Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Sausages, Fried. — Melt a little butter in a frying-pan, and as soon as it is dissolved put in the sausages in a single layer. Sift flour over them, and fry over a very gentle fire till they are browned, moving them about that they may be equally colored all over. Drain the fat from them by laying them on a hair sieve before the fire for a minute or two, and serve them on a toast, or around a mould of mashed potatoes. Send sauce to table in a tureen. As sausages, especially when made of pork, need to be well dressed, care must be taken to heat them very gradually, so that they may not be burned outside before they are done enough in the centre. When the oven is moderately heated, they may with advantage be baked instead of fried. Time to fry, fifteen to twenty minutes. Sausages, Fried, with Apples. — Take lb. of sausages and six apples. Cut four of the apples into thin slices and cut the remaining two into quarters. Fry them with the sausages to a fine, light brown, and lay the sausages in the centre of the dish and the apples round. Garnish with the quartered apples. For other Sausage recipes see Sausages. Sausages, Sauce for. — Dissolve a little fresh butter in a saucepan. Stir into this enough flour to make a smooth paste, rub it briskly over the fire until it is browned, moisten gradually with boiling water till it is as thick as cream, add a table-spoonful of catsup. Boil the sauce for a few minutes, place the sausages in a dish, and strain the sauce over them. Scrapple. — Boil the pork (a pig’s head will answer) in four quarts of cold water and bring it slowly to the boil. Skim carefully, season the liquid rather highly with salt and cayenne, and add half a dozen sage leaves, chopped small. Let the meat simmer gently for two hours, then take out the bones, mince the flesh finely, and put it back into the liquid. Stir in as much sifted corn meal as will thicken the liquid, and simmer two hours longer, until it is of the consistency of thick porridge. Pour into deep jars and set in a cool place. When scrapple is to be eaten, cut it into slices and fry these in hot fat for breakfast. Time, ten minutes to fry the slices. Souse, or Head-cheese. — Take the head, tongue, and feet of one or more fine, well-grown porkers ; clean these pieces well, and soak in water for twelve hours. Then boil until the flesh will slip easily from the bones ; chop the meat, and season with salt, black pepper, cloves, sage, or sweetmarjoram, rubbed fine; mix well, and fill moulds with it of any size or shape you choose. In two days it will be fully set and fit for use. As this souse will keep well, and is a favorite dish, suiting almost any meal, housekeepers frequently make a supply of it sufficient to last during the winter season. In this case, turn out the moulds and pack them in a jar capacious enough to hold all you have, then pour over the souse vinegar and water enough to cover the whole ; place a plate over the top, and weight it down so that the souse is completely submerged ; tie up the jar close, and you will always have something ready for an unexpected guest, or luncheon suddenly called for. Made mustard and any other highseasoned condiment may be added at the table to suit the individual taste.