The Southern cook book of fine old recipes

For roast suckling pig use only the very young pigs not over six weeks old. Scald them by immersing in very hot water (not boiling) for 1 minute. Remove from the water and use a very dull knife to scrape off hair in order that skin will not be broken. Then cut a slit from the bottom of the throat to the hind legs and remove the entrails and organs, being careful not to break the brains. Wash thoroughly in cold water and chill. Fill with any desired poultry stuffing and sew opening. Roast in a moderate oven (350° F.) from 3 to 4 hours. When serving place a red apple in mouth of pig and serve with candied sweet potatoes and apple sauce. Apple Ball Sauce for Suckling (For Goose, Too) 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 4 cloves grated rind of 1/2 lemon P/2 cups apple balls Make a syrup of the sugar and water, adding the lemon peel and cloves. Cook for several minutes, remove the lemon rind and the cloves and drop in the apples, which have been cut in balls with a potato cutter. Cook until apples are done. Serve with poultry or roasts. Bouillabaisse 1% quarts water 1 tablespoon salt 1 pound fresh shrimp 12 cloves Vi pound fresh mushrooms 2 tablespoons butter 2 large onions, chopped 2 buds garlic 2 cups tomato pulp 2 cups water 3 bay leaves ll/2 teaspoons curry powder 1 cup grated cheese V'2 cup sherry 2 pounds fish fillets (haddock or any boned fish) 1 pound scallops 2 tablespoons flour Add shrimp, 4 cloves and salt to IVi quarts of water and bring to a boil. After boiling for 10 minutes remove the shrimp from the pot, saving the broth for later use. Shell the shrimp and cut in half lengthwise. Cut mushrooms into thin slices, add to the shrimp and allow to stand until needed. Melt the butter and fry the onions and garlic in it until golden brown; add the tomato pulp and 2 cups of water, 4 cloves, the bay leaves, curry powder, cheese and *4 cup of sherry. Allow this mixture to cook slowly for 30 minutes. Season with more salt, if desired. Meanwhile, bring shrimp broth to boiling point, add the fillets of fish, scallops, 4 cloves and % cup of sherry, lower the flame and simmer until fish is sufficiently cooked (about 15 minutes). Combine the shrimp and mushroom mixture with the fish and cook for 5 minutes. Moisten flour with a little cold water and add to the boiling liquid as a slight thickening. Cook another 5 minutes. Remove pieces of fish from the sauce, place on buttered slices of toast on large platter, pour sauce over fish and serve. Dried Beef a la Maryland % pound chipped smoked beef V2 cup thin cream 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon butter 1 scant tablespoon flour pepper Soak chipped beef in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and dry on a towel. Make a sauce by melting butter in top of double boiler, stir in flour and blend well, then gradually add milk and cream, cook for a few minutes, then add seasonings and beef. Cook 10 minutes and serve on crisp toast. Chicken Chili Con Carne 1 young chicken 2 tablespoons salt 1 large can tomatoes 3 large onions, chopped 3 buttons of garlic, chopped Il/2 teaspoons chili powder