General Rules.
STUDY to have a strong clear fire, the tongs and gridiron perfectly clean; after the gridiron is hot, rub it over with suet. In dressing steaks turn them very often and quick, to preserve the juice; the dishes should be kept warm, as every thing broiled, if not served quite hot loses its flavour.
Beef Steaks.
Cut the steaks three-fourths of an inch thick, from the end of the spare rib, or end of the rump, which makes the most delicate steaks of any. The meat ought never to be beaten, it tends so much to make it dry; it should rather be hung in a very cool place twelve or twenty-four hours longer to tender. Observe the directions above, and when nearly ready take them off, lay them into the dish they are to be served in and press them a little, which makes the gravy pour out; lay them again on the gridiron, give each a turn and return them into the dish; strew a little salt over, cover and serve them hot; always present pickles on separate dishes. Some are fond of the dishes rubbed with garlic.
Mutton Chops.
Cut them from the back ribs, or thick of the leg, and proceed as already directed.
Or,
Dip pieces of writing paper in butter or lard, wrap the ribs separately into the papers, and broil them on a moderate fire.
Or,
Make a thick pancake batter seasoned with nutmeg, roll the chop in a little pepper and salt, then dip them into the batter; lay them into a Dutch oven and fire them quickly.
Pork Steaks.
Cut the steaks from the back ribs, if too fat pare a little off, broil it on a moderate fire. Observe, That pork and veal require to be thoroughly done; strew salt over and serve hot and hot.
When cooking pork or mutton steaks, take great care they are not blackened; place the gridiron always in a sloping position, which will prevent the fat from running down into the fire and making a blaze.
Veal Steaks, or Chops
Cut it from any choice fat part, where there are no sinews, broil them a light brown frequently basting each chop with butter and white pepper; let them be thoroughly but not overdone. Strew a little salt and pour melted butter and chopped pickles over them.
Lamb Steaks
Are done several ways, but the most simple and delicate manner is, to dress them with a few mutton chops; when the mutton is nearly done, put it between two hot dishes and press it very hard, lay the mutton aside, keep the juice hot to serve with the lamb; dish the steaks, strew a little salt and pour the mutton gravy over, serve immediately; present ketchup and hot pickles in pickle dishes.
Chickens Broiled.
Take well fed hen chickens, cut them down the back and clean every thing out; be careful to preserve the gall whole, clean the liver and gizzard, and with a small skewer fix them to the sides of the chicken; run the skewer through the body so as keep it perfectly flat to make it brown regularly; give them a heat on both sides, then baste them well with butter and a shake of pepper; they require to be broiled slowly to preserve their colour, and, like all young meats, must be thoroughly done; have a rich white sauce in a tureen, pour melted butter mixed with mushroom powder over them. Pigeons are done in the same manner.
Shoulder of Lamb or Mutton Broiled,
Is a delicate dish when well done. Chuse the small well fed mutton or lamb, put it a good distance from the fire till it is warmed through, baste it well with fresh dripping, and observe to keep up the fire, as it takes a considerable time to broil. When the juice drops clear it is ready; dish with the skin side uppermost, pour a little water and salt over it, and, if you chuse, a little lemon juice, garnish with any thing green.
Calf’s Liver.
The liver of a calf is variously dressed; but the lightest and most savoury mode is, to take the liver of good veal (which will be firm and of a fair colour), skin it nicely, cut it in slices half an inch thick, have a dish with a good quantity of butter, melted and seasoned with pepper, placed beside the fire, into which dip the slices and lay them on the gridiron; continue turning and dressing them as ordered for beef steaks, only dipping or basting with butter all the time, otherwise it becomes dry; serve it hot and pour over it a little melted butter. When properly done it will be found as delicate as the liver of a chicken.
Roddekins,
Or the stomachs of sheep, make a very nice morsel when dressed as follows. Take that part of the tripe called roddekins, of fat mutton, wash them very clean, both inside and out, lay them in salt and water three hours, rinse them again thoroughly, boil them in pure water till very tender, drain and wipe them dry, rub them well over with butter and broil them as you do steaks over a clear fire till crimp on the outside, strew a little salt over and serve them hot; present beat butter, minced cucumbers, and French beans, with spiced vinegar.
Broiling Fish.
Fresh Salmon.
Cut the fish in slices near an inch thick, dip them in butter, put them on a polished gridiron over a clear fire; let them lie till one side is ready, then turn them; you will judge of their being ready by all the cleanness being gone; garnish with sliced lemon and myrtle. Salmon requires to be thoroughly done but not dried, ten minutes over a good fire may do it; serve with beat butter, spiced vinegar, and anchovies, mixed in a tureen.
Kipper Salmon.
Cut it in lengths of four or six inches, and two broad; soak it in water a few hours, broil it in buttered papers, or as directed for herrings. Observe it is not overdone, serve with melted butter.
Haddocks.
Procure the fish as fresh as possible, fin, scale, clean, and lay them some hours in a good pickle of salt and water, with a plate and a weight over them to keep them down, which firms them. Or, if immediately caught, after cleaning, throw them into a bason with a large handful of salt, and stir them about; then hang them up by the tails on a fish hack, and expose them to the air a few hours; rub the gridiron with fat, and when hot lay on the fishes; let them be fully half done before you attempt turning, serve them hot; present fresh butter in slices, also beat butter and ketchup in a sauce boat.
Or,
With a sharp knife, split them close down by the bone, taking care not to cut them quite through the back; cut out part of the breast bone, sprinkle with salt all over and lay them in the open air. If done at mid-day they will be ready for a supper dish, and are a great delicacy when nicely broiled.
Haddocks Smoaked to Resemble Aberdeen, or Finnen Haddies.
The fish, when cleaned and split open as before directed, are laid in salt for two hours. To smoak them, take a quantity of saw-dust and dried moss, or peats, broken small; put several layers of the peats and saw-dust in an empty chimney place, or above a grate; at eighteen inches above fix a number of wooden rods, over which lay the fish spread out; above them may be placed another row. Kindle the peats and saw-dust, but notice it does not burn, only smoke gently. When properly managed, one fire will make several dozens; they will resemble the Aberdeen haddocks, justly in such universal repute. The fish must be newly caught, otherwise they cannot have the proper sweetness.
Or,
When a kitchen fire is made up for the night, cover it over with saw-dust, place a gridiron very high above it, lay on the fish and they will be ready in the morning to breakfast; they require very little broiling.
Haddocks cleaned, finned, and laid in salt some hours, then tied together in pairs by the tails, thrown across a thick wooden rod three feet from the fire and smoked as above, keep a long time when dried, and eat well either broiled or boiled, being previously skinned.
Herrings.
Scale and draw the gut from the breast, wipe them well with a cloth, put in each a little pepper and salt, and dry them well; if fresh and stiff do not wash them; rub the gridiron with fat, and when hot lay on the herrings; strew a little salt over and serve hot, with hot pickles and spiced vinegar in separate dishes.
Or,
As ordered in the haddocks, split them open, strew a good quantity of salt and pepper on, and lay them in the air an hour or two; then broil them; serve with spiced vinegar, or melted butter. This is called kipper herrings.
Cod Sounds.
Scald them, strip off the black skin and simmer them in water till tender; drain, flour, and broil them. Take a little brown gravy, add spiceries, a little soy and mustard, thicken it with flour and butter, boil it a little, put the sounds in a dish and pour the sauce over them.
Trout
Is done in like manner, and served with a sauce of chopped anchovies and capers, melted butter, pepper, salt, nutmeg and vinegar.
Mackarels
Are also done the same way, only they are first stuffed with the roes boiled and minced small, sweet herbs, spiceries, bread crumbs, and an egg; strew a little salt over, serve with melted butter and ketchup.
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