Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Mutton Kidneys a la Maitre d’Hotel. — Broil three or four kidneys, lay them with the rounded side downward, and put about I oz. of maitre d’hbtel butter, prepared as follows, upon each one : Put 4 ozs. of fresh butter into an enamelled saucepan, add a little salt and cayenne, a table-spoonful of finely minced parsley, and a dessert-spoonful of strained lemon-juice; work these ingredients well together with the point of a knife, in a cool place. When thoroughly mixed, divide the butter into equal parts, put a piece upon each kidney, and serve. Time, about six minutes to broil the kidneys. Mutton Kidneys a la Tartare. — Broil five or six kidneys. Put them on a hot dish, and serve the following sauce with them, which should be prepared before the kidneys are put on to broil : Beat the yolk of an egg for two or three minutes. Add very gradually, in drops at first, six teaspoonfuls of oil, and then one of tarragon vinegar. Beat the mixture well between every addition or the oil will float at the top. Repeat until the sauce is of the consistence of thick cream. Four table-spoonfuls of oil and one of vinegar will be about the quantity required. Add a pinch of salt, a small pinch of cayenne pepper, a tablespoonful of unmixed French mustard, five or six gherkins, three shallots, finely minced, a teaspoonful each of chopped parsley and chives, and half a teaspoonful of chilli vinegar. Put Scotch Haggis Sheeps’ Tongues a teaspoonful of this sauce in the hollow of each kidney, and send the rest to table in a tureen. Time, six minutes to broil the kidney, about threequarters of an hour to prepare the sauce. Scotch Haggis is made of the lights, liver, and heart of a sheep, which is all called a pluck. They come attached to the windpipe. Put all on to boil, say for an hour and a half. It is well to let the end of the windpipe hang over the edge of the pot, so that any impurities may pass out. When done, remove from the fire and allow the pluck to cool. Then cut away the windpipe, bits of skin or gristle, and all but about a quarter of the liver. Then add lb. of beef suet, and chop the whole very fine. Now add two small cupfuls of oatmeal which has been previously dried in the oven, pepper, salt, and about half a pint of the liquor in which the pluck was boiled. Now it is ready for the bag, which is less objectionable than the stomach of a sheep, ordinarily used in Scotland. When the mince is ready wash the bag with cold, clean water, and only little more than half fill it with the mince, for room must be left for the meal and meat to expand ; if filled, the bag would burst. Now sew the bag up securely, and pop it into a pot of boiling water. Boil for three hours ; serve hot, without gravy or garnish of any kind, as it is sufficiently rich of itself. Sheep’s Liver a la Francaise. — Cut some slices of liver half an inch thick and lay them neatly in a stewpan slightly buttered ; sprinkle pepper and salt over the upper sides. Slice 2 ozs. of fat bacon as finely as possible, chop a teaspoonful of parsley and a small shallot very fine, and spread