Handbook of practical cookery

Pork Sausages. — One pound of pork sausages, one and one-half pound of raw potatoes, one table-spoonful of cream, one ounce of butter, one tea-spoonful of salt, one half saltspoonful of pepper. Put the potatoes pared into a sauce-pan, cover them with cold water, and bringing them quickly to the boiling-point over a brisk fire, throw in the salt. Boil them now rapidly until they begin to break on the surface, when they will be half cooked, and the water should be strained carefully off them, the sauce-pan closely covered, and drawn to the side of the fire, that they may finish cooking in their own steam. When a skewer will go into them readily, set the potatoes for a moment, with the sauce-pan uncovered, full over the fire, that the dampness of the steam may dry off, and while hot, mash them finely, adding the cream, pepper, and butter, after which again cover them closely in order that they may keep hot while the sausages are being prepared. Prick through the skin of the sausages now with a fork in various places, that they may not burst with the steam that will be generated in them under the action of heat, and placing them in a cold frying-pan, put them over a moderate fire, that the fat may draw out in which to cook them, and fry for ten minutes. Take up then the potatoes, and fill them into the bottom of a small hot platter, and smooth them down with a knife LIVER AND BACON — FRIED CHICKEN. 79 blade that has been dipped in milk to a flat bed about an inch in thickness, and across this bed arrange the sausage lengths at regular intervals. NOTE. — If the gravy from the pan is used at all, it must be served by itself in a gravy-boat. Liver and Bacon. — One half pound of calfs liver, one half pound of bacon, one half ounce of flour, one half pint of second stock, one dessert-spoonful of mushroom catchup, six drops of caramel, one salt-spoonful of salt, one half saltspoonful of pepper. Having been very carefully washed, the liver must be cut into thin slices and dried in a towel. Next slice the bacon thinly, and cut off the rind ; when it must be put into a frying-pan, placed over a moderate fire, and cooked for five minutes, turning it once meantime. Take the bacon now from the pan, arrange it upon a hot platter, and place in the warming-oven to prevent its cooling. In the grease drawn from the bacon put then the slices of liver, and fry for ten minutes, turning them once while frying. Remove the liver from the frying-pan to the platter containing the bacon, and stir into the pan the flour, into which stir the stock also, when the flour has become well saturated with the grease and browned. Stir this mixture until it boils, when the catchup, pepper, salt, and caramel must be added, and the whole poured over the liver and bacon. NOTE. — Sheep's liver may be used for this dish ; but when it is used, it should be parboiled before frying. Fried Chicken with Chives. — One young fowl, two dozen chives, two ounces of flour, two ounces of butter, one half tea-spoonful of salt, one half salt-spoonful of white pepper. First prepare the chives by cleaning and cutting the green tops into thin rings ; throw them then into boiling water to soak for five minutes, and while they are soaking joint the chicken and wash it lightly in cold water. Season the flour