Practical household cookery

Trim, wash, and thoroughly cleanse two good Savoy cabbages ; cut them in halves and boil them in water for fifteen minutes ; immerse them in cold water, then drain and dry them with a cloth; after which, cut the stalks away, season them with salt and pepper, and tie the two halves together with a string ; cover the bottom of a stewpan with six slices of fat bacon, place the cabbages on them, with a carrot, an onion stuck with three cloves, and a ** bouquet garni ; '' moisten with enough broth to cover the cabbages, and spread a buttered round of paper over the whole; let the stewpan boil, cover the stewpan .with the lid, and let it simmer by the side of the fire for about an hour ; then drain the cabbages on a sieve, remove the string, press the cabbages gently with a dish or board so as to make the top flat and enable them to be cut afterwards into square, oblong, round, or oval shapes, according to fancy or taste, and with them garnish the dish it is intended. 296. GARNISH OF STEWED RED CABBAGES. Trim, wash, and quarter a couple of red cabbages, shred them as if about to make pickled cabbage, then put about four ounces of butter in a stewpan with the cabbages, season with salt and pepper, add half a gill of vinegar, cover the stewpan with its lid, and set it on a moderate fire to simmer gently. Take care to give it an occasional stir with a wooden spoon. When the cabbages have been reduced to half their original quantity moisten with half a pint of ordinary stock ; if there is any skimming from the stock-pot, add it to it ; then let it again simmer for an hour ; after which, drain the cabbages on a sieve, press them in a clean cloth to extract the butter and fat, and use them as a garnish. 297. GARNISH OF SAUERKRAUT. Get two pounds of German sauer- kraut, wash it thoroughly in several waters and drain in a colander, then put it in a stewpan with one pound of streaky bacon, one quart of broth, and one pint of the fat skimmed off the top of tho stock-pot, with a pinch of pepper; cover the stewpan with its lid, let boil, and simmer for at least four hours — if six. all the better — then drain it and serve with the bacon. 1 f German sausages can be had, put half a dozen of them witli the bacon. Note. — Sauer-kraut is better warmed up than when freshly cooked, and the more it is cooked the better. 298. FRENCH SAUERKRAUT. Split the white hearts of four cabbages into quarters, remove the cores, and shred them very fine; wash them thoroughly in several waters, and drain them well in a colander ; when properly dried, put the shred cabbage in a good-sized earthenware pan, throw in a good handful of salt, about a dozen pepper-corns, and a pint of good French vinegar ; toss, with your hands, the cabbage in this, and let it remain for four hours ; after which, take out, wash it well, and drain properly on a sieve ; then put it in a stewpan with half a pound of butter, season with salt and pepper, add a gill of good vinegar, a pound of streaky bacon cut in slices and laid on the top; moisten with a quart of good broth, cover the lot with a buttered paper, and set the stewpan boiling with its lid on, let the contents simmer for about three hours, then proceed to strain and serve as above. 299. GARNISH OF TRUFFLES IN GLAZE. C*ut about half a pound of truffles into various fancy shapes, put these into a small stewpan with an ounce of fresh butter, a pinch of salt, and a piece of glaze or a gill of condensed gravy, or same quantity of No. 4 gravy, cover the stewpan with its lid and let it simmer for ten minutes, toss the truffles in the stewpan with their own glaze, and use them to garnish as required by adding a little Supreme or any other sauca 300. TRUFFLES IN MADEIRA, SHERRY, OR CHAM- PAGNE AS A GARNISH.