well coloured, stir in some good stock, well seasoned with pepper and
salt, and a very little flour; let it stew till the onion is quite
soft, the flour thoroughly cooked, and the sauce rather thick. Lay in
as many hard-boiled eggs as you please, cut in quarters or slices,
and stir them very gently (lest the yolk should break from the white)
till quite hot, when they should be served at once.
_Stuffed._--(_a_) Make a savoury forcemeat with some very finely
minced ham, veal, and one anchovy, with seasoning of salt, pepper,
and a little cayenne. Have ready 6 or 7 hard-boiled eggs. Take the
shells off very carefully, cover them thickly with the forcemeat.
Brush the yolk of a beaten egg over them, and set them to brown in a
moderate oven for about 15 minutes. When done put them on a hot dish,
and pour some good brown gravy round them. A slight variation, and
perhaps an improvement, is very carefully to open the eggs without
entirely separating the tops, to take out the yolks, add them to the
forcemeat, and when all has been well pounded together, to replace
the yolks by this forcemeat, close the eggs carefully, and proceed as
above.
(_b_) Take 6 hard-boiled eggs, cut them in half crosswise, remove the
yolks, and cut a small piece off each half egg, so as to make them
stand upright. Take 6 anchovies, bone and wash them clean, pound them
in a mortar with 1 oz. butter, the yolks of the eggs, pepper, and a
little tarragon finely chopped, fill up the whites with this mixture,
pile them up on a dish and serve.
(_c_) Cut some hard-boiled eggs in half. Mince the yolks with olives,
capers, anchovies, and truffles, a little tarragon and chervil; add
some pepper and salt. Fill each half egg with this mixture, pour some
liquefied butter over, warm in the oven, and serve each egg on a
bread sippet, cut with an ornamental cutter, and fried in butter.
_Sur Plat._--This is a most convenient dish when a slight meal is
wanted in a hurry. Put a fireproof china saucepan on the fire, or on
a spirit lamp. Place a lump of butter in it, and as soon as it melts,
break in 3 or 4 eggs. Let them remain long enough for the whites to
set, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve in the saucepan very
hot.
_Swiss._--(_a_) Although sometimes made with Parmesan, Gruyère is
the correct cheese to use. Spread the bottom of a silver dish rather
thickly with good fresh butter and cover it with very thin slices of
the cheese, which should not be an old one or it would not melt well.
Over this break as many eggs as you wish to have, taking care to keep
the yolks whole; sprinkle a little salt, some black pepper, and a
very little grated nutmeg over this, and pour over it about a quarter
of a pint of good thick cream. Finish by strewing the top with grated
cheese, and bake for ¼ hour. If not brown enough, pass the salamander
over the top and serve immediately; very thin and nicely cut dry
toast should be handed with it on a plate.
(_b_) Butter well a stoneware or silver or pewter dish that will
stand the heat of the oven; line the sides of the dish with shavings
of Gruyère or some good American toasting cheese. Drop on to the
already buttered dish 4 or 6 raw eggs, pour over them about 3
tablespoonfuls of good cream; season with salt, cayenne, and a small
grate of nutmeg, sprinkle a little grated cheese over all, and 2
tablespoonfuls more cream; place in the oven for about 7 minutes, or
till the eggs are set.
(_c_) Spread the bottom of a dish with 2 oz. fresh butter; cover
this with grated cheese; break 8 whole eggs upon the cheese without
breaking the yolks. Season with red pepper and salt if necessary;
pour a little thick cream on the surface, strew about 2 oz. grated
cheese on the top, and set the eggs in a moderate oven for about ¼
hour. Pass a hot salamander over the top to brown it.
(_d_) Mix with 2 oz. grated cheese, 2 oz. oiled butter, 6 eggs, salt,
pepper, and some finely chopped parsley, tarragon, and spring onions.
Fry lightly, brown the top, and serve very hot.
=Sauces, Butters, Gravies, Stuffings, &c.=--These are employed to
lend a zest to the flavour of the foods they accompany, seldom
contributing any nutritious element themselves.
_Agro Dolce._--This sauce is made thus: ½ lb. _pignoli_ or pine-cone
kernels, 6 oz. fine chocolate, 10 oz. sugar, ½ pint best vinegar,
3 oz. _candito_ or candied orange or lemon, all mixed in rich good
gravy, made from the material which composes the dish, such as wild
boar, hare, &c.
_Anchovy Butter_ (au Beurre d’anchois).--(_a_) Take 2 oz. fresh
butter, 4 oz. boned anchovies, pounded to a smooth paste, and 3
oz. watercress, well washed and picked from the stalks. Mix the 3
ingredients well together, and pass them through a hair sieve. Shape
the butter into small balls, ice them, and serve with dry toast or
biscuits.
(_b_) 3 or 4 anchovies boned and pounded, 3 oz. parsley, weighed
after it has been picked from the stalks, wash clean; boil for 8-10
minutes, till tender, with a small piece of soda in the water to keep
it green; strain the water off and squeeze the parsley dry with the
hand. Pound up in a mortar the parsley with 4 oz. fresh butter and
the anchovies. Rub this through a sieve and let it drop on the dish
on which it is sent to table. It should have a rocky appearance.
Toast to be served at the same time.
(_c_) And Olive.--Take equal parts anchovies (washed, boned, and
pounded fine), French olives (stoned, washed, chopped up, and then
pounded), and fresh butter. Mix these 3 ingredients well together,
and pass them through a very clean sieve, shape the mixture into
balls, ice, and serve with Oliver biscuits, or with little squares of
crisp toast.
(_d_) Heat a dinner-plate until it will melt ½ oz. butter placed
on it; take the yolk of a fresh egg, beat it with a fork into the
butter, add 1 teaspoonful anchovy sauce, cayenne pepper and salt to
taste. Have ready some freshly-browned squares of toast, dip them
into the mixture, covering both sides, and serve at once. (Bessie
Tremaine.)
_Apple Sauce._--(_a_) Pare, carefully core, and cut up the fruit; put
it into a preserving pot or jar, and stand it in a saucepan of water
over the fire till cooked. When quite done pulp the fruit, sweeten
to taste with a little brown sugar; add (if liked) a piece of butter
about the size of a large bean, and flavour with a little ground
cinnamon or a few cloves; if the latter, they must be put in while
the apples are cooking, taking care not to break them during the
pulping. (Bessie Tremaine.)
(_b_) Peel and core 6 large apples, add to them 1 gill water and 2
tablespoonfuls moist sugar--the apples must be cut in pieces. Place
the saucepan containing these ingredients on the fire to boil until
the apples are soft; a little more water may be added if necessary,
but the less the better; rub through a colander or sieve, or if in a
hurry, mash with a fork. This must be warmed up again before serving,
and a little more sugar added if necessary.
_Apricot Sauce._--(_a_) Halve the apricots and take out the stones;
break these, crush the kernels, and stew them with the fruit in
a little water. Add a glass of white wine (some light German or
French wine is better than sherry); sugar to taste and a spoonful
of arrowroot or flour, mixed with water, to thicken. Strain before
serving.
(_b_) Put half a pot of apricot jam in a saucepan with ½ pint water
and a glass of sherry; boil, strain, and serve.
_Béchamel Sauce._--Time, 2 hours; put 1 pint white stock into a
stewpan with a bunch of sweet herbs, a small sprig of parsley, a bay
leaf, 2 cloves, and a little salt; set it over a gentle fire to draw
out the flavour of the herbs, then boil it until reduced to nearly
half the quantity; mix 1 tablespoonful arrowroot in 1 pint cream and
let it simmer for a few minutes; then pour in very gradually the ½
pint stock, and simmer it all together for 10-12 minutes, or until
it is of the proper consistency. Should it be too thick, add a little
milk or white stock.
_Black Butter_ (Beurre noir).--Put a large piece of butter into a
saucepan, and leave it on the fire until the butter becomes of a dark
brown colour, but do not let it burn; then throw in some parsley
chopped fine, a wineglassful of tarragon vinegar, a little salt, and
some powdered white pepper, and serve.
_Bordelaise Sauce._--Mince finely 2 or 3 shallots, blanch them for
a few minutes, press out the water from them, and put them into a
saucepan with a cupful of white wine, let them boil 20 minutes, then
add 2 cupfuls Spanish sauce, a dust of pepper, and some parsley
finely minced; let the sauce give a boil or two, and it is ready.
Well-flavoured gravy, thickened with browned flour and butter, may be
used instead of Spanish sauce.
_Brandy Butter._--(_a_) 6 oz. butter, 6 oz. powdered loaf sugar, a
small glass of brandy, and the same quantity of sherry. Beat the
butter and sugar to a cream; add the brandy and sherry very slowly,
beating all the time. It is best iced.
(_b_) Beat 2 oz. fresh butter to a cream, then add 2 oz. sifted
sugar, and 1 wineglassful brandy drop by drop, mixing well all the
time; continue beating until they are all thoroughly incorporated
and the mixture looks like smooth solid cream. It is better than the
usual melted butter with many puddings besides plum pudding.
(_c_) Take ¾ lb. fresh butter and beat it to a cream, add ¼ lb.
finely sifted sugar, add very slowly 1½ wineglass brandy, and
continue beating until well mixed.
_Brandy Sauce._--(_a_) Mix 1 dessertspoonful French potato flour in
a little cold water, stir into it ½ pint boiling water. Let it boil
for 2 minutes; add 3 oz. lump sugar, the juice of a lemon, a grate of
nutmeg, and 1 oz. sweet, fresh butter. When this is dissolved stir in
1 gill brandy, and do not afterwards boil the sauce.
(_b_) Mix 1 tablespoonful potato flour or arrowroot with a little
cold water, then add as much water as will make enough sauce, with
powdered loaf sugar to taste, and keep it on the fire until the sauce
thickens; put into it at the time of serving as much brandy as may be
necessary.
_Breadcrumbs._--(_a_) Baked (Chapelure).--Bake any odd pieces of
bread (taking care that none of them be greasy) to a rich brown
colour. When cold pound them in a mortar, sift them through a fine
sieve, and put them by for use.
(_b_) Fried.--Toast carefully in the oven a few thin slices of bread
with the crusts cut off, and then rub them down or pass them through
a colander. Put a liberal allowance of lard into a stewpan or frying
pan, make it very hot, and take care that the fat is perfectly clear
and transparent. Fry the prepared crumbs, taking care not to overdo
them, and drain them before the fire very thoroughly and completely,
as the whole success of fried crumbs consists in their being sent to
table perfectly dry and quite hot.
(_c_) Plain.--Take the crumb of a stale loaf, and rub it through a
wire sieve. They should be made from day to day.
_Bread Sauce._--(_a_) Take 3-4 tablespoonfuls sifted breadcrumbs,
pour over sufficient boiling new milk to cover, put a plate over
the basin to keep in the steam; when cold put them into a saucepan
with 2 tablespoonfuls good white stock, a small slice of onion, 3
or 4 peppercorns, a small blade of mace, and a little salt; when
boiling, stir in a piece of butter the size of a pigeon’s egg in
which a little flour has been rubbed, let the bread sauce thicken,
take out the peppercorns and mace, serve very hot. Good white gravy
can generally be made for this from the head and neck of the fowl,
&c., for which the bread sauce is required. Some add a small piece of
lemon peel.
(_b_) The great secret of the uneatable bread sauce one so often
tastes is that the breadcrumbs are not grated finely enough. Grate
the breadcrumbs, and then pass them through a colander into a basin,
and pour over them some boiling milk (say ½ pint to a teacupful of
crumbs), in which onion and spice to taste have been previously
boiled, and strained off. This stands till the bread is thoroughly
soaked, when it is put into a saucepan with more milk if necessary,
salt, and pepper, and boiled to the proper consistency.
_Brown Sauce_ (Espagnole).--Butter slightly a gallon saucepan, put a
layer of slices of onion at the bottom, over this 2 lb. lean veal,
1 lb. beef, and ½ lb. ham, all cut in small pieces; add ½ pint
gravy stock. Put the saucepan on the fire, stirring the contents
frequently. When the meat is well coloured add 1 carrot cut in
small pieces, 1 bay leaf, some parsley, thyme, and marjoram, 1 or 2
cloves, a little whole pepper and salt to taste, then put in as much
more stock as will well cover the contents of the saucepan. Let the
whole boil gently for about 3 hours, and strain the liquor through a
tammy. Put into a saucepan ¼ lb. butter and 2 oz. flour, stir on the
fire till the two are well mixed, and are of a light brown colour;
then gradually add the strained liquor boiling hot. Set the saucepan
at the side of the fire, and let it simmer for 1½ hour, carefully
skimming the contents from time to time. Lastly, turn out the sauce
into a basin, and if not wanted immediately let it be stirred every
5-10 minutes till quite cold. In a good larder it will keep several
days, but it should be warmed every day in hot weather.
_Brown Butter Sauce._--Put 4 oz. fresh butter in a stewpan on the
fire, and keep stirring it until it becomes brown by frying; then add
a small wineglass of tarragon vinegar, ditto of Harvey’s sauce, a
tablespoonful of chopped capers, a little anchovy, and either a gill
of brown sauce or gravy. Boil this together for 5 minutes, and serve.
_Caper Sauce_ (aux Capres).--(_a_) Put 2 oz. butter in a saucepan
with a tablespoonful of flour, and stir well on the fire until the
mixture assumes a brown colour; add rather less than 1 pint stock,
free from fat, season with pepper, salt, and a little Worcester
sauce. When the sauce boils, throw in plenty of capers, let it boil
once more, and it is ready.
(_b_) 4 oz. butter melted, to which add 2 oz. flour and ½ pint
milk; when it thickens, 2 tablespoonfuls cream, 1 teaspoonful
finely chopped parsley, 1 of fennel, and 1 of capers, 2 of tarragon
vinegar, salt and cayenne to taste. A little chopped tarragon is
an improvement, and that and the parsley and fennel ought to be
previously boiled.
_Celery Sauce_ (au Céleri).--Boil 2 or 3 heads of celery in salted
water, with a bunch of sweet herbs and some whole pepper and salt to
taste; when thoroughly done, pass them through a hair sieve. Melt a
piece of butter in a saucepan, mix a tablespoonful of flour with it,
then add the celery pulp, stir, and dilute to the proper consistency
with milk or cream.
_Chaudeau Sauce._-½ pint foreign wine, ½ pint water, the yolks of
8 eggs, the peel of a lemon rasped off in sugar, the juice of a
lemon and 4 oz. sugar, including that on which the lemon was rasped,
must be well whisked in a stewpan; then set over the fire, and the
whisking continued until the sauce thickens and is about to boil.
_Chaudfroid Sauce._--Remove the legs, breast, and wings from 2
uncooked birds, pound the carcases in a mortar, put them into a
saucepan, with a piece of ham or bacon chopped up, an onion, a
carrot, 1 oz. butter, a bundle of sweet herbs, and spices, pepper and
salt to taste. Put the saucepan on the fire, and when the contents
are quite hot add a small cupful of white wine (sherry or marsala),
and a few minutes after add rather more than 1 pint good ordinary
stock; let the whole gently simmer over an hour, then strain,
and carefully remove all fat; mix a little butter and flour in a
saucepan, and stir them on the fire till the mixture browns, then
gradually add the liquor and a cupful of unclarified aspic jelly. If
at hand a cupful of well-made Spanish sauce may be used instead of
the thickening of butter and flour.
_Cherry or Plum Sauce._--Wash and stone the fruit, put them on to
stew with a glass of red wine, a little water, a little powdered
cinnamon, and a slice of toasted bread. Break the stones, and boil
them apart in just water enough to cover them. When the fruit is well
done pass all through a coarse sieve, strain it, and add the water
from the stones. Sweeten to taste, and thin it with wine or water if
too thick.
_Chestnut Sauce_ (aux Marrons).--Remove the outer skin from a number
of chestnuts (carefully excluding any that may be the least tainted),
put them to boil in salted water with a handful of coriander seeds,
and 2 bay leaves. When thoroughly done remove the inner skin and
pound the chestnuts in a mortar, adding a little stock (free from
fat) now and then. When a smooth paste is obtained, fry an onion in
butter to a light colour, add the chestnut paste and sufficient stock
to get the sauce of the desired consistency; add salt and pepper to
taste, pass through a hair sieve and serve.
_Chestnut Stuffing._--Remove the outer skin from a quantity of
chestnuts; set them to boil in salted water with a handful of
coriander seeds and 2 bay leaves. When nearly done drain off the
water, and remove the inner skin of the chestnuts. Cut up ½ lb.
butter into small pieces, mix it with the chestnuts, when cold,
together with an onion finely minced. Sprinkle the mixture with
pepper and salt and a little powdered spice to taste, and stuff the
turkey with it.
_Cinnamon Sauce_ (Cannelle).--Boil 3 oz. sugar with a stick of
cinnamon broken up in small pieces in rather more than 1 pint water;
after it has boiled a little time skim well and strain; add a small
quantity of arrowroot or potato flour mixed with a little cold
water, let it boil once more, and serve; or it may be served without
thickening.
_Clear Butter_ (Beurre fondu).--Melt as much fresh butter as may be
wanted in a very clean stewpan, taking care that it does not get at
all brown, to prevent which keep moving it about over a moderately
hot fire with a wooden spoon. When it is all melted take it off the
fire, and let it stand for a few minutes until the thick part settles
at the bottom of the pan, then carefully pour off the clear butter,
season it by stirring in a little powdered salt, and serve at once.
_Cold Meat Sauce._--(_a_) Chop very finely the yolks of 4 hard-boiled
eggs, 4 shallots, a little chopped parsley, chervil and tarragon.
Mix the herbs and eggs with 2 tablespoonfuls best salad oil, some
salt and pepper, and gradually add 4 spoonfuls vinegar. Arrange some
slices of cold meat in a circle in a dish, ornamented with pieces of
cucumber and slices of the hard-boiled whites of eggs. If liked, a
few chopped capers can be added to the sauce, which must be poured
over the meat. This is very appetising for breakfast or for luncheon.
(_b_) Chop a little onion very fine (green onion, if you have it;
there should be about ½ teaspoonful, or rather less); mix this
smoothly with a bit of butter the size of a small walnut on a plate
till the butter becomes soft and creamy; put this into a basin,
adding a teaspoonful of made mustard, a little salt and pepper,
nearly a teaspoonful of powdered sugar, and a tablespoonful of milk;
mix these ingredients together, and add 2 tablespoonfuls vinegar, or
rather less, if liked.
_Corach._--1 oz. cayenne pepper, 8 cloves of garlic, 2 spoonfuls
walnut pickle, 1 qt. vinegar, 2 spoonfuls mushroom pickle, and a
small quantity of cochineal. Put the whole into a bottle, which must
be shaken every day for 3 weeks; then the liquid must be strained off
for use, and 1 pint fresh vinegar put on the grounds and more corach
made.
_Cream Sauce_ (à la crème).--Into 1 pint melted butter, made with
very little flour, stir about 1 gill cream beaten up with the
strained yolk of an egg.
_Curries and Curry Powders._--(_a_) 1 oz. cardamoms freed from husk,
1 oz. cloves, 2 oz. each caraways, ginger, and black pepper, 1 oz.
cayenne, 3 oz. cumin, 1½ lb. turmeric, 4 oz. fenugreek; all freshly
ground; improves by keeping.
(_b_) 4 oz. turmeric, 2 oz. coriander seeds, 1 oz. each cumin,
cayenne, pepper, and ginger, ½ oz. each cardamoms and caraway, 2 dr.
mace; all finely powdered, well mixed, sifted, and kept corked.
(_c_) 12 oz. coriander, 6 oz. black pepper, 4 oz. turmeric, 3 oz.
cumin, 1½ oz. cayenne, ½ oz. cardamoms, 2 dr. cloves, 1 oz. pimento,
3 oz. cinnamon, 2 oz. ginger, 1 oz. mace, 1 oz. mustard.
(_d_) 5 oz. coriander, 4 oz. cumin, 3 oz. each turmeric, fennel seed,
and cayenne, 2 oz. black pepper, 1 oz. fenugreek.
(_e_) 12 oz. coriander, 8 oz. turmeric, 2 oz. each cumin, caraway,
and long pepper, 1 oz. cayenne, ½ oz. cardamoms.
(_f_) 1 lb. turmeric, ¾ lb. coriander seed, 3 oz. ginger, 2 oz. black
pepper, 1½ oz. red pepper, ½ oz. cardamom seeds, ¼ oz. caraway seeds,
80 cloves, finely powdered. Well mix together, and put into stoppered
bottles.
(_g_) 13 oz. coriander seed, 3 oz. cumin, 2 oz. black pepper, 4 oz.
China tumeric, ¾ oz. cayenne pepper, ¼ oz. capsicum, ¼ oz. white
ginger, ½ oz. cardamoms, ¼ oz. cloves, ¼ oz. allspice. All to be
finely powdered and well mixed together.
(_h_) Cut up a fowl, rabbit, or any cold meat in small pieces about
1 in. square. Mix in a basin to a smooth paste ¼ lb. butter and 2
tablespoonfuls curry powder. Put 2 oz. butter in a frying-pan, when
boiling put in 6 onions and 2 shallots, cut fine; fry a light brown,
then add the curry powder which was mixed, and when all is melted put
in the meat. Stir constantly till done, or it will burn. A fowl will
take ¼ hour to fry, and must be well skimmed. In a moist curry add a
little gravy.
(_i_) Cut some onions in thin slices, and fry them a good brown in
butter, add a breakfastcupful of milk, in which a tablespoonful of
curry powder has been mixed; let all boil together for 20 minutes,
stirring the whole time; then add the vegetables previously
parboiled, and let the whole simmer by the side of the fire for about
an hour. Potatoes, peas, beans, carrots, and turnips can be used; but
broad beans alone make a delicious curry.
(_j_) Put a good-sized piece of butter into a stewpan, slice into it
2 good-sized onions, and fry till they become a golden brown colour;
sift over the onions about 1 tablespoonful curry powder (Crosse and
Blackwell’s is the best), mix and fry lightly. Take a fowl or rabbit
previously cooked, and joint it neatly, cut into rather small pieces,
and put it into the stewpan; then take a good large teacupful of
fresh milk, mix a small quantity of flour with it, add to the meat a
pinch of salt, and, if you have it, a tablespoonful of mangoe sauce;
mix all well together, and let it simmer on the fire 20 minutes,
then squeeze over it the juice of ½ lemon or a small lime; if there
is not sufficient gravy, a little more milk may be added, and if too
rich strain off a little of the onions. The remains of a cold fowl,
rabbit, or a veal cutlet are excellent for this curry; also any kind
of white fish, lobster, or shrimps; if for fish only, all the onions
must be strained off; the gravy should be of the consistency of good
cream, and a bright yellow colour.
(_k_) Cut into small squares the meat and 2 onions, with a
dessertspoonful of sugar; put these into a stewpan with 2 oz. butter
to take good colour. Then add 1 teacupful good stock, some raisins,
say 12, cut small; curry powder to taste, pepper and salt, and a few
slices of apple. When these are all mixed together, gently cook for
3-4 hours.
(_l_) Cut 1 lb. meat in small pieces, slice an onion and fry in
butter until of a light brown, then add 1 tablespoonful curry powder,
1 teacupful water, 1 breakfastcupful gravy, the juice of a lemon, and
a little salt. Stew all until nearly dry, and serve quite hot. Curry
should always be made of cooked meat.
(_m_) 18 oz. turmeric powder, 1 oz. cayenne, 2 oz. black pepper,
4 oz. ground ginger, 12 oz. cumin, 12 oz. coriander. Butler and
M’Culloch, of Covent-garden Market, will either mix these ingredients
or send them separate.
(_n_) 1 lb. 4 oz. coriander seed, 1 oz. cumin ditto, 1 oz. fenugreek
ditto, 1 oz. mustard ditto, 2 oz. poppy ditto, 4 oz. tumeric, in
powder, 2 oz. ginger ditto, 2 oz. black pepper ditto, 1 oz. red
pepper ditto, 2 oz. garlic.
Each of the first four ingredients must be well roasted separately
in a dry frying-pan (free from grease), constantly stirring all the
time; they must then be pounded and sifted through muslin before
being weighed, as the loss is considerable in the husking. The poppy
seed must be ground, but does not need sifting. All the powders
must then be carefully mixed. The garlic must then be added, picked
clean from all skin, and the whole again beaten with a pestle in
a mortar till the garlic is thoroughly incorporated with the other
ingredients. Bottle and cork tightly. A tablespoonful is enough for a
curry.