Hand-Book of Practical Cookery, for Ladies and Professional Cooks: Containing the Whole Science and Art of Preparing Human Food

to have it finer; put it back on the fire without any water at all, and when it gets rather dry, add a little flour; stir and mix; add again a little gravy or good broth; stir, then salt to taste, and it is ready for use. If the spinach is young and tender, it takes only two or three minutes boiling before chopping it. From the time it is put back on the fire, it takes about five or six minutes to finish it. _Of Sorrel._--Proceed as with spinach in every particular. _Of Mushrooms._--Clean well and cut in pieces a quart of fresh mushrooms; soak them in cold water, in which you have put the juice of a lemon; drain, and chop them fine. Put a stewpan on the fire, with a piece of butter the size of a duck's egg; when melted, put your mushrooms in; when half fried, add the juice of a lemon, finish frying, then cover with some roux-sauce; let simmer till it becomes rather thick, strain and use. _Of Onions._--Peel, quarter, and blanch for eight minutes, a dozen onions. Drain and put them in a saucepan with four or six ounces of butter, according to the size of the onions; set on a slow fire, stir now and then till well done; then season with salt, a little flour, stir for two minutes to cook the flour, and mix it thoroughly with the rest; take from the fire; add cream, little by little, stirring the while. It does not require much cream to make the _purée_ of a proper thickness. Mash through a sieve or fine colander, add a pinch of sugar, and it is ready for use. It makes an excellent _purée_, and is good served with nearly every kind of meat. Made with white onions, and properly mashed through a sieve, it looks like cream, and is almost as white as snow. FISH. The Indians bleed the fish as soon as caught, because the flesh is firmer when cooked. The Dutch and the French bleed the cod, which accounts for the better