Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

Quenelles are too often heavy and stodgy, but if properly made they are light and delicate. If liked, the upper part of the Quenelles can be ornamented with tiny strips of cooked tongue, supposing that white meat has been used for the Quenelles. The texture of Quenelles should be even and firm, of the consistency of a moderately hard-boiled egg. If they crumble when cut, or if they are hard and soft in little patches, the cook has saved herself the trouble of pounding the meat ; in the first case by adding too much breadcrumb soaked in milk, and in the second by using cooked meat. The meat and panada should be pounded for quite half an hour before the eggs are added, and a full quarter of an hour afterwards. POTTED MEAT OR FISH. Cook the meat till it is quite tender, scrape it finely, and rub it through a wire sieve. Pound it in a mortar, allowing four ounces of butter and a few grains of cayenne pepper (five to ten grains) to every pound of meat. Of course, salmon, lobster, tongue, or shrimps will need less butter than beef or chicken. Potted meat should not be dry, but on the other hand it must not be too moist. Put the meat into small pots or jars and cover it with clarified butter. For this, melt butter gently in a stewpan over the fire. It will become a transparent oil, and the buttermilk will sink to the bottom as a sediment. Wait till the clarified butter has cooled, and pour it when just warm over the meat. I If you pour it on when hot it will make the meat greasy. Keep the pots in a cool, dry place. Most potted meat is spoilt by being mixed with spice. This is supposed to bring out the flavour of the meat, but in reality only hides it. The only spice which should be allowed is pepper. Ham or tongue, if to be eaten at once, are excellent mixed with stiffly-whipped cream, or with butter beaten to a cream. For potted game make stock of the bones, reduce it to thin glaze and use this instead of beating the game up with butter. Or when the game is minced warm it up in a good sauce made with this glaze ; when well mixed let it get cold, and then beat it up with as much butter as it will absorb without being greasy. Anchovies must be drained of oil, wiped, washed, filleted, and dried before pounding them with butter. Rub them through a sieve, and be careful to remove the spines. Bloaters are good potted, all the bones having been got rid of by working the fish well through a sieve after having filleted it. Potted meat when not for immediate use must always be beaten up with butter, not with glaze or with cream. STUFFING. If Stuffing is properly made it will in every case cut clean with the meat, instead of falling into the dish in a messy, halfcooked, and wholly distasteful condition. Wyvern’s recipe for ordinary Stuffing is by far the best with which I am acquainted. It is essential to have all the ingredients chopped or minced as finely as possible, and it is quite as essential that the herbs should STUFFING be first well scalded, and then thoroughly dried in a cloth, before they are minced. This Stuffing, which is used for turkey, hare, or veal, ought to look green and be made from fresh herbs. But if dried herbs have to be used a little spinach colouring must be added, or the stuffing will have a raw look.