Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management/Chapter LV
JEWISH COOKERY
CHAPTER LVGeneral Remarks and Recipes for Passover Dishes
As a race the Jews have derived an incalculable benefit from the remarkable and wisely conceived hygienic code which formed an essential part of the religious life of the Hebrew nation. This comprehensive scheme for the regulation of social and domestic affairs includes rules for the selection and preparation of food, which is divided into two classes, "clean" and "unclean," the latter being prohibited. Among the "unclean" foods are pork, eels, and mud-loving fish: the pig from its indiscriminate feeding being liable to internal and external parasitical diseases, especially in warm climates. Fish also suffer from parasites and rapidly decompose, particularly the fat, indigestible mud-fish.
The Mosaic code takes cognizance of the danger to health which arises from the consumption of unsound food, and minute regulations are laid down for the examination and slaughtering of animals, it being required that the butcher should be a priest, a trained expert, whose duty it is to this day to examine all cattle before they are slaughtered and reject the "unclean." The animals are killed in accordance with a strict ritual, one of the chief points being the removal of the blood, which modern science has shown often contains malignant microbes, and a potent cause of corruption and disease. Certain parts of the carcass, chiefly the digestive organs, which are commonly eaten, the Jews reject, losing indeed some gastronomic pleasure, but escaping risks which in hot climates are very real. Not only the carcasses, but the various joints are stamped by the priest with his official seal before they are delivered for consumption.
Apart from these precautions for the safety of the general public, there are various domestic rules designed to secure the wholesomeness of the food eaten by the Jews. For-example, certain joints are soaked in cold water to extract all traces of blood: fish must be cleansed with the most scrupulous care both inside and outside. Methods of cooking are also prescribed in certain cases. Fish and other classes of food must be fried in oil—a sound gastronomic and hygienic rule, for the oil before being fit for use must be raised to a high temperature to ensure thorough cooking and the retention of the savour of the viand, which thus becomes completely sterilized. The Jewish smoked beef is most excellent and useful, for it keeps good so long, and is a capital store for gravies and soups.
There are many interesting dishes peculiar to special feasts and fastdays, but in all the directions given for these, it will be noticed that cleanliness and health are regarded as the essential.
Passover Dishes.
3765.—AMNASTICH.
Ingredients.—1 chicken, veal forcemeat, No. 413, 1 quart of white stock, 1 lb. of Carolina rice, 1 Spanish onion stuck with 3 or 4 cloves, a bouquet-garni (parsley, thyme, bay-leaf), 4 yolks of eggs, the juice of 1 large lemon, salt and pepper.
Method.—Stuff the chicken with forcemeat and truss it for boiling. Wash and well drain the rice, put it into a large stewpan with the stock, bring it slowly to boiling point, and add the onion, bouquet-garni, salt and pepper to taste. Cook slowly until the rice begins to soften, then add the chicken, cover it well with rice, and continue to cook slowly until done. Remove the chicken and keep it hot, take out the onion and bouquet-garni, and add the beaten yolks of eggs and the lemon juice. Stir over the fire for a few minutes, then serve the rice, etc., piled round the chicken.
Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 3s. 9d. to 4s. 3d., exclusive of the stock. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3766.—FILLETS OF SALMON FRIED IN BUTTER.
Ingredients.—1½ lbs. of salmon, 1 teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped shallot or onion, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, flour, frying-batter (see No. 1647), frying-oil, salt and pepper.
Method.—Divide the salmon into slices about 2 inches square and rather more than ½ an inch in thickness, and roll them in flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Make the batter, add to it the onion, parsley, herbs, and a good seasoning of pepper, and dip in the pieces of fish. If available, fry them in a deep pan of oil; if not, heat a good layer of oil in a sauté-pan or a good sized frying-pan, and cook the fish until well browned on both sides. Serve cold.
Time.—40 minutes. Average Cost, 2s. to 3s. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable from February to August.
3767.—FISH, STEWED.
Ingredients.—2 or 3 lbs. of white fish, 1 onion finely-chopped, 2 tablespoonfuls of oil, 1 pint of water, 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ground ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper. For the balls: ½ a lb. of fish liver (or equal parts of liver and fish) finely chopped, 2 ozs. of breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 egg, ginger, nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste. For the sauce: the juice of 3 lemons, 2 eggs, a pinch of saffron.
Method.—Cook the onion in the oil without browning, drain off the oil, leave three parts of the onion in the stewpan, and put aside the rest. Mix together the ingredients for the balls, add the onion taken out of the stewpan, ginger, nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste, form into small balls, and roll them lightly in flour. Divide the fish into conveniently shaped pieces, place them in the stewpan, add the water, parsley, and a good sprinkling of ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Lay the balls on the top, cover closely, and stew very gently until the fish is done. Beat the 2 eggs, strain over them the lemon-juice, pour this over the fish a few minutes before serving, and afterwards stir occasionally, but do not let it actually boil, else it will curdle. When ready, transfer the fish to a hot dish and garnish, then place the balls round the base, stir the saffron into the sauce, and serve strained over the fish.
Time.—About 50 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. to 9d. per lb. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3768.—FISH STEW, BROWN.
Ingredients.—3 lbs. of salmon, mackerel or any other oily fish, 3 medium-sized sliced onions, 6 ozs. of golden syrup, 2d. worth of gingerbread, ½ a pint of cold water, 1½ gills of vinegar, cayenne, salt.
Method.—Cook the onions in the water until barely tender, then add the fish, cayenne and salt to taste. Crumble the gingerbread, pour over it the vinegar, stir until smooth, and add the golden syrup. When the fish is about half-cooked add the above mixture, and continue to cook slowly until done, stirring frequently meanwhile. Serve hot or cold.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 6d., exclusive of the fish. Sufficient for 6 or more persons.
3769.—FISH, TO FRY.
Ingredients.—2 or 3 lbs. of fish (haddock, cod, or whiting), 1 egg, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, salt, frying-oil, fried parsley.
Method.—Wash and dry the fish (bone it if liked), and cut it into pieces convenient for serving. Sprinkle liberally with salt, let it remain for 15 minutes, then dry well on a cloth, and dip it first into flour, and afterwards into beaten egg. Fry in a deep pan of hot oil until nicely browned, or, if more convenient, in a frying-pan containing sufficient oil to half cover the fish, which must be turned when the under side is brown. Drain well, and serve garnished with parsley.
Time.—To fry the fish, from 6 to 10 minutes, according to its size and thickness. Average Cost, 4d. to 8d. per lb. Allow 2 lbs. for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable all the year.
3770.—FRIED SALMON.
Ingredients.—2 slices of salmon, about 1¼ inches thick, 1 egg, flour, salt and pepper, salad oil.
Method.—Wash the fish in cold water, dry it well on a cloth, sprinkle both sides of each slice with salt, let them remain for ½ an hour, then fold them in a clean cloth and press gently to remove all moisture. Season 1 good tablespoonful of flour with salt and pepper, coat the fish completely, and dip it into beaten egg. During this process heat some salad oil in a sauté or frying-pan and then put in the fish, and fry it until well browned on both sides. Drain thoroughly, and serve cold.
Time—1 hour. Average Cost, 2s. to 3s. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable from February to August.
3771.—FRIMSEL SOUP.
Ingredients.—1 quart of best stock, 1 egg, flour, salt.
Method.—Add a little salt to the egg, and stir in as much flour as possible. Knead well, roll out as thin as a wafer, and divide it into three strips. Put these aside until thoroughly dry, then place the strips one above the other, and shred finely. Then put them into the stock when boiling, simmer from 20 to 25 minutes, remove the scum, and serve.
Time.—To cook the paste, from 20 to 25 minutes. Average Cost, from 2d. to 3d., exclusive of the stock. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3772.—GRIMSLICHS.
Ingredients.—2 motzas (Passover cake), 4 ozs. of meal (motza), 2 ozs. of ground almonds, 2 ozs. of stoned raisins, 2 ozs. of sultanas, 4 ozs. of brown sugar, 2 eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, frying-oil.
Method.—Soak the motzas while the rest of the ingredients are being prepared, then squeeze them dry, and stir in the meal and 1 egg. Beat the remaining egg, and add to it the almonds, raisins, sultanas, sugar, and a little cinnamon and nutmeg. Take up a little of the motza paste with a spoon, form it into an oval shape, add a little of the fruit mixture,and cover with paste. Smooth it carefully, roll lightly in the motza meal, and fry in hot oil until nicely browned. Serve with fruit syrup.
Time.—To fry the Grimslichs, from 8 to 10 minutes. Average Cost, 10d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
3773.—INVALID'S JELLY.
Ingredients.—½ a pint of lemon or orange juice (or half of each), ½ a pint of cold water, 2 yolks of eggs, 6 ozs. of castor sugar, ½ an oz. of vegetable isinglass (Iceland moss may be substituted).
Method.—Dissolve the isinglass in the water, add the sugar and lemon-juice, and let the mixture cool slightly. When ready, add the yolks of eggs well-beaten, pour into a mould previously rinsed with cold water, and put aside until firm. When a less acid jelly is required, equal parts of lemon and orange juice may be preferred to lemon-juice, or, water may replace a part of the lemon-juice.
Time.—To make the jelly, 20 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for a pint mould. Seasonable at any time.
3774.—JACOB PUDDING.
Ingredients.—4 ozs. of fruit jam or marmalade, 3 or 4 slices of bread and butter, 2 eggs, 1 pint of milk, salt.
Method.—Cut the bread and butter into fingers, spread them thickly with jam or marmalade, and place them lattice-fashion in a buttered pie-dish. Beat the eggs well, add a pinch of salt, and the milk, and pour the whole slowly over the bread, etc. Let the dish stand covered for at least 1 hour, then bake in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes, and serve.
Time.—About 2 hours. Average Cost, 7d. to 9d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3775.—MEAT BAKED WITH RICE AND POTATOES
Ingredients.—3 lbs. of beef or mutton, 4 lbs. of potatoes, ½ a lb. of rice, dripping, salt and pepper, 1 pint of boiling water.
Method.—Wash the rice, put it into a baking-tin with the boiling water, add 1 teaspoonful of salt, and cook in the oven until nearly all the water is absorbed. Wash, peel and halve the potatoes, place them on top of the rice, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add a little dripping. Place the meat on a trivet in the tin, sprinkle with salt and pepper, replace in the oven, and cook gently until done. The rice may be served on the dish with the meat, but the potatoes should be served in a vegetable dish.
Time.—To cook the meat, about 1 hour. Average Cost, 7½d. to 10d. per lb. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3776.—MEAT, TO PREPARE FOR COOKING.
Cover the meat with cold water, let it remain for an hour, then wash it well, to remove as much of the blood as possible. Place it on a koshering board, or, if the perforated wooden draining board known by this name is not available, use a basket-lid, placed in a slanting position, to allow the water to drain away more freely. When sufficiently drained, sprinkle every part of the meat with coarse salt, let it remain for 1 hour, then remove the salt by washing the meat 3 times under the tap. Drain it thoroughly on a clean cloth, and afterwards cook in the usual manner.
Liver must be cut open and well washed in cold water, and may be fried on a shovel over the fire. Before being cooked, it must be again washed and sprinkled with salt.
Hearts, before being placed in the water, must be cut, to allow the blood to flow out easily.
Fat for clarifying, or Suet, must first have the skin removed, and then be subjected to the same washing, salting and drying processes described for preparing meat.
3777.—MOTZA KLEIS (FOR SOUP).
Ingredients.—1 motza (Passover cake), 2 tablespoonfuls of meal (motza), 1 onion coarsely chopped, 1 egg, ½ a teaspoonful of ground ginger, butter or dripping, salt and pepper.
Method.—Soften the motza in cold water, then squeeze dry. Brown the onion in a little hot butter or fat, stir it into the motza, add the egg well beaten, ginger, also salt and pepper to taste, and lastly the meal. Shape into small balls, roll them lightly in meal, and add them to the soup when boiling. Boil gently from 20 to 25 minutes, then serve.
Time.—To cook the balls, from 20 to 25 minutes. Average Cost, 6d. Sufficient for about 1 quart of soup.
3778.—MOTZA PUDDING.
Ingredients.—2 motzas (Passover cakes), 2 tablespoonfuls of meal (motza), 4 ozs. of finely-chopped suet, 4 ozs. of stoned raisins, 4 ozs. of sultanas, 2 ozs. of sugar, 2 eggs, ½ a teaspoonful of powdered mixed spice, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of rum, if liked.
Method.—Mix the dry ingredients well together, beat and add the eggs, and stir in the rum. Turn into a greased basin, and steam or boil from 3 to 4 hours. Or, turn the mixture into a greased pie-dish, and bake gently for about 40 minutes.
Time.—To steam or boil the pudding, from 3 to 4 hours. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons.
3779.—PANCAKES.
Ingredients.—1 teacupful of meal (motza), 3 ozs. of sugar, 2 eggs, the rind of 1 lemon finely grated, 1 pint of milk, ½ a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, butter or frying-oil, salt.
Method.—Break the eggs into the flour, mix well, adding the milk gradually until about half of it is used, then beat well. Stir in the sugar, lemon-rind, cinnamon and salt to taste, add the rest of the milk, and put aside for at least 1 hour. Fry in hot butter or oil, then serve plainly, or with lemon and sugar.
Time.—To fry each pancake, from 2 to 3 minutes. Average Cost, 8d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
3780.—PEAS AND KLEIS.
Ingredients.—½ a peck of green peas, 2 ozs. of butter, ¼ of a teaspoonful of sugar, 1 pint of thick batter (see "Yorkshire Pudding," No. 1930), ½ a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, ginger, pepper and salt to taste.
Method.—Make the batter as directed, and when ready to use, add the parsley and ginger, pepper and salt to taste. Shell the peas, put them into a saucepan containing sufficient boiling water to cover them, add the sugar and a little salt, boil gently until soft, then pour away nearly all the water. Add the butter, pour the batter on the peas in tablespoonfuls, bring gently to boiling point, then simmer from 25 to 30 minutes.
Time.—To cook the batter, from 25 to 30 minutes. Average Cost, peas, 9d. to 1s. 6d. per peck. Sufficient, allow ½ a peck to 2 or 3 persons. Seasonable, English peas from June to August
3781.—ROSINA PUDDING.
Ingredients.—4 ozs. of suet finely chopped, 4 ozs. of peeled and chopped apples, 4 ozs. of sultanas or currants cleaned, 4 ozs. of breadcrumbs, 2 ozs. of sugar, ½ the rind of a lemon finely chopped or grated, 2 eggs, 1 quince finely chopped (this may be omitted), a good pinch of salt.
Method.—Mix all the dry ingredients well together, moisten them with the eggs (previously beaten), and turn the whole into a well-greased basin. Cover with a buttered paper, and steam from 2½ to 3 hours. If more convenient the pudding may be covered with a cloth and be boiled or steamed.
Time.—From 3 to 4 hours. Average Cost, 9d to 10d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3782.—SASSAFRAS.
Ingredients.—2d. of sassafras, ¼ of a teaspoonful of aniseed, an inch of stick liquorice, ½ a pint of boiling water.
Method.—Put all the ingredients into a jug, cover, let it stand for 1 hour, then strain. When a fine strainer is not available the liquorice and aniseed should be tied in a piece of muslin and afterwards removed.
Time.—1 hour. Average Cost, 3d. sufficient for 1 pint.
3783.—STEWED STEAK WITH RICE AND TOMATOES.
Ingredients.—1 lb. of beefsteak, ¾ of a lb. of tomatoes (preserved ones will serve), ½ an oz. of butter or fat, 2 ozs. of rice, 1 large onion sliced, 1 pint of boiling water, salt and pepper.
Method.—Fry the onion in the butter or fat until lightly browned. Cut the steak into pieces convenient for serving, fry them slightly and add the boiling water, a small teaspoonful of salt, and a little pepper. Cover closely, and cook as gently as possible from 2½ to 3 hours. Wash and drain the rice, and add it to the preparation, about 1 hour before serving. Raw tomatoes should be halved and added ½ an hour before serving, but preserved ones require rather less cooking. The stewpan should be shaken occasionally, or its contents stirred to prevent burning. Time.—From 2½ to 3 hours. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 1s. 8d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3784.—VANILLA BREAD PUDDING.
Ingredients.—Stale bread, 1½ ozs. of sugar, 2 large or 3 small eggs, 1 pint of milk, vanilla essence, salt.
Method.—Remove the crust from a thick slice of bread, which should weigh about 4 ozs. when trimmed. Beat the eggs, add the sugar and a pinch of salt, and vanilla essence to taste. Boil the milk, pour it over the eggs, etc., and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Place the bread, cut into thin slices, in a well-buttered pie-dish, pour the preparation over it, cover, let it remain for at least 1 hour, then bake in a moderately hot oven until it is set and the surface nicely browned. The pudding may be served either hot or cold, and may be easily turned out if this method of serving is desired.
Note.—If milk bread is available this pudding will be much lighter and more tasty.
Time.—About ½ an hour Average Cost, 6d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.