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Classic
Cook Books
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page 257
An excellent Method of making Punch.
Take two large fresh lemons with rough skins, quite ripe, and some large lumps
of double-refined sugar. Rub the sugar over the lemons till it has absorbed all
the yellow part of the skins. Then put into the bowl these lumps, and as much
more as the juice of the lemons may be supposed to require; for no certain
weight can be mentioned, as the acidity of a lemon cannot be known till tried,
and therefore this must be determined by the taste. Then squeeze the lemon-juice
upon the sugar; and with a bruiser press the sugar and the juice particularly
well together, for a great deal of the richness and fine flavour of the punch
depends on this rubbing and mixing process being thoroughly performed. Then mix
this up very well with boiling water (soft water is best) till the whole is
rather cool. When this mixture (which is now called the sherbet) is to your
taste, take brandy and rum in equal quantities, and put them to it, mixing the
whole well together again. The quantity of liquor must be according to your
taste: two good lemons are generally enough to make four quarts of punch,
including a quart of liquor, with half a pound of sugar; but this depends much
on taste, and on the strength of the spirit.
As the pulp is disagreeable to some persons, the sherbet may be strained before
the liquor is put in. Some strain the lemon before they put it to the sugar,
which is improper; as, when the pulp and sugar are well mixed together, it adds
much to the richness of the punch.
When only rum is used, about half a pint of porter will soften the punch; and
even when both rum and brandy are used, the porter gives a richness, and to some
a very pleasant flavour.
This receipt has never been in print before, but is greatly admired amongst the
writer's friends. It is impossible to take too much pains in all the processes
of mixing, and in minding to do them extremely well, that all the different
articles may be most thoroughly incorporated together.
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Classic
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