Plain Frying Batter.—Mix quarter of a pound of flour, (cost one cent,) with the yolks of two raw eggs, (cost two cents,) a level saltspoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of pepper, quarter of a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, one tablespoonful of salad oil, (which is used to make the batter crisp,) and one cup of water, more or less, as the flour will take it up; the batter should be stiff enough to hold the drops from the spoon in shape when they are let fall upon it; now beat the whites of the two eggs to a stiff broth, beginning slowly, and increasing the speed until you are beating as fast as you can; the froth will surely come; then stir it lightly into the batter; heat the dish containing the meat a moment, to loosen it, and turn it out on the table, just dusted with powdered crackers; cut it in strips an inch wide and two inches long, roll them lightly under the palm of the hand, in the shape of corks, dip them in the batter, and fry them golden brown in smoking hot fat. Serve them on a neatly folded napkin. They make a delicious dish, really worth all the care taken in preparing them. The seasoning, crackers, and what fat is used in frying, will not cost over four cents, for you must strain the fat, and save it after you fry your KROMESKYS; if you use either bread or potatoes with them, the dinner will not cost over twenty cents.
Epigramme of Lamb.—This is one of my favorite dishes, which I learned to make the first winter I had a Cooking School, and I believe that nearly every one who tries it will share my opinion of it. Choose as tender a two-pound breast of mutton as you can buy for about six cents a pound, boil it in two quarts of water about three quarters of an hour, or until you can easily pull out the bones, taking care to put it into boiling water, with a tablespoonful of salt, and skim it as often as any scum rises; when it is done, strain and save the pot-liquor for BREAD or RICE BROTH, pull out the bones from the breast of mutton, lay it between two platters, and put a flat iron on it until it is cold. Then cut it in triangular pieces, taking care not to waste a scrap, roll the pieces in a beaten egg, (cost one cent,) and dried bread crumbs prepared as directed on page 25, and fry them as you would the KROMESKYS in the previous receipt.
Use the pot-liquor in which it was boiled, with quarter of a pound of rice, for the next morning's breakfast. The cost of both dishes will not exceed twenty cents.
Roast Veal.—The shoulder of veal can usually be bought at the market for eight cents a pound. Choose a fresh one weighing about seven pounds, and costing about sixty cents; from this we shall make three dishes, namely: ROAST VEAL, BLANQUETTE OF VEAL, and VEAL AND HAM PATTIES. Therefore the proportionate cost for the ROAST VEAL will be twenty cents. Have the butcher chop off the fore leg quite close up to the shoulder, and cut it in neat slices about one inch thick; these you must sprinkle with salt and pepper, and keep in a cool place, together with the blade bone, until the next day, for the BLANQUETTE. Have the shoulder boned, saving the blade; stuff it with the following forcemeat.
Forcemeat for Veal or Poultry.—Steep four ounces of dry bread, (cost two cents,) in warm water, and wring it dry in a clean towel; chop one cent's worth of onion and fry it light yellow in one cent's worth of drippings, add the bread to it, season it with one level teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a level teaspoonful each of pepper and powdered thyme, or mixed spice, and stir these ingredients over the fire until they are scalding hot; then stir in one egg, and use the stuffing; the cost will be about five cents.
After stuffing the shoulder, lay it in a dripping pan with one cent's worth of soup greens, and put it in a hot oven to brown it quickly; when it is brown take it out of the oven, season with salt and pepper, baste it with a little sweet drippings, return it to the oven, and bake it thoroughly fifteen minutes to each pound. Meantime wash one quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) pare a ring off each one, and boil them in plenty of boiling water and salt. When the veal is done take it up on a hot dish, pour half a pint of boiling water in the dripping pan, scrape it well, and strain the contents; set this gravy again over the fire to boil while you mix a tablespoonful of flour, in half a cup of cold water; stir this smoothly into the gravy, boil it for five minutes, and serve it with the roast veal and boiled potatoes.
Be careful to save all that remains from the dinner, towards making the VEAL AND HAM PATTIES; the proportionate cost will be about thirty cents.
Blanquette Of Veal.—Put the pieces of veal saved for this dish into enough cold water to cover them, together with a tablespoonful of salt and one cent's worth of soup greens, the onion being stuck with ten cloves; skim occasionally whenever any scum rises, and simmer until the meat is tender, which will be in half or three quarters of an hour; then take up the meat in a colander, and run some cold water over it from the faucet; strain the pot-liquor, and let it boil again; mix together over the fire one tablespoonful of butter, (cost two cents,) and two of flour; when they are smooth add one quart of the boiling broth to them, season with a teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a level teaspoonful of white pepper, and quarter of a nutmeg grated; mix the yolks of two eggs, (cost two cents,) with about a cupful of the broth, and stir them into the rest; then put in the veal, and heat and serve it, with a quart of boiled potatoes, (cost three cents.) The dinner will cost about thirty cents.
Veal and Ham Patties.—Chop the remains of the ROAST VEAL (cost twenty cents,) with quarter of a pound of lean ham, (cost four cents,) weigh both, and mix with them an equal weight of dried bread, soaked in warm water, and wrung dry in a clean towel; season with salt, pepper, and powdered herbs, or SPICE SALT to taste, moisten with any cold gravy you have saved from the ROAST VEAL, and fill it into little turnovers, or patty pans lined with a suet crust, made as directed on page 53, for SUET DUMPLINGS, (cost five cents.)