480. Brocoli Or Cauliflowers

Choose such as are firm, yet of their full size; cut away all the leaves, and pare the stalk; pull away the flowers by bunches, steep in brine two days, then drain them; wipe them dry and put them into hot pickle; or merely infuse for three days three ounces of curry powder in every quart of vinegar.

482. Beet-Roots

Boil or bake gently until they are nearly done; according to the size of the roots they will require from an hour and a half to two hours; drain them, and when they begin to cool peel and cut in slices half an inch thick, then put them into a pickle composed of black pepper and allspice, of each one ounce, ginger pounded, horse-radish sliced, and salt, of each half an ounce to wery quart of vinegar, steeped. Two capsicums may be added to a quart, or one drachm of cayenne.

483. Cauliflowers Or Brocoli

Choose firm full-grown cauliflowers and brocoli, cut away all the leaves and pare the stalk, and instead of steeping in cold brine, set them over the fire in cold brine, and let it heat gradually. Just before it comes to boil, take them up in a wire ladle, and spread them on a cloth before the fire; when quite dry, put them into glass or jars, and add cold pickle, according to the second method of making pickle (472).

484. Artichokes

Gather young artichokes as soon as formed; throw them into boiling brine, and let them boil two minutes; drain them; when cold and dry put them in jars, and cover with vinegar, prepared as method the third, but the only spices employed should be ginger, mace and nutmeg.

485. Artichoke Bottoms

Get full-grown artichokes and boil them, but not so much as for eating, but just until the leaves can be pulled; remove them and the choke; in taking off the stalk, be careful not to break it off so as to bring away any of the bottom; it would be better to pare them with a silver knife, and leave half an inch of tender stalk coming to a point; when cold, add vinegar and spice, the same as for artichokes.

487. Samphire

On the sea-coast this is merely preserved in water, or equal parts of sea-water and vinegar; but as it is sometimes gent fresh as a present to inland parts, the best way of managing it under such circumstances, is to steep it two days in brine, then drain and put it in a stone jar covered with vinegar, and having a lid, over which put thick paste of flour and water, and set it in a very cool oven all night, or in a warmer oven till it nearly, but not quite boils. Then let it stand on a warm hob for half an hour, and let it become quite cold before the paste is removed; then add cold vinegar, if any more is required, and secure as other pickles.

489. Flaky And Short Crusts

In making a flaky crust a part of the fat should be worked with the hand to a cream, and then the whole of the flour well rubbed into it before any water or milk is added. The remaining fat must be stuck on the paste and be rolled out. For crisp crusty by far the most wholesome, the whole of the fat should be rubbed in and thoroughly incorporated with the flour. Water or milk must be added when this is done, and the dough, or rather paste, made up. The pie-board and rolling-pin should be well dusted with flour, and the dough should be well beaten with the pin to thoroughly mix it, and render it light. Mind, in rolling out paste do not drive the pin backwards and forwards, but always keep rolling from you. In making flaky crusts the paste must be rolled out thin, and the fat or butter laid all over it; then roll it up and beat it till it puffs up in little bladders: it should be then finally rolled out, and put in the oven as quickly as possible.