Pickled Fish. From Aaron Harrington, Esq.
Let the Fish be fry’d after the common manner, and when they are cold lay them in a Dish, and pour on the following Pickle: Water and Vinegar equal quantities, Jamaica Pepper, Pepper and Salt, a little Mace, a few Bay-leaves, and some White-wine: when these have boiled together, pour the Pickle on the Fish while it is not too hot; these eat extremely well.
Trouts are now in good perfection in the South parts of our Country; that is, where the Weather has been favourable in the former Month; and then besides the common way of boiling them we may have them potted, which will make them as valuable as potted Charrs, which are a sort of Trout.
To pott Trouts. From Mrs. R. S. of Preston in Lancashire.
Scale and clean your Trouts very well, wash them in Vinegar, and slit them down the Back, after which put Pepper and Salt into the Incision, and on their Outsides, and let them lie upon a Dish three Hours; then lay them in an earthen glaz’d Pan, with pieces of Butter upon them, and put them in an Oven two Hours, if they are Trouts fourteen Inches long, or less in proportion, taking care to tie some Paper close over the Pan. When this is done, take away from them all the Liquor, and put them in a Pot, and as soon as they are quite cold, pour some clarified Butter upon them to cover them: These will eat as well as potted Charrs. Some will take out the Bone upon slitting the Back, and these have been often taken for Charrs; tho’ I don’t know above two Places where the Charrs are, one is a Pool where a River or Brook runs thro’ in Lancashire, and the other is in a Pool at Naant, within four Miles of Caernarvon. But the Charr is of the Trout kind, and it must be a good judge in Fish to distinguish one from another; however, there is some small difference, which the Criticks in fishing take notice of.
Fish may also be kept in Pickle several Weeks, as the Jack and Trout especially are agreeable Varieties.
This time is a proper Season for making a pleasant and strong Wine of Malaga Raisins, which will keep good many Years, and among the best Judges of Wine is much admired; it is not unlike a strong Mountain Wine: at this time also the Raisins are very cheap.
To make Raisin Wine.
Take half a hundred weight of Malaga Raisins, pick them clean from the Stalks, and chop the Raisins small, then put them into a large Tub, and boil ten Gallons of River Water, or such Water as is soft, and pour it hot upon them; let this be stirr’d twice or thrice every Day for twelve Days successively, and then pour the Liquor into a Cask and make a Toast of Bread, and while it is hot, spread it on both sides with Yeast or Barm, and put it into the Vessel to the Wine, and it will make it ferment gently, which you may know by its making a hissing Noise; during the time of working, the Bung of the Vessel must be left open, and as soon as that is over, stop it up close. This will be fine and fit for Drinking in about four Months time; but if you make twice the quantity, it should stand five or six Months before you broach it: Observe that you set it in a good Cellar, such as I have mentioned in the Month of March, under the Article of Brewing.
To make Fronteniac Wine.
The foregoing Receipt must be followed in every particular, only when you put it into the Vessel, add to it some of the Syrup of the white Fronteniac Grape, which we may make in England, tho’ the Season is not favourable enough to ripen that sort of Grape; for in a bad Year, when the white Fronteniac, or the Muscadella Grapes are hard and unripe, and without Flavour, yet if you bake them they will take the rich Flavour, which a good share of Sun would have given them. You may either bake the Fronteniac Grapes with Sugar, or boil them to make a Syrup of their Juice, about a Quart of which Syrup will be enough to put to five Quarts of the Raisin Wine. When these have work’d together, and stood a time, as directed in the foregoing Receipt, you will have a Fronteniac Wine of as rich a Flavour as the French sort, besides the Pleasure of knowing that all the Ingredients are wholesome.
This Month is the principal time for Asparagus, which every one knows how to prepare in the common way; but there are some particulars relating to the fitting them for the Table, which I had from a curious Gentleman at Antwerp, which I shall here set down.
To preserve Asparagus.
Cut away all the hard part of your Asparagus, and just boil them up with Butter and Salt, then fling them into cold Water, and presently take them out again and let them drain; when they are cold, put them in a Gallipot, large enough for them to lie without bending, putting to them some whole Cloves; some Salt, and as much Vinegar and Water, in equal quantities, as will cover them half an Inch; then take a single Linnen Cloth, and let it into the Pot upon the Water, and pour melted Butter over it, and keep them in a temperate Place: When you use them, lay them to steep in warm Water, and dress them as you would do fresh Asparagus. It is to be noted, that in Holland, and most places abroad, the Asparagus is always white, which is done according to a method that I have inserted in my other Works; the method of bringing them to Table the foreign way, is to serve them with melted Butter, Salt, Vinegar, and Nutmeg grated.
The Tops or Heads of Asparagus being broken in small pieces and boil’d, are used in Soups like green Pease.
Asparagus in Cream. From the same.
Break the Tops of your Asparagus in small Pieces, then blanch them a little in boiling Water, or parboil them, after which put them in a Stew-Pan or Frying-Pan with Butter or Hog’s-Lard, and let them remain a little while over a brisk Fire, taking care that they are not too greasy, but well drain’d; then put them in a clean Stew-Pan with some Milk and Cream, a gentle Seasoning of Salt and Spice, with a small Bunch of sweet Herbs; and just when they are enough, add to them the Yolks of two or three Eggs beaten, with a little Cream to bind your Sauce.
The Greens, which are now fit for boiling, are Sprouts of Cabbages, and young Cabbage-Plants, which every one knows how to prepare. There is also Spinage, which is best stew’d without any Water, its own Juice being sufficient; and we have still plenty of Lupines, that is, the flowring Stalks of Turnips, which eat very agreeably; they should be gather’d about the length of Asparagus, when the Tops are knotted for flowering, and the strings in the outside of the Stalks stripp’d from them; then tie them in Bunches, as you do Asparagus, and put them in boiling Water with some Salt, and let them boil three or four Minutes, then lay them to drain, without pressing, and serve them to Table as you would do Asparagus. The same way is used in the management of Brocoli.
The middle of this Month the Cowslip is in Flower, or as some call it the Peigle; and now is the Season to make a most pleasant Wine of the Flowers. This Receipt is the best I have met with.