The Book of Household Management Part 53

_Average cost_, 8d. per pint.

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

ALLSPICE.--This is the popular name given to pimento, or Jamaica pepper, known to naturalists as _Eugenia pimenta_, and belonging to the order of Myrtaceae. It is the berry of a fine tree in the West Indies and South America, which attains a height of from fifteen to twenty feet: the berries are not allowed to ripen, but, being gathered green, are then dried in the sun, and then become black. It is an inexpensive spice, and is considered more mild and innocent than most other spices; consequently, it is much used for domestic purposes, combining a very agreeable variety of flavours.

GRAVY MADE WITHOUT MEAT FOR FOWLS.

439. INGREDIENTS.--The necks, feet, livers, and gizzards of the fowls, 1 slice of toasted bread, 1/2 onion, 1 f.a.ggot of savoury herbs, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 pint of water, thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, 1 dessertspoonful of ketchup.

_Mode_.--Wash the feet of the fowls thoroughly clean, and cut them and the neck into small pieces. Put these into a stewpan with the bread, onion, herbs, seasoning, livers, and gizzards; pour the water over them and simmer gently for 1 hour. Now take out the liver, pound it, and strain the liquor to it. Add a thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, and a flavouring of mushroom ketchup; boil it up and serve.

_Time_.--1 hour. _Average cost_, 4d. per pint.

A CHEAP GRAVY FOR HASHES, &c.

440. INGREDIENTS.--Bones and tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of the cooked joint intended for has.h.i.+ng, 1/4 teaspoonful of salt, 1/4 teaspoonful of whole pepper, 1/4 teaspoonful of whole allspice, a small f.a.ggot of savoury herbs, 1/2 head of celery, 1 onion, 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, thickening, sufficient boiling water to cover the bones.

_Mode_.--Chop the bones in small pieces, and put them in a stewpan, with the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, salt, pepper, spice, herbs, and celery. Cover with boiling water, and let the whole simmer gently for 1-1/2 or 2 hours.

Slice and fry the onion in the b.u.t.ter till it is of a pale brown, and mix it gradually with the gravy made from the bones; boil for 1/4 hour, and strain into a basin; now put it back into the stewpan; flavour with walnut pickle or ketchup, pickled-onion liquor, or any store sauce that may be preferred. Thicken with a little b.u.t.ter and flour, kneaded together on a plate, and the gravy will be ready for use. After the thickening is added, the gravy should just boil, to take off the rawness of the flour.

_Time_.--2 hours, or rather more.

_Average cost_, 4d., exclusive of the bones and tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs.

JUGGED GRAVY (Excellent).

441. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of s.h.i.+n of beef, 1/4 lb. of lean ham, 1 onion or a few shalots, 2 pints of water, salt and whole pepper to taste, 1 blade of mace, a f.a.ggot of savoury herbs, 1/2 a large carrot, 1/2 a head of celery.

_Mode_.--Cut up the beef and ham into small pieces, and slice the vegetables; take a jar, capable of holding two pints of water, and arrange therein, in layers, the ham, meat, vegetables, and seasoning, alternately, filling up with the above quant.i.ty of water; tie down the jar, or put a plate over the top, so that the steam may not escape; place it in the oven, and let it remain there from 6 to 8 hours; should, however, the oven be very hot, less time will be required. When sufficiently cooked, strain the gravy, and when cold, remove the fat. It may be flavoured with ketchup, wines, or any other store sauce that may be preferred.

It is a good plan to put the jar in a cool oven over-night, to draw the gravy; and then it will not require so long baking the following day.

_Time_.--From 6 to 8 hours, according to the oven.

_Average cost_, 7d. per pint.

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

CELERY.--As in the above recipe, the roots of celery are princ.i.p.ally used in England for flavouring soups, sauces, and gravies, and for serving with cheese at the termination of a dinner, and as an ingredient for salad. In Italy, however, the green leaves and stems are also employed for stews and soups, and the seeds are also more frequently made use of on the continent than in our own islands. In Germany, celery is very highly esteemed; and it is there boiled and served up as a dish by itself, as well as used in the composition of mixed dishes.

We ourselves think that this mild aromatic plant might oftener be cooked than it is; for there are very few nicer vegetable preparations brought to table than a well-dressed plate of stewed celery.

VEAL GRAVY FOR WHITE SAUCES, FRICa.s.sEES, &c.

442. INGREDIENTS.--2 slices of nicely flavoured lean ham, any poultry tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, 3 lbs. of lean veal, a f.a.ggot of savoury herbs, including parsley, a few green onions (or 1 large onion may be subst.i.tuted for these), a few mushrooms, when obtainable; 1 blade of mace, salt to taste, 3 pints of water.

_Mode_.--Cut up the ham and veal into small square pieces, put these in a stewpan, moistening them with a small quant.i.ty of water; place them over the fire to draw down. When the bottom of the stewpan becomes covered with a white glaze, fill up with water in the above proportion; add the remaining ingredients, stew very slowly for 3 or 4 hours, and do not forget to skim well the moment it boils. Put it by, and, when cold, take off all the fat. This may be used for Bechamel, sauce tournee, and many other white sauces.

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

CHEAP GRAVY FOR MINCED VEAL.

443. INGREDIENTS.--Bones and tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs 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 b.u.t.ter 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 b.u.t.ter 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.--Tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of venison, 3 or 4 mutton shank-bones, salt to taste, 1 pint of water, 2 teaspoonfuls of walnut ketchup.

_Mode_.--Brown the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 circ.u.mstances, 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 const.i.tute 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 gla.s.s 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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.