It must be carefully jointed to prevent any difficulty in carving.

1044. The Neck and Breast.

The neck and breast are, in small families, commonly roasted together.

The cook will then crack the bones across the middle before they are put down to roast. If this is not done carefully, the joint is very troublesome to carve. Time for a breast, an hour and a quarter. The breast when eaten by itself is better stewed. It may be boned, rolled, and then roasted. A belly of pork is excellent in this way, when boned, stuffed, and roasted.

1045. A Haunch.

_i.e._, the leg and part of the loin of mutton. Send up two sauce-boats with it; one of rich-drawn mutton gravy, made without spice or herbs, and the other of sweet sauce. A haunch generally weighs about fifteen pounds, and requires about three hours and a half to roast it.

[THOUGHT IS THE MOST SWIFT OF ALL.]

1046. Mutton _(Venison fashion)_.

Take a neck of good four or five-year-old Southdown wether mutton, cut long in the bones; let it hang in mild weather, at least a week. Two days before you dress it, take allspice and black pepper, ground and pounded fine, a quarter of an ounce each, rub them together and then rub your mutton well with this mixture twice a day. When you dress it, wash off the spice with warm water, and roast it in paste.

1047. Veal

Veal requires particular care to roast it a nice brown. Let the fire be the same as for beef; a sound large fire for a large joint, and a brisker for a smaller; put it at some distance from the fire to soak thoroughly, and then draw it nearer to finish it brown. When first laid down it is to be basted; baste it again occasionally. When the veal is on the dish, pour over it half a pint of melted b.u.t.ter; if you have a little brown gravy by you, add that to the b.u.t.ter. With those joints which are not stuffed, send up forcemeat in b.a.l.l.s, or rolled into sausages, as garnish to the dish, or fried pork sausages. Bacon is always eaten with veal.

1048. Fillet of Veal.

Fillet of veal of from twelve to sixteen pounds, will require from four to five hours at a good fire: make some stuffing or forcemeat, and put it under the flap, that there may be some left to eat cold, or to season a hash: brown it, and pour good melted b.u.t.ter over it.

Garnish with thin slices of lemon, and cakes or b.a.l.l.s of stuffing, or duck stuffing, or fried pork sausages, curry sauce, bacon, &c.

1049. A Loin.

A loin is the best part of the calf, and will take about three hours roasting. Paper the kidney fat, and the back: some cooks send it up on a toast, which is eaten with the kidney and the fat of this part, which is more delicate than any marrow, &c. If there is more of it than you think will be eaten with the veal, before you roast it cut it out, it will make an excellent suet pudding: take care to have your fire long enough to brown the ends.

1050. A Shoulder of Veal

A shoulder of veal, from three hours to three hours and a half: stuff it with the forcemeat ordered for the fillet of veal, in the under side.

1051. Neck

Neck, best end, will take two hours. The scrag part is best made into a pie or broth. Breast, from an hour and a half to two hours. Let the caul remain till it is almost done, then take it off to brown the meat; baste, flour, and froth it.

1052. Veal Sweetbread.

Trim a fine sweetbread--it cannot be too fresh; parboil it for five minutes, and throw it into a basin of cold water; roast it plain, or beat up the yolk of an egg, and prepare some fine bread-crumbs. Or when the sweetbread is cold, dry it thoroughly in a cloth, run a lark spit or a skewer through it, and tie it on the ordinary spit; egg it with a paste brush, powder it well with bread-crumbs, and roast it.

For sauce, put fried bread-crumbs round it, and melted b.u.t.ter with a little mushroom ketchup and lemon juice, or serve on b.u.t.tered toast, garnished with egg sauce, or with gravy.

1053. Lamb

Lamb is a delicate, and commonly considered tender meat; but those who talk of tender lamb, while they are thinking of the age of the animal, forget that even a chicken must be kept a proper time after it has been killed, or it will be tough eating. To the usual accompaniments of roast meat, green mint sauce or a salad is commonly added: and some cooks, about five minutes before it is done, sprinkle it with a little minced parsley.

1054. Gra.s.s-Lamb.

Gra.s.s-Lamb is in season from Easter to Michaelmas.

1055. House-Lamb.

House-Lamb from Christmas to Lady-day.

1056. Mint.

When green mint cannot be got, mint vinegar is an acceptable subst.i.tute for it.

1057. Roasting a Hind-Quarter.

Hind-quarter of eight pounds will take from an hour and three-quarters to two hours; baste and froth it.

1058. Roasting a Fore-Quarter.

Fore-quarter of ten pounds, about two hours.

1059. Preparation.

It is a pretty general Custom, when you take off the shoulder from the ribs, to rub them with a lump of b.u.t.ter, and then to squeeze a lemon or Seville orange over them, and sprinkle them with a little pepper and salt.

[HOPE IS THE MOST COMMON OF ALL.]

1060. Roasting a Leg.

Leg of five pounds, from an hour to an hour and a half.

1061. Roasting a Shoulder.

Shoulder, with a quick fire, an hour.