The Book of Household Management
Chapter 85 : She ran wi' speed; A friend mair faithfu' ne'er cam' nigh him Than

She ran wi' speed; A friend mair faithfu' ne'er cam' nigh him Than Mailie dead.

"I wat she was a sheep o' sense.

An' could behave hersel' wi' mense; I'll say't, she never brak a fence, Thro' thievish greed.

Our bardie, lanely, keeps the spence, Sin' Mailie's dead."

MUTTON COLLOPS (Cold Meat Cookery).

731. INGREDIENTS.--A few slices of a cold leg or loin of mutton, salt and pepper to taste, 1 blade of pounded mace, 1 small bunch of savoury herbs minced very fine, 2 or 3 shalots, 2 or 3 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1/2 pint of gravy, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice.

_Mode_.--Cut some very thin slices from a leg or the chump end of a loin of mutton; sprinkle them with pepper, salt, pounded mace, minced savoury herbs, and minced shalot; fry them in b.u.t.ter, stir in a dessertspoonful of flour, add the gravy and lemon-juice, simmer very gently about 5 or 7 minutes, and serve immediately.

_Time_.--5 to 7 minutes.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 6d.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MUTTON CUTLETS.]

MUTTON CUTLETS WITH MASHED POTATOES.

732. INGREDIENTS.--About 3 lbs. of the best end of the neck of mutton, salt and pepper to taste, mashed potatoes.

_Mode_.--Procure a well-hung neck of mutton, saw off about 3 inches of the top of the bones, and cut the cutlets of a moderate thickness. Shape them by chopping off the thick part of the chine-bone; beat them flat with a cutlet-chopper, and sc.r.a.pe quite clean, a portion of the top of the bone. Broil them over a nice clear fire for about 7 or 8 minutes, and turn them frequently. Have ready some smoothly-mashed white potatoes; place these in the middle of the dish; when the cutlets are done, season with pepper and salt; arrange them round the potatoes, with the thick end of the cutlets downwards, and serve very hot and quickly.

(See Coloured Plate.)

_Time_.--7 or 8 minutes. _Average cost_, for this quant.i.ty, 2s. 4d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--Cutlets may be served in various ways; with peas, tomatoes, onions, sauce piquante, &c.

MUTTON PIE (Cold Meat Cookery).

733. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of a cold leg, loin, or neck of mutton, pepper and salt to taste, 2 blades of pounded mace, 1 dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of minced savoury herbs; when liked, a little minced onion or shalot; 3 or 4 potatoes, 1 teacupful of gravy; crust.

_Mode_.--Cold mutton may be made into very good pies if well seasoned and mixed with a few herbs; if the leg is used, cut it into very thin slices; if the loin or neck, into thin cutlets. Place some at the bottom of the dish; season well with pepper, salt, mace, parsley, and herbs; then put a layer of potatoes sliced, then more mutton, and so on till the dish is full; add the gravy, cover with a crust, and bake for 1 hour.

_Time_.--1 hour.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--The remains of an underdone leg of mutton may be converted into a very good family pudding, by cutting the meat into slices, and putting them into a basin lined with a suet crust. It should be seasoned well with pepper, salt, and minced shalot, covered with a crust, and boiled for about 3 hours.

MUTTON PIE.

734. INGREDIENTS.--2 lbs. of the neck or loin of mutton, weighed after being boned; 2 kidneys, pepper and salt to taste, 2 teacupfuls of gravy or water, 2 tablespoonfuls of minced parsley; when liked, a little minced onion or shalot; puff crust.

_Mode_.--Bone the mutton, and cut the meat into steaks all of the same thickness, and leave but very little fat. Cut up the kidneys, and arrange these with the meat neatly in a pie-dish; sprinkle over them the minced parsley and a seasoning of pepper and salt; pour in the gravy, and cover with a tolerably good puff crust. Bake for 1-1/2 hour, or rather longer, should the pie be very large, and let the oven be rather brisk. A well-made suet crust may be used instead of puff crust, and will be found exceedingly good.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour, or rather longer. _Average cost_, 2s.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

MUTTON PUDDING.

735. INGREDIENTS.--About 2 lbs. of the chump end of the loin of mutton, weighed after being boned; pepper and salt to taste, suet crust made with milk (see Pastry), in the proportion of 6 oz. of suet to each pound of flour; a very small quant.i.ty of minced onion (this may be omitted when the flavour is not liked).

_Mode_.--Cut the meat into rather thin slices, and season them with pepper and salt; line the pudding-dish with crust; lay in the meat, and nearly, but do not quite, fill it up with water; when the flavour is liked, add a small quant.i.ty of minced onion; cover with crust, and proceed in the same manner as directed in recipe No. 605, using the same kind of pudding-dish as there mentioned.

_Time_.--About 3 hours. _Average cost_, 1s. 9d.

_Sufficient_ for 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ all the year, but more suitable in winter.

RAGOUT OF COLD NECK OF MUTTON (Cold Meat Cookery).

736. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of a cold neck or loin of mutton, 2 oz.

of b.u.t.ter, a little flour, 2 onions sliced, 1/4 pint of water, 2 small carrots, 2 turnips, pepper and salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut the mutton into small chops, and trim off the greater portion of the fat; put the b.u.t.ter into a stewpan, dredge in a little flour, add the sliced onions, and keep stirring till brown; then put in the meat. When this is quite brown, add the water, and the carrots and turnips, which should be cut into very thin slices; season with pepper and salt, and stew till quite tender, which will be in about 3/4 hour.

When in season, green peas may be subst.i.tuted for the carrots and turnips: they should be piled in the centre of the dish, and the chops laid round.

_Time_.--3/4 hour. _Average cost_, exclusive of the meat, 4d.

_Seasonable_, with peas, from June to August.

ROAST NECK OF MUTTON.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NECK OF MUTTON 1-2. _Best end_. 2-3. _Scrag_.]

737. INGREDIENTS.--Neck of mutton; a little salt.

_Mode_.--For roasting, choose the middle, or the best end, of the neck of mutton, and if there is a very large proportion of fat, trim off some of it, and save it for making into suet puddings, which will be found exceedingly good. Let the bones be cut short and see that it is properly jointed before it is laid down to the fire, as they will be more easily separated when they come to table. Place the joint at a nice brisk fire, dredge it with flour, and keep continually basting until done. A few minutes before serving, draw it nearer the the fire to acquire a nice colour, sprinkle over it a little salt, pour off the dripping, add a little boiling water slightly salted, strain this over the meat and serve. Red-currant jelly may be sent to table with it.

_Time_.--4 lbs. of the neck of mutton, rather more than 1 hour.

_Average cost_, 8-1/2d. per lb.