Partridges, Stewed
INGREDI- ENTS for dish for 4 persons.-2 partridges, 1 lemon, a little fat bacon, 2 onions, 2 carrots, sliced, 1 onion stuck with 2 or 3 cloves, a little thyme, parsley, 2 bay-leaves, a glass of white wine, 1/2 pint of stock, butter, salt and pepper. AVERAGE COST, 4s.
Truss the birds with a small lump of butter inside, skewering the skin of the neck over it; place two slices of lemon on the breast of each, and cover with slices of bacon. Put the birds into a stewpan with STEWED PARTRIDGES. the other ingredients, and simmer for an hour, then drain, and take off the fat and the lemon just before serving. Strain the gravy, take off all the fat, and thicken with a little butter and flour; pour this sauce in an entrée dish, lay in the birds and garnish with some stewed mushrooms or a purée of green peas.
TIME.-1 hour to stew the birds.
SEASONABLE from September to March.
Paste, Common, for Family Pies. INGREDIENTS for paste for 2 pies of moderate size. -11 lb. of flour, lb. f butter or lard, rather more than pint of water.
AVERAGE COST, with lard, 6d., with, utter, 9d.
Rub the butter lightly into the flour, and mix it to a smooth paste with the water; PASTE, PUFF. roll it out 2 or 3 times, and it will be ready for use. This paste may be converted into an excellent short crust for sweet tart by adding to the flour, after the butter is rubbed in, 2 tablespoonfuls of fine sifted sugar.
Paste, Puff, French; or, Feuilletage. (Founded on M. UDE's Recipe). - INGREDIENTS. - Equal quantities of flour and butter-say 1 lb. of each ; 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, the yolks of 2 eggs, rather more than 1/1 pint of water. AVERAGE COST, 9d. per lb.
Weigh the flour; ascertain that it is perfectly dry, and sift it; squeeze all the water from the butter, and wring it in a clean cloth till there is no moisture remaining.
Put the flour on the paste-board, work lightly into it 2 oz. of the butter, and then make a hole in the centre; into this well put the yolks of 2 eggs, the salt and about 1/4 pint of water (the quantity of this latter ingredient must be regulated by the cook, as it is impossible to give the exact proportion of it); knead up the paste quickly and lightly, and, when quite smooth, roll it out square to the thickness of about 1/2 an inch.
Take care that the butter is perfectly free from moisture, and as cool as possible, roll it into a ball, and place this ball of butter on the paste; fold the paste over the butter all round, and secure it by wrapping it well all over. Flatten the paste by rolling it lightly with the rolling-pin until it is quite thin, but not thin enough to allow the butter to break through, and keep the board and paste dredged lightly with flour during the process of making it. This rolling gives it the first turn. Now fold the paste in three, and roll out again, and, should the weather be very warm, put it in a cold place on the ground to cool between the several turns; for, unless this is particularly attended to, the paste will be spoiled. Roll out the paste again twice, put it by to cool, then ro roll it out twice more, which will make six turnings in all. Now fold the paste in two, and it will be ready for use. If properly baked and well made, this crust will be delicious, and should rise in the oven about 4 or 5 inches. The paste should be made rather firm in the first instance, as the ball of butter is liable to break through. Great attention must also be paid to keeping the butter very cool, as, if this is in a liquid or soft state, the paste will not answer at all.
Should the cook be dexterous enough to succeed in making this, the paste will have a much better appearance than that made by the process of dividing the butter into 4 parts, and placing it over the rolled-out PASTE, PUFF. paste; but, until experienco has been acquired, we recommend puff-paste made by recipe. The above paste is used for volsau-vent, small articles of pastry, and, in fact, everything that requires very light crust.