Meat Balls

A Victorian forcemeat ball, written for a cook who already knew what meat was in the larder and how hot the fat should be. Two things need attention: the size, and the missing quantities.

• The meat is unspecified"chop the meat as fine as for sausages" suggests raw butcher's meat, though cold cooked meat would also serve; beef, veal, mutton or a mixture are all plausible. As a starting point, roughly 1 lb of minced meat with 1/2 cup of fresh breadcrumbs and one egg gives a mixture that holds together.
• A goose's egg is very largeAbout 3 to 3 1/2 inches long and some 2 1/2 inches across, roughly 5 to 6 oz of mixture per ball. Balls that size will colour long before the centre is done; fry to brown the crust, then finish in a moderate (350F) oven until the middle reaches 165F. Balls of 1 1/2 to 2 oz cook through in the pan and are easier to serve.
• Spice quantitiesNone are given. For 1 lb of meat, 1/4 teaspoon each of ground mace and cloves is assertive but in period character; cloves in particular will dominate if you go further. Salt at about 1 teaspoon per pound.
• Mace is not nutmegIt is the outer aril of the same seed — lighter, more floral, less sweet. Ground mace is still sold; if you substitute nutmeg use rather less.
• The double coating"Rolled in crumbs of bread and egg" means the standard sequence — beaten egg first, then crumbs. A second pass of each gives a crust sturdy enough to survive the pan.
• Walnut ketchupNot a tomato product. It is a thin, dark, salty liquor made from green walnuts, closer to Worcestershire sauce or a mushroom ketchup, and a commercial version is still made in Britain. A tablespoon into a cup of hot meat gravy is enough; anchovy-based Worcestershire is the nearest substitute.
• Yield1 lb of meat makes three or four balls of the size specified, or eight to ten smaller ones -- a supper dish for four with the gravy and potatoes.