ounces of flour, then blanch and beard three dozen oysters, put the
oysters into another stewpan, add beards and liquor to the flour and
butter, with a pint and a half of milk, a teaspoonful of salt, half a
saltspoonful of cayenne, two cloves, half a blade of mace, and six
peppercorns; place it over the fire, keep stirring, and boil it ten
minutes, then add a tablespoonful of essence of anchovies, and one of
Harvey sauce, pass it through a tammy over the oysters, make the whole
very hot without boiling, and serve. A less quantity may be made, using
less proportions.
277. _Another method._--Put a pint of white sauce into a stewpan, with
the liquor and beards of three dozen oysters (as above), six
peppercorns, two cloves, and half a blade of mace; boil it ten minutes,
then add a spoonful of essence of anchovies, a little cayenne and salt
if required; pass it through a tammy, or hair sieve, over the oysters,
as in the last.
278. _A plainer method._--Blanch three dozen of oysters, which again put
into the stewpan, with their liquor (after having detached the beards),
add six peppercorns and half a blade of mace; place them over the fire,
and when beginning to simmer, add a piece of butter the size of a
walnut, with which you have mixed sufficient flour to form a paste,
breaking it in four or five pieces; shake the stewpan round over the
fire, and when upon the point of boiling, and becoming thick, add half a
gill of milk, or more if required; season with a little cayenne, salt,
pepper, and a few drops of essence of anchovies; serve very hot.
279. _Mussel Sauce._--Proceed exactly the same as for oyster sauce,
using only the liquor of the mussels (not the beards) instead of the
oysters, and serving the mussels in the sauce; about four dozen would be
sufficient.
280. _Cream Sauce._--Put two yolks of eggs in the bottom of a stewpan,
with the juice of a lemon, a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt, a little
white pepper, and a quarter of a pound of hard fresh butter; place the
stewpan over a moderate fire, and commence stirring with a wooden spoon
(taking it from the fire now and then when getting too hot), until the
butter has gradually melted and thickened with the eggs (great care must
be exercised, for if it should become too hot, the eggs would curdle and
render the sauce useless); then add half a pint of melted butter; stir
altogether over the fire, without permitting it to boil, pass it through
a tammy into another stewpan; when wanted, stir it over the fire until
hot. This sauce may be served with any description of boiled fish.
281. _Matelote Sauce._--For about a pound-slice of salmon make the
following quantity of sauce: peel thirty button onions, and put half a
teaspoonful of sugar in a quart-size stewpan, place it over a sharp
fire, and when melted and getting brown, add a piece of butter (the size
of two walnuts) and the onions, toss them over now and then until rather
brown, then add a glass of sherry, let it boil, then add half a pint of
brown sauce, and a gill of broth, simmer at the corner of the fire until
the onions are quite tender, skim it well, and add a few mushrooms, if
handy, season with a little salt and sugar, and sauce over any kind of
fish where described. The addition of a teaspoonful of essence of
anchovies is an improvement. Use where directed.
282. _Matelote Sauce simplified._--Proceed as above respecting the
onions, only add a fourth more butter, and fry them a little browner;
then add a glass of sherry and two teaspoonfuls of flour, which stir
round gently with a small wooden spoon, add to it about a pint of water,
stir now and then till boiling, add three saltspoonfuls of salt, two of
sugar, one of pepper, and a bouquet garni, simmer and skim, add a few
drops of coloring to give it a nice brown color; when ready to serve,
add a good tablespoonful of anchovy essence; it ought to adhere lightly
to the back of the spoon, but not be too thick; sauce over or under, as
directed; small pieces of glaze, if handy, put into it is an
improvement, also using broth instead of water; oysters and mushrooms
may be introduced, also a little cayenne pepper. This sauce must be very
savory.
283. _Lobster Butter._--Procure half a lobster, quite full of spawn,
which take out and pound well in a mortar; then add six ounces of fresh
butter, mix well together, then rub it through a hair sieve, and put it
in a cold place until wanted. The flesh can be used for any other dish.
284. _Anchovy Butter._--Take the bones from six anchovies, wash the
fillets, and dry them upon a cloth, pound them well in a mortar, add six
ounces of fresh butter, mix well together, and proceed as in the last.
285. _Maître d'Hôtel Butter._--Put a quarter of a pound of fresh butter
upon a plate, with one good tablespoonful of chopped parsley, the juice
of two lemons, half a teaspoonful of salt, and a quarter that quantity
of white pepper; mix all well together, and put in a cool place till
required.
286. _Ravigote Butter._--Proceed as in the last, but instead of parsley,
use one spoonful of chopped tarragon, and one of chervil, and add half a
spoonful of Chili vinegar.
REMOVES.
These are dishes which remove the fish and soup, served upon large
dishes, and placed at the top and bottom of the table; great care
should be evinced in cooking them, as they are the "pièce de
résistance" of the dinner. I must also observe that a few of the
receipts appear a little complicated, but which will not prove to
be the case if tried once or twice. In the Entrées will be found
how the remains of them may be dressed.
Since the science of analytical chemistry has become so perfect,
and has shown us the elements of which every substance and liquid
is composed, and that, in order to continue them in a state of
action, and prevent decomposition, it is necessary to repair the
loss which they are every moment undergoing, even from man, through
every living thing, down to earth and water. But as I am not going
to write you a lecture on chemistry, which will be so much more
easy to read in Liebig, in order for you to choose your meat and
viands with economy in regard to actual nourishment, it is
necessary I should tell you, that, from infancy to old age, the
human race must be continually imbibing elements of formation or
reparation, even from the lime in the mother's milk, which forms
the bones, to the osmazome extracted from animal matters, which
creates a more lively circulation of the blood when it becomes
sluggish and dull in old age. Each period, occupation, and station
in life requires different substances of reparation, with which we
ought to make ourselves intimately acquainted. Amongst the first,
and that most generally in use with man, is the ox, the principal
nourishment of which consists in the osmazome, which is that liquid
part of the meat that is extracted by water at blood-heat. It is
this which is the foundation and flavor of all soups, which gives
the flavor to all meats, and which, on becoming candied by heat,
forms the crust of roast meats.
The osmazome is found principally in all adult animals having a
dark flesh, and to a very small extent in those having a white
flesh; or even in the white flesh of fowls, but in their back and
legs, in which parts lies their principal flavor. The bones of the
ox contain gelatine and phosphate of lime. The gelatine is also
found in the muscles and other cartilaginous parts of the animal;
it is extracted by boiling water, and coagulates at the ordinary
temperature of the atmosphere; it is the foundation of all jellies,
blancmanges, and other similar preparations.
The albumen is also found in the flesh, and congeals as soon as the
heat rises beyond that of the blood; it is this which is the scum
on the pot when the meat is boiling.
BEEF.--All oxen should fast from twenty-four to forty-eight hours
before being killed; when killed and skinned, they are opened and
the inside cleaned; they are then hung up, and ought to be exposed
to a draught until cold, and then divided down the back into two
parts, leaving the head whole; these sides are then divided into
two, called the fore and hind-quarters: the fore-quarter contains
the shin, the clod and stickings, leg of mutton piece, chuck,
middle rib, fore rib; the hind-quarter consists of the rump,
sirloin, thin and thick flank, the veiny-piece, aitch-bone, buttock
or round, and leg and foot; the head contains the tongue, palate,
and brains; the entrails consist of the sweetbread, kidneys,
skirts, and the double roll and reed tripe. When the meat is cut
up, the following kernels are taken out: those in the neck, where
the shoulder clod is removed; two from the round, the pope's eye,
and one from the flap; one in the thick flap in the middle of the
flank, and another between the rump and aitch-bone: these must be
removed to preserve the beef, particularly in hot weather. The
flavor and quality of the meat depend on the country from whence it
comes, and the nature of its food.[4] As a general rule, the flesh
ought to be of a dark red color, smooth, open-grained, with fat
rather white than yellow running in thin streaks through the flesh.
Ox-beef is the largest and richest, but heifer is better, if
well-fed. It should be hung for two days previous to using, in a
cool place, free from draught; it will keep good from three to six
days, according to the weather.
287. _Sirloin of Beef_ should never be less than three of the short
ribs, and will weigh more or less according to the size of the ox from
which they are taken; that from a small, well-fed heifer I consider the
best, and will weigh about twelve pounds, and take about two hours to
roast, depending much on the fire. Having spitted or hung the joint,
cover it with buttered paper, and place it about eighteen inches from
the fire; about one hour after it has been down, remove the paper and
place the joint nearer the fire, and put half a pint of water, with a
little salt, in the dripping-pan; about a quarter of an hour before
removing from the fire, dredge it with flour and salt from the
dredging-box; when taken from the fire, empty the contents of the
dripping-pan into a basin, from which remove the fat; pour the gravy in
the dish, and then place the joint on it; serve some scraped
horse-radish separate. A Yorkshire pudding is very excellent when cooked
under this joint.
288. _Ribs of Beef._--This piece should consist of at least three ribs;
the bones are generally sawn through about three inches from the top;
these should be removed, leaving the flap, which fold under and fix with
wooden skewers. This, in roasting, should be prepared and dredged as the
sirloin. A drop of coloring gives the gravy an inviting appearance.
289. _Ribs of Beef braised._--Take four ribs, not too fat nor too thick,
remove the chine-bone neatly, and four inches of the tips of the
rib-bones, run with a larding-needle several pieces of fat bacon through
the thick part, trim over the flap and tie it well round, put it into
the braising-pan; put a quarter of a pound of butter, one teaspoonful of
pepper, and six teaspoonfuls of salt into the pan, cover it over, and
place it on a slow fire for thirty minutes, stirring it now and then,
then add two quarts of water; at the expiration of one hour and a half,
add eighty small button onions and sixty small young carrots, or pieces
of large ones cut in the shape, which place around the meat; a bouquet
of ten sprigs of parsley, three bay-leaves, and four sprigs of thyme
tied together; half an hour after, add sixty round pieces of turnip;
then place some live coals on the lid, and let it stew gently for one
hour and a half longer, being altogether about four hours. Take out the
meat, remove the string, and trim it. Skim off the fat from the liquor
in the pan, remove the bouquet, &c., add a few pieces of butter in which
have been mixed a tablespoonful of flour and a teaspoonful of sugar, two
of browning, stir gently with a wooden spoon, and, when just on the
boil, dress round the meat, and serve. In case it has reduced too much,
add water.
The foregoing receipt may appear rather complicated, and may
perhaps frighten you, and prevent you trying it; but I assure you,
if you once try it, you will find it so good as to repeat it,
particularly as many other receipts will be referred to this one.
The vegetables and meat cold, are excellent.
290. _Stewed Rump of Beef._--This is a very excellent and useful
joint to be continually kept in a country-house, where you may be
some distance from a butcher's, as, when hung up in a cool larder,
it keeps good for a considerable time, and you never feel at a loss
should some friends call unawares: after a third of it has been
removed for steaks, pies, or puddings, the remainder makes an
excellent joint, roasted or braised like the ribs, or stewed as
follows:
Cut it away from the bone, cut about twenty long pieces of fat bacon,
which run through the flesh in a slanting direction; then chop up the
bone, place it at the bottom of a large stewpan, with six cloves, three
onions, one carrot, a turnip, and a head of celery; then lay in the rump
(previously tying it up with string), which just cover with water, add a
tablespoonful of salt and two burnt onions (if handy), place upon the
fire, and, when boiling, stand it at the corner; let it simmer nearly
four hours, keeping it skimmed; when done, pass part of the stock it was
cooked in (keeping the beef hot in the remainder) through a hair sieve
into a basin; in another stewpan have ready a quarter of a pound of
butter, melt it over the fire, add six ounces of flour, mix well
together, stirring over the fire until becoming a little brownish; take
off, and when nearly cold add two quarts of the stock, stir it over the
fire until it boils; then have four carrots, four turnips (cut into
small pieces with cutters), and forty button onions peeled, put them
into the sauce, when again boiling draw it to the corner, where let
simmer until tender, keeping it skimmed; add a little powdered sugar
and a bunch of parsley: if it should become too thick, add a little more
of the stock; dress the beef upon a dish, sauce round and serve. Brown
sauce may be used, and the gravy will make excellent soup.
291. _Salt Round of Beef._--This magnificent joint is, in general, too
large for small families, but occasionally it may be used; the following
is, therefore, the best method of cooking it: having folded the fat
round it, and fastened it with skewers, tie round it, not too tight,
some wide tape and a thin cloth, place it in a large stock-pot with
plenty of cold water, set it upon a good fire, and when beginning to
boil, draw it to the corner, where let it simmer until done; five hours
will be enough for a large one of thirty to thirty-five pounds; when
done, remove the cloth and tape, and dish it up, previously cutting a
slice two inches thick from the top, pouring a pint of the hot liquor
over it when serving. To serve it cold, M. Soyer, in his "Regenerator,"
thus describes it:
"After receiving the above useful lesson, and being desirous of
improving my profession in all its branches, I remembered that,
amongst the number of joints boiled to serve cold for large civic,
agricultural, or benevolent anniversary dinners, the round of beef
was the most prominent, and having seen it standing in dishes to
get cold, with the dish filled with the gravy that runs from it,
particularly if a little over-done, caused me to hit upon the
following expedient to prevent the meat losing so much of its
succulence.
"Fill two large tubs with cold water, into which throw a few pounds of
rough ice, and when the round is done, throw it, cloth and all, into one
of the tubs of ice-water; let remain one minute, when take out and put
it into the other tub; fill the first tub again with water, and continue
the above process for about twenty minutes; then set it upon a dish,
leaving the cloth on until the next day, or until quite cold; when
opened, the fat will be as white as possible, besides having saved the
whole of the gravy. If no ice, spring water will answer the same
purpose, but will require to be more frequently changed; the same mode
would be equally successful with the aitch-bone."
292. _Half-Round of Beef (Silver-side)_ should be put into cold water,
and let it come to a boil; simmer for two hours and a half, and serve
the same as a round.
293. _Aitch-bone of Beef_ (or, as I think it ought to be called,
_Edge-bone_).--This is a very nice joint for a small family, but not so
economical as is generally supposed; it should be pickled carefully, and
cooked in the same way as the round; one weighing ten pounds will take
two hours and a half; it should be trimmed on the top, and served with
some of the liquor under it. It is very good when fresh and braised like
the ribs.
294. _Salt Brisket of Beef._--This is by no means an economical joint,
as it loses considerably in cooking; it requires a long time to boil;
should it be required as a large cold joint, the following is the best
plan: procure a nice brisket with as little fat as possible, detach the
whole of the bones from it, make a pickle (see Receipt), place it in it,
previously rubbing it well with two cloves of garlic, leave it in the
pickle from seven to nine days, rubbing and turning it every day; when
ready to cook, cut it into two parts (one about two inches longer than
the other), tie them together, and afterwards in a clean cloth, simmer
it for about six or seven hours in a large stock-pot full of water; when
done, take it out and let it drain, have ready a large dish-cover, place
it upon a trivet, remove the cloth and string from the meat, and place
it in the cover; have ready a piece of board to fit inside the cover,
place it on the meat with a half-hundred weight on the top, and let it
remain in a cold place until the next day, when take it out, trim it,
garnish it nicely, and serve. This will keep good a considerable time,
and is excellent for breakfast or luncheon; besides, it always keeps a
"pièce de résistance" in the larder in case of accidents. It is also,
when fresh, very excellent stewed like the rump of beef, or plain
salted.
295. _Hamburgh Beef._--The ribs are the best; they should be put to soak
in soft water for twelve hours, and then put into cold water and boiled
gradually; a piece of three ribs will take three hours; if intended to
be served hot, the outside should be cut off, and the joint nicely
trimmed and served up with the following garniture round it: take four
handfuls of brown kale, well washed, put a saucepan on the fire, with a
gallon of water, and let it well boil; then add two tablespoonfuls of
salt and half a saltspoonful of carbonate of soda, put the kale in, let
it boil for ten minutes, drain it and squeeze all the water from it, put
it on a chopping-board and chop it fine, then put it into a stewpan,
with two ounces of butter, half a teaspoonful of pepper, one teaspoonful
of salt, a little nutmeg, half a teaspoonful of sugar, and twenty
roasted chestnuts cut in half, put it on the fire and keep stirring it
for five minutes: if too dry, add a little milk or gravy, and place it
on the side of the fire until wanted.
296. _To boil a pickled Ox Tongue._--Put the tongue into a large stewpan
containing two gallons of cold water, which set upon the fire until
boiling, when draw it to the corner to simmer for three hours, if a
tongue weighing about six pounds; but the better way to ascertain when
done, is to try it with a trussing-needle, or the prongs of a fork, in
the thickest part; if tender it is done, but if hard it must boil rather
longer. A dried tongue should be soaked twenty-four hours previously to
boiling; when done, skin it and trim the root, &c., and use where
directed.
297. _To cook a fresh Ox Tongue._--Put a tongue in lukewarm water for
twelve hours to disgorge, then trim the root and scrape the tongue quite
clean; have ready twenty pieces of fat bacon two inches long and half an
inch square, which introduce with a larding pin into the most fleshy
part in a slanting direction; then rub the tongue all over with salt,
and run a long iron skewer through it, which tie upon, surround the
tongue with vegetables, the same as directed for turkeys roasted and
braised, and roast for two hours before a good fire; twenty minutes
before it is done take away the paper and vegetables, to give a nice
brown color; when done trim a little, to keep it steady in the dish, and
garnish with any kind of stewed vegetables, or cut it in halves
lengthwise to form a heart, and sauce over with piquante, tomatos, or
any other sharp sauces found in their series. If no convenience for
roasting, put into a stewpan a piece of leg of beef (cut small) weighing
two pounds, with two onions, one carrot, two blades of mace, a little
thyme and bay-leaf, and a quarter of a pound of butter, sauté the whole
twenty minutes, keeping it stirred over a moderate fire, then put in the
tongue (previously prepared) and two ounces of salt, cover with water,
and let boil gently four hours, skim and serve. The stock would be
excellent for soup or brown sauce of any kind. The remains could be
served in either of the methods directed for the remainder of pickled
tongue.
298. _Rump Steak broiled._--Procure a steak cut nice and even, of about
half an inch in thickness (if well cut it will not require beating),
which lay upon a gridiron over a sharp fire; have a good teaspoonful of
salt, and half that quantity of pepper mixed together upon a plate, half
of which sprinkle upon the side of the steak uppermost, after it has
been upon the fire a couple of minutes, when turn, and sprinkle the
remainder of the seasoning upon the other side; it will take about ten
minutes to cook it to perfection, turning it occasionally, and serve
upon a very hot dish, with a little scraped horseradish round. If
properly done, it ought to be full of gravy, but a great deal depends
upon the fire, which, if bad, causes the gravy to ooze from the meat and
lie upon the top, which you lose in turning the steak over. A rump steak
may also be served broiled as above, with a little maître d'hôtel, or
anchovy butter, rubbed, over as soon as done, and potatoes cut the size
of half crown or shilling pieces, and fried crisp in hot fat; dress
round. Or a steak may be served, with a few water-cresses, well washed,
and dried upon a plate sprinkled with a little pepper, salt, and
vinegar, and garnished round; a little oil might also be added.
Veal of about two to three months old is the best; the flesh ought
to be white, approaching to pink, and the fat firm; it is cut up
the same as mutton, except that, in the hind-quarter, the loin is
cut straight, leaving the aitch-bone on it, which may be either
dressed on the loin or separate. The fore-quarter consists of the
shoulder, neck, and breast. The hind-quarter, the knuckle, leg,
fillet, and the loin. The head and pluck consists of the heart,
liver, nut, skirts, melt, and the heart, throat, and sweetbread.
The bull-calf is the best, the flesh is firmer grained or redder,
and the fat more curdled than the cow-calf, which latter is in
general preferred, being more delicate and better adapted for made
dishes, as having the udder. Nothing can be worse than veal if not
fresh; it should never hang more than two days in summer and four
in winter. To be in full perfection, the kidneys ought to be
covered with fat, and the veins in the shoulder bright red or blue.
It is best from May to September, although it may be had good all
the year. The head, when fresh, should have the eyes plump and
lively; if stale, they are sunk and wrinkled.