GRAVY, Veal, for White Sauces, Fricassees, &c.
Ingredients.—2 slices of nicely-flavoured lean ham, any poultry trimmings, 3 lbs. of lean veal, a faggot of savoury herbs, including parsley, a few green onions (or 1 large onion may be substituted for these), a few mushrooms, when obtainable; 1 blade of mace, salt to taste, 3 pints of water. Mode.—Cut up the ham and veal into small square pieces, put these in a stewpan, moistening them with a small quantity of water; place them over the fire to draw down. When the bottom of the stewpan becomes covered with a white glaze, fill up with water in the above proportion; add the remaining ingredients, stew very slowly for 3 or 4 hours, and do not forget to skim well the moment it boils. Put it by, and when cold take off all the fat. This may be used for Béchamel, sauce tournée, and many other white sauces. Time.—3 or 4 hours. Average cost, 9d. per pint.
GREENGAGE JAM.
Ingredients.—To every lb. of fruit, weighed before being stoned, allow ¾ lb. of lump sugar. Mode.—Divide the greengages, take out the stones, and put them into a preserving-pan. Bring the fruit to a boil, then add the sugar, and keep stirring it over a gentle fire until it is melted. Remove all the scum as it rises, and, just before the jam is done, boil it rapidly for 5 minutes. To ascertain when it is sufficiently boiled, pour a little on a plate, and if the syrup thickens and appears firm, it is done. Have ready half the kernels blanched; put them into the jam, give them one boil, and pour the preserve into pots. When cold, cover down with oiled papers, and, over these, tissue paper brushed over on both sides with the white of an egg. Time.—¾ hour after the sugar is added. Average cost, from 6d. to 8d. per lb. pot. Sufficient.—Allow about 1½ pint of fruit for every lb. pot of jam. Seasonable.—Make this in August or September.
GREENGAGES, Compôte of.
Ingredients.—1 pint of syrup, 1 quart of greengages. Mode.—Make a syrup, skim it well, and put in the greengages when the syrup is boiling, having previously removed the stalks and stones from the fruit. Boil gently for ¼ hour, or until the fruit is tender; but take care not to let it break, as the appearance of the dish would be spoiled were the fruit reduced to a pulp. Take the greengages carefully out, place them on a glass dish, boil the syrup for another 5 minutes, let it cool a little, pour over the fruit, and, when cold, it will be ready for use. Time.—¼ hour to simmer the fruit, 5 minutes the syrup. Average cost, in full season, 10d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable in July, August, and September.
GREENGAGES, to Preserve and Dry.
Ingredients.—To every lb. of sugar allow 1 lb. of fruit, ¼ pint of water. Mode.—For this purpose, the fruit must be used before it is quite ripe, and part of the stalk must be left on. Weigh the fruit, rejecting all that is in the least degree blemished, and put it into a lined saucepan with the sugar and water, which should have been previously boiled together to a rich syrup. Boil the fruit in this for 10 minutes, remove it from the fire, and drain the greengages. The next day, boil up the syrup and put in the fruit again, and let it simmer for 3 minutes, and drain the syrup away. Continue this process for 5 or 6 days, and the last time place the greengages, when drained, on a hair sieve, and put them in an oven or warm spot to dry; keep them in a box, with paper between each layer, in a place free from damp. Time.—10 minutes the first time of boiling. Seasonable.—Make this in August or September.
GREENGAGES, Preserved in Syrup.
Ingredients.—To every lb. of fruit allow 1 lb. of loaf sugar, ¼ pint of water. Mode.—Boil the sugar and water together for about 10 minutes; divide the greengages, take out the stones, put the fruit into the syrup, and let it simmer gently until nearly tender. Take it off the fire, put it into a large pan, and, the next day, boil it up again for about 10 minutes with the kernels from the stones, which should be blanched. Put the fruit carefully into jars, pour over it the syrup, and, when cold, cover down, so that the air is quite excluded. Let the syrup be well skimmed both the first and second day of boiling, otherwise it will not be clear. Time.—10 minutes to boil the syrup; ¼ hour to simmer the fruit the first day, 10 minutes the second day. Average cost, from 6d. to 8d. per lb. pot. Sufficient.—Allow about 1 pint of fruit to fill a 1-lb. pot. Seasonable.—Make this in August or September.