Dr. Allinson's cookery book Part 7

MACARONI CREAM.

6 oz. of macaroni, 3 oz. of cheese, 1/2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 3/4 pint of milk, 1 teaspoonful of Allinson cornflour, pepper and salt to taste.

Boil the macaroni until tender in only as much water as it will absorb. Make a sauce of the milk, cornflour, and cheese (you can use Parmesan, Gruyere, or Canadian cheese). Place the macaroni in a pie-dish, pour the sauce over it, grate some more cheese over the top, and let the macaroni brown in the oven.

MACARONI SAVOURY.

4 oz. of boiled macaroni, 4 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 3 eggs, 3/4 pint of milk, 1 finely chopped onion, the grated rind of 1 lemon, 2 oz. of grated cheese, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 1/2 a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste. Cut the macaroni in small pieces. Make a batter of the milk, eggs, and meal, mix into it all the other ingredients, pour it into a b.u.t.tered pie-dish, cut up the b.u.t.ter in pieces and spread them on the top. Bake the savoury for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

RICE

In many households it seems a difficulty to get rice cooked properly, that is having all the grains separate. Very often it comes to table in a soft, pulpy ma.s.s, which is certainly not appetising. To cook it in a large saucepanful of water which is then drained away is very wasteful, for a great deal of the goodness of the rice is thrown away.

The following recipe will be found thoroughly reliable and satisfactory.

RICE, HOW TO COOK.

1 lb. of good rice, 1 quart of water, 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, salt to taste.

Wash the rice and set it over the fire with 1 quart of cold water, the b.u.t.ter and salt. Let it come to the boil gently, stirring it a little to prevent the rice from sticking to the saucepan. When the rice boils, set it on the side and let it just simmer. It will be sufficiently cooked in 15 to 20 minutes and each grain will be separate. Rice should not be cooked too soft, only just cooked through.

CURRIED RICE.

1 lb. of Patna rice, 1 quart of cold water, 1 dessertspoonful of curry, 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, and salt to taste. Wash the rice, mix the curry with the proper quant.i.ty of water, and set the rice over the fire with it, adding the b.u.t.ter and seasoning. Let the rice come to the boil slowly, and stir it a few times to prevent it sticking to the saucepan. When the rice boils, cover it with a piece of b.u.t.tered paper, and let it cook very gently, not stirring it again. When all the water is absorbed, serve the rice. Do not allow it to get very soft; the rice will take from 15 to 20 minutes' cooking only.

CURRIED RICE AND TOMATOES.

1/2 lb. of Patna rice, 1 dessertspoonful of curry powder, salt to taste, and 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter. Wash the rice; mix 1 pint of cold water with the curry powder, put this over the fire with the rice, b.u.t.ter, and salt. Cover the rice with a piece of b.u.t.tered paper and let it simmer gently until the water is absorbed. This will take about 20 minutes. Rice cooked this way will have all the grains separate. For the tomatoes proceed as follows: 1 lb. of tomatoes and a little b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt. Wash the tomatoes and place them in a flat tin with a few spoonfuls of water; dust them with pepper and salt, and place little bits of b.u.t.ter on each tomato. Bake them from 15 to 20 minutes, according to the size of the tomatoes and the heat of the oven. Place the rice in the centre of a hot flat dish, put the tomatoes round it, pour the liquid over the rice, and serve.

PORTUGUESE RICE.

1 teacupful of rice, 3 medium-sized onions, 3 tomatoes, 2 oz. of grated cheese, 1/2 teaspoonful of herbs, 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt to taste. Peel and slice the onions and tomatoes and fry them in the b.u.t.ter for 15 minutes; place the rice over the fire with 1 pint of water; add the onions, tomatoes, herbs, and seasoning, and let all cook until the rice is quite soft; serve in a vegetable dish with the grated cheese sprinkled over.

RICE AND LENTILS.

Boil the rice as above; stew Egyptian lentils with chopped onions, pepper, salt, and a little b.u.t.ter, until well done. Put the rice on a dish, pour over the stewed onions and lentils, serve, and eat with green vegetables.

RICE AND ONIONS.

Boil whole onions in water until done quite through, remove them from the water, and put in it washed rice with a little pepper, salt, and b.u.t.ter. When done, serve with the onions and eat with a green vegetable.

SAVOURY RICE (Italian).

1 breakfastcupful of rice, 4 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese (Parmesan or other cheese), 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, a pinch of saffron, pepper and salt to taste. Boil the rice with water as above, then add the cheese, b.u.t.ter, saffron, and seasoning; mix all well, and serve.

SAVOURY RICE CROQUETTES.

1/2 lb. of Patna rice, 1-1/2 pints of milk, 1 lb. of Spanish onions, 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 2 eggs, 1 teacupful of raspings, Allinson's oil for frying. Boil the rice in the milk until soft, and turn it out to get quite cold. Meanwhile chop the onions up fine and fry them brown in the b.u.t.ter. Form the cold rice into b.a.l.l.s, and with the thumb of the right hand hollow them sufficiently to admit of their receiving a stuffing of fried onions, close them again carefully, dip them in the eggs beaten up and then in the raspings, and fry them in boiling oil a light brown. Serve with gravy. There are various stuffings which can be used instead of the onions--fried mushrooms chopped up, some olives chopped fine and mixed with hard-boiled yolks of eggs, &c.

SPANISH RICE.

6 onions, 6 tomatoes, 1-1/2 pints of vegetable stock, herbs and seasoning, 1-1/2 cupfuls of rice, b.u.t.ter. Fry the onions and tomatoes in b.u.t.ter until well browned, then place them with the seasoning into the cold stock, and add the rice. When all have boiled slowly for 20 minutes, the rice should have absorbed the stock. Serve with cheese grated over.

OMELETS

CHEESE OMELET.

4 slices of Allinson bread toasted, or Allinson rusks, 3 eggs, 1/4 lb.

of grated cheese, 1 saltspoonful of nutmeg, 1 pint of milk, 2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt to taste. Beat up the eggs, and mix them with the milk; crush the toast or rusks with your hands, and soak them in the egg and milk. Add the cheese, nutmeg, and seasoning. Dissolve half of the b.u.t.ter and mix it with the other ingredients. b.u.t.ter a pie-dish, pour in the mixture, cut the rest of the b.u.t.ter in little pieces, and scatter them over the top. Bake the savoury for 1 hour or a little longer until well set. Serve hot or cold.

FRENCH BEAN OMELET.

3 tablespoonfuls of cut boiled French beans, 4 eggs, 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1/2 a teacupful of milk, 2 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese (Gruyere or Parmesan), pepper and salt to taste, some vege-b.u.t.ter or oil for frying. Smooth the meal with the milk, beat up the eggs and add them, the cheese and seasoning to the meal and milk; mix thoroughly with the beans, and fry the omelet in boiling b.u.t.ter or Allinson frying oil.

FRENCH OMELET WITH CHEESE.

3 eggs, 1 oz. of grated cheese, 3 dessertspoonfuls of water, pepper and salt to taste, and 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter. Beat the yolks of the eggs, add to them the water and seasoning; whip the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and mix it lightly with the yolks. Meanwhile have the b.u.t.ter boiling hot in an omelet pan, pour the mixture into it, and let it fry over a gentle fire. Pa.s.s a heated salamander or coal-shovel over the top of the omelet. When it has risen, scatter the cheese over it; let the omelet cook a little longer, fold over when the top is still creamy, and serve immediately.

GARDENER'S OMELET.

1 breakfastcupful of cold boiled vegetables, minced fine (green peas, carrots, turnips, potatoes, &c.), 4 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1/2 a gill of milk, pepper and salt, and a little nutmeg to taste, 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter. Beat the eggs and milk well together, rub the meal smooth with it, add the vegetables and seasoning, and fry as an omelet. Serve with sauce.

OMELET HERB.

4 slices of Allinson bread, 1 pint of milk, 1 finely chopped English onion, 1 good tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of dried mixed herbs, 3 eggs, 2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt to taste. Soak the bread, fry the onion in 1-1/2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, and mix it with the soaked bread. Add the herbs, parsley, and seasoning, and mix all well. b.u.t.ter a pie-dish with the rest of the b.u.t.ter, pour the mixture into it, and bake.

OMELET LENTIL.