A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes Part 7

Put a bushel of flour into a trough, or a large pan; with your fist make a deep hole in the centre thereof; put a pint of good fresh yeast into this hollow; add thereto two quarts of warm water, and work in with these as much of the flour as will serve to make a soft smooth kind of batter. Strew this over with just enough flour to hide it; then cover up the trough with its lid, or with a blanket to keep all warm, and when the leaven has risen sufficiently to cause the flour to crack all over its surface, throw in a handful of salt, work all together; add just enough lukewarm soft water to enable you to work the whole into a firm, compact dough, and after having kneaded this with your fists until it becomes stiff and comparatively tough, shake a little flour over it, and again cover it in with a blanket to keep it warm, in order to a.s.sist its fermentation. If properly managed, the fermentation will be accomplished in rather less than half an hour. Meanwhile that the bread is being thus far prepared, you will have heated your oven to a satisfactory degree of heat, with a sufficient quant.i.ty of dry, small wood f.a.ggots; and when all the wood is burnt, sweep out the oven clean and free from all ashes.

Divide your dough into four-pound loaves, knead them into round shapes, making a hole at the top with your thumb, and immediately put them out of hand into the oven to bake, closing the oven-door upon them. In about two hours' time they will be thoroughly baked, and are then to be taken out of the oven, and allowed to become quite cold before they are put away in the cupboard.

No. 132. YORKSHIRE PIE-CLATES FOR TEA.

Ingredients, one pound of flour, two ounces of grocer's currants, three gills of milk, and a pinch of baking-powder. Mix the above ingredients together in a pan into a firm, smooth, compact paste. Divide this into eight equal parts, roll each into a ball with the hand previously dipped in flour, then roll them out with a rolling-pin, with a little flour shaken on the table to prevent the paste from sticking, to the size of a tea-saucer, and bake the pie-clates upon a griddle-iron fixed over a clear fire to the upper bar of the grate. In about two or three minutes'

time they will be done on the underside; they must then be turned over that they may be also baked on the other side, then taken off the griddle-iron, placed on a plate, and a little b.u.t.ter spread upon each as they are done out of hand.

No. 133. HARD BISCUITS.

Ingredients, one pound of flour, half a pint of hot milk, a tea-spoonful of salt, a pinch of baking-powder; bake them a quarter of an hour. Mix the above ingredients into a firm paste, well kneaded until it becomes quite tough; then let the paste rest covered over with a cloth for half an hour, after which it is to be divided into eight equal parts, rolled out to the size of tea-saucers, placed upon baking-tins, p.r.i.c.ked all over with a fork, and baked in a brisk oven for about fifteen minutes.

No. 134. GINGERBREAD NUTS.

Ingredients, one pound of flour, half a pint of treacle, two ounces of b.u.t.ter, half an ounce of ground ginger, a pinch of allspice, a tea-spoonful of carbonate of soda, and a pinch of salt. Mix all the above ingredients into a firm, well-kneaded stiff paste, divide this into about twenty-four parts, roll these into shape like walnuts, place them upon greased baking-tins at distances of two inches apart from each other, and bake the gingerbread nuts in a rather brisk oven for about fifteen minutes.

No. 135. HOW TO STEAM POTATOES.

Peel the potatoes thinly, wash them clean, put them in the steamer, over _boiling_ water, which must be kept briskly boiling until the potatoes are thoroughly done, the length of time depending very much on their size. I am aware that it is not in the power of all to possess a potato-steamer, although one may be purchased at Adams & Son's, in the Haymarket, for a few shillings; and therefore I will give you instructions how to boil potatoes.

No. 136. HOW TO BOIL POTATOES.

Wash the potatoes clean, and put them on to boil in a saucepan, with cold water just enough to cover them; place the saucepan on the hob, close to the fire, and allow them to remain in that position for a quarter of an hour, by which time the water will have gradually reached to the boiling point; the saucepan should now be allowed to boil until the potatoes are done through, and then pour off the water; put the lid on again with a cloth on the top, place the saucepan close to the fire for about five minutes, and when you turn them out on their dish you will find that you have a well-boiled, mealy potato before you.

No. 137. BAKED OR ROASTED POTATOES.

You do not require that I should tell you that when you have no oven you can easily roast your potatoes by placing them on the hobs, bars, and under the fire-grate; and if you are attentive to their being well roasted, by turning them about now and then, so that they may be done all over alike, you need not be deprived of a baked potato for the want of an oven. When the potatoes are roasted, slightly squeeze each separately in a cloth, to make them mealy, then split them open; season them with a bit of b.u.t.ter, or dripping, a little bit of chopped shalot, pepper, and salt, and this will afford you a nice relish for supper.

No. 138. HOW TO FRY POTATOES.

Peel, split, and cut the potatoes into slices of _equal_ thickness, say the thickness of two penny pieces; and as they are cut out of hand, let them be dropped into a pan of cold water. When about to fry the potatoes, first drain them on a clean cloth, and dab them all over, in order to absorb all moisture; while this has been going on, you will have made some kind of fat (entirely free from water or gravy, such as lard, for instance) very hot in a frying-pan, and into this drop your prepared potatoes, only a good handful at a time; as, if you attempt to fry too many at once, instead of being crisp, as they should be, the potatoes will fry flabby, and consequently will be unappetising. As soon as the first lot is fried in a satisfactory manner, drain them from the fat with a skimmer, or spoon, and then fry the remainder; and when all are fried, shake a little salt over them.

No. 139. HOW TO FRY POTATOES AN EASIER WAY.

When it happens that you have some cold boiled potatoes, this is the way to fry them:--First cut the potatoes in thick slices, and fry them in a frying-pan with b.u.t.ter or dripping, just enough to season them, and as they fry, lift or sc.r.a.pe them from the bottom of the pan with an iron spoon, to prevent them from sticking to the bottom and burning, which, by imparting a bitter taste, would spoil them; when all are fried of a very light brown colour, season with pepper and salt.

No. 140. HOW TO MASH POTATOES.

Either steam or boil the potatoes, as indicated in Nos. 135 and 136, and immediately after they are done, while steaming hot, put the potatoes into a clean saucepan, and break or mash them by stirring them vigorously with a fork; when all are broken smooth and mealy, add a little _hot_ milk, with a bit of b.u.t.ter, pepper, and salt; work the whole well together for a few minutes, and eat the mashed potatoes while hot.

No. 141. BAKED MASHED POTATOES.

Prepare the mashed potatoes as shown in the preceding Number, put them in a dish, smooth them over with a knife, put some bits of b.u.t.ter on the top, and set them before the fire, turning them occasionally to brown them equally all round.

No. 142. MASHED POTATOES WITH LING.

Ling is a kind of dried salt fish; it is cheaper than the ordinary sort of salted codfish. It should be washed and well soaked in plenty of tepid water for six hours before it is boiled in cold water; when taken out of the pot it should be divided into large flakes, mixed with mashed potatoes, and baked in a dish, as directed in the preceding Number.

No. 143. HOW TO STEW POTATOES.

First boil the potatoes, and then put a little b.u.t.ter, a chopped onion, half a pint of milk, or water, pepper and salt to season; boil this for ten minutes, then add the potatoes, previously cooked; boil all together for ten minutes, and dish them up.

No. 144. b.u.t.tERED PARSNIPS.

Sc.r.a.pe or peel the parsnips, and boil them in hot water till they are done quite tender, then drain off all the water, add a bit of b.u.t.ter, some chopped parsley, pepper and salt; shake them together on the fire until all is well mixed.

No. 145. b.u.t.tERED SWEDISH TURNIPS.

Swedish turnips are mostly given as food to cattle; true, but there is no good reason why they should not be considered as excellent food for man, for they are sweeter, and yield more substance than the ordinary turnips; let them be peeled, boiled in plenty of water, and when done, mashed with a little milk, b.u.t.ter, pepper, and salt.

No. 146. HOW TO COOK SPINACH.

Pick it thoroughly, wash the spinach, boil it in plenty of hot water with salt in it, and when it is done, drain it free from all moisture, chop it up, put it in a saucepan with b.u.t.ter, pepper, and salt; stir all together on the fire for five minutes.

No. 147. FRIED CABBAGE AND BACON.

First, boil the cabbage, and when done and drained free from water, chop it up. Next fry some rashers of bacon, and when done, lay them on a plate before the fire; put the chopped cabbage in the frying-pan, and fry it with the fat from the bacon, then put this on a dish with the rashers upon it.

No. 148. PEAS AND BACON.

Shave off any brown rancid part from the bacon, and put it on to boil in plenty of cold water; when it is nearly done put in the peas with a good bunch of mint, and let all boil together until the peas are done soft; then dish up the peas round the bacon.

No. 149. BAKED OR ROASTED ONIONS.

Do not peel the onions, but put them in their natural state to roast on the hobs, turning them round to the fire occasionally, in order that they may be equally roasted all over and through; when they are well done, remove the outer skin, split them open, add a bit of b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt, and a few drops of vinegar.

No. 150. HOW TO COOK BROAD BEANS.

Boil the beans in hot water with a bunch of winter savory and some salt, and when done and drained, put them into a saucepan with the chopped savory, b.u.t.ter, a pinch of flour, pepper and salt, and toss all together for a few minutes over the fire.