HOME INTRESTS.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 47

HOME INTRESTS.

Christmas Dainties.

Sham Potted Tongue (contributed). — Take a neck and breast of muUoii, boil it till quite tender in very salt water, to which should be added two teaspoonfuls of pepper and a very

small slice of onion. When cooked so that the bones will come out easily, add more pepper to taste and put through a mincing machine, leaving on the funnel as for sausages. Roast Turkey. — Pluck very carefully, singe with tea paper, wipe well with a clean coarse cloth. Draw, wash well inside, and wipe dry. Cut off the neck, and draw the skin over well, break the leg bone below the knee, draw out the thigh sinews, and flatten the breast bone ; stuff with forcemeat, truss neatly, roast with buttered paper over the breast, basting well. About 15 minutes before serving remove the paper, dredge the turkey lightly with flour, and baste with a little melted butter. When well frothed and brown serve on a hot dish, garnishing with fried sausages or minced meat made into ball or cakes. Send to table with a tureen of brown gravy and one of bread sauce. Forcemeat for Turkeys or Fowls. — Two ounces of ham or lean bacon, 4oz suet, rind of half a lemon, 6oz breadcrumbs, two eggs, a teaspoonful of minced parsley and one of minced sweet herbs, a little salt, cayenne, and pounded macs. Mix all the ingredients separately, mix well, add the eggs well beaten and strained. Bhead Sauce. — Take a little stale bread and rub it through a wire sieve, or grato it till 2oz fine breadcrumbs are obtained. Put these into a saucepan with half a pint of milk and a moderate sized onion and six peppercorns. Boil for 10 minutes, and stir the sauce to keep it i from burning. Lift it from the fire. Take out the onion and the peppercorns, stir in a small pat of butter and two or three spoonfuls of cream, if ib is to be had, and keep stirring till the butter is dissolved. Serve hot in a sauce tureen. A little grated nutmeg can be added to the sauce, but most people prefer that it should be omitted. ' Roast Goose.— Pluck, draw, and singe the bird, being careful to make as small holes as possible, and to cut the skin off the neck at the back only. The reason of this is apparent when the stuffing has to be kept in. Put the stuffing in the body, and put a sufficient quantity. The feet and pinions should be cut off #t the first joint, and put aside with the giblets. Have a good fire at first, and ioaßt the bird for _aji hour and a-quarter or more, according to its size. A large goose may take nearly two hoars. If there is any danger of burning, it is as well to tie a piece of buttered paper over the breast for the first half-hour. Put it on a hot dish, and pour round the bird a little gravy made as for roast meat. Sage and Onion Sauce —Fry together for about a quarter of an hour, or till soft, two or three chopped onions and 2oz butter (or less of clarified dripping) ; then season with pepper and salt, a teaspoonful of finely-chopped sage ; and 2oz white breadcrumbs, and nearly a pint of brown gravy stock. Let all this boil together for a quarter of an hour, and serve in a sauce tureen. Good with pork, goose, &c. Trifle. — Put at the bottom of a deep trifle dish a layer of strawberry jam, then one of macaroon 3, and another of sponge finger biscuits ; pour over them sufficient sherry and brandy to soak them ; then make a custard as follows : Take a quart of milk, and boil half of it with a few bay leaves, a small piece of cinnamon, and 6oz pounded sugar ; let it simmer slowly for a few minutes until it is sufficiently flavoured ; then take the leaves and spice out, beat the yolks of eight eggs and mix with the rest, stirring it as you put them into a jug ; put the jug into a saucepan of boiling water over a clear fire, and stir it one way till it thickens, but do not let it boil, or it will curdle and be spoilt ; when cold, pour it over the sponge cakes ; over this place a pint of cream, whipped to a stiff froth, and pile it as high as possible. The cream should be whipped the day before it is required, as it will be so much stiller. Galantine of Sucking Pig.— Scald and clean the pig, split it open, lay it flat on the table, and bone it carefully. The head may bo cut off if liked ; if left on it should not be boned. Make as much good veal stuffing as can be spread evenly and thinly over the pig. Place upon this, in layers, thin slices of tongue, hardboiled eggs, truffles, fat bacon, and ham, and cover the whole with another layer of veal forcemeat. Roll the pig tightly, so as not to displace the forcemeat, .&c. ; bind it firmly with fillets of tape, cover with a soft cloth, and sew up securely. Boil as much nicely-seasoned stock, as will cover the pig. Put with it, if liked, a glassful of sherry, and simmer gently until the tape becomes loose. Let the galantine grow cold in the liquor in which it was boiled ; then lift it out, and boil the stock quickly until it is sufficiently reduced to form a jelly when cold ; clear it with white of egg, and pour it over the meat. Some cooks place a weight upon the galantine until it is cold, and then either glaze it or cover it with bread raspings. Time to boil the galantine, five hours. A Rich Pound Cake.— One and a-half pound of butter, 24:1b flour, 4lb currants l£lb sugar, Jib mixed peel, £lb blanched almonds, 15 eggs, and if approved of a glass of brandy. Giblet Pie. — Clean the goose or duck giblets, and put into a stewpan with an onion, savoury herbs, and half a teaspoonful whole pepper ; pour on one pint of water, and simmer for one and a-half hours. Take out and let them cool ; now cut the giblets in pieces ; lay on the bcttom of a pie dish pieces of rump steak, then a layer of giblet, and over them a few more pieces of steak ; season with pepper and j salt. Steam the gravy in which the giblets were stewed, and pour over the meat ; cover wibh a plain crust, and bake for one and a-half hours in a brisk oven. Cover the crust with a piece of paper to prevent it burning. Strawberry Blanc Mange. — Crush one quart of strawberries, sprinkle over them two cups of powered sugar, let stand for an hour, and then press through a fine sieve. Dissolve for an hour 2oz gelatine in one pint of milk, with two spoonsfuls of sugar, strain and mix with two full cups cf cream, slir until cold, and then gradually pour over the crushed fruit, whisking them briskiy together. Lastly, add the clear juice of one lemon and put into moulds, and into a cold place. A handsome mould and cream poured around it to serve makes this a very attractive di.*h. Brawn. — Pig's head 'weighing Bib, 21b lean beef, three tablespoonfuls of salt, two and ahalf teaspoonfuls of pepper, cayenne to taste ; clean the head carefully, and put it into a saucepan with the beef, and enough water to cover both ; when almost boiled, skim the liquor ; let the meat then boil for three hours, when the bones should easily be taken ;out ; when this has been done, set a dish before the fire, put the meat on it, and chop finely and as fast »s possible ; stir into this the mixed seasoning of salt, pepper, cayenne, and pounded clove 3, and put fcho whole in a brawn tin or mould pressed with weights ; let it stand for several hours. When cold dip into boiling water, turn out, and the brawu is ready for use. Rhubarb Jam (by request). — Wipe the rhubarb and cub it as for tarts ; then to every 1b add -Jib loaf sugar and the peel of half a. lemon, cut very finely, and, if liked, about four bitter almonds. Set it to stand all night in a pan to draw tho juice ; then put it into the preset viug pan to boil fast for an 'hour; try it by pubLiug a little on a plate, and if it sets it is done. -Fill the pots while it i 3 still warm, and 1 wheu cold cover with linon, using maizona or

ordinary starch to stiffen and fasten it over the jars. Appxe Jam (by request). — Weigh equal quantities of bugar and apples, pare, core, and chop them fine ; make a syrup of the sugar, then add the apples, and the grated peel of two or three lemons, and a few pieces of white ginger ; boil till the apples look clear and yellow. The ginger is esaential to its peculiar excellence.