Part 55

_Mutton_ (mouton). Baking.--In baking a joint in any kind of oven, the following rules must be enforced to command success. First of all, the joint must be placed in a proper baking tin, which can be bought of any ironmonger for 6-8_s._ This baking tin is a double tin, one placed inside another and has raised grating to place the meat on, which prevents its being sodden in the fat. Water is put in the under-tin to prevent any scorching of the dripping, which imparts such an unpleasant taste to the meat; the small amount of steam from this water helps to keep the meat from drying and hardening, but is not sufficient to sodden it. Secondly, the joint must be put into a thoroughly hot oven, which hardens the outside enough to keep in the gravy. After the first ¼ hour of brisk heat, lower the fire a little, keeping a moderate fire for the rest of the time. The joint must be turned the under side uppermost when it is half cooked, or it will not be evenly done or browned, as the main heat in stoves or kitcheners proceeds from the top of the oven. Thirdly, the oven door should be opened every 10 minutes for a second or two to allow the vapour from the meat to escape: it is the confined vapour of meat in a close oven that makes a baked joint offensive to a sensitive palate. To sum all up in a few words, the oven must be thoroughly hot when the joint is first put in, the meat must be raised above the dripping, water must be used in the under tin, and the oven door must be opened every 10 minutes. Suppose we have a leg or shoulder of mutton to cook, in an ordinary kitchener or stove oven, place the joint, ready trimmed, on the grating of your baking tin, the underside uppermost, as when it is turned it will bring the proper side up to send to table, and be ready for the final browning. Dust it over lightly with flour, and put a lump of dripping in the upper tin to baste with; pour sufficient cold water in the underneath baking tin. Put the joint into the hot oven, and let it remain ¼ hour, if a joint of 10-12 lb.; but if only 5-6 lb., 10 minutes will be enough. Open the oven door once in that time, and baste it at the end of the ¼ hour, then lower the fire a little, and keep a steady even fire all the time the joint is cooking. Baste every 10 minutes, at the same time the door is opened to let the vapour escape. Turn the joint, when half cooked, and flour it a little; and ¼ hour before it is finally cooked dust it well with flour, and do not baste it again unless any part of the meat refuses to moisten and brown, when a very little dripping may be put on this part to bring it to its right colour. When the meat is ready to dish up, take the baking tin out of the oven, put the meat on a warm common dish, and return it to the oven to keep hot while the fat is being separated from the gravy, which is best done by pouring both fat and gravy into a hot basin, and then skimming the fat off quickly with a large spoon. A shoulder of mutton will make very little gravy, and should have some made gravy added to it. An economical way of making the gravy nice is to boil a teacupful of water in a saucepan with a good pinch of salt and a little white pepper in it. Mix ½ teaspoonful flour in a little water until smooth, and stir into the boiling water. Let it boil a minute, and when all the fat is skimmed off the gravy pour the gravy into the saucepan, letting it simmer a second, and pour it over the meat or into a gravy tureen, and send to table.

Breast.--(_a_) With the poor, to whom fat is a necessity, this dish is much in vogue, but to be economical, even from their point of view, it must be bought at a low price. Persons accustomed to the prime parts of mutton are wont to despise the breast; but it may, with a little care and skill, be made into excellent dishes. It is essential that it should be partly prepared the day before using, as it cannot be freed sufficiently from fat until cold. After preparing in the following manner the meat may be made either into a mutton pasty, Devonshire pie mutton pudding, stew, or curry. It is besides excellent eaten cold. Cut the breast into convenient pieces, and lay them in a saucepan, meat downwards, sprinkle with pepper and salt, and slice 3 onions over them. If it is desired to use the fat drawn from the mutton in any way in which the flavour of onions would be objectionable, they must be omitted. Set the stewpan at a low heat, and allow the meat to cook gradually in its own fat and juices. It will take about 3 hours. When done put away the meat on a dish, and the fat in a basin. The next morning a little gravy will be found beneath the cake of fat, which will, from a breast of mutton weighing about 3 lb., be as much as ¾-1 lb. It is excellent fat either for making family cakes and pies or for frying. Use the gravy, with the addition of a little water or stock, onion or other vegetables to dress the meat, in any of the ways above mentioned.

(_b_) Boil it tender, and take out the bones; have ready some parsley and thyme, well chopped, a little salt, pepper, and some breadcrumbs; mix them well, and lay on the top of the lamb, put it down before the fire to brown, and serve it up with a good gravy and a few capers.

Broth.--(_a_) Take ½ lb. Scotch barley, 5-6 lb. mutton (neck or breast), put on the fire with 5 qts. of water, and bring it slowly to a boil. Turnips, carrots, onions, or leeks and celery cut up small, with ½ pint dried green peas, to be added ½ hour after the meat and barley have boiled. The whole then to be simmered 2½ hours longer. The fat must be removed as it rises to the surface when boiling. If preferred, the meat can be served as a separate course, with some large vegetables round it.

(_b_) Take a piece of the best end of a neck of mutton (say 6 cutlets), saw, short off, the end of the ribs in one piece, also the chine, divide the cutlets, and trim off the fat. Put the cutlets, ribs, and chine into a saucepan with 2 qts. cold water, and 2 tablespoonfuls pearl barley; when the saucepan has been on the fire for ½ hour, throw in 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 turnip, and ½ head celery, all cut in small squares the size of peas. Keep on skimming the broth of all fat, and scum at intervals; when it has boiled another hour, add pepper and salt to taste, a pinch of powdered thyme, and a dessertspoonful of finely mixed parsley. Then let the broth simmer gently till wanted, removing the ribs and chine at the time of serving.

Casseroles.--Boil 6 large potatoes; when done add salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, 3 yolks of eggs, 1 oz. butter; beat all well together over the fire a few minutes, then pass through a sieve. Butter a large baking sheet; place the potato on it in a flat heap 1½ in. high. When cold, cut them out with a plain cutter the size of a patty, egg and breadcrumb; make an impression at one end with a smaller cutter, to represent the top of the patty; fry a golden colour in hot lard. Remove the inside, and fill them with the mince moistened in the same way as for patties. Serve very hot on a napkin.

Chops.--Take some chops from a loin of mutton, trim them neatly, and remove all fat; lay them in a deep dish, with slices of onion, a few cloves, whole pepper, salt, and sweet herbs; add oil and vinegar in equal parts just sufficient to cover them; let them marinade for 10-12 hours, turning them occasionally, then broil over a clear fire; arrange them neatly on a dish. Fry one or two shallots, minced very finely in butter; when just beginning to take colour, pour on the chops, and serve with sharp sauce in a boat.

Croquettes.--Roll up the mince in balls, egg and breadcrumb, and fry them in hot lard. They can be made into any shape, such as round balls, diamonds, sugar loaf, or cutlets. They must be served with fried parsley, and very hot.

Cutlets. (_a_) Cold.--Trim some neck cutlets very neatly, remove every particle of fat, and cut the bone quite short. Lard them finely with bacon or ham, and put them into a braising pan on a slice of fat bacon. Add a sliced carrot, a turnip, and an onion, also sliced, a bundle of sweet herbs, whole pepper, and salt to taste. Add a little gravy or good stock--if liked, a glass of white wine. Braise gently for an hour or so. When sufficiently done, drain and put them to press until cold between 2 dishes. Trim them again, glaze with some of the gravy reduced for the purpose, and serve with clarified aspic jelly and sprigs of chervil or tarragon, or with cold tomato sauce.

(_b_) Stewed.--Take some lean, neatly trimmed mutton chops from the loin, and fry them lightly a good brown. Have ready sufficient good, well-seasoned gravy, in which put a few slices of pickled cucumber. Add the chops, and stew most gently 1½-2 hours.

(_c_) With apples and gravy.--Take some cutlets from the neck, trim them neatly; season with pepper and salt, put them in a deep dish, with slices of apples and chopped onions over, pour in sufficient stock or gravy to cover them; put the dish in the oven, cover it over, and let the contents braise gently for ¾ hour, or until thoroughly cooked; serve in the dish in which they were cooked.

(_d_) À la maître d’hôtel.--These may be prepared over night by cutting from a neck of mutton as many as will be required; cut the bones rather short, and cut a cutlet from between every 2 bones, these with the bone being only the thickness of the bone itself; trim off some of the fat, flatten them, season with pepper and salt, and set them in the larder for the night. The next morning prepare the sauce before cooking the cutlets. For this take 1 oz. butter, 1 teaspoonful finely chopped parsley, and a few drops of lemon juice; mix these well together with a knife on a plate, then proceed to fry the cutlets in clarified butter on both sides till quite done; put them at once on to a very hot dish, and put little bits of the _maître d’hôtel_ butter all over them; these at once melt and form a nice savoury gravy.

(_e_) Lamb cutlets.--Take a neck of lamb, divide it into cutlets, trim them neatly, dip them in liquefied butter, sprinkle them with pepper and salt, and broil them in a double gridiron in front of a brisk fire; dispose them in a circle on the dish round a pyramid of spinach.--Pick and wash perfectly clean 2-3 lb. spinach, put it into a saucepan with a little water, and let it boil till quite done. Turn it out on a hair sieve to drain, throw the water away, and pass the spinach through the sieve. Put a good lump of butter into a saucepan with a pinch of flour, mix well, add the spinach, pepper and salt to taste, and a little milk; stir well and serve.

(_f_) Savoury.--Cut the cutlets from a neck of mutton rather thick, lard and put them in a braising pan, with enough good gravy to cover them; add an onion stuck with cloves, a sliced carrot, a faggot of herbs; braise till quite tender. Remove them from the gravy, strain, then reduce it, and skim well. When cold trim the cutlets carefully, simmer till hot in the reduced gravy. Have ready a block of bread (pyramid shape), fry it in butter, put it in the centre of the dish, the cutlets round it (the gravy in the dish), and garnish with new carrots and turnips (cut up small, and previously tossed in butter), arranged alternately between the cutlets. Instead of the block of bread and garnish of carrots and turnips, they may be served with peas or beans, tossed in butter, or with any purée of vegetable, or with tomatoes, &c., according to the season.

Haggis.--The outer covering of this is made from the stomach or paunch of a sheep, which requires great care in the cleansing. It must be well washed, and then be allowed to soak for several hours in salt and water; after this, turn it inside out, put it into boiling water to scald, scrape it well, and then put it into a large basin of cold water to remain till wanted. Care must be taken in scraping that no thin places are left, or they will burst in the boiling. Take a sheep’s pluck, clean it well, piercing the liver and heart in several places to let out the blood. Boil the liver and lights for 1½ hour, putting them into fresh water after they have boiled for ¼ hour, and adding the remainder of the pluck to boil with them during the last ½ hour they are on the fire. Take them off and trim away any discoloured parts and the skin. Grate half the liver, and mince all the rest as finely as possible. Chop 2 good-sized onions and 1 lb. suet, and mix with ½ pint oatmeal previously well dried, 2 teaspoonfuls salt, a dash of cayenne, 1 teaspoonful black pepper, and a little grated nutmeg. To this add the juice of a small lemon, and ½ pint good brown gravy. Mix all thoroughly, take the bag or skin from the cold water in which it has lain since preparing, and into it put the mixture. Sew the skin up securely, not forgetting to leave room for it to swell, and at once put it into boiling water, to remain gently simmering for 3 hours after it again comes to the boil. Just at first it must be occasionally pricked with a needle, to let out the air, and prevent it from bursting. Some people tie it in a cloth as well, for fear of this happening; but it ought not to have one, and with attention it will turn out perfectly well without. A haggis is also sometimes made from the stomach or pluck of a calf or lamb, but that of the sheep is most generally used. If lamb is used for this purpose, great care must be taken to sew up any thin places, or possibly holes in the skin, which from being so tender often occur. Occasionally a small quantity of beef, finely minced, is added to the other ingredients, as described for filling the haggis, but it is more generally made without this addition. It must be served directly it is taken off the fire, as hot as possible, with no gravy or sauce of any kind, nor any garnish, as the gravy from the inside flows all over the dish directly the knife is put into it.

Haricot.--Toss some chops or mutton cutlets in butter till they are a good colour all over. Take them out. Have some carrots and turnips, also potatoes, all cut the same shape, and pass them in butter on the fire, each vegetable separately, till they are half-cooked. Strain the butter so used; add to it a good pinch of flour, or more according to quantity, to thicken the sauce. When the mixture begins to acquire a golden colour, put in as much water (or stock) as will be required for sauce, together with the meat, pepper, salt, a bunch of sweet herbs, with a clove of garlic or a shallot in it. When the meat is half-cooked, add the carrots, after a little time the potatoes, then the turnips. Serve when done, removing the sweet herbs.

Hashed.--(_a_) Mince an onion and fry it in butter to a brown colour, add 1 tablespoonful flour, stir well, pour in enough stock or broth to make the sauce, with a dash of vinegar, pepper, salt, and spices to taste. Let the sauce give a boil, then strain it, and when cold put in the slices of meat well trimmed of any outside parts, and a good allowance of pickled gherkins cut in slices. Let the whole get warm by gentle simmering, and keep it hot till wanted for table. Serve garnished with fried sippets. Cut out of a loaf slices 1 in. thick, shape them into triangles or arrow-heads all of a size; put some butter in a frying-pan, and when quite hot lay the sippets in it. Turn them frequently, adding more butter as it is wanted, and taking care that they are all fried to the same light golden colour. A readier way, but producing not so nice a sippet, is to lay the pieces of bread in the frying basket, and dip it in a saucepan full of boiling fat. They must afterwards be laid in front of the fire to drain.

(_b_) Cut your meat in slices, free from fat, gristle, and skin. Take a flat dish, and cover the bottom with dry flour, seasoned to taste with pepper and salt; rub each piece of meat all over in this flour, and lay them in a “Dutch oven,” i.e., a brown stoneware jar or pot with a lid, and one small hole in it. When you have packed as much meat as you require, pour on the whole some cold gravy free of fat (or stock), seasoned with a dessert spoonful of or more of Worcester or any other favourite sauce; put on the lid, and put it into a slow oven. It may be left any number of hours, and only requires to be occasionally looked at, and a little gravy or hot water added to it, and stir now and then to prevent it getting dry.

(_c_) Roast 1 large or 2 small onions until they are quite black; cut the meat in small thin pieces; put the fat, skin, and bones in a saucepan with the onions and water, allowing for the latter to waste; let all stew until the gravy looks good and rich; then strain, and put the meat and gravy on again, letting them simmer gently until the meat is quite cooked; put a sufficient quantity of mushroom or walnut ketchup in a cup, and stir in enough flour to make a very thick batter, also a liberal quantity of cayenne; add this to the hash, giving it one “boil up,” stirring occasionally, and serve as usual with sippets of toasted bread. (F. J. H.).

(_d_) Chop the bones of the meat and let them simmer 3-4 hours, with 2 good-sized onions previously fried, thicken with flour, and add a little Harvey sauce and soy, then strain. Put the meat (which should be cut into nice slices, but not too thin) into the gravy, and let it heat thoroughly; just before serving, stir in whilst on the fire a good-sized piece of butter. Add pepper and salt.

(_e_) Fry in a saucepan 3 small onions and 3 small slices bacon or ham until they are brown; then add a little more than ½ pint water, and thicken it with flour; then strain it, and add it to the meat, with a little Harvey’s sauce; pepper and salt to taste. It will take about an hour to hash.

(_f_) Cut the mutton into nice slices, free from skin and fat, and dredge each slice on both sides with flour; take 6 good-sized mushrooms, trim them, cut each into 4 pieces, and put them into a stewpan to stew, with a small piece of butter; add a little good stock, some pepper and salt, and, when sufficiently done, put in the meat. Let it heat through slowly, stirring frequently to prevent burning; but be careful that it does not boil, or the meat will be hard; and, as soon as the flour loses its raw taste and thickens the hash, it is done, and should be served immediately with sippets of neatly cut thin toast or fried bread round the dish.

Irish stew.--(_a_) Cut up into cutlets about 3 lb. best end of a neck of mutton, saw off the chine bone, and trim off the fat; season the cutlets well with pepper and salt, and put them with the bones into a stewpan, just covering them with cold water; stew gently for ½ hour, remove from the fire, skim the fat from the gravy, and then return it with the chops into the stewpan; add about 8 potatoes cut in halves, 4 onions sliced, 2 turnips, and 1½ pint of either stock or water; cover the stewpan, and simmer gently for 1½-2 hours. Serve with the potatoes in the centre of the dish, the cutlets arranged all round, and with the onions and gravy poured over.

(_b_) For a more economical stew, take the scrag of mutton, together with any trimmings, bones, &c., from the best end. To 1 lb. meat put 2 lb. old potatoes, peeled and cut in pieces, with 2 onions sliced, pepper and salt, cover with cold water or weak stock, and simmer gently for 2 hours; when half done add a few whole potatoes, and when the ingredients are well amalgamated skim off superfluous fat, and serve very hot.

(_c_) Take any thin pieces of mutton that have been cut off the loin or breast, and cut them in pieces 4 in. square. Put them in a stewpan, and cover them with boiling water. Add 2 doz. whole onions, pepper and salt, put on the cover closely, and draw it to the side of the fire, and let it boil slowly for 1 hour. Add a little boiling water to it. Wash and pare 2 doz. potatoes, put them in the stewpan amongst the mutton, and let them boil till quite soft. Stir the potatoes with the mutton till it becomes smooth, then dish it hot.

(_d_) Put some slices of cold boiled corned beef (never fresh), into a stewpan with a good deal of water or thin stock, 2 large onions sliced, and some cold boiled potatoes (whole), a little pepper. Stew gently until the potatoes are quite soft and have taken up nearly all the gravy; some will break, but they should be as whole as possible. Turn all out on a flat dish and serve. (M. M. F.)

Kidneys.--(_a_) À la maître d’hôtel.--Plunge some mutton kidneys in boiling water; open them down the centre, but do not separate them, peel, and pass a skewer across them to keep them open; pepper, salt, and dip them into melted butter; broil them over a clear fire on both sides, cooking the cut side first; remove the skewers, have ready some maître d’hôtel butter, viz. butter beaten up with chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice; put a small piece into the hollow of each kidney, and serve very hot.

(_b_) Devilled.--Skin and parboil the kidneys, split them in halves without separating them, dip them in liquefied butter, and sprinkle pepper and salt with a judicious proportion of cayenne over them; place them, spread open, in a double gridiron, and broil either in front of or on a brisk fire. Serve hot, placing on each kidney a piece of butter into which has been worked pepper, salt, cayenne, and minced parsley in due proportions.

(_c_) Fried.--Split asunder, and then free from skin and fat; sprinkle them with salt and cayenne pepper, and having put them in the frying-pan, which must be well heated, pour some clarified butter over them. Fry them over a brisk fire, place them in a dish, or upon slices of fried toast; make in the pan some gravy mixed with ketchup, or any sauce which is preferred, and pour it into the dish with the kidneys.

(_d_) Ditto.--For a breakfast dish they should be first skinned and cut open lengthwise down to the root, but without quite separating them. Then season them with pepper and salt, and fry them in butter for about 8 minutes, turning them when they are half done. Serve them very hot, each one on a small round piece of buttered toast, a tiny piece of butter being put upon each kidney.

(_e_) Ditto.--Take six kidneys, remove the skin, and cut them into quarters, fry them in butter for 5 minutes over a bright fire, powdering them over with flour; turn them a moment, in order that the flour may be well cooked. Throw in ½ glass white wine, some mushrooms ready prepared, some chopped parsley, a little shallot, pepper and salt, all to cook in the frying-pan for 8 minutes, stirring it during the time; then serve at once.

(_f_) Grilled.--Cut 3 kidneys in half, dip them in an egg previously beaten up with salt and pepper; pass them in white breadcrumbs; put a piece of butter the size of an egg to melt; when melted, dip in the kidneys and pass them again in breadcrumbs, then grill before a slow fire and serve with sauce piquante on a rich gravy. (Jane Burtenshaw.)

(_g_) Put upon a silver skewer about 6 in. long with ornamental head, and cook in a dish before the fire with a little bacon. The one imparts flavour to the other; they must be served up together.