Calves’-Feet Jelly.—(No. 481.)
Take four calves’ feet (not those which are sold at tripe-shops, which have been boiled till almost all the gelatine is extracted; but buy them at the butcher’s), slit them in two, take away the fat from between the claws, wash them well in lukewarm water; then put them in a large stew-pan, and cover them with water: when the liquor boils, skim it well, and let it boil gently six or seven hours, that it may be reduced to about two quarts; then strain it through a sieve, and skim off all the oily substance which is on the surface of the liquor.
If you are not in a hurry, it is better to boil the calves’ feet the day before you make the jelly; as when the liquor is cold, the oily part being at the top, and the other being firm, with pieces of kitchen paper applied to it, you may remove every particle of the oily substance, without wasting any of the liquor.
Put the liquor in a stew-pan to melt, with a pound of lump sugar, the peel of two lemons, the juice of six, six whites and shells of eggs beat together, and a bottle of sherry or Madeira; whisk the whole together until it is on the boil; then put it by the side of the stove, and let it simmer a quarter of an hour; strain it through a jelly-bag: what is strained first must be poured into the bag again, until it is as bright and as clear as rock-water; then put the jelly in moulds, to be cold and firm: if the weather is too warm, it requires some ice.
Obs.—When it is wished to be very stiff, half an ounce of isinglass may be added when the wine is put in.
It may be flavoured by the juice of various fruits, and spices, &c. and coloured with saffron, cochineal, red beet juice, spinage juice, claret, &c.; and it is sometimes made with cherry brandy, or noyeau rouge, or Curaçoa (No. 474), or essence of punch (No. 479), instead of wine.
N.B. Ten shank bones of mutton, which may be bought for 2 1/2d., will give as much jelly as a calf’s foot, which costs a shilling. See pages 225, 226 of this work.
228-* This may be easily accomplished by the aid of that whip and spur, which students of long standing in the school of good living are generally so fond of enlivening their palates with, i. e. Cayenne and garlic. Parsley (No. 261), chervil (No. 264), celery (No. 289), cress (No. 397*), tarragon (No. 396), burnet (No. 399), basil (No. 397), eschalot (Nos. 295 and 403), caper (Nos. 274 and 295), fennel (No. 265), liver (Nos. 287 and 288), curry (Nos. 348 and 455), egg, (No. 267,) mushroom (No. 403), anchovy (Nos. 270 and 433), ragoût (Nos. 421 and 457), shrimp (No. 283), bonne bouche (No. 341,) superlative (No. 429), and various flavouring essences. See from No. 396 to 463. Any of the above vegetables, &c. may be minced very finely, and sent to table on a little plate, and those who like their flavour may mix them with melted butter, &c. This is a hint for economists, which will save them many pounds of butter, &c. See Mem. to No. 256. 228-† A silver saucepan is infinitely the best: you may have one big enough to melt butter for a moderate family, for four or five pounds. 234-* Oysters which come to the New-York market, are too large and fine to be mangled according to this receipt. They are generally cooked by being fried or stewed. When they are intended to be kept a length of time, they are pickled in vinegar, with spices. A. 236-* You must have a hen lobster, on account of the live spawn. Some fishmongers have a cruel custom of tearing this from the fish before they are boiled. Lift up the tail of the lobster, and see that it has not been robbed of its eggs: the goodness of your sauce depends upon its having a full share of the spawn in it, to which it owes not merely its brilliant red colour, but the finest part of its flavour. 238-* So much depends upon the age of the celery, that we cannot give any precise time for this, young, fresh-gathered celery will be done enough in three-quarters of an hour; old will sometimes take twice as long. 240-* If you wish to have them very mild, cut them in quarters, boil them for five minutes in plenty of water, and then drain them, and cook them in fresh water. 244-* Composer and Director of the Music of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and the Italian Opera. 246-* “By the best accounts I can find, soy is a preparation from the seeds of a species of the Dolichos, prepared by a fermentation of the farina of this seed in a strong lixivium of common salt.”—Cullen’s Mat. Med. vol. i. p. 430. 250-* One of “les bonnes hommes de bouche de France” orders the following addition for game gravy:—“For a pint, par-roast a partridge or a pigeon; cut off the meat of it, pound it in a mortar, and put it into the stew-pan when you thicken the sauce.” We do not recommend either soup or sauce to be thickened, because it requires (to give it the same quickness on the palate it had before it was thickened) double the quantity of piquante materials; which are thus smuggled down the red lane, without affording any amusement to the mouth, and at the risk of highly offending the stomach. 251-* To this some add a table-spoonful of mushroom catchup (No. 439), and instead of the salt-spoonful of salt, a tea-spoonful of essence of anchovy (No. 433). If the above articles are rubbed together in a mortar, and put into a close-stopped bottle, they will keep for some time. 251-† Thus far the above is from Dr. Hunter’s “Culina,” who says it is a secret worth knowing: we agree with him, and so tell it here, with a little addition, which we think renders it a still more gratifying communication. 252-* See Basil Wine (No. 397). 260-* These are sold at the glass-shops under the name of INCORPORATORS: we recommend the sauce to be mixed in these, and the company can then take it or leave it, as they like. 263-* If you have no suet, the best substitute for it is about one-third part the quantity of butter. 267-* A baine-marie. See note to No. 485. 275-* The fragrant aroma of ginger is so extremely volatile, that it evaporates almost as soon as it is powdered; and the fine lemon-peel goût flies off presently. 275-† Tinctures are much finer flavoured than essences. 277-* For the season, &c. when these herbs, &c. come in perfection, and how to dry them, see No. 461. 278-* We hope this title will not offend those who may quote against it the old adage, “that good appetite is the best sauce.”—Allowing this to be generally true (which is a more candid confession than could be expected from a cook), we dare say, the majority of our readers will vote with us, that there are many good things (fish especially) that would be rather insipid without a little sauce of another kind. “Wherefore did Nature pour her bounties forth, With such a full and unwithdrawing hand, Covering the earth with odours, fruits, and flocks, Thronging the sea with spawn innumerable; But all to please and sate the curious taste?” Milton. 280-* “Several samples which we examined of this fish sauce, have been found contaminated with lead.”—See Accum on Adulteration, page 328. 280-† They may do very well for common palates; but to imitate the fine flavour of the Gorgona fish, so as to impose upon a well-educated gourmand, still remains in the catalogue of the sauce-maker’s desiderata. 280-‡ The economist may take the thick remains that wont pass through the sieve, and pound it with some flour, and make anchovy paste, or powder. See Nos. 434 and 435. 281-* Epicure Quin used to say, “Of all the banns of marriage I ever heard, none gave me half such pleasure as the union of delicate Ann-chovy with good John-dory.” 281-† “Rust in anchovies, if I’m not mistaken, Is as bad as rust in steel, or rust in bacon.” Young’s Epicure, page 14. 281-‡ If you are not contented with the natural colour, break some lobsters’ eggs into it, and you will not only heighten the complexion of your sauce, but improve its flavour. This is the only rouge we can recommend. See note to No. 284. 283-* “The mushrooms employed for preparing ready-made catchup, are generally those which are in a putrefactive state. In a few days after those fungi have been gathered, they become the habitations of myriads of insects.”—Accum on Culinary Poisons, 12mo. 1820, p. 350. 284-* The squeezings are the perquisite of the cook, to make sauce for the second table: do not deprive her of it; it is the most profitable save-all you can give her, and will enable her to make up a good family dinner, with what would otherwise be wasted. After the mushrooms have been squeezed, dry them in the Dutch oven, and make mushroom powder. 286-* “Potatoes, in whatever condition, whether spoiled by frost, germination, &c., provided they are raw, constantly afford starch, differing only in quality, the round gray ones the most; a pound producing about two ounces.”—Parmentier on Nutritive Vegetables, 8vo. p. 31. “100lb. of potatoes yield 10lb. of starch.”—S. Gray’s Supplement to the Pharmacopœia, 8vo. 1821, p. 198. 288-* If you like the flavour, and do not dislike the expense, instead of allspice, put in mace and cloves. The above is very similar to the powder-fort used in King Richard the Second’s kitchen, A. D. 1390. See “Pegge Forme of Cury” p. xxx. 288-† The back part of these ovens is so much hotter than that which is next the fire, that to dry things equally, their situation must be frequently changed, or those at the back of the oven will be done too much, before those in the front are done enough. 291-* This is sadly neglected by those who dry herbs for sale. If you buy them ready dried, before you pound them, cleanse them from dirt and dust by stripping the leaves from the stalks, and rub them between your hands over a hair-sieve; put them into the sieve, and shake them well, and the dust will go through. 291-† The common custom is to put them into paper bags, and lay them on a shelf in the kitchen, exposed to all the fumes, steam, and smoke, &c.: thus they soon lose their flavour. 291-‡ A delicious herb, that deserves to be better known. 292-* If the bottles are square, and marked to quarter ounces, as Lyne’s graduated measures are, it will save trouble in compounding. 294-* “Borrage is one of the four cordial flowers;” it comforts the heart, cheers melancholy, and revives the fainting spirits, says Salmon, in the 45th page of his “Household Companion” London, 1710. And Evelyn, in page 13 of his Acetaria, says, “The sprigs in wine are of known virtue to revive the hypochondriac, and cheer the hard student.”—Combined with the ingredients in the above receipt, we have frequently observed it produce all the cardiac and exhilarating effects ascribed to it. 297-* Tartaric is only half the price of citric acid; but it is very inferior in flavour, &c.; and those who prepare this syrup for home consumption, will always use the citric. 298-* The native blackberry of this country makes a very fine jelly, and is medicinal in bowel complaints of children. A.
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MADE DISHES, &C.