Common Sense in the Household 15

Common Sense in the Household 15

_Or,_

 

You may put the gravy, with a little hot water and a lump of butter, in

a frying-pan, and when it is hot lay in the pieces of duck, and warm

up quickly, stirring in at the last a teaspoonful of Worcestershire

sauce and a tablespoonful of jelly.

 

Serve in a hot chafing-dish.

 

(For wild ducks, see GAME.)

 

 

STEWED DUCK.

 

This is a good way to treat an old tough fowl.

 

Clean and divide, as you would a chicken for fricassee. Put in a

saucepan, with several (minced) slices of cold ham or salt pork which

is not too fat, and stew slowly for at least an hour—keeping the lid

on all the while. Then stir in a chopped onion, a half-spoonful of

powdered sage, or of the green leaves cut fine, half as much parsley,

a tablespoonful catsup, and black pepper. Stew another half-hour, or

until the duck is tender, and add a teaspoonful brown sugar, and a

tablespoonful of browned flour, previously wet with cold water. Boil

up once, and serve in a deep covered dish, with green peas as an

accompaniment.

 

 

GUINEA FOWLS.

 

Many are not aware what an excellent article of food these speckled

Arabs of the poultry-yard are. They are kept chiefly for the beauty

of their plumage, and their delicious eggs, which are far richer than

those of chickens.

 

Unless young they are apt to be tough, and the dark color of the meat

is objected to by those who are not fond of, or used to eating game.

Cooked according to the foregoing receipt they are very savory, no

matter how old they may be. Put them on early, and stew _slowly_, and

good management will bring the desired end to pass. There is nothing

in the shape of game or poultry that is not amenable to this process,

providing the salt be omitted until the meat is tender.

 

But a pair of young Guinea fowls, stuffed and roasted, basting them

with butter until they are half done, deserve an honorable place upon

our bill of fare. Season the gravy with a chopped shallot, parsley,

or summer savory, not omitting the minced giblets, and thicken with

browned flour. Send around currant, or other tart jelly, with the fowl.

A little ham, minced fine, improves the dressing.

 

 

ROAST GOOSE.

 

Clean and wash the goose—not forgetting to put a spoonful of soda in

next to the last water, rinse out well, and wipe the inside quite

dry. Add to the usual stuffing of bread-crumbs, pepper, salt, etc., a

tablespoonful melted butter, an onion chopped fine, a tablespoonful

chopped sage, the yolks of two eggs, and some minute bits of fat pork.

Stuff body and craw, and sew up. It will take fully two hours to roast,

if the fire is strong. Cover the breast, until it is half done, with

white paper, or a paste of flour and water, removing this when you are

ready to brown.

 

Make a gravy as for roast duck, adding a glass of Sherry or Madeira, or

(if you can get it) old Port.

 

Send to table with cranberry or apple sauce.

 

 

GOOSE PIE.

 

An old goose is as nearly good for nothing as it is possible for

anything which was once valuable, and is not now absolutely spoiled,

to be. The best use to put it to is to make it into a pie, in the

following manner. Put on the ancient early in the morning, in cold

water enough to cover it, unsalted, having cut it to pieces at every

joint. Warm it up gradually, and let it stew—not boil hard—for four or

five hours. Should the water need replenishing, let it be done from

the boiling kettle. Parboil a beef’s tongue (corned), cut into slices

nearly half an inch thick; also slice six hard-boiled eggs. Line a deep

pudding-dish with a good paste; lay in the pieces of goose, the giblets

chopped, the sliced tongue and egg, in consecutive layers; season with

pepper, salt, and bits of butter, and proceed in this order until the

dish is full. If the goose be large, cut the meat from the bones after

stewing, and leave out the latter entirely. Intersperse with strips

of paste, and fill up with the gravy in which the goose was stewed,

thickened with flour. Cover with a thick paste, and when it is done,

brush over the top with beaten white of egg.

 

In cold weather this pie will keep a week, and is very good.

 

 

ROAST PIGEONS.

 

Clean, wash, and stuff as you would chickens. Lay them in rows,

if roasted in the oven, with a little water in the pan to prevent

scorching. Unless they are very fat, baste with butter until they are

half done, afterwards with their own gravy. Thicken the gravy that

drips from them, and boil up once; then pour into a gravy-boat. The

pigeons should lie close together in the dish.

 

 

STEWED PIGEONS.

 

Pick, draw, clean and stuff as above directed. Put the pigeons in a

deep pot with enough cold water to cover them, and stew gently for

an hour, or until, testing them with a fork, you find them tender.

Then season with pepper, salt, a few blades of mace, a little sweet

marjoram, and a good piece of butter. Stew, or rather simmer, for five

minutes longer—then stir in a tablespoonful of browned flour. Let it

boil up once; remove the pigeons, draw out the strings with which they

were sewed up, and serve, pouring the hot gravy over them. A little

salt pork or ham, cut into strips, is an improvement. This should be

put in when the pigeons have stewed half an hour.

 

 

BROILED PIGEONS OR SQUABS.

 

Young pigeons or “squabs” are rightly esteemed a great delicacy. They

are cleaned, washed, and dried carefully with a clean cloth; then split

down the back, and broiled like chickens. Season with pepper and salt,

and butter liberally in dishing them. They are in great request in a

convalescent’s room, being peculiarly savory and nourishing.

 

They may, for a change, be roasted whole, according to the receipt for

roast pigeons.

 

 

PIGEON PIE.

 

Is best made of wild pigeons. (SEE GAME.)

 

 

 

MEATS.

 

 

ROAST BEEF.

 

The best pieces for roasting are the sirloin and rib pieces. The latter

are oftenest used by small families. Make your butcher remove most of

the bone, and skewer the meat into the shape of a round. If you roast

in an oven, it is a good plan to dash a small cup of _boiling_ water

over the meat in first putting it down, letting it trickle into the

pan. This, for a season, checks the escape of the juices, and allows

the meat to get warmed through before the top dries by said escape. If

there is much fat upon the upper surface, cover with a paste of flour

and water until it is nearly done. Baste frequently, at first with

salt and water, afterward with the drippings. Allow about a quarter of

an hour to a pound, if you like your meat rare; more, if you prefer

to have it well done. Some, when the meat is almost done, dredge with

flour and baste with butter—only once.

 

Remove the beef, when quite ready, to a heated dish; skim the

drippings; add a teacupful of boiling water, boil up once, and send

to table in a gravy-boat. Many reject made gravy altogether, and

only serve the red liquor that runs from the meat into the dish as

it is cut. This is the practice with some—indeed most of our best

housekeepers. If you have made gravy in a sauce-boat, give your guest

his choice between that and the juice in the dish.

 

Serve with mustard, or scraped horse-radish and vinegar.

 

 

ROAST BEEF WITH YORKSHIRE PUDDING. ✠

 

Set a piece of beef to roast upon a grating, or several sticks laid

across a dripping-pan. Three-quarters of an hour before it is done,

mix the pudding and pour into the pan. Continue to roast the beef, the

dripping meanwhile falling upon the latter below. When both are done,

cut the pudding into squares, and lay around the meat when dished. If

there is much fat in the dripping-pan before the pudding is ready to be

put in, drain it off, leaving just enough to prevent the batter from

sticking to the bottom.

 

_Receipt for Pudding._

 

1 pint of milk.

4 eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately.

2 cups of prepared flour.

1 teaspoonful salt.

 

Be careful, in mixing, not to get the batter too stiff.

 

This pudding, which the cook who introduced it into my family persisted

in calling “_Auction_ pudding,” is very palatable and popular, and not

so rich as would be thought from the manner of baking. It should be a yellow-brown when done.