The Book of Household Management Part 62

_Time_.--Altogether 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 10d.

_Sufficient_ for a medium-sized dish of cutlets.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

A GOOD SAUCE FOR VARIOUS BOILED PUDDINGS.

514. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of b.u.t.ter, 1/4 lb. of pounded sugar, a winegla.s.sful of brandy or rum.

_Mode_.--Beat the b.u.t.ter to a cream, until no lumps remain; add the pounded sugar, and brandy or rum; stir once or twice until the whole is thoroughly mixed, and serve. This sauce may either be poured round the pudding or served in a tureen, according to the taste or fancy of the cook or mistress.

_Average cost_, 8d. for this quant.i.ty.

_Sufficient_ for a pudding.

SAUCE ROBERT, for Steaks, &c.

515. INGREDIENTS.--2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 3 onions, 1 teaspoonful of flour, 4 tablespoonfuls of gravy, or stock No. 105, salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoonful of made mustard, 1 teaspoonful of vinegar, the juice of 1/2 lemon.

_Mode_.--Put the b.u.t.ter into a stewpan, set it on the fire, and, when browning, throw in the onions, which must be cut into small slices. Fry them brown, but do not burn them; add the flour, shake the onions in it, and give the whole another fry. Put in the gravy and seasoning, and boil it gently for 10 minutes; skim off the fat, add the mustard, vinegar, and lemon-juice; give it one boil, and pour round the steaks, or whatever dish the sauce has been prepared for.

_Time_.---Altogether 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Sufficient_ for about 2 lbs. of steak.

_Note_.--This sauce will be found an excellent accompaniment to roast goose, pork, mutton cutlets, and various other dishes.

A GOOD SAUCE FOR STEAKS.

516. INGREDIENTS.--1 oz. of whole black pepper, 1/2 oz. of allspice, 1 oz. of salt, 1/2 oz. grated horseradish, 1/2 oz. of pickled shalots, 1 pint of mushroom ketchup or walnut pickle.

_Mode_.--Pound all the ingredients finely in a mortar, and put them into the ketchup or walnut-liquor. Let them stand for a fortnight, when strain off the liquor and bottle for use. Either pour a little of the sauce over the steaks or mix it in the gravy.

_Seasonable_.--This can be made at any time.

_Note_.--In using a jar of pickled walnuts, there is frequently left a large quant.i.ty of liquor; this should be converted into a sauce like the above, and will be found a very useful relish.

THE GROWTH OF THE PEPPER-PLANT.--Our readers will see at Nos.

369 and 399, a description, with engravings, of the qualities of black and long pepper, and an account of where these spices are found. We will here say something of the manner of the growth of the pepper-plant. Like the vine, it requires support, and it is usual to plant a th.o.r.n.y tree by its side, to which it may cling.

In Malabar, the chief pepper district of India, the jacca-tree (_Artocarpus integrifolia_) is made thus to yield its a.s.sistance, the same soil being adapted to the growth of both plants. The stem of the pepper-plant entwines round its support to a considerable height; the flexile branches then droop downwards, bearing at their extremities, as well as at other parts, spikes of green flowers, which are followed by the pungent berries. These hang in large bunches, resembling in shape those of grapes; but the fruit grows distinct, each on a little stalk, like currants. Each berry contains a single seed, of a globular form and brownish colour, but which changes to a nearly black when dried; and this is the pepper of commerce. The leaves are not unlike those of the ivy, but are larger and of rather lighter colour; they partake strongly of the peculiar smell and pungent taste of the berry.

SAUCE TOURNEE.

517. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of white stock (No. 107), thickening of flour and b.u.t.ter, or white roux (No. 526), a f.a.ggot of savoury herbs, including parsley, 6 chopped mushrooms, 6 green onions.

_Mode_.--Put the stock into a stewpan with the herbs, onions, and mushrooms, and let it simmer very gently for about 1/2 hour; stir in sufficient thickening to make it of a proper consistency; let it boil for a few minutes, then skim off all the fat, strain and serve. This sauce, with the addition of a little cream, is now frequently called veloute.

_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 6d.

_Note_.--If poultry tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs are at hand, the stock should be made of these; and the above sauce should not be made too thick, as it does not then admit of the fat being nicely removed.

SWEET SAUCE, for Venison.

518. INGREDIENTS.--A small jar of red-currant jelly, 1 gla.s.s of port wine.

_Mode_.--Put the above ingredients into a stewpan, set them over the fire, and, when melted, pour in a tureen and serve. It should not be allowed to boil.

_Time_.--5 minutes to melt the jelly.

_Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 1s.

SAUCE FOR WILDFOWL.

519. INGREDIENTS.--1 gla.s.s of port wine, 1 tablespoonful of Leamington sauce (No. 459), 1 tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 1 slice of lemon-peel, 1 large shalot cut in slices, 1 blade of mace, cayenne to taste.

_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients into a stewpan, set it over the fire, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes; then strain and serve the sauce in a tureen.

_Time_.--5 minutes. _Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 8d.

SAUSAGE-MEAT STUFFING, for Turkey.

520. INGREDIENTS.--6 oz. of lean pork, 6 oz. of fat pork, both weighed after being chopped (beef suet may be subst.i.tuted for the latter), 2 oz.

of bread crumbs, 1 small tablespoonful of minced sage, 1 blade of pounded mace, salt and pepper to taste, 1 egg.

_Mode_.--Chop the meat and fat very finely, mix with them the other ingredients, taking care that the whole is thoroughly incorporated.

Moisten with the egg, and the stuffing will be ready for use. Equal quant.i.ties of this stuffing and forcemeat, No. 417, will be found to answer very well, as the herbs, lemon-peel, &c. in the latter, impart a very delicious flavour to the sausage-meat. As preparations, however, like stuffings and forcemeats, are matters to be decided by individual tastes, they must be left, to a great extent, to the discrimination of the cook, who should study her employer's taste in this, as in every other respect.

_Average cost_, 9d.

_Sufficient_ for a small turkey.

SAVOURY JELLY FOR MEAT PIES.

521. INGREDIENTS.--3 lbs. of s.h.i.+n of beef, 1 calf's-foot, 3 lbs. of knuckle of veal, poultry tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs (if for game pies, any game tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs), 2 onions stuck with cloves, 2 carrots, 4 shalots, a bunch of savoury herbs, 2 bay-leaves; when liked, 2 blades of mace and a little spice; 2 slices of lean ham, rather more than 2 quarts of water.

_Mode_.--Cut up the meat and put it into a stewpan with all the ingredients except the water; set it over a slow fire to draw down, and, when the gravy ceases to flow from the meat, pour in the water. Let it boil up, then carefully take away all sc.u.m from the top. Cover the stewpan closely, and let the stock simmer very gently for 4 hours: if rapidly boiled, the jelly will not be clear. When done, strain it through a fine sieve or flannel bag; and when cold, the jelly should be quite transparent. If this is not the case, clarify it with the whites of eggs, as described in recipe No. 109.

_Time_.--4 hours. _Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 5s.