A year's cookery

For To-morrow.— Cod’s Head and Shoulders ; one dozen large Oysters, or half a pint of picked Shrimps for sauce ; two pounds of crimped Skate ; Turnip Tops ; Potatoes ; Celery for the cheese ; a pennyworth of Parsley (see January 3rd) ; and a tin of Potted Hare (Bovill’s). Before choosing cod, see January 1st, 3rd, and 6th. If fresh oysters may not he afforded, tinned oysters may be used instead for sauce. Skate is generally sold cut into strips, and curled round, when it is called crimped skate. It should be chosen for its thickness, breadth, and firmness. A little piece of liver should be sold with it, as this is considered a delicacy. Skate is delicious fish at this time of year’ but it is positively injurious when out of season. Two ribs of Beef, honed and rolled by the butcher, to weigh about seven pounds. If preferred, a square piece of the brisket may he bought instead of the ribs. The butcher should be asked to provide beef that has been hung a few days. If freshly killed, the meat will not be tender. Good beef is firm and elastic to the touch. The lean is of a bright red colour, neither pink nor purple It should be well marked with little veins of fat. The fat should be white rather than yellow. Breakfast. — Kedgeree. — Pick tlie flesh of the fish from the bones, and break it into flakes free from skin and bone. Remove the skin from the rice also, and break it up with a fork. The fish and rice should be in about equal quantities. Melt a slice of butter in the frying-pan, throw in the rice and fish, and stir all briskly together till the mixture is quite hot, seasoning it rather highly with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Have ready two well-beaten eggs, stir them at the last moment into the kedgeree, and serve it very hot on a silver dish, if one is at hand. For Toasted Bacon, see January 19th. Biscuits and Milk (June 14tli) ; Scones (May 23rd). Luncheon. — Mutton Tart. — The cook should prepare the mutton early in the day, so that she may have time to make good gravy of the bones. First cut off the meat for the hash in neat slices, about a quarter of an inch thick, and put these on one side and between two dishes, to keep them from becoming hard. Take off the rest of the meat, that which has to be cut into small broken pieces, and mince it finely with a little of the fat, but without any skin and gristle. Break the bones into small pieces, put them into a saucepan, cover them with two quarts of cold water, and let them simmer as long as can be allowed. If an early dinner is served, it will be best to simmer them for an hour or two with a quart of water, and strain this off for the hash ; then boil them again with fresh water for stock. Flavour the mince with salt and pepper, a little grated nutmeg, and a very small piece of chopped onion, if liked. Make some good short crust (June 19th). Cover a large tart-dish with this, rolled to the thickness of the eighth of an inch. Lay the mince upon it, moisten it with cold gravy, and cover it with pastry. Ornament the tart prettily, cut a slit in the centre to allow the steam to escape, and bake in a well-heated oven. Serve hot, with a little of the gravy in a tureen. Baked Potatoes (May 4th) ; Normandy Pippins (August 16th).