The Curry Cook's Assistant Part 5

Salmon.

Haddocks.

Soles.

Whiting.

Codfish.

Whitebait.

Fresh Herrings.

Lobsters.

Crabs.

Oysters.

Prawns.

Shrimps, etc.

The above Fish Curries can be made same as Salmon Curry, No. 31, egg Curry (yellow), fish moley, Madras Curry, No. 4, but great care must be taken not to be burned. The soles and whiting are not nice when curried, and the oysters should be used without the liquor. Prawns and shrimps are celebrated Curries if they are freshly caught and properly prepared.

Tamarind used for Fish Curries (brown) are very nice--better than lime (lemon) juice or vinegar.

No. 33.--TINNED SARDINES (Curried).

For a Small Tin of Sardines of One Dozen.

Take the sardines, and take off the black part; just finely sc.r.a.pe; with a spoon place on a tin or plate, and make it warm in an oven. Now make a Curry sauce (brown), same as No. 26, but less milk or gravy. The Curry sauce must not be more than a small tea cup, nice and thick, if not thicker,--just mash up a boiled potato, and add to the sauce. Just before serving, take each sardine carefully and place in the Curry sauce you made; do not stir it; set on slow fire for five minutes. When serving take each carefully without breaking, arrange them nicely on a Curry or vegetable dish; pour over the gravy, and send to table with boiled rice or hot toast. Any tinned fish can be made same as the above, except Yarmouth bloaters, smoked fish, salt fish, mackerel, etc., etc.

Tinned salmon makes a nice Curry. Afraid it will mash up and be like a gruel instead of lumps. The above Curry sauce will answer to several boiled fish--boiled the day before.

No. 34.--VEGETABLE CURRIES (Various).

With reference to above, the potato, knol khol, turnips, carrots, parsnips, vegetable marrow, cuc.u.mber, beans, etc., can be made same way as potato Curry, No. 35; but cabbage, spinach, turnip tops (young shoots), Brussels sprouts, can be made same way as potato Curry, with same ingredients, but the cabbage, Brussels sprouts, etc., take little more time to tenderly boil; therefore extra gravy, milk, b.u.t.ter, and extra spoon of ham or corned beef. Onions should be added for greens.

The more good gravy you add the better the Curry. As far as I have seen, there is not many English vegetables can be Curried, but in India and Ceylon there is numberless vegetables, greens, gra.s.ses, etc., can be Curried.

No. 35.--POTATO CURRY.

For One Pound of Good Potatoes (peeled).

Cut them in half-inch squares; put them into a clean stew-pan with an eggspoon of saffron; one large onion, sliced; one large spoon of chopped ham or corned beef (salt to taste); three parts of a pint of milk. Mix well together; put in a bay leaf; set on fire, and let it simmer till the potatoes are tender. If the three-quarters pint of milk is not sufficient to tender the potatoes, add some good gravy (stock), but not brown stock. When serving, add a quarter pint of milk and a dessertspoon or more of cream, and let it simmer. When simmering add a few drops of lemon juice, and send to table with boiled rice. But a Brown Curry must accompany the above Curry.

No. 36.--CABBAGE CURRY.

Take half of a small cabbage, and cut it with a sharp knife as big as you cutting a lettuce for a salad; wash it thoroughly clean; put into a stew-pan with a pint of gravy, and boil it till half done. Now take it off the fire; add an eggspoonful of saffron powder; two large spoons of chopped ham, etc.; a pinch of cayenne (if required hot); one large onion, sliced; salt to taste. Mix well; set on fire. More gravy or milk should be added, till the cabbage is soft as usual form.

No. 37.--BEAN CURRY.

For a Pound of French Beans.

Cut up the beans one inch long and prepare same as the cabbage Curry.

The same ingredients will do and must accompany a meat Curry to table.

These Curries may only be gleeced, if you please, or can serve plain, but the gleece gives a nice smell and good taste. Any Curry can be gleeced. If you wish to make Curry of broad beans, must take off the thicker skin and weigh a pound; but broad beans are not a useful bean for Curry, but only better as a vegetable by cooking it in a jar with b.u.t.ter and mint.--See Vegetables for Table, as No. 53.

No. 38.--ONION CURRY.

Same as potato Curry, No. 35. The large onions should be cut in quarters, and the small onions put in whole; but in India and Ceylon we have onions (I mean the b.u.t.ton onions with red skin) which makes a delicious Curry.

No. 39.--DEVILLED CABIN BISCUITS.

1 Onion sliced.

1 Dessertspoon b.u.t.ter.

2 Tablespoons of good Beef Gravy.

1 Eggspoon or less of Cayenne.

Pinch of Pepper; Salt to taste.

1 Small Potato mashed up.

1 Dessertspoon of Worcester Sauce (Lea & Perrins).

_Mode._--Slice the onions and fry in a stew-pan with the b.u.t.ter; when the onions turn to a gold colour add all other ingredients. During you preparing the above, soak six cabin biscuits in boiling water for two minutes, then take it out of the water and dish the biscuits, and pour over the devil gravy you prepared. Cover the biscuits with gravy and serve hot. The above dish is good for lunch, etc.

No. 40.--DEVILLED MEAT (Various).

Same ingredients as for biscuits, No. 39, but meat must be cut two inches long and added to the stew-pan soon as the onions are fried.

Give it stirring for some while by turning the pieces of meat in it.