Chapter XI: Part 11

520. _Veal Curry._--Cut up about two pounds of lean veal into small square pieces, half the size of walnuts, then put a large onion cut into small dice in a stewpan, with a clove of garlic and one apple cut into slices, and one ounce of butter; keep them stirred over a moderate fire until lightly browned, when stir in a good tablespoonful of mild curry powder, half one of flour, mix well, then add a pint of water, let it just boil up, put in the veal, which stir round two or three times, to mix with the curry, and put the stewpan over a slow fire, or in a warm oven for an hour and a half; when done (which you may ascertain by pressing a piece between the finger and thumb, if done it would be quite tender and separate), add the juice of a lemon and a little salt, stir the whole round three or four times very gently, to mix, and turn it out upon your dish, serve with rice separately.

Should you require a veal curry made in less time, the better plan would be to sauté the veal in butter previously, then putting it with its own gravy to the curry, and boiling the whole gently a quarter of an hour.

To make a veal curry with curry paste, sauté the veal in butter; when becoming slightly browned, add a good tablespoonful of the paste, with half a pint of water, leave it to stew about half an hour, when it will be ready to serve.

Beef, mutton, lamb, and pork curries are made precisely the same as directed for veal curries.

521. _Breast of Veal Curry._--Procure a piece of breast of veal about three pounds in weight, with the bones and tendons attached, which chop into about twenty square pieces, and put into a stewpan, with two quarts of water, and a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaves; let it simmer three hours at the corner of the fire, skimming off all the fat, then take out the meat and strain the broth into a basin; in another stewpan have a middling-sized onion (cut into small dice), with an ounce of butter, sauté them rather brown, then add a good tablespoonful of curry powder, mix well, and pour in the broth, then add the meat, which let stew in the curry one hour longer, until the meat is very tender, and the sauce becomes rather thick; pour off as much fat as possible, season with a little salt and the juice of a lemon, which stir in very gently, take the meat out as whole as possible, dress them upon your dish, pour the sauce over and serve; rice separately.

522. _Breast of Mutton Curry._--Cut up a breast of mutton, bones and all, into pieces about two inches in length and one in width, which put into a stewpan with two quarts of water, to simmer for about two hours, when proceed precisely as directed in the last.

523. _Breast of Lamb Curry_ is made very similar to the preceding, and is considered a great treat to those who are fond of curries. Curry paste may be used to advantage, either by itself, or mixed equally with the powder. There being a great quantity of fat in the breast, great care should be taken to remove it from the curry every available opportunity.

524. _Lamb's Head Curry._--Procure a lamb's head, which split in halves, break the bones at the nostrils, and put into lukewarm water an hour to disgorge, previously taking out the brains, which likewise disgorge in the water, then put the head into a stewpan well covered with water, let it boil two hours, when take it out, separate the bones from the flesh, which cut into small pieces. In another stewpan have a middling-sized onion cut into small dice, which set upon the fire, adding two ounces of butter, and sauté them a light brown color, when add a tablespoonful of curry powder, and half that quantity of curry paste, mix well together, then put in the pieces of head with half a pint of broth, and stew gently for half an hour. Whilst the curry is stewing, take the brains from the water, and put them into a stewpan of boiling water, let simmer five minutes, after which chop very fine, and put them into a basin, with a good handful of bread-crumbs, a little white pepper, salt, and chopped parsley, mix well together with an egg, and form it into six little round balls, which egg and bread-crumb twice over, and fry in a little hot lard, of a very light brown color, then dress the curry upon a dish, lay the brain croquets round, and serve with rice separately.

525. _Calf's Head Curry_ is usually made with the remains left from a previous dinner; if about two pounds of meat remaining upon the bone, cut it whilst cold into thin slices, then cut two onions and two apples into small dice, which put into a stewpan, with an ounce of butter and half a clove of garlic cut in slices, stir with a wooden spoon over the fire until sautéd nice and brown, when add a tablespoonful of curry powder, half one of flour, mix well, then pour in a pint of broth, add a little salt, and boil twenty minutes, keeping it well stirred; then put in the calf's head, and let it remain upon the fire until quite hot through; add the juice of half a lemon, which stir in very gently, without breaking the meat, dress it upon a dish, and serve with rice separately. Curry sauce may be passed through a sieve previously to putting the head in.

526. _Calf's Feet Curry._--After boiling a set of feet for calf's feet jelly, the feet may be served in curry as follows: separate the meat from the bones whilst the feet are warm; when cold, cut them into small square pieces, and proceed exactly as in the last; or use curry sauce.

527. _Calf's Tail Curry._--Cut up calves' tails into joints, which put into a stewpan, with a small piece of lean ham and a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf; cover them with three pints of cold water, and let simmer about two hours, until tender, keeping them well skimmed; when done, strain the stock through a hair sieve into a basin, and put the tails upon a plate; then proceed as directed for calf's head curry, but using the stock from the tails, and reducing the curry until rather thickish before adding the tails.

528. _Ox Tail Curry_ is made precisely as in the last, but one tail would be sufficient, and it would require double the time to stew; or use curry sauce.

529. _Tripe Curry._--Cut two large onions into very small dice, which put into a stewpan, with two ounces of butter, and stir over the fire until brown, when well mix in a tablespoonful of curry powder and half that quantity of paste; add a pint of broth, and two pounds of double tripe cut into strips; let the whole stew very slowly one hour, keeping it well skimmed, when dress it upon a dish, and serve with rice separately.

530. _Lobster Curry._--Procure a large boiled lobster, break the shell, and take out the flesh in as large pieces as possible, cutting the tail into about six pieces, and the claws of a proportionate size; then cut two onions into small slices, which put into a stewpan, with an ounce of butter, fry them of a light yellow color, then mix in a good tablespoonful of mild curry paste (or half powder and half paste), and add a pint of good broth, then boil it up over the fire until becoming a little thickish, when put in the lobster, stir the whole round, then cover the stewpan closely, and put it into a moderate oven half an hour, by which time the curry would be of a proper consistency, and the lobster very delicately tender, add the juice of half a lemon, and serve with rice separately. If no oven it may be very gradually stewed over a slow fire, in which case it might want moistening occasionally.

531. _Crab Curry._--Prepare the onions and curry precisely as in the last, but adding the flesh of a crab (broken small) instead of a lobster; let it stew over the fire about twenty minutes, add the juice of half a lemon, and serve as before.

532. _Oyster Curry._--Blanch and beard six dozen of oysters, leaving the oysters in their own liquor; then cut two middling-sized onions into small dice, and sauté it in a stewpan, with an ounce of butter; when done, mix in two teaspoonfuls of curry powder and one of curry paste, then add the oysters with their liquor, and keep stirring over the fire until the oysters become enveloped in a thick sauce, when turn them out upon your dish, and serve with rice separately.

533. _Prawn Curry._--Procure sufficient prawns to weigh about a pound; when picked, put half of a small onion chopped very fine into a stewpan, with half an ounce of butter, stir them over the fire until becoming rather yellowish; then add two teaspoonfuls of mild but rather piquant curry paste, mixing the whole gradually with half a pint of good broth; then put in the prawns, and stew gently about a quarter of an hour, when they will be ready to serve; rice separate.

If no curry paste, powder may be used, but the paste is far preferable.

Shrimps may also be curried in the same way, but they are in general so very salt.

534. _Salmon Curry._--Have two slices of salmon, weighing about a pound each, which cut into pieces of the size of walnuts, cut up two middling-sized onions, which put into a stewpan, with an ounce of butter and a clove of garlic cut in thin slices, stir over the fire until becoming rather yellowish; then add a tablespoonful of curry powder and half that quantity of curry paste, mix all well together with a pint of good broth, put in the salmon, which stew about half an hour, pour off as much of the oil as possible; if too dry, moisten with a little more broth, mixing it gently, and serve as before.

Salmon curry may also be made with the remains left from a previous dinner, in which case reduce the curry sauce until rather thick before putting in the salmon, which only requires to be made hot in it.

The remains of a turbot might also be curried in the same way, and also any kind of fish.

535. _Fillet of Sole Curry._--Fillet two nice soles, and cut each fillet into five pieces (slantwise); then in a stewpan have a small onion chopped fine and fried, to which add a tablespoonful of curry paste, or an equal quantity of paste and powder; when well mixed, put in the fillets of soles, with just sufficient broth to cover them; let it boil rather fast for ten minutes, when the sauce will become sufficiently thick to envelop the fish, season with the juice of half a lemon, and serve with rice separately.

Fillets of haddocks or whitings are curried precisely the same.

536. _Skate Curry._--Plain boil about two pounds of skate with a piece of the liver, which put upon a dish without a napkin, previously well draining off the water; whilst the fish is boiling, cut two onions in slices, which put into a stewpan, with an ounce of butter, and fry of a lightish brown color; then mix in a tablespoonful of curry powder with a teaspoonful of flour, and a pint of good broth, set it upon the fire, keeping it stirred, and when boiling, put in a good-sized apple cut into slices, let boil until it is reduced to about half, when rub it through a tammy or hair sieve, pour it again into a stewpan, and when hot, pour over the fish, and serve with rice separately.

EGGS.

537. _Plain Baked Eggs._--Butter with one ounce a plated dish, or common tart-dish, that will bear the heat of the oven; break carefully six eggs on it, season with one pinch of pepper, half a spoonful of salt, and add half an ounce of butter in small pieces over, put them in a slack oven until set, and serve.

538. _Baked Eggs with Asparagus._--Cut twenty heads of sprue into small pieces, keeping only the tender part, boil them for fifteen minutes, put them into a stewpan, with half an ounce of butter, set them on the fire for three minutes, season with a little pepper, salt, and sugar; when done, put them in the dish you intend to serve it in, break six eggs over, which season as above, put it into the oven until it sets, and serve; in case the oven is not sufficiently hot, place a salamander over the eggs.

539. _Mashed Eggs._--Break four eggs into a stewpan, with one ounce of butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, and a pinch of pepper, put it on the fire, stir continually, and as soon as delicately set, serve.

These can be served with either green peas, sprue grass, or mushrooms, which must be stewed and prepared as if ready to serve; put some in the stewpan with the eggs, and proceed as before. If meagre, use cream instead of butter.

540. _Eggs with Burnt Butter._--Put into a frying-pan two ounces of butter, which melt; as soon as it is on the point of browning, put in the eggs, which have been previously broken in a basin, and seasoned with pepper and salt; when well set, serve, with a teaspoonful of vinegar over the eggs.

541. _Eggs à la Tripe._--Cut about two onions each into thin slices, put them in a stewpan, with half an ounce of fresh butter, and set them on a slow fire; when warmed through, put half a teaspoonful of salt, quarter ditto of pepper, a teaspoonful of flour, a gill of milk, and a little sugar; let it boil, put in six hard eggs cut in quarters, and serve, after a little ebullition.

542. _Snow Eggs._--Take half a pint of milk and a little sugar, and flavor it with orange-flower water, or any other essence, and put it in a stewpan on the fire, having previously beaten up the whites of six eggs to a stiff froth; if very hot weather, you must place the basin they are in on ice, or in cold water; whilst beating, add some powdered sugar lightly; when the milk is boiling, take the white up with a tablespoon, and drop it, one tablespoonful at a time, in the stewpan to poach, keeping the shape of an egg, which turn over when set; when done, remove with a colander on to a sieve, and dress them in a crown on the dish you intend to serve them on; when all done, beat up the yolks of four of the eggs in a stewpan, with a little sugar and a few drops of orange-flower water, pour part of the boiling milk out of the stewpan into it, sufficient to make a good stiff custard, put it on the fire until rather thick, and pour over the white, and serve either hot or cold: the last is preferable.

543. _Eggs with Cheese._--Put into a stewpan about two ounces of grated Parmesan, or Gruyère, or old Cheshire, with one ounce of butter, two sprigs of parsley, two spring onions chopped up, a little grated nutmeg, and half a glass of sherry; put it on the fire, and keep stirring until the cheese is well melted; break six eggs in a basin, put them in the stewpan, stir and cook them on a slow fire; when done, serve with fried sippets of bread round. Or,

_Another way._

Put into a flat dish that will bear the oven a piece of butter the size of a walnut, the same of grated cheese, the yolks of two eggs, some grated cinnamon and nutmeg, mix these on the dish, put it either in the oven or in the hot plate, or, from want of either, before the fire, until it sets, then gently break six eggs on the dish, and cover with grated cheese, and salamander until a nice brown, or for want of one, keep it before the fire until it is so, and serve.

544. _Eggs in Cases._--Cut up a sheet of paper into pieces of three inches square, turn up half an inch all around so as to form a kind of case, they will then remain but two inches square in the inside. Take a small piece of butter, a pinch of fine breadcrumbs, a little fine chopped parsley, spring onions, salt, and pepper, and mix them together, put a little into each case, then break one egg into each, put them on a gridiron over a slow fire, and do them gently, or place them in a dish in an oven; when well set, serve.

545. _Omelette with Herbs._--Break six eggs in a basin or stewpan, and add to it a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and one of chopped eschalot or spring onions, half ditto of salt, and a pinch of pepper, and beat it well up together. Put into an omelette-pan, that is, a small frying-pan six inches in diameter, two ounces of butter, which melt, then pour in the eggs, stir round with a spoon; as soon as it begins to set, lightly move it to that part of the pan opposite the handle, so that it occupies only one third, hold it so that that part of the pan is the lowest, move with a spoon the outside edges over, and let it remain half a minute, so that it obtains a good color, turn it over on to the dish so that the bottom is at the top. They must not be too much done, and served very hot. They may be served plain, or with the addition of any gravy.

Omelettes of ham, Parmesan, &c., are all made as the above, with the addition that these articles must have been properly cooked previously, and well chopped up, so as to mix well with the eggs, beat them up well together, and cook in a pan the same way, or a little grated cheese may be added. This I beg of you to practise; though simple, there is some art in making it.

GARNITURE FOR OMELETTES.

546. _Asparagus, Peas, and Green Peas._--Put in a stewpan two spoonfuls of plain boiled sprue-grass that has previously been cut up, add to it half an ounce of butter, a little salt, pepper, and sugar, warm it on the fire, moving it continually; when warm, put it with a spoon in the centre of the omelette, turn over, and serve; the same with peas, and add melted butter or white sauce.

547. _Oysters._--Open and blanch delicately twelve middle-sized oysters, and put them in a stewpan with their own gravy, beard them, add a tablespoonful of milk or cream, and give it a boil, then add half an ounce of butter in which you have mixed a saltspoonful of flour, stir it in without breaking the oysters, put over the centre of your omelette, and proceed as before.

548. _Lobster._--Cut half or a small one in thin slices, put four tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan, a few drops of essence of anchovies, and a little cayenne; put in your lobster, warm it well, and put in the middle of the omelette, as above.

549. _Kidneys._--Cook two kidneys as No. 430; when done, serve in centre of omelette, as above.

550. _Mushrooms._--Wash about ten small fresh mushrooms, cut in slices, put in a stewpan, with half an ounce of butter, a little salt, pepper, and the juice of a quarter of a lemon, simmer for a few minutes on the fire till tender; if too liquid, add a little flour, place in centre of omelette, and proceed as above.

551. _Bacon._--Cut two ounces of good lean bacon in small dice, put in pan to fry with the butter for one minute, then mix with the eggs prepared as for omelette of herbs, and cook the same way.

ENTRÉES OF GAME.

552. _Broiled Pheasant._--Having drawn a pheasant, lay it upon its breast, and pass a knife down the back-bone, upon each side, taking it entirely out, then cut off the feet at the knuckle, break the leg and thigh-bones, turning the leg inside, separate the breast-joint of the wing, pressing the bird quite flat, then sauté it in a sauté-pan, with a little lard or dripping, and when browned on both sides, and about half done, place it upon a plate, season well with salt and pepper, egg and bread-crumb over, and broil it upon a gridiron over a moderate fire until sufficiently done, which would be in about a quarter of an hour, when serve with game, mushroom, or any piquant sauce.

The advantage of broiling or sautéing game or poultry is, that when you are alone, you need only cook the half of any large bird at one time.

_Game Curries._--I have also made very good game curries, but not too hot with curry, as that would entirely destroy the flavor of the game.

553. _Pheasant stewed with Cabbage._--The following is an excellent method for dressing a pheasant which should prove to be rather old, although a young one would be preferable. Procure a large savoy, which cut into quarters, and well wash in salt and water, after which boil it five minutes in plain water, then drain it quite dry, cut off the stalk, season rather highly with pepper and salt, have ready a middling-sized onion, and half a pound of streaky bacon, which, with the cabbage, put into a stewpan, covering the whole with a little good broth; let it simmer at the corner of the fire three quarters of an hour, then thrust the pheasant (previously three parts roasted) into the cabbage, and let them stew nearly three quarters of an hour longer, or until the stock has reduced to glaze, and adheres thickly to the cabbage, when dress the cabbage in a mound upon your dish, with the bacon, cut into slices, around, and the pheasant upon the top, half way buried in the cabbage; have a little game sauce, which pour round and serve.

554. _Joe Miller's stewed Pheasant._--Roast a pheasant as directed (No. 582), but previously dipping it into flour, and occasionally flour over whilst roasting, thus making the exterior very crisp, and keeping it nearly white, then put the crumbs of two French rolls into 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 the whole boil a few minutes, when take out the eschalot and bay-leaf, place a piece of buttered toast upon your dish, pour the above over, dress the pheasant upon the top, and serve.

555. _Hashed Pheasant._--Should you have any remains of pheasants from a previous day, cut them into as neat pieces as possible, then put an ounce of butter into a stewpan, with half an ounce of flour, which stir two or three minutes over the fire, until becoming slightly browned; then add a glass of port wine, half a pint of water, season highly, boil at the corner of the stove, stirring and skimming occasionally, until sufficiently thick to adhere to the back of the spoon; then put in the pieces of pheasant, with a little coloring, let it remain ten minutes, at the corner of the stove, but not to boil, when dress the meat upon your dish, pass the sauce over through a sieve, and serve.

556. _A plain Salmi of Pheasant._--Or, should you have a pheasant left that little has been cut from, cut and trim it into neat joints, which put into a stewpan, then in another stewpan put the bones and trimmings, chopped up very small, with an onion in slices, a little parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf, four peppercorns, and a glass of sherry, boil altogether two minutes, then add three parts of a pint of brown sauce, and half a pint of broth (if no brown sauce, add a spoonful of flour and a quart of broth or water and some coloring); let the whole boil until reduced to half, skimming it occasionally; place a fine hair sieve over the stewpan containing the pieces of pheasant, through which pass the sauce, warm altogether gently, without boiling, and when quite hot dress the pieces neatly upon a dish, pour the sauce over, and serve with sippets of fried or toasted bread (cut into the shape of hearts) around.

The remains of pheasant, or any other game, may also be minced and warmed in a little of the above sauce, and served with poached eggs upon the top, or likewise made into boudins and croquettes, as directed for turkey.

557. _Grouse._--The Scotch method is to plain roast the grouse, dress it upon toast, and pour plain melted butter over.

But they may be dressed in any of the ways directed for pheasants, with the exception of being stewed with cabbage, as may be likewise every description of black game.

558. _Stewed Partridges with Cabbage._--Have two nice partridges trussed as for boiling, and run five or six slices of fat bacon, of the thickness of a quill, lengthwise through the breast, but not to protrude, and roast them fifteen minutes before a moderate fire; have some cabbage stewed as directed for pheasant with cabbage, but stewed nearly dry before thrusting in the partridges; keep the whole hot, but not boiling, for about an hour; have ready two pork sausages, nicely broiled, dress the cabbage, which must be quite dry, upon your dish in a mound, with the partridges at the top, half buried in it, cut the bacon in halves, placing a piece at each end, with a sausage at each side; pour half a pint of game sauce round, and serve; good plain gravy is also very nice.

559. _Partridge sauté with Mushrooms._--Have two young partridges, each of which cut in halves, and lay in a convenient-sized stewpan, into which you have previously poured two or three tablespoonfuls of salad oil, first seasoning them lightly with a little white pepper and salt, and a sprinkle of chopped eschalots; put a cover upon the stewpan, which place over a moderate fire, until one side of the partridges is browned, when turn them over, proceeding the same until browned on both sides; then pour off part of the oil, and add half a tablespoonful of flour, which well mix in, then add a glass of sherry, half a pint of broth, and twenty small button mushrooms (previously blanched); let it simmer, skimming off all the oil which rises to the surface, until the partridges are tender, and the sauce thick enough to adhere to them; season the sauce a little if required, dress the partridges upon a dish, sauce over, and serve.

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

560. _Woodcocks, à la Lucullus._--Plain roast the woodcocks as directed in Roasts, catching their trails upon toast, upon which, when done, dress the birds on a dish; have ready a little thick melted butter, with which mix the yolk of an egg and a little cream, pour this over the woodcocks, sprinkle lightly with bread-crumbs, salamander of a light brown color, and serve with a little gravy round.

561. _Woodcock, the Sportsman's fashion._--Roast two woodcocks rather underdone, catching their trails upon a large piece of toasted bread, when done cut each bird into quarters, which place in a stewpan, with the remainder of the trail cut small, a little pepper, salt, a glass of sherry, a little chopped eschalot, the juice of half a lemon, and half a gill of broth, let the whole simmer very gently a few minutes; dress the pieces of woodcock rather high upon the toast, pour the sauce over, and serve.

562. _Hashed Woodcock._--Should you have any remaining from a previous dinner, cut each one in four (or if not whole, into neat pieces), chop all the interior rather fine, 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 a piece of the above preparation upon each, and put them in a warm oven for a short time; hash the pieces of woodcock as directed for pheasant, and serve with the croutons round.

563. _Snipes à la minute._--Put a quarter of a pound of butter into a stewpan, over which lay six snipes, breasts downwards, add a spoonful of chopped onions, the same of chopped parsley, a little grated nutmeg, half a teaspoonful of salt, and a saltspoonful of white pepper; set the stewpan over a brisk fire for seven or ten minutes (according to the size of the birds), stirring them round continually; then add the juice of one lemon, two glasses of sherry, the same of broth, and a spoonful of finely-grated crust of bread; let the whole simmer a few minutes longer, dress the birds upon a dish, stir the sauce well together, pour it over the snipes, and serve; a little glaze is an improvement.

564. _Plovers sauté with English Truffles._--Procure four plovers, which lay breasts downwards in a stewpan, containing a quarter of a pound of butter, to which add eight raw truffles, well washed, peeled, and cut into very thin slices, 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 them round occasionally; then well mix in half a tablespoonful of flour, which moisten with half a pint of broth and a glass of white wine; let the whole simmer at the corner of the fire twenty minutes longer, keeping it well skimmed, dress the birds upon a dish, reduce the sauce to a proper consistency, season with a little sugar and the juice of a lemon, and pour it over the birds; serve very hot.

565. _Wild Duck, with Orange Sauce._--Having trussed your duck as for roasting, rub it all over with the liver until quite red; then put it down before a good fire to roast for twenty minutes, after which cut eight incisions down the breast, and have ready the following preparation: put an ounce of butter into a stewpan, with a quarter of a saltspoonful of cayenne, the rind of an orange (free from pith, previously cut into strips, and blanched in boiling water, and well drained upon a sieve), and the juice of a lemon, warm all together, and when melted, but not oily, pour over the duck, and serve.

566. _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 on 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 coloring may be added, if approved.

567. _Widgeons._--Rub the breast of a widgeon over with a part of the liver, chop up the remaining part, to which add 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, having ready the following sauce: put half a glass of port wine into a stewpan, with a teaspoonful of chopped eschalots, 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 the same as wild duck.

568. _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.

569. _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 excellent hash.

570. _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; but do not let them stew too quickly, or the bottom will brown and give a bad flavor to the sauce; seven minutes are quite sufficient to stew them.

571. _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, stuffed as above, season with a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter ditto of pepper, one of chopped parsley, and one of chopped eschalots, lay a bay-leaf over, add a gill of broth, and cover with three quarters of a pound of half puff paste, 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.

572. _Jugged Hare._--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 high with pepper and salt, let simmer until tender, keeping well skimmed; when done, and the sauce becoming rather thick, dress upon your dish, and serve.

573. _Jugged Hare (another way)._--Put about half a pound of butter, with ten ounces of flour, into a stewpan, put it on the fire, and keep stirring it round until it has a yellow tinge; then add a pound of bacon cut in square pieces, stir it a little longer on the fire; the hare having been previously cut up, put it into the stewpan and stir it about until it becomes firm, when add four glasses of port wine and sufficient water to cover it; season, and add two bay-leaves and four cloves, and when half done, about fifty button onions, or ten large ones in slices, a tablespoonful of brown sugar, let it simmer until it is well done and the sauce rather thick; dress up, sauce over, and serve. If an old one, it will take about four hours.

ROASTS--SECOND COURSE.

These dishes consist almost always of game, which require to be
sent up immediately they are taken from the fire, and require great
care and attention in cooking them. In the following pages will be
found many which are scarce and rarely seen in London, and never
mentioned in our various cookery books; but considering that many
of our friends reside in the country, I have written it for them.

574. _Turkey Poults._--Turkey poults, so called from being used when about the size of a large pullet, are trussed with the legs turned at the knuckle and the feet pressing upon the thighs, the neck is skinned and the head fixed under the wing; roast them the same as directed for turkeys, about twenty-five minutes or half an hour, according to their size, and in the same modes, but they are usually served, one larded and the other barded, with gravy and water-cresses in the dish.

575. _Roast Capon with Cresses._--Roast and serve a capon in any of the ways directed for turkeys, roast of a nice gold color, and serve with water-cresses round; a capon weighing five pounds requires about three quarters of an hour to roast. Poularde au cresson, exactly as above.

576. _Roast Pullet._--For a dinner of four entrées you would require two fowls, but not too large; truss and roast them as directed for a turkey, judging the time required according to their size, and serve with gravy and water-cresses; they may be larded, barded, or served in any way mentioned in the foregoing receipts. A fowl weighing two pounds and a half would require half an hour roasting, or three quarters of an hour, if larger.

577. _Spring Chickens_ are served like fowls, generally plain roasted, but they may be larded as the poularde. Be particular in tying the legs upon paper to the spit, as directed for the turkey, as it so improves their appearance when roasted. About twenty minutes would be sufficient to roast them.

578. _Goslings._--A green goose roasted plain, and served with a little gravy, is generally sent up for second courses; but if the larger ones are used, they must be stuffed with sage and onions, but very few would choose such a thing for a roast second course, whilst green geese in their season are great favorites; truss them by cutting off the leg at the knuckle, and the wing at the first pinion, fixing them at the side with skewers to throw the breast up; a full-grown goose will take one hour to roast, but a green one not more than half an hour.

579. _Ducklings_ make a very favorite roast in the London season; they must have good fillets, white and plump, and require to be a little more underdone than any other description of poultry; if too much done, the fat catches and gives a rank flavor to the flesh, besides causing the fillets to eat dry. They are usually served plain roasted for a second course, yet I have served them differently upon some occasions for the sake of variety, but it must be with a very thin sauce and one that invigorates the palate, although they never can be better than when served plain roasted. I shall here give one or two deviations: truss them by twisting the legs at the knuckles and resting the feet upon the thighs, cut the wing off at the first pinion and run a skewer through the bird, fixing the pinion and legs with it, place them upon a spit, and roast twenty minutes.

580. _Guinea Fowls._--These birds must be very young, for, being naturally very dry, they are not eatable if more than twelve months old; they are generally larded or barded, and served plain roasted, rather well done; they are trussed like the common fowls, and require nearly three quarters of an hour to roast.

581. _Pea Fowls._--These magnificent birds make a noble roast, and when young are very excellent; they are larded, plain roasted, and served with the tail stuck into the bird, which you have preserved, the head with its feathers being left folded up in paper, and tucked under the wing; roast about an hour and a half, take the paper from the head and neck, dress it upon your dish with water-cresses, and the gravy and bread-sauce separate in a boat.

GAME (CHOICE OF).--There is no article of food that is so deceiving
in appearance to know if it is young, tender, and good, or not, as
game; to a person living in the country, where a member of the
family has shot them in his day's sport or have been received as
presents, a knowledge how to distinguish them is requisite. Young
birds may be distinguished by the softness of their quills; females
will eat better than males, they are more tender and juicy. Old
pheasants are known by the length and sharpness of their spurs, in
young ones they are short and blunt.--Old partridges before
Christmas have light-blue legs, instead of yellow-brown.--Wild fowl
may be known to be old from their bills and the stiffness of the
sinews of the legs, those that have the finest plumage are the
worst eating.--Hares and rabbits: try if the ear will easily tear
and the jaw-bone break between the finger and the thumb, if not
they are only fit for soup or jugging.--On receiving birds of all
kinds, put in their mouths three or four peppercorns bruised and
one clove of garlic, and pepper the place where shot. In case you
receive many, tie a piece of paper to them with the date on which
they were received.

582. _Pheasants._--At the present day there are great varieties of these birds, which differ as much in their flavor as their plumage. There are also a large quantity of hybrids sold in market as a genuine pheasant, and it is impossible to know them when plucked. The flavor of the bird will depend in a great measure on the nature of the country where it is killed.

Have them prepared and trussed: put them about eighteen inches from the fire for five minutes, then draw them close, and roast as quickly as possible, rubbing them all over with a little butter, serve up with bread-sauce separate, and good gravy under. They are also good larded, or one larded and the other barded.

583. _Partridges._--The red-legged in this country are not so fine in flavor as the gray; they are dressed like the pheasant, but all the time at a very quick fire, and serve very hot from the spit; it is better to wait a minute or two for it than to have it wait for you; dish it up with a little made gravy with it, and bread-sauces, as above.

584. _Grouse._--These birds should be well kept, trussed like a fowl for roasting, and served with brown gravy under, or may be dressed as follows: truss as before, covering the breast with vine leaves and fat bacon, which tie on; roast from half to three quarters of an hour according to size, and serve with toast under, and melted butter over.

585. _Red Grouse, Gorcock or Moorcock--the common Moor Game (l'Attagas)._--Trussed like a fowl for roasting, which cook quick before a sharp fire, serve with toasted bread under.

586. _White Grouse or Ptarmigan (le Lagopède)._--They are to be trussed like the above, and plain roasted, and served with toast under and fried bread-crumbs, separate or dressed as follows:--Put two spoonfuls of currant-jelly in a stewpan, with the juice of a lemon and a little salt dissolved in it; when melted, pour over and serve.

587. _Wild Ducks (Canard Sauvage)._--The male is called the Mallard, and the young one Flapper. Under the above title a great many birds are sold.

They should all be cooked alike; they must be kept two or three days before they are dressed; they are trussed by twisting each leg at the knuckle, and resting the claws on each side of the breast, fixing them with a skewer run through the thighs and pinions of the wings; rub the liver over the breast, roast them before a quick fire from fifteen to twenty minutes, baste with butter, not basting them when first put down will keep the gravy in; one should be better done than the other, in order to suit the taste of those at table; serve with made gravy under, and a lemon separate.

588. _Widgeon, Whewer, or Whim (le Canard Siffleur)._--These should be eaten fresher than a Wild Duck, trussed, dressed, and served the same; fifteen minutes is sufficient before a good fire.

589. _Dunbird, Pochard, or Great-headed Widgeon (Pénélope, le Millouin)._--In some parts, _Red Heads_, _Parkers_, or _Half Birds_. These are dressed as above, but are not so good as the Widgeon.

590. _Teal (la petite Sarcelle)._--This is a delicious bird when fat, which they generally are after a frost. They must be trussed with care like ducklings; they will take about eight minutes to roast; serve with gravy, water-cresses, and lemon, separate, about six on a dish; or with sauces Nos. 141, 143.

591. _Garganey (la Sarcelle)._--These are called Summer Teal, resemble it in shape, and are dressed the same way.

592. _Plover._--Of these there are several sorts, all of which are good to eat at certain seasons.

They should be well kept, but not too long, trussed gently, but not drawn, and put on a skewer, place them a little distance from a sharp fire, with a bit of toast under to catch the trail, baste with a little good butter, ten minutes is sufficient; dress them with toast under, and serve with gravy separate. They may also be served barded with vine leaves and very thin bacon.

593.--_Woodcock (la Bécasse)._--This is a most delicious bird when well cooked; they must not be kept too long; they are fit for cooking when they become black between the legs, and the feathers are rather loose; truss them with the legs twisted at the knuckles, and the feet pressing upon the thighs, bring the pinion of the wing to the thigh, having previously skinned the neck and head; bring the beak round under the wing, which pass through the pinions of the wings and thighs. Place four on a skewer, tie them on a spit, and roast before a sharp fire from ten to fifteen minutes, placing toast under to catch the trail; when done, serve on the toast and a very little gravy: they may also be barded with thin slices of bacon over the breast, and served with a sauce of _fumet de gibier_.

594. _Snipes._--They are dressed in every respect like Woodcocks; and from seven to ten minutes is sufficient. They may likewise be fried in plenty of oil, and served with sauces Nos. 131, 143.

595. _Larks (l'Alouette)._--They are best in winter when very fat; they are roasted plain or with a thin slice of bacon and a leaf of celery tied over them; they require about eight minutes, and served with a little gravy and bread-crumbs, they are also used in pies (see _Pigeon Pie_); and may be dressed like Snipes.

596. _Quail (la Caille)._--Should be killed at least forty-eight hours before they are wanted; they should then be plucked, singed, drawn, and trussed by cutting off the wings at the first pinion, leaving the feet, and fixing the pinion and the wings with a very small skewer; cover the breast with vine leaves and a slice of fat bacon, and run a skewer through the pinions and thighs of each: tie on a spit and roast for ten to twelve minutes before a sharp fire. They should be served a nice gold color in a dish with a little gravy; they may also be trussed as above, and put into a pig's caul, and roasted and served with either sauces Nos. 141, 601.

597. _Rabbits._--There are two sorts, the tame and wild; the wild
or gray inhabits the mountainous districts; has the finest flavor,
or on those places where it can feed on thyme, geneva, or other
aromatic herbs, or on the sea coast, where he gets the lichen or
wild moss. It has a much darker color than the tame. The tame
rabbit, if properly fed 21 days before killing, may be made a very
delicate article of nourishment; it should be kept from two to four
days. When killed it should be removed to a cold place as quick as
possible, that the fat may set.

If old, the claws will be long and rough, the coat rough and gray hairs mixed with it. If young, the claws and wool smooth. If stale, the flesh will be slimy and a bluish color; if fresh, it will be stiff, and the flesh white and dry.

598. _Hares._--One is sufficient for a roast, skin and truss it nicely, stuff the interior with a good veal stuffing, sew it up, then put it on the spit, rub butter over the back and shake flour over it, roast it about forty minutes before a sharp fire, but that depends upon the size, of course; serve them with plain gravy in the dish and currant jelly separate. They are also served with a sauce poivrade, or sweet sauce; they may also be larded.

599. _Leverets_ are plain roasted and do not require stuffing, nor so long roasting, being smaller; they are usually served with plain gravy, but may be served with either of the sauces mentioned in the last; you require two for a roast. They will take from twenty-five to thirty minutes roasting. They may be larded, for a change.

600. _Wild Fowl Sauce._--The following is a good sauce; the quantities are given for one wild duck.

Walnut catsup one tablespoonful; the same of Harvey's or Worcestershire sauce, the same of lemon-juice, a wine-glass of red wine, a good slice of lemon-peel, one eschalot minced, half a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, one blade of mace, and a wine-glassful of gravy; boil ten minutes, serve very hot, and pour over the bird when cut up.

601. _Fumet de Gibier Sauce._--Take the remains or bones of game (the back-bones of grouse are best), chop them up small, put them in a stewpan, with a glass of white wine, an onion, a small piece of carrot and of turnip sliced, a leaf of celery, a sprig of thyme, the same of parsley, a bay-leaf, a clove, half a blade of mace; stir over the fire five minutes, then add a quart of brown sauce, if too thick add some water, boil for about twenty minutes, skim, strain, and serve; a little lemon-juice and cayenne pepper may be added if approved of.

SAVORY DISHES.

602. _Veal and Ham Pies (raised)._--The following few dishes will
be found extremely useful for breakfasts, luncheons, second course
in a dinner party, or for dinner in summer, but above all for
supper when you give an evening party.

Having found a great difficulty in raising the crust for a pie with
my hands, I purchased for a trifle a tin pie-mould, by the use of
which the process is more simple, and the pie retains its shape
whilst baking, and secures the gravy, much better.