Barkham Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information Part 43

ROCK CREAM.--Boil a teacupful of rice till quite soft in new milk and then sweeten it with sugar, and pile it on a dish, lay on it current jelly or preserved fruit, beat up the whites of five eggs with a little powdered sugar and flour, add to this when beaten very stiff about a tablespoon of rich cream and drop it over the rice.

STRAWBERRY AND APPLE SOUFFLE.--Stew the apple with a little lemon-peel; sweeten them, then lay them pretty high round the inside of a dish. Make a custard of the yolks of two eggs, a little cinnamon, sugar and milk. Let it thicken over a slow fire, but not boil; when ready, pour it in the inside of the apple. Beat the whites of the eggs to a strong froth, and cover the whole. Throw over it a good deal of pounded sugar, and brown it to a fine brown. Any fruit made of a proper consistence does for the walls, strawberries, when ripe, are delicious.

STRAWBERRY SHORT-CAKE.--First prepare the berries by picking; after they have been well washed--the best way to wash them is to hold the boxes under the faucet and let a gentle stream of water run over and through them, then drain, and pick them into an earthen bowl; now take the potato-masher and bruise them and cover with a thick layer of white sugar; now set them aside till the cake is made. Take a quart of sifted flour; half a cup of sweet b.u.t.ter; one egg, well beaten; three teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, and milk enough to make a rather stiff dough; knead well, and roll with a rolling-pin till about one inch thick; bake till a nice brown, and when done, remove it to the table; turn it out of the pan; with a light, sharp knife, cut it down lengthwise and crossways; now run the knife through it, and lay it open for a few moments, just to let the steam escape (the steam ruins the color of the berries); then set the bottom crust on the platter; cover thickly with the berries, an inch and a half deep; lay the top crust on the fruit; dust thickly with powdered sugar, and if any berry juice is left in the bowl, pour it round the cake, not over it, and you will have a delicious short-cake.

SNOW CREAM.--To a quart of cream add the whites of three eggs, cut to a stiff froth, add four spoonfuls of sweet wine, sugar to taste, flavor with essence of lemon. Whip all to a froth, and as soon as it forms take it off and serve in gla.s.ses.

STEWED FIGS.--Take four ounces of fine sugar, the thin rind of a large lemon, and a pint of cold water, when the sugar is dissolved, add one pound turkey figs, and place the stew-pan over a moderate fire where they may heat and swell slowly, and stew gently for two hours, when they are quite tender, add the juice of one lemon, arrange them in a gla.s.s dish and serve cold.

SPANISH CREAM.--Dissolve in 1/2 pint of rose-water, 1 oz. of isingla.s.s cut small; run it through a hair sieve; add the yolks of three or four eggs, beaten and mixed with half a pint of cream, and two sorrel leaves. Pour it into a deep dish, sweeten with loaf sugar powdered.

Stir it till cold, and put it into molds. Lay rings round in different colored sweetmeats. Add, if you like, a little sherry, and a lump or two of sugar, rubbed well upon the rind of a lemon to extract the flavor.

WHIPPED CREAM.--To one quart of good cream, put a few drops of bergamot water, a little orange-flower water, and 1/2 lb. of sugar.

When it is dissolved, whip the cream to a froth, and take it up with a skimmer; drain on a sieve, and if for icing, let it settle half an hour before you put it into cups or gla.s.ses. Use that which drops into the dish under the sieve, to make it froth the better, adding two whites of eggs. Colored powdered sugar may, if you like, be sprinkled on the top of each.

ASPARAGUS OMELET.--Boil a dozen of the largest and finest asparagus heads you can pick; cut off all the green portion, and chop it in thin slices; season with a small teaspoonful of salt, and about one-fourth of that quant.i.ty of soluble cayenne. Then beat up six eggs in a sufficient quant.i.ty of new milk to make a stiffish batter. Melt in the frying-pan a quarter of a pound of good, clean dripping, and just before you pour on the batter place a small piece of b.u.t.ter in the center of the pan. When the dripping is quite hot, pour on half your batter, and as it begins to set, place on it the asparagus tops, and cover over with the remainder. This omelet is generally served on a round of b.u.t.tered toast, with the crusts removed. The batter is richer if made of cream.

b.u.t.tERED EGGS.--Beat four or five eggs, yolks and whites together, put a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter in a basin, and then put that in boiling water, stir it till melted, then pour the b.u.t.ter and the eggs into a sauce-pan; keep a basin in your hand, just hold the sauce-pan in the other over a slow part of the fire, shaking it one way, as it begins to warm; pour it into a basin, and back, then hold it again over the fire, stirring it constantly in the saucepan, and pouring it into the basin, more perfectly to mix the egg and b.u.t.ter until they shall be hot without boiling.

Serve on toasted bread; or in a basin, to eat with salt fish, or red herrings.

CORN-OYSTERS.--Take a half dozen ears of sweet corn (those which are not too old); with a sharp knife split each row of the corn in the center of the kernel lengthwise; sc.r.a.pe out all the pulp; add one egg, well beaten, a little salt, one tablespoonful of sweet milk; flour enough to make a pretty stiff batter. Drop in hot lard, and fry a delicate brown. If the corn is quite young, omit the milk, using as little flour as possible.

CHEESE OMELET.--Mix to a smooth batter three tablespoonfuls of fine flour, with half a pint of milk. Beat up well the yolks and whites of four eggs, a little salt, and a quarter of a pound of grated old English cheese. Add these to the flour and milk, and whisk all the ingredients together for half an hour. Put three ounces of b.u.t.ter into a frying-pan, and when it is boiling pour in the above mixture, fry it for a few minutes, and then turn it carefully; when it is sufficiently cooked on the other side, turn it on to a hot dish and serve.

IRISH STEW.--Take a loin of mutton, cut it into chops, season it with a very little pepper and salt, put it into a saucepan, just cover it with water, and let it cook half an hour. Boil two dozen of potatoes, peel and mash them, and stir in a cup of cream while they are hot; then line a deep dish with the potatoes, and lay in the cooked mutton chops, and cover them over with the rest of the potatoes; then set it in the oven to bake. Make some gravy of the broth in which the chops were cooked. This is a very nice dish.

IRISH STEW.--Cut off the fat of part of a loin of mutton, and cut it into chops. Pare, wash, and slice very thin some potatoes, two onions, and two small carrots; season with pepper and salt. Cover with water in a stew-pan, and stew gently till the meat is tender, and the potatoes are dissolved in the gravy. It may be made of beef-steaks, or mutton and beef mixed.

MACARONI, DRESSED SWEET.--Boil 2 ozs. in a pint of milk, with a bit of lemon peel, and a good bit of cinnamon, till the pipes are swelled to their utmost size without breaking. Lay them on a custard-dish, and pour a custard over them hot. Serve cold.

MACARONI, AS USUALLY SERVED.--Boil it in milk, or a weak veal broth, flavored with salt. When tender, put it into a dish without the liquor, with bits of b.u.t.ter and grated cheese, and over the top grate more, and put a little more b.u.t.ter. Put the dish into a Dutch oven, a quarter of an hour, and do not let the top become hard.

OMELET.--Six eggs beaten separately, beaten hard, two teaspoons of corn starch, two tablespoons milk, whites of eggs, put in slow at last. Fry in b.u.t.ter.

RUMBLED EGGS.--This is very convenient for invalids, or a light dish for supper. Beat up three eggs with two ounces of fresh b.u.t.ter, or well-washed salt b.u.t.ter; add a teaspoonful of cream or new milk. Put all in a saucepan and keep stirring it over the fire for nearly five minutes, until it rises up like scuffle, when it should be immediately dished on b.u.t.tered toast.

POACHED EGGS.--Break an egg into a cup, and put it gently into boiling water; and when the white looks quite set, which will be in about three or four minutes, take it up with an egg slice, and lay it on toast and b.u.t.ter, or spinach. Serve them hot; if fresh laid, they will poach well, without breaking.

SAVORY POTATO-CAKES.--Quarter of a pound of grated ham, one pound of mashed potatoes, and a little suet, mixed with the yolks of two eggs, pepper, salt and nutmeg. Roll it into little b.a.l.l.s, or cakes, and fry it a light brown. Sweet herbs may be used in place of ham. Plain potato cakes are made with potatoes and eggs only.

TOMATO TOAST.--Remove the stem and all the seeds from the tomatoes; they must be ripe, mind, not _over ripe_; stew them to a pulp, season with b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt; toast some bread (not new bread), b.u.t.ter it, and then spread the tomato on each side, and send it up to table, two slices on each dish, the slices cut in two; and the person who helps it must serve with two half-slices, not attempt to lift the top slice, otherwise the appearance of the under slice will be destroyed.

HOW TO COOK FISH OF DIFFERENT KINDS

HOW TO CHOOSE ANCHOVIES.--They are preserved in barrels, with bay-salt; no other fish has the fine flavor of the anchovy. The best look red and mellow, and the bones moist and oily; the flesh should be high flavored, the liquor reddish, and have a fine smell.

BAKED BLACK Ba.s.s.--Eight good-sized onions chopped fine; half that quant.i.ty of bread crumbs; b.u.t.ter size of hen's egg; plenty of pepper and salt; mix thoroughly with anchovy sauce until quite red. Stuff your fish with this compound and pour the rest over it, previously sprinkling it with a little red pepper. Shad, pickerel and trout are good the same way. Tomatoes can be used instead of anchovies, and are more economical. If using them, take pork in place of b.u.t.ter, and chop fine.

BOILED WHITE FISH.--Lay the fish open; put it in a dripping pan with the back down; nearly cover with water; to one fish put two tablespoons salt, cover tightly and simmer (not boil) one-half hour; dress with gravy, b.u.t.ter and pepper; garnish with sliced eggs.

For sauce use a piece of b.u.t.ter the size of an egg, one tablespoon of flour, one half pint boiling water; boil a few minutes, and add three hard boiled eggs, sliced.

FRESH BROILED WHITE FISH.--Wash and drain the fish: sprinkle with pepper and lay with the inside down upon the gridiron, and broil over fresh bright coals. When a nice brown, turn for a moment on the other side, then take up and spread with b.u.t.ter. This is a very nice way of broiling all kinds of fish, fresh or salted. A little smoke under the fish adds to its flavor. This may be made by putting two or three cobs under the gridiron.

TO BOIL CODFISH.--If boiled fresh, it is watery; but it is excellent if salted, and hung for a day, to give it firmness. Wash and clean the fish well, and rub salt inside of it; tie it up, and put it on the fire in cold water; throw a handful of salt into the fish-kettle. Boil a small fish 15 minutes; a large one 30 minutes. Serve it without the smallest speck and sc.u.m; drain. Garnish it with lemon, horseradish, the milt, roe, and liver. Oyster or shrimp sauce may be used.

CHOWDER.--Five pounds of codfish cut in squares; fry plenty of salt pork cut in thin slices; put a layer of pork in your kettle, then one of fish; one of potatoes in thick slices, and one of onions in slices; plenty of pepper and salt; repeat as long as your materials last, and finish with a layer of Boston crackers or crusts of bread. Water sufficient to cook with, or milk if you prefer. Cook one-half hour and turn over on your platter, disturbing as little as possible. Clams and eels the same way.

CLAM FRITTERS.--Twelve clams chopped or not, one pint milk, three eggs, add liquor from clams; salt and pepper, and flour enough for thin batter. Fry in hot lard. CLAM STEW.--Lay the clams on a gridiron over hot coals, taking them out of the sh.e.l.l as soon as open, saving the juice; add a little hot water, pepper, a very little salt and b.u.t.ter rolled in flour sufficient for seasoning; cook for five minutes and pour over toast.

EELS, TO STEW.--Of the above fish, that of the "silver" kind is preferable to its congener, and, therefore, ought to be procured for all cuisine purposes. Take from three to four pounds of these eels, and let the same be thoroughly cleansed, inside and out, rescinding the heads and tails from the bodies. Cut them into pieces three inches in length each, and lay them down in a stew pan, covering them with a sufficiency of sweet mutton gravy to keep them seething over a slow fire, when introduced into the pan, for twenty minutes. Add to the liquor, before you place your eels into it, a quarter of an ounce of whole black pepper, quarter of an ounce of allspice, with one or two pieces of white ginger. Thicken with a light admixture of flour and b.u.t.ter, stirring it carefully round, adding thereto, at the same time, one gill of good port wine, and half a gill of sweet ketchup.

Lemon-peel and salt may be added in accordance with your taste.

HOW TO KEEP FISH SOUND.--To prevent meat, fish, etc., going bad, put a few pieces of charcoal into the sauce-pan wherein the fish or flesh is to be boiled.

HOW TO RENDER BOILED FISH FIRM.--Add a little saltpetre to the salt in the water in which the fish is to be boiled; a quarter of an ounce to one gallon.

FISH b.a.l.l.s.--Bone, cooked fresh, or salt fish, add double the quant.i.ty of mashed potatoes, one beaten egg, a little b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt to taste. Make in cakes or b.a.l.l.s; dredge with flour and fry in hot lard.

POTTED FISH.--Take out the back-bone of the fish; for one weighing two pounds take a tablespoon of allspice and cloves mixed; these spices should be put into bags of not too thick muslin; put sufficient salt directly upon each fish; then roll in cloth, over which sprinkle a little cayenne pepper; put alternate layers of fish, spice and sago in an earthen jar; cover with the best cider vinegar; cover the jar closely with a plate and over this put a covering of dough, rolled out to twice the thickness of pie crust. Make the edges of paste, to adhere closely to the sides of the jar, so as to make it air-tight.

Put the jar into a pot of cold water and let it boil from three to five hours, according to quant.i.ty. Ready when cold.

HOW TO BROIL OR ROAST FRESH HERRINGS.--Scale, gut and wash; cut off the heads; steep them in salt and vinegar ten minutes; dust them with flour, and broil them over or before the fire, or in the oven. Serve with melted b.u.t.ter and parsley.

Herrings are nice _jarred_, and done in the oven, with pepper, cloves, salt, a little vinegar, a few bay-leaves, and a little b.u.t.ter.

HOW TO FRY FRESH HERRINGS.--Slice small onions, and lay in the pan with the herrings; add a little b.u.t.ter, and fry them. Perhaps it is better to fry the onions separately with a little parsley, and b.u.t.ter or drip.

HOW TO POT HERRINGS.--Clean, cut off the heads, and lay them close in an earthen pot. Strew a little salt between every layer; put in cloves, mace, whole pepper, cayenne and nutmeg; fill up the jar with vinegar, water, and a quarter of a pint of sherry, cover, tie down; bake in an oven, and when cold pot it for use. A few anchovies and bay leaves intermixed will improve the flavor much.

b.u.t.tERED LOBSTERS.--Pick the meat out, cut it, and warm with a little brown gravy, nutmeg, salt, pepper and b.u.t.ter, with a little flour. If done white, a little white gravy and cream.

CURRY OF LOBSTER.--Take them from the sh.e.l.ls, and lay into a pan, with a small piece of mace, three or four spoonfuls of veal gravy, and four of cream; rub smooth one or two teaspoonfuls of curry-powder, a teaspoonful of flour, and an ounce of b.u.t.ter, simmer an hour; squeeze half a lemon in, and add salt.

LOBSTER CHOWDER.--Four or five pounds of lobster, chopped fine; take the green part and add to it four pounded crackers; stir this into one quart of boiling milk; then add the lobster, a piece of b.u.t.ter one-half the size of an egg, a little pepper and salt, and bring it to a boil.

HOW TO BOIL MACKEREL.--Rub them with vinegar; when the water boils, put them in with a little salt, and boil gently 15 minutes. Serve with fennel and parsley chopped, boil, and put into melted b.u.t.ter, and gooseberry sauce.

SALT MACKEREL.--Soak the fish for a few hours in lukewarm water, changing the water several times; then put into cold water loosely tied in cloths, and let the fish come to a boil, turning off the water once, and pouring over the fish hot water from the tea-kettle; let this just come to a boil, then take them out and drain them, lay them on a platter, b.u.t.ter and pepper them, and place them for a few moments in the oven. Serve with sliced lemons, or with any fish sauce.

HOW TO FRY OYSTERS.--Use the largest and best oysters; lay them in rows upon a clean cloth and press another upon them, to absorb the moisture; have ready several beaten eggs; and in another dish some finely crushed crackers: in the frying pan heat enough b.u.t.ter to entirely cover the oysters; dip the oysters first into the eggs, then into the crackers, rolling it or them over, that they may become well incrusted; drop into the frying pan and fry quickly to a light brown.

Serve dry and let the dish be warm. A chafing dish is best.

OYSTER PATTIES.--Make some rich puff paste and bake it in very small tin patty pans; when cool, turn them out upon a large dish; stew some large fresh oysters with a few cloves, and a little mace and nutmeg; then add the yolk of one egg, boiled hard and grated; add a little b.u.t.ter, and as much of the oyster liquor as will cover them. When they have stewed a little while, take them off the pan and set them to cool. When quite cold, lay two or three oysters in each sh.e.l.l of puff paste.