to put the skin on the water-tap and allow the water to run
through it, as thus it will be well washed on the inside. Fifteen to
twenty minutes should be allowed for frying sausages, and when done they
should be nicely browned. A little butter or lard is best for frying,
and some pieces of light bread may be fried in it when the sausages are
done, and placed round the dish by way of garnish. Cooks cannot do
better than remember Dr. Kitchener's directions for frying sausages.
After saying, "They are best when quite fresh made," he adds: "put a bit
of butter or dripping into a clean frying-pan; as soon as it is melted,
before it gets hot, put in the sausages, and shake the pan for a minute,
and keep turning them. Be careful not to break or prick them in so
doing. Fry them over a very slow fire till they are nicely browned on
all sides. The secret of frying sausages is to let them get hot very
gradually; they then will not break if they are not stale. The common
practice to prevent them bursting is to prick them with a fork, but this
lets the gravy out."

PUDDINGS.

***

CUSTARD PUDDING.

We give this pudding first because it affords an opportunity for giving
hints on making milk puddings generally, and because, properly made,
there is no more delicious pudding than this. It is besides most useful
and nutritious, not only for the dinner of healthy people, but for
children and invalids. But few cooks, however, make it properly; as a
rule too many eggs are used, to which the milk is added cold, and the
pudding is baked in a quick oven. The consequence is that the pudding
curdles and comes to table swimming in whey; or, even if this does not
happen, the custard is full of holes and is tough.

In the first place, milk for all puddings with eggs should be poured on
to the eggs boiling hot; in the next, the baking must be very slowly
done, if possible, as directed in the recipe; the dish containing the
pudding to be placed in another half-full of water. This, of course,
prevents the baking proceeding too rapidly, and also prevents the
pudding acquiring a sort of burned greasy flavour, which is injurious
for invalids. Lastly, too many eggs should not be used; the quantity
given, two to the pint of milk, is in all cases quite sufficient, and
will make a fine rich custard.

We never knew a pudding curdle, even with London milk a day old, if all
these directions were observed; but it is almost needless to say, that