A year's cookery

Breakfast. — Bloaters (January 3rd) ; Eggs on Fire Dish (December 7th) ; Corn Flour Milk (June 19th). Luncheon. — Sheep's Head, Stewed. — Take out the brains of the sheep’s head and throw them into cold water. Cleanse the head thoroughly. This is a most important and not particularly agreeable part of the business. The head should be washed in lukewarm water and with plenty of salt ; all the soft bones inside the head should be removed, and the blood and matter washed away from the nostrils, the throat, and the ears. The tongue also must be cut away, and the gums rubbed with salt. When finished the head must be laid in salted tepid water, and allowed to soak two hours. Take it out, drain it ; and in order that there may be no doubt about its cleanliness, put it into a saucepan with cold water slightly salted, bring it to a boil, then throw the water away. Tie the two halves of the head together in their original position, and put the head again to boil with two quarts of lukewarm water, a dessert-spoonful of salt, and a quarter of a tea-spoonful of pepper. At the same time put the tongue to boil in a separate saucepan, with strongly salted water, one clove, one peppercorn, and a few drops of vinegar. Skim the fat away as it rises, and let the head boil for an hour. At the end of this time put in two turnips, two carrots, three onions, three outer sticks of celery ( see Note 2, January 1st), a bunch of parsley, and a sprig of thyme. _ Let the liquor boil up, put the lid again on the saucepan, draw it back, and let it simmer .for one hour and a half. Wash the brains well in cold water, and remove the skin and fibres. Llalf an hour before the head is done enough put them with it into the saucepan, and let them boil for ten minutes. Whilst they are boiling mix smoothly together in a small saucepan over the fire a piece of good dripping or butter the size of a small egg, and a ddessert-spoonful of flour. When thoroughly blended add gradually a quarter of a pint of the stock in which the head is being boiled. Take up the brains, chop them finely, and put them with the sauce. Skin the tongue and trim it neatly. Put the head on a dish, with the tongue cut into halves. Mash the turnips, and put them in small heaps round the dish, with the carrot between the heaps. Serve very hot. If liked, the tongue and the brain sauce can be served on a separate dish, and either onion, caper, or parsley sauce may be poured over the head. Normandy Pippins (August 16th). Dinner. — Lobster Soup (May 20th). Stewed Steak — Trim the steak, and cut away the skin and fat. Melt a slice of dripping or butter in a stew-pan, put in the steak, and when it is brown on one side turn it upon the other. Whilst it is browning put a large table-spoonful of flour into a basin, with a salt- spoonful of salt, a salt-spoonful of pepper, half a grain of cayenne, and a tea-spoonful of freshly made mustard. Mix this very smoothly with a little cold water, and add very gradually a pint and a quarter of either water or stock. When the meat is brown pour the sauce over it. Procure a large carrot, a small turnip, an onion, and a stick of celery. Cut up the onion and celery ( see Note 2, January 1st), and put them with the meat.