The Pocumtuc Housewife, a Guide to Domestic Cookery as it is Practised in ...

Have the bars of the gridiron well greased with lard ; lay your fish on, flesh side down; when half done turn it and finish. When done pour over sweet cream if you have it, or spread over a little butter. Baking Meats Is one of the cheapest and most convenient ways of dressing a dinner for a small family. I do not deny the superior excellence of roasting, but some joints when baked so nearly approach to the same when roasted, that I have known them to be carried to the table and eaten as such with great satisfaction. A ham, if not too old, put in soak for an hour, dried, and covered all over with a crust and baked in a moderate oven, cuts fuller of gravy, and of a finer flavor than a boiled one. I have been in the habit of baking small codfish and mackerel, eels when large and stuffed, herrings and sprats in a brown pan with vinegar and spice. Corned Beef. ^ For a hundred pounds of beef take seven pounds of salt, four pounds of brown sugar and four ounces of salt petre; mix together. Place a layer of the mixture at the bottom of the barrel, then a layer of beef and so on. A heavy weight should be placed on top. Pickled Pig's Feet. Scrape and wash the pig's feet, cover with salt and water; let stand two days then put in more salt and let stand two days more; boil about two hours, slip out the bones and pour vinegar ^over with a few cloves and a stick of cinnamon. Sausage. Little Mary Hawks Chop fresh pork fine. For twenty pounds of meat use seven ounces of salt, three ounces of sage, one and a half ounces of pepper. Put in bags or skins. Fry or bake. To Pickle Ham. ' Mrs. Chas. Jones To a hundred weight put eight pounds salt, six pounds sugar, four otmces salt petre, two ounces of saleratus and water enough to cover. Let them lie in the brine five or six weeks. Drain and smoke thoroughly. If the hams are then packed away in a bin of oats they will keep for months. Head Cheese. Boil head and cheeks until the meat drops from the bones. Chop fine, season high with salt, pepper, sage, (summer savory if you like). Put in a colander or cheese press, cover and put weights on top to drain it. When cold serve. Souse. Pigs feet, ears, skins, etc., should be scalded and cleaned. - Boil four or five hours, until very soft. Skim out and pack in a jar, throwing in cloves, salt, pepper, as it is put in. Put a plate and a weight on top. Pour over hot vinegar. Cut in slices, dip in flour, and fry brown. Tripe. Wash the tripe thoroughly. Cut in pieces and throw into lukewarm water for two hours. Have ready some boiling lime water. Plunge a piece of tripe on the prongs of a fork into the kettle. Fasten it on a board and scrape with a knife. If the lime water is strong enough it will be cleansed easily. If not add more lime. Throw into cold water to soak several days, changing the water. Then boil until it is so soft you can thrust a straw through it. Then put it in a weak brine, or if you wish to pickle it, put cloves, allspice and vinegar over it. How to Heat the Oven.