I have made calf’s-foot jelly twice, and never intend to make it again.
I would not have made it the second time, except for the purpose of
succeeding, and getting a reliable receipt for this book. At the first
attempt, I happened to have company who had heard that I pretended to be
a cook. The jelly was opaque, tasteless, and split in two. Here is a
successful receipt. It requires almost every thing known in the cooking
calender; but do not attempt it with less, and after a trial use
gelatine only for jellies.
Ingredients: Four calf’s feet boiled in a gallon of water, seven eggs,
one and a half pounds of sugar, one pint of sherry wine, a stick of
cinnamon, three cloves, and half a box of gelatine.
Split the calf’s feet, break the bones, and place them on the fire at
the back of the range, with a gallon of cold water, to boil gently for
five hours. Skim the water often, which should be reduced to rather less
than two quarts; then strain the jelly into a pan, and, when perfectly
firm, remove the fat and sediment.
Add to the jelly the beaten whites and crushed shells of seven eggs, one
and a half pounds of sugar, a pint of sherry wine, a stick of cinnamon,
three cloves, and half a box of gelatine soaked in a little water, and
whip this well together; set it over the fire, and when it has just
begun to boil throw in the juice of six lemons, and one or two
table-spoonfuls of clear, cold water; take the kettle off the fire, let
it remain at the side in rather a hot place about ten minutes, then
skim off carefully all the scum from the top. Put into the jelly-bag the
thin cuts from the peels of four lemons, not cutting the white or under
skin, as that is bitter; then pour in the jelly, having the apparatus
near the fire to prevent the jelly hardening before it has all passed
through.