Miss Parloa's New Cook Book Part 23

Fricandelles can be made with chicken, mutton, lamb and beef, the only change in the above directions being to omit the ham.

Braised Tongue.

Wash a fresh beef tongue, and, with a trussing needle, run a strong twine through the roots and end of it, drawing tightly enough to have the end meet the roots; then tie firmly. Cover with boiling water, and boil gently for two hours; then take up and drain. Put six table- spoonfuls of b.u.t.ter in the braising pan, and when hot, put in half a small carrot, half a small turnip and two onions, all cut fine. Cook five minutes, stirring all the time, and then draw to one side. Roll the tongue in flour, and put in the pan. As soon as browned on one side, turn, and brown the other. Add one quart of the water in which it was boiled, a bouquet of sweet herbs, one clove, a small piece of cinnamon and salt and pepper. Cover, and cook two hours in a slow oven, basting often with the gravy in the pan, and salt, pepper and flour. When it has been cooking an hour and a half, add the juice of half a lemon to the gravy. When done, take up. Melt two table- spoonfuls of glaze, and pour over the tongue. Place in the heater until the gravy is made. Mix one table-spoonful of corn-starch with a little cold water, and stir into the boiling gravy, of which there should be one pint. Boil one minute; then strain, and pour around the tongue. Garnish with parsley, and serve.

Fillets of Tongue.

Cut cold boiled tongue in pieces about four inches long, two wide and half an inch thick. Dip in melted b.u.t.ter and in flour. For eight fillets put two table-spoonfuls of b.u.t.ter in the frying-pan, and when hot, put in the tongue. Brown on both sides, being careful not to burn. Take up, and put one more spoonful of b.u.t.ter in the pan, and then one heaping teaspoonful of flour. Stir until dark brown; then add one cupful of stock, half a teaspoonful of parsley and one table- spoonful of lemon juice, or one tea-spoonful of vinegar. Let this boil up once, and then pour it around the tongue, which has been dished on thin strips of toast. Garnish with parsley, and serve. For a change, a table-spoonful of chopped pickles, or of capers, can be stirred into the sauce the last moment.

Escaloped Tongue.

Chop some cold tongue--not too fine, and have for each pint one table- spoonful of onion juice, one teaspoonful of chopped parsley, one heaping teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of capers, one cupful of bread crumbs, half a cupful of stock and three table-spoonfuls of b.u.t.ter. b.u.t.ter the escalop dish, and cover the bottom with bread crumbs. Put in the tongue, which has been mixed with the parsley, salt, pepper and capers, and add the stock, in which has been mixed the onion juice. Put part of the b.u.t.ter on the dish with the remainder of the bread crumbs, and then bits of b.u.t.ter here and there. Bake twenty minutes, and serve hot.

Tongue in Jelly.

Boil and skin either a fresh or salt tongue. When cold, trim off the roots. Have one and a fourth quarts of aspic jelly in the liquid state. Cover the bottom of a two-quart mould about an inch deep with it, and let it harden. With a fancy vegetable cutter, cut out leaves from cooked beets, and garnish the bottom of the mould with them.

Gently pour in three table-spoonfuls of jelly, to set the vegetables.

When this is hard, add jelly enough to cover the vegetables, and let the whole get very hard. Then put in the tongue, and about half a cupful of jelly, which should be allowed to harden, and so keep the meat in place when the remainder is added. Pour in the remainder of the jelly and set away to harden. To serve: Dip the mould for a few moments in a pan of warm water, and then gently turn on to a dish.

Garnish with pickles and parsley. Pickled beet is especially nice.

Lambs' Tongues in Jelly.

Lambs' tongues are prepared the same as beef tongues. Three of four moulds, each holding a little less than a pint, will make enough for a small company, one tongue being put in each mould. The tongues can all be put on the same dish, or on two, if the table is long.

Lambs' Tongues, Stewed.

Six tongues, three heaping table-spoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, one large onion, two slices of carrot, three slices of white turnip, three table- spoonfuls of flour, one of salt, a little pepper, one quart of stock or water and a bouquet of sweet herbs. Boil the tongues one hour and a half in clear water; then take up, cover with cold water, and draw off the skins. Put the b.u.t.ter, onion, turnip and carrot in the stew-pan, and cook slowly for fifteen minutes; then add the flour, and cook until brown, stirring all the while. Stir the stock into this, and when it boils up, add the tongue, salt, pepper and herbs. Simmer gently for two hours. Cut the carrots, turnips and potatoes into cubes. Boil the potatoes in salted water ten minutes, and the carrots and turnips one hour. Place the tongues in the centre of a hot dish.

Arrange the vegetables around them, strain the gravy, and pour over all. Garnish with parsley, and serve.

Stewed Ox Tails.

Two ox tails, three table-spoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, two of flour, one large onion, half a small carrot, three slices of turnip, two stalks of celery, two cloves, a pint and a half of stock or water, salt and pepper to taste. Divide the tails in pieces about four inches long.

Cut the vegetables in small pieces. Let the b.u.t.ter get hot in the stew-pan; then add the vegetables, and when they begin to brown, add the flour. Stir for two minutes. Put in the tails, and add the seasoning and stock. Simmer gently three hours. Serve on a hot dish with gravy strained over them.

Ox Tails a la Tartare.

Three ox tails, two eggs, one cupful of bread crumbs, salt, pepper, one quart of stock, a bouquet of sweet herbs. Cut the tails in four- inch pieces, and put them on to boil with the stock and sweet herbs.

Let them simmer two hours. Take up, drain and cool. When cold, dip them in the beaten eggs and in bread crumbs. Fry in boiling fat till a golden brown. Have Tartare sauce spread on the centre of a cold dish, and arrange the ox tails on this. Garnish with parsley, and serve.

Haricot of Ox Tails.

Three ox tails, two carrots, two onions, two small white turnips, three potatoes, three table-spoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, two of flour, three pints of water and salt and pepper to taste. Cut the tails in pieces about four inches long. Cut the onions very fine, and the carrots, turnips and potatoes into large cubes. Put the b.u.t.ter, meat and onion in the stew-pan and fry, stirring all the time, until the onions are a golden brown; then add the flour, and stir two minutes longer. Add the water, and when it comes to a boil, skim carefully. Set back where it will simmer. When it has been cooking one hour, add the carrots and turnips. Cook another hour, and then add the salt, pepper and potatoes. Simmer twenty minutes longer. Heap the vegetables in the centre of a hot dish, and arrange the tails around them. Pour the gravy over all, and serve.

Ragout of Mutton.

Three pounds of any of the cheap parts of mutton, six table-spoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, three of flour, twelve b.u.t.ton onions, or one of the common size; one large white turnip, cut into little cubes; salt, pepper, one quart of water and a bouquet of sweet herbs. Cut the meat in small pieces. Put three table-spoonfuls each of b.u.t.ter and flour in the stew-pan, and when hot and smooth, add the meat. Stir until a rich brown, and then add water, and set where it will simmer. Put three table-spoonfuls of b.u.t.ter in a frying-pan, and when hot, put in the turnips and onions with a teaspoonful of flour. Stir all the time until a golden brown; then drain, and put with the meat. Simmer for an hour and a half. Garnish with rice, toasted bread, plain boiled macaroni or mashed potatoes. Small cubes of potato can be added half an hour before dis.h.i.+ng. Serve very hot.

Ragout of Veal.

Prepare the same as mutton, using one table-spoonful more of b.u.t.ter, and cooking an hour longer.

Chicken Pie.

One fowl weighing between four and five pounds, half the rule for chopped paste (see chopped paste), three pints of water, one-fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper, one table-spoonful of salt (these last two quant.i.ties may be increased if you like), three table-spoonfuls of flour, three of b.u.t.ter, two eggs, one table-spoonful of onion juice and a bouquet of sweet herbs. Clean the fowl, and cut in pieces as for serving. Put it in a stew-pan with the hot water, salt, pepper and herbs. When it comes to a boil, skim, and set back where it will simmer one hour and a half. Take up the chicken, and place in a deep earthen pie dish. Draw the stew-pan forward where it will boil rapidly for fifteen minutes. Skim off the fat and take out the bouquet. Put the b.u.t.ter in a frying-pan, and when hot, add the flour. Stir until smooth, but not brown, and stir in the water in which the chicken was boiled. Cook ten minutes. Beat the eggs with one spoonful of cold water, and gradually add the gravy to them. Turn this into the pie dish. Lift the chicken with a spoon, that the gravy may fall to the bottom. Set away to cool. When cold, roll out a covering of paste a little larger than the top of the dish and about one-fourth of an inch thick. Cover the pie with this, having the edges turned into the dish.

Roll the remainder of the paste the same as before, and with a thimble, or something as small, cut out little pieces all over the cover. Put this perforated paste over the first cover, turning out the edges and rolling slightly. Bake one hour in a moderate oven.

Pasties of Game and Poultry.

Make three pints of force-meat. (See force-meat for game.) Cut all the solid meat from four grouse. Lard each piece with very fine strips of pork. Put half a cupful of b.u.t.ter and a finely-cut onion in a frying- pan. Stir until the onion is yellow; then put in the grouse, and cook slowly, with the cover on, for forty minutes. Stir occasionally. Take up the grouse, and put three table-spoonfuls of flour with the b.u.t.ter remaining in the pan. Stir until brown; add one quart of stock, two table-spoonfuls of glaze, a bouquet of sweet herbs, and four cloves.

Simmer twenty minutes, and strain. b.u.t.ter a four-quart earthen dish, and cover the bottom and sides with the force-meat. Put in a layer of the grouse, and moisten well with the gravy, which must be highly seasoned with salt and pepper; then put in the yolks of six hard- boiled eggs, and the whites, cut into rings. Moisten with gravy, and add another layer of grouse, and of eggs and gravy. Twelve eggs should be used. Make a paste as for chicken pie. Cover with this, and bake one hour and a half. Serve either hot or cold.

Any kind of meat pasties can be made in the same manner. With a veal pastie put in a few slices of cooked ham.

Cold Game Pie.

Make three pints of force-meat. (See force-meat for game.) Cut all the meat from two partridges or grouse, and put the bones on to boil with three quarts of water and three pounds of a shank of veal. Fry four large slices of fat salt pork, and as soon as brown, take up, and into the fat put one onion, cut in slices. When this begins to turn yellow, take up, and put the meat of the birds in the pan. Dredge well with salt, pepper and flour, and stir constantly for four minutes; then take up, and put away to cool. Make a crust as directed for raised pies. b.u.t.ter the French pie mould very thoroughly, and line with paste. Spread upon the paste--both upon the sides and bottom of the mould--a thin layer of fat salt pork, then a layer of force-meat, one of grouse, again one of force-meat, and so on until the pie is filled.

Leave a s.p.a.ce of about half an inch at the edge of the mould, and heap the filling in the centre. Moisten with half a cupful of well-seasoned stock. Roll the remainder of the paste into the shape of the top of the mould. Wet the paste at the edge of the mould with beaten egg; then put on the top, and press the top and side parts together. Cut a small piece of paste from the centre of the top crust, add a little more paste to it, and roll a little larger than the opening, which it is to cover. Cut the edges with the jagging iron, and, with the other end of the iron, stamp leaves or flowers. Place on the top of the pie.

Bake in a slow oven three hours and a half. While the pie is baking the sauce can be prepared. When the bones and veal have been cooking two hours, add two cloves, a bouquet of sweet herbs and the fried onions. Cook one hour longer; then salt and pepper well, and strain.

The water should be reduced in boiling to one quart. When the pie is baked, take the centre piece from the cover, and slightly press the tunnel into the opening. Pour slowly one pint of the hot gravy through this. Put back the cover, and set away to cool. The remainder of the gravy must be turned into a flat dish and put in a cold place to harden. When the pie is served, place the mould in the oven, or steamer, for about five minutes; then draw out the wires and open it.

Slip the pie on to a cold dish, and garnish with the jellied gravy and parsley. This is nice for suppers or lunches. All kinds of game and meat can be prepared in the same manner.

Pate de Foies Gras.

Make a paste with one quart of flour, as for raised pies, and put away in a cool place. Put four fat goose livers in a pint of sweet milk for two or three hours, to whiten them. Chop _very fine_ two pounds of fresh pork, cut from the loin (it must not be too fat), and one pound of clear veal. Put one and a half cupfuls of milk on to boil with a blade of mace, an onion, two cloves, a small piece of nutmeg and a bouquet of sweet herbs. Cook all these for ten minutes; then strain the milk upon four table-spoonfuls of b.u.t.ter and two of flour, which have been well mixed. Add to this the chopped pork and veal and one of the livers, chopped fine; stir over the fire for ten minutes, being careful not to brown. Season well with pepper and salt, add four well-beaten eggs, and stir half a minute longer; then put away to cool. Cut half a pound of salt pork in slices as thin as shavings.

b.u.t.ter a French pie mould, holding about three quarts. Form three- fourths of the paste into a ball. Sprinkle the board with flour, and roll the paste out until about one-fourth of an inch thick. Take it up by the four corners and place it in the mould. Be very careful not to break it. With the hand, press the paste on the sides and bottom. The crust must come to the top of the mould. Put a layer of the pork shavings on the sides and bottom, then a thick layer of the force- meat. Split the livers, and put half of them in; over them sprinkle one table-spoonful of onion juice, salt, pepper, and, if you like, a table-spoonful of capers. Another layer of force-meat, again the liver and seasoning, and then the force-meat. On this last layer put salt pork shavings. Into the remaining paste roll three table-spoonfuls of washed b.u.t.ter, and roll the paste, as nearly as possible, into the shape of the top of the pie mould. Cut a small piece from the centre.

The filling of the pie should have been heaped a little toward the centre, leaving a s.p.a.ce of about one inch and a half at the edges.

Brush with beaten egg the paste that is in this s.p.a.ce. Put on the top crust, and, with the fore-finger and thumb, press the two crusts together. Roll the piece of paste cut from the centre of the cover a little larger, and cover the opening with it. From some puff-paste tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, cut out leaves, and decorate the cover with them. Place in a moderate oven, and bake slowly two hours. Have a pint and a half of hot veal stock (which will become jellied when cold) well seasoned with pepper, salt, whole spice and onion. When the _pate_ is taken from the oven, take off the small piece that was put on the centre of the cover. Insert a tunnel in the opening and pour the hot stock through it. Replace the cover, and set away to cool. When the _pate_ is to be served, place it in the oven for about five minutes, that it may slip from the mould easily. Draw out the wires which fasten the sides of the mould, and slide the _pate_ upon the platter. Garnish the dish with parsley and small strips of cuc.u.mber pickles.

Truffles and mushrooms can be cut up and put in the _pate_ in layers, the same as the liver and at the same time. The Strasburg fat livers (_foies gras_) come in little stone pots, and cost from a dollar to two dollars per pot.

Chartreuse of Chicken.

Make the force-meat as for _quenelles_ of chicken. Simmer two large chickens in white stock for half an hour. Take up, and let cool.