Part 12

Gather your little nobs quickly after the blossoms are off, put them in cold water and salt three days, shifting them once a day; then make a pickle for them (but don't boil them at all) of some white wine, and some white wine vinegar, shalot, horse-radish, whole pepper and salt, and a blade or two of mace; then put in your seeds, and stop 'em close up. They are to be eaten as capers.

438. _To make_ ELDER-FLOWER WINE.

Take three or four handfuls of dry'd elder-flowers, and ten gallons of spring water, boil the water, and pour in scalding hot upon the flowers, the next day put to every gallon of water five pounds of Malaga raisins, the stalks being first pick'd off, but not wash'd, chop them grosly with a chopping knife, then put them into your boiled water, stir the water, raisins and flowers well together, and do so twice a day for twelve days, then press out the juice clear as long as you can get any liquor; put it into a barrel fit for it, stop it up two or three days till it works, and in a few days stop it up close, and let it stand two or three months, then bottle it.

439. _To make_ PEARL BARLEY PUDDING.

Take half a pound of pearl barley, cree it in soft water, and shift it once or twice in the boiling till it be soft; take five eggs, put to them a pint of good cream, and half a pound of powder sugar, grate in half a nutmeg, a little salt, a spoonful or two of rose-water, and half a pound of clarified butter; when your barley is cold mix them altogether, so bake it with a puff-paste round your dish-edge.

Serve it up with a little rose-water, sugar and butter for your sauce.

440. _To make_ Gooseberry Vinegar _another Way_.

Take gooseberries when they are full ripe, bruise them in a marble mortar or wooden bowl, and to every upheap'd half peck of berries take a gallon of water, put it to them in the barrel, let it stand in a warm place for two weeks, put a paper on the top of your barrel, then draw it off, wash out the barrel, put it in again, and to every gallon add a pound of coarse sugar; set it in a warm place by the fire, and let it stand whilst christmas.

441. _To preserve_ APRICOCKS _green_.

Take apricocks when they are young and tender, coddle them a little, rub them with a coarse cloth to take off the skin, and throw them into water as you do them, and put them in the same water they were coddled in, cover them with vine leaves, a white paper, or something more at the top, the closer you keep them the sooner they are green; be sure you don't let them boil; when they are green weigh them, and to every pound of apricocks take a pound of loaf sugar, put it into a pan, and to every pound of sugar a jill of water, boil your sugar and water a little, and skim it, then put in your apricocks, let them boil together whilst your apricocks look clear, and your syrrup thick, skim it all the time it is boiling, and put them into a pot covered with a paper dip'd in brandy.

442. _To make_ ORANGE CHIPS _another Way_.

Pare your oranges, not over thin but narrow, throw the rinds into fair water as you pare them off, then boil them therein very fast till they be tender, filling up the pan with boiling water as it wastes away, then make a thin syrrup with part of the water they are boiled in, put in the rinds, and just let them boil, then take them off, and let them lie in the syrrup three or four days, then boil them again till you find the syrrup begin to draw between your fingers, take them off from the fire and let them drain thro' your cullinder, take out but a few at a time, because if they cool too fast it will be difficult to get the syrrup from them, which must be done by passing every piece of peel through your fingers, and lying them single on a sieve with the rind uppermost, the sieve may be set in a stove, or before the fire; but in summer the sun is hot enough to dry them.

Three quarters of a pound of sugar will make syrrup to do the peels of twenty-five oranges.

443. _To make_ MUSHROOM POWDER.

Take about half a peck of large buttons or slaps, clean them and set them in an earthen dish or dripping pan one by one, let them stand in a slow oven to dry whilst they will beat to powder, and when they are powdered sift them through a sieve; take half a quarter of a ounce of mace, and a nutmeg, beat them very fine, and mix them with your mushroom powder, then put it into a bottle, and it will be fit for use.

You must not wash your mushrooms.

444. _To preserve_ APRICOCKS _another Way_.

Take your apricocks before they are full ripe, pare them and stone them, and to every pound of apricocks take a pound of lump loaf sugar, put it into your pan with as much water as will wet it; to four pounds of sugar take the whites of two eggs beat them well to a froth, mix them well with your sugar whilst it be cold, then set it over the fire and let it have a boil, take it off the fire, and put in a spoonful or two of water, then take off the skim, and do so three or four times whilst any skim rises, then put in your apricocks, and let them have a quick boil over the fire, then take them off and turn them over, let them stand a little while covered, and then set them on again, let them have another boil and skim them, then take them out one by one; set on your syrrup again to boil down, and skim it, then put in your apricocks again, and let them boil whilst they look clear, put them in pots, when they are cold cover them over with a paper dipt in brandy, and tie another paper at the top, set them in a cool place, and keep them for use.

445. _To pickle_ MUSHROOMS _another Way_.

When you have cleaned your mushrooms put them into a pot, and throw over them a handful of salt, and stop them very close with a cloth, and set them in a pan of water to boil about an hour, give them a shake now and then in the boiling, then take them out and drain the liquor from them, wipe them dry with a cloth, and put them up either in white wine vinegar or distill'd vinegar, with spices, and put a little oil on the top.

They don't look so white this way, but they have more the taste of mushrooms.

446. _How to fry_ MUSHROOMS.

Take the largest and freshest flaps you can get, skin them and take out the gills, boil them in a little salt and water, then wipe them dry with a cloth; take two eggs and beat them very well, half a spoonful of wheat-flour, and a little pepper and salt, then dip in your mushrooms and fry them in butter.

They are proper to lie about stew'd mushrooms or any made dish.

447. _How to make an_ ALE POSSET.

Take a quart of good milk, set it on the fire to boil, put in a handful or two of breadcrumbs, grate in a little nutmeg, and sweeten it to your taste; take three jills of ale and give it a boil; take the yolks of four eggs, beat them very well, then put to them a little of your ale, and mix all your ale and eggs together; then set it on the fire to heat, keep stirring it all the time, but don't let it boil, if you do it will curdle; then put it into your dish, heat the milk and put it in by degrees; so serve it up.

You may make it of any sort of made wine; make it half an hour before you use it, and keep it hot before the fire.

448. _To make_ MINC'D PIES _another Way_.

Take half a pound of Jordan almonds, blanch and beat them with a little rose-water, but not over small; take a pound of beef-suet shred very fine, half a pound of apples shred small, a pound of currans well cleaned, half a pound of powder sugar, a little mace shred fine, about a quarter of a pound of candid orange cut in small pieces, a spoonful or two of brandy, and a little salt, so mix them well together, and bake it in a puff-paste.

449. _To make_ SACK POSSET _another Way_.

Take a quart of good cream, and boil it with a blade or two of mace, put in about a quarter of a pound of fine powder sugar; take a pint of sack or better, set it over the fire to heat, but don't let it boil, then grate in a little nutmeg, and about a quarter of a pound of powder sugar; take nine eggs, (leave out six of the whites and strains) beat 'em very well, then put to them a little of your sack mix the sack and eggs very well together, then put to 'em the rest of your sack, stir it all the time you are pouring it in, set it over a slow fire to thicken, and stir it till it be as thick as custard; be sure you don't let it boil, if you do it will curdle, then pour it into your dish or bason; take your cream boiling hot, and pour to your sack by degrees, stirring it all the time you are pouring it in, then set it on a hot-hearth-stone; you must make it half an hour before you use it; before you set on the hearth cover it close with a pewter dish.

_To make a_ FROTH _for them_.

Take a pint of the thickest cream you can get, and beat the whites of two eggs very well together, take off the cream by spoonfuls, and lie it in a sieve to drain; when you dish up the posset lie over it the froth.

450. _To dry_ CHERRIES _another Way_.

Take cherries when full ripe, stone them, and break 'em as little as you can in the stoning; to six pounds of cherries take three pounds of loaf sugar, beat it, lie one part of your sugar under your cherries, and the other at the top, let them stand all night, then put them into your pan, and boil them pretty quick whilst your cherries change and look clear, then let them stand in the syrrup all night, pour the syrrup from them, and put them into a pretty large sieve, and set them either in the sun or before the fire; let them stand to dry a little, then lay them on white papers one by one, let them stand in the sun whilst they be thoroughly dry, in the drying turn them over, then put them into a little box; betwixt every layer of cherries lie a paper, and so do till all are in, then lie a paper at the top, and keep them for use.

You must not boil them over long in the syrrup, for if it be over thick it will keep them from drying; you may boil two or three pounds more cherries in the syrrup after.

451. _How to order_ STURGEON.

If your sturgeon be alive, keep it a night and a day before you use it; then cut off the head and tail, split it down the back, and cut it into as many pieces as you please; salt it with bay salt and common salt, as you would do beef for hanging, and let it lie 24 hours; then tie it up very tight, and boil it in salt and water whilst it is tender; (you must not boil it over much) when it is boiled throw over it a little salt, and set it by till it be cold. Take the head and split it in two and tye it up very tight; you must boil it by itself, not so much as you did the rest, but salt it after the same manner.

452. _To make the_ PICKLE.

Take a gallon of soft water, and make it into a strong brine; take a gallon of stale beer, and a gallon of the best vinegar, and let it boil together, with a few spices; when it is cold put in your sturgeon; you may keep it (if close covered) three or four months before you need to renew the pickle.

453. _To make_ HOTCH-POTCH.

Take five or six pounds of fresh beef, put it in a kettle with six quarts of soft water, and an onion; set it on a slow fire, and let it boil til your beef is almost enough; then put in the scrag of a neck of mutton, and let them boil together till the broth be very good; put in two or three handfuls of breadcrumbs, two or three carrots and turnips cut small, (but boil the carrots in water before you put them in, else they will give your broth a taste) with half a peck of shill'd pease, but take up the meat before you put them in, when you put in the pease take the other part of your mutton and cut it in chops, (for it will take no more boiling than the pease) and put it in with a few sweet herbs shred very small, and salt to your taste.

You must send up the mutton chops in the dish with the hotch-potch.

When there are no pease to be had, you may put in the heads of asparagus, and if there be neither of these to be had, you may shred in a green savoy cabbage.

This is a proper dish instead of soop.

454. _To make_ MINC'D COLLOPS.

Take two or three pounds of any tender parts of beef, (according as you would have the dish in bigness) cut it small as you would do minc'd veal; take an onion, shred it small, and fry it a light brown, in butter seasoned with nutmeg, pepper and salt, and put it into your pan with your onion, and fry it a little whilst it be a light brown; then put to it a jill of good gravy, and a spoonful of walnut pickle, or a little catchup; put in a few shred capers or mushrooms, thicken it up with a little flour and butter; if you please you may put in a little juice of lemon; when you dish it up, garnish your dish with pickle; and a few forc'd-meat-balls.

It is proper for either side-dish or top-dish.

455. _To make white_ Scotch Collops _another Way_.

Take two pounds of the solid part of a leg of veal, cut it in pretty thin slices, and season it with a little shred mace and salt, put it into your stew-pan with a lump of butter, set it over the fire, keep it stirring all the time, but don't let it boil; when you are going to dish up the collops, put to them the yolks of two or three eggs, three spoonfuls of cream, a spoonful or two of white wine, and a little juice of lemon, shake it over the fire whilst it be so thick that the sauce sticks to the meat, be sure you don't let it boil.

Garnish your dish with lemon and sippets, and serve it up hot.

This is proper for either side-dish or top-dish, noon or night.

456. _To make_ VINEGAR _another Way_.

Take as many gallons of water as you please, and to every gallon of water put in a pound of four-penny sugar, boil it for half an hour and skim it all the time; when it is about blood warm put to it about three or four spoonfuls of light yeast, let it work in the tub a night and a day, put it into your vessel, close up the top with a paper, and set it as near the fire as you have convenience, and in two or three days it will be good vinegar.

457. _To preserve_ QUINCES _another Way_.

Take quinces, pare and put them into water, save all the parings and cores, let 'em lie in the water with the quinces, set them over the fire with the parings and cores to coddle, cover them close up at the top with the parings, and lie over them either a dishcover or pewter dish, and cover them close; let them hang over a very slow fire whilst they be tender; but don't let them boil; when they are soft take them out of the water, and weigh your quinces, and to every pound put a pint of the same water they were coddled in (when strained) and put to your quinces, and to every pound of quinces put a pound of sugar; put them into a pot or pewter flagon, the pewter makes them a much better colour; close them up with a little coarse paste, and set them in a bread oven all night; if the syrrup be too thin boil it down, put it to your quinces, and keep it for use.

You may either do it with powder sugar or loaf sugar.

458. _To make_ Almond Cheesecakes _another Way_.

Take the peel of two or three lemons pared thick, boil them pretty soft, and change the water two or three times in the boiling; when they are boiled beat them very fine with a little loaf sugar, then take eight eggs, (leaving out six of the whites) half a pound of loaf or powder sugar, beat the eggs and sugar for half an hour, or better; take a quarter of a pound of the best almonds, blanch and beat them with three or four spoonfuls of rose-water, but not over small; take ten ounces of fresh butter, melt it without water, and clear off from it the butter-milk, then mix them altogether very well, and bake them in a slow oven in a puff-paste; before you put them into the tins, put in the juice of half a lemon.

When you put them in the oven grate over them a little loaf sugar.

You may make them without almonds, if you please.

You may make a pudding of the same, only leave out the almonds.

_FINIS_.

English Housewifry _improved_;

OR,

A SUPPLEMENT TO MOXON'S COOKERY.

CONTAINING,

Upwards of Sixty Modern and Valuable RECEIPTS IN PASTRY MADE DISHES PRESERVING MADE WINES, &c. &c.

Collected by a PERSON of JUDGMENT.

SUPPLEMENT TO MOXON'S Cookery.

1. _A_ GRANADE.

Take the caul of a leg of veal, lie it into a round pot; put a layer of the flitch part of bacon at the bottom, then a layer of forc'd-meat, and a layer of the leg part of veal cut as for collops, 'till the pot is fill'd up; which done, take the part of the caul that lies over the edge of the pot, close it up, tie a paper over, and send it to the oven; when baked, turn it out into your dish.--_Sauce_. A good light-brown gravy, with a few mushrooms, morels, or truffles; serve it up hot.

2. _The fine Brown_ JELLY.

Boil four calf's feet in six quarts of water 'till it is reduced to three pints, tale off the feet and let the stock cool, then melt it, and have ready in a stew-pan, a spoonful of butter hot, add to it a spoonful of fine flour, stir it with a wood spoon over a stove-fire, 'till it is very brown, but not burnt, then put the jelly out, and let it boil; when cold take off the fat, melt the jelly again and put to it half a pint of red port, the juice and peel of half a lemon, white pepper, mace, a little Jamaica pepper, and a little salt; then have ready the whites of four eggs, well froth'd, and put them into the jelly, (take care the jelly be not too hot when the whites are put in) stir it well together, and boil it over a quick fire one minute, run it thro' a flannel bag and turn it back till it is clear, and what form you would have it, have that ready, pour a little of the jelly in the bottom, it will soon starken; then place what you please in it, either pigeon or small chicken, sweet-bread larded, or pickled smelt or trout, place them in order, and pour on the remainder of the jelly. You may send it up in this form, or turn it into another dish, with holding it over hot water; but not till it is thoroughly hardened.

3. _To make a_ MELLON.

Make the leanest forc'd-meat that you can, green it as near the colour of mellon as possible with the juice of spinage, as little of the juice as you can; put several herbs in it, especially parsley, shred fine, for that will help to green it; roll it an inch and a half thick, lay one half in a large mellon mould, well buttered and flowered, with the other half the full size of the mould, sides and all; then put into it as many stew'd oysters as near fills it with liquor sufficient to keep them moist, and close the forc'd-meat well together; close the melon and boil it till you think it is enough; then make a small hole (if possible not to be perceived) pour in a little more of the liquor that the oysters were stew'd in hot, and serve it up with hot sauce in the dish. It must be boiled in a cloth, and is either for a first or second course.

4. _Hot_ CHICKEN PIE.

Order the chickens as for fricassy, and form the pie deep, lay in the bottom a mince-meat made of the chicken's livers, ham, parsley and yolks of eggs; season with white pepper, mace, and a little salt; moisten with butter, then lay the chicken above the minc'd meat, and a little more butter; cover the pie and bake it two hours; when baked take off the fat, and add to it white gravy, with a little juice of lemon. Serve this up hot.

5. SHEEP'S RUMPS _with_ Rice.

Stew the rumps very tender, then take 'em out to cool, dip them in egg and bread-crumbs, and fry them a light brown; have ready half a pound of rice, well wash'd and pick'd, and half a pound of butter; let it stew ten minutes in a little pot; then add a pint of good gravy to the rice and butter, and let it stew half an hour longer; have ready six onions boil'd very tender, and six yolks of boil'd eggs, stick them with cloves; then place the sheep rumps on the dish, and put round them the rice as neatly as you can; place the onions and eggs over the rice, so serve it up hot.

6. SHEEP'S TONGUES _broil'd_.

The tongues being boil'd, put a lump of butter in a stew-pan, with parsley and green onions cut small; then split the tongues, but do not part them, and put them in the pan, season them with pepper, herbs, mace, and nutmeg; set them a moment on the fire, and strow crumbs of bread on them; let them be broil'd and dish them up, with a high gravy sauce.

7. _To lard_ OYSTERS.

Make a strong essence of ham and veal, with a little mace; then lard the large oysters with a fine larding pin; put them, with as much essence as will cover them, into a stew-pan; let them stew and hour, or more, over a slow fire. They are used for garnishing, but when you make a dish of them, squeeze in a Seville orange.

8. VEAL COULEY.

Take a little lean bacon and veal, onion, and the yellow part of a carrot, put it into a stew-pan; set it over a slow fire, and let it simmer till the gravy is quite brown, then put in small gravy, or boiling water; boil it a quarter of an hour, and then it is ready for use. Take two necks of mutton, bone them, lard one with bacon, the other with parsley; when larded, put a little couley over a slow stove, with a slice of lemon whilst the mutton is set, then skewer it up like a couple of rabbits, put it on the spit and roast it as you would any other mutton; then serve it up with ragoo'd cucumbers. This will do for first course; bottom dish.

9. _The_ MOCK TURTLE.

Take a fine large calf's head, cleans'd well and stew'd very tender, a leg of veal twelve pounds weight, leave out three pounds of the finest part of it; then take three fine large fowls, (bone them, but leave the meat as whole as possible,) and four pounds of the finest ham sliced; then boil the veal, fowls bones, and the ham in six quarts of water, till it is reduced to two quarts, put in the fowl and the three pounds of veal, and let them boil half an hour; take it off the fire and strain the gravy from it; add to the gravy three pints of the best white wine, boil it up and thicken it; then put in the calf's-head; have in readiness twelve large forc'd-meat-balls, as large as an egg, and twelve yolks of eggs boil'd hard. Dish it up hot in a terreen.

10. _To dress_ OX LIPS.

Take three or four ox lips, boil them as tender as possible, dress them clean the day before they are used; then make a rich forc'd-meat of chicken or half-roasted rabbits, and stuff the lips with it; they will naturally turn round; tie them up with pack-thread and put them into gravy to stew; they must stew while the forc'd-meat be enough. Serve them up with truffles, morels, mushrooms, cockscombs, forc'd-meat balls, and a little lemon to your taste.

This is a top-dish for second, or side dish for first course.

11. _To make_ POVERADE.

Take a pint of good gravy, half a jill of elder vinegar, six shalots, a little pepper and salt, boil all these together a few minutes, and strain it off. This is a proper sauce for turkey, or any other sort of white fowls.

12. _To pot_ PARTRIDGES.

Take the partridges and season them well with mace, salt and a little pepper; lie 'em in the pot with the breast downwards, to every partridge put three quarters of a pound of butter, send them to the oven, when baked, drain them from the butter and gravy, and add a little more seasoning, then put them close in the pot with the breasts upwards, and when cold, cover them well with the butter, suit the pot to the number of the partridges to have it full. You may pot any sort of moor game the same way.

13. _To pot_ PARTRIDGES _another Way_.

Put a little thyme and parsley in the inside of the partridges, season them with mace, pepper and salt; put them in the pot, and cover them with butter; when baked, take out the partridges, and pick all the meat from the bones, lie the meat in a pot (without beating) skim all the butter from the gravy, and cover the pot well with the butter.

14. _To pot_ CHARE.