The Modern Housewife or, Menagere Part 31

675. _Irish way of boiling._--In Ireland, where this root has been for so long a period the chief nourishment of the people, and where it takes the place of bread and other more substantial food, it is cooked so that it may have, as they call it, a bone in it; that is, that the middle of it should not be quite cooked. They are done thus:--Put a gallon of water with two ounces of salt, in a large iron pot, boil for about ten minutes, or until the skin is loose, pour the water out of the pot, put a dry cloth on the top of the potatoes, and place it on the side of the fire without water for about twenty minutes, and serve. In Ireland turf is the princ.i.p.al article of fuel, which is burnt on the flat hearth; a little of it is generally sc.r.a.ped up round the pot so as to keep a gradual heat, by this plan the potato is both boiled and baked. Even in those families where such a common art of civilized life as cooking ought to have made some progress, the only improvement they have upon this plan is, that they leave the potatoes in the dry pot longer, by which they lose the _bone_. They are always served up with the skins on, and a small plate is placed by the side of each guest.

676. _To blanch Macaroni._--Have half a gallon of water in a stewpan, in which put two ounces of b.u.t.ter and an ounce of salt; when boiling, throw in a pound of macaroni, which boil until tender, being careful that it is not too much done; the time of boiling depends princ.i.p.ally upon the quality, the Genoa macaroni taking the longest time, and the Neapolitan the shortest, which last, if too much done, will fall in puree.

677. _Macaroni a l'Italienne._--Boil half a pound of macaroni as above; when done, lay it on a sieve to dry for one minute, put it in a pan, with four spoonfuls of white sauce, add half a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter ditto of pepper, a little cayenne, toss the macaroni over the fire; when boiling, add two ounces each of grated Parmesan and Gruyere cheese, toss round and round until well mixed, then serve with a gill of very strong gravy around it.

678. _Macaroni au Gratin._--Proceed the same as above; but after you have put the macaroni on the dish, omit the gravy, and cover it slightly with bread-crumbs, and about the same quant.i.ty of Parmesan cheese grated, a little b.u.t.ter, and then put in a hot oven for a quarter of an hour; if not hot enough, pa.s.s the salamander over it, and serve very hot.

679. _Macaroni a la Napolitaine._--Boil half a pound of the best quality of macaroni for half an hour, as at No. 736; when tender, lay one quarter of it on the dish you intend to serve; have ready two ounces of grated Parmesan cheese, which you divide into four parts to lay over each layer of macaroni, then put over it two tablespoonfuls of strong gravy, made of half glaze and consomme, put the dish in the oven for ten minutes, and serve very hot.

680. _The real Italian method (called a l'Estoufade)._--Boil and proceed as before, but make the gravy as follows, and use it instead of the preceding. Take two pounds of rump of beef larded through, put in a small stewpan, with one quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter, fry gently for one hour, turning almost continually; when forming a glaze add half a pint of broth, let simmer another hour, take the fat off, and use that gravy instead of that above described; a little tomato may be introduced if handy, serve the beef at the same time in a separate dish.

681. _Fried Mashed Potatoes in various shapes._--Roast twelve fine potatoes; when done, take out the interior, which form into a ball; when cold, put them into a mortar, with a piece of b.u.t.ter half the size of the ball; pound them well together, season with a little salt, pepper, chopped eschalots, chopped parsley, and grated nutmeg, mix them with the yolks of six, and two whole eggs; then form them into croquettes about the size and shape of a small egg, and bread-crumb them twice over, and fry them to a light brown color in a stewpan of hot lard, and serve as garniture where required.

682. _To boil Rice._--Wash well in two separate waters a pound of the best Carolina rice, then have two quarts of water _boiling_ in a stewpan, into which throw your rice, boil it until three parts done, then drain it on a sieve; b.u.t.ter the interior of a stewpan, in which put your rice, place the lid on tight, and put it in a warm oven upon a trivet until the rice is perfectly tender, or by the side of the fire; serve it separate with curry, or any other dish where required. Prepared thus, every grain will be separate and quite white.

683. _Chopping of Herbs, &c._--This may appear a very simple thing to do well, yet it is often done badly, by which the flavor is lost. They should be well washed and dried, and then take the leaves in the left hand, pressing upon the leaves with your fingers, and chop as fine as possible, not by placing the point of the knife on the board and raising it and letting it fall, but with a good sharp cut, so that they are cut, not pressed. Onions should be peeled, and cut in halves lengthwise, and then with a thin knife cut each half in slices, leaving them joined at the root; again cut into slices contrarywise, and then from top to bottom; thus having cut into very small squares, chop it with both hands with the knife. You may also wash them; when half-chopped press them in a cloth, and chop them still finer.

OF DIFFERENT SORTS OF PASTRY.

The variety of pastes is to the pastry what first stocks are to soups and sauces, and must be very properly first described, particularly as it is here I must refer my readers for paste even used for the hors-d'oeuvre and entrees; to succeed you must be particular in your proportions, and very careful in the mixing; for, although there is nothing more simple if pains be taken, so will the least neglect produce a failure, nor is it only with the making of the paste that pains must be taken, but likewise with the baking, for as paste badly made would not improve in baking, neither will paste, however well made, be good if badly baked; should the oven be too hot the paste will become set and burn before it is done; and, again, if too cold it would give the paste a dull heavy appearance, but an oven properly heated (which can be readily known by a little attention on the part of those in the habit of using it) will give it a clear brilliant appearance.

For every description of pastry made from puff paste, try if the oven is hot by placing your hand about half-way in, and hold it there about a quarter of a minute, if you can hold it there that time without inconvenience it would not be hot enough; but if you cannot judge of the heat, the safest method would be, try a piece of the paste previous to baking the whole; I apply these few observations to all my friends, but particularly to the uninstructed, as a person of continual practice cannot fail to be aware of the truth of them.

684. _Puff Paste._--Put one pound of flour upon your pastry slab, make a hole in the centre, in which put the yolk of one egg and the juice of a lemon, with a pinch of salt, mix it with cold water (iced in summer, if convenient) into a softish flexible paste, with the right hand dry it off a little with flour until you have well cleared the paste from the slab, but do not work it more than you can possibly help, let remain two minutes upon the slab; then have a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter from which you have squeezed all the b.u.t.termilk in a cloth, bringing it to the same consistency as the paste, upon which place it; press it out with the hand, then fold over the edges of the paste so as to hide the b.u.t.ter, and roll it with the rolling-pin to the thickness of a quarter of an inch, thus making it about two feet in length, fold over one third, over which again pa.s.s 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, upon which lay it, upon ice or in some cool place (but in summer it would be almost impossible to make this paste well without ice) for half an hour; then roll twice more, turning it as before, place again upon the ice a quarter of an hour, give it two more rolls, making seven in all, and it is ready for use when required, rolling it whatever thickness (according to what you intend making) directed in the following receipts. When I state that upwards of a hundred different kinds of cakes may be made from this paste, I am sure it will be quite sufficient to urge upon every cook the necessity of paying every attention to its fabrication, as it will repay for the study and trouble.

685. _Puff Paste, with Beef Suet._--Where you cannot obtain good b.u.t.ter for making paste, the following is an excellent subst.i.tute; skin and chop one pound of kidney beef suet very fine, put it into a mortar and pound it well, moistening with a little oil, until becoming as it were one piece, and about the consistency of b.u.t.ter, proceed exactly as in the last, using it instead of b.u.t.ter.

686. _Half Puff Paste._--Put one pound of flour upon your pastry slab, with two ounces of b.u.t.ter, rub well together with the hands, make a hole in the centre, in which put a pinch of salt and the yolk of an egg with the juice of a lemon; mix with water as before, then roll it out thin and lay half a pound of b.u.t.ter (prepared as for puff paste) rolled into thin sheets over, fold it in three, roll and fold again twice over, lay it in a cold place a quarter of an hour, give another roll, and it is ready for use where required; this paste is mostly used for fruit tarts, for which it is well adapted.

687. _Short Paste, or Pate a foncer._--Put a pound of best flour upon your pastry slab, make a hole in the centre, in which put an ounce of salt, half a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter, and sufficient water to form a stiff paste, mix well together, and it is ready for use where directed.

688. _Short Paste for Fruit Tarts._--Put a pound of flour upon your pastry slab with six ounces of b.u.t.ter, and rub them well together; then make a hole in the centre, in which put two ounces of powdered sugar, two whole eggs, and a large winegla.s.sful of water, mix the eggs, sugar, and water well, then drown in the flour and mix together, and work it lightly.

689. _Pate d'Office, or Confectioner's Paste._--Weigh half a pound of flour, which put upon your slab, make a hole in the centre, in which put six ounces of sifted sugar, mix it well with four eggs into a stiffish paste, having first well dissolved the sugar with the eggs, work it well, it is then ready for use.

This paste was very much used when pieces montes were so much in vogue, but in the several receipts in which it is referred to, it is used upon quite a new principle, and very much simplified; this paste, with the above proportions, ought to be very stiff, but still pliable enough to be worked without breaking; should it be too stiff add more eggs, or too soft more flour; the half or quarter of the above quant.i.ty may of course be made.

690. _Vols-au-Vent_ of all things in pastry require the most care and precision; they that can make a good vol-au-vent may be stamped as good pastrycooks, although many variations in working puff paste, all others are of secondary importance. Make a pound of puff paste, giving it seven rolls and a half, leave it an inch in thickness, make a mark upon the top either round or oval, and according to the size of your dish; then, with a sharp-pointed knife, cut it out from the paste, holding the knife with the point slanting outwards; turn it over, mark the edges with the back of your knife, and place it upon a baking-sheet, which you have sprinkled with water; egg over the top, then dip the point of the knife into hot water, and cut a ring upon the top a quarter of an inch deep, and half an inch from the edge of the vol-au-vent, set in a rather hot oven, if getting too much color, cover over with a sheet of paper, do not take it out before done, or it would fall, but when quite set, cut off the lid, and empty it with a knife; be careful to make no hole in the side or bottom; if for first course it is ready, but if for second sift sugar all over, which glaze with the salamander. Regulate the thickness of the paste from which you cut the vol-au-vent, according to the size you require it, the smaller ones of course requiring thinner paste. A vol-au-vent for entrees will take about half an hour to bake, and as the common iron ovens often throw out more heat upon one side than the other, it will require turning two or three times to cause it to rise equal; it ought to be when baked of a light gold color.

691. _Vol-au-Vent of Peaches._--Put half a pound of sugar in a sugar-pan, with the juice of a lemon and about half a pint of water, place it upon the fire and boil till becoming a thickish syrup; then have eight peaches not quite ripe, which cut in halves, break their stones and blanch the kernels, throw six halves with the kernels into the syrup, boil three minutes, take them out with a skimmer, lay them upon a dish and take off their skins, stew the rest in syrup in like manner, four at a time; when all done pour what liquor runs from them again into the syrup, which reduce to a good thickness, pa.s.s it through a tammy into a basin, when cold pour a little over the peaches and leave until ready to serve; dress the peaches in your vol-au-vent with the syrup over. This is a receipt I learnt in France, where I got peaches for a sou each.

692. _Vol-au-Vent with Fruit._--These are generally used for the second course, and do not require to be so high as the other, especially as the fruit ought to be dressed in the form of a pyramid, if they are cut about three quarters of an inch in thickness it will be enough; when nearly done, sift some powdered sugar over them, and put it back in the oven to glaze well, if not hot enough use the salamander; remove the interior, taking care not to make a hole in the bottom or sides, and fill with any kind of fruit you like, but never mix two kinds together, except currant and raspberry.

693. _Sweet Vol-au-Vent with Rhubarb._--In the spring of the year, this makes a very inviting and wholesome dish, and its qualities purify the blood, which the winter's food has rendered gross; cut about twelve sticks of rhubarb into lengths of one inch, put it in a stewpan holding about two quarts, put over it a quarter of a pound of sugar, and a tablespoonful of water, set it on a sharp fire, stirring it, do not let it get brown, or it would spoil and lose its flavor; it will take but a few minutes to do; when tender, put it in a basin to cool; a few minutes before serving, fill the vol-au-vent with it, and serve cold.

694. _Ditto, with green Gooseberries._--A quart of green gooseberries, a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, the juice of half a lemon, and a tablespoonful of water, put on the fire and move it about for ten minutes, or till tender, and forming a thick green marmalade, put it in a basin till cold, serve in pyramid in the vol-au-vent; a little thick syrup, if handy, poured over, improves the appearance.

695. _Ditto, with Orange._--Well peel six oranges, removing all the pith, divide each into six or eight pieces, put them in a pan, with a quarter of a pound of sugar, and the juice of one orange, set it on a slow fire, with the cover on, stir it now and then; ten minutes will be sufficient time for it, take out the pieces one after the other, lay them in a basin, reduce your syrup to a proper thickness, when ready to serve, dish your pieces of orange in it, and pour over the syrup.

696. _Another method._--Make a thick syrup with half a pound of sugar, put in your pieces by a dozen at a time, just give them a boiling, remove them on a sieve, then add the other pieces, when all done, add the juice, which pa.s.s through a sieve, and back again to the pan, boil till a proper thickness, dish up and serve the syrup over.

697. _Ditto, a still plainer method._--Have the pieces of orange ready, and put in a stewpan a quarter of a pound of sugar, a winegla.s.s of brandy or rum, stir it well a few minutes, and serve with the liquor poured over.

698. _Ditto, with Cherries._--Stone one pound of cherries, and put in a pan, with a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, stew for five minutes, take them down, drain, then reduce the syrup till thick, and pour over at the moment of serving.

699. _Ditto, with Strawberries._--Pick two pottles of very fresh strawberries, not too ripe, put them in with two ounces of powdered sugar, a teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, toss them gently in a basin, and serve immediately in your vol-au-vent.

700. _Ditto, with Apples._--This fruit being procurable all the year renders it one of very great convenience; Ripstone pippins are the best: cut in four, peel them, put a pint of syrup, when boiling, put in your apples, with the peel of half a lemon, and the juice of a whole one, let simmer till tender, put it in a basin, boil the syrup to a white jelly, let it stand till cold, put the apple in the vol-au-vent, and pour the syrup (cold) or jelly over; serve a few ornaments made with very green angelica.

701. _Another method._--Cut any kind of apple, rather thin, put over a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, the rind of a lemon chopped, the juice of the same, one ounce of b.u.t.ter, and a gla.s.s of sherry, put on the fire, toss till tender, but keep it very white, put it in a basin, when cold dish in your vol-au-vent; whip a gill of good cream, add ten drops of orange-flower water in it, cover over carefully and serve.

Apple saute with b.u.t.ter, in this way may be served hot in the vol-au-vent. Any kind of plums or apricots, when plentiful, may be done the same as cherries, and served the same way.

702. _Little Fruit Rissolettes._--I also make with the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of puff paste the following little cakes: if you have about a quarter of a pound of puff paste left, roll it out very thin, about the thickness of half a crown, put half a spoonful of any marmalade on it, about one inch distance from each other, wet lightly round them with a paste-brush, and place a piece of paste over all, take a cutter of the size of a crown piece, and press round the part where the marmalade or jam is, with the thick part of the cutter, to make the paste stick, then cut them out with one a size larger, lay them on a baking-tin, egg over, then cut a little ring in paste, the size of a s.h.i.+lling, put it on them, egg over again, place in a nice hot oven for twenty minutes, then sugar over with finely sifted sugar, so as to make it quite white all over, then put back into the oven to glaze: should the oven not be sufficiently hot, take a salamander, or, for the want of one, a red-hot shovel, full of live coals, may be used; serve in the form of a pyramid. A little currant jelly in the ring looks well.

703. _Flanc of Fruit._--This requires a mould the same as No. 602; it must be well wiped with a cloth, b.u.t.ter it, then take the remains of puff paste, and roll it well so as to deaden it, then roll it out a size larger than your mould, and about a quarter of an inch thick, place your mould on a baking-tin, put the paste carefully in the mould and shape it well, to obtain all the form of the mould, without making a hole in it; put a piece of paper at the bottom, fill with flour to the top, and bake a nice color; it will take about half an hour, then take out the flour and paper, open the mould, and fill it.