Recipes for the million

LAMB (FORE-QUARTER OF), To Roast. — This favourite joint is roasted whole or in separate joints. In either case it should be placed before a quick, yet not fierce fire, and at first not be put too close. While roasting baste well with butter. If roasted whole it will take about two hours to cook. When done, separate the shoulder from the ribs, and serve on separate dishes. LAMB (LEG OF), To Boil. — Steep it for half an hour in soft water to which has been added a tablespoonful of vinegar or the same quantity of salt ; wrap it in a thin floured cloth and boil it with a bundle of sweet herbs for about an hour and a half. Garnish with parsley and thin slices of lemon, and serve with French beans or spinach. LAMB (LEG OF), To Force. — Remove as much meat as possible from the wrong side of the joint without cracking the outward skin. Pound the meat together with its weight of suet ; add a dozen large English oysters, a couple of anchovies boned, finely-shred parsley, a little thyme, nutmeg, mace, pepper, and salt, mixed with the yolks of two or three eggs. Fill the skin as tightly as possible with the stuffing, sew it up, and roast. LAMB (LEG OF), To Roast. — Put the joint into a saucepan, cover it with water, bring it gently to a boil, then draw it back and let it simmer till it is about half cooked. Directly it is taken out of the water hang it at a distance from the fire, and let it roast gradually, bringing it by degrees closer to the fire. For a leg of five pounds allow an hour and a quarter ; for one of six pounds an hour and a half. LAMB PIE. — Cut some leg of lamb into pieces and season lightly with pepper, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and mace. Line a dish with puff paste, put in the meat with a few sweetbreads, oysters, forcemeat balls, and yolks of hard-boiled eggs. Scatter some lumps of butter over the pie, put on the crust, and bake in a quick oven for an hour and a half. Put into a saucepan a pint of gravy, the liquor from the oysters, a glass of port, the yolks of two eggs well beaten, and a little nutmeg. Stir in one direction till it boils, then raise the crust and pour the gravy into the pie. LAMB (QUARTER OF), To Carve. — If sent to table whole, it is there divided into joints and sent to opposite ends. First lay the knife flat and cut off the shoulder. A moment's glance will indicate where to insert the knife. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the divided part, sprinkle with cayenne pepper, and transfer to another dish. Then separate the brisket, or short bones, by cutting lengthways along the breast, and serve from either part as desired. LAMB’S FRY (FRIED). — Put into a dish and pour boiling water over, let stand for a moment, then soak for an hour in vinegar, pepper, and salt, with a shalot and a little parsley ; dip in thick batter, fry to a good colour, and serve with fried parsley. LAMBS FRY (RAGOUT). — Put them into a light braise with a shalot, thin slices of fat ham, sweet herbs, thyme, a bay leaf, pepper, salt, .sufficient broth, and a glass of sherry. Serve with sippets of toast and mint sauce.