The Skilful Cook Part 67

_Ingredients_-- pint of sweet jelly.

1 pint of milk.

oz. of gelatine.

2 sponge cakes.

2 oz. of ratafias.

1 whole egg, and 4 yolks.

2 oz. of sugar.

A little flavouring essence.

_Method._--Soak the gelatine in a little milk.

Break the sponge cakes and ratafias, and put them into a basin.

Boil the milk with the sugar.

Beat the eggs, and pour the milk on them.

Strain it into a jug, and put it to stand in a saucepan of boiling water, and stir until the custard coats the spoon.

Then melt the gelatine, add it to the custard, and pour it at once over the cakes.

While the mixture cools, pour a little jelly, coloured with cochineal, into a plain round tin.

When it is set, place a jam-pot, or a smaller tin, on it, and pour some jelly round the sides.

When it is quite firm, pour some boiling water into the jam-pot, or tin, and remove it quickly.

When the custard and cakes are cold, but not set, add the essence, and pour into the mould.

When quite firm, dip the tin in hot water for a second or two, and turn it on to a gla.s.s dish.

Pease Pudding.

_Ingredients_--1 pint of split peas.

Pepper and salt.

_Method._--Soak the peas overnight.

Tie them in a bag or cloth, leaving room for them to swell.

Cook them with the meat with which they are to be served.

Then drain them in a colander.

Mash them with pepper and salt, and press them into a shape in a vegetable-dish.

Hominy Porridge.

_Ingredients_--1 pint of milk or water.

3 tablespoonfuls of flaked hominy.

_Method._--Mix the hominy smoothly with the milk or water.

Stir and cook over the fire for ten minutes.

Hominy Pudding.

_Ingredients_--3 tablespoonfuls of flaked hominy.

1 pint of milk.

2 tablespoonfuls of sugar.

_Method._--Mix the hominy with a little cold milk, and make the remainder boil.

Then stir in the hominy and cook until it thickens.

Add the sugar, pour into a greased pie-dish, and bake for about half an hour.

If liked, one or two eggs may be added to the pudding, with a little flavouring essence.

Note.--The _flaked_ hominy is the best for general purposes, as the _granulated_ takes many hours boiling before it is properly cooked.

VEGETABLES.

The rules for cooking vegetables are very simple, and easily remembered.

All vegetables, with the exception of old potatoes, are put into boiling water. Green vegetables must be boiled with the lid off the saucepan, as the steam would discolour them, and the water must _boil_, _not simmer_.

Salt is added, in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water. If the water is very hard, it may be necessary to add a little piece of soda. The lime in hard water discolours green vegetables, and the use of soda is to throw this down. Do not, however, use soda, unless obliged, as too much of it will destroy, to some extent, the flavour of the vegetables. Peas must be boiled gently, as rapid boiling would break their skins. Haricot beans must be boiled gently, for the same reason. Root vegetables take longer to cook than fresh ones. Old potatoes must be put into warm water, as they require gradual cooking, and must be boiled gently, until tender. With that exception, all the others must be put into boiling water. Carrots, turnips, and parsnips are generally cooked with the meat with which they are served, as their flavour is thereby improved.

To Boil Potatoes.

If boiled in their skins, scrub them perfectly clean, and put them into a saucepan with sufficient warm water to cover them.

Sprinkle them with salt and boil them gently for half an hour or more, until very _nearly_ tender, but not quite.

Then pour the water away.

Peel the potatoes, replace them in the saucepan, sprinkle salt upon them, cover them with a cloth, and put the lid on the saucepan.

Let them stand by the side of the fire to finish cooking in their own steam.

Care must be taken that the potatoes cooked in this way are free from disease. One tainted potato would destroy the flavour of the others.