For potting, one should have small stone or earthen jars, a little
larger at the top than at the bottom, so that the meat may be taken
out whole, and then cut in thin slices. All kinds of cooked meats and
fish can be potted. The meat must, of course, be well cooked and
tender, so that it can be readily pounded to a paste. Of the fish,
salmon and halibut are the best for potting. When the potted meat or
fish is to be served, scrape off all the butter, run a knife between
the meat and the jar, and, when the meat is loosened, turn it out on a
dish. Cut it in thin slices, and garnish with parsley; or, serve it
whole, and slice it at the table. The butter that covered meats can be
used for basting roasted meats, and that which covered fish can be
used for basting baking fish.
Beef.
Three pounds of the upper part of the round of beef, half a cupful of
butter, one table-spoonful of salt, one-fourth of a teaspoonful of
pepper, a speck of cayenne, one-eighth of a teaspoonful of mace, the
same quantity of clove, a bouquet of sweet herbs, three table-
spoonfuls of water. Cut the meat in small pieces and put it in a jar
with the water, herbs and seasoning. Mix one cupful of flour with
water enough to make a stiff paste. Cover the mouth of the jar with
paper, and spread over this the paste. Place the jar in a pan of hot
water and put in a moderate oven for five hours. Take up and remove
the cover and herbs. Pound the meat to a paste, add half of the butter
to it, and when thoroughly mixed, pack solidly in small jars. Melt the
remainder of the butter and pour it over the meat. Paste paper over
the jars, put on the covers, and set away in a cool, dry place. Veal
may be potted in the same manner, omitting the clove.
Chicken.
One quart of cold roasted chicken, one cupful of cold boiled ham, four
table-spoonfuls of butter, a speck of cayenne, a slight grating of
nutmeg, and two teaspoonfuls of salt. Free the chicken of skin and
bones. Cut it and the ham in fine pieces. Chop, and pound to a paste.
Add the butter and seasoning, and pack solidly in small stone pots.
Cover these, and place them in a pan of hot water, which put in a
moderate oven for one hour. When the meat is cold, cover with melted
butter, and put away in a cool, dry place.
Tongue.
Pound cold boiled tongue to a paste, and season with salt, pepper and
a speck of cayenne. To each pint of the paste add one table-spoonful
of butter and one teaspoonful of mixed mustard. Pack closely in little
stone jars. Place these in a moderate oven in a pan of hot water. Cook
half an hour. When cool, cover the tongue with melted butter. Cover,
and put away.
Ham.
Cut all the meat, fat and lean, from the remains of a boiled ham,
being careful not to mix with it either the outside pieces or the
gristle. Chop very fine, and pound to a paste with the vegetable
masher. To each pint of the paste add one teaspoonful of mixed mustard
and a speck of cayenne, and, if there was not much fat on the meat,
one table-spoonful of butter, Pack this smoothly in small earthen
jars. Paste paper over these, and put on the covers. Place the pots in
a baking pan, which, when in the oven, should be filled with hot
water. Bake slowly two hours. Cool with, the covers on. When cold,
take off the covers and pour melted butter over the meat. Cover again,
and set away in a cool place. The ham will keep for months. It is a
nice relish for tea, and makes delicious sandwiches.
Marbled Veal.
Trim all the roots and tough parts from a boiled pickled tongue, which
chop and pound to a paste. Have two quarts of cold roasted or boiled
veal chopped and pounded to a paste. Mix two table-spoonfuls of butter
and a speck of cayenne with the tongue, and with the veal mix four
table-spoonfuls of butter, one of salt, one-fourth of a teaspoonful of
pepper and a speck of mace. Butter a deep earthen dish. Put a layer of
the veal in it and pack down solidly; then put spoonfuls of the tongue
here and there on the veal, and fill in the spaces with veal. Continue
this until all the meat has been used, and pack very solidly. Cover
the dish, and place it in the oven in a pan of water. Cook one hour.
When cold, pour melted butter over it. Cover, and set away.
Fish.
Take any kind of cooked fish and free it of skin and bones. To each
quart of fish add one table-spoonful of essence of anchovy, three of
butter, two teaspoonfuls of salt, a little white pepper and a speck of
cayenne. Pound the fish to a paste before adding the butter and
anchovy. When all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, pack the fish
closely in little size jars. Place these in a pan of water and put in
a moderate oven. Cook forty-five minutes. When cold, pour melted
butter over the fish. Paste paper over the top, and set way.
Lobster.
Prepare and pot lobster the same as fish. If there is "coral" in the
lobster, pound it with the meat.
Mackerel.
Nine pounds of small mackerel (about twenty-five in number), one ounce
of whole cloves, one of pepper-corns, one of whole allspice, six
teaspoonfuls of salt, three pints of vinegar. Wash the mackerel and
pack them in small, deep earthen or stone pots. Three will be needed
for the quantities given. Divide the spice into six parts. Put each
portion in a small piece of muslin, and tie. Sprinkle two teaspoonfuls
of salt on the fish in each pot, and put two of the little bags of
spice in each pot. Cover the fish with the vinegar; and if there
should not be enough, use more. Cover the pots with old plates, and
place in a moderate oven. Bake the fish four hours. Cool, and put away
in the pots in which they were baked. They will keep five or six
months. Where oil is liked, half a cupful can be added to each pot
with the vinegar. Any kind of small fish can be potted in this manner.
Smelts.
Six dozen smelts, one pint of olive oil, three pints of vinegar, or
enough to cover the smelts; three table-spoonfuls of salt. Spice the
same as potted mackerel, and prepare and cook the same as mackerel.
More or less oil can be used. Smelts are almost as nice as sardines.