Dinner for 18 persons.
_First Course._
Spring Soup,
removed by Salmon
and Lobster Sauce.
Fillets Vase of Fried
of Mackerel. Flowers. Smelts.
Soles à la Crême.
_Second Course._
Roast Ribs of Lamb.
Larded Capon.
Stewed Beef Vase of Boiled
à la Flowers. Ham.
Jardinière.
Spring Chickens.
Braised Turkey.
_Entrées._
Lamb Cutlets,
Asparagus and Peas.
Curried Vase of Oyster
Lobster. Flowers. Patties.
Grenadines de Veau.
_Third Course._
Ducklings,
removed by
Cabinet Pudding.
Charlotte
Raspberry-Jam à la Parisienne. Rhubarb Tart.
Tartlets.
Clear Vase of Orange
Jelly. Flowers. Jelly.
Victoria Cheesecakes.
Sandwiches.
Raspberry Cream.
Nesselrode Pudding.
Dessert and Ices.
Dinner for 12 persons.
_First Course._—Soup à la reine; julienne soup; turbot and lobster
sauce; slices of salmon à la genévése. _Entrées._—Croquettes of
leveret; fricandeau de veau; vol-au-vent; stewed mushrooms. _Second
Course._—Fore-quarter of lamb; saddle of mutton; boiled chickens,
asparagus and peas; boiled tongue garnished with tufts of broccoli;
vegetables. _Third Course._—Ducklings; larded guinea-fowls; charlotte
à la parisienne; orange jelly; meringues; ratafia ice pudding; lobster
salad; sea-kale; dessert and ices.
Dinner for 10 persons.
_First Course._—Gravy soup; salmon and dressed cucumber; shrimp sauce;
fillets of whitings. _Entrées._—Lobster cutlets; chicken patties.
_Second Course._—Roast fillet of veal; boiled leg of lamb; ham,
garnished with broccoli; vegetables. _Third Course._—Ducklings; compôte
of rhubarb; custards; vanilla cream; orange jelly; cabinet pudding; ice
pudding; dessert.
Dinner for 8 persons.
_First Course._—Spring soup; slices of salmon and caper sauce; fried
filleted soles. _Entrées._—Chicken vol-au-vent; mutton cutlets and
tomato sauce. _Second Course._—Roast loin of veal; boiled fowls à la
béchamel; tongue; vegetables. _Third Course._—Guinea-fowls; sea-kale;
artichoke bottoms; cabinet pudding; blancmange; apricot tartlets; rice
fritters; macaroni and Parmesan cheese; dessert.
Dinners for 6 persons.
_First Course._—Tapioca soup; boiled salmon and lobster sauce.
_Entrées._—Sweetbreads; oyster patties. _Second Course._—Haunch of
mutton; boiled capon and white sauce; tongue; vegetables. _Third
Course._—Soufflé of rice; lemon cream; charlotte à la parisienne;
rhubarb tart; dessert.
* * * * *
_First Course._—Julienne soup; fried whitings; red mullet.
_Entrées._—Lamb cutlets and cucumbers; rissoles. _Second Course._—Roast
ribs of beef; neck of veal à la béchamel; vegetables. _Third
Course._—Ducklings; lemon pudding; rhubarb tart; custards; cheesecakes;
dessert.
* * * * *
_First Course._—Vermicelli soup; brill and shrimp sauce.
_Entrées._—Fricandeau of veal; lobster cutlets. _Second Course._—Roast
fore-quarter of lamb; boiled chickens; tongue; vegetables. _Third
Course._—Goslings; sea-kale; plum pudding; whipped cream; compôte of
rhubarb; cheesecakes; dessert.
* * * * *
_First Course._—Ox-tail soup; crimped salmon. _Entrées._—Croquettes
of chicken; mutton cutlets and soubise sauce. _Second Course._—Roast
fillet of veal; boiled bacon-cheek, garnished with sprouts; boiled
capon; vegetables. _Third Course._—Sea-kale; lobster salad; cabinet
pudding; ginger cream; raspberry-jam tartlets; rhubarb tart; macaroni;
dessert.
APRIL, Plain Family Dinners for.
_Sunday._—1. Clear gravy soup. 2. Roast haunch of mutton, sea-kale,
potatoes. 3. Rhubarb tart, custards in glasses.
_Monday._—1. Crimped skate and caper sauce. 2. Boiled knuckle of veal
and rice, cold mutton, mashed potatoes. 3. Baked plum-pudding.
_Tuesday._—1. Vegetable soup. 2. Toad-in-the-hole, made from remains of
cold mutton. 3. Stewed rhubarb and baked custard puddings.
_Wednesday._—1. Fried soles, anchovy sauce. 2. Boiled beef and carrots,
suet dumplings. 3. Lemon pudding.
_Thursday._—1. Pea-soup, made with liquor that beef was boiled in.
2. Cold beef, mashed potatoes, mutton cutlets and tomato sauce. 3.
Macaroni.
_Friday._—1. Bubble-and-squeak made with remains of cold beef, roast
shoulder of veal stuffed, spinach and potatoes. 2. Boiled batter
pudding and sweet sauce.
_Saturday._—1. Stewed veal with vegetables, made of remains of cold
shoulder, broiled rump-steak and oyster sauce. 2. Yeast dumplings.
* * * * *
_Sunday._—Boiled salmon and dressed cucumber, anchovy sauce. 2. Roast
fore-quarter of lamb, spinach, potatoes, and mint sauce. 3. Rhubarb
tart and cheesecakes.
_Monday._—Curried salmon, made with remains of salmon, dish of boiled
rice. 2. Cold lamb, rump-steak and kidney pudding, potatoes. 3. Spinach
and poached eggs.
_Tuesday._—1. Scotch mutton broth with pearl barley. 2. Boiled neck of
mutton, caper sauce, suet dumplings, carrots. 3. Baked rice puddings.
_Wednesday._—1. Boiled mackerel and melted butter and fennel sauce,
potatoes. 2. Roast fillet of veal, bacon and greens. 3. Fig pudding.
_Thursday._—1. Flemish soup. 2. Roast loin of mutton, broccoli,
potatoes, veal rolls made from remains of cold veal. 3. Boiled rhubarb
pudding.
_Friday._—1. Irish stew or haricot for cold mutton, minced veal. 2.
Half-pay pudding.
_Saturday._—1. Rump-steak pie, broiled mutton chops. 2. Baked arrowroot
pudding.
APRIL, Things in Season.
_Fish._—Brill, carp, cockles, crabs, dory, flounders, ling, lobsters,
red and grey mullet, mussels, oysters, perch, prawns, salmon (but
rather scarce and expensive), shad, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles,
tench, turbot, whitings.
_Meat._—Beef, lamb, mutton, veal.
_Poultry._—Chickens, ducklings, fowls, pigeons, pullets, rabbits.
_Game._—Leverets.
_Vegetables._—Broccoli, celery, lettuces, young onions, parsnips,
radishes, small salad, sea-kale, spinach, sprouts, various herbs.
_Fruit._—Apples, nuts, pears, forced cherries, &c. for tarts, rhubarb,
dried fruits, crystallized preserves.
ARROWROOT BISCUITS, or Drops.
_Ingredients._—½ lb. of butter, 6 eggs, ½ lb. of flour, 6 oz. of
arrowroot, ½ lb. of pounded loaf sugar. _Mode._—Beat the butter to a
cream; whisk the eggs to a strong froth, add them to the butter, stir
in the flour a little at a time, and beat the mixture well. Break down
all the lumps from the arrowroot, and add that with the sugar to the
other ingredients. Mix all well together, drop the dough on a buttered
tin, in pieces the size of a shilling, and bake the biscuits about
¼ hour in a slow oven. If the whites of the eggs are separated from
the yolks, and both are beaten separately before being added to the
other ingredients, the biscuits will be much lighter. _Time._—¼ hour.
_Average cost_, 2_s._ 6_d._ _Sufficient_ to make from 3 to 4 dozen
biscuits. _Seasonable_ at any time.
ARROWROOT BLANCMANGE (an inexpensive Supper Dish).
_Ingredients._—4 heaped tablespoonfuls of arrowroot, 1½ pint of milk,
3 laurel-leaves or the rind of ½ lemon, sugar to taste. _Mode._—Mix to
a smooth batter the arrowroot with ½ pint of the milk; put the other
pint on the fire, with laurel-leaves or lemon-peel, whichever may be
preferred, and let the milk steep until it is well flavoured; then
strain the milk, and add it, boiling, to the mixed arrowroot; sweeten
it with sifted sugar, and let it boil, stirring it all the time, till
it thickens sufficiently to come from the saucepan. Grease a mould with
pure salad-oil, pour in the blancmange, and, when quite set, turn it
out on a dish, and pour round it a compôte of any kind of fruit, or
garnish it with jam. A tablespoonful of brandy, stirred in just before
the blancmange is moulded, very much improves the flavour of this sweet
dish. _Time._—Altogether, ½ hour. _Average cost_, 6_d._ without the
garnishing. _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.
ARROWROOT PUDDING, Baked or Boiled.
_Ingredients._—2 tablespoonfuls of arrowroot, 1½ pint of milk, 1 oz. of
butter, the rind of ½ lemon, 2 heaped tablespoonfuls of moist sugar,
a little grated nutmeg. _Mode._—Mix the arrowroot with as much cold
milk as will make it into a smooth batter, moderately thick; put the
remainder of the milk into a stewpan with the lemon-peel, and let it
infuse for about ½ hour; when it boils, strain it gently to the batter,
stirring it all the time to keep it smooth; then add the butter; beat
this well in until thoroughly mixed, and sweeten with moist sugar.
Put the mixture into a pie-dish, round which has been placed a border
of paste; grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake the pudding
from 1 to 1¼ hour, in a moderate oven, or boil it the same length of
time in a well-buttered basin. To enrich this pudding, stir to the
other ingredients, just before it is put in the oven, 3 well-whisked
eggs, and add a tablespoonful of brandy. For a nursery pudding, the
addition of the latter ingredients will be found quite superfluous,
as also the paste round the edge of the dish. _Time._—1 to 1¼ hour,
baked or boiled. _Average cost_, 7_d._ _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
ARROWROOT SAUCE, for Puddings.
_Ingredients._—2 small teaspoonfuls of arrowroot, 4 dessertspoonfuls of
pounded sugar, the juice of 1 lemon, ¼ teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, ½
pint of water. _Mode._—Mix the arrowroot smoothly with the water; put
this into a stewpan; add the sugar, strained lemon-juice, and grated
nutmeg. Stir these ingredients over the fire until they boil, when
the sauce is ready for use. A small quantity of wine, or any liqueur,
would very much improve the flavour of this sauce: it is usually served
with bread, rice, custard, or any dry pudding that is not very rich.
_Time._—Altogether, 15 minutes. _Average cost_, 4_d._ _Sufficient_ for
6 or 7 persons.
ARROWROOT, to make.
_Ingredients._—Two teaspoonfuls of arrowroot, 3 tablespoonfuls of cold
water, ½ pint of boiling water. _Mode._—Mix the arrowroot smoothly
in a basin with the cold water, then pour on it the _boiling_ water,
_stirring_ all the time. The water must be _boiling_ at the time it
is poured on the mixture, or it will not thicken; if mixed with hot
water only, it must be put into a clean saucepan, and boiled until it
thickens; but this occasions more trouble, and is quite unnecessary,
if the water is boiling at first. Put the arrowroot into a tumbler,
sweeten it with lump sugar, and flavour it with grated nutmeg or
cinnamon, or a piece of lemon-peel, or, when allowed, 3 tablespoonfuls
of port or sherry. As arrowroot is in itself flavourless and insipid,
it is almost necessary to add the wine to make it palatable. Arrowroot
made with milk instead of water is far nicer, but is not so easily
digested. It should be mixed in the same manner, with 3 tablespoonfuls
of cold water, the boiling milk then poured on it, and well stirred.
When made in this manner, no wine should be added, but merely sugar,
and a little grated nutmeg or lemon-peel. _Time._—If obliged to be
boiled, 2 minutes. _Average cost_, 2_d._ per pint. _Sufficient_ to make
½ pint of arrowroot.
ARTICHOKES, Boiled.
_Ingredients._—To each ½ gallon of water, allow 1 heaped tablespoonful
of salt, a piece of soda the size of a shilling; artichokes.
_Mode._—Wash the artichokes well in several waters; see that no insects
remain about them, and trim away the leaves at the bottom. Cut off
the stems and put them into _boiling_ water, to which has been added
salt and soda in the above proportion. Keep the saucepan uncovered,
and let them boil quickly until tender; ascertain when they are done
by thrusting a fork in them, or by trying if the leaves can be easily
removed. Take them out, let them drain for a minute or two, and serve
in a napkin, or with a little white sauce poured over. A tureen of
melted butter should accompany them. This vegetable, unlike any other,
is considered better for being gathered two or three days; but they
must be well soaked and washed previous to dressing. _Time._—20 to 25
minutes, after the water boils. _Sufficient_,—a dish of 5 or 6 for 4
persons. _Seasonable_ from July to the beginning of September.
[Illustration: ARTICHOKES.]
[Illustration: JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES.]
ARTICHOKES, a French Mode of Cooking.
_Ingredients._—5 or 6 artichokes; to each ½ gallon of water allow 1
heaped tablespoonful of salt, ½ teaspoonful of pepper, 1 bunch of
savoury herbs, 2 oz. of butter. _Mode._—Cut the ends of the leaves, as
also the stems; put the artichokes into boiling water, with the above
proportion of salt, pepper, herbs, and butter; let them boil quickly
until tender, keeping the lid of the saucepan off, and when the leaves
come out easily, they are cooked enough. To keep them a beautiful
green, put a large piece of cinder into a muslin bag, and let it boil
with them. Serve with plain melted butter. _Time._—20 to 25 minutes.
_Sufficient_,—5 or 6 sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ from
July to the beginning of September.
ARTICHOKES. Fried (Entremets, or small dish to be served with the
Second Course).
_Ingredients._—5 or 6 artichokes, salt and water: for the batter,—¼
lb. of flour, a little salt, the yolk of 1 egg, milk. _Mode._—Trim and
boil the artichokes, and rub them over with lemon-juice, to keep them
white. When they are quite tender, take them up, remove the chokes,
and divide the bottoms; dip each piece into batter, fry them into hot
lard or dripping, and garnish the dish with crisped parsley. Serve
with plain melted butter. _Time._—20 minutes to boil the artichokes,
5 to 7 minutes to fry them. _Sufficient_,—5 or 6 for 4 or 5 persons.
_Seasonable_ from July to the beginning of September.
ARTICHOKES à l’Italienne.
_Ingredients._—4 or 5 artichokes, salt and butter, about ½ pint of good
gravy. _Mode._—Trim and cut the artichokes into quarters, and boil
them until tender in water mixed with a little salt and butter. When
done, drain them well, and lay them all round the dish, with the leaves
outside. Have ready some good gravy, highly flavoured with mushrooms;
reduce it until quite thick, and pour it round the artichokes, and
serve. _Time._—20 to 25 minutes to boil the artichokes. _Sufficient_
for one side-dish. _Seasonable_ from July to the beginning of September.
ARTICHOKES, Boiled Jerusalem.
_Ingredients._—To each ½ gallon of water allow 1 heaped tablespoonful
of salt; artichokes. _Mode._—Wash, peel, and shape the artichokes in
a round or oval form, and put them into a saucepan with sufficient
_cold_ water to cover them salted in the above proportion. Let them
boil gently until tender; take them up, drain them, and serve them
in a napkin, or plain, whichever mode is preferred; send to table
with them a tureen of melted butter or cream sauce, a little of which
may be poured over the artichokes when they are _not_ served in a
napkin. _Time._—About twenty minutes after the water boils. _Average
cost_, 2_d._ per lb. _Sufficient_,—10 for a dish for 6 persons.
_Seasonable._—from September to June.
ARTICHOKES, Mashed Jerusalem.
_Ingredients._—To each ½ gallon of water allow 1 oz. of salt, 15 or 16
artichokes, 1 oz. butter, pepper and salt to taste. _Mode._—Boil the
artichokes as in the preceding recipe until tender; drain and press
the water from them, and beat them up with a fork. When thoroughly
mashed and free from lumps, put them into a saucepan with the butter
and a seasoning of _white_ pepper and salt; keep stirring over the fire
until the artichokes are quite hot, and serve. A pretty way of serving
Jerusalem artichokes as an entremets, or second course dish, is to
shape the artichokes in the form of a pear, and to serve them covered
with white sauce, garnished with Brussels sprouts. _Time._—About 20
minutes. _Average cost_, 2_d._ per lb. _Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons.
_Seasonable_ from September to June.
ARTICHOKE (Jerusalem) SOUP, sometimes called Palestine Soup (a White
Soup).
_Ingredients._—3 slices of lean bacon or ham, ½ a head of celery, 1
turnip, 1 onion, 3 oz. of butter, 4 lbs. of artichokes, 1 pint of
boiling milk, or 1 pint of boiling cream, salt and cayenne to taste,
2 lumps of sugar, 2½ quarts of white stock. _Mode._—Put the bacon and
vegetables, which should be cut into thin slices, into the stewpan with
the butter. Braise these for ¼ of an hour, keeping them well stirred.
Wash and pare the artichokes, and after cutting them into thin slices,
add them, with a pint of stock, to the other ingredients. When these
have gently stewed down to a smooth pulp, put in the remainder of the
stock. Stir it well, adding the seasoning, and when it has simmered for
five minutes, pass it through a strainer. Now pour it back into the
stewpan, let it again simmer five minutes, taking care to skim it well,
and stir it to the boiling milk or cream. Serve with small sippets of
bread fried in butter. _Time._—1 hour. _Average cost_ per quart, 1_s._
2_d._ _Seasonable_ from June to October. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons.
ASPARAGUS, Boiled.
_Ingredients._—To each ½ gallon of water allow 1 heaped tablespoonful
of salt; asparagus. _Mode._—Asparagus should be dressed as soon as
possible after it is cut, although it may be kept for a day or two by
putting the stalks into cold water; yet to be good, like every other
vegetable, it cannot be cooked too fresh. Scrape the white part of the
stems, _beginning_ from the _head_, and throw them into cold water;
then tie them into bundles of about 20 each, keeping the heads all one
way, and cut the stalks evenly, that they may all be the same length;
put them into _boiling_ water, with salt in the above proportion; keep
them boiling quickly until tender, with the saucepan uncovered. When
the asparagus is done, dish it upon toast, which should be dipped in
the water it was cooked in, and leave the white ends outward each way,
with the points meeting in the middle. Serve with a tureen of melted
butter. _Time._—15 to 18 minutes after the water boils. _Average cost_,
in full season, 2_s._ 6_d._ the 100 heads. _Sufficient._—Allow about 50
heads for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable._—May be had forced from January,
but cheapest in May, June and July.
[Illustration: BOILED ASPARAGUS.]
[Illustration: ASPARAGUS TONGS.]
ASPARAGUS-PEAS (Entremets, or to be served as a Side Dish, with the
Second Course).
_Ingredients._—100 heads of asparagus, 2 oz. of butter, a small bunch
of parsley, 2 or 3 green onions, flour, 1 lump of sugar, the yolks of
2 eggs, 4 tablespoonfuls of cream, salt. _Mode._—Carefully scrape the
asparagus, cut it into pieces of an equal size, avoiding that which is
in the least hard or tough, and throw them into cold water. Then boil
the asparagus in salt and water until three-parts done; take it out,
drain, and place it on a cloth to dry the moisture away from it. Put
it into a stewpan with the butter, parsley, and onions, and shake over
a brisk fire for 10 minutes. Dredge in a little flour, add the sugar,
and moisten with boiling water. When boiled a short time and reduced,
take out the parsley and onions, thicken with the yolks of 2 eggs
beaten with the cream; add a seasoning of salt, and when the whole is
on the point of simmering, serve. Make the sauce sufficiently thick to
adhere to the vegetable. _Time._—Altogether, ½ hour. _Average cost_,
1_s._ 6_d._ a pint. _Seasonable_ in May, June, and July.
ASPARAGUS PUDDING (a delicious Dish, to be served with the Second
Course).
_Ingredients._—½ pint of asparagus peas, 4 eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of
flour, 1 tablespoonful of _very finely_ minced ham, 1 oz. of butter,
pepper and salt to taste, milk. _Mode._—Cut up the nice green tender
parts of asparagus, about the size of peas; put them into a basin with
the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the flour, ham, butter,
pepper, and salt. Mix all these ingredients well together, and moisten
with sufficient milk to make the pudding of the consistency of thick
batter; put it into a pint buttered mould, tie it down tightly with
a floured cloth, place it in _boiling water_, and let it boil for 2
hours; turn it out of the mould on to a hot dish, and pour plain melted
butter _round_, but not over, the pudding. Green peas pudding may be
made in exactly the same manner, substituting peas for the asparagus.
_Time._—2 hours. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 6_d._ per pint. _Seasonable_ in
May, June, and July.