Custard for Pains of Apricots

Ingredients

• ½ pint of sauce
• 1 pint of best gravy
• 1 glass of sherry
• ½ pint of Espagnol sauce
• 1 gill of salad oil
• 1 gill of malt vinegar
• white pepper
• sugar
• salt
• 2 ounces of sugar
• rind of a lemon
• 2 tablespoons of arrowroot
• ½ gill of cold water
• 1 gill of sherry
• ½ teaspoon of prepared cochineal
• 1 pint of fresh cream

Directions

1. Prepare a bain-marie and ensure you have enough sauce, about ½ pint.

2. For the gravy, use 1 pint of best gravy in the bain-marie.

3. Combine 1 glass of sherry with ½ pint of Espagnol sauce, bring to a boil, and place in the bain-marie.

4. Mix ½ gill of salad oil with ½ gill of malt vinegar, adding white pepper, sugar, and salt to taste.

5. Beat the salad dressing well before pouring over sliced tomatoes arranged in a pile.

6. On the hot-plate, heat ½ pint of water with 2 ounces of sugar and the thinly peeled rind of a lemon.

7. Mix 2 tablespoons of arrowroot with ½ gill of cold water, then stir into the boiling mixture on the hot-plate until thickened.

8. Add 1 gill of sherry and ½ teaspoon of prepared cochineal, then return to the bain-marie, leaving the lemon rind until ready to serve.

9. Whip 1 pint of fresh cream until firm and slightly sweeten it.

10. When making tarts, cut a ring about 3 inches wide in the pastry top, remove the cut-out, and fill with whipped cream before serving.