The Art of Cookery - To the Reader

To the READER

for Sauce to one Dish; when I will prove it for about three Shillings I will make as rich and high a Sauce as all that will be, when done.For Example; take a large deep Stew-pan, half a Pound of Bacon, Fat and Lean together, cut the Fat and lay it over the Bottom of the Pan, then take a Pound of Veal, cut it into thin Slices, beat it well with the Back of a Knife, lay it over the Bacon, then have six Pennysworth of the coarse lean Part of the Beef cut thin and well beat, lay a Layer of it all over with some Carrot, then the Lean of the Bacon cut thin and laid over that; then cut two Onions and strew over, a Bundle of Sweet Herbs, four or five Baldes of Mace, six or seven Cloves, a Spoonful of Whole Pepper, Black and White together, Half a Nutmeg beat, a Pigeon beat all to Pieces, lay that all over, Half an Ounce of Truffles and Morels, then the rest of your Beef, a good Crust of Bread toasted very brown and dry on both Sides: you may add an old Cock beat to Pieces; cover it close, let it stand over a slow Fire two or three Minutes, then pour in boiling Water enough to fill the Pan, cover it close, and let it stew till it is as rich as you would have it, and then strain off all that Sauce. Put all your Ingredients together again, fill the Pan with boiling Water, put in a fresh Onion, a Blade of Mace, and a Piece of Carrot; cover it close, and let it stew till it is as strong as you want it. This will be full as good as the Essence of a Ham for all Sorts of Fowls, or indeed most Made-Dishes, mixed with a Glass of Wine and two or three Spoonfuls of Catchup. When your first Gravy is cool skim off all the Fat, and keep it for Use. This falls far short of the Expense of a Leg of Veal and a Ham, and answers every Purpose you want.

If you go to Market the ingredients will not come to above Half a Crown; or, for about Eighteen-pence you may make as much good Gravy as will serve twenty People. Take twelve Pennyworth of coarse lean Beef, which will be six or seven Pounds, cut it all to Pieces, flour it well; take a Quarter of a Pound of good Butter, put it into a little Pot or large deep Stewpan, and put in your Beef; Keep stirring it, and when it begins to look a little Brown pour in a Pint of boiling Water, stir it together, put in a large Onion, a Bundle of Sweet Herbs, two or three Blades of Mace, five or six Cloves, a Spoonful of Whole Pepper, a Crust of Bread roasted, and a Piece of Carrot, then pour in four or five Quarts of Water, stir all together, cover close, and let it stew till it is as rich as you would have it; when enough, strain it off, mix with it two or three Spoonfuls of Catchup, and Half a Pint of White Wine, then put all the Ingredients together again, and put in two Quarts of boiling Water, cover it close, and let it boil till there is about a Pint; strain it off well, add it to the first, and give it a boil all together. This will make a great deal of rich good Gravy.

You may leave out the Wine, according to what Use you want it for: So that really one have a genteel Entertainment for the Price the Sauce of one Dish comes to. But if Gentlemen will have French Cooks, they must pay for French Tricks.

A Frenchman, in his own Country, would dress a fine Dinner of twenty Dishes, and all genteel and pretty, for the Expence he will put an English Lord to for dressing one Dish. But then there is the little petty Profit. I have heard of a Cook that used Pounds of Butter to fry twelve Eggs; when every Body knows, that understands Cooking, that Half a Pound is full enough, or more than need be used: But then it would not be French. So much is the blind Folly of this Age, that they would rather be impos'd on by a French Booby, than give Encouragement to a good English Cook!

I doubt I shall not gain the Esteem of those Gentlemen: However, let that be as it will, it little concerns me; but should I be so happy as to gain the Opinion of my own Sex I desire no more, that will be a full Recompence for all my Trouble: And I only beg the Favour of every Lady to read my Book throughout before they censure me, and then, I flatter myself I shall have their Approbation.

I shall not take upon me to meddle in the physical Way farther than two Receipts which will be of Use to the Publick in general: One is for the Bite of a mad Dog; and the other, if a Man shoud be near where the Plague is, he shall be in no Danger; which, if made Use of, would be found of very great Service to those who go Abroad.

Nor shall I take it upon me to direct a Lady in the Oeconomy of her Family, for every Mistress does, or at least ought to know what is most proper to be done there; therefore I shall not fill my Book with a deal of Nonsense of that Kind, which I am very well assur'd none will have Regard to.

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