ICING, Almond, for Cakes.

DISH OF ICES.

DISH OF ICES.

Ingredients.—To every lb. of finely-pounded loaf sugar, allow 1 lb. of sweet almonds, the whites of 4 eggs, a little rosewater.Mode.—Blanch the almonds, and pound them (a few at a time) in a mortar to a paste, adding a little rosewater to facilitate the operation. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a strong froth; mix them with the pounded almonds, stir in the sugar, and beat altogether. When the cake is sufficiently baked, lay on the almond icing, and put it into the oven to dry. Before laying this preparation on the cake, great care must be taken that it is nice and smooth, which is easily accomplished by well beating the mixture.

Ingredients.—To every lb. of loaf sugar allow the whites of 4 eggs, 1 oz. of fine starch.Mode.—Beat the eggs to a strong froth, and gradually sift in the sugar, which should be reduced to the finest possible powder, and gradually add the starch, also finely powdered. Beat the mixture well until the sugar is smooth; then with a spoon or broad knife lay the ice equally over the cakes. These should then be placed in a very cool oven, and the icing allowed to dry and harden, but not to colour. The icing may be coloured with strawberry or currant juice, or with prepared cochineal. If it be put on the cakes as soon as they are withdrawn from the oven, it will become firm and hard by the time the cakes are cold. On very rich cakes, such as wedding, christening cakes, &c., a layer of almond icing is usually spread over the top, and over that the white icing as described. All iced cakes should be kept in a very dry place.

A few Rules to be observed in Cooking for Invalids.

Let all the kitchen utensils used in the preparation of invalids’ cookery be delicately andscrupulously clean; if this is not the case, a disagreeable flavour may be imparted to the preparation, which flavour may disgust, and prevent the patient from partaking of the refreshment when brought to him or her.

For invalids, never make a large quantityof one thing, as they seldom require much at a time; and it is desirable that variety be provided for them.

Always have something in readiness; a little beef tea, nicely made and nicely skimmed, a few spoonfuls of jelly, &c., &c., that it may be administered as soon almost as the invalid wishes for it. If obliged to wait a long time, the patient loses the desire to eat, and often turns against the food when brought to him or her.

In sending dishes or preparations up to invalids, let everything look as tempting as possible. Have a clean tray-cloth laid smoothly over the tray; let the spoons, tumblers, cups and saucers, &c., be very clean and bright. Gruel served in a tumbler is more appetizing than when served in a basin or cup and saucer.

As milk is an important article of food for the sick, in warm weather let it be kept on ice, to prevent its turning sour. Many other delicacies may also be preserved good in the same manner for some little time.

If the patient be allowed to eat vegetables, never send them up undercooked, or half raw; and let a small quantity only be temptingly arranged on a dish. This rule will apply to every preparation, as an invalid is much more likely to enjoy his food if small delicate pieces are served to him.

Never leave food about a sick-room; if the patient cannot eat it when brought to him, take it away, and bring it to him in an hour or two’s time. Miss Nightingale says, “To leave the patient’s untasted food by his side from meal to meal, in hopes that he will eat it in the interval, is simply to prevent him from taking any food at all.” She says, “I have known patients literally incapacitated from taking one article of food after another by this piece of ignorance. Let the food come at the right time, and be taken away, eaten or uneaten, at the right time, but never let a patient have ‘something always standing’ by him, if you don’t wish to disgust him of everything.”

Never serve beef tea or broth with thesmallest particleof fat or grease on the surface. It is better, after making either of these, to allow them to get perfectly cold, whenall the fatmay be easily removed; then warm up as much as may be required. Two or three pieces of clean whity-brown paper laid on the broth will absorb any greasy particles that may be floating at the top, as the grease will cling to the paper.

Roast mutton, chickens, rabbits, calves’ feet or head, game, fish (simply dressed), and simple puddings, are all light food, and easily digested. Of course, these things are only partaken of supposing the patient is recovering.

A mutton chop, nicely cut, trimmed, and broiled to a turn, is a dish to be recommended for invalids; but it must not be servedwith all the fatat the end, nor must it be too thickly cut. Let it be cooked over a fire free from smoke, and sent up with the gravy in it, between two very hot plates. Nothing is more disagreeable to an invalid thansmokedfood.

In making toast-and-water, never blacken the bread, but toast it only a nice brown. Never leave toast-and-water to make until the moment it is required, as it cannot then be properly prepared,—at least the patient will be obliged to drink it warm, which is anything but agreeable.

In boiling eggs for invalids, let the white be just set; if boiled hard, they will be likely to disagree with the patient.

In Miss Nightingale’s admirable “Notes on Nursing,” a book that no mother or nurse should be without, she says,—“You cannot be too careful as to quality in sick-diet. A nurse should never put before a patient milk that is sour, meat or soup that is turned, an egg that is bad, or vegetables underdone.” Yet often, she says, she has seen these things brought in to the sick, in a state perfectly perceptible to every nose or eye except the nurse’s. It is here that the clever nurse appears,—she will not bring in the peccant article; but, not to disappoint the patient, she will whip up something else in a few minutes. Remember, that sick-cookery should half do thework of your poor patient’s weak digestion.

She goes on to caution nurses, by saying,—“Take care not to spill into your patient’s saucer; in other words, take care that the outside bottom rim of his cup shall be quite dry and clean. If, every time he lifts his cup to his lips, he has to carry the saucer with it, or else to drop the liquid upon and to soil his sheet, or bedgown, or pillow, or, if he is sitting up, his dress, you have no idea what a difference this minute want of care on your part makes to his comfort, and even to his willingness for food.”

Ingredients.—1 nice cutlet from a loin or neck of mutton; 2 teacupfuls of water; 1 very small stick of celery; pepper and salt to taste.Mode.—Have the cutlet cut from a very nice loin or neck of mutton, take off all the fat, put it into a stewpan with the other ingredients; stew very gently indeed for nearly 2 hours, and skim off every particle of fat that may rise to the surface from time to time. The celery should be out into thin slices before it is added to the meat, and care must be taken not to put in too much of this, or the dish will not be good. If the water is allowed to boil fast, the cutlet will be hard.Time.—2 hours very gentle stewing.Average cost, 6d.Sufficientfor one person.Seasonable.—Whenever celery may be had.

Ingredients.—12 shanks of mutton, 3 quarts of water, a bunch of sweet herbs, pepper and salt to taste, 3 blades of mace, 1 onion, 1 lb. of lean beef, a crust of bread toasted brown.Mode.—Soak the shanks in plenty of water for some hours, and scrub them well; put them, with the beef and other ingredients, into a saucepan with the water, and let them simmer very gently for 5 hours. Strain the broth, and, when cold, take off all the fat. It may be eaten either warmed up or cold as a jelly.Time.—5 hours.Average cost, 1s.Sufficientto make from 1½ to 2 pints of jelly.Seasonableat any time.

Ingredients.—½ lemon, lump sugar to taste, 1 pint of boiling water.Mode.—Pare off the rind of the lemon thinly; cut the lemon into 2 or 3 thick slices, and remove as much as possible of the white outside pith, and all the pips. Put the slices of lemon, the peel, and lump sugar into a jug; pour over the boiling water; cover it closely, and in 2 hours it will be fit to drink. It should either be strained or poured off from the sediment.Time.—2 hours.Average cost, 2d.Sufficientto make 1 pint of lemonade.Seasonableat any time.

Ingredients.—¾ lb. of suet-crust, ¾ lb. of any kind of jam.Mode.—Make a nice light suet-crust, and roll it out to the thickness of about ½ inch. Spread the jam equally over it, leaving a small margin of paste without any, where the pudding joins. Roll it up, fasten the ends securely, and tie it in a floured cloth; put the pudding into boiling water, and boil for 2 hours. Mincemeat or marmalade may be substituted for the jam, and makes excellent puddings.Time.—2 hours.Average cost, 9d.Sufficientfor 5 or 6 persons.Seasonable.—Suitable for winter puddings, when fresh fruit is not obtainable.

Dinner for 18 persons.

First Course.

menu

Mock-Turtle Soup, removed by Cod’s Head and Shoulders. Stewed Eels. Vase of Flowers. Red Mullet. Clear Ox-tail Soup, removed by Fried Filleted Soles.

Entrées.

menu

Riz de Veau aux Tomates. Ragoût of Lobster. Vase of Flowers. Cotelettes de Porc à la Robert. Poulet à la Marengo.

Second Course.

menu

Roast Turkey. Pigeon Pie. Boiled Turkey and Celery Sauce. Vase of Flowers. Boiled Ham. Tongue, garnished. Saddle of Mutton.

Third Course.

menu

Charlotte à la Parisienne. Pheasants, removed by Plum-Pudding. Apricot-Jam Tartlets. Jelly. Cream. Vase of flowers. Cream. Jelly. Mince Pies. Snipes, removed by Pommes à la Condé. Maids of Honour.

Dinner for 12 persons.

First Course.—Carrot soup à la Crécy; ox-tail soup; turbot and lobster sauce; fried smelts, with Dutch sauce.Entrées.Mutton cutlets, with Soubise sauce; sweetbreads; oyster patties; fillets of rabbits.Second Course.—Roast Turkey; stewed rump of beef à la jardinière; boiled ham, garnished with Brussels sprouts; boiled chickens and celery sauce.Third course.—Roast hare; teal; eggs à la neige; vol-au-vent of preserved fruit; 1 jelly; 1 cream; potatoes à la maître d’hôtel; grilled mushrooms; dessert and ices.

First Course.—Soup à la Reine; whitings au gratin; crimped cod and oyster sauce.Entrées.—Tendrons de veau; curried fowl and boiled rice.Second Course.—Turkey, stuffed with chestnuts, and chestnut sauce; boiled leg of mutton, English fashion, with caper sauce and mashed turnips.Third course.—Woodcocks or partridges; widgeon; Charlotte à la vanille; cabinet pudding; orange jelly; blancmange; artichoke bottoms; macaroni, with Parmesan cheese; dessert and ices.

First course.—Mulligatawny soup; brill and shrimp sauce; fried whitings.Entrées.—Fricasseed chicken; pork cutlets, with tomato sauce.Second course.—Haunch of mutton; boiled turkey and celery sauce; boiled tongue, garnished with Brussels sprouts.Third Course.—Roast pheasants; meringues à la crême; compôte of apples; orange jelly, cheesecakes; soufflé of rice; dessert and ices.

First Course.—Julienne soup; soles à la Normandie.Entrées.—Sweetbreads, with sauce piquante; mutton cutlets, with mashed potatoes.Second Course.—Haunch of venison; boiled fowls and bacon, garnished with Brussels sprouts.Third Course.—Plum pudding; custards in glasses; apple tart; fondue à la Brillat Savarin; dessert.

First Course.—Vermicelli soup; fried slices of codfish and anchovy sauce; John Dory.Entrées.—Stewed rump-steak à la jardinière; rissoles; oyster patties.Second Course.—Leg of mutton; curried rabbit and boiled rice.Third Course.—Partridges; apple fritters; tartlets of greengage jam; orange jelly; plum-pudding; dessert.

First Course.—Pea-soup; baked haddock; soles à la crême.Entrées.—Mutton cutlets and tomato sauce; fricasseed rabbit.Second Course.—Roast pork and apple sauce; breast of veal, rolled and stuffed; vegetables.Third Course.—Jugged hare; whipped cream; blancmange; mince pies; cabinet pudding.

First Course.—Palestine soup; fried smelts; stewed eels.Entrées.—Ragoût of lobster; broiled mushrooms; vol-au-vent of chicken.Second Course.—Sirloin of beef; boiled fowls and celery sauce; tongue, garnished with Brussels sprouts.Third Course.—Wild ducks; Charlotte aux pommes; cheesecakes; transparent jelly, inlaid with brandy cherries; blancmange; Nesselrode pudding.

Sunday.—1. Boiled turbot and oyster sauce, potatoes. 2. Roast leg or griskin of pork, apple sauce, brocoli, potatoes. 3. Cabinet pudding, and damson tart made with preserved damsons.

Monday.—1. The remains of turbot warmed in oyster sauce, potatoes. 2. Cold pork, stewed steak. 3. Open jam tart, which should have been made with the pieces of paste left from the damson tart; baked arrowroot pudding.

Tuesday.—1. Boiled neck of mutton, carrots, mashed turnips, suet dumplings, and caper sauce: the broth should be served first, and a little rice or pearl barley should be boiled in it along with the meat. 2. Rolled jam pudding.

Wednesday.—1. Roast rolled ribs of beef, greens, potatoes, and horseradish sauce. 2. Bread-and-butter pudding, cheesecakes.

Thursday.—1. Vegetable soup (the bones from the ribs of beef should be boiled down with this soup), cold beef, mashed potatoes. 2. Pheasants, gravy, bread sauce. 3. Macaroni.

Friday.—1. Fried whitings or soles. 2. Boiled rabbit and onion sauce, minced beef, potatoes. 3. Currant dumplings.

Saturday.—1. Rump-steak pudding or pie, greens, and potatoes. 2. Baked custard pudding and stewed apples.

Sunday.—1. Codfish and oyster sauce, potatoes. 2. Joint of roast mutton, either leg, haunch, or saddle; brocoli and potatoes, red-currant jelly. 3. Apple tart and custards, cheese.

Monday.—1. The remains of codfish picked from the bone, and warmed through in the oyster sauce; if there is no sauce left, order a few oysters and make a little fresh; and do not let the fish boil, or it will be watery. 2. Curried rabbit, with boiled rice served separately, cold mutton, mashed potatoes. 3. Somersetshire dumplings with wine sauce.

Tuesday.—1. Boiled fowls, parsley-and-butter; bacon garnished with Brussels sprouts; minced or hashed mutton. 2. Baroness pudding.

Wednesday.—1. The remains of the fowls cut up into joints and fricasseed; joint of roast pork and apple sauce, and, if liked, sage-and-onion, served on a dish by itself; turnips and potatoes. 2. Lemon pudding, either baked or boiled.

Thursday.—1. Cold pork and jugged hare, red-currant jelly, mashed potatoes. 2. Apple pudding.

Friday.—1. Boiled beef, either the aitchbone or the silver side of the round; carrots, turnips, suet dumplings, and potatoes: if there is a marrow-bone, serve the marrow on toast at the same time. 2. Rice snowballs.

Saturday.—1. Pea-soup made from liquor in which beef was boiled; cold beef, mashed potatoes. 2. Baked batter fruit pudding.

Fish.—Barbel, brill, carp, cod, crabs, crayfish, dace, eels, flounders, haddocks, herrings, lampreys, lobsters, mussels, oysters, perch, pike, plaice, prawns, shrimps, skate, smelts, soles, sprats, sturgeon, tench, thornback, turbot, whitings.

Meat.—Beef, house lamb, mutton, pork, veal, venison.

Poultry.—Capons, fowls, tame pigeons, pullets, rabbits, turkeys.

Game.—Grouse, hares, partridges, pheasants, snipe, wild-fowl, woodcock.

Vegetables.—Beetroot, brocoli, cabbages, carrots, celery, chervil, cresses, cucumbers (forced), endive, lettuces, parsnips, potatoes, savoys, spinach, turnips, various herbs.

Fruit.—Apples, grapes, medlars, nuts, oranges, pears, walnuts, crystallized preserves (foreign), dried fruits, such as almonds and raisins; French and Spanish plums; prunes, figs, dates.

Ingredients.—1 oz. of isinglass, 1 pint of water, ½ pint of white wine, the rind and juice of 1 large lemon, sugar to taste, the yolks of 6 eggs.Mode.—Put the isinglass, water, and lemon-rind into a saucepan, and boil gently until the former is dissolved; then add the strained lemon-juice, the wine, and sufficient white sugar to sweeten the whole nicely. Boil for 2 or 3 minutes, strain the mixture into a jug, and add the yolks of the eggs, which should be well beaten; place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water; keep stirring the mixtureone wayuntil it thickens,but do not allow it to boil; then take it off the fire, and keep stirring until nearly cold. Pour it into a mould, omitting the sediment at the bottom of the jug, and let it remainuntil quite firm.Time.—¼ hour to boil the isinglass and water; about 10 minutes to stir the mixture in the jug.Average cost, with the best isinglass, 2s.9d.Sufficientto fill a quart mould.Seasonableat any time.

Are not the nourishing food they were at one time considered to be, and many eminent physicians are of opinion that they are less digestible than the flesh, or muscular part of animals; still, when acidulated with lemon-juice and flavoured with wine, they are very suitable for some convalescents. Vegetable jelly is a distinct principle, existing in fruits, which possesses the property of gelatinizing when boiled and cooled; but it is a principle entirely different from the gelatine of animal bodies, although the name of jelly, common to both, sometimes leads to an erroneous idea on that subject. Animal jelly, or gelatine, is glue, whereas vegetable jelly is rather analogous to gum. Liebig places gelatine very low indeed in the scale of usefulness. He says, “Gelatine, which by itself is tasteless, and when eaten, excites nausea, possesses no nutritive value; that, even when accompanied by the savoury constituents of flesh, it is not capable of supporting the vital process, and when added to the usual diet as a substitute for plastic matter, does not increase, but on the contrary, diminishes the nutritive value of the food, which it renders insufficient in quantity and inferior in quality.” It is this substance which is most frequently employed in the manufacture of the jellies supplied by the confectioner; but those prepared at home from calves’ feet do possess some nutrition, and are the only sort that should be given to invalids. Isinglass is the purest variety of gelatine, and is prepared from the sounds or swimming-bladders of certain fish, chiefly the sturgeon. From its whiteness it is mostly used for making blancmange and similar dishes.

Uncork the bottle; place it in a saucepan of hot water until the jelly is reduced to a liquid state; taste it, to ascertain whether it is sufficiently flavoured, and if not, add a little wine. Pour the jelly into moulds which have been soaked in water; let it set, and turn it out by placing the mould in hot water for a minute; then wipe the outside, put a dish on the top, and turn it over quickly. The jelly should then slip easily away from the mould, and be quite firm. It may be garnished as taste dictates.

(Substitutes for Calf’s Feet.)

Ingredients.—3 oz. of isinglass or gelatine, 2 quarts of water.Mode.—Put the isinglass or gelatine into a saucepan with the above proportion of cold water; bring it quickly to boil, and let it boil very fast, until the liquor is reduced one-half. Carefully remove the scum as it rises, then strain it through a jelly-bag, and it will be ready for use. If not required very clear, it may be merely strained through a fine sieve, instead of being run through a bag. Rather more than ½ oz. of isinglass is about the proper quantity to use for a quart of strong calf’s-feet stock, and rather more than 2 oz. for the same quantity of fruit juice. As isinglass varies so much in quality and strength, it is difficult to give the exact proportions. The larger the mould, the stiffer should be the jelly; and where there is no ice, more isinglass must be used than if the mixture were frozen. This forms a stock for all kinds of jellies, which may be flavoured in many ways.Time.—1½ hour.Sufficient, with wine, syrup, fruit, &c., to fill two moderate-sized moulds.Seasonableat any time.

Note.—The above, when boiled, should be perfectly clear, and may be mixed warm with wine, flavourings, fruits, &c., and then run through the bag.

JELLY-BAG.

JELLY-BAG.

The very stout flannel called double-mill, used for ironing-blankets, is the best material for a jelly-bag: those of home manufacture are the only ones to be relied on for thoroughly clearing the jelly. Care should be taken that the seam of the bag be stitched twice, to secure it against unequal filtration. The most convenient mode of using the bagis to tie it upon a hoop the exact size of the outside of its mouth; and, to do this, strings should be sewn round it at equal distances. The jelly-bag may, of course, be made any size; but one of twelve or fourteen inches deep, and seven or eight across the mouth, will be sufficient for ordinary use. The form of a jelly-bag is the fool’s-cap.

Ingredients.—Rather more than 1½ pint of jelly, a few nice strawberries, or red or white currants, or raspberries, or any fresh fruit that may be in season.Mode.—Have ready the above proportion of jelly, which must be very clear and rather sweet, the raw fruit requiring an additional quantity of sugar. Select ripe, nice-looking fruit; pick off the stalks, unless currants are used, when they are laid in the jelly as they come from the tree. Begin by putting a little jelly at the bottom of the mould, which must harden; then arrange the fruit round the sides of the mould, recollecting thatit will be reversed when turned out; then pour in some more jelly to make the fruit adhere, and, when that layer is set, put another row of fruit and jelly until the mould is full. If convenient, put it in ice until required for table, then wring a cloth in boiling water, wrap it round the mould for a minute, and turn the jelly carefully out. Peaches, apricots, plums, apples, &c., are better for being boiled in a little clear syrup before they are laid in the jelly; strawberries, raspberries, grapes, cherries, and currants are put in raw. In winter, when fresh fruits are not obtainable, a very pretty jelly may be made with preserved fruits or brandy cherries: these, in a bright and clear jelly, have a very pretty effect; of course, unless the jelly bevery clear, the beauty of the dish will be spoiled. It may be garnished with the same fruit as is laid in the jelly; for instance, an open jelly with strawberries might have, piled in the centre, a few of the same fruit prettily arranged, or a little whipped cream might be substituted for the fruit.Time.—One layer of jelly should remain 2 hours in a very cool place, before another layer is added.Average cost, 2s.6d.Sufficient, with fruit, to fill a quart mould.Seasonable, with fresh fruit, from June to October; with dried, at any time.

JELLY MOULDED WITH CHERRIES.

JELLY MOULDED WITH CHERRIES.

Ingredients.—1½ pint of orange jelly, 4 oranges, ½ pint of clarified syrup,Mode.—Boil ½ lb. of loaf sugar with ½ pint of water until there is no scum left (which must be carefully removed as fast as it rises), and carefully peel the oranges; divide them into thin slices, without breaking the thin skin, and put these pieces of orange into the syrup, where let them remain for about 5 minutes; then take them out, and use the syrup for the jelly. When the oranges are well drained, and the jelly is nearly cold, pour a little of the latter into the bottom of the mould; then lay in a few pieces of orange; over these pour a little jelly, and when this is set, place another layer of oranges, proceeding in this manner until the mould is full. Put it in ice, or in a cool place, and, before turning it out, wrap a cloth round the mould for a minute or two, which has been wrung out in boiling water.Time.—5 minutes to simmer the oranges,Average cost, 3s.6d.Sufficient, with the slices of orange, to fill a quart mould.Seasonablefrom November to May.

JELLY OF TWO COLOURS.

JELLY OF TWO COLOURS.

Ingredients.—1½ pint of calf’s-feet jelly, a few drops of prepared cochineal.Mode.—Make 1½ pint of calf’s-feet jelly, or, if wished more economical, of clarified syrup and gelatine, flavouring it in any way that may be preferred. Colour one-half of the jelly with a few drops ofprepared cochineal, and the other half leave as pale as possible. Have ready a mould well wetted in every part; pour in a small quantity of the red jelly, and let this set; when quite firm, pour on it the same quantity of the pale jelly, and let this set; then proceed in this manner until the mould is full, always taking care to let one jelly set before the other is poured in, or the colours would run one into the other. When turned out, the jelly should have a striped appearance. For variety, half the mould may be filled at once with one of the jellies, and, when firm, filled up with the other: this, also, has a very pretty effect, and is more expeditiously prepared than when the jelly is poured in small quantities into the mould. Blancmange and red jelly, or blancmange and raspberry cream, moulded in the above manner, look very well. The layers of blancmange and jelly should be about an inch in depth, and each layer should be perfectly hardened before another is added. Half a mould of blancmange and half a mould of jelly are frequently served in the same manner. A few pretty dishes may be made, in this way, of jellies or blancmanges left from the preceding day, by melting them separately in a jug placed in a saucepan of boiling water, and then moulding them by the foregoing directions.Time.—¾ hour to make the jelly.Average cost, with calf’s-feet jelly, 2s.; with gelatine and syrup, more economical.Sufficientto fill 1½-pint mould.Seasonableat any time.

Note.—In making the jelly, use for flavouring a very pale sherry, or the colour will be too dark to contrast nicely with the red jelly.

Ingredients.—1½ pint of jelly, ½ pint of cream, 1 glass of sherry, sugar to taste.Mode.—Make the above proportion of calf’s-feet or isinglass jelly, colouring and flavouring it in any way that may be preferred; soak a mould, open in the centre, for about ½ hour in cold water; fill it with the jelly, and let it remain in a cool place until perfectly set; then turn it out on a dish; fill the centre with whipped cream, flavoured with sherry and sweetened with pounded sugar; pile this cream high in the centre, and serve. The jelly should be made of rather a dark colour, to contrast nicely with the cream.Time.—¾ hour.Average cost, 3s.6d.Sufficientto fill 1½-pint mould.Seasonableat any time.

OPEN JELLY WITH WHIPPED CREAM.

OPEN JELLY WITH WHIPPED CREAM.

Ingredients.—3 lbs. of shin of beef, 1 calf’s-foot, 3 lbs. of knuckle of veal, poultry trimmings (if for game pies, any game trimmings), 2 onions stuck with cloves, 2 carrots, 4 shalots, a bunch of savoury herbs, 2 bay-leaves; when liked, 2 blades of mace and a little spice; 2 slices of lean ham; rather more than 2 quarts of water.Mode.—Cut up the meat and put it into a stewpan with all the ingredients except the water; set it over a slow fire to draw down, and, when the gravy ceases to flow from the meat, pour in the water. Let it boil up, then carefully take away all scum from the top. Cover the stewpan closely, and let the stock simmer very gently for 4 hours: if rapidly boiled, the jelly will not be clear. When done, strain it through a fine sieve or flannel bag; and when cold, the jelly should be quite transparent. If this is not the case, clarify it with the whites of eggs.Time.—4 hours.Average cost, for this quantity, 5s.

Ingredients.—2 calf’s feet, 6 pints of water.Mode.—The stock for jellies should always be made the day before it is required for use, as the liquor has time to cool, and the fat can be so much more easily and effectually removed when thoroughly set. Procure 2 nice calf’s feet; scald them, to take off the hair; slit them in two, remove the fat from between the claws, and wash the feet well in warm water; put them into a stewpan, with the above proportion of cold water, bring it gradually to boiland remove every particle of scum as it rises. When it is well skimmed, boil it very gently for 6 or 7 hours, or until the liquor is reduced rather more than half; then strain it through a sieve into a basin, and put it in a cool place to set. As the liquor is strained, measure it, to ascertain the proportion for the jelly, allowing something for the sediment and fat at the top. To clarify it, carefully remove all the fat from the top, pour over a little warm water, to wash away any that may remain, and wipe the jelly with a clean cloth; remove the jelly from the sediment, put it into a saucepan, and, supposing the quantity to be a quart, add to it 6 oz. of loaf sugar, the shells and well-whisked whites of 5 eggs, and stir these ingredients together cold; set the saucepan on the fire, butdo not stir the jelly after it begins to warm.Let it boil about 10 minutes after it rises to a head, then throw in a teacupful of cold water; let it boil 5 minutes longer, then take the saucepan off, cover it closely, and let it remain ½ hour near the fire. Dip the jelly-bag into hot water, wring it out quite dry, and fasten it on to a stand or the back of a chair, which must be placed near the fire, to prevent the jelly from setting before it has run through the bag. Place a basin underneath to receive the jelly; then pour it into the bag, and should it not be clear the first time, run it through the bag again. This stock is the foundation of allreally goodjellies, which may be varied in innumerable ways, by colouring and flavouring with liqueurs, and by moulding it with fresh and preserved fruits. To insure the jelly being firm when turned out, ½ oz. of isinglass clarified might be added to the above proportion of stock. Substitutes for calf’s feet are now frequently used in making jellies, which lessen the expense and trouble in preparing this favourite dish, isinglass and gelatine being two of the principal materials employed; but although they maylookas nicely as jellies made from good stock, they are never so delicate, having very often an unpleasant flavour, somewhat resembling glue, particularly when made with gelatine.Time.—About 6 hours to boil the feet for the stock; to clarify it,—¼ hour to boil, ½ hour to stand in the saucepan covered.Average cost.—Calf’s feet may be purchased for 6d.each when veal is in full season, but more expensive when it is scarce.Sufficient.—2 calf’s feet should make 1 quart of stock.Seasonablefrom March to October, but may be had all the year.

JELLY-MOULD.

JELLY-MOULD.

Ingredients.—-¼ lb. of salt to each gallon of water.Mode.—This fish, which is esteemed by most people a great delicacy, is dressed in the same way as a turbot, which it resembles in firmness, but not in richness. Cleanse it thoroughly and cut off the fins; lay it in a fish-kettle, cover with cold water, and add salt in the above proportion. Bring it gradually to a boil, and simmer gently for ¼ hour, or rather longer, should the fish be very large. Serve on a hot napkin, and garnish with cut lemon and parsley. Lobster, anchovy, or shrimp sauce, and plain melted butter, should be sent to table with it.Time.—After the water boils, ¼ to ½ hour, according to size.Average cost, 3s.to 5s.Seasonableall the year, but best from September to January.

Note.—Small John Dory are very good baked.

Dinner for 18 persons.

First Course.

menu

Asparagus Soup, removed by Crimped Salmon. Fillets of Gurnets. Vase of Flowers. Soles aux fines herbes. Vermicelli Soup, removed by Whitebait.

Entrées.

menu

Lamb Cutlets and Peas. Lobster Patties. Vase of Flowers. Tendrons de Veau à la Jardinière. Larded Sweetbreads.

Second Course.

menu

Saddle of Lamb. Tongue. Roast Spring Chickens. Vase of Flowers. Boiled Capon. Ham. Boiled Calf’s Head.

Third Course.

menu

Dessert and Ices.

Prawns. Leveret, removed by Iced Pudding. Tartlets. Vol-au-Vent of Strawberries and Cream. Wine Jelly. Custards, in glasses. Vase of Flowers. Cheesecake. Plovers’ Eggs. Blancmange. Goslings, removed by Fondues, in cases.

First Course.—Green-pea soup; rice soup; salmon and lobster sauce; trout à la Genévése; whitebait.Entrées.—Lamb cutlets and cucumbers; fricasseed chicken; stewed veal and peas; lobster rissoles.Second Course.—Roast quarter of lamb and spinach; filet de bœuf à la Jardinière; boiled fowls; braised shoulder of lamb; tongue; vegetables.Third Course.—Goslings; ducklings; Nesselrode pudding; Charlotte à la Parisienne; gooseberry tartlets; strawberry cream; raspberry-and-currant tart; custards; dessert and ices.

First Course.—Julienne soup; salmon trout and parsley-and-butter; red mullet.Entrées.—Stewed breast of veal and peas; mutton cutlets à la Maintenon.Second Course.—Roast fillet of veal; boiled leg of lamb, garnished with young carrots; boiled bacon-cheek; vegetables.Third Course.—Roast ducks; leveret; gooseberry tart; strawberry cream; strawberry tartlets; meringues; cabinet pudding; iced pudding; dessert and ices.

First Course.—Vermicelli soup; trout à la Genévése; salmon cutlets.Entrées.—Lamb cutlets and peas; fricasseed chicken.Second Course.—Roast ribs of beef; half calf’s head, tongue, and brains; boiled ham; vegetables.Third Course.—Roast ducks; compôte of gooseberries; strawberry jelly; pastry; iced pudding; cauliflower with cream sauce; dessert and ices.

First Course.—Spring soup; boiled salmon and lobster sauce.Entrées.—Veal cutlets and endive; ragoût of duck and green peas.Second Course.—Roast loin of veal; boiled leg of lamb and white sauce; tongue, garnished; vegetables.Third Course.—Strawberry cream; gooseberry tartlets; almond pudding; lobster salad; dessert.

First Course.—Calf’s head soup; mackerel à la maître d’hôtel; whitebait.Entrées.—Chicken cutlets; curried lobster.Second Course.—Fore-quarter of lamb and salad; stewed beef à la Jardinière; vegetables.Third Course.—Goslings; green-currant tart; custards, in glasses; strawberry blancmange; soufflé of rice; dessert.

First Course.—Green-pea soup; baked soles aux fines herbes; stewed trout.Entrées.—Calf’s liver and bacon; rissoles.Second Course.—Roast saddle of lamb and salad; calf’s head à la tortue; vegetables.Third Course.—Roast ducks; vol-au-vent of strawberries and cream;strawberry tartlets; lemon blancmange; baked gooseberry pudding; dessert.

First Course.—Spinach soup; soles à la crême; red mullet.Entrées.—Roast fillet of veal; braised ham and spinach.Second Course.—Boiled fowls and white sauce; vegetables.Third Course.—Leveret; strawberry jelly; Swiss cream; cheesecakes; iced pudding; dessert.

Sunday.—1. Salmon trout and parsley-and-butter, new potatoes. 2. Roast fillet of veal, boiled bacon-cheek and spinach, vegetables. 3. Gooseberry tart, custard.

Monday.—1. Light gravy soup. 2. Small meat pie, minced veal, garnished with rolled bacon, spinach, and potatoes. 3. Raspberry-and-currant tart.

Tuesday.—1. Baked mackerel, potatoes. 2. Boiled leg of lamb, garnished with young carrots. 3. Lemon pudding.

Wednesday.—1. Vegetable soup. 2. Calf’s liver and bacon, peas, hashed lamb from remains of cold joint. 3. Baked gooseberry pudding.

Thursday.—1. Roast ribs of beef, Yorkshire pudding, peas, potatoes. 2. Stewed rhubarb and boiled rice.

Friday.—1. Cold beef and salad, lamb cutlets and peas. 2. Boiled gooseberry pudding and baked custard pudding.

Saturday.—1. Rump-steak pudding, broiled beef-bones and cucumber, vegetables. 2. Bread pudding.

Sunday.—1. Roast fore-quarter of lamb, mint sauce, peas, and new potatoes. 2. Gooseberry pudding, strawberry tartlets. Fondue.

Monday.—1. Cold lamb and salad, stewed neck of veal and peas, young carrots, and new potatoes. 2. Almond pudding.

Tuesday.—1. Green-pea soup. 2. Roast ducks stuffed, gravy, peas, and new potatoes. 3. Baked ratafia pudding.

Wednesday.—1. Roast leg of mutton, summer cabbage, potatoes. 2. Gooseberry and rice pudding.

Thursday.—1. Fried soles, melted butter, potatoes. 2. Sweetbreads, hashed mutton, vegetables. 3. Bread-and-butter pudding.

Friday.—1. Asparagus soup. 2. Boiled beef, young carrots, and new potatoes, suet dumplings. 3. College puddings.

Saturday.—1. Cold boiled beef and salad, lamb cutlets, and green peas. 2. Boiled gooseberry pudding and plain cream.

Fish.—Carp, crayfish, herrings, lobsters, mackerel, mullet, pike, prawns, salmon, soles, tench, trout, turbot.

Meat.—Beef, lamb, mutton, veal, buck venison.

Poultry.—Chickens, ducklings, fowls, green geese, leverets, plovers, pullets, rabbits, turkey poults, wheatears.

Vegetables.—Artichokes, asparagus, beans, cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, lettuces, onions, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, small salads, sea-kale, spinach,—various herbs.

Fruit.—Apricots, cherries, currants, gooseberries, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapples, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries.

Dinner for 18 persons.

First Course.

menu

Green-Pea Soup, removed by Salmon and dressed Cucumber. Whitebait. Vase of Flowers. Stewed Trout. Soup à la Reine, removed by Mackerel à la Maître d’Hôtel.


Back to IndexNext