Chapter IX: Preface (9)

_Ingredients._—Damsons or plums; boiling water. _Mode._—Pick the fruit into clean dry stone jars, taking care to leave out all that are broken or blemished. When full, pour boiling water on the plums, until it stands one inch above the fruit; cut a piece of paper to fit the inside of the jar, over which pour melted mutton-suet; cover down with brown paper, and keep the jars in a dry cool place. When used, the suet should be removed, the water poured off, and the jelly at the bottom of the jar used and mixed with the fruit. _Seasonable_ in September and October.

DARIOLES À LA VANILLE. (Sweet Entremets.)

_Ingredients._—½ pint of milk, ½ pint of cream, 2 oz. of flour, 3 oz. of pounded sugar, 6 eggs, 2 oz. of butter, puff-paste, flavouring of essence of vanilla. _Mode._—Mix the flour to a smooth batter, with the milk; stir in the cream, sugar, the eggs, which should be well whisked, and the butter, which should be beaten to a cream. Put in some essence of vanilla, drop by drop, until the mixture is well flavoured; line some dariole-moulds with puff-paste, three-parts fill them with the batter, and bake in a good oven from 25 to 35 minutes. Turn them out of the moulds on a dish, without breaking them; strew over sifted sugar, and serve. The flavouring of the darioles may be varied by substituting lemon, cinnamon, or almonds, for the vanilla. _Time._—25 to 35 minutes. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 8_d._ _Sufficient_ to fill 6 or 7 dariole-moulds. _Seasonable_ at any time.

DECEMBER—BILLS OF FARE.

Dinner for 18 persons.

_First Course._

Mock-Turtle Soup,
removed by
Cod’s Head & Shoulders
and Oyster Sauce.

Stewed Eels. Fried Whitings.
Vase of
Flowers.

Julienne Soup,
removed by
Soles aux fines herbes.

_Second Course._

Haunch of Mutton

Roast Goose. Ham and Brussels Stewed Beef à la Jardinière.
Sprouts.

Vase of
Flowers.

Game Pie.

Boiled Turkey and
Celery Sauce.

_Entrées._

Fillets of Grouse and
Sauce Piquante.

Curried Lobster. Mutton Cutlets and
Soubise Sauce.
Vase of
Flowers.

Sweetbreads.

_Third Course._

Apricot Pheasants, Victoria
Tourte. removed by Sandwiches.
Plum-Pudding.

Lemon Jelly. Vanilla Cream. Champagne Jelly.

Vase of
Flowers.

Blancmange.

Tipsy Cake. Wild Ducks, Mince Pies.
removed by
Iced Pudding.

Dessert and Ices.

Dinner for 12 persons.

_First Course._—Game soup; clear vermicelli soup; codfish au gratin; fillets of whitings à la maître d’hôtel. _Entrées._—Filet de bœuf and sauce piquante; fricasseed chicken; oyster patties; curried rabbit. _Second Course._—Roast turkey and sausages; boiled leg of pork and vegetables; roast goose; stewed beef à la Jardinière. _Third Course._—Widgeon; partridges; Charlotte aux pommes; mince pies; orange jelly, lemon cream; apple tart; cabinet pudding. Dessert and ices.

Dinner for 10 persons.

_First Course._—Mulligatawny soup; fried slices of codfish; soles à la crême. _Entrées._—Croquettes of fowl; pork cutlets and tomato sauce. _Second Course._—Roast ribs of beef; boiled turkey and celery sauce; tongue, garnished; lark pudding; vegetables. _Third Course._—Roast hare; grouse; plum-pudding; mince pies; Charlotte à la Parisienne; cheesecakes; apple tart; Nesselrode pudding. Dessert and ices.

Dinner for 8 persons.

_First Course._—Carrot soup; crimped cod and oyster sauce; baked soles. _Entrées._—Mutton kidneys à la Française; oyster patties. _Second Course._—Boiled beef and vegetables; marrow-bones; roast fowls and water-cresses; tongue, garnished; game pie. _Third Course._—Partridges; blancmange; compôte of apples; vol-au-vent of pears; almond cheesecakes; lemon pudding. Dessert and ices.

Dinners for 6 persons.

_First Course._—Rabbit soup; brill and shrimp sauce. _Entrées._—Curried fowl; oyster patties. _Second Course._—Roast turkey and sausages; boiled leg of pork; vegetables. _Third Course._—Hunters’ pudding; lemon cheesecakes; apple tart; custards, in glasses; raspberry cream. Dessert.

* * * * *

_First Course._—Ox-tail soup; crimped cod and oyster sauce. _Entrées._—Savoury rissoles; fowl scollops à la Béchamel. _Second Course._—Haunch of mutton; boiled chickens and celery sauce; bacon-cheek, garnished with Brussels sprouts; vegetables. _Third Course._—Snipes; orange jelly; cheesecakes; apples à la Portugaise; apricot-jam tartlets; soufflé of rice. Dessert.

* * * * *

_First Course._—Vermicelli soup; soles à la maître d’hôtel; fried eels. _Entrées._—Pork cutlets and tomato sauce; ragoût of mutton à la Jardinière. _Second Course._—Roast goose; boiled leg of mutton and vegetables. _Third Course._—Pheasants; whipped cream; meringues; compôte of Normandy pippins; mince pies; plum-pudding. Dessert.

* * * * *

_First Course._—Carrot soup; baked cod; fried smelts. _Entrées._—Stewed rump-steak à la Jardinière; fricasseed chicken. _Second Course._—Roast leg of mutton, boned and stuffed; boiled turkey and oyster sauce; vegetables. _Third Course._—Wild ducks; fancy pastry; lemon cream; damson tart, with bottled fruit; custards, in glasses; cabinet pudding. Dessert.

DECEMBER, Plain Family Dinners for.

_Sunday._—1. Carrot soup. 2. Roast beef, horseradish sauce, vegetables. 3. Plum-pudding, mince pies.

_Monday._—1. Fried whitings, melted butter. 2. Rabbit pie, cold beef, mashed potatoes. 3. Plum-pudding cut in slices and warmed, apple tart.

_Tuesday._—1. Hashed beef and broiled bones, pork cutlets and tomato sauce; vegetables. 2. Baked lemon pudding.

_Wednesday._—1. Boiled neck of mutton and vegetables,—the broth served first with a little pearl barley or rice boiled in it. 2. Bakewell pudding.

_Thursday._—1. Roast leg of pork, apple sauce; vegetables. 2. Rice snowballs.

_Friday._—1. Soles à la crême. 2. Cold pork and mashed potatoes, broiled rump-steaks and oyster sauce. 3. Rolled jam pudding.

_Saturday._—1. The remains of cold pork curried, dish of rice, mutton cutlets and mashed potatoes. 2. Baked apple dumplings.

* * * * *

_Sunday._—1. Roast turkey and sausages, boiled leg of pork, pease pudding; vegetables. 2. Baked apple pudding, mince pies.

_Monday._—1. Hashed turkey, cold pork, mashed potatoes. 2. Mincemeat pudding.

_Tuesday._—1. Pea-soup made from liquor in which pork was boiled. 2. Boiled fowls and celery sauce, vegetables. 3. Baked rice pudding.

_Wednesday._—1. Roast leg of mutton, stewed Spanish onions, potatoes. 2. Baked rolled jam pudding.

_Thursday._—1. Baked cod’s head. 2. Cold mutton, roast hare, gravy and red-currant jelly. 3. Macaroni.

_Friday._—1. Hare soup, made with stock and remains of roast hare. 2. Hashed mutton, pork cutlets, and mashed potatoes. 3. Open tarts, rice blancmange.

_Saturday._—1. Rump-steak-and-kidney pudding, vegetables. 2. Mince pies, baked apple dumplings.

DECEMBER, Things in Season.

_Fish._—Barbel, brill, carp, cod, crabs, eels, dace, gudgeons, haddocks, herrings, lobsters, oysters, perch, pike, shrimps, skate, sprats, soles, tench, thornback, turbot, whiting.

_Meat._—Beef, house lamb, mutton, pork, venison.

_Poultry._—Capons, chickens, fowls, geese, pigeons, pullets, rabbits, teal, turkeys, widgeons, wild ducks.

_Game._—Hares, partridges, pheasants, snipes, woodcocks.

_Vegetables._—Broccoli, cabbages, carrots, celery, leeks, onions, potatoes, parsnips, Scotch kale, turnips, winter spinach.

_Fruit._—Apples, chestnuts, filberts, grapes, medlars, oranges, pears, walnuts, dried fruits, such as almonds and raisins, figs, dates, &c.,—crystallized preserves.

DESSERT.

With moderns the dessert is not so profuse, nor does it hold the same relationship to the dinner that it held with the ancients,—the Romans more especially. On ivory tables they would spread hundreds of different kinds of raw, cooked, and preserved fruits, tarts, and cakes, as substitutes for the more substantial comestibles with which the guests were satiated. However, as late as the reigns of our two last Georges, fabulous sums were often expended upon fanciful desserts. The dessert certainly repays, in its general effect, the expenditure upon it of much pains; and it may be said, that if there be any poetry at all in meals, or the process of feeding, there is poetry in the dessert, the materials for which should be selected with taste, and, of course, must depend, in a great measure, upon the season. Pines, melons, grapes, peaches, nectarines, plums, strawberries, apples, pears, oranges, almonds, raisins, figs, walnuts, filberts, medlars, cherries, &c. &c., all kinds of dried fruits, and choice and delicately-flavoured cakes and biscuits, make up the dessert, together with the most costly and _recherché_ wines. The shape of the dishes varies at different periods, the prevailing fashion at present being oval and circular dishes on stems. The patterns and colours are also subject to changes of fashion; some persons selecting china, chaste in pattern and colour; others, elegantly-shaped glass dishes on stems, with gilt edges. The beauty of the dessert services at the tables of the wealthy tends to enhance the splendour of the plate. The general mode of putting a dessert on table, now the elegant tazzas are fashionable, is, to place them down the middle of the table, a tall and short dish alternately; the fresh fruits being arranged on the tall dishes, and dried fruits, bon-bons, &c., on small round or oval glass plates. The garnishing needs especial attention, as the contrast of the brilliant-coloured fruits with nicely-arranged foliage is very charming. The garnish _par excellence_ for dessert is the ice-plant; its crystallized dewdrops producing a marvellous effect in the height of summer, giving a most inviting sense of coolness to the fruit it encircles. The double-edged mallow, strawberry, and vine leaves have a pleasing effect; and for winter desserts, the bay, cuba, and laurel are sometimes used. In town, the expense and difficulty of obtaining natural foliage is great, but paper and composite leaves are to be purchased at an almost nominal price. Mixed fruits of the larger sort are now frequently served on one dish. This mode admits of the display of much taste in the arrangement of the fruit: for instance, a pine in the centre of the dish, surrounded with large plums of various sorts and colours, mixed with pears, rosy-cheeked apples, all arranged with a due regard to colour, have a very good effect. Again, apples and pears look well mingled with plums and grapes, hanging from the border of the dish in a négligé sort of manner, with a large bunch of the same fruit lying on the top of the apples. A dessert would not now be considered complete without candied and preserved fruits and confections. The candied fruits may be purchased at a less cost than they can be manufactured at home. They are preserved abroad in most ornamental and elegant forms. And since, from the facilities of travel, we have become so familiar with the tables of the French, chocolate in different forms is indispensable to our desserts. Olives, too, should not be omitted; these should be served in a small, deep glass dish, with a little of the liquor, or brine, poured over.

DESSERT DISHES.

The tazza, or dish with stem, the same as that shown in our illustrations, is now the favourite shape for dessert-dishes. The fruit can be arranged and shown to better advantage on these tall high dishes than on the short flat ones. All the dishes are now usually placed down the centre of the table, dried and fresh fruit alternately, the former being arranged on small round or oval glass plates, and the latter on the dishes with stems. The fruit should always be gathered on the same day that it is required for table, and should be tastefully arranged on the dishes, with leaves between and round it. By purchasing fruits that _are in season_, a dessert can be supplied at a very moderate cost. These, with a few fancy biscuits, crystallized fruit, bon-bons, &c., are sufficient for an ordinary dessert. When fresh fruit cannot be obtained, dried and foreign fruits, compôtes, baked pears, stewed Normandy pippins, &c. &c., must supply its place, with the addition of preserves, bon-bons, cakes, biscuits, &c. At fashionable tables, forced fruit is served growing in pots, these pots being hidden in more ornamental ones, and arranged with the other dishes. A few vases of fresh flowers, tastefully arranged, add very much to the appearance of the dessert; and, when these are not obtainable, a few paper ones, mixed with green leaves, answer very well as a substitute. In decorating a table, whether for luncheon, dessert, or supper, a vase or two of flowers should never be forgotten, as they add so much to the elegance of the _tout ensemble_. In summer and autumn, ladies residing in the country can always manage to have a few freshly-gathered flowers on their tables, and should never be without this inexpensive luxury. On the Continent, vases or epergnes filled with flowers are invariably placed down the centre of the dinner-table at regular distances. Ices for dessert are usually moulded; when this is not the case, they are handed round in glasses, with wafers to accompany them. Preserved ginger is frequently handed round after ices, to prepare the palate for the delicious dessert wines. A basin or glass of finely-pounded lump sugar must never be omitted at a dessert, as also a glass jug of fresh cold water (iced, if possible), and two goblets by its side. Grape scissors, a melon-knife and fork, and nutcrackers, should always be put on table, if there are dishes of fruit requiring them. Zests are sometimes served at the close of the dessert; such as anchovy toasts or biscuits. The French often serve plain or grated cheese with a dessert of fresh or dried fruits. At some tables, finger-glasses are placed at the right of each person, nearly half filled with cold spring water, and in winter with tepid water. These precede the dessert. At other tables, a glass or vase is simply handed round, filled with perfumed water, into which each guest dips the corner of his napkin, and, when needful, refreshes his lips and the tips of his fingers. After the dishes are placed, and every one is provided with plates, glasses, spoons, &c., the wine should be put at each end of the table, cooled or otherwise, according to the season. If the party be small, the wine may be placed only at the top of the table, near the host. The following dishes may be introduced at dessert, according to season:—

=Dish of Nuts.=—These are merely arranged piled high in the centre of the dish, as shown in the engraving, with or without leaves round the edge. Filberts should always be served with the outer skin or husk on them; and walnuts should be well wiped with a damp cloth, and then with a dry one, to remove the unpleasant sticky feeling the shells frequently have. _Seasonable._—Filberts from September to March; walnuts from September to January.

* * * * *

=Box of French Plums.=—If the box which contains them is exceedingly ornamental, it may be placed on the table; if small, on a glass dish; if large, without one. French plums may also be arranged on a glass plate, and garnished with bright-coloured sweetmeats, which make a very good effect. All fancy boxes of preserved and crystallized fruit may be put on the table or not, at pleasure. These little matters of detail must, of course, be left to individual taste. _Seasonable._—May be purchased all the year; but are in greater perfection in the winter.

* * * * *

=Dish of Mixed Fruit.=—For a centre dish, a mixture of various fresh fruits has a remarkably good effect, particularly if a pine be added to the list. A high raised appearance should be given to the fruit, which is done in the following manner. Place a tumbler in the centre of the dish, and, in this tumbler, the pine, crown uppermost; round the tumbler put a thick layer of moss, and, over this, apples, pears, plums, peaches, and such fruit as is simultaneously in season. By putting a layer of moss underneath, so much fruit is not required, besides giving a better shape to the dish. Grapes should be placed on the top of the fruit, a portion of some of the bunches hanging over the sides of the dish in a négligé kind of manner, which takes off the formal look of the dish. In arranging the plums, apples, &c., let the colours contrast well. _Seasonable._—Suitable for a dessert in September or October.

=Box of Chocolate.=—This is served in an ornamental box, placed on a glass plate or dish. _Seasonable._—May be purchased at any time.

* * * * *

=Dish of Apples.=—The apples should be nicely wiped with a dry cloth, and arranged on a dish, piled high in the centre, with evergreen leaves between each layer. The inferior apples should form the bottom layer, with the bright-coloured large ones at the top. The leaves of the laurel, bay, holly, or any shrub green in winter, are suitable for garnishing dessert dishes. Oranges may be arranged in the same manner; they should also be wiped with a dry cloth before being sent to table.

* * * * *

=Dish of Mixed Summer Fruit.=—This dish consists of cherries, raspberries, currants, and strawberries, piled in different layers, with plenty of leaves between each layer, so that each fruit is well separated. The fruit should be arranged with a due regard to colour, so that they contrast nicely one with the other. Our engraving shows a layer of white cherries at the bottom, then one of red raspberries, over that a layer of white currants, and at the top some fine scarlet strawberries. _Seasonable_ in June, July, and August.

* * * * *

=Almonds and Raisins.=—These are usually served on glass dishes, the fruit piled high in the centre, and the almonds blanched and strewn over. To blanch the almonds, put them into a small mug or teacup, pour over them boiling water, let them remain for 2 or 3 minutes, and the skins may then be easily removed. Figs, dates, French plums, &c., are all served on small glass plates or oval dishes, but without the almonds. _Seasonable_ at any time, but more suitable in winter, when fresh fruit is not obtainable.

* * * * *

=Dish of Strawberries.=—Fine strawberries, arranged in the manner shown in the engraving, look exceedingly well. The inferior ones should be placed at the bottom of the dish, and the others put in rows pyramidically, with the stalks downwards, so that when the whole is completed, nothing but the red part of the fruit is visible. The fruit should be gathered with rather long stalks, as there is then something to support it, and it can be placed more upright in each layer. A few of the finest should be reserved to crown the top.

_DISH OF STRAWBERRIES._

DEVONSHIRE JUNKET.

_Ingredients._—To every pint of new milk allow 2 dessertspoonfuls of brandy, 1 dessertspoonful of sugar, and 1½ dessertspoonful of prepared rennet; thick cream, pounded cinnamon, or grated nutmeg. _Mode._—Make the milk blood-warm; put it into a deep dish with the brandy, sugar, and rennet; stir it altogether, and cover it over until it is set. Then spread some thick or clotted cream over the top, grate some nutmeg, and strew some sugar over, and the dish will be ready to serve. _Time._—About 2 hours to set the milk. _Seasonable_ at any time.

DINNER,

Being the grand solid meal of the day, is a matter of considerable importance; and a well-served table is a striking index of human ingenuity and resource.

The elegance with which a dinner is served depends, of course, partly upon the means, but still more upon the taste of the master and mistress of the house. It may be observed, in general, that there should always be flowers on the table, and, as they form no item of expense where a garden is, there is no reason why they should not be employed every day.

The variety of the dishes which furnish forth a modern dinner-table, does not necessarily imply anything unwholesome, or anything capricious. Food that is not well relished cannot be well digested; and the appetite of the over-worked man of business, or statesman, or of any dweller in towns, whose occupations are exciting and exhausting, is jaded, and requires stimulation. Men and women who are in rude health, and who have plenty of air and exercise, eat the simplest food with relish, and commonly digest it well; but those conditions are out of the reach of many men. They must suit their mode of dining to their mode of living, if they cannot choose the latter. It is in serving up food that is at once appetizing and wholesome that the skill of the modern housewife is severely tasked; and she has scarcely a more important duty to fulfil. It is, in fact, her particular vocation, in virtue of which she may be said to hold the health of the family, and of the friends of the family, in her hands from day to day.

The following aphorisms and short directions in relation to dinner-parties, are well deserving of notice:—“Let the number of your guests never exceed twelve, so that the conversation may be general. Let the temperature of the dining-room be about 68°. Let the dishes be few in number in the first course, but proportionally good. The order of food is from the most substantial to the lightest. The order of drinking wine is from the mildest to the most foamy and most perfumed. To invite a person to your house is to take charge of his happiness so long as he is beneath your roof. The mistress of the house should always be certain that the coffee is excellent; whilst the master should be answerable for the quality of his wines and liqueurs.”

_Dinners à la Russe_ differ from ordinary dinners in the mode of serving the various dishes. In a dinner à la Russe, the dishes are cut up on a sideboard, and handed round to the guests, and each dish may be considered a course. The table for a dinner à la Russe should be laid with flowers and plants in fancy flower-pots down the middle, together with some of the dessert dishes. A _menu_ or bill of fare should be placed by the side of each guest.

The following are bills of fare for dinners à la Russe, and eatable from July to November: the dishes can easily be varied to suit other months.

SERVICE A LA RUSSE (July).

Julienne Soup, Vermicelli Soup.

Boiled Salmon, Turbot and Lobster Sauce. Soles-Water Souchy, Perch-Water Souchy. Matelote d’Anguilles à la Toulouse, Filets de Soles à la Normandie. Rod Mullet, Trout. Lobster Rissoles, Whitebait.

Riz de Veau à la Banquière, Filets de Poulets aux Concombres. Canards à la Rouennaise, Mutton Cutlets à la Jardinière. Braised Beef à la Flamande, Spring Chickens, Roast Quarter of Lamb, Roast Saddle of Mutton, Tongue, Ham and Peas.

Quails, larded, Roast Ducks, Turkey Poult, larded. Mayonnaise of Chicken, Tomatoes, Green Peas à la Française. Suédoise of Strawberries, Charlotte Russe, Compôte of Cherries. Neapolitan Cakes, Pastry, Madeira Wine Jelly. Iced Pudding à la Nesselrode.

Dessert and Ices.

SERVICE A LA RUSSE (November).

Ox-tail Soup, Soup à la Jardinière.

Turbot and Lobster Sauce, Crimped Cod and Oyster Sauce. Stewed Eels, Soles à la Normandie. Pike and Cream Sauce. Fried Fileted Soles.

Filets de Bœuf à la Jardinière, Croquettes of Game aux Champignons. Chicken Cutlets, Mutton Cutlets and Tomato Sauce. Lobster Rissoles, Oyster Patties. Partridges aux fines Herbes, Larded Sweetbreads. Roast Beef, Poulets aux Cressons, Haunch of Mutton, Roast Turkey, Boiled Turkey and Celery Sauce, Ham.

Grouse, Pheasants, Hare. Salad, Artichokes, Stewed Celery. Italian Cream, Charlotte aux Pommes, Compôte of Pears. Croûtes madrées aux Fruits, Pastry, Punch Jelly. Iced Pudding.

Dessert and Ices.

DORMERS.

[COLD MEAT COOKERY.] _Ingredients._—½ lb. of cold mutton, 2 oz. of beef suet, pepper and salt to taste, 3 oz. of boiled rice, 1 egg, bread-crumbs, made gravy. _Mode._—Chop the meat, suet, and rice finely; mix well together, and add a high seasoning of pepper and salt, and roll into sausages; cover them with egg and bread-crumbs, and fry in hot dripping of a nice brown. Serve in a dish with made gravy poured round them, and a little in a tureen. _Time._—¼ hour to fry the sausages. _Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 6_d._ _Seasonable_ at any time.

DRAUGHT for Summer.

_Ingredients._—The juice of 1 lemon, a tumblerful of cold water, pounded sugar to taste, ½ small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. _Mode._—Squeeze the juice from the lemon; strain, and add it to the water, with sufficient pounded sugar to sweeten the whole nicely. When well mixed, put in the soda, stir well, and drink while the mixture is in an effervescing state.

DRINK, Pleasant, for Warm Weather.

_Ingredients._—To every ½ pint of good ale allow 1 bottle of ginger beer. _Mode._—For this beverage the ginger beer must be in an effervescing state, and the beer not in the least turned or sour. Mix them together, and drink immediately. The draught is refreshing and wholesome, as the ginger corrects the action of the beer. It does not deteriorate by standing a little, but, of course, is better when taken fresh.

DRIPPING, to Clarify.

Good and fresh dripping answers very well for basting everything except game and poultry, and, when well clarified, serves for frying nearly as well as lard; it should be kept in a cool place, and will remain good some time. To clarify it put the dripping into a basin, pour over it boiling water, and keep stirring the whole to wash away the impurities. Let it stand to cool, when the water and dirty sediment will settle at the bottom of the basin. Remove the dripping, and put it away in jars or basins for use.

* * * * *

=Another Way.=—Put the dripping into a clean saucepan, and let it boil for a few minutes over a slow fire, and be careful to skim it well. Let it stand to cool a little, then strain it through a piece of muslin into jars for use. Beef dripping is preferable to any other for cooking purposes, as, with mutton dripping, there is liable to be a tallowy taste and smell.

DUCK, Hashed.

[COLD MEAT COOKERY.] _Ingredients._—The remains of cold roast duck, rather more than 1 pint of weak stock or water, 1 onion, 1 oz. of butter, thickening of butter and flour, salt and cayenne to taste, ½ teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, ½ glass of port wine. _Mode._—Cut the duck into nice joints, and put the trimmings into a stewpan; slice and fry the onion in a little butter; add these to the trimmings, pour in the above proportion of weak stock or water, and stew gently for 1 hour. Strain the liquor, thicken it with butter and flour, season with salt and cayenne, and add the remaining ingredients; boil it up and skim well; lay in the pieces of duck, and let them get thoroughly hot through by the side of the fire, but do not allow them to boil: they should soak in the gravy for about ½ hour. Garnish with sippets of toasted bread. The hash may be made richer by using a stronger and more highly-flavoured gravy; a little spice or pounded mace may also be added, when their flavour is liked. _Time._—1½ hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of cold duck, 4_d._ _Seasonable_ from November to February; ducklings from May to August.

DUCKS, Roast.

_Ingredients._—A couple of ducks; sage-and-onion stuffing; a little flour. _Choosing and Trussing._—Choose ducks with plump bellies, and with thick and yellowish feet. They should be trussed with the feet on, which should be scalded, and the skin peeled off, and then turned up close to the legs. Run a skewer through the middle of each leg, after having drawn them as close as possible to the body, to plump up the breast, passing the same quite through the body. Cut off the heads and necks, and the pinions at the first joint; bring these close to the sides, twist the feet round, and truss them at the back of the bird. After the duck is stuffed, both ends should be secured with string, so as to keep in the seasoning. _Mode._—To insure ducks being tender, never dress them the same day they are killed; and, if the weather permits, they should hang a day or two. Make a stuffing of sage and onion sufficient for one duck, and leave the other unseasoned, as the flavour is not liked by everybody. Put them down to a brisk clear fire, and keep them well basted the whole of the time they are cooking. A few minutes before serving, dredge them lightly with flour, to make them froth and look plump; and when the steam draws towards the fire, send them to table hot and quickly, with a good brown gravy poured _round_, but not _over_ the ducks, and a little of the same in a tureen. When in season, green peas should invariably accompany this dish. _Time._—Full-grown ducks from ¾ to 1 hour; ducklings from 25 to 35 minutes. _Average cost_, from 2_s._ 3_d._ to 2_s._ 6_d._ each. _Sufficient._—A couple of ducks for 6 or 7 persons. _Seasonable._—Ducklings from April to August; ducks from November to February.

DUCK, Roast, to carve.

No dishes require so much knowledge and skill in their carving as do game and poultry; for it is necessary to be well acquainted with the anatomy of the bird in order to place the knife at exactly the proper point. A tough fowl and an old goose are sad triers of a carver’s powers and temper, and, indeed, sometimes of the good humour of those in the neighbourhood of the carver; for a sudden tilt of the dish may eventuate in the placing of a quantity of the gravy in the lap of the right or left-hand supporter of the host. We will endeavour to assist those who are unacquainted with the “gentle art of carving,” and also those who are but slightly acquainted with it, by simply describing the rules to follow, and referring to the distinctly-marked illustrations of each dish, which will further help to bring light to the minds of the uninitiated. If the bird be a young duckling, it may be carved like a fowl, viz., by first taking off the leg and the wing on either side; but in cases where the duckling is very small, it will be as well not to separate the leg from the wing, as they will not then form too large a portion for a single serving. After the legs and wings are disposed of, the remainder of the duck will be also carved in the same manner as a fowl; and not much difficulty will be experienced, as ducklings are tender, and the joints are easily broken by a little gentle forcing, or penetrated by the knife. In cases where the duck is a large bird, the better plan to pursue is then to carve it like a goose, that is, by cutting pieces from the breast in the direction indicated by the lines marked from 1 to 2, commencing to carve the slices close to the wing, and then proceeding upwards from that to the breastbone. If more should be wanted than can be obtained from both sides of the breast, then the legs and wings must be attacked, in the same way as is described in connection with carving a fowl. It may be here remarked, that as the legs of a duck are placed far more backward than those of a fowl, their position causing the waddling motion of the bird, the thigh-bones will be found considerably nearer towards the backbone than in a chicken; this is the only difference worth mentioning. The carver should ask each guest if a portion of stuffing would be agreeable; and in order to get at this, a cut should be made below the breast, as shown by the line from 3 to 4, at the part called the “apron,” and the spoon inserted. (As described in the recipe, it is an excellent plan, when a couple of ducks are served, to have one with, and the other without, stuffing.) As to the prime parts of a duck, it has been said that “the wing of a flier and the leg of a swimmer” are severally the best portions. Some persons are fond of the feet of the duck; and, in trussing, these should never be taken off. The leg, wing, and neckbone are here shown; so that it will be easy to see the shape they should be when cut off.

_Note._—Ducklings are trussed and roasted in the same manner, and served with the same sauces and accompaniments. When in season, do not omit apple sauce.

DUCK AND PEAS, Stewed.

[COLD MEAT COOKERY.] _Ingredients._—The remains of cold roast duck, 2 oz. of butter, 3 or 4 slices of lean ham or bacon, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 2 pints of thin gravy, 1, or a small bunch of green onions, 3 sprigs of parsley, 3 cloves, 1 pint of young green peas, cayenne and salt to taste, 1 teaspoonful of pounded sugar. _Mode._—Put the butter into a stewpan; cut up the duck into joints, lay them in with the slices of lean ham or bacon; make it brown, then dredge in a tablespoonful of flour, and stir this well in before adding the gravy. Put in the onion, parsley, cloves, and gravy, and when it has simmered for ¼ hour, add a pint of young green peas, and stew gently for about ½ hour. Season with cayenne, salt, and sugar; take out the duck, place it round the dish, and the peas in the middle. _Time._—¾ hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the cold duck, 1_s._ _Seasonable_ from June to August.

DUCK AND PEAS, Stewed.

[COLD MEAT COOKERY.] _Ingredients._—The remains of cold roast duck, ½ pint of good gravy, cayenne and salt to taste, ½ teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, 1 teaspoonful of pounded sugar, 2 oz. of butter rolled in flour, 1½ pint of green peas. _Mode._—Cut up the duck into joints, lay it in the gravy, and add a seasoning of cayenne, salt, and minced lemon-peel; let this gradually warm through, but not boil. Throw the peas into boiling water slightly salted, and boil them rapidly until tender. Drain them, stir in the pounded sugar, and the butter rolled in flour; shake them over the fire for two or three minutes, and serve in the centre of the dish, with the duck laid round. _Time._—15 minutes to boil the peas, when they are full grown. _Average cost_, exclusive of the cold duck, 10_d._ _Seasonable_ from June to August.

DUCK, Stewed, in Turnips.

[COLD MEAT COOKERY.] _Ingredients._—The remains of cold duck, ½ pint of good gravy, 4 shalots, a few slices of carrot, a small bunch of savoury herbs, 1 blade of pounded mace, 1 lb. of turnips weighed after being peeled, 2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. _Mode._—Cut up the duck into joints, fry the shalots, carrots, and herbs, and put them with the duck into the gravy. Cut about 1 lb. of turnips into ½ inch squares, put the butter into a stewpan, and stew them till quite tender, which will be in about ½ hour, or rather more; season with pepper and salt, and serve on the centre of the dish, with the duck, &c., laid round. _Time._—Rather more than ½ hour to stew the turnips. _Average cost_, exclusive of cold duck, 1_s._ _Seasonable_ from November to February.

DUCK, to Ragoût a whole.

_Ingredients._—1 large duck, pepper and salt to taste, good beef gravy, 2 onions sliced, 4 sage-leaves, a few leaves of lemon thyme, thickening of butter and flour. _Mode._—After having emptied and singed the duck, season it inside with pepper and salt, and truss it. Roast it before a clear fire for about 20 minutes, and let it acquire a nice brown colour. Put it into a stewpan with sufficient well-seasoned beef gravy to cover it; slice and fry the onions, and add these, with the sage-leaves and lemon thyme, both of which should be finely minced, to the stock. Simmer gently until the duck is tender; strain, skim, and thicken the gravy with a little butter and flour; boil it up, pour over the duck, and serve. When in season, about 1½ pint of young green peas, boiled separately, and put in the ragoût, very much improve this dish. _Time._—20 minutes to roast the duck; 20 minutes to stew it. _Average cost_, from 2_s._ 3_d._ to 2_s._ 6_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ from November to February; ducklings from April to August.

DUCK, Wild, Hashed.

_Ingredients._—The remains of cold roast wild duck, 1 pint of good brown gravy, 2 tablespoonfuls of bread-crumbs, 1 glass of claret, salt, cayenne, and mixed spices to taste; 1 tablespoonful of lemon or Seville orange-juice. _Mode._—Cut the remains of the duck into neat joints, put them into a stewpan, with all the above ingredients; let them get gradually hot by the side of the fire, and occasionally stir the contents; when on the point of boiling, serve, and garnish the dish with sippets of toasted bread. _Time._—About ¼ hour. _Seasonable_ from November to February.

DUCK, Wild, Ragoût of.

_Ingredients._—2 wild ducks, 4 shalots, 1 pint of stock (_see_ STOCK), 1 glass of port wine, 1 oz. of butter, a little flour, the juice of ½ lemon, cayenne and salt to taste. _Mode._—Ducks that have been dressed and left from the preceding day will answer for this dish. Cut them into joints, reserve the legs, wings, and breasts until wanted; put the trimmings into a stewpan with the shalots and stock, and let them simmer for about ½ hour, and strain the gravy. Put the butter into a stewpan; when melted, dredge in a little flour, and pour in the gravy made from the bones; give it one boil, and strain it again; add the wine, lemon-juice, and cayenne; lay in the pieces of duck, and let the whole gradually warm through, but do not allow it to boil, or the duck will be hard. The gravy should not be too thick, and should be very highly seasoned. The squeeze of a Seville orange is a great improvement to this dish. _Time._—About ½ hour to make the gravy; ¼ hour for the duck gradually to warm through. _Seasonable_ from November to February.

DUCK, Wild, Roast.

_Ingredients._—Wild duck, flour, butter. _Mode._—Carefully pluck and draw them; cut off the heads close to the necks, leaving sufficient skin to turn over, and do not cut off the feet; some twist each leg at the knuckle, and rest the claws on each side of the breast; others truss them as shown in our illustration. Roast the birds before a quick fire, and, when they are first put down, let them remain for 5 minutes without basting (this will keep the gravy in); afterwards baste plentifully with butter, and a few minutes before serving dredge them lightly with flour; baste well, and send them to table nicely frothed, and full of gravy. If overdone, the birds will lose their flavour. Serve with a good gravy in the dish, or orange gravy, and send to table with them a cut lemon. To take off the fishy taste which wild fowl sometimes have, baste them for a few minutes with hot water to which have been added an onion and a little salt; then take away the pan, and baste with butter. _Time._—When liked under-dressed, 20 to 25 minutes; well done, 25 to 35 minutes. _Average cost_, 4_s._ to 5_s._ the couple.

DUCK, Wild, to Carve.

As game is almost universally served as a dainty, and not as a dish to stand the assaults of an altogether fresh appetite, these dishes are not usually cut up entirely, but only those parts are served of each which are considered the best flavoured and the primest. Of wild fowl, the breast alone is considered by epicures worth eating, and slices are cut from this, in the direction indicated by the lines, from 1 to 2; if necessary, the leg and the wing can be taken off by passing the knife from 3 to 4, and by generally following the directions described for carving boiled fowl.

DUMPLINGS, Sussex, or Hard.

_Ingredients._—1 lb. of flour, ½ pint of water, ½ saltspoonful of salt. _Mode._—Mix the flour and water together to a smooth paste, previously adding a small quantity of salt. Form this into small round dumplings; drop them into boiling water, and boil from ½ to ¾ hour. They maybe served with roast or boiled meat; in the latter case, they may be cooked with the meat, but should be dropped into the water when it is quite boiling. _Time._—½ to ¾ hour. _Sufficient_ for 10 or 12 dumplings. _Seasonable_ at any time.

DUTCH FLUMMERY.

_Ingredients._—1½ oz. of isinglass, the rind and juice of 1 lemon, 1 pint of water, 4 eggs, 1 pint of sherry, Madeira, or raisin-wine; sifted sugar to taste. _Mode._—Put the water, isinglass, and lemon-rind into a lined saucepan, and simmer gently until the isinglass is dissolved; strain this into a basin, stir in the eggs, which should be well beaten, the lemon-juice, which should be strained, and the wine; sweeten to taste with pounded sugar, mix all well together, pour it into a jug, set this jug in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire, and keep stirring it one way until it thickens; but _take care that it does not boil_. Strain it into a mould that has been oiled or laid in water for a short time, and put it in a cool place to set. A tablespoonful of brandy stirred in just before it is poured into the mould, improves the flavour of this dish: it is better if it is made the day before it is required for table. _Time._—¼ hour to simmer the isinglass; about ¼ hour to stir the mixture over the fire. _Average cost_, 4_s._ 6_d._, if made with sherry; less with raisin-wine. _Sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _Seasonable_ at any time.

EEL BROTH.

_Ingredients._—½ lb. of eel, a small bunch of sweet herbs, including parsley, ½ onion, 10 peppercorns, 3 pints of water, 2 cloves, salt and pepper to taste. _Mode._—After having cleaned and skinned the eel, cut it into small pieces, and put it into a stewpan with the other ingredients; simmer gently until the liquid is reduced to nearly half, carefully removing the scum as it rises. Strain it through a hair sieve: put it by in a cool place, and, when wanted, take off all the fat on the top; warm up as much as is required, and serve with sippets of toasted bread. This is a very nutritious broth, and easy of digestion. _Time._—To be simmered until the liquor is reduced to half. _Average cost_, 6_d._ _Sufficient_ to make 1½ pint of broth. _Seasonable_ from June to March.

EEL PIE.

_Ingredients._—1 lb. of eels, a little chopped parsley, 1 shalot, grated nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste, the juice of ½ a lemon, small quantity of forcemeat, ¼ pint of Béchamel; puff paste. _Mode._—Skin and wash the eels, cut them in pieces 2 inches long, and line the bottom of the pie-dish with forcemeat. Put in the eels, and sprinkle them with the parsley, shalots, nutmeg, seasoning, and lemon-juice, and cover with puff paste. Bake for 1 hour, or rather more; make the Béchamel hot, and pour it into the pie. _Time._—Rather more than 1 hour. _Seasonable_ from August to March.

EEL SOUP.

_Ingredients._—3 lbs. of eels, 1 onion, 2 oz. of butter, 3 blades of mace, 1 bunch of sweet herbs, ¼ oz. of peppercorns, salt to taste, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, ¼ pint of cream, 2 quarts of water. _Mode._—Wash the eels, cut them into thin slices, and put them into the stewpan with the butter; let them simmer for a few minutes, then pour the water to them, and add the onion, cut in thin slices, the herbs, mace, and seasoning. Simmer till the eels are tender, but do not break the fish. Take them out carefully, mix the flour smoothly to a batter with the cream, bring it to a boil, pour over the eels, and serve. _Time._—1 hour or rather more. _Average cost_, 10_d._ per quart. _Seasonable_ from June to March. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons.

_Note._—This soup may be flavoured differently by omitting the cream, and adding a little ketchup or Harvey’s sauce.

EELS, Boiled.

_Ingredients._—4 small eels, sufficient water to cover them; a large bunch of parsley. _Mode._—Choose small eels for boiling; put them into a stewpan with the parsley, and just sufficient water to cover them; simmer till tender. Take them out, pour a little parsley and butter over them, and serve some in a tureen. _Time._—½ hour. _Average cost_, 6_d._ per lb. _Seasonable_ from June to March. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

EEL, Collared.

_Ingredients._—1 large eel; pepper and salt to taste; 2 blades of mace, 2 cloves, a little allspice very finely pounded, 6 leaves of sage, and a small bunch of herbs minced very small. _Mode._—Bone the eel and skin it; split it, and sprinkle it over with the ingredients, taking care that the spices are very finely pounded, and the herbs chopped very small. Roll it up and bind with a broad piece of tape, and boil it in water, mixed with a little salt and vinegar, till tender. It may either be served whole or cut in slices; and when cold, the eel should be kept in the liquor it was boiled in, but with a little more vinegar put to it. _Time._—2 hours. _Average cost_, 6_d._ per lb. _Seasonable_ from August to March.

EELS, Fried.

_Ingredients._—1 lb. of eels, 1 egg, a few bread-crumbs, hot lard. _Mode._—Wash the eels, cut them into pieces 3 inches long, trim and wipe them very dry; dredge with flour, rub them over with egg, and cover with bread-crumbs; fry a nice brown in hot lard. If the eels are small, curl them round, instead of cutting them up. Garnish with fried parsley. _Time._—20 minutes or rather less. _Average cost_, 6_d._ per lb. _Seasonable_ from June to March.

EELS, en Matelote.

_Ingredients._—5 or 6 young onions, a few mushrooms, when obtainable; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; 1 laurel leaf, ½ pint of port wine, ½ pint of medium stock, butter and flour to thicken; 2 lbs. of eels. _Mode._—Rub the stewpan with butter, dredge in a little flour, add the onions cut very small, slightly brown them, and put in all the other ingredients. Wash, and cut up the eels into pieces 3 inches long; put them in the stewpan, and simmer for ½ hour. Make round the dish a border of croûtons, or pieces of toasted bread; arrange the eels in a pyramid in the centre, and pour over the sauce. Serve very hot. _Time._—¾ hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 9_d._ for this quantity. _Seasonable_ from August to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

EELS, Stewed.

_Ingredients._—2 lbs. of eels, 1 pint of rich strong stock, 1 onion, 3 cloves, a piece of lemon-peel, 1 glass of port or Madeira, 3 tablespoonfuls of cream; thickening of flour; cayenne and lemon-juice to taste. _Mode._—Wash and skin the eels, and cut them into pieces about 3 inches long; pepper and salt them, and lay them in a stewpan; pour over the stock, add the onion stuck with cloves, the lemon-peel, and the wine. Stew gently for ½ hour, or rather more, and lift them carefully on a dish, which keep hot. Strain the gravy, stir the cream, sufficient flour to thicken; mix altogether, boil for 2 minutes, and add the cayenne and lemon-juice; pour over the eels and serve. _Time._—¾ hour. _Average cost_ for this quantity, 2_s._ 3_d._ _Seasonable_ from June to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

EELS, Stewed.

_Ingredients._—2 lbs. of middling-sized eels, 1 pint of medium stock, ¼ pint of port wine; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste; 1 teaspoonful of essence of anchovy, the juice of ½ a lemon. _Mode._—Skin, wash, and clean the eels, thoroughly; cut them into pieces 3 inches long, and put them into strong salt and water for 1 hour; dry them well with a cloth, and fry them brown. Put the stock on with the heads and tails of the eels, and simmer for ½ hour; strain it, and add all the other ingredients. Put in the eels, and stew gently for ½ hour, when serve. _Time._—2 hours. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 9_d._ _Seasonable_ from June to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

EELS, à la Tartare.

_Ingredients._—2 lbs. of eels, 1 carrot, 1 onion, a little flour, 1 glass of sherry; salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste; bread-crumbs, 1 egg, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar. _Mode._—Rub the butter on the bottom of the stewpan; cut up the carrot and onion, and stir them over the fire for 5 minutes; dredge in a little flour, add the wine and seasoning, and boil for ½ an hour. Skin and wash the eels, cut them into pieces, put them to the other ingredients, and simmer till tender. When they are done, take them out, let them get cold, cover them with egg and bread-crumbs, and fry them of a nice brown. Put them on a dish, pour sauce piquante over, and serve them hot. _Time._—1½ hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 8_d._, exclusive of the sauce piquante. _Seasonable_ from August to March. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

EGGS.

There is only one opinion as to the nutritive properties of eggs, although the qualities of those belonging to different birds vary somewhat. Those of the common hen are most esteemed as delicate food, particularly when “new-laid.” The quality of eggs depends much upon the food given to the hen. Eggs in general are considered most easily digestible when little subjected to the art of cookery. The lightest way of dressing them is by poaching, which is effected by putting them for a minute or two into brisk boiling water: this coagulates the external white, without doing the inner part too much. Eggs are much better when new-laid than a day or two afterwards. The usual time allotted for boiling eggs in the shell is 3 to 3¾ minutes: less time than that in boiling water will not be sufficient to solidify the white, and more will make the yolk hard and less digestible: it is very difficult to _guess_ accurately as to the time. Great care should be employed in putting them into the water, to prevent cracking the shell, which inevitably causes a portion of the white to exude, and lets water into the egg. For the purpose of placing eggs in water, always choose a _large_ spoon in preference to a small one. Eggs are often beaten up raw in nutritive beverages.

The eggs of the _turkey_ are almost as mild as those of the hen; the egg of the _goose_ is large, but well-tasted. _Ducks’ eggs_ have a rich flavour; the albumen is slightly transparent, or bluish, when set or coagulated by boiling, which requires less time than hens’ eggs. _Guinea-fowl eggs_ are smaller and more delicate than those of the hen. Eggs of _wild fowl_ are generally coloured, often spotted; and the taste generally partakes somewhat of the bird they belong to. Those of land birds that are eaten, as the _plover_, _lapwing_, _ruff_, &c., are in general much esteemed; but those of _sea-fowl_ have, more or less, a strong fishy taste. The eggs of the _turtle_ are very numerous: they consist of yolk only, without shell, and are delicious.

When fresh eggs are dropped into a vessel _full_ of boiling water, they crack, because the eggs being well filled, the shells give way to the efforts of the interior fluids, dilated by heat. If the volume of hot water be small, the shells do not crack, because its temperature is reduced by the eggs before the interior dilation can take place. Stale eggs, again, do not crack because the air inside is easily compressed.

EGG BALLS, for Soups and made Dishes.

_Ingredients._—8 eggs, a little flour; seasoning to taste of salt. _Mode._—Boil 6 eggs for 20 minutes, strip off the shells, take the yolks and pound them in a mortar. Beat the yolks of the 2 uncooked eggs; add them, with a little flour and salt, to those pounded; mix all well together, and roll into balls. Boil them before they are put into the soup or other dish they may be intended for.

EGG SAUCE, for Salt Fish.

_Ingredients._—4 eggs, ½ pint of melted butter, when liked, a very little lemon-juice. _Mode._—Boil the eggs until quite hard, which will be in about 20 minutes, and put them into cold water for ½ hour. Strip off the shells, chop the eggs into small pieces, not, however, too fine. Make the melted butter very smooth, and, when boiling, stir in the eggs, and serve very hot. Lemon-juice may be added at pleasure. _Time._—20 minutes to boil the eggs. _Average cost_, 8_d._ _Sufficient._—This quantity for 3 or 4 lbs. of fish.

_Note._—When a thicker sauce is required, use one or two more eggs to the same quantity of melted butter.

EGG SOUP.

_Ingredients._—A tablespoonful of flour, 4 eggs, 2 small blades of finely-pounded mace, 2 quarts of stock. _Mode._—Beat up the flour smoothly in a teaspoonful of cold stock, and put in the eggs; throw them into boiling stock, stirring all the time. Simmer for ¼ of an hour. Season and serve with a French roll in the tureen or fried sippets of bread. _Time._—½ an hour. _Average cost_, 11_d._ per quart. _Seasonable_ all the year. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons.

EGG WINE.

_Ingredients._—1 egg, 1 tablespoonful and ½ glass of cold water, 1 glass of sherry, sugar and grated nutmeg to taste. _Mode._—Beat the egg, mixing with it a tablespoonful of cold water; make the wine-and-water hot, but not boiling; pour it on the egg, stirring all the time. Add sufficient lump sugar to sweeten the mixture, and a little grated nutmeg; put all into a very clean saucepan, set it on a gentle fire, and stir the contents one way until they thicken, but _do not allow them to boil_. Serve in a glass with sippets of toasted bread or plain crisp biscuits. When the egg is not warmed, the mixture will be found easier of digestion, but it is not so pleasant a drink. _Sufficient_ for 1 person.