Part 51

_Ingredients._—¾ lb. of rice, water, salt. _Mode._—Pick, wash, and soak the rice in plenty of cold water; then have ready a saucepan of boiling water, drop the rice into it, and keep it boiling quickly, with the lid uncovered, until it is tender, but not soft. Take it up, drain it, and put it on a dish before the fire to dry; do not handle it much with a spoon, but shake it about a little with two forks, that it may all be equally dried, and strew over it a little salt. It is now ready to serve, and may be heaped lightly on a dish by itself, or be laid round the dish as a border, with a curry or fricassee in the centre. Some cooks smooth the rice with the back of a spoon, and then brush it over with the yolk of an egg, and set it in the oven to colour; but the rice, well boiled, white, dry, and with every grain distinct, is by far the more preferable mode of dressing it. During the process of boiling, the rice should be attentively watched, that it be not overdone, as, if this is the case, it will have a mashed and soft appearance. _Time._—15 to 25 minutes, according to the quality of the rice. _Average cost_, 3_d._ _Sufficient_ for a large dish of curry. _Seasonable_ at any time.

RICE, To Boil, for Curries, &c. (Soyer’s Recipe.)

_Ingredients._—1 lb. of the best Carolina rice, 2 quarts of water, 1½ oz. of butter, a little salt. _Mode._—Wash the rice well in two waters; make 2 quarts of water boiling, and throw the rice into it; boil it until three-parts done, then drain it on a sieve. Butter the bottom and sides of a stewpan, put in the rice, place the lid on tightly, and set it by the side of the fire, until the rice is perfectly tender, occasionally shaking the pan to prevent its sticking. Prepared thus, every grain should be separate and white. Either dish it separately, or place it round the curry as a border. _Time._—15 to 25 minutes. _Average cost_, 7_d._ _Sufficient_ for 2 moderate-sized curries. _Seasonable_ at any time.

ROASTING, Memoranda in.

The management of the fire is a point of primary importance in roasting. A radiant fire throughout the operation is absolutely necessary to insure a good result. When the article to be dressed is thin and delicate, the fire may be small; but when the joint is large the fire must fill the grate. Meat must never be put down before a hollow or exhausted fire, which may soon want recruiting; on the other hand, if the heat of the fire become too fierce, the meat must be removed to a considerable distance till it has somewhat abated. Some cooks always fail in roasting, though they succeed in nearly everything else. A French writer on the culinary art says that anybody can learn how to cook, but one must be born a roaster. According to Liebig, beef or mutton cannot be said to be sufficiently roasted, until it has acquired throughout the whole mass a temperature of 158°. But poultry may be well cooked when the inner parts have attained a temperature of 130° to 140°. This depends on the greater amount of blood which beef and mutton contain, the colouring matter of blood not being coagulable under 158°.

ROLLS, Excellent.

_Ingredients._—To every lb. of flour allow 1 oz. of butter, ¼ pint of milk, a large teaspoonful of yeast, a little salt. _Mode._—Warm the butter in the milk, add to it the yeast and salt, and mix these ingredients well together. Put the flour into a pan, stir in the above ingredients, and let the dough rise, covered in a warm place. Knead it well, make it into rolls, let them rise again for a few minutes, and bake in a quick oven. Richer rolls may be made by adding 1 or 2 eggs and a larger proportion of butter, and their appearance improved by brushing the tops over with yolk of egg or a little milk. _Time._—1 lb. of flour, divided into 6 rolls, from 15 to 20 minutes.

ROLLS, Hot.

This dish, although very unwholesome and indigestible, is nevertheless a great favourite, and eaten by many persons. As soon as the rolls come from the baker’s, they should be put into the oven, which, in the early part of the morning, is sure not to be very hot; and the rolls must not be buttered until wanted. When they are quite hot, divide them lengthwise into three; put some thin flakes of good butter between the slices, press the rolls together, and put them in the oven for a minute or two, but not longer, or the butter would oil; take them out of the oven, spread the butter equally over, divide the rolls in half, and put them on to a very hot clean dish, and send them instantly to table.

ROLLS, Fluted.

_Ingredients._—Puff-paste, the white of an egg, sifted sugar, jelly or preserve. _Mode._—Make some good puff-paste (trimmings answer very well for little dishes of this sort); roll it out to the thickness of ¼ inch, and with a round fluted paste-cutter stamp out as many round pieces as may be required; brush over the upper side with the white of an egg; roll up the pieces, pressing the paste lightly together where it joins; place the rolls on a baking-sheet, and bake for about ¼ hour. A few minutes before they are done, brush them over with the white of an egg; strew over sifted sugar, put them back in the oven; and when the icing is firm and of a pale brown colour, they are done. Place a strip of jelly or preserve across each roll, dish them high on a napkin, and serve cold. _Time._—¼ hour before being iced; 5 to 10 minutes after. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 3_d._ _Sufficient._—½ lb. of puff-paste for 2 dishes. _Seasonable_ at any time.

ROUX, Brown, a French Thickening for Gravies and Sauces.

_Ingredients._—6 oz. of butter, 9 oz. of flour. _Mode._—Melt the butter in a stewpan over a slow fire, and dredge in, very gradually, the flour; stir it till of a light-brown colour—to obtain this do it very slowly, otherwise the flour will burn and impart a bitter taste to the sauce it is mixed with. Pour it in a jar, and keep it for use: it will remain good some time. _Time._—About ½ hour. _Average cost_, 7_d._

ROUX, White, for thickening White Sauces.

Allow the same proportions of butter and flour as in the preceding recipe, and proceed in the same manner as for brown roux, but do not keep it on the fire too long, and take care not to let it colour. This is used for thickening white sauce. Pour it into a jar to use when wanted. _Time._—¼ hour. _Average cost_, 7_d._ _Sufficient._—A dessertspoonful will thicken a pint of gravy.

_Note._—Besides the above, sauces may be thickened with potato flour, ground rice, baked flour, arrowroot, &c.: the latter will be found far preferable to the ordinary flour for white sauces. A slice of bread, toasted and added to gravies, answers the two purposes of thickening and colouring them.

RUMP-STEAK, Fried.

_Ingredients._—Steaks, butter or clarified dripping. _Mode._—Although broiling is a far superior method of cooking steaks to frying them, yet, when the cook is not very expert, the latter mode may be adopted; and, when properly done, the dish may really look very inviting, and the flavour be good. The steaks should be cut rather thinner than for broiling, and with a small quantity of fat to each. Put some butter or clarified dripping into a frying-pan; let it get quite hot, then lay in the steaks. Turn them frequently until done, which will be in about 8 minutes, or rather more, should the steaks be very thick. Serve on a very hot dish, in which put a small piece of butter and a tablespoonful of ketchup, and season with pepper and salt. They should be sent to table quickly, as when cold the steaks are entirely spoiled. _Time._—8 minutes for a medium-sized steak, rather longer for a very thick one. _Average cost_, 1_s._ per lb. _Seasonable_ all the year, but not good in summer, as the meat cannot hang to get tender.

_Note._—Where much gravy is liked, make it in the following manner:—As soon as the steaks are done, dish them, pour a little boiling water into the frying-pan, add a seasoning of pepper and salt, a small piece of butter, and a tablespoonful of Harvey’s sauce or mushroom ketchup. Hold the pan over the fire for a minute or two, just let the gravy simmer, then pour on the steak, and serve.

RUMP-STEAK AND KIDNEY PUDDING.

_Ingredients._—2 lbs. of rump-steak, 2 kidneys, seasoning to taste of salt and black pepper, suet crust made with milk (_see_ Pastry), in the proportion of 6 oz. of suet to each 1 lb. of flour. _Mode._—Procure some tender rump-steak (that which has been hung a little time), and divide it into pieces about an inch square, and cut each kidney into 8 pieces. Line the dish with crust made with suet and flour in the above proportion, leaving a small piece of crust to overlap the edge. Then cover the bottom with a portion of the steak and a few pieces of kidney; season with salt and pepper (some add a little flour to thicken the gravy, but it is not necessary), and then add another layer of steak, kidney, and seasoning. Proceed in this manner till the dish is full, when pour in sufficient water to come within 2 inches of the top of the basin. Moisten the edges of the crust, cover the pudding over, press the two crusts together, that the gravy may not escape, and turn up the overhanging paste. Wring out a cloth in hot water, flour it, and tie up the pudding; put it into boiling water, and let it boil for at least 4 hours. If the water diminishes, always replenish with some hot in a jug, as the pudding should be kept covered all the time, and not allowed to stop boiling. When the cloth is removed, cut out a round piece in the top of the crust, to prevent the pudding bursting, and send it to table in the basin, either in an ornamental dish, or with a napkin pinned round it. Serve quickly. _Time._—For a pudding with 2 lbs. of steak and 2 kidneys allow 4 hours. _Average cost_, 2_s._ 8_d._ _Sufficient_ for 6 persons. _Seasonable_ all the year, but more suitable in winter.

_Note._—Rump-steak pudding may be very much enriched by adding a few oysters or mushrooms. In Sussex, the inhabitants are noted for their savoury puddings, which are usually made in the manner just described. It differs from the general way of making them, as the meat is cut up into very small pieces and the basin is differently shaped, resembling a very large saucer: on trial, this pudding will be found far nicer, and more full of gravy, than when laid in large pieces in the dish.

RUMP-STEAK AND OYSTER SAUCE.

_Ingredients._—3 dozen oysters, ingredients for oyster sauce, 2 lb. of rump-steak, seasoning to taste of pepper and salt. _Mode._—Make the oyster sauce, and when that is ready, put it by the side of the fire, but do not let it keep boiling. Have the steaks cut of an equal thickness, broil them over a very clear fire, turning them often, that the gravy may not escape. In about 8 minutes they will be done, when put them on a very hot dish; smother with the oyster sauce, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. Serve quickly. _Time._—About 8 to 10 minutes, according to the thickness of the steak. _Average cost_, 1_s._ per lb. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ from September to April.

RUMP-STEAK or BEEF-STEAK, Broiled.

_Ingredients._—Steaks, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, salt to taste, 1 tablespoonful of good mushroom ketchup or Harvey’s sauce. _Mode._—As the success of a good broil so much depends on the state of the fire, see that it is bright and clear, and perfectly free from smoke, and do not add any fresh fuel just before you require to use the gridiron. Sprinkle a little salt over the fire, put on the gridiron for a few minutes, to get thoroughly hot through; rub it with a piece of fresh suet, to prevent the meat from sticking, and lay on the steaks, which should be cut of an equal thickness, about ¾ of an inch, or rather thinner, and level them by beating them as _little_ as possible with a rolling pin. Turn them frequently with steak-tongs (if these are not at hand, stick a fork in the edge of the fat, that no gravy escapes), and in from 8 to 10 minutes they will be done. Have ready a very hot dish, into which put the ketchup, and, when liked, a little minced shalot; dish up the steaks, rub them over with butter, and season with pepper and salt. The exact time for broiling steaks must be determined by taste, whether they are liked underdone or well done; more than 10 minutes for a steak ¾ inch in thickness, we think, would spoil and dry up the juices of the meat. Great expedition is necessary in sending broiled steaks to table; and, to have them in perfection, they should not be cooked till everything else prepared for dinner has been dished up, as their excellence entirely depends on their being served very hot. Garnish with scraped horseradish, or slices of cucumber. Oyster, tomato, onion, and many other sauces, are frequent accompaniments to rump-steak, but true lovers of this English dish generally reject all additions but pepper and salt. _Time._—8 to 10 minutes. _Average cost_, 1_s._ per lb. _Sufficient._—Allow ½ lb. to each person; if the party consist entirely of gentlemen, ¾ lb. will not be too much. _Seasonable_ all the year, but not good in the height of summer, as the meat cannot hang long enough to be tender.

RUMP-STEAK PIE.

_Ingredients._—3 lbs. of rump-steak, seasoning to taste of salt, cayenne, and black pepper, crust, water, the yolk of an egg. _Mode._—Have the steaks cut from a rump that has hung a few days, that they may be tender, and be particular that every portion is perfectly sweet. Cut the steaks into pieces about 3 inches long and 2 wide, allowing a _small_ piece of fat to each piece of lean, and arrange the meat in layers in a pie-dish. Between each layer sprinkle a seasoning of salt, pepper, and, when liked, a few grains of cayenne. Fill the dish sufficiently with meat to support the crust, and to give it a nice raised appearance when baked, and not to look flat and hollow. Pour in sufficient water to half fill the dish, and border it with paste (_see_ Pastry); brush it over with a little water, and put on the cover; slightly press down the edges with the thumb, and trim off close to the dish. Ornament the pie with leaves, or pieces of paste cut in any shape that fancy may direct, brush it over with the beaten yolk of an egg; make a hole in the top of the crust, and bake in a hot oven for about 1½ hour. _Time._—In a hot oven, 1½ hour. _Average cost_, for this size, 3_s._ 6_d._ _Sufficient_ for 6 or 8 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

RUMP-STEAK PUDDING, Baked.

_Ingredients._—6 oz. of flour, 2 eggs, not quite 1 pint of milk, salt to taste, 1½ lb. of rump-steaks, 1 kidney, pepper and salt. _Mode._—Cut the steaks into nice square pieces, with a small quantity of fat, and the kidney divide into small pieces. Make a batter of flour, eggs, and milk in the above proportion; lay a little of it at the bottom of a pie-dish; then put in the steaks and kidney, which should be well seasoned with pepper and salt, and pour over the remainder of the batter, and bake for 1½ hour in a brisk but not fierce oven. _Time._—1½ hour. _Average cost_, 2_s._ _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

RUMP-STEAK, Rolled, Roasted, and Stuffed.

_Ingredients._—2 lbs. of rump-steak, forcemeat, pepper and salt to taste, clarified butter. _Mode._—Have the steaks cut rather thick from a well-hung rump of beef, and sprinkle over them a seasoning of pepper and salt. Make a forcemeat; spread it over _half_ of the steak; roll it up, bind and skewer it firmly, that the forcemeat may not escape, and roast it before a nice clear fire for about 1½ hour, or rather longer, should the roll be very large and thick. Keep it constantly basted with butter, and serve with brown gravy, some of which must be poured round the steak, and the remainder sent to table in a tureen. _Time._—1½ hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ per lb. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ all the year, but best in winter.

RUMP-STEAK WITH FRIED POTATOES, or BIFTEK AUX POMMES-DE-TERRE (à la Mode Française).

_Ingredients._—2 lb. of steak, 8 potatoes, ¼ lb. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoonful of minced herbs. _Mode._—Put the butter into a frying or sauté pan, set it over the fire, and let it get very hot; peel, and cut the potatoes into long thin slices; put them into the hot butter, and fry them till of a nice brown colour. Now broil the steaks over a bright clear fire, turning them frequently, that every part may be equally done: as they should not be thick, 5 minutes will broil them. Put the herbs and seasoning in the butter the potatoes were fried in, pour it under the steak, and place the fried potatoes round, as a garnish. To have this dish in perfection, a portion of the fillet of the sirloin should be used, as the meat is generally so much more tender than that of the rump, and the steaks should be cut about 1/3 of an inch in thickness. _Time._—5 minutes to broil the steaks, and about the same time to fry the potatoes. _Average cost_, 1_s._ per lb. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ all the year; but not so good in warm weather, as the meat cannot hang to get tender.

RUMP- or BEEF-STEAK, Stewed (an Entrée).

_Ingredients._—About 2 lbs. of beef or rump steak, 3 onions, 2 turnips, 3 carrots, 2 or 3 oz. of butter, ½ pint of water, 1 teaspoonful of salt, ½ do. of pepper, 1 tablespoonful of ketchup, 1 tablespoonful of flour. _Mode._—Have the steaks cut tolerably thick and rather lean; divide them into convenient-sized pieces, and fry them in the butter a nice brown on both sides. Cleanse and pare the vegetables, cut the onions and carrots into thin slices, and the turnips into dice, and fry these in the same fat that the steaks were done in. Put all into a saucepan, add ½ pint of water, or rather more should it be necessary, and simmer very gently for 2½ or 3 hours; when nearly done, skim well, add salt, pepper, and ketchup in the above proportions, and thicken with a tablespoonful of flour mixed with 2 of cold water. Let it boil up for a minute or two after the thickening is added, and serve. When a vegetable-scoop is at hand, use it to cut the vegetables in fanciful shapes; and tomato, Harvey’s sauce, or walnut-liquor may be used to flavour the gravy. It is less rich if stewed the previous day, so that the fat may be taken off when cold; when wanted for table, it will merely require warming through. _Time._—3 hours. _Average cost_, 1_s._ per lb. _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

RUSKS, to make (Suffolk Recipe).

_Ingredients._—To every lb. of flour allow 2 oz. of butter, ¼ pint of milk, 2 oz. of loaf sugar, 3 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of yeast. _Mode._—Put the milk and butter into a saucepan, and keep shaking it round until the latter is melted. Put the flour into a basin with the sugar, mix these well together, and beat the eggs. Stir them with the yeast to the milk and butter, and with this liquid work the flour into a smooth dough. Cover a cloth over the basin, and leave the dough to rise by the side of the fire; then knead it, and divide it into 12 pieces; place them in a brisk oven, and bake for about 20 minutes. Take the rusks out, break them in half, and then set them in the oven to get crisp on the other side. When cold, they should be put into tin canisters to keep them dry; and if intended for the cheese course, the sifted sugar should be omitted. _Time._—20 minutes to bake the rusks; 5 minutes to render them crisp after being divided. _Average cost_, 8_d._ _Sufficient_ to make 2 dozen rusks. _Seasonable_ at any time.

RUSKS, Italian.

A stale Savoy or lemon cake may be converted into very good rusks in the following manner. Cut the cake into slices, divide each slice in two; put them on a baking-sheet, in a slow oven, and when they are of a nice brown and quite hard, they are done. They should be kept in a closed tin canister in a dry place, to preserve their crispness.

SAGE-AND-ONION STUFFING, for Geese, Ducks, and Pork.

_Ingredients._—4 large onions, 10 sage-leaves, ¼ lb. of bread-crumbs, 1½ oz. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, 1 egg. _Mode._—Peel the onions, put them into boiling water, let them simmer for 5 minutes or rather longer, and just before they are taken out, put in the sage-leaves for a minute or two to take off their rawness. Chop both these very fine, add the bread, seasoning, and butter, and work the whole together with the yolk of an egg, when the stuffing will be ready for use. It should be rather highly seasoned, and the sage-leaves should be very finely chopped. Many cooks do not parboil the onions in the manner just stated, but merely use them raw. The stuffing then, however, is not nearly so mild, and, to many tastes, its strong flavour would be very objectionable. When made for goose, a portion of the liver of the bird, simmered for a few minutes and very finely minced, is frequently added to this stuffing; and where economy is studied, the egg may be dispensed with. _Time._—Rather more than 5 minutes to simmer the onions. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 4_d._ _Sufficient_ for 1 goose, or a pair of ducks.

SAGO PUDDING.

_Ingredients._—1½ pint of milk, 3 tablespoonfuls of sago, the rind of ½ lemon, 3 oz. of sugar, 4 eggs, 1½ oz. of butter, grated nutmeg, puff-paste. _Mode._—Put the milk and lemon-rind into a stewpan, place it by the side of the fire, and let it remain until the milk is well flavoured with the lemon; then strain it, mix with it the sago and sugar, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Let the mixture cool a little, and stir to it the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the butter. Line the edges of a pie-dish with puff-paste, pour in the pudding, grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake from ¾ to 1 hour. _Time._—¾ to 1 hour, or longer if the oven is very slow. _Average cost_, 1_s._ _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note._—The above pudding may be boiled instead of baked; but then allow 2 extra tablespoonfuls of sago, and boil the pudding in a buttered basin from 1¼ to 1¾ hour.

SAGO SAUCE FOR SWEET PUDDINGS.

_Ingredients._—1 tablespoonful of sago, 1/3 pint of water, ¼ pint of port or sherry, the rind and juice of 1 small lemon, sugar to taste; when the flavour is liked, a little pounded cinnamon. _Mode._—Wash the sago in two or three waters; then put it into a saucepan, with the water and lemon-peel; let it simmer gently by the side of the fire for 10 minutes, then take out the lemon-peel, add the remaining ingredients, give one boil, and serve. Be particular to strain the lemon-juice before adding it to the sauce. This, on trial, will be found a delicious accompaniment to various boiled puddings, such as those made of bread, raisins, rice, &c. _Time._—10 minutes. _Average cost_, 9_d._ _Sufficient_ for 7 or 8 persons.

SAGO SOUP.

_Ingredients._—5 oz. of sago, 2 quarts of stock. _Mode._—Wash the sago in boiling water, add it, by degrees, to the boiling stock, and simmer till the sago is entirely dissolved, and forms a sort of jelly. _Time._—Nearly an hour. _Average cost_, 10_d._ per quart. _Sufficient_ for 8 persons. _Seasonable_ all the year.

_Note._—The yolks of 2 eggs, beaten up with a little cream, previously boiled, and added at the moment of serving, much improves this soup.

SALAD, Boiled.