First Week. Friday.
Bread Soup.
Save your crusts for several days for this soup. Break about half a pound of them into small pieces, and lay in an open oven to dry, while you skim your soup-stock; add an onion, and put over the fire to boil. Cook gently half an hour; strain; return to the kettle, and when it boils again put in the crusts. Cook slowly twenty minutes, stir, and beat the bread to a porridge, add seasoning and a little minced parsley, and boil one minute.
Lobster Croquettes.
1 can of preserved lobster; 2 eggs; 2 tablespoonfuls of butter; ½ cup fine crumbs; yolks of two hard-boiled eggs—pounded, then worked into the butter; juice of half a lemon; salt, cayenne pepper, a pinch of mace, and one of lemon-peel; beaten yolks of 2 raw eggs.
Mince the meat; work in the warmed butter and pounded yolks, the seasoning, raw eggs—at last, the crumbs. Make into oblong balls or rolls; roll in flour, and fry in sweet lard. Drain upon clean paper, rolling each croquette lightly upon it, and dish. Pass cream crackers and sliced lemon with these excellent croquettes, and make a separate course of them.
Braised Grouse.
Clean thoroughly, washing out the inside in soda and water, and then rinsing and wiping. Truss, but do not stuff the birds; tie them in shape. Cover the bottom of a saucepan with slices of fat salt pork; lay the grouse upon these; sprinkle minced onion and parsley over them with pepper, salt, and a little sugar. Cover with more pork, and pour in a large cupful of soup-stock, or other broth. If you cannot spare this, put butter and water, although it is not so good. Cover very closely; simmer one hour; turn the birds, and cook—always covered—until tender. Dish the grouse; strain the gravy; thicken with browned flour; boil up, and pour into a boat. Partridges, wild pigeons, and tough chickens may be cooked in this way—also ducks.