Book of Household Management — 021 - Recipes. Chapter 10. Part 2.

398. INGREDIENTS.

--3 or 4 cucumbers, 2 oz.

of butter, 6 tablespoonfuls of brown gravy.

_Mode_.

--Peel the cucumbers, quarter them, and take out the seeds; cut them into small pieces; put them in a cloth, and rub them well, to take out the water which hangs about them.

Put the butter in a saucepan, add the cucumbers, and shake them over a sharp fire until they are of a good colour.

Then pour over it the gravy, mix this with the cucumbers, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, when it will be ready to serve.

_Time_.

--Altogether, 1/2 hour.

PICKLED CUCUMBERS.

399. INGREDIENTS.

--1 oz.

of whole pepper, 1 oz.

of bruised ginger;

sufficient vinegar to cover the cucumbers.

_Mode_.

--Cut the cucumbers in thick slices, sprinkle salt over them, and let them remain for 24 hours.

The next day, drain them well for 6 hours, put them into a jar, pour boiling vinegar over them, and keep them in a warm place.

In a short time, boil up the vinegar again, add pepper and ginger in the above proportion, and instantly cover them up.

Tie them down with bladder, and in a few days they will be fit for use.

[Illustration: LONG PEPPER.

] LONG PEPPER.

--This is the produce of a different plant from that which produces the black, it consisting of the half-ripe flower-heads of what naturalists call _Piper longum_ and _chaba_.

It is the growth, however, of the same countries;

indeed, all the spices are the produce of tropical climates only.

Originally, the most valuable of these were found in the Spice Islands, or Moluccas, of the Indian Ocean, and were highly prized by the nations of antiquity.

The Romans indulged in them to a most extravagant degree.

The long pepper is less aromatic than the black, but its oil is more pungent.

CUCUMBER SAUCE, WHITE.

400. INGREDIENTS.

--3 or four cucumbers, 1/2 pint of white stock, No. 107, cayenne and salt to taste, the yolks of 3 eggs.

_Mode_.

--Cut the cucumbers into small pieces, after peeling them and taking out the seeds.

Put them in a stewpan with the white stock and seasoning; simmer gently till the cucumbers are tender, which will be in about 1/4 hour.

Then add the yolks of the eggs well beaten; stir them to the sauce, but do not allow it to boil, and serve very hot.

_Time_.

--Altogether, 1/2 hour.

CUCUMBER VINEGAR (a very nice Addition to Salads).

401. INGREDIENTS.

--10 large cucumbers, or 12 smaller ones, 1 quart of vinegar, 2 onions, 2 shalots, 1 tablespoonful of salt, 2 tablespoonfuls of pepper, 1/4 teaspoonful of cayenne.

_Mode_.

--Pare and slice the cucumbers, put them in a stone jar or wide-mouthed bottle, with the vinegar; slice the onions and shalots, and add them, with all the other ingredients, to the cucumbers.

Let it stand 4 or 5 days, boil it all up, and when cold, strain the liquor through a piece of muslin, and store it away in small bottles well sealed.

This vinegar is a very nice addition to gravies, hashes, &e. , as well as a great improvement to salads, or to eat with cold meat.

GERMAN METHOD OF KEEPING CUCUMBERS FOR WINTER USE.

402. INGREDIENTS.

--Cucumbers, salt.

_Mode_.

--Pare and slice the cucumbers (as for the table), sprinkle well with salt, and let them remain for 24 hours; strain off the liquor, pack in jars, a thick layer of cucumbers and salt alternately; tie down closely, and, when wanted for use, take out the quantity required.

Now wash them well in fresh water, and dress as usual with pepper, vinegar, and oil.

[Illustration: THE CUCUMBER.

] THE CUCUMBER.

--Though the melon is far superior in point of flavour to this fruit, yet it is allied to the cucumber, which is known to naturalists as _Cucumia sativus_.

The modern Egyptians, as did their forefathers, still eat it, and others of its class.

Cucumbers were observed, too, by Bishop Heber, beyond the Ganges, in India; and Burckhardt noticed them in Palestine.

(See No. 127. ) AN EXCELLENT WAY OF PRESERVING CUCUMBERS.

403. INGREDIENTS.

--Salt and water; 1 lb.

of lump sugar, the rind of 1 lemon, 1 oz.

of ginger, cucumbers.

_Mode_.

--Choose the greenest cucumbers, and those that are most free from seeds; put them in strong salt and water, with a cabbage-leaf to keep them down; tie a paper over them, and put them in a warm place till they are yellow; then wash them and set them over the fire in fresh water, with a very little salt, and another cabbage-leaf over them;

cover very closely, but take care they do not boil.

If they are not a fine green, change the water again, cover them as before, and make them hot.

When they are a good colour, take them off the fire and let them cool; cut them in quarters, take out the seeds and pulp, and put them into cold water.

Let them remain for 2 days, changing the water twice each day, to draw out the salt.

Put the sugar, with 1/4 pint of water, in a saucepan over the fire; remove the scum as it rises, and add the lemon-peel and ginger with the outside scraped off; when the syrup is tolerably thick, take it off the fire, and when _cold_, wipe the cucumbers _dry_, and put them in.

Boil the syrup once in 2 or 3 days for 3 weeks; strengthen it if required, and let it be quite cold before the cucumbers are put in.

Great attention must be paid to the directions in the commencement of this recipe, as, if these are not properly carried out, the result will be far from satisfactory.

_Seasonable_.

--This recipe should be used in June, July, or August.

[Illustration: SALT-MINE AT NORTHWICH.

] COMMON SALT.

--By this we mean salt used for cooking purposes, which is found in great abundance both on land and in the waters of the ocean.

Sea or salt water, as it is often called, contains, it has been discovered, about three per cent, of salt on an average.

Solid rocks of salt are also found in various parts of the world, and the county of Chester contains many of these mines, and it is from there that much of our salt comes.

Some springs are so highly impregnated with salt, as to have received the name of "brine" springs, and are supposed to have become so by passing through the salt rocks below ground, and thus dissolving a portion of this mineral substance.

We here give an engraving of a salt-mine at Northwich, Cheshire, where both salt-mines and brine-springs are exceedingly productive, and are believed to have been wrought so far back as during the occupation of Britain by the Romans.

CUSTARD SAUCE FOR SWEET PUDDINGS OR TARTS.

404. INGREDIENTS.

--1 pint of milk, 2 eggs, 3 oz.

of pounded sugar, 1 tablespoonful of brandy.

_Mode_.

--Put the milk in a very clean saucepan, and let it boil.

Beat the eggs, stir to them the milk and pounded sugar, and put the mixture into a jug.

Place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water; keep stirring well until it thickens, but do not allow it to boil, or it will curdle.

Serve the sauce in a tureen, stir in the brandy, and grate a little nutmeg over the top.

This sauce may be made very much nicer by using cream instead of milk; but the above recipe will be found quite good enough for ordinary purposes.

_Average cost_, 6d.

per pint.

_Sufficient_, this quantity, for 2 fruit tarts, or 1 pudding.

DUTCH SAUCE FOR FISH.

405. INGREDIENTS.

--1/2 teaspoonful of flour, 2 oz.

of butter, 4 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, the yolks of 2 eggs, the juice of 1/2 lemon;

salt to taste.

_Mode_.

--Put all the ingredients, except the lemon-juice, into a stew-pan; set it over the fire, and keep continually stirring.

When it is sufficiently thick, take it off, as it should not boil.

If, however, it happens to curdle, strain the sauce through a tammy, add the lemon-juice, and serve.

Tarragon vinegar may be used instead of plain, and, by many, is considered far preferable.

_Average cost_, 6d.

Note.

--This sauce may be poured hot over salad, and left to get quite cold, when it should be thick, smooth, and somewhat stiff.

Excellent salads may be made of hard eggs, or the remains of salt fish flaked nicely from the bone, by pouring over a little of the above mixture when hot, and allowing it to cool.

[Illustration: THE LEMON.

] THE LEMON.

--This fruit is a native of Asia, and is mentioned by Virgil as an antidote to poison.

It is hardier than the orange, and, as one of the citron tribe, was brought into Europe by the Arabians.

The lemon was first cultivated in England in the beginning of the 17th century, and is now often to be found in our green-houses.

The kind commonly sold, however, is imported from Portugal, Spain, and the Azores.

Some also come from St. Helena; but those from Spain are esteemed the best.

Its juice is now an essential for culinary purposes; but as an antiscorbutic its value is still greater.

This juice, which is called _citric acid_, may be preserved in bottles for a considerable time, by covering it with a thin stratum of oil.

_Shrub_ is made from it with rum and sugar.

GREEN DUTCH SAUCE, or HOLLANDAISE VERTE.

406. INGREDIENTS.

--6 tablespoonfuls of Béchamel, No. 367, seasoning to taste of salt and cayenne, a little parsley-green to colour, the juice of 1/2 a lemon.

_Mode_.

--Put the Béchamel into a saucepan with the seasoning, and bring it to a boil.

Make a green colouring by pounding some parsley in a mortar, and squeezing all the juice from it.

Let this just simmer, when add it to the sauce.

A moment before serving, put in the lemon-juice, but not before; for otherwise the sauce would turn yellow, and its appearance be thus spoiled.

_Average cost_, 4d.

BÉCHAMEL SAUCE--This sauce takes its name from a Monsieur Béchamel, a rich French financier, who, according to Borne authorities, invented it; whilst others affirm he only patronized it.

Be this as it may, it is one of the most pleasant sauces which come to table, and should be most carefully and intelligently prepared.

It is frequently used, as in the above recipe, as a principal ingredient and basis for other sauces.

TO PICKLE EGGS.

407. INGREDIENTS.

--16 eggs, 1 quart of vinegar, 1/2 oz.

of Black pepper, 1/2 oz.

of Jamaica pepper, 1/2 oz.

of ginger.

_Mode_.

--Boil the eggs for 12 minutes, then dip them into cold water, and take off the shells.

Put the vinegar, with the pepper and ginger, into a stewpan, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Now place the eggs in a jar, pour over them the vinegar, &c. , boiling hot, and, when cold, tie them down with bladder to exclude the air.

This pickle will be ready for use in a month.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 1s.

9d.

_Seasonable_.

--This should be made about Easter, as at this time eggs are plentiful and cheap.

A store of pickled eggs will be found very useful and ornamental in serving with many first and second course dishes.

[Illustration: GINGER.

] The ginger-plant, known to naturalists as _Zingiber officinale_, is a native, of the East and West Indies.

It grows somewhat like the lily of the valley, but its height is about three feet.

In Jamaica it flowers about August or September, fading about the end of the year.

The fleshy creeping roots, which form the ginger of commerce, are in a proper state to be dug when the stalks are entirely withered.

This operation is usually performed in January and February; and when the roots are taken out of the earth, each one is picked, scraped, separately washed, and afterwards very carefully dried.

Ginger is generally considered as less pungent and heating to the system than might he expected from its effects on the organs of taste, and it is frequently used, with considerable effect, as an anti-spasmodic and carminative.

EGG BALLS FOR SOUPS AND MADE DISHES.

408. INGREDIENTS.

--8 eggs, a little flour; seasoning to taste of salt.

_Mode_.

--Boil 6 eggs for 20 minutes, strip off the shells, take the yolks and pound them in a mortar.

Beat the yolks of the other 2 eggs;

add them, with a little flour and salt, to those pounded; mix all well together, and roll into balls.

Boil them before they are put into the soup or other dish they may be intended for.

_Time_.

--20 minutes to boil the eggs.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 8d.

_Sufficient_, 2 dozen balls for 1 tureen of soup.

EGG SAUCE FOR SALT FISH.

409. INGREDIENTS.

--4 eggs, 1/2 pint of melted butter, No. 376; when liked, a very little lemon-juice.

_Mode_.

--Boil the eggs until quite hard, which will be in about 20 minutes, and put them into cold water for 1/2 hour.

Strip off the shells, chop the eggs into small pieces, not, however, too fine.

Make the melted butter very smoothly, by recipe No. 376, and, when boiling, stir in the eggs, and serve very hot.

Lemon-juice may be added at pleasure.

_Time_.

--20 minutes to boil the eggs.

_Average cost_, 8d.

_Sufficient_.

--This quantity for 3 or 4 lbs.

of fish.

_Note_.

--When a thicker sauce is required, use one or two more eggs to the same quantity of melted butter.

EPICUREAN SAUCE FOR STEAKS, CHOPS, GRAVIES, OR FISH.

410. INGREDIENTS.

--1/4 pint of walnut ketchup, 1/4 pint of mushroom ditto, 2 tablespoonfuls of Indian soy, 2 tablespoonfuls of port wine;

1/4 oz.

of white pepper, 2 oz.

of shalots, 1/4 oz.

of cayenne, 1/4 oz.

of cloves, 3/4 pint of vinegar.

_Mode_.

--Put the whole of the ingredients into a bottle, and let it remain for a fortnight in a warm place, occasionally shaking up the contents.

Strain, and bottle off for use.

This sauce will be found an agreeable addition to gravies, hashes, stews, &c. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 1s.

6d.

[Illustration: SHALOT.

] SHALOT, OR ESCHALOT.

--This plant is supposed to have been introduced to England by the Crusaders, who found it growing wild in the vicinity of Ascalon.

It is a bulbous root, and when full grown, its leaves wither in July.

They ought to be taken up in the autumn, and when dried in the house, will keep till spring.

It is called by old authors the "barren onion," and is used in sauces and pickles, soups and made dishes, and as an accompaniment to chops and steaks.

ESPAGNOLE, OR BROWN SPANISH SAUCE.

411. INGREDIENTS.

--2 slices of lean ham, 1 lb.

of veal, 1-1/2 pint of white stock, No. 107; 2 or 3 sprigs of parsley, 1/2 a bay-leaf, 2 or 3 sprigs of savoury herbs, 6 green onions, 3 shalots, 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 2 glasses of sherry or Madeira, thickening of butter and flour.

_Mode_.

--Cut up the ham and veal into small square pieces, and put them into a stewpan.

Moisten these with 1/2 pint of the stock No. 107, and simmer till the bottom of the stewpan is covered with a nicely-coloured glaze, when put in a few more spoonfuls to detach it.

Add the remainder of the stock, with the spices, herbs, shalots, and onions, and simmer very gently for 1 hour.

Strain and skim off every particle of fat, and when required for use, thicken with butter and flour, or with a little roux.

Add the wine, and, if necessary, a seasoning of cayenne; when it will be ready to serve.

_Time_.

--1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, 2s.

per pint.

_Note_.

--The wine in this sauce may be omitted, and an onion sliced and fried of a nice brown substituted for it.

This sauce or gravy is used for many dishes, and with most people is a general favourite.

FENNEL SAUCE FOR MACKEREL.

412. INGREDIENTS.

--1/2 pint of melted butter, No. 376, rather more than 1 tablespoonful of chopped fennel.

_Mode_.

--Make the melted butter very smoothly, by recipe No. 376; chop the fennel rather small, carefully cleansing it from any grit or dirt, and put it to the butter when this is on the point of boiling.

Simmer for a minute or two, and serve in a tureen.

_Time_.

--2 minutes.

_Average cost_, 4d.

_Sufficient_ to serve with 5 or 6 mackerel.

[Illustration: FENNEL.

] FENNEL.

--This elegantly-growing plant, of which the Latin name is _Anethum foeniculum_, grows best in chalky soils, where, indeed, it is often found wild.

It is very generally cultivated in gardens, and has much improved on its original form.

Various dishes are frequently ornamented and garnished with its graceful leaves, and these are sometimes boiled in soups, although it is more usually confined, in English cookery, to the mackerel sauce as here given.

FISH SAUCE.

413. INGREDIENTS.

--1-1/2 oz.

of cayenne, 2 tablespoonfuls of walnut ketchup, 2 tablespoonfuls of soy, a few shreds of garlic and shalot, 1 quart of vinegar.

_Mode_.

--Put all the ingredients into a large bottle, and shake well every day for a fortnight.

Keep it in small bottles well sealed, and in a few days it will be fit for use.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 1s.

FORCEMEAT BALLS FOR FISH SOUPS.

414. INGREDIENTS.

--1 middling-sized lobster, 1/2 an anchovy, 1 head of boiled celery, the yolk of a hard-boiled egg; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste; 4 tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs, 2 oz.

of butter, 2 eggs.

_Mode_.

--Pick the meat from the shell of the lobster, and pound it, with the soft parts, in a mortar; add the celery, the yolk of the hard-boiled egg, seasoning, and bread crumbs.

Continue pounding till the whole is nicely amalgamated.

Warm the butter till it is in a liquid state; well whisk the eggs, and work these up with the pounded lobster-meat.

Make into balls of about an inch in diameter, and fry of a nice pale brown.

_Sufficient_, from 18 to 20 balls for 1 tureen of soup.

FORCEMEAT FOR COLD SAVOURY PIES.

415. INGREDIENTS.

--1 lb.

of veal, 1 lb.

of fat bacon; salt, cayenne, pepper, and pounded mace to taste; a very little nutmeg, the same of chopped lemon-peel, 1/2 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs, 1 or 2 eggs.

_Mode_.

--Chop the veal and bacon together, and put them in a mortar with the other ingredients mentioned above.

Pound well, and bind with 1 or 2 eggs which have been previously beaten and strained.

Work the whole well together, and the forcemeat will be ready for use.

If the pie is not to be eaten immediately, omit the herbs and parsley, as these would prevent it from keeping.

Mushrooms or truffles may be added.

_Sufficient_ for 2 small pies.

[Illustration: MARJORAM.

] MARJORAM.

--Although there are several species of marjoram, that which is known as the sweet or knotted marjoram, is the one usually preferred in cookery.

It is a native of Portugal, and when its leaves are used as a seasoning herb, they have an agreeable aromatic flavour.

The winter sweet marjoram used for the same purposes, is a native of Greece, and the pot-marjoram is another variety brought from Sicily.

All of them are favourite ingredients in soups, stuffings, &c. FORCEMEAT FOR PIKE, CARP, HADDOCK, AND VARIOUS KINDS OF FISH.

416. INGREDIENTS.

--1 oz.

of fresh butter, 1 oz.

of suet, 1 oz.

of fat bacon, 1 small teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs, including parsley; a little onion, when liked, shredded very fine; salt, nutmeg, and cayenne to taste; 4 oz.

of bread crumbs, 1 egg.

_Mode_.

--Mix all the ingredients well together, carefully mincing them very finely; beat up the egg, moisten with it, and work the whole very smoothly together.

Oysters or anchovies may be added to this forcemeat, and will be found a great improvement.

_Average cost_, 6d.

_Sufficient_ for a moderate-sized haddock or pike.

FORCEMEAT FOR VEAL, TURKEYS, FOWLS, HARE, &c. 417. INGREDIENTS.

--2 oz.

of ham or lean bacon, 1/4 lb.

of suet, the rind of half a lemon, 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley, 1 teaspoonful of minced sweet herbs; salt, cayenne, and pounded mace to taste; 6 oz.

of bread crumbs, 2 eggs.

_Mode_.

--Shred the ham or bacon, chop the suet, lemon-peel, and herbs, taking particular care that all be very finely minced; add a seasoning to taste, of salt, cayenne, and mace, and blend all thoroughly together with the bread crumbs, before wetting.

Now beat and strain the eggs, work these up with the other ingredients, and the forcemeat will be ready for use.

When it is made into balls, fry of a nice brown, in boiling lard, or put them on a tin and bake for 1/2 hour in a moderate oven.

As we have stated before, no one flavour should predominate greatly, and the forcemeat should be of sufficient body to cut with a knife, and yet not dry and heavy.

For very delicate forcemeat, it is advisable to pound the ingredients together before binding with the egg;

but for ordinary cooking, mincing very finely answers the purpose.

_Average cost_, 8d.

_Sufficient_ for a turkey, a moderate-sized fillet of veal, or a hare.

_Note_.

--In forcemeat for HARE, the liver of the animal is sometimes added.

Boil for 5 minutes, mince it very small, and mix it with the other ingredients.

If it should be in an unsound state, it must be on no account made use of.

[Illustration: BASIL.

] SWEET HERBS.

--Those most usually employed for purposes of cooking, such as the flavouring of soups, sauces, forcemeats, &c. , are thyme, sage, mint, marjoram, savory, and basil.

Other sweet herbs are cultivated for purposes of medicine and perfumery: they are most grateful both to the organs of taste and smelling; and to the aroma derived from them is due, in a great measure, the sweet and exhilarating fragrance of our "flowery meads."

In town, sweet herbs have to be procured at the greengrocers' or herbalists', whilst, in the country, the garden should furnish all that are wanted, the cook taking great care to have some dried in the autumn for her use throughout the winter months.

FORCEMEAT FOR BAKED PIKE.