  DEAR HORTENSE,—Yours of last night was received at our supper-table, which was surrounded by a few of our best friends, and I need not tell you the merriment it has created respecting your fantastic ideas of this age of wonders. A very sedate old gentleman, who happened to have met you at Mr. H.’s party about a week or two ago, and wished to be very courteous to you, and perhaps you did not notice his compliments, not only would he not give a smile to our hearty laugh, but actually swore that such comical nonsense was very dangerous to expose before the public, and especially if we intended to give publicity to it with the Receipts, the last of which he very much approved of. But respecting your fun on the review of our century,—“A woman,” said he, “ought never to interfere with politics!” “Politics!” we all exclaimed, “where do you see anything political in it?” “In almost every word,” replied he. “But in what part?” said we; “explain yourself.” Unfortunately our hero stuttered very much. “Now, it-it-it is not one of-of-of you here, perhaps, who-who-who a-a-a-ve been in ann-y-pu-pu-public office like me in ma-ma-my youth. I was cla-cla-cla-clerk of the second cla-cla-clerk of the first cla-cla-cla-clerk of the private secretary’s cla-cla-cla-clerk of the Home of-of-of——” Here, dear, we all burst out laughing, which made the old gentleman so mad that he rushed from the room into the passage, to the street-door, and out of the house, without his hat, Welsh wig, great coat, and umbrella, while the servant had a regular race to get hold of him. She at last found him talking to himself under one of our willow-trees in the garden, coming back for his tackle with his two hands over his red wig, and his thick head underneath. Being a wet night, after inquiring of the servant what he had said to her—“Ma-ma-ma-rie,” said he, “you are a ve-ve-ve-very good girl indeed, very good girl, and I-I-I-I am ve-ve-ve-very sorry I have no money with me to gi-gi-gi-gi-give you something for your trouble, especially as you will ne-ne-ne-never see me here again, no, ne-ne-never.” “Never mind, sir, about the money,” said she to him, “I am no more disappointed than usual. Good night, sir.” “Mary, you are a ve-ve-very sau-saucy huzzy, a ve-very saucy huzzy,” was his answer. He then gradually disappeared in the fog. In a few seconds after, she heard some one sneezing most fearfully in the direction he was gone, which she believed to be our stuttering friend. So, you see, dear, there is quite an event on a mutton chop. But let me tell you that, though your receipt came rather late, we still had some for supper, and very good they were; every one was delighted with them; in fact, we did not eat hardly anything else, being so comically introduced to us. I had them brought up at three different times broiling hot from the gridiron. I made twelve chops out of a middle-sized saddle of mutton, weighing about seven pounds: is that right? and I have about three pounds of chump remaining, which, of course, I intend making broth, Irish stew, or pies with. But, dearest, let us go through the remainder of the Receipts without any more interruption. My husband begs to be kindly remembered to you both. Ever yours, ELOISE. 435. Mutton Cutlets.—Trim a neck of mutton by cutting away the scrag and sawing off three inches of the rib-bone, then cut about ten cutlets out of the neck, shape them by chopping off the thick part of the chine-bone, beat them flat to about a quarter of an inch in thickness with a cutlet-chopper, dipped in cold water, detach an inch of fat from the top of the rib-bone, and trim it like the following cut, season with a little Put two ounces of butter into a sautÉ-pan or very clean omelette-pan, melt it, and put the cutlets in; put it on the fire for five minutes till it is of a nice yellow color; turn them, let them remain four minutes longer, try if they are done by pressing with the finger, they ought to be firm and full of gravy; lay them on a clean cloth, and dress them in the form of a crown, that is, by keeping the thick part at the bottom, and the scraped part of the bone at the top, and each one resting half-way on the other. Every dish of cutlets must be served thus. 436. Cutlets with Mushrooms.—If for ten or twelve cutlets take about twenty fresh mushrooms, cut off the tails, wash them, and dry on a cloth, put two pats of butter in a stewpan, half a gill of water, the juice of a lemon, a little salt and pepper, set on the fire; boil for a few minutes, then add two tablespoonfuls of white sauce, when very hot add a liaison of the yolk of an egg made as follows: Put the yolk in a cup, and mix well with two tablespoonfuls of milk, stir well for one minute, put it in the middle of your pan, if no white sauce, add a little milk to the mushrooms, and mix a little flour with half a pat of butter, and put it in, keep stirring until boiling; dish up the cutlets, add the liaison, and serve; or still plainer, take the same number of mushrooms, wash well, cut in thin slices, put into a stewpan, with two pats of butter, half a teaspoonful of flour, a little salt and pepper, the juice of a lemon, and a little water; stew gently for ten minutes, serve, pouring the sauce over, or in the middle of the cutlets. They can be served as cutlets À la jardiniÈre, with peas, with tomatoes, with artichokes, with spinach, À la poiverade, À la sauce piquante, with Brussels sprouts, and À la Soubise. 437. Cutlets À la MaÎtre d’HÔtel.—When the cutlets are done, dish them up, put two ounces of maÎtre d’hÔtel butter in a clean sautÉ-pan, keep it moving until melted: put two spoonfuls of cream when very hot, pour over, and serve with fried potatoes in the middle. 438. Cutlets, plainer way.—Cut them from the neck, beat them down roughly without trimming, put them on the gridiron, when warm through, add salt, pepper, and very fine chopped onions, turn several times, they will take about ten minutes broiling; dish very hot, and serve. They may also be served on very white mashed potatoes. 439. Sheep’s Tongue, Demi-Glaze.—For one dish, take six, put them in water to disgorge, then dry them, put them in a stewpan with two onions, half a large carrot, a bouquet of two bay-leaves, one sprig of thyme, a quart of broth if handy, or water, half a spoonful of salt, put them on to boil, and simmer for two hours till done; try if tender with a pointed knife, if so take them out, skin them, trim out all the roots, cut the tongue in two, lengthwise, giving it a little of the shape of cutlets, skim the fat from the stock, reduce the whole or part to a demi-glaze, put your pieces on a dish, when ready to serve, make a thin roll of mashed potatoes, and dish them round it, add a little sugar to the demi-glaze, and a small piece of butter, stir round till melted, add the juice of half a lemon, pour boiling hot over the tongue, the sauce ought to adhere thickly to the back of the spoon. Observe, dear, how cheaply this dish may be procured, and I assure you it is very excellent: I have tried it with almost all the sauces I have described for cutlets, and have found it good with all; they are also very good in papillote, like veal cutlets. 440. Sheep’s Hearts.—Proceed exactly as with the calf’s heart, only diminish the time of cooking in proportion to the size, about thirty minutes will be sufficient; serve with any kind of sharp sauce, or any ragout of vegetables. |
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