MRS. C. S. PEEL’S
COOK-BOOKS

DISHES MADE WITHOUT
MEAT

BOOKS BY MRS. C. S. PEEL IN
CONSTABLE’S HOME SERIES

The Simplified Series of Cook-Books.

A new and useful series of books for the Kitchen. Crown 8vo. Price 1s. net each volume.

The first four volumes are:—

Entrées Made Easy.
Puddings and Sweets.
Savouries Simplified.
The Still-Room. A Few Recipes, Old and New.

Ten Shillings a Head per Week for House Books.

An Indispensable Manual for Housekeepers. Crown 8vo. Price 3s. 6d. 5th edition.

The Single-Handed Cook.

More Recipes. Crown 8vo. Price 3s. 6d.

How to Keep House.

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The New Home.

Treating of the Arrangement, Decoration, and Furnishing of a House of Medium Size to be maintained by a Moderate Income. A New Book for the Mistress of the House, with a Chapter of special interest on Colonial Housekeeping. Fully Illustrated. 2nd edition, revised and enlarged. Crown 8vo. Price 3s. 6d.

MRS. C. S. PEEL’S COOK-BOOKS

DISHES MADE
WITHOUT MEAT

BY
MRS. C. S. PEEL
Author of “10/- a Head for House Books,” “The Single-handed
Cook,” “How to Keep House”
and “The New Home”

LONDON
ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE & CO Ltd.
1907

NOTE

Fish dishes are not treated of in this book, as they will be found in the Volume of the series—entitled Fish and How to Cook it. Also, as these little cook-books are intended primarily for households where both time and money must be economized, the recipes are neither over elaborate nor over expensive.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
VEGETABLE DISHES

There is undoubtedly a great and growing liking for maigre dishes, not only amongst those people who eat them from religious motives, but amongst the general public. Nowadays at most of the smart restaurants vegetable and cereal dishes are a feature of almost every meal, and at private houses no luncheon and few dinner menus are considered complete unless a vegetable or cereal dish is included.

But apart from fashion the value of these dishes is great; they are good for the health and good for the pocket of the housekeeper, provided they are ordered with discretion.

In the country, where vegetables are plentiful and money is not, I have often noticed that sufficient use is not made of vegetables, while where fresh green food is a luxury its place is not taken—as it should be—by such food stuffs as rice, macaroni, haricot beans and corn.

As the housekeeper whose weekly income is limited knows only too well, there often comes a day when the supply of meat falls short. Then comes the question, can it be eked out in a presentable manner or must more be bought and the desired cost exceeded. Now the woman who caters carefully will realize how such inexpensive materials as rice or macaroni, potatoes or cabbage may be pressed into service.

For example, the only available meat dish for luncheon is a hot pot of mutton and the party is suddenly augmented. Add to the menu a dish of macaroni au jus, or a rissole or corn curry, and supplement the homely pudding with a little cheese savoury, and what more can any one desire?

Then if the meat for a veal and ham pie is scarcely sufficient add a liberal quantity of partly cooked macaroni cut into short lengths, while should the quantity of minced mutton available seem sadly little, add an ample border of savoury rice or an extra dish of potato and cheese balls. If rissoles are required add to them by means of mashed potato or rice.

Then never allow small quantities of cooked vegetables left over from lunch or dinner to be thrown away. Place them on clean plates in the larder; they will prove useful additions to the next day’s bill of fare.

For example, you have two or three young carrots, a cupful of peas, even a smaller quantity of broad beans. Slice the carrots and arrange all three vegetables in china shells, mask with mayonnaise sauce, sprinkle with coralline pepper, and serve with cold meat, or reheat them by steaming, place them in a hot fireproof dish, cover with boiling hot maître d’hôtel sauce, and garnish with rolls of bacon, and serve as a luncheon dish; or add a little onion and use for a vegetable curry, and serve surrounded by well-boiled rice; or reheat, mix with parsley and butter sauce, cover with mashed potato, score the top and brown in the oven, and serve for luncheon in the guise of vegetable pie.

If some new potatoes are left over, slice, fry, and serve with or without bacon for breakfast; while should you have some old boiled potatoes to use up they may be mashed and employed in half a score of ways; incorporated with cabbage, pepper, salt, and a little butter, formed into cakes, and fried to serve with bacon, grilled chicken or ham, for instance.

Thus the clever housekeeper economizes and yet does not allow her economies to be apparent.

Before passing on to the recipes which are the raison d’être of this little volume, I would say a word on the treatment of vegetables.

It is the habit of gardeners to pick fruit, vegetables, etc., in the morning, and to bring in the day’s supply at about eleven o’clock, and on Saturday to provide sufficient for two days’ consumption. Except in the case of strawberries (which should be gathered, if possible, on the day on which they are to be eaten) and asparagus (which is infinitely better when cut just before the time for cooking), there is no objection to this plan, provided the garden produce is stored in the best manner. Carrots and turnips, leeks and onions should be placed in wire racks; and lettuces should be arranged root-end downmost in a shallow pan of fresh water. Cabbages and cauliflower may be treated likewise. Parsley should be placed in water as if it were a flower—not soused head over heels in that liquid. Whether the stalk-end of a cucumber should be placed in water, or whether the vegetable should be left dry in a cool, airy place, is a moot point. I do not feel competent to say which course should be followed, but my cook, who is clever at cooking vegetables, opines that cucumbers should not be placed in water; and, in any case, that they should not be kept long when cut.

Mustard-and-cress should be arranged in a shallow pan of water.

Peas and broad beans should not be shelled unnecessarily long before eating, and if it is necessary to keep them they should be placed in a wire rack in a cool, well-ventilated place.

All vegetables should be eaten while young, or they lose considerably in flavour. When French or runner beans are quite young it is better merely to remove the strings and to cook them whole; but when old age approaches they are more palatable when sliced.

To Boil Vegetables

When boiling vegetables remember that all fresh vegetables should be plunged into boiling salted water, the proportions being 1 tablespoonful of salt to 1 gallon of water.

Dried vegetables should be placed in lukewarm water.

A piece of sugar put into the water in which green vegetables are cooked helps to bring out the flavour.

Leave the cover off the pan in which vegetables are cooked, or, at all events, leave it half off, so that the steam can escape easily.

Do not allow vegetables to stay in the water in which they are boiled, but drain them at once, pressing out all the water possible.

Green vegetables take on an average about 20 minutes to cook, though 10 minutes is often long enough for young peas, while cabbages sometimes take nearly an hour.

The best way of cooking peas is as follows:—Shell a pint of peas and place them in a jar with a closely-fitting lid, put in with them a saltspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of butter, a teaspoonful of powdered white sugar, a sprig of mint and a shake of black pepper. Cover the jar closely and place it in a saucepan of boiling water. Boil briskly, until done, which should be in ½ an hour to ¾ of an hour.

Peas with Béchamel Sauce (Hot)

Cook the peas as in the preceding recipe, and just before serving pour over them a small quantity of Béchamel sauce.

Petit Pois au Beurre (Hot)

Peas with Butter

Having cooked the peas either by the method described above or having boiled them in the ordinary way, drain off the water and shake the peas to dry them well, return them to the hot dry pan they were cooked in, and at the last moment before serving throw in a pat of butter, let this just melt, and serve.

French Beans

À la Crême de Fromage (Hot)

Cook the beans in the usual way by throwing them in boiling salted water in which a teaspoonful of sugar has been placed. If young, cook them whole, only removing the spines and pointed end, or if stock can be used, place them in a pan which has been buttered, sprinkle them with salt, and just cover them with stock. When tender place them on a hot dish, make a white sauce with ½ oz. of butter and ½ oz. of flour mixed with ½ pint of the stock in which the beans have been cooked, add a good pinch of salt and stir well, adding one well-beaten egg and two tablespoonsful of finely-grated cheese. Do not let the sauce boil after the egg has been added or it will curdle. Pour round the beans and serve.

French beans can also be served with Béchamel sauce or quite plainly with a small quantity of butter melted and run over them, with a shake of pepper and salt, or again with a plain melted butter sauce.

Flageolets

Flageolets are the beans of the kidney bean, French bean, etc., and when shelled and cooked in various ways are excellent eating. They should be boiled in the same way as peas, simply omitting the sprig of mint, and can be served in various ways.

Flageolets au Beurre (Hot)

Having boiled and drained the beans, place a pat of butter in the saucepan just before serving.

Flageolets au Maître d’Hôtel (Hot)

Make a butter by mixing 1 oz. of butter, the juice of ½ a lemon, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper, mix well and form into a pat. When the beans are cooked and drained, place this with them, shake and serve.

Flageolets à la Crême de Fromage (Hot)

(With Cheese Sauce)

Follow the directions for French beans, substituting flageolets, and boiling in the ordinary way.

Cabbage with Cheese Sauce (Hot)

Boil a cabbage, cut it in 8 pieces, then place it in 1 pint of cheese sauce, make it thoroughly hot, and serve with the sauce poured over it.

Cabbage à la Crême (Hot)

Drain a boiled cabbage, cut it up small, put it into a saucepan with 1 oz. of butter, 1 gill of cream, and a seasoning of pepper and salt, stir it all together over the fire till thoroughly hot, then turn it out on to a hot dish, and serve with fried croûtons.

Brussels-Sprouts

can be served in various ways. For au beurre after boiling, drain well, taking great care to squeeze every drop of water possible from the sprouts, return to the pan and toss in butter, and dust with pepper and salt.

Brussels-Sprouts à la Maître d’Hôtel (Hot)

Follow the above recipe, substituting maître d’hôtel butter for ordinary butter.

Brussels-Sprouts au Jus (Hot) with Stock

Blanch the sprouts, by dipping them in boiling water and letting them remain in it for a few minutes. Remove them and drain well, placing them in a pan with just enough stock to cover them. Simmer until tender, drain and serve.

Boiled Nettles (Hot)

Choose very young nettles, and wash them well in two or three waters; chop them up very fine, and put them into a stewpan with a little water, and steam until quite tender. Meanwhile toast as many slices of bread as required, trim these neatly, lay them on a hot dish, drain the nettles well, serve on the hot toast, dusted with pepper and salt, and serve with a beurre fondue sauce, made as follows:—Put 2 oz. of butter into a clean saucepan with ½ a teaspoonful of salt, and half as much pepper, and 1 dessertspoonful of lemon juice; stir these all together over the fire until half melted, take it off the fire and continue stirring until the butter is all dissolved.

Stewed Nettles (Hot)

Wash the shoots and young leaves of nettles very thoroughly in slightly salted water, dry well and mince very finely. Put this into a stewpan with 1 tablespoonful of finely-chopped onion, a suspicion of brown sugar, season with pepper and salt to taste, pour in a little stock or water, and stew gently at the side of the fire until quite tender; then mix together 1 oz. of butter and 1 teaspoonful of salt, till perfectly smooth, add this to the nettles, with ½ a tablespoonful of thick cream or new milk, stir it all well together till quite hot, and serve on slices of hot toast. If liked, the onion may be omitted, when the nettles are treated exactly like spinach.

Purée of Watercress (Hot)

Wash some watercress well, getting rid of all faded or discoloured parts, then put it on in plenty of boiling salted water, and boil it till almost cooked; lift it out, and drain on a sieve or colander to get rid of as much water as possible. Meanwhile melt about 1½oz. of butter in a pan, put the watercress on in this, sprinkle it lightly with flour, and stir it all together over the fire for about 10 minutes, then add about 2 gills of good stock, season with pepper and salt; cook it for 10 minutes longer, stirring it continuously, rub it through a sieve and serve very hot, garnished with quartered hard-boiled eggs, and fried croûtons.

Stewed Lettuce

Treat exactly as in the previous recipe.

Purée of Turnip Tops

Proceed as for watercress or lettuce.

Cauliflower with Tomato Sauce (Hot)

Clean and soak the cauliflower in salt and water for 1 hour, then plunge it into boiling water, returning it again to cold water. After this put it in a pan of boiling water slightly salted (½ oz. of salt to 1 gallon of water) and boil it until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. In the meantime make ½ pint of tomato purée by the following recipe, and when the cauliflower is cooked place it on a hot dish, pour the purée over it, sift some finely-grated brown crumbs over it and serve.

Tomato Purée

Six smallish tomatoes. Cut them into slices and place them in an enamelled saucepan, add 1 oz. of butter, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a tiny pinch of cayenne. Pour over one pint of stock. Boil until quite soft, and then pass through a sieve, add 1 oz. of anchovy essence, thicken with ½ oz. of butter and ½ oz. of flour previously mixed together in another pan with some of the tomato mixture. Stir over the fire until the sauce thickens, and it is then ready for use.

Cauliflower Fritters (Hot)

Break a cooked cauliflower up into neat pieces, dip these in frying batter till well covered, and fry in boiling fat. Drain them well, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and coralline pepper. Serve at once on a napkin.

This is an excellent way of serving cauliflower which has been left over.

Cauliflower au Gratin

Boil the cauliflower as before, place it in a fireproof dish, pour over it an ample quantity of cheese sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese and brown crumbs and bake until slightly brown on the top. For cheese sauce see the recipe for French beans à la crême de fromage (page [12]).

Cauliflower with Soubise Sauce

Boil the cauliflower, place in a fireproof dish. Cover with delicate onion sauce (Soubise sauce, p. [47]), sprinkle with brown crumbs and make very hot in the oven.

Spinach Patties (Hot)

Take 1 lb. of spinach leaves, pick and wash them well, and after this blanch them by plunging them for 5 or 6 minutes in boiling water, drain them and place them in cold water, remove, press, and strain, to get rid of as much moisture as possible. Chop them up, place in a stewpan a pinch of salt and sugar, ½ oz. of butter and ¼ oz. of flour, and after stirring this for a few minutes add the spinach. Stir for 5 minutes then add ¼ pint of milk, stir for a few minutes longer, and then add ½ pint of milk, stirring steadily until the liquid is almost dried up. Remove from the pan and pass through a sieve, then return to the fire and add a small pat of butter and keep very hot. Have ready the required number of pastry patty cases. Quickly make some buttered egg, place some of the spinach in each case, with a spoonful of buttered egg on the top, and serve at once very hot.

Spinach and Tomatoes (Hot)

Prepare the spinach as in the preceding recipe. Bake six small tomatoes carefully in the oven with a piece of butter on each. When ready arrange the spinach in a dish in the form of a border, place the tomatoes in the centre and serve.

Épinards (Spinach) à la Crême (Hot)

Wash the spinach in six or seven waters, so as to prevent its being gritty; put it in a saucepan on the fire, with a very little water and salt; when done strain very dry and chop it up very fine. Warm 2 oz. of butter in a stewpan, put the spinach in, stir till the moisture quite evaporates, then add a very little salt, a tiny pinch of sugar (a very little nutmeg, if liked), a pinch of flour, and 1 large tablespoonful of cream, and let the whole simmer for a quarter of an hour. Then put through a sieve and keep hot. In the meantime, fry in fat some bread cut into fingers, about 2½ in. long and ½ in. square, and plant them in little rows all over the spinach when dished.

Spinach cooked thus is delicious and a very different matter from the stringy green mass generally served.

Turnip Tops à la Crême

Cook as in the previous recipe for spinach.

Almost any greens, including cabbage and Brussels-sprouts, are excellent when served thus.

Asparagus.

Asparagus is really almost at its best served plain boiled with oiled butter; but when it first comes in, the big kind, which is best for boiling, is rather expensive, and few people seem to know how good the more “grasslike” kind is if treated properly.

Boiled Asparagus (Hot)

Although every one will at once say they know how asparagus should be boiled, yet it is a melancholy fact that it is not by any means an invariable rule to find this vegetable properly treated. If, however, the following directions are carried out the result is certainly worth the little extra trouble. Cut the stalks of a bundle of fresh asparagus evenly and tie them up into a bunch, put them upright into a pan just large enough to hold them comfortably and with boiling water to within about 3 in. of the tops. Keep them on the fire for from 30 to 40 minutes, then lift them out, drain well, remove the string, and dish them on a neatly folded napkin or square of toast. Treated in this way, the heads are not so apt to come off, and the stalks, instead of being tough, are quite tender and eatable. Excellent asparagus cookers are now made, but if one of these is not to hand its lack will not be felt if the instructions already given are observed. Asparagus should be served with

Plain Oiled Butter, or Beurre Fondu,

which is made as follows:—Put 2 oz. of fresh butter into a pan with 1 saltspoonful of salt, ½ a saltspoonful of pepper, and ½ a tablespoonful of lemon juice; stir this over the fire with a clean wooden spoon till the butter has rather more than half melted; then lift it off the fire, and continue the stirring until the butter is entirely melted, when it will have a creamy taste, quite different from the ordinary oiled butter.

Asparagus au Jus (Hot)

Cut the young, green, small asparagus diagonally into equal lengths (like French beans), and toss these lightly in bacon fat; when slightly crisped, season with white pepper, salt, minced parsley, and chervil, and add a little stock; simmer gently till cooked. Now add a spoonful or so of good beef or mutton gravy, and serve. The great secret of this dish is only to put in enough stock in the first instance to cook the asparagus, for it should all be absorbed by the time you add the gravy.

Asparagus Sprue à la Pompadour (Hot)

Steam the sprue, or small asparagus, in boiling salted water (see p. [21]), cut into lengths as above, and let them dry in a well-heated napkin, in a warm place, to keep hot. Meanwhile stir together some fresh butter, the yolk of 1 or more eggs, a spoonful of vinegar, a dust of salt, and some freshly-ground black pepper; stand the pan containing this in another pan half-full of boiling water, and stir it over the fire till thoroughly blended. Place the asparagus in the dish, pour the sauce over it, and serve.

Iced Asparagus

For this the large asparagus is required. When cooked lay on ice or keep in an ice cave. Serve in an entrée dish and hand very cold mayonnaise sauce.

CHAPTER II
VEGETABLE DISHES

(Continued)

Potatoes

A favourite kitchen superstition is that which forbids the use of left-over potatoes. For many dishes cooked potato is required. Why then cook fresh potatoes for the purpose and thereby waste time and money?

The sensible cook keeps all left-over potato, and makes use of it in some of the ways here described.

Potato Croquettes (Hot)

Take 1 lb. of cold cooked potato and place in a mortar. Mash it until all the lumps have disappeared, add a pat of butter and enough milk or cream to make the potato soft, and of the right consistency to form into balls, add a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, a very small quantity of chives (if liked), mix well and form into balls. Coat them with egg, roll them in finely-grated breadcrumbs, fry a golden brown, drain and serve.

Potatoes à la Crême (Hot)

Having washed and peeled the number of potatoes required, cut them into very thin slices and as much the same size as possible. Place them in cold water for ½ hour, then drain them and dry on a soft clean cloth. Have ready a fireproof dish with a closely-fitting lid, butter the bottom and sides of it, and place a layer of potatoes in it, laying them to overlap each other, and also to stand round the sides, place on these a layer of soft butter, and a sprinkling of salt, and continue in this way until the dish is full, ending with a layer of butter. Place the lid on firmly, and place the dish in a moderate (350 deg.) oven for ¾ of an hour.

Cheese Potatoes (Hot)

Follow the previous recipe, the only difference being that grated cheese should be sprinkled between each layer of potato in addition to the butter.

Potatoes à la Crême (Hot)

(A Method of Using up left-over new Potatoes)

Put into a pan from ½ to 1 oz. of butter, add a good dessertspoonful of flour, some parsley and minced chives, with salt, pepper, and a dust of nutmeg to taste; when the whole is smoothly blended, pour in sufficient single cream or new milk, and stir it all together till it boils up, then add as many cold, cooked new potatoes as you want, and allow them to heat thoroughly in the sauce without actually boiling, which would break them; serve with a dust of coralline pepper.

Potatoes au Gratin (Hot)

Well butter a gratin dish, and dust it liberally with minced parsley, white and coralline pepper, and, if liked, a little grated Parmesan; cover this with a layer of thinly sliced, cold, cooked new potatoes, moistening them as you do so with a little cream, milk, or, failing either of these, a little oiled butter, dusting the whole with minced parsley, pepper, salt, and a very little cheese; repeat these layers till the dish is full, finishing with a very light sprinkling of fine white breadcrumbs, a little spice, grated cheese, and, lastly, some tiny morsels of fresh butter, and bake till the surface is nicely covered.

Potato and Cabbage Cakes

Take any cold potato and cabbage, mash it smoothly together, adding beaten egg, white sauce, or melted butter to moisten. Flavour rather highly with pepper, add a little salt. Form into round cakes, flour, and bake or fry.

Curried Potato Cakes

Have ready some curry sauce with which to moisten the mashed potato, and proceed as before.

Potato Cromeskies (with Mushroom)

Have ready some well-flavoured mushrooms stewed in white sauce (the mushrooms cut into small pieces). Make some smoothed mashed potato and add to it a beaten yolk of egg. Form balls of the potato. Hollow out a place in each, fill with the mushroom mixture. Cover with more potato, egg, crumb, fry and serve very hot.

Potato Mould (Hot)

Mash 1 lb. of well-boiled potatoes with the same quantity of boiled mashed carrot, pass through a fine wire sieve, mix all well together with warm milk, and a lump of butter; place in a buttered mould, and set in a hot oven for 10 minutes, turn out on a hot dish, and brown in the oven.

Artichokes au Gratin (Hot)

Wash and peel the artichokes and place them in cold salted water, then put them in a pan full of boiling salted water. Boil for 20 minutes. (If the artichokes are old they should be put into cold water, which must be brought to the boil and kept so until they are cooked.) Take the artichokes out and drain them, cut into pieces, then place them in a fireproof dish, covering them with a good white sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Place in a moderate oven, and bake about 10 to 15 minutes until of a golden brown.

Scalloped Artichokes

Cook as in the previous recipe, but omit the cheese and bake in shells which have been buttered and sprinkled with brown crumbs. Sprinkle the artichoke mixture with crumbs also, place a little butter on the top and brown as before.

Artichoke Soufflé

See page [48].

Artichoke Chips

Cook as before; slice, fry in boiling fat. Drain and leave till cold. Fry, drain, and serve very hot.

Cream of Artichokes (Hot or Cold)

Boil 1 lb. of artichokes until quite tender, then pass them through a sieve. Make a custard with ½ pint of milk and the yolks of four eggs, pepper and salt. Whisk up the white of 1 egg, and whisk this into the custard, mix it with the artichoke and place all in a well-buttered mould and steam for an hour. Serve hot with anchovy sauce, or set the mould on ice, and when quite cold turn it out on to a dish and serve with iced mayonnaise of hollandaise sauce.

Eggs and Artichokes (Hot)

Boil 8 artichokes and cut them into slices, place them in a fireproof dish. Hard boil 4 eggs. When cold shell them and chop them up, place the eggs on the top of the sliced artichokes, and pour over the whole a good white sauce flavoured with Parmesan cheese. Dust over with breadcrumbs and make thoroughly hot in the oven.

Bouchées d’Artichauts (Hot)

Prepare the green artichokes by cutting off the leaves close down to the fond and trim off any that may adhere, cut off the stalk as closely as possible. Plunge the artichoke bottoms into boiling salted water, and leave them for five minutes, then take them out and remove the choke. Place in boiling water and boil them until tender. When cooked take them out, drain them, and put them through a sieve, season with pepper and salt, moistening the whole with enough white sauce to make a purée. Have ready some pastry patty cases, ready cooked, fill each with the mixture, and serve very hot.

Fonds Artichauts au Gratin (Hot)

Boil the artichoke bottoms in the manner described above, mash them and season with pepper and salt, adding a little cream and butter, place some of the mixture in china shells or small fireproof dishes, grate some cheese over each, and bake in the oven until a golden brown.

Stuffed Artichokes.

Take the cooked artichoke bottoms and fill with mashed potato flavoured with cheese. Brown in the oven and serve with cheese sauce.

Artichokes with Cream Cheese

Fill the artichoke bottoms with cream of cheese (see page [71]), and serve on buttered toast very hot.

Mushrooms au Gratin (Hot)

Peel the mushrooms and cut off their stalks, and place them in a buttered fireproof dish. Peel the stalks and wash them, add the peelings, dry them and cut them up. Make a sauce with 1 oz. of butter, and when melted add ½ oz. of flour, stirring into it ½ pint of milk. Stir well, bring to the boil, and then throw in the chopped stalks, a dessertspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, a teaspoonful of finely-chopped onion, a dusting of pepper, and ½ a teaspoonful of salt. Simmer the sauce until it thickens, strain and add some browning. Pour the sauce over the mushrooms, sprinkle some browned breadcrumbs over the whole, and bake in a quick oven for 10 minutes.

Mushroom Croûtes (Hot)

Cut some rounds of bread about ¾ of an inch thick and scoop them out rather thinner in the centre, fry until a golden brown, drain, and keep hot. Place the required number of mushrooms on a greased baking-tin with a piece of butter in each, and place in the oven to cook. In the meantime mince one or two mushrooms and place them in a pan with a small quantity of good brown sauce. When cooked place a spoonful on each croûte, and a whole mushroom on the top of each. Serve very hot.

Roes and Mushrooms on Toast (Hot)

Make the necessary number of round croûtons of lightly-fried bread, and choose a like number of mushrooms the same size as the croûtons. Peel the mushrooms, rinse them in warm water, to remove any grit, and remove the stalks. Place them on a greased baking sheet, stalk side uppermost. Put some small pieces of butter on each mushroom and a little pepper and salt. Cover with buttered paper and cook in a moderate oven for 10 to 20 minutes. Serve a mushroom on each croûton, and on each mushroom place a cooked bloater roe curled round.

Stuffed Aubergines (Egg Fruit)

Boil the aubergines until tender (25 to 30 minutes), and then half them lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp carefully, sieve it, and mix it with some fine brown crumbs (about a dessertspoonful to each half-pint), pepper, salt, and some oiled butter. Fill the skins with this mixture, sprinkle with crumbs and oiled butter, and bake in a moderate oven until browned.

Tomatoes au Gratin (Hot)

Take four tomatoes as nearly the same size as possible, and a slice off the top of each. Scoop out the middle of the tomato as much as possible, leaving the frames for cases. These set on one side. Work the pulp through a sieve, and mix into it a heaped-up tablespoonful of finely-grated breadcrumbs, add the yolks of 2 eggs, and mix well. Fill the tomato cases, heaping the mixture up, grate a layer of cheese over them, place on a buttered baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.

Tomato Pie (Hot)

Slice a good-sized onion thinly, blanch it, and fry in fat till lightly browned. Take 1 lb. of ripe tomatoes, skin and cut in slices. Place a layer of onions in the bottom of the pie dish with a good seasoning of salt and pepper, then a layer of tomatoes, with white breadcrumbs scattered over and a few pieces of butter, and so on until the dish is almost full. Have ready some well-mashed potatoes, and spread thickly over so as to form a crust, and bake until brown.

Tomatoes à la Crême de Fromage (Cold)

Whip ½ pint of cream until stiff, season it with celery salt and pepper. Add 3 oz. of grated cheese, then whisk in by degrees ¼ pint of cool but liquid aspic jelly, which has been flavoured with tarragon vinegar. Continue to whisk until the mixture begins to stiffen. Previously peel and halve some small round tomatoes, and remove the seeds from the halves when cut open, and drain for a little. Place each piece of tomato, when filled, on a cheese biscuit, and ornament it round the edge with a piping of cheese cream. Garnish the dish with cress, and put a tiny bunch into the middle of the cream with which the tomatoes are filled.

Tomato Canapés (Cold)

Cut some slices of bread 2½ in. in diameter, and ⅛ in. thick. Soak in milk and then fry a pale colour. Spread when cold with grated cheese and butter made into a paste. Dip some small tomatoes into hot water, skin them and put one on each piece of bread, placing some finely-minced parsley and grated Parmesan on each.

Beignets of Vegetable Marrow (Hot)

Peel the vegetable marrow and strain it without removing the seeds. When three-parts cooked, take it out of the pan and cut it into neat pieces, as much one size as possible, remove the seeds, dip each piece of marrow into batter and fry until a golden brown in boiling fat.

To Make the Batter

Whip two eggs and mix them with about two tablespoonsful of flour. This is generally sufficient to make a stiff batter. Then add by degrees ⅓ of a pint of milk, salt and pepper, cover and put by for an hour or two. Be sure that the article to be fried is quite dry before being dipped in the batter.

Salsify Scallops (Hot)

Boil the salsify for 50 minutes, then place in a mortar and mash to a pulp, add a few drops of anchovy essence and some milk or cream, to make it the consistency of a thick custard. Place the mixture in buttered shells, sprinkle some finely-grated breadcrumbs over it, place a piece of butter on each and brown in the oven.

Salsify Fritters (Hot)

1½ lb. salsify, 2 oz. beef dripping, lemon juice. Wash and lightly scrape the salsify roots and put them in cold water. Put the dripping, a little salt, and the lemon juice in a saucepan with enough water to cover the salsify. When it boils put in the roots and let them simmer gently until they are tender. This will take 30 to 40 minutes. Do not cover the pan. When tender drain off the water and cut the roots into pieces about 2½ in. long. Sprinkle the salsify with a little pepper, oil, and vinegar, and then dip the pieces into batter. Fry in boiling fat until a golden brown, then take out, drain and serve.

Glazed Carrots (Hot)

Blanch some small, young carrots, as much of a size as possible, dry them well, and if necessary, trim them evenly; put them into a pan, with just enough stock to cover, and a lump of loaf sugar; boil them up sharply till the stock is reduced to a glaze, then add to this 1½ oz. of butter and a seasoning of salt, and stir them in this till the liquid is all absorbed, and the carrots are quite glazed with the butter.

Carrots à la Flamande (Hot)

Take about 12 young carrots, blanch them in scalding water, and rub them well. Then put them into a stewpan with about 1 oz. of butter, a saltspoonful of castor sugar, some finely-minced parsley, a seasoning of pepper and salt, and sufficient water to cover them liberally; simmer the carrots in this for about 15 to 20 minutes, when they should be quite tender, shaking them once or twice in the process. Remove the pan from the fire, and stir in the yolk of 1 egg beaten up with 2 spoonsful of cream or new milk, and serve very hot.

Glazed Turnips (Hot)

Peel about 1 lb. of young turnips, wash them well, cut into quarters, and put them on in salted water; bring this sharply to the boil, then place them in a well-buttered small frying or sauté pan, sprinkle them liberally with castor sugar, and directly the turnips begin to colour pour a little stock in, and season with pepper and salt, and a little more sugar if liked; let them stew slowly till quite tender, and serve them with the sauce poured over them.

Turnips à la Poulette (Hot)

Peel about 1 lb. of young, fresh turnips, wash them well, trim into olive or pear shapes; put them on in cold, salted water, and bring them sharply to the boil; then drain them, rinse in cold water, and dry them in a clean napkin. Have ready some velouté (i.e. melted butter made with 1 oz. of butter, 1½ oz. of flour, and about ¾ pint of vegetable stock instead of water), drop the turnips into this, and cook them till ready, very gently, for about 20 to 25 minutes according to size. When ready lift them out, and keep hot. Add a spoonful of castor sugar to the liquor, boil it up sharply, and just before serving stir in the yolk of an egg and a little piece of butter cut up small; do not let the sauce reboil after adding these; season to taste with pepper and salt, pour the sauce on to the turnips, and serve very hot.

Onions au Gratin

Blanch (by placing in boiling water) 1 lb. of onions, then divide them into quarters and boil in milk and water until tender. Cut them up, moisten them with some of the liquid in which they were boiled, mash them smoothly, add a cupful of cream, or one of milk enriched with the yolk of an egg, pepper and salt. Place the purée in a fireproof dish, which has been buttered, strew some grated cheese over, and sprinkle a little melted butter over all. Bake until hot throughout, and until the top is coloured.

It is worthy of note that where grated cheese is mentioned, it is quite unnecessary to buy Parmesan for the purpose. Any dry ends of cheese, grated, will serve.

Celeri à la Duchesse (Hot)

Cook some celery slowly in equal parts of milk and water, seasoned with salt and pepper; when cooked, lift out, cut it up, and place a layer of it in a fireproof dish, seasoning with salt and pepper, and moistening with some béchamel or any good white sauce, and continue these layers until the dish is full, taking care to raise it up in the centre; strew it rather thickly with grated Parmesan cheese; moisten it with some oiled butter, and put it into the oven for 10 minutes, to colour nicely.

Fried Celery (Hot)

Thoroughly wash three heads of celery, remove the leaves, and cut into 4 inch lengths, then put in a stewpan with ½ a pint of stock and a seasoning of pepper and salt. Simmer gently for a quarter of an hour. Let the celery cool, then take it out, dip it in egg and breadcrumb, and fry in butter. Serve very hot, and hand tomato sauce with it.

For the following vegetable dishes, see

10s. a Head for Housebooks:—

Potato Cakes, Ribbons, à la Maître d’Hôtel, Balls, Cones, Eggs au Gratin, Tomato Savoury, and Cabbage Cakes.
Cauliflower au Gratin, and Curried.
Artichoke Chips.
Tomato Rice.
Vegetable Marrow au Gratin. Fried.
Turnip Tops.
Purée of Green Peas.
Salsify or Celery au Gratin.
Onion Purée.
Haricot Bean Curry, Patties, Croûtons.
Cabbage and Eggs.

The Single-handed Cook.

Scalloped Artichokes.
Asparagus and Eggs.
Stewed Cabbage.
Glazed Carrots.
Cauliflowers, Aigrettes au Gratin, Croûtons, Fritters.
Celeriac au Gratin, Purée, with Brown Sauce.
Croûstades of Broad Beans.
Beetroot with Parsley Sauce.
Brussels-sprouts au Gratin.
Purée of Flageolets, with Parsley Sauce.
Mushrooms and Tomatoes, Baked, Stewed.
Parsnip Cakes.
Peas à la Française, and Carrots à la Crême.
Potatoes Lyonnaise, à la Donna, Puffed, Soufflé.
Seakale au Gratin, Curried, Fried, with White Sauce.
Onions en surprise.
Tomatoes, with Eggs, Roasted.
Vegetable Pie.

CHAPTER III
How to Cook Corn, Haricot Beans, and Lentils, and to Make Vegetable Soufflés.

Of all the cereals none, I think, yields a better result than corn—known to some people as green, and to others as Indian corn or maize. Freshly cut, boiled, and eaten with salt, pepper, and oiled butter, it is delicious; but every one, alas, does not grow it, and many folk have to be content with the tinned corn, which, nevertheless, is excellent. It may be bought in tins of two sizes, and is quite inexpensive.

To Cook Corn

Open a small tin of corn and strain off the liquid, and then simmer the corn until tender, but not “mashy,” in 3 tablespoonsful of milk, ½ oz. of butter, pepper and salt. About 10 minutes will suffice for the cooking.

Corn with Buttered Egg

Have ready the buttered egg, and pile it in the centre of a hot fireproof dish, surround with the cooked corn and garnish with small circles of fried bread.

Egg and Corn Toast

Prepare the egg and corn as before, stir them together and serve very hot on buttered toast.

Corn with Poached Eggs

Spread the cooked corn flat on a hot fireproof dish, and arrange the poached eggs neatly on it, and serve very hot.

Corn au Gratin

Cook the corn as before, and have ready a delicate white sauce as below. Heat a fireproof dish, butter it, and sprinkle with fine brown crumbs. Heat the corn in the sauce, and place it in the dish, cover with grated cheese and crumbs, and bake for 20 minutes in a hot oven.

White Sauce

Melt 2 oz. of fresh butter, and sprinkle into it 1½ oz. of dry sifted flour. Stir until the sauce will leave a clean place in the pan when lifted in the spoon. Add quite gradually ½ pint of milk, stirring all the time. Bring to the boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Half water and half milk or stock may be used instead of all milk, and a spoonful or two of cream added just at the last is an improvement. If a

Cheese Sauce

is required add a piled-up tablespoonful of finely-grated cheese, stirring it in well so that it shall be smooth.

Corn au Gratin with Tomato Sauce

Prepare as before, using tomato sauce instead of white sauce.

Tomato Sauce

Take 6 small tomatoes, slice them and place in a pan with 1 oz. of butter, salt and pepper, and 1 pint of stock and water, or milk and water. Boil until soft, sieve, and thicken with 1 oz. of white roux (flour and butter cooked until smooth, as described in “White Sauce”). Stir until smooth and very hot.

Corn Fritters

½ tin of corn, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoonsful of flour, 1 tablespoonful finely-chopped parsley, seasoning to taste. Drain the corn into a bowl; stir in the flour carefully, add the parsley, season, and lastly, well beat the eggs, and stir those in. Have ready some boiling fat in a frying-pan, into which the batter should be dropped in dessertspoonsful. Drain on kitchen paper, and serve at once on a hot dish.

Corn Rissoles.

Take the cooked corn and beat it in white, cheese, or tomato sauce, and then leave until cold. Form into rissoles, egg and crumb and fry. Serve very hot, garnished with fried parsley.

Omelette with Corn

Prepare the omelette as usual, and have ready some corn heated in white sauce. Just before serving the omelette spread the inner portion with the hot corn.

Curried Corn.

Prepare the corn as before, and heat in a good curry sauce. Pile in the centre of a hot dish and surround with boiled rice garnished with sieved yolk of egg.

Curry Sauce

Slice an onion and ½ a small apple finely, and fry them in 2 oz. of clarified dripping or butter. Stir in ½ a dessertspoonful of curry powder and the same of flour. Salt to taste. Add ¼ pint of stock or milk, cook gently for 30 minutes, then put all through a sieve, add a few drops of lemon juice, and reheat.

“Humitas”

(A Chili dish)

Grate some fresh green corn, add a little sugar and red pepper.

Fry this slightly in clarified dripping. Arrange two leaves from the sugar-corn, the broad part lapping over the other. Fill this with about a tablespoonful of the mixture, then fold it up neatly in the leaves, tying it with a thin strip from another, and bake.

When the fresh corn is not in season, the corn in tins will answer the same purpose if cooked and passed through a wire sieve and wrapped in vine leaves.

Corn and Cheese Cream

Cook the corn, mix it into the cheese cream, and serve very hot on buttered toast. For the Cheese Cream see page [71].

The serving of these recipes may be varied: for instance, instead of sending corn au gratin to table in one large dish, bake and serve it in small brown or green earthen pipkins, one to each person, or in the centre of a croûton of fried bread.

It is worth noting, too, that haricot beans may be substituted for corn in any of these recipes. They should be soaked for 2 to 4 hours, and then boiled in stock or water for 3 hours.

Haricot Beans

Haricot beans must be soaked for quite 12 hours in cold water, then put into a pan with cold water slightly salted, (½ oz. of salt to 1 gallon of water,) brought slowly to the boil, then drawn aside and simmered for about 2 hours.

Haricot Beans à la Milanaise (Hot)

Boil the beans as directed and serve with a covering of sauce à la Milanaise, which should be made in the following manner: Scald 4 onions for 5 minutes in boiling water, then dry them and cut them up, place them in a saucepan with a pinch of sugar, 1 oz. of butter, and a saltspoonful of salt. Boil a tablespoonful of rice, and when cooked add it to the onion; moisten with ½ pint of milk or water, cook slowly, stirring occasionally; when the onions are soft add 1 tablespoonful of finely-grated cheese. Mix well and pass through a sieve, add to this ½ pint of white sauce, mix thoroughly, repeat and pour over the beans.

Haricot Beans with Tomato Purée

Cook the beans as before and serve covered with tomato purée (see page [18].)

Haricot Beans with Soubise (Onion) Sauce

Cook the haricots as before and serve with onion sauce poured over and croûtons of fried bread arranged round.

Soubise Sauce

Take 2 large onions, peel them and put them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Strain, slice, and place in a pan with 1 oz. of clarified dripping and stew until tender. Lift the pan from the fire and stir in ½ pint of melted butter sauce. Let it boil, stir for about 7 to 10 minutes, and then rub through a hair sieve.

Lentils

Soak the lentils for at least 12 hours in cold water. Then drain and place them in a pan with cold salted water (1 gallon of water to ½ oz. of salt), bring them to the boil, then draw aside the pan and simmer, until the lentils are quite soft, about 1 hour. After having been cooked like this they can be served in any of the methods advised, for haricot beans or plain, save for the addition of a pat of butter melting among them, a sprinkling of chopped parsley, and a shake of pepper and salt.

Lentils with Curry Sauce

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:—

Celery Soufflé (Hot)

Wash some celery well, and remove all the outside parts, cut up ½ lb., put it on in cold, salted water, bring this to the boil, take out the celery and drain. Put the celery into a pan with 1½ gills of milk, half a bayleaf, a blade of mace, a slice of onion, and boil it all till tender, then sieve the celery, and it is ready for the soufflé.

Savoury Rice Soufflé

Wash 2 oz. of rice and then place it in ¾ of a pint of boiling stock (fish or vegetable stock), and cook until the rice swells and is soft without being pulpy. Drain it and let it cool, and then stir into it 1 oz. of fresh butter, 2 or 3 tablespoonsful of tomato purée, salt and pepper the beaten yolks of 2 eggs and then the frothed whites. Bake in a soufflé dish prepared as already described.

Mushroom and Rice Soufflé

Proceed as before, but use stewed mushrooms instead of the tomato purée.

Rice and Cheese Soufflé

Proceed exactly as for Savoury Rice Soufflé but add 2 oz. of grated cheese.

Macaroni Soufflé

Proceed as for Rice Soufflé, using about the same bulk of cooked macaroni (cut into half inch lengths) as of cooked rice.

CHAPTER IV
DISHES MADE WITH MACARONI AND SPAGHETTI

Macaroni and Spaghetti

To Boil.—Macaroni or spaghetti should be boiled in the same way as rice, namely, thrown into boiling salted water, and should never under any circumstances be soaked or placed in cold water previously. They should be tested occasionally with a fork, and when tender a teacupful of cold water should be thrown into the pan to stop the boiling, the pan should then be lifted from the fire, the macaroni or spaghetti drained of all liquid and returned to the hot dry pan and kept hot until wanted. The time for boiling is from 20 to 30 minutes. The following dishes can be made of either preparation:—

Macaroni à la Napolitaine (Hot)

Boil 3 oz. of macaroni in the manner described above, and after it has been returned to the pan in which it was boiled, stir into it 2 oz. of Parmesan cheese finely grated and 1 oz. of butter. The cheese should be stirred in half at a time and well shaken amongst the macaroni. Season with black pepper and salt and serve at once very hot.

Macaroni à la Italienne (Hot)

Follow the preceding recipe for boiling the macaroni, and having returned it to the pan, stir into it 1 oz. of cheese finely grated, 1 oz. of butter, and then ½ pint of tomato purée (see page [18]). Mix well and serve very hot piled on a dish.

Macaroni au Gratin (Hot)

Boil the macaroni by the directions given above, then mix into it 1 oz. of grated cheese and 1 oz. of butter, stir well and place the mixture neatly in a fireproof dish, sprinkle over it ½ oz. of grated cheese and the same amount of dried breadcrumbs. Melt ½ oz. of butter and pour it over the whole. Place in the oven (until a light brown colour) for 10 minutes, then serve.

Macaroni Cheese (Hot)

Butter a fireproof dish and in it place 3 oz. of macaroni previously boiled, dust it with pepper and salt. Make a good white sauce and add to it 2 oz. of grated cheese. Pour this all over the macaroni and sprinkle the top with grated cheese and a few dried breadcrumbs. Place in the oven and cook until a golden brown and serve in the dish in which it is cooked.

Macaroni au Jus (made with Meat Stock) (Hot)

Boil 3 oz. of macaroni for 10 minutes, drain off the water and pour into the pan ½ to ¾ pint of brown stock, simmer the macaroni until tender, pour off the stock; but should the macaroni have absorbed it all, take enough to moisten the whole, thicken it in the usual way, and add browning to colour it. Place the macaroni on a hot dish—it should be kept hot in the pan while the sauce is making; pour the gravy over it and serve.

Buttered Macaroni (Hot)

Boil 2 oz. of macaroni and drain it well. Put 2 oz. of butter into a thoroughly warmed pie dish, put the macaroni on top of this, and mix it all well together with two forks, sprinkling in at the same time freshly-grated cheese and coralline pepper. When thoroughly mixed and the butter all absorbed, sprinkle it with more pepper and cheese, and serve at once.

Poached Eggs and Macaroni (Hot)

Break some macaroni up into inch pieces, rinse it well; put 2 oz. of butter into a fireproof dish, put the macaroni in, and pour enough milk over it to thoroughly cover it, stirring it now and again. When three-quarters cooked, lift it out, and put it into another dish, seasoning it well with pepper and salt, and pour over it ½ pint of good brown gravy, then put it back in the oven again and leave it till cooked. When ready lay some poached eggs on it, sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese, coralline pepper, and serve.

Macaroni Cutlets (Hot)

4 oz. macaroni, 4 oz. grated cheese, 1 oz. flour, ½ oz. flour, ½ pint of milk, 1 teaspoonful French mustard, breadcrumbs, 1 egg, cayenne and salt. Boil the macaroni in water until it is quite tender, then cut it into pieces of half an inch in length. Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour gradually, stirring until there are no lumps, add the milk and stir over the fire until the sauce thickens. Mix the macaroni, cheese, mustard, pinch of cayenne and salt to taste, with the sauce, then turn out on to a plate and leave until cold. Form into cutlets or small rolls, roll in breadcrumbs, then dip in beaten egg, and again roll in crumbs. Fry the cutlets in boiling fat until they are a golden brown colour, then serve with a garnish of fried parsley. If the mixture is formed into cutlet shape place a small piece of raw macaroni at the thin end to represent the bone.

Fish and Macaroni (Hot)

Cook the macaroni until quite tender, then cut it into small pieces; meanwhile flake ½ lb. of cooked fish, free from shin and bones, and make a good stock from the bones and trimmings of the fish. Melt 1 oz. of butter, stir into this ½ oz. of flour, strain in ½ pint of the fish stock, and bring it all to the boil; then put in the fish and macaroni, season to taste with salt and pepper, turn into a buttered fireproof dish, and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.