MODERN COOKERY IN ALL ITS BRANCHES. MODERN COOKERY IN" ALL ITS BEANCHES: EMBRACING A SERIES OF PLAIN AND SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS TO PRIVATE FAMILIES AND OTHERS, FOR THE CAREFUL AND JUDICIOUS PREPARATION OF EVERY VARIETY OF FOOD AS DRAWN FROM PRACTICAL OBSERVATION AND EXPERIENCE. BY MISS ELIZA ACTON, WITH DIRECTIONS FOR SETTING OUT AND ORNAMENTING THE TABLE, CARVING, RELATIVE DUTIES OF MISTRESS AND MAID, Etc., Etc. THE WHOLE CAREFULLY REVISED By MRS. S. J. HALE. EllustrattU foitlj numerous 35 n%xzb ittijs. PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY JOHN E. POTTER No. 617 SANSOM STREET. 18G0. vA Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, hy JOHN E. POTTER, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. / 50? PREFACE In history we find frequent mention of those who have at- tained high position in the State, through no other virtue than superior attainments in the Art of Cookery. No title seemed too noble, or emoluments too vast, to mark the bestower's sense of the value of a favorite and successful cook. Laying aside his ladle, he has ruffled it with the noblest of the land. Royal dames have delighted to do him honor ; while in the conclave of statesmen, or in the cabinet of sovereigns, he has been alike the accepted. aud well-approved confidant and adviser. In these more modern days, although we do not go to such extreme lengths in rewarding the professors of the culinary art, yet are we by no means insensible to its importance, or back- ward in our appreciation of its results. To be an able and successful cook should be the aim of every prudent housekeeper, for we know of no surer mark of sloth or negligence than an ill-served table. For if incapacity and indifference be allowed to exist in the kitchen, need we be surprised to find it in the parlor. Nor need we remind our fair readers how often an ill-cooked dish is the source, not only of bitter mortification, but of domestic discord and unhappi- ness. And is it not also equally true that many of the mental and physical derangements of both mind and body are fre- quently to be traced directly to the careless and imperfect pre- paration of our daily food. A would-be frugal housekeeper, actuated by the best motives, and really striving to "make both ends meet," is perplexed at her want of success, and is anxiously looking abroad for causes that she would find much nearer home. And what else is the / ( xx XX11 PREFACE. reason but that, notwithstanding an expensive outlay in pro- visions, bad cooking spoils and renders uneatable a large proportion ; and that which should have graced her table, and delighted the palates of her household, becomes fit for naught else than food for pigs, and is therefore consigned to the al- ready overgorged swill tub. In how many of our households is not this notoriously the case ? If thus the art of Cooking ex- ercises so great an influence upon the health and happiness of the community, we are sure we need no longer dwell upon the importance, nor urge upon our readers the necessity of a closer study of this truly important branch of our domestic economy. This volume is offered to the experienced housekeeper as well as to the young beginner, as a faithful and intelligent counsellor and guide, in whom they can place the fullest confi- dence, and whose directions they can unhesitatingly follow. Every recipe having been fully tested, is now presented to them as the result of actual individual experience. They will be found to be practical, clear and simple, readily understood and as easily followed. So precise are the directions on every page, that'no novice, however unsophisticated, need be mis- led. Appended to each recipe is a summary of the different ingredients which it contains, with the exact proportions of each and the precise time necessary to dress the whole : thus showing at a glance its various requirements. The directions for boning poultry and game are entirely new, and also very exact ; while those pages devoted to explain- ing the somewhat rare accomplishment of carving, and how to set out a table, will, we trust, be found equally acceptable and instructive to our readers. To our country-women, then, throughout the land we dedi- cate this work in the fullest assurance that, in many households, it will become a valued and honored servant, always ready when needed, ever willing to advise; and whose counsels when faithfully followed will tend to add to the gratifications of many an American home. CONTENTS, CHAPTER L SOUPS. Introductory Remarks Page 37 A few directions to the Cook 38 To thicken Soups 39 To frj bread to serve with Soup 40 Sippets a la Reine ib. To make Nouilles, (an elegant substi- tute for Vermicelli) ib. Vegetable Vermicelli for Soups ib. Bouillon, or good Beef Broth, (French receipt) 41 Clear, Pale, Gravy Soup, or Stock 42 Another receipt for Gravy Soup 43 Vermicelli Soup ; (Potage au Vermicelle) 44 Semoulina Soup; (Soup a la Semoule) . . ib. Maccaroni Soup ib. Potage aux Nouilies, (or Taillerine Soup^ 45 Sago Soup ib. Tapioca Soup ib. Rice Soup ib. White Rice Soup ib. Rice Flour Soup 46 Stock for White Soups ib. Mutton-Stock for Soups ib. Common Carrot Soup 47 Common Turnip Soup ib. A quickly made Turnip Soup ib. Potato Soup Page 48 Apple Soup: (Soup a la Bourgnignon) ib. Veal Soup ! b - Westerfield White Soup ib. Mock Turtle, or Calf 's- head Soup 49 Good Calf's head Soup (not expensive) 50 White Oyster Soup (or Oyster Soup a la Reive) 51 Brown Rabbit Soup lb - Pigeon Soup 52 Pheasant or Chicken Soup i»- Partridge Soup 5 3 Mullagatawnv Soup ID « To boil Rice for Mullagatawny Soup, or Curries • «|4 Another receipt for boiling Rice 55 An excellent Green Peas Soup lb. Green Peas Soup without meat ib. A cheap Green Peas Soup 56 Rich Peas Soup 5 J Common Peas Soup >b. Peas Soup without meat 58 Ox-tail Soup lb A cheap and good Stew Soup 59 Soup in haste }}*• Veal or mutton Broth in. Milk Soup with Vermicelli...- ib. CHAPTER II. FISH. To choose Fish 60 To clean Fish 61 To keep Fish 62 To sweeten tainted Fish ib. Brine for boiling Fish ib. To render boiled Fish firm 63 To keep Fish hot for table ib. To boil a Turbot ib. Turbot a la Creme 64 To broil Salmon ib. To bake Salmon. I ib. Pickle Salmon 65 To boil Salmon ib. Crimped Salmon ib. Salmon a la St. Marcel 66 To boil Cod Fish ib. Slices of Cod Fish fried 67 6tewed Cod ib. Stewed Cod Fish in brown sauce 67 To boil Salt Fish 68 Salt Fish a la Maitre d'Hotel lb. To boil Cods' Sounds ib. To fry Cods' Sounds in batter ib. To make Chowder >b. To boil Rock-fish, Black-fish, and Sea- bass ®9 To boil Halibut ib- Fillets of Halibut, Black-fish, &c ib. Baked Soles, Halibut and Carp 70 Soles or Carp stewed in cream ib. To boil Sturgeon ib. To roast Sturgeon «»• To stew Sturgeon 71 To fry Sturgeon • >b. To boil Whitings ; (French receipt). . . • ib Baked Whitings a la Francaise • • • lb (23) XXIV CONTENTS . To boil Mackerel 71 To bake Mackerel 72 Fried Mackerel ; (common French re- ceipt ib. Fillets of Mackerel ; (fried or boiled) . . ib. Boiled fillets of Mackerel 73 Mackerel broiled whole ; (an excellent receipt) ■ ib. Mackerel stewed with Wine ; (very good) ib. Fillets of Mackerel stewed in Wine ; (excellent) , 74 To boil Haddocks ib. Baked Haddocks ih. To boil plaice or flounders ib. To fry plaice or flounders 75 To roast, bake, or broil Red Mullet ib. To boil Grey Mullet ib. To fry smelts and other small Fish ib. To bake a Shad 76 To broil Shad ib. Shad, Touraine fashion; (jllose a la mode de Touraine) ib. Stewed Trout; (a good common receipt) ib. To fry Trout T) To bake Pike, or Trout ; (common re- ceipt) ib. To boil Perch ib To fry Perch or Tench 78 To fry Eels ib. Boiled Eels ; (German receipt) ib. Eels ; (Cornish receipt) ib. To boil Lobsters 79 Lobster fricasseed, or au Bechamel) ib. Buttered Crab, or Lobster ib. To stew Lobsters 80 Lobster cold ib. To cook Terrapins ib. Oysters ib. To stew Oysters 81 To scallop Oysters ib. Scalloped Oysters a la Heine 82 Oyster Sausages ib. To fry Oysters ib. Oysters au Qratin ib. Broiled Oysters 83 Anchovies fried in batter ib. CHAPTER III. GRAVIES. Introductory remarks 83 To heighten the colour and the flavour of Gravies 84 Shin of Beef Stock for Gravies 85 Rich pale Veal Gravy, or Consommee . . ib. Rice deep-coloured Veal Gravy 86 Good Beef or Veal Gravy : (English receipt) 87 A rich English brown Gravy ib. Gravy for Venison ib. Sweet Sauce, or Gravy for Venison 88 Espagnole (Spanish Sauce); a Gravy.. 88 Gravy in haste ib Cheap Gravy for a Roast Fowl ib. Another cheap Gravy for a Fowl 89 Q,uite common brown Gravy ib. Gravy or Sauce for a Goose ib. Orange Gravy, for Wild Fowl ib. MeatJellies for Pies or Sauces 90 A cheaper meat Jelly ib. Glaze ib. Aspic, or clear Savoury Jelly 91 CHAPTER IV. SAUCES. Introductory remarks 92 To thicken Sauces i b. French Thickening, or Brown Roux . . . ib. White Roux, or French Thickening. ... 93 Sauce Tournee, or pale thickened Gravy ib. Bechamel ib. Common Bechamel 94 Rich melted Butter ib. Melted Butter ; (a good common receipt) ib. French melted Butter 95 Norfolk Sauce, or rich melted butter without Flour ib. White melted Butter ib. Burnt Butter ib. Clarified Butter ib. Very good Egg Sauce 96 Common Egg Sauce ib. Egg Sauce for Calf's Head ib. English White Sauce ib. Very common White Sauce ib. Dutch Sauce ib. Fricassee Sauce Bread Sauce Bread Sa uce with Onion Common Lobster Sauce Good Lobster Sauce Good Oyster Sauce Common Oyster Sauce Cream Sauce for Fish Sharp Mai tre d'Hotel Sauce French Maitre d'Hotel, or Steward's Sauce The Lady's Sauce, for Fish Genevese Sauce, or Sauce Gencvoise • ■ Sauce Robert Sauce Piquante Excellent Horseradish Sauce ; (to serve hot or cold with Roast Beef) Hot Horseradish Sauce; (to serve with boiled or stewed meat, or fish) Christopher North's own Sauce for many Meats CONTENTS. XXV Poor Man's Sauce ; (served with Tur- key Poults) Salad Dressing French Salad Dressing Our own Sauce for Salad or cold Meat Mayonnaise: (a very fine sauce for cold Meat, Poultry, Fish, or Salad) Fennel Sauce Parsley and Butter Gooseberry Sauce for Mackerel Common Sorrel Sauce Asparagus Sauce, for Lamb Chops. . . . Green Mint Sauce, for Roast Lamb. . . . Caper Sauce Brown Caper Sauce Caper Sauce for Fish Common Cucumber Sauce Another common Sauce of Cucumbers White Cucumber Sauce White Mushroom Sauce Another Mushroom Sauce Brown Mushroom Sauce Common Tomata Sauce A finer Tomata Sauce Boiled Apple Sauce Baked Apple Sauce Brown Apple Sauce White Onion Sauce Brown Onion Sauce 110 Another brown Onion Sauce jb. Soubise ; (French receipt). ib. A fine Sauce, or Puree of Vegetable Marrow ib. Excellent Turnip, or Artichoke Sauce, for boiled Meat '. ib. Celery Sauce Ill Sweet Pudding Sauce ib. Punch Sauce for Sweet Puddings ib. Common Pudding Sauce 112 A delicious German Pudding Sauce... ib. Parsley-green, for colouring Sauces. . . ib. To crisp Parsley ib. Fried Parsley ib. Tartar Mustard 113 Another Tartar Mustard ib. Mild Mustard ib. Mustard the common way ib. French Batter for frying Vegetables, and for Fritters ib. To prepare Bread for frying Fish 114 Browned Flour for thickening Soups and Gravies ib. Fried Bread-crumbs ib. Fried Bread, or Sippets of Bread for Garnishing ib. The Rajah's Sauce ib. CHAPTER V. STORE SAUCES. Observations 115 Mushroom Catsup ib. Double Mushroom Catsup 316 Compound or Cook's Catsup ib. Walnut Catsup ib. Another receipt for Walnut Catsup. . . 117 Lemon Pickle, or Catsup ib. Pontac Catsup for Fish ib. Boiled Tomatas, or Tomata Catsup . . . ib. Epicurean Sauce 118 Tarragon Vinegar ib. Green Mint Vinegar ib. Cucumber Vinegar ib. Celery Vinegar 1 19 Eschalot, or Garlic Vinegar 119 Eschalot Wine ib. Horse-radish Vinegar ib. Cayenne Vinegar ib. Lemon Brandy for flavouring Sweet Dishes 120 Store-flavouring for Puddings, &c ib. Dried Mushrooms ib. Mushroom Powder ib Potato Flour; (Fecule de Pommes de Terre) . 121 To make Flour of Rice ib. Powder of Savoury Herbs ib. The Doctor's Zest ib. CHAPTER VI. FORCEMEATS. General remarks 122 Good common Forcemeat for Veal, Turkeys, &c, No. 1 ib. Another good common Forcemeat, No.2 123 Superior Suet Foreemeat. No. 3 ib. Common Suet Forcemeat, No. 4 ib. Oyster Forcemeat, No. 5 124 Finer Oyster Forcemeat, No. 6 ib. Mushroom Forcemeat, No. 7 ib. Onion and Sage stuffing for Geese, Ducks, &c, No. 8 125 Cook's Forcemeat for Geese or Ducks, No. 9 125 Forcemeat Balls for Mock Turtle Soups, No. 10 ib. Egg Balls. No. 11 126 Brain Cakes, No. 12 ib Another receipt for Brain Cakes, No. 13 ib An excellent French Forcemeat, No. 14 127 French Forcemeat, called Quenelles, No. 15 ib. Forcemeat for raised and other cold Pies, No. 16 128 Panada ib XXVI CONTENTS . CHAPTER VII. OILING, ROASTING, ETC. To boil Meat 129 Poelee 130 A Blanc jb. Roasting 131 Steaming 133 Stewing jb. Broiling 135 Frying 136 Baking 13 Braising 138 Larding 139 Boning 140 To blanch Meat or Vegetables ib. Glazing ib. Toasting 1 141 Browning with Salamander ib CHAPTER VIII. BEEF. To choose Beef 142 To roast Sirloin or Ribs of Beef 143 Roast Rump of Beef ib. To roast part of a Round of Beef ib. To roast a Fillet of Beef 144 Roast Beef Steak ib. To broil Beef Steaks ib. Beef Steaks a la Francaise 145 Beefsteaks a la Francaise; (another receipt) , ib. Stewed Beef Steak 146 Fried Beef Steak ib, Beef Steak stewed in its own Gravy ib. Beef or Mutton Cake ; (very good). ... ib. German Stew 147 Welsh Stew ib. A good English Stew ib. To stew Shin of Beef 148 French Beef a la Mode ib. Stewed Sirloin of Beef 149 To stew a Rump of Beef ib. Beef Palates 150 Beef Palates; (Neapolitan mode) ib. Stewed Ox tails 151 To salt and pickle Beef in various ways ib. To salt and boil a Round of Beef ib. Hamburgh Pickle for Beef, Hams, and Tongues 152 Another Pickle for Tongues, Beef, and Hams 152 Dutch, or Hung Beef ib. Collared Beef 153 Collared Beef ; (another receipt) ib. A common receipt for Salting Beef ... ib. Spiced Round of Beef; (very highly flavoured) ib. Spiced Beef: (good and wholesome).. . 154 A miniature Round of Beef 155 Beef Roll ; (or Canellon de Basuf) ib. Minced Collops au Naturel ib. Savoury minced Collops 156 Scotch minced Collops ib. Beef Tongues jb. Beef Tongues; (a Suffolk receipt) 157 To dress Beef Tongues ib. To roast a Beef Heart ib. Beef Kidney ib. An excellent hash of cold Beef ib. A common hash of cold Beef or Mutton 158 Breslaw of Beef; (good) ib. Norman Hash ib. French receipt for hashed Bouilli 159 Baked minced Beef ib To boil Marrow bones ib. Baked Marrow-bones ib. Clarified Marrow for keeping ib. CHAPTER IX. VEAL. To choose Veal To take the hair from a Calf's Head with the skin on Boiled Calf's Head Calf's Head, the Warder's way; (an excellent receipt) Prepared Calf's Head; the Cook's re- ceipt) Hashed Calf's Head Cheap Hash of Calf's Head To dress cold Calf's Head, or Veal, a laMaitre d'Hotel; (English receipt) Calf's Head Brawn : (author's receipt) To roast a Fillet of Veal Boiled Fillet of Veal Roast Loin of Veal Boiled Loin of Veal Stewed Loin of Veal • .... 1G0 162 ib. ib. 163 lt.il ib. 165 ib. ib. ib. ! Boiled Breast of Veal 166 To roast a breast of Veal ib To bone a Shoulder of Veal, Mutton, or Lamb ib. Stewed Shoulder of Veal ; (English receipt) ib. Roast Neck of Veal 167 Knuckle of Veal ere Ragout ib. Boiled Knuckle of Veal ib. Knuckle of Veal with Rice or Green Peas 168 Bordyke Veal Cake ; (good) ib. Fricandeau or Veal ; (Entrie) ib. Spring stew of Veal 169 Norman Harrico ib. Veal Cutlets 170 Veal Cutlets, or Collops, a la Francaise ib. Scotch Collops 171 CONTENTS. XXVJ1 Veal Outlets, London fashion ; {Entree) 171 Sweetbreads ; (simply dressed) ib. Sweetbread Cutlets ib. Stewed Calf's Feet ; (cheap and good). 172 Calf's Liver fried ib. To roast Calf's Liver 173 Blanquette of Veal, or Lamb, with Mushrooms ; (Entree) 173 Minced Veal 174 Minced Veal with Oysters ib. Veal Sydney : (good) ib. Fricasseed Veal 175 CHAPTER X. MUTTON AND LAMB. To choose Mutton 175 To roast a Haunch of Mutton 176 Roast Saddle of Mutton ib. To roast a Leg of Mutton 177 Superior receipt for roast Leg of Mutton ib. Leg of Mutton boned and forced ib. Mock Venison 178 To boil a Leg of Mutton 179 Cold roast Leg of Mutton ib. Fillet of Mutton ib. To roast a Loin of Mutton 180 To dress a Loin of Mutton like Venison ib. To roast a Shoulder of Mutton ib. Spiced Shoulder of Mutton in. Forced Shoulder of Mutton 181 Mutton Cutlets stewed in their own gravy ; (good) ib. To broil Mutton Cutlets 181 China Chilo 182 A good Family Stew of Mutton ib. An Irish Stew 183 Cutlets of cold Mutton ib. Mutton Kidneys a la Francaise ib. Broiled Mutton Kidneys. .'. 184 Oxford receipt for Mutton Kidneys. ... ib. To roast a Quarter of Lamb ib. Roast Saddle of Lamb 185 Roast Loin of Lamb ib. Stewed Leg of Lamb, with white sauce ib. Loin of Lamb stewed in butter ib. Lamb or Mutton Cutlets, with Soubise sauce; (Entrie) ib. Lamb Cutlets in their own gravy 186 Cutlets of Cold Lamb ib. CHAPTER XL PORK To choose Pork 186 To melt Lard 187 To preserve un melted Lard for many months ib. To roast a Sucking Pig 188 Baked Pi? ib. Pig a la Tartar e 189 Sucking Pin, en blanquetles ; (Entree) . ib. To roast Pork i b. To mast a Saddle of Pork 190 To roast Spare-rib ib. To broil or fry Pork Cutlets ib. Cobbett's receipt for curinj; Bacon ib. A genuine Yorkshire receipt for curing Hams and Bacon 191 Kentish mode of cutting up and curing a Pig 192 French Bacon for larding ib. To pickle Cheeks of Bacon and Hams ib. Hams superior to Westphalia 193 Hams; (Bordvke receipt) ib. To boil a Ham 194 French receipt for boiling a Ham ib. To bake a Ham 195 To boil Bacon ib. Bacon broiled or fried ib. Dressed Rashers of Bacon 196 Tonbridge Brawn ib. Italian Pork Cheese ib. Sausage-meat Cake, or Pain de Pore Frais) 197 Sausages ib. Kentish Sausage-meat ib. Excellent Sausages 198 Pounded Sausage-meat ; (very good) . . ib. Boiled Sausages ib. Sausages and Chestnuts ; (French) .... ib. Truffled Sausages 199 CHAPTER XII. POULTRY. To choose Poultry 199 To bone a Fowl or Turkey without opening it 200 Another mode of boning a Fowl or Turkey • ib. To bone Fowls for Fricassees, Curries, and Pies 201 To roast a Turkey ib. To boil a Turkey 202 Turkey boneo and forced 203 Turkey a la Flamande, or dinde poudree 204 To roast a Goose ib. To roast a green Goose 205 To roast a Fowl ib. Roast Fowl ; (,a French receipt) 206 To roast a Guinea Fowl ib. Fowl a la Carlsfort ; (Entree) ib. Boiled Fowls ib To broil a Chicken or Fowl 207 Fricasseed Fowls or Chickens; (Entree) ib Chicken Cutlets ; (Entree) 203 Cutlets of Fowls, Partridges, or Pigeons ib. Fried Chicken a la Malabar ; (Entree) b. Hashed Fowl: (Entree) W9 XXV111 CONTENTS Minced Fowl ; (French receipt) 20?) Cold Fowls, en Friture 210 Scallops of Fowl, au Bechamel ib. Grillade of cold Fowls ib. Cold Fowls ; (the housekeeper's re- ceipt ; a supper dish) ib. Fowls a la Mayonnaise 210 To roast Ducks 211 Stewed Duck ; {Entree) ib. To roast Pigeons 212 Boiled Pigeons ib. To stew Pigeons ib. CHAPTER XIII. G A ME, To choose Game 212 To roast a Haunch of Venison 213 To stew a Shoulder of Venison 214 To hash Venison ib. To roast a Hare 215 To roast a Rabbit 216 To boil Rabbits ib. Fried Rabbit ib. To roast Partridges ib. Boiled Partridges 217 Partridges with Mushrooms ib. Broiled Partridge ; (breakfast dish). ... 218 Broiled Partridge ; (French receipt) ... ib. To roast Wild Pigeons ib. To roast small Birds ib. Reed Birds ib. A salmi of Moor Fowl, Pheasants, or Partridges 219 To roast Canvass-back Ducks ib. To roast Wild Ducks ib. To roast Woodcocks or Snipes 220 To roast the Pintail, or Sea Pheasant ib. CHAPTER XIV. CURRIES, POTTED MEATS, &c. Remarks on Curries, &c 221 Mr. Arnott's Currie Powder ib. Mr. Arnott's Currie 222 A Bengal Currie ib. A common Indian Currie 223 Selim's Curries ; (Captain White's) 224 Curried Eggs ib. Curried Sweetbreads ib. Curried Oysters 225 Curried Gravy jh. Potted Meats 226 Potted Ham ib. Potted Chicken, Partridge, or Pheasant 227 Potted Ox Tongue ib. Lobster Butter 223 Potted Mushrooms ib. CHAPTER XV. VEGETABLES. Observations on Vegetables 228 To clear Vegetables from insects 229 To boil Vegetables green ib. To boil Potatoes; (genuine Irish re- ceipt) i b. Another way to boil Potatoes 230 To boil new Potatoes ib. New Potatoes in Butter ib. To boil Potatoes ; (Captain Kater's receipt) ib. To roast or bake Potatoes i b. Scooped Potatoes ; (Entremets) 231 Fried Potatoes ; (Entremets) ib. Mashed Potatoes ib. English Potato Balls 232 Potato Boulettes, (good) ; Entremets ... ib. Potato Rissoles ; (French) ib. Potatoes al a Maitre d 'Hotel ib. Potatoes a la Creme 233 Spinach, (Entremets); French receipt. . ib. Spinach ; (common English mode) ib. Another common English receipt for Spi n ach i b. Boiled Turnip Radishes ib. Boiled Leeks 234 Stewed Lettuces ib. To boil Asparagus ib. Asparagus points dressed like Peas. ... ib. To boil Green Peas 235 Green Peas a la Francaise, or French fashion; (Entremets) ... ib. Green Peas with cream : (Entremets). . ib. To boil French Beans 236 French Beans a la Francaise ib. An excellent receipt for French Beans a la Francaise ib. To boil Windsor Beans 237 Dressed Cucumbers , ib. Mandrang, or Mandram ; (West India receipt) ib Another receipt for Mandram ib Stewed Cucumber; (English mode) ... ib Cucumbers a la Poulette 238 Cucumbers a la Creme ib. Fried Cucumbers, to serve in common stews, hashes, and minces ibt Melon ib. Salad 239 French Salad ib Suffolk Salad ib. Yorkshire Ploughman's Salad ib. To boil Cauliflowers ib. Cauliflowers; (French receipt) 240 Brocoli ib To boil Artichokes ib. To boil winter Squash ib. CONTENTS XXIX Vegetable Marrow 240 Tomatas en Salade 241 Roast Tomatas ib. Stewed Tomatas ib. Forced Tomatas ; (English receipt) ib. Forced Tomatas ; (French receipt; .... ib. Puree of Tomatas 242 Mushrooms au Beurre ib. Potted Mushrooms 243 Mushroom Toast ....." ib. To boil Sprouts, Cabbages, Savoys, &c. ib. Stewed Cabbage 244 To boil Turnips ib. To mash Turnips ib] Turnips in white sauce; (Entremets). . 245 Turnips stewed in butter ib. Turnips in gravy i b. To boil carrots 245 Sweet Carrots ; (Entremets) 246 Carrots au Beurre, or Buttered Carrots ib. To boil Parsneps jb Fried Parsneps jb. Jerusalem Artichokes ib! To fry Jerusalem Artichokes 247 Haricots Blancs jb To boil Beet Root ib.' To bake Beet Root 248 Stewed Beet Root jb. To stew Red Cabbage ib! Boiled Celery jb. Stewed Celery jb! Stewed Onions 249 To fry Onions jb # To boil Onions ib! CHAPTER XVI. PASTRY. Introductory remarks 250 To glaze, or ice Pastry ib. Feuilletage, or fine French puff" Paste ib. Very good light Paste 251 English Puff Paste 252 Cream Crust ; (very good) ib. Pate Brisee, or French Crust ib. Flead Crust ib. Common Suet Crust for Pies 253 Very superior Suet Crust ib. Very rich short Crust for Tarts ib. Brioche Paste ib. Modern Potato Pastry 254 Modern Chicken Pie 255 A common Chicken Pie 256 Pigeon Pie ib. Beefsteak Pie ib! Mutton Pie 257 Raised Pies ib. A Vol-au-Vent ; (Entree) 258 A Vol-au-Vent of Fruit; (Entremets). 259 Vol-au Vent a la Creme ; (Entremets) . ib. Oyster Patties ; (Entree) . . 260 Good Chicken Patties ; (Entree) ib. Excellent Meat Rolls ib. Patties, Tartlets, and small VoJs-au- Vents 261 Another receipt for Tartlets A Sefton, or Veal Custard Apple Cake, or German Tart Tourte Meringuee, or Tart with royal icing A good Apple Tart Barberry Tart Almond Paste Tartlets of Almond Paste Mincemeat ; (Author's receipt) Superlative Mincemeat \ . . Mince Pies ; (Entremets) Mince Pies Royal The Monitor's Tart, or Tourte a laJudd Pudding Pies ; (Entremets) Pudding Pies : (a commoner kind) Common Pudding Pies Cocoa-Nut Cheesecakes ; (Entremets). . Lemon Cheesecakes, Christ Church College receipt; (Entremets) Common Lemon Tartlets Creme Patissiere, or Pastry Cream Small Vols-au-Vents a la Howitt Pastry Sandwiches Fanchonettes: (Entremets) Currant-Jelly Tartlets, or Custards . . . Ramakins aVTJde, or Sefton-Fancies . ib. 263 ib. ib. 264 ib. 265 ib. ib. ib. 266 ib. ib. ib. 267 ib. ib. 268 ib. ib. ib. ib. CHAPTER XVII. BOILED PUDDINGS. General directions 269 A ley for washing Pudding cloths 270 To clean Currants for Puddings, &c. . . ib. To mix Batter for Puddings 271 Suet Crust for Meat or Fruit Pudding. . ib Butter Crust for Puddings ib. Small Beefsteak Pudding 272 Ruth Pinch's Beefsteak Pudding ib Superlative Beef Pudding ib Mutton Pudding ib' Partridge Puddi ng ib! Common Batter Pudding 273 Another Batter Pudding ib Another Suet Pudding 274 Batter Fruit Pudding ib. o A cheap Suet Pudding 274 Apple, Currant, Cherry, or other fresh Fruit Pudding ib. A common Apple Pudding ib! The Publisher's Pudding 275 Small Custard Pudding jb. Common Custard Pudding 276 German Pudding and Sauce ib. Miss Bremer's Pudding jb! Very.good Raisin Pudding 277 The elegant Economist's Pudding. .... ib. Pudding a la Scoones 278 Cottage Christmas Pudding ib. Small light Plum Pudding ib. Another Pudding, light and wholesome ib. XXX CONTENTS Vegetable Plum Pudding 278 An excellent small Mincemeat Pudding 279 The Author's Christmas Pudding ib. Rolled Pudding ib. Bread Pudding ib. Brown Bread Pudding 280 A good boiled Rice Pudding ib. Cheap Rice Pudding 281 Tomata Pudding or Dumplins ib. Fashionable Apple Dumplins 281 Orange Snow Balls ib. Apple Snow Balls 282 Light Currant Dumplins ib. Lemon Dumplins ib. Sweet boiled Patties; (good) ib. Boiled Rice to serve with stewed Fruit, Preserve, or Raspberry Vinegar . . ib. CHAPTER XVIII. BAKED PUDDINGS. Introductory remarks 283 The Printer's Pudding ib. Almond Pudding 284 An excellent Lemon Pudding ib. Another Lemon Pudding ib. Lemon Suet Pudding ib. Bakewell Pudding 285 The elegant Economist's Pudding ib. Rich Bread and Butter Pudding 286 A common Bread and Butter Pudding, ib. A good baked Bread Pudding ib. Another baked Bread Pudding ib. Sutherland, or Castle Puddings 287 Madeline Puddings; (to be served cold) ib. A French Rice Pudding, or Gateau de Riz ib. A common Rice Pudding 288 Richer Rice Pudding ib. Rice Pudding Meringue 289 Good ground Rice Pudding ib. Common ground Rice Pudding 290 Potato Pudding ib. A richer Potato Pudding - ib. An excellent Sponge-cake Pudding ib. The Duchess's Pudding ib. Baked Apple Pudding, or Custard 291 A common baked Apple Pudding ib. Essex Pudding ; (cheap and good) ib. Dutch Custard, or baked Raspberry Puddi ng ib. Vermicelli Pudding 292 Small Cocoa-nut Pudding ib. Good Yorkshire Pudding ib. Common Yorkshire Pudding 293 Normandy Pudding ib. Damson and Rice Pudding ib. Barberry and Rice Pudding ib. Apple and Rice Pudding ib. Common Raisin Pudding 294 A richer Raisin Pudding ib. Poor Author's Pudding ib. Pudding a la Paysanne ib. Indian Pudding ib. Baked Hasty Pudding 295 CHAPTER XIX. SOUFFLES, OMLETS, &c. Observations on Omlets, Fritters, &c. . 295 A common Omlet 296 An Omlette Soufflee ib Souffles jb. A Fondu 297 Kentish Fritters 298 Plain common Fritters ib. Pancakes ib' Fritters of Cake and Pudding 299 Mincemeat Fritters jb. Venetian Fritters; (very good) ib. Fritters of Spring Fruit ib. Apple, Peach, Apricot, or Orange Frit- ters ib. Potato Fritters; {Entremets) 300 Lemon Fritters; {Entremets) ib. Cannelons; {Entremets) ib. Croquettes of Rice ; {Entremets) ib. Finer Croquettes of Rice 301 Rissoles ; {Entree) ib. Very Savoury Rissoles; {Entree) ib. Rissoles of Fish : {Entree) ib. To boil Pipe Maccaroni 302 Ribband Maccaroni ib. Dressed Maccaroni ib. Maccaroni a la Reine 303 Forced Eggs for Salad ib. Forced Eggs, or Eggs en surprise ib. CHAPTER XX. SWEET DISHES, OR ENTREMETS. To prepare Calf's Feet Stock 304 To clarify Calf 's Feet Stock ib. To clarify Isinglass 305 Spinach Green, for colouring Sweet Dishes, Confectionary, or Soups . . ib. Prepared Apple or Quince Juice ib. Cocoa-nut flavoured Milk: (for sweet dishes. &e) 306 Compotes of Fruit 306 Compote of Peaches 307 Another receipt for stewed Peaches ... 308 Stewed Barberries, or Compote d'Epine finette ib. Another Compote of Barberries for Dessert ib. Gateau de Pommes ifa CONTENTS. XXXI Gateau of mixed Fruits ; (good) 309 Calf's Feet Jelly : (Entremets) ib. Another receipt for Calf's Feet Jelly. . 310 Apple Calf a Feet Jelly ib. Orange Calf's Feet Jelly 311 Orange Isinglass Jelly ib. Oranges filled with Jelly 312 Lemon Calf's Feet Jelly ib. Constantia Jelly 313 Strawberry Isinglass Jelly ib. Fancy Jellies 314 Queen Mab's Pudding; (an elegant summer dish) ib. Nesselrode Cream 315 An excellent Trifle ib. Swiss Cream, or Trifle, (very good) 316 Chantilly Basket filled with whipped Cream and fresh Strawberries ib. Creme Meri nguee 317 Lemon Cream, made without Cream. . ib. Very good Lemon Creams ib. Fruit Creams, and Italian Creams 318 Very superior whipped Syllabubs ib. Good common Blamange, or Blanc Manger; (Author's receipt) 319 Richer Blamange ib. Jaumange, or Jaune Manger ; some- times called Dutch Flummery ib. Extremely good Strawberry Blamanage 319 Quince Blamange ; (delicious 320 Uuince Blamage, with Almond Cream ib. Apricot Blamange, or Creme Parisienne ib. Blamange Rubane, or striped Blamange 321 An Apple Hedgehog, or Suedoise ib. Imperial Goose berry- fool 322 Very good old-fashioned boiled Custard ib. Rich boiled Custard ib. The Queen's Custard 323 Currant Custard ib. Quince or Apple Custards ib. Chocolate Custards ib. Common baked Custard 324 A finer baked Custard ib. French Custards ib. German Puffs 325 Raspberry Puffs ib. An Apple Charlotte, or Charlotte des Pommes ib. Marmalade for the Charlotte 326 A Charlotte a la Parisienne ib. Pommes au Buerre ; (buttered apples) ib. Suedoise of Peaches 327 Aroce Doce, or Sweet Rice a la Portu- gaise 328 Bermuda Witches ib. Strengthening Blamange ib. CHAPTER XXI. PRESERVES. Introductory remarks 329 A few General Rules and Directions for Preserving 331 To extract the juice of Plums for Jelly ib. To weigh the juice of Fruit 332 Green Gooseberry Jelly ib. Green Gooseberry Jam ; (firm and of good colour) i b. To dry green Gooseberries ib. Green Gooseberries for Tarts 333 Green Gooseberry Solid ib. Red Gooseberry Jam ib. Gooseberries dried without Sugar ib. Cherry Jam 334 To dry Cherries with Sugar ib. Dried Cherries ; (superior receipt) ib. Cherries dried without Sugar 335 Morella Cherries ib. Common Cherry Cheese ib. Cherry Paste ; (French) : .. . ib. Strawberry Jam ib. Strawberry Jelly 336 Another very fine Strawberry Jelly ... ib. To preserve Strawberries or Raspber- ries for Creams or Ices, without boiling ib. Raspberry Jam 337 Good Red or White Raspberry Jam ... ib. Raspberry Jelly for flavouring Creams ib. Another Raspberry Jelly; (very good), ib Green Currant Jam 338 Red Currant Jelly : ib. Superlative Red Currant Jelly; (Nor- man receipt) ib. French Currant Jelly ib. Delicious Red Currant Jam 339 Very tine White Currant Jelly ib. White Currant Jam 339 Currant Paste ib. Black Currant Jelly 340 Nursery Preserve ib. Another good common Preserve ib. A good Melange, or mixed Preserve. . • ib. Greengage Jam, or Marmalade 341 Preserve of the Magnum Bonum, or Mogul Plum ib. To dry or preserve Mogul Plums in syrup ib. Mussel Plum Cheese and Jeily ib. To dry Apricots ; (a quick and easy method) 342 Peach Jam, or Marmalade ib. To preserve, or to dry Peaches or Nec- tarines; (an easy and excellent receipt) ib. Damson Jam ; (very good) 343 Damson Jelly ib. Damson solid ; (good) ib. Excellent Damson Cheese ib. Grape Jelly 344 English Gnava ib. To dry Plums; (an easy method) 345 To bottle Fruit for winter use ib. Apple Jelly ib. Exceedingly fine Apple Jelly 346 Quince Jelly 347 Qui nee Marmalade i b. Quince and Apple Marmalade 348 Quince Paste ib. Jelly of Siberian Crabs ib. To preserve Barberries in bunches ib. Barberry Jelly 349 Barberry Jam ; (a jrood receipt) ib. Barberry Jam ; (second receipt) ib. xxxn CONTENTS. Very common Barberry Jam 350 I Orange Marmalade 350 Superior Barberry Jelly, and Manna- Genuine Scotch Marmalade 351 lade ib. I Orange conserve for Puddings ib. CHAPTER XXII. PICKLES. Observations on Fickles 352 To pickle Cherries ib. To pickle Gherkins or Cucumbers ib. Pickles 353 To pickle Nasturtiums ib. To pickle Peaches ib. To pickle Mushrooms 354 Mushrooms in brine, for winter use. . . ib. To pickle Walnuts 355 To pickle Beet-root ib. Pickled Eschalots ib. Pickled Onions 356 To pickle Lemons and Limes ; (excel- lent) ib. To pickle Barberries and Siberian Crabs ib. CHAPTER XXIII. CAKES. General remarks on Cakes 357 To blanch Almonds 358 To pound Almonds '. ib. To reduce Almonds to a Paste ib. To colour Almonds for Cakes or Pastry ib. To prepare Butter for rich Cakes 359 To whisk Eggs for light rich Cakes ib. Orange-flower Macaroons; (delicious) ib. Almond Macaroons ib. Imperials ; (not very rich) 360 Very good small rich Cakes ib. Almond Rocher ib. Bitter Almond Biscuits ib. Fine Almond Cake 361 Pound Cake ib. Rice Cake ib. White Cake . 362 A good Sponge Cake ib. A smaller Sponge Cake ; (very good). . ib. A Sponge Cake; (good and quickly made) ib. A good Madeira Cake .--. ib. Banbury Cakes .* 363 Meringues ib. Thick, light Gingerbread 364 Good common Gingerbread ib. Richer Gingerbread ib. Cocoa-nut Gingerbread ib. Cheap Ginger Biscuits 365 A good Soda Cake ib. Cinnamon, or Lemon Cakes ib. Oueen Cakes 366 A good light Bun ib. Cocoa-nut Biscuit ; (excellent) ib. Threadneedle-street Biscuits 367 A Galette ib. Cornish heavy Cake. ib. Fleed, or Flead Cakes ib. Good Captain's Biscuits ib. The Colonel's Biscuits 368 Aunt Charlotte's Biscuits ib. CHAPTER XXIV. CONFECTIONARY. To clarify Sugar 368 To boil Sugar from Syrup to Candy, or to Caramel 369 Barley Sugar ib. Ginger Candy 370 Orange-flower Candy 37; Orange-flower Candy ; (another receipt) ib. Palace-Bonbons 371 Everton Totne jb. Toflie; (another way) ib. CHAPTER XXV. DESSERT-DISHE! Melange of Fruit 371 Fruit en Chemise, or Perle 372 Peach Salad ib. Oransre Salad ib. Compote of Oranges ; (a Hebrew dish) ib. Orange warmed ib. Normandy Pippins 373 Stewed Pruneaux de Tours, or Tours dried Plums 373 Baked Compote of Apples ib. To bake Pears ib. Stewed Pears ib Boiled Chestnuts 374 Roast. Chestnuts ib CONTENTS. XXX1H CHAPTER XXVI. SYRUPS, LIQUEURS, ETC. Strawberry Vinegar of delicious flavour 374 Strawberry Acid Royal 375 Verv fine Raspberry Vinegar ib. Oxford Punch 37(5 Oxford receipt for Bishop ib. To Mull Wine, (an excellent French receipt) 377 A birth-day Syllabub ib. Cuirasscau, or Curacoa ; (an excellent and wholesome Liqueur) ib. Mint Julep; (an American receipt) . . 378 Delicious Milk Lemonade 378 Excellent Portable Lemonade ib. Excellent. Barley Water; (poor Xury's receipt) ib. Raisin Wine; (which, if long kept, reallv resembles foreign) ib. Excellent Elderberry Wine 379 Very good Gi nger VVi ne i b. Excellent Orange Wine ib. Currant Wine 380 To clean Bottles in large numbers ib. CHAPTER XXVIL COFFEE, CHOCOLATE, ETC. To roast Coffee 381 To make Coffee 382 To make French breakfast Coffee ib. To boil Coffee and refine it ib. Burnt Coffee ; (in France vulgarly called Gloria) 383 To make Choco'ate ; (French receipt), ib. To make Tea ib. CHAPTER XXVIII. BREAD. To purify Yeast for Bread or Cakes ... 384 The Oven ib. To make Bread ib. Bordyke Bread ; (Author's receipt) 385 Brown Bread 386 Potato Bread ib. Dyspepsia Bread ib. Rye and Indian Bread 387 Geneva Rolls. Rusks Crusts to serve with Cheese. Good Captains' Biscuits Breakfast Batter Cakes Tea Cakes 388 Muffins 389 Wheat Muffins ib. Rice Muffins ib. Rice Cakes ib. Buckwheat Cakes ib. Flannel Cakes ib. Yeast 390 Milk Yeast i!». Hard Yeast ib. Potato Yeast 3'H Prepared Yeast, (Dr. Lettsom's) ib. CHAPTER XXIX. AMERICAN MODE OF COOKING INDIAN CORN, PUMPKINS, ETC. Indian Cake, or Bannock 391 Indian Corn, or Maize Pudding baked. 393 Boiled Maize Pudding Pumpkin and Squash Pie.. Carrot Pies .... American Custard Pudding American Plum Pudding .. American Apple Pudding . ib. ib. 393 sb. ib. ib. Bird's Nest Pudding 393 Hasty Pudding ib. Dry-bread ib. Another sort of Brewis 3 4 To preserve Cheese iii. American Mince meat ib. American Souse ib. Pork and Beans ib. CHAPTER XXX. DIRECTIONS FOR CARVING Garnishing and setting out a Table ... 395 Fish. ib. Turbot,&c ib. A Cod's Head and Shoulders ib. Salmon ib. Soles 396 Mackerel ib. Eels, Whiting Jack, &c ib. Aitch bone or Beef ib. A Round, or Buttock, and flank of Beef ib. XXXIV CONTENTS. A Brisket of Beef 396 Sirloin of Beef ib. Fillet of Veal, and Breast of Veal. .. . 397 Necks and Loins ib. Calf's Head ih. A \ez of Mutton, &c ib. A saddle or collar of Mutton ib. Shoulder of Mutton ib. Haunch of Venison or Mutton 308 Fore-quarter of Lamb ib. Ham ib. Tongue 398 A sucking Pig ib. A Fowl ib. A Pheasant 399 Partridges and Pigeon ib. Goose or Duck ib. A Turkey ib. Hare 400 Rabbits ib. Garnishes ib. Setting out a Table 401 APPENDIX. Relative Duties of Mistress and Maid What mcst always be done, and what most never be done. 402 404 MODERN COOKERY. CHAPTER I. SOUPS. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. The art of preparing good, wholesome, palatable soups, ivithout great expense, which is so well understood in France, and in other countries where they form part of the daily food of all classes of the people, has hitherto been very much neglected in England and America : it is one, therefore, to which we would particularly direct the attention of the cook, who will find, we think, on a careful perusal of the present chap- ter, that it presents no difficulties which a common degree of care and skill will not easily overcome. The reader, who may be desirous to excel in it, should study the instructions given under the article Bouil- lon, where the principles of this branch of cookery are fully explained. The spices and other condiments used to give flavour to soups and gravies should be so nicely proportioned that none predominate nor overpower the rest ; and this delicate blending of savours is perhaps the most difficult part of a cook's task : it is an art, moreover, not easily acquired, except by long experience, unless great attention be combined with some natural refinement of the palate. A zealous servant will take all possible pains on her first entrance into a family, to ascertain the particular tastes of the individuals she serves ; and will be guided entirely by them in the preparation of her dishes, however much they may be opposed to her own ideas, or to her previous practice. Exceeding cleanliness, both in her personal habits and appearance, and in every department of her work, is so essential in a cook, that no degree of skill, nor any other good qualities which she may possess, can ever atone for the want of it. The very idea of a dirty cook is so revolting, that few people will be induced to tolerate the reality ; and we would therefore most strongly urge all* employed in the culinary department of a household, who may be anxious for their own success * An active, cleanly, and attentive kitchen-maid will generally become an admirable cook (37) 38 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. I. in life, or solicitous to obtain the respect and approbation of their em- ployers, to strive to the utmost against any tendency to slovenliness of which they may be conscious, or which may be pointed out to them by others. Modern Copper Soup or Stock-Pot. A FEW DIRECTIONS TO THE COOK. In whatever vessel soup is boiled, see that it be perfectly clean, and let the inside of the cover and the rim be equally so. Wash the meat, and prepare the vegetables with great nicety before they are laid into it; and be careful to keep it always closely shut when it is on the fire. Never, on any account, set the soup by in it, but strain it off at once into a clean pan ; and fill the stock-pot immediately with water : pursue the same plan with all stewpans and saucepans directly they are emptied. Skim the soup thoroughly wh^n it first begins to boil, or it can never afterwards be rendered clear ; throw in some salt, which will assist to bring the scum to the surface, and when it has all been taken off, add the herbs and vegetables ; for if not long stewed in the soup, their flavour will prevail too strongly. Remember, that the trimmings, and especially the bones of fresh meat, the necks of poultry, the liquor in which a joint has been boiled, and the shank-bones of mutton, are all excellent additions to the stock-pot, and should be carefully reserved for it. Let the soup heat gradually over a moderate fire, and after it has been well skimmed, draw it to the side of the stove and keep it sim- mering softly, but without ceasing, until it is done ; for on this, as will hereafter be shown, its excellence principally depends. Every good cook understands perfectly the difference produced by the fast boiling, or the gentle stewing of soups and gravies, and will adhere strictly to the latter method. Pour boiling water, in small quantities at first, to the meat and vegetables of which the soup is to be made when they have been fried or browned ; but otherwise, add cold water to the meat. Unless precise orders to the contrary have been given, onions, escha- lots, and garlic, should be used for seasoning with great moderation always ; for not only are they very offensive to many eaters, but to per- sons of delicate habit their effects are sometimes extremely prejudi- cial ; and it is only in coarse cookery that their flavour is allowed ever strongly to prevail. CHAP. I.] SOUPS. 39 A small proportion of sugar, about an ounce to the gallon, will very much improve the flavour of gravy-stock, and of all rich brown soups ; it may be added also to some others with advantage ; and for this, direc- tions will be given in the proper places. Two ounces of salt may be allowed for each gallon of soup or broth in which large quantities of vegetables are stewed ; but an ounce and a half will be sufficient for such as contain few or none ; it is always easy to add more if needful, but oversalting in the first instance is a fault for which there is no remedy but that of increasing the propor- tions of all the other ingredients, and stewing the whole afresh, which occasions needless trouble and expense, even when time will admit of its being done. As no particle of fat should be seen floating on your soups when they are sent to table, it is desirable that the stock should be made the day before it is wanted, that, it may become quite cold, when the fat may be entirely cleared off without difficulty. When cayenne pepper is not mixed with rice-flour, or with any other thickening, grind it down with the back of a spoon, and stir a little liquid to it before it is thrown into the stewpan, as it is apt to remain in lumps, and to occasion great irritation of the throat when swal- lowed so. Serve, not only soups and sauces, but all your dishes, as hot as pos- sible. TO THICKEN SOUPS. Except for white soups, to which arrow-root is, we think, more appro- priate, we prefer, to all other ingredients generally used for this purpose, the finest and freshest rice-flour, which after being passed through a lawn-sieve, should be thoroughly blended with the salt, pounded spices, catsup, or wine, required to finish the flavouring of the soup. Sufficient liquid should be added to it very gradually to render it of the consis- tency of batter, and it should also be perfectly smooth ; to keep it so, it should be moistened sparingly at first, and beaten with the back of a spoon until every lump has disappeared. The soup should boil quickly when the thickening is stirred into it, and be simmered for ten minutes afterwards. From an ounce and a half to two ounces of rice-flour will thicken sufficiently a quart of soup. Instead of this, arrow-root or the condiment known by the name of tnus les mois, which greatly resembles it, or potato-flour, or the French thickening called roux (see page 92) may be used in the following proportions: — Two and a half ounces of either of the first three, to four pints and a half of soup ; to be mixed gradually with a little cold stock or water, stirred into the boiling soup, and simmered for a minute. Six ounces of flour with seven of butter,* will be required to thicken a tureen of soup ; as much as half a pound is sometimes used ; these must be added by degrees and carefully stirred round in the soup until smoothly blended with it, or they will remain in lumps. All the ingredients used for soups should be fresh, and of good quality, particularly Italian pastes of every kind (maccaroni, vermicelli, &c), * We would recommend any other thickening in preference to this unwholesome mixture 40 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. I, as they contract, by long keeping, a peculiarly unpleasant, musty flavour. Onions, freed from the outer skin, dried gradually to a deep brown, in a slow oven, and flattened, will keep for almost any length of time, and are extremely useful for heightening the colour and flavour of broths and gravies.* TO FRY BREAD TO SERVE WITH SOUP. Cut some slices a quarter-inch thick, from a stale loaf; pare off the crust, and divide the bread into dice, or cut it with a deep paste-cutter into any other form. For half a pound of bread put two ounces of the best butter into a frying-pan, and when it is quite melted, add the bread ; keep it turned, over a gentle fire, until it is equally coloured to a very pale brown, then drain it from the butter, and dry it on a soft cloth, or a sheet of paper placed before a clear fire, upon a dish, or on a sieve reversed. SIPPETS A LA REINE. Having cut the bread as for common sippets, spread it on a dish, and pour over it a few spoonsful of thin cream, or of good milk ; let it soak for an hour, then fry it in fresh butter of a delicate brown, drain, and serve the sippets hot. to make nouilles ; (an elegant substitute for Vermicelli.) Wet, with the yolks of four eggs, as much fine, dry, sifted flour, as will make them into a firm, but very smooth paste. Roll it out as thin as possible, and cut it into bands of about an inch and a quarter in width. Dust them lightly with flour, and place four of them one upon the other. Cut them obliquely in the finest possible strips ; separate them with the point of a knife, and spread them on writing paper, so that they may dry a little before they are used. Drop them gradually into the boiling soup, and in ten minutes they will be done. Various other forms may be given to this paste at will. It may be divided into a sort of riband maccaroni ; or stamped with small confec- tionary cutters into different shapes. vegetable vermicelli; (vegetables cut very fine for Soups.) Cut the carrots into inch lengths, then pare them round and round in ribbons of equal thickness, till the inside is reached ; next cut these ribands into straws, or very small strips ; celery is prepared in the sanr* way ; and turnips also are first pared into ribands, then sliced into strips: these last require less boiling than the carrots, and attention must be paid to this, for if broken, the whole would have a bad appear- ance in soup. The safer plan is to boil each vegetable separately, till tolerably tender, in a little pale broth (in water, if this be not at hand), to drain them well, and put them into the soup, which should be clear, only a few minutes before it is dished. For cutting them small, in other forms, the proper instruments will be found at the hardware-shops. * The fourth part of one of these dried onions (des oignojis brides), of moderate size i* sufficient for a tureen of 90iip. CHAP. I.] SOUPS. 41 •ouillon, {the Common Soup of Fiance ; Cheap, and very Wholesome.) This soup, or broth, as we should perhaps designate it in England., is made once or twice in the week, in every family of respectability in France ; and by the poorer classes as often as their means will enable them to sub- stitute it for the vegetable or maigre soups, on which they are more com- monly obliged to subsist. It is served usually on the first day, with slices of French Pot-au- Feu; or, un toasted bread soaked in it; on the Earthen boup Pot. , . . „ . , .., second, it is generally varied with ver- micelli, rice, or semoulina. The ingredients are, of course, often other- wise proportioned than as we have given them, and more or less meat is allowed, according to the taste or circumstances of the persons for whom the bouillon is prepared ; but the process of making it is always the same, and is thus described (rather learnedly) by one of the most skilful cooks in Europe : " The stock or soup-pot of the French artizan," says Monsieur Careme, " supplies his principal nourishment ; and it is thus managed by his wife, who, without the slightest knowledge of chemistry, conducts the process in a truly scientific manner. She first lays the meat into her earthen stock-pot, and pours cold water to it in the proportion of about two quarts to three pounds of the beef;* she then places it by the side of the fire, where it slowly becomes hot; and as it does so, the heat enlarges the fibre of the meat, dissolves the gelatinous substances which it contains, allows the albumen (or the muscular part which produces the scum) to disengage itself, and rise to the surface, and the ozmazome (which is the most savoury part of the meat) to be diffused through the broth. Thus, from the simple ■ circumstance of boiling it in the gentlest manner, a relishing and nutri- tious soup will be obtained, and a dish of tender and palatable meat, but if the pot be placed and kept over a quick fire, the albumen will coagulate, harden the meat, prevent the water from penetrating it, and the osmazome from disengaging itself; the result will be a broth with- out flavour or goodness, and a tough, dry bit of meat." It must be observed in addition, that as the meat of which the bouillon is made, is almost invariably sent to table, a part of the rump, the rnouse-buttock, or the leg-of-mutton piece of beef, should be selected for it; and the simmering should be continued only until this is perfectly tender. When the object is simply to make good, pure-flavoured beef broth, part of the shin, or leg-, with a pound or two of the neck, will best answer the purpose. When the bouilli (that, is to say, the beef which is boiled in the soup) is to be served, bind it into a good shape, add to it a calf's foot, if easily procurable, as this much improves the quality of the bouillon; pour cold water to it in the proportion men- tioned above, and proceed as Monsieur Careme directs, to heat the soup slowly by the side' of the fire ; remove carefully the Head of scum, * This is a large proportion of meat for the family of a French artizan ; a pound to the quart would be nearer the reality: hut it is not the refuse-meat which would bo purchase I hy person- of the t>aiiie rank in England for running lirnth. 42 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. I. which will gather on the surface, before the boiling commences, and continue the skimming at intervals, for about twenty minutes longer, pouring in once or twice a little cold water. Next, add salt in the pro- portion of two ounces to the gallon ; this will cause a little more scum to rise, — clear it quite off, and throw in three or four turnips, as many- carrots, half a head of celery, four or five young leeks, an onion stuck with six or eight cloves, a large half tea-spoonful of pepper-corns, and a bunch of savoury herbs. Let the whole stew very softly, without ceasing, from four hours and a half to six hours, according to the quantity: the beef in that time will be extremely tender, but not over- done. , It will be excellent eating, if properly managed, and might often, we think, be substituted with great advantage for the hard, half- boiled, salted beef, so often seen at an English table. It should be served with a couple of cabbages, which have been first boiled in the usual way, then pressed very dry, and stewed for about ten minutes in a little of the broth, and seasoned with pepper and salt. The other vegetables from the bouillon may be laid round it or not, at choice. The soup, if served on the same day, must be strained, well cleared from fat, and sent to table with fried or toasted bread, unless the con- tinental mode of putting slices or crusts of untoasted bread into the tureen, and soaking them for ten minutes in a ladleful or two of the bouillon, be, from custom, preferred. Beef, 8 to 9 lbs. ; water, 6 quarts ; salt, 3 ozs. (more if needed) ; carrots, 4 to 6 ; turnips, 4 or 5 ; celery, one small head ; leeks, 4 to 6 ; one onion, stuck with 6 cloves; pepper-corns, one small tea-spoonful; large bunch of savoury herbs : (calf's foot, if convenient) to simmer five to six hours. Obs. 1. — This broth forms in France the foundation of all richer soups and gravies. Poured on fresh meat (a portion of which should be veal), instead of water, it makes at once an excellent consommee, or strong jellied stock. If properly managed, it is very clear and pale and with an additional weight of beef, and some spoonsful of glaze, may easily be converted into an amber-coloured gravy-soup, suited to modern taste. Obs. 2.— It is a common practice abroad to boil poultry, pigeons, and even game in the pot-au-feu, or soup-pot. They should be properly trussed, stewed in the broth just long enough to render them tender, and served immediately, when ready, with a good sauce. A small ham, if well soaked, washed exceedingly clean, and freed entirely from any rusty, or blackened parts, laid with the beef when the water is first added to* it, and boiled from three hours and a half to four hours, in the bouillon, is very superior in flavour to those cooked in water only, and infinitely improves the soup, which cannot, however, so well be eaten, until the following day, when all the fat can easily be taken from it : it would, of course, require no salt. CLEAR, PALE, GRAVY-SOUP OR STOCK. Rub a deep stewpan or soup-pot with butter, and lay into it three nuarters of a pound of ham freed entirely from fat, skin, and rust, four pounds of leg or neck of veal, and the same weight of lean beef, all cut into thick slices; set it over a clear and rather brisk fire, until the meat is of a fine amber-colour : it must be often moved, and closely CHAP. I.] SOUPS. 43 watched, that it may not stick to the pan, nor burn. When it is equally- browned, lay the bones upon it, and pour in gradually four quarts of boiling- water. Take off the scum carefully as it rises, and throw in a pint of cold water at intervals, to bring it quickly to the surface. When no more appears, add two ounces of salt, two onions, two large carrots, two turnips, one head of celery, a two-ounce faggot of savoury herbs, a dozen cloves, half a tea-spoonful of whole white pepper, and two large blades of mace. Let the soup boil gently from five hours and a half, to six hours and a half; then strain it through a very clean, fine cloth, laid in a hair sieve. When it is perfectly cold, remove every particle of fat from the top; and, in taking out the soup, leave the sediment un- touched ; heat in a clean pan the quantity required for table, add salt to it if needed, and a few drops of Chili or of cayenne vinegar. Harvey's sauce, or very fine mushroom catsup, may be substituted for these. When thus prepared, the soup is ready to serve : it should be accom- panied by pale sippets of fried bread, or sippets d la reine. Rice, mac- caroni in lengths or rings, vermicelli, or nouilles, may in turn be used, to vary it; but they must always be boiled apart till tender, in broth, or water, and well drained before they are slipped into it. The addition of young vegetables, too, and especially of asparagus, will convert it into an elegant spring-soup; but they, likewise, must be separately cooked. ANOTHER RECEIPT FOR GRAVY-SOUP. Instead of browning the meat in its own juices, put it with the onions and carrots, into a deep stewpan, with a quarter-pint of bouillon; set it over a brisk fire at first, and when the broth is somewhat reduced, let it boil gently until it has taken a fine colour and forms a glaze (or jelly) at the bottom of the stewpan ; then pour to it the proper quantity of water, and finish the soup by the preceding receipt.* Obs. — A rich, old-fashioned English brown gravy-soup may be made with beef only. It should be cut from the bones, dredged with flour, sea- soned with pepper and salt, and fried a clear brown ; then stewed for six hours, if the quantity be large, with a pint of water to each pound of meat, and vegetables as above, except onions, of which four mode- rate-sized ones, also fried, are to be added to every three quarts of the soup, which, after it has been strained, and cleared from fat, may be thickened with six ounces of fresh butter, worked up very smoothly with five of flour. In twenty minutes afterwards, a table-spoonful of the best soy, half a pint of sherry, and a little cayenne, may be added to the soup, which will then be ready to serve. * The juices of meat, drawn out with a small portion of liquid, as directed here, may easily be reduced to the consistency in which they form what is called glaze; for par- ticulars of this, see Chapter III. The best method, though perhaps not the easiest, of making the clear, amber-coloured stock, is to pour a ladleful or two of pale, but strong beef-broth to the veal, and to boil it briskly until well reduced, thrusting a knife, when this is done, into the meat, to let the juices escape; then to proceed more slowly and cautiously as the liquid approaches the state in which it would burn. It must be allowed to take a dark amber-colour only, and the meat must be turned, and often moved in it. When the desired point is reached, pour in more boiling broth, and let the pan remain oft' the fire for a few minutes, to detach and melt the glaze; then shake it well round before the boiling is continued. A certain quantity of deeply coloured glaze, made apart, and stirred into strong, clear, pale stock, would produce the desired effect of this, with much less trouble. 44 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. I. vermicelli soup ; (Potage au Vermicelle.) Drop very lightly, and by degrees, six ounces of vermicelli, broken rather small, into three quarts of boiling bouillon, or clear gravy soup; let it simmer half an hour* over a gentle fire, and stir it often. This is the common French mode of making vermicelli soup, and we can recommend it as a particularly good one for family use. In England it is customary to soak, or to blanch the vermicelli, then to drain it well, and to stew it for a shorter time in the soup : the quantity, also, must be reduced quite two ounces, to suit modern taste. Bouillon, or gravy-soup, 3 quarts ; vermicelli, 6 ozs. ; 30 minutes. Or, soup, 3 quarts; vermicelli, 4 ozs.; blanched in boiling water, 5 minutes; stewed in soup, 10 to 15 minutes. semoulina soup ; (Soupe a la Semoule.) Semoulina is used in the same way as the vermicelli. It should be dropped very lightly and by degrees into the boiling soup, which should be stirred all the time it is being added, and very frequently afterwards; indeed, it should scarcely be quitted for a moment until it is ready for table. Skim it carefully, and let it simmer from twenty to five and twenty minutes. This, when the semoulina can be procured good and fresh, is, to our taste, an excellent soup. Soup, 3 quarts ; semoulina, 6 ozs. : nearly, or quite 25 minutes. MACCARONI SOUP. Throw four ounces of fine freshf mellow maccaroni into a pan of fast-boiling water, with about an ounce of fresh butter, and a small onion stuck with three or four cloves.;}: When it has swelled to its full size, and become tender, drain it well, and slip it into a couple of quarts of clear gravy-soup; let it simmer for a few minutes, when it will be ready for table. Observe, that the maccaroni should be boiled quite tender ; but it should by no means be allowed to burst, nor to become pulpy. Serve grated Parmesan cheese with it. Maccaroni, 4 ozs. ; butter, 1 oz. ; 1 small onion ; 5 cloves ; three- quarters of an hour or more. In soup, 5 to 10 minutes. Obs. — The maccaroni for soups should always be either broken into short lengths before it is boiled, or sliced quickly afterwards into small rings not more than the sixth of an inch thick, unless the cut mac- caroni be used; this requires but ten minutes boiling, and should be dropped into the soup in the same way as vermicelli. Four ounces of it will be sufficient for two quarts of stock. It may be added to white soup after having been previously boiled in water or veal- broth, and well drained from it: it lias a rather elegant appearance in clear gravy-soup, but should have a boil in water before it is thrown into it. * When of very fine quality, the vermicelli will usually require less boiling than this. t We must here repeat our warning against the use of long-kept maccaroni, ver- micelli, or semoulina ; as when stale, they will render any dish iuto which they are in troduced, quite untit for table. 1 For White Soups, omit the onion chap, i.] sours. 45 POTAGE AUX NOUILLES, OR TAILLERINE SOUP. Make into nouille paste the yolks of four fresh eggs, and when ready cut, drop it gradually into five pints of boiling- soup; keep this gently stirred tor ten minutes, skim it well, and serve it quickly. This is a less common, and a more delicately flavoured soup than the vermicelli, provided always that the nouilles be made with really fresh eggs. The same paste may be cut into very small diamond squares, stars, or any other form, then left to dry a little, and boiled in the soup until swelled to its full size, and tender. Nouille paste of four eggs; soup, 5 pints: 10 minutes. SAGO SOUP. Wash in several waters, and float off the dirt from six ounces of sago; put it into three quarts of good cold gravy-stock, and let it stew gently from half to three quarters of an hour; stir it occasionally, that it may not burn nor stick to the stew-pan. A quarter-ounce more of sago to each pint of liquid, will thicken it to the consistency of peas- soup. It may be flavoured with half a wineglassful of Harvey's sauce, as much cayenne as it may need, the juice of half a lemon, an ounce of sugar, and two glasses of sherry ; or these may be omitted, and good beef-broth may be substituted for the gravy-soup, for a simple family dinner, or for an invalid. Sago, 6 ozs. ; soup, 3 quarts : 30 to 45 minutes. TAPIOCA SOUP. This is made in the same manner, and with the same proportions as the preceding soup, but it must be simmered from fifty to sixty minutes. RICE SOUP. In France this soup is served well thickened with the rice, which is stewed in it for upwards of an hour and a half, and makes thus, even with the common bouillon of the country, an excellent winter potage. Pick, and wipe in a dry cloth, eight ounces of the best rice ; add it, in small portions, to four quarts of hot soup, of which the boiling should not be checked as it is thrown in. When a clear soup is wanted, wash the rice, give it five minutes' boil in water, drain it well, throw it into as much boiling stock or well-flavoured broth as will keep it covered till done, and simmer it very softly until the grains are tender, but still separate ; drain it, slip it into the soup, and let it remain in it a few minutes before it is served, but without simmering. When stewed in the stock, it may be put at once, after being drained, into the tureen, and the clear gravy-soup may be poured to it. An easy English mode of making rice-soup is this: put the rice into plenty of cold water ; when it boils, throw in a small quantity of salt, let it simmer ten minutes, drain it well, throw it into the boiling soup, and simmer it gently from ten to filleen minutes longer; some rice will be tender in half that time. An extra quantity of stock must be allowed for the reduction of this soup, which is always considerable. WHITE RICE SOUP. Throw four ounces of well-washed rice into boiling water, and in five minutes after pour it into a sieve, drain it well, and put it into a 40 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. I. couple of quarts of good white, boiling- stock; let it stew till tender; season the soup with salt, cayenne, and pounded mace; stir to it three- quarters of a pint of very rich cream, give it one boil, and serve it quickly. Rice, 4 ozs. : boiled 5 minutes. Soup, 2 quarts: three-quarters of an hour or more. Seasoning of salt, mace, and cayenne ; cream, three- quarters of a pint : 1 minute. RICE-FLOUR SOUP. Mix with a little cold broth, eight ounces of fine rice-flour, and pour it into a couple of quarts of fast-boiling broth, or gravy-soup. Add to it mace, and cayenne, with a little salt, if needful. It will require but ten minutes' boiling. Soup, 2 quarts ; rice-flour, 8 ozs. : 10 minutes. Obs. — Two dessert-spoonsful of currie-powder, and the strained juice of half a moderate-sized lemon, will greatly improve this soup : it may also be converted into a good common white soup (if it be made of veal stock), by the addition of three-quarters of a pint of thick cream to the rice. STOCK FOR WHITE SOUP. Though a knuckle of veal is usually preferred for this stock, part of the neck will, on an emergency, answer very well. Whichever joint be chosen, let it be thoroughly washed, once or twice divided, and laid into a delicately clean soup-pot, or well-tinned large stout iron sauce- pan, upon a pound of lean ham, freed entirely from skin and fat, and cut into thick sMces. Should very rich soup be wished for, pour in a pint only of cold water for each pound of meat, but otherwise a pint and a half may be allowed. When the soup has been thoroughly cleared from scum, which should be carefully taken off, from the time of its first beginning to boil, throw in an ounce of salt to the gallon (more can be added afterwards, if needed), two mild onions, a moderate- sized head of celery, two carrots, a small tea-spoonful of whole white pepper, and two blades of mace ; and let the soup stew very softly from five to six hours, if the quantity be large : it should simmer until the meat falls from the bones. The skin of a calf s-head, a calf s-foot, or an old fowl, may always be added to this stock, with good effect. Strain it into a clean deep pan, and keep it in a cool place till wanted for use. Lean ham, 1 lb. ; veal, 7 lbs. ; water, 4 to 6 quarts ; salt, 1^ oz. (more, if needed) ; onions, 2 ; celery, 1 head ; carrots, 2 ; pepper-corns, 1 tea-spoonful ; mace, 2 blades : five to six hours. MUTTON-STOCK FOR SOUPS. Equal parts of beef and mutton, with the addition of a small portion of ham, or of very lean bacon, make excellent stock, especially for winter- soups. The necks of fowls, the bones of an undressed calf's-head, or of any uncooked joint, may be added to it with advantage. According to the quality of soup desired, pour from a pint to a pint and a half of cold water to each pound of meat ; and after the liquor has been well- skimmed on its beginning to boil, throw in an ounce and a half of salt to the gallon, two small heads of celery, three mild, middling-sized onions, three well-flavoured turnips, as many carrots, a faggot of thyme and parsley, half a tea-spoonful of white pepper-corns, twelve cloves, CHAP. I.] SOUPS. 47 and a large blade of mace. Draw the soup-pot to the side of the fire, and boil the stock as gently as possible for about six hours ; then strain, and set it by for use. Be particularly careful to clear it entirely from fat before it is prepared for table. One-third of beef or veal, with 1 wo of mutton, will make very good soup ; or mutton only will answer the purpose quite well upon occasion. Beef, 4 lbs. ; mutton, 4 lbs. (or, beef or veal, from 2 to 3 lbs. ; mut- ton, from 5 to 6 lbs.) ; water, 1 gallon, to 1^ ; salt, 1^ oz. ; mild turnips, 1 lb. ; onions, 6 ozs. ; carrots, | lb. ; celery, 6 to 8 ozs. ; 1 bunch of herbs ; pepper-corns, h tea-spoonful ; cloves, 12 ; mace, 1 large blade : six hours. Obs. — Salt should be used sparingly at first for stock in which any portion of ham is boiled; allowance should also be made for its reduc- tion, in case of its being required for gravy. COMMON CARROT SOUP. The easiest way of making this soup is to boil some carrots very tender in water slightly salted; then to pound them extremely fine, and to mix gradually with them boiling gravy-soup (or bouillon), in the pro- portion of a quart to twelve ounces of the carrot. The soup should then be passed through a strainer, seasoned with salt and cayenne, and served very hot, with fried bread in a separate dish. If only the red outsides of the carrot be used, the colour of the soup will be very bright : they should be weighed after they are pounded. Turnip-soup may also be made in the same manner. Soup, 2 quarts; pounded carrot, 1^ lb. ; salt, cayenne : 5 minutes. COMMON TURNIP SOUP. Wash and wipe the turnips, pare and weigh them ; allow a pound and a half for every quart of soup. Cut them in slices about a quarter of an inch thick. Melt four ounces of butter in a clean stew-pan, and put in the turnips before it begins to boil ; stew them gently for three quarters of an hour, taking care that they shall not brown. Then have the proper quantity of soup ready boiling, pour it to them, and let them simmer in it for three quarters of an hour. Pulp the whole through a coarse sieve or soup-strainer, put it again on the fire, keep it stirred until it has boiled three minutes, take off the scum, add salt and pepper, if required, and serve it very hot. Turnips, 3 lbs. ; butter, 4 ozs. : % hour. Soup, 2 quarts : £ hour. Last time : 3 minutes. A QUICKLY MADE TURNIP SOUP. Pare and slice into three pints of veal or mutton-stock, or of gooa broth, three pounds of young mild turnips ; stew them gently from twenty-five to thirty minutes, or until they can be reduced quite to pulp; press the whole through a sieve, add to it another quart of stock, a seasoning of salt, white pepper, and one lump of sugar ; simmer it a minute or two, skim, and serve it. A large white onion, when the flavour is liked, may be sliced and stewed with the turnips. A little cream improves mucli the colour of this soup. Turnips, 3 lbs. ; soup, 5 pints : 25 to 30 minutes. 48 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAI\ I. POTATO SOUP. Mash to a smooth paste three pounds of good mealy potatoes, that aave been steamed, or boiled very dry ; mix with them by degrees, two quarts of boiling broth, pass the soup through a strainer, set it again on the fire, add pepper and salt, and let it boil five minutes. Take off entirely the black scum that will rise upon it, and serve it very hot with fried or toasted bread. Where the flavour is approved, two ounces of onions, minced and fried a light brown, may be added to the soup, and stewed in it tor ten minutes- before it is sent to table. Potatoes, 3 lbs. ; broth, 2 quarts: 5 minutes. (With onions, 2 ozs. :) 10 minutes. apple soup; (Soupe a, la Bourguignon.) Clear the fat from five pints of good mutton-broth, bouillon, or shin of beef stock, and strain it through a fine sieve; add to it, when it boils, a pound and a half of good pudding apples, and stew them down in it very softly, to a smooth pulp ; press the whole through a strainer, add a small teaspoonful of powdered ginger, and plenty of pepper, simmer the soup for a couple of minutes, skim, and serve it very hot, accompa- nied by a dish of rice, boiled as for curries. Broth, 5 pints; apples, l£ lb.: 25 to 40 minutes. Ginger, 1 tea- spoonful ; pepper, £ teaspoonful : 2 minutes. VEAL SOUP. Take four pounds of a knuckle of veal, break, and cut it small, put it into a stew-pan with two gallons of water; when it boils, skim it, and let it simmer till reduced to two quarts ; strain, and season it with white pepper, salt, a little mace, a dessertspoonful of lemon juice, and return it to the pot, adding two onions finely minced, a head of celery, and a turnip cut in small pieces. Let it simmer about half an hour longer, thicken it with a large tablespoonful of flour kneaded with an ounce of butter. WESTERFIELD WHITE SOUP. Break the bone of a knuckle of veal in one or two places, and put it on to stew, with three quarts of cold water to five pounds of meat; when ft has been quite cleared from scum, add to it an ounce and a half of salt, two ounces and a half of onions, twenty corns of white pepper, and two or three blades of mace, with a little cayenne pepper. When the soup is reduced one-third by slow simmering, strain it off, and set it by till cold; then free it carefully from the fat and sediment, and heat it again in a very clean stew-pan. Mix with it when it boils, a pint of thick cream smoothly blended with an ounce of good arrow- root, two ounces of very fresh vermicelli previously boiled tender in water slightly salted and well drained from it, and an ounce and a half of almonds blanched, and cut in strips;* give it one minute's simmer, and serve it immediately, with a French roll in the tureen. * We have given this receipt without any variation from the original, as the soup made exactly by it was much approved by the guests of the hospitable country gentle- man, at whose elegant table it was served often for many years; but we would rather recommend that the almonds should be pounded, or merely blanched, cut in spikes, stuck into the crumb of a French roll, and put into the tureen, simply to give flavour to the soup. CHAP. 1.] SOUPS. 49 Veal, 5 lbs. ; water, 3 quarts ; salt, 1 h oz. ; onions, 2^ ozs. ; 20 corns white pepper ; 2 large blades of mace : 5 hours or more. Cream, 1 pint ; almonds, H oz. ; vermicelli, 1 oz : 1 minute. Little thicken- ing, if needed. Obs. — Cream should always be boiled for a few minutes before it is added to any soup. The yolks of two or three very fresh eggs beaten well, and mixed with half a pint of the boiling soup, may be stirred into the whole, after it is taken from the fire. Some persons put the eggs into the tureen, and add the soup to them by degrees ; but this is not so well. If a superior white soup to this be wanted, put three quarts of water to seven pounds of veal, and half a pound of the lean part of a ham ; or, instead of water, use very clear, weak, veal broth. Grated Parmesan cheese should be handed round the table when white or mac- caroni soup is served. MOCK TURTLE, OR CALF'S HEAD SOUP. After having taken out the brain and washed and soaked the head well, pour to it nine quarts of cold water, bring it gently to boil, skim it very clean, boil it, if large, an hour and a half, lift it out, and put into the liquor eight pounds of neck of beef, lightly browned in a little fresh butter, with three or four thick slices, or a knuckle of lean ham, four large onions sliced, three heads of celery, three large carrots, a large bunch of sweet herbs, the rind of a lemon pared very thin, adesertspoou- ful of pepper-corns, two ounces of salt, and after the meat has been taken from the head, all the bones and fragments. Stew these gently from seven to eight hours, then strain off the stock, and set it into a very cool place, that the fat may become firm enough on the top to be cleared off easily. The skin and fat of the head should be taken off together and divided into strips of two or three inches in length, and one in width; the tongue may be cut in the same manner, or into dice." Put the stock, of which there ought to be between four and five quarts, into a large soup or stew pot ; thicken it when it boils with four ounces of fresh butter* mixed with an equal weight of fine dry flour, a half-tea- spoonful of pounded mace, and a third as much of cayenne (it is better to use these sparingly at first, and to add more should the soup require it, after it has boiled some little time) ; pour in half a pint of sherry, stir the whole together until it has simmered for a minute or two, then put in the head, and let it stew gently from an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half; stir it often, and clear it perfectly from scum. Slip into it, just before it is ready for table, three dozens of small forcemeat-balls ; the brain cut into dice (after having been well soaked, scalded,f and freed from the film), dipped into beaten yolk of egg, then into the finest crumbs mixed with salt, white pepper, a little grated nutmeg, fine lemon- rind, and chopped parsley fried a fine brown, well drained and dried ; and as many egg-balls, the size of a small marble, as the yolks of four eggs will supply. (See Chapter VI.) This quantity will be sufficient for two large tureens of soup ; when the whole is not w r anted for table * When the butter is considered unobjectionable, the flour, without it, may be mixed to the smoothest batter possible, with a little cold stock or water, and stirred briskly into the boiling soup: the spices should be blended with it. tThe brain should be blanched, that is, thrown into boiling water with a little salt in it, and boiled from five to eight minutes ; then lifted out, and laid into cold water for a quarter of an hour; it must be wiped very dry before it is fried. 50 MODERN COOKERY. [ CHAP. I. at the same time, it is better to add wine only to so much as will be re- quired for immediate consumption, or if it cannot conveniently be di- vided, to heat the wine in a small saucepan with a little of the soup, to turn it into the tureen, and then to mix it with the remainder by stirring the whole gently after the tureen is filled. Some persons simply put in the cold wine just before the soup is dished, but this is not so well. Whole calf's head with skin on, boiled 1^ hour. Stock : neck of beef, browned in butter, 8 lbs. ; lean of ham, ^ to | lb. (or a knuckle) ; onions, 4; large carrots, 3; heads of celery, 3; large bunch sweet herbs ; salt, 2 ozs. (as much more to be added when the soup is made as will season it sufficiently) ; thin rind, 1 lemon ; peppercorns, 1 des- sertspoonful ; bones and trimmings of head : 8 hours. Soup: stock, 4 to 5 quarts; flour and butter for thickening, of each 4 ozs. ; pounded mace, half-teaspoonful ; cayenne, third as much (more of each as needed); sherry, half pint: 2 to 3 minutes. Flesh of head and tongue, nearly or quite, 2 lbs. : li to 1^ hour. Forcemeat-balls, 36; the brain cut and fried ; egg-balls, 16 to 24. Obs.— When the brain is not blanched it must be cut thinner in the form of small cakes, or it will not be done through by the time it has taken enough colour : it may be altogether omitted without much detri- ment to the soup, and will make an excellent corner dish, if gently stewed in white gravy for half an hour, and served with it thickened with cream and arrow-root, to the consistency of good white sauce, then rather highly seasoned, and mixed with plenty of chopped parsley, and some lemon-juice. good calf's head soup ; (not expensive.") Boil down from six to seven pounds of the thick part of a shin of beef with a little lean ham, or a slice of hung beef trimmed free from the smoky edges, should either of these last be at hand, in five quarts of water, till reduced nearly half, with the addition, when it first be- gins to stew, of an ounce of salt, a large bunch of savoury herbs, one large onion, a head of celery, three carrots, two or three turnips, two small blades of mace, eight or ten cloves, and a few white or black pep- percorns. Let it boil gently, that it may not be too much reduced, for six or seven hours, then strain it into a clean pan and set it by for use. Take out the bone from half a calf's head with the skin on (the butcher will do this if desired,) wash, roll and bind it with a bit of tape or twine, and lay it into a stewpot, w r ith the bones and tongue; cover the whole with the beef stock, and stew it for an hour and a half; then lift it into a deep earthen pan and let it cool in the liquor, as this will prevent the edges from being dry or discoloured. Take it out before it is quite cold ; strain, and skim all the fat carefully from the stock : heat five pints in a large clean saucepan, with the head cut into small thick slices or into inch-squares. As quite the whole will not be needed, leave a portion of the fat, but add every morsel of the skin to the soup, and of the tongue also. Should the first of these not be perfectly ten- der, it must be simmered gently till it is so ; then stir into the soup from six to eight ounces of fine rice-flour mixed with a quarter-tea- spoonful of cayenne, twice as much freshly pounded mace, half a wine- glassful of mushroom catsup, and sufficient cold broth or water to render •t of the consistency of batter ; boil the whole from eight to ten minutes; CHAP. I.] SOUPS. 51 take off the scum, and throw in two glasses of sherry ; dish the soup and slip into the tureen some delicately fried, and well dried forcemeat-balls made by the receipt No. 1, 2, or 3 of Chapter VI. A small quantity of lemon-juice or other acid can be added at pleasure. The wine and forcemeat-balls may be omitted, and the other seasonings of the soup a little heightened. As much salt as may be required should be added to the stock when the head first begins to boil in it : the cook must regu- late also by the taste the exact proportion of cayenne, mace, and catsup, which will flavour the soup agreeably. The fragments of the head, with thi! bones and the residue of the beef used for stock, if stewed down together with some water and a few fresh vegetables, will afford some excellent broth, such as would be highly acceptable, especially if well thickened with rice, to many a poor family during the winter months. Stock : shin of beef, 6 to 7 lbs. ; water, 5 quarts : stewed down (with vegetables, &c.) till reduced nearly half. Boned half-head with skin on stewed in stock, 1| hour. Soup: stock, 5 pints; tongue, skin of head, and part of flesh : 15 to 40 minutes, or more if not quite tender. Rice- flour, 6 to 8 ozs. ; cayenne, quarter-teaspoonful ; mace, twice as much ; mushroom catsup, \ wineglassful: 10 minutes. Sherry, 2 wineglasses- ful, forcemeat-balls, 20 to 30. white oyster soup ; {or, Oyster Soup a la Reine.) When the oysters are small, from two to three dozens for each pint of soup should be prepared, but this number can, of course, be diminished or increased at pleasure. Let the fish (which should be finely condi- tioned natives) be opened carefully ; pour the liquor from them, and strain it; rinse them in it well, and beard them; strain the liquor a second time through a lawn-sieve or folded muslin, and pour it again over the oysters. Take a portion from two quarts of the palest veal stock, and simmer the beards in it from twenty to thirty minutes. Heat the soup, flavour it well with mace and cayenne, and strain the stock from the oyster-beards into it. Plump the fish in their own liquor, but do not let them boil ; pour the liquor to the soup, and add to it a pint of boiling cream ; put the oysters into the tureen, dish the soup, and send it to table quickly. Should any thickening be' required, stir briskly to the stock an ounce and a half of arrow-root, ground very smooth in a mor- tar, and carefully mixed with a little milk or cream; or, in lieu of this, when a rich soup is liked, thicken it with four ounces of fresh butter well blended with three of flour. Oysters, 8 to 12 dozens; pale veal stock, 2 quarts; cream, 1 pint; thickening, 1^ oz. arrow-root, or butter, 4 ozs., flour, 3 ozs. BROWN RABBIT SOUP. Cut down into joints, flour, and fry lightly, two full grown, or three young rabbits; add to them three onions of moderate size, also fried to a clear brown; on these pour gradually seven pints of boiling water, throw in a large teaspoonful of salt, clear oft* all the scum with care as it rises, and then put to the soup a faggot of parsley, four not very large carrots, and a small teaspoonful of peppercorns ; boil the whole very softly from five hours to five and a half; add more salt if needed, strain off the soup, let it cool sufficiently for the fat to be skimmed clean from it, heat it. afresh, and send it to table with sippets of fried bread. Spice, 52 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. I. with a thickening of rice-flour, or of wheaten flour browned in the oven, and mixed with a spoonful or two of very good mushroom catsup, or of Harvey's sauce, can be added at pleasure to the above, with a few drops of eschalot-wine, or vinegar; but the simple receipt will be found extremely good without them. Rabbits, 2 full grown, or 3 small; onions fried, 3, middling-sized; water, 7 pints ; salt, 1 large teaspoonful or more ; carrots, 4 ; faggot of parsley ; peppercorns, 1 small teaspoonful ; 5 to 5^ hours. PIGEON SOUP. Take eight pigeons, cut down two of the oldest, and put them with the necks, pinions, livers, and gizzards of the others, into four quarts of water; let it boil till the substance is extracted, and strain it; season the pigeons with mixed spices and salt, and truss them as for stewing ; pick and wash clean a handful of parsley, chives or young onions, and a good deal of spinach, chop them ; put in a frying-pan a quarter of a pound of butter, and when it boils, mix in a handful of bread crumbs, keep stirring them with a knife till of a fine brown ; boil the whole pigeons till they become tender in the soup, with the herbs, and fried bread. If the soup be not sufficiently high seasoned, add more mixed spices and salt. PHEASANT OR CHICKEN SOUP. Half roast a brace of well-kept pheasants, and flour them rather thickly when they are first laid to the fire. As soon as they are nearly cold take all the flesh from the breasts, put it aside, and keep it covered from the air; carve down the remainder of the birds into joints, bruise the bodies thoroughly, and stew the whole gently from two to three hours in five pints of strong beef broth ; then strain off the soup, and press as much of it as possible from the pheasants. Let it cool, and in the mean time strip the skin from the breasts, mince them small, and pound them to the finest paste, with half as much fresh butter, and half of dry crumbs of bread ; season these well with cayenne, sufficiently with salt, and moderately with pounded mace, and grated nutmeg, and add, when their flavour is liked, three or four eschalots, previously boiled tender in a little of the soup, left till cold, and minced before they are put into the mortar; moisten the mixture with the yolks of two or three eggs, roll it into small balls of equal size, dust a little flour upon them, skim all the fat from the soup, heat it in a clean stewpan, and when it boils throw them in and poach them from ten to twelve minutes, but first ascertain that the soup is properly seasoned with salt and cay- enne. Minced savoury herbs, and even grated lemon-rind, would, perhaps, improve the forcemeat, as well as a small portion of lean ham, a thick slice of which might be stewed in the soup for the pur- pose. We have recommended that the birds should be partially roasted before they are put into the soup-pot, because their flavour is much finer when this is done than when they are simply stewed ; they should be placed rather near to a brisk fire that they be quickly browned on the surface, without losing any of their juices, and the basting should be constant. A slight thickening of rice-flour or arrow-root can be added to the soup at pleasure, and the forcemeat-balls may be fried and slipped into the tureen when they are preferred so. Half a dozen eschalots .lightly browned in butter, and a small head of celery may also be thrown CHAP. I.] SOUPS. 53 in after the birds begin to stew, but nothing should be allowed to pre- vail over the natural flavour of the game itself; and this should be observed equally with other kinds, as partridges, grouse, and venison. Pheasants 2: roasted 20 to 30 minutes. Strong beef broth, or stock, 5 pints : 2 to 3 hours. Forcemeat-balls : breasts of pheasants, half as much of dry bread-crumbs and of butter, salt, mace, cayenne; yolks of 2 or 3 eggs (and at choice 3 or 4 boiled eschalots). Obs. — The stock may be made of six pounds of shin of beef, and four quarts of water reduced to within a pint of half. An onion, a large car- rot, a bunch of savoury herbs, and some salt and spice should be added to it: one pound of neck of veal or of beef will improve it. PARTRIDGE SOUP. This is, we think, superior in flavour to the pheasant soup. It should be made in precisely the same manner, but three birds allowed for it instead of two. Grouse and partridges together will make a still finer one : the remains of roast grouse even, added to a brace of partridges, will produce a very good effect. MULLAGATAWNY SOUP. Slice, and fry gently in some good butter three or four large onions, and when they are of a fine equal amber-colour, lift them out with a slice, and put them into a deep stewpot, or large thick saucepan ; throw a little more butter into the pan, and then brown lightly in it a young rabbit, or the prime joints of two, or a fowl cut down small, and floured. When the meat is sufficiently browned, lay it upon the onions, pour gradually to them a quart of good boiling stock, and stew it gently from three quarters of an hour to an hour; then take it out, and press the stock and onions through a fine sieve or strainer. Add to them two pints and a half more of stock, pour the whole into a clean pan, and when it boils stir to it two heaped tablespoonsful of currie-powder mixed with nearly as much of browned flour, and a little cold water or broth ; put it in the meat, and simmer it for twenty minutes or longer should it not be perfectly tender, add the juice of a small lemon just before it is dished, serve it very hot, and send boiled rice to table with it. Part of a pickled mango is sometimes stewed in this soup, and is much recom- mended by persons who have been long resident in India. We have given here the sort of receipt commonly used in England for mullaga- tawny, but a much finer soup may be made by departing from it in some respects. The onions, of which the proportion may be increased or diminished to the taste, after being fried slowly, and with care, that no part should be overdone, may be stewed for an hour in the first quart of stock with three or four ounces of grated cocoa-nut, which will im- part a rich mellow flavour to the whole. After all of this that can be rubbed through the sieve has been added to as much stock as will be required for the soup, and the currie-powder and thickening have boiled in it for twenty minutes, the flesh of part of a calf's head previously stewed almost sufficiently, and cut as for mock turtle, with a sweet- bread also stewed or boiled in broth tolerably tender, and divided into inch-square?, will make an admirable mullagatawny, if simmered in the stock until they have taken the flavour of the currie-seasoning. The flesh of a couple of calves' feet, with a sweetbread or two, may, when more convenient, be substituted for the head. A large cupful of thick 54 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. I. cream, first mixed and boiled with a teaspoonful of flour or arrow-root to prevent its curdling-, and stirred into the soup before the lemon-juice, will enrich and improve it much. Rabbit, 1, or the best joints of two, or foul, 1 ; large onions, 4 to 6; stock, 1 quart: 3 to 1 hour. 2^ pints more of stock ; currie-powder, 2 heaped tablespoonsful, with 2 of browned flour; meat and all simmered together 20 minutes or more ; juice of lemon, 1 small ; or part of pickled mango stewed in the soup. Or, — onions, 3 to 6 : cocoa-nut, 3 to 4 ozs. ; stock, 1 quart : stewed, 1 hour. Stock, 3 pints, (in addition to the first quart) ; currie-powder and thickening- each, 2 large tablespoonsful : 20 minutes. Flesh of part of calf's head and sweetbread, 15 minutes, or more. Thick cream, 1 cup- ful ; flour, or arrow-root, 1 teaspoonful : boiled two minutes, and stirred to the soup. Chili vinegar, 1 tablespoonful, or lemon-juice, 2 table- spoonsful. Obs. 1. — The brain of the calf's head stewed for twenty minutes in a little of the stock, then rubbed through a sieve, diluted gradually with more of the stock, and added as thickening to the soup, will be found an admirable substitute for part of the flour. Obs. 2. — Three or four pounds of a breast of veal, or an equal weight of mutton, free from bone and fat, may take the place of rabbits or fowls in this soup, for a plain dinner. The veal should be cut into squares of an inch and a half, or into strips of an inch in width, and two in length ; and the mutton should be trimmed down in the same way, or into very small cutlets. Obs. 3.— For an elegant table, the joints of rabbit or of fowl should always he boned before they are added to the soup, for which, in this case, a couple of each will be needed for a single tureen, as all the in- ferior joints must be rejected. TO BOIL RICE FOR MULLAGATAWNY SOUPS, OR FOR CURRIES. The Patna, or small-grained rice, which is not so good as the Carolina for the general purposes of cookery, is the sort which ought to be served with currie. First take out the unhusked grains, then wash the rice in two or three different waters, and put it into a large quantity of cold ; bring it gently to boil, keeping it uncovered, and boil it softly for fifteen minutes, when it will be perfectly tender, and every grain will remain distinct. Throw it into a large cullender, and let it drain for ten minutes near the fire ; should it not then appear quite dry, turn it into a dish, and set it for a short time into a gentle oven, or let it steam in a clean saucepan near the fire. It should neither be stirred, except just at first, to prevent its lumping while it is still quite hard, nor touched with either fork or spoon ; the stewpan may be shaken occasionally, should the rice seem to require it, and it should be thrown lightly from the cullender upon the dish. A couple of minutes before it is done, throw in some salt, and from the time of its beginning to boil, remove the scum as it rises. Patna rice, \ lb. ; cold water, 2 quarts : boiled slowly, 15 minutes. Salt, 1 large teaspoonful. 06s-. — This, of all the modes of boiling rice, which we have tried, and they have been very numerous, is indisputably the best. The Caro- lina rice even answers, well dressed, in this way. One or two minutes, more or less, will, sometimes, from the varying quality of the grain, be requisite to render it tender. CHAP. I.] SOUPS. 55 another receipt for boiling rice ; {not sogood as the preceding one.) Wash the rice thoroughly in several waters, and soak it for an hour ; drain and throw it into a large quantity of fast-boiling water. Leave it uncovered, take off the scum, and add salt when it is nearly done. When it has boiled from fifteen to eighteen minutes, drain it well, heap it lightly in a dish, and place it in a gentle oven to dry. 06s.— Rice is of far better flavour when cooked in so much water only as it will absorb ; but it cannot then so easily be rendered dry enough to serve with currie, or with curried soups. One pint of rice, washed and soaked for a few minutes, then wiped very dry, and dropped by degrees into five half pints of water, which should boil quickly, and continue to do so, while the rice is being added, and for a minute after- wards, and then placed over the fire, that it may stew very softly for half an hour, or until it is tender, and as dry as it will become without being burned, will be found very good. The addition of a couple of ounces of fresh butter, when it is nearly done, will convert it into a very palatable dish of itself. AN EXCELLENT GREEN PEAS SOUP. Take at their fullest size, but before they are of bad colour or worm* eaten, three pints of fine large peas, and boil them as for table (see Chapter XV.) with half a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda in the water, that they may be very green. When they are quite tender, drain them well, and put them into a couple of quarts of boiling, pale, but good beef or veal stock, and stew them in it gently for half an hour, then work the whole through a fine hair-sieve ; put it into a clean pan and bring it to the point of boiling; add salt, should it be needed, and a small teaspoonful of pounded sugar, clear off the scum entirely, and serve the soup as hot as possible, with small pale sippets of fried bread. An elegant variety of it is made by adding a half pint more of stock to the peas, and about three quarters of a pint of asparagus points, boiled apartf and well drained before they are thrown into it, which should be done only the instant before it is sent to table : the fried bread will not then be needed. Green peas, 3 pints : boiled 25 to 30 minutes, or more. Veal or beef stock, 2 quarts (with peas :) £ an hour. Sugar, one small teaspoonful ; salt, if needed. Obs. — When there is no stock at hand, four or five pounds of shin of beef, boiled slowly down with three quarts of water to two, and well seasoned with savoury herbs, young carrots, and onions, will serve in- stead quite well. A thick slice of lean, undressed ham would improve it. Should a common English peas soup be wished for, make it some- what thinner than the one above, and add to it, just, before it is dished, from half to three quarters of a pint of young peas boiled tender, and well drained. GREEN PEAS SOUP, WITHOUT MEAT. Boil tender, in three quarts of water, with the proportions of salt and soda directed for 'them in Chapter XV., one quart of large, full grown peas; drain and pound them in a mortar, mix with them gradually five pints of the liquor in which they were boiled, put the whole again over the fire, and stew it gently for a quarter of an hour ; then* press it through a hair-sieve. In the mean time, simmer, in from three to four 56 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP I. ounces of butter,* three large, or four small cucumbers, pared and sliced, the hearts of three or four lettuces shred small, from one to four onions, according to the taste, cut thin, a tew smal] sprig's of parsley, and, when the flavour is liked, a dozen leaves or more of mint, roughly chopped : keep these stirred over a gentle fire for nearly or quite an hour, and strew over them a half-teaspoonful of salt, and a good season- ing of white pepper or cayenne. When they are partially done, drain them from the butter, put them into the strained stock, and let the whole boil gently until all the butter has been thrown to the surface, and been entirely cleared from it; then throw in from half to three- quarters of a pint of young peas, boiled as for eating, and serve the soup immediately. * When more convenient, the peas, with a portion of the liquor, may be pressed through a sieve, instead of being crushed in a mortar; and when the colour of the soup is not so much a consideration as the fla- vour, they may be slowly stewed until perfectly tender in four ounces of good butter, instead of being boiled : a few green onions, and some branches of parsley may then be added to them. Green peas, 1 quart; water, 5 pints; cucumbers, 3 to 6; lettuces, 3 or 4; onions, 1 to 4; little parsley; mint (if liked), 12 to 20 leaves; butter, 3 to 4 ozs. ; salt, half-teaspoonful ; seasoning of white pepper or cayenne: 50 to 60 minutes. Young peas, ^ to | of a pint. Obs. — We must repeat that the peas for these soups must not be old, as when they are so, their fine sweet flavour is entirely lost, and the dried ones would have almost as good an effect; nor should they be of inferior kinds. Freshly gathered marrowfats, taken at nearly, or quite their full growth, will give the best quality of soup. We are credibly informed, but cannot assert it on our own authority, that it is often made for expensive tables in early spring, with the young tender plants or halms of the peas, when they are about a foot in height. They are cut off close to the ground, like small salad, then boiled and pressed through a strainer, and mixed with the stock. The flavour is affirmed to be ex- cellent. A CHEAP GREEN PEAS SOUP. Wash very clean, and throw into an equal quantity of boiling water, salted as for peas, three quarts of the shells, and in from twenty to thirty minutes, when they will be quite tender, turn the whole into a large strainer, and press the pods strongly with a wooden spoon. Mea- sure the liquor, put two quarts of it into a clean, deep saucepan, and when it boils add to it a quart of full grown peas, two, or even three large cucumbers, as many moderate-sized lettuces freed from the coarser leaves, and cut small, one large onion (or more if liked,) sliced ex- tremely thin and stewed for half an hour in a morsel of butter before it is added to the soup, or gently fried without being allowed to brown ; a branch or two of parsley, and, when the flavour is liked, a dozen leaves of mint. Stew these softly for an hour, with the addition of a small teaspoonful, or a larger quantity if required, of salt, and a good seasoning of fine white pepper, or of cayenne; then press the whole of the vegetables with the soup through a hair-sieve, heat it afresh, and * Some persons prefer the vegetables slowly fried to a fine hrown, then drained on a sieve, and well dried hefore the fire ; hut though more savoury so, they do not improve he colour of the soup. chap, i.] sours. 5? send it to table with a dish of small fried sippets. The colour will not be so bright as that of the more expensive soups which precede it, but it will be excellent in flavour. Pea-shells, 3 quarts ; water, 3 quarts : 20 to 30 minutes. Liquor from these, 2 quarts; full-sized green peas, 1 quart; large cucumbers, 2 or 3 ; lettuces, 3 ; onion, 1 (or more) ; little parsley ; mint, 12 leaves ; seasoning of salt and pepper or cayenne : stewed 1 hour. Obs. — The cucumbers should be pared, quartered, and freed from the seeds before they are added to the soup. The peas, as we have said al- ready more than once, should not be old, but taken at their full growth, before they lose their colour : the youngest of the shells ought to be se- lected for the liquor. RICH PEAS SOUP. Soak a quart of fine yellow split peas for a night, drain them well, and put them into a large soup-pot with five quarts of good brown gravy stock ; and when they have boiled gently for half an hour, add to the soup three onions, as many carrots, and a turnip or two, all sliced and fried carefully in butter ; stew the whole softly till the peas are reduced to pulp, then add as much salt and cayenne as may be needed to season it well, give it two or three minutes' boil, and pass it through a sieve, pressing the vegetables with it. Put into a clean saucepan as much as may be required for table, add a little fresh stock to it should it be too thick, and reduce it by quick boiling if too thin; throw in the white part of some fresh celery sliced a quarter of an inch thick, and when this is tender send the soup quickly to table with a dish of small fried sippets. A dessertspoonful or more of currie-powder greatly improves peas soup: it should be smoothly mixed with a few spoonsful of it, and poured to the remainder when this first begins to boil after having been strained. Split peas, 1 quart : soaked one night. Good brown gravy soup 5 quarts: 30 minutes. Onions and carrots browned in butter, 3 of each ; turnips, 2: 2^ to 3 h hours. Cayenne and salt as needed. Soup, 5 pints; celery sliced, 1 large or 2 small heads: 20 minutes. Obs. — When more convenient, six pounds of neck of beef well scored and equally, but carefully browned, may be boiled gently with the peas and fried vegetables in a gallon of water (which should be poured to them boiling) for four or five hours. COMMON PEAS SOUP. Wash well a quart of good split peas, and float off such as remain on the surface of the water ; soak them for one night, and boil them with a bit of soda the size of a filbert in just sufficient water to allow them to break to a mash. Put them into from three to four quarts of good beef broth, and stew them in it gently for an hour ; then work the whole through a sieve, heat afresh as much as may be required for table, season it with salt and cayenne or common pepper, clear it perfectly from scum, and send it to table with fried or toasted bread. Celery sliced and stewed in it as directed for the rich peas soup, will be found a great im provement to this. Peas, 1 quart: soaked 1 night; boiled in two quarts or rather more of water, 2 to 21 hours. Beef broth, 3 to 4 quarts : 1 hour. Salt and cayenne or pepper as needed : 3 minutes. 58 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. I. PEAS SOUP WITHOUT MEAT. To a pint of peas, freed from all that are worm-eaten, and well washed, put five pints of cold water, and boil them tolerably tender ; then add a couple of onions (more or less according to the taste), a couple of fine carrots grated, one large or two moderate-sized turnips sliced, all gently fried brown in butter ; half a teaspoonful of black pepper, and three times as much of salt. Stew these softly, keeping them often stirred, until the vegetables are sufficiently tender to press through a sieve ; then rub the whole through one, put it into a clean pan, and when it boils throw in a sliced head of celery, heighten the seasoning if needful, and in twenty minutes serve the soup as hot as possible, with a dish of fried or toasted bread cut into dice. A little Chili vinegar can be added when liked : a larger proportion of vegeta- bles also may be boiled down with the peas at pleasure. Weak broth, or the liquor in which a joint has been boiled, can, when at hand, be substituted for water, but the soup is very palatable as we have given the receipt for it Some persons like it flavoured with a little mush- room catsup. Split peas, 1 pint ; water, 5 pints : 2 hours or more. Onions, 2 ; car- rots, 2; large turnip, 1; pepper, ^ teaspoonful; salt, l£ teaspoonful: 1 to 1^ hour. Celery, 1 head: 20 minutes. OX-TAIL SOUP. An inexpensive and very nutritious soup may be made of ox-tails, but it will be insipid in flavour without the addition of a little ham, knuckle of bacon, or a pound or two of other meat. Wash and soak three tails, pour on them a gallon of cold water, let them be brought gradually to boil, throw in an ounce and a half of salt, and clear off the scum carefully as soon as it forms upon the surface; when it ceases to rise, add four moderate-sized carrots, from two to four onions, according to the taste, a large faggot of savoury herbs, a head of celery, a couple of turnips, six or eight cloves, and a half-teaspoonful of peppercorns. Stew these gently from three hours to three and a half, if the tails be very large; lift them out, strain the liq.uor, and skim off all the fat; cut the meat from the tails (or serve them, if preferred, divided into joints), and put it into a couple of quarts or rather more of the stock ; stir in, when these begin to boil, a thickening of arrow-root or of rice-flour (see page 39), mixed with as much cayenne and salt as may be required to flavour the soup well, and serve it very hot. If stewed down until the flesh falls away from the bones, the ox-tails will make stock which will be quite a firm jelly when cold ; and this, strained, thickened, and well flavoured with spices, catsup, or a little wine, would, to many tastes, be a superior soup to the above. A richer one still may be made by pouring good beef broth instead of water to the meat in the first instance. Ox-tails, 3 ; water, 1 gallon ; salt, 1| oz. ; carrots, 4 ; onions, 2 to 4 ; turnips, 2 ; celery, 1 head ; cloves, 8 ; peppercorns, \ teaspoonful ; fag- got of savoury herbs : 3 hours to 3£. For a richer soup, 5 to 6 hours. (Ham or gammon of bacon at pleasure, with other flavourings.) Obs. — To increase the savour of this soup when the meat is not served in it, the onions, turnips, and carrots may be gently fried until of a fine light brown, before they are added to it. CHAP. I.] SOUPS. 59 A CHEAP AND GOOD STEW SOUP. Put from four to five pounds of the gristly part of the shin of beef into three quarts of cold water, and stew it very softly indeed, with the addition of the salt and vegetables directed for bouillon (see page 41), until the whole is very tender; lift out the meat, strain the liquor, and put it into a large clean saucepan, add a thickening- of rice-flour or arrow-root, pepper and salt if needed, and a tablespoonful of mushroom catsup. In the mean time, cut all the meat into small, thick slices, add it to the soup, and serve it as soon as it is very hot. The thickening and catsup may be omitted, and all the veg-etables, pressed through a strainer, may be stirred into the soup instead, before the meat is put back into it. SOUP IN HASTE. Chop tolerably fine a pound of lean beef, mutton, or veal, and when it is partly done, add to it a small carrot and one small turnip, cut in slices, half an ounce of celery, the white part of a moderate-sized leek, or a quarter-ounce of onion. Mince all these tog-ether, and put the whole into a deep saucepan with three pints of cold water. When the soup boils, take off the scum, and add a little salt and pepper. In half an hour it will be ready to serve with or without straining : it may be flavoured at will, with cayenne, catsup, or aught else that is preferred. It may be converted into French spring broth, by passing it through a sieve, and boiling it again for five or six minutes with a handful of young and nicely-picked sorrel. Meat, 1 lb.; carrot, 2 ozs. ; turnip, li oz. ; celery, ^ oz. ; onion, £ oz. ; water, 3 pints : half an hour. Little pepper and salt. 06s. — Three pounds of beef or mutton, with two or three slices of ham, and vegetables in proportion to the above receipt, all chopped fine, and boiled in three quarts of water for an hour and a half, will make an excellent family soup on an emergency; additional boiling will of course improve it, and a little spice should be added after it has been skimmed, and salted. It may easily be converted into carrot, turnip, or ground-rice soup after it is strained. VEAL OR MUTTON BROTH. To each pound of meat add a quart of cold water, bring it gently to boil, skim it very clean, add salt in the same proportion as for bouillon (see page 41), with spices and vegetables also, unless unflavoured broth be required, when a few peppercorns, a blade or two of mace, and a bunch of savoury herbs will be sufficient; though for some purposes even these, with the exception of the salt, are better omitted. Simmer the broth for about four hours, unless the quantity be very small, when from two and a half to three will be sufficient. A little rice boiled down with the meat will both thicken the broth and render it more nu- tritious. Strain it off when done, and let it stand till quite cold, that the fat may be entirely cleared from it: this is especially needful when it is to be served to aq invalid. Veal or mutton, 4 lbs. ; water, 4 quarts; salt. For vegetables, &c, see page 39 ; rice (if used), 4 ozs. : 4 hours or more. MILK SOUP WITH VERMICELLI. Throw into five pints of boiling milk a small quantity of salt, and 60 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II. then drop lightly into it five ounces of good fresh vermicelli ; keep the milk stirred as this is added, to prevent its gathering into lumps, and continue to stir it very frequently from fifteen to twenty minutes, or until it, is perfectly tender. The addition of a little pounded sugar and powdered cinnamon, renders this a very agreeable dish. In Catholic countries, milk soups of various kinds constantly supply the place of those made with meat, on maigre days ; and with us they are sometimes very acceptable, as giving a change of diet for the nursery or sick room. Rice, semoulina, sago, cocoa-nut, and maccaronimay all in turn be used for them as directed for other soups in this chapter, but they will be required in rather smaller proportions with the milk. Milk, 5 pints ; vermicelli, 5 ozs. : 15 to 20 minutes. CHAPTER II. FISH. TO CHOOSE FISH. The cook should be w r ell ac- quainted with the signs of freshness and good condition in fish, as many of them are most unwholesome articles of food when stale, or out of season. The eyes should be bright, the gills of a fine clear red, the body stiff, the flesh firm, yet elastic to the touch, and the smell not disagreeable. When all these marks are reversed, Copper Fish or Ham Kettle. and the eyes are sunken, the gills very dark in hue, the fish itself flabby and of offensive odour, it is bad, and should be avoided. The chloride of soda, will, it is true, restore it to a tolerably eatable state,* if it be not very much over-kept, but it will never resemble in quality fish that is fresh from the water. A good turbot is thick, and full fleshed, ana the under side is of a pale cream colour or yel- lowish white; when this is of a bluish tint, and the fish is thin and soft, it should be rejected. Small Fish Kettle, called a The same observations apply equally to soles. Mackerel Kettle. The best salmon and cod fish are known by a small head, very thick shoulders, and a small tail ; the scales of the former should be bright, and its flesh of a fine red colour : to be eaten in perfection it should be dressed as soon as it is caught, before the curd (or white substance which li es between the flakes of flesh) has melted * We have known this applied very successfully to salmon which from some hours keep- ing in sultry weather had acquired a slight degree of taint, of which no trace remained after it was dressed. CHAP. II.] FISH. 51 and rendered the fish oily. In that state it is really crimp, out con- tinues so only for a very few hours ; and it bears therefore a much higher price in the London market then, than when mellowed by having been kept a day or two. The flesh of cod fish should be white and clear before it is boiled, whiter still after it is boiled, and firm though tender, sweet and mild in flavour, and separated easily into large flakes. Many persons consider it rather improved than otherwise by having a little salt rubbed along the inside of of the back-bone and letting it lie from twenty-four to forty-eight hours before it is dressed. It is sometimes served crimp like salmon, and must then be sliced as soon as it is dead, or within the shortest possible time afterwards. Herrings, mackerel, and whitings, lose their freshness so rapidly, that unless newly caught they are quite uneatable. The herring may, it is said, be deprived of the strong rank smell which it emits when broiled or fried, by stripping off the skin, under which lies the oil that causes the disagreeable odour. The whiting is a peculiarly pure flavoured and delicate fish, and acceptable generally to invalids from being very light of digestion. Eels should be alive and brisk in movement when they are purchased, but the " horrid barbarity," as it is truly designated, of skinning and divid- ing them while they are so, is without excuse, as they are easily destroyed " by piercing the spinal marrow close to the back part of the skull with a sharp pointed knife, or skewer. If this be done in the right place all motion will instantly cease." We quote Doctor Kitchener's assertion on this sub- ject; but we know that the mode of destruction which he recommends is commonly practised by the London fishmongers. Boiling water also will immediately cause vitality to cease, and is perhaps the most humane and ready method of destroying the fish. Lobsters, prawns, and shrimps are very stiff when freshly boiled, and the tails turn strongly inwards; when these relax, and the fish are soft and watery, they are stale ; and the smell will detect their being so instantly even if no other symptoms of it be remarked. If bought alive, lobsters should be chosen by their weight and " liveliness." The hen lobster is preferred for sauce and soups, on account of the coral ; but the flesh of the male is generally considered of finer flavour for eating. The vivacity of their leaps will show when prawns and shrimps are fresh from the sea. Oysters should close forcibly on the knife when they are opened : if the shells are apart ever so little they are losing their condition, and when they remain far open the fish are dead, and fit only to be thrown away. Small plump natives are very preferable to the larger and coarser kinds. TO CLEAN FISH. Let this be done always with the most scrupulous nicety, for nothing can more effectually destroy the appetite, or disgrace the cook, than fish sent to table imperfectly cleaned. Handle it lightly, and never throw it roughly about, so as to bruise it ; wash it well, but do not leave it longer in the water than is necessary, for fish, like meat, loses its flavour from being soaked. When the scales are to be removed, lay the fish flat upon its side, and hold it firmly with the left hand, while they are scraped off with the right ; turn it, and when both sides are done, pour or pump sufficient water over to float off all the loose scales; 62 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II. (hen proceed to open and empty it. Be sure that not the slightest par- ticle of offensive matter be left in the inside ; wash out the blood en- tirely, and scrape or brush it away, if needful, from the back-bone. This may easily be accomplished, without opening the fish so much as to render it unsightly when it is sent to table. The red mullet is dressed without being emptied, and smelts are drawn at the gills. When the scales are left on, the outside of the fish should be wel washed and wiped with a coarse cloth, drawn gently from the head tc the tail. Eels, to be wholesome, should be skinned, but they are sometimes dressed without ; boiling water should then be poured upon them, and they should be left in it from five to ten minutes, before they are cut up. The dark skin of the sole must be stripped off when it is fried, but it must be left on, like that of a turbot, when the fish is boiled, and it should be dished with the white side upwards. Whitings are skinned, and dipped usually into egg and bread-crumbs, when they are to be fried ; but for boiling or broiling, the skin must be left on. TO KEEP FISH. We find that all the smaller kinds of fish keep best if emptied and cleaned as soon as they are brought in, then wiped gently as dry as they can be, and hung separately by the head on the hooks in the ceil- ing of a cool larder, or in the open air when the weather will allow. When there is danger of their being attacked by flies, a wire safe, placed in a strong draught of air, is better adapted to the purpose. Soles in winter will remain good a couple of days when thus prepared; and even whitings and mackerel may be kept so without losing any of their excellence. Salt may be rubbed slightly over cod fish, and well along the back-bone, but it injures the flavour of salmon, the in- side of which may be rubbed with vinegar, and peppered instead. When excessive sultriness renders all of these modes unavailing, the fish must at once be partially cooked to preserve it, but this should be avoided if possible, as it is very rarely so good when this method is re- sorted to. TO SWEETEN TAINTED FISH. The application of the pyroligneous acid will effect this when the taint is but slight. A wineglassful, mixed with two of water, may be poured over the fish, and rubbed upon the parts more particularly re- quiring it; it must then be left for some minutes untouched, and after- wards washed in several waters, and soaked until the smell of the acid is no longer perceptible. The chloride of soda, from its powerful anti- putrescent properties, will have more effect when the fish is in a worse state. It should be applied in the same manner, and will not at all injure the flavour of the fish, which is not fit for food when it cannot be perfectly purified by either of these means. The chloride may be diluted more or less, as occasion may require. BRLNE FOR BOILING FISH. Fish is exceedingly insipid if sufficient salt be not mixed with the water in which it is boiled, but the precise quantity required for it will depend, in some measure, upon the kind of salt which is used. Fine common salt is that for which our directions are given ; but when the Maldon salt, which is very superior in strength, as well as in its other qualities, is substituted for it, a smaller quantity must be allowed. CHAP. II.] FISH. 63 About four ounces to the gallon of water will be sufficient for small fish in general ; an additional ounce, or rather more, will not be too much for cod fish, lobsters, crabs, prawns, and shrimps ; and salmon will re- quire eight ounces, as the brine for this fish should be strong: the water should always be perfectly well skimmed from the moment the scum begins to form upon the surface. Mackerel, whiting, and other small fish, 4 ozs. of salt to a gallon of water. Cod fish, lobsters, crabs, prawns, shrimps, 5 to 6 ozs. Salmon, 8 ozs. TO RENDER BOILED FISH FIRM. Put a small bit of saltpetre with the salt into the water in which it is boiled : a quarter-ounce will be sufficient for a gallon. TO KEEP FISH HOT FOR TABLE. Never leave it in the water after it is done ; but if it cannot be sent to table as soon as it is ready to serve, lift it out, lay the fish-plate into a large and very hot dish, and set it across the fish-kettle; just dip a clean cloth into the boiling water, and spread it upon the fish ; place a tin cover over it, and let it remain so until two or three minutes before it is wanted, then remove the cloth, and put the fish back into the ket- tle for an instant that it may be as hot as possible ; drain, dish, and serve it immediately : the water should be kept boiling the whole time. TO BOIL A TURBOT. In season all the year. A fine turbot, in full season, and well served, is one of the most deli- cate and delicious fish that can be sent to table ; but it is generally an expensive dish, and its excellence so much depends on the manner in which it is dressed, that great care should be taken to prepare it pro- perly. After it is emptied, wash the inside until it is perfectly cleansed, and rub lightly a little fine salt over the outside, as this will render less washing and handling necessary, by at once taking off the slime; change the water several times, and when the fish is as clean as it is possible to render it, draw a sharp knife through the thickest part of the middle of the back nearly through to the bone. Never cut off the fins of a turbot when preparing it for table, and remember that it is the dark side of the fish in which the incision is to be made, to prevent the skin of the white side from cracking. Dissolve in a well-cleaned tur- bot, or common fish-kettle, in as much cold spring water as will cover the fish abundantly, salt, in the proportion of four ounces to the gallon, and a morsel of saltpetre ; wipe the fish-plate with a clean cloth, lay the turbot upon it with the white side upwards, place it in the kettle, bring it slowly to boil, and clear off the scum thoroughly as it rises. Let the water only just simmer until the fish is done, then lift it out, drain, and slide it gently on to a very hot dish, with a hot napkin neatly arranged over the drainer. Send it immediately to table with rich lobster sauce, good plain melted butter, and a dish of dressed cucumber. For a simple dinner, anchovy, or shrimp-sauce is sometimes served with a small turbot. Should there be any cracks in the skin of the fish, branches of curled parsley may be laid lightly over them, or part of the inside coral of the lobster, rubbed through a fine hair-sieve, may be sprinkled over the fish ; but it is better without either, when it is very white, and unbroken. When garnishing* are in favour, a slice of 04 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II lemon and a tuft of curled parsley may be placed alternately round the edge of the dish. A border of fried smelts, or of fillets of soles, was formerly served, in general, round a turbot, and is always a very ad- missible addition, though no longer so fashionable as it was. From fifteen to twenty minutes will boil a moderate-sized fish, and from twenty to thirty a large one; but as the same time will not always be sufficient for a fish of the same weight, the cook must watch it atten- tively, and lift it out as soon as its appearance denotes its being done. Moderate sized-turbot, 15 to 20 minutes. Large, 20 to 30 minutes. Longer, if of unusual size. Obs. — A lemon gently squeezed, and rubbed over the fish, is thought to preserve its whiteness. Some good cooks still put turbot into boiling water, and to prevent its breaking, tie it with a cloth tightly to the fish- plate ; but cold water seems better adapted to it, as it is desirable that it should be gradually heated through before it begins to boil. TURBOT A LA CREME. Raise carefully from the bones the flesh of a cold turbot, and clear it from the dark skin ; cut it into small squares, and put it into an ex- ceedingly clean stewpan or saucepan ; then make and pour upon it the cream-sauce of Chapter IV., or make as much as may be required for the fish by the same receipt, with equal proportions of milk and cream, and a little additional flour. Heat the turbot slowly in the sauce, but do not allow it to boil, and send it very hot to table. The white skin of the fish is not usually added to this dish, and it is of better appear- ance without it; but for a family dinner, it may be left on the flesh, when it is much liked. No acid must be stirred to the sauce until the whole is ready for table. TO BROIL 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 pre- vent 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 or flat dish, in an oven, with a little bit of butter, or sweet oil ; or they may be done in buttered paper on the gridiron. Sauce, lobster or shrimp. TO BAKE SALMON. If a small fish, turn the tail to the mouth, and skewer it; forcemeat 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 forcemeat. 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 be- comes 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 bakino- dish. For sauce, melted butter, with two tablespoonsful of "HAP. II.] FISH. 65 port wine, one of catsup, and the juice of a lemon, poured over the fish , or anchovy sauce in a boat. PICKLE 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 lat- ter are sometimes baked in vinegar, flavoured with allspice and bay leaves, and eat very well ; but will not keep more than a few days. TO BOIL SALMON. In full season from May to August: may be had much earlier, but is scarce and dear. To preserve the fine colour of this fish, and to set the curd when it is quite freshly caught, it is usual to put it into boiling, instead of cold water. Scale, empty, and wash it with the greatest nicety, and be especially careful to cleanse all the blood from the inside. Stir into the fish-kettle eight ounces of common salt to the gallon of water, let it boil quickly for a minute or two, take off all the scum, put in the salmon and boil it moderately fast, if it be small, but more gently should it be very thick; and assure yourself that it is quite sufficiently done, before it is sent to table, for nothing can be more distasteful, even to the eye, than fish which is under dressed. From two to three pounds of the thick part of a fine salmon will require half an hour to boil it, but eight or ten pounds will be done enough in little more than double that time ; less, in proportion to its weight, should be allowed for a small fish, or for the thin end of a large one. Do not allow the salmon to remain in the water after it is ready to serve, or both its flavour and appearance will be injured. Dish it on a hot napkin, and send dressed cucumber, and anchovy, shrimp, or lob- ster sauce, and a tureen of plain melted butter to table with it. To each gallon of water, 8 ozs. salt. Salmon, 2 to 3 lbs. (thick) ^ hour : 8 to 10 lbs., l£ hour: small, or thin fish, less time. Obs. — A fashionable mode of serving salmon at the present day is to divide the larger portion of the body into three equal parts; to boil them in water, or in a marinade; and to serve them dished in a line, but not close together, and covered with a rich Genevese sauce ; it ap- pears to us that the skin should be stripped from any fish over which the sauce is poured, but in this case it is not customary. CRIMPED SALMON. Cut into slices an inch and a half, or two inches thick, the body of a salmon quite newly caught ; throw them into strong salt and water as they are done, but do not let them soak in it ; wash them well, lay them on a fish-plate, and put them into fast-boiling water, salted, and well skimmed. In from ten to fifteen minutes they will be done. Dish them on a napkin, and send them very hot to table with lobster sauce, and plain melted butter; or with the caper fish sauce of Chapter IV 4 60 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II The water should be salted as for salmon boiled in the ordinary way , and the scum should be cleared off with great care after the fish is in. In boiling water, 10 to 15 minutes. SALMON A LA ST. MARCEL. Separate some cold boiled salmon into flakes, and free them entirety from the skin ; break the bones, and boil them in a pint of water foi half an hour. Strain off the liquor, put it into a clean saucepan and stir into it by degrees when it begins to boil quickly, two ounces of but- ter mixed with a large teaspoonfnl of flour, and when the whole has boiled for two or three minutes add a teaspoonful of essence of ancho- vies, one of good mushroom catsup, half as much lemon-juice or Chili vinegar, a half teaspoonful of pounded mace, some cayenne, and a very little salt. Heat the fish very slowly in the sauce by the side of the fire, but do not allow it to boil. When it is very hot, dish, and send it quickly to table. French cooks, when they re-dress fish or meat of any kind, prepare the flesh with great nicety, and then put it into a stew- pan, and pour the sauce upon it, which is, we think, better than the more usual English mode of laying it into the boiling sauce. The cold salmon may also be re-heated in the cream sauce of Chapter IV. or in the Maitre d'Hotel sauce which follows it; and will be found excellent with either. This receipt is for a moderate sized dish. Obs.—We regret that we cannot give insertion to a larger number of receipts for dressing this truly excellent fish, which answers for almost every mode of cookery. It may be fried in cutlets, broiled, baked, roasted, or stewed ; served in a common, or in a raised pie, or in a potato-pasty ; in a salad, in jelly ; collared, smoked, or pickled ; and will be found good prepared by any of these processes. A rather full seasoning of savoury herbs is thought to correct the effect of the natu- ral richness of the salmon. For directions to broil, bake, or roast it, the reader is referred to Chapter VII. TO BOIL COD FISH. In highest season from October to the beginning of February; in perfection about Christmas. When this fish is large, the head and shoulders are sufficient for a handsome dish, and they contain all the choicer portion of it, though not so much substantial eating, as the middle of the body, which, in conse- quence, is generally preferred to them by the frugal housekeeper. Wash the fish, and cleanse the inside, and the back-bone in particular, with the most scrupulous care ; lay it into the fish kettle and cover it well with cold water mixed with five ounces of salt to the gallon, and about a quarter ounce of saltpetre to the whole. Place it over a mode- rate fire, clear off the scum perfectly, and let the fish boil gently until it is done. Drain it well* and dish it carefully upon a very hot napkin with the liver and the roe as a garnish. To these are usually added tufts of lightly scraped horse-raddish round the edge. Serve well made oyster sauce and plain melted butter with it; or anchovy sauce when oysters cannot be procured. The cream sauce of Chapter IV. is also an appropriate one for this fish. Moderate sized, 20 to 30 minutes. Large, \ to f hour. ♦This should be done by setting the fish-plate across the kettle for a minute or two. CHAP. II.] FISH. 07 SLICES OF COD FISH FRIED. Cut the middle or tail of the fish into slices nearly an inch thick, sea- son them with salt and white pepper or cayenne, flour them well, and fry them of a clear equal brown on both sides ; drain them on a sieve before the fire, and serve them on a well-heated napkin, with plenty of crisped parsley round them. Or, dip them into beaten egg, and then into fine crumbs mixed with a seasoning- of salt and pepper (some cooks add one of minced herbs also,) before they are fried. Send melted but- ter and anchovy sauce to table with them. "» 8 to 12 minutes. Obs. — This is a much better way of dressing the thin part of the fish than boiling it, and as it is generally cheap, it makes thus an economi- cal, as well as a very good dish : if the slices are lifted from the frying- pan into a good curried gravy, and left in it by the side of the fire for a few minutes before they are sent to table, they will be found excellent. STEWED COD. Put into boiling water, salted as usual, about three pounds of fresh cod fish cut into slices an inch and a half thick, and boil them gently for five minutes ; lift them out, and let them drain. Have ready-heated in a wide stewpan nearly a pint of veal gravy or of very good broth, lay in the fish, and stew it for five minutes, then add four tablespoonsful of extremely fine bread-crumbs, and simmer it for three minutes longer. Stir well into the sauce a large teaspoonful of arrow-root, quite free from lumps, a fourth part as much of mace, something less of cayenne, and a tablespoonful of essence of anchovies, mixed with a glass of white wine and a dessertspoonful of lemon juice. Boil the whole for a cou- ple of minutes, lift out the fish carefully with a slice, pour the sauce over, and serve it quickly. Cod fish, 3 lbs. : boiled 5 minutes. Gravy, or strong broth, nearly 1 pint: 5 minutes. Bread-crumbs, 4 tablespoonsful: 3 minutes. Arrow- root, 1 large teaspoonful ; mace, £ teaspoonful ; less of cayenne ; es- sence' of anchovies, 1 tablespoonful ; lemon-juice, 1 dessertspoonful ; sherry or Madeira, 1 wineglassful : 2 minutes. Obs. — A dozen or two of oysters, bearded, and added with their strained liquor to this dish two or three minutes before it is served, will, to many tastes, vary it very agreeably. STEWED COD FISH, IN BROWN SAUCE. Slice the fish, take off the skin, flour it well, and fry it quickly a fine brown ; lift it out and drain it on the back of a sieve, arrange it in a clean stewpan, and pour in as much good brown gravy, boiling, as will nearly cover it ; add from one to two glasses of port wine, or rather more of claret, a dessertspoonful of Chili vinegar, or the juice of half a lemon, and some cayenne, with as much salt as may be needed. Stew the fish very softly until it just begins to break, lift it carefully with a slice into a very hot dish, stir into the gravy an ounce and a half of but- ter, smoothly kneaded with a large teaspoonful of flour, and a little pounded mace, give the sauce a minute's boil, pour it over the fish, and serve it immediately. The wine may be omitted, good shin of beef stock substituted for the gravy, and a teaspoonful of soy, one of essence of anchovies, and two tablespoonsful of Harvey's sauce added to fla- vour it. 68 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II. TO BOIL SALT FISH. When very salt and dry, this must be long-soaked before it is boiled, but it is generally supplied by the fishmongers nearly or quite ready to dress. When it is not so, lay it for a night into a large quantity of cold water, then let it lie exposed to the air for some time, then again put it into water, and continue thus until it is well softened. Brush it very clean, wash it thoroughly, and put it with abundance of cold water into the fish kettle, place it near the fire and let it heat very slowly indeed. Keep it just on the point of simmering, without allowing it ever to boil (which would render it hard), from three quarters of an hour to a full hour, according to its weight; should it be quite small and thin, less time will be sufficient for it ; but by following these directions, the fish will be almost as good as if it were fresh. The scum should be cleared off with great care from the beginning. Egg sauce and boiled parsneps are the usual accompaniments to salt fish, which should be dished upon a hot napkin, and which is sometimes also thickly strewed with chop- ped eggs. salt fish ; (a la Mditre a" 'Hotel.) Boil the fish by the foregoing receipt, or take the remains of that which has been served at table, flake it off clear from the bones, and strip away every morsel of the skin; then lay it into a very clean saucepan or stewpan, and pour upon it the sharp Maitre d'Hotel sauce of Chapter IV. ; or, dissolve gently two or three ounces of butter with four or five spoonsful of water, and a half-teaspoonful of flour; add some pepper or cayenne, very little salt, and a dessertspoonful or more of minced parsley. Heat the fish slowly quite through in either of these sauces, and toss or stir it until the whole is well mixed ; if the second be used, add the juice of half a lemon, or a small quantity of Chili vin- egar, just before it is taken from the fire. The fish thus prepared may be served in a deep dish, with a border of mashed parsneps or potatoes. TO BOIL CODS SOUNDS. Should they be highly salted, soak them for a night, and on the fol- lowing day, rub off entirely the discoloured skin ; wash them well, lay them into plenty of cold milk and water, and boil them gently from thirty to forty minutes, or longer, should they not be quite tender. Clear off the scum as it rises with great care, or it will sink, and adhere to the sounds, of which the appearance will then be spoiled. Drain them well, dish them on a napkin, and send egg sauce and plain melted but- ter to table with them. TO FRY CODS' SOUNDS IN BATTER. Boil them as directed above, until they are nearly done, then lift them out, lay them on to a drainer, and let them remain till they are cold ; cut them across in strips of an inch deep, curl them round, dip them into a good French or English batter, fry them of a fine pale brown, drain and dry them well, dish them on a hot napkin, and garnish them with crisped parsley. TO MAKE CHOWDER. Lay some slices cut from the fat part of pork in a deep stew-pan, mix sliced onions with a variety of sweet herbs, and lay them on the pork ; bone and cut a fresh cod into thin slices, and place them on the pork, CHAP. II.] FISH. 69 then put a layer of pork, on that a layer of biscuit, then alternately the other materials until the pan is nearly full, season with pepper and salt, put in about a quart of water, cover the stew-pan very close, and let it stand, with fire above as well as below, for lour hours; then skim it well, and it is done. TO BOIL ROCK-FISH, BLACK-FISH, AND SEA- BASS. Clean the fish with scrupulous care, particularly the back-bone, then lay the fish into the fish-kettle and cover it with cold water, strewing in a handful of salt (and a small pinch of saltpetre, if you have it), and place it over a moderate fire. Clean off the scum carefully, and let it boil very gently till it is done ; then drain it, as directed for cod-fish, and dish it nicely — garnished with hard-boiled eggs, cut in halves. Celery sauce, or anchovy sauce, is the proper kind for these fish, or plain melted butter. TO BOIL HALIBUT. Take a small halibut, or what you require from a large fish. Put it into the fish-kettle, with the back of the fish undermost, cover it with cold water, in which a handful of salt and a bit of saltpetre, the size of a hazle-nut, have been dissolved. When it begins to boil skim it care- fully, and then let it just simmer till it is done. Four pounds of fish will require half an hour, nearly, to boil it. Drain it, garnish with horse-radish or parsley — egg sauce, or plain melted butter, are served with it. FILLETS OF HALIBUT, BLACK-FISH, &DC. The word fillet, whether applied to fish, poultry, game, or butcher's meat, means simply the flesh of either (or of certain portions of it), raised clear from the bones in a handsome form, and divided or not, as the manner in which it is to be served may require. It is an elegant mode of dressing various kinds of fish, and even those which are not the most highly esteemed, afford an excellent dish when thus prepared. The fish, to be filletted with advantage, should be large ; the flesh may then be divided down the middle of the back, next, separated from the fins, and with a very sharp knife raised clean from the bones.* When thus prepared, the fillets may be divided, trimmed into a good form, egged, covered with fine crumbs, fried in the usual way, and served with the same sauces as the whole fish ; or each fillet may be rolled up, in its entire length, if very small, or after being once divided, if large, and fastened with a slight twine, or a short thin skewer; then egged, crumbed, and fried in plenty of boiling lard ; or merely well floured and fried from eight to ten minutes. When the fish are not very large, they are sometimes boned without being parted in the middle, and each side is rolled from the tail to the head, after being first spread with but- ter, a few bread-crumbs, and a high seasoning of mace and cayenne; or with pounded lobster mixed with a large portion of the coral, and the same seasoning, and proportion of butter ; then laid into a dish, well covered with crumbs of bread and clarified butter, and baked from twelve to sixteen minutes, or until the crumbs are coloured to a fine brown in a moderate oven. * A celebrated French conk gives - the following instructions for raisin? these fillets: — "Take them up by running your knife first between the bones and the flesh, then between Hie skin and the fillet ; by leaning pretty hard on the (able they nil come ofl[ very neatly." 70 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAF. II. The fillets may likewise be cut into small strips or squares of uniform size, lightly dredged with pepper or cayenne, salt and flour, and fried in butter over a brisk fire; then well drained, and sauced with a good bechamel, flavoured with a teaspoonful of minced parsley. BAKED SOLES, HALIBUT AND CARP. Clarify from two to three ounces of fresh butter, and pour it into the dish in which the fish are to be served ; add to it a little salt, some cayenne, a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, and from one to two glasses of sherry, or of any other dry white wine ; lay in a couple of fine soles which have been well cleaned and wiped very dry,strewover them a thick layer of fine bread-crumbs, moisten them with clarified butter, set the dish into a moderate oven, and bake the fish a quarter of an hour; we would recommend a little lemon-juice to be mixed with the sauce. Baked 15 minutes. Obs. — The fish are, we think, better without the wine in this receipt. They require but a small portion of liquid, which might be supplied by a little additional butter, a spoonful of water or pale gravy, the lemon- juice, and store-sauce. Minced parsley may be mixed with the bread- crumbs when it is liked. SOLES OR CARP STEWED IN CREAM. Prepare some very fresh middling sized fish with exceeding nicety, put them into boiling water slightly salted, and simmer them for two minutes only ; lift them out, and let them drain ; lay them into a wide stevvpan with as much sweet rich cream as will nearly cover them; add a good seasoning of pounded mace, cayenne and salt ; stew the fish softly from six to ten minutes, or until the flesh parts readily from the bones ; dish them, stir the juice of half a lemon to the sauce, pour it over the soles, and send them immediately to table. Some lemon-rind may be boiled in the cream, if approved ; and a small teaspoonful of arrow-root, very smoothly mixed with a little milk, may be stirred to the sauce (should it require thickening) before the lemon-juice is added. Turbot and brill also may be dressed by this receipt, time, proportioned to their size, being of course allowed for them. Soles, 3 or 4 : boiled in water 2 minutes. Cream, h to whole pint; salt, mace, cayenne : fish stewed, 6 to 10 minutes. Juice of half a lemon. TO BOIL STURGEON. 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 seasoning or forcemeat, twisted in buttered white paper, and so broiled. For sauce, serve melted butter with catsup. Garnish with sliced lemon, as the juice is generally used with the fish. TO 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. CHAP. II.] FISH. 71 TO STEW STURGEON. Take enough gravy to cover the fish ; set it on with a tablespoonful of salt, a few corns of black pepper, a bunch of sweet herbs, 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 immediately ; 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. TO FRY STURGEON. Cut the fish into rather thin slices ; sprinkle it well with salt on both sides; when the salt has drawn out all the moisture of the fish, roll it in bread crumbs and egg, and fry it in hot lard. When done, take it out and put a glass of water, a spoonful of vinegar, and a little lemon- peel into the pan, give it a boil, cup and strain it over the fish. to boil whitings ; (Freiich Receipt.) Having scraped, cleaned, and wiped them, lay them on a fish-plate, and put them into water at the point of boiling; 'throw in a handful of salt, two bay leaves, and plenty of parsley, well washed, and tied to- gether ; let the fish just simmer from five to ten minutes, and watch them closely that they may not be over-done. Serve parsley and but- ter with them, and use in making it the liquor in which the whitings have been boiled. Just simmered from 5 to 10 minutes. BAKED WHITINGS A LA. FRANCAISE. Proceed with these exactly as with baked soles, page 70, or, pour a little clarified butter into a deep dish, and strew it rather thickly with • finely-minced mushrooms, mixed with a teaspoonful of parsley, and (when the flavour is liked, and considered appropriate) with an escha- lot or two, or the white part of a few green onions, also chopped very small. On these place the fish, after they have been scaled, emptied, thoroughly washed, and wiped dry: season them well with salt, and' white pepper, or cayenne ; sprinkle more of the herbs upon them ; pour gently from one to two glasses of light white wine into the dish, cover the whitings with a thick layer of fine crumbs of bread, sprinkle these plentifully with clarified butter, and bake the fish from fifteen to twenty minutes. Send a cut lemon only to table with them. When the wine is not liked, a few spoonsful of pale veal gravy can be used instead ; oi a larger quantity of clarified butter, with a tablespoonful of water, a teaspoonful of lemon-pickle and of mushroom catsup, and a few drops of soy. 15 to 20 minutes. TO BOIL MACKEREL. In full season in May, June, and July; may be had also in early spring. Open the fish sufficiently to admit of the insides being perfectly cleansed, but not more than is necessary for this purpose ; empty them with care, lay the roes apart, and wash both them and the mackerel delicately clean. It is customary now to lay these, and the greater number of other fish as well, into cold water when they are to be boiled , formerly all were plunged at once into fast-boiling water. For such as 72 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II. are small and delicate, it should be warm, but not scalding ; they should be brought gently to a soft boil, and simmered until they are done; the scum should be cleared off as it rises, and the usual proportion of salt stirred into the water before the mackerel are put in. The roes are commonly replaced in the fish, but as they sometimes require more boiling than the mackerel themselves, it is better, when they are very large, to lay them upon the drainer by their sides. From fifteen to twenty minutes will generally be sufficient to boil a full-sized macke- rel: some will be done in less time, but they must be watched, and lifted out as soon as the tails split, and the eyes are starting. Dish them on a napkin, and send fennel or gooseberry sauce to table with them, and plain melted butter also. Small mackerel, 10 to 15 minutes; large, 15 to 20 minutes. TO BAKE MACKEREL. After they have been cleaned and well washed, wipe them very dry, fill the insides with the forcemeat, No. 1 of Chapter VI., sew them up, arrange them, with the roes, closely together in a coarse baking-dish, flour them lightly, strew a little fine salt over, and stick bits of butter upon them ; or pour some equally over them, after having just dissolved it in a small saucepan. Half an hour in a moderate oven will bake them. Oyster forcemeat is always appropriate for any kind of fish which is in season, while the oysters are so, but the mackerel are com- monly served, and are very good with that which we have named. Lift them carefully into a hot dish after they are taken from the oven, and send melted butter, and the sauce cruets to table with them. ^ hour. Obs. — The dish in which they are baked should be buttered before they are laid in. fried mackerel ; (common French receipt.) After the fish have been emptied and washed extremely clean, cut off* the heads and tails, split the bodies quite open, and take out the backbones ;* wipe the mackerel very dry, dust fine salt, and pepper (or cayenne), over them, flour them well, fry them a fine brown in boiling lard, drain them thoroughly, and serve them with the following sauce : Dissolve in a small saucepan an ounce and a half of butter smoothly mixed with a teaspoonful of flour, some salt, pepper, and cayenne, shake these over a gentle fire until they are lightly coloured, then add by slow degrees nearly half a pint of good broth, or gravy, and the juice of one large lemon : boil the sauce for a couple of minutes, and serve it very hot. Or, instead of this, add a large teaspoonful of strong-made mustard, and a dessertspoonful of Chili vinegar, to some thick melted butter, and serve it with the fish. A spoonful of Harvey's sauce, or of mushroom catsup, can be mixed with this last, at pleasure. fillets of mackerel ; (fried or broiled.) Take off the flesh quite whole on either side, from three fine macke- rel, which have been opened and properly cleaned ; let it be entirely free from bone, dry it well in a cloth, then divide each part in two, and dip them into the beaten yolks of a couple of eggs, .seasoned with salt * We recommend in preference that the flesh of the fish should be taken off the bones as in the following receipt. % CHAP. II.] •FISH. 73 and white pepper or cayenne; cover them equally with fine dry crumbs of bread, and fry them like soles ; or dip them into clarified butter, and then again into the crumbs, and broil them over a very clear fire of a fine brown. Dish them in a circle one over the other, and send them to table with the Maitre d'Hotel sauce of Chapter IV., or with the one which follows it. The French pour the sauce into the centre of the dish; but for broiled fillets this is not so well, we think, as serving it in a tureen. The roes of the fish, after being well washed and soaked, may be dressed with them, or they may be made into patties. Minced parsley can be mixed with the bread-crumbs when it is liked. BOILED FILLETS OF MACKEREL. After having taken oft' and divided the flesh of the fish, as above, place it flat in one layer in a wide stewpan or saucepan, and just cover the fillets with cold water ; throw in a teaspoonful of salt, and two or three small sprigs of parsley. Bring the mackerel slowly to a boil, clear off the scum with care, and after two or three minutes of slow simmering, try the fillets with a fork; if the thick part divides with a touch, they are done. Lift them out cautiously with a slice ; drain, and serve them very hot with good parsley and butter ; or strip off the skin quickly, and pour a Maitre d'Hotel sauce over them. mackerel broiled whole ; {an excellent receipt.) Empty, and cleanse perfectly a fine and very fresh mackerel, but without opening' it more than is needful; dry it well, either in a cloth, or by hanging it in a cool air until it is stiff; make, with a sharp knife, a deep incision the whole length of the fish, on either side of the back- bone, and about half an inch from it, and with a feather put in a little cayenne and fine salt, mixed with a tew drops of good salad oil or cla- rified butter. Lay the mackerel over a moderate fire upon a well heated gridiron, which has been rubbed with suet; loosen it gently should it stick, which it will do unless often moved; and when it is equally done on both sides, turn the back to the fire. About half an hour will broil it well. If a sheet of thickly-buttered writing-paper be folded round it, and just twisted at the ends before it is laid on the grid- iron, it will be finer eating than if exposed to the fire; but sometimes when this is done, the skin will adhere to the paper, and be drawn off with it, which injures its appearance. A cold Maitre d'Hotel sauce (see Chapter IV.), may be put into the back before it is sent to table. This is one of the very best modes of dressing a mackerel, which in flavour is quite a different fish when thus prepired to one which is simply boiled. A drop of oil is sometimes passed over the skin to pre- vent its sticking to the iron. It may be laid to the fire after having been merely cut as we have directed, when it is preferred so. 30 minutes; 25 if small. mackerel stewed with wine; (very ^ood.) Work very smoothly together a large teaspoonful of flour with two ounces of butter, put them into a stewpan, and stir or shake them round over the fire until the butter is dissolved ; add a quarter-teaspoonful oi mace, twice as much salt, and some cayenne; pour in by slow deo-rec? three glasses of claret, and when the sauce boils, lay in a couple of fine mackerel, well cleaned, and wiped quite dry; stew them very softly 74 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II. from fifteen to twenty minutes, and turn them when half done ; lift them out, and dish them carefully; stir a teaspoonful of made-mustard to the sauce, give it a boil, and pour it over the fish. When more con- venient, substitute port wine and a little lemon-juice, for the claret. Mackerel, 2 ; flour, 1 teaspoonful ; butter, 2 ozs. ; seasoning of salt, mace, and cayenne ; claret, 3 glassesful ; made-mustard, 1 teaspoonful : 15 to 20 minutes. FILLETS OF MACKEREL STEWED IN WINE; {excellent.) Raise the flesh entire from the bones on either side of the mackerel, and divide it once, if the fish be small, but cut the whole into six parts of equal size should they be large. Mix with flour, and dissolve the butter as in the preceding receipt, and when it has simmered for a minute throw in the spice, a little salt, and the thinly pared rind of half a small fresh lemon ; lay in the fillets of fish, shake them over a gentle fire from four to five minutes, and turn them once in the time ; then pour to them in small portions a couple of large glassesful of port wine, a tablespoonful of Harvey's sauce, should it be at hand, a tea- spoonful of soy, and one of lemon-juice ; stew the mackerel very softly until the thinner parts begin to break, lift them out with care, dish and serve them in their sauce as hot as possible. We can recommend the dish to our readers as a very excellent one. A garnish of fried sippets can be placed round the fish at will. A teaspoonful of made-mustard should be stirred to the sauce before it is poured over the fish. Mackerel, 2; butter, 2 ozs.; flour, 1 teaspoonful; rind of £ lemon; salt, cayenne, pounded mace : 2 minutes. Fish, 4 to 5 minutes. Port wine, 2 large glassesful; Harvey's sauce, 1 tablespoonful; soy and lemon-juice each, 1 teaspoonful : 4 to 6 minutes. Mustard, 1 teaspoonful. Obs. — Trout may be dressed by this receipt. TO BOIL HADDOCKS. In the best season in October, November, and December. Scrape the outsides very clean, open the fish, empty them, wash the insides thoroughly, take out the gills, curl the haddocks round, fasten the tails to the mouths, arrange them on a fish-plate, and lay them into warm water salted as for mackerel, with a very small bit of saltpetre to render them firm. Skim the water, and simmer them from seven to ten minutes, according to thetr size. Send them very hot to table, with a tureen of melted butter, and one of anchovy sauce. 7 to 10 minutes. BAKED HADDOCKS. After they have been cleaned, dry them thoroughly, then bake them, as directed in the common receipt for pike, or fill them with oyster- forcemeat, or with No. 1 of Chapter IV., if more convenient, and pro- ceed as for baked mackerel. 20 to 30 minutes ; longer if very large. TO BOIL PLAICE OR FLOUNDERS. Plaice in season from May to January; flounders in September, October, and No- vember. After having emptied and well cleaned the fish, make an incision in the back as directed for turbot; lay them into cold spring water; add salt, and saltDetre in the same proportion as for cod fish, and let them CHAP. II.] FISH. 75 just simmer for four or five minutes after the water first begins to boil, or longer, should their size require it, but guard against their being broken. Serve them with plain melted butter. 4 to 5 minutes: longer if needful. TO FRY PLAICE OR FLOUNDERS. Sprinkle them with salt, and let them lie for two or three hours be- fore they are dressed. Wash and clean them thoroughly, wipe them very dry, flour them well, and wipe them again with a clean cloth ; dip them into egg, and fine bread-crumbs, and fry them in plenty of lard. If the fish be large, raise the flesh in handsome fillets from the bones, and finish them as directed for fillets of soles. Obs. — Plaice is said to be rendered less watery by beating it gently with a paste-roller before it is cooked. It is very sweet and pleasant in flavour while it is in the best season, which is from the end of May to about September. TO ROAST, BAKE, OR BROIL RED MULLET. In best season through the summer: may he had all the year. First wash, and then dry the fish thoroughly in a cloth, but neither scale nor open it ; wrap it closely in a sheet of thickly-buttered paper, tie this securely at the ends, and over the mullet with packthread, and roast it in a Dutch oven, or broil it over a clear and gentle fire, or bake it in a moderate oven: from twenty to thirty minutes will be sufficient generally to dress it in either way, if it be only of mode- rate size. For sauce, put into a little good melted butter the liquor which has flowed from fish, a small dessertspoonful of essence of ancho- vies, some cayenne, a glass of port wine, or claret, and a little lemon- juice. Remove the packthread, and send the mullet to table in the paper case. This is the usual mode of serving it ; but it is dished with- out the paper, for dinners of high taste. . 20 to 30 minutes. TO BOIL GREY MULLET. This fish varies so much in size and quality, that it is difficult to give exact directions for the time of cooking it. When quite young and small, it may be boiled by the receipt for whitings, haddocks, and other fish of about their size : but at its finest growth it must be laid into cold water, and managed like larger fish. We have ourselves partaken of one which was caught upon our eastern coast, that weighed ten pounds, of which the flesh was quite equal to that of salmon, but its weight was, we believe, an unusual one. Anchovy, or caper fish sauce, with melted butter, mav be sent to table with grey mullet. TO FRY SMELTS AND OTHER SMALL FISH. In season from beginning of November to May. Smelts when quite fresh have a perfume resembling that of a cucum- ber, and a peculiarly delicate and agreeable flavour when dressed. Draw them at the gills, as they must not be opened ; wash and dry them thoroughly in a cloth ; dip them into beaten egg-yolk, and then into the finest bread-crumbs, mixed with a small quantity of flour; fry them of a clear golden brown, and serve them very crisp and dry, with good melted butter in a tureen. They are sometimes dipped into bat- ter and then fried ; when this is done, we would recommend for them the French batter of Chapter IV. 3 to 4 minutes. 76 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II. TO BAKE A SHAD. Empty and wash the fish with care, but do not open it more than is necessary, and keep on the head and fins. Then stuff it with forcemeat No. 2, of Chapter VI. Sew it up, or fasten it with fine skewers, and rub the fish over with the yolk of egg and a little of the stuffing. Put into the pan in which the fish is to be baked about a gill of wine, or the same quantity of water mixed with a tablespoonful of cayenne vinegar, or common vinegar will do. Baked in a moderate oven 1^ or 2 hours, according to its size. TO BROIL SHAD. This delicate and delicious fish is excellent broiled. Clean, wash, and split the shad, wipe it dry, and sprinkle it with pepper and salt — broil it like mackerel. shad, touraine fashion ; (Alose a la mode de Touraine.) In season in April, May, and early part of June. Empty and wash the fish with care, but do not open it more than is needful ; fill it either with the forcemeat No. 1, or No. 2 of Chapter VL, and its own roe ; then sew it up, or fasten it securely with very fine skewers, wrap it in a thickly-buttered paper, and broil it gently for an hour over a charcoal fire. Serve it with caper sauce, or with cay- enne vinegar and melted butter. We are indebted for this receipt to a friend who has been long resi- dent in Touraine, at whose table the fish is constantly served, thus dressed, and is considered excellent. It is likewise often gently stewed in the light white wine of the country, and served covered with a rich bechamel. Many fish more common with us than the shad might be advantageously prepared in the same manner. The charcoal fire is not indispensable : any that is entirely free from smoke will answer. We would suggest as an improvement, that oyster-forcemeat should be sub- stituted for that which we have indicated, until the oyster season ends. Broiled gently, 1 hour, more or less, according to its size. stewed trout ; (good common receipt.) In season from May to August. Melt three ounces of butter in a broad stevvpan, or well tinned iron saucepan, stir to it a tablespoonful of flour, some mace, cayenne, and nutmeg ; lay in the fish after it has been emptied, washed very clean, and wiped perfectly dry ; shake it in the pan, that it may not stick, and when lightly browned on both sides, pour in three quarters of a pint of good veal stock, add a small bunch of parsley, one bay leaf, a roll of lemon-peel, and a little salt: stew the fish very gently from half to three quarters of an hour, or more, should it be unusually fine. Dish the trout, skim the fat from the gravy, and pass it through a hot strainer over the fish, which should be served immediately. A little acid can be added to the sauce at pleasure, and a glass of wine when it is con- sidered an improvement. This receipt is for one large, or for two mid- dling-sized fish. We can recommend it as a good one, from our own experience. Butter, 3 ozs. ; flour, 1 tablespoonful ; seasoning of mace, cayenne, and nutmeg; trout, 1 large, or 2 moderate sized; veal stock, £ pint; parsley, small faggot ; 1 bay-leaf; roll of lemon-rind ; little salt : ^ to £ hour. CHAI\ II. J FISH. 77 Obs. — Trout may be stewed in equal parts of strong veal gravy, and of red or white wine, without having been previously browned; the sauce should then be thickened, and agreeably flavoured with lemon- juice, and the usual store-sauces, before it is poured over the fish. They are also good when wrapped in buttered paper and baked or broiled : if very small, the better mode of cooking them is to fry them whole. They should never be plain boiled, as, though a naturally delicious fish, they are then very insipid. TO FRY TROUT. Clean and dry them thoroughly in a cloth, fry them plain in hot butter ; or beat the white of egg on a plate, dip the trout in the egg and then in very fine bread-crumbs, which have been rubbed through a sieve — biscuit powder is better. Fry them till of a delicate brown ; it takes but a few minutes, if the trout be small — serve with crisp parsley and plain melted butter. to bake pike, or trout; (common receipt.) Pour warm water over the outside of the fish, and wipe it very clean with a coarse cloth drawn from the head downwards, that the scales may not be disturbed ; then wash it well in cold water, empty, and clean the inside with the greatest nicety, fill it either with the common forcemeat, No. 1, or with No. 4, of Chapter VI., sew it up, fasten the tail to the mouth, give it a slight dredging of flour, stick small bits of butter thickly over it, and bake it from half to three quarters of an hour, should it be of moderate size, and upwards of an hour, if it be large. Should there not be sufficient sauce with it in the dish, plain melted butter, and a lemon, or anchovy sauce may be sent to table with it. When more convenient, the forcemeat may be omitted, and a little fine salt and cayenne, with some bits of butter, put into the inside of the fish, which will then require rather less baking. A buttered paper should always be laid over it in the oven, should the outside appear likely to become too highly coloured, or too dry, before the fish is done ; and it is better to wrap quite small pike in buttered paper at once, be- fore they are sent to the oven. Moderate-sized pike, 30 to 45 minutes; large pike, 1 to l£ hour. TO BOIL PERCH. First wipe or wash off the slime, then scrape off the scales, which adheres rather tenaciously to this fish ; empty and clean the insides per- fectly, take out the gills, cut oft' the fins, and lay the perch into equal parts of cold and of boiling water, salted as for mackerel: from eight to ten minutes will boil them unless they are very large. Dish them on a napkin, garnish them with curled parsley, and serve melted butter with them, or Mditre d' 'Hotel sauce mnigre. Very good French cooks put them at once into boiling water, and keep them over a brisk fire for about fifteen minutes. They dress them also without taking off the scales or fins until they are ready to serve, when they strip the whole of the skin off carefully, and stick the red fins into the middle of the backs; the fish are then covered with the Steward's sauce, thickened with eggs. In warm water, 8 to 10 minutes, m boiling, 12 to 15. 78 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II. TO FRY PERCH OR TENCH. Scale, and clean them perfectly; dry them well, flour and fry them in boiling lard. Serve plenty of tried parsley round them. TO FRY EELS. In season all the year, but not so well-conditioned in April and May as in other months. First kill, then skin, empty, and wash them as clean as possible ; cut them into four-inch lengths, and dry them well in a soft cloth. Season them with fine salt, and white pepper, or cayenne, flour them thickly, and fry them a fine brown in boiling lard ; drain and dry them as direct- ed for soles, and send them to table with plain melted butter and a lemon, or the sauce-cruets. Eels are sometimes dipped into batter and then tried ; or into egg and fine bread-crumbs (mixed with minced pars- ley or not, at pleasure), and served with plenty of crisped parsley round, and on them. It is an improvement for these modes of dressing the fish to open them entirely and remove the bones : the smaller parts should be thrown into the pan a minute or two later than the thicker portions of the bodies, or they will not be equally done. boiled eels; (German receipt.) Pare a fine lemon, and strip from it entirely the white inner rind, slice it, and remove the pips with care, put it with a blade of mace, a small half-teaspoonful of white pepper-corns, nearly twice as much of salt, and a moderate-sized bunch of parsley, into three pints of cold water, bring them gently to boil, and simmer them for twenty minutes ; let them become quite cold, then put in three pounds of eels skinned, and cleaned with great nicety, and cut into lengths of three or four inches ; simmer them very softly from ten to fifteen minutes, lift them with a slice into a very hot dish, and serve them with a good Dutch sauce, or with parsley and butter acidulated with lemon-juice, or with vinegar. eels; (Cornish receipt.) Skin, empty, and wash as clean as possible, two or three fine eels, cut them into short lengths, and just cover them with cold water ; add sufficient salt and cayenne to season them, and stew them very softly indeed from fifteen to twenty minutes, or longer should they require it. When they are nearly done, strew over them a tablespoonful of minced parsley, thicken the sauce with a teaspoonful of flour mixed with a slice of butter, and add a quarter-pint or more of clotted cream. Give the whole a boil, lift the fish into a hot dish, and stir briskly the juice of half a lemon into the sauce ; pour it upon the eels, and serve them im- mediately. Very sweet thick cream is, we think, preferable to clotted cream for this dish. The sauce should be of a good consistence, and a dessertspoonful of flour will be needed for a large dish of the stew, and from one and a half to two ounces of butter. The size of the fish must determine the precise quantity of liquid and of seasoning which they will require. By substituting pale veal gravy for water, and thin strips of lemon- rind for the parsley, this maybe converted into a white fricasse of eels: a flavouring of mace must then be added to it, and the beaten yolks of two or Miree eggs, mixed with a couple of spoonsful of cream, must be CHAP. II.] FISH. 79 stirred into the sauce before the lemon-juice, but it must on no account be allowed to boil afterwards. Rich brown gravy and port wine highly spiced, with acid as above, will give another variety of stewed eels. For this dish the fish are sometimes fried before they are laid into the sauce. TO BOIL LOBSTERS. In season from April to October. Choose them by the directions which we have already given at the commencement of this chapter, and throw them into plenty of fast- boiling salt and water, that life may be destroyed in an instant. A moderate-sized lobster will be done in from fifteen to twenty-five mi- nutes: a large one in from half an hour to forty minutes; before they are sent to table, the large claws should be taken off, and the shells cracked across the joints without disfiguring them ; the tail should be separated from the body and split quite through the middle; the whole neatly dished upon a napkin, and garnished with curled parsley or not, at choice. A good remoulade, or any other sauce of the kind that may be preferred, should be sent to table with it ; or oil and vinegar, when better liked. To 1 gallon water 5 ozs. salt. Moderate-sized lobster, 15 to 25 mi- nutes. Large lobster, 30 to 40 minutes. LOBSTER FRICASSEED, OR ATJ BECHAMEL. (ENTREE.) Take the flesh from the claws and tails of two moderate-sized lob- sters, cut it into small thick slices or dice; heat it slowly quite through in about three quarters of a pint of good white sauce or bechamel ; and serve it when it is at the point of boiling, after having stirred briskly to it a little lemon-juice, just as it is taken from the fire. The coral, pounded and mixed gradually with a few spoonsful of the sauce, should be added previously. Good shin of beef stock, made without vegeta- bles (see page 53), and somewhat reduced by quick boiling, if mixed with an equal proportion of cream, and thickened with arrow-root, will answer extremely well, in a general way, for this dish, which is most excellent, if well made. The sauce should never be thin ; nor more than sufficient in quantity to just cover the fish. For a second course dish only as much must be used as will adhere to the fish, which after being heated should be laid evenly into the shells after they have been split quite through the centre of the backs in their entire length, with- out being broken or divided at the joint, and nicely cleaned. When thus arranged, the lobster may be thickly covered with well-dried, fine, pale, fried crumbs of bread ; or with unfried ones, which must then be equally moistened with clarified butter, and browned with a salamander. A small quantity of salt, mace, and cayenne, may be required to finish the flavouring of either of these preparations, BUTTERED CRAB, OR LOBSTER. In season during the same time as Lobsters. Slice quite small, or pull into light flakes with a couple of forks, the flesh of either fish ; put it into a saucepan with a few bits of good but- ter lightly rolled in flour, and heat it slowly over a gentle fire ; then pour over and mix thoroug-hly with it, from one to two teaspoonsful of made-mustard smoothly blended with a tablespoonful or more of com- mon vinegar : add to it a tolerable seasoning of cayenne. Grate in a 80 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II. little nutmeg, and when the whole is well heated serve it immediately either in the shell of the crab or lobster, or in scollop-shells, and serve it plain, or with bread-crumbs over, as in the preceding- receipt. A spoonful or so of good meat jelly is, we think, a great improvement to this dish, for which an ounce and a half of butter will be quite suffi- cient. Crabs are boiled like lobsters. TO STEW LOBSTERS. A middling sized lobster is best : pick all the meat from the shells and mince it fine ; season with a little salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg ; add three or four spoons of rich gravy and a small bit of butter. If you have no gravy, use more butter, and two spoonsful of vinegar ; stew about twenty minutes. LOBSTER COLD. It is frequently eaten in this way, with a dressing of vinegar, mus- tard, sweet oil, and a little salt and cayenne. The meat of the lobster must be minced very fine. TO COOK TERRAPINS. This is a favourite dish for suppers and parties; and, when well cooked, they are certainly very delicious. Many persons in Philadel- phia have made themselves famous for cooking this article alone. Mrs. Rubicam, who during her lifetime always stood first in that way, pre- pared them as follows: — Put the terrapins alive in a pot of boiling water, where they must remain until they are quite dead. You then divest them of their outer skin and toe-nails; and, after washing them in warm water, boil them again until they become quite tender, adding a handful of salt to the water. Having satisfied yourself of their being perfectly tender, take off the shells and clean the terrapins very care- fully, 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 butter to each terrapin, and a hand- ful of flour for thickening. After stirring a short time, add four or five tablespoonsful 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 tablespoonful 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. — Sanderson.'] OYSTERS. In season from September to April. The old-fashioned plan of feeding oysters with a sprinkling of oat- meal or flour, in addition to the salt and water to which they were com- mitted, has long been rejected by all genuine amateurs of these nutri- tious and excellent fish, who consider the plumpness which the oysters are supposed to gain from the process but poor compensation for the fla- vour which they are sure to lose. To cleanse them when they first come up from the beds, and to keep them in good condition for four or CHAP. II.] FISH. 81 five days, they only require to be covered with cold water, with five ounces of salt to the gallon dissolved in it before it is poured on them : this should be changed with regularity every twenty-four hours. By following this plan with exactness they may be kept alive from a week to ten days, but will remain in perfect condition scarcely more than half that time. Oysters should be eaten always the instant they are opened. They are served often before the soup, in the first course of a dinner, left upon their shells, and arranged usually in as many plates as there are guests at table. TO STEW OYSTERS. A pint of small plump oysters will be sufficient for quite a moderate- sized dish, but twice as many will be required for a large one. Let them be very carefully opened, and not mangled in the slightest degree ; wash them free from grit in their own strained liquor, lay them into a very clean stewpan or well-tinned saucepan, strain the liquor a second time, pour it on them, and heat them slowly in it. When they are just beginning to simmer, lift them out with a slice or a bored w 7 ooden spoon, and take off the beards ; add to the liquor a quarter-pint of good cream, a seasoning of pounded mace and cayenne, and a little salt, and when it boils, stir in from one to two ounces of good butter, smoothly mixed with a large teaspoonful of flour ; continue to stir the sauce until these are perfectly blended with it, then put in the oysters and let them remain by the side of the fire until they are very hot : they require so little cooking, that if kept for four or five minutes nearly simmering, they will be ready for table, and they are quickly hardened by being allowed to boil, or by too much stewing. Serve them garnished with pale fried sippets. Fried bread, see Chapter IV. Small plump oysters, 1 pint: their own liquor: brought slowly to the point of simmering. Cream, \ pint ; seasoning of pounded mace and cayenne; salt as needed; butter, 1 to 2 ounces; flour, 1 large tea- spoonful. 06s. — A little lemon-juice should be stirred quickly into the stew just as it is taken from the fire. Another mode of preparing this dish is to add the strained liquor of the oysters to about an equal quantity of rich bechamel, with a little additional thickening; then to heat them in it, after having prepared and plumped them properly. Or, the beards of the fish may be stewed for half an hour in a little pale veal gravy, and this, when strained and mixed with the oyster-liquor, may be brought to the consistency of cream with the French thickening of Chapter VI., or, with flour and butter, then seasoned with spice as above : the pro- cess should be quite the same in all of these receipts, though the com- position of the sauce is varied. Essence of anchovies, or yolks of eggs can be added to the taste. TO SCALLOP OYSTERS. Large coarse oysters should never be dressed in this way. Select small plump ones for the purpose, let them be opened carefully, give them a scald in their own liquor, wash them in it free from grit, and beard them neatly. Butter the scallop shells and shake some fine bread- crumbs over them ; fill them with alternate layers of oysters, crumbs of bread, and fresh butter cut into small bits; pour in the oyster-liquor, after it lias been strained, put a thick, smooth layer of bread-crumbs on 82 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. II. the top, moisten them with clarified butter, place the shells in a Dutch oven before a clear fire, and turn them often till the tops are equally and lightly browned : send them immediately to table. Some persons like a little white pepper or cayenne, and a flavouring of nutmeg added to the oysters ; others prefer pounded mace. French cooks recommend with them a mixture of minced mushrooms stewed in butter till quite tender, and sweet herbs finely chopped. The fish is t sometimes laid into the shells after having been bearded only. SCALLOPED OYSTERS A LA REINE. Plump and beard the oysters, after having rinsed them well in their own strained liquor ; add to this about an equal quantity of very rich white sauce, and thicken it, if needful, with a half-teaspoon ful of flour, mixed with a small slice of butter, or with as much arrow-root only; put in the oysters, and keep them at the point of simmering for three or four minutes; lay them into the shells, and cover the tops thickly with crumbs fried a delicate brown and well dried ; or heap over them instead, a layer of fine crumbs ; pour clarified butter on them, and brown them with a salamander. OYSTER SAUSAGES. Beard, rinse well in their strained liquor, and mince, but not finely, three dozens and a half of plump oysters, and mix them with ten ounces of fine bread-crumbs, and ten of beef-suet chopped extremely small ; add a saltspoonful of salt, and one of pepper, or less than half the quan- tity of cayenne, twice as much pounded mace, and the third of a small nutmeg grated ; moisten the whole with two unbeaten eggs, or with the yolks only of three, and a dessertspoonful of the whites. When these ingredients have been well worked together, and are perfectly blended, set the mixture in a cool place for two or three hours before it is used ; make it into the form of small sausages or sausage-cakes, flour and fry them in butter of a fine light brown; or throw them into boiling water for three minutes, drain, and let them become cold, dip them into egg and bread-crumbs, and broil them gently until they are lightly co- loured. A small bit should be cooked and tasted before the whole is put aside, that the seasoning may be heightened if required. The sau- sages thus made are very good. Small plump oysters, 3^ dozens; bread-crumbs, 10 ozs. ; beef-suet, lOozs. ; seasoning of salt, cayenne, pounded mace, and nutmeg; un- beaten eggs 2, or yolks of 3. Obs. — The fingers should be well floured for making up these sau- sages. TO FRY OYSTERS. They should be large for this purpose. Simmer them for a couple of minutes in their own liquor, beard and dry them in a cloth, dredge them lightly with flour, dip them in egg and fine bread-crumbs, and fry them a delicate brown in boiling lard ; or make a thick batter with eggs and flour, season it with plenty of mace and white pepper, dip the oys- ters in and then fry them. OYSTERS AU GRATIN. 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, which should be well cleaned, placing in CHAP. III.] GRAVIES. S3 them four or six oysters, according to their size ; season with salt, pep- per, nutmeg 1 , 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. BROILED OYSTERS. The oysters should be the largest and finest you can get. Prepare your gridiron, which should be 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. ANCHOVIES FRIED IN BATTER. Scrape very clean a dozen or more of fine anchovies, and soak them in plenty of spring water from two to six hours; then wipe them dry, open them, and take out the back-bones, without dividing the fish. Season the insides highly with cayenne, close the anchovies, dip them into the French batter of Chapter VI., or into a light English batter, and fry them a pale amber-colour : in from four to five minutes they will be quite sufficiently done. CHAPTER III. GRAVIES. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Gravies are not often required either in great variety, or in abun- dant quantities, when only a mode- rate table is kept, and a clever cook will manage to supply, at a trifling cost, all that is generally needed for plain family dinners; while an Gravy Kettle, unskilful or extravagant one will render them sources of unbounded expense.* But however small the proportions in which they are made, their quality should be particularly attended to, and they should be well adapted in flavour to the dishes they are to accompany. For some, a high degree of savour is desirable ; but for fricassees, and other prepara- tions of delicate white meats, this should be avoided, and a soft, smooth sauce of refined flavour should be used in preference to any of more piquant relish. Instead of fryino- the ingredients for brown gravies, which is usually done in common English kitchens, French cooks pour to them at first a * We know of an instance of a cook who stewed down two or three pounds of beef to make gravy for a single brace of partridges; and who complained of the meanness of her employers (who were by no means affluent) because this was object- 84 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. III. small quantity of liquid, which is reduced by rapid boiling- to what is technically called glaze ; particular directions for which will be found in the next receipt to this, and also at pages 43 and 90. When the glaze has acquired the proper colour, boiling' broth should be added in small portions, and well shaken round the stewpan to detach it entire- ly ; the meat may then be stewed gently for three or four hours with a few mushrooms, should they be at hand, a bunch of parsley, and some green onions. A thick slice or two of an unboiled ham is an almost indispensable addition to rich soup or gravy ; and to supply it in the most economical manner, a large, highly cured one, or more, not over fatted, should be kept for the purpose, and cut as required. The bones of undressed meat will supply almost, or quite as good gravy-stock as the meat itself, if well boiled down, particularly those of the loin, or neck of veal: and as the flesh of these may be dressed in many ways advantageously without them, the whole joint may be turned to excellent account by so dividing it. The necks of poultry, with the feet properly skinned, a few herbs, a morsel or two of ham or of lean bacon, and such slight flavourings be- side as the spice-box can supply, with a few drops of good mushroom catsup, will of themselves, if well managed, produce sufficient gravy to serve with the birds from which they are taken ; and if not wanted for the purpose, they should always be stewed down, or thrown into the stock- pot, for which the shank-bones of legs of mutton, and all trimmings of meat should likewise be reserved. Excellent broth tor the sick or for the needy, may also be made of them at little cost, when they are not required for other uses. To deepen the colour of gravies, the thick mushroom pressings of Chapter V., or a little soy (when its flavour is admissible), or cavice, or Harvey's sauce* may be added to it ; and for some dishes, a glass of claret, or of port wine. Vermicelli, or rasped cocoa-nut, lightly, and very gently browned in a small quantity of butter, will both thicken and enrich them, if about an ounce of either to the pint of gravy be stewed gently in it from half an hour to an hour, and then strained out. All the ingredients indicated at page 39, for giving consistency to soups, will answer equally for gravies, which should not, however, be too much thickened, particularly with the unwholesome mixture of flour and butter, so commonly used for the purpose. Arrow-root, or rice- flour, or common flour gradually browned in a slow oven, are much bet- ter suited to a delicate stomach. No particle of fat should ever be per- ceptible upon them when they are sent to table ; and when it cannot be removed by skimming, they should be allowed to become sufficiently cold for it to congeal, and be taken off at once without trouble. It may be cleared from such as have not been thickened, by passing them through a closely woven cloth, which has previously been laid into, and well wrung from, some cold water. TO HEIGHTEN THE COLOUR AND THE FLAVOUR OF GRAVIES. This is best done by the directions given for making Espagnole. An * Harvey's sauce, cavice, and.voy are very little known in America; these flavourings, when named, may be dispensed with, or pepper sauce or tomato sauce substituted instead. v CHAP. III.] GRAVIES. 85 ounce or two of the lean of unboiled ham, cut into dice and coloured slowly in a small stewpan, or smoothly tinned iron saucepan, with less than an ounce of butter, a blade of mace, two or three cloves, a bay- leaf, a few small sprigs of savoury herbs, and an eschalot or two, or about a teaspoonful of minced onion, and a little young" parsley root, when it can be had, will convert common shin of beef stock, or even strong broth, into an excellent gravy, if it be gradually added to them after they have stewed slowly for quite half an hour, and then boiled with them for twenty minutes or more. The liquid should not be mixed with the other ingredients until the side of the stewpan is coloured of a reddish brown ; and should any thickening be required, a teaspoonful of flour should be stirred in well, and simmered for three or four minutes before the stock is added : the pan should be strongly shaken round after- wards to detach the browning from it, and this must be done often while the ham is stewing. 06s. — The cook who is not acquainted with this mode of preparing or enriching gravies, will do well to make herself acquainted with it ; as it presents no difficulties, and is exceedingly convenient and advan- tageous when they are wanted in small quantities, very highly fla- voured and well coloured. An unboiled -ham, kept in cut, will be found, as we have already said, a great economy for this, and other purposes, saving much of the expense commonly incurred for gravy-meats. As eschalots, when sparingly used, impart a much finer savour than onions, though they are not commonly so much used in England, we would re- commend that a small store of them should always be kept. shin of beef stock, (for Gravies.) There is no better foundation for strong gravies than shin of beef stewed down to a jelly (which it easily becomes), with the addition only of some spice, a bunch of savoury herbs, and a moderate proportion of salt; this, if kept in a cool larder, boiled softly for two or three minutes every second or third day, and each time put into a clean, well-scalded pan, will remain good for many days, and may easily be converted into excellent soup or gravy. Let the bone be broken in one or two places, take out the marrow, which, if not wanted for immediate use, should be clarified, and stored for future occasions; put a pint and a half of cold water to the pound of beef, and stew it very gently indeed for six or seven hours, or even longer should the meat not then be quite in frag- ments. The bones of calf's feet which have been boiled down for jelly, the liquor in which the head has been cooked, and any remains of ham quite freed from the smoky parts, from rust and fat, will be serviceable additions to this stock. A couple of pounds of the neck of beef may be added to six of the shin with very good effect ; but for white soup or sauces this is better avoided. Shin of beef, 6 lbs. ; water, 9 pints ; salt, 1 oz. ; large bunch savoury herbs ; peppercorns, 1 teaspoonful ; mace, 2 blades. RICH PALE VEAL GRAVY, OR, CONSOMMEE. The French, who have always at hand their stock-pot of good bouil- lon (beef soup or broth), make great use of it in preparing their gra- vies. It is added instead of water to the fresh meat, and when this, in somewhat large proportions, is boiled down in it, with the addition only of a bunch of parsley, a few green onions, and a moderate seasoning of 86 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. III. salt, a strong- and very pure-flavoured pale gravy is produced. When the best joints of fowls, or of partridges have been taken for fricassees or cutlets, the remainder may be stewed with a pound or two of veal into a consommee, which then takes the name of chicken or of game gravy. For a large dinner it is always desirable to have in readiness such stock as can easily and quickly be converted into white and other sauces. To make this, arrange a slice or two of lean ham in a stew- pan or saucepan with three pounds of the neck of veal once or twice divided (unless the thick fleshy part of the knuckle can be had), and pour to them three full pints of strong beef or veal broth ; or if this cannot conveniently be done, increase the proportion of meat or dimin- ish that of the liquid, substituting water for the broth, throw in some salt after the boiling has commenced, and the gravy has been well skim- med, with one mild onion, a bunch of savoury herbs, a little celery, if in season, a carrot, a blade of mace, and a half-saltspoonful of pepper- corns; stew these very gently for four hours; then, should the meat be quite in fragments, strain off the gravy, and let it become sufficiently cold to allow the fat to be entirely cleared from it. A handful of nicely prepared mushroom-buttons will much improve its flavour; and the bones of boiled calf's feet, or the fresh ones of fowls will be found ex- cellent additions to it. A better method of making- it, when time and trouble are not regarded, is to heat the meat, which ought then to be free of bones, quite through, with from a quarter to half a pint of broth only, and when on probing it with the point of a knife no blood issues from it, and it has been turned and equally done, to moisten it with the remainder of the broth, which should be boiling. Lean of ham, 6 to 8 ozs. ; neck or knuckle of veal, 3 lbs. ; strong broth, 3 pints, (or veal, 4 lbs., and water, 3 pints) ; salt ; bunch of sa- voury herbs ; mild onion, 1 ; carrot, 1 large or 2 small ; celery, ^ small head ; mace, 1 large blade ; peppercorns, ^ saltspoonful : 4 hours or more. Or: ham, A lb.; veal, 4 lbs.; broth, third of a pint: nearly 1 hour. Additional broth, 3 pints: 3^ to 4J hours. RICH DEEP-COLOURED VEAL GRAVY. Lay into a large thick stewpan or saucepan, from half to three quar- ters of a pound of undressed ham, freed entirely from fat, and from the smoked edges, and sliced half an inch thick ; on this place about four pounds of lean veal, cut from the best part of the knuckle or from the neck (part of the fillet, which in France is often used for it instead, not being generally purchasable here, the butchers seldom dividing the joint); pour to them about half a pint of good broth,* and place the pan over a brisk fire until it is well reduced, then thrust a knife into the meat, and continue the stewing more gently until a glaze is formed as we have described at page 90. The latter part of the process must be very slow ; the stewpan must be frequently shaken, and the gravy close- ly w r atched that it may not burn; when it is of a fine deep amber co- lour, pour in sufficient boilinp; broth to cover the meat, add a bunch of parsley, and a few mushrooms and green onions. A blade or two of mace, a few white peppercorns, and a head of celery, would, we think, * When there is no provision of this in the house, the quantity required may be made with a small quantity of beef, and the trimmings of the veal, by the directions for Bouillon, page 41. CHAP. III.] GRAVIES. 87 be very admissible additions to this gravy, but it is extremely good with- out Half the quantity can be made, but it will then be rather more troublesome to manage. Undressed ham, 8 to 12 ozs. ; lean veal, 4 lbs. ; broth, | pint: 1 to 2 hours. Broth, 3 to 4 pints ; bunch of parsley and green onions ; mush- rooms, ^ to ^ pint: H to 2 hours. good beef or veal gravy; (English receipt.) Flour and fry lightly in a bit of good butter a couple of pounds of either beef or veal; drain the meat well from the fat, and lay it into a small thick stewpan or iron saucepan ; pour to it a quart of boiling wa- ter; add, after it has been well skimmed and salted, a large mild onion sliced, very delicately fried, and laid on a sieve to drain, a carrot also sliced, a small bunch of thyme and parsley, a blade of mace and a few peppercorns; stew these gently for three hours or more, pass the gravy through a sieve into a clean pan, and when it is quite cold clear it en- tirely from fat, heat as much as is wanted for table, and if not suffi- ciently thick stir into it from half to a whole teaspoonful of arrow-root mixed with a little mushroom catsup. Beef or veal, 2 lbs. ; water, 2 pints ; fried onion, 1 large ; carrot, 1 ; small bunch of herbs ; salt, 1 small teaspoonful or more ; mace, 1 blade ; peppercorns, 20: 3 to 3 J hours. A RICH ExXGLISH BROWN GRAVY. Brown lightly and carefully from four to six ounces of lean ham, thickly sliced and cut into large dice ; lift these out, and put them into the pan in which the gravy is to be made ; next, fry lightly also, a cou- ple of pounds of neck of beef, dredged moderately with flour, and slight- ly with pepper ; put this when it is done over the ham ; and then brown gently, and add to them one not large common onion. Pour over these ingredients a quart of boiling water, or of weak but well-flavoured broth, bring the whole slowly to a boil, clear off the scum with great care, throw in'a saltspoonful of salt, four cloves, a blade of mace, twenty corns of pepper, a bunch of savoury herbs, a carrot, and a few slices of celery : these last two may be fried or not, as is most convenient. Boil the gr&vy very softly until it is reduced to little more than a pint ; strain, and set it by until the fat can be taken from it. Heat it anew, add more salt if needed, and a little mushroom catsup, cayenne-vinegar, or what- ever flavouring it may require for the dish with which it is to be served : it will seldom need any thickening. A dozen small mushrooms prepared as for pickling, may be added to it at first with advantage. Half this quantity of gravy will be sufficient for a single tureen, and the econo- mist can diminish a little the proportion of meat when it is thought too much. GRAVY FOR VENISON. If possible, let this be made with a little of the neck, or of any odd trimmings of the venison itself. Cut down the meat small, and let it stand over a slow frre until the juices are well drawn out; then to each pound of it add a pint and a quarter of boiling water ; throw in a small half-teaspoon ful of salt, and eight or ten corns of pepper ; skim it tho- roughly, and let it boil two hours and a half: then strain it, let it cool, 88 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAF. III. take off every particle of fat, give it a minute's simmer, and send it very hot to table. Neck, or other trimmings of venison, 1 lb. ; water, l£ pint; salt, small \ teaspoonful ; peppercorns, 8 or 10 : 2| hours. SWEET SAUCE, OR GRAVY FOR VENISON. Add to a quarter pint of common venison gravy a couple of glasses of port wine or claret, and half an ounce of sugar in lumps. espagnole (spanish sauce) ; (a highly flavoured gravy.) Dissolve a couple of ounces of good butter in a thick stewpan or sauce- pan, throw in from four to six sliced eschalots, four ounces of the lean of an undressed ham, three ounces of carrot, cut in small dice, one bay leaf, two or three branches of parsley, and one or two of thyme, but these last must be small ; three cloves, a blade of mace, and a dozen corns of pepper ; add part of a root of parsley, if it be at hand, and keep the whole stirred or shaken over a moderate fire for twenty minutes, then add by degrees one pint of very strong veal stock or gravy, and stew the whole gently from thirty to forty minutes ; strain it, skim off the fat, and it will be ready to serve. Butter, 2 ozs. ; eschalots, 4 to 6 ; lean of undressed ham, 4 ozs. ; car- rots, 3 ozs. ; bay leaf, 1 ; little thyme and parsley, in branches ; cloves, 3 ; mace, 1 blade ; peppercorns, 12 ; little parsley root : fried gently, 20 minutes. Strong veal stock, or gravy, 1 pint: stewed very softly, 30 to 40 minutes. GRAVY IN HASTE. Chop fine a few bits of lean meat, a small onion, a few slices of carrot and turnip, and a little thyme and parsley; put these with half an ounce of butter into a thick saucepan, and keep them stirred until they are slightly browned ; add a little spice, and water in the proportion of a pint to a pound of meat ; clear the gravy from scum, let it boil half an hour, then strain it for use. Meat, 1 lb. ; 1 small onion ; little carrot, turnip, thyme, and parsley ; butter, ^ oz. ; cloves, 6 ; corns of pepper, 12 ; water, 1 pint : ^ hour. CHEAP GRAVY FOR A ROAST FOWL. When there is neither broth nor gravy to be had, nor meat of which either can be made, boil the neck of the fowl after having cut it small, in half a pint of water with any slight seasonings of spice or herbs, or with a little salt and pepper only; it should stew very softly for an hour or more, or the quantity will be too much reduced. When the bird is just ready for table, take the gravy from the dripping-pan, and drain off the fat from it as closely as possible ; strain the liquor from the neck to it, mixing them smoothly, pass the gravy again through the strainer, heat it, add salt and pepper or cayenne, if needed, and serve it extreme- ly hot. When this is done, the fowl should be basted with good butter only, and well floured when it is first laid to the fire. Many cooks always mix the gravy from the pan when game is roasted with that which they send to table with it, as they think that this enriches the flavour; but it is not always considered an improvement by the eaters. Neck of fowl; water, i pint; pepper, salt (little vegetable and spice at choice) : stewed gently, 1 hour ; strained, stirred to the gravy of the roast, well cleared from fat. CHAP. III.] GRAVIES. 89 ANOTHER CHEAP GRAVY FOR A FOWL. A little good broth added to half a dozen dice of lean ham, lightly browned in a morsel of butter, with half a dozen corns of pepper and a small branch or two of parsley, and stewed for half an hour, will make excellent gravy of a common kind. When there is no broth, the neck of the chicken must be stewed down to supply its place. QUITE COMMON BROWN GRAVY. Cut a sheep's melt into slices half an inch thick, flour them lightly, and either fry them a pale brown, or dissolve a small slice of butter in a thick saucepan, lay them in and shake them over a moderate fire until they have taken sufficient colour; then pour gradually to them between half and three quarters of a pint of boiling water; add a not very full seasoning of salt and pepper, and stew the gravy very gently tor up- wards of an hour and a half. Strain, and skim off the tat, and it will be ready for table. When it is to accompany ducks or geese, brown a minced onion with the melt, and add a sprig of lemon thyme. This, though a very cheap, is a rich gravy in flavour; but it would be infi- nitely improved by using for it equal parts of neck of beef (or of beef steak) and sheep's melt ; or the bone and the lean only of a thick mut- ton cutlet. A little catsup, or a very small quantity of spice, will like- wise be good additions to it; and a slice or two of a root of celery, and of a carrot, might be boiled down with the meat. A bit or two of lean ham will heighten greatly the flavour of all brown gravies. 1 sheep's melt ; butter, J to 1 oz. ; parsley, 1 or 2 small branches : gently browned. Boiling water, \ to f pint; pepper, salt: 1^ hour, or more. Slowly stewed. (Onion, carrot, celery, mushroom catsup, little spice, or bit or two of lean ham at choice.) Obs. — Part of an ox's melt is sometimes used for gravy in common cookery, but it is, we should say, too coarse for the purpose, and the fla- vour is peculiarly, and we think disagreeably, sweet; but a skilful cook, may perhaps, by artificial means, render it more palatable. Obs. 2. — The best gravies possible, may be made with the bones of all uncooked meat except pork. GRAVY OR SAUCE FOR A GOOSE. Mince, and brown in a small saucepan, with a slice of butter, two ounces of mild onion. When it begins to brown, stir to it a teaspoonful of flour, and in five or six minutes afterwards, pour in by degrees the third of a pint of good brown gravy; let this simmer fifteen minutes; strain it; bring it again to the point of boiling, and add to it a teaspoon- ful of made-mustard mixed well with a glass of port wine. Season it with cayenne pepper, and salt, if this last be needed. Do not let the sauce boil after the wine is added, but serve it very hot. Onions, 2 ozs. ; butter, 1^ oz. : 10 to 15 minutes. Flour, 1 teaspoon- ful: 5 to 6 minutes. Gravy, § pint: 15 minutes. Mustard, 1 tea- spoonful; port wine, 1 glassful ; cayenne pepper ; salt. See also Chris- topher North's own sauce. ORANGE GRAVY, FOR WILD FOWL. Boil for about ten 'minutes, in half a pint of rich and highly-flavoured brown gravy, or espagnole, half the rind of an orange, pared as thin as possible, and a small strip of lemon-rind, with a bit of sugar the size of 90 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. III. a hazel-nut. Strain it off, add to it a quarter pint of port or claret, the juice of half a lemon, and a tablespoonful of orange-juice ; season it with cayenne, and serve it as hot as possible. Gravy, ^ pint ; ^ the rind of an orange ; lemon-peel, 1 small strip ; sugar, size of hazel-nut : 10 minutes. Juice of \ a lemon : orange- juice, 1 tablespoonful; cayenne. See also Christopher North's own sauce. MEAT JELLIES FOR PIES AND SAUCES. A very firm meat jelly is easily made by stewing slowly down equal parts of shin of beef, and knuckle or neck of veal, with a pint of cold water to each pound of meat; but to give it flavour, some thick slices of lean unboiled ham should be added to it, two or three carrots, some spice, a bunch of parsley, one mild onion, or more, and a moderate quan- tity of salt; or part of the meat may be omitted, and a calf 's-head, or the scalp of one, very advantageously substituted for it, though the flavouring must then be heightened, because, though very gelatinous, these are in themselves exceedingly insipid to the taste. If rapidly boiled, the jelly will not be clear, and it will be difficult to render it so without clarify- ing it with the whites of eggs, which it ought never to require ; if very gently stewed, on the contrary, it will only need to be passed through a fine sieve, or cloth. The fat must be carefully removed, after it is quite cold. The shin of beef recommended for this and other receipts, should be from the middle of the leg of young heifer beef, not of that which is large and coarse. Middle of small shin of beef, 3 lbs. ; knuckle or neck of veal, 3 lbs. ; lean of ham, \ lb. ; water, 3 quarts ; carrots, 3 large, or 2 small ; bunch of parsley ; 1 mild onion, stuck with 8 cloves ; 2 small bay-leaves ; 1 large blade of mace; small saltspoonful of peppercorns ; salt, | oz. (more if needed): 5 to 6 hours' very gentle stewing. Obs. — A finer jelly may be made by using a larger proportion of veal than of beef, and by adding clear beef or veal broth to it instead of water, in a small proportion at first, as directed in the receipt for consommee, see page 85, and by pouring in the remainder when the meat is heated through. The necks of poultry, any inferior joints of them omitted from a fricassee, or other dish, or an old fowl, will further improve it much ; an eschalot or two may at choice be boiled down in it, instead of the onion, but the flavour should be scarcely perceptible. A CHEAPER MEAT JELLY. One calf's foot, a pound and a half or two pounds of neck of veal or beef, a small onion, a carrot, a bunch of parsley, a little spice, a bit oi two of quite lean ham, dressed or undressed, and five half pints of watei, boiled very slowly for five or six hours will give a strong, though not a highly flavoured jelly. More ham, any bones of unboiled meat, poultry, or game will, in this respect, improve it; and the liquor in which fowls or veal have been boiled for table should, when at hand, be used for it instead of water. These jellies keep much better and longer when no vegetables are stewed down in them. GLAZE. This is merely strong, clear gravy or jelly boiled quickly down to the consistency of thin cream; but this reduction must be carefully CHAP. III. GRAVIES. 91 managed that the glaze may be brought to the proper point without being burned ; it must be attentively watched, and stirred without being quitted for a moment from the time of its beginning to thicken; when it has reached the proper degree of boiling, it will jelly in dropping from the spoon, like preserve, and should then be poured out immediately, or it will burn. When wanted for use, melt it gently by placing the ves- sel which contains it (see article Glazing, Chapter VII.) in a pan of coiling water, and with a paste-brush lay it on to the meat, upon which it will form a sort of clear varnish. In consequence of the very great reduction which it undergoes, salt should be added to it sparingly when it is made. Any kind of stock may be boiled down to glaze ; but unless it be strong, a pint will afford but a spoonful or two; a small quantity of it, however, is generally sufficient, unless a large repast is to be served. Two or three layers must be given to each joint. The jellies which precede this will answer for it extremely well ; and it may be made also with shin of beef stock, for common occasions, when no other is at hand. ASPIC, OR CLEAR SAVOURY-JELLY. Boil a couple of calf's feet, with three or four pounds of knuckle of veal, three-quarters of a pound of lean ham, two large onions, three whole carrots, and a large bunch of herbs, in a gallon of water, till it is reduced more than half. Strain it off; when perfectly cold, remove every particle of fat and sediment, and put the jelly into a very clean stewpan, with four whites of eggs well beaten ; keep it stirred until it is nearly boiling ; then place it by the side of the fire to simmer for a quarter of an hour. Let it settle, and pour it through a jelly-bag until it is quite clear. Add, when it first begins to boil, three blades of mace, a teaspoonful of white peppercorns, and sufficient salt to flavour it pro- perly, allowing for the ham, and the reduction. French cooks flavour this jelly with caragon vinegar when it is clarified : cold poultry, game, and fish are served in, or garnished with it; when it is to be moulded, with slices of boiled tongue laid in the middle in a chain, or carved fowl, or aught else, it will be well to throw in a pinch of isinglass; and hams are often placed on a thick layer of it roughed, and then covered en- tirely with more for large breakfasts, or cold repasts. It is also used as gravy for meat pies. Calfs feet, 2 ; veal, 4 lbs. ; ham, § lb. ; onions, 2 ; carrots, 3 ; herbs, large bunch ; mace, 3 blades ; white whole pepper, 1 teaspoonful ; water, 1 gallon : 5 to 6 hours. Whites of eggs, 4 : 15 minutes. 92 MODERN COOKERY. [chap. IV. CHAPTER IV. SAUCES. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. The difference between good and bad cookery can scarcely be more strikingly shown than in the manner in which sauces are prepared and served. If well made, appropriate to the dishes they accompany, and sent to table with them as hot as pos- Bain Marie, or Water Bath. sible, they not only give a height- ened relish to a dinner, but they prove that both skill and taste have have been exerted in its arrangements. When coarsely or carelessly prepared, on the contrary, as they too often are, they greatly discredit the cook, and are anything but acceptable to the eaters. Melted butter, the most common of all — the " one sauce" of England and America, which excites the raillery of foreigners — is frequently found to be such an intolerable compound, either oiled or lumpy, or composed principally of flour and water, that it says but little for the state of cookery amongst us. We trust that the receipts in the present chapter are so clearly given, that if strictly followed they will materially assist the learner in preparing tolerably palatable sauces at the least. The cut at the com- mencement of the chapter exhibits the vessel called a bain marie, in which saucepans are placed when it is necessary to keep their contents not without allowing them to boil : it is extremely useful when dinners iuuant as it is. CHAP. IV.] SAUCES. 103 salt, nearly as much pepper, two tablespoonsful of watei, and three of good sharp vinegar. Boil the sauce for a few minutes, and serve it hot ; or send it to table cold, when it is liked so. Vinegar may en- tirely supply the place of the water in this case, and a spoonful or two of oil may be mixed with it. A small desertspoonful of minced parsley is likewise sometimes mixed with the onions. Their strong flavour may be in some measure weakened by steeping them for an hour or more in a pint of cold water after they are minced. SALLAD DRESSING. For a salad of moderate size pound very smoothly the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs with a small teaspoonful of unmade mustard, half as much sugar in fine powder, and a saltspoonful of salt. Mix gradually with these a small cup of cream, or the same quantity of very pure oil, and two tablespoonsful of vinegar. More salt and acid can be added at pleasure ; but the latter usually predominates too much in English salads. A few drops of cayenne vinegar will improve this receipt. Hard yolks of eggs, 2; unmade mustard, 1 small teaspoonful; sugar, half as much; salt, 1 saltspoonful; cream or oil, small cupful; vinegar, 2 tablespoonsful. Obs. 1. — To some tastes a teaspoonful or more of eschalot vinegar would be an acceptable addition to this sauce, which may be otherwise varied in numberless ways. Cucumber-vinegar may be substituted for other, and small quantities of soy, cavice, essence of anchovies, or cat- sup may in turn be used to flavour the compound. The salad-bowl too may be rubbed with a cut clove of garlic, to give the whole composition a very slight flavour of it. The eggs should be boiled for fifteen minutes, and allowed to become quite cold always before they are pounded, or the mixture will not be smooth : if it should curdle, which it will sometimes do, if not carefully made, add to it the yolk of a very fresh unboiled egg. Obs. 2. — As we have before had occasion to remark, garlic, when very sparingly and judiciously used, imparts a remarkably fine savour to a sauce or gravy, and neither a strong nor a coarse one, as it does when used in larger quantities. The veriest morsel (or, as the French call it, a mere soupqon) of the root is sufficient to give this agreeable piquancy, but unless the proportion be extremely small, the effect will be quite different. The Italians dress their salads upon a round of deli- cately toasted bread, which is rubbed with garlic, saturated with oil, and sprinkled with cayenne, before it is laid into the bowl : they also eat the bread thus prepared, but with less of oil, and untoasted often be- fore their meals, as a digestor. FRENCH SALAD DRESSING. Stir a saltspoonful of salt and half as much pepper into a large spoon- ful of oil, and when the salt is dissolved, mix with them four additional spoonsful of oil, and pour the whole over the salad ; let it be well turned, and then add a couple of spoonsful of vinegar ; mix the whole thoroughly and serve it without delay. The salad should not be dressed in this way until the instant before it is wanted for table: the proportions of salt and pepper can be increased at pleasure, and common, or cucumber vinegar may be substituted for the tarragon, which, however is more frequently used in France than any other 104 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. IV. Salt, 1 spoonful ; pepper, ^ as much; oil, 5 salad-spoonsful ; tarragon, or other vinegar, 2 spoonsful. OUR OWN SA.UCE FOR SALAD OR COLD MEAT. Mix with the yolks of two very fresh unboiled eggs a half-saltspoon- ful of salt, a third as much of cayenne, and a slight grating of nutmeg; then stir very gradually to them three tablespoonsful of oil of the finest quality working the sauce like the Mayonnaise; and when it is per- fectly smooth, add three spoonsful of good meat-jelly, and two of cucum- ber-vinegar. The shin of beef stock for gravies, which will be strongly jellied when cold, will answer very well for this sauce when no richer is at hand. mayonnaise ; (a very fine sauce for cold meat, poultry, fish, or salad.') Put into a large basin the yolks only of two fine and very fresh eggs, carefully freed from the germs, with a little salt and cayenne; stir these well together, then add about a teaspoonful of the purest salad oil, and work the mixture round with a wooden spoon until it appears like cream. Pour in by slow degrees nearly half a pint of oil, con- tinuing at each interval to work the sauce as at first until it resumes the smoothness of a custard, and not a particle of the oil remains visi- ble; then add a couple of tablespoonsful of plain or of tarragon vine- gar, and one of cold water to whiten the sauce. A bit of clear veal jelly the size of an egg will improve it greatly; and a morsel of garlic not larger than a pea, bruised as fine as possible, will give it a very agreeable relish, even to persons to whom garlic generally is distaste- ful. In lieu of this, a few drops of eschalot vinegar may be stirred in ; and the flavour may be varied with lemon-juice, and cucumber, or Chili vinegar at choice. The reader who may have a prejudice against the unboiled eggs which enter into the composition of the Mayonnaise, will find that the most fastidious taste would not detect their being raw, if the sauce be well made; and persons who dislike oil may partake of it in this form, without being aware of its presence, provided always that it be perfectly fresh, and pure in flavour, for otherwise it is easily per- ceptible. Yolks of fresh unboiled eggs, 2 ; salt, ^ saltspoonful or rather more ; cayenne ; oil, full third of pint ; common, or tarragon vinegar, 2 table- spoonsful ; cold water, 1 tablespoonful ; garlic, morsel size of pea (or few drop*> of eschalot vinegar). Meat jelly (if at hand), size of an egg. Obs. — When a much larger proportion of vinegar is liked, a third yolk of egg should be used, or the sauce will be too thin. It is some- times coloured green with the juice of parsley, and other herbs. A spoonful or two of cold bechamel, or of good white sauce, is always an 'improvement to it. FENNEL SAUCE. Strip from the stems, wash very clean, and boil quickly in salt and water until it is quite tender, a handful of young fennel; press the water well from it, mince it very small, and mix it gradually with the quantity of melted butter required for table. Fennel, small handful: 10 minutes, or until quite tender. Melted butter, J- to I pint ; little salt. CHAP. IV.] SAUCES. 105 Obs. — The French use good pale veal gravy thickened with flour and butter for this sauce. TARSLEY AND BUTTER. Proceed exactly as for the fennel, but boil the parsley four or five minutes less ; and be careful to press the water from it thoroughly. For an improved sauce, substitute bechamel or white melted butter for the common melted butter. Melted butter, or thickened veal gravy, third of pint; parsley, boiled and minced, 1 dessertspoonful. GOOSEBERRY SAUCE FOR MACKEREL. Cut the stalks and tops from half to a whole pint of quite young gooseberries, wash them well, just cover them with cold water and boil them very gently indeed until they are tender; drain them well, and mix with them a small quantity of melted butter made with rather less flour than usual. Some eaters prefer the mashed gooseberries without any addition ; others like that of a little ginger. The best way of making this sauce is to turn the gooseberries into a hair-sieve to drain, then to press them through it with a wooden spoon, and to stir them in a clean stewpan or saucepan over the fire with from half to a whole teaspoonful of sugar, just to soften their extreme acidity, and a bit of fresh butter about the size of a walnut. When the fruit is not passed through the sieve it is an improvement to seed it. COMMON SORREL SAUCE. Strip from the stalks and the large fibres, from one to a couple of quarts of freshly-gathered sorrel; wash it very clean, and put it'into a well-tinned stewpan or saucepan (or into a German enamelled one, which would be far better), without any water ; add to it a small slice of good butter, some pepper and salt, and stew it gently, keeping it well stirred, until it is exceedingly tender, that it may not burn ; then drain it on a sieve, or press the liquid well from it; chop it as fine as possi- ble; and boil it again for a few minutes with a spoonful or two of gravy, or the same quantity of cream or milk, mixed with a half-tea- spoonful of flour, or with only a fresh slice of good butter. The beaten yolk of an egg or two stirred in just as the sorrel is taken from the file will soften the sauce greatly, and a saltspoonful of pounded sugar will also be an improvement. ASPARAGUS SAUCE, FOR LA BIB CHOPS. Cut the green tender points of some young asparagus into half-inch lengths, wash them well, drain and throw them into plenty of boiling salt and water. When they are quite tender, which may be in from ten to fifteen minutes, turn them into a hot strainer and drain the water thoroughly from them ; put them, at the instant of serving, into half a pint of thickened veal gravy (see Sauce Tournee), mixed with the yolks of a couple of eggs, and well seasoned with salt and cayenne, or white pepper; or, into an equal quantity of good melted butter : add to this last a squeeze of lemon-juice. The asparagus will become yellow if reboiled, or if loft long in the sauce before it is served. Asparagus points, h pint: boiled 10 to 15 minutes, longer if not quite tender. Thickened veal gravy, 1 pint; yolks of eggs," 2. Or: good 106 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. IV. melted butter, \ pint; lemon-juice, small dessertspoonful, seasoning of salt and white pepper. GREEN MINT SAUCE, FOR ROAST LAMB. The mint for this sauce should be fresh and young, for the leaves when old are tough. Strip them from the stems, wash them with great nicety, and drain them on a sieve or dry them in a cloth. Chop them very fine, put them into a sauce-tureen, and to three heaped table- spoonsful of the mint add two of pounded sugar ; mix them well, and then add gradually six tablespoonsful of good vinegar. The sauce made thus is excellent, but Lisbon sugar can be used for it when pre- ferred, and all the proportions can be varied to the taste. It is com- monly served too liquid, and not sufficiently sweetened ; and it will be found much more wholesome, and generally far more palatable made by this receipt. Young mint minced, 3 heaped tablespoonsful ; pounded sugar, 2 ta- blespoonsful ; vinegar, 6 tablespoonsful. CAPER SAUCE. Stir into the third of a pint of good melted butter from three to four dessertspoonsful of capers ; add a little of the vinegar, and dish the sauce as soon as it boils. Keep it stirred after the berries are added : part of them may be minced, and a little Chili vinegar substituted for their own. Pickled nasturtiums make a very good sauce, and their fla- vour is sometimes preferred to that of the capers. For a large joint, increase the quantity of butter to half a pint. Melted butter, third of pint ; capers, 3 to 4 dessertspoonsful. BROWN CAPER SAUCE. Thicken half a pint of good veal or beef gravy as directed for Sauce Tournee, and add to it two tablespoonsful of capers, and a dessertspoon- ful of the pickle liquor, or of Chili vinegar, with some cayenne if the former be used, and a proper seasoning of salt. Thickened veal, or beef gravy, £ pint; capers, 2 tablespoonsful; caper-liquor or Chili vinegar, 1 dessertspoonful. CAPER SAUCE FOR FISH. To nearly half a pint of very rich melted butter add six spoonsful of strong veal gravy or jelly, a tablespoonful of essence of anchovies, and some Chili vinegar or cayenne. When there is no gravy at hand sub- stitute a half wineglassful of mushroom catsup, or of Harvey's sauce ; though these deepen the colour more than is desirable. COMMON CUCUMBER SAUCE. Pare, slice, dust slightly with pepper, and with flour, two or three young cucumbers, and fry them a fine brown, in a little butter, or dis- solve an ounce and a half in a small stewpan, or iron saucepan, and shake them in it over a brisk fire from twelve to fifteen minutes; pour to them, by degrees, nearly half a pint of strong beef broth, or of brown gravy ; add salt, and more pepper if required ; stew the whole for five minutes, and send the sauce very hot to table. A minced onion may be browned with the cucumbers when it is liked, and a spoonful of vine- gar added to them before they are served. CHAP. IV.] SAUCES. 107 Cucumbers, 2 or 3 ; butter, 1 h oz. ; broth or gravy, nearly ^ pint , salt, pepper. ANOTHER COMMON SAUCE OF CUCUMBERS. Cucumbers which have the fewest seeds are best for this sauce. Pare and slice a couple, or three, should they be small, and put them into a saucepan, in which two ounces, or rather more, of butter have been dis- solved, and are beginning to boil; place them high over the fire, that they may stew as softly as possible without taking colour, for three- quarters of an hour, or longer should they require it; add to them a good seasoning of white pepper, and some salt, when they are half done, and just before they are served stir to them half a teaspoonful of flour, mixed with a morsel of butter ; stew in some minced parsley, give it a boil, and finish with a spoonful of good vinegar. WHITE CUCUMBER SAUCE. Quarter some young quickly grown cucumbers, without many seeds in them ; empty them of these, and take off the rinds. Cut them into inch lengths, and boil them from fifteen to eighteen minutes in salt and water ; squeeze, and work them through a sieve ; mix them with a few spoonsful of bechamel, or thick white sauce ; do not let them boil again, but serve them very hot. A sauce of better flavour is made by boiling the cucumbers in veal gravy well seasoned, and stirring in the beaten yolks of two or three eggs, and a little vinegar or lemon-juice, at the instant of serving. Another also of cucumbers sliced, and stewed in butter, but without being at all browned, and then boiled in pale veal gravy, which must be thickened with rich cream, is excellent. A mor- sel of sugar improves this sauce. Cucumbers, 3 : 15 to 18 minutes. White sauce, £ pint. WHITE MUSHROOM SAUCE. Cut off the stems closely from half a pint of small button mushrooms; clean them with a little salt and a bit of flannel, and throw them into cold water, slightly salted, as they are done ; drain them well, or dry them in a soft cloth, and throw them into half a pint of boiling bechamel (see page 93), or of white sauce made with very fresh milk, or thin cream, thickened with a tablespoonful of flour, and two ounces of butter. Simmer the mushrooms from ten to twenty minutes, or until they are quite tender, and dish the sauce, which should be properly seasoned with salt, mace, and cayenne. Mushrooms, | pint ; white sauce, \ pint ; seasoning of salt, mace, and cayenne : 10 minutes. ANOTHER MUSHROOM SAUCE. Prepare from half to a whole pint of very small mushroom-buttons with great nicety, and throw them into as much sauce tournee ; when they are tender add a few spoonsful of rich cream, give the whole a boil, and serve it. Either of these sauces may be sent to table with boiled poultry, breast of veal, or veal-cutlets : the sauce tournee should be thickened rather more than usual when it is to be used in this re- ceipt. Mushrooms and sauce tournee each, ^ to whole pint : stewed till ten- der. Cream, 4 to 8 tablespoonsful. 108 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. IV. BROWN MUSHROOM SAUCE. Very small flaps, peeled and freed entirely from the fur, will answer for this sauce. Leave them whole, or quarter them, and stew them tender in some rich brown gravy ; give a full seasoning- of mace and cayenne, add thickening, and salt if needed, and a tablespoonful of good mushroom catsup. COMMON TOM ATA SAUCE. Tomatas are so juicy when ripe, that they require but little liquid to reduce them to a proper consistency for sauce ; and they vary so ex- ceedingly in size and quality that it is difficult to give precise direc- tions for the exact quantity which is needed for them. Take off the stalks, halve the tomatas, and gently squeeze out the seeds and wa- tery pulp ; then stew them softly with a few spoonsful of gravy or of strong broth until they are quite melted. Press the whole through a hair-sieve, and heat it afresh with a little additional gravy should it be too thick, and some cayenne, and salt. Serve it very hot. Fine ripe tomatas, 6 or 8 ; gravy or strong broth, 4 tablespoonsful : ^ to £ hour, or longer if needed. Salt and cayenne sufficient to season the sauce, and two or three spoonsful more of gravy if required. Obs. — For a large tureen of this sauce, increase the proportions; and should it be at first too liquid, reduce it by quick boiling. When nei-' ther gravy nor broth is at hand, the tomatas may be stewed perfectly tender, but very gently, in a couple of ounces of butter, with some cay- enne and salt only, or with the addition of a very little finely minced onion; then rubbed through a sieve, and heated, and served without any addition, or with only that of a teaspoonful of vinegar ; or, when the colour is not a principal consideration, with a few spoonsful of rich cream, smoothly mixed with a little flour to prevent its curdling. The sauce must be stirred without ceasing should the last be added, and boiled for four or five minutes. A FINER TOMATA SAUCE. Stew very gently a dozen fine red tomatas, prepared as for the pre- ceding receipt, with two or three sliced eschalots, four or five chilies, or a capsicum or two, or in lieu of either, with a quarter-teaspoonful of cayenne pepper, a few small dice of lean ham, and half a cupful of rich gravy. Stir these often, and when the tomatas are reduced quite to a smooth pulp, press them through a sieve ; put them into a clean sauce- pan, with a few spoonsful more of rich gravy, or Espagnole, add salt, if needed, boil the sauce, stirring it well, for ten minutes, and serve it very hot. When the gravy is exceedingly good, and highly flavoured, the ham may be omitted : a dozen small mushrooms, nicely cleaned, may also be sliced, and stewed with the tomatas, instead of the escha- lots, when their flavour is preferred, or they may be added with them. The exact proportion of liquid used is immaterial, for should the sauce be too thin, it may be reduced by rapid boiling, and diluted with more gravy if too thick. BOILED APPLE SAUCE. Apples of a fine cooking sort require but a very small portion of liquid to boil down well and smoothly for sauce, if placed over a gentle fire in a close-shutting saucepan, and simmered as soilly as possible, CHAP. IV.] SAUCES. 109 until they are well broken ; and their flavour is injured by the common mode of adding so much to them, that the greater part must be drained off again before they are sent to table. Pare the fruit quickly, quarter it, and be careful entirely to remove the cores ; put one tablespoonful of water into a saucepan before the apples are thrown in ; and proceed, as we have directed, to simmer them until they are nearly ready to serve : finish the sauce by the receipt which follows. Apples, ^ lb.; water, 1 tablespoonful; stewed very softly: 30 to 60 minutes. Obs. — These proportions are sufficient only for a small tureen of the sauce, and should be doubled for a large one. BAKED APPLE SAUCE ; (good.) Put a tablespoonful of water into a quart basin, and fill it with good boiling apples, pared, quartered, and carefully cored : put a plate over, and set them into a moderate oven for about an hour, or until they are reduced quite to a pulp; beat them smooth with a clean wooden spoon, adding to them a little sugar, and a morsel of fresh butter, when these are liked, though they will scarcely be required. The sauce made thus is far superior to that which is boiled. When no other oven is at hand, a Dutch or an American one would answer for it. Good boiling apples, 1 quart: baked, 1 hour (more or less according to the quality of the fruit, and temperature of the oven) ; sugar, 1 oz. ; butter, £ oz. BROWN APPLE SAUCE. Stew gently down to a thick and perfectly smooth marmalade, a pound of pearmains, or of any other well-flavoured boiling apples, in about the third of a pint of rich brown gravy : season the sauce rather highly with black pepper or cayenne, and serve it very hot. Currie sauce will make an excellent substitute for the gravy when a very piquante accompaniment is wanted for pork or other rich meats. Apples pared and cored, 1 lb. : good brown gravy, third of pint : ^ to l£ hour. Pepper or cayenne as needed. WHITE ONION SAUCE. . Strip the skin from some large white onions, and after having taken off the tops and roots, cut them in two, throw them into cold water as they are done, cover them plentifully with more, and boil them very tender ; lift them out, drain, and then press the water thoroughly from them ; chop them small, rub them through a sieve or strainer, put them into a little rich melted butter, mixed with a spoonful or two of cream or milk, add a seasoning of salt, give the sauce a boil, and serve it very hot. Portugal onions, when they can be obtained, are superior to any others, both for this and for most other purposes of cookery. For the finest kind of onion sauce, see Soubise, below. BROWN ONION SAUCE. Cut off both ends of the onions, and slice them into a saucepan in which two ounces of butter have been dissolved ; keep them stewing over a clear fire until they are lightly coloured ; then pour to them half a pint of brown gravy and when they have boiled until they are per- 1 10 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. IV. fectly tender, work the sauce altogether through a strainer, season it with a little cayenne, and serve it very hot. ANOTHER BROWN ONION SAUCE. Mince the onions, stew them in butter until well coloured, stir in a dessertspoonful of flour, shake the stewpan over the fire for three or four minutes, pour in only as much broth or gravy as will leave the sauce tolerably thick, season, and serve it. soubise; {French Receipt.) Peel some fine white onions, and trim away all tough and discoloured parts ; mince them small, and throw them into plenty of boiling water; when they have boiled quickly for five minutes, drain them well in a sieve, then stew them very softly indeed in an ounce or two of fresh butter, until they are dry and perfectly tender ; stir to them as much bechamel as will bring them to the consistency of very thick peas soup ; pass the whole through a strainer, pressing the onion strongly that none may remain behind, and heat the sauce afresh, without allowing it tc boil. A small half-teaspoonful of pounded sugar is sometimes added tc this soubise. White part of onions, 2 lbs. : blanched 5 minutes. Butter, 2 ozs. : 30 to 50 minutes. Bechamel, £ to 1 pint, or more. Obs. — These sauces are served more particularly with lamb or mut- ton cutlets, than with any other meats ; but they would probably find many approvers if sent to table with roast mutton, or boiled veal. Half the quantity given above will be sufficient for a moderate-sized dish. A FINE SAUCE, OR PUREE OF VEGETABLE MARROW. Pare one or two half grown marrows and cut all the seeds; take a pound of the vegetable, and slice it with one ounce of mild onion, into a pint of strong veal broth or of pale gravy ; stew them very softly for nearly or quite an hour; add salt and cayenne, or white pepper, when they are nearly done ; press the whole through a fine and delicately clean hair-sieve ; heat it afresh, and stir to it when it boils about the third of a pint of rich cream. Serve it with boiled chickens, stewed or boiled veal, lamb cutlets, or any other delicate meat. When to be served as a puree, an additional half pound of the vegetable must be used; and it should be dished with small fried sippets round it. For a maigre dish, stew the marrow and onion quite tender in butter, and dilute them with half boiling water and half cream. Vegetable marrow, 1 lb; mild onion, 1 oz. ; strong broth or pale gravy, 1 pint: nearly or quite 1 hour. Pepper or cayenne, and salt as needed ; good cream from £ to h of pint. For puree, £ lb. more o marrow. EXCELLENT TURNIP, OR ARTICHOKE SAUCE FOR BOILED MEAT. Pare, slice, and boil quite tender, some finely-grained mild turnips, press the water from them thoroughly, and pass them through a sieve. Dissolve a slice of butter in a clean saucepan, and stir to it a large tea- spoonful of flour, or mix them smoothly together before they are put in, and shake the saucepan round until they boil ; pour to them very gra- dually, nearly a pint of thin cream (or of good milk mixed with a por- tion of cream,) add the turnips with a half-teaspoonful or more of salt, CHAP. IV.] SAUCES. Ill and when the whole is well mixed and very hot, pour it over boiled mutton, veal, lamb, or poultry. There should be sufficient of the sauce to cover the meat entirely, and when properly made it improves greatly the appearance of a joint. A little cayenne tied in a muslin may be boiled in the milk before it is mixed with the turnips. Jerusalem arti- chokes make a more delicate sauce of this kind even than turnips ; the weight of both vegetables must be taken after they are pared. Pared turnips or artichokes, 1 lb ; fresh butter, 1^ oz. ; flour, 1 large teaspoonful (twice as much if all milk be used) ; salt, ^ teaspoonful or more ; cream, or cream and milk mixed, from | to 1 pint. CELERY SAUCE. Slice the white part of from three to five heads of young tender celery ; peel it if not very young, and boil it in salt and water for twenty minutes. If for white sauce, put the celery, after it has been well drained, into half a pint of veal broth or gravy, and let it stew until it is quite soft; then add an ounce and a half of butter, mixed with a des- sertspoonful of flour, and a quarter-pint of thick cream, or the yolks of three eggs. The French, after boiling the celery, which they cut very small, for about twenty minutes, drain, and chop it; then put it with a slice of butter into a stewpan, and season it with pepper, salt, and nut- meg ; they keep these stirred over the fire for two or three minutes, and then dredge in a dessertspoonful of flour ; when this has lost its raw taste, they pour in a sufficiency of white gravy to moisten the celery, and to allow for twenty minutes' longer boiling. A very good common celery sauce is made by simply stewing the celery, cut into inch-lengths, in butter, until it begins to be tender ; and then adding a spoonful of flour, which must be allowed to brown a little, and half a pint of good broth or beef gravy, with a seasoning of pepper or cayenne. Celery, 3 to 5 heads: 20 minutes. Veal broth, or gravy, J pint: 20 to 40 minutes. Butter, I3 oz. ; flour, 1 dessertspoonful ; cream, ^ pint, or three yolks of eggs. SWEET PUDDING SAUCE. Boil together for fifteen minutes the thin rind of half a small lemon, an ounce and a half of fine sugar, and a wineglassful of water ; then take out the lemon-peel, and mix very smoothly an ounce of butter with rather more than a half-teaspoonful of flour, stir them round in the sauce until it has boiled one minute; next add a wineglassful and a half of sherry or Madeira, or two thirds of that quantity and a quarter- glass of brandy : when quite hot, serve the sauce. Port-wine sauce is made in the same way, with the addition of a des- sertspoonful of lemon-juice, some grated nutmeg, and a little more sugar: orange rind and juice may be used to give it flavour when pre- ferred to lemon. Rind § lemon; sugar, lj oz. ; water, 1 wineglassful: 15 minutes. Butter, 1 oz. ; flour, large ^ teaspoonful: 1 minute. Wine, 1| wine- glassful ; or, 1 of wine, and £ glass of brandy. PUNCH SAUCE FOR SWEET PUDDINGS. This is a favourite sauce with custard, plain bread, and plum-pud dings. With two ounces of sugar and a quarter-pint of water, boil very gently the rind of half a small lemon, and somewhat less of orange- 112 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. IV. peel, from fifteen to twenty minutes ; strain oat the rinds, thicken the sauce with an ounce and a half of butter and nearly a teaspoonful of flour, add a half-glass of brandy, the same of white wine, two thirds of a glass of rum, with the juice of half an orange, and rather less of lemon-juice : serve the sauce very hot, but do not allow it to boil after the spirit is stirred in. Sugar, 2 ozs. ; water, £ pint; lemon and orange rind: 14 to 20 rni- nntes. Butter, 1| oz. ; flour, 1 teaspoonful; brandy and white wine each ^ wineglassful ; rum, two thirds of glassful ; orange and lemon juice. COMMON PUDDING SAUCE. Sweeten a quarter-pint of good melted butter with an ounce and a half of sugar, and add to it gradually a couple of glasses of wine; stir it until it is at the point of boiling, and serve it immediately. Lemon- grate, or nutmeg, can be added at pleasure. A DELICIOUS GERMAN PUDDING SAUCE. Dissolve in half a pint of sherry or of Madeira, from three to four ounces of fine sugar, but do not allow the wine to boil ; stir it hot to the well-beaten yolks of six fresh eggs, and mill the sauce over a gentle fire until it is well thickened and highly frothed ; pour it over a plum, or any other kind of sweet boiled pudding, of which it much improves the appearance. Half the quantity will be sufficient for one of mode- rate size. A small machine, resembling a chocolate mill, is used in Germany for frothing this sauce ; but a couple of silver forks, fastened together at the handles, will serve for the purpose, on an emergency. We recommend the addition of a dessertspoonful of strained lemon- juice to the wine. For large pudding, sherry or Madeira, h pint ; fine sugar, 3 to 4 ozs. ; yolks of eggs, 6; lemon-juice (if added), 1 dessertspoonful. Obs. — The safer plan with sauces liable to curdle is to thicken them always in a jar or jug, placed in a saucepan of water ; when this is not done, they should be held over the fire, but never placed upon it. PARSLEY-GREEN, FOR COLOURING SAUCES. Gather a quantity of young parsley, strip it from the stalks, wash it very clean, shake it as dry as possible in a cloth, pound it in a mortar, press all the juice closely from it through a hair-sieve reversed, and put it into a clean jar ; set it into a pan of boiling water, and in about three minutes, if gently simmered, the juice will be poached sufficiently ; lay it then upon a clean sieve to drain, and it will be ready for use. TO CRISP PARSLEY. Pick some branches of young parsley, wash them well, drain them from the water, and swing them in a clean cloth until they are quite dry ; place them on a sheet of writing paper in a Dutch oven, before a brisk fire, and keep them frequently turned until they are quite crisp. They will be done in from six to eight minutes. FRIED PARSLEY. When the parsley has been prepared as for crisping, and is quite dry, throw it into plenty of lard or butter, which is on the point of boil CHAP. IV.] SAUCES. 1 13 ing ; take it up with a skimmer the instant it is crisp, and drain u on a cloth spread upon a sieve reversed, and placed before the fire. TARTAR MUSTARD. Rub four ounces of the best mustard very smooth with a full tea- spoonful of salt, and wet it by degrees with strong- horseradish vinegar, a dessertspoonful of cayenne or of Chili vinegar, and one or two of tai- ragon vinegar, when its flavour is not disliked. A quarter-pint of vine- gar poured boiling upon an ounce of scraped horseradish, and left for one night, closely covered, will be ready to use for this mustard, but it will be better for standing two or three days. Mustard, 4 ozs. ; salt, large teaspoonfnl ; cayenne, or Chili vinegar, 1 dessertspoonful; horseradish vinegar, third of pint. Obs. — This is an exceedingly pungent compound, but has many admirers. ANOTHER TARTAR MUSTARD. Mix the salt and mustard smoothly, with equal parts of horseradish vinegar and of common vinegar. Mustard made by these receipts will keep long, if put into jars or bottles, and closely stopped. Cucumber, eschalot, or any other of the flavoured vinegars for which we have given receipts, may in turn be used for it, and mushroom, gherkin, or India pickle-liquor, likewise. MILD MUSTARD. Mustard for instant use should be mixed with milk, to which a spoon- ful or two of very thin cream may be added. MUSTARD THE COMMON WAY. The great art of mixing mustard, is to have it perfectly smooth, and of a proper consistency. The liquid with which it is moistened should be added to it in small quantities, and the mustard should be well rubbed, and beaten with a spoon. Mix a half-teaspoonful of salt with two ounces of the flour of mustard, and stir to them by degrees, sufficient boiling^ water to reduce it to the appearance of a thick batter ; do not put it into the mustard-glass until cold. Some persons like a half-tea- spoonful of sugar, in the finest powder, mixed with it. It ought to be sufficiently diluted always to drop easily from the spoon. French batter ; (for frying vegetables, and for apj)le, peach, or orange fritters.) Cut a couple of ounces of good butter into small bits, pour on it less than a quarter-pint of boiling water, and when it is dissolved, add three quarters of a pint of cold water, so that the whole shall not be quite milk warm ; mix it then by degrees, and very smoothly, with twelve ounces of fine dry flour, and a small pinch of salt, if the batter be for fruit fritters, but with more if for meat or vegetables. Just before it is used, stir into it the whites of two eggs beaten to a solid froth ; but pre- viously to this, add a little water should it appear too thick, as somes flour requires more liquid than other, to bring it to the proper con- sistency. Butter, 2 ozs. ; water, from £ to nearly 1 pint ; little salt ; flour, | lb. : 114 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. IV. TO PREPARE BREAD FOR FRYING FISH. Cut thick slices from the middle of a loaf of light bread, pare the crust entirely from them, and dry them gradually in a cool oven until they are crisp quite through ; let them become cold, then roll or beat them into fine crumbs, and keep them in a dry place for use. To strew- over hams or cheeks of bacon, the bread should be left all night in the oven, which should be sufficiently heated to brown, as well as to harden it: it ought indeed to be entirely converted into equally-coloured crust. it may be sifted through a dredging-box on to the hams, after it has been reduced almost to powder. BROWNED FLOUR FOR THICKENING SOUPS AND GRAVIES. Spread it on a tin or dish, and colour it without burning, in a gentle oven, or before the fire in a Dutch or American oven : turn it often, or the edges will be too much browned before the middle is enough so. This, blended with butter, makes a convenient thickening for soups or gravies, of which it is desirable to deepen the colour ; and it requires less time and attention than the French roux of page 92. FRIED BREAD-CRUMBS. Grate lightly into very fine crumbs four ounces of stale bread, and shake them through a cullender, without rubbing or touching them with the hands. Dissolve two ounces of fresh butter in a frying-pan, throw in the crumbs, and stir them constantly over a moderate fire, until they are all of a clear gold colour; lift them out with a skimmer, spread them on a solt cloth laid upon a sieve reversed, and dry them before the fire. They may be more delicately prepared by browning them in a gentle oven without the addition of butter. Bread, 4 ozs. ; butter, 2 ozs. FRIED BREAD, OR SIPPETS OF BREAD FOR GARNISHING. Cut the crumb of a stale loaf in slices a quarter-inch thick: form them into diamonds, or half diamonds, or shape them with a paste-cut- ter in any other way ; fry them in Iresh butter, some of a very pale brown, and others a deeper colour: dry them well, and place them al- ternately round the dish that is to be garnished. They may be made to adhere to the edge of the dish, when they are required for ornament only, by means of a little flour and white of egg brushed over the side which is placed on it: this must be allowed to dry before they are served. THE RAJAH'S SAUCE. Strain, very clear, the juice of six fine lemons; add to it a small tea- spoonful of salt, a drachm of good cayenne-pepper, and a slight strip or two of the lemon-rind cut extremely thin. Give the sauce three or four minutes simmering: turn it into a China jug or basin; and when it is quite cold, strain it again, put it into small dry bottles, cork them well, and store them in a cool place which is free from damp. The sauce is good without being boiled, but is apt to ferment after a time: it is, we think, of much finer flavour than Chili vinegar. Lemon-juice £ pint; salt 1 small teaspoonful ; cayenne 1 drachm; bimmered 5 minutes. CHAP. V.] STORE SAUCES. 115 CHAPTER V. STORE SAUCES. OBSERVATIONS. A WELL-selected stock of these will always prove a convenient re- source for giving colour and flavour to soups, gravies, and made dishes; but unless the consumption be considerable, they should not be over- abundantly provided, as few of them are improved by age, and many are altogether spoiled by long keeping, especially if they be not perfectly secured from the air by sound corking, or if stored where there is the slightest degree of damp. To prevent loss, they should be examined at short intervals, and at the first appearance of mould or fermentation, such as will bear the process should be reboiled, and put, when again quite cold, into clean bottles; a precaution often especially needful for mushroom catsup when it has been made in a wet season. This, with walnut catsup, Harvey's sauce, cavice, lemon-pickle, Chili, cucumber, and eschalot vinegar, will be all that is commonly needed for family use, but there is at the present day an extensive choice of these stores on sale, in London, and should there be a demand for them in America, they could easily be procured. MUSHROOM CATSUP. Cut the ends of the stalks from two gallons of freshly-gathered mush- rooms (the large flaps are best for this purpose, but they should not be worm-eaten); break them into a deep earthen pan, and strew amongst them three-quarters of a pound of salt, reserving the larger portion of it for the top. Let them stand for three, or even four days, and stir them gently once every four and twenty hours; then drain off the liquor with- out pressing the mushrooms; strain and measure it; put it into a very •clean stewpan, and boil it quickly until reduced nearly or quite half. For every quart, allow half an ounce of whole black pepper, and a drachm of mace; or, instead of the pepper, a quarter- teaspoonful (ten grains) of good cayenne; pour the catsup into a clean jug or jar, lay a folded cloth over it, and keep it in a cool place until the following day ; pour it gently from the sediment, put it into small bottles, cork them well, and rosin them down. A teaspoonful of salad-oil may be poured into each bottle before it is corked, the better to exclude the air from the catsup: it must be kept in a dry cool place. Mushrooms, 2 gallons; salt, | lb.; to macerate three or four days. To each quart of liquor, ^ oz. black pepper, or quarter-teaspoonful cay- enne; and 1 drachm mace: to be reduced half! Obs. 1. — Catsup made thus will not be too salt, nor will the flavour of the mushrooms be overpowered by that of the spices; of which a larger quantity, and a greater variety, can be used at will. Obs. 2. — After the mushrooms have stood for three or four days, as we have directed, the whole may be turned into a large stewpan, brought slowly to a boil, anti simmered for a few minutes before the liquor is strained off! We think the catsup keeps rather better when this is done, but we recommend only just sufficient simmering to preserve it 116 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. V. well. When the mushrooms are crushed, or mashed, as some authors direct, the liquor will necessarily be very thick ; it is better to proceed as above, and then to boil the squeezing s of the mushrooms with the sediment of the catsup, and sufficient cloves, pepper, allspice, and ginger, to flavour it highly : this second catsup will be found very useful to mix with common thickened sauces, hashes, and stews. In some seasons it is necessary to boil the catsup with the spice a second time after it has been kept for three or four months : this, by way of precaution, can always be done, but it had better then be put into large bottles in the first instance, and stored in the small ones afterwards. DOUBLE MUSHROOM CATSUP. On a gallon of fresh mushrooms strew three ounces of salt, and pour to them a quart of ready-made catsup (that which is a year old will do if it be perfectly good) ; keep these stirred occasionally for four days, then drain the liquor very dry from the mushrooms, and boil it for fifteen minutes, with an ounce of whole black pepper, a drachm and a half of mace, an ounce of ginger, and three or four grains only of cayenne. Mushrooms, 1 gallon ; salt, 3 ozs. ; mushroom catsup, 1 quart. ; pepper- corns, 1 oz. ; mace, 1^ drachm ; ginger, 1 oz. ; cayenne, 3 to 4 grains: 15 minutes. COMPOUND, OR COOK'S CATSUP. Take a pint and a half of mushroom catsup when it is first made, and ready boiled (the double is best for the purpose), simmer in it for five minutes, an ounce of small eschalots or onions, nicely peeled ; add to these half a pint of walnut catsup, and a wineglassful of cayenne vine- gar,* or of Chili vinegar ; give the whole one boil, pour it out, and when cold, bottle it with the eschalots. Mushroom catsup, 1| pint; eschalots or onions, 1 oz. ; walnut catsup or pickle, ^ pint ; cayenne or Chili vinegar, 1 wineglassful. WALNUT CATSUP. The vinegar in which walnuts have been pickled, when they have remained in it a year, will generally answer all the purposes for which this catsup is required, particularly if it be drained from them and boiled for a few minutes, with a little additional spice, and a few eschalots; but where the vinegar is objected to, it may be made by boiling either the expressed juice of young walnuts for an hour, with six ounces of fine anchovies, four ounces of eschalots, half an ounce of black pepper, a quarter ounce of cloves, and a drachm of mace, to every quart; or as follows : — Pound in a mortar a hundred young walnuts, strewing amongst them as they are done half a pound of salt ; then pour to them a quart of strong vinegar, and let them stand until they have become quite black, keeping them stirred three or four times a day ; next add a quart of strong old beer, and boil the whole together for ten minutes ; strain it, and let it remain until the next day ; then pour it off clear from the sediment, add to it one large head of garlic bruised, half an ounce of nutmegs bruised, the same quantity of cloves and black pepper, and two drachms of mace : boil these together for half an hour, and the following * We have always had the cayenne-vinegar used in this receipt, but the Chili would, without doubt, answer as well, or better. CHAP. V.] STORE SAUCES. 117 day bottle and cork the catsup well. It will keep for a dozen y3ars. Many persons add to it, before it is boiled, a bottle of port wine ; and others recommend a large bunch of sweet herbs to be put in with the spice. 1st Recipe. Expressed juice of walnuts, 1 quart; eschalots, 4 ozs.; black pepper, ^ oz. ; cloves, £ oz. ; mace, 1 drachm : 1 hour. 2d. Walnuts, 100; salt, ^ lb.; vinegar, 1 quart: to stand till black. Strong beer, 1 quart ; anchovies, ^ lb. ; 1 head garlic ; nutmegs, ^ oz. ; 'cloves, ^ oz. ; black pepper, £ oz. ; mace, 2 drachms : h hour. ANOTHER GOOD RECEIPT FOR WALNUT CATSUP. Beat a hundred green walnuts in a large marble mortar until they are thoroughly bruised and broken, and then put them into a stone jar, with half a pound of eschalots, cut in slices, one head of garlic, half a pound of salt, and two quarts of vinegar; let them stand for ten days, and stir them night and morning. Strain off the liquor, and boil it for half an hour with the addition of two ounces of anchovies, two of whole pepper, half an ounce of cloves, and two drachms of mace ; skim it well, strain it off, and when it is quite cold pour it gently from the sediment (which may be reserved for flavouring c. XV.] VEGETABLES. 231 fire, placing them at a distance from it, and keepii.g them often turned; arrange them in a coarse dish, and bake thern in a moderate oven. Dish them neatly in a napkin, and send them very hot to table ; serve cold butter with them, lj to upwards of 2 hours. scooped potatoes, (extremets) ; or second course dish. Wash and wipe some large potatoes of a firm kind, and with a small scoop adapted to the purpose, form as many diminutive ones as will fill a dish; cover them with cold water, and when they have boiled gently for five minutes, pour it oft* and put more cold water to them ; after they have simmered a second time for five minutes, drain the water quite away, and lei them steam by the side of the fire from four to five min- utes longer. Dish them carefully, pour white sauce over them, and serve them with the second course. Old potatoes thus prepared, have often been made to pass for neiv ones, at the best tables, at the season in which the fresh vegetable is dearest. The time required to boil them will of course vary with their quality: we give the method which we have found very successful. FRIED POTATOES. (ENTREMETS.) After having washed them, wipe and pare some raw potatoes, cut them in slices of equal thickness, or into thin shavings, and throw them into plenty of boiling butter, or very pure clarified dripping. Fry them of a fine light brown, and very crisp ; lift them out with a skimmer, drain them on a soft warm cloth, dish them very hot, and sprinkle fine salt over them. This is an admirable way of dressing potatoes, very common on the Continent, but less so in England than it deserves to be. When pared round and round to a corkscrew form, in ribbons or shavings of equal width, and served dry and well fried, lightly piled in a dish, they make a handsome appearance and are excellent eating. We have known them served in this country with a slight sprinkling of cayenne. If sliced, they should be something less than a quarter-inch thick. MASHED POTATOES. Boil them perfectly tender quite through, pour off the water, and steam them very dry by the directions already given in the receipt of page 229; peel them quickly, take out every speck, and while they are still hot press the potatoes through an earthen cullender, or bruise them to a smooth mash with a strong wooden fork or spoon, but never pound them in a mortar, as that will reduce them to a close heavy paste. Let them be entirely free from lumps, for nothing can be more indicative of carelessness or want of skill on the part of the cook, than mashed pota- toes sent to table full of these. Melt in a clean saucepan a slice of good butter with a few spoonsful of milk, or, better still, of cream ; put in the potatoes after having sprinkled some fine salt upon them, and stir the whole over a gentle fire, with a wooden spoon, until the ingredients are well mixed, and the whole is very hot. It may then be served directly ; or heaped high in a dish, left rough on the surface, and browned before the fire; or it may be pressed into a well-buttered mould of handsome form, which has been strewed with the finest bread-crumbs, and shaken free of the loose ones, then turned out, and browned in a 232 MODERN COOKERY. [ciIAP. XV. Dutch or common oven. More or less liquid will be required to moisten sufficiently potatoes of various kinds. Potatoes mashed, 2 lbs. ; salt, 1 teaspoonful ; butter, 1 to 2 ozs. ; milk or cream, £ pint. Obs. — Mushed potatoes are often moulded with a cup, and then equally browned ; any other shape will answer the purpose as well, and many are of better appearance. ENGLISH POTATO-BALLS. Boil some floury potatoes very dry, mash them as smoothly as possi- ble, season them well with salt and white pepper; warm them with about, an ounce of butter to the pound, or rather more if it will not ren- der them too moist ; a few T spoonsful of good cream may be added, but they must be boiled very dry after it is stirred to them. Let the mix- ture cool a little, roll it into balls, sprinkle over them vermicelli crushed slightly with the hand, and fry them a line light brown. They may be dished round a shape of plain mashed potatoes, or piled on a napkin by themselves. They may likewise be rolled in egg and fine bread-crumbs instead of in the vermicelli, or in rice-flour, which answers very well for them. POTATO BOULETTES. (ENTREMETS) ;, (good.) Boil some good potatoes as dry as possible, or let them be prepared by Captain Rater's receipt ; mash a pound of them very smoothly, and mix with them while they are still warm, two ounces of fresh butter, a tea- spoonful of salt, a little nutmeg, the beaten and strained yolks of four eggs, and last of all the whites thoroughly whisked. Mould with, and drop the mixture from a teaspoon, into a small pan of boiling butter, or of very pure lard, and fry the boulettes for five minutes over a mode- rate fire : they should be of a line pale brown, and very light. Drain them well and dish them on a hot napkin. Potatoes, 1 lb. ; butter, 2 ozs. ; salt, 1 teaspoonful ; eggs, 4 : 5 minutes. potato rissoles; (French.) Mash and season the potatoes with salt, and white pepper, or cayenne, and mix with them plenty of minced parsley, and a small quantity of green onions, or eschalots ; add sufficient yolks of egg to bind the mix- ture together, roll it into small balls, and fry them in plenty of lard or butter over a moderate fire, or they will be too much browned before they are done through. Ham, or any other kind of meat finely minced, may be substituted lor the herbs, or added to them. POTATOES A LA MAITRE d'hOTEL. Boil in the usual manner some potatoes of a firm kind, peel, and let them cool ; then cut them equally into quarter-inch slices. Dissolve in a very clean stewpan or saucepan from two to four ounces of good but- ter, stir to it a small dessertspoonful of flour, and shake the pan over the fire for two or three minutes; add by slow degrees a small cup of boil- ing water, some pepper, salt, and a tablespoonful of minced parsley ; put in the potatoes, and toss them gently over a clear fire until they are quite hot, and the sauce adheres well to them; at the instant of serving add a dessertspoonful of strained lemon-juice. Pale veal gravy may be substituted for the water; and the potatoes, after being thickly sliced, may be quickly cut of the same size with a small round cutter. CHAP. XV.] VEGETABLES. 233 POTATOES A LA CREME. Prepare the potatoes as above, and toss them gently in a quarterpint or more of thick white sauce or of common bechamel, with or without the addition of the minced parsley. spinach, (entremets.) (French Receipt.) Pick the spinach leaf by leaf from the stems, and wash it in abun- dance of spring water, changing it several times ; then shake it in a dry cloth held by the four corners, or drain it on a large sieve. Throw it into sufficient well-salted boiling water to allow it to float freely, and keep it pressed down with a skimmer that it may be equally done. When quite young it will be tender in from eight to ten minutes, but to ascertain if it be so, take a leaf and squeeze it between the fingers. If to be dressed in the French mode, drain, and then throw it directly into plenty of fresh water, and when it is cool form it into balls and press the moisture thoroughly from it with the hands. Next, chop it ex- tremely fine upon a clean trencher ; put two ounces (for a large dish) of butter into a stewpan or bright thick saucepan, lay the spinach on it, and keep it stirred over a gentle fire for ten minutes, or until it appears dry ; dredge in a spoonful of flour, and turn the spinach as it is added ; pour to it gradually a few spoonsful of very rich veal gravy, or, if pre- ferred, of good boiling cream, (with the last of these a dessertspoonful or more of pounded sugar may be added for a second-course dish, when the true French mode of dressing the vegetable is liked.) Stew the whole briskly until the whole is well absorbed; dish, and serve the spinach very hot, with small, pale fried sippets round it, or with leaves of puff paste fresh from the oven, or well dried after having been fried. For ornament, the sippets may be fancifully shaped with a tin cutter. A proper seasoning of salt must not be omitted in this or any other pre- paration of the spinach. spinach ; (common English mode.) Boil the spinach very green in plenty of water, drain, and then press the moisture from it between two trenchers ; chop it small, put it into a clean saucepan, with a slice of fresh butter, and stir the whole until well mixed and very hot. Smooth it in a dish, mark it in dice, and send it quickly to table. ANOTHER COMMON ENGLISH RECEIPT FOR SPINACH. Take it leaf by leaf from the stalks, and be very careful to clear it from any weeds that may be amongst it, and to free it by copious and repeated washings from every particle of grit. Put it into a large well- tinned stewpan or saucepan, with the water only which hangs about it ; throw in a small spoonful of salt, and keep it constantly pressed down with a wooden spoon, and turned often for about a quarter of an hour, or until it is perfectly tender. Drain off the superfluous moisture, chop the spinach quickly on a hot trencher; dish and serve it immediately. Fried sippets of bread should always be served round this vegetable, unless it be prepared for an invalid. BOILED TURNIP-RADISHES. These should be freshly drawn, young and white. Wash and trim them neatly, leaving on two or three of the small inner leaves of the 234 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XV. top. Boil them in plenty of salted water from twenty to thirty minutes, and as soon as they are tender send them to table well drained, with melted butter or white sauce. Common radishes, when young, tied in bunches, and boiled from eighteen to twenty-five minutes, then served on a toast like asparagus, are very good. BOILED LEEKS. Trim off the coarser leaves from some young leeks, cut them into equal lengths, tie them into small bunches, and boil them in plenty of water which has been previously salted and skimmed ; serve them on a toast, and send melted butter to table with them. 20 to 25 minutes. STEWED LETTUCES. Strip off the outer leaves, and cut away the stalks; wash the lettuces with exceeding nicety, and throw them into water salted as for all green vegetables. When they are quite tender, which will be in from twenty to thirty minutes, according to their age, lift them out, and press the water thoroughly from them ; chop them a little, and neat them in a clean saucepan with a seasoning of pepper and salt, and a small slice of butter; then dredge in a little flour and stir them well; add next a small cup of broth or gravy, boil them quickly until they are tolerably dry, then stir in a little pale vinegar or lemon-juice, and serve them as hot as possible, with fried sippets round them. TO BOIL ASPARAGUS. With a sharp knife scrape the stems of the asparagus lightly, but very clean, from within one to two inches of the green tender points, throw them into cold water as they are done, and when all are ready, tie them in bunches of equal size ; cut the large ends evenly, that the asparagus may be all of the same length, and put it into plenty of boil- ing water prepared by the directions of page 229. Cut a round of bread quite half an inch thick, and after having pared off the crust, toast it a delicate brown on both sides. When the stalks of the aspa- ragus are tender, lift it out directly, or it will lose both its colour and its flavour, and will also be liable to break ; dip the toast quickly into the water in which it was boiled, and dish the vegetable upon it, with the points meeting in the centre. Send rich melted butter to table with it. In France, a small quantity of vinegar is stirred into the sauce before it is served ; and many persons like the addition. Aspa- ragus may be preserved for a day or two sufficiently fresh for use, by keeping the stalks immersed in an inch depth of cold water; but it is never so good as when dressed directly it is cut, or within a few hours after. 20 to 25 minutes. Obs. — Abroad, boiled asparagus is very frequently served cold, and eaten with oil and vinegar, or a sauce Mayonnaise. ASPARAGUS POINTS DRESSED LIKE PEAS. (ENTREMETS.) This is a convenient mode of dressing asparagus, when it is too small and green to make a good appearance plainly boiled. Cut the points so far only as they are perfectly tender, in bits of equal size, not more than the third of an inch in length ; wash them very clean, and throw CHAP. XV.] VEGETABLES. 235 them into plenty of boiling- water, with the usual quantity of salt and a morsel of soda. When they are tolerably tender, which will be in from ten to twelve minutes, drain them well, and spread them on a clean cloth ; fold it over them, wipe them gently, and when they are quite dry put them into a clean stewpan with a good slice of butter, which should be just dissolved before the asparagus is added ; stew them in this over a brisk fire, shaking them often, for eight or ten minutes; dredge in about a small teaspoonful of flour, and add half that quantity of white sugar; then pour in boiling water to nearly cover the aspara- gus, and boil it rapidly until but little liquid remains : stir in the beaten yolks of two eggs, heap the asparagus high in a dish, and serve it very hot. The sauce should adhere entirely to the vegetable, as in green peas a la Francaise. TO BOIL GREEN PEAS. To be eaten in perfection these should be young, very freshly gathered, and shelled just before they are boiled ; should there be great inequality in their size, the smaller ones may be separated from the others, and thrown into the saucepan four or five minutes later. Wash and drain the peas in a cullender, put them into plenty of fast-boiling water, salted by the directions of page 229, keep the pan uncovered, and let them boil rapidly until they are tender; drain them well, dish them quickly, and serve them very hot, with good melted butter in a tureen ; or put a slice of fresh butter into the midst of the peas, heap them well over it in the centre of the dish, and let it dissolve before they are dis- turbed. Never, on any account, boil or mix mint with them unless it be expressly ordered, as it is particularly distasteful to many persons. It should be served in small heaps round them, if at all. 15 to 25 minutes, or more if old. GREEN PEAS A LA FRANCAISE; OR, FRENCH FASHION. (ENTREMETS.) .Throw a quart of young and freshly-shelled peas into plenty of spring water with a couple of ounces of butter, and with the hand work them together until the butter adheres well to the peas; lift them out, and drain them in a cullender ; put them into a stewpan or thick saucepan without any water, and let them remain over a gentle fire, and be stirred occasionally for twenty minutes from the time of their first be- ginning to simmer; then pour to them as much boiling water as will just cover them ; throw in a small quantity of salt, and keep them boiling quickly for forty minutes : stir well amongst them a small lump of sugar which has been dipped quickly into water, and a thickening of about half an ounce of butter very smoothly mixed with a teaspoonful of flour; shake them over the fire for a couple of minutes, and serve them directly, heaped high in a very hot dish : there will be no sauce except that which adheres to the peas if they be properly managed. We have found marrow-fats excellent, dressed by this receipt. Fresh and good butter should be used with them always. Peas, 1 quart ; butter, 2 ozs. : 20 minutes. Water to cover the peas; little salt: 40 minutes. Sugar, small lump; butter, ^ oz. ; flour, 1 teaspoonful : 2 minutes. GREEN PEAS WITH CREAM. (ENTREMETS.) Boil a quart of young peas perfectly tender in salt and water, and 236 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XV. drain them as dry as possible. Dissolve an ounce and a half of butter in a clean stewpan, stir smoothly to it when it boils a dessertspoonful of flour, and shake these over the fire for three or four minutes, but with- out allowing them to take the slightest colour ; pour gradually to them a cup of rich cream, add a small lump of sugar pounded, let the sauce boil, then put in the peas and toss them gently in it until they are very hot : dish, and serve them quickly. Peas, 1 quart: 18 to 25 minutes. Butter, 1^ oz. ; flour, 1 dessert- spoonful : 3 to 5 minutes. Sugar, 1 saltspoonful ; cream, 1 cupful. TO EOIL FRENCH OR STRING BEANS. When the beans are very small and young, merely take off the ends and stalks, and drop them into plenty of spring water as they are done; when all are ready wash and drain them well, throw them into a large saucepan of fast-boiling water, salted as usual (see page 229), and when they are quite tender, which will be in from twelve to eighteen minutes, pour them into a cullender, shake the water from them, dish, and send quickly to table with good melted butter in a tureen. When from half to two parts grown, cut the beans obliquely into a lozenge form, or, when a less modern fashion is preferred, split them lengthwise into delicate strips, and then cut them once across : the strings should be drawn off with the tops and stalks. No mode of dressing it can render this vegetable good when it is old, but if the sides be pared off, the beans cut thin, and boiled tender with rather more than the ordinary proportion of soda, they will be of excellent colour, and tolerably eatable. FRENCH BEANS A LA FRANCAISE. (ENTREMETS.) Boil, and drain them thoroughly ; put them into a clean stewpan, or well-tinned iron saucepan, and shake them over the fire until they are very dry and hot; add to them from two to four ounces of fresh butter cut into small bits, some white pepper, a little salt, and the juice of half a lemon ; toss them gently for a few minutes over a clear fire, and serve them very hot. Should the butter turn to oil, a spoonful or two of veal gravy or boiling water must be added. AN EXCELLENT RECEIPT FOR FRENCH BEANS A LA FRANCAISE. Prepare as many young and freshly-gathered beans as will serve foi a large dish, boil them tender, and drain the water well from them Melt a couple of ounces of fresh butter, in a clean saucepan, and stir smoothly to it a small dessertspoonful of flour; keep these well shaken, and gently simmered until they are lightly browned, add salt and pepper, and pour to them by degrees a small cupful of good veal gravy (or, in lieu of this, of sweet rich cream), toss the beans in the sauce until they are as hot as possible ; stir quickly in, as they are taken from the fire, the beaten yolks of two fresh eggs, and a little lemon-juice, and serve them without delay. The eggs and lemon are sometimes omitted, and a tablespoonful of minced parsley is added to the butter and flour ; but this, we think, is scarcely an improvement. Beans, 1 to 2 quarts : boiled 15 to 20 minutes. Butter, 2 ozs. ; flour, 1 dessertspoonful ; salt and pepper ; veal gravy, small cupful ; yolks of eggs, 2 ; lemon-juice, a dessertspoonful. CHAP. XV.] VEGETABLES. 237 TO BOIL WINDSOR BEANS. When young, freshly gathered, and well dressed, these beans, even with many persons accustomed to a luxurious table, are a favourite accompaniment to a dish of streaked bacon, or delicate pickled pork. Shell them only just before they are wanted, then wash, drain, and throw them into boiling water, salted as for peas. When they are quite tender, pour them into a hot cullender, drain them thoroughly, and send them to table quickly, with a tureen of parsley and butter, or with plain melted butter, when it is preferred. A boiled cheek of bacon, trimmed free of any blackened parts, may be dished over the beans, upon occasion. 20 to 30 minutes ; less, when very young. Obs. — When the skin of the beans appears wrinkled, they will gene- rally be found sufficiently tender to serve, but they should be tasted to ascertain that they are so. DRESSED CUCUMBERS. Pare and slice them very thin, strew a little fine salt over them, and when they have stood a few minutes drain off the water, by raising one side of the dish, and letting it flow to the other; pour it away, strew more salt, and a moderate seasoning of pepper on them, add two or three tablespoonsful of the purest salad-oil, and turn the cucumbers well, that the whole may receive a portion of it ; then pour over them from one to three dessertspoonsful of Chili vinegar, and a little common, should it be needed ; turn them into a clean dish and serve them. Obs. — If very young, cucumbers are usually dressed without being pared, but the tough rind of full-grown ones being extremely indigesti- ble, should be avoided. The vegetable, though apt to disagree with persons of delicate habit, when sauced in the common mode, with salt, pepper, and vinegar only, may often be eaten by them with impunity when dressed with plenty of oil. It is difficult to obtain this perfectly fresh and pure here ; and hence, perhaps, arises in part the prejudice, which amongst us, is so often found to exist against the use of this most wholesome condiment. mandrang, or mandram ; ( West Indian Receipt.) Chop together very small, two moderate-sized cucumbers, with half the quantity of mild onion ; add the juice of a lemon, a saltspoonful or more of salt, a third as much of cayenne, and one or two glasses of Madeira, or of any other dry white wine. This preparation is to be served with any kind of roast meat. ANOTHER RECEIPT FOR MANDRAM. Take three or four cucumbers, so young as not to require paring; score the ends well, that when they are sliced they may fall into small bits; add plenty of young onions, cut fine, the juice of half a lemon, a glass of sherry or Madeira, and a dessertspoonful of vinegar. stewed cucumbers. (English mode.) Pare, and split into quarters, four or five full-grown but still young cucumbers ; take out the seeds and cut each part in two ; sprinkle them with white pepper or cayenne, flour and fry them lightly in a little butter, lift them from the pan, drain them on a sieve, then lay them 238 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XV. into as much good brown gravy as will nearly cover them, and stew them gently from twenty-five to thirty minutes, or until they are quite ^ender. Should the gravy require to be thickened or flavoured, dish the cucumbers and keep them hot while a little flour and butter, or any other of the usual ingredients, is stirred into it. Some persons like a small portion of lemon-juice, or of vinegar added to the sauce ; cu- cumber vinegar might be substited for these with very good effect, as the vegetable loses much of its fine and peculiar flavour when cooked. 25 to 30 minutes. 06*. — The cucumbers maybe left in entire lengths, thrown into well- salted boiling water, and simmered for ten minutes, then thoroughly drained upon the back of a sieve, and • afterwards stewed very quickly till tender in some highly-flavoured brown gravy, or in the Spanish sauce of page 88. CUCUMBERS A LA POULETTE. The cucumbers for this dish may be pared and sliced very thin; or quartered, freed from the seeds, and cut into halt-inch lengths; in either case they should be steeped in a little vinegar and sprinkled with salt for half an hour before they are dressed. Drain, and then press them dry in a soft cloth ; flour them well, put a slice of butter into a stewpan or saucepan bright in the inside, and when it begins to boil throw in the cucumbers, and shake them over a gentle fire ten minutes, but be care- ful to prevent their taking the slightest colour ; pour to them gradually as much strong, but very pale, veal stock or gravy as will nearly cover them ; when it boils skim off the fat entirely, add salt and white pepper, if needed, and when the cucumbers are quite tender, strew in a large teaspoonful of finely-minced parsley, and thicken the sauce with the yolks of two or three eggs. French cooks add the flour when the vege- table has stewed in the butter, instead of dredging it upon them at first, and this is perhaps the better method. CUCUMBERS A LA CREME. Boil them tolerably tender in salt and water, drain them well, then stew them for a few minutes in a thick bechamel, and serve them in it. FRIED CUCUMBERS TO SERVE IN COMMON HASHES AND MINCES. If very young they need not. be pared, but otherwise, take off the rind, slice, and dredge them lightly with pepper and flour, but put no salt at first; throw them into very hot butter or clarified dripping, or they will not brown ; when they are nearly done sprinkle some salt amongst them, and as soon as they are quite tender, lift them out with a slice, drain them well, and place them lightly over the hash or mince. A small portion of onion may be fried with them when it is liked. MELON. This in France and in other parts of the Continent is served and eaten with the bouilli (or beef boiled tender in the soup-pot), with a seasoning of salt and pepper only ; but the fruit is there far more abundant, and of infinitely finer growth than with us, and requires so little care, compa- ratively, that it is planted in many places in the open fields, where it llocrishes admirably. CHAP. XV.] VEGETABLES. 289 SALAD. The herbs and vegetables for a salad cannot be too freshly gathered ; they should be carefully cleared from insects and washed with scrupu- lous nicety ; they are better when not prepared until near the time of sending them to table, and should not be sauced until the instant before they are served. Tender lettuces, of which the outer leaves should be stripped away, mustard and cress, young radishes, and occasionally chives or small green onions (when the taste of a party is in favour of these last) are the usual ingredients of summer salads. Half-grown cucumbers sliced thin, and mixed with them, are a favourite addition with many persons. In England it is customary to cut the lettuces extremely fine; the French, who object to the flavour of the knife, which they fancy this mode imparts, break them small instead. Young celery alone, sliced and dressed with a rich salad mixture (see page 103) is excellent : it is still in some families served thus always with roast pheasants. Beet-root, baked or boiled, blanched endive, small salad-herbs which are easily raised at any time of the year, celery, and hardy lettuces, with any ready-dressed vegetable, will supply salads through the winter.. Cucumber vinegar is an agreeable addition to these. FRENCH SALAD. In winter this is made principally of beautifully-blanched endive, washed delicately clean and broken into small branches with the fingers, then taken from the water and shaken dry in a basket kept for the pur- pose, or in a fine cloth ; then arranged in the salad-bowl, and strewed with herbs (tarragon generally, when in season) minced small: the dressing is not added until just before the salad is eaten. In summer, young lettuces are substituted for the endive, and intermixed with a variety of herbs, some of which are not generally cultivated in England. SUFFOLK SALAD. Fill a salad-bowl from half to three parts full with very tender let- tuces shred small, minced lean of ham, and hard-boiled eggs, or their yolks only, also minced, placed in alternate layers ; dress the mixture with English salad-sauce, but do not pour it into the bowl until the in- stant of serving. A portion of cold chicken, cut in thin slices about the size of a shilling, may be added when convenient. YORKSHIRE PLOUGHMAN'S SALAD. Mix treacle and vinegar, in the proportion of one tablespoonful of the first to two of the latter; add a little black pepper, and eat the sauce with lettuces shred small (with an intermixture of young onions when they are liked.) This, though certainly not a very, refined order of salad, is scarcely so unpalatable as such ingredients would seem to promise. TO BOIL CAULIFLOWERS. Trim off the outside leaves, and cut the stems quite close to the cauli- flowers; let them lie for an hour in plenty of cold water, with a hand- ful of salt in it, to draw out any insects that may be amongst them; then wash them very thoroughly, and examine them well, to be assured that no snail is left in any part of them, throw them into a large pan of 240 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XV. boiling water, salted as for asparagus, and quite cleared from scum ; for this, if not removed, will adhere to the cauliflowers and spoil their appearance. When the stalks are tender lift them out, dish them neatly, and send good melted butter to table with them. 20 to 30 minutes. cauliflowers. {French Receipt.) Cut the cauliflowers into small handsome tufts, and boil them until three parts done, drain them well, toss them for a moment in some thick melted butter or white sauce, and set them by to cool. When they are quite cold, dip them separately into the batter of page 130, fry them a light brown, arrange them neatly in a dish, and serve them very hot. BROCCOLI. This is boiled, and served in the same manner as cauliflowers when the heads are large ; the stems of the branching broccoli are peeled, and the vegetable, tied in bunches, is dressed and served, like asparagus, upon a toast. 10 to 20 minutes. TO BOIL ARTICHOKES. After they have been soaked and well washed, cut off the stems quite close, trim away a few of the lower leaves, and clip the points of all; throw the artichokes into plenty of fast boiling water, ready salted and skimmed, with the addition, if it be at hand, of the proportion of soda directed in page 229, as this will greatly improve the colour of the vegetable. When extremely young, the artichokes will be tender in from half to three quarters of an hour, but they will require more than double that time when at their full growth : when the leaves can be drawn out easily, they are done. Send good melted butter to table with them. They should be boiled always with the stalk-ends uppermost. Very young, ^ to £ hour; full grown, 1-]- to 2 hours. Obs. — French cooks lift the tops from the artichokes before they are served, and replace them after having taken out the chokes: this must be expeditiously done to prevent the vegetable from cooling. TO BOIL WINTER SQUASH. Squash is a rich vegetable, particularly the yellow winter squash. This requires more boiling than the summer kind. Pare it, cut in pieces, take out the seeds and boil it in a very little water till it is quite soft. Then press out all the water, mash it and add a little butter, pep- per and salt. VEGETABLE MARROW. It is customary to gather this when not larger than a turkey's egg, but we should say that the vegetable is not then in its perfection. The flesh is whiter and of better flavour when the gourd is about six inches long ; at least we have found it so with the kinds which have fallen under our observation. It may either be boiled in the skin, then pared, halved, and served upon a toast; or quartered, freed from the seed, and left until cold, then dipped into egg and fine crumbs of bread, and fried; or it may be cut into dice, and reheated in a little good white sauce; or stewed tender in butter, and served in well-thickened veal gravy, fla- voured with a little lemon-juico. It may likewise bo mashed by the CHAP. XV.] VEGETABLES. 241 receipt which we have given for turnips, and in that form will be found excellent. The French make a fanciful dish of the marrows thus: they boil them tender in water, and halve them lengthwise as is usual, they then slice a small bit off" each to make them stand evenly in the dish, and after having hollowed the insides, so as to leave a mere shell, about half an inch thick, they fill them with a thick rich mince of white meat, and pour white sauce round them; or they heap fried crumbs over the tops, place the dish in the oven for a few minutes, and serve them with- out sauce. Size of turkey's egg, 10 to 15 minutes; moderate-sized, 20 to 30; large, | to 1 hour. TOM AT AS EN SALADE. These are now often served in England in the American fashion, merely sliced, and dressed like cucumbers, with salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar. For various other American modes of preparing them for table, see tomata dumplings, Chapter XVII. roast tomatas. To serve with roast leg, loin, or shoulder of mutton. Select them nearly of the same size, take off the stalks, and roast them gently in a Dutch oven, or if more convenient, place them at the edge of the dripping-pan, taking care that no fat from the joint shall fall upon them, and keeping them turned that they may be equally done. From ten to fourteen minutes will roast them. STEWED TOMATAS. Arrange them in a single layer, and pour to them as much gravy as will reach to half their height; stew them very softly until the under sides are done, then turn, and finish stewing them. Thicken the gravy with a little arrow-root and cream, or with flour and butter, and serve it round them. forced tomatas ; {English Receipt.) Cut the stems quite close, slice off the tops of eight fine tomatas, and scoop out the insides; press the pulp through a sieve, and mix with it one ounce of fine crumbs of bread, one of butter, broken very small, some pepper, or cayenne, and salt. Fill the tomatas with the mixture, and bake them ten minutes in a moderate oven ; serve them with brown gravy in the dish. A few small mushrooms, stewed tender in a little butter, then minced and added to the tomata pulp, will very much im- prove this receipt. Baked 10 minutes. forced tomatas ; {French Receipt.') Let the tomatas be well shaped and of equal size; divide them nearly in the middle, leaving the blossom-side the largest, as this only is to be used; empty them carefully of their seeds and juice, and fill them with the following ingredients, which must previously be stewed tender in butter, but without being allowed to brown : minced mushrooms and shalots, with a moderate proportion of parsley, some lean of ham chopped small, a seasoning bf cayenne, and a little fine salt, if needed ; let them cool, then mix with them about a third as much of fine crumbs of bread, and two yolks of eggs; fill the tomatas, cover them with fine crumbs, moisten them with clarified butter, and bake them in a brisk oven until J5 242 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XV. they are well coloured. Serve them as a garnish to stewed rump or sirloin of beef, or to a boned and forced leg- of mutton. Minced lean of ham, 2 ozs. ; mushrooms, 2 ozs. ; bread-crumbs, 2 ozs. ; shalots, 4 to 8 ; parsley, full teaspooniul ; cayenne, quarter salt- spoonful ; little salt, if needed ; butter, 2 ozs. ; yolks of eggs, 2 to 3 : baked, 10 to 20 minutes. Obs. — The French pound the whole of these ingredients with a bit of garlic, before they rill the tomatas with them, but this is not abso- lutely necessary, and the garlic, if added at all, should be parboiled first, as its strong flavour, combined with that of the eschalots, would scarcely suit the general taste. When the lean of a dressed ham is at hand, only the herbs and vegetables will need to be stewed in the but- ter; this should be mixed with them into the forcemeat, which an intelligent cook will vary in many ways. PUREE OF TOMATAS. Divide a dozen fine ripe tomatas, squeeze out the seeds, and take off the stalks; put, them with one small mild onion (or more, if liked), and about half a pint of very good gravy, into a well-tinned stewpan or saucepan, and simmer them for nearly or quite an hour; a couple of bay-leaves, some cayenne, and as much salt as the dish may require should be added when they begin to boil. Press them through a sieve, heat them again, and stir to them a quarter-pint of good cream, previ- ously mixed and boiled for five minutes with a teaspoon ful of flour. This puree is to be served with calf's head, veal cutlets, boiled knuckle of veal, calf's brains, or beef palates. For pork, beef, geese, and other brown meats, the tomatas should be reduced to a proper consistency in rich and highly-flavoured brown gravy, or Spanish sauce. mushrooms au beurre ; (delicious.) Cut the stems from some fine meadow mushroom-buttons, and clean them with a bit of new flannel and some fine salt, then either wipe them dry with a soft cloth, or rinse them in fresh water, drain them quickly, spread them in a clean cloth, fold it over them, and leave them ten minutes, or more, to dry. For every pint of them thus prepared, put an ounce and a half of fresh butter into a thick iron saucepan, shake it ovei the fire until it just begins to brown, throw in the mushrooms, continue to shake the saucepan over a clear fire, that they may not stick to it, nor burn, and when they have simmered three or four minutes, strew over them a little salt, some cayenne, and pounded mace ; stew them until they are perfectly tender, heap them in a dish, and serve them with their own sauce only, for breakfast, supper, or luncheon. Nothing can be finer than the flavour of the mushrooms thus prepared ; and the addition of any liquid is far from an improvement to it. They are very good when drained from the butter and served cold, and in a cool larder may be kept for several days. The butter in which they are stewed is admirable for flavouring gravies, sauces, or potted meats. Small flaps, freed from the fur and skin, may be stewed in the same way ; and either these or the buttons, served under roast poultry or partridges, will give a dish of very superior relish. Meadow mushrooms, 3 pints, fresh butter, 4^ ozs. : 3 to 5 minutes. Salt, 1 small teaspoonful ; mace, half as much ; cayenne, third of salt- CHAr. XV.] VEGETABLES. 243 spoonful : 10 to 15 minutes. More spices to be added if required — much depending on their quality ; but they should not overpower the flavour of the mushrooms. Obs. — Persons inhabiting parts of the country where mushrooms are abundant, may send them easily, when thus prepared (or when potted by the following receipt), to their friends in cities, or in less productive counties. If poured into jars, with sufficient butter to cover them, they will travel any distance, and can be rewarmed for use. POTTED MUSHROOMS. Prepare either small flaps or buttons with great nicety, without wet- ting them, and wipe the former very dry, after the application of the salt and flannel. Stew them quite tender, with the same proportion of butter as the mushrooms au beurre, but increase a little the quantity of spice ; when they are done turn them into a large dish, spread them over one end of it, and raise it two or three inches, that they may be well drained from the butter. As soon as they are quite cold, press them very closely into small potting-pans ; pour lukewarm clarified butter thickly over them, and store them in a cool dry place. If in- tended for present use, merely turn them down upon a clean shelf; but for longer keeping, cover the tops first with very dry paper, and then with melted mutton-suet. We have ourselves had the mushrooms, after being simply spread upon a dish while hot, remain perfectly good in that state for seven or eight weeks: they were prepared late in the season, and the weather was consequently cool during the interval. MUSHROOM-TOAST, OR CROUTE AUX CHAMPIGNONS*, (excellent.) Cut the stems closely from a quart, or more, of small just-opened mushrooms, peel them, and take out the fur. Dissolve from two to three ounces of fresh butter in a well-tinned saucepan or stewpan ; put in the mushrooms, strew over them a quarter-tea spoonful of pounded mace mixed with a little cayenne, and let them stew over a gentle fire from ten to fifteen minutes; toss or stir them often during the time; then add a small dessertspoonful of flour, and shake the pan round until it is lightly browned. Next pour in, by slow degrees, half a pint of gravy or of good beef-broth; and when the mushrooms have stewed softly in this for a couple of minutes, throw in a little salt, and a squeeze of lemon-juice, and pour them on to a crust, cut about an inch and a quarter thick, from the under part of a moderate-sized loaf, and fried in good butter to a light brown, after having been first slightly hol- lowed in the inside. New milk, or thin cream, may be used with very good effect instead of the gravy; but a few strips of lemon-rind, and a small portion of nutmeg and mushroom-catsup should then be added to the sauce. The bread may be buttered and grilled over a gentle fire instead of being fried, and is better so. Small mushrooms, 4 to 5 half pints; butter, 3 to 4 ozs. ; mace, mixed with a little cayenne, \ teaspoonful : stewed softly 10 to 15 minutes. Flour, 1 small dessertspoonful: 3 to 5 minutes. Gravy or broth, \ pint: 2 minutes. Little salt and lemon-juice. TO BOIL SPROUTS, CABBAGES, SAVOYS, LETTUCES, OR ENDIVE. All green vegetables should be thrown into abundance of fast-boiling water ready salted and skimmed, with the addition of the morsel of soda 244 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XV. which we have recommended, in a previous page of this chapter; the pan should be left uncovered, and every precaution taken to prevent the smoke from reaching its contents. Endive, sprouts, and spring greens, will only require copious washing before they are boiled ; bat savoys, large lettuces, and close-leaved cabbages should be thrown into salt and water for half an hour or more before they are dressed, with the tops downwards to draw out the insects. The stems of these last should be cut off, the decayed leaves stripped away, and the vegetable halved or quartered, or split deeply across the stalk-end, and divided entirely before it is dished. Very young greens, 15 to 20 minutes; lettuces, 20 to 30 minutes; large savoys, or cabbages, 1 to lh hour, or more. Obs. — When the stalk of any kind of cabbage is tender, it is done. Turnip-greens should be well washed in several waters, and boiled in a very large quantity to deprive them of their bitterness. STEWED CABBAGE. Cut out the stalk entirely, and slice a fine firm cabbage or two in very thin strips; throw them alter they have been well washed and drained, into a large pan of boiling water ready salted and skimmed, and when they are tender, which will be in from ten to fifteen minutes, pour them into a sieve or strainer, press the water thoroughly from them, and chop them slightly. Put into a very clean saucepan about a couple of ounces of butter, and when it is dissolved add the cabbage, with sufficient pep- per and salt to season it, and stir it over a clear fire until it appears tolerably dry ; then shake lightly in a tablespoonful of flour, turn the whole well, and add by slow degrees a cup of thick cream : veal gravy or good white sauce may be substituted for this, when preferred to it. TO BOIL TURNIPS. Pare entirely from them the stringy rind, and either split the turnips once or leave them whole; throw them into boiling water slightly salted, and keep them closely covered from smoke and dust till they are tender. When small and young they will be done in from fifteen to twenty minutes; at their full growth they will require from three quarters to a full hour, or more, of gentle boiling. After they become old and woolly, they are not worth dressing in any way. When boiled in their skins and pared afterwards, they are said to be of better flavour and much less watery than when cooked in the usual way. Young turnips, 15 to 20 minutes: full grown, £ to 1 hour, or more. TO MASH TURNIPS. Split them once or even twice should they be large ; after they are pared, boil them very tender, and press the water thoroughly from them with a couple of trenchers, or with the back of a large plate and one trencher. To ensure their being free from lumps, it is better to pass them through a cullender or coarse hair-sieve, with a wooden spoon ; though, when quite young, they may be worked sufficiently smooth without this. Put them into a clean saucepan, and stir them constantly for some minutes over a gentle fire, that they may be very dry ; then add some salt, a bit of fresh butter, and a little cream, or in lieu of this new milk (we would also recommend a seasoning of white pepper or cayenne, when appearance and fashion are not particularly regarded), and con CHAP. XV.] VEGETABLES. 245 tinue to simmer and to stir them for five or six minutes longer, or until they have quite absorbed all the liquid which has been poured to them. Serve them always as hot as possible. This is an excellent receipt. Turnips, weighed after they are pared, 3 lbs. : dried 5 to 8 minutes. Salt, 1 teaspoon ful; butter, 1 oz. to \\ oz. ; cream or milk, nearly \ pint : 5 or 6 minutes. TURNIPS IN WHITE SAUCE. (ENTREMETS.) When no scoop for the purpose is at hand, cut some small finely- grained turnips into quarters, and pare them into balls, or into the shape of plums or pears of equal size ; arrange them evenly in a broad stew- pan or saucepan, and cover them nearly with good veal broth, throw in a little salt, and a morsel of sugar, and boil them rather quickly until they are quite tender, but unbroken ; lift them out, draining them well from the broth ; dish, and pour over them some thick white sauce. As an economy, a cup of cream, and a teaspoonful of arrowroot, may be added to the broth in which the turnips have stewed, to make the sauce ; and when it boils, a small slice of butter may be stirred and well worked into it, should it not be sufficiently rich without. TURNIPS STEWED IN BUTTER. (GOOD.) This is an excellent way of dressing the vegetable when it is mild and finely grained ; but its flavour otherwise is too strong to be agreea- ble. After they have been washed, wiped quite dry, and pared, slice the turnips nearly half an inch thick, and divide them into dice. Just dissolve an ounce of butter for each half-pound of the turnips, put them in as flat as they can be, and stew them very gently indeed, from three quarters of an hour to a full hour. Add a seasoning of salt and white pepper when they are half done. When thus prepared, they may be dished over fried or nicely broiled mutton cutlets, or served by them- selves. For a small dish : turnips, 1^ lb. ; butter, 3 ozs. ; seasoning of white pepper ; salt, \ teaspoonful, or more : | to 1 hour. Large dish, turnips, 2 lbs. ; butter, 4 ozs. TURNIPS IN GRAVY. To a pound of turnips sliced and cut into dice, pour a quarter-pint of boiling veal gravy, add a small lump of sugar, some salt and cayenne, or white pepper, and boil them quickly from fifty lo sixty minutes. Serve them very hot. TO BOIL CARROTS. Wash the mould from them, and scrape the skin off lightly with the edge of a sharp knife, or, should this be objected to, pare them as thin and as equally as possible; in either case free them from all blemishes, and should they be very large, split them across the tops a few inches down ; rinse them well, and throw them into plenty of boiling watei with some salt in it. The skin of very young carrots may be rubbed off like that of new potatoes, and from twenty to thirty minutes will then be sufficient to boil them; but at their full growth they will require from an hour and a half to two hours. It was formerly the custom to tie them in a cloth, and to wipe the skin from them with it after they were dressed ; and old-fashioned cooks still use one to remove it ; but 246 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XV all vegetables should, we think, be dished and served with the least possible delay after they are ready for table. Melted butter should accompany boiled carrots. Very young- carrots, 20 to 30 minutes. Full-grown ones, 1 § to 2 hours. SWEET CARROTS. (ENTREMETS.) Boil quite tender some fine highly-flavoured carrots, press the water from them, and rub them through the back of a fine hair-sieve ; put them into a clean saucepan or stewpan, and dry them thoroughly over a gentle fire ; then add a slice of fresh butter, and when this is dis- solved and well mixed with them, strew in a dessertspoonful or more of powdered sugar, and a little salt; next, stir in by degrees some good cream, and when this is quite absorbed, and the carrots again appear dry, dish and serve them quickly with small sippets, d la Reine (see page 40), placed round them* Carrots, 3 lbs., boiled quite tender: stirred over a gentle fire 5 to 10 minutes. Butter, 2 ozs. ; salt, ^ teaspoonful ; pounded sugar, 1 dessert- spoonful; cream, \ pinf» stewed gently together until quite dry. Obs. — For excellent mashed carrots omit the sugar, add a good sea- soning of salt and white pepper, and half a pint of rich brown gravy ; or for a plain dinner rather less than this of milk. CARROTS AU BEURRE, OR BUTTERED CARROTS. Either boil sufficient carrots for a dish quite tender, and then cut them into slices a quarter-inch thick, or first slice, and then boil them: the latter method is the most expeditious, but the other best preserves the flavour of the vegetable. Drain them well, and while this is being done just dissolve from two to four ounces of butter in a saucepan, and strew in some minced parsley, some salt, and white pepper or cayenne; then add the carrots, and toss them very gently until they are equally covered with the sauce, which should not be allowed to boil : the parsley may be omitted at pleasure. Cold carrots may be rewarmed in this way. TO BOIL PARSNEPS. These are dressed in precisely the same manner as carrots, but re- quire much less boiling. According to their quality and the time of year, they will take from twenty minutes to nearly an hour. Every speck or blemish should be cut from them after they are scraped, and the water in which they are boiled should be well skimmed. They are a favourite accompaniment to salt-fish and boiled pork, and may be served either mashed or plain. 20 to 55 minutes. FRIED PARSNEPS. Boil them until they are about half done, lift them out, and let them cool; slice them rather thickly, sprinkle them with fine salt and white pepper, and fry them a pale brown in good butter. Serve them with roast meat, or dish them under it. JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES. Wash the artichokes, pare them quickly, and throw them as they are done into a saucepan of cold water, or of equal parts of milk and water; and when they are about half boiled add a little salt to them. Take CHAP. XV.] VEGETABLES. 247 them up the instant they are perfectly tender: this will be .n from fifteen to twenty-five minutes, so much do they vary as to the time necessary to dress them. If allowed to remain in the water after they are done, they become black and flavourless. Melted butter should always be sent to table with them. 15 to 25 minutes. TO FRY JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES. (ENTREMETS ) Boil them from eight to twelve minutes; lift them out, drain them on a sieve, and let them cool; dip them into beaten eggs, and cover them with fine bread-crumbs. Fry them a light brown, drain, pile them in a hot dish, and serve them quickly. HARICOTS BLANCS. The haricot blanc is the seed of a particular kind of French bean, of which we find some difficulty in ascertaining the English name, for though we have tried several which resemble it in appearance, we have found their flavour, after they were dressed, very different, and far from agreeable. The large white Dutch runner is, we believe, the proper variety for cooking; at least we have obtained a small quantity under that name, which approached much more nearly than any others we had tried to those which we had eaten abroad. The haricots, when freshly harvested, may be thrown into plenty of boiling water, with some salt and a small bit of butter; if old, they must be previously soaked for an hour or two, put into cold water, brought to boil gently, and simmered until they are tender, for if boiled fast the skins will burst before the beans are done. Drain them thoroughly from the water when *hey are ready, and lay them into a clean saucepan over two or three ounces of fresh butter, a small dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, and sufficient salt and pepper to season the whole ; then gently shake or toss the beans until they are quite hot and equally covered with the sauce; add the strained juice of half a lemon, and serve them quickly. The vegetable thus dressed is excellent; and it affords a convenient resource in the season when the supply of other kinds is scantiest. In some countries the dried beans are placed in water, over-night, upon a stove, and by a very gentle degree of warmth are sufficiently softened by the following day to be served as follows: — they are drained from the water, spread on a clean cloth and wiped quite dry, then lightly floured and fried in oil or butter, with a seasoning of pepper and salt, lifted into a hot dish, and served under roast beef, or mutton. TO BOIL BEET ROOT. Wash the roots delicately clean, but .neither scrape nor cut them, aa not a fibre even should be trimmed away, until after they are dressed. Throw them into boiling water, and according to their size boil them from one hour and a half to two hours and a half. Pare and serve them whole, or thickly sliced, and send melted butter to table with them. B6et-root is often mixed with winter salads ; and it makes a pickle of beautiful colour;, but one of the most usual modes of serving it at the present day is, with the cheese, cold and merely pared and sliced, after having been boiled or baked. H to2| hours. Baked, 2| to 3^ hours. Obs. — This root must not be probed with a fork like other vegeta- 248 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAI\ XV bles, to ascertain if it be done or not; but the cook must endeavour, by attention, to learn the time required for it. After it is lifted out, the thickest part may be pressed with the fingers, to which it will yield, if it be sufficiently boiled. TO BAKE BEET ROOT. Beet root, if slowly and carefully baked until it is tender quite through, is very rich and sweet in flavour, although less bright in colour than when it is boiled : it is also, we believe, remarkably nutri- tious and wholesome. Wash and wipe it very dry, but neither cut nor break any part of it ; then lay it into a coarse dish, and bake it in a •jentle oven for four or five hours : it will sometimes require even a longer me than this. Pare it quickly if to be served hot ; but leave it to cool rst, when it is to be sent to table cold. The white beet-root is dressed exactly like the red : the leaves of it re boiled and served like asparagus. In slow oven from 4 to 6 hours. STEWED BEET ROOT. Bake or boil it tolerably tender, and let it remain until it is cold, then pare and cut it into slices ; heat and stew it for a short time in some good pale veal gravy (or in strong veal broth for ordinary occasions), Ihicken this with a teaspoonful of arrow-root, and half a cupful or more if good cream, and stir in, as it is taken from the fire, from a tea to a .ablespoonful of vinegar. The beet may be served likewise in thick white sauce, to which, just before it is dished, the mild eschalots of page 138 may be added. to stew red cabbace. (Flemish Receipt.) Strip the outer leaves from a fine and fresh red cabbage; wash it well, and cut it into the thinnest possible slices, beginning at the top ; put it into a thick saucepan in which two or three ounces of good but- ter have been just dissolved ; add some pepper and salt, and stew it very slowly indeed lor three or four hours in its own juice, keeping it often stirred, and well pressed down. When it is perfectly tender add a tablespoonful of vinegar; mix the whole up thoroughly, heap the cab- bage in a hot dish, and serve broiled sausages round it; or omit these last, and substitute lemon-juice, cayenne pepper, and a half-cupful of good gravy. The stalk of the cabbage should be split in quarters and taken en- tirely out in the first instance. 3 to 4 hours. BOILED CELERY. This vegetable is extremely good dressed like sea-kale, and served on a toast with rich melted butter. Let it be freshly dug, wash it with great nicety, trim the ends, take off the coarse outer-leaves, cut the roots of equal length, tie them in bunches, and boil them in plenty of water, with the usual proportion of salt, from twenty to thirty minutes. 20 to 30 minutes. STEWED CELERY. Cut five or six fine roots of celery to the length of the inside of the dish in which they are to be served; free them from all the coarser CHAP. XV.] VEGETABLES. 249 leaves, and from the green tops, trim the root ends neatly, and wash the vegetable in several waters till it is as clean as possible ; then, either boil it tender with a little salt, and a bit of fresh butter the size of a walnut, in just sufficient water to cover it quite, drain it well, arrange it on a very hot dish, and pour a thick bechamel, or white sauce over it; or stew it in broth or common stock, and serve it with very rich, thickened, Espagnole or brown gravy. It has a higher flavour when partially stewed in the sauce, after being drained thoroughly from the broth. Unless very large and old, it will be done in from twenty- five to thirty minutes, but if not quite tender, longer time must be al- lowed for it. A cheap and expeditious method of preparing this dish is to slice the celery, to simmer it until soft in as much good broth as will only just cover it, and to add a thickening of flour and butter, or arrow- root, with some salt, pepper, and a small cupful of cream. 25 to 30 minutes, or more. STEWED ONIONS. Strip the outer skin from four or five fine Portugal onions, and trim the ends, but without cutting into the vegetable ; arrange them in a saucepan of sufficient size to contain them all in one layer; just cover them with good beef, or veal gravy, and stew them very gently indeed for a couple of hours : they should be tender quite through, but should not be allowed to fall to pieces. When large, but not mild onions are used, they should be first boiled for half an hour in plenty of water, then drained from it, and put into boiling gravy r strong, well-flavoured broth of veal or beef, is sometimes substituted for this, and with the addition of a little catsup, spice, and thickening answers very well. The savour of this dish is heightened by flouring lightly and frying the onions of a pale brown before they are stewed. Portugal onions, 4 or 5 (if fried, 15 to 20 minutes) ; broth or gravy, 1 to 1 h pint : nearly or quite 2 hours. Obs. — When the quantity of gravy is considered too much, the onions may be only half covered, and turned when the under side is tender, but longer time must be allowed for stewing them. TO FRY ONIONS. Peel and slice them evenly, have ready a pan of hot butter, or salt- pork fat, and fry the onions till slightly browned. TO BOIL ONIONS. Take onions of the same size, peel and wash them, lay them in some pan or kettle with a broad bottom, so that the onions may not be piled one upon another. Cover them with water, or milk and water if you like them very mild, and let them simmer slowly for 20 minutes, or till done. 250 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVI. CHAPTER XVI. PASTRY. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. The greatest possible cleanliness and nicety should be observed in making- pastry. The slab or board, paste-rollers, tins, cutters, stamps, everything-, in fact, used for it, and especially the hands (for these last are not always so scrupulously attended to as they ought to be), should be equally free from the slightest soil or particle of dust. The more expeditiously the finer kinds of crust are made and despatched to the oven, and the less they are touched, the better. Much of their excel- lence depends upon the baking also; they should have a sufficient de- gree of heat to raise them quickly, but not so fierce a one as to colour them too much before they are done, and still less to burn them. The oven-door should remain closed after they are put in, and not be removed until the paste is set. Large raised pies require a steadily- sustained, or, what is technically called a soaking heat, and to ensure this the oven should be made very hot, then cleared, and closely shut from half to a whole hour before it is used, to concentrate the heat. It is an advantage in this case to have a large log or two of cord-wood burned in it, in addition to the usual firing. In mixing paste, the water should be added gradually, and the whole gently drawn together with the fingers, until sufficient has been added, when it should be lightly kneaded until it is as smooth as possible. When carelessly made, the surface is often left covered with small dry crumbs or lumps; or the water is poured in heedlessly in so large a proportion that it becomes necessary to add more flour to render it workable in any way ; and this ought particularly to be avoided when a certain weight of all the ingredients has been taken. TO GLAZE OR ICE PASTRY. The fine yellow glaze appropriate to meat pies is given with beaten yolk of egg, which should be laid on with a paste brush, or a small bunch of feathers : if a lighter colour be wished for, whisk the whole of the egg together, or mix a little milk with the yolk. The best mode of icing fruit-tarts before they are sent to the oven is, to moisten the paste with cold water, to sift sugar thickly upon it, and to press it lightly on with the hand ; but when a whiter icing is preferred, the pastry must be drawn from the oven when nearly baked, and brushed with white of egg, whisked to a froth ; then well covered with the sifted sugar, and sprinkled with a few drops of water before it is put in again : this glazing answers also very well, though it takes a slight colour, if used before the pastry is baked. FEUILLETAGE, OR FINE FRENCH PUFF PASTE. This, wnen made by a good French cook, is the perfection of rich light crust, and will rise in the oven from one to six inches in height; but some practice is, without doubt, necessary to accomplish this. In summer it is a great advantage to have ice at hand, and to harden the CHAP. XVI.] PASTRY. 251 butter over it before it is used ; the paste also in the intervals of rolling is improved by being laid on an oven-leaf over a vessel containing it. Take an equal weight of good butter free from the coarse salt which is found in some, and which is disadvantageous for this paste, and of fine dry, sifted flour; to each pound of these allow the yolks of a couple of eggs, and a small teaspoonful of salt. Break a few small bits of the butter very lightly into the flour, put the salt into the centre, and pour on it sufficient water to dissolve it (we do not quite understand why the doing this should be better than mixing it with the flour, as in other pastes, but such is the method always pursued for it) ; add a little more water to the eggs, moisten the flour gradually, and make it into a very smooth paste, rather lithe in summer, and never exceedingly stiff, though the opposite fault, in an extreme, would render the crust unmanageable. Press, in a soft thin cloth, all the moisture from the remainder of the butter, and form it into a ball, but in doing this be careful not to soften it too much. Should it be in an unfit state for pastry, from the heat of the weather, put it into a basin, and set the basin in a pan of water mixed with plenty of salt and saltpetre, and let it remain in a cool place for an hour if possible, before it is used. When it is ready (and the paste should never be commenced until it be so), roll the crust out square,* and of sufficient size to enclose the butter, flatten this a little upon it in the centre, and then fold the crust well over it, and roll it out thin as lightly as possible, after having dredged the board and paste- roller with a little flour : this is called giving it one turn. Then fold it. in three, give it another turn, and set it aside, where it will be very cool, for a few minutes; give it two more turns in the same way, rolling it each time very lightly, but of equal thickness, and to the full length that it will reach, taking always especial care that the butter shall not break through the paste. Let it again be set aside to become cold ; and after it has been twice more rolled and folded in three, give it a half- turn, by folding it once only, and it will be ready for use. Equal weight of the finest flour and good butter ; to each pound of these, the yolks of two eggs, and a small saltspoonful of salt: 6^ turns to be given to the paste. VERY GOOD LIGHT PASTE. Mix with a pound of sifted flour six ounces of fresh, pure lard, and make them into a smooth paste with cold water ; press the buttermilk from ten ounces of butter, and form it into a ball, by twisting it in a clean cloth. Roll out the paste, put the ball of butter in the middle, close it like an apple-dumpling, and roll it very lightly until it is less than an inch thick ; fold the ends into the middle, dust a little flour over the board and paste-roller, and roll the paste thin a second time, then set it aside for three or four minutes in a very cool place ; give it two more turns, and after it has again been left for a few minutes, roll it out twice more, folding it each time in three. This ought to render it fit for use. The sooner this paste is sent to the oven after it is made, the lighter it will be : if allowed to remain long before it is baked, it will be tough and heavy. Flour, 1 lb. ; lard, 6 ozs. ; butter, 10 ozs. ; little salt. * The learner will perhaps find it easier to fold the paste securely form of a dumpling, until a little experience has been acquired. round it in the 252 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVI. ENGLISH PUFF-PASTE. Break lightly into a couple of pounds of dried and sifted flour, eight ounces of butter; add a pinch of salt, and sufficient cold water to make the paste ; work it as quickly and as lightly as possible, until it is smooth and pliable, then level it with the paste-roller until it is three-quarters of an inch thick, and place regularly upon it six ounces of butter in small bits; fold the paste like a blanket-pudding, roll it out again, lay on it six ounces more of butter, repeat the rolling, dusting each time a little flour over the board and paste, add again six ounces of butter, and roll the paste out thin three or four times, folding the ends into the middle. Flour, 2 lbs. ; little salt; butter, 1 lb. 10 ozs. If very rich paste be required, equal portions of flour and butter must be used ; and the latter may be divided into two, instead of three parts, when it is to be rolled in. cream crust ; (very good.) Stir a little fine salt into a pound of dry flour, and mix gradually with it sufficient very thick, sweet cream to form a smooth paste; it will be found sufficiently good for common family dinners, without the addi- tion of butter ; but to make an excellent crust, roll in four ounces in the usual way, after having given the paste a couple of turns. Handle it as lightly as possible in making it, and send it to the oven as soon as it is ready ; it may be used for fruit tarts, cannelons, puffs, and other varieties of small pastry, or for good meat-pies. Six ounces of butter to the pound of flour will give a very rich crust. Flour, 1 lb. ; salt, 1 small saltspoonful (more for meat pies) ; rich cream, ^ to | pint ; butter, 4 ozs. ; for richest crust, 6 ozs. PATE BRISEE, OR FRENCH CRUST FOR HOT OR COLD *MEAT-PIES. Sift two pounds and a quarter of fine dry flour, and break into it one pound of butter, work them together with the fingers until they resem- ble fine crumbs of bread, then add a small teaspoonful of salt, and make them into a firm paste, with the yolks of four eggs, well beaten, mixed with half a pint of cold water, and strained : or for a somewhat richer crust of the same kind, take two pounds of flour, one of butter, the yolks of four eggs, half an ounce of salt, and less than the half-pint of water, and work the whole well until the paste is perfectly smooth. Flour, 2£ lbs.; butter, 1 lb.; salt, 1 small teaspoonful; yolks of eggs, 4 ; water, i pint. Or ; flour, 2 lbs. ; butter, 1 lb. ; yolks of eggs, 4 ; water, less than $ pint. FLEAD CRUST. Flead is the provincial name for the leaf, or inside fat of a pig, which makes excellent crust when fresh, much finer, indeed, than after it is melted into lard. Clear it quite from skin, and slice it very thin into the flour, add sufficient salt to give flavour to the paste, and make the whole up smooth and firm with cold water; lay it on a clean dresser, and beat it forcibly with a rolling-pin until the flead is blended perfectly with the flour. It may then be made into cakes with a paste-cutter, or used for pies, round the edges of which a knife should be passed, as the crust rises better when cut than if merely rolled to the proper size. With the addition of a small quantity of butter, which may either be CHAP. XVI.] PASTRY. 253 broken into the flour before the flead is mixed with it, or rolled into the paste after it is beaten, it will be found equal to fine puff crust, with the advantage of being more easy of digestion. Quite common crust: flour, l£ lb. ; flead, 8 ozs. ; salt, 1 small tea- spoonful. Good common crust : flour, 1 lb. ; flead, 6 ozs. ; butter, 2 ozs. Rich crust : flead, £ lb. ; butter, 2 ozs. ; flour, 1 lb. The crust is very good when made without any butter. COMMON SUET-CRUST FOR PIES. In many families this is preferred both for pies and tarts, to crust made with butter, as being much more wholesome ; but it should never be served unless especially ordered, as it is to some persons peculiarly dis- tasteful. Chop the suet extremely small, and add from six to eight ounces of it to a pound of flour, with a few grains of salt; mix these with cold water into a firm paste, and work it very smooth. Some cooks beat it with a paste-roller, until the suet is perfectly blended with the flour ; but the crust is lighter without this. In exceedingly sultry weather the suet, not being firm enough to chop, may be sliced as thin as possible, and well beaten into the paste after it is worked up. Flour, 2 lbs. ; beef or veal kidney-suet, 12 to 16 ozs. ; salt (for fruit- pies), i teaspoonful; for meat-pies, 1 teaspoonful. VERY SUPERIOR SUET-CBUST. Strip the skin entirely from some fresh veal or beef kidney-suet ; chop, and then put it into the mortar, with a small quantity of pure-flavoured lard, oil, or butter, and pound it perfectly smooth : it may then be used for crust in the same way that butter is, in making puff-paste, and in this form will be found a most excellent substitute for it, for hot pies or tarts. It is not quite so good for those which are to be served cold. Eight ounces of suet pounded with two of butter, and worked with the fingers into a pound of flour, will make an exceedingly good short crust; hut for a very rich one, the proportion must be increased. Good short crust : flour, 1 lb. ; suet, 8 ozs. ; butter, 2 ozs. ; salt, ^ teaspoonful. Richer crust : suet, 16 ozs. ; butter, 4 ozs. ; flour, 1J? lb. ; salt, 1 small teaspoonful. VERY RICH SHORT CRUST FOR TARTS. Break lightly, with the least possible handling, six ounces of butter into eight of flour; add a dessertspoonful of pounded sugar, and two or three of water ; roll the paste for several minutes, to blend the ingre- dients well, folding it together like puff-crust, and touch it as little as possible. Flour, 8 ozs. ; butter, 6 ozs. ; pounded sugar, 1 dessertspoonful ; water, 1 to 2 spoonsful. BRIOCHE PASTE. The brioche is a rich, light kind of unsweetened bun, or cake, very commonly sold, and served to all classes of people in France, where it is made in great perfection by good cooks and pastry-cooks. It is fashionable at some tables, though in a different form, serving princi- pally as a crust to enclose rissoles, or to make cannelons and fritters. We have seen it recommended for a vol-au-vent, for which we should say it does not answer by any means so well as the fine puff-paste called feuilletage. The large proportion of butter and eggs which it contains 254 MODERN COOKERW [CHAP. XVI. render it to many persons highly indigestible ; and we mention this to warn invalids against it, as we have known it to cause great suffering to persons out of health. To make it, take a couple of pounds* of fine dry flour, sifted as for cakes, and separate eight ounces of this from the remainder to make the leaven. Put it into a small pan, and mix it lightly into a lithe paste, with half an ounce of yeast, and a spoonful or two of warm water ; make two or three slight incisions across the top, throw a cloth over the pan, and place it near the fire for about twenty minutes, to rise. In the interval make a hollow space in the centre of the remainder of the flour, and put into it half an ounce of salt, as much fine sifted sugar, and half a gill of cream, or a dessert- spoonful of water; add a pound of butter, as free from moisture as it can be, and quite so from large grains of salt; cut it into small bits, put it into the flour, and pour on it one by one six fresh eggs freed from the specks; then with the fingers work the flour gently into this mass until the whole forms a perfectly smooth, and not stiff paste : a seventh egg, or the yolk of one, or even of two, may be added with advantage if the flour will absorb them; but the brioche must always be workable, and not so moist as to adhere to the board and roller disagreeably. When the leaven is well risen spread this paste out, and the leaven over it; mix them well together with the hands, then cut the whole into several portions, and change them about that the leaven may be incorporated perfectly and equally with the other ingredients: when this is done, and the brioche is perfectly smooth and pliable, dust some flour on a cloth, roll the brioche in it, and lay it into a pan ; place it. in summer in a cool place, in winter in a warm one. It is usually made over-night, and baked in the early part of the following day. It should then be kneaded up afresh the first thing in the morning. To mould it in the usual form, make it into balls of uniform size, hollow these a little at the top by pressing the thumb round them, brush them over with yolk of egg, and put a second much smaller ball into the hollow part of each ; glaze them entirely with yolk of egg, and send them to a quick oven for half an hour or more. The paste may also be made into the form of a large cake, then placed on a tin, or copper oven-leaf, and supported with a pasteboard in the baking ; for the form of which see introductory page of Chapter XXIII. Flour, 2 lbs. ; yeast, ^ oz. ; salt and sugar, each ^ oz. ; butter, 1 lb. ; eggs, 6 to 8. modern potato pasty; (an excellent family dish.) A tin mould of the construction shown in the plate, with a perforated moveable top, and a small valve to allow the escape of the steam, must be had for this pasty, which is an excellent family dish, and which may be varied in numberless ways. Arrange at the bottom of the mould from two to three pounds of mutton cutlets, freed, according to the taste, from all, or from the greater portion of the fat, then washed, lightly dredged on both sides with flour, and seasoned with salt and pepper or cayenne. Pour to them sufficient broth or water to make * It should he remarked, that the directions for brioche-making are principally de- rived from the French, and that the pound in their country weighs two ounces more than with us : this difference will account for the difficulty of working in the number 'if eggs which they generally specify, and which render the paste too moist. CIIAr. XVI. PASTRY. 255 the gravy, and add to it at pleasure a tablespoonful of mushroom catsup or of Harvey's sauce. Have ready boiled, and very smoothly mashed, with about an ounce of butter, and a spoonful or two of milk or cream to each pound, as many good potatoes as will form a crust to the pasty of quite three inches thick; put the cover on the mould, and arrange these equally upon it, leaving them a little rough on the surface. Bake the pastry in a moderate oven from three quarters of an hour to an hour and a quarter, according to its size and its contents. Pin a folded nap- kin neatly round the mould, before it is served, and have ready a hot dish to receive the cover, which must not be lifted off until after the pasty is on the table. Chicken, or veal and oysters ; delicate pork chops with a seasoning- of sage and a little parboiled onion, or an eschalot or two finely minced ; partridges or rabbits neatly carved, mixed with small mushrooms, and moistened with a little good stock, will all give excellent varieties of this dish, which may be made likewise with highly seasoned slices of salmon freed from the skin, sprinkled with fine herbs or intermixed with shrimps ; clarified butter, rich veal stock, or good white wine, may be poured to them to form the gravy. To thicken this, a little flour should be dredged upon the fish before it is laid into the mould. Other kinds, such as cod, mackerel in fillets, salt fish (previously kept at the point of boiling until three parts done, then pulled into flakes, and put into the mould with hard eggs sliced, a little cream, flour, butter, cay- enne, and anchovy-essence, and baked with mashed parsneps on the top), will all answer well for this pasty. Veal, when used for it, should be well beaten first: sweetbreads, sliced, may be laid in with it. For a pasty of moderate size, two pounds, or two and a half of meat, and from three to four of potatoes will be sufficient: a quarter-pint of milk or cream, two small teaspoonsful of salt, and from one to two ounces of butter must be mixed up with these last* MODERN CHICKEN PIE. Skin, and cut down into joints a couple of fowls, take out all the bones, and season the flesh highly with salt, cayenne, pounded mace, and nutmeg; line a dish with a thin paste, and spread over it a layer of the finest sausage-meat, which has previously been moistened with a spoonful or two of cold water ; over this place closely together some of the boned chicken joints, then more sausage-meat, and continue thus * A larger proportion of cream and butter well dried into the potatoes over a gentle fire, after they are mashed, will render the crust of the pasty richer and finer. 356 MODERN COOKERY. CHAP. XVI. with alternate layers of each, until the dish is full ; roll out, and fasten securely at the edges, a cover half an inch thick, trim off the superflu- ous paste, make an incision in the top, lay some paste leaves round it, glaze the whole with yolk of egg, and bake the pie from an hour and a half to two hours in a well-heated oven. Lay a sheet or two of writing- paper over the crust, should it brown too quickly. Minced herbs can be mixed with the sausage-meat at pleasure, and a small quantity of eschalot also, where the flavour is much liked : it should be well moist- ened with water, or the whole will be unpalatably dry. The pie may be served hot or cold, but we would rather recommend the latter. A couple of very young tender rabbits will answer exceedingly well for it instead of fowls, and a border, or half paste in the dish will gene- rally be preferred to an entire lining of the crust, which is now but rarely served, unless for pastry, which is to be taken out of the dish in which it is baked before it is sent to table. A COMMON CHICKEN PIE. Prepare the fowls as for boiling, cut them down into joints, and sea- son them with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, or pounded mace; arrange them neatly in a dish bordered with paste, lay amongst them three or four fresh eggs, boiled hard, and cut in halves, pour in some cold water, put on a thick cover, pare the edge, and ornament it, make a hole in the centre, lay a roll of paste, or a few leaves round it, and bake the pie in a moderate oven from an hour to an hour and a half. The back and neck bones may be boiled down with a bit or two of lean ham, to make a little additional gravy, which can be poured into the pie after it is baked. PIGEON PIE. Border a large dish with fine puff-paste, and cover the bottom with a veal cutlet, or tender rump steak, free from fat and bone, and seasoned with salt, cayenne, and nutmeg, or pounded mace ; prepare with great nicety as many freshly-killed young pigeons as the dish will contain in one layer; put into each a slice or ball of butter, seasoned with a little cayenne and mace ; lay them into the dish with the breasts downwards, and between and over them put the yolks of half a dozen or more of hard-boiled eggs; stick plenty of butter on them, season the whole well with salt and spice, pour in some cold water or veal broth for the gravy, roll out the cover three quarters of an inch thick, secure it well round the edge, ornament it highly, and bake it for an hour or more in a well- heated oven. It is a great improvement to fill the birds with small mushroom-buttons, prepared as for partridges (see Chapter XIII.) : their livers also may be put into them. BEEF-STEAK PIE. From a couple to three pounds of rump-steak will be sufficient for a good family pie. It should be well kept though perfectly sw T eet, for in no form can tainted meat be more offensive than when it is enclosed in paste. Trim off the coarse skin, and part of the fat, should there be much of it (many eaters dislike it altogether in pies, and when this is the case every morsel should be carefully cut away). If the beef should not appear very tender, it may be gently beaten with a paste-roller until the fibre is broken, then divided into slices half as large as the hand- CHAP. XVI.] TASTRY. 257 and laid into a dish bordered with paste. It should be seasoned with salt and pepper, or cayenne, and sufficient water poured in to make the gravy and keep the meat moist. Lay on the cover, and be careful always to brush the edge in every part with egg or cold water, then join it securely to the paste which is round the rim, trim both off close to the dish, pass the point of the knife through the middle of the cover, lay some slight roll or ornament of paste round it, and decorate the border of the pie in any of the usual modes, which are too common to require description. Send the pie to a well-heated, but not fierce oven for about an hour and twenty minutes. To make a richer beef-steak pie put bearded oysters in alternate layers with the meat, add their strained liquor to a little good gravy, in which the beards may be sim- mered for a few minutes, to give it further flavour, and make a light puff paste for the crust. Some eaters like it seasoned with a small por- tion of minced onion or eschalot when the oysters are omitted. Mush- rooms improve all meat-pies. 1 to 1^ hour. MUTTON PIE. A pound and a quarter of flour will make sufficient paste for a mode- rate-sized pie, and two pounds of mutton freed from the greater portion of the fat will fill it. Butter a dish, and line it with about half the paste rolled thin ; lay in the mutton evenly, and sprinkle over three quarters of an ounce of salt, and from half to a whole teaspoonful of pepper according to the taste; pour in cold water to within an inch of the brim. Roll the cover, whicli should be quite half an inch thick, to the size of the dish ; wet the edges of the paste with cold water or white of egg, be careful to close them securely, cut them off close to the rim of the dish, stick the point of the knife through the centre, and bake the pie an hour and a quarter in a well-heated oven. Flour, 1^ lb. ; dripping, ^ lb. (or suet, ^ lb. and butter, 2 ozs). Mut- ton, 2 lbs. ; salt, | oz. ; pepper, half to whole teaspoonful ; water, £ pint li hour. RAISED PIES. These may be made of any size, and with any kind of meat, poultry, or game, but the whole must be entirely free from bone. When the crust is not to be eaten, it is made simply with a few ounces of lard or butter dissolved in boiling water, with which the flour is to be mixed (with a spoon at first, as the heat would be too great for the hands, but afterwards with the fin- gers) to a smooth and firm paste. The French, who excel greatly in this form of pie,* use for it a good crust which they call a pate brisee (see page 252), and this is eaten usually with the meat which it con- * We remember having partaken of one which was brought from Bordeaux, and which contained a small boned ham of delicious flavour, surmounted by boned part- ridges;, above which were placed fine larks likewise boned; all the interstices were filled with superexcellent forcemeat ; and the whole, being a solid mass of nourishing viands, would have formed an admirable traveller's larder in itself. 16 Raised Pie. 258 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVI. tains. In either case the paste must be sufficiently stiff to retain its form perfectly after it is raised, as it will have no support to prevent its falling 1 . The celebrated Monsieur Ude gives the following- directions for moulding it to a proper shape without difficulty; and as inexpe- rienced cooks generally find a little at first in giving a good appearance to these pies, we copy his instructions for them : " Take a lump of paste proportionate to the size of the pie you are to make, mould it in the shape of a sugar loaf, put it upright on the table, then with the palms of your hands flatten the sides of it; when you have equalized it all round and it is quite smooth, squeeze the middle of the point down to half the height of the paste," then hollow the inside by pressing it with the fingers, and in doing this be careful to keep it in every part of equal thickness. Fill it,* roll out the cover, egg the edges, press them securely together, make a hole in the centre, lay a roll of paste round it, and encircle this with a wreath of leaves, or ornament the pie in any other way, according to the taste; glaze it with well-beaten yolk of agg, and bake it from two to three hours in a well-heated oven if it be small, and from four to five hours if it be large, though the time must be regulated in some measure by the nature of the contents, as well as by the size of the dish. Obs. — We know not if we have succeeded in making the reader comprehend that this sort of pie (with the exception of the cover, for which a portion must at first be taken off) is made from one solid lump of paste, which, after having been shaped into a cone, as Monsieur Ude directs, or into a high round, or oval form, is hollowed by pressing down the centre with the knuckles, and continuing to knead the inside equally round with the one hand, while the other is pressed close to the outside. It is desirable that the mode of doing this should be once seen by the learner, if possible, as mere verbal instructions are scarcely sufficient to enable the quite-inexperienced cook to comprehend at once the exact form and appearance which should be given to the paste. A VOL-AU-VENT. (eIVTREE.) This dish can be successfully made only with the finest and lightest puff-paste (see feuilletage, page 250), as its height, which ought to be from four to five inches, de- pends entirely on its rising in the oven. Roll it to something more than an inch in thick- ness, and cut it to the shape and size of the inside of the dish in which it is to be served, or stamp it out with a fluted tin of proper dimensions; then mark the cover evenly about an inch from the edge all round, and orna- ment it and the border also, with a knife, as fancy may direct; brush yolk of egg quickly over them, and put the vol-au-vent immediately into a brisk oven, that it may rise well, and be finely coloured, but do not allow it to be scorched. In from twenty to thirty minutes, should it * For the mode of doing this, see observations, pape 256, and note, page 257. A ham must be boiled or stewed tender, and freed from the skin and blackened parts be tore it is laid in ; poultry and game, boned ; and all meat highly seasoned. CHAP. XVI.] PASTRY. 259 appear baked through, as well as sufficiently browned, draw it out, and with the point of a knife detach the cover carefully where it has been marked, and scoop out all the soft unbaked crumb from the inside of the vol-au-vent ; then turn it gently on to a sheet of clean paper, to drain the butter from it. At the instant of serving, fill it with a rich fricas- see of lobster, or of sweetbreads, or with tnrbot a la cremc, or with the white part of cold roast veal cut in thin collops not larger than a shil- ling 1 , and heated in good white sauce with oysters (see minced veal and oysters, page 174), or with any other of the preparations which we shall indicate in their proper places, and send it immediately to table. The vol-au-vent, as the reader will perceive, is but the ease, or crust, in which various kinds of delicate ragouts are served in an elegant form. As these are most frequently composed offish, or of meats which have been already dressed, it is an economical as well as an excellent mode of employing- such remains. The sauces in which they are heated must be quite thick, tor they would otherwise soften, or even run through the crust. This, we ought to observe, should be examined before it is filled, and should any part appear too thin, a portion of the crumb which has been taken out should be fastened to it with some beaten egg, and the whole of the inside brushed lightly with more egg, in order to make the loose parts of the vol-au-vent stick well together. This method is recommended by an admirable and highly experienced cook, but it need only be resorted to when the crust is not solid enough to hold the con- tents securely. For moderate-sized vol-au-vent, flour, h lb. ; butter, ^ lb. ; salt, small saltspoonful ; yolk, 1 egg; little water. Larger vol-au-vent, % lb. flour; other ingredients in proportion: baked 20 to 30 minutes. Obs. — When the vol-au-vent is cut out with the fluted cutter, a second, some sizes smaller, after being just dipped into hot water, should be pressed nearly half through the paste, to mark the cover. The border ought to be from three quarters of an inch to an inch and a half wide. A VAL-AU-VENT OF FRUIT. (ENTREMETS.) After the crust has been made and baked as above, fill it at the mo- ment of serving with peaches, apricots, mogul, or any other richly flavoured plums, which have been stewed tender in syrup; lift them from this, and keep them hot while it is boiled rapidly almost to jelly ; then arrange the fruit in the vol-au-vent, and pour the syrup over it. For the manner of preparing it, see compotes of fruit, Chapter XX. ; but increase the proportion of sugar nearly half, that the juice may be reduced quickly to the proper consistency for the vol-au-vent. Skin and divide the apricots, and quarter the peaches, unless they should be very small. VOL-AU-VENT A LA CREME. (ENTREMETS.) After having raised the cover and emptied the vol-au-vent, lay it on a sheet of paper, and let it become cold. Fill it just before it is sent to table with fruit, either boiled down to a rich marmalade, or stewed as for the preceding vol-au-vent, and heap well-flavoured, but not too highly sweetened, whipped cream over it. The edge of the crust may be glazed by sifting sugar over it, when it is drawn from the oven, and holding a salamander or red-hot shovel above it; or it may be left unglazed. and ornamented with bright-coloured fruit jelly. 260 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVI OYSTER-PATTIES.* (ENTREE.) Line some small patty-pans with fine puff-paste, rolled thin and to preserve their form when baked, put a bit of bread into each ; lay on the covers, pinch and trim the edges, and send the patties to a brisk oven. Plump and beard from two to three dozens of small oysters; mix very smoothly a teaspoonful of flour with an ounce of butter, put them into a dean saucepan, shake them round over a gentle fire, and let them simmer for two or three minutes ; throw in a little salt, pounded mace, and cayenne, then add, by slow degrees, two or three spoonsful of rich cream, give these a boil, and pour in the strained liquor of the oysters ; next, lay in the fish, and keep at the point of boiling for a couple of minutes. Raise the covers from the patties, take out the bread, fill them with the oysters and their sauce, and replace the covers. We have found it an improvement to stew the beards of the fish with a strip or two of lemon-peel, in a little good veal stock for a quarter of an hour, then to strain and add it to the sauce. The oysters, unless very small, should be once or twice divided. GOOD CHICKEN PATTIES. (ENTREE.) Raise the white flesh entirely from a young undressed fowl, divide it once or twice, and lay it into a small clean saucepan, in which about an ounce of butter has been dissolved, and just begins to simmer ; strew in a slight seasoning of salt, mace, and cayenne, and stew the chicken very softly indeed for about ten minutes, taking every precaution against its browning: turn it into a dish with the butter, and its own gravy, and let it become cold. Mince it with a sharp knife; heat it, without allowing it to boil, in a little good white sauce (which may be made of some of the bones of the fowl), and fill ready-baked patty-crusts, or small vol-au-vents with it, just before they are sent to table ; or stew the flesh only just sufficiently to render it firm, mix it after it is minced and seasoned with a spoonful or two of strong gravy, fill the patties, and bake them from fifteen to eighteen minutes. It is a great improvement to stew and mince a few mushrooms with the chicken. The breasts of cold turkeys, fowls, partridges, or pheasants, or the white part of cold veal, minced, heated in a bechamel sauce, will serve at once for patties : they may also be made of cold game, heated in an Espagnole, or in a good brown gravy. Obs. — A spoonful or two of jellied stock or gravy, or of good white sauce, converts these into admirable patties: the same ingredients make also very superior rolls or cannelons. For patties a la Cardinale, small mushroom-buttons stewed as for partridges, Chapter XIII., before they are minced, must be substituted for truffles; and the butter in which they are simmered should be added with them to the eggs. EXCELLENT MEAT ROLLS. Pound, as for potting (see page 227), and with the same proportion of butter and of seasonings, some half-roasted veal, chicken, or turkey. Make some forcemeat by the receipt No. 1, Chapter VI., and form it These patties should be made small, with a thin crust, and be well-filled with the oysters and their sauce. The substitution of fried crumbs for the covers will vary them vnry agreeably. For lobster-patties, prepare the fish as for a volau-vent, but cut it smaller. CHAP. XVI.] FINE PASTRY. 261 into small rolls, not larger than a finger; wrap twice or thrice as much of the pounded meat equally round each of these, first moistenino- it with a teaspoonful of water ; fold them in good puff-paste, and bake them from fifteen to twenty minutes, or until the crust is perfectly done A small quantity of the lean of a boiled ham may be finely minced' and pounded with the veal, and very small mushrooms, prepared as for a partridge (page 217), may be substituted for the forcemeat. PATTIES, TARTLETS, OR SMALL VOLS-AU-VENTS. These are quickly and easily made with two round paste-cutters of which one should be little more than half the size of the other: to iive the pastry a better appearance, they should be fluted. Roll out some of the lightest puff-paste to a half inch of thickness, and with the Wer of the tins cut the number of patties required ; then dip the edo- e of the small shape into hot water, and press it about half through them Bake them in a moderately quick oven from ten to twelve minutes, and when they are done, with the point of a sharp knife, take out the small rounds of crust from the tops, and scoop all the crumb from the insides of the patties which may then be filled with oysters, lobster, chicken, or any other of the ordinary varieties of patty meat, prepared with white sauce. fan be C re3laced ^ ^ ""**** ° f the ° 0VerS ' ° r these last For sweet dishes glaze the pastry, and fill it with rich whipped cream, preserve or boiled custard ; if with the last of these, put it back into a very gentle oven until the custards are set. ANOTHER RECEIPT FOR TARTLETS. For a dozen tartlets, cut twenty-four rounds of paste of the usual size yid form twelve of them into rings by pressing the small cutter cm iS through them; moisten these with cold water, or white of eJg, and lay the tartlets Bake them from ten to twelve minutes, fill them with preserve while they are still warm, and place over it a mall ornament of paste cut from the remnants, and baked gently of a lio-ht cofour thTnvp C f GtS C ° ld ' ° r . if WantGd h0t for table P ut them & back into the oven for one minute after they are filled. A SEFTON, OR VEAL CUSTARD. Pour boiling, a pint of rich, clear, pale veal gravy on six fresh eo-o-g which have been well beaten and strained: fprinkle in directive grated rind of a fine lemon, a little cayenne, some salt if needed and a quarter-teaspoonful of mace Put a paste border round a dish, pour in* first two ounces of clarified butter, and then the other ingredients; bake the Sefton in a very slow oven from twenty-five to thirty minutes, or ™ v VT . fi M m fl the mK dle ' and send jt to table with a «ttle good C7hp 2 7 g A ly fla y oured A ame stock, in which a few mushrooms have been stewed, may be used for this dish with great advantage in heu of veal gravy; and a sauce made of the smallest mushroom buttons, may be served with it m either case. The mixture can be baked in a whole paste, if preferred so or in well-buttered cups; then turned out and covered with the sauce before it is sent to table Rich veal or game stock, 1 pint; fresh eggs, 6; rind, 1 lemon; littte 262 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVI. salt and cayenne ; pounded mace, $ teaspoonful ; butter, 2 ozs. : baked, 25 to 30 minutes, slow oven. APPLE CAKE. OR GERMAN TART. Work tog-ether with the fingers ten ounces of butter and a pound of flour, until they resemble fine crumbs of bread ; throw in a small pinch of salt, and make them into a firm smooth paste with the yolks of twc eggs and a spoonful or two of water. Butter thickly a plain tin cake, or pie mould (those which open at the sides are best adapted for the purpose); roll out the paste thin, place the mould upon it, trim a bit to its exact size, cover the bottom of the mould with this, then cut a band the height of the sides, and press it smoothly round them, joining the edge, which must be moistened with egg or water, to the bottom crust; and fasten upon them, to prevent their separation, a narrow and thin band of paste, also moistened. Next, fill the mould nearly from the brim with the following marmalade, which must be quite cold when it is put in. Boil together, over a gentle fire at first, but more quickly afterwards, three pounds of good apples with fourteen ounces of pounded sugar, or of the finest Lisbon, the strained juice of a large lemon, three ounces of the best butter, and a teaspoonful of pounded cinnamon, or the lightly grated rind of a couple of lemons: when the whole is per- fectly smooth and dry, turn it into a pan to cool, and let it be quite cold before it is put into the paste. In early autumn, a larger proportion of sugar may be required, but this can be regulated by the taste. When the mould is filled, roll out the cover, lay it carefully over the marma- lade that it may not touch it ; and when the cake is securely closed, trim off the superfluous paste, add a little pounded sugar to the parings, spread them out very thin, and cut them into leaves to ornament the top of the cake, round which they may be placed as a sort of wreath.* Bake it for an hour in a moderately brisk oven ; take it from the mould, and should the sides not be sufficiently coloured, put it back for a few minutes into the oven upon a baking tin. Lay a paper over the top, when it is of a fine light brown, to prevent its being too deeply coloured. This cake should be served hot. Paste: flour, 1 lb.; butter, 10 ozs.; yolks of eggs, 2; little w T ater. Marmalade : apples, 3 lbs. ; sugar, 14 ozs. (more if needed) ; juice of lemon, 1 ; rinds of lemons, 2: butter, 3 ozs. : baked, 1 hour. TOURTE MERINGUEE, OR TART WITH ROYAL ICING, f Lay a band of fine paste round the rim of a tart-dish, fill it with any kind of fruit mixed with a moderate proportion of sugar, roll out the cover very evenly, moisten the edges of the paste, press them together carefully, and trim them off close to the dish ; spread equally over the top, to within rather more than an inch of the edge all round, the whites of three fresh eggs beaten to a quite solid froth, and mixed quickly at the moment of using them, with three tablespoonsful of dry sifted sugar. * Or. instead of these, fasten on it with a liitle white of egg, after it is taken from the oven, some ready-baked leaves of almond-paste (see paye 263), ei t her plain or co- loured. t The limits to which we are obliged to confine this volume, compel ns to omit many receipts which we would gladly insert: we have, therefore, rejected those which may he found in almost every English cookery hook, for such as are. we apprehend, lr*s known to the rendnr : this will account for the s.nall number of receipts for pies and fruit tarts to be found in the present chapter. CHAP. XVI.] FINE PASTRY. 263 Put the tart into a moderately brisk oven, and when the crust has risen well, and the icing- is set, either lay a sheet of writing-paper lightly- over it, or draw it to a part of the oven where it will not take too much colour. This is now a fashionable mode of icing tarts, and greatly im- proves their appearance. Bake half an hour. A GOOD APPLE TART. A pound and a quarter of apples, weighed after they are pared and cored, will be sufficient for a small tart, and four ounces more for one of moderate size. Lay a border of English puff-paste, or of cream-crust round the dish, just dip the apples into water, arrange them very curn- pactly in it, higher in the centre than at the sides, and strew amongst them from three to four ounces of pounded sugar, or more should they be very acid : the grated rind, and the strained juice of half a lemon will much improve their flavour. Lay on the cover rolled thin, and ice it or not at pleasure. Send the tart to a moderately brisk oven for about half an hour. This may be converted into the old-fashioned creamed apple tart, by cutting out the cover while it is still quite hot, leaving only about an inch-wide border of paste round the edge, and pouring over the apples when they have become cold, from half to three quarters of a pint of rich boiled custard. The cover divided into trian- gular sippets, was formerly stuck round the inside of the tart, but orna- mental leaves of pale puff-paste have a better effect. Well-drained whipped cream may be substituted for the custard, and piled high, and lightly over the fruit. BARBERRY TART. Barberries, with half their weight of fine brown sugar, when they are thoroughly ripe, and with two ounces more when they are not quite so, make an admirable tart. For one of moderate size, put into a dish bor- dered with paste, three quarters of a pound of barberries stripped from their stalks, and six ounces of sugar in alternate layers ; pour over them three tablespoonsful of water, put on the cover, and bake the tart for naif an hour. Another way of making it is, to line a shallow tin pan with very thin crust, to mix the fruit and sugar well together with a spoon, before they are laid in, and to put bars of paste across instead of a cover ; or it may be baked without either* ALMOND PASTE. For a single dish of pastry, blanch seven ounces of fine sweet almonds and one of bitter ;| throw them into cold water as they are done, and let them remain in it for an hour or two ; then wipe, and pound them to the finest paste, moistening them occasionally with a few drops of cold water, to prevent their oiling ; next, add to, and mix thoroughly with them, seven ounces of highly-refined, dried, and sifted sugar ;"put them into a small preserving-pan, or enamelled stewpan, and stir them over a clear and very gentle fire until they are so dry as not to adhere * The French make fneir fruit-tarts generally thus, in la rtre shallow pans. Plums, split and stoned (or if small kinds, left entire), cherries and currants freed from the stalks, and various other fruits, all rolled in plenty of susrar, are baked in the uncov- ered crust; or this is baked by itself, and then filled afterwards with fruit previously stewed tender. \ When these are objected to, use half a pound of the sweet almonds. 204 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVI. to the finger when touched ; turn the paste immediately into an earthen pan or jar, and when cold it will be ready for use. Sweet almonds, 7 ozs. ; bitter almonds, 1 oz. ; cold water, 1 table- spoonful ; sugar, 7 ozs. Obs. — The pan in which the paste is dried should by no means be placed upon the fire, but high above it on a bar or trevet : should it be allowed by accident to harden too much, it must be sprinkled plentifully with water, broken up quite small, and worked, as it warms, with a strong wooden spoon to a smooth paste again. We have found this method perfectly successful ; but, if time will permit, it should be mois- tened some hours before it is again set over the fire. TARTLETS OF ALMOND PASTE. Butter slightly the smallest-sized patty-pans, and line them with the almond-paste rolled as thin as possible; cut it with a sharp knife close to their edges, and bake or ratlier dry the tartlets slowly at the mouth of a very cool oven. If at all coloured, they should be only of the palest brown ; but they will become perfectly crisp without losing their whiteness if left lor some hours in a very gently-heated stove or oven. They should be taken from the pans when two thirds done, and laid, reversed, upon a sheet of paper placed on a dish or board, before they are put back into the oven. At the instant of serving, fill them with bright-coloured whipped cream, or with peach or apricot jam ; if the preserve be used, lay over it a small star or other ornament cut from the same paste, and dried with the tartlets. Sifted sugar, instead of flour, must be dredged upon the board and roller in using almond paste. Leaves and flowers formed of it, and dried gradually until perfectly crisp, will keep for a long time in a tin box or canister, and they form elegant decorations for pastry. When a fluted cutter the size of the patty-pans is at hand, it will be an improvement to cut out the paste with it, and then to press it lightly into them, as it is rather apt to break when pared off with a knife. To colour it, prepared cochineal, or spinach-green, must be added to it in the mortar. mincemeat; {Author 's Receipt.) To one pound of an unsalted ox-tongue, boiled tender and cut free from the rind, add two pounds of fine stoned raisins, two of beef kidney- suet, two pounds and a half of currants well cleaned and dried, two of good apples, two and a half of fine Lisbon sugar, from half to a whole pound of candied peel according to the taste, the grated rinds of two large lemons, and two more boiled quite tender, and chopped up entire- ly, with the exception of the pips, two small nutmegs, half an ounce of salt, a large teaspoonful of pounded mace, rather more of ginger in powder, half a pint of brandy, and as much good sherry or Madeira. Mince these ingredients separately, and mix the others all well before the brandy and'the wine are added ; press the whole into a jar or jars, and keep it closely covered. It should be stered for a few days before it is used, and will remain good for many weeks. Some persons like a slight flavouring of cloves in addition to the other spices; others add the juice of two or three lemons, and a larger quantity of brandy. The inside of a tender and well-roasted sirloin of beef will answer quite a3 well as the tong-ue. CHAP XVI.] FINE PASTRY. 205 Of a fresh-boiled ox-tongue, or inside of roasted sirloin, 1 lb. ; stoned raisins and minced apples, each 2 lbs. ; currants and fine Lisbon sugar, each 2h lbs. ; candied orange, lemon or citron rind, 8 to 16 ozs. ; boiled lemons, 2 large ; rinds of two others, grated ; salt, | oz. ; nutmegs, 2 small ; pounded mace, 1 large teaspoonful, and rather more of ginger ; good sherry or Madeira, \ pint; brandy, h pint. Obs. — The lemons will be sufficiently boiled in from one hour to one and a quarter. SUPERLATIVE MINCEMEAT. Take four large lemons, with their weight of golden pippins pared and cored, of jar-raisins, currants, candied citron and orange-rind, and the finest suet, and a fourth part more of pounded sugar. Boil the lemons tender, chop them small, but be careful first to extract all the pips; add them to the other ingredients, after all have been prepared with great nicety, and mix the whole well with from three to four glasses of good brandy. Apportion salt and spice by the preceding re- ceipt. We think that the weight of one lemon, in meat, improves this mixture ; or, in lieu of it, a small quantity of crushed macaroons added just before it is baked. MINCE PIES. (ENTREMETS.) Butter some tin pattypans well, and line them evenly with fine pufT- paste rolled thin ; fill them with mincemeat, moisten the edges of the covers, which should be nearly a quarter of an inch ihick, close the pies carefully, trim off the superfluous paste, make a small aperture in the centre of the crust with a fork or the point of a knife, ice the pies with cold water and sifted sugar (see page 250), or not, at pleasure, and bake them half an hour in a well-heated but not fierce oven : lay a paper over them when they are partially done, should they appear likely to take too much colour. | hour. MINCE PIES ROYAL. (ENTREMETS.) Add to half a pound of good mincemeat an ounce and a half of pounded sugar, the grated rind and the strained juice of a large lemon, one ounce of clarified butter, and the yolks of four eggs; beat these well together, and half fill, or rather more, with the mixture, some pat- typans lined with fine paste ; put them into a moderate oven, and when the insides are just set, ice them thickly with the whites of the eggs beaten to snow, and mixed quickly at the moment with four heaped tablespoonsful of pounded sugar ; set them immediately into the oven again, and bake them of a fine light brown. Mincemeat, £ lb.; sugar, 1£ oz. ; rind and juice, 1 large lemon; butter, 1 oz. ; yolks, 4 eggs. Icing: whites, 4 eggs; sugar, 4 table- spoonsful. THE MONITOR'S TART, OR TOURTE A LA JUDD. Put into a German enamelled stewpan, or into a delicately clean saucepan, three quarters of a pound of well-flavoured apples, weighed after they are pared and cored ; add to them from three to four ounces of pounded sugar, an ounce and a half of fresh butter, cut small, and half a teaspoonful of pounded cinnamon, or the lightly grated rind of a small lemon. Let them stand over, or by the side of a gentle fire until 266 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVI. they begin to soften, and toss them now and then to mingle the whole well, but do not stir them with a spoon ; they should all remain un- brokeu and rather firm. Turn them into a dish, and let them become cold. Divide three quarters of a pound of good light crust into two equal portions; roll out one quite thin and round, flour an oven-leaf and lay it on, as the tart cannot so well be moved after it is made ; place the apples upon it in the form of a dome, but leave a clear space of an inch or more round the edge ; moisten this with white of egg, and press the remaining half of the paste (which should be rolled out to the same size, and laid carefully over the apples) closely upon it: they should be well secured, that the syrup from the fruit may not burst through. Whisk the white of an egg to a froth, brush it over the tart with a small bunch of feathers, sift sugar thickly over, and then strew upon it some almonds blanched and roughly chopped ; bake the tart in a moderate oven from thirty-five to forty-five minutes. It may be filled with peaches, or apricots, half-stewed, like the apples, or with cherries merely rolled in fine sugar ; or with the pastry cream of page 267. Light paste, ^ to £ lb. ; apples, 12 ozs. ; butter, l£ oz. ; sugar, 4 ozs.; glazing of egg and sugar; almonds, \ oz. : 35 to 45 minutes. PUDDING PIES. (ENTREMETS.) This form of pastry (or its name at least) is, we believe, peculiar to the county of Kent, where it is made in abundance, and eaten by all classes of people during Lent. Boil for fifteen minutes three ounces of ground rice* in a pint and a half of new milk, and when taken from the fire stir into it three ounces of butter and four of sugar ; add to these six well-beaten eggs, a grain or two of salt, and a flavouring of nutmeg or lemon-rind at pleasure. When the mixture is nearly cold, line some large pattypans or some saucers with thin puff paste, fill them with it three parts full, strew the tops thickly with currants which have been cleaned and dried, and bake the pudding-pies from fifteen lo twenty minutes in a gentle oven. Milk, 1^ pint ; ground rice, 3 ozs. : 15 minutes. Butter, 3 ozs. ; sugar, -i lb. ; nutmeg or lemon-rind ; eggs, 6 ; currants, 4 to 6 ozs. : 15 to 20 minutes. pudding pies ; (a commoner kind.) One quart of new milk, five ounces of ground rice, butter, one ounce and a half (or more), four ounces of sugar, half a small nutmeg grated, a pinch of salt, four large eggs, and three ounces of currants. cocoa-nut cheese-cakes, (entremets.) {Jamaica Receipt.) Break carefully the shell of the nut, that the liquid it contains may not escape, f Take out the kernel, wash it in cold water, pare thinly off the dark skin, and grate the nut on a delicately clean bread-grater; put it, with its weight of pounded sugar, and its own milk, if not sour, or if it be, a couple of spoonsful or rather more of water, into a silver or block-tin saucepan, or a very small copper stewpan perfectly tinned, and keep it gently stirred over a quite clear fire until it is tender: it will sometimes require an hour's stewing to make it so. When a little cooled, add to the nut, and beat well with it, some eggs properly whisked * Or rice-flour. f Tnis > s oest secured by boring the shell before it is broken CHAP. XVI.] FINE PASTRY/. 267 and strained, and the grated rind of half a lemon. Line some pattypans with line paste, put in the mixture, and bake the cheese-cakes from thir- teen to fifteen minutes. Grat>d cocoa-nut, 6 ozs. ; sugar, 6 ozs. ; the milk of the nut, or of water, 2 large tablespoonsful : £ to 1 hour. Eggs, 5 ; lemon-rind, \ of 1: 13 ^o 15 minutes. Ob*. — We have found the cheese-cakes made with these proportions very excellent indeed, but should the mixture be considered too sweet, another egg or two can be added, and a little brandy also. j kmon cheese-cakes, (entremets.) (Christ-Church-College Receipt.) Rasp the rind of a large lemon with four ounces of fine sugar, then crush, and mix it with the yolks of three eggs, and half the quantity of whites, well whisked ; beat these together thoroughly ; add to them four tablespoonsful of cream, a quarter of a pound of oiled butter, the strained juice of the lemon, — which must be stirred quickly in by de- grees, — and a little orange-flower brandy. Line some pattypans with thin puff-paste, half fill them with the mixture, and bake them thirty minutes in a moderate oven. Sugar, 4 ozs. ; rind and juice, 1 large lemon ; butter, 4 ozs. ; cream, 4 tablespoonsful ; orange-flower brandy, 1 tablespoonful : bake £ hour. COMMON LEMON TARTLETS. Beat four eggs until they are exceedingly light, add to them gradually four ounces of pounded sugar, and whisk these together for five minutes ; strew lightly in, if it be at hand, a dessertspooriful of potato-flour, if not, of common flour well dried and sifted ; then throw into the mixture, by slow degrees, three ounces of good butter, which should be dissolved, but only just luke-warm ; beat the whole well, then stir briskly in the strained juice and the grated rind of one lemon and a half. Line some pattypans with fine puff-paste rolled very thin, fill them two thirds full, and bake the tartlets about twenty minutes, in a moderate oven. Eggs, 4 ; sugar 4 ozs. ; potato-flour, or common flour, 1 dessertspoon- ful; butter, 3 ozs.; juice and rind of \h full-sized lemon: baked 15 to 20 minutes. CREME PATISSIERE, OR PASTRY CREAM. To one ounce of fine flour add, very gradually, the beaten yolks of three fresh eggs ; stir to them briskly, and in small portions at first, three-quarters of a pint of boiling cream, or of cream and new milk mixed; then turn the whole into a clean stewpan, and stir it over a very gentle fire until it is quite thick, take it off, and stir it well up and round ; replace it over the fire, and let it just simmer from six to eight minutes; pour it into a basin, and add to it immediately a couple of ounces of pounded sugar, one and a half of fresli butter, cut small, or clarified, and a spoonful of the store-mixture of page 120, or a little sugar which has been rubbed on the rind of a lemon. The cream is rich enough for common use without further addition ; but an ounce and a half of ratifias, crushed almost to powder with a paste-roller improves it much, and they should be mixed with it for the receipt which follows. Flour, 1 oz. ; yolks of eggs, 3 ; boiling cream, or milk and cream mixed, | pint: just simmered, 6 to 8 minutes. Butter, 1^ oz. ; sugar, 2 ozs. ; little store-flavouring, or rasped lemon-rind; ratifias, 1^ oz. 268 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVI. Obs. — This is an excellent preparation, which may be used for tart- lets, cannelons, and other forms of pastry, with extremely good effect. SMALL VOLS-AU-VENTS, A LA HOWITT. (ENTREMETS.) Make some small vols-au-vents by the directions of page 261, either in the usual way, or with the rings of paste placed upon the rounds. Ice the edges as soon as they are taken from the oven, by sifting fine sugar thickly on them, and then holding a salamander or heated shovel over them, until it melts and forms a sort of pale barley-sugar glaze. Have ready, and quite hot, some creme patissiere, made as above ; fill the vols-au-vents with it, and send them to table instantly. PASTRY SANDWICHES. Divide equally in two, and roll off square and as thin as possible, some rich puff-crust;* lay one half on a buttered tin, or copper oven-leaf, and spread it lightly with fine currant, strawberry, or raspberry jelly ; lay the remaining half closely over, pressing it a little with the rolling-pin after the edges are well cemented together ; then mark it into divisions, and bake it from fifteen to twenty minutes in a moderate oven. FANCHONNETTES. (ENTREMETS.) Roll out very thin and square some fine puff-paste, lay it on a tin or copper oven-leaf, and cover it equally to within something less than an inch of the edge with peach or apricot jam ; roll a second bit of paste to the same size, and lay it carefully over the other, having first moistened the edges with beaten egg, or water ; press them together securely, that the preserve may not escape ; pass a paste-brush or small bunch of feathers dipped in water, over the top, sift sugar thickly on it, then with the back of a knife, mark the paste into divisions of uniform size, bake it in a well-heated but not fierce oven for twenty minutes, or rather more, and cut it while it is still hot, where it is marked. The fanchon- nettes should be about three inches in length and two in width. In order to lay the second crust over the preserve without disturbing it, wind it lightly round the paste-roller, and in untwisting it, let it fall gently over the other part. This is not the form of pasty called by the French fanchonnettes. Fine puff-paste, 1 lb. ; apricot or peach-jam, 4 to 6 ozs. : baked 20 to 25 minutes. CURRANT-JELLY TARTLETS, OR CUSTARDS. Put four tablespoonsful of the best currant-jelly into a basin, and stir to it gradually twelve spoonsful of beaten egg; if the preserve be rich and sweet, no sugar will be required. Line some pans with paste rolled very thin, fill them with the custard, and bake them for about ten minutes.f RAMEKINS A L'UDE, OR SEPTON FANCIES. Roll out, rather thin, from six to eight ounces of fine cream-crust, or feuilletage (see page 250); take nearly or quite half its weight of grated Parmesan, or something less of dry white cheese ; sprinkle it equally over the paste, fold it together, roll it out very lightly twice, and * Almond paste is sometimes substituted for tliis. ♦Strawberry or raspberry jelly will answer admirably for these. CHAP. XVII.] BOILED PUDDINGS. 369 continue this until the cheese and crust are well mixed. Cut ihe rame- kins with a small paste-cutter; wash them with yolk of egg mixed with a little milk, and bake them about fifteen minutes. Serve them very hot. Cream-crust, or feuilletage, 6 ozs. ; Parmesan, 3 ozs. ; or English cheese, 2 J ozs. : 15 minutes. CHAPTER XVII. BOILED PUDDINGS GENERAL DIRECTIONS. All the ingredients for puddings should be fresh and of good quality. It is a false economy to use for them such as have been too long stored, as the slightest degree of mustiness or taint in any one of the articles of which they are composed will spoil all that are combined with it. Eggs should always be broken separately into a cup before they are thrown together in the same basin, as a single very bad one will occa- sion the loss of many when this precaution is neglected. They should also be cleared from the specks with scrupulous attention, either with the point of a small three-pronged fork, while they are in the cup, or by straining the whole through a fine hair-sieve after they are beaten. The perfect sweetness of suet and milk should be especially attended to, before they are mixed into a pudding, as nothing can be more offensive than the first when it is over-kept, nor worse in its effect than the curd- ling of the milk, which is the certain result of its being ever so slightly soured. Currants should be cleaned, and raisins stoned with exceeding care ; almonds and spices very finely pounded, and the rinds of oranges or lemons rasped or grated lightly off, that the bitter part of the skin may be avoided, when they are used for this, or for any other class of dishes; if pared, they should be cut as thin as possible. Custard-puddings, to have a good appearance, must be simmered only, but without ceasing ; for if boiled in a quick and careless manner, the surface, instead of being smooth and velvety, will be full of holes, or honey-combed, as it is called, and the whey will flow from it and min- gle with the sauce. A thickly-buttered sheet of writing-paper should. be laid between the custard-mixture and the cloth, before it is tied over, or the lid of the mould is closed upon it : and the mould itself, or the basin in which it is boiled, and which should always be quite full, must likewise be well buttered ; and after it is lifted from the water the pudding should be left in it for quite five minutes before it is dished, to prevent its breaking or spreading about. Batter is much lighter when boiled in a cloth, and allowed fu 1 ! room Xn swell, than when confined in a mould : it should be well beaten the instant before it is poured into it, and put into the water immediately 270 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVII. after it is securely tied. The cloth should be moist and thickly floured, and the pudding should be sent to table as expeditiously as possible after it is done, as it will quickly become heavy. This applies equally to all puddings made with paste, which are rendered uneatable by any delay in serving them after they are ready : they should be opened a little at the top as soon as they are taken from the boiler or stewpan. Plum-puddings, which it is now customary to boil in moulds, are both lighter and less dry, when closely tied in stout cloths well buttered and floured, especially when they are made in part with bread ; but when this is done, care should be taken not to allow them to burn to the bot- tom of the pan in which they are cooked ; and it is a good plan to lay a plate or dish under them, by way of precaution against this mischance : it will not then so much matter whether they be kept floating or not. It is thought better to mix these entirely (except the liquid portion of them) the day before they are boiled, and it is perhaps an advantage when they are of large size to do so, but it is not really necessary for small or common ones. A very little salt improves all sweet puddings, by taking off the in- sipidity, and bringing out the full flavour of the other ingredients, but its presence should not be in the slightest degree perceptible. When brandy, wine, or lemon-juice is added to them it should be stirred in briskly, and by degrees, quite at last, as it would be likely otherwise to curdle, the milk or eggs. Many persons prefer their puddings steamed ; but when this is not done, they should be dropped into plenty of boiling water, and be kept well covered with it until they are ready to serve; and the boiling should never be allowed to cease for an instant, for they soon become heavy if it be interrupted. Pudding and dumpling cloths should not only be laid into plenty of water as soon as they are taken off, and washed afterwards, as we shall direct, but it is essential to their perfect sweetness that they should be well and quickly dried (in the open air if possible), then folded and kept in a clean drawer. We have known them left wet by a careless ser- vant, until when brought forward for use, they were as offensive almost as meat that had been too long kept. To prevent their ever imparting an unpleasant flavour when used, they should be washed in a ley made as follows; but when from any circumstance this cannot be done, and soap is used for them, they should be rinsed, and soaked in abundance of water, which should be changed several times. A LIE, OR LEY, FOR WASHING rUDDING-CLOTHS. To a pint of wood-ashes pour three quarts of boiling water, and either wash the cloths in the mixture without straining it, or give them two or three minutes boil in it first, then let the whole cool together; wash the cloths perfectly clean, and rinse them in abundance of water changing it several times: this both takes the grease off, and renders them very sweet. Two ounces of soda dissolved in a gallon of water will answer almost as well, providing the rinsing afterwards be care- fully attended to. TO CLEAN CURRANTS FOR PUDDINGS OR CAKES. Put them into a cullender, strew a handful of flour over them, and rub them with the hands to separate the lumps, and to detach the stalks; CHAP. XVII.] BOILED PUDDINGS. 271 work them round in the cullender, and shake it well, when the small stalks and stones will fall through it. Next pour plenty of cold water over the currants, drain, and spread them on a soft cloth, press it over them to absorb the moisture, and then lay them on a very clean oven- tin, or a large dish, and dry them very gradually (or they will become hard), either in a cool oven, or before the fire, taking care in the latter case that they are not placed sufficiently near it for the ashes to fall amongst them. When they are perfectly dry, clear them entirely from the remaining stalks, and from every stone that may be amongst them. The best mode of detecting these is to lay the fruit at the far end of a large white dish, or sheet of paper, and to pass it lightly, and in very small portions, with the fingers, towards oneself, examining it closely as this is done. TO MIX BATTER FOR PUDDINGS. Put the flour and salt into a bowl, and stir them together: whisk the eggs thoroughly, strain them through a fine hair-sieve, and add them very gradually to the flour ; for if too much liquid be poured to it at once it will be full of lumps, and it is easy, with care, to keep the bat- ter perfectly smooth. Beat it well and lightly, with the back of 3 strong wooden spoon, and after the eggs are added, thin it with milk to a proper consistency. The whites of the eggs beaten separately to a solid froth, and stirred gently into the mixture the instant before it is tied up for boiling, or before it is put into the oven to be baked, will render it remarkably light. When fruit is added to the batter, it must be made thicker than when it is served plain, or it will sink to the bot- tom of the pudding. Batter should never stick to the knife when it is sent to table ; it will do this both when a sufficient number of eggs are not mixed with it, and when it is not enough cooked. About four eggs to the half-pound of flour will make it firm enough to cut smoothly. SUET-CRUST, FOR MEAT OR FRUIT PUDDINGS. Clear off the skin from some fresh beef kidney-suet, and with a sharp knife slice it thin, free it entirely from fibre, and mince it very fine: six ounces thus prepared will be found quite sufficient for a pound ot flour. Mix them well together, add half a teaspoonful of salt for meat puddings, and a third as much for fruit ones, and sufficient cold water to make the whole into a very firm paste ; work it smooth, and roll it out of equal thickness when it is used. The weight of suet should be taken after it is minced. This crust is so much lighter, and more whole- some than that which is made with butter, that we cannot refrain from recommending it in preference to our readers. Some cooks merely slice the suet in thin shavings, mix it with the flour, and beat the crust with a paste roller, until the flour and suet are perfectly incorporated. Flour, 2 lbs. ; suet, 12 ozs. ; salt, 1 teaspoonful ; water, 1 pint. BUTTER CRUST FOR PUDDINGS. When suet is disliked for crust, butter must supply its place, but there must be no intermixture of lard in paste which is to be boiled. Eight ounces to the pound of flour will render it sufficiently rich for most eat- ers, and less will generally be preferred ; rich crust of this kind being more indigestible by far than that which is baked. The butter may be lightly broken into the flour before the water is added, or it may be laid 272 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVII. on, and rolled into the paste as for puff-crust. A small portion of salt must be added to it always, and for a meat pudding the same proportion as directed in the preceding- receipt. For kitchen, or for quite common family puddings, butter and clarified dripping- are used sometimes in equal proportions. From three to four ounces of each will be sufficient for the pound and quarter of flour. Flour, 1 lb. ; butter, 8 ozs. ; salt, for fruit puddings, ^ saltspoonful ; for meat puddings, \ teaspoonful. SMALL BEEF-STEAK PUDDING. Make into a very firm, smooth paste, one pound of flour, six ounces of beef-suet, finely minced, half a teaspoonful of salt, and half a pint of cold water. Line with this a basin which holds a pint and a half. Sea- son a pound of tender steak, free from bone and skin, with half an ounce of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper well mixed together; lay it in the crust, pour in a quarter-pint of water, roll out the cover, close the pudding carefully, tie a floured cloth over, and boil it three hours and a half. We give this receipt as an exact guide for the proportions of meat-puddings in general. Flour, 1 lb. ; suet, 6 ozs. ; salt, \ teaspoonful ; water, \ pint ; rump- steak, 1 lb.; salt, \ oz. ; pepper, \ teaspoonful; water, \ pint: 3^ hours. RUTH PINCH'S BEEF-STEAK PUDDING. To make Ruth Pinch's celebrated pudding (known also as beef-steak pudding a la Dickens), substitute six ounces of butter for the suet in this receipt, and moisten the paste with the well-beaten yolks of four eggs, or with three whole ones, mixed with a little water; butter the basin very thickly before the crust is laid in, as the pudding is to be turned oat of it for table. In all else, proceed exactly as above. SUPERLATIVE BEEF-PUDDING. Take a line woodcock (or half a dozen rice-birds) that is ready for the spit, and put it into the middle of a large beef-pudding, laying the meat under, over, and round it ; finish it as usual, and boil it four hours or more : the fine flavour of the bird will pervade the whole contents of the pudding. MUTTON PUDDING. Mutton freed perfectly from fat, and mixed with two or three sliced kidneys, makes an excellent pudding. The meat may be sprinkled with fine herbs as it is laid into the crust. This will require rather less boiling than the preceding puddings, but it is made in precisely the same way. PARTRIDGE PUDDING. Skin a couple of well-kept partridges and cut them down into joints: line a deep basin with suet crust, observing the directions given in the preceding receipts; lay in the birds, which should be rather highly sea- soned with pepper or cayenne, and moderately with salt ; pour in water for the gravy, close the pudding with care, and boil it from three hours to three and a half. The true flavour of the game is admirably pre- served by this mode of cooking. When mushrooms are plentiful, put a layer of buttons, or small flaps, cleaned as for pickling, alternately with CHAP. XVII.] BOILED PUDDING. 273 a layer of partridge, in filling the pudding, which will then be most excellent eating : the crust may be left untouched, and merely emptied of its contents, 'where it is objected to ; or its place may be supplied with a richer one made of butter. A seasoning of pounded mace or nutmeg can be used at discretion. Puddings of veal, chickens, and young rabbits, may all be made by this receipt, or with the addition of oysters, which we have already noticed. COMMON BATTER PUDDING. Beat four eggs thoroughly, mix with them half a pint of milk, and pass them through a sieve, add them by degrees to half a pound of flour, and when the batter is perfectly smooth, thin it with another half pint of milk. Shake out a wet pudding-cloth, flour it well, pour the batter in, leave it room to swell, tie it securely, and put it immediately into plenty of fast-boiling water. An hour and ten minutes will boil it. Send it to table the instant it is dished, with wine sauce, a hot compote of fruit, or raspberry vinegar : this last makes a delicious pudding sauce. Unless the liquid be added very gradually to the flour, and the mixture be well stirred and beaten as each portion is poured to it, the batter will not be smooth : to render it very light, a portion of the whites of the eggs, or the whole of them, should be whisked to a froth and stirred into it just before it is put into the cloth. Flour, \ lb.; eggs, 4; salt, f teaspoonful; milk, 1 pint'. 1 hour and 10 minutes. Obs. — Modern taste is in favour of puddings boiled in moulds, but, as we have already stated, they are seldom or ever so light as those which are tied in cloths only. Where appearance is the first consideration, we would recommend the use of the moulds, of course. ANOTHER BATTER PUDDING. Mix the yolks of three eggs smoothly with three heaped tablespoons- ful of flour, thin the batter with new milk until it is of the consistency of cream, w T hisk the whites of eggs apart, stir them into the batter, and boil the pudding in a floured cloth or buttered basin for an hour. Before it is served, cut the top quickly into large dice, half through the pud- ding, pour over it a small jarful of fine currant, raspberry, or strawberry jelly, and send it to table without delay. Flour, 3 tablespoonsful ; eggs, 3 ; salt, \ teaspoonful ; milk, from \ to a whole pint : 1 hour. Obs. — For a very large pudding, double the quantity of ingredients and the time of boiling wall be required. BATTER FRUIT PUDDING. Butter thickly a basin which holds a pint and a half, and fill it nearly to the brim with good boiling apples pared, cored, and quartered ; pour over them a batter made with four tablespoonsful of flour, two large or three small eggs, and half a pint of milk. Tie a buttered and floured cloth over the basin, which ought to be quite full, and boil the pudding for an hour and a quarter. Turn it into a hot dish when done, and strew sugar thickly Over it : this, if added to the batter at first, renders it heavy. Morella cherries make a very superior pudding of this kind ; and green gooseberries, damsons, and various other fruits, answer for it extremely well : the time of boiling it must be varied according to their quality and its size. IT 274 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVII. For a pint and a half mould or basin filled to the brim with apples or other fruit; flour, 4 tablespoon sful; eggs, 2 large or three small ; milk, i pint: li hour. Obs. — Apples cored, halved, and mixed with a good batter, make an excellent baked pudding, as well as red currants, cherries, and plums of different sorts. ANOTHER SUET PUDDING. Make into a somewhat lithe, but smooth paste, half a pound of fine stale bread-crumbs, three quarters of a pound of flour, from ten to twelve ounces of beef-suet, chopped extremely small, a large half-teaspoonful of salt, and rather less of pepper, with two eggs and a little milk. Boil it two hours and a quarter. A CHEAP SUET PUDDING. With a pound of flour mix well an equal weight of good potatoes boiled and grated (or prepared by Captain Kater's receipt, page 230), a quarter pound of suet, and a ^mall teaspoonful of salt. Make these into a stiff batter, with milk, and boil the pudding one hour in a well-floured cloth. APPLE, CURRANT, CHERRY, OR OTHER FRESH FRUIT PUDDING. Make a paste as for a beaf-steak pudding, either with suet or butter; lay into a basin a well-floured cloth, which bas been dipped into hot water, wrung dry, and shaken out; roll the paste thin, press it evenly into the basin upon the cloth, fill it with apples, pared, cored, and quar- tered, or with any other fruit ; put on the cover, taking care to moisten the edges of the paste, to press them well together, and fold them over ; gather up the ends of the cloth, and tie it firmly close to the pudding, which should then be dropped into plenty of fast boiling water. When it is done, lift it out by twisting a strong fork into the corner of the cloth, turn it gently into the dish in which it is to be served, and cut immediately a small round or square from the top, or the pudding will quickly become heavy; send it to table without the slightest delay, accompanied by pounded, and by good Lisbon sugar, as many persons prefer the latter, from its imparting a more mellowed flavour to the fruit. A small slice of fresh butter, and some finely grated nutmeg, are usually considered improvements to an apple pudding ; the juice, and the grated rind of a lemon may be added with good effect, when the fruit is laid into the crust, especially in spring, when the apples gene- rally will have become insipid in their flavour. When puddings are preferred boiled in moulds or basins, these must be thickly buttered before the paste is laid into them, and the puddings must be turned from them gently, that they may not burst. Currant, gooseberry, or cherry pudding, 1 to 1^ hour. Greengage, damson, mussel, or other plum, 1 to 1^ hour. Apple pudding, from 1 to 2 hours, according to its size, and the time of year. Obs. — If made of mellow fruit, an apple pudding will require only so much boiling as may be needed for the crust. A COMMON APPLE PUDDING. Make a light crust with one pound of flour and six ounces of very finely minced beef-suet, roll it thin, and fill it with one pound and a quarter of good boiling apples; add the grated rind and strained juice CHAP. XVII.] BOILED PUDDINGS. 275 of a small lemon, tie it in a cloth, and boil it one hour and twenty mi- nutes before Christmas, and from twenty to thirty minutes longer after Christmas. A small slice of fresh butter, stirred into it when it is sweetened, will, to many tastes, be an acceptable addition ; grated nut- meg, or a little cinnamon in fine powder, may be substituted for the lemon-rind when either is preferred. To convert this into a richer pud- ding, use half a pound of butter for the crust, and add to the apples a spoonful or two of orange or quince marmalade. Crust: flour, 1 lb.; suet, 6 ozs. Fruit, pared and cored, 1^ lb.; juice and rind of 1 small lemon (or some nutmeg or cinnamon in powder). Richer pudding : flour, 1 lb. ; butter, | lb. ; in addition co fruit, 1 or 2 tablespoonsful of orange or quince marmalade. THE PUBLISHER'S PUDDING. This pudding can scarcely be made too rich. First blanch, and then beat to the smoothest possible paste, six ounces of fresh sweet almonds, and a dozen bitter ones; pour very gradually to them, in the mortar, three quarters of a pint of boiling cream ; then turn them into a cloth, and wring it from them again with strong expression. Heat a full half pint of it afresh, and pour it, as soon as it boils, upon four ounces of fine bread-crumbs, set a plate over, and leave them to become nearly cold ; then mix thoroughly with them four ounces of macaroons, crushed tole- rably small ; five of finely-minced beef-suet, five of marrow, cleared very carefully from fibre, and from the splinters of bone which are some- times found in it, and shred, not very small, two ounces of flour, six of pounded sugar, four of dried cherries, four of the best Muscatel raisins, weighed after they are stoned, half a pound of candied citron, or of citron and orange-rind mixed, a quarter saltspoonful of salt, half a nut- meg, the yolks only of seven full-sized eggs, the grated rind of a large lemon, and last of all, a glass of the best Cognac brandy, which must be stirred briskly in by slow degrees. Pour the mixture into a thickly buttered mould or basin, which contains a full quart, fill it to the brim, lay a sheet of buttered writing-paper over, then a well-floured cloth, tie them securely, and boil the pudding for four hours and a quarter ; let it stand for a couple of minutes before it is turned out; dish it carefully, and serve it with the German pudding sauce of page 112. Jordan almonds, 6 ozs. ; bitter almonds, 12 ; cream, | pint ; bread- crumbs, 4 ozs.; cream wrung from almonds, ^ pint; crushed maca- roons, 4 ozs. ; flour, 2 ozs. ; beef-suet, 5 ozs. ; marrow, 5 ozs. ; dried cherries, 4 ozs. ; stoned Muscatel raisins, 4 ozs. ; pounded sugar, 6 ozs. ; candied citron (or citron and orange-rind mixed), ^ lb. ; pinch of salt; ^ nutmeg; grated rind 1 lemon ; yolks of eggs, 7; best cognac, 1 wine- glassful : boiled in mould or basin, 4} hours. Obs. — This pudding, which, if well made, is very light as well as rich, will be sufficiently good for most tastes without the almonds, when they are omitted, the boiling cream must be poured at once tr the bread-crumbs. small custard puddinc ; (Aldeburgh White Lion Receipt.) Dissolve in half a pint of new milk a dessertspoonful of pounded sugar and pour it to three well-beaten eggs; strain the mixture into a but 270 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVII. tered basin, which should be full ; lay a half sheet of buttered writing paper, and then a floured cloth over it, and tie them tightly on ; boil the pudding gently for twenty-five minutes, and let it stand four or five more before it is turned out, that it may not spread in the dish. Serve it with wine sauce. New milk, § pint; sugar, 1 dessertspoonful; fresh eggs, 3: 25 minutes. COMMON CUSTARD PUDDING. Whisk three egsrs well, put thern into a pint basin, and add to them sufficient milk to fill it; then strain, flavour, and sweeten it with fine sugar; boil the pudding very softly for an exact half hour, let it stand a few minutes, dish, and serve it with sugar sifted over, and sweet sauce in a tureen, or send stewed gooseberries, currants, or cherries to table with it. A small quantity of lemon-brandy, or of ratafia can be added, to give it flavour, when it is made, or the sugar with which it is sweet- ened may be rasped on a lemon or an orange, then crushed and dis- solved in the milk ; from an ounce and a half to two ounces will be sufficient for general taste. GERMAN PUDDING, AND SAUCE. Stew, until very tender and dry, three ounces of whole rice in a pint and a quarter of milk ; when a little cooled, mix with it three ounces of beef-suet, finely chopped, two ounces and a half of sugar, an ounce of candied orange or lemon-rind, six ounces of sultana raisins, and three large eggs well beaten and strained. Boil the pudding in a buttered basin, or in a well-floured cloth, for two hours and a quarter, and serve it with the following sauce: — Dissolve an ounce and a half of sugar broken small in two glasses of sherry, or of any other white wine, and stir them, when quite hot, to the beaten yolks of three fresh eggs; then stir the sauce in a small saucepan held high above the fire until it re- sembles custard, but by no means allow it to boil, or it will instantly curdle; pour it over the pudding, or, if preferred, send it to table in a tureen. We think a full teaspoonful of lemon-juice added to the wine an improvement to this sauce, which is excellent; and we can recom- mend the pudding also to our readers. Milk, 1£ pint; rice, 3 ozs. : 1 hour, or more. Suet, 3 ozs. ; sugar, 2h ozs. ; candied peel, 1 oz. ; sultana raisins, 6 ozs. ; eggs, 3 large: 2£ hours. Sauce: sherry, 2 glasses; sugar, 1^ oz. ; yolks of eggs, 3; lit- tle lemon-juice. We have already, in a previous part of the volume, directed that the German sauce should be milled to a fine froth, and poured upon the pudding with which it is served : when this is not done, the quantity should be increased. miss bremer's pudding. Blanch, dry, and beat to the smoothest possible paste, half a pound of fresh Jordan almonds and five or six bitter ones, and moisten them as they are done with a few drops of water, or a little white of egg, to prevent their oiling. Add to them in very small portions at first, or they will be lumpy, the yolks of seven fresh eggs, and the whites of two well beaten ; then throw in gradually four ounces of pounded and sifted sugar, and whisk the mixture thoroughly until it looks very light ; CHAP. XVII.] BOILED PUDDINGS. 277 next, strew in, continuing- the whisking-, four ounces of fine bread- crumbs, and the grated rind of a lemon; and last of all, add four ounces of just-liquid butter, which must, by no means, be heated more than enough to dissolve it, and which must be poured in by slow degrees, and beaten thoroughly to the other ingredients, until there is no ap- pearance of it left. Butter thickly a pint and a half mould, shake fine bread-crumbs thickly and equally over it, half fill it very gently with the pudding-mixture, and place lightly upon this a layer of apricot- jam ; put the remainder of the pudding carefully upon it, lay a buttered paper over the mould, then close it, or should there be no cover, tie a cloth securely round it, and boil the pudding a full hour. Serve it with German, or common sweet wine sauce. Jordan, or sweet almonds, ^ lb. ; bitter ones, 5 or 6 ; yolks of 7 eggs, whites of 2; pounded sugar, 4 ozs. ; bread-crumbs, 4 ozs. ; lemon-rind, 1 ; butter, 4 ozs. ; apricot-marmalade, 1 jarful : full hour. VERY GOOD RAISIN PUDDING. To three quarters of a pound of flour add four ounces of fine crumbs of bread, one pound of beef-suet, a pound and six ounces of raisins, weighed after they are stoned, a quarter-teaspoonful of salt, rather more of ginger, half a nutmeg, an ounce and a half of candied peel, and four large or five small eggs, beaten, strained, and mixed with a cupful of milk, or as much more as will make the whole of the consistency of a very thick batter. Pour the mixture into a well-floured cloth of close texture, which has previously been dipped into hot water, wrung, and shaken out. Boil the pudding in plenty of water for four hours and a naif. It may be served with very sweet wine, or punch-sauce ; but if made as we have directed, will be much lighter than if sugar be mixed with the other ingredients before it is boiled ; and we have found it generally preferred to a richer plum-pudding. . Flour, ^ lb. ; bread crumbs, 4 ozs. ; beef-suet, 1 lb. ; stoned raisins, 1 lb. 6 ozs. ; candied peel, H oz. ; ^ nutmeg; eggs, 4 large, or 5 small ; little salt and ginger : 4 A hours. THE ELEGANT ECONOMIST'S PUDDING. Butter thickly a plain mould or basin, and line it entirely with slices of cold plum or raisin pudding, cut so as to join closely and neatly to- gether ; fill it quite with a good custard, lay, first a buttered paper, and then a floured cloth over it, tie them securely, and boil the pudding gently for an hour ; let it stand for ten minutes after it is taken up before it is turned out of the mould. This is a more tasteful mode of serving the remains of a plum-pudding than the usual one of broiling them in slices, or converting them into fritters. The German sauce', well milled or frothed, is generally much relished with sweet boiled- puddings, and adds greatly to their good appearance ; but common wine, or punch-sauce, may be sent to table with the above quite as appro- priately. Mould or basin holding 1| pint, lined with thin slices of plum-pud- ding ; ^ pint new milk boiled gently 5 minutes with grain of salt ; 5 bitter almonds, bruised ; sugar in lumps, 2h ozs. ; thin rind of \ lemon, strained and mixed directly with 4 large well-beaten eggs; poured into mould while just warm ; boiled gently 1 hour. 278 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVII. PUDDING A LA SCOONES. Take of apples finely minced, and of currants, six ounces each ; of suet, chopped small, sultana raisins, picked from the stalks, and sugar, four ounces each, with three ounces of fine bread-crumbs, the grated rind, and the strained juice of a small lemon, three well-beaten eggs, and two spoonsful of brandy. Mix these ingredients perfectly, and boil the pudding for two hours in a buttered basin ; sift sugar over it when it is sent to table, and serve wine or punch sauce apart. Minced apples and currants, each, 6 ozs. ; suet, sultana raisins, and sugar, each, 4 ozs. ; bread-crumbs, 3 ozs. ; lemon, 1 ; eggs, 3; brandy, 2 spoonsful : 2 hours. COTTAGE CHRISTMAS PUDDING. A pound and a quarter of flour, fourteen ounces of suet, a pound and a quarter of stoned raisins, four ounces of currants, five of sugar, a quar- ter-pound of potatoes smoothly mashed, half a nutmeg, a quarter-tea- spoonful of ginger, the same of salt, and of cloves in powder: mix these ingredients thoroughly, add four well-beaten eggs with a quarter-pint of milk, tie the pudding in a well-floured cloth, and boil it for four hours. Flour, lj lb. ; suet, 14 ozs. ; raisins stoned, 20 ozs. ; currants, 4 ozs. ; sugar, 5 ozs. ; potatoes, £ lb. ; | nutmeg ; ginger, salt, cloves, £ tea- spoonful each ; eggs, 4 ; milk, | pint : 4 hours. SMALL LIGHT PLUM PUDDING. Put half a pint of fine oread crumbs into a basin, and pour on them a quarter-pint of boiling milk ; put a plate over, and let them soak for half an hour; then mix with them half a pint of suet chopped extremely small, rather more of stoned raisins, three teaspoonsful of sugar, one of flour, three eggs, a tiny pinch of salt, and sufficient grated lemon-peel or nutmeg to flavour it lightly. Tie the pudding in a well-floured cloth, and boil it for two hours. Bread-crumbs, ^ pint; milk, I pint; suet, J pint; raisins, nearly^ pint; sugar, 3 teaspoonful, and 1 of flour; eggs, 3; little salt nutmeg; 2 hours. ANOTHER PUDDING, LIGHT AND WHOLESOME.* With three ounces of the crumb of a stale loaf finely grated and soaked in a quarter-pint of boiling milk, mix six ounces of suet minced very small, one ounce of dry bread-crumbs, ten ounces of stoned raisins, a little salt, the grated rind of a china-orange, and three eggs, leaving out one white. Boil the pudding for two hours, and serve it with very sweet sauce ; put no sugar in it. vegetable plum pudding. (Cheap and good.) Mix well together one pound of smoothly-mashed potatoes, half a pound of carrots boiled quite tender, and beaten to a paste, one pound of flour, one of currants, and one of raisins (full weight after they are stoned), three quarters of a pound of sugar, eight ounces of suet, one nutmeg, and a quarter-teaspoonful of salt. Put the pudding into a well- floured cloth, tie it closely, and boil it for four hours. The correspond- *Both this, and the preceding pudding, will be found very delicate, and well suited to invalids. CHAP. XVII.] BOILED PUDDINGS. 279 ent to whom we are indebted for this receipt says, that the cost of the ingredients does not exceed half a crown, and that the pudding- is of sufficient size for a party of sixteen persons. We can vouch for its excellence, but as it is rather apt to break when turned out of the cloth, a couple of eggs would perhaps improve it. Sweetmeats, brandy, and spices, can be added at pleasure. JVlashed potatoes, 1 lb. ; carrots, 8 ozs. ; flour, 1 lb. ; suet, § lb. ; sugar, | lb. ; currants and raisins, 1 lb. each ; nutmeg, 1 ; little salt : 4 hours. AN EXCELLENT SMALL MINCEMEAT PUDDING. Pour on an ounce of bread-crumbs, sufficient boiling milk to soak them well ; when they are nearly cold drain as much of it from them as you can, and mix them thoroughly witli half a pound of mincemeat, a dessertspoonful of brandy, and three eggs beaten and strained. Boil the pudding for two hours in a well-buttered basin, which should be full, and serve it with sauce made with a little melted butter, half a glass of white wine, a tablespoonful of brandy, half as much lemon-juice, and sufficient sugar to make it tolerably sweet. Bread-crumbs, 1 oz. ; mincemeat, ^ lb. ; brandy, dessertspoonful ; eggs, 3 : 2 hours. THE AUTHOR'S CHRISTMAS PUDDING. To three ounces of flour, and the same weight of fine, lightly-grated bread-crumbs, add six of beef kidney-suet, chopped small, six of raisins weighed after they are stoned, six of well cleaned currants, four ounces of minced apples, five of sugar, two of candied orange-rind, half a tea- spoonful of nutmeg mixed with pounded mace, a very little salt, a small glass of brandy, and three whole eggs. Mix and beat these ingredi- ents well together, tie them tightly in a thickly floured cloth, and boil them for three hours and a half We can recommend this as a remark- ably light small rich pudding : it may be served with German, wine, or punch sauce. Flour, 3 ozs. ; bread-crumbs, 3 czs. ; suet, stoned raisins, and cur- rants, each, 6 ozs. ; minced apples, 4 ozs. ; sugar, 5 ozs. ; candied peel, 2 ozs.; spice, | teaspoonful; salt, few grains: brandy, small wineglass- full ; eggs, 3 : 3^ hours. ROLLED PUDDING. Roll out thin a bit of light puff paste, or a good suet crust, and spread equally over it to within an inch of the edge, any kind of fruit jam. Orange marmalade and mincemeat make excellent varieties of this pudding, and a deep layer of fine brown sugar, flavoured with the grated rind and strained juice of one very large, or of two small lemons, an- swers for it extremely well. Roll it up carefully, pinch the paste toge- ther at the ends, fold a cloth round, secure it well at the ends, and boil the pudding from one to two hours, according to its size and the nature of the ingredients. Haifa pound of flour made into a paste with suet or butter, and covered with preserve, will be quite sufficiently boiled in an hour and a quarter. BREAD PUDDING. Sweeten a pint of new milk with three ounces of fine sugar, throw in a few grains of salt, and pour it boiling on half a pound of fine, and lightly-grated bread-crumbs ; add an ounce of fresh butter, and cover 280 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVII. them with a plate ; let them remain for half an hour or more, and then stir to them four large well-whisked eggs, and a flavouring of nutmeg, or of lemon-rind ; pour the mixture into a thickly-buttered mould or basin, which holds a pint and a half, and which ought to be quite full ; tie a paper and a cloth tightly over, and boil the pudding exactly an hour and ten minutes. This is quite a plain receipt, but by omitting two ounces of the bread, and adding more butter, one egg, a small glass of brandy, the grated rind of a lemon, and as much sugar as will sweeten the whole richly, a very excellent pudding will be obtained ; candied orange-peel also has a good effect when sliced thinly into it; and half a pound of currants is generally considered a further improvement. New milk, 1 pint; sugar, 3 ozs. ; salt, few grains; bread-crumbs, ^ lb. ; eggs, 4 (5, if very small) ; nutmeg or lemon-rind at pleasure : 1 hour and 10 minutes. Or: milk, 1 pint; bread-crumbs, 6 ozs. ; butter, 2 to 3 ozs. ; sugar, 4 ozs.; eggs, 5; brandy, small glassful; rind, 1 lemon. Further addi- tions at choice : candied peel, 1^ oz. ; currants, i lb. BROWN BREAD PUDDING. To half a pound of stale brown bread, finely and lightly grated, add an equal weight of suet, chopped small, and of currants cleaned and dried, with half a saltspoonful of salt, three ounces of sugar, the third of a small nutmeg grated, two ounces of candied peel, five well-beaten eggs, and a glass of brandy. Mix these ingredients thoroughly, and boil the pudding in a cloth for three hours and a half. Send wine sauce to table with it. The grated rind of a large lemon may be added with good effect. Brown bread, suet, and currants, each 8 ozs. ; sugar, 3 ozs. ; candied peel, 2 ozs. ; salt, ^ saltspoonful ; A of small nutmeg; eggs, 5; brandy, 1 wineglassful ; 3^ hours. A GOOD BOILED RICE PUDDING. Swell gradually,* and boil until quite soft and thick, four ounces and a half of whole rice in a pint and a half of new milk; sweeten them with from three to four ounces of sugar, broken small, and stir to them, while they are still quite hot, the grated rind of half a large lemon, four or five bitter almonds, pounded to a paste, and four large well-whisked eggs ; let the mixture cool, and then pour it into a thickly buttered basin, or mould, which should be quite full ; tie a buttered paper and a floured cloth over it, and boil the pudding exactly an hour; let it stand for two or three minutes before it is turned out, and serve it with sweet sauce, fruit syrup, or a compote of fresh fruit. An ounce and a half of candied orange-rind will improve it much, and a couple of ounces of butter may be added to enrich it, when the receipt, without is considered too simple. It is excellent when made with milk highly flavoured with cocoanut (see Chapter XX). Whole rice, 4^ ozs. ; new milk (or cocoa-nut-flavoured milk), 1-| pint ; sugar, 3 to 4 ozs. ; salt, a few grains; bitter almonds, 4 to 6 ; rind of A lemon ; eggs, 4 : boiled 1 hour. * That is to say, put the rice into the milk while cold, heat it slouly, and let it sim- mer onJy until it is done. CHAP. XVII.] BOILED PUDDINGS. 281 CHEAP RICE PUDDING. Wash six ounces of rice, mix it with three quarters of a pound of lai- sins, tie them in a well-floured cloth, giving them plenty of room to swell ; boil them exactly an hour and three quarters, and serve the pud- ding with very sweet sauce: this is a nice dish for the nursery. A pound of apples pared, cored, and quartered, will also make a very wholesome pudding, mixed with the rice, and boiled from an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half. Rice, 6 ozs. ; raisins, \ lb. : 2 hours. Or, rice, 6 ozs. ; apples, 1 lb. : \\ to \\ hour. tomata dumplings, or puddings ; {an American Receipt.) " In the manner of composition, mode of cooking, and saucing, the good housewife must proceed in the same way as she would for an apple dumpling, with this exception, care must be taken in paring the tomata not to extract the seed, nor break the meat in the operation of skinning it. We have eaten tomatas raw without anything; — cut up with pep- per, salt, vinegar, and mustard ; — fried in butter and in lard ; — broiled and basted with butter; — stewed with and without bread, with cream and with butter ; — and, with a clear conscience, we can say, we like them in every way they have ever been fixed for the palate ; but of all the modes of dressing them, known to us, we prefer them when cooked in dumplings, for to us it appears that the steaming they receive in their dough-envelope increases in a very high degree that delicate spicy flavour which, even in their uncooked state, makes them such decided favourites with the epicure." Obs. — It is possible that the tomata, which is, we know, abundantly grown and served in a great variety of forms in America, may there, either from a difference of climate, or from some advantages of culture, be produced in greater perfection than with us, and possess really " the delicate spicy flavour" attributed to it in our receipt, but which we can- not say we have ever yet discovered here ; nor have we put its excel- lence for puddings to the proof, though some of our readers may like to do so. FASHIONABLE APPLE DUMPLINGS. These are boiled in small knitted or closely-netted cloths (the former have, we think, the prettiest effect), which give quite an ornamental appearance to an otherwise homely dish. Take out the cores without dividing the apples, which should be large, and of a good boiling sort, and fill the cavity with orange or lemon marmalade, enclose them in a good crust rolled thin, draw the cloths round them, tie them closely and .boil them for three quarters of an hour. Lemon dumplings may be boiled in the same way. | to 1 hour, if the apples be not of the best boiling kind. ORANGE SNOW-BALLS. Take out the unhusked grains, and wash w T ell half a pound of rice; put it into plenty of water, and boil it rather quickly for ten minutes; drain and let it cooL Pare four large, or five small oranges, and clear from them entirely the thick white inner skin ; spread the rice, in as many equal portions as there are oranges, upon some pudding or dumpling-cloths ; tie the fruit separately in these, and boil the snow- 282 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVII balls for an hour and a half; turn them carefully on to a dish, and strew plenty of sifted sugar over them. Rice, 8 ozs. ; oranges, 5 : \\ hour. APPLE SNOW-BALLS. Pare and core some large pudding-apples, without dividing them, prepare the rice as in the foregoing receipt, enclose them in it, and boil them for an hour : ten minutes less will be sufficient should the fruit be but of moderate size. An agreeable addition to them is a slice of fresh butter, mixed with as much sugar as can be smoothly blended with it, and a flavouring of powdered cinnamon, or of nutmeg : this must be sent to table apart from them, not in the dish. LIGHT CURRANT DUMPLINGS. For each dumpling take three tablespoonsful of flour, two of finely- minced suet, and three of currants, a slight pinch of salt, and as much milk or water as will make a thick batter of the ingredients. Tie the dumplings in well-floured cloths, and boil them for a full hour : they may be served with very sweet wine-sauce. LEMON DUMPLINGS. Mix, with ten ounces of fine bread-crumbs, half a pound of beef-suet, chopped extremely small, one large tablespoonful of flour, the grated rinds of two small lemons, or of a very large one, four ounces of pounded sugar, three large, or four small eggs beaten and strained, and last of all the juice of the lemons, also strained. Divide these into four equal portions, tie them in well-floured cloths, and boil them an hour. The dumplings will be extremely light and delicate ; if wished very sweet more sugar must be added to them. SWEET BOILED PATTIES. (GOOD.) Mix into a very smooth paste, three ounces of finely-minced suet, with eight of flour, and a slight pinch of salt; divide it into fourteen balls of equal size, roll them out quite thin and round, moisten the edges, put a little preserve into each, close the patties very securely to prevent its escape, throw them into a pan of boiling water, and in from ten to twelve minutes lift them out, and serve them instantly. Butter- crust may be used for them instead of suet, but it will not be so light. Flour, 8 ozs. ; suet, 3 ozs. ; little salt ; divided into fourteen portions : boil 10 to 12 minutes. BOILED RICE TO BE SERVED WITH STEWED FRUITS, PRESERVES, OR RASPBERRY VINEGAR. Take out the discoloured grains from half a pound of good rice ; and* wash it in several waters ; tie it very loosely in a pudding-cloth and boil it for three-quarters of an hour ; it will then be quite solid, and resemble a pudding in appearance. Sufficient room must be given to allow the grain to swell to its full size, or it will be hard ; but too much space will render the whole watery. With a little experience the cook will easily ascertain the exact degree to be allowed for it. Four ounces of rice will require quite half an hour's boiling ; a little more or less of time will sometimes be needed, from the difference of quality in the grain. Carolina rice, ^ lb., boiled | hour ; 4 ozs. rice, $ hour. CHAT. XVIII.] BAKED PUDDINGS. 283 CHAPTER XVIII. BAKED PUDDINGS. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. We have little to add here to the remarks which will be found at the commencement of the preceding Chapter, as they will apply equally to the preparation of these and of boiled puddings. All of the custard kind, whether made of eggs and milk only, or of sago, arrow-root, rice, ground or in grain, vermicelli, &c, require a very gentle oven, and are spoiled by fast-baking. Those made of bat- ter, on the contrary, should be put into one sufficiently brisk to raise them quickly, but without scorching them. Such as contain suet and raisins must have a well-heated, but not a fierce oven ; for as they must remain long in it to be thoroughly done, unless carefully managed, they will either be much too highly coloured, or too dry. By whisking to a solid froth the whites of the eggs used for any pud- ding, and stirring them softly into it at the instant of placing it in the oven, it will be rendered exceedingly light, and will rise very high in the dish ; but as it will partake then of the nature of a souffle, it must be despatched with great expedition to table from the oven, or it will become flat before it is served. When a pudding is sufficiently browned on the surface (that is to say, of a fine equal amber-colour) before it is baked through, a sheet of writ- ing paper should be laid over it, but not before it is set : when quite firm in the centre, it will be done. Potato, batter, plum, and every other kind of pudding indeed, which is sufficiently solid to allow of it, should be turned reversed on to a clean hot dish from the one in which it is baked, and strewed with sifted sugar, before it is sent to table. Minute directions for the preparation and management of each par- ticular variety of pudding will be found in the receipt for it. THE PRINTER'S PUDDING. Grate very lightly six ounces of the crumb of a stale loaf, and put it into a deep dish. Dissolve in a quart of cold new milk four ounces of good Lisbon sugar; add it to five large, well-whisked eggs; strain, and mix them with the bread-crumbs ; stir in two ounces of a fresh finely- grated cocoa-nut; add a flavouring of nutmeg or of lemon-rind, and the slightest pinch of salt; let the pudding stand for a couple of hours to soak the bread; and bake it in a gentle oven for three quarters of an hour: it is excellent if carefully made, and not too quickly baked. When the cocoa-nut is not at hand, an ounce of butter just dissolved, should be poured over the dish before the crumbs are put into it; and the rind of an entire lemon may be used to give it flavour; but the cocoa-nut imparts a peculiar richness when it is good and fresh. Bread-crumbs, 6, ozs. ; new milk, 1 quart ; sugar, 4 ozs. ; eggs, 5 ; cocoa-nut, 2 ozs. ; (or rind, 1 large lemon, and 1 oz. butter) slightest pinch of salt: to stand 2 hours. Baked in gentle oven full f hour? Obs.— When a very sweet pudding is liked, the proportion of sugar may be increased. 284 MODERN COOKERY. fcHAP. XVIII. ALMOND PUDDING. On two ounces of fine white bread-crumbs pour a pint of boiling cream, and let them remain until nearly cold, then mix them very gra- dually with half a pound of sweet and six bitter almonds pounded to the smoothest paste, with a little orange-flower water, or, when this is not at hand, with a few drops of spring water, just to prevent their oiling ; stir to them by degrees the well-beaten yolks of seven and the whites of three eggs, six ounces of sifted sugar, and four of clarified butter ; turn the mixture into a very clean stewpan, and stir it without ceasing over a slow fire until it becomes thick, but on no account allow it to boil. When it is tolerably cool add a glass of brandy, or half a one of noyeau, pour the pudding into a dish lined with very thin puff paste, and bake it half an hour in a moderate oven. Bread-crumbs, 2 ozs. ; cream, 1 pint; pounded almonds, ^ lb.; bitter almonds, 6 ; yolks of 7, whites of 3 eggs ; sugar, 6 ozs. ; butter, 4 ozs. ; brandy, 1 wineglassful, or J glass of noyeau : \ hour, moderate oven. AN EXCELLENT LEMON PUDDING. Beat well together four ounces of fresh butter, creamed, and eight of sifted sugar ; to these add gradually the yolks of six and the whites of two eggs, with the grated rind and the strained juice of one large lemon : — this last must be added by slow degrees, and stirred briskly to the other ingredients. Bake the pudding in a dish lined with very thin puff-paste for three-quarters of an hour, in a slow oven. Butter, 4 ozs.; sugar, ^ lb. ; yolks of 6, whites of 2 eggs; large lemon, 1 : ^ hour, slow oven. ANOTHER LEMON PUDDING; (good.) Stir over a slow fire until they boil, four ounces and a half of butter with seven ounces of pounded sugar, then pour them into a dish and let them remain until cold, or nearly so. Mix very smoothly a large des- sertspoonful of flour with six eggs that have been whisked and strained ; add these gradually to the sugar and butter, with the grated rinds and the juice of two moderate-sized lemons; put a border or a lining of puff-paste to the pudding, and bake it for an hour in a gentle oven. Butter, 4 h ozs. ; sugar, 7 ozs. ; flour, 1 large dessertspoonful ; eggs, 6 ; lemons, 2 : 1 hour, gentle oven. 06.?. — The proportion of butter in these puddings is less than is com- monly used for them, but a larger quantity renders them so unwhole- somely rich that they are usually preferred with less. When a very powerful flavour of the fruit is liked, an additional lemon may be used in either of these receipts. The rinds may be rasped on part of the sugar, instead of being grated. A couple of sponge-biscuits soaked in cream, then pressed dry, and very finely bruised, can be substituted for the flour. LEMON SUET-PUDDING. To eight ounces of finely-grated bread-crumbs, add six of fresh beef kidney-suet, free from skin, and minced very small, three and a half of pounded sugar, six ounces of currants, the grated rind and the strained juice of a large lemon, and four full-sized or five small well-beaten eggs; pour these ingredients into a thickly-buttered pan, and bake the pudding for an hour in a brisk oven, but draw it towards the mouth CHAP. XVIII.] BAKED PUDDINGS. 285 when it is of a fine brown colour. Turn it from the dish before it is served, and strew sifted sugar over it or not, at pleasure : two ounces more of suet can be added when a larger proportion is liked. The pudding- is very good without the currants. Bread-crumbs, 8 ozs. ; beef-suet, 6 ozs. ; pounded sugar, 3J ozs. ; lemon, 1 large ,- currants, 6 ozs. ; eggs, 4 large, or 5 small : 1 hour, brisk oven. BAKEWELL PUDDING. This pudding is famous not only in Derbyshire, but in several othei English counties, where it is usually served on all holiday-occasions. Line a shallow tart-dish with quite an inch-deep layer of several kinds of good preserves mixed together, and intermingle with them from two to three ounces of candied citron or orange-rind. Beat well the yolks of ten eggs, and add to them gradually half a pound of sifted sugar ; when they are well mixed, pour in by degrees half a pound of good clarified butter, and a little ratafia or any other flavour that may be preferred ; fill the dish two-thirds full with this mixture, and bake the pudding for nearly an hour in a moderate oven. Half the quantity will be sufficient for a small dish. Mixed preserves, lh to 2 lbs. ; yolks of eggs, 10; sugar, § lb. ; but- ter, i lb. ; ratafia, lemon-brandy, or other flavouring to the taste : baked, moderate oven, ^ to 1 hour. Obs. — This is a rich and expensive, but not a very refined pudding. A variation of it, known in the south as an Alderman's Pudding, is, we think, superior to it. It is made without the candied peel, and with a layer of apricot-jam only, six ounces of butter, six of sugar, the yolks of six, and the whites of two eggs. THE ELEGANT ECONOMIST'S PUDDING. We have already given a receipt for an exceedingly good boiled pud- ding bearing this title, but we think the baked one answers even bet- ter, and it is made with rather more facility. Butter a deep tart-dish well, cut the slices of plum-pudding to join exactly in lining it, and press them against it lightly to make them adhere, as without this pre- caution they are apt to float off; pour in as much custard (previously thickened and left to become cold), or any other sweet pudding mixture as will fill the dish almost to the brim ; cover the top with thin slices of the plum pudding, and bake it in a slow oven from thirty minutes to a full hour, according to the quantity and quality of the contents. One pint of new milk poured boiling on an ounce and a half of tous les mois, smoothly mixed with a quarter pint of cold milk, makes with the addi- tion of four ounces of sugar, four small eggs, a little lemon-grate, and two or three bitter almonds, or a few drops of ratafia, an excellent pud- ding of this kind ; it should be baked nearly three quarters of an hour in a quite slack oven. Two ounces and a half of arrow-root may be used in lieu of the tous les mois, when this last is not procurable. We would especially recommend for trial the ingredients of the lemon- pudding of page 284, (second receipt), with the plum-pudding crust, as likely to make a very superior variety of this dish ; we have not had it tested, but think it could scarcely fail. It must be well, though slowly baked. 286 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVIII. RICH BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING. Give a good flavour of lemon-rind and bitter almonds, or of cinna- mon, if preferred, to a pint of new milk, and when it has simmered a sufficient time for this, strain and mix it with a quarter-pint of rich cream; sweeten it with four ounces of sugar in lumps, and stir while still hot to five well-beaten eggs ; throw in a few grains of salt, and move the mixture briskly with a spoon as a glass of brandy is added to it. Have ready in a thickly-buttered dish three layers of thin bread and butter cut from a half-quartern loaf, with four ounces of currants, and one and a half of finely shred candied peel, strewed between and over them ; pour the eggs and milk on them by degrees, letting the bread ausorb one portion before another is added : it should soak for a couple of hours before the pudding is taken to the oven, which should be a moderate one. Half an hour will bake it. It is very good when made with new milk only ; and some persons use no more than a pint of liquid in all, but part of the whites of the eggs may then be omitted. Cream may be substituted for the entire quantity of milk at pleasure. New milk, 1 pint; rind of small lemon, and 6 bitter almonds bruised (or \ drachm of cinnamon) : simmered 10 to 20 minutes. Cream, \ pint ; sugar, 4 ozs. ; eggs, 6 ; brandy, 1 wineglassful. Bread and but- ter, 3 layers; currants, 4 ozs.; candied orange or lemon-rind, 1^ oz. : to stand 2 hours, and to be baked 30 minutes in a moderate oven. COMMON BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING. Sweeten a pint and a half of milk with four ounces of Lisbon sugar; stir it to four large well-beaten eggs, or to five small ones, grate half a nutmeg to them, and pour the mixture into a dish which holds nearly three pints, and which is filled almost to the brim with layers of bread and butter, between which three ounces of currants have been strewed. Lemon-grate, or orange-flower water can be added to this pudding in- stead of nutmeg, when preferred. From three quarters of an hour to an hour will bake it. Milk, 1^ pint; Lisbon sugar, 4 ozs.; eggs, 4 large, or 5 small; \ small nutmeg ; currants, 3 ozs. : baked | to 1 hour. A GOOD BAKED BREAD PUDDING. Pour, quite boiling, on six ounces (or three quarters of a pint) of fine bread-crumbs and one ounce of butter, a pint of new milk, cover them closely, and let them stand until the bread is well soaked ; then stir to them three ounces of sugar, five eggs, leaving out two of the whites, two ounces of candied orange-rind, sliced thin, and a flavouring of nut- meg ; when the mixture is nearly or quite cold pour it into a dish, and place lightly over the top the whites of three eggs beaten to a firm froth, and mixed at the instant with three large tablespoon sful of sifted sugar. Bake the pudding half an hour in a moderate oven. The icing may be omitted, and an ounce and a half of butter, just warmed, put into the dish before the pudding, and plenty of sugar, sifted over it just as it is sent to the oven. Bread, 6 ozs. ; butter, 1 oz. ; milk, 1 pint ; sugar, 3 ozs. ; eggs, 5 yolks, 3 whites ; candied orange-rind, 2 ozs. ; little nutmeg. Icing, 3 whites of eggs ; sugar, 3 tablespoonsful : baked, \ hour. ANOTHER BAKED BREAD PUDDING. Add to a pint of new milk a quarter-pint of good cream, and pour CHAP. XVIII.] BAKED PUDDINGS. 287 them boiling on eight ounces of bread-crumbs, and three of fresh but- ter; when these have stood half an hour covered with a plate, stir to them four ounces of sugar, six ounces of currants, one and a half of candied orange or citron, and five eggs. SUTHERLAND OR CASTLE PUDDINGS. Take an equal weight of eggs in the shell, of good butter, of fine dry flour, and of sifted sugar. First, whisk the eggs for ten minutes, or until they appear extremely light; then throw in the sugar by degrees, and continue the whisking for four or five minutes ; next, strew in the flour, also gradually, and when it appears smoothly blended with the other ingredients, pour the butter to them in small portions, each of which should be beaten in until there is no appearance of it left. It should previously be just liquefied with the least possible degree of heat ; this may be effected by putting it into a well-warmed sauce- pan, and shaking it round until it is dissolved. A grain or two of salt should be thrown in with the flour ; and the rind of half a fine lemon rasped on sugar, or grated, if more convenient, or some pounded mace, or the store-flavouring of page 120, can be added at choice. Pour the mixture, directly it is ready, into well-buttered cups, and bake the pud- dings from twenty to twenty-five minutes. When cold, they resemble good pound-cakes, and may be served as such. Wine sauce should be sent to table with them. Eggs, 4; their weight in flour, sugar, and butter; little salt; flavour- ing of pounded mace or lemon-rind. Obs. — Three eggs are sufficient for a small dish of these puddings. They may be varied with an ounce or two of candied citron ; or with a spoonful of brandy, or a little orange flower water. The mode we have given of making them will be found perfectly successful if our direc- tions be followed with exactness. In a slack oven they will not be too much baked in half an hour. Madeleine puddings; (to be served cold.) Take the same ingredients as for the Sutherland pudddings, but cla- rify an additional ounce of butter; skim, and then fill some round tin pattypans with it almost to the brim, pour it from one to the other until all have received a sufficient coating to prevent the puddings from ad- hering to them, and leave half a teaspoon ful in each ; mix the remainder with the eggs, sugar, and flour, beat the whole up very lightly, fill the pans about two thirds full, and put them directly into a rather brisk oven, but draw them towards the mouth of it when they are sufficiently coloured ; from fifteen to eighteen minutes will bake them. Turn them out, and drain them on a sheet of paper. When they are quite cold, with the point of the knife take out a portion of the tops, hollow the puddings a little, and fill them with rich apricot-jam, well mixed with half its weight of pounded almonds, of which two in every ounce should be bitter ones. A FRENCH RICE PUDDING, OR GATEAU DE RIZ. Swell gently in a quart of new milk, or in equal parts of milk and cream, seven ounces of the best Carolina rice, which has been cleared of the discoloured grains, and washed and drained; when it is tolerably tender, add to it three ounces of frosh butter, and five of sugar roughly 288 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVII2. powdered, a few grains of salt, and the lightly grated rind of a fine lemon, and simmer the whole until the rice is swollen to the utmost ; then take it from the fire, let it cool a little, and stir to it quickly, and by degrees, the well-beaten yolks of six full-sized eggs. Pour into a small copper stewpan* a couple of ounces of clarified butter, and incline it in such a manner that it may receive an equal coating - in every part ; then turn it upside down for an instant, to drain off the superfluous but- ter; next, throw in some exceedingly fine light crumbs of stale bread, and shake them entirely over it, turn out those which do not adhere, and with a small brush or feather sprinkle more clarified butter slightly on those which line the pan. ■ Whisk quickly the whites of the eggs to snow, stir them gently to the rice, and pour the mixture softly into the stewpan, that the bread-crumbs may not be displaced ; put it immedi- ately into a moderate oven, and let it remain in a full hour. It will then, if properly baked, turn out from the mould or pan well browned, quite firm, and having the appearance of a cake; but a fierce heat will cause it to break, and present an altogether unsightly appearance. In a very slack oven, a longer time must be allowed for it. New milk, or milk and cream, 1 quart ; Carolina rice, 7 ozs. : ^ hour. Fresh butter, 3 ozs. ; sugar, in lumps, 5 ozs. ; rind, 1 large lemon : | to 1£ hour. Eggs, 6: baked in a moderate oven, 1 hour. Obs. — An admirable variety of this gateau is made with cocoa-nut flavoured milk, or cream (see Chapter XX.), or with either of these poured boiling on six ounces of Jordan almonds, finely pounded, and mixed with a dozen of bitter ones, then expressed from them with strong pressure; it may likewise be flavoured with vanilla, or with candied orange-blossoms, and covered, at the instant it is dished, with strawberry, apple, or any other clear jelly. A COMMON RICE PUDDING. Throw six ounces of rice into plenty of cold water, and boil it gently from eight to ten minutes ; drain it well in a sieve or strainer, and put it into a clean saucepan with a quart of milk ; let it stew until tender, sweeten it with three ounces of sugar, stir to it, gradually, three large, or four small eggs, beaten and strained ; add grated nutmeg, lemon- rind, or cinnamon, to give it flavour, and bake it one hour in a gentle oven. Rice, 6 ozs. ; in water, 8 to 10 minutes. Milk, 1 quart: £ to 1 hour. Sugar, 3 ozs. ; eggs, 3 large, or 4 small ; flavouring of nutmeg, lemon- rind, or cinnamon : bake 1 hour, gentle oven. RICHER RICE PUDDING. Pick and wash very clean four ounces of whole rice, pour on it a pint and a half of new milk, and stew it slowly till quite tender; be- fore it is taken from the fire, stir in two ounces of good butter, and three of sugar; and when it has cooled a little, add four well-whisked eggs, and the grated rind of half a lemon. Bake the pudding in a gentle oven from thirty to forty minutes. As rice requires long boiling to ren- der it sof'" in milk, it may be partially stewed in water, the quantity of * One which holds about five pints is well adapted to the purpose. When this is not at hand, a copper cake-mould may be substituted for it. The stewpan must not be povered while the gateau is bakiiur. CHAP. XVIII.] BAKED PUDDINGS. 289 milk diminished to a pint, and a little thick sweet cream mixed with it, before the other ingredients are added. Rice, 4 ozs. ; new milk, 1 £ ; butter, 2 ozs. ; sugar, 3 ozs. ; eggs, 4 ; rind of i lemon : 30 to 40 minutes, slow oven. RICE-PUDDING MERINGUE. Swell gently four ounces of Carolina rice in a pint and a quarter of milk or of thin cream ; let it cool a little, and stir to it an ounce and a half of butter, three of pounded sugar, a grain or two of salt, the grated rind of a small lemon, and the yolks of four large, or of five small eggs. Pour the mixture into a well-buttered dish, and lay lightly and equally over the top the whites of four eggs, beaten as for sponge-cakes, and mixed at the instant with from four to five heaped tablespoonsful of sifted sugar. Bake the pudding half an hour in a moderate oven, but do not allow the meringue to be too deeply coloured ; it should be of clear brown, and very crisp. Serve it directly it is taken from the oven. Rice, 4 ozs. ; milk, or cream, 1^ pint; butter, 1^ oz. ; sugar, 3 ozs. ; rind, 1 lemon ; yolks of eggs, 4 or 5 ; the whites beaten to snow, and mixed with as many tablespoonsful of sifted sugar: baked | hour, moderate oven. Obs. — A couple of ounces of Jordan almonds, with six bitter ones, pounded quite to a paste, will improve this dish, whether mixed with the pudding itself, or with the meringue. GOOD GROUND RICE PUDDING. Mix very smoothly five ounces of flour of rice (or of ground rice, if preferred), with half a pint of milk, and pour it into a pint and a half more which is boiling fast ; keep it stirred constantly over a gentle fire from ten to twelve minutes, and be particularly careful not to let it burn to the pan ; add to it before it is taken from the fire, a quarter of a pound of good butter, from five to six ounces of sugar, roughly powdered, and a half-saltspoonful of salt; turn it into a pan, and stir it for a few minutes, to prevent its hardening at the top ; then mix with it, by de- grees, but quickly, the yolks of eight eggs, and the whites of only two, the grated or rasped rind of a fine lemon, and a glass of brandy. Lay a border of rich paste round a buttered dish, pour in the pudding, strain a little clarified butter over the top, moisten the paste with a brush, or small bunch of feathers dipped in cold water, and sift plenty of sugar on it, but less over the pudding itself. Send it to a very gentle oven to be baked for three-quarters of an hour. Rice-flour (or ground rice), 5 ozs.; new milk, 1 quart: 10 to 12 minutes. Butter, 4 ozs. ; sugar, 5 to 6 ozs. ; salt, $ saltspoonful ; yolks, 8 eggs; whites, 2; rind, 1 large lemon; brandy, large wineglassful : f hour, slow oven. 06s. — These proportions are sufficient for a pudding of larger size than those served usually at elegant tables ; they will make two small ones; or two-thirds of the quantity may be taken for one of moderate size. Lemon-brandy, or ratafia, or a portion of each, may be used to give it flavour, with good effect ; and it may be enriched, if this be de- sired, by adding to the other ingredients from three to four ounces of Jordan almonds, finely pounded, and by substituting cream for half of the milk. 18 290 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVIII COMMON GROUND-RICE PUDDING. One pint and a half of milk, three ounces and a half of rice, three of Lisbon sugar, one and a half of butter, some nutmeg, or lemon-grate, and four eggs, baked slowly for half an hour, or more, if not quite firm. POTATO-PUDDING. With a pound and a quarter of fine mealy potatoes, boiled very dry, and mashed perfectly smooth while hot, mix three ounces of butter, five and a half of sugar, five eg-gs, a few grains of salt, and the grated rind of a small lemon. Pour the mixture into a well-buttered dish, and bake it in a moderate oven for nearly three-quarters of an hour. It should be turned out and sent to table with fine sugar sifted over it; or for variety, red currant-jelly, or any other preserve may be spread on it as soon as it is dished. Potatoes, 1 i lb. ; butter, 3 ozs. : sugar, 5| ozs. ; eggs, 5 ; lemon-rind, 1 ; salt, few grains: 40 to 45 minutes. Obs. — When cold, this pudding eats like cake, and may be served as such, omitting, of course, the sugar or preserve when it is dished. A RICHER POTATO PUDDING. Beat well together fourteen ounces of mashed potatoes, four ounces of butter, four of fine sugar, five eggs, the grated rind of a small lemon, and a slight pinch of salt ; add half a glass of brandy, and pour the pudding into a thickly-buttered dish, ornamented with slices of candied orange or lemon rind ; pour a little clarified butter on the top, and then sift plenty of white sugar over it. Potatoes, 14 ozs. ; butter, 4 ozs. ; sugar, 4 ozs. ; eggs, 5 ; lemon-rind, 1 ; little salt ; brandy, ^ glassful ; candied peel, 1£ to 2 ozs. : 40 minutes. Obs. — The potatoes for these receipts should be lightly and carefully mashed, but never pounded in a mortar, as that will convert them into a heavy paste. The better plan is to prepare them by Captain Kater's receipt (page 230), when they will fall to powder almost of themselves ; or they may be grated while hot through a wire-sieve. From a quarter to a half pint of cream is, by many cooks, added to potato puddings. AN EXCELLENT SPONGE CAKE PUDDING. Slice into a well-buttered tart-dish three penny sponge cakes, and place on them a couple of ounces of candied orange or lemon-peel cut in strips. Whisk thoroughly six eggs, and stir to them boiling a pint and a quarter of new milk, in which three ounces of sugar have been dissolved ; grate in the rind of a small lemon, and when they are some- what cooled, add half a wineglasslul of brandy ; while still warm, pour the mixture on to the cakes, and let it remain an hour ; then strain an ounce and a half of clarified butter over the top, sift or strew pounded sugar rather thickly on it, and bake the pudding for half an hour in a moderate oven. Sponge cakes, 3; candied peel, 2 ozs.; eggs, 6 ; new milk, 1J pint; sugar, 3 ozs. ; lemon-rind, 1 ; brandy, § glass ; butter, 1 oz. ; sifted sugar, li oz. : i hour. THE DUCHESS'S PUDDING. Mix with half a pound of potatoes very smoothly mashed, three quar- CHAP. XVIII.] BAKED PUDDINGS. 291 ters of a pound of mincemeat, the grated rind of half a lemon, a des- sertspoonful of sugar, and four large, or five small eggs; pour the whole into a well-buttered dish, and put over the top clarified butter and sugar, as in the preceding receipt. Bake the pudding tor a full hour and twenty minutes. Potatoes, h lb.; mincemeat, £ lb.; rind of lemon, h; sugar, 1 des- sertspoonful ; eggs, 4 large, or 5 small : 1 hour 20 minutes. BAKED APPLE PUDDING, OR CUSTARD. Weigh a pound of good boiling apples after they are pared and cored, and stew them to a perfectly smooth marmalade, with six ounces of sugar, and a spoonful or two of water: stir them often that they may not stick to the pan. Mix with them while they are still quite hot, three ounces of butter, the grated rind and the strained juice of a lemon, and lastly, stir in by degrees the well-beaten yolks of five eggs, and a dessertspoonful of flour, or in lieu of the last, three or four Naples' biscuits, or macaroons crushed small. Bake the pudding for a full half hour in a moderate oven, or longer should it not be quite firm in the middle. A little clarified butter poured on the top, with sugar sifted over, improves all baked puddings. Apples, 1 lb. ; sugar, b' ozs. ; water, 1 cupful ; butter, 3 ozs. ; juice and rind, 1 lemon; 5 eggs: A hour, or more. Obs. — Many cooks press the apples through a sieve after they are boiled, but this is not needful when they are of a good kind, and stewed, and beaten smooth. A COMMON BAKED APPLE PUDDING. Boil a pound and a quarter of apples with half a small cupful of water and six ounces of brown sugar ; when they are reduced to a smooth pulp, stir to them two ounces of butter, a tablespoonfnl of flour, or a handful of fine bread-crumbs, and five well-beaten eggs; grate ir? half a nutmeg, or flavour the pudding with pounded cinnamon, and bake it nearly three quarters of an hour. More or less of sugar will be required for these puddings, according to the time of year, as the fruit is much more acid when first gathered than when it has been some months stored. Apples, li lb. ; water, i small cupful; sugar, 6 ozs. ; butter, 2 ozs. ; flour, 1 tablespoonful, or bread-crumbs, 1 handful ; % nutmeg ; eggs, 5 : | hour. ESSEX PUDDING. (CHEAP AND GOOD.) Mix with a quarter of a pound of mashed potatoes, half a pound of good boiling apples minced, four ounces of brown sugar, four small eggs well beaten and strained, and a little grated lemon-peel or nutmeg. Increase the ingredients one half, and add two ounces of butter, should a larger and better pudding be desired : about half an hour will bake it. Potatoes mashed, 4 ozs. ; apples, 8 ozs. ; sugar, 4 ozs. ; eggs, 4 : § hour. DUTCH CUSTARD, OR BAKED RASPBERRY PUDDING. Lay into a tart-dish a border of puff-paste, and a pint and a half of fresnly-gathered raspberries, well mixed with three ounces of sugar. Whisk thoroughly six large eggs with three ounces more of sugar, and 292 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XVIII. pour it over the fruit : bake the pudding from twenty-five to thirty minutes in a moderate oven. Break the eggs one at a time into a cup, and with the point of a small three-pronged fork take off the specks or germs, before they are beaten, as we have directed in page 269. Raspberries, 1| pint ; sugar, 6 ozs. ; eggs, 6 : 25 to 30 minutes. VERMICELLI PUDDING. Drop lightly into a pint and a half of boiling milk four ounces of fresh vermicelli, and keep it simmering and stirred gently for ten mi- nutes, when it will have become very thick; then mix with it three ounces and a half of sugar, two ounces of butter, and a small pinch of salt. When the whole is well blended, pour it out ; beat it for a couple of minutes to cool it a little; then add by degrees five well-whisked eggs, the grated rind of a lemon, and just before it is put into the dish, a small glass of brandy : bake it from half to three quarters of an hour. Vermicelli varies much in quality, and of some kinds three ounces will render the pudding quite firm enough. Milk, li pint; vermicelli, 4 ozs. ; 10 minutes. Sugar, 3^ ozs. ; but- ter, 2 ozs. ; pinch of salt; eggs, 5; lemond-rind, 1; brandy, 1 wine- glassful : 4 to i hour. Obs. — This pudding requires, more than many others, a little clari- fied butter poured on the top, and sugar sifted over. Candied peel may be added to it with good effect; and three or four bitter almonds, pounded, may be used to give it flavour instead of lemon-rind. SMALL COCOA-NUT PUDDINGS. Melt together over a slow fire two ounces of fresh butter cut small, and four of pounded sugar ; pour them out when they have boiled for a couple of minutes, and let them cool; mix with them two ounces of finely-grated cocoa-nut, an ounce of citron shred small, the grated rind of half a large lemon, and four eggs : when these have been well beaten together, add the strained juice of the half lemon; put the mixture into buttered pattypans, or pudding-cups, sift sugar over, and bake them half an hour in a moderate oven. This is an excellent and a perfectly new receipt ; but in making use of it care should be taken to ascertain that the nut be fresh and sweet flavoured, as the slightest degree of rancidity will spoil the puddings. They are better hot than cold, though very good either way. Fresh butter, 2 ozs. ; pounded sugar, J lb. ; cocoa-nut, 2 ozs. ; candied citron, 1 oz. ; rind and juice of \ lemon; eggs, 4: \ hour. Obs. — The same ingredients may be made into one pudding only, and longer baked. GOOD YORKSHIRE PUDDING. To make a very good and light Yorkshire pudding, take an equd. number of eggs and of heaped tablespoonsful of flour, with a teaspoonful of salt to six of these. Whisk the eggs well, strain, and mix them gradually with the flour, then pour in by degrees as much new milk as will reduce the batter to the consistency of rather thin cream. The tin which is to receive the pudding must have been placed for some time previously under a joint that has been put down to roast: one or beef is usually preferred. Beat the batter briskly and lightly, the hv CHAP. XVIII.] BAKED FUDD1NGS. 29<{ stant before it is poured into the pan, watch it carefully that it may not burn, and let the edges have an equal share of the fire. When the pudding is quite firm in every part, and well-coloured on the surface, turn it to brown the under side. This is best accomplished by first dividing it into quarters. In Yorkshire it is made much thinner than in the south, roasted generally at an enormous fire, and not turned at all : currants there are sometimes added to it. Eggs, 6 ; flour, six heaped tablespoonsful, or from 7 to 8 ozs. ; milk, nearly or quite, 1 pint ; salt, 1 teaspoonful : 2 hours. Obs. — This pudding should be quite an inch thick when it is browned on both sides, but only half the depth when roasted in the Yorkshire mode. The cook must exercise her discretion a little in mixing the batter, as from the variation of weight in flour, and in the size of eggs, a little more or less of milk may be required : the whole should be rather more liquid than for a boiled pudding. COMMON YORKSHIRE PUDDING. Half a pound of flour, three eggs (we would recommend a fourth), rather more than a pint of milk, and a teaspoonful of salt. NORMANDY PUDDING. (GOOD.) Boil, until very soft and dry, eight ounces of rice in a pint and a half, or rather more, of water,* stir to it two ounces of fresh butter, and three of sugar, and simmer it for a few minutes after they are added; then pour it out, and let it cool for use. Strip from the stalks as many red currants, or morella cherries, as will fill a tart-dish of moderate size, and for each pint of the fruit allow from three to four ounces of sugar. Line the bottom and sides of a deep dish with part of the rice ; next, put in a thick layer of fruit and sugar; then one of rice and one of fruit alternately until the dish is full. Sufficient of the rice should be re- served to form a rather thick layer at the top : smooth this equally with a knife, and send the pudding to a moderate but not very slow oven, for half an hour, and more, should it be large. When two thirds baked, it may be glazed with yolk of egg, brushed over, and fine sugar sifted on it. Morella cherries, with a little additional sugar, make an excellent pudding of this kind. DAMSON-AND-RICE PUDDING. With five ounces of whole rice boiled soft and dry, mix an ounce of butter, ten ounces of damson-jam, a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, and five eggs. Beat the whole well together, and bake it about half an hour. Rice, 5 ozs. ; damson-jam, 10 ozs. ; butter, 1 oz. ; eggs, 5: 5 hour. BARBERRY-AND-RICE PUDDING. Mix ten ounces of barberries stripped from the stalks, with four ounces of whole boiled rice, eight ounces of sugar, a small slice of butter, and five large, or six small eggs. APPLE-AND-RICE PUDDING. Boil together one pound of good pudding-apples, and six ounces of sugar, until they are reduced to a smooth pulp ; stir them often to pre- vent their burning ; mix with them four ounces of boiled rice, two ounces * A quart of milk can be substituted for this ; but with the fruit, water perhaps ar* Bwers better. 294 MODERN OOOKERY [CHAP. XVIII. of butter, and five large eggs. Should the apples be very acid, increase the quantity of sugar: add lemon rind or juice, at pleasure. These puddings are better if mixed while the ingredients are still warm. Apples, 1 lb. ; sugar, 6 ozs. ; boiled rice, 4 ozs. ; butter, 2 ozs. ; eggs, 5 : 30 to 35 minutes. COMMON RAISIN PUDDING. Beat well together three quarters of a pound of flour, the same quan- tity of raisins, six ounces of beef-suet, finely chopped, a small pinch of salt, some grated nutmeg, and three eggs which have been thoroughly whisked, and mixed with about a quarter-pint of milk, or less than this, should the eggs be large. Pour the whole into a buttered dish, and bake it an hour and a quarter. For a large pudding, increase the quan- tities one half. Flour and stoned raisins, each ^ lb. ; suet, 6 ozs. ; salt, small pinch ; nutmeg, ^ teaspoonful; eggs, 3; milk, £ pint: 1^ hour. A RICHER RAISIN PUDDING. Mix and whisk well, and lightly together, a pound of raisins weighed after they are stoned, ten ounces of finely minced beef-suet, three quar- ters of a pound of flour, a little salt, half a small nutmeg, or the grated rind of a lemon, four large eggs, and as much milk as may be needed to make the whole into a very thick batter: bake the pudding a few minutes longer than the preceding one. The addition of sugar will be found no improvement, as it will render it much less light. POOR AUTHOR'S PUDDING. Flavour a quart of new milk by boiling in it for a few minutes half a stick of well-bruised cinnamon, or the thin rind of a small lemon; add a few grains of salt, and three ounces of sugar, and turn the whole into a deep basin ; when it is quite cold, stir to it three well-beaten eggs, and strain the mixture into a pie-dish. Cover the top entirely with slices of bread free from crust, and half an inch thick, cut so as to join neatly, and buttered on both sides : bake the pudding in a moderate oven for about half an hour, or in a Dutch oven before the fire. New milk, 1 quart; cinnamon, or lemon-rind; sugar, 3 ozs.; little salt ; eggs, 3 ; buttered bread : baked | hour. PUDDING A LA PAYSANNE ; (cheap (211(1 good.) Fill a deep tart-dish with alternate layers of well-sugared fruit, and very thin slices of the crumb of a light stale loaf; let the upper layer be of fruit, and should it be of a dry kind, sprinkle over it about a dessert- spoonful of water, or a little lemon-juice : raspberries, currants, and cher- ries, will not require this. Send the pudding to a somewhat brisk oven to be baked for about half an hour. The proportion of sugar used must be regulated, of course, by the acidity of the fruit. For a quart of ripe greengages, split and stoned, five ounces will be sufficient. Apricots, peaches, and nectarines will scarcely require more; but damsons, bu 1 laces, and various other plums will need a much larger quantity. A superior pudding of this kind is made by substituting sponge cake for the bread. INDIAN PUDDING. Put into a deep dish from six to eight ounces of rice which has been CHAP. XIX.] SOUFFLES, OMLETS, &C. 295 washed, and wiped in a dry cloth ; just moisten it with milk, and set it into a gentle oven ; add milk to it at intervals, in small quantities, unti. the grain is swollen to its full size, and is tender, but very dry ; then mix with it two dessertspoonsful of fine sugar, and if it should be at hand, four or five tablespoonsful of rich cream. Fill a tart-dish almost to the brim with fruit properly sugared, heap the rice equally over it, leaving it rough, and bake it in a moderate oven for half an hour, unless the fruit should be of a kind to require a longer time ; when very hard, it must be half stewed with the sugar before it is put into the dish. The rice may be swelled over a very slow fire when more convenient ; and the Dutch or American oven will serve quite well to bake the pudding. BAKED HASTY PUDDING. Take from a pint of new milk sufficient to mix into a thin batter two ounces of flour, put the remainder, with a small pinch of salt, into a clean saucepan, and when it boils quickly, stir the flour briskly to it; keep it stirred over a gentle fire for ten minutes, pour it out, and when it has become a little cool, mix with it two ounces of fresh butter, three of pounded sugar, the grated rind of a small lemon, four large, or five small eggs, and half a glass of brandy, or as much orange-flower water. To these half a dozen bitter almonds, pounded to a paste, are sometimes added. Bake the pudding half an hour in a gentle oven. New milk, 1 pint; flour, 2 ozs. : 10 minutes. Butter, 2 ozs. ; sugar. 3 ozs. ; eggs, 4 or 5 ; grated rind of lemon ; brandy, or orange-flower water, £ wineglassful. CHAPTER XIX. SOUFFLES, OMLETS, &c. OBSERVATIONS ON OMLETS, FRITTERS, &C. The composition and nature of a souffle are altogether different, but there is no difficulty in making good omlets, pancakes, or fritters, and as they may be expeditiously prepared and served, they are often a very- convenient resource when, on short notice, an addition is required to a dinner. The eggs for all of them should be well and lightly whisked ; the lard for frying batter should be extremely pure in flavour, and quite hot when the fritters are dropped in ; the batter itself should be smooth as cream, and it should be briskly beaten the instant before it is used. All fried pastes should be perfectly drained from the fat before they are served, and sent to table promptly when they are ready. Eggs may be dressed in a multiplicity of ways, but are seldom, in any form, more relished than in a well-made and expeditiously served omlet. This may be plain, or seasoned with minced herbs, and a very little eschalot, when the last is liked, and is then called an " Omlette aux fines herbes ;" or it may be mixed with minced ham, or grated cheese; in any case, it should be light, thick, full-tasted, and fried only on one side ; if turned in the pan, as it frequently is, it will at once be flattened and rendered tough. Should the slight rawness which is sometimes found in the 296 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XIX. middle of the inside, when the omlet is made in the French way, be objected to, a heated shovel, or a salamander, may be held over it for an instant, before it is folded on the dish. The pan for frying it should be quite small ; for if it be composed of four or five eggs only, and then put into a large one, it will necessarily spread over it and be thin, which would render it more like a pancake than an omlet; the only partial remedy for this, when a pan of proper size cannot be had, is to raise the handle of it high, and to keep the opposite side close down to the fire, which will confine the eggs into a smaller space. No gravy should ever be poured into the dish with it, and indeed, if properly made, it will require none. Lard is preferable to butter for frying batter, as it renders it lighter ; but it must not be used for omlets. A COMMON OMLET. From four to eight very fresh eggs may be used for this, according to the sized dish required. Half a dozen will generally be sufficient. Break them singly and carefully ; clear them in the way we have already pointed out in the introduction to boiled puddings, or when they are sufficiently whisked pour them through a sieve, and resume the beating until they are very light. Add to them from half to a whole teaspoonful of salt, and a seasoning of pepper. Dissolve in a small fry- ing pan a couple of ounces of butter, pour in the eggs, and as soon as the omlet is well risen and firm throughout, slide it on to a hot dish, fold it together like a turnover, and serve it immediately ; from five to seven minutes will fry it. For other varieties of the omlet, see the observations which precede this. AN OMLETTE SOUFFLEE. Separate, as they are broken, the whites from the yolks of six fine fresh eggs ; beat these last thoroughly, first by themselves and then with four tablespoonsful of dry, white sifted sugar, and the rind of half a lemon grated on a fine grater.* Whisk the whites to a solid froth, and just before the omlet is poured into the pan, mix them well, but lightly, with the yolks. Put four ounces of fresh butter into a very small deli- cately clean omlet, or frying-pan, and as soon as it is all dissolved, add the eggs and stir them round, that they may absorb it entirely. When the under side is just set, turn the omlet into a well-buttered dish, and send it to a tolerably brisk oven. From five to ten minutes will bake it; and it must be served the instant it is taken out; carried, indeed, as quickly as possible to table from the oven. It will have risen to a great height, but will sink and become heavy in a very short space of time: if sugar be sifted over it, let it be done with the utmost expedition. Eggs, 6 ; sugar, 4 tablespoonsful ; rind, i lemon ; butter, 4 ozs. : omlet baked, 5 to 10 minutes. Obs. — A large common frying-pan will not answer for omlets: a very small one should be kept for them, when there is no regular omlet- pan. SOUFFLES. The admirable lightness and delicacy of a well-made souffle render it generally a very favourite dish, and it is now a fashionable one also. It * As we have before said, a much more delicate flavour is imparted by rasping the lemon-rind on sugar. CHAP. XIX.] SOUFFLES, OMLETS, &C. 25)7 may be greatly varied in its composition, but in all cases must be served the very instant it is taken from the oven ; and even in passing to the dining-room it should, if possible, be prevented from sinking by a heated iron or salamander held above it. A common souffle-pan may be pur- chased for a dollar, in England, but those of silver or plated metal are of course expensive ; the part in which the souffle is baked is placed within the more ornamental dish when it is drawn from the oven. A plain, round, shallow cake-mould, with a strip of writing-paper six inches high, placed inside the rim, will answer on an emergency to bake a souffle in. The following receipt will serve as a guide tor the proper mode of making it: the process is always the same whether the prin- cipal ingredient be whole rice boiled very tender in milk and pressed through a sieve, bread-crumbs soaked as for a pudding and worked through a sieve also, arrow-root, potato-flour, or anything else of which light puddings in general are made. Take from a pint and a half of new milk or of cream sufficient to mix four ounces of flour of rice to a perfectly smooth batter; put the remainder into a very clean, well-tinned saucepan, and when it boils, stir the rice briskly to it ; let it simmer, keeping it stirred all the time, for ten minutes, or more should it not be very thick, then mix well with it two ounces of fresh butter, one and a half of pounded sugar, and the grated rind of a fine lemon (or let the sugar which is used for it be well rubbed on the lemon before it is crushed to powder) ; in two or three minutes take it from the fire, and beat quickly and carefully to it by degrees the yolks of six eggs; whisk the whites to a very firm solid froth, and when the pan is buttered, and all else quite ready for the oven, stir them gently to the other ingredients; pour the souffle imme- diately into the pan and place it in a moderate oven, of which keep the door closed for a quarter of an hour at least. When the souffle has risen very high, is of a fine colour, and quite done in the centre, which it will be in from half to three quarters of an hour, send it instantly to table. The exact time for baking it depends so much on the oven that it cannot be precisely specified. We have known quite a small one not too much baked in forty-five minutes in an iron oven; but generally less time will suffice for them : the heat, however, should always be moderate. New milk or cream, If pint; flour of rice, 4 ozs. ; fresh butter, 2 ozs. ; pounded sugar, 1£ oz. ; eggs, 6; grain of salt; rind, 1 lemon: 30 to 45 minutes. Obs. 1. — The souffle may be flavoured with vanilla, orange-flowers, or aught else that is liked. Chocolate and coffee also may be used for it with soaked bread : a very strong infusion of the last, and an ounce or two of the other, melted with a little water, are to be added to the milk and bread. Obs. 2. — A souffle' is commonly served in a dinner of ceremony as a remove of the roast, but the better plan for this, as for a fondu, is to have it quickly handed round, instead of being placed upon, the table. A PONDU. Mix to a smooth batter, with a quarter of a pint of new milk, two ounces of potato- flour, arrow-root, or tous les mois : pour boiling to them three quarters of a pint more of milk, or of cream in preference, stir 298 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XIX. them well together, and then throw in two ounces of butter cut small. When this is melted, and well-beaten into the mixture, add the well whisked yolks of four large or of live small eggs, half a teaspoonful of salt, something less of cayenne, and three ounces of lightly-grated cheese, Parmesan or rich old cheese, or equal parts of both. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a quite firm and solid froth ; then proceed, as for a souffle, to mix and bake the fondu. 20 minutes. KENTISH FRITTERS. Beat up the whites of three eggs and the yolks of six with half a pound of flour, a cupful of milk, and a large teaspoonful of yeast : put the mixture into a jug, cover it, and set it by the fire until the next day, then add to the batter two large apples finely chopped, and fry the fritters as usual. Whites of eggs, 3; yolks, 6; flour, 8 ozs. ; milk, 1 cupful; yeast, 1 teaspoonful : 24 hours. PLAIN COMMON FRITTERS. Mix with three well-beaten eggs a quarter-pint of milk, and strain them through a fine sieve: add them gradually to three large table- spoonsful of flour, and thin the batter with as much more milk as will bring it to the consistency of cream ; beat it up thoroughly at the mo- ment of using it, that the fritters may be light. Drop it in small por- tions from a spouted jug or basin into boiling lard ; when lightly coloured on one side, turn thern, drain them well from the lard as they are lifted out, and serve them very quickly. They are eaten generally with fine sugar, and orange or lemon juice : the first of these may be sifted thickly over them after they are dished, the oranges or lemons cut in two, and sent to table with them. The lard used for frying them should be fresh and pure-flavoured: it renders them more crisp and light than butter, and is, therefore, better suited to the purpose. Eggs, 3; flour, 3 tablespoon sful ; milk, £ to ^ pint. PANCAKES. These may be made with the same batter as fritters, if it be suffi- ciently thinned with an additional egg or two, or a little milk or cream, to spread quickly over the pan : to fry them well, this ought to be small. When the batter is ready, heat the pan over a clear fire and rub it with butter in every part, then pour in sufficient batter to spread over it entirely, and let the pancake be very thin: in this case it will require no turning, but otherwise it must be tossed over with a sudden jerk of the pan, in which the cook who is not somewhat expert will not always succeed ; therefore the safer plan is to make them so thin that they will not require this. Keep thern hot before the fire until a sufficient num- ber are ready to send to table, then proceed with ,a second supply, as they should always be quickly served. Either roll them up and strew fine sugar over them, or spread them quickly with preserve, laying them one on the other. A richer kind of pancake may be made with a pint of cream, or of cream and new milk mixed, five eggs, or their yolks only, a couple of ounces of flour, a little pounded cinnamon or lemon-rind rasped on sugar and scraped into them, with two ounces more of pounded sugar, and two ounces of clarified butter. From 4 to 5 minutes. CHAP. XIX.] SOUFFLES, OMLETS, &C. 299 FRITTERS OF CAKE AND PUDDING. Cut plain pound, or rice cake into small square slices haJf an inch thick ; trim away the crust, fry them slowly a light brown, in a small quantity of fresh butter, and spread over them when done a layer of apricot-jam, or of any other preserve, and serve them immediately. These fritters are improved by being 1 moistened with a little good cream before they are fried : they must then be slightly floured. Cold plum- pudding- sliced down as thick as the cake, and divided into portions of equal size and good form, then dipped into batter, and gently fried, will also make an agreeable variety of fritter. MINCEMEAT FRITTERS. With half a pound of mincemeat mix two ounces of fine bread-crumbs (or a tablespoonful of flour), two eggs well beaten, and the strained juice of half a small lemon. Mix these well, and drop the fritters with a dessertspoon into plenty of very pure lard or fresh butter ; fry them from seven to eight minutes, drain them on a napkin or on white blotting paper, and send them very hot to table : they should be quite small. Mincemeat, ^ lb. ; bread-crumbs, 2 ozs. (or flour, 1 tablespoonful) ; eggs, 2; juice of ^ lemon: 7 to 8 minutes. Venetian fritters. ( Very good.) Pick, wash, and drain three ounces of whole rice, put it into a full pint of cold milk, and bring it very slowly to boil; stir it often, and let it simmer gently until quite thick and dry. When about three parts done, add to it two ounces of pounded sugar, and one of fresh butter, a grain of salt, and the grated rind of half a small lemon. Let it cool in the saucepan, and when only just warm mix with it thoroughly three ounces of currants, four apples, chopped fine, a teaspoonful of flour, and three large or four small well-beaten eggs. Drop the mixture in small fritters, fry them in butter from five to seven minutes, and let them become quite firm on one side before they are turned : do this with a slice. Drain them as they are taken up, and sift white sugar over them after they are dished. Whole rice, 3 ozs.; milk, lpint; sugar, 2 ozs. ; butter, 1 oz. ; grated rind of \ lemon ; currants, 3 ozs. ; minced apples, 4 ozs. ; flour, 1 teaspoonful ; a little salt ; eggs, 3 large or 4 small ; 5 to 7 minutes. FRITTERS OF SPRING FRUIT. The rhubarb for these should be of a good sort, quickly grown, and tender. Pare, cut it into equal lengths, and throw it into the French batter of page 113 ; with a fork lift the stalks separately, and put them into a pan of boiling lard or butter : in from five to six minutes they will be done. Drain them well and dish them on a napkin, or pile them high without one, and strew sifted sugar plentifully over them : they should be of a very light brown, and quite dry and crisp. The young stalks look well when left in their entire length, and only slightly en- crusted with the batter, through which they should be merely drawn. 5 to 6 minutes. APPLE, PEACH, APRICOT, OR ORANGE FRITTERS. Pare and core without dividing the apples, slice them in rounds the full size of the fruit, dip them into the same batter as that directed foi 300 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XIX. the preceding fritters; fry them a pale brown, and let them be very- dry. Serve them heaped high upon a folded napkin, and strew sifted sugar over them. After having stripped the outer rind from the oranges, remove carefully the white inner skin, and in slicing them take out the pips ; then dip them into the batter and proceed as for the apple fritters. The peaches and apricots should be merely skinned, halved, and stoned before they are drawn through the batter, unless they should not be fully ripe, when they must first be stewed tender in a thin syrup. 8 to 12 minutes. POTATO FRITTERS. (ENTREMETS.) See directions for potato puddings. The same mixture dropped in fritters into boiling butter, and fried until firm on both sides, will be found very good. LEMON FRITTERS. (ENTREMETS.) Mix with six ounces of very fine bread-crumbs four of beef suet, minced as small as possible, four ounces of pounded sugar, a small table- spoonful of flour, four whole eggs, well and lightly whisked, and the grated rind of one large or of two small lemons, with half or the whole of the juice, at choice ; but before this last is stirred in, add a spoonful or two of milk or cream, if needed. Fry the mixture in small fritters for five or six minutes. CANNELONS. (ENTREMETS.) Roll out very thin and evenly some fine puff-paste into a long strip of from three to four inches wide, moisten the surface with a feather dipped in white of egg, and cut it into bands of nearly two inches wide ; lay some apricot or peach marmalade equally along these, and fold the paste twice over it, close the ends carefully, and when all are ready slide them gently into a pan of boiling lard ; * as soon as they begin to brown, raise the pan from the fire that they may not take too much colour be- fore the paste is done quite through. Five minutes will fry them. Drain them well, and dry them on a soft cloth before the fire ; dish them on a napkin, and place one layer crossing another, or merely pile them high in the centre. If well made, and served of a light brown and very dry, these cannelons are excellent : when lard is objected to butter may be used instead, but the paste will then be somewhat less light. Only lard of the purest quality will answ T er for the purpose. 5 minutes. CROQUETTES OF RICE. (ENTREMETS.) Wipe very clean, in a dry cloth, seven ounces of rice, put it into a clean stewpan, and pour on it a quart of new milk ; let it swell gently by the side of the fire, and stir it often that it may not stick to the pan, nor burn ; when it is about half done, stir to it five ounces of pounded sugar, and six bitter almonds beaten extremely fine : the thin rind of half a fresh lemon may be added in the first instance. The rice must be simmered until it is soft, and very thick and dry ; it should then be spread on a dish, and left until cold, when it is to be rolled into small balls, which must be dipped into beaten egg, and then covered in every part with the finest bread-crumbs. When all are ready, fry them a * Cannelons may be either baked or fried: if sent to the oven, they may first be glazed with white of egg and sugar. CHAP. XIX.] SOUFFLES, OMLETS, &C. 301 light brown in fresh butter, and dry them well before the fire, upon a sieve reversed and covered with a very soft cloth, or with a sheet of white blotting-paper. Pile them in a hot dish, and send them to table quickly. Rice, 7 ozs. ; milk, 1 quart; rind of lemon: J hour. Sugar, 5 ozs. ; bitter almonds, 6 : 40 to 60 minutes, or more. Fried, 5 to 7 minutes. FINER CROQUETTES OF RICE. (ENTREMETS.) Swell the rice in thin cream, or in new milk strongly flavoured with cocoa-nut; then add the same ingredients as in the foregoing receipt, and when the rice is cold, form it into balls, and with the thumb of the right hand hollow them sufficiently to admit in the centre a small portion of peach jam, or of apricot marmalade ; close the rice well over it; egg, crumb, and fry the croquettes as usual. As, from the difference of quality, the same proportions of rice and milk will not always produce the same effect, the cook must use her discretion in adding, should it be needed, sufficient liquid to soften the rice perfectly : but she must bear in mind that if not boiled extremely thick and dry, it will be difficult to make it into croquettes. RISSOLES. (ENTREE.) This is the French name for small fried pastry of various forms, filled with meat or fish previously cooked ; they may be made with brioche, or with light puff-paste, either of which must be rolled extremely thin. Cut it with a small round cutter fluted or plain ; put a little rich mince, or good pounded meat, in the centre, and moisten the edges, and press them securely together that they may not burst open in the frying. The rissoles may be formed like small patties, by laying a second round of paste over the meat; or like cannelons ; they may, likewise, be brushed with egg, and sprinkled with vermicelli, broken small, or with fine crumbs. They are sometimes made in the form of croquettes, the paste being gathered round the meat, which must form a ball. In frying them, adopt the same plan as for the croquettes, raising the pan as soon as the paste is lightly coloured. Serve all these fried dishes well drained, and on a napkin. From 5 to 7 minutes, or less. VERY SAVOURY RISSOLES. (ENTREE.) Make the forcemeat No. 1, page 122, sufficiently firm with unbeaten yolk of egg, to roll rather thin on a well-floured board ; cut it into very small rounds, put a little pounded chicken in the centre of one half, moistening the ed^es with water, or white of egg, lay the remaining rounds over these, close them securely, and fry them in butter a fine light brown ; drain and dry them well, and heap them in the middle of a hot dish, upon a napkin folded flat: these rissoles may be egged and crumbed before they are fried. RISSOLES OF FISH. (ENTREE.) Take perfectly cjear from bones and skin, the flesh of any cold fish that can be pounded to an exceedingly fine paste ; add to it, when in the mortar, from one quarter to a third as much of good butter, and a high seasoning of cayenne, with a moderate one of mace and nutmeg. To these may be added, at pleasure, a few shrimps, or a little of any of :j02 modern cookery. [chap. XIX the finer fish sauces, or some lobster-coral. When the whole is well beaten and blended together, roll out some good pufi-paste extremely thin, and with a small round tin shape, cat out the number of rissoles required ; put some of the fish into each of these, moisten the edges with white of egg, fold and press them securely together, and when all are ready, slip them gently into a pan of boiling lard or butter; fry them a pale brown, drain them well, and dry them on white blotting-paper, laid upon a sieve, reversed; but do not place them sufficiently near to scorch or to colour them. TO BOIL PIPE MACCARONI. We have found always the continental mode of dressing maccaroni the best. English cooks sometimes soak it in milk and water for an hour or more, before it is boiled, that the pipes may be swollen to the utmost, but this is apt to render it pulpy, though its appearance may be im- proved by it. Drop it lightly, and by degrees, into a large pan of fast- boiling water, into which a little salt, and a bit of butter the size of a walnut, have previously been thrown, and of which the boiling should not be stopped by the addition of the maccaroni. In from three quar- ters of an hour to an hour this will be sufficiently tender ; it should always be perfectly so, as it is otherwise indigestible, though the pipes should remain entire. Pour it into a large cullender, and drain the water well from it. It should be very softly boiled after the first minute or two. | to 1 hour. RIBBAND MACCARONI. This is dressed in precisely the same manner as the pipe maccaroni, but requires only from fourteen to sixteen minutes' boiling in water, and twenty or more in broth or stock. DRESSED MACCARONI. Four ounces of pipe maccaroni is sufficient for a small dish, but from six to eight should be prepared for a family party where it is liked. The common English mode of dressing it is with grated cheese, butter, and cream, or milk. French cooks substitute generally a spoonful or two of very strong rich jellied gravy for the cream; and the Italians, amongst their many other modes of serving it, toss it in rich brown gravy, with sufficient grated cheese to flavour the whole strongly ; they send it to table also simply laid into a good Espagnole or brown gravy (that drawn from the stufato, for example), accompanied by a plate of grated cheese. Another, and an easy mode of dressing it is to boil and drain it well, and to put it into a deep dish, strewing grated cheese on every layer, and adding bits of fresh butter to it. The top, in this case, should be covered with a layer of fine bread-crumbs, mixed with grated cheese; these should be moistened plentifully with clarified butter, and colour given to them in the oven, or before the fire; the crumbs maybe omitted, and a layer of cheese substituted for them. An excellent pre- paration of maccaroni may be made with any well-flavoured, dry white cheese, which can be grated easily, at much less cost than with the Par- mesan, which is expensive, and in the country not always procurable even ; we think that the rich brown gravy is also a great advantage to die dish, which is further improved by a tolerably high seasoning of CHAP. XIX.] SOUFFLES, OMLETS, &C. 303 cayenne. These, however, are innovations on the usual modes of serv- ing- it in England. After it has been boiled quite tender, drain it well, dissolve from two to three ounces of good butter in a clean stewpan, with a few spoonsful of rich cream, or of white sauce, lay in part of the maccaroni, strew part of the cheese upon it, add the remainder of the maccaroni and the cheese, and toss the whole gently until the ingredients are well incor- porated, and adhere to the maccaroni, leaving- no liquid perceptible : serve it immediately. Maccaroni, 6 ozs. ; butter, 3 ozs. ; Parmesan cheese, 6 ozs. ; cream, 4 tablespoonsful. Obs. — If preferred so, cheese may be strewed thickly over the mac- caroni after it is dished, and just melted and browned with a salamander. MACCARONI A LA REINE. This is a very excellent and delicate mode of dressing maccaroni. Boil eight ounces in the usual way (see page 302), and by the time it is sufficiently tender, dissolve gently ten ounces of any rich, well-flavoured white cheese in full three quarters of a pint of good cream ; add a little salt, a rather full seasoning of cayenne, from half to a whole saltspoon- ful of pounded mace, and a couple of ounces of sweet fresh butter. The cheese should, in the first instance, be sliced very thin, and .taken quite free of the hard part adjoining the rind ; it should be stirred in the cream without intermission until it is entirely dissolved, and the whole is perfectly smooth : the maccaroni, previously well-drained, may then be tossed gently in it, or after it is dished, the cheese may be poured equally over the maccaroni. The whole, in either case, may be thickly covered before it is sent to table, with fine crumbs of bread fried of a pale gold colour, and dried perfectly, either before the fire or in an oven, when such an addition is considered an improvement. As a matter of precaution, it is better to boil the cream before the cheese is melted in it; rich white sauce, or bechamel, made not very thick, with an additional ounce or two of butter, may be used to vary and enrich this preparation. If Parmesan cheese* be used for it, it must of course be grated. Half the quantity may be served. Maccaroni, \ lb. ; cheese, 10 ozs. ; good cream, § pint (or rich white sauce) ; butter, 2 ozs. (or more) ; little salt, fine cayenne, and mace. FORCED EGGS FOR SALAD. Boil six fresh eggs for twelve minutes, and when they are perfectly cold, halve them lengthwise, take out the yolks, pound them to a paste with a third of their volume of fresh butter; then add a quarter tea- spoonful of mace, and as much cayenne as will season the mixture well ; beat these together thoroughly, and fill the whites of egg neatly with them. A morsel of garlic, not larger than a pea, perfectly blended with the other ingredients, would to some tastes greatly improve this preparation. Eggs, 6; butter, size of 2 yolks; mace, ^ teaspoonful; cayenne, third as much. FORCED- EGGS, OR EGGS EN SURPRISE. (ENTREMETS.) Boil, and divide, as in the receipt above, half a dozen very fresh eggs; * The Parmesan being apt to gather into lumps, instead of mingling smoothly with the liquid, hart better be avoided for this dish. 304 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. pound the yolks perfectly, first by themselves, then with three ounces of good butter, a seasoning of salt, cayenne, and nutmeg, or mace, a large teaspoon ful or more of minced parsley, and the yolks of two raw eggs. Slice a small bit off the whites to make them stand flat, hollow the insides well, fill them smoothly with the yolks, form a small dome in the centre of the dish with the remainder of the mixture, and lean the eggs against it, placing them regularly round. Set them into a gentle oven for ten minutes,* and send them quickly to table. CHAPTER XX. SWEET DISHES, OR ENTREMETS. TO PREPARE CALF'S FEET STOCK.f The feet are usually sent in from the butcher's ready to dress, but as a matter of economy J or of convenience it is sometimes desirable to have them altogether prepared by the cook. Dip them into cold water, lay them into a deep pan, and sprinkle equally over them on both sides some rosin in fine powder ; pour in as much boiling water as will cover them well, and let them remain for a minute or two untouched ; then scrape the hair clean from them with the edge of a knife. When this is done, wash them very thoroughly both in hot and in cold water ; di- vide them at the joint, split the claws, and take away the fat that is between them. Should the feet be large, put a gallon of cold water to the four, but from a pint to a quart less if they be of moderate size or small. Boil them gently down until the flesh has parted entirely from the bones, and the liquor is reduced nearly or quite half; strain, and let it stand until cold ; remove every particle of fat from the top before it is used, and be careful not to take the sediment. Calf's feet, (large) 4 ; water, 1 gallon : 6 to 7 hours. TO CLARIFY CALF'S FEET STOCK. Break up a quart of the stock, put it into a clean stewpan with the whites of five large or of six small eggs, two ounces of sugar, and the strained juice of a small lemon; place it over a gentle fire, and do not stir it after the scum begins to form ; when it has boiled five or six mi- nutes, if the liquid part be clear, turn it into a jelly-bag, and pass it through a second time should it not be perfectly transparent the first. To consumptive patients, and others requiring restoratives, but forbidden to take stimulants, the jelly thus prepared is often very acceptable, and may be taken with impunity, when it would be highly injurious made with wine. More white of egg is required to clarify it than when sugai and acid are used in large quantities, as both of these assist the process. For blamange omit the lemon-juice, and mix with the clarified stock an * Half of one of the raw egg-yolks may be omitted, and a spoonful of rich cream used instead ; the esrgs can also he steamed until the insides are firm, by placing them with a little good gravy, or white sauce, in a stewpan, and simmering them gently from fifteen to twenty minutes. t For fuller and better directions for this, see page 160, Chapter IX. I They are sold at a much lower price when not cleared from the hair. CHAP. XX.] SWEET DISHES. 005 equal proportion of cream (for an invalid new milk), with the usual flavouring-, and weight of sugar; or pour the boiling- stock very gradu- ally to some finely pounded almonds, and express it from them as directed for Quince Blamange, allowing- from six to eight ounces to the pint. Stock, 1 quart ; whites of eggs, 5 ; sugar, 2 ozs. ; juice, 1 small lemon : 5 to 8 minutes. TO CLARIFY ISINGLASS. The finely-cut purified isinglass, which is now in general use, re- quires no clarifying except for clear jellies : for all other dishes it is sufficient to dissolve, skim, and pass it through a muslin strainer. When two ounces are required for a dish, put two and a half into a delicately clean pan, and pour on it a pint of spring water which has been gradually mixed with a teaspoonful of beaten white of ego - ; stir these thoroughly together, and let them heat slowly by the side of a gentle fire, but do not allow the isinglass to stick to the pan. When the scum is well risen, which it will be after two or three minutes' sim- mering, clear it off, and continue the skimming until no more appears, then, should the quantity of liquid be more than is needed, reduce it by quick boiling to the proper point, strain it through a thin muslin, and set it by for use : it will be perfectly transparent, and may be mixed lukewarm with the clear and ready sweetened juice of various fruits, or used with the necessary proportion of syrup, for jellies flavoured with choice liquors. As the clarifying reduces the strength of the isinglass, — or rather as a portion of it is taken up by the white egg-, — an additional quarter to each ounce must be allowed for this: if the scum be laid to drain on the back of a fine sieve which has been wetted with hot water, a little very strong jelly will drip from it. Isinglass, 2^ ozs. ; water, 1 pint; beaten white of egg, 1 teaspoonful. SPINACH GREEN, FOR COLOURING SWEET DISHES, CONFECTIONARY, OR SOUPS. Pound quite to a pulp, in a marble or wedgewood mortar, a handful or two of young freshly-gathered spinach, then throw it into a hair- sieve, and press through all the juice that can be obtained from it; pour this into a clean white jar, and place it in a pan of water that is at the point of boiling, and which must be allowed to just simmer afterwards; in three or four minutes the juice will be poached or set ; take it then gently with a spoon, and lay it upon the back of a fine sieve to drain. If wanted for immediate use, merely mix it in the mortar with some finely-powdered sugar;* but if to be kept as a store, pound it with as much as will render the whole tolerably dry, boil it to candy-height over a very clear fire, pour it out in cakes, and keep them in a tin box or canister. For this last preparation consult the receipt for orange- flower candy. PREPARED APPLE, OR QUINCE JUICE. Pour into a clean earthen pan two quarts of spring water, and throw, into it as quickly as they can be pared, cored, and weighed, four pounds of nonsuches, pippins, or any other good boiling apples of fine flavour When all are done stew them gently until they are well broken, but * For soup, dilute it first with a little of the boiling stock, and stir it to the remainder 19 306 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. not reduced quite to pulp; turn them into a jelly-bag or strain the juice from them without pressure through a closely-woven cloth, which should be gathered over the fruit, and tied, and suspended above a deep pan until the juice ceases to drop from it : this, if not very clear, must be rendered so before it is used for syrup or jelly, but for all other purposes once straining it will be sufficient. Quinces are prepared in the same way, and with the same proportions of fruit and watei. but they must not be too long boiled, or the juice will become red. We have found it answer well to have them simmered until they are perfectly tender, and then to leave them with their liquor in a bowl until the following day, when the juice will be rich and clear. They should be thrown into the water very quickly after they are pared and weighed, as the air will soon discolour them. Water, 2 quarts; apples, or quinces, 4 lbs. cocoa-nut flavoured milk. {For sweet dishes, <$"C.) Pare the dark outer rind from a very fresh nut, and grate it on a fine and exceedingly clean grater ; to every three ounces pour a quart of new milk, and simmer them very soflly for three quarters of an hour, or more, that a full flavour of the nut may be imparted to the milk with- out its being much reduced; strain it through a fine sieve, or cloth, with sufficient pressure to leave the nut almost dry : it may then be used for blamange, custards, rice, and other puddings, light cakes and bread. To each quart new milk, 3 ozs. grated cocoa-nut: £ to 1 hour. Obs. — The milk of the nut, when perfectly sweet and good, may be added to the other with advantage. To obtain it, bore one end of the shell with a gimlet, and catch the liquid in a cup; and to extricate the kernel, break the shell with a hammer : this is better than sawing it asunder. COMPOTES OF FRUIT. We would particularly invite the attention of the reader to these wholesome and agreeable preparations of fruit, which are much less served at English tables, generally, than they deserve to be. We have found them often peculiarly acceptable to persons of delicate habit who were forbidden to partake of pastry in any form; and accompanied by a dish of boiled rice, they are very preferable for children, as well as for invalids, to either tarts or puddings. Compote of spring fruit. — (Rhubarb.) Take a pound of the stalks after they are pared, and cut them into short lengths , have ready a quarter-pint of water boiled gently for ten minutes with five ounces of sugar, or with six should the fruit be very acid; put it in, and simmer it for about ten minutes. Some kinds will be tender in rather less time, some will require more. Obs. — Good sugar in lumps should be used generally for these dishes, and when they are intended for dessert the syrup should be enriched with an additional ounce or two. Lisbon sugar will answer for them very well on ordinary occasions, but that which is refined will render them much more delicate. Compote of green currants. — Spring water half pint; sugar five ounces; boiled together ten minutes. One pint of green currants strip- ped from the stalks; simmered three to five minutes. Compote of green gooselierriea.- — This is an excellent, compote if made CHAP. XX.] SWEET DISHES. 307 with fine sugar, and very good with any kind. Break five ounces into small lumps and pour on them halt" a pint of water ; boil these gently for ten minutes, and clear off all the scum; then add to them a pint of fresh gooseberries freed from the tops and stalks, washed, and well drained. Simmer them gently from eight to ten minutes, and serve them hot or cold. Increase the quantity tor a large dish. Compote of green apricots. — Wipe the down from a pound of quite young apricots, and stew them very gently for nearly twenty minutes in Kyrup made with eight ounces of sugar and three quarters of a pint of water, boiled together the usual time. Compote of red currants. — A quarter-pint of water and five ounces of sugar : ten minutes. One pint of ready picked currants to be just simmered in the syrup from five to six minutes. This receipt will serve equally for raspberries, or for a compote of the two fruits mixed toge- ther. Either of them will be found an admirable accompaniment to batter, custard, bread, ground rice, and various other kinds of puddings, as well as to whole rice plainly boiled. Compote of cherries. — Simmer five ounces of sugar with half a pint of water for ten minutes; throw into the syrup a pound of cherries weighed after they are stalked, and let them stew gently for twenty minutes ; it is a great improvement to stone the fruit, but a larger quantity will then be required for a dish. Compote of Morella Cherries. — Boil together for fifteen minutes, five ounces of sugar with half a pint of water: add a pound and a quarter of ripe Morella cherries, and simmer them very softly from five to seven minutes ; this is a delicious compote. Compote of Damsons. — Four ounces of sugar and half a pint of water to be boiled for ten minutes ; one pound of damsons to be added, and simmered gently from ten to twelve minutes. Compote of the Magnum Bonum, or other large plums. — Boil six ounces of sugar with half a pint of water the usual time ; take the stalks from a pound of plums, and simmer them very softly for twenty minutes. Increase the proportion of sugar if needed, and regulate the time as may be necessary for the different varieties of fruit. Compote of hullaces. — The large, or shepherds' bullace, is very good stewed, but will require a considerable quantity of sugar to render it palatable, unless it be quite ripe. Make a syrup with eight ounces, and three-quarters of a pint of water, and boil in it gently from fifteen to twenty minutes, a pint and a half of the bullaces freed from their stalks. COMPOTE OF PEACHES. Pare half a dozen ripe peaches, and stew them very softly from eigh- teen to twenty minutes, keeping them often turned in a light syrup, made with five ounces of sugar, and half a pint of water boiled together for ten minutes. Dish the fruit ; reduce the syrup by quick boiling, pour it over the peaches, and serve them hot for a second-course dish, or >cold for dessert. They should be quite ripe, and will be found delicious dressed thus. A little lemon-juice may be added to the syrup, and the blanched kernels of two or three peach or apricot stones. Sugar, 5 ozs. ; water, ^ pint: 10 minutes. Peaches, 6: 18 to 20 minutes. Obs. — Nectarines, without being pared, may be dressed in the same 808 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. way, but will require to be stewed somewhat longer, unless they be perfectly ripe. ANOTHER RECEIPT FOR STEWED PEACHES. Should the fruit be not perfectly ripe, throw it into boiling' water and keep it just simmering, until the skin can be easily stripped off. Have ready hall' a pound of fine sugar boiled to a light syrup with three quarters of a pint of water; throw in the peaches, let them stew softly until quite tender, and tarn them often that they may be equally done ; after they are dished, add a little strained lemon-juice to the syrup, and reduce it by a few minutes' very quick boiling. The fruit is sometimes pared, divided, and stoned, then gently stewed' until it is tender. Sugar, 8 ozs. ; water, ^ pint: 10 to 12 minutes. Peaches, 6 or 7; lemon-juice, 1 large teaspoonful. STEWED BARBERRIES, OR COMPOTE D'EPINE-VINETTE. Boil to a thin syrup half a pound of sugar and three quarters of a pint of water, skim it well, and throw into it three quarters of a pound of barberries stripped from the stalks ; keep them pressed down into the syrup, and gently stirred : from five to seven minutes will boil them. Sugar, 8 ozs. ; water, f pint : 12 to 15 minutes. Barberries, ^ lb. : 5 to 7 minutes. ANOTHER COMPOTE OF BARBERRIES FOR DESSERT. When this fruit is first ripe it requires, from its excessive acidity, nearly its weight of sugar to render it palatable; but after hanging some time upon the trees it becomes much mellowed in flavour, and may be sufficiently sweetened with a smaller proportion. According to the state of the fruit then, take for each pound (leaving it in bunches) from twelve to sixteen ounces of sugar, and boil it with three quarters of a pint of water until it forms a syrup. Throw in the bunches of fruit, and simmer them for five or six minutes. If their weight of sugar be used, they will become in that time perfectly transparent. As all vessels of tin affect the colour of the barberries, they should be boiled in a copper stewpan, or in a German enamelled one, which would be far better. Barberries, 1 lb. ; sugar, 12 to 16 ozs. ; water, f pint: fruit simmered in syrup, 5 to 6 minutes. GATEAU DE POMMES. Boil together for fifteen minutes a pound of well-refined sugar and half a pint of water; then add a couple of pounds of nonsuches, or of any other finely-flavoured apples which can be boiled easily to a smooth pulp, and the juice of a couple of small, or of one very large lemon. Stew these gently until the mixture is perfectly free from lumps, then boil it quickly, keeping it stirred, without quitting it, until it forms a very thick and dry marmalade. A few minutes before it is done add the finely grated rinds of a couple of lemons; when it leaves the bottom of the preserving-pan visible and dry, press it into moulds of tasteful form ; and either store it for winter use, or if wanted for table, serve it plain for dessert, or ornament it with spikes of blanched almonds, and pour a custard round it for a second-course dish. Sugar, lib. ; water, \ pint: 15 minutes. Nonsuches or other apples, 2 lbs. ; juice, 1 large or 2 small lemons : 2 hours or more. CHAP. XX.] SWEET DISHES. 3QQ GATEAU OF MIXED FRUITS. (GOOD.) Extract the juice from some fresh red currants by simmering them very gently for a few minutes over a slow fire; strain it through a folded muslin, and to one pound of it 'add a pound and a half of°non- ?u> ?? °^f freshly g -athered a PP les > pared, and rather deeply cored, that the fibrous part of the apple may be avoided. Boil these quite slowly until the mixture is perfectly smooth, then, to evaporate part of the moisture, let the boiling be quickened. In from twenty-five to thirty minutes draw the pan from the fire, and throw in gradually a pound and a quarter of sugar in fine powder; mix it well with the fruit and when it is dissolved continue the boiling rapidly for twenty minutes longer, keeping the mixture constantly stirred ; put it into a mould, and store it, when cold, tor winter use, or serve it for dessert, or for the second course : in the latter case decorate it with spikes of almonds blanched and heap solid whipped cream round it, or pour a custard into the dish. For dessert, it may be garnished with dice of the palest apple-jelly. F Juice of red currants, 1 lb. ; apples (pared and cored), 1* lb.: 25 to 30 minutes. Sugar, l£ lb. : 20 minutes. Obs.—A portion of raspberries, if still in season, may be mixed with the currants for this gateau, should their flavour be liked. JELLIES. calf's feet jelly, (entremets.) We hear inexperienced housekeepers frequently complain of the dif- ficulty of rendering this jelly perfectly transparent; but, by mixing with the other ingredients, while quite cold, the whites, and the crushed shells of a sufficient number of eggs, and allowing the head of scum which gathers on the jelly to remain undisturbed after it once forms, they will scarcely fail to obtain it clear. It should be strained through a thick flannel-bag of a conical form (placed before the fire, should the weather be at all cold, or the mixture will jelly before it has run through), and if not perfectly clear it must be strained again and again until it becomes so; though we generally find that once suffices. Mix thoroughly m a large stewpan five half-pints of strong calf's-feet stock (see page 304,) a full pint of sherry, half a pound of suo-ar, roughly powdered, the juice of two fine lemons, the rind of one and a halff cut very thin, the whites and shells of four large eggs, and half an ounce of isinglass. Let these remain a few minutes off the fire, that the sugai may dissolve more easily; then let the jelly be brought to boil oradu- ally, and do not stir it after it begins to heat. When it has boiled gen- tly sixteen minutes, draw it from the fire, and let it stand a short time before it is poured into the jelly-bag, under which a bowl should be placed to receive it. When clear and cool, put it into the moulds which have been laid for some hours in water : these should always be of earthenware in preference to metal. If to be served in glasses, or roughed, the jelly will be sufficiently firm without the isinglass, of which, however, we recommend a small quantity to be thrown in always when the jelly begins to boil, as it facilitates the clearing. Calf's feet stock, 2± pints; sugar, 4 lb.; sherry, l°pint; juice of lemons, 2 larae,- rind of 1£; whites and shells of eggs, 4 large, or 5 email: 16 minutes. s 310 MODERN COOKERY. [cHAP. XX. 06s. 1. — After all the jelly has dropped through the bag, an exceed- ingly agreeable beverage may be obtained by pouring in some boiling water ; from one to three half-pints, according to the quantity of jejly which has been made. The same plan should be pursued in making orange or lemon jelly for an invalid. Of) S . 2. — As it is essential to the transparency of calf's-feet jelly of ail kinds that the whole of the ingredients should be quite cold when they are mixed, and as the stock can only be measured in a liquid state, to which it must be reduced by heating, the better plan is, to measure it when it is first strained from the feet, and to put apart the exact quantity required for a receipt; but when this has not been done, and it is necessary to liquefy it, it must be left until quite cold again before it is used. ANOTHER RECEIPT FOR CALF'S FEET JELLY. To four calf's feet, well cleaned and divided, pour a gallon of water, and let them stew until it is reduced to rather less than two quarts; or if, after the flesh has quite fallen from the bones, the liquor on being strained off should exceed that quantity, reduce it by rapid boiling in a clean uncovered pan over a very clear fire. When it is perfectly firm and cold, take it, clear of fat and sediment, and add to it a bottle of sherry, which should be of good quality (for poor, thin wines are not well adapted to the purpose), three quarters of a pound of sugar broken small, the juice of five large or of six moderate-sized lemons, and the whites, with the shells finely crushed, of seven eggs, or of more, should they be very small. The rinds of three lemons, pared exceed- ingly thin, may be thrown into the jelly a few minutes before it is taken from the fire ; or they may be put into the jelly-bag previously to its being poured through, when they will impart to it a slight and delicate flavour, without deepening its colour much. If it is to be moulded, something more than half an ounce of isinglass should be dropped lightly in° where the liquid becomes visible through the head of scum, when the mixture begins to boil ; for if not sufficiently firm, it will break when it is dished. It may be roughed, or served in glasses with- out this addition ; and in a liquid state will be found an admirable in- gredient for Oxford, or other punch. Calf's feet, 4; water, 1 gallon; to be reduced more than half. Sherry, 1 bottle; sugar, f lb. (more to taste); juice of 5 large lemons, or of six moderate-sized; whites and shells of 7 eggs, or more if small ; rinds of lemons, 3 (for moulding, nearly ^ oz. of isinglass) : 15 to 20 minutes. Obs. — An excellent and wholesome jelly for young people may be made with good orange or raisin wine, instead of sherry ; to either of these the juice of three or four oranges, with a small portion of the rind, may be added instead of part of the lemons. APPLE calf's feet jelly. Pour a quart of prepared apple-juice (see page 305) on a pound of fresh apples pared and cored, and simmer them until they are well broken ; strain the juice, and let it stand until cold ; then measure, and put a pint and a half of it into a stewpan with a quart of calf's feet stock (see page 304), nine ounces of sugar broken small, or roughly pounded, the Juice of two line lemons, and the thin rinds of one and a CHAP. XX.] SWEET DISHES. 311 half, with the whites and shells of eight eggs. Let it boil gently for ten minutes, then strain it through a flannel-bag, and when cool put it into moulds. It will be very clear, and firm, and of pleasant flavour. Apples of good quality should be used for it, and the quantity of sugar must be regulated by the time of year, as the fruit will have lost much of its acidity during the latter part of the season. This receipt, which is the result of our own experiment, and which we have found very suc- cessful, was first tried just after Christinas, with pippins. A little syrup of preserved ginger, or a small glass of fine white brandy, would per- haps, to some tastes, improve the jelly ; but we give it simply as we have had it proved ourselves. Prepared apple juice, 1 quart ; fresh apples, 1 lb. : h to | hour. Strained juice, \h pint; calf's feet stock, 1 quart; sugar, 9 ozs. ; juice of lemons, 2; rind of H; whites and shells of eggs, 8: 10 minutes. Obs. — We would recommend the substitution of quinces for apples in this receipt as likely to afford a very agreeable variety of the jelly : or equal portions of the two fruits might answer well. Unless the stock be very stifT, add isinglass to this, as to the calPs feet jelly, when it is to be moulded. ORANGE CALF'S FEET JELLY. To a pint and a half of firm calf's feet stock, put a pint of strained China orange-juice, mixed with that of one or two lemons; add to these six ounces of sugar, broken small, the very thin rinds of three oranges and of one lemon, and the whites of six eggs with half the shells crushed small. Stir these gently over a clear fire until the head of scum begins to form, but not at all afterwards. Simmer the jelly for ten minutes from the first full boil ; take it from the fire, let it stand a little, then pour it through a jelby-bag until perfectly clear. This is an original, and entirely new receipt, which we can recommend to the reader, the jelly being very pale, beautifully transparent, and delicate in flavour: it would, we think, be peculiarly acceptable to such invalids as are for- bidden to take wine in any form. The proportions both of sugar and of lemon-juice must be somewhat varied according to the season in which the oranges are used. Strong calf's feet stock, \h pint; strained orange-juice, mixed with a small portion of lemon-juice, 1 pint; sugar, 6 ozs.; rinds of oranges, 3 ; of lemon, 1 : 10 minutes. Obs. — A small pinch of isinglass thrown into the jelly when it begins to boil will much assist to clear it. When the flavour of Seville oranges is liked, two or three can be used with the sweet ones. ORANGE ISINGLASS JELLY. To render this perfectly transparent the juice of the fruit must be filtered, and the isinglass clarified ; but it is not usual tc take so much trouble for it. Strain as clear as possible, first through a sieve or mus- lin, then through a thick cloth or jelly-bag, one quart of orange-juice, mixed with as much lemon-juice as will give an agreeable degree of acidity. Dissolve two ounces and a half of isinglass in a pint of water, skim it well, throw in half a pound of sugar, and a few strips of the orange-rind, pour in the orange-juice, stir the whole well together, skim it clean without allowing it to boil, strain it through a cloth or through a muslin, many times folded, and when nearly cold put it into the 312 MODERN COOKERY. [ciIAI\ XX. moulds.* This jelly is sometimes made without any water, by dis- solving the isinglass and sugar in the juice of the fruit. Orange-juice, 1 quart; water, 1 pint; isinglass, 2i ozs. ; sugar, -| lb. ORANGES FILLED WITH JELLY. This is one of the fanciful dishes which make a pretty appearance on a supper table, and are acceptable when much variety is desired. Take some very fine oranges, and with the point of a small knife cut out from the top of each a round about the size of a shilling ; then with the small end of a tea or egg spoon, empty them entirely, taking great care not to break the rinds. Throw these into cold water, and make jelly of the juice, which must be well pressed from the pulp, and strained as clear as pos- sible. Colour one half a fine rose — colour with prepared cochineal, and leave the other very pale ; when it is nearly cold, drain and wipe the orange rinds, and fill them with alternate strioes of the two jellies ; when they are perfectly cold cut them in quarters, and dispose them tastefully in a dish with a few light branches of myrtle between them. Calf's feet or any other variety of jelly, or different blamanges, may be used at choice to fill the rinds: the colours, however, should conlrast as much as possible. LEMON CALF'S FEET JELLY. Break up a quart of strong calf's feet stock, which should have been measured while in a liquid state; let it be quite clear of fat and sedi- ment, for which a small additional quantity should be allowed ; add to it a not very full half-pint of strained lemon-juice, and ten ounces of sugar, broken small (rather more or less according to the state of the fruit), the rind of one lemon pared as thin as possible, or from two to three when a full flavour of it is liked, and the whites, with part of the shells crushed small, of five large or of six small eggs. Proceed as for the preceding- jellies, and when the mixture has boiled five minutes throw in a small pinch of isinglass ; continue the boiling for five or six minutes longer, draw the pan from the fire, let it stand to settle ; then turn it into the jelly-bag. We have found it always perfectly clear with once passing through ; but should it not be so, pour it in a second time. Strong calf's feet stock, 1 quart; strained lemon-juice, short \ pint; sugar, 10 ozs. (more or less according to state of fruit) ; rind of from 1 to 3 large lemons ; whites and part of shells of 5 large or 6 small eggs : 5 minutes. Pinch of isinglass: 5 minutes longer. Obs. — About seven large lemons will produce the half pint of juice. This quantity is for one mould only. The jelly will be found almost colourless unless much of the rinds be used, and as perfectly transparent as clear spring water : it is also very agreeable in flavour. For variety, * In Prance, orange-jelly is very commonly served in the halved rinds of the fruit, or in little baskets. . CHAP. XX.] SWEET DISHES. 313 part of the juice of the fruit might be omitted, and its place supplied by maraschino, or any other rich white liquor of appropriate flavour. CONSTANTIA JELLY. Infuse in a pint of water for five minutes the rind of half a Seville orange, pared extremely thin ; add an ounce of isinglass; and when this is dissolved throw in four ounces of good sugar in Jumps; stir well, and simmer the whole for a few minutes, then mix with it four large wineglassesful of Constantia, and strain the jelly through a fine cloth of close texture ; let it settle and cool, then pour it gently from any sediment there may be, into a mould which has been laid for an hour or two into water. We had this jelly made in the first instance for an invalid who was forbidden to take acids, and it proved so agreeable in flavour that we can recommend it for the table. The isinglass, with an additional quarter ounce, might be clarified, and the sugar and orange- rind boiled with it afterwards. Water, 1 pint; rind £ Seville orange: 5 minutes. Isinglass, 1 oz. ; sugar, 4 ozs. : 5 to 7 minutes. Constantia, 4 large wineglassesful. STRAWBERRY ISINGLASS JELLY. A great variety of equally elegant and excellent jellies for the table may be made with clarified isinglass, clear syrup, and the juice of almost any kind of fresh fruit; but as the process of making them is nearly the same for all, we shall limit our receipts to one or two, which will serve to direct the makers for the rest. Boil together quickly for fifteen mi- nutes one pint of water and three quarters of a pound of very good sugar ; measure a quart of ripe richly-flavoured strawberries without their stalks ; the scarlet answer best from the colour which they give ; on these pour the boiling syrup, and let them stand all night. The next day clarify two ounces and a half of isinglass in a pint of water, as di- rected at the beginning of this chapter; drain the syrup from the straw- berries very closely, add to it two or three tablespoonsful of red currant juice, and the clear juice of one large or of two small lemons; and when the isinglass is nearly cold mix the whole, and put it into moulds. The French, who excel in these fruit- jellies, always mix the separate ingredients when they are almost cold ; and they also place them over ice for an hour or so after they are moulded, which is a great advantage, as they then require less isinglass, and are in consequence much more delicate. When the fruit abounds, instead of throwing it into the syrup, bruise lightly from three to four pints, throw two tablespoonsful of sugar over it, and let the juice flow from it for an hour or two; then pour a little water over, and use the juice without boiling, which will give a jelly of finer flavour than the other. Water, 1 pint ; sugar, ^ lb. : 15 minutes. Strawberries, 1 quart ; isinglass, 2^ ozs. ; water, 1 pint (white of egg 1 to 2 teaspoonsful) ; juice, 1 large or 2 small lemons. Obs. — The juice of any fruit mixed with sufficient sugar to sweeten, and of isinglass to stiffen it, with as much lemon-juice as will take off the insipidity of the flavour, will serve for this kind of jelly. Pine apples, peaches, and such other fruits as do not yield much juice, must *>e infused in a larger quantity of syrup, which must then be used in -leu of it. In this same manner jellies are made with various kinds of 314 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. wine and liquors, and with the ingredients for punch as well; but we cannot further multiply our receipts for them. FANCY JELLIES. To give greater transparency of appearance to jelly, it is often made in a mould with a cylindrical tube in the centre. The space left in the centre is sometimes filled with very light, whipped cream, flavoured and coloured so as to eat agreeably with it, and to please the eye as well : this may be tastefulTy garnished with preserved, or with fresh fruit. Italian jelly is made by half filling a mould of this, or any of more convenient shape, and laying round upon it in a chain, as soon as it is set, some blamange made rather firm, and cut of equal thickness and size with a small round cutter ; the mould is then filled with the remainder of the jelly, which must be nearly cold, but not beginning to set. Brandied morella cherries, drained very dry, are sometimes dropped into moulds of pale jelly ; and fruits, either fresh or preserved, are arranged in them with exceedingly good effect when skilfully managed ; but this is best accomplished by having a mould for the pur- pose, with another of smaller size fixed in it by means of slight wires, which hook on to the edge of the outer one. By pouring water into this it may easily be detached from the jelly ; the fruit is then to be placed in the space left by it, and the whole filled up with more jelly: to give the proper effect, it must be recollected that the dish will be reversed when sent to table. queen mab's pudding ; (an elegant summer dish.) Throw into a pint of new milk the thin rind of a small lemon, and six or eight bitter almonds, blanched and bruised ; or substitute for these half a pod of vanilla, cut small, heat it slowly by the side of the fire, and keep it at the point of boiling until it is strongly flavoured, then add a small pinch of salt, and three quarters of an ounce of the finest isinglaes, or a full ounce should the weather be extremely warm ; when this is dissolved, strain the milk through a muslin, and put it into a clean saucepan, with four ounces and a half of sugar in lumps, and half a pint of rich cream ; give the whole one boil, and then stir it briskly and by degrees to the well-beaten yolks of six fresh eggs; next, thicken the mixture as a custard, over a gentle fire, but do not hazard its curdling; when it is of tolerable consistency, pour it out, and con- tinue the stirring until it is half cold, then mix with it an ounce and a half of candied citron, cut in small spikes, and a couple of ounces of dried cherries, and pour it into a mould rubbed with a drop of oil : when turned out it will have the appearance of a pudding. From two to three ounces of preserved ginger, well drained and sliced, may be substituted for the cherries, and an ounce of pistachio-nuts, blanched and split, for the citron ; these will make an elegant variety of the dish, and the syrup of the ginger, poured round as sauce, will be a further improvement. Currants steamed until tender, and candied orange or lemon-rind, are often usr-d instead of the cherries, and the well-sweet- ened juice of strawberries, raspberries (white or red), apricots, peaches, or syrup ot pine-apple, will make an agreeable sauce; a small quan- tity of this last will also give a delicious flavour to the pudding itself, when mixed with the other ingredients. Cream may be substituted entirely for the milk, when its richness is considered desirable. CHAP. XX.] SWEET DISHES. 315 New milk, 1 pint, ; rind 1 small lemon ; bitter almonds, 6 to 8 (or, vanilla, ^ pod) ; salt, few grains ; isinglass, £ oz. (1 oz. in sultry wea- ther) ; sugar, k\ oz. ; cream, \ pint ; yolks, 6 eggs ; dried cherries, 2 ozs. ; candied citron, 1^ oz. ; (or preserved ginger, 2 to 3 ozs., and the syrup as sauce, and 1 oz. of blanched pistachio-nuts; or 4 ozs. currants, steamed 20 minutes, and 2 ozs. candied orange-rind). For sauce, sweetened juice of strawberries, raspberries, or plums, or pine-apple syrup. Obs. — The currants should be steamed in an earthen cullender, placed over a saucepan of boiling water, and covered with the lid. It will be a great improvement to place the pudding over ice for an hour before it is served. NESSELRODE CREAM. Shell and blanch twenty-four fine Spanish chestnuts, and put them with three quarters of a pint of water into a small and delicately clean saucepan. When they have simmered from six to eight minutes, add to them two ounces of fine sugar, and let them stew very gently until they are perfectly tender; then drain them from the water, pound them, while still warm, to a smooth paste, and press them through the back of a fine sieve. While this is being done, dissolve half an ounce of isinglass in two or three spoonsful of w 7 ater, and put to it as much cream as will, with the small quantity of water used, make half a pint ; two ounces of sugar, about the third of a pod of vanilla, cut small, and well bruised, and a strip or two of fresh lemon-rind, pared extremely thin. Give these a minute's boil, and then keep them quite hot by the side of the fire, until a strong flavour of the vanilla is obtained. Now, mix gradually with the chestnuts half a pint of rich, unboiled cream, strain the other half pint through a fine muslin, and work the whole well to- gether until it becomes very thick ; then stir to it a couple of ounces of dried cherries, cut into quarters, and two of candied citron, divided into very small dice. Press the mixture into a mould which has been rubbed with a particle of the purest salad-oil, and in a few hours it will be ready for table. The cream should be sufficiently stiff, when the fruit is added, to prevent its sinking to the bottom, and both kinds should be dry when they are used. Chestnuts, large, 24; water, 2. pint; sugar, 2 ozs. ; isinglass, ^ oz. ; water, 3 to 4 tablespoonsful; cream, nearly ^ pint; vanilla, ^ of pod ; lemon-rind, ^ of 1 large : infuse 20 minutes or more. Unboiled cream, ^ pint; dried cherries, 2 ozs. ; candied citron, 2 ozs. Obs. — When vanilla cannot easily be obtained, a little noyeau may be substituted for it, but a full weight of isinglass must then be used. This receipt is entirely new, and our directions must be followed with exactness, should the reader wish to ensure its success. AX EXCELLENT TRIFLE. Take equal parts of wine and brandy, about a waneglassful of each, or two thirds of good sherry or Madeira, and one of spirit, and soak in the mixture tour sponge-biscuits, and half a pound of macaroons; cover the bottom of the trifle-dish witn part of these, and pour upon them a full pint of rich boiled custard made with three quarters of a pint, or rather more, of milk and cream taken in equal portions, and six eo-n-s ; and sweetened, flavoured and thickened by the receipt of page :V22 , lay the remainder of the soaked cakes upon it, and pile over the whole, 316 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. to the depth of two or three inches, the whipped syllabub of page 319, previously well drained ; then sweeten and flavour slightly with wine only, less than half a pint of thin cream (or of cream and milk mixed) ; wash and wipe the whisk, and whip it to the lightest possible froth : take it off with a skimmer and heap it gently over the trifle. Macaroons, ^ lb. ; wir*e and brandy mixed, ^ pint ; rich boiled cus- tard, 1 pint; whipped syllabub (see page 318); light froth to cover the whole, short ^ pint of cream and milk mixed ; sugar, dessertspoonful ; wine, \ glassful. swiss cream, or trifle; {very good.) Flavour pleasantly with lemon-rind and cinnamon a pint of rich cream, after having taken from it as much as will mix smoothly to a thin batter four teaspoonsful of the finest flour ; sweeten it with six ounces of well-refined sugar, in lumps ; place it over a clear fire in a delicately clean saucepan, and when it boils stir in the flour, and sim- mer it for four or five minutes, stirring it gently without ceasing ; then pour it out, and when it is quite cold mix with it by degrees the strained juice of two moderate-sized and very fresh lemons. Take a quarter of a pound of macaroons, cover the bottom of a glass dish with a portion of them, pour in a part of the cream, lay the remainder of the maca- roons upon it, add the rest of the cream, and ornament it with candied citron, sliced thin. It should be made the day before it is wanted for table. The requisite flavour may be given to this dish by infusing in the cream the very thin rind of a lemon, and part of a stick of cinna- mon, slightly bruised, and then straining it before the flour is added ; or, these and the sugar may be boiled together, with two or three spoonsful of water, to a strongly flavoured syrup, which, after having been passed through a muslin strainer, may be stirred into the cream. Some cooks boil the cinnamon and the grated rind of a lemon with all the other ingredients, but the cream has then to be pressed through a sieve after it is made, a process which it is always desirable to avoid. Rich cream, 1 pint ; sugar, 6 ozs. ; rind, 1 lemon ; cinnamon, 1 drachm; flour, 4 teaspoonsful; juice, 2 lemons; macaroons, 4 oss. , candied citron, 1 to 2 ozs. Chantilly Basket, FILLED WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND FRESH STRAWBERRIES. Take a mould of any sort that will serve to form the basket on, just dip the edge of some macaroons in melted barley sugar, and fasten the*A CHAP. XX.] SWEET DISHES. 317 together with it; take it out of the mould, keep it in a dry place until wanted, then fill it high with whipped strawberry cream which has been drained on a sieve from the preceding day, and stick very fine ripe strawberries over it. It should not be filled until just before it is served. CREME MERINGUEE. Infuse in a pint of new milk the very thin rind of a lemon, with four or five bitter almonds bruised. As the quantity should not be reduced, it should be kept by the side of the fire until strongly flavoured, and not be allowed to boil for more than two or three minutes. Sweeten it with three ounces of fine sugar in lumps, and when this is dissolved, strain, and mix the milk with half a pint of cream ; then stir the whole gra- dually to the well-beaten yolks of six fresh eggs, and thicken it like boiled custard. Put it, when cold, into a deep dish, beat to a solid froth the whites of six eggs, mix them with five tablespoonsful of pounded and sifted sugar, and spread them evenly over the custard, which should be set immediately into a moderate oven, baked half an hour, and served directly it is taken out. New milk, 1 pint; rind of one lemon; bitter almonds, 5; sugar, 3 ozs. ; cream, | pint ; yolks of eggs, 6 ; frothed whites of eggs, 6 ; sifted sugar, 5 tablespoonsful : baked, \ hour. Obs. — A layer of apricot, peach, or magnum bonum, marmalade placed in the dish before the custard-mixture is poured in will convert Xhis into the gentleman commoner's pudding. LEMON CREAM, MADE WITHOUT CREAM. Pour on the very thin rinds of two fresh lemons, and a pound of fine sugar broken small, or roughly powdered, one pint of boiling- water, and let them remain an hour; then add the whites of six eggs and the yolks of two, previously well beaten together, and the juice of six lemons ; mix them thoroughly, strain the whole into a deep jug, set this into a pan of boiling water, and stir the cream without quitting it until it is well thickened ; pour it out, and continue the stirring at intervals until it is nearly cold, when it may be put into the glasses. In cool weather this cream will remain good for several days, and it should always be made at least twenty-four hours before it is served. Lemon-rinds, 2; sugar, 1 lb.; water, 1 pint: 1 hour. Whites of 6 eggs ; yolks of 2 ; juice of 6 lemons. VERY GOOD LEMON CREAMS. Pour over the very thin rinds of two moderate-sized but perfectly sound fresh lemons, and six ounces of sugar, half a pint of spring water, and let them remain six hours; then add the strained juice of the lemons, and five fresh eggs well beaten, and also strained ; take out the lemon-rind, and stir the mixture without ceasing over a gentle fire until it has boiled softly from six to eight minutes: it will not curdle as it would did milk supply the place of the water and lemon-juice. The creams are, we think, more delicate, tnough not quite so thick, when the yolks only of six eggs are used for them. They will keep well for nearly a week in really cold weather. Rinds of lemons, 2 ; sugar, 6 ozs. (or 8 when a very sweet dish is preferred) ; cold water, ^ pint : 6 hours. Juice of lemons, 2 ; eggs, 5 . to bp boiled softlv 6 to ft minutps. 318 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. Obs. — Lemon creams may, on occasion, be more expeditiously pre- pared, by rasping- the rind of the fruit upon the sugar which is used for them ; or, by paring- it thin, and boiling it for a few minutes with the lemon-juice, sugar, and water, before they are stirred to the eggs. FRUIT CREAMS, AND ITALIAN CREAMS. These are very quickly and easily made, by mixing with good cream a sufficient proportion of the sweetened juice of fresh fruit, or of well- made fruit jelly or jam, to flavour it : a few drops of prepared cochineal may be added to deepen the colour when it is required for any particular purpose. A quarter-pint of strawberry or of raspberry jelly will fully flavour a pint of cream: a very little lemon-juice improves almost all compositions of this sort. When jam is used it must first be gradually mixed with the cream, and then worked through a sieve, to Like out the seed or skin of the fruit. All fresh juice, for this purpose, must, of course, be cold ; that of strawberries is best obtained by crushing the fruit and strewing sugar over it. Peaches, pine-apple, apricots, or nec- tarines, may be simmered for a few minutes in a little syrup, and this, drained well from them, will serve extremely well to mix with the cream when it has become thoroughly cold : the lemon-juice should be added to all of these. When the ingredients are well blended, lightly whisk or mill them to a froth ; take this off with a skimmer as it rises, and lay it upon a fine sieve reversed, to drain, or if it is to be served in glasses, fill them with it at once. Italian creams are either fruit-flavoured only, or mixed with wine like syllabubs, then whisked to a stiff" froth and put into a perforated mould, into which a muslin is first laid : or into a small hair-sieve (which must also first be lined with the muslin), and left to drain until the fol- lowing day, when the cream must be very gently turned out, and dished, and garnished as fancy may direct. VERY SUPERIOR WHIPPED SYLLABUBS. Weigh seven ounces of fine sugar and rasp on it the rinds of two fresh sound lemons of good size, then pound or roll it to powder, and put it into a bowl with the strained juice of the lemons, two large glasses of sherry, and two of brandy ; when the sugar is nearly or quite dis- solved add a pint of rich cream, and whisk or mill the mixture well ; take oft" the froth as it rises, and put it into glasses. These syllabubs will remain good for several days, and should always be made, if possi- ble, four and twenty hours before they are wanted for table. The full flavour of the lemon-rind is obtained with less trouble than in rasping, by paring it very thin indeed, and infusing it for some hours in the juice of the fruit. Sugar, 7 ozs. ; rind and juice of lemons, 2; sherry, 2 large wine- glassesful ; brandy, 2 wineglassesful ; cream, 1 pint. Obs. — These proportions are sufficient for two dozens or more of syl- labubs : they are often made with almost equal quantities of wine and cream, but are certainly neither so good nor so wholesome without a portion of brandy. «rf»K x?K Modern blamaiisje or cake mould. CHAP. XX."] SWEET DISHES. 319 BLAMANGES. GOOD COMMON BLAMANGE, OR BLANC MANGER. {Author's Re'.Plpt.) Infuse for an hour in a pint and three quarters of new milk the very thin rind of one small, or of half a large lemon and eight bitter almonds, blanched and bruised; then add two ounces of sugar, or rather more for persons who like the blamange very sweet, and an ounce and a half of isinglass. Boil them gently over a clear fire, stir- ring them often until this last is dissolved ; take off the scum, stir in half a pint of rich cream, and strain the blamange into a bowl : it should be moved gently with a spoon until nearly cold to prevent the cream from settling on the surface. Before it is moulded, mix with it by de- grees a wineglassful of brandy. New milk, If pint; rind of lemon, ^ large or whole small 1 ; bitter almonds, 8; infuse 1 hour. Sugar, 2 to 3 ozs. ; isinglass, l^oz. : 10 minutes. Cream, ^ pint; brandy, 1 wineglassful. RICHER BLAMANGE. A pint of good cream with a pint of new milk, sweetened and fla- voured as above, or with a little additional sugar, and the rind of one very fresh lemon with the same proportion of isinglass will make very good blamange. A couple of ounces of almonds may be pounded and mixed with it, but they are not needed with the cream. JAUMANGE, OR JAUNE MANGER ; SOMETIMES CALLED DUTCH FLUMMERY. Pour on the very thin rind of a large lemon, and half a pound of sugar broken small, a pint of water, and keep them stirred over a gentle fire until they have simmered for three or four minutes, then leave the saucepan by the side of the stove, that the syrup may taste well of the lemon. In ten or fifteen minutes afterwards add two ounces of isin- glass, and stir the mixture often until this is dissolved, then throw in the strained juice of four sound, moderate-sized lemons, and a pint of sherry ; mix the whole briskly with the beaten yolks of eight fresh eggs, and then pass it through a delicately clean hair-sieve: next thicken it in a jar or jug placed in a pan of boiling watefc, turn it into a bowl, and when it has become cool, and been allowed to settle for a minute or two, pour it into moulds which have been laid in water. Some persons add a small glass of brandy to it, and deduct so much from the quantity of water. Rind of 1 lemon; sugar, 8 ozs.; water, 1 pint: 3 or 4 minutes. Isinglass, 2 ozs. ; juice, 4 lemons ; yolks of 8 eggs ; wine, 1 pint ; brandy (at pleasure), 1 wineglassful. EXTREMELY GOOD STRAWBERRY BLAMANGE. Crush slightly, with a silver or a wooden spoon, a quart, measured without their stalks, of fresh and richly-flavoured strawberries ; strew over them eight ounces of pounded sugar, and let them stand three or four hours; then turn them on to a fin* 1 hair-sieve reversed, and press 320 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. them through it. Molt over a gentle fire two ounces of the best isinglass in a pint of new milk, and sweeten it with four ounces of sugar ; strain it through a muslin, and mix it with a pint and a quarter of sweet thick cream ; keep these stirred until they are nearly or quite cold, then pour them gradually to the strawberries, whisking them briskly together ; and last of all throw in, by small portions the strained juice of a fine sound lemon. Mould the blamange, and set it in a very cool place for twelve hours or more, before it is served. Strawberries stalked, 1 quart ; sugar, 8 ozs. ; isinglass, 2 oz. ; new milk, 1 pint; sugar, 4 ozs.; cream, 1^ pint; juice, 1 lemon. QUINCE BLAMANGE. (Delicious.) This, if carefully made, and with ripe quinces, is one of the most richly-flavoured preparations of fruit that we have ever tasted ; and the receipt, we may venture to say, will be altogether new to the reader. Dissolve in a pint of prepared juice of quinces (see page 305), an ounce of the best isinglass; next, add ten ounces of sugar, roughly pounded, and stir these together gently over a clear fire, from twenty to thirty minutes, or until the juice jellies in filling from the spoon. Remove the scum carefully, and pour the boiling jelly gradually to half a pint of thick cream, stirring them briskly together as they are mixed : they must be stirred until very nearly cold, and then poured into a mould which has been rubbed in every part with the smallest possible quantity of very pure salad oil, or, if more convenient, into one that has been dipped into cold water. Juice of quinces, 1 pint ; isinglass, 1 oz. : 5 to 10 minutes. Sugar, 10 ozs. ; 20 to 30 minutes. Cream, ^ pint. QUINCE BLAMANGE, WITH ALMOND CREAM. When cream is not procurable, which will sometimes happen in the depth of winter, almonds, if plentifully used, will afford a very good sub- stitute, though the finer blamang-e is made from the foregoing receipt. On four ounces of almonds, blanched and beaten to the smoothest paste, and moistened in the pounding with a few drops of water, to prevent their oiling, pour a pint of boiling quince-juice; stir them together, and turn them into a strong cloth, of which let the ends be held and twisted different ways by two persons, to express the cream from the almonds, put the juice again on the fire, with half a pound of sugar, and when it boils, throw in nearly an ounce of fine isinglass ; simmer the whole for five minutes, take off the scum, stir the blamange until it is nearly cold, then mould it for table. Increase the quantity both of this and of the preceding blamange, when a large dish of either is required. Quince-juice, 1 pint; almonds, 4 ozs. ; sugar, ^ lb. ; isinglass, nearly 1 oz. : 5 minutes. APRICOT BLAMANGE, OR CREME PARISIENNE. Dissolve gently an ounce of fine isinglass in a pint of new milk or ol thin cream, and strain it through a folded muslin; put it into a clean saucepan, with three ounces of sugar, broken into small lumps, and when it boils, stir to it half a pint of rich cream; add it, at first, by spoonsful only, to eight ounces of the finest apricot jam, mix them very smoothly, and stir the whole until it is nearly cold, that the jam may not sink to the bottom of the mould : a tablespoonful of lomon-juico will improve the flavour. CHAP. XX.] SWEET DISHES. 321 When cream is scarce, use milk instead, with an additional quarter- ounce of isinglass, and enrich it by pouring it boiling on the same pro- portion of almonds as for the second quince bla mange (see page 320). Cream can in all cases be substituted entirely for the milk, when a very rich preparation is desired. Peach jam will answer admirably for this receipt ; but none of any kind should be used for it which has not been passed through a sieve when made. Isinglass, 1 oz. ; new milk, 1 pint ; cream, \ pint ; sugar, 3 ozs. ; apricot jam, \ lb. ; lemon-juice, 1 tablespoonful. Or : peach jam, \ lb. ; cream, \\ pint. BLAMANGE RUBANE, OR, STRIPED BLAMANGE. Make in the ordinary way, but a little firmer, one quart or two of blamange, according to the number of moulds that are to be filled ; di- vide it into three or four equal portions ; add to one, sufficient prepared spinach-juice (see page 305), to colour it a full or a pale green; to ano- ther, some liquid cochineal or carmine; to a third, should further va- riety be desired, a few drops of strong infusion of saffron, or if its peculiar flavour be objected to, stir quickly some of the blamange quite boiling to the well-beaten yolks of three or four fresh eggs, and thicken it a little over a gentle fire with an additional spoonful or two of milk, for unless the whole be nearly of the same consistency, it will be liable to separate in the unmoulding. Chocolate, first boiled very smooth in a small quantity of water, will give an additional colour; and some firm, clear isinglass, or calf 's-foot jelly, may be used for an occasional stripe, where great variety is desired. The different kinds of blamange should be poured into the mould in half-inch depths, when so cool as to be only just liquid, and one colour must be perfectly cold before another is added, or they will run together, and spoil the appearance of the dish. When ice is not procurable, the moulds in warm weather may be set into water, mixed with plenty of salt and saltpetre : the insides should be rubbed with a drop of very pure salad oil, instead of being laid into fresh water, as usual. AN APPLE HEDGE-HOG, OR SUEDOISE. This dish is formed of apples, pared, cored without being divided, and stewed tolerably tender in a light syrup. These are placed in a dish, after being well drained, and vkMJW-Mji filled with apricot, or any v^nlM^i^ other rich marmalade, and arranged in two or more lay- ers, so as to give, when the whole is complete, the form shown in the engraving. The number required must depend on the size of the dish. From three to five pounds more must be stewed down into a smooth and dry marmalade, and with this all the spaces between them are to be filled up, and the whole are to be covered with it; an icing of two eggs, beaten to a very solid froth, and mixed with two heaped tablespoonsful of sugar, must then be spread evenly over the suedoise, fine sugar sifted on this, and spikes of hlanched almonds, cut lengthwise, stuck over the entire surface; the dish is then to be placed in a moderate oven untiJ 20 322 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. the almonds are browned, but not too deeply, and the apples are hot through. It is not easy to give the required tbrm with less than fifteen apples; eight of these may first be simmered in a syrup made with half a pint of water and six ounces of sugar, and the remainder may be thrown in after these are lifted out. Care must be taken to keep them firm. The marmalade should be sweet, and pleasantly flavoured with lemon. IMPERIAL GOOSEBERRY-FOOL. Simmer a pound of green gooseberries which have been freed from the buds and stalks, in three-quarters of a pint of water, until they are well broken, then strain them, and to half a pound of the juice add half a pound of sugar, broken small : boil these together for fifteen minutes. Dissolve half an ounce of isinglass in a quarter-pint of rich cream, pour them into a basin, and stir them till only lukewarm, then mix them by degrees with the sugar and gooseberry-juice, which should also have been allowed to cool ; add the strained juice of half a small lemon, and mould the mixture, which should stand at least twelve hours, in a cool place, before it is turned out. These proportions are sufficient for a small mould only, and must be doubled for a large one. The dish is too sweet for our own taste, but as it has been highly approved by several persons who have tasted it, we give the receipt exactly as we had it tried in the first instance : it will be found extremely easy to vary it. VERY GOOD OLD-FASHIONED BOILED CUSTARD. Throw into a pint and a half of new milk, the very thin rind of a fresh lemon, and let it infuse for half an hour, then simmer them together for a few minutes, and add four ounces and a half of white sugar. Beat thoroughly the yolks of fourteen fresh eggs, mix with them another half-pint of new milk, stir the boiling milk quickly to them, take out the lemon-peel, and turn the custard into a deep jug ; set this over the fire in a pan of boiling water, and keep the custard stirred gently, but without ceasing, until it begins to thicken ; then move the spoon rather more quickly, making it always touch the bottom of the jug, until the mixture is brought to the point of boiling, when it must be instantly taken from the fire, or it will curdle in a moment. Pour it into a bowl, and keep it stirred until nearly cold, then add to it by de- grees a wineglassful of good brandy, and two ounces of blanched almonds, cut into spikes; or omit these, at pleasure. A few bitter ones, bruised, can be boiled in the milk in lieu of lemon-peel, when their fla- vour is preferred. New milk, 1 quart; rind of 1 lemon; sugar, 4^ ozs. ; yolks of eggs, 14; salt, ^ saltspoonful. RICH BOILED CUSTARD. Take a small cupful from a quart of fresh cream, and simmer the remainder for a few minutes with four ounces of sugar and the rind of a lemon, or give it any other flavour that may be preferred. Beat and strain the yolks of eight ews, mix them with the cupful of cream, and stir the rest boiling to them: thicken the custard like the preceding one. Cream, 1 quart; sugar, 4 ozs. ; yolks of eggfi, 8. CHAP. XX.] SWEET DISHES. 323 THE QUEEN'S CUSTARD. On the beaten and strained yolks of twelve new-laid eggs pour a pint and a half of boiling cream which has been sweetened, with three ounces of sugar ; add the smallest pinch of salt, and thicken the custard as usual. When nearly cold, flavour it with a glass and a half of no- yeau, maraschino, or cuirasseau ; add the sliced almonds or not, at pleasure. Yolks of eggs, 12; cream, 1^ pint; sugar, 3 ozs. ; little salt; noyeau maraschino, or cuirasseau, 1^ wineglassful. CURRANT CUSTARD. Boil in a pint of clear currant-juice ten ounces of sugar for three minutes, take off the scum, and pour the boiling juice on eight well- beaten eggs; thicken the custard in a jug set into a pan of water, pour it out, stir it till nearly cold, then add to it carefully, and by degrees, half a pint of rich cream, and last of all two tiblespoonsful of strained lemon-juice. When the currants are very ripe, omit one ounce of the sugar. White currants and strawberries, cherries, red or white raspberries, or a mixture of any of these fruits, may be used for these custards with good effect : they are excellent. Currant-juice, 1 pint; sugar, 10 ozs.: 3 minutes. Eggs, 8; cream, ^pint; lemon-juice, 2 tablespoonsful. QUINCE OR APPLE CUSTARDS. Add to a pint of apple-juice prepared as for jelly, a tablespoonful of strained lemon-juice, and from four to six ounces of sugar according to the acidity of the fruit; stir these boiling, quickly, and in small por- tions, to eight well-beaten eggs, and thicken the custard in a jug placed in a pan of boiling water, in the usual manner. A large proportion of lemon-juice and a high flavouring of the rind can be given when ap- proved. For quince custards, which if well made are excellent, observe the same directions as for the apple, but omit the lemon-juice. As we have before observed, all custards are much finer when made with the yolks only of the eggs, of which the number must be increased nearly half, when this is done. Prepared apple-juice (see page 305), 1 pint; lemon-juice, 1 table- spoonful ; sugar, 4 to 6 ozs.; eggs, 8. Quince custards, same propor- tions, but no lemon-juice. Obs. — In making lemon-creams the apple-juice may be substituted very advantageously for water, without varying the receipt in other respects. CHOCOLATE CUSTARDS. Dissolve gently by the side of the fire an ounce and a half of the best chocolate in rather more than a wineglassful of water, and then boil it until it is perfectly smooth ; mix with it a pint of milk well fla- voured with lemon-peel or vanilla, add two ounces of fine sugar, and when the whole boils, stir it to five well-beaten eggs that have been strained. Put the custard into a jar or jug, set it into a pan of boiling water, and stir it without ceasing until it is thick. Do not put it into glasses or a dish till nearly or quite cold. These, as well as all other custards, are infinitely finer when made with the yolks only of the eggs, 334 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. of whicn the number must then be increased. Two ounces of choco- late, a pint of milk, half a pint of cream, two ounces and a half or three ounces of sugar, and eight yolks of eggs, will make very superior cus- tards of this kind. Rasped chocolate, 1^ oz. ; water, 1 large wineglassful : 5 to 8 mi- nutes. New milk, 1 pint; eggs, 5; sugar, 2 ozs. Or, chocolate, 2 ozs. ; water, ± pint; new milk, 1 pint: sugar, 2^ to 3 ozs. ; cream, ^ pint; yolks of eggs, 8. Ohs. — Either of these may be moulded by dissolving from half to three quarters of an ounce of isinglass in the milk. The proportion of chocolate can be increased to the taste. COMMON BAKED CUSTARD. Mix a quart of new milk with eight w 7 ell-beaten eggs, strain the mixture through a fine sieve, and sweeten it with from five to eight ounces of sugar, according to the taste; add a small pinch of salt, and pour the custard into a deep dish with or without a lining or rim of paste, grate nutmeg or lemon rind over the top, and bake it in a very slow oven from twenty to thirty minutes, or longer, should it not be firm in the centre. A custard, if well made, and properly baked, will be quite smooth when cut, without the honey-combed appearance which a hot oven gives ; and there will be no whey in the dish. New milk, 1 quart; eggs, 8; sugar, 5 to 8 ozs.; salt, i salt-spoon- ful ; nutmeg or lemon-grate : baked, slow oven, 20 to 30 minutes, or more. A FINER BAKED CUSTARD. Boil together gently, for five minutes, a pint and a half of new milk, a few grains of salt, the very thin rind of a lemon, and six ounces of loaf sugar; stir these boiling, but very gradually to the well-beaten yolks of ten fresh eggs, and the whites of four ; strain the mixture, and add to it half a pint of good cream ; let it cool, and then flavour it with a few spoonsful of brandy, or a little ratafia ; finish and bake it by the directions given for the common custard above ; or pour it into small well-buttered cups, and bake it very slowly from ten to twelve minutes. FRENCH CUSTARDS. To a quart of new milk allow the yolks of twelve fresh eggs, but to equal parts of milk and cream of ten only. From six to eight ounces of sugar will sweeten the custard sufficiently for general taste, but more can be added at will; boil this for a few minutes gently in the milk with a grain or two of salt, and stir the mixture briskly to the eggs, as soon as it is taken from the fire. Butter a round deep dish, pour in the custard, and place it in a pan of water at the point of boiling, taking care that it shall not reach to within an inch of the edge ; let it just simmer, and no more, from an hour to an hour and a half: w 7 hen quite firm in the middle, it will be done. A very few live embers should be kept on the lid of the stewpan to prevent the steam falling from it into the custard. When none is at hand of a form to allow of this, it is bet- ter to use a charcoal fire, and to lay an oven-leaf, or tin, over the pan, and the embers in the centre. The small French furnace, shown in Chapter XXL, is exceedingly convenient for preparations of this kind ; and there is always more or less of difficulty in keeping a coal fire en- CHAP. XX.] SWEET DISHES. 325 tirely free from smoke for any length of time. Serve the custard cold, with chopped macaroons, or ratafias, laid thickly round the edge so as to form a border an inch deep. A few petals of fresh orange-blossom infused in the milk, will give it a most agreeable flavour, very superior to that derived from the distilled water. Half a pod of vanilla, cut in short lengths, and well bruised, may be used instead of either; but the milk should then stand some time by the fire before or after it boils, and it must be strained through a muslin before it is added to the eggs, as the small seed of the vanilla would probably pass through a sieve. New milk, 1 quart; yolks of eggs, 12; sugar, 6 to 8 ozs. Or, new milk, 1 pint; cream, 1 pint; yolks of eggs, 10; flavouring of orange- flowers or vanilla: simmered in water-bath, 1 to 1^ hour. GERMAN PUFFS. Pound to a perfectly smooth paste two ounces of sweet almonds and six bitter ones; mix with them, by slow degrees, the yolks of six, and the whites of three eggs. Dissolve in half a pint of rich cream, four ounces of fresh butter, and two of fine sugar ; pour these hot to the eggs, stirring them briskly together, and when the mixture has become cool, flavour it with half a glass of brandy, or of orange-flower water; or, in lieu of either, with a little lemon-brandy. Butter some cups thickly, and strew into them a few slices of candied citron, or orange rind ; pour in the mixture, and bake the puffs twenty minutes, in a slow oven. Sweet almonds, 2 ozs.; bitter almonds, 6; eggs, whites, 3, — yolks, 6; cream, \ pint; butter, 4 ozs. ; sugar, 2 ozs.; brandy, cuirasseau, or orange-flower water, £ wineglassful (or little lemon-brandy) : 20 mi- nutes, slow oven. RASPBERRY PUFFS. Roll out thin some fine puff-paste, cut it in rounds or squares of equal size, lay some raspberry jam into each, moisten the edges of the paste, fold and press them together, and bake the puffs from ten to fifteen mi- nutes. Strawberry, or any other jam will serve for them equally well. CREAMED TARTLETS. Line some pattypans with very fine paste, and put into each a layer of apricot jam ; on this pour some thick-boiled custard, or the pastry cream of page 267. Whisk the whites of a couple of eggs to a solid froth, mix a couple of tablespoonsful of sifted sugar with them, lay this icing lightly over the tartlets, and bake them in a gentle oven from twenty to thirty minutes, unless they should be very small, when less time must be allowed for them. AN APPLE CHARLOTTE, OR CHARLOTTE DES POMMES. Butter a plain mould (a round or square cake-tin will answer the purpose quite well), and line it entirely with thin slices of the crumb of a stale loaf, cut so as to fit into it with great exactness, and dipped into clarified butter 1 . When this is done, fill the mould to the brim with apple marmalade ; cover the top with slices of bread dipped in butter, and on these place a dish, a large plate, or the cover of a stewpan with a weight upon it. Send the charlotte to a brisk oven for three quarters of an hour should it be small, and for an hour if large. Turn it out with 326 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. great care, and serve it hot. If baked in a slack oven it will not take a proper degree of colour, and it will be liable to break in the dishing. The strips of bread must of course join very perfectly, for if any spaces were left between them the syrup of the fruit would escape, and de- stroy the good appearance of the dish: should there not have been suffi- cient marmalade prepared to fill the mould entirely, a jar of quince or apricot jam, or of preserved cherries even, may be added to it with advantage. The butter should be well drained from the charlotte before it is taken from the mould ; and sugar may be sifted thickly over it be- fore it is served, or it may be covered with any kind of clear red jelly. A more elegant, and we think an easier mode of forming the crust, is to line the mould with small rounds of bread stamped out with a plain cake, or paste-cutter, then dipped in butter, and placed with the edges sufficiently one over the other to hold the fruit securely : the strips of bread are sometimes arranged in the same way. | to 1 hour, quick oven. MARMALADE FOR THE CHARLOTTE. Weigh three pounds of good boiling apples, after they have been pared, cored, and quartered ; put them into a stewpan with six ounces of fresh butter, three quarters of a pound of sugar beaten to powder, three quarters of a teaspoonful of pounded cinnamon, and the strained juice of a lemon: let these stew over a gentle fire, until they form a perfectly smooth and dry marmalade ; keep them often stirred that they may not burn, and let them cool before they are put into the crust. This quantity is for a moderate-sized charlotte. A CHARLOTTE A LA PARISIENNE. This dish is sometimes called a Vienna cake ; and it is known also, we believe, as a Gateaux de Bordeaux. Cut horizontally into half-inch slices a sponge cake, and cover each slice with a different kind of pre- serve ; replace them in their original form, and spread equally over the cake an icing made with the whites of three eggs, and tour ounces of the finest pounded sugar ; sift more sugar over it in every part, and put it into a very slack oven to dry. The eggs should be whisked to snow before they are used. One kind of preserve, instead of several, can be used for this dish ; and a rice or a pound cake may, on an emergency, supply the place of the Savoy, or sponge biscuit. A GERTRUDE A LA CREME. Slice a plain pound or rice cake as for the Charlotte a la Parisienne, and take a round out of the centre of each slice with a tin-cutter before the preserve is laid on ; replace the whole in its original form, ice the outside with a green or rose-coloured icing at pleasure, and dry it in a gentle oven ; or decorate it instead with leaves of almond paste, fasten- ing them to it with white of egg. Just before it is sent to table, fill it with well-drained whipped cream, flavoured as for a trifle, or in any other way to the taste. pommes au beurre ; (buttered apples. Excellent.) Pare six or eight fine apples of a firm kind, but of a good cooking sort, and core without piercing them through, or dividing them ; fill the cavities with fresh butter, put a quarter-pound moie cut small into a CHAP. XX.]] SWEET DISHES. 327 stewpan just large enough to contain the apples in a single layer, place them closely together on it, and stew them as softly as possible, turning them occasionally until they are almost sufficiently tender to serve ; then strew upon them as much sifted sugar as will sweeten the dish highly, and a teaspoonful of pounded cinnamon ; shake these well in and upon the fruit, and stew it for a few minutes longer. Lift it out, arrange it in a hot dish, put into each apple as much warm apricot jam as it will contain, and lay a small quantity on the top ; pour the syrup from the pan round, but not on the fruit, and serve it immediately. Apples, 6 to 8 ; fresh butter, 4 ozs., just simmered till tender. Sugar, 6 to 8 ozs. ; cinnamon, 1 teaspoonful : 5 minutes. Apricot jam as needed. Obs. — Particular care must be taken to keep the apples entire; they should rather steam in a gentle heat than boil. It is impossible to specify the precise time which will render them sufficiently tender, as this must depend greatly on the time of year and the sort of fruit. If the stewpan were placed in a very slow oven, the more regular heat of it would perhaps be better in its effect than the stewing. SUEDOISE OF TEACHES. Pare and divide four fine, ripe peaches, and let them just simmer from five to eight minutes in a syrup made with the third of a pint of water and three ounces of very white sugar, boiled together for fifteen minutes ; lift them out carefully into a deep dish, and pour about half the syrup over them, and into the remaining- half throw a couple of pounds more of quite ripe peaches, and boil them to a perfectly smooth, dry pulp, or marmalade, with as much additional sugar, in fine powder, as the nature of the fruit may require. Lift the other peaches from the syrup, and reduce it by very quick boiling more than half Spread a deep layer of the marmalade in a dish, arrange the peaches symmetri- cally round it, and fill all the spaces between them with the marma- lade ; place the half of a blanched peach-kernel in each, pour the re- duced syrup equally over the surface, and border the dish with Italian macaroons, or, in lieu of these, with candied citron, sliced very thin, and cut into leaves with a small paste-cutter. A little lemon-juice brings out the flavour of all preparations of peaches, and may be added with good effect to this. When the fruit is scarce, the marmalade (which ought to be very white) may be made in part or entirely with nonsuches. The better to preserve their form, the peaches are some- times merely wiped, and then boiled tolerably tender in the syrup before they are pared or split. Half a pint of water, and from five to six ounces of sugar must then be allowed for them. If any of those used for the marmalade should not be quite ripe, it will be better to pass it through a sieve, when partially done, to prevent its being lumpy. Large ripe peaches, pared and halved, 4 ; simmered in syrup, 5 to 8 minutes. Marmalade : peaches (or nonsuches), 2 lbs. ; sugar, ^ to ^ lb. : £ to 1 hour, and more : strained lemon-juice, 1 tablespoon fill. Cit ron, or macaroons, ^as needed. Peaches, if boiled whole in syrup, 15 to 18 minutes. Obs. — The number of peaches can, at pleasure, be increased to six and three or four of the halves can be piled above the others in the cen- tre of the dish. 328 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XX. AROCE DOCE (OR SWEET RICE. A LA PORTUGAISE) Wipe thoroughly, in a dry soft cloth, half a pound of the best Caro- lina rice, after it has been carefully picked; put to it three pints of new milk, and when it has stewed gently for half an hour, add eight ounces of sugar, broken into small lumps; let it boil until it is dry and tender, and when it is nearly so, stir to it two ounces of blanched and pounded almonds. Turn the rice, when done, into shallow dishes, or soup-plates, and shake it until the surface is smooth; then sift over it, rather thickly, through a muslin, some freshly-powdered cinnamon, which will give it the appearance of a baked pudding. Serve it cold. It will remain good lor several days. This is quite the best sweet preparation of rice that we have ever eaten, and it is a very favourite dish in Portugal, whence the receipt was derived. One or two bitter almonds, pounded with the sweet ones, might a little improve its flavour, and a few spoons- ful of rich cream could occasionally be substituted for a small portion of the milk, but it should not be added until the preparation is three parts done. Rice, 8 ozs. ; milk, 3 pints: 30 minutes. Sugar, 8 ozs. : 1 hour, or more. Pounded almonds, 2 ozs. ; cinnamon, 1 teaspoonful. Obs. — The rice must be frequently stirred while boiling, particularly after it begins to thicken ; and it will be better not to add the entire quantity of milk at first, as from a quarter to half a pint less will some- times prove sufficient. The grain should be thoroughly tender, but dry and unbroken. BERMUDA WITCHES. Slice equally some rice, pound, or sponge cake, not more than the sixth of an inch thick; take oft' the brown edges, and spread one half of it with Guava jelly, or, if more convenient, with fine strawberry, rasp- berry, or currant jelly of good quality (see Norman receipt, 338) ; on this strew thickly some fresh cocoanut grated small, and lightly; press over it the remainder of the cake, and trim the whole into good form ; divide the slices if large, pile them slopingly in the centre of a dish upon a very white napkin folded flat, and garnish or intersperse them with small sprigs of myrtle. For very young people a French roll or two, and good currant jelly, red or white, will supply a wholesome and inex- pensive dish. STRENGTHENING BLAMANGE. Dissolve in a pint of new milk, half an ounce of isinglass, strain it through a muslin, or a fine silk sieve, put it again on the fire with the rind of half a small lemon pared very thin, and two ounces of sugar, broken small ; let it simmer gently till well flavoured, then take out the lemon-peel, and stir the milk to the beaten yolks of three fresh eggs ; pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and hold it over the fire, keeping it stirred until it begins to thicken ; put it into a deep basin, and keep it moved with a whisk or spoon, until it is nearly cold ; pour it into moulds which have been laid in water, and set in a cool place till firm. New milk, 1 pint; isinglass, £ oz. ; lemon-rind, l of 1 : 10 to 15 minutes. Sugar, 2 ozs. ; yolks of eggs, 3. CHAP. XXI.] PRESERVES. 329 CHAPTER XXL P RESERVES. Portable French Furnace, with Stewpan and Trevet. No. I. Portable French Furnace.— 2. Depth at which the grating is placed.— 3. Stew pan. — 4. Trevet. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Frltt for preserving should always be gathered in perfectly dry weather ; it should also be free both from the morning and evening dew, and as much so as possible from dust. When bottled, it must be steamed or baked during the day on which it is gathered, or there will be great loss from the bursting of the bottles ; and for jams and jellies it cannot be too soon boiled down after it is taken from the trees. The small portable French stove, or furnace,* shown above, with the trevet and stewpan adapted to it, is exceedingly convenient for all pre- parations which require either more than usual attention, or a fire entirely free from smoke; as it can be placed on a table in a clear light, and the heat can be regulated at pleasure. It has been used for all the preserves, of which the receipts are given in this chapter, as well as for various dishes contained in the body of the work. There should always be a free current of air in the room in which it stands when lighted, as charcoal or braise (that is to say, the little embers of large well-burned wood, drawn from an oven, and shut immediately into a closely-stopped iron or copper vessel to extinguish them) is the only fuel suited to it. To kindle either of these, two or three bits must be lighted in a common fire, and laid on the top of that in the furnace, which should be evenly placed between the grating and the brim, and then blown gently with the bellows until the whole is alight : the door * Caller! in France, Unforneau Economique. A baking-tin should be placed on the table for the furnacf? to stand upon, to guard against danger from the ashes or embers falling. American atoves or furnaces may be made in a similar manner. 330 MODERN COOKERY. CHAP. XXI. of the furnace must in the meanwhile be open, and remain so, unless the heat should at any time be too fierce for the preserves, when it must be closed for a few minutes, to moderate it. To extinguish the fire Closed Furnace and Cover. Form of Trevet. altogether, the cover must be pressed closely on, and the door be quite shut: the embers which remain will serve to rekindle it easily, but before it is again lighted the grating must be lifted out and all the ashes cleared away. It should be set by in a place which is not damp. The German enamelled stevvpans, now coming into general use, are, from the peculiar nicety of the composition with which they are lined, better adapted than any others to pickling and preserving, as they may be used without danger for acids; and red fruits, when boiled in them, retain the brightness of their colour as well as if copper or bell-metal were used for them. The form of the old-fashioned preserving-pan, made usually of one or the other of these, is shown above ; but it has not, we should say, even the advantage of being of convenient shape; for the handles quickly become heated, and the pan, in consequence, cannot always be instantaneously raised from the fire when the contents threaten to over-boil, or to burn. It is desirable to have three or four wooden spoons or spatulas, one fine hair-sieve, at the least, one or two large squares of common mus- lin, and a strainer, or more of closer texture, kept exclusively for pre- parations of fruit, for if used for other purposes, there is the hazard, without great care, of their retaining some strong or coarse flavour, which they would impart to the preserves. A sieve, for example, through which any preparation of onions has been poured, should never, on any account, be brought into use for any kind of confectionary, nor in making sweet dishes, nor for straining eggs or milk for puddings, cakes, or bread. Damp is the great enemy, "not only of preserves and pickles, but of numberless other household stores; yet, in many situa- tions, it is extremely difficult to exclude it. To keep them in a " dry cool place''' (words which occur so frequently both in this book, and in most others on the same subject), is more easily directed than done. They remain, we find, more entirely free from any danger of moulding, when covered with a brandied paper only, and placed on the shelves of a tolerably dry store-room ; but they are rather liable to candy when thus kept, and we fancy that the flavour of the fruit is somewhat less perfectly preserved than when they are quite secured from the air by CHAP. XXI.J PRESERVES. 331 skins stretched over the jars. If left uncovered, the inroads of mice upon them must be guarded against, as they will commit great havoc in a single night on these sweet stores. When the slightest fermenta- tion is perceptible in syrup, it should immediately be boiled for some minutes, and well skimmed ; the fruit taken from it should then be thrown in, and well scalded also, and the whole, when done, should be turned into a very clean dry jar : this kind of preserve should always be covered with one or two skins, or with parchment and thick paper. A FEW GENERAL RULES AND DIRECTIONS FOR PRESERVING. 1. Let every thing used for the purpose be delicately clean and dry t bottles especially so. 2. Never place a preserving-pan flat vpon the fire, as this will ren- der the preserve liable to burn to, as it is called; that is to say, to ad- here closely to the metal, and then to burn ; it should rest always on a trevet, or on the lowered bar of the kitchen range. 3. After the sugar is added to them, stir the preserves gently at first, and more quickly towards the end, without quitting them until they are done ; this precaution will always prevent the chance of their being spoiled. 4. All preserves should be perfectly cleared from the scum as it rises. 5. Fruit which is to be preserved in syrup must first be blanched or boiled gently, until it is sufficiently softened to absorb the sugar; and a thin syrup must be poured on it at first, or it will shrivel instead of re- maining plump, and becoming clear. Thus, if its weight of sugar is to be allowed, and boiled to a syrup with a pint of water to the pound, only half the weight must be taken at first, and this must not be boiled with the water more than fifteen or twenty minutes at the commencement of the process; a part of the remaining sugar must be added every time the syrup is reboiled, unless it should be otherwise directed in the receipt. 6. To preserve both the true flavour and the colour of fruit in jams and jellies, boil them rapidly until they are well reduced, before the sugar is added, and quickly afterwards, but do not allow them to be- come so much thickened that the sugar will not dissolve in them easily, and throw up its scum. In some seasons, the juice is so much richer than in others, that this effect takes place almost before one is aware of it; but the drop which adheres to the skimmer, when it is held up, will show the state it has reached. 7. Never use tin, iron, or pewter spoons, or skimmers for preserves, as they will convert the colour of red fruit into a dingy purple, and im- part, besides, a very unpleasant flavour. 8. When cheap jams or jellies are required, make them at once with loaf-sugar, but use that which is well refined always, for pre- serves in general ; it is a false economy, as we have elsewhere observ- ed, to purchase an inferior kind, as there is great waste from it in the quantity of scum which it throws up, The best has been used for all the receipts given here. TO EXTRACT THE JUICE OF PLUMS FOR JELLY. Take the stalks from the fruit, and throw aside all that is not per- 332 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXI. fectly sound ; put it into very clean, large stone jars, and give part of the harder kinds, such as bullaces and damsons, a gash with a knife as they are thrown in ; do this especially in filling the upper part of the jars. Tie one or two folds of thick paper over them, and set them for the night into an oven from which the bread has been drawn four or five hours; or cover them with bladder, instead of paper, place them in deep pans of water, and boil them gently from two to three hours, or until the fruit is quite soft, and has yielded all the juice it will afford : this last is the safer and better mode for jellies of delicate colour. TO WEIGH THE JUICE OF FRUIT. Put a basin into one scale, and its weight into the other ; add to this last the weight which is required of the juice, and pour into the basin as much as will balance the scales. It is always better to weigh than to measure the juice for preserving, as it can generally be done with more exactness. GREEN GOOSEBERRY JELLY. Wash some freshly-gathered gooseberries very clean, after having taken off the tops and stalks, then to each pound, pour three-quarters of a pint of spring water, and simmer them until they are well broken; turn the whole into a jelly-bag or cloth, and let all the juice drain through ; weigh, and boil it rapidly for fifteen minutes. Draw it from the fire, and stir into it until entirely dissolved an equal weight of good sugar reduced to powder ; boil the jelly from fifteen to twenty minutes longer, or until it jellies strongly on the spoon or skimmer; clear it perfectly from scum, and pour it into small jars, moulds, or glasses. It ought to be very pale and transparent. Preserved fruits just dipped into hot water to take off the syrup, then well drained and 'dried, may be arranged with good effect in the centre of the gooseberry jelly if the glasses be rather less than half filled before they are laid in, and the jelly just set : the remainder must be kept liquid to fill them up. The sugar may be added to the juice at first, and the preserve boiled from twenty-five to thirty-five minutes, but the colour will not then be so good. When the fruit abounds the juice may be drawn from it with very little water, as directed for apples, page 350, when it will require much less boiling. Gooseberries, 6 lbs. ; water, 4 pints : 20 to 30 minutes. Juice boiled quickly, 15 minutes ; to each pound, 1 lb. sugar : 15 to 20 minutes. green gooseberry-jam ; {firm and of good colour.) Cut the stalks and tops from the fruit, weigh and bruise it slightly, boil it for six or seven minutes, keeping it well turned during the time ; then to every three pounds of gooseberries add two and a half of sugar, beaten to powder, and boil the preserve quickly for three-quarters of an hour. It must be constantly stirred, and carefully cleared from scum. Green gooseberries, 6 lbs. : 6 to 7 minutes. Sugar, 5 lbs. : | hour. TO DRY GREEN GOOSEBERRIES. Take the finest green gooseberries, fully grown, and freshly gathered ; cut off the buds, split them across the tops halfway down, and with the small end of a tea or of an egg-spoon, scoop out. the seeds. Boil toge- ther for fifteen minutes a pound and a half of the finest sugar, and a pint of water; skim this syrup thoroughly and throw into it a pound of CHAP. XXI.] ( PRESERVES. 333 the seeded gooseberries; simmer them from five to seven minutes, when they ought to be clear and tender ; when they are so lift them out, and throw as many more into the syrup ; drain them a little when done, spread them singly on dishes, and dry them very gradually in a quite cool stove or oven, or in a sunny window. They will keep well in the syrup, and may be potted in it, and dried when wanted for use. Green gooseberries without the seeds, 2 lbs. ; water, 1 pint; sugar, 1^ lb. : boiled 15 minutes. Gooseberries simmered, 5 to 7 minutes. GREEN GOOSEBERRIES FOR TARTS. Fill very clean, dry, wide-necked bottles with gooseberries gathered the same day, and before they have attained their full growth. Cork them lightly, wrap a little hay round each of them, and set them up to their necks in a copper of cold water, which should be brought very gradually to boil. Let the fruit be gently simmered until it appears shrunken and perfectly scalded ; then take out the bottles, and with the contents of one or two fill up the remainder, and use great care not to break the fruit in doing this. When all are ready, pour scalding water into the bottles and cover the gooseberries entirely with it, or they will become mouldy at the top. Cork the bottles well imme- diately, and cover the necks with melted rosin ; keep them in a cool place ; and when they are used pour off the greater part of the water, and add sugar as for the fresh fruit, of which they will have quite the flavour and appearance ; and they will be found much more wholesome prepared in this manner than if simply baked or steamed in the bottles. GREEN GOOSEBERRY SOLID. Bruise well, and boil six pounds of fresh green gooseberries for an hour and a quarter without sugar, and for half an hour after having stirred to them a couple of pounds of good quality, reduced quite to powder. Press the preserve into shallow pans or small shapes, and un mould it when it is wanted for table. Green gooseberries, 6 lbs. : 1 a hour. Sugar, 2 lbs. : \ hour. RED GOOSEBERRY JAM. The small rough red gooseberry, when fully ripe, is the best for this preserve, which may, however, be made of the larger kinds. When the buds and stalks have been taken carefully from the fruit, weigh, and boil it quickly for three quarters of an hour, keeping it well stirred ; then for six pounds of the gooseberries add two and a half of good roughly-powdered sugar (or three of fine Lisbon, if only a common pre- serve be wanted); boil these together briskly, from twenty to twenty- five minutes, and stir the jam well from the bottom of the pan, as it is liable to burn if this be neglected. Small red gooseberries, 6 lbs.: | hour. Pounded sugar, 2^ lbs, (for common jam Lisbon sugar 3 lbs.) : 20 to 25 minutes. GOOSEBERRIES DRIED WITHOUT SUGAR. Choose them fine .and ripe, spread them separately on large dishes, and dry them very gradually by the heat of a gentle oven, or in the sun where they will be well protected from dust. If flattened with the finger when partially done, tney will preserve a better form, and be more quickly dried. 334 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXI. CHERRY JAM. First stone, and then weigh some freshly gathered preserving cher- ries ; boil them over a brisk fire for an hour, keeping them almost constantly stirred from the bottom of the pan, to which they will other- wise be liable to stick and burn. Add half a pound of good sugar roughly powdered for each pound of the fruit, and boil the preserve quickly for twenty minutes, taking off the scum as it rises. The blanched kernels of part of the cherries may be added to the jam five minutes before it is taken from the fire. We can recommend this receipt as producing a firm preserve of fine colour and flavour, and very far superior to any that can be made by the more common method of boiling the fruit and sugar together from the beginning. Stoned cherries, 6 lbs. : 1 hour. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 20 minutes. Obs. — Increase the proportion of sugar, when it is liked, to twelve or sixteen ounces, and diminish the boiling a quarter of an hour before it is added, and ten minutes after. We have found almost invariably, that preserves made by the receipts we have given have been preferred to richer ones. to dry cherries with sugar ; (a quick and easy method.) Stone some fine, sound cherries; weigh and put them into a pre- serving-pan, with six ounces of sugar reduced to powder to each pound of the fruit: set them over a moderate fire, and simmer them gently for nearly or quite twenty minutes; let them remain in the syrup until they are a little cooled, then turn them into a sieve, and before they are cold lay them singly on dishes, and dry them very gradually, as directed for other fruits. When the cherries are quite ripe the stones may generally be drawn out with the stalks, by pressing the fruit gently at the same time; but when this method fails, they must be extracted with a new quill, cut round at the end ; those of the very short-stalked, turnip-shaped cherry, which abounds, and is remarkably fine in many parts of Normandy, and which we have occasionally met with here, though it is not, we believe, very abundant in our markets, are easily removed with a large pin, on the point of which the stone may be caught at the stalk end, just opposite the seam of the fruit, and drawn out at the top, leaving the cherry apparently entire. dried cherries ; (superior Receipt.) To each pound of cherries, weighed after they are stoned, add eight ounces of good sugar, and boil them very softly for ten minutes; pour them into a large bowl, or pan, and leave them two days in the syrup ; then simmer them again for ten minutes, and set them by for two or three days; drain them slightly, and dry them very slowly, as directed in the previous receipts. Keep them in tin cases, or canisters, when done. These cherries are generally preferred to such as are dried with a larger proportion of sugar; but when the taste is in favour of the lat- ter, three quarters or a full pound can be allowed to the pound of fruit, which may then be potted in the syrup and dried at any time, though we think the flavour of the cherries is better preserved when this is done within a fortnight of their being boiled. Cherries, stoned, 8 lbs.; sugar, 4 lbs.: 10 minutes. Left 2 or 3 days. Boiled again, 10 minutes; left 2 days; drained and dried. CHAP. XXI.] PRESERVES. 335 CHERRIES DRIED WITHOUT SUGAR. These are often more pleasant and refreshing to invalids and travel- lers than a sweetened confection of the fruit, their flavour and agreea- ble acidity being well preserved when they are simply spread on dishes or hamper lids, and slowly dried.* Throw aside the bruised and de- cayed fruit, and arrange the remainder singly, and with the stalks up- permost on the dishes. MORELLA CHERRIES. Take off the stalks but do not stone the fruit; weigh and add to it an equal quantity of the best sugar reduced quite to powder, strew it over the cherries and let them stand for half an hour, then turn them gently into a preserving-pan, and simmer them softly from five to seven mi- nutes. COMMON CHERRY CHEESE. Stone the fruit, or if this trouble be objected to, bruise and boil it without, until it is sufficiently tender to press through a sieve, which it will be in from twenty to thirty minutes. Weigh the pulp in this case, and boil it quickly to a dry paste, then stir to it six ounces of sugar for the pound of fruit, and when this is dissolved, place the pan again over, but not upon, a brisk fire, and stir the preserve without ceasing, until it is so dry as not to adhere to the finger when touched ; then press it immediately into small moulds or pans, and turn it from them when wanted for table. When the cherries have been stoned, a good common preserve may be made of them without passing them through a sieve, with the addition of five ounces of sugar to the pound of fruit, which must be boiled very dry both before and after it is added. Other cherries without stoning: 20 to 30 minutes. Passed through a sieve. To each pound of pulp (first boiled dry), 6 ozs. sugar. To each pound of cherries stoned and boiled to dry paste, 5 ozs. sugar. CHERRY PASTE. (FRENCH.) Stone the cherries, boil them gently in their own juice for thirty minutes ; press the whole through a sieve ; reduce it to a very dry paste ; then take it from the fire, and weigh it ; boil an equal propor- tion of sugar to the candying point, mix the fruit with it, and stir the paste, without intermission, over a moderate fire, until it is again so dry as to form a ball round the spoon, and to quit the preserving-pan en- tirely ; press it quickly into small moulds, and when it is cold, paper, and store it like other preserves. STRAWBERRY JAM. Strip the stalks from some fine scarlet strawberries, weigh, and boil them for thirty-five minutes, keeping them very constantly stirred ; throw in eight ounces of good sugar, beaten small, to the pound of fruit, mix them well off the fire, then boil the preserve again quickly for twenty-five minutes. One pound of white currant-juice added in the first instance to four of the strawberries, will greatly improve this preserve, which will be quite firm, and sufficiently, but not over sweet. Strawberries, 6 lbs.: 35 minutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 25 minutes. Or: * The dishes on which they are laid should he changed daily. 336 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXI. strawberries, 4 lbs. ; currant-juice, 1 lb. : 30 to 35 minutes. Sugar, 2$ lbs. : 25 minutes. Obs. — We do not tbink it needful to give directions with each sepa- rate receipt tor skimming the preserve with care, and keeping it con- stantly stirred, but neither should in any case be neglected. STRAWBERRY JELLY. This, when made with fine, full-flavoured, scarlet strawberries, is a very delicious preserve, and is by many persons preferred to guava jelly, which it greatly resembles. Stalk the fruit, bruise it very slightly, and stir it for a few minutes over a gentle fire ; strain it with- out pressure, weigh, and boil it quickly for twenty minutes in a Ger- man enamelled stewpan, or preserving-pan, if possible, that the colour may not be injured ; take it from the fire, and stir into it twelve ounces of sugar to the pound of juice ; when this is dissolved, boil it again quickly for twenty minutes, clear it perfectly from scum, and pour it into jars or glasses. The preserve will be firmer, and require less boil- ing, if one-fourth of red or white currant juice be mixed with that of the strawberries, but the flavour will not then be quite so perfect. A superior jelly to this is made by taking an equal weight of juice and sugar, and by boiling the latter to candy-height, before the juice (which should previously be boiled five minutes) is added to it ; and when they have been stirred together off the fire until this is entirely dissolved, boiling the whole quickly from ten to twenty minutes; the time re- quired varying very much from the difference which is found in the quality of the fruit. Fruit, simmered 4 to 5 minutes. Juice of strawberries, 4 lbs. : 20 minutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 20 minutes. Or, juice of strawberries, 4 lbs. : 5 minutes. Sugar, boiled to candy-height, 4 lbs. : 10 to 20 minutes. ANOTHER VERY FINE STRAWBERRY JELLY. Express the juice from the fruit through a cloth, strain it clear, weigh, and stir to it an equal proportion of the finest sugar, dried and reduced to powder; when this is dissolved, place the preserving-pan over a very clear fire, and stir the jelly often until it boils; clear it carefully from scum, and boil it quickly from fifteen to twenty-five minutes. Equal weight of strawberry-juice and sugar: 15 to 25 minutes. Obs. — This receipt is for a moderate quantity of the preserve : a very small portion will require much less time. TO PRESERVE STRAWBERRIES OR RASPBERRIES, FOR CREAMS OR ICES, WITHOUT BOILING. Let the fruit be gathered in the middle of a warm day, in very dry weather; strip it from the stalks directly, weigh it, turn it into a bowl or deep pan, and bruise it gently ; mix with an equal weight of fine dry sifted sugar, and put it immediately into small, wide-necked bottles"; cork these firmly without delay, and tie bladder over the tops. Keep them in a cool place, or the fruit will ferment. The mixture should be stirred softly, and only just sufficiently to blend the sugar and the fruit. The bottles must be perfectly dry, and the bladders, after having been cleaned in the usual way, and allowed to become nearly so, should be moistened with a little spirit on the side which is to be next to the cork. CHAP. XXI.] PRESERVES. 337 Unless these precautions be observed, there will ne some danger of the whole being- spoiled. Equal weight of fruit and sugar. RASPBERRY JAM. Bruise gently, with the back of a wooden spoon, six pounds of ripe and freshly-gathered raspberries, and boil them over a brisk fire for twenty-five minutes; stir to them half their weight of good sugar, roughly powdered, and when it is dissolved, boil the preserve quickly for ten minutes, keeping it well stirred and skimmed. When a richer jam is wished for, add to the fruit at first its full weight of sugar, and boil them together twenty minutes. Raspberries, 6 lbs. : 25 minutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 10 minutes. GOOD RED OR WHITE RASPBERRY JAM. Boil quickly, for twenty minutes, four pounds of either red or white sound ripe raspberries in a pound and a half of currant-juice of the same colour; take the pan from the fire, stir in three pounds of sugar, and when it is dissolved, place the pan again over the fire, and con- tinue the boiling for ten minutes longer : keep the preserve well skim- med and stirred from the beginning. Raspberries, 4 lbs. ; currant-juice, 1| lb. : 20 minutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. ; 10 minutes. RASPBERRY JELLY FOR FLAVOURING CREAMS. Take the stalks from some quite ripe, and freshly-gathered raspber- ries, stir them over the fire until they render their juice freely, then strain and weigh it ; or press it from them through a cloth, and then strain it clear; in either case boil it for five minutes after it is weighed, and for each pound stir in a pound and a quarter of good sugar, reduced quite to powder, sifted, and made very hot; boil the preserve quickly for five minutes longer, and skim it clean. The jelly thus made will sufficiently sweeten the creams without any additional sugar. Juice of raspberries, 4 lbs. : 5 minutes. Sugar, made not, 5 lbs. : 5 minutes. ANOTHER RASPBERRRY JELLY. ( Very good.) Bruise the fruit a little, and draw the juice from it by four or five minutes gently simmering; strain and weigh it, boil it quickly for twenty minutes, draw it from the fire, add three-quarters of a pound of good sugar for each pound of juice, and when this is dissolved, place the pan again on the fire, and boil the preserve fast from twelve to fifteen minutes longer; skim it thoroughly, and keep it well stirred. This jelly is infinitely improved in colour and in firmness, though not per- haps in flavour, by mixing with the raspberry juice one-fourth, or even as much as a third of the juice of ripe white currants : the preserve will then require rather less boiling. When it jellies in falling from the spoon or skimmer, it is done. Nothing of tin or iron should be used in making it, as these metals will convert its fine red colour into a dingy purple. Fruit, simmered 5' to 6 minutes. Juice of raspberries, 4 lbs. : 20 mi- nutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 12 to 15 minutes. Or, juice of raspberries, 4 lbs.; juice of white currants, 2 lbs.: 20 minutes. Sugar, 4£ lbs.: 10 minutes, or less. 21 338 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXI GREEN CURRANT JAM. For each pound of currants take fourteen ounces of good sugar, in fine powder; bruise part of the fruit with a small portion of the sugar, and put it first into the preserving-pan, that the juice may flow from it sufficiently to prevent the remainder from being burned; it should be placed over a very gentle fire, and stirred constantly until it has yielded moisture enough for this. All the fruit and sugar may then be added, and the whole (well mixed and stirred) boiled from ten to fifteen mi- nutes, or until it jellies strongly in falling from the skimmer. Some fruit will require less time, and some rather more. To each pound of currants, stripped from stalks, 14 ozs. of sugar: 10 to 15 minutes. RED CURRANT JELLY. With three parts of line ripe red currants freshly gathered, and stripped from the stalks, mix one of white currants; put them into a clean preserving-pan, and stir them gently over a clear fire until the juice flows from them freely; then turn them into a fine hair-sieve, and let them drain well, but without pressure. Pass the juice through a folded muslin, or a jelly-bag ; weigh it, and then boil it fast for a quar- ter of an hour ; add for each pound, eight ounces of sugar coarsely pow- dered, stir this to it off the fire until it is dissolved, give the jelly eight minutes more of quick boiling, and pour it out. It will be firm, and of excellent colour and flavour. Be sure to clear off the scum as it rises both before and after the sugar is put in, or the preserve will not be clear. Juice of red currants, 3 lbs. ; juice of white currants, 1 lb.: 15 mi- nutes. Sugar, 2 lbs. : 8 minutes. 06s. — An excellent jelly may be made with equal parts of the juice of red and of white currants, and of raspberries, with the same propor- tion of sugar and degree of boiling as in the foregoing receipt. superlative red currant jelly ; (Normayi Receipt.) Strip carefully from the stems some quite-ripe currants of the finest quality, and mix with them an equal weight of good sugar reduced to powder; boil these together quickly for exactly eig^ht minutes, keep them stirred all the time, and clear off the scum as it rises; then turn the preserve into a very clean sieve, and put into small jars the jelly which runs through it, and which will be delicious in flavour, and of the brightest colour. It should be carried immediately, when this is practicable, to an extremely cool but not a damp place, and left there till perfectly cold. The currants which remain in the sieve make an excellent jam, particularly if only part of the jelly be taken from them. In Normandy, where the fruit is of richer quality than in England, this preserve is boiled only one minute, and is both firm and beautifully transparent. Currants, 3 lbs. ; sugar, 3 lbs. : 8 minutes. FRENCH CURRANT JELLY. Mix one third of white currants with two of red, and stir them over a gentle fire until they render their juice freely, pour it from them, strain and weigh it; for every four pounds break three of fine sugar into large lump*; }vM dip them into cold water, and when they are *:hap. XXI.] PRESERVES. 339 nearly dissolved boil them to a thick syrup; stir this without ceasing until it falls in large thick white masses from the skimmer ; then pour in the currant juice immediately, and when the sugar is again dissolved, boil the whole quickly for five minutes, clear oft' the scum perfectly, pour the jelly into jars or warm glasses, and set it in a cool place. Red currants, two thirds; white currants, one third; juice, 4 lbs.; sugar boiled to candy height, 3 lbs. ; jelly boiled : 5 minutes. Obs. — A flavouring of raspberries is usually given to currant jelly in France, the preserve being there never served with any kind of joint, as it is with us. DELICIOUS RED CURRANT JAM. This, which is but an indifferent preserve when made in the usual way, will be found a very fine one if the following directions for it be observed ; it will be extremely transparent and bright in colour, and will retain perfectly the flavour of the fruit. Take the currants at the height of their season, the finest that can be had, free from dust, but gathered on a dry day ; strip them with great care from the stalks, weigh and put them into a preserving-pan with three pounds of the best sugar reduced to powder to four pounds of the fruit ; stir them gently over a brisk clear fire, and boil them quickly for exactly eight minutes from the first full boil. As the jam is apt to rise over the top of the pan, it is better not to fill it more than two thirds, and if this precaution should not be sufficient to prevent it, it must be lifted from the fire and held away for an instant. To many tastes, a still finer jam than this (which we find sufficiently sweet) may be made with an equal weight of fruit and sugar boiled together for seven minutes. There should be great exactness with respect to the time, as both the flavour and the brilliant colour of the preserve will be injured by longer boiling. Red currants (without stalks), 4 lbs. ; fine sugar, 3 lbs. : boiled quickly, 8 minutes. Or, equal weight fruit and sugar: 7 minutes. VERY FINE WHITE CURRANT JELLY. The fruit for this jelly should be very white, perfectly free from dust, and picked carefully from the stalks. To every pound add eighteen ounces of double refined sifted sugar, and boil them together quickly for six minutes ; throw in the strained juice of a sound fresh lemon, or of two, should the quantity of preserve be large ; boil it two minutes longer; pour it into a delicately clean sieve, and finish it by the direc- tions given for the Norman red currant jelly (page 338). White currants, 6 lbs. ; highly refined sugar, 6j lbs. : 6 minutes. Juice of 2 moderate-sized lemons : 2 minutes. WHITE CURRANT JAM, A BEAUTIFUL PRESERVE. Boil together quickly for seven minutes equal quantities of fine white currants, picked with the greatest nicety, and of the best sugar pounded and passed through a sieve. Stir the preserve gently the whole time, and be careful to skim it thoroughly. Just before it is taken from the fire, throw in the strained juice of one good lemon to four pounds of the fruit. White currants, 4 lbs. ; best sugar, 4 lbs. : 7 minutes. Juice, 1 lemon. CURRANT PASTE. Stalk and heat some red currants as for jelly, pour off three parts ot 340 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXI. the juice, which can be used for that preserve, and press the remainder, with the pulp of the fruit, closely through- a hair-sieve reversed ; boil it briskly, keeping it stirred the whole time, until it forms a dry paste ; then for each pound (when first weighed) add seven ounces of pounded sugar, and boil the whole from twenty-five to thirty minutes longer, taking care that it shall not burn. This paste is remarkably pleasant and refreshing in cases of fever, and acceptable usually for winter- desserts. Red currants boiled from 5 to 7 minutes, pressed with one-fourth of their juice through a sieve, boiled from 1J t<. 2 hours. To each pound add 7 ozs. pounded sugar : 25 to 30 minutes. Obs. — Confectioners add the pulp, after it is boiled dry, to an equal weight of sugar at the candy height : by making trial of the two methods, the reader can decide on the better one. BLACK CURRANT JELLY. After having extracted the juice of the fruit in the usual way, pro- ceed exactly with regard to the time of boiling, and the proportion of sugar as in the first receipt for red currant jelly in the present chapter. This is a most refreshing and useful preserve in illness ; and in many cases no other will supply its place : it may be made with Lisbon sugar on occasion. NURSERY PRESERVE. Take the stones from a couple of pounds of cherries, and boil them twenty minutes ; then add to them a pound and a half of raspberries, and an equal quantity of red and of white currants, all weighed after they have been cleared from their stems. Boil these together briskly for twenty minutes; mix with them three pounds and a quarter of com- mon sugar, and give the preserve fifteen minutes more of quick boiling. A pound and a half of blackberries may be substituted for the cherries; but they will not require any stewing before they are added to the other fruits. The jam must be well stirred from the beginning, or it will burn to the pan. Cherries, 2 lbs. : 20 minutes. Raspberries, red currants, and white currants, of each 1^ lb. : 20 minutes. Sugar, 3£ lbs. : 15 minutes. ANOTHER GOOD COMMON PRESERVE. Boil together, in equal or in unequal portions (for this is immaterial), any kinds of early fruit, till they can be pressed through a sieve; weigh, and then boil the pulp over a brisk fire for half an hour; add half a pound of sugar for each pound of fruit, and again boil the preserve quickly, keeping it well stirred and skimmed, from fifteen to twenty minutes. Cherries, unless they be morellas, must be first stewed ten- der apart, as they will require a much longer time to make them so than other of the first summer fruits. A GOOD MELANGE, OR MIXED PRESERVE. Boil for three quarters of an hour, in two pounds of clear red currant, juice, one pound of very ripe greengages, weighed after they have been pared and stoned; then stir to them one pound and a half of good sugar, and boil them quickly again for twenty minutes. If the quantity of pre- serve be much increased, the time of boiling it must be so likewise: this is always better done before the sugar is added. CHAP. XXI.] PRESERVES. 341 Juice of ripe currants, 2 lbs. ; greengages, pared and stoned, 1 lb. : £ hour. Sugar, 1^ lb. : 20 minutes. GREENGAGE JAM, OR MARMALADE. When the plums are thoroughly ripe, take off the skins, weigh, and boil them quickly without sugar for fifty minutes, keeping them well stirred ; then to every four pounds add three of good sugar reduced quite to powder, boil the preserve from five to eight minutes longer, and clear off the scum perfectly before it is poured into the jars. When the flesh of the fruit will not separate easily from the stones, weigh and throw the plums whole into the preserving-pan, boil them to a pulp, pass them through a sieve, and deduct the weight of the stones from them when apportioning the sugar to the jam. The Orleans plum may be substituted for greengages, in this receipt. Greengages, stoned and skinned, 6 lbs. : 50 minutes. Sugar, 4^ lbs. ; 5 to 8 minutes. PRESERVE OF THE MAGNUM BONUM, OR MOGUL PLUM. Prepare, weigh, and boil the plums for forty minutes ; stir to them half their weight of good sugar beaten fine, and when it is dissolved continue the boiling for ten additional minutes, and skim the preserve carefully during the time. This is an excellent marmalade, but it may be rendered richer by increasing the proportion of sugar. The blanched kernels of a portion of the fruit-stones will much improve its flavour, but they should be mixed with it only two or three minutes before it is taken from the fire. When these plums are not entirely ripe, it is diffi- cult to free them from the stones and skins : they should then be boiled down and pressed through a sieve, as directed for greengages, in the receipt above. Mogul plums, skinned and stoned, 6 lbs : 40 minutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 5 to 8 minutes. TO DRY OR PRESERVE MOGUL PLUMS IN SYRUP. Pare the plums, but do not remove the stalks nor stones; take their weight of dry sifted sugar, lay them in a deep dish or bowl, and strew it over them ; let them remain thus for a night, then pour them gently into a preserving-pan, with all the sugar, heat them slowly, and let them just simmer for five minutes; in a couple of days repeat the pro- cess, and do so again and again at an interval of two or three days, until the fruit is tender and very clear ; put it then into jars, and keep it in the syrup, or drain and dry the plums very gradually, as directed for other fruit. When they are not sufficiently ripe for the skin to part from them easily, they must be covered with spring water, placed over a slow fire, and just scalded until it can be stripped off easily. MUSSEL PLUM CHEESE AND JELLY. Fill large stone jars with the fruit, which should be ripe, dry, and sound, set them into an oven from which the bread has been drawn several hours, and let them remain all night ; or, if this cannot conve- niently be done, place them in pans of water, and boil them gently until the plums are tender, and have yielded their juice to the utmost. Pour this from them, strain it through a jelly-bag, weigh, and then boil it rapidly for twenty-five minutes. Have ready, broken small, tnree 342 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXI. pounds of sugar for four of the juice, stir them together until it is dis- solved, and then continue the boiling quickly for ten minutes longer, and be careful to remove all the scum. Pour the preserve into small moulds or pans, and turn it out when it is wanted for table; it will be very fine, both in colour and in flavour. Juice of plums, 4 lbs. : 25 minutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 10 minutes. The cheese. — Skin and stone the plums from which the juice has been poured, and after having weighed, boil them an hour and a quarter over a brisk fire, and stir them constantly; then to three pounds of fruit add one of sugar, beaten to powder; boil the preserve for another half hour, and press it into shallow pans or moulds. Plums, 3 lbs. : 1^ hour. Sugar, 1 lb. : 30 minutes. to dry apricots; (a quick and easy method.) Wipe gently, split, and stone some fine apricots, which are not over- ripe ; weigh, and arrange them evenly in a deep dish or bowl, and strew in fourteen ounces of sugar, in fine powder, to each pound of fruit; on the following day turn the whole carefully into a preservinof- pan, let the apricots heat slowly, and simmer them very softly for six minutes, or for an instant longer, should they not in that time be quite tender. Let them lay in the syrup for a day or two, then drain and spread them singly on dishes to dry. To each pound apricots, 14 ozs. of sugar: to stand 1 night, to be sim- mered from 6 to 8 minutes, and left in syrup 2 or 3 days. PEACH JAM, OR MARMALADE. The fruit for this preserve, which is a very delicious one, should be finely flavoured, and quite ripe, though perfectly sound. Pare, stone, weigh, and boil it quickly for three quarters of an hour, and do not fail to stir it often during the time ; draw it from the fire, and mix with it ten ounces of well-refined sugar, rolled or beaten to powder, for each pound of the peaches; clear it carefully from scum, and boil it briskly for five minutes ; throw in the strained juice of one or two good lemons ; continue the boiling for three minutes only, and pour out the marma- lade. Two minutes after the sugar is stirred to the fruit, add the blanched' kernels of part of the peaches. Peaches, stoned and pared, 4 lbs. : f hour. Sugar, 2J lbs. : 2 min- utes. Blanched peach-kernels: 3 minutes. Juice of 2 small lemons: 3 minutes. Obs. — This jam, like most others, is improved by pressing the fruit through a sieve after it has been partially boiled. Nothing can be finer than its flavour, which would be injured by adding the sugar at first; and a larger proportion renders it cloyingly sweet. Nectarines and peaches mixed, make an admirable preserve. TO PRESERVE, OR TO DRY PEACHES OR NECTARINES. {An easy and excellent Receipt.) The fruit should be fine, freshly gathered, and fully ripe, but still in its perfection. Pare, halve, and weigh it after the stones are removed • lay it into a deep dish, and strew over it an equal weight of highly refined pounded sugar; let it remain until this is nearly dissolved, then Jifl the fruit gently into a preserving-pan, pour the juice and sugar to it CHAP. XXI.] PRESERVES. 343 and heat the whole over a very slow fire ; let it just simmer for ten minutes, then turn it softly into a bowl, and let it remain a couple of days; repeat the slow-heating- and simmering at intervals of two or three days, until the fruit is quite clear, when it may be potted in the syrup, or drained from it, and dried upon large clean slates or dishes, or upon wire-sieves. The flavour will be excellent. The strained juice of a lemon may be added to the syrup, with good effect, towards the end of the process, and an additional ounce or two of sugar allowed for it DAMSON JAM. (VERY GOOD.) The fruit for this jam should be freshly gathered and quite ripe. Split, stone, weigh, and boil it quickly for forty minutes ; then stir in half its weight of good sugar roughly powdered, and when it is dis- solved, give the preserve fifteen minutes additional boiling, keeping it stirred, and thoroughly skimmed. Damsons, stoned, 6 lbs. : 40 minutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 15 minutes. Obs. — A more refined preserve is made by pressing the fruit through a sieve after it is boiled tender; but the jam is excellent without. DAMSON JELLY. Bake separately in a very slow oven, or boil in a water-bath (see page 332), any number of fine ripe damsons, and one third the quantity of bullaces, or of any other pale plums, as a portion of their juice will, to most tastes, improve, by softening the flavour of the preserve, and will render the colour brighter. Pour off the juice clear from the fruit, strain and weigh it; boil it quickly without sugar for twenty-five min- utes, draw it from the fire, stir into it ten ounces of good sugar for each pound of juice, and boil it quickly from six to ten minutes longer, care- fully clearing off all the scum. The jelly must be often stirred before the sugar is added, and constantly afterwards. DAMSON SOLID. (GOOD.) Pour the juice from some damsons which have stood for a night in a very cool overf, or been stewed in a jar placed in a pan of water ; weigh and put it into a preserving-pan with a pound and four ounces of pear- mains (or of any other fine boiling apples), pared, cored, and quartered, to each pound of the juice ; boil these together, keeping them well stirred, from twenty-five to thirty minutes, then add the sugar, and when it is nearly dissolved, continue the boiling for ten minutes. This, if done with exactness, will give a perfectly smooth and firm preserve, which may be moulded in small shapes, and turned out for table. To each pound clear damson-juice, 1} lb. pearmains (or other good apples), pared and cored : 25 to 30 minutes. Sugar, 14 ozs. : 10 minutes. EXCELLENT DAMSON CHEESE. When the fruit has been baked or stewed tender, as directed above, drain off the juice, skin and stone the damsons, pour back to them from a third to half their juiee, weigh and then boil them over a clear brisk fire until they form a qu ; te dry paste; add six ounces of pounded sugar for each pound of the plums; stir them off the fire until this is dissolved, and boil the preserve again without quitting or ceasing to stir it, until it leaves the pan quite dry, and adheres in a mass to the spoon. If it 344 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXI. should not stick to the fingers when lightly touched, it will be suffi- ciently done to keep very long; press it quickly into pans or moulds; lay on it a paper dipped in spirit when it is perfectly cold ; tie another fold over it, and store it in a dry place. Bullace cheese is made in the same manner, and almost any kind of plum will make an agreeable preserve of the sort. To each pound of fruit, pared, stoned, and mixed with the juice, and boiled quite dry, 6' ozs. of pounded sugar : boiled again to a dry paste. GRAPE JELLY. Strip from their stalks some fine ripe black-cluster grapes, and stir them with a wooden spoon over a gentle fire until all have burst, and the juice flows freely from them; strain it off without pressure, and pass it through a jelly-bag, or through a twice- folded muslin; weigh and then boil it rapidly for twenty minutes ; draw it from the fire, stir in it till dissolved, fourteen ounces of good sugar, roughly powdered, to each pound of juice, and boil the jelly quickly for fifteen minutes longer, keeping it constantly stirred, and perfectly well skimmed. It will be very clear, and of a beautiful pale rose-colour. Juice of black-cluster grapes : 20 minutes. To each pound of juice, 14 ozs. good sugar : 15 minutes. Obs. — We have proved this jelly only with the kind of grape which we have named, but there is little doubt that fine purple grapes of any sort would answer for it well. ENGLISH GUAVA. Strip the stalks from a gallon or two of the large kind of bullaces called the shepherd's bullace ; give part of them a cut, put them into stone jars, and throw into one of them a pound or two of imperatrice plums, if they can be obtained ; put the jars into pans of water, and boil them as directed at page 332; then drain off the juice, pass it through a thick strainer or jelly-bag, and weigh it; boil it quickly from fifteen to twenty minutes ; take it from the fire, and stir in it till dis- solved, three-quarters of a pound of sugar to the pound of juice; remove the scum with care, and boil the preserve again quickly from eight to twelve minutes, or longer should it not then jelly firmly on the skim- mer. When the fruit is very acid, an equal weight of juice and sugar may be mixed together in the first instance, and boiled briskly for about twenty minutes. It is impossible to indicate the precise time which the jelly will require, so much depends on the quality of the plums, and on the degree of boiling previously given to them in the water-bath. When properly made, it is remarkably transparent and very firm. It should be poured into shallow pans or small moulds, and turned from thorn before it is served. When the imperatrice plum cannot be pro- cured, any other that will give a pale red colour to the juice will answer. The bullaces alone make an admirable preserve; and even the commoner kind afford an excellent one. Juice of the shepherd's bullace and imperatrice, or other red plum, 4 lbs. : 15 to 20 minutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 8 to 12 minutes. Or juice of bullaces and sugar, equal weight: 20 minutes. Obs. — After the juice has been poured from the plums they may be stoned, pared, weighed, and boiled to a paste ; then six ounces of sugar CHAP. XXI.] PRESERVES. 345 added to the pound, and the boiling continued until the preserve is again very dry : a small portion of the juice should be left with the fruit for this. to dry plums ; {an easy method.') Put them into jars, or wide-necked bottles, with half a pound of good sugar, rolled or pounded, to twice the weight of fruit; set them into a very cool oven for four and five hours ; or if more convenient place them, with a little hay between them, in a pan of cold water, and boil them gently for rather more than three hours. Leave them in the syrup for a few days, and finish them as directed for the drying of other fruits. Tie a bladder over the necks of the jars or bottles before they are placed in the pan of water, and fasten two or three folds of paper over the former, or cork the bottles when the fruit is to be baked. The sugar should be put in after the fruit, without being shaken down ; it will then dissolve gradually, and be absorbed by it equally. To each pound of plums, 8 ounces pounded sugar: baked in cool oven 4 or 5 hours, or steamed 3 hours. TO BOTTLE FRUIT FOR WINTER USE. Gather the fruit in the middle of the day in very dry weather ; strip off the stalks, and have in readiness some perfectly clean and dry wide- necked bottles ; turn each of these the instant before it is filled, with the neck downwards, and hold in it two or three lighted matches ; drop in the fruit before the vapour escapes, shake it gently down, press in some new corks, dip the necks of the bottles into melted rosin, set them at night into an oven from which the bread has been drawn six or seven hours at least, and' let them remain until the morning: if the heat be too great the bottles will burst. Currants, cherries, damsons, green- gages, and various other kinds of plums will remain good for quite twelve months when bottled thus if stored in a dry place. To steam the fruit, put the bottles into a copper or other vessel up to their necks in cold water, with a little hay between and under them; light the fire, let the water heat slowly, and keep it at the point of gentle simmering until the fruit is sufficiently scalded. Some kinds will of course require a much longer time than others. From half to three-quarters of an hour will be sufficient for gooseberries, currants, and raspberries ; but the appearance of all will best denote their being done. When they have sunk almost half the depth of the bottles, and the skins are shrivelled, extinguish the fire, but leave them in the water until it is quite cold ; then wipe and store the bottles in a dry olace. A bit of moistened bladder tied over the corks is better than the cosin w T hen the fruit is steamed. APPLE JELLY. Various kinds of apples may be used successfully to make this jelly, out the nonsuch is by many persons preferred to all others for the pur- pose. The Ripstone pippin, however, may be used for it with very good effect, either solely, or with a mixture of pearmains. Jt is neces- sary only that the fruit should be finely flavoured, and that it should boil easily to a marmalade. Pare, core, quarter, and weigh it quickly that it may not lose its colour, and to each pound pour a pint of cold water, and boil it until it is well broken, without being reduced to a 346 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXI. quite thick pulp, as it would then be difficult to render the juice per- fectly clear, which it ought to be. Drain this well from the apples, either through a fine sieve or a folded muslin strainer, and pass it after- wards through a jelly-bag, or turn the fruit at once into the last of these, and pour the liquid through a second time if needful. When it appears quite transparent, weigh, and reduce it by quick boiling for twenty minutes ; draw it from the fire, add two pounds of sugar, broken very small, for three of the decoction, stir it till it is entirely dissolved, then place the preserving-pan again over a clear fire, and boil the pre- serve quickly for ten minutes, or until it jellies firmly upon the skimmer when poured from it ; throw in the strained juice of a small lemon for every two pounds of jelly, a couple of minutes before it is taken from the fire. Apples, 7 lbs. ; water, 7 pints : § to full hour. Juice, 6 lbs. : 20 minutes quick boiling. Sugar, 4 lbs. : 10 to 15 minutes. Juice, 3 lemons. EXCEEDINGLY FINE APPLE JELLY. Pare quickly some highly flavoured juicy apples of any kind, or of various kinds together, for this is immaterial ; slice, without dividing them ; but first free them from the stalks and eyes, shake out some of the pips, and put the apples evenly into very clean large stone jars, just dipping an occasional layer into cold water as this is done, the better to preserve the colour of the whole. Set the jars into pans of water, and boil the fruit slowly until it is quite soft, then turn it into a jelly-bag or cloth, and let the juice all drop from it. The quantity which it will have yielded will be small, but it will be clear and rich. Weigh and boil it for ten minutes, then draw it from the fire, and stir into it, until it is entirely dissolved, twelve ounces of good sugar to the pound and quarter (or pint) of juice. Place the preserve again over the fire and stir it without intermission, except to clear off the scum, until it has boiled from eight to ten minutes longer, for otherwise it will jelly on the surface with the scum upon it, which it "will then be difficult to re- move, as when touched it will break and fall into the preserve. The strained juice of one small fresh lemon to the pint of jelly should be thrown into it two or three minutes before it is poured out, and the rind of one or two cut very thin may be simmered in the juice before the sugar is added ; but the pale, delicate colour of the jelly will be injured by too much of it, and many persons would altogether prefer the pure flavour. Juice of apples, 1 quart, or 2£ lbs. : 10 minutes. Sugar, 1^ lb. : 8 to 10 minutes. Juice, 2 small lemons ; rind of 1 or more, at pleasure. Obs. 1. — The quantity of apples required for it renders this a rather expensive preserve, where they are not abundant; but it is a remarka- oly fine jelly, and turns out from the moulds in perfect shape and very firm. It may be served in the second course, or for dessert. It is some- times made without paring the apples, or dipping them into the water, *nd the colour is then a deep red : we have occasionally had a pint of water added to about a gallon and a half of apples, but the jelly was not then quite so fine in flavour. Ohs. 2. — The best time for making this apple-jelly is from the end of November to Christmas. CHAI\ XXI.] PRESERVES. 347 Obs. 3. — Quince-jelly would, without doubt, be very fine made by this receipt ; but as the juice of that fruit is richer than that of the apple, a little water might be added. Alternate layers of apples and quinces would also answer well, we think. QUINCE JELLY. Pare, quarter, core, and weigh some ripe but quite sound quinces, as quickly as possible, and throw them as they are done into part of the water in which they are to be boiled, as directed at page 305 ; allow one pint of this to each pound of the fruit, and simmer it gently until it is a little broken, but not so long as to redden the juice, which ought to be very pale. Turn the whole into a jelly-bag, or strain the liquid through a fine cloth, and let it drain very closely from it, but without the slightest pressure. Weigh the juice, put it into a delicately clean preserving-pan, and boil it quickly for twenty minutes; take it from the fire and stir into it, until it is entirely dissolved, twelve ounces of sugar for each pound of juice, or fourteen ounces if the fruit should be very acid, which it will be in the earlier part of the season ; keep it con- stantly stirred and thoroughly cleared from scum from ten to twenty minutes longer, or until it jellies strongly in falling from the skimmer ; then pour it directly into glasses or moulds. If properly made, it will be sufficiently firm to turn out of the latter, and it will be beautifully transparent, and rich in flavour. It may be made with an equal weight of juice and sugar mixed together in the first instance, and boiled from twenty to thirty minutes. It is difficult to state the time precisely, be- cause from different causes it will vary very much. It should be re- duced rapidly to the proper point, as long boiling injures the colour: this is always more perfectly preserved by boiling the juice without the sugar first. To each pound pared and cored quinces, 1 pint water: $ to li hour. Juice, boiled 20 minutes. To each pound, 12 ozs. sugar: 10 to 20 mi- nutes. Or, juice and sugar equal weight: 20 to 30 minutes. QUINCE MARMALADE. When to economize the fruit is not an object, pare, core, and quar- ter some of the inferior quinces, and boil them in as much water as will nearly cover them, until they begin to break; strain the juice from them, and for the marmalade put half a pint of it to each pound of fresh quinces: in preparing these, be careful to cut out the hard stony parts round the cores. Simmer them gently until they are perfectly tender, then press them, with the juice, through a coarse sieve ; put them into a perfectly clean pan, and boil them until they form almost a dry paste ; add for each pound of quinces and the half pint of juice, three quarters of a pound of sugar, in fine powder, and boil the marmalade for half an hour, stirring it gently without ceasing: it will be very firm ana bngut in colour. If made shortly after the fruit is gathered, a little additional sugar will be required; and when a richer and less dry marmalade is better liked, it must be boiled a shorter time, and an equal weight of fruit and sugar must be used. Quinces, pared and cored, 4 lbs.; prepared juice, 1 quart: 2 to 3 hours. Boiled fast to dry, 20 to 40 minutes. Sugar, 3 lbs. : 30 mi- nutes. Richer marmalade: quinces, 4 lbs. ; juice, 1 quart; sugar, 4 lbs. MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXI. QUINCE AND APPLE MARMALADE. Boil together, from three quarters of an hour to en hour, two poundi of pearmains, or of any other well-flavoured apples, in an equal weight o( prepared quince-juice (see page o{^). thou take them from the tiro, and mix with them a pound ami a halt* ot* sugar, in tine powder; when this is a little dissolved, sot the pan again over a brisk tiro, ami boil the preserve for twenty minutes longer, keeping it stirred all the time. Prepared quince-juice, 2 lbs. ; apples, 2 lbs. : j to 1 hour. Su^-ar, 1^ lb.: "JO minutes. QUINCE PASTE. If the full flavour of the quinces ho desired, stow them sufficiently tender to press through a sieve in the prepared juice of page 305; otherwise, in just water enough to about three pails cover them ; when they are soil quite through, lift them out, let them cool, and then pass them through a sieve; reduce them to a dry paste, over a very clear fire, and stir them constantly; then weigh the fruit, and mix it with an equal proportion of pounded sugar, or with sugar boiled to candy height (we find the effect nearly the same, whichever method bo pursued), and stir the paste without intermission until it is again so dry as to quit the pan and adhere to the spoon in one large ball; press it into shallow pans or dishes; cut it, as seen as cold, into small squares, and, should they seem to require it, dry them with a very gentle degree of heat, and when they are again cold store them in tin cases with well-dried foolscap paper between them ; the paste may be moulded, when more convenient, and kept until it is wanted for table in a very dry place. In France, where the fruit is admirably confected, the p&te des coigti8 % or quince paste, is somewhat less boiled than we have directed, and dried afterwards in the sun, or in an extremely o-entle oven, in square rims of tin, about an inch and a half deep, placed upon clean plates. JELLY OF SIBERIAN CRABS. This fruit, makes a jelly ot' beautiful colour, and of pleasant flavour also; it may bo stored in small moulds of ornamental shape, and turned out for a dessert dish. Take off the stalks, weigh, and wash the crabs; then, to each pound and a half, add a pint of water, and boil them gently until they are broken, but do not allow them to fall to a pulp. Pour the whole into a jelly-bag, and when the juice is quite transparent, weigh it, put it into a clean preserving- pan, bod it quickly tor ten minutes, take it from the tire, and stir in it, till dissolved, ten ounces of fine sugar, roughly powdered, to each pound of the juice : boil the jelly from twelve to fifteen minutes, skim it very clean, and pour it into the mould. Should the quantity he large, a few additional minutes boiling must be given to the juice before the sugar is added. To each IS lb. of crabs; water, 1 pint: 12 to 18 minutes. Juice to be boiled fast, 10 minutes; sugar, to each pound, 10 ozs. : 12 to 15 minutes. TO PRESERVE BARBERRIES IN BUNCHES. Take the finest barberries, without stones, that can be procured, tie them together in bunches of four or five sprigs, and tor each half pound of the fruit (which is extremely light), boil one pound o[' very good sugar in a pint of water for twenty minutes, and clear it well from CHAP. XXI.] PRESERVES. 349 ■cum; throw in the fruit, let it beat gently, and then boil from five to seven minutes, when it, will be perfectly transparent So long ai any snapping noise is heard, the fruit, is not at all done; it, should be pi equally down into the syrup until the whole of the berries have burst; it should then be turned into jars, which must be covered with skin, or with two or three folds of thick paper, as soon as the preserve is per- fectly cold. The barberries thus prepared make a beautiful garnish for sweet dishes, or for custard pud*.' Barberries, tied in bunches, Y\ lb. Sugar, 3 lbs.; water, I $ pint: 20 minutes. Barberries boiled in .syrup, 5 to 7 minutes. BARBERRY JELLY. To each pound of barberries, stripped from the stalks, put a pint and a half of COld water, and boil thern for fifteen iuinut.es; bruise them with the back of a wooden spoon, pour them into a hair-sieve or muslin strainer, and pass the juice afterwards through a jelly-bag. When it appears perfectly clear, weigh and then boil it fast for ten minutes; take it from the fire, and stir into if. a;-, many pounds of sugar in fine powder as there were pounds of juice; when tins is dissolved, boil the jelly again for ten minutes, skim it carefully, and pour if into jars or glasses: if into the latter, warm them previously, or the boiling jelly may cause them to break. Barberries, IJ lbs.; water, 4£ pints: 15 minutes. Juice alone: 10 minutes. To each pound of juice 1 lb. of sugar: 10 mum' barberry jam. (A good Receipt) The barberries for tins preserve should be quite ripe, though they should not be allowed to hang until they begin to decay. Strip them from the stalks, throw aside SUCfl as are spotted, arid for each pound of the fruit allow eighteen ounce- of well-refined sugar; boil tin.-, with one pint of water to every four pounds, until it become.-; white, and falls in thick masses from the spoon; then throw in the fruit, and keep it stirred over a ljri.sk fire for six minutes only; take off the scum, and pour it into jar.-; or gla Sugar, 4 \ lbs.; water, \\ pint, boiled to candy height Barberries, 4 lb.-. : mill barbers? jam. {Second Receipt.) The proceeding is an excellent receipt, but the preserve will be very good if eighteen ounces of pounded sugar be mixed and boiled with the fruit for ten minutes; and tins is done at a small expense of time and trouble. Sugar pounded, 2| lbs.; fruit, 2 lbs.: boiled 10 minutes. VERY OOMMOI BARBEBRT JAM. Weigh the fruit after if has been stripped from the stalks, and boil it for ten minutes over a moderate fire, keeping it stirred all the time; then add to it an equal weight of good Lisbon sugar, and boil the pre- serve for five min Barberries, 3 lbs. : 10 minute-. 1. bon sugar, 3 lbs. : 5 minutes. Obs. — The .-.mall barberry, without stones, must be used for the fore- going receipts, but for those which follow either sort will an- 350 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXI. SUPERIOR BARBERRY JELLY, AND MARMALADE. Strip the fruit from the stems, wash it in spring-water, drain, bruise it slightly, and put it into a clean stone jar, with no more liquid than the drops which hang about it. Place the jar in a pan of water, and steam the fruit until is quite tender: this will be in from thirty minutes to an hour. Pour off the clear juice, strain, weigh, and boil it fast from five to seven minutes, with eighteen ounces of sugar to every pound. For the marmalade, press the barberries through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and boil them quickly for the same time, and with the same pro- portion of sugar as the jelly. Barberries boiled in water-bath until tender ; to each pound of juice, 1 lb. 2 ozs. sugar : 5 minutes. Pulp of fruit, to each pound, 18 ozs. sugar : 5 minutes. Obs. — We have always had these preserves made with very ripe fruit, and have found them extremely good ; but more sugar may be needed to sweeten them sufficiently when the barberries have hung less time upon the trees. ORANGE MARMALADE. Rasp very slightly on a fine and delicately clean grater the rinds of some sound Seville oranges; cut them in quarters, and separate the flesh from the rinds ; then with the small end of a tea, or egg spoon, clear it entirely from the pips, and from the loose inner skin and film. Put the rinds into a large quantity of cold water, and change it when they have boiled about twenty minutes. As soon as they are perfectly tender lift them out, and drain them on a sieve ; slice them thin, and add eight ounces of them to each pound of the pulp and juice, with a pound and a half of highly-refined sugar in fine powder ; boil the marmalade quickly for half an hour, skim it well, and turn it into the jars. This marmalade has not a very powerful flavour of the orange- rind. When more of this is liked, either leave a portion of the fruit unrasped, or mix with the preserve some of the zest which has been grated off, allowing for it its weight of sugar. Or proceed thus: allow to a dozen Seville oranges two fine juicy lemons, and take the weight of the whole in sifted sugar, of excellent quality. With a sharp knife cut through the rinds just deep enough to allow them to be stripped off in quarters with the end of a spoon, and throw them for a night into plenty of cold spring-water ; on the following morning boil them suffi- ciently tender to aliow the head of a pin to pierce them easily ; then drain them well, let them cool, and scrape out the white part of the rind, and cut the remainder into thin chips. In the mean time have the pulp of the fruit quite cleared from the pips and film; put it with the sugar and chips into a preserving-pan, heat it slowly, then boil it from twenty to thirty minutes : it will be very rich, good marmalade. The sugar, first broken into large lumps, is sometimes made into a very thick syrup, with so much water only as will just dissolve it; the pulp and juice are in that case boiled in it quickly for ten minutes before the chips are added ; and a part of these are pounded and stirred into the preserve with the others. March is the proper month for making this preserve, the Seville orange being then in perfection. For lemon marmalade proceed exactly in the same manner as for this. The whole of the rinds of either fruit are pounded to a paste, and then boiled with the pulp, to make what is called transparent marmalade. CHAP. XXI.] PRESERVES. 351 Rinds of Seville oranges, lightly rasped and boiled tender, 2 lbs.; pulp and juice, 4 lbs. ; sugar, 6 lbs. : i hour. Or, weight of oranges, first taken in sugar, and added, with all the rinds, to the pulp after the whole has been properly prepared. GENUINE SCOTCH MARMALADE. " Take some bitter oranges, and double their weight of sugar ; cut the rind of the fruit into quarters and peel it off, and if the marmalade be not wanted very thick, take off some of the spongy white skin in- side the rind. Cut the chips as thiu as possible, and about half an inch long, and divide the pulp into small bits, removing carefully the seeds, which may be steeped in part of the water that is to make the marma- lade, and which must be in the proportion of a quart to a pound of fruit. Put the chips and pulp into a deep earthen dish, and pour the water boiling over them; let them remain for twelve or fourteen hours, and then turn the whole into the preserving-pan, and boil it until the chips are perfectly tender. When they are so, add by degrees the sugar (which should be previously pounded), and boil the marmalade until it jellies. The water in which the seeds have been steeped, and which must be taken from the quantity apportioned to the whole of the pre- serve, should be poured into a hair-sieve, and the seeds well worked in it with the back of a spoon ; a strong clear jelly will be obtained by this means, which must be washed off them by pouring their own liquor through the sieve in small portions over them. This must be added to the fruit when it is first set on the fire. Oranges, 3 lbs. ; water, 3 quarts ; sugar, 6 lbs. Obs. — This receipt, which we have not tried ourselves, is guarantied as an excellent one by the Scotch lady from whom it was procured. ORANGE CONSERVE FOR PUDDINGS. Wash and then soak in plenty of spring-water for three days, chang- ing it night and morning, half a dozen Seville oranges ; then boil them till they are sufficiently tender for the head of a pin to pierce them easily ; drain and weigh them, and for each pound take and reduce to fine powder two pounds of good sugar. Cut the oranges asunder, and remove the pips and the coarse loose skin of the cores ; then beat them, with the sugar, in a large mortar, and pick out as this is done any pits of fibre or coarse inner skin which cannot be reduced to a paste. When the whole forms a smooth conserve, put it into small jars for use, as it requires no boiling after the fruit and sugar are mixed : if stored in a dry place, it will remain good for two years. Each orange should be tied in a thin small cloth or a bit of muslin when it is boiled, and the water should be changed once (or even twice when the fine aromatic bitter of the rind is altogether objected to), or the fruit may be lifted from the water and thrown immediately into another pan containing more which is ready boiling. Two tablespoonsful of this conserve, with the yolks of five or six eggs, a couple of ounces of sugar, and as much clarified butter smoothly mixed and well beaten together, wiL make good cheesecakes, or an excellent but not large pudding: the same proportion will be found an agreeable addition to a plum-pudding also. Seville oranges, boiled tender, 2 lbs. ; sugar, 4 lbs. ; beaten together, not boiled. 352 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXII. CHAPTER XXII. PICKLES. OBSERVATIONS ON PICKLES. The first requisite in making- pickles is to have unadulterated vine- gar, for all the expense and trouble bestowed upon them is often entirely lost in consequence of ingredients being mixed with this which soften, and sometimes even partially decompose, the substances im- mersed in it. That which is home-made is generally found for all pur- poses to answer best, and it may be prepared of almost any degree of strength by increasing the ordinary proportion of fruit and sugar, or whatever else may be used for it. The refuse of raisin-wine, and green gooseberries, may both be converted into excellent vinegar: but unless the pickles be quite covered with their liquor, and well protected from the air, and from the influence of damp, which is more than any- thing destructive of them, the purity of the vinegar will not preserve them eatable. We can confidently recommend to the reader the rather limited number of receipts which follow, and which might easily be multiplied did the size of our volume permit. Pickling is so easy a process, however, that when in any degree properly acquired, it may be extended to almost every kind of fruit and vegetable success- fully. A few of the choicer kinds will nevertheless be found generally more acceptable than a greater variety of inferior preparations. Mush- rooms, gherkins, walnuts, lemons, eschalots, and peaches, for all of which we have g-iven minute directions, will furnish as much choice as is commonly required. TO PICKLE CHERRIES. Leave about an inch of their stalks on some fine, sound cherries, that are not over-ripe ; put them into a jar, cover them with cold vinegar, and let them stand for three weeks ; pour off two-thirds of the liquor and replace it with fresh vinegar ; then, after having drained it from the fruit, boil the whole with an ounce of coriander seed, a small blade of mace, a few grains of cayenne, or a teaspoonful of white pep- percorns, and four bruised cochineals to every quart, all tied loosely in a fold of muslin. Let the pickle become quite cold before it is added to the cherries : in a month they will be fit for use. The vinegar which is poured from the fruit makes a good syrup of itself when boiled with a pound of sugar to the pint, but it is improved by having some fresh raspberries, cherries, or currants previously infused in it for three or four TO PICKLE GHERKINS,* OR CUCUMBERS. Let the gherkins be gathered on a dry day, before the frost has touched them ; take off the blossoms, put them into a stone jar, and pour over them sufficient boiling brine to cover them well. The following' day take them out, wipe them singly, lay them into a clean stone jar, * Small cucumbers. All cucumbers may be pickled in the samn way. CHAP. XXII.] PICKLES. 353 with a dozen bay-leaves over them, and pour upon them the following- pickle, when it is boiling fast: as much vinegar as will more than cover the gherkins by an inch or two, with an ounce and a quarter of salt, a quarter-ounce of black peppercorns, an ounce and a half of ginger sliced, or slightly bruised, and two small blades of mace to every quart; put a plate over the jar, and leave it lor two days, then drain off the vinegar, and heat it afresh : when it boils, throw in the gherkins, and keep them just on the point of simmering for two or three minutes ; pour the whole back into the jar, put the plate again upon it, and let it remain until the pickle is quite cold, when a skin, or two separate folds of thick brown paper, must be tied closely over it. The gherkins thus pickled are very crisp, and excellent in flavour, and the colour is suffi- ciently good to satisfy the prudent housekeeper, to whom the brilliant and poisonous green produced by boiling the vinegar in a brass skillet (a process constantly recommended in books of cookery) is anything but attractive. To satisfy ourselves of the effect produced by the action of the acid on the metal, we had a few gherkins thrown into some vinegar which was boiling in a brass pan, and nothing could be more beautiful than the colour which they almost immediately exhibited. We fear this dangerous method is too often resorted to in preparing pickles for sale. Brine to pour on gherkins; — 6 ozs. salt to each quart water: 24 hours. Pickle : — to each quart vinegar, salt, l£ oz. ; black peppercorns, 4- oz. ; ginger, sliced or bruised, 1A oz. ; mace, 2 small blades; bay- leaves; 24 to 100 gherkins, more when the flavour is liked: 2 days. Gherkins simmered in vinegar, 2 to 3 minutes. PICKLES. Obs. — The quantity of vinegar required to cover the gherkins will be shown by that of the brine : so much depends upon their size, that it is impossible to direct the measure exactly. A larger proportion of spice can be added at pleasure. TO PICKLE NASTURTIUMS. These should be gathered quite young, and a portion of the buds, when very small, should be mixed with them. Prepare a pickle by dissolving an ounce and a half of salt in a quart of pale vinegar, and throw in the berries as they become fit, from day to day. They are* used instead of capers for sauce, and by some persons are preferred to them. When purchased for pickling, put them at once into a jar, and cover them well with the vinegar. TO PICKLE PEACHES. Take, at their full growth, just before they begin to ripen, six large or eight moderate-sized peaches; wipe the down from them, and put them into brine that will float an egg. In three days let them be taken out, and drained on a sieve reversed for several hours. Boil in a quart of vinegar for ten minutes two ounces of whole white pepper, two of ginger slightly bruised, a teaspoonful of salt, two blades of mace, half a pound of mustard-seed, and a half-teaspoon ful of cayenne tied in a bit of muslin. Lay the peaches into a jar, and pour the boiling pickle on them : in two months they will be fit for use. Peaches, 6 or 8 : in brine 3 days. Vinegar, 1 quart ; whole white 29 354 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXII. pepper, 2 ozs. ; bruised ginger, 2 ozs. ; salt, 1 teaspoonful ; mace, 2 blades ; mnstard-seed, h lb. : 10 minutes. Obs. — The peaches may be converted into excellent mangoes by cut- ting out from the stalk-end of each a round of sufficient size to allow the stone to be extracted : this should be done after they are taken from the brine. They may be filled with very fresh mustard-seed, previously washed in a little vinegar ; to this a small portion of garlic, or bruised eschalots, cayenne, horse-radish, chilies (the most appropriate of any), or spice of any kind may be added, to the taste. The part cut out must be replaced, and secured with a packthread crossed over the fruit. TO PICKLE MUSHROOMS. Select for this purpose, if they can be procured, the smallest buttons of the wild or meadow mushrooms, in preference to those which are artificially raised, and let them be as freshly gathered as possible. Cut the stems off quite close, and clean them with a bit of new flannel slightly moistened, and dipped in fine salt; throw them as they are done into plenty of spring-water, mixed with a large spoonful of salt, but drain them from it quickly afterwards, and lay them into a soft cloth to dry, or the moisture which hangs about them will too much weaken the pickle. For each quart of the mushrooms thus prepared, take nearly a quart of the palest white wine vinegar (this is far superior to the dis- tilled vinegar generally used for the purpose, and the variation in the colour of the mushrooms will be very slight), and add to it a heaped teaspoonful of salt, half an ounce of whole white pepper, an ounce of ginger, sliced or lightly bruised, about the fourth of a saltspoonful of cayenne, tied in a small bit of muslin, and two large blades of mace ; to these may be added half a small nutmeg, sliced ; but too much spice will entirely overpower the fine natural flavour of the mushrooms. When the pickle boils, throw them in, and boil them in it over a clear fire moderately fast from six to nine minutes, or somewhat longer, should they not be very small. When they are much disproportioned in size, the larger ones should have two minutes boil before the others are thrown into the vinegar. As soon as they are tolerably tender, put them at once into small stone jars, or into warm wide-necked bottles, and divide the spice equally amongst them. The following day, or as soon as they are perfectly cold, secure them from the air with large corks, or tie skins and paper over them. They should be stored in a dry plaee, and guarded from severe frost. When the colour of the mushrooms is more considered than the excellence of the pickle, the distilled vinegar can be used tor it. The reader may rely upon this receipt as a really good one; we have had it many times proved, and it is altogether our own. Mushroom-buttons (without the stems), 2 quarts ; palest white wine vinegar, short |- gallon; salt, large dessertspoonful, or 1^ oz. ; white peppercorns, 1 oz. ; whole ginger, 2 ozs. ; cayenne, small ^ saltspoon- ful ; 1 small nutmeg. mushrooms in brine; (for winter use.) (Very good.) We have had small mushroom-buttons excellently preserved through the winter prepared as follows, and we therefore give the exact pro- portions which we had used for them, though the same quantity of brine would possibly allow of rather more mushrooms in it. Prepare them exactly as for the preceding pickle, and measure them after the stems CHAP. XXII.] PICKLES. 355 are taken off! For each quart, boil together for five minutes two quarts of water, with half a pound of common white salt, a small dessertspoon- ful of white peppercorns, a couple of blades of mace, and a race of gin- ger; take off the scum thoroughly, and throw in the mushrooms; boil them gently for about five minutes, then put them into well-warmed, wide-necked bottles, and let them become perfectly cold, pour a little good salad oil on the top, cork them with new corks, and tie bladder over, or cover them with two separate bladders. When wanted for use, soak the mushrooms in warm water till the brine is sufficiently extracted. Mushrooms, 1 quart; water, h gallon; salt, I lb.; peppercorns, 1 small dessertspoonful; mace, 2 blades; ginger, 1 race: 5 minutes. Mushrooms, in brine, 5 minutes. TO PICKLE WALNUTS. The walnuts for this pickle must be gathered while a pin can pierce them easily, for when once the shell can be felt, they have ceased to be in a proper state for it. Make sufficient brine to cover them well, with six ounces of salt to the gallon of water; take off the scum, which will rise to the surface as the salt dissolves, throw in the walnuts, and stir them night and morning; change the brine every three days, and if they are wanted for immediate eating, leave them in it for twelve days; otherwise, drain them from it in nine, spread them on dishes, and let them remain exposed to the air until they become black; this will be in twelve hours, or less. Make a pickle for them with something more than half a gallon of vinegar to the hundred, a teaspoonful of salt, two ounces of black pepper, three of bruised ginger, a drachm of mace, and from a quarter to half an ounce of cloves (of which some may be stuck into three or four small onions), and four ounces of mustard-seed. Boil the whole of these together for about five minutes; have the walnuts ready in a stone jar, or jars, and pour it on them as it is taken from the fire. When the pickle is quite cold, cover the jar securely, and store it in a dry place. Keep the walnuts always well covered with the vine- gar, and boil that which is added to them. Walnuts, 100; in brine made with 12 ozs. salt to 2 quarts water, and changed twice or more, 9 or 12 days. Vinegar, full \ gallon ; salt, 1 teaspoonful ; whole black pepper, 2 ozs. ; ginger, 3 ozs. ; mace, 1 drachm ; cloves, £ to \ oz. ; small onions, 4 to 6 ; mustard-seed, 4 ozs. : 5 minutes. TO PICKLE BEET-ROOT. Boil the beet-root tender by the directions of page 247, and when it is quite cold, pare and slice it ; put it into a jar, and cover it with com- mon vinegar previously boiled and allowed to become again perfectly cold : it will soon be ready for use. It is excellent when merely covered with vinegar. A few small onions may be boiled in the pickle for it when their flavour is liked. To each quart vinegar, salt, 1 teaspoonful ; cayenne tied in musiin, § saltspoonful, or white peppercorns, \ to whole oz. PICKLED ESCHALOTS. For a quart of s^ady-peeled eschalots, add to the same quantity of the oest pale white-wine vinegar, a dessertspoonful of salt, and an ounce of 356 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXII. whole white pepper; bring- these quickly to a boil, take off the scum, throw in the eschalots, simmer them for two minutes only; turn them into a clean stone jar, and when they are quite cold, tie a skin, or two folds of thick paper over it. Eschalots, 1 quart; vinegar, 1 quart; salt, 1 dessertspoonful; whole white pepper, 1 oz. Obs. — The sooner the eschalots are pickled after they are ripe and dry, the better they will be. PICKLED ONIONS. Take the smallest onions that can be procured, just after they are harvested, for they are never in so good a state for the purpose as then ; proceed, after having peeled them, exactly as for the eschalots, and when they begin to look clear, which will be in three or tour minutes, put them into jars, and pour the pickle on them. The vinegar should be very pale, and their colour will then be exceedingly well preserved. Any favourite spices can be added to it. to pickle lemons and limes ; (excellent.) Wipe eight fine sound lemons very clean, and make, at equal dis- tances, four deep incisions in each, from the stalk to the blossom end, but without dividing the fruit; stuff them with as much salt as they will contain, lay them into a deep dish, and place them in a sunny window, or in some warm place for a week or ten days, keeping them often turned and basted with their own liquor ; then rub them with some good pale turmeric, and put them with their juice, into a stone jar with a small head of garlic, divided into cloves and peeled, and a dozen small onions stuck with twice as many cloves. Boil in two quarts of white- wine vinegar, half a pound of ginger lightly bruised, two ounces of whole black pepper, and half a pound of mustard-seed ; take them from the fire and pour them directly on the lemons ; cover the jar with a plate, and let them remain till the following day, then add to the pickle half a dozen capsicums (red peppers), and tie a skin and a fold of thick paper over the jar. Large lemons stuffed with salt, 8 : 8 to 10 days. Turmeric, 1 to 2 ozs. ; ginger, | lb. ; mustard-seed, | lb. ; capsicums, 6 ozs. Obs. — The turmeric and garlic may, we think, be omitted from this pickle with advantage. It will remain good for seven years if the lemons be kept well covered with vinegar; that which is added to them should be boiled and then left till cold before it is poured into the jar. The lemons will not be fit for table in less than twelve months; but if wanted for more immediate use, set them for one night into a cool oven after the bread is drawn; they may then be eaten almost directly. Limes must have but slight incisions made in the rinds; and they will be sufficiently softened in four or five days. Two ounces of salt only will be required for half a dozen; and all which remains unmelted must, with their juice, be put into the jar with them before the vinegar is poured on : this should be mixed with spice and mustard-seed, and be boiling when it is added to the limes. TO PICKLE BARBERRIES AND SIBERIAN CRABS. When wanted fur garnishing only, take the fruit before it is very ripe, cut half the length of their stalks from the crabs, and free the CHAP. XXIII.] CAKES. 357 barberries from the leaves, and from any discoloured berries that may be amongst them. Put them into stone jars, and cover them well with brine, which has been boiled and left to become perfectly cold. Look at them occasionally during the winter, and should any scum or mould have gathered on the surface, clear it well off, drain the brine closely from the fruit, and fill the jars with some that is freshly made. Six ounces of salt, and a morsel of alum half the size of a bean to the quart of water should be boiled together for ten minutes, and well skimmed, both for the first brine, and for any that may be required afterwards. To pickle these fruits in vinegar, add the alum to a sufficient quantity to cover them, and boil it with a few white peppercorns, which must be strained out before it is poured into the jars: it must be quite cold when added to the barberries or crabs ; these last should not be ripe when they are used, or they will burst in the pickle; they should have attained their growth and full colour, but be still hard. CHAPTER XXIII. CAKES. Modem Cake Mould. GENERAL REMARKS ON CAKES. The ingredients for cakes, as well as for puddings, should all be fresh and good, as well as free from damp ; the lightness of many kinds de- pends entirely on that given to the eggs by whisking, and by the man- ner in which the whole is mixed. A small portion of carbonate of soda, which will not be in the slightest degree perceptible to the taste after the cake is baked, if thrown in just before the mixture is put into the oven, will ensure its rising well. To guard against the bitterness so often imparted by yeast when it is used for cakes or biscuits, it should be sparingly added, and the sponge should be left twice the usual time to rise. This method will be found 358 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXIII. to answer equally with bread. For example : should a couple of spoons- m 1 of yeast be ordered in a receipt, when it is bitter, use but one, and l«-t it stand two hours instead of half the time: the fermentation, though s-ow, will be quite as perfect as if it were more quickly effected, and the cake or loaf thus made will not become dry by any means so soon is if a large portion of yeast were mixed with it. All light cakes require a rather brisk oven to raise and set them ; very large rich ones a well-sustained degree of heat sufficient to bake them through; and small sugar-cakes a very slow oven, to prevent their taking a deep colour before they are half done : gingerbread too should be gently baked, unless it be of the light thick kind. Merin- gues, macaroons, and ratafias, will bear a slight degree more of heat than these. For sponge and savoy cakes the French butter their moulds thickly, and shake fine sugar in them until they are equally covered with it : the loose sugar must be turned out before they are used. To ascertain whether a cake be done, thrust a knife into the centre, and should this come out clean draw it from the oven directly; but should the paste adhere to it, continue the baking. Several sheets of paper are placed usually under large plum-cakes. TO BLANCH ALMONDS. Put them into a saucepan with plenty of cold water, and heat it slowly ; when it is just scalding, turn the almonds into a basin, peel, and throw them into cold water as they are done : dry them welt in a soft cloth before they are used. If thewater be too hot, it will turn them yellow. TO POUND ALMONDS. Almonds are more easily pounded, and less liable to become oily, if dried a little in a very gentle degree of heat after they are blanched ; left for example, in a warm room for two or three days, lightly spread on a large dish or tin. They should be sprinkled during the beating with a few drops of cold water, or white of egg, or lemon-juice, and poundpd to a smooth paste: this is more easily done, we believe, when they are first roughly chopped, but we prefer to have them thrown at once into the mortar. to reduce almonds to a paste. (The quickest and easiest way.) Chop them a little on a large and very clean trencher, then with a paste-roller (rolling-pin), which ought to be thicker in the middle than at the ends, roll them well until no small bits are perceptible amongst them. We have found this method answer admirably; but as some of the oil is expressed from the almonds by it, and absorbed by the board, we would recommend a marble slab for them in preference, when it is at hand; and should they be intended for a sweet dish, that some pounded sugar should be strewed under them. When a board or strong trencher is used, it should be rather higher in the middle than at the sides. TO COLOUR ALMONDS FOR CAKES, OR PASTRY. Blanch, dry, and chop them rather coarsely ; pour a little prepared cochineal into the hands, and roll the almonds between them until they are equally coloured ; then spread them on a sheet of paper, and place CHAP. XXI11.] CAKES. 359 them in a very gentle degree of heat to dry. Use spinach-juice (see page 233) to colour them green, and a strong- infusion of saffron to give them a yellow tint. They have a pretty effect when strewed over the icing of tarts or cakes, especially the rose-coloured ones, which should be rather pale. TO PREPARE BUTTER FOR RICH CAKES. For all large and very rich cakes the usual directions are, to beat the butter to a cream; tut we find that they are quite as light, if not more so, when it is cut small and gently melted with just so much heat as will dissolve it, and no more. If it be shaken round in a sauce- pan previously warmed, and held near the fire for a short time, it will soon be liquefied, which is all that is required : it must on no account be hot when it is added to the other ingredients, to which it must be poured in small portions after they are all mixed, in the way which we have minutely described in the receipt for a Madeira cake, and that of the Sutherland puddings (Chapter XVIII.) To cream it, drain the water well from it, after it is cut, soften it a little btfore the fire should it be very hard, and then with the back of a large strong wooden spoon beat it until it resembles thick cream. When prepared thus, the sugar is added to it first, and then the other ingredients in succession. TO WHISK EGGS FOR LIGHT RICH CAKES. Break them one by one, and separate the yolks from the whites: this is done easily by pouring the yolk from one half of the shell to the other, and letting the white drop from it into a basin beneath. With a small three-pronged fork take out the specks from each egg as it is broken, that none may accidentally escape notice. Whisk the yolks until they appear light, and the whites until they are a quite solid froth ; while any liquid remains at the bottom of the bowl they are not suffi- ciently beaten: when a portion of them, taken up with the whisk, and dropped from it, remains standing in points, they are in the proper state for use, and should be mixed into the cake directly. ORANGE-FLOWER MACAROONS. (DELICIOUS.) Have ready two pounds of very dry white sifted sugar. Weigh two ounces of the petals of freshly-gathered orange-blossoms after they have been picked from the stems : and cut them very small with a pair of scissors into the sugar, as they will become discoloured if not mixed with it quickly after they are cut. When all are done, add the whites of seven eggs, and beat the whole well together till it looks like snow; then drop the mixture upon paper without delay, and send the cakes to a very cool oven. Pounded sugar, 2 lbs. ; orange-blossoms, 2 ozs. ; whites of eggs, 7 : 20 minutes, or more. Obs. — It is almost impossible to state with accuracy the precise time required for these cakes, so much depends on the oven : they should be very delicately coloured, and yet dried through. ALMOND MACAROONS. Blanch a pound of fresh Jordan almonds, wipe them dry, and set them into a very cool oven to render them perfectly so ; pound them to an exceedingly smooth paste, with a little white of egg; then whisk to 360 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXIII. a firm solid froth the whites of seven eggs, or of eight, should they be small; mix with them a pound and a half of the finest sugar; add these by degrees to the almonds, whisk the whole up well together, and drop the mixture upon wafer-paper, which may be procured at the confectioner's: bake them in a moderate oven a very pale brown. It is an improvement to the flavour of these cakes to substitute an ounce of bitter almonds for one of the sweet: they are sometimes made with an equal weight of each ; and another variety of them is obtained by gently browning the almonds in a slow oven before they are pounded. Jordan almonds blanched, 1 lb. ; sugar, 1£ lb. ; whites of 7 or 8 eggs : 15 to 20 minutes. IMPERIALS. (NOT VERY RICH.) Work into a pound of flour six ounces of butter, and mix well with them half a pound of sifted sugar, six ounces of currants, two ounces of candied orange-peel, the grated rind of a lemon, and four well-beaten eggs. Flour a tin lightly, and with a couple of forks place the paste upon it in small rough heaps quite two inches apart. Bake them in a very gentle oven, from a quarter of an hour to twenty minutes, or until they are equally coloured to a pale brown. Flour, 1 lb. ; butter, 6 ozs. ; sugar, 8 ozs. ; currants, 6 ozs. ; candied peel, 2 ozs. ; rind of 1 lemon ; eggs, 4 : 15 to 20 minutes. VERY GOOD SMALL RICH CAKES. Beat and mix well together four eggs properly whisked, and half a pound of fine sifted sugar; pour to them by degrees a quarter pound of clarified butter, as little warmed as possible ; stir lightly in with these four ounces of dry sifted flour, beat the mixture for about ten minutes, put it into small buttered patty-pans, and bake the cakes a quarter of an hour in a moderate oven. They should be flavoured with the rasped or grated rind of a small lemon, or with pounded mace or cinnamon. Eggs, 4 ; sugar, | lb. ; butter, 4 ozs. ; flour, 4 ozs. ; lemon-rind, mace, or cinnamon : baked, 15 minutes. ALMOND ROCHER. Chop very fine together eight ounces of almonds, blanched, and dried, six of candied orange-rind, or of orange and lemon-rind mixed, and one ounce of citron ; then add to them two ounces of flour, three quarters of a pound of sugar, a small teaspoonful of mace and cinna- mon mixed, and the whites of three large eggs; roll the mixture into balls about the size of a large marble, and bake them on wafer-paper twenty minutes in a moderate oven : they should be quite crisp, but not deeply coloured. Almonds, 8 ozs. ; candied orange-rind, 6 ozs. ; citron, 1 oz. ; flour, 2- ozs. ; sugar, | lb. : mace and cinnamon mixed, 1 teaspoonful ; whites or' eggs, 3 large: baked, moderate oven, 20 minutes. Obs. — When the flavour is not disliked, it will be found an improve- ment to substitute an ounce of bitter almonds for one of the sweet; and we prefer the whole of the almonds and candied peel also cut into spikes instead of being chopped : the ingredients must then be made into a lighter paste, and placed in small heaps on the paper. BITTER ALMOND BISCUITS. Blanch, and then chop as fine as possible, two ounces of bitter almonds. CHAP. XXIII.] CAKES. 361 and add them to half a pound of flour, half a pound of sifted sugar, and two ounces of butter, previously well mixed together. Whisk the whites of a couple of eggs to a strong froth, beat them lightly to the other ingredients, drop the cakes on a buttered tin, or copper oven-leaf, and bake them rather slowly from ten to twelve minutes: they should be very small. Should the proportion of bitter almonds be considered unhealthful, use half as many, and substitute sweet ones for the re- mainder. Flour, | lb.; sugar, ^ lb.; butter, 2 ozs. ; bitter almonds, 2 ozs. ; whites of eggs, 2: slow oven, 10 to 12 minutes. FINE ALMOND CAKE. Blanch, dry, and pound to the finest possible paste, eight ounces of fresh Jordan almonds, and one ounce of bitter; moisten them with a few drops of cold water or white of egg, to prevent their oiling ; then mix with them very gradually twelve fresh eggs which have been whisked until they are exceedingly light; throw in by degrees one pound of fine, dry, sifted sugar, and keep the mixture light by constant beating, with a large wooden spoon, as the separate ingredients are added. Mix in by degrees three quarters of a pound of dried and sifted flour of the best quality; then pour gently from the sediment a pound of butter which has been just melted, but not allowed to become hot, and beat it very gradually, but very thoroughly, into the cake, letting one portion entirely disappear before another is thrown in: add the rasped or finely-grated rinds of two sound fresh lemons, fill a thickly- buttered mould rather more than half full with the mixture, and bake the cake from an hour and a half to two hours in a well-heated oven. Lay paper over the top when it is sufficiently coloured, and guard care- fully against it being burned. Sweet almonds, § lb. ; bitter almonds, 1 oz. ; eggs, 12 ; sugar, 1 lb. , flour, | lb. ; butter, 1 lb. ; rinds lemons, 2 : 1^ to 2^"hours. Obs. — Three quarters of a pound of almonds may be mixed with this cake when so large a portion of them is liked, but an additional ounce or two of sugar, and one egg or more, will then be required. POUND CAKE. Mix, as directed in the foregoing receipt, ten eggs (some cooks take a pound in weight of these), one pound of sugar, one of flour, and as much of butter. A glass of brandy and a pound of currants may be added very gradually just before the cake is put into the oven, with any spice that is liked ; and two or three ounces of candied orange or lemon- rind, sliced thin, or an ounce of caraway-seeds, may supply the place of all. A cake made with half the quantity of the ingredients must be baked one hour. RICE CAKE. Take six eggs, with their weight in fine sugar, and in butter also, and half their weight of flour of rice, and half of wheaten flour; make the cake as directed for the Madeira or almond cake, but throw in the rice after the flour : then add the butter in the usual way, and bake the cake about an hour and ten minutes. Give any flavour thai is liked. The butter may be altogether omitted. This is a moderate-sized cake. 362 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXIII. Eggs, in the shell, 6 ; their weight in butter and in sugar ; half as much flour of rice, and the same of wheaten flour : 1 hour, 10 minutes. WHITE CAKE. Beat half a pound of fresh butter to a cream, add to it an equal weight of dried and sifted sugar, the yolks and whites of eight eggs, separately- whisked, two ounces of candied orange-peel, half a teaspoonful of mace, a glass of brandy, one pound of flour strewed in by degrees, and last of all a pound and a quarter of currants. Directly it is mixed send the cake to a well-heated oven, and bake it for a couple of hours. Four ounces of beaten almonds are sometimes added to it. Butter, | lb. ; sugar, \ lb. ; eggs, 8 ; mace, \ teaspoonful ; brandy, 1 wineglassful ; flour, 1 lb.; candied peel, 2 ozs. ; currants, If lb.: 2 hours. A GOOD SPONGE CAKE. Rasp on some lumps of well-refined sugar the rind of a fine sound lemon, and scrape off the part which has imbibed the essence, or crush the plums to powder, and add them to as much more as will make up the weight of eight or ten fresh eggs in the shell ; break these one by one, and separate the whites from the yolks ; beat the latter in a large bowl for ten minutes, then strew in the sugar gradually, and beat them well together. In the mean time let the whites be whisked to a quite solid froth, add them to the yolks, and when they are well blended sift and stir the flour gently to them, but do not beat it into the mixture; pour the cake into a well-buttered mould, and bake it an hour and a quarter in a moderate oven. Rasped rind, 1 large lemon; fresh eggs, 8 or 10; their weight of dry, sifted sugar; and half their weight of flour : baked, If hour, moderate oven. A SMALLER SPONGE CAKE. ( Very good.) Five full-sized eggs, the weight of four in sugar, and of nearly three in flour, will make an exceedingly good cake : it may be flavoured, like the preceding one, with lemon-rind, or with bitter almonds, vanilla, or confected orange-blossoms reduced to powder. An hour will bake it thoroughly. All the ingredients for sponge cakes should be of good quality, and the sugar and flour should be dry ; they should also be passed through a fine sieve kept expressly for such purposes. The ex- cellence of the whole depends much on the manner in which the eggs are whisked ; this should be done as lightly as possible ; but it is a mis- take to suppose that they cannot be too long beaten, as after they are brought to a state of perfect firmness they are injured by a continuation of the whisking, and will at times curdle, or render a cake heavy from this cause. a sponge cake. (Good and quickly made.) Beat together for between twenty and thirty minutes the yolks of nine and the whites of five fresh eggs ; then by degrees add three- quarters of a pound of sugar, and six and a half of flour. Flavour it or not, at choice, with the grated rind of a lemon, and bake it an hour, or rather more, in a brisk oven. A GOOD MADEIRA CAKE. Whisk four fresh eggs until they are as light as possible, then, con- CHAP. XXIII.] CAKES. 363 tinuing still to whisk them, throw in by slow degrees the following in- gredients in the order in which they are written : six ounces of dry, pounded, and sifted sugar; six of flour, also dried and sifted; four ounces of butter just dissolved, but not. heated ; the rind of a fresh lemon ; and the instant before the cake is moulded, beat well in the third of a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda : bake it an hour in a mode- rate oven. In this, as in all compositions of the same nature, observe particularly that each portion of butter must be beaten into the mixture until no appearance of it remains before the next is added ; and if this be done, and the preparation be kept light by constant and light whisk- ing, the cake will be as good, if not better, than if the butter were creamed. Candied citron can be added to the paste, but it is not needed. Eggs, 4; sugar, 6 ozs. ; flour, 6 ozs. ; butter, 4 ozs. ; rind of 1 lemon, carbonate of soda, i of teaspoonful : 1 hour, moderate oven. BANBURY CAKES. First, mix well together a pound of currants, cleaned with great nicety and dried, a quarter-pound of beef-suet, finely minced, three ounces each of candied orange and lemon-rind, shred small, a few grains of salt, a full quarter-ounce of pounded cinnamon and nutmeg mixed, and four ounces of macaroons or ratafias rolled to powder. Next, make a light paste with fourteen ounces of butter to the pound of flour; give it an extra turn or two to prevent its rising too much in the oven ; roll out one half in a very thin square, and spread the mixed fruit and spice equally upon it; moisten the edges, lay on the remaining half of the paste, rolled equally thin, press the edges securely together, mark the whole with the back of a knife in regular divisions of two inches wide and three in length ; bake the pastry in a well-heated oven from twenty-five to thirty minutes, and divide it into cakes while it is still . warm. They may be served as a second-course dish either hot or cold, and may be glazed at pleasure. Currants, 1 lb. ; beef-suet, 4 ozs. ; candied orange and lemon-rind each, 3 ozs. ; salt, small pinch ; mixed spices, \ oz. ; macaroons or ratafias, 4 ozs. : baked 25 to 30 minutes. MERINGUES. Beat to a very solid froth the whites of six fresh eggs, and have ready to mix with them half a pound of the best sugar, well dried and sifted. Lay some squares or long strips of writing-paper closely upon a board, which ought to be an inch thick to prevent the meringues from receiving any colour from the bottom of the oven. When all is readv for them, stir the sugar to the beaten eggs, and with a table or dessert- spoon lay the mixture on the paper in the form of a half egg; sift sugar quickly over, blow off all that does not adhere, and set the meringues immediately into a moderate oven : the process must be expeditious, or the sugar melting will cause the meringues to spread, instead if re- taining their shape. When they are coloured a light brown, and are firm to the touch, draw them out, raise them from the paper, and press back the insides with a teaspoon, or scoop them out so as to leave space enough to admit some whipped cream or preserve, with which they are to be filled, when cold, before they are served. Put them again into the oven to dry gently, and when they are ready for table fasten them 364 MODERN COOKER* [CHAP. XXIII. together in the shape of a whole egg, and pile them lightly on a napkin for the second course. Whites of fresh eggs, 6 ; sifted sugar, I lb. Obs. — Four ounces of pounded almonds may be mixed with the eggs and sugar for these cakes, and any flavour added to them at pleasure. If well made, they are remarkably good and elegant in appearance. They must be fastened together with a little white of egg. THICK, LIGHT GINGERBREAD. Crumble down very small eight ounces of butter into a couple of pounds of flour, then add to, and mix thoroughly with them, half a pound of good brown sugar, two ounces of powdered ginger, and half an ounce of good caraway-seeds ; beat gradually to these, first two pounds of treacle (molasses), next three well-whisked eggs, and last of all half an ounce of carbonate of soda, dissolved in a very small cupful of warm water ; stir the whole briskly together, pour the mixture into very shallow tins, put it immediately into a moderate oven, and bake it for an hour and a half. The gingerbread made thus will be remark- ably light and good. For children, part of the spice and butter may be omitted. Flour, 2 lbs. ; butter, 8 ozs. ; sugar, i lb. ; powdered ginger, 2 lbs. ; eggs, 3; carbonate of soda, I oz. ; water, very small cupful : baked 1| hour. Ois. — We think that something less than the half ounce of soda would be sufficient for this gingerbread, for with the whole quantity it rises in the oven to three times its height, and is apt to run over the tops of the tins even when they are but half filled with it at first. GOOD COMMON GINGERBREAD. Work very smoothly six ounces of fresh butter (or some that has been well washed from the salt, and wrung dry in a cloth) into one pound of flour, and mix with them thoroughly an ounce of ginger in fine powder, four ounces of brown sugar, and half a teaspoonful of beaten cloves and mace. Wet these with three-quarters of a pound, or rather more, if needful, of cold treacle ; roll out the paste, cut the cakes with a round tin cutter, lay them on a floured or buttered baking tin, and put them into a very slow oven. Lemon-grate or candied peel can be added, when it is liked. Flour, 1 lb. ; butter, 6 ozs. ; sugar, £ lb. ; ginger, 1 oz. ; cloves and mace, ^ teaspoonful ; treacle, ^ lb. : ^ to f hour. RICHER GINGERBREAD. Melt together three-quarters of a pound of treacle and half a pound of fresh butter, pour these hot on a pound of flour mixed with half a pound of sugar and three quarters of an ounce of ginger. When the paste is quite cold, roll it out with as much flour as will prevent its ad- hering to the board : bake the cakes in a very gentle oven. COCOA-NUT GINGERBREAD. Mix well together ten ounces of fine wheaten flour, and six of flour of rice (or rice ground to powder), the grated rind of a lemon, and three-quarters of an ounce of ginger ; pour nearly boiling upon these a pound of treacle, five ounces of fresh butter and five of sugar, CHAP. XXIII.] CAKES. 365 melted together in a saucepan ; beat the mixture, which will be almost a batter, with a wooden spoon, and when quite smooth leave it till it is perfectly cold, then add to it live ounces of grated cocoa-nut, and when it is thoroughly blended with the other ingredients, lay the paste in small heaps' upon a buttered tin, and bake them in a very slack oven from half to three-quarters of an hour. Flour, 10 ozs. ; ground rice, 6 ozs. ; rind of one lemon; ginger, £ oz. ; treacle, 1 lb. ; sugar, 5 ozs. ; butter, 5 ozs. ; cocoa-nut, 5 ozs. : \ to £ hour. CHEAP GINGER BISCUITS. Work into quite small crumbs three ounces of good butter, with two pounds of flour, then add three ounces of pounded sugar and two of ginger, in fine powder, and knead them into a stiff paste, with new milk. Roll it thin, cut out the biscuits with a cutter, and bake them in a slow oven until they are crisp quite through, but keep them of a palo colour. A couple of eggs are sometimes mixed with the milk for them, but are no material improvement ; an additional ounce of sugar may be used when a sweeter biscuit is liked. To make good ginger cakes, increase the butter to six ounces, and the sugar to eight, for each pound of flour, and wet the ingredients into a paste with eggs : a little lemon- grate will give it an agreeable flavour. Biscuits : flour, 2 lbs. ; butter, 3 ozs. ; pounded sugar, 3 ozs. ; ginger, 2 ozs. Cakes: flour, 1 lb. ; butter, 6 ozs. ; sugar, 8 ozs. ; ginger, 1 oz. ; 3 to 4 eggs ; rind of \ lemon. A GOOD SODA CAKE. Rub half a pound of good butter into a pound of fine dry flour, and work it very small ; mix well with these half a pound of sifted sugar, and pour to them first a quarter of a pint of boiling milk, and next three well-whisked eggs ; add some grated nutmeg, or fresh lemon-rind, and eight ounces of currants; beat the whole well and lightly together, and the instant before the cake is moulded and set into the oven, stir to it a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda in the finest powder. Bake it from an hour to an hour and a quarter, or divide it in two, and allow from half to three quarters of an hour for each cake. Flour, 1 lb. ; butter, 3 ozs. ; sugar, 8 ozs. ; milk, full quarter-pint ; eggs, 3 ; currants, % lb. ; carbonate of soda, 1 teaspoonful ; 1 to H hour. Or, divided, ^ to £ hour, moderate oven. Obs. — This, if well made, resembles a pound-cake, but is much more wholesome. It is very good with two ounces less of butter, and with caraway-seeds or candied orange or citron substituted for the currants. CINNAMON, OR LEMON CAKES. Rub six ounces of good butter into a pound of fine dry flour, and work it lightly into crumbs, then add three quarters of a pound of sifted sugar, a dessertspoonful of pounded cinnamon (or half as much when only a slight flavour is liked), and make these ingredients into a firm paste with three eggs, or four, if needed. Roll it, not very thin, and cut out the cakes with a tin shape. Bake them in a very gentle oven from fifteen to twenty minutes, or longer, should they not be done quite through. As soon as they are cold, put them into a clean and dry tin canister, a precaution which should be observed with all small sugar 36G MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXIII, cakes, which ought also to be loosened from the oven-tins while they are still warm. Flour, 1 lb. ; butter, 6 ozs. ; sugar, £ lb. ; cinnamon, 1 dessertspoonful (more or less, to the taste) ; eggs, 3 to 4. 06s. — Lemon cakes can be made by this receipt by substituting for the cinnamon the rasped or grated rinds of two lemons, and the strained juice of one, when its acidity is not objected to. More butter, and more or less of sugar, can be used at will, both for these and for the cinnamon cakes. QUEEN CAKES. To make these, proceed 'exactly as for Sutherland puddings (see Chapter XVII.), but allow ten eggs for the pound of sugar, butter, and flour, and when these are all well mixed, throw in half a teaspoonful of mace, and a pound of clean dry currants. Bake the cakes in small well-buttered tin pans (heart-shaped ones are usual), in a somewhat brisk oven, for about twenty minutes. A GOOD LIGHT BUN. Break quite small three ounces of good butter into a pound and a quarter of flour, stir into the middle of these a spoonful and a quarter of solid, well-purified yeast, mixed with something more than a quarter- pint of warm milk, and leave it to rise before, but not close to the fire, for an hour, or longer, should it not then appear extremely light. Add to three eggs, properly whisked, a few spoonsful of warm milk, strain and beat them to the bun ; next, mix with it six ounces of pale brown sugar, six of well-cleaned currants, and the grated rind of a small lemon, or some nutmeg, if preferred ; or, in lieu of either, slice into it an ounce and a half of candied orange-rind. Let it again rise for an hour, then beat it up lightly with a wooden spoon, put it into a buttered pan, and bake it in a brisk oven for nearly or quite an hour. An additional ounce of butter will improve it. Flour, 1-]- lb.; yeast, 1^ tablespoonful : 1 hour, or more. Eggs, 3 ; milk, in all not \ pint; sugar, 6 ozs.; currants, 6 ozs.; lemon-grate, nutmeg, or candied orange-rind, at pleasure: 1 hour. Baked nearly or quite an hour ; brisk oven. cocoa-nut biscuit ; (excellent.) With a pound of flour mix three ounces of a sound fresh cocoa-nut, rasped on a fine grater; make a leaven as for the bun in the foregoing receipt, with a large tablespoonful of good yeast, and about the third of a pint of warm new milk; let it stand for an hour, then strew over and mix well up with it four ounces of pounded sugar; next, dissolve two ounces of butter in a very little milk, cool it down with a few spoonsful of cold milk if needful, and pour it to a couple of well-whisked eggs; with these wet the other ingredients into a very light dough, let it stand from three quarters of an hour to an hour, and bake it about the same time in a rather quick oven. Two ounces more of sugar, one of butter, and two of candied orange-rind, sliced thin, will convert this into a good cake, the cocoa-nut imparting great richness as well as flavour to the mixture: the proportion of this can also be regulated by the taste, after the first trial. Flour, 1 lb.; grated cocoa-nut, 3 ozs.; yeast, 1 large tablespoonful; CHAP. XXIII.] CAKES. 367 milk, 5 of pint : 1 hour. Pounded sugar, 4 ozs. ; butter, 2 ozs. ; eggs, 2; little milk : £ to 1 hour. Or: sugar, 6 ozs. ; bitter, 3 ozs. ; canaied orange-rind, 2 ozs. ; baked nearly or quite an hour. THREADNEEDLE STREET BISCUITS. Mix with a couple of pounds of sifted flour of the very best quality, three ounces of good butter, and work it into the smallest possible crumbs ; add four ounces of fine, dry, sifted sugar, and make them into a firm paste with new milk; beat this forcibly for some minutes with the rolling-pin, and when it is extremely smooth roll it the third of an inch thick, cut it with a small square cutter, and bake the biscuits in a very slow oven until they are crisp to the centre : no part of them should remain soft. Haifa teaspoonful of carbonate of soda is said to improve them, but we have not put it to the test. Caraway-seeds can be added when liked. Flour, 2 lbs. ; butter, 3 ozs. ; sugar, 4 ozs. ; new milk, 1 pint, or more : biscuits slowly baked till crisp. A GALETTE. The galette is a favourite cake in France, and may be made rich, and comparatively delicate, or quite common, by using more or less butter for it, and by augmenting or diminishing the size. Work lightly three quarters of a pound of good butter into a pound of flour, add a large saltspoonful of salt, and make these into a paste with the yolks of a couple of eggs mixed with a small cup of good cream, should it be at hand ; if not, with water ; roll this into a complete round, three quar- ters of an inch thick ; score it in small diamonds, brush yolk of egg over the top, and bake the galette for about half an hour in a tolerably brisk oven ; it is usually eaten hot, but is served cold also. An ounce of sifted sugar is sometimes added to it. A good galette : flour, 1 lb. ; butter, f lb. ; salt, 1 saltspoonful; yolks of eggs, 2; cream, small cupful: baked h hour. Common galette: flour, 2 lbs. ; butter, | to 1 lb. ; no eggs. CORNISH HEAVY CAKE. Mix with a pound and a half of flour, ten ounces of well-cleaned cur rants, and a small teaspoonful of salt ; make these into a smooth paste with clotted cream (any which is very thick will do), roll the cake till it is an inch and a quarter in depth, and bake it thoroughly in a quick oven, after having scored the top. Flour, 1| lb.; currants, 10 ozs.; salt, small teaspoonful; clotted, or very thick cream, | to full pint : 35 to 45 minutes, brisk oven. FLEED OR FLEAD CAKES. These are very much served as a tea-cake at the tables of the supe- rior order of Kentish farmers. For the mode of making them, proceed as for flead-crust (see Chapter XVI.) ; cut the cakes small with a round cutter, and leave them more than half an inch thick; if well made, they will rise much in the oven. Bake them in a moderate but not slow oven. Flour, 2 lbs. ; fleftd, 1+ lb. ; butter, 6 ozs. : baked 10 to 15 minutes. GOOD CAPTAIN'S BISCUITS. Make some fine white flour into a smooth paste with new milk ; divide it into small balls; roll, and afterwards pull them with the fin- 3G8 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXIV. gers as thin as possible ; prick them all over, and bake them m a some- what brisk oven from ten to twelve minutes. THE COLONEL'S BISCUITS. Mix a slight pinch of salt with some fine sifted flour; make it into a very smooth paste with good cream, and bake the biscuits gently, after having prepared them for the oven like those which precede. Store them as soon as they are cold in a dry canister, to preserve them crisp : they are excellent. AUNT CHARLOTTE'S BISCUITS. These biscuits, which are very simple and wholesome, may be made with the same dough as good white bread, with the addition of from half to a whole ounce of butter to the pound kneaded into it after it has risen. Break the butter small, spread out the dough a little, knead it in well and equally, and leave it for about half an hour; then roll it a quarter of an inch thick; prick it well all over; cut out the biscuits; and bake them in a moderate oven from ten to fifteen minutes: they should be crisp quite through, but not deeply coloured. White-bread douarh, 2 lbs. ; butter, 1 to 2 ozs. : to rise h hour. Baked in moderate oven 10 to 15 minutes. Obs. — To make the biscuits by themselves, proceed as for Bordyke bread ; but use new milk for them, and work three ounces of butter into two pounds of flour before the yeast is added. CHAPTER XXIV. CONFECTIONARY. TO CLARIFY SUGAR. It is an economy to use at once the very best sugar for confectionary in general, for when highly refined it needs little or no clarifying, even for the most delicate purposes ; and the coarser kinds lose considerable weight in the process. Break it into large lumps, and put it into a very clean preserving-pan ; measure for each pound a pint of spring water if it be intended for syrup, but less than half that quantity for candying or making barley-sugar. Beat first apart (but not to a strong froth), and afterwards with the water, about half the white of an egg for six pounds of sugar, unless it should be very common, when twice as much may be used. When they are well mixed, pour them over the suijar, and let it stand until it is nearly dissolved; then stir the whole thoroughly, and place it over a gentle fire, but do not disturb it after the scum begins to gather on the top; let it boil for five minutes, then take the pan from the fire, and when it has stood a couple of minutes clear off the scum entirely, with a skimmer; set the pan again over the fire, and when the sugar begins to boil throw in a little cold water, which has been reserved for the purpose from the quantity first measured, and repeat the skimming until the syrup is very clear; it may then be strained through a muslin, or a thin cloth, and put into a clean pan fo* further boiling-. CHAP. XXIV. CONFECTIONARY. 369 For syrup : sugar, 6 lbs. ; water, 3 quarts ; i white of 1 egg. For candying, &c. : sugar, 6 lbs. ; water, 2^ pints: 5 to 10 minutes. TO BOIL SUGAR FROM SYRUP TO CANDY, OR TO CARAMEL. The technicalities by which confectioners distinguish the different degrees of sugar-boiling, seem to us calculated rather to puzzle than to assist the reader; and we shall, therefore, confine ourselves to. such plain English terms as may suffice, we hope, to explain them. After having boiled a certain time, the length of which will in a measure depend upon the quality of the sugar as well as the quantity of water added, it becomes a thin syrup, and it will scarcely form a short thread if a drop be pressed between the thumb and finger and they are then drawn apart; from five to ten minutes more of rapid boiling will bring it to a thick syrup, and when this degree is reached the thread may be drawn from one hand to the other at some length without breaking; but its appearance in dropping from the skimmer will perhaps best denote its being at this point, as it hangs in a sort of string as it falls. After this the sugar will soon begin to whiten, and to form large bubbles in the pan, when, if it be intended for barley-sugar, or caramel, some lemon-juice or other acid must be added to it, to prevent its graining or becoming sugar again ; but if wanted to candy, it must be stirred without ceasing, until it rises almost to the top of the pan, in one large white mass, when it must be used immediately or ladled out into paper cases or on to dishes, with the utmost expedition, as it passes in an instant almost from this state to one in which it forms a sort of powder, which will render it necessary to add water, to stir it until dissolved, and to reboil it to the proper point. For barley-sugar likewise it must be constantly stirred, and carefully watched after the lemon-juice is added. A small quantity should be dropped from time to time into a large basin of cold water by those who are inexperienced in the pro- cess; when in falling into this it makes a bubbling noise, and if taken out immediately after it snaps clean between the teeth without sticking to them, it must be poured out instantly : if wanted for sugar-spinning^ the pan must be plunged as quickly as possible into a vessel of cold water. BARLEY-SUGAR. Add to three pounds of highly-refined sugar one pint and a quarter of spring water, with sufficient white of egg to clarify it in the manner directed in the last receipt but one: pour to it, when it begins to whiten and to be very thick, a dessertspoonful of the strained juice of a fresh lemon; and boil it quickly till it is at the point which we have indi- cated above. A few drops of essence of lemon may be added to it, just as it is taken from the fire. Pour it on to a marble slab, or on to a shallow dish which has been slightly oiled, or rubbed with a morsel of fresh butter ; and when it begins to harden at the edges, form it into sticks, lozenges, balls, or any other shapes at pleasure. While it is still liquid it may be used for various purposes, such as Chantilly baskets, palace bonbons, des croques-en-bouches,* cerises au caramel, &c. : for these the vessel containing it must be set into a pan of water, and it * These are formed of small cakes, roasted chestnuts, and various other things, just dipped singly into the barleys uirar, and then arranged in good form and joined in a mould, from which th°y are turned out for table. 23 370 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXIV. must again be liquefied with a very gentle degree of heat should it cool too quickly. As it soon dissolves if exposed to damp, it should be put into very dry canisters as soon as it is cold, and these should be kept in a dry place. Best sugar, 3 lbs. ; water, 1^ pint ; white of egg, £ of 1 ; lemon-juice, 1 dessertspoonful. GINGER CANDY. Break a pound of highly-refined sugar into lumps, put it into a pre- serving-pan, and pour over it about the third of a pint of spring w T ater : let it stand until the sugar is nearly dissolved, then set it over a per- fectly clear fire, and boil it until it becomes a thin syrup. Have ready- in a large cup a teaspoonful of the very best ginger in powder, mix it smoothly and gradually with two or three spoonsful of the syrup, and then stir it well into the whole. Watch the mixture carefully, keep it stirred, and drop it often from a spoon to ascertain the exact point of boiling it has reached. When it begins to fall in Jlakes, throw in the freshly-grated rind of a very large lemon, or of two small ones, and work the sugar round quickly as it is added. The candy must now be stirred constantly until it is done : this will be when it falls in a mass from the spoon, and does not sink when placed in a small heap on a dish. It must be poured, or laded out, as expeditiously as possible when ready, or it will fall quite into powder. If this should happen, a little water must be added to it, and it must be reboiled to the proper point. The candy, if dropped in cakes upon cold dishes, may be moved off without difficulty before it is thoroughly cold, but must not be touched while quite hot or it will break. Sugar, highly refined, 1 lb.; water, £ of a pint; ginger, 1 teaspoon- ful ; rind of 1 large lemon. ORANGE-FLOWER CANDY. Beat in three quarters of a pint, or rather more, of water, about the fourth part of the white of an egg ; and pour it on two pounds of the best sugar broken into lumps. When it has stood a little time, place it over a very clear fire, and let it boil for a few minutes, then set it on one side, until the scum has subsided ; clear it off, and boil the sugar till it is very thick, then strew in by degrees three ounces of the petals of the orange-blossom, weighed after they are picked from their stems. Continue to stir the candy until it rises in one white mass in the pan, then pour it into small paper cases, or on to dishes, and follow for it precisely the same directions as are given for the ginger-candy in the preceding receipt. The orange-flowers will turn brown if thrown too soon into the syrup: it should be more than three parts boiled when they are added. They must be gathered on the day they are wanted fo: use, as they become soon discoloured from keeping. Sugar, 2 lbs. ; water, | pint ; ± white of egg ; orange-blossoms, 3 ozs. orange-flower candy ; (another Receipt.) The French, who are very fond of the delicious flavour of the orange- blossom, leave the petals in the candy ; but a more delicate confection, to English taste, is made as follows : — Throw the orange-flowers into the syrup when it has boiled about ten minutes, and after they have simmered in it {or five more, pour the whole out, and leave thein to in- CHAP. XXV.] DESSERT DISHES. 371 fuse until the following day, or even longer, if more convenient; then bring the syrup to the point of boiling, strain it from the blossoms through a muslin, and finish it by the foregoing receipt. PALACE-BONBONS. Take some fine fresh candied orange or lemon-peel, take off the sugar that adheres to it, cut it into inch-squares, stick these singly on the prong of a silver fork, or on osier-twigs, dip them into liquid barley- sugar, and place them on a dish rubbed with the smallest possible quan- tity of very pure salad oil. When cold, put them into tin boxes or canisters well dried, with paper between each layer. EVERTON TOFFIE. Put into a brass skillet, if at hand, three ounces of very fresh butter, and as soon as it is just melted add a pound of brown sugar of moderate quality ; keep these stirred gently over a very clear fire for about fifteen minutes, or until a little of the mixture, dropped into a basin of cold water, breaks clean between the teeth without sticking to them : when it is boiled to this point, it must be poured out immediately, or it will burn. The grated rind of a lemon, added when the toffie is half done, improves it much ; or a small teaspoonful of powdered ginger, moistened with a little of the other ingredients, as soon as the sugar is dissolved, and then stirred to the whole, will vary it pleasantly to many tastes. The real Everton toffie is made, we apprehend, with a much larger proportion of butter, but it is the less wholesome on that very account. If dropped upon dishes first rubbed with a buttered paper, the toffie when cold can be raised from them easily. Butter, 3 ozs. ; sugar, 1 lb. : 15 to 18 minutes. TOFFIE. (ANOTHER WAY.) Boil together a pound of sugar and five ounces of butter for twenty minutes; then stir in two ounces of almonds blanched, divided, and tho- roughly dried in a slow oven, or before the fire. Let the toffie boil after they are added, till it crackles when dropped into cold water, and snaps between the teeth without sticking. Sugar, 1 lb. ; butter, 5 ozs. ; almonds, 2 ozs. : 20 to 30 minutes. CHAPTER XXV. DESSERT DISHES, MELANGE OF FRUIT. Heap a dessert-dish quite high with alternate layers of fine fresh strawberries stripped from the stalks, white and red currants, and white or red raspberries ; strew each layer plentifully with sifted sugar, and just before the dish* is sent to table, pour equally over the top a glass and a half of brandy, or, if preferred, the same quantity or rather more of white wine, mixed with the strained juice of one small, or of half a large lemon. Currants by themselves are excellent prepared in this 372 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP XXV. way, and strawberries also. The fruit should be gently stirred with a spoon when it is served. Each variety must be picked with great nicety from the stalks. The brandy would, we think, be less to the general taste in this country than the wine. FRUIT EN CHEMISE, OR PERLE. Select for this dish very fine bunches of red and white currants, large ripe cherries, and gooseberries of different colours, and strawberries or raspberries very freshly gathered. Beat up the white of an egg with about half as much cold water, dip the fruit into this mixture, drain it on a sieve for an instant, and then roll it in fine sifted sugar until it is covered in every part ; give it a gentle shake, and lay it on sheets of white paper to dry. In England, thin gum-water is sometimes used, we believe, for this dish, instead of the white of egg ; we give, how- ever, the French method of preparing it. It will dry gradually in a warm room, or a sunny window, in the course of three or four hours. PEACH SALAD. Pare and slice half a dozen fine ripe peaches, arrange them in a dish, strew them with pounded sugar, and pour over them two or three glasses of champagne : other wine may be used, but this is best. Persons who prefer brandy can substitute it for wine. The quantity of sugar must be proportioned to the sweetness of the fruit. ORANGE SALAD. Take off the outer rinds, and then strip away entirely the white inside skin from some fine China oranges ; slice them thin, and remove the pips as this is done; strew over them plenty of white sifted sugar, and pour on them a glass or more of brandy : when the sugar is dis- solved, serve the oranges. In France, ripe pears of superior quality are sometimes sliced in with the oranges. Powdered sugar-candy used in- stead of sugar, is an improvement in this salad; and the substitution of port, sherry, or Madeira for the brandy is often considered so. The first may be used without being pared, and a little cuirasseau or any other liquor may be added to the brandy ; or this last, when unmixed, may be burned after it is poured on the oranges. comp6te of oranges; (a Hebrew dish.) After having pared and stripped the white inner rind from some fine oranges, pull them into quarters, arrange them neatly in a dish, and just before they are sent to table pour over them some rich syrup, and garnish the whole tastefully with preserved citron cut in thin slices. Haifa pint of syrup will be sufficient for a large number of oranges; it would be improved, we think, if the rind of one pared very thin were infused in it for an hour before it is used. This is one of the receipts which, we have not considered it needful to prove. ORANGES WARMED. Place them in a Dutch oven at a considerable distance from the fire, and keep them constantly turned: they should only be just warmed through. Fold them in a napkin when done, and send them immedi- ately to table. This mode of treating them is said to improve greatly the flavour of the oranges. ,«AP. XXV.] DESSERT DISHES. 373 NORMANDY PIPPINS. To one pound of* the apples, put one quart of water and six ounces of sugar; Jet them simmer gently for three hours, or more should they not be perfectly tender. A few strips of fresh lemon-peel and a very few cloves are by some persons considered agreeable additions to the syrup. Dried Normandy pippins, 1 lb. ; water, 1 quart ; sugar, 6 ozs. : 3 to 4 hours. Obs. — These pippins, if stewed with care, will be converted into a rich confection : they may be served hot in a border of rice, as a second course dish. STEWED PRUNEAUX DE TOURS, OR TOURS DRIED PLUMS. These plums, which resemble in form small dried Norfolk biffins, make a delicious comp6te: they are also excellent served dry. In France they are stewed till tender in equal parts of water, and of the light red wine of the country, with about four ounces of sugar to the pound of fruit: when port wine is used for them a smaller "proportion of it will suffice. The sugar should not be added in stewing any dried fruits until they are at least half-done, as they will not soften by any means so easily in syrup as in unsweetened liquid. Dried plums, 1 lb. ; water, \ pint, and light claret, ^ pint, or water, | pint, and port wine, | pint : 1^ hour. Sugar, 4 ozs. : 1 hour, or more. Obs. — Common French plums are stewed in the same way with or without wine. A little experience will teach the cook the exact quan- tity of liquid and of sugar which they require. baked compote of apples. {Our little lady's receipt.) Put into a wide jar, with a cover, two quarts of golden pippins, or any small apple which resembles them in appearance, pared and cored, but without being divided ; strew amongst them some small strips of very thin fresh lemon-rind, and throw on them, nearly at the top, half a pound of very good sugar, and set the jar, with the cover tied on, for some hours, or for a night, into a very slow oven. The apples will be extremely good, if not too quickly baked : they should remain entire, but be perfectly tender and clear in appearance. Add a little lemon- juice when the season is far advanced. Apples, 2 quarts ; rind, quite small lemon ; sugar, £ lb. : 1 night in slow oven ; or some hours baking in a very gentle one' Obs. — These apples may be served hot or cold for a second course dish ; or they will answer admirably to fill Gabrielle's pudding. TO BAKE PEARS. Wipe some large sound iron pears, arrange them on a dish with the stalk end upwards, put them into the oven after the bread is drawn, and let them remain all night. If well baked, they will be excellent, very sweet, and juicy, and much finer in flavour than those which are stewed or baked with sugar : the ban chretien pear also is delicious baked thus. STEWED PEARS. Pare, cut in halves, and core a dozen fine iron pears, put them into a close-shutting stewpan with some thin strips of lemon-rind, half a pound 374 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXVI. of sugar, in lumps, as much water as will nearly cover them, and should a very bright colour be desired, a dozen grains of cochineal, bruised, and tied in a muslin; stew the fruit as gently as possible, from four to six hours, or longer, should it not be very tender. The Chaumontel pear, which sometimes falls in large quantities before it is ripe, is ex- cellent, if first baked until tolerably tender, and then stewed in a thin syrup. BOIIiFD CHESTNUTS. Make a slight incision in the outer skin only of each chestnut, to prevent its bursting, and when all are done, throw them into plenty of boiling water, with about a dessertspoonful of salt to the half gallon. Some chestnuts will require to be boiled nearly or quite an hour, others little more than half the time ; the cook should try them occasionally, and as soon as they are soft through, drain them, wipe them in a coarse cloth, and send them to table quickly in a hot napkin. ROASTED CHESTNUTS. The best mode of preparing these is to roast them, as in Spain, in a coffee-roaster, after having first boiled them from five to seven minutes, and wiped them dry. They should not be allowed to cool, and will re- quire but from ten to fifteen minutes roasting. They may, when more convenient, be finished over the fire as usual, or in a Dutch or common oven, but in all cases the previous boiling will be found an improvement. Never omit to cut the rind of each nut slightly before it is cooked. Serve the chestnuts very hot in a napkin, and send salt to table with them. CHAPTER XXVI. SYRUPS, LIQUEURS, &c. STRAWBERRY VINEGAR, OF DELICIOUS FLAVOUR. Take the stalks from the fruit, which should be of a highly flavoured sort, quite ripe, fresh from the beds, and gathered in dry weather; weigh and put it into large glass jars, or wide-necked bottles, and to each pound pour about a pint and a half of fine pale white wine vine- gar, which will answer the purpose better than the entirely colourless kind sold under the name of distilled vinrq-ar, but which is, we believe, the pyroligneous acid greatly diluted. Tie a thick paper over them, and let the strawberries remain from three to four days; then pour off the vinegar and empty them into a jelly-bao\ or suspend them in a cloth that all the liquid may drop from them without pressure ; replace them with an equal weight of fresh fruit, pour the vinegar upon it, and three days afterwards repeat the same process, diminishing a little the propor- tion of strawberries, of which the flavour ought ultimately to overpower that of the vinegar. In from two to four days drain off the liquid very closely, and after having strained it through a linen or a flannel bag, weigh it, and mix with it an equal quantity of highly-refined sugar roughly powdered ; when this is nearly dissolved, stir the syrup over a CHAI\ XXVI.] SYRUPS, LIQUEURS, &C. 375 very clear fire until it has boiled five minutes, and skim it thoroughly ; pour it into a delicately clean stone pitcher, or into large china jugs, throw a folded cloth over and let it remain until the morrow ; put it into pint or half-pint bottles, and cork them lightly with new velvet corks ; for if these be pressed in tightly at first, the bottles would be liable to burst : in four or five days they may be closely corked, and stored in a dry and cool place. Damp destroys the colour and injures the flavour of these fine fruit- vinegars ; of which a spoonful or two in a glass of water affords so agreeable a summer beverage, and one which, in many cases of illness, is so acceptable to invalids. They make also most admirable sauces for common custard, batter, and various other simple and sweet light puddings. Strawberries (stalked), 4 lbs. ; vinegar, 3 quarts : 3 to 4 days. Vine- gar drained and poured on fresh strawberries, 4 lbs. : 3 days. Drained again on to fresh fruit, 3 to 4 lbs. : 2 to 4 days. To each pound of the vinegar, 1 lb. of highly-refined sugar: boiled 5 minutes. Lightly corked, 4 or 5 days. Obs. — Where there is a garden the fruit may be thrown into the vinegar as it ripens, within an interval of forty-eight hours, instead of being all put to infuse at once, and it must then remain in it a propor- tionate time : one or two days in addition to that specified will make no difference to the preparation. The enamelled German stewpans are the best possible vessels to boil it in ; but it may be simmered in a stone jar set into a pan of boiling water when there is nothing more appro- priate at hand ; though the syrup does not usually keep so well when this last method is adopted. Raspberries and strawberries mixed will make a vinegar of very pleasant flavour; black currants also will afford an exceedingly useful syrup of the same kind. STRAWBERRY ACID ROYAL. Dissolve in a quart of spring water two ounces of citric acid, and pour it on as many quite ripe and richly-flavoured strawberries, stripped from their stalks, as it will just cover; in twenty-four hours drain the liquid closely from the fruit, and pour on it as much more; keep it in a cool place, and the next day drain it again entirely from the fruit, and boil it gently for three or four minutes, with its weight of very fine sugar, which should be dissolved in it before it is placed over the fire. It should be boiled, if possible, in an enamelled stewpan. When per- fectly cold put it into small dry bottles for use, and store it in a cool but not damp place. It is one of the most delicate and deliciously flavoured preparations possible, and of beautiful colour. If allowed to remain longer than the eight-and-forty hours before it is boiled, a brisk fermentation will commence. It must be well secured from the air when stored. Water, 1 quart ; citric acid, 2 ozs. ; strawberries, 2 to 3 lbs. : 24 hours. Same quantity of fruit : 24 hours. Equal weight of sugar and this liquid : 3 to 4 minutes at the utmost. VERY FINE RASPBERRY VINEGAR. Fill glass jars, or larg-e wide-necked bottles, with very ripe but per- fectly sound, freshly gathered raspberries, freed from their stalks, and cover them with pale white wine vinegar : they may be left to infuse 376 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXVI. from a week to ten days without injury, or the vinegar may be poured from them in four and five, when more convenient. After it is drained off, turn the fruit into a sieve placed over a deep dish or bowl, as the juice will flow slowly from it for many hours; put fresh raspberries into the bottles, and pour the vinegar back upon them ; two or three days later change the fruit again, and when it has stood the same space of time, drain the whole of the vinegar from it, pass it through a jelly-bag, or thick linen cloth, and boil it gently for four or five minutes with its weight of good sugar roughly powdered, or a pound and a quarter to the exact pint, and be very careful to remove the scum entirely, as it rises. On the following day bottle the syrup, observing the directions which we have given for the strawberry vinegar. When the fruit is scarce, it may be changed twice only, and left a few days longer in the vinegar. Raspberries, 6 lbs. ; vinegar, 9 pints: 7 to 10 days. Vinegar drained on to fresh raspberries (6 lbs. of) : 3 to 5 days. Poured again on fresh raspberries, 6 lbs. : 3 to 5 days. Boiled 5 minutes with its weight of sugar. Obs. — When the process of sugar-boiling is well understood, it will be found an improvement to boil that which is used for raspberry or strawberry vinegar to candy height before the liquid is mixed with it ; all the scum may then be removed with a couple of minutes simmering, and the flavour of the fruit will be more perfectly preserved. For more particular directions as to the mode of proceeding, the chapter on con- fectionary may be consulted. OXFORD PUNCH. Extract the essence from the rinds of three lemons by rubbing them with sugar in lumps; put these into a large jug with the peel of two Seville oranges and of two lemons cut extremely thin, the juice of four Seville oranges and often lemons, and six glasses of calf's feet jelly in a liquid state. Stir these well together, pour to them two quarts of boiling water, cover the jug closely, and set it near the fire for a quar- ter of an hour, then strain the mixture through a sieve into a punch bowl or jug, sweeten it with a bottle of capillaire, add half a pint of white wine, a pint of French brandy, a pint of Jamaica rum, and a bot- tle of orange shrub; stir the punch as the spirits are poured in. If not sufficiently sweet, add sugar in small quantities, or a spoonful or two of capillaire. Rinds of lemons rubbed with sugar, 3 ; thin peel of lemons, 2 ; of Seville oranges, 2; juice of 4 Seville oranges, and 10 lemons; calf's feet jelly, 6 glasses ; water, 2 quarts : a hour. Capillaire, 1 bottle ; white wine, ^ pint; French brandy and Jamaica rum, each 1 pint; orange shrub, 1 bottle. OXFORD RECEIPT FOR BISHOP. " Make several incisions in the rind of a lemon,* stick cloves in these, and roast the lemon by a slow fire. Put small but equal quanti- ties of cinnamon, cloves, mace, and allspice, with a race of ginger, into a saucepan with half a pint of water : let itboil until it is reduced one half. Boil one bottle of port wine, burn a portion of the spirit out of it * A Seville orange stuck with cloves, to many tastes imparts a finer flavour than the lemon. CHAP. XXVI.] SYRUPS, LIQUEURS, &C. 377 by applying a lighted paper to the saucepan. Put the roasted lemons and spice into the wine ; stir it up well, and let it stand near the fire ten minutes. Rub a few knobs of sugar on the rind of a lemon, put the sugar into a bowl or jug, with the juice of half a lemon (not roasted), pour the wine into it, grate in some nutmeg, sweeten it to your taste, and serve it up with the lemon and spice floating in it." to mull wine. {An excellent French receipt.) Boil in a vvineglassful and a half of water a quarter of an ounce of spice (cinnamon, ginger slightly bruised, and cloves), with three ounces of fine sugar, until they form a thick syrup, which must not on any account be allowed to burn. Pour in a pint of port wine, and stir it gently until it is on the point of boiling only: it should then be served immediately. The addition of a strip or two of orange-rind cut ex- tremely thin, gives to this beverage the flavour of bishop. In France light claret takes the place of port wine in making it, and the better kinds of vin du pays are very palatable thus prepared. Water, 1^ wineglassful ; spice, £ oz., of which fine cloves, 24, and of remainder, rather more ginger than cinnamon ; sugar, 3 ozs. : 15 to 20 minutes. Port wine or claret, 1 pint ; orange-rind, if used, to be boiled with the spice. Obs. — Sherry, or very fine raisin or ginger wine, prepared as above, and stirred hot to the yolks of four fresh eggs, will be found excellent. A BIRTHDAY SYLLABUB. Put into a large bowl half a pound of sugar broken small, and pour on it the strained juice of a couple of fresh lemons, stir these well to- gether, and add to them a pint of port wine, a pint of sherry, and half a pint of brandy; grate in a fine nutmeg, place the bowl under the cow, and milk it full. In serving it put a portion of the curd into each glass, fill it up with whey, and pour a little rich cream on the top. The rind of a lemon may be rasped with part of the sugar when the flavour is approved, but it is not usually added. Juice of lemons, 2; sugar, \ lb. or more; port wine, 1 pint; sherry, 1 pint; brandy \ pint; nutmeg, 1; milk from the cow, 2 quarts. 06s. — We can testify to the excellence of this receipt. cuirasseau, or curacoa. {An excellent and wholesome liqueur.) Stick into the rind of a very fine China orange of rich flavour from three to four cloves ; put it into a glass jar, and shower over it half a pound of good West Indian sugar, not very brown; pour in a quart of French brandy ; tie a couple of bladders over the jar, or stop it with a cork fitted to its size, and place it in a sunny window, or any other warm place, for a month ; shake it gently round every day to dissolve the sugar, or stir it, if needful ; then strain it off, and bottle it. It is sometimes filtered ; but the long exposure to the air which this occa- sions is better avoided. It is an admirable household stomachic liqueur, of which we obtained the receipt abroad, from a friend who had it made yearly in considerable quantity. 1 very fine richly-flavoured China orange, left whole (or two small ones), stuck with 3 or 4 cloves ; good pale brown sugar, ^ lb. ; French brandy, 1 quart: infuse, 1 month. 378 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXVI. mint julep. (An American Receipt.) " Strip the tender leaves of mint into a tumbler, and add to them as much wine, brandy, or any other spirit, as you wish to take. Put some pounded ice into a second tumbler; pour this on the mint and brandy, and continue to pour the mixture from one tumbler to the other until the whole is sufficiently impregnated with the flavour of the mint, which is extracted by the particles of the ice coming- into brisk contact when changed from one vessel to the other. Now place the glass in a larger one, containing pounded ice : on taking it out of which it will be covered with frost-work." DELICIOUS MILK LEMONADE. Dissolve six ounces of loaf sugar in a pint of boiling water, and mix with them a quarter-pint of lemon-juice, and the same quantity of sherry ; then add three quarters of a pint of cold milk, stir the whole well to- gether, and pass it through a jelly-bag till clear. EXCELLENT PORTABLE LEMONADE. Rasp, with a quarter-pound of sugar, the rind of a very fine juicy lemon, reduce it to powder, and pour on it the strained juice of the fruit. Press the mixture into a jar, and when wanted for use dissolve a tablespoonful of it in a glass of water. It will keep a considerable time. If too sweet for the taste of the drinker, a very small portion of citric acid may be added when it is taken. EXCELLENT BARLEY WATER. (Poor Xurifs Receipt.) Wipe very clean, by rolling it in a soft cloth, two tablespoonsful of pearl barley ; put it into a quart jug, with a lump or two of sugar, a grain or two of salt, and a strip of lemon-peel, cut thin ; fill up the jug with boiling water and keep the mixture gently stirred for some min- utes; then cover it down, and let it stand till perfectly cold. In twelve hours, or less, it will be fit for use; but it is better when made over- night. If these directions be followed, the barley-water will be com- paratively clear, and very soft and pleasant to drink. A glass of calf's feet jelly added to the barley is an infinite improvement; but as lemon- rind is often extremely unpalatable to invalids, their taste should be consulted before that ingredient is added, as it should be also for the degree of sweetness that is desired. After the barley-water has been poured off once, the jug may be filled a second time with boiling water, and even a third time with advantage. raisin wine ; (which, if long kept, really resembles foreign.) First boil the water which is to be used for the wine, and let it again become perfectly cold ; then put into a sound sweet cask eight pounds of fine Malaga raisins for each gallon that is to be used, taking out only the quite large stalks ; the fruit and water may be put in alternately until the cask Is full, the raisins being well pressed down in it; lay the bung lightly over, stir the wine every day or two, and keep it full by the addition of water that has, like the first, been boiled, but which must always be quite cold when it is used. So soon as the fermentation has entirely ceased, which may be in from six to seven weeks, press in the bung, and leave the wine untouched for twelve months; draw it off then into a clean cask, and fine it, if necessary, with isinglass, tied in a CHAP. XXVI.] SYRUPS, LIQUEURS, &C. 379 muslin and suspended in it. We have not ourselves had this receipt tried ; but we have tasted wine made by it which had been five years kept, and which so much resembled a rich foreign wine, that we could with difficulty believe it was home made. To each gallon of water (boiled and left till cold) 8 lbs. of fine Malaga raisins ; to stand twelve months ; then to be drawn off and fined. Obs. — The refuse raisins make admirable vinegar if fresh water be poured to them, and the cask placed in the sun. March is the best time for making this wine. EXCELLENT ELDERBERRY WINE. Strip the berries, which should be fresh, and gathered on a dry day, clean from the stalks, and measure them into a tub or large earthen pan. Pour boiling water on them, in the proportion of two gallons to three of berries, press them down into the liquor, cover them closely, and let them remain until the following day; then strain the juice from the fruit through a sieve or cloth, and, when this is done, squeeze from the berries the greater part of the remaining juice, mix it with that which was first poured off, measure the wmole, add to it three pounds of sugar, three quarters of an ounce of cloves, and one ounce of ginger, for every gallon, and boil it twenty minutes, keeping it thoroughly skimmed. Put it, when something more than milk-warm, into a per- fectly dry and sweet cask (or if but a very small quantity of wine be made, into large stone bottles, which answer the purpose quite well), fill this entirely, and set the wine directly, with a large spoonful of new yeast dropped into the bung-hole, and just stirred round in the liquor, or with a small toasted crust thickly spread with yeast.* VERY GOOD GINGER WINE. Boil together, for half an hour, fourteen quarts of water, twelve pounds of sugar, a quarter of a pound of the best ginger bruised, and the thin rinds of six large lemons. Put the whole, when milk-warm, into a clean dry cask, with the juice of the lemons, and half a pound of sun raisins ; add one large spoonful of thick yeast, and stir the wine every day for ten days. When it has ceased to ferment, add an ounce of isin- glass, and a pint of brandy; bung the wine close, and in two months it will be fit to bottle, but must remain longer in the cask should it be too sweet. When it can be obtained, substitute for the water in this receipt cider fresh from the press, which will give a very superior wine. Water, 14 quarts; sugar, 12 pounds; lemon-rinds, 6; ginger, ± lb.; ■J hour. Juice of lemons, 6; raisins, ^ lb. ; yeast, 1 spoonful; isinglass, 1 oz. ; brandy, 1 pint. EXCELLENT ORANGE WINE. Take half a chest of Seville oranges, pare off the rinds as thin as possible, put two thirds of them into six gallons of water, and let thern remain for twenty-four hours. Squeeze the oranges (which ought to yield seven or eight quarts of juice) through a sieve into a pan, and as they are done throw them into six gallons more of water ; let them * In from fourteen to twenty flays this wine will have fermented sufficiently; ia »hr :e months it will be ready to drink. 380 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXVI. be washed well in it with the hands, and then put into another six gal- lons of water and left till the following day. For each gallon of wine, put into the cask three pounds and a quarter of loaf sugar, and the liquor strained clear from the rinds and pulp. Wash these again and again, should more liquor be required to fill the cask ; but do not at any- time add raw water. Stir the wine daily until the sugar is perfectly dissolved, and let it ferment from four to five weeks; add to it two bottles of brandy, stop it down, and in twelve months it will be fit to bottle. Obs. — The excellence of all wine depends so much upon the fermen- tation being properly conducted, that unless the mode of regulating this be understood by the maker, there will always be great danger of failure in the operation. There is, we believe, an excellent work upon the subject by Dr. McCulloch, which the reader who needs information upon it will do well to consult : our own experience is too slight to enable us to multiply our receipts. CURRA.NT WINE. Gather the currants when dry, extract the juice, either by mashing and pressing the fruit, or putting it in a jar, placed in boiling water; strain the juice, and for every gallon allow one gallon of water and three pounds of sugar. Dissolve the sugar in the water, and take off* the scum; let it cool, add it to the currant-juice, and put the mixture in a keg, but do not close it tightly till it has ceased fermenting, which will not be under a week. In three or four weeks it may be bottled. The white of an egg beaten, mixed with a teaspoonful of cream of tartar, and stirred into the liquid, makes the wine look clear and bright. TO CLEAN BOTTLES IN LARGE NUMBERS. To do this in the best and quickest maner, rinse such amongst them as may particularly require it; put a little hay or a coarse cloth into a copper, and arrange them in it as compactly as possible ; cover them with cold water, light the fire, and boil them gently for half an hour ; take them out, let them cool, rinse them well, and when dry they will be ready for use. One or two may be broken in the process, but it is considered the most advantageous method of proceeding where they are very extensively used. CHAP. XXVII.] COFFEE, CHOCOLATE, &C. 381 CHAPTER XXVII. COFFEE, CHOCOLATE, &c. 1 U 3 TO ROAST COFFEE. Persons who drink coffee habitually, and who are particular about its flavour and quality, should purchase the best kind in a raw state, and have it roasted at home. This can be done in very small quanti- ties by means of the inexpensive apparatus shown above ; and the sup- ply of charcoal needed for it being- very trifling- indeed. The cylinder which contains the coffee should be only half filled, and it should be turned rather slowly over the fire, which should never be fierce, until a strong- aromatic smell is emitted ; the movement should then be quickened, as the grain is in that case quite heated, and it will become too highly coloured before it is roasted through, if slowly finished. When it is of a fine, light, equal brown, which must be ascertained, until some little experience has been acquired, by sliding back the door of the cylinder, and looking at it occasionally towards the end of the process, spread it quickly upon a large dish, and throw a folded cloth over it. Let it remain thus until it is quite cold, then put it into canisters or bottles, and exclude the air carefully from it. Mr. Web- ster, in his admirable Encyclopaedia of Domestic Economy,* says, "Mr. Donovan recommends that, instead of roasting the coffee in an atmo- sphere of its own steam, it should first be dried in an iron pan, over a very gentle fire, being constantly stirred until the colour becomes yel- low ; it is then to be pounded into coarse fragments, by no means too fine, each grain being divided into four or five parts only: it is then to be transferred to the roaster, and scorched to the proper degree." This plan we have not tried, because we have found the other to answer * This work contains much useful and valuable information on an infinity of sub- jects connected with Domestic economy. 392 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXVII. quite well ; though Mr. Donovan's might nevertheless prove a very su- perior one. TO MAKE COFFEE. It is more usual at the present day to filter than to boil coffee, but many persons still prefer the latter mode. The degree of strength which is to be given must of course depend on the taste of those for whom it is prepared ; but it should always be good when served to strangers, as a preference for weak coffee is very rare, and in a vast many instances it would be peculiarly disagreeable to the drinkers, more especially so to those who have resided much abroad, where this beverage is in general much better prepared than it is here. An ounce of the berries, if recently roasted, and ground at the in- stant of using them, will make, with the addition of a pint of water, two breakfast-cupsful of suffi- ciently good coffee for com- mon family use. It will be stronger if slowly filtered in what is called a percolator, or coffee-biggin, than if it be boiled. Press the powder close- ly down, measure the proper quantity of water into a com- mon coffee-pot, or small ket- tle, pour in sufficient to just wet the coffee in the first in- stance, and then add the re- mainder slowly, keeping the water boiling all the time. Let it run quite through be- fore the top of the percolator Patent Percolator with Spirit-Lamp. jg ijfl. e( j ff } anc j serve i t verv hot with boiling milk or cream, or with both, or with boiling milk and cold cream. The proportion of coffee, after the first trial, can easily be increased or diminished at will. To make French breakfast-coffee, pour only a third as much of water on the powder, fill the cups two- thirds with good new boiling milk, then add the coffee, which should be very strong. For the cafe noir served after dinner in all French fami- lies put less water still (this is the very essence of coffee, of which, however, not more than a small cup about two-thirds filled, and highly sweetened with sugar in lumps, is generally taken by each person), and serve it without cream or milk, or any accompaniment, except white sugar-candy in powder, or highly refined sugar in lumps. This is drunk immediately after the dinner, in families of moderate rank, generally before they leave the table; in more refined life, it is served in the drawing-room the instant dinner is ended ; sometimes with liquors after it, but not invariably. To boil coffee and refine it : put the necessary quantity of water into a pot which it will not fill by some inches ; when it boils, stir in the coffee ; for unless this is at once moistened, it remains on the top and is liable to fly over. Give it one or two strong boils, then raise it from the fire, and simmer it for ten minutes only; pour out a large cupful twice, hold it high over the coffro-pot and pour it in again, then set it CHAP. XXVII.] COFFEE, CHOCOLATE, &C. 383 on the hob for ten minutes longer. It will be perfectly clear, unless mismanaged, without any other fining. Should more, however, be deemed necessary, a very small pinch of isinglass, or a clean egg-shell, with a little of the white adhering to it, is the best that can be used. (We cannot recommend the skin of any fish.) If tried, with the same proportions by both the methods we have given, the reader will easily ascertain that which answers best. Never use mustard to fine coffee with. It is a barbarous custom of which we have heard foreigners who have been in England vehemently complain ! Coffee, 2 ozs. ; water, 1 quart. Filtered ; or boiled 10 minutes ; left to clear 10 minutes. burnt coffee ; (in France vulgarly called Gloria.') Make some coffee as strong and clear as possible, sweeten it in the cup with white sugar almost to syrup, then pour brandy on the top gently over a spoon, set fire to it with a lighted paper, and when the spirit is in part consumed, blow out the flame and drink the gloria quite hot. to make chocolate ; (French Receipt.) An ounce of chocolate, if good, will be suffi- cient for one person. Rasp, and then boil it from five to ten minutes with about four table- spoonsful of water ; when it is extremely smooth add nearly a pint of new milk, give it another boil, stir it well, or mill it, and serve it directly. For water-chocolate use three quarters of a pint of water instead of the milk, and send rich hot cream to table with it. The taste must decide whether it shall be made thicker or thinner. Chocolate, 2 ozs. ; water, quarter-pint, or ra- ther more; milk, 1; pint: ^ minute. Obs. — The general reader will understand the use of the chocolate-mill shown in the engraving with the pot; but to the uninitiated it may be as well to observe, that it is worked quickly round between both hands to give a fine froth to the chocolate. It alsc serves in lieu of a whisk for working creams, or jellies, to a froth or whip. TO MAKE TEA. Scald the teapot with boiling water; then put in the tea, allowing Ihree teaspoonsful to a pint of water — or for every two persons. Pour on the water. It must be boiling hot, and let the tea steep about ten minutes. Black tea is healthier than green. Hyson and Souchong mixed to- gether, half and half, is a pleasanter beverage than either alone, and safpr for those who drink strong tea, than to trust themselves wholly with green. 384 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXVIII. CHAPTER XXVIII. BREAD. TO PURIFY YEAST FOR BREAD OR CAKES. The yeast procured from a public brewery is often so extremely bit- ter that it can only be rendered fit for use by frequent washings, and after these even it should be cautiously employed. Mix it, when first brought in, with a large quantity of cold water, and set it by until the following morning in a cool pi <;e ; then drain off the water, and stir the yeast up well with as much more of fresh ; it must again stand several hours before the water can be poured clear from it. By changing this daily in winter, and both night and morning in very hot weather, the yeast may be preserved fit for use much longer than it would other- wise be ; and should it ferment rather less freely after a time, a small portion of brown sugar stirred to it before the bread is made will quite restore its strength. German yeast, imported in a solid state, is now much sold in London, and answers, we are told, remarkably well ; but we have not ourselves had an opportunity of proving it. THE OVEN. A brick oven, heated with wood, is far superior to any other for baking bread, as well as for most other purposes, the heat of an iron one being much less easy to regulate ; but those attached to the kitchen ranges are convenient, for the facility they afford at all times of baking in a small way. They are, however, we should say, far from economical as regards the proportion of fuel required to heat them ; and the same ob- jection may be made to the American oven also ; the strong smell, too, emitted from the iron ones, and diffused often entirely through a house, is peculiarly unpleasant. A brick oven should be well heated with fag- got wood, or with a faggot, and two or three solid logs ; and after it is cleared, the door should be closely shut for quite half an hour before the baking commences; the heat will then be well sustained for a succes- sion of bread, pies, cakes, and small pastry. The servant who habitually attends at an oven will soon become acquainted with the precise quan- tity of fuel which it requires, and all other peculiarities which may be connected with it. In general more time must be allowed to bake any thing in an iron than in a brick oven. TO MAKE BREAD. Every cook, and we might almost say, every woman, ought to be perfectly acquainted with the mode of making good household bread ; and skill in preparing other articles of food is poor compensation for ignorance upon thx«3 one essential point. A very slight degree of atten- tion, moreover, will enable any person to succeed in it, and there is, consequently, small excuse for those who neglect to render themselves properly acquainted with the process. The best flour will generally be found the cheapest in the end ; it should be purchased if possible from a miller who can be depended on for supplying it good and unadulterated. Let it be stored always in a CHAP. XXVIII.] BREAD. 385 dry place, as damp is very injurious to it; if kept habitually in a chest, this should be entirely emptied at intervals, cleaned with great nicety, and not tilled again until it is perfectly dry. The kneading trough tub, or pan, with every thing else indeed used for the bread, or for the oven, should at all times be kept scrupulously clean. The yeast of mild home-brewed beer is the best that can be procured, and requires no purifying ; but it should be strained through a hair- sieve after it is mixed with a portion of warm milk, or water, before it is added to the flour. Very rapid fermentation, which is produced by using more than the necessary quantity of yeast, is by no means advantageous to the bread, which not only becomes dry and stale from it, but is of less sweet and pleasant flavour than that which is more slowly fermented. In winter it should always be placed near the fire, but never sufficiently so to be- come hot ; nor should it ever be allowed to become perfectly cold. Put half a bushel (more or less, according to the consumption of the family) of flour into the kneading tub or trough, and hollow it well in the mid- dle ; dilute a pint of yeast as it is brought from the brewery, or half the quantity if it has been washed and rendered solid, with four quarts jt more of lukewarm milk or water, or a mixture of the two ; stir into it, from the surrounding part, with a wooden spoon, as much flour as will make a thick batter ; throw a little over it, and leave this, which is called the leaven, to rise before proceeding further. In about an hour it will have swollen considerably, and have burst through the coating of flour on the top ; then pour in as much more warm liquid as will convert the whole, with good kneading, and this should not be spared into a firm dough, of which the surface should be entirely free from lumps or crumbs. Throw a cloth over, and let it remain until it has risen very much a second time, which will be in an hour, or something more, if the batch be large. Then work it lightly up, and mould it into loaves of from two to three pounds weight ; send them directly to a well-heated oven, and bake them from an hour and a half to an hour and three quarters. Flour, ^ bushel ; salt (when it is liked), 4 to 6 ozs. ; yeast, 1 pint unwashed, or ^ pint if purified ; milk, or water, 2 quarts : 1 to 1| hour. Additional liquid as needed. bordyke bread. (Author's Receipt.) Mix with a gallon of flour a large teas-poonful of fine salt, make a hollow in the centre, and pour in two tablespoonsful of solid, well- purified yeast, gradually diluted with about two pints and a half of milk, and work it into a thick batter with the surrounding flour ; dust a little on the top, and leave it to rise from an hour to an hour and a half; then knead it up with as much more warm skimmed milk as will render it quite firm and smooth without being very stiff; let it rise an- other hour, and divide it into three loaves ; put them into square tins slightly buttered, or into round baking pans, and bake them about an hour and a quarter in a well-heated oven. The dough can be formed into household loaves if preferred, and sent to the oven in the usual way. When a finer and more spongy kind of bread is required for immediate eating, substitute new milk for skimmed, dissolve in it about an ounce of butter, leave it more liquid when the sponge is set, and let 24 386 MODERN COOKERY. [dlAP. XXVIII. the whole be lightly kneaded into a lithe dough ; the bread thus made will be excellent when new, and for a day or so after it is baked, but it will become dry sooner than the other. Flour, 1 gallon; salt, 1 teaspoonml ; skimmed milk, 2h pints: to rise from 1 to 1^ hour. Additional milk, 1 to 2 pints: to rise 1 hour. 3 loaves, baked li hour. Obs. 1. — A few spoonsful of cream will wonderfully improve either of the above receipts, and sweet butter-milk substituted for the other will give to the bread the shortness of a cake; we would particularly recommend it for trial when it can be procured. Obs. 2. — For an invalid, especially when the digestion is impaired, butter should be altogether omitted from the bread ; and eggs, which are often added to the finer sorts of rolls, are better avoided also. Obs. 3. — We must repeat our caution against milk or water of a scalding heat being ever mixed with the yeast : it should he warm, rather more so than when taken from the cow, but not much. BROWN BREAD. Make this by any of the foregoing receipts, with meal, as it is called (that is to say, the wheat just as it is ground, either separated from the coarse bran or not, according to the quality of the bread required), instead of flour. It ferments easily, and does not, therefore, require a very full proportion of yeast ; and it absorbs more moisture than the Hour ; it also retains it longer, if properly baked. The loaves should be well soaked in the oven, but not over-dried. Obs. — The best bread we ever tasted was made in great part with rye-flour : this was in a provincial town in France. • POTATO BREAD. One pound of good mealy potatoes, steamed or boiled very dry, in the ordinary way, or prepared by Captain Kater's receipt (see Chapter XV.), and rubbed quite hot, through a coarse sieve, into a couple of pounds of flour, with which they should be well mixed, will produce excellent bread, which will remain moist much longer than wheaten bread made as usual. The yeast should be added immediately after the potatoes. An ounce or two of butter, an egg, and some new milk, will convert this bread into very superior rolls. DYSPEPSIA BREAD. This bread is now best known as "Graham bread*' — not that Doctor Graham invented or discovered the manner of its preparation, but that he has been unwearied and successful in recommending it to the public. It is an excellent article of diet for the dyspeptic and the costive; and for most persons of sedentary habits would he beneficial. It agrees well with children ; and, in short, I think it should be used in every family, though not to the exclusion of fine bread. The most difficult point in manufacturing this bread, is to obtain good pure meal. It is said that much of the bread commonly sold as dyspepsia, is made of the bran or middlings, from which the fine flour has been separated; and that saw-dust is sometimes mixed with the meal. To be certain that it is good, send good, clean wheat to the mill, have it ground rather coarsely, and keep the meal in a dry, cool place. Before using it, sift CHAP. XXVIII.] BREAD. 387 it through a common hair-sieve ; this will separate the very coarse and harsh particles. Take six quarts of this wheat meal, one tea-cup of* good yeast, and a half a tea-cup of molasses, mix these with a pint of milk-warm water and tea-spoonful of pearlash or salseratus. Make a hole in the flour, and stir this mixture in the middle of the meal till it is like batter. Then proceed as with fine flour bread. Make the dough when suffi- ciently light into four loaves, which will weigh two pounds per loaf when baked. It requires a hotter oven than fine flour bread, and must bake about an hour and a half. RYE AND INDIAN BREAD. This is a sweet and nourishing diet, and generally acceptable to children. It is economical, and when wheat is scarce, is a pretty good substitute for dyspepsia bread. There are many different proportions of mixing it — some put one- third Indian meal with two of rye; others like one-third rye and two of Indian ; others prefer it half and half. If you use the largest proportion of rye meal, make your dough stiff, so that it will mould into loaves ; — when it is two-thirds Indian, it should be softer, and baked in deep earthen or tin pans after the following rules. Take four quarts of sifted Indian meal ; put it into a glazed earthen pan, sprinkle over it a tablespoonful of fine salt; pour over it about two quarts of boiling water, stir and work it till every part of the meal is thoroughly wet; indian meal absorbs a great quantity of water. When it is about milk-warm, work in two quarts of rye meal, half a pint of lively yeast, mixed with a pint of warm water ; add more warm water if needed. Work the mixture well with your hands: it should be stiff, but not firm as flour dough. Have ready a large, deep, well-buttered pan; put in the dough, and smooth the top by putting your hand in warm water, and then patting down the loaf. Set this to rise in a warm place in the winter ; in the summer it should not be put by the fire. \Vhen it begins to crack on the top, which will usually be in about an hour or an hour and a half, put it into a well-heated oven, and bake it three or four hours. It is better to let it stand in the oven all night, unless the weather is warm. Indian meal requires to be well cooked. The loaf will weigh between seven and eight pounds. Pan- bread keeps best in large loaves. Many use milk in mixing bread ; — in the country, where milk is plentiful, it is a good practice, as bread is certainly richer wet with sweet milk than with water ; but it will not keep so long in warm weather. Baking can very well be done in a stove; during the winter this is an economical way of cooking — but the stove must be carefully watched or there is danger of scorching the bread. GENEVA ROLLS. Break down very small three ounces of butter into a couple of pounds of flour ; add a little salt, and set the sponge with a large tablespoonful of solid yeast, mixed with a pint of new milk, and a tablespoonful or more of strong saffron water ; let it rise for a full hour, then st ir to a 388 MODERN COOKERY. £cHAP. XXVIII. couple of well-beaten eggs, as much hot milk as will render them luke- warm, and wet the rolls with them to a light, lithe dough ; leave it I'rom half to three quarters of an hour longer, mould it into small rolls, brush them with beaten yolk of egg, and bake them from twenty minutes to half an hour. The addition of six ounces of good sugar, three of but- ter, half a pound or more of currants, the grated rind of a large lemon, and a couple of ounces of candied orange-rind, will convert these into excellent buns. When the flavour of the saffron is not liked, omit it altogether. Only so much should be used at any time as will give a rich colour to the bread. Flour, 2 lbs. ; butter, 3 ozs. ; solid yeast 1 large tablespoonful (saffron, 1 teaspoonful ; water, less than a quarter-pint); new milk, 1 pint: 1 hour, or more. 2 eggs, more milk: f hour : baked 20 to 30 minutes. RUSKS. Break very small, six ounces of butter into a couple of pounds of fine dry flour, and mix them into a lithe paste, with two tablespoonsful of mild beer-yeast, three well-beaten eggs, and nearly half a pint of warm new milk. When it has risen to its full height knead it smooth, and make it into very small loaves or thick cakes, cut with a round cake- cutter ; place them on a floured tm, and let them stand in a warm place, to prove, from ten to twenty minutes before they are set into the oven. Bake them about a quarter of an hour; divide them while they are still warm, and put them into a very slow oven to dry. When they are crisp quite through, they are done. Four teaspoonsful of sifted sugar must be added when sweetened rusks are preferred. Flour, 2 lbs. ; butter, 6 ozs. ; yeast, 2 tablespoonsful ; eggs, 3 ; new milk, nearly half a pint ; baked } hour. CRUSTS TO SERVE WITH CHEESE. Take a half-baked loaf from the oven, and tear it into small rough bits with a couple of forks ; lay these on a tin, and put them back into the oven for ten minutes. If a light loaf be made for the purpose, with a couple of ounces of butter and new milk, they will quite resemble rusks. GOOD CAPTAINS' BISCUITS. Make some fine white flour into a smooth paste with new milk ; divide it into small balls; roll, and afterwards pull them with the fingers as thin as possible ; prick them all over, and bake them in a somewhat brisk oven from eight to twelve minutes. Thin cream may be used for them on occasion, instead of milk, or a morsel of butter may be worked into the flour ; but they are very good without this last. BREAKFAST BATTER-CAKES. Take one pint of milk, three eggs, a piece of butter as large as an egg, two spoonsful of yeast, and flour enough to make a stiff batter ; bake them in tin hoops or on a griddle, let them stand and rise all night, but not in a very warm place. TEA CAKES. Rub into a pound of flour, an ounce of butter, a beaten egg, and hall a teaspoonful of salt; wet it with warmed milk; make the paste rather stiff, and let it remain before the fire, where it will be kept warm for an hour or two; then roll it thin and cut it with the top of a tumbler; bake it quicK. CHAP. XXVIII.] BREAD CAKES, &C. Muffins are baked on a hot iron plate, and not in an oven. Tc ?. 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 suffi- cient to form a dough of rather a soft consistency. Small portions 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 bot- toms 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 a 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 powders. 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 former 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 in a note at the foot or' this page. Bake on a griddle, and but- ter 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 ; then put in a large spoonful of good yeast,* and set to rise; when sufficientiy risen, bake them a clear brown on a griddle. They are usually buttered before being sent to table. FLANNEL CAKES. Melt a table-spoonful of butter in a quart of milk, and after stirring it * Many persons now make use of the yeast powders, and give th.-in a decided pre- ference. They certainly possess the advantage of requiring less time, and thereby enabling you to make muffins, buckwheat cakes, • &x.— which, set with yeast, require some hours in the preparation— at a quarter of an hour's notice. The ingredients are the super-carbonate of soda and tartaric acid, to be used in the following manner:— A spoonful of soda, and a spoon two thirds full of tartaric acid, are to" be dissolved separately in a little water. The soda is to be put into the batter when it is partly beaten, taking care that it is perfectly dissolved ; and the acid is to be added ivhen the cook is ready to begin baking, as they must not be allowed to stand aft?i the effer- vescence takes place. 390 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXVIII. well, set it away to cool ; then heat four eggs very light, and stir them into the milk in turn with half a pound of sifted flour; put in a spoon- ful of yeast, and set it aside. These are baked on a griddle like buck- wheat cakes, and are always buttered before being sent to table. It is impossible to have good light bread, unless you have lively, sweet yeast. When common family beer is well brewed and kept in a clean cask, the settlings are the best of yeast. If you do not keep beer, then make common yeast by the following method. Take two quarts of water, one handful of hops, two of wheat bran ; boil these together twenty minutes; strain off the water, and while it is boiling hot, stir in either wheat or rye flour, till it becomes a thick batter; let it stand till it is about blood warm; then add a half pint of good smart yeast and a large spoonful of molasses, if you have it, and stir the whole well. Set it in a cool place in summer and a warm one in winter. When it becomes perfectly light, it is fit for use. If not needed immediately, it should, when it becomes cold, be put in a clean jug or bottle ; do not fill the vessel, and the cork must be left loose till the next morning, when the yeast will have done working. Then cork it tightly, and set in a cool place in the ceilar. It will keep ten or twelve days. MILK YEAST. Take one pint of new milk; one teaspoonful of fine salt, and a large spoon of flour — stir these well together; set the mixture by the fire, and keep it just lukewarm ; it will be fit for use in an hour. Twice the quantity of common yeast is necessary; it will not keep long. Bread made of this yeast dries very soon; but in the summer it is sometimes convenient to make this kind when yeast is needed suddenly. Never keep yeast in a tin vessel. If you find the old yeast sour, and have not time to prepare new, put in salseratus, a teaspoonful to a pint of yeast, when ready to use it. If it foams up lively, it will raise tiie bread ; if it does not, never use it. HARD YEAST. Boil three ounces of hops in six quarts of water, till only two quarts remain. Strain it, and stir in while it is boiling hot, wheat or rye meal till it is thick as batter. When it is about milk-warm add half a pint of good yeast, and let it stand till it is very light, which will pro- bably be about three hours. Then work in sifted Indian meal till it is stiff dough. Roll it out on a board; cut it in oblong cakes about three inches by two. They should be about half an inch thick. Lay these cakes on a smooth board, over which a little flour has been dusted; prick them with a fork, and set the board in a dry clean chamber or store-room, where tffe sun and air may be freely admitted. Turn them every day. They will dry in a fortnight unless the weather is damp. When the cakes are fully dry, put them into a coarse cotton bag; hang it up in a cool, dry place. If rightly prepared these cakes will keep a year, and save the trouble of making new yeast every week. Two cakes will make yeast sufficient for a peck of flour. Break them into a pint of lukewarm water and stir in a large spoonful of flour, CHAF. XXVIII.] BREAD, CAKES, &C. 391 the evening- before you bake. Set the mixture where it can be kept moderately warm. In the morning it will be lit for use. POTATOE YEAST Is made of mealy potatoes boiled thoroughly soft — they are then skin- ned and mashed as smooth as possible, when as much hot water should be put on them as will make a mash of the consistency of good beer yeast. Add to every pound of potatoes two ounces of treacle, and when just warm stir in tor every pound of potatoes two large spoonsful of yeast. Keep it warm till it has done fermenting, and in twenty-four hours it will be fit for use. A pound of potatoes will make nearly a quart of yeast, and it is said to be equally as good as brewers' yeast. The following is Dr. LettsonCs directions for making another Prepared Yeast. Thicken two quarts of water with four ounces of flour, boil it for half an hour, then sweeten it with three of brown sugar ; when almost cold, pour it along with four spoonsful of bakers' yeast into an earthen jug, deep enough for the fermentation to go on without running over; place it for a day near the fire ; then pour off the thin liquor from the top, shake the remainder, and close it up for use, first straining i< through a sieve. To preserve it sweet, set it in a cool cellar, or hang it some depth in a well. Always keep some of this yeast to make the next quantity that is wanted.] CHAPTER XXIX. AMERICAN MODE OF COOKING INDIAN CORN, PUMP- KINS, &c. Maize or Indian corn has never been extensively used in Great Bri- tain, and the editor has every reason to believe that this has arisen from the almost total ignorance of the English people as to the mode of pre- paring it for human food. It is, perhaps, the most productive crop that can be grown, and its nutritious qualities, when properly prepared, are equal to its productiveness. We are satisfied that it may be grown in that country, or, at any rate, in the south and eastern parts of it, with great advantage ; indeed, the experiment has been tried, and with de- cided success. The late Mr. Cobbett grew an average crop of the dwarf kind on Barn Elms farm, Surrey, for three or four years. INDIAN CAKE, OR BANNOCK. This, as prepared in our own country, is cheap and very nice food. Take one quart of Indian meal, dressed or sifted, two tablespoonsful of treacle or molasses, two teaspoonsful of salt, a bit of" shortening" (but- ter or lard) half as big as a hen's egg, stirred together; make it pretty moist with scalding water, put it into a well-greased pan, smooth over the surface with a spoon, and bake it brown on both sides before a quick fire. A little stewed pumpkin, scalded with the meal, improves tie cake. Bannock split and dipped in butter makes very nice toast. 892 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXIX. 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 assumes 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 from 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 oft' the corn. The editor can bear testimony to its delicious quality. INDIAN CORN, OR MAIZE PUDDING, BAKED. Scald a quart cf milk (skimmed milk will do), and stir in seven table- spoonsful of sifted Indian meal, a teaspoonful of salt, a teacupful of mo- lasses or treacle, or coarse moist sugar, and a tablespoon ful of powdered ginger or sifted cinnamon : bake three or four hours. If whey is wanted, pour in a little cold milk after it is all mixed. BOILED MAIZE PUDDING. Stir Indian meal and warm milk together "pretty stiff;" a little salt and two or three "great spoonsful" of molasses added; also a spoonful of ginger, or any other spice that may be preferred. Boil it in a tight- covered pan, 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. 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 vege- table, 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 out the seeds do not scrape the inside of the pumpkin; the part nearest the 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 teaspoonsful of salt, two tablespoonsful of sifted cinnamon, and one of powdered ginger; but allspice may be used, or any other spice that may be preferred. The peel of a lomon grated in gives it a pleasant flavour. The more eggs, says our Ame- rican authority, the better the pie. Some put one egg to a gill of milk. Bake about an hour in deep plates, or shallow dishes, without an upper crust, in a warm oven. CHAP. XXIX.] INDIAN CORN, PUMPKINS, &C. 393 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. CARROT PIES. These pies are made like pumpkin pies. The carrots should he boiled very tender, skinned, and sifted. AMERICAN CUSTARD PUDDINGS, Sufficiently good for common use, may be made by taking five ^ggs beaten up and mixed with a quart of milk, sweetened with sugar and spiced with cinnamon, allspice, 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 improved by the evaporation of the water.) Bake fifteen or twenty minutes. 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 up six eggs, and mix ; flavour with lemon-brandy, and a whole nutmeg grated ; add three-quarters of a pound of stoned raisins, rubbed in flour. Bake not quite two hours. 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, 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. HASTY PUDDING. Boil water, a quart, three pints, or two quarts, according to the size of your family ; sift your meal, stir five or six spoonsful of it thoroughly into a bowl of water; when the water in the kettle boils, pour into it the contents of the bowl ; stir it well, and let it boil up thick; put in salt to suit your own taste, then stand over the kettle, and sprinkle in meal, handful after handful, stirring it very thoroughly all the time, and letting it boil between whiles. When it is so thick that you stir it with great difficulty, it is about right. It takes half an hour's cooking. Eat it with milk or molasses. Either Indian meal or rye meal may be used. If the system is in a restricted state, nothing can be better than rye hasty pudding and West India molasses. This diet would save many a one the horrors of dyspepsia. 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 6e pounded 394 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXIX Tor 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. ANOTHER SORT OF BREWIS. The author of Domestic Cookery observes, that a very good meal raay be bestowed on poor people in a thing called brewis, 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. TO PRESERVE CHEESE. Cover the cheese carefully with paper, fastened on with paste, so as totally to exclude the air. In this way cheese may be kept for years. AMERICAN MINCE MEAT. Take the good bits of vegetables, and the cold meat left after din- ner. 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. 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 add cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. PORK AND BEANS Is an economical dish ; but it does not agree with weak stomachs. Put a quart of beans into two quarts of cold water, and hang them all night over the fire, to swell. In the morning pour off the water, rinse them well with two or three waters poured over them in a colander. Take a pound of pork, that is not very fat, score the rind, then again place the beans just covered with water in the kettle and keep them hot over the fire for an hour or two ; then drain off the water, sprinkle a little pepper and a teaspoonful of salt over the beans; place them in a well-glazed earthen pot, not very wide at the top, put the pork down in the beans, till the rind only appears; fill the pot with water till it just reaches the top of the beans, put it in a brisk oven and bake three or four hours. Stewed beans and pork are prepared in the same way, only they are kept over the fire, and the pork in them three or four hours instead of oeing in the oven. The beans will not be white or pleasant to the taste unless they are well soaked and washed — nor are they healthy without this process. CHAP, XXX.] DIRECTIONS FOR CARVING. 395 CHAPTER XXX. DIRECTIONS FOR CARVING. GARNISHING, AND SETTING OUT A TABLE. In preparing meat for the table, and in laying out the table, refer- 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 complete com- mand over the joints should be provided, and the dish should be suffi- ciently deep and capacious, so as not to endanger the splashing of the gravy. It should also be placed as near to the carver as possible, leav- ing room for his or her plate. A knife with a long blade is required for a large fleshy joint; for ham 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 pre- sume 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 endeavour- ing to please everybody. 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 offish, par- ticularly the larger sort. TURBOT, &C. 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 esteemed. When one side is 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 simi- lar way. A COD'S HEAD AND SHOULDERS. These, perhaps, require more attention 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. 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 accomplisned gourmui?ds. The back is the most solid and thick. The tail of salmon 396 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXX is not so fine as the other parts. .The head is seldom used. The liver, melt, and roe, are generally served, but seldom eaten. SOLES. These are easily carved. You have only to cut through the middle part of the fish, bone and all, and subdivide and serve according to the size of fish. The thick parts are best ; the roes when well done are very nice. 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. EELS, WHITING JACK, &C. These when intended to be fried, are previously 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. 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 serving, for the sake of economy. The rich, delicious, soft fat, which resembles 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 qther. 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. A ROUND, OR BUTTOCK, AND THICK FLANK OF BEEF. These are carved in horizontal slices, that is, in slices from the top. Pare and neatly cut all round. Some prefer the silver side. A BRISKET OF BEEF. This is cut lengthways, right down to the bone. The soft mellow fat is found underneath. The upper part is firm, but gristly ; if well done, they are equally good to our taste. SIRLOIN OF BEEF, The glory of the dinner-table, may be commenced carving, either by beginning at the end, and cutting slices along the bones, or across the middle ; but this latter mode will drain the gravy from the remain- der. 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. 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. CHAP. XXX.] DIRECTIONS FOR CARVING. 39? 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 prefer- ence is to be given. The burr, or sweetmeat, is much liked, and a part should be served with each slice. 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 without bone, and another with. Some prefer one, and some the other. calf's head Affords a great variety of excellent meat, differing 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 considered 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. A LEG OF MUTTON, &C. 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. A SADDLE OR COLLAR OF MUTTON, Sometimes called the chine, should be cut lengthways, in long slices, beginning close to the backbone, and thus leaving the ribs bare. The fat is taken from the outer ends. The inside of the loin 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. SHOULDER OF MUTTON. To carve this joint (which when properly 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 398 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXX. 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 siue of the ridge of the blade-bone. No slices can be cut across the edge of the blade-bone. 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 and gravy. 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. HAM. The most economical way of cutting a ham, which is seldom or never eaten at one meal, is to begin to cutTat 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. 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. 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 considered 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 ribs. The neck end between the shoulders is also sometimes preferred. The joints may be divided into two each, or pieces may be cut from them. A FOWL. The le^s 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 CHAI\ XXX.] DIRECTIONS FOR CARVING. 399 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 separate 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 then, by a little practice, you will become perfect. The breast and the wings are considered the best parts. 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; *he other parts are cut as before directed in a fowl. The breast, wmgs, and merrythought, are the favourites, particularly the former, but the leg hafc a higher flavour. 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, par- ticularly the tip; the other choice parts are the breast and merry- thought. Pigeons may be cut in two, either from one end to the other of the bird, or across. GOOSE OR DUCK. Cut off the apron of the goose and pour into the body a large spoon- ful 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 has been previously stirred. Cut as many slices from the breast as possible, and serve with a portion 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. A TURKEY Should not be divided till the breast is disposed of; but if it be thought proper ttf divide, the same process must be followed as directed in a fowl. The following is the best mode 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 tiie craw is stuffed. 400 MODERN COOKERY. [CHAP. XXX 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 cir- cular 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 little turn in- wards 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 shoul- ders, 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. 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 preseryed 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. 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 w T ith or without parsley, for roast lamb, either hot or cold. Pickled gherkins, capers, or onions, for some kinds of boiled meat and stews. CHAP. XXX.] SETTING OUT A TABLE. 401 SETTING OUT A TABLE. A prudent housekeeper, in providing for a family, or for company, will endeavonr 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 vege- tables 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 bottom ; boiled poultry at top; roast poultry, or game, at bottom ; vegetables 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 course, birds and game of all sorts, fish fried, pickled, or potted ; pigeon pies, patties, brawn, omelets, oysters stewed or scol- loped, and lobsters or crabs. Tarts, cheesecakes, and sweet dishes of all kinds, are sometimes placed with the second course, but more fre- quently form separate courses by themselves. The 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 eggs ; patties ; pigeon- pies ; sausages ; toast with marrow (served on a water-plate), cheese- cakes ; 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. 25 APPENDIX RELATIVE DUTIES OF MISTRESS AND MAID. Cooking is neither a mean, nor a simple art. To make the best and the most of everything connected with the sustenance of a family, re- quires 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, another indispensable requisite in a cook : to be always cleaning, is not to be clean. There are some foolish, fussy women, who, with all the disposi- tion 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 her- self injured; but if she can do it, she will not only gain the victory over her mistress, but she will also feel a consciousness, a happy con- sciousness, of having left undone those things which she ought not to have done, and of having done those things which she ought to have done. But if the tempers and habits of the mistress and maid are (402) APPENDIX. 403 incompatible to that good understanding which ought always to subsist between the employer and the employed, the best course for the servant to do is, to give notice and leave. Let not this, however, be done in anger : before giving warning, let her consult her pillow. It has been well observed, that it behoves every person to be extremely careful whom she takes into her service; to be very minute in investi- gating the character she receives, and equally cautious and scrupulously just in giving one to others. Were this attended to, many bad people would be incapacitated for doing mischief, by abusing the trust reposed in them. It may be fairly asserted, that the robbery, or waste, which is but a milder epithet for the unfaithfulness of a servant, will be laid to the charge of that master or mistress, who knowing, or having well- founded suspicions, of such faults, is prevailed upon by false pity, or entreaty, to slide him, or her, into another place. There are, however, some who are unfortunately capricious, and often refuse to give a cha- racter, because they are displeased that a servant leaves their service ; but this is unpardonable, and an absolute robbery ; servants having no inheritance, and depending on their fair name for employment. To refuse countenance to the evil, and to encourage the good servant, are actions due to society at large ; and such as are honest, frugal and attentive to their duties, should be liberally rewarded, which would encourage merit, and inspire servants with zeal to acquit themselves well. Servants should always recollect that everything is provided for them, without care and anxiety on their part. They run no risks, are subject to no losses, and under these circumstances, honesty, industry, civility, and perseverance, are in the end sure to meet with their reward. Servants possessing these qualifications, by the blessing of God, must succeed. Servants should be kind and obliging to their fellow-servants; but if they are honest themselves, they will not connive at dishonesty in others. They who see crimes committed and do not discover them, are themselves legally and morally guilty. At the same time, however, well recollect, that tittle-tattling and tale-bearing, for the sake of get- ting in your mistress's good graces, at the expense of your fellow- servants, is, to the last degree, detestable. A sensible mistress will always discourage such practices. We have known servants imagine, that because their employers are kind to them, that because they do not command them to do this or that, but rather solicit them, that, therefore, they cannot do without them, and instead of repaying their good-nature and humanity by gratitude and extra attention, give themselves airs, and become idle and neglect- ful. Such conduct cannot be too much condemned, and those servants who practise it may depend upon it, that, sooner or later, they will have cause to repent. Let it be remembered, that vice as well as virtue has its reward, though of a very different character. We shall couclude this our friendly advice to young cooks, by an extract from the " Cook's Best Friend" by the late Dr. Kitchener. 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 404 APPENDIX. is extremely gratifying to the master and his guests, and is most praise- worthy in the attendants. Bat remember you cannot obtain this desir- able 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 per- severe, 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 ; en- force 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 make YOURSELF USEFUL. 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 required 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, undertake it cheerfully, patiently and conscientiously. The foregoing advice has been written with an honest desire to aug- ment 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." 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 proper 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 APPENDIX. 405 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 pud- 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 pos- sible, 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 them, and such things as onions, garlic, &.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 vessels, which have been used for milk, and not washed ; in short, 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 im- part a more or less unpleasant flavour to it. Above all things you must not let liquid food, or indeed any other, remain in brass or copper ves- sels after it is cooked. The rust of copper or brass is absolutely poi- sonous, 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, accumulates 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, " Wilful 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 be- fore 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 pre 406 APPENDIX. parations. Take care to have plenty of kitchen cloths, and mark them so as a duster may not be mistaken for a pudding-cloth, 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 upon it. 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 all 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 effec- tually hinder this is to boil them as the carpenter heats his 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 appear to be ignorant ; for be assured, the most ignorant are too frequently 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. INDEX. Alderman's pudding, 285 Almond, cake, 361 biscuits, bitter, 360 cream, for blamange, 320 macaroons, 359 paste, 263 paste, sandwiches of, 268 paste, tartlets of, 264 pudding, 284 rocher, 360 Almonds to blanch, 358 in cheesecakes, 267 to pound, 358 to reduce to paste, the quickest and easiest way, 358 American mode of cooking Indian corn, pump- I kins, &c. 391 American plum pudding, 393 custard, 393 apple, 393 mincemeat, 394 Anchovies, fried in batter, 83 Apple cake, 262 calf 's-feet jelly, 309 Charlotte, or Charlotte de Pommes, 325 marmalade for, 326 custards, 323 dumplings, fashionable, 281 fritters, 299 hedgehog, or Suedoise, 321 Jelly, 345 jelly, exceedingly fine, 346 juice, prepared, 305 pudding, 274 pudding, small common, 274 sauce, boiled, 108 baked, 109 sauce, brown, 109 soup, 48 snowballs, 282 tart, 263 creamed tart, 263 compote of, 373 Apples, baked compote of, (our little ady'a re- ceipt), 373 buttered, or Pommes au beurre, 326 Apricots, compote of green, 307 to dry, a quick and easy method, 342 Apricot blamange, 320 fritters, 299 Artichokes, to boil, 240 to remove the chokes from, 240 Jerusalem, 246 to fry, 247 excellent sauce of, 110 Asparagus, to boil. 234 to serve cold, 234 points, dressed like peas, 234 Aspic, or clear savoury jelly, 91 Aroce Doce, or sweet rice a la Portugaise. 328 Arrow-root, to thicken sauces with, 84 to thicken soup with, 39 Bacon, to boil, 195 broiled or fried, 195 Cobbet.'s receipt for, 190 dressed rashers of, 196 French, for larding. 192 lardoons of. 139 to pickle cheeks of, 192 genuine Yorkshire receipt for curing, 141 Bain-marie, use of, 92 Baked apple-pudding, or custard. 291 apple-pudding, a common, 291 compote of apples, 373 minced beef, 159 round of spiced beef, 153 beet-root, 247, 248 brend-puddings, 279 calf's feet, and head, 137 custard, 324, 325 haddocks, 74 ham, 195 hasty pudding, 295 joints, with potatoes, 137 mackerel, 72 marrow bones, 159 mullet, 75 pike, 77 potatoes, 230 salmon, 64, 137 soles, halibut and carp, 70 soup, 137 sucking-pig, 188 whitings, a la Francaise, 71 shad, 76 Baking, directions for, 137 Banbury cakes, 365 Barberries in bunches, to pickle, 356 to preserve, 348 stewed, for dessert, 308 Barberry jam, a good receipt for, 349 jam, second receipt for. 349 jam, very common, 349 jelly, 349 superior jelly and marmalade, 350 and rice pudding, 293 tart, 263 Barley-sugar, 369 water, poor Xury's receipt, 378 Batter, French, for frying meat and vegetables, &c, 113 cods sounds fried in, 68 Batter, spring fruit, fried in, 299 to mix for puddings, 271 Bechamel, 93 common, 94 Beans, French, to boil, 236 and pork. 394 a la Francaise, 236 another excellent receipt for, 236 Windsor, to boil, 237 Beef, a la mode, 148 breslaw of, 158 cake of, very good, 146 to choose, 142 minced collops of, 155 savoury minced collops of, 156 Scotch minced collops of, 156 divisions of, 142 Dutch or hung, 152 fillet of, braised, 144 fillet of, roast, 144 hashed, French receipt for, 159 cold, common hash of, 158 cold, excellent hash of, 157 collared, 153 another recpipt for, 153 Norman hash of, 158 heart, to roast, 157 kidney, to dress, 157 round, buttock, &<\, to carve, 398 brisket of, to carve, 39"J sirloin of, to carve, 396 (4071 408 INDEX Beef, aitch bone of, 396 , marrow- bones, to boil, 159 marrowbones, baked, 159 palates, Entree, 150 palates, Neapolitan mode, 151 Hamburg pickle for, 152 another, 152 roll, or canellon de bcevf. Entree, 155 round of, miniature, 155 round of, to salt and boil, 151 round of, spiced, 153 round of, roast, 113 rump of, to roast, 143 rump of, to stew, 149 common receipt for salting, 153 shin of, to stew, 148 shin of, for stock, 85 sirloin of, to roast, 143 sirloin of, stewed, 119 spiced, good and wholesome, 154 steak, roast, 144 steak, stewed, 146 steak, stewed in its own gravy, 146 steaks, best and most tender, 142 steaks, broiled, 144 steaks, broiled, sauces appropriate to, 144 steaks, tried, 146 steaks, a la Francaise, 145 steaks, a la Francaise, another receipt tor, 145 steak, pie, 256 steak puddings, 272 good English stew of, 147 German stew, 147 Welsh stew of, 147 tongue potted, 227 tongues, various modes of curing, 156, 157 tongues, to dress, 157 tongues, Suffolk receipt for, 157 Beet-root, to bake, 248 to boil, 247 to stew, 248 Bengal currie, 222 Bermuda witches, 328 Birthday syllabub, 377 Bird's nest pudding, 393 Biscuits, almond, 360 Aunt Charlotte's, 368 Captain's, 388 Colonel's, 368 ginger, cheap, 365 cocoa-nut, 366 Bishop, Oxford receipt for, 376 Black fish, to boil, 69 Blamange, or blanc manger, apricot, 320 author's receipt, 319 calf's feet, to make, 304 quince, delicious, 390 quince, with almond cream, 320 rich, 313 rubane, or striped, 321 strawberry, extremely good, 319 strengthening, 328 Blanc, a, 130 Blanch, to, meat, vegetables, &c. 140 Blanquette, of sucking pig, 189 of veal or lamb with mushrooms, 173 Boiled calf's head, 161 chestnuts, 374 custard, 322 eels, German receipt, lb fowls, 206 leeks, 234 rice, to serve with stewed fruit, &.c. 282. rice-pudding, 280 turnip-radishes, 233 breast of veal, 166 fillet of veal, 165 knuckle of veal, 167 loin of veal, 165 winter squash, 240 sturgeon, 70 rock -fish, 69 black-fish, 69 sea- bass, 69 halibut, 69 Boiled onions, 249 Boiling, general directions for, 129 Bone to, calf 's head for brawn, 164 calf's head, 162 calf's head for mock turtle soup, 49 a fowl or turkey without opening it, 200 a fowl or turkey without opening it, an- other mode, 200 fowls, for fricasses. curries, and pie*, 201 a leg of mutton, 177 a loin of mutton for pies, 257 a shoulder of veal or mutton, 166 Boning, general directions for, 140 Bon-bons, palace, 371 Bottled fruits, 329 gooseberries, 345 tomatas, or tomata-catsup, 117 Bottles, to clean, in large numbers, 380 Boulettes, 232 Bouilli, 41 French receipt for hashed, 159 Bouillon, 41 Brain cakes, 126 calf's, added to soup, 50 Braised fillet of beef, 144 Braising, directions for, 138 Brandy, lemon, for flavouring sweet dishes, 120 Brawn, calf's head, Author's receipt, 164 Tonbridge, 196 Bread, to make, 384 dyspepsia, 386 rye and Indian, 387 dry, 393 Bordyke receipt for, 385 brown, 386 crumbs, fried, 114 crumbs, to prepare for frying fish, 114 to fry for garnishing, 114 to fry for soups, 40 partridges, served with, 208 potato, 386 puddings, 279, 286 and butter pudding, 28G sauce, 97 sauce with onion, 97 to purify yeast for, 384 Brewer's, 394 another sort, 394 Rrezolles, 169 Broccoli, 240 Brioche paste, 253 Broth, beef, 41 veal, or mutton, 59 Broiled, beef-steak, 144 bacon, 195 cutlets, mutton, 181 cutlets, pork, 190 fowl, 206 oysters, 83 mackerel, 135 salmon, 64 whitings, 135 shad, 76 Broiling, general directions for, 135 Browned, flour for thickening soups and sauces, 1 14 Browning, with salamander, 141 Brown, rich, English i:ravy, 87 gravy, common, 89 caper-sauce, 11)6 mushroom sauce, 107 onion-sauce, 109 rabbit soup, 51 Buckwheat cakes, 389 Bullaces, jelly of, 343 stewed or compote of, 307 Bun, a good light, 361 Burnt coffee, or glnria, 383 Buttered apples, 326 Butter, burnt, 95 clarified, for storing and for immediate use, 95 creamed, and otherwise prepared for cakes, 359 lobster, 79 melted, good common, 94 INDEX. 409 Butter, melted, French, 95 melted, rich, 114 melted, rich, without flour, 95 melted, and parsley, 105 melted, white, 95 loin of lamb, slewed in, 185 Cabbage, to boil, 243 stewed, 244 red, to siew (Flemish receipt), 248 Cafe voir, 3f2 Cake, fine almond, 361 apple, 262 beef or mutton, 146 Cornish, heavy, 367 thick, light gingerbread, 364 a good Madeira, 362 pound, 361 rice, 361 sausage-meat, paine de pore frais, 197 a good sponge, 362 another sponge, good, and quickly made, 362 a smaller sponge, 362 a good soda, 365 veal, good, Bordyke receipt for, 168 white, 362 Cakes. Banbury, 363 cinnamon, or lemon, 365 flead, or fleed, 367 cocoa-nut gingerbread, 364 common gingerbread, 365 meringues, 363 richer gingerbread, 364 queen, 366 very good small rich, 360 soda, 365 batter, breakfast, 388 tea, 388 buckwheat, 389 flannel, 389 to prepare butter for rich, 359 to whisk eggs for light rich, 359 Calf's head, to carve. 397 a laMattre a" Hotel, 163 boiled, 161 boned and rolled, 162 brown, 164 to clear the hair from, 160 hashed, 162 a cheap hash of, 162 prepared, the cook's receipt, 162 soup, 50 The Warder's way, 161 Calf's feet jelly. 309 jelly, in barley-water, 378 to prepare for stock, 304 stewed, 172 stock, 304 to clarify, 304 Calf's-footin bouillon, 41 Calf 's-liver. fried, 172 roast, 173 sweetbreads, 171 Candy, ginger, 370 orange flower, 370 orange-flower, another receipt, 370 Canellon delimit/, 155 Canellons, filled with apricot or peach marma- lade. 300 Caper sauce, 106 for fish, 106 Capillaire in punch, 376 Caramel, to boil sugar to, 369 Carrots, au bcurre. 2-46 to boil, 245 sweet, for seqpnd course, 246 Carrot, soup, common, 47 pies, 393 Carving, directions for, 395 Catsup, the cook's, or compound, 116 mushroom, 115 mushroom, double, 116 lemon, 117 Catsup, pontac, for fish, 117 tomata, 117 walnut, 116 Cauliflowers, to boil, 239 French receipt for, 240 served with fowls, 207 Cayenne vinegar, 119 Celery, boiled, 248 sauce. 111 Celery, stewed, 248 Chantilly baskets, 310 Charlotte de pommes, or apple Charlotte, 325 o la Parisienne, 326 Cheese, with maccaroni, 302 with maccaroni, a la Heine, 303 to serve with white and maccaroni soup, 44 to preserve, 394 Cheese-cakes, cocoa-nut (Jamaica receipt,) 266 lemon (the Christ Church College receipt.) 267 Cherries, compote of Kentish, 307 compote of morella, 307 dried with sugar, 334 dried without, 335 dried, superior receipt, 334 Cherry cheese, 335 jam. 334 pasle, 335 pudding, 274 Chestnuts, boiled, 374 roasted, 374 Chicken, broiled, 207 cutlets, 208 fried, a la Malabar, 208 pie, (common), 256 modern pie, 255 Chickens, boiled. 206 fricaseed, 207 China chilo, of, mutton, 182 Chocolate, custard, 323 to make, 383 Chops, lamb or mutton, broiled 181 mutton, stewed in their own gravy (good), 181 pork, 190 Chowder, to make, 68 Christopher North s own sauce for many meats, 102 Cocoa-nut biscuit, 366 cheesecakes, 266 milk, flavoured with, for sweet dishes, 306 puddings, 292 Cod-fish, to boil, 66 slices of, fried, 67 stewed, 67 stewed in brown gravy, 67 Cod's soumls, to boil, 68 to fry in baiter, 68 head and shouldeis. to carve, 395 Coffee, to boil, 381 breakfast. French, 382 buint, 383 to filter, 382 to refine, 382 strona. clear, to serve after dinner, caHed cafe voir, 382 to roast, 381 Cold, calf's head to dress. 162, 163 fowls, ditto, 209, 210 leg of mutton, ditto, 179 viaitre a" hotel, sauce, 100 . meat, excellent sauces to serve with, 101 104 salmon, to dress, 66 turbot, ditto, 6-1 Collops minced, 156 saute pan for trying, 136 Scotch, 191 Compote, of green apricots, 307 of bullaces, 307 of currants, 307 of green currants, 306 of cherries, 307 of damsons, 307 of green gooseberries, 306 of magnum bonum, or other large plums, 307 410 INDEX. Compote of oranges, 373 apples (our lady's receipts), 373 of peaches, 307 of spring fruit, 306 Conjurer a, its uses, 135 Confectionary, 368 Consommee, 86 Constantia jelly, 313 Corn, Indian, 391 Indian, green, 392 Cottage Christmas pudding, 278 Crabs, Siberian, jelly of, 348 Cray-fish, to boil, 79 Cream, Chantilly basket filied with, 316 crust, 252 lemon, made without cream, 317 Nesselrode, 315 sauce for fish, 98 in soups, 45, 47, 48 Creams, lemon, 317 fruit, 318 p Italian, 318 n Meringuee, 317 Patissiere, 267 Croquettes uf rice, 300 filled with preserve, 301 Crust, butter, for puddings, 271 cream, 252 flead, 252 French, for hot or cold meat pies, 252 rich short, for tarts, 253 common suet for pies, 253 very superior ditto, for pies, 253 suet, for puddings, 271 Crusts, to serve with cheese, 388 Cucumber vinegar, 118 a la creme, 238 a la Poulette, 238 dressed, 237 fried, 238 6tewed, 237 Curiasseau, or curacoa, 379 Currants, to clean for puddings and caices. 269 green, stewed 306 red, stewed, 307 red. stewed, served with sweet puddings, _ 276 . Currant, custard, 323 dumplings, 282 Jam. green, 338 jam, red, delicious, 339 jam, 339 jelly, French, 338 jelly, superlative red, 338 jelly, white, very fine, 339 ditto, tartlets, 268 paste, 339 pudding, 274 wine, 380 Curried eggs, 224 gravy, 225 maccaroni, 224 oysters, 225 sweetbreads, 224 Currie, Mr. Amott's, 222 a Bengal, 222 to boil rice for, 54, 55 common Indian, 223 Curries, remarks on. 222 Selim's (Capt. White's), 224 Custard, baked, 324 the Queen's, 323 veal, 261 Custards, boiled, 322 boiled, rich, 322 chocolate, 323 French, 324 American, pudding. 393 Cutlets of fowls, partridges, or pigeons, 208 lamb, in their own gravy, stewed, 181 Iamb, or mutton, with Soubise sauce, 185 mutton broiled, 18? of cold mutton, 183 mutton, in their own gravy, stewed, 181 pork, 190 veal, a U Francaise, 170 Cutlets of veal, a la mode de Landres, or Lon don fashion, 171 veal, fried, 170 of Bweatbreads, 171 epare-rib, to roast, 190 Damson, cheese, 343 jam. 343 jelly, 343 solid, 343 pudding, 293 Dried apples, to stew, 373 cherries, with sugar, 334 cherries, without sugar, 333 gooseberries, without sugar, 335 mushrooms, 120 plums (Pruneaux de Tours), to stew, 373 Dry, to, apricots, a quick and easy method, 342 Mogul plums, 341 Eeaches or nectarines, 342 read, 393 Ducks, to roast, 211 to carve, 399 stuffing for, No. 9, 125 wild, to roast, 219 Dumplings, apple (fashionable), 281 currant, light, 282 lemon, 282 tomata, American, 281 Dutch, or hung beef, 152 custard, 291 flummery, 319 Eels, whiting jack, to carve, 399 boiled, German receipt, 78 Cornish receipt, 78 to fry, 78 Egg balls, 126 sauce, for calf's head, 96 sauce, common, 96 sauce, good, 96 Eggs, curried, 224 forced, for salad, 303 to whisk, for cakes, &c. Elderbeny wine, 379 Elegant, the Economist's pudding, 277, 285 English, brown gravy, 87 oyster patties. 260 puff paste, 252 Entremets, apple charlottes, 325 apple calf's feet jelly, 310 apricot blamange, 319 asparagus points, dressed like peas, 234 apple cake, or German tart, 262 a good apple tart, 253 apple, peach, &c, fritters, 299 barberry tart, 263 blanc manger, 319 boiled custards, 322 Bermuda witches, 328 cocoa-nut cheese cakes, 266 cannelons, 300 cocoa-nut flavoured milk, 306 constantia jelly, 313 croquettes of rice, 301 calf's feet jelly, 309 compotes of fruit, 306 creme meringuee, 317 chocolate custard, 323 common lemon tartlets, 267 custards, 268 fritters of cake and pudding, 299 fanchonnettes, 268 French beans, 236 green peas, French fashion, 235 tried potatoes, 231 French custards, 324 finer do. 301 fancy jellies, 314 forced eggs, 303 fruit creams, 318 gateau de pomme, 308 green peas with cream, 235 German puffs, 325 hedgehog, 321 isinglass jelly, 311 INDEX. 411 Entremets, lemon sandwiches, 268 imperial gooseberry fool, 322 Kentish fritters, 298 jaune manger, 319 lemon fritrers, 300 lemon calf's feet jelly, 312 marmalade for the charlotte, 326 mince pies, 265 Nesselrode cream, 315 an omlette soufflee, 296 of peaches. 307 orange calf's feet jelly, 311 of mixed fruits, 309 potato fritters, 300 prepared apple juice, 305 pommes au berre, 326 potaio boulettes, 232 pudding pies, 266 pastry sandwiches, 268 pancakes, 298 queen's custard, 323 quince blamange, 320 small vol-au-venis a la Howitt, 268 sweet carrots, 246 spinach, French receipt, 233 suedoise of peaches, 327 scooped potatoes, 231 strawberry blamanae, 319 striped blamanse, 321 stewed barberries, 308 strawberry isinglass jelly, 313 Swiss cream, 316 turnips in white sauce, 245 to fry Jerusalem artichokes, 247 tart, with royal icing, 262 tartlets of almond paste, 264 the monitor's tart, 265 a vol-au-vent of fruit, 259 a la creme, 259 whipped syll;ibubs, 318 fricandeau of veal, 168 mutton kidney, French fashion, 184 stewed leg of lamb, with white sauce, 185 loin of lamb stewed in butter, 185 lamb or mutton cutlets, with Soubise sauce, 185 veal collops, French fashion, 170 veal cutlets, London fashion, 171 Entrees, sweetbreads, simply stewed, 171 sweetbread cutlets, 171 blanquette of veal, 173 sucking pig, en blanquettes, 189 fowl a la carlsfort, 206 fricasseed fowls or chicken, 207 cutlets of fowls, 208 fried chickens a la Malabar. 208 hashed fowl, 209 minced fowl, 209 stewed duck, 211 a vol-au-vent, 258 oyster patties, 260 good chicken pattie3, 260 veal custard, 261 rissoles, 301 very savoury rissoles, 301 rissoles of fish, 301 Epicurean sauce, 118 Eschalots, to pickle, 355 to serve with venison, 214 Eschalot sauce, mild, 110 vinegar, 119 wine. 119 Espagnole, or Spanish sauce, 88 Fanchonnettes, 268 Fancy jellies, 314 Fennel sauce, 104 Ftxdlletage, or fine puff paste. 250 Fillets of mackerel, boiled, 73 in wine, 74 of mackerel, 74 of halibut, &c, 69 Fillet of mutton, 179 of veal, boiled, 165 of veal, roast, 164 Fish, to carve, 395 boiled, to render firm, 63 brine, for boiling, 62 to choose, 60 to clean, 61 to keep, 62 to keep bot for table. 63 to sweeten when tainted, 62 salt, to boil, 68 salt, a la maitre d'holel, 68 salt, in potato-pasty, 254 Flead, or fleed crust, 252 Flannel cakes, 389 Flavouring, for sweet disees, 120 lemon brandy for sweet dishes, 120 Flounders, to boil, and fry, 74 Flour, browned for thickening soups, &c. 114 Flour of potatoes, fecule de pommes de terre 121 of rice, 121 Fondu, a, 297 Forced eggs, or eggs en surprise, 303 eggs, for salad, 303 Forcemeats, general remarks on, 122 balls for mock turtle, No. 10, 125 Mr. Cooke's, for geese or ducks, No. 9, 125 good common, for veal, turkeys, &.c, No. 1, 122 another good common. No. 2, 123 French, an excellent. No. 14, 127 French, called Quenelles, No. 15, 127 mushroom, No. 7, 124 oyster, No. 5, 124 oyster, finer, No. 6, 124 for raised, and other cold pies, No. 16, 128 common suel, No. 4, 123 superior suet, No. 3, 123 Fowl, a, 200 to broil, 207 a la Carlsfort, 206 fried, a la Malabar, 208 hashed, 209 minced, French receipt, 209 roast, French receipt, 209 to roast a, 205 scallops of, au bechamel, 210 to carve, 398 a la mayonnaise, 210 to bone, 200 boiled, 206 cutlets of, 208 fricasseed, 297 cold, en friture, 210 ditto, grillade of, 210 ditto, the housekeeper's receipt, 210 French batter, for frying, fruit, vegetables, &c 113 melted butter, 94 crust, for hot or cold pies, 252 French receipt for boiling a ham, 194 maitre d'hotel sauce, 99, 100 rice pudding, 287 parti idges. 218 semoulma pudding, 287 salad, 239 salad dressing, 103 thickening, or roux, 92 beans, a la Francaise, 236 beans, an excellent receipt for, 236 French beans, to boil, 236 Fricandeau of veal, 168 Fried anchovies in batter, 83 bread-crumbs, 114 bread-crumbs for garnishing, 114 canellons, 300 codfish, slices of, 67 mackerel, 72 parsneps, 246 potatoes, 231 fried sturgeon, 71 trout, 77 onions, 249 Fritters, apple or apricot, 299 cake, 299 Kentish, 298 412 INDEX. Fritters, lemon, 300 mincemeat, very good, 299 orange, 300 plain, common, 298 plum-pudding, 299 potatoe, 300 of spring i'ruit (rhubarb), 299 Venetian, 299 Fruit, to bottle lor winter use, 329 creams, 318 tart, with royal icing, 262 en chemise, or perle, 372 Frying, general directions tor, 136 Galantine of chicken, 200 Galette, 367 Game, to choose, 212 directions for keeping, 213 Garlic, 11 ; vinegar, recommended in sauces, 102 garnishes, 400 garnishing and setting out a table, 395 Gateau of mixed fruits, 309 de pommes, 308 de riz, or French rice pudding, 287 Geneva rolls, 387 German puff's, 325 pudding, 276 pudding sauce, delicious, 112 Gherkins, to pickle, 352 Cmger biscuits, 365 bread, 364 candy, 370 wine, excellent, 379 Glaze, to, pastry, 250 to make, 90 Glazing, directions for, 139 Goose, to roast, 204 to carve, 399 to roast a green, 205 to deprive of its strong odour, 204 Gooseberries, to bottle, 315 dried, without sugar, 333 Gooseberry jam, 333 pudding, 274 sauce for mackerel, 105 Grape jelly, 344 Gravies, to heighten the colour and flavour of, . « introductory remarks on, 83 shin of beef stock for, 85 Gravy, good beef or veal, English receipt, 87 common brown, 89 rich brown, 87 cheap, for a fowl, 88 another cheap, 89 curried, 225 Espagnole, highly-flavoured, 88 for a goose, 89 in haste, 88 orange, fur wild fowl, 89 veal, rich, deep-coloured, 86 veal, rich, pale, or consommee, 85 for venison, 87 sweet sauce, or gravy, for venison, 88 soup, or stock, clear, pale, 42 soup, another receipt for, 43 Green game jam, 341 goose, to roast, 205 mint sauce, 106 mint vinegar, 118 . peas, a la Francaise, 235 peas, to boil, 235 peas, with cream, 235 peas-soup, cheap, 56 peas, excellent, 55 peas, without meat, 55 Ground rice puddings, 290 in pudding pies, 266 Grouse, salmi of, 219 Guava, English, 344 strawberry jelly, which resembles, 336 Guinea-Iowl, to roast, 206 Haddocks, baked, 74 to boil, 74 Halibut, to boil, 69 Ham, to bake a, 195 to carve, 398 to boil a, 194 to boil a, a French receipt, 194 potted, 226 Hams, Bordyke receipt for, 193 to pickle, 192 superior to Westphalia, 193 genuine Yorkshire receipt for, 191 Hamburgh pickle, for hams, beef, and tongues, 152 another, for hams, beef, and tongues, 152 Hare, to choose, 212 to carve, 400 to roast, 215 lard yeast, .190 Harncots blancs, '247 Harrico, Norman, 169 Hashed buuillt, 159 calf's head, 162 fowl, 209 venison, 215 Hash, a, of cold beef or mutton, excellent, 157 common, of cold beef or mutton, 158 cheap, of calf 's head, 162 Norman, 158 Hasty pudding, 393 Haunch of mutton, to roast, 176 of venison, to roast, 213 Icing, for tarts, &c, 250 Imperatrice plums, to dry, 345 very fine marmalade of, 327 Imperial gooseberry fool, 322 Imperials, 360 Indian corn, American mode of cooking, 391 cake, or bannock, 391 corn, green, 392 currie, common, 223 pudding, 294 coin, or maize pudding, baked, 392 boiled maize pudding, 392 Irish stew, 183 Isinglass to clarify, 305 jelly, orange, 312 strawberry, and other cherries, 313 Italian creams, 318 jellies, 314 modes of dressing maccaroni, 302 pork cheese, 196 Jam, barberry, 349 cherry, 334 currant, green, 338 currant, red, delicious, 339 currant, white, a beautiful preserve, 339 gooseberry, red, 333 green goosebeny, 332 of mixed fruits, 309 of Mogul plums, 341 peach, or nectarine, 342 raspberry, 337 raspberry, very good, red or white, 337 strawberry, 335 Jaumange, or jaune manger, called also Dutch flummery, 3l9 Jellies, calf's leet stock for, 304 to clarify calf's feet stock for, 304 to clarify isingiass tor, 305 meat for pies and sauces, 90 cheaper meat, 90 Jelly, apple, 3l5 apple, exceedingly fine, 346 apple, calf's feet, 310 barberry, 349 calf's feet, 309 calf's feet, another receipt for, 310 lemon, calf's feet, 312 orange, calf's feet, 3U orange isinglass, 311 Constantia, 313 black currant, 340 currant, red, 338 currant, red, French, 338 red currant superlative, Norman receipt 3J8 INDEX. 413 Jelly, currant, white, very fine, 33 ( J damson, 343 green gooseberry, 332 Rater's, receipt for boiling potatoes, 230 Kentish, receipt tor cutting up and curing a pig, 142 fritters, 298 Kidneys, mutton, a la Francaise, 183 Kidney, beef, to dress, 157 Lady's, the, sauce for fish, 99 Lamb, cutleis, 186 leg of, with white sauce, 185 roast loin of, l£5 loin of, stewed in butter, 185 to roast a quarter of, 184 roast saddle of, 185 sauce for, 185 tore quarter, to carve, 398 Lard, to melt, 187 to preserve unmelted, for many months, 187 to, a pheasant, 140 Larding, general directions for, 139 Lardmg-pins, 139 Lardoons, 139 Leeks, to boil, 234 Lemonade, delicious, milk, 378 excellent, portable, 378 Lemon cakes, 365 cheesecakes, 267 dumplings. 282 fritters, 300 jelly, calf's feet, 312 pickle, or catsup, 117 pudding, an excellent, 284 pudding, another receipt for, 284 suet, pudding, 284 tartlets, 267 _ Lemons, boiled in mincemeat, 265 to pickle, 356 Lettuces, in mayonnaise of fowls, 210 stewed, 234 in salads, 239 Limes, to pickle, 356 Lie, or ley, for washing pudding cloths, 270 Liver, calf's fried, 172 to roast, 172 Lobster, to boil, 79 slewed, 79 cold, 79 butter, 79 fricasseed, or au bechamel, 79 potied, 228 sauce, common, 98 sauce, good, 98 Macaroons, almond, 359 orange-flower, delicious. 359 Maccaroni, ribbon, to boil, 302 pipe, to boil, 302 a la Heine, 303 dressed, various ways, 302 with gravy, 302 soup, 44 Mackarel, to carve, 396 to bake, 72 to boil, 71 broiled whole, 73 fillets of, boiled, 73 fillets of, broiled or fried, 72 fillets of, stewed in wine, 74 fried, French receipt, 72 Madeira cake. 362 Madeleine puddings, to serve cold, 287 Magnum bonum plumbs, to dry, or preserve, 341 Maitre d' hotel, sauce, cold, 99 sauce, French, 99 sauce, sharp, Enelifh rereipt for, 98 Mandrang, or mandram, West Indian receipt, 237 another receipt for, 237 Marmalade, apple, for Charlotte, 325 barberry, 349 orange, 350 orange, genuine Scotch receipt for, 351 Marmalade, peach, 342 quince, 347 quince and apple, 348 Scotch, 351 Marrow bones, baked, 159 to boil. 159 clarified, to keep, 159 vegetable, to dress in various ways, 240 Mashed carrots, 246 parsneps, see turnips, 245 potatoes, 231 potatoes, crust of, for pasty, 254 turnips, an excellent receipt for, 244 Mayonnaise, a delicious sauce to serve with cold meat, &c 104 Meat, .jellies for, pies, 90 pie's, crust for, 252, 253 puddings, 272 rolls, 260 Melange of fruit for dessert, 371 Melon, to serve with meat, 238 Mehed butter, 94, 95 Milk, cocoa-nut flavoured, for sweet dishes, 306 milk yeast, 390 lemonade, delicious. 378 Mild eschalot sauce, 110 mustard. 113 Minced, collops, 156 fowl, 209 veal, 174 veal, with oysters, 174 Mincemeat, Auihor's receipt, 264 superlative, 265 fritters, 299 pudding. 279 American, 394 Mince pies, 265 royal, 265 Miniature round of beef, 155 Mintjulep, 378 sauce, 106 Miss Bremer's pudding, 276 Mock, brawn. 196 venison, 178 Modern chicken pie, 255 potato pasty, 254 Monitor's tart, 265 Moor game, to roast and hash, 219 Mould for French pies, or casseroles of rice. 250 Muffins, 389 wheat, 389 rice, 389 Mull, to, wine, an excellent receipt, French, Mullagatawny soup, 53 Mullet, grey, to boil, 75 red, to bake, broil, or roast, 75 Mushroom catsup, 115 catsup, double, 116 forcemeat, 124 powder, 120 sauce, brown, 108 • sauce, another, 107 sauce, white. 107 „ toast, or croute auz champignons, 243 Mushroom*, au beurre, 242 dried, 120 with partridges, 217 in pigeon pie, 256 Mushrooms, pickled, in brine for winter use,, 3d4 to pickle, 354 potted, delicious, 243 Mussel-plums, preserves of, 341 Mustard, to make, 113 Tartar, 113 horseradish vinegar for ditto, 119 Mutton, broth, 59 to choose, 175 cutlets, with Soubise sauce, 185 cutlets, to broil, 184 cutlets, stewed in their own gravy, 181 fillet of, 179 haunch of, to roast, 176 kidneys a la lYancaise, 183 kidneys, broiled, 184 414 INDEX Mutton, kidneys, Oxford receipt for, 184 leg of, to boil, an excellent receipt, 179 leg of, boned and forced, 177 leg of, 397 leg of, roast, 177 leg of, roast, superior receipt for, 177 leg of, cold roast, 179 loin of, roast, 180 loin of, stewed like venison, 180 pie. common, 257 saddle of. to roast, 176 shoulder of, to bake with potatoes, 113 shoulder of, to roast. 180 shoulder of, forced, 181 shoulder of, spiced, 180 shoulder of, to carve, 397 haunch of, to carve, 398 a good family stew of, 182 stock for soup, 46 saddle or collar of, to carve, 397 Nasturtiums, to pickle, 353 Neck and loins, to carve, 397 Nesselrode cream, 315 sauce, 95 Norman harricot, 169 Normandy pippins, 373 Nouillcs, to make, 40 Old-fashioned boiled custard, 322 Omlette aux fines herbes, 296 soufflee, 296 Omlets, observations on, 295 Omlet, common, 296 Onion sauce, brown, 109 sauce, brown, another receipt for, 110 sauce, white, 109 and sage sluffing for ducks and geese, 125 rich white sauce of, or Soubise. 110 Onions, to pickle, 356 Onions, stewed, 249 to boil, 249 to fry. 249 Orange- baskets for jelly, 312 calf's feet jelly, 311 conserve, 351 fritters, 299 gravy, 89 isinglass jelly, 311 marmalade, 350 salad, 372 snowballs, 281 wine, 379 compote of, 372 warmed, 372 Orange -flower, candy, 370 Oranges, compote of, a Hebrew dish, 372 filled with jelly, in stripes, 312 warmed, 372 Oven, for baking bread, 384 Oxford receipt for Bishop, 376 punch, 376 Ox-tail, stewed, 151 soup, 58 Ox-tongue, to pickle, 152 potted, 227 Oyster forcemeat, No. 5, 124 patties, 260 sauce, common, 99 sauce, good, 98 sausages, 82 soup, white, or a la Reine, 51 curried, 225 to feed, 80 Oysters, to fry, 82 scalloped, a la Reine. 82 to scallop, 81 to stew, 81 another mode, 81 broiled. 83 au gratin, 12 Pain de pore frais, or sausage-meat cake, 197 Pain de veau, Bordyke receipt, 168 Palace bnnbons, 3 7 1 Palotes, beef, to dress, 150 Panada, 128 Pancakes, 298 Parsley and butter, 105 to crisp, 112 fried, 112 Parsley-green for colouring sauces, 112 Parsneps to boil, 246 fried, 246 Partridges, to carve, 399 gravy. 88, 89 Partridges, broiled, 218 broiled, French receipt, 218 potted. 226 pudding, 272 soup, 53 boiled, 219 with mushrooms, 217 to roast, 216 salmi, or rich hash of, 219 Paste, almond. 263 brioche, 253 cherry, French, 335 currant, 339 very good light, 251 English puffs, 252 fine puff", or feuilletage, 250 quince, 348 Pastry, icing for, 250 general remarks on, 250 sandwiches, 268 Pasty, potato, 254 varieties of, 255 Pate Brisee, or French crust for hot or cold pies, 252 Patties a la Cardinal, 260 good chicken, 260 oyster, 260 sweet boiled, 282 tartlets, small vols-au-vents, to make, 261 Peach, fritters, 299 jam, or marmalade, 342 mangoes, 354 Peaches, compote of, 307 to dry, an easy and excellent receipt, 342 to pickle, 353 stewed, receipt for, 308 Suedoise of, 327 vol-au-vent of, 259 Pears, baked, 373 stewed. 373 Peas, green, to boil, 235 with cream, 235 Peas soup, common, 57 without meat, 58 rich, 57 Perch, to boil, 77 to fry, 78 Pheasant, to carve, 399 salmi of, 219 soup, 52 Pickle, for beef, tongues, and hams, 152 Pickle to, barberries, 356 beet-root, 355 cherries, 352 eschalots, 355 gherkins, 352 limes, 356 lemons, 356 mushrooms in brine, 354 mushrooms, an excellent receipt, 354 nasturtiums, 353 onions, 356 peaches and peach mangoes, 354 pork, 152 walnuts, 355 Siberian crabs, 356 Pickles, where to be procured good, 352 general remarks on, 352 Pie, beef-steak, 256 a common chicken, 256 a modern chicken, 255 pumpkin and squash, 392 carrot, 393 mutton, common, 257 pigeon, 256 Pies, good crust for, 252 suet, -crust for, 253 meat jelly for, 90 INDEX. 4ii Pies, mince, 265 mince royal, 265 pudding, 266 raised, 257 Pigeons, to carve, 399 to boil, 212 to roast, 212 to stew, 212 served with cresses, for second course, 212 Pig, divisions of, 186 to bake a sucking, 188 sucking, en blanquette, 189 sucking, to carve, 398 to roast a sucking, 188 a la Tartare 189 Pig's cheeks, to pickle, 193 feet and ears, in brawn, 196 Pike, to bake, 77 Pintail, or Sea Pheasant, to roast, 220 Pippins, Normandy, to stew, 373 Piquante, sauce. 101 Plaice, to boil, 74 to fry, 75 Plum-puddings, 278, 279 Plums, compote of, 307 Poelee. 130 Pommes au beurre, 326 Pontac catsup, 117 Poor author's pudding, 294 Poor man's sauce, 102 Pork, to choose, 186 cutlets of, to broil or fry, 190 spare ribs, to roast, 190 Italian cheese of, 196 observations on, 186 to pickle, 152, 197 to roast, 189 to roast a saddle of, 190 sausages of, 197, 198 and beans, 394 Portable, lemonade, 378 Pot-au-Feu. or stock pot, 41 fowls, &c, boiled in, 41 Potato-balls, English, 232 bouleties, guod, 232 bread, 386 fritters, 300 flour, or fecule de pommes de terre, 121 pasty, modern, 254 puddings, 290, 291 rissoles, French, 232 soup, 48 yeast, 391 Potatoes, a la crcme, 233 a la maitre d' hotel, 232 to boil, genuine Irish receipt, 229 to boil, another way, 230 to boil (Captain Rater's receipt), 230 fried, 231 mashed, and moulded in various ways, 231 new, in butter, 230 new, to boil, 230 to roast, or bake, 230 scooped, 231 Potted chicken, partridge, or pheasant, 227 ham, 226 lobster, 228 meats, various. 226 mushrooms, 228 ox tongue, 227 Poultry, to bone, 200 to choose, 199 observations on keeping, 199 to lard, 140 Powder, mushroom, 120 of savoury herbs, 121 Prepared apple or quince juice, 305 Prepared calf's head, the cook's receipt, 162 Preserve a, fine, of red currants, :«9 delicious, of white currants, 339 another good melange, or mixed, 340 Preserve, nursery, 340 to, the flavour and colour of fruit, jams and jellies, 331 J ' Preserves. French portable furnace and stew- pan, convenient for making, 329 Preserves, general rules and directions for, 330 Pruneaux de Tours, or compote of dried plums, 373 Pudding, a la Paysanne, 294 baked, almond, 284 apple, or custard, 291 common apple, 291 apple and rice, 293 Bakewell, 285 barberry and rice, 293 good bread, 286 rich bread and butter, 286 common bread and butter, 286 damson and rice, 293 the Duchess's, 291 the elegant economist's, 285 Essex, cheap and good, 291 good ground rice, 289 a common ground rice, 290 hasty, 295 Indian, 294 lemon, 284 an excellent lemon, 284 lemon-suet, 284 Normandy, 293 Coor author's, 294 aked, potato, 290 a richer potato, 290 the printers', 283 the publishers' 275 a common raisin, 294 a richer raisin, 294 raspberry, or Dutch custard, 291 a common rice, 288 a French rice, or Gateau de riz, 287 rice, meringue, 289 richer rice, 288 bird's nest, 393 hasty, 393 sponge cake, 290 vermicelli, 292 common Yorkshire. 293 good Yorkshire, 292 boiled, a la Scoones, apple, cherry, currant or any other fresh fruit, 274 a common apple, 274 the author's Christmas, 279 common batter, 273 another batter, 273 batter and fruit, 273 small beefsteak, 272 Ruth Pinch's, or beef-steak pudding, a I* Dickens, 272 superlative beefsteak, 272 bread, 279 brown bread, 280 Bremer's, Miss, 276 cottage Christmas, 278 common custard, 276 small custard, 275 the elegant economist's, 277 German pudding and sauce, 276 lngoldsby Christmas puddings, 278 boiled, an excellent small mincemeat, 279 mutton, 272 partridge, 272 small light plum, 278 another small light plum, 278 vegetable plum, 278 a very good raisin, 277 a cheap rice, 281 a good rice, 280 rolled, 279 a cheap suet, 274 another suet, 274 tomata, 281 Puddings, general directions for, baked, 28S to mix batter for, 271 general directions for boiled, 269 butter crust for, 271 cloths for, to wash, 270 suet-crust, for, 271 to clean currants for, 270 Indian corn, or maize, baked, 392 boiled maize, 392 custard, American, 393 416 INDEX Pudding, plum, American, 393 apple, " 393 email cocoa-nut, 292 Madeleine, to serve cold, 287 Sutherland, or castle, 287 Pudding-pies, 266 a common receipt for, 266 Puff-paste, canellons of, 300 Puffs, German, 325 raspberry, or other fruit, 235 Punch. Oxford, 376 Pumpkins, 391 Pumpkin and squash pie, 392 sauce for sweet puddings, 111 Puree of artichokes, 110 tine, of onions, or Soubise sauce, 110 of tomatas, 242 of turnips, 110 of vegetable marrow, 110 Quenelles, or French forcemeat, 127 Queen cakes, 366 Queen's custard, 323 Queen Mab's pudding, 314 Quince blamange, 320 blamange, with almond cream, 320 custards, 323 je"y. 347 juice, prepared, 305 marmalade, 347 paste, 348 Rabbits, to carve, 400 to boil, 216 to fry, 216 to roast, 216 soup, brown, 51 Radishes, turnip, to boil, 233 Raisin puddings, 277, 294 wine, which resembles foreign, 378 Ramekins a V Ude, 2ti8 Raspberries, to preserve for creams or ices, without boiling, 336 Raspberry jam. 337 jam, red or white, 337 jelly, for flavouring creams, 337 jelly, another good, 337 vinegar, very fine, 375 Red cabbage, to stew, 248 Rhubarb, or spring fruit, compote of, 306 Rice, to boil for curries, or mullagatawny soup, 54, 55 Rice boiled, to serve with stewed fruits, &c, 282 cake, 361, 389 croquettes of, 301 muffins, 389 puddings, 281. 288. 289,290 soup, 45 soup, white, 46 Rice, sweet, a la Portugaise, 328 flour, to make, 121 Rice flour soup, 46 flour, to thicken soups with, 39 Rissoles, 301 offish, 301 very savoury, 301 Roasting, general directions for, 131 slow method of, 132 Roast beef, see Chapter VIII. chestnuts, 374 game, see Chapter XIII. lamb, see Chapter X. mutton, see Chapter X. potatoes, 231 pork, see Chapter XI. poultry, see Chapter XII. veal, see Chapter IX. Rolled, calf's head. 162 shoulder of mutton, 180, 181 shoulder of veal, 166 ribs of beef, 153 sir'oin of beef, 149 Roll beef, or canellon de bmuf, 155 Rolls, Geneva, 387 Roux, or French thickening brown, 92 white. 93 Rusks, 388 Sago soup, 45 Salad, to dress. 239 French, 239 orange, 372 peach. 372 Suffolk, 239 Yorkshire ploughman's, 239 dressings, and sauces, 102, 103 Salamander to brown with, 141 Salmi of moor fowl, pheasants or partridges, 219 Salmon, to carve, 395 to bake, 64, 137 to boil, 65 to broil. 64 crimped, 65 a la St. Marcel, 66 to roast, 138 Rock-fish to boil, 69 Salt fish, to boil, 68 a la maitre d' hotel, 68 to, beef, in various ways, 151, 152 to, limes and lemons, for pickling, 356 Sauce, baked apple, 109 boiled apple. 108 brown apple, 109 artichoke, 110 asparagus, for lamb cutlets, 105 bechamel, 93 another common bechamel, 94 bread, 97 bread, with onion, 97 caper, 106 brown caper, 106 caper for fish, 106 celery. Ill Christopher North's own, for many meat*, 102 cream, for fish, 99 common cucumber, 106 another common cucumber, 107 white cucumber, 107 Dutch, 96 common egg, 96 egg, for calf's head, 96 very good egg, 96 epicurean, 118 mild eschalot, 110 espagnole, 88 fennel. 104 fricassee, 97 Genevese, or sauce Genevoise, 101 German, for fricassees, 93 gooseberry, for mackerel, 105 horse-radish, excellent, to serve hot or cold, with roast beef. 101 hot horse-radish, 102 the lady's, for fish. 100 common lobster, 98 good lobster, 98 mayonnaise, very fine, to serve with cold meat, fish, or vegetables, 104 maitre d' hotel, or steward's sauce, 100 sharp maitre d'hotel, 99 green mint for roast lamb, 106 brown mushroom, 108 another mushroom, 107 white mushroom, 107 Norfolk, 95 brown onion, 109 another brown onion, 110 white onion, 109 common oyster. 99 good oyster, 98 piquante, 101 poor man's, 102 common pudding, 112 delicious, German pudding, 112 punch, for sweet puddings, 111 sweet pudding sauce, 111 the Rajah's, 114 Robert, 101 common sorrel, 105 Soubise, French receipt, 110 Spanish, 88 common tomata, 108 a finer tomata, 108 INDEX. 417 Sauce lournee, or thickened pale gravy, 93 excellent turnip, 110 very common white, 96 English white, 96 Saucisses a Tail, or garlic-flavourod sausages, as .^®® Saucisses aux truffes, or truffled sausages, 199 Sausage-meat, cake of, 197 in chicken pie, 255 to make, 197, 198 boned turkey filled with, 203 Sausages, boiled, 198 and chestnuts, an excellent dish, 198 Scotch marmalade, 3£1 Sea-pheasant, or pintail, to roast, 219 Sea-bass, to boil, 69 Sefton a, or veal custard, 261 Sefton fancies, 268 Shad. Touraine fashion, 76 to take a, 76 to broil a, 76 Sippets, a la Reine, 40 fried, 40 Sirloin of beef, to roast, 143 stewed, 149 Smelts, small birds to roast, 218 to fry, 75 Snipes, to roast, 220 Soda cake, 365 Soles, baked, or au plat, 70 to carve, 396 to choose, 60 fillets of, 69 stewed in cream, 70 Sorrel sauce, 105 Souffle-pan, 295 rice, 297 Souffles, 296 Sounds, cods', to boil, 68 to fry in batter, 68 coup, apple, 48 good calf's head, not expensive, £0 common carrot, 47 gravy, clear, pale, 42 another gravy, 43 cheap, clear, gravy, 44 pigeon, 52 in haste, 59 macaroni, 44 . mock turtle, or calf's head, 49 milk with vermicelli, 59 rnullagatawny, «3 mutton stock for soups, 46 oxtail, 58 white oyster, or oyster-soup a la Reine 51 veal, 48 partridge, S3 common peas, 57 peas, without meat, 58 rich peas, 57 a cheap green peas, 56 an excellent green peas, 55 green peas, without meat, 55 pheasant, 52 potage aux nouilla, or taillerinc soup, 45 potato, 48 brown rabbit soup, 61 rice, 45 rice flour, 46 white rice, 45 eago, 45 semoulina, or soup a la Semoule, 43 a cheap and good stew, 59 tapioca, 45 eommon turnip, 47 a quickly made turnip, 47 vermicelli, or potage au vermicelle, 44 Westerfield white, 48 Soups, introductory remarks on, 37 to fry bread to serve with, 40 nouillcs to serve in, 40 to thicken, 39 vegetable vermicelli for, 40 souce, American. 394 Spanish sauce, or Espagnole, 84 Spiced beef, 153. 154 26 Spinach, common English modes, 233 French receipt tor, 233 green, for colouring sweet dishes. &c, 305 Steaks, beef, 144 Steaming, general directions for, 133 Slewed, beef-steak, 146. 147 beef-steak, in its own gravy, 146 beet-root, 248 cabbage, 248 calf's feet, 172 celery, 249 cod fish, 67 cucumber, 237 iamb cutleU. 185 leg of lamb with white sauce, 185 lettuces, 234 oin of lamb, in butter, 185 lobsters, 80 mackerel, in wine, 73 fillets of mackerel, in wine, excellent, 74 mutton cutlets, in their own gravy, 181 loin of mutton, 180 onions, 249 oxtails, 151 oysters, 81 tonatas, 241 trout, 73 turnips in butter, 245 turnips in gravy, 245 lfiin of veal, 165 sirloin of beef, 149 shoulder of veal, 166 shoulder of venison, 214 soles in cream, 70 Slew, a good English, 147 a good family. 182 a German, 147 an Irish, 183 Spring stew of veal. 169 a Welsh, 147 » to, shin of beef, 148 a rump of beef, 149 sturgeon, 71 Stewing, general directions for, 135 Stock, clear pale. 42 for white soup, 46 mutton, for soups. 46 shin of besf, for gravies, 85 veal, for white soups, 42 Store sauces, remarks on, 115 flavouring, for puddings, cakes, and sweet dishes, 120 Strawberries, to preserve, for flavouring creams. fcc, 336 Strawberry, acid royal, 375 jam, 335 jelly, 336 isinglass jelly, 313 tartlets, 574 vinegar, of delicious flavour, 374 Stuffing for geese and ducks, No. 8, 125 Cook's stuffing for geese and ducks. No. 9, 125 Sturgeon, to boil, 70 to rosst, 70 to stew, 71 to fry, 71 Squash, winter, to boil, 240 Suedoise of peaches. 327 Sugar, to boil, from syrup to caramel, 369 to clarify. 368 barley, 369 Sweetbreads, to dress. 171 a la maitred'hotel, 171 cutlets of, 171 roasted, 171 Syllabub, a birthday, 377 Syllabubs, superior whipped, 318 Table, garnishing and setting out, 395, 400 Tamarinds, acid, iu curries, 221 Tapioca soup, 45 Tart, barberry, 2t53 Tartlets, of almond paste, 264 to make, 261 strawberry, 374 418 INDEX Tartlets, creamed, 325 Tarts, to ice, 250 Tea, to make, 383 cakes, 388 Tench, to fry, 78 Terrapins, to cook, 80 Toasting, directions for, 141 TofHe, Everton, 371 another way, 371 Tomata catsup, 117 sauces, 108 Tomatas, forced, 241 puree of, 242 roast, 241 en salade, 241 stewed, 241 Tongue, to boil, 157 to cut in slices, 398 Tourte meringue, or tart with royal icing, 262 Trifle, an excellent, 315 Swiss, very good, 316 Trout, to stew, a good common receipt, 76 in wine, 76 to fry, 77 Turbot, to carve, 395 to boil, 63 a la creme, 64 Turkey, to carve, 399 to boil, 202 boned and forced, 203 to bone, 200 a la Flamande, 204 to roast, 201 Turnip radishes, to boil, 233 soup, 47 Turnips, to boil, 244 to mash, 244 stewed in butter, 245 in gravy, 245 in white sauce, 245 Vanilla in cream, pudding, &c, 315 Veal, breast of, boiled, 166 breast of, roast, 166 cakes, 168 to choose, 160 cutlets, 170 cutlets, a la Francaise, 170 cutlets, a la mode dc Londrcs, or London fashion, 171 Doiled fillet of, 165 roast fillet of, 164 fricandeau of, 168 boiled knuckle of, 167 knuckle of, en ragout, 167 knuckle of, with rice and green peas, 168 boiled loin of, 165 roast loin of, 165 stewed loin olj 165 minced, 174 fillet of, to carve, 396 breast of, to carve, 397 minced with oysters, 174 Veal, to bone a shoulder of, 166 stewed shoulder of, 166 spring stew of, 169 Sydney, 174 Vegetable marrow, to boil, fry, mash, &c. vermicelli, for soups. 40 Vegetables, brine for boiling, 229 to clear from insects, 229 to keep fresh, 228 general remarks on, 228 Veloute, 94 Venetian fritters, 299 Venison, to choose, 212 to hash, 214 to keep, 213 mock, 178 to roast a haunch of, 213 sauces for, 87, 88 to stew a shoulder of. 214 haunch of, to carve, 398 Vermicelli pudding, 292 soup, or potage au vermicelle, 44 Vinegar, cayenne, 119 celery, 119 cucumber, 118 eschalot, or garlic, 119 horse-radish, 119 green mint, 118 raspberry, very fine, 375 strawberry, 374 Vol-au-vents, a, 258 of fruit, 259 Vols-au-vents, small, a la Howiit, 268 small, to make, 261 Vol-au-vent, a la creme, 259 paste for, 253 Walnut catsup, 116, 117 Wheat muffins, 389 Whitings, baked, a la Francaise, 71 to boil, 71 Wild ducks, to roast, 219 pigeons, 218 Wine, currant, 3P0 elderberry, 379 eschalot, 1 19 ginger, 379 to mull, an excellent receipt, 377 orange, 379 raisin, which resembles foreign, 378 Woodcocks to roast, 220 Yeast. 390 milk, 390 hard. 390 potatoe, 391 prepared, Dr. Leltsom's, 391 to purify, for bread or cakes, 384 Yorkshire ploughman's salad, 239 pudding, 292, 293 Zest, the doctor's, 121 THE END. A BOOK FOR EVERY FAMILY IN THE UNION THE RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES; THEIK HISTORY, DOCTRINE, GOVERNMENT AND STATISTICS ; WITH A PRELIMINARY SKETCH OF JUDAISM, PAGANISM, AND MOHAMMEDANISM. By REV. JOSEPH BELCHER, D.D. HONORARY MEMBER OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETIES OF PENNSYLVANIA AND WISCONSIN, AUTHOR OF "WILLIAM CAREY, A BIOGRAPHY," ETC., ETC., AND "EDITOR OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF ANDREW FULLER," "WORKS OF ROBERT HALL," ETC., ETC Standing on the broad foundation of universal Brotherhood, this volume gives the History and Present Condition of some Fifty dif- ferent Sects, pointing oat the peculiar doctrines of each, and giving all a fair, impartial, and reliable hearing. The Publications of each Denomination have been its authorities ; and where these have failed to be fully satisfactory, the information sought for has been gained by direct correspondence with some of its prominent mem- bers. Its Statistical Tables are very full and complete ; while the vast amount of information it contains, renders it invaluable to the student as a book of reference or research. A warm and genial spirit pervades the work throughout ; which, with its short and pithy memoirs and numerous illustrative anecdotes, will tend to ensure it an eager welcome to many a family circle. It is in one royal octavo volume of 1024 pages, printed in a clear and open type, is illustrated with nearly two hundred Engravings, and will be furnished in various styles of binding to suit every taste. On the following p£ge we have annexed a. few out of many notices received, all of wnich show a high appreciation of its merits. (i) A BOOK FOR EVERY FAMILY IN THE UNION. BELCHER'S RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.— "It embodies a vast amount of information relative to the Origin, History, and Missionary Opera- tions of the different Religious Denominations in this Country, presented in a remarkably interesting and attractive manner. With respect to Binding, Paper, and Typography, the Book may be regarded as a model — a Beautiful, Substantial, and Attractive Volume." — Bev. John Bowling, D.D., Author of "The History of Romanism" "Judson Offering," etc., etc. BELCHER'S RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.— "The plan of the work is good. It contains an immense amount of very desirable information. The Author is an able and reliable Writer." — J. H. Mills, President Oxford Female College, Oxford, N. C. BELCHER'S RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.— "I have read a copy of Religious Denominations by Belcher, and regard it as containing a large amount of valuable information." — Rev. W. E. Booth, of the Methodist Church, Talbot County, Ga. BELCHER'S RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.— "To great and various learning and marked ability, Dr. Belcher adds that precious quality, an abounding charity toward all his brethren of the human race, which effectu- ally prevents his indulging in a captious or acrimonious treatment of their respective Creeds. He allows the different Sects to expound their own Tenets and give their reasons for adopting them, and treats every man as a Friend and Brother." — North American. BELCHER'S RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.— " It is the misfortune of American Christianity that Professors of the several Denominations know too little of the faith and doings of those not within their own pale. Such a book as this serves to contribute much desirable information to meet that need." — Recorder and Register. BELCHER'S RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.— "Judging from the work, it would be difficult to say what are the Religious Views of the Editor, so fairly, so dispassionately, so charitably, has he treated each and every Sect. It is plain that a noble love for Truth has animated the Writer." — City Rem. BELCHER'S RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.— " In narrative and bio- graphical sketches, the Author ranks with the best writers of our Country. In the volume before \is, he gives well-written sketches of the Rise and Progress of the Denominations in this Country, a statement of their leading Tenets, and of their Numbers, Institutions, etc., relieved by many historical and personal incidents of a highly interesting Character." — Christian Observer. BELCHER'S RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.— "So far as concerns Independence of Vision, there can be no question, as Dr. Belcher surveys each Sect with the same dispassionate impartiality. So far as concerns Style, it gives us much pleasure to say, that the work throughout is written with both precision and ease." — Episcojml Becorder. For single copies of the Book, or for terms to Agents, with other information, apply to or address, (ii) JOHN E. POTTER, Publisher, No. 617 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, Pa. A COMPANION TO THE FAMILY BIBLE. THE LIFE OP Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, FROM His Incarnation to His Ascension into Heaven, By Rev. JOHN FLEETWOOD, D.D. TO WHICH ARE ADDED The Iiives of the Holy Apostles and Evangelists, a History of the Jews, and an Essay on the Evidences of the Bihlej THE WHOLE CAREFULLY REVISED By Rev. JOSEPH BELCHER, D.D. An examination of the earlier English and Scotch editions of this valuable and popular work, led to a knowledge of the fact that even the most expensive of the American reprints, as well as those most largely circulated, were exceedingly imperfect. Whole pages, and frequently many in succession, were found to be altogether omitted. Thus, for no other purpose than to reduce the number of pages in the volume, omissions were made of much that was impor- tant to meet the objections of infidelity, and to silence the enemies of Christ. This edition has been thoroughly revised by the late Rev. Dr. Belcher, and with the omitted passages restored, and the manifold mistakes of successive printers corrected, the Publisher has the pleasure of placing before the public the most correct edition in existence of this truly great work. (iii) A COMPANION TO THE FAMILY BIBLE. " The life of Jesus Christ is the philosophy of true religion. It exhibits the principles of Christianity in their purity and beauty. It is perfect excellence personified, that the mind of inan may grasp it and be changed into the same image. It is unlike all others — so sublime as to excite the admiration of an angel's mind, and yet so simple as to be intelligible to the feeblest intellect. While it is a perfect example to be imitated by all, it also affords to the sanctified scholar a lesson of untiring and unending interest. Does he admire magnanimity ? Nowhere does he find such a specimen, as in the forgiving spirit of Jesus. Does he admire sublimity of thought and grandeur of conception ? He sees it in the description of Jesus coming to judgment— a God in glory and a world on fire ! Is he touched and thrilled by the magic of eloquence ? While he listens to Jesus, he is constrained to acknowledge never man spake like this man. Is he enamored with the beauties of style ? Nowhere can he find a richer feast than in the clearness, unity, strength and har- mony which characterize the Sermon on the Mount. Has he an eye to relish the beauties of painting ? Jesus as a moral painter spreads before him meadows of greenness ; and fields of lilies. Has he a taste for scenes of tenderness, for descriptions which stir the heart, and open the fountains of feeling ? He has only to behold Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, and listen to his lamentation ! He has only to read the story of the Prodigal Son. If he admires courage — let him go with Jesus among those who had converted the Temple into a den of thieves; fortitude — let him follow the Man of Sorrows into the Garden, or stand by him on the Cross ; condescension — let him dine with him at the table of the Publican and witness his marked attention to little children ; or humility — let him stand by and behold him wash his disciples' feet. The inspired writers have given us his life in detached descriptions. Dr. Fleetwood has ar- ranged these into one harmonious whole, with such comments, ex- planations and incidental information, as to render it alike accepta- ble to the scholar as to 'him who knows no more, but knows his Bible true.' If the attentive reader finds any occasion for regret, it will only be when the last page meets his eye." It is printed in a clear and open type, in one Royal Octavo Volume, and is Illustrated with appropriate engravings, printed in colors, or with fine Steel Plates, engraved expressly for the work, from de- signs by the old masters, and will be furnished in various styles of binding at prices ranging from $2.00 to $5.00. Address all Orders to JOHN E. POTTER, Publisher, No. 617 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, Pa. (iv) THE PEOPLE'S GREAT BOOK. EVERYBODY'S LAWYER COUNSELLOR IN BUSINESS By FRANK CROSBY, Esq., MEMBER OF THE PHILADELPHIA BAR. IT TELLS YOU How to draw up Partnership Papers, Bonds and Mort- gages, Affidavits, Powers of Attorney, Notes and Bills of Exchange, and gives general forms for Agree- ments of all kinds, Bills of Sale, Leases, Petitions, Receipts and Releases. IT TELLS YOU The Laws for the Collection of Debts, with the Sta- tutes of Limitation, and amount and kind of Property Exempt from Execution, in every State ; also how to make an Assignment properly, with forms for Compo- sition with Creditors, and the Insolvent Laws of every State. IT TELLS YOU The legal relations existing between Guardian and Ward, Master and Apprentice, and Landlord and Tenant; also what constitutes Libel and Slander, and the law as to Marriage, Dower, the Wife's Right in Property, Divorce and Alimony. IT TELLS YOU The Law for Mechanics' Liens in every State ; and the Naturalization Laws of this country, and how to com- ply with the same ; also the Law concerning Pensions, and how to obtain one, and the Pre-emption Laws to Public Lands. IT TELLS YOU The Law for Patents with mode of procedure in obtaining one, with Interferences, Assignments, and Table of Fees ; also how to make your Will, and how to Ad- minister on an Estate, with the law, and requirements thereof, in every State. IT TELLS YOU The meaning of Law Terms in general use, and explains to you the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Pow- ers of both the General and State Governments ; also HOW TO KEEP OUT OF LAW by showing how to do your business legally, thus saving a vast amount of property, and vexatious litigation, by its timely consul- tation. The Book gives full and complete forms calculated to meet almost every pos- sible business contingency. Its directions and advice are alike adapted to every State in the Union, and are not only reliable but are given in so clear and distinct a style that it is hardly possible for a misunderstanding to occur. It should be in the hands of every man and woman throughout the country as a guide for the business transactions of every-day life. Read the Notices of the Press on the following page. (?) THE PEOPLE'S GREAT BOOK. EVERYBODY'S LAWYER AND COUNSELLOR IN BUSINESS.— « It embodies in some 401) pages the facts of a whole law library, admirably con« densed, and systematically arranged. It must take a very high rank as a hand-book and business guide." — Pennsylvanian. EVERYBODY'S LAWYER AND COUNSELLOR IN BUSINESS.— "It contains every desirable kind of legal information, and will be the means of saving those who may possess a copy of it* a great deal of money in the way of fees, besides trouble and anxiety in the matter of litigation. The price is cheap enough in all conscience for an amount of law that will keep one out of trouble for a lifetime." — Pittsburg Journal. EVERYBODY'S LAWYER AND COUNSELLOR IN BUSINESS.— " One of the cheapest and best publications ever issued. It is of interest and value to every citizen, whether he is engaged in business or not. It will enable those who consult its pages to perform certain acts intelligently and without expense, which are now costly affairs. We commend this admirable work to general attention." — United States Police Gazette. EVERYBODY'S LAWYER AND COUNSELLOR IN BUSINESS.— "De- cidedty one of the most useful and popular books which has come under our notice. It seems to contain everything which any business man may desire and ought to know. It has been submitted to the inspection of eminent jur- ists and legal critics, and pronounced reliable and authentic in the informa- tion it imparts. Nobody should be without it." — Lancaster Express. EVERYBODY'S LAWYER AND COUNSELLOR IN BUSINESS.— " Everything is full and to the point. There are no blanks in forms. They are filled with names, dates, recitals, and are indeed, actual instruments le- gally and actually drawn. The fact is, it is as nearly perfect as possible ; and we venture to say, that any one who purchases, would not part with it for five time3 the price, if it could not be replaced. — Westchester Democrat. EVERYBODY'S LAWYER AND COUNSELLOR IN BUSINESS.— "The hook before us, as the title denotes, is just such as everybody must have — to avoid litigation, and the trouble and expense incident to a lawyer's office. It must have cost Mr. Crosby some considerable effort to have put forth a work that will so materially conflict with professional fees ; and much labor to collate such a vast amount of information." — National Merchant. EVERYBODY'S LAWYER AND COUNSELLOR IN BUSINESS.— " The sale, we are credibly informed, has reached over 10,000 copies a month, and the demand for it is rapidly increasing. No man or woman in the country, no matter what their business or profession, or sphere of life, ought to be with- out it." — Evening Reporter. It contains 384 pages, printed in a clear and open type, and will be sent by mail, neatly bound and postage paid, to Every Farmer, Every Mechanic, Every Man of Business, and Everybody in Every State, on receipt of §1.00 ; or in law style of binding, at $1.25. Address all orders to JOHN E. POTTER, Publisher, No. 617 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, Pa. (vi) WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS. THE FAMILY DOCTOR; CONTAINING SIMPLE REMEDIES, EASILY OBTAINED, FOR THE CURE OF DISEASE IN ALL FORMS. PROFESSOR HENRY S. TAYLOR, M.D IT TELLS YOU How to attend upon the sick and how to cook for them ; how to prepare Drinks, Poultices, etc., and how to guard against Infection from Contagous Diseases ; also of the Symptoms of Fever and Ague, and Bilious, Yellow, Typhus, Scarlet, and other Fevers, with the best and simplest remedies for their cure. IT TELLS YOU Of the various diseases of Children, and gives the symp- toms of Croup, Cholera Infantum, Colic, Diarrhoea, Worms, Scalled Head, Ringworm, Chicken Pox, etc., with the best and simplest mode of treatment ; also of Teething, Convulsions, Vaccination, Whooping Cough, Measles, &c. IT TELLS YOU The Symptoms of Influenza, Consumption, Dyspepsia, Asthma, Dropsy, Gout, Rheumatism, Lumbago, Erysip- elas, Cholera Morbus, Malignant Cholera, Small Pox, Dysentery, Cramp, Diseases of the Bladder, Kidneys and Liver, and gives the best and simplest remedies for their cure. IT TELLS YOU The symptoms of Pleurisy, Mumps, Neuralgia, Apoplexy, Paralysis, the various diseases of the Throat, Teeth, Ear and Eye, Epilepsy, Jaundice, Piles, Rupture, Dis- eases of the Heart, Hemorrhage, Venereal Diseases, and Hydrophobia, and gives the best and simplest remedies for their cure. IT TELLS YOU The best and simplest treatment for Wounds, Broken Bones, and Dislocations, Sprains, Lockjaw, Fever Sores, White Swellings, Ulcers, Whitlows, Boils, Scurvy, Burns, and Scrofula. Also of the various diseases peculiar to Wo- man, and the best remedies for their cure. The work is written in plain language, free from medical terms, so as to be easily understood, and is specially adapted to family and individual use. Al- ways at hand and ready to serve you, its simple recipes may soon save you much suffering and many times the cost of the book. Read the notices of the Press on the following page. (vii) WHAT EVEEYBODY WANTS. THE FAMILY DOCTOR.—" It will be a treasure of wisdom, health, and economy to every family that shall purchase and use it." — Philadelphia Family Magazine. THE FAMILY DOCTOR.— "A very excellent specimen of a very excellent class of books, one of which at least oughtto be in every family. It is free from ' medical terms/ gives much sound, sensible advice as to the preservation of health, and may be commended as a work which every family will find a use for, time and again, during the year." — Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. THE FAMILY DOCTOR.— " The reader will find many excellent pre- scriptions and sound admonitions in this volume." — Godey's Lady's Book. THE FAMILY DOCTOR.— "The general directions in the commencement of the volume respecting the preservation of health, are very judicious and valuable." — Presbyterian Banner. THE FAMILY DOCTOR.—" A very useful book, which can be studied with advantage." — Philadelphia Ledger. THE FAMILY DOCTOR.— "The descriptions of disease are clear, and not rendered difficult by technical terms. It will be useful in every family, and well deserves an extensive circulation." — Philadelphia Dispatch. THE FAMILY DOCTOR.— "The work is eminently practical and bene- ficial. It is designed to aid each mother in the prompt relief of pain. Its wholesome advice, if followed, will prevent much disease and suffering." — Philadelphia Herald. THE FAMILY DOCTOR.— "We are much pleased with the Book, and cheerfully recommend it to the public as a safe counsellor for any family." — Independent, Rogersville, Tennessee. THE FAMILY DOCTOR.— "It is almost indispensable in every family. It treats on all prevalent diseases connected with the human race, for which cures are given that are within the reach of every one." — Maryland, Carroll County Herald. THE FAMILY DOCTOR.— "This is a plain kind of Doctor, and talks to us in plain Language, easily understood by plain people. It contains many accurate descriptions of diseases of children and adults, and many excellent l^rescriptions for their cure." — Sabbath Recorder. It contains 308 pages, printed in a clear and open type ; is illus- trated with appropriate engravings, and will lbe forwarded to any address, neatly bound, and postage paid, on receipt of $1.00. Address all orders to JOHN E. POTTKR, Publisher, No. 617 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, Pa, (viii) Should be Read by every Citizen of the United States NICARAGUA: PAST, PKESENT AND FUTURE; A DESCRIPTION OF ITS INHABITANTS, CUSTOMS, MINES, MINERALS, EARLY HISTORY, MODERN FILIBUSTERISM, PROPOSED INTER-OCEANIC CANAL, AND MANIFEST DESTINY. By PETER F. STOUT, Esq., Late United States Vice-Consul. With a New and Improved Map of tlie Country, appropriately- Colored. With a population sufficient to rouse her from the lethargy of the Past, with products capable of placing her among the most vigorous nations, and with a superabundance of mineral wealth, naught seems wanting in this young Re- public save an innate spirit of enterprise. Her soil is generous, and to the agriculturist indeed inviting. Many sections are admirably adapted to the growth of Cotton, or to the cultivation of Sugar, while her Tobacco ranks high. But as yet her vast Mineral wealth yields Gold only to strangers, while her public lands are unredeemed from total neglect. Disunion, that baneful, leprous curse, prowls through her realm; and Religion, in the ab- sence of her first-born, Education, doubly mourns the inattention to her invo- cations. Lying in the path of the thriving, enterprising Republic of the United States, she must either rouse from, her apathy, or she will indeed add, in a few years, but one more star to our banner. "It bears evidence of being written in a masterly style, and abounds in in- teresting historical reminiscences of the Mosquito Kingdom. The work is worthy of attentive perusal; and we feel satisfied that the time thus spent will be amply repaid in the knowledge obtained of the Central American States." — Baltimore Republican. " One of the most agreeably written Books of Travel we have met with in a long time. Its style is simple without poverty of expression, and elegant without ostentation; and while it presents its pictures in a soft romantic light, it is filled with valuable and accurate information." — Porter's Spirit of the Times. It is printed on beautiful paper, in a clear and open type, is neatly bound in clotb, and wifi be forwarded to any address, postage paid, on receipt of $1.25. Address all orders to JOHN E. POTTER, Publisher, No. 617 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, Pa. THE EARLY DAYS OF CALIFORNIA. EMBRACING WHAT I SAW AND HEARD THERE, WITH SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. By Col. J. T. FAENHAM. Illustrated 12mo. Cloth. Extra, $1.00 AFFECTION'S GIFT FOB THE LOVING AND THE LOVED. POEMS. By JOHN COLE HAGEN. Illustrated 12mo. Cloth, Gilt, $1 00 THE A TOKEN OF LOVE. Illustrated 12mo. Cloth, Extra, $1 00 Address all Orders to JOHN E. POTTER, Publisher, AUG 3 9 19^7 X