Transcriber Notes

• Obvious typos and punctuation errors corrected.
• Variations in spelling, hyphenation and recipe titles kept as in original.
• Ditto marks in the table of contents and appendix replaced with the words they represent.
• The list of utensils and costs in the appendix was spread over multiple columns and pages in the original, with sub-totals and carried forward totals. Since the various digital formats do not have fixed pages, the arbitrary intermediate totals have been left out.

THE
ECONOMICAL JEWISH COOK:
A MODERN ORTHODOX RECIPE BOOK
FOR
YOUNG HOUSEKEEPERS.

Especially adapted as a Class Book

for Schools.

ARRANGED BY

MAY HENRY, A.A.,

CERTIFICATED NATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOL FOR COOKERY,

AND

EDITH B. COHEN,

CERTIFICATED NATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOL FOR COOKERY.

THIRD EDITION.

LONDON:

WERTHEIMER, LEA & CO.,

CIRCUS PLACE, LONDON WALL, E.C.

1897.

PRICE (Bound in Boards) ONE SHILLING AND SIXPENCE.

(Special Prices for Schools.)

Third Edition.

REVISED AND ENLARGED.

Dedicated

WITH GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

TO

MRS. LIONEL LUCAS.

PREFACE TO FIRST AND SECOND EDITIONS.

Admirable as are many of the Jewish cookery books already before the world, they assume the use of ingredients and processes too expensive for ordinary use. The want of an orthodox book, dealing with the preparation of economical dishes, has been keenly felt by us during the last few years, and it is this that has led us to think our little handbook may be of service.

In compiling it we have had before us three special objects: 1, To adapt it to our peculiar dietary laws; 2, To make it suitable for young housekeepers; and 3, To fit it for use in the cookery classes now fairly started in our midst.

We cannot claim absolute originality for all our recipes, and indeed have many authorities to thank for kind help in our task. We feel convinced, however, that many recipes, which have been treasured for years in manuscript, will prove new and attractive to some at least of our readers. In this hope we have overstepped one of our limitations by including a few old-fashioned, high-class recipes, and some special hints on Passover and Invalid cookery.

We have stated in all cases the approximate time required for the preparation of each dish; but it must be remembered that, under different conditions, the time will vary.

The Appendix is based on our experience in actual teaching in schools, and will, we hope, be of use in the formation of new cookery centres.

As “the proof of the pudding is in the eating,” we only ask that judgment may be suspended till some of our recipes have been tried.

MAY HENRY.

EDITH B. COHEN.

December, 1888.

PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION.

The really unexpected success of our little book has induced us to thoroughly revise it, and add to it a large number of new recipes. We trust that this will increase its usefulness, and give our readers as much pleasure in referring to the book as we have had in altering it and bringing it up to date.

MAY HENRY.

EDITH B. COHEN.

January, 1897.

CONTENTS.

SPECIAL HINTS FOR YOUNG HOUSEKEEPERS.

1. In making soups or gravies which require colouring the outer skins of the onion should be left on. Mushroom skins are also useful for this purpose, and impart a pleasant flavour.

2. When thickening soups, gravies, etc., mix the flour, cornflour, arrowroot, etc., to a smooth cream with cold liquid first, then stir continually from the bottom and against the sides of the saucepan or other vessel to prevent lumps.

3. The dripping from roast mutton, when used for making pastry, sometimes has an unpleasant flavour. If a few drops of vinegar and of oil be beaten up with it, it will be found quite as good as beef dripping.

4. Home-dried herbs are much cheaper than bought ones. About June buy the herbs, rinse them slightly in cold water, strip off the leaves, place the various kinds of herbs on separate pieces of white paper, in the oven or on top of it. When the leaves are quite crisp, rub them through a wire sieve, and bottle them up tight.

5. When chopping onions, let cold water run on the wrists for a minute. This will prevent the eyes from watering.

6. When the juice of lemons is required, and the lemons are hard, place them on a baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes; they will become quite soft. To keep them from getting mouldy, wrap each one in tissue paper, and keep separate.

7. Stale scraps of bread should be put in a tin in the oven, and baked a nice brown. When quite crisp, they should be pounded and bottled. These “raspings” will be found very useful.

8. Bread should be kept in a glazed earthenware pan, which should have a cover, and must be cleaned frequently.

9. To disguise the disagreeable odours which often ascend from the kitchen during the process of cooking, throw a handful of cedar dust on the top of the grate. (This—called “Dust of Lebanon”—may be obtained of most stationers at about 4d. per packet.)

10. Milk is the best thing for removing fresh ink stains, but it must be applied immediately, and the stained part washed.

11. A little powdered sugar sprinkled on a fire, which is almost out, will invariably revive it. Salt sprinkled on a fire clears it for grilling, roasting, etc.

12. House flannels should be herringboned all round before they are used. This ensures their lasting longer, and prevents sinks being stopped up by the ravellings.

13. It is a decided economy to order soap in large quantities. It should be cut up when new, and stored for several weeks in a warm place to dry. Candles also last longer if kept some weeks.

14. All stores should be kept in air-tight tins or glazed jars.

15. Liquid browning, for colouring soups and gravies, should be made as follows, and kept in a bottle for use:—Put 2 oz. pounded loaf sugar in a small iron saucepan; let it melt, stirring with an iron spoon; when very dark (but not black), add ½ pint hot water; let it boil up, and when cool, bottle it. A few drops are sufficient to colour a quart of liquid.

KOSHERING.[^[1]]

Leviticus, ch. xvii. 10, 11:—“And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood.”

When purchasing meat, care must be taken to see that all veins of blood, forbidden fat, and the prohibited sinew have been removed. It is the custom in London to affix a label marked “Porged” on joints from the hind-quarters, which have been prepared in accordance with our ordinances.

The following are the Jewish regulations for koshering meat and poultry:—

The meat is put into a pan, specially reserved for the purpose, and is then entirely covered with cold water, and left in it for half-an-hour. Before removing the meat from the water, every clot of blood must be washed off. It should then be put upon the salting board (a wooden board perforated with holes), or a basket lid, placed in a slanting position, so that the water may run off. Finely powdered salt is then sprinkled profusely over every part of the meat. The meat must remain in salt for one hour. It is then removed, held over a sink or pan, and well rinsed with cold water three times, so that all the salt is washed off. Then it is placed in a clean cloth, and thoroughly dried.

The heart and the lungs must be cut open before being soaked, so that the blood may flow out. The liver must be prepared apart from other meat. It must be cut open, washed in cold water, fried over the fire on a shovel, and, whilst frying, it must be salted. When fried the blood must be well washed from it.

The head and feet of an animal may be koshered with the hair or skin adhering thereto. The head should, however, be cut open, the brain removed and koshered separately. The ends of the claws and hoofs must be cut off before the feet are koshered.

Poultry is koshered in the same way as meat, taking care that previous to the soaking in water the whole of the inside be completely removed.

THE ECONOMICAL JEWISH COOK.

SOUPS.

Hints on Making Soups and Stock.

Every housewife should bear in mind that a stock-pot always on the fire is a great aid to economy. Any odd pieces, trimmings, cooked bones, the liquor in which meat or poultry has been boiled (commonly known as pot-liquor), should be thrown in, and the pot kept about three parts full of water. When soup or gravy is required the stock should be well skimmed, and poured into a clean saucepan. The pot may be of brown earthenware with a cover and must be cleaned frequently. It should often be looked over, soft bones removed and fresh ones added.

In preparing soups:—

1. Allow plenty of time, so that all the goodness of the ingredients may be thoroughly extracted. To do this effectually always put soup-meat into cold water, so that the outside may not be hardened, and the flow of the juices may not be checked.

2. Make the stock the day before the soup is wanted.

3. Let the stock boil once; remove the scum, and draw the saucepan to the side of the fire to simmer only.

4. When the stock is made pour it at once into a clean basin and leave it uncovered. Remove the fat from the top next morning.

5. Bread fried in boiling oil or fat, and cut into small squares, should be served with all thick soups.

To Make Fresh Stock. Time—5 hours.

Order a melt (cost 8d.) from the butcher. After koshering, skin it, and notch it across several times; add 2 quarts of cold water, 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 1 onion stuffed with whole peppers and cloves, salt, and simmer about 5 hours. This will make about 3 pints of good stock, and is more economical than any other soup-meat.

Another way of Making Fresh Stock. Time—5 hours.

2 lbs. shin of beef, 1 turnip, 1 carrot, 1 onion, ½ head celery, 1 teaspoonful salt, ½ teaspoonful pepper, 2 quarts cold water.

Cut the meat into pieces, break up the bones, add the cold water and the salt. Bring to the boil and skim well. Prepare the vegetables, cut them into pieces, and add them. Simmer 5 hours. This will make about 3 pints of good stock.

White Stock.

Same as above, using knuckle of veal and poultry-bones instead of beef.

To Clear Soup. Time—1 hour.

3 pints stock, ½ lb. gravy beef, 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 1 onion.

Chop up the beef fine; clean the vegetables and cut them into small pieces. After removing all the fat from the stock, which should now be in the form of jelly, place it in a stew-pan with the meat and vegetables. Whisk it over the fire until just on boiling point, when it should be left to boil up well. It should now be clear. Fix a clean kitchen-cloth on the legs of a chair, placed with its seat on a table; pour boiling water several times through the cloth into a basin, and then let the soup run twice slowly through the cloth.

Another Way.—Use 2 whites of eggs whisked in ½ pint cold water, instead of the gravy beef.

Green Pea Soup. Time—1 hour.

1 pint green peas, 1 quart stock, a few sprigs parsley, a small bunch of mint, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tablespoonful flour.

Put the stock on, and when it boils add the salt, peas and other ingredients. When the vegetables are tender pass them through a sieve with the stock they were boiled in; boil it up again in a clean stew-pan; thicken it carefully with flour, and cook 10 minutes.

Julienne Soup. Time—2 hours.

1 large carrot, 1 small turnip, 2 leeks, 1 onion, ½ head celery, 2 oz. dripping, 1 cabbage-lettuce, a little tarragon and chervil, 1 teaspoonful sugar, salt to taste, 3 pints stock.

Shred all the vegetables to the same length and size; fry all except the lettuce, tarragon and chervil, a light brown in the dripping in the stew-pan. Clear the stock as directed on [page 2]; boil it and add it with the sugar and salt to the vegetables; skim well until all grease is removed, add the lettuce, tarragon, and chervil; let it boil a few minutes, and serve.

Kugel.

1 pint dried green peas, 1 quart large haricot beans, both soaked over-night; 2 lbs. clod, 1 large onion stuffed with cloves, 1 tablespoonful flour; salt and pepper to taste.

Pudding.

2 eggs, ¼ lb. suet, ½ lb. flour, ¼ lb. brown sugar, ¼ lb. currants, ¼ lb. raisins or sultanas, 2 oz. candied peel: spice to taste.

Shred the suet and candied peel, wash and dry the currants, stone the raisins, mix all the dry ingredients together, add the eggs, well-beaten, place in a greased basin and tie a cloth over. Put the basin at the bottom of a large earthenware pan; place a plate on the top of the basin and the meat on this. Throw the peas, beans, onion, pepper, salt and flour into the pan, cover all with water, and tie a piece of brown paper over the pan. Put it in the oven when the cooking is finished on Friday, and dish up when required on Saturday, serving the soup, meat, and pudding as separate courses.

Liver Soup. Time—2 hours.

1 quart pot-liquor, 6 oz. liver, 1 egg, 3 oz. dripping, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, half small roll; pepper and salt to taste.

Brown the flour in the dripping; add the liver cut in small pieces, the egg and bread, and let all brown in the pan until thoroughly done a good dark colour. Pound it, and return to the saucepan with the pepper, salt, and pot-liquor, to simmer about 1 hour.

Mock Turtle Soup. Time—1½ hour.

1 bullock’s foot, 2 lbs. shin of beef, 2 carrots, 2 turnips, 1 small head celery, 1 leek, 1 onion, 6 oz. dripping, ½ lb. flour; bay-leaves, cloves, cayenne, and ground mace; 1 wineglassful sherry.

The day before the soup is required cut up the foot and put it in a saucepan with 2 quarts of cold water; simmer 5 hours, then strain; cut all the flesh off the bones and chop it up into neat pieces. Put on the shin separately in 2 quarts of cold water, and simmer 4 or 5 hours. Prepare the vegetables, cut them up, fry them in the fat in a large stew-pan; when soft add the flour, and stir till rather brown. Add the stock from the foot, then that from the shin, the bay-leaves and all the other ingredients. When it boils pass it all through a sieve, add the pieces of bullock’s foot, and simmer ½ hour. A little soy may be added if required. Before serving pour the wine into the bottom of the tureen.

Mulligatawny Soup. Time—2 hours.

2 oz. dripping, 2 onions, 2 apples, 2 or 3 carrots, 1 turnip, a few sticks celery, a bunch of herbs, 2 quarts stock or pot-liquor, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 tablespoonful curry powder, 1 dessertspoonful curry paste, 1 gill water, 1 teaspoonful salt.

Prepare the vegetables, fry the onions in hot dripping in the stew-pan; when brown add the apples cut up and cored, carrots, turnip, celery, herbs and salt. Boil these in the stock. Mix the flour, curry paste and powder into a smooth paste with the water, pour into the soup, and stir till it boils. The fat should be skimmed off as it rises. Boil at least 1 hour, and then strain through a sieve. Serve with well-boiled rice (see [page 35]).

Mutton Broth. Time—2½ to 3 hours.

2 lbs. scrag of mutton, 2 oz. pearl barley or rice, 1 turnip, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 leek, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 quart water.

Cut the meat into small pieces (removing the fat), and put it into a saucepan with the bones, cold water and salt; bring to the boil. Draw to the side of the fire as soon as the broth boils, skim well. Simmer for 1½ hour, skimming occasionally. Prepare the vegetables and rice, add them and let all simmer ½ hour till the vegetables are tender. Add the parsley just before serving.

Ox-tail Soup. Time—4 hours.

1 ox-tail, 2 oz. dripping, 1 carrot, 1 small turnip, 2 onions, 2 shalots, 1 tooth garlic or 1 leek, a bunch of herbs, a few sticks celery, a little mace, cinnamon, and 2 cloves, 2 quarts water or pot-liquor, salt, 2 or 3 mushrooms, 1 gill sherry or chablis.

Prepare the vegetables, cut them up, wash and wipe the ox-tail, cut it in pieces and fry all in hot dripping in a large stew pan. Add the herbs, spice, seasoning and water. When boiling skim off the fat and then stew gently for 3 hours; strain it into a basin, putting the pieces of ox-tail into the tureen with the sherry or chablis. Pour the soup into a stew-pan, stir till it boils. Add the mushrooms, and cook from 10 to 15 minutes, skimming off any scum; strain the soup and pour over the ox-tail.

Tomato Soup. Time—1½ hour.

2 quarts stock, 2 lbs. tomatoes or 1 tin tomatoes, 2 leeks, 2 carrots, 2 turnips; pepper and salt to taste; thyme, and half a bay-leaf, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, 1 oz. dripping, 2 tablespoonfuls flour.

Prepare and cut up the vegetables, boil all for half an hour in ½ pint water, and then pulp through a sieve. Warm the dripping in a stew-pan, stir the flour in smoothly, pour the pulped vegetables and stock on to it slowly, and let all thicken over the fire.

SAVOURY INGREDIENTS FOR SOUPS.

Vermicelli, macaroni, sago, Italian paste, or semolina, may be thrown into any clear soup, when boiling, about ¼ hour before it is served.

Frimsels. Time—¾ hour.

1 egg, salt, flour.

Beat up the egg well, add a pinch of salt, then, with a knife, work in as much flour as possible. Flour the board thoroughly, roll out the paste very thin, cut into three, and roll out each piece till nearly transparent; then fold into three, let it dry for ¼ of an hour, and with a sharp knife shave off extremely fine strips. Let these dry, and add them to the soup when boiling ¼ of an hour before serving.

Drop Dumplings. Time—½ hour.

1 tablespoonful beef dripping, 1 egg, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, nutmeg, 1 dessertspoonful chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Beat up the dripping till quite white; pour some boiling water over the egg, then break it into the dripping; stir these together, then add the flour, seasoning, a little grated nutmeg, and the parsley. Drop pieces the size of a large walnut, into the boiling soup, and cook about 15 minutes.

Savoury Custard. Time—40 minutes.

3 yolks of eggs, 2 whites of eggs, 1 gill of stock, a little salt.

Beat up the eggs with the stock and salt; strain into a well-greased gallipot, cover it with a piece of greased paper, stand it in a saucepan of boiling water and steam very gently for 30 minutes (the custard would be full of holes if steamed quickly). When the custard is set, take the gallipot out of the saucepan, let it get cool, turn the custard out and cut it up into fancy shapes.

MILK SOUPS.

Artichoke or Turnip Soup. Time—1 hour.

1½ lb. sliced artichokes or turnips, 1 oz. butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1½ pint hot milk, 1½ pint hot water, a little cream or good butter, salt, pepper, and a little sugar.

Heat the butter in a stew-pan, put in the vegetables, turn them about, add the salt, flour, milk and water, stirring them in slowly. When the vegetables are done rub them through a sieve, put them back into a clean stew-pan, add sugar and more seasoning if required and heat thoroughly. A little cream or good butter may be put into the tureen, and the soup stirred into it.

Cabbage Soup. Time—1 hour.

1 cabbage, 1 tablespoonful parsley, 1 oz. butter, 1 shalot or onion, 1 pint milk, 1¼ pint boiling water, 2 tablespoonfuls semolina, 1 teaspoonful salt, ¼ teaspoonful pepper.

Put on a large saucepan of water to boil; shred the cabbage and put it into the boiling water to blanch for 5 minutes. Strain the cabbage, return it to the saucepan with 1¼ pint boiling water, the milk, onion, chopped parsley, butter, and seasoning. Bring this to the boil and cook 15 minutes; then shake in the semolina and boil 10 minutes.

Celery Soup. Time—6 hours.

4 heads celery, 1 small onion, 1 pint water, 1 pint milk, 1 yolk of egg. Pepper and salt to taste.

Stew the celery and onion in the water for 5 to 6 hours, pulp it through a sieve, add ¾ pint milk and the seasoning and let it boil once. Draw it to the side of the fire and add the yolk beaten up in 1 gill cold milk; stir, but do not let it boil, and serve when hot.

Haricot Soup. Time—4½ hours.

1 pint haricot beans, 1 pint milk, 2 quarts water, 1 onion; pepper and salt to taste.

Soak the beans in water all night. Next morning put them in a saucepan with the water, pepper, salt, and sliced onion. Boil gently 4 hours. Then mash all through a sieve into a basin, stir in the milk, and return to the saucepan to get hot.

Potato Soup. Time—1½ hour.

1 lb. potatoes (weighed after they are peeled), ½ oz. butter, 1 onion, 1 pint hot water, ½ pint milk; salt and pepper to taste.

Cut up the potatoes, put them in a stew-pan with the butter and the onion cut in slices. Stir over the fire for 5 minutes. Add the water, and simmer for 1 hour. Pass all through a sieve, and return to the stew-pan. Add the milk, salt, and pepper, and serve when hot.

CHEAP SOUPS.

Barley Soup. Time—4 hours.

2 quarts water or pot-liquor, ¼ lb. pearl barley, 2 onions, 2 carrots, a little chopped parsley; salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the vegetables, put them with the other ingredients into a saucepan, and simmer gently for 3 or 4 hours.

Brown Onion Soup. Time—1½ hour.

3 onions, 1 oz. dripping, 1 teaspoonful flour, 1½ pint water or pot-liquor; pepper, salt and soy to taste.

Skin the onions, cut them into small dice, heat the dripping, and throw in the onions, shaking them about over the fire till they are golden brown (they must be coloured very slowly or some pieces will get too dark). When they are brown stir in the flour carefully, and add the water or pot-liquor. Simmer for an hour, then rub through a sieve, return to the saucepan, add a little soy, pepper and salt to taste, and boil for 3 minutes before serving.

If these directions are carefully followed this soup is equal to one made from good stock.

Carrot Soup. Time—1½ hour.

1 quart water or pot-liquor, 1½ lb. carrots, 4 onions, 2 oz. dripping; salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the vegetables, slice them, then fry them in the dripping. Add the water or pot-liquor, salt and pepper. Boil till the vegetables are tender, then pulp through a sieve into a basin. Heat again and serve with fried bread.

Lentil Soup. Time—3 or 4 hours.

5 pints water, 1 pint red lentils, 1 onion, 3 sticks of celery or some celery seed, 1 oz. dripping; pepper and salt to taste.

The lentils must be soaked all night in cold water. Melt the dripping in a saucepan, fry the lentils, sliced onion, and celery cut in small pieces. Stir over the fire for 5 minutes. Then add the water and boil gently, stirring occasionally, till the lentils are quite soft. Pass all through a sieve, return to the saucepan, add the pepper and salt, and heat again.

Pea Soup. Time—2½ hours.

1 pint split peas, 2 onions, 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 3 sticks celery, 2 quarts water or pot-liquor; salt and pepper to taste. Bones or trimmings from meat are a great improvement.

Soak the peas over-night; next morning put them on in the cold water or pot-liquor. Bring to the boil, and then add the prepared vegetables, bones, and seasoning. Skim well, and boil for 1½ hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the bones, and pulp the soup through a sieve. Heat it again, and serve with dried mint and fried bread.

Spinach Soup. Time—2 hours.

3 lbs. spinach, 1 quart water or stock, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tablespoonful flour.

Wash the spinach in several waters, strip off the leaves and place them in a saucepan of cold water with a little salt, and boil till tender (about ½ hour). Pulp through a hair sieve with the water in which it was boiled; boil it up again in a clean stew-pan, thicken carefully with the flour, cook for 10 minutes, and serve with poached eggs.

Vegetable Soup. Time—1½ hour.

1 quart water or pot-liquor, 2 carrots, 2 turnips, 2 potatoes, 2 onions, 3 sticks celery, a few sifted herbs, 1 oz. dripping, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 teaspoonful mustard; salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the vegetables, cut them into slices, fry them in the dripping, add the water or pot-liquor, the salt, pepper, and herbs. Boil till quite tender, mix the flour and mustard to a cream with the cold water, and add to the soup. Simmer for half an hour longer and then serve.

FISH.

Fresh fish may be known by its stiffness, firmness, bright eyes, and bright red gills.

The cheaper kinds of fish, such as herrings, mackerel, haddocks, and plaice, contain more nourishment than most of the more expensive kinds. All fish must be thoroughly cleansed in salt and water, two waters at least being allowed. It must then be very carefully dried in a coarse cloth kept specially for this purpose.

To Bake Fish.

Clean and dry the fish very thoroughly, put it on a baking tin, greased with a little oil or butter, sprinkling pepper and salt over it. Cover with a well-greased sheet of paper, bake from 10 minutes to ½ an hour, according to the size of the fish. Remove the paper, and serve the fish with chopped parsley and the strained liquor from the tin.

To Boil Fish.

When the fish is thoroughly cleaned, put it on a strainer or dish, place it in a saucepan with boiling water sufficient to cover it, some salt and a tablespoonful of vinegar. Simmer gently till the skin begins to crack.

Some of the liquor in which the fish was boiled can be used for making a sauce.

To Broil Fish.

Clean and dry the fish thoroughly, split it open, flour it, sprinkle with chopped parsley, pepper, and salt. Grease a gridiron with oil or butter, and broil the fish over or in front of a very clear fire from 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with small pieces of butter before serving. Before broiling mackerel or herrings lay them in a mixture of salad oil and tarragon vinegar for an hour.

Hints on Frying.

This method of cooking fish requires the utmost care. It is most important that the fish should be very carefully dried, and that the oil should be at the right temperature. To test this throw in a small piece of bread, and if it brown in less than a minute the oil has reached the correct heat. When the oil is perfectly still, and a blue smoke rises, the temperature may also be considered right. The fish must be well covered in oil, and the pieces must not come in contact with one another.

To Fry Fish.

Clean the fish, then cut it as required, and dry it very thoroughly. Beat up an egg, mix some flour, pepper and salt on a plate, dip the fish first into this seasoning, then into the egg, and when the oil has reached the right temperature, fry the fish a golden brown. Place it on soft paper on a basket lid to drain. When the oil has cooled, strain it, pour it into a jar, cover it and it will be ready for use another time. It can be used again for fish only.

To economise the eggs mix a little water with them.

To utilise any scraps of fried fish, heat them in melted butter ([page 40]), flavoured to taste.

To Steam Fish.

Fish should rather be steamed than boiled, for though more time is required the result is more satisfactory. If a fish-kettle is not to hand, place a pie-dish upside down in a large saucepan, and put the fish on it. Let boiling water always reach half way up the dish, so that the fish cooks in the steam. Add more boiling water when required.

Anchovy Butter. Time—½ hour.

6 large anchovies, 1 hard boiled egg, 2 oz. butter, a little pepper.

Pound all together and pass through a sieve.

Savoury Cod. Time—½ hour.

1 or more lbs. of fresh cod, 1 tablespoonful vinegar, 1 dessertspoonful flour, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, ½ teaspoonful salt, ¼ teaspoonful pepper, 1 oz. butter, 1 egg.

Clean the fish and dry it, then cut it into nice sized pieces. Boil as directed ([page 10]), then cover and keep hot. Put the flour into a basin, and add pepper, salt, and butter (melted); mix well, and make into a paste with the vinegar. Stir this into ½ pint of the liquor in which the fish has been boiled, and cook 3 minutes, stirring continually. While this sauce cools beat up an egg; then stir it carefully into the sauce, add the chopped parsley, and pour it over the fish. If preferred the egg may be boiled hard and chopped.

Baked Haddock. Time—¾ hour.

1 haddock, 2 tablespoonfuls bread crumbs, 1 dessertspoonful chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful chopped herbs, 1 egg (well beaten); 2 oz. butter or 1 tablespoonful oil; pepper and salt to taste.

Wash and dry the fish well. Mix nearly all the bread crumbs with the herbs, parsley, pepper, salt, half the egg, and ½ oz. of butter. Stuff the stomach of the fish with this mixture, and sew or skewer it up. Egg and bread-crumb the fish, place it on a greased tin in the shape of an S, with the oil and pieces of butter; bake for half-an-hour, basting it frequently. Take out the cotton with which the fish was sewn before serving.

Dried Haddock. Time—20 minutes.

Place the dried haddock in a frying-pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then take out the haddock, place it on a dish in the oven, with bits of butter over it, for 5 minutes, and then serve.

Baked Plaice and Tomatoes. Time—¾ hour.

1 plaice, 1 onion, 4 tomatoes, 2 tablespoonfuls oil, 1 lb. potatoes, pepper and salt to taste, the juice of a lemon, chopped parsley.

Slice the onion and tomatoes, heat them in a tin with the oil, salt and pepper. Wash the plaice and dry it well, put it in the tin, season it, dredge it with flour, and baste it with the oil. Parboil the potatoes and put them round the plaice to get brown. When dishing up, squeeze the lemon-juice over the plaice and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Haddocks may also be cooked in this way.

Soused Herrings. Time—½ hour.

3 herrings, ½ pint vinegar, 2 bay-leaves, whole peppers, salt, and cloves to taste.

Split and halve the herrings, roll and tie them up. Place them in a pie-dish, half cover with vinegar, add whole peppers, salt, cloves, and bay-leaves, and bake in a slow oven until they feel soft (about 20 minutes).

Sole à la Maître d’Hôtel. Time—½ hour.

1 sole filleted, 1 oz. butter, ¾ oz. flour, juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, ½ pint water, ½ gill cream.

Put the bones and fins of the sole into a saucepan with the water, and put it on to boil. Place the fillets folded loosely on a greased tin, and sprinkle them with lemon-juice, pepper and salt. Cover with a greased paper, and cook in a moderate oven, about 6 minutes. Melt the butter in a clean saucepan, drop the flour in gradually, and mix well. Add the fish liquor and boil 10 minutes. Then add salt, pepper, cream, lemon-juice, and parsley. Arrange the fillets on a dish with the sauce poured over them.

Sole au Gratin. Time—½ hour.

1 sole, ½ shalot, 4 mushrooms, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, juice of a lemon, 1 oz. butter, raspings (see [page x].); salt and pepper to taste.

Skin the sole, cut off the fins and nick it on both sides with a knife, dry it well. Chop the shalot, mushrooms and parsley, mix them together, and sprinkle half of them on to a dish. Lay the sole on this seasoning, and sprinkle the rest of it over the sole. Squeeze lemon-juice over, sprinkle with salt, pepper and raspings. Put little bits of butter on the fish, bake in a moderate oven for 10 minutes.

Soles Stewed with Tomatoes. Time—¾ hour.

A pair of soles, 1 small onion, 2 tablespoonfuls oil, or 2 oz. butter, 4 tomatoes, the juice of 1 lemon, pepper, salt, a little cayenne and nutmeg.

Heat the oil or butter in a stew-pan, add chopped onion, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. When the onion is tender, put in the soles, slice the tomatoes on to them, cook for 20 minutes, or ½ hour if the soles are large. Take out the soles carefully, put them on a hot dish, rub the liquor through a sieve, add the lemon-juice, and a very little cayenne and nutmeg, return to the saucepan to get hot, and pour over the soles.

Gurnets and shad may also be cooked in this way, and can be eaten hot or cold.

Brown Stewed Fish.
(Salmon and other rich fish.) Time—1 hour.
For 4 Mackerel or Herrings.

¾ pint porter, 2 Spanish onions, ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice, ground cloves, pepper and salt to taste, juice of three lemons, 1 dessertspoonful vinegar, ½ lb. real black treacle.

Stew a crust of bread and the onions in the porter. When tender, take out the crust, and put in the fish with the spice, lemon-juice, vinegar, pepper and salt. When the fish is nearly cooked, add the treacle gradually, cook 3 minutes, and serve cold with slices of lemon between bunches of scraped horse-radish.

Brown Stewed Fish.
(Fresh Water Fish, etc.) Time—40 minutes.

2 to 3 lbs. fish, ½ pint water, 1 onion, 1 tablespoonful oil, 1 tablespoonful vinegar, two-pennyworth ginger-bread, one-pennyworth golden syrup, 1 lemon; pepper and salt to taste.

Peel and cut up the onion, brown it in the oil, put it in the stew-pan with the fish and water, and cook for half an hour. Soak the ginger-bread in the golden syrup and vinegar; when soft, beat it up and add the lemon-juice, pepper and salt. Ten minutes before the fish is ready, pour this sauce on to it, and tilt the stew-pan well backwards and forwards. Serve cold.

White Stewed Fish with Balls. Time—1½ hour.

3 lbs. fish, 2 small onions, 2 tablespoonfuls sweet oil, 1 pint cold water, nutmeg and ginger, pepper and salt to taste, a pinch of powdered saffron, juice of 3 lemons, 1 tablespoonful flour, 2 eggs; (for the balls) a piece of cod’s-liver, chopped parsley, bread-crumbs.

Chop the onions, stew till tender in the oil in a stew-pan, take out one-third for balls, add the fish and water, season with salt, pepper, ginger and nutmeg. When the liquor boils, place the balls (see below) on the top of the fish and cook ¼ hour, then draw the stew-pan to the side of the fire. Mix the flour to a smooth paste with a little cold water in a separate basin, add the lemon-juice, 1 whole egg and 1 yolk beaten, the saffron, and mix all well together. Take a pint of the fish-liquor from the stew-pan, add this gradually to the contents of the basin, stirring all the time. When thoroughly mixed, pour it back into the stew pan, from which must previously be taken some of the fish-liquor, if there seem too much. Tilt the stew-pan backwards and forwards till the sauce has thickened sufficiently. Serve hot or cold, with the sauce poured over the fish and balls, and garnish with parsley and slices of lemon.

To make the balls: Chop the cod’s-liver very fine; add the remainder of the onion chopped fine, parsley, white of egg beaten, pepper, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and sufficient bread-crumbs to make them the right stiffness.

SIMPLE WAYS OF USING COLD COOKED FISH.

Curried Fish. Time—1 hour.

1 lb. cold cooked fish, 1 apple or stick of rhubarb, 2 oz. butter, 2 onions, 1 pint water or fish liquor, 1 tablespoonful curry powder, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 teaspoonful lemon-juice or vinegar; salt and pepper to taste.

Peel and cut up the onions and apple, or rhubarb; fry till brown in hot butter. Add the curry powder, flour, salt and pepper, and stir the water or fish-liquor in gradually; boil this all up and simmer gently for half-an-hour, then add the lemon-juice or vinegar; strain, and return to the saucepan with the fish cut into neat pieces to get thoroughly hot. Serve the curry in a border of boiled rice (see [page 35]).

A Fish Cake. Time—1 hour.

½ lb. cold cooked fish, 2 oz. bread-crumbs, 1 onion, ½ oz. butter; pepper and salt to taste; ½ gill milk or fish-liquor, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, 1 egg, raspings (see [page x].).

Cover a greased cake-tin with raspings; melt the butter in a saucepan; fry the minced onions and parsley in the butter; mince the fish and stir into the fried onion and parsley. Remove the saucepan from the fire, stir in the bread-crumbs, the milk or liquor, the beaten egg and seasoning; pour all into the cake-tin and bake in a moderate oven three-quarters of an hour. Turn out and serve with melted butter (see [page 40]).

Fish Cakes. Time—½ hour.

1 lb. cold cooked fish, ½ lb. potatoes, 2 oz butter, 2 eggs; pepper and salt to taste.

Use any remains of cold fish, or boil some fish as on [page 10]. Cold potatoes may also be used instead of boiling fresh ones. Mash the potatoes, add the pieces of fish broken up small, the yolk of one egg, the butter melted, and salt and pepper to taste. Form the mixture into balls with a tablespoon, flatten them into cakes brush over with beaten egg, toss them in bread-crumbs, and fry in oil. This mixture may also be made into a large fish-cake, by putting it into a greased tin and baking it in the oven about ¼ hour.

Fish Pie. Time—20 minutes.

Cold cooked fish of any kind, bread-crumbs, 2 oz. butter; pepper and salt to taste, fish-liquor or water.

Butter a pie-dish, sprinkle on it a layer of bread-crumbs, then a layer of fish broken up into pieces; some pepper, salt, and bits of butter; cover this with more bread-crumbs and bits of butter; pour on a little fish-liquor or water, and bake 10 minutes.

Fish Quenelles. Time—¾ hour.

1 teacupful bread-crumbs, ½ gill milk or cream, 1 teacupful cold cooked fish, 1 oz. fresh butter, 1 egg; salt and pepper to taste.

Soak the bread-crumbs in the milk, pound the fish, melt the butter, beat up the egg, yolk and white separately, mix all together, season to taste; ¾ fill six small buttered moulds with the mixture and steam for ½ hour; turn out and serve with white or lemon sauce (see [page 39]).

Fish Soufflée. Time—½ hour.

½ lb. cold cooked fish, 2 eggs, 2 oz. butter, pepper and salt to taste; anchovy sauce if liked.

Pound up the fish, melt the butter, add it to the fish with the beaten yolks of eggs and seasoning. Beat up the whites of eggs to a stiff froth, add them lightly to the other mixture in a pie-dish and bake in a quick oven about 20 minutes.

Halibut Crême. Time—¾ hour.

1 lb. cold cooked fish (halibut preferred), 2 oz. butter, 1½ oz. flour, ½ pint milk, 1 oz. grated cheese; pepper, salt and nutmeg to taste.

Remove the skin and bone from the fish, mash it up with a fork, then place it in a vegetable dish; melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the flour carefully, then add the milk by degrees. When it boils remove from the fire add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg, spread this mixture over the fish and sprinkle with grated cheese, or if preferred with bread-crumbs. Bake in the oven till brown.

Kedgeree. Time—¾ hour.

½ lb. boiled fish, ¼ lb. boiled rice, 2 eggs, 2 oz. butter, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

Boil the eggs hard, break the fish into small pieces, chop the white of egg and grate the yolks. When the boiled rice is dry, melt the butter in a stew-pan and add the rice, fish, white of egg, cayenne pepper, grated nutmeg, and salt. Mix well and serve on a hot dish, with the grated yolks sprinkled over.

MEAT.

Good meat should be firm to the touch, adhere closely to the bones, be streaked with fat, and should have a slight but not unpleasant odour.

Meat becomes much more tender if it can be hung a day or two before it is cooked.

To Bake Meat.

Baking closely resembles roasting. It is more economical, as the joint loses less weight, and if carefully attended to cannot be distinguished from roast meat. A double tin which holds hot water should be used, so that the steam from the water may prevent the dripping from burning. Place the meat on a trivet in the tin, flour the meat, sprinkle it with salt, put it in the hottest part of the oven for the first few minutes, then remove it to a cooler part, baste well, and turn it over occasionally. (For time and gravy see Roast Meat.)

To Boil Meat.

Weigh the meat, allow twenty minutes to each pound, and twenty minutes extra for dishing up. Put the meat into boiling water, boil five minutes, then draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, and simmer; keep the meat well covered with water; serve with a teacupful of its own liquor. Never throw away the liquor in which meat has been boiled; it makes excellent soup.

To Roast Meat.

Have a bright and clear fire; weigh the meat, allow twenty minutes to each pound, and twenty minutes extra for dishing up; flour the joint well, and sprinkle it with salt; let it roast quickly the first ten minutes, then put it farther from the fire, and let it cook more slowly, basting often; flour occasionally. When dishing up, pour the dripping out of the pan, and set it aside. Add one pint or more of boiling water to the brown lumps under the dripping, and put it in the hottest part of the oven. Pour this gravy over the meat and serve.

Beef à la Mode. Time—5 hours.

3 lbs. lean brisket, 1 quart water, ½ gill vinegar, 4 Spanish onions, 2 oz. mustard seed, 1 oz. long pepper, ½ teaspoonful ground ginger; salt to taste; a thickening of flour, sugar, and browning.

Put the beef on in cold water, bring it to the boil, then simmer for three hours, reducing the water to one pint. Add the vinegar, onions, and other ingredients. Stew in the oven (if possible) for two hours, but if the saucepan is too large for the oven, let the meat continue to simmer on the stove. Half an hour before serving, thicken the gravy with flour, sugar, and browning (see [page x].).

Smoked Beef.

Soak over-night in cold water; next morning place it in cold water, and simmer till quite tender, reckoning ½ hour to the pound.

Beef Steak. Time—20 minutes.

Heat the gridiron, put in the steak, turn the gridiron four times at intervals of 2 minutes, then eight times at intervals of 1 minute. Sprinkle with pepper and salt, and serve on a hot plate.

Chops are done in the same way, turning the gridiron twice at intervals of 2 minutes, and six times at intervals of 1 minute.

To make steak tender: beat it well, and rub into it a small pinch of carbonate of soda.

Beef Steak Pie. Time—2½ hours.

1½ lb. beef steak, ¾ lb. flour, ¼ lb. clarified dripping, 1 teaspoonful salt, ½ teaspoonful pepper.

Beat the steak well, cut it up into neat pieces. Mix 1 tablespoonful flour, salt, and pepper on a plate, and dip each piece of meat into the mixture. Put the pieces in a stew-pan, cover with cold water, and simmer gently about ½ hour, then turn the meat and gravy into a pie-dish.

Put the flour into a large basin with half a saltspoonful of salt, rub the dripping into it, and add by degrees enough cold water to make a stiff paste. Flour a board, roll the pastry out rather larger than the pie-dish, about one-third of an inch thick, cut a strip off, wet the edge of the dish, place the strip round it, wet the strip, and press the rest of the pastry on to it, trimming off the rough edges with a sharp knife. Make a hole in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape whilst baking; ornament the top and edges and brush over with beaten egg. Bake for ¾ hour, putting it into the hottest part of the oven for a few minutes, then remove it to a cooler part.

Beef Steak Pudding. Time—3½ hours.

1 lb. beef, 4 oz. suet, ¾ lb. flour, 1½ gill water, 1 teaspoonful baking-powder; salt and pepper to taste.

Put on a large saucepan of water to boil. Mix on a plate 1 dessertspoonful of flour, some pepper and salt. Beat the steak well, cut it into slices, dip each piece in the mixture, and roll it up. Put the flour, baking-powder, salt, and suet chopped fine, into a basin, and mix to a stiff paste with cold water. Cut off one-third for the top. Grease a basin well, line it with the paste, put in the meat with a little water or gravy, wet the edges, press the top on. Tie a pudding cloth, dipped in boiling water and dredged with flour, over the basin, place it in the saucepan of boiling water, and boil 2½ hours.

Stewed Shin of Beef (with Dumplings). Time—2½ hours.

1 lb. shin of beef, 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 turnips, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 oz. dripping or suet; pepper and salt to taste.

Prepare the carrots and turnips and boil them quickly 20 minutes in 1 quart of water. Cut the meat into pieces, fry a light brown in the dripping, then place the pieces in a saucepan. Peel and slice the onions, fry them in the same dripping, then stir in carefully 2 tablespoonfuls of flour to brown. Add the carrots and turnips to the meat, pour the water in which they were boiled into the frying-pan to brown; then add it with the onions, pepper and salt to the meat, etc, and stew slowly 1½ hour.

Dumplings.—½ lb. flour, 2 oz. dripping, 1 teaspoonful baking-powder, 1 teaspoonful salt.

Shred the fat fine and rub it into the flour with the baking-powder and salt. Mix with lukewarm water to a stiff paste. Cut into eight pieces, and roll lightly into dumplings on a floured board. Throw them into a saucepan of boiling water, and boil till they rise to the surface (20 minutes). Add them to the stew 10 minutes before serving.

Beef Stewed with French Beans. Time—3 hours.

5 lbs. lean brisket, 2 lbs. French beans, 4 good-sized onions, 1 pint water, 1 gill vinegar, 1 tablespoonful flour, 2 tablespoonfuls dark moist sugar; pepper and salt to taste.

Stew the beef 3 hours in the water. String the beans, cut them in halves, peel and cut up the onions, and add all to the beef at the end of the first hour. About 10 minutes before serving skim off all the fat; mix smoothly in a separate basin the flour, sugar, vinegar, pepper and salt, and add the mixture to the stew.

Beef Stewed with Haricot Beans. Time—5 hours.

3 lbs. lean brisket, 1 onion, 1 tablespoonful moist sugar, 1 oz. dripping, ¾ pint haricot beans, ¾ pint cold water, 1 tablespoonful flour; pepper, salt and ground ginger to taste.

The beans must be put in soak over-night.

Chop the onion fine, fry in the dripping, add the flour, seasoning, sugar, beans and water. Stew the meat and vegetables, etc., very gently 4 or 5 hours.

Brain Fritters. Time—½ hour.

1 set brains, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls bread-crumbs; pepper and salt.

Wash the brains in vinegar and water, then put them into boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Drain them, chop them, and put them into a basin with 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, pepper, salt and 1 egg. Add sufficient bread-crumbs to make them into a stiff paste (not exceeding two tablespoonfuls). Form into flat, round cakes, dip into egg and bread-crumbs and fry.