Part 39

_Ingredients._—Pickling onions; to each quart of vinegar, 2 teaspoonfuls of allspice, 2 teaspoonfuls of whole black pepper. _Mode._—Have the onions gathered when quite dry and ripe, and, with the fingers, take off the thin outside skin; then, with a silver knife (steel should not be used, as it spoils the colour of the onions), remove one more skin, when the onion will look quite clear. Have ready some very dry bottles or jars, and as fast as they are peeled, put them in. Pour over sufficient cold vinegar to cover them, with pepper and allspice in the above proportions, taking care that each jar has its share of the latter ingredients. Tie down with bladder, and put them in a dry place, and in a fortnight they will be fit for use. This is a most simple recipe and very delicious, the onions being nice and crisp. They should be eaten within 6 or 8 months after being done, as the onions are liable to become soft. _Seasonable_ from the middle of July to the end of August.

=ONIONS, Pickled.=

_Ingredients._—1 gallon of pickling onions, salt and water, milk; to each ½ gallon of vinegar, 1 oz. of bruised ginger, ¼ tablespoonful of cayenne, 1 oz. of allspice, 1 oz. of whole black pepper, ¼ oz. of whole nutmeg bruised, 8 cloves, ¼ oz. of mace. _Mode._—Gather the onions, which should not be too small, when they are quite dry and ripe; wipe off the dirt, but do not pare them; make a strong solution of salt and water, into which put the onions, and change this, morning and night, for 3 days, and save the _last_ brine they were put in. Then take the outside skin off, and put them into a tin saucepan capable of holding them all, as they are always better done together. Now take equal quantities of milk and the last salt and water the onions were in, and pour this to them; to this add 2 large spoonfuls of salt, put them over the fire, and watch them very attentively. Keep constantly turning the onions about with a wooden skimmer, those at the bottom to the top, and _vice versâ_; and let the milk and water run through the holes of the skimmer. Remember, the onions must never boil, or, if they do, they will be good for nothing; and they should be quite transparent. Keep the onions stirred for a few minutes, and, in stirring them, be particular not to break them. Then have ready a pan with a colander, into which turn the onions to drain, covering them with a cloth to keep in the steam. Place on a table an old cloth, 2 or 3 times double; put the onions on it when quite hot, and over them an old piece of blanket; cover this closely over them, to keep in the steam. Let them remain till the next day, when they will be quite cold, and look yellow and shrivelled; take off the shrivelled skins, when they should be as white as snow. Put them into a pan, make a pickle of vinegar and the remaining ingredients, boil all these up, and pour hot over the onions in the pan. Cover very closely to keep in all the steam, and let them stand till the following day, when they will be quite cold. Put them into jars or bottles well bunged, and a tablespoonful of the best olive-oil on the top of each jar or bottle. Tie them down with bladder, and let them stand in a cool place for a month or six weeks, when they will be fit for use. They should be beautifully white, and eat crisp, without the least softness, and will keep good many months. _Seasonable_ from the middle of July to the end of August.

ONIONS, Spanish, Baked.

_Ingredients._—4 or 5 Spanish onions, salt, and water. _Mode._—Put the onions, with their skins on, into a saucepan of boiling water slightly salted, and let them boil quickly for an hour. Then take them out, wipe them thoroughly, wrap each one in a piece of paper separately, and bake them in a moderate oven for 2 hours, or longer, should the onions be very large. They may be served in their skins, and eaten with a piece of cold butter and a seasoning of pepper and salt; or they may be peeled, and a good brown gravy poured over them. _Time._—1 hour to boil, 2 hours to bake. _Average cost_, medium-sized, 2_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ from September to January.

ONIONS, Spanish, Pickled.

_Ingredients._—Onions, vinegar; salt and cayenne to taste. _Mode._—Cut the onions in thin slices; put a layer of them in the bottom of a jar; sprinkle with salt and cayenne; then add another layer of onions, and season as before. Proceeding in this manner till the jar is full, pour in sufficient vinegar to cover the whole, and the pickle will be fit for use in a month. _Seasonable._—May be had in England from September to February.

ONIONS, Spanish, Stewed.

_Ingredients._—5 or 6 Spanish onions, 1 pint of good broth or gravy. _Mode._—Peel the onions, taking care not to cut away too much of the tops or tails, or they would then fall to pieces; put them into a stewpan capable of holding them at the bottom without piling them one on the top of another; add the broth or gravy, and simmer _very gently_ until the onions are perfectly tender. Dish them, pour the gravy round, and serve. Instead of using broth, Spanish onions may be stewed with a large piece of butter: they must be done very gradually over a slow fire or hot-plate, and will produce plenty of gravy. _Time._—To stew in gravy, 2 hours, or longer if very large. _Average cost_, medium-sized, 2_d._ each. _Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons. _Seasonable_ from September to January.

_Note._—Stewed Spanish onions are a favourite accompaniment to roast shoulder of mutton.

ORANGE BRANDY. (Excellent.)

_Ingredients._—To every ½ gallon of brandy allow ¾ pint of Seville orange-juice, 1¼ lb. of loaf sugar. _Mode._—To bring out the full flavour of the orange-peel, rub a few lumps of the sugar on 2 or 3 unpared oranges, and put these lumps to the rest. Mix the brandy with the orange-juice, strained, the rinds of 6 of the oranges pared very thin, and the sugar. Let all stand in a closely-covered jar for about 3 days, stirring it 3 or 4 times a day. When clear, it should be bottled and closely corked for a year; it will then be ready for use, but will keep any length of time. This is a most excellent stomachic when taken pure in small quantities; or, as the strength of the brandy is very little deteriorated by the other ingredients, it may be diluted with water. _Time._—To be stirred every day for 3 days. _Average cost_, 7_s._ _Sufficient_ to make 2 quarts. _Seasonable._—Make this in March.

ORANGE CREAM.

_Ingredients._—1 oz. of isinglass, 6 large oranges, 1 lemon, sugar to taste, water, ½ pint of good cream. _Mode._—Squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemon; strain it, and put it into a saucepan with the isinglass, and sufficient water to make it in all 1½ pint. Rub the sugar on the orange and lemon-rind, add it to the other ingredients, and boil all together for about 10 minutes. Strain through a muslin bag, and, when cold, beat up with it ½ pint of thick cream. Wet a mould, or soak it in cold water; pour in the cream, and put it in a cool place to set. If the weather is very cold, 1 oz. of isinglass will be found sufficient for the above proportion of ingredients. _Time._—10 minutes to boil the juice and water. _Average cost_, with the best isinglass, 3_s._ _Sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

ORANGE CREAMS.

_Ingredients._—1 Seville orange, 1 tablespoonful of brandy, ¼ lb. of loaf sugar, the yolks of 4 eggs, 1 pint of cream. _Mode._—Boil the rind of the Seville orange until tender, and beat it in a mortar to a pulp; add to it the brandy, the strained juice of the orange, and the sugar, and beat all together for about 10 minutes, adding the well-beaten yolks of eggs. Bring the cream to the boiling-point, and pour it very gradually to the other ingredients, and beat the mixture till nearly cold; put it into custard-cups, place the cups in a deep dish of boiling water, where let them remain till quite cold. Take the cups out of the water, wipe them, and garnish the tops of the creams with candied orange-peel or preserved chips. _Time._—Altogether, ¾ hour. _Average cost_, with cream at 1_s._ per pint, 1_s._ 7_d._ _Sufficient_ to make 7 or 8 creams. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

_Note._—To render this dish more economical, substitute milk for the cream, but add a small pinch of isinglass to make the creams firm.

ORANGE FRITTERS.

_Ingredients._—For the batter, ½ lb. of flour, ½ oz. of butter, ½ saltspoonful of salt, 2 eggs, milk, oranges, hot lard or clarified dripping. _Mode._—Make a nice light batter with the above proportion of flour, butter, salt, eggs, and sufficient milk to make it the proper consistency; peel the oranges, remove as much of the white skin as possible, and divide each orange into eight pieces, without breaking the thin skin, unless it be to remove the pips; dip each piece of orange in the batter. Have ready a pan of boiling lard or clarified dripping; drop in the oranges, and fry them a delicate brown from 8 to 10 minutes. When done, lay them on a piece of blotting-paper before the fire, to drain away the greasy moisture, and dish them on a white d’oyley; sprinkle over them plenty of pounded sugar, and serve quickly. _Time._—8 to 10 minutes to fry the fritters; 5 minutes to drain them. _Average cost_, 9_d._ _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

ORANGE GRAVY, for Wildfowl, Widgeon, Teal, &c.

_Ingredients._—½ pint of white stock, 1 small onion, 3 or 4 strips of lemon or orange peel, a few leaves of basil, if at hand, the juice of a Seville orange or lemon, salt and pepper to taste, 1 glass of port wine. _Mode._—Put the onion, cut in slices, into a stewpan with the stock, orange-peel, and basil, and let them simmer very gently for ¼ hour or rather longer, should the gravy not taste sufficiently of the peel. Strain it off, and add to the gravy the remaining ingredients; let the whole heat through, and, when on the point of boiling, serve very hot in a tureen which should have a cover to it. _Time._—Altogether ½ hour. _Sufficient_ for a small tureen.

ORANGE JELLY.

_Ingredients._—1 pint of water, 1½ to 2 oz. of isinglass, ½ lb. of loaf sugar, 1 Seville orange, 1 lemon, about 9 China oranges. _Mode._—Put the water into a saucepan, with the isinglass, sugar, and the rind of 1 orange, and the same of ½ lemon, and stir these over the fire until the isinglass is dissolved, and remove the scum; then add to this the juice of the Seville orange, the juice of the lemon, and sufficient juice of China oranges to make in all 1 pint: from 8 to 10 oranges will yield the desired quantity. Stir all together over the fire until it is just on the point of boiling; skim well; then strain the jelly through a very fine sieve or jelly-bag, and when nearly cold, put it into a mould previously wetted, and, when quite set, turn it out on a dish, and garnish it to taste. To insure this jelly being clear, the orange- and lemon-juice should be well strained, and the isinglass clarified, before they are added to the other ingredients, and, to heighten the colour, a few drops of prepared cochineal may be added. _Time._—5 minutes to boil without the juice; 1 minute after it is added. _Average cost_, with the best isinglass, 3_s._ 6_d._ _Sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

ORANGE MARMALADE.

_Ingredients._—Equal weight of fine loaf sugar and Seville oranges; to 12 oranges allow 1 pint of water. _Mode._—Let there be an equal weight of loaf sugar and Seville oranges, and allow the above proportion of water to every dozen oranges. Peel them carefully, remove a little of the white pith, and boil the rinds in water 2 hours, changing the water three times to take off a little of the bitter taste. Break the pulp into small pieces, take out all the pips, and cut the boiled rind into chips. Make a syrup with the sugar and water; boil this well, skim it, and, when clear, put in the pulp and chips. Boil all together from 20 minutes to ½ hour; pour it into pots, and, when cold, cover down with bladders or tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. The juice and grated rind of 2 lemons to every dozen of oranges, added with the pulp and chips to the syrup, are a very great improvement to this marmalade. _Time._—2 hours to boil the orange-rinds; 10 minutes to boil the syrup; 20 minutes to ½ hour to boil the marmalade. _Average cost_, from 6_d._ to 8_d._ per lb. pot. _Seasonable._—This should be made in March or April, as Seville oranges are then in perfection.

ORANGE MARMALADE.

_Ingredients._—Equal weight of Seville oranges and sugar; to every lb. of sugar allow ½ pint of water. _Mode._—Weigh the sugar and oranges, score the skin across, and take it off in quarters. Boil these quarters in a muslin bag in water until they are quite soft, and they can be pierced easily with the head of a pin; then cut them into chips about 1 inch long, and as thin as possible. Should there be a great deal of white stringy pulp, remove it before cutting the rind into chips. Split open the oranges, scrape out the best part of the pulp, with the juice, rejecting the white pith and pips. Make a syrup with the sugar and water; boil it until clear; then put in the chips, pulp, and juice, and boil the marmalade from 20 minutes to ½ hour, removing all the scum as it rises. In boiling the syrup, clear it carefully from scum before the oranges are added to it. _Time._—2 hours to boil the rinds, 10 minutes the syrup, 20 minutes to ½ hour the marmalade. _Average cost_, 6_d._ to 8_d._ per lb. pot. _Seasonable._—Make this in March or April, when Seville oranges are in perfection.

ORANGE MARMALADE, an easy way of Making.

_Ingredients._—To every lb. of pulp allow 1½ lb. of loaf sugar. _Mode._—Choose some fine Seville oranges; put them whole into a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them, and stew them until they become perfectly tender, changing the water 2 or 3 times; drain them, take off the rind, remove the pips from the pulp, weigh it, and to every lb. allow 1½ of loaf sugar and ½ pint of the water the oranges were last boiled in. Boil the sugar and water together for 10 minutes; put in the pulp, boil for another 10 minutes; then add the peel cut into strips, and boil the marmalade for another 10 minutes, which completes the process. Pour it into jars; let it cool; then cover down with bladders, or tissue-paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. _Time._—2 hours to boil the oranges; altogether ½ hour to boil the marmalade. _Average cost_, from 6_d._ to 8_d._ per lb. pot. _Seasonable._—Make this in March or April.

ORANGE MARMALADE, made with Honey.

_Ingredients._—To 1 quart of the juice and pulp of Seville oranges allow 1 lb. of the rind, 2 lbs. of honey. _Mode._—Peel the oranges, and boil the rind in water until tender, and cut it into strips. Take away the pips from the juice and pulp, and put it with the honey and chips into a preserving-pan; boil all together for about ½ hour, or until the marmalade is of the proper consistency; put it into pots, and, when cold, cover down with bladders. _Time._—2 hours to boil the rind, ½ hour the marmalade. _Average cost_, from 7_d._ to 9_d._ per lb. pot. _Seasonable._—Make this in March or April.

ORANGE MARMALADE, Pounded.

_Ingredients._—Weight and ½ in sugar to every lb. of oranges. _Mode._—Cut some clear Seville oranges in 4 pieces, put all the juice and pulp into a basin, and take out the seeds and skins; boil the rinds in hard water till tender, changing the water 2 or 3 times while boiling; drain them well, and pound them in a mortar; then put them into a preserving-pan with the juice and pulp, and their weight and ½ of sugar; boil rather more than ½ an hour. _Time._—About 2 hours to boil the rinds, ½ an hour the marmalade.

ORANGE PUDDING, Baked.

_Ingredients._—6 oz. of stale sponge cake or bruised ratafias, 6 oranges, 1 pint of milk, 6 eggs, ½ lb. of sugar. _Mode._—Bruise the sponge-cake or ratafias into fine crumbs, and pour upon them the milk, which should be boiling. Rub the rinds of 2 of the oranges on sugar, and add this, with the juice of the remainder, to the other ingredients. Beat up the eggs, stir them in, sweeten to taste, and put the mixture into a pie-dish previously lined with puff-paste. Bake for rather more than ½ hour; turn it out of the dish, strew sifted sugar over, and serve. _Time._—Rather more than ½ hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 6_d._ _Sufficient_ for 3 or 4 persons. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

ORANGE PUDDING, Seville.

_Ingredients._—4 Seville oranges, 6 oz. of fresh butter, 12 almonds, ½ lb. of sifted sugar, the juice of 1 lemon, 8 eggs. _Mode._—Boil the oranges and chop them finely, taking out all the pips. Put the butter, the almonds, blanched and chopped, and the sugar, into a saucepan, to which add the orange pulp and the lemon-juice. Put it on a hot plate to warm, mixing all together until the butter is thoroughly melted. Turn the mixture out, let it get cold, then add the eggs, which should be well whipped. Put all into a baking-dish, bordered with puff paste, and bake from ½ hour to 40 minutes, according to the heat of the oven. _Time._—½ hour to 40 minutes. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

ORANGE SALAD.

_Ingredients._—6 oranges, ¼ lb. of muscatel raisins, 2 oz. of pounded sugar, 4 tablespoonfuls of brandy. _Mode._—Peel 5 of the oranges; divide them into slices without breaking the pulp, and arrange them on a glass dish. Stone the raisins, mix them with the sugar and brandy, and mingle them with the oranges. Squeeze the juice of the other orange over the whole, and the dish is ready for table. A little pounded spice may be put in when the flavour is liked; but this ingredient must be added very sparingly. _Average cost_, 1_s._ _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

ORANGE WINE, a very Simple and Easy Method of Making a very Superior.

_Ingredients._—90 Seville oranges, 32 lbs. of lump sugar, water. _Mode._—Break up the sugar into small pieces, and put it into a dry, sweet, 9-gallon cask, placed in a cellar or other storehouse, where it is intended to be kept. Have ready close to the cask two large pans or wooden keelers, into one of which put the peel of the oranges pared quite thin, and into the other the pulp after the juice has been squeezed from it. Strain the juice through a piece of double muslin, and put into the cask with the sugar. Then pour about 1½ gallon of cold spring water on both the peels and the pulp; let it stand for 24 hours, and then strain it into the cask; add more water to the peels and pulp when this is done, and repeat the same process every day for a week: it should take about a week to fill up the cask. Be careful to apportion the quantity as nearly as possible to the seven days, and to stir the contents of the cask each day. On the _third_ day after the cask is full—that is, the _tenth_ day after the commencement of making—the cask may be securely bunged down. This is a very simple and easy method, and the wine made according to it will be pronounced to be most excellent. There is no troublesome boiling, and all fermentation takes place in the cask. When the above directions are attended to, the wine cannot fail to be good. It should be bottled in 8 or 9 months, and will be fit for use in a twelvemonth after the time of making. Ginger wine may be made in precisely the same manner, only, with the 9-gallon cask for ginger wine, 2 lbs. of the best whole ginger, _bruised_, must be put with the sugar. It will be found convenient to tie the ginger loosely in a muslin bag. _Time._—Altogether, 10 days to make it. _Average cost_, 2_s._ 6_d._ per gallon. _Sufficient_ for 9 gallons. _Seasonable._—Make this in March, and bottle it in the following January.

ORANGES, Compôte of.

_Ingredients._—1 pint of syrup, 6 oranges. _Mode._—Peel the oranges, remove as much of the white pith as possible, and divide them into small pieces without breaking the thin skin with which they are surrounded. Make the syrup by recipe, adding the rind of the orange cut into thin narrow strips. When the syrup has been well skimmed, and is quite clear, put in the pieces of orange, and simmer them for 5 minutes. Take them out carefully with a spoon without breaking them, and arrange them on a glass dish. Reduce the syrup by boiling it quickly until thick; let it cool a little, pour it over the oranges, and, when cold, they will be ready for table. _Time._—10 minutes to boil the syrup; 5 minutes to simmer the oranges; 5 minutes to reduce the syrup. _Average cost_, 9_d._ _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

ORANGES, a Pretty Dish of.

_Ingredients._—6 large oranges, ½ lb. of loaf sugar, ¼ pint of water, ½ pint of cream, 2 tablespoonfuls of any kind of liquor, sugar to taste. _Mode._—Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and boil them until the sugar becomes brittle, which may be ascertained by taking up a small quantity in a spoon, and dipping it in cold water; if the sugar is sufficiently boiled, it will easily snap. Peel the oranges, remove as much of the white pith as possible, and divide them into nice-sized slices, without breaking the thin white skin which surrounds the juicy pulp. Place the pieces of orange on small skewers, dip them into the hot sugar, and arrange them in layers round a plain mould, which should be well oiled with the purest salad-oil. The sides of the mould only should be lined with the oranges, and the centre left open for the cream. Let the sugar become firm by cooling; turn the oranges carefully out on a dish, and fill the centre with whipped cream, flavoured with any kind of liqueur, and sweetened with pounded sugar. This is an exceedingly ornamental and nice dish for the supper-table. _Time._—10 minutes to boil the sugar. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 8_d._—_Sufficient_ for 1 mould. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

ORANGES, Iced.

_Ingredients._—Oranges; to every lb. of pounded loaf sugar allow the whites of 2 eggs. _Mode._—Whisk the whites of the eggs well, stir in the sugar, and beat this mixture for ¼ hour. Skin the oranges, remove as much of the white pith as possible without injuring the pulp of the fruit; pass a thread through the centre of each orange, dip them into the sugar, and tie them to a stick. Place this stick across the oven, and let the oranges remain until dry, when they will have the appearance of balls of ice. They make a pretty dessert or supper dish. Care must be taken not to have the oven too fierce, or the oranges would scorch and acquire a brown colour, which would entirely spoil their appearance. _Time._—From ½ to 1 hour to dry in a moderate oven. _Average cost_, 1½_d._ each. _Sufficient._—½ lb. of sugar to ice 12 oranges. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

ORANGES, Preserved.