The Book of Household Management Part 144

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOILED-PUDDING MOULD.]

1197. To prevent a pudding boiled in a cloth from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan, place a small plate or saucer underneath it, and set the pan _on a trivet_ over the fire. If a mould is used, this precaution is not necessary; but care must be taken to keep the pudding well covered with water.

1198. For dishing a boiled pudding as soon as it comes out of the pot, dip it into a basin of cold water, and the cloth will then not adhere to it. Great expedition is necessary in sending puddings to table, as, by standing, they quickly become heavy, batter puddings particularly.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOILED-PUDDING MOULD.]

1199. For baked or boiled puddings, the moulds, cups, or basins, should be always b.u.t.tered before the mixture is put in them, and they should be put into the saucepan directly they are filled.

1200. Scrupulous attention should be paid to the cleanliness of pudding-cloths, as, from neglect in this particular, the outsides of boiled puddings frequently taste very disagreeably. As soon as possible after it is taken off the pudding, it should be soaked in water, and then well washed, without soap, unless it be very greasy. It should be dried out of doors, then folded up and kept in a dry place. When wanted for use, dip it in boiling water, and dredge it slightly with flour.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PUDDING-BASIN.]

1201. The _dry ingredients_ for puddings are better for being mixed some time before they are wanted; the liquid portion should only be added just before the pudding is put into the saucepan.

1202. A pinch of salt is an improvement to the generality of puddings; but this ingredient should be added very sparingly, as the flavour should not be detected.

1203. When baked puddings are sufficiently solid, turn them out of the dish they were baked in, bottom uppermost, and strew over them fine sifted sugar.

1204. When pastry or baked puddings are not done through, and yet the outside is sufficiently brown, cover them over with a piece of white paper until thoroughly cooked: this prevents them from getting burnt.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

RECIPES.

CHAPTER XXVII.

VERY GOOD PUFF-PASTE.

1205. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of flour allow 1 lb. of b.u.t.ter, and not quite 1/2 pint of water.

_Mode_.--Carefully weigh the flour and b.u.t.ter, and have the exact proportion; squeeze the b.u.t.ter well, to extract the water from it, and afterwards wring it in a clean cloth, that no moisture may remain. Sift the flour; see that it is perfectly dry, and proceed in the following manner to make the paste, using a very _clean_ paste-board and rolling-pin:--Supposing the quant.i.ty to be 1 lb. of flour, work the whole into a smooth paste, with not quite 1/2 pint of water, using a knife to mix it with: the proportion of this latter ingredient must be regulated by the discretion of the cook; if too much be added, the paste, when baked, will be tough. Roll it out until it is of an equal thickness of about an inch; break 4 oz. of the b.u.t.ter into small pieces; place these on the paste, sift over it a little flour, fold it over, roll out again, and put another 4 oz. of b.u.t.ter. Repeat the rolling and b.u.t.tering until the paste has been rolled out 4 times, or equal quant.i.ties of flour and b.u.t.ter have been used. Do not omit, every time the paste is rolled out, to dredge a little flour over that and the rolling-pin, to prevent both from sticking. Handle the paste as lightly as possible, and do not press heavily upon it with the rolling-pin. The next thing to be considered is the oven, as the baking of pastry requires particular attention. Do not put it into the oven until it is sufficiently hot to raise the paste; for the best-prepared paste, if not properly baked, will be good for nothing. Brushing the paste as often as rolled out, and the pieces of b.u.t.ter placed thereon, with the white of an egg, a.s.sists it to rise in _leaves_ or _flakes_. As this is the great beauty of puff-paste, it is as well to try this method.

_Average cost_, 1s. 4d. per lb.

b.u.t.tER.--About the second century of the Christian era, b.u.t.ter was placed by Galen amongst the useful medical agents; and about a century before him, Dioscorides mentioned that he had noticed that fresh b.u.t.ter, made of ewes' and goats' milk, was served at meals instead of oil, and that it took the place of fat in making pastry. Thus we have undoubted authority that, eighteen hundred years ago, there existed a knowledge of the useful qualities of b.u.t.ter. The Romans seem to have set about making it much as we do; for Pliny tells us, "b.u.t.ter is made from milk; and the use of this element, so much sought after by barbarous nations, distinguished the rich from the common people. It is obtained princ.i.p.ally from cows' milk; that from ewes is the fattest; goats also supply some. It is produced by agitating the milk in long vessels with narrow openings: a little water is added."

MEDIUM PUFF-PASTE.

1206. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of flour allow 8 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 4 oz.

of lard, not quite 1/2 pint of water.

_Mode_.--This paste may be made by the directions in the preceding recipe, only using less b.u.t.ter and subst.i.tuting lard for a portion of it. Mix the flour to a smooth paste with not quite 1/2 pint of water; then roll it out 3 times, the first time covering the paste with b.u.t.ter, the second with lard, and the third with b.u.t.ter. Keep the rolling-pin and paste slightly dredged with flour, to prevent them from sticking, and it will be ready for use.

_Average cost_, 1s. per lb.

b.u.t.tER IN HASTE.--In his "History of Food," Soyer says that to obtain b.u.t.ter instantly, it is only necessary, in summer, to put new milk into a bottle, some hours after it has been taken from the cow, and shake it briskly. The clots which are thus formed should be thrown into a sieve, washed and pressed together, and they const.i.tute the finest and most delicate b.u.t.ter that can possibly be made.

COMMON PASTE, for Family Pies.

1207. INGREDIENTS.--1-1/4 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of b.u.t.ter, rather more than 1/2 pint of water.

_Mode_.--Rub the b.u.t.ter lightly into the flour, and mix it to a smooth paste with the water; roll it out 2 or 3 times, and it will be ready for use. This paste may be converted into an excellent short crust for sweet tart, by adding to the flour, after the b.u.t.ter is rubbed in, 2 tablespoonfuls of fine-sifted sugar.

_Average cost_, 8d. per lb.

TO KEEP b.u.t.tER FRESH.--One of the best means to preserve b.u.t.ter fresh is, first to completely press out all the b.u.t.termilk, then to keep it under water, renewing the water frequently, and to remove it from the influence of heat and air, by wrapping it in a wet cloth.

FRENCH PUFF-PASTE, or FEUILLETAGE.

(Founded on M. Ude's Recipe.)

1208. INGREDIENTS.--Equal quant.i.ties of flour and b.u.t.ter--say 1 lb. of each; 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, the yolks of 2 eggs, rather more than 1/4 pint of water.

_Mode_.--Weigh the flour; ascertain that it is perfectly _dry_, and sift it; squeeze all the water from the b.u.t.ter, and wring it in a clean cloth till there is no moisture remaining. Put the flour on the paste-board, work lightly into it 2 oz. of the b.u.t.ter, and then make a hole in the centre; into this well put the yolks of 2 eggs, the salt, and about 1/4 pint of water (the quant.i.ty of this latter ingredient must be regulated by the cook, as it is impossible to give the exact proportion of it); knead up the paste quickly and lightly, and, when quite smooth, roll it out square to the thickness of about 1/2 inch. Presuming that the b.u.t.ter is perfectly free from moisture, and _as cool_ as possible, roll it into a ball, and place this ball of b.u.t.ter on the paste; fold the paste over the b.u.t.ter all round, and secure it by wrapping it well all over.

Flatten the paste by rolling it lightly with the rolling-pin until it is quite thin, but not thin enough to allow the b.u.t.ter to break through, and keep the board and paste dredged lightly with flour during the process of making it. This rolling gives it the _first_ turn. Now fold the paste in three, and roll out again, and, should the weather be very warm, put it in a cold place on the ground to cool between the several turns; for, unless this is particularly attended to, the paste will be spoiled. Roll out the paste again _twice_, put it by to cool, then roll it out _twice_ more, which will make 6 _turnings_ in all. Now fold the paste in two, and it will be ready for use. If properly baked and well made, this crust will be delicious, and should rise in the oven about 5 or 6 inches. The paste should be made rather firm in the first instance, as the ball of b.u.t.ter is liable to break through. Great attention must also be paid to keeping the b.u.t.ter very cool, as, if this is in a liquid and soft state, the paste will not answer at all. Should the cook be dexterous enough to succeed in making this, the paste will have a much better appearance than that made by the process of dividing the b.u.t.ter into 4 parts, and placing it over the rolled-out paste; but, until experience has been acquired, we recommend puff-paste made by recipe No.

1205. The above paste is used for vols-au-vent, small articles of pastry, and, in fact, everything that requires very light crust.

_Average cost_, 1s. 6d. per lb.

WHAT TO DO WITH RANCID b.u.t.tER.--When b.u.t.ter has become very rancid, it should be melted several times by a moderate heat, with or without the addition of water, and as soon as it has been well kneaded, after the cooling, in order to extract any water it may have retained, it should be put into brown freestone pots, sheltered from the contact of the air. The French often add to it, after it has been melted, a piece of toasted bread, which helps to destroy the tendency of the batter to rancidity.

SOYER'S RECIPE FOR PUFF-PASTE.

1209. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of flour allow the yolk of 1 egg, the juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, cold water, 1 lb. of fresh b.u.t.ter.

_Mode_.--Put the flour on to the paste-board; make a hole in the centre, into which put the yolk of the egg, the lemon-juice, and salt; mix the whole with cold water (this should be iced in summer, if convenient) into a soft flexible paste, with the right hand, and handle it as little as possible; then squeeze all the b.u.t.termilk from the b.u.t.ter, wring it in a cloth, and roll out the paste; place the b.u.t.ter on this, and fold the edges of the paste over, so as to hide it; roll it out again to the thickness of 1/4 inch; fold over one third, over which again pa.s.s the rolling-pin; then fold over the other third, thus forming a square; place it with the ends, top, and bottom before you, shaking a little flour both under and over, and repeat the rolls and turns twice again, as before. Flour a baking-sheet, put the paste on this, and let it remain on ice or in some cool place for 1/2 hour; then roll twice more, turning it as before; place it again upon the ice for 1/4 hour, give it 2 more rolls, making 7 in all, and it is ready for use when required.

_Average cost_, 1s. 6d. per lb.

VERY GOOD SHORT CRUST FOR FRUIT TARTS.

1210. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of flour allow 3/4 lb. of b.u.t.ter, 1 tablespoonful of sifted sugar, 1/3 pint of water.

_Mode_.--Rub the b.u.t.ter into the flour, after having ascertained that the latter is perfectly dry; add the sugar, and mix the whole into a stiff paste, with about 1/3 pint of water. Roll it out two or three times, folding the paste over each time, and it will be ready for use.

_Average cost_, 1s. 1d. per lb.

ANOTHER GOOD SHORT CRUST.

1211. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of flour allow 8 oz. of b.u.t.ter, the yolks of 2 eggs, 2 oz. of sifted sugar, about 1/4 pint of milk.