Chapter IV: Part 4

The plan that I recommend you to adopt is, to obtain an iron or copper pan long enough for a good-sized sole, and 6 to 8 inches deep, and fill three to four inches of it with fat--the skimmings of the stock-pot, or, if that should not be sufficient, the kidney-fat of beef, cut up, melted, and strained. In wealthy establishments, lard, and, in some, bacon-fat melted is used, and, for some articles, olive oil, which can only be used once; but in our less luxurious homes I think the above is sufficient, besides, it has the advantage of not requiring that great attention which the other does. When you have the fat on, before immersing the substance you intend to fry, see that it is sufficiently hot by dipping your finger (not in the fat), but in a little water, and then hold it over the fat, so that a few drops go into it; if it spits and throws back the water, it is sufficiently hot: or, throw in a small dice of bread and take it out immediately; if it is firm or colored, it is hot enough: or, in frying of fish, before putting it in, lay hold of the head and dip the end of the tail, and, if it crisps it, then let the remainder go in. I have found, if due attention is paid to the pan to prevent it from burning, forty articles may be fried in it before it wants renewing; and I am certain it will be found cheaper than the common way of putting a little fat into the frying-pan and turning the sole over and over, for you are then almost certain of sending the grease up to the table, where it is not wanted. When the fat is not used, it should be emptied, whilst hot, through a sieve, into an earthen pipkin, and covered with paper to prevent the dust going in it. For the purpose of frying, an iron wire-basket, with a handle, is used, in which the object to be cooked is placed, and thus inserted in the liquid. The cost of this instrument is trifling.

SAUTEING.--You will perceive, dearest, by the following, that the word fried is often wrongly used in cookery instead of the word sauté, which process is totally different, and produces quite another effect on food. Sauté means anything cooked in a very small quantity of butter, oil, lard, or fat, one side of the article at a time, whilst the other requires about 100 times more of the above-named materials to cook properly. You will see, in these remarks, that it is not frying a pancake, omelette, or still less a chop, steak, or cutlet, but that they are sautéd; and how to explain that word, to use it instead of the misapplied word fry, puzzles me considerably, as I am quite ignorant of its origin as regards its application to cookery. All the researches I have made in English and French Dictionaries and Encyclopædias, have not enlightened me in the least on the subject. In French, it means to jump, hop, skip, understood by our boys at school, as well as by the grasshopper tribe, called in French sauterelles, from the word sauter, to jump. I well remember at school we had a French emigré for a dancing-master, who used to get into a passion when we did not dance to his professional taste; and used to say, in shaking his powdered wig, as holding his fiddle in one hand and his bow in the other, making all kinds of grimaces and contortions, which used to remind me of the principal figure in the group of the Laocoon,--"Mon dieu, mon dieu, young miss, vous sautez très bien, mais vous dansez fort mal;" which means, "You jump very well, but you dance very badly." It also reminds me of an expression made by a friend of ours from Havre, who was on a visit to us last November. Seeing some Guy Fawkes carried about the street, he asked me what it meant; when I told him, that in the year 1605, an attempt was made to destroy by gunpowder the King and Parliament in the House of Lords, as well as----. "Oui, oui, madame, I know, I remember reading of it in English history; it was that little brute qui a voulut faire _sauter_ le Parlement," replied he very quickly. "_Sauter, sauter,_" I said; "no, sir, not sauté--blow up." "Oui, oui, madame, I know, it is the same thing." "Same thing," replied I. This of course puzzled my culinary imagination still more; and I perceived, that if the word was translated to his meaning, it would sound most absurd and ridiculous; as, for example, on being at a festive board, and a polite young gentleman, or even your own husband, might gallantly offer to give you a _blow-up_ cutlet, instead of a cotelette sauté, as they say in fashionable circles. I can easily conceive, that if the cotelette was blown up, it would stand a chance of coming down on the other side, thus saving the cook the trouble; but if Guy Fawkes had unfortunately succeeded, it would have produced quite another effect. Having failed in my literary researches, I tried to find it in practice. I therefore went to my kitchen, and put two spoonfuls of oil in a sautépan; I took a nice spring chicken prepared for broiling, put on the fire; and, as it began to act upon it, the oil began to jump, and also slightly the chicken. I then perceived that the way my French friend used the word was right; and that, after all, there was not such a great difference in Guy Fawkes's plan of cooking the Parliament and that of a cutlet or chicken, for both were doomed to destruction, the one by falling in awful ruins on the fire, and the other devoured by a ravenous stomach on the dinner-table. Now, dearest, having found no means of translating it to my satisfaction, I see no other plan but to adopt it amongst us, and give it letters of naturalization, not for the beauty of the word, but for its utility. The process of sautéing is at once quick, simple, and economical, and to be well done furnishes a pleasing article of food. The art of doing it well consists in doing it quickly, to keep the gravy and succulence in the meat, which a slow process would nullify, and is of course confined to small articles of every kind of food.

BROILING is, without doubt, the earliest and most primitive mode of cookery, it being that which would present itself to man in a state of nature. It is one of the easiest parts of cookery, and therefore should be done well; it entirely depends upon the fire, which must be exceedingly clear, and the best gridiron is that having round bars, which should be placed slanting over the fire, to prevent the fat going into it; the bars should be greased, and the gridiron should be placed on the fire to get hot before the object to be cooked is placed on it I have heard that great difference of opinion exists in cookery books upon the proper broiling of a steak, if it should be turned only once or often. My plan is to turn it often, and my reason is, that, if turned but once, the albumen and the fibrine of the meat get charred, and the heat throws out the osmazome or gravy on the upper side, which, when turned over, goes into the fire; by turning it often, so as at first only to set the outside, the gravy goes into the centre, and it becomes evenly done throughout. (_See_ "Soyer's Mutton Chop.") As regards the thickness of the meat to be broiled, that depends in a great measure on the intensity of the fire, but the quicker the better, and also the sooner it is eaten after taken from the fire the better. I have latterly, in broiling rump-steaks, added that which, by a great many, is considered an improvement; it is, on turning them the last time, to dredge them out of a dredger with fine holes, in which has been placed four tablespoonfuls of fine biscuit or rusk-powder, one tablespoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of pepper, a saltspoonful of either eschalot-powder or mushroom-powder, or finely-pulverized salts of celery, well mixed together, and the steak to be placed in a very hot dish, with a little mushroom-ketchup and a small piece of butter, and served immediately.

SAUCES.

Sauces in cookery are like the first rudiments of grammar, which
consists of certain rules called Syntax, which is the foundation of
all languages: these fundamental rules are nine, so has cookery the
same number of sauces, which are the foundation of all others; but
these, like its prototype the grammar, have two--brown and white,
which bear a resemblance to the noun and verb, as they are the
first and most easily learnt, and most constantly in use; the
others are the adjuncts, pronouns, adverbs, and interjections; upon
"the proper use of the two principal ones depends the quality of
all others, and the proper making of which tends to the enjoyment
of the dinner; for to my fancy they are to cookery what the gamut
is in the composition of music, as it is by the arrangement of the
notes that harmony is produced, so should the ingredients in the
sauce be so nicely blended, and that delightful concord should
exist, which would equally delight the palate, as a masterpiece of
a Mozart or a Rossini should delight the ear; but which, if badly
executed, tantalize those nervous organs, affect the whole system,
and prove a nuisance instead of a pleasure. I will therefore be
very precise in describing the two, in order that when you make
them, you will not cause your guests to make grimaces at each
other, when partaking of them at your festive board, for the
present age is a little more refined than at the time of Dr.
Johnson, and we are often obliged to swallow what we do not like;
for it is reported of him, that being at a ceremonious
dinner-party, and indulging in his usual flow of wit, he
unconsciously partook of a spoonful of very hot soup, which he
immediately returned to the plate he had taken it from; and
observing the astonishment of some of his neighbors, he very coolly
remarked, "A fool would have burnt his mouth."

When we are at home alone, I very seldom trouble myself by making
white or brown sauce, which I can avoid by selecting simplified
dishes, which easily produce their own sauce whilst cooking them.
But when I expect a little company, the first I order of my cook is
to make me half of the quantity of the following receipts for white
and brown sauces:--

130. _White Sauce._--Cut and chop a knuckle of veal, weighing about four pounds, into large dice; also half a pound of lean bacon; butter the bottom of a large stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter, add two onions, a small carrot, a turnip, three cloves, half a blade of mace, a bouquet of a bay-leaf, a sprig of thyme, and six of parsley, add a gill of water, place over a sharp fire, stirring round occasionally, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with whitish glaze, when fill up with three quarts of water, add a good teaspoonful of salt, and let simmer at the corner of the fire an hour and a half, keeping well skimmed, when pass it through a hair sieve into a basin; in another stewpan put a quarter of a pound of butter, with which mix six ounces of flour, stirring over the fire about three minutes, take off, keep stirring until partly cold, when add the stock all at once, continually stirring and boiling for a quarter of an hour; add half a pint of boiling milk, stir a few minutes longer, add a little chopped mushrooms if handy, pass through a hair sieve into a basin, until required for use, stirring it round occasionally until cold; the above being a simplified white sauce, will be referred to very often in the receipts.

131. _Brown Sauce._--Put two ounces of butter into a stewpan, rub it over the bottom, peel two or three large onions, cut them in thick slices, lay them on the bottom, cut into small pieces about two pounds of knuckle of veal,[3] all meat, or three pounds if with bone, a quarter of a pound of lean bacon cut small, two cloves, a few peppercorns, a tablespoonful of salt, two bay-leaves, a gill of water; set it on a brisk fire, let it remain ten minutes, when stir it well round, subdue the fire, let it remain a few minutes longer, and stir now and then until it has a nice brown color; fill your pan with three quarts of water; when boiling, set it on the corner of the stove, with the lid three parts on the saucepan; when boiling, skim fat and all; after one hour, or one hour and a half simmering, pass it through a sieve into a basin. To make the thickening or roux for it, proceed as follows:--Put two ounces of butter into a pan, which melt on a slow fire, then add three ounces of flour, stir it until getting a thin deep yellow color; this in France is called roux, being very useful in cookery, and will be often referred to in these receipts. This process will take five minutes, when remove from the fire for two minutes to cool, then add at once three and a quarter pints of the above stock, very quickly set it on the fire to boil, remove to corner to simmer, and skim; it ought to be entirely free from grease, and of a light chestnut color.

132. _Demi-Glaze--Thin Brown Sauce for Made Dishes._--When I have a small dinner-party, I always, as I told you before, make small quantities of white and brown sauce as above, but this is a nice way of clarifying a brown sauce without much trouble, and makes it a beautiful transparent brown color: but although I have made it quite a study, that each _entrée_, or made dish for daily use, should make its own sauce, yet I must impress upon you that this sauce is the real key to cooking a good and ceremonious dinner. Put a pint of brown sauce in a middle-sized stewpan, add to it half a pint of broth or consommé, put it on the stove, stir with wooden spoon, let it boil as fast as possible, take the scum off which will rise to the surface, reduce it until it adheres lightly to the spoon, pass it through a sieve or tammy into a basin, stir now and then until cold, to prevent a skin forming on the top, put it by until wanted for use. It will keep for a week in winter, by adding half a gill of white broth every other day, and giving it a boil; the addition of a tablespoonful of tomatos, gives it a beautiful color; use where indicated.

133. _Thin Brown Sauce of Mushrooms._--Put twelve tablespoonfuls of thin brown sauce in a small stewpan to boil, then have six or eight small mushrooms well cleaned and washed, chop them fine, and place in sauce, and boil for five minutes; taste if it is to your liking; the addition of a little sugar is an improvement: a little cayenne, if liked, may be introduced. This sauce is good for cutlets, broiled fowl and game, &c.

134. _Eschalot Sauce._--Chop fine about a good tablespoonful of eschalot, wash them by placing them in the corner of a napkin, and pouring water over them; press them until dry, put them in a small stewpan with two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, one clove, a little mace; boil two minutes, add ten tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze, boil a little longer, add a little sugar, and serve.

135. _Piquant Sauce._--Put two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, or eschalots, cleaned as above, into a stewpan; put also four tablespoonfuls of vinegar and a bay-leaf, and boil; then add ten tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, half a one of chopped parsley, ditto of green gherkins; boil five minutes, skim, add a little sugar, taste if well seasoned, take out bay-leaf and serve.

136. _Tarragon Sauce._--Put eight tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze, and four of broth, into a stewpan; boil for a few minutes, add a tablespoonful of vinegar, have ready picked twenty leaves of fresh tarragon, put in to simmer two minutes, and serve with any kind of poultry, but especially spring chickens.

137. _Brown Cucumber Sauce._--Peel a small fresh cucumber, cut it in neat pieces, put in a stewpan with a little sugar, add half an ounce of butter, set it on a slow fire, stir it now and then, add twelve tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, and four of broth; let it simmer till tender, skim the butter off, remove the cucumbers into another stewpan, reduce the sauce a little, taste it and serve.

138. _Mince Herb Sauce._--Put two tablespoonfuls of finely chopped onions in a stewpan, add a tablespoonful of oil, place it on the fire, stir a few minutes, add ten tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze and four of broth or water; boil, skim; if too thick, and the scum should not rise, add half a gill of broth or water; boil, and reduce to a proper thickness, and add a tablespoonful of chopped parsley if handy, one of mushrooms, and season with a little cayenne, the juice of a quarter of a lemon; serve. I often introduce a little garlic in this.

139. _Italian Herb Sauce._--Proceed in the same way as the above, only add a little chopped thyme and a small glass of sherry.

140. _Robert Sauce._--Peel and cut up two good-sized onions, put them in a stewpan with an ounce of butter till they are a nice yellow color, then add eight tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze, and two of water or broth; skim, boil quick; when a proper thickness, add a good tablespoonful of French mustard; season it rather high; if no French mustard, use English, but it completely changes the flavor, though still very palatable.

141. _Ravigote Sauce._--Put in a stewpan one middle-sized onion sliced, with a little carrot, a little thyme, bay-leaf, one clove, a little mace, a little scraped horseradish, a little butter, fry a few minutes, then add three teaspoonfuls of vinegar, ten tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, four of broth; when boiling, skim, add a tablespoonful of currant jelly; when melted, pass all through a tammy, and serve with any kind of meat or poultry; with hare or venison it is excellent.

142. _Brown Mushroom Sauce._--Clean and cut twelve small mushrooms in slices, place them in a stewpan with a little butter, salt, pepper, the juice of a quarter of a lemon, set it on a slow fire for a few minutes, then add ten spoonfuls of demi-glaze; boil till they are tender, and serve. A little mushroom catsup may be introduced.

143. _Orange Sauce for Game._--Peel half an orange, removing all the pith; cut it into slices, and then in fillets; put them in a gill of water to boil for two minutes; drain them on a sieve, throwing the water away; place in the stewpan ten spoonfuls of demi-glaze, or two of broth; and, when boiling, add the orange, a little sugar, simmer ten minutes, skim, and serve. The juice of half an orange is an improvement. This is served with ducklings and waterfowl: those that like may add cayenne and mustard.

144. _Garlic Sauce._--Though many dislike the flavor of this root, yet those that like it ought not to be deprived of it. Put in a stewpan ten tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze, a little tomatos if handy; boil it a few minutes, scrape half a clove of garlic, put it in with a little sugar, and serve.

145. _Mint Sauce for Lamb._--Take three tablespoonfuls of chopped leaves of green mint, three tablespoonfuls of brown sugar, and put into a basin with half a pint of brown vinegar; stir it well up, add one saltspoonful of salt, and serve.

146. _Liaison of Eggs._--Break the yolks of three eggs in a basin, with which mix six spoonfuls of milk, or eight of cream; pass it through a fine sieve, and use when directed.

147. _Anchovy Butter Sauce._--Put into a stewpan eight spoonfuls of demi-glaze, or three of broth; when boiling, add one ounce of anchovy butter; stir continually till melted: serve where directed.

148. _Soyer's Sauce._--Put six spoonfuls of demi-glaze into a stewpan; when hot, add four spoonfuls of Soyer's Gentleman's Sauce; let boil, and serve with either chop, steak, cotelettes, poultry, or game.

149. _Papillotte Sauce._--Scrape half an ounce of fat bacon, put it in a pan with four tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, stir over the fire for a few minutes, then add ten tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, and boil; then add a tablespoonful of mushrooms chopped, one ditto of parsley, a little nutmeg, a little pepper and sugar, a little scraped garlic; reduce till rather thickish; put on dish till cold, and use it for anything you may put up "_en papillotte_."

150. _Tomato Sauce._--If fresh, put six in a stewpan; having removed the stalk, and squeezed them in the hand to remove pips, &c., add half an onion, sliced, a little thyme, bay-leaf, half an ounce of celery, one ounce of ham, same of butter, teaspoonful of sugar, same of salt, a quarter one of pepper; set on fire to stew gently; when all tender, add a tablespoonful of flour, moisten with half a pint of broth, boil five minutes, add a little cayenne, taste if highly seasoned, pass it through sieve or tammy, put it back in stewpan, until it adheres rather thick to the back of the spoon, and use it for any kind of meat or poultry. If preserved tomato, proceed as for poivrade sauce respecting the vegetables, omitting the vinegar, add the tomato, instead of brown sauce, add a tablespoonful of flour and broth to bring it to a proper thickness, and pass it through a sieve, and serve as above.

151. _Curry Sauce._--This I generally keep ready-made in the
larder, being very fond of what I consider such wholesome food as
curry; but not liking to be troubled with making it often, I cause
my cook to prepare a certain quantity at a time. Mr. B. is very
partial to curry, but he likes it in winter; for my part, I prefer
it in summer. After having partaken of some one very hot summer's
day, I felt quite cool. Capt. White, who has been nearly twenty
years in the East Indies, tells me that it will produce that
refreshing effect; but I can enjoy it in any season.

Put into a pan four good-sized onions, sliced, and two of peeled apples, with a quarter of a pound of butter, the same of lean ham, a blade of mace, four peppercorns, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme; stir them over a moderate fire until the onions become brown and tender, then add two tablespoonfuls of the best curry powder, one of vinegar, two of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, one of sugar; moisten it with a quart of broth or milk, or even water, with the addition of a little glaze; boil till in a pulp, and adhering rather thickly to the back of the spoon; pass all through a fine sieve or tammy, give it another boil for a few minutes, put it in a basin, and use when required. Any kind of meat, poultry, and fish, or parts of game, is excellent warmed in this sauce, and served with well-boiled and dry rice. I have kept this sauce in a cool place in the winter for a month, boiling it now and then. The quantity of powder may be omitted, and a spoonful of curry paste used, or some mangoes. (_See Curries._)

152. _A very good and useful White Sauce (quite new)._--Put a quart of white sauce in a stewpan of a proper size on a fire; stir continually until reduced to one third; put two yolks of eggs in a basin, stir them well up, add your sauce gradually, keep stirring, put back in stewpan, set it to boil for a few minutes longer, then add one pint of boiling milk, which will bring it to its proper thickness; that is, when it adheres transparently to the back of a spoon; pass through a tammy into a basin, stir now and then till cold; if not immediately required, and I have any stock left, I use half of it with half of milk. I also try this way, which is very convenient: when the yolks are in, and well boiled, I put it in a large gallipot, and when cold, cover with pieces of paper, and it will keep good in winter for two or three weeks, and above a week in summer; and when I want to use a little of it, I only take a spoonful or two and warm it on the fire, and add enough milk or white broth to bring it to a proper thickness, and use where required. This sauce is very smooth, and never, turns greasy; it lies beautifully on fowl, or any white made dish; the addition of a drop of cream gives it a very fine white appearance.

153. _Onion Purée Sauce._--Peel and cut six onions in slices; put in a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of butter, a teaspoonful of salt, one of sugar, a half one of pepper; place on a slow fire to simmer till in a pulp, stirring them now and then to prevent them getting brown, then add one tablespoonful of flour, a pint of milk, and boil till a proper thickness, which should be a little thicker than melted butter; pass through a tammy, warm again, and serve with mutton cutlets, chops, rabbits, or fowl; by not passing it, it will do for roast mutton and boiled rabbit as onion sauce.

154. _Purée of Cauliflower Sauce._--Boil a cauliflower well in three pints of water, in which you have previously put one ounce of butter, two tablespoonfuls of salt; when done, chop it up, having prepared and slowly cooked in a stewpan an onion sliced, a little celery, half a turnip, one ounce of ham, two of butter, a little bay-leaf, mace, add then the cauliflower, stir round, add a tablespoonful of flour, moisten as above for onions, pass and finish the same way.

155. _Jerusalem Artichoke Sauce._--Peel twelve, and well wash, boil till tender, and proceed as above.

156. _Turnip Sauce Purée._--Boil six middle-sized ones, press all the water you can out of them, and proceed as the above.

157. _White Cucumber Purée._--Peel two, or one large one, cut in slices, put in the stewpan with the same vegetables, &c., as for the cauliflower; when tender, add a tablespoonful of flour, three gills of milk or broth, boil, and finishing as the cauliflower.

158. _Sorrel Sauce, or Purée._--Wash well four handfuls of sorrel, put it nearly dry into a middle-sized stewpan, with a little butter; let it melt, add a tablespoonful of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, half one of pepper, moisten to a thick purée, with milk, or broth, or cream; pass it through a sieve, put it back in a stewpan, warm again, add two whole eggs, two ounces of butter, and stir well, and serve where directed.

159. _Spinach Purée (see Vegetables, 2d Course)._--Endive is often used in France, and called chicorée. This purée may be made like the cauliflower, or only plainly chopped, put into a pan with two ounces of butter, a gill of white sauce, a little grated nutmeg, and a little salt, pepper and sugar.

160. _Stewed Peas and Sprew Grass._--For cutlets, sweetbreads, fowls, or any dishes, they are applicable (see Vegetables, second course), also French beans, only using one third of the quantity that you would for a made dish for an entremet.

161. _Scooped Jerusalem Artichokes._--Scoop with a round cutter twenty-four pieces of artichoke, of the size of half an inch in diameter, wash them, put them in a small stewpan with half an ounce of butter and a quarter of an ounce of sugar; put it on a slow fire for a few minutes, add two tablespoonfuls of white sauce, six of white broth or milk, let them simmer till tender, skim, mix a yolk of an egg with two tablespoonfuls of milk, pour in stewpan, and move it round very quick, and serve; it must not be too thick, and the artichokes must be well done; they must not be in purée; they are good with or served under any white meat.

162. _Scooped Turnips._--Proceed exactly the same, only serve a little thinner: they will not do if stringy.

163. _Button Onions._--The same, only make the sauce thinner, and boil longer, according to their size.

164. _Young Carrots._--Scrape and trim to shape twenty small and young carrots, pass in sugar and butter, add white or brown sauce, but keep it thinner, as it requires a longer time boiling; when tender, if for white sauce, add a tablespoonful of liaison, stir, and serve.

165. _White Mushroom Sauce._--Use small white ones; cut the dark part out and remove the tail, wash in several waters, put in a stewpan with a little butter, salt, pepper, juice of lemon, sauté it for a few minutes, add a gill of white sauce, four table-spoonfuls of broth, milk, or water; boil and serve under any white meat.

166. _White Cucumber Sauce._--Peel two cucumbers, divide each lengthways into four, remove the pips, and cut into pieces one inch long; add, in stewpan one ounce of butter, a teaspoonful of sugar, half of salt, let it stew on the fire for fifteen minutes, then add a gill of white sauce, six spoonfuls of milk, broth, or water, simmer gently and skim, add a tablespoonful of liaison, and serve where directed, but observe that all these garnitures ought to be served under the meat and over poultry.

167. _Ragout of Quenelles._--Make twelve nice small quenelles (see _Quenelles_), warm half a pint of white sauce, in which you have put four tablespoonfuls of milk, and half a teaspoonful of eschalot; when well done, pour on the liaison over with the juice of a lemon, and serve. A few English truffles or mushrooms may be added to this sauce.

168. _Maître d'Hôtel Sauce._--Put eight spoonfuls of white sauce in a stewpan, with four of white stock or milk; boil it five minutes, then stir in two ounces of maître d'hôtel butter; stir it quickly over the fire until the butter is melted, but do not let the sauce boil after the butter is in; this sauce should only be made at the time of serving.

169. _Green Peas Stewed._--Put a pint of young peas, boiled very green, into a stewpan, with three table-spoonfuls of white sauce, two ounces of butter, a little sugar and salt, and two button onions, with parsley, tied together; boil them ten minutes; add two tablespoonfuls of liaison, stir it in quickly, and serve.

170. _Green Peas, with Bacon._--Put a pint of well-boiled peas into a stewpan, with five spoonfuls of brown sauce, two of brown gravy, a teaspoonful of sugar, two button onions, and a bunch of parsley; let it boil about ten minutes; have ready braised about a quarter of a pound of lean bacon, cut it in dice about a quarter of an inch square, add it to the peas, take out the onions and parsley, season with an ounce of butter and half a teaspoonful of sugar; mix well together, stew twenty minutes, and serve.

171. _Blanched Mushrooms._--Get a pottle of fresh mushrooms, cut off the dirt, and likewise the heads (reserving the stalk for chopping), wash the heads in a basin of clean water, take them out and drain in a sieve; put into a stewpan two wine-glasses of cold water, one ounce of butter, the juice of half a good lemon, and a little salt; turn or peel each head neatly, and put them into the stewpan immediately, or they will turn black; set your stewpan on a brisk fire, let them boil quickly five minutes, put them into a basin ready for use; chop the stalks and peel very fine, put them into a stewpan with three tablespoonfuls of the liquor the mushrooms have been boiled in; let them simmer three minutes, put them into a jar, and use where indicated.

Observe: Turning or peeling mushrooms is an art that practice alone can attain; if they are very fresh and white, wash them quickly, and wipe them on a cloth; throw them into the liquid above mentioned.

172. _Onions Stuffed._--Peel twelve large onions, cut a piece off at the top and bottom to give them a flat appearance, and which adds a better flavor if left, blanch them in four quarts of boiling water twenty minutes, then lay them on a cloth to dry; take the middle out of each onion, and fill them with veal forcemeat (with a little chopped eschalot, parsley, and mushroom, mixed in it), and put them in a sauté-pan well buttered, cover them with white broth, let them simmer over a slow fire until covered with a glaze, and tender; turn them over and serve where required.

173. _Hot Tartar Sauce._--Put two table-spoonfuls of white sauce in a small stewpan, four of broth or milk, boil a few minutes, then add two tablespoonfuls of the tartar sauce (see Salads) in it, stir it very quick with a wooden spoon, make it quite hot but not boiling; put it on a dish, and serve where described.

174. _Mephistophelian Sauce._--Do not be afraid of the title, for
it has nothing diabolical about it; the first time I tried it was
at Mr. B.'s birthday party; and some of his friends having over and
over again drank his health, till he had hardly any health left to
carry him to the drawing-room, where the coffee was waiting, about
eleven o'clock, having asked for some anchovy sandwiches, but, from
a mistake, not having any in the house, I composed this ravigotante
sauce, which partly brought them back to their senses.

I cut up the remains of the turkey, rubbed some mustard over it, sprinkled a little salt and plenty of cayenne, put it on the gridiron on the fire, and made the following sauce: I chopped six eschalots, washed and pressed them in the corner of a clean cloth, then put them into a stewpan with one and a half wine-glassful of Chili vinegar, a chopped clove, a piece of garlic, two bay-leaves, an ounce of glaze, and boiled all together for ten minutes; then added four tablespoonfuls of tomato sauce, a little sugar, and ten of gravy or brown sauce; boiled it a few minutes longer, then added a pat of butter, stirring it well in, removed the bay-leaf, and poured over turkey, and served.

SOUPS.

In France, no dinner is served without soup, and no good soup is
supposed to be made without the pot-au-feu (see No. 215), it being
the national dish of the middle and poorer classes of that country;
thinking it might be of service to the working classes, by showing
the benefits to be derived from more frequently partaking of a hot
dinner, as I have previously observed, especially in a cold
climate like ours. Clear light soups are very delicate, and in this
country more fit for the wealthy; whilst the more substantial thick
soups, such as mock turtle, ox-tail, peas, &c., are more in vogue,
consequent to being better adapted to the million; therefore, after
giving a few series of clear soups, I shall proceed to give a
greater variety of the thicker sorts, being careful that every
receipt shall be so plain as to give a correct idea of its cost.

175. _Stock for all kinds of Soup._--Procure a knuckle of veal about six pounds in weight, which cut into pieces about the size of an egg, as also half a pound of lean ham or bacon; then rub a quarter of a pound of butter upon the bottom of the stewpan (capable of holding about two gallons), into which put the meat and bacon, with half a pint of water, two ounces of salt, three middle-sized onions, with two cloves in each, one turnip, a carrot, half a leek, and half a head of celery; put the cover upon the stewpan, which place over a sharp fire, occasionally stirring round its contents with a wooden spoon, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a white thickish glaze, which will lightly adhere to the spoon; fill up the stewpan with cold water, and when upon the point of boiling, draw it to the corner of the fire, where it must gently simmer for three hours, carefully skimming off every particle of grease and scum; pass your stock through a fine hair sieve, and it is ready for use when required.

The above will make a delicious broth for all kinds of clear soups, and of course for thick soups or purées; by boiling it rather faster about five minutes before passing, you will be better enabled to take off every particle of grease from the surface. In making a stock of beef proceed as above, but allow double the time to simmer; mutton or lamb, if any trimmings, might also be used; if beef, use seven pounds; if mutton, eight; or lamb, seven, of course bones and all included; with care, this broth would be quite clear. To give a little color, as required for all clear soups, use a little brown gravy or browning, but never attempt to brown it by letting it color at the bottom of the stewpan, for in that case you would destroy the greater part of the osmazome.

176. _Another way, more economical._--Instead of cutting up the knuckle of veal so small, cut it in four or five pieces only, and leave the bacon in one piece; then, when the broth is passed, take out the veal, which is very excellent served with a little of the broth for gravy, and the bacon with a few greens upon another dish. This is as I always eat it myself; but some persons would probably prefer a little parsley-and-butter sauce or sharp sauce, served with it. Should any of the veal be left until cold, it might be cut into thin slices, and gradually warmed in either of the before-mentioned sauces. Should you make your stock from the leg or shin of beef, stew it double the time, preserve the vegetables boiled in the stock, and serve with beef, or serve the beef with some nice sharp sauce over; the remainder, if cold, may also be hashed in the ordinary way. If of mutton, and you have used the scrags of the neck, the breast, head, or the chump of the loin, keep them in as large pieces as possible; and, when done, serve with a few mashed turnips, and caper sauce, separately; if any remaining until cold, mince it. Lamb would be seldom used for stock, being much too expensive; but in case of an abundance, which there sometimes is in the country, proceed the same as for mutton.

177. _Brown Gravies._--Rub an ounce of butter over the bottom of a stewpan which would hold about three quarts; have ready peeled four onions, cut them into thick slices, with which cover the bottom of the stewpan; over these lay about two pounds of beef from the leg or shin, cut into thin slices, with the bone chopped very small, add a small carrot, a turnip cut in slices, and a couple of cloves; set the stewpan upon a gentle fire for ten minutes, shaking it round occasionally to prevent burning; after which, let it go upon a slow fire for upwards of an hour, until the bottom is covered with a blackish glaze, but not burnt; when properly done, and ready for filling up, you will perceive the fat that runs from the meat quite clear, fill up the stewpan with cold water, add a teaspoonful of salt; and when upon the point of boiling, set it on a corner of the fire, where let it simmer gently about an hour, skimming off all the fat and scum which may rise to the surface; when done, pass it through a fine sieve into a basin, and put by to use for the following purposes:--For every kind of roast meat, poultry, or game especially; also to give a good color to soups and sauces. This gravy will keep several days, by boiling it every other day. Although beef is the most proper meat for the above purpose, it may be made of veal, mutton, lamb, or even with fresh pork, rabbits, or poultry.

178. _Browning._--When in business, and not so much time to devote to the kitchen, I used to make shift with a browning from the following receipt, using, however, but a very few drops: put two ounces of powdered sugar into a middling-sized stewpan, which place over a slow fire; when beginning to melt, stir it round with a wooden spoon until getting quite black, then pour over half a pint of cold water: leave it to dissolve, and take a little for use when required.

179. _Glaze_ is an almost indispensable article in a _cuisine bourgeoise_, and should be kept by all persons in the middle classes of life, the advantage being that it will keep for months together, is very simple to make, and is always useful in cookery, however humble; in fact, with it you can dress a very good dinner with very little trouble.

Make a stock as directed in No. 175, but omitting the salt, which, when done, pass through a cloth into a basin; then fill the stewpan up a second time with hot water, and let boil four hours longer to obtain all the succulence from the meat, then pass it through a cloth the same as the first; then pour both stocks in a large stewpan together, set it over the fire, and let it boil as fast as possible, leaving a large spoon in, to stir occasionally and prevent its boiling over; when reduced to about three pints, pour it into a smaller stewpan, set again to boil at the corner, skimming well if required; when reduced to a quart, place it quite over the fire, well stirring with a wooden spoon until forming a thickish glaze (which will adhere to the spoon) of a fine yellowish-brown color; pour it into a basin, or, if for keeping any time, into a long bladder, from which cut a slice and use where directed.

Where, however, only a small quantity is required, reduce only the second stock, using the first for either soup or sauce; but in that case the salt must not be omitted from the first stock, but from the second only. Veal at all times makes the best glaze, but any kinds of meat, game, or poultry will produce more or less.

180. _To clarify Stock, if required._--In case, by some accident, your stock should not be clear, put it (say three quarts) into a stewpan, and place it over a good fire, skim well, and, when boiling, have ready the whites of three eggs (carefully separated from their yolks), to which add half a pint of water; whisk well together; then add half a pint of the boiling stock gradually, still whisking the eggs; then whisk the boiling stock, pouring the whites of eggs, &c., in whilst so doing, which continue until nearly boiling again, then take it from the fire, let it remain until the whites of eggs separate themselves, pass it through a clean fine cloth into a basin; this must be taken as a rule for every kind of clear soup, which must be strictly followed by every person wishing to profit by this little work. These principles, once learned, would be useful at all times, and save a great deal of useless reference in the perusal of these receipts; and no persons can make themselves answerable for the success of any individual in making soups if the instructions recommended be not strictly followed. The following rule should be therefore punctually attended to.

All clear soups ought not to be too strong of meat, and must be of a light brown sherry or straw color. All white or brown thick soups should be rather thin, with just sufficient consistency to adhere lightly to a spoon when hot, soups of fish, poultry, or game especially. All purées, no matter whether of meat or vegetables, require to be somewhat thicker, which may be ascertained by its adhering more thickly to the spoon. Every Italian soup must be very clear, rather stronger of meat, and the color of pale sherry.

By following the few foregoing observations, experience will teach
you volumes; for as there is a great difference in the quality of
different materials (flour, for instance, which, if strong, would
tend to thicken, but, if weak, actually almost turns to water by
boiling), therefore your judgment, with the above few important
remarks, will make you more perfect than the most precise
quantities of weights and measurements, upon that important point.

181. _Clear Vegetable Soup._--Peel a middling-sized carrot and turnip, which cut first into slices, then into small square pieces about the size of dice; peel also eighteen button onions; wash the whole in cold water, and drain them upon a sieve; when dry, put them into a stewpan with two ounces of butter and a teaspoonful of powdered sugar; set them upon a very sharp fire for ten minutes, tossing them over every now and then until the vegetables become covered with a thin shiny glaze, which may take rather more than the before-mentioned time; care, however, must be taken, for should you let them get brown, the flavor of the soup would be spoiled; whilst, upon the other hand, if put in whilst surrounded with a whitish liquid, your soup would look white and unsightly; with a little attention, however, success is certain; and, once accomplished, there would be no difficulty in making any vegetable soups or sauce, therefore it is very desirable to know how to do it properly. When done, pour two quarts of clear broth over them, set it upon the fire, and when upon the point of boiling, place it at the corner to simmer, until the vegetables are quite tender (the onions especially), carefully skimming off all the butter as it rises to the surface; it will require about half an hour's simmering, and there should be half a pound of vegetables to two quarts of stock; taste if properly seasoned, which it ought to be with the above proportions, but use your own judgment accordingly.

By following the last process correctly, the only difference to be made in those descriptions of soup is in the shape the vegetables are cut.

182. _Printanière Soup._--Cut a small quantity of vegetables as in the last, but rather less carrot and turnip, introducing a little celery, leek, and young spring onions, instead of the button onions; proceed exactly as before, but ten minutes before taking it from the fire, wash a few leaves of sorrel, which cut small and put into the soup, with six sprigs of chervil; in summer, a few fresh-boiled peas or French beans served in it is an improvement.

In whatever shape you may cut the vegetables for soup, always be cautious not to cut some pieces larger than others, and the whole of them rather small than large; for if some pieces should be small and others large, the smaller pieces would be quite in purée, whilst the larger ones would still be quite hard, which would cause your soup not only to eat badly, but give it an unsightly appearance, for the vegetable boiled to a purée would make the soup thick. The above remark, although simple, is still very important.

183. _Julienne Soup._--This soup is entirely the hereditary property of France, and is supposed to be so called from the months of June and July, when all vegetables are in full season; and to make it in reality as originally made, a small quantity of every description of vegetables should be used, including lettuce, sorrel, and tarragon; however, some few sorts of vegetables mixed together make a most estimable soup. Weigh half a pound of the vegetables in fair proportions to each other; that is, carrots, turnips, onions, celery, and leeks, which cut into small fillets an inch in length, and of the thickness of a trussing-needle; when done, wash dry, and pass them in butter and sugar as before, proceeding the same with the soup, adding just before it is done a little sorrel, cabbage-lettuce, and chervil or peas, if handy, but it would be excellent without either.

184. _Clear Turnip Soup._--Cut, with a round vegetable scoop, about forty pieces of turnip, of the shape and size of small marbles, which put into a stewpan, with sugar and butter as before, but fry them of a light brownish color, and finish the soup, as in the previous receipts. A tablespoonful of Italian paste, previously half boiled in water, then drained and finished in the soup, is also an improvement.

185. _Clear Artichoke Soup._--Peel twelve Jerusalem artichokes, which well wash, then cut as many round scoops as possible, the same as in the last, proceeding exactly the same. The remainder of either turnips, artichokes, or carrots may be boiled, and mashed with a little butter, pepper, and salt, and served as a vegetable, or reserved to make a soup purée; the remains of other vegetables from the previous soups should also be reserved for flavoring of stock, instead of using the fresh vegetables.

186. _Vermicelli._--Put a quart of clear stock into a stewpan upon the fire, and when boiling add two ounces of vermicelli; boil gently ten minutes, and it is ready to serve.

187. _Italian Paste._--Procure some small Italian paste, in stars, rings, or any other shape, but small; put on a quart of stock, and when boiling, add two ounces of the paste; boil twenty minutes, or rather more, when it is ready to serve.

188. _Semoulina._--When the stock is boiling, add two tablespoonfuls of semoulina; boil twenty minutes, and it is then done. Proceed the same also with tapioca and sago.

189. _Macaroni._--Boil a quarter of a pound of macaroni, in a quart of water, for ten minutes, then strain it off, and throw it into two quarts of boiling stock; let simmer gently for half an hour, when serve, with grated cheese, upon a plate separately.

190. _Rice._--Well wash two ounces of the best rice, strain off the water, put the rice into a stewpan, with a quart of cold stock, place it upon the fire, and let simmer about half an hour, until the rice is very tender, but not in pulp.

191. _Mutton Broth._--Any description of trimmings of mutton may be used for broth, but the scrag ends of the neck are usually chosen; put two scrags into a stewpan (having previously jointed the bones), with three onions, three turnips, and one carrot, fill up the stewpan with a gallon of water, and place it upon the fire; when boiling set it at the corner, where let it simmer for three hours, keeping it well skimmed; then cut a small carrot, two turnips, an onion, with a little leek and celery, into small square pieces, which put into another stewpan, with a wineglassful of pearl-barley; skim every particle of fat from the broth, which pour through a hair sieve over them; let the whole boil gently at the corner of the fire until the barley is tender, when it is ready to serve; the meat may be trimmed into neat pieces and served with the broth, or separately with melted butter and parsley, or onion sauce. Half or even a quarter of the above quantity can be made by reducing the ingredients in proportion.

192. _Irish Soup made of Mutton Broth._--This soup is made similar to the last, adding ten or twelve mealy potatoes, cut into large dice, omitting the other vegetables, which, being boiled to a purée, thickens the broth; just before serving, throw in twenty heads of parsley, and at the same time add a few flowers of marigold, which will really give it a very pleasing flavor.