  Take three fine sweetbreads, clean them well with milk and water, in order to make them as white as possible; do them gradually in a stewpan with good white gravy, some onion, carrot, and celery, with a little mace; then stuff them well with pistachio nuts nicely bruised; put them “en papillote” (that is, to oil or butter a piece of paper, which you fasten round by twisting it along the edge) and give them a nice wholesome colour; they will require from twenty to twenty-five minutes to bring them to a proper state of excellence, with the good, fine, wholesome colour they may be served up, with white endive, or celery sauce aux pistaches, after the above manner. Potage froid, ou Salade À la Dr. Roots.Make some very good and highly-flavoured calf’s-head soup, with a good abundance of egg and forcemeat balls, and some sausage-meat introduced therein; the pieces of calf’s-head should not be cut larger than an inch square. When this soup is properly prepared and ripe, pour it into several milkpans, to the depth of about two inches; let it stand in this way to cool and stiffen, for the next day’s use. Dress a nice light salad of mustard and cress, with endive and a slight sprinkle of well-cut celery; take this salad from the bowl (in which it has been dressed), lightly with a fork, and form in a pyramid in the centre of a dish, around which place tastefully-ornamented slices of the cold and substantial soup, cut into slices about the size and thickness of calf’s liver that is usually served up with bacon. Garnish with slices of hard-boiled eggs and lemon. This, if properly managed, forms not only a pretty-looking spring dish, but a most excellent one. Roast Swan À la Norwich.Take three pounds of beef, beat fine in a mortar, Put it into the Swan—that is, when you’ve caught her; Some pepper, salt, mace, some nutmeg, an onion, Will heighten the flavour in Gourmand’s opinion; Then tie it up tight with a small piece of tape, That the gravy and other things may not escape. A meal-paste (rather stiff) should be laid on the breast, And some whited-brown paper should cover the rest. Fifteen minutes at least ere the Swan you take down, Pull the paste off the bird, that the breast may get brown. THE GRAVY.To a gravy of beef (good and strong) I opine You’ll be right if you add half a pint of port wine: Pour this through the Swan—yes, quite through the belly: Then serve the whole up with some hot currant jelly. N. B.—The Swan must not be skinned. ANOTHER RECEIPT.Take two pounds of rump steak, chop it fine, season well with spice, a piece of onion, or eschalot, and butter. Rub the breast both inside and outside with beaten cloves, then stuff with the above, taking care to sew the bird up carefully, and to tie it very tightly on the spit, so that the gravy may not escape. Inclose the breast of the swan in a meal-paste, after which cover the whole bird with paper well greased with beef dripping. About a quarter of an hour before the bird is taken up, remove the paper and the paste, baste well with butter and flour till brown and frothy. A swan of fifteen pounds weight requires about two hours roasting with a fire not too fierce. THE GRAVY.Take the giblets and a piece of beef, with a pint of port wine, and make a good gravy. Pour some of this through the body of the swan when dished. Some red currant jelly and port wine should be made hot and served up likewise. N. B.—The swan is not to be skinned. Cock a Leekie À la Wemyss.To some good stock made the previous night from an old fowl, or of veal, add three pounds of the white part of the leeks, and let the whole boil slowly for three hours, then add a skinned fowl (old or young), cut into neat pieces, and three dozen of good prunes. Let all simmer together for one hour longer. Season with salt and white pepper, and you will have good cock a leekie. N. B.—In frost the leeks require less boiling. |
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