Chapter VIII: Part 8

BOILED TURKEY.--This is a dish I rarely have, as I never could
relish it boiled as it generally is, by putting it into that pure
and chaste element water, into which has been thrown some salt, the
quantity of which differs as much as the individuals that throw it
in. I often reflect to myself, why should this innocent and
well-brought up bird have its remains condemned to this watery
bubbling inquisition, especially when alive it has the greatest
horror of this temperate fluid; it is really for want of reflection
that such mistakes occur: the flavor of a roasted turkey, hot or
cold, is as superior to the boiled as it is possible to be. But yet
there is a kind of boiling which can be adopted, and which I
sometimes practise, which makes a nice palatable dish, and the
broth can be used for other purposes. I think, if you try it, you
will never again resort to that bubbling system of salt and water.
I proceed as follows:--

357. _Boiled Braised Turkey._--I truss it thus: Cut the neck, leaving the skin on; cut the legs off; then run the middle finger into the inside, raise the skin of the legs, and put them under the apron of the turkey, put the liver and gizzard in the pinions, turn the small end of the pinions on the back, run a packing-needle with string through the joint of the wing and middle joint of the leg, and through the body, and out at the opposite leg and wing, bring it round and tie it on the back, then run the needle and string through the ends of the legs or drumstick, press it through the back, and tie strongly; it is then ready. When the turkey is trussed, I then stuff it; and if I intend to have oyster sauce with it, I chop about two dozen of them into small dice and mix them with the stuffing, and place inside the breast. I then rub the breast with half a lemon, and put it into a two-gallon pan, and cover it with cold water, in which I add two ounces of butter, one ounce of salt, four onions, a stick of celery, one carrot, two turnips sliced, a large bouquet of parsley, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme; set it on the fire, when beginning to boil, skim it, let it simmer two hours, or more if large; try the breast with a needle, if it goes in and out easily it is done; take it out and set it on a dish to drain, remove the string, serve on a fresh dish with a pint of good thick oyster sauce over it; by omitting the oysters in stuffing, you may serve the turkey with celery sauce, Jerusalem sauce, tomato ditto, mushroom ditto, or good parsley and butter; and, as an accompaniment, a piece of about two pounds of nice streaked bacon, which has been boiled with the turkey, and from which you have removed the skin, and serve on some greens, or Brussels sprouts, over which you have thrown a little salt, pepper, and two ounces of oiled butter. You see, dear----, that this dish can be varied without much expense and trouble; observe, that this way, the broth is good for soup the same day, and by the addition of two pounds of veal cut in small pieces, a quarter of a pound of lean bacon, one onion, one blade of mace, one leek, a wineglass of water; put into a separate stewpan, stew on fire till forming a white glaze, then add it to the turkey when on the point of boiling; when done, skim off all fat, pass it through a tammy or cloth; you may use it for any clear soup by adding a little brown gravy or coloring, and also for any kind of purée; or, by reducing it a little, make white or brown sauce, adding to the last the proper color. I must observe, that this will be almost impracticable when you have a party; the only plan would be to get the turkey done one hour before you require it, keeping it hot with its breast in some of the stock; but, as the broth will keep well in small quantities, it can be reserved for the next day. That is my plan of boiling, but the following is my new way of giving the flavor of vegetables to all poultry, which is a decided improvement. The aroma from the bird when the cover is removed is quite inviting, and the appearance of it, which is as white as alabaster, and cuts also full of juice: I call it--

358. _Roast Braised Turkey._--Peel and wash two onions, one carrot, one turnip, cut them in thin slices, also a little celery, a few sprigs of parsley, two bay-leaves, lay three sheets of paper on the table, spread your vegetables, and pour over them two or three tablespoonfuls of oil; have your turkey, or poularde, trussed the same as for boiling; cover the breast with thin slices of bacon, and lay the back of the bird on the vegetables; cut a few slices of lemon, which you lay on the breast to keep it white, tie the paper round with string, then pass the spit and set it before the fire; pour plenty of fat over to moisten the paper and prevent from burning, roast three hours at a pretty good distance from the fire; capons will take two hours, poulardes one hour and a half, fowls one hour, and chickens half an hour. This way it may be served with almost any sauce or garniture, as stewed peas, oyster sauce, jardinière, stewed celery, cauliflower, stewed cucumbers, Jerusalem artichokes, which should be turned in the shape of a pear: these should be dished on a border of mashed potatoes; that is, an artichoke and a Brussels sprout alternately, or a small piece of white cauliflower, and a small bunch of green asparagus, or stewed peas, or stewed celery of two inches long, never more, or any other vegetable according to season, which taste or fancy may dictate. When I want to serve them with brown garniture or sauce, I remove the paper and vegetables twenty minutes before it is done, and give it a light golden color, then I serve it with either a ragout financier, or mushroom or English truffle. I also often stuff it thus: I put two pounds of sausage meat in a basin with a little grated nutmeg; I then take two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, put them in a sauté-pan with a little butter, and let them do for two minutes, which add to the meat, also two eggs well beaten up, and a quarter of a pint of white sauce if at hand, and fifteen fine roasted chestnuts; add this to the stuffing, and fill the bird as usual, not too full at the breast; roast as above, giving half an hour longer for the forcemeat, put a quart of demi-glaze and a glass of sherry in a stewpan, reduce it to a pint and a half, add in it fifty button onions previously stewed, and twenty-five roasted chestnuts; sauce under.

359. _Turkey, if old._--The French stew it exactly like the ribs of beef, the receipt of which you have; but as this is a large "pièce de résistance," I think I had better give it you in full as I do it:--Put a quarter of a pound of butter into a convenient-sized stewpan, such as will comfortably hold the old gentleman; cut one pound of lean bacon in ten or twelve pieces for a few minutes in the pan on the fire, then add your turkey trussed as for boiling, breast downwards; set it on a moderate fire for one hour, and until it is a nice color, add two tablespoonfuls of flour, and stir well round until it forms a roux, then add two quarts of water or broth; when you have it on the point of boiling, add fifty pieces of carrot the size of walnuts, the like of turnip, ten button onions, a good bouquet of sprigs of thyme, two bay-leaves, and ten of parsley, a small glass of rum, a clove, a piece of garlic, and let it stew gently for four hours. If you use water, season in proportion. Take your turkey out, and put the vegetables and sauce in a smaller stewpan, which ought to be nearly full; let it simmer on the corner of the fire, so that the fat rises and may be removed, and reduce it to a demi-glaze, dish up your turkey and serve with the sauce over it; small new potatoes, about twenty, when in season, may be added to the sauce or roasted chestnuts. The remains are excellent when cold, or will warm again with the addition of a little broth or water. The series of entrées will contain the dishes made from the remnants of the foregoing receipts.

FOWLS, in a general sense, mean all kinds of poultry, but, in a
limited view, mean one species of bird, which is exceedingly common
in all parts of Europe: there are an amazing number of kinds of
this species produced by crossing the breed; great attention having
been bestowed upon this subject of late years, that it is quite
impossible to say which is the best. They are not originally
natives of England, but were found there by the Romans, having
probably been brought by the Phoenicians. We distinguish this
kind in cookery as the chicken, capon, pullet, cock, and hen.
Chickens from their age cannot be otherwise but tender; capons
should have a fat vein on the side of the breast, thick belly and
rump, comb short and pale, spurs short and blunt, and legs smooth.
Pullets are best in the spring, just before they begin to lay.
Cocks should have their spurs short, legs smooth, and comb short,
smooth, and a bright color. Hens, legs and comb smooth, and full
breast. Black legs are best for roasting and entrées, and white for
boiling.

For preparing them for table, M. Soyer has invented a plan:--by
cutting the sinews of the bird, it not only appears fuller and
plumper when cooked, as the heat is liable to contract the sinews,
but it also affords facility for carving when the sinews are
divided; they are trussed in the usual way, only using string
instead of skewers. The following is the ordinary plan of
trussing--

_For Roasting._--Having emptied the fowl and cleaned the gizzard,
cut the skin of the wings, and put the gizzard and liver through
it, and turn the pinion under; put a skewer through the first joint
of the pinion and the body, coming out at the opposite side, and
bring the middle of the leg close up to it; run a skewer through
the middle of both legs and body, and another through the drumstick
and side-bone, and one through the skins of the feet, the nails of
which must be cut off.

_For Boiling._--Prepare as before; put the finger in the inside,
and raise the skin of the legs; cut a hole in the top of the skin,
and put the legs under; put the gizzard and liver in the pinions,
and run a skewer through the first joint; draw the leg close up,
and run a skewer through the middle of the legs and the body, tie a
string on the tops of the legs to keep them in their proper place.

360. _Poulards, Capons, and Fowls._--These are the best at nine and ten months old; if after twelve or fourteen, are only fit to be stewed like the turkey, No. 369, but in less time, or boiled in broth or sauces, but when young serve as boiled turkey, No. 367. Roast, No. 365, less time, but take care to do it well, as white meat with red gravy in it is unbearable.

361. _Capon or Poulard roasted._--Prepare it as you would a turkey, and it may be stuffed with the same kind of stuffing, tie over the breast a large slice of fat bacon, about a quarter of an inch thick, and two sheets of paper; ten minutes before being done, remove the paper and bacon, dredge it, and put a piece of butter on it, so that it is of a nice color, dish it up very hot with a gravy like the roast turkey.

362. _Capon boiled._--The same as the turkey.

363. _Capon or Poulard à l'Estragon._--I have been told many fanciful epicures idolize this dish. The bird should be trussed for boiling; rub the breast with half a lemon, tie over it some thin slices of bacon, cover the bottom of a small stewpan with thin slices of the same, and a few trimmings of either beef, veal, or lamb, two onions, a little carrot, turnip, and celery, two bay-leaves, one sprig of thyme, a glass of sherry, two quarts of water, season lightly with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, simmer about one hour and a quarter, keeping continually a little fire on the lid, strain three parts of the gravy into a small basin, skim off the fat, and pass through a tammy into a small stewpan, add a drop of gravy or coloring to give it a nice brown color, boil a few minutes longer, and put about forty tarragon leaves; wash, and put in the boiling gravy, with a tablespoonful of good French vinegar, and pour over the capon when you serve it; by clarifying the gravy, it is an improvement. All kinds of fowls and chickens are continually cooked in this manner in France. They are also served with rice.

364. _Poulard with Rice._--Having been braised as before, have a quarter of a pound of good rice washed, put in a stewpan, with a pint of broth, three spoonfuls of the capon's fat from the stewpan, a bouquet of parsley, let it simmer until it is tender, take the parsley out, add two ounces of butter, a little salt, pepper, nutmeg, stir it round, or form it into a delicate pulpy paste, lay some of it on a dish with the capon on it, put the remainder round it, making it smooth with a knife, leaving the breast uncovered; salamander the rice, and serve clear gravy separate; sometimes I add a little curry powder in the gravy, and egg and bread-crumb the rice, and salamander or make the rice yellow with curry powder, and make a border of half eggs round the dish, it looks well, and that is a great thing; and one fowl done thus will often go as far as two plain. It is generally the custom with us to send either ham, tongue, or bacon, as an accompaniment to poultry. I endeavor to vary it as much as possible; the following is one of my receipts.

365. _Poulards or Capons, with Quenelles and Tongue._--When you are either roasting or braising, you make about twenty quenelles with table spoons, out of forcemeat of veal. Proceed and cook the same; when done, make a roll of mashed potatoes, which put round the dish you intend to serve it in, have ready cut from a cold tongue as many pieces of the shape of the quenelles, warm gently in a little gravy, then put the quenelles on the border; having cut a piece off the end, so that they may stand properly, with a piece of tongue between each, put the fowl in the centre, have ready made a quart of a new white sauce, which pour over the fowl and quenelles, glaze the tongue, and serve very hot. I found this dish at first rather complicated, but now my cook can do it well without my assistance; it looks and eats well, but is only adapted for a dinner of importance.

366. _The same with Cucumbers._--Cut about four nice fresh cucumbers into lengths of two inches, peel and divide them down the middle, take the seedy part out, trim the corners, put about thirty of them into a stewpan, with two ounces of butter, a spoonful of eschalot, and the same of sugar; lay on a very slow fire for half an hour, or till tender; lay them on a border of mashed potatoes, with quenelles as above, and place the tongue between; in another stewpan you have put a little butter, and the trimmings of the cucumbers, then add a quart of white sauce, boil and pass through a tammy, adding a little sugar, or other seasoning if required, and finish with half a gill of good cream sauce over all except the tongue, which glaze. Cauliflower, sprue grass, Jerusalem artichokes, or Brussels sprouts, like the turkey, make excellent and inviting dishes.

367. _Capon with young Carrots._--Scrape two bunches of young carrots, keep them in their original shape as much as possible, wash them and dry on a cloth, put them into a stewpan with two ounces of butter, a little sugar, salt, and pepper, set it on the fire for ten minutes, moving them now and then, add a quart of white broth, simmer gently until very tender and it comes to a demi-glaze; dish the carrots on a border of potatoes, the points towards the centre, cook some small button onions the same way, but very white, and dress them alternately; mix the two gravies together with a quart of demi-glaze, set it on the fire, boil fast, skim it, when forming a bright thinnish sauce, pour it over the capon and vegetables; it being served with a brown sauce, it ought to be roasted brown like turkey (No. 355); turnips may also be added instead of carrots, or both.

368. _Fowls, Italian way._--Prepare and cook the fowls as above, or re-warm some that may be left, cut the remains of a tongue into pieces one inch long and one quarter in thickness, cut three times the quantity of plain boiled macaroni the same way, with a few mushrooms, and add the whites of four eggs to it, with some broth and half a pint of white sauce; when boiling, add a quarter of a pound of grated Parmesan and half that of Gruyère, shake the stewpan so that the contents are well mixed, add a little salt and cayenne, put fowl on dish, sauce over and serve; or put the macaroni on the dish, mix bread-crumbs and a little grated cheese together and sprinkle over it, put it into the oven until it is a yellow-brown color, put the fowl on it very hot, and serve with a little white sauce over, and a strong gravy separate.

369. _Fowl à l'Ecarlate._--Roast and braise two nice fowls, and boil a fine salted tongue, which trim so as to be able to stand it in a dish, when place it in the middle in a slanting position, place two fine heads of cauliflower at each end, and make a pint of cream sauce, pour over the fowl, and brocoli; glaze the tongue and serve. Fowls may be dressed in any of the ways before described, and dished up thus.

GEESE.--We have now arrived at your favorite dish, or, as your
better half said on your return home from this, "What is better
than a goose stuffed with sage and onion!" Of course many persons
are of his idea, and I must say that I for one enjoy them
occasionally when in season; yes, indeed I do, and with the
original apple-sauce too; this last addition to our national
cookery must have been conferred on it by the Germans, who eat
sweets or stewed fruit with almost every dish; or, perhaps, from
William the Conqueror, who left his land of apples to visit and
conquer our shores; but never mind to whom we are indebted for this
bizarre culinary mixture, I sincerely forgive them, and intend to
have one for dinner to-day, which I shall have cooked as follows;
but I must first tell you how they should be chosen. The flesh
should be of a fine pink color, and the liver pale, the bill and
foot yellow, and no hairs, or but few, on the body; the contrary
will be observed in an old one, which will have the feet and bill
red.

370. _Goose (to truss)._--Having well picked the goose, cut the feet off at the joint, and the pinion at the first joint; cut off the neck close to the back, leaving all the skin you can; pull out the throat, and tie a knot at the end; put your middle finger in at the breast, loosen the liver, &c., cut it close to the rump, and draw out all the inside except the soal,[6] wipe it well, and beat the breast bone flat; put a skewer in the wings, and draw the legs close up, running a skewer through the middle of both legs and body; draw the small of the leg close down to the side bone, and run a skewer through; make a hole in the skin large enough to admit the trail, which when stuffed place through it, as it holds the stuffing better.

371. _Roast Goose._--Peel and cut in rather small dice six middle-sized onions, put in a pan, with two ounces of butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter ditto of pepper, a little grated nutmeg and sugar, six leaves of fresh sage chopped fine, put on fire, stir with wooden spoon till in pulp, then have the goose ready trussed as under, and stuff it whilst hot, tie the skin of the neck to the back, pass the spit through and roast two hours before a moderate fire; baste the same as turkey (No. 355), give a nice yellow color, remove it from the spit, take off the string, and serve with half a pint of good brown gravy under and apple-sauce in a boat.

372. _The same, with another stuffing._--I have tried it with the liver chopped and mixed it with the onions; I also at times add two cold potatoes cut in dice and a spoonful of boiled rice; it removes the richness of the fat, and renders it more palatable and digestive; and I also sometimes add twenty chestnuts cut into dice. The giblets should be stewed or made into pies. (See Receipt.) Where there is no gravy, broth, or glaze, still gravy is wanted, therefore put into the dripping-pan a teaspoonful of salt, half a pint of water, and dredge a little flour on it; when the bird is done, pour the contents of the pan into a cup, remove the fat, pour over the back of the bird, which serve on a very hot dish as soon as taken from the fire.

373. _Goose roasted (another way)._--Having the goose ready the day previous to using, take three cloves of garlic, which cut into four pieces each and place inside the goose, and stuff it as follows; take four apples, four onions, four leaves of sage not broken, four leaves of lemon-thyme not broken, and boil in a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them; when done, pulp them through a sieve, removing the sage and thyme, then add sufficient pulp of mealy potatoes to cause it to be sufficiently dry without sticking to the hand, add pepper and salt, and stuff the bird, having previously removed the garlic, tie the neck and rump, and spit it, paper the breast, which remove after it has been at the fire for twenty minutes; when done, serve it plain with a thickened gravy.

374. _Goose stewed._--If an old one, stew it with vegetables, as duck (No. 378), only give it more time to cook. On the Continent they are dressed in different ways, but which are too complicated for both our kitchens.

375. _Goose Giblets, Ragout of, or of Turkey._--Put them into half a gallon of warm water to disgorge for a few hours, then dry them on a cloth, cut into pieces not too small, put into a stewpan a quarter of a pound of good lean bacon, with two ounces of butter; when a little brown, add your giblets, and fry for twenty minutes longer, stirring it together; add a little flour, a good bouquet of parsley, twenty button onions, same number of pieces of carrot and turnip, two saltspoonfuls of salt, the same of sugar, stew together one hour until tender, skim off the fat, dish up the meat, reduce the salt if required, take bouquet out, and sauce over the giblets: both goose and turkey giblets take the same time to stew. If any remaining, they will make a capital pie or pudding, or merely warm up with broth or water, and a little flour.

376. _Preserved Goose for the Farm, or Country House._--In case you have more geese in condition and season than what you consume, kill and cut them up into pieces, so that there shall be as little flesh left on the carcase as possible, and bone the leg; rub into each piece with your fingers some salt, in which you have mixed a little saltpetre, put them into an earthen pan, with some thyme, bay-leaf, spice, a clove of chopped garlic, rub them for a couple of days, after which dip each piece in water and dry on a cloth; when you have chopped fine and melted all the fat you could get from the goose, and scraped a quarter of a pound of fat bacon and melted with it, pass through a sieve into a stewpan, lay the pieces in it, and bake very gently in a slow oven until a stiff piece of straw will go through it, then lay it in a sieve; when nearly cold put it in a bowl or round preserving jar, and press a smaller one on the top so that it all forms one solid mass, pour the fat over, when cold cover with a piece of bladder, keep it in a cold place, and it will be good for months together, and is excellent for breakfast, luncheon, or supper, having previously extracted the fat. Last winter I kept some for three months quite sweet; having half a one left, I put it by in the above way, bones and all, in a basin, and covered with the fat produced with roasting, and put in the larder, and it was excellent. Ducks may be served in the same way.

DUCKS.--There are several varieties of this bird, all, however,
originating from the mallard. There has not been that care and
attention paid to this bird as to the fowl; but I think it is well
worthy the attention of farmers, it being one which is exceedingly
cheap to rear; great care should be evinced in feeding it twelve
days previous to its being killed. Ducklings are considered a
luxury, but which, I think, is more to be attributed to their
scarcity than flavor. The drake is generally considered the best,
but, as a general rule, those of the least gaudy plumage are the
best; they should be hard and thick on the belly, and
limber-footed.

377. _Ducks roasted._--Prepare them for the spit (that is, the same as geese, only leave the fat on), and stuff them with sage, onion, and bread-crumbs, prepared as for the goose, roast before a very quick fire, and serve very hot. There are many ways of cooking ducks, but this is the plainest and the best.

378. _Stewed Duck and Peas._--Procure a duck trussed with the legs turned inside, which put into a stewpan with two ounces of butter and a quarter of a pound of streaked bacon let remain over a fire, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, when add a tablespoonful of flour (mix well) and a quart of broth or water, stir round gently until boiling, when skim, and add twenty button onions, a bunch of parsley, with a bay-leaf, and two cloves, let simmer a quarter of an hour, then add a quart of nice young peas, let simmer until done, which will take about half an hour longer, take out the duck, place it upon your dish (taking away the string it was trussed with), take out the parsley and bay-leaf, season the peas with a little pepper, salt, and sugar, skim the fat, reduce a little if not sufficiently thick, pour over the duck and serve.

379. _Duckling with Turnips_ is a very favorite dish amongst the middle classes in France. Proceed as in the last, but instead of peas use about forty pieces of good turnips cut into moderate-sized square pieces, having previously fried them of a light yellow color in a little butter or lard, and drained them upon a sieve, dress the duck upon a dish as before, season the sauce with a little pepper, salt, and sugar, reduce until rather thickish, a thin sauce not suiting a dish of this description; the turnips must not, however, be in purée; sauce over and serve.

The remains of ducks left from a previous dinner may be hashed as directed for goose, and for variety, should peas be in season, a pint previously boiled may be added to the hash just before serving. The sage and apple must in all cases be omitted.

380. _Ducks à l'Aubergiste (or Tavern-keepers' fashion)._--Truss one or two ducks with the legs turned inside, put them into a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter; place them over a slow fire, turning round occasionally, until they have taken a nice brown color, add two spoonfuls of flour, mix well with them, add a quart of water, with half a tablespoonful of salt and sugar, let simmer gently until the ducks are done (but adding forty button onions well peeled as soon as it begins to boil), keep hot; peel and cut ten turnips in slices, fry them in a frying-pan in butter, drain upon a cloth, put them into the sauce, and stew until quite tender; dress the ducks upon your dish, skim the fat from the sauce, which has attained a consistency, add some fresh mushrooms, pour round the ducks and serve.

FLANCS.

At this part of the dinner there are those dishes which are called
Flancs, by which is understood, those dishes whose contents are not
so large as the removes and not so small as the entrées, and the
Receipts for which may be taken from either of those departments,
with this difference;--instead of meat or poultry being cut up, it
should be left whole: for instance, a loin of mutton, instead of
being cut up into cutlets, should be served whole, with some sauce
under it, and a duck, instead of being divided, should be left
whole, with some sauce. It is also a great addition in the
appearance of the table, and should always be served in a
differently-formed dish to the entrées or removes; and are only
required when eighteen or twenty persons dine, and four corner
dishes are used.

ENTRÉES OR MADE DISHES.

ENTRÉES are, in common terms, what are called made-dishes; of
course, these are dishes upon which, in the high class of cookery,
the talent of the cook is displayed. Great care should be observed
in dishing them up, for the eye is a great assistance to the
palate; it often happens that the carelessness of the servant
destroys the labors of the cook, by the manner in which the dish is
taken from the kitchen to the dining-room. In some measure to avoid
that, I direct a small thin border of mashed potatoes, about half
an inch wide and a quarter of an inch deep, to be placed on the
bottom of the dish, which keeps each object in its place: they
should always be served exceedingly hot.

_Made Dishes of Beef._--The remainder of any cooked joints of beef may be advantageously and economically dressed in the following ways:

381. _Hashed Beef._--Cut the beef into small thin slices, which lay upon a plate, and to every pound of beef add half a tablespoonful of flour, a little chopped onion or eschalot, two salt-spoonfuls of salt, and a half one of pepper, mix the whole well together, and put it into a saucepan, with half a pint of water, stir it over the fire until upon the point of boiling, when set it at the corner of the fire to simmer for ten minutes; it is then ready to serve. A great improvement to the appearance of hash may be effected by adding a few spoonfuls of brown gravy (No. 177), or a teaspoonful of coloring (No. 178), which might always be kept in a bottle. The flavor of any kind of hash may be varied, by adding a few sprigs of parsley, or thyme, or a couple of bay-leaves, or a little tarragon, or a few spoonfuls of catsup, Soyer's, Harvey's, Soho, or Reading sauce.

382. _Miroton of Beef._--Peel and cut into thin slices two large onions, put them in a stewpan or saucepan, with two ounces of salt butter, place it over a slow fire, keeping the onions stirred round with a wooden spoon until rather brown, but not burnt in the least, then add a teaspoonful of flour, which mix well in, and moisten with half a pint of water or broth if handy, season with three saltspoonfuls of salt, two of sugar, and one of pepper if water has been used, but if broth, diminish the quantity of salt, add a little coloring (No. 178), to improve its appearance; put in the beef, which you have previously cut into small thin slices, as free from fat as possible, let it remain a few minutes upon the fire to simmer, and serve upon a hot dish. To vary the flavor, a tablespoonful of vinegar might be added, or half a glass of sherry. The above proportions are sufficient for one pound and a half of solid meat, and of course could be increased or diminished, if more or less meat.

383. _Another way._--Prepare the meat precisely as in the last, and when done put it into a pie-dish, sprinkle bread-crumbs lightly over, enough to cover the meat, upon which lay a small piece of butter, put the dish in the oven for half an hour, or before the fire, with a screen behind it, turning the dish round occasionally. By grating the crust of bread you would obtain some brown bread-crumbs, which would do equally as well as bread rubbed through a sieve.

Should you have any cold from the first receipt, it may be served as here directed; but being cold, would require to be longer in the oven to become well hot through.

384. _Another way._--If any left from a previous dinner, put it in a dish, placing the meat in the centre, rather higher, cover over with some delicate mashed potatoes, about two inches in thickness, to form a dome, rub some egg over with a paste-brush, and sprinkle crumbs of bread (either grated or otherwise) upon the top, and set in the oven until well browned, when serve.

385. _A quicker way._--Cook a few slices of lean bacon in a frying-pan, but not too much, lay some of them in the bottom of the pie-dish, over which lay slices of beef cut thin, which season with a little pepper, salt, chopped parsley, and chopped eschalots (if not objectionable), sprinkle over a little flour, proceeding thus until the dish is pretty full, when pour over half a gill of broth or water, to which you have added a little coloring, No. 178, (more seasoning would be required if water was used), set the dish in the oven (having previously covered the meat over with mashed potatoes) for about an hour. By adding half the above quantity of liquor, the meat might be covered with a thin suet crust and served as a pie, as also might any of the former receipts, in which also a bay-leaf, chopped parsley, or even chopped gherkins, might be served, being a great improvement.

386. _Beef Palates._--Although this is an article very seldom used in small families, they are very much to be commended; they may be dressed in various ways, and are not expensive, about four would be sufficient for a dish. Put them into a large stewpan of lukewarm water, where let them remain four or five hours to disgorge, after which pour off the water, cover again with fresh water, and place the stewpan upon the fire until the palates become hard, when take out one, which dip into cold water, scrape it with a knife, and if the skin comes off easily, take out the remainder, but if not, let them remain a short time longer, scrape them until you have got off all the skin, and nothing but the white half transparent substance remains. Then make a white stock as directed (No. 130), in which boil them three or four hours until very tender, which try with the point of a knife, then take them up, lay them flat upon a dish, covered with a little of the stock, and place another dish of the same size over, to keep them flat, let remain until cold, when they are ready to serve in either of the following ways:--

387. _Beef Palates à la Bretonne._--Peel and cut two large onions into slices, which put into a stewpan, with an ounce of butter, stirring them over the fire until lightly fried, when add a teaspoonful of flour, which mix well in, and a gill of broth, season with a little pepper, salt, and sugar, add a few drops of brown gravy or browning (No. 179), and a spoonful of mustard; boil the whole, keeping it stirred until forming a thickish pulp, when cut the palates into square pieces, and put into it; when well hot through they are ready to serve; also make a curry sauce, as No. 151; cut your palate and warm in it, serve with rice separate, and it is delicious.

388. _Beef Palates à la Poulette._--Make a little white sauce as directed, No. 130; after having prepared the palates, cut them into square pieces, and put them into a stewpan, just covered with some of the white sauce, season with a little white pepper, salt, sugar, chopped parsley, and the juice of half a lemon; let them simmer about five minutes, when pour in a liaison of one yolk of an egg, mixed with two tablespoonfuls of cream or milk, stir it in rather quickly, and not afterwards permitting it to boil, then turn it upon your dish, place sippets of toasted bread round, and serve: chopped parsley and a little lemon may be added.

389. _Beef Palates à la Maître d'Hôtel._--Cut up the palates as in the last, and put them into a stewpan, just covered with melted butter, to which add a gill of milk, let simmer very gently about ten minutes, stirring it round occasionally; have ready two ounces of well-seasoned maître d'hôtel butter, which put into the stewpan, shaking it round until the butter is melted and well mixed, when serve as in the last.

390. _Ox-tails à la Jardinière._--Cut and cook two ox-tails as directed for soup, but just before they are done, skim well, and take out the pieces of tails, which put upon a dish, then in another stewpan put two ounces of butter, to which, when melted, add three ounces of flour, stirring it over the fire until forming a brownish roux (thickening), then mix by degrees two quarts of the stock the tails were boiled in, and boil altogether ten minutes, then put in the tails, with one carrot and two turnips (cut into small dice, or any other shape, with a vegetable cutter), and about thirty button onions; let the whole simmer very gently upon the corner of the fire, keeping it well skimmed, until the vegetables are tender, and the sauce sufficiently thick to adhere to the back of the spoon, when dress the meat upon a dish, reduce the sauce, which pour over, and serve.

391. _Ox-tails au Gratin._--Cook two ox-tails as before, and when cold, dry them upon a cloth, season with pepper and salt, have a couple of eggs well beaten upon a plate, into which dip each piece singly, afterwards throwing them into a dish of bread-crumbs, to cover every part, then beat them lightly with a knife, and again egg and bread-crumb them, broil them upon a gridiron, or place them in a very hot oven until of a brownish color, when serve with any sauce you may fancy, or with a little plain gravy.

392. _Ox-tails, Sauce piquante._--Cook the tails as before, and when done dress them upon your dish pyramidically, then make about a pint of sharp sauce, No. 135, but omitting half the quantity of vinegar, and reducing it until rather thick; season rather highly, add three or four gherkins chopped very fine, pour the sauce over, and serve.

393. _Ox Heart._--This dish, although not very _recherché_, is a good family one, and remarkable for its cheapness. Put it into lukewarm water one hour to disgorge, then wipe it well with a cloth, and stuff the interior with a highly-seasoned veal stuffing, tie it up in paper, and pass a small spit through the sides, set it before a good fire for about two hours to roast, keeping it well basted; when done, take off the paper, and serve with any sharp sauce, or a little plain gravy. Two hours would be sufficient to roast a large heart; but if smaller, of course less time in proportion would be required. I have also stuffed a heart with sage and onion, and even ventured the apple sauce: both succeeded admirably.

I remember, when in business, upon one occasion, having a few
friends pop in unexpectedly about luncheon-time upon a Saturday
(which is a day I always contrived to keep my larder as short as
possible), and having nothing but a heart as a meal to give them, I
immediately gave orders to the cook to cut it into slices half an
inch thick, dip each piece in flour, and afterwards egg and
bread-crumb them, then to put four spoonfuls of oil in the
frying-pan, lay part of the pieces in, and sauté of a nice color,
then to keep them hot in a dish and sauté the remainder; and when
all done, to pour off part of the oil, put a teaspoonful of flour
in the pan, mixing it with the remaining oil and gravy, then
pouring in a gill of water, season with a little pepper and salt,
four spoonfuls of the vinegar from piccalilly, and a little of the
pickle finely chopped; boil the whole a minute, pour over the
heart, and serve very hot. It pleased very much, and I have since
had some with a little plain gravy, and broiled bacon: in both
instances it was very good.

394. _Potato Sandwiches._--Sauté the slices of beef as directed for bubble and squeak, cover one side of each piece with mashed potatoes a quarter of an inch in thickness, egg and bread-crumb over, then proceed the same with the other sides, fry in hot fat of a light brown color, as you would a sole, and serve. Any kind of fresh meat may be used in the same way.

395. _Bubble and Squeak._--I am certain you must know, as well as myself, of our hereditary dish called bubble and squeak; but, like the preparation of other things, there is a good way and a bad; and, as you prefer the former to the latter, proceed as follows:--Boil a few greens, or a savoy cabbage (which has been previously well-washed), in plain water until tender, which then drain until quite dry in a colander or sieve, put it upon a trencher, and chop it rather fine with a knife, then for a pound of salt beef you have in slices, put nearly a quarter of a pound of butter into a frying-pan, in which sauté the beef gently but not too dry; when done, keep it hot, put the cabbage in the frying-pan, season with a little salt and pepper, and when hot through, dress it upon a dish, lay the beef over and serve. Endive or large cabbage-lettuces may be used instead of cabbage, but care must be taken to drain off all the water.

396. _Stewed Beef or Rump Steak._--Have a steak weighing two pounds, and an inch and a half in thickness, then put two ounces of butter at the bottom of a stewpan, when melted lay in the steak, with a quarter of a pound of lean bacon cut into very small square pieces, place the stewpan over the fire, turning the steak over occasionally until a little browned, when lay it out upon a dish, then add a tablespoonful of flour to the butter in the stewpan, which continue stirring over the fire until forming a brownish roux, then again lay in the steak, add a pint of water, with a glass of sherry if handy, and a little pepper, salt, and a couple of bay-leaves, let simmer slowly for one hour, when skim off all the fat, and add twenty button onions, let it again simmer until the onions are very tender, as likewise the steak, which dress upon a dish, take the onions and bacon out with a colander-spoon, and lay them upon the steak, pour the sauce round and serve. This slow process must not alarm you.

397. _Ox Brains_ are prepared exactly as directed for calf's brains, but being larger, require much longer to disgorge, as also a proportionate time longer to cook; when done, in addition to the sauce ordered for calf's brains, they may be served with strips of bacon broiled and dressed in a border round, sauce over with highly-seasoned melted butter and parsley sauce. You must observe, that all such kind of dishes being of themselves naturally tasteless, require to be highly seasoned: any sharp sauce is good with it.

398. _Beef à-la-Mode._--Procure a small piece of rump, sirloin, or ribs of beef, about twelve pounds in weight, take away all the bone, and lard the meat through with ten long pieces of fat bacon, then put it into a long earthen pan, with a calf's foot, four onions, two carrots, cut in slices if large, a bunch of parsley, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme, two cloves stuck into one of the onions, half a teaspoonful of pepper, one of salt, four wine-glasses of sherry, four ditto of water, and a pound of streaky bacon cut in squares, place the cover over the pan with a piece of common flour and water paste round the edges to keep it perfectly air-tight, and place it in a moderate oven four hours, when take out of the pan, and dress upon a dish with the vegetables and bacon round, skim and pass the gravy through a hair sieve, which pour over and serve. But the above is best eaten cold, when it should not be taken from the pan, or the pan opened until nearly so.

A long brown earthen pan for the above purposes may be obtained at any china warehouse, but should you not be able to procure one, a stewpan must supply its place.

399. _Another method._--Have ready six pounds of rump of beef, cut into pieces two inches square, each of which lard through with two or three strips of bacon; have also two pounds of streaky bacon, which clear from the rind and cut into squares half the size of the beef, put the whole into an earthen pan, with two calf's feet (cut up small), half a pint of sherry, two bay-leaves, a sprig of thyme, a bunch of parsley, four onions, with a clove stuck in each, a blade of mace, and half a pint of water, cover the pan as in the last, and put it in a moderate oven for three hours; when done, do not remove the lid until three parts cold, then take out the meat, lay some of the beef at the bottom of the stewpan (not too large), then a little bacon, then more beef, and so on alternately, press them lightly together, pass the gravy through a hair sieve over, and leave it until quite cold and set, when dip the stewpan into hot water, and turn it out upon a dish to serve. The calf's feet may be made hot in a little of the stock, to which add two pats of butter, with which you have mixed a teaspoonful of flour, season with a little chopped parsley and half a spoonful of vinegar, and serve as an entrée. The above is excellent either hot or cold.

400. _Fillet of Beef._--Procure a piece of fillet of beef weighing about two or three pounds, which may be obtained at any butcher's, being cut from underneath the rump; trim off part of the fat, so as to round the fillet, which cut into slices the thickness of your finger, beat them lightly with a chopper, and cut the thin skin which covers the top of the fillet, to prevent their curling up whilst broiling; place them upon a gridiron over a sharp fire, seasoning with a little salt and pepper, and turning three or four times to preserve the gravy: about six or seven minutes will be sufficient to cook them. Three or four slices would be sufficient for a corner dish; but if for a principal dish, of course more would be required. Fillet of beef dressed as above may be rubbed over with maître d'hôtel or anchovy butter, and served very hot.

401. _Fillet of Beef sauté._--After having cut the fillet in slices as in the last, put two ounces of butter into a clean frying-pan, which set upon the fire, and when melted, lay in the meat, seasoned with a saltspoonful of salt and half that quantity of pepper to each piece; turn them over three or four times whilst cooking, and, when done, dress upon your dish, with either of the butters mentioned in the last spread over.

402. _Another method._--When the fillets are dished up, put a tablespoonful of chopped onions into the pan they were cooked in, which cook for about a minute, but not letting them burn, then pour off part of the fat, if too much, and add two teaspoonfuls of flour; stir with a wooden spoon until becoming brownish, then add nearly a pint of water, a tablespoonful of vinegar, and a few drops of browning; let it boil a few minutes, seasoning with a little pepper, salt, and sugar; when of the consistency of thick sauce, pour over the fillets and serve. A few chopped pickles of any description (but not too hot) might be introduced, but then half the quantity of vinegar would be sufficient. A spoonful of Harvey's sauce may be added, and a little glaze improves it.

Mutton, lamb, or pork-chops, or veal-cutlets may be dressed in a similar manner.

403. _Minced Beef._--Cut a pound and a half of lean cooked beef into very small dice, which put upon a plate; in a stewpan put a good teaspoonful of finely-chopped onions, with a piece of butter of the size of a walnut, which stir over the fire until the onions become lightly browned, when stir in half a tablespoonful of flour, with which mix by degrees half a pint of broth (or water) to which you have added a few drops of browning and a teaspoonful of vinegar; let it boil five minutes, stirring it the whole time; then throw in the meat, season rather highly with a little pepper and salt, and, when hot, pour it into a deep dish, and serve with sippets of toasted bread round, or poached eggs on it.

404. _Croquettes of Beef._--Proceed precisely as in the last, but omitting the vinegar; when done, stir in two yolks of eggs quickly, stir another minute over the fire, then pour it upon a dish until cold; have a couple of eggs well beaten upon a plate, also some bread-crumbs in a separate dish, then divide the preparation into about a dozen pieces, which roll up into round balls, or any other shape, and throw them into the bread-crumbs, move them over until well covered, then roll them into the egg, then the bread-crumbs again, from which take them gently, patting the surface lightly with a knife, put them into very hot lard or fat to fry of a yellowish-brown color, being careful not to break them whilst frying; when done drain them upon a cloth, and serve either upon a napkin or with fried parsley.

405. _A Family French Salad for the Summer._--I can assure you that, when in France during the hot weather, I used to enjoy the following salads immensely, having them usually twice a week for my dinner; they are not only wholesome, but cheap and quickly done. Cut up a pound of cold beef into thin slices, which put into a salad-bowl with about half a pound of white fresh lettuce, cut into pieces similar to the beef, season over with a good teaspoonful of salt, half that quantity of pepper, two spoonfuls of vinegar, and four of good salad oil, stir all together lightly with a fork and spoon, and when well mixed it is ready to serve.