trim them. Put them into a frying-pan on the fire, and turn them
often, until quite hot; then roll up each slice, and garnish the dish.
With spinach.--Line a pudding-shape all through with thin slices
of bacon. Take some boiled spinach, seasoned and chopped as if for
table. Cut some carrot and turnips into square pieces, and a few
small onions (if liked); whip up the yolk of an egg with a little
pepper and salt. Mix the carrots and turnips well with the egg and
seasoning, stick them thickly alternately at the bottom and round the
sides of the tin, and fill up the middle with the dressed spinach.
When the tin is full cover it with thin slices of bacon, steam it one
hour, turn it out in a corner dish, and lift up the bacon whilst you
pour in some rich brown gravy, then replace the bacon neatly.
Boar’s Head (_Hure de sanglier_).--To cure and prepare an ordinary
pig’s head to have the appearance of a wild boar’s head, the
head should be cut off deep into the shoulders before the pig is
scalded. The bristles must be singed off with lighted straw. Bone it
carefully, beginning under the throat; spread the head out on a large
dish, and rub it well with the following ingredients, previously
mixed together: 5 lb. common salt, 3½ oz. saltpetre, 5 oz. coarse
brown sugar, rather less than ½ oz. juniper berries, 4 bay leaves,
cloves, mace, marjoram, basil, and a small handful of thyme. Rub the
head thoroughly with this, then pour over it a bottle of port wine
(port wine lees will do as well), and let it remain in this pickle
a fortnight, taking care to turn it over every day; it will then
be ready for dressing. Take it out of the brine, wash it well and
then thoroughly dry it with a clean cloth. Prepare a forcemeat as
follows: Chop up about 1 lb. veal, and the same of fat bacon, season
with chopped mushrooms, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and parsley. When all
are finely chopped, put them into a mortar, and pound them together
with the yolks of 3 eggs to make it bind. When pounded, remove the
forcemeat into a basin. A boiled red tongue and about 2 lb. cold
boiled fat bacon will also be wanted, and some truffles. Spread the
head out on a board, pare off all the uneven pieces from the cheeks,
cut these pieces into narrow slips, cut the tongue up into pieces of
a similar shape, avoiding the skin and gristle. Spread the inside
of the head with a thick layer of forcemeat, then place on it the
fillets of tongue, fat bacon, &c., inserting rows of sliced truffles
between, and here and there some pistachio nuts, of which the skin
must have been removed by scalding; again spread a layer of forcemeat
above these, then another layer of the fillets and truffles, and so
on, until there is enough to completely fill up the head and keep it
in shape; then close it, sew it up with fine twine, for which use a
trussing needle, being sure to take up enough of the skin with each
stitch to prevent the possibility of the forcemeat escaping. Spread a
strong clean cloth with butter, sew the head up in this, giving it as
much as possible its original form. Put it into a large braising pan
together with 2 prepared cowheels cut into pieces, and any trimmings
of meat there may be; if there should be any bones or remains of
cold game in the house, especially grouse, they should be added and
would much improve the flavour. Over this pour a sauce prepared in
the following manner, and of which there should be enough to cover
the head. Chop about 1 lb. beef suet, and the same of fat bacon; put
them into a stewpan with a handful of parsley, 6 green onions, a bay
leaf, and a sprig of thyme, these all being tied together, 2 carrots,
2 onions, each stuck with 4 cloves, the pulp of two lemons, salt, and
a teaspoonful of whole pepper. Stir all these over the fire for about
10 minutes, watching that they do not get brown; then add a bottle of
sherry or Madeira, and about 1 qt. or more of good broth; boil this
by the side of the fire gently for 1½ hour, then strain it through
a tammy, pressing it well to extract all the goodness, and pour the
whole over the boar’s head. Set the braising pan over the fire, and
as soon as it boils draw it to the side and allow it to gently simmer
for about 5 hours. When nearly done, take the pan off the fire, and
when the steam has passed off a little remove the head on to a dish.
It will be probably found that it has shrunk a good deal in the
cloth, so it will be necessary to tighten this to keep it in shape;
having done this, put it back into the broth, and let it remain there
until it has become quite cold and firm. The head must then be taken
out of the stock, which will have set into a jelly; place it on a
large baking dish, and put it in the oven for a few minutes to melt
the jelly which has adhered to the cloth; when this has melted, at
once take it out of the oven and remove the cloth carefully. Glaze
the head with some rich brown glaze; place it on a dish standing on a
bed of chopped aspic jelly. Garnish with slices of hard-boiled white
of egg, and black truffles cut into diamonds, or any other shapes,
also some sprigs of parsley. A little of the chopped aspic may also
be put on the top of the head, small slices of cut lemon and cucumber
are an improvement placed on the border of the dish beyond the
chopped aspic.
Brawn (_Fromage de cochon_).--(_a_) The head, feet, tongue, and ears
of a pig, having been salted, are boiled with the outside skin of a
loin, also salted for a few days. Boil very gently for a long time,
till the bones will easily slip out. Take great care that every one
is carefully picked out. Keep the skin of the loin whole, but cut
the rest into pieces about 2 in. square. Line the brawn mould with
the skin, then roll each piece lightly in mixed spice and powdered
herbs, flavoured to taste. Pack them tightly in the brawn tin, put on
the top, and press it with a heavy weight 24 hours. It is then ready
for turning out. Keep it in the following pickle:--Take a sufficient
quantity of water (more than will be enough to cover your brawn), add
to every gallon of water 2 handfuls of whole malt, and salt enough to
give it a strong relish. Let the mixture boil for 1 hour; then strain
it into a clean vessel. When quite cold, pour it off into another
vessel, keeping back the white sediment; then put in your brawn. A
little vinegar may be added, if liked. Fresh pickle should be made
about once in 8 days, if the brawn is to be kept long. A common brawn
tin is a cylinder of tin without top or bottom, but with 2 round
pieces of tin which fit loosely inside it. The tin is about 5 in. in
diameter and 1 ft. in height. A heavy weight must fit inside it.
(_b_) Take 4 pigs’ feet, the ears, the tongue, and any pieces you
may have, and soak them in salt and water overnight till thoroughly
cleansed. Boil them gently for 3 hours, with only enough water to
moisten the meat and prevent it from burning; then take out all the
bones, cut the tongue into slices, and the ears and bits of skin
into strips. Season with pepper, salt, and allspice, and boil in the
same liquor for an hour; 6-7 minutes before finished, add a carrot
cut into small pieces and a little parsley, chopped fine and scalded.
Put into moulds when done.
Ham (_Jambon_) Boiled.--Although the same principles apply to the
boiling of hams as do to joints, it is very essential that hams
should be soaked in water 24-48 hours, and the water should be
changed 2 or 3 times; then they should be washed and scraped and
scrubbed perfectly clean, and, being properly trimmed, they should
be laid in a boiler filled with cold water, with the addition of
carrots, celery, onions, garlic, parsley, thyme, marjoram, bay
leaves, cloves, and mace--the proportions of which things must be
regulated by the size of the ham and the skill or taste of the cook.
Many other things are put in by those who like them--coriander seeds,
juniper berries, a small wisp of hay, and even leather shavings,
which latter, in the words of an ancient authority, are supposed to
give the ham a high flavour. A small handful of saltpetre some put
in, to give the flesh a good colour. If the ham is a good one, the
colour will be good without the addition of saltpetre, neither is
it necessary to tie up a ham in cloth; but what is undoubtedly an
improvement to a boiled ham is the addition of a bottle of sherry
to the water it is boiled in. Great attention must be paid to the
removal of the scum, and the temperature of the water should never
be allowed to rise above simmering. An ordinary sized ham will take
4-5 hours to cook. When it is done, it should be allowed to remain in
the liquor until it is nearly cold, then it is taken out, the skin
is removed, and the top is covered with baked breadcrumbs, glazed,
or ornamented as fancy may suggest, with lard, aspic, &c. If it is
intended to cut a ham hot, then it should only be partly boiled, and
finished by braising.
For a glaze, take 4 lb. shin of beef, 4 lb. knuckle of veal, and 1
lb. lean ham; cut them into small pieces, and put them into a stock
pot, with about 2 qt. cold water--enough to cover the meat--let it
come gradually to the boil, skim carefully, occasionally adding a
dash of cold water; when clear, boil it for 8 hours more, and then
strain it through a sieve into a pan. Remove the fat when cold. Pour
it into a stewpan--be careful not to let the sediment go in--with 1
oz. whole black pepper, ½ oz. salt, and boil it over a clear fire,
leaving the pan uncovered; skim, and when reduced to 1 qt. strain it
through a tammy into another stewpan; then let it simmer till, on
taking out some with a spoon and allowing it to cool, it will set
into a jelly; great care is required to keep it from burning. It
should be kept in earthenware pots, and when required for use melted
by putting the pots into saucepans of boiling water. To glaze the ham
and tongue, wash them over with the melted glaze, using a brush kept
for the purpose.
Boned.--Boil the ham, remove the bone, then roll it and put it into
a basin or large mould. Put a heavy weight over it, and when cold
turn it out and garnish. Forcemeat may be inserted before rolling if
liked, or it may be well soaked, then boned and braised, and either
served hot or treated as above.
Cake.--A capital way of disposing of the remains of a ham, and makes
an excellent dish for breakfast: Take 1½ lb. ham, fat and lean
together; put it into a mortar, and pound it; or, if you have that
invaluable auxiliary to a kitchen, a sausage machine, pass it through
the latter; boil a large slice of bread in ½ pint milk, and beat it
and the ham well together; add an egg beaten up. Put the whole into a
mould, and bake it a rich brown.
Omelet.--Beat up 3 eggs with pepper and salt to taste, a pinch of
parsley, the least bit of shallot, but chopped fine, and as much ham,
half lean and half fat, cut up in very small dice as will fill a
tablespoon. Cook in butter the usual way, but do not over do it.
Sandwiches.--(_a_) Use English mustard, and no salt; but be very
careful not to have too much fat on the slices of ham, and, above
all, to cut out every particle that is at all rancid.
(_b_) Grate finely as much well-cooked ham as you are likely to
require, flavour it with a very little cayenne and some nutmeg. Roll
out some good puff paste very thinly, cut it into two perfectly even
portions, prick in one or two places to prevent it rising too highly,
and bake in a quick oven till of a golden brown. Then take out and
let it stand till cool, when spread a little fresh butter lightly
over the whole. This should not be done till the paste is perfectly
cool. Now spread the grated ham evenly over the paste, lay the second
piece of puff paste over it, and with a very sharp knife cut into
small-sized sandwiches. This is a charming supper dish.
Toast.--(_a_) Mince finely ¼ lb. cooked ham with an anchovy boned
and washed; add to them a little cayenne and pounded mace. Beat up 2
eggs, mix with the mince, and add just sufficient cream to keep it
moist; make it quite hot, and serve very hot on small rounds of toast
or fried bread.
(_b_) Chop some ham (which has been previously dressed) very small,
and to a large tablespoonful of it add an egg well beaten up, a small
bit of butter, and a little cream. Mix all together over the fire
till quite hot. Have ready some neatly cut pieces of bread, about the
size of a crown piece, but a little thicker, fried in good butter;
spread the mixture on these, and serve them on a napkin.
Westphalia Loaves.--Mix 4 oz. grated smoked ham with 1 lb. mealy
potatoes, well beaten till quite light, a little butter and cream,
and 2 eggs. The mixture must not be too moist. Form into small loaves
or balls, and fry in butter a light brown. Serve in a napkin, dry; or
if preferred, they may be sent up in a dish with brown gravy.
Pigs’ Feet.--(_a_) Put the feet into a stewpan with a thin slice of
bacon, 1 blade of mace, 6 peppercorns, 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 onion,
and 1 pint good gravy, and stew them till perfectly tender; the
time this will take must depend upon the size of the feet. When
they are so tender that the bones separate easily from the flesh,
strain the liquor; reserve the bacon, chop it up finely, and add it
to the sauce with a thickening of butter and flour. Split each foot
in two lengthways, and serve with the gravy poured round, and with
nicely-cut sippets of fried bread.
(_b_) Stew 4 pigs’ feet till perfectly tender; if the feet are small
they will only require 3 hours, but if large 4 will not be too long.
Take them out of the stewpan most carefully, drain thoroughly, and
cover them with some freshly made mustard, pepper and salt to taste,
the mustard being laid on rather thickly; then put them in front of a
very clear hot fire, and let them toast quickly. If this operation is
carried out slowly, the feet will become so tough as to be perfectly
uneatable. When they are a rich brown colour serve them on a very hot
dish, with a good thick brown gravy. This dish is little known, but
is most excellent.
Pigs’ Liver.--Wash and soak a pig’s liver till it is quite clean and
free from blood; cut it into slices rather less than ½ in. thick,
season with pepper; lay them in the sauté-pan with a little butter,
and fry over a good fire. When done on one side turn them; put into
the pan, and fry with them some shallots and a few sprigs of parsley.
When done drain the liver and lay it on a very hot dish. Mix with
the butter in which it was fried ½ wineglassful white wine and 1
teaspoonful flour well beaten up together. Do not let it boil. When
the sauce is poured over the liver add the juice of a lemon, and
serve very hot and quickly. Should the dish be ready before it is
wanted, keep it hot over steam or in a bain-marie, but never put it
in an oven.
Pork (Porc). And Kidney Pudding.--For a quart basin, mix a ¼ lb.
suet, finely shred, with 1 lb. flour, make it into a paste with 1½
gill water. Roll it out and beat it, in order to break up any lumps
of suet; line a greased basin with the paste, reserving sufficient of
it to make a cover to the pudding. Cut thick slices from the chump
end of a fore loin of pork, put a layer at the bottom of the basin,
sprinkle pepper and salt over, then a layer of sausage meat, and a
layer of mutton or pork kidneys cut in quarters, and so on until the
basin is nearly full. About 1½ lb. pork, 1 lb. sausage meat, and 3
kidneys will be enough for a quart basin. Pour in as much stock,
water, or gravy made from the bones of the pork as the basin will
hold, put on the lid of paste, and having tied the pudding over with
a cloth, boil it for 2 hours.
Chops.--Cut some cutlets from a neck of pork, trim them neatly, and
take off the chine bone; give them a few blows with the bat, and
grill them on, or in front of the fire; sprinkle them with salt, and
arrange them in a circle on a dish with mashed potatoes in the centre
and the sauce round them.
Croquettes.--Cold roast pork is the best for this purpose. Take about
½ lb., chop it very finely, mix with it 1 tablespoonful flour, well
chop a small onion and a shallot, and boil them in a teacupful of
good stock; add to this the floured meat, flavouring it with pepper,
salt, and a tiny bit of sage, also well chopped. Make this up in
the form of sausages, slightly flattened; egg and breadcrumb them,
and fry them a light-brown colour. The remains of any cold meat may
be used for croquettes made in the same way, omitting the sage, and
adding a little mushroom ketchup or Harvey sauce; in doing so, care
must be taken not to make the mixture too moist. A few spoonfuls of
cold mashed potato, of bread crumbs, or of cold well-boiled rice may
be mixed with the mince; less meat will then be required, and the
croquettes will, if anything, be nicer.
Pie.--(_a_) Make a paste with ¼ lb. lard and ½ oz. butter to every
lb. of flour. Rub a little of the lard into the flour, and then melt
the rest of the butter and lard in hot milk and water. When it rises
skim it off and mix it warm with the flour, adding sufficient milk or
water to make the paste, and a little salt to taste. Knead it well,
and then raise the crust in an oval shape. Take some pork with a
little fat, cut it into small square pieces, season them with salt,
pepper, and cayenne, a little mace, and some finely-shred sage; fill
the pie closely, cover it and decorate with paste ornaments, then
bake in a slow oven for about 2 hours or more, according to the size
of the pie. When done, pour a little gravy made from the trimmings of
the pork in through a hole at the top.
(_b_) For making little pork pies for breakfast, like those sold in
the shops: 3½ lb. flour, 1 lb. lard, 1½ pint water, 3 teaspoonfuls
pepper, 6 of salt, 5 lb. of meat. Boil the lard and water together,
pour boiling on the flour, having first made a hole in the flour; mix
well, and let it stand by the side of the fire--it must not be too
cold or too hot, or it will not raise nicely; mould it as an ordinary
raised pie the size you wish, fill the pies with the meat cut in very
small square pieces, season it, pour a little water in, put on the
lid, pinch the edges together, trim round with scissors, and ornament
with leaves formed with a paste cutter; let the pies stand at least 4
hours before baking, put them in rather a slow oven, bake 1½-2 hours;
when brought out of the oven, pour in the hole of the lid of the
pies, through a funnel, as much gravy as they will take, previously
made from the bones and trimmings of the pork.
Roast.--To ensure the crackling being crisp and eating short, care
must be taken not to put the joint too near to the fire at first;
it should be placed at some little distance, if not the crackling
would harden before the meat would be warmed through. If very lean,
a little good salad oil should be rubbed in before putting down to
roast, and it must be kept thoroughly well basted during the time of
roasting.
Sausages (Saucisses).--(_a_) Take of fat and lean about equal
portions, rather less of fat; chop very fine, season with pepper,
salt, nutmeg, and mace. When filling up the skins, have some warm
water, and put in with the meat by degrees, just to soften the meat
and make it go in easily.
(_b_) Take 2½ lb. lean of pork, 3 lb. fat, 3 tablespoonfuls
finely-powdered sage, 1 oz. salt, 1 oz. pounded pepper; having cut
the meat and fat into pieces, mix well together, and press it through
some well-cleaned skins with a sausage machine, and twist the links
into the lengths required.
(_c_) Mix equal quantities veal, pork, and beef suet, chopped up. To
every 1 lb. of each add ½ lb. breadcrumbs, a little lemon peel and
nutmeg, a few sage leaves, and a very little savory and marjoram.
Season highly with pepper and salt, and proceed as in (_b_).
Lovelock’s sausage-making machine greatly facilitates operations.
Sucking Pig (Cochon de lait).--Take a sucking pig about 3 weeks old
the day it is killed; be particular to see it is well cleansed; when
this is done and the stuffing sewed into the belly--before doing
which the inside must be well wiped with a clean damp cloth--wipe the
outside of the pig, and rub it well all over with some salad oil;
while it is roasting baste it well very frequently with dripping, to
keep the skin from blistering, till within ¼ hour of its being done,
when you must baste it with a little fresh butter. When you serve the
pig the 2 sides must be laid back to back in the dish, with half the
head on each side, and one ear at each end, all with crackling side
upwards; garnish the dish with slices of lemon, and serve it up with
a rich brown gravy in the dish, and also a sauceboat of the same,
with one likewise of bread sauce with a few currants in it. Some add
a little port wine to the gravy. When the pig is baked, which is the
best way of dressing it, you must mix the yolk of a raw egg with a
tablespoonful of salad oil to rub it well all over with, basting it
frequently with 2-3 oz. butter tied in a piece of clean rag. Stuffing
for the pig:--4-5 oz. breadcrumbs, 2 oz. chopped sage leaves, one
egg, a little butter, pepper, salt, and cayenne.
Tripe.--This requires to be well cooked and nicely served, and it is
then both light and nutritious, and can often be eaten by invalids,
or persons having a delicate digestion. Choose a nice white piece;
wash it well, and put into a stewpan with sufficient milk and water
in equal parts to cover it; let it simmer gently for about ½ hour
after it has boiled up. Serve with white sauce, made as above, but
omitting the parsley, and garnish the dish with slices of beetroot.
Onion sauce may be substituted if preferred, or it may be served
simply with a little of the liquor in which it has been cooked poured
over it, and some plainly boiled Spanish onions handed round in a
vegetable dish; but the first recipe is the most appetising way of
sending it to table. It should always be remembered that a little
time expended in garnishing tastefully goes far towards making
economical cookery a success.
_Veal_ (Veau).--Braised Loin.--Take about 2 oz. butter, 1 carrot, 1
onion, a little parsley, sweet herbs, a leaf or two of basil, and
a bay leaf; brown a large crust of bread, and put it in a stewpan
with the above things, and fry them until they are brown; then flour
the meat, and brown it well, putting it back in the saucepan; add a
little stock, and baste it in the gravy till done, and keep turning
the meat. Simmer 4 lb. for 3-4 hours.
Calves’ Brains (_a_).--Lay the brains in cold water to whiten. Put
them in a stewpan with a little water, a tablespoonful of vinegar, an
onion, 2 or 3 cloves, a little white wine, salt, and white pepper.
Simmer the brains ½ hour, then lay them on a sieve to drain. When
cold cut them in slices, and dip them either in butter or egg and
breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt and white pepper; fry them in butter.
Serve as a side dish or accompaniment to any delicate vegetable.
(_b_) and Tongue.--After the brains have soaked with the head in
cold water 6-8 hours, remove the thin pellicle covering them, and
let them soak some time longer in cold water. Have ready a saucepan
just large enough to hold the brains covered with water. Put into
it a sufficiency of boiling water, and the juice of a lemon, salt
to taste, and a bay leaf; lay the brains in this, and let them boil
gently about 20 minutes. Lay the brains on a dish, with the tongue
(previously boiled with the calf’s head) split in two, on either side
of them. Serve with tarragon, tomato, or piquante sauce.
Calves’ Feet. Fritters.--If calf’s foot jelly has to be made, the
meat remaining after the boiling down may be well utilised in this
way. They must not be allowed to boil for jelly until they fall to
pieces, nor would it be necessary for the jelly’s sake to do this;
but while firm, though well-boiled, remove them from the stock, take
out the bones (returning these to the stock to continue boiling for
the sweet jelly), and lay the meat flatly on a dish to get cold.
When cold cut them into small pieces, dip each in batter, and fry
them a light brown colour; these must be well drained from the fat,
piled high on a dish, and sent to table as hot as possible, with the
following sauce poured round them: Thicken ½ pint stock with corn
flour or arrowroot, add 2 tablespoonfuls tarragon vinegar, one of
Mogul or other sauce, a little salt, and a lump of sugar, with a
little browning, if necessary, to make it a good colour.