Part 1

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FAST-DAY COOKERY

OR

MEALS WITHOUT MEAT

HOUSEHOLD BOOKS.

=HINTS on COOKERY=, and Management of the Table. Translated from the French by MARY HOOPER. Crown 8vo. Price 1s. 6d.

=THE ECONOMICAL COOK.= A Book of Recipes for every Season of the Year. By P. O. P. Fcap. 8vo. Price 1s.

=WASHING, CLEANING, and REMOVING STAINS.= By an Experienced Housewife. Fcap. 8vo. Price 1s.

=CHILDREN.= By I. L. RICHMOND, with a Preface by SARAH TYTLER. Fcap. 8vo, paper. Price 1s.

A book for all mothers, being a series of short practical papers on the care and home training of young people; with full directions for nursing them through their ordinary diseases, and teaching them how to preserve their health; also plain instructions how to cater for a family and to prepare their meals, including inexpensive menus for dinner, breakfast, and supper.

GRIFFITH FARRAN & CO., LIMITED, LONDON.

_And all Booksellers._

FAST-DAY COOKERY

OR

MEALS WITHOUT MEAT

BY

GRACE JOHNSON

AUTHORESS OF "ANGLO-INDIAN AND ORIENTAL COOKERY"

LONDON

GRIFFITH FARRAN & CO.

NEWBERY HOUSE, 39 CHARING CROSS ROAD

1893

[_The Rights of Translation and of Reproduction are reserved._]

PREFACE

Encouraged by the kindly manner in which the Press has dealt with my "Anglo-Indian and Oriental Cookery," and at the repeated request of friends, I am writing this little book.

In its compilation, I have had in view both the Anglican and Roman communions.

There are many who keep the Fasts and Abstinences prescribed by their Church, and there are many more who would do so if their food was served up and cooked in a healthy way. As a rule, fish and vegetables are very little understood in this country, and even in the houses of the better class one sees little else than the eternal boiled and fried fish. As to vegetables, they are out of it altogether. If this be the case where money is no object, how much harder is it for those who are obliged to make the most of everything?

I do not pretend to teach in this little book, only to give a few novel and useful recipes that most housewives will find really good and economical, and also to show that a non-flesh diet can be and is both healthy and appetising.

The book will be found useful by others than those for whom it is specially written, and most of the recipes will be practicable at all times of the year.

A word in conclusion to the careful housewife in getting tinned fish. Always get the _best_ brand; it is not wise to go in for cheap goods in this line.

I cannot speak too highly of Edwards' Desiccated Soups. They make delicious soups of themselves, and in conjunction with other things they have no equal. Their tomato is simply invaluable; I would not be without it for anything.

To those who find pastry indigestible I would recommend them to try "Coombs' Eureka Flour"; it makes delicious pastry, and requires no baking powder, and it has the advantage of being thoroughly digestible.

I have mentioned how to use all these in most of the recipes. I have not made any pretence to make this what is called a high-class cookery book; my aim and object is to bring it within the range of most people, while many of the dishes are good enough for any high-class table, and would be found a welcome and novel addition.

GRACE JOHNSON.

FAST-DAY COOKERY.

_SOUPS._

1. Oyster Soup.

Open one dozen oysters, preserve the liquor.

Put into a pan two ounces of butter, with an onion and one bead of garlic chopped very fine; let these cook till they are a golden colour, then add one and a half pints of milk, and one and a half pints of water, and the liquor of the oysters, twelve cloves, twelve peppercorns, three bay-leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in a bowl three ounces of fine florador to the consistence of cream, and when the soup comes to a boil, stir it in, and then let it boil for about ten minutes. Let it simmer after this very gently for half an hour, strain through a wire sieve, then add the oysters, a grate of nutmeg, the peel of a lemon grated; let it simmer for twenty minutes. Serve hot.

2. Lobster Soup.

Cut up an onion into thin rings, chop two beads of garlic, and fry these a golden brown in two ounces of butter, with twenty-four cloves, twelve peppercorns, and three bay-leaves. Add one and a half pints of water, let it simmer gently for half an hour, then add two packets of Edwards' Desiccated White Soup; let it simmer half an hour longer, and strain. Then add either one pint of milk, or sixpence worth of cream, the rind of a lemon grated, quarter of a nutmeg grated, salt and pepper to taste; put it on the fire to warm through. Well pound the flesh of a fresh lobster, or the _very best_ brand of tinned lobster, and pass it through a wire sieve into the soup, stir well, and thoroughly heat it. Serve with fried bread cut into small dice shape.

3. Scallop Soup.

Cut up an onion into rings, two beads of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter a golden colour. Add one and a half pints of water, the same of milk, twenty-four cloves, twelve peppercorns, a sprig of tarragon, three bay-leaves, a stick of celery, two-penny packet of Edwards' White Soup; let them simmer for one hour.

Chop up about half a dozen scallops, strain the soup through a wire sieve, add the scallops, pepper and salt to taste, and a grate of lemon peel. Serve very hot with fried bread cut into little dice.

4. Cockle Soup.

Cut up an onion into thin rings, and chop two beads of garlic, fry in two ounces of butter with twenty-four cloves a delicate brown, then add two tablespoons of tarragon vinegar, two tablespoons mushroom ketchup, two teaspoons of Chili vinegar, and three pints of water; thicken with two ounces of flour that has been rubbed smooth in a bowl to the consistence of cream; then add a stick of celery, a pinch of thyme, parsley, basil and sage. Let these simmer for one hour; add pepper and salt to taste, and strain through a sieve. Lastly, add one pint of _picked_ cockles, with their liquor. Serve hot.

5. Eel Soup.

Boil two pounds of eels, that have been skinned and cleaned, in two quarts of water. Add a bunch of sweet herbs, two-penny packet of Edwards' White Soup, one onion stuck with cloves, two beads of garlic, two ounces of butter, pepper and salt to taste, one small tea-cup of tomato conserve. Let it simmer gently for one hour, strain through a sieve, take the flesh of the fish off the bones, pass it through a sieve into the soup. Serve hot, with nicely toasted bread cut into neat pieces.

6. Haddock Soup.

Boil a smoked haddock in about three pints of water, add to it an onion cut into quarters, two beads of garlic, twenty-four cloves, a stick of cinnamon, a blade of maize, a bunch of sweet herbs, twelve peppercorns; boil gently for one hour; strain through a wire sieve, bone the fish, and remove the skin, pass the flesh through the sieve into the soup, thicken with half a penny packet of pea flour, rubbed smooth in a little water, add a little tomato pulp if liked, and two ounces of butter. Serve hot with fried bread cut into dice.

7. Skate Soup.

Well skin and wash two pounds of skate--the cheaper parts are the best for soup--boil in three pints of water for about two hours very gently.

Cut up an onion into thin rings, chop two beads of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter a delicate golden colour; now add the soup to this with one pint of milk, three bay-leaves, twelve cloves, a blade of mace, and a stick of cinnamon, pepper and salt to taste. Let it simmer for half an hour, strain through a wire sieve, take the meat of the fish, and put neat pieces of it in the soup. Serve hot with toasted bread cut into neat pieces.

8. Cod Soup.

Take a cod's head and shoulders, boil it gently in two quarts of water for one and a half hours.

Cut up an onion into rings, chop two beads of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter and twenty-four cloves a nice brown, then add the fish liquor, three bay-leaves, a bunch of sweet herbs, pepper and salt to taste; thicken the soup with one packet of pea flour rubbed smooth in a bowl with a little water, stir well, then add one teaspoon of Chili vinegar, one tablespoon of tarragon vinegar, and one tablespoon of mushroom ketchup; strain, and serve with fried bread cut into dice.

9. Salt Herring Mullagatawny.

Cut up an onion into rings, chop three beads of garlic, fry in two ounces of butter with twenty-four cloves a nice brown, then add one tablespoon of the best currie powder, stir, then put in two quarts of water. Cut up three red herrings, salted ones, into pieces, add it to the rest; let it simmer gently one hour; strain, put it back into the pan, and add two packets of Edwards' Tomato Soup, and three bay-leaves. Take the nicest bits of the fish, free from skin and bone, and put them in the soup; let it simmer an hour longer, take out the bay-leaves, and serve with a separate dish of boiled rice.

10. Welk Soup.

Cut up an onion into thin rings, chop two beads of garlic, fry in two ounces of butter with twenty-four cloves a nice brown, add two quarts of water and one quart of welks, picked, three bay-leaves, a bunch of sweet herbs, a carrot cut into thin slices, a turnip cut into thin slices, and a few sticks of celery chopped small. Boil gently for two hours; strain, pulp the vegetables through a sieve, and return the soup and vegetables into the pan. Add one packet of Edwards' Tomato Soup, pepper and salt to taste; simmer for half an hour. Serve hot with toasted bread cut into dice. The welks can be eaten with vinegar, pepper, and salt, separately, if liked.

11. Bread Soup.

Boil two large onions in one pint of water, with twenty-four cloves, and a blade of mace, and twenty-four peppercorns. Let it boil till the onions are quite soft, then pass it through a sieve. Add two pints of milk, half a pound of bread crumbs passed through a sieve, pepper and salt to taste, and two ounces of butter; stir, let it come to the boil, and serve.

12. Onion Soup.

Boil one pound of onions till quite soft. Pass them through a sieve, mix with them two ounces of butter, three pints of milk, and pepper and salt to taste.

13. Pea Soup.

Boil one pint of the best peas in two quarts of water and a mite of soda till they are quite soft. If the peas get too thick add a little more water; when quite soft, pass them through a sieve into a nice _purée_. Cut up an onion in thin rings, then chop it _very_ small, also two beads of garlic, fry in two ounces of butter a golden brown. Then add twenty-four cloves, a carrot cut into thin slices, and a turnip cut into thin slices, and the _purée_; let it simmer gently till the carrot and turnip are soft, and then again strain it. Add pepper and salt to taste. Serve with dried powdered mint, and fried bread cut into dice.

14. Green Pea Soup.

Boil one pint of dried green peas in two quarts of water with a mite of soda till the peas are quite soft. If the water evaporates add a little more; pass the peas through a wire sieve. Now chop up an onion _very_ small, also two beads of garlic, fry in two ounces of butter a golden colour. Add your peas, then a whole carrot, a whole turnip, and two sticks of celery; simmer gently till the vegetables are soft, remove the vegetables, add pepper and salt to taste, and serve the _purée_ with dry powdered mint and fried bread cut into dice.

15. Turnip Soup.

Boil four large turnips till quite tender. Pass them through a sieve, add three pints of milk and put them on one side, cut up an onion into rings, chop two beads of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter a gold colour. Add twelve cloves, twelve peppercorns, a piece of green ginger, and three bay-leaves. Then put in your turnip _purée_, pepper and salt to taste. Simmer gently for half an hour; strain and serve.

16. Vegetable Marrow Soup.

Boil a vegetable marrow till quite tender. Pass it through a sieve, add pepper and salt to taste, and three pints of milk. Warm it up thoroughly and melt into it two ounces of butter. Serve with toast cut into nice shapes.

17. Potato Soup.

Cut up an onion into rings, chop two beads of garlic, fry and add two ounces of butter a nice golden colour, add twelve cloves, twelve peppercorns, three bay-leaves, one carrot cut into slices, one turnip cut into slices, a stick or two of celery chopped, one pound of potatoes peeled and cut into slices, and one quart of water and one quart of milk. Boil gently till all the vegetables are tender enough; pass them through a sieve; if the _purée_ is too thick add a little more milk; warm up thoroughly. Add pepper and salt to taste, and serve with fried bread cut into dice.

18. Haricot Bean Soup.

Boil a half pint of haricots in two quarts of water, with a mite of soda, one onion, one carrot, one turnip, two sticks of celery chopped. When quite tender pass all through a sieve. Add two ounces of butter, pepper and salt to taste, and two tablespoons of tomato conserve. Serve with fried bread cut in dice.

19. Lentil Soup.

Boil one pint of lentils in two quarts of water to a pulp. Cut up an onion, chop two beads of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter with twenty-four cloves a nice gold colour. Add the lentils to this, put in salt to taste, and just before serving a squeeze of lemon juice.

20. German Lentil Soup.

Boil one pint of German lentils in two quarts of water, with a mite of soda. When quite soft pass through a wire sieve; stir into the _purée_ two ounces of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Serve with fried bread cut into dice.

21. Tomato Puree.

Cut up an onion into rings, chop two beads of garlic, and fry a pale brown in two ounces of butter. Add twenty-four cloves, and two pounds of tomatoes cut up in quarters. Let it simmer gently till the tomatoes are quite soft; strain through a sieve. Add one pint of water, pepper and salt to taste; let it boil up, and put in a tablespoon of butter rolled in as much flour as it will take up; stir well. A few drops of tarragon vinegar are a great improvement.

22. Mixed Vegetable Soup.

Boil in two quarts of water a turnip cut up, a carrot cut up, three sticks of celery cut up, two leeks, and a small cauliflower cut into sprigs. Boil till quite soft. Pass it all through a sieve. Cut up an onion, chop two beads of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter a pale golden colour. Add your vegetable _purée_, and pepper and salt to taste. Serve with fried bread cut into dice.

23. Florador Soup.

Cut up an onion into rings, chop up two beads of garlic, fry in two ounces of butter with twenty-four cloves a nice gold colour. Add three pints of milk; let it boil up very slowly. Have ready a quarter of a pound of fine florador, mixed with almost one pint of cold milk, nice and smooth like cream. Add this to the boiling milk; stir all the time, so that it does not stick or get lumpy. Let it get thick, and strain. Just before serving add a few drops of tarragon vinegar.

24. Barley Soup.

Cut up an onion into rings and chop fine, chop two beads of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter a golden brown. Add two quarts of water, three ounces of pearl barley, one carrot cut into slices, a turnip cut into slices, three sticks of celery chopped; boil till the barley is quite tender. Add pepper and salt to taste, a few drops of tarragon vinegar, a few drops of clove vinegar, and a tablespoon of mushroom ketchup. Serve with toast cut into neat pieces.

25. Mullagatawny Soup.

Cut up an onion into thin rings, chop two beads of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter a golden brown, with twenty-four cloves; then add one tablespoon of the best of currie powder; fry a minute; add three pints of water. Rub smooth with a little water one packet of pea flour; add this to the boiling soup. Now add one penny packet of Edwards' Tomato Soup; let it simmer gently for half an hour; just before serving add the juice of half a lemon, and salt to taste. Serve with a separate dish of boiled rice.

26. Spinach Puree.

Clean, wash, and pick two pounds of spinach. Put it in a pan with one pint of water, boil till it is quite soft, pass it all through a sieve, add three ounces of butter, and pepper and salt to taste. If the _purée_ is too thick, add a little more warm water. Serve with fried bread cut into dice. This is a very simple but delicious _purée_.

27. Sorrel Puree.

Clean, pick, and wash two pounds of sorrel. Cut up an onion into rings, chop two beads of garlic, and fry in three ounces of butter a golden colour. Now add the sorrel. Let it get quite soft, and pass it through a wire sieve, liquor and all; add as much hot water as will make the _purée_ a nice consistence for soup. Pepper and salt to taste. Serve with fried bread cut into dice.

28. Artichoke Puree.

Peel two pounds of Jerusalem artichokes, and boil them till quite soft. Pass them through a wire sieve; add three pints of milk; let it come to the boil, then add three ounces of butter. Pepper and salt to taste. Serve with fried bread. This is a delicious soup, and very nutritious.

29. Carrot Puree.

Scrape and wash four large carrots; cut them into quarters, and boil till quite soft; pass them through a sieve; cut up an onion into rings; chop up two beads of garlic, and fry these with twenty-four cloves a nice brown in two ounces of butter; then add the carrot _purée_, two and a half pints of water, three bay-leaves, a stick of cinnamon, a blade of mace, one packet of Edwards' White Soup. Pepper and salt to taste. Let it simmer gently for an hour. Strain again, and serve with fried bread cut into dice. A few drops of tarragon is an improvement.

30. Pearl Sago Soup.

Boil a quarter pound of pearl sago in two quarts of water till quite clear, and as thick as possible; then add two packets of Edwards' Tomato Soup, one onion stuck with cloves, a roll of lemon peel, two white beads of garlic, three bay-leaves, and three ounces of butter. Simmer gently for one hour. Before serving remove the onion, garlic, peel, and bay-leaves. Add a few drops of tarragon vinegar, one tablespoon of Worcester sauce, and two of mushroom ketchup, salt and pepper to taste.

N.B.--I have made some of these soups very thick on purpose, so that there may be more substance in them. They can, moreover, be made thinner or thicker as desired by either omitting or adding hot water.

_SAUCES._

I give but few, but these are novel to a certain extent. The white butter sauce alone can be varied in many ways, either savoury or sweet. If for sweets, the salt and savouries left out, and sugar and flavouring as desired put to it. Any cook with very little trouble can do this, and it does not require extraordinary skill to vary these sauces according to what is required.

1. White Butter Sauce.

Put into a pan half a pint of milk, with two ounces of butter; let it gradually come to the boil.

Have ready a tablespoon of flour rubbed down in a little cold milk. Add this to the boiling milk, stir, and let it thicken, add salt to taste. This is more delicate than the ordinary melted butter.

2. Onion Sauce.

Boil two large onions, stick two or three cloves into them. When quite soft, pass them through a wire sieve, and add the pulp to a sauce, as No. 1.

3. Parsley and Butter Sauce.

Pick some parsley in neat bunches, wash and clear of grit, dry thoroughly in a cloth, chop _very_ fine, and add about two tablespoons to the sauce No. 1. Let it simmer very gently for a few minutes till the parsley is cooked; stir occasionally, that it does not burn or get lumpy.

4. Egg Sauce.

Boil two eggs for ten minutes, then throw them in cold water; shell and chop fine; add to sauce No. 1. A little Nepaul pepper is an improvement.

5. Sauce Piquant.

Cut up a small onion, chop two beads of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter with twelve cloves, twelve peppercorns, and three bay-leaves. Add half a pint of milk. Let it slowly come to the boil.

Have ready one tablespoon of flour mixed smooth with a little cold milk, stir into the boiling milk, strain, let it cool a little; now add the yolk of an egg well beaten, a little Nepaul pepper and salt to taste. And lastly, chop up some tarragon and a little chervil that has been soaked in vinegar for a week previously. Add this _very_ carefully, a little at a time, so that the sauce does not curdle. This sauce is a great favourite.

6. Bread Sauce.

Boil a small onion till very tender, pass it through a sieve; add to it half a pint of milk, two tablespoons of bread crumbs passed through a sieve, two ounces of butter, a few peppercorns, and salt to taste.

7. Celery Sauce.

Cut up the white part of a bead of celery very small. Boil in just enough water to get it quite soft. Then add to this two tablespoons of cream, two ounces of butter, and a little flour mixed smooth in some cold milk, just to thicken it, salt to taste. Some like a little grated lemon peel and nutmeg.

8. Oyster Sauce.

Chop up half a dozen oysters and mix them with their liquor with sauce No. 1--a little grated nutmeg and lemon peel added.

9. Shrimp Sauce.

Pick and clean one pint of pink shrimps. Mix them with sauce No. 1.

10. Lemon Sauce.

Sauce No. 1. When a little cool, add the yolk of an egg well beaten, the rind of half a lemon grated, a pinch of Nepaul pepper and nutmeg.

11. Anchovy and Butter Sauce.

Sauce No. 1, with the addition of enough Anchovy sauce to flavour nicely, and a pinch of Nepaul pepper.

12. Jerusalem Artichoke Sauce.

Sauce No. 1, with half a pound of artichokes boiled till tender and passed through a sieve, added to it a good pinch of Nepaul pepper.

13. Brown Onion Sauce.

Chop up an onion very small, also one bead of garlic. Fry these in three ounces of butter, with one tablespoon of flour, till it is quite brown. Add half a pint of water, stir, and boil it up for about ten or fifteen minutes. Strain, and add pepper and salt to taste, and a little mushroom ketchup.

14. Piquant Brown Sauce.

Cut up an onion into rings; chop up two beads of garlic. Fry these in three ounces of butter and a tablespoon of flour till quite brown. Add rather less than half a pint of water, two tablespoons of vinegar, one tablespoon of tarragon vinegar, one tablespoon of chervil, one tablespoon of clove, salt to taste, and a pinch of Nepaul pepper. Strain and serve.

15. Tomato Sauce.

Cut up a small onion into thin rings, chop a bead of garlic, and fry in two ounces of butter a pale yellow. Cut up three good-sized tomatoes, and let it all simmer together till quite soft. Pass it all through a fine wire sieve. Add enough water to make half a pint of sauce. Thicken with a little butter rolled in flour. Salt to taste and a few drops of tarragon vinegar.

16. Mushroom Sauce.

Cut up a very small onion, chop one bead of garlic, and fry in three ounces of butter, to which add a tablespoon of flour. Fry till brown. Add half a pint of water, stir, and let it thicken. Strain. Add salt and Nepaul pepper to taste, and about six good-sized mushrooms that have been peeled and picked and chopped. Let it simmer for about ten minutes very gently, and just before serving add a tablespoon of mushroom ketchup and a squeeze of lemon.

17. Brown Lemon.

Cut up an onion into rings; chop up two beads of garlic. Fry in three ounces of butter, with one tablespoon of flour, a nice brown. Add half a pint of water, let it thicken, and then strain it. Add the grated peel of half a lemon, the juice of a whole one, and salt and Nepaul pepper to taste.

18. Brown Parsley.