The Book of Household Management Part 100

_Time_.--About 5 or 7 minutes.

_Seasonable_ from May to October.

COOKING COLLOPS.--Dean Ramsay, who tells us, in his "Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character," a number of famous stories of the strong-headed, warm-hearted, and plain-spoken old dames of the north, gives, amongst them, the following:--A strong-minded lady of this cla.s.s was inquiring the character of a cook she was about to hire. The lady who was giving the character entered a little upon the cook's moral qualifications, and described her as a very decent woman; to which the astounding reply--this was 60 years ago, and a Dean tells the story--"Oh, d--n her decency; can she make good collops?"

ROAST FILLET OF VEAL.

872. INGREDIENTS.--Veal, forcemeat No. 417, melted b.u.t.ter.

_Mode_.--Have the fillet cut according to the size required; take out the bone, and after raising the skin from the meat, put under the flap a nice forcemeat, made by recipe No. 417. Prepare sufficient of this, as there should be some left to eat cold, and to season and flavour a mince if required. Skewer and bind the veal up in a round form; dredge well with flour, put it down at some distance from the fire at first, and baste continually. About 1/2 hour before serving, draw it nearer the fire, that it may acquire more colour, as the outside should be of a rich brown, but not burnt. Dish it, remove the skewers, which replace by a silver one; pour over the joint some good melted b.u.t.ter, and serve with either boiled ham, bacon, or pickled pork. Never omit to send a cut lemon to table with roast veal.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FILLET OF VEAL.]

_Time_.--A fillet of veal weighing 12 lbs., about 4 hours.

_Average cost_, 9d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 9 or 10 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

STEWED FILLET OF VEAL.

873. INGREDIENTS.--A small fillet of veal, forcemeat No. 417, thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, a few mushrooms, white pepper to taste, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, 2 blades of pounded mace, 1/2 gla.s.s of sherry.

_Mode_.--If the whole of the leg is purchased, take off the knuckle to stew, and also the square end, which will serve for cutlets or pies.

Remove the bone, and fill the s.p.a.ce with a forcemeat No. 417. Roll and skewer it up firmly; place a few skewers at the bottom of a stewpan to prevent the meat from sticking, and cover the veal with a little weak stock. Let it simmer very _gently_ until tender, as the more slowly veal is stewed, the better. Strain and thicken the sauce, flavour it with lemon-juice, mace, sherry, and white pepper; give one boil, and pour it over the meat. The skewers should be removed, and replaced by a silver one, and the dish garnished with slices of cut lemon.

_Time_.--A. fillet of veal weighing 6 lbs., 3 hours' very gentle stewing.

_Average cost_, 9d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

THE GOLDEN CALF.--We are told in the book of Genesis, that Aaron, in the lengthened absence of Moses, was constrained by the impatient people to make them an image to wors.h.i.+p; and that Aaron, instead of using his delegated power to curb this sinful expression of the tribes, and appease the discontented Jews, at once complied with their demand, and, telling them to bring to him their rings and trinkets, fas.h.i.+oned out of their willing contributions a calf of gold, before which the mult.i.tude fell down and wors.h.i.+pped. Whether this image was a solid figure of gold, or a wooden effigy merely, coated with metal, is uncertain. To suppose the former,--knowing the size of the image made from such trifling articles as rings, we must presuppose the Israelites to have spoiled the Egyptians most unmercifully: the figure, however, is of more consequence than the weight or size of the idol. That the Israelite brought away more from Goshen than the plunder of the Egyptians, and that they were deeply imbued with Egyptian superst.i.tion, the golden calf is only one, out of many instances of proof; for a gilded ox, covered with a pall, was in that country an emblem of Osiris, one of the G.o.ds of the Egyptian trinity. Besides having a sacred cow, and many varieties of the holy bull, this priest-ridden people wors.h.i.+pped the ox as a symbol of the sun, and offered to it divine honours, as the emblem of frugality, industry, and husbandry. It is therefore probable that, in borrowing so familiar a type, the Israelites, in their calf-wors.h.i.+p, meant, under a well-understood cherubic symbol, to acknowledge the full force of those virtues, under an emblem of divine power and goodness. The prophet Hosea is full of denunciations against calf-wors.h.i.+p in Israel, and alludes to the custom of kissing these idols, Hosea, viii, 4-6.

FRICANDEAU OF VEAL (an Entree).

874. INGREDIENTS.--A piece of the fat side of a leg of veal (about 3 lbs.), lardoons, 2 carrots, 2 large onions, a f.a.ggot of savoury herbs, 2 blades of pounded mace, 6 whole allspice, 2 bay-leaves, pepper to taste, a few slices of fat bacon, 1 pint of stock No. 107.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FRICANDEAU OF VEAL.]

_Mode_.--The veal for a fricandeau should be of the best quality, or it will not be good. It may be known by the meat being white and not thready. Take off the skin, flatten the veal on the table, then at one stroke of the knife, cut off as much as is required, for a fricandeau with an uneven surface never looks well. Trim it, and with a sharp knife make two or three slits in the middle, that it may taste more of the seasoning. Now lard it thickly with fat bacon, as lean gives a red colour to the fricandeau. Slice the vegetables, and put these, with the herbs and spices, in the _middle_ of a stewpan, with a few slices of bacon at the top: these should form a sort of mound in the centre for the veal to rest upon. Lay the fricandeau over the bacon, sprinkle over it a little salt, and pour in just sufficient stock to cover the bacon, &c., without touching the veal. Let it gradually come to a boil; then put it over a slow and equal fire, and let it _simmer very_ gently for about 2-1/2 hours, or longer should it be very large. Baste it frequently with the liquor, and a short time before serving, put it into a brisk oven, to make the bacon firm, which otherwise would break when it was glazed. Dish the fricandeau, keep it hot, skim off the fat from the liquor, and reduce it quickly to a glaze, with which glaze the fricandeau, and serve with a puree of whatever vegetable happens to be in season--spinach, sorrel, asparagus, cuc.u.mbers, peas, &c.

_Time_.--2-1/2 hours. If very large, allow more time.

_Average cost_, 3s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ for an entree.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

FRICANDEAU OF VEAL (_More economical_.)

875. INGREDIENTS.--The best end of a neck of veal (about 2-1/2 lbs.), lardoons, 2 carrots, 2 onions, a f.a.ggot of savoury herbs, 2 blades of mace, 2 bay-leaves, a little whole white pepper, a few slices of fat bacon.

_Mode_.--Cut away the lean part of the best end of a neck of veal with a sharp knife, scooping it from the bones. Put the bones in with a little water, which will serve to moisten the fricandeau: they should stew about 1-1/2 hour. Lard the veal, proceed in the same way as in the preceding recipe, and be careful that the gravy does not touch the fricandeau. Stew very gently for 3 hours; glaze, and serve it on sorrel, spinach, or with a little gravy in the dish.

_Time_.--3 hours.

_Average cost_, 2s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ for an entree.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

_Note_.--When the prime part of the leg is cut off, it spoils the whole; consequently, to use this for a fricandeau is rather extravagant. The best end of the neck answers the purpose nearly or quite as well.

BOILED CALF'S HEAD (with the Skin on).

876. INGREDIENTS.--Calf's head, boiling water, bread crumbs, 1 large bunch of parsley, b.u.t.ter, white pepper and salt to taste, 4 tablespoonfuls of melted b.u.t.ter, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 2 or 3 grains of cayenne.

_Mode_.--Put the head into boiling water, and let it remain by the side of the fire for 3 or 4 minutes; take it out, hold it by the ear, and with the back of a knife, sc.r.a.pe off the hair (should it not come off easily, dip the head again into boiling water). When perfectly clean, take the eyes out, cut off the ears, and remove the brain, which soak for an hour in warm water. Put the head into hot water to soak for a few minutes, to make it look white, and then have ready a stewpan, into which lay the head; cover it with cold water, and bring it gradually to boil. Remove the sc.u.m, and add a little salt, which a.s.sists to throw it up. Simmer it very gently from 2-1/2 to 3 hours, and when nearly done, boil the brains for 1/4 hour; skin and chop them, not too finely, and add a tablespoonful of minced parsley which has been previously scalded.

Season with pepper and salt, and stir the brains, parsley, &c., into about 4 tablespoonfuls of melted b.u.t.ter; add the lemon-juice and cayenne, and keep these hot by the side of the fire. Take up the head, cut out the tongue, skin it, put it on a small dish with the brains round it; sprinkle over the head a few bread crumbs mixed with a little minced parsley; brown these before the fire, and serve with a tureen of parsley and b.u.t.ter, and either boiled bacon, ham, or pickled pork as an accompaniment.

_Time_.--2-1/2 to 3 hours.

_Average cost_, according to the season, from 3s. to 7s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ for 8 or 9 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

BOILED CALF'S HEAD (without the Skin).

877. INGREDIENTS.--Calf's head, water, a little salt, 4 tablespoonfuls of melted b.u.t.ter, 1 tablespoonful of minced parsley, pepper and salt to taste, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CALF'S HEAD.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: HALF A CALF'S HEAD.]