Part 1

[Transcriber's Note: Bold text is surrounded by =equal signs= and italic text is surrounded by _underscores_.]

_MRS. BEETON’S_

DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY COOKERY.

_THE “ALL ABOUT IT” BOOKS_

MRS. BEETON’S

DICTIONARY

OF

EVERY-DAY COOKERY.

LONDON: WARD, LOCK, AND TYLER, WARWICK HOUSE, PATERNOSTER ROW.

LONDON: SAVILL, EDWARDS AND CO., PRINTERS. CHANDOS STREET, COVENT GARDEN.

PREFACE.

_The reasons for the publication of this Volume—the First of a Series of Practical Manuals which were to be called the “All About It” Books—were thus explained in a Prospectus issued a few months ago, and approved by the late_ Mrs. S. O. BEETON:—

MANY wishes have been expressed to the Authoress of the “Book of Household Management” that a volume of Recipes in Cookery should be written which could be sold at a price somewhere between the seven-and-sixpenny “Household Management” and the Shilling Cookery Book. Accordingly Mrs. BEETON has prepared a Collection of Recipes, and of other Practical Information concerning the Dressing and Serving of Family Fare, which, when completed, will be published, in serviceable binding, at the price of Three Shillings and Sixpence.

As Mistress, Cook, and Critic have declared that the details in Mrs. BEETON’S larger work are _so easy to understand_, the Authoress has followed, in every Recipe printed in the present Dictionary, the same simple plan she originally used. Regarding, however, the _arrangement_ of the Recipes, the Authoress has chosen the Dictionary form, believing an alphabetical arrangement to be the best for a book that is being constantly referred to. By the adoption of a very intelligible system, all _cross_ reference, and that very disagreeable parenthesis (_See_ So-and-so) is avoided, except in a very few instances. Where any warning as to what should _not_ be done is likely to be needed, it is given, as well as advice as to what ought to be done. No pains have been thought too great to make _little things_ clearly understood. Trifles constitute perfection. It is just the knowledge or ignorance of little things that usually makes the difference between the success of the careful and experienced housewife or servant, and the failure of her who is careless and inexperienced. Mrs. BEETON has brought to her new offering to the Public a most anxious care to describe plainly and fully all the more difficult and recondite portions of Cookery, whilst the smallest items have not been “unconsidered trifles,” but each Recipe and preparation have claimed minute attention.

THE

DICTIONARY OF COOKERY.

ALMOND CAKE.

_Ingredients._—½ lb. of sweet almonds, 1 oz. of bitter almonds, 6 eggs, 8 tablespoonfuls of sifted sugar, 5 tablespoonfuls of fine flour, the grated rind of 1 lemon, 3 oz. of butter. _Mode._—Blanch and pound the almonds to a paste; separate the whites from the yolks of the eggs; beat the latter, and add them to the almonds. Stir in the sugar, flour, and lemon-rind; add the butter, which should be beaten to a cream; and, when all these ingredients are well mixed, put in the whites of the eggs, which should be whisked to a stiff froth. Butter a cake-mould, put in the mixture, and bake in a good oven from 1¼ to 1¾ hour. _Time._—1¼ to 1¾ hour. _Average cost_, 2_s._ 6_d._ _Seasonable_ at any time.

ALMOND CHEESECAKES.

_Ingredients._—¼ lb. of sweet almonds, 4 bitter ones, 3 eggs, 2 oz. of butter, the rind of ¼ lemon, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 3 oz. of sugar. _Mode._—Blanch and pound the almonds smoothly in a mortar, with a little rose or spring water; stir in the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the butter, which should be warmed; add the grated lemon-peel and juice, sweeten, and stir well until the whole is thoroughly mixed. Line some patty-pans with puff-paste, put in the mixture, and bake for 20 minutes, or rather less, in a quick oven. _Time._—20 minutes, or rather less. _Average cost_, 10_d._ _Sufficient_ for about 12 cheesecakes.

ALMOND PASTE, for Second-Course Dishes.

_Ingredients._—1 lb. of sweet almonds, 6 bitter ones, 1 lb. of very finely-sifted sugar, the whites of 2 eggs. _Mode._—Blanch the almonds, and dry them thoroughly; put them into a mortar, and pound them well, wetting them gradually with the whites of 2 eggs. When well pounded, put them into a small preserving-pan, add the sugar, and place the pan on a small but clear fire (a hot plate is better); keep stirring until the paste is dry, then take it out of the pan, put it between two dishes, and, when cold, make it into any shape that fancy may dictate. _Time._—½ hour. _Average cost_, 2_s._ 8_d._ for the above quantity. _Sufficient_ for 3 small dishes of pastry. _Seasonable_ at any time.

ALMOND PUDDING, Baked (very rich).

_Ingredients._—¼ lb. of almonds, 4 bitter ditto, 1 glass of sherry, 4 eggs, the rind and juice of ½ lemon, 3 oz. of butter, 1 pint of cream, 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar. _Mode._—Blanch and pound the almonds to a smooth paste with the water; mix these with the butter, which should be melted; beat up the eggs, grate the lemon-rind, and strain the juice; add these, with the cream, sugar, and wine, to the other ingredients, and stir them well together. When well mixed, put it into a pie-dish lined with puff-paste, and bake for ½ hour. To make this pudding more economically, substitute milk for the cream; but then add rather more than 1 oz. of finely-grated bread. _Time._—½ to ¾ hour. _Average cost_, 3_s._, with cream at 1_s._ 6_d._ per pint. _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

ALMOND PUDDINGS, Small.

_Ingredients._—½ lb. of sweet almonds, 6 bitter ones, ¼ lb. of butter, 4 eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of sifted sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, 1 tablespoonful of brandy. _Mode._—Blanch and pound the almonds to a smooth paste with a spoonful of water; warm the butter, mix the almonds with this, and add the other ingredients, leaving out the whites of 2 eggs, and be particular that these are well beaten. Mix well, butter some cups, half fill them, and bake the puddings from 20 minutes to ½ hour. Turn them out on a dish, and serve with sweet sauce, or with sifted sugar only. _Time._—20 minutes to ½ hour. _Average cost_, 2_s._ _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

ALMOND PUFFS.

_Ingredients._—2 tablespoonfuls of flour, 2 oz. of butter, 2 oz. of pounded sugar, 2 oz. of sweet almonds, 4 bitter almonds. _Mode._—Blanch and pound the almonds in a mortar to a smooth paste; melt the butter, dredge in the flour, and add the sugar and pounded almonds. Beat the mixture well, and put it into cups or very tiny jelly-pots, which should be well buttered, and bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes, or longer, should the puffs be large. Turn them out on a dish, the bottom of the puff uppermost, and serve. _Time._—20 minutes. _Average cost_, 8_d._ _Sufficient_ for 2 or 3 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

ALMOND SOUP.

_Ingredients._—4 lbs. of lean beef or veal, a few vegetables as for Stock (_see_ STOCK), 1 oz. of vermicelli, 4 blades of mace, 6 cloves, ½ lb. of sweet almonds, the yolks of 6 eggs, 1 gill of thick cream, rather more than 3 quarts of water. _Mode._—Boil the beef or veal, vegetables, and spices gently in water that will cover them, till the gravy is very strong, and the meat very tender; than strain off the gravy, and set it on the fire with the specified quantity of vermicelli to 2 quarts. Let it boil till sufficiently cooked. Have ready the almonds, blanched and pounded very fine; the yolks of the eggs boiled hard; mixing the almonds, whilst pounding, with a little of the soup, lest the latter should grow oily. Pound them to a pulp, and keep adding to them, by degrees, a little soup, until they are thoroughly mixed together. Let the soup be cool when mixing, and do it perfectly smooth. Strain it through a sieve, set it on the fire, stir frequently, and serve hot. Just before taking it up, add the cream. _Time._—From 4 to 5 hours to simmer meat and vegetables; 20 minutes to cook the vermicelli. _Average cost_ per quart, 2_s._ 3_d._ _Seasonable_ all the year. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons.

ANCHOVY BUTTER.

_Ingredients._—To every lb. of butter allow 6 anchovies, 1 small bunch of parsley. _Mode._—Wash, bone, and pound the anchovies well in a mortar; scald the parsley, chop it, and rub through a sieve; then pound all the ingredients together, mix well, and make the butter into pats immediately. This makes a pretty dish, if fancifully moulded, for breakfast or supper, and should be garnished with parsley. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 8_d._ _Sufficient_ to make 2 dishes, with 4 small pats each. _Seasonable_ at any time.

ANCHOVY SAUCE, for Fish.

_Ingredients._—4 anchovies, 1 oz. of butter, ½ pint of melted butter, cayenne to taste. _Mode._—Bone the anchovies, and pound them in a mortar to a paste, with 1 oz. of butter. Make the melted butter hot, stir in the pounded anchovies and cayenne; simmer for 3 or 4 minutes; and, if liked, add a squeeze of lemon-juice. A more general and expeditious way of making this sauce is to stir in 1½ tablespoonfuls of anchovy essence to ½ pint of melted butter, and to add seasoning to taste. Boil the whole up for 1 minute, and serve hot. _Time._—5 minutes. _Average cost_, 6_d._ for ½ pint. _Sufficient_, this quantity, for a brill, small turbot, 2 soles, &c.

ANCHOVY TOAST.

_Ingredients._—Toast 2 or 3 slices of bread, or, if wanted very savoury, fry them in clarified butter, and spread on them the paste made by recipe for potted anchovies. Made mustard, or a few grains of cayenne, may be added to the paste before laying it on the toast.

ANCHOVIES, Fried.

_Ingredients._—1 tablespoonful of oil, ½ a glass of white wine, sufficient flour to thicken; 12 anchovies. _Mode._—Mix the oil and wine together, with sufficient flour to make them into a thickish paste; cleanse the anchovies, wipe them, dip them in the paste, and fry of a nice brown colour. _Time._—½ hour. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 9_d._ _Sufficient_ for 2 persons. _Seasonable_ all the year.

ANCHOVIES, Potted, or Anchovy Butter.

_Ingredients._—2 dozen anchovies, ½ lb. of fresh butter. _Mode._—Wash the anchovies thoroughly; bone and dry them, and pound them in a mortar to a paste. Mix the butter gradually with them, and rub the whole through a sieve. Put it by in small pots for use, and carefully exclude the air with a bladder, as it soon changes the colour of anchovies, besides spoiling them. To potted anchovies may be added pounded mace, cayenne, and nutmeg to taste.

APPLE CHARLOTTE, a very simple.

_Ingredients._—9 slices of bread and butter, about 6 good-sized apples, 1 tablespoonful of minced lemon-peel, 2 tablespoonfuls of juice, moist sugar to taste. _Mode._—Butter a pie-dish; place a layer of bread and butter, without the crust, at the bottom; then a layer of apples, pared, cored, and cut into thin slices; sprinkle over these a portion of the lemon-peel and juice, and sweeten with moist sugar. Place another layer of bread and butter, and then one of apples, proceeding in this manner until the dish is full; then cover it up with the peel of the apples, to preserve the top from browning or burning; bake in a brisk oven for rather more than ¾ hour; turn the charlotte on a dish, sprinkle sifted sugar over, and serve. _Time._—¾ hour, or a few minutes longer. _Average cost_, 1_s._ _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ from August to March.

APPLE CHEESECAKES.

_Ingredients._—½ lb. of apple pulp, ¼ lb. of sifted sugar, ¼ lb. of butter, 4 eggs, the rind and juice of 1 lemon. _Mode._—Pare, core, and boil sufficient apples to make ½ lb. when cooked; add to these the sugar, the butter, which should be melted, the eggs, leaving out 2 of the whites, and the grated rind and juice of 1 lemon; stir the mixture well; line some patty-pans with puff-paste; put in the mixture, and bake about 20 minutes.—_Time._—About 20 minutes. _Average cost_, for the above quantity, with the paste, 1_s._ 6_d._ _Sufficient_ for about 18 or 20 cheesecakes. _Seasonable_ from August to March.

APPLE CUSTARD, Baked.

_Ingredients._—1 dozen large apples, moist sugar to taste, 1 small teacupful of cold water, the grated rind of 1 lemon, 1 pint of milk, 4 eggs, 2 oz. of loaf sugar. _Mode._—Peel, cut, and core the apples; put them into a lined saucepan with the cold water, and, as they heat, bruise them to a pulp; sweeten with moist sugar, and add the grated lemon-rind. When cold, put the fruit at the bottom of a pie-dish, and pour over it a custard, made with the above proportion of milk, eggs, and sugar; grate a little nutmeg over the top, place the dish in a moderate oven, and bake from 25 to 35 minutes. The above proportions will make rather a large dish. _Time._—25 to 35 minutes. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 6_d._, if fruit has to be bought. _Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons. _Seasonable_ from August to March.

APPLE DUMPLINGS, Baked (Plain family Dish).

_Ingredients._—6 apples, suet-crust, sugar to taste. _Mode._—Pare and take out the cores of the apples with a scoop, and make a suet-crust with ¾ lb. of flour to 6 oz. of suet; roll the apples in the crust, previously sweetening them with moist sugar, and taking care to join the paste nicely. When they are formed into round balls, put them on a tin, and bake them for about ½ hour, or longer, should the apples be very large; arrange them pyramidically on a dish, and sift over them some pounded white sugar. These may be made richer by using puff-paste instead of suet-crust. _Time._—From ½ to ¾ hour, or longer. _Average cost_, 1½_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ from August to March, but flavourless after the end of January.

APPLE DUMPLINGS, Boiled.

_Ingredients._—6 apples, suet-crust, sugar to taste. _Mode._—Pare and take out the cores of the apples with a scoop; sweeten, and roll each apple in a piece of crust, made with ¾ lb. of flour to 6 oz. of suet, and be particular that the paste is nicely joined. Put the dumplings into floured cloths, tie them securely, and place them in boiling water. Keep them boiling from ¾ to 1 hour; remove the cloths, and send them hot and quickly to table. Dumplings boiled in knitted cloths have a very pretty appearance when they come to table. The cloths should be made square, just large enough to hold one dumpling, and should be knitted in plain knitting, with _very coarse_ cotton. _Time._—¾ to 1 hour, or longer should the dumplings be very large. _Average cost_, 1½_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ from August to March, but flavourless after the end of January.

APPLE FRITTERS.

_Ingredients._—For the batter, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, ½ oz. of butter, ½ saltspoonful of salt, 2 eggs, milk, 4 medium-sized apples, hot lard or clarified beef-dripping. _Mode._—Break the eggs, dividing the whites from the yolks, and beat them separately. Put the flour into a basin, stir in the butter, which should be melted to a cream; add the salt, and moisten with sufficient warm milk to make it of a proper consistency, that is to say, a batter that will drop from the spoon. Stir this well, rub down any lumps that may be seen, add the yolks and then the whites of the eggs, which have been previously well whisked; beat up the batter for a few minutes, and it is ready for use. Now peel and cut the apples into rather thick whole slices, without dividing them, and stamp out the middle of each slice, where the core is, with a cutter. Throw the slices into the batter; have ready a pan of boiling lard or clarified dripping; take out the pieces of apple one by one, put them into the hot lard, and fry a nice brown, turning them when required. When done, lay them on a piece of blotting-paper before the fire, to absorb the greasy moisture; then dish on a white d’oyley, piling the fritters one above the other; strew over them some pounded sugar, and serve very hot. The flavour of the fritters would be very much improved by soaking the pieces of apple in a little wine, mixed with sugar and lemon-juice, for 3 or 4 hours before wanted for table; the batter, also, is better for being mixed some hours before the fritters are made. _Time._—From 7 to 10 minutes to fry the fritters; 5 minutes to drain them. _Average cost_, 9_d._ _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ from August to March.

APPLE JAM.

_Ingredients._—To every lb. of fruit weighed after being pared, cored, and sliced, allow ¾ lb. of preserving-sugar, the grated rind of 1 lemon, the juice of ½ lemon. _Mode._—Peel the apples, core and slice them very thin, and be particular that they are all the same sort. Put them into a jar, stand this in a saucepan of boiling water, and let the apples stew until quite tender. Previously to putting the fruit into the jar, weigh it, to ascertain the proportion of sugar that may be required. Put the apples into a preserving-pan, crush the sugar to small lumps, and add it, with the grated lemon-rind and juice, to the apples. Simmer these over the fire for ½ hour, reckoning from the time the jam begins to simmer properly; remove the scum as it rises, and, when the jam is done, put it into pots for use. Place a piece of oiled paper over the jam, and, to exclude the air, cover the pots with tissue paper dipped in the white of an egg, and stretched over the top. This jam will keep good for a long time. _Time._—From 3 to 4 hours to stew in the jar; ½ hour to boil after the jam begins to simmer. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 5_s._ _Sufficient._—7 or 8 lbs. of apples for 6 pots of jam. _Seasonable._—Make this in September, October, or November, when apples can be bought at a reasonable price.

APPLE JELLY.

_Ingredients._—To 6 lbs. of apples allow 3 pints of water; to every quart of juice allow 2 lbs. of loaf sugar;—the juice of ½ lemon. _Mode._—Pare, core, and cut the apples into slices, and put them into a jar, with water in the above proportion. Place them in a cool oven, with the jar well covered, and, when the juice is thoroughly drawn and the apples are quite soft, strain them through a jelly-bag. To every quart of juice allow 2 lbs. of loaf sugar, which should be crushed to small lumps, and put into a preserving-pan with the juice. Boil these together for rather more than ½ hour, remove the scum as it rises, add the lemon-juice just before it is done, and put the jelly into pots for use. This preparation is useful for garnishing sweet dishes, and may be turned out for dessert. _Time._—The apples to be put in the oven over-night, and left till morning; rather more than ½ hour to boil the jelly. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 3_s._ _Sufficient_ for 6 small pots of jelly. _Seasonable._—This should be made in September, October, or November.

APPLE JELLY.

_Ingredients._—Apples, water; to every pint of syrup allow ¾ lb. of loaf sugar. _Mode._—Pare and cut the apples into pieces, remove the cores, and put them in a preserving-pan with sufficient cold water to cover them. Let them boil for an hour; then drain the syrup from them through a hair sieve or jelly-bag, and measure the juice; to every pint allow ¾ lb. of loaf sugar, and boil these together for ¾ hour, removing every particle of scum as it rises, and keeping the jelly well stirred, that it may not burn. A little lemon-rind may be boiled with the apples, and a small quantity of strained lemon-juice may be put in the jelly just before it is done, when the flavour is liked. This jelly may be ornamented with preserved greengages, or any other preserved fruit, and will turn out very prettily for dessert. It should be stored away in small pots. _Time._—1 hour to boil the fruit and water; ¾ hour to boil the juice with the sugar. _Average cost_, for 6 lbs. of apples, with the other ingredients in proportion, 3_s._ _Sufficient_ for 6 small pots of jelly. _Seasonable._—Make this in September, October, or November.

APPLE JELLY, Clear, for immediate Eating.

_Ingredients._—2 dozen small apples, 1½ pint of spring-water; to every pint of juice allow ½ lb. of loaf sugar, ½ oz. of isinglass, the rind of ½ lemon. _Mode._—Pare, core, and cut the apples into quarters, and boil them, with the lemon-peel, until tender; then strain off the apples, and run the juice through a jelly-bag; put the strained juice, with the sugar and isinglass, which has been previously boiled in ½ pint of water, into a lined saucepan or preserving-pan; boil all together for about ½ hour, and put the jelly into moulds. When this jelly is clear, and turned out well, it makes a pretty addition to the supper-table, with a little custard or whipped cream round it: a little lemon-juice improves the flavour, but it is apt to render the jelly muddy and thick. If required to be kept any length of time, rather a larger proportion of sugar must be used. _Time._—About 1 hour to boil the apples; ½ hour the jelly. _Average cost_, 2_s._ _Sufficient_ for 1½-pint mould. _Seasonable_ from August to March.

APPLE JELLY, Thick, or Marmalade, for Entremets or Dessert Dishes.

_Ingredients._—Apples; to every lb. of pulp allow ¾ lb. of sugar, ½ teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel. _Mode._—Peel, core, and boil the apples with only sufficient water to prevent them from burning; beat them to a pulp, and to every lb. of pulp allow the above proportion of sugar in lumps. Dip the lumps into water; put these into a saucepan, and boil till the syrup is thick and can be well skimmed; then add this syrup to the apple pulp, with the minced lemon-peel, and stir it over a quick fire for about 20 minutes, or till the apples cease to stick to the bottom of the pan. The jelly is then done, and may be poured into moulds which have been previously dipped in water, when it will turn out nicely for dessert or a side dish; for the latter, a little custard should be poured round, and it should be garnished with strips of citron or stuck with blanched almonds. _Time._—From ½ to ¾ hour to reduce the apples to a pulp; 20 minutes to boil after the sugar is added. _Sufficient._—1½ lb. of apple pulp sufficient for a small mould. _Seasonable_ from August to March; but is best and cheapest in September, October, or November.

APPLE PUDDING, Rich Baked.

_Ingredients._—½ lb. apple pulp, ½ lb. of loaf sugar, 6 oz. of butter, the rind of 1 lemon, 6 eggs, puff-paste. _Mode._—Peel, core, and cut the apples, as for sauce; put them into a stewpan, with only just sufficient water to prevent them from burning, and let them stew until reduced to a pulp. Weigh the pulp, and to every ½ lb. add the sifted sugar, grated lemon-rind, and 6 well-beaten eggs. Beat these ingredients well together; then melt the butter, stir it to the other things, put a border of puff-paste round the dish, and bake for rather more than ½ hour. The butter should not be added until the pudding is ready for the oven. _Time._—½ to ¾ hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 10_d._ _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ from August to March.

APPLE PUDDING, Baked.

_Ingredients._—12 large apples, 6 oz. of moist sugar, ¼ lb. of butter, 4 eggs, 1 pint of bread-crumbs. _Mode._—Pare, core, and cut the apples, as for sauce, and boil them until reduced to a pulp; then add the butter, melted, and the eggs, which should be well whisked. Beat up the pudding for 2 or 3 minutes; butter a pie-dish; put in a layer of bread-crumbs, then the apple, and then another layer of bread-crumbs; flake over these a few tiny pieces of butter, and bake for about ½ hour. A very good economical pudding may be made merely with apples, boiled and sweetened, with the addition of a few strips of lemon-peel. A layer of bread-crumbs should be placed above and below the apples, and the pudding baked for ½ hour. _Time._—About ½ hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 6_d._ _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ from August to March.

APPLE PUDDING, Baked (Very Good).