CHAPTER XIX

CHAFING DISH DELICACIES

THE chafing dish is composed of the blazer and hot water pan, set in a standard with a small lamp underneath. Some lamps have an electric attachment, but alcohol is the fuel most used. The best alcohol is the most satisfactory, although many use wood alcohol.

Every kind of dish which is usually prepared in a saucepan or double boiler can be made in the chafing dish, but ordinarily oyster, mushroom, fish, egg, and cheese dishes are the ones most popular.

When preparing for a chafing dish supper, arrange the chafing dish on a tray, have the lamp filled, and matches at hand. A wooden spoon or regular chafing dish spoon and a wire whisk are convenient and really necessary utensils. It is well to have all the ingredients measured and neatly arranged on a tray. If butter is to be used, butter balls, each representing a tablespoon, are a convenient and attractive way in which to serve it.

If toast is to be used, have the bread cut in small rounds or triangles and toasted a golden brown. It should be kept hot until ready to be used.

Light the lamp and have the water boiling before the supper is announced, then the compounding of the dish may be done quickly.

Salted Almonds

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in chafing dish; add one cup blanched and dried almonds. Stir until evenly colored. Drain and sprinkle with salt.

Deviled Almonds

Melt one tablespoon butter in chafing dish. Add one tablespoon chopped red pepper, one tablespoon onion, one half teaspoon salt, and one cup blanched almonds. Cook until almonds are brown.

Deviled Beef

Melt two tablespoons butter, add two tablespoons green pepper, one tablespoon onion, one teaspoon each of salt and lemon juice, one tablespoon flour. Spread on rounds of cold roast beef and sauté in butter; or add one half cup tomato and reheat beef in sauce.

Bacon and Chicken Livers

Cut six chicken livers in slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add an equal amount of sliced bacon. Cook together until livers are tender. Add two tablespoons flour, one half teaspoon salt, one cup stock or tomato. Season with Worcestershire and serve hot on toast.

Bacon and Mushrooms

Wrap eight mushrooms in eight slices of bacon. Cook in chafing dish until mushrooms are tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Chicken Livers with Mushrooms

Make a Brown Sauce; add two cups sliced cooked livers and one cup chopped mushrooms. Reheat and serve on toast. Two tablespoons wine may be added.

Deviled Bananas

Melt one tablespoon butter, add one tablespoon chopped red pepper, two teaspoons chopped pickles, one teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, one fourth teaspoon salt. Add four bananas cut in four equal parts. Cook five minutes.

Frizzled Beef

Melt one tablespoon butter, add one tablespoon flour and one half pound dried beef. Cook five minutes, add one half cup stock, few drops onion juice, one half teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, two eggs well beaten. Cook two minutes and serve.

Beef with Currant Jelly Sauce

Make Brown Sauce; add one cup Currant Jelly and twelve thin slices rare roast beef. Cook until hot and serve.

Cheese Dreams

Cut twelve thin slices of bread and remove crusts. Cut in halves, cover with a thin slice of American cheese, sprinkle with salt, paprika and cayenne; cover with another slice of bread and sauté on both sides in butter. These are more easily prepared small than large.

Cheese Custard

Melt two tablespoons butter; add one teaspoon each of salt, mustard and paprika. Add two cups cheese, one half cup soft bread crumbs, and one cup milk. Cook five minutes. Add two eggs well beaten; when thoroughly blended, pour on to bread toasted on one side.

Cheese Omelet

Melt one tablespoon butter; add four eggs slightly beaten, four tablespoons milk, one half teaspoon salt, one cup grated cheese. Cook like a French Omelet over hot water. Serve with or without Tomato Sauce.

Welsh Rarebit

Melt one teaspoon butter, add one teaspoon each of salt, mustard and paprika; add two cups American cheese. When melted, add one half cup cream or ale. Stir vigorously until smooth, and pour over hot buttered crackers or toast.

Cheese and Tomato Rarebit

Melt one tablespoon butter; add three sliced tomatoes, one half cup milk, one teaspoon salt, two cups cheese. Stir continually until cheese is melted. Add three eggs well beaten. When hot, serve on hot buttered toast.

Cheese with Red Peppers

Melt two tablespoons butter, add four tablespoons chopped pepper, one half tablespoon chopped onion, one fourth cup grated cheese, one fourth cup cream, four eggs slightly beaten. Cook until well blended and serve on buttered slices of toast.

Chicken à la Crême

Make a White Sauce; add one and one half cups chicken meat, cut in cubes, one half cup mushrooms, cut in slices, and one red pepper, finely chopped. Add more seasoning if required and serve on hot toast.

Turkey, veal, lamb, or game may be served in this way.

Chicken and Mushrooms à la Crême

Melt two tablespoons butter; add two tablespoons flour, one cup cream, one half teaspoon salt. Add one cup each of cold cooked chicken, cut in pieces, and cooked mushrooms, also cut in pieces.

Serve very hot on buttered toast. A few drops of Tabasco may be added.

Curried Chicken

Add one tablespoon curry powder to Chicken à la Crême.

Chicken with Hard-cooked Eggs

Cut four hard-cooked eggs in slices, add to two cups creamed chicken with two tablespoons sherry.

Béchamel Eggs

Two cups Béchamel Sauce, mixed with four hard-cooked eggs, cut in slices; one half cup sautéd mushrooms. Cook all together five minutes; serve on hot toast.

Creamed Eggs

Melt two tablespoons butter; add two tablespoons flour, one fourth teaspoon salt, few grains cayenne, one cup cream. Cook until thick, add two egg yolks and six hard-cooked eggs, cut in pieces, and serve hot on toast.

Scrambled Eggs and Tomato

Melt two tablespoons butter; add one tablespoon each of chopped pepper and onion, one cup cooked tomato, one half teaspoon salt. When hot, add four eggs slightly beaten; when scrambled, serve on toast.

Poached Eggs on Toast

May be prepared in chafing dish.

Creamed Lobster

Melt two tablespoons butter; add one fourth teaspoon salt, few grains cayenne, two tablespoons flour, one cup cream, few gratings nutmeg. Cook ten minutes, add meat from a two-pound lobster cut in small pieces, the grated coral, and one tablespoon butter. One teaspoon Worcestershire and one teaspoon mustard may be added.

Lobster à la Newburg

Melt two tablespoons butter; add one tablespoon flour, one teaspoon salt, few grains cayenne, one cup cream. Cook five minutes; add three egg yolks well beaten, the meat from a two-pound lobster, and just before serving, two tablespoons each of sherry and brandy.

Lobster with Pimolas

Mix one cup Brown Sauce, one cup sliced pimolas, two hard-cooked eggs cut in slices, one fourth teaspoon salt, few gratings nutmeg, and two tablespoons sautéd mushrooms, with two cups lobster meat. Serve when hot with slices of brown bread toast.

Lobster with Mushrooms

Melt three tablespoons butter; add one cup fresh mushrooms, cut in slices, few drops onion juice, two tablespoons flour, one cup cream or Chicken Stock; meat from a two-pound lobster and salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Serve when hot.

Lamb Terrapin

Mix two cups cold cooked lamb, cut in small pieces, two hard-cooked eggs, chopped fine, two tablespoons olive oil. Let stand two minutes. Melt two tablespoons butter; add two tablespoons flour, one teaspoon mustard, one teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, and one cup Lamb Stock, or milk. Cook five minutes. Add lamb and eggs and serve on graham toast.

Sautéd Oysters

Season four dozen large oysters with salt, pepper, onion juice and lemon juice. Dip in crumbs, egg and crumbs, and sauté in butter.

Fricassee of Oysters and Mushrooms

Melt two tablespoons butter; add one tablespoon flour, one half finely chopped onion, one cup mushrooms, broken in small pieces, one cup Chicken Stock or one cup oyster liquor. Cook five minutes and add two cups oysters drained from their liquor. Reheat; season with salt, pepper, cayenne and Worcestershire Sauce. Serve with Brown Bread Sandwiches.

Celeried Oysters

Melt two tablespoons butter; add two cups each of celery and oysters. Season with salt, cayenne and lemon juice. Serve hot with crisp toast.

Shrimps and Tomatoes

Melt two tablespoons butter; add one can tomatoes; simmer until of purée consistency. Season highly with salt, pepper and onion juice. Add two cups shrimps which have been marinated in French Dressing for one hour. When hot, serve on hot buttered toast.

Sweetbreads with Bacon

Cut cooked sweetbreads in inch pieces. Sprinkle with salt, cayenne, lemon juice and onion juice. Wrap in slices of bacon. Skewer, sauté in butter. Serve with Brown Sauce, and garnish with finely chopped celery.

Calves’ Brains à la Béchamel

Cut two cups cooked brains in small pieces. Marinate with French Dressing. Melt two tablespoons butter; add four tablespoons chopped peppers, one half cup chopped mushrooms, few drops onion juice, two tablespoons flour, and one cup Chicken Stock. Cook five minutes; add brains; season with salt, cayenne, Tabasco and Worcestershire.

Buttered Tomatoes

Melt one half cup butter; sprinkle six sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper; put in chafing dish; cover and cook twenty minutes. Serve on toast.

Venison with Currant Jelly

Melt two tablespoons butter; add one quarter teaspoon salt, few grains cayenne, one tablespoon lemon juice, one cup Currant Jelly, one half cup sherry; cook five minutes. Keep hot while cooking slice of venison steak in chafing dish eight minutes. Serve sauce with venison.

Venison Stew

Cut one slice venison steak in inch pieces. Cover with Chicken or Veal Stock; simmer until tender, about fifteen minutes; season with salt and pepper; add one cup Currant Jelly and serve.

Sautéd Bananas

Peel and cut four bananas in four pieces; melt two tablespoons butter, add two tablespoons sugar, and one half cup sherry; when hot, add bananas, and cook until bananas are hot and tender.

Hot Fruit Salad

Melt two tablespoons butter; add four tablespoons sugar, one quarter cup water, and one quarter cup lemon juice; add two cups mixed fruit, apples, bananas, figs and cherries; when hot, serve with cream sweetened and beaten until stiff.

Peach Canapé

Melt two tablespoons butter; add two cups peaches with skin and stones removed; cook ten minutes; add sugar and lemon juice, and serve on slices of sautéd bread or Sponge Cake; garnish with cream.

Pineapple Canapé

Substitute two cups shredded pineapple for peaches, and follow directions for Peach Canapé.