PORK.--The flesh of no other animal depends so much upon feeding as that of pork. The greatest care ought to be observed in feeding it, at least twenty-one days previous to its being killed; it should fast for twenty-four hours before. No animal is more used for nourishment, and none more indispensable in the kitchen; employed either fresh or salt, all is useful, even to its bristles and its blood; it is the superfluous riches of the farmer, and helps to pay the rent of the cottager. It is cut up the same as the ox. The fore-quarter is the fore-loin and spring; if it is a large pig, the sparerib may be cut off. The hind-quarter is the leg and loin.
There is also the head and haslet (which is the liver, kidney, craw, and skirts), and also chitterlings, which are cleansed for sausages and black puddings. For boiling or roasting it should never be older than six months, and the leg must not weigh more than from six to seven pounds. The short-legged, thick-necked, and small-headed pigs are the best breed, a cross from the Chinese. If fresh and young, the flesh and fat should be white and firm, smooth and dry, and the lean break if pinched between the fingers, or you can nip the skin with the nails; the contrary if old and stale.
339. _Leg of Pork._--Choose the pork as described at the commencement of this series, if a leg, one weighing about seven pounds; cut an incision in the knuckle near the thigh, into which put a quant.i.ty of sage and onions, previously pa.s.sed in b.u.t.ter, sew the incision up with pack-thread, score the rind of the pork in lines across, half an inch apart, place upon a spit, running it in just under the rind, and bringing it out at the knuckle. If stuffed the day previous to roasting, it would improve its flavor; roast (if weighing seven pounds) about two hours and a half, and serve with apple sauce in a boat.
340. _Chine of Pork._--Score it well, stuff it thick with pork stuffing, roast it gently, and serve with apple sauce.
341. _Sparerib of Pork._--When spitted, rub some flour over the rind, roast it before a clear fire, not too strong, or cover it with paper; about ten minutes before taking it up, throw some powdered sage over it, and froth it up with some b.u.t.ter in a spoon, and serve with gravy under.
342. _Loin or Neck of Pork a la Piemontaise._--The neck or loin must be plain roasted; you have peeled and cut four onions in dice, put them into a stewpan, with two ounces of b.u.t.ter, stir over the fire until rather brown, then add a tablespoonful of flour, mix well, add a good pint of broth, if any, or water, with an ounce of glaze, boil ten minutes, add two tablespoonfuls of French mustard, with a little pepper, salt, and sugar, pour the sauce upon the dish, and dress your joint upon it; serve with a little apple sauce separate in a boat.
343. _Loin or Neck of Pork, Normandy fashion._--Procure a neck or loin, put it in a common earthen dish, having previously scored the rind, rub over with a little oil, place about twenty potatoes, cut in halves or in quarters, in the dish with the pork, ten onions peeled, and twenty apples, peeled and quartered, place in a warm oven for an hour and a half or more, then dress it upon your dish with the apples, onions, and potatoes around, and serve.
344. _Bacon and Ham._--Bacon-pigs are cut up differently for hams, bacon, &c., but a poleaxe should never be used for killing them, as it spoils the head. To be good, the fat must be firm, with a slight red tinge, the lean a dark red, and stick close to the bone; the rind thin, if young; if old (should it be well fed it is sometimes better), it will be thick. For hams, choose one short in the hock; run the knife close under the bone, when it comes out, if not smeared and has a pleasant smell, it is good.
345. _Ham._--This useful and popular dish, which is equally a favorite in the palace and the cottage, may be dressed in upwards of fifty different ways, with as many different dishes, which are described in their place. They should be well soaked in water, and boiled gently for three or four hours. If to serve hot, take the skin off, except from the knuckle, which cut to fancy; trim the fat to a nice appearance, glaze and serve, or throw over some sifted raspings of bread mixed with a little chopped parsley. Serve where recommended.
346. _Bacon._--A piece of good streaky bacon, not too salt, should be put into cold water and boiled for one hour and a half, and served with broad beans, when in season, round it, or any young peas.
347. _Sucking Pig_ is merely plain roasted, stuffed with veal stuffing, but before putting it upon the spit it requires to be floured and rubbed very dry, otherwise the skin would not eat crisp; the usual method of serving it is to cut off the head, and divide the body and head of the pig in halves lengthwise; pour over some sauce made of the brains and a little brown sauce, or of white melted b.u.t.ter, nicely seasoned with salt, pepper, and sugar; serve apple sauce separate in a boat, if approved of.
348. _Hind Quarter of Sucking Pig (Yorkshire fashion)._--Cut off the skin, cover with paper, and roast before a quick fire about three quarters of an hour; ten minutes before being ready, remove the paper and baste it; serve with gravy under, and mint sauce and salad.
349. _Salt Pork._--Pork is salted in the same manner as described for beef, omitting the sal-prunella, but of course not requiring so long a time; a leg weighing seven pounds would be well salted in a week, as also would a hand and spring weighing about ten pounds, and either would require two hours boiling, putting them in a stewpan, with cold water, and serving with carrots and greens and pease pudding.
350. _Pig"s Cheek (a new method)._--Procure a pig"s cheek nicely pickled, boil well until it feels very tender, tie half a pint of split peas in a cloth, put them into a stewpan of boiling water, boil about half an hour, take them out, pa.s.s through a hair sieve, put them into a stewpan, with an ounce of b.u.t.ter, a little pepper and salt, and four eggs, stir them over the fire until the eggs are partially set, then spread it over the pig"s cheek, egg with a paste-brush, sprinkle bread-crumbs over, place in the oven ten minutes, brown it with the salamander, and serve.
351. _Pickled Pork (Belly part)._--Choose a nice streaky piece of about four pounds, it will take about three quarters of an hour boiling; serve, garnish with greens round it.
352. _Hand of Pork._--Choose one not too salt; boil it for one hour.
Serve as above.
VENISON is cut up the same as mutton, with the exception of the saddle, which is seldom or never cut; the flesh should be dark, fine-grained and firm, and a good coating of fat on the back. It should be well hung and kept in a dry, cold place. By running a skewer in along the bone, you will know when it is fit for eating; examine it carefully every morning to cut out any fly-blows.
353. _Haunch of Venison._--A good haunch of venison, weighing from about twenty to twenty-five pounds, will take from three to four hours roasting before a good solid fire; trim the haunch by cutting off part of the knuckle and sawing off the chine-bone; fold the flap over, then envelop it in a flour and water paste rather stiff, and an inch thick, tie it up in strong paper, four sheets in thickness, place it in your cradle spit so that it will turn quite even, place it at first very close to the fire until the paste is well crusted, pouring a few ladlefuls of hot dripping over occasionally to prevent the paper catching fire, then put it rather further from the fire, which must be quite clear, solid, and have sufficient frontage to throw the same heat on every part of the venison; when it has roasted the above time take it up, remove it from the paste and paper, run a thin skewer into the thickest part to ascertain if done; if it resists the skewer it is not done, and must be tied up and put down again, but if the fire is good, that time will sufficiently cook it; glaze the top well, salamander until a little brown, put a frill upon the knuckle, and serve very hot, with strong gravy, and plenty of French beans separate.
354. _Neck of Venison_ should be cut like a neck of mutton, taking the breast off, leaving the neck about nine inches wide; detach the flesh from the chine-bone, and saw it off, leaving only the cutlet bones, then pa.s.s a lark spit through it, cover it with paste and paper the same as the haunch, and fix on spit, and roast, if about eight pounds, for two hours before a good fire.
POULTRY.
This is the best and most delicious of the various matters with which man furnishes himself as food; although containing but little nourishment, it gives a delightful variety to our repasts: from the sparrow to the turkey, we find everywhere, in this numerous cla.s.s, that which gives a meal equally as good for the invalid as the robust.
Increasing every day in luxuries, we have arrived at a point unknown even to Lucullus; we are not contented with the beautiful qualities which Nature gives this species, but, under pretence of improving them, we not only deprive them of their liberty by keeping them in solitude and in darkness, but force them to eat their food, and thus bring them to a degree of fatness which Nature never intended. Even the bird which saved the capital of Rome is treated with still greater indignity,--thrust into warm ovens and nearly baked alive to produce those beautiful and delicious livers so well known to gourmets.[5]
The best way of killing poultry is to take the bird by the neck, placing the thumb of the right hand just at the back of the head, closing the head in your hand, your left hand holding the bird, then press your thumb down hard and pull the head and neck contrariwise; the neck will break instantaneously, and the bird will be quite dead in a few seconds, then hang it a short time by the legs for the blood to flow into the head, which renders the flesh much whiter. In France they are usually killed by cutting the throat close to the head; both methods are good with regard to the whiteness of the flesh, but I prefer the English method, not being so barbarous.
To pluck either game or poultry have the bird upon a board with its head towards you, and pull the feathers away from you, which is the direction they lie in; many persons pull out the feathers in a contrary direction, by which means they are likely to tear the skin to pieces, which would very much disfigure the bird for the table.
To draw poultry after it is well plucked, cut a long incision at the back of the neck, then take out the thin skin from under the outer with the crop, cut the neck bone off close to the body of the bird, but leave the skin a good length, make an incision under the tail just large enough for the gizzard to pa.s.s through, no larger; then put your finger into the bird at the breast and detach all the intestines, take care not to break the gall-bladder, squeeze the body of the bird and force out the whole from the incision at the tail; it is then ready for trussing, the method of doing which will be given in the various Receipts throughout this series. The above method of drawing poultry is equally applicable to game.
TURKEY.--The flesh of this bird depends greatly upon its feeding; it might be made much more valuable for table if proper attention was paid to it. A young one should have his legs black and smooth and spurs short, his eyes look fresh and feet limber.
It is singular that this bird should take its name from a country in which it was never seen; in other countries in Europe it is called the Indian c.o.c.k, because, on the first discovery of America by Columbus, it was supposed to be part of the continent of India, and thus it received the name of the West Indies; and this bird, being brought over on the first voyage, was thus named. By many it is supposed to have been brought over by the Jesuits in Spain and Portugal. It is familiarly called so. It is also probable that they were the first who domesticated it. I have seen it stated that it was known to the Romans, and was served at the marriage of Charlemagne. From my researches I rather think they confound it with the pheasant. It has more flavor than any other of our domestic birds, and is, consequently, held in higher estimation and enjoys a higher price. Do not fear these long receipts, as each one contains several.
355. _Plain Roasted Turkey, with Sausages._--This well-known dish, which has the joyous recollection of Christmas attached to it, and its well-known cognomen of "an alderman in chains," brings to our mind"s eye the famed hospitality of this mighty city. The following is my plan of cooking it.--It must be first trussed as follows: Having first emptied it, break the leg-bone close to the foot, and draw out the sinews from the thigh; cut off the neck close to the back, leaving the skin long; wipe the inside with a wet cloth, cut the breast-bone through on each side close to the back, and draw the legs close up; fold a cloth up several times, place it on the breast, and beat it down until it lies flat; put a skewer in the joint of the wing, and another through the middle of the leg and body, one through the small part of the leg and body, close to the side-bones, and another through the extremity of the two legs. The liver and gizzard should be placed between the pinions of the wings, and the points turned on the back. When thus trussed, singe all the hair off that may remain, take about one pound of stuffing (see Receipt), and put it under the skin at the neck, tie the skin under, but not too tight or it may burst in roasting, put it on to a small-sized spit and fasten it with a holdfast, or hang it neck downwards from a bottle-jack, put it about eighteen inches from a good roasting-fire, let it turn about ten minutes, when the skin is firm and dry you press into the bowl of a wooden spoon, so that it sticks, about one ounce of b.u.t.ter, and rub the turkey all over with it; when all melted, remove the turkey eight inches further from the fire: one of about six pounds will take two hours to roast without pouring any fat over it. In case your fire is too fierce and likely to break the skin, draw it back still more; it will, with proper care, be of a golden color. I do not object to the gizzard being placed under the wing when roasting, but never the liver, which I cook in the dripping-pan, as the gravy which would run from it would spoil the color of the breast. When done, remove it, cut the strings, lay it on your dish, and pour under half a pint of good brown gravy, or make some with glaze; or, whilst the bird is roasting, b.u.t.ter the bottom of a small stewpan, pick and slice two onions, lay them at the bottom, cut the neck in small pieces, add half a spoonful of salt, a quarter ditto of pepper, a little turnip, one clove, set on a slow fire till the onions are of a brown color, then add a pint of water, let it simmer for nearly one hour, then pa.s.s it through a sieve into a basin, skim off the fat, return the gravy again into a stewpan, give it a boil, and, when the turkey is ready to send to table, pour it under; if a little beef or veal handy, add it to the gravy if you require much.
This plan of roasting is adapted for all birds, and all my receipts for plain roasting of poultry will refer to this, with the alteration of the time which each takes to cook.
For _Sausages_, I seldom broil them; I p.r.i.c.k them with a needle, rub the bottom of the frying-pan with a little b.u.t.ter, put twelve sausages in it, and set it on a slow fire and fry gently for about fifteen minutes, turning them when required (by this plan they will not burst), serve very hot round the turkey, or on a separate dish, of smoking-hot mashed potatoes; to vary the gravy I have tried the following plan: take off the fat which is in the frying-pan into a basin, then add the brown gravy, mix a good teaspoonful of arrow-root in a cup with a winegla.s.sful of cold water, pour in the pan, boil a few minutes, pa.s.s it through a sieve, and serve with the turkey. The gravy this way is excellent.
356. _Turkey with flat Sausage Cake._--Roast as before, fry thirty oval flat sausages (see Receipt), the same quant.i.ty of the same sized pieces of bacon, a quarter of an inch thick, make a border of mashed potatoes about the size of a finger, one inch inside the edge of the dish, dress your sausages and bacon on it as a crown alternately, put your turkey in the middle, and gravy over, or glaze, if handy; plain boiled tongue may, of course, be served with the turkey, or separate on a dish of greens; if any remains of tongue from a previous day, it may be served instead of the sausages, cut the same shape as sausages and warmed in a pan; if so, put a nice green Brussels sprout between each piece. Bread sauce is generally served with this dish; for my own part, I never eat it.
BOILED TURKEY.--This is a dish I rarely have, as I never could relish it boiled as it generally is, by putting it into that pure and chaste element water, into which has been thrown some salt, the quant.i.ty of which differs as much as the individuals that throw it in. I often reflect to myself, why should this innocent and well-brought up bird have its remains condemned to this watery bubbling inquisition, especially when alive it has the greatest horror of this temperate fluid; it is really for want of reflection that such mistakes occur: the flavor of a roasted turkey, hot or cold, is as superior to the boiled as it is possible to be. But yet there is a kind of boiling which can be adopted, and which I sometimes practise, which makes a nice palatable dish, and the broth can be used for other purposes. I think, if you try it, you will never again resort to that bubbling system of salt and water.
I proceed as follows:--
357. _Boiled Braised Turkey._--I truss it thus: Cut the neck, leaving the skin on; cut the legs off; then run the middle finger into the inside, raise the skin of the legs, and put them under the ap.r.o.n of the turkey, put the liver and gizzard in the pinions, turn the small end of the pinions on the back, run a packing-needle with string through the joint of the wing and middle joint of the leg, and through the body, and out at the opposite leg and wing, bring it round and tie it on the back, then run the needle and string through the ends of the legs or drumstick, press it through the back, and tie strongly; it is then ready. When the turkey is trussed, I then stuff it; and if I intend to have oyster sauce with it, I chop about two dozen of them into small dice and mix them with the stuffing, and place inside the breast. I then rub the breast with half a lemon, and put it into a two-gallon pan, and cover it with cold water, in which I add two ounces of b.u.t.ter, one ounce of salt, four onions, a stick of celery, one carrot, two turnips sliced, a large bouquet of parsley, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme; set it on the fire, when beginning to boil, skim it, let it simmer two hours, or more if large; try the breast with a needle, if it goes in and out easily it is done; take it out and set it on a dish to drain, remove the string, serve on a fresh dish with a pint of good thick oyster sauce over it; by omitting the oysters in stuffing, you may serve the turkey with celery sauce, Jerusalem sauce, tomato ditto, mushroom ditto, or good parsley and b.u.t.ter; and, as an accompaniment, a piece of about two pounds of nice streaked bacon, which has been boiled with the turkey, and from which you have removed the skin, and serve on some greens, or Brussels sprouts, over which you have thrown a little salt, pepper, and two ounces of oiled b.u.t.ter. You see, dear----, that this dish can be varied without much expense and trouble; observe, that this way, the broth is good for soup the same day, and by the addition of two pounds of veal cut in small pieces, a quarter of a pound of lean bacon, one onion, one blade of mace, one leek, a winegla.s.s of water; put into a separate stewpan, stew on fire till forming a white glaze, then add it to the turkey when on the point of boiling; when done, skim off all fat, pa.s.s it through a tammy or cloth; you may use it for any clear soup by adding a little brown gravy or coloring, and also for any kind of puree; or, by reducing it a little, make white or brown sauce, adding to the last the proper color. I must observe, that this will be almost impracticable when you have a party; the only plan would be to get the turkey done one hour before you require it, keeping it hot with its breast in some of the stock; but, as the broth will keep well in small quant.i.ties, it can be reserved for the next day. That is my plan of boiling, but the following is my new way of giving the flavor of vegetables to all poultry, which is a decided improvement. The aroma from the bird when the cover is removed is quite inviting, and the appearance of it, which is as white as alabaster, and cuts also full of juice: I call it--
358. _Roast Braised Turkey._--Peel and wash two onions, one carrot, one turnip, cut them in thin slices, also a little celery, a few sprigs of parsley, two bay-leaves, lay three sheets of paper on the table, spread your vegetables, and pour over them two or three tablespoonfuls of oil; have your turkey, or poularde, trussed the same as for boiling; cover the breast with thin slices of bacon, and lay the back of the bird on the vegetables; cut a few slices of lemon, which you lay on the breast to keep it white, tie the paper round with string, then pa.s.s the spit and set it before the fire; pour plenty of fat over to moisten the paper and prevent from burning, roast three hours at a pretty good distance from the fire; capons will take two hours, poulardes one hour and a half, fowls one hour, and chickens half an hour. This way it may be served with almost any sauce or garniture, as stewed peas, oyster sauce, jardiniere, stewed celery, cauliflower, stewed cuc.u.mbers, Jerusalem artichokes, which should be turned in the shape of a pear: these should be dished on a border of mashed potatoes; that is, an artichoke and a Brussels sprout alternately, or a small piece of white cauliflower, and a small bunch of green asparagus, or stewed peas, or stewed celery of two inches long, never more, or any other vegetable according to season, which taste or fancy may dictate. When I want to serve them with brown garniture or sauce, I remove the paper and vegetables twenty minutes before it is done, and give it a light golden color, then I serve it with either a ragout financier, or mushroom or English truffle. I also often stuff it thus: I put two pounds of sausage meat in a basin with a little grated nutmeg; I then take two tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, put them in a saute-pan with a little b.u.t.ter, and let them do for two minutes, which add to the meat, also two eggs well beaten up, and a quarter of a pint of white sauce if at hand, and fifteen fine roasted chestnuts; add this to the stuffing, and fill the bird as usual, not too full at the breast; roast as above, giving half an hour longer for the forcemeat, put a quart of demi-glaze and a gla.s.s of sherry in a stewpan, reduce it to a pint and a half, add in it fifty b.u.t.ton onions previously stewed, and twenty-five roasted chestnuts; sauce under.
359. _Turkey, if old._--The French stew it exactly like the ribs of beef, the receipt of which you have; but as this is a large "piece de resistance," I think I had better give it you in full as I do it:--Put a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter into a convenient-sized stewpan, such as will comfortably hold the old gentleman; cut one pound of lean bacon in ten or twelve pieces for a few minutes in the pan on the fire, then add your turkey trussed as for boiling, breast downwards; set it on a moderate fire for one hour, and until it is a nice color, add two tablespoonfuls of flour, and stir well round until it forms a roux, then add two quarts of water or broth; when you have it on the point of boiling, add fifty pieces of carrot the size of walnuts, the like of turnip, ten b.u.t.ton onions, a good bouquet of sprigs of thyme, two bay-leaves, and ten of parsley, a small gla.s.s of rum, a clove, a piece of garlic, and let it stew gently for four hours. If you use water, season in proportion. Take your turkey out, and put the vegetables and sauce in a smaller stewpan, which ought to be nearly full; let it simmer on the corner of the fire, so that the fat rises and may be removed, and reduce it to a demi-glaze, dish up your turkey and serve with the sauce over it; small new potatoes, about twenty, when in season, may be added to the sauce or roasted chestnuts. The remains are excellent when cold, or will warm again with the addition of a little broth or water. The series of entrees will contain the dishes made from the remnants of the foregoing receipts.