To the Reader

I Believe I have attempted a Branch of Cookery which Nobody has yet thought worth their while to write upon: But as I have both seen, and found by Experience that the Generality of Servants are greatly wanting in that Point, therefore I have taken upon me to instruct them in the best Manner I am capable; and I dare fay, that every Servant who can but read will be capable of making a tollerable good Cook, and those who have the least Notion of Cookery can’t miss of being very good ones.

If I have not wrote in the high, polite Stile, I hope I shall be forgiven; for my Intention is to instruct the lower Sort, and therefore must treat them in their own Way. For Example; when I bid them lard a Fowl, if I should bid them lard with large Lardoons, they would not know what I meant: But when I say they must lard with little Pieces of Bacon, they know what I mean. So in many other Things in Cookery, the great Cooks have such a high Way of expressing them-selves that the poor Girls are a Loss to know what they mean: And in all Receipt Books yet printed there are such an odd Jumble of Things as would quite spoil a good Dish; and indeed some Things so extravagant, that it would be almost a Shame to make Use of them, when a Dish can be made full as good, or better without them. For Example; when you entertain ten or twelve People you shall use for a Cullis a Leg of Veal and a Ham; which, with the other Ingredients, makes it very expensive, and all this only to mix with other Sauce. And again, the Essence of a Ham 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 all over the Bacon; then have six Pennyworth 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 Blades 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, and let it stand over a flow Fire two or three Minutes, then pour in boiling Water enough to fill the Pan, cover it close, 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 Expence of a Leg of Veal and a Ham, and answers every Purpose you want.