In modern cookery a number of excellent jellies are made with the stock of calves’ feet, variously flavoured. Many of them are compounded entirely without wine, a small quantity of some fine liqueur being used as a substitute; and sometimes cinnamon, or vanilla, or Seville orange-rind with a slight portion of acid, takes place of this. For aristocratic tables, indeed, it is the present fashion to serve them very lightly and delicately flavoured. Their cost is thus materially diminished. Fresh strawberries dropped into clear calf’s feet jelly just before it sets, impart a delicious fragrance to it, when they are of a choice kind; and other fruit is mingled with it often; but none has so good an effect, though many sorts when tastefully employed give an excellent appearance to it. The Belgrave mould, of which the description will be found at page [470], is well adapted for highly ornamental jellies; and we recommend its adoption for this class of dishes.
APPLE CALF’S FEET JELLY.
Pour a quart of prepared apple-juice (see page [456]), on a pound of fresh apples pared and cored, and simmer them until they are well broken; strain the juice, and let it stand until cold; then measure, and put a pint and a half of it into a stewpan with a quart of calf’s feet stock (see page [453]), nine ounces of sugar broken small, or roughly pounded, the juice of two fine lemons, and the thin rinds of one and a half, with the whites and shells of eight eggs. Let it boil gently for ten minutes, then strain it through a flannel-bag, and when cool put it into moulds. It will be very clear, and firm, and of pleasant flavour. Apples of good quality should be used for it, and the quantity of sugar must be regulated by the time of year, as the fruit will have lost much of its acidity during the latter part of the season. This receipt, which is the result of our own experiment, and which we have found very successful, was first tried just after Christmas, with pearmains and Ripstone pippins. A little syrup of preserved ginger, or a small glass of fine white brandy, would, perhaps, to some tastes, improve the jelly; but we give it simply as we have had it proved ourselves.
Prepared apple juice, 1 quart; fresh apples, 1 lb.: 1/2 to 3/4 hour. Strained juice, 1-1/2 pint; calf’s feet stock, 1 quart; sugar, 9 oz.; juice of lemons, 2; rind of 1-1/2; whites and shells of eggs, 8: 10 minutes.
Obs.—We would recommend the substitution of quinces for apples in this receipt as likely to afford a very agreeable variety of the jelly: or equal portions of the two fruits might answer well. Unless the stock be very stiff, add isinglass to this, as to the calf’s feet jelly, when it is to be moulded.
ORANGE CALF’S FEET JELLY.
(Author’s Receipt.)
To a pint and a half of firm calf’s feet stock, put a pint of strained China-orange juice mixed with that of one or two lemons; add to these six ounces of sugar, broken small, the very thin rinds of three oranges and one lemon, and the whites of six eggs with half the shells crushed small. Stir these gently over a clear fire until the head of scum begins to form, but not at all afterwards. Simmer the jelly for ten minutes from the first full boil; take it from the fire, let it stand a little, then pour it through a jelly-bag until perfectly clear. This is an original, and entirely new receipt, which we can recommend to the reader, the jelly being very pale, beautifully transparent, and delicate in flavour: it would, we think, be peculiarly acceptable to such invalids as are forbidden to take wine in any form.
The proportions both of sugar and of lemon-juice must be somewhat varied according to the season in which the oranges are used.
Strong calf’s feet stock, 1-1/2 pint; strained orange-juice, mixed with a small portion of lemon-juice, 1 pint; sugar, 6 oz.; rinds of oranges, 3; of lemon, 1: 10 minutes.