Cook the lentils as before and serve with plenty of curried sauce poured over. For the curry sauce see page [45].
Maigre Soufflés
There is no nicer way of serving such vegetables as cabbage, spinach, artichokes, or celery, than in the form of a soufflé, which may appear as an entrée or second course dish, or as a vegetable to accompany meat or poultry.
Savoury soufflés of rice and of macaroni are also delicious, and although all soufflés require care in the cooking, a cook of moderate abilities will soon master the art of making these delicious dishes.
Vegetable Soufflé
Have ready about ½ lb. of any carefully made and well-flavoured vegetable purée—spinach, cabbage, turnip tops, Brussels-sprouts, carrot, turnip (or both mixed) artichoke, tomato, or celery. Then put 1 gill of water and 1 oz. of butter into a pan with a pinch of salt. Directly this comes to the boil, stir in 1 oz. of flour, stirring it well with a wooden spoon for 2 or 3 minutes, put in the purée, and just remove the pan for a little, add the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 at a time, and 1 whole egg, and finally the whites of 2 eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Have ready a papered soufflé dish, fill it three-quarters of the way up, bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes, and serve at once, first removing the paper and wiping the dish.
The purée may be prepared at any time, but the eggs should only be added just before the soufflé is to be baked. The dish (china or tin) in which the soufflé is baked must be well greased and a greased paper tied round. The mixture rises so strenuously that if the dish is 3 parts full (and it should be to look well when served), the paper is required to prevent the mixture from falling over, as it rises just above the edges of the dish. When baking the soufflé do not bang the oven door, and open it very gently, and, by degrees when taking the soufflé out. If kept waiting the soufflé will fall and become tough. So with these dishes the diners must wait for the soufflé rather than the soufflé for the diners.
Vegetable Purée
This is merely the vegetable boiled in water or stock, and then put through a sieve so that it forms a preparation resembling a very thick custard. Spinach à la crême (page [20]) and purée of watercress, lettuce, and turnip tops (pages [16] and [17]) are excellent foundations for soufflés. Such vegetables as artichokes and celery should be treated as follows:—