The Book of Household Management Part 179

_Mode_.--Dissolve the isingla.s.s in a little boiling water, add the lemon-juice, and strain this to the cream, putting in sufficient noyeau and sugar to flavour and sweeten the mixture nicely; whisk the cream well, put it into an oiled mould, and set the mould in ice or in a cool place; turn it out, and garnish the dish to taste.

_Time_.--Altogether, 1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, with cream at 1s. per pint and the best isingla.s.s, 4s.

_Sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _Seasonable_ at any time.

OPEN JELLY WITH WHIPPED CREAM.

(_A very pretty dish_.)

1453. INGREDIENTS.--1-1/2 pint of jelly, 1/2 pint of cream, 1 gla.s.s of sherry, sugar to taste.

[Ill.u.s.tration: OPEN JELLY WITH WHIPPED CREAM.]

_Mode_.--Make the above proportion of calf's-feet or isingla.s.s jelly, colouring and flavouring it in any way that may be preferred; soak a mould, open in the centre, for about 1/2 hour in cold water; fill it with the jelly, and let it remain in a cool place until perfectly set; then turn it out on a dish; fill the centre with whipped cream, flavoured with sherry and sweetened with pounded sugar; pile this cream high in the centre, and serve. The jelly should be made of rather a dark colour, to contrast nicely with the cream.

_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_, 3s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ to fill 1-1/2-pint mould. _Seasonable_ at any time.

ORANGE JELLY.

1454. INGREDIENTS.--1 pint of water, 1-1/2 to 2 oz. of isingla.s.s, 1/2 lb. of loaf sugar, 1 Seville orange, 1 lemon, about 9 China oranges.

[Ill.u.s.tration: OPEN MOULD.]

_Mode_.--Put the water into a saucepan, with the isingla.s.s, sugar, and the rind of 1 orange, and the same of 1/2 lemon, and stir these over the fire until the isingla.s.s is dissolved, and remove the sc.u.m; then add to this the juice of the Seville orange, the juice of the lemon, and sufficient juice of China oranges to make in all 1 pint; from 8 to 10 oranges will yield the desired quant.i.ty. Stir all together over the fire until it is just on the point of boiling; skim well; then strain the jelly through a very fine sieve or jelly-bag, and when nearly cold, put it into a mould previously wetted, and, when quite set, turn it out on a dish, and garnish it to taste. To insure this jelly being clear, the orange-and lemon-juice should be well strained, and the isingla.s.s clarified, before they are added to the other ingredients, and, to heighten the colour, a few drops of prepared cochineal may be added.

_Time_.--5 minutes to boil without the juice; 1 minute after it is added.

_Average cost_, with the best isingla.s.s, 3s. 6d.

_Sufficient_ to fill a quart mould. _Seasonable_ from November to May.

ORANGE JELLY MOULDED WITH SLICES OF ORANGE.

1455. INGREDIENTS.--1-1/2 pint of orange jelly No. 1454, 4 oranges, 1 pint of clarified syrup.

_Mode_.--Boil 1/2 lb. of loaf sugar with 1/2 pint of water until there is no sc.u.m left (which must be carefully removed as fast as it rises), and carefully peel the oranges; divide them into thin slices, without breaking the thin skin, and put these pieces of orange into the syrup, where let them remain for about 5 minutes; then take them out, and use the syrup for the jelly, which should be made by recipe No. 1454. When the oranges are well drained, and the jelly is nearly cold, pour a little of the latter into the bottom of the mould; then lay in a few pieces of orange; over these pour a little jelly, and when this is set, place another layer of oranges, proceeding in this manner until the mould is full. Put it in ice, or in a cool place, and, before turning it out, wrap a cloth round the mould for a minute or two, which has been wrung out in boiling water.

_Time_.--5 minutes to simmer the oranges. _Average cost_, 3s. 6d.

_Sufficient_, with the slices of orange, to fill a quart mould.

_Seasonable_ from November to May.

TO MAKE A PLAIN OMELET.

1456. INGREDIENTS.--6 eggs, 1 saltspoonful of salt, 1/3 saltspoonful of pepper, 1/4 lb. of b.u.t.ter.

[Ill.u.s.tration: OMELET.]

_Mode_.--Break the eggs into a basin, omitting the whites of 3, and beat them up with the salt and pepper until extremely light; then add 2 oz.

of the b.u.t.ter broken into small pieces, and stir this into the mixture.

Put the other 2 oz. of b.u.t.ter into a frying-pan, make it quite hot, and, as soon as it begins to bubble, whisk the eggs, &c. very briskly for a minute or two, and pour them into the pan; stir the omelet with a spoon one way until the mixture thickens and becomes firm, and when the whole is set, fold the edges over, so that the omelet a.s.sumes an oval form; and when it is nicely brown on one side, and quite firm, it is done. To take off the rawness on the upper side, hold the pan before the fire for a minute or two, and brown it with a salamander or hot shovel. Serve very expeditiously on a very hot dish, and never cook it until it is just wanted. The flavour of this omelet may be very much enhanced by adding minced parsley, minced onion or eschalot, or grated cheese, allowing 1 tablespoonful of the former, and half the quant.i.ty of the latter, to the above proportion of eggs. Shrimps or oysters may also be added: the latter should be scalded in their liquor, and then bearded and cut into small pieces. In making an omelet, be particularly careful that it is not too thin, and, to avoid this, do not make it in too large a frying-pan, as the mixture would then spread too much, and taste of the outside. It should also not be greasy, burnt, or too much done, and should be cooked over a gentle fire, that the whole of the substance may be heated without drying up the outside. Omelets are sometimes served with gravy; but _this should never be poured over them_, but served in a tureen, as the liquid causes the omelet to become heavy and flat, instead of eating light and soft. In making the gravy, the flavour should not overpower that of the omelet, and should be thickened with arrowroot or rice flour.

_Time_.--With 6 eggs, in a frying-pan 18 or 20 inches round, 4 to 6 minutes. _Average cost_, 9d.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

HAM OMELET (_A delicious Breakfast Dish_.)

1457. INGREDIENTS.--6 eggs, 4 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 1/2 saltspoonful of pepper, 2 tablespoonfuls of minced ham.

_Mode_.--Mince the ham very finely, without any fat, and fry it for 2 minutes in a little b.u.t.ter; then make the batter for the omelet, stir in the ham, and proceed as directed in recipe No. 1456. Do not add any salt to the batter, as the ham is usually sufficiently salt to impart a flavour to the omelet. Good lean bacon, or tongue, answers equally well for this dish; but they must also be slightly cooked previously to mixing them with the batter. Serve very hot and quickly, without gravy.

_Time_.--From 4 to 6 minutes. _Average cost_, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

KIDNEY OMELET (_A favourite French dish_.)

1458. INGREDIENTS.--6 eggs, 1 saltspoonful of salt, 1/2 saltspoonful of pepper, 2 sheep's kidneys, or 2 tablespoonfuls of minced veal kidney, 5 oz. of b.u.t.ter.

_Mode_.--Skin the kidneys, cut them into small dice, and toss them in a frying-pan, in 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, over the fire for 2 or 3 minutes. Mix the ingredients for the omelet the same as in recipe No. 1456, and when the eggs are well whisked, stir in the pieces of kidney. Make the b.u.t.ter hot in the frying-pan, and when it bubbles, pour in the omelet, and fry it over a gentle fire from 4 to 6 minutes. When the eggs are set, fold the edges over, so that the omelet a.s.sumes an oval form, and be careful that it is not too much done: to brown the top, hold the pan before the fire for a minute or two, or use a salamander until the desired colour is obtained, but never turn an omelet in the pan. Slip it carefully on to a _very hot_ dish, or, what is a much safer method, put a dish on the omelet, and turn the pan quickly over. It should be served the instant it comes from the fire.

_Time_.--4 to 6 minutes. _Average cost_, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

TO MAKE A PLAIN SWEET OMELET.

1459. INGREDIENTS.--6 eggs, 4 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 2 oz. of sifted sugar.

_Mode_.--Break the eggs into a basin, omitting the whites of 3; whisk them well, adding the sugar and 2 oz. of the b.u.t.ter, which should be broken into small pieces, and stir all these ingredients well together.

Make the remainder of the b.u.t.ter quite hot in a small frying-pan, and when it commences to bubble, pour in the eggs, &c. Keep stirring them until they begin to set; then turn the edges of the omelet over, to make it an oval shape, and finish cooking it. To brown the top, hold the pan before the fire, or use a salamander, and turn it carefully on to a _very hot_ dish: sprinkle sifted sugar over, and serve.

_Time_.--From 4 to 6 minutes. _Average cost_, 10d.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.