The Book of Household Management - Mrs. Isabella Beeton

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_Time_.--3 or 4 hours. _Average cost_, 9d. per pint.

CHEAP GRAVY FOR MINCED VEAL.

443. INGREDIENTS.--Bones and trimmings of cold roast or boiled veal,
1-1/2 pint of water, 1 onion, 1/4 teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, 1/4
teaspoonful of salt, 1 blade of pounded mace, the juice of 1/4 lemon;
thickening of butter and flour.

_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients into a stewpan, except the thickening
and lemon-juice, and let them simmer very gently for rather more than 1
hour, or until the liquor is reduced to a pint, when strain through a
hair-sieve. Add a thickening of butter and flour, and the lemon-juice;
set it on the fire, and let it just boil up, when it will be ready for
use. It may be flavoured with a little tomato sauce, and, where a rather
dark-coloured gravy is not objected to, ketchup, or Harvey's sauce, may
be added at pleasure.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1 hour. _Average cost_, 3d.

GRAVY FOR VENISON.

444. INGREDIENTS.--Trimmings of venison, 3 or 4 mutton shank-bones, salt
to taste, 1 pint of water, 2 teaspoonfuls of walnut ketchup.

_Mode_.--Brown the trimmings over a nice clear fire, and put them in a
stewpan with the shank-bones and water; simmer gently for 2 hours,
strain and skim, and add the walnut ketchup and a seasoning of salt. Let
it just boil, when it is ready to serve.

_Time_.--2 hours.

[Illustration: THE DEER.]

VENISON.--Far, far away in ages past, our fathers loved the
chase, and what it brought; and it is usually imagined that when
Isaac ordered his son Esau to go out with his weapons, his
quiver and his bow, and to prepare for him savoury meat, such as
he loved, that it was venison he desired. The wise Solomon, too,
delighted in this kind of fare; for we learn that, at his table,
every day were served the wild ox, the roebuck, and the stag.
Xenophon informs us, in his History, that Cyrus, king of Persia,
ordered that venison should never be wanting at his repasts; and
of the effeminate Greeks it was the delight. The Romans, also,
were devoted admirers of the flesh of the deer; and our own
kings and princes, from the Great Alfred down to the Prince
Consort, have hunted, although, it must be confessed, under
vastly different circumstances, the swift buck, and relished
their "haunch" all the more keenly, that they had borne
themselves bravely in the pursuit of the animal.

TO DRY HERBS FOR WINTER USE.

445. On a very dry day, gather the herbs, just before they begin to
flower. If this is done when the weather is damp, the herbs will not be
so good a colour. (It is very necessary to be particular in little
matters like this, for trifles constitute perfection, and herbs nicely
dried will be found very acceptable when frost and snow are on the
ground. It is hardly necessary, however, to state that the flavour and
fragrance of fresh herbs are incomparably finer.) They should be
perfectly freed from dirt and dust, and be divided into small bunches,
with their roots cut off. Dry them quickly in a very hot oven, or before
the fire, as by this means most of their flavour will be preserved, and
be careful not to burn them; tie them up in paper bags, and keep in a
dry place. This is a very general way of preserving dried herbs; but we
would recommend the plan described in a former recipe.

_Seasonable_.--From the month of July to the end of September is the
proper time for storing herbs for winter use.

HERB POWDER FOR FLAVOURING, when Fresh Herbs are not obtainable.

446. INGREDIENTS.--1 oz. of dried lemon-thyme, 1 oz. of dried winter
savory, 1 oz. of dried sweet marjoram and basil, 2 oz. of dried parsley,
1 oz. of dried lemon-peel.

_Mode_.--Prepare and dry the herbs by recipe No. 445; pick the leaves
from the stalks, pound them, and sift them through a hair-sieve; mix in
the above proportions, and keep in glass bottles, carefully excluding
the air. This, we think, a far better method of keeping herbs, as the
flavour and fragrance do not evaporate so much as when they are merely
put in paper bags. Preparing them in this way, you have them ready for
use at a moment's notice.

Mint, sage, parsley, &c., dried, pounded, and each put into separate
bottles, will be found very useful in winter.

[Illustration: CORK WITH WOODEN TOP.]

CORKS WITH WOODEN TOPS.--These are the best corks to use when it
is indispensable that the air should not be admitted to the
ingredients contained in bottles which are in constant use. The
top, which, as will be seen by the accompanying little cut, is
larger than the cork, is made of wood; and, besides effectually
covering the whole top of the bottle, can be easily removed and
again used, as no corkscrew is necessary to pull it out.

SAVORY.--This we find described by Columella, a voluminous Roman
writer on agriculture, as an odoriferous herb, which, "in the
brave days of old," entered into the seasoning of nearly every
dish. Verily, there are but few new things under the sun, and we
don't find that we have made many discoveries in gastronomy, at
least beyond what was known to the ancient inhabitants of Italy.
We possess two varieties of this aromatic herb, known to
naturalists as _Satureja_. They are called summer and winter
savory, according to the time of the year when they are fit for
gathering. Both sorts are in general cultivation throughout
England.

HORSERADISH SAUCE, to serve with Roast Beef.

447. INGREDIENTS.--4 tablespoonfuls of grated horseradish, 1 teaspoonful
of pounded sugar, 1 teaspoonful of salt, 1/2 teaspoonful of pepper, 2
teaspoonfuls of made mustard; vinegar.

_Mode_.--Grate the horseradish, and mix it well with the sugar, salt,
pepper, and mustard; moisten it with sufficient vinegar to give it the
consistency of cream, and serve in a tureen: 3 or 4 tablespoonfuls of
cream added to the above, very much improve the appearance and flavour
of this sauce. To heat it to serve with hot roast beef, put it in a bain
marie or a jar, which place in a saucepan of boiling water; make it hot,
but do not allow it to boil, or it will curdle.

_Note_.--This sauce is a great improvement on the old-fashioned way of
serving cold-scraped horseradish with hot roast beef. The mixing of the
cold vinegar with the warm gravy cools and spoils everything on the
plate. Of course, with cold meat, the sauce should be served cold.

[Illustration: THE HORSERADISH.]

THE HORSERADISH.--This has been, for many years, a favourite
accompaniment of roast beef, and is a native of England. It
grows wild in wet ground, but has long been cultivated in the
garden, and is, occasionally, used in winter salads and in
sauces. On account of the great volatility of its oil, it should
never be preserved by drying, but should be kept moist by being
buried in sand. So rapidly does its volatile oil evaporate, that
even when scraped for the table, it almost immediately spoils by
exposure to the air.

HORSERADISH VINEGAR.

448. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of scraped horseradish, 1 oz. of minced
shalot, 1 drachm of cayenne, 1 quart of vinegar.

_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients into a bottle, which shake well every
day for a fortnight. When it is thoroughly steeped, strain and bottle,
and it will be fit for use immediately. This will be found an agreeable
relish to cold beef, &c.

_Seasonable_.--This vinegar should be made either in October or
November, as horseradish is then in its highest perfection.

INDIAN CURRY-POWDER, founded on Dr. Kitchener's Recipe.

449. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of coriander-seed, 1/4 lb. of turmeric, 2 oz.
of cinnamon-seed, 1/2 oz. of cayenne, 1 oz. of mustard, 1 oz. of ground
ginger, 1/2 ounce of allspice, 2 oz. of fenugreek-seed.

_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients in a cool oven, where they should
remain one night; then pound them in a mortar, rub them through a sieve,
and mix thoroughly together; keep the powder in a bottle, from which the
air should be completely excluded.

_Note_.--We have given this recipe for curry-powder, as some persons
prefer to make it at home; but that purchased at any respectable shop
is, generally speaking, far superior, and, taking all things into
consideration, very frequently more economical.

INDIAN MUSTARD, an excellent Relish to Bread and Butter, or any cold
Meat.

450. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of the best mustard, 1/4 lb. of flour, 1/2
oz. of salt, 4 shalots, 4 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 4 tablespoonfuls of
ketchup, 1/4 bottle of anchovy sauce.

_Mode_.--Put the mustard, flour, and salt into a basin, and make them
into a stiff paste with boiling water. Boil the shalots with the
vinegar, ketchup, and anchovy sauce, for 10 minutes, and pour the whole,
_boiling_, over the mixture in the basin; stir well, and reduce it to a
proper thickness; put it into a bottle, with a bruised shalot at the
bottom, and store away for use. This makes an excellent relish, and if
properly prepared will keep for years.

[Illustration: MUSTARD.]

MUSTARD.--Before the year 1729, mustard was not known at English
tables. About that time an old woman, of the name of Clements,
residing in Durham, began to grind the seed in a mill, and to
pass the flour through several processes necessary to free the
seed from its husks. She kept her secret for many years to
herself, during which she sold large quantities of mustard
throughout the country, but especially in London. Here it was
introduced to the royal table, when it received the approval of
George I. From the circumstance of Mrs. Clements being a
resident at Durham, it obtained the name of Durham mustard. In
the county of that name it is still principally cultivated, and
the plant is remarkable for the rapidity of its growth. It is
the best stimulant employed to impart strength to the digestive
organs, and even in its previously coarsely-pounded state, had a
high reputation with our ancestors.

INDIAN PICKLE (very Superior).

451. INGREDIENTS.--To each gallon of vinegar allow 6 cloves of garlic,
12 shalots, 2 sticks of sliced horseradish, 1/4 lb. of bruised ginger, 2
oz. of whole black pepper, 1 oz. of long pepper, 1 oz. of allspice, 12
cloves, 1/4 oz. of cayenne, 2 oz. of mustard-seed, 1/4 lb. of mustard, 1
oz. of turmeric; a white cabbage, cauliflowers, radish-pods, French
beans, gherkins, small round pickling-onions, nasturtiums, capsicums,
chilies, &c.

_Mode_.--Cut the cabbage, which must be hard and white, into slices, and
the cauliflowers into small branches; sprinkle salt over them in a large
dish, and let them remain two days; then dry them, and put them into a
very large jar, with garlic, shalots, horseradish, ginger, pepper,
allspice, and cloves, in the above proportions. Boil sufficient vinegar
to cover them, which pour over, and, when cold, cover up to keep them
free from dust. As the other things for the pickle ripen at different
times, they may be added as they are ready: these will be radish-pods,
French beans, gherkins, small onions, nasturtiums, capsicums, chilies,
&c. &c. As these are procured, they must, first of all, be washed in a
little cold vinegar, wiped, and then simply added to the other
ingredients in the large jar, only taking care that they are _covered_
by the vinegar. If more vinegar should be wanted to add to the pickle,
do not omit first to boil it before adding it to the rest. When you have
collected all the things you require, turn all out in a large pan, and
thoroughly mix them. Now put the mixed vegetables into smaller jars,
without any of the vinegar; then boil the vinegar again, adding as much
more as will be required to fill the different jars, and also cayenne,
mustard-seed, turmeric, and mustard, which must be well mixed with a
little cold vinegar, allowing the quantities named above to each gallon
of vinegar. Pour the vinegar, boiling hot, over the pickle, and when
cold, tie down with a bladder. If the pickle is wanted for immediate
use, the vinegar should be boiled twice more, but the better way is to
make it during one season for use during the next. It will keep for
years, if care is taken that the vegetables are quite covered by the
vinegar.

This recipe was taken from the directions of a lady whose pickle was
always pronounced excellent by all who tasted it, and who has, for many
years, exactly followed the recipe given above.

__Note_.--For small families, perhaps the above quantity of pickle will
be considered too large; but this may be decreased at pleasure, taking
care to properly proportion the various ingredients.

[Illustration: INDIA PICKLE.]

KEEPING PICKLES.--Nothing shows more, perhaps, the difference
between a tidy thrifty housewife and a lady to whom these
desirable epithets may not honestly be applied, than the
appearance of their respective store-closets. The former is
able, the moment anything; is wanted, to put her hand on it at
once; no time is lost, no vexation incurred, no dish spoilt for
the want of "just little something,"--the latter, on the
contrary, hunts all over her cupboard for the ketchup the cook
requires, or the pickle the husband thinks he should like a
little of with his cold roast beef or mutton-chop, and vainly
seeks for the Embden groats, or arrowroot, to make one of her
little boys some gruel. One plan, then, we strenuously advise
all who do not follow, to begin at once, and that is, to label
all their various pickles and store sauces, in the same way as
the cut here shows. It will occupy a little time at first, but
there will be economy of it in the long run.

VINEGAR.--This term is derived from the two French words _vin
aigre_, 'sour wine,' and should, therefore, be strictly applied
to that which is made only from wine. As the acid is the same,
however it is procured, that made from ale also takes the same
name. Nearly all ancient nations were acquainted with the use of
vinegar. We learn in _Ruth_, that the reapers in the East soaked
their bread in it to freshen it. The Romans kept large
quantities of it in their cellars, using it, to a great extent,
in their seasonings and sauces. This people attributed very
beneficial qualities to it, as it was supposed to be digestive,
antibilious, and antiscorbutic, as well as refreshing.
Spartianus, a Latin historian, tells us that, mixed with water,
it was the drink of the soldiers, and that, thanks to this
beverage, the veterans of the Roman army braved, by its use, the
inclemency and variety of all the different seasons and climates
of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is said, the Spanish peasantry,
and other inhabitants of the southern parts of Europe, still
follow this practice, and add to a gallon of water about a gill
of wine vinegar, with a little salt; and that this drink, with a
little bread, enables them, under the heat of their burning sun,
to sustain the labours of the field.

INDIAN CHETNEY SAUCE.

452. INGREDIENTS.--8 oz. of sharp, sour apples, pared and cored; 8 oz.
of tomatoes, 8 oz. of salt, 8 oz. of brown, sugar, 8 oz. of stoned
raisins, 4 oz. of cayenne, 4 oz. of powdered ginger, 2 oz. of garlic, 2
oz. of shalots, 3 quarts of vinegar, 1 quart of lemon-juice.

_Mode_.--Chop the apples in small square pieces, and add to them the
other ingredients. Mix the whole well together, and put in a
well-covered jar. Keep this in a warm place, and stir every day for a
month, taking care to put on the lid after this operation; strain, but
do not squeeze it dry; store it away in clean jars or bottles for use,
and the liquor will serve as an excellent sauce for meat or fish.

_Seasonable_.--Make this sauce when tomatoes are in full season, that
is, from the beginning of September to the end of October.

PICKLES.--The ancient Greeks and Romans held their pickles in
high estimation. They consisted of flowers, herbs, roots, and
vegetables, preserved in vinegar, and which were kept, for a
long time, in cylindrical vases with wide mouths. Their cooks
prepared pickles with the greatest care, and the various
ingredients were macerated in oil, brine, and vinegar, with
which they were often impregnated drop by drop. Meat, also,
after having been cut into very small pieces, was treated in the
same manner.

ITALIAN SAUCE (Brown).

453. INGREDIENTS.--A few chopped mushrooms and shalots, 1/2 pint of
stock, No. 105, 1/2 glass of Madeira, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2
teaspoonful of pounded sugar, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley.

_Mode_.--Put the stock into a stewpan with the mushrooms, shalots, and
Madeira, and stew gently for 1/4 hour, then add the remaining
ingredients, and let them just boil. When the sauce is done enough, put
it in another stewpan, and warm it in a _bain marie_. (_See_ No. 430.)
The mushrooms should not be chopped long before they are wanted, as they
will then become black.

_Time_.--1/4 hour. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 7d.

_Sufficient_ for a small dish.

ITALIAN SAUCE (White).

454. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of white stock, No. 107; 2 tablespoonfuls of
chopped mushrooms, 1 dessertspoonful of chopped shalots, 1 slice of ham,
minced very fine; 1/4 pint of Bechamel, No. 367; salt to taste, a few
drops of garlic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoonful of pounded sugar, a squeeze of
lemon-juice.

_Mode_.--Put the shalots and mushrooms into a stewpan with the stock and
ham, and simmer very gently for 1/2 hour, when add the Bechamel. Let it
just boil up, and then strain it through a tammy; season with the above
ingredients, and serve very hot. If this sauce should not have retained
a nice white colour, a little cream may be added.

_Time_.--1/2 hour. _Average cost_, for this quantity, 10d.

_Sufficient_ for a moderate-sized dish.

_Note_.--To preserve the colour of the mushrooms after pickling, throw
them into water to which a little lemon-juice has been added.

TO PICKLE LEMONS WITH THE PEEL ON.

455. INGREDIENTS.--6 lemons, 2 quarts of boiling water; to each quart of
vinegar allow 1/2 oz. of cloves, 1/2 oz. of white pepper, 1 oz. of
bruised ginger, 1/4 oz. of mace and chilies, 1 oz. of mustard-seed, 1/2
stick of sliced horseradish, a few cloves of garlic.

_Mode_.--Put the lemons into a brine that will bear an egg; let them
remain in it 6 days, stirring them every day; have ready 2 quarts of
boiling water, put in the lemons, and allow them to boil for 1/4 hour;
take them out, and let them lie in a cloth until perfectly dry and cold.
Boil up sufficient vinegar to cover the lemons, with all the above
ingredients, allowing the same proportion as stated to each quart of
vinegar. Pack the lemons in a jar, pour over the vinegar, &c. boiling
hot, and tie down with a bladder. They will be fit for use in about 12
months, or rather sooner.

_Seasonable_.--This should be made from November to April.

THE LEMON.--In the earlier ages of the world, the lemon does not
appear to have been at all known, and the Romans only became
acquainted with it at a very late period, and then only used it
to keep moths from their garments. Its acidity would seem to
have been unpleasant to them; and in Pliny's time, at the
commencement of the Christian era, this fruit was hardly
accepted, otherwise than as an excellent antidote against the
effects of poison. Many anecdotes have been related concerning
the anti-venomous properties of the lemon; Athenaeus, a Latin
writer, telling us, that on one occasion, two men felt no
effects from the bites of dangerous serpents, because they had
previously eaten of this fruit.

TO PICKLE LEMONS WITHOUT THE PEEL.

456. INGREDIENTS.--6 lemons, 1 lb. of fine salt; to each quart of
vinegar, the same ingredients as No. 455.

_Mode_.--Peel the lemons, slit each one down 3 times, so as not to
divide them, and rub the salt well into the divisions; place them in a
pan, where they must remain for a week, turning them every other day;
then put them in a Dutch oven before a clear fire until the salt has
become perfectly dry; then arrange them in a jar. Pour over sufficient
boiling vinegar to cover them, to which have been added the ingredients
mentioned in the foregoing recipe; tie down closely, and in about 9
months they will be fit for use.

_Seasonable_.--The best time to make this is from November to April.

_Note_.--After this pickle has been made from 4 to 5 months, the liquor
may be strained and bottled, and will be found an excellent lemon
ketchup.

LEMON-JUICE.--Citric acid is the principal component part of
lemon-juice, which, in addition to the agreeableness of its
flavour, is also particularly cooling and grateful. It is
likewise an antiscorbutic; and this quality enhances its value.
In order to combat the fatal effects of scurvy amongst the crews
of ships at sea, a regular allowance of lemon-juice is served
out to the men; and by this practice, the disease has almost
entirely disappeared. By putting the juice into bottles, and
pouring on the top sufficient oil to cover it, it may be
preserved for a considerable time. Italy and Turkey export great
quantities of it in this manner.

LEMON SAUCE FOR BOILED FOWLS.

457. INGREDIENTS.--1 small lemon, 3/4 pint of melted butter, No. 380.

_Mode_.--Cut the lemon into very thin slices, and these again into very
small dice. Have ready 3/4 pint of melted butter, made by recipe No.
380; put in the lemon; let it just simmer, but not boil, and pour it
over the fowls.

_Time_.--1 minute to simmer. _Average cost_, 6d.

_Sufficient_ for a pair of large fowls.

LEMON WHITE SAUCE, FOR FOWLS, FRICASSEES, &c.

458. INGREDIENTS.--3/4 pint of cream, the rind and juice of 1 lemon, 1/2
teaspoonful of whole white pepper, 1 sprig of lemon thyme, 3 oz. of
butter, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1 teacupful of white stock; salt to
taste.

_Mode_.--Put the cream into a very clean saucepan (a lined one is best),
with the lemon-peel, pepper, and thyme, and let these infuse for 1/2
hour, when simmer gently for a few minutes, or until there is a nice
flavour of lemon. Strain it, and add a thickening of butter and flour in
the above proportions; stir this well in, and put in the lemon-juice at
the moment of serving; mix the stock with the cream, and add a little
salt. This sauce should not boil after the cream and stock are mixed
together.

_Time_.--Altogether, 3/4 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 6d.

_Sufficient_, this quantity, for a pair of large boiled fowls.

_Note_.--Where the expense of the cream is objected to, milk may be
substituted for it. In this case, an additional dessertspoonful, or
rather more, of flour must be added.

[Illustration: LEMON THYME.]

LEMON THYME.--Two or three tufts of this species of thyme,
_Thymus citriodorus_, usually find a place in the herb
compartment of the kitchen-garden. It is a trailing evergreen,
is of smaller growth than the common kind (_see_ No. 166), and
is remarkable for its smell, which closely resembles that of the
rind of a lemon. Hence its distinctive name. It is used for some
particular dishes, in which the fragrance of the lemon is
desired to slightly predominate.

LEAMINGTON SAUCE (an Excellent Sauce for Flavouring Gravies, Hashes,
Soups, &c.).

_(Author's Recipe.)_

459. INGREDIENTS.--Walnuts. To each quart of walnut-juice allow 3 quarts
of vinegar, 1 pint of Indian soy, 1 oz. of cayenne, 2 oz. of shalots,
3/4 oz. of garlic, 1/2 pint of port wine.

_Mode_.--Be very particular in choosing the walnuts as soon as they
appear in the market; for they are more easily bruised before they
become hard and shelled. Pound them in a mortar to a pulp, strew some
salt over them, and let them remain thus for two or three days,
occasionally stirring and moving them about. Press out the juice, and to
_each quart_ of walnut-liquor allow the above proportion of vinegar,
soy, cayenne, shalots, garlic, and port wine. Pound each ingredient
separately in a mortar, then mix them well together, and store away for
use in small bottles. The corks should be well sealed.

_Seasonable_.--This sauce should be made as soon as walnuts are
obtainable, from the beginning to the middle of July.

LEMON BRANDY.

460. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of brandy, the rind of two small lemons, 2 oz.
of loaf-sugar, 1/4 pint of water.

_Mode_.--Peel the lemons rather thin, taking care to have none of the
white pith. Put the rinds into a bottle with the brandy, and let them
infuse for 24 hours, when they should be strained. Now boil the sugar
with the water for a few minutes, skim it, and, when cold, add it to the
brandy. A dessertspoonful of this will be found an excellent flavouring
for boiled custards.

LEMON RIND OR PEEL.--This contains an essential oil of a very
high flavour and fragrance, and is consequently esteemed both a
wholesome and agreeable stomachic. It is used, as will be seen
by many recipes in this book, as an ingredient for flavouring a
number of various dishes. Under the name of CANDIED LEMON-PEEL,
it is cleared of the pulp and preserved by sugar, when it
becomes an excellent sweetmeat. By the ancient medical
philosopher Galen, and others, it may be added, that dried
lemon-peel was considered as one of the best digestives, and
recommended to weak and delicate persons.