Take the Flesh of a Leg of Pork, and mince it small, and to every Pound of
the Flesh minced, mince about a quarter of a Pound of the hard Fat of the
Hog; then beat some _Jamaica_ Pepper very fine, and mix with it some Pepper
and Salt, with a little Sweet-Marjoram powder'd, and some Leaves of red
Sage minced very small; mix all these very well, and if you fill them into
Guts, either of Hogs or Sheep, beat two or three Yolks of Eggs and mix with
them, taking care not to fill the Guts too full, lest they burst when you
broil or fry them: but if you design them to be eaten without putting them
in Guts, then put no Eggs to them, but beat the Flesh and the Fat in a
Stone Mortar, and work the Spice and Herbs well into it with your hands, so
that it be well mix'd, and keep it in a Mass to use at your pleasure,
breaking off Pieces, and rolling them in your hands, and then flowering
them well before you fry them. If you use them in Guts, take special care
that the Guts are well clean'd, and lie some time in a little warm
White-wine and Spice before you use them; if any Herb happens to be
disagreeable in this Mixture, it may be left out, or others added at
pleasure.
The following Receipt to make Sausages of Fish for Fast-Days, I had at
_Bruxelles_, which I have experienced to be very good.
To make Sausages of Fish.
Take the Flesh of Eels, or of Tench, and to either of these put some of the
Flesh of fresh Cod, or of Pike or Jack, chop these well together with
Parsley, and a few small Onions; season these with a little Salt, Pepper,
Cloves in Powder, a little grated Nutmeg, and, if you will, a little
powder'd Ginger, with some Thyme, Sweet-Marjoram, a little Bay-Leaf, all
dry'd and powder'd; and mix all these well together with a little Butter.
Then beat the Bones of the Fish in a Mortar, pouring in among them while
they are beating, a Glass or two of Claret, which must afterwards be poured
upon the above Mixture; then take the Guts of a Calf well wash'd and
clear'd of the Fat, for in that condition I find there is no scruple to use
them abroad: being well discharged of the Fat, fill these Skins with your
Mixture of Fish, _&c._ tying them at both ends, and lay them for twenty
four Hours in a Pickle of Wine and Salt, and taking them out from thence,
hang them in a Chimney where they may be well smoak'd with a Wood-Fire, or
burning Saw-dust for twenty-four hours, or longer if you please, provided
you have allow'd Salt and Spices enough. When you would use them, boil them
gently in White-wine, with a Bunch of Sweet Herbs; or in Water, with one
third part White-wine, and Sweet-Herbs. These are served cold at the Table,
and eat very well.
The Boars that were put up for Brawn, are now fit to kill. It is to be
observ'd, that what is used for Brawn, is the Flitches only, without the
Legs, and they must have the Bones taken out, and then sprinkled with Salt,
and lay'd in a Tray, or some other thing, to drain off the Blood; when this
is done, salt it a little, and roll it up as hard as possible, so that the
length of the Collar of Brawn be as much as one side of the Boar will bear,
and to be, when it is rolled up, about nine or ten Inches diameter. When
you have rolled up your Collar as close as you can, tye it with Linnen
Tape, as tight as possible, and then prepare a Cauldron with a large
Quantity of Water to boil it: In this boil your Brawn till it is tender
enough for a Straw to pass into it, and then let it cool; and when it is
quite cold, put it in the following Pickle. Put to every Gallon of Water a
handful or two of Salt, and as much Wheat-Bran; boil them well together,
and then strain the Liquor as clear as you can from the Brawn, and let it
stand till it is quite cold, at which time put your Brawn in it; but this
Pickle must be renewed every three Weeks. Some put half small Beer and half
Water; but then the small Beer should be brewed with pale Malt: but I think
the first Pickle is the best. _Note,_ The same Boar's Head being well
cleaned, may be boiled and pickled like the Brawn, and is as much esteem'd.
This is a good Season to make what they call Hung-Beef: The way of doing
it, is, to take the thin Pieces of the Beef, and salting them with
Salt-Petre about two Ounces to a Pound of common Salt, and rubbing it well
into the Meat, dry it in a Chimney with Wood Smoke. When this is throughly
cured, it will be red quite through, which one may try by cutting; for if
there is any of the Flesh green, it is not smoked enough. It is, in my
opinion, better than any Bacon to be boiled and eaten hot.
This is what I shall say, concerning the use of such things as are
generally found about a Gentleman's Country-Seat, or about a Farm, which I
think will be very useful, tho' a little out of the common Road; and so I
shall make no Apology for publishing such Receipts as I am sure are good.
If I do not use proper Terms in some of my Receipts in Cookery, I have at
least put my Receipts into such a Method, as I suppose will make them
intelligible, and what any one may understand: But I must take notice
before I conclude, that the meaning of publishing this, is to instruct
those who may not have had opportunity of observing or collecting so much
as I have done, and not any way pretending to inform those who are full
enough of Knowledge already. However, I hope my Readers will be contented
with what I have here given them, and meet with something that is New and
Useful.