TO CURE SHAD.
543. Clean the shad nicely, place them in layers with back down, and laid open so as the inside of the fish may be up. Sprinkle each fish plentifully with ground salt, and let them stand twenty-four hours. This draws out all the blood. Wipe them all dry with clean napkins.
Place them in layers in a clean tub, with the backs down as before. For one hundred shad take half a pound of saltpetre, and two pounds of brown sugar. Strew plenty of rock salt over them with the saltpetre and sugar, there is no danger of putting on too much salt as they will only absorb a certain quantity.
TO ROAST COFFEE.
544. Pick the black or imperfect grains from the coffee. Put it in a pan, and stir it all the time it is roasting; when done it should be the color of the hull of a ripe chestnut. It should be brown all through, but not black. About ten minutes before it is done add to two pounds of coffee half an ounce of butter. Whilst hot put it in a box and cover it closely.
COFFEE.
545. Beat an egg; and to one tea cupful of ground coffee add one-third of the beaten egg, and as much cold water as will just moisten the coffee; do not put in much cold water, stir all well together, put the mixture in your coffee pot, and pour over it six tea cupsful of boiling water. Let it boil hard for ten or fifteen minutes. When it begins to boil stir it frequently, and never leave it until the grounds sink, which they will do in a few minutes after it has been on the fire. Be careful and do not let your coffee boil over, as by that means you lose a great deal of the grounds and consequently the coffee will be weakened.
Rinse your pot, if it be silver or Britannia metal, with boiling water, pour the coffee into it, and serve it hot. Coffee and tea lose much of their flavor if served cold.
CHOCOLATE.
546. Shave down three ounces of chocolate, over this pour enough hot water to dissolve it; mix it to a smooth paste, put it in a pipkin, and add one quart of boiling water. Place it on the fire, stir it occasionally, and let it boil fifteen minutes, then add one tea cupful of rich milk or cream. Let it boil a minute or two longer, pour it off, and send it to the table. Chocolate retains its heat longer than either tea or coffee.