Cassell's dictionary of cookery

I would here remind you that in all cases when calf's liver is used for forcemeat for dishes in which any kind of game is introduced, that the addition of the liver of the game itself makes a vast improvement to the flavour. When game is plentiful there is never any difficulty in obtaining livers from the poulterers, who are obliged to throw away a considerable quantity every day, as the liver is apt to get high long before the rest of the bird. PRINCIPLES ENTREES. Ivii It is in the preparation of entrees more than any other class of dishes that the really experienced cook will best exercise that primary principle of cookery — economy. Most educated persons in the present day have at one period or other of their lives visited Paris — and I am speaking of the period before the war. One of the wonders of that beautiful city was the extraordinary little dinner to be obtained in the Palais Royale and elsewhere for a sum of money that in England would have barely kept off starvation in a coffee-house. It may seem a somewhat strong statement, but I really believe it to be true, that the materials out of which some of the most delicious Parisienne entrees are made are in English hotels and private houses either given to, and often refused by, an overfed dog, or are allowed to get putrid and breed fevers by being thrown into the dust-bin. There is an old picture — of which, probably, Englishmen are proud — contrasting the English hog and the French hog, the difference being as striking as that between the fat and lean kine seen in the vision of the Eastern king of old. Alas that we should feel proud of this striking contrast ! — it is but too often the case that our glory is in our shame. I fear that the contents of our English pig-tubs are a national disgrace. I have seen large pieces of bread, whole legs of fowls, &c., floating in what might be called greasy stock. The pig-tub is too often the one resource of idle and extravagant cooks, whose one idea of household management is to get rid of the odds and ends. Now a variety of nice entrees can be made out of the cold remains of an almost infinite variety of joints. For instance, take the remains of a calf's head that has been sent to table with tongue, brains, &c., and a white sauce flavoured with marjoram. Suppose you cut up the remains into small pieces, and see that the sauce when cold is a jelly. Take a little of the tongiie and the brains, and let them adhere to a piece of what is called the horn part of the calf's head ; let these all get cold ; see that they are nicely trimmed, slightly flour each piece and dip it into batter, and fry in some boiling fat till it is of a beautiful golden colour. Of course the batter, when it is properly made, will harden before part of the inside dissolves ; this entree, therefore, has the advantage of coming to table a light-looking fritter, which when opened presents a moist inside. It is, however, essential that the fat be boiling, as otherwise the inside will melt, and break through the fritter skin. Care also should be taken in making batter for entrees of this description that the batter be sufficiently thick.