To Keep Anchovys Good for a Long Time. From Mrs. M. N.
As the People in the Country have not always the conveniency of a Market near them, and the Anchovy is often required for Fish-Sauce; so should every Family keep a quantity by them. They should be large, and fresh brought over when we buy them, and feel firm to the Finger; neither should they have their Heads on, for they are then more apt to turn rancid and stink; and if we buy them in large Quantities, the frequent opening the Pot we keep them in will subject them to Change. But to prevent this, as the Liquor falls or shrinks, add Vinegar to them, which will continue them firm and free from Rotting for two Years.
To Roast a Shoulder of Mutton like Venison. From the same.
Take a Shoulder of Mutton, and skin it; then lay it in the fresh Blood of a Sheep, well stirr’d with a little Salt, as it is bleeding, for six or eight Hours. When you have done this, wash it in Water and Salt, and at last with Vinegar; or else you may steep it in an Infusion of warm Water, a Gallon, and half a quarter of an Ounce of Brazil-Wood rasp’d. You may steep it in this Liquor for four Hours, or else you may let it pass half an Hour in a gentle Oven with Water and Salt, and a small Piece of Brazil-Wood in it; either of which will give it a Colour: but I think the two last are better than the Blood. Roast it then for its time, basting it well with Water and Salt, till it is near enough, and then give it a little sprinkling of Salt and raspings of Bread, with some Flour well mixt. The Sauce for this is Claret boil’d with Cinnamon, sweetned with a little Sugar and Crumbs of Bread grated: but some will use the Claret, Sugar and Cinnamon without the Crumbs, in Saucers; as it is now the most common way in Noblemens Families to do Venison. But in the Dish with the artificial Shoulder of Venison, put a strong Gravey of Beef; or made of some of the Beef-Glue which you have recommended in your Book.
To make a Hare-Pye, for a cold Treat. From the same.
Take the Flesh of an Hare, and beat it in a Marble Mortar; then add as many butter’d Eggs as will almost equal the Quantity of the Hare’s-Flesh. Mix these together with a little fat Bacon cut small, some Pepper and Salt, and a little powder of Cloves and Mace, or sweet Marjoram, to your Pleasure, and mix them very well; then lay in your Paste, and butter it well at the bottom with some seasoning, strew’d upon it, and lay in your Preparation, and cover it with Butter; then close it, and serve it when it is cold.
To preserve Ginger, and reduce the common Ginger for that purpose. From the same.
Take the large Roots of Ginger, and pour scalding Water upon them; and when that is cool, pour on some more scalding Water: and so repeat the same till the seventh or eighth time, or till you find the Ginger soft, and very much swell’d. Then warm some White Wine, and put it in that, for a few Hours, stirring it frequently while it is in any of the Liquors. Boil the last Liquor with fine Sugar to a Syrup; then put in your Ginger, and boil it for some time; then set it by till the next day, and repeat the boiling of the Ginger, adding every now and then a little White Wine, till the Ginger begins to look a little clear; and when it is cold, put it into Glasses, or glazed Jars, stopping it close.
Marmalade of Oranges and Lemons. From the same.
It is necessary to boil the Rinds of each in several Waters, till the Bitterness is lost, and that they are reduced to a tenderness, such as you like; then beat them in a Marble Mortar with as much of the Pulp of Golden-Pippins, or Golden-Rennets, as you think proper. Then take their weight of Sugar well powder’d, and a Pint of Water to every Pound of Sugar; boil your Sugar and Water, and when you have made a Syrup, put in your Pulp, and boil them all together till they are clear. Then put in the Juice of Oranges and Lemons, so much as will give you the Taste you desire; then boil it over again till it jellies, and put it into Glasses, Keep this in a dry Place.
To make Syrup of Mulberries. From the same.
Press out the Juice of Mulberries with your Hands, and pass it through a Sieve; and when it has stood to settle, pour off the clear, and put to it, its Weight of fine Sugar; put this into a Gallypot, and set that Pot into a Kettle of hot Water, which should be kept simmering near two Hours: stir the Syrup every now and then with a Silver Spoon, and take off what Scum may rise at Times, upon it; when it is enough, let it stand till it is quite cold, and then put it into clear dry Bottles with large Mouths, and stop them close. Keep this in a dry Place.
It is to be remark’d, that besides this Syrup is very cooling; its use is to colour stew’d Apples, or Puddings, or any sweet Preparation made with Flour or Fruit: for in itself it carries no Flavour that will be predominant over that of another Fruit.
Of Syrup of Raspberries, Currans, or other Fruits. From the same.
These Syrups are made like the former, by pressing out the Juice with the Hands; because if the Seeds are broken, they would have an ill Taste. Treat these in the making just in the same way as the former, and use them in the same manner, to colour any sweet Preparation; but remember, where you put any of the Raspberry Syrup, the Flavour of the Raspberry will prevail.
To make a _Raspberry-_Pudding. From the same.
Take a Pint of Cream, and grate into it four Penny Naples Biscuits; then take the Yolks of eight hard Eggs chopt and broken small; then beat four Eggs and put in two spoonfuls of Flour, and as much Powder of double-refined Sugar; then put in as much Syrup of Raspberries as you think proper to give it a Flavour and a Colour. If you find that your Composition is not thick enough, you may grate in more Naples Biscuit. Mix all this well together, and, if you will, make a fine Crust roll’d thin and laid in a Dish, and bake it in a gentle Oven.
Parsnip-Cakes. From the same.
Scrape some Parsnip-Roots, and slice them thin, dry them in an Oven and beat them to Powder; mix them then with an equal quantity of Flour, and make them up with Cream and Spices powder’d; then mould them into Cakes, and bake them in a gentle Oven. N.B. The sweetness of the Parsnip Powder answers the want of Sugar.
To make Raspberry bak’d Cakes. From the same.
Take Potatoes and boil them, and when they are peel’d, beat them in a Marble Mortar with half the Quantity of fine Sugar powder’d; then put in some of your Raspberry Syrup, till it is coloured with it, and make up your Cakes in fine Sugar powder’d. Then dry them, or bake them, in a gentle Oven, Note, these Cakes should be made thin.
Of Ortolans. From Mr. Renaud.
The Ortolan is a Bird brought from France, and is fed in large Cages with Canary-Seeds till they become a lump of Fat; and when they are fully fatted, they must be killed, or else they will feed upon their own Flesh. When we kill them, you must take them by the Beak, and holding it close between your Finger and Thumb, the Bird will be stifled in about a Minute; then pick off the Feathers even those of the Head, and pass a fine Skewer through them, just under the Wings, and roast them quick; setting small Toasts under them to drip upon. Serve them with strong Gravey, and as much White Wine hot, and garnish with Slices of Lemon and Raspings of Bread sifted and toasted before the Fire.
To make Sugar Comfits of any Sort. From Mrs. Anne Shepherd of Norwich.
The Seeds which we generally make Comfitts of, are Carraways, Coriander and Anise-Seeds; these, when they are cover’d with Sugar, are call’d Comfits, (Confects).
The Instruments to be employ’d for this Use, are first a deep-bottom’d Bason of Bell-Metal, or Brass, well tinn’d, to be hung over some hot Coals.
Secondly, You must have a broad Pan to put hot Coals in.
Thirdly, Provide a Brass Ladle to pour the Sugar upon the Seeds.
Fourthly, You must have a Brass Slice to scrape off the Sugar that may chance to hang upon the side of the hanging Bason.
Then take care that your Seeds are dry, or dry them well in your hanging Pan.
To every quarter of a Pound of Seeds use two Pounds of fine Sugar beaten; unless to Anise-Seeds, use two Pounds of Sugar to half a Pound of Seeds.
To begin the Work, put three Pounds of fine Sugar into the Bason with one Pint of Water, to be stirr’d well together till the Sugar is wet; and boil it gently, till the Sugar will rope from the Ladle like Turpentine, and it is enough. Keep this however warm, upon warm Embers, that it may run. freely in a ropy Way from the Ladle upon the Seeds.
When this is ready, move the Seeds briskly in the Bason, and fling on them half a ladle-full at a time of the hot Sugar, keeping the Seeds moving for some time; which will make them take the Sugar the better, and be sure to dry them well after every covering, by moving the Bason, and stirring the Comfits. In an Hour, you may make three Pounds of Comfits: you will know when they are coated enough with Sugar, by their becoming as large as you would have them. There is no certain Rule, but our own Fancies, for the Size of them. Note, Till they are as you would have them, cast on more melted Sugar, as at first, and keep them stirring and shaking in the Pan, drying them well after every Coat of Sugar.
If you would have ragged or rough Comfits, make your Sugar so liquid, that it will run from the Ladle; and let it fall upon the Seeds about a Foot and a half high. Let it be very hot, for the hotter it is, the rougher will be your Comfits; and for all that, the Comfits will not take so much Sugar as one may imagine from their Appearance. Put on at each time only one Ladle-full, and in ten times repeating it your Comfits will be perfectly well coated.
For plain Comfits; let not your melted Sugar be too hot at first, nor too thick; neither pour it on the Seeds too high: but the last two or three Coverings may be thicker and hotter.
As for Coriander-Seeds, which are large, three Pounds of Sugar will only cover a quarter of a Pound of them.
While your are at work, you should keep your melted Sugar in good Temper, that it may not gather into Lumps, or burn to the bottom of the Pan; and to prevent its growing too thick at any time, put to it a spoonful or two of Water, gently stirring it now and then with your Ladle, keeping your Fire very clear under your Pan. When your Comfits are made, put them upon Papers in Dishes, and set them before the Fire, or in a declining Oven, which will make them look of a Snow white; when they are cool, put them in Boxes, or in crystal Bottles.
To make Comfits of various Colours. From the same.
If you would have your Comfits of a red Colour, infuse some red Saunders in the Water till it is deep colour’d enough; or else take some Cochineel, and infuse it till the Liquor is red enough; or put some Syrup of Mulberries with Water to the Sugar.
If of a yellow Colour; use Saffron in Water, which you are to mix with the Sugar.
If Green; take the Juice of Spinach, and boil it with the Sugar: so will your Comfits be of the several Colours above-mention’d.
To preserve Orange and Lemons-Peels in Jelly. From the same.
Cut some of the fairest Oranges and Lemons in halves; then scoop out all the Pulp and Inside, and boil them in several Waters till they are so tender, that you may pass a Straw through them; then wash them in cold Water.
Boil then the following Preparation: viz. The Quantity of a Quart of Water to every Pound of Peel; and in it some thin Slices of Golden-Pippins, or Golden Rennets, till the Water becomes slippery. Then to this Water, add as much Sugar as will boil it to a strong Syrup; then put in your Peels and scald them, and set them by till the Day following, and boil them again till the Syrup will jelly. Then put your Peels into your Glasses, and put into your Syrup the Juice of three large Oranges, and one Lemon strain’d, and boil it till it will make a stiff Jelly, and pour it upon your Peels. When this is quite cold, then put Papers over the Glasses, and keep them in a dry Place.
You may also pare the Rinds, in Rings or Slices, and boil them as before; and in every respect treat them as you are directed to preserve the halves of Oranges.
To preserve Orange-Flowers in Jelly.
Gather your Orange-Flowers, in the Morning early, when they are just open, and take the Leaves of them. Boil these gently in two or three Waters, passing them every time through a Sieve: shift the Waters often, to take out the too great bitterness, but don’t boil them too soft, nor to lose their Whiteness. When this is done, make a strong jelly’d Syrup with Water and fine Sugar, and add some Juice of Lemon or Orange to it; then pour it on the Leaves of the Orange-Flowers; and when it is cold, cover your Glasses with Paper. N.B. You may thicken your Syrup with the Pulp of Pippins.
_Lemon-_Cakes. From Mrs. Anne Shepperd of Norwich.
Take out the Pulp of Lemons, as little bruis’d as possible; then boil some Sugar to a candied height, and put to it the Pulp and Juice, and stir it quickly; then put it into a Stove or into hot Sand. When you observe that it begins to candy on one side, then turn them out of the Glasses with a wet Knife on the other side, and let that candy too, in the same manner; when all is done, put them in a Box between Papers, and keep them in a dry Place.
Tripe of Eggs. From Mr. Fontaine.
Take the Whites of Eggs, and beat them very well in a Porringer; prepare then some hot Water and Vinegar with a little Salt, and then put in the Eggs, till they are hard; then cut them in pieces about an Inch square, and then take some White Wine, and as much Water and some Salt. Put this in a Pan, and heat it over the Fire with a little Parsley, an Onion and some Spice; when it is hot, serve it up with Butter and Mustard, and it will eat like Tripe: or else you may serve it like a Ragoust, with the following Sauce; viz.
Sauce for the Artificial Tripe in Ragoust. From the same.
Take strong Gravey made of Beef, and the Ingredients which are mention’d in the drawing of Gravey. Warm it with a little White Wine, and thicken the Sauce with burnt Butter: then, when the Eggs are warm’d, pour the Sauce over them.
Bacon Froize, or Fraise. From Mrs. Bradbury.
Cut fat Bacon in small Pieces, about an Inch long, and then prepare ten or a dozen Eggs well beat; put in a little Milk, some Spice, at pleasure, and some Flour; then put some Lard or Seam of an Hog into a Pan, and make it very hot; and when it is so, pour in the Mixture, and clap a dish over it, after you have thrown some of the Seam upon it. When the Froize is done enough on one side, turn it with the Dish, and fry it till it is quite enough. Then serve it with a garnish of sliced Lemons and a little Butter, first letting it drain.
Clary and Eggs, From the same.
Take eight or ten Eggs; beat them well in a Porringer; then take some Clary Leaves, and chop them small; add a little Pepper and Salt, and some Onion chopt small. This Mixture must be fry’d in hot Lard or Hog-Seam, and serve it with Slices of Lemon.
To stew a Pig. From the same.
Roast a Pig till it is hot; then take off the Skin and cut it in pieces; then take some White Wine and good Gravey, and stew it with an Onion, some Pepper, Salt, some Nutmeg, a little sweet Marjoram, and some Elder Vinegar, with some Butter; and when it is enough, lay it upon Sippits, and garnish with sliced Lemon.
To stew a Pig another way. From the same.
Roast a Pig till you can take off the Skin; cut it then in small pieces, and stew it in White Wine, with a bunch of sweet Herbs, an Onion, some Pepper and Salt, a few Cloves, or a little sweet Marjoram powder’d. When it is enough, strain off the Liquor it was boil’d in, and in some of that put some Mushrooms, and thicken it with Cream, and it will make an excellent Dish. You may garnish it with sliced Lemon and pickled Barberries.
To make a Fricassee of Sheeps Trotters.
Clean them very well from the Hair; then wash them in Vinegar and Water; then take out the Bones, and boil them in Salt and Water with a little Lemon-Peel. When they are hot, give them either of the following Sauces. For a white Sauce, take the following: viz.
Take some Water, with some Salt, a few sweet Herbs, some whole Pepper, some Lemon-Peel and a bit of Horse-Radish, a Shallot, and a little White Wine. When it is strong enough relish’d, then strain it off, and take a little of it, and mix it with Butter to thicken it, or Cream would do better, about half a Pint: pour this over the Sheeps Trotters with a few Capers, and serve it up with Slices of Lemons.
A brown Fricassee of Sheeps Trotters.
Dress them as before, and when they are fit for Sauce, then take some Hogs Lard, and make it very hot in a Pan, then put in your Trotters, when they are well covered with Flour, and when they are done enough, pour over them a Sauce made of Gravey, some Claret and some Mushrooms thickned with burnt Butter. This will make a good brown Fricassee; and serve it up with a garnish of Lemon sliced, Barberries pickled, some raspings of Bread lifted, and toasted before the Fire.
To make a Lumber-Pye. From Exeter.
Take a Pound of lean Veal, free from Strings, shred it very small, season it with Cloves and Mace powder’d, some powder of dry’d sweet Herbs, some Lemon-Peel grated, some Pepper and Salt, three large spoonfulls of grated Bread, a little Juice of Lemon, and five or six butter’d Eggs. Mix these Ingredients well together into a Paste or as a farced Meat for Balls about the Bigness of small Wallnuts; then take two or three large Veal Sweat breads, and cut them in pieces; then provide a Pint of Mushroom Buttons well clean’d, and the Yolks of eight hard Eggs cut in halves, a dozen Coxcombs well scalded and clean’d: lay these with a seasoning of Pepper and Salt in a good Paste that covers the bottom of your Dish; first laying bits of Butter on the Paste at the Bottom. Some will put about half a Pound of Currans into this Pye; but every one to their Fancy. When your Ingredients are disposed in your Dish, lay on about four Ounces of Marrow, and the quantity of six Ounces of Butter, and then close it.
Just before you set it in the Oven, pour into your Pye half a Pint of Water; and as soon as you take it out, pour in half a Pint of White Wine warm’d, and serve it hot.