Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/612

538 sent to table with boiled poultry, instead of ham, and is preferred by many. If the tongue is to be served cold, peel it, fasten it down to a piece of board by sticking a fork through the root, and another through the top to straighten it. When cold, glaze it, put a paper ruche round the root, and garnish with tufts of parsley.

Time.—A large smoked tongue, 4 to 4½ hours; a small one, 2½ to 3 hours. A large unsmoked tongue, 3 to 3½ hours; a small one, 2 to 2½ hours. Average Cost, for a moderate-sized tongue, 5s. to 6s. 6d.

Ingredients.—For a tongue of 7 lb., 1 oz. of saltpetre, ½ an oz. of black pepper, 4 ozs. of sugar, 3 ozs. of juniper berries, 6 ozs. of salt.

Method.—Rub the above ingredients well into the tongue, let it remain in the pickle for 10 or 14 days, then drain it, tie it up in brown paper, and have it smoked for about 20 days over a wood fire. It may be boiled without smoking if liked.

Time.—From 10 to 14 days, to remain in the pickle; to be smoked 24 days.

Average Cost, for a medium-sized uncured tongue, 3s. 6d.

Ingredients.—2 lb. of fillet of beef, 1 oz. of butter, 2 tablespoonfuls of salad-oil. For the Eschalot sauce: ⅓ of a pint of good gravy or demi-glace sauce (No. 242), 6 finely-chopped shallots, ½ a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, ½ a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, 1 glass of sherry. For the garnish: small rounds of potato fried, and fried croûtons of bread.

Method.—Cut the meat into rounds, both smaller and thinner than fillets of beef. Melt the butter in a sauté-pan, fry the shallots lightly, let the butter cool slightly, then strain, leave the shallots to drain, and return the butter to the sauté-pan. Into a small stewpan put the gravy or demi-glace sauce, sherry, parsley, lemon-juice, the shallots when sufficiently drained, and boil until well reduced, then season to taste, and keep hot until required. Add the salad-oil to the butter in the sauté-pan, and when hot put in the tournedos and fry them quickly until nicely browned. Arrange them in a circle on a border of mashed potato, put the fried rounds of potato in the centre, garnish with the croûtons of fried bread, and serve the Echalot sauce in a sauce-boat, or pour round the crust.

Time.—½ an hour. Average Cost.—4s. Sufficient for 6. [sic] or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.