CULINARY CORRESPONDENCE

["LETTER No. VI", "DEAREST ELOISE,--I here inclose you the last receipt which I intend to give you for invalids. You will, no doubt, fancy that my diet is extravagant; but let me teach you that when you must pay the doctor's bill, which I consider an extra and painful tax upon humanity, it is ours and their duty to try to restore health as soon as possible, which my receipts might, if well coupled with the science of a medical man, cause a prompt restoration, and have the desired effect of increasing the butcher's bill by diminishing that of the doctor. But I must also tell you that I intend this part of our little work, if ever published, to be useful to all classes of society, and that, among those receipts, the rich as well as the humble, may partake and benefit by them in selecting according to their means and their requirements. I am confident that you will agree with me that even here I have closely studied the rules of economy.", "I shall therefore close the sick-room door to open the one of the parlor, and to witness the merry faces of the million who have abandoned their industrious occupations for the day, and partake, in the family circle, their simple but substantial Sunday meal. I always used to say, when in business, that he who works well deserves to live well,--I do not mean to say extravagantly, but that devoting one hour a day to their principal meal ought to be classified as a matter of business in regard to economy. We, therefore, must be very positive upon this important question, and make them perceive that dining well once or twice a week is really unworthy of such a civilized and wealthy country as ours, where provisions cannot be excelled by any other, both in regard to quantity and quality. Yours, etc.", "LETTER No. VII", "MY DEAR MRS. B.--Your observation upon the way many people live in this country is no doubt very correct, but do you not think that if you were not quite so abrupt on the subject, we should probably be more likely to succeed in bringing our friends round to your style of management; of which, for my part, I very much approve. But as it is a matter of importance, I should like you to describe in your next communication what are the principal and most useful joints in a family, and to discourse on them, in pointing out the good which may be achieved, and the evils to be avoided. Ever yours, &c.", "LETTER No. VIII", "Many compliments to you, my dear Mrs. L.", "At your request I here inclose the list you require, and which will show you how circumscribed the middle classes are in respect to the variation of their meals, in the way of meat and manner of cooking it. I do not disapprove of your idea in wishing me here to give a series or list of those provisions; but, on the other hand, I must tell you frankly my opinion, it being a subject which for some years I have made a study, indeed quite a hobby. If I am wrong, let any one who knows better correct me; you will allow I am always open to conviction and improvement, no matter how trifling, which often leads to an important one.", "I shall therefore name all joints of meat which, though numerous, offer but little variation when continually dressed the same way, and observe that everybody has the bad habit of running only upon a few which are considered the best. They are as follow:", "Those in beef are the sirloin, ribs, round, silver-side, aitch-bone.", "In mutton--leg, saddle, haunch, loin.", "Lamb--fore-quarter and leg.", "Veal--fillet, loin.", "Pork--leg, sparerib, loin.", "Every one of these joints are of the most expensive parts, because generally used, although many of the other parts are equally as good, as I shall prove to you, in the receipts which I shall write for the dinner, what can be done in the way of made dishes out of those parts which are rarely or never used in this country by the middle classes, which will more clearly develope to you my ideas on the subject Besides, there is this advantage, that if a small tradesman were to follow these receipts, and buy every other time he goes to the butcher what he now considers a second-class joint, he would not only be conferring a public benefit, but also one on himself, and be the means of diminishing the price of those now considered the first class, which at the present moment bear too high a price in proportion, but which his pride causes him to purchase.", "To prove to you that my argument is correct, look carefully over the inclosed list, which contains all the joints that are cut from beef, veal, mutton, lamb, pork, and you will find that ten of the prime are in daily use to one of the other, and principally for a want of the knowledge of cookery; leaving the science of cooking our food to a fierce or slow fire, or plunging our expensive provisions into an ocean of boiling water, which is thrown away, after having absorbed a great portion of the succulence of the meat. Try the receipt for the Pot-au-feu; taste the broth and eat the meat, and tell me which plan you consider the best. Do not think that I object to our plain joint, because, now and then, I am rather partial to them; but why not manage to make use of the broth, by diminishing the quantity of water, and simmering them, instead of galloping them at a special railway-train speed? Were the middle classes only but slightly acquainted with the domestic cookery of France, they would certainly live better and less expensively than at present, very often, four or five different little made dishes may be made from the remains of a large Sunday's joint, instead of its appearing on the table of a wealthy tradesman for several days cold, and often unsightly, and backed by a bottle of variegated-colored pickles, made with pyroligneous acid, which sets my teeth on edge merely in thinking of it, and balanced by a steaming dish of potatoes, which, seen through the parlor window by the customers in the shop, would make them think there was a grand gastronomic festivity taking place at Mr. A.'s or B.'s, the butterman or greengrocer; this may be excusable once or twice, on a hot summer's day, with an inviting salad, seasoned with merely salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar, but the continual repetition of that way of living in winter is, I consider, a domestic crime.", "You will, perhaps, say that, in large firms, where forty or fifty, or more young men dine every day, or even in public establishments still more numerous, many professed cooks would be required to dress the dinner, if my plan was adopted; not at all, if the kitchen is properly constructed: but in these establishments, joints, of necessity, must be the principal viand, and there is very little left; what there is, is consumed cold for supper; but even there an amelioration might take place, although only a plain joint, either boiled or roasted, roasted or boiled, which is generally the yearly bill of fare, and so simple, yet seldom well done, and often badly, which, in a large establishment, must create great waste, and make bad food out of good meat, and that for want of care or a little more knowledge, which may appear to you but a trifling matter, but not so to thousands of poor old people, with toothless gums and fatigued stomachs, made comfortable within walls erected by the good feelings of government, or by public charity. I have often thought, when visiting these establishments, that a professed cook ought to be appointed, as well as a medical man, to visit all such in the metropolis, not only to inspect the quality of the provisions, but superintend the arrangements of the dietary table, and see that the viands are properly cooked, and thus correct the lamentable ignorance which exists at the present day; I am confident that tons of meat are daily wasted in such institutions throughout the country, which, if well employed, would feed a great part of the starving poor of the United Kingdom. The same system ought to be adopted in all the provincial towns; and, if it was in existence, we should not have to deplore such lamentable scenes which we had latterly to witness at Tooting, where, no doubt, many were to blame; for, by the calculation I have made, the allowance, though rather limited, was amply large enough to allow for good provisions, and leave sufficie", "LETTER No. IX", "MY DEAR HORTENSE,--After the receipt of your last observations, which, on first seeing, I thought too long, but after having read them over again, I am convinced that I shall not be able to shorten them; at all events, there is a great deal of truth in them, and, as you justly say, they are the observations of a person who has constantly studied domestic comfort and economy; I shall therefore copy them in the journal just as you send them to me. Truly yours,", "LETTER No. X", "MY DEAR ELOISE,--I am glad to hear that you will not alter any of my last copy sent, because I assure you I wrote with a full conviction that I was right, and from facts which experience alone can engrave on the memory; but, however, we will now proceed: but I think it will be necessary to alter our original intention, namely, in order to save any confusion, to class all the receipts for the dinner together, and thus form a large bill of fare, and follow, on a small plan, what M. Soyer, of the Reform Club, has done on a large scale, in his 'Gastronomic Regenerator,' by which the most inexperienced hands may easily provide a large or small dinner adapted for all classes, without committing a blunder, and thus make a selection from soups, different dishes of fish, and an innumerable number of removes; entrées, roasts, savory dishes, vegetables, sweets, dessert, &c., and having chosen one or two of each series, and, on referring to the receipt, an idea of their cost, within a few pence of the market-price, may be gained.", "Let me know, dear, by return of post, if you approve of my new idea, as it is rather deviating from our original one; but observe, that having so very distinctly given the Breakfast Receipts, and also for Invalids, it will be more clearly understood than by repeating the same over and over again, which would be unavoidable if following our first proposition. Yours truly, in haste,", "LETTER No. XI", "MY DEAR HORTENSE,--Never were you inspired by a better idea respecting your new plan; it is so clearly explained, that I fancy our labor is over; but I must tell you that, on the receipt of your last, I wrote to M. Soyer, to inquire if he would object to our taking a few hints from his \"Kitchen at Home,\" which forms the last part of his work. His answer was immediate, short, and as follows:", "\"DEAR MADAM,--It would be entirely deviating from the preface of my 'Gastronomic Regenerator' to refuse you anything in my power; and as your simple demand lies within that scope, you are quite welcome to take a few hints, if you require them for your little work, from the part entitled 'My Kitchen at Home.'", "\"Wishing your exertions may be well appreciated, I am, dear madam, most sincerely, your humble and devoted,", "\"Reform Club.", "A. SOYER.\"", "As you have his book, you, no doubt, know to which part he alludes. He says, in his preface, that he has made it a rule never to refuse ladies anything in his power; so far he has kept his word with us: so you may, dearest, if you require, make use of his offer. I shall expect, by the next post, the commencement of the Dinner Receipts, which I am confident you will make as simple and as short as possible. With kindest regards, yours,", "_Roasting, Baking, Boiling, Stewing, Braising, Frying, Sautéing, Broiling._", "ROASTING being the most general in use, we will first describe it, although not that which was first put in practice in cooking, it being evidently an improvement on broiling: we can easily understand how, in the early primitive times, man, finding that his food got covered with the ashes with which he cooked his meat, he would invent a species of grate upon which he could raise the fire, and cook his meat before it: this primitive mode of cooking has lasted, in many countries, up to the present day, and even in London to within a few years; for I remember seeing, in the old Goldsmith's Hall, a fire-place, consisting of stages, on which was laid the wood, and when the meat, &c., was spitted and arranged before it, the wood was lighted, and a man turned the spits. (It was, no doubt, from arranging the wood thus in stages that the name of range was derived.) In many noblemen's castles and ecclesiastical establishments, dogs were kept to turn the spit, from whence we have those of the name of turnspit; whilst in others, where there happened to be a person of a mechanical turn of mind, they applied a water-wheel to the purpose, and the water from it formed a stream in the kitchen, which served as a reservoir for live fish. Different opinions exist as to the mode and time required for roasting, but this must all depend upon the nature of the fire and the meat. In the Receipts will be found the time which each requires. My plan is to make up as large a fire as the nature of the grate will allow, because I can place my joint near or not, as may be required, and thus obtain every degree of heat.", "BAKING is a branch of the art of cooking which, although one of the oldest, is the least understood. (As I shall have to refer to this subject again, I will give the reason why in a future letter.) It is performed in various kinds of air-tight chambers, called ovens, the best of which have the same form as in the time of the Egyptians. Previous to the art of baking being practised, boiled pulse and corn were the food of the people; even Rome contained no bakers until near six hundred years after it was founded. Of late years, great improvements have been made in the construction of ovens for baking of meat, called roasting ovens, which cause great economy in the expenditure of fuel; and, in large public establishments, where a number of the same kind of joints are required, it is the best plan of cooking. In the Receipts will be found the time required by each for baking, but, in a general way, for meat, hot ovens are the best; for poultry, not so hot as meat; and pastry, according to its kind. In using dishes or utensils for the oven, they ought, if of metal, to be of galvanized iron, and separate ones for meat and fish.", "BOILING is the next branch of the art which is of the most importance and appears the most simple, yet, at the same time, the most difficult, and is a subject upon which, if I were to dilate, would occupy a good quarto volume; it is one of those easy things which it is supposed everybody can do, and therefore no attention is paid to it, and it is generally done badly. According to the way in which it is done, meat may be rendered hard and tough or tender, lose or retain its flavor or nourishment; great difference of opinion exists amongst medical men which are the easiest of digestion--roasted or boiled meats. I say it is a subject quite impossible to decide, as it must depend upon the different constitutions and climate; for we might as well say that the food of the Esquimaux is adapted for the native of Italy.", "STEWING ought to be the best understood, on account of its economy; pieces of coarse meat, subjected to stewing, if properly done, become tender, as the gelatinous parts become partly dissolved; it should be done slowly, the pan partly uncovered, and frequently skimmed. Great cleanliness should be observed in all the vessels used for stewing.", "BRAISING is the next and most important part of the art of cooking, and, like the sauté, belongs entirely to the French school, from whom it takes its name, _braise_ being the remains of wood burnt in the oven, or live charcoal: and as this plan of cookery requires the action of the fire under and over the braising-pan, which is air-tight, in order that the aromatic flavor arising from its contents may be imbibed by the meat or poultry, and give it that succulence so much esteemed by epicures. The braise is put on the cover, which, in some cases, is made deep on purpose to hold it. Its origin is stated to be owing to a gastronomic society which was formerly in existence in Paris, whose object was to benefit and improve the art of cookery, and who offered a reward of a silver gridiron to any culinary artist who would discover a new mode of dressing a turkey. Although a gridiron was, no doubt, intended to be used, yet a young artist named La Gacque, warmed by the offer, directed his imagination to quite a different mode, and used the pan instead of the gridiron, and thus composed the braise, which was unanimously approved of by that scientific, gastronomic, and epicurean body, who awarded him the prize. The chief art in braising is to do it slowly, taking care that the ingredients are well-proportioned, receipts for which will be found in their proper place.", "FRYING.--Of all the apparently simple modes of cookery there is none more so than that of frying, but yet how rare to meet with it done properly. I believe it is to be attributed, in a great measure, to the idea that, to do it well is expensive. I have therefore made a series of experiments upon a plan such as should be followed in every private house, and I am convinced that to do it well is cheaper than doing it badly; but, in the first place, we ought to consider, What is frying? It is the insertion of any substance into boiling oil, or grease, by which the surface of that substance becomes carbonized, and the heat which effects this object is sufficient to solidify the albumen and gelatine, or, more commonly speaking, cooked; to do this properly, the substance ought to be covered by the liquid, so that the heat acts all over it at the same time, or otherwise the osmazome, or gravy, will be dried out of that part which is not covered, and the succulence and flavor of the viand lost; or, should the liquid not be of that degree of heat which would carbonize the surface on the moment of its immersion, it would then enter into the substance, render it greasy, and destroy its flavor, which no degree of heat afterwards could remedy. Those articles which are fried are generally those which have a coating of materials (such as bread-crumbs and batter) which are quickly carbonized, and thus form a crust which prevents the grease penetrating, concentrates the liquids, and preserves the flavor of the article; the carbonization once effected, the fire should be immediately moderated, particularly if the article is large, in order that the interior may become properly solidified. All articles properly fried are generally much liked, as they are agreeable to the eye, and afford a pleasing variety.", "The plan that I recommend you to adopt is, to obtain an iron or copper pan long enough for a good-sized sole, and 6 to 8 inches deep, and fill three to four inches of it with fat--the skimmings of the stock-pot, or, if that should not be sufficient, the kidney-fat of beef, cut up, melted, and strained. In wealthy establishments, lard, and, in some, bacon-fat melted is used, and, for some articles, olive oil, which can only be used once; but in our less luxurious homes I think the above is sufficient, besides, it has the advantage of not requiring that great attention which the other does. When you have the fat on, before immersing the substance you intend to fry, see that it is sufficiently hot by dipping your finger (not in the fat), but in a little water, and then hold it over the fat, so that a few drops go into it; if it spits and throws back the water, it is sufficiently hot: or, throw in a small dice of bread and take it out immediately; if it is firm or colored, it is hot enough: or, in frying of fish, before putting it in, lay hold of the head and dip the end of the tail, and, if it crisps it, then let the remainder go in. I have found, if due attention is paid to the pan to prevent it from burning, forty articles may be fried in it before it wants renewing; and I am certain it will be found cheaper than the common way of putting a little fat into the frying-pan and turning the sole over and over, for you are then almost certain of sending the grease up to the table, where it is not wanted. When the fat is not used, it should be emptied, whilst hot, through a sieve, into an earthen pipkin, and covered with paper to prevent the dust going in it. For the purpose of frying, an iron wire-basket, with a handle, is used, in which the object to be cooked is placed, and thus inserted in the liquid. The cost of this instrument is trifling.", "SAUTEING.--You will perceive, dearest, by the following, that the word fried is often wrongly used in cookery instead of the word sauté, which process is totally different, and produces quite another effect on food. Sauté means anything cooked in a very small quantity of butter, oil, lard, or fat, one side of the article at a time, whilst the other requires about 100 times more of the above-named materials to cook properly. You will see, in these remarks, that it is not frying a pancake, omelette, or still less a chop, steak, or cutlet, but that they are sautéd; and how to explain that word, to use it instead of the misapplied word fry, puzzles me considerably, as I am quite ignorant of its origin as regards its application to cookery. All the researches I have made in English and French Dictionaries and Encyclopædias, have not enlightened me in the least on the subject. In French, it means to jump, hop, skip, understood by our boys at school, as well as by the grasshopper tribe, called in French sauterelles, from the word sauter, to jump. I well remember at school we had a French emigré for a dancing-master, who used to get into a passion when we did not dance to his professional taste; and used to say, in shaking his powdered wig, as holding his fiddle in one hand and his bow in the other, making all kinds of grimaces and contortions, which used to remind me of the principal figure in the group of the Laocoon,--\"Mon dieu, mon dieu, young miss, vous sautez très bien, mais vous dansez fort mal;\" which means, \"You jump very well, but you dance very badly.\" It also reminds me of an expression made by a friend of ours from Havre, who was on a visit to us last November. Seeing some Guy Fawkes carried about the street, he asked me what it meant; when I told him, that in the year 1605, an attempt was made to destroy by gunpowder the King and Parliament in the House of Lords, as well as----. \"Oui, oui, madame, I know, I remember reading of it in English history; it was tha", "BROILING is, without doubt, the earliest and most primitive mode of cookery, it being that which would present itself to man in a state of nature. It is one of the easiest parts of cookery, and therefore should be done well; it entirely depends upon the fire, which must be exceedingly clear, and the best gridiron is that having round bars, which should be placed slanting over the fire, to prevent the fat going into it; the bars should be greased, and the gridiron should be placed on the fire to get hot before the object to be cooked is placed on it I have heard that great difference of opinion exists in cookery books upon the proper broiling of a steak, if it should be turned only once or often. My plan is to turn it often, and my reason is, that, if turned but once, the albumen and the fibrine of the meat get charred, and the heat throws out the osmazome or gravy on the upper side, which, when turned over, goes into the fire; by turning it often, so as at first only to set the outside, the gravy goes into the centre, and it becomes evenly done throughout. (_See_ \"Soyer's Mutton Chop.\") As regards the thickness of the meat to be broiled, that depends in a great measure on the intensity of the fire, but the quicker the better, and also the sooner it is eaten after taken from the fire the better. I have latterly, in broiling rump-steaks, added that which, by a great many, is considered an improvement; it is, on turning them the last time, to dredge them out of a dredger with fine holes, in which has been placed four tablespoonfuls of fine biscuit or rusk-powder, one tablespoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of pepper, a saltspoonful of either eschalot-powder or mushroom-powder, or finely-pulverized salts of celery, well mixed together, and the steak to be placed in a very hot dish, with a little mushroom-ketchup and a small piece of butter, and served immediately.", "Sauces in cookery are like the first rudiments of grammar, which consists of certain rules called Syntax, which is the foundation of all languages: these fundamental rules are nine, so has cookery the same number of sauces, which are the foundation of all others; but these, like its prototype the grammar, have two--brown and white, which bear a resemblance to the noun and verb, as they are the first and most easily learnt, and most constantly in use; the others are the adjuncts, pronouns, adverbs, and interjections; upon \"the proper use of the two principal ones depends the quality of all others, and the proper making of which tends to the enjoyment of the dinner; for to my fancy they are to cookery what the gamut is in the composition of music, as it is by the arrangement of the notes that harmony is produced, so should the ingredients in the sauce be so nicely blended, and that delightful concord should exist, which would equally delight the palate, as a masterpiece of a Mozart or a Rossini should delight the ear; but which, if badly executed, tantalize those nervous organs, affect the whole system, and prove a nuisance instead of a pleasure. I will therefore be very precise in describing the two, in order that when you make them, you will not cause your guests to make grimaces at each other, when partaking of them at your festive board, for the present age is a little more refined than at the time of Dr. Johnson, and we are often obliged to swallow what we do not like; for it is reported of him, that being at a ceremonious dinner-party, and indulging in his usual flow of wit, he unconsciously partook of a spoonful of very hot soup, which he immediately returned to the plate he had taken it from; and observing the astonishment of some of his neighbors, he very coolly remarked, \"A fool would have burnt his mouth.\"", "When we are at home alone, I very seldom trouble myself by making white or brown sauce, which I can avoid by selecting simplified dishes, which easily produce their own sauce whilst cooking them. But when I expect a little company, the first I order of my cook is to make me half of the quantity of the following receipts for white and brown sauces:--", "130. _White Sauce._--Cut and chop a knuckle of veal, weighing about four pounds, into large dice; also half a pound of lean bacon; butter the bottom of a large stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter, add two onions, a small carrot, a turnip, three cloves, half a blade of mace, a bouquet of a bay-leaf, a sprig of thyme, and six of parsley, add a gill of water, place over a sharp fire, stirring round occasionally, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with whitish glaze, when fill up with three quarts of water, add a good teaspoonful of salt, and let simmer at the corner of the fire an hour and a half, keeping well skimmed, when pass it through a hair sieve into a basin; in another stewpan put a quarter of a pound of butter, with which mix six ounces of flour, stirring over the fire about three minutes, take off, keep stirring until partly cold, when add the stock all at once, continually stirring and boiling for a quarter of an hour; add half a pint of boiling milk, stir a few minutes longer, add a little chopped mushrooms if handy, pass through a hair sieve into a basin, until required for use, stirring it round occasionally until cold; the above being a simplified white sauce, will be referred to very often in the receipts.", "131. _Brown Sauce._--Put two ounces of butter into a stewpan, rub it over the bottom, peel two or three large onions, cut them in thick slices, lay them on the bottom, cut into small pieces about two pounds of knuckle of veal,[3] all meat, or three pounds if with bone, a quarter of a pound of lean bacon cut small, two cloves, a few peppercorns, a tablespoonful of salt, two bay-leaves, a gill of water; set it on a brisk fire, let it remain ten minutes, when stir it well round, subdue the fire, let it remain a few minutes longer, and stir now and then until it has a nice brown color; fill your pan with three quarts of water; when boiling, set it on the corner of the stove, with the lid three parts on the saucepan; when boiling, skim fat and all; after one hour, or one hour and a half simmering, pass it through a sieve into a basin. To make the thickening or roux for it, proceed as follows:--Put two ounces of butter into a pan, which melt on a slow fire, then add three ounces of flour, stir it until getting a thin deep yellow color; this in France is called roux, being very useful in cookery, and will be often referred to in these receipts. This process will take five minutes, when remove from the fire for two minutes to cool, then add at once three and a quarter pints of the above stock, very quickly set it on the fire to boil, remove to corner to simmer, and skim; it ought to be entirely free from grease, and of a light chestnut color.", "132. _Demi-Glaze--Thin Brown Sauce for Made Dishes._--When I have a small dinner-party, I always, as I told you before, make small quantities of white and brown sauce as above, but this is a nice way of clarifying a brown sauce without much trouble, and makes it a beautiful transparent brown color: but although I have made it quite a study, that each _entrée_, or made dish for daily use, should make its own sauce, yet I must impress upon you that this sauce is the real key to cooking a good and ceremonious dinner. Put a pint of brown sauce in a middle-sized stewpan, add to it half a pint of broth or consommé, put it on the stove, stir with wooden spoon, let it boil as fast as possible, take the scum off which will rise to the surface, reduce it until it adheres lightly to the spoon, pass it through a sieve or tammy into a basin, stir now and then until cold, to prevent a skin forming on the top, put it by until wanted for use. It will keep for a week in winter, by adding half a gill of white broth every other day, and giving it a boil; the addition of a tablespoonful of tomatos, gives it a beautiful color; use where indicated.", "133. _Thin Brown Sauce of Mushrooms._--Put twelve tablespoonfuls of thin brown sauce in a small stewpan to boil, then have six or eight small mushrooms well cleaned and washed, chop them fine, and place in sauce, and boil for five minutes; taste if it is to your liking; the addition of a little sugar is an improvement: a little cayenne, if liked, may be introduced. This sauce is good for cutlets, broiled fowl and game, &c.", "134. _Eschalot Sauce._--Chop fine about a good tablespoonful of eschalot, wash them by placing them in the corner of a napkin, and pouring water over them; press them until dry, put them in a small stewpan with two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, one clove, a little mace; boil two minutes, add ten tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze, boil a little longer, add a little sugar, and serve.", "135. _Piquant Sauce._--Put two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, or eschalots, cleaned as above, into a stewpan; put also four tablespoonfuls of vinegar and a bay-leaf, and boil; then add ten tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, half a one of chopped parsley, ditto of green gherkins; boil five minutes, skim, add a little sugar, taste if well seasoned, take out bay-leaf and serve.", "136. _Tarragon Sauce._--Put eight tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze, and four of broth, into a stewpan; boil for a few minutes, add a tablespoonful of vinegar, have ready picked twenty leaves of fresh tarragon, put in to simmer two minutes, and serve with any kind of poultry, but especially spring chickens.", "137. _Brown Cucumber Sauce._--Peel a small fresh cucumber, cut it in neat pieces, put in a stewpan with a little sugar, add half an ounce of butter, set it on a slow fire, stir it now and then, add twelve tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, and four of broth; let it simmer till tender, skim the butter off, remove the cucumbers into another stewpan, reduce the sauce a little, taste it and serve.", "138. _Mince Herb Sauce._--Put two tablespoonfuls of finely chopped onions in a stewpan, add a tablespoonful of oil, place it on the fire, stir a few minutes, add ten tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze and four of broth or water; boil, skim; if too thick, and the scum should not rise, add half a gill of broth or water; boil, and reduce to a proper thickness, and add a tablespoonful of chopped parsley if handy, one of mushrooms, and season with a little cayenne, the juice of a quarter of a lemon; serve. I often introduce a little garlic in this.", "139. _Italian Herb Sauce._--Proceed in the same way as the above, only add a little chopped thyme and a small glass of sherry.", "140. _Robert Sauce._--Peel and cut up two good-sized onions, put them in a stewpan with an ounce of butter till they are a nice yellow color, then add eight tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze, and two of water or broth; skim, boil quick; when a proper thickness, add a good tablespoonful of French mustard; season it rather high; if no French mustard, use English, but it completely changes the flavor, though still very palatable.", "141. _Ravigote Sauce._--Put in a stewpan one middle-sized onion sliced, with a little carrot, a little thyme, bay-leaf, one clove, a little mace, a little scraped horseradish, a little butter, fry a few minutes, then add three teaspoonfuls of vinegar, ten tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, four of broth; when boiling, skim, add a tablespoonful of currant jelly; when melted, pass all through a tammy, and serve with any kind of meat or poultry; with hare or venison it is excellent.", "142. _Brown Mushroom Sauce._--Clean and cut twelve small mushrooms in slices, place them in a stewpan with a little butter, salt, pepper, the juice of a quarter of a lemon, set it on a slow fire for a few minutes, then add ten spoonfuls of demi-glaze; boil till they are tender, and serve. A little mushroom catsup may be introduced.", "143. _Orange Sauce for Game._--Peel half an orange, removing all the pith; cut it into slices, and then in fillets; put them in a gill of water to boil for two minutes; drain them on a sieve, throwing the water away; place in the stewpan ten spoonfuls of demi-glaze, or two of broth; and, when boiling, add the orange, a little sugar, simmer ten minutes, skim, and serve. The juice of half an orange is an improvement. This is served with ducklings and waterfowl: those that like may add cayenne and mustard.", "144. _Garlic Sauce._--Though many dislike the flavor of this root, yet those that like it ought not to be deprived of it. Put in a stewpan ten tablespoonfuls of demi-glaze, a little tomatos if handy; boil it a few minutes, scrape half a clove of garlic, put it in with a little sugar, and serve.", "145. _Mint Sauce for Lamb._--Take three tablespoonfuls of chopped leaves of green mint, three tablespoonfuls of brown sugar, and put into a basin with half a pint of brown vinegar; stir it well up, add one saltspoonful of salt, and serve.", "146. _Liaison of Eggs._--Break the yolks of three eggs in a basin, with which mix six spoonfuls of milk, or eight of cream; pass it through a fine sieve, and use when directed.", "147. _Anchovy Butter Sauce._--Put into a stewpan eight spoonfuls of demi-glaze, or three of broth; when boiling, add one ounce of anchovy butter; stir continually till melted: serve where directed.", "148. _Soyer's Sauce._--Put six spoonfuls of demi-glaze into a stewpan; when hot, add four spoonfuls of Soyer's Gentleman's Sauce; let boil, and serve with either chop, steak, cotelettes, poultry, or game.", "149. _Papillotte Sauce._--Scrape half an ounce of fat bacon, put it in a pan with four tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, stir over the fire for a few minutes, then add ten tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, and boil; then add a tablespoonful of mushrooms chopped, one ditto of parsley, a little nutmeg, a little pepper and sugar, a little scraped garlic; reduce till rather thickish; put on dish till cold, and use it for anything you may put up \"_en papillotte_.\"", "150. _Tomato Sauce._--If fresh, put six in a stewpan; having removed the stalk, and squeezed them in the hand to remove pips, &c., add half an onion, sliced, a little thyme, bay-leaf, half an ounce of celery, one ounce of ham, same of butter, teaspoonful of sugar, same of salt, a quarter one of pepper; set on fire to stew gently; when all tender, add a tablespoonful of flour, moisten with half a pint of broth, boil five minutes, add a little cayenne, taste if highly seasoned, pass it through sieve or tammy, put it back in stewpan, until it adheres rather thick to the back of the spoon, and use it for any kind of meat or poultry. If preserved tomato, proceed as for poivrade sauce respecting the vegetables, omitting the vinegar, add the tomato, instead of brown sauce, add a tablespoonful of flour and broth to bring it to a proper thickness, and pass it through a sieve, and serve as above.", "151. _Curry Sauce._--This I generally keep ready-made in the larder, being very fond of what I consider such wholesome food as curry; but not liking to be troubled with making it often, I cause my cook to prepare a certain quantity at a time. Mr. B. is very partial to curry, but he likes it in winter; for my part, I prefer it in summer. After having partaken of some one very hot summer's day, I felt quite cool. Capt. White, who has been nearly twenty years in the East Indies, tells me that it will produce that refreshing effect; but I can enjoy it in any season.", "Put into a pan four good-sized onions, sliced, and two of peeled apples, with a quarter of a pound of butter, the same of lean ham, a blade of mace, four peppercorns, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme; stir them over a moderate fire until the onions become brown and tender, then add two tablespoonfuls of the best curry powder, one of vinegar, two of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, one of sugar; moisten it with a quart of broth or milk, or even water, with the addition of a little glaze; boil till in a pulp, and adhering rather thickly to the back of the spoon; pass all through a fine sieve or tammy, give it another boil for a few minutes, put it in a basin, and use when required. Any kind of meat, poultry, and fish, or parts of game, is excellent warmed in this sauce, and served with well-boiled and dry rice. I have kept this sauce in a cool place in the winter for a month, boiling it now and then. The quantity of powder may be omitted, and a spoonful of curry paste used, or some mangoes. (_See Curries._)", "152. _A very good and useful White Sauce (quite new)._--Put a quart of white sauce in a stewpan of a proper size on a fire; stir continually until reduced to one third; put two yolks of eggs in a basin, stir them well up, add your sauce gradually, keep stirring, put back in stewpan, set it to boil for a few minutes longer, then add one pint of boiling milk, which will bring it to its proper thickness; that is, when it adheres transparently to the back of a spoon; pass through a tammy into a basin, stir now and then till cold; if not immediately required, and I have any stock left, I use half of it with half of milk. I also try this way, which is very convenient: when the yolks are in, and well boiled, I put it in a large gallipot, and when cold, cover with pieces of paper, and it will keep good in winter for two or three weeks, and above a week in summer; and when I want to use a little of it, I only take a spoonful or two and warm it on the fire, and add enough milk or white broth to bring it to a proper thickness, and use where required. This sauce is very smooth, and never, turns greasy; it lies beautifully on fowl, or any white made dish; the addition of a drop of cream gives it a very fine white appearance.", "153. _Onion Purée Sauce._--Peel and cut six onions in slices; put in a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of butter, a teaspoonful of salt, one of sugar, a half one of pepper; place on a slow fire to simmer till in a pulp, stirring them now and then to prevent them getting brown, then add one tablespoonful of flour, a pint of milk, and boil till a proper thickness, which should be a little thicker than melted butter; pass through a tammy, warm again, and serve with mutton cutlets, chops, rabbits, or fowl; by not passing it, it will do for roast mutton and boiled rabbit as onion sauce.", "154. _Purée of Cauliflower Sauce._--Boil a cauliflower well in three pints of water, in which you have previously put one ounce of butter, two tablespoonfuls of salt; when done, chop it up, having prepared and slowly cooked in a stewpan an onion sliced, a little celery, half a turnip, one ounce of ham, two of butter, a little bay-leaf, mace, add then the cauliflower, stir round, add a tablespoonful of flour, moisten as above for onions, pass and finish the same way.", "155. _Jerusalem Artichoke Sauce._--Peel twelve, and well wash, boil till tender, and proceed as above.", "156. _Turnip Sauce Purée._--Boil six middle-sized ones, press all the water you can out of them, and proceed as the above.", "157. _White Cucumber Purée._--Peel two, or one large one, cut in slices, put in the stewpan with the same vegetables, &c., as for the cauliflower; when tender, add a tablespoonful of flour, three gills of milk or broth, boil, and finishing as the cauliflower.", "158. _Sorrel Sauce, or Purée._--Wash well four handfuls of sorrel, put it nearly dry into a middle-sized stewpan, with a little butter; let it melt, add a tablespoonful of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, half one of pepper, moisten to a thick purée, with milk, or broth, or cream; pass it through a sieve, put it back in a stewpan, warm again, add two whole eggs, two ounces of butter, and stir well, and serve where directed.", "159. _Spinach Purée (see Vegetables, 2d Course)._--Endive is often used in France, and called chicorée. This purée may be made like the cauliflower, or only plainly chopped, put into a pan with two ounces of butter, a gill of white sauce, a little grated nutmeg, and a little salt, pepper and sugar.", "160. _Stewed Peas and Sprew Grass._--For cutlets, sweetbreads, fowls, or any dishes, they are applicable (see Vegetables, second course), also French beans, only using one third of the quantity that you would for a made dish for an entremet.", "161. _Scooped Jerusalem Artichokes._--Scoop with a round cutter twenty-four pieces of artichoke, of the size of half an inch in diameter, wash them, put them in a small stewpan with half an ounce of butter and a quarter of an ounce of sugar; put it on a slow fire for a few minutes, add two tablespoonfuls of white sauce, six of white broth or milk, let them simmer till tender, skim, mix a yolk of an egg with two tablespoonfuls of milk, pour in stewpan, and move it round very quick, and serve; it must not be too thick, and the artichokes must be well done; they must not be in purée; they are good with or served under any white meat.", "162. _Scooped Turnips._--Proceed exactly the same, only serve a little thinner: they will not do if stringy.", "163. _Button Onions._--The same, only make the sauce thinner, and boil longer, according to their size.", "164. _Young Carrots._--Scrape and trim to shape twenty small and young carrots, pass in sugar and butter, add white or brown sauce, but keep it thinner, as it requires a longer time boiling; when tender, if for white sauce, add a tablespoonful of liaison, stir, and serve.", "165. _White Mushroom Sauce._--Use small white ones; cut the dark part out and remove the tail, wash in several waters, put in a stewpan with a little butter, salt, pepper, juice of lemon, sauté it for a few minutes, add a gill of white sauce, four table-spoonfuls of broth, milk, or water; boil and serve under any white meat.", "166. _White Cucumber Sauce._--Peel two cucumbers, divide each lengthways into four, remove the pips, and cut into pieces one inch long; add, in stewpan one ounce of butter, a teaspoonful of sugar, half of salt, let it stew on the fire for fifteen minutes, then add a gill of white sauce, six spoonfuls of milk, broth, or water, simmer gently and skim, add a tablespoonful of liaison, and serve where directed, but observe that all these garnitures ought to be served under the meat and over poultry.", "167. _Ragout of Quenelles._--Make twelve nice small quenelles (see _Quenelles_), warm half a pint of white sauce, in which you have put four tablespoonfuls of milk, and half a teaspoonful of eschalot; when well done, pour on the liaison over with the juice of a lemon, and serve. A few English truffles or mushrooms may be added to this sauce.", "168. _Maître d'Hôtel Sauce._--Put eight spoonfuls of white sauce in a stewpan, with four of white stock or milk; boil it five minutes, then stir in two ounces of maître d'hôtel butter; stir it quickly over the fire until the butter is melted, but do not let the sauce boil after the butter is in; this sauce should only be made at the time of serving.", "169. _Green Peas Stewed._--Put a pint of young peas, boiled very green, into a stewpan, with three table-spoonfuls of white sauce, two ounces of butter, a little sugar and salt, and two button onions, with parsley, tied together; boil them ten minutes; add two tablespoonfuls of liaison, stir it in quickly, and serve.", "170. _Green Peas, with Bacon._--Put a pint of well-boiled peas into a stewpan, with five spoonfuls of brown sauce, two of brown gravy, a teaspoonful of sugar, two button onions, and a bunch of parsley; let it boil about ten minutes; have ready braised about a quarter of a pound of lean bacon, cut it in dice about a quarter of an inch square, add it to the peas, take out the onions and parsley, season with an ounce of butter and half a teaspoonful of sugar; mix well together, stew twenty minutes, and serve.", "171. _Blanched Mushrooms._--Get a pottle of fresh mushrooms, cut off the dirt, and likewise the heads (reserving the stalk for chopping), wash the heads in a basin of clean water, take them out and drain in a sieve; put into a stewpan two wine-glasses of cold water, one ounce of butter, the juice of half a good lemon, and a little salt; turn or peel each head neatly, and put them into the stewpan immediately, or they will turn black; set your stewpan on a brisk fire, let them boil quickly five minutes, put them into a basin ready for use; chop the stalks and peel very fine, put them into a stewpan with three tablespoonfuls of the liquor the mushrooms have been boiled in; let them simmer three minutes, put them into a jar, and use where indicated.", "Observe: Turning or peeling mushrooms is an art that practice alone can attain; if they are very fresh and white, wash them quickly, and wipe them on a cloth; throw them into the liquid above mentioned.", "172. _Onions Stuffed._--Peel twelve large onions, cut a piece off at the top and bottom to give them a flat appearance, and which adds a better flavor if left, blanch them in four quarts of boiling water twenty minutes, then lay them on a cloth to dry; take the middle out of each onion, and fill them with veal forcemeat (with a little chopped eschalot, parsley, and mushroom, mixed in it), and put them in a sauté-pan well buttered, cover them with white broth, let them simmer over a slow fire until covered with a glaze, and tender; turn them over and serve where required.", "173. _Hot Tartar Sauce._--Put two table-spoonfuls of white sauce in a small stewpan, four of broth or milk, boil a few minutes, then add two tablespoonfuls of the tartar sauce (see Salads) in it, stir it very quick with a wooden spoon, make it quite hot but not boiling; put it on a dish, and serve where described.", "174. _Mephistophelian Sauce._--Do not be afraid of the title, for it has nothing diabolical about it; the first time I tried it was at Mr. B.'s birthday party; and some of his friends having over and over again drank his health, till he had hardly any health left to carry him to the drawing-room, where the coffee was waiting, about eleven o'clock, having asked for some anchovy sandwiches, but, from a mistake, not having any in the house, I composed this ravigotante sauce, which partly brought them back to their senses.", "I cut up the remains of the turkey, rubbed some mustard over it, sprinkled a little salt and plenty of cayenne, put it on the gridiron on the fire, and made the following sauce: I chopped six eschalots, washed and pressed them in the corner of a clean cloth, then put them into a stewpan with one and a half wine-glassful of Chili vinegar, a chopped clove, a piece of garlic, two bay-leaves, an ounce of glaze, and boiled all together for ten minutes; then added four tablespoonfuls of tomato sauce, a little sugar, and ten of gravy or brown sauce; boiled it a few minutes longer, then added a pat of butter, stirring it well in, removed the bay-leaf, and poured over turkey, and served.", "In France, no dinner is served without soup, and no good soup is supposed to be made without the pot-au-feu (see No. 215), it being the national dish of the middle and poorer classes of that country; thinking it might be of service to the working classes, by showing the benefits to be derived from more frequently partaking of a hot dinner, as I have previously observed, especially in a cold climate like ours. Clear light soups are very delicate, and in this country more fit for the wealthy; whilst the more substantial thick soups, such as mock turtle, ox-tail, peas, &c., are more in vogue, consequent to being better adapted to the million; therefore, after giving a few series of clear soups, I shall proceed to give a greater variety of the thicker sorts, being careful that every receipt shall be so plain as to give a correct idea of its cost.", "175. _Stock for all kinds of Soup._--Procure a knuckle of veal about six pounds in weight, which cut into pieces about the size of an egg, as also half a pound of lean ham or bacon; then rub a quarter of a pound of butter upon the bottom of the stewpan (capable of holding about two gallons), into which put the meat and bacon, with half a pint of water, two ounces of salt, three middle-sized onions, with two cloves in each, one turnip, a carrot, half a leek, and half a head of celery; put the cover upon the stewpan, which place over a sharp fire, occasionally stirring round its contents with a wooden spoon, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a white thickish glaze, which will lightly adhere to the spoon; fill up the stewpan with cold water, and when upon the point of boiling, draw it to the corner of the fire, where it must gently simmer for three hours, carefully skimming off every particle of grease and scum; pass your stock through a fine hair sieve, and it is ready for use when required.", "The above will make a delicious broth for all kinds of clear soups, and of course for thick soups or purées; by boiling it rather faster about five minutes before passing, you will be better enabled to take off every particle of grease from the surface. In making a stock of beef proceed as above, but allow double the time to simmer; mutton or lamb, if any trimmings, might also be used; if beef, use seven pounds; if mutton, eight; or lamb, seven, of course bones and all included; with care, this broth would be quite clear. To give a little color, as required for all clear soups, use a little brown gravy or browning, but never attempt to brown it by letting it color at the bottom of the stewpan, for in that case you would destroy the greater part of the osmazome.", "176. _Another way, more economical._--Instead of cutting up the knuckle of veal so small, cut it in four or five pieces only, and leave the bacon in one piece; then, when the broth is passed, take out the veal, which is very excellent served with a little of the broth for gravy, and the bacon with a few greens upon another dish. This is as I always eat it myself; but some persons would probably prefer a little parsley-and-butter sauce or sharp sauce, served with it. Should any of the veal be left until cold, it might be cut into thin slices, and gradually warmed in either of the before-mentioned sauces. Should you make your stock from the leg or shin of beef, stew it double the time, preserve the vegetables boiled in the stock, and serve with beef, or serve the beef with some nice sharp sauce over; the remainder, if cold, may also be hashed in the ordinary way. If of mutton, and you have used the scrags of the neck, the breast, head, or the chump of the loin, keep them in as large pieces as possible; and, when done, serve with a few mashed turnips, and caper sauce, separately; if any remaining until cold, mince it. Lamb would be seldom used for stock, being much too expensive; but in case of an abundance, which there sometimes is in the country, proceed the same as for mutton.", "177. _Brown Gravies._--Rub an ounce of butter over the bottom of a stewpan which would hold about three quarts; have ready peeled four onions, cut them into thick slices, with which cover the bottom of the stewpan; over these lay about two pounds of beef from the leg or shin, cut into thin slices, with the bone chopped very small, add a small carrot, a turnip cut in slices, and a couple of cloves; set the stewpan upon a gentle fire for ten minutes, shaking it round occasionally to prevent burning; after which, let it go upon a slow fire for upwards of an hour, until the bottom is covered with a blackish glaze, but not burnt; when properly done, and ready for filling up, you will perceive the fat that runs from the meat quite clear, fill up the stewpan with cold water, add a teaspoonful of salt; and when upon the point of boiling, set it on a corner of the fire, where let it simmer gently about an hour, skimming off all the fat and scum which may rise to the surface; when done, pass it through a fine sieve into a basin, and put by to use for the following purposes:--For every kind of roast meat, poultry, or game especially; also to give a good color to soups and sauces. This gravy will keep several days, by boiling it every other day. Although beef is the most proper meat for the above purpose, it may be made of veal, mutton, lamb, or even with fresh pork, rabbits, or poultry.", "178. _Browning._--When in business, and not so much time to devote to the kitchen, I used to make shift with a browning from the following receipt, using, however, but a very few drops: put two ounces of powdered sugar into a middling-sized stewpan, which place over a slow fire; when beginning to melt, stir it round with a wooden spoon until getting quite black, then pour over half a pint of cold water: leave it to dissolve, and take a little for use when required.", "179. _Glaze_ is an almost indispensable article in a _cuisine bourgeoise_, and should be kept by all persons in the middle classes of life, the advantage being that it will keep for months together, is very simple to make, and is always useful in cookery, however humble; in fact, with it you can dress a very good dinner with very little trouble.", "Make a stock as directed in No. 175, but omitting the salt, which, when done, pass through a cloth into a basin; then fill the stewpan up a second time with hot water, and let boil four hours longer to obtain all the succulence from the meat, then pass it through a cloth the same as the first; then pour both stocks in a large stewpan together, set it over the fire, and let it boil as fast as possible, leaving a large spoon in, to stir occasionally and prevent its boiling over; when reduced to about three pints, pour it into a smaller stewpan, set again to boil at the corner, skimming well if required; when reduced to a quart, place it quite over the fire, well stirring with a wooden spoon until forming a thickish glaze (which will adhere to the spoon) of a fine yellowish-brown color; pour it into a basin, or, if for keeping any time, into a long bladder, from which cut a slice and use where directed.", "Where, however, only a small quantity is required, reduce only the second stock, using the first for either soup or sauce; but in that case the salt must not be omitted from the first stock, but from the second only. Veal at all times makes the best glaze, but any kinds of meat, game, or poultry will produce more or less.", "180. _To clarify Stock, if required._--In case, by some accident, your stock should not be clear, put it (say three quarts) into a stewpan, and place it over a good fire, skim well, and, when boiling, have ready the whites of three eggs (carefully separated from their yolks), to which add half a pint of water; whisk well together; then add half a pint of the boiling stock gradually, still whisking the eggs; then whisk the boiling stock, pouring the whites of eggs, &c., in whilst so doing, which continue until nearly boiling again, then take it from the fire, let it remain until the whites of eggs separate themselves, pass it through a clean fine cloth into a basin; this must be taken as a rule for every kind of clear soup, which must be strictly followed by every person wishing to profit by this little work. These principles, once learned, would be useful at all times, and save a great deal of useless reference in the perusal of these receipts; and no persons can make themselves answerable for the success of any individual in making soups if the instructions recommended be not strictly followed. The following rule should be therefore punctually attended to.", "All clear soups ought not to be too strong of meat, and must be of a light brown sherry or straw color. All white or brown thick soups should be rather thin, with just sufficient consistency to adhere lightly to a spoon when hot, soups of fish, poultry, or game especially. All purées, no matter whether of meat or vegetables, require to be somewhat thicker, which may be ascertained by its adhering more thickly to the spoon. Every Italian soup must be very clear, rather stronger of meat, and the color of pale sherry.", "By following the few foregoing observations, experience will teach you volumes; for as there is a great difference in the quality of different materials (flour, for instance, which, if strong, would tend to thicken, but, if weak, actually almost turns to water by boiling), therefore your judgment, with the above few important remarks, will make you more perfect than the most precise quantities of weights and measurements, upon that important point.", "181. _Clear Vegetable Soup._--Peel a middling-sized carrot and turnip, which cut first into slices, then into small square pieces about the size of dice; peel also eighteen button onions; wash the whole in cold water, and drain them upon a sieve; when dry, put them into a stewpan with two ounces of butter and a teaspoonful of powdered sugar; set them upon a very sharp fire for ten minutes, tossing them over every now and then until the vegetables become covered with a thin shiny glaze, which may take rather more than the before-mentioned time; care, however, must be taken, for should you let them get brown, the flavor of the soup would be spoiled; whilst, upon the other hand, if put in whilst surrounded with a whitish liquid, your soup would look white and unsightly; with a little attention, however, success is certain; and, once accomplished, there would be no difficulty in making any vegetable soups or sauce, therefore it is very desirable to know how to do it properly. When done, pour two quarts of clear broth over them, set it upon the fire, and when upon the point of boiling, place it at the corner to simmer, until the vegetables are quite tender (the onions especially), carefully skimming off all the butter as it rises to the surface; it will require about half an hour's simmering, and there should be half a pound of vegetables to two quarts of stock; taste if properly seasoned, which it ought to be with the above proportions, but use your own judgment accordingly.", "By following the last process correctly, the only difference to be made in those descriptions of soup is in the shape the vegetables are cut.", "182. _Printanière Soup._--Cut a small quantity of vegetables as in the last, but rather less carrot and turnip, introducing a little celery, leek, and young spring onions, instead of the button onions; proceed exactly as before, but ten minutes before taking it from the fire, wash a few leaves of sorrel, which cut small and put into the soup, with six sprigs of chervil; in summer, a few fresh-boiled peas or French beans served in it is an improvement.", "In whatever shape you may cut the vegetables for soup, always be cautious not to cut some pieces larger than others, and the whole of them rather small than large; for if some pieces should be small and others large, the smaller pieces would be quite in purée, whilst the larger ones would still be quite hard, which would cause your soup not only to eat badly, but give it an unsightly appearance, for the vegetable boiled to a purée would make the soup thick. The above remark, although simple, is still very important.", "183. _Julienne Soup._--This soup is entirely the hereditary property of France, and is supposed to be so called from the months of June and July, when all vegetables are in full season; and to make it in reality as originally made, a small quantity of every description of vegetables should be used, including lettuce, sorrel, and tarragon; however, some few sorts of vegetables mixed together make a most estimable soup. Weigh half a pound of the vegetables in fair proportions to each other; that is, carrots, turnips, onions, celery, and leeks, which cut into small fillets an inch in length, and of the thickness of a trussing-needle; when done, wash dry, and pass them in butter and sugar as before, proceeding the same with the soup, adding just before it is done a little sorrel, cabbage-lettuce, and chervil or peas, if handy, but it would be excellent without either.", "184. _Clear Turnip Soup._--Cut, with a round vegetable scoop, about forty pieces of turnip, of the shape and size of small marbles, which put into a stewpan, with sugar and butter as before, but fry them of a light brownish color, and finish the soup, as in the previous receipts. A tablespoonful of Italian paste, previously half boiled in water, then drained and finished in the soup, is also an improvement.", "185. _Clear Artichoke Soup._--Peel twelve Jerusalem artichokes, which well wash, then cut as many round scoops as possible, the same as in the last, proceeding exactly the same. The remainder of either turnips, artichokes, or carrots may be boiled, and mashed with a little butter, pepper, and salt, and served as a vegetable, or reserved to make a soup purée; the remains of other vegetables from the previous soups should also be reserved for flavoring of stock, instead of using the fresh vegetables.", "186. _Vermicelli._--Put a quart of clear stock into a stewpan upon the fire, and when boiling add two ounces of vermicelli; boil gently ten minutes, and it is ready to serve.", "187. _Italian Paste._--Procure some small Italian paste, in stars, rings, or any other shape, but small; put on a quart of stock, and when boiling, add two ounces of the paste; boil twenty minutes, or rather more, when it is ready to serve.", "188. _Semoulina._--When the stock is boiling, add two tablespoonfuls of semoulina; boil twenty minutes, and it is then done. Proceed the same also with tapioca and sago.", "189. _Macaroni._--Boil a quarter of a pound of macaroni, in a quart of water, for ten minutes, then strain it off, and throw it into two quarts of boiling stock; let simmer gently for half an hour, when serve, with grated cheese, upon a plate separately.", "190. _Rice._--Well wash two ounces of the best rice, strain off the water, put the rice into a stewpan, with a quart of cold stock, place it upon the fire, and let simmer about half an hour, until the rice is very tender, but not in pulp.", "191. _Mutton Broth._--Any description of trimmings of mutton may be used for broth, but the scrag ends of the neck are usually chosen; put two scrags into a stewpan (having previously jointed the bones), with three onions, three turnips, and one carrot, fill up the stewpan with a gallon of water, and place it upon the fire; when boiling set it at the corner, where let it simmer for three hours, keeping it well skimmed; then cut a small carrot, two turnips, an onion, with a little leek and celery, into small square pieces, which put into another stewpan, with a wineglassful of pearl-barley; skim every particle of fat from the broth, which pour through a hair sieve over them; let the whole boil gently at the corner of the fire until the barley is tender, when it is ready to serve; the meat may be trimmed into neat pieces and served with the broth, or separately with melted butter and parsley, or onion sauce. Half or even a quarter of the above quantity can be made by reducing the ingredients in proportion.", "192. _Irish Soup made of Mutton Broth._--This soup is made similar to the last, adding ten or twelve mealy potatoes, cut into large dice, omitting the other vegetables, which, being boiled to a purée, thickens the broth; just before serving, throw in twenty heads of parsley, and at the same time add a few flowers of marigold, which will really give it a very pleasing flavor.", "193. _Scotch Cock-a-leekie._--Trim two or three bunches of fine winter leeks, cutting off the roots and part of the heads, then split each in halves lengthwise, and each half into three, which wash well in two or three waters, then put them into a stewpan, with a stock previously made as directed (No. 175), and a fowl trussed as for boiling; let the whole simmer very gently at the corner of the fire for three hours, keeping it well skimmed, seasoning a little if required; half an hour before serving add two dozen French plums, without breaking them; when ready to serve, take out the fowl, which cut into neat pieces, place them in a tureen, and pour the leeks and broth over, the leeks being then partly in purée; if too thick, however, add a drop more broth or water. Should the leeks happen to be old and strong, it would be better to blanch them five minutes in a gallon of boiling water previous to putting them in the stock.", "I prefer a young fowl; but, should an old one be most handy, stew it a short time in the stock before passing it. This soup will keep good several days, and would improve by warming a second time.", "194. _Ox-tail Soup._--Cut up two ox-tails, separating them at the joints, put a small piece of butter at the bottom of a stewpan, then put in the ox-tails, with a carrot, a turnip, three onions, a head of celery, a leek, and a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf; and half a pint of water, and twelve grains of whole pepper, set over a sharp fire, stirring occasionally, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a thickish brown glaze, then add a quarter of a pound of flour, stir it well in, and fill up the stewpan with three quarts of water, add a tablespoonful of salt, and stir occasionally until boiling, when set it upon the corner of the stove, skim well, add a gill of good brown gravy, or a few drops of browning, and let simmer until the tails are stewed very tender, the flesh coming easily from the bones, then take them out immediately, and put them into your tureen; pass the soup through a hair sieve over them, add a head of celery, previously cut small, and boiled in a little stock, and serve.", "Ox-tail soup may also be made clear by omitting the flour, and serving with vegetables, as directed for the clear vegetable soup (No. 181).", "195. _Ox-cheek Soup._--Blanch in boiling water two ox-cheeks, cut off the beard, take away all the bone, which chop up, and cut the flesh into middling-sized pieces, leaving the cheek-part whole; put all together into a stewpan, with four quarts of water, a little salt, ten peppercorns, two carrots, two turnips, one leek, one head of celery, and a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf; let it stew at the corner of the fire six hours, keeping it well skimmed, then take out the fleshy part of the cheeks, and pass the broth through a hair-sieve into another stewpan; mix a quarter of a pound of flour with a pint of cold broth, which pour into it, and stir over the fire until boiling, when place it at the corner (adding two heads of celery, cut very fine, and a glass of sherry); when the celery is tender, cut the meat into small square pieces, keep them warm in the tureen, and when the soup is ready, pour over, and serve; give it a nice color with browning.", "Sheeps' or lambs' heads also make very good soup by following the above receipt, and adding two pounds of veal, mutton, or beef to the stock: two heads would be sufficient, and they would not require so long to stew.", "196. _White Mock-turtle Soup._--Procure half a calf's head (scalded, not skinned), bone it, then cut up a knuckle of veal, which put into a stewpan, well buttered at the bottom, with half a pound of lean ham, an ounce of salt, a carrot, a turnip, three onions, a head of celery, a leek, a bunch of parsley, and a bay-leaf, add half a pint of water; set it upon the fire, moving it round occasionally, until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a white glaze; then add six quarts of water, and put in the half head, let simmer upon the corner of the fire for two hours and a half, or until the head is tender, then take it out, and press it between two dishes, and pass the stock through a hair sieve into a basin; then in another stewpan have a quarter of a pound of butter, with a sprig of thyme, basil, marjoram, and bay-leaf, let the butter get quite hot, then add six ounces of flour to form a roux, stir over a sharp fire a few minutes, keeping it quite white; stand it off the fire to cool, then add the stock, stir over the fire until boiling, then stand it at the corner, skim off all the fat, and pass it through a hair sieve into another stewpan; cut the head into pieces an inch square, but not too thick, and put them into the soup, which season with a little cayenne pepper; when the pieces are hot, add a gill of cream, and pour it into your tureen.", "The above quantity would make two tureens of soup, and will keep good several days, but of course half the quantity could be made.", "197. _Brown Mock-turtle._--Proceed the same as in the last article, only coloring the stock by drawing it down to a brown glaze, likewise adding half a pint of brown gravy (No. 177), omitting the cream, and adding two glasses of sherry.", "198. _Mulligatawny Soup._--Cut up a knuckle of veal, which put into a stewpan, with a piece of butter, half a pound of lean ham, a carrot, a turnip, three onions, and six apples, add half a pint of water; set the stewpan over a sharp fire, moving the meat round occasionally, let remain until the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a brownish glaze, then add three tablespoonfuls of curry powder, one of curry paste, and half a pound of flour, stir well in, and fill the stewpan with a gallon of water; add a spoonful of salt, the half of one of sugar, when boiling, place it at the corner of the fire, and let it simmer two hours and a half, skimming off all the fat as it rises, then pass it through a tammy into a tureen; trim some of the pieces of veal, and put it back in the stewpan to boil, and serve with plain boiled rice separate. Ox-tails or pieces of rabbits, chickens, &c., left from a previous dinner may be served in it instead of the veal. The veal is exceedingly good to eat.", "199. _Giblet Soup._--Clean two sets of giblets, which soak for two hours, cut them into equal sizes, and put them into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of butter, four pounds of veal or beef, half a pound of ham, a carrot, a turnip, three onions, two ounces of salt, and a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaves; place the stewpan over a sharp fire, stirring the meat round occasionally; when the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a light glaze, add a quarter of a pound of flour, stir well in, and fill up with a gallon of water, add about a pint of brown gravy (No. 177), stir occasionally until boiling, then set it at the corner of the stove to simmer, keeping it well skimmed; when the giblets are tender, take them out, put them into your tureen, pass the soup through a hair sieve over, and serve; twenty cooked button onions, or any small-shaped vegetables served in it, is very good, as is also a glass of port wine.", "200. _Oyster Soup._--Put four dozen of oysters into a stewpan with their liquor, place them upon the fire, when upon the point of boiling, drain them upon a sieve, catching the liquor in a basin; take off the beards, which put into the liquor, putting the oysters into a soup tureen; then put a quarter of a pound of butter into another stewpan over the fire, and when melted add six ounces of flour, stir over a slow fire for a short time, but keeping it quite white; let it cool, then add the liquor and beards of the oysters, a quart of milk, and two quarts of stock (No. 175), stir over the fire until boiling, then season with a teaspoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper, five peppercorns, half a blade of mace, a tablespoonful of Harvey sauce, half ditto of essence of anchovies; let boil quickly at the corner for ten minutes, skim it well, add a gill of cream, if handy, strain through a hair sieve over the oysters, and serve.", "201. _The Fisherman's Soup._--Put a quarter of a pound of butter into a stewpan, and when melted add six ounces of flour, stir well together over a slow fire a few minutes, when cool, add one quart of milk, and two quarts of stock (No. 175), stir over a fire until boiling; having previously filleted two soles, add the bones and trimmings to the soup, with four cloves, one blade of mace, two bay-leaves, one spoonful of essence of anchovies, one ditto of Harvey sauce, half a saltspoonful of cayenne, a little sugar and salt if required; let the whole boil quickly at the corner for ten minutes, keeping it well skimmed; cut each fillet of sole into six pieces, put them into another stewpan, with half a handful of picked parsley, pass the soup through a hair sieve over, boil again ten minutes, add a gill of cream, if handy, and it is ready to serve.", "202. _Autumn Soup._--Cut up four cabbage-lettuces, one cos ditto, a handful of sorrel, and a little tarragon and chervil, when well washed and drained, put them into a stewpan, with two cucumbers finely sliced, and two ounces of butter, place them over a brisk fire, stirring occasionally, until very little liquid remains, then add two tablespoonfuls of flour, stirring it well in, then pour over three quarts of stock, made as directed (No. 175), adding a quart of young and fresh green peas; half an hour's boiling will suffice for this delicious soup, and the flavor of the vegetables will be fully preserved; season with a teaspoonful of salt, and two of sugar.", "203. _Hodge Podge._--Cut two pounds of fresh scrag of mutton into small pieces, which put into a stewpan, with three quarts of cold water and a tablespoonful of salt, set it upon the fire, and when boiling place it at the corner to simmer, keeping it well skimmed; let it simmer an hour, then add a good-sized carrot, two turnips, two large onions cut into small dice, and six cabbage-lettuces, if in season (the whole well washed), and let simmer until quite tender; skim off all the fat, and serve either with the meat in the soup or separately. If in season, a pint of green peas boiled in the soup is a great improvement.", "204. _French Cabbage Soup._--This is a soup very much in vogue amongst the middle classes of the French people; it is very economical, and may satisfy a numerous family at a trifling expense. Put a gallon of water into a saucepan, with two pounds of streaky pickled pork or bacon, whichever most convenient, to which add a couple of pounds of white cabbage, cut in strips (using every part but the stalk, and previously well washed), two large onions, a carrot, a turnip, and a head of celery; let the whole boil three or four hours, until the pork is tender, skimming off all the fat, season with a little black pepper, brown sugar, and salt, if required (which is not very frequently the case, the pork or bacon generally being sufficiently so), lay slices of bread in your tureen (about one pound), pour the soup over; keep the tureen covered ten minutes, until the bread is soaked, and it is ready to serve. The pork or bacon may be either served separate or cut into small square pieces, and served in the soup. A few mealy potatoes are sometimes introduced, or a quart of large green peas, or a pint of dry split peas. You must observe that vegetables in France are much more used than in this country, as there are but few poor people there who do not possess a little garden, in which they grow their own.", "It is also frequently made _maigre_ by omitting the pork or bacon, adding more vegetables of all kinds, and a quarter of a pound of butter, and frequently where they have nothing else but cabbage, they make it only of that; now setting all national feeling aside respecting the poverty of their meals, I have known strong healthy men make a hearty meal of it, preferring it to meat, of which they scarcely ever partake.", "205. _Purée of Vegetable Soup._--Peel and cut up very finely three onions, three turnips, one carrot, and four potatoes, which put into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of butter, the same of lean ham, and a bunch of parsley; pass them ten minutes over a sharp fire, when add a good spoonful of flour, which mix well in, add two quarts of stock, and a pint of boiling milk, stir it until boiling; season with a little salt and sugar, rub it through a tammy, put it into another stewpan, boil again, skim and serve with croutons of fried bread as for Palestine Soup. It ought to be thickish.", "206. _Palestine Soup, or Purée of Artichokes._--Have a quarter of a pound of lean bacon or ham, as also an onion, a turnip, and a little celery, cut the whole into small thin slices, and put them into a stewpan, with two ounces of butter; place them over a sharp fire, keeping them stirred, about twenty minutes, or until forming a whitish glaze at the bottom, then have ready washed, peeled, and cut into thin slices, the artichokes, which put into the stewpan with a pint of broth or water, and stew until quite tender, then mix in two tablespoonfuls of flour quite smoothly, add two quarts of stock made as directed (No. 175), and half a pint of milk; keep it constantly stirred until boiling; season with a teaspoonful of salt, and two of sugar, then rub it through a tammy, place it again in a stewpan; let it boil five minutes, keeping it well skimmed, and serve with very small croutons of bread (fried in butter, and dried upon a cloth) in the tureen; a gill of cream, stirred in at the moment of serving, is a great improvement, although it may be omitted.", "207. _Purée of Cauliflower Soup._--Proceed as described for the purée of artichokes, but omitting the artichokes, and substituting four middling-sized cauliflowers, previously boiled and chopped fine.", "A purée of turnips is likewise made in the same manner as a purée of artichokes, substituting turnips for artichokes, and adding half a tablespoonful more of flour. A purée of white Belgian carrot, called \"Crécy à la Reine,\" is made in the same way, and is uncommon and delicate.", "208. _Crécy Soup, or Purée of Carrots._--Procure five or six large carrots, as red as possible, which well scrape, then shave them into very thin slices, taking off all the exterior red, but not using the centre, then peel and slice a large onion, a turnip, a quarter of a pound of lean ham, a few sprigs of parsley, and two bay-leaves; put them into a stewpan, with four ounces of butter, fry the whole of a light yellowish color, then add the carrot, with a pint of water, and let them stew until perfectly tender, mix in two ounces of flour quite smoothly, and add five pints of stock (No. 175); season with a little salt and sugar, and stir upon the fire until boiling, a quarter of an hour, when pass it through a tammy, and finish and serve as in the preceding; no cream, however, must be added. This soup ought to be of a red color.", "209. _Green Pea Soup._--Put two quarts of green peas into a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of butter, a quarter of a pound of lean ham, cut into small dice, two onions in slices, and a few sprigs of parsley; add a quart of cold water, and with the hands rub all well together; then pour off the water, cover the stewpan close, and stand it over a sharp fire, stirring the contents round occasionally; when very tender, add two tablespoonfuls of flour, which mix well in mashing the peas with your spoon against the sides of the stewpan, add two quarts of stock, or broth from the Pot-au-feu, a tablespoonful of sugar, and a little pepper and salt, if required; boil all well together five minutes, when rub it through a tammy or hair sieve; then put it into another stewpan, with a pint of boiling milk; boil five minutes, skim well, and pour it into your tureen. It must not be too thick, serve with croutons of bread as for Palestine.", "210. _Winter Pea Soup._--Wash a quart of split peas, which put into a stewpan, with half a pound of streaky bacon, two onions in slices, two pounds of veal or beef, cut into small pieces, and a little parsley, thyme, and bay-leaf, add a gallon of water, with a little salt and sugar, place it upon the fire, and when boiling, stand it at the side until the peas are boiled to a purée, and the water has reduced to half, then take out the meat, which put upon a dish, to be eaten with the bacon, keeping it hot, rub the soup through a hair sieve or tammy, put it into another stewpan, and when boiling, serve. The meat may also be served in the tureen if approved of. Maigre pea soup may also be made by omitting the meat, adding half a pound of butter, one quart of milk, and omitting a quart of water.", "211. _Lentil Soup._--Cut three onions, a turnip, and the half of a carrot into very thin slices, which put into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of butter, a few sprigs of parsley, a sprig of thyme, and two bay-leaves, add also two pounds of leg of beef, cut into small dice; set the stewpan upon the fire, stirring with a wooden spoon, until its contents are fried rather brownish, when add one quart of lentils, and three of water, let the whole simmer until the lentils are very tender, when season with nearly an ounce of salt, and half that quantity of sugar; it is then ready to serve.", "To make a purée of lentils:--when the soup is made, strain off the broth, add a good spoonful of flour to the lentils, which mash with a wooden spoon against the side of the stewpan; then again put in the broth, boil all up together, keeping it stirred with a spoon; rub it through a tammy or hair sieve, again boil and skim, and it is ready; serve with a few croutons of bread, as directed for Palestine soup.", "212. _Maigre Soup._--Cut two onions into very small dice, and put them into a stewpan, with two ounces of butter; fry them a short time, but not to discolor them; have ready three or four handfuls of well-washed sorrel, which cut into ribands and put into the stewpan with the onions, add one tablespoonful of flour, then mix well a pint of milk and a quart of water; boil altogether twenty minutes, keeping it stirred; season with a teaspoonful of sugar and salt, take it from the fire, and stir in quickly a liaison of two yolks of eggs mixed with a gill of cream or milk (it must not boil afterwards), put the crust of a French roll, cut into strips, in the tureen, pour the soup over, and serve very hot.", "213. _Onion Soup Maigre._--Peel and cut six large onions into small dice, put them into a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of butter, place them over the fire until well fried, when well mix in a tablespoonful of flour, and rather better than a quart of water; boil until the onions are quite tender, season with a spoonful of salt and a little sugar; finish with a liaison, and serve as in the last.", "214. _Hare Soup._--Put half a pound of butter into a stewpan, and, when melted, add three quarters of a pound of flour, and half a pound of streaky bacon, cut into very small pieces; keep stirring over the fire until becoming lightly browned. You have previously cut up a hare into neat smallish pieces; put them into the stewpan, and keep stirring round over the fire, until they are set; then fill it up with five quarts of water, add two onions, a head of celery, a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaves, a blade of mace, and four cloves; when boiling, season with one ounce of salt and a little pepper, and let it simmer at the corner until the pieces of hare are done, which would be in about an hour if a young hare, but double that time if a very old one; the better plan is to try a piece occasionally. When done, take out the best pieces, and the inferior ones pound in a mortar, removing the bones, put it back in the soup, and pass all through a tammy, boil for ten minutes, and put it again into a stewpan, and serve. The above quantity would be sufficient for two tureens. A glass of wine may be added. Rabbit, pheasant, grouse, partridge, and other game soups, may be made in the same way.", "215. _French Pot-au-feu._--Out of this earthen pot comes the favorite soup and bouilli, which has been everlastingly famed as having been the support of many generations of all classes of society in France; from the opulent to the poorest individuals, all pay tribute to its excellence and worth. In fact this soup and bouilli is to the French what the roast beef and plum-pudding is on a Sunday to the English. No dinner in France is served without soup, and no good soup is supposed to be made without the pot-au-feu.", "The following is the receipt:--Put in the pot-au-feu six pounds of beef, four quarts of water, set near the fire, skim; when nearly boiling add a spoonful and a half of salt, half a pound of liver, two carrots, four turnips, eight young or two old leeks, one head of celery, two onions and one burnt, with a clove in each, and a piece of parsnip, skim again, and let simmer four or five hours, adding a little cold water now and then; take off part of the fat, put slices of bread into the tureen, lay half the vegetables over, and half the broth, and serve the meat separate with the vegetables around.", "CRAB SOUP.--We add to the list of M. Soyer's soups, a receipt for a purely American soup, a great favorite at the South, and esteemed a great luxury by those who have eaten of it--ED.", "[Open and cleanse twelve young fat crabs (raw), and cut them into two parts; parboil and extract the meat from the claws, and the fat from the top shell. Scald eighteen ripe tomatos; skin them and squeeze the pulp from the seed, and chop it fine; pour boiling water over the seed and juice, and having strained it from the seed, use it to make the soup. Stew a short time in the soup-pot three large onions, one clove of garlic, in one spoonful of butter, two spoonfuls of lard, and then put in the tomatos, and after stewing a few minutes, add the meat from the crab claws, then the crabs, and last the fat from the back shell of the crab; sift over it grated bread-crumbs or crackers. Season with salt, Cayenne and black pepper, parsley, sweet marjoram, thyme, half teaspoonful lemon juice, and the peel of a lemon; pour in the water with which the seed were scalded, and boil it moderately one hour.", "Any firm fish may be substituted for the crab.]", "Of all aliments that have been given to the human race for nourishment, none are more abundant or more easy of procuring than this antediluvian species, and yet of how few do we make use, and how slight is our knowledge of their habits, for it is only within the last few years that the idea was exploded that the herrings made an annual migration from the Arctic seas to deposit their spawn on the shores of the British islands. It possesses, according to its kind, a greater or less degree of nourishment, depending, like the animal, in a great measure on those beautiful meadows at the bottom of the ocean, where it feeds; for even those which live upon some of a smaller kind, as the cod on the haddock, that on the whiting, and that again on the mussel, or other crustaceous fish, which move but little from the place where they were originally spawned, derive their nourishment from the herbs and the animalculæ which those herbs produce that lay around them; the cod on the southeast of the Bank of Newfoundland is as fine again in flavor as that on the north-west side. Fish, of course, do not afford the same amount of nourishment as meat, as they contain but a slight quantity of osmazome; but its flesh is refreshing, and often exciting. A curious circumstance has been observed in respect to the animate parts of the creation which draw their nourishment from fish, as in birds and the human race, that they produce more females when doing so than males.", "It ought to be made an article of diet more often than it is, as the particles it contains tend to purify the blood from the grossness it receives in partaking of animal food; and when taken at the commencement of dinner, tends to assist the digestion of those substances which form the more substantial part of the meal.", "In the receipts will be found those which I consider fit for the table; but, as a general rule to be observed, as in the feathered tribe, all those of beautiful _variegated_ colors are more unfit to eat than any other; as if the great Creator of all, in order to please man, had destined some for his nourishment, and others to gratify his senses by their melodious notes and beautiful plumage.", "Nothing indicates its freshness so well as fish; the merest novice ought to know it; their gills should be difficult to open, be red, and swell well; fins tight and close; eyes bright, and not sunk: the contrary to this denotes their being stale.", "Of the round fish, the SALMON is considered the best and most delicate in flavor, but varies considerably, according to the river in which it is caught; for there is no doubt but that it returns to the river where it was originally spawned, and its time of spawning varies in different rivers. The male is the finest flavored fish, and has more curd than the female. Of late years it has been considered that this fish should be eaten as fresh as possible, for which purpose it is crimped when alive, that it may be flaky, and the curd in it. In former times, it was considered best to keep it two or three days; it is certain that, in keeping it, the curd undergoes a change, which produces a volatile salt, oily and balsamic particles, render it nutritive and invigorating; it is diuretic, pectoral, and restorative, and if eaten too profusely produces vomiting; but when the curd is in it, the flesh is hard and dry, lies heavy on the stomach, and produces indigestion. This fish, when out of season, may be distinguished by having large scarlet, purple, and blue spots on its sides, the male snout long, the female snout hooked. When in season, the color ought to be a silvery pink gray; when cooked, the flesh should be of a dark rose color; when out of season it is pale; small-headed fish are the best.", "This fish was known to the Romans, who received it from Aquitaine and the Moselle.", "216. _Salmon, plain boiled._--I prefer always dressing this fish in slices from an inch to two inches in thickness, boiling it in plenty of salt water about twenty minutes; the whole fish may be boiled, or the head and shoulders of a large fish, but they require longer boiling. Salmon eats firmer by not being put into the water until boiling. Dress the fish upon a napkin, and serve with lobster sauce, shrimp ditto, or plain melted butter in a boat, with fresh sprigs of parsley boiled a few minutes in it. A salmon weighing about ten pounds will require an hour's gentle boiling; a head and shoulders weighing six pounds, half an hour; the remains may be dressed à la crême, as directed for the turbot.", "217. _Salmon, Sauce Matelote._--Cook three good slices of salmon as directed in the last, or a large salmon peal trussed in the form of the letter S, dress it upon a dish without a napkin, having previously drained off all the water; have ready one quart of matelote sauce, under or over.", "To broil salmon, dip each piece in flour, put it on a gridiron, fifteen minutes will give it a nice pale color; it should be served with Dutch or caper sauce.", "_Cod._--This fish, like the former, belongs to the northern parts of the world; its flavor and quality, like terrestrial animals, depend greatly on its feeding-place, a few miles making a marked difference; it is exceedingly voracious. Those are best with a small head and thick at the neck.", "218. _To boil Cod Fish._--Crimped cod, as I have before remarked, is preferable to the plain; it is likewise better cut in slices than cooked whole; to boil it well, have the water ready boiling, with one pound of salt to every six quarts, put in your fish, draw the fish-kettle to the corner of the fire, where let it simmer slowly from twenty minutes to half an hour, when done, the bone in the centre will draw out easily; if boiled too much, it would eat tough and stringy; should the fish not be crimped, add more salt to the water, it will cause the fish to eat firmer.", "219. _Cod Fish sauced over with Oyster Sauce._--Boil three slices of the fish as above, drain and dress them upon a dish without a napkin, blanch three dozen oysters, by putting them into a stewpan, with their juice, upon the fire, move them round occasionally, do not let them boil; as soon as they become a little firm, place a sieve over a basin, pour in the oysters, beard and throw them again into their liquor, put them into a stewpan; when boiling, add two cloves, half a blade of mace, six peppercorns, and two ounces of butter, to which you have added a tablespoonful of flour, breaking it into small pieces, stir well together, when boiling, season with a little salt, cayenne pepper, and essence of anchovies, finish with a gill of cream or milk, and sauce over. The remains of this fish may be taken from the bone and placed upon a dish, with a little of the above sauce (to which you have added the yolks of two eggs) over, sprinkle over with bread-crumbs, and place it twenty minutes in a hot oven, till the bread-crumbs become brown.", "220. _Salt Fish._--Choose the fish with a black skin, and be particular in soaking it well; to boil, put it into a fish-kettle, with plenty of cold water, place it over the fire, and the moment it boils remove it to the corner, to simmer until done, which, if a piece weighing about three pounds, would be in about twenty minutes; do not let it boil fast, or the fish would eat hard and thready; dish it upon a napkin, with plain boiled parsnips and parsley round, and serve egg sauce in a boat.", "_Haddock_, the callarias and galeris of the Romans. This is also the fish that it is said St. Peter took the tribute money from, and thus gave the impression of his finger and thumb, where it remains in confirmation of the miracle. It has a very fine flavor when fresh and in season, which is when the roe is very small; the time depends on the place where taken, but generally about October. I think one weighing from six to seven pounds is the best size, although I have had them at twelve pounds. The same features as in the cod will tell if they are fresh.", "221. _Haddock._--This is a fish which I can highly recommend, both for its firmness and lightness; it is excellent plain boiled, and served with a cream sauce or any other fish sauce. But the better plan is to cut four or five incisions upon each side of the fish, an inch deep, then put it into a deep dish, and cover well with salt, let it remain about two hours, then put the fish in boiling water, to simmer from thirty to forty minutes; if a fish of five or six pounds in weight, dish it on a napkin garnished with plain boiled parsnips and parsley, with egg sauce in a boat.", "222. _Baked Haddock._--Fill the interior of the fish with veal stuffing, sew it up with packthread, and truss it with the tail in its mouth, rub a piece of butter over the back, or egg and bread-crumb it over, set it on a baking-dish, which put in a warmish oven to bake, if a Dublin bay haddock, it would take from three quarters of an hour to an hour, but a common haddock would require but half an hour; the better plan is to run the point of a knife down to the backbone, from which, if the flesh parts easily, it is done, when dress it upon a dish without a napkin, and serve a Beyrout sauce, or any other, round.", "_Sturgeon_ derives its name from the German _stoeren_, to stir, to rake up; it is from the same word we derive our word _stir_. It is the accipenser of the Romans. This fish has long been in use in England, but, from its scarcity, it has always been expensive--indeed, it has been considered as a royal fish; for every one caught in the rivers of England belongs to the Queen, with the exception of the river Thames, which belongs to the Lord Mayor. The flavor of the young sturgeon is extremely delicate, but that materially depends upon the river in which it is caught, as it feeds upon the insects and plants,--in fact, entirely by suction; those caught in rapid rivers and sandy bottoms, and where they have the advantage of salt and fresh water, are the best.", "223. _Economical mode of cooking Sturgeon._--Take a piece of sturgeon about two pounds weight, and on sending a piece of meat to the baker's to be baked on a stand in a dish, put the sturgeon under it, with a little water, salt, pepper, &c., and a little chopped eschalot may be used; you can also put potatoes round it. Peas, if in season, are a good accompaniment, with melted butter.", "224. _To roast Sturgeon._--Take the tail part, skin and bone it; fill the part where the bone comes from with some stuffing, as for a fillet of veal; put butter and paper round it, and tie it up like a fillet of veal; roast, and serve it with melted butter and gravy.", "They may be cooked precisely as veal, in large or small pieces, as for fricandeau, papillote, &c., and even salted, in imitation of tunny.", "_Mackerel._--This is generally recognized as the scomber of the Romans, by whom it was much esteemed; at the present day it is not held in that high estimation that it was some years since: the great supply which is now received from different parts of the coast at all seasons of the year may have a tendency to cause this. It is a fish which requires to be eaten very fresh, and soon becomes tainted. The soft roe of this fish is highly esteemed, and I have no doubt but that it was equally so with the Romans, and I believe it was an ingredient of the garum. When fresh, their skin is of a sea-green color, and very beautiful; fine bright golden eyes, and gills very red; they should be plump, but not too large; they should be cleaned by cutting their gills, so that, when pulled, the interior of the fish will come with them; wipe them well, cut off the fins, and trim the tail.", "225. _Mackerel_ are generally ser