The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual Part 65

_Capillaire._--(No. 476.)

To a pint of clarified syrup add a wine-gla.s.s of Curacoa (No. 474); or dissolve a drachm of oil of Neroli in two ounces of rectified spirit, and add a few drops of it to clarified syrup.

_Lemonade in a Minute._--(No. 477.)

Pound a quarter of an ounce (avoirdupois) of citric, _i. e._ crystallized lemon acid,[297-*] with a few drops of quintessence of lemon-peel (No. 408), and mix it by degrees with a pint of clarified syrup (No. 475), or capillaire.

For superlative syrup of lemons, see No. 391.

_Obs._--The proportion of acid to the syrup, was that selected (from several specimens) by the committee of taste. We advise those who are disposed to verify our receipt, to mix only three quarters of a pint of syrup first, and add the other quarter if they find it too acid.

If you have none of No. 408, flavour your syrup with thin-cut lemon-peel, or use syrup of lemon-peel (No. 393).

A table-spoonful of this in a pint of water will immediately produce a very agreeable sherbet; the addition of rum or brandy will convert this into

_Punch directly._--(No. 478.)

_Shrub, or Essence of Punch._--(No. 479.)

Brandy or rum, flavoured with No. 477, will give you very good extempore "essence of punch."

_Obs._--The addition of a quart of Sherry or Madeira makes "punch royal;" if, instead of wine, the above quant.i.ty of water be added, it will make "punch for chambermaids," according to SALMON'S _Cookery_, 8vo. London, 1710. See page 405; and No. 268 in NOTT'S _Cook's Dictionary_, 8vo. 1724.

_White, Red, or Black Currant, Grape, Raspberry, &c.

Jelly._[298-*]--(No. 479*.)

Are all made precisely in the same manner. When the fruit is full ripe, gather it on a dry day: as soon as it is nicely picked, put it into a jar, and cover it down very close.

Set the jar in a saucepan about three parts filled with cold water; put it on a gentle fire, and let it simmer for about half an hour. Take the pan from the fire, and pour the contents of the jar into a jelly-bag: pa.s.s the juice through a second time; do not squeeze the bag.

To each pint of juice add a pound and a half of very good lump sugar pounded; when it is dissolved, put it into a preserving-pan; set it on the fire, and boil gently; stirring and skimming it the whole time (about thirty or forty minutes), _i. e._ till no more sc.u.m rises, and it is perfectly clear and fine: pour it while warm into pots; and when cold, cover them with paper wetted in brandy.

Half a pint of this jelly, dissolved in a pint of brandy or vinegar, will give you excellent currant or raspberry brandy or vinegar. To make sweet sauce, see No. 346.

_Obs._--Jellies from other fruits are made in the same way, and cannot be preserved in perfection without plenty of good sugar.

Those who wish jelly to turn out very stiff, dissolve isingla.s.s in a little water, strain through a sieve, and add it in the proportion of half an ounce to a pint of juice, and put it in with the sugar.

The best way is the cheapest. Jellies made with too small a proportion of sugar, require boiling so long; there is much more waste of juice and flavour by evaporation than the due quant.i.ty of sugar costs; and they neither look nor taste half so delicate, as when made with a proper proportion of sugar, and moderate boiling.

_Mock Arrack._--(No. 480.)

Dissolve two scruples of flowers of benjamin in a quart of good rum, and it will immediately impart to it the inviting fragrance of "Vauxhall nectar."

_Calves'-Feet Jelly._--(No. 481.)

Take four calves' feet (not those which are sold at tripe-shops, which have been boiled till almost all the gelatine is extracted; but buy them at the butcher's), slit them in two, take away the fat from between the claws, wash them well in lukewarm water; then put them in a large stew-pan, and cover them with water: when the liquor boils, skim it well, and let it boil gently six or seven hours, that it may be reduced to about two quarts; then strain it through a sieve, and skim off all the oily substance which is on the surface of the liquor.

If you are not in a hurry, it is better to boil the calves' feet the day before you make the jelly; as when the liquor is cold, the oily part being at the top, and the other being firm, with pieces of kitchen paper applied to it, you may remove every particle of the oily substance, without wasting any of the liquor.

Put the liquor in a stew-pan to melt, with a pound of lump sugar, the peel of two lemons, the juice of six, six whites and sh.e.l.ls of eggs beat together, and a bottle of sherry or Madeira; whisk the whole together until it is on the boil; then put it by the side of the stove, and let it simmer a quarter of an hour; strain it through a jelly-bag: what is strained first must be poured into the bag again, until it is as bright and as clear as rock-water; then put the jelly in moulds, to be cold and firm: if the weather is too warm, it requires some ice.

_Obs._--When it is wished to be very stiff, half an ounce of isingla.s.s may be added when the wine is put in.

It may be flavoured by the juice of various fruits, and spices, &c. and coloured with saffron, cochineal, red beet juice, spinage juice, claret, &c.; and it is sometimes made with cherry brandy, or noyeau rouge, or Curacoa (No. 474), or essence of punch (No. 479), instead of wine.

N.B. Ten shank bones of mutton, which may be bought for 2-1/2_d._, will give as much jelly as a calf's foot, which costs a shilling. See pages 225, 226 of this work.

FOOTNOTES:

[228-*] This may be easily accomplished by the aid of that whip and spur, which students of long standing in the school of good living are generally so fond of enlivening their palates with, _i. e._ Cayenne and garlic.

Parsley (No. 261), chervil (No. 264), celery (No. 289), cress (No.

397*), tarragon (No. 396), burnet (No. 399), basil (No. 397), eschalot (Nos. 295 and 403), caper (Nos. 274 and 295), fennel (No. 265), liver (Nos. 287 and 288), curry (Nos. 348 and 455), egg, (No. 267,) mushroom (No. 403), anchovy (Nos. 270 and 433), ragout (Nos. 421 and 457), shrimp (No. 283), bonne bouche (No. 341,) superlative (No. 429), and various flavouring essences. See from No. 396 to 463.

Any of the above vegetables, &c. may be minced very finely, and sent to table on a little plate, and those who like their flavour may mix them with melted b.u.t.ter, &c. This is a hint for economists, which will save them many pounds of b.u.t.ter, &c. See MEM. to No. 256.

[228-+] A silver saucepan is infinitely the best: you may have one big enough to melt b.u.t.ter for a moderate family, for four or five pounds.

[234-*] Oysters which come to the New-York market, are too large and fine to be mangled according to this receipt. They are generally cooked by being fried or stewed. When they are intended to be kept a length of time, they are pickled in vinegar, with spices. A.

[236-*] You must have a hen lobster, on account of the live sp.a.w.n. Some fishmongers have a cruel custom of tearing this from the fish before they are boiled. Lift up the tail of the lobster, and see that it has not been robbed of its eggs: the goodness of your sauce depends upon its having a full share of the sp.a.w.n in it, to which it owes not merely its brilliant red colour, but the finest part of its flavour.

[238-*] So much depends upon the age of the celery, that we cannot give any precise time for this, young, fresh-gathered celery will be done enough in three-quarters of an hour; old will sometimes take twice as long.

[240-*] If you wish to have them _very_ mild, cut them in quarters, boil them for five minutes in plenty of water, and then drain them, and cook them in fresh water.

[244-*] Composer and Director of the Music of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and the Italian Opera.

[246-*] "By the best accounts I can find, soy is a preparation from the seeds of a species of the _Dolichos_, prepared by a fermentation of the farina of this seed in a strong lixivium of common salt."--CULLEN'S _Mat. Med._ vol. i. p. 430.

[250-*] One of "_les bonnes hommes de bouche de France_" orders the following addition for game gravy:--"For a pint, par-roast a partridge or a pigeon; cut off the meat of it, pound it in a mortar, and put it into the stew-pan when you _thicken_ the sauce." We do not recommend either soup or sauce to be _thickened_, because it requires (to give it the same quickness on the palate it had before it was thickened) double the quant.i.ty of _piquante_ materials; which are thus smuggled down the red lane, without affording any amus.e.m.e.nt to the mouth, and at the risk of highly offending the stomach.

[251-*] To this some add a table-spoonful of mushroom catchup (No. 439), and instead of the salt-spoonful of salt, a tea-spoonful of essence of anchovy (No. 433). If the above articles are rubbed together in a mortar, and put into a close-stopped bottle, they will keep for some time.

[251-+] Thus far the above is from Dr. HUNTER'S "_Culina_," who says it is a secret worth knowing: we agree with him, and so tell it here, with a little addition, which we think renders it a still more gratifying communication.

[252-*] See Basil Wine (No. 397).

[260-*] These are sold at the gla.s.s-shops under the name of INCORPORATORS: we recommend the sauce to be mixed in these, and the company can then take it or leave it, as they like.