Mrs Beetons Meat Recipes Revisited
Forcemeat
(for Veal, Turkeys, Fowls, Hare, etc.)
170g (6oz) Breadcrumbs
110g (4oz) Suet
50g (2oz) Ham or Lean Bacon
2 Eggs
1 tsp Parsley, minced
1 tsp Sweet Herbs, minced
½ Lemon, rind only
Salt, Cayenne and Pounded Mace to taste
Shred the ham or bacon, chop the suet, lemon rind and herbs, ensuring everything is very finely minced.
Add a seasoning to taste, of salt, cayenne and mace and blend all thoroughly together with the breadcrumbs, before wetting.
Beat and strain the eggs, work these up with the other ingredients and the forcemeat will be ready for use.
When it is made into balls, fry to a nice brown, in boiling lard {or cooking oil}, or put them on a baking tin and bake for 30 minutes in a moderate oven.
As we have stated before, no one flavour should predominate greatly and the forcemeat should be of sufficient body to cut with a knife and to test that they are not dry and heavy.
For very delicate forcemeat, it is advisable to pound the ingredients together before binding with the egg.
But for ordinary cooking, mincing very finely answers the purpose.
Sufficient for a turkey, a moderate-sized fillet of veal, or a hare.
Note: In forcemeat for hare, the liver of the animal is sometimes added.
Boil for 5 minutes, mince it very small and mix it with the other ingredients.
If it should be in an unsound state, it must be on no account made use of.
FORCEMEAT FOR VEAL, TURKEYS, FOWLS, HARE, &c.
417. INGREDIENTS - 2 oz. of ham or lean bacon, 1/4 lb. of suet, the rind of half a lemon, 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley, 1 teaspoonful of minced sweet herbs; salt, cayenne, and pounded mace to taste; 6 oz. of bread crumbs, 2 eggs.
Mode - Shred the ham or bacon, chop the suet, lemon-peel, and herbs, taking particular care that all be very finely minced; add a seasoning to taste, of salt, cayenne, and mace, and blend all thoroughly together with the bread crumbs, before wetting. Now beat and strain the eggs, work these up with the other ingredients, and the forcemeat will be ready for use. When it is made into balls, fry of a nice brown, in boiling lard, or put them on a tin and bake for 1/2 hour in a moderate oven. As we have stated before, no one flavour should predominate greatly, and the forcemeat should be of sufficient body to cut with a knife, and yet not dry and heavy. For very delicate forcemeat, it is advisable to pound the ingredients together before binding with the egg; but for ordinary cooking, mincing very finely answers the purpose.
Average cost, 8d.
Sufficient for a turkey, a moderate-sized fillet of veal, or a hare.
Note - In forcemeat for HARE, the liver of the animal is sometimes added. Boil for 5 minutes, mince it very small, and mix it with the other ingredients. If it should be in an unsound state, it must be on no account made use of.
Email: The Foody UK and Ireland
© Copyright The Delineator 2000-2007. All rights reserved