_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients into a lined saucepan, and boil gently until the isingla.s.s is dissolved; taste it occasionally, to ascertain when it is sufficiently flavoured with the laurel-leaves; then take them out, and keep stirring the mixture over the fire for about 10 minutes.
Strain it through a fine sieve into a jug, and, when nearly cold, pour it into a well-oiled mould, omitting the sediment at the bottom. Turn it out carefully on a dish, and garnish with preserves, bright jelly, or a compote of fruit.
_Time_.--Altogether, 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 8d.
_Sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _Seasonable_ at any time.
BREAD-AND-b.u.t.tER FRITTERS.
1410. INGREDIENTS.--Batter, 8 slices of bread and b.u.t.ter, 3 or 4 tablespoonfuls of jam.
_Mode_.--Make a batter, the same as for apple fritters No. 1393; cut some slices of bread and b.u.t.ter, not very thick; spread half of them with any jam that may he preferred, and cover with the other slices; slightly press them together, and cut them out in square, long, or round pieces. Dip them in the batter, and fry in boiling lard for about 10 minutes; drain them before the fire on a piece of blotting-paper or cloth. Dish them, sprinkle over sifted sugar, and serve.
_Time_.--About 10 minutes.
_Average cost_, 1s.
_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.
TO MAKE THE STOCK FOR JELLY, AND TO CLARIFY IT.
1411. INGREDIENTS.--2 calf"s feet, 6 pints of water.
[Ill.u.s.tration: JELLY-MOULD.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: JELLY-BAG.]
_Mode_.--The stock for jellies should always be made the day before it is required for use, as the liquor has time to cool, and the fat can be so much more easily and effectually removed when thoroughly set. Procure from the butcher"s 2 nice calf"s feet: scald them, to take off the hair; slit them in two, remove the fat from between the claws, and wash the feet well in warm water; put them into a stewpan, with the above proportion of cold water, bring it gradually to boil, and remove every particle of sc.u.m as it rises. When it is well skimmed, boil it very gently for 6 or 7 hours, or until the liquor is reduced rather more than half; then strain it through a sieve into a basin, and put it in a cool place to set. As the liquor is strained, measure it, to ascertain the proportion for the jelly, allowing something for the sediment and fat at the top. To clarify it, carefully remove all the fat from the top, pour over a little warm water, to wash away any that may remain, and wipe the jelly with a clean cloth; remove the jelly from the sediment, put it into a saucepan, and, supposing the quant.i.ty to be a quart, add to it 6 oz. of loaf sugar, the sh.e.l.ls and well-whisked whites of 5 eggs, and stir these ingredients together cold; set the saucepan on the fire, but _do not stir the jelly after it begins to warm_. Let it boil about 10 minutes after it rises to a head, then throw in a teacupful of cold water; let it boil 5 minutes longer, then take the saucepan off, cover it closely, and let it remain 1/2 hour near the fire. Dip the jelly-bag into hot water, wring it out quite dry, and fasten it on to a stand or the back of a chair, which must be placed near the fire, to prevent the jelly from setting before it has run through the bag. Place a basin underneath to receive the jelly; then pour it into the bag, and should it not be clear the first time, run it through the bag again. This stock is the foundation of all _really good_ jellies, which may be varied in innumerable ways, by colouring and flavouring with liqueurs, and by moulding it with fresh and preserved fruits. To insure the jelly being firm when turned out, 1/2 oz. of isingla.s.s clarified might be added to the above proportion of stock. Subst.i.tutes for calf"s feet are now frequently used in making jellies, which lessen the expense and trouble in preparing this favourite dish; isingla.s.s and gelatine being two of the princ.i.p.al materials employed; but, although they may _look_ as nicely as jellies made from good stock, they are never so delicate, having very often an unpleasant flavour, somewhat resembling glue, particularly when made with gelatine.
_Time_.--About 6 hours to boil the feet for the stock; to clarify it,--1/4 hour to boil, 1/2 hour to stand in the saucepan covered.
_Average cost_.--Calf"s feet may be purchased for 6d. each when veal is in full season, but more expensive when it is scarce.
_Sufficient_.--2 calf"s feet should make 1 quart of stock.
_Seasonable_ from March to October, but may be had all the year.
HOW TO MAKE A JELLY-BAG.--The very stout flannel called double-mill, used for ironing-blankets, is the best material for a jelly-bag: those of home manufacture are the only ones to be relied on for thoroughly clearing the jelly. Care should be taken that the seam of the bag be st.i.tched twice, to secure it against unequal filtration. The most convenient mode of using the big is to tie it upon a hoop the exact size of the outside of its mouth; and, to do this, strings should be sewn round it at equal distances. The jelly-bag may, of coa.r.s.e, be made any size; but one of twelve or fourteen inches deep, and seven or eight across the mouth, will be sufficient for ordinary use. The form of a jelly-bag is the fool"s cap.
COW-HEEL STOCK FOR JELLIES.
(More Economical than Calf"s Feet.)
1412. INGREDIENTS.--2 cow-heels, 3 quarts of water.
_Mode_.--Procure 2 heels that have only been scalded, and not boiled; split them in two, and remove the fat between the claws; wash them well in warm water, and put them into a saucepan with the above proportion of cold water; bring it gradually to boil, remove all the sc.u.m as it rises, and simmer the heels gently from 7 to 8 hours, or until the liquor is reduced one-half; then strain it into a basin, measuring the quant.i.ty, and put it in a cool place. Clarify it in the same manner as calf"s-feet stock No. 1411, using, with the other ingredients, about 1/2 oz. of isingla.s.s to each quart. This stock should be made the day before it is required for use. Two dozen shank-bones of mutton, boiled for 6 or 7 hours, yield a quart of strong firm stock. They should be put on in 2 quarts of water, which should be reduced one-half. Make this also the day before it is required.
_Time_.--7 to 8 hours to boil the cow-heels, 6 to 7 hours to boil the shank-bones.
_Average cost_, from 4d. to 6d. each.
_Sufficient_.--2 cow-heels should make 3 pints of stock.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
ISINGLa.s.s OR GELATINE JELLY.
(_Subst.i.tutes for Calf"s Feet_.)
1413. INGREDIENTS.--3 oz. of isingla.s.s or gelatine, 2 quarts of water.
_Mode_.--Put the isingla.s.s or gelatine into a saucepan with the above proportion of cold water; bring it quickly to boil, and let it boil very fast, until the liquor is reduced one-half. Carefully remove the sc.u.m as it rises, then strain it through a jelly-bag, and it will be ready for use. If not required very clear, it may be merely strained through a fine sieve, instead of being run through a bag. Rather more than 1/2 oz.
of isingla.s.s is about the proper quant.i.ty to use for a quart of strong calf"s-feet stock, and rather more than 2 oz. for the same quant.i.ty of fruit juice. As isingla.s.s varies so much in quality and strength, it is difficult to give the exact proportions. The larger the mould, the stiffer should be the jelly; and where there is no ice, more isingla.s.s must be used than if the mixture were frozen. This forms a stock for all kinds of jellies, which may be flavoured in many ways.
_Time_.--1-1/2 hour.
_Sufficient_, with wine, syrup, fruit, &c., to fill two moderate-sized moulds.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
_Note_.--The above, when boiled, should be perfectly clear, and may be mixed warm with wine, flavourings, fruits, &c., and then run through the bag.
ISINGLa.s.s.--The best isingla.s.s is brought from Russia; some of an inferior kind is brought from North and South America and the East Indies: the several varieties may be had from the wholesale dealers in isingla.s.s in London. In choosing isingla.s.s for domestic use, select that which is whitest, has no unpleasant odour, and which dissolves most readily in water. The inferior kinds are used for fining beer, and similar purposes. Isingla.s.s is much adulterated: to test its purity, take a few threads of the substance, drop some into boiling water, some into cold water, and some into vinegar. In the boiling water the isingla.s.s will dissolve, in cold water it will become white and "cloudy,"
and in vinegar it will swell and become jelly-like. If the isingla.s.s is adulterated with gelatine (that is to say, the commoner sorts of gelatine,--for isingla.s.s is cla.s.sed amongst gelatines, of all which varieties it is the very purest and best), in boiling water the gelatine will not so completely dissolve as the isingla.s.s; in cold water it becomes clear and jelly-like; and in vinegar it will harden.
HOW TO MOULD BOTTLED JELLIES.
1414. Uncork the bottle; place it in a saucepan of hot water until the jelly is reduced to a liquid state; taste it, to ascertain whether it is sufficiently flavoured, and if not, add a little wine. Pour the jelly into moulds which have been soaked in water; let it set, and turn it out by placing the mould in hot water for a minute; then wipe the outside, put a dish on the top, and turn it over quickly. The jelly should then slip easily away from the mould, and be quite firm. It may be garnished as taste dictates.
TO CLARIFY SYRUP FOR JELLIES.
1415. INGREDIENTS.--To every quart of water allow 2 lbs. of loaf sugar; the white of 1 egg.
_Mode_.--Put the sugar and water into a stewpan; set it on the fire, and, when the sugar is dissolved, add the white of the egg, whipped up with a little water. Whisk the whole well together, and simmer very gently until it has thrown up all the sc.u.m. Take this off as it rises, strain the syrup through a fine sieve or cloth into a basin, and keep it for use.
CALF"S-FEET JELLY.
1416. INGREDIENTS.--1 quart of calf"s-feet stock No. 1411, 1/2 lb. of sugar, 1/2 pint of sherry, 1 gla.s.s of brandy, the sh.e.l.ls and whites of 5 eggs, the rind and juice of 2 lemons, 1/2 oz. of isingla.s.s.
_Mode_.--Prepare the stock as directed in recipe No. 1411, taking care to leave the sediment, and to remove all the fat from the surface. Put it into a saucepan, cold, without clarifying it; add the remaining ingredients, and stir them well together before the saucepan is placed on the fire. Then simmer the mixture gently for 1/4 hour, _but do not stir it after it begins to warm_. Throw in a teacupful of cold water, boil for another 5 minutes, and keep the saucepan covered by the side of the fire for about 1/2 hour, but do not let it boil again. In simmering, the head or sc.u.m may be carefully removed as it rises; but particular attention must be given to the jelly, that it be not stirred in the slightest degree after it is heated. The isingla.s.s should be added when the jelly begins to boil: this a.s.sists to clear it, and makes it firmer for turning out. Wring out a jelly-bag in hot water; fasten it on to a stand, or the back of a chair; place it near the fire with a basin underneath it, and run the jelly through it. Should it not be perfectly clear the first time, repeat the process until the desired brilliancy is obtained. Soak the moulds in water, drain them for half a second, pour in the jelly, and put it in a cool place to set. If ice is at hand, surround the moulds with it, and the jelly will set sooner, and be firmer when turned out. In summer it is necessary to have ice in which to put the moulds, or the cook will be, very likely, disappointed, by her jellies being in too liquid a state to turn out properly, unless a great deal of isingla.s.s is used. When wanted for table, dip the moulds in hot water for a minute, wipe the outside with a cloth, lay a dish on the top of the mould, turn it quickly over, and the jelly should slip out easily. It is sometimes served broken into square lumps, and piled high in gla.s.ses. Earthenware moulds are preferable to those of pewter or tin, for red jellies, the colour and transparency of the composition being often spoiled by using the latter.
[Ill.u.s.tration: JELLY-MOULD.]
To make this jelly more economically, raisin wine may be subst.i.tuted for the sherry and brandy, and the stock made from cow-heels, instead of calf"s feet.