MISCELLANY 52
MRS BEETON’S PUDDINGS V
BAKED PLUM-PUDDING.
1324.
INGREDIENTS.—2 lbs. of flour, 1 lb. of currants, 1 lb. of raisins, 1 lb. of
suet, 2 eggs, 1 pint of milk, a few slices of candied peel.
Mode.—Chop the suet finely; mix with it the flour,
currants, stoned raisins, and candied peel; moisten with the well-beaten eggs,
and add sufficient milk to make the pudding of the consistency of very thick
batter. Put it into a buttered dish, and bake in a good oven from 2-1/4 to
2-1/2 hours; turn it out, strew sifted sugar over, and serve. For a very plain
pudding, use only half the quantity of fruit, omit the eggs, and substitute
milk or water for them. The above ingredients make a large family pudding; for
a small one, half the quantity would be found ample; but it must be baked quite
1-1/2 hour.
Time.—Large pudding, 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours; half the size,
1-1/2 hour.
Average
cost, 2s. 6d.
Sufficient for 9 or 10 persons.
Seasonable in winter.
[Illustration:
RAISIN-GRAPE.]
RAISIN
GRAPE.—All the kinds of raisins have much the same virtues; they are nutritive
and balsamic, but they are very subject to fermentation with juices of any
kind; and hence, when eaten immoderately, they often bring on colics. There are
many varieties of grape used for raisins; the fruit of Valencia is that mostly
dried for culinary purposes, whilst most of the table kinds are grown in
Malaga, and called Muscatels. The finest of all table raisins come from
Provence or Italy; the most esteemed of all are those of Roquevaire; they are
very large and very sweet. This sort is rarely eaten by any but the most
wealthy. The dried Malaga, or Muscatel raisins, which come to this country
packed in small boxes, and nicely preserved in bunches, are variable in their
quality, but mostly of a rich flavour, when new, juicy, and of a deep purple
hue.
AN
EXCELLENT PLUM-PUDDING, made without Eggs.
1325.
INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of flour, 6 oz. of raisins, 6 oz. of currants, 1/4 lb. of
chopped suet, 1/4 lb. of brown sugar, 1/4 lb. of mashed carrot, 1/4 lb. of
mashed potatoes, 1 tablespoonful of treacle, 1 oz. of candied lemon-peel, 1 oz.
of candied citron.
Mode.—Mix the flour, currants, suet, and sugar well
together; have ready the above proportions of mashed carrot and potato, which
stir into the other ingredients; add the treacle and lemon-peel; but put no
liquid in the mixture, or it will be spoiled. Tie it loosely in a cloth, or, if
put in a basin, do not quite fill it, as the pudding should have room to swell,
and boil it for 4 hours. Serve with brandy-sauce. This pudding is better for
being mixed over-night.
Time.—4 hours.
Average
cost, 1s. 6d.
Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.
Seasonable in winter.
AN UNRIVALLED PLUM-PUDDING.
1326.
INGREDIENTS.—1-1/2 lb. of muscatel raisins, 1-3/4 lb. of currants, 1 lb. of
sultana raisins, 2 lbs. of the finest moist sugar, 2 lbs. of bread crumbs, 16
eggs, 2 lbs. of finely-chopped suet, 6 oz. of mixed candied peel, the rind of 2
lemons, 1 oz. of ground nutmeg, 1 oz. of ground cinnamon, 1/2 oz. of pounded
bitter almonds, 1/4 pint of brandy.
Mode.—Stone and cut up the raisins, but do not chop them;
wash and dry the currants, and cut the candied peel into thin slices. Mix all
the dry ingredients well together, and moisten with the eggs, which should be
well beaten and strained, to the pudding; stir in the brandy, and, when all is
thoroughly mixed, well butter and flour a stout new pudding-cloth; put in the
pudding, tie it down very tightly and closely, boil from 6 to 8 hours, and
serve with brandy-sauce. A few sweet almonds, blanched and cut in strips, and
stuck on the pudding, ornament it prettily. This quantity may be divided and
boiled in buttered moulds. For small families this is the most desirable way,
as the above will be found to make a pudding of rather large dimensions.
Time.—6 to 8 hours. Average cost, 7s. 6d.
Seasonable in winter. Sufficient for 12 or 14 persons.
Note.—The muscatel raisins can be purchased at a cheap
rate loose (not in bunches): they are then scarcely higher in price than the
ordinary raisins, and impart a much richer flavour to the pudding.
[Illustration:
SULTANA GRAPE.]
SULTANA
GRAPE.—We have elsewhere stated that the small black grape grown in Corinth and
the Ionian Isles is, when dried, the common currant of the grocers' shops; the
white or yellow grape, grown in the same places, is somewhat larger than the
black variety, and is that which produces the Sultana raisin. It has been
called Sultana from its delicate qualities and unique growth: the finest are
those of Smyrna. They have not sufficient flavour and sugary properties to
serve alone for puddings and cakes, but they are peculiarly valuable for
mixing, that is to say, for introducing in company with the richer sorts of
Valencias or Muscatels. In white puddings, or cakes, too, where the whiteness
must be preserved, the Sultana raisin should be used. But the greatest value of
this fruit in the cuisine is that of its saving labour; for it has no
stones. Half Muscatels and half Sultanas are an admirable mixture for general
purposes.
A PLAIN CHRISTMAS PUDDING FOR CHILDREN.
1327.
INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of flour, 1 lb. of bread crumbs, 3/4 lb. of stoned raisins,
3/4 lb. of currants, 3/4 lb. of suet, 3 or 4 eggs, milk, 2 oz. of candied peel,
1 teaspoonful of powdered allspice, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt.
Mode.—Let the suet be finely chopped, the raisins stoned,
and the currants well washed, picked, and dried. Mix these with the other dry
ingredients, and stir all well together; beat and strain the eggs to the
pudding, stir these in, and add just sufficient milk to make it mix properly.
Tie it up in a well-floured cloth, put it into boiling water, and boil for at
least 5 hours. Serve with a sprig of holly placed in the middle of the pudding,
and a little pounded sugar sprinkled over it.
Time.—5 hours. Average cost, 1s. 9d.
Sufficient for 9 or 10 children. Seasonable at Christmas.
RAISINS.—Raisins
are grapes, prepared by suffering them to remain on the vine until they are
perfectly ripe, and then drying them in the sun or by the heat of an oven. The
sun-dried grapes are sweet, the oven-dried of an acid flavour. The common way
of drying grapes for raisins is to tie two or three bunches of them together,
whilst yet on the vine, and dip them into a hot lixivium of wood-ashes mixed
with a little of the oil of olives: this disposes them to shrink and wrinkle,
after which they are left on the vine three or four days, separated, on sticks
in a horizontal situation, and then dried in the sun at leisure, after being
cut from the tree.
CHRISTMAS PLUM-PUDDING.
(Very
Good.)
1328.
INGREDIENTS.—1-1/2 lb. of raisins, 1/2 lb. of currants, 1/2 lb. of mixed peel,
3/4 lb. of bread crumbs, 3/4 lb. of suet, 8 eggs, 1 wineglassful of brandy.
[Illustration:
CHRISTMAS PLUM-PUDDING IN MOULD.]
Mode.—Stone and cut the raisins in halves, but do not chop
them; wash, pick, and dry the currants, and mince the suet finely; cut the
candied peel into thin slices, and grate down the bread into fine crumbs. When
all these dry ingredients are prepared, mix them well together; then moisten
the mixture with the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the brandy; stir
well, that everything may be very thoroughly blended, and press the
pudding into a buttered mould; tie it down tightly with a floured cloth, and
boil for 5 or 6 hours. It may be boiled in a cloth without a mould, and will
require the same time allowed for cooking. As Christmas puddings are usually
made a few days before they are required for table, when the pudding is taken
out of the pot, hang it up immediately, and put a plate or saucer underneath to
catch the water that may drain from it. The day it is to be eaten, plunge it
into boiling water, and keep it boiling for at least 2 hours; then turn it out
of the mould, and serve with brandy-sauce. On Christmas-day a sprig of holly is
usually placed in the middle of the pudding, and about a wineglassful of brandy
poured round it, which, at the moment of serving, is lighted, and the pudding
thus brought to table encircled in flame.
Time.—5 or 6 hours the first time of boiling; 2 hours the
day it is to be served.
Average
cost, 4s.
Sufficient for a quart mould for 7 or 8 persons.
Seasonable on the 25th of December, and on various festive
occasions till March.
Note.—Five or six of these puddings should be made at one
time, as they will keep good for many weeks, and in cases where unexpected
guests arrive, will be found an acceptable, and, as it only requires warming
through, a quickly-prepared dish. Moulds of every shape and size are
manufactured for these puddings, and may be purchased of Messrs. R. & J.
Slack, 336, Strand.
BRANDY is
the alcoholic or spirituous portion of wine, separated from the aqueous part,
the colouring matter, &c., by distillation. The word is of German origin,
and in its German form, brantuein, signifies burnt wine, or wine that
has undergone the action of fire; brandies, so called, however, have been made
from potatoes, carrots, beetroot, pears, and other vegetable substances; but
they are all inferior to true brandy. Brandy is prepared in most wine
countries, but that of France is the most esteemed. It is procured not only by distilling
the wine itself, but also by fermenting and distilling the marc, or
residue of the pressings of the grape. It is procured indifferently from red or
white wine, and different wines yield very different proportions of it, the
strongest, of course, giving the largest quantity. Brandy obtained from marc
has a more acrid taste than that from wine. The celebrated brandy of Cognac, a
town in the department of Charente, and that brought from Andraye, seem to owe
their excellence from being made from white wine. Like other spirit, brandy is
colourless when recently distilled; by mere keeping, however, owing, probably,
to some change in the soluble matter contained in it, it acquires a slight
colour, which is much increased by keeping in casks, and is made of the
required intensity by the addition of burnt sugar or other colouring matter.
What is called British brandy is not, in fact, brandy, which is the
name, as we have said, of a spirit distilled from wine; but is a spirit
made chiefly from malt spirit, with the addition of mineral acids and various
flavouring ingredients, the exact composition being kept secret. It is
distilled somewhat extensively in this country; real brandy scarcely at all.
The brandies imported into England are chiefly from Bordeaux, Rochelle, and
Cognac.
A POUND PLUM-PUDDING.
1329.
INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of suet, 1 lb. of currants, 1 lb. of stoned raisins, 8 eggs,
1/2 grated nutmeg, 2 oz. of sliced candied peel, 1 teaspoonful of ground
ginger, 1/2 lb. of bread crumbs, 1/2 lb. of flour, 1/2 pint of milk.
[Illustration:
BAKED PUDDING OR CAKE-MOULD.]
Mode.—Chop the suet finely; mix with it the dry
ingredients; stir these well together, and add the well-beaten eggs and milk to
moisten with. Beat up the mixture well, and should the above proportion of milk
not be found sufficient to make it of the proper consistency, a little more
should be added. Press the pudding into a mould, tie it in a floured cloth, and
boil for 5 hours, or rather longer, and serve with brandy-sauce.
Time.—5 hours, or longer. Average cost, 3s.
Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable in winter.
Note.—The above pudding may be baked instead of boiled; it
should be put into a buttered mould or tin, and baked for about 2 hours; a
smaller one would take about 1-1/4 hour.
CITRON.—The
fruit of the citron-tree (Citrus medica) is acidulous, antiseptic, and
antiscorbutic: it excites the appetite, and stops vomiting, and, like
lemon-juice, has been greatly extolled in chronic rheumatism, gout, and scurvy.
Mixed with cordials, it is used as an antidote to the machineel poison.
The candied peel is prepared in the same manner as orange or lemon-peel; that
is to say, the peel is boiled in water until quite soft, and then suspended in
concentrated syrup (in the cold), after which it is either dried in a current
of warm air, or in a stove, at a heat not exceeding 120° Fahrenheit. The syrup
must be kept fully saturated with sugar by reboiling it once or twice during
the process. It may be dusted with powdered lump sugar, if necessary. The citron
is supposed to be the Median, Assyrian, or Persian apple of the Greeks. It is
described by Risso as having a majestic appearance, its shining leaves and rosy
flowers being succeeded by fruit whose beauty and size astonish the observer,
whilst their odour gratifies his senses. In China there is an enormous variety,
but the citron is cultivated in all orange-growing countries.
PLUM-PUDDING OF FRESH FRUIT.
1330.
INGREDIENTS.—3/4 lb. of suet crust No. 1-1/2 pint of Orleans or any other kind
of plum, 1/4 lb. of moist sugar.
Mode.—Line a pudding-basin with suet crust rolled out to
the thickness of about 1/2 inch; fill the basin with the fruit, put in the
sugar, and cover with crust. Fold the edges over, and pinch them together, to
prevent the juice escaping. Tie over a floured cloth, put the pudding into
boiling water, and boil from 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Turn it out of the basin, and
serve quickly.
Time.—2 to 2-1/2 hours.
Average
cost, 10d.
Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.
Seasonable, with various kinds of plums, from the beginning of
August to the beginning of October.
[Illustration:
PLUM.]
PLUMS.—Almost
all the varieties of the cultivated plum are agreeable and refreshing: it is
not a nourishing fruit, and if indulged in to excess, when unripe, is almost
certain to cause diarrhoea and cholera. Weak and delicate persons had better
abstain from plums altogether. The modes of preparing plums are as numerous as
the varieties of the fruit. The objections raised against raw plums do not
apply to the cooked fruit, which even the invalid may eat in moderation.
PLUM TART.
1331.
INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of good short crust No. 1211, 1-1/2 pint of plums, 1/4 lb.
of moist sugar.
[Illustration:
PLUM TART.]
Mode.—Line the edges of a deep tart-dish with crust made
by recipe No. 1211; fill the dish with plums, and place a small cup or jar,
upside down, in the midst of them. Put in the sugar, cover the pie with crust,
ornament the edges, and bake in a good oven from 1/2 to 3/4 hour. When
puff-crust is preferred to short crust, use that made by recipe No. 1206, and
glaze the top by brushing it over with the white of an egg beaten to a stiff
froth with a knife; sprinkle over a little sifted sugar, and put the pie in the
oven to set the glaze.
Time.—1/2 to 3/4 hour. Average cost, 1s.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
Seasonable, with various kinds of plums, from the beginning of
August to the beginning of October.
TO ICE OR GLAZE PASTRY.
1334. To
glaze pastry, which is the usual method adopted for meat or raised pies, break
an egg, separate the yolk from the white, and beat the former for a short time.
Then, when the pastry is nearly baked, take it out of the oven, brush it over
with this beaten yolk of egg, and put it back in the oven to set the glaze.
1335. To
ice pastry, which is the usual method adopted for fruit tarts and sweet dishes
of pastry, put the white of an egg on a plate, and with the blade of a knife
beat it to a stiff froth. When the pastry is nearly baked, brush it over with
this, and sift over some pounded sugar; put it back into the oven to set the
glaze, and, in a few minutes, it will be done. Great care should be taken that
the paste does not catch or burn in the oven, which it is very liable to do
after the icing is laid on.
Sufficient—Allow 1 egg and 1-1/8 oz. of sugar to glaze 3 tarts.
[Illustration:
SUGAR CANES.]
SUGAR has
been happily called "the honey of reeds." The sugar-cane appears to
be originally a native of the East Indies. The Chinese have cultivated it for
2,000 years. The Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Jews knew nothing about it. The
Greek physicians are the first who speak of it. It was not till the year 1471
that a Venetian discovered the method of purifying brown sugar and making loaf
sugar. He gained an immense fortune by this discovery. Our supplies are now
obtained from Barbadoes, Jamaica, Mauritius, Ceylon, the East and West Indies
generally, and the United States; but the largest supplies come from Cuba.
Sugar is divided into the following classes:—Refined sugar, white clayed, brown
clayed, brown raw, and molasses. The sugarcane grows to the height of six,
twelve, or even sometimes twenty feet. It is propagated from cuttings, requires
much hoeing and weeding, giving employment to thousands upon thousands of
slaves in the slave countries, and attains maturity in twelve or thirteen
months. When ripe, it is cut down close to the stole, the stems are divided
into lengths of about three feet, which are made up into bundles, and carried
to the mill, to be crushed between rollers. In the process of crushing, the
juice runs down into a reservoir, from which, after a while, it is drawn
through a siphon; that is to say, the clear fluid is taken from the scum. This
fluid undergoes several processes of drying and refining; the methods varying
in different manufactories. There are some large establishments engaged in
sugar-refining in the neighbourhoods of Blackwall and Bethnal Green, London.
The process is mostly in the hands of German workmen. Sugar is adulterated with
fine sand and sawdust. Pure sugar is highly nutritious, adding to the fatty
tissue of the body; but it is not easy of digestion.
BAKED RAISIN PUDDING.
(Plain
and Economical.)
1336.
INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of flour, 3/4 lb. of stoned raisins, 1/2 lb. of suet, a
pinch of salt, 1 oz. of sugar, a little grated nutmeg, milk.
Mode.—Chop the suet finely; stone the raisins and cut them
in halves; mix these with the suet, add the salt, sugar, and grated nutmeg, and
moisten the whole with sufficient milk to make it of the consistency of thick
batter. Put the pudding into a buttered pie-dish, and bake for 1-1/2 hour, or
rather longer. Turn it out of the dish, strew sifted sugar over, and serve.
This is a very plain recipe, and suitable where there is a family of children.
It, of course, can be much improved by the addition of candied peel, currants,
and rather a larger proportion of suet: a few eggs would also make the pudding
richer.
Time.—1-1/2 hour. Average cost, 9d.
Sufficient for 7 or 8 persons. Seasonable in winter.
INTRODUCTION
OF SUGAR.—Sugar was first known as a drug, and used by the apothecaries, and
with them was a most important article. At its first appearance, some said it
was heating; others, that it injured the chest; others, that it disposed
persons to apoplexy; the truth, however, soon conquered these fancies, and the
use of sugar has increased every day, and there is no household in the
civilized world which can do without it.
BOILED RAISIN PUDDING.
(Plain
and Economical.)
1337.
INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. of stoned raisins, 1/2 lb. of chopped
suet, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, milk.
Mode.—After having stoned the raisins and chopped the suet
finely, mix them with the flour, add the salt, and when these dry ingredients
are thoroughly mixed, moisten the pudding with sufficient milk to make it into
rather a stiff paste. Tie it up in a floured cloth, put it into boiling water,
and boil for 4 hours: serve with sifted sugar. This pudding may, also, be made
in a long shape, the same as a rolled jam-pudding, and will then not require so
long boiling;—2-1/2 hours would then be quite sufficient.
Time.—Made round, 4 hours; in a long shape, 2-1/2 hours.
Average
cost, 9d.
Sufficient for 8 or 9 persons. Seasonable in winter.
BOILED RHUBARB PUDDING.
1338.
INGREDIENTS.—4 or 5 sticks of fine rhubarb, 1/4 lb. of moist sugar, 3/4 lb. of
suet-crust No. 1215.
Mode.—Make a suet-crust with 3/4 lb. of flour, by recipe
No. 1215, and line a buttered basin with it. Wash and wipe the rhubarb, and, if
old, string it—that is to say, pare off the outside skin. Cut it into inch
lengths, fill the basin with it, put in the sugar, and cover with crust. Pinch
the edges of the pudding together, tie over it a floured cloth, put it into
boiling water, and boil from 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Turn it out of the basin, and
serve with a jug of cream and sifted sugar.
Time.—2 to 2-1/2 hours. Average cost, 7d.
Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable in spring.
RHUBARB TART.
1339.
INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of puff-paste No. 1206, about 5 sticks of large rhubarb,
1/4 lb. of moist sugar.
Mode.—Make a puff-crust by recipe No. 1206; line the edges
of a deep pie-dish with it, and wash, wipe, and cut the rhubarb into pieces
about 1 inch long. Should it be old and tough, string it, that is to say, pare
off the outside skin. Pile the fruit high in the dish, as it shrinks very much
in the cooking; put in the sugar, cover with crust, ornament the edges, and
bake the tart in a well-heated oven from 1/2 to 3/4 hour. If wanted very nice,
brush it over with the white of an egg beaten to a stiff froth, then sprinkle
on it some sifted sugar, and put it in the oven just to set the glaze: this
should be done when the tart is nearly baked. A small quantity of lemon-juice,
and a little of the peel minced, are by many persons considered an improvement
to the flavour of rhubarb tart.
Time.—1/2 to 3/4 hour. Average cost, 9d.
Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Seasonable in spring.
[Illustration:
RHUBARB.]
RHUBARB.—This
is one of the most useful of all garden productions that are put into pies and
puddings. It was comparatively little known till within the last twenty or
thirty years, but it is now cultivated in almost every British garden. The part
used is the footstalks of the leaves, which, peeled and cut into small pieces,
are put into tarts, either mixed with apples or alone. When quite young, they
are much better not peeled. Rhubarb comes in season when apples are going out.
The common rhubarb is a native of Asia; the scarlet variety has the finest
flavour. Turkey rhubarb, the well-known medicinal drug, is the root of a very
elegant plant (Rheum palmatum), coming to greatest perfection in
Tartary. For culinary purposes, all kinds of rhubarb are the better for being
blanched.
BAKED RICE PUDDING.
I.
1342.
INGREDIENTS.—1 small teacupful of rice, 4 eggs, 1 pint of milk, 2 oz. of fresh
butter, 2 oz. of beef marrow, 1/4 lb. of currants, 2 tablespoonfuls of brandy,
nutmeg, 1/4 lb. of sugar, the rind of 1/2 lemon.
Mode.—Put the lemon-rind and milk into a stewpan, and let
it infuse till the milk is well flavoured with the lemon; in the mean time,
boil the rice until tender in water, with a very small quantity of salt, and,
when done, let it be thoroughly drained. Beat the eggs, stir to them the milk,
which should be strained, the butter, marrow, currants, and remaining
ingredients; add the rice, and mix all well together. Line the edges of the
dish with puff-paste, put in the pudding, and bake for about 3/4 hour in a slow
oven. Slices of candied-peel may be added at pleasure, or Sultana raisins may
be substituted for the currants.
Time.—3/4 hour. Average cost, 1s. 3d.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.
Seasonable.—Suitable for a winter pudding, when fresh fruits are
not obtainable.
RICE, with
proper management in cooking it, forms a very valuable and cheap addition to
our farinaceous food, and, in years of scarcity, has been found eminently
useful in lessening the consumption of flour. When boiled, it should be so
managed that the grains, though soft, should be as little broken and as dry as
possible. The water in which it is dressed should only simmer, and not boil
hard. Very little water should be used, as the grains absorb a great deal, and,
consequently, swell much; and if they take up too much at first, it is
difficult to get rid of it. Baking it in puddings is the best mode of preparing
it.
II.
(Plain
and Economical; a nice Pudding for Children.)
1343.
INGREDIENTS.—1 teacupful of rice, 2 tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, 1 quart of
milk, 1/2 oz. of butter or 2 small tablespoonfuls of chopped suet, 1/2
teaspoonful of grated nutmeg.
Mode.—Wash the rice, put it into a pie-dish with the
sugar, pour in the milk, and stir these ingredients well together; then add the
butter cut up into very small pieces, or, instead of this, the above proportion
of finely-minced suet; grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake the
pudding, in a moderate oven, from 1-1/2 to 2 hours. As the rice is not
previously cooked, care must be taken that the pudding be very slowly baked, to
give plenty of time for the rice to swell, and for it to be very thoroughly
done.
Time.—1-1/2 to 2 hours. Average cost, 7d.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 children. Seasonable at any time.
PLAIN BOILED RICE PUDDING.
1344.
INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of rice.
Mode.—Wash the rice, tie it in a pudding-cloth, allowing
room for the rice to swell, and put it into a saucepan of cold water; boil it
gently for 2 hours, and if, after a time, the cloth seems tied too loosely,
take the rice up and tighten the cloth. Serve with sweet melted butter, or cold
butter and sugar, or stewed fruit, jam, or marmalade; any of which accompaniments
are suitable for plain boiled rice.
Time.—2 hours after the water boils. Average cost,
2d.
Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
BOILED RICE PUDDING.
I.
1345.
INGREDIENTS.—1/4 lb. of rice, 1-1/2 pint of new milk, 2 oz. of butter, 4 eggs,
1/2 saltspoonful of salt, 4 large tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, flavouring to
taste.
Mode.—Stew the rice very gently in the above proportion of
new milk, and, when it is tender, pour it into a basin; stir in the butter, and
let it stand to cool; then beat the eggs, add these to the rice with the sugar,
salt, and any flavouring that may be approved, such as nutmeg, powdered
cinnamon, grated lemon-peel, essence of bitter almonds, or vanilla. When all is
well stirred, put the pudding into a buttered basin, tie it down with a cloth,
plunge it into boiling water, and boil for 1-1/4 hour.
Time.—1-1/4 hour. Average cost, 1s.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
VARIETIES OF
RICE.—Of the varieties of rice brought to our market, that from Bengal is
chiefly of the species denominated cargo rice, and is of a coarse
reddish-brown cast, but peculiarly sweet and large-grained; it does not readily
separate from the husk, but it is preferred by the natives to all the others. Patua
rice is more esteemed in Europe, and is of very superior qualify; it is
small-grained, rather long and wiry, and is remarkably white. The Carolina
rice is considered as the best, and is likewise the dearest in London.
II.
(With
Dried or Fresh fruit; a nice dish for the Nursery.)
1346.
INGREDIENTS.—1/2 lb. of rice, 1 pint of any kind of fresh fruit that may be
preferred, or 1/2 lb. of raisins or currants.
Mode.—Wash the rice, tie it in a cloth, allowing room for
it to swell, and put it into a saucepan of cold water; let it boil for an hour,
then take it up, untie the cloth, stir in the fruit, and tie it up again
tolerably tight, and put it into the water for the remainder of the time. Boil
for another hour, or rather longer, and serve with sweet sauce, if made with
dried fruit, and with plain sifted sugar and a little cream or milk, if made
with fresh fruit.
Time.—1 hour to boil the rice without the fruit; 1 hour,
or longer, afterwards.
Average
cost, 6d.
Sufficient for 6 or 7 children. Seasonable at any time.
Note.—This
pudding is very good made with apples: they should be pared cored, and cut into
thin slices.
BUTTERED RICE.
1349.
INGREDIENTS.—1/4 lb. of rice, 1-1/2 pint of milk, 2 oz. of butter, sugar to
taste, grated nutmeg or pounded cinnamon.
Mode.—Wash and pick the rice, drain and put it into a
saucepan with the milk; let it swell gradually, and, when tender, pour off the
milk; stir in the butter, sugar, and nutmeg or cinnamon, and, when the butter
is thoroughly melted, and the whole is quite hot, serve. After the milk is
poured off, be particular that the rice does not burn: to prevent this, do not
cease stirring it.
Time.—About 3/4 hour to swell the rice.
Average
cost, 7d.
Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Seasonable at any time.
RICE was held in great esteem by the ancients: they considered it as a
very beneficial food for the chest; therefore it was recommended in cases of
consumption, and to persons subject to spitting of blood.
SWEET CASSEROLE OF RICE (an Entremets).
1351.
INGREDIENTS.—1-1/2 lb. of rice, 3 pints of milk, sugar to taste, flavouring of
bitter almonds, 3 oz. of butter, the yolks of 3 eggs.
Mode.—This is made in precisely the same manner as a
savoury casserole, only substituting the milk and sugar for the stock and salt.
Put the milk into a stewpan, with sufficient essence of bitter almonds to
flavour it well; then add the rice, which should be washed, picked, and
drained, and let it swell gradually in the milk over a slow fire. When it is
tender, stir in the sugar, butter, and yolks of eggs; butter a mould, press in
the rice, and proceed in exactly the same manner as in recipe No. 1350. When
the casserole is ready, fill it with a compôte of any fruit that may be
preferred, or with melted apricot-jam, and serve.
Time.—From 3/4 to 1 hour to swell the rice, 1/2 to 3/4
hour to bake the casserole.
Average
cost, exclusive of the compôte or
jam, 1s. 9d.
Sufficient for 2 casseroles.
Seasonable at any time.
FRENCH RICE PUDDING, or GATEAU DE RIZ.
1352.
INGREDIENTS.—To every 1/4 lb. of rice allow 1 quart of milk, the rind of 1
lemon, 1/2 teaspoonful of salt, sugar to taste, 4 oz. of butter, 6 eggs, bread
crumbs.
Mode.—Put the milk into a stewpan with the lemon-rind, and
let it infuse for 1/2 hour, or until the former is well flavoured; then take
out the peel; have ready the rice washed, picked, and drained; put it into the
milk, and let it gradually swell over a very slow fire. Stir in the butter,
salt, and sugar, and when properly sweetened, add the yolks of the eggs, and
then the whites, both of which should be well beaten, and added separately to
the rice. Butter a mould, strew in some fine bread crumbs, and let them be
spread equally over it; then carefully pour in the rice, and bake the pudding
in a slow oven for 1 hour. Turn it out of the mould, and garnish the
dish with preserved cherries, or any bright-coloured jelly or jam. This pudding
would be exceedingly nice, flavoured with essence of vanilla.
Time.—3/4 to 1 hour for the rice to swell; to be baked 1
hour in a slow oven.
Average
cost, 1s. 8d.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
BAKED OR BOILED GROUND RICE PUDDING.
1353.
INGREDIENTS.—2 pints of milk, 6 tablespoonfuls of ground rice, sugar to taste,
4 eggs, flavouring of lemon-rind, nutmeg, bitter almonds or bay-leaf.
Mode.—Put 1-1/2 pint of the milk into a stewpan, with any
of the above flavourings, and bring it to the boiling-point, and, with the
other 1/2 pint of milk, mix the ground rice to a smooth batter; strain the
boiling milk to this, and stir over the fire until the mixture is tolerably
thick; then pour it into a basin, leave it uncovered, and when nearly or quite
cold, sweeten it to taste, and add the eggs, which should be previously well
beaten, with a little salt. Put the pudding into a well-buttered basin, tie it
down with a cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and boil for 1-1/2 hour. For a
baked pudding, proceed in precisely the same manner, only using half the above
proportion of ground rice, with the same quantity of all the other ingredients:
an hour will bake the pudding in a moderate oven. Stewed fruit, or preserves,
or marmalade, may be served with either the boiled or baked pudding, and will
be found an improvement.
Time.—1-1/2 hour to boil, 1 hour to bake. Average cost,
10d.
Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
ICED RICE PUDDING.
1354.
INGREDIENTS.—6 oz. of rice, 1 quart of milk, 1/2 lb. of sugar, the yolks of 6
eggs, 1 small teaspoonful of essence of vanilla.
Mode.—Put the rice into a stewpan, with the milk and
sugar, and let these simmer over a gentle fire until the rice is sufficiently
soft to break up into a smooth mass, and should the milk dry away too much, a
little more may be added. Stir the rice occasionally, to prevent its burning, then
beat it to a smooth mixture; add the yolks of the eggs, which should be well
whisked, and the vanilla (should this flavouring not be liked, essence of
bitter almonds may be substituted for it); put this rice custard into the
freezing-pot, and proceed as directed in recipe No. 1290. When wanted for
table, turn the pudding out of the mould, and pour over the top, and round it,
a compôte of oranges, or any other fruit that may be preferred, taking
care that the flavouring in the pudding harmonizes well with the fruit that is
served with it.
Time.—1/2 hour to freeze the mixture.
Average
cost, 1s. 6d.; exclusive of the compôte,
1s. 4d.
Seasonable.—Served all the year round.
MINIATURE RICE PUDDINGS.
1355.
INGREDIENTS.—1/4 lb. of rice, 1-1/2 pint of milk, 2 oz. of fresh butter, 4
eggs, sugar to taste; flavouring of lemon-peel, bitter almonds, or vanilla; a
few strips of candied peel.
Mode.—Let the rice swell in 1 pint of the milk over a slow
fire, putting with it a strip of lemon-peel; stir to it the butter and the
other 1/2 pint of milk, and let the mixture cool. Then add the well-beaten
eggs, and a few drops of essence of almonds or essence of vanilla, whichever
may be preferred; butter well some small cups or moulds, line them with a few
pieces of candied peel sliced very thin, fill them three parts full, and bake
for about 40 minutes; turn them out of the cups on to a white d'oyley, and
serve with sweet sauce. The flavouring and candied peel might be omitted, and
stewed fruit or preserve served instead, with these puddings.
Time.—40 minutes. Average cost, 1s.
Sufficient for 6 puddings. Seasonable at any time.
