Chapter XXIX: Part 29

No. 202. _Stewed Pigeons with Peas._ Proceed precisely as in the last, but adding nearly a quart of very fresh peas with the onions and parsley, omitting the bay-leaf; dress the pigeons upon a dish, pour the peas and sauce over when ready to serve.

GAME.--No. 203. _Pheasants, Partridges, Grouse, Black Game, Woodcocks, etc._, by the greater part of the population are preferred plain roasted, which is, in my opinion, the best; but by way of change, and for the method of dressing the remains of any description of birds, I have given the few following simple receipts:

No. 204. _Small Pheasants, the Miller’s Fashion._ Roast a pheasant as directed (page 403), previously dipping it in flour, and occasionally shaking flour over whilst roasting, thus it will be very crisp and keep nearly white; put the crumb of two French rolls in a stewpan, with half a pint of milk, a small eschalot, a bay-leaf, an ounce of butter, and a little pepper and salt; let boil, take out the eschalot and bay-leaf, place a piece of buttered toast upon your dish, pour the sauce over, dress the pheasant upon the top, and serve; a little gravy may also be served separate in a boat.

No. 205. _Pheasant with Cabbage._ Procure a nice white-heart winter cabbage, which cut in quarters, and blanch five minutes in boiling water, drain quite dry, cut off part of the stalk, season well with salt, place it in a stewpan, with half a pound of streaked bacon and a pint of broth, and stew gently for about half an hour; then have a pheasant about three parts roasted, thrust it into the cabbage whilst hot, and let the whole stew gently together half an hour longer; take out the pheasant and cabbage, squeezing it to the sides of the stewpan to extract the stock, dress the cabbage in pyramid upon your dish, with the pheasant upon the top, dress the bacon, cut in slices, around, skim the stock well, let reduce to half, pour round and serve.

No. 206. _Hashed Pheasant._ From the remains of a pheasant previously served, make a hash in the following manner: cut it up into smallish pieces and put them into a stewpan, with a little flour, half a glass of port wine, a little pepper and salt, and a bay-leaf, and sufficient broth (or water with a piece of glaze in it) to moisten it; let simmer very gently five minutes, take out the pieces, dress them upon your dish, pass the sauce through a hair sieve over, and serve.

No. 207. _A Plain Salmi of Pheasants._ Cut off and trim well the best pieces remaining of pheasants, previously served, and put them into a stewpan; then in another stewpan put the bones and trimmings (broken up small), with an onion in slices, a little parsley, a bay-leaf, four peppercorns, and a glass of sherry, boil a few minutes; then stir in a tablespoonful of flour, and moisten by degrees with a pint of broth (or water with a piece of glaze), boil about ten minutes, keeping it stirred; when thick enough to adhere to the back of the spoon, pass through a tammie or fine sieve, into the other stewpan over the pieces of pheasants, warm altogether gently, not allowing it to boil, colour a little brown with half a spoonful of colouring (page 673), take out the pieces, dress in pyramid sauce over, and serve with scippets of fried or toasted bread, cut in the shape of hearts, round.

The remains of pheasants may be minced and served with eggs boiled five minutes, and the shells taken off, or made into boudins or croquettes as directed for turkey (page 687), as may any other description of game.

No. 208. _Grouse, Scotch Fashion._ Plain roast the grouse, dress them upon toast on your dish, and serve with plain melted butter poured over them; they may also be dressed in any of the ways directed for pheasants, with the exception of being stewed with the cabbage; black game is dressed precisely the same as the grouse.

No. 209. _Partridges à la Jardinière._ Have a plain round tin cutter, with which cut about forty pieces of carrot and turnip, each about the thickness of a quill, and half an inch in length; put them into a stewpan with twenty button onions, two ounces of butter, and a teaspoonful of powdered sugar; pass over a sharp fire until the vegetables become covered with a thinnish glaze, when add a tablespoonful of flour (mix well) and a pint of stock or gravy; let simmer until the vegetables are tender, keeping it well skimmed. Roast two partridges rather underdone, which put into the sauce twenty minutes before serving; let simmer very gently, skim off all the fat, dress the birds upon a dish, pour the sauce and vegetables over, and serve.

No. 210. _Partridges with Cabbage._ Proceed exactly as described for the pheasant, but using two birds instead of one: if convenient, it would be a great improvement to lard the breasts of the birds with fat bacon.

No. 211. _Partridges sautéd with Mushrooms._ Divide two partridges each into halves, beat them a little flattish, put two or three tablespoonfuls of salad-oil into a flat stewpan, lay in the partridges, the inner side downwards, first seasoning with a little pepper, salt, and chopped eschalots; place over a moderate fire, put a cover upon the stewpan, and let remain until of a light brown colour; remove the lid, turn the partridges over, and let remain until coloured the other side; then pour off a little of the oil, add a tablespoonful of flour, turn round until well mixed, add a good glassful of sherry, half a pint of stock or water, and twenty small button mushrooms; let simmer until the partridges are tender, and the sauce thick enough to adhere to them; having kept it well skimmed, season with a little pepper, salt, and sugar, if required; lay the partridges upon a dish, sauce over, and serve.

The remains of partridges may be hashed or served in a plain salmi, precisely as directed for pheasants.

No. 212. _Woodcocks, Downshire Fashion._ Plain roast the woodcocks as directed (page 407), catching their tails upon toast, upon which, when done, dress the birds upon a dish; pour a thick melted butter (with which you have mixed the yolk of an egg and a little cream) over, sprinkle lightly with bread-crumbs, salamander a light brown colour, and serve with a little gravy round.

No. 213. _Woodcocks à la Chasseur._ Roast two woodcocks rather underdone, catching the interior upon a large piece of toast; when done, cut each one in four, and place in a stewpan with the remainder of the interior, chopped small; add a little pepper and salt, a glass of sherry, a little chopped eschalots, parsley, the juice of half a lemon, and half a gill of broth; let simmer a few minutes, dish rather high upon the toast, sauce over, and serve.

No. 214. _Hashed Woodcocks._ Should you have any remaining from a previous dinner, cut each one in four or more pieces; chop all that remains in the interior, which mix with a small piece of butter, a spoonful of bread-crumbs, and a little chopped parsley, make six croutons in the shape of hearts from a piece of toasted bread, spread the above preparation upon each, and place a short time in the oven; hash the pieces as directed for the pheasant, dress in pyramid on a dish, with the croutons round, sauce over, and serve.

No. 215. _Snipes à la Minute._ Put a quarter of a pound of butter in a stewpan, over which lay six snipes, breasts downwards; add a spoonful of chopped onions, one ditto of parsley, a little grated nutmeg, half a teaspoonful of salt, and a saltspoonful of pepper; set over a brisk fire seven or ten minutes (according to the size of the birds), stirring occasionally, then add the juice of two lemons, two glasses of sherry or bucellas wine, and a spoonful of finely-grated crust of bread; let the whole simmer a few minutes, dress the birds upon a dish, mix the sauce well, pour over, and serve.

No. 216. _Plovers, with English raw Truffles._ Put a quarter of a pound of butter in a stewpan, over which place four plovers, breasts downwards, and eight raw truffles, well washed, peeled, and cut into thickish slices; add also two cloves, a bay-leaf, half a teaspoonful of salt, and a saltspoonful of pepper; pass the whole ten minutes over a sharp fire, stirring occasionally; add half a tablespoonful of flour, mix well, moisten with a gill of broth and a glass of white wine, let simmer ten minutes longer, skim well, dress the birds upon a dish, reduce the sauce, add a little sugar and the juice of a lemon, sauce over, and serve.

No. 217. _Wild Duck._ Truss as directed (p. 688, No. 189), rub all over with the liver, making it quite red, and roast twenty minutes before a good fire, then with a sharp knife cut eight incisions down the breast; you have put an ounce of butter into a stewpan with a quarter of a saltspoonful of cayenne, the rind of an orange, free from pith, cut in strips, blanched in boiling water, and well drained upon a sieve, and the juice of a lemon; warm over the fire, and when melted, but not oily, pour over the duck, and serve.

No. 218. _Hashed Wild Duck._ Cut up the remains of a duck or ducks into neat pieces, and put into a stewpan with half or a tablespoonful of flour, depending upon the quantity; mix well, moisten with a glass or two of wine, and sufficient broth or water to make a thickish sauce, season well, add a little Harvey sauce, mushroom catsup, a little sugar, and cayenne pepper; let simmer but not boil, take out the pieces, which dress upon toast, reduce the sauce, pour over, and serve. A little colouring may be added if approved of.

No. 219. _Widgeons._ Truss as for wild ducks, rub over with some of their livers, chop up the remainder, which mix with a few bread-crumbs, a little chopped lemon-peel, chopped parsley, and an egg, with which stuff the interior; roast nearly as long as for the wild duck before a very sharp fire, dress upon toast on a dish, and have ready the following sauce: put half a glass of port wine into a stewpan, with a teaspoonful of chopped eschalot, a little salt, pepper, and cayenne; boil a few minutes, add the juice of a lemon, and two ounces of fresh butter, sauce over, and serve. Widgeons are hashed in the same manner as described for wild duck.

No. 220. _Teal, a new Method._ Procure four, draw them, then put half a pound of butter upon a plate, with a little pepper, grated nutmeg, parsley, a spoonful of grated crust of bread, the juice of a lemon, and the liver of the teal; mix well together, and with it fill the interior of the teal; cover them with slices of lemon, fold in thin slices of bacon, then in paper, and roast twenty minutes before a sharp fire; take off the paper, brown the bacon, dress them upon a slice of thick toast, letting the butter from the teal run over it, and serve very hot.

No. 221. _Teal à la sans Façon._ Roast four teal quite plain, prepare a quarter of a pound of butter, as above, with the omission of the livers, which place in a stewpan over the fire, stirring quickly, until forming a kind of sauce; add some fillets from the pulp of a lemon, sauce over, and serve. The remains of teal also make an excellent hash.

No. 222. _Larks à la Minute._ Proceed as directed for snipes à la minute, previously stuffing them with their livers, as directed for widgeons, adding a few mushrooms at the commencement, and not letting them stew too quickly, or the bottom would become brown and give a bad flavour to the sauce; ten minutes is quite sufficient to stew them.

No. 223. _Lark Pie._ Cover the bottom of a pie-dish with thin slices of beef and fat bacon, over which lay ten or twelve larks, previously rolled in flour, season with a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter do. of pepper, one of chopped parsley, and one of chopped eschalot; lay a bay-leaf over, add a gill of broth, and cover with three quarters of a pound of half puff paste (p. 480); bake one hour in a moderate oven, shake well to make the gravy in the pie form a kind of sauce, and serve quite hot.

No. 224. _Jugged Hare._ Put nearly half a pound of butter into a good-sized stewpan with ten ounces of flour, making rather a thinnish roux by continually turning over a slow fire until becoming of a yellowish tinge, then add a pound of good streaked bacon, previously cut into good-sized square pieces; keep stirring a few minutes longer over the fire; you have previously cut the hare into nice pieces, throw them into the stewpan, and stir over the fire until becoming firm, when moisten with four glasses of port wine, and sufficient water to cover them; when beginning to boil, skim well, season in proportion to the size of your hare, let simmer, add two bay-leaves, four cloves, and, when about half done, forty button onions, or ten large ones, cut into slices; let simmer until the whole is well done, the sauce requiring to be rather thick; dress the pieces as high as possible upon your dish, sauce over, and serve. The remains are excellent either cold or warmed up again in the stewpan. If cheap and in season, a few small new potatoes are excellent stewed with it.

No. 225. _Another and more simple Method._ Put a quarter of a pound of butter with a pound of bacon, cut into dice, and the hare, cut into pieces, in a stewpan set upon a moderate fire until the pieces of hare are becoming firm, when add six ounces of flour, mix well and moisten with sufficient water to cover it, add two glasses of any kind of wine and one of vinegar, season as above, let simmer until tender, keeping well skimmed: when done, and the sauce becoming quite thick, dress upon your dish, and serve as before.

MEAT PIES AND PUDDINGS.

No. 226. _Rump Steak Pie._ Procure two pounds of rump-steak, which cut into thinnish slices, season well with pepper and salt, dip each piece into flour, and lay them in a small pie-dish, finishing the top in form of a dome; add a wineglassful of water, and cover with three quarters of a pound of half puff paste (page 480), egg over with a paste-brush, and bake rather better than an hour in a moderate oven; serve either hot or cold.

No. 227. _Mutton Pie._ Procure the chumps from three loins of mutton, which cut into moderate slices, put a layer of them at the bottom of your dish, season well with pepper, salt, chopped parsley, and eschalot, over which put a layer of thin slices of raw potatoes, then the meat, and seasoning again, proceeding thus, finishing in a dome; add a wineglassful of water, cover with paste, and bake as in the last.

No. 228. _Lamb Pie._ Cut a small loin of lamb into thin chops, which lightly season, lay them in your dish with a few slices of new potatoes, building them up in the form of a dome; moisten with water, cover with paste, and bake as before.

The proper way to cover these pies is to wet the edge of the dish, round which put a band of common paste, pressing it lightly on, wetting the top, and joining the paste with which the pie is covered to it.

Pies, as I have previously observed, may also be made from the remains of any joints, first hashing the meat from them, which cut into large slices and well season; when quite cold, fill your pie-dish, building it in a dome, two inches above the rim of your dish; place a bay-leaf over, cover with paste, not, however, too thickly, and bake in a hot oven.

Any kind of meat, game, or poultry remaining may be hashed and converted into a pie, as above, without much trouble, thus making a very excellent dish to serve to table. Or the remains of any description of meats may be thus dressed: lay a few slices of streaked uncooked bacon at the bottom of a pie-dish, over which put layers of the meat, seasoning well between, leaving a space between the meat and the dish all round, and not building it above the edge of the dish; then have some potatoes prepared as follows: put about a quarter of a pound of potatoes, well mashed, into a basin, to which add three eggs, a spoonful of chopped parsley, a little grated nutmeg, pepper, salt, and half a pint of milk; mix well, strain through a colander, pour over the meat in the dish, bake half an hour in a warm oven, and serve very hot.

No. 229. _Beef Steak Pudding._ At home I can frequently make a very excellent dinner from a meat pudding, made as follows:

Put one pound of flour upon a pastry slab, in the centre of which form a well, in which put half a pound of beef or mutton suet, whichever is most convenient, add a teaspoonful of salt, and mix the whole, with water, into a stiffish paste, adding more flour to detach the paste from the slab, and make it dry to the touch; then slightly butter the interior of a round-bottomed basin, of the size you may require, which line with two thirds of the paste, rolled to the thickness of half an inch; you have previously cut two pounds of rump-steak into slices, the thickness of two five-shilling pieces, and an large as the palm of your hand, with a certain quantity of fat attached, or if no fat, add a few pieces separately, dip each piece in flour, and cover the bottom of your basin, over which sprinkle some pepper, salt, chopped parsley, and eschalots (which you have previously mixed upon a plate in the following proportions: two teaspoonfuls of salt, half ditto of black pepper, two of chopped parsley, and one or two of chopped onions or eschalots), then more meat, and seasoning alternately until the pudding is filled, add a wineglassful or two of water, lay a bay-leaf upon the top, wet the edges of the paste, the remainder of which roll to the same thickness, with which form a lid, closing it carefully at the edges; have ready boiling in a stewpan upon the fire a gallon of water, in which stand your pudding, having previously well wrapped it up in a cloth, and let boil continually for three hours, now and then adding a little more water to keep up the quantity; when done, untie the cloth, from which take the basin, pass your knife carefully round between the pudding and the basin, and turn over upon a dish, lifting the basin carefully, and you will have an excellent pudding, not one drop of gravy escaping until you have dug in your spoon, which will cause it to eat much more delicate than by breaking the pudding on purpose to fill the dish with gravy when going to table, particularly if soup and fish are served before, and the pudding is kept half an hour waiting, the top pieces would then eat very dry and indigestible, being deprived of their succulence. At home I never carve such a pudding with a spoon, but lightly cut the crust with a knife, cutting along the top instead of down, and laying a piece of crust upon each plate, taking the meat and gravy from the centre with a spoon, thus leaving the bottom until the last, which, if any remain, is excellent cold.[27]

The above may also be either steamed or baked, in which case it will not require to be tied in a cloth; to steam it, place a quart of water in a middling-sized stewpan, and when boiling place in your pudding, cover the stewpan down close, and draw it to the corner of the fire, replenishing occasionally with more water; the pudding will require the same time cooking, and is served as before.

If baked, the time required in cooking would of course greatly depend upon the heat of your oven, but it would require about two hours baking in a moderate oven, which is the best adapted. The pudding, when baked, may be kept entirely to be eaten cold. Should the onion or bay-leaf be objectionable to some, they may of course be omitted. Observe, that by shaking the pudding gently, previous to turning it out upon your dish, you will mix the gravy with the flour upon the meat, thus forming, when the pudding is cut, a thinnish sauce, without having a greasy appearance.

This very long and minute receipt will probably surprise many, but by thus entering into it, I have given at least ten receipts in one, as I make all other savoury puddings precisely the same; the following sorts most frequently. I sometimes introduce one or two mutton kidneys in a steak pudding, which, although a very old custom, is nevertheless a very good one. Mutton pudding is also very excellent, especially if made from the meat cut from the chumps of the loins, and made similar to the beef-steak puddings, not, however, requiring quite so long a time to boil. Short mutton cutlets, cut without showing the bones, with slices of raw potatoes between, also make very excellent puddings, as also do cutlets of lamb, but in either case requiring an hour less time to cook. I have also frequently made very good puddings from veal, rabbits, poultry, and game, all of which are very acceptable for a change. Venison pudding is also very beautiful. I consider it a pity so few people make any experiments in cookery, which, like other arts, is almost inexhaustible. Some people who have partaken of some of these puddings, previous to their being sent to table, have said they were sure they would not be approved of; but to my great satisfaction they have been totally deceived.

For the veal pudding I cut slices (from any part of the leg) about the same size as the beef for steak puddings, and put them into a sauté-pan, over the bottom of which I have rubbed an ounce of butter, seasoning them with a little pepper and salt, adding a little thyme, and a couple of bay-leaves; about half cook, and leave them in the pan until quite cold, then dip each piece in flour, lay them in the basin with a few slices of streaked bacon, finish the pudding, and boil it two hours. For young rabbits and fowls I proceed the same, and cook the pudding the same time; but to the last two I frequently add a spoonful of currie-powder to make it palatable. For venison, I previously stew it well, except I have left the remainder of a haunch, which I convert into a hash, making the pudding of it when cold; this pudding will require very little more than an hour boiling.

I frequently also make puddings of various kinds of fish, of which one made from the fillets of mackerel is very excellent, the fillets cut into good slices, rather highly seasoned, and laid lightly in the pudding; it will require an hour and a half boiling, and must be eaten very hot to be well appreciated. Eels also make a good pudding, by cutting them into pieces an inch and a half in length slantwise, and blanching them ten minutes in boiling water, to extract the oil, previous to putting them in your pudding, before making which dip each piece of eel in flour.

SECOND COURSE, KITCHEN AT HOME.

For the roasts, second course, in my Kitchen at Home, I must refer my readers to that series in the other department of this work, as it is impossible to explain them more simply; so also for the various methods of dressing vegetables (there so fully explained), from the most expensive to the most simple; and, to avoid repetition, pass over those two series in the second course, and commence a short series of simplified second-course dishes, with a few plain salads.

No. 230. _Salad of Cold Meat._ This salad in France is very much in vogue, and very frequently made with the remains of meat from the pot-au-feu, but any meat, either roasted, boiled, or stewed, may be used.

Cut your meat in slices (with a little of the fat) about the size of half-a-crown, place them upon a dish, with three eschalots chopped very finely, a spoonful of chopped parsley, one of chopped tarragon and chervil, and a little salt and pepper, pour six tablespoonfuls of salad-oil and two of vinegar over, toss well together without breaking the meat, and serve either in a salad-bowl or upon another dish; the above proportion is for a pound of meat.

Another method is to have as many slices of cold potatoes as of meat, cut the same size, and after well seasoning the whole, dress them alternately round the dish, one resting upon the other; mix two spoonfuls of oil with one of vinegar, which pour over and serve. Spring onions, slices of beet-root, and radishes, may also be introduced. The remains of poultry may also be dressed in a similar manner.

No. 231. _Lobster Salad._ Break up a lobster, obtaining as much of the flesh as possible, which cut into slices, have likewise two hard-boiled eggs also in slices, two anchovies filleted, and two cabbage lettuces, or any other salad cut up small; mix the whole well together with a fork in a basin, season with half a teaspoonful of chopped eschalots, one of chopped parsley, one of chopped tarragon and chervil, a little pepper and salt, six spoonfuls of salad-oil, and two of vinegar; when well mixed, turn the whole into a salad-bowl and serve. Crab may be dressed precisely the same.

No. 232. _Fish Salads_ are also very good, and may be made with the remains of John Doree, turbot, salmon, or brill; fillets of soles sauted in butter, when cold, also make excellent salads.

Cut the fish into rather thin slices, have also two young cos lettuces, which separate into leaves and cut lengthwise; add a few leaves of tarragon, a little chervil, season with a little pepper and salt, six or eight spoonfuls of salad-oil, and two of vinegar, or according to taste; mix well together, turn into a salad-bowl and serve. The above salads are excellent for dinner upon a hot summer’s day.

No. 233. _Potato Salad._ Peel and cut ten middling-sized cold potatoes into slices, and put them into a salad-bowl, season with a little pepper, salt, a teaspoonful of chopped tarragon and chervil, half ditto of chopped eschalots, the same of chopped parsley, six spoonfuls of oil, and two of vinegar; toss all well together without breaking the potatoes, and serve. Cold haricot beans, French beans, and lentils are also excellent dressed in the above method.

No. 234. _Plain Salad à la Française._ Throughout France, but in France only, this simple style of dressing a salad is fully appreciated, the sight of which refreshes the eyes and revives the appetite; I never heard (in France) any one say, after a copious dinner, this is too much and useless, but, on the contrary, every one reserves, if not an appetite, at least the shade of one, for the approaching salad, the simplicity of its seasoning and its trifling expense principally causing it to be thus popular and so freely partaken of. I have never given a small party at home, but my guests have been at all times anxious to partake of my French salad, which I simply make as follows:

I procure a quantity of salad of any description the most in season (all descriptions of salad being dressed in the same manner, one receipt will do for the whole), but my favorite salad being endive, that is the one I shall here describe.

Take four or five heads of very white endive, detach all the green leaves, and wash each head well in a pail of cold water, but not leaving them in the water, or they would eat quite bitter, which, for my own part, I do not much object to, but many persons do; when clean, cut each head in halves down the centre, cut off the roots, which throw away, lay the endive in the centre of a clean cloth, which take by the four corners and shake until the salad is perfectly dry; then put it into a convenient-sized salad-bowl, season with three saltspoonfuls of salt, two of white pepper, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, six of salad-oil, and one of tarragon and chervil chopped very fine, then stir up lightly with a spoon and fork, and when well mixed let the guests help themselves.

Another method of dressing an endive salad, which, in the opinion of the generality of my guests, is the most preferable in point of flavour, is to rub the salad-bowl with a piece of fresh peeled garlic, then lay in the salad; have three or four pieces of crust of bread, about the size of shillings, let each be well rubbed with the garlic, season and stir well together as before.

Should any ladies, however, be going to partake of it, the bowl and crusts must not be so much rubbed, as too strong a flavour might be objectionable: this last receipt is only applicable to endive, every other salad, such as cos or cabbage lettuce, is plainly dressed as in the first receipt, adding more or less seasoning, or tarragon and chervil; a dozen of green spring onions is also an improvement to a salad.

To make a profitable family salad, a certain quantity of cold roast, stewed, or boiled meat (which you might have remaining) or poultry might be introduced in either of the above salads, having previously cut it into slices; you may also introduce a couple of hard-boiled eggs, cut in rings, with slices of beet-root, cucumbers, ripe tomatas, or even cold potatoes, but then a little more vinegar must be added: from such a salad a small family may in the summer months make an excellent meal.

No. 235. _Jelly of various kind of Fruits._ Having but little time to make very bright jellies at home, I usually simply make them as directed in the few following receipts--they are excellent and full of flavour: when in a hurry, I generally use isinglass, but at other times boil three calf’s feet, or two cow heels, in a gallon of water, and when well done pass the liquor through a sieve into a basin, and clarify the next day, by taking off every particle of fat, and putting it into a stewpan; place upon the fire, and when boiling, add a pint of water, with which you have whipped the whites of six eggs, mixing the juice of four lemons and two ounces of lump sugar; keep whisking over the fire until upon the point of boiling, when take from the fire, place the cover upon the stewpan, with a little live charcoal, or a few live cinders upon the top, let stand twenty minutes, when pour it through a jelly bag, pouring that which first runs through in again, until running quite clear, when all has passed through, pour it into a stewpan, and reduce it over a sharp fire to about a quart, when put it by for use, instead of isinglass, where indicated.

No. 236. _Orange Jelly._ The bountiful supply and cheapness of this delicious fruit will enable almost any person to partake of this excellent entremet.

Procure ten middling-sized oranges and two lemons, take the rind from three of the oranges and one of the lemons, as thinly as possible, which put into a basin, put a sieve over, through which squeeze the juice of the oranges and lemons, then put half a pound of sugar in a stewpan over the fire with a pint of water, and let boil until becoming a very thick syrup, when take it off, and add the juice and rind of the fruits, cover the stewpan for a few moments, when again place it over the fire; as soon as boiling commences, skim well, and add two glasses of water by degrees, which will assist its clarification, let boil another minute, when add an ounce and a quarter of isinglass, dissolved as directed (page 592), pass the whole through a jelly bag or fine cloth, and add a few drops of prepared cochineal to give an orange tint; when fill a mould, which place in two or three pounds of ice until set quite firm and ready to serve, when dip the mould in hot water to the rim, wipe the exterior, turn over upon your dish, lifting the mould straight, but gently off from the jelly.

As the sizes of the oranges very much fluctuate, and some produce more juice than others, it would be better to try a little jelly in a spoon upon ice, to ascertain if of the proper strength, before filling your mould. If handy, the same quantity, or a little more, of reduced calf’s foot jelly, as in the last, may be used instead of isinglass.

No. 237. _Whipped Orange Jelly._ This makes a very pleasing variation, without incurring any additional expense, being merely when the jelly is passed to put it in a bowl, which place upon ice, and commence whipping the jelly until upon the point of setting, when pour it quickly into your mould, which place upon ice until ready to serve, when dip the mould into warm water and turn the jelly out. Orange jelly, as directed in either of the last two, may also be served in the skins of the oranges by proceeding as directed (page 522), and serving them upon a napkin with laurel-leaves between, in the same manner as oranges for a dessert. The remainder of an orange jelly may be melted again, poured into glass custard cups, set upon ice, and served upon another occasion, if sufficient; the remains of a clear one might be whipped and poured again into the mould.

No. 238. _Lemon Jelly._ Proceed precisely the same as directed for orange, but omitting the oranges, and using the juice of eight and the rind of two lemons; this jelly requires to be kept quite white, and may be served either turned out of a mould, or in glasses, but not in the skin of the fruit, it being too bitter; half a pint of bucellas wine may be added to the above.

No. 239. _Currant and Raspberry Jelly._ Procure two pounds of fresh currants and a good handful of raspberries, which place in a clean cloth over a basin, fold the cloth up, and press the juice through it with your hands, then add two or three wineglassfuls of cold water, and pass the whole through a jelly bag, make a thick syrup from three quarters of a pound of sugar, to which add two ounces of dissolved isinglass (or sufficient calf’s foot jelly), mix the whole well together; when the syrup is a little cool, taste if palatable, place a little upon some ice, and if strong enough, fill your mould, which place in ice until quite set and ready to serve, when turn it out as before directed.

No. 240. _Strawberry Jelly._ Put a pint of water in a stewpan to boil, have ready picked a basket of fresh strawberries, and when the water is boiling throw them in, let simmer a minute, add the juice of a lemon, place the lid upon the stewpan, and stand by until half cold, when run the jelly through a napkin or jelly bag, make a syrup, and add the isinglass as above, but using less sugar, finish precisely as in the last.

Either of the last two jellies are, for a change, also very excellent whipped as directed for the orange jelly. It is almost needless to mention that when calf’s foot jelly is used, not quite so much sugar will be required as if only the isinglass.

JELLIES OF LIQUEURS AND SPIRITS.

No. 241. _Maresquino Jelly._ Have, if any, a quart of rather firm calf’s foot jelly, to which add, when melted, six liqueur-glassfuls of maresquino, and two of brandy, pour in your mould, which set upon ice until firm and ready for use, when turn out of your mould, as before, and serve. If no calf’s foot jelly, isinglass must be used instead, by dissolving an ounce and a half of isinglass, and adding it to a syrup made with the juice of two lemons, half a pound of sugar, and a pint or water, pass through a napkin or jelly bag, add two wineglassfuls more water, with the maresquino and brandy, when partly cold place in your mould, and serve as before.

Jelly made in either of the above methods may be flavoured with any other liqueurs (the quantity used depending principally upon taste), as also with rum, brandy, or whiskey, which last are more fit for a party of gentlemen.

No. 242. _Syrup of Almond, Iced à la Varsovienne, a substitute for Blancmange._ Almost every ordinary cook is acquainted with the old method of making a blancmange, and the tediousness of its fabrication; so at home I make the following substitute: blanch and pound in a mortar four ounces of sweet and one ounce of bitter almonds, boil three quarters of a pound of sugar to a thickish syrup, put in the almonds, let infuse twenty minutes, then pass it through a tammie, add sufficient dissolved isinglass or calf’s foot jelly to set it, with a glass of brandy or rum, place the above preparation in a bowl upon some ice, keeping it stirred until upon the point of setting, when stir in a pint of cream, previously well whipped, and pour it into a mould, let remain upon ice until ready to serve, when dip into lukewarm water and turn out upon your dish. The flavour of any kind of fruit may be used instead.

No. 243. _Pineapple Cream_ is what I now frequently make in the summer months, using the West Indian pineapples, which may be procured remarkably cheap. Peel a small one, and put the rind into a stewpan, with six ounces of sugar, and two wineglassfuls of water; let boil until reduced to a very thick syrup, when pass it through a sieve into a basin, cut the remainder of the pine into very small strips, which put into the basin with the syrup, have ready boiling half a pint of milk, in which you have dissolved rather more than an ounce of isinglass, in another stewpan have the yolks of five eggs, over which pour the milk, mix well, and stir over the fire until it becomes a little thickish, but not boiling, when pass it through a sieve over the syrup, mix well together, place in a bowl upon some ice, keep stirring until upon the point of setting, when add three parts of a pint of cream, previously whipped, stir well in, fill your mould, which leave upon the ice until ready to serve, when turn it out as in the last.

No. 244. _Prussian Cream._ Put an ounce and a half of isinglass, previously dissolved, into a bowl, melt it, and add six glasses of any liqueur, and two of brandy, with six ounces of powdered sugar, let well dissolve, place the bowl upon some ice, keeping its contents stirred until upon the point of setting, when add three parts of a pint of whipped cream; fill your mould, and proceed as before.

BOHEMIAN JELLY CREAMS.

No. 245. _Strawberry._ Pick and pass through a fine sieve a pottle of very fresh strawberries, to which add the juice of a lemon, six ounces of powdered sugar, and an ounce and a half of dissolved isinglass (or sufficient calf’s foot jelly to set it), put the above ingredients into a bowl, which set upon ice, keeping its contents stirred until upon the point of setting, when stir in three parts of a pint of cream, previously whipped; fill your mould, and proceed as before.

For cherries, raspberries, and currants, proceed as for strawberries, but for apricots, peaches, apples, pears, quinces, &c., proceed as follows:

No. 246. _Apricot Bohemian Cream._ Stone and cut into slices ten or twelve rather small apricots, quite ripe, and throw them into a stewpan containing half a pint of boiling water, and let boil until forming a purée when pass them through a hair sieve, add six ounces of powdered sugar, with the juice of two lemons, and an ounce and a half of isinglass, previously dissolved; place the whole in a bowl, which set upon ice, keep stirring until upon the point of setting, when add three parts of a pint of whipped cream, pour into your mould, which place upon ice, and turn out when ready to serve, as before.

Should your apricots be very ripe there would be no necessity to boil them, but merely rub them through a sieve, mix the lemon-juice, sugar, and isinglass, and finish as above.

Creams of peaches or of any of the before-mentioned fruits are made in the same manner: but until you have confidence in yourself, it would be better to taste for the sweetness, and try the stiffness by placing a little upon ice, previously to finishing it.

No. 247. _French Custard Cream._ Have ready ten custard glasses, or small coffee cups, measure one of them ten times full of milk, which place in a stewpan, and set upon the fire until boiling, when add a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, and the rind of two lemons, free from pith, place the lid upon the stewpan, take from the fire and let infuse ten minutes, then in a basin have ready the yolks of eight eggs, with which stir in the milk by degrees, pass through a tammie and fill the cups; have ready upon the fire a large flat stewpan, containing water sufficient to cover the bottom two inches in depth, and just simmering, stand in the cups, and let remain still simmering until the custards are quite firm, when take them out, let remain until cold, when wash the cups outside, dress them upon a napkin and serve; any kind of flavour may be introduced into the above; but for

No. 248, _Coffee Custard Cream_, proceed as follows: make half a pint of strong coffee according to the usual method, add half a pint of thin cream or milk previously boiled, sweeten to palate, mix with the yolks of eggs, pass through a tammie, and proceed precisely as directed in the last.

No. 249. _Coffee Custard Cream, White._ Put a quarter of a pound of green Mocha coffee into a small stewpan, which place over a slow fire, tossing the coffee over frequently until becoming lightly browned, but not black, in another stewpan have boiling a pint of milk, take from the fire, let infuse ten minutes, placing the lid upon the stewpan, then mix with eight yolks of eggs, pass through a tammie, and finish as before.

No. 250. _Chocolate Custard Cream._ Scrape half a cake of good chocolate, which put into a stewpan, and moisten by degrees with a pint of warm milk and cream, when well dissolved mix with the yolks of eggs, and finish as before.

Any of the above custards may be put into common tart dishes, and set in a potato steamer, or slowly baked in the oven, should the above process be too tedious or inconvenient.

Any description of English boiled custard may be made in the same manner, but instead of pouring it first into the cups, when the infusion is made, mix it with the yolks of eggs, and stir over the fire until thickening (but must not boil, or it would curdle), pass through a tammie, fill your cups or glasses, grate a little nutmeg over each, and serve when quite cold.

No. 251. _Almond Custard Cream._ The flavour of almonds, which appears to be so generally liked in England, and which were I to omit in custard I should consider it to be a piece of neglect, is generally obtained by the use of an essence which I cannot at all approve of, but consider the following method to obtain that delicious flavour to be much more commendable: blanch and skin two ounces of sweet with a few bitter almonds, pound them well, with sufficient sugar to sweeten a pint of milk, which you have in a stewpan, when boiling throw in the almonds and sugar, cover the stewpan, let infuse ten minutes in another stewpan, have the yolks of eight eggs, upon which pour the infusion, stirring it well and mixing by degrees, stir over the fire until thickening, when pass it through a tammie into a bowl, which place upon ice, or in cold water, keeping it stirred until quite cold, when mix a gill of cream whipped very stiff, fill your cups, sprinkle crushed ratafias over, and they are ready to serve.

By adding a little dissolved isinglass to the above when cooling, any description of spirits or liqueurs may be introduced.

The cream may be omitted, it will then make a good plain custard.

No. 252. _Cabinet Pudding._ Well butter a plain round mould or basin, round the interior of which stick a quantity of dried cherries, or Smyrna raisins, then about three parts fill the mould with sponge cake, interspersing two ounces of ratafias, over which sprinkle a good glass of brandy, then have ready the following custard: boil a pint of milk, in which infuse the rind of two lemons, free from pith, in a basin, have six whole eggs, which well whisk, with a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, and add the milk by degrees, pass through a tammie and fill up the mould, round the edge of which place a band of buttered paper, have a convenient-sized stewpan, with about two inches in depth of boiling water, place in your pudding, cover a sheet of paper over, and let simmer gently over the fire, keeping the stewpan covered down close until the pudding becomes quite firm, by which time you should be ready to serve it, take out, detach the paper, and turn from the mould over upon a dish; have ready the following sauce: put half a pint of melted butter into a stewpan, into which stir the yolks of two eggs, and add a glassful of brandy, with the juice of a lemon, and sufficient sugar to sweeten it, stir over the fire until becoming a little thick, when pass it through a tammie, sauce over the pudding and serve.

No. 253. _Bread Pudding._ Procure four French rolls, the crumb of which put into a basin, with a pint of boiling milk, let remain until half cold, when add six whole eggs, with a quarter of a pound of currants, and one ounce of candied citron, cut into very small dice, mix the whole well together; have ready prepared as in the last a plain round mould, in which pour the above mixture, steam it as in the last; when done and ready to serve, turn from the mould, and serve with the same sauce poured over as before directed.

No. 254. _Ground Rice Pudding._ Place a pint of milk in a stewpan over the fire, and when boiling throw in the rind of a lemon, cut as thinly as possible, and quite free from pith; take from the fire, cover the stewpan, and leave ten minutes to infuse; then in a basin have six ounces of ground rice, which mix smoothly with half a pint of cold milk, take out the lemon-peel from the milk in the stewpan, pour in the mixture, and stir the whole over the fire until thickening, when take from the fire; add six whole eggs, six ounces of powdered sugar and a little grated nutmeg, mix the whole well together, have ready, well buttered, a pudding-dish, into which pour the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven until set; serve hot.

No. 255. _Rice Pudding._ Well wash six ounces of Carolina rice in one or two waters, drain and dry it upon a cloth, and put it into a stewpan with a pint and a half of cold milk and a quarter of a pound of butter, place the stewpan over a moderate fire, allowing its contents to simmer very gently until the rice becomes quite tender, when add six whole eggs well whipped, six ounces of sugar, and a little grated nutmeg; pour into a buttered pudding-dish, and bake in a moderate oven until set and nicely coloured; serve hot as before.

Sago, tapioca, semoulina, and vermicelli puddings are made very similar to the last, and served the same; they may of course be flavoured with lemon, any description of spice approved of, or a couple of glasses of brandy, rum, noyeau, maresquino, or almost any description of wine, spirits, or liqueurs.

No. 256. _Macaroni Pudding._ Have half a pound of macaroni, which boil in half a gallon of water until becoming tender, when drain it upon a sieve; have ready boiling in a stewpan half a pint of milk, in which put the macaroni (having previously cut it into pieces an inch in length), with a quarter of a pound of butter and the rind of a lemon, free from pith, tied in a bunch; let simmer gently about twenty minutes, when take out the lemon-peel and add six whole eggs, well whisked, with six ounces of sugar; have ready a pudding-dish well buttered, into which pour the above preparation; bake and serve as before.

No. 257. _Gateau of Rice._ Well wash half a pound of Carolina rice, which well drain and put into a stewpan with a quart of milk, a quarter of a pound of butter, and a few sticks of cinnamon; let simmer over a slow fire until the rice is very tender, and the whole becoming thickish, when take out the pieces of cinnamon; add six ounces of powdered sugar and eight whole eggs, stir in quickly over the fire until becoming again thickish, when have ready a plain oval mould, well butter the interior, lay a sheet of buttered paper at the bottom, pour in the above, filling the mould to within three quarters of an inch from the rim, and place in a moderate oven, where let remain until set quite firm, when take from the oven, turn out of your mould upon a dish, and serve quite hot, with a sauce over, as directed for cabinet pudding. Gateaux of macaroni, vermicelli, &c., may also be made by the above directions, preparing them as for pudding, but making the mixture as directed for the rice.

No. 258. _Fruit Puddings._ As almost every description of fruit pudding is made in the same manner, I consider it would be entirely useless to enter into their details, so shall here content myself with merely giving a description of the apple pudding, which, although one of the most common, is in my opinion one of the best.

Put a pound of flour upon your pastry slab, with which mix half a pound of beef suet, well shred and finely chopped, make a hole in the centre, in which pour nearly half a pint of water, mixing the flour and suet in by degrees, and shaking the whole lightly together, then take two thirds, which roll up into a ball, and with the rolling-pin form it into a round sheet, nearly half an inch in thickness; have ready a round-bottomed basin, well buttered and floured, which line with the sheet of paste, keeping it about an inch above the rim of the basin; have also ready sufficient apples peeled and cut in slices, with which fill the interior, adding a piece of butter the size of a walnut, six ounces of powdered or brown sugar, six or eight cloves, and a little grated nutmeg; wet round the edge of the paste above the basin, roll out the remainder to form a lid of about the same thickness, lay it over the top, joining them well together, then tie the pudding with the basin in a cloth; have ready a good-sized stewpan over the fire, three parts full of boiling water, into which put the pudding, boiling it about an hour and a half: when done and ready to serve take it from the cloth, pass your knife carefully round the sides between the pudding and the basin, turn over upon a dish, lift the basin from it gently, and serve as soon as possible.

Some people prefer the paste for fruit puddings made of butter, which is also very good; but in my opinion the suet paste is much lighter; the trimmings of puff-paste, if any, would also make an excellent crust for a fruit.