Cassell's dictionary of cookery

pounds of calf's liver. Cut it into slices, and soak these in water for half an hour. Dry them in a soft cloth, and dip them into flour. Fry them with a little fat, and turn them about that they may be equally cooked. When they are lightly browned, sprinkle over them a savoury powder made with equal quantities of chopped parsley and finely-shred young onions, and a little pepper and salt. Pour a little stock over the liver, let it simmer a few minutes, add the strained juice of a lemon, and serve the Hver on a hot dish with the gravy poured over it. If liked, this dish may be enriched by adding a pinch of thyme, a bay-leaf, and a glassful of light wine to the stock. Fried bacon may then be served with it. Time, from ten to fifteen minutes to dress the liver. Sufficient for four or five persons. Probable cost of calf's liver, lOd. per pound. Veal, Choosing of. — The flesh of veal ought to be white, approaching to pink, with the fat firm. It should not be too large or it will be coarse and hard. The vein in the shoulder should be of a bright red, and the kidneys should be covered with fat. If the flesh be clammy and discoloured by spots of various hues, the veal is unfit for use. Veal is best when it is from two to three months old. The flesh of the buU-calf is suited for joints, that of the cow-calf for made dishes. The latter possesses the udder, which causes it to be preferred. That part of the loin which is under the kidney first begins to taint. It should therefore be examined carefully before being purchased. When the udder is skewered back it is always well to take out the skewer in order to ascertain whether the under part is perfectly sweet. Under the pretext of making veal white a barbarous practice has prevailed of bleeding the calves daily until they have scarcely any blood left before killing them. Although this method of slaughtering the animal is not now universally adopted, it is still carried on to a large extent. The humane housekeeper would do well to ask the butcher whether or not the meat is killed in this way, and to refuse to purchase it unless the calf has been deprived of life with as little pain as possible. " It is necessary to observe," says M. Ude, ' ' that the veal you intend to serve for dishes must always be very white and fat ; what you use for sauces is not of so much consequence ; but it is certain that very white veal is more healthy than common veal : red veal will disorder a great many stomachs, white never does." Veal Chop Stewed with Carrots.— Take a large chop from the neck, about one pound in weight, saw off the chine bone, trim the chop neatly, and fry it in a little hot fat for three or four minutes tiU it is lightly browned on both sides. Take it up, drain it, and put it into a small clean saucepan with two large carrots cut into thick slices, an onion stuck with two cloves, and a little pepper and salt. Pour over the meat as much boiling stock as will cover it; put the lid on the saucepan, VEA ( 1036 ) VEA and let its contents simmer gently until the carrot is tender, when the meat also will be sufficiently done. Put the chop on a dish, garnish with the carrots, strain the gravy over all, and serve very hot. Time to simmer the chop, about an hour. Probable cost, veal, Is. per pound. Sufficient for one person.