Part 18

_To prepare Soups, &c._—the first care of the Cook will be to see that the stew-pan to be used is well tinned, scalded, and wiped out perfectly clean and dry. She will put some butter or marrow into the bottom of the pan, then lay in a leg or shin of beef with the bones well broken, and the meat cut to pieces; or the skirts of beef, the kidney or melt, or the shank bones of mutton, well cleaned, with the fragments and trimmings of meat and other articles, as above mentioned;—these she will cover close and keep over a _slow fire_ an hour, stirring it up, occasionally, from the bottom, and taking great care that it does not burn.—When all the virtues of the meats are extracted, and the juices are again absorbed by them, she will add water enough to cover them, which will be in the proportion of about a quart of water to a pound of meat, for soup, and to two pounds, for gravies; the scum must then be carefully taken off, _quite clean_, as it rises, after it has boiled; for the more soups and broths are skimmed, the better, and more transparent they will be: and this transparency, combined with their uniformity of taste, constitutes their chief excellence. It is important that the soup be kept _gently simmering_ five or six or more hours, and that then be added a scraped carrot, a head of celery, a couple of onions, two turnips, and a few sweet herbs;—when ready, let it be strained carefully through a clean tamis, previously dipped in cold water, into stone or unglazed earthen pans, and let the fat remain upon it, to preserve it, till wanted.

Soups and broths when done, ought not to be covered, nor put away with vegetables in them.

Use _soft_ water to boil white peas, and let the peas be whole; but _pump_ water will make green peas-soup of a better colour.

A good tureen of peas-soup may be made from the liquor of pork, mutton, or beef.

The lean of hams or gammon of bacon should be used when _Stock_ is made; but if the former, first give it a boil in water, before you put it in, else it will turn the soup red.

The _sediment_ of gravies, &c. that have stood to be cold, should never be used.

A clear jelly of cow-heels makes a great improvement to gravies and soups.

A lump of clarified butter, thoroughly mixed with flour and boiled with the soup will give it a richness and a greater consistency, if required.—A little tarragon added, just before it is served up, will give it an agreeable flavour.

All soups should be sent to table quite hot.

CULLIS, or _brown gravy_, is made with lean veal and ham or gammon, and sweet herbs, &c.

BECHAMEL, or _white sauce_, is made in the same way, but is not browned; it must be improved by the addition of equal quantities of good broth and thick cream simmered with it half an hour, before it is strained off.

The articles used in thickening, seasoning, and flavouring broths and soups, are chiefly bread, flour, oatmeal, peas, rice, Scotch and pearl-barley, isinglass, maccaroni, turnips, beet, carrots, mushrooms, garlick, onions, shallots, cress, parsley, thyme, sage, mint, and other sweet and savoury herbs; also allspice, cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, lemon-juice, essence of anchovies, &c. these combined with wine and mushroom catsup, form an endless variety for flavouring and seasoning broths and soups.

Basil, savoury, and knotted-marjorum, are very pungent, and should be used cautiously.

No Cook can support the credit of her kitchen without having plenty of _gravy_, _cullis_, and _stock_ always at hand, as _these are the bases of all soups and high-seasoned dishes_.

_Sauces and Gravies._

These are simple, and easily made.

GRAVY FOR ROAST MEAT.

Almost every joint will afford trimmings enough to make plain gravy for itself, which may be heightened with a little browning.

Or, half an hour before the meat is done, mix a little salt and boiling water, and drop it on the brown parts of the meat, which catch in something under, and set it by to cool; when the meat is ready, remove the fat, warm the gravy, and pour it into the dish.

Or, the brown bits of roasted or broiled meat, infused a night in boiling water, and the next day just boiled up, and drained off, will make a good gravy.

GRAVY FOR BOILED MEAT.

Make it of the trimmings and paring of the meat.

Or pour as much of the liquor as may be necessary into the dish, and pierce the meat, on the under part, with a skewer.

MELTED BUTTER.

Cut two ounces of butter into small pieces, and put it into a pint saucepan, with a large tea-spoonful of flour, and two table-spoonsful of milk; when thoroughly mixed, add six table-spoonsful of water, shake it continually, over the fire, always the same way, till it simmers, then set it on, and let it just boil up, when it will be about the thickness of cream: if too thick to eat with vegetables, add a little more milk.

_This is the foundation of almost all the sauces._

Two table-spoonsful of mushroom catsup added to this instead of the milk, will make an excellent sauce for _fish_, _flesh_, or _fowl_, and particularly for _chops_ and _steaks_.

If butter be oiled in melting, put in a spoonful of cold water and stir it with a spoon; or pour it forward and backward from the saucepan to the boat, till it is come again.

LEMON SAUCE.

Pare a lemon, cut it into thick slices, and divide these into small squares or dice, which mix with a quarter of a pint of melted butter.

PARSLEY AND BUTTER.

Wash and pick the parsley, very carefully, boil it ten minutes with a tea-spoonful of salt, in a little water, drain it, and bruise it to a pulp, then mix it by degrees with about half a pint of melted butter.

N. B. Sauces of fennel, chervil, basil, tarragon, burnet, cress, &c. may be made in the same way.

ANCHOVY SAUCE.

Pound three anchovies in a mortar with a bit of butter, rub it through a hair-sieve, with the back of a wooden spoon, and stir it into half a pint of melted butter.

CAPER SAUCE FOR MUTTON.

To a quarter of a pint of melted butter put a table-spoonful of capers, and nearly as much vinegar.

GARLIC SAUCE.

Pound two cloves of garlic and proceed as with the anchovy sauce.

SHALOT SAUCE,

Is made with three or four shalots pounded, and done in the same way.

_Browning_,

Is nothing more than pounded white sugar, melted over a slow fire, with a little butter and water, till it begins to smoke and turn brown, then diluted with more water, till about the consistence of soy, and afterwards boiled, skimmed, strained, and preserved in well corked bottles.

ALL PLAIN SAUCES, should taste only of the articles from which they take their names.

In COMPOUND SAUCES the several ingredients should be so nicely proportioned that no particular flavour should predominate.

Soy, walnut-peels, burnt treacle, or sugar, cayenne pepper, or capsicums, chilies, vinegar, pickled herrings, anchovies, sardinias, or sprats, are the bases of almost all the sauces to be found in the shops.

Never season too highly your sauces, gravies, or soups.

Cloves and allspice,—mace and nutmeg,—marjorum, thyme, and savory,—leeks, onions, shalots, and garlic,—need not be mixed together in the same preparation, when either of them will supply the place of the others.

In short, Cooks now know, by experience, that a much less number of ingredients are sufficient to give a finer flavour to sauces, &c. than was formerly used; because, in this age of refined taste, we have learnt to combine the _simply elegant_ with the _purely nutritious_.

_Salads._

These may be eaten at all seasons of the year; but they are most wholesome in the spring, when green herbs, of all kinds, are in the greatest perfection. They are, then, most efficacious, in cleansing, sweetening, and purifying the blood. But, though Salads in the winter act not so powerful as in the spring, yet, such as are to be had, retain all the properties or qualities of their nature, and the warmer kinds, in particular, being gentle, salutary, and most excellent stimulants, are well calculated to warm the stomach, and exhilarate the spirits.

The following are the principal herbs, or vegetables, used in English salads; viz.

Beet Root, Mint, Small Salading Celery, Onions, which are Chervil, Parsley, Turnip, Chives, Radish, Common, Rape, Corn Salad, ————–—, Turnip, Salad Radish, Cucumber, Shalots, Mustard, Garlic, Sorrel, Garden Cress. Lettuce, Water Cresses, and

Balm, Dandelion, Nettle Tops, Sage, Spinage Tops, and Tarragon, are sometimes used.

Besides these, the French use many other articles as Salads, most of which being warm, exhilarating, and antiscorbutic, contribute greatly to their health and cheerfulness; viz.

Balm, Pennyroyal Tops, Dandelion, Sage, Tarragon, Spinage Tops, Nettle Tops.

Salad herbs should be used fresh from the gardens; but if grown stale, they must be refreshed in cold water. They must be carefully picked, and washed clean, and then shaken in a clean cloth to dry.

The ingredients generally used in mixing Salads are eggs boiled hard, and rubbed fine, oil, vinegar, mustard, pepper, and salt.

The adulteration of articles of provision is now so common, that the Cook will do well to be guarded against such impositions, by dealing with respectable tradesmen only.—The articles most frequently adulterated are bread, tea, brown sugars, coffee, mustard, pepper, and all other things that are to pass through the mill.

The Cook should take care to be amply provided with proper instruments, and kitchen utensils of all kinds, without which she can do nothing as it ought to be done. It will be necessary to have graduated glass measures, such as the apothecaries use, divided into tea-spoonsful and table-spoonsful,[14] and also graduated on their sides, according to the following figures, in order to measure quantities of fluids with accuracy.

Scales and weights should also be kept at hand, not only for weighing heavy articles, such as butcher’s-meat, grocery, &c. but also such as will weigh small quantities with accuracy. (_See the Appendix._)

_Before breakfast_, or as soon as possible _after_, the Cook having seen that her assistants in the kitchen are getting forward all things preparatory to the principal dinner, and having also given the kitchen-maid directions for the servants’ dinner, her attention will next be directed to

_The Larder._

The situation of the Larder should be dry, airy, and shady; it should be well ventilated, and kept perfectly clean, cool, and free from smells of all kinds.

The freezing point, or about 32° of Farenheit’s Thermometer, is the most perfect temperature of the atmosphere for preserving animal food.

Moist and close weather is very bad for keeping meat, poultry, &c. A southerly wind is also unfavourable;—and lightning will quickly destroy it.

MEAT.

A large SAFE, pierced with holes on every side, to be hung up in an airy situation, would be a very valuable appendage to every Larder.

_Management of_ BUTCHER’S MEAT, &c. _before it is dressed._

BEEF.

_Management._—When the meat first comes in, trim it neatly and carefully, by cutting out all the bloody parts and the fly-blowings, if any; cut out also the kernels in the thick end of the sirloin, in the fat of the rump, in the pope’s-eye, the thick fat of the buttock, and wherever else they are to be found. Cut off the skirt under the ribs, and as much of the suet from the sirloin and rump as will leave them handsome for dressing. Cut off also the spare suet in the loins of veal and mutton; and the spare fat of necks, or loins of mutton, makes much lighter puddings than suet. Be careful also to take out the pipe which runs along the chine-bone, and the pith which is in the back-bone in the sirloin, rump, &c.; the whole should then be wiped dry, all the holes filled up with salt, and the roasting pieces should be sprinkled with salt and hung up till wanted. In winter, the boiling meat, that is frozen, should be soaked in cold water, two or three hours before it is dressed; but the best way to thaw a roasting joint is to let it be in the warm kitchen several hours before it is put to the fire.

SALTING.

The boiling pieces, if the weather permit, will be the better for hanging a day or two before they are salted. In warm weather, it is best to let them lie an hour, rubbing well every part that is likely to be fly-blown, and then wiping them dry with a cloth, and having salt ready, rub it into every part, taking care to fill the holes where the kernels and skewers have been. Turn them and rub them well with the pickle every day, and in three or four days they will be fit to dress, if wanted. Wash all the boiling pieces before dressing; and its colour will be the better for soaking; but never wash roasting joints before they are dressed, as it robs them of their best juices and finest flavour; it is, therefore, much better to wipe them well with a dry cloth, and pare off the dry parts on the outside.

VEAL.

_Management._—Examine and trim the several joints when they come in; take out the skewers and wipe all the parts dry, particularly round the kidney and udder; cut out the pipe that runs along the chine-bone in the loin and neck; take out the spine in the back-bone, and the kernels in the leg and the chump end of the loin, and cut off the skirt within the breast.

MUTTON.

_Management._—In warm weather, trim the meat as soon as it comes in, as directed for beef: cut out the kernels in the leg, the chine, and near the tail in the loin; cut out also the pipe that runs along the chine-bone, and take out the pith in the chine; cut off the skirt of the breast; wipe all dry with a clean cloth, and hang it up till wanted.

LAMB.

_Management._—Lamb, whether in quarters or joints, should be managed like mutton and beef, as directed.

PORK.

_Management._—Examine and trim it, when brought in, as you do all other kinds of meat. Sprinkle the joints intended for roasting with a little salt, to improve their relish. Cut the joints intended for boiling into suitable pieces, and rub them well with salt as you put them into the salting-pan.

VENISON.

_Management._—To prevent venison from tainting, take the kernel out of the haunch, wash the whole with vinegar and water, then wipe it quite dry, and dust it with ground ginger or pepper, to keep off the flies.—Thus managed, it may be kept a fortnight.

_General Business of the_ LARDER.

Joints of meat, game, &c. should be hung where there is a current of dry air, till they are tender. If they be not kept long enough, they will be hard and tough;—if too long, they lose their flavour. Much loss is sustained by the spoiling of meat in warm weather; to prevent which, as far as possible, it must be turned daily, end for end, and wiped every morning and night, with a clean, dry cloth, to free it and keep it from damp and moisture. If it be feared that any of the ripe meat will not keep till wanted, it should be parboiled, or part-roasted, by which means it may be kept a day or two the longer. Pieces of charcoal should also be put over meat, and a plug of charcoal put into the vents of fowls, &c. a string being tied round their necks. Before dressing meat it must be well washed and wiped dry; except roasting-beef, the dry outsides of which must be pared off. When meat indicates the least degree of putridity it should be dressed with out delay, else it becomes unwholesome. In the latter case, however, even fish, as well as meat, may be reclaimed, by putting pieces of charcoal into the water with it, when boiled or parboiled.—Tainted meat may also be restored by washing it in cold water, and afterwards in strong chamomile tea, and rubbing it dry with a clean cloth; after which it may be sprinkled with salt, and suffered to remain till the next day, if necessary.

In frosty weather all meat should be brought into the kitchen over night, or at least several hours before it is to be dressed.

Early in the morning remove the cold meat into clean dishes; change also, all the broths, soups, gravies, stock, cullis, &c. that require it, into clean scalded stone-pans; and never leave any eatables in copper or brass vessels, for if touched with salt or vinegar, or any acid, and left wet, they will corrode and gather poison.

Turn and rub the meat that is in salt; after which let the Larder be well scoured and cleaned out.

Dried meats, hams, tongues, bacon, &c. must be hung up in a cool, dry place, otherwise they will become rusty.

Bread should be kept in an earthen pan, with a cover, to exclude the air;—it should not be cut till it is a day old.

The vigilant Cook, having attended to the minutiæ of the LARDER, and directed that the shelves and floor be well scoured and washed, and every part made perfectly free from smells, will next, if it be in her department, prepare to go to market, and consult her mistress or the housekeeper accordingly.[15]

Having seen that all the marketing is properly disposed of,—the parlour lunch, nursery and servants’ dinners getting forward, or got out of the way, then commences the _principal_ preparations for the day.

In families where great dinners are seldom given, it will be better, when it can be conveniently done, to make an arrangement, as to the principal dishes, a day or two, or more, before hand. The Cook should never quit her post, on such an occasion, as it requires not only great skill but the utmost attention and exertion to send up the whole of a great dinner, with all its accompaniments, in perfect order.

When there is an opportunity of getting forward the soups, sauces, and made dishes, on the preceding day, it should, by all means, be done; but if not, the soups, &c. should be forwarded early in the morning, and while these are preparing, the joints of meat, cutlets, and other articles should be trimmed, the poultry and game, &c. trussed and made ready for dressing; the vegetables picked quite clean, trimmed, and _well_ washed, and laid separate, in dishes or cullenders. The shalots, onions, sweet-herbs, spices, &c. should also be prepared, and laid quite at hand.

The _Bill of Fare_ being made out, and the hour of active operation approaching, the clock must be consulted, and the different articles prepared and laid to the fire, in succession, according to the times they will take, that all may be ready in due time.—A scene of activity now commences, in which you must necessarily be cool, collected, and attentive.—Have an eye to the roast meat, and an ear to the boils,—and let your thoughts continually recur to the rudiments of your art, which at this moment must be called into practical requisition. You will endeavour that every kind of vegetable, and of sauce, be made to keep pace with the dishes to which they respectively belong—so that all may go up stairs _smoking hot_ together, and in due order.

Let a clean cloth be laid on the kitchen-table, and with the _bill of fare_ for your guide, if neither housekeeper nor the butler be present, let the dishes, intended to be used, be placed on this table, exactly as they are meant to stand on the table in the dining-room, and let every article be taken off the table in the kitchen, by the footman, and proper assistants, in regular order, by which means the butler cannot fail to set them in their proper places above stairs.

In some families, the soups are sent up first; and next, after a few minutes, the fish, then the removes, vegetables, sauces, and the whole of the first course:—mean time the _entremets_, or second course, will be dished and sent up, precisely in the same way. This would be done in all families, at all times, were it not deemed necessary frequently to sacrifice convenience, comfort, and every other consideration, at the shrine of fashion and elegance of appearance.

When the dinner things are brought down, the meat must be removed into clean common dishes; and as many things, such as fricandeaus, stews, &c. may remain untouched, or can be made to do again, when tossed up afresh, in different ways; they must be taken out of the gravies, the garnish, &c. picked clean off them, and the meat put by in clean dishes, and covered with thin slices of bacon. These gravies, and those from the roast meats of different kinds, must all be saved in separate stone pans, as all things of this kind serve to make a _rich kitchen_, and may be converted or applied to various useful purposes. The soups that are left should be strained through sieves to take out the bread and other vegetable matters, which, if left in, would turn them sour.

What sweets are left, such as Blancmange, Jellies, &c. may be melted and run into smaller moulds or shapes, and made to do again. Such management as this is highly commendable in all families, as thereby you are at all times provided for _extra visiters_.

Potted Meats, Collared articles, Anchovies, Oysters and other shell-fish, mock Brawn, cold Hams, Tongue, Stewed Peas, Black Caps, Sweets of various kinds, and some sorts of Tarts, should also be kept ready for suppers and _extra occasions_.[16]

The kitchen fire being _reduced_, and made up for ordinary occasions,—The dishes and every other article that has been used in the course of the day, and particularly the _pots_, _kettles_, _sauce-pans_, and other _culinary utensils_, being all scoured, and made perfectly clean, dried, wiped out, and put in their proper places;—the dressers and tables scoured down, and the whole kitchen made quite clean and put into perfect order, the principal business of the day may be considered at an end, as little more, of consequence, will seldom be required on the part of the Cook, except what further attention the LARDER, in hot weather, may demand, before she retires.

_Useful Hints._

With the utmost attention of the Cook, she can gain no credit, if she send up more than one dish, with all its accompaniments, at a time, and that as quickly as possible.

_Old_ meats do not require so much dressing as _young_, because they may be eaten with the gravy in them.

_Pickled pork_ requires longer dressing, in proportion, than any other meat.

Hashes and minces should be only _simmered_, if boiled, they become hard.

Meat _hastily_ boiled or roasted is, thereby, made the more indigestible, and its juices are wastefully extracted.

The warmer the weather, and the staler the meat, the less time it will take in dressing.

When meat is _overdone_ it is spoiled, and the fault can never be corrected;—when neither _overdone_ nor _underdone_ it is most digestible and most nutritious;—and when thoroughly done, it eats short and tender.

In dressing Meats, be as correct as possible as to quantities, qualities, and time.

Meat that is not to be cut up till cold must be well done, particularly in the summer time.

The greatest skill of the best cook will avail nothing, unless the provisions are good.

The present taste is _simply to boil both carp and tench_; and serve up with plain or savoury sauce, or rather, with Dutch sour sauce, which does not destroy the flavour of the fish.

All fish should be sent up _as hot as possible_, and particularly the sauces. In fact, _all sauces_ ought to be set on the table _quite hot_.

Essence of anchovies is a very good fish-sauce, alone—or otherwise.

To prepare meat in a _hot-bath_ is a most excellent mode of cookery; as it makes it tender without the loss of its juices.