A year's cookery

For the Day.— Two moderate-sized Mackerel (April 4th) ; two pounds of Shin of Beef, to make stock from fresh meat. If preferred, half beef and half veal can be used. Carrots; Turnip; Onion; Leek; Celery-seed. Bouquet garni. A slice of lean Veal from the fillet, weighing about three pounds (February 25th) ; Potatoes. For To-morrow.—' Three or four ripe Tomatoes ; half a pound of Bacon. Order two Ox-tails. These are usually cheap at this time of the year, because they will not keep. Four pennyworth of Cream, or a tin of Devonshire Cream, if permitted. Breakfast. — Anchovies and Hard-boiled Eggs (January 18th); Potted Tongue (Note 5, September 2.6th) j Rice and Barley (June 15th), Luncheon.— Baked Mackerel (April 15th) ; Gingerbread Pudding (May 20th). Dinner. — Clear Soup may be made from fresh meat stock, or by using Liebig’s Extract of Meat without any stock (Eeb. 15th), or it may, with care and skill, be made from fresh meat without needing clarification. Clear Soup made at once from Fresh Meat. — Allow a pint of water for each pound of beef and one pint over. For brown soup shin of beef is usually taken, though finer soup would be made from buttock steak ; for white soup knuckle of veal is required, and a slice of lean ham is an improvement to both. Cut the meat, free from fat, into small pieces, and lay these at the bottom of a stewpan, with a slice of fresh butter. Cover the pan, and let the meat brown on both sides, but be careful to move it about, that it may not stick to the pan. Add enough hot water to cover the meat, and boil this quickly, still keeping the pan covered, till it is reduced to a kind of brown gum, then add cold water, a little at a time, bringing the liquor gently to the point of boiling ; skim it most carefully until the right quantity of water is used. The gradual addition of the cold water will help the scum to rise. Add the vegetables (scalded) and flavouring ingredients ; draw the pan back, and simmer gently for about three hours. Strain the liquor through a jelly-bag without squeezing the meat at all, put the stock into a bowl, and when it is cool free it from fat, and pour it away from any sediment that may have settled at the bottom. The meat will be very good served with vegetables. ''.To make Stock from Fresh Meat. — Take beef or veal, or a mixture of both, and allow the usual proportions — a pint to a pound and a pint over. Take away every particle of fat, and cut the meat into small dice. Put these into a stewpan, pour on the requisite quantity of cold water, and add a little salt. Put on the lid, bring the liquor quickly to a boil, skim it carefully, throw in the vegetables, and simmer gently for five hours, still skimming the liquor occasionally. A carrot, a turnip, a leek, a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, a bayleaf, two or three sticks of celery, and a pinch of herbs will be required for three pints of water. Strain the liquor through a sieve into a bowl, and when cold remove the fat from the top. The meat can be boiled again with fresh vegetables. If clear soup is to be made from stock thus prepared it must be clarified either with raw beef, as directed for Clear Soup or Julienne (April 9th), or, if this is considered too expensive, with white of eggs only.