The Art of Living in Australia Part 44

Trim off the cutlets, lay them in a tin dish, cover with b.u.t.tered paper, and bake in the oven from fifteen to twenty minutes, according to thickness, turning once while cooking. Peel the onions, put them into cold water, bring to the boil, throw away the water. Put them on again in cold water and boil until rather soft, then strain all the water away, put in the b.u.t.ter, let it get quite hot, then cover down and finish cooking the onions in this, but do not brown them. Stir in the flour and pour over the milk, stir until it boils, let it boil two or three minutes, then rub through a sieve; season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Dish the cutlets in a circle, pour away some of the fat, and rinse the tin with a spoonful of gravy. Pour this round the dish and put the soubise sauce in the centre. Serve hot.

ROMAN RAGOUT

* 1 1/2 lbs. Gravy Beef--4d.

* 2 oz. Fat Bacon--1 1/2d.

* 2 oz. Onion--1/2d.

* 1 pint Milk *

* 3 Tomatoes *

* 1/2 pint Gravy *

* 1 1/2 oz. Semolina *

* 1 oz. Dry Cheese--6d.

* Total Cost--1s.

* Time--Three Hours *

Mince the onion and bacon very fine indeed, put them into a saucepan and fry a good brown, then add half the gravy, and stir until a sort of half glaze. Rub the tomatoes through a sieve and stir them in with the rest of the gravy, bring to the boil. Cut the meat into strips and put it in with a little salt and pepper, and simmer very gently for about three hours. While it is cooking put the milk on to boil, mix the semolina with a little cold milk, and stir it in; cook it until the spoon will come out quite clean, then turn it on to a dish till cold.

Cut it into squares and lay some in a deep dish, sprinkle with grated cheese, then more semolina and more cheese. Pour over this some of the gravy in which the meat is cooking, and put it in the oven to get hot.

Dish up the meat and pour the sauce over it. Send the two dishes to table together, quite hot.

MUTTON OR HAM BONE AND POTATOES

* 1 Bone of Mutton or Ham *

* 1 Onion *

* 1 oz. b.u.t.ter *

* 1 oz. Flour *

* 1/2 pint Water or Stock--1 1/2d.

* 1 lb. Potatoes--1d.

* Total Cost--21/2 d.

* Time--One Hour.

Put the b.u.t.ter into a saucepan, and when it is hot put in the flour; mix together smoothly, pour in the water of stock, and stir until it boils. Joint up a mutton or ham bone and lay it in; if it is mutton, add a little salt. Bring it to the boil, put in the onion whole stuck with two cloves, and simmer for half an hour or longer; then peel the potatoes, cut them in half and put them in, and cook until they are soft. Take out the bones and place on a dish, put the potatoes round, and pour the sauce over. This is a very homely dish, but a very savoury and economical one. A little meat goes a long way, and it is nouris.h.i.+ng, too, as all the goodness of the bone and potatoes is in the stew.

VEAL IN WHITE SAUCE

* 2 lbs. Neck of Veal--10d.

* 2 oz. b.u.t.ter--1 1/2d.

* 1 oz. Flour *

* Salt and Pepper *

* 1 Egg--1d.

* 3/4 pint Milk--2d.

* 1 Onion *

* 1 f.a.got of Herbs *

* 1 dozen Peppercorns *

* Lemon Juice--1d.

* Total Cost--1s. 31/2 d.

* Time--One Hour and a Half.

Put the b.u.t.ter into a saucepan, and when it is melted stir in the flour and cook well, but do not brown. Boil the onion, herbs, and peppercorns in the milk, strain them out, pour the milk over the b.u.t.ter and flour, and stir till it boils. Cut the meat into cutlets, lay them in and simmer very gently till the meat is tender, then take it up and arrange nicely on a dish. Beat up an egg with a drop or two of lemon juice and a spoonful of gravy or milk. Pour into the sauce in which the meat was cooked, and stir briskly over the fire until it thickens; strain over the meat, and serve.

A few very small fat rashers of bacon rolled up and fried are a great improvement to this dish.

CHAPTER XX.

FIFTY RECIPES FOR VEGETABLES

TOMATOES STUFFED

* 6 Tomatoes--2d.

* 1/4 lb. Veal Forcemeat--2d.

* 1 oz. Cheese--1 1/2d.

* 6 pieces Fried Bread--1/2d.

* Total Cost--6d.

* Time--10 Minutes *

Choose tomatoes of a good colour, and all about the same size; scoop out the centre. Grate up the cheese and mix it with the forcemeat, put this into the tomatoes; place on a b.u.t.tered tin, and bake in the oven for ten minutes. Put each tomato on to a round of fried bread, and serve.

POTATOES IN WHITE SAUCE

* 1 lb. Potatoes--1d.