The Book of Household Management Part 98

[Ill.u.s.tration: BREAST OF VEAL.]

857. INGREDIENTS.--Veal; a little flour.

_Mode_.--Wash the veal, well wipe it, and dredge it with flour; put it down to a bright fire, not too near, as it should not be scorched. Baste it plentifully until done; dish it, pour over the meat some good melted b.u.t.ter, and send to table with it a piece of boiled bacon and a cut lemon.

_Time_.--From 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

_Average cost_, 8-1/2d. per lb. _Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

STEWED BREAST OF VEAL AND PEAS.

858. INGREDIENTS.--Breast of veal, 2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, a bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley; 2 blades of pounded mace, 2 cloves, 5 or 6 young onions, 1 strip of lemon-peel, 6 allspice, 1/4 teaspoonful of pepper, 1 teaspoonful of salt, thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, 2 tablespoonfuls of sherry, 2 tablespoonfuls of tomato sauce, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 2 tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, green peas.

_Mode_.--Cut the breast in half, after removing the bone underneath, and divide the meat into convenient-sized pieces. Put the b.u.t.ter into a frying-pan, lay in the pieces of veal, and fry until of a nice brown colour. Now place these in a stewpan with the herbs, mace, cloves, onions, lemon-peel, allspice, and seasoning; pour over them just sufficient boiling water to cover the meat; well close the lid, and let the whole simmer very gently for about 2 hours. Strain off as much gravy as is required, thicken it with b.u.t.ter and flour, add the remaining ingredients, skim well, let it simmer for about 10 minutes, then pour it over the meat. Have ready some green peas, boiled separately; sprinkle these over the veal, and serve. It may be garnished with forcemeat b.a.l.l.s, or rashers of bacon curled and fried. Instead of cutting up the meat, many persons prefer it dressed whole;--in that case it should be half-roasted before the water, &c. are put to it.

_Time_.--2-1/4 hours. _Average cost_, 8-1/2d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

BREEDING OF CALVES.--The forwarding of calves to maturity, whether intended to be reared for stock, or brought to an early market as veal, is always a subject of great importance, and requires a considerable amount of intelligence in the selection of the best course, to adopt for either end. When meant to be reared as stock, the breeding should be so arranged that the cow shall calve about the middle of May. As our subject, however, has more immediate reference to the calf as _meat_ than as _stock_, we shall confine our remarks to the mode of procedure adopted in the former case; and here, the first process adopted is that of weaning; which consists in separating the calf _entirely_ from the cow, but, at the same time, rearing it on the mother's milk. As the business of the dairy would be suspended if every cow were allowed to rear its young, and b.u.t.ter, cheese, and cream become _desiderata_,--things to be desired, but not possessed, a system of economical husbandry becomes necessary, so as to retain our dairy produce, and yet, for some weeks at least, nourish the calf on its mother's milk, but without allowing the animal to draw that supply for itself: this, with the proper subst.i.tuted food on which to rear the young animal, is called weaning.

VEAL CAKE (a Convenient Dish for a Picnic).

859. INGREDIENTS.--A few slices of cold roast veal, a few slices of cold ham, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of minced parsley, a little pepper, good gravy.

_Mode_.--Cut off all the brown outside from the veal, and cut the eggs into slices. Procure a pretty mould; lay veal, ham, eggs, and parsley in layers, with a little pepper between each, and when the mould is full, get some _strong_ stock, and fill up the shape. Bake for 1/2 hour, and when cold, turn it out.

_Time_.--1/2 hour.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

BOILED CALF'S FEET AND PARSLEY AND b.u.t.tER.

860. INGREDIENTS.--2 calf's feet, 2 slices of bacon, 2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, salt and whole pepper to taste, 1 onion, a bunch of savoury herbs, 4 cloves, 1 blade of mace, water, parsley and b.u.t.ter No. 493.

_Mode_.--Procure 2 white calf's feet; bone them as far as the first joint, and put them into warm water to soak for 2 hours. Then put the bacon, b.u.t.ter, lemon-juice, onion, herbs, spices, and seasoning into a stewpan; lay in the feet, and pour in just sufficient water to cover the whole. Stew gently for about 3 hours; take out the feet, dish them, and cover with parsley and b.u.t.ter, made by recipe No. 493. The liquor they were boiled in should be strained and put by in a clean basin for use: it will be found very good as an addition to gravies, &c. &c.

_Time_.--Rather more than 3 hours.

_Average cost_, in full season, 9d. each. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

WHEN A CALF SHOULD BE KILLED.--The age at which a calf ought to be killed should not be under four weeks: before that time the flesh is certainly not wholesome, wanting firmness, due development of muscular fibre, and those animal juices on which the flavour and nutritive properties of the flesh depend, whatever the unhealthy palate of epicures may deem to the contrary. In France, a law exists to prevent the slaughtering of calves under _six weeks_ of age. The calf is considered in prime condition at ten weeks, when he will weigh from sixteen to eighteen stone, and sometimes even twenty.

FRICa.s.sEED CALF'S FEET.

861. INGREDIENTS.--A set of calf's feet; for the batter allow for each egg 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 tablespoonful of bread crumbs, hot lard or clarified dripping, pepper and salt to taste.

_Mode_.--If the feet are purchased uncleaned, dip them into warm water repeatedly, and sc.r.a.pe off the hair, first one foot and then the other, until the skin looks perfectly clean, a saucepan of water being kept by the fire until they are finished. After washing and soaking in cold water, boil them in just sufficient water to cover them, until the bones come easily away. Then pick them out, and after straining the liquor into a clean vessel, put the meat into a pie-dish until the next day.

Now cut it down in slices about 1/2 inch thick, lay on them a stiff batter made of egg, flour, and bread crumbs in the above proportion; season with pepper and salt, and plunge them into a pan of boiling lard.

Fry the slices a nice brown, dry them before the fire for a minute or two, dish them on a napkin, and garnish with tufts of parsley. This should be eaten with melted b.u.t.ter, mustard, and vinegar. Be careful to have the lard boiling to set the batter, or the pieces of feet will run about the pan. The liquor they were boiled in should be saved, and will be found useful for enriching gravies, making jellies, &e. &e.

_Time_.--About 3 hours to stew the feet, 10 or 15 minutes to fry them.

_Average cost_, in full season, 9d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 8 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

_Note_.--This dish can be highly recommended to delicate persons.

COLOUR OF VEAL.--As whiteness of flesh is considered a great advantage in veal, butchers, in the selection of their calves, are in the habit of examining the inside of its mouth, and noting the colour of the calf's eyes; alleging that, from the signs they there see, they can prognosticate whether the veal will be white or florid.

COLLARED CALF'S HEAD.

862. INGREDIENTS.--A calf's head, 4 tablespoonfuls of minced parsley, 4 blades of pounded mace, 1/2 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, white pepper to taste, a few thick slices of ham, the yolks of 6 eggs boiled hard.

_Mode_.--Scald the head for a few minutes; take it out of the water, and with a blunt knife sc.r.a.pe off all the hair. Clean it nicely, divide the head and remove the brains. Boil it tender enough to take out the bones, which will be in about 2 hours. When the head is boned, flatten it on the table, sprinkle over it a thick layer of parsley, then a layer of ham, and then the yolks of the eggs cut into thin rings and put a seasoning of pounded mace, nutmeg, and white pepper between each layer; roll the head up in a cloth, and tie it up as tightly as possible. Boil it for 4 hours, and when it is taken out of the pot, place a heavy weight on the top, the same as for other collars. Let it remain till cold; then remove the cloth and binding, and it will be ready to serve.

_Time_.--Altogether 6 hours. _Average cost_, 5s. to 7s. each.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

FEEDING A CALF.--The amount of milk necessary for a calf for some time, will be about four quarts a day, though, after the first fortnight, that quant.i.ty should be gradually increased, according to its development of body, when, if fed exclusively on milk, as much as three gallons a day will be requisite for the due health and requirements of the animal. If the weather is fine and genial, it should be turned into an orchard or small paddock for a few hours each day, to give it an opportunity to acquire a relish for the fresh pasture, which, by the tenth or twelfth week, it will begin to nibble and enjoy. After a certain time, the quant.i.ty of milk may be diminished, and its place supplied by water thickened with meal. Hay-tea and linseed-jelly are also highly nutritious substances, and may be used either as adjuncts or subst.i.tutes.

FRICa.s.sEED CALF'S HEAD (an Entree).

863. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of a boiled calf's head, 1-1/2 pint of the liquor in which the head was boiled, 1 blade of pounded mace, 1 onion minced, a bunch of savoury herbs, salt and white pepper to taste, thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, forcemeat b.a.l.l.s.

_Mode_.--Remove all the bones from the head, and cut the meat into nice square pieces. Put 1-1/2 pint of the liquor it was boiled in into a saucepan, with mace, onion, herbs, and seasoning in the above proportion; let this simmer gently for 3/4 hour, then strain it and put in the meat. When quite hot through, thicken the gravy with a little b.u.t.ter rolled in flour, and, just before dishing the frica.s.see, put in the beaten yolks of eggs and lemon-juice; but be particular, after these two latter ingredients are added, that the sauce does not boil, or it will curdle. Garnish with forcemeat b.a.l.l.s and curled slices of broiled bacon. To insure the sauce being smooth, it is a good plan to dish the meat first, and then to add the eggs to the gravy: when these are set, the sauce may be poured over the meat.

_Time_.--Altogether, 1-1/4 hour.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 6d.

CALF'S HEAD a la Maitre d'Hotel.

864. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of a cold calf's head, rather more than 1/2 pint of Maitre d'hotel sauce No. 466.

_Mode_.--Make the sauce by recipe No. 466, and have it sufficiently thick that it may nicely cover the meat; remove the bones from the head, and cut the meat into neat slices. When the sauce is ready, lay in the meat; let it _gradually_ warm through, and, after it boils up, let it simmer very gently for 5 minutes, and serve.