The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight OpenedDigby, Kenelm
History
The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened
Digby, Kenelm
Cooking -- Early works to 1800; Digby, Kenelm, Sir, 1603-1665; Liquors; Wine and wine making -- Early works to 1800
The Queen Mothers Hotchpot of Mutton, is thus made. It is exceeding good of
fresh Beef also, for those whose Stomacks can digest it. Cut a neck of
Mutton, Crag-end and all into steaks (which you may beat, if you will; but
they will be very tender without beating) and in the mean time prepare your
water to boil in a Possnet, (which must be of a convenient bigness to have
water enough, to cover the meat, and serve all the stewing it, without
needing to add any more to it; and yet no superfluous water at last.) Put
your meat into the boiling water, and when you have scummed it clean, put
into it a good handful of Parsley, and as much of Sibboulets (young Onions
or Sives) chopped small, if you like to eat them in substance; otherwise
tied up in a bouquet, to throw them away, when they have communicated to
the water all their taste; some Pepper; three or four Cloves, and a little
Salt, and half a Limon first pared. These must stew or boil simpringly,
(covered) at least three or four hours (a good deal more, if Beef)
stirring it often, that it burn not too. A good hour before you intend to
take it off, put some quartered Turneps to it, or, if you like them, some
Carrots. A while after, take a good lump of Houshold-bread, bigger than
your fist, crust and crum, broil it upon a Gridiron, that it be throughly
rosted; scrape off the black burning on the on side; then soak it throughly
in Vinegar, and put this lump of tost into your possnet to stew with it;
which you take out and throw away after a while. About a quarter of an hour
before you serve it up melt a good lump of Butter (as much as a great Egg)
till it grow red; then take it from the fire, and put to it a little fine
flower to thicken it (about a couple of spoonfuls) like thick Pap. Stir
them very well together; then set them on the fire again, till it grow-red,
stirring it all the while; then put to it a ladleful of the liquor of the
pot, and let them stew a while together to incorporate, stirring it always.
Then pour this to the whole substance in the Possnet, to Incorporate with
all the liquor, and so let them stew a while together. Then pour it out of
the possnet into your dish, meat and all: for it will be so tender, it will
not endure taking up piece by piece with your hand. If you find the taste
not quick enough, put into it the juyce of the half Limon, you reserved.
For I should have said, that when you put in the Herbs, you squeese in also
the juyce of half a Limon (pared from the yellow rinde, which else would
make it bitter) and throw the pared and squeesed half (the substance) into
it afterwards. The last things (of Butter, bread, flower) cause the
liaison and thickening of the liquor. If this should not be enough, you may
also put a little gravy of Mutton into it; stirring it well when it is in,
least it curdle in stewing, or you may put the yolk of an Egg or two to
your liaison of Butter, Flower, and ladleful of broth. For gravy of Mutton.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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