Ingredients.—A quart of French beans, 3 oz. of fresh butter, pepper and salt to taste, the juice of ½ lemon. Mode.—Cut and boil the beans by the preceding recipe, and when tender, put them into a stewpan, and shake over the fire, to dry away the moisture from the beans. When quite dry and hot, add the butter, pepper, salt, and lemon-juice; keep moving the stewpan, without using a spoon, as that would break the beans; and when the butter is melted, and all is thoroughly hot, serve. If the butter should not mix well, add a tablespoonful of gravy, and serve very quickly. Time.—About ¼ hour to boil the beans; 10 minutes to shake them over the fire. Average cost, in full season, about 1s. 4d. per peck. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from the middle of July to the end of September.
BEANS, to Boil Haricots Blancs, or White Haricot.
Ingredients.—1 quart of white haricot beans, 2 quarts of soft water, 1 oz. of butter, 1 heaped tablespoonful of salt. Mode.—Put the beans into cold water, let them soak from 2 to 4 hours, according to their age; then put them into cold water salted in the above proportion, bring them to boil, and let them simmer very slowly until tender; pour the water away from them, let them stand by the side of the fire, with the lid of the saucepan partially off, to allow the beans to dry; then add 1 oz. of butter and a seasoning of pepper and salt. Shake the beans about for a minute or two, and serve: do not stir them with a spoon, for fear of breaking them to pieces. Time.—After the water boils, from 2 to 2½ hours. Average cost, 4d. per quart. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable in winter, when other vegetables are scarce.
Note.—Haricots blancs, when new and fresh, should be put into boiling water, and do not require any soaking previous to dressing.
BEANS, Haricots Blancs & Minced Onions.
Ingredients.—1 quart of white haricot beans, 4 middling-sized onions, ¼ pint of good brown gravy, pepper and salt to taste, a little flour. Mode.—Peel and mince the onions not too finely, and fry them in butter of a light brown colour; dredge over them a little flour, and add the gravy and a seasoning of pepper and salt. Have ready a pint of haricot beans well boiled and drained; put them with the onions and gravy, mix all well together, and serve very hot. Time.—From 2 to 2½ hours to boil the beans; 5 minutes to fry the onions. Average cost, 4d. per quart. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable in winter.
BEANS, Haricots Blancs à la Maître d’Hôtel.
HARICOT BEANS.
Ingredients.—1 quart of white haricot beans, ¼ lb. of fresh butter, 1 tablespoonful of minced parsley, pepper and salt to taste, the juice of ½ lemon. Mode.—Should the beans be very dry, soak them for an hour or two in cold water, and boil them until perfectly tender, as in the preceding recipe. If the water should boil away, replenish it with a little more cold, which makes the skin of the beans tender. Let them be very thoroughly done; drain them well; then add to them the butter, minced parsley, and a seasoning of pepper and salt. Keep moving the stewpan over the fire without using a spoon, as this would break the beans; and, when the various ingredients are well mixed with them, squeeze in the lemon-juice, and serve very hot. Time.—From 2 to 2½ hours to boil the beans. Average cost, 4d. per quart. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable in winter.