A Course of Lectures on the Principles of Domestic Economy and Cookery Part 8

For a rarebit large enough for three or four persons, put in a sauce pan a quarter of a pound of grated cheese, two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, a saltspoonful of salt, two tablespoonfuls of ale, one teaspoonful of mustard, a little dust of cayenne pepper, stir all these together over the fire and serve on toast.

LECTURE TWELFTH.

_Cookery for the Sick._

BROILED CHICKEN.

For broiled chicken choose always a tender chicken. Remove all the feathers, singe it over the fire, and wipe the chicken with a wet towel.

Split the chicken down the back. In doing that one can remove the entrails without breaking. Take out the entrails and crop; lay the chicken open on the gridiron. It is better to use a double gridiron, well b.u.t.tered. If the chicken is not tender, break the joints so the chicken will lie flat on the gridiron. Put the inside of the chicken to the fire first and brown it. Do not put it too close to the fire. Broil it fifteen or twenty minutes, for it will require about that time to get well done. When the inside is brown, turn it and broil the outside, allowing about ten minutes. Take time enough to brown it nicely without burning. If you have a very young spring chicken less time will be required. Do not broil a chicken that weighs over three pounds. If the chicken is very large it is better to put it in a very hot oven in a pan, with no b.u.t.ter unless the chicken is very lean. Season with salt, pepper and b.u.t.ter, if desired, when it is removed from the oven.

BARBECUED CHICKEN.

Split down the back, and after breaking the joints dress and lay it open. Use two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter and one cup of water. Season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken well, dredge it with flour and baste it every fifteen minutes with drippings from the pan until tender. Pour over it the gravy that you find in the pan, and serve. The Southerners, with whom this dish is a great favorite, usually put in this gravy some nice table sauce.

JELLIED OATMEAL.

Take one-half cup of very finely ground oatmeal and put it over the fire with a pint of boiling water and a level teaspoonful of salt. Boil it very slowly until it becomes transparent. This will require two hours or longer. Do not add any more water unless it is positively necessary.

When it is done it should be stiff and hold its form when it is turned out. It makes a dish which is very nice and nutritious for sick people, when it is quite gelatinous. Add sugar, if it is desired, and put it in a mould. Serve when cold and solid with cream and powdered sugar.

BOILED TROUT.

Boiled trout makes an excellent dish for convalescents and it is very nutritious. Have the fish cleaned and the scales removed. The entrails should be drawn from the gills. After the fish has been thoroughly washed boil it in salted boiling water till you can easily pull a fin out, then serve it with a white sauce either made plain or with milk.

French canned green peas are nice with trout. If the peas are served with the trout put the peas on the dish and lay the trout on them.

Clam soup may be given to invalids with beef tea, alternating. Clam soup may be given when beef tea can not be digested. It is very nutritious.

Drain off the juice and remove all bits of sh.e.l.l as with oysters. If the clams are whole put the sh.e.l.ls over the fire until they are heated; remove the clams and simply season the juice very lightly with salt and pepper and use the broth in that shape. If you are using canned clams heat the clams in the juice, then remove the juice and season slightly, using the juice. Strain the juice. Take the clams and cut away the hard part from the soft part. Boil the juice, with the hard part, long enough to extract the flavor. Use the juice to make the soup, adding water or milk. When the soup is made season it, putting the soft part of the clam in it. Boil it a couple of minutes and serve it. Use b.u.t.ter and flour in the same manner as for thickening oyster soup.

Make orange salad to serve with broiled chicken in the following manner: For a small chicken use two small sour oranges, sliced very thin.

Arrange them nicely on a dish. Place over the slices of orange a very little salt, a little cayenne pepper, and three tablespoonfuls of salad oil. If the oranges are sweet a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice must be added. Serve the chicken on top of the orange salad.

RENNET CUSTARD.

Heat a half pint of milk until it is lukewarm. While the milk is heating beat one egg with a teaspoonful of powdered sugar and stir the egg and sugar in with it. When the milk is lukewarm add one teaspoonful of liquid rennet and one teaspoonful of wine or one tablespoonful of rennet wine. Mix all together and let it become cold. Rennet custard may be given safely when the invalid is not able to take more than broth.

BEEF TEA.

For a pint of beef tea take one pound of beef chopped very fine. All the fat is to be cut away. Put it in a bowl with a pint of cold water. Let it stand in an earthen bowl at least an hour, and longer if possible.

Put the water and beef in the sauce pan over the fire, and heat them very slowly indeed. When the beef tea arrives at the boiling point pour it into a wire sieve to allow the juice and the little particles of meat--not the fibres--to pa.s.s through. Season it very lightly, and if any particles of fat are visible lay little pieces of white porous paper on top of the tea to absorb the fat; serve it hot or cold.