and whites of four eggs. Beat with the yolks a cup and a half of sugar,
three heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, two teaspoonfuls mixed spices,
either beaten or powdered fine, one cup of tart dark jelly, one cup
blackberry jam, and one cup sweet milk. Add last of all the egg-whites,
mix in well, then pour in pans lined with rich paste, and bake until
firm.
_Butter Scotch Pie_: (Leslie Fox.) Beat light two egg-yolks with one
scant cup dark brown sugar, one tablespoonful creamed butter, and two
tablespoonfuls flour. Mix smooth, then add gradually one cup rich milk,
put in double boiler, and cook until thick. Let cool, flavor with
vanilla, then pour into rich crusts, previously well-baked, cover with
meringue made from the egg-whites, set in oven to harden, and serve hot
or cold.
_Raspberry Cream Pie_: (Leslie Fox.) Line a deepish pie pan with very
rich crust, spread the crust thickly with red raspberry jam, then pour
upon it raw, a custard made from two eggs beaten well with one cup of
milk, and one tablespoonful sugar. Bake until custard is well set, let
cool, and spread with whipped cream. Serve cold as possible.
_Rhubarb Pie_: To a generous quart of rhubarb, peeled and cut up, put
three cups sugar, the pulp scooped from three sweet oranges, thin bits
of the yellow peel, two blades of mace broken small, and a scant
half-cup of cold water. Cover the pan and set for thirty minutes in a
hot oven--uncover then and cook for five minutes longer. The result is a
sweet excellent for many uses--as a sauce, as a substitute for
marmalade, as the foundation of pies, tarts, shortcakes, even as a
filling for layer cake.
Make pies from it with two crusts, or with lattice crusts as usual. Make
it into tarts, into turnovers or put between hot buttered layers for a
hurry-up shortcake. But if you wish to know how excellent such rhubarb
can be, make it thus into meringue pies or tarts. Bake the crusts after
pricking them well, cover thinly with either good meringue or the
frosting directed for cheesecakes, let it harden, then at the minute of
serving cover with a thin layer of the prepared rhubarb--the meringue or
frosting will stay crisp until eaten if you work quickly enough. Young
unpeeled tender rhubarb gives a pink sauce--older stalks peeled furnish
a translucent green. Either is sufficiently decorative. They can be made
more so, if the tarts they appear on, have a cherry or preserved
strawberry dropped in the middle of them.
_Banana Pie_: Line a deepish earthen pie dish with thin, very good
crust, fill it three parts with bananas, sliced crosswise very thin.
Cover them thickly with sugar, add the strained juice of a large lemon,
dot with bits of butter, put on a lattice crust, and bake in a quick
oven twenty-five minutes.
_Banana Pudding_: Slice very thin, crosswise, three medium size bananas,
sprinkle thickly with sugar, then add to a batter made by beating up
four egg-yolks and two whites, with one cup crumbled rich stale cake,
half-cup sugar, cup very rich milk, and the juice of a large lemon. Mix
smooth, pour into a deep pudding dish, and bake in a quick oven, then
cover with meringue made from the egg-whites left out, beaten up with a
small pinch of salt, two teaspoons cold water, and six tablespoonfuls of
sugar. Return to the oven and let barely color. Serve hot or cold.
_Sweet Potato Pudding_: Beat four eggs very light with four cups sugar
and one cup creamed butter. Add a cupful of very rich milk, mix smooth,
then add one pint of raw grated sweet potato. Mix well, pour into a deep
earthen dish and set in hot oven. As soon as a brown crust forms on top,
stir it down. Repeat this three times at least. Serve hot, with either
wine sauce or a rich sugar and butter sauce, flavored with lemon. It is
best not to flavor the pudding proper, so one may get undiminished the
zest of the brown crust stirred through it.
_Poor Man's Pudding_: Take for each person to be served, a fresh egg, a
tablespoonful sifted flour, and half a cup very rich milk. Add a pinch
of salt for each six eggs. Separate the eggs, beating yolks and whites
very light. Mix yolks gradually with the flour and milk, taking care to
have no lumps. Fold in the stiffly beaten whites at the very last--if
the batter is too thick add a little more milk. Pour into a deep pan,
and bake in a quick oven. It must be taken up the moment it is done or
it will fall, and be ruined. Serve immediately, with a sauce made by
working together over hot water three cups sugar, one cup butter, half a
cup boiling water, cup fruit juice, wine or whiskey, with any flavoring
approved. The sauce cannot be made too rich, the pudding should be a
pale clear yellow, as light as a puff, and cutting easily with a spoon.
It is not "true to name" in these days of costly eggs, but deserved it
in the pioneer epoch which originated it.
_Boiled Batter Pudding_: Make the same batter as above, only putting in
a teaspoonful baking powder. Stir well through it three cups seeded
raisins, wet in whiskey and very well floured. Tie up in a newly-scalded
floured pudding bag, pop in a kettle of boiling water, keep it full,
with more boiling water, and cook from an hour to an hour and a half,
according to size. Serve very hot with plenty of very rich sweet sauce
highly flavored, and be sure to warm your knife or spoon before cutting
into the pudding.
_Apple Pudding_: (M. W. Watkins.) Core and peel half a dozen tart
apples, slice crosswise, put the slices in layers in a deep dish with
plenty of sugar, butter in reason, cinnamon and a very little water.
Pour over a batter made thus: one egg beaten light with half a cup
sugar, butter the size of a walnut, half a cup milk, pinch of salt,
flour enough to make thick enough for layer cake, with a teaspoonful
baking powder sifted through. Spread batter smooth, dot with bits of
butter on top, and bake in a brisk, but not scorching oven, half an
hour or longer if needed--the apples must be thoroughly cooked. Serve
hot or cold--preferably hot, with hard sauce or wine sauce.
_Apple Dumplings_: Pare and core half a dozen tart apples, stick three
cloves in each, fill the core-spaces full of very sweet hard sauce,
stick a sliver of mace in the sauce, then set each apple on a round of
good short paste, and work the paste up over it, joining the edges neat
and trig. Set close in a pan just big enough, pour around a half cup of
sugar melted in a cup of water with a little butter and lemon juice.
Cover the pan and cook quickly until done--then uncover, brown, take up
and serve piping hot with a very rich hard sauce.
_Crumb Pudding_: (Anne McVay.) Soak a cup of dry grated bread crumbs in
half a pint of milk until soft, add then the well-beaten yolks of two
eggs, half a cup sugar, tablespoonful butter, and another half-pint
milk. Flavor with lemon, vanilla or brandy, as preferred. Bake until
firm in a quick, but not scorching hot oven, cover with meringue made
from the egg-whites and half a cup of sugar. Barely color the meringue.
Let cool, and serve with either whipped or sweetened cream, or a fruit
sauce. Good without any sauce.
_Blackberry Mush_: (Leslie Fox.) Wash after picking a quart of fresh,
very ripe blackberries, put them on with barely enough water to save
from burning, bring to a good boil, and skim clean, then add gradually
almost two pounds of flour, or cornstarch well wet with cold water, also
sugar to taste. Cook, stirring often till the mass looks thick and
glossy, pour into your pudding dish, let cool, chill thoroughly, and
serve with cream either plain, or whipped, or sweetened.
_Peach Pudding_: Beat light one egg, with half a cup sugar, two
tablespoonfuls melted butter, three-quarters cup flour, one cup sour
cream, one teaspoon soda dissolved in one teaspoonful cold water, and
two cups very ripe peaches, peeled and sliced thin. Bake quickly and
serve when very hot with a rich hard or a wine sauce.
_Ginger Pudding_: Beat three eggs very light with two cups sugar, a
large cup rich black molasses, three-quarters cup butter, creamed,
tablespoon ginger beaten fine. Half a cup rich sour cream, half a cup
boiling water with teaspoon soda dissolved in it, add flour enough to
make a thickish batter, pour into deep greased pan, and bake quickly.
Serve hot with rich sauce that is flavored with some orange juice and
peel.
_Nesselrode Pudding_: (Mrs. H. Barker.) Boil together three cups sugar,
one cup water until the syrup ropes. Beat it boiling hot into the yolks
of six eggs previously beaten very light. Fold in the stiffly beaten
whites, then add box Cox's gelatine dissolved in warm water, one cup
raisins, seeded, steamed and soaked in sherry or whiskey, one cup of
nuts rolled small, else one cup of crumbled macaroons, or a cup of both
mixed. Finish with enough thick cream to make a full gallon, pack in
salt and ice, freeze and let stand long enough to ripen.
_Thanksgiving Pudding_: (Mrs. J. O. Cook.) Beat light the yolks of four
eggs with one cup sugar, two tablespoonfuls creamed butter, and one cup
of stale cake crumbs, soaked in eight tablespoonfuls whiskey. Mix well,
then add one cup raisins, seeded and floured, one cup nut meats, cut
small. Beat smooth and bake until set, then cover with meringue. Serve
with whipped cream or any sauce preferred. Milk can take the place of
whiskey, and preserves replace raisins.
_Real Christmas Pudding_: Toast a pint of fine breadcrumbs to a good
brown without burning, pour on them half a cup of strong, clear black
coffee, and let stand till soft.
Beat six egg-yolks very light with two cups of yellow sugar and one of
creamed butter, add the soaked crumbs and mix very smooth. Meantime,
soak a cup of raisins, seeded and halved, a cup of clean currants, a cup
of shredded citron, a cup of nut meats broken small, in a tumbler of
sherry, a tumbler of rum, and wineglass of apricot brandy. Add the fruit
when well soaked to the eggs and sugar, putting in any surplus liquors.
Mix in gradually a teaspoonful of cinnamon, the same of cloves and
allspice, half a cup of preserved ginger sliced very thin, and a very
tiny dusting of black pepper and paprika. Beat smooth, then fold in the
stiffly beaten egg-whites alternately with a cup of browned flour. If
too thick to stir handily thin with a little milk or boiling water. Pour
into a clean pudding bag, freshly scalded, leaving room for the pudding
to swell, put in a deep kettle of boiling water, and boil for five
hours, filling up the kettle as needed with boiling water so as not to
check the cooking. Make several days beforehand, and boil an extra hour
upon Christmas day. Serve in a blaze of brandy, with a very rich sauce,
either fruit or wine flavored.
_Pudding Sauce_: (Mrs. Barbara Clayton.) Beat together until very light,
one cup white sugar, one cup creamed butter, and the yolks of three
eggs. Beat the egg whites very stiff with another cup of sugar, add to
the yolks and butter, beat hard together, then put in double boiler and
cook until thick. Put two wineglasses of good whiskey in a bowl, pour
the hot sauce upon it, and whip hard until light.
[Illustration: _Creole Cookery_]
Exotics rarely flower in native splendor after transplanting. Milly was
the exception, proving the rule. Bred in New Orleans, steeped in its
atmosphere, its traditions, a cook of degree, and daughter of a cook to
whom, though past middle age, she paid the most reverent homage, she yet
kept her magic touch amid the crush and hurly-burly of New York town,
albeit she never grew acclimated nor even content. This in spite of a
mistress she adored--in virtue of having served her ten years down in
the home city. When at last Milly went back to her own, there was
wailing amongst all of us, who had eaten her cooking, but the mistress
smiled, rather sadly, to be sure, saying: "I could not beg her to
stay--she was so unhappy here."
Milly never had quite a free hand--New York markets know not many things
familiar to those of the Crescent City. Notwithstanding, she was a
liberal education in blended flavors, in the delights, the surprises of
the Creole kitchen. Tall and slim, of a golden-brown complexion, neat to
the point of austerity, trim and self-contained, sight of her somehow
gave an added piquancy to her dishes. She did not make friends readily,
but the comradery of cooking induced her to more than tolerate me. "I
don't say I kin cook--but my mother can," she often told me--smiling
proudly the while, with the buzzing praises of _gourmets_ sounding in
her ears. She could never tell you how she made her ambrosial
dishes--but if you had my luck to be _persona gratis_ she could and did
show you, to the queen's taste.
I shall write only whereof I know--not by any means a compend of Creole
cookery. Indeed, a lifetime is hardly enough to eat of all its
specially excellent dishes. It seems to me from this scant experience,
one general principle runs through all. It is the blending of
proportioned flavors, achieved through long and gentle cooking. Milly
said she let things "sob," a mistake I dare say, for the old-time "sod,"
past participle of "seethe." But I by no means speak with authority--my
deduction is from the premise of fifty dinners, each it seemed to me
uniquely excellent. After this prelude come we to specific recipes.
_Court Bouillon_: (Pronounced "Coubare.") Milly sighed for Redfish or
Red Snapper but made shift with halibut or any other firm fine-grained
fish perfectly fresh. Take three pounds of it, wash very clean, and cut
in six equal slices with a very sharp knife. There must be no rags and
tatters. Melt a heaping tablespoonful of lard in a deep kettle, add to
it gradually two tablespoonfuls flour, stirring hard so it shall not
burn. Throw into it a dozen pounded alspice, three sprigs each of thyme,
parsley, bay leaf and sweet marjoram chopped fine, one small clove of
garlic, one large onion also chopped fine, and either six large fresh
tomatoes, chopped small, or half a can--those from glass are best. Pour
in a large glass of claret, add a quart of boiling water, and bring all
to a very brisk boil. Cook for five minutes, then add salt and Cayenne
pepper to taste. Boil five minutes longer, then lay in the fish slices
one at a time, following them with the strained juice of a lemon. Boil
hard twenty minutes longer. Serve hot.
To make _Court Bouillon a la Espagnole_, stir together as above, lard
and flour, taking care to have them smooth, add a large onion, six
tomatoes, clove of garlic, sprigs of sweet basil and thyme, all chopped
fine, along with two whole bay leaves. Brown all nicely, taking care not
to burn, then add a quart of boiling water, bring to a boil and cook two
or three minutes. Have six thick slices of fine, firm fresh fish, rub
them well over with salt and pepper, lay in a dish and pour over a large
cup of white wine boiling hot. Vinegar answers, but wine is better. Lay
the fish slices in the pot, handling carefully, add the wine, and
simmer until tender--about half an hour commonly. Take up carefully so
as not to break, lay in a deepish dish, remove bay leaves from the gravy
and pour over the fish. Finish with a garnish of sliced lemon, and serve
with either boiled rice or whole boiled potatoes.
_Bouillabaisse_: While time endures New Orleans will plume itself upon
this dish which drew from Thackeray a world-famous tribute. "In New
Orleans you can eat a Bouillabaisse, the like of which was never eaten
in Marseilles or Paris." Which is much, very much, from the laureate of
Bouillabaisse, as native to Marseilles. The reason of superiority is not
far to seek--it lies in the excellence and flavor of the fish native to
the Gulf of Mexico. Lacking Pompano, Red Snapper, and Redfish, even
Milly could not quite do her knowledge justice. But she made shift with
what the market offered, choosing generally halibut, with fresh cod, or
bluefish, or sea trout. Two kinds of fish in equal quantity are
imperative. The better, finer and firmer the fish, the better the
Bouillabaisse. Cut each sort in six equal slices, saving trimmings,
heads, etc. Boil them in three pints of water, with a sliced onion, and
a bouquet of herbs, until reduced to one pint. Remove fish-heads and
herbs, then strain the stock, and set aside until needed. Meantime rub
the fish over very well with salt and pepper, then with a mixture made
by mincing very fine three bay leaves, three sprigs each of thyme and
parsley, three cloves of garlic, and six allspice pounded to powder. Rub
the mixture in well and thoroughly--here is the key to success. The
seasoning must go through and through the fish. Put into a very wide
pan, two tablespoonfuls of olive oil, heat it gently, add two mild
onions, chopped and let them cook a little without browning. Now lay in
the fish, slice by slice, so one slice does not touch another, cover the
pan, and let the slices smother for about ten minutes, turning them
once, so as to cook each side partly. Take up, lay separately in a large
dish, pour half a bottle of white wine into the pan, and stir hard. Add
six large, fresh tomatoes, sliced very thin, let boil a few minutes,
then half a lemon, also in very thin slices, and a pint of the fish
stock strained. Season well, with salt, pepper, and Cayenne--here the
palate is guide. Boil all together until reduced almost one half, then
lay in the fish slices, taking care they do not touch, and boil briskly
for five minutes. While the boiling goes on, chop fine a pinch of
saffron, put it in a small, deep dish, and mix smooth with a spoonful of
the boiling liquor. Dissolve the saffron very well, and when the fish
has cooked its allotted five minutes, spread the saffron on top of the
fish. Fry in butter as many slices of toast as you have slices of
fish--lay the fish on the toast, pour the sauce over it, and serve
immediately, very hot.
_Shrimps_: The secret of cooking shrimps is to boil them properly--that
is to say in very salt water, almost brine. They take up salt only in
the boiling, and not so much then. To five quarts of very salt water add
a large bunch of celery, chopped, roots, leaves and all, two dozen
allspice, one dozen cloves, two blades of mace, a bouquet of herbs
chopped small, a pod of red pepper, and a seasoning of Cayenne. Boil
until the strength of herbs and seasoning is extracted, then throw in a
hundred shrimps--river shrimps are best--let boil hard ten minutes, take
from fire and allow the shrimps to cool in the brine. Serve as a relish
before dinner, on a bed of cracked ice, with a garnish of parsley.
_Baked Shrimp_: Cut the eyes from a dozen large, meaty tomatoes, scoop
out the pulp, leaving the shells whole, then mix it with one hundred
shrimps boiled as directed and picked from their shells, one cup grated
bread crumbs or fine cracker crumbs, and one heaping tablespoon of
butter. Stew all together, seasoning with pepper and salt, fill the
tomato shells with the mixture, sift fine crumbs on top, dot with
butter, put in a pan, with a very little hot water in the bottom, and
bake until done in a quick but not scorching oven.
_Shrimp Pie_: Boil and pick from shells one hundred shrimps, mix well
with two large slices stale bread free of crust, moistened with two
glasses white wine, and highly seasoned with salt, pepper, Cayenne,
nutmeg, mace, chopped thyme and parsley. Crisp the bread crusts, and
grate over the mixture after it is packed in a deep dish. Dot well with
butter, and bake in a hot oven. Serve with a sauce made by cooking
together a pint of boiled shrimps, a tablespoonful of butter, five
chopped tomatoes, a little celery, thyme, parsley and bay leaf, also
chopped. Cook three to four minutes, then add half a pint of oyster
liquor, boil up, and serve very hot.
_Shrimp Salad_: Boil, and pick from shells--if large cut in half,
otherwise leave whole. Season well with salt and pepper, then mix well
with crisp celery, chopped fine with a very little onion. Heap in salad
dish, cover with a good mayonnaise, and garnish with sliced hard-boiled
eggs, sliced lemon, sliced beets, and celery tips.
_Fried Soft-Shell Crabs_: Wash always in cold water--hot water spoils
the flavor. Remove all sand, also the sand-bag between the eyes, the
apron, and the spongy growths under the side points. Rinse well again in
cold water, and dry thoroughly with a clean towel. Season a pint of rich
milk well with pepper and salt. Season the crabs also, lay them in the
milk, rubbing them so that it may impregnate them throughout. Take out,
roll in sifted flour, patting lightly as you roll, then shaking free of
loose flour. Have deep fat, very hot--it must be deep enough to swim the
crabs. Drop them in gently, fry to a delicate brown, skim out, drain on
hot spongy paper, and serve garnished with fried parsley, and sliced
lemon. Serve with Tartare sauce.
_Daube: Otherwise Beef a la Mode_: Take five pounds good lean beef, rump
or top round, and lard it with a quarter pound salt pork or fat bacon,
cut in thin strips and season highly with salt, pepper, onion, garlic,
thyme, parsley, and bay leaves, all minced fine. Crowd in the seasoning
as well as the larding strips. Make the cuts for larding three to four
inches long. Cut two large, mild onions in quarters, and put into a
deep saucepan with a tablespoonful of lard, let them brown well, then
lay upon them the larded beef, cover, and let simmer very slowly till
well browned. When browned add five carrots and two turnips cut into
inch-squares, and two more onions chopped fine. Keep covered tight, and
simmer for ten minutes, then turn over the meat, and brown the other
side--it will take about ten minutes more. Then cover the meat with
boiling water, or weak stock, add a glass of sherry or Madeira, or even
claret, season with salt, black pepper, and Cayenne to taste, then cover
the pot tight, set it where it will barely simmer and let smother for
three hours. The meat should be very tender. Serve hot or cold.
_Cold Daube a la Creole_: Lard, season, and cook, three pounds of rump
or round as above directed, but keep it simmering four hours instead of
three. Put into a deep dish rather large and pour over it a sauce made
thus: Put a two-pound veal steak and two well-cleaned pigsfeet, in a
pot with, four quarts of water, after seasoning them well with salt,
pepper and Cayenne. Add half a clove garlic, bay leaf, sprig thyme, one
onion, all minced fine, also two cloves pounded, and a glass of sherry
or Madeira. Keep boiling till the meat falls from the bones--take up
then, remove bones, mince the meat fine, season it highly and return to
the liquor, stirring it well through. Pour over the beef, let stand
uncovered in a very cool place to harden. Serve in very thin slices--it
will be like jelly. This is a cold-weather dish, as even an ice-box will
not harden the sauce properly in summer.
_Grillades with Gravy_: Flatten by beating a good round steak, and cut
into four-inch-squares. Season the squares highly with salt, pepper, and
Cayenne. Put a heaping tablespoon of lard in a frying pan--as it melts,
add a chopped onion, a clove of garlic also chopped, and as these brown,
one tablespoonful of flour, stirring all smooth. Next add two sliced
tomatoes with their juice--when they brown, lay the grillades upon them.
Cover close, let them brown on one side, then turn and brown the other.
Then add half a tablespoonful of vinegar, and a cup of water. Stir well,
then set where it will simmer for half an hour. Fine for breakfast with
hominy or rice.
Another way is to cook the grillades without garlic, and add to them
along with the tomatoes half a pint of tender okra well washed and
sliced. Or they can be fried brown, in clear fat, then put in a hot dish
over boiling water while a gravy is made of fresh fat, heated very hot,
and stirred about the pan to take up the brown meat essence, a chopped
onion, two sliced tomatoes, a tablespoonful flour, as much vinegar and
water. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Cayenne, boil ten to
twelve minutes and pour over the grillades.