Chapter XII: Part 12

Well wipe and butter the interior of the mould, then have ready two pounds of pâte fine, rather firm than otherwise, two thirds of which roll out to fit the mould, press it evenly over the interior, raising the paste half an inch above the edge of the mould, you have previously prepared six pounds of veal, cut from the fillet, as follows: cut four pounds into pieces an inch square, and as nearly as possible to the length of the pie; with the remainder make some forcemeat (see Receipt); then run eight pieces of fat bacon, each two inches in length, and a quarter of an inch square, through each piece of veal; have also two pounds of lean bacon, cut into pieces of nearly the same size as the veal, then put a quarter of a pound of butter into a frying-pan, and when melted over the fire, lay in the veal and bacon, season rather highly with a teaspoonful of salt, the same of pepper, half that quantity of grated nutmeg, and a tablespoonful each of chopped onion and parsley, sauté the whole a quarter of an hour, occasionally turning the meat, until getting of a nice color, and the bottom of the pan is covered with a thickish glaze; then line the interior of the pie with some of the forcemeat, to the thickness of half an inch, after which lay three pieces of veal at the bottom with two of the ham, alternately, which cover over with more forcemeat, to about an inch in thickness, then more veal and bacon, with forcemeat, again proceeding thus until full, finishing with the forcemeat, forming a dome about an inch above the edge of the paste, and lay a pat of butter with a bay-leaf at the top, then mould the remainder of the paste into a ball, which roll to the size of the top of the pie, wet the edges with a little egg, lay on the cover, which press down with the thumbs, working the edge up gracefully with the thumb and forefinger, to about an inch above the top of the mould, cutting some of the paste away where too thick, and crimp the extreme edge with a pair of paste nippers; then have ready half a pound of puff paste, which roll to about the thickness of about a quarter of an inch, from which cut a piece the size and form of the dome of the pie, upon which place it to form a lid (previously wetting the top with a little water), press it down lightly, egg over with a paste-brush, edges as well, make a small hole with a knife at the top, and carve any design upon the puff paste according to fancy; tie a band of buttered paper round the mould, an inch above the pie, put it into a moderate oven to bake about two hours, but to be certain if done, run a pointed knife or trussing needle into the centre, and if it feels tender it is sufficiently baked.

Then take it from the oven, and pour in a gill of strong gravy, in
which you have dissolved a little isinglass (especially if in
summer); when cold, take it from the mould (which opens at one end
by drawing out a pin), and serve upon a napkin, garnished round
with parsley. To carve, cut it into slices, the whole breadth of
the pie and half an inch in thickness.

Such a pie as above would weigh four pounds when baked; but should
you require a smaller one, diminish the proportions accordingly. If
no puff paste, the top might be ornamented with a few leaves from
the trimmings of the other paste. I have given you the above
receipt very minutely, as the above applies to every description of
raised pie, the difference only being its contents.

603. _Raised Pie of Fowls._--Make the paste and forcemeat as in the last, but instead of veal and ham, bone a young fowl as directed for galantine, which lay flat upon a clean cloth, breast downwards, season the interior with a little pepper, salt, and chopped onions; spread a layer of forcemeat over, half an inch in thickness, have ten pieces of veal of the thickness of your finger, and the same length as the fowl, and the same number of pieces of fat bacon, lay half of the veal and bacon alternately upon the fowl, well seasoned with pepper and salt, cover over with more forcemeat, then another layer of veal and ham, cover with more forcemeat, then roll the fowl over, making the skin meet at the back, you have previously lined a raised pie-mould with paste, then line the pie with forcemeat, half an inch in thickness, lay in the fowl, sprinkle a little pepper and salt over, cover with the remainder of the forcemeat, to form a dome, place a pat of butter and two bay-leaves upon the top, finish and bake precisely as in the last: when done, pour in a gill of gravy made from the bones of the fowl; serve cold.

604. _Raised Pie of Pheasant._--Proceed precisely as for the pie of fowl, but of course using a pheasant, an old one would answer the purpose if kept long enough, but all the sinews of the legs must be taken out in boning it, the fillets of the breast also, being very thick, may be partly cut out and used with the veal for the interior; if in a situation to obtain rabbits, the fillets of them might be used instead of veal for the interior, and the legs for forcemeat.

For gravy, break up the bones of the birds, which put into a stewpan with a glass of sherry, an onion, a few sprigs of thyme, parsley, and a bay-leaf; let it simmer a minute over the fire, then add a pint of broth and a little isinglass or gelatine, let the whole simmer for an hour, giving it a nice brown color, when pass it through a sieve into a smaller stewpan, place it again upon the fire, skim off all the fat, and reduce it to half a pint, and when the pie is baked, pour it in, shaking the pie a little to mix well; serve when cold.

Pies of grouse, partridges, moor fowls, &c. are made precisely in the same manner, using one or more according to the size you wish to make your pie. The fillets of hares are likewise excellent in pies, whilst the legs might be jugged or converted into soup.

Capons, poulards, green geese, or ducklings may also be served in a pie by proceeding as directed for fowls, but managing the size of the pie, and seasoning in proportion.

Pigeon pie can also be made in the same way, but then the meat with which the interior of the birds is filled must be cut much smaller, and require less time in cooking.

605. _Simple method of making Pies._--Make two pounds of flour into a paste, as No. 602, and also two pounds of forcemeat, mould three quarters of the paste into a ball, which, with a rolling-pin, roll to about half an inch in thickness and of an oval shape; lay half the forcemeat in the centre, which spread over to within two inches of the rim, having prepared and sautéd some veal and ham as directed for the veal and ham pie, No. 602, lay them alternately upon the forcemeat, with which again cover the meat, laying a pat of butter and a bay-leaf upon the top; roll out the remainder of the paste of an oval shape, but much thinner than the other, damp the paste around with a little water, and lay the sheet of paste over, pressing it down with the finger and thumb, then wet the top, and bring up the paste at the sides, which will stick to it, thus forming a long square pie, with the trimmings of the paste form a few leaves, with which decorate it according to fancy, egg the whole well over, make a hole in the top, and bake two hours in a moderate oven; when done, pour in the gravy, as for pies made in moulds, and put by to serve cold. A square piece of puff paste laid upon the top, and ornamented previous to baking, is also a great improvement. Some gravy, as above, may of course be introduced.

You will perceive, my dear Eloise, from this one receipt, that any
kind of poultry, game, or meat pies, might be made in the same
manner. To carve, they should be cut across in thin slices through
paste and all.

When we are alone I frequently make a very small one for luncheon,
generally grating half a pound of sausage meat, with which I mix an
egg and a little chopped eschalots, frying the veal or lean bacon
or ham, and proceeding as for the larger ones; from three quarters
of an hour to an hour would be sufficient to bake it; at times I
make it with a pigeon, partridge, or two plovers stuffed, and
surrounded with forcemeat, but boned: they are very excellent hot.

606. _Tureen of Game._--I bought the other day a common earthen tureen, for which I gave ninepence; I made some forcemeat precisely the same as for pies, boned a grouse and stuffed it as for a pheasant pie, and seasoning the same; I then lined the tureen with the forcemeat, laid in the bird, which I again covered with the remainder of the forcemeat, put two pats of butter and a bay-leaf upon the top, then placed on the cover, fixing it down with a band of common paste laid inside upon the rim of the tureen, and baked it three hours in a moderate oven, and when I opened it about a week afterwards it was most delicious; when served to table the cover should be taken off, the bay-leaf removed, and a few fresh water-cresses laid over. All sorts of game, poultry, and meat, I have done in the same way; it is quickly done and very good and economical, as it will keep a long time.

607. _Galantines._--Having twice failed in the attempt to make this
difficult dish, I was about to relinquish the idea, but having
received a small turkey about two months back, I could not resist
making another attempt, in which I succeeded; it is rather
expensive, but it is a beautiful dish for supper. After having
plucked, and singed off the hairs with a piece of lighted paper, I
laid it breast downwards upon a clean cloth, and with a
sharp-pointed knife boned it as follows: first, just pass the point
of the knife through the skin, which cut open straight down the
back-bone, then proceed to clear the flesh from the bones of the
carcase until you come to the breast-bone, disjointing the wings
and legs as you proceed; very carefully detach the breast-bone from
the flesh without cutting through the skin, when you may remove the
carcase with the interior of the turkey; then proceed to take the
bones from the legs and wings, which is not quite so difficult; for
the legs, scrape the first bone free from the flesh to below the
first joint, where chop it off; cut the flesh round over the
knuckle and pull the foot, when the remainder of the bone and
sinews will come together; then cut off the wings at the first
pinion, and the remaining bone is quickly scraped away.

I can assure you I found this quite a job the first and second
time, but it is very essential to learn, as all kinds of poultry
and game are boned in the same manner, and to this description all
references upon the subject must be made throughout our little
work.

You have prepared four pounds of forcemeat, as for pies, also have long strips of veal, ham, and fat bacon, which well season with salt, pepper, and chopped eschalots; put a layer of the forcemeat an inch thick down the bird, leaving two inches upon each side uncovered, then some of the veal, bacon, and cooked ham alternately, which again cover with forcemeat, but not exceeding half an inch in thickness (as too much forcemeat between the meat would spoil its appearance), proceeding thus until sufficient to fill the skin of the bird, when pull over the flaps, and sew it up tightly with a packing needle and small string, and tie it up in a napkin. If any, a few strips of cooked tongue, and blanched pistachios, laid in alternately with the veal and bacon, greatly improves its flavor and appearance.

_To cook._ Put in a stewpan with two onions, a carrot, half a head of celery, two cloves, a blade of mace, a good bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaves, a knuckle of veal, the bones of the turkey, two calf's feet, two ounces of salt, add sufficient water to cover the whole, and set the stewpan upon the fire until upon the point of boiling; then draw it to the corner, skim, and let simmer for three hours; then take it from the fire, leaving it in the stock until nearly cold; then take it out, remove the string from the napkin, and roll the galantine up tighter, tying the napkin again at each end only; then place it upon a dish, the breast part upwards, set another dish upon it, on which place a fourteen pounds weight, which will press and cause it to cut firm; when quite cold it is ready to serve, having removed the napkin and the string with which it was sewed: the stock, however, should be clarified as directed in the next receipt to make a savory jelly, which, when cold and firm, is cut in croutons and chopped, with which the galantine should be tastefully garnished.

Although at first I had some difficulty with this receipt, I can
now see the variety to which it leads, as the same process answers
for fowls, green geese, ducklings, pheasants, grouse, partridges,
&c., using game with the veal or pork for the interior, and stewing
them according to their size, the bones of game being stewed with
the stock would give the flavor to the savory jelly.

608. _To Clarify Meat Jelly._--Having passed the stock (made as in the last) through a sieve into a basin, leave it until quite cold; then take off all the fat very carefully, ascertain if sufficiently or too stiff by putting a small piece upon ice; savory jelly requires to be rather stiffer than sweet, if too stiff add a little more broth, if the contrary, the stock must be reduced upon the fire until of the proper consistency. When the stock is boiling, and you are perfectly assured of its strength, have the white of four eggs with their shells in a basin, with half a pint of water, two spoonfuls of tarragon or common vinegar, and a glass of sherry, whisk all together; then whisk the stock quickly a few seconds, and pour in the other ingredients whilst whisking, continue whisking a few minutes until again upon the point but not boiling; then take it from the fire, and taste if palatable, place a cover upon the stewpan, which stand a little distance from the fire, putting a few red-hot cinders upon the lid for five minutes, tie a napkin by the four corners upon a jelly stand, through which pass the jelly, having a basin beneath to catch it, pour the first that runs through again into the napkin until it runs quite clear; when all through, pour it in a plain mould or sauté-pan, which place upon ice until the jelly is quite firm; then dip the bottom of the mould in hot water, turn the jelly out upon a cloth, and cut it into whatever shapes you please, to garnish and ornament any cold savory dish; the jelly when warm might be divided, one part kept white, and the other colored with a little brown gravy or coloring, thus enabling you to variegate in garnishing.

Should the jelly be required to ornament tongues, hams, pies, salads, or any article when no galantine is made; then to make the stock, cut the veal into small pieces, and split the calf's foot in two, put a quarter of a pound of butter in a convenient-sized stewpan, with the veal, foot, a small piece of lean ham, and the other ingredients as directed for galantine, pour in half a pint of water, put on the lid and stand it upon the fire until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a white glaze; then add a gallon of water, let simmer three hours, keeping it well skimmed; then pass and clarify as above.

The knuckle of veal and foot may be served hot with a little parsley and butter, for a dinner previous to your party, with a little fried bacon separately, but for my own part I prefer them plain as they leave the stewpan.

609. _Cold Ham._--Procure a very nice but small ham of about nine pounds in weight, which soak about ten hours in cold water, and simmer three hours in plenty of water; when done, take out and let remain until cold; then cut off the skin as thinly as possible, but without leaving the marks of it; let a piece remain upon the knuckle about two inches and a half in breadth, which either festoon or vandyke, carve the fat neatly to form a shell, and glaze it over lightly, serve with a paper frill upon the knuckle, and garnish with savory jelly, or if plain with a few bunches of fresh green parsley. A handful of fresh hay put in the water when boiling is an improvement.

610. _Cold Tongue._--Boil a nice ox tongue for three hours, and, when done, take off all the skin, and truss it of a good shape, by placing the root against some fixture, and running a fork through the middle of the thin part into the board upon which it stands; when cold trim and glaze it lightly over, cutting off the greater part of the root, place it upon a dish, garnished either with savory jelly or fresh sprigs of parsley.

611. _Galantine of Veal._--When I do not like to go to the expense of a turkey or other poultry for a galantine, I procure a small breast of veal, and take out the tendons, which I stew; take out the remaining bones, and trim the meat to about fifteen inches in length and eight in width, using the trimmings for a ragout; season the interior of the breast, and proceed to lay on the forcemeat veal, ham, and bacon, as directed for the galantine of turkey, roll and sew it up, tie in a cloth, braise, and afterwards press it in precisely the same manner; when quite cold, glaze it nicely and serve, garnished with savory jelly; or, if for a large supper, six or eight small dishes might be made from it by cutting it into thin slices crosswise, and dressing six pieces in a border upon each dish, with a little jelly in the middle, or if no jelly, a sprig of parsley or water-cresses; but if served in the latter way, I introduce two ounces of blanched pistachios. When making the galantine, of course, the dishes must be placed at a distance from each other at various parts of the table. I have also made a galantine of a shoulder of lamb in the same way, previously taking out the bones.

612. _Cold Fillet of Veal._--Roast braise as No. 358; when cold, trim neatly, and garnish with jelly or parsley.

A loin of veal larded through the fleshy part with raw ham, and fat bacon, and roasted as above, makes a very delicate dish.

A small shoulder of veal might be boned the same as a shoulder of lamb, and made into a galantine.

613. _Ribs of Beef larded._--Choose a piece of beef with about four ribs, and cut very long, carefully take away the bones, lard the fleshy part through with strips of fat bacon, well seasoned with pepper, salt, and chopped parsley; spread some veal stuffing over, and roll it round, keeping the stuffing in the interior, tie it up with string, and roast in vegetables as in the last article, leaving it to cool in the vegetables; when cold, glaze and serve, garnished with sprigs of parsley.

The beef well rubbed with garlic and well seasoned with salt and pepper, previous to spreading on the stuffing, would be a great improvement.

I sometimes leave the bones in the meat, lard the fleshy part, and afterwards roast it in vegetables to serve cold.

614. _Pressed Beef._--Procure a piece of brisket of beef, cut off the bones, and salt it as directed (No. 615), but adding a little extra sal prunella to the brine and a little spice; let the beef remain in pickle rather better than a week: when ready to cook, roll it round, tie it in a cloth, and let it simmer gently in plenty of water, about seven hours if a whole one, but four hours if only the thin end; when done take it up, remove the string, and tie the cloth at each end, put it upon a dish with another dish over, upon which place half a hundred-weight, leaving it until quite cold, then take the meat from the cloth, trim and glaze it lightly, and serve garnished with a few sprigs of fresh parsley.

615. _Pickle for Beef à la Garrick._--Take twenty pounds of salt, three quarters of a pound of saltpetre, four cakes of sal prunella, two pounds of moist sugar, two cloves of garlic, with which rub the meat well, and leave it rather more than a week, rubbing and turning it over every day.

This pickle is adapted for anything that is required red.

616. _Spiced Beef._--Procure a piece of thin flank of beef about ten pounds in weight, which salt as the last for about a week; when ready, split it open with a knife and lay it out flat upon a dresser, having previously prepared six onions chopped very fine, with about ten sprigs of parsley, and the leaves of ten sprigs of thyme, the same of marjoram, two ounces of mixed spice (without cinnamon), and half an ounce of black pepper, mix altogether, spread half upon the beef as it lays before you, then fold it over to its original shape, lay on the remainder of the preparation, roll it up tightly in a cloth, boil, press, and serve as directed in the last article.

617. _Pig's Head in imitation of Wild Boar's Head._--This you will
say is not only a difficult dish to do, but a very expensive one.
You are right when you are obliged to buy the pig to possess the
head; but in a small farm-house where they kill a pig perhaps once
a year at Christmas, the head can be very easily cut off for this
purpose. Being on a visit some years since at a farm-house, I had
the opportunity of having one, and trying my skill upon it; it was
much approved of, both for its ferocious appearance, and its
flavor, and it lasted good for three weeks.

The following is the way you should do it: procure the head with as much of the neck attached to it as possible (the hog must have been stabbed in the neck, not hit on the head as that would have broken the skull); then singe it well over the flame of a fire, then wipe it with a cloth, scrape well with a knife without scratching the skin, and place it on a cloth upon its skull; open it very carefully without piercing the skin, leaving no flesh whatever upon the bones; bone the neck of the pig, and cut it into small fillets two inches long, place the head on a board and rub it with half a pound of brown sugar, let it remain for one hour; then place it in a salting tub, and throw over it six pounds of salt, place in two quarts of ale, four bay-leaves, half an ounce of peppercorns, a quarter ditto of cloves, six blades of mace, eight sliced onions, ten sprigs of thyme, ten of winter savory, and two sliced carrots; stir it well up, and let it remain for two hours; then pour over the head, which turn every day for eight or ten days, rubbing it well; when sufficiently salted, take it out and dry it on a cloth, lay the head straight before you, skin side upwards; have ready six or eight pounds of forcemeat, but using pork instead of veal, with which cover the head an inch in thickness at the thinnest part; put the fillets cut from the neck in a layer lengthwise in the head, with a long piece of fat bacon, half an inch square, between each, sprinkle a little chopped eschalots, pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg over, and continue filling with forcemeat and the other ingredients until you have used the whole, finishing by covering forcemeat over; join the two cheeks together with the above in the interior, sew it up with pack-thread, giving it the shape of the head as much as possible, and fold it in one or two large thin cloths, leaving the ears out and upright.

_Braise_ as follows: Put half a pound of butter in a large
braising-pan or stock-pot, over which put four pounds of trimmings
of pork or knuckle of veal, eight onions, two carrots, four
turnips, eight bay-leaves, a tablespoonful of peppercorns, twelve
cloves, ten sprigs of thyme, ten of marjoram, four blades of mace,
half a bottle of bucellas wine, and four calf's feet, place it upon
a sharp fire, stirring it occasionally, until the bottom is covered
with a clearish glaze, then add four gallons of water and half a
pound of salt; when boiling draw it to the corner of the stove,
skim, and put in the head, the ears uppermost, and let simmer seven
or eight hours, or according to the size and age of the pig; but
the better plan would be to try it with a trussing-needle; if
tender it is done; skim the stock, in which leave the head until
half cold, when take it out, partly undo the cloths, and tie it
again tighter if possible, and press it in a cover or upon a
baking-sheet with three flat pieces of wood, one at each side, with
a weight against them, and one upon the top between the ears, on
which place a fourteen pounds weight, let it remain all night until
quite cold, when take it out of the cloths, detach the thread it
was sewn up with, cut a piece an inch in thickness from behind the
ears (from which part it must be carved in as thin slices as
possible), it will have a marbled appearance; trim the head a
little, setting the ears in a proper position, glaze it with a
brownish glaze, form the eyes with a little lard and a few black
currants round, and the tusks with paste, baking them; have some
very fresh tulips and roses, which stick tastefully in the ears and
some around, but leaving space to carve; garnish boldly with
croutons, aspic, made from the stock clarified as directed (No.
608); the meat and the calf's foot may be used for different
dishes, see receipts.

The second one I had I boiled plainer, merely a little salt and a few vegetables; it was very good, but not so rich in flavor as the other; thus saving expense and trouble. They should be eaten with the following sauce:

_Boar's Head Sauce._--Cut the rind (free from pith) of two Seville oranges into very thin strips half an inch in length, which blanch in boiling water, drain them upon a sieve, and put them into a basin, with a spoonful of mixed English mustard, four of currant jelly, a little pepper, salt (mix well together), and half a pint of good port wine.

LETTER No. XV

DEAR ELOISE,--To you, who are so fond of lobster, the following
receipt will, I am confident, prove most valuable. To make sure of
its quality, buy one heavy in proportion to its size; or, perhaps,
_entre nous_, you would prefer to wait until a friend presented you
with one.

LOBSTER.--This fish, which is continually before our eyes, and only
looked upon as an article of food, is, without doubt, one of the
wonders of the creation. A creature destitute of bones, yet
furnished with a stomach capable of digesting the hardest
substances, even its own shell, which it doffs once a year, when it
is too small for it; without blood circulating through its body,
yet strong and active. This is only one of those wonders of the
mighty deep that we cannot but regard with awe and veneration, and
yet the principal interest they do excite is when we visit a
shell-fish shop to choose the largest and best for the smallest
price. They are, without doubt, a very nourishing aliment, and are
by many supposed to have a particular season, but which I believe
not to be the case, as I have known them in and out of season on
the same ground. When out of season, the pea or spawn is very
large, and about being hatched; immediately after which it sheds
its shell, and not its stomach, as is by many supposed. When in
season, and fine-flavored, it should have no spawn, or very little,
under the tail; and when its body is squeezed between the fingers
it should not give, but be hard; its weight will also be a test, as
it is a fish which wastes very much when kept long alive without
food: great care must be observed in the boiling of it. A number
should be placed at one time in a basket, and that placed in
boiling water, adding half a pound of salt to every gallon of
water, with a heavy weight upon it; if overdone, they eat tough and
thready; if underdone, unwholesome and unpalatable. One weighing a
pound will take fifteen minutes, and so on in proportion.

618. _Gratin of Lobster._--Procure a good-sized lobster, cut it in half, detaching the head from the body; take out all the meat, and save the four shells; cut the meat into slices, then take a teaspoonful of chopped eschalots in a stewpan, with a piece of butter the size of two walnuts, pass them a few minutes over the fire, add a tablespoonful of flour (mix well in), half a pint of milk, stir over the fire, boiling about five minutes, then add the lobster, which season with a little cayenne, salt, chopped parsley, and essence of anchovies; stand it again upon the fire, stirring until boiling, then stir in the yolk of an egg; take off the fire, fill the shells of the lobster, sprinkle bread-crumbs over, with a little butter, put in the oven for twenty minutes; dish on a napkin and serve. To give it a nice color, use the salamander.

619. _Miroton Salad of Lobster._--Prepare and ornament a border of eggs, like for that of game, put a thick layer of fresh salad in the centre, and dress over it in a crown, the lobster interspersed with slices of eggs and gherkins. The lobster must be divided in two across the back, extract the meat carefully out of it, and cut it in a round or slanting direction to the thickness of a crown piece, break the claws and cut the same way, and place on salad as above, so as to form a thick crown near the border of eggs, then take the interior of the lobster, pound it and pass it through a fine sieve, add to your sauce.

Any other kind of fish, as cod fish, &c., when cold, cut or break them in slices, lay them in a basin, season over with salt, pepper, nutmeg, slices of onion, parsley, a little oil and vinegar; put it in two hours before serving, and proceed as for lobster.

If there is any fish left from the previous day, I always make a salad of it, particularly in summer; there are many who object to so much oil, in which case it may be diminished.

620. _Salad Tartar._--Make as usual the border of eggs and sauce, lay the salad in the middle and the lobster over, which has been previously cut in slices; pour over some of the same sauce as above, having added a tablespoonful of French mustard to it. Gherkins cut in slices, and a few stoned olives.

621. _Plain Salad._--Take a lobster and any kind of salad, wash it well, dry in a cloth, cut the lobster up in a salad-bowl, sprinkle over it a teaspoonful of salt, half that of pepper, one of chopped tarragon or chervil, or parsley, if nothing better, four tablespoonfuls of oil, and two of common vinegar, but only one and a half if French, add the salad, stir lightly round with a wooden knife and fork, and it is ready.

622. _Lobster served plain._--Break the tail from the body, cut the tail in two lengthwise, put the body in the middle of the dish, lay the half tail top and bottom, and the claws on the side; the shell previously broken, but not disfigured, and serve double parsley round.

623. _Lobster Salad._--Dress a border of hard-boiled eggs, as directed in salad of game (No. 628), fill the centre with some nice fresh salad, then take the flesh from a middling-sized lobster, which cut into as large slices as possible, which put into a basin, and season with a little pepper, salt, oil, and vinegar, after which dress them pyramidically upon the salad, and have ready the following sauce: put the yolks of two fresh eggs in a basin, with the yolk of a hard-boiled one rubbed through a sieve, add half a saltspoonful of salt, and half that quantity of white pepper, and commence stirring round with a wooden spoon with the right hand, holding a bottle of salad oil in the left, dropping it in by degrees and continually stirring, and when becoming thickish add a couple of spoonfuls of common vinegar by degrees, still keeping it stirred, then more oil, proceeding thus until you have used three parts of a pint of oil, and a corresponding quantity of vinegar, by continually working, it will form a stiffish cream-looking sauce perfectly smooth; add a little more seasoning if required, and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, with half that quantity of chopped eschalots, pour over the lobster and serve. Should the sauce curdle in making, the operation must be again performed, putting a yolk of an egg into another basin, working it with a little oil until forming a stiffish paste, when stir in the curdled sauce by degrees until the whole becomes smooth; always choose a cool place to make it in.

624. _Fish Salads._--All fish salads are made precisely as in the last, but with the exception of fillets of sole salad, are made from the remains of fish from a previous dinner, especially turbot and salmon; but for fillets of soles they must be dressed thus:--

When filleted, melt an ounce of butter in a sauté-pan, lay the fillets in, season with pepper and salt, and the juice of half a lemon; sauté them on a slow fire until done, which may be from four to five minutes, and put by to get cold; cut in middle-sized pieces, and use as lobster.

625. _New Mayonnaise Sauce._--Put a quarter of a pint of melted aspic upon ice in a stewpan, which keep whisking until becoming a white froth, then add half a pint of salad oil and six spoonfuls of tarragon vinegar, by degrees, first oil and then vinegar, continually whisking until it forms a white smooth sauce, to all appearance like a cream; season with half a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter ditto of pepper, and a little sugar, whisk it a little more, and it is ready to serve; it is usually dressed pyramidically over the article it is served with. The advantage of this sauce (which is more delicate than any other) is, that you may dress it to any height you like and it will remain so for a long time; if the temperature is not too hot it will remain hours without melting or appearing greasy.

626. _Tartar Sauce._--Rub the yolk of a cold hard-boiled egg through a hair sieve into a basin, to which add the yolks of two raw eggs, with a little salt and pepper; mix all together with a wooden spoon; have a pint of good salad oil in a bottle, hold it with the left hand over the basin, dropping it in very gradually, and with the right continue stirring it round until it becomes rather thick, then moisten it with a little tarragon vinegar, still keeping it stirred, then more oil, and so on until you have used all the oil, keeping it rather thick; then add a tablespoonful of finely chopped gherkins, half a ditto of chopped capers, half a ditto of chopped eschalots, and the same of chopped parsley, two of French mustard, a little cayenne pepper, sugar, and more salt if required; it is then ready for use. This sauce requires to be rather highly seasoned. Common vinegar may be used.

627. _Salmon in marinade._--Have two good slices of salmon cut about four inches and a half in thickness, in a stewpan have three onions cut in slices, as also a turnip, a carrot, a head of celery cut small, a good half handful of parsley, two bay-leaves, and two ounces of butter; pass the whole ten minutes over a sharp fire, then add a pint of vinegar, a blade of mace, half a dozen peppercorns, and one ounce of salt; let simmer, then add three pints of water, put in the salmon, which simmer gently about half an hour, and leave in the marinade until cold, when serve with a little of the marinade strained through a hair sieve in the dish. Trout, mackerel, herrings, sprats, and fillets of sole or brill, are also very nice cooked in the same manner. A part of the above marinade may be made at any time, and almost any kind of fish remaining from a previous dinner may be done the same, and eaten cold.

628. _Salad of Game._--Boil eight eggs hard, shell them, throw them into cold water, cut a thin slice off the bottom to facilitate the proper placing of them in the dish, cut each one into four, lengthwise, make a very thin flat border of butter about one inch from the edge of the dish you are going to serve them on; fix the pieces of egg upright, close to each other, the yolk outside, or alternately the white and yolk; you lay in the centre a layer of fresh salad that may be in season, and having previously roasted a young grouse rather underdone, which you cut into eight or ten pieces, then prepare sauce as follows: put a spoonful of eschalots, finely chopped, in a basin, one ditto of pounded sugar, the yolk of one egg, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, tarragon, or chervil, and a quarter of an ounce of salt, mix in by degrees with a wooden spoon, four spoonfuls of oil and two of Chili vinegar; when all mixed, put it on ice, or in a cold place; when ready to serve up, whip a gill of cream rather thick, which lightly mix with it, then lay the inferior parts of the grouse on the salad, sauce over so as to cover each piece, then lay over the salad and the remainder of the grouse; sauce over, and serve. The eggs may be ornamented with a little dot of radishes on the point, or beet-root. Anchovy and gherkin, cut into small diamonds, may be placed between, or cut gherkins in slices, and lay a border of them round, or in any way your fancy may dictate.

629. _Salad of Fowl._--Proceed as for that of game, so far as the eggs and the salad are concerned; then have a chicken, which has been previously plain roasted, or in vegetables, and cut it into ten pieces, put it into a basin, season with a teaspoonful of salt, quarter ditto of pepper, two tablespoonfuls of oil, one of vinegar, one onion sliced, and a few sprigs of chopped parsley, mix them well, and let them remain for a few hours, if time will permit. Take the pieces of chicken, and place in a dish with salad, as directed for grouse, with the sauce, &c., and serve. Nothing is better for ball-suppers than these kinds of dishes; they may be made of all kinds of solid fish, and the sauce is excellent; any kind of cold meat, dressed round with the sauce, may be served for supper or luncheon. It may be served with the same sauce or dressing as for Lobster Salad (or No. 623), or make the following one, which differs a little:--Put into a middle-sized, round-bottomed basin the yolk of two eggs, half a spoonful of salt, quarter of one of pepper, half a one of sugar, ditto of fine chopped onions, ditto of parsley, or of tarragon, or of chervil, stir with the right hand with a wooden spoon, while you pour some oil out of the bottle by keeping your thumb on its mouth, so that it runs out very slowly; when a few spoonfuls are in it, it will become quite stiff; pour also by degrees a few spoonfuls of vinegar, and so on until you have made enough for your salad; try if the flavor is good and relishing, as the quality of these two last ingredients varies so much, that I must leave it to your more simple and correct judgment. If you should fail at first, try again until you succeed, and I am certain you will be delighted with the result; it ought to be made in a cold place, particularly in summer. Great taste should be observed in the decoration of the border.

SHELL FISH.

_Prawns_ are best when very red and have no spawn under the tail.

The _Escalop_ is a fish very little used, but is exceedingly fine;
it is in season at the same time as the oyster. It can be cooked in
a variety of ways, but previous to doing which, it should be kept
some time in salt water, so that it may free itself from any sand
that may be in it; when opened, all the beard should be removed,
and only the white, red, and black parts used; it may be cooked and
used in every way like oysters, and is excellent with matelote of
any kind of fish.

_Razor Shell Fish_ or _Solen Fish_.--This is the aulo of the
Romans, and a beautiful eating fish. It should also be cooked like
oysters, and makes most excellent and strengthening soup.

OYSTERS.--No oyster should be eaten under four years old; their age
is known by their shell--just the same as the age of a tree is
known by its bark, or a fish by its scale, and the small oyster has
the finest flavor.

630. _Escaloped Oysters._--Put two dozen of oysters with their liquor into a stewpan, place over a fire, and when a little firm, drain them upon a sieve, catching the liquor in another stewpan; detach the beard from the oysters, and throw them again into their liquor; add half a blade of mace, place again upon the fire, and, when boiling, add a piece of butter the size of a walnut, with which you have mixed a teaspoonful of flour; shake round over the fire until becoming thick, season with a little cayenne, and salt if required; have an escalop shell, well buttered and bread-crumbed; place the oysters in, sprinkle bread-crumbs over, put it in the oven a quarter of an hour, pass the salamander over, and serve. The yolk of eggs may be added, and less flour.

631. _Stewed Oysters._--Blanch and beard the oysters as above; when done, put them with their liquor in a stewpan, with four cloves, a blade of mace, and a teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, with a little chopped parsley and cayenne; let simmer a minute, stir in two pats of butter with which you have mixed half a teaspoonful of flour, let simmer a little longer, lay the oysters in your dish upon a piece of toast, and sauce over.

632. _Shrimps._--Of these there are several varieties; a diversity
of opinion exists amongst epicures of this little animal which is
the best; but in my opinion a great deal depends on the manner of
boiling, and their freshness.

The following is the plan: I prefer them boiled; to one gallon of water put two ounces of salt, one sprig of lemon thyme and one of mint, and let it boil; when boiling hard, put one quart of shrimps into an open wire or wicker basket with a handle, and place it in the water: the time they take to boil depends on the size of the fish, but may be known by their changing color; be particular not to boil them too much, or they will be tasteless and indigestible.

633. _Forcemeat._--You will find this receipt so useful, and so
often in use in made dishes, soups, fish, entrées, &c., that I must
beg of you to devote to it your personal attention; and being
rather difficult to execute, be present when your cook makes it,
that she may follow strictly the receipt, which I flatter myself is
rather original.

Take a pound and a half of lean veal, and cut it in long thin slices, scrape with a knife till nothing but the skin remains; put it in a mortar, pound it ten minutes, or until in a purée, pass it through a wire sieve (use the remainder in stock), then take one pound of good fresh beef suet, which shred and chop very fine, put it in your mortar and pound it, then add six ounces of panada (made as under) with the suet, pound them well together, and add the veal, season with a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter one of pepper, half that of nutmeg, work all well together, then add five eggs by degrees, continually pounding the contents of the mortar; when well mixed, take a small piece in a spoon, and poach it in some boiling water, and if it is delicate, firm and a good flavor, it is ready for use; if you require some very delicate, add two tablespoonfuls of white sauce, or even thick melted butter; you can vary the flavor by the addition of a spoonful of chopped parsley, eschalot, mushroom, &c., the flesh of rabbit or fowl, or hare, pheasant, grouse, &c., if plentiful, may be added, using the ingredients in proportion. One quarter of this quantity may be made if required.

634. _Panada for Forcemeats._--Put two thirds of half a pint of water into a stewpan holding a quart, with nearly an ounce of butter; when boiling, stir in a quarter of a pound of flour; keep it moving over the fire until it forms a smooth and toughish paste; take it out of the stewpan, and when cold use it where directed.

635. _Forcemeats of Fish._--These are much in use in France and other Catholic countries, especially in Lent, but they are a very excellent garnish for entrées of fish; they may be made of the flesh of almost all kinds of fish, more particularly the pike, salmon, trout, sole, haddock, and the whiting, which last is the most delicate.

636. _Forcemeat of Whitings._--Take the fillets of three whitings, take off all the skin, and pound them well, then take them from the mortar, and form them into a ball; have a piece of panada (No. 634) one third the size of the ball, put the panada into the mortar, pound it well, then add two ounces of fresh butter, which mix well with the panada, then add the fish, season with pepper, salt, and a little grated nutmeg; mix all well together, then add by degrees three whole eggs and the yolks of two, try it in a little boiling water as directed for the forcemeat of veal. These are served generally as a meagre dish with a fish sauce, in Catholic families, especially in Lent time.

637. _Stuffing for Veal._--Chop up half a pound of beef suet very fine, put it in a basin, with eight ounces of bread-crumbs, four ounces of chopped parsley, a tablespoonful of equal quantities of powdered thyme and marjoram, and a bay-leaf, the rind of a lemon grated, and the juice of half one; season with pepper and salt, and one quarter of a nutmeg; mix the whole with three whole eggs; this will do also to stuff turkey or baked fish, adding some more chopped parsley.

VEGETABLES.

In describing to you the different ways these may be dressed, I beg
of you to make a constant use of them at your own table, as you
will find they will be much better than partaking of half-raw
greens, cabbage, turnip-tops, spinach, &c., and are less inviting
in flavor, and, consequently, do not get consumed so much as they
ought, which causes more meat to be eaten, and instead of
refreshing the blood, as all vegetables will do in their season,
only irritate it. Do not misunderstand me respecting our English
way of partaking of plain boiled vegetables; I do not wish you to
give them up entirely, but by adopting both plans, you will find it
a great advantage in our domestic cookery. For my part, I do not
object to our plain boiled vegetables, but merely to the neglectful
way they are cooked and served up, often swimming in water. In
France, no family in the middle station of life ever dines without
a dish of dressed vegetables, upon which as much care has been
bestowed in cooking as upon the principal dish of the dinner, and
is often eaten alone.

638. _Asparagus._--I cook it thus: I take a bundle and scrape lightly all the white part, beginning from the head down, and throw them when done into cold water, then tie them up in bundles of twenty-five each, if an ordinary size, if very large, half that number, keeping the heads together, and cut off the ends to make them the same length; have ready a pan containing one gallon of boiling water, in which has been thrown two ounces of salt, boil quickly for fifteen minutes, or till tender; dish them up with a piece of toast in the middle, keep the heads in the centre, and form a pyramid. Serve very hot, with rich melted butter, or cream sauce.

The queen of all vegetables, to my fancy, is asparagus. This may
almost be said to be a modern vegetable in this country, and it is
one which requires less cooking than perhaps any other, and is
considered exceedingly wholesome.

639. _Young Green Peas._--Young Green Peas! Do not those words
sound pleasant to the ear, dearest? I fancy that by merely raising
my eyes from the paper on which I am now writing, I shall see all
our garden in buds and blossom; it not only seems to invigorate the
sensitive part of one's appetite, but works upon the mind to that
point that you may actually fancy you are breathing in a glowing
atmosphere, and that the pearly dew is gracefully descending in
small globules from heaven, to fix their sparkling eyes on the
pinky bloom of myriads of roses. But, alas! how soon this charming
illusion has disappeared since I have left for a moment the sight
of my paper to give a peep through the garden window, where I
perceive that though to-day is the 17th of April, the serious and
uncheerful Father Winter has once more monopolized those delightful
and variegated _nuances_ of Nature, by laying out his universal
snowy tablecloth over this for the present ephemeral vision which
the inviting words green peas had produced upon my senses; no doubt
the effect of a good fire in my parlor, where I am now sitting, has
had a great influence upon me respecting the summery temperature;
but as a few weeks longer will realize my wishes, I shall here
content myself by giving you the receipt how they ought to be
cooked when you can get them.

When very young, I like them plain boiled, because their original flavor is so fresh and delicate, that any addition, except a little very fresh butter, would be certain to destroy their aroma; I even object to the introduction of green mint, though I do not want to deprive you of it, being only a matter of taste.