Take two shanks of beef, and ten quarts of water, let it boil over a slow fire till it be tender, and when the broth is strong, strain it out, wipe the pot and put in the broth again, slice in two penny loaves thin, cutting off the top and bottom, put some of the liquor to it, cover it up and let it stand for a quarter of an hour, so put it into the pot again, and let it boil a quarter of an hour, then put in four pounds of currans, and let them boil a little; then put in two pounds of raisins, and two pounds of prunes, let them boil till they swell; then put in a quarter of an ounce of mace, a few cloves beat fine, mix it with a little water, and put it into your pot; also a pound of sugar, a little salt, a quart or better of claret, and the juice of two or three lemons or verjuice; thicken it with sagoo instead of bread; so put it in earthen pots, and keep it for use.
146. To make a PALPATOON of PIGEONS.
Take mushrooms, pallets, oysters and sweet-breads, fry them in butter, put all these in a strong gravy, heat them over the fire, and thicken them up with an egg and a little butter; then take six or eight pigeons, truss them as you would for baking, season them with pepper and salt, and lay on them a crust of forc'd-meat as follows, viz. a pound of veal cut in little bits, and a pound and a half of marrow, beat it together in a stone mortar, after it is beat very fine, season it with mace, pepper and salt, put in the yolks of four eggs, and two raw eggs, mix altogether with a few bread crumbs to a paste: make the sides and lid of your pie with it, then put your ragoo into your dish, and lay in your pigeons with butter; an hour and a half will bake it.
147. To fry CUCUMBERS for Mutton Sauce.
You must brown some butter in a pan, and cut six middling cucumbers, pare and slice them, but not over thin, drain them from the water, then put them into the pan, when they are fried brown put to them a little pepper and salt, a lump of butter, a spoonful of vinegar, a little shred onion, and a little gravy, not to make it too thin, so shake them well together with a little flour.
You may lay them round your mutton, or they are proper for a side-dish.
148. To force a FOWL.
Take a good fowl, pull and draw it, then slit the skin down the back, take the flesh from the bones, and mince it very well, mix it with a little beef-suet, shred a jill of large oysters, chop a shalot, a little grated bread, and some sweet herbs, mix all together, season it with nutmeg, pepper and salt, make it up with yolks of eggs, put it on the bones and draw the skin over it, sew up the back, cut off the legs, and put the bones as you do a fowl for boiling, tie the fowl up in a cloth; an hour will boil it. For sauce take a few oysters, shred them, and put them into a little gravy, with a lump of butter, a little lemon-peel shred and a little juice, thicken it up with a little flour, lie the fowl on the dish, and pour the sauce upon it; you may fry a little of the forc'd-meat to lay round. Garnish your dish with lemon; you may set it in the oven if you have convenience, only rub over it the yolk of an egg and a few bread crumbs.
149. To make STRAWBERRY and RASBERRY FOOL.
Take a pint of rasberries, squeeze and strain the juice, with a spoonful of orange water, put to the juice six ounces of fine sugar, and boil it over the fire; then take a pint of cream and boil it, mix them all well together, and heat them over the fire, but not to boil, if it do it will curdle; stir it till it be cold, put it into your bason and keep it for use.