Soyer's standard cookery

Take also four calves' feet, split in two, and blanch for three minutes in boiling water. Place the beef and calves' feet in a stewpan, cover well with water and slowly boil for five hours. If necessary the strength of the jelly may be increased by the addition of half a bullock's foot, blanched as above, but usually the calves' feet alone are strong enough. While boiling keep skimming and see that the pot is always kept quite full with boiling water, otherwise it is impossible to extract all the nutriment from the meat. In ordinary households this is rarely understood for it is a point seldom taught. When quite boiled, strain off the liquor by passing through a muslin strainer into a large bowl. Place this in a cool place where air can pass all round. Next day skim off the fat which will be found floating above the jelly. This done, a piece of paper laid on top of the jelly will absorb any fat left after skimming. The jelly is now ready for use as required. If a sweet jelly is desired, dissolve one pound of sugar, and, with the juice of six lemons, add to the stock together with a goodsized glass of Madeira. Aspic Jelly. Suitable for decoration of cold entree, etc. Procure a quarter of a pound of gelatine and soak in cold water until soft. Now place four quarts of white stock in a six-quart stewpan. To this add one or two chicken carcases cut up small (this is optional), add color and salt to taste. When the stock is hot, add to it the swollen gelatine which will then melt. Now pass two pounds of gravy beef through mincer; put mince into a bowl, add the whites of two eggs and squeeze into the meat until the whole is compacted. Put this into the stewpan with the stock, stirring it in well. Now add a little shredded onion, thyme and bay-leaves, one teaspoonful of peppercorn, six coriander seeds, and a morsel of celery, and bring to a boil. Take off fire and allow to boil slowly for ten minutes. Now cover stewpan and leave in a hot place for twenty minutes to allow the mixture quietly to settle. Now carefully pour off the clear liquid through a very clean flannel or muslin into a bowl. Next morning skim off fat floating at the top; the rest of the liquor will now set into jelly, and may be used as required. To prevent this jelly from going bad it should be boiled every day, the surface being cleared of scum and froth by passing over it a sheet of clean paper. Madeira is added as required, but must not be mixed with jelly stock, otherwise fermentation will be set up and the flavor deteriorate. Apple Jelly. Wipe apples, remove stem and blossom ends, and cut in quarters. Put in a granite or porcelain-lined preserving kettle, and add cold water to come nearly to top of apples. Cover, and cook slowly until apples are soft; mash, and drain through a coarse sieve. Avoid squezzing apples, which makes the jelly cloudy. Then allow juice to drip through a double thickness of cheese-cloth or a jelly bag. Boil twenty minutes, add an equal quantity of heated sugar; boil five minutes, skim, and turn into glasses. Put in a sunny window, and let stand twenty-four hours. Cover, and keep in a cool, dry place. Porter apples make a delicious flavored jelly. If apples are pared, a much lighter jelly may be made. Gravenstein apples make a very spicy jelly.