The Virginia Housewife Part 4

The hind-quarter may be boiled or roasted, and requires mint sauce; it may also be dressed in various ways.

BAKED LAMB.

Cut the shank bone from a hind-quarter, separate the joints of the loin, lay it in a pan with the kidney uppermost, sprinkle some pepper and salt, add a few cloves of garlic, a pint of water and a dozen large ripe tomatoes with the skins taken off, bake it but do not let it be burnt, thicken the gravy with a little b.u.t.ter and brown flour.

FRIED LAMB.

Separate the leg from the loin, cut off the shank and boil the leg; divide the loin in chops, dredge and fry them a nice brown, lay the leg in the middle of the dish, and put the chops around, pour over parsley and b.u.t.ter, and garnish with fried parsley.

The leg cut into steaks and the loin into chops will make a fine frica.s.see, or cutlets.

TO DRESS LAMB'S HEAD AND FEET.

Clean them very nicely, and boil them till tender, take off the flesh from the head with the eyes, also mince the tongue and heart, which must be boiled with the head; split the feet in two, put them with the pieces from the head and the mince, into a pint of good gravy, seasoned with pepper, salt, and tomato catsup, or ripe tomatoes: stew it till tender, thicken the gravy, and lay the liver cut in slices and broiled over it--garnish with crisp parsley and bits of curled bacon.

MUTTON.

The saddle should always be roasted and garnished with sc.r.a.ped horse-radish. See general observations on roasting. Mutton is in the highest perfection from August until Christmas, when it begins to decline in goodness.

BOILED LEG OF MUTTON.

Cut off the shank, wrap the flank nicely round and secure it with skewers, dredge it well with flour, and put it on the fire in a kettle of cold water with some salt, and three or four heads of garlic, which will give it a delicately fine flavour; skin it well, and when nearly done, take it from the fire and keep it hot and closely covered, that the steam may finish it; have carrots well boiled to put in the dish under it, or turnips boiled, mashed smooth and stewed with a lump of b.u.t.ter and salt, lay the mutton on, and pour over it b.u.t.ter melted with some flour in it, and a cup full of capers with some of the vinegar; shake them together over the fire till hot before you pour it on.

ROASTED LEG.

Prepare it as for boiling, be very careful in spitting it, cover it with paper and follow the directions for roasting, serve it up garnished with sc.r.a.ped horse-radish.

BAKED LEG OF MUTTON.

Take the flank off, but leave all the fat, cut out the bone, stuff the place with a rich forcemeat, lard the top and sides with bacon, put it in a pan with a pint of water, some chopped onion and cellery cut small, a gill of red wine, one of mushroom catsup and a tea-spoonful of curry powder, bake it and serve it up with the gravy, garnish with forcemeat b.a.l.l.s fried.

STEAKS OF A LEG OF MUTTON.

Cut off the flank, take out the bone, and cut it in large slices half an inch thick, sprinkle some salt and pepper, and broil it, pour over it nice melted b.u.t.ter with capers; a leg cut in the same way and dressed as directed for veal cutlets, is very fine. It is also excellent when salted as beef, and boiled, served up with carrots or turnips.

A shoulder of mutton is best when roasted, but may be made into cutlets or in a harrico.

TO HARRICO MUTTON.

Take the nicest part of the rack, divide it into chops, with one bone in each, beat them flat, sprinkle salt and pepper on them, and broil them nicely; make a rich gravy out of the inferior parts, season it well with pepper, a little spice, and any kind of catsup you choose; when sufficiently done, strain it, and thicken it with b.u.t.ter and brown flour, have some carrots and turnips cut into small dice and boiled till tender, put them in the gravy, lay the chops in and stew them fifteen minutes; serve them up garnished with green pickle.

MUTTON CHOPS.

Cut the rack as for the harrico, broil them, and when dished, pour over them a gravy made with two large spoonsful of boiling water, one of mushroom catsup, a small spoonful of b.u.t.ter and some salt, stir it till the b.u.t.ter is melted, and garnish with horse-radish sc.r.a.ped.

BOILED BREAST OF MUTTON.

Separate the joints of the brisket, and saw off the sharp ends of the ribs, dredge it with flour, and boil it; serve it up covered with onions--see onion sauce.

BREAST OF MUTTON IN RAGOUT.

Prepare the breast as for boiling, brown it nicely in the oven, have a rich gravy well seasoned and thickened with brown flour, stew the mutton in it till sufficiently done, and garnish with forcemeat b.a.l.l.s fried.

TO GRILL A BREAST OF MUTTON.

Prepare it as before, score the top, wash it over with the yelk of an egg, sprinkle some salt, and cover it with bread crumbs, bake it, and pour caper sauce in the dish. It may also be roasted, the skin taken off and frothed nicely, serve it up with good gravy, and garnish with current jelly cut in slices.

The neck of mutton is fit only for soup, the liver is very good when broiled.

BOILED SHOULDER OF MUTTON.

Put it in cold water with some salt, and boil it till tender; serve it up covered with onion sauce.

SHOULDER OF MUTTON WITH CELERY SAUCE.

Wash and clean ten heads of celery, cut off the green tops and take off the outside stalks, cut the heads in thin slices, boil them tender in a little milk, just enough for gravy, add salt, and thicken it with a spoonful of b.u.t.ter and some white flour; boil the shoulder and pour the sauce over it.