# A Choice collection of cookery receipts

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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A CHOICE
COLLECTION
OF
Cookery Receipts.
STIRLING: PRINTED BY C. RANDALL.
1801.
A CHOICE
COLLECTION
OF
Cookery Receipts.
A very good Pease Soup.
PUT three or four pounds of lean coarse beef, with three pints of pease, into two gallons of water: let it boil till the meat is all to rags; and half an hour before you strain it out, put in two or three anchovies, then strain it from the husks and meat, and put into the sauce pan as much as you want for that meal, with an onion stuck with cloves, a race of ginger bruised, a little faggot of thyme, savory, and parsley, and a little pepper. Let it boil thus near half an hour, stir in a piece of butter, and fry some forc'd meat balls bacon, and French bread cut in dice, with spinage boiled green, to put to it in the dish.
To collar a Breast of Mutton, to eat hot.
Take a large breast of mutton, bone it, and take out all the gristles, rub it all over with the yoke of an egg, season it with pepper, salt, and nutmeg parsley, thyme, sweet marjoram, all shred small shallot, if you love it wain and cut anthovy in bits, strew all this over the meat, roll it up hard, tie it with a tape, and put into boiling water; when 'tis tender take it out, cut it in round slices not too thin, pour over it a sauce made of gravy, spice, anchovy, claret, onion, a few sweet herbs, strained and thickened with butter and shred pickles. Garnish with pickles.
To stew Pidgeons.
Take six pidgeons with their giblets, cut the pidgeons in quarters, and put them in the stew pan with ⟨two⟩ blades of mace, a little pepper and salt, and just water enough to stew them without burning; when ⟨they⟩ are tender, thicken the liquor with the yoke of ⟨an⟩ egg, three spoonfuls of thick sweet cream, a bit of ⟨butter⟩, and a little shred thyme and parsley: Shake ⟨them⟩ all up together, and garnish with lemon.
To broil Pidgeons whole.
Cut off the wings and neck close, leave the skin at ⟨the⟩ neck to tie close, then have some grated bread, ⟨two⟩ pidgeons livers, one anchovy, a quarter of a ⟨pound⟩ of butter, half a nutmeg grated, a little pepper and salt, a very little thyme and sweet-marjoram ⟨shred⟩; mix all together, put a piece as big as a ⟨walnut⟩ into each pidgeon, sew up their rumps and necks, ⟨strew⟩ a little pepper, salt, and nutmeg on the outside, boil them on a very slow charcoal fire on the ⟨hearth⟩; baste and turn them very often. Sauce is ⟨melted⟩ butter; or rich gravy, if you like it higher ⟨tasted⟩.
To dress a Turber, or any Dish of Fish.
Lay the fish you are to boil into a pint of vinegar, ⟨seasoned⟩ with salt, pepper, onion, and a faggot of ⟨thyme⟩, marjoram, and parsley; when it has lain an ⟨hour⟩, put the fish with the pickle carefully into your ⟨fish⟩ kettle of boiling water; to it put cloves, mace,⟨and⟩ anchovies, and a bit of horse-radish; when they ⟨are⟩ enough take them out to drain, let the ground ⟨of⟩ your sauce be half a pint of the well-seasoned ⟨liquor⟩ in which they were boiled, and the strained ⟨liquor⟩ of a quart of oysters with half a pint of white ⟨wine⟩, and the body of a large lobster; add to it a ⟨little⟩ more spice, and a little lemon-peel, and one large ⟨or⟩ two small anchovies; then strain it, and put to ⟨this⟩ quantity a pound and a half of butter; into one ⟨piece⟩ of which strew as much flour as will make it ​of a fit thickness: Your oysters must be first ⟨stew'd⟩ and the tail and claws of your lobster cut in dice, ⟨and⟩ both put into the sauce to heat, when 'tis ready ⟨to⟩ pour on the fish. Fry'd smelts, fry'd parsley, ⟨scrap'd⟩ horse-radish, and slic'd lemon is the garnish. ⟨Note.⟩ That the liquor of any well tasted fish is more ⟨agreeable⟩ to the taste of fish than any sort of rich gray made with flesh.
To collar a Pig.
Split it up the belly and back, then take out ⟨all⟩ the bones, wash it clean from the blood, and lay to soak in a pan of water a day and night, ⟨shifting⟩ the water as it grows red; then take it out, and ⟨wipe⟩ it very dry, strew all the inside of both pieces ⟨very⟩ well with salt pepper, cloves, mace, and ⟨nutmeg⟩ beat and grated; then roll them up as hard and ⟨tight⟩ as you possibly can in two collars, bind them with long tape as close as it will lie, and after that ⟨sew⟩ them up in cloths: the liquor you boil them in ⟨must⟩ be a quart of white wine, a little good vinegar, ⟨and⟩ the rest water; there must be a great deal more ⟨than⟩ will cover them, because they must boil leisurely ⟨above⟩ three hours: put into the liquor a piece of ⟨ginger⟩, a nutmeg cut in pieces, a few cloves, and ⟨two⟩ blades of mace, 3 sprig of bays, and a few leaves ⟨sage⟩, with some salt; when they are tender, ⟨take⟩ them up, and squeeze them tight in the cloth, till they may come out in shape: When the liquor ⟨they⟩ were boiled in is cold, add half a pint of ⟨vinegar⟩ and keep the collars in it.
To make Veal Cutlets
Cut as many slices off a leg of veal as will make ⟨a⟩ handsome dish, beat them with your rolling pin ⟨lay⟩ them singly in a large dish, and grate nutmeg all ⟨over⟩ them, and strew them with salt, lard some ⟨with⟩ bacon, and pour the yolks of eggs, well beaten, over; make them all nicely fried, put some ⟨gravy⟩ into the pan, and the juice of a lemon, with ⟨butter⟩ ​and flour shook in; toss up all till it is thick, and pour it over the cutlets; garnish with bits of bacon ⟨fried⟩, and forc'd meat balls If it be a cow calf fill the udder and fat with the forc'd meat, and roast it finely for the middle. Make your gravy for the sauce of the bones and skins you do not use; a bit of beef, ⟨sweet⟩ herbs, spice and white wine, to make it look pale.
To fricassee Chickens or Sweet-breads.
Take two or three chickens, if small, wash them clean from the blood and cut them to pieces, not ⟨too⟩ small; ⟨set them in⟩ as much water as will cover them, when they boi up scum them very clean, ⟨then⟩ take them out and strain the liquor; take part of it, to which put some pepper whole and beaten, a blade or two of mace, and salt to your taste, a little lemon-peel a very small onion stuck with three or four cloves, a quarter of a pint of white wine warmed and put to it: Boil all these together till the chickens are enough, then take three spoonfuls of cream, a little flour mixed with it and put to the chickens, shake it well over the fire till it begins to thicken; then take the yolks of two eggs well beaten, a little grated nutmeg and juice of lemon beat together with the eggs; mix these with the liquor very carefully, by little and little, for fear it curdle, put in half a pound of of good butter, and shake it together till melted,
To stew a Hare.
The best way to pot Beef, which is as good as Venison.
Take a piece of lean buttee beef, rub it over with salt-petre, let it lie one night, then take it out and salt it very well with white and bay salt, put it into a pot just fit for it, cover it with water, and let it lie four days; then wipe it well with a cloth, and rub it with pepper finely beaten; put it down close into a pot without any liquor; cover the pot close with paste, and let it bake with large loaves six hours at least; then take it out, and when 'tis cold pick it clean from the skins and string, and beat it in a stone mortar very fine; then season it with nutmeg, cloves, and mace finely beaten, to your taste, and pour in melted butter, which you may work up with it like a paste: Put it close down and even in your pots, and cover it with clarified butter.
To hash a Calf's Head.
Boil your calf's head till the meat is near enough for eating; take it up and cut it in thin slices; then take half a pint of white wine, and three quarters of a pint of good gravy, or strong broth; put to this liquor two anchovies, half a nutmeg, and a little mace, a small onion stuck with cloves; boil this up in the liquor a quarter of an hour, then strain it, and let it boil up again, when it does so throw in the meat, and a little salt to your taste, and some lemon peel shred fine; let it stew a little, and if you please add sweetbreads: Make forc'd meat balls of veal; mix the brains with the yolks of eggs, and fry them to lay for garnish. When the head is ready to be sent in, shake in a bit of butter.
To dress Hog’s Feet and Ears the best way.
When they are nicely cleaned, put them into a pot, with a bay leaf, and a large onion and as much water as will cover them; season it with salt and a little pepper; bake them with household bread, keep them in this pickle till you want them, then take them out, and cut them in handsome pieces; fry ​them, and take for sauce three spoonfulls of the pickle; shake in some flour, a piece of butter, and a spoonful of mustard; Lay the ears in the middle, the suet round, and pour the sauce over it.
A pretty sauce for Woodcocks, or any wild Fowl.
Take a quarter of a pint of claret, and as much, water, some grated bread, two or three heads of rocumbine, or a shallot, a little whole pepper, mace, sliced nutmeg, and salt: Let this stew very well over the fire, then beat it up with butter, and pour it under the wild fowl, which being under-roasted, will afford gravy to mix with this sauce.
To make Sausages
Take almost the double weight of fat to your lean pork, and pick both clean from bones, skin, and kernels, shred it severally very fine; then mix and shred it together, and to four pound of this meat you may put a very large nutmeg, the weight of the nutmeg in cloves and mace, and almost the weight of all the spice in pepper; beat all fine, and let your heap of salt be as big again as the spice and pepper; shred a large handful of fresh sage, and a little thyme, very fine, grate two spoonfuls of white bread, and take two yolks of eggs, mix all very well together, and fill your skins: if you love oysters, half a pint shred to this quantity gives it a rich taste; these roll and fry without skins and keep better in a pot; add the yolk of eggs when you use them. Norfolk links are only fat and lean pork, more grosly cut; and the seasoning, pepper, salt, and a large quantity of sage shred small, and put in large skins.
Scotch Collops, a very good way.
Take a fillet of veal, cut away the out-side skin, and cut it out in thin collops, with the grain, hack them with the back of your knife, lard some of them with bacon, and season all of them with salt, nutmeg, thyme, parsley, and a little savory; shred all the herbs very small, then fry them in a good quantity ​of clarified butter, till they look of a fine yellow, take care they are not burnt black: When they are so done, lay them before the fire to drain; pour the butter they were fry'd in from the gravy, and put to the gravy three anchovies, a little strong beef broth, a little oyster liquor and oysters, with a quarter of a pint of claret; let your oysters stew thus till they are enough, then shake in five or six ounces of butter; rub the pan first with shallot, put in the yolks of three eggs, and take care to stir or shake it constantly, for fear of curdling; just before you pour it out, squeeze in the juice of a lemon, and pour it over the collops: You must have forc'd meat balls and mushrooms and some fry'd cysters, with diced lemon for garnish
To make Lobster Pies.
When your lobsters are boiled, take them clean out of the shells, dice the tails and claws thin, season them with pepper, and a little mace and nutmeg beat fine; take the bodies with some oysters shred, mix it up with a little onion fine shred, a little parsley fine shred, and grated bread, and season it as the rest; then take the yolks of raw eggs, to roll it up in balls; lay all into the pye, with butter at top and bottom of the dish; when it comes out of the oven, pour in a sauce of strong gravy, oyster liquor, and white wine, thickened with the yolk of an egg; 'Tis to eat hot.
To pot Neat's Tongue, a better way than drying them.
Pickle them red as you do to dry; and when you think them salt enough to dry, boil them very tender; take them up and peel them, and rub them with pepper, cloves, and mace all over; then turn them round into a pot to bake; lay them in single pots on their side; you must cut off the root as well as the skin, and cover them with butter; bake them with brown bread: when they come cut of the oven, pour out the gravy, and let the same butter serve, ​when cleared; if there is not enough, add more clarified.
To pot a Salmon as at Newcastle.
Take a side of salmon, scale and wipe it very well and clean, but don't wash it; salt it very well, and let it lie till the salt be melted, and drain'd from it; then season it with beat mace and cloves, and whole pepper; lay in three or four bay leaves, and cover it all over with butter; when 'tis well baked take it out, and let it drain from the gravy, then put it into your pot to keep; and when cold cover it with clarified butter. Thus you may do carp, tench, trout, or any firm fish
To make good forc'd Meat for any Use.
Take a pound of veal, and full its weight in beef suet, a bit of bacon; shred all together; beat it in a mortar very fine; then season it with sweet herbs, pepper, salt, cloves, mace, and nutmeg; and when you roll it up to fry add the yolks of two or three eggs to bind it. You may add oysters or marrow on extraordinary occasions.
To pickle Mushrooms.
Gather the smallest buttons, cut off the bottom of the stalk, and throw them into water and salt; then rub them into another pan of clear water; boil them in milk and water; take them out upon a clean cloth; when they are dry, put them into glasses, with white pepper-corns and a good quantity of mace, make your pickle of half white wine and half good sharp white wine vinegar. Many put it to the mushrooms unboil'd: If you boil it, you must let it stand to be cold before you pour it to the mushrooms. Pour good oil on the top of the pickle, it keeps them best, and put them in as small glasses as you can, because they soon decay when they have taken air.
To pickle Oysters.
Take a peck of very large oysters; when carefully opened, without cutting, wash them three or four ​times in their own liquor; strain the liquor and put them into a skillet, when it boils put in your oysters, with half an ounce of white pepper, and five or six blades of mace: Let them boil a quarter of hour longer; then take them out of the liquor, and cover them close, while the spice and liquor boil a quarter of an hour longer: then pour it on the oysters and always keep them as much from the air as you can to keep their colour
An Apple Pudding to bake, very good.
Take twelve fair large pippins, coddle them over the fire very slowly, that they do not crack: when they are soft, peel and core them, and pulp them thro' a cullender; add to this three spoonfuls of orange-flower-water, ten eggs well beat and strained, half a pound of very good butter melted; make it very sweet, the apples require it: add candy'd orange, lemon, or citron peel; put a sheet of puff paste into a dish, and pour in your pudding; bake it with care. 'Tis done in half an hour.
A Rice Pudding.
Grind or beat half a pound of rice to flour, mix it, by degrees, with three pints of milk, and thicken it over the fire with care, for fear of burning, till it is like a hasty pudding, when it is so thick, pour it out, and let it stand to cool; put to it nine eggs, (but half the white) three or four spoonfuls of orange-flower-water; melt almost a pound of good butter, and sweeten it to your taste. Add sweetmeats, if you please.
Custards, very good.
Boil a quart of cream, then sweeten it with fine powder'd sugar, beat eight or nine yolks of eggs, with two spoonfuls of orange-flower-water; stir this in the cream, and drain all thro’ a sieve: Fill their cups and crust, and bake them with care.
A good Cheese-cake with Curd.
To a pound and half of cheese-curd put ten ounces ​of butter; beat both in a mortar till all looks like butter; then add a quarter of a pound of almonds, beat with orange-flower water, a pound of sugar, eight eggs, half the whites, a little beaten mace, and a little cream; beat all together: A quarter of an hour bakes them in puff-crust, and in a quick oven.
Thin Cream Pancakes called a Quire of Paper.
Take to a pint of cream, eight eggs, leaving out two whites, three spoonfuls of fine flour, three spoonfuls of sack, and a spoonful of orange-flower water, a little sugar, a grated nutmeg, and a quarter of a pound of butter melted in the cream: mingle all well together, mixing the flour with a little cream at first that it may be smooth Butter your pan for the first pancake, and let them run as thin as you can possibly to be whole; when one side is coloured it is enough; take them carefully out of the pan, and strew some fine sifted sugar between each; lay them as even on each other as you can: this quantity will make twenty.
A Custard Sack-posset.
Take a quart of cream, boil it, and season it well with sugar, then take ten eggs, with two whites, beaten very well, strain them to half a pint of sack, stir the eggs and sack with care over the fire till it is very hot; then pour in the cream, holding it very high, and stir all very well together; cover it close, and set it over a kettle of water, till it is come as thick and smooth as a custard: 'tis by much the best sort of posset that is made.
Cheese-curd Pudding.
Take the curd of a gallon of new milk, drained from the whey, beat it very well in a mortar, with half a pound of butter; then take six eggs, put three of the whites, beat them very well and strain them to the curd, a grated halfpenny cake, with half a pint of flour; mix all these together, and sweeten it to your palate; butter your pans very well, fill and bake them: Let not the oven be too hot; turn them ​out, and pour over them sack, sugar, and butter melted very thick; cut slips of candy'd orange-peel, or citron, to stick up in them; and slice blanch'd almonds for those that have not sweetmeats.
A very good Tansie.
Take a pint of milk, and a pint of cream, about a pint of juice of spinnage, which must be well dried after washing, before you stamp it; strain it and pour it in; beat fifteen eggs with a little salt, leave out eight whites, drain them into the other things, put in near a pint of grated bread or biscuit, grate in a whole large nutmeg, and as much sugar as will make it very sweet; thicken it over the fire as thick as a hasty pudding, put it into a buttered dish, and a cool oven: Half an hour bakes it.
To make Hog's Puddings
Take a hog's tongue, and some of the lights, with a piece of liver, when all's boiled tender, grate the liver and chop the tongue and lights very small; put this to a gallon of grated bread, three pounds of currants, mace, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and sugar, nine eggs, leave out four whites, three pound of suet finely shred; wet it with the top of the liquor you boiled your meat in; it must not be too limber: When it is ready fill your skins.
Liver Puddings, very good.
Take the crumb of a two-penny white loaf grated, a pound of marrow, or fresh beef suet, so finely shred as to go thro' a cullender; take a pound of hog's liver boil'd, grate and sift that very fine, boil a quart of cream, with a blade of mace, and sweeten it, grate a nutmeg, and put it to the rest; beat up six eggs with the whites, a little salt, and a spoonful of orange flower water; mix all together and fill your skins: If you love currants, you must plump them before they go in.
Hart's-horn, or Calf's Foot Jelly, the best way.
Take to half a pound of good hart's horn, three ​quarts of fair water, let it boil very slowly till above one quart be consumed: if you cannot get hart's horn, one set of Calf's feet will make more in quantity and taste almost as well, the look with care will be the same, strain this liquor, and let it stand to cool, the stronger you make your jelly, the more ingredients you may use to make it palatable; when it is settled, as it will be the next day, take off what is clear of the hart's-horn and of the calf's foot jelly, you must take off the fat from the top, as well as leave the dross at the bottom, to this two quarts of strong jelly, you may put a pint of rhenith and a quarter of a pint of canary, beat up the whites of five eggs to a froth, stir all together with sugar to make it very sweet, mix it well; and set it on the fire, and stir it till it melts and curdles, then put it in the juice of five large lemons, and a pit of the peel, let this boil up, then pour it thro' your jelly-bag, and pass the first quart or two over and over again, till it is perfectly fine.
To make fried Cream.
Take a quart of good new cream the yolks of seven eggs, a bit of lemon peel, a grated nutmeg, two spoonfuls of sack, as much orange-flower water: Butter your sauce pan and put it over the fire, stir it all the while one way with a little white whisk, and as you stir, strew in flour very lightly, till it is thick and smooth, then it is boiled enough, and may be poured out upon a cheese-plate mazareen, spread it with a knife exactly even, about half an inch thick, then cut it into diamond squares, and fry it in a pan full of boiling suet.
Panada for a sick or weak stomach
Put the crumb of a penny white loaf grated into a quart of cold water, set both on the fire together, with a blade of mace, when it is boiled smooth, take it off the fire, and put in a bit of lemon-peel, the juice of a lemon, a glass of sack, and sugar to your ​taste; this is very nourishing, and never offends the stomach. Some season with butter and sugar, adding currants which on some occasions are proper: but the first is the most grateful and innocent.
To make Sagoe
Put an ounce of sagoe to a pint of water that has been boiled and is cold; stir it carefully till it is thick; season it with three spoonfuls of sack or white wine, a bit of lemon-peel, and the juice of a lemon, sweeten it to your taste
Marmalade, very good.
Take eighteen fair large Seville oranges, pare them very thin, then cut them in halves, and save their juice in a clean vessel, and set it cover'd in a cool place, put the half oranges into water for one night, then boil them very tender shifting the water till all the bitterness is out, then dry them well, and pick out the seeds and strings as nicely as you can, pound them fine, and to every pound of pulp take a pound of double refined sugar, boil your pulp and sugar almost to a candy height: When this is ready, you must take the juice of six lemons, the juice of all the oranges, strain it, and take its full weight in double refined sugar, and boil the whole pretty fast till it will jelly⟨.⟩ Keep your glasses covered, and it will be a lasting wholesome sweetmeat for any use.
Thick Ginger-bread.
A pound and half of flour takes up one pound of treacle, almost as much sugar, an ounce of beat ginger, two ounces of carraway seeds, four ounces of citron and lemon peel candy'd, the yolks of four eggs, cut your sweetmeats, mix ail and bake it in large cakes on tin plates
An excellent Plumb-pudding.
Take one pound of suet, shred very small and sifted, one pound of raisins stoned, four spoonfuls of sugar, five eggs, but three whites, beat the eggs ​with a little salt: tie it up close, and boil it four hours at least.
The London wigs.
Take a quarter of a peck of flour, put to it half a pound of sugar, and as much carraways, smooth or rough, as you like; mix these, and set them to the fire to dry; then melt a pound and a half of butter over a gentle fire, stir it often, and add to it near a quart of good milk or of cream, when the butter is melted in the cream, pour it into the middle of the flour, add to it a little sack, and a full pint and a half of very good ale-yeast; let it stand before the fire to rise, before you lay them on your tin plate to bake.
Egg minced Pies.
Take six eggs, boil them very hard, and shred them small, shred double the quantity of good suet very fine; put currants, neatly wash'd and pick'd, one pound or more if your eggs were large, the peel of one lemon very fine shred, half the juice, and five or six spoonfuls of sack, mace, nutmeg, sugar, and a little salt; and candy'd citron or orange-peel, if you would have them rich.
An extraordinary Plumb-cake.
Take seven pounds of fine flour, and two pounds and a half of butter, put the butter into the flour, seven pounds of currants and two large nutmegs, with half an ounce of mace, and a quarter of an ounce of cloves, all finely beat and grated; one pound of sugar, sixteen eggs leaving out four whites, put in a full pint and half of ale-yeast: warm as much cream as you think will wet it, and put sack to your cream to make it as thick as butter, beat also one pound of almonds, with sack and orange flower water, but don't let them be fine but ⟨grosly beat⟩, put in a pound of candy'd orange, lemon and citron-peel, or more, ⟨if⟩ you desire it very rich, mix all and put it into your hoop, with a paste under it, to save the bottom. ​This was given by one of the nicest housewives in England, and is as good as ever was made.
Iceing for the cake
Get the whites of five eggs, whipt up to a froth, and put a pound of double refin'd sugar sifted, a grain of ambergreese, and three spoonfuls of orange flower water, whip it all the while the cake is in the oven, when come out of the oven ice it but set it in no more: leave out the perfume, if it be offensive.
How to make Raisin Elder Wine
Get six gallons of water, and boil it half an hour, and when 'tis boiled, add to every gallon of water five pounds of Malega raisins ⟨shred⟩ small, pour the water boiling hot upon them, and let it stand nine days, stirring it twice a day: Boil your berries as you do currants for jelly, and stream it as fine, then add in every gallon of liquor a pint of elder berry juice; when you have stirred all well together, spread a toast on both sides with yeast; let it work a day and a night, then put it into a vessel, which be sure to fill as it works over, stop it close when it has done working, till you are sure 'tis fine then bottle it.
Rasberry Wine, very good
To every quart of fruit, you must pour a boiling hot quart of water, cover it very close and let it stand three hours, then strain it, and to three quarts of liquor put two pounds of good sugar; stir it together, and spread a toast with yeast, set it to work, and pour it off the lees, put it into your vessel, and when it has quite done working, stop it up. If it is fine in six or seven months, you may bottle it, and keep it a year in bottles.
Note, you must at first watch all wines, and if you find them fret, continue to fine them off the lees every day, for some time, as fast as any settles.
finis.