The handy dictionary of cookery

Take two cups of rice; wash it; put it into a pan with two pints of white stock, well flavoured. When it is quite soft and thick put it into a round shape and press firmly with a heavy weight ; when quite cold, remove it from the mould and roll it in a beaten egg ; toss it well in breadcrumbs ; leave it to stand twenty minutes; then egg and breadcrumb it again. Have ready a pan of hot fat. When the blue steam is seen to be rising from it put in the rice ; case and fry it a golden colour. Take four lambs’ sweetbreads ; wash them ; lay them in warm water for ten minutes ; put them into boiling water ; cook slowly ten minutes ; then plunge them into cold water to blanch them. Tear them into neat pieces with two silver forks ; toss each piece in a beaten egg; cover well with breadcrumbs. Make two ounces of butter hot in a frying-pan ; fry the sweetbreads in it a nice brown. Prepare a good sauce as follows : — Melt in a saucepan one ounce of butter ; stir into it one ounce of flour. Then add half a pint of stock, the juice from a tin of mushrooms, a little salt and pepper ; stir it to boiling ; let it boil without a lid five minutes. Then add twenty button mushrooms, a tablespoonful of truffles, and the fried sweetbreads ; simmer ten minutes. Cut the top off the rice case, and scoop out the centre ; pour the sweetbreads, truffles, and gravy into it. Serve hot. Castle Cream. Melt a quarter of an ounce of gelatine in a quarter of a pint of milk ; do not allow it to boil, or it will curdle. Make a custard with the yolks of three eggs and half a pint of milk ; pour the boiling milk over the beaten yolks ; stir carefully till thick. Allow it to cool ; then add it to the melted gelatine, which must also be cool. Wet a china mould ; ornament it with dried cherries cut in halves ; pour in a little of the custard, then some small squares of sponge cake, soaked in orange juice ; more fruit and cake till the mould is full ; pour in enough custard to fill the mould. Set aside to get cold ; turn out on a crystal dish ; ornament with dried fruit or red currant jelly. Cauliflower au Gratin. Take a boiled cauliflower ; then put into a saucepan one ounce of butter, and half an ounce of flour. Melt butter, beat flour in, quite smooth ; add a quarter of a pint of cold water, a little pepper, salt, two tablespoonfuls of cream. Grate two ounces of Parmesan cheese ; stir till it boils. Remove it from the fire ; put in half of the cheese ; place cauliflower on dish flower upwards. Pour this sauce over, smooth it ; sprinkle rest of cheese over. Place in a quick oven to brown, or use salamander. Serve quickly. Charlotte Russe. Take a round cake tin, half a pound of finger biscuits, half a pint of cream ; sugar and flavouring to taste. Put one ounce of gelatine into half a pint of milk to melt ; do not allow it to get very hot, or it will curdle. Whip up the cream stiffly ; add a tablespoonful of sugar, and eight drops of almond flavouring. Place the biscuits tightly and evenly round the mould, and decorate the bottom with dried cherries and angelica. When the melted gelatine is cool, add it to the cream and pour it in the centre of the mould. Set it aside in a cool place to stiffen. Chaud-Froid of Chicken.