The complete cook book

your crabs cut in pieces, a can of okra and a quart of stock. Season with thyme, bay leaves, red and black pepper, and salt to taste, and let it simmer until done. CLAM STEW. Steam clams in their shells for five minutes. When the shells begin to open take from the fire and open them, being careful to save the juice. Make by the same receipt as for oyster soup. OXTAIL STEW. An ox tail makes a very rich stew, and they may be purchased cheaply, as a rule. It may not be generally known that we are indebted to the Huguenot refugees, who went to England after the revocation of the edict of Nantes, for finding out the virtues of the tail, head, and feet of animals. Before that time they were not considered worth the trouble of preparation; but these poor people, often distressed for food, used to buy them for a trifle, and taught the English many of the nourishing and tasty dishes which they now enjoy. An ox tail is so full of flavor that it requires no vegetable stewed with it but an onion. It should be cut into lengths and fried ; the onion, cut into slices, may also be fried, because it will color the gravy so nicely; pepper and salt are added ; then the pieces of tail are put into a Nottingham jar covered with water, and stewed in the oven very slowly three hours. Before serving, the gravy may be thickened with flour stirred with cold water, and just a dash of ketchup; an ounce of flour will thicken a quart of gravy. The stew can be served on a hot dish, garnished with sippets of toast. Oxtail soup is very much the same as stew, inasmuch as the pieces of tail are served in the soup, but more water must be allowed. BKUNSWICK STEW. Take two chickens, or three or four squirrels, or a twenty-five-cent shank of beef. Let them boil in water. Cook one pint of butter beans and one quart of 32 The Complete Cook Book. tomatoes, one-half pint of potatoes cooked and mashed ■with the meat. When done, add one dozen ears corn, one dozen large tomatoes and one pound butter. Take out chicken, squirrel or beef, cut in small pieces and put hack; one loaf of bread and two slices of middling are an improvement. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until it is well done and thick enough to be beaten with a fork. BRUNSWICK STEW. About four hours before dinner, put on two or three slices of bacon, two squirrels or chickens, one onion sliced, in one gallon water. Stew some time, then add one quart peeled tomatoes, two ears of grated com, three Irish potatoes sliced, and one handful butter beans, and part pod of red pepper. Stew altogether about one hour, till you can take out the bones. When done, put in one spoonful bread crumbs and one large spoonful butter. IRISH STEW. Take five pounds of tender lean beef, run it through a meat chopper, cover with cold water and cook slowly five hours. As soon as the meat has become thoroughly heated, stir in two tablespoonfuls of salt, and skim ferquently. When the meat has simmered three hours addjOne-quarter pound of butter and a little red and white pepper. If the water has cooked out and the stew is too dry, add boiling water. Add butter by degrees, and stir in slowly until one pound has been used. Stir frequently while cooking. Add seasoning if necessary and serve hot. If desired to serve a second time, add a little cream to make it sufficiently moist. SCOTCH HUNTING POTTAGE. After a day's hunting over the hills in the southwest of the Lowland counties, nothing can be better appreciated by a true Scotchman than the following soup: Deer is the main ingredient of this pottage. Take the less bloody part of the breast and neck of a fresh killed The Complete Cook Book. 33