Fourth Week. Friday.
Peas Porridge.
Soak a quart of split peas overnight. Next morning put them on to boil in enough cold water to cover them well. When this has fairly begun to boil, pour it off, and add stock from your store in the stock-jar. Cook slowly, taking care it does not burn, until the peas are very soft. Rub through a colander and serve. Save a pint as a foundation for to-morrow’s soup—more than a pint, if you can. Never forget that soup makes soup.
Fried Pickerel.
Clean and wash the fish. Wipe carefully inside and out. Dredge with flour all over the outside, and fry to a nice brown—never to a crisp—in lard or dripping. Drain off the fat; lay upon a hot dish—the head of one fish to the tail of the other—and garnish with curled parsley and quartered lemon.
Chicken Croquettes.
Chop the meat from your roast chickens, and mix with one-third as much mashed potato. Season; moisten well with a gravy made by boiling down the bones and stuffing in water, then straining and seasoning it. Beat into the mixture one or two whipped eggs; heat and stir over the fire until quite stiff. Turn out and cool; then roll into croquettes, dip in egg and pounded cracker, and fry to a golden brown.
Purée of Potatoes.
Mash the potatoes with butter and milk, working them smooth and soft. Season, put over the fire and stir until almost stiff. Mound upon a flat dish, and strain over them a little of yesterday’s gravy, skimmed and heated.