Crack the bones well, and lay upon a gridiron above the coals until they are hot, and the bits of meat adhering to them are frizzled. Meanwhile, fry the pork and onions together in a frying-pan until the latter are a fine brown. Strain out the pork and onions; put back the fat into the pan and fry the bones five minutes. Lay the onions in the soup-pot with the chopped herbs, then the bones. Cover with the water and boil slowly three hours. Strain; cool, and take off the fat. Set over the fire; season, boil once to throw up the scum; skim, and put in the tapioca, which should have soaked two hours in a little cold water. Simmer until the tapioca is clear; put in the catsup, and serve.
Boiled Chickens.
Clean, wash, and stuff as for roasting. Sew each up in thin muslin, or tarlatan, fitted closely to the shape, and put on in plenty of boiling water, a little salt. Boil twelve minutes to the pound (taking the heavier chicken as the standard) if they are tender. If doubtful, take a longer time, and cook more slowly. When done, lay upon a heated dish, and pour over them a cupful of drawn butter, made from the pot liquor, thickened with butter rolled in flour, and with an egg beaten up in it with a little chopped parsley. See “Drawn Butter, No. 3,” in “General Receipts,” page 184.
Rice Croquettes.
Boil a cup of rice soft in weak broth, made from a cupful of the chicken pot-liquor, mixed with boiling water and salted. Drain, and stir in a couple of beaten eggs; a teaspoonful of butter, a mere dust of flour, pepper, and a pinch of grated lemon-peel. Stir up in a saucepan until thick and hot, and spread out to cool. When cold, flour your hands; make the paste into long balls; roll each in raw egg, then in cracker-dust, and fry carefully to a yellow-brown.
Asparagus upon Toast.
Tie the bunch of asparagus up with soft string, when you have cut away the wood, and cook about twenty-five minutes in salted boiling water. Have ready some slices of crustless toast; dip each in the asparagus-liquor; butter well while hot and lay upon a heated dish. Drain the asparagus, and arrange upon the toast. Pepper, salt, and butter generously.
Potato and Beet Salad.
Slice a cupful of cold boiled potatoes. Chop a red beet, also boiled, but lukewarm, and pour over it four tablespoonfuls of vinegar. Let it stand while you rub together a teaspoonful of salt, half as much each of pepper, sugar and made mustard, with a full tablespoonful of oil, and a very little green pickle, minced fine. When this is ready, take out a tablespoonful of chopped beet, and strew among the sliced potatoes. Put them into a salad-bowl. Squeeze beets and vinegar through muslin into oil, etc. Beat up well, and pour over the cold potatoes.