STEWED OX CHEEK. Soak and cleanse a fine cheek the day before it is to be eaten. Put it into a stewpan that will cover close, with three quarts of water; simmer it after it has first boiled up, and been well skimmed. In two hours put in plenty of carrots, leeks, two or three turnips, a bunch of sweet herbs, some whole pepper, and four ounces of allspice. Skim it often, and when the meat is tender, take it out. Let the soup get cold, take off the cake of fat, and serve the soup separately, or with the meat. It should be of a fine brown, which may be done by adding a little burnt sugar, or by frying some onions quite brown with flour, and simmering them with it. This last method improves the flavour of all soups and gravies of the brown sort. If vegetables are not approved, they may be taken out of the soup, and a small roll be toasted, or bread fried and added. Celery is a great addition, and should always be served. When out of season, the seed of it gives quite as good a flavour, boiled in, and strained off.—Another way. Soak an ox cheek three hours, and clean it with plenty of water. Take the meat off the bones, and put it into a stewpan with a large onion, a bunch of sweet herbs, some bruised allspice, pepper and salt. Lay the bones on the top, pour on two or three quarts of water, and cover the pan close with stout paper, or a dish that will fit close. Let it stand eight or ten hours in a slow oven, or simmer it by the side of the fire, or on a hot hearth. When done tender, put the meat into a clean pan, and let it get cold. Take off the cake of fat, and warm the head in pieces in the soup. Serve with any sort of vegetables.
STEWED OYSTERS. Open the shells, separate the liquor from the oysters, and wash them from the grit. Strain the liquor, add to the oysters a bit of mace, lemon peel, and a few white peppers. Simmer them very gently, put in some cream, a little flour and butter, and serve them up with sippets. Boiled oysters should be served in the shell, and eaten with cold butter.
STEWED PARSNIPS. Boil the parsnips in milk and water, or milk alone, till fully half done. Slice and divide them into two, down the middle and across. Stew them gently with some good gravy, seasoned with pepper and salt; and five minutes before they are taken up, add a piece of butter rolled in flour. If parsnips are to be stewed white, put in broth and cream in equal quantities, instead of gravy.
STEWED PEARS. Pare and quarter some large pears; throw them into water as soon as pared, and before they are divided, to prevent their turning black. Pack them round a block-tin stewpan, and sprinkle as much sugar over as will make them pretty sweet. Add lemon peel, a clove or two, and some bruised allspice; just cover them with water, and add a little red liquor. Cover them close, and stew three or four hours: when tender, take them out, and pour the liquor upon them.
STEWED PEAS. Steep some old peas in water all night, if not fine boilers; otherwise only half an hour. Put them into a stewpan of water, just enough to cover them, with a good bit of butter, or a piece of beef or pork. Stew them very gently till the peas are soft, and the meat is tender. If it be not salt meat, add salt and a little pepper, and serve the peas round the meat.
STEWED PHEASANTS. Stew your pheasants in a strong veal gravy. While they are simmering, prepare artichoke bottoms cut in dice, and some chesnuts roasted, blanched, and cut in four: let your pheasants stew till your gravy is half wasted, then scum it very clean, and put in your chesnuts and artichoke bottoms; season with a little beaten mace, pepper, and salt, a small glass of white wine, and a little juice of lemon. If your sauce is not thick enough, roll a piece of butter in flour, and let it boil up: in case any scum arises, take it clean off; dish your pheasants, and pour the sauce over them; garnish with lemon.
STEWED PIGEONS. See that they are quite fresh, carefully cropped, drawn, and washed; then soak them half an hour. In the mean time cut a hard white cabbage in slices, as if for pickling, and put it in water. Then drain and boil it in milk and water; drain it again, and lay some of it at the bottom of a stewpan. Put the pigeons upon it, but first season them well with salt and pepper, and cover them with the remainder of the cabbage. Add a little broth, and stew gently till the pigeons are tender; then put among them two or three spoonfuls of cream, and a piece of butter and flour for thickening. After a boil or two, serve up the birds in the middle of the dish, with the cabbage placed round them.—Another way is to stew the birds in a good brown gravy, either stuffed or not; and seasoned high with spice and fresh mushrooms, or a little ketchup.—Another way. Take your pigeons trussed as for baking; bruise the livers, and mix them up with a few bread crumbs, parsley, and a little lemon peel chopped small; season it with mace, nutmeg, pepper, and salt; work all up with a piece of butter, and stuff the bellies of your pigeons; tie up the necks and vents; then stew them with some butter, till they are brown all over; put them into another pan that will just hold them, with as much strong gravy as will cover them; let them stew till they are tender, then bruise an anchovy, a shalot shred fine, a piece of butter rolled in flour, and a spoonful of white wine; let all boil together to a proper thickness; scum very clean; dish up, and garnish with crisp bacon and lemon.
STEWED PIPPINS. Scoop out the core of some golden pippins, pare them very thin, and throw them into water. For every pound of fruit, make half a pound of refined sugar into a syrup, with a pint of water. When skimmed, put in the pippins, and stew them quite clear. Grate some lemon over, be careful not to break them, and serve them up in the syrup. They make an elegant corner dish, or a dessert.—Another way. Pare your pippins nicely, cut them in halves, and take out the cores; to a quart of spring water, put a pound of double refined sugar, and a piece of lemon-peel; boil it almost to a syrup; take out the peel, and put in the pippins; boil them till they are pretty tender, then draw them to one side of the fire, and let them stew till clear; take them out carefully one at a time, and lay them in a china or earthen dish for use. If golden pippins are done this way, they are very little inferior to apricots.
STEWED PORK STEAKS. Cut some steaks from the best end of a loin or neck of pork. Take off the skin, and nearly all the fat, and fry them of a nice brown. Put the steaks into a stewpan, with good gravy enough to make a proper sauce to them, adding pepper and salt. Ten minutes before they are done, thicken the gravy with a piece of butter rolled in flour. A little shalot, or ketchup, or both may be added.
STEWED POTATOES. Half boil some potatoes, drain and peel them nicely, and cut them into neat pieces. Put them into a stewpan with some cream, fresh butter, and salt, each proportioned to the quantity of potatoes; or stew them in good gravy, with pepper and salt. Simmer them gently till they are well done and be careful not to let them break.