; cover it with water; when it boils, skim it clean, and let it simmer gently till tender (about two hours ;) then take it up with a slice, set it by a fire to keep hot while you thicken the gravy; take three ounces of butter and some flour, rub together, put in the gravy, stir it well, and let it boil about ten mi- nutes; strain it through a sieve over the hare, and it is ready. 355. Slewed Rump Steaks. The steaks must be a little thicker chan for broiling ; let them all be the same thickness, or some will be done too little, and others too much. Put an ounce of butter into a stew-pan, with two onions; when the butter is melted, lay in the rump steaks, iet them stand over a slow fire for five minutes, then turn them, and let the other side of them fry five minutes longer. Have ready boiled a pint of button onions; they will take from half an hour to an hour; put the liquor they were boiled in to the steaks; if there is not enough of it to cover them, add broth or boiling water to make up enough for that purpose, with a dozen corns of black pepper, and a little salt, and let them simmer very gently for about an hour and a half, and then strain off as much of the liquor (about a pint and a half,) as you think will make the sauce. Put two ounces of butter in a stew-pan; when it is melted, stir in as much flour as will make it into a stiff paste; some add thereto a table-spoonful of claret or port wine, the same of mushroom catsup, half a tea-spoonful of salt, and MADE MEATS. 105 - 360 Veat Olives.---Cut half a dozen slices off a fillet of veal, half; an inch thick, and as long and square as you can; flat them with a chopper, and rub them over with an egg that has been beat on a plate;. cut some fat bacon as thin as possible, the same size as the veal; lay it on the veal, and rub it with a little of the egg; make a little veal force meat, and spread it very thin over the bacon; roll up the olives tight; rub them with an egg, and then roll them in fine bread crumbs; put them on a lark-spit, and roast them at a brisk fire; they will tako three-quarters of an hour. Rump steaks are sometimes dressed this. way. Mushroom sauce, brown or beef gravy. 361. Knuckle of Veal to ragoût.--Cut the knuckle of veal into slices of about half an inch thick; pepper, salt, and flour them; fry. them a light brown; put the triinmings in a stew-pan, with the bone, broke in several places; an onion shred, a head of celery, a bunch of sweet herbs, and two blades of bruised mace; pour in warm water enough to cover them about an inch; cover the pot close, and let it. stew very gently for a couple of hours; strain it, and then thicken it. with flour and butter; put in a spoonful of catsup, a glass of wine, and juice of half a lemon; give it a boil up, and strain into a clean, stew-pan; put in the meat, make it hot, and serve up. If celery is not to be had, use a carrot instead, or flavour it with celery seed. 362. Scotch Collops.—The veal must be cut the same as for cut- lets, in pieces about as big as a crown piece; flour them well, and fry them of a light brown, in fresh butter; lay them in a stew-pan; dredge them over with flour, and then put in as much boiling water as will cover the vea pour this in by degrees, shaking the stew-pan, and set it on the fire; when it comes to a boil, take off the scum, put in an onion, a blade of mace. and let it simmer very gently for three- quarters of an hour; lay them on'a dish, and pour the gravy through a sieve over them. Lemon juice and peel, wine, catsup, are some- times added. Add curry powder, and you have curry collops. : 363. Slices of Ham or Bacon.-Ham or bacon may be fried, or broiled on a gridiron over a lear fire, or toasted with a fork; take care to slice it of the same thickness in every part. If you wish it curled, cut it in slices about two inches long (if longer, the outside will be done too much before the inside is done enough); roll it up, and put a little wooden skewer through it; put it in a cheese-toaster, or dutch oven, for eight or ten minutes, turning it as it gets crisp. This is considered the handsomest way of dressing bacon; but we like it best uncurled, because it is crisper and more equally done. Slices of ham or bacon should not be more than half a quarter of an inch thick, and will eat much more mellow if soaked in hot water for a quarter of an hour, and then dried in a cloth before they are broiled. If you have any cold bacon, you may make a very nice dish of it, by cutting it into slices of about a quarter of an inch thick; grate some crusts of bread, as directed for ham, and powder them well with it; on both sides; lay the rashers in a cheese-toaster--they will be brown on one side in about three minutes--turn them, and do the other. These are delicious accompaniaments to poached or fried eggs. The . > 9 106 THE COMPLETE COOK. bacon having been boiled first, is tender and mellow. They are an excellent garnish round veal cutlets, or sweetbread, or calf's head hash, or green peas, or beans, &c. 364. À Devil.— The gizzard and rump, or legs, &c., of a dressed turkey, capon, or goose, or mutton or veal kidney, scored, peppered, salted, and broiled, sent up for a relish, being made very hot, has ob- tained the name of a “Devil." 365. Marrow Bones.--Saw the bones even, so that they will stand steady; put a piece of paste into the ends; set them upright in a saucepan, and boil till they are done enough; a beef marrow bone will require from an hour and a half to two hours; serve fresh toasted bread with them. 366. Ragout of Duck, or any other kind of Poultry or Game. Partly roast, then divide into joints, or pieces of a suitable size for helping at table. Set it on in a stew-pan, with a pint and a half of broth, or, if you have no broth, water, with any little trimmings of meat to enrich it; a large onion stuck with cloves, a dozen berries each of allspice and black pepper, and the rind of half a lemon shaved thin. When it boils skim it very clean, and then let it simmer gently, with the lid close, for an hour and a half. Then strain off the liquor, and take out the limbs, which keep hot in a basin or deep dish. Rinse the stew-pan, or use a clean one, in which put two ounces of butter, and as much flour or other thickening as will bring it to a stiff paste add to it the gravy by degrees. Let it boil up, then add a glass of port wine, a little lemon juice, and a tea-spoonful of salt; simmer a few minutes. Put the meat in a deep dish, strain the gravy over, and garnish with sippets of toasted bread. The flavour may be varied at pleasure, by adding catsup, curry powder, or any of the flavouring tinctures, or vinegar. ARTIFICIAL PREPARATIONS OF MEAT, FISH. &c., FOR DRESSING, SALTING, DRYING, &c. By the phrase "artificial preparations of meat,” we allude to those things which, before dressing, have to undergo the processes of salt ing, drying, smoking, pickling, &c. Before these meats can be cooked they must be prepared, and we, therefore, think it right (if for nothing else but the sake of order), to deviate from the line of pro ceeding of our predecessors, and to give directions for such prepara. tions previous to the recipes for cooking them. It is impossible, fo. instance, to dress salt meat before it is salted. SALTING. 367. There are many methods recommended for carrying this operation into effect. The following in our opinion are the best : Before salting, particularly in the summer, all the kernels, pipes, and veins, should be taken out of the meat, or all your salting will be in vain. The meat will not keep. The salt should be rubbed thorougbly SALTING. 107 and equally into every part of the meat, and great care should be taken to fill the holes with salt, where the kernels have been taken out, and where the butcher's skewers have been stuck. It is also necessary, directly meat comes into the house for salting, to wipe away any slime or blood that may appear. In very hot weather meat will not hang a single day without being liable to fly-blows; if once tainted, it will not take the salt. In winter it is best to let it hang for two or three days, but take care that it does not get frost-bitten. The salt should be heated in very cold weather before it is applied to the meat. 368. It is a good plan to slightly sprinkle meat with salt a day or two before finally salting; this will draw out the blood. But the first "brine should be thrown away, as it is apt to injure butcher's meat, and always has a tendency to make bacon rusty. The meat should be wiped thoroughly clean after the preparatory salting. 369. Different quantities of salt are recommended; a pound of salt is sufficient for a middling sized joint; for a round of beef of twenty- five pounds, a pound and a half should be rubbed in all at once, though others rub in a little at a time for two or three days; but at any rate it requires to be turned and rubbed every day with the brine. The less salt used the better, providing vou use enough to preserve the meat. Too much salt extracts the juices of the meat and makes it tough. Coarse sugar or treacle and bay salt are used by some in the following proportions: Two ounces of bay salt, two ounces of sugar, add three-quarters of a pound of coinmon salt. A little salt petre rubbed in will make the meat red, but is apt to harden it. 370. Meat should not be kept in salt any longer than is necessary to thoroughly cure it, In the course of four or five days it will be ready for dressing ; but if intended to be eaten cold, two or three days more will make it keep longer and improve its flavour. Some people let meat lie in salt for a fortnight, and perhaps this is necessary for large hams and thick pieces of beef , but much depends upon the quantity of brinę. If this be sufficient to cover the one-half of the meat, every time it is turned, less time will be required. 371, Hasty salling is sometimes necessary. When this is the case, rub half the quantity of salt to be used into the meat, which put in a warm place till the time of dressing. Before putting it into the pot, flour a coarse cloth and pack the meat in it; put it into the water when boiling. After it has boiled half of the usual time, that is, when it is half done, take it up, rub in the remainder of the salt and again pack it in a floured cloth: it should boil a little longer than when salted in the usual manner. Some persons simply boil it in very salt water, but the above plan is the best. 372. Flavoured salt meal may be made by pounding some sweet herbs, onions, &c., with salt, and it may be rendered still more relish- ing by the addition of a little zest, or savoury spice. 373. Pickling meat is effected as follows: there are other plans, but we prefer the method given in the Encyclopædia Britannica :- Six pounds of salt, one pound of sugar, and four ounces of saltpetre, 108 THE COMPLETE COOK. boiled in four gallons of water, skimmed and allowed to cool, forms å very strong pickle, which will preserve any meat completely im mersed in it. To effect this complete immersion, which is essential, either a flat stone or heavy board must be laid on the meat. The same pickle may be used repeatedly, provided it be boiled up occa- sionally with additional salt to restore its strength, diminished by the combination of part of the salt with the meat, and by the detection of the pickle by the juices of the meat extracted. By boiling, the albu- men (which would cause the pickle to spoil) is coagulated, and rises in the form of scum, which must be carefully removed. Albumen is so called because it resembles in appearance the white of an egg, and of whose nature it also partakes. It is a constituent in all meat. Pickled meat gains in weight; salted in the common way, that is, not immersed or covered with brine, it loses about one and a half in six- teen. 374. Jerked beef is made by cutting it into thin pieces, or slices, and dipping them into sea or salt water, and then drying them quickly in the sun. In the West Indies, where they can scarcely cure meat in the ordinary way on account of the excessive heat, they adopt the above method of preserving beef. 375. Curing bacon is effected by various methods: some use com- mon salt only, which answers the purpose very well, but others con- sider a mixture of salt and sugar or molasses to be preferable. The proportions are, common salt, bay salt, and coarse sugar, or molasses, two pounds each, saltpetre six ounces. The quantity used must de- pend upon the size of the hog to be cured. The blood should be tho- roughly drawn out of the meat by common salt before finally dressed for curing, and the dirty brine thrown away. Finely powder and dry the salt, and let it be well rubbed in ; the heavier the hand employed, the sooner the bacon will be cured. The flitches must be always kept with the rind downwards. The top flitch must be put every day for a month at the bottom-thus changing them all round. Some use bay salt only, others rub in a little saltpetre, for the purpose of red- dening the lean of the bacon (see Drying, No. 381.) 376. Hams. The modes of curing hams are various in different parts of the country, and by different people. We give the follow- ing: For three hams about twenty pounds each, take common salt and coarse sugar two pounds each, bay salt and saltpetre six ounces each, black pepper four ounces, juniper berries two ounces; mix together, and grind or pound, and dry before the fire; rub this mixture, while warm, into the hams, and then add as much common salt as will en- tirely cover them. In two or three days pour over the hams a pound of molasses; baste them with the pickle every day for a month, put- ting each day the top ham to the bottom; drain and smoke (see Dry- ing and Smoking ;) or, take two quarts of water, two pounds of salt, four ounces of saltpetre, one pound of bay salt, two pounds of ino- lasses ; boil all together, and when cold pour the mixture over the ham, but do not rub them. To give a smoky flavour, some persons recommend a pint of tar water to be poured into the brine! This DRYING, SMOKING, &c. 109 pickle is sufficient for two moderately sized hams, they will require to be about three weeks in pickle, when they must be drained, and sewed up separately in coarse hessens wrappers, and hung to dry, in a kitchen of moderate temperature, or laid upon a bacon rack. 377. Yorkshire hams are completely covered with the following pickle, in quantities according to the meat to be cured: Common salt, a peck; bay salt, five pounds; saltpetre and sal prunel, of each two ounces, all pounded together. Having thoroughly cleansed your hands, rub thoroughly in this mixture, and lay the rest over them; after lying three days, take out the meat and boil the pickle in two gallons of water; put in as much common salt as will make the pickle bear an egg ; skim and strain : when cold, pour it over the meat, and let it lie a fortnight. Yorkshire hams are not smoked. 378. Tongues, chines, chops, fc.-The pickle first given in 376 will answer for tongues, &c. * A neat's tongue will take a fortnight to pickle, a calf's or hog's tongue eight or ten days, a small chine ten days, or not more than a fortnight; a large one, nearly three weeks. 379. Mutton hams.- The following is a good pickle for mutton hams and tongues of all kinds. Take equal parts of common salt, bay salt, and coarse sugar; to every pound of this mixture add of saltpetre and sal prunel one ounce each, and of black pepper, allspice, juniper ber- ries, and coriander seed, half an ounce each ; bruise or grind altoge- ther, and dry before the fire; apply this mixture hot. 380. Hung or Dutch beef.-Hang a fine tender round of beef, or the silver part only, for three or four days, or as long as the weather will allow; then rub it well with the coarsest sugar (about a pound will do,) two or three tiines a day, for three or four days. The sugar having thoroughly penetrated the meat, wipe it dry, and apply the following mixture : Four ounces each of common salt and bay salt, two ounces each of saltpetre and sal prunel, one ounce each of black pepper and allspice. Rub them well in every day for a fortnight; then roll up the beef tight, and bind or sew it in a coarse cloth, and smoke it. (See 381, &c.) Boil a part as it may be wanted, press it with a heavy weight till cold, when it may be grated for sandwiches. It will keep a long time. DRYING, SMOKING, &c. 381. Drying may be effected by simply draining your salted or pickled meat, and hanging it within the warmth of a fire in a dry, kitchen, but smoked dried meat is preferred by most persons, and cer tainly deserves the preference. The fuel employed for this porpose must be wood; sawdust (not deal or fir sawdust) is generally em- ployed. Care must be taken not to melt or scorch the meat; if dried in a common kitchen chimney, it must be hung high enough. The fire must be kept in a smothering state, which may be easily done with sawdust, and in a place set apart for smoking; it is or ought to be kept burning slowly night and day. The best way is to send your meat to persons who make a business of smoking-(not tobacco.) Do 9* 112 THE COMPLETE COOK. place, provided they are dressed before they are cold, that is, before the sinews and muscles have become set; once set, they must be suffered to relax by keeping, before the animal, whether game or poultry, or any other creature, is fit for dressing. Take a fowl, kill it, put it into an oven, or amongst hot ashes, while it is still warna with life, without picking off the feathers or taking out the entrails, and it will be delicately tender eating, and perfectly sweet. The feathers will be burnt away, and the entrails are taken out in the shape of a ball; the gypsies understand this mode of cooking. A military friend of ours partook of part of a calf roasted alive in the burning of the buildings of a farm-yard, in an enemy's country; he was not particularly hungry, but he says he never ate meat more deli- cious and tender. We mention these things merely to illustrate a principle, not as an example to be followed. In this country it is im- practicable to dress butcher's meat while still warm with life; in hot countries it is nearly always done. 394. For keeping meat from becoming putrescent, recipes, of which the following is the substance, were published some years ago, and sold at the enormous price of seven shillings and sixpence: Take a quart of the best vinegar, two ounces of lump sugar, two ounces of salt; boil these ingredients together for a few minutes, and when cold, anoint with a brush the meat to be preserved. For fish, the mixture is directed to be applied inside ; for poultry, inside and out. Of course both fish and poultry are to be cleansed. 395. Pyroligneous acid, either with or without the sugar and salt, would be much more effectual; besides, it possesses, to a certain ex- tent, the property of not only preventing putrescency, but of curing it when commenced. ON THE USE OF ACIDS IN DRESSING FOOD. On perusing our work previous to going to press, we do not think that we have dealt sufficiently on the use of vinegar in dressing food. Of pyroligneous acid in the preservation and curing of meats, we have treated pretty largely. In all stews, and most made dishes, the flavour is much improved, and we think the food rendered more digestible, by the moderate use of vinegar: we recommend, how- ever, none but the best vinegar, which ought to be applied to the meat previous to its being put in the stew-pan. We will give for example the following receipt for 396. Brazilian Stew.- Take shin or leg of beef; cut it into slices or pieces of two or three ounces each; dip it in good vinegar, and, with or without onions, or any other flavouring or vegetable sub- stances, put it in a stew-pan, and without water ; let it stand on a stew-hearth, or by a slow fire, for two three, or four hours, when it will be thoroughly done, will have yielded plenty of gravy, and be as " tender as a chicken." Great care must be taken that the heat is sufficiently moderate. This is the usual mode of dressing all descrip- tions of meat in the Brazils. We have recommended leg or shin of THE COMPLETE COOK, summer. sack peas. tatoes raised by artificial means--may be valued as great rarities, but for nothing else. We may assert the same thing of nearly all other vegetables. Sea kale and early rhubarb are, perhaps, exceptions, All vegetables should be ripe; that is, ripe as vegetables; otherwise, like fruits, they are bad tasted and unwholesome. To eat peas or potatoes in perfection, you must eat them not much before Mid- 402. With regard to the quality of vegetables, the middle size are to be preferred to the very large. Green vegetables, such as savoys, cabbages, cauliflowers, &c., should be eaten fresh, before the life is out of them. When once dead, they are good for nothing but the dunghill. This description of vegetables will live a long time after they are cut, but the fresher they are the better. Any one may easily see if they have been kept too long. There are two ways of sending peas to market, the one is, by packing them in sacks, where they fre- quently become heated, and, of course, in a great measure spoilt. The other is, by sending them in sieves, which is by far the best way, but, being somewhat more expensive, sieve peas fetch a higher price than 403. Greens, roots, salads, &c. &c., when they have lost their fresh- ness by long keeping, may be refreshed a little by putting them in cold spring water for an hour or two before they are dressed; but this process will not make them equal to those which are gathered just be- fore they are boiled. 404. The following remarks, by a writer in the Edin. Encyclo. on this subject, are very just, and well worth the perusal :-"Most vege. tables, being more or less succulent, require their full proportion of fuids for retaining that state of crispness and plumpness which they have when growing. "On being cut or gathered, the exhalation from their surface continues, while, from the open vessels of the cut sur. face, there is often great exudation or evaporation, and thus their na. tural moisture is diminished, the tender leaves become flaccid, and the thicker masses, or roofs, lose their plumpness. This is not only less pleasant to the eye, but is a real injury to the nutritious powers of the vegetable ; for in this flaccid and shrivelled state its fibres are less divided in chewing, and the water which exists in vegetable sub- stances in the form of their respective natural juices, is directly nutritious. The first care, therefore, in the preservation of succulent vegetables is, to prevent them from losing their natural moisture." 405. To preserve colour, or give colour, in cookery, many good dishes are spoilt. This is a great folly. Taste, nourishment, and digestibility, ought to be the only considerations in the dressing of food. 406. When vegetables are quite fresh gathered, they require much less boiling than those that have been kept. According to. Kitch- iner, fresh vegetables are done in one-third less time than stal 407. Strong-scented vegetables, we need scarcely say, ough to be kept apart. If onions, leeks, and celery, are laid amongst suc del cate things as cauliflowers, they will spoil in a very short time DRESSING PO 115 VEGETABLES. 408 Succulent vegetables, such as cabbages, and all sorts of greens, are best preserved in a cool, damp, and shady place. Potaloes, tur, nips, carrots, and similar roots, intended to be stored up, should never, on any account, be cleaned from the earth adhering to them, till they are to be dressed. Never buy washed potatoes, &c. from your shopkeeper; have them with the soil about them, and wash them just before they are boiled. 409. As the action of frost destroys the life of vegetables, and causes them speedily to rot, and as the air also injures them, all roots should be protected by laying them in heaps, burying them in sand or earth, and covering them with straw or mats. There are, however, some sorts of winter greens, such as savoys, &c., which are made much better and more tender by frost. PARTICULAR DIRECTIONS FOR DRESSING VEGE. TABLES. * 410. Cauliflowers.-Take off the outer leaves; round such as are young, leave just one leaf; put them with some salt into boiling wa- ter; boil according to size, from fifteen to twenty minutes; try the stalk with a fork ; when the stalk feels tender, and the fork is easily withdrawn, the flower is done; take up instantly, with a wire ladle. Both brocoli and cauliflower, unless boiled till they are tender, are neither pleasant to the taste, nor wholesome to the body; but over- boiling will break and spoil them. Sauce, melted butter. 411. Brocoli. Choose close firm heads, nearly of a size. Put them into boiling water with salt; allow them plenty of room in boil. ing, or they will break; and boil them fast, or they will lose their co- lour. They will take from ten minutes to half an hour, according to the size of the heads. When the stalks are tender, which you can know by putting a fork up the middle of the stalk, they are done. Take them up with a wire ladle, that the water may run off without bruising the heads. Serve on a buttered toast. Sauce, melted butter. 412. Cabbage.-Large full-grown cabbage and savoys will take half an hour or more in boiling. Strip all the outside leaves till you come to the white quick grown ones; then shave the stocks of the leaves that are left on, and score the stalk a little way up. Drain them carefully when boiled, and serve them on a drainer. 413. Young Coleworts and Sprouts-Do not be too saving in trimming, sprouts, as harsh or bad leaves will spoil a whole dish. They will take from ten minutes to a quarter of an hour in boiling. Be careful in draining, so as not to spoil the shape of the heads. Cold cabbage may be fried and served with fried beef. It will ro. quire a little bit of butter, a little good gravy, and a little pepper and salt. Shake it about well, and let it remain no longer in the pan than is necessary to make it hot through. 414. Red Cabbage. This is sometimes stewed, for eating with bouilli beef. Take a small red firm cabbage; wash, pick, and cut it DRESSING VEGETABLES. 117 salt, and sugar, as above; stew very gently for two hours; then beat up an egg, and stir in with an ounce of butter. 420. Carrots.-Wash them well before you put them into the pot. They are best boiled with meat which they do not injure. If they are young they will boil in twenty minutes or half an hour ; large old ones will take two hours to boil them tender; do not quarter car- rots to boil-it renders them tasteless. If they are young, leave on a little of the top, and rub them with a coarse cloth; old ones are best rubbed after they are boiled; the skin comes from them more easily. Never scrape carrots_if they are rough, brush them. Sauce, melted butter. 421. Windsor Beans. -Young beans are best when the eyes are of a green colour; when the eyes are dark, they are old and eat strong: young beans will boil from twenty minutes to half an hour. Put them into plenty of boiling water, and a spoonful of salt; if you boil them after they become tender, the skins will shrivel; boil a large bunch of parsley with them; chop some for parsley and butter. Stir a lump of butter with them, and put a little parsley in the dish for garnish. 422. French or Kidney Beans.-The smooth or dwarf beans come in earliest, but the scarlet runners are considered the best ; choose them young and nearly of a size, top and tail them, slit them down the middle and cut across. If they are old, take the skin from each side ; put them in boiling water with some salt; boil them fast from len minutes to a quarter of an hour; stir with them a lump of butter. Sauce, melted butter. 423. Harricot Beans are the seeds of French beans, full grown; they are sometimes called colly beans. Stew them in gravy, thickened with flour and cream, or they may be fried in butter; stir in a lump of butter when in the dish, a little pepper, salt, and nutmeg, then put in some gravy. - 424. Jerusalem Artichokes.-Scrub them clean, and put them into the pot with cold water; throw in a handful of salt, do not let them be covered with water, and leave off the lid; they take about the same time boiling as potatoes. When they are tender they are done; drain them and peel them. Keep them as hot as possible; they may be kept hot by putting them in a dish over another dish in which is hot water. Sauce, melted butter and vinegar, or good thick gravy. 1-425. Asparagus. -Scrape the stalks clean; tie them in bundles with bass, put them in boiling water with a little salt in it; a tin saucepan is - best. If they are fresh, they will be done in ten or :welve minutes; if they are not fresh, they will take a little longer. Take up the moment they are tender, otherwise the heads will be broken, the flavour spoilt, and the colour spoilt; take them up very carefully with a slice, cut the bass, just dip some toasted bread in the liquor in which the asparagus has been boiled, put it on a drainer with a little melted butter, and the heads of the asparagus should be .aid inwards round the dish; or they may be laid on a buttered toast. 426. Artichokes. Soak in cold water; put them into plenty of 10 118 THE COMPLETE COOK. I boiling water, throw in a handful of salt. They require an hour and a half or two hours in boiling. Try them by pulling a leaf; if it draw out easily, they are done; drain them on a sieve, or serve on a vegetable drainer. Sauce, melted butter and vinegar. 427. Red Beet-root.-Boil them whole, put them in boiling water; they require from an hour and a half to three hours in boiling. If for garnish, leave them whole till wanted for use, then scrape and cut up into slices. If for salads, scrape and cut in slices hot, and pour cold vinegar over them. For stewing, boil them an hour or more, then skin and slice them; season them with pepper and salt, and stew till tender, with young onions, in good gravy: when nearly done, stir in a bit of butter rolled in flour and cream: this is a pleasant and nourishing dish. They may be baked dry in the same manner as potatoes, and eaten with cold butter, salt, and pepper. 428. White Beet-root. This useful and wholesome plant affords two very pleasing varieties. The leaves stripped from their large fibrous stalks resemble spinach. Pat in boiling water and boil them very fast; they take but a few minutes; drain, and press them very dry. Sauce, melted butter. The stalks tie in bundles, dress as asparagus. Sauce, melted butter and vinegar. 429. Herbs to fry to eat with liver, or with rashers and eggs. Clean and drain four handfuls of young spinach, and two of young lettuce leaves, two handfuls of parsley and one of young onions chopped small; set them over the fire in a stew-pan; put one ounce of butter and some pepper and salt; close the pan up and shake it well, and when it boils, set it on the hob or stove to simmer slowly till the herbs are tender. Serve them on a dish with the liver, or rashers and eggs; lay them on the herbs. 430. Kale, Sea and Scotch. -- This last kale is a favourite sort of greens for winter and spring; the heads should not be gathered before November. These will take a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes fast boiling; put them into boiling water. The sprouts, which in spring are very abundant, will boil in a few minutes. Sauce, melted butter. Sea Kale is boiled tied up in bunches, like asparagus. It is eaten with rich gravy, or thick melted butter, and may be served on toasted bread. 431. Celery makes an excellent addition to salads; it also gives an agreeable favour to soups and sauce, and is sometimes stewed as an accompaniment to boiled or stewed meat. Wash six or eight heads, and take off the outer leaves ; cut the heads up in bits three or four inches long. Stew them till tender in half a pint of veal broth, or white gravy; then add two spoonsful of cream and an ounce of butter rolled in flour, season with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, and simmer the whole together. The leaves will do to flavour soup that is to be strained. 432. Mushrooms.-The large flap mushrooms are excellent broiled. Huve a very clear fire; make the bars of the gridiron very clean, and DRESSING VEGETABLES. 119 rub them with mutton 'suet to prevent them from sticking; a few minutes will broil them. When they steam out, sprinkle them with pepper and salt; have ready a very hot dish, and when they are taken up, lay a bit or two of butter under and over each. To stew them, put them in a small saucepan with pepper and salt, a bit of butter and a spoonful or two of gravy of roast meat or cream; shake them about, and when they boil they are done. 433. Morels resemble mushrooms in their growth and many other respects, and are usually dressed in the same manner. It is not possible, however, to make catsup from them, which shows that they do not possess the same qualities as mushrooms. For a stew or ragoût of morels, take off their stalks; split them, if large, into two or three pieces; wash them and put them into a basin of warm water, and cleanse them from the sand, &c. ; then blanch, drain and put them into a stew-pan, with a piece of butter and some lemon juice. -Moisten, after a few turns in the stew-pan, with either brown or white sauce. There are various other modes of dressing them, but as morels are not much eaten in this country, the above may suffice. Morels are of a higher and finer flavour in Eastern countries than here, 434. Truffles. These are a very curious description of vegetables; chey grow under ground, no part of the plants ever being seen on the surface. It is like the mushroom kind, a species of fungus, and is propagated by seed which is nurtured by the decaying of the old plant. They are found about ten inches below the surface of the earth, dogs being trained to discover them by their scent. The truffle has a very rich, tart, and high flavour when fresh and in season, but loses it when dried, or out of season. They are not very common in America, but they are found in great quantities in France and Italy. A writer in Rees's Cyclopædia informs us, that “ truffles are generally in seed about August, when they are of a fine high flavour and agree- able smell; continue good till the beginning of winter, and sometimes as late as Mareh; but those gathered between March and July are small, wbite, and of a poor flavour. The same authority, in the same article, intimates that truffles are tenderest and best in spring, though easiest found in autumn; the wet swelling them and the thunder and lightning disposing them to throw out their scents: bence by the ancients they were called thunder-roots. Hogs are fond of them; hence the common people call them swine-bread.” It is now, the editor may observe, a well-established fact, that truffles are not good after March, or before August. They require a great deal of wash- ing and brushing, in several waters, before they can be applied to culi- nary purposes. When fresh and fine they are very rich, and are a very delicious addition to some dishes. They may be, and frequently are, stewed like mushrooms, and prepared in other ways, and eaten by themselves. 435. Cucumbers may be stewed in the same way as celery, with the addition of some sliced onions; or the cucumbers and onions may (120 THE COMPLETE COOK.' be first floured and fried in butter; then add the gravy, and stew till tender; skim off the fat. 436. Parsnips.-Clean and dress just the same as carrots, they require boiling from one hour to two, according to their size and freshness; they should be drained well, and set on the hob in a dry saucepan to steam; they are sometimes mashed with butter, pepper, salt, and cream, or milk, the same as turnips; they are eaten alone, or with salt beef or salt pork. Sauce, melted butter and vinegar. POTATOES. 437. In our directions for dressing vegetables, we speak lastly of potatoes not because the cooking of this every-day food is of the least iinportance, but because, on the contrary, it is of the greatest. There are few persons, simple as the process may appear to be, who can cook potatoes well with certainty. Potatoes from the same ground, and of the same kind, dressed by the same cook, may come to table one day palatable and nutritious, and the next the very re- verse of these qualities. How does this happen? The cook acts upon no principle. By accident the potatoes may be boiled well, and by accident they may be boiled bad : in one word, the boiling of potatoes is, with the generality of cooks, all chance work. A friend of ours, Mr. John Barker, the attorney, no mean judge in such mat- ters, always averred, that a woman who could boil potatoes and melt butter well, was a good cook; he never requires any other proof of the capabilities of a cook. The fact is, those who thoroughly under- stand the elements of any art or science, find little or no difficulty in what are called the higher branches. It is for this reason that we have, in our little work, dwelt so much upon elementary principles, in preference to filling it up with long receipts, which every body may obtain, but which do not teach any principle of the art of cookery. Dr. Kitchiner observes, that "the vegetable kingdom affords no food more wholesome, more easily procured, easily prepared, and less ex- pensive, than the potatoe." This is perfectly true, and yet how few are there that can boil potatoes properly! In Ireland, as every body knows, potatoes constitute almost entirely the food of the great mass of the people; in Ireland, therefore, necessity must have taught the people the best mode of cooking them. Their process is this: the potatoes, unpeeled, that is with their jackets on, after being washed, are put into a cast-iron pot of cold water, which is placed on the fire. When the water boils, a small quantity of cold water is put into the pot to check the boiling; this is once or twice repeated. When the potatoes are done, or nearly done, the water is poured away from the potatoes, which are again subjected to the fire to let the steam evapo- rate, and make the potatoes mealy. They are then served up in the usual way, (we are speaking of the tables of the middling classes,) and each person takes as many potatoes as he chooses; he peels them, depositing the skins by the side of his plate. In the course of the 3*, POTATOES. 121 dinner the potatoes on the table will become cold, when a fresh supply is ordered, and when furnished, the host calls out to his guest, “a hot potatoe, Sir.” Before the dinner is finished, you will have two or three supplies of hot potatoes, and the last, though all from the same. pot, are to our taste better than the first. They are all the time kept on the fire; the action of the heat completely evaporates the moisture from the potatoes, and those at the bottom of the iron pot become part tially roasted. . Such is the Irish mode of dressing potatoes, and if we could reconcile ourselves to the bother" of peeling them, and to the disagreeable appearance of a table-cloth nearly covered with potatoe skins, there is no doubt that we should consider the Irish way of dressing and serving potatoes the best. The generality of modern cookery books recommend the dressing of potatoes with their skins on, like the Irish, but direct that they should be peeled before sent to the table; this mode spoils the potatoes by cooling them; when so dressed, they should be eaten hot. We recommend that potatoes, ex- cepting when young, for the table, should be always pared, carefully pared, before they are boiled: that they should be put into cold water with salt, and boiled quickly, till they are nearly done; that then the water should be poured off , and the potatoes again subjected to the fire, covered with a close lid, till they are quite done, when the lid ought to be removed, and the moisture evaporated. They may be then mashed, or served whole. The cook should take care to have potatoes pretty much of an equal size, or, if this be not practicable, she should divide the large ones. We ought, however, to add, with regard to peeling potatoes, that most people very fond of this root insist upon it, that you do not get the true flavour if you do not dress it with the skin on. Let it be always remembered, that potatoes differ very much in quality, and that no cook can dress a bad potatoe into a good one. This brings us to the choice of potatoes. We can lay down no rule, notwithstanding what former writers have said, for the choice of potatoes. As it is with pudding, so it is with potatoes--the proof is in the eating. The dealers in nuts say, “Crack and try before you buy," and we say as regards potatoes, Boil and try before you buy ; the expenditure of one half-penny will enable you to do this. Dr. Kitchiner says, that "reddish coloured potatoes are better than the white, but the yellowish ones are the best.” The colour of a potatoe is no criterion of its goodness or badness; there are good of all colours, and there are bad of all colours. You should never buy washed potatoes; they should never be washed till they are to be used, and as little as possible exposed to the open air. When frost- bitten, they are good for nothing as regards culinary purposes. There are various directions given by writers for dressing potatoes, some of which we subjoin. Kitchiner says, that “most boiled things are spoiled by having too little water; but potatoes are often spoiled by too much." It is sufficient to just cover them with water. Potatoes may be boiled well according to either of the subjoined methods; but after trying all, we prefer our own. 10 * 122 THE COMPLETE COOK. 438. Potatoes to boil. -To boil, choose them all of a size, that they may be all done together; put them on with cold water, and a spoon- ful of salt, in a saucepan larger than they require, without the lid, and with not quite water enough to cover them. When they boil, put in a little cold water; do this twice or three times as they come to boil. When a fork will easily go into them, strain off, and put the saucepan on the hob for two minutes, for the steam to evaporate. If done too soon, fold a coarse cloth and cover them up immediately, to keep them hot and mealy; but they are best served immediately they are done. Another Method. The best method in the opinion of some, is to wash the potatoes quite clean and put them in the saucepan with a large table spoonful of salt, and cover them with water; but when they boil up, pour three parts of the water away, put the lid on the saucepan, and set them where they will boil, but not very fast. Ob- serve if the skins are cracked; if not, carefully crack them with a fork to let the watery matter contained in the potatoe out'; this you cannot do until they are nearly done. When they are boiled suffi- ciently, drain all the water away; take off the lid, and hold them over the fire for a minute, giving them a gentle shake. They are best served immediately, while they are dry and hot. This method is good in a small family, but where there are a great many to dine it would be best to pare them, and take out all the eyes with the point of your knife; wash them, put them in the saucepan with a large table-spoonful of salt, cover them with water, and when they boil, pour three parts of the water off, close the saucepan, and let them boil gently; when done, dry them over the fire. As potatoes should be always served hot, by this method you lose no time in taking off the skins. 439. Potatoes to steam.—Let the potatoes be washed, and put into the steamer, when the water boils in the saucepan beneath; they will take about three-quarters of an hour to steam, and should be taken up as soon as done, or they become watery. 440. To roast.-Wash and dry potatoes all of a size ; put them in a dutch oven, or cheese toaster, or in the oven by the side of the fire; take care that the heat is not too great, or they will burn before they are baked through. They may be parboiled first; in that case they will take less time in baking. 441. Potatoes mashed.- When the potatoes are thoroughly boiled or steamed, drain them dry, pick out every speck, and while hot rub them through a colander into a clean saucepan, in which warm them, stirring in half an ounce or an ounce of butter, and a table spoonful of milk, with a little pepper and salt; do not make them too wet; then put them into the scallop shells, or pudding shells buttered, th tops washed over with the yolk of an egg, and browned in an oven by the side of the fire; but best in a dutch oven. Some people con- sider a mixture of boiled onions an improvement. 442. Potatoes roasted under meat. Parboil large potatoes; peel them, and put them in an earthen dish, or small tin pan, under meat SALADS. 123 that is roasting. They will partake of the basting, salting, and flour- ing, that are put on the meat; when one side is brown, turn and brown the other. They may be baked in the same manner in an oven. 443. Potatoes fried or broiled. - Cut cold potatoes into slices a quarter of an inch thick, and fry them brown in a clean dripping-pan. Some people like them shaved in little thin pieces, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and stirred about in the frying-pan till hot through. They are very good fried whole; first dip them in egg and roll them in bread crumbs; they are likewise very good broiled on a gridiron, after being partially boiled. Cold potatoes, which are generally thrown a way, are very good when broiled. 444. Potatoe Balls.--Mix mashed potatoes with a beaten egg, roll them in balls and fry them, either with or without crumbs. 445. Potatoe Snow. --Wash very clean some potatoes of a white mealy sort; set them on in cold water, and boil them according to the first direction; when done, strain the water from them, crack the skins, put them by the fire until they are quite dry and fall to pieces; then rub them through a wire sieve on the dish they are to be served on, and do not disturb them. SALADS. 446. Among the principal salad herbs we may reckon lettuce, of which the white cos in summer, and in winter the brown Dutch cos and brown cos, are the best; endive, of which the curled leaf is pre- ferred; corn-salad and water-ciess, both of which are preferred when the leaves have a brownish cast; mustard and cress, or small salad. ing, of which a succession may be kept up through the spring months; celery, young, crisp, and well blanched. All or any of these may be united in the composition of a salad. Cucumbers, either sliced by themselves, or mixed with other articles. Radishes give a lively appearance, by way of garnish, to a salad, but are not themselves improved by dressing. Red-beet also is much in request for winter salads, especially mixed with endive, Young onions or escalions are liked by inany people, but much disliked by others; therefore they should not be mixed in the bowl, but sent up on a small dish by them. selves. Sorrel gives a pleasing acid taste; and pimpernel, or burnet, gives a flavour resembling that of cucumber. Dandelion, if well grown and well blanched with a tile or slate (in the same manner as endive), is equally good and wholesome. Let the ingredients of the salad be well picked, and washed and dried; but do not add the dressing till just before eating, as it is apt to make the salad Aabby. The most simple way of dressing a salad is, perhaps, the best ; certainly the most wholesome; merely salt, oil, and vinegar, to taste; one table-spoonful of the best olive oil to three of vinegar, is a good proportion. For those who do not like oil, or when it is not at hand, the following may be used as a substitute : The gravy that has dropped from roasted meat, good sweet thick cream, a bit of fresh butter rubbed up with fine moist sugai, or just 124 THE COMPLETE COOK. melted, without either flour or water; great care must be taken in thus, melting the butter, or it will be apt to oil or curdle; it must be shaken one way only, and kept near the fire no longer than is neces- sary to dissolve the lumps on no account suffered to boil. Eggs boiled for salads require ten or twelve minutes boiling, and should immediately be plunged into cold water. In the more complicated preparation of a salad, great care must be taken that every additional ingredient is thoroughly well blended be- fore proceeding to add another. Prepare the dressings in the bowl, and add the herbs; after stirring them in, take care that all the various colours are displayed. The coral of a lobster or a crab makes a beautiful variety with a lettuce, onion, radish, beet, and white of egg. The following are the ordinary proportions, but various tastes will suggest variety : The yolks of two eggs rubbed very smooth with a very rich cream; if perfectly rubbed and quite cold, they will form a smooth paste without straining; a tea-spoonful each of thick mustard, salt, and powdered loaf-sugar, or a little cayenne instead of mustard, less than half of the mustard ; when these are well rubbed in, add two table-spoonfuls of oil (or whichever of its substitutes is adopted), and then four spoonfuls of the best white wine vinegar; then lay the herbs lightly on. Cucumbers are only to be pared and sliced, with slices of onion, which correct their crudity, and render them less unwholesome; the pickle for them consists of pepper, salt, oil, and vinegar. VINEGARS FLAVOURED. Vinegar is employed in extracting flavours as well as spirits and wine. But such extracts are principally used with salads, or as relishes to cold meats, and in a few instances to flavour sauces and soups; but, in English cookery, flavours extracted by sherry wine are preferred for soup. 447. Vinegar for Salads. —Take three ounces each of tarragon, chives, eschalots, savoury, a handful of the tops of balm and mint, all dry and pounded; put these into a wide-mouthed bottle, with a gallon of the best vinegar, cork it close and set it in the sun, and in a fort. night strain it off, and press the herbs to get out all the juice; let it stand a day to settle, and then strain it through a filtering bag. 448. Basil Vinegar or Wine. — Sweet basil is in perfection about the middle of August; gather the fresh green leaves, quite free from stalk, and before it flowers; fill a wide-mouthed bottle with them, fill it with vinegar or wine, and steep them ten days; if you want a very strong essence, strain the liquor, put it on some fresh leaves, and let them steep fourteen days more; strain it and bottle, cork it close; it is a very agreeable addition to cold meat, soups, sauces, and to the mixture generally made for salads. A table-spoonful, when the soup is ready, impregnates a tureen-full with the basil and acid flavours at a very little expense, when fresh basil and lemons are very dear. CATSUPS... 125 The flavour of other sweet or savoury herbs may be preserved in the same manner, by infusing them in wine or vinegar. 449. Burnet Vinegar is made exactly in the same way as the above, and imparts the flavour of cucumbers so exactly, when steeped in vinegar, that the nicest palate could not distinguish it from the fruit itself. This is a nice relish to cold meat, salads, &c. Burnet is best in season from Midsummer to Michaelmas, 450. Cress or Celery Vinegar. - Pour over a quart of the best vinegar to an ounce of celery or cress seeds, when dried and pounded; let thero steep ten days, shake it every day, then strain and bottle in small bottles. 451. Horse-radish Vinegar.- Pour a quart of best vinegar on three ounces of scraped horse-radish, one drachm of cayenne, and an ounce of shred eschalot; let it stand a week. This is very cheap, and you have an excellent relish for cold beef, salads, &c. Horse- radish is in perfection in November. 452. Garlic, Onion, or Eschalot Vinegar. - Put and chop two ounces of the root, pour over them a quart of the best vinegar, in a Bottle, shake it well every day for ten days; then pour off the clear liquor into half-pint bottles. A few drops of the garlic will flavour a pint of gravy, as it is very powerful. 453. Tarragon Vinegar. Fill a wide-mouthed bottle with fresh gathered tarragon leaves. They should be gathered on a dry day, just before it flowers, between Midsummer and Michaelmas. Pick the leaves off the stalks, and dry them a little before the fire; cover them with the best vinegar, and let them steep fourteen days; then strain them through a flannel jelly-bag till it is fine, then pour it into half-pint bottles, cork them tight, and keep them in a dry place. 454. Elder Flower Vinegar is prepared in the same manner as above, and other herbs also. 455. Green Mint Vinegar is made exactly the same way, and the same proportions, as basil vinegar. In housed lamb season, green mint is sometimes not to be got, it is then a welcome substitute. 456. Camp Vinegar.--Take four table-spoonfuls of soy, a quarter of an ounce of cayenne pepper, six anchovies, bruised and chopped, walnut pickle à quarter of a pint, a clove of garlic shred fine; steep the whole for a month in a quart of the best vinegar, shake it four or five times a week, strain it through a tamis, and put it in half-pint bottles, close corked and sealed, or dipped in bottle cement. 457. Capsicum, Cayenne, or Chili Vinegar. — Pound fifty fresh red chilies, or capsicums, or a quarter of an ounce of cayenne pepper; steep in a pint of the best vinegar for a fortnight. CATSUPS. These rank high, and deservedly so, amongst the lists of flavour. ings, particularly mushroom catsup, with the directions for the making of which we have been at considerable pains. You cannot be certain of having it good, unless you make it yourself, for no article is 126 THE COMPLETE COOK. more adulterated and diluted than this most delicious and useful flavourer. 458. Walnut Catsup. -Take three half sieves of walnut shells, put them into a tub, mix them up well with common salt, about a pound and a half. Let them stand six days, frequently beating and washing them; by this time the shells become soft and pulpy , then by banking them up on one side of the tub, raising the tub on the same side, the liquor will run clear off to the other; then take that liquor out. The mashing and banking may be repeated as long as any liquor runs. The quantity will be about three quarts. Simmer it in an iron pot as long as any scum rises; then add two ounces of allspice, two ounces of ginger, bruised; one ounce of long pepper, one ounce of cloves, with the above articles; let it boil slowly for half an hour; when bottled, take care that an equal quantity of spice goes into each bottle; let the bottles be quite filled up, cork them tight, and seal them over. Put them into a cool and dry place, for one year before they are used. 459. Oyster Catsup.--Take fine large fresh oysters, open them carefully, and wash them in their own liquor, to take any particle of shell that may remain, strain the liquor afte Pound the oysters in a mortar, add the liquor, and to every pint put a pint of sherry, boil it up and skim, then add two anchovies, pounded, an ounce of common salt, two drachms of pounded mace, and one of cayenne. Let it boil up, skim it, and rub it through a sieve. Bottle it when cold, and seal it. What remains in the sieve will do for oyster sauce. 460. Cockle and Muscle Catsup. The same way as oyster catsup. 461. Mushroom Catsup.The juice of mushrooms approaches the nature and flavour of gravy meat more than other vegetable juices. Dr. Kitchiner sets a high value, and not without reason, upon good mushroom catsup," a couple of quarts of which," he says, " will save some score pounds of meat, besides a vast deal of time and trouble.” The best method of extracting the essence of mushrooms, is that which leaves behind the least quantity of water. In all essences, it is quality, not quantity, to which we ought to look. An excess of aqueous fluid in essences renders them less capable of keeping; while in flavouring sauces, &c. a small quantity is sufficient, so that by this means you do not interfere with the thickness or consistency of the thing flavoured. Mushrooms, that is, field mushrooms, begin to come in about September. There are several varieties of these fungi, and they differ very much, both in their wholesomeness and flavour. The best and finest flavoured mushrooms are those which grow spontane- ously upon rich, dry, old pasture land. The following is the mode of making good mushroom catsup, or, as Dr. Kitchiner calls it, “ double catsup. Take mushrooms of the right sort, fresh gathered and full grown, but not maggoty or putrescent; put a layer of these at the bottom of a deep earthen pan, and sprinkle then with salt; then put another layer of mushrooms, sprinkle more salt on them, and so on alternately, mushroom and salt. . Let them remain two or three hours, by which CLARIFYING. 127 1 time the salt will have penetrated the mushroonis, and have made them easy to break; then pound them in a mortar, or break them well with your hands; then let them remain in this state for two days, not more, mashing them well once or twice a day; then pour them into a stone jar, and to each quart add an ounce and a half of whole black pepper, and half an ounce of allspice; stop the jar very close, and set - it in a saucepan or stew-pan of boiling water, and keep it boiling for two hours at least. Take out the jar, and pour the juice clear from the settlings, through a hair sieve into a clean stew-pan. Let it boil very gently for half an hour; but to make good or double catsup, it should boil gently till the mushroom juice is reduced to half the quan- tity, or, in other words, till the more aqueous part is evaporated; then skim it well, and pour it into a clean dry jar or jug; cover it close, and let it stand in a cool place till next day, then pour it off as gently as possible (so as not to disturb the settlings at the bottom of the jug;) through a tamis, or thick flannel bag, till it is perfectly clear; add a table-spoonful of good unflavoured spirits (brandy is dear and not a whit better than common spirits of wine of equal strength) to each pint of catsup, and let it stand as before. A fresh sediment will be deposited, from which the catsup is to be poured off gently, and bot- tled in half pints, washed with spirit. Small bottles are best, as they Are sooner used, and the catsup, if uncorked often, is apt to spoil. The cork of each bottle ought to be sealed or dipped in bottle cement. Keep it in a dry cool place; it will soon spoil if kept damp. If any pellicle or skin should appear upon it when in the bottle, boil it up again with a few peppercorns. It is a question with us, whether it would not be best to dispense with the spice altogether, and give an addition of spirits. When a number of articles are added to the cat- sup, such as different spices, garlic, eschalot, anchovy, &c. &c., the flavour of the mushroom is overpowered, and it ceases to be, properly speaking, mushroom catsup. 462. Mushroom Catsup without Spice is made thus :- Sprinkle a little salt over your mushrooms. Three hours after, mash them; next day, strain off the liquor, and boil it till it is reduced to half. It will not keep long, but an artificial mushroom bed will supply sufficient for this, the very best of mushroom catsup, all the year round. 463. Mushroom Powder may be made of the refuse of the mush- ruoms, after they have been squeezed, by drying them well in a dutch oven, or otherwise, and then reducing them to powder. If the mush- rooms themselves are dried and pounded, the powder will be much stronger. Tincture or essence of mushroonis, we apprehend, might be made, by steeping dried mushrooms in spirits. CLARIFYING. 464. Clarified Butter.-Put the butter in a clean saucepan over a very clear, slow fire, and when it is melted, carefully skim off the but, ter-milk, which will swim on the top; let it stand for a minute or two for the impurities to sink to the bottom, then pour the clear butter 128 THE COMPLETE COOK. . 1 through a sicve into a basin, leaving the sediment at the bottom of the pan. 465. Burnt Butter.-Put two ounces of fresh butter into a frying- pan; when it becomes a dark brown colour, add a table-spoonful and a half of good vinegar and a little salt and pepper. This is used for sauce to boiled fish or poached eggs. 466. Oiled Butter.-Put two ounces of fresh butter into a sauce- pan, melt it gradually till it comes to an oil, and pour it off quietly from the dregs. This will supply the place of olive oil. 467. To clarify Dripping.-Be careful that no cinders or ashes fall into the dripping-pan, and empty the well before the meat is salted or floured, as the dripping will be more valuable. The Nottingham ware are the best vessels for keeping dripping in; where much drip- ping is made, however, keep one general receiving pot; do not put in seasoned dripping, or dripping of game and poultry; this should be kept by itself; it answers very well to baste similar articles again, or it makes very good common crust for meat pies, or for frying; it is not fit for delicate pastry. The cook will find at the bottom of the re- ceiving pot, after it has stood a few days, some gravy which may be useful to make gravy, and if not removed will spoil the colour of the dripping; then put the dripping into a saucepan over a clear slow fire, at a good distance; when it is nearly boiling skim it well, then let it boil, and immediately put it aside ; when cool, and a little settled, pour it steadily through a sieve into the pan; this is very nice drip- ping for pastry. What remains may be put into the receptacle of seasoned dripping, or kept by itself, and will do for basting meat. In this manner the fat that settles on the top of stews and boils and soups may be clarified and turned to use. Remove the fat before you add the vegetables or seasoning. Nothing makes a lighter piecrust than this sort of fat. It should be used soon, as the moisture hanging about it will turn it sour. 468. To clarify Suet and Fat.—Take a'way whatever fat or suet that is not likely to be used off a loin of mutton, loin of veal, or sirloin of beef. An inch thickness of fat may be taken from a loin or neck of mutton, and a good deal of fat from the kidney; then shave it into very thin slices, or chop it up as suet; pick out all veins and skin, then put it into a stone jar or saucepan, and set it in a slow oven, or over a stove till it is melted; then strain it through a hair sieve into jars or pots; when quite cold, tie over the jars. Be careful not to put this or dripping into a warm place. 469. Hog's Lard. The inside fat or leaf of a pig should be beaten with a lard-beater, or rolling-pin; then put it into a jar or earthen pot, in a large kettle of boiling water, all it is melted ; add a little salt and a little rosemary—the last may be left out if not preferred. When melted, pour it into jars or bladders, nicely cleaned. The bits of skins that are left are called crittens, and chopped up with apples or currants to make fritters, or a pie. Lard is frequently melted in a brass kettle over a slow fire. It is better to surround it with water. 470. Clarified Sugar is merely brought to a syrup in the following * PICKLES. 129 manner :-Break up the sugar in large lumps, and allow a pint of water to every two pounds of sugar: but whatever quantity is em- ployed, keep out a quarter of a pint cold. Put the sugar and water in the preserving pan, with the white of one egg well beaten, to every two pounds of sugar. When the sugar is dissolved, set it on the fire, and when it boils fast, throw in the quarter of a pint of cold water; this is intended to throw up the scum. When it boils again, take the vessel from the fire and let it stand to settle; then remove all scum, and place it in a hair sieve; what runs through may be returned to the rest: give it another boil, and again settle and skim. It should not be stirred after the sugar is dissolved and syrup begins to warm. In this manner sugar is clarified for jelly which is to be put in glasses. PICKLES. Like Dr. Kitchiner, we are not fond of pickles. They are, indeed, for the most part, mere vehicles for taking up vinegar and spice-and very unwholesome, indigestible vehicles they are. By pounding them, as they do in India, they are rendered less indigestible. Those who are fond of relishes, and who are wise enough not to gratify their tastes at the expense of their stomachs, will find the various flavoured vinegars, mixed to each individual's liking, an excellent substitute for pickles. 471. There are three methods of pickling ; the most simple is, merely to put the articles into cold vinegar. The strongest pickling vinegar of white wine should always be used for pickles; and for such as are wanted for white pickles, use distilled vinegar, which is as white as water. This method we recommend for all such vege- tables as, being hot themselves, do not require the addition of spice, and such as do not require to be softened by heat, such as capsicums, chili, nasturtiums, button onions, radish-pods, horse-radish, garlic, and eschalots. Half fill the jars with best vinegar, fill them up with the vegetables, and tie down immediately with bladder and leather. One advantage of this plan is, that those who grow nasturtiums, radish- pods, and so forth, in their own gardens, may gather them from day to day when they are exactly of the proper growth. They are very much better if pickled quite fresh, and all of a size, which can scarcely be obtained if they be pickled all at one time. The onions, should be dropped in the vinegar as fast as peeled; this secures their colour. The horse-radish should be scraped a little outside, and cut up in rounds half an inch deep. Barbaries for garnish ; gather fine full bunches before they are quite ripe ; pick away all bits of stalk and leaf and injured berries, and drop them in cold vinegar; they may be kept in salt and water, changing the brine whenever it begins to ferment: but the vinegar is best. 472. The second method of pickling is that of heating vinegar and spice, and pouring them hot over the vegetables to be pickled, which are previously prepared by sprinkling with salt, or immersing in brine. It is better not to boil the vinegar, by which process its strength is 11 130 THE COMPLETE COOK. evaporated. Put the vinegar and spice into a jar, bung it down tightly, tie a bladder over, and let it stand on the hob, or on a trivet by the side of the fire, for three or four days, well shaken three or four times a day; this method may be applied to gherkins, French beans, cabbage, brocoli, cauliflowers, onions, and so forth. 473. The third method of pickling is when the vegetables are in a greater or less degree done over the fire. Walnuts, artichokes, arti- choke bottoms, and beet-roots, are done thus, and sometimes onions and cauliflowers. 474. Gherkins or young Cucumbers should be the size of a finger; if smaller they have not attained their flavour, if much larger they are apt to be seedy ; put them in unglazed stone jars; cover them with brine, composed of a quarter of a pound of salt dissolved in a quart of boiling water, and left to become cold; cover down the jars and put them on the hearth before the fire for two or three days, till they become yellow; then pour off the brine, drain the cucumbers, scald and dry the jars, return the cucumbers and cover them with vinegar: set them again before the fire and let them remain until they become green, which will be in eight or ten days; then pour off the vinegar, and put to them a pickle of fresh vinegar (prepared for gherkins, French beans, and so forth, as directed.) To each quart, black pepper two ounces, ginger one ounce, salt one ounce, cayenne half a drachm, mustard-seed one ounce. The vinegar in which the cucumbers were greened should be bot- tled: it will make good sauce for cold meat or salads. Cucumbers are often steeped in vinegar on purpose to give it a flavour. 475. French Beans.—The best sort for this purpose are white- runners. They are very large long beans, but should be gathered quite young, before they are half grown; they may be done in the same way as gherkins, but will not require so long a time, and the first vinegar is not so nice as that from cucumbers. 476. Onions.-Onions should be chosen about the size of marbles, the silver-skinned sort are the best. Prepare a brine and put them into it hot; let them remain one or two days, then drain them, and, when quite dry, put them into clean dry jars, and cover them with hot pickle, in every quart of which has been steeped one ounce each of horse-radish sliced, black pepper, allspice, and salt, with or with- out mustard-seed. In all pickles the vinegar should always be two inches or more above the vegetables, as it is sure to shrink, and if the vegetables are not thoroughly immersed in pickle they will not keep. 477. Red Cabbage.--Choose fine firm cabbages: the largest are not the best ; trim off the outside leaves; quarter the cabbage, take out the large stalk, slice the quarters into a colander, and sprinkle a little salt between the layers; put but a little salt, too niuch will spoil the colour; let it remain in the colander till next day, shake it well that all the brine may run off; put it in jars, cover it with a hot pickle composed of black pepper and allspice, of each an ounce; ginger pounded, horse-radish sliced, and salt, of each half an ounce PICKLES. 131 to every quart of vinegar (steeped as above directed); two capsicums may be added to a quart, or one drachm of cayenne. 478. Garlic and Eschalots.-Garlic and escbalots may be pickled in the same way as onions. 479. Melons, Mangoes, und long Cucumbers, may all be done in the same manner. Melons should not be much more than half grown; cucumbers full grown, but not overgrown. Cut off the top, but leave it hanging by a bit of rind, which is serve as a hinge to a box-lid; with a marrow-spoon scoop out all the seeds, and fill the fruit with equal parts of mustard-seed, ground pepper, and ginger, or flour of mustard instead of the seeds, and two or three cloves of garlic. The * lid which encloses the spice may be sewed down or tied, by running a white thread through the cucumber, and through the lid, and then, tying it together, cut off the ends. The pickle may be prepared with the spices directed for cucumbers, or with the following, which bears a nearer resemblance to India. To each quart of vinegar put salt, flour of mustard, curry powder, bruised ginger, turmeric, half an ounce of each, cayenne pepper one drachm, all rubbed together with a large glassful of salad oil; eschalots two ounces, and garlic half an ounce, sliced; steep the spice in the vinegar as before directed, and put the vegetables into it hot. 480. Brocoli or Cauliflowers.-Choose such as are firm, yet of their full size; cut away all the leaves, and pare the stalk; pull away the flowers by bunches, steep in brine two days, then drain them; wipe them dry and put them into hot pickle; or merely infuse for three days three ounces of curry powder in every quart of vinegar. 481. Walnuts.—Be particular in obtaining them exactly at the proper season; if they go beyond the middle of July, there is danger of their becoming hard and woody. Steep them a week in brine. If they are wanted to be soon ready for use, prick them with a pin, or run a larding pin several times through them; but if they are not wanted in haste, this method had better be let alone. Put them into a kettle of brine, and give them a gentle simmer, then drain them on a sieve and lay them on fish drainers in an airy place, until they be- come black, which may be two days; then add hot pickle of vinegar in which has been steeped, in the proportion of a quart, black pepper one ounce, ginger, eschalots, salt, and mustard-seed, one ounce each. Most pickle vinegar, when the vegetables are used, may be turned to use, walnut pickle in particular; boil it up, allowing to each quart four or six anchovies chopped small, and a large table-spoonful of eschalots, also chopped. Let it stand a few days, till it is quite clear, then pour off and bottle. It is an excellent store sauce for hashes, fish, and various other purposes. 482. Beet-roots.-Boil or bake gently until they are nearly done; according to the size of the roots they will require from an hour and a half to two hours; drain them, and when they begin to cool peel and cut in slices half an inch thick, then put them into a pickle composed of black pepper and allspice, of each one ounce, ginger pounded, horse-radish sliced, and salt, of each half an ounce to rvery i32 TIE COMPLETE COOK. quart of vinegar, steeped. Two capsicums may be added to a quart, or one drachm of cayenne. 483. Cauliflowers or Brocoli.--Choose firm full-grown cauliflowers and brocoli, cut away all the leaves and pare the stalk, and instead of steeping in cold brine, set them over the fire in cold brine, and let it heat gradually. Just before it comes to boil, take them up in a wire ladle, and spread them on a cloth before the fire; when quite dry, put them into glass or jars, and add cold pickle, according to the second method of making pickle (472). 484. Artichokes.-Gather young artichokes as soon as formed ; throw them into boiling brine, and let them boil two minutes; drain them; when cold and dry put them in jars, and cover with vinegar, prepared as method the third, but the only spices employed should be ginger, mace and nutmeg. 485. Artichoke Bottoms.--Get full-grown artichokes and boil them, but not so much as for eating, but just until the leaves can be pulled ; remove them and the choke; in taking off the stalk, be careful not to break it off so as to bring away any of the bottom; it would be better to pare them with a silver knife, and leave half an inch of tender stalk coming to a point; when cold, add vinegar and spice, the same as for artichokes. 486. Mushrooms.-Choose small white mushrooms; they should be but one night's growth. Cut off the roots, and rub the mushrooms clean with a bit of flannel and salt; put them in a jar, allowing to every quart of mushrooms one ounce each of salt and ginger, half an ounce of whole pepper, eight blades of mace, a bay leaf, a strip of le- mon rind, and a wine-glassful of sherry; cover the jar close, and let it stand on the hob or on a stove, so as to be thoroughly heated, and on the point of boiling ; so let it remain a day or two, till the liquor is ab- sorbed by the mushrooms and spices; then cover them with hot vine- gar, close them again, and stand till it just comes to a boil; then take them away from the fire. When they are quite cold divide the mush- rooms and spice into wide-mouthed bottles, fill them up with the vine- gar, and tie them over. In a week's time, if the vinegar has shrunk so as not entirely to cover the mushrooms, add cold vinegar. At the top of each bottle put a tea-spoonful of salad or almond oil; cork close, and dip in bottle resin. 487. Samphire.-On the sea-coast this is merely preserved in wa- ter, or equal parts of sea-water and vinegar; but as it is sometimes sent fresh as a present to inland parts, the best way of managing it under such circumstances, is to steep it two days in brine, then drain and put it in a stone jar covered with vinegar, and having a lid, over which put thick paste of flour and water, and set it in a very cool oven all night, or in a warmer oven till it nearly, but not quite boils. Then let it stand on a warm hob for half an hour, and let it become quite cold before the paste is removed ; then add cold vinegar, if any more is re- quired, and secure as other pickles. 488. Indian Pickle. The vegetables to be employed for this fa- vourite pickle, are small hard knots of white cabbage sliced, cauli- PICKLES. 133 son. flowers or brocoli in flakes, long carrots not larger than a finger, or large carrots sliced (the former are far preferable,) gherkins, French beans, small bottom onions, white turnip radishes half grown, radish- pods, eschalots, young hard apples, green peaches when the trees are Thinned before the stones begin to form, vegetable marrow not larger than a hen's egg, small green melons, celery, shoots of green elder, horse-radish, nasturtiums, capsicums, and garlic. As all these vegen tables do not come in season together, the best method of doing this is to prepare a large jar of pickle at such time of the year as most of the things may be obtained, and add the others as they come in sea- Thus the pickle will be nearly a year in making, and ought to stand another year before using, when, if properly managed, it will be excellent, but will keep and continue to improve for years. For preparing the several vegetables, the same directions may be observed as for pickling them separately, only take this general rule—that, if possible, boiling is to be avoided, and soaking in brine to be preferred; be very particular that every ingredient is perfectly dry before put- ting into the jar, and that the jar is very closely tied down every time that it is opened for the addition of fresh vegetables. Neither mush- rooms, walnuts, nor red cabbage, are to be admitted. For the pickle. To a gallon of the best wine vinegar add salt three ounces, flour of mustard half a pound, turmeric two ounces, white ginger sliced three ounces, cloves one ounce, mace, black pep- per, long pepper, white pepper, half an ounce each, cayenne two drachms, eschalots peeled four ounces, garlic peeled two ounces; steep the spice in vinegar on the hob or trivet for two or three days. The mustard and turmeric must be rubbed smooth with a little cold vinegar, and stirred into the rest when as near boiling as possible. Such vegetables as are ready may be put in; when cayenne, nastur tiums, or any other vegetables mentioned in the first method of pick- ling, come in season, put them in the pickle as they are; any in the second method, a small quantity of hot vinegar without spice; when cold pour it off, and put the vegetables into the general jar. If the vegetables are greened in vinegar, as French beans and gherkins, this will not be so necessary, but will be an improvement to all. Onions had better not be wet at all; but if it be desired not to have the full flavour, both onions, eschalots, and garlic, may be sprinkled with salt in a colander, to draw off all the strong juice; let them lie two or three hours. The elder apples, peaches, and so forth, to be greened as gherkins. See method the second (472.) The roots, radishes, carrots, celery, are only soaked in brine and dried. Half a pint of salad oil, or of mustard oil, is sometimes added. It should be rubbed with the flour of mustard and turmeric. It is not essential to Indian pickle to have every variety of vegetable here men- tioned; but all these are admissible, and the greater variety the more approved. 11* PASTRY. 135 greasy. All dishes in which pies are to be baked should be buttered or greased round the edges to prevent the crust from sticking, and if there be an under crust, all over the inside : the same must be done with tins or saucers. There is a number of other little things to be attended to in mak- ing pastry, which we will enumerate in as few words as we can. Fruit pies or large tarts should have a hole made in the middle of the crust, and it is a good plan in a family pie to place a small tea-cup in the middle of the pie; this will form a receptacle for the syrup, and prevent its boiling over, For the same reason meat pies should have holes round their edges, but they do not require a tea-cup. 'The thickness of the crust must be regulated by the judgment of the cook with reference to the nature of the pie, and the circumstances of the party by whom it is to be eaten. Top crusts vary in thickness from half an inch to an inch or more. Of course a meat pie will require a longer time to bake than a fruit one, and some descriptions of fruit again longer than others. The edges of pies are sometimes crimped or jagged, and some persons further ornament them with leaves, or stars cut out of paste, and laid on the top of the crust. Pigeon and game pies, &c. are generally washed over with finely beaten yolk of eggs, simply to give them a nice appearance, but they are just as nice without it. We ought to add, that where the paste is wanted to adhere, as in the upper and under crusts of a pie, it is a good plan to touch the parts with the white of an egg; a little water will do, but not so well. 489. Flaky and Short Crusts.-In making a flaky crust a part of the fat should be worked with the hand to a cream, and then the whole of the flour well rubbed into it before any water or milk is added. The remaining fat inust be stuck on the paste and be rolled out. For crisp crust, by far the most wholesome, the whole of the fat should be rubbed in and thoroughly incorporated with the flour. Water or milk must be added when this is done, and the dough, or rather paste, made up. The pie-board and rolling-pin should be well dusted with flour, and the dough should be well beaten with the pin to thoroughly mix it, and render it light. Mind, in rolling out paste do not drive the pin backwards and forwards, but always keep rolling from you. In making flaky crusts the paste must be rolled out thin, and the fat or butter laid all over it; then roll it up and beat it till it puffs up in little bladders: it should be then finally rolled out, and put in the oven as quickly as possible. 490. Raised Crust. - Put two pounds and a half of flour on the paste-board, and put on the fire in a saucepan three-quarters of a pint of water, and half a pound of good lard; when the water boils, make a hole in the middle of the flour, pour in the water and lard by degrees, gently mix it with a spoon, and when it is well mixed, then knead it with your hands till it becomes stiff; dredge a little four to prevent it sticking to the board, or you cannot make it smooth; then set it aside for an hour, and keep it cool: do not roll it with your rol'ing- pin, but roll it with your hands, about the thickness of a quart pot; 136 THE COMPLETE COOK. cut it into six pieces, leaving a little for the covers; put the left hand, clenched, in the middle of one of the pieces, and with the other on the outside work it up against the back of the left to a round or oval shape. It is now ready for the meat, which must be cut into small pieces with some fat, and pressed into the pie; then cover it with the paste previously rolled out to a proper thickness, and of the size of the pie; put this lid on the pie and press it together with your thumb and finger, cut it all round with a pair of scissors, and bake for an hou and a half. Our good old country housewives pride themselves very much upon being able to raise a large and high pork pie. This crust will answer for many meat and other pies baked in dishes or tins. 491. Puff Paste.—This paste is nearly the same as what we have called (489) Alaky crust, and, of course, made upon the same princi- ples. If eggs are desired, allow three yolks to a pound of butter or iard. Rub a fourth part of the fat to a cream, then mix the eggs with it, and afterwards the flour. A very little water will suffice to wet it. Beat it with the pin to make it flaky; roll it out thin three times, putting in a portion of the fat each time, and roll it from you: after each rolling, beat it well. 492. Sweet Paste. This is suitable to fruit tarts generally, apples perhaps excepted, for which we recommend a puff paste. To three- quarters of a pound of butter put a pound and a half of flour, three or four ounces of sifted loaf-sugar, the yolks of two eggs, and half a pint of new milk. Bake it in a moderate oven; if required to be iced, see 500. 493. Crust for Savoury Pies.--To two pounds of flour, one and a half of butter, or lard, and the yolks of three eggs; rub part of the fat to a cream with the eggs, then rub in the four; wet with cold water, and roll out with the remainder of the butter. This crust is suitable for pigeon, rabbit, hare, and other savoury pies. 494. A rich Short Crust. - Rub to a cream a quarter of a pound of butter; add one pound of well-dried and very fine flour, and two ounces or more of pounded loaf-sugar; rub together till they are tho- roughly incorporated; then add the yolks of two good-sized eggs, and as much boiling hot cream as will bring it to a proper consistence. Bake in a moderate oven. 495. Biscuit Paste.--Take six yolks of eggs, a quarter of a pound of loaf-sugar, a pound of flour, and a tea-cup full of milk. Rub these ingredients into a stiff paste. This paste is only fit for light preserved fruits that require scarcely any baking. It is sometimes cut out in rounds, a bit of jam or jelly placed on each, and baked in tins. 496. Crust for Venison Pasty.-Raised crust (490) will do, but if a richer be required, increase the quantity of butter, and add eggs. Let the top crust be substantial, and line the sides of the dish, but not the bottom. 497. Stringing Paste must be made more tenacious than the other descriptions. A quarter of a pound of flour to one ounce of butter, PIES, TARTS, AND PUFFS. 137 with a very little water, will make paste which may be drawn out in fine strings, and laid across the tartlets. 498. Potatoe Paste.-Boil your potatoes; rub through a colander, and while quite hot add butter and an egg. Use plenty of flour on the pie-board and rolling-pin; cover your pie, and put it into the oven while quite warm. 499. Rice Paste.-Simmer the rice in water or milk till quite soft and pulpy; drain it well off; stir in yolks of eggs, one to a quarter of a pound of rice, and a little butter, if you like. Roll out the paste with a dust of flour. Cover your pie and bake without suffering to cool. This paste will do for either savoury or sweet pies. 500. Icing Pastry.--When nearly baked enough, take the pastry out of the oven and sift fine powdered sugar over it. Replace it in the oven and hold over it, till the sugar is melted, a hot salamander or shovel. The above method is preferred for pastry to be eaten hot: for cold, beat up the white of two eggs well, wash over the tops of the pies with a brush, and sift over this a good coating of sugar; cause it to adhere to the egg and pie crust; trundle over it a clean brush dipped in water till the sugar is all moistened. Bake again for about ten minutes. PIES, TARTS, AND PUFFS. 501. Perigord Pie.-Make a force meat chiefly of truffles, a small quantity of basil, thyme, parsley, knotted marjoram, the liver of any kind of game (if of woodcocks, that and the entrails, except the little bag), a small quantity of fat bacon, a few crumbs, the flesh of wild or 'tame fowls, pepper, and salt. Lard the breasts of pheasants, par. tridges, woodcocks, moor.game, or whatever game you have, with bacon of different sizes; cut the legs and wings from the backs, and divide the backs; season them all with white pepper, a little Jarnaica pepper, mace, and salt; make a thick raised crust to receive the above articles; it is thought better than a dish, but either will do. Line it closely with slices of fine fat bacon, then cover it with stuff- ing, and put the different parts of the game lightly on it, with whole green truffles, and pieces of stuffing among and over it, observing not to crowd the articles, so as to cause them to be underbaked. Over the whole lay slices of fat bacon, and then a cover of thick common crust. Bake it slowly, according to the size of the pie, which will require a long time. Some are made with a pheasant in the middle whole, and the other game cut up and put round it. 502. Sole Pie. - Split the soles from the bone, and cut the fins close; season with a mixture of salt, pepper, a little nutmeg, and pounded mace, and put them in layers with oysters. They eat ex- cellently. A pair of middling sized ones will do, and half a hundred of oysters; put in the dish the oyster liquor, two or three spoonfuls of broth, and some butter. When the pie is baked, pour in a cupfal of thick cream boiled up with a tea-spoonful of flour. 138 THE COMPLETE COOK. 503. Eel Pie.--Cut the eels in lengths of two or three inches, after skinning them ; season with pepper and salt, and place in the dish with some bits of butter and a little water, and cover it with paste. Middle-sized eels do best. 504. Oyster Pie.—Open the oysters and strain the liquor from them; parboil them after taking off the bearde. Parboil sweetbreads, cut them in slices, lay them and the oysters in layers, season them very lightly with salt, pepper, and mace, then put half a tea-cup full of liquor, and the same of gravy. Bake in a slow oven, and before you serve, put a tea-cup full of cream, a little more of oyster liquor, and a cup of white gravy, all warmed, but not boiled. 505. Pilchard Pie.-Clean and skin the white part of large leeks; scald in inilk and water, and put them in layers into a dish, and, be- tween the layers, two or three salted pilchards which have been soaked for two or three hours the day before. Cover the whole with a good plain crust. When the pie is taken out of the oven, lift up the side crust with a knife and empty out all the liquor; then pour in half a pint of scalded cream. 506. A remarkably fine Fish Pie.—Boil two pounds of small eels; having cut the fins quite close, pick the flesh off and throw the bones into the liquor with a little mace, pepper, salt, and a slice of onion, and boil till rich, and strain it; make force meat of the flesh, an anchovy, parsley, lemon peel, salt, pepper, and crumbs, and four ounces of butter warmed, and lay it at the bottom of the dish. Take the flesh of soles, small cod, or dressed turbot, and lay it on the force meat, having rubbed it with salt and pepper ; pour the gravy over, and bake. Observe to take off the skins and fins, if cod or soles. 507. Beef-steak Pie.-- Take beef-steaks that have been well hung, beat them gently with a circular steak-beater, season them with pepper, salt, and a little eschalot minced very fine. Roll each steak with a good piece of fat, and fill your dish. Put some crust on the edge an inch below it, and a cup of water or broth in the dish. Cover with rather a thick crust, and set in a moderate oven. 508. Beef-steak and Oyster Pie.—Prepare the steaks as above, without rolling, and put layers of them and of oysters. Stew the liquor and beards of the latter, with a bit of lemon peel, mace, and a sprig of parsley. When the pie is baked, boil with above three spoonfuls, and an ounce of butter rolled with flour. Strain it, and put it into the dish. 509. Veal, Chicken and Parsley Pie.-Cut some slices from the neck or leg of veal; if from the leg, about the knuckle; season them with salt, scald some parsley that is picked from the stems and press it dry; cut it a little and lay it at the bottom of the dish, then put the meat, and so on, in layers. Fill the dish with milk, but not so high as the crust: cover it with crust, and when baked, pour out a little of the milk, and put in half a pint of good scalded cream. Chickens may be cut up and cooked in the same way. 510. Veal Olive Pie. Make the olives in the following manner: Cut long thin slices of veal, beat them, lay on them thin slices of fat 1 PIES, TARTS AND PUFFS. 139 bacon, and over them a layer of force meat, seasoned high with shred eschalot and cayenne. Roll them tight, about the size of two fingers, but not more than two or three inches long; fasten them round with a small skewer, rub egg over them. Put them round and round the dish, making the middle highest; fill it up almost with water, and cover it. Add gravy, cream, flour, and mushroom powder, when baked. 511. Veal Pie.—Take some of the middle or scrag of a small neck; season it with pepper and salt, and either put to it, or not, a few slices of lean bacon or ham. If it is wanted of a high relish, add mace, cayenne, and nutmeg, to the salt and pepper, and also force meat and eggs, and if you choose add truffles, morels, mushrooms, sweetbreads cut into small bits, and cocks’-combs blanched, if liked. Have a rich gravy to pour in after baking; it will be very good without any of the latter additions. 512. A rich Veal Pie.-Cut steaks from the neck or breast of veal; season them with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, and a very little clove in powder. Slice two sweatbreads, and season them in the same man- ner. Lay a puff paste on the edge of the dish; then put the meat, yolks of hard eggs, the sweetbreads, and some oysters, up to the top of the dish. Lay over the whole some very thin slices of ham, and fill up the dish with water; cover, and when it is taken out of the oven pour in at the top, through a funnel, some veal gravy and rich cream, warmed together. Lay a paper over the crust, that it may not be too brown. 513. Calf's Head Pie.-Stew a knuckle of veal till fit for eating, with two onions, a few isinglass shavings, a bunch of sweet herbs, a blade of mace, and a few peppercorns, in three pints of water. Keep the broth for the pie. Take off a bit of the meat for the balls, and let the other be eaten; butter, simmer the bones in the broth till it is very good. Half boil the head, and cut it into square bits; put a layer of ham at the bottom of the dish, then some head, first fat, then lean, with balls and hard eggs cut in half, and so on till the dish is full ; and take care not to place the pieces close, or the pie will be too solid, and there will be no space for the jelly. The meat must be first pretty well seasoned with salt, pepper, and a scrape or two of nutmeg. Put a little water and a little gravy into the dish, and cover it with a tolerably thick crust; bake it in a slow oven, and when done, pour in as much gravy as it will hold, and do not cut it till perfectly cold, in doing which observe to use a very sharp knife, and first cut out a large piece, going down to the bottom of the dish, and when cut thus, thinner slices can be cut. The different colours and the jelly have a beautiful marble appearance. A small pie may be made to eat hot, which, with high seasoning, oysters, mushrooms, truffles, and morels, has a very good appearance. The cold pie will keep many days; slices make a pretty side dish. Instead of isinglass, use a calf's foot or a cow-heel, if the jelly is not likely to be stiff enough. The pickled tongues of calves' heads may be cut instead of, or in ad- dition to, ham. 140 THE COMPLETE С00 к. 514. Excellent Pork Pies to eat cold.-Cut the triminings off a liog when cut up, and if you hav.. not sufficient, take the meat offe sweet-bone. Beat it well with your rolling-pin; season with salt ang keep the lean and fat separate. Raise common crust either in a round or oval form; put a layer of lean and then a layer of fat, or mix your fat and lean, and so on till you have filled the pie to the top; lay on the lid, cut the edge smoothly round, and pinch it close, Bake in a slow oven, as the meat is very solid. Do not put any water or bone into pork pies. The outside pieces will be hard unless they are cut small and pressed close. See raised crust, 490. 515. Lamb Pie.—Make it of the breast, neck, or loin; it should not be seasoned much with salt and pepper; the bone taken out, but not the gristles; a small quantity of jelly gravy should be put in hot; put two spoonfuls of water before baking. This pie should not be cut until cold. House lamb is one of the most delicate things that can be eaten. Grass lamb makes an excellent pie, and may either be boned or not, but not to bone it is perhaps the best. Season with only pepper and salt; put two spoonfuls of water before baking, and as much gravy when taken out of the oven. Meat pies being fat, it is best to pour out the liquor on one side, take the fat off, and put it in again and a little more to it (by means of a funnel), at the top. 516. Mutton Pie.-Take steaks from the loin or neck of mutton that has been kept some time hanging; beat them and cut off some of the fat; add pepper, salt, and a small onion; put a little water at the bottom of the dish, and paste on the edge, put in the steaks, and cover it over with rather a thick crust. If you make raised smali pies, break the bones in two; season and cover them over, pinch the edges. When baked, pour into each a little gravy made of mutton, seasoned with pepper, salt, and a small bit of onion. 517. Chicken Pie.—Take two young fowls, cut them up and season them with salt, a little mace, nutmeg, and white pepper very finely powdered ; add a small bit of cayenne. Put the chickens, force meat balls, slices of ham or gammon, and hard eggs, in turn by layers. If they are to be made into raised pies, add no water; if in a dish, put a little at the bottom. Make gravy of the scrag or a knuckle of veal, with some shank bones of mutton, seasoned with mace, white pepper, an onion, a small bunch of sweet herbs, and a little salt. Add morels, truffles, mushrooms, and so forth, if eaten hot; but not, if eaten cold. Should you make this pie in a dish, put as much gravy as it will hold; but if in a raised crust the gravy must be strained, and then put in cold, as jelly. Make the jelly clear by boiling with it the whites of two eggs well beaten; take away the meat previous to adding the whites; strain it through a muslin sieve. Young Rabbits are prepared in the same way; their legs should be cut short, and the breast-bones must not be put in; they will help to make the gravy. 519. Giblet Pie.-Nicely clean goose or duck giblets; stew them in a little water with a bunch of sweet herbs, black pepper, onion, 3 little salt, till nearly done; let them stand till cold. If you have not 1 PIES, , TARTS, AND PUFF 8. 141 enough to fill the dish, put a veal or beef-steak, or two or three mut ton chops, at the bottom. Put the liquor that you have stewed your giblets in into the dish; put in the giblets, and when baked, pour into it a tea-cup full of cream. 520. Green Goose Pie.-Pluck and singe two young green geese of a good size; bone them and wash; season them well with allspice, mace, pepper, and salt. Put one inside the other and press them as close as you can, drawing the legs inwards. Butter them well, and bake either with or without crust. If made a pie of, the cover must fit the dish close, to keep the steam in. It will keep many days. Gravy-jelly may be put in when served. 521. Staffordshire Goose Pies.-Bone, wash, and season the birds with allspice, mace, pepper, and salt. Put rather a small turkey, in- side a goose, duck, fowl, and then less birds, tongue or force meat. Force meat may fill up the spaces between the crust and fowls, and de omitted within. Ornament the crust, and put a knob or flower at the top by which to lift it, as it must not be cut, but kept to cover the pie. A less expensive and smaller pie may be made by omitting the goose and turkey. All pies made of white meats or fowls are im- proved by a layer of fine sausage meat. 522. Hare Pie to cut cold---Cut up the hare ; season it, and bake it with force meat and egg, in a raised crust or dish. When served, cut off the lid, and cover it with jelly-gravy. 523. Partridge Pie.-Pick and singe four partridges; cut off the legs at the knees; season them with chopped parsley, thyme, mush. rooms, pepper, and salt. Put a slice of ham and a veal cutlet at the bot- tom of the dish; put the partridges in, and half a pint of good broth. Put puff paste on the edge of the dish; cover it; brush it over with eggs; and bake an hour. 524. A French Pie.-Lay a puff paste on the edge of a dish ; put into it either chickens jointed, veal in slices, or rabbits, with force meat balls, sweetbreads cut in pieces, a few truffles, and artichoke bottoms. 525. Pigeon Pie.---Rub the pigeons with salt and pepper, inside and out; put a bit of butter inside, and, if approved, some parsley chop- ped fine, with the livers, salt, and pepper. Lay a beef-steak at the bottom of the dish, and place the birds on it. Between every two a hard egg. Lay a bit of ham on each pigeon ; put a cup of water at the bottom of the dish. When ham is cut for pies or gravy, take the ụnder part rather than the prime. Season the gizzards and two joints of the wings, and place them in the middle of the pie; and over them, in a hole made in the crust, three feet, nicely cleaned, to show what pie it is. 526. Squab Pie.-Cut apples, and lay them in rows, with mutton cho a little sugar, and an onion ; cut fine, and put among them. 527. Duck Pie.-Bone a fowl and a full-grown duck; wash them, season with a small quantity of mace and allspice, in the finest pow- der, with salt and pepper. Put the fowl within the duck. Put a calf's tongue, pickled red, boiled very tender, and skinned, into the 12 142 TRE COMPLETE COOK. The space fowl; press the whole close. The skins of the legs should be drawn inwards, that the body of the fowl may be quite smooth. between the sides of the crust and fowl may be filled with a fine force meat, if approved. Bake it in a slow oven, either in a raised crust or dish, with a thick crust ornamented. 528. Rabbit Pie.-Cut up two young rabbits; take a pound of fat pork, that has been in pickle a week; cut it into small bits; season it with salt and pepper, and put into a dish. Parboil the livers and brains, and beat them in a mortar with a quarter of a pound of fat. bacon or ham; add mace, salt, pepper and sweet herbs, chopped fine. Make this into small balls, and distribute in the dish, with artichoke bottoms, cut in dice. Grate half a small nutmeg over, and add half a pint of port, and the same quantity of water. Cover with a tolerably thick crust, and bake it an hour in a quick oven. 529. Vegetable Pie.-Cut young carrots, artichoke bottoms, let- tuces, mushrooms, turnips, broad beans, scalded and blanched, onions, celery, parsley, and add peas. Or use any of them you may chance to have. Make them into a stew, with some good veal gravy; sea- son with salt and pepper. Bake a crust over a dish, with some paste over the edge, and a cup turned bottom upwards, to prevent ils sink- ing when baked. Pour the stew into the dish, and lay the crust over it. Winter vegetables may be used in the same way. A cup of cream is a great improvement. 530. An Herb Pie.—Take one handful of spinach, two handfuls of parsley, from the stems, some mustard and cress, two lettuces, a few leaves of borage, and white beat leaves. Wash and boil them a little, and then drain out all the water; cut them small; mix, and lay in a dish; sprinkle with some salt; mix a batter with two eggs well beaten, a pint of cream, and half a pint of milk, as much flour as will bring it to a paste not very thick, and pour it on the herbs; cover with a good crust, and bake. 531. To prepare Venison for Pasty.--Take the bones out; season and beat the meat; lay it in a stone jar in large pieces ; pour upon it some plain drawn beef gravy, rather weak. Put the bones on the top; then set the jar in a saucepan over the fire; simmer between three and four hours. Put it in a cold place until next day. Then remove the cake of fat. Lay the meat in handsome pieces on a dish. Put some of the gravy in, and keep the remainder for the time of serving. Venison thus prepared will require less time in baking, and a thinner crust. 532. Venison Pasty.--A boned and skinned shoulder makes a good pasty. It must be beaten and seasoned. Add the fat of a loin of inutton, well hung, as the shoulder is lean. Steep twenty-four hours in equal parts of vinegar and port. Rub the shoulder well with sugar for two or three days, as it is sinewy. Wipe it clean from the sugar and wine when it is used. Either in the shoulder or side the meat inust be cut in pieces, and laid with fat between, that it may be pro- portioned to each person, without breaking up the pasty to find it. PASTRY. 143 Dust some salt and pepper at the bottom of the dish, put a bit of but ter; then the meat, nicely packed, so as not to be hollow. Bake be. tween three and four hours in a slow oven. Take some fine old mutton, and boil with the bones of the venison to make gravy: season it with salt, pepper, and a little mace; put half a pint of this gravy, cold, into the dish ; butter the venison; line the sides of the dish with a thick paste; lay a thick crust over the top. Put the remainder of the gravy, hoi (when it is baked,) into it, with a funnel, through the hole at the top 533. To make a Pasty of Beef or Mutton, to eat as well as Veni- son.--Bone a sirloin, or a small rump of beef, or a fat loin of mutton, after hanging several days; beat it well with a rolling-pin; then rub ten pounds of meat with four ounces of sugar; then pour over it a glass of vinegar, and a glass of port wine. Let it lie five days and then wash and wipe the meat very dry, and season it very hign with salt, Jamaica pepper, nutmeg, &c. To ten prunds of meat, one pound, or nearly, of butter; spread it over the meat. Lay it in the dish. Put a crust round the edges, rather thick, and cover. It must be baked in a slow oven. Put the bones in a pan in the oven, with no more wa- ter than will cover them, and one glass of port wine, a little salt and pepper, in order that you may have a little rich gravy to add to the pasty when baked. Put it in the pie, through a funnel, at the top of the pasty. Sugar gives shortness and better flavour to meat than salt (too great a quantity of salt hardens it,) and is quite as good a preservative, except from flies. 534. Apple Pie.-Wipe the outside of some apples, pare, and core them; boil the parings and cores in a little water till it tastes well; strain, and put a bit of bruised lemon, a little sugar and cinnamon, and simmer again. Put a paste round the edge of the dish; place the apples in it; when one layer is made, sprinkle half the sugar, shred lemon peel, and squeeze some juice, or a glass of cider. Put in the liquor that you have boiled. Cover with paste. Add butter when cut, if hot. To flavour the pie you may add quince, marmalade, orange paste, or cloves, to flavour. 535. Cherry Pię should have a mixture of currants or raspberries, 536. Currant Pie.— With or without raspberries. 537. Mince Pies.-Of scraped beef or tongue, free from skin and string, two pounds, four pounds of beef suật chopped fine, two pounds of jar raisins stoned and chopped, six pounds of currants nicely cleaned, perfectly dry, of chopped apples three pounds, the peel and juice of two lemons, a pint of sweet wine, a quarter of a pint of brandy, a nutmeg, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, the same of mace, the same of pimento, in fine powders. Press the whole into a deep pan when well mixed, and keep it covered in a cool place. Have orange, and lemon peel, and citron, ready, and put some of each in the pies when made., Half , or a quarter of the quantity may be made, unless for a very large family, 538. Tarte de Moie. ---Put a light paste into a dish, then layers of or both. 114 TII E COMPLETE COOK. all kinds of sweetmeats, biscuits, marrow, and butter. Add a mode rately rich custard, not very sweet, and seasoned with orange flower water ; give it a scald, and ponr over the whole. It will take half an hour to bake. Turn it out. It is good hot or cold." 539. Rhubarb Tart.- Take the skin off the rhubarb, and cut the stalks in lengths of four or five inches. Make a syrup for a quart basin. Take a pound of common lump sugar; boil it in nearly half a pint of water to a thin syrup; skim it, and put in the rhubarb, and as it simmers shake the pan over the fire. It will turn yellow at first, but keep it very gently simmering till it greens, and then take it off. When cold, put in a tart dish, with as much syrup as will make it very moist. Put a light crust over, and when that is done, the tart will be sufficiently baked. Quarter the crust, and fill the dish with custard or créan. 540. To prepare Cranberries for Tarls. Simrner them in moist sugar, without breaking, twenty minutes; and let them become cold before used; a pint will require nearly three ounces of sugar. The Russian and American sorts are larger and better flavoured than those of England. The juice, when pressed from the baked fruit and sweetened, makes a fine drink in fevers. Stewed with sugar, they eat exceedingly nice with bread. 541. Lemon Tart. – Take the rind of four lemons, pared rather thick, boil it in water till tender, and beat fine. Add to it four ounces of lump sugar, four ounces of blanched almonds cut thin, the juice of the lemon, and a little grated peel. Simmer to å syrup; when cold turn it into a shallow tin, lined with a thin rich puff paste, and lay. bars of the same over. As soon as the paste is baked, take it out. 542. Orange Tartlets or Puffs. - Line patty-pans; when baked, put in orange marmalade made with apple jelly 543. Fried Patties.- Mince a bit of cold veal and six oysters with a few'crumbs of bread, nutmeg, pepper, salt, and a small bit of lemon peel; add the liquor of the oysters; warm all in the tosser, but do not boil it; let it get cold. Make a good puff paste, roll thin, and cut it in round or square bits; put the meat between two of them, pinch the edge to keep in the gravy, and fry them of a fine brown. This is a very good thing -- and baked, is a fashionable dish. Wash all patties over with egg before baking, 644. Oyster Patties.-Put'a fine puff paste into small patty-pans; put a bit of bread in each, and cover with paste; bake them; and in he mean time make ready the oysters. 'Take off the beards of the ysters; cut the other parts in small bits, put them in a small tosser, with a grate of nutmeg, a little white pepper and salt, a bit of lemon Shopped very fine, a little cream, and a little of the oyster liquor; ake the bread out of the patties, and fill them, after simmering them & few minutes. Observe to put a bit of bread into all the patties, to keep them hollow while baking. 545. Beef Patties. -Cut very fine some underdone beef with a ittle fat, season with pepper, salt, and a little onion or eschalot. Make plain paste, thin, in an oval shape; fill it with mince, pinch PUDDING S, CHEESECAKES, &c. 145 the edges, and fry them of a fine brown. The paste should be made with a small quantity of butter, egg, and milk. 546. A good Mince for Patties. Two ounces of ham, four of chicken or véal, one egg boiled hard, a blade of mace, salt, and pep- per, three cloves in powder. Just before you serve, warm it with four spoonfuls of rich gravy, four spoonfuls of cream, and an ounce of butter : fill as usual. 547. Apple Puffs.-Pare and core the fruit, and either stew them in a stone jar, or bake them. When cold, mix the pulp of the apple with sugar and lemon peel shred fine, taking as little of the apple juice as you can. Bake them in a thin paste, in a quick oven; a quarter of an hour will do them, if small. Orange or quince mar- malade is a great improvement; cinnamon pounded, or orange flower water, in change. 548. Lemon Puffs.--Beat and sift a pound and a quarter of double refined sugar, grate the rind of two large lemons and mix it with the sugar; then beat the whites of three new-laid eggs a long time, add them to the sugar and peel, and beat them for an hour. Make it up in any shape you please, and bake them on paper; put on tin plates, in a moderate oven. Do not remove the paper till cold. Oiling the paper will make it come off with ease. 549. Excellent light Puffs. - Mix two spoonfuls of flour, half a spoonful of brandy, one egg, a little grated lemon peel, a little loaf- sugar, some nutmeg; then fry, but not brown; beat it in a mortar with five eggs; put a quantity of lard in a frying-pan, and when quite hot, drop a dessert spoonful of batter at a time; turn as they brown Serve them immediately with sweet sauce. 550. Cheese Puffs. - Strain cheese curd from the whey, and beat half a pint of it fine in a mortar, with three eggs, a spoonful and a half of four, only one white of the eggs, a quarter of a nutmeg, orange flower water, and sugar to make it sweet. Put a little of this paste in very small round cakes on a tin plate. A quarter of an hour will bake them, if the oven is hot. Serve with pudding sauce. PUDDINGS, CHEESECAKES, &c. The first thing to be learnt, with regard to making puddings, is the composition of the batter. Without good batter, you cannot have good pudding; and without good eggs, four, and milk, you cannot have either. For all kinds of puddings and pastry, it is of great im- portance that your flour should be of the very best quality. Your milk too should be good. The goodness or badness of milk depends much on the kind of food upon which the cow is fed; but cows fed upon the same food do not yield milk of the same quality. A cow that gives a large quantity of milk does not always produce a propor- tionate quantity of cream, and of course poor milk will not inake so good a pudding as rich. Flour is not the better for being fresh ground, as Dr. Kitchiner intimates, but on the contrary. It should, however, be perfectly sweet. The goodness of well-manufactured 12* 146 THE COMPLETE COOK : flour depends upon the quality of the wheat from which it is made. Without good wheat you can have no good flour. In one word, to ensure a good pudding, your eggs must be new laid, your butter rich and fresh, your flour of the first quality, and all your ingredients of the same character. : In the making of a pudding a good pudding -the cook must observe the utmost cleanliness, both as respects her- self and the utensils which she uses. The eggs directed to be used in the following receipts are full-sized hen eggs; if pullet eggs are used, two will be required for one hen egg. There is no substitute, that we know of, for eggs in pudding making: We have heard male and female old women talk about using, as substitutes for eggs, snow and small beer. Dr. Kitchiner says, truly, “ that they will no more answer this purpose than as substitutes for sugar or brandy." Batter puddings in all their varieties are composed of milk, eggs, and flour. As has been properly observed, " the proportions may vary, and other articles may be added, by which the name is changed, but the great matter is to know how to mix eggs, flour, and milk, and then you may easily adopt any variety that is directed.” In using eggs, you should always break them, one by one, into separate cups, or at any rate take care not to spoil all your eggs by the admission of one that is bad into the mass. Let the eggs be well beaten, and then add the flour, with a pinch of salt, and a little nutmeg, and mix the eggs and flour thoroughly before any milk is added ; then by degrees put in as much milk as will bring the batter to the consistency you wish. It ought, indeed it must be, well stirred immediately before being put into the basin or dish, The vessel in which a batter pudding is to be dressed must be well buttered. Dripping, or lard, will answer as well for a baked pud- ding. The cloth tied over the basin must be buttered, or dipped in boiling water, wrung out, and dredged with flour, but buttering is best. The pudding will break in boiling, if the batter do not exactly fill the vessel. In baking, the pudding is sure to swell considerably, and therefore the batter should not fill the vessel by about an inch. Be- fore putting the pudding into the pot, take care that rapidly, and afterwards make the water boil as soon as possible, which must be kept up till the pudding is done. Just after putting the pud- ding into the pot, it should be shook two or three times to prevent it settling, The length of time that a pudding requires to be boiled depends upon its size, and, in some degree, upon the material of which it is made. The less flour, the shorter time is required for boiling. A one-egg pudding, not exceeding three parts of half a pint in quantity, in a tea-cup, will require about twenty twenty-five minutes boiling ; or with three eggs about half an hour; and so on in proportion. But the best way of ascertaining when a pudding is done, is to run your fork into the middle of it, and if the fork comes out clear, the pudding is done. 551. To make Pudding Paste. --Beat one egg, mix it with half a the water boils PUDDINGS, CHEESECAKES, &c. pound of suet, well chopped, add one pound of flour ; well mix, then add as much cold water as is requisite to bring it to a stiff paste; flour the pje-board and rolling-pin, and beat the paste till it puffs up; roll it out to the size desired, and put in the fruit. 'If boiled in a basin, it should be welt buttered, and the cloth well floured before tying it over. This paste is used for all kind of fresh fruit. A very smali quantity of sugar should be put in with the fruit to draw the juice, but not much, or it will become so juicy as to burst the crust. A fruit pudding is lighter boiled in a cloth, but it should be well secured to prevent the juice from escaping. An hour and a half will boil a pudding of this size, if boiled in a cloth; if in a basin, allow another quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. The same paste will do for a rolt pudding and meat puddings. 552. Plum Pudding:--To make a rich plum pudding take a pound of marrow, or suet, well chopped, a pound of fine flour dried, eight or ten eggs beaten well; half a nutmeg grated; as much mace, cinnamon, and ginger, all 'powdered very fine; a pinch of salt; mix these well together, and beat up into a batter; then add one pound of currants, one pound of raisins, stoned and chopped a little; the currants should be rubbed in a cloth, and well picked, or well wash and dry them; two ounces of candied citron peel, or part lemon, and orange, cut small; and two ounces of sweet almonds, blanched and cut up in bits; two ounces of loaf-sugar grated; then add these to the batter, and put in a wine- glass of brandy; well mix them together. It may be boiled in a but- tered basin or would ; if the batter should be too stiff, put a glass of white wine in it. It will take tour or five hours boiling. Strew over it powdered loaf-sugar; garnish with sliced lemon. Sauce, contain ing half a glass of best brandy, a glass of white wine, a little rind of lemon grated, and a little powdered cinnamon, half an ounce of grated loaf-sugar, mixed with an equal quantity of very thick melted butter. It is a good plan to make and keep by you a little of this sauce, and then it is ready at any time. In a bottle containing a pint of sherry, and half a pint of best brandy, add two ounces of loaf-sugar, a quarter of an ounce of mace, half an ounce of shaved lemon rind, with kernels of apricots, peaches, and nectarines, and steep in a little white wine; when steeped, pour it off clear, and put to the wine and brandy; and add half a quarter of a pint of capillaire. Two table-spoonfuls of this sauce will flavour a boat-full of thick melted butter. 553. A plain family Plum Pudding.-Beat up three eggs, six ounces of suet chopped, a pound of flour, a third part of a pound of raisins, and the same weight of currants; one ounce of candied orange or lemon peel, cut small, half a tea spoonful of ground allspice, a little salt, two ounces of brown sugar: make a stiff batter with water, and mix the fruit and spice well in. If boiled in a basin, allow three hours and a half; if in a cloth, three hours.! 554. A common Plum or Currant Pudding is nothing more than a suet pudding, with the addition of plums, or currants, and allspice. 555. Very light Plum Pudding:--Mix grated bread, suet, and stoned raisins, four ounces each, with two well-beaten egge three or 148 THE COMPLETE COOK. 17 four spoonfuls of milk, and a little salt: boil four hours. Sauca, a spoonful of brandy, sugar, and nutmeg, in melted butter. 556. National Plum Pudding.-Mix suet, jar raisins, and cur- rants, one pound each, four ounces of crumbs of bread, two table- spoonfuls of sugar, one table-spoonful of grated lemon peel, half a nutmeg, a small blade of mace, a tea-spoonful of ginger, and six well. beaten eggs. Boil it five hours.--N. B. If you want to keep plum puddings good for a long time, say some months, hang them in a cold place in the cloth in which they were boiled. When wanted to be used, take them out of the cloth, cover them with a clean one, and warm them through with hot water; they will then be fit for the table. 557. Potatoe Pudding.-Boil mealy potatoes in their skins, accord- ing to the rule laid down, skin and mash them with a little milk, pep- per, and salt: this will make a good pudding to bake under roast meat. With the addition of a bit of butter, an egg, milk, pepper, and salt, it makes an excellent batter for a meat pudding baked. Grease a baking dish; put a layer of potatoes, then a layer of meat cut in bits, and seasoned with pepper, salt, a little allspice, either with or with- out chopped onions; a little gravy of roast meat is a great improve- ment: then put another layer of potatoes, then meat, and cover with potatoes. Put a buttered paper over the top to prevent it from being burnt, and bake it an hour or an hour and a half. 558. Cottage Potatoe Pudding:-Two pounds of mashed potatoes rubbed through a colander, two or three eggs well beaten, two ounces of moist sugar, three-quarters of a pint of milk, a little nutmeg and salt, three ounces of raisins, or currants. It is very good without the fruit, and will take three-quarters of an hour to bake. Omitting the milk and adding three ounces of butter, it makes a very nice cake. 559. For a rich sweet Potatoe Pudding.-- Rub a pound of potatoe meal through a colander; add half a pint of cream, nutmeg, cinna- inon, and from two to four ounces of loaf-sugar, from two to four ounces of fresh butter or marrow, from three to six eggs, two ounces of sweet almonds, blanched and cut, one ounce of candied citron, cut small, a few dried currants, a spoonful of ratafia or brandy: put a crust round the edge of the dish and entirely line the dish; if baked, put in the batter, bake, and when it is brown, it is done. Only substituting potatoe for flour, a very good family plum pudding may be made, but it should be baked. 560. Carrot Pudding.--Grate a raw red carrot; mix with double the weight of bread crumbs, or Naples biscuit, or part of each; to a pound and a half put half a pint of new milk or cream. 561. A Black-cap Pudding.-Rub three table-spoonfuls of flour smooth by degrees into a pint of milk, strain it, and simmer it over the fire until it thickens; stir in two ounces of butter; when cold, add the yolks of four eggs well beaten and strained, and half a pound of currants rubbed and picked; put the latter into a cloth well buta tered, tie it tight, and plunge it into boiling water; keep it in motion for five minutes, that it may be well mixed. PUDDING S, CHEESECAKES, &c. 149 562. Sago Pudding.--Boil a pint and a half of new milk with four spoonfuls of sago nicely washed and picked, lemon peel, cinna mon, nutmeg; sweeten to taste, then mix four eggs; put a paste round the dish, and bake slowly. 563. A very good Pudding.-Mix one pound and a half of suet, cut small, and free from skin, with two pounds of flour, a pound of currants picked and rubbed in a coarse cloth, six eggs well beaten, a table-spoonful of infusion of saffron, a glass of brandy, a little grated ginger, a pinch of salt, and a pint of milk; put it into a basin that will just hold it, tie a floured cloth tight over it, and put it into a pot of boiling water. Boil it four hours. 564. Bread and Butter Pudding.–Slice bread, and butter it, and lay it in a dish with currants between each layer, and sliced citron, orange, or lemon peel ; pour over an unboiled custard of milk, two or three eggs beaten, a little grated nutmeg, a little ratafia ; two hours at least before it is baked, to soak the bread. 565. Almond Pudding:- Beat half a pound of sweet and a few bitter almonds with a spoonful of water, then mix four eggs, four ounces of butter, two spoonfuls of cream put warm to the butter, one spoonful of brandy, a little nutmeg and sugar to taste. Butter some cups, half fill, and bake the puddings. Serve with pudding sauce. Or, beat fine, four ounces of almonds, four or five bitter almonds, with a little wine, yolks of six eggs beaten, peel of two lemons grated, six ounces of melted butter, nearly a quart of cream, and juice of one lemon. When well mixed, bake it half an hour, with paste round the dish. 566. Kitchiner's Pudding. Beat up three eggs, strain them through a sieve, and gradually add to them a quarter of a pint of new milk; stir them well together; rab together in a mortar two ounces of moist sugar, and as much nutmeg as will lie on a sixpence; stir these to the eggs and milk, then add four ounces of flour, and beat it to a smooth batter (the only way of doing this is, by adding a little of the milk, &c., and mixing that to a srnooth paste, then gradually thinning it). Stir to it by degrees seven ounces of suet chopped fine, and three ounces of bread crumbs; mix the whole half an hour or more before boiling; well butter a mould or basin, tie over a pudding cloth very tight, and boil it three hours. Half a pound of muscatel raisins, cut in half, and a little grated lemon peel, will make the above a good plum pudding: or without the plums, by adding half a pint more milk, it bakes well under meat as a Yorkshire pudding; or it may be baked in saucers or tin patty-pans, and served with wine An hour will bake it the size of a saucer.-Or, simmer for ten minutes half a pint of milk with a roll of lemon peel, and two blades of mace, ; strain it into a basin, and put it away to cool; beat three eggs with three ounces of loaf-sugar, the third part of a nut- meg, and three ounces of flour; mix well with the eggs, add the milk by degrees; then three ounces of butter broken in bits, three ounces of bread crumbs, three ounces of currants rubbed and picked, three ounces of raisins stoned and chopped ; mix all well together sauce. 150 THE COMPLETE COOK.14 butter & mould, tie a cloth tightly over and boil it two hours and a half. Serve with melted butter, iwo table-spoonfuls of brandy, and a little loaf-sugar. 567. A Dutch Rice. Pudding.–Soak four ounces of rice in warm water half an hour, then drain the water from it, and throw the rice into a stew-pan, with half a pint of milk, half a stick of cinnamon, and simmer till tender; when cold, put four whole eggs, well beaten, two ounces of butter melted in a tea-cup full of cream (or milk where cream is scarce or dear), and put three ounces of sugar, a quarter of a nutmeg, and a good piece of lemon peel. Put a light puff paste in a mould or dish, or grated tops and bottoms, and bake in a quick oven. 568. Rice Puddings.-It will be well to make a few observations on rice before we enter upon rice puddings. Large long corn which is quite white and clear is the best ; though this may cost a little more money, it will be found the cheapest. Bad rice has a dingy red and yellow appearance, and is dusty; in this state it is almost sure to turn the milk with which it is used. The best rice takes less sugar to sweeten it, and the flavour of it is much superior to the inferior sort. Good rice will soon become tender and swell, and when this is the case it is done. Inferior rice may be used for broths or stews, as thickeners, but it is not so wholesoine as the best. Rice should be kept in a vessel closely shut, and in a dry place. It does not keep well after grinding; it is almost sure to become sour. It should be ground as it is wanted. 569. A Rice Pudding.–Take two parts of a pound of rice, put it in a cloth or bag that would hold three times the quantity; put it into boiling water, and let it boil an hour. Take it up, and beat two eggs and add to it; mix and beat with the rice a little sugar, nutmeg, and one ounce of suet, or butter, with or without currants"; flour a cloth and tie it tight in it, and let it boil half an hour. Sauce, boiled milk with a little sugar and nutmeg, or wine sauce. 570. A baked Rice Pudding --The above may be used, enriched by slices of bread and butter laid at the top, with a little sugar and nutmeg strewed over. Or, scald the rice in a small quantity of water; when all the water is absorbed by the rice, add a quart of new milk, and let it boil up, with a stick of cinnamon for flavour ;* beat three or four eggs with fine moist sugar, stir to them gradually the boiling milk and rice; add one ounce of beef suet or butter ; 'when it is in the pan, or dish, which should be buttered before putting in, grate nutmeg over the top; put it in the oven as soon as made, and bake an hour. 571. , Ground Rice Pudding. Put on the fire a quart of new milk; put into it five or six young laurel leaves, a stick of cinnamon, a pinch of salt; when it boils, stir into it a quarter of a pound of ground rice, which has been previously wetted with a little cold water; stir - * Laurel leaves are usually directed; but they are decidedly poisonous, and we strongly disapprove of the use of them. PUDDINGS, CHEESECAKES, &c. 151 till it boils and thickens. As it is apt to burn, a double saucepan is the best for this purpose. Take the flavourings out, and stir into it three or four eggs, well beaten, with an ounce of sugar, and a little grated nutmeg : three-quarters of an hour will bake it. This pudding (if desired) can be very much enriched by adding one or two more eggs, two ounces of fresh butter or marrow, a tea-cup full of cream, and a large spoonful of brandy, ratafia, or noyeau. 572. Rice Snow Balls.Pick and wash half a pound of the best rice, boil it in water for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, drain it quite dry; there should be more water than the rice will take up: after it is well drained through a sieve, divide it into six parcels; take apples as for dumplings, surround each with rice; tie them in a cloth separately, and rather loosely; boil one hour. Sauce, sugar and butter, or wine sauce. 573. Plain Rice Pudding. - If you wish to boil it, take half a pound of ground rice, put it into a bag that would hold three times as much, put it into the saucepan containing boiling water; let it boil an hour and a quarter. For baking, take a third part of a pound of rice, put it into a deep dish with two quarts of skim milk; it will take an hour and a half baking. Sauce, cold butter, and sugar and nut- meg, or preserved fruit. 574. Rice Bignets. – In a pint of new milk simmer three ounces of rice till it becomes a stiff paste; add half a tea-cup full of thick cream, the grated rind of half a lemon, two ounces of loaf-sugar, and a little powdered cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg, and two eggs well beaten; grate a small tea-cup full of bread crumbs; when the rice is cold, cut it into bits and roll it into small balls, dip each in the egg, roll in the bread crumbs, and fry them quickly: Sauce, wine sauce. 575. Vermicelli, Sago, Tapioca, and Russian Seed Pudding s.- These are all made in the same way as rice puddings. Arrow-root pudding is made as ground rice pudding. It is generally baked in a dish lined with paste, and turned out. : 576. Yeast Dumplings.-Procure half a quarter of dough from the baker's. Keep it covered over by the fire till it is wanted. Should it be wished to make the dough at home, set half a quarter, or rather less, of the best flour, with a wine glass full of fresh yeast, stirred into half a tea-cup full of milk, just warm. Let it rise, in a warm place, for about an hour. Then make your dumplings, and boil. Each dumpling should be about the size of an egg. Put them in a large saucepan of boiling water, or in a steamer, which is much better; they should boil or steam twenty minutes. Stick in a fork; if done, the fork will come out clean. Take them up, and they should be eaten directly, as they become hard in their own steam. Tear them apart with your fork; if cut with your knife it will make them close. French baker's dough is always very light, and is much better for dumplings. Sauce, cold butter and sugar, or wine sauce. 577. Suet Pudding. - Shred a pound of suet; mix with a pound and a quarter of flour, two eggs beaten separately, a little salt, and as little milk as will make it. Boil it four hours. It eats well the PUDDING S, CHEESECAKES, &c. 153 584. Baked. Vermicelli Pudding. - Simmer four ounces of vermi: celli in a pint of new milk ten minutes; then put into it half a pinte of cream, a tea-spoonful of pounded cinnamon, four ounces of butter warm, the same of white sugar, and yolks of four eggs, well beaten. Bake it in a dish without a lining.. 585. Marrow Pudding:--Four ounces of marrow, four of biscuits, or Freuch biscuits, three of jar raisins, stoned, candied orange peel, sugar and nutmeg to the taste. Place these articles in layers in a dish surrounded by paste; then beat up four eggs, leave out the whites of two, in half a pint of cream, or good milk, and pour it over the other ingredients. It will take an hour and a half to bake. 586. The Conservative Pudding. - Take four sponge biscuits, a quarter of a pound of ratafia and macaroone cakes, mixed, the yolks of eight eggs, a glass of brandy, half a pint of cream, well beaten together, the cakes being soaked in the brandy and cream. Butter a quart mould, place dried cherries or stoned raisins in a pattern over it, pour in the mixture, and place the mould in a stew-pan, surrounded by water, and let it simmer an hour and a half over charcoal. 587. Economical Pudding. - In families where there are loose pieces of bread, they can be made into a pudding instead of throwing them on one side, Boil aa much milk as the size of your dish will require, put in a bit of lemon peel, and two or three of young laurel leaves; cut up the bread crust too in thin slices. When the milk boils, take out the flavourings, put in the bread, cover it up, and set it by the fire to swell; then beat it up fine, and stir to it two or three eggs well beaten, with a little moist sugar and ground allspice, a bit of butter or suet, chopped fine, or a bit of good beef dripping. A few currants or not; currants are apt to turn the milk wheyey. Three- quarters of an hour will bake it. It is a very wholesome pudding for children. 588. A delicate Bread Pudding:--Take fine bread, grated fine, and rich new milk. When the milk boile, put in the bread crumbs; for every table-spoonful of bread, allow one egg, well beaten; sweeten it with loaf-sugar to your taste, and grate in a little nutmeg. Put it into a buttered basin, and boil it from twenty minutes to fifty, according to the size of the pudding. If baked, rather less time will do it. It only requires to be a light brown. 589. Barley Pudding.Take a quarter of a pound of Scotch or pearl barley, Wash, and simmer it in a small quantity of water ; pour off the water, and add milk and flavourings as for rice puddings. Beat up with sugar and nutmeg, and mix to the milk and barley in the same way. It may be more or less rich of eggs; and with or without the addition of butter, cream, or marrow. Put it into a but- tered deep dish, leaving room for six or eight ounces of currants, and an ounce of candied peel, cut up fine, with a few apples cut in small pieces. An hour will bake it. 590. Hard Dumplings.-Mix flour and water, with a bit of salt, to the consistency of dough. Make it into dumplings, and boil them half an hour. Serve them with butter and salt. Skimmer cakes are made # 13 154 1. THE COMPLETE COOK ance, in the same way, and flatted to the thickness of half an inch, and boiled on the skimmer, which should be previously buttered; when done, it will slip off the skimmer. They are eaten with sugar and butter. 591. Newmarket Pudding.–A pint of new milk, half a lemon rind, a little cinnamon, and a bay leaf; simmer a few minutes, sweeten with loaf-sugar, and strain by degrees to five well-beaten eggs (leav- ing out two whites;) pour this over thin slices of bread and butter strewed with currants. Bake half an hour. 592. A light Pudding-Take a pint of new milk, eight eggs, and half a pint of cream, to two spoonfuls of flour. Beat the yolks and whites of the eggs separately; beat up the batter without the whites, but, just before putting it in the pot, or oven, stir in the whites, with one ounce of fine loaf-sugar, a little powdered cinnamon, or nutmeg, and half a glass of brandy or ratafia. Butter the basin or mould which it will exactly fill. Put it into the water fast boiling, and keep it shaking about several minutes, lest the eggs should settle on one side. Half an hour will boil it. When turned out, grate over the top fine sugar and nutmeg, with melted butter, or wine sauce, round it; or stick bits of raspberry jam, or red currant jelly, at top. If baked, it will not require more than twenty minutes. A rich puff paste, put round the edge of any baked pudding, greatly improves the appear- 593. A Yorkshire Pudding.-Beat up four eggs, and mix with them, by degrees, four spoontuls of flour; beat it to a smooth paste, and add a pint of new milk and a pinch of salt. Put it into a shallow square tin, under roast meat. It should not be put down until the meat is warmed through, and begins to drip; or till the fire is become clear and fierce, so that the batter shall soon boil. The tin should be very hot when the pudding is put in, to keep the floury part from settling. 594. A nice Suet Pudding:- Take two or three eggs, well beaten, with half a pound of suet, chopped fine, a pound of flour, a pinch of salt, and some grated ginger and nutmeg. Beat these up very smooth with cold water to rather a thick batter. A few currants may be added. Two hours will boil it. White wine sauce. 595. Mother Eve's Pudding.–Take equal weights of suet, plums, currants, sugar, apples chopped up, bread crumbs, and flour, with an egg to an ounce of the ingredient, candied peel, spice, and salt. Boil six hours. 596. Newcastle Pudding.-Butter half a melon mould, or quart basin, and stick all round with dried cherries, or fine raisins, fill up with bread and butter and steam it half an hour. 597. Hasty Pudding.-Boil a quart of new milk, cinnamon or bay leaves. While boiling, shake in from a flour dredger two table- spoonfuls of flour, and stir it until it thickens. Then pour it into a deep dish, stir in an ounce of butter, the same of moist sugar, and grate nutmeg over the top. 598. Arrow-root Pudding.- Arrow-root pudding is made in the PUDDING S, CHEESECAKES, &c. 155 sauce. same way as hasty pudding, with the exception of shaking the arrow- root in, which should be stirred into a little cold milk, and then stirred into the boiling milk, 599. A Friar's Omelet.-Boil a dozen apples, as for sauce; stir in a quarter of a pound of butter, and the same of white sugar; when cold, add four eggs, well beaten; put it into a baking dish thickly strewed over with crumbs of bread, so as to stick to the bottom and sides; then put in the apple-mixture ; strew crumbs of bread over the top; when baked, turn it out, and grate loaf-sugar over it. 1,600. A Swiss Pudding -Put layers of crumbs of bread and sliced apples, with sugar between, until the dish be as full as it will hold; let the crumbs: be the uppermost layer ; then pour milk over it, and bake. *601. Oxford Puddings.--Take a quarter of a pound of grated bis- cuit, the same quantity of currants, the same of suet, finely chopped, a spoonful of sugar, and a little nutmeg; mix them well together. Take the yolks of three eggs, and make up the puddings into balls. Fry them a light colour in fresh butter, and serve with white wine 602. Muffin or Cabinet Pudding.-Cut three or four muffins in two, pour over them boiling milk sufficient to cover them, cover them up until they are tender. Make a rich custard with eight eggs (only four whites,) a pint of cream, a quarter of a pound of loaf-sugar, an ounce of almonds, blanched and cut, lemon peel and nutmeg grated, and a glass of ratafia or brandy. Butter a tin mould for boiling-for baking, a dish. Put a layer of dried cherries, greengages, apricots, or French plums; cover with custard, add more fruit, then custard, until the mould or dish is quite full. Boil an hour and a half, and serve with wine sauce. It should not float in the water, but stand in a stew-pan, and only water enough to reach half way up the mould. If for baking, it will not take so long. Lay a puff paste round the edges of the dish. Stale muffins are very good boiled in milk and eaten with wine 603. French and Italian Puddings. These puddings are com- posed of sliced French rolls, eggs, and cream. Five or six eggs to a pint of cream, and as much roll as will thicken it; sweeten it with loaf-sugar; a pound of suét, chopped fine, may be added or omitted. Line the dish with puff paste; lay at the bottom six or eight apples, cut up, a pound of raisins sloned, a few dates sliced, or a few French plums, some candied orange peel, sugar, and spice. Pour the pud- ding over this, grate nutmeg at top, and bake of a fine pale brown. 604. A Cheese Pudding -Half a pound of cheese grated, butter two ounces, four eggs, a little cayenne ånd nutmeg. Butter a dish, and bake twenty ininutes. : 605. A very rich Pudding of prime ripe Fruit.—This is made sometimes by pressing the fruit through a sieve, if apricots, green- gages or peaches; sweet juicy apples, or rich mellow pears, may be grated; or the fruit may be scalded a few minutes in white wine; sauce. 156 THE COMPLETE COOK. 7, X t then the skins and stones removed, and beaten in a mortar. - Wren cold mix with rich custard, cream, eggs, and bread crumbs, or Na- ples biscuit, with loaf-sugar to taste; the kernels blanched, and a glass of brandy or Madeira wine. Then bake in a dish edged with puff paste, and call it according to the fruit employed-apricot pudding, peach pudding, and so forth. If the cook is ordered to make such a pudding, it is fit she should know how to do it; but it is a great pity to spoil good things by such incongruous mixtures; the batter alone would make a much better pudding; and the fruit and wine might be saved for dessert. For these rich delicate puddings, the tinctures are preferable to the spice in substance. 606. Chesnut Pudding.-Roast chesnuts, or boil them a quarter of an hour; blanch, peel, and grate, or pound in a mortar, with a little white wine. To a dozen chesnuts, add six eggs, well beaten, a pint and a half of cream, and a quarter of a pound of butter; mix it well together; sweeten to taste; add a little salt and nutmeg ; simmer over the fire till it thickens, stirring it well. Then bake it in a dish, edged and lined with puff paste. 607. Rusk Pudding is exactly the same thing as bread and butter pudding, except that the butter is spread on rusks instead of bread. The richness may be varied at pleasure. Let it steep two hours or more before putting in the oven. 608. Portugal Pudding --Rub up four table-spoonfuls of ground rice, or semilina, with three ounces of butter, and stir in it a pint of cream; stir it till it boils and is quite thick. Then stir in two whole eggs, and the yolks of three more, well beaten, with a quarter of a pound of loaf-sugar, a little salt and nutmeg. Butter a dish, and bake it an hour. When it is done, have ready another dish of the same size, or a very little deeper; on the bottom of this spread a layer of raspberry jam, then the pudding, and then a layer of apricot jam. This pudding is very delicate without the mixture of fruit, with wine or lemon sauce instead. 609. Tansey Pudding-Make a rich batter with Naple-biscuits, eggs, cream, and a little sugar; chop up a very few tansey leaves, and a few of spinach; enough to give the whole a green colour. Set it in a double saucepan, over boiling water, till it becomes quite thick; then pour it into a buttered basin or mould; tie it up securely; and let it boil three-quarters of an hour. Let it stand a few minutes after taken up; then turn out, and serve with wine sauce. 610. To make Curd for Cheesecakes, and other purposes. Milk is turned to curds and whey by means of rennet, which is the stomach of a calf, taken out as soon as it is killed, well cleansed from its con tents, then scoured inside and out with salt, and when thoroughly salted stretched on a stick to dry. A bit of this is to be soaked in boiling water for several hours, and the liquor put in milk warm from the cow, or made that warmth. Use alone can prescribe the exact quantity. Never use more than enough to turn it, as it hardens the curd. The gizzard- skin of fowls and turkeys may be prepared in 158 THE COMPLETE COOK. small beer, ginger, and so forth ; or water, with flour, and a very little milk, will serve, but not nearly so well as eggs and all milk. 616. Pancakes of Rice.-Boil half a pound of rice to a jelly, in a small quantity of water; when cold, mix it with a pint of cream, eight eggs, a bit of salt and nutmeg ; stir in eight ounces of butter, just warmed, and add as much flour as will make the batter thick enough. Fry in as little lard or dripping as possible. 617. Cream Pancakes.-Mix the yolks of two eggs, well beaten, with a pint of cream, two ounces of sifted sugar, a little nutmeg, cin- namon, and mace. Rub the pan with a bit of butter, and fry the pan- cakes thin. 618. Fritters.—Make them of any of the batters directed for pan- cakes, by dropping a small quantity into the pan; or make the plainer sort, and put pared apples, sliced and cored, into the batter, and fry some of it in each slice. Currants, or sliced lemon as thin as paper, make an agreeable change. Fritters for company should be served on a folded napkin in the dish. Any sort of sweetmeat, or ripe fruit, may be made into fritters. 619. Oyster Fritters.--Make a batter of flour, milk, and eggs; season a very little with nutmeg. Beard the oysters, and put as many as you think proper in each fritter. 620. Potatoe Fritters.--Boil two large potatoes, scrape them fine, beat four yolks and three whites of eggs, and add to the above one large spoonful of cream, another of sweet wine, a squeeze of lemon," and a little nutmeg. Beat this batter well half an hour. It will be extremely light. Put a good quantity of fine lard into a stew-pan, and drop a spoonful at a time of the batter into it. Fry them; and serve as a sauce, a glass of white wine, the juice of a lemon, one dessert-spoonful of peach-leaf or almond water, and some white sugar, warmed together; not to be served in the dish. BAKING. 621. Bread.-Put a quartern of flour into a large basin, or small pan, with two tea-spoonfuls of salt; make a hole in the middle, then put in a basin four table-spoonfuls of good yeast, stir in a pint of milk ukewarm; put it in the hole of the flour, stir just to make it of a thin patter, and then strew a little flour over the top; then set it on one side of the fire, cover it over with a cloth, let it stand till the next morning; add half a pint more of warm milk, and make it into dough, knead it for ten minutes, then set it in a warm place by the fire for one hour and a half, then knead it again, and it is ready for either loaves or bricks. 622. Sally Lunn Tea Cake. - Take a quarter of a pint of thick small-beer yeast, and one pint of warm milk, and put into a pan with flour sufficient to make it of a thick batter; let it stand by the fire till it has risen as high as it will, about two hours. Two ounces of lump sugar, dissolved in a pint of new milk, a quarter of a pound of butter rubbed in the flour very fine; then make your dough; let it 180 THE COMPLETE COOK. spoon, and bake it brown on both sides before a quick fire. A little stewed pumpkin, scalded with the meal, improves the cake. Bannock- split and dipped in butter, inakes very nice toast. 626. Green Indian Corn.- This is a most delicious vegetable, When used as a vegetable the cobs, or ears, are plucked about the time that the corn has arrived at a milky state, or just before it as- sumes a solid substance. A part of the leaves or filaments by which the cob, or ear, is surrounded, is taken away, and the cobs boiled fronı twenty to forty minutes, “ according to its age.” When it is done, it is served with cold or 'melted butter, and eaten (after being stripped of its remaining leaves) by taking the two ends of the cob in the hands, and biting off the corn, The editor can bear testimony to its delicious quality from having grown it in his own garden and par- taken of it. 627. Indian Corn, or Maize Pudding, baked.--Scald a quart of milk (skimmed milk will do,) and stir in seven table-spoonfuls of sifted Indian meal, a tea-spoonful of salt, a tea-cup full of molasses or trea. cle, or coarse moist sugar, and a table-spoonful of powdered ginger or sifted cinnamon; bake three or four hours. If whey is wanted, pour in a little cold inilk after it is all mixed. 628. Boiled Maize. Pudding.--Stir Indian meal and warm milk together“ pretty stiff;" a little salt and two or three " great spoon. fuls" of molasses added ; also a spoonful of ginger, or any other spice that may be preferred. Boil it in a tight-covered pån, or in a very thick cloth; if the water gets in, it will ruin it. Leave plenty of room, for Indian meal swells very much. The milk with which it is mixed should be merely warmed; if it be scalding hot,. the pudding will break to pieces. Some chop suet very fine, and warm in the milk; others warm thin slices of apple to be stirred into the pudding. Water will answer instead of milk. 629. Pumpkin and Squash Pie. - The usual way of dressing pumpkins in England in a pie is to cut them into slices, mixed with apples, and bake them with a top crust like ordinary pies. A quite different process is pursued in America, and the editor can testify to the immense superiority of the Yankee method. In England, the pumpkin is grown for show rather than for use; nevertheless, when properly dressed, it is a very delicious vegetable, and a universal favourite with our New England neighbours. The following is the American method of making a pumpkin pie: Take out the seeds, and pare the pumpkin or squash; but in taking put the seeds do not scrape the inside of the pumpkin ; the part nearest he seed is the sweetest; then stew the pumpkin, and strain it through a sieve or colander. To a quart of milk for a family pie, three eggs are sufficient. Stir in the stewed pumpkin with your milk and beaten-up eggs till it is as thick as you can stir round rapidly and easily. If the pie is wanted richer make it thinner, and add another egg or two; but even one egg to a quart of milk makes “very decent pies." Sweeten with molasses or sugar; add two tea-spoonfuls of salt, two table-spoonfuls of sifted cinnamon, and one of powdered COOKING INDIAN CORN, &c. 161 ginger; but allspice may be used, or any other spice that may be prea ferred. The peel of a lemon grated in gives it a pleasant flavour. The more eggs, says our American authority, the better the pie. Some put one egg to a gilt of milk. Bake about an hour in deep plates, or shallow dishes, without an upper crust, in a warm oven. There is another method of making this pie, which, we know from experience, produces an excellent dish: Take out the seeds, and grate the pumpkin till you come to the outside skin.. Sweeten the pulp; add a little ground allspice, lemon peel, and lemon juice; in short, flavour it to your taste. Bake without an upper crust. 630. Carrot Pies. These pies are made like pumpkin pies. The carrots should be boiled very tender, skinned, and siſted. 631. American Custard Puddings, sufficiently gond for common use, may be made by taking five eggs beaten up and mixed with a quart of milk, sweetened with sugar and spiced with cinnamon, all- spice, or nutmeg. It is well to boil your milk first, and let it get cold before using it. “ Boiling milk enriches it so much, that boiled skim milk is about as good as new." (We doubt this assertion; at any rate, it can only be iinproved by the evaporation of the water.) Bake fifteen or twenty minutes. 632. American Plum Pudding. Pound six hard fine biscuits (crackers), soak them for some hours in milk sufficient to cover the mass; add three pints of milk, beat úp six eggs, and mix; flavour with lemon brandy, and a whole nutmeg grated; add three-quarters of a pound of stoned raisins, rubbed in four. Bake not quite two hours. 633. Rennet Puilding or Custard. -A pudding may be made of this description in five minutes. Take a wine-glass full of wine, in which a small portion of calf's rennet has been kept soaking; put it into a quart of cold new milk, and a sort of custard will be the result. This sweetened with loaf-sugar and spiced with nutmeg is very good. It should be eaten immediately, for in a few hours it begins to curdle. 634. American Apple Puddings.-Take your apples, and bore out the core without cutting them in two. Fill up the holes with washed rice. Tie up each apple very tight, and separately in the corners of a pudding bag. Boil an hour, or an hour and a half. 635. Bird's Nest Pudding. If you wish to make what is called a bird's nest pudding, prepare your custard ; take eight or ten pleasant apples, prepare them and take out the core, but leave them whole; set them in a pudding-dish, pour your custard over them, and bake about thirty minutes. 636. American Souse. - Take pigs' feet, ears, &c. well cleaned, and boil or rather simmer them for four or five hours, until they are too tender to be taken out with a fork. When taken from the boiling water it should be put into cold water. After it is packed down tight, boil the jelly-like liquor in which it was cooked with an equal quantity of vinegar; salt as you think fit, and cloves, allspice, and cinnamon, 162 THE COMPLETE COOK.*, , ), , , at the rate of a quarter of a pound to a hundred weight, must be mixed with it when scalding hot. 637. American dry Bread.-As far as possible, have bits of bread eaten up before they become hard. Spread those that are not eaten, and let them dry, to be pounded for puddings, or soaked for brewis. Brewis is made of crusts and dry pieces of bread, soaked a good while in hot milk, mashed up, and salted, and buttered like toast. 638. Another sort of Brewis. The author of Domestic Cookery observes, that a very good meal may be bestowed on poor people in thing called breuis, which is thus made: Cut a very thick upper crust of bread, and put it into the pot where salt beef is boiling, and nearly ready; it will attach some of the fat, and when swelled out, will be no unpalatable dish to those who rarely taste meat. 639. Sall Fish. - The New England mode of dressing salt fish is an excellent one, and ought to be generally adopted. Keep the fish many hours (at least seven or eight) in scalding hot water, which inust never be suffered to boil. 640. To preserve Cheese.--Cover the cheese carefully with paper, fastened on with paste, so as totally to exclude the air. In this way cheese inay be kept for years. 641. American Mince Meat. - Take the good bits of vegetables, and the cold meat left after dinner. Mash your vegetables fine, and chop your meat very fine. Warm it with what remains of gravy, or roast meat dripping. Two or three apples, sliced and fried to mix with it, are considered an improvement. Some like a little sifted sage sprinkled in it. After it is warmed, lay it upon a large slice of toasted bread. Potatoes should not be used in the preparation of American mince meat. GRUELS, CREAMS, SYLLABUBS, JELLIES, &c., &c. 642. Common Flummery is merely water gruel flavoured, and eaten cold. Soak in cold water a pint of very fine white oatmeal; when it has steeped a day and a night, pour off the water quite clear. Then put upon the oatmeal three pints of fresh water, and let that stand also a day and a night; then strain it through a hair sieve, and boil it till it is as thick as hasty pudding, stirring it all the time; sweeten it with loaf-sugar, and put a spoonful of ratafia or noyeau, or a few drops of essence of lemon. Pour it into saucers or shallow dishes. It is eaten with sugar and cream, or wine, or cider. 643. Rice Flummery is ground rice thickened with milk, the same as for good rice pudding: In a pint of new milk, simmer three ounces of ground rice till it is become a very thick paste, sweeten_it with loaf-sugar, flayour with ratafia or peach water, put it in a bason or a inould; when it is turn it out. Sauce; half a pint of new milk, a glass of white wine, a large tea-cup full of creain, the juice of a small lemon, sweetened with loaf-sugar. Or you may pour round it cream or custard. 644. French Flummery.—Take two ounces of isinglass to a quart QRUELS, CREAMS, &c. 163 of cream; simmer them a quarter of an hour; sweeten with loaf sugar; flavour with rose water; strain it into a mould'; when cold, turn it out, and put round it baked or dried pears. 645. Dutch Flummery is composed of isinglass boiled in water, enriched with lemon, eggs, and wine. Take two ounces of isinglass, boil it half an hour in a pint and a half of water, and grate off with loaf-sugar the yellow rind of two lemons; sweeten with loaf-sugar, a pint of white wine, and the juice of three lemons. Beat up seven eggs, and strain the above to them, stirring all the time. Put it into the saucepan a minute or two to scald-by no means let it boil. Then pour it into a basin, and stir it till nearly cold, and then let it stand a few minutes to settle, and put it into a tin mould previously dipped in cold water. 646. Blancmange. If for a sick person, boil an ounce of the best isinglass, with a stick of cionamon, in half a pint of water. The isinglass will become a very thick jelly in half an hour's boiling. Then mix to it a pint of new milk, and sugar to taste. Let it boil up once, and strain through a tamis, or swan-skin jelly-bag, into a bason. Pour it into a mould, or custard cups, when nearly cold; pour it very steadily, and keep back any sediment. When turned out, raise it all round the edges with a silver knife ; turn the mould on a dish, shake it once or twice. If properly prepared, it will turn out a beautiful white jelly, like marble; garnish with flowers or with sweetmeats, or sliced lemon. 647. A richer. Blancmange.- Simmer an ounce or little more of fine isinglass in a pint and half of new milk; add the rind of half a lemon, shred very fine a blade or two of mace, a stick of cinnamon, and sweeten with two ounces and a half of loaf-sngar. Blanch and pound, with a spoonful of rose water, half an ounce of sweet almonds, and eight or ten bitter; put to the milk, and mix. When the isin- glass is quite dissolved, strain through a linen flannel, to half a pint of rich cream, and stir together well. When it has stood an hour, pour it off into another bason, leaving the sediments at the bottom, and when nearly cold, pour it into moulds, jelly glasses, or custard cups. Two table-spoonfuls of noyeau will answer the purpose of the almonds. And the isinglass may be dissolved in a pint of water and half a pint of milk. 648. Arrow-root Blancmange. - Put two tea-cups full of arrow- root to a quart of milk. Flavour it with an ounce of sweet almonds, and fifteen or sixteen bitter, blanched and pounded ;' or with noyeau. Moisten the arrow-root with a little cold milk, and pour to it the boil- ing milk, stirring all the time. Then put it in the saucepan, and boil it a minute or two, still stirring. Dip the moulds in cold water. Turn it out when cold. 649. Italian Cream..Rub on a lump of sugar the rind of a lemon, and scrape it off with a knife into a deep dish or china bowl; add two ounces and a half of sifted sugar, a gill of brandy, the juice of a lemon, and a pint of double cream; then beat it up well with a whisk; boil an ounce of isinglass in a gill of water till quite dissolved; strain 164 THE COMPLETE COOK. it to the other ingredients; beat some time, and fill the mould; and when cold and set well, turn it out on a dish. The above may be flavoured with any kind of liquor; strawberry, raspberry, or any kind of fruit; coloured with prepared cochineal, and named to correspond with the flavour given. 650. Clouted or Clotted Cream. The milk which is put into the pan one morning stands till the next; then set the pan on a hot hearth, half full of water; put this over a stove from ten to twenty minutes, according to the quantity of the milk; it will be done enough when bladders rise on its surface; this denotes that it is nearly boiling, which it must by no means do, but must be instantly removed from the fire, and placed in a cool place till the next morn- ing, when the cream is thrown up, and is ready for the table, or for butter, into which it may be converted by stirring it with the hand, but not very readily. This is sometimes called Devonshire cream, and it is imagined by those who do not know better, to be much richer than the common cream. The artificial process employed in raising this cream causes the milk to yield a greater quantity, but the quality and flavour are inferior to cream raised naturally, and so is the butter made from it. 651. Cream fur Fruit Pies.---There are many ways of preparing cream. For fruit pies, simmer a pint of new milk, rind of Seville orange or lemon, cinnamon, either, or all, as you may choose. Whisk up the yolks of three eggs, with half a spoonful of flour, and one or two of cream; gradually add the boiling milk, sét it over the fire, and whisk till it is of the consistence of a thick cream. When it is removed from the fire, and rather cool, add a table spoonful of rose or orange water, or a tea-spoonful of syrup of clove gilly flowers. When quite cold, take off the top of the pie and pour in the cream; return the cover, either whole or cut in quarters. If eggs are dear, one whole egg will whisk up with a spoonful of rice flour or arrow- root, and will answer for thickening. Richer cream may be prepared with an equal quantity of cream and milk, flavoured with almond, lemon, sack, ratafia, or brandy, and called by the name of the article by which it is flavoured principally. Be careful not to let your creams boil, or they will curdle. Creams may be prepared with fresh or pre- served fruits. Luscious fruits are improved by the addition of lemon juice. 652. Birch's Receipt for Mock Cream-Mix half a spoonful of flour with a pint of new milk; let it simmer five minutes to take off the rawness of the flour; then beat up the yolk of one egg, stir it into the milk while boiling, and run it through a fine sieve. A tea- spoonful of arrow-root would do better than four. 653. Trifle.--Mix in a large bowl a quarter of a pound of sifted sugar, a bit of lemon peel grated fine, and the juice of a whole lemon, half a gill of Lisbon or sweet wine, the same of brandy, and a pint and a half of good cream. Whisk the whole well, and take off the froth as it rises with a skimmer, and put it on a sieve; con- tinue to whisk it till you have enough of the whip; Bet it in a cold GRUELS, CREAMS, &c. 165 place to drain three or four hours. Then put in a dish six or eight sponge biscuits, two ounces of almonds, blanched and split, a quarter of a pound of ratafia, some grated nutmeg and lemon peel, currant jelly and raspberry jam, half a pint of sweet wine, and a little brandy; when the cakes have absorbed the liquor, pour over about a pint of custard, made rather thicker than for apple pie; and, when wanted, lay on plenty of the whip, and throw over a few nonpariel comfits. 654. Whip Syllabub.- Make a whip as in the last receipt; mix with a pint of cream half a pint of sweet wine, the juice of a lemon a glass of brandy, six ounces of sifted loaf-sugar, grated nutmeg; nearly fill the custard cups with the mixture, and put on with a spoon some of the whip. 655. Gooseberry or Apple Fool.-Stew green gooseberries or apples, peeled or cored; add to them a little moist sugar, enough to draw the juice, to two quarts of fruit a quarter of a, pound of sugar, When quite tender, pulp through a coarse sieve; add what more, sugar is necessary to your taste, and a quart of new milk warm frorn the cow; if not from the cow, warm it by the fire; a tea-cup full of cream; mix with it an egg, or two yolks, well beaten. Let it thicken in the milk; be careful it does not boil. When cold, mix the fruit, and stir all togeth ir, till well united. A little grated ginger is an im- provement, nutmeg and lemon rind also, and half a glass of brandy. 655. Calves' Feet Jelly.—Take our calves' feet, not from the tripe shop, which have been boiled till almost all the gelatine is extracted, but buy them at the butcher's. Slit them in two, take away the fat from between the claws, wash thern well in lukewarm water, put them in a large saucepan or stew-pan, cover them with water; when the liquor boils, skim it well, and let them boil gently six or seven hours, that it may be reduced to about two quarts. Then strain it through a sieve, and put it by till next day. Then take off all the oily part which is at the top, with pieces of kitchen paper applied to it; by so doing you may remove every particle of the oily substance, without wasting any of the jelly. Put the jelly in the stew-pan to inelt; add a pound of lump sugar to it, the juice of lemons, the peel of two, six whites and shells beat well together, and a bottle of Sherry or Madeira; whisk the whole together until it is on the boil; then put it by the side of the stove, and let it simmer a quarter of an hour. Then strain it through a jelly-bag; what is strained first must be put into the bag, and repeated until it is quite bright and clear. Then put the jelly in moulds till it is cold and firm. Put it in a cold place. If you wish to have it very stiff, add half an ounce of isinglass, when the wine is put in. It may be flavoured by the juice of various fruits aud spices, &c., and coloured with cochineal, saffron, spinach juice, red beet-root juice or claret. It is sometimes made with cherry brandy, noyeau rouge, or essence of punch, instead of wine. Ten shank mut- ton bones, which may be bought for a trifle, will give as much jelly as a calf's foot. 656. Whey.-Boil a pint of milk, put to it a glass or two of white 14 166 THE COMPLETE"coot." wine; put it on the fire till it boils again; then pour it on one side till it has settled. Pour off the clear whey, and sweeten as you like. Cider is often used instead of wine, or half the quantity. When there is no fire in the sick room, it may be put hot into a bottle, and laid between the bed and mattrass. It will keep warm several hours. 657. Arrow-root. --A dessert spoonful will thicken half a pint. It may be made with milk, and flavoured at pleasure, and according to circumstances, if for the sick. The method of mixing is, to moisten the arrow-root with a very little liquid, and stir it into a smooth paste; then pour the rest of the milk to it in a boiling state, stirring it one way all the time, and a minute or two afterwards. If it is not thick," return it to the saucepan, but that wastes it. If you pour it carefully, it will be thick by mixing the milk, and quite smooth. 658. Gruel is made of Scotch oatmeal, or cracked groats, or com- mon oatmeal. The Embden, or cracked groats, or Scotch oatmeal, is preferable to the cominon, both for flavour and nutriment, but can- not be made so quickly. A block-tin saucepan, or a brass skillet, is the best for preserving the colour of the gruel"; and a hair sieve to strain. Set on the groats in cold water, half a pint to three quarts of water. Let it boil three quarters of an hour. In that time it will be reduced to two quarts. Then strain it. The groats may be boiled up again, and will make another quart of gruel, but they must be boiled longer than at first. Scotch oatmeal may be made a mess at a time. To a pint of water two ounces of oatmeal; mix it with a little cold water, and stir it into the rest while boiling. This may be strained or not. Let it boil ten minutes. 659. Robinson's prepared Groals are prepared in the same way, but do not require so much boiling; a large spoonful of this will make a pint of gruel. A bit of butter and salt are generally stirred in gruel; or sugar and nutmeg, according to taste. 660. Rice Gruel.—This is principally used for bowel complaints, but is not so good as arrow-root. A table-spoonful of ground rice will thicken a pint of milk or water. Mix it in the same manner as oat- meal gruel; boil in a bit of dried orange or lemon peel, and a bit of cinnamon. Let it boil about ten minutes, sweeten with loaf-sugar, and add two glasses of port, or one of brandy, as may be required. 661. Barley Gruel. This also is used to give to a person in a state of great debility. Either Scotch or pearl barley may be used; it re- quires a great deal of washing. If time allows, it should be boiled in a small quantity of cold water; when it boils up, pour off; add fresh boiling water for the gruel. To a quart of water put two ounces of barley; boil till reduced one half, then strain it off. Put to it half as much port wine, and sugar to taste; simmer it together two or three minutes. Rewarm it from time to time as wanted. The barley will do to put in broth. 662. Thick Milk, or Flour Caudle, is used for the same purpose. A large table-spoonful of flour will thicken a pint. It may be fla- voured with cinnamon, or dried orange or lemon peel. Great care GRU E LS, CREAMS, &c. 167 must be taken that it does not burn. A double saucepan is best for the purpose, or a brass kettle. Half water may be used. 663. Barley Water.-Scotch or pearl barley may be used. Wash, or boil up, as for barley gruel ; to a quart of water, barley two ounces. Simmer till of an agreeable thickness, and strain. Boil the barley up again, and it will make a pint more. This is a very cooling drink. It also is a pleasant thing to take medicine in. Lemon juice and peel, raisins, figs, liquorice root, sugar, honey, and gum arabic, with these additions it is often used either for complaints of the chest, confined bowels, or stranguary; or powdered nitre a drachm to a quart, is often found good for fever. (Merely for a drink, put sugar and lemon peel.) Rub up the nitre with honey or sugar, mix it with a little barley water, and then pour it on the whole quantity in a boiling state. Stir it well together. 665. Beef Tea.—Take a pound of fleshy beef, cut in slices (without the least bit of fat;) boil it up in a quart of water, and skim it well; then put it on one side to simmer twenty minutes. Season if approved, but generally only salt. 666. Shank Jelly.—Soak twelve shanks of mutton some hours. Brush and scour them well. Put them in a saucepan, put three quarts of water to them, add a bunch of sweet herbs, thirty or forty black peppers, twenty Jamaica, three blades of mace, an onion, and a crust of bread toasted brown, and put them on a hot hearth, closely covered. Let them simmer five hours very gently; then strain it off, and put it in a cool place. It may have the addition of a pound of beef, if af- proved, for flavour. This is a very good thing for people who are weakly. 667. Tapioca Jelly.--Choose the largest sort. Pour cold water on, and wash it two or three times; then soak it in fresh water five or six hours, and simmer it until it becomes quite clear. Add wine, lemon juice, and sugar. Boil the peel of the lemon in it. It thickens very much. 667. Posset.—This is more potent than whey, and in which the curd is not separated. Either ale or wine will turn it. Put on the fire, in a kettle, a quart of new milk, with a stick of cinnamon; cut a slice of bread; as the milk boils, lay it at the top, and let it boil a mi- nute or two; then put it aside to soften. Put a pint of very strong ale, with sugar and nutmeg, or white wine. Boil up the milk again, take the bread out with a slice, and lay on the ale or wine; then very gently pour over the boiling milk, and let it stand until the head rises like that of a syllabub. Then serve, A richer posset may be made by substituting Naples biscuits for bread. A brandy posset is a quart of rich custard poured over a glass and a half of brandy. 668. Orgeat.-Boil a quart of new milk with a stick of cionamon. Put to it two ounces of loaf-sugar, and let it cool. Blanch and beat to a paste, with a little rose water, three ounces of sweet almonds, and i wo dozen bitter. Stir them to the milk; boil it up again, and continue stirring till cold. Then add half a glass of brandy. 669. Orange Marmalade.-Seville oranges are in perfection about 168 THE COMPLETE 'COOK. the end of March and beginning of April, at which time marmalade should be made. Allow two pounds of sugar to each pound of Seville oranges; grate the oranges lightly, and slice them down with a very sharp knife, as thin as possible, and straight through. Nothing must be kept out but the seeds. Clarify the sugar, put the fruit in, and boil it slowly for at least an hour, until the chips are perfectly tender and clear, and it will jelly; a little of the grate may be put in, if approved; the rest is good seasoning for puddinge. 670. Fruit Jelly.-Put the fruit, carefully picked, into a stone jar; cover close; se'l it in a kettle of cold water, which reaches not more than three parts the height of the jar. Let it boil half an hour (more or less, according to the nature of the fruit; black currants are much longer running to juice than either red currants or raspberries). Strain through a jelly-bag or lawn strainer; or the juice may be strained more quickly, by setting on the fruit in a preserving pan, and carefully stirring round the sides as it begins to heat, that it may not burn; strain through a jelly-bag or lawn strainer. To every pint of juice allow a pound of loaf-sugar. Set on the juice over a clear fire; when it boils, put in the sugar. When it has boiled some time, and the scum thickens and gathers together, skim it on to a sieve, and continue to do so while the scum rises; what runs from it may be returned to the rest. When it has boiled forty minutes, try a few drops, by putting on a plate in a cool place. If this become stiff almost immediately, the jelly is done enough. If not, it must be boiled till it will. The jelly may then be strained through a hair sieve, but if it have been properly skimmed this is not necessary, and it is a great waste. The best way is to pour it into a spouted jug that will contain the whole, and then into small jelly pots or glasses. very careful not to pour aside, or smear the edges, as an accident of this sort, however carefully wiped away, renders the jelly apt to turn mouldy. White currant jelly should be strained through a muslin or lawn sieve. Be PRESERVES. 671. Jams. — In making jam of very ripe juicy fruit, a portion of jelly may be taken from it which will improve the jam, taking care to have sufficient syrup to jelly round the fruit. Each quart of fruit and two pounds of sugar will admit the removal of half a pint of jelly without injury. Strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, and currants : put an equal weight of loaf-sugar and fruit; put the fruit in a preserving pan; bruise it a little and put it on the stove; stir it carefully to keep it from sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan. Let it boil before adding the sugar, and if there is plenty of juice from the fruit, so that there is no danger of it burning, let it boil a quarter of an hour before adding the sugar; it must boil half an hour afterwards. Skim on to a sieve, and add that which runs through to it. Try the stiffness of the jelly by putting a little on a plate and setting it in a cool place; PRESERVES, 169 if it becomes stiff when quite cold, it has boiled sufficiently, if not stiff, boil it until it is. The scarlet or mulberry strawberries are the best for preserving ; they must be quite ripe and dry: to three pints of strawberries allow half a pint of red currant jelly. For gooseberry jam, take the small dark hairy sort named Crystal, or a large bright hairy sort called the Warrington. Smooth gooseberries do not do well in preserving. Lisbon sugar answers very well when the jam is wanted for im- mediate use, and in large families where it is much used. Put six pounds of Lisbon sugar to seven of fruit. Gooseberries and black currants should be boiled an hour; if not stiff in that time, boil it longer. 672. Cherries. To preserve cherries without boiling, take fine ripe Morello cherries; cut the stalks an inch from the fruit, and put them into wide-mouthed bottles; when full, put powdered loaf-sugar over the top, and pour in a little brandy. Cork and cement, or tie over with leather and bladder. They will keep all the winter through, and do very well for desserts. 673. To bottle Damsons or Gooseberries. - Damsons should have attained their dark colour, but not be ripe. Be careful not to bruise them. Fill wide-mouthed bottles: shake them down so that you may get as many in as possible. To each bottle put a wine glass of good home-inade wine, either ginger or raisin; no other sort is good. Tie them over with bladders, and put them to stand in a large pot with cold water to reach the necks of the bottles; put a fire under the pot, and let the water boil; when the bladders begin to rise and puff, prick them with a pin. As soon as the water boils remove the fire, and let the bottles remain there until they are quite cold. Next day remove the bladders, and put over the top a thick layer of powdered loaf- sugar and a spoonful of brandy; then cork thèm tight, and seal or cement them. 674. Gooseberries. The same rules do for gooseberries, but they should be full grown, and gathered when green. 675. Currants.--Corrants full grown, but not turned, may be pre- served in the same way; cut the stalks off with scissors. 676. To keep Codlins several months.—Gather codlins at Midsum- mer of a middling size; put them into an earthen pan, pour boiling water over, and cover the pan with cabbage leaves; keep them by the fire till they would peel, but do not peel them; then pour the water off till both are quite cold. Place the codlins in a stone jar with a smallish mouth, and pour on them the water that scalded them. Cover the pot with bladder, and tie very close, and then cover it with coarse paper again. It is best to keep them in small pots, such as will be used at once when opened. 677. To preserve Apricots in jelly.--Pare the fruit very thin and stone. it; weigh an equal quantity of sugar in fine powder and strew over it. Next day boil very gently till they are clear; move them into a bowl, and pour the liquor over. The following day pour the liquor to a quart of codlin liquor made by boiling and straining, and a 14* 170 THE COMPLETE COOK. pound of fine sugar; let it boil quickly till it will jelly; "put the fruit into it, and give one boil; skim well and put into small pots. 678. A very nice preserve of Apricots. Choose the finest apricots when quite ripe; pare them as thin as possible, and weigh them; lay them in halves on dishes, with the hollow parts upwards; have an equal weight of good loaf-sugar finely pounded, and strew it over them; break the stones, and blanch the kernels; when the fruit has lain twelve hours, put it with the sugar and juice, also the kernels, into a preserving pan; let it simmer very gently till clear, then take out the pieces of apricots singly; put them into small pots, and pour the syrup and kernels over them. The scum must be taken off as it rises. Cover with brandy paper. Greengages and egg-plums may be preserved in the same way. 679. Ďried Apricots. Proceed as above, but instead of pouring the syrup over them after the last boil, drain them close, strew over sifted sugar to cover them, and dry them on a wire sieve on a stove, or in a slow oven; they must be turned several times, but ought not to be cold till quite dry. 680. Apricots or Peaches in brandy.--Wipe and weigh the fruit, and take a quarter of the weight of fine powdered sugar; put the fruit into an ice-pot that shuts very close, throw the sugar over it, and then cover the fruit with brandy. Between the top and cover of the pot, put a piece of double cap-paper. Set the pot into a saucepan of water till the brandy be as hot as you can possibly bear to put your finger in, but it must not boil. Put the fruit into a jar, and pour the brandy on it. When cold, put a bladder over, and tie it down tight. 681. Apricot Jam.-Divide fine apricots that have become yellow, but are not over ripe; lay the hollow part uppermost on china dishes, and strew over twelve ounces of sifted sugar to every pound of fruit; let it lie until it becomes moist, then boil it twenty minutes, stirring it well. Blanch the kernels, and boil with the jam. 682. To preserve Ginger.-If your ginger can be had green, it is best. Pare it nicely with a sharp knife, and throw it into cold water as you pare it, to preserve the whiteness. If fresh ginger cannot be procured, have the finest large white races of Jamaica ginger. Boil it several times in water till tender, then pare and proceed as above; set on the ginger in cold water and boil it. Pour off the liquor, and put cold water; then boil it up again. Do this a third time, till the ginger is tender, then throw it into cold water; when quite cold, drain the ginger and put into a china bowl. Clarify sugar for pre- serving it, in the proportion of eight pounds of sugar to seven of gin- ger. Let the sugar become cold, then pour over the ginger enough to cover it. Let it stand two days, then strain the syrup from the ginger and boil it with the remainder of the sugar; let them boil together twenty minutes or half an hour. When cold, again pour it over the ginger, and let it stand three or four days; by this time the ginger will have finely swollen. Then strain the syrup, boil it up, and pour it hot over the ginger. If the ginger is well swollen, and the syrup quite rich, nothing more is necessary; but if not, boil it DIRECTIONS FOR CARVING. 171 over them. again at the interval of three or four days. Wide-mouthed bottles are best for keeping it. Divide the syrup to each; cork and seal, or dip iu bottle cement. 693. Cherries in brandy.-Weigh the finest Morellos, having cut off half the stalk; prick them with a new needle, and drop them into 4 jar or wide-mouthed bottle. Pound three-quarters of the weight of sugar or white candy; strew, fill up with brandy, and tie a bladder 684. Damson Cheese.--It is sometimes made with the whole skins and pulp of the fruit, sometimes with the pulp only. In either case the fruit is first to be baked or boiled in a stone jar till it is tender, and the stones will separate. If the skins are to be used, merely take out the stones with a spoon, then measure it into the preserving pan. If the skins are objected to, rub it through a very coarse sieve, that so they may be retained with the stones. Having measured the fruit, set it over a clear brisk fire, and let it boil quick till the liquid has evaporated and the fruit becomes quite dry; then add loaf-sugar powdered, in the proportion of half a pound to a quart of fruit, and let it go on boiling till the jam candies to the sides of the pan. The stones should be cracked, and the kernels skinned and boiled in the jam; this gives it a very pretty appearance, but some people object- to it. It should be put out in shallow vessels, such as potting jars, saucers, and so forth, and turned out when brought to table. DIRECTIONS FOR CARVING. In preparing meat for the table, and in laying out the table, refera. ence ought to be had to the carving department--a very onerous one to all, and to many a very disagreeable one. The carving knife of course ought to be sharp, and if to be used by a lady, in particular, light and handy; dexterity and address in the manner of using it being more required than strength, either in the knife or the carver. When a lady presides, a seat sufficiently high for her to have a com- plete command over the joints should be provided, and the dish should be sufficiently deep and capacious, so as not to endanger the splash- ing of the gravy. It should also be placed as near to the carver as possible, leaving room for his or ber plate. A knife with a long blade is required for a large fleshy joint; for bam or bacon a middling sized, sharp-pointed one is preferable, and for poultry or game a short knife and sharp-pointed is best. Some like this knife a little curved. We do not presume to give any directions as respects the serving of the guests; no one it is presumed would take the head of the table not acquainted with the common rules of politeness, which principally consist in endeavouring to please every body. 685. Fish.--As fish is the first thing to be carved, or served, we shall first speak of it. In helping fish, take care not to break the flakes, which in cod and fine fresh salmon, and some other sorts, are large. A fish trowel is necessary, not to say indispensable, in serving many kinds of fish, particularly the larger sort. 172 .C THE COMPLETE000K.. 'I 686. Turbot, 8c.—The trowel is to be carried flatways from the middle of the fish, and the carver should bring out as much meat as will lie upon it. The thick part is the best, and of course most es teemed. When one side cleared, the bones ought to be taken away_which done, serve the under part. The meat on the fins is considered by some a great delicacy. Halibuts, plaice, and other large fish, are served in a similar way. 687. A Cod's Head and Shoulders, perhaps, require more atten tiou in serving than any other. It is, too, considered a handsome dish. In carving, introduce the trowel along the back, and take off a piece quite down to the bone, taking care not to break the flakes. Put in a spoon and take out the sound, a jelly-like substance, which lies inside the back-bone. A part of this should be served with every slice of fish. The bones and glutinous parts of a cod's head are much liked by most people, and are very nourishing. 688. Salmon-Cut slices along the back-bone, and also along the flank. The flank or thin part is the best and richest, and is preferred by all accomplished gourmands. The back is the most solid and thick. The tail of salmon is not so fine as the other parts. The head is seldom used. The liver, melt, and roe, are generally served, but seldom eaten. 689. Soles are easily carved. You have only to cut through the middle part of the fish, bone and all, and subdivide and serve accord- ing to the size of fish. The thick parts are best; the roes when well done are very nice. 690. Mackerel.—The trowel should be carried under the meat, horizontally over the back-bone, so as to raise one side of the meat from the bone. Remove the bone, and serve the other side of the fish. When fresh, well cleaned, and well done, the upper end is considered the best. The roes are much liked. 691. Eels, Whiting Jack, &-c., when intended to be fried, are pre- viously cut in pieces of a suitable size for serving. When they are boiled, cut through them in the same way as soles. Large jacks will admit of slices being taken off with a trowel without the bones. Small fish are served whole. 692. Aitch Bone of Beef.-Cut a slice an inch thick all through. Put this by, and serve in slices from the remainder. Some persons, however, like outside, and others take off a thinner slice before serv- ing, for the sake of economy. The rich, delicious, soft fat, which re- sembles marrow, lies at the back of the bone : the firm fat is cut in horizontal slices at the edge of the meat. Some prefer one and some the other. The skewer used to keep the meat together when boiling, should be taken out before coming to the table, and, if necessary, be replaced by a silver one. 693. A Round, or Buttock, and thick Flank of Beef, are carved in horizontal slices, that is, in slices from the top. Pare and neatly cut all round. Some prefer the silver side. 694. A Brishet of Beef is cut lengthways, right down to the bone. DIRECTIONS FOR CARVING. 173 The soft mellow fat is found underneath. The upper part is firm, but gristly; if well done, they are equally good to our taste. 695. Sirloin of Beef, the glory of the dinner-table, may be com- menced carving, either by beginning at the end, and cutting slicer along the bones, or across the middle; but this latter mode wi drain the gravy from the remainder. The inside is very juicy and tender, but the outside is frequently preferred. The inside fat is rich and marrowy, and is considered too much so by many. The inside of a sirloin is frequently dressed in various ways) separately. 696. Fillet of Veal is the corresponding part to the round in an ox, and is cut in the same way. If the outside brown be not desired, serve the next slice. Cut deep into the stuffing, and help a thin slice, as likewise of fat. A fillet of veal should be cut very smooth and thin. 697. Breast of Veal answers to the brisket of an ox. It should be cracked lengthways, across the middle of the bones, to divide the thick gristly part from the ribs. There is a great difference in these parts ; and as some prefer the one, and some the other, the best way is to ask to which the preference is to be given. The burr, or sweet- meat, is much liked, and a part should be served with each slice. 698. Necks and Loins of all sorts of meat, if properly jointed by the butcher, require only to be cut through ; but when the joints are too thick for one, cut a slice between each, that is, cut one slice with- out bone, and another with. Some prefer one, and some the other. 699. Calf's Head affords a great variety of excellent meat, differ- ing in texture and flavour, and therefore requires a judicious and skilful carver properly to divide it. Cut slices longways under the eye, taking care that the knife goes close to the bone. The throat sweetbread, or kernel, lies in the fleshy part, at the neck end, which you should help a slice of with the other part. The eyes are con- sidered great delicacies by some. They should be taken out with the point of your knife, and each cut into two. A piece of the palate (which lies under the head), a slice of the tongue, with a portion of the brains, should be given to each guest. On drawing out the jaw, bone, some delicious lean will be found. . The heads of oxen, sheep, lambs, &c., are cut in the same way as those of calves. 700. A Leg of Mutton, frc.--Begin to cut in the midway, between the knuckle and farther end. The slices should be thin and deep. If the outside is not fat enough, cut some from the fat on the broad end, in slices. Many prefer the knuckle, or venison bit, to the middle part; the latter is the most juicy—the former, in good, well-done mutton, is gelatinous and delicately tender. There is some good meat on the back of the leg, or aitch bone; this should be cut lengthways. It is, however, seldom carved when hot. To cut out the cramp bone, take hold of the shank in your left hand, and steadily cut down to the thigh bone; then pass the knife under the cramp bone. Legs of lamb and pork are cut in the same way. 701. A Saddle, or Collar of Mutton, sometimes called the chine, should be cut lengthways, in long slices, beginning close to the back- 174 i THE COMPLETE OOK. 4141 and gravy bone, and thus leaving the ribs bare. The fat is taken from the outer ends. The inside of the Inin is very tender, and in the opinion of some gourmands is preferred to the upper part. . It is best, perhaps, to cut the inside lengthways. 702. Shoulder of Mutton.--To carve this joint (which when prow perly dressed is very fine eating) economically for a very small family, the best way is to cut away the underneath part when hot, and if any more is required, to take it from the knuckle. This plan leaves all the gravy in the upper part, which is very nice when cold. The usual way, however, of carving a shoulder of mutton, is to cut slices deep to the bone, in the hollow part. The prime part of the fat lies on the outer edge, and is to be cut in thin slices. Some good delicate slices of lean may be taken from each side of the ridge of the blade- bone. No slices can be cut across the edge of the blade-bone. 703. Haunch of Venison or Mutton. -Cut down to the bone in circular slices at the narrow end, to let out the gravy. You may then turn the broad end of the haunch towards you; insert the knife in the middle of the cut, and cut thin deep slices lengthways to the broad end of the haunch. The fat of venison is much esteemed; those who help should take care properly to apportion both the fat 704. Fore-quarter of Lamb.-Separate the shoulder from the scovel, or breast and ribs, by passing the knife under it (the shoulder). The shoulder of grass lamb, which is generally pretty large, should have a little lemon or Seville orange juice, squeezed over it, and be sprinkled with a little pepper and salt, and then placed upon another dish. If the lamb be small, it is usual to replace the shoulder. The breast and ribs should be cracked across by the butcher, and be divided. Help either from that, the ribs, or shoulder, according to choice. 705. Ham.-The most economical way of cutting a ham, which is seldom or never eaten at one meal, is to begin to cut at the knuckle end, and proceed onwards. The usual way, however, is to begin at the middle, and cut in long slices through the thick fat. By this means you come at once to the prime, but you let out the gravy. Another plan is to cut a small hole on the top of the ham, and with a very sharp knife enlarge the hole, by cutting thin circular slices. In this latter way you preserve the gravy, and of course keep the meat moist to be eaten when cold. 706. Tongue. This much-esteemed relish, which often supplies the place of ham, should be cut in thin slices across, beginning at the thick middle part. Serve slices of fat and kernel from the root. 707. A Sucking Pig is generally slit down the middle in the kitchen, and the cook garnishes the dish with the jaws and ears. Separate a shoulder from the carcase on one side, and then do the same thing with the leg. Divide the ribs, which are frequently con- sidered the most choice part, into two or three helpings, presenting an ear or jaw with them as far as they will go, and plenty of sauce. Some persons prefer the leg, because not so rich and luscious as the DIRECTIONS FOR CARVING. 175 ribs. The neck end between the shoulders is also sometimes pre- ferred. The joints may be divided into two each, or pieces may be cut from them. 708. A Fowl.—The legs of a boiled fowl are always bent inwards, and tucked into the belly, but before it is put upon the table, the skewers by which they are secured ought to be removed. The fowl should be laid on the carver's plate, and the joints as they are cut off placed on the dish. In taking off the wing, the joint only must be divided with the knife, for, by lifting up the pinion of the wing with the fork, and then drawing it towards the legs, the muscles will se- parate in a much better form than you can effect by cutting with a knife. Next place the knife between the leg and body, and cut to the bone; turn the leg back with the fork, and the joint will give way, if the fowl be young and well done. The merrythought is taken out when the legs and wings are all removed; the neck-bones are taken off by putting in the knife, and pressing it under the long broad part of the bone, then lift the neck-bone up and break it off from the part that sticks to the breast. The breast itself has now to be divided from the carcase, by cutting through the tender ribs close. to the breast, quite down to the tail; then lay the back upwards, put your knife into the bone half-way from the neck to the rump, and on raising the lower end it will readily separate. The last thing to be done is to turn the rump from you, and neatly to take off the two sidesmen. Each part should be neatly arranged on the dish, but it is almost impossible to give effectual written descriptions for carving fowls; the best plan is to observe carefully a good carver, and thro, by a little practice, you will become perfect. The breast and the wings are considered the best parts. 709. A Pheasant.-Take out the skewers; fix your fork in the centre of the breast, slice it down; remove the leg by cutting in the sideway direction, then take off the wing, taking care to miss the neck- bone. When the legs and wings are all taken off, cut off slices of the breast. The merrythought is separated by passing the knife under it towards the neck; the other parts are cut as before directed in a fowl. The breast, wings, and merrythought, are the favourites, particularly the former, but the leg has a higher flavour. 710. Partridges and Pigeons.--Partridges are carved like fowls, but the breast and wings are not often divided, the bird being small. The wing is the prime bit, particularly the tip; the other choice parts: are the breast and merrythought. Pigeons may be cut in two, either from one end to the other of the bird, or across. 711. Goose or Duck.-Cut off the apron of the goose and pour into the body a large spoonful of gravy, which should be mixed with the stuffing. Some persons put, instead of the gravy, a glass of port wine, in which a large tea-spoonful of mustard lias been previously stirred. Cut as many slices from the breast as possible, and serve with a por- tion of the apron to each plate. When the breast is all served, and not till then, cut off the joints; but observe, the joints of water-fowl are wider spread and go farther back than those of land-fowl. 176 THE COMPLETE COOK. 41'1 712. A Turkey should not be divided till the breast is disposed of; but if it be thought proper to divide, the same process must be fol- lowed as directed in a fowl. The following is the best inode of serving this delicious bird : Begin cutting close to the breast-bone, scooping round so as to leave the mere pinions. Each slice should carry with it a portion of the pudding, or force meat, with which the craw is stuffed. 713. Hare.-Put the point of the knife under the shoulder, and cut all the way down to the rump, on the side of the back-bone. By doing the same on the other side, the hare will be divided into three parts. The back should be cut into four parts: the shoulder must be taken off in a circular line. The pieces as they are cut should be neatly placed on the dish; in helping, some pudding and gravy should be given to each person. The above mode of carving is only applicable to a young hare; when the hare is old, it is not practicable to divide it down, but put the knife between the leg and back, and give it a lit- tle turn inwards at the joints, which you must endeavour to hit, and then cut, and with the fork turn it completely back. When both legs are taken off, you will find a fine collop on each side of the back, which back you may divide into as many pieces as are necessary. Take off the shoulders, which some persons are very fond of, and which are called the sportsman's pieces; but the legs and back are considered the prime. When all the guests are served, it is usual to take off the head, and by putting the knife between the upper and lower jaw, you may divide them; then lay the upper flat upon your plate, put the point of the knife into the centre, and cut the head into two; you will thus get at the brains, which may be served with the ears and tail to those who like them. Some persons direct the carver. to serve with slices, as much as possible, off the sides of the back-bone, from the shoulder to the rump. 714. Rabbits are generally cut up in the same way as hares. The back and legs are considered the best parts. The back should be cut into two pieces. GARNISHES. Parsley is the most universal garnish to all kinds of cold meat, poultry, fish, butter, cheese, and so forth. Horse-radish is the garnish for roast beef, and for fish in general; for the latter, slices of lemon are sometimes laid alternately with heaps of horse-radish. Slices of lemon for boiled fowl, turkey, and fish, and for roast veal and calf's head. Carrot in slices for boiled beef, hot or cold. Barberries fresh or preserved for game. Red beet-root sliced for cold meat, boiled beef, and salt fish. Fried smelts as garnish for turbot. Fried sausages or force meat balls round roast turkey, capon, or fowl. Lobster coral and parsley round boiled fish, SETTING OUT A TABLET 177 Fennel for mackerel and salmon, either fresh or pickled. Currant jelly for game, also for custard or bread pudding. Seville orange in slices for wild ducks, widgeons, teal and so forth. Mint, either with or without parsley, for roast lamb, either hot or cold. Pickled gherkins, capers, or onions, for some klods of boiled meat and stews. SETTING OUT A TABLE. A prudent housekeeper, in providing for a family, or for company, will endeavour to secure variety, and avoid extravagance, taking care not to have two dishes alike, or nearly alike, such as ducks and pork, veal and fowls; and avoiding, when several sorts are required, to have such things as cannot be eaten cold, or cannot be warmed or re-cooked. There is a great waste occasioned if these principles are overlooked in providing for a party. When a table is to be set out, it is usual to place nearly the whole provisions at once; but if comfort is the object, it is better to have each dish and its accompanying sauces and vegetables sent in separately, hot from the kitchen. For plain family dinners, soup or pudding is placed at the head of the table, and meat at the lower end; vegetables on each side of the middle, and sauce boats in the middle. Boiled meat at the top; roast meat at bottom; soup in the middle; then the vegetables and sauce boats at cross corners of the middle dish. Poultry or mutton at bot- tom; boiled poultry at top; roast poultry, or game, at bottom; vege- tables and sauces so disposed as to give the appearance of the whole table being covered without being crowded. When there are several courses, the first consists of soups, stews, boiled fish, fricassees; poultry with ham, bacon, tongue, or chine; and roast or boiled meat. For second courses, birds and game of all sorts, fish fried, pickled, or potted; pigeon pies, patties, brawn, omelets, oysters stewed or scolloped, and lobsters or crabs. Tarts, cheesecakes, and sweet dishes of all kinds, are sometimes placed with the second course, but more frequently form separate courses by themselves. T'he dessert is usually served in another room, which is a great ac- commodation both to the servants, who can prepare it at leisure, and to the guests in quitting the smell of a hot dinner. A d'oyley, a finger glass, two wine glasses, a china dessert plate, and silver knife and fork, and spoon, to each person. Every variety of fruit, fresh and preserved, is admissible ; and biscuits, and pound-cake, with an epergne or stand of jellies in the middle. Varieties of wine are generally placed at each end. The modern practice of dining late has added importance to the luncheon, and almost annihilated the supper meal. The following are suitable for either : soups, sandwiches of ham, tongue, dried sausage, or beef; anchovy, toast or husks; potted beef, lobster, or cheese ; dried salmon, lobsters, crayfish or oysters, poached egge; 15 178 THE COMPLETE COOR: patties; pigeon pies; sausages; toast with marrow (served on a water plate), cheesecakes; puffs, mashed or scolloped potatoes, brocoli; asparagus, sea-kale with toast, creams, jellies, preserved or dried fruits, salad, radishes, &c. If a more substantial supper is required, it may consist of fish, poultry, game; slices of cold meat, pies of chickens, pigeons, or game; lamb or mutton chops, cold poultry, broiled with high seasoning, or fricasseed; rations or toasted cheese. MADE WINES, &c.--GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING 715. The best method of making these wines is to boil the ingre- dients, and ferment with yeast. Boiling makes the wine more soft and mellow. Some, however, mix the juice, or juice and fruit, with sugar and water unboiled, and leave the ingredients to ferment spon- taneously. Your fruit should always be prime, and gathered dry, and picked clean from stalks, &c. The lees of wine are valuable for dis- tillation, or making vinegar. When wine is put in the cask the fer- mentation will be renewed. Clear away the yeast as it rises, and fill- up with wine, for which purpose a small quantity should be reserved. If brandy is to be added, it must be when the fermentation has nearly subsided, that is, when no more yeast is thrown up at the bung-hole, and when the hissing noise within is not very perceptible: then mix a quart of brandy with a pound of honey; pour into the cask, and paste stiff brown paper over the bung-hole. Allow no hole for a vent peg, lest it should once be forgotten, and the whole cask of wine be spoiled. If the wine wants vent, it will be sure to burst the paper; if not, the paper will sufficiently exclude all air. Once a week or so, it must be looked to; if the paper is burst renew it, and continue to do so till it remains clear and dry. A great difference of opinion prevails as to racking the wine, or suffering it to remain on the lees. Those who adopt the former plan do it at the end of six months; draw off the wine perfectly clear, and put it into a fresh cask, in which it is to re- main six months, and then be bottled. If this plan is adopted, it may be better, instead of putting the brandy and honey in the first cask, to put it in that in which the wine is to be racked; but on the whole it is, perhaps, preferable to leave the wine a year in the first cask, and then bottle it at once. All domestic wines improve more in the cask than in the bottle. Have very nice clear and dry bottles; do not fill them too high. Good soft corks, made supple by soaking in a little of the wine; press them in, but do not knock. Keep the bottles lying in saw-dust. This plan will apply equally well to raspberries, cherries, mulberries, and all kinds of ripe summer fruits. 716. Ginger Wine.—To make eighteen gallons of wine-twenty gallons of water, fifty pounds of loaf-sugar, two and a half pounds of bruised ginger, hops a quarter of a pound, the shaved rinds of eighteen lemons or Seville oranges; let these boil together for two hours, care fully skimming. Pour it, without straining, on to seven pounds of raisins: when cool put in the juice of the lemons or oranges; rinse the pulp in a pint or two of the wine, and strain it to the rest. Fer MADE WINES, &c. 179 ment it with yeast; mix a quarter of a pint of solid yeast with a pint or two of the wine, and with that work the rest; next day tun it, raisins, hops, ginger and all together, and fill it up for a fortnight either with wine or with good new beer; then dissolve three ounces of isinglass in a little of the wine, and return it to the rest to fine it: a few days afterwards bung it close. This wine will be in full per- fection in six months. It may be bottled, but is apt to fly; and if made exactly by the above directions, and drawn from the cask, it will sparkle like champaign. 717. Mead, Metheglin, or Honey Wine.-Boil honey in water for an hour: the proportion is from three to four pounds to each gallon : half an ounce of hops will both refine and preserve it, but is not com- monly added : skim carefully, draining the skimmings through a hair sieve, and return what runs through. When a proper coolness, stir in yeast; a tea-cup full of solid yeast will serve for nine gallons. Tun it, and let it work over, filling it up till the fermentation subsides, Paste over brown paper, and watch it (see No. 725). Rich mead will keep seven years, and afford a brisk, nourishing, and pleasant drink. Some people like to add the thinly shaved rind of a lemon to each gallon while boiling, and put the fruit, free from pith, into the tub. Others flavour it with spices and sweet herbs, and mix it with new beer or sweet wort: it is then called Welsh Braggart. 718. Parsnip Wine.-To make a kilderkin: Set on double the quantity of water, and for every gallon of water allow four pounds of parsnips cleaned and sliced. When the water boils, put in the par- snips, and boil till they are perfectly tender ; drain through a sieve or colander without pressing ; immediately return it to the copper with fifty-six pounds of loaf-sugar; it will soon boil, being already hot, and what drips from the sieve may be added afterwards; six ounces of hops, and boil it two hours. Ferment with yeast ; let it stand four days to work in a warm place; then tun and paste paper over. It is most likely it will work up and burst the paper, which must be re- newed. It may be cleared with isinglass, but will not require any brandy. 719. Malt Wine, or English Sherry.-For an eighteen-gallon cask allow fifty-six pounds of good moist sugar, and sixteen gallons of water; boil them together two hours, carefully skimming. When the scum is all removed, and the liquor looks clear, add a quarter of a - pound of hops, which should boil a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. When the liquor is quite cool add to it five gallons of strong beer in the height of working: cover up, and let it work forty- eight hours; then skim and tun. If none remains for filling up, use new beer for that purpose. This method may be adopted with all boiled wines, and will be found to improve their strength, and promote their keeping. In a fortnight or three weeks, when the head begins to sink, add raisins (free from stalks) ten pounds, sugar-candy and bitter almonds of each half a pound, and a pint of the best brandy: brown paper as in former articles. It may be bottled in one year 180 THE COMPLETE COOK. out if left three years in the wood, and then bottled, it will be found equal in strength and flavour to foreign wine. 720. Orange or Lemon Wine, boiled.-(For quantity of fruit, see No. 726.) To make eighteen gallons, twenty gallons of water, fifty- six pounds of loaf-sugar, the whites and shells of a dozen eggs, a quarter of a pound of hops; boil together the sugar, water, and eggs; when it has boiled an hour, and become quite clear, add the hops and the thinly shaved rinds of two or three dozen of the fruit-more or less, according as the bitter flavour is desired. Let it boil, in all, two hours: meanwhile, remove all the peel and white pith of the fruit, and squeeze the juice. Pour a gallon or two of the hot liquor on the pulp; stir it well about, and, when cool, strain to the rest, and add the juice. (N. B. Some people strain off the hops, rind, and eggs; others prefer their remaining: it is by no means important which mode is adopted.) Work it with yeast, as the foregoing article, and refine with isinglass dissolved in a quart of brandy. This wine should be one year in wood, and one in bottles, when it will be found ex- cellent. 721. Grape Wine. --The larger the proportion of juice, and the less of water, the nearer it will approach to the strength and richness of foreign wine. There ought not to be less than one-third of pure juice. Squeeze the grapes in a hair sieve, bruising them with the hand rather than any heavier press, as it is better not to crush the stones. Soak the pulp in water until a sufficient quantity is obtained to fill up the cask. As loaf-sugar is to be used for this wine, and it is not easily dissolved in cold liquid, the best plan is to pour over the sugar (three pounds in every gallon required) as much boiling water as will dissolve it, and stir till it is dissolved. When cold put it in the cask with the juice, fill up from water in which the pulp has been steeped. To each gallon of wine put half an ounce of bitter almonds, not blanched, but cut small. The fermentation will not be very great. When it subsides, proceed with the brandy and papering as 726. 722. Raisin Wine.—There are various modes of preparing this wine, which is, perhaps, when well made, the best of our domestic wines. The following receipts are considered good :--For raisin wine, without sugar, put to every gallon of soft water eight pounds of fresh Smyrna or Malaga raisins: let them steep a month, stirring every day; then drain the liquor and put it into the cask, filling up as it works over: this it will do for two months. When the hissing has in a great measure subsided, add brandy and honey, and paper as the former articles. This wine should remain three years untouched ; it may then be drunk from the cask, or bottled, and will be found excel- lent. Raisin wine is sometimes made in large quantities, by merely putting the raisins in the cask, and filling it up with water: the pro- portion as above: carefully pick out all stalks. In six months rack the wine into fresh casks, and put to each the proportion of brandy and honey, In cider countries, and plentiful apple years, a most ex- cellent raisin wine is made by employing cider instead of water, and MADE WINES, &c. 181 sugar and stceping in it the raisins. Proceed in every respect as in the last article. 723. Raisin Wine with Sugar.-To every gallon of soft water four pounds of fresh raisins; put them in a large tub; stir frequently, and keep it covered with a sack or blanket., In about a fortnight the fermentation will begin to subside: this may be known by the raisins remaining still. Then press the fruit and strain the liquor. Have ready a wine cask, perfectly dry and warm, allowing for each gallon one pound or one pound and a half Lisbon sugar; put this into the cask with the strained liquor : when half full, stir well the liquor, and put in half a pint of thick yeast; then fill up with the liquor, and continue to do so while the fermentation lasts, which will be a month or more. Proceed with brandy, &c., as in the foregoing articles. 724. Raisin Wine, in imitation of Frontignac.-For every gallon of wine required, allow two pounds of raisins; boil them one hour in water; strain the boiling liquor on loaf-sugar, two pounds for every gallon; stir it well together: when cool put it in the cask with a moderate quantity of yeast (as last article). When the fermentation subsides, suspend in the cask a muslin bag containing elder flowers, in the proportion of a quart to three gallons of wine. When per- fectly clear, draw off the wine into botiles. 725. Currant or Gooseberry Wine without boiling.-Suppose the cask to be filled is a kilderkin, make it rich you should have fifty quarts of fruit, bruise it, and add to it half that quantity of water. Stir it well together, and let it stand twelve hours; then strain it through a coarse canvass bag or hair sieve to fifty-six pounds of good Lisbon su- gar, and stir it well. Put the pulp of the fruit into a gallon more wa- ter; stir it about, and let it stand twelve hours. Then strain to the above, again stirring it; cover the tub with a sack. In a day or two the wine will begin to ferment. When the whole surface is covered with a thick easty froth, begin to skim it on to a sieve. What runs through may be returned to the wine. Do this from time to time for several days, till no more yeast forms. Then put it into the cask. 726. Orange or "Lemon Wine without boiling.–For an eighteen- gallon cask, half a chest of Seville oranges; they are most juicy in March. Shave the rinds of a dozen or two (more or less according as the bitter flavour is desired, or otherwise.) Pour over this a quart or two of boiling water: cover up, and let it stand twelve hours, then strain to the rest. Put into the cask fifty-six pounds of good Lisbon sugar. Clear off all the peel and white pith from the oranges, and squeeze through a hair sieve. Put the juice into the cask to the sugar. Wash the sieve and pulp with cold water, and let the pulp soak in the water twenty-four hours. Strain, and add to the last, con- tinually stirring it; add more water to the pulp, let it soak, then strain and add. Continue to do so till the cask is full, often stirring it with a stick until all the sugar is dissolved. Then leave it to ferment. The fermentation will not be nearly so great as that of currant wine, but the bissing noise will be heard for some wecks; when this sub- 15* 182 THE COMPLETE COOK. sides, add honey and brandy, and paste over with brown paper. This wine should remain in the cask a year before bottling. 727. Cowslip or Clary Wine. - The best method of making these wines is to put in the pips dry, when the fermentation of the wine bas subsided. This method is preferred for two reasons; first, it may be performed at any time of the year when lemons are cheap. , est, and when other wine is making; secondly, all waste of the pips is avoided; being light they are sure to work over if put in the cask while the wine is in a state of fermentation. For a kilderkin boil fifty- six pounds of good moist sugar, with twenty gallons of water, and a quarter of a pound of hops ; shave thin the rinds of three dozen le- mons or Seville oranges, or part of each; they may be put in the boil the last quarter of an hour, or the boiling liquor poured over them; squeeze the juice to be added when cool, and rinse the pulp in the hot liquor. Work with yeast as in the foregoing articles. In two days tun the liquor, and keep it filled up either with wine or new beer, as long as it works over; then paste brown paper, and leave it for four, six, or eight months. The quantity of flowers is one quart to each gallon of wine. Let them be gathered on a fine dry day, and carefully picked from every bit of stalk and green. Spread them thinly on trays, sheets, or papers, and turn them often. When tho- roughly dry, put them in paper bags until the wine is ready to receive them. Put them in at the bung-hole; stir them down two or three times a day, till all the cowslips have sunk; at the same time add isinglass. Then paste over again with paper. In six months the wine will be fit to bottle, but will be improved by keeping longer in the cask; the pips shrink into a very small compass in drying; the quantity allowed is of fresh-gathered flowers. Observe also, that wine well boiled, and refined with hops and isinglass, is just as good used from the cask, as if bottled, which is a great saving of time and hazard. Wine made on the above principles has been often praised by connoisseurs, and supposed to have been bottled at least a year, which, in fact, had not been bottled half a day. 728. Birch Wine.-The liquor of the birch tree is to be obtained in the month of March, when the sap begins to ascend. One foot from the ground bore a hole in each tree, large enough to admit a faucet, and set a vessel under; the liquor will run for two or three days without injuring the tree. Having obtained a sufficient quan-, tity, stop the holes with pegs. To each gallon of liquor add a quart of honey, or two and a half pounds of sugar; boil together an hour, stirring it well; a few cloves may be added for flavour, or the rind of a lemon or two; and, by all means, two ounces of hops to nine gal.. lons of wine. Work it with yeast ; tun, and proceed as in former re- cipes: refine with isinglass. Two months after making, it may be drawn off and bottled ; and in two months more will be fit for use, but will improve by keeping. 729. Elder Wine. - The quantity of fruit required is one gallon of ripe elder-berries, and one quart of damsons or sloes, for every two gallons of wine to be produced; boil them in water till the damsons MADE WINES, Cell 183 3 *> burst, frequently breaking them with a flat stick; then strain and re- turn the liquor to the copper. The quantity of liquor required for eighteen gallons of wine, will be twenty gallons: whatever, there. fore, the first liquor proves short of this, add water to the pulp; rub it about and strain to the rest: boil two hours with fifty-six pounds of coarse moist sugar; a pound and a half of ginger bruised, a pound of allspice, and two ounces of cinnamon, loosely tied in a muslin bag, and four or six ounces of hops. When quite cool work on the fore- going plan, tun in two days, drop in the spice and suspend the bag by, a string not long enough to let it touch the bottom of the cask: fill it up for a fortnight, then paste over stiff brown paper: it will be fit to tap in two months; will keep for years, but does not improve by age, like many other wines; it is never better than in the first year of its age. 730. Damson or Black Cherry Wine-may be made in the same manner, excepting the addition of spice, and that the sugar should be finer. If kept in an open vessel four days, these wines will ferment of themselves; but it is better to forward the process by the use of a little yeast, as in former recipes: they will be fit for use in about eight, months. As there is a flatness belonging to both these wines if bote. tled, a tea-spoonful of rice, a lump or two of sugar, or four or five rai- sins, will tend to enliven it. 731. Cherry Brandy.--For this purpose use either morello cherries or small black cherries; pick them from the stalks; fill the bottles nearly up to the necks, then fill up with brandy (some people use whiskey, gin, or spirit distilled from the lees of wine. In three weeks or å month strain off the spirit; to each quart add one pound of loaf-sugar clarified, and flavour with tincture of cinnamon or cloves. 732. Raspberry Brandy.-Scald the fruit in a stone jar set in a kettle of water, or on a hot hearth. When the juice will run freely, strain it without pressing : to every quart of juice allow one pound of loaf-sugar; boil it up and skim; when quite clear pour out; and when cold, add an equal quantity of brandy. Shake them well together and bottle. 733. Sherbet.-In a quart of water boil six or eight sticks of rhu- barb ten minutes: strain the boiling liquor on the thin shaved rind of a lemon. Two ounces of clarified sugar, with a wine-glassful, of brandy, stir to the above, and let it stand five or six hours before using. 734. Raspberry Vinegar may be made either by boiling down the juice with an equal weight of sugar, the same as for jelly, and then mixing it with an equal quantity of distilled vinegar, to be bottled with a glass of brandy in each bottle; or in a china bowl or stone jar (free from metallic glaze) steep a quart of fresh-gathered raspber- ries in two quarts of the best white wine vinegar. Next day strain the liquor on an equal quantity of fresh fruit, and the next day do the After the third steeping of fruit, dip a jelly bag in plain vine- går to prevent waste, and strain the favoured vinegar through it into same. 184 THE COMPLETE COOK. a stone jar. Allow to each pint of vinegar a pound of loaf-sugar pow. dered. Stir in the sugar with a silver spoon, and, when dissolved, cover up the jar and set it in a kettle of water. Keep it at boiling heat one hour; remove the scum. When cold, add to each pint a glass of brandy, and bottle it. This is a pleasant and useful drink in hot weather, or in sickness: one pint of the vinegar to eight of cold water. 735. Lemonade.For a quart of water six lemons, and two ounces of loaf-sugar. Shave half the lemons, or rub the sugar over them. Squeeze the juice of the lemons to the sugar, and pour the water boiling hot. Well mix the whole, and run it through a jelly-bag, pre. viously wrung out of scalding water. Lemonade may be obtained, when the fruit is not in season, by using the syrup of lemons; (sim., mer each pint of juice with three-quarters of a pound of loaf-sugar; strain and bottle:) or the citric acid-two drachms of citric acid, twenty drops of essence of lemon, a pint of clarified syrup or capil- laire. This may be reduced at pleasure with boiling water. 736. Pop, or Ginger Beer.—The principal difference between ginger pop and ginger beer, is, that the former is bottled immediately, the other is first put in a barrel for a few days. It is also usual to boil the ingredients for ginger beer, which is not done for pop. Both are to be bottled in stone bottles, and the corks tied or wired down. If properly done, the corks and strings will serve many times in succession; the moment the string is untied the cork will fly out uninjured. The bottles as soon as empty should be soaked a few hours in cold water, shaken about and turned down, and scalded immediately before using. The corks also must be scalded. On one pound of coarse loaf or fine moist sugar, two ounces of cream of tartar, and one ounce of bruised ginger, pour a gallon of boiling water: stir it well and cover up to cool, as the flavour of the ginger is apt to evaporate. It is a good way to do thus for the last thing at night; then it is just fit to set working the first thing in the morning. Two large table-spoonfuls of yeast, stir to it a tea-cup full of the liquor; let it stand a few minutes in a warmish place, then pour it to the rest; stir it well, and cover up for eight hours. Be particular as to time. If done earlier, the bottles are apt to fly-if later, the beer soon becomes vapid. Skim, strain, bot. tle, cork, and tie down. The cork should not touch the beer. It will be fit for use next day. Lemon rind and juice may be added, but are not necessary, 737. Ginger Beer.— The proportions of this may vary. Loaf-su- gar is preferable to inoist; some say a pound to a gallon, others a pound and a half; some allow but half an ounce of ginger (sliced or bruised) to a gallon, others an ounce; a lemon to a gallon is the usual proportion, to which soine add a quarter of an ounce or half an ounce of cream of tartar; the white of an egg to each gallon is useful for clari- fying, but not absolutely necessary. Some people put a quarter of a pint of brandy to four gallons of beer by way of keeping it: half an ounce of hops boiled in it would answer the same purpose. Boil the sugar, MADE WINES, &c. 185 water, and whites of eggs well beaten; skim carefully. Then add the ginger, and shaved rind of lemons; let it boil half an hour; clear the lemons of the white pith and put them in the wine. When cool, stir in the yeast (two table-spoonfuls to a gallon,) put it in the bar- rel without straining, and bung close. In a fortnight draw off and bottle. It will be ready for use in another fortnight, and will keep longer than ginger pop. If cream of tartar is used, pour the boiling liquor over it, but do not boil it. INDEX. The figures at the beginning of the lines-refer to the numbers of the para. graphs; those at the end, to the pages. sauce, 55. Advice to Cooks (Dr. Kitchi- 397 Beef alamode, 113. ner's) 15. 167 .. boiled, 61. American mode of cooking In- 168 boiled salt, 62. dian corn, pumpkins,&c.,159. 342 hashed, 101. 625 .. Indian cake, or bannock, 349 harricot of, 102. 159. 350 salt, baked, 102. 334 Anchovy, essence of, 99, 351 baked like red deer, to be 335 powder of, 99. eaten cold, 102. 123 233 sirloin of, roasted, 76. 677 Apricots, to preserve in jelly, 234 rump and round, roasted, 169. 76. 678 a very nice preserve for, 236 ribs of, roasted, 76. 170. 665 tea, 167. 679 dried, 170. 736 Beer, ginger, 184. 680 or peaches in brandy, 170. 427 Beer-root, red, 118. 681 jam, 170. 428 ... white, 118. 657 Arrow-root, 166. 259 Blackcock, roasted, 83. 426 Artichokes, 117. 319 Blanching, 94, 424 i. Jerusalem, 117. 646 Blancmange, 163. Artificial preparation of meat, 647 à richer, 163. fish, &c., for dressing, salt- 648 arrow-root, 163, ing, drying, &c., 106. 628 Boiled maize pudding, 160. 425 Asparagus, 117. Boiling, 20. general directions for, 58. 784 Bacon, to boil, 65. 146 vessels for, 58. 621 Baking, bread, 158. 147 .. water for, 58, 622 Sally Lunn tea cake, 458. 148 .. fire for, 58. 623 plum cake, 159. 149 directions for putting in the 624 a plain pound cake, 159. Baking meat, &c., 87. 150 .. to scum, 59. 283 general remarks on, 87. 151 how long to do, 59. 284 Baking a pig, 87 152 .. meats just killed, 59. 285 a goose, 87. 153 frozen meat, 59. 286 .buttock of beef, 87. 154 salt meat, 59. 287 .. fish, 87. 155 bacon, 59. 288 time for, 88. 156 ham, beef, tongues, pork, 289 objection to, 88. 59. 290 Kitchiner (Dr.) on, 88. 157 by steam, 60. 663 Barley Water, 167. 158 without coming in contact 448 Basil vinegar, or wine, 124. with water, 60. 421 Beans, Windsor, 117. 159 warming up, 60. 422 French, 117. 160 soaking before, 60. 423 harricot, 117. 161 meat just killed, 60. pot, 59. (187) 188 INDEX. meat, 61. .. 731 gravy, 104, .. 162 Boiling: what meats may re 340 Calf's head, to hash, 100. main in the hot liquor, 60. 249 Capons, to roast, 80. 163 .. potatoes not to be boiled with 186 to boil, 65. 213 Carp, fried, 71. 164 .. what vegetables may be, 61. 214 .. stewed, 71. 165 vegetables, 61. 420 Carrots, 117. 166 .. old potatoes, 61. Carving, directions for, 171. butcher's meat, poultry, and 686 .. fish, 171. general remarks on, 61. 686 turbot, &c., 172. 321 Boning, 94. 687 .. cod's head and shoulders, 281 Brain balls, 87. 172. 316 Braising, glazing, blanching, 688 salmon, 172. larding, and boning, general | 689 soles, 172. remarks on, 93. 690 Carving mackerel, 172. 317 Braising, 93. 691 eels, whiting, jack, &c., 172. 732 Brandy, cherry, 183. 692 aitch-bone of beef, 172. raspberry, 183. 693 round, and flank of beef, 638 Brewis, American, 162. 172. 191 Brill, to boil, 267. 694 brisket of beef, 172. 411 Brocoli, 115. 695 sirloin of beef, 173. 356 Broiled rump steaks with onion 696 fillet of veal, 173. 697 breast of veal, 173. Broiling, 92. 698 necks and loins, 173. 308 gridiron for, 92. 699 .. ealf's head, 173. 309 thickness of chops for, 92. 700 leg of mutton, 173. 310 fire for, 92 701 saddle of mutton, 173, 311 .. when done, 92. 702 shoulder of mutton, 174. general remarks on, 75, 92.703 haunch of venison, 174. 312 steaks, 92. 704 fore-quarter of lamb, 174. 312 chops, 92. 705 ham, 174. 313 kidneys, 93. 706 tongue, 174 314 fowl, 93. 707 sucking pig, 174. 314 rabbit, 93. 708 fowl, 175. pigeons, 93. 709 a pheasant, 175. Broth or stock, and gravies, | 710 partridges and pigeons, 175. 49. 711 goose or duck, 175. 99 Broth, beef or stock, 50. 712 turkey, 176. 69 fish, 39. 713 .. hare, 176. 76 chicken, 41. 714 rabbits, 176. 77 mutton, 41. Catsups, 125. 78 mutton chop, 42. 458 walnut, 126. 322 Browning, 95. 459 oyster, 126. 357 Bubble and squeak, 104. 460 cockle and muscle, 126. 108 Butter, melted, 53. 461 mushroom, 126. 464 .. clarified, 127. 462 mushroom, without spive, 465 burnt, 128. 127. 466 oiled, 128. 463 .., mushroom powder, 127. 410 Cauliflowers, 115. Cabbage, 115. 431 Celery, 118. 412 cold, 115. 640 Cheese, to preserve, 162. 414 red, 115. 684 .. damson, 171. 178. Calf's head, boiled, 63. , 611 Cheesecakes, 157. 315 . INDEX. 189 610 Cheesecakes, to make curd for, Cookery, Parr (Dr.) on, 18. 156. Prout (Dr) on, 19. 612 potatoe, 157. Philosophical, — Count 613 a plain, 157. Romford, 20. 614 bread, 157. Cooking, preparations for, 29. 672 Cherries, 169. 180 Cow-heel, 64. 683 in brandy, 171. 649 Cream, Italian, 163. 186 Chickens to boil, 65. 650 clouted or clotted, 164. Choice and purchasing of 651 for fruit pies, 164. butcher's meat, 26. 652 Birch's receipt for mock, general remarks on, 26– 164. 27. 489 Crusts, flaky, short. 135. 21 beef, 27. 490 raised, 135. 22. mutton, 27. 493 for savoury pies, 136. 23 venison, 27. 494 a rich short, 136. 24 veal, 28. Cucumbers, 124. 25 lamb, 28. 435 .. stewed, 119. 26 pork, 28. Curing, &c., with pyroligneous 27 bacon. 28. acid, 110. 28 .. hams, 29. 385 .. general remarks on, 110. summary of directions, 29. 386 hams for, 110. Choice of poultry, eggs, and salmon for, 110. fish, and seasons of fish, 29 387 time it will keep, 110, poultry of all kinds, 29. 388 hams and beef require no 29 rabbits, 29. previous soaking, 110. 30 fowls, 29. 389 herrings, cod, haddock, 111. 31 rabbits and pigeons, 30. 375 .. bacon, 108. 32 675 Currants, 169. 33 581 Custard, 152. 34 fish, 30. 582 almond, 152. 35 seasons of fish, 30. 583 rice, 152. Clarifying, 127. 195 Cod to broil, 68. 673 Damsons or gooseberries, to 676 Codlins, to keep for several bottle, 169. months, 169, 364 Devil, 106. 413 Coleworts, young, 115. 382 Dried or kippered salmon, 110. 347 Collops, minced, 101. 383 herrings, 110. 232 Colouring, 95. 384 ., haddock, cod, ling, &c., Colourings, thickenings, fla. 110. vourings, seasonings, stocks, 467 Dripping, to clarify, 128. gravies, sauces, stuffings, Drying, smoking, &c., 109. force meats, and clarifying, general remarks on, 109 remarks on, 94. 252 Duck, to roast, 81. Cookery, general remarks on, canvas back or red-neck 81. . importance of good, as re 576 Dumplings, yeast, 151. gards health, &c., 16. 590 hard, 153. Johnson (Dr.), his observa- 192 Dutch plaice, to boil, 67. tions on, 17. Duties, relative, of mistress and Sylvester" (Mr.) on, 17. maid, 13. Waterhouse (Dr.) on, 17. Milton's writings on, 17. 194 Eels, stewed, 68. game, 30. eggs, 30. 16. .. 16 190 INDEX. : ti 106 210 Eels, fried, 7C. 6L oysters, 36. 211 boiled, 71. 216 salt fish, to boil, 71.. 280 Egg balls, 86. Fuel, waste of, 21. plums, to preserve, 170. 185 Eggs, to poach, 75. Garnishes, 176. 682 Ginger, to preserve, 170. 253 Fawns to roast, 82. 102 Glaze, 51, 216 Fish, salt, to boil, 71. 318 Glazing, 94. 56 cleaning, 35. 250 Goose, to roast, 81. 57 eels, 36. 244 .. mock, 78. 58 without scales, 37. 674 Gooseberries, 169. 59 turbot, plaice, founders, 37.655 Gooseberry, or apple fool, 165. 60 cod, 37. 103 Gravy beef, 51. 61 oysters, 37. 104 for roast meat, 51. 639 Fish, salt, American mode of 105 for boiled meat, 52, dressing, 162. for roast veal, 52. 372 Flavoured salt meat, to make, 107 rich brown for poultry, ra 107. gout, or game, 52. 325 Flavourings, 97. 97 Green turtle soup, 48. essences, powders, &c., 98. Greengages, to preserve, 170. 642 Flummery, common, 162. 659 Groats, Robinson's prepared, 643 .. rice, 162. 166. 644 .. French, 162. 259 Grouse, to roast, 83. 645 .. Dutch, 163. Gruels, creams, syllabubs, jel. 278 Force meat, for veo' or fowls, lies, &c., &c., 62, 86. 658 Gruel, 166. 279 .. light, 86. 660 rice, 166. 320 Forcing, 94. 661 barley, 166. 878 Fowls, to roast, 86. 206 Gudgeons, 70. 363 Fried slices of ham or bacon, 105. 259 Guinea fowl, to roast, 83. 618 Fritters, 158. 197 Haddock, to boil, 69. 619 oyster, 158. 344 Haggis, a good Scotch, 101 potatoe, 158. 191 Halibut, to boil, 67. Frying, 89. 376 Hams, curing, 108. 294 Kitchiner (Dr.) on, 89. 377 .. Yorkshire, 109. 295 .. what to use for, 89. 379 .. mutton, 109. 296 .. dripping for, 89. 184 to boil, 65. 297 the great secret in, 90. 235 Hare, mock, 76. 298 to know when done, 90. 256 to roast, 82. 299 bread crumbs for, 90. 353 stewed, 102. Frying, general remarks on, 354 jugged, 103. 75, 89. 341 Hashed meat, remarks on, 100 300 steaks, 90. 326 Herbs, sweet, to prepare for 301 beef steaks and onions, 90. keeping, 98. 302 sausages, 90. 337 spirit of, mixed, 100. 303 veal cutlets, 90. 333 essence, or tinctures of, 99. 304 sweetbreads, 91. 429 to fry, 118. 305 lamb chops, 91. 68 Hotch-poteh, 39. 305 mutton chops, 91. 380 Hung or Dutch beef, 109. 306 pork chops, 91. 307 625 Indian cake, or bannock, 159 1 620 1. $ . .. eggs, 91. INDEX 19) cream, 158. 626 Indian corn, green, 160. 342 Mutton, hashed, 101. 627 corn pudding, 160. 346 .. chops delicately stewed, 101 346 :. broth, good, 101. 671 Jams, 168. 635 Jelly, calves' feet, 165. 599 Omelet, friar's, 155. 666 shank, 167. 338 Orange or lemon peel tincture 667 tapioca, 167. of, 100. 670 fruit, 168. 332 preserved, 99. 374 Jerked beef, 108. 669 marmalade, 167. 668 Orgeat, 167. 430. Kale, sea and Scotch, 118. 219 Oysters, stewed, 72. Keeping fresh ineat, 111. 221 fried, 73. 390 general remarks on, 111. 218 au gratin, 72. 391 slightly roasted for, 111. 222 broiled, 73. 392 best method for, 111. 393 Franklin (Dr.) on, 111. 615 Pancakes, common, 157. 393 to kill fowl for, 111. 616 rice, 158. 394, 395 recipes for, 112. 617 255 Kid, to roast, 82. 120 Parsley and butter, 55. Kitchen, rules and maxims of, 436 Parsnips, 120. 24. 259 Partridges, to roast, 83. ... what must always be done, 491 Paste, puff, 136. and what must never be 492 sweet, 136. done, 25. 495 .. biscuit, 136. 290 .. grates, 88. 497 .. stringing, 136. 498 potatoe, 137. 174 Lamb, a leg, boiled, 63. 499 .. rice, 137. 175 neck of, boiled, 63. Pastry, general observations roasting, 77. 176 Lamb's head and pluck, 63. 500 .. icing, 137. browned, 63. 496 Pastry, crust for venison, 136. 469 Lard, hog's, to clarify, 128. 531 to prepare venison for, 142. 320 Larding, 94. 533 .. of beef or mutton, to eat as 735 Lemonade, 184, well as venison, 143. 196 Ling, to boil, 69. 543 Patties, fried, 144. 544 oyster, 144. 202 Mackerel, boiled, 69. 545 .. beef, 144. 203 .. broiled, 69. 546 a good mince for, 145. 204 baked, or pickled, 70. 259 Pea fowl, to roast, 83. Made dishes, remarks on, 100. 418 Peas, green, 116. 365 Marrow bones, 106. 419 to stew, 116. 641 Mince meat, American, 162. 215 Perch, to boil, 71. 259 Moor game, to roast, 83. 258 Pheasant, to roast, 82. 433 Morels, 119. Pickles, general remarks on, 19. 20) Mullets, red, 70. 471 Pickling, first method of, 129. 432 Mushrooms, 118. 472 second method of, 129. 169 Mutton, a leg, boiled, 62. 473 .. third method of, 130. 170 neck of boiled, 62. 474 gherkins, 130. 171 shoulder, boiled, 62. 475 French beans, 130. 172 breast, boiled, 62. 476 onions, 130. 237.1 .." roasted, 76. 477 red cabbage, 130. 238 venison fashion, 77. 478 garlic and eschalots, 131. 242 : on, 134. 192 INDEX: .. .. 479 Pickling, melons, mangoes, and | 629 Pie, pumpkin, 160. long cucumbers, 131. 630 carrot, 161. 480 brocoli or cauliflowers, 131. Pies, tarts, and puffs, 137. 481 walnuts, 131. 247 Pig, sucking, roasted, 79, 482 beet-roots, 131. 181 Pig's Pettitoes, boiled, 64. 483 cauliflowers and brocoli, 262 Pigeons, to roast, 83. 132. 212 Pike, 71. 484 artichokes, 132. 736 Pop, 184. 485 artichoke bottoms, 132. 243 Pork, roasting, 78. 486 .. mushrooms, 132. 244 leg of, roasted without the 487 samphire, 132, skin, 78. 488 Indian, 132. 245 spare rib of, 78. 373 Pickling meat, 107. 246 .. loin of, roasted, 79. 378 tongues, 109. 182 salt, boiled, 64. 378 chines, 109. 183 pickled, boiled, 64. 378 chops, 109. 667 Posset, 167. 501 Pie, perigord, 137. 437 Potatoes, 120. 502 sole, 137. 438 to boil, 122. 503 eel, 138. 439 to steam, 122. 504 oyster, 138. 440 to roast, 122, 505 pilchard, 138. 441 mashed, 122. 506 a remarkable fine fish, 138. 442 roasted under meat, 128. 507 beef-steak, 138. 443 fried or broiled, 123. 508 beef-steak and oyster, 138. 444 .. balls, 123. 509 veal, chicken, and parsley, 445 snow, 123. 138. 248 Poultry to roast, 79. 510 veal olive, 138. 38 time of killing, 31. 1 511 veal, 139. 39 drawing, 31. 512 a rich veal, 139. 41-42 Poultry, trussing, 31. 513 calf's head, 139. 45 ... ducks, 32 excellent pork to eat cold, 46 140. turkeys, 33. 515 lamb, 140. 48 pigeons, 33. 516 Pie, mutton, 140. 49 pheasants, partridges, and 517 chicken, 140. guinea fowls, 34. young rabbits, 140. 50 wild ducks, 34. 519 giblet, 140. 51 woodcocks, plovers, &c., 34. 520 green goose, 140. 52 521 .. Staffordshire goose, 141. hare, 34. 53 rabbits, 35. 522 hare to eat cold, 141. 54 fawns or kids, 35. 523 partridge, 141. 55 sucking pigs, 35. 524 a French, 141. 327 Powder, savoury soup, 98. 525 pigeon, 141. 328 526 squab, 141. 329 for ragouts, 98. 527 duck, 141. 331 for white-made dishes, 99. 528 rabbit, 142. 330 for brown-made dishes, 98. 529 vegetable, 142. 335 anchovy, 99. 530 an herb, 142. 336 534 oyster, 99. apple, 143. 461 mushroom, 126. 535 cherry, 143. Preserves, 168. 536 currant, 143. Puddings, cheesecakes, &c., 537 mince, 143, 145. 514 .. geese, 33. 47 • . curry, 98. .. INDEX 193 .. .. 607 Pudding, rusk, 156. 608 .. Portugal, 156. 609 tansey, 156. 628 boiled maze, 160. 631 .. American custard, 161 632 American plum, 161. 633 rennet, 161. 634 American apple, 161. 635 bird's nest, 161. American souse, 161. 637 American dry bread, 162. 547 Puffs, apple, 145. 548 .. lemon, 145. 549 excellent light, 145. 550 cheese, 145. 636 sago, 149, 551 Pudding, to make paste, 146. 552 plum, 147. 553 a plain family plum, 147. 554 .. a common plum, 147. 555 a very light plum, 147. 556 national plum, 148. 557 potatoe, 148, 558 cottage potatoe, 148. 559 rich sweet potatoe, 148. 560 .. carrot, 148. 561 black cap, 148. 562 563 a very good, 149. 564 bread and butter, 149 565 .. almond, 149. 566 .. Kitchiner's, 149. 567 .. Dutch rice, 150. 568., rice, 150. 569 another rice, 150 570 .. baked rice, 150. 571 ground rice, 150. 572 rice snow balls, 151. 573 plain rice, 151. 575 vermicelli, 151. 575 tapioca, 151. - 575 . sago, 151.' 1 575 .. Russian seed, 151. 577 .. suet, 151.. 578 .. Hunter's, 152. 579 0 Marlborough, 152. 580 .. custard, 152. 584 .. baked vermicelli, 153. 585 marrow, 153. 586 il conservative, 153. 587 economical, 153. 588.. delicate bread, 153.. 589 .. barley, 153. 591 Newmarket, 154. 592.. a light, 154. 593 Yorkshire, 154. 594 a nice suet, 154. 595 mother Eve's, 154. 596 Newcastle, 154. 597 .. hasty, 154. 598 i, arrow-root, 154. 600 a Swiss, 155. 601 .. Oxford, 155. 602., muffin, or cabinet, 155 603 French and Italian, 155. 604 a cheese, 155. 605 a very rich, 155. 606 chesnut, 156. 257 Rabbit, to roast, 82. 366 Ragout of duck, or any other kind of poultry or game, 106. 264 Reed birds, 83. 574 Rice bignets, 151. Roasting, 73. 223 spitting before, 73. 224 best kind of spits for, 73. 225 fire for, 74. 226 time for, 74. 227., to preserve the fat white, 74. 228 how to make a fire for, 74. distance from fire for, 74. slow, 75. 231 dripping-pan for, 75. 232 attention to, 75. general remarks on, 75. 229 .. 230 .. Salads, 123. 446 general remarks on, 123. 187 Salmon to boil, 66. 188 .. broiled, 66. 189 baked, 67. 190 pickled, 67. Salting, 106. 367 general remarks on, 106. 363 meat, 107. 369 quantities for, 107. 370 .. time for, 107. 371 .. hasty, 107. 343 Sandwiches, 101. Sauces, 52. 109 for fricassee of fowls, rab. bits, white meat, fish, or ve. getables, 53. 16* INDEX: 193 &c., 84. 270 .. 81. 20 Stock, first, or beef broth; 50. - 1360 Veal, olives, 105. 269 Stuffing and force meat, 84. 361 knuckle of, to ragoût, 105 for veal, roast turkey, fowl, Vegetables, 37. 62 preparing for dressing, 37. goose or duck, 84. 63.. asparagus, artichokes, spi 271 for turtle, 85. nach, 37. 272 hare, 85. 64. potatoes and Jerusalem as. 273 .. veal, 85. tichokes, 37. 274 .. pike, carp, or haddock, 85. 65 .. carrots, parsnips, beetroots, 275 heart, 86. and turnips, 37. 276 poultry and game, 86. cooking, 113. 277 veal cake, 86. 398_499 general observations 199 Sturgeon to boil, 69. on cooking, 113, 114, 115. 200 .. to roast, 69. 416 Vegetable marrow, 116. 201 stewed, 69. 253 Venison, haunch of, to roast 468 Suet and fat, to clarify, 128. 470 Sugar, clarified, 128. Vinegars, flavoured, 124. 241 Sweetbread, veal, 77. 447 for salads, 124. 654 Syllabub, whip, 165. 448 basil, 124. 449 burnet, 125. 538 Tarte de moie, 143. 450 cress or celery, 125. 539 Tart, rhubarb, 144. 451 horse-radish, 125. 540 to prepare cranberries for, 452 garlic, onion, or eschalot, 144. 125. 541 lemon, 144. 453 tarragon, 125. 542 Tartlets or puffs, orange, 144. 454 elder flower, 125. 260 Teal, to roast, 83. 455 green mint, 125. 217 Terrapins, 72. 456 323 Thickenings, 96. 457 capsicum, cayenne, or chili, 662 Thick milk, or four caudle, 125. 166. 734 raspberry, 183. 205 Thornback, to boil, 70. 184 Tongues, to boil, 65. 656 Whey, 165. 653 Trifle, 164. 324 White thickening, 97. 179 Tripe, 63. 198 Whitings, to fry, 69. 207 Trout, to broil, 70. 260 Widgeon, to roast, 83. 208 stewed, 70. 260 Wild ducks, to roast, 83. 434 Truffles, 119. Wines, general directions for 37 Trussing, 31. making, 178. 191 Turbot, to boil, 67. 716 ginger, 178. 186 Turkey, to boil, 65. 717 mead, 179. 248 to roast, 79. 717 metheglin, 179. 248 poults, to roast, 79. 717 honey, 179. 417 Turnips, 116. 718 parsnip, 179. 97 Turtle soup, green, 48. 719 .. malt, or English sherry, 179 720 orange, boiled, 180. 177 Veal, boiled, 63. 720 lemon, boiled, 180. 239 roasting, 77. 721 240 fillet of, roasting, 77. 722 raisin, 180. 358 hashed or minced, 104. 723 raisin with sugar, 181. . 359 to make an excellent ragoût 724 raisin, in imitation of Fron of cold, 104. tignac, 181. camp, 125. grape, 180. 196 INDEX. 725 Wines, gooseberry, without | 727 Wines, cowslip, or clary, 182 boiling, 181. 728 .. birch, 182. 725 .. currant, without boiling, 729 1. elder, 182. 181. 730 damson, or black cherry, 726 orange, without boiling, 182. 181. 261 Woodcocks to roast, 83. 726 lemon, without boiling, 181. THE END. by oy George Road, THE COMPLETE CONFECTIONER, PASTRY-COOK, AND BAKER. PLAIN AND PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING CONFECTIONARY AND PASTRY, AND FOR BAKING; WITH UPWARDS OF FIVE HUNDRED RECEIPTS; CONSISTING OF DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING ALL SORTS OF PRESERVES, SUGAR-BOILING, COMFITS, LOZENGES, ORNAMENTAL CAKES, ICES, LIQUEURS, WATERS, GUM-PASTE ORNAMENTS SYRUPS, JELLIES, MARMALADES, COMPOTES, BREAD-BAKING, ARTIFICIAL YEASTS, FANCY BISCUITS, CAKES, ROLLS, MUFFINS, TARTS, PIES, &c. &c. WITH ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS, BY PARKINSON, Practical Confectioner, Chestnut Street, wa PHILADELPHIA: LEA AND BLANCHARD, 1846. ; ifertig lear 3. /tation ! Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1844, by LEA AND BLANCHARD, in the clerk's office of the district court of the United States in and for the eastern district of Pennsylvania. J. Fagan, Stereotyper. J. & W. Kite, Printers. (2) troilu A134** * "! 21.151.59 D 393"}}' it's o :: 9 ur'. PREFACE 19. ni bure'', TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. ALMOST every foreigner who visits this country re- marks with astonishment the almost universal neglect of thát' art upon which, more than any thing else, de- pends the health and comfort of a people, and by many i scientific men have most of the prevalent diseases of this country, especially the dyspepsia, been ascribed to the hurried, crude and unwholesome manner in which our food is prepared ; of latter years, more attention has been paid to cooking; but the handmaiden of that pa- rent art, confectïonary, is still neglected and unknown, yet it is of little less importance than the graver branch referred to. Confectionary is the poetry of epicurism ; it throws over the heavy enjoyments of the table the relief of a milder indulgence, and dispenses the delights of a lighter and more harmless gratification of the ap- petite. The dessert, properly prepared, contributes equally to health and comfort; but "got up" as con- fectionary too often is, it is not only distasteful to a correct palate, but is deleterious and often actually poi- $ sonous. In introducing to the American public the modes by which the table of hospitality may be enriched and (3) iv PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. adorned, we have consulted every authority, French or English, within our reach; but the basis of our little work is to be found in Read's Confectioner, a late Lon- don publication. Having for many years been connected with the old- est, most extensive and successful confectionary estab- lishment in the country, we have been enabled to make from our own experience many important modifications and to introduce many additional receipts, particularly in relation to the various articles of luxury which the bounty of our soil and climate render almost exclusively American. The volume has thus been increased in size, and we trust improved in value. Trusting that our efforts to advance the popular knowledge of the art which has for many years engaged our attention, may meet with approbation, we present the result of our labours to a candid and indulgent public. Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, DIO. 1843. 1 .. ! PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION. Much as there has been written in Cookery Books on the art of Confectionary, there are few, very few works on the subject now extant which are practically written, and these are difficult to be obtained, even at high prices; and, having been published some years since, they do not contain any of the modern improvements, or arti- cles which have been introduced within these few years. The object of the present Treatise is to supply this deficiency, and to convey in- struction in as plain and concise a manner as possible to the inexperi- enced, or young apprentices, that they may be enabled to learn their bu- siness more efficiently than many masters can or will instruct them in it. The style and character of the present work will be found quite different from anything which has preceded it. In the part relating to Sugar-boiling I have endeavoured to show the causes of the effects which take place at the different stages, with the uses to which each of the processes is applied. The deficiency on Hard Confectionary which occurs in all other works will be found amply supplied in this. In the proportions for medicated lozenges I have preferred those which are ordered by the different Colleges of Surgeons in their pharmacopeias to those used by the trade, as being more likely to contain the true quantities of the different drugs which should com- pose them. It is from this source that they were originally derived, as at one time they formed no inconsiderable part of pharınacy; but they are now only made by confectioners. The Section on Ices I have endeavoured to render as plain and intelligible as possible, and although I have given general as well as definite rules for the mixture of each sort, yet the last cannot at all times be implicitly followed, but must be modified or altered with respect to the flavouring matter so as to suit the taste of the em- ployer or the parties for whom they are intended; this should always be most scrupulously attended to, if it is wished to give satisfaction, as no fixed rules can be given which will admit of their being made to please all persons. The business of confectionary is divided into several branches, some of them being quite distinct and separate from each other. The branch known as Hard Confectionary is literally the whole of the business, according to the strict meaning of the word, which is derived from the French words confitures--confits, things crusted 1* (v) CONTENTS. 24 .. THE CONFECTIONER. Sect. I.-Confectionary. Syrup of Ginger: 23 Clarification of Raw Sugar... 13 Syrup of Almonds. 24 To clarify Loaf Sugar.. 14 Sirop de Pistache 24 Degrees of boiling Sugar. 14 Syrup of Coffee. 24 Syrup of Rum Punch SYRUP. 15 Brandy and Wine Syrups 24 Small Thread., 15 Large Thread 15 SECTION III. -Crystallized Su. Little Pearl 15 gar, and articles crystallized, Large Pearl 15 commonly called Candies. CHRYSTALLIZATION.... 'Crystallized or Candied Sugar.. 25 15 To ascertain the degree of Fruits to Crystallize : 25 the blow . 16 Crystallized Chocolate 26 The Feather 16 Liqueur Rings, Drops and other Devices: CANDY 16 26 The Ball. 17 To form a Chain 'with Liqueur 17 Rings The Crack 27 Caramel 17 Sect. IV.-Candy - Bonbon Conserve. Sect. II.-Syrups. Ginger Candy 27 General Rules and Observa- Peppermint, Lemon and Rose tions rica 18 Candy: 27 Infusions 18 Coltsfoot or Horehound Candy 27 Decoctions 19 Artificial Fruit, Eggs, &c... 27 Raspberry Syrup:. 20 Burnt Almonds 28 Pineapple Syrup. : 20 Burnt Almonds-Red. 28 Raspberry Vinegar Syrup 20 Filberts and Pistachios. 28 Strawberry Syrup. 21 Common Burnt Almonds. 28 Carrant Syrup. 21 Orange Prawlings. 29 Morello Cherry Syrup 21 Lemon Prawlings. 29 Mulberry Syrup 21 Gooseberry Syrup 21 SECT. V.--Crack and Caramel, Lemon Syrup 21 Barley Sugar. 29 Orange Syrup 21 Barley Sugar Drops 29 Orange-Flower Syrup. 21 | Barley Sugar Tablets or Kisses 29 Sirop de Capillaire.-Syrup of Acid Drops and Sticks....... 30 Maidenhair 21 To extract the Acid from Can. Syrup of Liquorice. 22 died Drops, &c.. 30 Syrup of Violets : 22 Raspberry Candy 31 Syrup of Pinks. 22 Clove, Ginger, or Peppermint Syrup of Roses Candy. 31 Syrup of Wormwood .. 23 Brandy Balls, &c.. 31 Syrup. of Marshmallows 23 Nogat.. Syrup of Sarsaparilla... 23 Almond Rock 32 Syrup of Coltsfoot. 23 Almond Hardbake 32 32 (vii) viii CONTENTS. reils ...... ON SUGAR-SPINNING. Catechu with Violets . 40 To make a Silver Web....... 33 Ching's Yellow Worm Lozenges 40 To make a Gold Web. 33 Ching's Brown Worm Lozenges 41 Chantilly Baskets 33 Bath Pipe. 41 Grape, Orange, or Cherry Bas Peppermint or other Pipes. 41 kets ... 34 Brilliants 41 Almond Baskets 34 Refined Liquorice.. 41 Spanish Candy 34 SECTION VIII.—Pastile Drops. Vases or Baskets, &c., in Span Chocolate Drops 42 ish Candy... 34 Coffee Drops 42 Sect. VI.-Chocolate. Cinnamon Drops 43 Cacao Nuts 35 Clove Drops 43 Roasting :: 35 Vanilla Drops 43 The Making of Chocolate.. 36 Violet Drops 43 Vanilla Chocolate 36 Catechu Drops. 43 Cinnamon, Mace or Clove Cho Ginger Drops 43 colate 37 Lemon Drops 43 Stomachic Chocolate.. 37 Rose Drops 43 43 Chocolate Harlequin Pistachios 37 Peppermint Drops. Chocolate Drops, with Nonpa. Orange-flower Drops 43 37 Orgeat Drops.... 43 Raspberry Drops.. 43 Sect. VII.-Lozenges. Peppermint, No. 1. 38 SECT. IX.-Comfits. Peppermint, No. 2. 38 Scotch Caraway Comfits 44 Peppermint, Nos. 3 and 4.... 38 Bath Caraways 45 Transparent Mint, No. 5..... 38 Common Caraways.. 45 Superfine Transparent Mint Lo. Cinnamon Comfits 45 zenges. 39 Coriander Comfits... 46 Rose Lozenges 39 Celery Comfits.. 46 Cinnamon Lozenges 39 Caraway Comfits, pearled 46 Clove Lozenges 39 Almond Comfits 46 Lavender Lozenges 39 Cardamom Comfits. 46 Ginger Lozenges. 39 Barberry Comfits 46 Nutmeg Lozenges. 39 Cherry Comfits 47 Rhubarb Lozenges 39 Comfits flavoured with. Liqueurs 47 Sulphur Lozenges 39 Orange Comfits.. 47 Tolu Lozenges 39 Lemon Peel or Angelica 47 Ipecacuanha Lozenges. 39 Nonpareils 47 Saffron Lozenges.. 40 To colour Nonpareils or Comfits 47 Yellow Pectoral Lozenges . 40 COMFITS IN GUM PASTE. Lozenges for the Heartburn... 40 Steel Lozenges 47 40 Raspberry Comfits Ginger Comfits 47 Magnesia Lozenges 40 Clove Comfits. 48 Nitre Lozenges 40 Marshmallow Lozenges To colour Loaf-sugar Dust • 48 40 Vanilla Lozenges 40 SECT. X.-Fruit Jellies. Catechu Lozenges. 40 Apple Jelly 48 Catechu à l'Ambergris. 40 Quince Jelly 48 Catechu with Musk 40 Red Currant Jelly. 48 Catechu with Orange-flowers.. 40 | White and Black Currani Jelly 49 CONTENTS. ix 62 Violet-coloured Currant Jelly.. 49 | Ripe Nectarines, wet 58 Cherry Jelly 49 Figs, wet 58 Barberry Jelly 49 Greengages, wet 58 Raspberry Jelly 49 Mogul Plums. 59 Gooseberry Jelly 49 Damsons, wet 59 Blackberry Jelly 49 Green Gooseberries, wet. 59 Green Gooseberries in the form SECT. XI.- Marmalades or Jams. of Hops, wet 59 Apple Marmalade... 50 Cucumbers or Glierkins, wet.. 59 Quince Marmalade 50 Green Melons ... 60 Apricot Marmalade or Jam... 50 Ripe Melons, wet. 60 Cherry Marmalade or Jam 50 Lemons, whole, 'vet 60 Orange Marmalade.. 50 Oranges, whole, wet 60 Grape Marmalade.. 50 Whole Orange Peels . 60 SECT. XII.Of Fruit and other Orange or Lemon Peels, wet.. 60 Pastes. Orange or Lemon Chips.. 61 Fruit Pastes and Cakes Angelica, wet... 51 61 Apple or Pippin Paste 61 51 Eringo Root Apple Cheese. 61 51 Pine Apple, whole, wet Apricot Paste 51 Pine Apple Chips or Slices 61 Green Apricot Paste. 62 52 Cherries, wet or dry Whole Cherries... 62 Currant Paste. 52 Black Currant Paste. 62 Grapes in Bunches 52 Currants in Bunches, wet Raspberry Paste 52 63 Cherry Paste Barberries in Bunches, wet... 52 Peach Paste. 63 Raspberries, whole, wet 52 63 Plum Paste Pears, whole, wet 52 Damson Cheese. 63 Pears, Red, wet.. 52 Quince Paste. 53 Quinces, Red or White, wet.. : 64 64 Orange Paste... Ginger, wet 53 Lemon Paste Candied Fruit 64 53 Dried Fruit 64 Raspberry Cakes. 53 Clear Cakes, or Jelly Cakes 53 Sect. XIV.—Compotes. Marshmallow Paste 54 Green Apricot Compote 65 Arabic Paste 54 Ripe Apricot Compote 65 Date Paste.. 55 Compote of Apples, with Jelly. 65 Jujube Paste 55 Apple Compote 65 Senegal Paste 55 | Grape Compote 65 White Liquorice Paste: 55 Currant Compote 65 Black Liquorice Paste 55 Raspberry Compote 66 Jujube Gum... 55 Strawberry Compote. 66 Gomme des Dattes 56 Macedoine of Fruits. 66 Gum of Violets 56 Cherry Compote 66 Almond Paste--Orgeat Paste.. 56 Sect. XV.-Brandy Fruits.... 66 SECT. XIII.-Fruits Preserved Sect. XVI.-On Bottled Fruits, with Sugar. or Fruits Preserved without WET Fruits... 56 Sugar. 67 Green Apricots, wet 57 Secr.XVII.-Of Cooling Drinks Green Apricots, pared wet. 58 for Balls und Routs. Ripe Apricots, wet 58 Gooseberry, Currant, Raspberry Ripe Peaches, whole, wet... 58 and Strawberry Waters.. 68 X CONTENTS. & Cherry Water 69 , Orange-Water Ice.. 78 Apricot and Peach Water 69 Lemon-Water Ice. 78 Orgeat Water 69 | Maraschino-Water Ice. 78 Lemonade 69 Punch-Water Ice.. 78 Orangeade 69 Roman Punch Ice... 79 Mille Fruit Water Ice 79 SECT. XVIII.-Ices. To freeze Ices 70 SECT. XIX.-Jellies. Cream Ices 72 Calves' Feet Jellics.... 79 Raspberry, fresh fruit and Jam 72 Coffee Jelly 79 Strawberry 73 Tea Jelly, Green or Black. 79 Currant, fresh & preserved fruit 73 73 Barberry Ice FRUIT JELLIES. Apricot, fresh Fruit, and Jam.. 73 Strawberry Jelly. 80 Peach Ice.. 73 Pine-Apple Jelly 80 Pine Apple, fresh & preserved ft. 73 Jelly of Apricots.. 80 Ginger Ice 73 Orange Jelly 80 Brahma Ice 73 Blanc Mange. 80 Orange Ice Cream 73 SECT. XX.-Essences. China Orange Ice Cream. 74 Lemon, Orange, and Bergamot. 81 Cherry Ice Cream. 74 Essence de Cedrat... 81 Harlequin Ice 74 Lemon Ice Cream.. Allspice, Cloves, Cinnamon, or 74 82 Mille Fruit Cream Ice Nutmegs, &c. . 74 Ginger, Peppermint, Vanilla, Custard Ices and Almondsi. Custard for Ices 74 Plombiere Ice, or Swiss Pudding 74 SECT. XXI.-Meringues, Icing. The Sauce 75 Dry, in the form of Eggs 82 Almond or Orgeat Ice Cream. 75 Kisses. 83 Pistachio Ice Cream. 75 Italian Meringues. 83 Filbert Ice Cream. 75 Mushrooms 83 Chestnut Ice 75 Icing for Wedding or Tivelfth Burnt Filbert Ice Cream 75 Cakes, &c. 84 Burnt Almond Ice Cream 75. On piping Cakes, Bon-bons, &c. 84 Coffee Ice Cream 75 Chocolate Ice. 76 SECT. XXII.-Gum Paste. Tea Ice.... 76 For Ornaments 85 Vanilla Ice... 76 For Gilding on 86 Noyau Cream Ice .. 76 Papier Machée 86 Maraschino Cream Ice. 76 To gild Gum Paste, &c... 86 Water Ices.... 77 To Bronze Gum Paste.. Currant Water Ice 77 On the Construction of Assiettes Cherry Water Ice.... 77 and Pièces Montées. 87 Gooseberry Water Ice.... 77 Of Pièces Montées 88 Raspberry Water Ice.. 77 Biscuit Paste to imitate Marble Apricot Water Ice 77 Rocks, &c.i.. 88 Peach Water Ice.. 77 | Confectioners' Paste Damson Ice . 77 Assiettes Montés, or Dressed Pine-Apple Water Ice 78 Plates 89 Fresh Pine-Apple Water Ice.. 78 On Modelling 90 Apple-water Ice... 78 Modelling Tools 92 Pear-Water Ice 78 | Modelling Wax. 92 87 89 CONTENTS. xi Sect. XXIII.-On Colours. Eau Divine..... 99 To Prepare Cochineal .... 92 Eau de Cologne. 99 Carmine, Yellow, Prussian Blue. Curaçao 99 99 Sap Green, & Spinach Green 93 Eau de Mélisse des Carmes... Vermilion and Cinnabar 94 The English Mcthod 99 Bole Ammoniac, Umber, Bistre, Spirit of Coffee, and Almonds. 99 and Bl ck, 94 Spirit of Tea, and Usquebaugh. 100 LIQUEURS, THE SHADES PRODUCED BY A MIX- 100 *TORE OF COLOURS, RATAFIAS. Ratafia de Café .... 100 Purple, Lilac, Orange, Gold, Le- Ratafia de Cacao. 100 mon, and Green.i. 94 Ratafia des Noyaux 100 SECT. XXIV. -Distillation. Ratafia of Cherries 101 ON ESSENTIAL OILS..... 95 Ratafia des Cassis.. 101 Ratafia of Raspberries 101 DISTILLED WATERS. Ratafia des Fleurs des Oranges 101 Orange-Flower, & Rose Water 96 Ratafia d'Eillets.. 101 Cinnamon, Peppermint, Lemon Ratafia d’Angelique 101 Peel, & Black-Cherry Water 97 Vespetro. ... 101 SPIRITS FOR LIQUEURS. Chrême de Barbade. 101 Distilled Spirituous Waters for Chrême d'Orange 101 Liqueurs... 98 Ratafia d'Anis... 101 Hungary Water 98 Ratafia de Brout des Noix .... 102 Maraschino de Zara 98 SECT. XXV.-The Stove or Hot Kirchenwasser. 99 Closet. 102 THE PASTRY-COOK. INTRODUCTION. 103 | Italian Bread... 110 BLANCHED ALMONDS, ICING, PRE- Rice Pound Cake 110 Wafers 110 PARED TREACLE, & RENNET.. 104 Fancy BISCUITS. CAKES. Abernethy, American, Brighton, Almond Cakes.. 110 Buttered, Captains, Drop, Fil. Almond Savoy.: 111 111 bert, Lemon, and Naples ... 105 Bride, Bath, and Banbury Queens, Rout, Savoy, Seedy, Breakfast 112 Wine, York, and Powder.. : 106 Cinnamon, Currant, Caraway, Drops, and Cracknels... 107 Common Cheese, Curd Cheese, and Almond Cheese ....... 112 SECT. I.-The Oven. Lemon Cheese, Derby, Diet Cakes .. 107 Bread, Ginger, Lord Mayors, Savoy Cakes.. 108 and Lunch 113 Cold Mixtures 108 | Moss, Macaroon, Plum, Pound, Almond Savoy Cakes and Al. and Prussian ... 114 mond Hearts 109 Queens, Queen's Drops, Rout, Venice Cake... Raspberry, and Ratafias.... 115 Savoy, to represent a Melon . 109 Savoy, Sponge, Seed, Shrews- Savoy, to imitate a Hedgehog.. 109 bury, Tea, Twelfth, and York. Bordeaux or Parisian Cakes .. 110 shire 116 .... 109 xii CONTENTS. York Drops, Anne Page's, York Queen's Ginger-Bread, Spice Cakes, Jumbles, Cinnamon Ginger-Bread, Thick Ginger. Biscuit, Hazlenut Kisses, and Bread, and Sweetmeat Nuts.. 121 Vanilla Biscuit. 117 Spice Nuts, Muffins, Wheat 'Trifle, Cocoanut, Sans Soucies, Muffins, Rice Muffins, Rice Cocoa Biscuit, Lady Cake, Cakes, and Buckwheat Cakes 122 and Lady Fingers.. 118 Flannel Cakes, Indian Slappers, Spoon Biscuit, Small Biscuits Johnny-Cake, Corn Bread, with Almonds, Biscuits with Crumpets, and Rusks ...... 123 Cream, Biscuits glazed with Sweet Rusks, Tops & Bottoms 124 Chocolate 119 OF PASTES IN GENERAL-PRELI. Biscuits glazed with Orange.. 120 MINARY REMARKS . 124 FANCY BREAD, GINGER-BREAD, TO MAKE PUFF PASTE. Buns, ROLLS, MUFFINS, CRUM- Ingredients, &c. 125 Puff, Short, and Tart Pastes .. 126 Almond Bread, Colchester, and Apricot Tart 126 Diet... 120 Covered and Raspberry Tarts. 127 French Rolls, Short Bread, Mince Pics, and Raised Pie... 127 PETS, &c. ter ..... THE BAKER.. INTRODUCTION...... 128 | Ragwort GENERAL REMARKS ON BAKING.. 129 Turnip Bread. Apple Bread. FAMILY LOAF-BREAD . 132 Meslin Bread. Brown or Diet Bread . 134 Salep Bread Bread not liable to become Bit Oat and Barley Bread 134 Debretzen Bread Millet Bread. ARTIFICIAL YEASTS. Maize Bread Yeast to Preserve ... 135 Homminy Cake.. Potatoe Yeast 135 | Bean Flour Bread. Dr. Lettsom's Method 135 Buckwheat Bread. Artificial Yeast 135 Acorn Bread Patent Yeast 136 Oatmeal Cakes Oatmeal and Pease Bread ALUM, POTATOES, &c. 137 Chestnut Bread METHOD OF MAKING BAKERS' Potatoe Bread BREAD. Rye Bread-Barley Bread. The Old Method.. 141 | The Bread Tree Modern Method 142 Bread Fruit Bread.. SUBSTITUTE FOR WHEAT-FLOUR Sago Bread Casaya Bread. BREAD. Plantain Bread Bread Corn 143 Panana Bread Rice 145 Moss Bread .. Potatoes 145 Dried Fish Bread Bread made of Roots 147 | Earth Bread. 147 147 148 148 148 148 148 149 149 149 149 149 150 150 150 150 150 150 151 152 152 153 153 153 154 154 154 14 THE CONFECTIONER. quite black; return this again into the bag, and continue doing so until it runs fine and clear. If a little lime, about a spoonful, or any other alkali is added to the sugar with the water, &c., it will neutralize, the acid which all raw sugars contain, and they will be found to stand much better after they have been manufactured, by not taking the damp so soon. This is not generally done by the trade, but it will be found beneficial if practised. To clarify Loaf Sugar.-- This is clarified by mixing the whites of eggs with water, without any other assistance, for having been pre- viously refined, it does not require those auxiliaries again to separate the coarser parts, unless it is of an inferior quality, or an extra fine syrup, as for bon-bons and other fancy articles, is required. When it is necessary to have a very fine sparkling grain, in that case break your lump into small pieces and put it in a preserving-pan, with a sufficient quantity of water to dissolve it, in which has been mixed the white of an egg and powdered charcoal,* as for raw sugar, fol- lowing those instructions already given. After the sugar has been drained from the bag, pass some water through to take off any which may be left in the charcoal, which you use for dissolving more sugar. The scum should always be reserved, when charcoal or black is not used, to mix with the articles of an inferior quality. The best refined loaf sugar should be white, dry, fine, of a brilliant sparkling appearance when broken, and as close in texture as pos- sible. The best sort of brown has a bright, sparkling, and gravelly look. East India sugars appear finer, but do not contain so much sac- charine matter, yet they are much used for manufacturing the best sort of common sweetmeats, when clarified, instead of loaf sugar. Degrees of boiling Sugar.—This is the principal point to which the confectioner has to direct his attention; for if he is not expert in this particular, all his other labour and knowledge will be useless: it is * Charcoal varies in its qualities, according to the wood from which it is prepared. That made from porous woods, such as the willow, alder, &c., is the best for clarifying liquids; animal charcoal, or bone black, is also equally good, on account of its light and porous nature; that made from hard woods is only fit for fuel, as it does not possess the clarifying and decolouring properties like that made from the more soft and porous woods. When newly prepared, or if it has been kept free from air, it has the property of absorbing all putrid gases ; " it is also capable of destroying the smell and taste of a variety of animal and vegetable substances, especially of mucilages, oils, and of matter in which extrac. tive abounds; and some articles are said to be even deprived of their characteristic odour, by remaining in contact with it, as valerian, galba. num, balsam of Peru, and musk. The use of charring the interior of water-casks, and of wrapping charcoal in cloths that have acquired a bad. smell, depend upon this property. None of the fluid menstrua with which we are acquainted have any action whatever, as solvents, upon carbon.” Paris's Pharmacologia. THE CONFECTIONER. 15 € the foundation on which he must build to acquire success in his under- Lakings. There are seven essential points or degrees in boiling sugar; some authors give thirteen, but many of these are useless, and serve only to show a critical precision in the art, without its being required in practice; however, for exactness, we will admit of nine, viz:--). Small thread. 2. Large thread. 3. Little pearl. 4. Large pearl. 5. The blow. 6. The feather. 7. Ball, 8. Crack. 9. Caramel, This last degree derives its name from “ a Count Albufage Caramel, .01 Nismes, who discovered this method of boiling sugar."--Gunter's Confectioner. ln describing the process, I shall proceed in a different manner to other writers on the subject, by classing it under different heads, ac- cording to the uses to which it is applied. SYRUP. Under this head are comprised the degrees from the small thread to the large pearl ; for at these points the sugar is kept in a divided state, and remains a fluid of an oily consistency. A bottle which holds three ounces of water will contain four ounces of syrup. The method of ascertaining those degrees, according to the usages of the trade, is as follows:- Small Thread.-Having placed the clarified syrup on the fire, let it boil a little, then dip the top of your finger in the boiling syrup, and on taking it out apply it to the top of your thumb, when, if it has attained the degree, on separating them a small ring will be drawn out a little distance, about as fine as a hair, which will break and re- solve itself into a drop on the thumb and finger. 3. Large Thread.Continue the boiling a little longer, repeat the same operation as before, and a larger string will be drawn. Little Pearl.-To ascertain this degree, separate the finger from the thumb as before, and a large string may be drawn, which will extend to nearly the distance the fingers may be opened. Large Pearl.-The finger may now be separated from the thumb to the greatest extent before the thread will break. CRYSTALLIZATION. This takes the degrees of the blow and feather. The particles of the sugar being now brought together within the sphere of their activity, the attraction of cohesion commences, whereby they attach themselves together and form quadrilateral pyramids with oblong and rectangular bases. This is generally, but improperly, termel candy, thereby confounding it with the degrees at which it grains, also termed candy. This certainly seems “confusion worse onfounded;" but if things are called by their proper names, many of those seem- ing difficulties and technicalities may be avoided which tend only to confuse and embarrass the young practitioner, without gaining any 16 THE CONFECTIONER. desired end or purpose. If it were generally classed into the degrees of crystallization, the true meaning and use would at once be ex- plained and understood by the greatest novice. The nature and principle of this operation are these. First, as in the case of syrup (the first four degrees), when the water has absorbed as much sugar as it is capable of containing in a cold state, by continu- ing the boiling, a further portion of the solvent (water) is evaporated, and sugar remains in excess, which, when exposed to a less degree of heat, separates itself, and forms crystals on the surface and sides of the vessel in which it is contained, and also on anything placed or suspended in it. But if it is exposed too suddenly to the cold, or dis- turbed in its action by being shaken, or if the boiling has been con- tinued too long, the crystals will form irregularly by the particles being brought in too close contact, and run too hastily together, forme ing a mass or lump. To obtain this part in perfection, the boiling should be gradual, and continued no longer than till a few drops let fall on a cold surface show a crystalline appearance, or after being removed from the fire a thin skin will form on the surface. It should then be taken from the fire and placed in a less hot but not cold place, and covered or put into a stove or hot closet to prevent the access of cold air. A few drops of spirits of wine, added when the sugar has attained the proper degree, will conduce to a more perfect crystalline form, scarcely attainable by any other means, as it has a great affinity with the water, thereby causing the sugar to separate itself more freely. It must be used with caution, as too much will cause it to grain. To ascertain the Degree of the Blow.Continue the boiling of the sugar, dip a skimmer in it and shake it over the pan, then blow through the holes, and if small bubbles or air-bladders are seen on the other side, it has acquired this degree. The Feather.-Dip the skimmer again into the sugar, and blow through the holes as before, and the bubbles will appear larger and stronger. Or if you give the skimmer a sudden jerk, so as to throw the sugar from you, when it has acquired the degree, it will appear hanging from the skimmer in fine long strings. CANDY Sugar, after it has passed the degree of the feather, is of itself naturally inclined to grain, that is to candy, and will form a powder if agitated or stirred : for as the boiling is continued, so is the water evaporated until there is nothing left to hold it in solution: therefore that body being destroyed by heat, which first changed its original form to those we have already enumerated, as this no longer exists with it, it naturally returns to the same state as it was before the solvent was added, which is that of minute crystals or grains, being held together by the attraction of cohesion, unless, as before stated, they are separated by stirring, &c. THE CONFECTIONER. 17 a ner: The sugar being evaporated by boiling from the last degree, leaves a thin crust of crystals round the sides of the pan, which shows it has attained the candy height; and this crust must be carefully removed, as it forms, with a damp cloth or sponge, or the whole mass will candy if suffered to remain. To prevent this is the chief deside- ratum, all further proceedings for which specific rules will be given in their proper places. ** The remaining degrees can be ascertained after the following man- The Ball.- Provide a jug of clean cold water, and a piece of round stick. First dip in the water, then in the sugar, and again in the water ;* take off the sugar which has adhered to it, and endea. vour to roll it into a ball between the finger and thumb in the water : when this can be done, it has attained the desired degree. If it forms a large hard ball which will bite hard and adhere to the teeth when eaten, it is then termed the large ball, et contra. The Crack.–Follow the directions given for the ball. Slip the sugar off from the stick, still holding it in the water, then press it bHtween the finger and thumb; if it breaks short and crisp, with a slight noise, it is at the crack. Caramel. To obtain this degree it requires care and attention, and also to be frequently tried, as it passes speedily from the crack to the caramel. Try it as before directed, and let the water be quite cold, or you will be deceived. If on taking it off the stick it snaps like glass, with a loud noise, it has attained the proper degree; it will also, when it arrives at this point, assume a beautiful yellow colour; after this it will speedily burn, taking all the hues from a brown to a black; therefore, to prevent this, dip the bottom of the pan into a pail of cold water as soon as it comes to caramel, as the heat which is contained in the pan and sugar is sufficient to advance it one de- gree; also be careful that the flame of the fire does not ascend round the sides of the pan, which will burn it. In boiling sugar, keep the top of the pan partially covered from the time it commences boiling until it has attained the ball or crack: the steam which rises, being again thrown on the sides, prevents the formation of the crust or crystals. To prevent its graining, add a little of any sort of acid when it is at the crack--a table spoonful of common vinegar, four or five drops of lemon-juice, or two or thrce drops of pyroligneous acid: any of these will have the desired effect; this is termed greasing it; but remember that too much acid will also grain it, neither can it be boiled to caramel if there is too much. A little butter added when it first commences boiling will keep it from rising over the pan, and also prevent its graining. About as much cream of tartar as may be laid on a sixpence, and added to seven pounds of sugar with the water, or equal quantities of cream of tartar and alum' in powder, added when * This should be performed as speedily as possible. 2* 18 THE CONFECTIONER. it boils, will also keep it from candying. If sugar is poured on a slab that is too hot it is very apt to grain; this is frequently the case after several casts have been worked off in rotation; therefore, when you find it inclined to turn, remove it to a cooler spot, if possible, and not handle it any more than is necessary. Sugar that has been often boiled or warmed is soon acted upon by the atmosphere, whereby it becomes clammy and soon runs, as it is weakened by the action of the fire. · Acid causes the same effect. If it has passed the degree you intended to boil it at, add a little water, and give it another boil. SECTION II.-SYRUP3. These are either the juices of fruits, or a decoction or infusion of the leaves, flowers, or roots of vegetables, impregnated with a suffi- cient quantity of sugar for their preservation and retaining them in a liquid state. A great portion of this class comes more under the notice of the apothecary than the confectioner; but it may now be considered, with - lozenges, as a branch of pharmacy in the hands of the latter, the most agreeable of which are now manufactured by him to supply the place of fresh fruits, &c., when out of season, for the making of cool. ing drinks, ices, &c., for balls and routs. General Rules and Observations.- Two things are essentially necessary to be observed, which are:—the proper methods of making decoctions and infusions. These require some knowledge of the nature and properties of vegetable matter. The virtues of most plants are extracted by infusion, and this is generally the case with aromatic plants, and those whose proper- ties depend on an essential oil; for, in boiling, the whole of the aroma of the plant is dispersed, and the syrup loses that delicate flavour for which it is prized. Aromatic herbs, and the leaves of plants in general, yield their virtues most perfectly when moderately dried. Cold water extracts from these in a few hours, the lighter, more fragrant and agreeable parts, and then begins to take up the more ungrateful and grosser. By pouring the same liquor on fresh parcels of the herb, it becomes stronger, richer, thicker, and balsamic. Those only should be decocted whose principles consist of muci. lage, gum, or resin, and require boiling to extract them. The compact resinous woods, roots and barks, yield their virtues most freely while fresh. Dry, they yield little to cold or moderately warm water, and require it to be boiling. By this process the grosser. more fixed saline and mucilaginous parts are dissolved, the resinous melted out, and the volatile dissipated. Infusions. These are watery solutions of vegetable matter, obtained by maceration, either in hot or cold water, with the assiste THE CONFECTIONER. 19 6 ance of ebullition. In selecting and conducting the operation. the following general rules should be observed :- “ 1st. Infusion should always be preferred before decoction, where the virtues of the vegetable substance reside in volatile oil, or in principles which are easily soluble; whereas, if they depend upon resino-mucilaginous particles, decoction is an indispensible operation. “ 2nd. The temperature employed must be varied according to the circumstances of each case, and infusion made with cold is in general more grateful but less active than one made with heat. " 3rd. The duration of the process must likewise be regulated by the nature of the substances; for the infusion will differ according to the time in which the water has been digested on the materials ; thus the aroma of the plaut is first taken up, then in succession the colour- ing, astringent, and gummy parts. Decoctions. These are solutions of the active principles of vege- tables, obtained by boiling them in water. 1st. Those principles only should be decocted whose virtues re- side in principles which are soluble in water. “ 2nd. If the active principle be volatile, decoction must be an in- jurious process; and if it consists of extractive matter, long boiling, by favouring its oxidizement, will render it insipid, insoluble, and inert. “ 3rd. The substances to be decocted should be previously bruised or sliced, so as to expose an extended surface to the action of the water. " 4th. The substances should be completely covered with water, and the vessel slightly closed, in order to prevent as much as possi- ble the access of air; the boiling should be continued without inter- ruption, and gently. in 5th. In compound decoctions, it is sometimes convenient not to put in all the ingredients from the beginning, but in succession, ac- cording to their hardness, and the difficulty with which their virtues are extracted; and if any aromatic or other substances containing volatile principles, or oxidizable matter, enter into the composition, the boiling decoction should be simply poured upon them, and covered up until cold. "6th. The relative proportions of different vegetable substances to the water must be regulated by their nature. The following general rule may be admitted. Of roots, barks, or dried woods, from two drachms to six to every pint of water: of herbs, or flowers, half that quantity will suffice. “ 7th. The decoction ought to be filtered through linen while hot, as important portions of the dissolved matter are frequently deposited on cooling ; care must also be taken that the filter is not too fine, for it frequently happens that the virtues of a decoction depend upon the presence of particles in a miuutely divided state.” – Paris's Phar. macologia. All acid syrups ought to have their full quantity of sugar, so as to THE CONFECTIONER. 21 the bain-marie. This is superior to the first, as the beautiful aroma of the fruit is lost in the boiling, as may be well known by its scenting the place where it is done, or even the whole house; the fruit may also be afterwards used with more for raspberry cakes. [Strawberry Syrup.--Make as pine-apple ; taking care to strain carefully at least twice, through a fine flannel bag, so as to remove entirely all sediment, and the small seed of the fruit.] Currant Syrup.-One pint of juice, two pounds of sugar. Mix together three pounds of currants, half white and half red, one pound of raspberries, and one pound of cherries, without the stones; mash the fruit and let it stand in a warm place for three or four days, keeping it covered with a coarse cloth, or piece of paper with holes pricked in it to keep out any dust or dirt. Filter the juice, add the sugar in powder, finish in the bain-inarie, and skim it. When cold, put it into bottles, fill them, and cork well. Morello Cherry Syrup.-Take the stones out of the cherries, mash them, and press out the juice in an earthen pan; let it stand in a cool place for two days, then filter; add two pounds of sugar to one pint of juice, finish in the bain-marie, or stir it well on the fire, and give it one or two boils. Mulberry Syrup.-One pint of juice, one pound twelve ounces of sugar. Press out the juice and finish as cherry syrup. Gooseberry Syrup.-One pint of juice, one pound twelve ounces of sugar. To twelve pounds of ripe gooseberries add two pounds of cherries without stones, squeeze out the juice, and finish as others. Lemon Syrup.-One pint and a quarter of juice, two pounds of sugar. Let the juice stand in a cool place to settle. When a thin skin is formed on the top, pour it off and filter, add the sugar, and finish in the bain-marie. If the flavour of the peel is preferred with il, grate off the yellow rind of the lemons and mix it with the juice to infuse, or rub it off on part of the sugar and add it with the re- mainder when you finish it. Orange Syrup.--As lemon syrup. Orange-Flower Syrup:--Picked orange flowers one pound, sugar three pounds. Take one half of the sugar and make a syrup, which boil to the large pearl, put the flowers in a basin or jar, and pour the syrup on them boiling hot, cover the jar or basin quite close and let them infuse in it for five or six hours, then drain off the syrup, boil the remaining portion of sugar, and pour over them as before; when cold, strain and bottle. Sirop de Capillaire.-Syrup of Maidenhair.-There are several sorts of Maidenhair, but the best is that of Canada, which has a pleasant smell joined to its pectoral qualities. The true Maiden- hair-Capillus Veneris — is a native of Italy and of the southern parts of France. It has an agreeable but very weak smell. Common or English Maidenhair— Trichomanes--.js usually substituted for the true, and occasionally for the Canadian. Its leaves consist of small round divisions, growing as it were in pairs. It grows on rocks, old 22 THE CONFECTIONER. walls, and shady banks, and should be gathered in September. Black Maidenhair-Adianthum Nigrum-has smooth and shining leaves, the middle rib being black, and the seeds are all spread on the back of the leaf. It grows on shady banks, and on the roots of trees. White Maidenhair-Wall Rue-Tent Wort-Ruta Murana Salvia Vil@.-The leaves of this are shaped something like rue, and covered all over the back with a small seed-like dust. Golden Maidenhair Muscus (upillaris-grows in moist places, and the pedicle arises from the trip of the stalk. I have given these particulars, because I find they are often substituted one for the other by persons who are "in01 aware that there is any difference. Although all of them have nearly the same qualities, only two have a volatile oil, but they are all mucilaginous. Canada capillaire two ounces, sugar two pounds. Chop the capillaire into small bits, and make as orange-flower syrup. By this method the oil is not allowed to escape, which being exceedingly odoriferous and volatile, is soon dissipated if boiled; or make a cold intusion (See Infusions) of the plant by putting one quart of water to tour ounces of capillairé, add four pounds of sugar, and finish in the bain-marie, adding one ounce of orange-flower water.* [This is a fashionable and delicate syrup, but is rarely obtained genuine.] Simple syrup, flavoured with orange-flower water, is usually sub- stituted for it. Syrup of Liquorice.—Liquorice-root two ounces, white maidenhair one ounce, hyssop half an ouncé, boiling water three pints; slice the root and cut the herbs small, infuse in the water for twenty-four hours, strain and add sufficient sugar, or part sugar and honey, to make a syrup; boil to the large pearl. An excellent pectoral. Syrup of Violets.--One pound of violet flowers, one quart of water, four pounds of sugar. Put the flowers cleared from their stalks and calx, into a glazed earthen pan ; pour on the water boiling hot, and stop the pan quite close ; let it remain in a warin place for a day, then strain off the infusion through a thin cloth; add the sugar, and place in the bain-marie: stir it well and heat it until you can scarcely bear your finger in it; then take it off, and when cold; bottle. A laxative. This syrup is often adulterated by being made with the flowers of hearts-ease, or columbine scented with orrice-root, and coloured. Syrup of Pinks.-Clove pinks, one pound' eight ounces, water two pints and a half, sugar, three pounds. Let the flowers be fresh gathered, cut off the white points of the petals and weigh them. Finish as syrup of violets. This syrup inay be made with a cold in- * The pectoral quality of this syrup-for it is often sold for such pur. poses shops-would be much improved made with the addition of liquorice-root, as ordered by the Pharmacopæias-“ Five ounces of ca- pillaire, two ounces of liquorice-root, six pints of water; white sugar a sufficient quantity; two ounces of orange-flower water." THE CONFECTIONER. 23 fusion of the flowers, first pounding them with a little water in a, marble inortar. Finish as before. If the flowers of the clove pink cannot be obtained, use other pinks, adding a few cloves to infuse with them, so as to give the flavour, Syrup of Roses. The dried leaves of Provence roses eight ounces, double rose leaves six onnces, water one quart, sugar four pounds. Pour the water on the leaves when nearly boiling, into a glazed earthen vessel, cover it quite close, and let it remain in a warm place for a day; then strain and finish as violets. The leaves of the damask rose are purgative, Syrup of Wormwood. There are three sorts of wormwond most generally knowi,—the common, sea, and Roman. The first may be distinguished by its broad leaves which are divided into roundish segments, of a dull green colour above, and whitish underneath; jis taste is an intense and disagreeable bitter. The sea wormwood has smaller leaves and hoary both above and underneath; it grows in salt marshes, and about the sea coasts; the smell and taste are not so strong and disagreeable as the common. The Roinan differs from the others by the plant being smaller in all its parts; the leaves are divided into fine filaments and hoary all over, the stalk being either entirely or in part of a purple colour. Its smell is pleasant, and the bitterness not disagreeable: it is cultivated in gardens. The sea wormwood is generally substituted for it. The tops of Roman wormwood two ounces, water one pint, sugar two pounds, Make an infusion of the leaves in warm water, strain, add the sugar to the infusion, and boil to the pearl.. If the common wormwood only can be obtained, put the tops into three times the above quantity of water, and boil it over a strong fire until reduced, to a pint. This will deprive it of part of its bitterness and disagree. able emell. Syrup of Marshmallows-Sirop de Guimauve,-Fresh mallow roots eight ounces, water one quart, sugar three pounds. Cleanse the roots, and slice them; make a decoction (See Decoctions), boiling it a quarter of an hour, so as to obtain the mucilage of the root; strain, and finish as wormwood. One ounce of liquorice-root and one ounce of white maidenhair, with a few stoned raisins, may be added. (Syrup of Sarsaparilla.—Half a pound of bruised sarsaparilla rout, two ounces of ground orange peel, one ounce liquorice-root, sassafras bark bruised, two ounces, one gallon of water; boil to half a gallon, strain; to each pint of liquor add one pound of sugar; put on the fire till it boils, and take off the scum which arises.] Syrup of Coltsfoot.-Fresh Coltsfoot flowers one pound eight: ounces, water one quart, sugar three pounds. Pick the flowers about February, and make an infusion of them with hot water; strain, and finish as wormwood syrup. Two or three handfuls of the leaves may be pounded and infused instead of the flowers. Syrup of Ginger.-Ginger two ounces, water one pint, sugar two pounds. 24 THE CONFECTIONER. Slice the root if fresh, or bruise it if dried; pour the water on it boiling, and let it macerate in a warm place for a day, then strain, and boil to the pearl. [Another.-A better flavoured and a richer ginger syrup is made in the following manner.—Take any quantity of scraped, white, Ja- maica ginger and infuse for several days in good spirits of wine; decant the clear liquor when sufficiently saturated with the ginger, and add to the hot sugar, previously boiled to the ball or feather, a sufficient quantity of the liquor to impart to the syrup the agreeable aroma of the ginger root. The spirit will be rapidly driven off when it is poured into the boiling syrup, and a bland and beautiful syrup will be the result; let it cool, and bottle immediately.] Syrup of Almonds — Sirop de Orgeat. One pound of sweet almonds, four ounces of bitter ones, one pint and a half of water, sugar three pounds, orange-flower water two ounces. Blanch the almonds, and as they are blanched throw them into cold water; when they are finished, take them out and pound them in a marble mortar, sprinkling them with a little orange-flower water to prevent their oiling, or use water with the juice of a lemon; add sufficient in the pounding to reduce them to a paste, and when quite fine add half a pint more water; mix, and strain through a tamis cloth twisted tight by two persons: receive the milk which comes from the almonds into a basin; what is left in the cloth must be pounded again with some of the water, and strained. Continue this until the whole of the milk is obtained, and the water, is consumed; then clarify, and boil the sugar to the crack; add the milk of almonds, and reduce it to the pearl; then strain it again, add the orange-flower water, and stir it well until nearly cold ; when cold, bottle; shake the bottles well for several succeeding days, if you see it at all inclined to separate, which will prevent it. Sirop de Pistache is made in the same manner, colouring it green with a little spinach. Syrup of Coffee.-Fresh roasted Mocha coffee two pounds, water one quart, sugar three pounds eight ounces. Grind the coffee in mill, and make a cold infusion with the water in a close vessel ; let it stand for a day, then filter it through blotting paper; add the sugar, and finish in the bain-marie. Syrup of Rum Punch.-Jamaica rum one quart, the juice of twelve or fourteen lemons, sugar four pounds. Rub off the yellow rind of half of the lemons on a piece of the sugar, and sera pe it off with a knife. into a basin as it imbibes the oil; clarify and boil the remaining por- tion to the crack; strain the juice into the rum, and add to it the sugar with that on which the peels were rubbed'; mix together, and give it one boil. The yellow rind of the peels may be cut off very thin, and infused in the spirit for some days before the syrup is made Brandy and Wine Syrups may be made in the sarne manner. THE CONFECTIONER. 25 1 SECTION III.---CRYSTALLIZED SUGAR, AND ARTICLES CRYSTAL LIZED, COMMONLY CALLED CANDIES. Crystallized or Candied Sugar.-Provide a round mould, smaller at the bottom than the top, of any size you may think proper, made either of tin or copper, with holes pierced round the sides about three inches asunder, so as to fasten strings across in regular rows from the top to the botton, leaving sufficient room for the sugar to crystallize on each string without touching, or it will form a complete mass; paste paper round the outside to prevent the syrup from running through the holes. Have the mould prepared, and let it be clean and dry ; take sufficient clarified syrup to fill the mould, and boil it to the degree of crystallization or the feather, and add a little spirit of wine; remove it from the fire, and let it rest until a thin skin is formed on the surface, which you must carefully remove with a skimmer; then pour it into the mould, and place it in the hot closet, where you let it remain undisturbed for eight or nine days, at 90 degrees of heat, or half that time at 100; then make a hole, and drain off the super- fluous sugar into a pan placed below to receive it; let it drain quite dry, which will take about twelve hours; then wash off the paper from the mould with warm water, place it near the fire, and keep turning it to warm it equally all round; then turn it up and strike the mould rather hard upon the table, when the sugar will relieve itself and come out: put it on a stand or şieve in the closet, raise the heat to 120 degrees, and let it remain until perfectly dry. Particular attention should be paid to the heat of the closet, which must be kept regular and constant, and this can easily be accomplished at a small expense with many of the patent stoves which are now in general use, and also without causing any dust. A Fahrenheit's or Reaumur's thermometer should be so placed that the heat may at all times be ascertained. This may be coloured with prepared cochineal, or other liquid colour, or by grinding any particular colour with the spirits of wine, and adding it to the syrup before it comes to the feather. Fruits to Crystallize.—Have a square or round tin box, smaller at the bottom than the top, with wire gratings made to fit at convenient distances, and having a hole with a tube or pipe to admit a cork, and drain off the syrup. Take any of the preserved fruits wet (which see), drain from them the syrup, and dip them in lukewarm water to take off any syrup which may adhere to them; dry them in the closet; when dried, place them in layers on the gratings, side by side, so as not to touch each other; continue in this manner with any sort of fruit until the box is full; then fix the whole with a weight, to keep it steady. Boil a sufficiency of clarified sugar to fill the box to the degree of crystallization or the blow, add a little spirit of wine, and remove it from the fire. When a thin skin has formed on the top, remove it carefully with a skimmer, and pour the sugar into the 3 26 THE CONFECTIONER. mould ; place it in the closet at 90 degrees of heat, and let it remain for twelve hours, then drain off the syrup into a pan from the tube at bottom, and let it remain in the closet until quite dry; then turn them out by striking the box hard upon the table, separate them care- fully, and put them in boxes with paper between each layer. When different fruits, paste, knots, &c., are mixed together indiscriminately, it is termed mille-fruit candy. Any sort of fruit or gum pastes, when thoroughly dried, may be crystallized in the same manner. When the syrup is drained off, if you find the size of the crystals is not large enough, another lot of syrup may be prepared and poured over it; let it remain in the closet for seven or eight hours, then drain and finish as before. If small pieces of stick are pushed down at each corner, or in any other vacancy, when you fill the mould, one of these may be with- drawn at any time you may wish to ascertain the size of the crystals, which will save the trouble of giving a second charge of sugar. Crystallized Chocolate.—Prepare some sugar, as in the preceding articles, and pour it into the box. When a thin crust is formed on the top, make a hole on one side, and push the articles previously shaped with chocolate, as for drops, gently under with your finger; put thein in the stove to crystallize, as other articles. After the syrup is drained off, and the articles dried, they must remain until quite cold before being turned out, as the chocolate continues soft for some time. Liqueur Rings, Drops, and other Devices. These are all made after the same manner. A square box is necessary, which you fill with very dry starch powder. Sugar, powdered very fine and dried, will answer the same purpose. The depth of the box should be suited to the articles intended to be made. Shake the box, or pass a knife repeatedly through the powder, that it may be solid; smooth the surface with a straight piece of wood; have a thin piece of flat board, on which is fastened a number of little devices, about an inch asunder, and to suit the width of the box; these may be made either of lead, plaster, or wood, in the form of rings, diamonds, stars, bot. tles, scissors, harps, shoes, or any other form your fancy may suggest; make the impressions in the powder in regular rows, until the box is full; then prepare some sugar as for the preceding articles, boiling it to the blow, and flavouring it with any sort of spirit or liqueur, such as brandy, rum, noyau, Maraschino, cinnamon, rosolis, &c., colouring the syrup accordingly. It should be prepared in a pan with a lip to it. When a thin skin has formed on the top, place a cork in the lip of the pan, but not to close it, allowing a space for the sugar to run out, the cork being merely to keep back the skin; then fill the im- pressions you made in the powder and place them in the stove at 90 degrees; let them remain a day, then take them out, and their sur- faces will be found quite hard and solid ; ' brush the powder from them with a light brush, when they may either be painted, crystallized, or piped. Many of these bon-bons are beautifully piped and coloured to THE CONFECTIONER. 27 Liqueur drops are made with the impression of half a ball to any represent dogs, horses, costumes, and theatrical characters; the fur on the robes is imitáted with white or coloured sugar in coarse grains, and lace-work is done by means of a pin. required size, or other forms. "If the flat parts of two are moistened, put together, and dried in the stove, they will form drops perfectly round. To form a Chain with Liqueur Rings.—Have some moulds to form the impressions in powder, as in the preceding, in the shape of the links of a chain; fill them with syrup at the blow, as before, and put them in the stove for a day; when they are hard and fit to be taken out, place them on their ends in the powder; have another mould of a link in two halves, and with this forın the impression between each of the others so as to make it complete ; then fill them, and finish as before. SECTION IV.-CANDY-BONBON-CONSERVE. ! The articles that come under this head are made by the sugar being brought to the ball, when it is grained by rubbing it against the sides of the pan. From this all fancy articles are made, such as fruit, eggs, cups, vases, &c. Ginger Candy.--Take clarified syrup and, boil it to the ball; flavour it either with the essence of ginger or the root in powder; then with a spoon or spatula rub some of it against the side of the pan until you perceive it turn white; pour it into small square tins with edges, or paper cases, which have been oiled or buttered, and put it in a warm place, or on a hot stone, that it may become dappled. The syrup should be coloured yellow, while boiling, with a little saffron. Peppermint, Lemon and Rose Candy are made after the same manner, colouring the lemon with saffron, and the rose with cochineal. Coltsfoot or Horehound Candy. - Make a strong infusion of the herbs, (See Infusions under the head of Syrups,) and use it for dis- solving the sugar, instead of taking syrup; raw sugar is mostly used for those candies. Boil it to the ball, grain it and finish as ginger candy. Artificial Fruit, Eggs, fc.-Prepare moulds with plaster of Paris from the natural objects you wish to represent; make them in two, three, or more pieces, so as to relieve freely, and have a hole at one end into which the sugar may be poured ; let them be made so as each part may be fitted together exactly; and for this purpose make two or three round or square indentions on the edge of one part, so that the corresponding piece when cast, will form the counterpart, which may at all times be fitted with precision. Let the object you would take the cast from be placed in a frame made either of wood or of stiff paper, embed a part of it in fine sand, suft pipe-clay, or 11 28 THE CONFECTIONER. modelling wax, leaving as much of the mould exposed as you wish to form at one time, and oil it with sweet oil; mix some of the prepared plaster with water, to the consistency of thick cream, and pour over il; when this is set, proceed with the other portions in the same mamer until it is complete. Let them dry and harden for use. Take il sufficient quantity of syrup, (clarified with charcoal or animal black) to fill the mould, and boil it to the small ball; rub some of it against the side to grain it; when it turns white, pour it into the moulds: take them out when set, and put them into the stove at a moderate heat to dry. The moulds must be soaked for an hour or two in cold water previously to their being used, which will be found better than oiling them, as it keeps the sugar delicately white, which oil does not. Colour your articles according to nature with liquid colours (see Colours) and camel's-hair pencils, or the usual pigments sold in boxes may be used. If a gloss is required, the colours should be mixed with a strong solution of gum Arabic or isinglass, to the desired tint. Eggs and fruit may be made as light and apparently as perfect as nature, by having moulds to open in two, without any orifice for filling them. Fill one half with the grained sugar, immediately close the mould, and turn it round briskly that it may be covered all over equally. To accomplish this, it is necessary 10 have an assistant that it may be done as speedily as possible. Burnt Almonds.-Take some fine Valencia or Jordan almonds, and sift all the dust from them; put a pint of clarified syrup into the pan for each pound of almonds, and place it with the almonds on the fire; boil to the ball, then take it off and stir the mixture well with a spatula that the sugar may grain and become almost a powder, whilst each almond has a coating. Put them into a coarse wire or cane sieve, and sift all the loose sugar from them, and also separate those which stick together. When cold, boil some more clarified syrup to the feather, put in the almonds, give them two or three boils in it, take them from the fire, and stir them with the spatula as before, until the sugar grains; sift and separate them, and keep them in glasses or boxes. A third coat may be given them in the same manner as the second, if they are required large. Burnt Almonds Red.—The same as the last, using prepared cochi- neal to colour the syrup whilst it is boiling. Filberts and Pistachios.—These are done the same as burnt almonds, but they are usually denominated prawlings, the nuts being only put into the sugar for two or three minutes before it is taken from ihe fire, and stirred. Common Burnt Almonds. These are made with raw sugar and skimmings, if you have any... Put some water with the sugar to dis- solve it; when it is near boiling, add the almonds, and let them boil in it until it comes to the small ball; or when the almonds crack, take them from the fire, and stir them with a spatula until the sugar grains and becomes nearly a powder; put them into a sieve, and separate the lumps. THE CONFECTIONER. 29 Orange Prawlings.—Take four or five Havanna oranges, and cut off the peel 'in quarters, or small lengths; take off all the pith or white part of the peel, leaving only the yellow rinds, and cut in small pieces, about an inch long, and the size of pins. Have about a pint of clarified sugar boiling on the fire; when it comes to the blow, put in the pieces of peel, and let them boil' until the sugar attains the small ball; take them off, and stir them with the spatula until the sugar grains and hangs about them; sift off the loose sugar; when cold, separate and keep them in a dry place. Lemon Prawlings.-As orange. SECTION V.-CRACK AND CARAMEL. THESE comprehend all articles in sugar-boiling which eat short and crisp. They are used for all sorts of ornamental sugar-work. The rules and observations already laid down under this head must be par- licularly noted, especially those for greasing the sugar so as to prevent its graining. Barley Sugar.-Boil some clarified loaf sugar to the crack or cara- mel degree, using a little acid to prevent its graining: pour it out on a marble slab, which has been previously oiled or buttered. Four pieces of iron, or small square bars, are usually employed to form a sort of bay to prevent the sugar running off the stone, which is neces- sary in large casts. When the edges get set a little, remove the bars, and turn thein over into the centre. This is occasionally fla- voured with lernons. When it is required, pour a few drops of the essential oil of lemons in the centre, before the edges are folded over, then cut it into narrow strips with a large pair of scissors or sheep- shears. When nearly cold, twist them, put them into glasses or tin boxes, and keep them closed to prevent the access of air. It is sel- dom boiled higher than the crack, and saffron is used to make it the colour of caramel. This derives the name of barley sugar from its being originally made with a decoction of barley, as a demulcent in coughs, for which it is now most generally used. Barley Sugar Drops.-Boil some sugar as for the preceding. Spread some finely powdered and sifted loaf sugar on a table or tea-tray, with a piece of stick, round at the end similar to the half of a ball; make several holes, into which you run the sugar from a lipped pan, or it may be dropped on an oiled marble slab with a funnel, letting only one drop fall at a time; or from the lip pan, separating each drop with a small knife, or a straight piece of small wire; take them off the stone with a knife, mix them with powdered loaf sugar, sift them from it, and keep in glasses or tin boxes. Barley Sugar Tablets or Kisses.-Spread some sugar, as for the last; have a piece of wood about an inch and a half thick, with the 3* 30 THE CONFECTIONER. surface divided into small squares, each being about an inch, and hali an inch in depth; with this form the impressions in the sugar, and fill them with sugar boiled as for drops, flavouring it with essence of lemon; or instead of this it may be poured out in a sheet on an oiled marble slab, as for barley sugar, and when nearly cold divide it into pieces with a tin frame, having small square divisions, when the whole sheet may be divided at once by pressing hard on it so as to cut it nearly through. When cold, separate ihem and mix them with powdered sugar, take them out and fold them separately in fancy or coloured papers, with a motto on each. They are also occasionally made into balls thus:- First cast the sugar in a sheet on an oiled marble slab; when the edges are set, fold them in the middle, then oil a sınall square tin with edges to it, put the sugar in this, and place it under the fire-place of the stove so as to keep warm ; cut off a piece and roll it into a pipe, then cut it into small pieces with a pair of shears, and let your assistant roll it into small balls under his hand on a sand-stone; marble is too smooth for this purpose. Many lads who are used to it can turn eight or ten under each hand at one time. When they are finished, put them into powdered sugar, wrap them in fancy papers, fringed at the ends, put a motto in each, and fasten them with small bands of gold paper. Sometimes a cracker is folded up in cach, which is made with two narrow strips of stiff paper, a small piece of sand or glass paper is pasted on the end of each, and these are placed over each other with a little fulminating powder bem tween, a piece of thin paper is bound round it, and pasted to keep then together; when these are pulled asunder, the two rough sur- faces meeting cause the powder to explode, and out flies the ball of sugar with the motto. This innocent amusement often causes much mirth in a company. Acid Drops and Sticks.-Boil clarified sugar to the crack, and pour it on an oiled marble stone: pound some tartaric or citric acid to a fine powder, and strew over it about a half or three quarters of an ounce of the former, according to its quality, and less of the latter, to seven pounds of sugar ; turn the edges over into the mid- dle, and mix the acid by folding it over, or by working it in a similar manner as dough is moulded, but do not pull it; put it in a tin rubbed over with oil or butter, and place it under the stove to keep warm; then cut off a small piece at a time, and roll it into a round pipe; cut them off in small pieces the size of drops, with shears, and let your assistant roll them round under his hand, and flatten them. Mix them with powdered sugar, sift them from it, and keep them in boxes or glasses. When flavoured with lemon, they are called lemon-acid drops- with otto of roses, rose-acid drops. The sticks are made in the same manner as the drops, without being cut into small pieces. To extract the Acid from Candied Drops, fc.-All ihe articles which have acid mixed with them are extremely liable to grain, when they are useless for any purpose whatever, except to sell for broken 32 THE CONFECTIONER. *1 crack, and coloured either with cochineal or saffron, and finished in the same way as acidulated drops, without being flattened. Nogat.-Two pounds of sweet almonds, one pound of sugar, one pound of water. Blanch the almonds, and cut them in slices, dry ihem at the mouth of a cool oven, and if slightly browned the better; powder the sugar, and put it into a stewpan, with the water; place it on the fire to melt, stirring it with a spatula until it becomes a fine brown, then mix in the almonds, and let them be well covered with the sugar; pour it out on an oiled marble stone. It may be made into a thick or thin sheet, and cut with a knife into small pieces, such as dice, diamonds, &c. The surface may be strewed with currants, fillets of pistachios, or coarse sugar, and cut into different forms with tin cutters. It may also be formed into baskets, vases, &c. Oil the interior of a mould, and spread the nogat over it, whilst warm, as thin and even as possible. To save the fingers from being burnt, it may be spread with a lemon. Detach it from the mould when warm, and let it remain until cold that it may retain its shape perfectly, then fasten the different parts together with caramel sugar. For baskets, a handle of spun sugar may be placed over it, or ornamented with it according to fancy. These may be filled with whipped or other creams when required to be served. Almond Rock. This is a similar production to nogut, and is made with raw sugar, which is boiled to the crack. Pour it on an oiled stone, and fill it with sweet almonds, either blanched or not; the almonds are mixed with the sugar by working them into it with the hands, in a similar manner as you would mix anything into a piece of dough. If they were stirred into the sugar in the pan it would grain, which is the reason why it is melted for nogat. Form the rock into a ball or roll, and make it into a sheet, about two inches thick, by rolling it with a rolling-pin. The top may be divided into diamonds or squares by means of a long knife or piece of iron: when it is nearly cold cut it into long narrow pieces with a strong knife and hammer. Almond Hardbake.-Oil a square or round tin with low edges; split some almonds in half, put them in rows over the bottom, with the split side downward, until the surface is covered; boil somne raw sugar to the crack, and pour it over them so as to cover the whole with a thin sheet of sugar. Cocoa nut, cut in thin slices, currant, and other similar candies, are made as the hardbake, except that the sugar is grained before it is poured over, 1 ON SUGAR-SPINNING, To attain proficiency in this part, it requires much practice, and also a good taste for design, and to be expert in the boiling of sugar, taking particular care to avoid its graining. Baskets, temples, vases, fountains, &c., are made by these means. It'may alnjost be termed the climax of the art. The moulds for this purpose may be made TUE CONFECTIONER. 33 Is +1 either of copper or tin, so as to deliver well. Let them be slightly rubbed all over, on the part you intend to spin the sugar, with butter or oil. Boil clarified syrup to the degree of caramel, taking care to keep the sides of the pad free from sugar. The moment it is at the crack, add a little acid to grease it (see Sugar Boiling). When it has at- tained the required degree, dip the bottom of the pan into cold water, take it out, and let it cool a little; then take a common table-spoon, dip it in the sugar, holding the mould in your left hand, and from the spoon run the sugar over the mould, either inside or out, with the threads which flow from it, which may be either fine or coarse, ac- cording to the state of the sugar; if they are required very coarse, pass the hand over them two or three times; for when it is hot it flows in finer strings than it will when cooler; form it on the mould into a sort of trellis work; loosen it from the mould carefully, and let it remain until quite cold before it is taken off, that it may retain its shape. When the sugar gets too cold to flow from the spoon, place it by the side of the stove or fire to melt. Young beginners had bet- ter draw their designs for handles of baskets, &c., on a stone with a pencil before it is oiled, and then spin the sugar over them. To make a Silver Web.-Boil clarified syrup to the crack, using the same precautions as before observed, giving it a few boils after the acid is added; dip the bottom of the pan in water and let the sugar cool a little; then take the handle of a spoon, or two forks tied to- gether, dip it into the sugar, and form it either on the inside or out- side of a mould, with very fine strings, by passing the hand quickly backwards and forwards, taking care that it does not fall in drops, which would spoil the appearance of the work. With this may be represented the hair of a helmet, the water of a fountain, &c. Take a fork, or an iron skewer, and hold it in your left hand as high as you can, dip the spoon in the sugar, and with the right hand throw it over the skewer, when it will hang from it in very fine threads of con- siderable length. To make a Gold Web.-Boil syrup to caramel height, colouring it. with saffron, and form it as directed for the last. It can be folded up to form bands or rings, &c. Fasten it to the other decorations with caramel. If any of the strings or threads of sugar should pass over those parts where they are not required, so as to spoil the other decorations in the making of baskets or other ornaments, it may be removed with a hot knife without breaking or injuring the piece. Chantilly Baskets. Prepare some ratafias, let them be rather small, and as near of a size as possible; boil some sugar to the caramel de- gree, rub over the inside of a mould slightly with oil, dip the edge of the ratafias in sugar, and stick them together, the face of the rata- fias being towards the mould, except the last two rows on the top, which should be reversed, remembering always to place their faces 34 THE CONFECTIONER. to meet the eye when the sugar is cold; take it out, and join the bot. tom and top together with the same sugar; make a handle of spun sugar, and place over it. Some sugаr may be spun over the inside of the basket, to strengthen it, as directed for webs. Line the inside with pieces of Savoy or sponge cakes, and fill it with custard or whip- ped cream, or the slices of cake may be spread with raspberry jam. Half fill it with boiled custard, then put in a few Savoy or almond cakes, soaked in wine, and cover the top with whipped cream; or it may be filled with fancy pastry, or meringues. All sorts of fancy cakes may be made into baskets or ratafias. Grape, Orange, or Cherry Baskets. These are made similar to the Jast; the oranges are carefully peeled and divided into small pieces, taking off the pith. Insert a small piece of stick or whisk in the end of each, dip them in caramel, and form them on the inside of an oiled mould. Cherries and grapes may be used either fresh, or preserved wet, and dried. Dip ihem in caramel, and form them as oranges. Each of these, or any other fruit, after being dipped in caramel, may be laid on an oiled marble slab separately, and served on plates in a pyramid, with fancy papers, flowers, &c. The baskets are finished as Chantilly with spun sugar. Almond Baskets.-Blanch some fine Jordan almonds, and cut them into thin slices, and colour them in a small copper pan over the fire with prepared liquid colour (see Colours). Put them into the pan, and pour in colour sufficient to give the desired tint; rub them about in the pan with your hand until they are quite dry: form them as for a Chantilly basket, or else form them on an oiled marble slab, and spin sugar over them on each side. Afterwards arrange them in a mould, or build them to any design, first having a pattern cut out in paper, and form them on the stone from it. Spanish Candy.-Oil a quart of clarified syrup to the crack. Have some icing previously prepared as for cakes, or mix some fine 'pow. dered loaf sugar with the white of an egg to a thick consistency as for icing ; take the sugar from the fire, and as soon as the hoiling has gone down stir in a spoonful of this or the icing, which must be done very quickly, without stopping. Let it rise once and fall; the second time it rises, pour it out in a niould or paper casp, and cover it with the pan to prevent its falling. Some persons pour it out the first time it rises, and immediately cover it as before. It may be made good both ways. If it is required coloured, add the colouring to the syrup whilst it is boiling, or with the icing, adding more sugar to give it the same stiffness as before. Vases or Baskets, &c., in Spanish Candy.--Prepare some plaster moulds, as for grained sugar; soak them in water before you vise them; prepare some sugar as for the last, and fill the moulds. When finished they may be ornamented with gum-paste, pipiog, or gold- paper borders. Fill them with flowers, meringues, fancy pastry, caramel, fruits, &c. They may also be made in copper or tin moulds, by first oiling them before they are filled. 36 THE CONFECTIONER. again winnow, to separate any burnt skin which may have escaped the first time. The Making of Chocolate.-An iron pestle and mortar is requisite for this purpose, also a stone of the closest grain and texture which can be procured, and a rolling-pin made of the same material, or of iron. The stone must be fixed in such a manner that it may be heated from below with a pot of burning charcoal, or something similar. Warm the mortar and pestle by placing them on a stove, or by means of charcoal, until they are so hot that you can scarcely bear your hand against them. Wipe the mortar out clean, and put any convenient quantity of your prepared nuts in it, which you pound until they are reduced to an oily paste into which the pestle will sink by its own weight. If it is required sweet, add about one-half, or two-thirds of its weight of loaf sugar in powder; again pound it so as to mix it well together, then put it in a pan, and place it in the stove to keep warm. Take a portion of it and roll or grind it well on the slab with the roller (both being previously heated like the mor. tar) until it is reduced to a smooth impalpable paste, which will melt in the mouth like butter. When this is accomplished, put it in another pan, and keep it warm until the whole is similarly disposed of; then place it again on the stone, which must not be quite so warm as pre- viously, work it over again, and divide it into pieces of two, four, eight, or sixteen ounces each, which you put in moulds. Give it a shake, and the chocolate will become fat.' When cold it will easily turn out. The moulds for chocolate may either be made of tin or copper, and of different devices, such as men, animals, fish, culinary or other uten- sils, &c.; also some square ones for half-pound cakes, having divi. visions on the bottom which are relievoed. These cause the hollow impressions on the cakes. The Bayonne or Spanish chocolate is in general the most esteemed. The reason of its superior quality is attributed by some to the hard- ness of the Pyrenean stone which they employ in making it, which does not absorb the oil from the nuts. They do not use any pestle and mortar, but levigate their nuts on the stone, which is fixed on a slope; and in the second pounding or rolling the paste is pressed closely on the stone, so as to extract the oil, which runs into a pan containing the quantity of sugar intended to be used, and is placed underneath to receive it; the oil of the cacao and sugar are then well mixed together with a spatula, again mixed with the paste on the stone, and finished. Vanilla Chocolate. — Ten pounds of prepared nuts, ten pounds of sugar, vanilla two ounces and a half, cinnamon one ounce, one drachm of mace, and two drachms of cloves, or the vanilla may be used solely Prepare your nuts according to the directions already given. Cut 38 THE CONFECTIONER. SECTION VII.-LOZENGES. THÉSE are composed of loaf sugar in fine powder, and other sub- stances, either liquid or in powder, which are mixed together and made into a paste with dissolved gum, rolled out into thin sheets, and formed with tin cutters into little cakes, either oval, square, or round, and dried. One ounce of gum tragacanth, and one pint' of water. Let it soak in a warm place twenty-four hours; put it in a coarse towel or cloth, and let two persons continue twisting it until the whole of the gum is squeezed through the interstices of the cloth. One ounce of this dissolved gum is sufficient for four or five pounds of sugar; one ounce of dissolved gum Arabic to twelve ounces of sugar. Either of these gums may be used separately, or in the proportion of one ounce of gum dragon to three ounces of Arabic inixed to- gether. These are generally used for medicated lozenges; but gum Arabic alone is considered to make the best peppermint. Peppermint Lozenges, No. 1. – Take double-refined loaf sugar, pound and sift it through a lawn sieve; make a bay with the sugar on a marble slab, into which pour some dissolved gum, and mix it into a paste as you would dough, flavouring the mass with oil of peppermint. One ounce of this is sufficient for forty pounds of loz- enges. Some persons prefer mixing their gum and sugar together at first in a mortar; but as it is indifferent which way is pursued, that may be followed which is most convenient, Roll out the paste on a marble slab until it is about the eighth of an inch in thickness, using starch powder to dust it with, to prevent its sticking to the slab and pin. Before cutting them out, strew or dust over the surface with powder mixed with lawned sugar, and rub it over with the heel of your hand, which gives it a smooth face. This operation is termed • facing up." Brush his off, and again dust the surface with starch powder, cut them out, and place in wooden trays. Put them in the hot closet to dry. Note. — All lozenges are finished in the same manner. Peppermint Lozenges, No. 2.-These are made as No. 1, adding a little starch-powder or prepared plaster as for gum paste to the paste, instead of using all sugar. Peppermint Lozenges, Nos. 3 and 4: Proceed in the same manner as for No. 2, using for each, more starch powder in proportion. Use smaller cutters, and let the paste be rolled thicker. Transparent Mint Lozenges, No. 5. - These are made from loaf sugar in coarse powder, the finest having been taken out by sifting it through a lawn sieve. Mix it into a paste with dissolved gum Arabic and a little lemon juice. Flavour with oil of peppermint. Finish as for No. 1. THE CONFECTIONER. 41 tion of the saffron in one pint of water, strain, and mix with it. Each lozenge should contain one grain of mercury. Ching's Brown Worm Lozenges.-Calonel washed in spirits of wine (termed white panacea of mercury), seven ounces, resin of jalap three pounds eight ounces, fine sugar nine pounds, dissolved gum sufficient quantity to make a paste. Each lozenge should contain half a grain of mercury. Panacea, one ounce, resin of jalap two ounces, sugar two pounds. Dissolve a sufficient quantity of gum in rose-water to make a paste. Make 2520 lozenges, weighing eight grains each, and containing a quarter of a grain of calomel and half a grain of jalap. These lozenges should be kept very dry after they are finished, aš the damp, acting on the sugar and mercury, generates an acid in them. Note- In mixing these, as well as all other medicated lozenges, the different powders should be well mixed with the sugar, in order that each lozenge may have its due portion. If this is not attended to, the perfect distribution of the component parts cannot be depended on, and one lozenge may contain double or treble the quantity of medi. cated matter it ought to have, whilst others contain comparatively none; therefore those that have the greatest portion may often prove injurious by acting contrary to what was intended. Bath Pipe.--Eight' pounds of sugar, twelve ounces of liquorice. Warm the liquorice and cut it in thin slices, dissolve it in one quart of boiling water, stir it well to assist the solution ; let it settle, when dissolved, to allow any impurities or bits of copper which are often found in it to fall down; pour it off free from the sediment; dissolve the gum in the clear part, and mix into a paste as for lozenges. Roll out a piece with your hand in a round form; finish rolling it with a Jong fiat piece of wood, until it is about the size of the largest end of the stem of a tobacco-pipe. Dry them in the stove as lozenges. These may be also flavoured with anise-seed by adding a few drops of the oil, or with catechu or violets by adding the powders of orris- 'root or catechu. Peppermint or other Pipes. Any of the pastes for lozenges may be formed into pipes by rolling it out as directed for Bath pipes. They are occasionally striped with blue green, and yellow, by making strips with liquid colour on the paste and twisting before you roll it out with the board. Brilliants.-Take either of the pastes for peppermint lozenges from No. 1 to 4, and cut it into small fancy devices, such as hearts, i diamonds, spades, triangles, squares, &c. Refined Liquorice.---Four pounds of the best Spanish juice, and two pounds of gum Arabic. Dissolve the gum in warm water, as for Bath pipe. Strain and dissolve the gum in the solution of liquorice. Place it over a gentle fire, in a broad pan, and let it boil gradually, stirring it continually (or it will burn) until it is reduced to a paste. Roll it into pipes or cylinders of convenient lengths, and polish by 42 THE CONFECTIONER, putting them in a box and rolling them together, or by rubbing them with the hand, or a cloth. This is often adulterated by using glue instead of gum, and by dipping the pipes in a thin solution, which gives them a beautiful gloss when dry. In establishments where this is manufactured on a large scale, the liquorice is dissolved in a large bain-marie, and stirred with spatulas which are worked by a steam-engine. SECTION VIII. - PASTILE DROPS, ance, CHOOSE the best treble-refined sugar with a good grain, pound it, and pass it through a coarse hair sieve; sift again in a lawn sieve to take out the finest part, as the sugar, when it is too fine, makes the drops heavy and compact, and destroys their brilliancy and shiping appear, Put some of the coarse grains of sugar into a small drop pan (these are made with a lip on the right side, so that when it is held in the Jeft hand the drops can be detached with the right), moisten it with any aromatic spirit you intend to use, and a sufficient quantity of water to make it of a consistence just to drop off the spoon or spatula without sticking to it. Colour with prepared cochineal, or any other colour, ground fine and moistened with a little water. Let the tint which you give be as light and delicate as possible. Place the pan on the stove fire, on a ring of the same size, Stir it occasionally until it makes a noise, when it is near boiling, but do not let it boil; then take it from the fire, and stir it well with the spatula until it is of the consistence that when dropped it will not spread too much, but retain a round form on the surface. If it should be too thin, add a little coarse sugar, which should be reserved for the purpose, and make it of the thickness required. Have some very smooth and even plates, made either of tin or copper; let them be quite clean, and drop them on these, separating the sugar from the lip of the pan with a piece of straight wire, as regularly as possible. About two hours afterwards they may be taken off with a thin knife. If you have not the convenience of tin or copper plates, they may be dropped on smooth cartridge paper. Wet the back of the paper when you want to take them off..Cover the bottom of a sieve with paper, lay them on it, and put them in the stove for a few hours. If they remain too long, it will destroy their fragrancy. Chocolate Drops. - One pound of sugar, one ounce of chocolate. Scrape the chocolate to a powder, and mix it with the sugar in coarse grains , moisten it with clean water, and proceed according to the instructions already given, but do not mix more than can be dropped out whilst warm at one time. If any remains in the pot, it will grease the next which you mix, and will not attain the consistence required. Coffee Drops. One ounce of coffee, one pound of sugar. Make a course THE CONFECTIONER2.97 Clove Drops.—Make as cinnamon. . strong and clear infusion of coffee, as directed for coffee ice, and use it to moisten the sugar." Make the drops as above. Cinnamon Drops. –One ounce of cinnamon, one pound of sugar. Pulverize the cinnamon, and sift it through a lawn sieve. Mix it with the sugar, and add two-or three drops of the essential oil. If the flavour is not strong enough, moisten it with the water and pro- ceed as before. The flavour may be given with the essential oil only, colouring them with bole ammoniac. Vanilla Drops.-Make as cinnamon, using a little sugar to pound the vanilla. Use sufficient to give a good flavour; or it may be moistened with the essence of vanilla ; but this greases it as choco- late. Violet. Drops. One pound of sugar, one ounce of orris-powder. Moisten with water, and colour violet. Catechu Drops. One pound of sugar, three ounces of catechu. Make as violet. These may also have the addition of a little musk or ambergris- about fifteen grains. Ginger Drops. - Mix a sufficient quantity of the best powdered ginger to give it the desired taste, or flavour it with the essence of ginger, and colour it with saffron. Moisten with water, and make as others. * Lemon Drops.Rub off the yellow rind of some lemons on a piece of rough sugar, scrape it off , and mix it with the coarse sugar. Use sufficient to give a good flavour, and colour with saffron a light yel- low; moisten with water, as others. Rose Drops, Moisten the sugar with rose water, and colour it with cochineal. Peppermint Drops.--Moisten the sugar with peppermint water, or flavour it with the essence of peppermint, and moisten it with water. į Orange-flower Drops. -- Use orange-flower water to moisten the sugar, or Havour it with the essence of neroli and moisten with water. Orgeat Drops.- Make milk of almonds, as directed under the head fóf Orgeat Sýrup, using a little orange-flower water; moisten the Eugar with it. Raspberry Drops. Press out the juice of some ripe raspberries throngh a piece of flannel or cloth, and moisten the sugar with it. All fruit drops are made in the same way, that is, with the expressed juice,-except pine-apple. When you first rub of the rind of the fruit on sugar, pound the pulp of the fruit, and pass through a hair sieve. Scrape off the sugar on which the rind was rubbed, and mix it with a sufficient quantity of the pulp to give the desired flavour to the coarse grains, and moisten it with water. The whole of these I THE, CONFECTIONER. 45 are two-thirds or more of the required size, and stove them until the next day. Continue in this manner with each portion alternately, until they are all done. On the third day, boil the syrup to the small pearl, and give eight or ten charges as before, without using flour, so as to finish them, lessening the quantity of syrup each time. Swing the pan gently, and dry each charge well. Put them in the stove for half an bour or an hour after each charge, and proceed alternately with each portion until they are finished, when they should be about the size of peas. Put them in the stove for a day, then smooth them with the whitest loaf sugar in syrup, boiled to the small thread; add two or three table-spoonfuls of dissolved gum Arabic with it to give them a gloss. Give three or four charges with a very gentle heat, the syrup being cold and the pan scarcely warm. Work and dry each charge well before another is added: when finished, dry them in a moderate heat. It is the best way, if possible, to dry comfits in the sun, as it bleaches them. If the stove is at a greater heat than the sun in a moderately warm day, which is from 70 to 80 degrees of- Fahrenheit, it will spoil their whiteness. Bath Caraways. These are made in the same way, but only half the size. Common Caraways.—Sift the seeds, and warm them in the pan, as for Scotch caraways. Have some gúm Arabic dissolved, throw in a ladleful, and rub them well about the pan with the hand until dry, dusting them with flour. Give them three or four coatings in this manner, and then a charge of sugar, until they are about one half the required size. Dry them for a day, give them two or three coatings of gum and flour, finish them by giving three or four charges of sugar, and dry them. These are made about the size of Bath caraways. Colour parts of them different colours, leaving the greatest portion white. Cinnamon Comfits.-Cinnamon is the bark of a tree, of which there are two sorts. The inferior quality is that usually sold for cinnamon, and is otherwise known as cassia, or cassia lignea. This breaks short, and has a slimy mucilaginous taste, is thicker, and of a darker colour than the cinnamon, which is the inner bark. This breaks shivery, and has a warm aromatic taste, and is of a reddish colour. Take one pound of cinnamon bark, and steep it in water for a few hours to soften it; cùt it into small pieces about half an inch long, and the size of a large needle. Dry it in the stove. Put your pieces, when dry, into the comfit-pan, and pour on them a little syrup, as for Scotch caraways, proceeding in the same way until they are one- third the required size. You must not use your hand for these as you would for caraways, as they are liable to break in two. Dry them in the stove, then suspend the pearling pot or cot from the bar of the pan or ceiling, so as to hang over the centre of the pan; boil some clarified loaf sugar to the large pearl, and fill the cot; put some of the prepared comfits in the pan, but not too many at a time, as it THE CONFECTIONER. - 47 Cherry Comfits.- These are made from preserved cherries, dried. Roll them in your hand to make them quite round, dust them with powdered loaf sugar, and dry them again; then proceed as for bar- berry comfits. Any other preserved fruits may be made into comfits after the sarne manner. Comfits flavoured with Liqueurs.--Blanch some bitter almonds, or the kernels of apricots or peaches; let them soak in hot water for an hour, then drain them, and put them into any sort of liqueur or spirit you may desire. Lower the strength of the spirit water, that the ker- nels may imbibe it the better, cork the jug or bottle close, and let them infuse in it until the spirit has fully penetrated them, which will be about fourteen or fifteen days; then take them out, drain and dry them in a moderate heat; when dry, proceed as for almond comfits. Orange Comfits. Take some preserved orange-peel, and cut it into small thin strips; dry them in the stove, and make as cinnamon comfits. Lemon Peel or Angelica may be made into comfits after the same Let the strips of peel be about the size of the pieces of cinnamon, and thoroughly dried before working them in the pan. Nonpareils.--Pound soine loaf sugar, and sift it through a fine wire sieve; sift what has passed through again in a lawn sieve, to take out the finest particles, so that you have only the fine grain of sugar left without dust. Put about two pounds of this into the comfit-pan, and proceed as for Scotch caraways, working them well with the hand until they are about the size of pins' heads. To colour Nonpareils or Comfits. Put some of your comfits or non- pareils into the comfit-pan, shake or rub them about until warm, then add a sufficient quantity of prepared liquid colour (see Colours) to give the desired tint; be careful not to make them too wet, nor of too dark a colour, but rather light than otherwise; shake or rub them well about, that they may be coloured equally; dry them a little over the fire, then put them in sieves, and finish drying them in the stove. Clean the pan for every separate colour. manner. COMFITS IN GUM PASTE. Raspberry Comfits.-Prepare some gum paste made with sugar, or the scrapings of ihe comfit-pan pounded and sifted through a lawn sieve. It may be flavoured with raspberry jam, by mixing some with the paste. Colour it with prepared cochineal; mould it into the form of raspberries, and dry them in the stove; when they are per- fectly dry and hard, pearl them as for cinnamon comfits, working them until the size of natural raspberries. Colour them when dry with cochineal, as comfits. Ginger Comfits. - Flavour gum paste with powdered ginger, make it 48 THE CONFECTIONER. into small balls about the size of coriander seeds, or peas; dry, and proceed as for Scotch caraways.' Colour them yellow when finished. Clove. Comfits.- Flavour sugar gum paste with the oil of cloves, and mould it in the form of cloves. Dry and finish as others. Any flavour may be given to this sort of comfits, and they are moulded to form the article of which it bears the name, or cut into any device with small cutters. Dried, and finished as other comfits. To colour Loaf-Sugar Dust.-Pound some sugar, and sift it through a coarse hair sieve; sift this again through a lawn sieve, to take out the finer portions. Put the coarse grains into a preserving pan, and warm them over the stove fire, stirring it continually with the hand; pour in some liquid colour to give the desired tint, and continue to work it about the pan until it is dry. SECTION X.-FRUIT JELLIES. These are the juices of mucilaginous fruits, rendered clear by fil- tering them through a flannel bag, and adding an equal weight of sugar; boil to the consistence of a jelly. If the boiling is continued too long they will become ropy, or more like treacle. Apple Jelly.-Take either russet pippins, or any good baking apples; pare and core them, cut them in slices into a preserving pan contain- ing sufficient water to cover them; then put them on the fire, and boil them until they are reduced to a mash. Put it into a hair sieve, that the water may drain off, which you receive in a basin or pan; then filter it through a flannel bag. To every pint of filtered juice add one pound of loaf sugar, clarify, and boil it to the ball. Mix the juice with it, and boil until it jellies; stir it with a spatula or wooden spoon, from the bottom, to prevent burning. When it is boiled enough, if you try it with your finger and thumb, as directed 'in sugar-boiling, a string may be drawn similar to the small pearl : it inay also be known by its adhering to he spatula or spoon, or a little may be dropped on a cold plate; if it soon sets, it is done. Take off the scum which rises on the top. This is in general used for pouring over pre- served wet fruits. This jelly may be coloured red with prepared cochineal. Quince Jelly.--This is made as apple jelly. The seed of the quince is very mucilaginous. An ounce of bruised seed will make three pints of water as thick as 'the white of an egg. Red Currant Jelly:-Take three quarts of fine ripe red currants, and four of white; put them into a jar, tie paper over the top, and put them into a cool oven for three or four hours, or else into a pan of boiling water; when they are done, pour them into a jelly bag; what runs out at first put back again; do this until it runs fine and clear. To each pint of filtered juice add one pound of loaf sugar clarified and boiled to the ball: -mix the filtered juice with it, and 1 1 1 THE CONFECTIONER. 51 SECTION XII.-OF FRUIT AND OTHER PASTES. 1 no stirred from the bottom, when Fruit Pastes and Cakes, -These are the pulp of fruits, reduced by heat to a kind of marmalade, with the addition of from half a pound to a pound, and in some cases, double the weight of sugar to each pound of pulp, which is evaporated to the required consistence. They can be formed into rings, knots, &c., and either crystallized or candied. Apple or Pippin Paste.- Take any quantity of good dressing apples, pare, core and put them into a preserving pan with a little water, or just sufficient to cover them. Boil until they are reduced to a mar- malade, starring them to prevent burning. To every pound of reduced pulp add half or three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, clari. fied and boiled to the blow; pass the pulp through a hair sieve before you mix the sugar with it; put it on fire and let it boil for three or foar minutes, keeping it constantly it will be sufficiently evaporated. If it be required coloured, ada liquid colour sufficient to give the desired tint when you mix the sugar. Spread the paste on small tin or pewter sheets (these should be about a foot wide, by a foot and a-half long, and perfectly level) with a thin knife, about the eighth of an inch in thickness; put them in the stove for a day; take ihem öűt, and cut the paste into long narrow strips, about a quarter of an inch in width; if the paste is dry enough, the strips can be easily pulled off; form them into rings or knots, or cut into diamonds to form leaves, or any other device your each layer. This paste is occasionaly favoured with lemon, and is principally used for ornamenting the tops of twelfth cakes. Apple Cheese.-- Pare, quarter, and core your apples as for paste; over the top, and bake them in the top with the parings ; tie paper in a moderate oven until they are quite done; take off the parings, and pass the apples through a hair-sieve into a preserving pan. To each pound of pulp add half a pound of loaf sugar clarified and boiled to the blow; place it over a slow fire, stirring it constantly from the bottom until reduced to a stiff paste, which will not stick to the hand; put it into small moulds, hoops, or glasses. Dry in a moderately warm stove for a few days; take them out of the moulds, turn them, and place them again in the stove to finish drying Keep in boxes as paste-knots, or cover the glasses with brandy papers. Apricot Paste. Take ripe apricots, put them in a preserving pan with as much water as will cover them; let them simmer on the fire for two or three minutes, or scald until they are tender; drain the water from them, and pass the pulp through a hair sieve; to each pound of pulp take three-quarters of a pound of sugar, which you clarify and boil to the blow; 'put the apricots on the fire, and let 52 THE CONFECTIONER. them simmer, stirring them constantly until reduced to a thick mar- malade; then add the sugar; mix it well with the paste, and let it boil a minute or two longer; take it from the fire, and put into moulds, pots, or crimped paper cases; or it may be spread on small plates, as for apple paste, and formed into rings or knots. Place in the stove until dry. "If put in paper cases, the paper must be wetted to get out the paste. Take it out of the moulds, turn it, and put it again into the stove to finish drying. Green Apricot Paste.-Take apricots before they are ripe, scald as the last, and green them. (See Greening Fruit.) Pass the pulp through a sieve, and reduce it; to each pound of reduced pulp add one pound of loaf sugar clarified and boiled to the blow. Finish as ripe apricot paste. Currant Paste.—Put any quantity of ripe currants, either red or white, or a part of each mixed, into a hair sieve, press out their juice into a preserving pan; put it on the fire, and keep it constantly stir- red until evaporated to a thick consistence. To each pound of re- luced pulp add three-quarters of a pound or a pound of loaf sugar clarified and boiled to the blow. Let it boil a minute or two, and finish as others, Black Currant Paste is made the same as the last. These currants, not being so juicy as the others, may be put into a jar, tied over, and baked in a moderate oven, or put into a kettle of boiling water for a few hours, to extract the juice from them. Raspberry Paste.As currant paste. Cherry Paste.-Take ripe cherries, deprive them of their stalks and stones, put them in a preserving pan, and boil them a little; then pass them through a hair sieve, reduce the pulp, and weigh it. To each pound add a pound of loaf sugar; add it to the paste, and finish as apricot. Peach Paste.--Choose some very fine and ripe peaches, take off the in, and cut them in small pieces into a preserving pan; put them on the fire, and reduce to a thick consistence, stirring it continually. For each pound of reduced pulp take half or three-quarters of a pound of sugar; clarify and boil it to the blow; add it to the pulp; put it again on the fire, and let it boil a few minutes. Finish as other pastes. Plum Paste.—Plums of any kind are preserved in the same man- ner, whether green-gages, magnum-bonums, Orleans, damsone, &c. Take out their stones, and boil the fruit in a little water, as for apri- cot paste; pass them through a sieve, and for each pound of reduced pulp take a pound of sugar; clarify and boil it to the blow; mix it with the paste, and evaporate to the required consistence. Damson Cheese.—Pick the stalks from the damsons, put them in a jar, tie it over, and bake in a cool oven; when done, pass them through a sieve into a preserving pan; put it on the fire to reduce, 5 TAE CONFECTIONER. for jelly (see Jellies); to each pint of juice add one pound of loaf sugar, dissolve it in the juice thoroughly, place it on the fire and heat it, but it must not boil; put it into small pots, moulds, or glasses, so as to form cakes about half an inch thick ; place them on the stove, which must not be too hot, or they will melt instead of forming a jelly; about seventy-five or eighty degrees Fahrenheit is quite hot enough. When a crust has formed on the top, take out the cakes by carefully turning the knife round the sides of the pot, place them on small plates of tin or pewter, and dry on the other side. When dry they can be cut into diamonds, squares, or any shape you please. These are certainly some of the most delicate and beautiful of this class which were ever invented, fit even to gratify the palate of the most fastidious. The fruit from which they are made should be gathered as fresh as it possibly can, except apples, as the mucilage is injured by keeping, and if the fruit has fermented it is entirely destroyed. Pastes formed with Gum - Pâte de Guimauve, Marsh-Mallow Paste. — Gum Arabic three pounds, roots of fresh marsh-mallows eight ounces, one dozen of rennet apples, loaf sugar three pounds. Peel, core, and cut the apples in pieces. Cleanse the roots, and slice them lengthways in an oblique direction; add this to seven pints of water; soft or river water is the best when filtered; put it on the fire and boil for a quarter of an hour, or until reduced to six pints; pound and sift the gum through a hair sieve; strain the de- coction into a pan with the gum; put it on a moderate fire, or into a bain-marie, stirring it until the gum is perfectly dissolved; then strain it through a coarse towel or tamis cloth, the ends being twisted by two persons; add it to the sugar, which has been previously cla- rified and boiled to the feather; dry it well over the fire, keeping it constantly stirred from the bottom. When it has acquired a thick consistence, take the whites of eighteen eggs, and whip them to a strong froth; add them to the paste, and dry until it does not stick to the hand when it is applied to it; add a little essence of neroli, or a large glassful of double orange-flower water, and evaporate again fo“ the same consistence. Pour it on a marble slab well dusted with starch-powder, flatten it with the hand; the next day cut it into strips, powder each strip, and put them in boxes. Powder the bottom that they may not stick. Pâte de Gomme Arabique-- Arabic Paste.—Very white gum Arabic, two pounds, sugar two pounds, orange-flower water four ounces, the whites of twelve eggs. Pound and sift the gum, add it to the water, dissolve and evaporate it over a slow fire, or in the bain-marie, stir- ring it constantly until it is reduced to the consistence of honey with the sugar in syrup. Whip the whites to a strong snow; add it to the paste with the orange-flower water, gradually; stir and finish as marsh-mallow paste, for which this is mostly substituted, and much used for coughs. It should be very white, light, and spongy. THE CONFECTIONER. 55 Påte des Datles—Date Paste.- Dates one pound, gum Senegal three pounds, loaf sugar in syrup two pounds and a half, orange-, flower water four ounces. Make as marshmallow paste, using rather more 'water to dissolve the gum. Pâte des Jujubes—Jujube Paste. — Jujubes four ounces, currants washed and picked four ounces, raisins stoned one pound, sugar two pounds, very white gum Arabic two pounds and a half. Open the jujubes, and boil them with the currants and raisins in two quarts of water until reduced to three pints, strain the decoction through a tamis cloth, twisted by two persons; add the sugar in syrup with the gum, which has been previously pounded and dissolved in a sufficient quantity of water; evaporate it by a moderate heat, as pâte de gui- mauve; pour it into tin moulds slightly oiled, having edges about a quarter of an inch deep; dry in the stove, take it out of the tins, and cut it with a pair of scissors into small diamonds. Pâte de Gomme Senegal–Senegal Paste.-Gum Senegal two pounds, sugar one pound. Dissolve the gum in orange-flower water and common water; or dissolve it in common water, and flavour with essence of neroli; add the sugar, when clarified and boiled to the blow; evaporate, and finish as pâte de jujube. This is usually sold for jujube paste, or else picked gum Arabic made into a paste as Senegal, and coloured with prepared cochineal or saffron. Pâte de blanche Réglisse - White Liquorice Paste. This is made the same as marsh-mallow paste, using liquorice-root instead of mal- low. It may be made without the eggs, and finished as jujubes. Pâte de Réglisse noir Black Liquorice Paste.-The best refined, liquorice one pound, gum Arabic four pounds, loaf sugar two pounds, Florence orris-root one ounce. Dissolve the gum and liquorice in seven pints of water, keeping it stirred over a slow fire, add the sugar in syrup with the orris-root, evaporate to a paste, and finish as jujubes. Gomme des Jujubes---Jujube Gum.-Jujubes one pound, very white and picked gum Arabic two pounds, powdered sugar two ounces. Pound the jujubes in a marble mortar with five pints of water, put the whole into a pan and boil until reduced to three; strain the decoc. tion through a cloth, beat up the white of an egg with a glass of water, and mix part of it with the decoction as it boils; throw in a little at a time of the remaining part, to check the ebullition. When it is all used, take off the scum, put it again on the fire to evaporate the water, adding at the same time the gum and sugar, powdered and passed through a horse-hair sieve. Stir it with the spatula until dis- solved. When it is of the consistence of honey, place it in the bain- marie, and neither stir nor touch it, that it may be clear. When it has acquired body enough, so as not to stick to the back of the hand when applied to it, pour it into moulds previously oiled with good olive oil, as for jujubes ; place in the stove to finish drying; when dry take it out, and cut in small pieces. 53 THE CONFECTIONER, ing the syrup a degree each day until it has attained the large pearl, taking off the scum each time: it must not exceed this, or it will crystallize; put them in dry pans covered with syrup, for use; or, when cold, drain them from the syrup, and put them into small glasses by themselves, or mixed with other fruits preserved in the same man- ner; fill the vacancies with apple jelly, wet a piece of bladder and tie it over the top. Green Apricots, pared wet. - Pare off the skin with a small knife, and throw them into cold water as you do them; green, and finish as che former, Ripe Apricots, uet. -— Have the fruit not too ripe, make an incision in the side to take out the stone, or they may be cut in halves, and peeled or preserved with the skin on; have a preserving pan on the fire with water boiling, throw them in, and as they rise to the top take them out and put them into cold water. If they are blanched too much they will break, therefore it is better to have two pans of cold water to throw them in, so as those may be separated which are broken ; drain them from the water, and put them in a thin syrup which is boiling on the fire; do not put in too many at a time; put in the hardest first, and give them about a dozen boils; take them out carefully and put them in an earthen pan; give the soft ones only two or three boils; cover them with the syrup and let them remain until the next day; drain the syrup from them, add more sugar to it, and boil and skim it until it has acquired the degree of the large thread; give the apricots two or three boils in it; the soft ones only require to have the syrup poured on them boiling hot; repeat this for four or five successive days, and on the last day boil the syrup to the large pearl. If you find, after they are finished, that the syrup has been boiled too high, mix a little powdered alum with a spoonful of water, and add to it. Ripe Peaches, whole, wet. - Get the finest peaches, without any green spots on the skin; prick them all over with a large needle to the stone, throw them into cold water, blanch, and finish as ripe apricots. *** Ripe Nectarines, wet. Preserve as peaches. Figs, wet.-Get the figs nearly ripe, prick them four or five times with the point of a knife, throw them into cold water, put them on the fire and boil until they are tender; finish as ripe apricots. Greengages, wet. Let the fruit be not quite ripe but sound, prick them with a fork or needle, and throw them into cold water; scald and green them; when they are of a fine 'green, increase the heat; take them out with a skimmer when they swim, and throw them into cold water; drain them on sieves; put them in syrup that is boiling; give them two or three boils in it; pour them into an earthen pan; drain the syrup from them the next day, add more sugar and boil to the thread, taking off any scum which may arise ; pour the syrup THE CONFECTIONER. 69 over! them, boiling hot; repeat this for five or six days, and finish as for green apricots. Mogul Plums.- Take the largest Mogul plums, with clear skins, not quite ripe, prick them all over with a fork and throw them into cold spring water; scald them until tender, taking care not to have too many in the pan at a time, nor blanch them too much, as they will soon break in pieces; take them out and throw them into cold water, drain, and put in just sufficient fruit to cover the bottom of the pan; cover with boiling syrup, and let them have a dozen boils in it;; finish as ripe apricots, It would be a needless repetition, to give separate directions for preserving every sort of plum, as the instructions already given will enable any person of ordinary discernment to manage any other sort not mentioned. Damsons, wet.--Prick the damsons and throw them into boiling syrup, and let them boil in it until the skins burst, skimming it as they boil; do not put in any more than will swim; let them remain until the next day; drain the syrup, and add more sugar to bring it to the proper degree; give them a few boils in it, and repeat the same on the next day; finish as other plums. Green Gooseberries, wet.-Get some fine large gooseberries, prick them three or four times with a large needle, and throw them into cold water; put them on the fire to blanch ; when they rise toke them out and throw them into cold water, green them, and preserve as green apricots. Green Gooseberries in the form of Hups, wet.—Take the finest green gooseberries for this purpose, slit each gooseberry in four or six slits, but so as not to come asunder, and take out the seeds. Take a needle and white thread, make a knot at the end, and pass the needle through the stalk end of the gooseberry that is split; take another and do the same, making the end of one go partly into the other; continue this until you have six or eight on the thread, which will resemble a hop;- fasten the end of the thread, and dispose of all of them in the same manner, throwing them into cold water as they are finished : blanch them, and let them lie in the water they were blanched in all night; the next day green them, and finish as for green gooseberries, wet. Cucumbers or Gherkins, wet. - Let them be clear, free from all spots, and of a good green; prick them all over with a fork, throw them into a pan of water mixed with a handful of salt, let them lie in this for a day or two, then take them out, put them into fresh water and blanch them until tender; the next day drain and green them in a weak syrup; increase the degree of the syrup each day, giving them a few boils in it each time; if the cucumbers are large, you can cut them in two and take out the seeds. After the second boiling in the syrup, let them remain in it for two or three days before it is boiled again: finish as green apricots; a few pieces of ginger may be added. 60 THE CONFECTIONER. Green Melons.--Proceed as for cucumbers. They may be preserved either whole or in slices. When dried and candied, it imitates green citron. Ripe Melons, wet.-Cut the melons in slices, and pare off the out- side skin ; let them lie in salt and water for two or three days, take them out, drain and blanch in fresh water until tender; throw them into cold water; when cold, drain them on sieves; give them a boil in thin syrnp the next day, increase the degree of the syrup, and pour it boiling hot over them. little lemon-juice, vinegar, or a handful of bruised ginger may be added to the syrup, which will much improve the flavour; boil the syrup, increasing it a degree for three or four days, as for other fruits. Lemons whole, wel. - Choose some fine large lemons with clear skins, carve the rind with a small penknife, into flowers, stars, diamonds, or any design your fancy may suggest, taking care not to cut deeper than the white pith of the peel; throw them into a pan of cold water, put them on the fire and let them boil gently until a strong straw or the head of a pin will penetrate the rind; throw them into cold water; when cold, drain them dry, and put them into a thin syrup when boil. ing; give them five or six boils in it, and put them in an earthen pan; the next day drain the syrup from them, and add more sugar or syrup to increase it a degree; boil it and when it boils, pour it over the lemons: repeat this for two days; on the third day let the lemons boil in the syrup for four or five minutes; the next day boil the syrup and pour it over them; when you find the syrup has penetrated the lemons, and they look clear, drain the syrup from them, adding more if necessary, so as to have sufficient to keep them well covered; put them in glasses, and pour the syrup over them. When cold, cut a piece of bladder to the size of the glass, wet it, and tie it down. Oranges whole, wet. These are preserved the same as lemons. Whole Orange Peels.-Choose your oranges of a fine clear skin; make a hole at the stalk end, large enough to admit the end of a spoon, with which you take out the pulp; throw them in salt and water, and let them remain for three or four days or a week ; drain them from this, and put them into a pan of fresh water, and let them boil until the end of a straw may be pushed through the peel; throw them into cold water; with the end of a spoon clear out any part of the pulp which may have adhered to them; drain off the water; put them in a tub or pan, and pour boiling syrup over them; let them remain in this for three or four days; take them from the syrup and boil it again, adding more as the peels imbibe it, so as to keep them well covered ; boil the syrup once every four or five days, and pour it hot over them; do this until it has fully penetrated then. range or Lemon Peels, wet.-Cut the fruit in half; express th juice, and throw the peels into salt and water, as for whole orange peels, preserving them in the same way. If you have any quantity, put them one in the other, and pack them in rows round the bottom THE CONFECTIONER. 61 3 of a a large tub or cask ; proceed in this manner, putting them in lay- ers until it is half or three parts full; have a hole near the bottom, with a cork fitted into it. When the syrup requires boiling, draw it off at the hole. Orange or Lemon Chips.-Cut the thickest peels into long thin pieces, turning them off so as to make but one or two chips from a peel, in a similar manner as you would pare off the rind of an apple, only, instead of holding the knife in an oblique direction, so as to take off the surface, it is held more paralle so as to cut the whole substance of the peel. Let them be as near as possible of the same thickness, or the peel may be sliced across, so as to form rings; pre- serve them as for whole orange peels. If they are wanted in a hur- ry, they may be blanched without being put into salt and water. Boil them until they can be crushed between the finger and thumb; drain them from the water, and pour boiling syrup over them as for others. Angelica, wet.-Cut some stalks of fine tender angelica into pieces about six inches long, or any other suitable length. Put them into a pan of water on the fire until they are soft, then put them into cold water; draw off the skin and strings with a knife, and put them into cold water again ; next boil them until they look whitish ; let them cool; drain them from the water, and put them in an earthen pan; pour boiling syrup over them until they float. The next day drain it off, without disturbing the angelica ; boil with more sugar, if re- quired, taking off any scum which may rise; pour it over the stalks whilst it is hot; repeat this for seven or eight days, boiling the syrup the last time to the large pearl. Eringo Root.-Choose your roots without knots; wash them clean, and boil in water until they are tender; peel off the outside skin, slit them, take out the pith, and throw them into cold water; drain, put them into a thin syrup, and give them a few boils; afterwards finish as angelica. Pine Apple whole, wet. - Take off the top and stem of the pine; prick the apple with a pointed knife in six or eight places, or more, to the centre; put the pine in a pan with plenty of water, and boil it until tender; take it out and throw it into cold water; when cold, drain it quite dry, and pour over it, boiling hot, some syrup at the small thread. In two days pour off the syrup and boil it to a degree higher, adding more sugar if necessary ; repeat this every third day, until the pine is sufficiently impregnated with the sugar; the last time the sugar must be at the large pearl. The top of the pine is greened and preserved as other green fruits, putting it in its proper place when finished. Carefully skim the sugar each time, that the pine may be quite clear. Pine Apple Chips or Slices. – Take off the top and stalk, and pare the outside of the pine; cut it into slices half an inch thick; strew over the bottom of a pan with powdered sugar; cover it with slices 6 62 'THE CONFECTIONER. of pine-apple, then a layer of sugar, and again of pine, and so alter- nately until the whole is disposed of, covering the top with a layer, of sugar; place it in a warm place or stove for three or four days; then boil it with the juice of two or three lemons for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, taking off any scum which rises. If the syrup js too thick, add a little water; continue this boiling for three or four days, when it will be fit for use. Cherries, wet or dry. - Take the best Kentish or May Duke cher- ries; cut a quill as if you were going to make a pen, only, instead of its being sharp, it must be round at the end ; hold the cherry in your left hand, and with the other push the quill into it by the side of the stalk, as far as the top of the stone; then take hold of the stalk, and with the aid of the quill pull the stone out with the stalk, without breaking the fruit in pieces, which would be the case otherwise. Put sufficient clarified sugar into a preserving pan for the cherries to swim; boil it to the blow, and throw in the prepared fruit; let thern boil in it for five or ten minutes, keeping them under the syrup by pushing them down with a flat piece of wood having a handle at the back. The next day drain off the syrup; reduce it by boiling ; put in the cherries and boil them again for five minutes; repeat this for four days, giving the cherries a few boils in the syrup each day. If they are required dry, drain the syrup from them, spread them on sieves, and dry in the stove at a good heat, turning them every day. Put only sufficient on the sieves so as just to cover the bottom. Keep them in boxes prepared, or in glasses. Whole Cherries. — Shorten the stalks of some fine cherries; put them into an earthen pan, with a layer of powdered sugar and a layer of cherries, covering the top with sugar; let them stand for two or three days; put them on the fire in a preserving pan, and let them boil in the syrup for three or four minutes ; repeat this for four days. Keep them in syrup, or dry, when they are wanted, as the preceding; they may also be tied together to form bunches, and preserved in the same manner. Grapes in Bunches.—Get some bunches of fine grapes, before they are perfectly ripe; take out the stones with a large pin or needle ; put them in a preserving pan, with plenty of water and a little salt; let them simmer on the fire about a quarter of an hour; cover the pan, and let them stand in this water until the next day ; pour this off , and add fresh ; in a few hours drain them dry, and put them into a thin syrup, which must be boiling on the fire ; give them a few boils in it, or the grapes may be put into the syrup when cold, and heat it gradually until it boils ; put them in an earthen pan; the next day drain off the syrup, reduce it to the small pearl, adding more sugar if necessary, and skimming it; pour it boiling over the grapes; repeat this four or five times, finishing with syrup at the large pearl, and keep theni well covered in it. Currants in Bunches, wet.—Take the finest currants you can get, THE CONFECTIONER, 63 either red or white; stone them with a pin or the nib of a pen, tak- ing care not to cut them more than is necessary; tie six or eight bunches together with a piece of thread, or they may be tied to a small piece of stick. Take as much clarified sugar as will allow the Currants to float; or put one pound of sugar to each pound of cur rants; clarify and boil it to the blow; put in your fruit, and let then "have five or six boils; take the scum off with paper; repeat the boil. ing next day when they are finished. If you boil them again, the syrup will become a jelly, when you can put them in glasses. Burberries in Bunches, wet.-Proceed as for currants. Raspberries, whole, wet.—Take the finest and driest raspberries you can get, but not over-ripe. Take the same quantity of sugar in weight as you have of raspberries; clarify and boil it to the blow; put in the fruit, and give them a dozen boils, taking off the scum with paper; drain off the syrup, and put them into pots that are very dry; cover them with apple jelly, or make a jelly with the syrup the raspberries were boiled in, with the addition of a little currant or cherry juice when cold. Tie them over with brandy papers and bladder. Pears, whole, wet-Take some fine large pears, either eating or baking, but those for eating must not be too ripe; they are fit for this purpose when the pips are black. Throw them into a pan of water, with two ounces of alum; put them on the fire, and scald them until tender; take them out, and throw them into cold water; pare off the rind very thin and even; prick them several times with a fork or pin to the core, and scald them again until they are quite soft, or until the head of a pin or straw will pass through them;'a little leinon juice may be added to the water in the second boiling, or with the syrup; when they are finished blanching, throw them into cold water; when cold drain them from this, and put them into a thin syrup at the small thread; give them two or three boils in this; skim, and put them in an earthen pan; the next day drain off the syrup, and add more sugar, and reduce it another degree; boil your pears in it, as before, and repeat the process for four days, finishing with the syrup at the large pearl. Keep them in covered pans for use. Pears, Red, wet.—Take some good baking or other pears; pare and cut them in half, and take out the cores with a little scoop for the purpose; if they are first blanched a little, they can be pared easier and better. Boil them in water, with sugar sufficient to make it only just sweet, a little lemon juice, and a few allspice or cloves. . Put a piece of pewter, or a pewter spoon, in the bottom of the pan, and boil them until they are quite tender and of a fine red; or prepared cochineal may be added instead, using sufficient to give the desired tint; take out the fruit, and add enough sugar to the water they were boiled in to make a syrup; boil to the large thread; put in the pears, and give them two or three boils in it; skim, and put them in an earthen pan; boil the syrup twice more, and pour it on them, raising it to the degree of the large pearl. Keep them in dry pans for úse. 61 THE CONFECTIONER. Quinres, Red or White, wet.-Preserve as pears. For these preserves it is a good plan to have flat pieces of wood, like covers, to put on the fruit, so as to keep it under the syrup. Ginger, wet. This article is mostly imported from India and China, in jars or pots. Divide the largest races or roots from the smaller ones; lake largest for preserving, as the smaller ones will serve for planting; clean and cut the roots into neat pieces, and throw them into cold water as you do them. Boil them three times in fresh water, . throwing them into cold each time, or soak them in water for four or five days; drain, and boil in fresh water till tender; take them out, and throw them into cold water, in which has been mixed a little lemon juice or vinegar; peel them, and throw them into the water again as they are done, to keep them white; let the roots remain in this a few hours, then drain them dry on sieves; put them in an earthen pan; pour over them, when cold, a thin syrup, at the small thread; let them be well covered with the syrup; in two or three days drain off the syrup; add more sugar, and boil to the large thread; when cold pour it over the ginger. After three or four days boil the sugar a degree higher, and pour it in hot; continue this until your roots look clear and are fully impregnated with sugar; finish with the syrup at the large pearl. Candied Fruit.-Any fruit or peel which has been first preserved in syrup may be candied. Take the fruit out of the syrup and let it drain on sieves; then dip the sieve with the fruit into lukewarm water, to wash off the syrup from the surface; take it out, let it drain, and dry it in the stove. Boil some fresh syrup to the blow; put in the fruit and give it a boil in it. The fruit when it put in will reduce the sugar, it must there- fore be boiled to the same degree again. With a spoon or spatula rub the sugar against the side of the pan, to grain it; when it begins to whiten put the fruit- in the white part separately: with two forks take it out and lay it on sieves or wire frames, for the sugar to drain from it. Dried Fruit.--Any of those fruits which are preserved with syrup may be dried: they are also better when fresh dried. Warm the fruit in the syrup; take it out and drain ; spread it on sieves or wires; put them in the stove to dry, turning them frequently until perfectly dried. When the fruit is drained from the syrup, it may be dusted with loaf-sugar when you put it in the stove, and for two or three times when you turn it. Too much heat will blacken the fruit, therefore let the heat of the stove be about 100° or 1100 of Fahren- heit's thermometer. SECTION XIV. -COMPOTES, THESE are prepared in the same way as wet fruits, and served in compotiers, which are deep glass dishes belonging to the dessert service, THE CONFECTIONËR. 65 In summer, ripe fruits are simply blanched and boiled up in a thin syrup, a little lemon-juice is added, and served; these are only for present use.fi In winter, take those fruits which are preserved in syrup, drain, dip them in luke-warm water, and serve in a thin syrup, with the juice of a lemon. i Green Apricot Compote. Prepare your fruit as for green apricots, wet; throw them into syrup that is boiling ; take them off the fire, and let them remain for four or five hours; drain off the syrup, and boil to the thread; pour it over the fruit; when cold, serve. Ripe Apricot Cumpote.-Cut the apricots in half, and peel them; blanch them in water that is just sweetened; drain them from this; add sugar to the water, and boil to the thread; pour it over the apri- cots"; let them remain in it for two or three hours; then drain and boil the syrup again to the large thread; pour it over the apricots ; add the juice of a lemon, with some of the kernels blanched; when cold, serve. Peaches, nectarines, and green-gages are done as these. Compote of Apples, with Jelly.-Pare some fine pippins very neat- ly; core them with an apple corer; put them into syrup, and boil gently; put only just sufficient syrup to cover them, that it may be reduced to a jelly, if it has not body enough, cut a few in pieces and put with it; when the apples look clear and are tender, take them out; add to the apples, while boiling, the juice and yellow rind of a lemon, with a few cloves. Strain the syrup, and reduce it to a jelly; pour part into the compotier, and when cold dress the apples taste- fully on it. The hole where the core was taken out may be filled with any sort of marmalade or jelly. Cut the remaining part of the jelly in pieces or croutons, and place round or over them; orna- ment them with red currant or other jelly, in any way that your fancy may dictate. Apple Compote.- Take some fine apples; peel and cut them in halves, quarters, or thick slices, and take out the cores; blanch them in a very thin syrup until tender; take them out, and add more sugar to that which they were boiled in, with the yellow peel and juice of a lemon and a few cloves; reduce it to the small pearl; put in the apples, and give thein a few boils in it; let them remain until cold; take off the scum, if any; strain the syrup, and serve. Pears and quinces are done as these, or coloured as for pears wet, which see Grape Compote.---Pick and stone some fine ripe grapes; put them in boiling syrup at the large pearl; give them three or four boils in it; let them cool, take off the scum, and serve. Currant Compote. —Take the largest currants you can get, either red or white; pick out the seeds, and throw them into boiling syrup at the large pearl; give them two or three boils, and let them stand in the syrup; take off the scum, and serve when cold. 3 6* THE CONFECTIONER. 67 9122i ni boy SECTION XVI. ON BOTTLED FRUITS, OR FRUITS PRESERVED ***** f 4., 542 WITHOUT SUGAR. CHOOSÉ wide-inouthed bottles, which are made for this purpose; let them be clean and perfectly dry; gather the fruit during dry weather, and fill the bottles if possible on the same day; shake the fruit well down by knocking the bottom edge of the bottle on the table; prepare some corks or bungs (which are made for fruit bottles by being cut the contrary way of the grain); pour biling water over them, which will deprive them of any smell or dist; repeat this a second time, if necessary, letting them remain in the water each time until it is cold; cork the bottles well, and tie them over with wire or string. M. Appert recommends that they should be luted with a mixture made of fresh slaked lime and soft cheese; this is to be spread on rags and tied over the mouth of the bottle; they are in their mouths ; à cover is put on with a piece of linen round it to prevent évaporation, the water is then heated to boiling, and is kept at this point until it is considered that the fruit is boiled in their own water or juice; the fire is then withdrawhi, and they are suffered to remain in the water for an hour, when it may be drawn off . The method which I 'in general pursue is to raise the water to the boiling point, and keep it at this heat for about an hour, according to the nature of the froit; they are then suffered to remain in the water until it is cold. I find this way generally successful. When they are taken out, cover the mouth of the bottle with melted rosin or bottle wax. This method is much superior to that of preparing them with water, which renders the fruit flat, dead, and insipid, the whole of the fla vour of the fruit being imparted to the water, except when bottled very green, when it does not lose it so much. A method I have tried with pretty good success, is to obtain the fruit before it is ripe, bottle it, and fill the bottles with cold spring water, in which are dissolved som some oxymuriate of potass, cork them elose, and cover the mouths with rosin. Plums done in this way had the natural bloom on them. I heat. bottles of thein fermented. After the fermentation was over I corked them close, and in six months I opened some, when they had a'smell like wine, and were not so flat as those which were well preserved by heat, and filled with water; these certainly look well to the eye, but they are only fit to be used for large pies, when the water should be inade into a syrup with sugar, and put in with it. The first method, which is the same as Appert's, or nearly so, is decidedly the best; it retains the natural flavour, and may be used for any purpose it is required, it being as good as fresh fruit. 6R THE CONFECTIONER. cool oven. The pulp or juice of fruits may also be preserved in the same way; if the fruit is not ripe enough to pulp, put it into a jar, and stop it close, place it in a kettle of cold water, heat it until it boils, and let it continue at this point for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour; take it out and pass the pulp through a hair-sieve; bottle, and finish as before. This method of M. Appert's is not altogether original, but was an- ticipated by the experiments of Mr. Boyle. A system somewhat on the same principle has been practised by many in the trade for years, which is this. The fruit is bottled and carefully corked, the bottles are then placed on the top of the oven, where they are suffered to remain for twenty-four or forty-eight hours, according to the tempera- ture, which is generally from 1200 to 1400 Fahrenheit's thermometer. At one place I ascertained the heat during the process, and it averaged 130° Another system practised is that of heating the bottles in a The principle endeavoured to be accomplished is to destroy the small portion of oxygen contained in the bottle after being corked, by converting it into carbonic acid gas; but some other unknown agent must be produced, as this may be done without heat, which the fer- mentation of the fruit would cause by itself; for, according to the experiments of Hildebrand, had the oxygen of the atmosphere remained unaltered, it would have caused putrefaction; for he found that oxygen mixed with a small quantity of azote, promoted putrefac- tion more than pure oxygen. He found that hydrogen gas was the greatest preservative, nitrous next, and after this carbonic. These experiments were tried on meat, but they may be equally applicable in respect to fruit, when the auxiliary produced by heat is not definitely known. Fruit should always be bottled and boiled on the same day it is gathered; for the longer the fruit lies together the more it sweats; fermentation commences, which is accelerated in the bottles by heat, and there is great danger of their bursting. All decayed or bruised fruit should be carefully excluded, and that should be preferred which is not quite ripe. When finished, the bottle should be kept in a cool dry place. SECTION XVII.-OF COOLING DRINKS FOR BALLS AND ROUTS, THESE may be made either with fresh fruit, jam, or syrups. The last merely requires the addition of water and lemon-juice to make them palatable. Gooseberry, Currant, Raspberry, and Strawberry Waters. — Mash either of these fruits when ripe, and press out the juice through a hair-sieve, add a little water to it, and give it boil; then filter it through a flannel bag, some syrup, a little lemon-juice and water, to make it palatable, but rich, although not too sweet, which is often the fault with there and compotes ; ice them the same as wine, and serve. THE CONFECTIONER, 69 Cherry Water.Pound the cherries with the stones to obtain the flavour of the kernel, and make as above. Apricot and Peach Water as cherry water: or, if made from jam, add a few bitter almonds pounded quite fine, using a little water and lemon-juice to pound them with; add them to the jam with water and leinon-juice to palate; strain it through a lawn sieve, ice, and serve. Orgeat Water.— Blanch half a pound of sweet almonds and one ounce of bitter; pound them very fine in a mortar, using water to prevent their oiling; use one quart of water and a glass of orange- Hower water, and make as directed for orgeat syrup; add sugar to palate, strain it through a lawni sieve, ice, and serve. Lemonade. Rub off the yellow rinds of six lemons on sugar; squeeze out their juice, and add to it a pint and a half of water, and half a pint of syrup, the white of an egg, with the sugar which has imbibed the oil from the rind; mix them well together; if not to your palate, alter it; strain through a flannel bag, ice, and serve. Orangeade is made as lemonade, using China oranges instead of the lemons. SECTION XVIII.-ICES. [THERE is no article of the dessert kind that deserves a more ele- vated position than well-made ices, as well for their intrinsic merit as for the agreeable goût which they impart to a well-got-up enter- tainment. Philadelphia has for a long time enjoyed a pre-eminent reputation in the manufacture of these delicious compounds; the rage however for cheap articles, without a due regard to their merits, has made sad inroads into the business; and, in order to accommodate this spirit of retrenchment, ignorant pretenders have consented to the base prac- tice of making inferior articles, which they palm off on the unwary under the specious guise of economy. With these persons it is a custom to use three-fourths milk and only one-fourth of the legiti- mate article, cream, and, in order to procure a sufficient body, to in- termix boiled flour, arrowroot, or potatoe flour; also to flavour with tartaric acid instead of fresh lemons, tonquin bean instead of vanilla, and inferior fruits when the best only should be used. We mention these facts in order to caution young beginners against any such fatal mistakes. The best ingredients should always be used. Obtain your cream invariably fresh from a dairyman who is tenacious of his reputation, and who is known to produce a pure rich article; it cannot be too good, and if not used immediately should be kept in ice until wanted. Good cream cannot be had (even where large quantities are used) for a less price than twenty cents per quart. Use cream entirely, and on no account mingle the slightest THE CONFECTIONER. A quantity of milk, which detracts materially from the richness and smoothness of the ices. Always use the finest flavoured to be ob- tained, and follow implicitly the following very copious directions, and you will be certain to be rewarded by a fine article, of which you may well be proud :] Utensils requisite for making.--Ist. Pewter pots of various sizes, suitable to the quantity of mixture intended to be frozen. Tin or zinc will not answer the purpose, as it congeals the mixture too quickly without allowing it a sufficient time to become properly in- corporated, and forms it in lumps like hailstones. 2d. Half pint, pint, pint and a half, and quart moulds, and some in the form of fruits made to open in the centre with a hinge: these also require to be made of the same material, 3d. Ice pails. These should be adapted to the size of the pots, about the same depth, and eight or ten inches more in diameter; if even greater, it is immaterial, the depth being the principal consider- ation, for the deeper it is the greater caution is required to prevent the salt from entering the mixture; for as the ice diseolves, the pot descends, and the water runs under the cover, which, being salt , spoils the contents; neither have you a sufficient basis whereon the pot rests so as to mix your creams, &c., with the spatula ; conse- quently, half your exertions are lost by its constant sinking when you apply the least effort to scrape it from the sides. There should be a hole near the bottom, with a cork fitted into it, so as to be drawn at pleasure, that the water may be allowed to run off when there is too much. 4th. The spatula. This is an instrument somewhat resembling a gardener's spade; it should be made of stout copper and tinned, the blade being about four inches long by three in width, round at the end, and having a socket to receive a wooden handle; this is for scraping the cream, &c., from the sides of the pot as it freezes, and for mixing it. 5th. Either a large mortar and pestle, or a strong box and mallet for pounding the ice, 6th. A spade wherewith to mix the ice and salt together, fixing your pails, &c. 7th. A tin case or box, with a kind of drawer fitted to it so as to be drawn out at pleasure, and having shelves or divisions; this is for keeping the ices in the form of fruits, after they are finished, until required for the table. To freeze Ices. This is accomplished through the medium of ice. Of itself it does not contain sufficient frigorific power to congeal a liquid body to the required consistence without an auxiliary; the usual one employed is that of salt. As a general rule, take about two pounds to every six pounds of ice, which I think will be nearly the quantity required. I cannot state precisely, as it is the custom to mix it by guess; but note, the freezing, quality depends on the THE CONFECTIONER. 71 quantity of salt which is used, consequently, the more there is mixed with the ice the quicker are the creams, &c., frozen. Pound a sufficient quantity of ice small, and let some salt bè well mixed with it; place the pot containing the mixture in a pail, which you fill (the latter) with pounded ice and salt as far as the lid; strew a handful of salt on the top of the ice, let it remain a few minutes until you have similarly disposed of others, as three or four may be done at a time if required, then whirl them round briskly by means of the handles for five minutes, take off the lids one at a time, and with the spatula stir or carry the unfrozen part well round the sides, turning the pot also with the left hand; continue this for two or three minutes, which serves to soften what has already frozen, as well as helps to freeze the remaining portion; then scrape it from the sides, put on the lids, whirl round again briskly, as before directed, repeating the same operations every four or five minutes. As it forms into con- sistence, do not spare your labour in well working or mixing it together when you scrape it down, so as to make it perfectly smooth and free from lumps, for the smoothness of your ice depends on this operation; continue to freeze until the whole is well set. Ice when well frozen should be about the consistence of butter, tough to the feel, of a good colour, and without any lumps in it. Those which contain too much syrup cannot be frozen to the degree required, and those which have too little freeze hard, and feel short and crisp, like compressed or frozen snow, which arises from having too many watery particles in it, by the excess of either water or milk according to the nature of your ice. In either case it may be ascertained when you commence freezing, by the first coat which is formed round the sides. It should then be altered by either adding more cream or water, with juice, or pulp of fruit, or other flavouring matter in proportion, as the case may be, if too rich, and vice versa, by the addition of more syrup, &c., when poor; but at all times the necessity of altering them should be avoided, as the component parts cannot be so perfectly blended together, without considerable extra labour, as if they were properly mixed at the commencement. During the time of freezing, or after the creams, &c., are moulded and set up, if there is too much water in the pail, the frigorific power is lessened; a little increases it, as at first it is only a solution of the salt; but as the ice dissolves and mixes with it, it decreases; there- fore, when it comes to the top drain it off, and fill up with fresh salt and ice. When the ices are properly frozen, take out the pots, drain off the water, empty the pail, again replace them and fill them with fresh salt and ice, as before; then spread the creams over the sides of the pot, when they are ready for use, if they are intended to be served in à shop or by glassfulls. Should it be required for moulds, line the bottom with a piece of paper, before you put it on; if there is no im- pression or figure on the top, you may cover that also with paper; in filling them press it well in, so as to fill every part; leave a little pro- 72 THE CONFECTIONER. jecting above the surface to form the top, which you put on; pack the moulds in a pail, and fill the vacancies with pounded ice well: mixed with plenty of salt, strew a handful also on the top. Ices should be moulded from half an hour to an hour before they are required to be served. When you want to turn them out, wash the mould well in cold water that no salt may remain on it; take off the bottom and top, and the ice will come out easily. For fruit moulds, fill each with either cream or water ice of the same kind as that which you would represent, and for the better se semblance to nature, preserve the stone with the stalk and leaves of each, which put in their proper places, allowing the leaves to project outside; close the mould, wrap it in paper, and place it in ice as others; when you want to turn them out, wash the shape in luke. warm water to take off the paper, and be careful that you do not injure the leaves, as they will often be found frozen to it; dip it again in water, open it and take out the ice, which you colour to nature with camel's hair pencils and liquid colour (see Colours); the down or bloom is represented by dusting it with dry colour in powder, tied in a small thin muslin bag, or by means of a dry camel's hair pencil; line the shelves of the case with paper or vine leaves, and put in the fruit as it is finished ; let the case be surrounded with pounded ice and salt, as for moulds. Ices may be divided into three classes, viz: cream, custard, and water. These derive their names from the basis of which they are composed, the flavoaring matter mixed with it giving the other defi- nition; thus we say, raspberry cream and raspberry water; but cus lard ices are not so particularly defined as the others by the basis, and either only receives the name of the flavour given to it, or as that of cream. Cream Ices. These are composed entirely of pure fresh cream, with the juice or pulp of fruit either fresh or preserved, and syrup or sugar so blended together as the taste of one may not predoininate over that of another ; but if either is in excess it should be that of the fruit. Raspberry of fresh fruit. - One quart of raspberries, one quart of cream, three-quarters of a pound or a pound of sugar, a few ripe currants and gooseberries, or currants and ripe cherries may be added, instead of all raspberries, which is much approved by some, and the juice of two lemons; * mash the fruit, and pass it through a sieve to take out the skins and seeds; mix it with the other articles; add a little prepared cochineal to heighten the colour'; pot it in the pot and freeze. * The quantity of fruit required for these ices will depend, in a great measure, on the quality of the fruit and the seasons in which it is proe duced ; a pint and a half will be found sufficient when it is good in fine seasons; the quantity stated in each weight is the greatest required. 1 THE CONFECTIONER. 75 rum; freeze the custard, and add about a quarter of a pound of dried cherries, orange, lemon, and citron peel, and currants; mix these in the iced custard. The Curaçoa, or rum, &c., may be poured over the fruit when you commence freezing, or before, which I consider pre- ferable to favouring the custard. Prepare the mould, which is round, and something in the shape of a melon, made to open in the centre with a hinge. Strew over the inside with some clean curranta, fill the would, and close it; immerse it in some fresh ice 'mixed with salt. Before it is required to be turned out, prepare a dish as follows:- The Sauce.- Make a little custard, and flavour it with brandy; dissolve some isinglass in water or milk, and when it is nearly cold add sufficient to the custard to set it ; pour it into the dish you intend to serve it on. As soon as it is set, turn out the pudding on it and serve. Almond or Orgeat Ice Cream.--One quart of cream, eight ounces of sweet almonds, two ounces of bitter almonds, twelve ounces of sugar, and two ounces of orange-flower water; blanch the almonds, and pound thein quite fine in a mortar, using the orange-flower water in pounding, to prevent their oiling: rub them through a sieve, and pound again the remaining portion which has not passed through, until they are fine enough; then mix them with the cream, and make it into a custard with eggs, as the preceding; strain, and when cold, freeze. Pistachio Ice Cream.-One quart of cream, eight ounces of pis- tachios, and twelve ounces of sugar; blanch and pound the pistachios with a little of the cream; mix and finish as orgeat ice, flavouring it with a little essence of cédrat, or the rind of a fresh citron rubbed on sugar; or the custard may be flavoured by boiling in it a little cinna- mon and mace and the rind of of a lemon. * Filbert Ice Cream.-One quart of cream, one pound of nuts, and twelve ounces of sugar or one pint of syrup; break the nuts, and roast the kernels in the oven; when done, pound then with a little cream, make a custard, and finish as almond ice. Chestnut Ice. ----As the preceding, taking off the husks and skin. Burnt Filbert Ice Cream.-Use the same proportions as in filbert ice; put the kernels into the syrup, and boil till it comes to the blow; stir the sugar with a spatula, that it may grain and adhere to the nuts; when cold, pound them with the sugar quite fine; make a custard, and mix them with it, allowing for the sugar that is used for the nuts; mix, and freeze as the others. Burnt Almond Ice Cream.--Make as burnt filbert ice. Coffee Ice Cream.--One quart of cream, ounces of Mocha coffee, and twelve ounces of sugar; roast the coffee in a coarse iron or other stew-pan, keeping it constantly stirred until it is a good brown colour; "6 THE CONFECTIONER. throw it into the custard cream whilst it is quite hot, and cover it closely; let it infuse for an hour or two, then strain and freeze. The cream may be made with an infusion of coffee, thus: take the quantity of coffee, fresh roasted and ground to a fine powder ; put this into a common glass bottle or decanter, and pour on it sufficient cold river water to moisten the powder and make an infusion; stop the bottle close, and let it remain all night; the next day filter the infu- sion by passing it through some fine lawn or blotting paper placed in a glass funnel; by this process a very strong and superior infusion is obtained, which contains the whole of the aroma of the coffee. Dr. Ratier observes, “I have tried this process with boiling and with cold water; and I have assured myself, by comparison, that the pow- der drained by the cold water, and treated then with boiling water, gave nothing but a water slightly tinted with yellow, and devoid of odour and flavour. It is, besides, proper to pass an equal quantity of water to the first, over the grounds, in order that the second water may serve for new powder. Use this for flavouring the custard, and freeze, Chocolate Ice. One quart of cream, six ounces of chocolate, and ten ounces of sugar; dissolve the chocolate in a little water, or make the sugar into a syrup, and dissolve it by putting it on the side of the stove, or over the fire ; add the cream and eggs, and make it into a custard as before; when cold, freeze. Tea Ice.-One quart of cream, two ounces of the best green tea, and twelve ounces of sugar; put the tea into a cup, and pour on it a little cold river water in which has been dissolved a small portion of carbonate of soda, about as much as may be placed on a fourpenný piece ; let it remain for an hour or two, then add a little boiling water, sufficient in the whole to make a very strong infusion; or the boiling water may be dispensed with, adding more cold water in pro- portion, and letting it soak longer, when a superior infusion will be obtained ; strain it, and add to the cream and eggs. Finish as the others. Vanilla Ice. One quart of cream, half an ounce of vanilla, twelve ounces of sugar; cut the vanilla into small pieces, and pound it with the sugar until it is quite fine, add it to the cream and eggs, make it into a custard, strain, and when cold freeze, or it may be flavoured with the essence of vanilla. (See Essences). Noyau Cream Ice. Make a custard cream, and flavour it with noyau ; finish as almond ice. Maraschino Cream Ice.—Make as noyau, flavouring it with Mara. schino de Zara. All liqueur ices are made the same way, using the different liqueurs with which each is named, or they may be inade in this way :--Take a quart of cream, put it into the ice-pot with six ounces of sugar, which you place in the ice; work or whisk it well about the sides with a whisk for five minutes ; add a glassful of 78 THE CONFECTIONER." Pine-apple Water Ice.-Half a pint of pine syrup, one pint of water, the juice of two lemons, and three or four slices of preserved pine cut into small dice; mix and freeze. Fresh Pine-apple Water Ice. — One pound of pine-apple, one pint of syrup, half a pint of water, and the juice of two lemons. Cut the pine in pieces, and put it into a stew-pan with the syrup and water, and boil until tender ; pass it through a sieve, add the lemon-juice, with two or three slices of the pine cut in small dice, mix and freeze when cold. The pine may be pounded instead of being boiled, and mixed with the syrup, &c. The whole of these ices may be made with preserved fruit instead of fresh. One pound of jam or jelly, one pint of water, the juice of two lem- ons, and syrup sufficient to make it palatable. Apple-Water Ice. — Pare and core some fine apples, cut them in pieces into a preserving pan with sufficient water for them to float, boil until they are reduced to a marmalade, then strain: to a pint of apple-water add half a pint of syrup, the juice of a lemon, and a little water; when cold, freeze. Pear-Water Ice.--Prepare as apple ice. Orange-Water Ice.-One pint of China orange-juice, one pint of syrup, half a pint of water, the juice of four large lemons. Rub off the yellow rind of six oranges and two lemons on sugar, scrape it off and mix with the strained juice, syrup and water. Lemon-Water Ice.—Half a pint of lemon juice, half a pint of water, one pint of syrup, the peels of six lemons rubbed off on sugar, or the yellow rind may be pared or grated off, and the juice squeezed to it in a basin; let it remain for an hour or two, then strain, mix, and freeze; whip up the whites of three eggs to a strong froth, with a little sugar, as for meringues; when the ice is beginning to set, work this well in it, which will make it eat beautifully soft and delicious; freeze to the required consistence; if the ice is to be served in glasses, the meringue may be added after it has been frozen. Orange-water ice may be done the same. Maraschino. Water Ice.Make a lemon ice as the above, using less water, and making up the deficiency with Maraschino; but be careful the taste of the lemon does not prevail too much; add more water and syrup to correct it if it does. Noyau and all other liqueur ices are made the same way, using that to flavour the lemon ice which it bears the name of. Champagne and wine ices the same. Punch-Wuter Ice. Make either a good lemon ice, or use soine orange-juice with the lemons, in the proportion of one orange to twó lemons; either rub off the yellow rind of the lemons, on sugar, or pare it very thin, and soak it in the spirit for a few hours; when the ice is beginning to set, work in the whites of three eggs to each quarl, beaten to a strong froth, and mixed with sugar as for meringue, or 80 THE CONFECTIONER. FRUIT JELLIES. Strawberry Jelly.--One pound 'of picked strawberries, press them lightly, and put them in four ounces of clear syrup; cover the infu.' sion, and let them stand all night; strain through a bag on the fol. lowing morning: in the mean time clarify half a pound of sugar; when nearly clarified add to it a few drops of prepared cochineal, to give it a fine red colour; after which, strain it through a sieve, and add to it an ounce of clarified isinglass, the juice of two sound lemons, and afterwards the fruit; stir the jelly gently, and put it in a mould placed in ice. N. B.- To clarify isinglass, take one ounce of the best Russia, cut it in small pieces, wash it several times in clear warm water, put it on the fire in a small pan with one pint of soft water, let it boil suffi- ciently, taking care to skim it well; when it is reduced to one-half, strain through a napkin into a clean vessel. The sugar and isinglass should be only lukewarm when you mix them. These remarks apply to all jellies of this kind. Pine Apple Jelly.—Take a fine ripe pine apple, cut it small, and strain the juice through a hair sieve, then throw it into the boiling syrup, let it boil up, and when nearly cold strain it through a silk sieve, add a little caramel to give the jelly, a fine yellow tinge; then the juice of two fine lemons, and an ounce of clarified isinglass. Proceed as before, Jelly of Apricots.-- Take the stones out of one dozen and a half of fine ripe apricots and boil them in the syrup, which, in this case, should be as light coloured as possible; when boiled sufficiently to extract the flavour, strain through a napkin, add the necessary quan- tity of isinglass, and finish as usual. Orange Jelly.-Squeeze the juice out of twelve Havanna oranges and one lemon, strain through a fine linen cloth, then mix with the syrup boiled to the ball; add the clarified isinglass, filter agh a fine flannel bag, and finish as before. The foregoing will suffice for all fruit jellies. BLANC MANGE. Take four ounces of sweet almonds blanched, half an ounce of bitter almonds, pound them in a clean mortar, moisten them gra- dually with orange-flower water, mix this with one quart of fresh cream and one ounce of clarified isinglass, put into a saucepan, con- stantly stirring till it boils, then pass through a fine sieve, and form into a mould, and put on ice. Blanc Mange may be flavoured with vanilla, Mocha coffee, maris- chino, pistachios, and strawberries; in which case the bitter almonds should be left out.] THE CONFECTIONER. 81 SECTION XX-ON ESSENCES. The essences or essential oils sold for general use are or ought to be obtained by distillation ; but for many purposes they may be ob- tained equally as good, and, in some cases, superior, without. As these are often adulterated with olive or nut oils, or with spirits of wine, the fixed oils may be detected by pouring some of the suspected essence on a piece of clean writing paper, and holding it before the fire; the quantity of fixed oil it contains will remain, leaving a greasy mark, whereas the pure essential oil will evaporate without leaving any appearance; if spirits of wine be added, pour a little water or oil of turpentine into the adulterated sample, and it will turn milky, as the two will not unite without producing this effect. It is often sophisticated with the oil of turpentine, which is the lightest of all, essential oils; in this case, rub a drop over the hand and hold it by the fire, when it may be recognized by the smell, or if burnt it will give out a dense black smoke. Rectified spirits of wine dissolve the volatile oil and resin of vege- tábles (their taste and smell most frequently reside in these), whilst water acts on the saline and mucilaginous parts. Proof spirit, which is a mixture of both these, extracts all their virtues, and through this we are enabled to obtain the essence or tincture of any vegetable, of superior quality to that generally sold, and at considerably less ex- pense. The essential oil of lemons or oranges is obtained by rubbing off the yellow rind on the rough surface of a piece of loaf sugar, which is much superior for favour to the hear the oil, and dry it in a gentle Scrape off the sugar heat, put it into small glazed pots, and tie them over with bladder; it will keep any length of time unimpaired. The same observation holds good as regards all fruit whose flavour or essential oil resides in its peel. Essence of Lemon.–Eight ounces of lemon peel, ten ounces of rec- tified spirits of wine. Pare or grate off the yellow rind of the lemon very thin and weigh it, put it into a bottle and pour the spirit on it, stop it close, and let it steep for fourteen days, when it is fit for use. Proof gin or white rum will serve equally well, but not such as is generally sold at the gin-shops ; this is excellent for ices, creams, lemonade, &c. In many establishments, where quantities of peel are thrown away, the cost of this would be comparatively trifling, com- pared with the price of the inferior oil generally sold. Essence of Orange.—Make as lemon, using only four ounces of the yellow rind. Essence of Bergamot.-From the peel of the bergamot lemon. Essence de Cédrat.- From the yellow part of the fresh citron peel; it may also be obtained by pressing the yellow part of the peel 'be- tween two glass plates, and by the distillation of the flowers of the citron-tree. THE CONFECTIONER. 83 into a cor drop them on the paper about two inches asunder, dust them with fine powdered loaf sugar, blow off all that does not adhere, and put them oven to bake until they are a nice light brown; if the oven should be too warın, when the surface gets dry or hardened cover them with paper; as soon as they are done take them off with a knife, Proes the inside or soft part down with the top or the back of a spoon, place then on sieves, and put them into the stove to dry; when they are required to be served fill thein with any kind of preserved fruit or cream, if it rather acid the better, and put two together. The quality of the meringues will depend on the eggs being well whipped to a very strong froth, and also on the quantity of sugar, for if there is not enough they will eat tough. (Kisses. --Twelve ounces of sugar powdered very fine and passed through a silk sieve, the whites of six eggs beaten to a strong froth; mix and lay out on paper, a8 for dry meringues: when baked, place two together. The size should be about that of a pigeon's egg.] Italian Meringues.-One pound of sugar, the whites of six eggs. Clarify the sugar and boil it to the blow ; in the mean time whip up the whites as for the last, take the sugar from the fire and rub it a little against the sides of the pan to grain it; as soon as it begins to turn white, mix in the whipped eggs, stirring the sugar well from the bottom and sides of the pan with the whisk or spatula; lay them off, and bake as dry meringues; these may be coloured by adding the liquid colour to the syrup so as to give the desired tint; and either of them may be flavoured by rubbing off the peel of oranges, lemons, or cédrats on sugar, and scraping it off as it imbibes the oil; or it may be flavoured with vanilla, by cutting it in small pieces and pound- ing it with some sugar, or with any liqueur by adding a spoonful or two when you mix the eggs or sugar. They may also be varied in form, and baked on tin or iron plates instead of wood, that the bottoms may be quite firm. The tops may be covered with almonds .or pis- tachios, blanched and cut small or in fillets, or with currants, or coloured sugars; the whole depending on the taste and ingenuity of the artist. Mushrooms.-To make these, take either of the pastes for merin- gues or light icing, as for cakes; put some into a bag in the shape of a cone, with a tin pipe at the end, the same as used for Savoy bis- cuits; lay them off in drops the size you wish them to be, on iron plates rubbed quite clean and dry, bake them as you would merin- gues, make also a smaller drop to form the stalk; when they are baked, take them off the tin and scoop out a little with your finger from the bottom near the edge, to form the hollow rough surface underneath; then dry them in the stove; scrape some chocolate and dissolve it in a little warm water, and rub a little over the rough part underneath; then place the stalk in the centre, fixing it with a little icing, and let the fat part which was on the tiņ be placed outermost to represent where it was cut. THE CONFECTIONER. 85 a quarter to half an inch in width. I find these much better than paper ones, as the trouble and time which is lost in constantly making new ones is amply repaid by the others, as they are not very expen- sive and are always ready for use. These pipes should be in the hands of the confectioner what the pencil or brush is to the painter, -capable of performing wonders with men of genius. Some of the bon-bons, which may be seen in the shops, are proofs of what I assert; and many things are so cleverly done, that many persons would be- lieve that they were either formed in a mould or modelled. I have not space to enlarge further on this subject, but much more might be given in explanation; therefore the artist must be guided by his own genius and fancy.* SECTION XXII.- GUM PASTE. Take one ounce of picked gum-tragacanth; wash it in water, to take off any dust or dirt; put it into a clean pot, and pour on it rather inore than half a pint of water, or sufficient to cover the gum about an inch; stir it frequently, to accelerate the solution; it will take twenty-four hours dissolve; then squeeze it out through a coarse cloth, as directed for lozenges, taking care that everything employed in the making is very clean, or it will spoil the colour; put it into a mortar, adding gradually six or eight ounces of treble-refined sugar, sifted through a lawn sieve; work it well with the pestle, until it is incorporated and becomes a very white smooth paste; put it into a glazed pot, cover the paste with a damp cloth, and turn the pot upside- down on an even surface, to exclude the air. When it is wanted, take a little of it and put it on a clean marble, and work some more sugar into it (which has been sifted through a lawn sieve) with the fingers, until it is a firm paste, which will break when pulled ; if it is not stiff enough, it will roll up under the knife when you cut it from the impressions your paste-boards; if it is too stiff, work in a little of your prepared paste with it, to soften it. When your paste works harsh and cracks, it has too much gum in it; in this case, use a little water to work it down ; and if the gum is too thin it will crack, and dry too soon from the excess of sugar, therefore add some more strained gum that has not been mixed with sugar. The same obser vation also holds good with respect to lozenges. If it is required coloured, add a little prepared cochineal, or any other colour in fine powder; mix it on the stone. If they are to be flavoured with any essence, add it at the same time. This paste is fit to be eaten, and is the foundation of gum-paste comfits, dragees, &c. Gum Paste for Ornaments. – Take some of the prepared paste, as * An excellent work for the use of the ornamental confectioner is Page's Acanthus," ," which may be obtained of any bookseller. 8 86 THE CONFECTIONER.. use. for the last, and work into it on the stone some very fine starch pow. der, using equal quantities of starch and sugar. This may also be made with rice flour, instead of starch. These are chiefly used for pièces montées. It may be moulded or modelled into any form, or cut out from figures or borders carved in wood, called gum-paste boards, using a little starch-powder to prevent its sticking whilst working it; a little tied up in a small muslin bag is the handiest for When you want to get the paste from the impressions in the boards, ke a small piece of paste and press it each end; if it does not come out very readily, moisten the piece, and touch that in the impression at three or four places, which, being damp, adheres to it and draws it out. Paste for gilding on. - Take some dissolved gum, as before, and make it into a paste with a little starch-powder to finish it; or it may be made with some of the prepared sugar gum-paste, finishing it with starch-powder. Papier Mâchée.--Take the cuttings of either white or brown paper, and boil them in water until reduced to a paste; press the water from it when cold enough, and pound it well in a mortar; put it into a pan or glazed pipkin, with a little gum Arabic, Senegal, or com- mon glue, made into rather a thick mucilage with water; this is to give it tenacity; place it on the fire and stir it until well incorpo rated; if it is not stiff enough when cold, four may be added to make it of the proper consistence; it should be about the same substance as gum paste. This may be used for forming the rocks of a pièce mon- tée, or for vases, cassolettes, &c.; in fact anything you desire may be made with it, as with gum paste; it is very durable, not being easily broken, and is very light; it is now much used, instead of compo- sition, for the decorations of rooms and articles of furniture. It is from this that paper trays, snuff boxes, &c., are manufactured, and it is much used in France for making various beautiful little ornaments for containing bon-bons, &c. It may be moulded or modelled into any form, or cut from impressions in wood or plaster, &c. When the object is dry, give it a coating of composition, made with parchment size, and whitening or lamp-black, mixed to the consistence of oil paint, according to the colour it is required. Smooth it with glass paper, and paint or gild as wood, or japan it.* To gild Gum Paste, &c.-Those articles which are gilt are seldom intended to be eaten, therefore first give them a coating of parchment size and whitening, as the papier mâchée, or paint them with oil colour. When this is dry, brush over a coat of gold size, and let it' remain until nearly dry, or so as it will stick to the fingers a little; then take a small dry brush, termed by gilders a tip, rub a little * For further particulars, and for the method of taking the impressions of moulds with composition, see the Guide to Trade The Carver and Gilder,' Knight & Co., p. 53. THE CONFECTIONER. 87 A grease over the back of your hand, and pass the brush-over it gently; apply it to the gold leaf, which it will take up, and place it on the part you intend to gild; blow on it to make it smooth; the gold leaf may first be divided into small pieces with a knife on a leather pad or cushion, to suit the size of your work; rub it over gently with a piece of wool, to make it appear glossy. Those parts which have not taken the gold, just breathe on, then apply a small piece of the leaf, and rub again with the wool. If your piece is intended to be eaten, let the paste be perfectly dry and smooth; then prepare some mucilage of gum Arabic, strain it, and grind it well with an equal portion of white sugar candy; lay it over the part you intend to gild with a stiff brush ; when dry, breathe on it, so as to moisten it, and gild as before. T'o Bronze Gum Paste.- Prepare your object, if not to be eaten, as for gilding, giving it a coat of invisible green, prepared with turpen- tine, a little japan gold size, and a small portion of oil; when it is nearly dry, dip a fitch pencil in some bronze powder, shake off the loose pieces which hang about the brush, and apply it to the parts you wish to assume the appearance of copper, which are in general the most prominent. Another method.—Smooth your finger with sand-paper, and give it a coat of isinglass dissolved, or parchment size; when this is dry, give it a coat of colour made as follows:- Take a sufficient quantity of prepared indigo, with verditer blue, and a little spruce ochre or saffron, in such proportions as to make a deep green; grind them to- gether with white of egg and powdered sugar-candy, or with parch- ment size; give it a coat of this, and when nearly dry apply the bronze, as before. On the Construction of Assiettes and Pièces Montées.- To be a profi- cient in this part requires a general knowledge of the fine arts, par- ticularly the principles of architecture; for without this, however well your piece may be finished with regard to workmanship, it still re- mains a dull, heavy, unmeaning mass, having no proportion nor a particle of true design in it. I have seen many pieces, and some in the principal shops, with these defects, although otherwise well exe- cuted. My limits will not allow me to enter into the details neces- sary to illustrate this part, therefore the artist must refer to books on the subject; but in the absence of these it is best to work from some correct drawing, which, with the few notes I shall subjoin, may serve for general purposes. There are many prevailing styles or orders of architecture, as the Egyptian, Grecian, Roman, Saxou, Norman, Gothic, &c. The Gothic is the most beautiful, being pointed, and is generally used for cathe- drals and churches. The Norman is plain and simple, with semi- circular arches. The Saxon is after the same style, into which are introduced some ornamental workings. The Egyptian is more flat and square, embellished with hieroglyphics. In the Grecian and THE CONFECTIONER. 91 being pushed or cut in moulds or pasteboards. Flowers are mostly done with cutters in the form of the leaf of the flowers you would wish to represent; form the calyx in a mould, and fasten it on a piece of wire ; fix the leaves on the calyx to imitate nature, and colour them accordingly. es guied oor ons hom te DEVE 2999 godt og sit bleed zorabiad be sót oals het void usio strabates i text 101 at bus Esmul Posted 1999 ofYEo6 bbon these dont BOS Broo1 ODOTTO | am 101 00008 wolo ១៥នទូទៅ។ bas berlom i bae acos adi нігтэн DSATS WY Da tu u BE 1909 96 bexi AGD 913 para 10 d 2003 org srom BQ973 sd GOBE Ste med ugnied tapos | sqimq s Joonid909 ๆ เช่น 13903 Togel 701 brogant on tereta ad avli dos viles moet totodation od be od ovo Dahlgren Seliwadi ed 10 u 294 hlab that silpu 90 fadesi sah52 fotoape brom brazos 78 ad Le La Soul llow llo Lasowel as natin 1. dana, no on 2.8 beso3. in 4.4 bas shora me piastoq puli diw 1913W ravir lo tald's out to be WO 11 G 10 _JM ! 92 THE CONFECTIONER. Modelling Tools.—No. 1 is termed the rose-stick, the thin flat end being used for forming the leaves of roses out of modelling wax by flattening a piece of it on a table until it is of the required form and šize; the other end is used for fluting and making borders. No. 2 is by some termed a foot tool, being used for forming the edges and borders to wax baskets, the circular end being necessary for working underneath any part, or circular mouldings, and also for the paws of animals. No. 3. The curved thin end is used as a cutting tool, and for the formation of leaves; and the opposite end for fluting. No. 4 serves as a gouge, and is used in the formation of leaves for flowers. The curves of each tool are also requisite for different purposes in modelling, and for forming the raised and depressed parts in the human figure, animals, &c. They should be made of beech, as it relieves better when used about fat or modelling wax. There are many others, but these will be found quite sufficient for most purposes, with the dotting or pointing tool, which a common skewer, or piece of round pointed stick will supply its place. The tool usually made for purpose has a concave or semicircular hollow at the thick end, for making beading, or else with a flat round end, similar to a tam- bour needle; the last being used for working up the leaves of roses, &c., in the hollow of the hand, when they are made of gum-paste. Modelling Wax. This is made of white wax, which is melted and mixed with lard to make it malleable. In working it, the tools and the board or stone are moistened with water to prevent its adhering; it may be coloured to any desired tint with dry colour. SECTION XXII.-ON COLOURS, Many of the colours prepared for use in this art come more pro- perly under the denomination of dyes, alum and cream of tartar being used as a mordant; and many of them are prepared in the same manner as for dyeing. One of the principal colours requisite for the confectioner's use is coccinella, or cochineal. The sorts gene- rally sold are the black, silver, foxy, and the granille. The insect is of two species, the fine and the wild cochineal; the fine differs from the wild in size, and is also covered with a white mealy powder. The best is of a deep mulberry colour, with a white powder between the wrinkles, and a bright red within. A great deal of adulteration is practised with this article, both at home and abroad; it is on this account that persons prefer the silver grain, because it cannot be so well sophisticated. Good cochineal should be heavy, dry, and more or less of a silvery colour, and without smell, To prepare Cochineal.-Pound an ounce of cochineal quite fine, and put it into a pint of river water with a little potash or soda, and THE CONFECTIONER. 93 let it boil; 'then add about a quarter of an ounce powdered alum, the same of cream of tartar, and boil for ten minutes; if it is required for keeping, add two or three ounces of powdered loaf sugar. Carmine.--Reduce one ounce of cochineal to a fine powder, add to it six quarts of clear rain or filtered water, as for cochineal. Put this into a large tin saucepan, or a copper one tioned, and let it boil for three minutes, then add twenty-five grains of alum, and let it boil two minutes longer; take it off the fire to cool; when it is blood warm pour off the clear liquor into shallow vessels, and put them by to settle for two days, covering them with paper to keep out the dust. In case the carmine has not separated properly, add a few drops of a solution of tin, or a solution of green vitriol, which is tin dissolved in muriatic acid, or the following may be substituted:-one ounce and a half of spirit of nitre, three scruples of sal-ammoniac, three scruples of tin dissolved in a bottle, and use a few drops as required. When the carmine has settled, decant off the clear which is liquid rouge. The first sediment is Florence lake, which remove, and dry the carmine for use. This preparation is by far superior to the first, for in this the same colour is obtained as before, which is the liquid rouge, the other and more expensive parts being invariably thrown away. The carmine can be obtained by the first process, as can be seen if the whole is poured into a clear bottle and allowed to settle, when the carmine will be deposited in a layer of bright red near the bottom. It produces about half an ounce of carmine. Yellow. Infuse saffron in warm water, and use it for colouring any thing that is eatable. The English hay-saffron is the best; it is taken from the tops of the pistils of the crocus flower; it is fre- quently adulterated with the flowers of marygolds or safflower, which is known as the bastard saffron, and is pressed into thin cakes with oil. Good saffron has a strong agreeable odour, and an aromatic taste. Gum paste and other articles which are not eaten may be coloured with gamboge dissolved in warm water. Prussian Blue may be used instead of indigo, if preferred, but must be used sparingly. Sap Green. This is prepared from the fruit of the buckthorn, and is purgative. Spinach Green.—This is perfectly harmless and will answer most purposes. Wash'and drain a sufficient quantity of spinach, pound it well in a mortar, and squeeze the pounded leaves in a coarse cloth to extract all the juice; put it in a pan and set it on a good fire, and stir it occasionally until it curdles, which will be when it is at the boiling point; then take it off and strain off the water with a fine sieve; the residue left is the green; dry it and rub it through a lawn sieve. This is only fit for opaque bodies, such as ices, creams, or syrups. Another green is made with a mixture of saffron or gamboge, and prepared indigo; the lighter the green the more yellow must be used. 94 THE CONFECTIONER, 3 soat. 4 Vermilion and Cinnabar are preparations of mercury, and should never be used ; they are of a lively red colour, but carmine will answer most purposes instead. Bole Ammoniac.-There is also the French and German bole. These earths are of a pale red, and possess alexipharmic qualities; they are frequently used in confectionary for painting and gilding. Umber. This is of a blackish brown colour ; 'it is an earth found near Cologne. "Bistre.—This is an excellent light brown colour prepared from wood These browns are harmless, but sugar may be substituted for them to any shade required by continuing the boiling after it has passed the degree of caramel until it is burnt, when it gives a black-brown, but water may be mixed with it so as to lessen the shades. Dissolved chocolate may also be substituted in some cases for the brown colours. : Black.-Blue-black is powdered charcoal, or ivory black, which is obtained from the smoke of burnt ivory; but bone black is generally substituted instead; either of these may be used, but are only required for painting gum paste, when not intended to be eaten. Obtain any of these colours in fine powder, and mix them with some dissolved gum Arabic, a litle water, and a pinch of powdered sugar candy; mix them to the required consistence for painting. For sugars they must be used in a liquid state, and be added before it has attained the proper degree; it may also be used in the same manner for ices, creams, &c., and for icings it can be used either way. . THE SHADES PRODUCED BY A MIXTURE OF COLOURS, Purple.—Mix carmine or cochineal, and a small portion of indigo. Lilac.--The same, making the blue predominate. Orange.-Yellow, with portion of red. Gold. The same, but the yellow must be more in excess. Lemon.--Use a solution of saffron. Green.-Blue and yellow. SECTION XXIII.- DISTILLATION, This art is of great importance to a confectioner, as it enables him to make his own oils, waters, and spirits for liqueurs and ratafias, instead of purchasing at a high rate those vile adulterations which are often sold. The still or apparatus for distilling consists of a cucurbit, which is a copper pot or boiler, and contains the wash, dregs, or infusions to be distilled. A cover, with a large tapering neck or pipe in the cen 'tre, is fixed on, and a continuation of small pipe, made either of tin THE CONFECTIONER. 95 or pewter, of several feet in length, is bent into a spiral form, and termed the worm. This is placed in a tub containing water, which is fastened on to the end of the neck. The joints or crevices are luted, to prevent evaporation, with a paste made of linseed meal, or equal portions of slacked lime or whitening, flour and salt, moistened with water, and spread on rags or pieces of bladder, when it is applied to the joints and crevices. The water in the tub where the worm is should be kept quite cold, except in distilling oil of anise-seeds; and for this purpose a tap or cock should be placed abc half-way down the tub, that the top of the water may be drawn off when it is warm. Again fill it with cold water, and keep coarse cloths dipped in cold water to put round the alembic or still in case it should boil too fast. It is by these means that the steam or vapour which rises with the heat is condensed, and runs out at the end of the pipe in a small stream. If the operation is well conducted, it should never exceed this. When the phlegm arises, which is a watery insipid liquor, the receiver must be withdrawn, for if a drop of it should run in, it must be cohobated, that is, re distilled, as it will thicken the spirit and spoil the taste. The still should not be filled above three parts füll , to prevent it rising over the neck, should it happen to boil violently, as in this case it would spoil what is already drawn, which must be re-distilled. ON ESSENTIAL OILS. To obtain these from plants or peels, the articles should be infused for two or three days, or even longer, in a sufficient quantity of cold water, until it has fully penetrated the pores of the materials. For this purpose roots should be cut into thin slices, barks reduced to a coarse powder, and seeds slightly bruised; those of soft and loose texture require to be infused two or three days, the harder and more compact a week or two, whilst some tender herbs and plants require to be distilled directly. After the solvent has fully penetrated, distil, it with an open fire; that is, a fire under the still like a common washing copper, which immediately strikes the bottom. Regulate the fire so as to make it boil as speedily as possible, and that the oil may continue to distil freely during the whole process; for the longer it is subunitted to an unnecessary heat without boiling, a greater por- tion of the oil is mixed with the water than there would otherwise be. The oil comes over the water, and either sinks to the bottom or swims on the top, according as it is lighter or heavier than that Auid. What comes over at first is more fragrant than that towards the end, which is thicker, and should be re-distilled by a gentle heat, when it Jeaves a resinous matter behind. All essential oils, after they are distilled, should be suffered to stand some days in open bottles or vessels, loosely covered with paper to keep out the dust, until they have lost their disagreeable fiery odour, and become quite limpid: put them into small bottles, and keep them 96 THE CONFECTIONER.. quite full in a cold place. The light oils pass over the swan neck of the common still, but the heavier ones will not so readily, therefore & large low head is preferable; the heavier oils are those from cloves, allspice, cinnamon, &c., or such as contain a portion of resin. Some plants yield three times as much oil, if gathered when the flowers begin to fall off, -as lavender; others when young, before they have sent forth any flowers was sage; and others when the flowers begin to appear,--as thyme. All fragrant hierbs yield a large portion of oil when produced in dry soils and warm sumers. Herbs and flowers give out a larger quantity of oil after they have been partly dried in a dry shady place. Four pounds of the leaves of the dried mint yield one ounce of oil, but six pounds of fresh leaves only three drachms and a-half. This oil is more fine and bright when rectified--that is, re-distilled. After the distillation of one oil, the worm should be carefully cleansed, by passing a little spirit of wine through it, before another is proceeded with. A great quantity of oil is wasted by confectioners when they pre- serve their lemon and orange peels by boiling them in open vessels instead of a still; what is saved by this means alone would soon repay the expense of the apparatus. DISTILLED WATERS. These are obtained in a similar manner to the oils, with a high narrow-necked still, and differ from them by the oil being retained or united with the water. Plants for this purpose should be gathered fresh on a dry day, as the water drawn from them in this state is. more aromatic when they are dry; for the oil is mixed with an aque- ous fluid in the plant, which concretes and separates in drying. Herbs should be bruised and steeped for a day in about three times their quantity of water when green, but considerably more when dry; but at all times sufficient water should be added that some may be left to prevent the herbs or flowers being burnt to the bottom of the still. After all the water is drawn, the distillation should continue so long as any taste or smell of the ingredients comes over; and the fire should be so regulated that the water may run in a small con- tinued stream. If a superior article is required, it must be re-distilled by a gentle heat, with the addition of a little pure spirit (about one-twentieth part) which has not got any bad smell. Orange-Flower Water.--The leaves of orange flowers three pounds, water three pints. Rose Water. - As orange flower, using either the damask or pale single rose. Neither the purgative quality of the damask, nor the astringent quality of red roses, rises in distillation, but is contained in the water left in the still. 100 THE CONFECTIONER. of bruised angelica-root, steep for a week, and distil in the bain- marie. Spirit of Tca.o-Four ounces of the best tea to a gallon of rectified proof spirit, pour a little cold water on the tea and let it infuse for three or four hours, add it to the spirit, and distil it in a week. Escubac-Usquehaugh.—Saffron one ounce, catechu three ounces, ambergris half a grain, dates without their kernels, and raisins, each three ounces, jujubes six ounces, anise-seed, cloves, mace, and cori ander seed one drachm, cinnamon two drachms, proof spirit six quarts, pound the ingredients, infuse for a week and distil. The whole of these spirituous distilled waters are for making liquors and for fla- vouring ices, liqueurs, bon-bons, drops, &c., or anything in which liquors are introduced. LIQUEURS. These are made by mixing equal proportions of any of the spirits, water, and sugar together, that is, one pint of spirit, one pint of water, one pound of the treble-refined sugar; dissolve the sugar in the water, add it to the spirit, and filter through blotting-paper; being perfectly clear and colourless when drawn, they require to be coloured of the same tint as the articles from which they were extracted, and for this purpose none but those which are perfectly harmless should be employed, as prepared cochineal, infusion of saffron, burnt sugars or indigo. RATAFIAS. These are liqueurs made by the infusion of the ingredients in spi- rits, and are similarly composed to the spirituous wafers, but instead of being distilled they are simply filtered, and sugar is added to them. Ratafia de Café.-Fresh roasted Mocha coffee ground, one pound, proof spirit one gallon, loaf sugar one pound and a half; infuse for a week, string it every other day, filter, bottle, and cork close. Ratafia de Cacao.-Cacao of Caracca one pound, West India cocoa nuts eight ounces, proof spirit one gallon, roast the nuts and bruise them, add them to the spirit and infuse for fourteen days, stirring them occasionally, filter and add thirty drops of essence of vanilla and two pounds of sugar. Ratafia des Noyaux.Half a pound of bitter almonds, half a pound of sweet almonds, proof spirit one gallon, (peach or apricot kernels may be used instead of the bitter almonds), three pounds of loaf sugar; beat the almonds fine with part of the sugar, steep the whole together for twelve or fourteen days, and filter; this liqueur will be much im- proved if rectified spirit is reduced to proof with the juice of apricots or peaches. THE CONFECTIONER. 101 Ratafia nf Cherries.--Morello cherries eight pounds, black cherries eight pounds, raspberries and red or white currants of each two pounds, coriander-seeds three ounces, cinnamon half an ounce, mace half an ounce, proof spirit one gallon; press out the juice from the fruit, take one-half of the stones of the cherries and pound them with the spices, and add two pounds and a half of sugar, steep for a month and filter. Ratafia des Cassis.-Ripe black currants six pounds, cloves half a drachm, cinnamon one drachm, black currant leaves one pound and a half, Morello cherries two pounds, sugar five pounds, proof spirit eight quarts; bruise the spice, infuse a fortnight, filter, and bottle. Ratafia of Raspberries.- Raspberries quite ripe eight pounds, proof spirit one gallon, quarter of an ounce of cinnamon and cloves, steep for fourteen days, stirring it occasionally. Currants and strawberries are made the same. Ratafia des Fleurs des Oranges.-Fresh orange-flowers two pounds, proof spirit one gallon, sugar two pounds; infuse for eight or ten hours. Ratafia d'Eillets.--The petals of clove pinks, with the white paris pulled off, four pounds, cinnamon and cloves twenty-five grains, proof spirit one gallon, sugar three pounds. Infuse for a month, filter, and bottle. Ratafia d'Angelique.—Angelica seeds one ounce, angelica stalks four ounces, bitter almonds four ounces, one drachm each of cinnamon and cloves, proof spirit six quarts, loaf sugar four pounds. Blanch and pound the almonds with some of the sugar, or a little water; pound the other ingredients a little, and bruise the stalks. Infuse for a month, stirring it occasionally. Filter and bottle. Vespetro.--Coriander seed one ounce, angelica seed two ounces, fennel and anise-seed of each two drachms, two lemons, two oranges, the zest of two citrons, two quarts of rectified spirit and two pounds of sugar, caraway seeds four grains. Bruise the ingredients, pare off the yellow rind of the lemons and oranges, and squeeze the juice. Dissolve the sugar in a pint of water. Infuse the whole together for fourteen days. Strain, filter, and bottle. Chrême de Barbade.— The yellow rind of three oranges and three lemons, cinnamon four ounces, mace two drachms, cloves one drachm, rum nine quarts, fresh balm leaves six ounces. Infuse and distil in the bain-marie, or strain; add an equal quantity of sugar with water Chrême d'Orange. — Thirty-six sweet oranges, sliced, tincture of saffron one ounce and four drachms, orange-flower water four pints, rectified spirits two gallons, water eighteen quarts, loaf sugar eigh- teen pounds. Dissolve the sugar in the water: mix the other articles and infuse for a fortnight. Filter and bottle. Ratafia d’Anis.-Star anise-seed four ounces, proof spirit one gal- THE PASTRY-COOK. INTRODUCTION. We now come to a very iinportant, because a very difficult, branch of the art of baking, whether exercised as a profession, or by private individuals, namely the manufacturing of what are technically called “ fancy goods." The reader scarcely need be informed, that this term includes all those varieties of baked manufactured eatables, in which such ingredients as sugar, eggs, spice, and butter, are used, with many other not necessary to enumerate here. It ought to be observed, that the following directions for making the kind of goods alluded to, have been all tested, and found to be so exceedingly accurate as to proportions, that a deviation in a quantity 80 small as an egg, or even half an egg, will deteriorate the quality of the article. These directions are not generally known in the trade, and out of the trade they are entirely, we believe, unknown. They will be found, therefore, a valuable acquisition to those ladies who manage their own domestic affairs, and who are in the habit of mak- ing little knick-knacks for their children, or their dessert tables. Previous to giving the directions in question, it will be necessary for our readers to be made acquainted with the mode of preparing certain articles, which are more or less employed in the manufactur- ing fancy goods. We are aware that there are many private indi- viduals who would object to use the preparation called " honey-wa- ter," as well as that called “prepared treacle," on the ground of their consisting chiefly of drugs. As regards, however, the use of carbo- nate of ammonia (honey-water), it may be safely affirmed, that there is, in small quantities, nothing unhealthy in it, but on the contrary. The truth however is, the carbonate of ammonia used in biscuits, &c., is volatilized by the heat of baking, and of course it all escapes. Its operation is therefore mechanical, and the only effect it has upon the biscuit is to make it light. With regard to the article called prepared treacle, which consists of treacle, alum, and pearlash, we have to observe, that alum taken in considerable quantities is decidedly unwholesome, it being of a powerfully astringent nature; but in the very small quantity here 103 104 THE PASTRY-COOK. prescribed, and considering that treacle is an asperient, and will con- sequently counteract the effects of the alum, we should say, that there can be no harm in using it. Pearlash, being an alkali, we should consider rather beneficial than otherwise, as it would prevent the treacle of the ginger-bread turning acid on the stomach. Having made these preliminary observations, we shall at once proceed to give directions for making those preparations used in pastry and fancy goods. The break alluded to in making fancy bis- cuits, is an instrument similar to that used in manufacturing ship- biscuits, but of course of much smaller dimensions. BLANCHED ALMONDS, ICING, PREPARED TREACLE, AND RENNET. Blanched Almonds.-Cover your almonds with water, in a stew- pan; set the pan on the fire, and strain them off as soon as the water begins to boil, by which means the skins will peel off easily; put them under the oven for a night, in a sieve, and they will be dry and fit for use. Icing for a Cake. - Take one pound of double-refined sugar, pound it fine, and sift it through a lawn sieve; then beat the whites of three eggs in a very clean pan, with a whisk, till they are a strong froth, and hang round the pan, leaving the bottom clear; then, with a wooden spoon, beat in your sugar, a little at a time, with about a tea-spoonful of lemon-juicebeat it till it becomes a nice thick smooth batter, and will hang round the pan to any thickness you may choose to spread it. Then, when your cake is nearly cold, spread your icing nicely over the top, and round the sides, with a pallet-knife; let it stand in a warm place, where it will be safe from hurt, and it will soon dry. Prepared Treacle.—Dissolve two ounces of alum in a quarter of a pint of boiling water, and stir it into seven pounds of treacle; then dissolve four ounces of American pearlash in a quarter of a pint of cold water, and well incorporate it with the treacle by stirring. Rennet.-Milk is turned into curds, and whey by means of rennet, which is the stomach of a calf taken out as soon as it is killed, well cleansed from its contents, then scoured inside and rubbed with salt; when thoroughly salted, it is stretched on a stick to dry. A bit of this is to be soaked in boiling water for several hours, and the liquid put in milk-warm from the cow, or made of that warmth. Use alone can prescribe the exact quantity: never use more than enough to turn it, as it hardens the curd. The gizzard skin of fowls and turkey may be prepared in the same way, and answer the same purpose. THE PASTRY-COOK. 105 FANCY BISCUITS. 1 Abernethy Biscuits.-(See Seed Biscuits.) American.--Rub half a pound of butter into four pounds of flour add a full pint of milk, or water; well' wet them up; break your dough well, and bake them in a hot oven. Brighton.—Take one pound and a quarter of good moist sugar, and roll it till it is fine; then pass it through a sieve with two pounds and a half of flour; rub in two ounces of butter; make a hole in the mid- dle; strew in a few caraway seeds; pour in half a pint of honey. water, and a quarter of a pint of milk; beat it well with your hand till about half the four is incorporated; then mix it together; roll it out in thin sheets; cut them out, and place them on your buttered tins about two inches apart; wash with a little beer; and bake them in a good steady heat. Buttered.- Rub one pound of butter into seven pounds of flour; wet up with one quart of warm water, and half a pint of good yeast; break down smooth; prove your dough well; and bake in a strong heat. Captains.-Rub four ounces of butter into seven pounds of flour; wet up with a quart of water; break your dough smooth; and bake in a good strong heat. Drop.-Warm your pan; then put in one pound of powdered loaf sugar and eight eggs; beat it with a whisk till it becomes milk-warm; then beat it till it is cold; stir in a pound of sugar, two ounces of fine sifted flour, with about half an ounce of caraway seeds; put your bat- ter into the bladder, and drop it through the pipe, in quantities about the size of a nutmeg, on wafer-paper; sift sugar over the top, and bake in a quick oven. Filbert.--Rub a pound of butter into three pounds and a half of flour; make a hole, and put in ten ounces of powdered loaf sugar; wet up with four table-spoonsful of honey water, one of orange-flower water, and three-quarters of a pint of milk; break your dough smooth; mould them as large as a nutmeg, and as round as you can; cut them twice across the top each way, about half through, with a sharp knife; place them on your tin; and bake them in a steady heat. Lemon.—Prepare your dough as for filbert biscuits, only leave out the orange-flower water, and use about six drops of the essence of lemon; cut them out, and dock them with a lemon docker; bake them in a good steady heat. Naples.-— Take six ounces of good moist sugar, and six ounces of loaf; a quarter of a pint of water; and proceed the same as for diet cake, with six eggs, and three-quarters of a pound of four; have your tins papered; fill them nearly full of the batter; sugar over the tops; and bake them in rather a brisk oven. These biscuits are, in fact, nothing more than diet-bread batter, fancifully dropped into tin, 106 THE PASTRY-ÇOOK. pa pered with white paper, and baked in a warm oven, with a little sugar sifted over the top. Queens.—Rub one pound of butter into two pounds of flour; mix one pound of powdered sugar with it; then niake a hole and pour in a quarter of a pint of milk, to mix it up with; you may add a few caraways, if you choose ; roll the paste in sheets of the thickness of a halfpenny; cut them with an oval to about the size of an egg ; place them on clean tins, but see that they do not quite touch, prick them with a fork, and bake them in a slow oven till they begin to change colour; when they are cold, they will be crisp. Rout.-Powder one pound of loaf sugar, and soak it in three parts of half a pint of milk; let it stand two hours ; 'then add two table- spoonsful of honey water, and one egg; rub half a pound of butter into two pounds of four; make a hole in it, and mix it up with your sugar and milk. Or you may rub half a pound of butter into two pounds of flour, make a hole and put one pound of powdered sugar in the middle; then pour in three parts of half a pint of milk, and two table- spoonsful of honey water ; mix it up together; let it lie ten minutes; cut it out, and place them in buttered tins, see they do not touch; wash with milk, and bake quickly. Savoy.-Powder and sift one pound of loaf sugar; sift one pound of flour; warm a pan, and put in the sugar; break one pound of egg upon it; beat both together with a whisk till it becomes warm-beat till it is cold, and then stir in your flour; have a bladder and pipe ready; put your batter into the bladder, and force it through on sheets of paper; sift sugar over them and bake in a quick oven; when cold turn them up, and with a washing brush wet the bottom of the paper; turn them back again, and in five minutes they will come off easily. Seedy.--Rub one pound of butter into seven pounds of flour; roll one pound of moist sugar fine, and put into the middle with two ounces of caraway seeds; wet up with one pint and a half of milk, and one pint of honey. water; bake in a hot oven. Wine.-Take two pounds of four, two pounds of butter, and four ounces of sifted loaf sugar; rub the sugar and the butter into the flour, and make it into a stiff paste with milk; pound it in a mortar; roll it out thin, and cut it into sizes and shapes to your fancy; lay them on buttered paper, in a warm oven, or iron plates brushed with a little milk. When done, you can give them a glaze by brushing them over with a brush dipped in eggs. A few caraway seeds may be added if thought proper. York.—Prepare your mixture as for filbert biscuits; dock them with the Duchess of York, or any other docker--they are best baked in a hot oven, and not washed over. Powder.-Dry your biscuits in a slow oven; roll them and grind them with a rolling-pin on a clean board till the powder is fine; sift it through a fine hair-sieve, and it is fit for use. 108 THE PASTRY:CUOK. covered an inch or two thick with sawdust or fine ashes to protect the bottom. Bake it in an oven at a moderate heat. The time re- quired to bake it will depend on the state of the oven and the size of the cake. When the cake is cold, proceed to ice it. (See Icings for Cakes.) Wedding cakes have generally, first, a coating on the top of almond icing ; when this is dry, the sides and top are covered with royal or white icing. Fix on any gum paste or other orna- ments whilst it is wet; and when dry, ornament it with piping, orange-blossoms, ribbon, &c. ; the surface and sides are often covered with small knobs of white sugar candy whilst the icing is wet. Twelfth-cakes are iced with white or coloured icing, and deco- rated with gum paste, plaster ornaments, piping-paste, rings, knots, and fancy papers, &c., and piped. Savoy Cakes (hot mixture).-One pound of loaf sugar powdered, one pint of good eggs, and fourteen ounces of flour. Warm a pan, free from grease, with the sugar in it in the oven until you can scarcely bear your hand against it; then take it out and pour in the eggs: whisk the whole together with a birch or wire whisk until it is quite light and cold, when it will be white and thick. If it should not whisk up well, warın it again and beat it as before; or it may be beat over the stove fire until it is of the warmth of new milk. When it is finished, sift the flour and stir it in lightly with a spoon, adding a few drops of essence of lemon to favour it. Butter some tin or copper moulds regularly, so that there is not more on one place than another, nor too thick either, with rather less on the top of the mould than the sides. Dust it with loaf sugar sifted through a lawn sieve. Knock out all that does not adhere, and again dust it with fine flour; turn it out, and knock the mould on the board as before. Tie or pin a piece of buttered paper round the mould, so as to come two or three inches above the bottom. Fix the mould in a stand and nearly fill it. Bake in a moderate oven. When done, the top should be firm and dry. Try it by pushing in a small piece of stick or whisk, and if it comes out dry, it is done. The surface of the cake should be quite smooth. There is as much art in buttering the mould properly as in preparing the mixture, if not more. Cold Mixtures.—Separate the yolks from the whites when you break the eggs. Put the yolks into a clean pan with the sugar, and the whites in another by themselves. Let the pans be quite free from grease. If they are rubbed round with a litile flour, it will take off any which may be left about them. Wipe them out with a clean cloth. Beat up the yolks and sugar by themselves, with a wooden spoon, and afterwards whip up the whites to a very strong froth. If they should happen to be rather weak, a bit of powdered alum may be added. When the whites are whisked up firm, stir in the yolks and sugar, Sift the flour and mix it in lightly with the spatula, adding a little essence of lemon to flavour it. Fill the moulds and bake as before. When cakes are made in this way, the THE PASTRY-COOK, 109 eggs should be quite fresh and good, otherwise the whites cannot be whipped up. When weak, pickled eggs are used. I find a good method is to beat the eggs first by themselves, over a fire, until they are warm; then add the sugar, and whip it over the fire until it is again warm, or make as for hot mixtures, and heat it twice. Almond Savoy Cakes and Almond Hearts.---One pound of blanched sweet alinonds (four ounces of them may be bitter), two pounds of sugar, one pint of the yolks of eggs, half a pint of whole eggs, one pound of flour, and the whites of twelve eggs beat to a firm froth. Pound the almonds with the sugar in a mortar, and sift them through a wire sieve, or grind them in a mill, and mix them with the sugar in the mortar. First mix the whole eggs well with the almonds and sugar, then add the yolks by degrees, stirring the whole until quite light; then mix in the whites, and afterwards the flour, lightly; pre- pare some moulds as for Savoy cakes; but some only butter them. Fill the moulds three parts full and bake them in a moderate oven. For almond hearts, butter some tins in the shape of a heart, but with- out bottoms; cover a baking-plate with paper; place the tins on it, and fill them nearly three parts full with the mixture: dust a little sugar on the top, and bake them in a moderate oven. Venice Cake. Take a Savoy cake and cut it in slices, half or three-quarters of an inch thick, in a parallel direction from the bot- tom to the top; spread over each slice with raspberry or apricot jam, or some of each alternately, or any other sort of preserve. Replace each piece in its original form; when completed, make an icing as directed for cakes, with four whites of the eggs to a pound of sugar, which will make it rather thin. It may be coloured with cochineal, &c.; spread it over the cake, which, being thin, will run into the flutes and mouldings of the cake, when it will appear of the same form as before. Let it dry in the mouth of the oven, but be careful it does not get discoloured. When it is dry, ornament it with piping. Savoy cakes are often done in the same manner, without being cut in slices, to ornament them; or they may be done without icing, and either piped or ornamented with gum paste borders, &c., which are fixed on with dissolved gum Arabic. Volutes or high and projecting figures are supported with small wire. Savoy Cake to represent a Melon.—Bake a cake in a melon-mould; when cold, cover it with icing as for a Venice cake. Whilst it is wet, stick on some pieces of loaf sugar, to imitate the surface of the melon. Strew over it some yellow and green sugar-sands; or paint it when dry to imitate nature. Form the stalk, leaves, &c., out of gum-paste, and fix them in the centre, on the top. Savoy Cake to imitate a Hedgehog.-Bake a cake in a mould of that torm ; blanch sorne Valentia or Jordan almonds; cut them into small fillets and stick them over the surface, to form the quills or prickles of the hog. Put in two currants for the eyes. 10 110 THE PASTRY-CVOK. Bordeaux or Parisian Cakes.-Make a mixture as for pound-cakes, leaving out the fruit, peel, spices, &c.; bake it in a round or oval hoop. When baked and cold, cut it into slices, half an inch thick; spread each slice over with jam or marmalade. The outside of the cake may be cut round, or fluted to form a star ; and the centre of the cake is occasionally cut out to about an inch and a half from the edge, leaving the bottom slice whole : this may be filled with pre- served wet or dry fruits, creams, or a trifle. The top is ornamented with piping, wet or dry fruits, and peels, or piped with jam and icing. Italian Bread.-One pound of butter, one pound of powdered loaf sugar, one pound two ounces of flour, twelve eggs, half a pound of citron, and lemon-peel. Mix as for pound-cake. If the mixture begins to curdle, which it is most likely to do from the quantity of eggs, add a little of the flour. When the eggs are all used, and it is light, stir in the remainder of the flour lightly. Bake it in long, nar- row tins, either papered or buttered: first put in a layer of the mix- ture, and cover it with the peel cut in large thin slices; proceed in this way until it is three parts full, and bake it in a moderate oven. Rice Pound-Cake. - One pound of butter, one pound of powdered loaf sugar, twelve ounces of flour, half a pound of ground rice, and twelve eggs. Mix as Italian bread, and bake it in a papered hoop. If it is required with fruit, put two pounds of currants, three-quarters of a pound of peel, one nutmeg, grated, and a little pounded mace. Wafers.--Four ounces of sugar, four ounces of butter, eight ounces of flour, the yolk or white of one egg, and half a tea-cupful of milk or Melt the butter in the water; mix the egg, sugar and flour together, adding, by degrees, the melted butter and water; or, instead of the butter, it may be made into a thin batter with cream, and a little orange-flower water, or any other essence, to flavour it. The mixture may be coloured. Make the wafer-tongs hot over the hole of a stove or clear fire. Rub the inside surfaces with butter or oil, put in a spoonful of the batter, and close the tongs immediately; put them on the fire, lurning them occasionally until the wafer is done, which a little practice will soon enable you to ascertain; roll the wafers on a small round stick, stand them on their ends in a sieve, and put them in the stove to dry; serve them with ices. water. CAKES. Almond Cakes. - Take one pound of sweet Valentia, or Province almonds cover them with boiling water in a saucepan; let them just boil up, then strain them out of the water, and rub them out of their skins; cut about two ounces of them into thin slices; put the rest into a mortar, with one pound and a half of loaf sugar, the whites of six eggs, and one table-spoonful of orange-flower water; pound it fine; lay your wafer-paper on the tin, and drop your almond cakes on it 112 THE PASTRY•COOK. There is another method, which is as follows: Take two pounds of currants, half an ounce each of ground allspice and powdered cinnamon; four ounces each of candied orange and lemon peel; eight ounces of butter, one pound of moist sugar, and twelve ounces of flour; mix the whole well together; roll out a piece of puff paste; cut it into oval shapes; put a small quantity of your composition into each, and double them up in the shape of a puff; put the whole on a board, flatten them down with a rolling-pin, and sift powdered sugar over them-do not put them too close together; bake them on iron plates in a hot oven. Breakfast. - Put a tea-spoonful of good yeast into two pounds of flour; mix the yeast and a little of your flour with a half pint of warm milk, about the consistence of batter. When your paste has risen well, take a little milk,-melt three ounces of butter in it; put a tea- spoonful of salt, and the yolks of eight eggs into the flour and yeast, and with the milk and butter mix it well into dough. Be careful that neither your butter nor milk is so hot as to scală the flour or yeast, and also that your dough is not too soft. Make your paste into cakes about two inches thick; pnt them into buttered hoops : lay the hoops on iron plates, and wben they are lightly risen, bake them in a warm ven. When done, cut them into slices half an inch thick, and butter each slice as you would a roll; then cut them into pieces, and serve up for breakfast or tea. Cinnamon, Currant, and Caraway.- Rub one pound of butter into three pounds and a half of four; make a hole, and put in one pound of powdered loaf sugar; then wet it up with half a pint of honey water, and half a pint of milk. Divide your dough into three parts; add to one part a little powdered cinnamon; to another. a few cur- rants: to the other a few caraway seeds. Roll them in sheets to the thickness of the currants; cut them about the size of a penny-piece; wash with a little milk, and bake in a good steady heat. Common Cheese.Take four oựnces of butter; heat it with a wooden spoon in a warm pan, till it comes to a fine cream. Then add four ounces of powdered sugar; beat it well; add the yolk of one egg; beat again—then add one whole egg; beat all well together, and mix in four ounces of clean currants. Lay your puff paste in the patties; fill them half full; shake a little sugar over, and bake them in a good heat. Curd Cheese.. Warm one pint of new milk; stir in a bit of rennet; keep it warm till a nice curd appears; break it to pieces, and strain the whey through a hair-sieve. Then, having your mixture prepared as for common cheese-cakes, but without any currants, put it into the sieve with the curd, and rub it all through together. Then mix in your currants; fill them out, and bake them in a good heat. Almond Cheese.--Take three or four bitter, and one ounce of sweet almonds; boil and skin them; put them into a mortar, with two ounces of loaf sugar, and the yolks of two eggs; pound them fine. Then rub ** THE PASTRY-COOK. 113 two ounces of butter to a cream, and mix all together. Put puff paste in the patties; fill them three-parts full with the batter; lay a few cut almonds over the top; sugar over, and bake them in a steady oven. Lemon Cheese.-- Prepare your mixture as for common cheese-cakes, and grate the rind of a nice fresh lemon, and mix with it. The cur- rants may be left out or not. Derby.-Rub one pound of butter in two pounds and a half of flour; make a hole, and put in one pound of powdered loaf sugar; beat two eggs with three table-spoonsful of honey water, and as much milk as will make up half a pint. Add half a pound of currants; mix all up together; make them what size you please, and bake them in a steady oven. · Diet Bread.—Whisk the yolks of twelve and the whites of six eggs together, so as just to break them. Put a quarter of a pint of water into a saucepan, or small stew-pan; add a pound of loaf sugar, and put it on the fire. Take it off just before it boils; put in the eggs, and stir it well together till cold; then stir in lightly one pound of flour, and put your mixture into square tins prepared. Sift sugar over the tops, and bake in a warm oven, till they are dry and firm on the tops. A few currants or caraway seeds may be occasionally used to vary them. Ginger:-- Prepare your dough as for Bath cakes, but add as much ground ginger as will give them a pleasant taste; cut them about the thickness of a shilling, and full as large as a penny-piece; wash them with water, and bake quick. Lord Mayors.-Put one pound of sifted loaf sugar and eight eggs into an earthen pan; whisk them well for about five minutes, until quite thick. Then add a few caraway seeds, and a pound of flour ; mix it all up lightly with a spoon, and drop them on paper, about the size of a small tea-cup; place them on iron plates; sift sugar or car- away seeds on the top, and bake in a hot oven. When done, take them off the papers, and stick two together. Lunch, or School.- Rub half a pound of moist sugar into two pounds of flour; make a hole in the middle of it, and put in a table- spoonful of good thick yeast (not bitter); warm half a pint of milk, rather more than blood-warm, but not hot enough to scald the yeast; mix it with the yeast and a little of the flour, about one-third part . When it has risen, which will be in about three quarters of an hour, if the yeast is good, melt half a pound of butter in a little more milk;-be careful it is not hot enough to scald the yeast. Add oui pound and a-half of currants, a little candied peel, and grated rind of lemon, and a tea-spoonful of powdered allspice,-mix all together; butter your hoop, or tin, put it in, and set it in a warm place to rise. When it has risen, bake it in a warm oven. When you think it is done, stick in a small twig of your whisk, and if it comes out dry it is done; but if it is sticky, it is not sufficiently baked. The cake 10* THE PASTRY-COOK. 117 minutes, make it into cakes and put them on warm tinssee that they have room so as not to touch—when well proved, make a hole in the middle, the size of a large thimble-bake them in a hot oven-when done, wash them with a little melted butter. York Drops.-- Bruise eight ounces of sweet almonds in a mortar, baving bleached and dried them as directed-add the whites of three eggs, and rub them with the pestle till quite finę - then add the whites of four more eggs, and one pound of sifted loaf sugar-mix all well together, and lay it out on paper the size of large peas; bake in a warm oven, or on iron plates, and when done and cold, take them off the paper. (Anne Page's.-One pound of butter, two pounds of flour, one pound of the best loaf sugar, two ounces of caraway seed, half a pint of good rose-water. Rub the sugar into the butter, and then mix care- fully in the sifted flour and caraway seed with the rose-water. Roll the mass thus formed into sheets to about the thickness of a dollar, and shape with small tin cutter; lay them on baking-dishes, and bake in a moderate oven. These are commonly called A. P.'s. York Cakes.- Rub into six ounces of butter one pound of sifted flour ; then mix together half a pound of pulverized loaf sugar, four ounces currants, well washed and dried, and half an ounce of pow- dered cloves; rub in with the butter and flour half a pint of warm milk; roll out the paste into thin sheets, and cut with a round cutter, and bake at a moderate heat. Jumbles. - Half a pound of butter, half a pound of the best loaf sugar, pulverized, half a pound of finely-sifted flour ; rub intimately together with three eggs and half a wineglass of rose-water, add half an ounce of ground cinnamon and one grated nutmeg ; bake in å moderate heat on waxed tins. Cinnamon Biscuit.--Grind in a clean mortar a quarter of a pound of sweet almonds, blanched; to which add, gradually, the whites of three eggs, and then three-quarters of a pound of the best pulverized loaf sugar, and two ounces of ground cinnamon ; form into a paste, which should be laid out on greased tins, in diamond or other shapes; ice with cold water, to produce a gloss, and bake. Hazlenut Kisses. --Beat one pound of pulverized white sugar with the whites of eight eggs over a slow fire until they are light, then add four ounces of blanched filberts, cụt fine; lay them out on paper, and bake in a slow oven. Vanilla Biscuit.-Beat with a whisk the whites of ten eggs to a very strong froth, add three-quarters of a pound of finely-pulverized loaf sugar, ten ounces of sifted flour, three cloves of vanilla pulve. rized with three ounces of loaf sugar. Stir all these ingredients to- gether for one minute, and put the batter into paper bag or cornet ; lay out on waxed tins, and bake in a moderate oven. THE PASTRY-COOK. 119 after which, beat up the whites of the four eggs, and when they are very stiff, pour a fourth part of them on the yolks, which you after- wards mix with the remainder of the whites, with the addition of two ounces of sifted flour, stirring continually, to make the whole very smooth. Then form your biscuits on half sheets of white paper, folded in such a manner that they are only three inches in length, and no larger than your finger. As soon as one sheet is full, cover your bis- cuits with fine sugar, and place on a baking-plate, which you put in the oven as soon as the surface of the biscuits become glossy by the melting of the sugar. Bake in a moderate oven, and when they have acquired a fine colour take them out; when sufficiently cool, remove from the paper by moistening the opposite side, or with the blade of a very thin knife. Place them afterwards two and two, with their backs to each other, in order not to injure the glossy sides. Biscuit à la Cuillière (Spoon Biscuit).-Mix the yolks of three eggs with four ounces of fine sugar and half a clove of vanilla, powdered and passed through a silk sieve; after working these ingredients for five minutes, add a whole egg, then work them again for five minutes; after which add another whole egg, and continue to work them for five minutes longer; then beat up the whites of the first three eggs to a very stiff froth, and mix them, together with two ounces of dried and finely-sifted flour, to the former ingredients: when the batter is quite sleek, lay out on paper, and bake as Lady-fingers. Small Biscuits with Almonds.—Prepare three yolks as usual; work them ten minutes with four ounces of sugar and an ounce of pounded bitter almonds; add a whole egg, and work together full five minutes longer; then beat up the whites very stiff, and mix them with the yolks, together with one ounce and a half of wheat flour dried in the nven and passed through a fine sieve: work this batter till it is quite sleek, and then pour it in small copper moulds formed like small melons, carefully buttered and covered twice with sugar. Mask the biscuit with fine sugar, and bake in a moderate oven. Biscuits with Cream. — After mixing the yolks of three eggs with four ounces of fine sugar, (on which half the peel of a small lemon has been grated), work the mixture for ten minutes; then beat up the three whites as usual; mix them gradually with the yolks, toge- ther with one ounce and a half of dried sifted four, and four spoonsful of whipped cream, well drained: the whole being lightly mixed toge- ther and very sleek, put it in moulds or cases, covering the tops of the biscuits with fine sugar; when the sugar is melted, put the bis- cuits in a gentle oven, and let them bake twenty or twenty-five minutes. When taken out of the oven, be careful to put theni on their sides to prevent their sinking. Biscuits glazed with Chocolate. -Prepare the same ingredients as the last, but flavour then with half a clove of vanilla pounded and passed through a silk sieve; then put them in a case ten inches in THE PASTRY-COOK. 121 your frames papered, fill them three parts full with the batter, sift sugar over them, and bake them in a steady oven. | French Rolls.—Set a sponge with a quart of warm water, and half or three-quarters of a pint of good yeast; let your sponge rise and drop, then melt one ounce of butter in a pint of warm milk, and one ounce of salt, to wet up with; it will take about seven pounds of flour altogether; let it lie about half an hour, then put them on warm tins; prove them well, and bake them in a quick oven. Short Bread.-Rub one pound of butter into three pounds of flour; make a hole and put in one pound of powdered sugar; then wet up with a quarter of a pint of honey water, a quarter of a pint of milk, and two eggs; break them in round pieces about as big as a walnut; roll them round or oval, to the size of a tea-saucer; pinch round the edge; place them at the distance of one inch from each other on clean tins, not buttered ; cut half a pound of candied orange or lemon peel into pieces, and lay them on the top of your cakes; bake them in a good' steady oven. Queen's Ginger-Bread.—Take two pounds of honey, one pound and three-quarters of the best moist sugar, three pounds of flour, half a pound of sweet almonds blanched and cut thin, half a pound of candied orange; peel the rinds of two lemons, grated, and an ounce of pow- dered cinnamon, half an ounce of nutmeg, cloves, inace, and cardi- moms, mixed and powdered, and a wine-glassful of water; put your honey and water into a pan over the fire, and make it quite hot; mix the other ingredients into the flour, and pour in your honey, sugar, and water, and mix all well together; let it stand till next day: make it into cakes and bake it; rub a little clarified sugar until it will blow in bubbles through a skimmer, and with a paste-brush rub over your ginger-bread when baked. Spice Ginger-Bread. -Take three pounds of four, one pound of moist sugar, four ounces of candied lemon or orange peel, cut small, one ounce of powdered ginger, two ounces of powdered allspice, half an ounce of powdered cinnamon, a handful of caraway seeds, and three pounds of treacle ; rub the butter with your hand into the flour; then add the other ingredients, and mix it in the dough with the trea- cle; make it into cakes or nuts, and bake them in a warm oven. Thick Ginger-Bread.- Prepare seven pounds of treacle, rub three- quarters of a pound of butter into twelve pounds of flour; mix three ounces of caraway, two ounces of ground coriander seeds, and two ounces of ground allspice, with your flour and treacle; mould it well together, make it into cakes, point them, butter the sides, and place them close together on buttered tins; put up-sets round them, wash with milk, and bake in a steady heat; when they are done, wash with egg and milk. Sweetmeat Nuts.--- Prepare seven pounds of treacle; mix four ounces of ground ginger, six ounces of ground allspice, eight ounces of can- - 11 122 THE PASTRY-COOK, * died lemon and orange, cut small, with pine pounds of flour; wet it up with your treacle, then beat into your dough four pounds of butter, and five pounds of good moist sugar; lay them off on buttered tins, about the size of walnuts, flat them down, wash them with water, and bake them in a slow oven. Spice Nuts.- Prepare seven pounds of treacle; rub half a pound of butter into nine pounds of flour; mix four ounces of ground allspice, four ounces of ground ginger, two ounces each of caraway and cori- ander seeds powdered with your butter, flour, and treacle; roll half a pound of moist sugar, and strew it over the top, so that you take a little in every piece you cut from it; roll them out in long rolls about the size of your finger; cut them in pieces the size of a nutmeg; place them on buttered tins, but not to touch; wash with water or small beer, and bake in a good steady oven. Muffins.-Muffins are baked on a hot iron plate, and not in an oven. To a quarter of a peck of flour add three-quarters of a pint of yeast, four ounces of salt, and as much water (or milk) slightly warmed, as is sufficient to form a dough of rather a soft consistency. Small por- tions of the dough are then put into holes, previously made in a layer of flour about two inches thick, placed on a board, and the whole is covered up in a blanket, and suffered to stand near a fire, to cause the dough to rise ; when this is effected, they will each exhibit a semi-globular shape; they are then placed on a heated iron plate, and baked; when the bottoms of the muffins begin to acquire a brownish colour, they are turned, and baked on the opposite side. [Wheat Muffins.-Melt a small piece of butter into a quart of milk, and set it aside until cold - beat four eggs very light, and make batter by adding alternately and very gradually a little milk and a little flour, until the batter is of the proper consistence, which is quite thin— then add a large spoonful of yeast, if you do not use the pow- ders as directed in the note on page 123. Bake them in muffin-rings on a griddle, and butter them before serving, – they must be torn asunder to butter, as cutting them open renders them heavy. Rice Muffins.-Rice muffins are made in the same manner exactly as rice cakes, except that the batter of the foriner is thinner-that is, to a quart of milk and three eggs, you put less rice and less flour. Rice Cakes. --Boil half a pint of rice until quite soft, setting it aside until perfectly cool; beat three eggs very light and put them with a pint of wheat flour to the rice, making it into a batter with a quart of milk; beat it well, and set it to rise with a spoonful of yeast, or use the yeast powders as directed above. Bake on a griddle, and butter them before sending them to table. Buckwheat Cakes.--To a quart of buckwheat meal put a little Indian meal (say a table-spoonful) and a little salt; make them into a batter with cold water, taking care to beat it very well, as the excellence of buckwheat cakes depends very much on their being well beaten; 126 THE PASTRY-COOK. fold it into three parts by doubling one part over the other; after which roll it out again, and fold it once more into three equal parts now roll it to a greater length, envelope it with a clean linen cloth which has been dusted with some sifted flour-lay this on some finely pounded ice, taking care to have several folds of cloth between the paste and the ice, to prevent the moisture striking through--place on the top of the paste a dish containing some pounded ice--this serves to keep the surface of the paste cool, and also to prevent it becoming soft by the action of the air. After three or four minutes, remove the dish, and turn the paste upside down, instantly covering it as before. This operation should be performed three times in the same manner, and with the same precautions. Lastly, roll it out two or three times according to what you intend to make of it, and use it as expeditiously as possible, lest the heat of the season should render it too soft to handle, or prevent its having the desired effect in baking. Thus, in less than half an hour, it is possible to make very fine puff paste, having previously everything ready-the ice pounded, the but- ter frozen, and the oven quite hot, otherwise it cannot be done. This is important, as it is sometimes an hour before the oven can be made hot; and therefore the paste should not be begun to be made till the oven is half heated. The following is another method.] Puff Paste.--Take one pound of flour, and one pound of good firm butter; cut your butter into slices; roll it in thin sheets on some of your flour; wet up the rest with about a quarter of a pint of water; see that it is about as stiff as your batter; roll it to a thin sheet; cover it with your sheets of butter; double it in a three double; do the same five times; then double it up; lay it in the cold to use when you trant it, keeping the air from it: you ought to make it before the sun rises, unless you have a cold place to make it in. The following is another method :- Take one pound of flour, and eight ounces of butter; rub the butter into the flour with your hand, and make it into a paste with water, to the consistence of very thick batter; roll out your paste thin; break eight ounces more butter into pieces of the size pf a shil- ling, and put them in all parts of your paste; fold it up; and after stand- ing a short time, roll it out again; when it has been rolled out three times, it is fit for use. Short Paste.-Rub one pound of butter into one pound and a quar- ter of flour; wet it up stiff with cold water; work it smooth, and it is fit for use. Tart Paste.--Eight ounces of butter rubbbed into a pound of flour with your hand, and made into a stiff paste with water, is an excel- lent paste for tarts. Apricot Tart.-Lay your puff paste in patties; put your jam in the middle, and bake them in a brisk oven; or you may bake your puff paste first with a bit of bread in the middle; then take out the bread -fill the hole with jam; it will look very handsome. THE PASTRY-COOK. 127 Covered Tart.- Take your short paste; cut it into pieces to the size of your patties; roll them out thin; lay in the bottoms; put your fruit as high as you can; put a pinch of sugar on the top; close your tart; sprinkle water over it; put a pinch of powdered loaf sugar on the top; and bake them in a good steady heat. Raspberry Turt. – Take your short paste; cut it into pieces of nearly the size of your patties; about the thickness of a penny-piece; then with your thumb drive it thin in the middle; leave it thick at the edge; cut it round close to the patty, and notch it with the back of your knife; thin your raspberry-jam with a little water, and fill the tart three parts full; bake them in a brisk oven. Or you may made them with puff paste, in the same manner as apricot tarts, if you choose. Mince Pies. Stew three pounds of lean beef till it is tender; chop it fine with one pound and a half of beef suet, one dozen of apples, and one pound of stoned raisins; mix all together, with three pounds of currants, washed and picked clean, half a pound of citron, half an ounce, together, of cloves, cinnamon, and mace, pounded fine, a little allspice, a pint of brandy, and three half pints of cider, and one pound and a half of good moist sugar , squeeze it close down in a glazed pan, and it will be fit for use; then roll your puff paste in sheets, about the thickness of a penny-piece; cut out the tops to the size of your pies; put your cuttings for bottoms ; fill them to your fancy; cover and close them; and bake them in a steady oven. * Raised Pie.-Take seven pounds of floor; then take one pound of mutton suet, clarified down; put it into a saucepan with one pint and a half of water, and set it over the fire till it boils ; make a hole in the middle of your flour, and pour in your liquor boiling hot; then mix in your flour with a spoon till you can bear to put your hand in; mix it till it becomes a nice smooth piece of dough; cover it over with a cloth; and raise your pies with as much of it as will make the size you want; when filled and nicely closed, wash with egg, and lay on your ornament. Your oven must be brisk, if for srnall pies; but if for large ones, a more steady heat will be best. THE BAKER. INTRODUCTION. . BAKING, or the art of making bread, is amongst the earliest modes résorted to by the more advanced portions of mankind for the prepa. ration of food. In the early ages, however, loaf or leavened bread was unknown, as it is amongst uncivilized nations to this day. The North American Indians contrive, by pounding their maize, or Indian corn, to make a sort of cake, which they bake by means of hot cin- ders. This serves them, and, indeed, occasionally the Anglo-Ameri- cans, as a substitute for loaf or leavened bread, and may be called unleavened bread. But in soine parts of the world bread is not known; in others it may be known, but is not used as amongst the people inhabiting the vast Pampas on the Rio de la Plata, where scarcely anything is eaten but beef. Bread may be thus defined ;-A nutritive substance made of corn, generally wheat, or other farinaceous or mealy vegetables, ground or reduced into flour or meal, that is, a powder more or less fine, and kneaded or mixed with water, and baked in an oven, upon hot ashes or other grise. This process makes unleavened bread, or, in other words, unfermented bread, or what now called biscuits. To lea- vened or fermented bread, that is, the bread generally used in our houses, there must be an addition, yeast, or some other substance which has the property of promoting fermentation. The origin or etymology of the word bread is not without interest. Horne Tooke says, bread is brayed, grain, from the verb to bray or pound in a mortar, the ancient way in which flour was made. The meaning of bread, therefore, is something brayed—brayed wheat, or wheat bread - pease brayed, or bread - oats brayed, or bread, &c. The word bread was spelt differently in different ages; thus we have brede, breed, &c. Dough, Horne Tooke says, comes from the Anglo- Saxon word deaw-ian, to wet, to moisten. Dough, or dow, means wetted. The bread, that is, brayed corn or grain, by being wetted becomes dough. Loaf comes from the Anglo-Saxon word hlif-ian, to raise, to lift up. (128) - THE BAKER. 131 of flour, experience is also necessary; but any one may form a pretty accurate idea whether it is good or bad, by attending to the follow- ing directions :-If flour is of a fine white colour, it may be pro- nounced good, so far as colour is concerned; but if it be brown, it shows that either it was made from bad wheat, or that it has been coarsely dressed that is, particles of bran, more or less fine, have been left in it. Brown flour, however, may be of a good, sound qual. ity, and fine white flour not so. To judge of flour, take a portion in your hand and press it firmly between your thumb and fore-finger, at the same time rubbing it gently, for the purpose of making a level surface upon the flour. By this means you will be able to ascertain the colour, by observing the pressed and smooth surface; and the act of pressing and smoothing it, will enable you to ascertain these facts. If it feel loose and lively in the hand, it is of good quality ; if on the contrary it feels dead or damp, or in other words clammy, it is de cidedly bad. Flour ought to be a few weeks old before it is used; but it will keep good much longer, if kept in a dry place covered over. But it is, perhaps, better to trust to your miller or mealınan, who, if you are a good and constant customer, will take care to serve you with good flour for his own sake; for if he employs any tricks, he is sure to be discovered when the bread comes out of the oven. It has been found by analysis, that wheat flour consists of three principal substances, namely, starch, gluten, and sugar, and a very small portion of albumen; of these, the starch is the most nourish- ing as food. The gluten resembles animal glue in its tenacious qua. lities; and its smell, when subjected to a strong heat, is fætid, like burning horn or feathers. It will not ferment in warm water and yeast, but like a piece of flesh will become putrid. Mr. Edlin says, that “this substance is totally different from vegetable matter, but rather resembling animal.” The gluten in wheat flour is the cause of its forming an adhesive paste with water, and its rising in leaven. Starch forms the most considerable part of wheat-flour, and there is reason to believe, from so many persons subsisting on potatoes, which contain much starch and no gluten, that it is the most nutri- tious; but starch cannot be made into 'bread, because it wants the mucilaginous gluten to give it tenacity, and the saccharine matter, or sugar, to induce fermentation. From experiments made by Mr. Edlin, it appears that a pound of wheat contains three ounces of bran, ten ounces of starch, six drachms of gluten, and two drachms of sugar; which, with the loss of two ounces in grinding and reducing the flour to starch, make one pound, or sixteen ounces. From this it appears that he did not discover the albumen, which M. Seguin considers the fermenting principle. Mr. Edlin also ascertained by experiment, that starch, isinglass, and sugar, mixed in proper quantities, and fermented with yeast, will make a light and porous bread. . 132 THE BAKER. Flour-paste may be considered as merely a viscid and elastic tis- sue, the interstices of which are filled with starch, albumen, and sugar. We know that it is from the gluten that the dough derives its property of rising on the admixture of leaven; the leaven-acting on the sweet principle of the wheat, gives rise in succession to the vinous and acetous fermentation, and of consequence to alcohol, acetic, and carbonic acids. The latter gas tends to fly off, but the gluten resists its disengagement, expands like a membrane-forms a multitude of little cavities, which give lightness and sponginess to the bread. To judge of good yeast, no positive directions can be given. Yeast should always be fresh, and if made from table ale it is better, because less bitter than that made from very strong ale. If the yeast is sour, the dough will not rise. Originally what is called leaven was uni- formly employed, and it is now sometimes used as a substitute for yeast. Those who use it, keep a pound or more dough from baking to ba king. It is kept in a wooden barrel, or bowl, covered with flour. Before it is fit to use, it must be both stale and sour. Bread made in this way is said to be more digestible, but it is not so pleasant to the taste. Leaven is now only used at sea. A good oven is necessary for the production of good bread. If the oven be heated, as in country places, by dry wood, furze, or fern, burnt in the oven itself, it ought to be built round, not long, as there will be in the former case a greater equality of heat. The roof should be from twenty inches to two feet high in the centre; the mouth no larger than will be sufficient to admit the bread. But many people who make their own bread send it to be baked at the baker's. We have seen good ovens attached to a stove, and heated by the kitchen fire. These are not sufficiently capacious to contain loaves enough for the consumption of a large family, but they answer the purpose of a small family very well. To save room, it will be neces- sary, in stove ovens, to bake in tins. Bread thus baked is much more smooth and neat than when baked in the ordinary way; but the plea- sant crispness of the crust is wanting. The ovens used in London and some other large towns are, for the most part, heated by a furnace placed on one side. The heat in these ovens is very equable, and the baker is enabled to keep it up at all times with very little trouble, and with less expense than by the old method. FAMILY LOAF-BREAD, Under this head we shall give directions for making bread of wheat flour only. The manufacturing of barley flour, rye flour, and a mix ture of different kinds of flours, with or without the addition of vari- ous other nutritive substances, &c.; 'into bread, will be treated of hereafter. Family or Home-Baked Bread.--An expeditious and simple method 136 E BAKER. THE for use. water, till it comes to the consistence of a thin jelly, pour it into a machine for impregnating water with fixed air; then put into the lower vessel some coarse powdered marble, and pour on it some sul- phuric acid diluted with water. The apparatus is now to be adjust- ed, and the upper vessel put in its place, and nearly stopped. The fixed air now passes through the valve, and ascends into the middle and upper part of the machine, where the gas is absorbed by the flour jelly in considerable quantity; and in the course of a few hours the matter will be found so strongly impregnated, as to be in a state of fermentation. This artificial yeast may now be put into a bottle The great advantage of this yeast is, that it may be made in situations where it is impossible to procure brewers' yeast. The foregoing operation need not be performed but once by the same in- dividual, as the process may be carried on by mixing this artificial yeast, which was invented by the late Mr. Henry, with the preced- ing preparation recommended by Dr. Lettsom, which it will cause to ferment the same as brewers' yeast. Another artificial yeast is made as follows:- Take half a pound of fine flour, the same quantity of coarse brown sugar, and a quarter of a peck of bruised malt; boil these over the fire for a quarter of an hour, in half a gallon of water, then strain the liquor through a sieve into an upright jug, and when cooled to 80 degrees of heat, add one pint of the artificial Seltzer water, or, if procurable, Seltzer wa- ter itself, or water impregnated with fixed air—the mixture will soon begin to ferment: it should then be set before the fire, and when ebullition ceases, the yeast will sink to the bottom. Pour off the clear liquor, and the yeast will be fit for use. Patent Yeast, which is extensively used by the London bakers, and which is, perhaps, preferable to all other yeasts, is made as follows: -Take half a pound of hops and two pailfuls of water, mix and boil in the oven till the liquid is reduced to one pailful; strain the decoc- tion into the seasoning tub, and when it is sufficiently cool put in half a peck of malt. In the mean time, put the hops, strained off, again into two pailfuls of water, and boil as before till they are reduced to one; strain the liquid while hot into the seasoning tub. The heat will not injuriously affect malt, previously mixed with tepid water. Boil the hops again as before, and strain off as before into the season. ing tub. When the liquor has cooled down to about blood-heat, strain off the malt, and add to the liquor two quarts of patent yeast set apart from the previous making. It ought to be observed, that brew- ers' yeast will not answer the purpose. To the malt and hops some add a little flour, but the patent yeast is quite as good without the flour, which in summer is apt to make the yeast go sour. By the * If this be the case, it may be fairly asked, by what means the first patent yeast was generated? The answer is, by a cheinical process si- milar to that invented by Mr. Henry, and which we have given under the head of ARTIFICIAL YEAST. THE BAKER. 137 above process five gallons of very good yeast may be made, which will be ready for use the day after it is made. It occupies in manu facturing from about seven o'clock in the morning till two or three in the afternoon; but it gives very little trouble to the baker. ALUM, POTATOES, &c. These ingredients are now considered indispensable by the London bakers in the manufacturing of second or household bread, that is, the bread in daily use in the metropolis. The effects of alum upon bread are not well understood; but it is generally said to bleach and act as an astringent. Accum says, that * the theory of the bleaching property of alum, as manifested in the panification (making into bread) of an inferior kind of flour, is by no means well understood; and indeed it is really surprising, that the effect should be produced by so small a quantity of that substance, two or three ounces of alum being sufficient for a sack of flour. From experiments in which I have been employed, with the assistance of skilful bakers, I am authorized to state, that without the addition of alum, it does not appear possible to make hite, light, and porous bread, such is used in this me- tropolis, unless the flour be of the very best quality.” Mr. A. Booth, the lecturer on Chemistry, asserte, that “alum bleaches from the attraction of alumina, one of its constituent parts, to the colouring matter of the flour, and also acts as an astringent on the bread.” If these opinions are to be relied upon, of course the question is settled, as to the indispensability of alum in making London bread. Accum asserts, that he, in conjunction with skilful bakers, has tested the thing by experiments, which prove that alum cannot be dispensed with. For our part, we are inclined to think, that the whiteness of the London bread is owing, in some degree, to the process of baking, a process widely differing from that followed by women in making home-baked bread; which, as we have elsewhere asserted, is never so white or so porous, though made of the same flour, as bakers' bread. Accum, whatever talent he might possess as a chemist, was a fraudu- lent writer, and therefore his assertions are not to be relied on, as to the experiments which he alleges he had made. We agree with him, however, in his observation, that "the theory of the bleaching property of alum, &c., is by no means well understood." The quantity of alum used in baking is much less than the public generally imagine, even by the most fraudulent of cheap-bread bakers, and indeed much smaller than many of the bakers themselves ima- gine. This may appear a strange assertion, and it is probably one never made before in print; but a little explanation will make the point quite clear. It is well known that the bakers are liable to a heavy fine if alum is found on their premises. To avoid this liability as much as possible, they have long been in the habit of buying the 12* THE BAKER. 145 $ particularly Ireland, it is almost the exclusive food of the poor. The potatoe contains a great deal of starch. Rice, notwithstanding its rough and dry qualities, as a farinaceous vegetable, is capable of being converted into bread, without the addi tion of any other substance. The Americans, however, make bread of rice by washing it in water till perfectly clean. They then, after the rice has been sufficiently drained, put it into a mortar, and reduce it while damp into a sort of powder; it is then completely dried, and passed through a hair-sieve. The flour thus obtained, it is said, is then generally mixed with a little Indian corn-meal, and boiled into a thickish consistence, which is sometimes mixed with boiled pota toes, and fermented and baked in tins, or pans, in the usual manner. The bread, we are told, made in this way, is light and wholesome- “pleasing to the eye, and agreeable to the taste." But a sort of bread may be made from rice, without the addition of any other kind of meal. Let a sufficient quantity of rice-flour be put into a kneading trough, and at the same time let a due proportion of four be boiled, into which throw a few handsful of rice in the grain, and boil it till it is broken. This compound will form a thick and viscous substance, which is poured upon the flour, and the whole is kneaded with a mixture of salt and yeast, or other fermenting matter. The dough is then covered with flannel or other cloths to keep it warm, and left to rise. This dough, though firm at first, in the course of fermentation becomes as liquid as soup, and is quite incapable of being worked into loaves, in the usual manner, by the hand. The following is the mode by which this difficulty is surmounted : The oven is heated while the dough is rising; and it being sufficiently hot, the dough is put into a tin pan, which is covered with a paper, or large leaves. The tin is then placed in the oven, and immediately reversed or turned upside down; the heat prevents the dough from spreading, and, in fact, fixes it in that shape given it by the stewpan or box. This bread is said to be “both beautiful and good;" but when it gets stale, it becomes very much deteriorated -as indeed does all bread in which there is rice. Potatoes, mixed in various proportions with meal, are frequently employed in the making of bread. The London bakers all use them in greater or less quantities-not, as they say, to save flour, but to assist fermentation. There are various ways in which potatoes may be used with meal in the production of bread, potatoes alone will not make good bread; the potatoe is not of an adhesive quality, and the_bread is not only brown and heavy, but crumbles to pieces. M. Parmentier, to render it more adhesive, mixed with the potatoe- ineal a decoction of bran, and sometimes honey and water; either of which, he says, much improved it, by rendering it lighter, better coloured, well tasted, and sufficiently consistent, : He obtained also, he adds, well-fermented bread, of a good colour and taste, by mixing some potatoe pulp with meal of wheat, or pota- 13 THE BAKER. 147 ed nd Bread made of Routs.-M. Parmentier, late chief Apothecary in the Hotel des Invalides, whose authority we have before quoted, has pub- lished numerous and very curious experiments on the vegetables, which in times of scarcity might be used in the subsistence of ani- mals, as substitutes for those usually employed for that purpose. The result of these experiments in the mind of M. Parmentier was, that starch is the nutritive part of farinaceous vegetables, and that the farina of plants was identical with the starch of wheat. The plants from which he extracted this farina are the bryony, the iris, gladiolus, ranunculus, fumaria, arum, dracunculus, mandragora, colchicum, fili- pendula, helleborus, and the roots of the gramen caninum arvense, or dog grass of the fields. The mode employed by M. Parmentier to extract the starch, or farina, from these vegetables, was merely bruising and boiling. The roots were cleansed and scraped, then reduced to a pulp, which being soaked in a considerable quantity of water, a white sediment is de- posited, which when properly washed and dried will be found to be pure starch. M. Parmentier converted this starch into bread by mingling it with an equal quantity of potatoes reduced to a pulp, and employing the usual quantity of yeast or other leaven. The bread, we are informed, had no bad taste, and was of excellent quality. chiefly the amylaceous matter or starch of grain that is nutritious; and, that the nutritive quality of other vegetable substances depends in a great measure on the quantity of that matter which they contain. Starch formed into a jelly, and diffused in water, will keep a long time without change. Ragwort.—Bread has been made in times of scarcity from the roots of this plant. When ragwort root is first taken out of the ground, it is soft and viscous, but becomes hard in a short time, and may be pre- served in that state for years without being at all deteriorated, pro- viding it be kept in a dry, airy place. When this root is ground and reduced to flour, which it may easily be, it has an agreeable nut-like taste. It is said to be easily digested when made into bread, and to be more nutritive and “exhilarating," than wheaten bread. The same properties and effects are attributed to radishes, but we appre- hend not truly Turnip Bread-is made of turnips mixed with equal quantities of wheat flour. The turnips must be first washed clean, then pared and boiled. Mash them and press the water out of them at least the greater part. Mix with an equal quantity in weight of coarse meal Hour-make the dough in the usual manner, and when risen, form it into loaves, and bake it rather more than ordinary bread; when taken from the oven it will be light and sweet, with a little taste of the turnip.“ After it has been allowed to stand," says our authority, "twelve hours, the taste of the turnips is scarcely perceptible, and the smell is quite gone. After an interval of twenty-four hours, it out RE I La com is made of some time and it 150 "HE BAKER. i formed, till a thick batter is made. Then add two or three ounces of salt, set it over the fire again, and allow it to boil an hour and a half; pour the proper proportion for a cake into an iron kettle, and bake it. Acorn Bread — is made of ripe acorns deprived of their husks or skins, and beaten into a paste. To extract the astringent quality of the acorns, put the pastė into water for a night, and then press the water from the paste. The mass when dried and powdered must be kneaded up into a dough with water, and raked out into thin cakes, which may be baked over embers. This bread is said not to be dis agreeable, and no doubt was considered a great luxury by our British ancestors in the time of the oak-worshipping Druids. Oatmeal Cakes are thus made: - To a peck of oatmeal add a few table-spoonsful of salt; knead into a stiff paste with warm water; roll the paste into thin cakes, and bake it in an oven, over a hot iron plate, or on embers. Sometimes oat-cake is fermented a little, which makes the cakes light and porous. Oatmeal and Pease Bread. - To a peck of pease flour, and a like quantity of oatmeal, previously well mixed, by passing the two flours through a sieve, add three or four ounces of salt; knead into a stiff mass with warm water; roll out into thin cakes; and bake in an oven. In some parts of Lancashire and Scotland, this kind of bread is made into flattened rolls, and they are usually baked in an iron pot. Chestnut Bread -- is made from horse-chestnuts, which are seldom or never used for food in this country, though their nutritious quali. ties are well known to the people in the southern parts of Europe, particularly in some districts of Italy, and in the island of Corsica, where it is the chief and almost the whole of the food of the peasantry. To make this bread, take a peck of horse-chestnuts; peel the skins off them; let them be bruised into a paste; dilute the mass with water, which destroys their astringency, and then strain them through a sieve; a milky liquor is thus separated, which on standing deposits & fine white powder; this, on being dried and ground into flour, is found to be without smell or flavour. It is then made up, sometimes by itself, and not unfrequently with an equal portion of wheat flour, into a paste, with warm milk and a little salt, and when baked makes a very eatable bread. Potatoe Bread.-Boil the potatoes, and rub them through a cullen- der or sieve, and, while hot, rub them in with the flour, which ought to be previously dried. The potatoes should be in proportion to the flour of one-third or one-half. Milk and water 'is sorretimes used for making potatoe bread. Rye Bread-Barley Breadmand bread made of equal parts of rye flour and wheat flour, or of equal parts of barley flour, rye flour, and wheat flour—are made in the same way as already described. Milk, or milk and water, is preferred, in making rye bread, to pure water. THE BAKER. 151 The Bread Tree. --Various substances have been employed in dif- ferent parts of the world as substitutes for making bread, in the absence of farinaceous or flour-yielding vegetables. The bread tree, or rather the fruit of this tree, ranks first among the substances alluded to. The bread tree is common in many parts of the east. It is very abundant at Surinam, where extensive avenues may be seen of it, loaded with luxuriant crops of fruit . As a brief account of this extra- ordinary tree cannot fail to be interesting to our readers (previous to giving a description of the mode of preparing the fruit for food), we beg to lay before them the following remarks and extracts. All the species of the bread fruit tree, of which there are eight, are natives of the South Sea islands. More than one hundred and fifty years ago, this tree had excited great interest amongst Europeans, and particularly amongst the people of Great Britain. Dampier, who performed his voyage round the world in 1688, tbus describes it: "The bread fruit, as we call it, grows on a large tree as big and high as our largest apple trees; it hath a spreading head, full of þranches and dark leaves. The fruit grows on the boughs like apples; it is as big as a penny loaf when wheat is at five shillings the bushel ; it is of a round shape, and hath a thick tough rind. When the fruit is ripe it is yellow and soft, and the taste is sweet and plea- sant. The natives of Guam use it for bread. They gather it when it is full grown, while it is green and hard; then they bake it in an oven, which scorcheth rind and maketh it black; but they scrape off the black crust, and there remains a tender thin crust; and the inside is soft, tender, and white, like the crumb of a penny loaf. There is neither core nor stone in the inside, but all is of a pure sub- stance like bread. It must be eaten new, for if kept more than twen- ty-four hours, it becomes hard and choaky; but it is very pleasant before it is too stale. This fruit lasts in season eight months in the gear; during which the natives pat no other sort of bread kind. I did never see this fruit anywhere but here. The natives told us there was plenty of this fruit growing on the rest of the Ladrone islands; and I did never hear of it anywhere else.” So much for Dampier's account, which, however, does not appear to be quite correct. The great circumnavigator, Cook, thus describes the fruit in question: -“It grows on a tree about the size of a mid- dling oak. Its leaves are frequently a foot and a half long, of an oblong shape, deeply sinuated like those of the fig-tree, which they resemble in consistence and colour, and in the exuding of a white milky juice upon being broken. The fruit is about the size and shape of a child's head, and the surface is reticulated, not much unlike a truffle. It is covered with a thin skin, and, hath a core about as big as the handle of a small knife. The eatable part lies between the skin and the core. It is as white as snow, and somewhat of the con- sistence of new bread. It must be roasted before it is eaten; being divided into three or four parts. Its taste is insipid, with a slight 29.5" BC 154 THE BAKER. pounds and upwards. The pulp of the banana tree is softer than that of the plantain tree, and of a more luscious taste. When ripe it is a very pleasant food, either undressed, or fried in slices like fritters. All classes of people in the West Indies are very fond of it. When preparing for a voyage, they take the ripe fruit and squeeze it through a sieve; then form the mass into loaves, which are dried in the sun, or baked on hot ashes, having been previously wrapped up in leaves. Moss Bread, or bread made of moss, is prepared from a species of the tribe lichen, called rein-deer moss, which contains a considerable quantity of starch. The Icelanders form the lichen islandicus into bread, and it is said to be very nutritive. The moss is collected in the summer, dried, and ground into powder- of which bread gruel and pottage are made. It is also boiled in milk or whey, till it comes to a jelly. It should be previously steeped some hours in warm water, in order to extract the bitter matter with which it is impregnated, which is not only disagreeable as to taste, but is also a purgative. Dried Fish Bread.-- We have shown that a great variety of sub- stances are used as substitutes for four bread. We now come to dried fish, which appears to be an odd thing to make bread of. In Iceland, Lapland, Crim Tartary, and other parts of the north, a kind of bread is made of dried fish, be first into powder, sometimes with the inner bark of trees, and then made up into cakes. Earth Bread.-But the strangest substitute for corn bread that has ever been employed, is a kind of white earth found in Upper Lusatia, of which the poor in times of scarcity have frequently made bread. This bread earth, if we may so designate it, is dug out of a hill where salt-petre had formerly been worked. When heated by the sun it cracks, and small globules proceed from it like meal, which ferment when mixed with flour. It is said on good authority, that on this earth, made into bread, many persons have subsisted for a considera- ble time. An earth very similar is found in Catalonia. THE END. " ! 1