Peel the beetroot, and cut into slices about a quarter of an inch thick. Dissolve the butter in a frying pan, place in the beetroot and fry for twenty minutes, sprinkling each slice on both sides with the pepper and salt. When done, arrange the slices on a hot dish. Reset the frying pan on the fire, stir in the flour, thoroughly mixing it with the butter, and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time, then pour in the water and vinegar, stir until quite smooth; pour over the beetroot and serve quickly.
[No. 145.]—Brussels Sprouts.
- Sprouts.
- Salted water.
Clean the sprouts very thoroughly, removing all the decayed and outside leaves, and when perfectly free from dirt and insects, place them in plenty of fast-boiling salted water, and boil for about twenty minutes, or until quite tender but not broken. Keep the lid off all the time they are cooking, remove the scum as it rises, and be sure and use no soda. When they are tender, have ready a colander with a cloth laid in it, lift the sprouts out with an egg slice, and lay them carefully on the cloth to drain, place about a dozen of the best shaped ones on a hot plate or dish, slide the remainder gently off the cloth on to a hot drainer in a vegetable dish, and arrange the reserved ones on the top.
Sprouts are often spoiled in the dishing up, but no vegetable looks and tastes nicer if properly cooked and served.
[No. 146.]—French Beans.
- 1 pint tomato juice.
- 1 shalot.
- 1 pound cooked French beans.
- ½ teaspoon salt.
- A little pepper.
- Thickening of flour and butter.
Slice the shalot, and stew it in the tomato juice for about half an hour. Strain, add pepper and salt, and thicken the juice with the flour and butter. Lay the French beans in, and thoroughly re-heat.
Note.—Tinned beans may be used, when fresh ones are not obtainable.