The Art of Cookery Part 14

_Stewed Mushrooms (white)._

LET the same process be followed as above; but instead of adding liquid of colour put to them a gill of good cream.

_Mashed Turnips._

PARE and boil them till three parts done; then squeeze them between two plates, put them into a stewpan, add flour, fresh b.u.t.ter, cream, and salt, a little of each. Mix them well over a fire, stew them gently for five minutes, and preserve them as white as possible.

_Potatoes creamed._

PARE good potatoes, cut them into quarters, trim them round, and put them into a stewpan. Boil them gently till half done, drain them dry, add to them cream, salt, and fresh b.u.t.ter, a small quant.i.ty of each, or some benshamelle. Stew them very gently till they are done, and be careful they do not break.

_Stewed Watercresses._

PICK and wash twelve bunches of watercresses, boil them till half done, and drain and squeeze them dry; then chop and put them into a stewpan, add to them cullis, cream, salt, pepper, and flour, a little of each.

Stew them gently ten minutes, and serve them up with fried bread round.

_A neat Dish of Vegetables._

WASH a dish with white of raw egg, then make four divisions in it with fried bread, and put alternately in each the following vegetables:--in the first, stewed spinach; in the second, mashed turnips; in the third, mashed potatoes; and in the fourth, slices of carrots and some b.u.t.ton onions blanched: afterwards stew them in a little cullis, and when they are put into the dish let the essence adhere to them: or in the fourth part.i.tion put pieces of cauliflower or heads of broccoli.

N. B. Instead of fried bread to make the divisions, may be used mashed potatoes and yolks of eggs mixed together, and put on a dish in as many part.i.tions as approved; afterwards baked till of a nice colour, and served up with any kind of stewed vegetable alternately.

_Vegetable Pie._

CUT celery heads two inches long, turnips and carrots into shapes, some peeled b.u.t.ton onions or two Spanish onions, artichoke bottoms cut into quarters, pieces of cauliflowers or heads of broccoli, and heads of large asparagus. Let all the vegetables be washed clean; then boil each separately in a sufficient quant.i.ty of water to cover them, and as they get tender strain the liquor into one stewpan and put the vegetables into another. Then add to their essences half a pint of strong consume, thicken it with flour and water, season to the palate with cayenne pepper, salt, and lemon juice; add also a little colour. Let it boil ten minutes and strain it to the vegetables; then simmer them together, and serve them up in a raised pie crust, or in a deep dish with a raised crust baked round it, of two inches high.

_Fried Potatoes._

PARE and slice potatoes half an inch thick; then wipe them dry, flour, and put them into boiling hot lard or dripping, and fry them of a light brown colour. Then drain them dry, sprinkle a little salt over, and serve them up directly with melted b.u.t.ter in a sauce boat.

_Fried Onions with Parmezan Cheese._

PARE six large mild onions, and cut them into round slices of half an inch thick. Then make a batter with flour, half a gill of cream, a little pepper, salt, and three eggs, beat up for ten minutes; after which add a quarter of a pound of parmezan cheese grated fine and mixed well together, to which add the onions. Have ready boiling lard; then take the slices of onions out of the batter with a fork singly, and fry them gently till done and of a nice brown colour. Drain them dry, and serve them up placed round each other. Melted b.u.t.ter with a little mustard in it to be served in a sauce boat.

_Pickle Tongue forced._

BOIL it till half done, then peel it, and cut a piece out of the under part from the center, and put it into a marble mortar. Then add three ounces of beef marrow, half a gill of cream, the yolk of two eggs, a few breadcrumbs, a little pepper, and a spoonful of madeira wine. Pound them well together, fill the cavity in the tongue with it, sew it up, cover it with a veal caul, and roast till tender, or boil it.

_Stewed Endive._

TRIM off the green part of endive heads, wash and cut them into pieces, and scald them till half done; then squeeze, chop, and put them into a stewpan; add a small quant.i.ty of strong cullis, stew it till tender, and serve it up in a sauce boat, or it may be put under roast mutton.

_Forced Cuc.u.mbers._

PARE fresh gathered cuc.u.mbers of a middling-size; then cut them into halves, take out the seeds with a knife, fill the cavity with forcemeat, and bind the two halves together with strong thread. Put them into a stewpan with vinegar, salt, and veal stock, a small quant.i.ty of each.

Set them over a fire, simmer them till three parts done, and reduce the liquor; then add with it a strong cullis, put it to the cuc.u.mbers, and stew them gently till done.

_To stew Peas for a Dish._

PUT a quart of fresh sh.e.l.led young peas into a stewpan, add to them a quarter of a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter, a middling-sized onion sliced very fine, a cos or cabbage lettuce washed and cut into pieces, and a very little salt. Cover the pan close, put it over a moderate fire, and sweat the peas till half done. Make them of a proper thickness with flour and water, add a spoonful of essence of ham, season to the palate with cayenne pepper, and add a small lump of sugar if approved. Let the peas stew gently till tender, being careful not to let them burn.

_Salad of Asparagus._

SCALE and cut off the heads of large asparagus, boil them till nearly done, strain, and put them into cold water for five minutes, and drain them dry; afterwards lay them in rows on a dish, put slices of lemon round the rim, and mix well together a little mustard, oil, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and salt, and put it over the asparagus just before they are to be eaten.

_Asparagus Peas._

SCALE sprue gra.s.s, cut it into pieces the bigness of peas as far as the green part extends from the heads, and wash and put them into a stewpan. To a quart of gra.s.s peas add half a pint of hot water lightly salted, and boil them till three parts done; after which strain and preserve the liquor, which boil down till nearly reduced, and put to it three ounces of fresh b.u.t.ter, half a gill of cream, a little sifted sugar, flour, and water, sufficient to make it of a proper thickness; add the peas, stew them till tender, and serve them up with the top of a french roll toasted and b.u.t.tered put under them in a dish.

_Another way._

BOIL the peas in salt and water till nearly done, strain and put them into a stewpan, add to them a little sifted sugar, two ounces of fresh b.u.t.ter, a table spoonful of essence of ham, half a gill of cream, with two yolks of raw eggs beat up in it; stew them gently five minutes, and be careful they do not burn. Serve them up in the same manner as the above.

N. B. Large heads of asparagus may be done in the same manner whole.

_Stewed Asparagus for Sauce._

SCALE sprue or large asparagus, then cut off the heads as far as they are eatable, boil them till nearly done, strain them, and pour cold water over to preserve them green. Then make (boiling) a good strong cullis, and put in the heads five minutes before the sauce is served up, which may be put over tendrons of veal, lamb, &c.

N. B. Some tops of sprue gra.s.s may be boiled in a little stock till tender, and rubbed through a tamis. The pulp to be put to the cullis before the heads are added.

_Directions for Vegetables._

IT is necessary to remember, that in dressing vegetables of every kind, they should be gathered fresh, picked clean, trimmed or pared neatly, and washed in several waters. Those that are to be plain boiled should be put into plenty of boiling water and salt. If they are not to be used directly, when they are three parts done put them into cold water for five minutes, such as spinach, greens, cauliflowers, and broccoli, as it preserves their colour; and when they are to be served up put them again into boiling water till done, then drain them dry.

N. B. Potatoes and carrots are best steamed.

_Pickled Oysters._

PUT two dozen of large oysters into a stewpan over a fire with their liquor only, and boil them five minutes; then strain the liquor into another stewpan, and add to it a bay leaf, a little cayenne pepper, salt, a gill and a half of vinegar, half a gill of ketchup, a blade of mace, a few allspice, and a bit of lemon peel. Boil it till three parts reduced, then beard and wash the oysters, put them to the pickle, and boil them together two minutes. When they are to be served up place the oysters in rows, and strain the liquor over them. Garnish the dish with slices of lemon or barberries.