The Book of Household Management Part 104

VEAL AND HAM PIE.

898. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of veal cutlets, 1/2 lb. of boiled ham, 2 tablespoonfuls of minced savoury herbs, 1/4 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 2 blades of pounded mace, pepper and salt to taste, a strip of lemon-peel finely minced, the yolks of 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1/2 pint of water, nearly 1/2 pint of good strong gravy, puff-crust.

_Mode_.--Cut the veal into nice square pieces, and put a layer of them at the bottom of a pie-dish; sprinkle over these a portion of the herbs, spices, seasoning, lemon-peel, and the yolks of the eggs cut in slices; cut the ham very thin, and put a layer of this in. Proceed in this manner until the dish is full, so arranging it that the ham comes at the top. Lay a puff-paste on the edge of the dish, and pour in about 1/2 pint of water; cover with crust, ornament it with leaves, brush it over with the yolk of an egg, and bake in a well-heated oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hour, or longer, should the pie be very large. When it is taken out of the oven, pour in at the top, through a funnel, nearly 1/2 pint of strong gravy: this should be made sufficiently good that, when cold, it may cut in a firm jelly. This pie may be very much enriched by adding a few mushrooms, oysters, or sweetbreads; but it will be found very good without any of the last-named additions.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour, or longer, should the pie be very large. _Average cost_, 3s. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ from March to October.

POTTED VEAL (for Breakfast).

899. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of veal allow 1/4 lb. of ham, cayenne and pounded mace to taste, 6 oz. of fresh b.u.t.ter; clarified b.u.t.ter.

_Mode_.--Mince the veal and ham together as finely as possible, and pound well in a mortar, with cayenne, pounded mace, and fresh b.u.t.ter in the above proportion. When reduced to a perfectly smooth paste, press it into potting-pots, and cover with clarified b.u.t.ter. If kept in a cool place, it will remain good some days.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

NAMES OF CALVES, &c.--During the time the young male calf is suckled by his mother, he is called a bull-or ox-calf; when turned a year old, he is called a stirk, stot, or yearling; on the completion of his second year, he is called a two-year-old bull or steer (and in some counties a twinter); then, a three-year-old steer; and at four, an ox or a bullock, which latter names are retained till death. It may be here remarked, that the term ox is used as a general or common appellation for neat cattle, in a specific sense, and irrespective of s.e.x; as the British ox, the Indian ox. The female is termed cow, but while sucking the mother, a cow-calf; at the age of a year, she is called a yearling quey; in another year, a heifer, or twinter; then, a three-year-old quey or twinter; and, at four years old, a cow. Other names, to be regarded as provincialisms, may exist in different districts.

RAGOUT OF COLD VEAL (Cold Meat Cookery).

900. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of cold veal, 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 1/2 pint of gravy, thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, pepper and salt to taste, 1 blade of pounded mace, 1 tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, 1 tablespoonful of sherry, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, forcemeat b.a.l.l.s.

_Mode_.--Any part of veal will make this dish. Cut the meat into nice-looking pieces, put them in a stewpan with 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, and fry a light brown; add the gravy (hot water may be subst.i.tuted for this), thicken with a little b.u.t.ter and flour, and stew gently about 1/4 hour; season with pepper, salt, and pounded mace; add the ketchup, sherry, and lemon-juice; give one boil, and serve. Garnish the dish with forcemeat b.a.l.l.s and fried rashers of bacon.

_Time_.--Altogether 1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the cold meat, 6d.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

_Note_.--The above recipe may be varied, by adding vegetables, such as peas, cuc.u.mbers, lettuces, green onions cut in slices, a dozen or two of green gooseberries (not seedy), all of which should be fried a little with the meat, and then stewed in the gravy.

VEAL RISSOLES (Cold Meat Cookery).

901. INGREDIENTS.--A few slices of cold roast veal, a few slices of ham or bacon, 1 tablespoonful of minced parsley, 1 tablespoonful of minced savoury herbs, 1 blade of pounded mace, a very little grated nutmeg, cayenne and salt to taste, 2 eggs well beaten, bread crumbs.

_Mode_.--Mince the veal very finely with a little ham or bacon; add the parsley, herbs, spices, and seasoning; mix into a paste with an egg; form into b.a.l.l.s or cones; brush these over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and fry a rich brown. Serve with brown gravy, and garnish the dish with fried parsley.

_Time_.--About 10 minutes to fry the rissoles.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

VEAL ROLLS (Cold Meat Cookery).

902. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of a cold fillet of veal, egg and bread crumbs, a few slices of fat bacon, forcemeat No. 417.

_Mode_.--Cut a few slices from a cold fillet of veal 1/2 inch thick; rub them over with egg; lay a thin slice of fat bacon over each piece of veal; brush these with the egg, and over this spread the forcemeat thinly; roll up each piece tightly, egg and bread crumb them, and fry them a rich brown. Serve with mushroom sauce or brown gravy.

_Time_.--10 to 15 minutes to fry the rolls.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

SHOULDER OF VEAL, Stuffed and Stewed.

903. INGREDIENTS.--A shoulder of veal, a few slices of ham or bacon, forcemeat No. 417, 3 carrots, 2 onions, salt and pepper to taste, a f.a.ggot of savoury herbs, 3 blades of pounded mace, water, thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour.

_Mode_.--Bone the joint by carefully detaching the meat from the blade-bone on one side, and then on the other, being particular not to pierce the skin; then cut the bone from the knuckle, and take it out.

Fill the cavity whence the bone was taken with a forcemeat made by recipe No. 417. Roll and bind the veal up tightly; put it into a stew-pan with the carrots, onions, seasoning, herbs, and mace; pour in just sufficient water to cover it, and let it stew _very gently_ for about 5 hours. Before taking it up, try if it is properly done by thrusting a larding-needle in it: if it penetrates easily, it is sufficiently cooked. Strain and skim the gravy, thicken with b.u.t.ter and flour, give one boil, and pour it round the meat. A few young carrots may be boiled and placed round the dish as a garnish, and, when in season, green peas should always be served with this dish.

_Time_.--5 hours. _Average cost_, 7d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 8 or 9 persons. _Seasonable_ from March to October.

THE FATTENING OF CALVES.--The fattening of calves for the market is an important business in Lanarks.h.i.+re or Clydesdale, and numbers of newly-dropped calves are regularly carried there from the farmers of the adjacent districts, in order to be prepared for the butcher. The mode of feeding them is very simple; milk is the chief article of their diet, and of this the calves require a sufficient supply from first to last. Added to this, they must be kept in a well-aired place, neither too hot nor too cold, and freely supplied with dry litter. It is usual to exclude the light,--at all events to a great degree, and to put within their reach a lump of chalk, which they are very fond of licking. Thus fed, calves, at the end of 8 or 9 weeks, often attain a very large size; viz., 18 to 20 stone, exclusive of the offal. Far heavier weights have occurred, and without any deterioration in the delicacy and richness of the flesh. This mode of feeding upon milk alone at first appears to be very expensive, but it is not so, when all things are taken into consideration; for at the age of 9 or 10 weeks a calf, originally purchased for 8 s.h.i.+llings, will realize nearly the same number of pounds. For 4, or even 6 weeks, the milk of one cow is sufficient,--indeed half that quant.i.ty is enough for the first fortnight; but after the 5th or 6th week it will consume the greater portion of the milk of two moderate cows; but then it requires neither oil-cake nor linseed, nor any other food.

Usually, however, the calves are not kept beyond the age of 6 weeks, and will then sell for 5 or 6 pounds each: the milk of the cow is then ready for a successor. In this manner a relay of calves may be prepared for the markets from early spring to the end of summer, a plan more advantageous than that of overfeeding one to a useless degree of corpulency.

VEAL SAUSAGES.

904. INGREDIENTS.--Equal quant.i.ties of fat bacon and lean veal; to every lb. of meat, allow 1 teaspoonful of minced sage, salt and pepper to taste.

_Mode_.--Chop the meat and bacon finely, and to every lb. allow the above proportion of very finely-minced sage; add a seasoning of pepper and salt, mix the whole well together, make it into flat cakes, and fry a nice brown.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

STEWED VEAL, with Peas, young Carrots, and new Potatoes.

905. INGREDIENTS.--3 or 4 lbs. of the loin or neck of veal, 15 young carrots, a few green onions, 1 pint of green peas, 12 new potatoes, a bunch of savoury herbs, pepper and salt to taste, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 2 tablespoonfuls of tomato sauce, 2 tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup.

_Mode_.--Dredge the meat with flour, and roast or bake it for about 3/4 hour: it should acquire a nice brown colour. Put the meat into a stewpan with the carrots, onions, potatoes, herbs, pepper, and salt; pour over it sufficient boiling water to cover it, and stew gently for 2 hours.

Take out the meat and herbs, put it in a deep dish, skim off all the fat from the gravy, and flavour it with lemon-juice, tomato sauce, and mushroom ketchup in the above proportion. Have ready a pint of green peas boiled; put these with the meat, pour over it the gravy, and serve. The dish may be garnished with a few forcemeat b.a.l.l.s. The meat, when preferred, may be cut into chops, and floured and fried instead of being roasted; and any part of veal dressed in this way will be found extremely savoury and good.

_Time_.--3 hours. _Average cost_, 9d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons.

_Seasonable_, with peas, from June to August.

BAKED SWEETBREADS (an Entree).

906. INGREDIENTS.--3 sweetbreads, egg and bread crumbs, oiled b.u.t.ter, 3 slices of toast, brown gravy.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SWEETBREADS.]

_Mode_.--Choose large white sweetbreads; put them into warm water to draw out the blood, and to improve their colour; let them remain for rather more than 1 hour; then put them into boiling water, and allow them to simmer for about 10 minutes, which renders them firm. Take them up, drain them, brush over with egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs; dip them in egg again, and then into more bread crumbs. Drop on them a little oiled b.u.t.ter, and put the sweetbreads into a moderately-heated oven, and let them bake for nearly 3/4 hour. Make 3 pieces of toast; place the sweetbreads on the toast, and pour round, but not over them, a good brown gravy.