The Book of Household Management Part 60

498. INGREDIENTS.--Red cabbages, salt and water; to each quart of vinegar, 1/2 oz. of ginger well bruised, 1 oz. of whole black pepper, and, when liked, a little cayenne.

_Mode_.--Take off the outside decayed leaves of a nice red cabbage, cut it in quarters, remove the stalks, and cut it across in very thin slices. Lay these on a dish, and strew them plentifully with salt, covering them with another dish. Let them remain for 24 hours, turn into a colander to drain, and, if necessary, wipe lightly with a clean soft cloth. Put them in a jar; boil up the vinegar with spices in the above proportion, and, when cold, pour it over the cabbage. It will be fit for use in a week or two, and, if kept for a very long time, the cabbage is liable get soft and to discolour. To be really nice and crisp, and of a good red colour, it should be eaten almost immediately after it is made.

A little bruised cochineal boiled with the vinegar adds much to the appearance of this pickle. Tie down with bladder, and keep in a dry place.

_Seasonable_ in July and August, but the pickle will be much more crisp if the frost has just touched the leaves.

RED CABBAGE.--This plant, in its growth, is similar in form to that of the white, but is of a bluish-purple colour, which, however, turns red on the application of acid, as is the case with all vegetable blues. It is princ.i.p.ally from the white vegetable that the Germans make their _sauer kraut_; a dish held in such high estimation with the inhabitants of Vaderland, but which requires, generally speaking, with strangers, a long acquaintance in order to become sufficiently impressed with its numerous merits. The large red Dutch is the kind generally recommended for pickling.

PLUM-PUDDING SAUCE.

499. INGREDIENTS.--1 winegla.s.sful of brandy, 2 oz. of very fresh b.u.t.ter, 1 gla.s.s of Madeira, pounded sugar to taste.

_Mode_.--Put the pounded sugar in a basin, with part of the brandy and the b.u.t.ter; let it stand by the side of the fire until it is warm and the sugar and b.u.t.ter are dissolved; then add the rest of the brandy, with the Madeira. Either pour it over the pudding, or serve in a tureen.

This is a very rich and excellent sauce.

_Average cost_, 1s. 3d. for this quant.i.ty.

_Sufficient_ for a pudding made for 6 persons.

QUIN'S SAUCE, an excellent Fish Sauce.

500. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of walnut pickle, 1/2 pint of port wine, 1 pint of mushroom ketchup, 1 dozen anchovies, 1 dozen shalots, 1/4 pint of soy, 1/2 teaspoonful of cayenne.

_Mode_.--Put all the ingredients into a saucepan, having previously chopped the shalots and anchovies very small; simmer for 15 minutes, strain, and, when cold, bottle off for use: the corks should be well sealed to exclude the air.

_Time_.--1/4 hour.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

RAVIGOTTE, a French Salad Sauce.

_Mons. Ude's Recipe_.

501. INGREDIENTS.--1 teaspoonful of mushroom ketchup, 1 teaspoonful of cavice, 1 teaspoonful of Chili vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of Reading sauce, a piece of b.u.t.ter the size of an egg, 3 tablespoonfuls of thick Bechamel, No. 367, 1 tablespoonful of minced parsley, 3 tablespoonfuls of cream; salt and pepper to taste.

_Mode_.--Scald the parsley, mince the leaves very fine, and add it to all the other ingredients; after mixing the whole together thoroughly, the sauce will be ready for use.

_Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 10d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

READING SAUCE.

502. INGREDIENTS.--2-1/2 pints of walnut pickle, 1-1/2 oz. of shalots, 1 quart of spring water, 3/4 pint of Indian soy, 1/2 oz. of bruised ginger, 1/2 oz. of long pepper, 1 oz. of mustard-seed, 1 anchovy, 1/2 oz. of cayenne, 1/4 oz. of dried sweet bay-leaves.

_Mode_.--Bruise the shalots in a mortar, and put them in a stone jar with the walnut-liquor; place it before the fire, and let it boil until reduced to 2 pints. Then, into another jar, put all the ingredients except the bay-leaves, taking care that they are well bruised, so that the flavour may be thoroughly extracted; put this also before the fire, and let it boil for 1 hour, or rather more. When the contents of both jars are sufficiently cooked, mix them together, stirring them well as you mix them, and submit them to a slow boiling for 1/2 hour; cover closely, and let them stand 24 hours in a cool place; then open the jar and add the bay-leaves; let it stand a week longer closed down, when strain through a flannel bag, and it will be ready for use. The above quant.i.ties will make 1/2 gallon.

_Time_.--Altogether, 3 hours.

_Seasonable_.--This sauce may be made at any time.

REMOULADE, or FRENCH SALAD-DRESSING.

503. INGREDIENTS.--4 eggs, 1/2 tablespoonful of made mustard, salt and cayenne to taste, 3 tablespoonfuls of olive-oil, 1 tablespoonful of tarragon or plain vinegar.

_Mode_.--Boil 3 eggs quite hard for about 1/4 hour, put them into cold water, and let them remain in it for a few minutes; strip off the sh.e.l.ls, put the yolks in a mortar, and pound them very smoothly; add to them, very gradually, the mustard, seasoning, and vinegar, keeping all well stirred and rubbed down with the back of a wooden spoon. Put in the oil drop by drop, and when this is thoroughly mixed with the other ingredients, add the yolk of a raw egg, and stir well, when it will be ready for use. This sauce should not be curdled; and to prevent this, the only way is to mix a little of everything at a time, and not to cease stirring. The quant.i.ties of oil and vinegar may be increased or diminished according to taste, as many persons would prefer a smaller proportion of the former ingredient.

GREEN REMOULADE is made by using tarragon vinegar instead of plain, and colouring with a little parsley-juice, No. 495. Harvey's sauce, or Chili vinegar, may be added at pleasure.

_Time_.--1/4 hour to boil the eggs.

_Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 7d.

_Sufficient_ for a salad made for 4 or 6 persons.

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

TARRAGON.--The leaves of this plant, known to naturalists as _Artemisia dracunculus_, are much used in France as a flavouring ingredient for salads. From it also is made the vinegar known as tarragon vinegar, which is employed by the French in mixing their mustard. It originally comes from Tartary, and does not seed in France.

SAGE-AND-ONION STUFFING, for Geese, Ducks, and Pork.

504. INGREDIENTS.--4 large onions, 10 sage-leaves, 1/4 lb. of bread crumbs, 1-1/2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, salt and pepper to taste, 1 egg.

_Mode_.--Peel the onions, put them into boiling water, let them simmer for 5 minutes or rather longer, and, just before they are taken out, put in the sage-leaves for a minute or two to take off their rawness. Chop both these very fine, add the bread, seasoning, and b.u.t.ter, and work the whole together with the yolk of an egg, when the stuffing will be ready for use. It should be rather highly seasoned, and the sage-leaves should be very finely chopped. Many cooks do not parboil the onions in the manner just stated, but merely use them raw. The stuffing then, however, is not nearly so mild, and, to many tastes, its strong flavour would be very objectionable. When made for goose, a portion of the liver of the bird, simmered for a few minutes and very finely minced, is frequently added to this stuffing; and where economy is studied, the egg may be dispensed with.

_Time_.--Rather more than 5 minutes to simmer the onions.

_Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 4d.

_Sufficient_ for 1 goose, or a pair of ducks.

505. SOYER'S RECIPE FOR GOOSE STUFFING.--Take 4 apples, peeled and cored, 4 onions, 4 leaves of sage, and 4 leaves of lemon thyme not broken, and boil them in a stewpan with sufficient water to cover them; when done, pulp them through a sieve, removing the sage and thyme; then add sufficient pulp of mealy potatoes to cause it to be sufficiently dry without sticking to the hand; add pepper and salt, and stuff the bird.

SALAD DRESSING (Excellent).

I.

506. INGREDIENTS.--1 teaspoonful of mixed mustard, 1 teaspoonful of pounded sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of salad oil, 4 tablespoonfuls of milk, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, cayenne and salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Put the mixed mustard into a salad-bowl with the sugar, and add the oil drop by drop, carefully stirring and mixing all these ingredients well together. Proceed in this manner with the milk and vinegar, which must be added very _gradually_, or the sauce will curdle.

Put in the seasoning, when the mixture will be ready for use. If this dressing is properly made, it will have a soft creamy appearance, and will be found very delicious with crab, or cold fried fish (the latter cut into dice), as well as with salads. In mixing salad dressings, the ingredients cannot be added _too gradually_, or _stirred too much_.

_Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 3d.