The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual Part 47

[219-+] Those who do not like the trouble, &c. of making mock turtle, may be supplied with it ready made, in high perfection, at BIRCH'S, in Cornhill. It is not poisoned with Cayenne pepper, which the turtle and mock turtle soup of most pastry cooks and tavern cooks is, and to that degree, that it acts like a blister on the coats of the stomach. This prevents our mentioning any other maker of this soup, which is often made with cow-heel, or the mere scalp of the calf's head, instead of the head itself.

The following are Mr. Birch's directions for warming this soup:--Empty the turtle into a broad earthen vessel, to keep cool: when wanted for table, to two quarts of soup add one gill of boiling water or veal broth, put it over a good, clear fire, keeping it gently stirred (that it may not burn); when it has boiled about three minutes, skim it, and put it in the tureen.

N.B. The broth or water, and the wine, to be put into the stew-pan before you put in the turtle.

[219-++] The reader may have remarked, that mock turtle and potted beef always come in season together.

See _Obs._ to No. 503*. This gravy meat will make an excellent savoury potted relish, as it will be impregnated with the flavour of the herbs and spice that are boiled with it.

[220-*] "Many _gourmets_ and gastrologers prefer the copy to the original: we confess that when done as it ought to be, the mock turtle is exceedingly interesting."--_Tabella Cibaria_, 1820, p. 30.

"Turtles often become emaciated and sickly before they reach this country, in which case the soup would be incomparably improved by leaving out the turtle, and subst.i.tuting a good calf's head."--_Supplement to Encyc. Brit. Edinburgh_, vol. iv. p. 331.

[Very fine fat turtles are brought to New-York from the West Indies; and, during the warm weather, kept in crawls till wanted: of these they make soup, which surpa.s.ses any mock turtle ever made. A.]

[222-*] _Mullaga-tawny_ signifies pepper water. The progress of inexperienced peripatetic palaticians has lately been arrested by these outlandish words being pasted on the windows of our coffee-houses. It has, we believe, answered the "_restaurateur's_" purpose, and often excited JOHN BULL to walk in and taste: the more familiar name of curry soup would, perhaps, not have had sufficient of the charms of novelty to seduce him from his much-loved mock turtle.

It is a fashionable soup, and a great favourite with our East Indian friends, and we give the best receipt we could procure for it.

[223-*] "The usual allowance at a turtle feast is six pounds live weight per head: at the Spanish dinner, at the City of London Tavern, in August, 1808, 400 guests attended, and 2500 pounds of turtle were consumed."--See BELL'S _Weekly Messenger_ for August 7th, 1808.

_Epicure_ QUIN used to say, it was "not safe to sit down to a turtle feast at one of the City Halls, without a basket-hilted knife and fork."

We recommend our friends, before encountering such a temptation, to read our peptic precepts. Nothing is more difficult of digestion, or oftener requires the aid of peristaltic persuaders, than the glutinous callipash which is considered the "_bonne bouche_" of this soup. Turtle is generally spoiled by being over-dressed.

[In Philadelphia, an excellent turtle soup is made of a small native tortoise, called a _terrapin_, and the article _terrapin soup_. A.]

[223-+] "A pound of meat contains about an ounce of gelatinous matter; it thence follows, that 1500 pounds of the same meat, which is the whole weight of a bullock, would give only 94 pounds, which might be easily contained in an earthen jar."--Dr. HUTTON'S _Rational Recreations_, vol.

iv. p. 194.

In what degree portable or other soup be nutritious, we know not, but refer the reader to our note under No. 185.

[223-++] This machine was invented by Dr. Denys Papin, F.R.S., about the year 1631, as appears by his essay on "_The New Digester, or Engine for Softening Bones_;" "by the help of which (he says) the oldest and hardest cow-beef may be made as tender and as savoury as young and choice meat."

Although we have not yet found that they do what Dr. Papin says, "make old and tough meat young and tender," they are, however, excellent things to make broths and soups in. Among a mult.i.tude of other admirable excellencies obtainable by his digester, Dr. Papin, in his 9th chapter, page 54, on the profit that a good engine may come to, says, "I have found that an _old hat_, very bad and loosely made, having imbibed the jelly of bones became very firm and stiff."

GRAVIES AND SAUCES.

_Melted b.u.t.ter,_

Is so simple and easy to prepare, that it is a matter of general surprise, that what is done so often in every English kitchen, is so seldom done right: foreigners may well say, that although we have only one sauce for vegetables, fish, flesh, fowl, &c. we hardly ever make that good.

It is spoiled nine times out of ten, more from idleness than from ignorance, and rather because the cook won't than because she can't do it; which can only be the case when housekeepers will not allow b.u.t.ter to do it with.

Good melted b.u.t.ter cannot be made with mere flour and water; there must be a full and proper proportion of b.u.t.ter. As it must be always on the table, and is the foundation of almost all our English sauces, we have,

Melted b.u.t.ter and oysters, ---- ---- ---- parsley, ---- ---- ---- anchovies, ---- ---- ---- eggs, ---- ---- ---- shrimps, ---- ---- ---- lobsters, ---- ---- ---- capers, &c. &c. &c.

I have tried every way of making it; and I trust, at last, that I have written a receipt, which, if the cook will carefully observe, she will constantly succeed in giving satisfaction.

In the quant.i.ties of the various sauces I have ordered, I have had in view the providing for a family of half-a-dozen moderate people.

Never pour sauce over meat, or even put it into the dish, however well made, some of the company may have an antipathy to it; tastes are as different as faces: moreover, if it is sent up separate in a boat, it will keep hot longer, and what is left may be put by for another time, or used for another purpose.

_Lastly._ Observe, that in ordering the proportions of meat, b.u.t.ter, wine, spice, &c. in the following receipts, the proper quant.i.ty is set down, and that a less quant.i.ty will not do; and in some instances those palates which have been used to the extreme of _piquance_, will require additional excitement.[228-*] If we have erred, it has been on the right side, from an anxious wish to combine economy with elegance, and the wholesome with the toothsome.

_Melted b.u.t.ter._

Keep a pint stew-pan[228-+] for this purpose only.

Cut two ounces of b.u.t.ter into little bits, that it may melt more easily, and mix more readily; put it into the stew-pan with a large tea-spoonful (_i. e._ about three drachms) of flour, (some prefer arrow-root, or potato starch, No. 448), and two table-spoonfuls of milk.

When thoroughly mixed, add six table-spoonfuls of water; hold it over the fire, and shake it round every minute (all the while the same way), till it just begins to simmer; then let it stand quietly and boil up. It should be of the thickness of good cream.

N.B. Two table-spoonfuls of No. 439, instead of the milk, will make as good mushroom sauce as need be, and is a superlative accompaniment to either fish, flesh, or fowl.

_Obs._ This is the best way of preparing melted b.u.t.ter; milk mixes with the b.u.t.ter much more easily and more intimately than water alone can be made to do. This is of proper thickness to be mixed at table with flavouring essences, anchovy, mushroom, or cavice, &c. If made merely to pour over vegetables, add a little more milk to it.

N.B. If the b.u.t.ter oils, put a spoonful of cold water to it, and stir it with a spoon; if it is very much oiled, it must be poured backwards and forwards from the stew-pan to the sauce-boat till it is right again.

MEM. Melted b.u.t.ter made to be mixed with flavouring essences, catchups, &c. should be of the thickness of light batter, that it may adhere to the fish, &c.

_Thickening._--(No. 257.)

Clarified b.u.t.ter is best for this purpose; but if you have none ready, put some fresh b.u.t.ter into a stew-pan over a slow, clear fire; when it is melted, add fine flour sufficient to make it the thickness of paste; stir it well together with a wooden spoon for fifteen or twenty minutes, till it is quite smooth, and the colour of a guinea: this must be done very gradually and patiently; if you put it over too fierce a fire to hurry it, it will become bitter and empyreumatic: pour it into an earthen pan, and keep it for use. It will keep good a fortnight in summer, and longer in winter.

A large spoonful will generally be enough to thicken a quart of gravy.

_Obs._ This, in the French kitchen, is called _roux_. Be particularly attentive in making it; if it gets any burnt smell or taste, it will spoil every thing it is put into, see _Obs._ to No. 322. When cold, it should be thick enough to cut out with a knife, like a solid paste.

It is a very essential article in the kitchen, and is the basis of consistency in most made-dishes, soups, sauces, and ragouts; if the gravies, &c. are too thin, add this thickening, more or less, according to the consistence you would wish them to have.

MEM. In making thickening, the less b.u.t.ter, and the more flour you use, the better; they must be thoroughly worked together, and the broth, or soup, &c. you put them to, added by degrees: take especial care to incorporate them well together, or your sauces, &c. will taste floury, and have a disgusting, greasy appearance: therefore, after you have thickened your sauce, add to it some broth, or warm water, in the proportion of two table-spoonfuls to a pint, and set it by the side of the fire, to raise any fat, &c. that is not thoroughly incorporated with the gravy, which you must carefully remove as it comes to the top. This is called cleansing, or finishing the sauce.

? Half an ounce of b.u.t.ter, and a table-spoonful of flour, are about the proportion for a pint of sauce to make it as thick as cream.

N.B. The fat skimmings off the top of the broth pot are sometimes subst.i.tuted for b.u.t.ter (see No. 240); some cooks merely thicken their soups and sauces with flour, as we have directed in No. 245, or potato farina, No. 448.

_Clarified b.u.t.ter._--(No. 259.)

Put the b.u.t.ter in a nice, clean stew-pan, over a very clear, slow fire; watch it, and when it is melted, carefully skim off the b.u.t.termilk, &c.