Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Ratafia, Red (another way). — Take three pounds and a half of ripe red cherries, two pounds of ripe black cherries, two pounds and a half of ripe red gooseberries, the same quantity of red raspberries, and one pound and a half of fine ripe red currants ; place the fruit in a deep earthen pan, and mash it well. Pound in a mortar a drachm of cloves, a drachm of mace, half an ounce of cinnamon, two ounces of coriander-seed, two drachms of fennel-seed, two sticks of Jamaica pepper, a dozen apricot kernels, twenty cherry-kernels, and six bitter almonds. Add these to the mashed fruit, and also two quarts of sjTup. Put the whole into a large stone bottle, well closed, and expose it during a fortnight to the heat of the sun, or place it beside the kitchen fire. Then strain, and squeeze the whole through linen, and add to each quart of juice a quart of the best French brandy. Let it stand for another fortnight in the sun or beside the fire, then run it through a jelly-bag till it is quite clear, and bottle in pint bottles. Ratafia, Rose, — Take a quarter of a pound of roses picked from all the green, pour a pint of warm water over them, let them stand two days ; strain them through linen, squeeze them to extract all the liquor; take as much brandy as you have decoction of roses, add half a pound of sugar to each quart, flavour it with a little coriander and cinnamon; let it remain fifteen days, then filter and bottle it. Ratafia Sauce for Sweet Puddings. — Moisten a dessert-spoonful of arrowroot with a spoonful of cold water, and rub it till smooth. Pour over it— stirring all the time — a quarter of a pint of boiling water. Add a tablespoonful of ratafia liqueur and sugar to taste. Boil a minute or two, and serve. Time, ten minutes. Probable cost, 6d. Sufficient for six or eight persons. Ratafia, Strong. — Take two ounces of apricot and peach kernels, blanch them, and put them into a quart bottle with half an ounce of cloves and a bit of cinnamon; fill up the bottle with French brandy. Cork the bottle well, seal it, and put it in the sun on fine days ; in two months, add to the preparation three ounces of white sugar- candy dissolved in a pint of cold water. Then strain off, filter through paper, and bottle for use. Ratatouville. — This is a popular French method of making a savoury dish out of the remains of cold meat. It may be made satisfactorily from two or three kinds of meat which have been dressed at different times ; none must be used, however, which is not perfectly sweet. If the cold meat is very lean, procure a little fresh fat meat, such as the thin ends of the ribs of beef. Cut both the dressed and undressed meat into pieces about an inch square, and place them on separate dishes. Melt a slice of good beef dripping in a saucepan, slice two or three onions into this, and when they are lightly browned put in the uncooked meat and brown it. Dredge a little flour over the whole, and stir it until it is without lumps, then pour in gradually as much stock or water as will cover the meat. Add a mixture of any suitable vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, and celery, all finely shred, freshly-peeled potatoes halved, quartered, or sliced, or haricot beans which have been already three-parts cooked, green peas, &c., together with a bay-leaf, a bunch of sweet herbs, and a little pepper and salt.