FoodNetArchive

Cassell's dictionary of cookery

1892

Page 416 · 2 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
I Crab, To Choose. — Choose a crab of the medium size (neither very large nor very small) , and heavy ; the light crabs aie watery. The male crab is the best for the table, and may be distinguished by possessing larger claws. A\Tien selecting a crab which has been cooked, it should be held by its claws and well shaken from side to side. If it is found to rattle, as if it contained water, the crab is of inferior quality. The preference should be given to those that have a rough shell and claws. The joints of the claws should be stifl:', the shell a bright red, and the eyes bright and firm. Crab, To Dress. — Pick out all the meat from two crabs, clear away the apron and the gills, and mix all well together with a ^\ine- glassfid of -s-inegar, the same of oil, a salt- spoonful of salt, a table-spoonful of mustard, and a tea-spoonful of white pejiper. Clean out one of the large shells, put the mixture into it, and place it on a napkin with the small claws, and a little parsley for garnish. Time to prepare, three-quarters of an horn-. Probable cost of crabs, lOd. to 3s. 6d. each. Sufficient for five or six persons. Cracknels. — Beat eight eggs with eight table-spoonfuls of rose-water and a grated nut- meg. jNIix with them over two quarts of flour with sufficient cold water to make a stiff paste. Mix with the paste two pounds of butter, and make it into cracknels. Put them into a pan of boiling water, and boil them till they swim. Then put them into cold water, and, when , they are hardened, dry them, and bake them I on tin-plates in a moderate oven. Time, about a quarter of an hour to bake. Probable cost, 5s. for this quantity. CRADLE SPIT. Cradle Spit. — These spits are so made that they inclose any delicacy which has to be roasted ; and so no necessity arises for the meat to be pierced. They are now almost superseded by the well-known bottle- jack. Cranberries, To Pickle.— Gather the clusters before they are fully ripe. Put them into jars and cover them with strong salt and water. When fennentation begins, drain them, and add fresh salt and water. Keep the jars closely covered. They are ready for use in a week or two. Probable cost, fresh fruit, uncertain ; bottled, 8d. or lOd. per bottle. Cranberries, To Preserve.— Pick the cranberries (reject the injured berries), and to every pound of fruit allow two pounds of sugar. Pour a cupful of water into the preser\'ing-pan, CBA ( 159 ) CRA and place in it altomate layers of cranberries and sugar. Boil gently and skim carefully. The preserve must be kept in closely-covered jars. Time, twenty minutes after it comes to a boil. Sufficient, one pound of fruit for one ponnd of jam. Cranberry Gruel (Invalid Cookery). — A few tTiinlierries boiled in a little thin gruel, .sweetened and flavoured with grated nutmeg,Cracknels is a pleasant change for an invalid. Time, ten minutes. Sufficient, half a cupful of cranberries with their juice for half a pint of gruel.