Jane Hamilton's recipes

Wash and cleanse the sturgeon properly, then parboil it and set it in a dish on the ice to use as you want it. If it is to be fried, cut it in slices about an inch thick; dip the slices in flour, put in salt and black pepper, and lay them in the frying-pan, (32) which should be of the proper heat, with some good lard in it for frying. When nearly done, put in a little flour; as soon as it is brown, add a little water for gravy. If the sturgeon is to be baked, rub a little salt on it and put it in an oven with some water ; a piece of sturgeon four inches thick is a nice size for baking. When the sturgeon is about half done, sprinkle flour all over it and add a large slice of butter ; when it is nearly done mix a little flour in a batter and stir it in the water and essence in which the sturgeon is baking to make the gravy, and put a sufficient seasoning of black pepper on the sturgeon. When the gravy is done, serve it up. (33) MEATS MEATS BAKED VEAL, LAMB, MUTTON, CHICKEN. Have the meats properly cleansed, wash them, rub salt on them, and put them in the oven with sufficient water, — say about three pints of water to a hind quarter of veal, a quart to a quarter of lamb or shoulder of mutton, less to chickens or ducks. The length of time it takes to bake a hind quarter of lamb of about ten pounds' weight is about two hours; veal of about ten pounds' weight, about two hours and a half; an ordinary sized shoulder of mutton takes about an hour and a half; ducks require about the same time; tender chickens will bake in half an hour. When chickens or ducks are baked, first see that they are properly cleansed, then stuff them with stale loaf bread mixed with butter and highly (37) seasoned with salt and black pepper. Ducks are sometimes seasoned with onions. When any of these meats are nearly done sprinkle a little flour on them, so as to have them a nice brown. Chicken and veal, unless they are very fat, require something to dress them with. Good sweet lard answers better for the veal than butter. The chickens require either butter or good fat bacon. About ten minutes before the meat is done, make up some batter and stir it in the water and juice in which the meat is baking, season the gravy with salt and black pepper, and also sprinkle black pepper on the meat. Veal and chicken require more than any other meat. Ducks and chickens should be killed the day before they are to be cooked. First pick off the feathers and cleanse them, then put them in salt water an hour or two, then put them in a dish and set them on ice until you are ready to use them. All kinds of fowls should be well done; it is better to have them rather overdone than underdone. Veal should be (38) cooked in the same manner. To frost veal or lamb mix flour and butter together and put over the meat just before sprinkling on flour. BLACK STEW.