Calf's Sweetbreads

These are generally very expensive. They should always be soaked in cold salt and water for some time, then parboiled and thrown into cold water. When cold, they should be trimmed carefully. They can then be fried in egg and bread crumbs. (See No. 6 and No. 20.) They can be baked in the oven, and kept well basted. If not egg-and-bread-crumbed - and if not of a brown colour - pour over them some thick white sauce, such as Bechamel. If fried a nice brown, pour some sauce round them. Tomato sauce is excellent with sweetbreads. Or a rich brown gravy can be used, or curry sauce. (See Sweetbreads).

Caper Sauce

Caper sauce is generally served with boiled mutton or boiled fish. Take a small quantity - say, half a pint - of the liquor in which the meat or fish is boiled; thicken it with a little white thickening (see Nos. 11 and 12); add a dessertspoonful of chopped capers. To make caper sauce very good, add more chopped capers, and melt in more butter, Chopped pickled gherkins are a cheap substitute for capers.

Capsicums

The skins of pickled or fresh capsicums are exceedingly valuable by way of garnishing.

Carp

These fish, when caught in stagnant water, such as ponds, are poor and taste muddy. On the continent, when caught in streams, they are exceedingly good. Carp can be stewed (see Eels, Stewed, and proceed the same), or they can be stewed in a little claret flavoured with nutmeg. The claret, when the fish is done, should be thickened with corn-flour, and poured over the fish. The dregs of port wine and a little stock will do instead of claret. The greatest care, in England, must be taken in thoroughly cleansing the fish, which for the purpose is best boned. (See Fish, Fresh Water).

Carrot Soup

Take some stock - three pints No. 3 or No. 4 Stock (see No. 10) - boil in it a couple of onions, some celery, and six or more carrots; boil till tender, and rub all through a wire sieve. Season with pepper and salt. Two or three bay-leaves boiled with it is a great improvement. Sufficient carrots must be used to make the soup as thick as cream.

High-class carrot soup is made by only using the red part of the carrot.

Boiled Carrots

Wash and scrape, but do not peel them. (See No. 9.) Young carrots take twenty minutes to thirty minutes, according to size. Old carrots, the longer the better.

Boiled Cauliflower

Soak in salt and water for some time, boil (see No. 9); time varies with size. Some persons serve butter sauce, or melted butter with cauliflower.

Char

This makes an excellent "Water Souchet," i.e., it is very nice served plain in the water in which it is boiled. Cut the fish into fillets, boil the bones, etc., in a little water slightly salted, strain it off and then boil the fillets of char in the water. Serve the fillets in the water in which it is boiled, throw into the water two or three sprigs of parsley, and serve thin brown bread and butter with it.