The Art of Cookery Part 8

_Pig's Head Currie._

TAKE a young porker's head, cleave it in half, blanch and wash it, then cut it into small thick pieces, fry them, and dress in the same manner as veal and mutton; only omit the fresh b.u.t.ter, as there will be a sufficient quant.i.ty of fat.

_Directions for roasting._

OBSERVE that in roasting it requires a good quick fire, but not too strong, and the meats should be well-jointed, trimmed neat, and covered with paper to preserve it from being too high a colour. Beef and mutton should not be done too much; veal, pork, and lamb, should be done well; and some little time before it is to be served up, take the paper off, sprinkle the meat with salt, and when of a proper colour, froth it with b.u.t.ter and flour. Large poultry to be papered and done in the same manner; but small poultry, such as chickens, woodc.o.c.ks, rabbits, wild fowls, &c. will not require papering. The time the several articles will take roasting depends upon a little practice, as the weather and the different strengths of fires make a material alteration. I have given directions for some particular roasts which require a preparation; as for others which are served with sauces, they may be found under their respective heads: and for the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of meat, &c. I have wrote a receipt to make into soup, or they may be put into the beef stock pot.

_Soup for a Family._

CUT the particles of meat from the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of different joints, as beef, mutton, veal, pork, &c. and when done put the bones into a pot, cover with water, and boil them till the goodness is extracted. Then strain the liquor, wash the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of the vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, onions, leeks, celery, and a little cabbage. Cut all small, put them into a pot with the above liquor and some split peas; boil till the peas are tender, add a little dry mint, and rub it through a tamis cloth or sieve. Then season the meat with pepper and salt, sweated down till three parts tender, and add the pulp. Boil all together till the meat is done, skim it and serve it up with fried bread in the form of dice.

_To prepare a Haunch of Venison, or Mutton, for roasting._

TAKE great care the venison is well hung and good. Wipe it, take the skin from the top part, and put b.u.t.ter and plenty of salt over it; then put paste confined on with four or five sheets of paper braced with packthread. Roast it gently, and ten minutes before it is done, take off the paper, let it colour gradually, and froth it with flour and b.u.t.ter.

Serve up with the venison warm currant jelly in a boat, and some good gravy with a little red port in it in another sauce boat.

_To roast Woodc.o.c.ks or Snipes._

TAKE out the trail, then roast the birds, and ten minutes before they are done bake a toast, put the trail into a stewpan, with a little cullis and fresh b.u.t.ter, and boil them together. When the woodc.o.c.ks are to be served up put the sauce over the toast, and the woodc.o.c.ks upon it.

N. B. If the woodc.o.c.ks are thin roast them with a bard of bacon over.

_To roast Larks._

TAKE the entrails out of the birds, wash and wipe them dry, put them upon a lark spit, with small thin slices of fat bacon and a piece of a vine or green sage leaf between each, if approved; and while roasting, put over them crumbs of bread, or roast them plain. When they are done, serve them up with fried breadcrumbs round them, and melted b.u.t.ter in a sauce boat.

_To fry Breadcrumbs._

RUB crumbs of bread through a hair sieve, have ready a clean frying pan, put them into it with a piece of fresh b.u.t.ter, set them over a moderate fire, keep stirring with a wooden spoon till they are of a light brown colour, and put them upon a plate.

_Turkeys._

TO be roasted with a stuffing in the breast, and served with bread sauce in a boat.

_Rabbits._

TO be roasted either plain, or a stuffing, with the liver chopped in it, put into the belly, and served up with parsley and b.u.t.ter in a boat.

_Hares._

TO be dressed in the same manner as rabbits, with stuffing; but served up with cullis and fresh b.u.t.ter put over, and warm currant jelly in a sauce boat.

_Hare roasted another way._

STUFF as above, and while roasting drudge it with flour, baste it with milk, and so alternately till a quarter of an hour before the hare is done; then baste it with a quarter of a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter put into the dripping pan. Serve it up with a cullis sauce and b.u.t.ter put over, and currant jelly in a sauce boat.

N. B. Baste it repeatedly, as there must be a good crust over. It will require three pints of warm milk for that purpose.

_Pigeons._

MAY be roasted with a little stuffing in them, or plain; and served up with parsley and b.u.t.ter.

_Quails, or Ruffs and Rees._

TO be roasted with bards of bacon and vine leaves over them, with sauce in a boat made with cullis and red port in it.

_Guinea Fowls, Pea Fowls, Pullets, Chickens, and Turkey Poults._

TO be roasted either larded or plain, and served up with gravy under, and bread and egg sauces in separate boats.

_Wild Fowl._

TO be roasted plain, not done too much, and served up with onion sauce in a boat; as also a small quant.i.ty of gravy and red port boiled together.

_Partridges and Pheasants._

TO be roasted plain, and served up with poivrade sauce hot, and bread sauce in boats.

_Green Geese and Ducklings._

TO be roasted with pepper and salt put in the bellies, and served with green sauce in a boat.

_Other Geese and tame Ducks._

TO be roasted with onion and sage chopped fine, seasoned with pepper and salt put into the inside, and served up with apple sauce in a boat.

_To roast a Pig._

MAKE a stuffing with chopped sage, two eschallots, two eggs, breadcrumbs, and fresh b.u.t.ter, and season with pepper and salt; put it into the belly, sew it up, spit it, and rub it over with a paste brush dipped in sweet oil. Roast it gently, and when done cut off the head; then cut the body and the head in halves, lay them on a dish, put the stuffing with the brains into a stewpan, add to them some good gravy, make it boil, and serve up the pig with the sauce under it.