Oil Cottage Economy and Cookery. 87 



\s., and should be dressed thus : — Clean it well„ and let it lie in 

 water until the next morning, when it must be wiped dry, and 

 placed over the fire in a large saucepan, only just covering it with 

 water until it boils ; then leave it to cool, and skim off the fat 

 (keeping it for further use). When cold, fill the saucepan with 

 water ; add a couple of whole onions, with three or four good- 

 sized carrots and turnips, cut into small pieces, and a bundle of 

 sweet herbs tied together, seasoning it with pepper, salt, and a 

 little vinegar. Leave it to stew, without allowing it to boil, until 

 the liquor is reduced to one -half, and the meat becomes tender, 

 and the soup tastes strong and palatable ; a portion of which will 

 be quite sufficient for the children, with a piece of bread, without 

 any of the meat. The brains should, however, be taken out, and 

 mixed up in the same manner as stuffing for the heart, and either 

 fried separately, or made into balls and put into the stew. 



The next day, as much of the head as may be \vanted for the 

 family should be sliced off and warmed up along with the remain- 

 ing soup. The day following that, take off all the meat that 

 remains, break up the bones into small pieces, and let them stew 

 by the fireside for some hours, in three or four quarts of water ; 

 then take out the bones and put in the meat, thickening the 

 liquor either with vegetables, as before, or with peas, rice, barley, 

 or oatmeal. The soup will cut like jelly when cold, and im- 

 proves upon being warmed up. Neither does it cost much more 

 than the price of the head ; and we know that, if that be of large 

 size, it would in winter last nearly a week with good manage- 

 ment. This, however, cannot be expected in warm weather, and 

 it takes a great deal of cooking, which at that season is inconve- 

 nient. In the summer, however, when the labourer's wife is not 

 uncommonly employed in the field, and fire cannot be kept up 

 for cookery, it is a good plan to purchase a few pounds of the 

 flank of beef, which can always be got for 4c?. or hd. the pound. 

 It contains no bone ; and if well salted, boiled, then pressed under 

 weights until flat, and afterwards rolled up and tied together, it 

 makes a good and cheap relish when cut into thin slices and 

 eaten cold between slices of bread, in the manner of a sandwich. 



A poor man can seldom afford to purchase even the coarsest 

 joint of mutton ; but, if he lives near a town, he can often get 

 the sheep's head and pluck for less than Is. 6d., indeed very 

 frequently for a shilling, and with these his wife can make up 

 four hot meals, in the following manner : — 



The whole should be well cleaned and covered with salt and 

 water, which should be occasionally changed until they are 

 wanted. On the first day, take the heart, milt, and sweetbread, 

 sliced and seasoned with pepper and salt, and make them into a 

 pudding covered with a paste made of flour mixed with a little 



