Part 58

Boar’s Head (_Hure de sanglier_).--To cure and prepare an ordinary pig’s head to have the appearance of a wild boar’s head, the head should be cut off deep into the shoulders before the pig is scalded. The bristles must be singed off with lighted straw. Bone it carefully, beginning under the throat; spread the head out on a large dish, and rub it well with the following ingredients, previously mixed together: 5 lb. common salt, 3½ oz. saltpetre, 5 oz. coarse brown sugar, rather less than ½ oz. juniper berries, 4 bay leaves, cloves, mace, marjoram, basil, and a small handful of thyme. Rub the head thoroughly with this, then pour over it a bottle of port wine (port wine lees will do as well), and let it remain in this pickle a fortnight, taking care to turn it over every day; it will then be ready for dressing. Take it out of the brine, wash it well and then thoroughly dry it with a clean cloth. Prepare a forcemeat as follows: Chop up about 1 lb. veal, and the same of fat bacon, season with chopped mushrooms, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and parsley. When all are finely chopped, put them into a mortar, and pound them together with the yolks of 3 eggs to make it bind. When pounded, remove the forcemeat into a basin. A boiled red tongue and about 2 lb. cold boiled fat bacon will also be wanted, and some truffles. Spread the head out on a board, pare off all the uneven pieces from the cheeks, cut these pieces into narrow slips, cut the tongue up into pieces of a similar shape, avoiding the skin and gristle. Spread the inside of the head with a thick layer of forcemeat, then place on it the fillets of tongue, fat bacon, &c., inserting rows of sliced truffles between, and here and there some pistachio nuts, of which the skin must have been removed by scalding; again spread a layer of forcemeat above these, then another layer of the fillets and truffles, and so on, until there is enough to completely fill up the head and keep it in shape; then close it, sew it up with fine twine, for which use a trussing needle, being sure to take up enough of the skin with each stitch to prevent the possibility of the forcemeat escaping. Spread a strong clean cloth with butter, sew the head up in this, giving it as much as possible its original form. Put it into a large braising pan together with 2 prepared cowheels cut into pieces, and any trimmings of meat there may be; if there should be any bones or remains of cold game in the house, especially grouse, they should be added and would much improve the flavour. Over this pour a sauce prepared in the following manner, and of which there should be enough to cover the head. Chop about 1 lb. beef suet, and the same of fat bacon; put them into a stewpan with a handful of parsley, 6 green onions, a bay leaf, and a sprig of thyme, these all being tied together, 2 carrots, 2 onions, each stuck with 4 cloves, the pulp of two lemons, salt, and a teaspoonful of whole pepper. Stir all these over the fire for about 10 minutes, watching that they do not get brown; then add a bottle of sherry or Madeira, and about 1 qt. or more of good broth; boil this by the side of the fire gently for 1½ hour, then strain it through a tammy, pressing it well to extract all the goodness, and pour the whole over the boar’s head. Set the braising pan over the fire, and as soon as it boils draw it to the side and allow it to gently simmer for about 5 hours. When nearly done, take the pan off the fire, and when the steam has passed off a little remove the head on to a dish. It will be probably found that it has shrunk a good deal in the cloth, so it will be necessary to tighten this to keep it in shape; having done this, put it back into the broth, and let it remain there until it has become quite cold and firm. The head must then be taken out of the stock, which will have set into a jelly; place it on a large baking dish, and put it in the oven for a few minutes to melt the jelly which has adhered to the cloth; when this has melted, at once take it out of the oven and remove the cloth carefully. Glaze the head with some rich brown glaze; place it on a dish standing on a bed of chopped aspic jelly. Garnish with slices of hard-boiled white of egg, and black truffles cut into diamonds, or any other shapes, also some sprigs of parsley. A little of the chopped aspic may also be put on the top of the head, small slices of cut lemon and cucumber are an improvement placed on the border of the dish beyond the chopped aspic.

Brawn (_Fromage de cochon_).--(_a_) The head, feet, tongue, and ears of a pig, having been salted, are boiled with the outside skin of a loin, also salted for a few days. Boil very gently for a long time, till the bones will easily slip out. Take great care that every one is carefully picked out. Keep the skin of the loin whole, but cut the rest into pieces about 2 in. square. Line the brawn mould with the skin, then roll each piece lightly in mixed spice and powdered herbs, flavoured to taste. Pack them tightly in the brawn tin, put on the top, and press it with a heavy weight 24 hours. It is then ready for turning out. Keep it in the following pickle:--Take a sufficient quantity of water (more than will be enough to cover your brawn), add to every gallon of water 2 handfuls of whole malt, and salt enough to give it a strong relish. Let the mixture boil for 1 hour; then strain it into a clean vessel. When quite cold, pour it off into another vessel, keeping back the white sediment; then put in your brawn. A little vinegar may be added, if liked. Fresh pickle should be made about once in 8 days, if the brawn is to be kept long. A common brawn tin is a cylinder of tin without top or bottom, but with 2 round pieces of tin which fit loosely inside it. The tin is about 5 in. in diameter and 1 ft. in height. A heavy weight must fit inside it.

(_b_) Take 4 pigs’ feet, the ears, the tongue, and any pieces you may have, and soak them in salt and water overnight till thoroughly cleansed. Boil them gently for 3 hours, with only enough water to moisten the meat and prevent it from burning; then take out all the bones, cut the tongue into slices, and the ears and bits of skin into strips. Season with pepper, salt, and allspice, and boil in the same liquor for an hour; 6-7 minutes before finished, add a carrot cut into small pieces and a little parsley, chopped fine and scalded. Put into moulds when done.

Ham (_Jambon_) Boiled.--Although the same principles apply to the boiling of hams as do to joints, it is very essential that hams should be soaked in water 24-48 hours, and the water should be changed 2 or 3 times; then they should be washed and scraped and scrubbed perfectly clean, and, being properly trimmed, they should be laid in a boiler filled with cold water, with the addition of carrots, celery, onions, garlic, parsley, thyme, marjoram, bay leaves, cloves, and mace--the proportions of which things must be regulated by the size of the ham and the skill or taste of the cook. Many other things are put in by those who like them--coriander seeds, juniper berries, a small wisp of hay, and even leather shavings, which latter, in the words of an ancient authority, are supposed to give the ham a high flavour. A small handful of saltpetre some put in, to give the flesh a good colour. If the ham is a good one, the colour will be good without the addition of saltpetre, neither is it necessary to tie up a ham in cloth; but what is undoubtedly an improvement to a boiled ham is the addition of a bottle of sherry to the water it is boiled in. Great attention must be paid to the removal of the scum, and the temperature of the water should never be allowed to rise above simmering. An ordinary sized ham will take 4-5 hours to cook. When it is done, it should be allowed to remain in the liquor until it is nearly cold, then it is taken out, the skin is removed, and the top is covered with baked breadcrumbs, glazed, or ornamented as fancy may suggest, with lard, aspic, &c. If it is intended to cut a ham hot, then it should only be partly boiled, and finished by braising.

For a glaze, take 4 lb. shin of beef, 4 lb. knuckle of veal, and 1 lb. lean ham; cut them into small pieces, and put them into a stock pot, with about 2 qt. cold water--enough to cover the meat--let it come gradually to the boil, skim carefully, occasionally adding a dash of cold water; when clear, boil it for 8 hours more, and then strain it through a sieve into a pan. Remove the fat when cold. Pour it into a stewpan--be careful not to let the sediment go in--with 1 oz. whole black pepper, ½ oz. salt, and boil it over a clear fire, leaving the pan uncovered; skim, and when reduced to 1 qt. strain it through a tammy into another stewpan; then let it simmer till, on taking out some with a spoon and allowing it to cool, it will set into a jelly; great care is required to keep it from burning. It should be kept in earthenware pots, and when required for use melted by putting the pots into saucepans of boiling water. To glaze the ham and tongue, wash them over with the melted glaze, using a brush kept for the purpose.

Boned.--Boil the ham, remove the bone, then roll it and put it into a basin or large mould. Put a heavy weight over it, and when cold turn it out and garnish. Forcemeat may be inserted before rolling if liked, or it may be well soaked, then boned and braised, and either served hot or treated as above.

Cake.--A capital way of disposing of the remains of a ham, and makes an excellent dish for breakfast: Take 1½ lb. ham, fat and lean together; put it into a mortar, and pound it; or, if you have that invaluable auxiliary to a kitchen, a sausage machine, pass it through the latter; boil a large slice of bread in ½ pint milk, and beat it and the ham well together; add an egg beaten up. Put the whole into a mould, and bake it a rich brown.

Omelet.--Beat up 3 eggs with pepper and salt to taste, a pinch of parsley, the least bit of shallot, but chopped fine, and as much ham, half lean and half fat, cut up in very small dice as will fill a tablespoon. Cook in butter the usual way, but do not over do it.

Sandwiches.--(_a_) Use English mustard, and no salt; but be very careful not to have too much fat on the slices of ham, and, above all, to cut out every particle that is at all rancid.

(_b_) Grate finely as much well-cooked ham as you are likely to require, flavour it with a very little cayenne and some nutmeg. Roll out some good puff paste very thinly, cut it into two perfectly even portions, prick in one or two places to prevent it rising too highly, and bake in a quick oven till of a golden brown. Then take out and let it stand till cool, when spread a little fresh butter lightly over the whole. This should not be done till the paste is perfectly cool. Now spread the grated ham evenly over the paste, lay the second piece of puff paste over it, and with a very sharp knife cut into small-sized sandwiches. This is a charming supper dish.

Toast.--(_a_) Mince finely ¼ lb. cooked ham with an anchovy boned and washed; add to them a little cayenne and pounded mace. Beat up 2 eggs, mix with the mince, and add just sufficient cream to keep it moist; make it quite hot, and serve very hot on small rounds of toast or fried bread.

(_b_) Chop some ham (which has been previously dressed) very small, and to a large tablespoonful of it add an egg well beaten up, a small bit of butter, and a little cream. Mix all together over the fire till quite hot. Have ready some neatly cut pieces of bread, about the size of a crown piece, but a little thicker, fried in good butter; spread the mixture on these, and serve them on a napkin.

Westphalia Loaves.--Mix 4 oz. grated smoked ham with 1 lb. mealy potatoes, well beaten till quite light, a little butter and cream, and 2 eggs. The mixture must not be too moist. Form into small loaves or balls, and fry in butter a light brown. Serve in a napkin, dry; or if preferred, they may be sent up in a dish with brown gravy.

Pigs’ Feet.--(_a_) Put the feet into a stewpan with a thin slice of bacon, 1 blade of mace, 6 peppercorns, 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 onion, and 1 pint good gravy, and stew them till perfectly tender; the time this will take must depend upon the size of the feet. When they are so tender that the bones separate easily from the flesh, strain the liquor; reserve the bacon, chop it up finely, and add it to the sauce with a thickening of butter and flour. Split each foot in two lengthways, and serve with the gravy poured round, and with nicely-cut sippets of fried bread.

(_b_) Stew 4 pigs’ feet till perfectly tender; if the feet are small they will only require 3 hours, but if large 4 will not be too long. Take them out of the stewpan most carefully, drain thoroughly, and cover them with some freshly made mustard, pepper and salt to taste, the mustard being laid on rather thickly; then put them in front of a very clear hot fire, and let them toast quickly. If this operation is carried out slowly, the feet will become so tough as to be perfectly uneatable. When they are a rich brown colour serve them on a very hot dish, with a good thick brown gravy. This dish is little known, but is most excellent.

Pigs’ Liver.--Wash and soak a pig’s liver till it is quite clean and free from blood; cut it into slices rather less than ½ in. thick, season with pepper; lay them in the sauté-pan with a little butter, and fry over a good fire. When done on one side turn them; put into the pan, and fry with them some shallots and a few sprigs of parsley. When done drain the liver and lay it on a very hot dish. Mix with the butter in which it was fried ½ wineglassful white wine and 1 teaspoonful flour well beaten up together. Do not let it boil. When the sauce is poured over the liver add the juice of a lemon, and serve very hot and quickly. Should the dish be ready before it is wanted, keep it hot over steam or in a bain-marie, but never put it in an oven.

Pork (Porc). And Kidney Pudding.--For a quart basin, mix a ¼ lb. suet, finely shred, with 1 lb. flour, make it into a paste with 1½ gill water. Roll it out and beat it, in order to break up any lumps of suet; line a greased basin with the paste, reserving sufficient of it to make a cover to the pudding. Cut thick slices from the chump end of a fore loin of pork, put a layer at the bottom of the basin, sprinkle pepper and salt over, then a layer of sausage meat, and a layer of mutton or pork kidneys cut in quarters, and so on until the basin is nearly full. About 1½ lb. pork, 1 lb. sausage meat, and 3 kidneys will be enough for a quart basin. Pour in as much stock, water, or gravy made from the bones of the pork as the basin will hold, put on the lid of paste, and having tied the pudding over with a cloth, boil it for 2 hours.

Chops.--Cut some cutlets from a neck of pork, trim them neatly, and take off the chine bone; give them a few blows with the bat, and grill them on, or in front of the fire; sprinkle them with salt, and arrange them in a circle on a dish with mashed potatoes in the centre and the sauce round them.

Croquettes.--Cold roast pork is the best for this purpose. Take about ½ lb., chop it very finely, mix with it 1 tablespoonful flour, well chop a small onion and a shallot, and boil them in a teacupful of good stock; add to this the floured meat, flavouring it with pepper, salt, and a tiny bit of sage, also well chopped. Make this up in the form of sausages, slightly flattened; egg and breadcrumb them, and fry them a light-brown colour. The remains of any cold meat may be used for croquettes made in the same way, omitting the sage, and adding a little mushroom ketchup or Harvey sauce; in doing so, care must be taken not to make the mixture too moist. A few spoonfuls of cold mashed potato, of bread crumbs, or of cold well-boiled rice may be mixed with the mince; less meat will then be required, and the croquettes will, if anything, be nicer.

Pie.--(_a_) Make a paste with ¼ lb. lard and ½ oz. butter to every lb. of flour. Rub a little of the lard into the flour, and then melt the rest of the butter and lard in hot milk and water. When it rises skim it off and mix it warm with the flour, adding sufficient milk or water to make the paste, and a little salt to taste. Knead it well, and then raise the crust in an oval shape. Take some pork with a little fat, cut it into small square pieces, season them with salt, pepper, and cayenne, a little mace, and some finely-shred sage; fill the pie closely, cover it and decorate with paste ornaments, then bake in a slow oven for about 2 hours or more, according to the size of the pie. When done, pour a little gravy made from the trimmings of the pork in through a hole at the top.

(_b_) For making little pork pies for breakfast, like those sold in the shops: 3½ lb. flour, 1 lb. lard, 1½ pint water, 3 teaspoonfuls pepper, 6 of salt, 5 lb. of meat. Boil the lard and water together, pour boiling on the flour, having first made a hole in the flour; mix well, and let it stand by the side of the fire--it must not be too cold or too hot, or it will not raise nicely; mould it as an ordinary raised pie the size you wish, fill the pies with the meat cut in very small square pieces, season it, pour a little water in, put on the lid, pinch the edges together, trim round with scissors, and ornament with leaves formed with a paste cutter; let the pies stand at least 4 hours before baking, put them in rather a slow oven, bake 1½-2 hours; when brought out of the oven, pour in the hole of the lid of the pies, through a funnel, as much gravy as they will take, previously made from the bones and trimmings of the pork.

Roast.--To ensure the crackling being crisp and eating short, care must be taken not to put the joint too near to the fire at first; it should be placed at some little distance, if not the crackling would harden before the meat would be warmed through. If very lean, a little good salad oil should be rubbed in before putting down to roast, and it must be kept thoroughly well basted during the time of roasting.

Sausages (Saucisses).--(_a_) Take of fat and lean about equal portions, rather less of fat; chop very fine, season with pepper, salt, nutmeg, and mace. When filling up the skins, have some warm water, and put in with the meat by degrees, just to soften the meat and make it go in easily.

(_b_) Take 2½ lb. lean of pork, 3 lb. fat, 3 tablespoonfuls finely-powdered sage, 1 oz. salt, 1 oz. pounded pepper; having cut the meat and fat into pieces, mix well together, and press it through some well-cleaned skins with a sausage machine, and twist the links into the lengths required.

(_c_) Mix equal quantities veal, pork, and beef suet, chopped up. To every 1 lb. of each add ½ lb. breadcrumbs, a little lemon peel and nutmeg, a few sage leaves, and a very little savory and marjoram. Season highly with pepper and salt, and proceed as in (_b_). Lovelock’s sausage-making machine greatly facilitates operations.

Sucking Pig (Cochon de lait).--Take a sucking pig about 3 weeks old the day it is killed; be particular to see it is well cleansed; when this is done and the stuffing sewed into the belly--before doing which the inside must be well wiped with a clean damp cloth--wipe the outside of the pig, and rub it well all over with some salad oil; while it is roasting baste it well very frequently with dripping, to keep the skin from blistering, till within ¼ hour of its being done, when you must baste it with a little fresh butter. When you serve the pig the 2 sides must be laid back to back in the dish, with half the head on each side, and one ear at each end, all with crackling side upwards; garnish the dish with slices of lemon, and serve it up with a rich brown gravy in the dish, and also a sauceboat of the same, with one likewise of bread sauce with a few currants in it. Some add a little port wine to the gravy. When the pig is baked, which is the best way of dressing it, you must mix the yolk of a raw egg with a tablespoonful of salad oil to rub it well all over with, basting it frequently with 2-3 oz. butter tied in a piece of clean rag. Stuffing for the pig:--4-5 oz. breadcrumbs, 2 oz. chopped sage leaves, one egg, a little butter, pepper, salt, and cayenne.

Tripe.--This requires to be well cooked and nicely served, and it is then both light and nutritious, and can often be eaten by invalids, or persons having a delicate digestion. Choose a nice white piece; wash it well, and put into a stewpan with sufficient milk and water in equal parts to cover it; let it simmer gently for about ½ hour after it has boiled up. Serve with white sauce, made as above, but omitting the parsley, and garnish the dish with slices of beetroot. Onion sauce may be substituted if preferred, or it may be served simply with a little of the liquor in which it has been cooked poured over it, and some plainly boiled Spanish onions handed round in a vegetable dish; but the first recipe is the most appetising way of sending it to table. It should always be remembered that a little time expended in garnishing tastefully goes far towards making economical cookery a success.

_Veal_ (Veau).--Braised Loin.--Take about 2 oz. butter, 1 carrot, 1 onion, a little parsley, sweet herbs, a leaf or two of basil, and a bay leaf; brown a large crust of bread, and put it in a stewpan with the above things, and fry them until they are brown; then flour the meat, and brown it well, putting it back in the saucepan; add a little stock, and baste it in the gravy till done, and keep turning the meat. Simmer 4 lb. for 3-4 hours.

Calves’ Brains (_a_).--Lay the brains in cold water to whiten. Put them in a stewpan with a little water, a tablespoonful of vinegar, an onion, 2 or 3 cloves, a little white wine, salt, and white pepper. Simmer the brains ½ hour, then lay them on a sieve to drain. When cold cut them in slices, and dip them either in butter or egg and breadcrumbs, seasoned with salt and white pepper; fry them in butter. Serve as a side dish or accompaniment to any delicate vegetable.

(_b_) and Tongue.--After the brains have soaked with the head in cold water 6-8 hours, remove the thin pellicle covering them, and let them soak some time longer in cold water. Have ready a saucepan just large enough to hold the brains covered with water. Put into it a sufficiency of boiling water, and the juice of a lemon, salt to taste, and a bay leaf; lay the brains in this, and let them boil gently about 20 minutes. Lay the brains on a dish, with the tongue (previously boiled with the calf’s head) split in two, on either side of them. Serve with tarragon, tomato, or piquante sauce.

Calves’ Feet. Fritters.--If calf’s foot jelly has to be made, the meat remaining after the boiling down may be well utilised in this way. They must not be allowed to boil for jelly until they fall to pieces, nor would it be necessary for the jelly’s sake to do this; but while firm, though well-boiled, remove them from the stock, take out the bones (returning these to the stock to continue boiling for the sweet jelly), and lay the meat flatly on a dish to get cold. When cold cut them into small pieces, dip each in batter, and fry them a light brown colour; these must be well drained from the fat, piled high on a dish, and sent to table as hot as possible, with the following sauce poured round them: Thicken ½ pint stock with corn flour or arrowroot, add 2 tablespoonfuls tarragon vinegar, one of Mogul or other sauce, a little salt, and a lump of sugar, with a little browning, if necessary, to make it a good colour.