_Ingredients._—2 partridges, 3 slices of lean ham, 2 shred onions, 1
head of celery, 1 large carrot, and 1 turnip cut into any fanciful
shapes, 1 small lump of sugar, 2 oz. of butter, salt and pepper to
taste, 2 quarts of medium stock. _Mode._—Cut the partridges into
pieces, and braise them in the butter and ham until quite tender; then
take out the legs, wings, and breast, and set them by. Keep the backs
and other trimmings in the braise, and add the onions and celery; any
remains of cold game can be put in, and 3 pints of stock. Simmer slowly
for 1 hour, strain it, and skim the fat off as clean as possible; put
in the pieces that were taken out, give it one boil, and skim again to
have it quite clear, and add the sugar and seasoning. Now simmer the
cut carrot and turnip in 1 pint of stock; when quite tender, put them
to the partridges, and serve. _Time._—2 hours. _Average cost_, 2_s._
or 1_s._ 6_d._ per quart. _Seasonable_ from September to February.
_Sufficient_ for 8 persons.
_Note._—The meat of the partridges may be pounded with a crumb of a
French roll, and worked with the soup through a sieve. Serve with
stewed celery cut in slices, and put in the tureen.
PARTRIDGES, to Carve.
There are several ways of carving this most familiar game bird. The
more usual and summary mode is to carry the knife sharply along the top
of the breastbone of the bird, and cut it quite through, thus dividing
it into two precisely equal and similar parts, in the same manner as
carving a pigeon. Another plan is to cut it into three pieces; viz.,
by severing a small wing and leg on either side from the body, by
following the line 1 to 2 in the upper woodcut; thus making 2 helpings,
when the breast will remain for a third plate. The most elegant manner
is that of thrusting back the body from the legs, and then cutting
through the breast in the direction shown by the line 1 to 2: this plan
will give 4 or more small helpings. A little bread-sauce should be
served to each guest.
[Illustration: ROAST PARTRIDGE.]
PARTRIDGES, Hashed, or Salmi de Perdrix.
_Ingredients._—3 young partridges, 3 shallots, a slice of lean ham, 1
carrot, 3 or 4 mushrooms, a bunch of savoury herbs, 2 cloves, 6 whole
peppers, ¾ pint of stock, 1 glass of sherry or Madeira, a small lump
of sugar. _Mode._—After the partridges are plucked and drawn, roast
them rather underdone, and cover them with paper, as they should not be
browned; cut them into joints, take off the skin from the wings, legs,
and breasts; put these into a stewpan, cover them up, and set by until
the gravy is ready. Cut a slice of ham into small pieces, and put them,
with the carrots sliced, the shallots, mushrooms, herbs, cloves, and
pepper, into a stewpan; fry them lightly in a little butter, pour in
the stock, add the bones and trimming from the partridges, and simmer
for ¼ hour. Strain the gravy, let it cool, and skim off every particle
of fat; put it to the legs, wings, and breasts, add a glass of sherry
or Madeira and a small lump of sugar, let all gradually warm through
by the side of the fire, and when on the point of boiling, serve, and
garnish the dish with croûtons. The remains of roast partridge answer
very well dressed in this way, although not so good as when the birds
are in the first instance only half-roasted. This recipe is equally
suitable for pheasants, moorgame, &c.; but care must be taken always
to skin the joints. _Time._—Altogether 1 hour. _Sufficient._—2 or 3
partridges for an entrée. _Seasonable_ from the 1st of September to the
beginning of February.
PASTE, Common, for Family Pies.
_Ingredients._—1¼ lb. of flour, ½ lb. of butter, rather more than ½
pint of water. _Mode._—Rub the butter lightly into the flour, and mix
it to a smooth paste with the water; roll it out 2 or 3 times, and it
will be ready for use. This paste may be converted into an excellent
short crust for sweet tart by adding to the flour, after the butter is
rubbed in, 2 tablespoonfuls of fine-sifted sugar. _Average cost_, 8_d._
per lb.
PASTE, Puff, French, or Feuilletage (Founded on M. Ude’s Recipe).
_Ingredients._—Equal quantities of flour and butter—say 1 lb. of each;
½ saltspoonful of salt, the yolks of 2 eggs, rather more than ¼ pint
of water. _Mode._—Weigh the flour; ascertain that it is perfectly
_dry_, and sift it; squeeze all the water from the butter, and wring
it in a clean cloth till there is no moisture remaining. Put the
flour on the paste-board, work lightly into it 2 oz. of the butter,
and then make a hole in the centre; into this well put the yolks of 2
eggs, the salt, and about ¼ pint of water (the quantity of this latter
ingredient must be regulated by the cook, as it is impossible to give
the exact proportion of it); knead up the paste quickly and lightly,
and, when quite smooth, roll it out square to the thickness of about
½ inch. Presuming that the butter is perfectly free from moisture,
and _as cool_ as possible, roll it into a ball, and place this ball
of butter on the paste; fold the paste over the butter all round, and
secure it by wrapping it well all over. Flatten the paste by rolling
it lightly with the rolling-pin until it is quite thin, but not thin
enough to allow the butter to break through, and keep the board and
paste dredged lightly with flour during the process of making it. This
rolling gives it the _first_ turn. Now fold the paste in three, and
roll out again, and, should the weather be very warm, put it in a cold
place on the ground to cool between the several turns; for, unless this
is particularly attended to, the paste will be spoiled. Roll out the
paste again _twice_, put it by to cool, then roll it out _twice_ more,
which will make 6 _turnings_ in all. Now fold the paste in two, and
it will be ready for use. If properly baked and well made, this crust
will be delicious, and should rise in the oven about 5 or 6 inches. The
paste should be made rather firm in the first instance, as the ball of
butter is liable to break through. Great attention must also be paid
to keeping the butter very cool, as, if this is in a liquid and soft
state, the paste will not answer at all. Should the cook be dexterous
enough to succeed in making this, the paste will have a much better
appearance than that made by the process of dividing the butter into 4
parts, and placing it over the rolled-out paste; but until experience
has been acquired, we recommend puff-paste made by recipe. The above
paste is used for vols-au-vent, small articles of pastry, and, in fact,
everything that requires very light crust. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 6_d._
per lb.
PASTE, Puff, very Good.
_Ingredients._—To every lb. of flour allow 1 lb. of butter, and not
quite ½ pint of water. _Mode._—Carefully weigh the flour and butter,
and have the exact proportion; squeeze the butter well, to extract
the water from it, and afterwards wring it in a clean cloth, that no
moisture may remain. Sift the flour; see that it is perfectly dry,
and proceed in the following manner to make the paste, using a very
_clean_ paste-board and rolling-pin:—Supposing the quantity to be 1
lb. of flour, work the whole into a smooth paste with not quite ½ pint
of water, using a knife to mix it with: the proportion of this latter
ingredient must be regulated by the discretion of the cook; if too much
be added, the paste, when baked, will be tough. Roll it out until it
is of an equal thickness of about an inch; break 4 oz. of the butter
into small pieces; place these on the paste, sift over it a little
flour, fold it over, roll out again, and put another 4 oz. of butter.
Repeat the rolling and buttering until the paste has been rolled out 4
times, or equal quantities of flour and butter have been used. Do not
omit, every time the paste is rolled out, to dredge a little flour over
that and the rolling-pin, to prevent both from sticking. Handle the
paste as lightly as possible, and do not press heavily upon it with the
rolling-pin. The next thing to be considered is the oven, as the baking
of pastry requires particular attention. Do not put it into the oven
until it is sufficiently hot to raise the paste; for the best-prepared
paste, if not properly baked, will be good for nothing. Brushing the
paste as often as rolled out, and the pieces of butter placed thereon,
with the white of an egg, assists it to rise in _leaves_ or _flakes_.
As this is the great beauty of puff-paste, it is as well to try this
method. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 4_d._ per lb.
PASTE, Puff, Medium.
_Ingredients._—To every lb. of flour allow 8 oz. of butter, 4 oz. of
lard, not quite ½ pint of water. _Mode._—This paste may be made by
the directions in the preceding recipe, only using less butter, and
substituting lard for a portion of it. Mix the flour to a smooth paste
with not quite ½ pint of water; then roll it out 3 times, the first
time covering the paste with butter, the second with lard, and the
third with butter. Keep the rolling-pin and paste slightly dredged with
flour, to prevent them from sticking, and it will be ready for use.
_Average cost_, 1_s._ per lb.
PASTE, Puff (Soyer’s Recipe).
_Ingredients._—To every lb. of flour allow the yolk of 1 egg, the juice
of 1 lemon, ½ saltspoonful of salt, cold water, 1 lb. of fresh butter.
_Mode._—Put the flour on to the paste-board; make a hole in the centre,
into which put the yolk of the egg, the lemon-juice, and salt; mix the
whole with cold water (this should be iced in summer, if convenient)
into a soft flexible paste, with the right hand, and handle it as
little as possible; then squeeze all the buttermilk from the butter,
wring it in a cloth, and roll out the paste; place the butter on this,
and fold the edges of the paste over, so as to hide it; roll it out
again to the thickness of ¼ inch; fold over one third, over which again
pass the rolling-pin; then fold over the other third, thus forming a
square; place it with the ends, top, and bottom before you, shaking a
little flour both under and over, and repeat the rolls and turns twice
again, as before. Flour a baking-sheet, put the paste on this, and let
it remain on ice or in some cool place for ½ hour; then roll twice
more, turning it as before; place it again upon the ice for ¼ hour,
give it 2 more rolls, making 7 in all, and it is ready for use when
required. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 6_d._ per lb.
PASTRY AND PUDDINGS, Directions in connection with the making of.
A few general remarks respecting the various ingredients of which
puddings and pastry are composed may be acceptable, in addition to the
recipes in this department of Household Management.
_Flour_ should be of the best quality, and perfectly dry, and sifted
before being used; if in the least damp, the paste made from it will
certainly be heavy.
_Butter_, unless fresh is used, should be washed from the salt, and
well squeezed and wrung in a cloth, to get out all the water and
buttermilk, which, if left in, assist to make the paste heavy.
_Lard_ should be perfectly sweet, which may be ascertained by cutting
the bladder through, and, if the knife smells sweet, the lard is good.
_Suet_ should be finely chopped, perfectly free from skin, and quite
sweet; during the process of chopping, it should be lightly dredged
with flour, which prevents the pieces from sticking together. Beef suet
is considered the best; but veal suet, or the outside fat of a loin or
neck of mutton, makes good crusts; as also the skimmings in which a
joint of mutton has been boiled, but _without_ vegetables.
_Clarified Beef Dripping_ answers very well for kitchen pies, puddings,
cakes, or for family use. A very good short crust may be made by mixing
with it a small quantity of moist sugar; but care must be taken to use
the dripping sparingly, or a very disagreeable flavour will be imparted
to the paste.
Strict cleanliness must be observed in pastry-making; all the utensils
used should be perfectly free from dust and dirt, and the things
required for pastry kept entirely for that purpose.
In mixing paste, add the water very gradually, work the whole together
with the knife-blade, and knead it until perfectly smooth. Those
who are inexperienced in pastry-making should work the butter in by
breaking it in small pieces, and covering the paste rolled out. It
should then be dredged with flour, and the ends folded over and rolled
out very thin again: this process must be repeated until all the butter
is used.
[Illustration: PASTE-BOARD AND ROLLING-PIN.]
[Illustration: PASTE-PINCERS AND JAGGER, FOR ORNAMENTING THE EDGES OF
PIE-CRUSTS.]
The art of making paste requires much practice, dexterity, and skill:
it should be touched as lightly as possible, made with cool hands and
in a cool place (a marble slab is better than a board for the purpose),
and the coolest part of the house should be selected for the process
during warm weather.
[Illustration: PASTE-CUTTER AND CORNER-CUTTER.]
To insure rich paste being light, great expedition must be used in the
making and baking; for if it stand long before it is put in the oven,
it becomes flat and heavy.
[Illustration: ORNAMENTAL-PASTE CUTTER.]
_Puff-paste_ requires a brisk oven, but not too hot, or it would
blacken the crust; on the other hand, if the oven be too slack, the
paste will be soddened, and will not rise, nor will it have any colour.
[Illustration: PATTY-PANS, PLAIN AND FLUTED.]
[Illustration: PIE-DISH.]
Tart-tins, cake-moulds, dishes for baked puddings, patty-pans, &c.,
should all be buttered before the article intended to be baked is put
in them. Things to be baked on sheets should be placed on buttered
paper. Raised-pie paste should have a soaking heat, and paste glazed
must have rather a slack oven, that the icing be not scorched. It is
better to ice tarts, &c., when they are three-parts baked.
[Illustration: RAISED-PIE MOULD.]
[Illustration: RAISED-PIE MOULD, OPEN.]
To ascertain when the oven is heated to the proper degree for
puff-paste, put a small piece of the paste in previous to baking the
whole, and then the heat can thus be judged of.
The freshness of all pudding ingredients is of much importance, as one
bad article will taint the whole mixture.
When the _freshness_ of eggs is _doubtful_, break each one separately
in a cup, before mixing them altogether. Should there be a bad one
amongst them, it can be thrown away; whereas, if mixed with the good
ones, the entire quantity would be spoiled. The yolks and whites beaten
separately make the articles they are put into much lighter.
Raisins and dried fruits for puddings should be carefully picked, and
in many cases stoned. Currants should be well washed, pressed in a
cloth, and placed on a dish before the fire to get thoroughly dry:
they should then be picked carefully over, and _every piece of grit
or stone_ removed from amongst them. To plump them, some cooks pour
boiling water over them, and then dry them before the fire.
Batter pudding should be smoothly mixed and free from lumps. To insure
this, first mix the flour with a very small proportion of milk, and add
the remainder by degrees. Should the pudding be very lumpy, it may be
strained through a hair sieve.
_All boiled puddings_ should be put on in _boiling water_, which
must not be allowed to stop simmering, and the pudding must always
be covered with the water; if requisite, the saucepan should be kept
filled up.
[Illustration: BOILED-PUDDING MOULD.]
To prevent a pudding boiled in a cloth from sticking to the bottom of
the saucepan, place a small plate or saucer underneath it, and set the
pan _on a trivet_ over the fire. If a mould is used, this precaution is
not necessary; but care must be taken to keep the pudding well covered
with water.
For dishing a boiled pudding as soon as it comes out of the pot, dip
it into a basin of cold water, and the cloth will then not adhere to
it. Great expedition is necessary in sending puddings to table, as by
standing they quickly become heavy, batter puddings particularly.
[Illustration: BOILED PUDDING MOULD.]
For baked or boiled puddings, the moulds, cups, or basins should be
always buttered before the mixture is put in them, and they should be
put into the saucepan directly they are filled.
[Illustration: PUDDING-BASIN.]
Scrupulous attention should be paid to the cleanliness of
pudding-cloths, as from neglect in this particular the outsides of
boiled puddings frequently taste very disagreeably. As soon as possible
after it is taken off the pudding, it should be soaked in water, and
then well washed, without soap, unless it be very greasy. It should be
dried out of doors, then folded up and kept in a dry place. When wanted
for use, dip it in boiling water, and dredge it slightly with flour.
_The dry ingredients_ for puddings are better for being mixed some time
before they are wanted; the liquid portion should only be added just
before the pudding is put into the saucepan.
A pinch of salt is an improvement to the generality of puddings; but
this ingredient should be added very sparingly, as the flavour should
not be detected.
When baked puddings are sufficiently solid, turn them out of the dish
they were baked in, bottom uppermost, and strew over them fine-sifted
sugar.
When pastry or baked puddings are not done through, and yet the outside
is sufficiently brown, cover them over with a piece of white paper
until thoroughly cooked: this prevents them from getting burnt.
PASTRY, to Ice or Glaze.
To glaze pastry, which is the usual method adopted for meat or raised
pies, break an egg, separate the yolk from the white, and beat the
former for a short time. Then, when the pastry is nearly baked, take it
out of the oven, brush it over with this beaten yolk of egg, and put it
back in the oven to set the glaze.
To ice pastry, which is the usual method adopted for fruit tarts and
sweet dishes of pastry, put the white of an egg on a plate, and with
the blade of a knife beat it to a stiff froth. When the pastry is
nearly baked, brush it over with this, and sift over some pounded
sugar; put it back into the oven to set the glaze, and, in a few
minutes, it will be done. Great care should be taken that the paste
does not catch or burn in the oven, which it is very liable to do after
the icing is laid on. _Sufficient._—Allow 1 egg and 1½ oz. of sugar to
glaze 3 tarts.