[i]

THE
ART OF COOKERY
MADE EASY AND REFINED.

[ii]
[iii]

THE
ART OF COOKERY
MADE EASY AND REFINED;

[iv]
[v]

PREFACE.

The receipts are written for the least possible quantities in the different made-dishes[vii] and sauces, it being a frequent error in most of the books that they are too expensive and too long; by which means the art has been rendered intricate in the extreme, both in theory and practice.

Independent, also, of a close adherence to any given rules, there are other qualities essential to the completion of a thorough cook; such as, an acute taste, a fertile invention, and a rigid attention to cleanliness.

The preceding hints and subsequent directions, it is hoped, will prove fully adequate to perfection in cookery; the work being entirely divested of the many useless receipts from other professions, (which have been uniformly introduced in books of the like nature,)[viii] and nothing inserted but what has an immediate reference to the art itself.

There is prefixed a Bill of Fare for each month in the year, as a specimen of the seasons, which may be altered as judgment directs. There is annexed, also, at the end of the volume, an Index, by which, from the first letter or word of the different articles, will be found their respective receipts.

February 2d, 1802.

[ix]

CONTENTS.

ERRATA.

[xxv]

[xxvii]
[xxvi]

[xxviii]
[xxix]

[xxx]
[xxxi]

[xxxiii]
[xxxii]

[xxxiv]
[xxxv]

[xxxvi]
[xxxvii]

[xxxix]
[xxxviii]

[xl]
[xli]

[xlii]
[xliii]

[xlv]
[xliv]

[xlvi]
[xlvii]

[xlviii]
[1]

THE
ART of COOKERY.

N. B. I have directed the veal stock not to be drawn down to a colour, as in that state it will answer two purposes; first, for white soups; and, secondly, as it might be coloured with a bright liquid to any height, which will be directed for gravy soups. It frequently happens, likewise, that, if not strictly attended to, it will burn.

N. B. Let it be of the thickness of light batter.

N. B. I have directed the brown stock, for gravy soups only, to be cleared with eggs, as that method has been most approved, it being pleasant to the eye, and equally agreeable to the palate.

[8]

N. B. To be the thickness of peas soup.

N. B. A small piece of bouillie beef may be stewed till tender; and ten minutes before it is to be served up wipe it dry, and put it into the soup with the vegetables.

N. B. Cut pieces of bread into thin sippets, dry them before the fire, and serve up on a plate.

N. B. The pork to be taken out when nearly done, and added to the soup half an hour before it is served up.

N. B. The pickle pork to be cut into small square pieces and boiled till nearly done, and then added to the soup a quarter of an hour before it is to be served up to table. Let the soup be of a proper thickness.

N. B. It may be served up with celery or rice in it.

N. B. The entrails must be cleaned well, then boiled in water till very tender, and preserved as white as possible, and just before they are strained off add the balls. If a callipash is served up, the shell to be cut down on each side, and chop the pieces for the soup; the remaining part of the back shell to be pasted round with a raised crust, egged, ornamented, and[19] baked, and the soup served in it in the same manner as in the tureens.

N. B. I think the above mode of serving it up in a dish the best, as it frequently happens that the shell of the callipee is not properly baked.

N. B. In the same manner may be made glaize of separate herbs or roots, which will be serviceable on board a ship, or in the country, where herbs or roots cannot be procured at all times; and they are to be preserved in bottles, as they will not, when cold, be of a portable substance.

[22]

N. B. Fish should be chosen very fresh and of good appearance, it adding as much to their beauty as gratifying to the palate when dressed, there being in my opinion but two sorts—good and bad. But as an exception to the above observation, skate will be better for eating if kept for one or two days in a cool place before it is dressed.

[23]

N. B. The crumbs to be rubbed through a hair sieve. The parsley also to be picked, washed, and dried with a cloth, then to be put into the lard not very hot, and fried of a green colour. Sprinkle a little salt over.

N. B. Fish in general to be floured, except herrings, which are only to be scored with a knife, and the following methods of broiling other fish to be observed.

N. B. In the same manner are to be done red mullets, [25]&c.

[26]

N. B. The time the fish are to boil must be according to their size; and the parsley roots are to be cleaned, cut into slips, and boiled by themselves till tender.

[28]

N. B. The above fillets may be fried, and served up with the sauce round.

[31]

[34]

When the olio is to be served up, take a very large deep dish, make several partitions in it with slips of fried bread dipped in whites of eggs, and set it in a[36] slow oven or before a fire; then lay the tendrons, birds, beef, mutton, fowls, &c. alternately in the partitions, and serve up with the haricot roots, &c. over.

N. B. The whole of the liquor to be seasoned to the palate with cayenne pepper and lemon juice.

[This receipt for a Spanish olio is only written to shew how expensive a dish may be made, and which I saw done. As a substitute I have introduced the following english one, which has been generally approved; and I think, with particular attention, it will exceed the former in flavour.]

[39]

N. B. The balls should be boiled or fried before they are added to any thing.

[41]

[42]

[43]

N. B. The ham, &c. are to be cut in the form of dice, and the omlets made as omlets for garnishing.

N. B. It may be served with the sauce either plain or daubed.

N. B. The ham, fowl, egg, and carrot to be boiled before they are chopped.

[46]

N. B. To the liquor, when cleared with eggs and strained, may be added some passing of flour and butter, by way of thickening, if approved. The reason for clearing the liquor is, that it will make it appear bright either thickened or plain.

N. B. In the same manner may be done mutton steaks.

N. B. The essence that the steaks were[50] stewed in to be strained, skimmed clean from fat, and added to the sauce.

N. B. The cucumbers may be served as an entrée of itself, and fried bread put round them.

N. B. The potatoes to be peeled, scooped, or cut into shapes. Then fry them of a light colour, and put them[52] before the fire till wanted; and add to the sauce the steaks were passed in, a little cullis and ketchup; then strain and reduce it almost to a glaize.

N. B. See Poivrade Sauce receipt.

[53]

N. B. Let the parsley and thyme be taken out when the stew is to be served up.

[55]

[56]

[57]

[59]

N. B. The liquor they were braised in to be strained, skimmed free from fat,[60] and reduced almost to a glaize, and added to the sorrel. (Or they may, when three parts done, be wiped dry, egged and breadcrumbed over, then fried in boiling lard, and served up with sorrel sauce underneath as above).

N. B. In the same manner may be done heart sweetbreads.

N. B. In the same manner may be done a fillet of veal instead of plain stuffing.

[66]

N. B. The above sauces may be served up in dishes with fried bread round the celery heads, as an entrée of itself.

[67]

N. B. Five minutes before the collops are to be served up a leason may be added of eggs and cream.

[69]

N. B. The forcemeat, if not approved, may be omitted; and instead of only one piece of veal, three or four small pieces may be served on a dish.

[72]

N. B. To prepare the brains, clean them in warm water, wipe them dry, dip them in yolk of egg, breadcrumb, and fry them in boiling lard.

N. B. In the same manner may be done mutton and veal cutlets.

[75]

[77]

[78]

[79]

N. B. In the same manner may be done a shoulder or leg of lamb.

[80]

N. B. The spinach may be served up as a dish with fried bread round it.

N. B. Rabbits may be done in the same manner.

[83]

N. B. If the woodcocks are thin roast them with a bard of bacon over.

[88]

[89]

N. B. Baste it repeatedly, as there must be a good crust over. It will require three pints of warm milk for that purpose.

[91]

[92]

[93]

[94]

[95]

N. B. The lobsters or oysters are to be half boiled before they are chopped.

[101]

N. B. Cut the chicken in pieces and blanch them; the sweetbreads, truffles, and morels to be blanched, and afterwards season with pepper and salt.

[103]

N. B. Rabbits and veal may be done in the same manner; as also pigeons, but they are to be put into the crust whole.

N. B. The chicken may be passed with sweet herbs, &c. and when cold put into the dish as above. Rabbits also may be done in the same manner.

[106]

N. B. Pullets, chickens, partridges, and pheasants, may be done in the same manner; but instead of the tongue put in whole green truffles pared, and some truffles pounded with the forcemeat, and when served up, add a good cullis. Or, instead of a raised crust, they may be put in a dish and covered with puff paste, &c.

N. B. In the same manner put steaks and oysters into a deep dish, and cover them with puff paste.

N. B. I have directed puff paste to be used for meat pies, it having the best appearance when baked; but there is another mode which may be thought preferable; and which is, to mix together half a pound of sifted flour, six ounces of fresh butter, the yolks and whites of two eggs well beaten, and a little milk and salt; then knead it well.

[109]

N. B. They may be done in the same manner and served up cold; or put round them savory jelly, instead of cullis, for an ornamental supper.

N. B. They may be done likewise in the above manner, and served up cold for a ball supper.

[114]

N. B. Instead of a leason, the stock it is stewed in may be almost reduced, and a benshamelle added with the sweetbreads, mushrooms, [118]&c.

N. B. In the same manner may be done stewed oysters for dishes, only serve them up with sippets of bread round.

[120]

[121]

[125]

N. B. In the same manner may be done beef; and when it is to be served up put the bones (which are to be seasoned with pepper and salt, and grilled) over the hash.

[127]

N. B. The venison should not be put into the liquor above ten minutes before it is to be served up, by reason of the fat dissolving too much.

N. B. Instead of the thickening and veal stock, may be added cullis with lemon pickle and ketchup.

[128]

N. B. The fillet and outside steaks of the rump may be made into a pudding, in order to have prime steaks for broiling.

[130]

[131]

N. B. Lamb chops may have stewed spinach or fried parsley underneath.

N. B. In the same manner may be done pullets or chickens.

[136]

N. B. The liquor they were boiled in may be made into a cullis, and put into different sauces, such as haricot, ragout, or celery, &c.

N. B. Hams may be plain boiled and served up in the same manner.

Pickled tongues may be stuffed with marrow and boiled, then peeled, and served up with the above vegetables and in the same manner.

[142]

[143]

N. B. The same mash may be put into scollop shells and coloured with a salamander; or the mash may be mixed with yolk of egg, then moulded with the hands into round balls, and fried in boiling lard.

N. B. Broccoli may be done in the same manner.

[150]

N. B. Instead of fried bread to make the divisions, may be used mashed potatoes and yolks of eggs mixed together, and put on a dish in as many partitions as approved; afterwards baked till of a nice colour, and served up with any kind of stewed vegetable alternately.

[153]

[154]

[157]

N. B. Large heads of asparagus may be done in the same manner whole.

N. B. Some tops of sprue grass may be boiled in a little stock till tender, and rubbed through a tamis. The pulp to be put to the cullis before the heads are added.

N. B. Potatoes and carrots are best steamed.

[163]

[165]

There may be added also, a small quantity of boiled tops of asparagus or celery, some fowl, or oysters, or other ingredients, pounded and rubbed through a sieve, with a table spoonful of cream and one of ketchup. Then add the pulp to the eggs, beat them well together, and fry them as above. Or the mixture, instead of being fried, may be put over a fire and stirred till it begins to thicken; then put it on a toast, colour it with a hot salamander, and serve it up with a little cullis or benshamelle, or green truffle sauce underneath.

[167]

N. B. The slices of sweetbread, oysters, veal, and mutton, to be of an equal number.

[172]

[173]

N. B. In the same manner may be done a pickled crab.

N. B. In the same manner may be done a breast of veal, or a large fowl.

N. B. Pieces of lobsters, fillets of soles, &c. may be done in the same manner.

[183]

N. B. In the same manner may be done pieces of meat or poultry without forcing.

N. B. Some persons eat with this salad cold boiled turbot or other fish.

[187]

N. B. When seville oranges are not in season, orange flower water may be added, or (if approved) syrup of roses or quinces. Old hock or madeira wine will make it of the best quality.

N. B. The butter should be well beaten.

[190]

N. B. Peaches or pears may be done in the same manner; or oranges, which are to be peeled, divided into quarters, and then put into the batter. Some jam likewise may be mixed with the batter instead of the apples, and fried in small pieces.

[191]

N. B. The same kind of cream may be put over codlins, gooseberries, or cranberries, when made into pies, only omitting the pippins.

[193]

N. B. The cream may be perfumed, by adding, when nearly cold, a dessert spoonful of orange flower water, a table spoonful of syrup of roses, and a little ambergrise. Fruit pies, likewise, should be sweetened with sifted loaf sugar, covered with puff or tart paste, and when served up the top to be cut off, the fruit covered with either of the above creams, and small leaves of baked puff paste put round.

N. B. It is advised that the meat be omitted, and instead of it add one pound of the yolks of hard eggs chopped.

[197]

[198]

N. B. To make a very fine flavoured tart, stew golden pippins in the same manner, and when they are rubbed through the sieve add only half a table spoonful of syrup of cloves, and mix well with it[204] a quarter of a pound of pine-apple jam. This mixture will keep a month if close covered.

N. B. Instead of stamping the pieces it is thought better to cut them with a sharp knife; then to cut out small pieces round the edges to make them appear like spires, as, being done in this manner, it causes the paste to appear lighter.

[206]

[207]

N. B. Grapes or apricots may be done in the same manner.

N. B. In the same way try the proper stiffness of other jellies or jams, and cover them in like manner.

N. B. The raspberries may be mashed with a spoon previous to adding the sugar, or rubbed through a wicker sieve.

[210]

N. B. A little of this jam mixed with apples in a pie will make it very good.

N. B. Green gages may be done whole in the same manner, or green gooseberries with the seeds taken out. These fruits may be served up with the syrup; or they may be dried on tin plates, in a moderately heated oven, and when almost cold put sifted sugar over.

N. B. In the same manner may be made black currant jelly, but allowing sixteen ounces of sugar to a pint of juice.

N. B. In summer time the white of an egg beat up may be added with the water that mixes it.

[216]

N. B. Plain custards may be made in the same manner, but instead of almonds add a little orange flower water.

N. B. A lemon pudding may be made in the same manner.

[218]

N. B. Millet or sago (whole or ground) may be done in the same manner.

[219]

[220]

[221]

N. B. When puddings are put into the pot the water in general should boil.

N. B. Puddings made with gooseberries, currants, or bullies, may be done in the same manner.

N. B. In the same manner may be done ripe peaches, nectarines, gooseberries, apricots, green gages, or egg plums; or instead of boiling may be baked in a tart pan, sheeted with puff paste.

[227]

N. B. Should the liquor be pale at the time it is cleared, add a few drops of liquid of colour.

[233]

N. B. Prawns, shrimps, crayfish, and crabs, may be done in the same manner.

N. B. Pheasants, partridges, chickens, &c. may be done in the same way, but will take a longer time baking.

[238]

N. B. In the same manner may be done elder flowers, &c. &c.

N. B. Pigs faces and hams to be done in the same manner, but according to their size let them lay in the different pickles for longer periods, and when well coloured smoke them. If it be wished to have the hams or tongues of a westphalia flavour add some socho to the pickle.

N. B. In the same manner may be done white cabbages cut into half quarters,[243] whole french beans, heads of celery, heads of asparagus, onions whole or sliced, or pickling melons peeled thin, cut into halves, and formed like an indian mango.

[244]

[245]

N. B. In the same manner may be done walnuts, love apples, barberries, capsicums, french beans, nasturtiums, and small pickling melons peeled very thin and cut into quarters.

There can be no occasion of the many arts that are used in order to preserve the ingredients green, if the vegetables are gathered fresh, on a dry day, when in season, and the process followed that has been recommended.

Further directions could be given that might be attended with greater expence,[246] but which would scarcely answer a better purpose, excepting only to those who are in the habit of extensive practice.

The general rule has been deviated from of making the pickle for onions and mushrooms with double distilled white wine vinegar, as in this instance it is requisite to preserve them white. It is likewise recommended that they be put into small jars or glasses for use; for this reason, that, if exposed to the air but for a short space of time, they will discolour.

N. B. When the beet is wanted for use mix well together sweet oil, mustard, some of the liquor in which the roots were pickled, and a very little sifted sugar. Lay the slices in a deep plate and pour the mixture over.

[251]

N. B. Onions may be peeled and done whole in the same manner, and mixed with red cabbage.

N. B. Bunches of currants may be done in like manner.

[256]

N. B. If large puddings they will take longer periods in boiling and broiling.

N. B. The rum and brandy should be added when the milk is cleared.

[261]

N. B. In place of the above the following method may be adopted:—Instead[263] of cutting the meat of the lobster into pieces, it may be pounded in a marble mortar, then rubbed through a tamis cloth, and the pulp put with the other ingredients when the sauce is to be made. [See Anchovie Essence for Fish Sauce.]

N. B. Muscles and cockles may be done in like manner.

[264]

There are, likewise, other articles repeatedly wanted for the use of stovework; and as their possession has been found to obviate much inconvenience and trouble, they are here enumerated: that is to say, liquid of colour preserved in a bottle, strained lemon juice preserved in the same manner, cayenne pepper, ground spices, ground pepper and salt mixed, which should be preserved separately in small jars; and every day, when wanted, fresh breadcrumbs rubbed through a hair sieve;[267] parsley, thymes, eschallots, savoy, marjoram, and lemon peel, chopped very fine, and put on a dish in separate partitions.

Directions are not given for serving the fish sauces with any particular kind of fish,—such as turbot or salmon with lobster sauce, &c. but the receipts have been written only for the making them; therefore it is recommended that every person make a choice, and not be biassed altogether by custom.

[268]

N. B. Should the sauce be made of spinach juice instead of vinegar, there may be put two table spoonfuls of the pulp of gooseberries rubbed through a hair sieve.

[270]

In the same manner may be made fish sauces, adding the liquor of the lobsters or oysters, &c. with flour and water, and when boiling add the butter with the other ingredients.

[271]

[273]

N. B. They may be done in the same manner in a stewpan over a fire.

N. B. To clarify sugar for carmel requires but a small quantity of water; and the different degrees of strength, when wanted, must be attended to with practice. They are generally thrown over a mould rubbed with sweet oil; for cakes, with a fork dipped in the sugar, &c.

N. B. In the same manner may be done cinnamon or mace.

N. B. Nonpareils, quinces, pine-apples, or the rind of lemons peeled very thin, may be done in the same manner.

[276]

[277]

N. B. The syrup may be cleared with two eggs.

[280]

[281]

N. B. Strawberries, raspberries, apricots, and other ripe fruits, may be rubbed through a sieve and the pulp added to the cream.

N. B. Damsons, currants, cherries, or plums may be done in the same way.

[The above mode of preserving fruits is recommended in preference to preserving them with sugar, it frequently happening[283] that fruits done with syrup will fret, and in that event the whole be spoiled.]

[This mode has been found to answer extremely well. The small champaign gooseberry is recommended likewise for the purpose.]

N. B. Before the frying pans are used let them be prepared with a bit of butter put into each and burnt; then wipe them very clean with a dry cloth, as this method prevents the batter from sticking to the pan when frying.

[295]

[299]

[300]

N. B. In the same manner may be done apricots, pears, plums, [301]&c.

N. B. A middling-size loaf will require an hour and a half in baking.

[308]

Having this syrup always at hand will answer a better purpose for puddings, &c. than grated nutmeg and brandy, as the mixtures can be better palated, and likewise save trouble and expense.

Take the crumb of a new-baked loaf, pull it into small pieces, put them on a[312] baking plate, and set them in a moderately heated oven till they are of a nice brown colour.

Let it also be observed, that mention should have been made in the receipt for Mock Turtle, of an addition to the passing of flour and butter, to each gallon of liquor half a pint of madeira wine; and (if approved) the mock turtle may be made with pieces of cow-heel or pig's head instead of calf's scalp.

[315]

INDEX.