FISH PIE--Pike, perch and carp may be made into very savory pies if cut into fillets, seasoned and baked in paste, sauce made of veal broth, or cream put in before baking.
GAME PIE--Divide the birds, if large, into pieces or joints. They may be pheasants, partridges, etc. Add a little bacon or ham. Season well.
Cover with puff paste, and bake carefully. Pour into the pie half a cupful of melted b.u.t.ter, the juice of a lemon, and a gla.s.s of sherry, when rather more than half baked.
GIBLET PIE--Clean the giblets well; stew with a little water, onion, pepper, salt, sweet herbs, till nearly done. Cool, and add beef, veal or mutton steaks. Put the liquor of the stew to the giblets. Cover with paste, and when the pie is baked, pour into it a large teacupful of cream. LAMB PASTY--Bone the lamb, cut it into square pieces; season with salt, pepper, cloves, mace, nutmeg, and minced thyme; lay in some beef suet, and the lamb upon it, making a high border about it; then turn over the paste close, and bake it. When it is enough, put in some claret, sugar, vinegar, and the yolks of eggs, beaten, together. To have the sauce only savory, and not sweet, let it be gravy only, or the baking of bones in claret.
SALMON PIE.--Grate the rind of one small lemon, or half a large one; beat the yolks of 2 eggs; 4 tablespoons of sugar; beat all together; add to this 1/2 pint of cold water, with 1-1/2 tablespoons of flour in it; rub smooth so there will be no lumps; beat the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth; stir this in your pie-custard before you put it in the pan. Bake with one crust, and bake slowly.
SALMON PIE--Grate the rind of a lemon into the yolks of three fresh eggs; beat for five minutes, adding three heaping tablespoonfuls of granulated sugar; after squeezing in the juice of the lemon add half a teacupful of water; mix all thoroughly, and place in a crust the same as made for custard pie; place in oven and bake slowly. Take the whites of the three eggs, and beat to a stiff froth, adding two tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar, and juice of half a lemon; after the pie bakes and is cool, place the frosting on top, and put into a hot oven to brown.
MINCE-MEAT--There are various opinions as to the result of adding meat to the sweet ingredients used in making this favorite dish. Many housewives think it an improvement, and use either the under-cut of a well-roasted surloin of beef or a boiled fresh ox-tongue for the purpose. Either of these meats may be chosen with advantage, and one pound, after it has been cooked, will be found sufficient; this should be freed from fat, and well minced. In making mince-meat, each ingredient should be minced separately and finely before it is added to the others. For a moderate quant.i.ty, take two pounds of raisins (stoned), the same quant.i.ty of currants, well washed and dried, ditto of beef suet, chopped fine, one pound of American apples, pared and cored, two pounds of moist sugar, half a pound of candied orange-peel, and a quarter of a pound of citron, the grated rinds of three lemons, one grated nutmeg, a little mace, half an ounce of salt, and one teaspoonful of ginger. After having minced the fruit separately, mix all well together with the hand; then add half a pint of French brandy and the same of sherry. Mix well with a spoon, press it down in jars, and cover it with a bladder.
GOOD MINCE PIES.--Six pounds beef; 5 pounds suet; 5 pounds sugar; 2 ounces allspice; 2 ounces cloves; 3/4 pound cinnamon; 1/2 pint mola.s.ses; 1-1/4 pounds seedless raisins; 2 pounds currants; 1/2 pound citron chopped fine; 1 pound almonds, chopped fine; 2 oranges; 1 lemon-skin, and all chopped fine; 2 parts chopped apples to one of meat; brandy and cider to taste.
MOCK MINCE PIES.--One teacup of bread; one of vinegar; one of water; one of raisins; one of sugar; one of mola.s.ses; one half-cup of b.u.t.ter; one teaspoon of cloves; one of nutmeg; one of cinnamon. The quant.i.ty is sufficient for three pies. They are equally as good as those made in the usual way.
POTATO PASTY.--Boil and peel and mash potatoes as fine as possible; mix them with salt, pepper, and a good bit of b.u.t.ter. Make a paste; roll it out thin like a large puff, and put in the potato; fold over one half, pinching the edges. Bake in a moderate oven.
POTATO PIE.--Skin some potatoes and cut them in slices; season them; and also some mutton, beef, pork or veal, and a lump of b.u.t.ter. Put layers of them and of the meat. A few eggs boiled and chopped fine improves it.
VEAL AND HAM PIE.--Cut about one pound and a half of veal into thin slices, as also a quarter of a pound of cooked ham; season the veal rather highly with white pepper and salt, with which cover the bottom of the dish; then lay over a few slices of ham, then the remainder of the veal, finishing with the remainder of the ham; add a winegla.s.sful of water, and cover with a good paste, and bake; a bay-leaf will be an improvement.
VINEGAR PIE.--Five tablespoons vinegar, five sugar, two flour, two water, a little nutmeg. Put in dish and bake.
HOW TO MAKE PRESERVES OF VARIOUS KINDS
APPLE JAM.--Fill a wide jar nearly half full of water; cut the apples unpeeled into quarters, take out the core, then fill the jar with the apples; tie a paper over it, and put it into a slow oven. When quite soft and cool, pulp them through a sieve. To each pound of pulp put three-quarters of a pound of crushed sugar, and boil it gently until it will jelly. Put it into large tart dishes or jars. It will keep for five or more years in a cool, dry place. If for present use, or a month hence, half a pound of sugar is enough.
APPLE MARMALADE.--Scald apples till they will pulp from the core; then take an equal weight of sugar in large lumps, just dip them in water, and boil it till it can be well skimmed, and is a thick syrup, put to it the pulp, and simmer it on a quick fire a quarter of an hour. Grate a little lemon-peel before boiled, but if too much it will be bitter.
BARBERRY JAM.--The barberries for this preserve should be quite ripe, though they should not be allowed to hang until they begin to decay.
Strip them from the stalks; throw aside such as are spotted, and for one pound of fruit allow eighteen ounces well-refined sugar; boil this, with about a pint of water to every four pounds, until it becomes white, and falls in thick ma.s.ses from the spoon; then throw in the fruit, and keep it stirred over a brisk fire for six minutes only; take off the sc.u.m, and pour it into jars or gla.s.ses. Sugar four and a half pounds; water a pint and a quarter, boil to candy height; barberries four pounds; six minutes.
HOW TO PRESERVE BLACK CURRANTS.--Get the currants when they are dry, and pick them; to every 1-1/4 lbs. of currants put 1 lb. of sugar into a preserving pan, with as much juice of currants as will dissolve it; when it boils skim it, and put in the currants, and boil them till they are clear; put them into a jar, lay brandy paper over them, tie them down, and keep in a dry place. A little raspberry juice is an improvement.
CHERRY JAM.--Pick and stone 4 lbs. of May-duke cherries; press them through a sieve; then boil together half a pint of red currant or raspberry juice, and 3/4 lb. of white sugar, put the cherries into them while boiling; add 1 lb. of fine white sugar. Boil quickly 35 minutes, jar, and cover well.
CHERRY MARMALADE.--Take some very ripe cherries; cut off the stalks and take out the stones; crush them and boil them well; put them into a hand sieve, and force them through with a spatula, till the whole is pressed through and nothing remains but the skins; put it again upon the fire to dry; when reduced to half weigh it, and add an equal weight of sugar; boil again; and when it threads between the fingers, it is finished.
HOW TO PRESERVE CURRANTS FOR TARTS.--Let the currants be ripe, dry and well picked. To every 1-1/4 lbs. of currants put 1 lb. of sugar into a preserving pan with as much juice of currants as will dissolve it; when it boils skim it, and put in the currants; boil till clear; jar, and put brandy-paper over; tie down; keep in a dry place.
HOW TO PRESERVE GRAPES.--Into an air-tight cask put a layer of bran dried in an oven; upon this place a layer of grapes, well dried, and not quite ripe, and so on alternately till the barrel is filled; end with bran, and close air-tight; they will keep 9 or 10 months. To restore them to their original freshness, cut the end off each bunch stalk, and put into wine, like flowers. Or,
Bunches of grapes may be preserved through winter by inserting the end of the stem into a potato. The bunches should be laid on dry straw, and turned occasionally.
HOW TO PRESERVE GREEN GAGES.--Choose the largest when they begin to soften; split them without paring; strew upon them part of the sugar.
Blanch the kernels with a sharp knife. Next day pour the syrup from the fruit, and boil it with the other sugar six or eight minutes gently; skim and add the plums and kernels. Simmer till clear, taking off the sc.u.m; put the fruit singly into small pots, and pour the syrup and kernels to it. To candy it, do not add the syrup, but observe the directions given for candying fruit; some may be done each way.
GREEN GAGE JAM.--Peel and take out the stones. To 1 lb. of pulp put 3/4 lb. loaf sugar; boil half an hour; add lemon juice.
TRANSPARENTLY BEAUTIFUL MARMALADE.--Take 3 lbs. bitter oranges; pare them as you would potatoes; cut the skin into fine shreds, and put them into a muslin bag; quarter all the oranges; press out the juice.
Boil the pulp and shreds in three quarts of water 2-1/2 hours, down to three pints; strain through a hair sieve. Then put six pounds of sugar to the liquid, the juice and the shreds, the outside of two lemons grated, and the insides squeezed in; add three cents worth of isingla.s.s. Simmer altogether slowly for 15 or 20 minutes.
TOMATO MARMALADE.--Take ripe tomatoes in the height of the season; weigh them, and to every pound of tomatoes add one pound of sugar.
Put the tomatoes into a large pan or small tub, and scald them with boiling water, so as to make the skin peel off easily; When you have entirely removed the skin, put the tomatoes (without any water) into a preserving kettle, wash them, and add the sugar, with one ounce of powdered ginger to every three pounds of fruit, and the juice of two lemons, the grated rind of three always to every three pounds of fruit. Stir up the whole together, and set it over a moderate fire.
Boil it gently for two or three hours; till the whole becomes a thick, smooth ma.s.s, skimming it well, and stirring it to the bottom after every skimming. When done, put it warm into jars, and cover tightly.
This will be found a very fine sweetmeat.
HOW TO PRESERVE GREEN PEAS.--Sh.e.l.l, and put them into a kettle of water when it boils; give them two or three warms only, and pour them in a colander. Drain, and turn them out on a cloth, and then on another to dry perfectly. When dry bottle them in wide mouthed bottles; leaving only room to pour clarified mutton suet upon them an inch thick, and for the cork. Rosin it down; and keep in the cellar, or in the earth, as directed for gooseberries. When they are to be used, boil them till tender, with a bit of b.u.t.ter, a spoonful of sugar, and a bit of mint.
HOW TO PRESERVE GREEN PEAS FOR WINTER USE.--Carefully sh.e.l.l the peas; then place them in the canister, not too large ones; put in a small piece of alum, about the size of a horse-bean to a pint of peas. When the canister is full of peas, fill up the interstices with water, and solder on the lid perfectly air-tight, and boil the canisters for about twenty minutes; then remove them to a cool place, and by the time of January they will be found but little inferior to fresh, new-gathered peas. Bottling is not so good; at least, we have not found it so; for the air gets in, the liquid turns sour, and the peas acquire a bad taste.
HOW TO KEEP PRESERVES.--Apply the white of an egg, with a brush, to a single thickness of white tissue paper, with which covers the jars, lapping over an inch or two. It will require no tying, as it will become, when dry, inconceivably tight and strong, and impervious to the air.
QUINCES FOR THE TEA-TABLE.--Bake ripe quinces thoroughly; when cold, strip off the skins, place them in a gla.s.s dish, and sprinkle with white sugar, and serve them with cream. They make a fine looking dish for the tea-table, and a more luscious and inexpensive one than the same fruit made into sweetmeats. Those who once taste the fruit thus prepared, will probably desire to store away a few bushels in the fall to use in the above manner.
PICKLED PEARS.--Three pounds of sugar to a pint of vinegar, spice in a bag and boil, then cook the pears in the vinegar till done through.
BOILED PEARS.--Boil pears in water till soft, then add one pound of sugar to three pounds of fruit.
PICKLED CITRON.--One quart vinegar, two pounds sugar, cloves and cinnamon each one tablespoon, boil the citron tender in water, take them out and drain, then put them in the syrup and cook till done.
HOW TO PRESERVE RASPBERRIES.--Take raspberries that are not too ripe, and put them to their weight in sugar, with a little water. Boil softly, and do not break them; when they are clear, take them up, and boil the syrup till it be thick enough; then put them in again, and when they are cold, put them in gla.s.ses or jars.
RASPBERRY JAM.--One pound sugar to four pounds fruit, with a few currants.
SPICED CURRANTS.--Six pounds currants, four pounds sugar, two tablespoons cloves and two of cinnamon, and one pint of vinegar; boil two hours until quite thick.
STEWED PEARS--Pare and halve or quarter a dozen pears, according to their size; carefully remove the cores, but leave the sloths on. Place them in a clean baking-jar, with a closely fitting lid; add to them the rind of one lemon, cut in strips, and the juice of half a lemon, six cloves, and whole allspice, according to discretion. Put in just enough water to cover the whole, and allow half a pound of loaf-sugar to every pint. Cover down close, and bake in a very cool oven for five hours, or stew them very gently in a lined saucepan from three to four hours. When done, lift them out on a gla.s.s dish without breaking them; boil up the syrup quickly for two or three minutes; let it cool a little, and pour it over the pears. A little cochineal greatly enhances the appearance of the fruit; you may add a few drops of prepared cochineal; and a little port wine is often used, and much improves the flavor.
HOW TO PRESERVE WHOLE STRAWBERRIES--Take equal weights of the fruit and refined sugar, lay the former in a large dish, and sprinkle half the sugar in fine powder over, give a gentle shake to the dish that the sugar may touch the whole of the fruit; next day make a thin syrup with the remainder of the sugar, and instead of water allow one pint of red currant juice to every pound of strawberries; in this simmer them until sufficiently jellied. Choose the largest scarlets, or others when not dead ripe.
HOW TO PRESERVE STRAWBERRIES IN WINE--Put a quant.i.ty of the finest large strawberries into a gooseberry-bottle, and strew in three large spoonfuls of fine sugar; fill up with Madeira wine or fine sherry.
PRESERVED TOMATOES--One pound of sugar to one pound of ripe tomatoes boiled down; flavor with lemon.
HOW TO BOIL, BAKE AND STEAM PUDDINGS
AMBER PUDDING--Put a pound of b.u.t.ter into a saucepan, with three quarters of a pound of loaf sugar finely powdered; melt the b.u.t.ter, and mix well with it; then add the yolks of fifteen eggs well beaten, and as much fresh candied orange as will add color and flavor to it, being first beaten to a fine paste. Line the dish with paste for turning out; and when filled with the above, lay a crust over, as you would a pie, and bake in a slow oven. It is as good cold as hot.
BAKED APPLE PUDDING--Pare and quarter four large apples; boil them tender with the rind of a lemon, in so little water, that when done, none may remain; beat them quite fine in a mortar; add the crumbs of a small roll, four ounces of b.u.t.ter melted, the yolks of five, and whites of three eggs, juice of half a lemon, and sugar to taste: beat all together, and lay it in a dish with paste to turn out.