NO. 11. FORCEMEAT BALLS FOR MOCK TURTLE SOUPS.
The French forcemeat, No. 17 of the present Chapter, is the most refined and appropriate forcemeat to serve in mock turtle, but a more solid and highly seasoned one is usually added to it in this country. In very common cookery the ingredients are merely chopped small and mixed together with a moistening of eggs; but when the trouble of pounding and blending them properly is objected to, we would recommend the common veal forcemeat No. 1, in preference; as the undressed veal and suet, when merely minced, do not produce a good effect. Four ounces each of these, with an ounce or so of the lean of a boiled ham, and three ounces of bread-crumbs, a large dessertspoonful of minced parsley, a small portion of thyme or marjoram, a saltspoonful of white pepper, twice as much or more of salt, a little cayenne, half a small nutmeg, and a couple of eggs, well mixed with a fork first to separate the meat, and after the moistening is added, with the fingers, then rolled into balls, and boiled in a little soup for twelve minutes, is the manner in which it is prepared; but the reader will find the following receipt very superior to it:—Rasp, that is to say, scrape with a knife clear from the fibre, four ounces of veal, which should be cut into thick slices, and taken quite free from skin and fat; chop it fine, and then pound it as smoothly as possible in a large mortar, with three ounces of the rasped fat of an unboiled ham of good flavour or of the finest bacon, and one of butter, two ounces of bread-crumbs, a tablespoonful of the lean of a boiled ham, should it be at hand, a good seasoning of cayenne, nutmeg, and mace, mixed together, a heaped dessertspoonful of minced herbs, and the yolks of two eggs; poach a small bit when it is mixed, and add any further seasoning it may require; and when it is of good flavour, roll it into balls of moderate size, and boil them twelve minutes; then drain and drop them into the soup. No forcemeat should be boiled in the soup itself, on account of the fat which would escape from it in the process; a little stock should be reserved for the purpose.
Very common:—Lean of neck of veal, 4 oz.; beef-kidney suet, 4 oz., both finely chopped; bread-crumbs, 3 oz.; minced parsley, large dessertspoonful; thyme or marjoram, small teaspoonful; lean of boiled ham, 1 to 2 oz.; white pepper, 1 saltspoonful; salt, twice as much; 1/2 small nutmeg; eggs, 2: in balls, 12 minutes.
162Better forcemeat:—Lean veal rasped, 4 oz.; fat of unboiled ham, or finest bacon, 3 oz; butter, 1 oz.; bread-crumbs, 2 oz.; lean of boiled ham, minced, 1 large tablespoonful; minced herbs, 1 heaped dessertspoonful; full seasoning of mace, nutmeg, and cayenne, mixed; yolks of eggs, 2: 12 minutes.