The Jewish Manual Part 7

Shred finely any cold fish, season it, and mix with beaten eggs; make it into a paste, fry in thin cakes like pancakes, and serve hot on a napkin; there should be plenty of boiling b.u.t.ter in the pan, as they should be moist and rich; there should be more eggs in the preparation for omelets than for fritters.

SCALLOPED FISH.

Take any dressed fish, break it in small pieces, put it into tin scallops, with a few crumbs of bread, a good piece of b.u.t.ter, a little cream if approved, white pepper, salt, and nutmeg; bake in an oven for ten minutes, or brown before the fire; two or three mushrooms mixed, or an anchovy will be found an improvement.

ANOTHER WAY.

Break the fish into pieces, pour over the beaten yolk of an egg, sprinkle with pepper and salt, strew with bread crumbs, chopped parsley, and grated lemon peel, and squeeze in the juice of lemon, drop over a little warmed b.u.t.ter, and brown before the fire.

CHAPTER IV.

Directions for Various Ways of Dressing Meat and Poultry.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

Boiling is the most simple manner of cooking, the great art in this process is to boil the article sufficiently, without its being overdone, the necessity of slow boiling cannot be too strongly impressed upon the cook, as the contrary, renders it hard and of a bad color; the average time of boiling for fresh meat is half an hour to every pound, salt meat requires half as long again, and smoked meat still longer; the lid of the saucepan should only be removed for skimming, which is an essential process.

Roasting chiefly depends on the skilful management of the fire, it is considered that a joint of eight pounds requires two hours roasting; when first put down it should be basted with fresh dripping, and afterwards with its own dripping, it should be sprinkled with salt, and repeatedly dredged with flour, which browns and makes it look rich and frothy.

Broiling requires a steady clear fire, free from flame and smoke, the gridiron should be quite hot before the article is placed on it, and the bars should be rubbed with fat, or if the article is thin-skinned and delicate, with chalk; the gridiron should be held aslant to prevent the fat dripping into the fire; the bars of a gridiron should be close and fine. Frying is easier than broiling, the fat, oil or b.u.t.ter in which the article is fried must be boiling, but have ceased to bubble before it is put in the pan, or it will be greasy and black: there is now a new description of fryingpan, called a saute pan, and which will be found extremely convenient for frying small cutlets or collops.

Stewing is a more elaborate mode of boiling; a gentle heat with frequent skimmings, are the points to be observed.

Glazing is done by brushing melted jelly over the article to be glazed and letting it cool, and then adding another coat, or in some cases two or three, this makes any cold meats or poultry have an elegant appearance.

Blanching makes the article plump and white. It should be set on the fire in cold water, boil up and then be immersed in cold water, where it should remain some little time. Larding (the French term is _Pique_, which the inexperienced Jewish cook may not be acquainted with, we therefore use the term in common use) is a term given to a certain mode of garnishing the surface of meat or poultry: it is inserting small pieces of the fat of smoked meats, truffles, or tongue, which are trimmed into slips of equal length and size, into the flesh of the article at regular distances, and is effected by means of larding pins.

Poelee and Blanc, are terms used in modern cookery for a very expensive mode of stewing: it is done by stewing the article with meat, vegetables, and fat of smoked meats, all well seasoned; instead of placing it to stew in water it is placed on slices of meat covered with slices of fat and the vegetables and seasoning added, then water enough to cover the whole is added.

Blanc differs from Poelee, in having a quant.i.ty of suet added, and being boiled down before the article is placed to stew in it.

Braising is a similar process to Poelee, but less meat and vegetable is used.

TO CLARIFY SUET.

Melt down with care fine fresh suet, either beef or veal, put it into a jar, and set it in a stew-pan of water to boil, putting in a sprig of rosemary, or a little orange flower water while melting, this is a very useful preparation and will be found, if adopted in English kitchens, to answer the purpose of lard and is far more delicate and wholesome: it should be well beaten till quite light with a wooden fork.

OLIO.

Put eight pounds of beef in sufficient water to cover it, when the water boils take out the meat, skim off the fat, and then return the meat to the stew-pan, adding at the same time two fine white cabbages without any of the stalk or hard parts; season with pepper, salt, and a tea-spoonful of white sugar, let it simmer on a slow fire for about five hours, about an hour before serving, add half a pound of _chorisa_, which greatly improves the flavor.

AN EXCELLENT RECEIPT FOR STEWING A RUMP OF BEEF.

Chop fine a large onion, four bay leaves, and a little parsley, add to these half an ounce of ground ginger, a tea-spoonful of salt, a blade of mace, a little ground allspice, some lemon sliced, and some of the peel grated; rub all these ingredients well into the meat, then place it into a stew-pan with three parts of a cup of vinegar, a calf's-foot cut in small pieces and a pint of water, stew gently till tender, when the fat must be carefully skimmed off the gravy, which must be strained and poured over the meat.

ALAMODE BEEF, OR SOUR MEAT.

Cover a piece of the ribs of beef boned and filletted, or a piece of the round with vinegar diluted with water, season with onions, pepper, salt, whole allspice, and three or four bay leaves, add a cup full of raspings, and let the whole stew gently for three or four hours, according to the weight of the meat; this dish is excellent when cold.

A rump steak stewed in the same way will be found exceedingly fine.

KIMMEL MEAT.

Place a small piece of the rump of beef, or the under cut of a sirloin in a deep pan with three pints of vinegar, two ounces of carraway seeds tied in a muslin bag, salt, pepper, and spices, cover it down tight, and bake thoroughly in a slow oven. This is a fine relish for luncheons.

BEEF AND BEANS.

Take a piece of brisket of beef, cover it with water, when boiling skim off the fat, add one quarter of French beans cut small, two onions cut in quarters, season with pepper and salt, and when nearly done take a dessert-spoonful of flour, one of coa.r.s.e brown sugar, and a large tea-cup full of vinegar, mix them together and stir in with the beans, and continue stewing for about half an hour longer.

KUGEL AND COMMEAN.

Soak one pint of Spanish peas and one pint of Spanish beans all night in three pints of water; take two marrow bones, a calf's-foot, and three pounds of fine gravy-beef, crack the bones and tie them to prevent the marrow escaping, and put all together into a pan; then take one pound of flour, half a pound of shred suet, a little grated nutmeg and ground ginger, cloves and allspice, one pound of coa.r.s.e brown sugar, and the crumb of a slice of bread, first soaked in water and pressed dry, mix all these ingredients together into a paste, grease a quart basin and put it in, covering the basin with a plate set in the middle of the pan with the beans, meat, &c. Cover the pan lightly down with coa.r.s.e brown paper, and let it remain all the night and the next day, (until required) in a baker's oven, when done, take out the basin containing the pudding, and skim the fat from the gravy which must be served as soup; the meat, &c., is extremely savory and nutritious, but is not a very seemly dish for table. The pudding must be turned out of the basin, and a sweet sauce flavored with lemon and brandy is a fine addition.

SAUER KRAUT.

Boil about seven or eight pounds of beef, either brisket or a fillet off the shoulder, in enough water to cover it, when it has boiled for one hour, add as much sauer kraut, which is a German preparation, as may be approved, it should then stew gently for four hours and be served in a deep dish. The Germans are not very particular in removing the fat, but it is more delicate by so doing.

BEEF WITH CELERY, AND WHITE BEANS AND PEAS.

Soak for twelve hours one pint of dried white peas, and half a pint of the same kind of beans, they must be well soaked, and if very dry, may require longer than twelve hours, put a nice piece of brisket of about eight pounds weight in a stew-pan with the peas and beans, and three heads of celery cut in small pieces, put water enough to cover, and season with pepper and salt only, let it all stew slowly till the meat is extremely tender and the peas and beans quite soft, then add four large lumps of sugar and nearly a tea-cup of vinegar; this is a very fine stew.

BEEF COLLOPS.