Larding
INGREDIENTS. and larding-needle. - Bacon Bacon for larding should be firm and fat and ought to be cured without any saltpetre, as this reddens white meats. Lay it on a table, the hands downwards; trim off any rusty part and cut it into slices of an equal thickness. Place the slices one on the top of another and cut them evenly into narrow strips, so arranging it that every piece of bacon is of the same size.
Bacon for fricandeaux, poultry and game, should be about 2 inches in length and rather more than one-eighth of an inch in width. If for larding fillets of beef or loin of veal, the pieces of bacon must be thicker.
The following recipe of Soyer is, we think, very explicit; and any cook, by following the directions here given, may be able to lard, if not well, sufficiently for general use:- "Have the fricandeaux trimmed; lay them lengthwise upon a clean napkin across your hand, forming a kind of bridge with your thumb at the part where you are about to LARK PIE. commence; then with the point of the larding-needle make three distinct lines across, inch apart; run the needle into the third line, at the farther side of the fricandeaux, and bring it out at the first, placing one of the lardoons in it; draw the needle through, BACON FO RLARDING, AND LARDING-NEEDLE. leaving out 1 inch of the bacon at each line; proceed thus to the end of the row; then make another line 1/2 inch distant, stick in another row of lardoons, bringing them out at the second line, leaving the ends of the bacon out all the same length; make the next row again at the same distance, bringing the ends out between the lardoons of the first row, proceeding in this manner until the whole surface is larded in chequered rows. Everything else is larded in a similar way; and, in the case of poultry, hold the breast over a charcoal fire for one minute, or dip it into boiling water, in order to make the flesh firm."
Lark Pie. INGREDIENTS for pie for 6 persons. A few thin slices of beef, the same of bacon, 9 larks, flour; for stuffing, 1 teacupful of bread-crumbs, teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley, 1 egg, salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoonful of chopped shalot, pint of weak stock or water, puff-paste.
AVERAGE COST, 3s.
Make a stuffing of bread-crumbs, minced lemon-peel, parsley and the yolk of an egg, all of which should be well mixed together; roll the larks in flour and stuff them. Line the bottom of a pie-dish with a few slices of beef and bacon; over these place the larks and season with salt, pepper, minced parsley and chopped shalot in the above proportion. Pour in the stock or water, cover with crust and bake for an hour in a moderate oven. During the time the pie is baking, shake it 2 or 3 times to assist in thickening the gravy, and serve very hot.
TIME.-1 hour.
SEASONABLE. -In full season in November