The Compleat Cook Part 1

The Compleat Cook.

by Nath. Brook.

THE COMPLEAT COOK:

Expertly prescribing the most ready wayes, whether _Italian, Spanish_, or _French_, for dressing of _Flesh_ and _Fish_, &c.

_To make a Posset, the Earle_ of Arundels _Way._.

Take a quart of Creame, and a quarter of a Nutmeg in it, then put it on the fire, and let it boyl a little while, and as it is boyling take a Pot or Bason, that you meane to make your Posset in, and put in three spoonfuls of Sack, and some eight of Ale, and sweeten it with Sugar, then set it over the coles to warm a little while, then take it off and let it stand till it be almost cool, then put it into the Pot or Bason and stir it a little, and let it stand to simper over the fire an hour or more, for the longer the better.

_To boyle a Capon larded with Lemons._

Take a fair Capon and truss him, boyl him by himselfe in faire water with a little small Oat-meal, then take Mutton Broath, and half a pint of White-wine, a bundle of Herbs, whole Mace, season it with Verjuyce, put Marrow, Dates, season it with Sugar, then take preserved Lemons and cut them like Lard, and with a larding pin, lard in it, then put the capon in a deep dish, thicken your broth with Almonds, and poure it on the Capon.

_To Bake Red Deere._

Parboyl it, and then sauce it in Vinegar then Lard it very thick, and season it with Pepper, Ginger and Nutmegs, put it into a deep Pye with good store of sweet b.u.t.ter, and let it bake, when it is baked, take a pint of Hippocras, halfe a pound of sweet b.u.t.ter, two or three Nutmeg, little Vinegar, poure it into the Pye in the Oven and let it lye and soake an hour, then take it out, and when it is cold stop the vent hole.

_To make fine Pan-cakes fryed without b.u.t.ter or Lard._

Take a pint of Cream, and six new laid Egs, beat them very well together, put in a quarter of a pound of Sugar, and one Nutmeg or a little beaten Mace (which you please) and so much flower as will thicken almost as much as ordinarily Pan-cake batter; your Pan must be heated reasonably hot & wiped with a clean Cloth, this done put in your Batter as thick or thin as you please.

_To dresse a Pig the French manner._

Take it and spit it, & lay it down to the fire, and when your Pig is through warme, skin her, and cut her off the Spit as another Pig is, and so divide it in twenty peeces more or lesse as you please; when you have so done, take some White-wine and strong broth, and stew it therein, with an Onion or two mixed very small, a little Time also minced with Nutmeg sliced and grated Pepper, some Anchoves and Elder Vinegar, and a very little sweet b.u.t.ter, and Gravy if you have it, so Dish it up with the same Liquor it is stewed in, with French Bread sliced under it, with Oranges and Lemons.

_To make a Steake pye, with a French Pudding in the Pye._

Season your Steaks with Pepper & Nutmegs, and let it stand an hour in a Tray then take a piece of the leanest of a Legg of Mutton and mince it small with Suet and a few sweet herbs, tops of young Time, a branch of Penny-royal, two or three of red Sage, grated bread, yolks of Eggs, sweet Cream, Raisins of the Sun; work altogether like a Pudding, with your hand stiff, and roul them round like Bals, and put them into the Steaks in a deep Coffin, with a piece of sweet b.u.t.ter; sprinkle a little Verjuyce on it, bake it, then cut it up and roul Sage leaves and fry them, and stick them upright in the wals, and serve your Pye without a Cover, with the juyce of an Orange or Lemon.

_An excellent way of dressing Fish._

Take a piece of fresh Salmon, and wash it clean in a little Vinegar and water, and let it lie a while in it, then put it into a great Pipkin with a cover, and put to it some six spoonfuls of water and four of Vinegar, and as much of white-wine, a good deal of Salt a handful of sweet herbs, a little white Sorrel, a few Cloves, a little stick of Cinamon, a little Mace; put all these in a Pipkin close, and set it in a Kettle of seething water, and there let it stew three hours.

_You may do Carps, Eeles, Trouts, &c. this way, and they Tast also to your mind._

_To fricate Sheeps-feet._

Take Sheeps-feet, slit the bone, and pick them very clean, then put them in a Frying-pan, with a Ladlefull of strong Broth, a piece of b.u.t.ter, and a little Salt, after they have fryed a while, put to them a little Parsley, green Chibals, a little young Speremint and Tyme, all shred very small, and a little beaten Pepper; when you think they are fryed almost enough, have a lear made for them with the yolks of two or three Eggs, some Gravy of Mutton, a little Nutmegg, and juyce of a Lemon wrung therein, and put this lear to the Sheeps feet as they fry in the Pan, then toss them once or twice, and put them forth into the Dish you mean to serve them in.

_To fricate Calves Chaldrons._

Take a Calves Chaldron, after it is little more then half boyled, and when it is cold, cut it into little bits as big as Walnuts; season it with beaten Cloves, Salt, Nutmeg, Mace, and a little Pepper, an Onion, Parsley, and a little Tarragon, all shred very small, then put it into a frying-pan, with a Ladle-full of strong broth, and a little piece of sweet b.u.t.ter, so fry it; when it is fryed enough, have a little lear made with the Gravy of Mutton, the juyce of a Lemon and Orange, the yolks of three or four Eggs, and a little Nutmeg grated therein; put all this to your Chaldrons in the Pan, Toss your Fricat two or three times, then dish it, and so serve it up.

_To Fricate Champigneons._

Make ready your champigneons as you do for stewing, and when you have poured away the black liquor that comes from them, put your champigneons into a Frying pan with a piece of sweet b.u.t.ter, a little Parsley, Tyme, sweet Marjoram, a piece of Onion shred very small, a little Salt and fine beaten Pepper, so fry them till they be enough, so have ready the lear abovesaid, and put it to the champigneons whilst they are in the Pan, toss them two or three times, put them forth and serve them.

_To make b.u.t.tered Loaves._

Take the yolks of twelve Eggs, and six whites, and a quarter of a pint of yeast, when you have beaten the Eggs well, strain them with the yeast into a Dish, then put to it a little Salt, and two rases of Ginger beaten very small, then put flower to it till it come to a high Past that will not cleave, then you must roule it upon your hands and afterwards put it into a warm Cloath and let it lye there a quarter of an hour, then make it up in little Loaves, bake; against it is baked prepare a pound and a half of b.u.t.ter, a quarter of a pint of white wine, and halfe a pound of Sugar; This being melted and beaten together with it, set them into the Oven a quarter of an hour.

_To murine Carps, Mullet, Gurnet, Rochet, or Wale, &c._

Take a quart of water to a Gallon of Vinegar, a good handful of Bay-leaves, as much Rosemary, a quarter of a pound of Pepper beaten; put all these together, and let it seeth softly, and season it with a little Salt, then fry your Fish with frying Oyle till it be enough, then put in an earthen Vessell, and lay the Bay-leaves and Rosemary between and about the Fish, and pour the Broth upon it, and when it is cold, cover it, _&c_.

_To make a Calves Chaldron Pye._

Take a Calves Chaldron, half boyl it, and cool it; when it is cold mince it as small as grated bread, with halfe a pound of Marrow; season it with Salt, beaten Cloves, Mace, Nutmeg a little Onion, and some of the outmost rind of a Lemon minced very small, and wring in the juyce of halfe a Lemon, and then mix all together, then make a piece of puff Past, and lay a leaf therof in a silver Dish of the bigness to contain the meat, then put in your meat, and cover it with another leaf of the same Past, and bake it; and when it is baked take it out, and open it, and put in the juyce of two or three Oranges, stir it well together, then cover it againe and serve it. Be sure none of your Orange kernels be among your Pye-meat.

_To make a Pudding of a Calves Chaldron._

Take your Chaldron after it is half boyled and cold, mince it as small as you can with half a pound of Beef Suet, or as much Marrow, season it with a little Onion, Parsley, Tyme, and the outmost rind of a piece of Lemon, all shred very small, Salt, beaten Nutmeg, Cloves and mace mixed together, with the yolks of four or five Eggs, and a little sweet Cream; then have ready the great Gutts of a Mutton sc.r.a.ped and washed very clean; let your Gutt have lain in white-wine and Salt halfe a day before you use it; when your meat is mixed and made up somewhat stiff put it into the Sheeps-gutt, and so boyl it, when it is boyled enough, serve it to the Table in the Gutt.

_To make a Banbury Cake._

Take a peck of pure Wheat-flower, six pound of Currans, half a pound of Sugar, two pound of b.u.t.ter, halfe an ounce of Cloves and Mace, a pint and a halfe of Ale-yeast, and a little Rose-water; then boyle as much new-milk as will serve to knead it, and when it is almost cold, put into it as much Sack as will thicken it, and so work it all together before a fire, pulling it two or three times in pieces, after make it up.

_To make a Devonshire White-pot._

Take a pint of Cream and straine four Eggs into it, and put a little Salt and a little sliced Nutmeg, and season it with Sugar somewhat sweet; then take almost a penny Loaf of fine bread sliced very thin, and put it into a Dish that will hold it, the Cream and the Eggs being put to it; then take a handfull of Raisins of the Sun being boyled, and a little sweet b.u.t.ter, so bake it.

_To make Rice Cream._

Take a quart of Cream, two good handfuls of Rice-flower, a quarter of a pound of Sugar and flower beaten very small, mingle your Sugar and flower together, put it into your Cream, take the yolk of an Egg, beat it with a spoonfull or two of Rose-water, then put it to the Cream, and stir all these together, and set it over a quick fire, keeping it continually stirring till it be as thick as water-pap.

_To make a very Good Great Oxford-shire Cake._