The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c

If cooks, after removing the cake of fat, will simply boil the sauce again for half an hour or more, and then skim it or allow it to get cold, they will often find a cake of fat will settle on the top quite as thick as the previous one. When sauce is made in any quantity it is always best to let it simmer gently by the fireside, and constantly skim it while it simmers. The skimming need not be thrown away, as it will often settle, and at the bottom of the thick coating of fat will be found some of the sauce, which can be replaced the second day. One very delicious dish which is often met with in America, though not so often in this country, is curried oysters. Curried oysters are best made with good large-sized oysters. The Blue Points sold in this country now, and w’hich are very fairly cheap, make an admirable curry. The oysters should first be scalded in their own liquor, as follows : — Place them in a small stewpan, with sufficient liquor to cover them. Place the stewpan on the fire, watching it carefully, and the moment it boils take it off the fire, strain the oysters, and let them dry. When dry they should be floured and dipped in a well-beaten egg, and some breadcrumbs sprinkled over them. The breadcrumbs should be very fine, and the oysters, after they have been egged and breadcrumbed, should be set on one side till the egg and breadcrumbs become very dry. This is important. They should then be fried in smoking hot fat sufficiently long for the breadcrumbs to turn a nice bright golden-brown colour. The breadcrumbs when very dry will turn colour very quickly, which is what is wanted. If the oyster, after it has been covered with breadcrumbs, had been plunged into smoking hot fat in too moist a state it would require some time for the breadcrumbs to turn colour, the consequence being that the oyster will be hard, owing to its being exposed too long to the action of heat. When, therefore, fried oysters are served it is always best for the cook to prepare them early in the day, and to put them by to dry. Oysters should be piled up in the centre of a dish, and the curry sauce poured round, but not over them. Some fried parsley should also be mixed with the oysters, to be eaten with them, as well as to ornament them. Another very nice form of curry is curried sweetbreads. The sweetbreads should be first parboiled, and then thrown into water till they are quite cold. Next the cook should carefully remove all pieces of skin, flap, etc. One great drawback to sweetbreads carelessly prepared is the nasty pieces of skin that are so unpleasant when unfortunately they get into the mouth. After the sweetbread has been carefully trimmed it should be dipped in well-beaten egg and some breadcrumbs thrown over it. It should then be allowed, like the oysters, to dry. Sometimes it is advisable to egg and breadcrumb the sweetbreads twice over. By this means they get covered with a richer and thicker coat. Sweetbreads should be fried in smoking hot lard, and should be allowed to cook till they are a darker colour than fried oysters. A rich mahogany-brown is the colour to be desired. They will not spoil by being exposed to heat like oysters. Sweetbreads should be piled up in the centre of the dish, ornamented with fried parsley, and curry sauce poured round the base.