Chapter 2

Dissolve the butter in an enamelled saucepan, then add the kale, after thoroughly washing and cutting it into two-inch pieces; place the saucepan over a gentle heat, shaking it frequently. Peel and slice the potato and onion, and place them, together with the salt, water and sugar, with the kale. Boil one hour, strain, return to the saucepan, add milk and sago, replace over the fire and stir for ten minutes. Strain again into a tureen, and serve with sippets of toast.

No. 23.--Semolina Soup.

3 pints water. 1 carrot. 1 turnip. 1 onion. 2 potatoes. 1 tablespoon raw semolina. 3/4 teaspoon salt. A little pepper.

Slice the vegetables and boil them in the water for about an hour, rub through a wire sieve, replace in the saucepan, add seasoning and shake in the semolina gradually. Boil for ten minutes, stirring all the time.

No. 24.--Brown Stock.

1 pint soaked lentils. 3 pints water. 1 carrot. 1 turnip. 1 ounce butter. 1 teaspoon of salt. 1 onion. 6 peppercorns.

Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, place in the lentils, water, and vegetables sliced. Boil one hour, add salt, re-boil until quite done. Strain.

No. 25.--White Stock.

1 pint soaked haricot beans. 3 pints water. 1 large carrot. 1 large onion. 1 large turnip. A little celery. 1 ounce butter. 1 teaspoon salt. A very small quantity each of mixed herbs, mace and peppercorns.

Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, add the beans, vegetables sliced, the seasonings, and water; boil all together for two and a half hours. Strain.

No. 26.--Tomato Soup.

2 1/2 pounds tomatoes. 1 large carrot. 1 large turnip. 1 large onion. 1 1/2 pints water. 3 ounces butter. 1 tablespoon sago. 2 teaspoons salt. 1 dozen peppercorns.

Slice the carrot, turnip and onion, and place them with two ounces of butter in a good-sized saucepan and fry for a few minutes; add water, peppercorns, and one teaspoon of salt, and boil gently. Cook the tomatoes in another stewpan, according to Recipe No. 155, adding to them the other teaspoon of salt and one ounce of butter. When quite tender, pour them into the saucepan containing the vegetables and simmer altogether for about an hour, or until the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Strain, return to the saucepan, and when boiling stir in the sago; simmer gently for half an hour, and the soup may, if liked, be again strained before serving.

No. 27.--Turnip Soup.

10 turnips. 2 onions. 2 potatoes. 1 small stick of celery. 1 pint milk. 3 pints water. 2 ounces butter. 2 teaspoons salt. 1 teaspoon peppercorns.

Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, place in the vegetables sliced, salt, peppercorns, and water, and boil gently for two hours. Strain, return to the saucepan, which must be perfectly clean, add milk, simmer a few minutes and serve.

Note.--A tablespoon of cream placed in the tureen, and stirred into the soup as it is poured in, is a great improvement, or it may be thickened with one tablespoon sago.

No. 28.--Vegetable Soup.

1 potato. 2 onions. 2 carrots. 2 turnips. 2 sticks of celery. 3 pints water. 3 or 4 thick slices of beetroot. 1 dozen small sprigs of watercress. 1 dozen small sprigs of parsley. 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. 2 tablespoons pearl barley. 1 ounce butter.

Dissolve the butter in a saucepan, place in the onions sliced, and fry five minutes; then add all the other ingredients and boil for one and a half hours. Strain before serving. If liked, a carrot and turnip, neatly cut into little strips, may be boiled separately, strained, and added to the soup before serving.

No. 29.--Vegetable Marrow Soup.

1 large vegetable marrow. 1 quart water. 2 ounces butter. 1 gill of milk. 1 onion. 1 teaspoon salt. 2 tablespoons semolina.

Peel the vegetable marrow, and cut it into rather thin slices, cut the onion in quarters, and put all into a good-sized saucepan in which the butter has been dissolved; add the salt and water, and simmer for one hour. Strain through a sieve, rubbing as much of the pulp through as possible; return the soup to the saucepan, shake in the semolina, stir for ten minutes after it boils, and add the milk just before serving.

No. 30.--Vermicelli Soup.

6 carrots. 6 turnips. 1 head of celery. 6 onions. 1 handful of parsley. 1/2 pint tomato juice. 3 quarts of water. 3 teaspoons of peppercorns. 2 ounces butter. 1 ounce of salt. 3 ounces vermicelli. White of 1 egg.

Clean and slice the vegetables, dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, place in it the vegetables, including the parsley, add water and salt and peppercorns, and boil for one and a half hours, removing the scum as it rises. Strain; return the soup to the saucepan, which should first be rinsed, allow it to simmer, pour in the white of egg, re-strain through a very fine sieve (or a piece of muslin placed in an ordinary sieve will answer the purpose). Return again to the saucepan, which must be thoroughly clean, add the vermicelli, and simmer for half an hour. Add the tomato juice just before serving.

STEWS.

No. 31.--Brighton Stew.

1/2 pound cooked haricot beans. 1/2 pint fresh green peas. 1 small cauliflower. 6 small onions. 1 pint haricot bean stock. 1 ounce butter. 1/2 ounce flour. The juice of half a lemon. Salt and pepper to taste.

Dissolve the butter in a stewpan, peel and halve the onions and fry them for about ten minutes, but do not allow to brown, stir in the flour, add the peas and stock, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently, then add the beans, lemon juice, and seasonings. Boil the cauliflower separately, break up the white part into neat pieces, add them to the stew, and simmer altogether for a few minutes. Pour into an entree dish and serve very hot.

Note.--Good tinned peas will answer the purpose when fresh ones are not obtainable.

No. 32.--Carrot Stew.

3 carrots. 1 large onion. 1 ounce butter. 1 1/2 pints water. 6 ounces cooked rice. 1 teaspoon salt.

Slice the carrots and onion, and fry them in the butter for ten minutes, but do not let them brown; add salt and water, and boil for one and a half hours; then stir in the rice, simmer for another half hour, stirring frequently, and serve.

No. 33.--Stewed Cucumber.

1 cucumber. 1 shalot. 1/2 ounce butter. 1/4 pint water. A little pepper and salt.

Peel and slice the cucumber, place it in an enamelled stewpan with the shalot finely minced, the butter, pepper, salt and water. Simmer very gently for about half an hour, or until quite tender.

Note.--May be served plain, or with tomato sauce No. 181.

No. 34.--Stewed Cucumber and Beetroot.

1 small cucumber. 12 slices of beetroot. 1 shalot. 1 ounce butter. 1/4 pint water. A little pepper and salt.

Slice the cucumber and beetroot, and fry them separately in half an ounce of butter for about five minutes. Place them together in a stewpan with the shalot finely minced, the pepper, salt and water, and stew gently for half an hour.

No. 35.--Stewed Cucumber with Sauce Piquante.

2 cucumbers. 2 ounces butter. Pepper to taste. 1 gill of water. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 pint sauce piquante.

Peel and slice the cucumbers, place them in a stewpan with the other ingredients, and simmer for, half or three-quarters of an hour, leaving the lid off the last few minutes in order that none of the liquor may remain. Serve with piquante sauce No. 171 poured over, and sippets of toast.

No. 36.--Braized Cucumber with Tomato Sauce.

1 cucumber. 1 shalot. 1/2 pound tomatoes. 1 gill of water. 2 ounces butter. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 3 teaspoons semolina.

Dissolve the butter in a small stewpan, peel and slice the cucumber in slices about a quarter of an inch thick, remove the seeds with a pointed knife, dry the slices in a clean cloth and braize them in the butter until tender (about a quarter of an hour), adding a little salt and pepper. When done (they must on no account be allowed to break), remove them carefully with a fork one by one on to a suitable sized dish, and place on one side. To make the sauce, cut up the tomatoes and shalot, and place them with the seeds and any rough pieces of the cucumber in the butter which has just cooked the cucumber, adding water and salt if needed; simmer for half an hour, strain, and thicken with semolina, or flour if preferred. Re-warm the cucumber by placing it in the oven, pour the sauce over, and serve.

No. 37.--Stewed Mushrooms.

For Mushroom Patties, etc.

6 ounces mushrooms. 3/4 pint of milk. Pepper and salt to taste. 1 ounce butter. 1/2 ounce flour.

Place the butter and flour in a small stewpan, and stir over a gentle heat until thoroughly mixed, add the milk and seasonings, and stir until it boils. Then place in the mushrooms, which have been cleaned and prepared, and boil gently until perfectly tender, stirring all the time. They are then ready for use.

No. 38.--Potato Stew.

6 or 8 small potatoes. 1 gill water. 1/2 pint milk. 1 small shalot. 1 ounce butter. 1/2 ounce flour. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 dozen peppercorns. 1 strip of lemon peel.

Dissolve half an ounce of butter in a stewpan, place in the potatoes peeled, the shalot finely sliced, milk, water and seasonings (the peppercorns and lemon peel tied in muslin), and stew until tender. When done, lift the potatoes carefully out and place in a hot vegetable dish, remove the seasoning, thicken the liquor with the half ounce each of flour and butter, stirring until it boils; then pour over the potatoes, and serve.

No. 39.--Baked Potato Stew.

Potatoes according to size. 1 1/2 pint good stock or sauce.

Peel sufficient potatoes to cover the bottom of a large and deep pie-dish (a cook's comfort is the best shape for this purpose), pour over them the sauce or stock, which must be highly seasoned and flavoured with herbs and spices. Bake in a moderate oven for one or one and a half hours, according to the size of the potatoes.

Note.--Light dumplings and boiled cabbage should accompany this dish.

No. 40.--Stewed Green Peas.

1 pint shelled peas. 1 lettuce. 1 gill of water. 1 onion sliced. A sprig of mint. 1/2 ounce of butter. Salt to taste.

Wash the lettuce and cut it up rather fine, place it with the other ingredients in a stewpan, and simmer without the lid about half an hour, or until the peas are quite tender.

No. 41.--Green Pea and Lettuce Stew.

1 1/2 pints shelled peas. 2 cabbage lettuces sliced. 1 small onion sliced. 1 tablespoon water. 1 ounce butter. The yolks of 2 eggs. 1 tablespoon cream. 1/4 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon white sugar.

Stew the peas, lettuces and onion very gently with the butter and water for half an hour (three-quarters of an hour if the peas are not very young). Add the sugar and salt, then stir in the yolks of eggs and cream; continue stirring for a minute until it all thickens (but on no account allow it to boil, or the eggs will curdle), and serve with sippets of toasted bread.

No. 42.--Green Pea and Potato Stew.

1 pint shelled green peas. 6 new potatoes. 2 onions. A sprig of mint. 1 1/2 pints water. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 ounce butter rolled in flour.

Slice the potatoes and onions, and place them in a stewpan with the peas, mint and water. Simmer gently for one hour, remove the mint, add salt and butter, and stir for a few minutes over the fire.

No. 43.--Haricot Bean Stew.

1 pint soaked haricot beans. 4 potatoes. 2 large onions. 1/2 ounce butter 1 quart water. 1 teaspoon salt.

Prepare and slice the vegetables, place them with the butter, beans, and water, in a stewpan, and simmer gently for two hours and a half; add salt.

No. 44.--Haricot Bean Stew.

1 pint soaked haricot beans. 1 quart water. 1 teaspoon salt. 1/2 ounce butter. 1 good-sized onion. 1 tablespoon semolina. 1/2 pint stewed tomatoes.

Dissolve the butter in a stewpan, place in the beans, the onion cut up, and the water, and boil for two hours; add salt. Simmer for half an hour longer, then shake in the semolina, and continue stirring for about ten minutes. Cooked semolina will do equally well, and need only be added five minutes before serving (about a quarter of a pound will be required). Lastly, add tomatoes, which should have been previously stewed (see No. 155), and serve.

No. 45.--Haricot Bean Stew.

1/2 pint soaked haricot beans. 2 carrots. 2 turnips. 2 onions. 1/2 ounce butter. 1 pint water. 1/2 pint 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1 dozen peppercorns tied in muslin. 1 tablespoon soaked or crushed tapioca.

Boil the beans in the water with the butter, vegetables sliced, and the peppercorns, for two hours; remove the peppercorns, add salt and tapioca, and stir until it thickens.

No. 46.--Haricot Bean Ragout.

1 pint soaked haricots. 1 quart water. 2 carrots. 2 turnips. 2 onions. 1 teaspoon salt. 2 ounces butter. 1 tablespoon flour.

Boil the haricot beans until tender, adding salt a short time previously. Strain and spread the beans on a dish that they may dry. Slice the carrots and turnips very fine, and boil for half an hour in the liquor; strain also. Slice the onions, and fry ten minutes in the butter, but do not allow them to brown; add haricots and flour, and simmer altogether another five minutes, stirring all the time. Chop the vegetables very fine, add to the beans and onions, pour in the liquor, stir until it boils and thickens, and serve.

No. 47.--Haricot Bean and Green Pea Stew.

1/2 pint soaked haricot beans. 1/2 pint shelled green peas. 1 1/2 pints of water. 1 onion. 1 ounce butter. 1/2 ounce flour. 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. A sprig of mint.

Boil the haricot beans in the usual way with one pint of the water, one teaspoon of salt, and the onion sliced. When cooked, thicken with a paste of the flour and butter. Boil the green peas with the remainder of the water, salt, and mint. When tender, mix with the haricot beans, and serve with sippets of toast.

No. 48.--Irish Stew.

1/2 pint soaked lentils. 6 potatoes. 2 large onions. 1/2 ounce butter. 1 pint water. 1 teaspoon salt. 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Place the lentils and butter with the vegetables, which must be sliced, in a saucepan with the water, and stew gently for one hour. Add seasonings a quarter of an hour before serving.

No. 49.--Lentil Stew with Forcemeat Cutlets.

1 quart soaked lentils. 1 carrot. 1 turnip. 1 onion. 1 teaspoon Worcester sauce. 2 teaspoons salt. 1 ounce butter. Forcemeat.

Simmer the lentils gently in three pints of water for one and a half hours. Strain. Put a quarter of a pound of the lentils on one side to cool. Rub the rest through the wire sieve with a wooden spoon until nothing but the skins remain. In the meantime, boil the vegetables with sufficient water to cover, until quite tender. When thoroughly cooked pour into the lentil puree, add the sauce and salt, and re-warm. Prepare forcemeat No. 77, adding the quarter of a pound of lentils chopped fine; shape into little cutlets (about twelve), brown in a frying-pan with the butter, place on a hot dish, pour the gravy over, and serve at once.

No. 50.--Rice Stew.

1/2 pound cooked rice. 1 pint water. 1 carrot. 1 turnip. 1/2 ounce each flour and butter. 1 potato. 1 onion. 1/2 teaspoon salt. A little curry powder or Worcester sauce, if liked.

Slice the vegetables, place them in a saucepan with the salt and water, and boil for one hour, or until tender. When done, stand the saucepan on one side for a few minutes to get thoroughly off the boil. Mix the flour and butter well together, add them to the stew; re-boil and stir until it thickens; add rice, and boil for one or two minutes. If curry powder is liked, it should be mixed with the flour and butter, but the Worcester sauce may be added at the last moment.

No. 51.--Spanish Onion Stew.

3 Spanish onions. 1 carrot. 1 turnip. 1 1/2 pints water. 1 ounce butter. 1 teaspoon salt. 1/2 dozen peppercorns tied in muslin. A few sticks of celery.

Slice the carrot and turnip and fry a few minutes in the butter, place them in a saucepan together with the onions cut in quarters, the water, salt, celery and peppercorns. Boil gently until quite tender, remove the peppercorns, reduce the gravy, and serve with sippets of toast.

No. 52.--Tennis Stew.

1/2 pound mashed potato. 1/2 pound cold greens of any kind. 6 medium-sized carrots. 1/2 pint rich brown sauce. 1 egg. A few bread crumbs. Pepper and salt.

Mix well together the potatoes, greens (which must be finely chopped), egg, and seasoning to taste, adding as many bread crumbs as are needful to render the mixture firm enough to roll into balls. Fry the balls in a little butter, or they may be rolled in egg and bread crumbs and dropped into boiling oil. (The latter way is specially recommended when only half the above quantity of vegetables is being used, and consequently only half an egg is needed; the other half should then be reserved for this purpose.) Arrange a circle of balls on a hot dish, have ready the carrots boiled, slice them rather thickly and shape them into the form of tennis bats; place them in the centre, and pour the sauce over them. If curried sauce be used, rice may either be served separately, or a border of it placed round the balls.

No. 53.--Tomato Ragout.

9 tomatoes. 1 large onion. 1 large turnip. 1 large carrot. 1 small stick of celery. 1 1/2 pints water. 1 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 2 ounces butter. 1 ounce brown flour.

Slice the onion, turnip and carrot, and cut the two latter into very neat or ornamental pieces, cut the celery very small, place altogether in a stewpan with the water and salt, and simmer gently for two and a half hours. Stew the tomatoes according to No. 155 in a separate stewpan, using one ounce of butter. When the vegetables are quite tender, the tomato juice, which has been previously strained, should be added to them, and the whole thickened with the flour and remaining ounce of butter thoroughly mixed to a paste. The stew must be allowed to boil gently for a few minutes after it has been thickened, to cook the flour.

Note.--A small teaspoonful of Worcester sauce may be used instead of the pepper.

No. 54.--Rich Baked Vegetable Stew.

2 large young carrots. 4 fresh tomatoes. 3 or 4 new potatoes. 1 shalot. A pinch of sweet herbs. 2 eggs. Pepper and salt. 2 ounces butter. 2 ounces bread crumbs.

Melt the butter in a stewpan and fry in it the carrots and potatoes, sliced very thin, for about ten minutes, or until they begin to brown. Scald the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, remove the skins, slice them, and place in the stewpan with a sprinkle each of salt, pepper, sweet herbs, and the shalot, very finely minced. Stew altogether gently for about half an hour (the juice from the tomatoes with the butter makes sufficient liquor), and when thoroughly cooked, pour into a shallow pie-dish. Break the eggs and separate yolks from whites, beat the former and stir in the bread crumbs, with which have been mixed a pinch of salt and pepper; then beat the whites to a stiff froth, mix in with the yolks, stir well altogether and place over the stew in the form of crust, and bake a quarter of an hour in a very brisk oven. Serve hot or cold.

No. 55.--Vegetable Ragout.

2 carrots. 2 turnips. 2 onions. 2 potatoes. 2 tomatoes. 1 quart water. 1 teaspoon salt. 2 1/2 ounces butter. 1 ounce flour.

Prepare the vegetables, cutting the onions and turnips in quarters, and slicing the potatoes and carrots, place them together with the water, salt and half an ounce of butter in a saucepan, and boil for one hour. Scald the tomatoes, remove the skins, quarter and add to the ragout; simmer for a quarter of an hour longer, then carefully strain away the vegetables and place them in a deep dish; return the liquor to the saucepan, and thicken with the flour and butter made into a paste; stir until the sauce boils and is free from lumps, then pour over the vegetables, and serve hot. Sippets of toast may be added with advantage.

Note.--Should the sauce remain lumpy it should be poured over the vegetables through a strainer.

No. 56.--Stewed Vegetable Marrow.

1 middling-sized vegetable marrow. 1 pint water. 1 ounce butter. 1/2 ounce flour. 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Peel and slice the marrow and remove the seeds; place these in a saucepan with the water and salt, and simmer for a quarter of an hour. Dissolve half an ounce of butter in a stewpan, put in the slices of marrow, and strain the liquor from the seeds over them; stew gently for half or one hour, according to the age of the marrow. When quite done, lift the pieces out carefully. Mix the other half ounce butter and flour into a paste, thicken the gravy with this, pour it over the marrow, and serve. A sprig of mint may be boiled with the seeds if liked.

Note.--This method of boiling vegetable marrows will be found greatly superior to that generally adopted, as in this case there is no waste nor loss of flavour.

FRITTERS, ETC.

No. 57.--Savoury Almond Fritters.

Yolk of hard-boiled egg. 3 Brazil nuts. 1 baked potato. 2 raw yolks of eggs. The whites of ditto. 1 shalot. 1 pinch of mixed sweet herbs. 1 teaspoon ground almonds. 1 tablespoon bread crumbs. 1/2 teaspoon salt. A little pepper. A little grated lemon rind. 1 teaspoon minced parsley. Egg and bread crumbs.

Remove the nuts from the shells and scrape off the brown skin, pound them to a paste in a mortar with the hard-boiled yolk and sweet herbs. When quite smooth, add the shalot and parsley minced, the salt, pepper, lemon rind, baked potato, and bread crumbs. Mix all well together, then add the two raw yolks; stir well again, and, lastly, add the whites beaten to a stiff froth. Pour the mixture into a buttered soup-plate, turn another over the top, and bake in a moderate oven until it has quite set (about one hour). Let it cool, and then cut into squares or stamp out with a fancy cutter; roll each piece in egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil.

No. 58.--Savoury Batter Fritters.

Proceed according to No. 73, when done turn out and allow to get cold, then cut in neat little squares or stamp out with pastry cutters. Fry in a little butter or roll in egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil.

No. 59.--Brazil Rissoles.

3 ounces Brazil nuts without shells. 3 1/2 tablespoons cream. 1 whole egg. 3 yolks ditto. 1 teaspoon Tarragon vinegar. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. 1 teaspoon minced parsley. Egg and bread crumbs.

After scraping off the brown skin pound the nuts to a paste in a mortar, add the other ingredients, and stir well altogether. Well butter six (or eight) little tin moulds, fill them with the mixture, stand the moulds in a baking tin which contains a little boiling water, and bake in a moderate oven for twelve or fifteen minutes. When cold, take them out of the moulds, brush over with egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil until a nice golden colour (about three minutes). Garnish with parsley.

No. 60.--Egg and Tomato Fritters.

6 hard-boiled eggs. 6 teaspoons bread crumbs. 6 teaspoons minced parsley. 6 teaspoons minced tomato. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 1 egg.

Mince the eggs, parsley and tomato, and mix altogether with the pepper and salt, bread crumbs, and half a beaten egg; form into little cutlets, roll in the other half of the egg and bread crumbs, and fry in boiling oil.

No. 61.--Golden Marbles.

1/4 pound haricot bean pulp. 2 ounces bread crumbs. 1/4 pound mashed potatoes. 1 shalot. 1 egg. 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bread crumbs.