Chapter VIII: Preface (8)

3. The liquor which comes over first in distillation is by some kept
by itself, under the title of spirit; and the other runnings, which
prove milky, are fined down by art. But it is preferable to mix all
the runnings together, without fining them, that the waters may
possess the virtues of the plant entire.

4. In the distillation of these waters, the genuine brandy obtained
from wine is directed.

Where this is not to be procured, take, instead of that proof spirit,
half its quantity of a well rectified spirit, prepared from any other
fermented liquors. In this steep the ingredients, and then add spring
water enough, both to make up the quantity ordered to be drawn off,
and to prevent burning.

362. BERGAMOT WATER.

Take of fine old French brandy, 2 gallons, or 1 gallon of highly
rectified spirit of wine, and 1 gallon of spring water. Put to the
brandy, or diluted spirits, ½ an ounce, or more, of true Roman
oil of bergamot, whose parts have been previously well divided by
trituration with lump sugar, in a glass mortar.

Now distil by a water heat, and draw off six quarts only. By this
operation, a most excellent bergamot water will be produced, which
will remain good for twenty years.

363. ORIGINAL RECEIPT FOR HUNGARY WATER.

The original receipt for preparing this invaluable lotion, is written
in letters of gold in the hand-writing of Elizabeth, queen of Hungary.

Take of aque vitæ, four times distilled, 3 parts,
the tops and flowers of rosemary, 2 parts.
To be put together in a close-stopped vessel, and allowed to stand
in a warm place, during fifty hours, then to be distilled in an
alembic, and of this, once every week, 1 drachm to be taken in the
morning, either in the food or drink, and every morning the face
and the deceased limb to be washed with it.

364. _Best Hungary Water._

Take thirty gallons of spirit of wine; put to it, in a large still,
six large bunches of fine green rosemary, when the flowers are white,
and in full bloom; one pound of lavender-flowers, and four ounces of
true English oil of rosemary. The rosemary-leaves and flowers must be
stripped from all their wood and green twigs.

When the whole has been in a state of digestion for twenty-four
hours, distil as before, drawing off about twenty-five or twenty-six
gallons, but no more. When distilled, stop it closely in a copper
vessel, and keep it undisturbed for about a month.

365. LAVENDER SPIRIT.

Take 14 pounds of lavender flowers, 10½ gallons of rectified spirit
of wine, and one gallon of water; draw off 10 gallons by a gentle
fire; or, which is much better, by a sand bath heat.

366. LAVENDER WATER.

Take 30 gallons of the best wine spirit; pour it into a copper
still, placed in a hot-water bath, over a clear but steady fire; put
to it 6 pounds of the largest and freshest lavender flowers, after
having separated them from all stalks and green leaves, which give
the lavender-water a woody and faint smell. Put no water into the
still, close all the junctures well, and let the spirits and flowers
stand in a state of digestion for 24 hours; and then, with a gentle
fire, draw off 25, or, at most, 26 gallons only, which, as soon as
distilled, are to be poured into a copper vessel, for keeping. Wooden
vessels and cans are to be avoided, as the best parts of the oil,
and of the spirits, will be absorbed by them and consequently lost.

When the distillation is over, draw out, or quench the fire, and let
the remaining spirits and flowers continue in the still until the
next day.

When the above quantity of 25 or 26 gallons has stood for 4 or 5
days, put it to ten ounces of true English oil of lavender. Mix the
whole well in the jar, by drawing out one or two gallons, and then
returning them. Repeat this ten or twelve times, then stop the vessel
up close, and do not disturb it for a month, at least.

367. _Lavender Water, of the second order._

To the four or five gallons of the spirits, and the lavender flowers
left in the still, after the distillation mentioned in the last
article, add 15 gallons of common proof spirit, 9 or 10 gallons of
spring water, 3 pounds of lavender flowers, and 4 ounces of oil of
lavender, intimately mixed with loaf-sugar, by powdering it in a
glass mortar.

Digest the whole, and draw off 25 gallons, proceeding in every
respect as before, except that in this case, no oil is to be added;
for, as there is so much water present, the addition of oil would
be apt to turn the whole quantity muddy, or of a bluish or opaque
colour, which it cannot be easily freed from, without a second
distillation.

368. _Lavender Water, for immediate use._

Mix with one gallon of proof spirit, 1¼ ounce of true English
oil of lavender, which is all that will properly combine with the
spirit, without injuring the colour, by rendering it muddy. When the
spirit and the oil are properly mixed, they are to be put into glass
bottles, which are to be well stopped, and ought to be shaken before
used.

369. _Perfumed Lavender Water._

Distil by a gentle heat in a sand or water-bath; or, mix and shake
frequently during fourteen days, the following ingredients:
1 ounce of foreign oil of lavender,
½ ditto of English ditto,
½ ditto of essence of ambergris, and
1 gallon of rectified spirit of wine.

370. LEMON WATER.

The peel of the lemon, the part used in making this water, is a very
grateful bitter aromatic, and, on that account, very serviceable in
repairing and strengthening the stomach.

Take of dried lemon-peel, 4 lbs.
proof spirit, 10½ gallons, and
1 gallon of water.
Draw off ten gallons by a gentle fire.

371. SPIRIT OF PEPPERMINT.

Take of the herb of peppermint, dried, 1½ lbs.
proof spirit, 1 gallon,
water, sufficient to prevent burning.
Distil off a gallon.

372. COMPOUND GENTIAN WATER.

Take of gentian-root, sliced, 3 lbs.; leaves and flowers of the
lesser centaury, each 8 ounces; infuse the whole in 6 quarts of proof
spirit, and 1 quart of water; and draw off the water till the feints
begin to rise.

373. SPIRIT OF SCURVY-GRASS.

Take of scurvy-grass, fresh gathered and bruised, 15 pounds;
horse-radish root, 6 pounds; rectified spirit of wine, 1 gallon; and
water three pints. Digest the whole in a close vessel two days, and
draw off a gallon with a gentle fire.

374. ANTISCORBUTIC WATER.

Take of the leaves of water-cresses, garden and sea scurvy-grass, and
brook-lime, each 20 handsful; of pine-tops, germander, horehound,
and the lesser centaury, each 16 handsful; of the roots of bryony
and sharp pointed dock, each 6 pounds; of mustard-seed, 1½ pounds.
Digest the whole in 10 gallons of proof spirit, and 2 gallons of
water, and draw off by a gentle fire.

ACID LIQUORS.

————

375. VINEGAR.

Vinegar is used chiefly as a sauce, and to preserve vegetable
substances; but it is employed externally when an over dose of
strong wine, spirit, opium, or other narcotic poison has been taken.
A false strength is given to it by adding oil of vitriol, or some
acrid vegetable, as pellitory of Spain, capsicum, &c. It is rendered
colourless by adding fresh burned bone black, 6 ounces to a gallon,
and letting it stand for two or three days to clear.

376. TO MAKE VINEGAR.

Mix cider and honey, in the proportion of 1 lb. of honey to a gallon
of cider, and let it stand in a vessel for some months, and vinegar
will be produced so powerful, that water must be mixed with it for
common use.

377. _Another Method._

Scheele, a celebrated chymist, has recommended the following recipe:
Take 6 spoonsful of good alcohol; to this, add 3 pints of milk, and
put the mixture into vessels to be corked close. Vent must be given
from time to time to the gas of fermentation. In the course of a
month, this will produce very good vinegar.

378. _Another._

Put into a barrel, of sufficient dimensions, a mixture composed of
41 wine pints of water, about 8 pints of whiskey, (_l’eau de vin de
grain_) about 2 wine pints of yeast, and 2 pounds of charcoal, and
place it in a proper situation for fermentation. At the end of four
months a very good vinegar will be formed, as clear and as white as
water.

379. COMMON VINEGAR.

This is made from weak malt liquor, brewed for the purpose; its
various strength is, in England, denoted by numbers, from 18 to 24.

380. _Another._

To every gallon of water put 1 lb. of coarse Lisbon sugar; let the
mixture be boiled, and skimmed as long as any scum arises. Then let
it be poured into proper vessels; and when it is as cool as beer,
when worked, let a toast, rubbed over with yeast, be put to it. Let
it work about 24 hours, and then put it into an iron-hooped cask,
fixed either near a constant fire, or where the summer sun shines the
greater part of the day; in this situation it should not be closely
stopped up; but a tile, or something similar, should be laid on the
bung-hole, to keep out the dust and insects. At the end of about
three months (sometimes less) it will be clear and fit for use, and
may be bottled off. The longer it is kept, after it is bottled, the
better it will be. If the vessel containing the liquor is to be
exposed to the sun’s heat, the best time to begin making it is in the
month of April.

381. WINE VINEGAR.

Take any sort of wine that has gone through fermentation, and put it
into a cask that has had vinegar in it; then take some of the fruit
or stalks of which the wine has been made, and put them wet into an
open-headed cask in the sun, with a coarse cloth over the top of it,
for six days—after which put them in the vinegar, and stir it well
about—then put it in a warm place, if in winter, or if in summer, put
it in a yard in the sun, with a slate over the bung. When the vinegar
is sour enough and fine, rack it off into a clean sour cask, and bung
it up; then put it in the cellar for use. Those wines that contain
the most mucilage are fittest for the purpose.

The lees of pricked wine are also a very proper ingredient in vinegar.

382. SUGAR VINEGAR.

To each gallon of water add 2 lbs. of brown sugar, and a little
yeast; leave it exposed to the sun for six months, in a vessel
slightly stopped.

383. GOOSEBERRY VINEGAR.

Bruise the gooseberries, when ripe, and to every quart put three
quarts of water; stir them well together, and let the whole stand for
24 hours, then strain it through a canvas bag.

To every gallon of liquor add 1 lb. of brown sugar, and stir them
well together before they are put into the cask. Proceed in all other
respects as before. This vinegar possesses a pleasant taste and
smell; but raspberry vinegar, which may be made on the same plan, is
far superior in these respects. The raspberries are not required to
be of the best sort, still, they should be ripe and well flavoured.

384. CURRANT VINEGAR.

This is made in the same way as that from gooseberries, only pick off
the currants from the stalks.

385. PRIMROSE VINEGAR.

To 15 quarts of water put 6 lbs. of brown sugar; let it boil ten
minutes, and take off the scum: pour on it half a peck of primroses;
before it is quite cold, put in a little fresh yeast, and let it work
in a warm place all night; put it in a barrel in the kitchen, and
when done working, close the barrel, still keeping it in a warm place.

386. RAISIN VINEGAR.

After making raisin wine, lay the pressed raisins in a heap to heat,
then to each cwt. put 15 gallons of water, and a little yeast.

387. CIDER VINEGAR.

The poorest sort of cider will serve for vinegar, in managing which
proceed thus:—

First draw off the cider into a cask that has had vinegar in it
before; then put some of the apples that have been pressed into it,
set the whole in the sun, and in a week or nine days it may be drawn
off into another cask.—This is a good table vinegar.

388. VINEGAR FROM THE REFUSE OF FRUITS.

Take the skins of raisins after they have been used in making wine,
and pour three times their own quantity of boiling water on them;
stir them well about, and then set the cask in a warm place, close
covered, and the liquor, in a week, when drawn off from its sediment,
put into another cask, and well bunged down, will be a good vinegar
for the table.

389. VINEGAR FROM THE REFUSE OF BEE-HIVES.

When honey is extracted from the combs, by means of pressure, take
the whole mass, break and separate it, and into each tub or vessel,
put one part of combs and two of water; place them in the sun, or
in a warm place, and cover them with cloths. Fermentation takes
place in a few days, and continues from 8 to 12 days, according
to the higher or lower temperature of the situation in which the
operation is carried on. During the fermentation, stir the matter
from time to time, and press it down with the hands, that it may be
perfectly soaked. When the fermentation is over, put the matter to
drain upon sieves or strainers. At the bottom of the vessels will be
found a yellow liquor, which must be thrown away, because it would
soon contract a disagreeable smell, which it would communicate to
the vinegar. Then wash the tubs, put into them the water separated
from the other matter; it immediately begins to turn sour; when the
tubs must be again covered with cloths, and kept moderately warm.
A pellicle, or skin, is formed on their surface, beneath which the
vinegar acquires strength; in a month’s time it begins to be sharp;
it must be left standing a little longer, and then put into a cask,
of which the bung-hole is left open. It may then be used like any
other vinegar.

390. TO STRENGTHEN VINEGAR.

Suffer it to be repeatedly frozen, and separate the upper cake of
ice, or water, from it.

All vinegars owe their principal strength to the acetic acid they
contain; but the vinegar of wine contains also tartar, a small
portion of the malic acid, alcohol, and colouring matter; that of
eider contains merely the malic acid, little or no alcohol, and a
yellowish colouring matter.

391. VINEGARS FROM ORANGE AND ELDER FLOWERS, CLOVE-GILLIFLOWERS,
MUSK-ROSES, &c.

Dry an ounce of either of the above flowers, (except the orange
flowers, which will not bear drying,) for two days in the sun; then
put them into a bottle, pour on them a pint of vinegar, closely stop
the bottle, and infuse 15 days in moderate heat of the sun. Vinegars
of any other flowers, as tarragon, &c. may be made in a similar
manner.

392. DISTILLED VINEGAR.

This is obtained from vinegar by distillation, rejecting the 4th or
8th part that comes over first, and avoiding its acquiring a burnt
flavour.

Distilled vinegar is weaker than the common, but is used sometimes in
pickles, where its want of colour is an advantage.

393. IMPROVED DISTILLED VINEGAR.

Obtained from wood distilled in large iron cylinders for the
manufacture of charcoal for gunpowder; when rectified it is used for
all the purposes of distilled vinegar.

394. TO MAKE STRONG ACETOUS ACID.

Take of vitriol, calcined to whiteness, 1 lb.
sugar of lead, 10 drachms,
Rub together and distil.

395. _Another_.

Take of sugar of lead, 7 lbs.
oil of vitriol 4½ lbs.
Distil 2½ lbs. This is used to make aromatic vinegar.

396. HONEY WATER FOR THE HAIR.

Take of honey, 4 lbs.
very dry sand, 2 lbs.
Mix and put into a vessel that will hold five times as much;
distil with a gentle heat a yellowish acid water: this acid
greatly encourages the growth of hair.

397. DEPHLOGISTICATED SPIRIT OF SALT.

Take of common salt, 3 lbs.
manganese, 1 lb.
oil of vitriol, 2 lbs.
water, 1 lb.
Distil, placing a sufficient quantity of water in the receiver.

This spirit is of a pale greenish yellow, and scarcely heavier than
water. It bleaches linen, straw, and takes out fruit spots, iron
moulds, or ink marks.

MISCELLANEOUS BEVERAGES.

————

398. TO MAKE GINGER BEER.

Take of good Jamaica ginger, 2½ oz.
Moist sugar, 3 lbs.
cream of tartar, 1 oz.
the juice and peel of 2 middling sized lemons,
brandy ½ pint,
good solid ale yeast, ¼ pint,
water, 3½ gallons.

This will produce 4½ dozen of excellent ginger beer, which will
keep twelve months. Bruise the ginger and sugar, and boil them
for 20 or 25 minutes in the water, slice the lemon and put it and
the cream of tartar into a large pan; pour the boiling liquor
upon them, stir it well round, and when milk-warm, add the yeast;
cover it over, let it remain two or three days to work, skimming
it frequently; then strain it through a jelly-bag into a cask, add
the brandy, bung down very close, and at the end of a fortnight or
three weeks, draw it off and bottle, and cork very tight; tie the
cork down with twine or wire. If it does not work well at first,
add a little more yeast, but be careful of adding too much, least
it taste of it.

399. SPRUCE BEER.

Take, if white is intended, 6 lbs. of sugar; if brown, as much
treacle, and a pot of spruce, and ten gallons of water.

This is also managed in the same way as ginger beer, except that it
should be bottled as soon as it has done working.

400. BROWN SPRUCE BEER.

Pour 8 gallons of cold water into a barrel, and then boiling 8
gallons more, put that in also, add 12 lbs. of molasses, with about
½ lb. of the essence of spruce; and on its getting a little cooler,
½ a pint of good ale yeast. The whole being well stirred or rolled
in the barrel, must be left with the bung out for two or three days;
after which the liquor may be immediately bottled, well corked up,
and packed in saw-dust or sand, when it will be ripe, and fit to
drink in a fortnight.

Remember, that it should be drawn off into quart stone bottles, and
wired.

401. WHITE SPRUCE BEER.

For a cask of six gallons, mix well together ¼ lb. of the purest
essence of spruce, 7 lbs. of loaf-sugar made into a clarified syrup,
and about 1½ gallons of hot water; and when sufficiently stirred
and incorporated; put it into the cask, and fill up with cold water.
Then add about a ¼ of a pint of good ale yeast, shake the cask
well, and let it work for three or four days: after which, bung it
up. In a few days it may be bottled off after the usual manner, and
in a week or ten days it will be fit for use. If, on bunging it
close, about ¼ of an oz. of isinglass, first dissolved in a little
of the warmed liquor, or in cider, be stirred in, by way of fining,
it will acquire a superior degree of clearness. In proportion to the
coldness of the weather, the quantity of yeast should be increased.
Some, instead of yeast, use ale or beer-grounds the first time of
making, and afterwards the grounds of their former spruce beer. In
warm weather, very little ferment is requisite.

402. SELTZER WATER.

Take of water any quantity. Impregnate it with about ten times its
volume of carbonic acid gas, by means of a forcing pump.

403. LIQUID MAGNESIA.

Take of water 1 gallon,
carbonate of magnesia, 3 drachms, and
impregnate it as above.

404. POTASS WATER.

Take one ounce of subcarbonate of potass, and impregnate as above.

405. SODA WATER.

Take 2 ounces of subcarbonate of soda, and impregnate as above.

406. PORTABLE LEMONADE.

Take of tartaric acid, ½ oz.
loaf sugar, 3 oz.
essence of lemon, ½ drachm.
Powder the tartaric acid and the sugar very fine, in a marble or
wedgewood mortar, (observe never to use a metal one) mix them
together, and pour the essence of lemon upon them, by a few drops
at a time, stirring the mixture after each addition, till the whole
is added, then mix them thoroughly, and divide it into twelve equal
parts, wrapping each up separately in a piece of white paper. When
wanted for use, it is only necessary to dissolve it in a tumbler
of cold water, and fine lemonade will be obtained, containing the
flavour of the juice and peel of the lemon, and ready sweetened.

407. TO MAKE CHOCOLATE.

To make good chocolate, put the milk and water on to boil;
then scrape the chocolate fine, from one to two squares to a
pint, to suit the stomach: when the milk and water boils,
take it off the fire; throw in the chocolate; mill it well,
and serve it up with the froth; which process will not take
5 minutes. The sugar may either be put in with the scraped
chocolate or added afterwards.

It should never be made before it is wanted; because
heating again injures the flavour, destroys the froth, and
separates the body of the chocolate; the oil of the nut being
observed, after a few minutes’ boiling, or even standing
long by the fire, to rise to the top, which is the only cause
this chocolate can offend the most delicate stomach.

408. TO MAKE COFFEE.

To have coffee _in perfection_, it should be made from the
best production, carefully roasted, and after cooling for
a few minutes, reduced to powder, and immediately infused;
the tincture will then be of a superior description. But for
common use, the coffee of our own plantations is, in general,
of very good quality.

In England, too little powder of the berry is commonly
given. It requires about one small cup of coffee-powder to
make four cups of tincture for the table. This is at the rate
of an ounce of good powder to four common coffee-cups.
When the powder is put in the bag, as many cups of boiling
water is poured over it as may be wanted.

Pour a pint of boiling water on an ounce of coffee; let
it boil five or six minutes, then pour out a cupful two or
three times, and return it again; put two or three isinglass
slips into it; or a lump or two of fine sugar; boil it five
minutes longer, set the pot by the fire to keep hot for ten
minutes, and the coffee will be beautifully clear. A hot
cream should always be served with coffee. For foreigners,
or those who like it extremely strong, make only eight
dishes from three ounces. If not fresh roasted, lay it before
a fire till hot and dry; or put the smallest bit of fresh
butter into a preserving-pan, when hot throw the coffee into
it, and toss it about till it be freshened.

THE COOK.

On her first going into a family the Cook will do well to inform herself of the rules and regulations of the house,—the customs of the kitchen,—the peculiarities of her master and mistress,—and above all, she must study, most sedulously, to acquire a perfect knowledge of their TASTE; which, when attained, will most probably lead to her permanent establishment in the sovereignty of the kitchen.

She will enter into all the economical plans of her employers, and endeavour to make the most of every thing, as well for the sake of her own character as for their interest. Not forgetting, that “wilful waste makes woful want.”

She will consider the encomiums of her master and mistress as her highest praise, and will accept even their admonitions as pleasing proofs of their desire to make her useful to themselves, and to enhance her own confidence and consequence.

The presidency of the kitchen being a situation of great trust and responsibility, she will best evince her sense of the confidence reposed in her by her anxiety to please, and a sedulous regard to the health and comforts of the family, which are, necessarily, in her keeping; governing her whole conduct by that most excellent moral maxim “Do unto others as you would they should do unto you.”

To be well qualified for every situation, the Cook must not only understand the business of the kitchen, but must be a good judge of provisions, as in many families, where there is no housekeeper, she will be required to go to market. She must also be able to keep an account of the current expenses of the family; and to examine, check, and pay the tradesmen’s bills, which she will have to settle with her mistress weekly, or when required.

The Cook should give directions to her assistants to _rise early_, particularly when a great dinner is to be dressed, that so every thing may be got quite ready in the kitchen to begin business as early in the morning as possible; else, nine times out of ten, the dinner will be too late: and it must always be recollected that “things done in a hurry are never well done,” and that, “an hour lost in the morning may be run after the whole day, but never overtaken.” Besides, to have every thing properly dressed, and to be punctual, as to time, with the dinner, will afford great satisfaction to her employers, and do credit both to them and to herself. Having learnt the precise time of dinner, she must not fail to be _punctual_.

Cleanliness, in every branch of domestic concerns cannot be too forcibly inculcated, and in the business of a Cook, particularly, it becomes a CARDINAL VIRTUE. Cleanliness and neatness of person and dress are not less important in her than the arrangement of the kitchen and larder, and all her operations.

_Boiling._

The boilers, saucepans, and other vessels, to be used for culinary purposes, must be kept perfectly clean and well tinned. BLOCK TIN saucepans, &c. are safest, and perhaps best for these purposes.—When washed they should be dried by the fire, before they are put away; and they should always be wiped out again, with a clean dry cloth, immediately before they are used. This is to be done chiefly to prevent rust, and its baleful effects.

Poultry, and every kind of meat, both fresh and salted, should be washed and wiped dry, and then dredged well with flour, before it be put into the boiler, or pot; this will prevent its being soiled in the water, and will, also, prevent its looking greasy, when taken up.

Meat must always be put into _cold_ water, with _just enough water to cover it_; say, about a quart of water to a pound of meat,—and it must be kept _so covered_, during the whole process of dressing, by adding boiling water occasionally.—By this method the inside will always be heated thoroughly, and be properly swollen, before the outside becomes hard; and the whole will be regularly done. This will, also, occasion the meat to look plump; and veal and poultry, in particular, will be the whiter and the better for it.

Beef loses about one-fourth, and mutton about one-fifth, in boiling.

A moderate fire must be kept up under the pot, increasing the heat _gradually_, till it boils, when it must be drawn back, kept close covered, and _constantly simmering, quite gently_, but by no means boiling fast. A tea-spoonful of salt thrown into the water, before it boils, will cause the scum to rise the better, which must be very carefully skimmed clean off, immediately; and if, afterwards, a little cold water be thrown in, more scum will be cast up, which must frequently be taken off, _as it rises_, as on this alone depends the good appearance of all boiled articles.

Remember—that water cannot possibly be made _hotter_ than it is when it first boils; it is, therefore, a waste of firing, and very detrimental to the meat to make it boil _fast_, as it is thereby rendered hard, and its juices and finest flavour are evaporated in steam.

Generally, beef, mutton, and lamb, unless the joints are very thin, or small, require boiling from a quarter of an hour to eighteen minutes to a pound; lamb, veal, and pork, and _thick_ joints also, of whatever kind, require somewhat longer, especially in _cold_ weather, or when _fresh_ killed. A large leg of pork, for instance, will take a little more time;—always reckoning from the time of its first coming to boil, and taking into the account that the pot must _always be kept gently simmering;—the slower the better, so that it be kept boiling_. If you suffer boiled meats to remain in the pot after they are done, they become soddened and lose their flavour.

_Examples in Boiling._

_A Round of Beef._—After it has been carefully salted, and has lain
in the pickle eight or ten days, wash it and wipe it dry; then cut
out the bone, and skewer and tie it up tight and quite round. As soon
as the pot boils skim it clean, and keep it boiling very gently, till
done. The time will be according to its weight. Garnish with slices
of carrot and turnip.

A LEG OF PORK.

If large, after it has been in salt eight or ten days, let it lie
in cold water half an hour to make it white—weigh it, let it boil
gently, allowing twenty minutes for every pound—skim it as soon
as it boils, and often afterwards.—A small Leg of Pork is most
delicate.—The liquor will make excellent peas-soup. Serve it up with
peas-pudding and turnips.

A LEG OF MUTTON.

Put it in warm water for ten minutes, and wash it clean, then put
it into the pot and cover it with water—let it _simmer very gently_
and skim it carefully. A leg of ten pounds will take two and a half
or three hours. Mutton, to be tender, should hang as long as it will
keep.

A TURKEY.

Take a hen bird, pick nicely, singe, wash, draw the sinews of the
thighs, and truss it. Make a stuffing of bread, herbs, salt, pepper,
nutmeg, lemon-peel, a few oysters, or an anchovy, a bit of butter,
some suet, and an egg, put this into the crop, fasten up the skin,
and skim the pot most carefully to make it white. Serve with oyster
sauce made rich with butter, a little cream, and a spoonful of soy
or parsley and butter. Tongue, ham, or pickled pork, are the usual
accompaniments.

A FOWL.

The legs, for boiling, should not be black.—Pick nicely, wash, singe,
truss, and flour it—put it into boiling water, and _simmer gently_. A
middling fowl will take forty minutes. Serve with parsley and butter,
oyster, lemon, liver, or celery sauce.

Neither parsley and butter, liver and parsley, celery, onion, caper,
curry, nor other sauce should be poured over boiled meats, but sent
up separately in a boat.

VEGETABLES.

All vegetables are best when fresh from the garden,—when dead they
are useless. They are also in the greatest perfection when in the
greatest plenty;—unripe vegetables are unwholesome.

_Greens_ must be carefully picked, neatly trimmed, washed _quite clean_ from vermin, and laid on a cullender to drain. Then, having ready a well-tinned saucepan, with plenty of clean, soft, boiling water, into which some salt has been thrown, and the scum taken off, plunge them into it, boil them _quickly_, watch them, and keep continually pressing them under the water with a fork as they rise; and when they begin to sink of themselves, they are done, and must be taken up instantly, and drained dry; for if over done, they will lose not only their crispness and beautiful appearance, but their flavour also. Cabbages, savoys, and turnip-tops, require that the water should be changed when _half done_, the second water should be boiling, and if managed as above directed, they will eat much the milder and sweeter for it. _This is the whole art of dressing vegetables to look green and eat well._ We therefore deprecate the use of those factitious and filthy expedients recommended by some, and practised by many, to give, as they pretend, a _good colour_, to boiled vegetables. _This is the best way_;—and all artificial means ought to be avoided, as unnecessary and pernicious.

Esculent _roots_ of all kinds may be set on to boil in cold water.

_Fish._

Fish, particularly if large, must be put into cold water, with plenty of salt; when ready, it will part from the bone; or it may be tried with a fork, and must be taken out of the water the moment it is done.

If not immediately wanted, let it stay on the fish-plate, over the hot water, and throw over it a clean cloth, dipped in boiling water, to preserve its colour.

A sliced cod should be stewed fifteen minutes.

In all cases, dinner should be served up as soon as possible after it is ready, because keeping the boiled articles, particularly fish, in hot water, renders them vapid and heavy; and hot closets, covers, and other means used to keep them hot, dry the juices and make them eat strong and rancid.

Neither fish, nor vegetables of any kind, (except ripe potatoes,) should be boiled by steam.

_Elements of Roasting._

CLEANLINESS must ever be the _maxim_ for the kitchen.

Before the spit is drawn from the meat, let it be wiped clean, and when done with, let it be rubbed with a little sand and water.

A good brisk fire, due time, proper distance, and frequent basting, are the chief points to be attended to in roasting.

Much depends on the fire;—it should always be _brisk_ and glowing, clear at the bottom, and suited to the article to be roasted.

Beef and mutton lose about one-third in roasting.

The ashes should be taken up, and the hearth made quite clean, before you begin to roast. If the fire require to be stirred during the operation, the dripping-pan must be drawn back, so that then, and at all times, it may be kept clean from cinders and dust.—Hot cinders, or live coals, dropping into the pan, make the dripping rank, and spoil it for basting.

Beef requires a strong, steady fire, which should be made up a little time previous to its being wanted. If the meat has been hung up some time, the dry outside parts must be pared off, and it must be basted, first, with a little salt and water, then well dredged with flour, and afterwards basted, continually, with the dripping; but, if the meat be frozen, it must be brought into the kitchen several hours before it is dressed.—Large joints should be kept at a good distance from the fire at first, and gradually brought nearer and nearer;—the average distance for a large joint, at a good fire, may be about ten or twelve inches, an inch or two more or less, according to circumstances: when kitchen paper, dipped in the dripping, must be tied, not skewered, over the fat parts, to prevent their being scorched. When nearly ready, the smoke will draw from the meat towards the fire; at which time the paper must be taken off, and the meat must be put nearer to the fire to _brown_ it; it must also be sprinkled with a little salt, and well dredged again, with flour, to froth it.

It is as necessary to _roast slowly_ as to _boil slowly_;—and the _General Rule_ is to _allow full a quarter of an hour to a pound for roasting_ with a proper fire, under ordinary circumstances, and with frequent basting. But neither beef nor mutton require to be so well done as pork, lamb, and veal.—Pork, in particular, requires to be thoroughly done. It must be basted with salt and water; and the skin or rind of the leg, loin, and spare-rib, must be scored, with a sharp knife, after it has been some time at the fire, to make it eat the better. Geese, pigs, and young pork, require a brisk fire, and should be turned quickly.

Great care should be taken in spitting the meat, that the prime part of the joint be not injured:—to balance it on the spit, cook-holds and loaded skewers are very handy.

A BOTTLE JACK is an excellent substitute for a spit, _in small families_, and for want of that, ten or a dozen yards of worsted, folded to a proper length, will answer the purpose very well. Meat if _hung_ to be roasted, should have its ends changed when about half done. A good meat skreen, lined with tin, should always be set before the fire when roasting; it keeps off the cold air, renders the heat more equable, and saves coals.

After all, the above _General Rule_ is liable to many exceptions. If the meat be _fresh killed_, or the weather be _cold_, a good joint will require half an hour longer than if the meat be _tender_ and the weather _temperate_ or _warm_.

We give the following particulars as a more certain guide to the Cook, in most cases on this important point.

BEEF.—_A Sirloin_ of about sixteen pounds, will take three hours and
a half or four hours.

_Ribs of Beef_, of nearly the same weight, being thinner, will
require half an hour less.

MUTTON.—_A Leg_ of eight or nine pounds, will take about two hours.

_A Loin or Neck_, from an hour and a half to an hour and three
quarters.

_A Breast_, an hour and a quarter.

VEAL requires to be managed as beef.

_A Fillet_, of fourteen or sixteen pounds, will take five hours.

(It must be placed at a distance from a strong fire _at first_, in
order to be thoroughly soaked)

_A good Loin_, will take full three hours.

_A Breast_, from an hour and a half to two hours.

_A Hind-quarter_, of eight pounds, about two hours.

_A Fore-quarter_, of ten pounds, about two hours.

_A Leg or Loin_, about an hour and a quarter.

_A Breast_, three quarters of an hour.

PORK, as it must be well soaked and well done, requires longer time,
in proportion, than any other meat.

_A Hare_ will require an hour, at the least, and care must be taken
that both ends be done enough. It should be well basted; first, with
a pint of milk, or salt and water, then floured and basted with
butter; when half done, it should be cut between the shoulders and
the neck, to let out the blood.

_A large Turkey_, will require two hours roasting.

_A smaller one_,—one hour and a half.

_A small one_,—one hour and a quarter.

_A Goose_,—one hour.

_A large Fowl_,—about three quarters of an hour.

_A middle sized Fowl_,—thirty or forty minutes.

_A Capon_,—thirty or thirty-five minutes.

_A Duck_,—twenty or thirty minutes.

_A small Fowl or Chicken_,—twenty minutes.

_A Partridge_,—twenty or twenty-five minutes.

_A Turkey Poult_,—twenty minutes.

_A Pheasant_,—fifteen minutes.

_Wild Ducks, or Grouse_,—fifteen minutes.

_Pigeons_,—fifteen minutes.

_Quails_, and _small Birds_,—ten minutes.

_Tame_ Fowls require more roasting than _wild_ ones.

_Poultry_ should not be dressed in less than four days.

All fowls must be well washed, and singed when put down to the fire,
and they must be kept well basted with butter.

_Examples in Roasting._

A SIRLOIN OF BEEF.

Wipe it clean and dry, and tie paper over the fat parts to preserve
them. Baste it immediately with dripping, and frequently afterwards.
Within the last half hour, sprinkle it with a little salt, baste it
with butter, and dredge it with flour, and as soon as the froth has
risen, dish it up. Garnish with horse-radish, scraped fine. If it
weigh 15 lbs. or 16 lbs. it will require nearly four hours.

THE RIBS, OR OTHER JOINTS OF BEEF.

Must be roasted in the same way. If fifteen or twenty lbs. they will
take three hours and a half, more or less according to circumstances.

LEG, SHOULDER, LOIN OR NECK OF MUTTON.

Let it be well basted and frothed in the same manner as directed for
the _Sirloin of Beef_. The time and dressing will be according to its
weight.

A LOIN OF VEAL.

Will take about three hours roasting. Paper the kidney, fat, and
back, to preserve them.—Some will have it sent up with a toast to be
eaten with the delicate fat of the kidney; brown it, and pour good
melted butter over it. Garnish with slices of lemon and force-meat
balls.

LAMB.

_The Hind-quarter._—The leg and loin are best dressed together;
baste and froth it as directed for beef. Serve it up with green
mint-sauce and a salad.

The _Leg_, _Shoulder_, _Ribs_, _Loin_, _Neck_, and _Breast_ are all
to be dressed, and served up, in the same way.

FOWLS.

_Turkeys_ and _Fowls_ are to be roasted by a clear brisk fire, in the
same way as each other, only allowing time according to their size.
In drawing Poultry care must be taken not to break the gall-bag. The
sinews of the thighs of Turkeys and large Fowls should be pulled out,
and they should be trussed with the legs outward.—Wash well, dry,
singe, extract the plugs, and dredge before roasting.

A GOOSE.

Stuff the _Goose_ with onion, sage, pepper, and salt, fasten it tight
at the neck and rump, and then set it down to the fire, at first, at
some distance, bringing it nearer by degrees.—Paste a slip of paper
over the breast-bone, and when the breast is rising, take it off.
Send a good gravy up in the dish; but first take a table-spoonful
of made mustard, half a tea-spoonful of cayenne pepper, and three
spoonsful of port wine; mix and pour it hot into the body of the
goose, by a slit in the apron: this will wonderfully improve the
stuffing, and is, as Dr. Hunter says, a secret worth knowing.

_All poultry must be nicely drawn, picked, the plugs removed, and the
hair carefully singed off with white paper, and then well washed and
dried._

_Baking._

We do not much approve of baking butcher’s-meat, as a substitute for roasting it, though it cannot be denied that some articles may be baked to answer nearly as well as if roasted; and when a great dinner is to be prepared it may be convenient to send a dish or two to the oven, but over these the cook can have no controul, and must, therefore, depend entirely on the baker. The following are articles that may with most advantage be baked, provided the meat be good and fat, and the baker be very attentive:—A sucking-pig, goose, some joints of beef, leg and shoulder of mutton, leg and loin of pork, fillet of veal, ham, hare, sprats, and other small kinds of fish in pans, or jugs. To poor families, however, the oven affords great convenience as well as a considerable saving of expense and trouble.

Beef loses about one third of its weight by baking.

A SUCKING PIG.

Let it be prepared as for roasting; fasten buttered paper on its
tail and ears to prevent their being scorched; and send with it a
little butter, tied up in a bit of cloth, to baste its back with,
occasionally, which the baker must be requested to do.

_Broiling._

For this operation let the fire be _brisk_ and _clear_. The bars of the gridiron must be bright at top and clean betwixt; wipe the gridiron quite clean with a cloth, make its bars hot, and rub them with nice mutton suet, before you lay on the meat. Set the gridiron slanting over the fire, to prevent the fat dropping into it so as to occasion a smoke, which must be prevented. We shall give as an example in this branch of cookery,

A RUMP STEAK.

The steak should be cut from the middle of the rump, must be about
half an inch thick, and have been kept till tender. Broil it _quick_,
and turn it often, with steak-tongs, to keep in the gravy and make it
a nice brown; it will be done in fifteen or twenty minutes. Having
ready, before the fire, a warm dish, with a table-spoonful of catsup,
and a little minced shallot or onion, lay the steak on it, rub it
over with a little butter, and garnish the dish with pickles and
horse-radish scraped fine.

_Frying._

Frying is, in fact, _boiling in fat_. Before you begin to fry, rub the inside of the Frying-pan with a little fat, warm it and wipe it out with a cloth, quite clean.—To fry fish, half fill the pan with fat, olive oil, nice fresh lard, clarified drippings, or beef or mutton suet;—but whatever fat be used let it be perfectly sweet, free from salt, and nice and clean. Keep a _brisk_ fire, and make the fat _very hot_, which may be known by its having done hissing. When ready, carefully drain it quite dry before the fire.

We give the following as an example of _the best method of Frying_ SOLES, _and most other kinds of fish_:

Let them be quite fresh, and some time before you dress them, wash them thoroughly, and wipe them with a clean cloth, quite dry.—If to be fried with bread-crumbs, beat up an egg, the white and yolk together, quite well, dip the fish in the egg, and cover them completely with grated crumbs, and if you wish the fish to look still better, do them twice over with egg. The fish, if large, may be cut into pieces, the proper size for the table, otherwise they may be fried whole; when cut they must be dished up as if whole. Let the fat in the pan be sufficient to cover the fish, and when it _quite boils_, and begins to smoke, put in the fish; it will be nicely browned in about five minutes, when it should be turned, and fried just as long on the other side. When done lay them on a soft cloth, before the fire, and turn them every two or three minutes, till they are perfectly dry on both sides.

The fat in which any thing is fried will serve to fry the same kind of thing several times.

_Broths, Soups, Stock, &c._

Cleanliness in this, as in every department of kitchen business, must ever be held as the _leading principle_, and will contribute most to the satisfaction of all parties.

An economical Cook, when she boils animal food, will make a rule to convert the liquor, or broth, into some sort of _soup_ or _stock_, which may be done at her leisure, and by which means she will always have _a rich kitchen_, as it is technically called, and will be able to make an _extra dish_, or an additional tureen of soup, at a short notice, and at a trifling expense. The fragments of meat left after dinner, with the trimmings of undressed meat and game, the heads, necks, gizzards, and feet of fowls, &c. when picked and washed clean, will help to enrich _soups_, or make _stock_, and save much expense in gravy meat. The _broths_, if saved in separate pans, will assist in making white or brown soups, and the gravies left in the dishes after dinner, will be good in _hashes_, or, with some trifling ingredients added, will make sauce for fish, goose, &c.

The liquor of a knuckle of veal may be converted into GLAZE, if boiled with a knuckle of ham, till reduced to a fourth or a third part, with the necessary herbs and spices added.

_To prepare Soups, &c._—the first care of the Cook will be to see that the stew-pan to be used is well tinned, scalded, and wiped out perfectly clean and dry. She will put some butter or marrow into the bottom of the pan, then lay in a leg or shin of beef with the bones well broken, and the meat cut to pieces; or the skirts of beef, the kidney or melt, or the shank bones of mutton, well cleaned, with the fragments and trimmings of meat and other articles, as above mentioned;—these she will cover close and keep over a _slow fire_ an hour, stirring it up, occasionally, from the bottom, and taking great care that it does not burn.—When all the virtues of the meats are extracted, and the juices are again absorbed by them, she will add water enough to cover them, which will be in the proportion of about a quart of water to a pound of meat, for soup, and to two pounds, for gravies; the scum must then be carefully taken off, _quite clean_, as it rises, after it has boiled; for the more soups and broths are skimmed, the better, and more transparent they will be: and this transparency, combined with their uniformity of taste, constitutes their chief excellence. It is important that the soup be kept _gently simmering_ five or six or more hours, and that then be added a scraped carrot, a head of celery, a couple of onions, two turnips, and a few sweet herbs;—when ready, let it be strained carefully through a clean tamis, previously dipped in cold water, into stone or unglazed earthen pans, and let the fat remain upon it, to preserve it, till wanted.

Soups and broths when done, ought not to be covered, nor put away with vegetables in them.

Use _soft_ water to boil white peas, and let the peas be whole; but _pump_ water will make green peas-soup of a better colour.

A good tureen of peas-soup may be made from the liquor of pork, mutton, or beef.

The lean of hams or gammon of bacon should be used when _Stock_ is made; but if the former, first give it a boil in water, before you put it in, else it will turn the soup red.

The _sediment_ of gravies, &c. that have stood to be cold, should never be used.

A clear jelly of cow-heels makes a great improvement to gravies and soups.

A lump of clarified butter, thoroughly mixed with flour and boiled with the soup will give it a richness and a greater consistency, if required.—A little tarragon added, just before it is served up, will give it an agreeable flavour.

All soups should be sent to table quite hot.

CULLIS, or _brown gravy_, is made with lean veal and ham or gammon, and sweet herbs, &c.

BECHAMEL, or _white sauce_, is made in the same way, but is not browned; it must be improved by the addition of equal quantities of good broth and thick cream simmered with it half an hour, before it is strained off.

The articles used in thickening, seasoning, and flavouring broths and soups, are chiefly bread, flour, oatmeal, peas, rice, Scotch and pearl-barley, isinglass, maccaroni, turnips, beet, carrots, mushrooms, garlick, onions, shallots, cress, parsley, thyme, sage, mint, and other sweet and savoury herbs; also allspice, cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, lemon-juice, essence of anchovies, &c. these combined with wine and mushroom catsup, form an endless variety for flavouring and seasoning broths and soups.

Basil, savoury, and knotted-marjorum, are very pungent, and should be used cautiously.

No Cook can support the credit of her kitchen without having plenty of _gravy_, _cullis_, and _stock_ always at hand, as _these are the bases of all soups and high-seasoned dishes_.

_Sauces and Gravies._

These are simple, and easily made.

GRAVY FOR ROAST MEAT.

Almost every joint will afford trimmings enough to make plain gravy
for itself, which may be heightened with a little browning.

Or, half an hour before the meat is done, mix a little salt and
boiling water, and drop it on the brown parts of the meat, which
catch in something under, and set it by to cool; when the meat is
ready, remove the fat, warm the gravy, and pour it into the dish.

Or, the brown bits of roasted or broiled meat, infused a night in
boiling water, and the next day just boiled up, and drained off, will
make a good gravy.

GRAVY FOR BOILED MEAT.

Make it of the trimmings and paring of the meat.

Or pour as much of the liquor as may be necessary into the dish, and
pierce the meat, on the under part, with a skewer.

MELTED BUTTER.

Cut two ounces of butter into small pieces, and put it into a pint
saucepan, with a large tea-spoonful of flour, and two table-spoonsful
of milk; when thoroughly mixed, add six table-spoonsful of water,
shake it continually, over the fire, always the same way, till it
simmers, then set it on, and let it just boil up, when it will be
about the thickness of cream: if too thick to eat with vegetables,
add a little more milk.

_This is the foundation of almost all the sauces._