Part 3

Take a bunch of asparagus and scrape the stalks well. Cut them of equal length and put them into boiling salted water (if they are not all of the same size, put the biggest in first, or the small ones will be too much cooked) and boil fast. Drain well, and place them on a napkin in a dish, with sauce ‘Olandese’ (see Sauces, p. 124) in a sauce-boat apart.

_Asparagus ‘alla Parmigiana.’_

Scrape and boil your asparagus and place them on a dish, pour over them a sauce of melted fresh butter mixed with strong gravy, some grated Parmesan cheese, and a little pepper; then powder them with a little grated Parmesan cheese, pour some more melted butter over them, colour with the salamander and serve immediately.

_Asparagus ‘Perlate.’_

Cut the heads of a bunch of asparagus into small pieces like peas, and put them into salted boiling water. When almost cooked, drain, and put them into a sauce-pan with four ounces of fresh butter and a little powdered sugar, sprinkle well with flour, and pour a little soup, or sauce ‘Vellutata’ over them (see Sauces, p. 127). When thoroughly cooked, mix two or three well-beaten-up yolks of eggs with them, and serve very hot.

_Asparagus tips ‘alla Suprema.’_

Choose asparagus of about the same size, break off the tenderest part with your fingers, and cut them in small bits, cooking the tips last. Put them into salted boiling water, then drain, and place them in a baking-pan with melted fresh butter, keep them a few minutes on the fire, add some salt, a little gravy, fresh butter and lemon juice. Serve hot.

_Asparagus on Toast. No. 1._

Wash the asparagus well and scrape the stalks, then tie in bunches and put them into an earthenware pot of boiling water slightly salted; boil for about twenty minutes, until they are tender but not over-done, cut some toasted bread into square pieces (without the crust), and put a bit of butter on each piece. When the asparagus is cooked and drained, untie the bunches and place it on the toast, taking care to lay the heads all the same way. Then melt four ounces of fresh butter with a little flour in a frying-pan, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve the sauce separately, or a sauce ‘Olandese’ if better liked (see Sauces, p. 124).

_Asparagus on Toast. No. 2._

Cut off the bottom of the stalks of a bunch of asparagus to make them even, and put them into a pan of cold water till near dinner-time. Then put the bunch in boiling water in which a pinch of soda, the weight of a pea, has been dissolved. Boil a quarter of an hour, then drain, cut the twine and serve. Have the buttered toast ready, place the white ends of the asparagus on it and pour one tablespoonful of melted butter over the green heads in the dish.

_Asparagus ‘alla Wilhelmina.’_

Wash and clean a bunch of asparagus and cook in boiling water slightly salted. When cooked and dried, arrange them in a dish, one-half on one side, one-half on the other, so that the heads meet in the middle. Melt four ounces of fresh butter in a frying-pan, add a little flour and some good broth, mix well together and boil, then add one or two bay leaves, some chopped parsley and onion, salt and pepper to taste, and three well-beaten-up yolks of eggs. Boil for five minutes, add a little lemon juice, pour the sauce over the asparagus, and serve up very hot.

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_Beans (Broad) ‘al Burro.’_

Shell one quart of fresh young broad beans and put them in cold water. Put two quarts of water in a sauce-pan and add a slice of ham, a stick of celery, a bunch of parsley, three cloves, twenty peppercorns, and one bay leaf. Boil for a quarter of an hour, then take out the ham, etc., and put in the beans. Strain as soon as they are tender, add four ounces of fresh butter and put them on the fire for a few minutes before serving.

_Beans (Broad) ‘alla Romana.’_

Chop up one small onion and four or five sage leaves, and fry brown in butter. Put in a quart of young shelled broad beans, cover them with boiling water and stew over a very slow fire for twenty minutes, add the strained juice of six tomatoes (or some tomato conserve), with salt and pepper to taste. Add boiling water whenever necessary, and stir often, to prevent the beans from sticking to the sauce-pan. Stew for twenty or twenty-five minutes, and serve very hot.

_Beans (Broad) ‘alla Turca.’_

Take a quart of young broad bean pods, about two inches long, cut them in half and put them in cold water. Then cook them in a sauce-pan with two quarts of boiling water. Drain, and again put them in cold water. Mince some ham and fry it with a little butter in a sauce-pan, throw your beans in, toss, and heat them for ten minutes. Add three tablespoonfuls good stock before serving up hot.

_Beans (Broad) ‘al Vino.’_

Take quite young shelled broad beans and stew them in a sauce-pan with a little browned onion, some ham, butter, sweet herbs, and flour; moisten well with broth, add a quarter of a pint of sweet white wine, and three spoonfuls of sugar. Serve hot.

_Beans (French) ‘al Burro.’_

Remove the strings and the ends from one quart of French beans and cut them into pieces about an inch long. Put them into cold water for twenty or thirty minutes, then dry, and throw them into a sauce-pan of boiling water with some salt and butter. Cook slowly for about half an hour (according to the age of the beans), then place them in a dish, adding some fresh butter, salt and pepper. Serve up hot.

_Beans (French) ‘alla Crema.’ No. 1._

Boil one quart of French beans slowly until nearly tender; then dry, and put them to cook in fresh butter. Mix a teacupful of cream, an egg, some grated cheese, and some allspice well together in a sauce-pan, then add some lemon juice, a little white wine vinegar, and boil. Pour this sauce over the beans, mix well, and serve up hot.

_Beans (French) ‘alla Crema.’ No. 2._

Break off both ends and string two quarts of young fresh French beans, wash in cold water, and drain. Put them into salted boiling water and cook for five minutes, stirring them well. Season with a teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, one or two chives, and some sprigs of parsley (to be taken out before serving); add half a tea-cup of fresh cream (or milk), and two yolks of eggs, heat for five minutes, but do not boil. A tablespoonful of pounded sugar is an agreeable addition.

_Beans (French) ‘allo Zabajone.’_

Clean and remove the strings from two quarts of French beans and put them into cold water; then boil and strain, and lay them in a dish. Put two yolks of eggs, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, two of white wine vinegar, and two of water, into a sauce-pan on a slow fire, mix and heat, but do not allow it to boil. Pour the sauce over the beans, and serve hot.

_Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Bruna.’_

Put a quart of haricot beans into a sauce-pan of salted boiling water, and boil for about half an hour. When cooked brown, put four ounces of butter in a frying-pan, add two or three tablespoonfuls of flour, and fry them well together. Then add some broth, stir well, and add half an onion minced up with salt and pepper. Dry the beans, put them in the sauce, boil all together for ten minutes, and serve hot.

_Beans (Haricots), Croquettes of._

Put a quart of small white haricot beans to soak in tepid water all night long; dry, put them in cold water, and boil over a slow fire for about an hour. Drain and dry them again, and put into boiling water for another hour. Pass them through a sieve and put them in a sauce-pan with four ounces of fresh butter, one tablespoonful of white wine vinegar, one of balm-mint, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well together, cook, and let cool. Then roll up into balls (or croquets), dip them into the yolk of an egg, cover them with finely grated bread-crumbs, and fry with good fresh butter. Serve up very hot.

_Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Fiorentina.’_

Half-boil a quart of haricot beans in salted water, strain, and put them into a sauce-pan with some fried, browned butter in it. Mix, then drain off the butter, and add the following sauce: Melt four ounces of fresh butter, skim it carefully, add some flour and mix well, add some broth and stir until it is of the consistency of a sauce, and leave it to boil. Then pass the sauce through a sieve, put it back on the fire, and stir to prevent its sticking to the sauce-pan, add two yolks of eggs, the juice of half a lemon, and some finely chopped-up parsley. Pour the sauce over the beans before serving up hot.

_Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Maître d’Hôtel.’_

Put some young, green, shelled haricot beans into boiling water, when half-cooked add a pinch of salt, and a little butter. Take them out, drain, and put them at once into a sauce-pan with butter, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and some lemon juice. Toss them well, and serve up very hot.

_Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Milanese.’_

Take young, green haricot beans and throw them in boiling water. When half-cooked add a little salt and some butter, and boil them again for five or six minutes. Then take them out, strain, and put them, whilst still hot, into a sauce-pan with a dessert-spoonful of chopped-up parsley, salt, pepper, the juice of a lemon, and four ounces of fresh butter. Toss them, and serve on a hot dish. (If the beans are dry you must put them into cold water and boil them for one or two hours first.)

_Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Polenta.’_

Put a quart of white haricot beans into tepid water for the night. Dry, and put them into cold water, and boil for about an hour over a slow fire; dry them again, put them into boiling water, and boil for nearly an hour. Mash, and pass them through a sieve, place them in a sauce-pan with three ounces of butter, a little salt and pepper, stir well together, and boil them again for ten minutes. Serve up very hot.

_Beans (Haricots) ‘Purée alla Brétonne.’_

Wash the white haricot beans and let them soak all night. Boil them (changing the water) until tender, and mash them through a sieve. Season with salt, pepper, and butter, add enough cream (or stock) to make them of a proper consistency. Serve hot.

_Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Romana.’_

Cook the beans in an earthen pot in salted water, and let them drain. Meanwhile cut three onions into small pieces, stew them in an earthen pan until they are browned, then add the beans, with pepper, grated nutmeg, minced anchovies passed through a sieve, and some broth. Fry all together, and when the beans have absorbed all the liquid, squeeze the juice of a lemon over them and serve hot at once.

_Beans (Haricots) ‘sautés.’_

Melt two ounces of fresh butter in a frying-pan, add some parsley and half an onion chopped up together. Then put in the beans (already boiled), leave them to cook for eight or ten minutes, sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and the juice of a lemon, and serve up very hot.

_Beans (Lima) ‘alla Crema.’_

Put the beans into boiling salted water, cook well, then drain and dry, season with salt and pepper to taste, and three or four ounces of fresh butter, add a tablespoonful of flour and three-quarters of a pint of cream. Boil, and serve up very hot.

_Beans (Dwarf Lima) ‘alla Portugese.’_

Take a quart of young Lima beans, cook them in salted boiling water for half an hour, then drain and dry them. Melt four ounces of fresh butter in a frying-pan, add two tablespoonfuls of flour and three-quarters of a pint of milk, mix well together till they boil, then add two beaten-up yolks of eggs, salt, pepper, and a finely chopped onion. Pour over the beans and serve hot.

_Beans (Scarlet Runners) ‘alla Panna.’_

Snap them in two in the middle and string them. Boil for three-quarters of an hour in salted water, then drain away the water, put in a little pepper and salt, and one or more (according to the quantity of beans) cupfuls of cream.

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_Beet Leaves boiled._

Take the young leaves of white beetroot, tie them together in bunches and put them into boiling water. They can be cooked with butter (like spinach) or served up on buttered toast with sauce ‘Olandese’ (see Sauces, pp. 122, 124) or Butter sauce.

_Beet ‘Gnocchi.’_

Wash well and remove the mid-ribs of a bundle of beet leaves, boil, and then throw them into cold water. Dry, mince them very fine, and put them into an earthen pot with four fresh eggs, four ounces of grated cheese, four ounces of curds, or fresh-milk cheese, a little grated nutmeg, and some salt. When pretty dense put it on a well-floured table and make a long roll the size of a finger. Cut into pieces about two inches long, flour them well, and then throw them into an earthen pot of boiling broth. As they come to the surface take them out, drain well, season with butter or rich gravy, a little grated nutmeg, cinnamon, and cheese. They must be cooked over a hot fire.

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_Beetroot (How to boil)._

Wash the beetroot carefully without cutting or scraping it (if the skin is broken the beet loses flavour and colour). Young ones take one hour to boil, old ones four. In winter the beet must be put into cold water overnight to make it tender, those that remain hard are unfit to eat. It must be cooked in boiling water, then put into cold water for five or six minutes, when it can be rubbed with a cloth to take off the peel. Cut into slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pour melted fresh butter over it; or it can be put into the oven to bake. Boiled beetroot when wanted for salad ought to be put into wine vinegar to soak.

_Beetroot ‘alla Panna.’_

Boil some white beetroot as directed above, and peel it. Cut up into dice, place on a very hot dish, and pour a sauce ‘Alla Panna’ over it (see Sauces, p. 125).

_Beetroot and Potatoes._

Boil the beetroot as directed above, and peel when cold. Cut into thin round slices and put it into a frying-pan with two onions cut up small, two ounces of butter; stir continually and do not let it brown. Add one spoonful of flour, and milk enough to make a thickish sauce; add three saltspoonfuls of salt, four of sugar, one of pepper, and one tablespoonful of white wine vinegar, and boil for a few minutes. Then put the slices in the pan to simmer for twenty minutes, and have some mashed potatoes ready to make a border round the dish in which to put the beetroot and the sauce, adding a little cream.

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_Broccoli ‘alla Crema.’_

Wash and clean the broccoli well, put them into salted cold water for half an hour. Then wrap each head in a piece of linen to prevent its breaking, and put into salted boiling water for about twenty minutes. When cooked, remove the linen carefully so as not to break the heads, place them in a hot dish, pour half a pint (for each head) of hot ‘Alla Panna’ sauce (see Sauces, p. 125) over them, and serve immediately.

_Broccoli ‘alla Parmigiana.’_

Wash and clean the broccoli well and put them for one hour in salted cold water, then rinse again, and cook in boiling salted water with a little butter. Put ten tablespoonfuls of White sauce (see below, White Sauce) into a stew-pan with a little chopped-up onion, and boil for a few minutes, then add a quarter of a pound of grated Parmesan cheese. When boiling, add the yolk of an egg and a very little cayenne pepper, mix quickly and put a little on a dish; lay the broccoli on it, pour the rest of the sauce over them, sprinkle with bread-crumbs and grated cheese, and put it in the oven for half an hour, until of a nice brown colour, and serve. (If you have no White sauce, use melted butter, cooking it less, or it will be greasy.)

_Broccoli with White Sauce._

Boil the heads of broccoli in salted water with a little flour. When cooked take them out and drain well. Then put them in a dish and pour the following sauce over them: Melt some butter, salt, pepper, and a tablespoonful of flour in a sauce-pan, add a glass of boiling water, pouring it in a little at a time, and stirring continually. When cooked, take it off the fire and mix the yolk of an egg beaten up with a piece of butter. Do not put the sauce again on the fire.

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_Brussels Sprouts ‘alla Crema.’_

Clean, and pick off the dead leaves from one and a half pounds of sprouts. Wash well, drain, and cook them in boiling water for seven minutes. Drain again, and cool in cold water. Drain well once more, and put them into a sauté-pan with two tablespoonfuls of Vellutata sauce (see Sauces, p. 127), one teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, and the same of grated nutmeg. Add half a cupful of good cream, and heat (but do not boil) for five minutes, tossing frequently. Put on a dish and serve at once.

_Brussels Sprouts ‘al Limone.’_

Wash the sprouts and remove any dead leaves. Then put them into boiling salted water and cook for twenty minutes, drain, and place them on a hot dish. Meanwhile mix four ounces of butter with two tablespoonfuls of flour, add a little broth (or water), and stir well until it boils. Just before serving add a good sprinkling of pepper and the juice of two lemons. Pour the sauce over the sprouts and serve up quickly.

_Brussels Sprouts ‘sautés.’_

Clean and wash the sprouts well, and boil. Then dry, and put them into a sauce-pan with two (or more) ounces of butter (according to the quantity of sprouts); brown them well, and add one or two spoonfuls of white wine vinegar, a little chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Serve up very hot.

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_Cabbage (How to boil)._

Cut the cabbage into good-sized pieces and strip off the outside leaves. Cut out the hard core, wash well in two or three changes of water, and drain thoroughly. Put the cabbage (a piece at a time, so as not to stop the boiling) into a large sauce-pan or earthen pot of salted boiling water. Cook for twenty-five minutes over a hot fire (with pot uncovered), and push the cabbage under water every now and then.

_Cabbage ‘farcito all’ Americana.’_

Take a large cabbage and boil it whole for fifteen minutes. Then change the water and boil again for half an hour; meanwhile prepare the stuffing. Put about one pound of rice into cold water and boil for twenty-five or thirty minutes, add three and a half pounds of sausage, the juice of a lemon, some chopped parsley and a little pepper, and mix well. Dry the cabbage thoroughly, open the leaves, and put half a tablespoonful of the stuffing between each leaf, folding them over it, until the cabbage is quite stuffed. Then tie it up carefully in a piece of linen and put it into a sauce-pan of boiling water. When boiled remove the cloth, put the cabbage in a vegetable dish, pour an ‘Alla Panna’ sauce (see Sauces, p. 125) over, and serve.

_Cabbage ‘alla Crema.’_

Choose a white cabbage, remove the outer leaves and cut it into quarters. Soak in cold water for an hour, then dry, and put it in an earthen pot of boiling water to cook. Then let it cool for about ten minutes and put it into another pot of boiling water, adding salt and pepper, and boil, keeping the cover on tight. When done serve with an ‘Alla Panna’ sauce (see Sauces, p. 125).

_Cabbage ‘al Forno.’_

Boil the cabbage as directed above. Press out all the water and chop it up. Put a layer in the bottom of a pie or vegetable dish, cover with a white sauce made of one cup of milk, one tablespoonful of butter, one of flour, a little salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper, and then add a layer of grated cheese. Repeat your layers of cabbage, sauce, and cheese; cover the top with a layer of bread-crumbs and bits of butter, and put it in the oven. When the sauce bubbles on the top take it out and serve up in the same dish.

_Cabbage ‘Fritto.’_

Wash and cut up a cabbage, put it into a sauce-pan of boiling water. Boil for twenty minutes, then dry, and put it into a sauce-pan with four ounces of butter, two spoonfuls of white wine vinegar, some salt, and pepper; mix well together until it becomes well heated. Then serve up.

_Cabbage ‘all’ Uovo.’_

Drain a well-boiled cabbage and chop it up very fine. Put into a frying-pan two tablespoonfuls of butter, and one of flour, for every quart of chopped cabbage. When hot add the cabbage, season with salt, pepper, and one or two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and stir constantly for six or eight minutes. Then put it on a dish, smooth the outside and garnish with quarters of hard-boiled eggs.

_Cabbage ‘Pasticciato.’_

Cut up a cabbage and boil it in an earthen pot. Boil a little white wine vinegar in a sauce-pan, put in two well-beaten eggs, three-quarters of a pint of clotted cream, and a little butter. Mix well, when boiling add some salt and pepper, and pour over the cabbage. Serve it cold.

_Cabbage ‘in Stufato.’_

Cut up a small cabbage and leave it in cold water for some time, then dry, take out the hard pieces, and chop up the rest fine. Put it into an earthen pot with a little salt, and boil for fifteen or twenty minutes. Then strain and put it on a hot dish, pour a cream, tomato, mustard, or horse-radish sauce, over it, and serve hot.

_Cabbage (Rea) ‘alla Fiamminga.’_

Remove the outer leaves of a red cabbage and cut it in pieces. Put it into boiling water for fifteen minutes, then dry, and place it in a sauce-pan with four ounces of butter, a chopped-up onion, a bay leaf, two cloves, and a little salt and pepper. Boil slowly for about half an hour, stirring it often. When cooked take out the bay leaf, add a little butter and serve quickly.

_Cabbage (Red) ‘alla Tedesca.’_

Cut up the leaves of two small red cabbages in slices. Melt four ounces of butter in a frying-pan, and when browned, throw in the cabbage, adding a little salt, three tablespoonfuls of white wine vinegar, and a chopped-up onion. Cover the frying-pan and put it on a slow fire for an hour. Serve up very hot.

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_Capsicums ‘Farciti.’ No. 1._

Select large green sweet capsicums, and for each one take half a pound of minced roast or boiled fowl, half a pound of grated bread-crumbs, a little salt and pepper, and some chopped parsley and mix; add two ounces of melted butter and mix again. Meanwhile cut off one end of the capsicums (remove the seeds), and put the capsicums into a sauce-pan of boiling water; cover the pan and let it boil for about a quarter of an hour. Then drain the capsicums well, fill them with the force-meat, and sprinkle them over with bread-crumbs. Put some butter in an earthen pan and cook the capsicums in a moderate oven for a quarter of an hour.

_Capsicums ‘Farciti.’ No. 2._

Fry six medium-sized green sweet capsicums for one minute in boiling fat, drain, peel, and cut off the ends, keeping them to use as covers. Remove the insides and fill them with force-meat made of minced fresh pork, a spoonful of salt, a saltspoonful of pepper, half a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, and the same of powdered thyme. Put on the ends, lay the capsicums in a well-oiled baking-dish, add a little pure olive oil, and put them in a moderate oven to bake for a quarter of an hour. Turn them on to a hot dish, and serve with a quarter of a pint of Vellutata sauce (see Sauces, p. 127), with a little Marsala added.

_Capsicums ‘al Forno.’_

Cut two or more green capsicums in two lengthwise, remove the seeds and filaments, and parboil them in boiling water for five minutes. Fill each half with an equal quantity of softened bread-crumb and minced meat seasoned with butter, salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Then put them into a baking-dish in half an inch of good stock (or water), and bake. Serve in the baking-dish, hot.

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_Cardoons ‘al Bianco.’_