I dislike commercial curry-powders,
on the whole, but for some reason I am intrigued by the idea of spice-mixes in
general. Don’t ask me to explain that little quirk, because I cant!
Some
time ago, over a number of posts, (see the list following the story) we enjoyed the spice blends in eccentric
William Kitchiner’s Magazine of Taste
(here.) I remembered some more recently, in another of my favourite sources, Domestic economy, and cookery, for rich and
poor, by a lady (1827.) They would make a find addition to your pantry,
methinks.
First
of all the author makes some general comments:
Spices.
For
very nice seasoning, it would be advisable to use the spices whole or sliced;
they can be afterwards dried for common purposes. When they are ground, they
should be passed three times through the mill, tightening it every time, and
kept in well-stopped labelled bottles. Grate nutmeg, beginning at the top, for,
if begun at the stalk end, the fibres will separate, which wastes, and rubs off
in lumps. When the different peppers are mixed, they ought to be passed through
the mill once or twice together.
To
use truffles and morels in powder is great economy. Let them be cut in chips,
and dried in the sun, pounded and ground. The French use them in dried chips.
Mushroom powder is better made in the same way than any other, and may be mixed
with any spices.
These
powders are ready to mix into farces,
and to powder panures, and other
dressed meats. There should always be fine-pierced dredging-boxes kept on
purpose, with double heads.
Peppers for Soups and Ragouts.
Allspice,
nutmegs, cloves, long pepper, in equal parts, with a double quantity
of common pepper; sweet herbs to be used with it. Lemon, thyme, winter savory,
sweet basil, parsley, coriander, or celery ground together, in equal parts.
Fricassée
Pepper
Lemon Zest, Mace, White Pepper
For
Pease Soup
Mint, Celery, and Black Pepper
For
Pig, Pork, Geese, Ducks, and Water Fowl.
Sage, Lemon or Orange Zest, Black Pepper, and
Cayenne
Italian
Pepper
Coriander, 2 oz; Cloves, 2 oz; Anise, 1 oz; Fennel 1
oz; Cinnamon 1 oz; Winter Savory 1 oz.
Scotch
Pepper.
Mace,
2 oz; Nutmegs, 1 oz; Cloves, 1 oz; Ginger, 1 oz; Allspice, 1 oz; Lemon Thyme, 1
oz;
Colouring
Substances
Red,- Sanders Wood, Cochineal, Beet Root.
Yellow, - Saffron, Turmeric
Green, - Spinach and Parsley Juice
Parsley greening is used for first-course dishes,
and spinach greening for second-course dishes.
LINKS to the Magazine of Taste stories
1 comment:
W. Kitchener's "The Cook's Oracle" happens to be a free download ebook from Amazon now. I was really excited to find it, after reading some of your posts, and thought some others might like to know.
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