ENTREES OR MADE DISHES.

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ENTRÉES are, in common terms, what are called made-dishes; of course, these are dishes upon which, in the high class of cookery, the talent of the cook is displayed. Great care should be observed in dishing them up, for the eye is a great assistance to the palate; it often happens that the carelessness of the servant destroys the labors of the cook, by the manner in which the dish is taken from the kitchen to the dining-room. In some measure to avoid that, I direct a small thin border of mashed potatoes, about half an inch wide and a quarter of an inch deep, to be placed on the bottom of the dish, which keeps each object in its place: they should always be served exceedingly hot.

Made Dishes of Beef.—The remainder of any cooked joints of beef may be advantageously and economically dressed in the following ways:


381. Hashed Beef.—Cut the beef into small thin slices, which lay upon a plate, and to every pound of beef add half a tablespoonful of flour, a little chopped onion or eschalot, two salt-spoonfuls of salt, and a half one of pepper, mix the whole well together, and put it into a saucepan, with half a pint of water, stir it over the fire until upon the point of boiling, when set it at the corner of the fire to simmer for ten minutes; it is then ready to serve. A great improvement to the appearance of hash may be effected by adding a few spoonfuls of brown gravy (No. 177), or a teaspoonful of coloring (No. 178), which might always be kept in a bottle. The flavor of any kind of hash may be varied, by adding a few sprigs of parsley, or thyme, or a couple of bay-leaves, or a little tarragon, or a few spoonfuls of catsup, Soyer’s, Harvey’s, Soho, or Reading sauce.


382. Miroton of Beef.—Peel and cut into thin slices two large onions, put them in a stewpan or saucepan, with two ounces of salt butter, place it over a slow fire, keeping the onions stirred round with a wooden spoon until rather brown, but not burnt in the least, then add a teaspoonful of flour, which mix well in, and moisten with half a pint of water or broth if handy, season with three saltspoonfuls of salt, two of sugar, and one of pepper if water has been used, but if broth, diminish the quantity of salt, add a little coloring (No. 178), to improve its appearance; put in the beef, which you have previously cut into small thin slices, as free from fat as possible, let it remain a few minutes upon the fire to simmer, and serve upon a hot dish. To vary the flavor, a tablespoonful of vinegar might be added, or half a glass of sherry. The above proportions are sufficient for one pound and a half of solid meat, and of course could be increased or diminished, if more or less meat.


383. Another way.—Prepare the meat precisely as in the last, and when done put it into a pie-dish, sprinkle bread-crumbs lightly over, enough to cover the meat, upon which lay a small piece of butter, put the dish in the oven for half an hour, or before the fire, with a screen behind it, turning the dish round occasionally. By grating the crust of bread you would obtain some brown bread-crumbs, which would do equally as well as bread rubbed through a sieve.

Should you have any cold from the first receipt, it may be served as here directed; but being cold, would require to be longer in the oven to become well hot through.


384. Another way.—If any left from a previous dinner, put it in a dish, placing the meat in the centre, rather higher, cover over with some delicate mashed potatoes, about two inches in thickness, to form a dome, rub some egg over with a paste-brush, and sprinkle crumbs of bread (either grated or otherwise) upon the top, and set in the oven until well browned, when serve.


385. A quicker way.—Cook a few slices of lean bacon in a frying-pan, but not too much, lay some of them in the bottom of the pie-dish, over which lay slices of beef cut thin, which season with a little pepper, salt, chopped parsley, and chopped eschalots (if not objectionable), sprinkle over a little flour, proceeding thus until the dish is pretty full, when pour over half a gill of broth or water, to which you have added a little coloring, No. 178, (more seasoning would be required if water was used), set the dish in the oven (having previously covered the meat over with mashed potatoes) for about an hour. By adding half the above quantity of liquor, the meat might be covered with a thin suet crust and served as a pie, as also might any of the former receipts, in which also a bay-leaf, chopped parsley, or even chopped gherkins, might be served, being a great improvement.


386. Beef Palates.—Although this is an article very seldom used in small families, they are very much to be commended; they may be dressed in various ways, and are not expensive, about four would be sufficient for a dish. Put them into a large stewpan of lukewarm water, where let them remain four or five hours to disgorge, after which pour off the water, cover again with fresh water, and place the stewpan upon the fire until the palates become hard, when take out one, which dip into cold water, scrape it with a knife, and if the skin comes off easily, take out the remainder, but if not, let them remain a short time longer, scrape them until you have got off all the skin, and nothing but the white half transparent substance remains. Then make a white stock as directed (No. 130), in which boil them three or four hours until very tender, which try with the point of a knife, then take them up, lay them flat upon a dish, covered with a little of the stock, and place another dish of the same size over, to keep them flat, let remain until cold, when they are ready to serve in either of the following ways:—


387. Beef Palates À la Bretonne.—Peel and cut two large onions into slices, which put into a stewpan, with an ounce of butter, stirring them over the fire until lightly fried, when add a teaspoonful of flour, which mix well in, and a gill of broth, season with a little pepper, salt, and sugar, add a few drops of brown gravy or browning (No. 179), and a spoonful of mustard; boil the whole, keeping it stirred until forming a thickish pulp, when cut the palates into square pieces, and put into it; when well hot through they are ready to serve; also make a curry sauce, as No. 151; cut your palate and warm in it, serve with rice separate, and it is delicious.


388. Beef Palates À la Poulette.—Make a little white sauce as directed, No. 130; after having prepared the palates, cut them into square pieces, and put them into a stewpan, just covered with some of the white sauce, season with a little white pepper, salt, sugar, chopped parsley, and the juice of half a lemon; let them simmer about five minutes, when pour in a liaison of one yolk of an egg, mixed with two tablespoonfuls of cream or milk, stir it in rather quickly, and not afterwards permitting it to boil, then turn it upon your dish, place sippets of toasted bread round, and serve: chopped parsley and a little lemon may be added.


389. Beef Palates À la MaÎtre d’HÔtel.—Cut up the palates as in the last, and put them into a stewpan, just covered with melted butter, to which add a gill of milk, let simmer very gently about ten minutes, stirring it round occasionally; have ready two ounces of well-seasoned maÎtre d’hÔtel butter, which put into the stewpan, shaking it round until the butter is melted and well mixed, when serve as in the last.


390. Ox-tails À la JardiniÈre.—Cut and cook two ox-tails as directed for soup, but just before they are done, skim well, and take out the pieces of tails, which put upon a dish, then in another stewpan put two ounces of butter, to which, when melted, add three ounces of flour, stirring it over the fire until forming a brownish roux (thickening), then mix by degrees two quarts of the stock the tails were boiled in, and boil altogether ten minutes, then put in the tails, with one carrot and two turnips (cut into small dice, or any other shape, with a vegetable cutter), and about thirty button onions; let the whole simmer very gently upon the corner of the fire, keeping it well skimmed, until the vegetables are tender, and the sauce sufficiently thick to adhere to the back of the spoon, when dress the meat upon a dish, reduce the sauce, which pour over, and serve.


391. Ox-tails au Gratin.—Cook two ox-tails as before, and when cold, dry them upon a cloth, season with pepper and salt, have a couple of eggs well beaten upon a plate, into which dip each piece singly, afterwards throwing them into a dish of bread-crumbs, to cover every part, then beat them lightly with a knife, and again egg and bread-crumb them, broil them upon a gridiron, or place them in a very hot oven until of a brownish color, when serve with any sauce you may fancy, or with a little plain gravy.


392. Ox-tails, Sauce piquante.—Cook the tails as before, and when done dress them upon your dish pyramidically, then make about a pint of sharp sauce, No. 135, but omitting half the quantity of vinegar, and reducing it until rather thick; season rather highly, add three or four gherkins chopped very fine, pour the sauce over, and serve.


393. Ox Heart.—This dish, although not very recherchÉ, is a good family one, and remarkable for its cheapness. Put it into lukewarm water one hour to disgorge, then wipe it well with a cloth, and stuff the interior with a highly-seasoned veal stuffing, tie it up in paper, and pass a small spit through the sides, set it before a good fire for about two hours to roast, keeping it well basted; when done, take off the paper, and serve with any sharp sauce, or a little plain gravy. Two hours would be sufficient to roast a large heart; but if smaller, of course less time in proportion would be required. I have also stuffed a heart with sage and onion, and even ventured the apple sauce: both succeeded admirably.

I remember, when in business, upon one occasion, having a few friends pop in unexpectedly about luncheon-time upon a Saturday (which is a day I always contrived to keep my larder as short as possible), and having nothing but a heart as a meal to give them, I immediately gave orders to the cook to cut it into slices half an inch thick, dip each piece in flour, and afterwards egg and bread-crumb them, then to put four spoonfuls of oil in the frying-pan, lay part of the pieces in, and sautÉ of a nice color, then to keep them hot in a dish and sautÉ the remainder; and when all done, to pour off part of the oil, put a teaspoonful of flour in the pan, mixing it with the remaining oil and gravy, then pouring in a gill of water, season with a little pepper and salt, four spoonfuls of the vinegar from piccalilly, and a little of the pickle finely chopped; boil the whole a minute, pour over the heart, and serve very hot. It pleased very much, and I have since had some with a little plain gravy, and broiled bacon: in both instances it was very good.


394. Potato Sandwiches.—SautÉ the slices of beef as directed for bubble and squeak, cover one side of each piece with mashed potatoes a quarter of an inch in thickness, egg and bread-crumb over, then proceed the same with the other sides, fry in hot fat of a light brown color, as you would a sole, and serve. Any kind of fresh meat may be used in the same way.


395. Bubble and Squeak.—I am certain you must know, as well as myself, of our hereditary dish called bubble and squeak; but, like the preparation of other things, there is a good way and a bad; and, as you prefer the former to the latter, proceed as follows:—Boil a few greens, or a savoy cabbage (which has been previously well-washed), in plain water until tender, which then drain until quite dry in a colander or sieve, put it upon a trencher, and chop it rather fine with a knife, then for a pound of salt beef you have in slices, put nearly a quarter of a pound of butter into a frying-pan, in which sautÉ the beef gently but not too dry; when done, keep it hot, put the cabbage in the frying-pan, season with a little salt and pepper, and when hot through, dress it upon a dish, lay the beef over and serve. Endive or large cabbage-lettuces may be used instead of cabbage, but care must be taken to drain off all the water.


396. Stewed Beef or Rump Steak.—Have a steak weighing two pounds, and an inch and a half in thickness, then put two ounces of butter at the bottom of a stewpan, when melted lay in the steak, with a quarter of a pound of lean bacon cut into very small square pieces, place the stewpan over the fire, turning the steak over occasionally until a little browned, when lay it out upon a dish, then add a tablespoonful of flour to the butter in the stewpan, which continue stirring over the fire until forming a brownish roux, then again lay in the steak, add a pint of water, with a glass of sherry if handy, and a little pepper, salt, and a couple of bay-leaves, let simmer slowly for one hour, when skim off all the fat, and add twenty button onions, let it again simmer until the onions are very tender, as likewise the steak, which dress upon a dish, take the onions and bacon out with a colander-spoon, and lay them upon the steak, pour the sauce round and serve. This slow process must not alarm you.


397. Ox Brains are prepared exactly as directed for calf’s brains, but being larger, require much longer to disgorge, as also a proportionate time longer to cook; when done, in addition to the sauce ordered for calf’s brains, they may be served with strips of bacon broiled and dressed in a border round, sauce over with highly-seasoned melted butter and parsley sauce. You must observe, that all such kind of dishes being of themselves naturally tasteless, require to be highly seasoned: any sharp sauce is good with it.


398. Beef À-la-Mode.—Procure a small piece of rump, sirloin, or ribs of beef, about twelve pounds in weight, take away all the bone, and lard the meat through with ten long pieces of fat bacon, then put it into a long earthen pan, with a calf’s foot, four onions, two carrots, cut in slices if large, a bunch of parsley, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme, two cloves stuck into one of the onions, half a teaspoonful of pepper, one of salt, four wine-glasses of sherry, four ditto of water, and a pound of streaky bacon cut in squares, place the cover over the pan with a piece of common flour and water paste round the edges to keep it perfectly air-tight, and place it in a moderate oven four hours, when take out of the pan, and dress upon a dish with the vegetables and bacon round, skim and pass the gravy through a hair sieve, which pour over and serve. But the above is best eaten cold, when it should not be taken from the pan, or the pan opened until nearly so.

A long brown earthen pan for the above purposes may be obtained at any china warehouse, but should you not be able to procure one, a stewpan must supply its place.


399. Another method.—Have ready six pounds of rump of beef, cut into pieces two inches square, each of which lard through with two or three strips of bacon; have also two pounds of streaky bacon, which clear from the rind and cut into squares half the size of the beef, put the whole into an earthen pan, with two calf’s feet (cut up small), half a pint of sherry, two bay-leaves, a sprig of thyme, a bunch of parsley, four onions, with a clove stuck in each, a blade of mace, and half a pint of water, cover the pan as in the last, and put it in a moderate oven for three hours; when done, do not remove the lid until three parts cold, then take out the meat, lay some of the beef at the bottom of the stewpan (not too large), then a little bacon, then more beef, and so on alternately, press them lightly together, pass the gravy through a hair sieve over, and leave it until quite cold and set, when dip the stewpan into hot water, and turn it out upon a dish to serve. The calf’s feet may be made hot in a little of the stock, to which add two pats of butter, with which you have mixed a teaspoonful of flour, season with a little chopped parsley and half a spoonful of vinegar, and serve as an entrÉe. The above is excellent either hot or cold.


400. Fillet of Beef.—Procure a piece of fillet of beef weighing about two or three pounds, which may be obtained at any butcher’s, being cut from underneath the rump; trim off part of the fat, so as to round the fillet, which cut into slices the thickness of your finger, beat them lightly with a chopper, and cut the thin skin which covers the top of the fillet, to prevent their curling up whilst broiling; place them upon a gridiron over a sharp fire, seasoning with a little salt and pepper, and turning three or four times to preserve the gravy: about six or seven minutes will be sufficient to cook them. Three or four slices would be sufficient for a corner dish; but if for a principal dish, of course more would be required. Fillet of beef dressed as above may be rubbed over with maÎtre d’hÔtel or anchovy butter, and served very hot.


401. Fillet of Beef sautÉ.—After having cut the fillet in slices as in the last, put two ounces of butter into a clean frying-pan, which set upon the fire, and when melted, lay in the meat, seasoned with a saltspoonful of salt and half that quantity of pepper to each piece; turn them over three or four times whilst cooking, and, when done, dress upon your dish, with either of the butters mentioned in the last spread over.


402. Another method.—When the fillets are dished up, put a tablespoonful of chopped onions into the pan they were cooked in, which cook for about a minute, but not letting them burn, then pour off part of the fat, if too much, and add two teaspoonfuls of flour; stir with a wooden spoon until becoming brownish, then add nearly a pint of water, a tablespoonful of vinegar, and a few drops of browning; let it boil a few minutes, seasoning with a little pepper, salt, and sugar; when of the consistency of thick sauce, pour over the fillets and serve. A few chopped pickles of any description (but not too hot) might be introduced, but then half the quantity of vinegar would be sufficient. A spoonful of Harvey’s sauce may be added, and a little glaze improves it.

Mutton, lamb, or pork-chops, or veal-cutlets may be dressed in a similar manner.


403. Minced Beef.—Cut a pound and a half of lean cooked beef into very small dice, which put upon a plate; in a stewpan put a good teaspoonful of finely-chopped onions, with a piece of butter of the size of a walnut, which stir over the fire until the onions become lightly browned, when stir in half a tablespoonful of flour, with which mix by degrees half a pint of broth (or water) to which you have added a few drops of browning and a teaspoonful of vinegar; let it boil five minutes, stirring it the whole time; then throw in the meat, season rather highly with a little pepper and salt, and, when hot, pour it into a deep dish, and serve with sippets of toasted bread round, or poached eggs on it.


404. Croquettes of Beef.—Proceed precisely as in the last, but omitting the vinegar; when done, stir in two yolks of eggs quickly, stir another minute over the fire, then pour it upon a dish until cold; have a couple of eggs well beaten upon a plate, also some bread-crumbs in a separate dish, then divide the preparation into about a dozen pieces, which roll up into round balls, or any other shape, and throw them into the bread-crumbs, move them over until well covered, then roll them into the egg, then the bread-crumbs again, from which take them gently, patting the surface lightly with a knife, put them into very hot lard or fat to fry of a yellowish-brown color, being careful not to break them whilst frying; when done drain them upon a cloth, and serve either upon a napkin or with fried parsley.


405. A Family French Salad for the Summer.—I can assure you that, when in France during the hot weather, I used to enjoy the following salads immensely, having them usually twice a week for my dinner; they are not only wholesome, but cheap and quickly done. Cut up a pound of cold beef into thin slices, which put into a salad-bowl with about half a pound of white fresh lettuce, cut into pieces similar to the beef, season over with a good teaspoonful of salt, half that quantity of pepper, two spoonfuls of vinegar, and four of good salad oil, stir all together lightly with a fork and spoon, and when well mixed it is ready to serve.

For a change, cabbage-lettuce may be used, or, if in season, a little endive (well washed), or a little celery, or a few gherkins; also, to vary the seasoning, a little chopped tarragon and chervil, chopped eschalots, or a little scraped garlic, if approved of, but all in proportion, and used with moderation. White haricot beans are also excellent with it.


406. Potatoes and Meat Salad.—Proceed as in the last, but omitting the lettuce; if any cold potatoes remain from a previous dinner, peel and cut them in halves if small, but in quarters if large, and then into pieces the size of a shilling but four times the thickness; put them into a salad-bowl with the meat, seasoning as before, but using more oil and vinegar, and adding a teaspoonful of chopped parsley. A small quantity of any description of pickles might be added to this salad, as also some anchovies or olives. The remains of any fowls, turkey, cold veal, lamb, or even mutton, may be mixed in salads, but, according to our habits, many persons would fancy they were not nutritious; of that I can assure them to the contrary.[7]


407. Ox-Kidneys.—Cut a nice fresh ox-kidney into slices, each being about the size of a half-crown piece, but double the thickness (avoiding the white part, or root, which is tough and indigestible), then put a quarter of a pound of butter into a stewpan upon the fire, and when very hot but not black, put in the pieces of kidney, stirring them round with a wooden spoon three minutes over a brisk fire; then add, for each pound weight of kidney, half a tablespoonful of flour, half a teaspoonful of salt, half the quantity of pepper, and a little sugar, moisten with a gill of water and half a glass of sherry, add a little browning if handy, and let simmer gently for five minutes, stirring them round occasionally; if too thick, add a few drops more of water, the same should be sufficiently thick to adhere to the back of the spoon, pour them out upon your dish, and serve very hot. Broth might be used instead of water if convenient, but then the seasoning should be a little diminished, a little chopped eschalot, parsley, or a few mushrooms, would be an improvement.

By cutting an ox-kidney lengthwise in three slices, it might be broiled or sautÉd; if for gentlemen, season rather highly, but if ladies are to be the partakers, season more moderately; a little gravy may be served with it, to which you have added a little catsup; the root of the kidney must not be cut away in this case, although not eatable. Ox-kidneys are also an excellent addition to beef-steak puddings and pies.


408. Ox-Feet or Cow-Heels are very nutritious, especially when well boiled; they may be served in either of the methods directed for tripe, or with a plain parsley-and-butter sauce, to which, for a change, the juice of a lemon or a drop of vinegar may be added. Should any be left from the first day’s dinner, it may be served À la Lyonnaise, as directed for cold tripe.


409. Remains of Ox-Tongue.—The remains of a tongue from a previous dinner may be again served thus:—Cut it into thin slices, put a small piece of butter into a frying-pan, lay the pieces of tongue over, which warm a few minutes in a sautÉ-pan, and serve with veal or fowl, if any; when at home alone, I frequently have it with mashed potatoes under, it makes a very good dish for luncheon. The pieces of tongue might also be egged and bread-crumbed previous to cooking as above, and served with a plain gravy, or any sharp sauce. (See Sauces.) Or should you have any tongue, and veal or beef remaining, sprinkle a little chopped eschalots at the bottom of a pie-dish, lay a layer of meat over, season with a little salt, pepper, and chopped parsley, then a layer of the tongue; have some yellowish crusts of bread grated, a teaspoonful of which sprinkle over the tongue, then again a layer of the meat, proceeding thus until the dish is nearly full, when sprinkle more of the brown bread-crumbs over the top, placing a small piece of butter here and there; pour in two wineglassfuls of water, set it in a warm oven half an hour, and serve very hot. Or instead of bread-crumbs, make a little good mashed potatoes, which spread over it smoothly with a spoon or knife, bake half an hour in a warm oven, and serve.

Should the remains of a tongue be but small, and if well pickled and boiled, the root and all would be excellent in any kind of beef, lamb, mutton, veal, or pork, hashed, or in pies or puddings made from those meats.


410. Remains of Salt Beef.—The remains of salt beef are very excellent, served in the few following ways, no matter from what joint, or from what part of the joint: cut as large and thin slices as possible, dip each slice into some vinegar from mixed pickles, previously poured upon a plate in small quantities; lay about a pound of the meat thus prepared upon a flat dish, pour a wineglassful of water over, warm it through in the oven, or before a small fire, and serve. Another way is, after having dipped the beef in pickles, roll them in flour and proceed as above, adding double the quantity of water. Another way is to sautÉ the slices with a little butter in a frying-pan, have ready some nice mashed potatoes very hot, lay the beef over, and serve.

Fricandeau of Veal.—This is a very favorite dish of mine. It is generally considered an expensive one, but the way in which I do it, it is not so; besides which, it gives a nice piece of veal at table, when a fillet would be too large. I proceed to prepare it thus:


411. Having the fillet prepared with the bone out as if for roasting, I lay it on a board with the skin side downwards, and then remove (not cutting it) that part of the outside which is separated from the thick fleshy part (in France called “la noix”) of the fillet by a skin; I then place my hand on the top of the thick part, and cut away two thirds of it, leaving an inch to an inch and a half of flesh for the fillet. I then take a chopper dipped in cold water, and beat the veal with the flat part, so as to make it of an equal thickness; I then lard it (see Larding). You may not succeed very well the first or second time, but now I am quite an artist in larding, as is also my cook, whom I taught, it being so much like sewing. But should you not be able to manage it, you must send it to the poulterer. The remains make an excellent fillet for another day’s dinner. Having proceeded thus far, I then cook it in the following manner:


412. I take a stewpan of a convenient size, and lay on the bottom six or eight slices of bacon, and place the fricandeau on them; I then take two onions, two small carrots cut in slanting pieces, which place round it; I then make a bouquet of ten sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, two of bay-leaf, which I put in with two cloves, half a blade of mace, and about a pint of broth or water, so as not to cover the larding; if no broth, use water and a teaspoonful of salt, cover it with a sheet of buttered paper, set it on a moderate fire; when on the point of boiling, put it in a slack oven, where let it remain for two or three hours; be careful every twenty minutes to moisten or baste the fricandeau with the gravy which is in the stewpan; the slower it is done the better; ten minutes before it is removed from the oven, take off the paper, in order that the top may obtain a nice yellow color; if the oven should not be hot enough, place live coals on the lid of the stewpan until done, try also if it is tender with a pointed knife.

This dish ought to be carved with a spoon, being so tender; but I prefer to cut it with a very sharp knife, as it is more inviting in appearance. If you have no oven ready, stew gently on a hot plate, or by the side of the stove, with the lid on and live coals on the top. If you let it burn by any neglect or accident, do not tell your friends that I gave you the receipt, as it would eat so very bad, and I should lose my good name. It can be served with any sauce or purÉe, but the one I prefer is as follows: Take the gravy from the stewpan, which ought to be about half a pint, if not so much add water, pass it through a fine sieve into a basin, remove the fat from the top, put it into a small stewpan, reduce it a little to a demi-glaze, mix half a teaspoonful of arrow-root in a cup, with a little water, put it in the gravy, boil two minutes; it ought to be of a bright yellow color, and transparent; the fricandeau should be served with gravy under it. The following purÉes are excellent to serve with it: sorrel, endive, peas, beans, artichokes, and spinach; tomato, mushroom, and cucumber sauces, &c. If a piece of udder can be procured, stew it with the fricandeau, and serve it in the same dish. This receipt will well repay the trouble attending it. The following is very good, and more simple.


413. Fricandeau Bourgeoise, in its Gravy.—Cut as before from the fillet, cut the bacon the same as for the neck, and laid with about thirty large pieces, but in a slanting direction, leaving but little of the bacon to be seen, as the object is to give all the advantage of the bacon to the meat; put it into a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter, a quarter of an ounce of salt, and one tenth of that of pepper; set it on the fire for five minutes, turn it with a fork round and round, then rake some cinders over the coals or charcoal so as to make it go slow, and until it becomes of a nice yellow color; then add a gill of water, a bay-leaf, half an onion, stew until quite tender, turning it over and over now and then; put it on a dish, skim the fat off the gravy, pour it over, and serve. It may also be served thus: by throwing into the stewpan about twenty mushrooms, well washed about ten minutes before serving; if the gravy is too thin, add a little arrow-root, and serve: it can also be served with the sauces named in the former Receipt. Nothing is nicer cold than this; if required to be re-warmed, put it into a little broth or warm water, and heat slowly.


414. Calf’s Liver sautÉ.—Cut it into slices, put a little butter in the sautÉ- or frying-pan, when melted, lay the liver in season with salt, pepper, a teaspoonful of chopped eschalot, parsley, and grated nutmeg, sautÉ on a sharp fire, when rather brown on both sides dredge a tablespoonful of French vinegar, or a glass of wine, stir it well, and boil for a few minutes; dish the liver in crowns; if the sauce is too pale, add a little mushroom catsup or coloring, and it had better be too thin than too thick; taste if well seasoned, and serve: the above is for about two pounds of liver.


415. Calf’s Liver, English way.—Cut the liver into thin slices, dip them in flour, and put in a sautÉ or frying-pan in which some slices of bacon have been previously cooked, and have left sufficient fat in it; sautÉ the liver until quite brown and rather crisp, when take out and place it upon a dish with the bacon, then dredge a spoonful of flour in the pan, or enough to absorb all the fat in it, then add a little broth or water so as to make it a thinnish sauce, season it, and add two spoonfuls of Harvey’s sauce or mushroom catsup. If the above is nicely done, and the pieces cut the size of cutlets, it will make a nice entrÉe for an ordinary dinner. It should be served immediately, and very hot.


416. Calf’s Liver, dry.—The same may be served dry with the bacon, or with any sharp sauce.


417. Calf’s Heart, roasted.—Proceed exactly the same as for ox’s heart, only this being more delicate and smaller requires less time to roast, from half an hour to one hour, depending on the size; they may also be cut in slices and sautÉd like the liver above; or, by having four for a large dish they may be dressed exactly like the liver (No. 415), but white instead of brown; stuff them and sautÉ white in butter, which depends on a slow fire, and, adding the flour, just give a few turns and add the broth immediately, then the onions and mushrooms, season as described in the liver, stew very gently for one hour, take out the hearts, skim off the fat, let it be thickish, boil down a little if required, prepare two yolks of eggs well beaten, with a quarter of a gill of milk, broth, or water, which pour into the same, stir quick for half a minute, add the juice of half a lemon, trim the hearts, dish them in a dish with the points upwards, pour the sauce over, and serve.


418. Roast Sweetbreads.—Take the sweetbreads and lay them in water at blood-heat, to disgorge, for three to four hours; then blanch them for two minutes in boiling water, put them into a stewpan with a few slices of carrot, onions, turnip, a little parsley, thyme, bay-leaf, six peppercorns, a blade of mace, and a small piece of bacon, cover over with a little broth or water, and let it boil for twenty minutes; take them out and dry them in a cloth, egg and bread-crumb them, tie them on a spit, and roast a nice brown color for ten to fifteen minutes; or they may be browned in an oven, or fried in very hot lard for ten minutes, in which case they should stew a little longer; they may be served with plain gravy and a piece of toasted bread under, or a little melted butter and some Harvey’s, Reading, or Soyer’s sauce, and a little catsup added to it, boiled and poured round it; or with any of the sauces fricandeau. The heart-bread being generally so expensive, I seldom make use of it, but it may be blanched, larded, cooked, and served like the fricandeau, diminishing the larding and cooking according to the size of the bread, or it may be dressed as above, or, if a large throat-bread, it may be larded.


419. Sweetbreads sautÉ.—Blanch two throat-sweetbreads as in the preceding receipt, cut them in slices, put some butter in a frying-pan, and melt; then put in the sweet-bread, season over with salt, pepper, juice of a lemon, parsley, and bay-leaf; turn them until done, and serve very hot, with maÎtre d’hÔtel sauce over.


420. Another way.—Prepare as above; add a little flour and a gill of broth, a few raw mushrooms, stir continually to prevent burning, add a few spoonfuls of cream and serve; if any remain, do them au gratin, that is, put them in a pie-dish or flat plated dish, brown, bread-crumb over, add a little broth, put into an oven, and, when very hot, serve.


421. Veal Cutlets (old English method).—See No. 157.


422. Veal Cutlets aux Fines Herbes.—Cut from the neck the same as you would from mutton, only of course larger; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chopped eschalot, set them on a gridiron and broil like common chops, serve plain, or rub a little maÎtre d’hÔtel butter over them, set in a hot place for a few moments, and serve. They may also be sautÉd, by putting them into a sautÉ-pan and sautÉ until a nice color, take them out and put in the pan a spoonful of chopped onions, parsley, and mushrooms (if handy), stir until done, then add a teaspoonful of flour; when it is a little brown, add half a pint of water, two spoonfuls of Harvey’s sauce and one of vinegar, stir well round, dish up the cutlets, sauce over and serve. They may also be larded like the fricandeau, and served in the same way, and with the like sauces, only less time in cooking.


423. Veal Cutlets en papillote.—Prepare as the last, and put them in a pie-dish and pour the sauce over, and let them remain until cold; then cut a sheet of foolscap paper in the shape of a heart, and oil or butter it; lay one of the cutlets with a little of the sauce on one half of the paper, turn the other half over, then turn and plait the edges of the paper over, beginning at the top of the heart and finishing with an extra twist at the bottom, which will cause the sauce to remain in it; broil slowly on a gridiron for twenty minutes on a very slow fire, or place it in the oven for that time, and serve.


424. Calf’s Ears stewed.—If you make mock turtle with half a calf’s head, you may serve the ear; after having boiled the head as for mock turtle, cut out the ear (it should weigh about half a pound), lay it down on a board and make a few incisions through the thin gristly part about one inch long; should it require a little more doing, put it in the soup; when done, stand it on the dish in which you intend to serve it, turn the top of the ear over outside, so that it forms a round; if any brain to spare, put a piece in the centre, sauce over when very hot with parsley and butter, tomato, or any sharp sauce, and serve; or, instead of the brain, veal stuffing or forcemeat may be used; egg all over, bread-crumb, put in an oven until very hot and a nice yellow color, dish and serve with plain gravy: or it may be served with any sauce or ragout.


425. Made Dish from Joints that have been previously served.—(If from braised veal, with vegetables.) Cut it into slices about a quarter of an inch in thickness, then put the remainder, vegetables and gravy, if any, in a pan; if not, with water and a piece of glaze; season with a little salt, pepper, sugar, a bay-leaf, and the juice of a quarter of a lemon, simmer gently for twenty minutes on a slow fire, dish the fillets in the form of a crown, lay the vegetables in the middle, pour gravy over, and serve. Or, what remains, cut into very small dice, leave none on the bones, put in a pan, shake a little flour over, season with a little salt, pepper, sugar, bay-leaf, and the juice of a quarter of a lemon, then moisten it with milk sufficient to make a sauce, warm it for ten minutes, add half an ounce of butter, stir it well, and serve very hot: or, if you prefer it brown, leave out the milk and throw a few chopped mushrooms and eschalots in, and moisten with a little water, to which add a few drops of browning, or a little catsup; it ought never to be too thick. Poached eggs may be served with these.


426. Calf’s Brains fried.—Prepare them as for calf’s head; cut them in pieces of about two inches square, dip them into batter, and fry them immersed in fat; serve with fried parsley.


427. Calf’s Brains À la MaÎtre d’HÔtel.—Prepare the brain as before, warm six spoonfuls of melted butter; when hot, add one ounce of maÎtre d’hÔtel butter, and, when melted, pour it over.


428. Stewed Calf’s Liver.—Choose a nice fat one rather white in color, lard it through with bacon, put one quarter of a pound of butter in a pan, when melted add a tablespoonful of flour, keep stirring until a nice yellow color, then put in the whole of the liver, turn round now and then until it is a little firm, then add a pint of broth or water, and a glass of any kind of wine, a bouquet of parsley, thyme, bay-leaves, a little salt, pepper, sugar, and thirty button onions, simmer one hour; take the fat off and the bouquet out, dish the liver with the onions around it, reduce the sauce, so that it adheres lightly to the back of the spoon, sauce over, and serve. Any vegetables may be used, as carrots, turnips, peas, haricots; and if a little gelatine or isinglass is added to the sauce, and the liver with the sauce only put into a round basin and pressed down and left until cold, it will make a nice dish for supper, lunch, or breakfast. If required to be re-warmed, cut it into slices, put it in a pan, with a drop of water added to the gravy.


429. Sheep’s Brains.—Proceed as for calf’s brains: these being smaller do not require so long to cook; though very good, they are not so delicate as calf’s brains.


430. Sheep’s Kidneys.—For a small dish procure six fresh ones, take off the thin skin which covers them, and cut them into slices, put in a sautÉ-pan one ounce of butter, when melted and nearly brown, add the kidneys, with half a teaspoonful of salt, one quarter ditto of pepper, half a tablespoonful of flour, mix well together, add half a wine-glass of sherry and a gill of broth, simmer for a few minutes, and serve very hot; a nice crisp toast placed under them is an improvement; also, a few raw mushrooms, cut in slices, added when being sautÉd, are excellent. For broiled kidneys, see Breakfast. They can also be cut in half and cooked the same, and dished in a crown on a border of mashed potatoes.


431. Sheep’s Feet or Trotters.—Previous to visiting the Continent, I had quite a dislike to the unfortunate Pied de Mouton, whose blackish appearance in stall and basket seemed to be intended to satisfy the ravenous appetites of the gentlemen with the slouched hat. But I must say since I have tasted them in France, cooked À la poulette, I have become of quite another opinion, and I have prepared them at home thus:—

I get a dozen of them from the tripe-butcher, all cleaned and ready, and beg of him to extract the long bone from them. I put a quarter of a pound of beef or mutton suet in a stewpan, with two onions and one carrot sliced, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme, one ounce of salt, a quarter of an ounce of pepper, put on the fire, and cook five minutes; add two tablespoonfuls of flour, and stir it round; add two quarts and a half of water, then put in the feet, stir till boiling, simmer for nearly three hours, or until the feet are perfectly tender, when done, take them out, and lay on sieve, take a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, a teaspoonful of salt, the same of flour, a quarter of one of pepper, a little grated nutmeg, the juice of a lemon, mix all these well together on a plate with the back of a spoon; put the feet with a gill of milk in a stewpan on the fire, when very hot, put in the butter, stir continually till melted, having previously well mixed two yolks of eggs with five tablespoonfuls of milk or cream, which put in the stewpan, keep moving the pan round over the fire continually for one minute, serve in a very hot dish with croutons of fried bread cut in triangular pieces round the dish. The stock may be used for any purÉe or thick soup.


432. French Ragout of Mutton.—Take about two pounds of the scrag of the neck, breast, chump, or any other part, with as little fat as possible, cut it into pieces of about two inches square, put into a pan two ounces of butter, or good fat, when melted, add two tablespoonfuls of flour, stir with a wooden spoon till forming a brownish roux, add the meat, and stir it round for twenty minutes, add a little water, but not enough to cover the meat, one saltspoonful of pepper, four ditto of salt, and four ditto of sugar, a bouquet of six sprigs of parsley, stir till boiling, set it to simmer. Having previously peeled a few turnips, cut in large dice of one inch square about thirty pieces, put some fat in a frying-pan, and fry the turnips until rather brown, take them out, and put them in a stewpan with the meat when it is done, which will be in about one hour from the time it was put on; when ready to serve, take out the meat and turnips, squeeze the bouquet, which throw away, skim off the fat, if too thick, add a little broth or water, or, if too thin, boil it a little more, dish it up by placing the pieces in a circle and the turnips in the centre, sauce over, and serve very hot—if not it is spoilt. For those that like it, a small piece of scraped garlic may be added. Onions, carrots, peas, &c., may be used in place of the turnips.

This is a very favorite dish in France; I learnt it from an old French ÉmigrÉ, who used to visit us about ten years since. When I have company, I use the chops of the neck, dress them in a crown, placing the vegetables in the centre; I find them very much liked. I have at some houses partaken of harico-mutton which has been tolerably good, but nothing in flavor to this plan. If there is any left, it is good warmed again, or even cold.


433. Irish Stew.—Cut up about two pounds of the neck of the mutton into small cutlets, which put into a proper sized stewpan with some of the fat of the mutton, season with three spoonfuls of salt, half an ounce of pepper, the same of sugar, six middle-sized onions, a quart of water; set them to boil and simmer for half an hour, then add six middling-sized potatoes, cut them in halves or quarters, stir it together, and let it stew gently for about one hour longer; if too fat remove it from the top, but if well done the potatoes would absorb all, and eat very delicate; any other part of the mutton may be served in the same way. I hope dearest ——, that you will not blame my apparent common taste in saying that I am fond of an Irish stew. I always recommend it to my friends; I often add a bay-leaf to it, which varies the flavor.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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