Collection of old British Recipes for Sausages, Cutlets, Rissoles, Patties, Fritters, & Forcemeat [including vegetarian recipes]

This is a huge collection [or will be as I add more recipes each day!] of old British recipes for homemade sausages, cutlets, rissoles, patties, fritters, forcemeat, and more! These recipes can be prepared in everyday home kitchens, so have a look around and find some interesting dinner inspiration!

Feel free to switch ingredients around, experiment, and add extra flavors such as herbs and spices to tailor the recipes to your family’s needs. Let’s have fun keeping British food history alive in our home kitchens!

Surprisingly, old historical recipes for vegetarian options were quite vast, so we have included many vegetarian recipes, which are perfect for budget cooks as well as vegetarians or those wishing to eat less meat.

I will be working through these recipes, testing them out, taking photos, and making adjustments as required. Some recipes will have a separate blog post. If you see “LEIGH TESTED RECIPE” beside the recipe title, then you will know which recipes have been recently tested.

For more recipes that can be cooked in a fry pan or skillet have a look at our Old British Frying Recipes collection.

The Healthy Life Cook Book by Florence Daniel [Second Edition, 1915]
New Vegetarian Dishes by Mrs Bowdich [1892]
MODERN COOKERY FOR PRIVATE FAMILIES (New Edition) by ELIZA ACTON [1882]
Forcemeats – GENERAL REMARKS.
Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management [1861]
- BEEF CAKE.
The Lady’s Own Cookery Book, And New Dinner-Table Directory; In which will be found A LARGE COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL RECEIPTS, Including not only THE RESULT OF THE AUTHERESS’S MANY YEARS OBSERVATION, EXPERIENCE, AND RESEARCH, but also the CONTRIBUTIONS OF AN EXTENSIVE CIRCLE OF ACQUAINTANCE: Adapted to the use of PERSONS LIVING IN THE HIGHEST STYLE, as well as those of MODERATE FORTUNE. [1844]
The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined By John Mollard, Cook, [1802]

The Healthy Life Cook Book by Florence Daniel [Second Edition, 1915]

HARICOT RISSOLES.

1/2 pint haricots, 1 oz. butter, 1 medium onion, water, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon mixed herbs, or 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.

Cook the haricots as in preceding recipe. Mash well with a fork, add the onion finely grated, and the parsley or herbs. (This may be omitted if preferred.) Form into firm, round, rather flat rissoles. Roll in white flour. Fry in deep oil or fat to a golden brown colour. Serve with tomato sauce, brown gravy, or parsley sauce.

CHESTNUT RISSOLES.

1 lb. chestnuts, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, cornflour and water or 1 egg.

Boil the chestnuts for half an hour. Shell, and well mash with a fork. Add the parsley. Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornflour in 1 tablespoon water. Use as much of this as required to moisten the chestnut, and mix it to a stiff paste. Shape into firm, round, rather flat rissoles, roll in white flour, and fry in deep oil or fat to a golden brown colour. Serve with parsley or tomato sauce.

For those who take eggs, the rissoles may be moistened and bound with a beaten egg instead of the cornflour and water. They may also be rolled in egg and bread-crumbs after flouring.

LENTIL RISSOLES.

1 teacup red lentils, 2 teacups bread-crumbs, or 1 teacup kornules, cornflour or egg, 1-1/2 teacups water, 4 medium-sized onions, 1 grated lemon rind, 2 teaspoons mixed herbs.

Cook the lentils slowly in a saucepan with the water until they are soft and dry. Steam the onions. If Kornules are used, add as much boiling water to them as they will only just absorb. If bread-crumbs are used, do not moisten them. Add the grated yellow part of the lemon rind and the herbs. Mix all the ingredients well together and slightly moisten with rather less than a tablespoonful of water in which is dissolved a teaspoonful of raw cornflour. This is important, as it takes the place of egg for binding purposes. Shape into round, flat rissoles, roll in white flour, and fry in boiling oil or fat until a golden-brown colour.

A beaten egg may be used for binding in place of the cornflour, and the rissoles may be dipped in egg and rolled in breadcrumbs before frying. Serve hot with brown gravy or tomato sauce. Or cold with salad.

NUT RISSOLES.

Make a stiff mixture as for nut roast, add a tablespoonful savoury herbs if liked. Form into small, flat rissoles, roll them in white flour, and fry in deep fat or oil. Serve hot with gravy, or cold with salad.

NUT AND LENTIL ROAST AND RISSOLES.

Proceed as for nut roast or rissoles [see recipe above], but use cold stewed lentils (see recipe) in the place of bread-crumbs.

PROTOSE CUTLETS.

1 lb. minced Protose, 1 lb. plain boiled rice, 1 small grated onion, 1/2 teaspoon sage.

Mix the ingredients with a little milk; shape into cutlets, using uncooked macaroni for the bone, and bake in a moderate oven about 45 minutes.

[Note from Leigh:

Protose was a popular meat substitute developed by John Harvey Kellogg in the late 19th century. It was one of the first commercially available vegetarian meat alternatives, primarily made from a blend of wheat gluten, peanuts, and soybeans. Protose was used in various vegetarian recipes as a substitute for meat in dishes like roasts, stews, and sandwiches. It was widely promoted by the Kellogg Sanitarium and became a staple in early vegetarian cooking. Despite its popularity in the early 1900s, it eventually fell out of favour as other vegetarian products became available.

For another Protose recipe, which also includes a link on how to prepare your own home-made Protose, see this Protose Salad recipe.]

New Vegetarian Dishes by Mrs Bowdich [1892]

Brussels Sprouts Sausages.

4 ounces cooked sprouts.
2 ounces mashed potatoes.
2 ounces bread crumbs.
1 ounce butter.
1 teaspoon sage.
½ teaspoon salt.
½ teaspoon pepper.
1 egg and bread crumbs.

Mix the vegetables, bread crumbs and flavouring well together, moisten with half the egg, form into sausages, roll in the other half of egg and bread crumbs, and fry in the one ounce of butter or boiling oil.

Sausages with Curry Flavour.

1 dozen button mushrooms.
2 hard-boiled eggs.
3 tablespoons bread crumbs.
½ teaspoon curry powder.
¼ teaspoon salt.
A little pepper.
1 beaten egg.

Mince finely the eggs and mushrooms, add curry powder, salt, pepper, and one tablespoonful of the bread crumbs (which should be very fine); bind altogether with half the beaten egg and shape into little sausages, roll them in the remainder of the egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil until brown (about half a minute). Sufficient for two persons.

Lentil and Tomato Sausages with Piquante Sauce.

1 pound soaked lentils.
1 tin tomatoes.
1 onion.
1 egg.
1½ teaspoons salt.
½ teaspoon pepper.
¼ pound bread crumbs.
1 ounce each butter and flour.

Boil the lentils and onion sliced in the tomato juice (having previously strained away the pulp) for one and a half hours; add one teaspoonful of salt and a quarter of pepper; strain. When cool, take a quarter of a pound of the lentils, add the remainder of the seasoning and the tomato pulp, which must have been squeezed quite dry, chop all fine, add three ounces of bread crumbs and half a beaten egg. Shape into little sausages, roll in the remainder of the egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil. Thicken the liquor which was strained off with the butter and flour, and serve separately.

Note.—The remaining lentils can be used in a variety of ways

Savoury Sausages.

¼ Pound cooked cabbage.
¼ pound mashed potatoes.
1 hard-boiled egg.
2 slices of beetroot.
2 teaspoons mint sauce.
1 ounce fine bread crumbs.
½ teaspoon salt.
½ teaspoon pepper.
1 egg and bread crumbs.

Mince the cabbage, boiled egg and beetroot very fine, mix with them the potatoes, bread crumbs, mint sauce, salt and pepper; stir well together, adding a teaspoonful of the beaten egg. Shape into twelve sausages, roll in the remainder of the egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil until a golden brown. Serve piled on a hot dish, and garnish with parsley. Peas, new potatoes, mint sauce and brown gravy should, when in season, be served with this dish.

Semolina Sausages.

8 ounces mashed potatoes.
8 ounces sprouts or cabbage.
6 ounces cooked semolina.
2 ounces bread crumbs.
2 teaspoons mixed herbs.
1 egg.
1 teaspoon salt.
½ teaspoon pepper.
Egg and bread crumbs.

Mix all thoroughly together, form into sausages, roll them in egg and bread crumbs, and fry in butter or boiling oil until a golden brown. Serve piled on a dish with parsley as a garnish.

Sausages in Batter.

Batter [see recipe below]
Sausage mixture [see recipe below].

Well butter a baking tin, lay in as many sausages as are required (they should not be too close together), pour the batter round them, and bake about three quarters of an hour.

Note.—The sausages should not be fried before being cooked in the batter. Forcemeat sausages will do equally well.

Baked Batter. [for recipe above]

3 ounces flour.
2 eggs.
½ pint milk.
1 ounce butter.
A pinch of salt.

Place the flour and salt in a basin, beat up the eggs in another basin; add half the butter to the milk, and place in the oven for a few minutes to allow the butter to dissolve, then add the milk to the eggs and pour on to the flour, stir briskly with a wooden spoon, grease a baking tin or dish with the remainder of the butter, pour in the batter, and bake in a rather hot oven for half an hour.

Sausages. [for the recipe above] LEIGH TESTED RECIPE

½ pint soaked lentils.
1½ pints water.
4 teaspoons sage.
1 teaspoon mixed herbs.
1 teaspoon salt.
1 teaspoon pepper.
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind.
A little grated nutmeg.
½ ounce butter.
1 egg.
½ pound bread crumbs.
3 onions.
Egg and bread crumbs.
Frying oil.

Boil the lentils in the water for one and a half hours, then add the onions sliced and salt, and boil for half an hour longer; stir in the butter, herbs, pepper and lemon rind, and leave the lid of the saucepan off for a little while so that the lentils may dry. Turn the mixture out on to a chopping board, chop it, add beaten egg and bread crumbs, form into nicely-shaped sausages, roll in the other egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil until a rich brown. Serve them standing up round mashed potatoes.

Note.—Mustard should be served with the above.

Note from Leigh – I have prepared these tasty sausages and you can see photos and useful information over on the main blog post – Green Lentil Sausages.

Sage and Onion Patties.

Sage and onion stuffing.
Mashed potato.
Butter.

Well butter some small patty pans, nearly fill them with the stuffing, then pile up with very rich mashed potato. Bake until nicely brown, turn out and serve quickly.

These are very suitable for a supper dish. The addition of apple sauce and gravy will be found an improvement.

Savoury Rissoles.

4 ounces mashed potatoes.
4 ounces cooked greens of any kind.
4 ounces cooked semolina.
1 onion.
1 egg.
2 tablespoons of sauce superbe [see recipe below].
1 tablespoon of Worcester sauce.
Pepper and salt to taste.
½ ounce of butter.
A little short pastry. [short-crust pastry]

Mix the potatoes, greens, semolina, sauces, pepper and salt together, slice and fry the onion in the butter, and add to the mixture with half the beaten egg, and stir well again. A few fine bread crumbs may be added to give consistency if required. Roll the pastry out rather thin, cut into four-inch squares. Place about half a tablespoon of the mixture in the centre of each square, moisten the edges, and fold neatly over. Brush over the tops with the remainder of the egg, and fry in boiling oil until they turn a light brown.

Sauce Superbe. [for the recipe above]

1 large turnip.
1 large carrot.
1 large onion.
1 large tomato.
1 small stick of celery.
1 teaspoon salt.
2 tablespoons pearl barley.
2 ounces butter.
1½ pints water.
{ 12 peppercorns.
2 cloves.
A very little each of mace and cinnamon, tied in muslin.

Slice the vegetables, except the tomato, and fry in the butter until a nice brown; place in a stewpan together with the water, barley, salt and flavourings, and boil three-quarters of an hour. Add tomato sliced, simmer half an hour, stirring frequently, and strain. If required for masking, thicken with one ounce each of brown flour and butter.

Note.—The vegetables and barley may be served as a stew, or used in various ways.

Savoury Rice Balls.

½ pound cooked rice.
¼ pound mashed potatoes.
2 teaspoons parsley.
2 shallots.
¼ teaspoon salt.
½ teaspoon mixed herbs.
A little pepper.
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind.
Egg and bread crumbs.

Chop the parsley and shallots, and mix well with the other ingredients, shape into small balls, roll in the egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil until they become a golden brown colour, which will be in about half a minute.

Potato and Celery Balls.

1 pound mashed potatoes.
1 middling-sized head of celery.
1 ounce butter or frying oil.
½ teaspoon salt.
A little pepper.

Wash the celery well, cut into pieces and stew in just sufficient water to cover for half an hour, strain (the liquor may be used for flavouring soups or sauces), chop very fine, mix well with the potatoes, adding pepper and salt, roll into balls or cakes, and fry in butter or plunge into boiling oil until nicely brown. They should be rolled in egg and bread crumbs before frying in oil.

Lentil Cakes. [patties]

A Savoury.

¼ pound flour.
2 ounces butter.
A pinch of salt.
¼ pound cooked lentils and vegetables mixed.
Frying oil.
½ teaspoon baking powder.

Mix the flour, butter, salt and baking powder well together, then work in the lentils and vegetables, which should have been previously minced. Mix all thoroughly, and roll out about half an inch thick, stamp into rounds with a pastry cutter or any fancy shape, and fry in boiling oil until quite brown.

This is a very good way of using up lentils and vegetables which have been used for making gravy.

Note.—These cakes are specially recommended to travellers.

Forcemeat.

6 teaspoons chopped parsley.
3 teaspoons mixed sweet herbs.
3 teaspoons grated lemon rind.
2 teaspoons pepper.
1 teaspoon salt.
½ teaspoon powdered mace.
4 ounces bread crumbs.
2 eggs.
2 ounces butter.

Mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly, then add the butter (which has been previously warmed) and the beaten eggs, and stir all well together.

Forcemeat Balls.

2 ounces bread crumbs.
3 teaspoons chopped parsley.
1½ teaspoons mixed sweet herbs.
1½ teaspoons grated lemon rind.
½ teaspoon pepper.
½ teaspoon salt.
1 egg.
1 ounce butter.
¼ teaspoon powdered mace.
1 ounce butter for frying.

Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly, then add the butter, and lastly the egg beaten. Stir all well together, form into balls about the size of a large cherry, and fry in the butter until nicely brown. The above quantity will make sufficient balls for the brown soup [see recipe below].

Brown Soup. [for recipe above]

6 cold boiled potatoes.
2 onions stuck with cloves.
1 tomato.
2½ pints stock.
2 ounces butter.
1 strip of lemon peel.
3 whole allspice.
1 dozen peppercorns.
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce.
Pepper and salt to taste.
1 dozen forcemeat balls

Slice the potatoes and fry them very carefully in the butter, so as to thoroughly brown without burning them. Place them in a saucepan with the stock and simmer five minutes; by this time the brown colour will have boiled off the potatoes into the soup. Strain away the potatoes, return the soup to the saucepan, add onions (each stuck with three cloves), lemon peel, sauce, spices, pepper and salt, and the tomato sliced and fried. Simmer one hour, strain into a hot tureen, place in the forcemeat balls, which have been previously fried, and serve quickly.

Rolled Batter Stuffed with Forcemeat.

Batter. [see recipe below]
Forcemeat. [see recipe above for Forcemeat]

Make a batter (see recipe below), bake twenty minutes, shape the forcemeat into the form of a large sausage, lay it on the batter, and roll up. Bake three quarters of an hour longer.

A brown sauce should be served with this dish.

Note.—When cold, it may be cut in slices and fried.

Baked Batter. [for recipe above]

3 ounces flour.
2 eggs.
½ pint milk.
1 ounce butter.
A pinch of salt.

Mushroom Croquettes.

3 ounces button mushrooms.
3 ounces cooked haricot beans.
1 cold potato.
1 tablespoon German sauce [see recipe below].
2 teaspoons chopped parsley.
½ teaspoon salt.
¼ teaspoon pepper.
Egg and bread crumbs.

Mince the beans, which should be cold and quite dry, very finely, also the mushrooms, cut the potato into small dice, chop the parsley, then mix all well together with the seasonings, and moisten with the German sauce. When perfectly cold, roll into small balls, dip them in the egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling fat.

Note.—Tomato sauce should be served with this dish.

German Sauce. [for recipe above]

½ pint sauce Tournée [see below].
The yolks of 2 eggs.

Strain the yolks and add them to the sauce; stir carefully over a moderate heat until it simmers, but on no account must it boil or the eggs will curdle. When it thickens (about one minute) it is done. This is a very rich sauce.

Sauce Tournée. [for recipe above]

1 pint white stock.
A large sprig of parsley.
6 button mushrooms chopped.
1 large onion.

Simmer altogether for half an hour, then strain very carefully. If desired very rich, a dessertspoonful of cream may be placed in the tureen and the sauce poured over gradually, stirring all the time.

Potato Fritters.

4 ounces mashed potato.
1 ounce bread crumbs.
A little pepper and salt.
1 egg.
1 teaspoon minced parsley.

Mix all well together, roll into little balls or sausages, and fry either in butter or boiling oil.

Savoury Fritters.

A Breakfast Dish.

3 ounces mashed potato.
2 ounces bread crumbs.
1 ounce vermicelli or semolina.
1 onion.
½ teaspoon mixed herbs.
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind.
1 teaspoon cream or little milk.
1 egg.
2 teaspoons minced parsley.
½ teaspoon salt.
½ teaspoon pepper.
½ ounce butter.
1 ounce butter for frying.

Peel the onion and boil it half an hour in salted water. Chop it very fine and mix with the other ingredients. Beat the egg, white and yolk separately, add to the mixture, stir well altogether, form into little balls, sausages, or flat cakes, and fry until nicely browned. They may be rolled in egg and bread crumbs and fried in oil if preferred.

Savoury Queen Fritters.

An excellent Breakfast Dish.

6 ounces bread crumbs.
The yolks of three eggs.
¾ pint milk.
1 shalot.
2 ounces butter.
½ teaspoon grated lemon rind.
1 teaspoon mixed herbs.
1 flat teaspoon salt.
A little pepper.

Place the bread crumbs, which must be fine, in a basin, and add the lemon-rind, herbs, salt, pepper, and chopped shalot, mix well together, then pour in the milk, which should be at boiling point, and stand it on one side for a few minutes, then stir in the yolks, and pour the mixture into a well-greased tin, cover with another tin, and bake in a moderate oven for about an hour, or until set. When cold, stamp out with a pastry cutter, or cut into little squares, and fry in the remainder of the butter. Serve quickly.

Note.—This dish may be prepared the previous day, and fried when required.

Vermicelli and Cheese Fritters.

6 ounces cooked vermicelli.
1½ ounces bread crumbs.
2 ounces grated cheese.
1 egg.
½ teaspoon curry powder.
¼ teaspoon salt.
¼ teaspoon pepper.
1 ounce butter for frying.

Mix the ingredients thoroughly together, adding the yolk of egg; beat the white to a stiff froth, and stir in last thing. Place in a greased pie-dish, and bake in a moderate oven until set. Allow to cool, then cut into square pieces or stamp out into fancy shapes, and fry until brown. Serve hot or cold.

Vermicelli and Cheese Fritters. Another way.

4 ounces vermicelli.
4 ounces grated cheese.
1 pint milk.
½ teaspoon salt.
¼ teaspoon pepper.
Egg and bread crumbs.

Break up the vermicelli, and place it with three ounces of the cheese well mixed together in a pie-dish; add seasoning and milk, and bake for about half an hour, stirring once or twice at the beginning. When cold and firm, cut into squares or fancy shapes, roll in egg and bread crumbs (with which one ounce of cheese should be mixed), and fry in boiling oil until crisp and brown.

Haricot Bean Croquettes. LEIGH TESTED RECIPE

½ pint soaked haricot beans.
¼ pint water.
¼ pint milk.
1 ounce butter.
4 ounces bread crumbs.
2 or 3 shallots.
¼ teaspoon salt.
¼ teaspoon white sugar.
¼ teaspoon white pepper.
1 egg.

Place the beans in a stewpan with the water and butter, and boil for two hours; then add milk, salt and pepper, and stew for half an hour longer. Mince the shallot and fry for one minute, but without browning. Strain the haricot beans and chop them very fine, add the shallot and yolk of egg and liquor that was strained off, and put the mixture aside for a little while. When cool, stir in two ounces of the bread crumbs, form into little balls, roll in the white of the egg and the remainder of the bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil.

Note from Leigh: I have made these bean croquettes and you can see photos and useful information over on the main blog post – White Bean Croquettes.

Kromskies.

Any nice mixture. [such as from the forcemeat, fritter, balls, croquettes, recipes etc]
Kromsky batter.
Frying oil.

Shape the mixture (to which may be added a few bread crumbs if not sufficiently firm) into little sausages, dip them into the batter, lift out with a spoon and drop into boiling oil. When they have turned a golden brown lift them out on to soft paper to drain.

The batter is made as follows:—

4 ounces flour.
1 gill of milk. [125 millilitres or half a cup]
1 ounce butter.
A pinch of salt.
1 egg.

Place the flour and salt in a basin, in another basin beat up the egg, add the milk, then pour on to the flour, stirring well all the time, and lastly add the butter, which should have been previously dissolved.

Golden Marbles.

¼ pound haricot bean pulp.
2 ounces bread crumbs.
¼ pound mashed potatoes.
1 shallot.
1 egg.
½ teaspoon salt.
Bread crumbs.

Rub well-cooked haricots through a wire sieve until the requisite quantity of pulp is obtained, add the bread crumbs, potato, salt and shallot, which must be very finely minced, stir in half a beaten egg, shape into little balls the size of marbles, roll them in the other half of egg and the bread crumbs, and fry in boiling fat until a golden brown.

Egg and Tomato Fritters.

6 hard-boiled eggs.
6 teaspoons bread crumbs.
6 teaspoons minced parsley.
6 teaspoons minced tomato.
½ teaspoon salt.
½ teaspoon pepper.
1 egg.

Mince the eggs, parsley and tomato, and mix altogether with the pepper and salt, bread crumbs, and half a beaten egg; form into little cutlets, roll in the other half of the egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil.

Brazil Rissoles.

3 ounces Brazil nuts without shells.
3½ tablespoons cream.
1 whole egg.
3 yolks ditto. [of egg]
1 teaspoon Tarragon vinegar.
½ teaspoon salt.
¼ teaspoon white pepper.
1 teaspoon minced parsley.
Egg and bread crumbs.

After scraping off the brown skin pound the nuts to a paste in a mortar, add the other ingredients, and stir well altogether. Well butter six (or eight) little tin moulds, fill them with the mixture, stand the moulds in a baking tin which contains a little boiling water, and bake in a moderate oven for twelve or fifteen minutes. When cold, take them out of the moulds, brush over with egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil until a nice golden colour (about three minutes). Garnish with parsley.

Savoury Almond Fritters.

Yolk of hard-boiled egg.
3 Brazil nuts.
1 baked potato.
2 raw yolks of eggs.
The whites of ditto.
1 shalot.
1 pinch of mixed sweet herbs.
1 teaspoon ground almonds.
1 tablespoon bread crumbs.
½ teaspoon salt.
A little pepper.
A little grated lemon rind.
1 teaspoon minced parsley.
Egg and bread crumbs.

Remove the nuts from the shells and scrape off the brown skin, pound them to a paste in a mortar with the hard-boiled yolk and sweet herbs. When quite smooth, add the shalot and parsley minced, the salt, pepper, lemon rind, baked potato, and bread crumbs. Mix all well together, then add the two raw yolks; stir well again, and, lastly, add the whites beaten to a stiff froth. Pour the mixture into a buttered soup-plate, turn another over the top, and bake in a moderate oven until it has quite set (about one hour). Let it cool, and then cut into squares or stamp out with a fancy cutter; roll each piece in egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil.

MODERN COOKERY FOR PRIVATE FAMILIES (New Edition) by ELIZA ACTON [1882]

OYSTER SAUSAGES.

(A most excellent Receipt.)

Beard, rinse well in their strained liquor, and mince but not finely, three dozens and a half of plump native oysters, and mix them with ten ounces of fine bread-crumbs, and ten of beef-suet chopped extremely small; add a saltspoonful of salt, and one of pepper, or less than half the quantity of cayenne, twice as much pounded mace, and the third of a small nutmeg grated: moisten the whole with two unbeaten eggs, or with the yolks only of three, and a dessertspoonful of the whites.

When these ingredients have been well worked together, and are perfectly blended, set the mixture in a cool place for two or three hours before it is used; make it into the form of small sausages or sausage cakes, flour and fry them in butter of a fine light brown; or throw them into boiling water for three minutes, drain, and let them become cold, dip them into egg and bread-crumbs, and broil them gently until they are lightly coloured. A small bit should be cooked and tasted before the whole is put aside, that the seasoning may be heightened if required. The sausages thus made are extremely good: the fingers should be well floured in making them up.

Small plump oysters, 3-1/2 dozens; bread-crumbs, 10 oz.; beef suet, 10 oz.; seasoning of salt, cayenne, pounded mace, and nutmeg; unbeaten eggs 2, or yolks of 3.

LOBSTER CUTLETS.

(A Superior Entrée.)

Prepare and pound with exceeding nicety, by the preceding receipt for Potted Lobsters [see recipe below], about three quarters of a pound of the flesh of a couple of fine fresh lobsters, of which one must be a hen lobster; add to it, when it is partially beaten, an ounce and a half of sweet new butter, a saltspoonful of salt, and about two-thirds as much of mixed mace and cayenne, with a dessertspoonful of the inside coral, the whole of which should be rubbed with a wooden spoon through a hair sieve, to be in readiness for use.

When all these ingredients are well blended, and beaten to the finest and smoothest paste, the mixture should be tested by the taste, and the seasoning heightened if needful; but, as the preparation is very delicate, it should not be over-spiced.

Mould it into the form of small cutlets about the third of an inch thick, stick into each a short bit of the smallest claws, strew the coral lightly over them so as to give them the appearance of being crumbed with it, arrange them round the dish in which they are to be sent to table, place them in a very gentle oven for eight or ten minutes only to heat them through, or warm them in a Dutch or American oven, placed at some distance from the fire, that the brilliant colour of the coral may not be destroyed; and pour into the centre some good béchamel, or the Lady’s Sauce, or a Cream Sauce.

A very white sauce best contrasts with the colour of the cutlets. This is an excellent and elegant dish, of which an admirable variety is made by the addition of three or four ounces of the freshest shrimps, quickly shelled, and chopped before they are thrown into the mortar, with half an ounce of butter and a little spice. All the coral can be added to the cutlets at pleasure; but it is generally in request for many purposes, and is required for this one only in part.

Obs.—As lobsters are well known to be the most indigestible of shell fish, and as they sometimes prove dangerously so to persons out of health, these pounded preparations are the best and safest forms in which they can be served: they should at all times be beaten to a smooth, fibreless paste, before they are taken from the mortar; and no fish that is not entirely fresh should ever be used for them. Prawns may be advantageously served in the same manner.

For Indian Lobster Cutlets, see recipe below.

POTTED LOBSTERS. [For the recipe above]

Separate carefully the flesh of freshly-boiled lobsters from the shells, and from the tough red skin of the tails, mince the fish up quickly with a very sharp knife, turn it immediately into a large mortar, and strew over it a mixed seasoning of fine cayenne, pounded mace, lightly grated nutmeg, and salt: this last should be sparingly used in the first instance, and it should be reduced to powder before it is added. Pound the lobsters to a perfect paste with from two to three ounces of firm new butter to each fish if of large size, but with less should it be small; and the lobster-coral previously rubbed through a sieve, or with a portion of it only, should any part of it be required for other purposes.

When there is no coral, a fine colour may be given to the mixture by stewing the red skin of the tails very softly for ten or twelve minutes in part of the butter which is used for it, but which must be strained and left to become perfectly cold before it is mingled with the fish. The degree of seasoning given to the mixture can be regulated by the taste; but no flavour should predominate over that of the lobster itself; and for all delicate preparations, over-spicing should be particularly avoided.

A quart or more of fine brown shrimps, if very fresh and quickly shelled at the instant of using, may be chopped up and pounded with the lobsters with excellent effect. Before the mixture is taken from the mortar it should be placed in a cool larder, or set over ice for a short time, to render it firm before it is pressed into the potting-pans or moulds. In putting it into these, be careful to press it into a compact, even mass; smooth the surface, run a little clarified butter over, when it is only just liquid, for if hot it would prevent the fish from keeping—and send the lobster to table, neatly garnished with light green foliage; or with ornamentally-cut paper fastened round the mould; or with a small damask napkin tastefully arranged about it.

Obs.—By pounding separately part of the white flesh of the fish, freed from every particle of the skin, and by colouring the remainder highly with the coral of the lobster, and then pressing the two in alternate and regular layers into a mould, a dish of pretty appearance is produced, which should be turned out of the mould for table. Ham and turkey (or any other white meat) are often potted in this way.

INDIAN LOBSTER-CUTLETS.

A really excellent and elegant receipt for lobster-cutlets has already been given in previous editions of the present work, [see recipe above]; but the subjoined is one which may be more readily and expeditiously prepared, and may consequently, be preferred by some of our readers for that reason: it has also the recommendation of being new. In India, these cutlets are made from the flesh of prawns, which are there of enormous size, but lobsters, unless quite overgrown, answer for them as well, or better. Select fish of good size and take out the tails entire; slice them about the third of an inch thick, dip them into beaten egg, and then into very fine crumbs of bread seasoned rather highly with cayenne, and moderately with salt, grated nutmeg, and pounded mace.

Egg and crumb them twice, press the bread upon them with the blade of a knife, and when all are ready, fry them quickly in good butter to a light brown. Serve them as dry as possible, arranged in a chain round a hot dish, and pour into the centre, or send to table with them in a tureen, some sauce made with the flesh of the claws heated in some rich melted butter, flavoured with a tablespoonful of essence of anchovies, one of strong chili vinegar, a little salt and mace, and coloured with the coral of the fish, should they contain any.

A few shrimps may be added with good effect; or the sauce may be made of these entirely, either whole or pounded, when they are preferred. In either case, they should only be heated in it, and not allowed to boil. East or West Indian mangoes, or other hot pickle, should accompany the dish.

The cutlets may likewise be dipped into light French batter, and fried; but the egg and bread-crumbs are somewhat preferable. It is an advantage to have lobsters little more than parboiled for them. Herbs can be added to the crumbs at pleasure; the writer does not, however, recommend them.

BEEF OR MUTTON CAKE.

(Very good.)

Chop two pounds of lean and very tender beef or mutton, with three quarters of a pound of beef suet; mix them well, and season them with a dessertspoonful of salt, nearly as much pounded cloves, a teaspoonful of pounded mace, and half a teaspoonful of cayenne. Line a round baking dish with thin slices of fat bacon, press the meat closely into it, smooth the top, and cover it with bacon, set a plate on it with a weight, and bake it two hours and a quarter. Take off the bacon, and serve the meat hot, with a little rich brown gravy, or set it by until cold, when it will be equally good. The fat of the meat which is used for this dish can be chopped up with it instead of suet, where it is liked as well; and onion, or eschalot, shred fine, minced savoury herbs, grated lemon-peel, rasped bacon, or mushrooms cut small, may in turn be added to vary it in flavour.

Lean beef or mutton, 2 lbs.; suet, 3/4 lb.; salt and cloves in powder, each a dessertspoonful; mace, 1 teaspoonful; half as much cayenne: baked 2-1/4 hours.

Obs.—A larger portion of suet or of fat will render these cakes lighter, but will not otherwise improve them: they may be made of veal or of venison, but one-third of mutton suet or of fat bacon should be mixed with this last.

SWEETBREAD CUTLETS. (ENTRÉE.)

Boil the sweetbreads for half an hour in water or veal broth, and when they are perfectly cold, cut them into slices of equal thickness, brush them with yolk of egg, and dip them into very fine bread-crumbs seasoned with salt, cayenne, grated lemon-rind, and mace; fry them in butter of a fine light brown, arrange them in a dish placing them high in the centre, and pour under them a gravy made in the pan, thickened with mushroom powder and flavoured with lemon-juice; or, in lieu of this, sauce them with some rich brown gravy, to which a glass of sherry or Madeira has been added.

When it can be done conveniently, take as many slices of a cold boiled tongue as there are sweetbread cutlets; pare the rind from them, trim them into good shape, and dress them with the sweetbreads, after they have been egged and seasoned in the same way; and place each cutlet upon a slice of tongue when they are dished.

For variety, substitute croutons of fried bread stamped out to the size of the cutlets with a round or fluted paste or cake cutter. The crumb of a stale loaf, very evenly sliced, is best for the purpose.

SAUSAGE-MEAT CAKE, OR, PAIN DE PORC FRAIS.

Season very highly from two to three pounds of good sausage-meat, both with spices and with sage, or with thyme and parsley, if these be preferred; press the mixture into a pan, and proceed exactly as for the veal-cake [see recipe below]. A few minced eschalots can be mixed with the meat for those who like their flavour.

SMALL PAIN DE VEAU, OR, VEAL CAKE.

Chop separately and very fine, a pound and a quarter of veal quite free from fat and skin, and six ounces of beef kidney-suet; add a teaspoonful of salt, a full third as much of white pepper and of mace or nutmeg, with the grated rind of half a lemon, and turn the whole well together with the chopping-knife until it is thoroughly mixed; then press it smoothly into a small round baking dish, and send it to a moderate oven for an hour and a quarter. Lift it into a clean hot dish, and serve it plain, or with a little brown gravy in a tureen.

Three ounces of the lean of a boiled ham minced small, will very much improve this cake, of which the size can be increased at will, and proportionate time allowed for dressing it. If baked in a hotoven, the meat will shrink to half its proper size, and be very dry. When done, it should be of a fine light brown, and like a cake in appearance.

Veal, 1-1/4 lb.; beef-suet, 6 oz.; salt, 1 teaspoonful; pepper and mace, or nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoonful each; rind of 1/2 lemon; ham (when added) 3 oz.; baked 1-1/4 hour.

SAUSAGES.

Common farm-house sausages are made with nearly equal parts of fat and lean pork, coarsely chopped, and seasoned with salt and pepper only.

They are put into skins (which have previously been turned inside out, scraped very thin, washed with extreme nicety, and wiped very dry), then twisted into links, and should be hung in a cool airy larder, when they will remain good for some time.

Odd scraps and trimmings of pork are usually taken for sausage-meat when the pig is killed and cut up at home; but the chine and blade-bone are preferred in general for the purpose. The pork rinds, as we have already stated, will make a strong and almost flavourless jelly, which may be used with excellent effect for stock, and which, with the addition of some pork-bones, plenty of vegetables, and some dried peas, will make a very nutritious soup for those who do not object to the pork-flavour which the bones will give.

Half an ounce of salt, and nearly or quite a quarter of an ounce of pepper will sufficiently season each pound of the sausage-meat.

KENTISH SAUSAGE-MEAT.

To three pounds of lean pork, add two of fat, and let both be taken clear of skin. As sausages are lighter, though not so delicate, when the meat is somewhat coarsely chopped, this difference should be attended to in making them. When the fat and lean are partially mixed, strew over them two ounces and a half of dry salt, beaten to powder, and mixed with one ounce of ground black pepper, and three large tablespoonsful of sage, very finely minced. Turn the meat with the chopping-knife, until the ingredients are well blended.

Test it before it is taken off the block, by frying a small portion, that if more seasoning be desired, it may at once be added. A full-sized nutmeg and a small dessertspoonsful of pounded mace, would, to many tastes, improve it.

This sausage-meat is usually formed into cakes, which, after being well floured, are roasted in a Dutch oven. They must be watched, and often turned, that no part may be scorched. The meat may also be put into skins, and dressed in any other way.

Lean of pork, 3 lbs.; fat, 2 lbs.; salt, 2-1/2 oz.; pepper, 1 oz,; minced sage, 3 large tablespoonsful.

EXCELLENT SAUSAGES.

Chop, first separately, and then together, one pound and a quarter of veal, perfectly free from fat, skin, and sinew, with an equal weight of lean pork, and of the inside fat of the pig. Mix well, and strew over the meat an ounce and a quarter of salt, half an ounce of pepper, one nutmeg grated, and a large teaspoonful of pounded mace.

Turn, and chop the sausages until they are equally seasoned throughout, and tolerably fine; press them into a clean pan, and keep them in a very cool place.

Form them, when wanted for table, into cakes something less than an inch thick; and flour and fry them then for about ten minutes in a little butter, or roast them in a Dutch or American oven.

Lean of veal and pork, of each 1 lb. 4 oz.; fat of pork, 1 lb. 4 oz., salt, 1-1/4 oz.; pepper, 1/2 oz.; nutmeg, 1; mace, 1 large teaspoonful, fried in cakes, 10 minutes.

POUNDED SAUSAGE-MEAT.

(Very good.)

Take from the best end of a neck of veal, or from the fillet or loin, a couple or more pounds of flesh without any intermixture of fat or skin; chop it small, and pound it thoroughly in a large mortar, with half its weight of the inside, or leaf-fat, of a pig; proportion salt and spice to it by the preceding receipt, form it into cakes, and fry it as above.

BOILED SAUSAGES. (ENTRÉE.)

In Lincolnshire, sausages are frequently boiled in the skins, and served upon a toast, as a corner dish. They should be put into boiling water, and simmered from seven to ten minutes, according to their size.

SAUSAGES AND CHESTNUTS. (ENTRÉE.)

An excellent dish. (French.)

Roast, and take the husk and skin from forty fine Spanish chestnuts; fry gently, in a morsel of butter, six small flat oval cakes of fine sausage-meat, and when they are well browned, lift them out and pour into a saucepan, which should be bright in the inside, the greater part of the fat in which they have been fried; mix with it a large teaspoonful of flour, and stir these over the fire till they are well and equally browned; then pour in by degrees nearly half a pint of strong beef or veal broth, or gravy, and two glasses of good white wine; add a small bunch of savoury herbs, and as much salt and pepper, or cayenne, as will season the whole properly; give it a boil, lay in the sausages round the pan, and the chestnuts in the centre; stew them very softly for nearly an hour; take out the herbs, dish the sausages neatly, and heap the chestnuts in the centre, strain the sauce over them and serve them very hot. There should be no sage mixed with the pork to dress thus.

Chestnuts roasted, 40; sausages, 6; gravy, nearly 1/2 pint; sherry or Madeira, 2 wineglassesful: stewed together from 50 to 60 minutes.

TRUFFLED SAUSAGES.

(Saucisses aux Truffes.)

With two pounds of the lean of young tender pork, mix one pound of fat, a quarter of a pound of truffles, minced very small, an ounce and a half of salt, a seasoning of cayenne, or quite half an ounce of white pepper, a nutmeg, a teaspoonful of freshly pounded mace, and a dessertspoonful or more of savoury herbs dried and reduced to powder.

Test a morsel of the mixture; heighten any of the seasonings to the taste; and put the meat into delicately clean skins: if it be for immediate use, and the addition is liked, moisten it, before it is dressed, with one or two glassesful of Madeira. The substitution of a clove of garlic for the truffles, will convert these into Saucisses a l’ Ail, or garlic sausages.

ENGLISH CHICKEN CUTLETS. (ENTRÉE).

Skin and cut into joints one or two young chickens, and remove the bones with care from the breasts, merrythoughts, and thighs, which are to be separated from the legs. Mix well together a teaspoonful of salt, nearly a fourth as much of mace, a little grated nutmeg, and some cayenne; flatten and form into good shape, the boned joints of chicken, and the flesh of the wings; rub a little of the seasoning over them in every part, dip them into beaten egg, and then into very fine bread-crumbs, and fry them gently in fresh butter until they are of a delicate brown.

Some of the bones and trimmings may be boiled down in half a pint of water, with a roll of lemon-peel, a little salt, and eight or ten white peppercorns, to make the gravy which, after being strained and cleared from fat, may be poured hot to some thickening made in the pan with a slice of fresh butter and a dessertspoonful of flour: a teaspoonful of mushroom-powder would improve it greatly, and a small quantity of lemon-juice should be added before it is poured out, with salt and cayenne if required.

Pile the cutlets high in the centre of the dish, and serve the sauce under them, or in a tureen.

RISSOLES. (ENTRÉE.)

This is the French name for small fried pastry of various forms, filled with meat or fish previously cooked; they may be made with brioche, or with light puff-paste, either of which must be rolled extremely thin. Cut it with a small round cutter fluted or plain; put a little rich mince, or good pounded meat, in the centre, and moisten the edges, and press them securely together that they may not burst open in the frying.

The rissoles may be formed like small patties, by laying a second round of paste over the meat, or like cannelons; they may, likewise, be brushed with egg, and sprinkled with vermicelli, broken small, or with fine crumbs. They are sometimes made in the form of croquettes, the paste being gathered round the meat, which must form a ball.

In frying them, adopt the same plan as for the croquettes, raising the pan as soon as the paste is lightly coloured. Serve all these fried dishes well drained, and on a napkin.

From 5 to 7 minutes, or less.

VERY SAVOURY ENGLISH RISSOLES. (ENTRÉE.)

Make the forcemeat No. 1, sufficiently firm with unbeaten yolk of egg, to roll rather thin on a well-floured board; cut it into very small rounds, put a little pounded chicken in the centre of one half, moistening the edges with water, or white of egg, lay the remaining rounds over these, close them securely, and fry them in butter a fine light brown; drain and dry them well, and heap them in the middle of a hot dish, upon a napkin folded flat: these rissoles may be egged and crumbed before they are fried.

Forcemeats – GENERAL REMARKS.

Weighing Machine.

The coarse and unpalatable compounds so constantly met with under the denomination of forcemeat, even at tables otherwise tolerably well served, show with how little attention they are commonly prepared.

Many very indifferent cooks pique themselves on never doing any thing by rule, and the consequence of their throwing together at random (or “by guess” as they call it) the ingredients which ought to be proportioned with exceeding exactness is repeated failure in all they attempt to do. Long experience, and a very correct eye may, it is true, enable a person to dispense with weights and measures without hazarding the success of their operations; but it is an experiment which the learner will do better to avoid.

A large marble or Wedgwood mortar is indispensable in making all the finer kinds of forcemeat; and equally so indeed for many other purposes in cookery; no kitchen, therefore, should be without one;[67] and for whatever preparation it may be used, the pounding should be continued with patience and perseverance until not a single lump or fibre be perceptible in the mass of the articles beaten together. This particularly applies to potted meats, which should resemble the smoothest paste; as well as to several varieties of forcemeat.

Of these last it should be observed, that such as are made by the French method (see quenelles recipe below) are the most appropriate for an elegant dinner, either to serve in soups or to fill boned poultry of any kind; but when their exceeding lightness, which to foreigners constitutes one of their great excellences, is objected to, it may be remedied by substituting dry crumbs of bread for the panada, and pounding a small quantity of the lean of a boiled ham, with the other ingredients: however, this should be done only for the balls.

67. Two or three mortars, varying in size, should be in every household where it is expected that the cookery should be well conducted: they are often required also for many other domestic purposes, yet it is not unusual to find both these and scales, weights, and measures of every kind, altogether wanting in English kitchens.

No particular herb or spice should be allowed to predominate powerfully in these compositions; but the whole of the seasonings should be taken in such quantity only as will produce an agreeable savour when they are blended together.

NO. 1. GOOD COMMON FORCEMEAT, FOR ROAST VEAL, TURKEYS, &C.

Grate very lightly into exceedingly fine crumbs, four ounces of the inside of a stale loaf, and mix thoroughly with it, a quarter of an ounce of lemon-rind pared as thin as possible, and minced extremely small; the same quantity of savoury herbs, of which two-thirds should be parsley, and one-third thyme, likewise finely minced, a little grated nutmeg, a half teaspoonful of salt, and as much common pepper or cayenne as will season the forcemeat sufficiently.

Break into these, two ounces of good butter in very small bits, add the unbeaten yolk of one egg, and with the fingers work the whole well together until it is smoothly mixed. It is usual to chop the lemon-rind, but we prefer it lightly grated on a fine grater. It should always be fresh for the purpose, or it will be likely to impart a very unpleasant flavour to the forcemeat. Half the rind of a moderate-sized lemon will be sufficient for this quantity; which for a large turkey must be increased one-half.

Bread-crumbs, 4 oz.; lemon-rind, 1/4 oz. (or grated rind of 1/2 lemon); mixed savoury herbs, minced, 1/4 oz.; salt, 1/2 teaspoonful; pepper, 1/4 to 1/3 of teaspoonful; butter, 2 oz.; yolk, 1 egg.

Obs.—This, to our taste, is a much nicer and more delicate forcemeat than that which is made with suet, and we would recommend it for trial in preference. Any variety of herb or spice may be used to give it flavour, and a little minced onion or eschalot can be added to it also; but these last do not appear to us suited to the meats for which the forcemeat is more particularly intended. Half an ounce of the butter may be omitted on ordinary occasions: and a portion of marjoram or of sweet basil may take the place of part of the thyme and parsley when preferred to them.

NO. 2. ANOTHER GOOD COMMON FORCEMEAT.

Add to four ounces of bread-crumbs two of the lean of a boiled ham, quite free from sinew, and very finely minced; two of good butter, a dessertspoonful of herbs, chopped small, some lemon-grate, nutmeg, a little salt, a good seasoning of pepper or cayenne and one whole egg, or the yolks of two. This may be fried in balls of moderate size, for five minutes, to serve with roast veal, or it may be put into the joint in the usual way.

Bread-crumbs, 4 oz.; lean of ham, 2 oz.; butter, 2 oz.; minced herbs, 1 dessertspoonful; lemon-grate, 1 teaspoonful; nutmeg, mace, and cayenne, together, 1 small teaspoonful; little salt; 1 whole egg, or yolks of 2.

NO. 3. SUPERIOR SUET FORCEMEAT, FOR VEAL, TURKEYS, &C.

Mix well together six ounces of fine stale crumbs, with an equal weight of beef-kidney suet, chopped extremely small, a large dessertspoonful of parsley, mixed with a little lemon-thyme, a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter one of cayenne, and a saltspoonful or rather more of mace and nutmeg together; work these up with three unbeaten egg-yolks, and three teaspoonsful of milk; then put the forcemeat into a large mortar, and pound it perfectly smooth. Take it out, and let it remain in a cool place for half an hour at least before it is used; then roll it into balls, if it be wanted to serve in that form; flour and fry them gently from seven to eight minutes, and dry them well before they are dished.

Beef suet finely minced, 6 oz.; bread-crumbs, 6 oz.; parsley, mixed with little thyme, 1 large dessertspoonful; salt, 1 teaspoonful; mace, large saltspoonful, and one fourth as much cayenne; unbeaten egg-yolks, 3; milk, 3 teaspoonsful: well pounded. Fried in balls, 7 to 8 minutes, or poached, 6 to 7.

Obs.—The finely grated rind of half a lemon can be added to this forcemeat at pleasure; and for some purposes a morsel of garlic, or three or four minced eschalots, may be mixed with it before it is put into the mortar.

NO. 4. COMMON SUET FORCEMEAT.

Beef suet is commonly used in the composition of this kind of forcemeat, but we think that veal-kidney suet, when it could be obtained, would have a better effect; though the reader will easily comprehend that it is scarcely possible for us to have every variety of every receipt which we insert put to the test; in some cases we are compelled merely to suggest what appear to us likely to be improvements.

Strip carefully every morsel of skin from the suet, and mince it small; to six ounces add eight of bread-crumbs, with the same proportion of herbs, spice, salt, and lemon-peel, as in the foregoing receipt, and a couple of whole eggs, which should be very slightly beaten, after the specks have been taken out with the point of a small fork.

Should more liquid be required, the yolk of another egg, or a spoonful or two of milk, may be used. Half this quantity will be sufficient for a small joint of veal, or for a dozen balls, which, when it is more convenient to serve it in that form, may be fried or browned beneath the roast, and then dished round it, though this last is not a very refined mode of dressing them. From eight to ten minutes will fry them well.

NO. 5. OYSTER FORCEMEAT.

Open carefully a dozen of fine plump natives, take off the beards, strain their liquor, and rinse the oysters in it. Grate four ounces of the crumb of a stale loaf into fine light crumbs, mince the oysters but not too small, and mix them with the bread; add an ounce and a half of good butter broken into minute bits, the grated rind of half a small lemon, a small saltspoonful of pounded mace, some cayenne, a little salt, and a large teaspoonful of parsley. Mingle these ingredients well, and work them together with the unbeaten yolk of one egg and a little of the oyster liquor, the remainder of which can be added to the sauce which usually accompanies this forcemeat.

Oysters, 1 dozen; bread-crumbs, 4 oz.; butter, 1-1/2 oz.; rind 1/2 small lemon; mace, 1 saltspoonful; some cayenne and salt; minced parsley, 1 large teaspoonful; yolk 1 egg; oyster-liquor, 1 dessertspoonful: rolled into balls, and fried from 7 to 10 minutes, or poached from 5 to 6 minutes.

Obs. 1.—In this preparation the flavour of the oysters should prevail entirely over that of all the other ingredients which are mixed with them.

Obs. 2.—The oyster-sausages [scroll up for recipe above]will serve excellently for forcemeat also.

NO. 6. A FINER OYSTER FORCEMEAT.

Pound the preceding forcemeat to the smoothest paste, with the addition only of half an ounce of fresh butter, should it be sufficiently dry to allow of it. It is remarkably good when thus prepared, and may be poached or fried in balls for soups or made dishes, or used to fill boned fowls, or the breasts of boiled turkeys with equally good effect.

NO. 7. MUSHROOM FORCEMEAT.

Cut closely off the stems of some small, just-opened mushrooms, peel them, and take out the fur. Dissolve an ounce and a half of good butter in a saucepan, throw them into it with a little cayenne and a slight sprinkling of mace, and stew them softly, keeping them well shaken, from five to seven minutes; then turn them into a dish, spread them over it, and raise one end, that the liquid may drain from them.

When they are quite cold, mince, and then mix them with four ounces of fine bread-crumbs, an ounce and a half of good butter, and partof that in which they were stewed should the forcemeat appear too moist to admit of the whole, as the yolk of one egg, at the least, must be added, to bind the ingredients together; strew in a saltspoonful of salt, a third as much of cayenne, and about the same quantity of mace and nutmeg, with a teaspoonful of grated lemon-rind. The seasonings must be rather sparingly used, that the flavour of the mushrooms may not be overpowered by them.

Mix the whole thoroughly with the unbeaten yolk of one egg, or of two, and use the forcemeat poached in small balls for soup, or fried and served in the dish with roast fowls, or round minced veal; or to fill boiled fowls, partridges, or turkeys.

Small mushrooms, peeled and trimmed, 4 oz.; butter 1-1/2 oz.; slight sprinkling mace and cayenne: 5 to 7 minutes. Mushrooms minced; bread-crumbs, 4 oz.; butter, 1-1/2 oz. (with part of that used in the stewing); salt, 1 saltspoonful; third as much of cayenne, of mace, and of nutmeg; grated lemon-rind, 1 teaspoonful; yolk of 1 or 2 eggs. In balls, poached, 5 to 6 minutes; fried, 6 to 8 minutes.

Obs.—This, like most other forcemeats, is improved by being well beaten in a large mortar after it is entirely mixed.

NO. 8. FORCEMEAT FOR HARE.

The first receipt of this chapter will be found very good for hare without any variation; but the liver boiled for three minutes and finely minced, may be added to it when it is thought an improvement: another half ounce of butter, and a small portion more of egg will then be required. A couple of ounces of rasped bacon, and a glass of port-wine, are sometimes recommended for this forcemeat, but we think it is better without them, especially when slices of bacon are used to line the hare. A flavouring of minced onion or eschalot can be added when the taste is in its favour; or the forcemeat No. 3 may be substituted for this altogether.

NO. 9. ONION AND SAGE STUFFING, FOR PORK, GEESE, OR DUCKS.

Boil three large onions from ten to fifteen minutes, press the water from them, chop them small, and mix with them an equal quantity of bread-crumbs, a heaped tablespoonful of minced sage, an ounce of butter, a half saltspoonful of pepper, and twice as much of salt, and put them into the body of the goose; part of the liver boiled for two or three minutes and shred fine, is sometimes added to these, and the whole is bound together with the yolk of one egg or two; but they are quite as frequently served without. The onions can be used raw, when their very strong flavour is not objected to, but the odour of the whole dish will then be somewhat overpowering.

Large onions, 3; boiled 20 to 30 minutes. Sage, 2 to 3 dessertspoonsful (or 1/2 to 3/4 oz.); butter, 1 oz.; pepper, 1/2 teaspoonful; salt, 1 teaspoonful.

The body of a goose is sometimes entirely filled with mashed potatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper only; or mixed with a small quantity of eschalot, onion, or herb-seasonings.

NO. 10. MR. COOKE’S FORCEMEAT FOR DUCKS OR GEESE.

Two parts of chopped onion, two parts of bread-crumbs, three of butter, one of pounded sage, and a seasoning of pepper and salt. This receipt we have not proved.

NO. 11. FORCEMEAT BALLS FOR MOCK TURTLE SOUPS.

The French forcemeat, No. 17 of the present Chapter, is the most refined and appropriate forcemeat to serve in mock turtle, but a more solid and highly seasoned one is usually added to it in this country. In very common cookery the ingredients are merely chopped small and mixed together with a moistening of eggs; but when the trouble of pounding and blending them properly is objected to, we would recommend the common veal forcemeat No. 1, in preference;

as the undressed veal and suet, when merely minced, do not produce a good effect. Four ounces each of these, with an ounce or so of the lean of a boiled ham, and three ounces of bread-crumbs, a large dessertspoonful of minced parsley, a small portion of thyme or marjoram, a saltspoonful of white pepper, twice as much or more of salt, a little cayenne, half a small nutmeg, and a couple of eggs, well mixed with a fork first to separate the meat, and after the moistening is added, with the fingers, then rolled into balls, and boiled in a little soup for twelve minutes, is the manner in which it is prepared; but the reader will find the following receipt very superior to it:

—Rasp, that is to say, scrape with a knife clear from the fibre, four ounces of veal, which should be cut into thick slices, and taken quite free from skin and fat; chop it fine, and then pound it as smoothly as possible in a large mortar, with three ounces of the rasped fat of an unboiled ham of good flavour or of the finest bacon, and one of butter, two ounces of bread-crumbs, a tablespoonful of the lean of a boiled ham, should it be at hand, a good seasoning of cayenne, nutmeg, and mace, mixed together, a heaped dessertspoonful of minced herbs, and the yolks of two eggs; poach a small bit when it is mixed, and add any further seasoning it may require; and when it is of good flavour, roll it into balls of moderate size, and boil them twelve minutes; then drain and drop them into the soup.

No forcemeat should be boiled in the soup itself, on account of the fat which would escape from it in the process; a little stock should be reserved for the purpose.

Very common:—Lean of neck of veal, 4 oz.; beef-kidney suet, 4 oz., both finely chopped; bread-crumbs, 3 oz.; minced parsley, large dessertspoonful; thyme or marjoram, smallteaspoonful; lean of boiled ham, 1 to 2 oz.; white pepper, 1 saltspoonful; salt, twice as much; 1/2 small nutmeg; eggs, 2: in balls, 12 minutes.

Better forcemeat:—Lean veal rasped, 4 oz.; fat of unboiled ham, or finest bacon, 3 oz; butter, 1 oz.; bread-crumbs, 2 oz.; lean of boiled ham, minced, 1 large tablespoonful; minced herbs, 1 heaped dessertspoonful; full seasoning of mace, nutmeg, and cayenne, mixed; yolks of eggs, 2: 12 minutes.

NO. 12. EGG BALLS.

Boil four or five new-laid eggs for ten or twelve minutes, and lay them into fresh water until they are cold. Take out the yolks, and pound them smoothly with the beaten yolk of one raw egg, or more, if required; add a little salt and cayenne, roll the mixture into balls the size of marbles, and boil them for two minutes. Half a teaspoonful of flour is sometimes worked up with the eggs.

Hard yolks of eggs, 4; 1 raw; little salt and cayenne: 2 minutes.

NO. 13. BRAIN CAKES.

Wash and soak the brains well in cold water, and afterwards in hot; free them from the skin and large fibres, and boil them in water, slightly salted, from two to three minutes; beat them up with a teaspoonful of sage very finely chopped, or with equal parts of sage and parsley, half a teaspoonful or rather more of salt, half as much mace, a little white pepper or cayenne, and one egg; drop them in small cakes into the pan, and fry them in butter a fine light brown: two yolks of eggs will make the cakes more delicate than the white and yolk of one. A teaspoonful of flour and a little lemon-grate are sometimes added.

NO. 14. ANOTHER RECEIPT FOR BRAIN CAKES.

Boil the brains in a little good veal gravy very gently for ten minutes; drain them on a sieve, and when cold cut them into thick dice; dip them into beaten yolk of egg, and then into very fine bread-crumbs, mixed with salt, pounded spices, and fine herbs minced extremely small; fry them of a light brown, drain and dry them well, and drop them into the soup or hash after it is dished. When broth or gravy is not at hand, the brains may be boiled in water.

NO. 15. CHESTNUT FORCEMEAT.

Strip the outer skin from some fine sound chestnuts, then throw them into a saucepan of hot water, and set them over the fire for a minute or two, when they may easily be blanched like almonds. Put them into cold water as they are peeled. Dry them in a cloth, and weigh them. Stew six ounces of them very gently from fifteen to twenty minutes, in just sufficient strong veal gravy to cover them.

Take them up, drain them on a sieve, and when cold pound them perfectly smooth with half their weight of the nicest bacon rasped clear from all rust or fibre, or with an equal quantity of fresh butter, two ounces of dry bread-crumbs, a small teaspoonful of grated lemon rind, one of salt, half as much mace or nutmeg, a moderate quantity of cayenne, and the unbeaten yolks of two or of three eggs.

This mixture makes most excellent forcemeat cakes, which must be moulded with a knife, a spoon, or the fingers, dipped in flour; more should be dredged over, and pressed upon them, and they should be slowly fried from ten to fifteen minutes.

Chestnuts, 6 oz.; veal gravy, 1/3 of a pint: 15 to 20 minutes. Bacon or butter, 3 oz.; bread-crumbs, 2 oz.; lemon-peel and salt, 1 teaspoonful each.

NO. 16. AN EXCELLENT FRENCH FORCEMEAT.

Take six ounces of veal free from fat and skin, cut it into dice and put it into a saucepan with two ounces of butter, a large teaspoonful of parsley finely minced, half as much thyme, salt, and grated lemon-rind, and a sufficient seasoning of nutmeg, cayenne, and mace, to flavour it pleasantly.

Stew these very gently from twelve to fifteen minutes, then lift out the veal and put into the saucepan two ounces of bread-crumbs; let them simmer until they have absorbed the gravy yielded by the meat; keep them stirred until they are as dry as possible; beat the yolk of an egg to them while they are hot, and set them aside to cool.

Mince and pound the veal, add the bread to it as soon as it is cold, beat them well together, with an ounce and a half of fresh butter, and two of the finest bacon, quite freed from rust, and scraped clear of skin and fibre; put to them the yolks of two small eggs and mix them well; then take the forcemeat from the mortar, and set it in a very cool place until it is wanted for use. Veal, 6 oz.; butter, 2 oz.; minced parsley, 1 teaspoonful; thyme, salt, and lemon-peel, each 1/2 teaspoonful; little nutmeg, cayenne, and mace: 12 to 15 minutes. Bread-crumbs, 2 oz.; butter, 1-1/2 oz.; rasped bacon, 2 oz.; yolk of eggs, 2 to 3.

Obs.—When this forcemeat is intended to fill boned fowls, the livers of two or three boiled for four minutes, or stewed with the veal for the same length of time, then minced and pounded with the other ingredients, will be found a great improvement; and, if mushrooms can be procured, two tablespoonsful of them chopped small, should be stewed and beaten with it also. A small portion of the best end of the neck will afford the quantity of lean required for this receipt, and the remains of it will make excellent gravy.

NO. 17. FRENCH FORCEMEAT CALLED QUENELLES.

This is a peculiarly light and delicate kind of forcemeat, which by good French cooks is compounded with exceeding care. It is served abroad in a variety of forms, and is made of very finely-grained white veal, or of the undressed flesh of poultry, or of rabbits, rasped quite free from sinew, then chopped and pounded to the finest paste, first by itself, and afterwards with an equal quantity of boiled calf’s udder or of butter, and of panada, which is but another name for bread soaked in cream or gravy and then dried over the fire until it forms a sort of paste.

As the three ingredients should be equal in volume, not in weight, they are each rolled into a separate ball before they are mixed, that their size may be determined by the eye.

When the fat of the fillet of veal (which in England is not often divided for sale, as it is in France) is not to be procured, a rather less proportion of butter will serve in its stead. The following will be found a very good, and not a troublesome receipt for veal forcemeat of this kind.

Rasp quite clear from sinew, after the fat and skin have been entirely cleared from it, four ounces of the finest veal; chop, and pound it well: if it be carefully prepared there will be no necessity for passing it through a sieve, but this should otherwise be done. Soak in a small saucepan two ounces of the crumb of a stale loaf in a little rich but pale veal gravy or white sauce; then press and drain as much as possible of the moisture from it, and stir it over a gentle fire until it is as dry as it will become without burning: it will adhere in a ball to the spoon, and leave the saucepan quite dry when it is sufficiently done.

Mix with it, while it is still hot, the yolk of one egg, and when it is quite cold, add it to the veal with three ounces of very fresh butter, a quarter of a teaspoonful of mace, half as much cayenne, a little nutmeg, and a saltspoonful of salt. When these are perfectly beaten and well blended together, add another whole egg after having merely taken out the specks: the mixture will then be ready for use, and may be moulded into balls, or small thick oval shapes a little flattened, and poached in soup or gravy from ten to fifteen minutes.

These quenelles may be served by themselves in a rich sauce as a corner dish, or in conjunction with other things.

They may likewise be first poached for three or four minutes, and left on a drainer to become cold; then dipped into egg and the finest bread-crumbs and fried, and served as croquettes.

NO. 18. FORCEMEAT FOR RAISED AND OTHER COLD PIES.

The very finest sausage-meat highly seasoned, and made with an equal proportion of fat and lean, is an exceedingly good forcemeat for veal, chicken, rabbit, and some few other pies; savoury herbs minced small may be added to heighten its flavour if it be intended for immediate eating; but it will not then remain good quite so long, unless they should have been previously dried.

To prevent its being too dry, two or three spoonsful of cold water should be mixed with it before it is put into the pie. One pound of lean veal to one and a quarter of the pork-fat is sometimes used, and smoothly pounded with a high seasoning of spices, herbs, and eschalots, or garlic; but we cannot recommend the introduction of these last into pies unless they are especially ordered: mushrooms or truffles may be mixed with any kind of forcemeat with far better effect.

Equal parts of veal and fat bacon, will also make a good forcemeat for pies, if chopped finely, and well spiced.

Sausage-meat, well seasoned. Or: veal, 1 lb.; pork-fat, 1-1/2 lb.; salt, 1 oz.; pepper, 1/4 to 1/2 oz.; fine herbs, spice, &c., as in forcemeat No. 1, or sausage-meat. Or: veal and bacon, equal weight, seasoned in the same way.

PANADA.

This is the name given to the soaked bread which is mixed with the French forcemeats, and which renders them so peculiarly delicate.

Pour on the crumb of two or three rolls, or on that of any other very light bread, as much good boiling broth, milk, or cream, as will cover and moisten it well; put a plate over to keep in the steam, and let it remain for half an hour, or more; then drain off the superfluous liquid, and squeeze the panada dry by wringing it in a thin cloth into a ball; put it into a small stewpan or enamelled saucepan, and pour to it as much only of rich white sauce or of gravy as it can easily absorb, and stir it constantly with a wooden spoon over a clear and gentle fire, until it forms a very dry paste and adheres in a mass to the spoon; when it is in this state, mix with it thoroughly the unbeaten yolks of two fresh eggs, which will give it firmness, and set it aside to become quite cold before it is put into the mortar.

The best French cooks give the highest degree of savour that they can to this panada, and add no other seasoning to the forcemeats of which it forms a part: it is used in an equal proportion with the meat, and with the calf’s udder or butter of which they are composed, as we have shown in the preceding receipt for quenelles.

They stew slowly for the purpose, a small bit of lean ham, two or three minced eschalots, a bay-leaf, a few mushrooms, a little parsley, a clove or two, and a small blade of mace in a little good butter, and when they are sufficiently browned, pour to them as much broth or gravy as will be needed for the panada; and when this has simmered from twenty to thirty minutes, so as to have acquired the proper flavour without being much reduced, they strain it over, and boil it into the bread.

The common course of cookery in an English kitchen does not often require the practice of the greater niceties and refinements of the art: and trouble (of which the French appear to be perfectly regardless when the excellence of their preparations is concerned) is there in general so much thought of, and exclaimed against, that a more summary process would probably meet with a better chance of success.

A quicker and rougher mode of making the panada, and indeed the forcemeat altogether, is to pour strong veal broth or gravy upon it, and after it has soaked, to boil it dry, without any addition except that of a little fine spice, lemon-grate, or any other favourite English seasoning.

Minced herbs, salt, cayenne, and mace, may be beaten with the meat, to which a small portion of well-pounded ham may likewise be added at pleasure.

Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management [1861]

BEEF CAKE.

610. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of cold roast beef; to each pound of cold meat allow 1/4 lb. of bacon or ham; seasoning to taste of pepper and salt, 1 small bunch of minced savoury herbs, 1 or 2 eggs.

Mode.—Mince the beef very finely (if underdone it will be better), add to it the bacon, which must also be chopped very small, and mix well together. Season, stir in the herbs, and bind with an egg, or 2 should 1 not be sufficient. Make it into small square cakes, about 1/2 inch thick, fry them in hot dripping, and serve in a dish with good gravy poured round them.

Time.—10 minutes.

Average cost, exclusive of the cold meat, 6d.

Seasonable at any time.

The Lady’s Own Cookery Book, And New Dinner-Table Directory; In which will be found A LARGE COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL RECEIPTS, Including not only THE RESULT OF THE AUTHERESS’S MANY YEARS OBSERVATION, EXPERIENCE, AND RESEARCH, but also the CONTRIBUTIONS OF AN EXTENSIVE CIRCLE OF ACQUAINTANCE: Adapted to the use of PERSONS LIVING IN THE HIGHEST STYLE, as well as those of MODERATE FORTUNE. [1844]

Rissoles. No. 1.

Take a roasted fowl, turkey, or pullet; pull it into shreds; there must be neither bone nor skin. Cut some veal and ham into large dice; put it into a stewpan, with a little thyme, carrots, onions, cloves, and two or three mushrooms. Make these ingredients simmer over a slow fire for two hours, taking care they do not burn; put in a handful of flour, and stir well, with a pint of cream and as much good broth; let the whole then stew for a quarter of an hour; continue to stir with a wooden spoon to prevent its burning. When it is done enough, strain it through a woollen strainer; then put in the whole meat of the poultry you have cut, with which you must make little balls of the size of pigeons’ eggs. Dip them twice in very fine crumbs of bread; wrap them in paste, rolled very thin; then fry them in lard, which should be very hot.

Rissoles. No. 2.

Take the fleshy parts and breasts of two fowls, which cut into small dice, all of an equal size; then throw them into some white sauce, and reduce it till it becomes very thick and stiff. When this is cold, cut it into several pieces, and roll them to the size and shape of a cork; then roll them in crumbs of bread very fine; dip them into some white and yolks of eggs put up together with a little salt, and roll them again in bread. If they are not stiff enough to keep their shape, this must be repeated; then fry them of a light brown colour, drain them, wipe off the grease, and serve them with fried parsley between them.

Rissoles. No. 3.

Take of the puré made of pheasant, veal, or game, a sufficient quantity for eight rissoles, then a little of the jelly of veal, say about half a pint; put in it a pinch of salt and of cayenne pepper, two table-spoonfuls of cream, the yolk of one egg, and a piece of butter of the size of a walnut; mix this sauce well together over the fire, strain it, and then add the puré. Let it cool, and prepare a little puff-paste sufficient to wrap the rissoles once over with it, taking care to roll the paste out thin. Fry them, and send them up with fried parsley, without sauce. The rissoles must be made stiff enough not to break in the frying.

Pork Cutlets.

Cut off the skin of a loin or neck of pork and make cutlets; season them with parsley, sage, and thyme, mixed together with crumbs of bread, pepper, and salt; broil them, and make sauce with mustard, butter, shalot, and gravy, and serve up hot.

Mutton cutlets.

Cut a neck of mutton into cutlets; beat it till very tender; wash it with thick melted butter, and strew over the side which is buttered some sweet-herbs, chopped small, with grated bread, a little salt, and nutmeg. Lay it on a gridiron over a charcoal fire, and, turning it, do the same to that side as the other. Make sauce of gravy, anchovies, shalots, thick butter, a little nutmeg, and lemon.

Mutton cutlets, with onion sauce.

Cut the cutlets very small; trim all round, taking off all the fat; cut off the long part of the bone; put them into a stewpan, with all the trimmings that have been cut off, together with one onion cut in slices; add some parsley, a carrot or two, a pinch of salt, and six table-spoonfuls of mutton or veal jelly, and let them stew till the cutlets are of a brown colour all round, but do not let them burn. Take out the cutlets, drain them in a sieve, and let them cool; then strain the sauce till it becomes of a fine glaze, and re-warm them. Have ready some good onion sauce; put it in the middle of the dish; place the cutlets—eight, if they are small—round it, and serve the glaze with them; take care it does not touch the onion sauce, but pour it round the outside part.

Forcemeat, to make. No. 1.

Chop small a pound of veal, parsley, thyme, a small onion, and a pound of beef; grate the inside of three French rolls, and put all these together, with pepper, salt, soup, and nutmeg, seasoning it to your taste; add as many eggs as will make it of a proper stiffness, and roll them into balls.

Forcemeat. No. 2.

Take half a pound of the lean of a leg of veal, with the skin picked off, cut it into small pieces, and mince it very small; shred very fine a pound of beef-suet and grate a nutmeg into both; beat half as much mace into it with cloves, pepper, and salt, a little rosemary, thyme, sweet marjoram, and winter savory. Put all these to the meat in a mortar, and beat all together, till it is smooth and will work easily with your hands, like paste. Break two new laid eggs to some white bread crumbs, and make them into a paste with your hands, frying it in butter. If you choose, leave out the herbs.

Forcemeat. No. 3.

A pound of veal, full its weight in beef suet, and a bit of bacon, shred all together; beat it in a mortar very fine; season with sweet-herbs, pepper, and salt. When you roll it up to fry, add the yolks of two or three eggs to bind it; you may add oysters or marrow.

Beef Olives.

Take a rump of beef, cut into steaks, about five inches long and not half an inch thick. Lay on some good forcemeat, made with veal; roll them, and tie them round once or twice, to keep them in a neat shape. Mix some crumbs of bread, egg, a little grated nutmeg, pepper and salt; fry them brown; have ready some good gravy, with a few truffles, morels, and mushrooms, boiled together. Pour it into the dish and send them to table, after taking off the string that tied them in shape.

Beef, sausage fashion.

Take a slice of beef, about half an inch thick and four or five wide; cut it in two equal parts; beat them well to make them flat, and pare the edges neatly. Mince your parings with beef suet, parsley, onions, mushroom, a shalot, two leaves of basil, and mix them into a forcemeat with the yolks of four eggs. A little minced ham is a great addition. Spread this forcemeat upon the slices of beef, and roll them up in the form of sausages. Tie them with packthread, and stew them in a little broth, a glass of white wine, salt, pepper, an onion stuck with cloves, a carrot, and a parsnip. When they are done, strain off the liquor, and, having skimmed off the fat, reduce it over the fire to the consistence of a sauce; take care that it be not too highly flavoured, and serve it over your sausages, or they may be served on sorrel, spinach, or any other sauce you prefer.

Eggs, Scotch.

Take half a pound of the flesh of a fowl, or of veal, or any white meat (dressed meat will do), mince it very small with half a pound of suet and the crumb of a French roll soaked in cream, a little parsley, plenty of lemon-peel shred very small, a little pepper, salt, and nutmeg; pound all these together, adding a raw egg, till they become a paste. Boil as many eggs as you want very hard; take out the yolks, roll them up in the forcemeat, and make them the size and shape of an egg. Fry them till they are of a light brown, and toss them up in a good brown sauce. Quarter some hard-boiled eggs, and spread them over your dish.

Bologna Sausages.

Have the fillets of young, tender porkers, and out of the weight of twenty-five pounds three parts are to be lean and one fat; season them well in the small shredding with salt and pepper, a little grated nutmeg, and a pint of white wine, mixed with a pint of hog’s blood; stirring and beating it well together, with a little of the sweet-herbs finely chopped; with a funnel open the mouths of the guts, and thrust the meat gently into it with a clean napkin, as by forcing it with your hands you may break the gut. Divide them into what lengths you please; tie them with fine thread, and let them dry in the air for two or three days, if the weather be clear and a brisk wind, hanging them in rows at a little distance from each other in the smoke-loft. When well dried, rub off the dust they contract with a clean cloth; pour over them sweet olive-oil, and cover them with a dry earthen vessel.

English Sausages.

Chop and bruise small the lean of a fillet of young pork; to every pound put a quarter of a pound of fat, well skinned, and season it with a little nutmeg, salt, and pepper, adding a little grated bread; mix all these well together, and put it into guts, seasoned with salt and water.

Another way.

Take six pounds of very fine well fed pork, quite free from gristle and fat; cut it very small, and beat it fine in a mortar; shred six pounds of suet, free from skin, as fine as possible. Take a good deal of sage, the leaves picked off and washed clean, and shred fine as possible; spread the meat on a clean table; then shake the sage, about three large spoonfuls, all over; shred the yellow part of the rind of a lemon very fine, and throw that over, with as much sweet-herbs, when shred fine, as will fill a large spoon; grate two nutmegs over it, with two tea-spoonfuls of bruised pepper, and a large spoonful of salt. Then throw over it the suet, and mix all well together, and put it down close in a pot. When you use it, roll it up with as much beaten egg as will make the sausages roll smooth; let what you fry them in be hot before you put them into the pan; roll them about, and when they are thoroughly hot, and of a fine light brown colour, they are done. By warming a little of the meat in a spoon when you are making it, you will then taste if it is seasoned enough.

Oxford Sausages.

Take the best part of a leg of veal and of a leg of pork, of each three pounds; skin it well, and cut it into small dice. Take three pounds of the best beef suet (the proportion of which you may increase or diminish according to your taste,) skin it well; add a little sage, and chop it all together as fine as forcemeat. When chopped, put in six or seven eggs and a quarter of a pound of cold water, and season to your liking with pepper and salt. Work it up as if you were kneading dough for bread; roll it out in the form of sausages, and let the pan you fry them in be hot, with a bit of butter in it.

Sausages for Scotch collops.

Take beef suet and some veal, with a little winter savory, sage, thyme, and some grated nutmeg, beaten cloves, mace, and a little salt and pepper. Let these be well beaten together; then add two eggs beat, and heat all together. Roll them up in grated bread, fry, and send them up.

Veal Sausages.

Take half a pound of the lean of a leg of veal; cut it in small pieces, and beat it very fine in a stone mortar, picking out all the little strings. Shred one pound and half of beef-suet very small; season it with pepper, salt, cloves, and mace, but twice as much mace as cloves, some sage, thyme, and sweet marjoram, according to your palate. Mix all these well with the yolks of twelve eggs; roll them to your fancy, and fry them in lard.

Sausages without skins.

Take a pound and quarter of the lean of a leg of veal and a pound and quarter of the lean of a hind loin of pork; pick the meat from the skins before you weigh it; then take two pounds and half of fresh beef-suet picked clean from the skins, and an ounce and half of red sage leaves, picked from the stalks; wash and mince them as fine as possible; put them to the meat and suet, and mince as fine as you can. Add to it two ounces of white salt and half an ounce of pepper. Pare all the crust from a stale penny French roll, and soak the crumb in water till it is wet through; put it into a clean napkin, and squeeze out all the water. Put the bread to the meat, with four new-laid eggs beaten; then with your hands work all these things together, and put them into a clean earthen pan, pressed down close. They will keep good for a week. When you use this meat, divide a pound into eighteen parts; flour your hands a little, and roll it up into pretty thick sausages, and fry them in sweet butter; a little frying will do.

Veal Balls.

Take two pounds of veal; pick out the skin and bones; mix it well with the crust of a French roll, soaked in hot milk, half a pound of veal suet, two yolks of eggs, onion, and chopped parsley; season with pepper and salt. Roll the balls in raspings; fry them of a gold colour: boil the bones and the bits of skin to make the gravy for them.

Veal Cutlets, to dress.

Cut the veal steaks thin; hack and season them with pepper, salt, and sweet-herbs. Wash them over with melted butter, and wrap white paper buttered over them. Roast or bake them; and, when done, take off the paper, and serve them with good gravy and Seville orange-juice squeezed on.

Another way.

Take the best end of a neck of veal and cut your cutlets; four ribs will make eight cutlets. Beat them out very thin, and trim them round. Take chopped parsley, thyme, shalots, and mushrooms, pass them over the fire, add a little juice of lemon, lemon-peel, and grated nutmeg. Dip in the cutlets, crumb them, and boil them over a gentle fire. Save what you leave from dipping them in, put some brown sauce to it, and put it under them when going to table, first taking care to remove the grease from it. Lamb cutlets are done the same way.

Veal Cutlets, larded.

Cut a neck of veal into bones; lard one side, and fry them off quick. Thicken a piece of butter, of the size of a large nut, with a little flour, and whole onion. Put in as much good gravy as will just cover them, and a few mushrooms and forcemeat balls. Stove them tender; skim off all grease; squeeze in half a lemon, and serve them up.

Veal Olives. No. 1.

are done the same way as the beef olives, only cut off a fillet of veal, fried of a fine brown. The same sauce is used as for beef, and, if you like, small bits of curled bacon may be laid in the dish. Garnish with lemon and parsley.

Veal Olives. No. 2.

Wash eight or ten Scots collops over with egg batter; season and lay over a little forcemeat; roll them up and roast them; make a good ragout for them; garnish with sliced orange.

Veal Olives. No. 3.

Take a good fillet of veal, and cut large collops, not too thin, and hack them well; wash them over with the yolk of an egg; then spread on a good layer of forcemeat, made of veal pretty well seasoned. Roll them up, and wash them with egg; lard them over with fat bacon, tie them round, if you roast them; but, if to be baked, you need only wash the bacon over with egg. Garnish with slices of lemon, and for sauce take thick butter and good gravy, with a piece of lemon.

Veal Olives. No. 4.

Lay over your forcemeat; first lard your collops, and lay a row of large oysters; and then roll them up, and roast or bake them. Make a ragout of oysters, sweetbreads fried, a few morels and mushrooms, and lay in the bottom of your dish, and garnish with fried oysters and grated bread.

The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined By John Mollard, Cook, [1802]

Light Forcemeat for Pies or Fowls, &c.

Cut in pieces lean veal, ham, and fat bacon; add chopped parsley, thyme, eschallots, a little beaten spices, juice of lemon, pepper and salt, a few cleaned mushrooms, or mushroom powder. Put over a slow fire till three parts done; then pound in a marble mortar till very fine, and add a sufficient quantity of yolk of raw eggs and breadcrumbs to bind it.

Forcemeat Balls for Ragouts, &c.

Cut lean veal and beef suet into small pieces, and add chopped parsley, thyme, marjoram, savory, eschallots, pepper, salt, breadcrumbs, a little grated nutmeg, and yolk of raw eggs. Pound all well together, and roll into balls.

N. B. The balls should be boiled or fried before they are added to any thing.

Egg for Balls.

Boil six eggs, take the yolks, pound them, and add a little flour and salt, and the yolks of two raw eggs. Mix all well together, and roll into balls. They must be boiled before added to any made dish or soup.

Mutton Cutlets with Potatoes.

Cut a loin of mutton into steaks, beat them with a chopper, and trim them neat. Pass them in sweet herbs, eschallots, pepper, salt, and lemon juice.

When nearly done, lay them on a dish till almost cool, and then egg, breadcrumb, and fry them in boiling lard till of a light brown colour. Place the steaks round in a dish, leaving a cavity in the center, which is to be filled up with potatoes, and the sauce under the steaks.

N. B. The potatoes to be peeled, scooped, or cut into shapes. Then fry them of a light colour, and put them before the fire till wanted; and add to the sauce the steaks were passed in, a little cullis [gravy] and ketchup; then strain and reduce it almost to a glaize.

Pork Cutlets with Red or White Cabbage.

Take a piece of back pork, cut it into chops, beat and trim them, season with pepper and salt, broil them gently till done and of a light brown colour.

Serve them up with stewed red or white cabbage under.

To stew Cabbage.

Cut the cabbage into slips, and blanch and drain them dry. Put them into a stewpan, with a bit of fresh butter, pepper, salt, an onion, some vinegar, half a pint of veal broth, and a little allspice tied in a cloth. Stew the cabbage gently till done and the liquor nearly reduced, and then take the spice and onion out.

Pork Cutlets with Robert Sauce.

Get a piece of back pork, or the best end of a loin, and take off the under bone; then cut the chops neat, season with pepper and salt, broil them gently, and serve them up with the sauce underneath.

To make Robert Sauce.

Take some cullis, a bay leaf, an onion sliced, a blade of mace, a little mustard, and a gill of rhenish wine. Boil all together a quarter of an hour, strain it, and reduce it nearly to a glaize.

Pork Cutlets another way.

Trim the chops neat as above, pass them with a bit of fresh butter, chopped eschallots, pepper, salt, and a little lemon juice. When nearly done, breadcrumb and broil them till of a light brown colour. Serve them up with the following sauce placed underneath; that is to say, cullis, mushroom, ketchup, lemon pickle, and mustard, a little of each, and reduce nearly to a glaize.

Petit Patties of Chicken and Ham.

Sheet the pans with puff paste, and put a bit of crumb of bread the bigness of a dice in each; then cover them with more paste, trim round the pan, wash the tops of the paste with egg, and bake the patties of a light colour.

When they are to be served up take out the bread, have ready the white meat of dressed fowl, lean ham, an eschallot chopped fine, a spoonful of consumé of veal, a little cream, flour, salt, cayenne, and lemon juice, a small quantity of each.

Mix all the ingredients together over a fire, boil them for five minutes, fill the patties with it, and serve them up very hot.

Patties of Lobsters or Oysters.

Bake patties as before directed, fill them with lobsters or oysters chopped, add to them a little strong consumé of veal, a small quantity of flour, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, a bit of lemon peel, an eschallot chopped fine, an anchovie rubbed through a sieve, and mixed over a fire for five minutes.

N. B. The lobsters or oysters are to be half boiled before they are chopped.

Forcemeat Patties.

Sheet the pans as for chicken patties, but instead of bits of bread fill them with a light forcemeat well-seasoned. Cover and bake them, and serve them up with a little cullis added to the forcemeat.

Puffs with Forcemeat of Vegetables.

Put into a stewpan a little fat bacon cut small, the same quantity of lean veal, some parsley and eschallots chopped together, and season with pepper, salt, and beaten spice.

Then add six french beans, twelve heads of asparagus, six mushrooms chopped, and a little lemon juice. Stew the ingredients gently for ten minutes, then put them into a marble mortar, add a little cream, breadcrumbs, and yolk of egg, pounded well together.

Then roll out puff paste half an inch thick, cut it into square pieces, fill them with the forcemeat, fold them, run a jagger iron round to form them like a puff, and fry them in boiling lard.

Let them be of a brown colour, and drain them dry; then serve them up with sauce under them, made with a little cullis [gravy], lemon pickle, and ketchup.

Meat Cake.

Cut the fillet from the inside of a rump of beef into small pieces, also lean veal, and pound them very fine in a marble mortar. Then add a little lemon juice, pepper, salt, chopped parsley, basil, thyme, mushrooms, savory, and eschallots, a small quantity of each; some beaten spices, and yolks of eggs a sufficient quantity to bind it.

Then add and mix with your hands some fat bacon and lean of ham cut into the form of small dice. Have ready a stewpan or a mould lined with bards of fat bacon, fill it with the mixture, press it down, put on the top bay leaves and a little rhenish wine, cover it with bards of bacon, put it into a moderate oven, and bake it thoroughly.

When it is cold turn it out of the mould, trim it clean, set it on a dish, put chopped savory jelly round it, and a small modelled figure on the top; or the whole of the cake may be modelled.

Apple Fritters for a Dish.

Mix together three ounces of sifted flour, a little salt, a gill of cream or milk, and three eggs; beat them for ten minutes with a spoon or whisk. Then pare twelve holland pippins, cut them into halves, core and put them into the batter. Have ready boiling lard, take the halves out singly with a fork, fry them till done and of a light colour, drain them dry, serve them up with sifted sugar over, some pounded cinnamon on one plate, and seville oranges on another.

N. B. Peaches or pears may be done in the same manner; or oranges, which are to be peeled, divided into quarters, and then put into the batter. Some jam likewise may be mixed with the batter instead of the apples, and fried in small pieces.

Sausage Meat.

Take the lean meat of young pork chopped small, and to a pound of it add a pound of the flay and fat chopped, some breadcrumbs, nutmeg, allspice and mace pounded, a small quantity of each, a little grated lemon peel, sage, parsley, thyme, and two eschallots, chopped very fine, an egg beaten, and season with pepper and salt.

Mix all well together, with the hands, or pound it in a marble mortar; then make it into cakes and broil it, or put it into the entrails of a pig nicely cleaned.

Table of Contents

The Healthy Life Cook Book by Florence Daniel [Second Edition, 1915]

HARICOT RISSOLES.

CHESTNUT RISSOLES.

LENTIL RISSOLES.

NUT RISSOLES.

NUT AND LENTIL ROAST AND RISSOLES.

PROTOSE CUTLETS.

New Vegetarian Dishes by Mrs Bowdich [1892]

Brussels Sprouts Sausages.

Sausages with Curry Flavour.

Lentil and Tomato Sausages with Piquante Sauce.

Savoury Sausages.

Semolina Sausages.

Sausages in Batter.

Baked Batter. [for recipe above]

Sausages. [for the recipe above] LEIGH TESTED RECIPE

Sage and Onion Patties.

Savoury Rissoles.

Sauce Superbe. [for the recipe above]

Savoury Rice Balls.

Potato and Celery Balls.

Lentil Cakes. [patties]

Forcemeat.

Forcemeat Balls.

Brown Soup. [for recipe above]

Rolled Batter Stuffed with Forcemeat.

Baked Batter. [for recipe above]

Mushroom Croquettes.

German Sauce. [for recipe above]

Sauce Tournée. [for recipe above]

Potato Fritters.

Savoury Fritters.

Savoury Queen Fritters.

Vermicelli and Cheese Fritters.

Vermicelli and Cheese Fritters. Another way.

Haricot Bean Croquettes. LEIGH TESTED RECIPE

Kromskies.

Golden Marbles.

Egg and Tomato Fritters.

Brazil Rissoles.

Savoury Almond Fritters.

MODERN COOKERY FOR PRIVATE FAMILIES (New Edition) by ELIZA ACTON [1882]

OYSTER SAUSAGES.

LOBSTER CUTLETS.

INDIAN LOBSTER-CUTLETS.

BEEF OR MUTTON CAKE.

SWEETBREAD CUTLETS. (ENTRÉE.)

SAUSAGE-MEAT CAKE, OR, PAIN DE PORC FRAIS.

SMALL PAIN DE VEAU, OR, VEAL CAKE.

SAUSAGES.

KENTISH SAUSAGE-MEAT.

EXCELLENT SAUSAGES.

POUNDED SAUSAGE-MEAT.

BOILED SAUSAGES. (ENTRÉE.)

SAUSAGES AND CHESTNUTS. (ENTRÉE.)

TRUFFLED SAUSAGES.

ENGLISH CHICKEN CUTLETS. (ENTRÉE).

RISSOLES. (ENTRÉE.)

VERY SAVOURY ENGLISH RISSOLES. (ENTRÉE.)

Forcemeats – GENERAL REMARKS.

NO. 1. GOOD COMMON FORCEMEAT, FOR ROAST VEAL, TURKEYS, &C.

NO. 2. ANOTHER GOOD COMMON FORCEMEAT.

NO. 3. SUPERIOR SUET FORCEMEAT, FOR VEAL, TURKEYS, &C.

NO. 4. COMMON SUET FORCEMEAT.

NO. 5. OYSTER FORCEMEAT.

NO. 6. A FINER OYSTER FORCEMEAT.

NO. 7. MUSHROOM FORCEMEAT.

NO. 8. FORCEMEAT FOR HARE.

NO. 9. ONION AND SAGE STUFFING, FOR PORK, GEESE, OR DUCKS.

NO. 10. MR. COOKE’S FORCEMEAT FOR DUCKS OR GEESE.

NO. 11. FORCEMEAT BALLS FOR MOCK TURTLE SOUPS.

NO. 12. EGG BALLS.

NO. 13. BRAIN CAKES.

NO. 14. ANOTHER RECEIPT FOR BRAIN CAKES.

NO. 15. CHESTNUT FORCEMEAT.

NO. 16. AN EXCELLENT FRENCH FORCEMEAT.

NO. 17. FRENCH FORCEMEAT CALLED QUENELLES.

NO. 18. FORCEMEAT FOR RAISED AND OTHER COLD PIES.

PANADA.