Part 1

HIGH-CLASS COOKERY MADE EASY.

BY MRS. HART.

EDINBURGH: LORIMER & GILLIES, PRINTERS, 31 ST. ANDREW SQUARE.

PREFATORY NOTE.

I have written this book for Young Ladies and inexperienced Cooks, as a simple guide for them in Cookery. I have had a practical cooking-class for some time in various towns, where I have proved my recipes by cooking them for the ladies.

I have been asked to form a book of these recipes, as most Cookery Books are not suitable for economical households; and the result is now submitted to the public.

I have learnt from experience what is wanted in a kitchen, and therefore the instructions given are such that any one can follow them without difficulty.

I intend, as soon as possible, to publish another little work, with additional recipes, as time has failed me to give, in the present publication, all the recipes that I think of importance.

J. H.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

SOUPS, 8

FISH, 14

ECONOMICAL MADE-DISHES, 20

ENTRÉES, 23

SAUCES OF ENTRÉES, 27

STOCK FOR SAUCES OR ENTRÉES, 30

JOINTS IN GENERAL, 31

SAUCES FOR JOINTS, 40

PUDDINGS, 42

PUDDING SAUCES, 48

SAVOURY DISHES, 49

VEGETABLES, 53

CAKES, AND ICINGS FOR CAKES, 55

THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PASTE, 61

HIGH-CLASS COOKERY MADE EASY.

At the outset we have to remind all who read these pages, that great pains must be taken to have all pans and dishes scrupulously clean. In cleaning copper pans, attend to the following directions:--If there are any lemon skins left from cooking, boil them in salt and water, dip a piece of flannel in the liquid, and rub your pan well. Then rinse with cold water, and dry with a linen cloth. Every pan must be rinsed or dusted out before being used, for the smallest speck of dirt will destroy a whole panful of sauce; and good sauces are the foundation of good cooking.

Cooks cannot be too careful in keeping their sauce-pans scrupulously clean. To clean ordinary pans, place them on the fire with some water and a little washing soda, and let the water get hot. Then wash out your pan, rub lightly with a few ashes and rinse with clean water.

Keep a pan for omelets only.

SOUPS.

The first duty of the cook or housekeeper is to have a stock made ready for soups, gravies, and sauces. On the care given to this point greatly depend the comfort and success of the dinner. I will now try to explain how, with a little care and pains, this can always be done, and the same stock used for several soups. To make--

BROWN SOUP.

Procure a nap-bone, five lbs.; have the bone well broken into very small pieces, and wash it in salt and water. Cut off the meat, and brown it in the frying-pan, with an onion. Put the nap-bone and fried meat into a convenient-sized soup-pot with eight quarts of cold water, and when it comes to the boil, set it to the side of the fire, to throw up the scum and grease; remove these as they rise, and boil slowly, with a head of celery, for six hours; then strain, and have it clear, to make the different kinds of clear soup. I will afterwards give the names of these.

For thick soups, or gravies, or sauces, put back the same meat and bones of the first stock into the pot, and put on eight quarts more of water. Boil for six hours,--longer, if it is cold weather. Vegetables, such as carrots and turnips, may be put into the stock, but not in warm weather. Strain this stock, and it will do for thick soup or purées of vegetables.

JULIENNE SOUP.

Take the red part of a carrot, part of a turnip, and the white part of a head of celery, leek, and onion; cut these into thin shreds about an inch long, and boil in a pint of water. Pour off the water from the vegetables, and add them to the clear brown soup. Season with pepper and salt, and whatever sauce is preferred.

PERSIAN SOUP.

Cut carrot, turnip, and lettuce leaves, with a round vegetable-cutter, to the size of a threepenny piece, and boil tender in a separate sauce-pan, strain and add to clear brown soup. A glass of sherry added to the soup is an improvement, but this may be omitted.

MOCK TURTLE SOUP.

Procure a calf’s head, and parboil in plenty of water, with a spoonful of salt, till tender. When the calf’s head is cold, by steeping in cold water, trim the head from all gristle, and press it between two ashets till morning; then cut it in dice pieces. Make a thick soup in the following manner: take three ounces of clarified fat and one onion, and brown over the fire; add two ounces of flour, and brown; stir in two quarts bree of head, keeping stirred gently to prevent burning; draw over to the side of the fire to boil slowly and throw up the scum. Put in the pieces of head, and boil if necessary a little longer; put a glass of Madeira wine in the tureen, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

SOUP À LA ROYAL.

Switch the yolks of two eggs and the white of one with a glass of stock, season with pepper and salt. Grease a small tea-cup that will hold it, and steam for ten minutes. Let the custard stand till cold, then cut in dice pieces, and drop into a basin of water; and when the clear brown soup is hot, drop in the dice pieces of custard. Serve with a flavouring of Worcestershire sauce in the soup.

CURRY SOUP.

Peel and slice one onion, and put into a stew-pan with two ounces of butter. Fry of a light-brown colour one apple, and as soon as this is dissolved, mix three ounces of flour, one tablespoonful of curry paste, and one tablespoonful of curry powder. Then add three quarts of stock, by degrees, keeping it stirred while pouring in the soup. Let it simmer by the side of the fire. Remove the scum, and pour through a strainer. Put back into the soup-pot, to keep hot; and serve with boiled rice.

HOW TO BOIL RICE FOR THIS SOUP.

Put on a tea-cupful of rice to boil in cold water and salt; boil for fifteen minutes, then strain through a colander. Rinse the rice under the hot-water tap, and set in the oven to dry. Shake several times to keep the grains separated. Dish, and hand round with curry soup.

KIDNEY SOUP.

Get one ox kidney, cut it in small pieces and put it on to stew in a pan with half an onion and an ounce of butter, and let the kidneys brown; then add a quart of cold water, and let the kidneys stew for one hour; then strain the stock from kidneys and rinse the scum that lies round the kidneys; add the stock from the kidneys to three quarts of second stock, and place in another sauce-pan three ounces of flour, two ounces of dripping, and brown with onion. When this is browned, add the stock gradually to prevent it lumping, then the kidneys; let it simmer at side of stove for half-an-hour; skim off the scum that rises.

PURÉE DE POIS.

Get two quarts of green peas and boil till soft, with a handful of parsley, in just what water covers the peas. When the peas are ready, strain the water from them into two quarts of good strong stock, pass the green peas through a wire and hair sieve, and add to the stock a glass of cream, and one spoonful of flour.

PURÉE DE TOMATO.

Put into a stew-pan two carrots, one turnip, one onion, two dozen tomatoes, two ounces of butter, and one quart of second stock, and stew till tender. Pass this through a wire and hair sieve, if too thick, add stock to make it the thickness of cream.

PURÉE OF CARROTS.

Boil the red part of four carrots, one onion, with a cup of rice, till very soft, then pass all through a wire and hair sieve, and add second stock to this purée to make it the thickness of cream.

OYSTER SOUP.

Use whatever fish bones may be over from filleting fish--failing these, get a cod’s head, and boil for twenty minutes in three quarts of water, and strain. Have two dozen of oysters bearded and scalded. Have a spoonful of butter and one of flour melted, not browned. Strain your soup, and add it to butter and flour, along with a gill of cream for every pint of soup. Add your oysters--two for each person--which have been bearded and scalded, and boil three minutes. Before putting the soup into your tureen, switch up the yolk of an egg in the tureen, then pour the soup over, stirring all the time.

WHITE SOUP.

The boiling of fowl, bones of rabbits, a nap of veal bone, or trimmings of mutton cutlets can be used to make this soup, with a small piece of mace. For every quart of strong white stock place in a pot one ounce of flour and half-an-ounce of butter, and melt it over the fire; then add the boiling stock, a cup of milk, and a gill of cream, and when ready to serve, have the yolk of an egg switched in the tureen and pour the boiling soup on it.

HARE SOUP.

After the hare is skinned, wipe it clean on the outside. Great care must be taken not to lose the blood. Keep the blood in a basin. Place the hare in a pot with cold water, and a small nap-bone broken; when it boils, skim and draw to side of fire to boil for four hours; put in one carrot, one head celery, and one onion. When the hare is done, keep some of the best parts to serve in tureen, then make a brown roux with three ounces of clarified fat, three ounces of flour, and the blood of hare, and brown over the fire; then add the stock of hare, draw to side of fire to throw up the scum. Skim it well, and pass through a hair sieve; return to pot and put in the pieces of hare; pepper and salt. When in the tureen, put in a glass of port wine.

TO MAKE BROWNING FOR SOUPS.

Put one ounce of brown sugar in an iron sauce-pan, and with one spoonful of water a tiny piece of butter. Stir with an iron spoon till browned a dark colour. Add a tea-cupful of cold water, and boil for ten minutes; strain and bottle for colouring soups and sauces. Use a tea-spoonful to colour your soups and sauces, if not already brown enough.

FISH.

BOILED FISH WITH EGG SAUCE.

Turn the tail through the eyes, place in a pan and cover with water and a little salt. Allow eight minutes to each pound of fish. For the egg sauce, melt one spoonful of butter and one of flour; when smooth, add gradually one gill of boiling water. Be careful to keep stirring with back of the spoon till all the water is added. Have a hard-boiled egg chopped fine to add to the sauce, and serve in a butter-boat. Have a napkin neatly folded on an ashet, lay your fish on it, and garnish with parsley.

FRIED HADDOCK.

I may here tell you about boiling lard. To know when it is hot enough for frying fish, &c., put a small piece of bread in, and if it browns quickly, the lard is ready. If it is inclined to burn, put in a small piece of potato.

Cut your haddock up the back and take the flesh from the bones; cut each side in two, making in all four pieces. Dip each piece first in flour, then in a little batter made of flour and water, or in a beat-up egg; then in bread-crumbs, and fry in the boiling lard. Fried parsley should be served with it.

TO MAKE FISH STOCK FOR SAUCES OR SOUPS.

Take any white fish bones you may have, and put them into a pan with three cloves, an onion, pepper, salt, a few herbs according to taste, and a piece of maize, enough to cover a threepenny piece. Cover with water, and boil slowly half-an-hour; then strain through a sieve, and set in a cool place till required.

HADDOCK À LA MAÎTRE D’HÔTEL.

Have some filleted haddocks; lay the fillets one across the other on a plate that will stand the fire, with a small piece of butter on the top, and some pepper, salt, and chopped parsley. Cover with a greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven ten minutes. For sauce, melt one ounce of butter and one ounce of flour in a pan, add a cup of milk by degrees, and a little cream if you have it, and a few drops of lemon juice. Dish your fish in a hot corner-dish, with the sauce over it.

MERLAN AU GRATIN.

Have some whitings skinned, with their tails turned through their eyes. Butter a dish that will stand the fire, sprinkle some bread-crumbs, and brown in the oven. Serve with a brown sauce made in the ordinary way--a brown sauce made of butter, flour, and water.

WHITINGS BROILED.

Skin and flour your whitings. Grease your gridiron with a buttered paper; lay on the fish; keep it a little distance from the fire at first. Time to cook, twenty minutes. Dish on a napkin, garnish with parsley, and serve with melted butter in a sauce-boat.

BOILED HERRINGS À LA CRÊME.

Boil any quantity of herrings you require ten minutes in water, with a little salt; dish them without a napkin. Have ready the following sauce: Put six table-spoonfuls of cream in a stew-pan, with a little pepper and salt. When nearly boiling add an ounce of fresh butter and the juice of half a lemon. Stir it quickly, and pour it over the fish when sent to table.

TURBOT WITH SPAWN SAUCE.

Cook your turbot as in first recipe; only, instead of cream sauce, use the following: Get from the fishmonger’s about two ounces of fish spawn, and pound it in a mortar along with three ounces of butter; rub through a sieve, place it in a cold place to firm, then put it in a stew-pan with the yolks of two eggs, a little pepper and salt, four tea-spoonfuls of lemon juice, half-a-cup of melted butter, and two tea-spoonfuls of anchovy. Pass it through a tammie, put into a clean pan and make it hot. Have your fish on a hot dish, then pour the sauce over it.

TURBOT WITH CREAM SAUCE.

Turbot must be well rubbed with salt and lemon before being put into water. Have a large fish-kettle, and to every pound of turbot allow a quart of water, and to every quart of water put in two ounces of salt. A piece of turbot weighing four pounds will require to simmer twenty minutes. Lift out the fish with a drainer when done, and cover with a clean cloth. If sauce is wanted, dish without a napkin; if not wanted, dish on a napkin, with some slices of lemon and parsley. For the sauce, put one ounce of butter and the same of flour in a pan and melt over the fire; add a breakfast-cupful of milk, a little good cream, the yolk of an egg beat-up, some pepper, salt, and the juice of a lemon. This sauce may be either poured over the turbot, or served up in a butter-boat.

SMELTS FRIED.

Dry the fish on a napkin, dip them in very thick cream, and immediately afterwards in flour, so that it forms a paste round them. Fry them in very hot lard, dress them on a napkin, and garnish with fried parsley. No sauce is required.

STUFFED FISH.

Fillet two large haddocks, make a veal stuffing, and spread over the fillets. Roll up. Sprinkle some bread-crumbs over and small bits of butter, bake in the oven for fifteen minutes, till brown; pour a brown sauce over.

MELTED BUTTER.

Place two ounces of butter and two ounces of flour in a sauce-pan and melt. Stir in two cups of boiling water, switch quickly while pouring in the water. If rich sauce is required, add one ounce more of butter, with pepper and salt. This is the foundation of a number of other sauces such as--egg, shrimp, lobster, oyster, anchovy, giving the name to the sauce according to what is added. But if it be oyster, the liquor of the oysters must be added; also a little cream and white pepper.

CRIMPED SALMON.

Let two quarts of water be boiling in a stew-pan with two ounces of salt, lay in two slices of salmon (if more salmon is required add more water), boil quickly for fifteen or twenty minutes. Try the bone in the middle, and if it leaves easily, the fish is ready. Do not leave the fish in the water, as it spoils it. To keep a nice red colour, skim the water while boiling. If it has to be kept, owing to the dinner being later, put a hot wet cloth over it and set it in a warm cupboard. Serve with shrimp or lobster sauce.

FILLET HADDOCKS À LA MAÎTRE D’HOTÊL.

Skin and fillet two haddocks, lay the fillets across each other on a dish that will stand the fire. Sprinkle some pepper and salt, place some bits of butter on the top, cover with a greased white paper, and cook in the oven for ten minutes. Serve with sauce à la maître d’hôtel.

TURBOT BAKED.

Cook a turbot as before mentioned, but boil only ten minutes instead of twenty. Make a brown sauce in the ordinary way, and have some chopped parsley, chopped capers, and an onion cut in rings. Place your fish in a baking dish, pour the sauce over it, then sprinkle parsley, onion, and bread-crumbs, along with some small pieces of butter on the top, and bake in a hot oven.

PLAIN BOILED SALMON.

Put your fish in cold water (a pound of salt to every six quarts of water), cover it well with the water, and set it to simmer over a moderate fire. A fish weighing four pounds requires half-an-hour to boil, and one eight pounds three-quarters of an hour. Serve with shrimp or lobster sauce.

SAUCE À LA MAÎTRE D’HÔTEL.

Place in a sauce-pan half-an-ounce of butter, half-an-ounce of flour, and melt over the fire; then add a tea-cupful of milk, a tea-spoonful of chopped parsley, and boil for fifteen minutes; then a squeeze of a lemon and a glass of cream.

SAUCE À LA REGENCE.

Place one cupful of fish liquor in a sauce-pan with the red part of half a carrot, half an onion, a small piece of turnip cut in thin stripes, an inch in length. Boil till tender, then add two ounces of browned flour and butter, pepper and salt. This sauce will do for stewed fish.

ECONOMICAL MADE-DISHES.

HASH OF MUTTON.

Take some slices of mutton from a cold joint, as many as are required. Season with pepper and salt, and make a sauce as follows: Place in a sauce-pan one ounce of flour, one ounce of butter, and brown it over the fire. Then add a breakfast-cupful of stock. Keep stirring the sauce while pouring in the stock, boil for a few minutes, add mutton and a few drops of Harvey’s sauce, and a few green capers. Next, have a dish with a border of mashed potatoes, or a border of rice; egg on the top, and brown in the oven. Dish the mutton. In the centre, on the top, place a few tomatoes that have been stewed in a glass of water, with half-an-ounce of butter, pepper, and salt. Place the tomatoes whole on the top of the dish.

HEDGEHOG OF MUTTON.

Boil two ounces of macaroni till soft, and put it on to boil in cold water. When it is boiled, cut it in short pieces; grease a pint basin, and stick the macaroni round the bottom and sides of the basin. Next, take one ounce of butter, one ounce of flour, and brown; add a tea-cupful of stock, a few chopped mushrooms, a few leaves of parsley, pepper, and salt, half-pound of cold mutton minced fine, put into a basin and steam for fifteen minutes, and serve with a brown sauce.

CRISQUETTES OF MUTTON.

Make the mutton ready as above, only have five or six pieces bacon cut in square pieces, and instead of putting into a basin, put a tea-spoonful into the middle of each piece. Egg on the top, and fold in the shape of sausage rolls. Then make a batter with two spoonfuls of flour and a little milk; wet it gradually with the back of a wooden spoon, till you get it to the thickness of cream, then switch the yolk and white of an egg separately; mix both together, and stir in the batter, and dip your rolls in it--see that the bacon is very thinly cut, so that it will fry in hot lard. Have some sprigs of parsley fried to garnish with. Serve any kind of nice vegetables in centre.

STUFFED CUCUMBERS.

Put two cucumbers on to stew, peeled, in a pint of stock. When tender, take them up, cut them into two-inch lengths for stuffing. The remains of any cold chicken, or rabbit, or veal will do. Have it minced fine, with a drop of any sauces liked, such as Mushroom, Worcestershire, Harvey, and a little flour, parsley, pepper, and salt. Fill up the cucumbers, place them in the stew-pan to get hot, and serve the gravy over. Fill the centre with white beans for a garnish.

TIMBALES OF MACARONI.

Boil one ounce of macaroni till tender, then cut it into very short pieces; take a wire and place it round the side of the timbale moulds, when greased; make a mince of cold mutton, or chicken, or rabbit; place a cupful of mince on the fire, with two glasses of stock, pepper and salt, and sprinkle of dried herbs, a few drops of mushroom ketchup, a half-ounce of bread-crumbs, and the yolk of two eggs stirred into the mince. Fill the timbale moulds, steam for fifteen minutes, and serve with tomato sauce. Fill the centre with potatoes fried, cut the size of walnuts.

TOMATOES FARCIE.

Take a slice off the end of a dozen of tomatoes, and empty out the centre; mix it with one ounce of butter, two ounces of chopped mutton or chicken or veal or rabbit, pepper, salt, Worcester sauce, a few bread-crumbs. Fill the tomatoes, and stew in a half-pint good stock, and serve with a little tomato sauce round the base.

DEVILED BEEF.

Take a few slices from cold roast beef, take a tea-spoonful of mustard, a pinch of salt, a drop of Worcestershire sauce, and a tea-spoonful of water; mix to a cream; spread over the beef; broil before a clear fire; a few drops of strong gravy poured round the base.

CHICKEN MERINDS.

Take the legs and wings of a roast chicken, and dip in a batter made as follows:--Three spoonfuls of flour, one tea-spoonful baking-powder wet with sweet milk to the thickness of a thick cream. Switch the yolk and white of an egg separately. Take a few leaves of parsley chopped, pepper and salt; add to the batter, and fry in a pan of boiling lard or oil. Serve with fried parsley, and garnish with tomatoes. If garnishes cannot be obtained serve without.

ENTRÉES.

OYSTER PÂTÉS.

Beard and blanch one dozen of oysters. Make a sauce as follows: one ounce of butter, three-quarter ounce of flour. Melt over the fire; add half-a-cup of milk, half-a-cup of cream, and the liquor of the oysters; strain; reduce the sauce till it resumes the appearance of a cream; add the oysters, and have a dozen or fourteen pâtés made of puff paste; bake and fill the pâtés.

SWEETBREADS FRIED.

Lay two sweetbreads to soak in cold water and salt for two hours; put them on to boil, covered in cold water and salt; simmer slowly for one hour. Remove all the grit and skin, and cut the sweetbreads in the shape of a mutton cutlet; pepper and salt, egg and bread-crumb. Dish with fried parsley and green peas in centre.

LARDED FILLETS OF BEEF.

Take bacon, cut as for larded sweetbreads, and lard in the same manner. Place a few pieces of chopped suet at the bottom of a stew-pan, half an onion, one clove, a slight sprinkling of flour, brown, and add one cup of second stock. Cover with a close lid, and simmer slowly for one hour. Dish the fillets of beef, skim the grease, and sprinkle a few mushrooms in the sauce, and serve.

PLAIN MUTTON CUTLETS.

Take one and a-quarter lb. of mutton, divide it into chops by cutting down where the vein is in the bone. There is a bone at the fleshy end of the chop, take that off. Take all the fat clean away from the bone; scrape the bone clean; flatten the meat with a mallet dipped in cold water, then dip in egg and bread-crumb; fry to a light-brown colour, and serve with tomato sauce. Garnish with a few tomatoes round the base.

SWEETBREADS SERVED IN BEETROOT PÂTÉS.

Cook two large beetroots cut in the shape of oyster pâtés. Have one sweetbread cut in tiny pieces, and drop into a cup of thick, white sauce. Make six beetroot pâtés, fill them up with the preparation, and garnish with tiny bits of parsley round the beetroot. The remains of cold sweetbreads, or any kind of white meat, will do for this entrée.

CREAM OF CHICKEN.