The Art of Cookery Part 9

_To roast Sweetbreads._

BLANCH heart sweetbreads till half done, then wash and wipe them dry, cut off some of the pipe, put yolk of eggs on the tops with a paste brush, and strew fine breadcrumbs over. Roast them gently till done and of a nice colour, serve them up with a toast under and melted b.u.t.ter poured over, together with some cullis sauce round.

_To roast Ribs of Beef._

BONE the beef, roll it round like a fillet of veal, put a good stuffing in the center, bind it tight, roast it gently, and serve it up with brown oyster sauce round it.

_Fillet of Veal._

TO be done in the same manner as the above, with white oyster or cullis sauce round.

_Observations on Meat and Poultry._

MEATS to be preferred when of a good fatness and the lean appears juicy, but not particularly streaked with fat, as it then frequently happens to eat hard. When the season will permit let it hang for a week, and not more, as I have found that period bring it to its best state. Poultry, likewise, should be chosen tolerably fat and of a soft grain. Let them hang three or four days, which will add to their better eating; except woodc.o.c.ks, snipes, larks, or pigs, which should be dressed fresh. Be particular that the poultry are trussed very neat.

_Stuffing for Turkies, Hares, Veal, &c._

CHOP very fine beef suet, parsley, thyme, eschallots, a very small quant.i.ty of marjoram, savory, basil, and lemon peel, with grated nutmeg, two eggs (or milk), pepper, salt, and an anchovie chopped (if approved).

Mix all well together.

_Gravy for Roast Meat, Steaks, and Poultry._

CUT slices of chuck beef, veal, and lean ham; pare onions, turnips, a carrot, and cut them with celery; then add a bunch of parsley and thyme, a few whole pepper, and a little mace. Put all the ingredients into a stewpan, set them over a moderate fire, sweat down till the liquor becomes of a light brown colour, and be careful not to let it burn.

Discharge it with water or beef stock, season to the palate with salt, and, if required, add a little liquid of colour. Let it simmer till the meat is perfectly done, skim it free from fat, and strain it through a tamis cloth.

_Peloe of Rice._

WASH, pick, and dress, in the same manner as the directions for plain rice, observing only, that, before it is to be set in the oven, add a little pounded mace with the rice; and put into a stewpan a chicken half boiled and a piece of pickle pork three parts boiled, and cover with the rice. When it is to be served up, put the fowl and pork at the bottom of the dish, the rice over, and garnish with boiled or fried b.u.t.ton onions and halves of hard eggs, which should be hot.

_Peloe of Rice another way._

WASH and pick two pounds of rice, boil it in plenty of water till half done, with a dozen of whole cardamum seeds; then drain it, pick out the seeds, put the rice into a stewpan, with three quarters of a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter and some pounded mace, and salt to the palate. Take a loin of house lamb or some fresh pork cut into small pieces; put them into a frying-pan, add cinnamon, cloves, c.u.mmin and cardamum seeds, a small quant.i.ty of each pounded and sifted, with a bit of b.u.t.ter and some cayenne pepper, and fry the meat till half done. Then take two bay leaves, four good-sized onions sliced, and add to them a pint and a half of veal stock. Boil them till tender and rub them through a tamis cloth or sieve; then boil the liquor over a fire till it is reduced to half a pint, add it to the fried meat and spices, together with some peeled b.u.t.ton onions boiled. Then put some of the rice at the bottom of another stewpan, then a layer of meat and onions on the rice, and so on alternately till the whole is put in. Cover the pan close, set it in a moderately heated oven for two hours and a half, and when it is to be served up turn the rice out carefully on a dish.

_Timbol of Rice._

PICK, wash, and parboil the rice; then strain it, put it into a stewpan with a little oiled b.u.t.ter and yolk of egg. Simmer it gently till tender; then fill an oval tin mould with the rice, press it down close, take the shape out of the mould, wash it lightly with a paste brush with yolk of egg, and set it in a quick oven. When it is a good colour cut a square piece out of the top, scoop out the inside, and fill the cavity with frica.s.see of chickens, or any thing else you please.

_Pet.i.t Patties of Chicken and Ham._

SHEET the pans with puff paste, and put a bit of crumb of bread the bigness of a dice in each; then cover them with more paste, trim round the pan, wash the tops of the paste with egg, and bake the patties of a light colour. When they are to be served up take out the bread, have ready the white meat of dressed fowl, lean ham, an eschallot chopped fine, a spoonful of consume of veal, a little cream, flour, salt, cayenne, and lemon juice, a small quant.i.ty of each. Mix all the ingredients together over a fire, boil them for five minutes, fill the patties with it, and serve them up very hot.

_Patties of Lobsters or Oysters._

BAKE patties as before directed, fill them with lobsters or oysters chopped, add to them a little strong consume of veal, a small quant.i.ty of flour, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, a bit of lemon peel, an eschallot chopped fine, an anchovie rubbed through a sieve, and mixed over a fire for five minutes.

N. B. The lobsters or oysters are to be half boiled before they are chopped.

_Forcemeat Patties._

SHEET the pans as for chicken patties, but instead of bits of bread fill them with a light forcemeat well-seasoned. Cover and bake them, and serve them up with a little cullis added to the forcemeat.

_Pulpton of Chicken, Rabbits, &c._

TAKE veal suet or beef marrow, chop it, put it into a stewpan over a fire till melted, and when lukewarm mix it to some flour with a little water into a paste. Knead it well, and rub fresh b.u.t.ter round the inside of a mould of any shape, and strew vermicelli upon the b.u.t.ter. Then sheet the mould over the vermicelli with the paste rolled of the thickness of half an inch, and within the paste put a layer of chicken, slices of sweetbread, mushrooms, artichoke bottoms, truffles, and morells; after which put a little light forcemeat round with a paste over, close it well, egg, and bake it gently. When to be served up, turn it out of the mould, make a little hole in the top, and put into it a good cullis.

N. B. Cut the chicken in pieces and blanch them; the sweetbreads, truffles, and morels to be blanched, and afterwards season with pepper and salt.

_Fishmeagre Pie._

BONE and cut into pieces a male carp; make it into a forcemeat with some of the roe, parsley, thyme, eschallots chopped very fine, a quarter of a pound of fresh b.u.t.ter, pepper, salt, a little beaten spice, half a pint of cream, four eggs, and crumb of french bread. Afterwards take pieces of eel, salmon, and skate, pa.s.s them with sweet herbs, pepper, salt, lemon juice, and a bit of b.u.t.ter. When they are cold, put some of the forcemeat at the bottom of a deep dish, and mix with the fish some stewed mushrooms, b.u.t.ton onions, truffles and morells blanched, and the roe cut into pieces, and put them into the dish with more forcemeat round the top; then cover with puff paste, ornament with leaves of paste, egg it, and bake it. When it is to be served up cut a small hole in the center of the top, and add a good cullis.

_Raised Ham Pie, with Directions for making a raised Crust._

TAKE water boiling hot, put a piece of fresh b.u.t.ter into it, and mix it with flour into a paste, and as it gets cold knead it several times, taking care it is of a good consistence but not too stiff, and then raise it into any shape you please. Have ready part of a ham boiled till half done, trim it to the shape of the crust, which must be big enough to put some light forcemeat at the bottom and round the ham when in the pie. Cover it with the same kind of paste, pinch round the top, and egg and ornament it. Just before it is set in the oven add half a pint of madeira wine, bake it gently for four hours, and when it is to be served up add some good cullis, but be careful it is not too salt.

_Raised Chicken Pie._

CUT chicken into pieces, and put them into a stewpan, either blanched or not, with a bit of fresh b.u.t.ter, lemon juice, pepper and salt, parsley, thyme, eschallots chopped very fine, and a little pounded mace. When the chicken are half done put them on a dish, and when cold raise the crust, put light forcemeat at the bottom, the chicken upon it, and more forcemeat round the top. Cover, bake gently, and when served up, cut off the lid, and add a ragout of sweetbreads, c.o.c.ks combs, &c. &c.

N. B. Rabbits and veal may be done in the same manner; as also pigeons, but they are to be put into the crust whole.

_Flat Chicken Pie (or Tourte)._

CUT chicken into pieces, blanch them, and season with pepper and salt; then put a light forcemeat at the bottom of a deep dish, and upon it some of the chicken, some slices of throat sweetbreads seasoned, some stewed mushrooms, truffles and morells, and upon them the remainder of the chicken. Cover it with a puff paste, then egg and ornament the top with leaves of paste of the same kind, bake it of a nice colour, and when it is to be served up put into it a good cullis.

N. B. The chicken may be pa.s.sed with sweet herbs, &c. and when cold put into the dish as above. Rabbits also may be done in the same manner.

_Pigeon Pie._

WASH the pigeons in cold water and wipe them dry; then put into a deep dish a rump steak cut into pieces, beat with a chopper, and seasoned with pepper and salt, and upon it the pigeons with the liver, &c.

seasoned. Add also some yolk of hard eggs, cover it with puff paste, egg and ornament it with small leaves, bake it, and add some cullis.