Barkham Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information Part 44

OYSTERS, STEWED.--In all cases, unless sh.e.l.l oysters, wash and drain; mix half a cup of b.u.t.ter and a tablespoon of corn starch; put with the oysters in a porcelain kettle; stir until they boil; add two cups of cream or milk; salt to taste; do not use the liquor of the oysters in either stewing or escaloping.

OYSTERS STEWED.--Scald the oysters in their own liquor, then take them out, beard them, and strain the liquor carefully from the grit. Put into a stewpan an ounce of b.u.t.ter, with sufficient flour dredged in to dry it up; add the oyster liquor, and a blade of pounded mace, a little cayenne, and a very little salt to taste; stir it well over a brisk fire with a wooden spoon, and when it comes to the boil, throw in your oysters, say a dozen and a half or a score, and a good tablespoonful of cream, or more, if you have it at hand. Shake the pan over the fire, and let it simmer for one or two minutes, but not any longer, and do not let it boil, or the fish will harden. Serve in a hot dish, garnished with sippets of toasted bread. Some persons think that the flavor is improved by boiling a small piece of lemon-peel with the oyster liquor, taking it out, however, before the cream is added.

OYSTERS SCOLLOPED.--Beard and trim your oysters, and strain the liquor. Melt in a stewpan, with a dredging of flour sufficient to dry it up, an ounce of b.u.t.ter, and two tablespoonfuls of white stock, and the same of cream; the strained liquor and pepper, and salt to taste.

Put in the oysters and gradually heat them through, but be sure not to let them boil. Have your scallop-sh.e.l.ls b.u.t.tered, lay in the oysters, and as much liquid as they will hold; cover them well over with bread-crumbs, over which spread, or drop, some tiny bits of b.u.t.ter.

Brown them in the oven, or before the fire, and serve while very hot.

OYSTERS, TO PICKLE.--Take two hundred of the plumpest, nicest oysters to be had, open them, saving the liquor, remove the beards, put them, with the liquor, into a stewpan, and let them simmer for twenty minutes over a very gentle fire, taking care to skim them well. Take the stewpan off the fire, take out the oysters, and strain the liquor through a fine cloth, returning the oysters to the stewpan. Add to a pint of the hot liquor half an ounce of mace, and half an ounce of cloves; give it a boil, and put it in with the oysters, stirring the spice well in amongst them. Then put in about a spoonful of salt, three-quarters of a pint of white-wine vinegar, and one ounce of whole pepper, and let the oysters stand until they are quite cold. They will be ready for use in about twelve or twenty-four hours; if to be kept longer they should be put in wide-mouthed bottles, or stone jars, and well drawn down with bladder. It is very important that they should be quite cold before they are put into the bottles, or jars.

SALMON, TO BOIL.--Clean it carefully, boil it gently with salt and a little horse radish; take it out of the water as soon as done. Let the water be warm if the fish be split. If underdone it is very unwholesome. Serve with shrimp, lobster, or anchovy sauce, and fennel and b.u.t.ter.

SALMON, TO MARINATE.--Cut the salmon in slices; take off the skin and take out the middle bone; cut each slice asunder; put into a saucepan and season with salt, pepper, 6 cloves, a sliced onion, some whole chives, a little sweet basil, parsley, and a bay leaf; then squeeze in the juice of three lemons, or use vinegar. Let the salmon lie in the marinate for two hours; take it out; dry with a cloth; dredge with flour, and fry brown in clarified b.u.t.ter; then lay a clean napkin in a dish; lay the slices upon it; garnish with fried parsley.

SALT COD, TO DRESS.--Soak the cod all night in 2 parts water, and one part vinegar. Boil; and break into flakes on the dish; pour over it boiled parsnips, beaten in a mortar, and then boil up with cream, and a large piece of b.u.t.ter rolled in a bit of flour. It may be served with egg-sauce instead of parsnip, or boiled and served without flaking with the usual sauce.

All _Salt Fish_ may be done in a similar way. Pour egg-sauce over it, or parsnips, boiled and beaten fine with b.u.t.ter and cream.

HOW TO BOIL STURGEON--Water, 2 quarts; vinegar, 1 pint; a stick of horseradish; a little lemon-peel, salt, pepper, a bay leaf. In this boil the fish; when the fish is ready to leave the bones, take it up; melt 1/2 lb. of b.u.t.ter; add an anchovy, some mace, a few shrimps, good mushroom ketchup, and lemon juice; when it boils, put in the dish; serve with the sauce; garnish with fried oysters, horseradish and lemon.

HOW TO BROIL STURGEON.--Cut slices, rub beaten eggs over them, and sprinkle them with crumbs of bread, parsley, pepper and salt; wrap them in white paper, and broil gently. Use for sauce, b.u.t.ter, anchovy and soy.

HOW TO DRESS FRESH STURGEON.--Cut slices, rub egg over them, then sprinkle with crumbs of bread, parsley, pepper, salt; fold them in paper, and broil gently. Sauce; b.u.t.ter, anchovy and soy.

HOW TO ROAST STURGEON.--Put a piece of b.u.t.ter, rolled in flour, into a stewpan with four cloves, a bunch of sweet herbs, two onions, some pepper and salt, half a pint of water and a gla.s.s of vinegar. Set it over the fire till hot; then let it become lukewarm, and steep the fish in it an hour or two. b.u.t.ter a paper well, tie it round, and roast it without letting the spit run through. Serve with sorrel and anchovy sauce.

TROUT, A-LA-GENEVOISE--Clean the fish well; put it into the stewpan, adding half champagne and half sherry wine. Season it with pepper, salt, an onion, a few cloves stuck in it, and a small bunch of parsley and thyme; put in it a crust of French bread; set it on a quick fire.

When done take the bread out, bruise it and thicken the sauce: add flour and a little b.u.t.ter, and boil it up. Lay the fish on the dish, and pour the sauce over it. Serve it with sliced lemon and fried bread.

HOW TO BROIL TROUT--Wash, dry, tie it, to cause it to keep its shape; melt b.u.t.ter, add salt, and cover the trout with it. Broil it gradually in a Dutch oven, or in a common oven. Cut an anchovy small, and chop some capers. Melt some b.u.t.ter with a little flour, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and half a spoonful of vinegar. Pour it over the trout and serve it hot.

HOW TO CHOOSE AND COOK GAME

HOW TO CHOOSE DUCKS--A young duck should have supple feet, breast and belly hard and thick. A tame duck has dusky yellow feet. They should be picked dry, and ducklings scalded.

HOW TO ROAST DUCKS.--Carefully pick, and clean the inside. Boil two or three onions in two waters; chop them very small. Mix the onions with about half the quant.i.ty of sage leaves, bread crumbs finely powdered, a spoonful of salt, and a little cayenne paper; beat up the yolk of an egg, and rub the stuffing well together. With a brisk fire roast about 35 minutes. Serve with gravy sauce.

HOW TO STEW DUCKS.--Lard two young ducks down each side the breast; dust with flour; brown before the fire; put into a stewpan with a quart of water, a pint of port wine, a spoonful of walnut ketchup, the same of browning, one anchovy, a clove of garlick, sweet herbs and cayenne pepper. Stew till they are tender, about half an hour; skim and strain, and pour over the duck.

HOW TO HASH PARTRIDGE.--Cut up the partridges as for eating; slice an onion into rings; roll a little b.u.t.ter in flour; put them into the tossing pan, and shake it over the fire till it boils; put in the partridge with a little port wine and vinegar; and when it is thoroughly hot, lay it on the dish with sippets round it; strain the sauce over the partridge, and lay on the onion in rings.

HOW TO POT PARTRIDGE.--Clean them nicely; and season with mace, allspice, white pepper and salt, in fine powder. Rub every part well; then lay the breast downward in a pan, and pack the birds as closely as you possibly can. Put a good deal of b.u.t.ter on them; then cover [Transcriber's note: the original reads "he pan"] the pan with a coa.r.s.e flour paste and a paper over, tie it close, and bake. When cold, put the birds into pots, and cover with b.u.t.ter.

HOW TO ROAST PARTRIDGE.--Roast them like a turkey, and when a little under roasted, dredge them with flour, and baste them with b.u.t.ter; let them go to table with a fine froth; put gravy sauce in the dish, and bread sauce on the table.

HOW TO STEW PARTRIDGE.--Truss as for roasting; stuff the craws, and lard them down each side of the breast; roll a lump of b.u.t.ter in pepper, salt and beaten mace, and put them inside; sew up the vents; dredge them well and fry a light brown; put them into a stewpan with a quart of good gravy, a spoonful of sherry wine, the same of mushroom ketchup, a teaspoonful of lemon pickle, and a little mushroom powder, one anchovy, half a lemon, a sprig of sweet marjoram; cover the pan close, and stew half an hour; take out, and thicken the gravy; boil a little, and pour it over the partridge, and lay round them artichoke b.u.t.tons, boiled, and cut in quarters, and the yolks of four hard eggs, if agreeable.

HOW TO ROAST PHEASANT.--Roast them as turkey; and serve with a fine gravy (into which put a very small bit of garlic) and bread sauce.

When cold, they may be made into excellent patties, but their flavor should not be overpowered by lemon.

HOW TO ROAST PLOVERS.--Roast the _green_ ones in the same way as woodc.o.c.ks and quails, without drawing, and serve on a toast. _Grey_ plovers may be either roasted or stewed with gravy, herbs and spice.

HOW TO FRICa.s.sEE QUAILS.--Having tossed them up in a sauce-pan with a little melted b.u.t.ter and mushrooms, put in a slice of ham, well beaten, with salt, pepper, cloves and savory herbs; add good gravy, and a gla.s.s of sherry; simmer over a slow fire; when almost done, thicken the ragout with a good cullis, (i. e. a good broth, strained, gelatined, etc.) or with two or three eggs, well beaten up in a little gravy.

HOW TO ROAST QUAILS.--Roast them without drawing and serve on toast.

b.u.t.ter only should be eaten with them, as gravy takes off the fine flavor. The thigh and the back are the most esteemed.

HOW TO ROAST RABBITS.--Baste them with b.u.t.ter, and dredge them with flour; half an hour will do them at a brisk fire; and if small, twenty minutes. Take the livers with a bunch of parsley, boil them, and chop them very fine together; melt some b.u.t.ter, and put half the liver and parsley into the b.u.t.ter; pour it into the dish, and garnish the dish with the other half; roast them to a fine light brown.

HOW TO MAKE RABBIT TASTE LIKE A HARE.--Choose one that is young, but full grown; hang it in the skin three or four days; then skin it, and lay it, without was.h.i.+ng, in a seasoning of black pepper and allspice in a very fine powder, a gla.s.s of port wine, and the same quant.i.ty of vinegar. Baste it occasionally for 40 hours, then stuff it and roast it as a hare, and with the same sauce. Do not wash off the liquor that it was soaked in.

HOW TO ROAST SNIPES--Do not draw them. Split them; flour them, and baste with b.u.t.ter. Toast a slice of bread brown; place it in the dish under the birds for the trail to drop on. When they are done enough, take up, and lay them on the toast; put good gravy in the dish. Serve with b.u.t.ter, and garnish with orange or lemon.

SNIPE PIE--Bone 4 snipes, and truss them. Put in their inside finely chopped bacon, or other forcemeat; put them in the dish with the breast downwards, and put forcemeat b.a.l.l.s around them. Add gravy made of b.u.t.ter, and chopped veal and ham, parsley, pepper and shalots.

Cover with nice puff paste; close it well to keep in the gravy. When nearly done, pour in more gravy, and a little sherry wine. Bake two or three hours.

HOW TO FRY VENISON--Cut the meat into slices, and make a gravy of the bones; fry it of a light brown, and keep it hot before the fire; put b.u.t.ter rolled in flour into the pan, and stir it till thick and brown; add 1/2 lb. of loaf sugar powdered, with the gravy made from the bones, and some port wine. Let it be as thick as cream; squeeze in a lemon; warm the venison in it; put it in the dish, and pour the sauce over it.

HOW TO MAKE ICE CREAMS WATER-ICE AND JELLIES

TO MOLD ICES--Fill your mold as quickly as possible with the frozen cream, wrap it up in paper, and bury it in ice and salt, and let it remain for an hour or more to harden. For dis.h.i.+ng, have the dish ready, dip the mold in hot water for an instant, wipe it, take off the top and bottom covers, and turn it into the dish. This must be done expeditiously. In molding ices, it is advisable not to have the cream too stifly frozen before putting it into the mold.

ICE CREAM--Take two quarts milk, one pint cream, three eggs beaten very light, and two teaspoons of arrowroot; boil in one-half pint milk, strain eggs, arrow-root, and flavor to suit, then freeze.

GINGER ICE CREAM--Bruise six ounces of the best preserved ginger in a mortar; add the juice of one lemon, half a pound of sugar, one pint of cream. Mix well; strain through a hair sieve; freeze. One quart.

ITALIAN ICE CREAM--Rasp two lemons on some sugar, which, with their juice, add to one pint of cream, one gla.s.s of brandy, half a pound of sugar; freeze. One quart.

LEMON ICE CREAM--Take one pint of cream, rasp two lemons on sugar; squeeze them, and add the juice with half a pound of sugar. Mix; freeze. One quart.

PINE-APPLE ICE CREAM--Take one pound of pineapple, when peeled, bruise it in a marble mortar, pa.s.s it through a hair sieve, add three-quarters of a pound of powdered sugar, and one pint of cream.

Freeze.

RASPBERRY AND CURRANT ICE CREAM--Take one pound of raspberries, half a pound of red currants, three-quarters of a pound of sugar, and one pint of cream. Strain, color and freeze. One quart.

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM--Take two pounds of fresh strawberries, carefully picked, and, with a wooden spoon, rub them through a hair sieve, and about half a pound of powdered sugar, and the juice of one lemon; color with a few drops of prepared cochineal; cream, one pint; then freeze. This will make a reputed quart. When fresh strawberries are not in season take strawberry jam, the juice of two lemons, cream, to one quart. Color, strain, and freeze. Milk may be subst.i.tuted for cream, and makes good ices. If too much sugar is used, the ices will prove watery, or, perhaps not freeze at all.

VANILLA ICE CREAM--Pound one stick of vanilla, or sufficient to flavor it to palate, in a mortar, with half a pound of sugar; strain through a sieve upon the yolks of two eggs, put it into a stewpan, with half a pint of milk; simmer over a slow fire, stirring all the time, the same as custard; when cool add one pint of cream and the juice of one lemon; freeze. One quart.

CHERRY WATER-ICE--One lb. cherries, bruised in a mortar with the stones; add the juice of two lemons, half a pint of water, one pint of clarified sugar, one gla.s.s of noyeau, and a little color; strain; freeze. One quart.