Latest

Budino of Semolina

In Dolci On January 10, 2014 0 Comments

Boil one and a half pints of milk with four ounces of castor sugar, and gradually add five ounces of semolina, boil for a quarter of an hour more and stir continually with a wooden spoon, then take the saucepan off the fire, and when it is cooled a little, add the yolks of six and the whites of two eggs well beaten up, a little grated lemon peel, three-quarters of an ounce of sultanas and two small glasses of rum.

Mix well, so as to get it very smooth, pour it into a buttered mould and serve either hot or cold.

If cold,  put whipped cream flavoured with stick vanilla round the dish; if hot, a Zabajone.

Cavoli di Bruxelles alla Savoiarda (Brussels Sprouts)

In Vegetables On January 10, 2014 0 Comments

Take off the outside leaves of half a pound of Brussels sprouts, wash and boil them in salted water.

Let them get cool, drain, and put them in a pie-dish with two ounces of fresh butter, a quarter pint of very good stock, a little pepper, and a dust of grated Parmesan.

When they are well glazed over, pour off the sauce, season with three tablespoonsful of boiling Bechamel sauce, and serve with croutons fried in butter.

Manzo alla Certosina (Fillet of Beef)

In Meat On January 10, 2014 0 Comments

Put a piece of very tender rump steak or fillet of beef into a stewpan with two slices of fat bacon and three teaspoonsful of the finest olive oil;

season with salt and a tiny pinch of nutmeg;

let it cook uncovered, and turn the meat over occasionally.

When it is nicely browned add an anchovy minced and mixed with chopped herbs, and a small clove of garlic with one cut across it. Then cover the whole with good stock, put the cover on the stewpan, and when it is
all sufficiently cooked, skim the grease off the sauce, pass it through a sieve, and pour it over the beef.

Leave the garlic in for five minutes only.

Clear Soup

In Soups On January 9, 2014 0 Comments

Cut up three pounds of stock meat small and put it in a stock pot with two quarts of cold water, three carrots, and three turnips cut up, three onions with a clove stuck in each one, a bunch of herbs and a blade of mace.

Let it come to the boil and then draw it off, at once skim off all the scum, and keep it gently simmering, and  occasionally add two or three tablespoonsful of cold water. Let it simmer all day, and then strain it through a fine cloth.
Some of the liquor in which a calf’s head has been cooked, or even a calf’s foot, will greatly improve a clear soup.

The stock should never be allowed to boil as long as the meat and vegetables are in the stock pot.

Mushroom Sauce

In Sauce On January 9, 2014 0 Comments

Mix two dessert-spoonsful of essence of mushrooms with a cupful of Velute sauce, reduce, keep on stirring, and just before serving add an ounce of butter.

This sauce can be made with essence of truffle, or game, or shallot.

Genovese Sauce

In Sauce On January 9, 2014 0 Comments

Cut up a small onion and fry it in butter, add a glass of Burgundy, some cuttings of mushrooms and truffles, a pinch of chopped parsley and half a bay leaf. Reduce half.

In another saucepan put two cups of Espagnole sauce, one cup of veal stock, and a tablespoonful of essence of fish, reduce one-third and add it to the other saucepan, skim off all the grease, boil for a few minutes, and pass
through a sieve.

Then stir it over the fire, and add half a teaspoonful of crayfish and half of anchovy butter.

Mirepoix Sauce (for masking)

In Sauce On January 9, 2014 0 Comments

Put the following ingredients into a stewpan: Some bits of bacon and lean ham, a carrot, all cut into dice, half an onion, a bunch of herbs, a few mushroom cuttings, two cloves, and four
peppercorns.

To this add one and a quarter pint of good stock and a glass of Chablis, boil rapidly for ten minutes then simmer till it is reduced to a third.

Pass through a sieve and use for masking meat, fowl, fish, &c.

Insalata di patate (Potato salad)

In Vegetables On January 8, 2014 0 Comments

Steam as many new potatoes as you require until they are well cooked, let them get cold, cut them into slices and pour three teaspoonsful of salad oil and one of white vinegar over them.

Then rub a salad bowl with onion, put in a layer of the potato slices, and sprinkle with chopped parsley, tarragon, chervil, and celery, then another layer of potatoes until you have used all the potatoes;

cover them with whipped cream seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little tarragon vinegar, and garnish the top with watercress, a few thin slices of truffle cooked in white wine, and some slices of cooked cucumber.