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tough, let it stew rather longer. The broth should be reduced to about half a pint.

125. RUMP STEAK. - The tenderest part of the rump should be selected, about half a pound, not cut too thick, and very even: place it upon your gridiron over a moderate fire, turning it frequently; when done, sprinkle a little salt over. Ten minutes would cook it thoroughly, but if wanted underdone, as in many cases where the patient only sucks the gravy, less time must be allowed.

126. STEWED BEEF.-Put the same quantity of beef as in the last into a saucepan, with a quart of water, which place over the fire, and when beginning to boil, well skim; then add a little celery, turnip, and carrot, the whole weighing about an ounce, and cut very small; let stew gently about three hours, by which time the broth will be reduced to one quarter; skim all the fat off carefully; serve the meat upon a plate, and the broth in a basin.

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127. LAMB CHOPS OR CUTLETS. Proceed as just described for mutton, but being more delicate, they will require little more than half the time to cook.

128. LAMB'S FEET are very nutritious; purchase them ready cleaned; lay them ten minutes in boiling water, by doing which you will be able to draw out the leg-bone with facility; then put them in a stewpan (two would be sufficient,) and pour over a pint of water with which you have mixed smoothly a tablespoonful of flour, and half a teaspoonful of salt; place them upon the fire, stirring frequently until boiling, then add a small onion, with celery, parsley, and parsnip; boil gently for two

hours, and when done, serve plain upon a plate, or with a little melted butter and parsley poured over. By using a little white broth from any meat instead of water, you make a delicious soft soup, which may be partaken of freely.

Calves' feet are dressed in the same manner, but using a double proportion of everything, and stewing them double the time; they are served precisely the same.

POULTRY FOR INVALIDS.

129. ROAST CHICKEN.-Procure a nice plump chicken, which draw and truss, and cut the sinews; pass the spit through under the skewer as usual, and set it down before a clear fire: after being there five minutes, have ready a pat of butter, in the bowl of a wooden spoon, with which rub the chicken all over; if the fire is too fierce, put it back a short distance, that it may roast of a yellowish-brown colour; when a light smoke arises from the chicken, which will be in about twenty minutes from the time it is put down, it is done; but to be quite sure whether a bird is done, the better way is to press it lightly with your finger and thumb; should it feel quite set, it is sufficiently cooked.

130. BOILED CHICKEN.-Put a quart of water to boil in a saucepan, with a saltspoonful of salt, and two ounces of butter; when boiling, lay in the chicken, which keep gently simmering for twenty minutes, when it will be done.

By adding a few vegetables of each description to the water, and straining it when you take out the chicken, you have a very excellent broth either for the sick or healthy,

especially if, after skimming off the fat, you add a little vermicelli, which must be boiled in it five minutes.

As it is very improbable that a sick person would eat the whole of a chicken at once, I have annexed a few receipts, by which a chicken would suffice for four meals.

First, put a tablespoonful of rice in a stewpan, with half a pint of light broth; let it boil gently until the rice is in pulp, then put in the wing or leg of the previouslycooked chicken, which let remain to warm about five minutes; should the rice be too dry, add a little more broth; serve the fowl and rice together upon a hot plate. Secondly, if wanted plain, set it in a stewpan, with a few spoonfuls of stock, and let it warm gently. Thirdly, it may be folded in a sheet of paper lightly oiled and warmed very gently upon a gridiron; and, Fourthly, plain broiled upon a gridiron, and served with a little light gravy.

131. PARTRIDGE.-Proceed in every manner to roast as just directed for the chicken; a young one would require about ten minutes, or an old one fifteen, but then the breast only ought to be eaten, whatever remains may be served in either of the ways directed for chickens.

132. PIGEONS may be roasted the same as partridges, but would not require so long. A pigeon may also be stewed as follows:-Put half a pint of mutton broth into a stewpan, with a pigeon trussed as for boiling, let it stew gently twenty minutes, if young; both the pigeon and broth ought to be partaken of. Pigeons may also be broiled, by cutting them open from the bottom of the breast to the joint of the wings, but not separating them; rub over with a little butter, broil twenty minutes over a moderate fire, and serve with a little gravy.

133. LARKS are also very excellent and light food; when cleaned, pass a thin wooden skewer through three or four of them, as many as are required, then broil them a few minutes over a sharp fire, and serve very hot. You will find them superior broiled than roasted, and not so much trouble.

134. PULLED FOWL.-With the remainder of a roast or boiled fowl or chicken you may make a very light dish, by pulling off all the flesh with a fork, and putting it into a stewpan, then in another stewpan place all the bones (previously broken small with a chopper), with a little parsley, salt, sugar, and half a pint of water; let it boil gently until the water has reduced to a gill, then strain it over the flesh of the chicken in the other stewpan, which place over the fire until quite hot, and serve; should it be too thin, a small piece of butter and flour rubbed. together may be added, and boiled a minute. Old or young fowls may be used, as it is not always convenient to get a young fowl, especially in the country, where everything must be turned to account and properly used: you would proceed with an old fowl the same as for a chicken, but stewing it three times as much, and adding more water in proportion; it would be here impossible to name the exact time required, as the fluctuation is so great, but by feeling the thigh of the fowl with the finger and thumb, you may ascertain, for if done sufficiently it will feel tender to the touch, and leave the bone with

ease.

62

CULINARY CORRESPONDENCE.

LETTER No. VI.

DEAREST ELOISE,-I here enclose you the last receipt which I intend to give you for invalids. You may, no doubt, fancy that my diet is extravagant; but let me teach you that when we must pay the doctor's bill, which I consider an extra and painful tax upon humanity, it is ours and their duty to try to restore health as soon as possible, and my receipts will, if well coupled with the science of a medical man, cause a prompt restoration to health; and have the desirable effect of increasing the butcher's bill by diminishing that of the doctor's. I must also tell you that I intend this part of our little work, if ever published, to be useful to all classes of society, and that among these receipts, the humble as well as the rich may partake the benefit of them by selecting either according to their means and requirements; and I am confident that you will agree with me that I have closely studied the rules of economy.

I shall now, therefore, close the sick-room door, and open the one of the parlour, to witness the merry faces of the million who have abandoned their industrious occupations for the week, to partake, in the family circle, their simple but substantial Sunday meal. When parents of families are blessed by an increase of business according to that of their family, it is there that you will find genuine domestic happiness and natural love; and let me tell you, dearest, that the sight of a Sunday's dinner in a tradesman's house in England is worthy of being depicted by the pencil of the most meritorious artists of the age, and would not disgrace that of a Wilkie, Goodall, or Abslom. Behold, sitting round an inviting table four or five of those healthy and generally handsome faces of the young children of Albion, waiting, until after the usual blessing has been invoked by the eldest, with the greatest anxiety to know who is to be the first served, trying to open their eyes as large as their appetites, at the disappearance of a cover removed by a clean country servant, who exposes to their view the immortal piece of roast beef, from which a most excellent exhalation escapes as from a crater of happiness, and which seems to fill the room as well as the hearts of the whole party with joy; and the yet greater anxiety of the still younger branches of the family, who have cunningly reserved their infantine appetites for the appearance of the grand national dish, and more pleasing to their fancies,-the plum pudding, to which, for the occasion, a few spoonfuls of brandy have been poured on the

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