well melted; break six eggs in a basin, put them in the stewpan, stir and cook them on a slow fire; when done, serve with fried sippets of bread round. Or,

597. ANOTHER WAY.-Put into a flat dish that will bear the oven a piece of butter the size of a walnut, the same of grated cheese, the yolks of two eggs, some grated cinnamon and nutmeg, mix these on the dish, put it either in the oven or on the hot plate, or, from want of either, before the fire, until it sets, then gently break six eggs on the dish, and cover with grated cheese, and salamander until a nice brown, or for want of one, keep it before the fire until it is so, and serve.

598. EGGS IN CASES.-Cut up a sheet of paper into pieces of three inches square, turn up half an inch all round so as to form a kind of square case, there will then remain but two inches square in the inside. Take a small piece of butter, a pinch of fine bread crumbs, a little fine chopped parsley, spring onions, salt, and pepper, and mix them together, put a little into each case, then break one egg into each, put them on a gridiron over a slow fire, and do them gently, or place them in a dish in an oven; when well set, serve. Small round paper cases may be

procured very cheap at any oilman's.

599. OMELETTE WITH HERBS.-Break six eggs in a basin or stewpan, and add to it a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and one of chopped eschalot or spring onions, half ditto of salt, and a pinch of pepper, and beat it well up together. Put into an omelette-pan, that is, a small frying-pan six inches in diameter, two ounces of butter, which melt, then pour in the eggs, stir round with a spoon; as soon as it begins to set, lightly move it to that part of the pan opposite the handle, so that it occupies only one third, hold it so that that part of the pan is the lowest, move with a spoon the outside edges over, and let it remain half a minute, so that it obtains a good colour, turn it over on to the dish so that the bottom is at the top. They must not be too much done, and served very hot. They may be served plain, or with the addition of any gravy.

Omelettes of Ham, Oysters, &c., are all made as the above, with the addition that these articles must have been properly cooked previously, and well chopped up, so as to mix well with the eggs, beat them up well together, and cook in a pan the same way, or a little grated cheese may be added. This I beg of you to practise; though simple, there is great art in making it.

GARNITURE FOR OMELETTES.

600. ASPARAGUS, PEAS, AND GREEN PEAS.-Put in a stewpan three spoonfuls of plain boiled sprue-grass that has previously been cut up, add to it half an ounce of butter, a little salt, pepper, and sugar, warm it on the fire, moving it continually; when warm, put it with a spoon in the centre of the omelette, turn over, and serve; the same with peas; rather thin melted butter or white sauce may be served round it.

601. OYSTERS.-Open and blanch delicately twelve middlesized oysters, and put them in a stewpan with their own gravy, after having bearded them, add a tablespoonful of milk or cream, and give it a boil, then add half an ounce of butter in which you have mixed a saltspoonful of flour, stir it in without breaking the oysters, put over the centre of your omelette, and proceed as before.

602. LOBSTER.-Cut half or a small one in thin slices, put four tablespoonfuls of melted butter in a stewpan, a few drops of essence of anchovies, and a little cayenne; put in your lobster, warm it well, and put it in the middle of the omelette, as above.

603. KIDNEYS.-Cook two kidneys as No. 458; when done, serve in centre of omelette, as above.

604. MUSHROOMS.-Wash about ten small fresh mushrooms, cut in slices, put in a stewpan, with half an ounce of butter, a little salt, pepper, and the juice of a quarter of a lemon, simmer for a few minutes on the fire till tender; if too liquid, add a little flour, place in centre of omelette, and proceed as above.

605. BACON.-Cut two ounces of good lean bacon in small dice, put in pan to fry with a pat of butter for one minute, then mix with the eggs prepared as for omelette of herbs, omitting the salt, and cook the same way. This omelette is in great repute in France, especially among the epicures of the Barrières, outside of Paris. It prepares the palate to receive with pleasure the cheap and acid wines sold there, which must have been invented by Bacchus when in a sour humour.

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290

ROASTS SECOND COURSE.

THESE dishes consist almost always of game, which require to be sent up immediately they are taken from the fire, and require great care and attention in cooking them. In the following pages will be found many which are scarce and rarely seen in London, and never mentioned in our various cookery books; but considering that many of our friends reside in the country, I have written it for them.

606. TURKEY POULTS.-Turkey poults, so called from being used when about the size of a large pullet, are always roasted and trussed with the legs turned at the first joint, and the feet pressing upon the thighs, the neck is skinned, and the head fixed under the wing; roast them the same as directed for turkeys, about twenty-five minutes or half an hour, according to their size, and in the same modes, but they are usually served, one larded and the other barded, with gravy and water-cresses in the dish.

607. ROAST CAPON WITH CRESSES.-Roast and serve a capon in any of the ways directed for turkeys, roast of a nice gold colour, and serve with water-cresses round; a capon weighing five pounds requires about three quarters of an hour to roast. Poularde au cresson exactly as above.

608. ROAST PULLET.-For a dinner of four entrées you would require two fowls, but not too large; truss and roast them as directed for a turkey, judging the time required according to their size, and serve with gravy and water-cresses; they may be larded, barded, or served in any way mentioned in the foregoing receipts. A fowl weighing two pounds and a half would require half an hour roasting, or three quarters of an hour if larger.

609. SPRING CHICKENS are served like fowls, generally plain roasted, but they may be larded as the poularde. Be particular in tying the legs upon paper to the spit, as directed for the turkey, as it so improves their appearance when roasted. About twenty minutes would be sufficient to roast them.

610. GOSLINGS.-A green goose roasted plain and served with a little gravy is generally sent up for second courses; but if the larger ones are used they must be stuffed with sage and onions, but very few would choose such a thing for a roast second

course, whilst green geese in their season are great favourites; truss them by cutting off the leg at the first joint, and the wing at the first pinion, fixing them at the side with skewers to throw the breast up; a full grown goose will take one hour to roast, but a green one not more than half an hour.

611. DUCKLINGS make a very favourite roast in the London season; they must have good fillets, white and plump, and require to be a little more underdone than any other description of poultry; if too much done, the fat catches, and gives a rank flavour to the flesh, besides causing the fillets to eat dry. They are usually served plain roasted for a second course, yet I have served them differently on some occasions for the sake of variety, but it must be with a very thin sauce and one that invigorates the palate, although they never can be better than when served plain roasted. Truss them by twisting the legs at the first joint and resting the feet upon the thighs, cut the wing off at the pinion, and run a skewer through the bird, fixing the pinion and legs with it, place them upon a spit, and roast twenty minutes.

612. GUINEA FOWLS.-These birds must be very young, for, being naturally very dry, they are not eatable if more than twelve months old; they are generally larded or barded, and served plain roasted, rather well done; they are trussed like the common fowls, and require nearly three quarters of an hour to

roast.

613. PEA FOWLS.-These magnificent birds make a noble roast, and when young are very excellent; they are larded, or plain roasted, and served with the tail feathers which have been preserved, stuck into the bird, the head, with its feathers on, being left folded up in paper, and tucked under the wing; roast about an hour and a half, take the paper from the head and neck, dress it upon your dish with water-cresses, and the gravy and bread-sauce separate in a boat.

GAME (CHOICE OF).—There is no article of food that is so deceiving in appearance to know if it is young, tender, and good, or not, as game; to any one residing in London, and dealing with a respectable tradesman, it matters little, as old or bad game is rarely sent to London, it not being worth the carriage; but to a person living in the country, where a member of the family has shot them in his day's sport or have been received as presents, a knowledge how to distinguish them is requisite. Young birds may be distinguished

by the softness of their quills; females will eat better than males, they are more tender and juicy. Old pheasants are known by the length and sharpness of their spurs, in young ones they are short and blunt.—Old partridges before Christmas have light blue legs, instead of yellow-brown.-Wild fowl may be known to be old from their bills and the stiffness of the sinews of the legs, those that have the finest plumage are the worst eating.-Hares and rabbits: try if the ear will easily tear and the jaw-bone break between the finger and the thumb, if not they are only fit for soup or jugging.-On receiving birds of all kinds, put in their mouths three or four peppercorns bruised and one clove of garlic, and pepper the place where shot. In case you receive many, tie a piece of paper to them with the date on which they were received.

614. PHEASANTS.-At the present day there are great varieties of these birds, which differ as much in their flavour as their plumage. There are also a large quantity of hybrids sold in the London market as a genuine pheasant, and it is impossible to know them when plucked. The flavour of the bird will depend in a great measure on the nature of the country where it is killed.

Have them prepared and trussed: put them about eighteen inches from the fire for five minutes, then draw them close, and roast as quickly as possible, rubbing them all over with an ounce of butter pressed in a wooden spoon, serve up with bread sauce separate, and good gravy under. They are also good larded, or one larded and the other barded.

615. PARTRIDGES.-The red-legged in this country are not so fine in flavour as the gray; they are dressed like the pheasant, but all the time at a very quick fire, and served very hot from the spit; it is better to wait a minute or two for it than to have it wait for you; dish it up with a little made gravy with it, and bread-sauces, as above.

616. GROUSE.-We have three kinds in this country; namely, black, red, and white. The first, the Black Grouse, is called the Black Cock (le Coq de Bruyère). The female in the north is called the Gray Hen, but in the south of England male and female are called Heath Poults.

These birds should be well kept, trussed like a fowl for roasting, and served with brown gravy under, or may be dressed as follows: truss as before, covering the breast with vine leaves and fat bacon, which tie on; roast from half to three quarters of an hour according to size, and serve with toast under, and melted butter over.

617. RED GROUSE, GORCOCK, or MOORCOCK (the common Moor Game (l'Attagas).—Trussed like a fowl for roast