Part 5

113. Cut your birds in half, wash them and wipe them dry; season with pepper and salt. Line the sides of your pie dish with paste, then place in a layer of reed birds; over these dredge a little flour and put some lumps of butter; then put in another layer of birds, and flour, and butter, till all are in. Put in enough water to make the gravy, cover with a lid of paste, and bake in a moderate oven. Leave an opening in the centre of the top crust to let the steam escape.

FRIED REED BIRDS.

114. Pick them, cut them down the back with a pair of scissors, wash them and dry them in a cloth, season with salt and pepper, dip each one first into some yolk of egg well beaten, then into bread crumbs or grated cracker, and fry them in hot lard and butter mixed in equal portions.

The white of the egg should not be used, as the bread or cracker crumbs will not adhere to the flesh so well.

They may be dressed as above, and fried in the hot lard and butter, without the egg and crumbs.

ROAST TURKEY.

115. Draw your turkey and prepare it for roasting in the same manner as chickens. Make a dressing of bread crumbs, some onions finely minced, pepper, salt, and a little sweet marjoram, with enough butter to make the crumbs adhere together; rub the inside of the turkey with pepper and salt, fill it with this dressing, season the outside with salt and pepper, truss it firmly, put it on the spit, dredge some flour over it, and place it before the fire; baste it with butter while it is cooking. Clean the giblets, boil them in very little water, with some salt. When the turkey is done take it up, pour the liquor the giblets were boiled in, into the gravy which fell from it, chop up the liver and put it in with some butter rolled in flour to thicken the gravy, and more pepper and salt. Serve it hot, with the gravy in a small tureen. A very good dressing may be made of potatoes boiled and finely mashed with onion, pepper and salt, and plenty of butter. Some fill the crop with bread and the inside with potatoes.

BOILED TURKEY.

116. Draw your turkey, wash it clean, season it with salt, but no pepper. Make a force-meat of some cold veal finely minced, a little grated ham, pepper and salt to the taste; add also a little grated nutmeg and powdered mace. Fill the crop of the turkey with this force-meat, tie or skewer it well. Dredge flour over it, and wrap it in a napkin. Put it in a large pot with plenty of water which has been salted. Let it boil for about two hours, which will cook it sufficiently, unless it be a very large one.

Take it out of the napkin, place it on a large dish, garnish the edges of the dish with double parsley, and serve with a rich oyster sauce in a tureen.

ROASTED DUCK, No. 1.

117. Clean your ducks nicely, wash them and wipe them dry. Rub them inside with pepper and salt, and fill them with a dressing made of crumbs of bread, two or three onions finely minced, some pepper, salt, and butter enough to make the crumbs adhere. Some use beaten egg in the dressing, but it makes it tough and heavy. After having filled the ducks truss them and put them on the spit; baste them with butter whilst they are roasting.

Wash the livers, first cut out the gall; with a sharp knife open the gizzards by cutting an incision round them, but not so deep as to cut the inner skin; then with your fingers tear them open. Pour boiling water on the feet and skin them; cut off the toes, and crack the leg in half, wash all these, and stew them in very little water, with pepper and salt. When the ducks are done, add the liquor the giblets were boiled in to the gravy, which has dropped from them, and thicken it with a little butter rolled in flour. Serve the liver on the dish with the ducks.

ROAST DUCK, No. 2.

118. Prepare the ducks as directed above, and for the filling, mince two onions finely, add some pepper, salt, and a table spoonful of powdered sage, with an ounce of butter and some beaten egg.

Rub the inside of the ducks with pepper and salt, put in the dressing, truss them, and put them on the spit. For the gravy, proceed as directed above.

ROAST GOOSE.

119. Clean your goose, wash it, and wipe it dry, then season it with pepper and salt both inside and out. Make a dressing of bread crumbs, pepper, salt, butter, a little sweet marjoram, and some onions finely minced. Fill the goose with this dressing, truss it firmly, and put it on the spit. Whilst it is roasting, baste it with butter, and be careful not to let it burn.

Clean the giblets, put them on in a stew-pan, with very little water, some salt and pepper, and boil them. Add the liquor they were boiled in to the gravy which dripped from the goose. Thicken it with some butter rolled in flour, let it boil a few minutes; add more pepper and salt, if necessary. Pour this gravy in the boat, and serve it with the goose. Some prefer a little sage added to the dressing in place of the sweet marjoram.

A very good dressing for roast goose is to substitute potatoes boiled and finely mashed instead of the bread crumbs, then add the pepper, salt, onions, and sweet marjoram as before.

GIBLET PIE.

120. Wash and clean your giblets, put them in a stew-pan, season with pepper, salt, and a little butter rolled in flour, cover them with water, stew them till they are very tender. Line the sides of your pie dish with paste, put in the giblets, and if the gravy is not quite thick enough add a little more butter rolled in flour. Let it boil once, pour in the gravy, put on the top crust, leaving an opening in the centre of it in the form of a square; ornament this with leaves of the paste. Set the pie in the oven, and when the crust is done take it out.

ROAST CHICKENS.

121. Clean your chickens, wash them and wipe them dry; season them inside with pepper and salt, make a dressing of bread crumbs, some minced onion, pepper, salt, and as much butter as will hold the crumbs together. Fill your chickens with this dressing, skewer them well and season them on the outside with salt and pepper; put them on the spit, dredge a little flour over, and baste them with butter whilst they are roasting.

Boil the gizzards and livers in very little water, take out the liver, chop it up fine, and add it to the water it was boiled in, with a little salt; stir into this all the gravy which dripped from the chickens, and thicken it with some butter rolled in flour.

Partridges are roasted in the same way.

CHICKEN PIE.

122. Cut your chickens in pieces, wash them, and put them in a stew-pan with salt and pepper, and water enough to nearly cover them. To each one, rub one ounce of butter in flour, and add it to the gravy when the chickens are done; let it boil a few minutes. Make a rich paste, line the sides of your pie dish, put in the chickens and half the gravy, cover the pie with the paste; leave an opening in the centre, and ornament the top with paste cut in flowers, or bars twisted and laid across the centre. When the crust is done take out the pie, pour in the remainder of the gravy, and send it to the table in the dish it is baked in. If all the gravy is put in at once it will be apt to boil over the top and disfigure the lid of the pie.

Partridge pies are made in the same manner.

CHICKEN POT PIE.

123. Cut your chickens in pieces, wash them and dry them in a clean napkin; season with salt and pepper. Line the sides of the pot with paste, put in the pieces of chicken, and between every layer of chicken put a piece of butter rolled in flour, with squares of the paste if you choose; pour in enough cold water to cover it, and put on a lid of the paste; leave an opening in the centre of the top crust; cover the pot, place it in front of the fire with a few coals under it. Turn the pot frequently that the crust may be evenly browned all around. When it is done, if the gravy should not be thick enough, add a little more flour mixed with butter. Dish it by putting the top crust on the sides of the dish, lay the chicken in the centre, and place the brown crust on the top. Serve the gravy in a sauce boat.

BROILED CHICKENS.

124. Split them down the back, wash them nicely and wipe them dry. Heat your gridiron, grease the bars, and put your chickens over clear coals. Broil them nicely, be careful not to burn the legs and wings. When done season them with pepper, salt, and a large piece of butter. Send them to the table hot.

Partridges, pheasants and pigeons are broiled in the same way.

FRIED CHICKENS.

125. Wash your chickens, cut them in pieces, season them with pepper and salt. Have in a pan some hot butter and lard mixed; dust some flour over each piece, and fry them slowly till of a bright brown on both sides; take them up, put a little water in the pan, add some butter rolled in flour to thicken the gravy, and more pepper and salt if required. Young spring chickens are only suitable for frying.

BOILED CHICKENS.

126. Clean and wash your chickens, put them in a pot with boiling water enough to cover them; if the water should boil away add more, as the skin will be discolored if not covered with water. Put enough salt in the water to season the chickens sufficiently when they are done; tie some tape around them to keep them in their proper shape; when they are tender take them up and serve them with rich egg sauce.

Boiled chickens are frequently stuffed with bread crumbs, seasoned with pepper, salt, a little onion, finely chopped, and some butter; fill the chickens with this dressing, truss them and tie tape around them to preserve their shape. But it is preferable to boil chickens without the filling, as it soaks the water and becomes very insipid.

STEWED CHICKENS.

127. One pair of large chickens, Two tea spoonsful of salt, One tea spoonful of pepper, Eight tea spoonsful of flour, One pint of water.

Cut up the chickens, separate the thighs from the lower part of the leg, cut the breast in six parts, cut the wings in two parts, and the back in four pieces, put them into a stew-pan with the pepper, salt and flour, stir all well together, and then add the water. Let them stew till perfectly tender. If the gravy should not be thick enough add a little flour mixed with water. Fat chickens require no butter, but early fall chickens would need a quarter of a pound to make a rich gravy.

BROWN FRICASSEE.

128. Cut your chicken in pieces, wash it and wipe it dry; it must be young, an old one would not be tender when cooked in this manner; season it with pepper and salt. Put in your pan some lard or beef dripping, let it get hot, dredge some flour over your chicken and fry it of a handsome brown, turn each piece so as to have both sides done alike. Take the pieces out, put them on a dish, put a little water in the pan with the gravy, and a piece of butter rolled in brown flour to thicken it. Let it boil once and pour it over the chicken.

WHITE FRICASSEED CHICKEN.

129. Cut up a chicken in pieces, wash it, and season with pepper and salt, put it in a stew-pan with a little water, and let it stew till nearly done; then add a tea cupful of cream and some butter rolled in flour to thicken the gravy. If not sufficiently seasoned, add more pepper or salt as may be required. If the chicken is fat very little butter is necessary. Mace or nutmeg may be added if you like spice.

CHICKEN SALAD, No. 1.

130. A pair of large fowls, Four table spoonsful of mixed mustard, or eight of French mustard--the French is preferable, Half a pint of vinegar, Half a pint of sweet oil, The yelks of ten hard boiled eggs, One tea spoonful of cayenne pepper, One tea spoonful of salt, Six large heads of celery.

Boil the fowls in water which has been salted, and stand them away to cool. Take off the skin, cut the meat in small pieces about a quarter of an inch square, then cut the white part of the celery in very small pieces, put it in a colander, place the colander in a pan of cold water in order to keep the celery crisp.

Boil the eggs till the yelks are hard, which will take twenty minutes; mash the yelks with the oil until they are smooth, then add the vinegar, mustard, pepper and salt.

About fifteen minutes before the chicken salad is to be sent to the table, drain the celery, mix it thoroughly with the chicken, and then pour the dressing over it. Stir it well.

Cold veal or turkey is very good dressed in this way.

This receipt may be relied on as being particularly nice. No. 2 is not quite so rich.

CHICKEN SALAD, No. 2.

131. One pair of chickens, Eight eggs, Half a pint of oil, One gill of vinegar, Mustard, pepper, and salt to the taste, Six heads of celery.

Boil the chickens in water with a little salt When cold cut the meat in small pieces about a quarter of an inch square; cut the celery in small pieces and lay it in water; boil the eggs twenty minutes, take out the yelks, mash them fine with the oil, add the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Drain the celery, mix it with the chicken, and stir the mixture of egg, vinegar, oil, &c., well through the chicken and celery.

VEGETABLES.

All vegetables are better to be freshly gathered, when left to stand long, they lose much of their flavor.

Late in the season, when turnips, parsnips, carrots, &c., begin to lose their sweetness, they may be greatly improved by adding a tea spoonful or two of sugar to the water they are boiled in.

BOILED POTATOES, No. 1.

132. Select the potatoes as nearly as possible of the same size. Wash and boil them with the skins on.

Throw a little salt in the water. When they are soft, peel them and send them to the table hot. Or they may be mashed with butter, salt to the taste, and milk or cream in the proportion of an ounce of butter and half a gill of milk or cream to ten potatoes. They should be sent to the table immediately, as they spoil if they stand after they are done.

Put them over the fire, in cold water, or they will be likely to burst before they are cooked.

BOILED POTATOES, No. 2.

133. Wash ten potatoes, boil them in water, with a little salt. When they are soft, peel them, put them in a pan, with an ounce of butter and half a gill of milk or cream. Mash them well, add more salt if necessary, and put them in a vegetable dish.

Have ready an egg beaten light; spread the egg over the potatoes, and brown it with a salamander, if you have one, or wash the pan of the shovel, heat it very hot, and hold it over the potatoes sufficiently near to brown the egg.

Serve it hot.

FRIED POTATOES, No. 1.

134. Boil some potatoes in water a little salted. When they are done, peel them, and set them away to cool. When cold, cut them in thin slices, season with salt and pepper, and dredge a little flour over them.

Have ready some hot lard in a pan, pour in the potatoes, and fry them a delicate brown.

FRIED POTATOES, No. 2.

135. Boil some potatoes; when done, peel them, and set them away to get cold. Then chop them up fine, and add pepper and salt to the taste. Flour them, and fry in hot lard. They must be brown.

Some add a little vinegar just before they are taken out of the pan.

FRIED POTATOES, No. 3.

136. Boil some potatoes, peel, and mash them finely. To ten potatoes add half a gill of milk or cream, and pepper and salt to the taste.

Make the mashed potato in little cakes, flour them on both sides, and fry them in hot lard. If there are any cold mashed potatoes left from dinner, they may be cooked in this way for breakfast.

FRIED POTATOES, No. 4.

137. Boil some potatoes, mash and season them with pepper and salt.

To ten potatoes chop four onions and mix with the mashed potato, and half a gill of milk or cream.

Make it out in small cakes, dredge flour on both sides, and fry them in hot lard till they are of a light brown.

FRIED SWEET POTATOES.

138. Boil some sweet potatoes till they are soft enough to pass the prong of a fork through them. Peel them, and when they get cold slice them. Season with pepper and salt to the taste, dredge flour over, and fry them in hot lard. They should be of a fine light brown.

ROASTED POTATOES.

139. Wash them, and put them in a pan, in a moderate oven. When they can be easily pierced by a fork, they are done.

Serve them with the skins on. Those who reside in the country, and have wood fires, may roast them in the following manner. Sweep the hot stone in front of the fire, place the potatoes on it, and cover them with hot ashes. When they are soft, wipe the skins and send them to the table hot.

POTATO CAKES.

140. Boil six potatoes, mash them fine, and add to them three eggs, boiled hard and finely chopped, with salt and pepper to the taste, and a table spoonful of milk or cream.

Make it out in small cakes, flour them on both sides, and fry them a delicate brown.

POTATO KALE.

141. Six potatoes, Half head of cabbage, Two ounces of butter, One gill of cream.

Put your cabbage on to boil, with a little salt in the water; when it is nearly done, pare your potatoes and put them in with the cabbage. When the potatoes are soft, take them out--drain the cabbage--wipe a sauce-pan, or the pot they were boiled in, put the potatoes and cabbage into it, mash both very fine, add the butter and cream with salt and pepper to the taste. Set the pot over the fire and stir it till the potatoes are hot. Serve it immediately.

This is very good with cold meat.

POTATO SALAD.

(_A German Dish_.)

142. Six potatoes, Six onions, Two ounces of butter, Pepper, salt, and vinegar to the taste.

Boil the potatoes and the onions till they are soft; the onions require about as long again as the potatoes.

Wipe out the pot in which the potatoes were boiled, mash the onions in it, slice the potatoes, but do not mash them, and add to the onions, put in the butter, pepper, salt, and vinegar; set it over the fire and stir it till it is hot, when it will be ready for the table.

Some persons prefer it without the vinegar.

POTATO SAUSAGE.

143. Of cold veal finely chopped add the same quantity of cold mashed potato, and season with pepper and salt to the taste.

Make it out in small cakes, flour them, and fry them a light brown.

They may be fried in sausage gravy if you have any left.

Cold potatoes left from dinner will answer for this dish.

STEWED TOMATOES.

144. If they are not very ripe, pour boiling water over them, and let them stand a few minutes, the skin will peel off very easily.

Then cut them up, put them in a stew-pan without any water, and cook them till they are soft. If they prove too juicy, dip some of the water out and mash them fine. Season with butter, cayenne pepper and salt.

They may be thickened with bread crumbs or grated cracker, if preferred.

FRIED TOMATOES.

145. Wash them, cut them in half, take out the seeds, and season them with pepper and salt.

Have ready some melted butter in a pan, put them into it, and fry them slowly till very soft.

BAKED TOMATOES.

146. Wash them, and cut them in two parts, round the tomato, that is, so as the cells can be divested of the pulp and seeds which they contain. To six tomatoes take half a pint of bread crumbs, one large onion finely chopped, one ounce of butter, pepper and salt to the taste. Fill the cells of each piece with the dressing, put two halves together, and tie them with a piece of thread. Put them in a pan with an ounce of butter and a gill of water, set them in a moderate oven, and cook them till they are soft.

When done, cut off the threads and serve them.

SCALLOPED TOMATOES.

147. Peel fine ripe tomatoes, cut them up in small pieces, and put in a pan a layer of bread crumbs, then a layer of tomatoes, with pepper, salt and some pieces of butter; then put another layer of bread crumbs and tomatoes, and so on till the dish is full. Spread some beaten egg over the top and set it in the oven and bake it.

BROILED TOMATOES.

148. Wash them, cut them in half, take out the seeds, grease the bars of your gridiron, put on the tomatoes and broil them slowly. The bars of the gridiron should not be very far apart. When they are done season them with pepper, salt and butter, and serve them hot.

TOMATOES DRESSED AS CUCUMBERS.

149. Peel some tomatoes, cut them in slices, add salt, pepper and vinegar, and serve them cold.

They may be dressed as above with the addition of mustard and sweet oil.

Some prefer them peeled, sliced, and seasoned only with salt.

TOMATO FRICANDEAU.

150. Get some slices of veal cutlets, pound and wash them, season them with pepper and salt, and fry them slowly till they are done. They should be of a light brown on both sides. Stew some tomatoes very dry, strain them through a sieve to get out all the seeds, pour the pulp into the gravy after the meat has been taken out, and thicken it with a piece of butter rolled in flour. Pour this over the meat and serve it hot.

BAKED BEETS.

151. Wash your beets, put them in a pan, and set them in a moderate oven where they will bake slowly. When they are very soft take them out, remove the skins, slice them, and dress them with butter, pepper and salt, or vinegar if preferred.

They may be boiled and dressed in the same way.

EGG-PLANT, No. 1.

152. Pare and cut them in slices about a quarter of an inch thick, season them with salt and pepper. Have ready some hot butter in a pan, put in the slices and fry them _very slowly_ till they are perfectly soft. There should be enough butter in the pan to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. Serve them hot.

EGG-PLANT, No. 2.

153. Make a batter as for fritters. Slice your egg-plant in thin slices not more than the eighth of an inch thick; cut each slice in four parts, or any size you choose, season with pepper and salt, dip each piece in the batter, and fry them in hot lard of a light brown on both sides.

EGG-PLANT, No. 3.

154. Peel your egg-plant and cut it in thin slices, each slice may be cut in four or five pieces according to the size of the plant. Beat some eggs and have ready some bread crumbs or grated cracker; season your egg-plant, dip each piece in the egg, then in the crumbs, and fry them in hot lard of a handsome brown on both sides.

EGG-PLANT, No. 4.

155. Put on an egg-plant in a vessel of water, and boil it until you can pierce it with a fork, and it is perfectly soft; then take it out, cut it in half, with a spoon scoop out all the inside; season it well with pepper and salt, have some bread crumbs or grated cracker and beaten egg. Take up a portion of the egg-plant about the size of an oyster, with a spoon, dip it into the egg, then into the crumbs, and fry them in hot lard of a light brown on both sides.

EGG-PLANT, No. 5.

(_French mode_.)

156. Cut an egg-plant in half, but do not cut off the rind. Then with a sharp knife score it very deeply, both lengthwise and crosswise, but be careful not to break the skin in so doing. Place each half in a pan with the scored side up, season it with pepper and salt, and over this pour some sweet oil or melted butter, if preferred. Set it in an oven and cook it slowly till the plant is perfectly soft. The top should be brown.

BROWNED EGG-PLANT.

157. Boil an egg-plant in water which has been salted, until it is perfectly soft; when done take it out of the water, cut it in half and scoop out all the inside, mash it very fine, and to every tea cupful of mashed egg-plant add one table spoonful of grated cracker and a dessert spoonful of butter, with salt and pepper to the taste. Put it in the dish it is to be served in, beat an egg light, spread a portion of it over the egg-plant, then strew on some grated cracker, and lastly spread over the remainder of the egg. Set it in the oven and brown it. Serve it hot.

PARSNIPS, No. 1.

158. Scrape and wash your parsnips and put them on with just enough water to boil them and no more; when they are done they should be nearly dry. Then dish them and pour over melted butter and a little salt, or some drawn butter.

PARSNIPS, No. 2.