Part 1 (1/2)
English Housewifery Exemplified.
by Elizabeth Moxon.
THE PREFACE
It is not doubted but the candid Reader will find the following BOOK in correspondence with the t.i.tle, which will supersede the necessity of any other recommendation that might be given it.
As the complier of it engaged in the undertaking at the instance and importunity of many persons of eminent account and distinction, so she can truly a.s.sure them, and the world, that she has acquitted herself with the utmost care and fidelity.
And she entertains the greater hopes that her performance will meet with the kinder acceptance, because of the good opinion she has been held in by those, her ever honour'd friends, who first excited her to the publication of her BOOK, and who have been long eye-witnesses of her skill and behaviour in the business of her calling.
She has nothing to add, but her humblest thanks to them, and to all others with whom she has received favour and encouragement.
_ENGLISH_ HOUSEWIFRY.
1. _To make_ VERMICELLY SOOP.
Take a neck of beef, or any other piece; cut off some slices, and fry them with b.u.t.ter 'till they are very brown; wash your pan out every time with a little of the gravy; you may broil a few slices of the beef upon a grid-iron: put all together into a pot, with a large onion, a little salt, and a little whole pepper; let it stew 'till the meat is tender, and skim off the fat in the boiling; them strain it into your dish, and boil four ounces of vermicelly in a little of the gravy 'till it is soft: Add a little stew'd spinage; then put all together into a dish, with toasts of bread; laying a little vermicelly upon the toast.
Garnish your dish with creed rice and boil'd spinage, or carrots slic'd thin.
2. CUc.u.mBER SOOP.
Take a houghil of beef, break it small and put it into a stew-pan, with part of a neck of mutton, a little whole pepper, an onion, and a little salt; cover it with water, and let it stand in the oven all night, then strain it and take off the fat; pare six or eight middle-siz'd cuc.u.mbers, and slice them not very thin, stew them in a little b.u.t.ter and a little whole pepper; take them out of the b.u.t.ter and put 'em in the gravy. Garnish your dish with raspings of bread, and serve it up with toasts of bread or _French_ roll.
3. _To make_ HARE SOOP.
Cut the hare into small pieces, wash it and put it into a stew-pan, with a knuckle of veal; put in it a gallon of water, a little salt, and a handful of sweet herbs; let it stew 'till the gravy be good; fry a little of the hare to brown the soop; you may put in it some crusts of write bread among the meat to thicken the soop; put it into a dish, with a little stew'd spinage, crisp'd bread, and a few forc'd-meat b.a.l.l.s. Garnish your dish with boil'd spinage and turnips, cut it in thin square slices.
4. _To make Green_ PEASE SOOP.
Take a neck of mutton, and a knuckle of veal, make of them a little good gravy; then take half a peck of the greenest young peas, boil and beat them to a pulp in a marble mortar; then put to them a little of the gravy; strain them through a hair sieve to take out all the pulp; put all together, with a little salt and whole pepper; then boil it a little, and if you think the soop not green enough, boil a handful of spinage very tender, rub it through a hair-sieve, and put into the soop with one spoonful of wheat-flour, to keep it from running: You must not let it boil after the spinage is put in, it will discolour it; then cut white bread in little diamonds, fry them in b.u.t.ter while crisp, and put it into a dish, with a few whole peas. Garnish your dish with creed rice, and red beet-root.
You may make asparagus-soop the same way, only add tops of asparagus, instead of whole pease.
5. _To make_ ONION SOOP.
Take four or five large onions, pill and boil them in milk and water whilst tender, (s.h.i.+fting them two or three times in the boiling) beat 'em in a marble mortar to a pulp, and rub them thro' a hair-sieve, and put them into a little sweet gravy; then fry a few slices of veal, and two or three slices of lean bacon; beat them in a marble mortar as small as forc'd-meat; put it into your stew-pan with the gravy and onions, and boil them; mix a spoonful of wheat-flour with a little water, and put it into the soop to keep it from running; strain all through a cullender, season it to your taste; then put into the dish a little spinage stew'd in b.u.t.ter, and a little crisp bread; so serve it up.
6. _Common_ PEASE SOOP _in Winter_.
Take a quart of good boiling pease which put into a pot with a gallon of soft water whilst cold; add thereto a little beef or mutton, a little hung beef or bacon, and two or three large onions; boil all together while your soop is thick; salt it to your taste, and thicken it with a little wheat-flour; strain it thro' a cullender, boil a little sellery, cut it in small pieces, with a little crisp bread, and crisp a little spinage, as you would do parsley, then put it in a dish, and serve it up. Garnish your dish with raspings of bread.