The "Queen" cookery books: Breakfast and Lunch Dishes

be added if liked. Now put the brawn into the brawn tin in spoonfuls, packing it well down as you do so, and pour on to it, little by little, the liquor in which it was cooked, which you have reduced by rapid boiling to about a pint. When tightly packed either screw it down (if packed in a proper brawn tin), increasing the pressure as the meat settles, or else put a plate into the tin with a heavy weight on it, and let it stand till set. The tin can then be dipped for a moment into hot water, and turned out like a jelly. Remember when choosing your brawn tin that it is better to have it rather narrow, as it is much easier to carve than when the brawn is too wide. It is impossible to say exactly how long the brawn will take to finish, as it must be very slowly simmered, and the ears and feet (which add largely to the jelly) take a considerable time to cook. Potted Head. — A homely dish, somewhat similar to brawn, and very popular in Scotland, is made from an ox’s or sheep’s head. For this take a whole or half a head, according to size, removing the brains ; wash the head thoroughly and soak both it and the foot for an hour or two in warm water ; then break up both and lay them in a pan with just enough water to cover them well. Bring to the boil, skim well, then draw to the side and simmer steadily, closely covered, till the bones will slip from the flesh. This, for a moderate head, takes about four hours. Now lift the meat out, remove the bones, cut it into dice, seasoning it as you do so with the following mixture : Two teaspoonfuls of salt, one of freshly ground black pepper, one of powdered allspice, and, if liked, a saltspoonful of cayenne. Return the meat to the pan, allow it to simmer uncovered for a few minutes, then pour it with its strained liquor into a wetted basin or mould, and leave till set. If liked, the liquor may be sharply boiled up to reduce it whilst the meat is being cut uj). Sheep’s head is also good this way, but then add the tongue. Tongue, to Boil. — A plainly-pickled tongue only needs soaking for an hour or so, but if smoked will need several hours. Trim it neatly at the root, wash it well, and put it on in enough cold water to cover it well ; bring gently to the boil, skim well, add a few slices of onion and carrot and a good bunch of herbs with a few peppercorns ; draw it aside and allow it to simmer very gently for three or four hours according to size ; then lift it out, skin it carefully, set it out straight on a boai'd, fastening it down at root and tip with fine skewers to keep it in shape, and leave it till cold, when it is taken up, trimmed and glazed, or not, as preferred. A good deal of fat must be trimmed olf as a rule, but this is a matter of taste. Some people roll the tongue whilst hot, tying it into shape with a broad tape, and weighting it between two plates till firmly set; or it may be rolled tightly and packed into a round tin which fits it exactly, a little of the extra fat being rolled in the middle to make it the right size. When quite set and cold it is turned out and glazed.