My Pet Recipes, Tried and True | Page 9

a pint of milk; pluck and singe half a dozen quail, draw them without breaking the intestines, cut off the heads and feet, and wipe them with a wet towel; rub them all over with butter; season them with pepper and salt, and roast them before a very hot fire for fifteen minutes basting them three or four times with butter. Have some slices of toast laid under them to catch the drippings. While the birds are roasting make a bread sauce as follows; roll a pint bowlfull of dry bread, and sift the crumbs; use the finest ones for the sauce, and the largest for the frying later; remove the onion from the milk in which it has been boiling, stir into the milk the finest portion of the crumbs, season it with a saltspoonful of white pepper and a grate of nutmeg, stir in a tablespoonful of butter, and stir the sauce until it is smooth; then place the saucepan containing it in a pan of boiling water to keep it hot; put two tablespoonfuls of butter over the fire in a frying pan, and when it is smoking hot put into it the coarse half of the crumbs, dust them with cayenne pepper, and stir them until they are light brown; then at once put them on a hot dish; put the bread sauce into a gravy-boat ready to send it to the table. Arrange to have the fried breadcrumbs, sauce and quail done at the same time; serve the birds on the toast which has been laid under them; in serving the quail, lay each bird on a hot plate, pour over it a large spoonful of the bread sauce and on that place a spoonful of the fried bread crumbs.
VENISON STEAK.
MRS. ERNEST F. WURTELE.
Take a piece of frozen venison, and put into water in which has been put two tablespoons of vinegar. Just leave until the ice comes to the surface of the meat, take the meat out and remove the ice with a knife; wipe dry and flour well, put a good piece of butter in the pan; let brown, put the steak in salt, and pepper, fry on both sides, then add a cup of rich milk, push the pan to the back of the stove and cover it and let it stew slowly for one and a half hours--If the steak is very dry lard it with salt pork before frying.
STEWED PIGEONS.
MRS. HARRY LAURIE.
For two pair of pigeons stuff first with bread, summer savory, butter, pepper, salt. Put eight or nine slices of fat pork, in an iron pot to fry, until the pork is well browned, then take it out and put in the pigeons and let brown thoroughly, keep turning to prevent burning. Then add one pint of stock, season if required, put back slices of pork and let stew for an hour and a half (at least) quietly. If gravy is not thick enough, add a tablespoon of brown flour. About quarter of an hour before done, put in a can of green peas--Then serve.
STEWED HARE.
Can be prepared in the same manner as the above for stewed pigeons, with the addition of spices: cloves a few, and a little more of cinnamon.
BREAD SAUCE.
MRS. BENSON BENNETT.
One half pint boiled milk to one cup of fine bread crumbs, one small onion, two cloves, one piece of mace, salt to taste, let simmer five minutes, add small piece of butter.
CRANBERRY JELLY.
Pare, quarter, and core twelve good sized tart apples, place in a porcelain kettle with two quarts of cranberries, cover well with cold water and stew until soft, then strain through a jelly bag, add to this juice two pounds of confectioner's sugar, and boil as you would any other jelly, until it falls from the skimmer; when you dip it in skim off any froth that arises while boiling, put in moulds and let it get firm before using.
PLAIN DRESSING FOR FOWLS.
MRS. W. CLINT.
One cup and a half of bread crumbs (not too stale), one heaped teaspoon each of parsley, thyme and savory, one dessert spoonful butter, half teaspoon salt, quarter of a teaspoon pepper, mix all together with a little milk.
PLAIN DRESSING FOR GEESE AND DUCKS.
One cup breadcrumbs or potatoes, one cup or more of stewed onions, one tablespoon sage, pepper, salt and a little butter, mix with a little milk.
VEGETABLES.
"Cheerful cooks make every dish a feast."--MASSINGER.
Always have the water boiling when you put your vegetables in, and keep it constantly boiling until they are done. Cook each kind by itself when convenient. All vegetables should be well seasoned.
APPLES.
MRS. DAVID BELL.
When the barrel of apples you have bought, begins to make your mind uneasy, because they can spoil faster than you can use them, a good plan is to peel,