The Skilful Cook Part 20

Serve on toasted bread with Tartare sauce in a tureen.

Fried Sausages.

_Ingredients_--Sausages.

A little b.u.t.ter or dripping.

Some toasted bread.

_Method._--p.r.i.c.k the sausages with a fork, and fry them with b.u.t.ter or dripping, turning them that they get browned equally.

Serve them on toasted bread, with some nice gravy in a sauceboat.

Some people like the toast soaked in the fat in the pan, but this is a matter of taste.

Baked Sausages.

p.r.i.c.k the sausages, and place them on a greased baking-sheet.

Bake until they are nicely browned.

Serve on toast, with gravy in a sauceboat.

If liked, the toast can be soaked in the fat that runs from the sausages.

Oxford Sausages.

Remove the sausage-meat from the skins, and place it in little rough heaps on a greased baking-sheet.

Bake in a quick oven until browned.

Serve on toast.

Tomatoes stuffed with Sausage Meat.

_Ingredients_--Some nice ripe tomatoes.

Some sausage meat.

_Method._--Cut the stalks from the tomatoes, but do not take out any of the inside.

Heap a little sausage meat on the top of each tomato.

Put them on a greased baking-sheet, and bake in a moderate oven for about fifteen minutes.

Croustards with Minced Meat.

_Ingredients_--Some stale bread.

Sc.r.a.ps of cold meat.

A little nice gravy.

A little mushroom catsup.

Pepper and salt to taste.

_Method._--Cut the bread into slices three-quarters of an inch in thickness.

Stamp it into rounds with a circular cutter.

Mark the middle with a cutter two sizes smaller, and scoop out the inside, making little nests of them, and taking care not to break the bottom or sides.

Fry the cases in hot fat (_see_ French Frying); drain them and put them inside the oven to keep hot.

Mince the meat nicely, removing skin and gristle.

Make a little gravy hot in a stewpan.

Put in the mince, and make it hot without letting it boil.

Flavour to taste with catsup, pepper and salt.

Fill the croustard cases and serve immediately: they should be placed on a folded napkin, and garnished with parsley.

Mince a la Reine.

_Ingredients_--1 dozen mushrooms.

Some slices of cold meat.

(Cold game or chicken are excellent for this purpose).

6 eggs.

Some rounds of bread, toasted or fried.

1 pint of good gravy.

Pepper and salt to taste.

_Method._--Peel the mushrooms.

Wash and dry them well, and cut them in slices.

Put them in a stewpan with part of the gravy, to stew for about thirty minutes, until they are tender.

Mince the meat and make it hot in a saucepan, with enough gravy to moisten it, adding pepper and salt to taste.

Poach the eggs nicely, and fry or toast the bread (fried bread is best).

Put the slices of fried bread on a hot dish; cover each piece with the minced meat, and lay an egg on each.

Pour the gravy and mushrooms round, and serve very hot.

As a decoration, a tiny pinch of finely-chopped parsley might be put on the top of each egg.