paste, as No. 602, and also two pounds of forcemeat, mould three
quarters of the paste into a ball, which, with a rolling-pin, roll to
about half an inch in thickness and of an oval shape; lay half the
forcemeat in the centre, which spread over to within two inches of the
rim, having prepared and sautéd some veal and ham as directed for the
veal and ham pie, No. 602, lay them alternately upon the forcemeat, with
which again cover the meat, laying a pat of butter and a bay-leaf upon
the top; roll out the remainder of the paste of an oval shape, but much
thinner than the other, damp the paste around with a little water, and
lay the sheet of paste over, pressing it down with the finger and thumb,
then wet the top, and bring up the paste at the sides, which will stick
to it, thus forming a long square pie, with the trimmings of the paste
form a few leaves, with which decorate it according to fancy, egg the
whole well over, make a hole in the top, and bake two hours in a
moderate oven; when done, pour in the gravy, as for pies made in moulds,
and put by to serve cold. A square piece of puff paste laid upon the
top, and ornamented previous to baking, is also a great improvement.
Some gravy, as above, may of course be introduced.
You will perceive, my dear Eloise, from this one receipt, that any
kind of poultry, game, or meat pies, might be made in the same
manner. To carve, they should be cut across in thin slices through
paste and all.
When we are alone I frequently make a very small one for luncheon,
generally grating half a pound of sausage meat, with which I mix an
egg and a little chopped eschalots, frying the veal or lean bacon
or ham, and proceeding as for the larger ones; from three quarters
of an hour to an hour would be sufficient to bake it; at times I
make it with a pigeon, partridge, or two plovers stuffed, and
surrounded with forcemeat, but boned: they are very excellent hot.
606. _Tureen of Game._--I bought the other day a common earthen tureen,
for which I gave ninepence; I made some forcemeat precisely the same as
for pies, boned a grouse and stuffed it as for a pheasant pie, and
seasoning the same; I then lined the tureen with the forcemeat, laid in
the bird, which I again covered with the remainder of the forcemeat, put
two pats of butter and a bay-leaf upon the top, then placed on the
cover, fixing it down with a band of common paste laid inside upon the
rim of the tureen, and baked it three hours in a moderate oven, and when
I opened it about a week afterwards it was most delicious; when served
to table the cover should be taken off, the bay-leaf removed, and a few
fresh water-cresses laid over. All sorts of game, poultry, and meat, I
have done in the same way; it is quickly done and very good and
economical, as it will keep a long time.
607. _Galantines._--Having twice failed in the attempt to make this
difficult dish, I was about to relinquish the idea, but having
received a small turkey about two months back, I could not resist
making another attempt, in which I succeeded; it is rather
expensive, but it is a beautiful dish for supper. After having
plucked, and singed off the hairs with a piece of lighted paper, I
laid it breast downwards upon a clean cloth, and with a
sharp-pointed knife boned it as follows: first, just pass the point
of the knife through the skin, which cut open straight down the
back-bone, then proceed to clear the flesh from the bones of the
carcase until you come to the breast-bone, disjointing the wings
and legs as you proceed; very carefully detach the breast-bone from
the flesh without cutting through the skin, when you may remove the
carcase with the interior of the turkey; then proceed to take the
bones from the legs and wings, which is not quite so difficult; for
the legs, scrape the first bone free from the flesh to below the
first joint, where chop it off; cut the flesh round over the
knuckle and pull the foot, when the remainder of the bone and
sinews will come together; then cut off the wings at the first
pinion, and the remaining bone is quickly scraped away.
I can assure you I found this quite a job the first and second
time, but it is very essential to learn, as all kinds of poultry
and game are boned in the same manner, and to this description all
references upon the subject must be made throughout our little
work.
You have prepared four pounds of forcemeat, as for pies, also have long
strips of veal, ham, and fat bacon, which well season with salt, pepper,
and chopped eschalots; put a layer of the forcemeat an inch thick down
the bird, leaving two inches upon each side uncovered, then some of the
veal, bacon, and cooked ham alternately, which again cover with
forcemeat, but not exceeding half an inch in thickness (as too much
forcemeat between the meat would spoil its appearance), proceeding thus
until sufficient to fill the skin of the bird, when pull over the flaps,
and sew it up tightly with a packing needle and small string, and tie it
up in a napkin. If any, a few strips of cooked tongue, and blanched
pistachios, laid in alternately with the veal and bacon, greatly
improves its flavor and appearance.
_To cook._ Put in a stewpan with two onions, a carrot, half a head of
celery, two cloves, a blade of mace, a good bunch of parsley, thyme,
and bay-leaves, a knuckle of veal, the bones of the turkey, two calf's
feet, two ounces of salt, add sufficient water to cover the whole, and
set the stewpan upon the fire until upon the point of boiling; then draw
it to the corner, skim, and let simmer for three hours; then take it
from the fire, leaving it in the stock until nearly cold; then take it
out, remove the string from the napkin, and roll the galantine up
tighter, tying the napkin again at each end only; then place it upon a
dish, the breast part upwards, set another dish upon it, on which place
a fourteen pounds weight, which will press and cause it to cut firm;
when quite cold it is ready to serve, having removed the napkin and the
string with which it was sewed: the stock, however, should be clarified
as directed in the next receipt to make a savory jelly, which, when cold
and firm, is cut in croutons and chopped, with which the galantine
should be tastefully garnished.
Although at first I had some difficulty with this receipt, I can
now see the variety to which it leads, as the same process answers
for fowls, green geese, ducklings, pheasants, grouse, partridges,
&c., using game with the veal or pork for the interior, and stewing
them according to their size, the bones of game being stewed with
the stock would give the flavor to the savory jelly.
608. _To Clarify Meat Jelly._--Having passed the stock (made as in the
last) through a sieve into a basin, leave it until quite cold; then take
off all the fat very carefully, ascertain if sufficiently or too stiff
by putting a small piece upon ice; savory jelly requires to be rather
stiffer than sweet, if too stiff add a little more broth, if the
contrary, the stock must be reduced upon the fire until of the proper
consistency. When the stock is boiling, and you are perfectly assured of
its strength, have the white of four eggs with their shells in a basin,
with half a pint of water, two spoonfuls of tarragon or common vinegar,
and a glass of sherry, whisk all together; then whisk the stock quickly
a few seconds, and pour in the other ingredients whilst whisking,
continue whisking a few minutes until again upon the point but not
boiling; then take it from the fire, and taste if palatable, place a
cover upon the stewpan, which stand a little distance from the fire,
putting a few red-hot cinders upon the lid for five minutes, tie a
napkin by the four corners upon a jelly stand, through which pass the
jelly, having a basin beneath to catch it, pour the first that runs
through again into the napkin until it runs quite clear; when all
through, pour it in a plain mould or sauté-pan, which place upon ice
until the jelly is quite firm; then dip the bottom of the mould in hot
water, turn the jelly out upon a cloth, and cut it into whatever shapes
you please, to garnish and ornament any cold savory dish; the jelly when
warm might be divided, one part kept white, and the other colored with a
little brown gravy or coloring, thus enabling you to variegate in
garnishing.
Should the jelly be required to ornament tongues, hams, pies, salads, or
any article when no galantine is made; then to make the stock, cut the
veal into small pieces, and split the calf's foot in two, put a quarter
of a pound of butter in a convenient-sized stewpan, with the veal, foot,
a small piece of lean ham, and the other ingredients as directed for
galantine, pour in half a pint of water, put on the lid and stand it
upon the fire until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a white
glaze; then add a gallon of water, let simmer three hours, keeping it
well skimmed; then pass and clarify as above.
The knuckle of veal and foot may be served hot with a little parsley and
butter, for a dinner previous to your party, with a little fried bacon
separately, but for my own part I prefer them plain as they leave the
stewpan.
609. _Cold Ham._--Procure a very nice but small ham of about nine pounds
in weight, which soak about ten hours in cold water, and simmer three
hours in plenty of water; when done, take out and let remain until cold;
then cut off the skin as thinly as possible, but without leaving the
marks of it; let a piece remain upon the knuckle about two inches and a
half in breadth, which either festoon or vandyke, carve the fat neatly
to form a shell, and glaze it over lightly, serve with a paper frill
upon the knuckle, and garnish with savory jelly, or if plain with a few
bunches of fresh green parsley. A handful of fresh hay put in the water
when boiling is an improvement.
610. _Cold Tongue._--Boil a nice ox tongue for three hours, and, when
done, take off all the skin, and truss it of a good shape, by placing
the root against some fixture, and running a fork through the middle of
the thin part into the board upon which it stands; when cold trim and
glaze it lightly over, cutting off the greater part of the root, place
it upon a dish, garnished either with savory jelly or fresh sprigs of
parsley.
611. _Galantine of Veal._--When I do not like to go to the expense of a
turkey or other poultry for a galantine, I procure a small breast of
veal, and take out the tendons, which I stew; take out the remaining
bones, and trim the meat to about fifteen inches in length and eight in
width, using the trimmings for a ragout; season the interior of the
breast, and proceed to lay on the forcemeat veal, ham, and bacon, as
directed for the galantine of turkey, roll and sew it up, tie in a
cloth, braise, and afterwards press it in precisely the same manner;
when quite cold, glaze it nicely and serve, garnished with savory jelly;
or, if for a large supper, six or eight small dishes might be made from
it by cutting it into thin slices crosswise, and dressing six pieces in
a border upon each dish, with a little jelly in the middle, or if no
jelly, a sprig of parsley or water-cresses; but if served in the latter
way, I introduce two ounces of blanched pistachios. When making the
galantine, of course, the dishes must be placed at a distance from each
other at various parts of the table. I have also made a galantine of a
shoulder of lamb in the same way, previously taking out the bones.
612. _Cold Fillet of Veal._--Roast braise as No. 358; when cold, trim
neatly, and garnish with jelly or parsley.
A loin of veal larded through the fleshy part with raw ham, and fat
bacon, and roasted as above, makes a very delicate dish.
A small shoulder of veal might be boned the same as a shoulder of lamb,
and made into a galantine.
613. _Ribs of Beef larded._--Choose a piece of beef with about four
ribs, and cut very long, carefully take away the bones, lard the fleshy
part through with strips of fat bacon, well seasoned with pepper, salt,
and chopped parsley; spread some veal stuffing over, and roll it round,
keeping the stuffing in the interior, tie it up with string, and roast
in vegetables as in the last article, leaving it to cool in the
vegetables; when cold, glaze and serve, garnished with sprigs of
parsley.
The beef well rubbed with garlic and well seasoned with salt and pepper,
previous to spreading on the stuffing, would be a great improvement.
I sometimes leave the bones in the meat, lard the fleshy part, and
afterwards roast it in vegetables to serve cold.
614. _Pressed Beef._--Procure a piece of brisket of beef, cut off the
bones, and salt it as directed (No. 615), but adding a little extra sal
prunella to the brine and a little spice; let the beef remain in pickle
rather better than a week: when ready to cook, roll it round, tie it in
a cloth, and let it simmer gently in plenty of water, about seven hours
if a whole one, but four hours if only the thin end; when done take it
up, remove the string, and tie the cloth at each end, put it upon a dish
with another dish over, upon which place half a hundred-weight, leaving
it until quite cold, then take the meat from the cloth, trim and glaze
it lightly, and serve garnished with a few sprigs of fresh parsley.
615. _Pickle for Beef à la Garrick._--Take twenty pounds of salt, three
quarters of a pound of saltpetre, four cakes of sal prunella, two pounds
of moist sugar, two cloves of garlic, with which rub the meat well, and
leave it rather more than a week, rubbing and turning it over every day.
This pickle is adapted for anything that is required red.
616. _Spiced Beef._--Procure a piece of thin flank of beef about ten
pounds in weight, which salt as the last for about a week; when ready,
split it open with a knife and lay it out flat upon a dresser, having
previously prepared six onions chopped very fine, with about ten sprigs
of parsley, and the leaves of ten sprigs of thyme, the same of marjoram,
two ounces of mixed spice (without cinnamon), and half an ounce of black
pepper, mix altogether, spread half upon the beef as it lays before you,
then fold it over to its original shape, lay on the remainder of the
preparation, roll it up tightly in a cloth, boil, press, and serve as
directed in the last article.
617. _Pig's Head in imitation of Wild Boar's Head._--This you will
say is not only a difficult dish to do, but a very expensive one.
You are right when you are obliged to buy the pig to possess the
head; but in a small farm-house where they kill a pig perhaps once
a year at Christmas, the head can be very easily cut off for this
purpose. Being on a visit some years since at a farm-house, I had
the opportunity of having one, and trying my skill upon it; it was
much approved of, both for its ferocious appearance, and its
flavor, and it lasted good for three weeks.
The following is the way you should do it: procure the head with as much
of the neck attached to it as possible (the hog must have been stabbed
in the neck, not hit on the head as that would have broken the skull);
then singe it well over the flame of a fire, then wipe it with a cloth,
scrape well with a knife without scratching the skin, and place it on a
cloth upon its skull; open it very carefully without piercing the skin,
leaving no flesh whatever upon the bones; bone the neck of the pig, and
cut it into small fillets two inches long, place the head on a board and
rub it with half a pound of brown sugar, let it remain for one hour;
then place it in a salting tub, and throw over it six pounds of salt,
place in two quarts of ale, four bay-leaves, half an ounce of
peppercorns, a quarter ditto of cloves, six blades of mace, eight sliced
onions, ten sprigs of thyme, ten of winter savory, and two sliced
carrots; stir it well up, and let it remain for two hours; then pour
over the head, which turn every day for eight or ten days, rubbing it
well; when sufficiently salted, take it out and dry it on a cloth, lay
the head straight before you, skin side upwards; have ready six or eight
pounds of forcemeat, but using pork instead of veal, with which cover
the head an inch in thickness at the thinnest part; put the fillets cut
from the neck in a layer lengthwise in the head, with a long piece of
fat bacon, half an inch square, between each, sprinkle a little chopped
eschalots, pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg over, and continue filling
with forcemeat and the other ingredients until you have used the whole,
finishing by covering forcemeat over; join the two cheeks together with
the above in the interior, sew it up with pack-thread, giving it the
shape of the head as much as possible, and fold it in one or two large
thin cloths, leaving the ears out and upright.
_Braise_ as follows: Put half a pound of butter in a large
braising-pan or stock-pot, over which put four pounds of trimmings
of pork or knuckle of veal, eight onions, two carrots, four
turnips, eight bay-leaves, a tablespoonful of peppercorns, twelve
cloves, ten sprigs of thyme, ten of marjoram, four blades of mace,
half a bottle of bucellas wine, and four calf's feet, place it upon
a sharp fire, stirring it occasionally, until the bottom is covered
with a clearish glaze, then add four gallons of water and half a
pound of salt; when boiling draw it to the corner of the stove,
skim, and put in the head, the ears uppermost, and let simmer seven
or eight hours, or according to the size and age of the pig; but
the better plan would be to try it with a trussing-needle; if
tender it is done; skim the stock, in which leave the head until
half cold, when take it out, partly undo the cloths, and tie it
again tighter if possible, and press it in a cover or upon a
baking-sheet with three flat pieces of wood, one at each side, with
a weight against them, and one upon the top between the ears, on
which place a fourteen pounds weight, let it remain all night until
quite cold, when take it out of the cloths, detach the thread it
was sewn up with, cut a piece an inch in thickness from behind the
ears (from which part it must be carved in as thin slices as
possible), it will have a marbled appearance; trim the head a
little, setting the ears in a proper position, glaze it with a
brownish glaze, form the eyes with a little lard and a few black
currants round, and the tusks with paste, baking them; have some
very fresh tulips and roses, which stick tastefully in the ears and
some around, but leaving space to carve; garnish boldly with
croutons, aspic, made from the stock clarified as directed (No.
608); the meat and the calf's foot may be used for different
dishes, see receipts.
The second one I had I boiled plainer, merely a little salt and a few
vegetables; it was very good, but not so rich in flavor as the other;
thus saving expense and trouble. They should be eaten with the following
sauce:
_Boar's Head Sauce._--Cut the rind (free from pith) of two Seville
oranges into very thin strips half an inch in length, which blanch in
boiling water, drain them upon a sieve, and put them into a basin, with
a spoonful of mixed English mustard, four of currant jelly, a little
pepper, salt (mix well together), and half a pint of good port wine.
LETTER No. XV
DEAR ELOISE,--To you, who are so fond of lobster, the following
receipt will, I am confident, prove most valuable. To make sure of
its quality, buy one heavy in proportion to its size; or, perhaps,
_entre nous_, you would prefer to wait until a friend presented you
with one.
LOBSTER.--This fish, which is continually before our eyes, and only
looked upon as an article of food, is, without doubt, one of the
wonders of the creation. A creature destitute of bones, yet
furnished with a stomach capable of digesting the hardest
substances, even its own shell, which it doffs once a year, when it
is too small for it; without blood circulating through its body,
yet strong and active. This is only one of those wonders of the
mighty deep that we cannot but regard with awe and veneration, and
yet the principal interest they do excite is when we visit a
shell-fish shop to choose the largest and best for the smallest
price. They are, without doubt, a very nourishing aliment, and are
by many supposed to have a particular season, but which I believe
not to be the case, as I have known them in and out of season on
the same ground. When out of season, the pea or spawn is very
large, and about being hatched; immediately after which it sheds
its shell, and not its stomach, as is by many supposed. When in
season, and fine-flavored, it should have no spawn, or very little,
under the tail; and when its body is squeezed between the fingers
it should not give, but be hard; its weight will also be a test, as
it is a fish which wastes very much when kept long alive without
food: great care must be observed in the boiling of it. A number
should be placed at one time in a basket, and that placed in
boiling water, adding half a pound of salt to every gallon of
water, with a heavy weight upon it; if overdone, they eat tough and
thready; if underdone, unwholesome and unpalatable. One weighing a
pound will take fifteen minutes, and so on in proportion.
618. _Gratin of Lobster._--Procure a good-sized lobster, cut it in half,
detaching the head from the body; take out all the meat, and save the
four shells; cut the meat into slices, then take a teaspoonful of
chopped eschalots in a stewpan, with a piece of butter the size of two
walnuts, pass them a few minutes over the fire, add a tablespoonful of
flour (mix well in), half a pint of milk, stir over the fire, boiling
about five minutes, then add the lobster, which season with a little
cayenne, salt, chopped parsley, and essence of anchovies; stand it again
upon the fire, stirring until boiling, then stir in the yolk of an egg;
take off the fire, fill the shells of the lobster, sprinkle bread-crumbs
over, with a little butter, put in the oven for twenty minutes; dish on
a napkin and serve. To give it a nice color, use the salamander.
619. _Miroton Salad of Lobster._--Prepare and ornament a border of eggs,
like for that of game, put a thick layer of fresh salad in the centre,
and dress over it in a crown, the lobster interspersed with slices of
eggs and gherkins. The lobster must be divided in two across the back,
extract the meat carefully out of it, and cut it in a round or slanting
direction to the thickness of a crown piece, break the claws and cut the
same way, and place on salad as above, so as to form a thick crown near
the border of eggs, then take the interior of the lobster, pound it and
pass it through a fine sieve, add to your sauce.
Any other kind of fish, as cod fish, &c., when cold, cut or break them
in slices, lay them in a basin, season over with salt, pepper, nutmeg,
slices of onion, parsley, a little oil and vinegar; put it in two hours
before serving, and proceed as for lobster.
If there is any fish left from the previous day, I always make a salad
of it, particularly in summer; there are many who object to so much oil,
in which case it may be diminished.
620. _Salad Tartar._--Make as usual the border of eggs and sauce, lay
the salad in the middle and the lobster over, which has been previously
cut in slices; pour over some of the same sauce as above, having added a
tablespoonful of French mustard to it. Gherkins cut in slices, and a few
stoned olives.
621. _Plain Salad._--Take a lobster and any kind of salad, wash it well,
dry in a cloth, cut the lobster up in a salad-bowl, sprinkle over it a
teaspoonful of salt, half that of pepper, one of chopped tarragon or
chervil, or parsley, if nothing better, four tablespoonfuls of oil, and
two of common vinegar, but only one and a half if French, add the salad,
stir lightly round with a wooden knife and fork, and it is ready.
622. _Lobster served plain._--Break the tail from the body, cut the tail
in two lengthwise, put the body in the middle of the dish, lay the half
tail top and bottom, and the claws on the side; the shell previously
broken, but not disfigured, and serve double parsley round.