in cold water, but not soaked ; put them into a saucepan
kept for this vegetable only. Just cover them with cold
water seasoned with salt, and bring to a boil. Then
simmer very gently for about twenty minutes ; test them
with a fork, and if soft, strain off the water and toss them
in a saucepan over the fire until they are dry. Some
potatoes will not bear boiling as long as this, but begin
to break soon after they boil up. When tliis is the case,
pour off nearly all the water, leaving only one inch at the
bottom of the saucepan. Cook the potatoes slowly in this
and then strain off and dry. Potatoes that are very
troublesome to boil often steam well ; they must be allowed
from an hour to one hour and a half, a<;cording to the
quantity of water over which they are cooking.
TO BOIL NEW POTATOES.
New potatoes may be either scraped while raw, or peeled
after boiling ; they are a better flavour if cooked in their
skins. In either case they should be Avell washed in cold
water, plunged into boiling water seasoned with salt and
a sprig of mint, and boiled quickly until a fork will go
through easily ; then strain off the water, dry, and serve.
TO BOIL CABBAGE.
The outer leaves of the cabbage should be removed, then
cut it into quarters and cut out the stalk ; wash it well in
salt and water, and leave in the water for half-an-hour.
Then put it into a colander and shake all the water from
it. Place on the fire a large saucepan of v/ater, and when
it boils, put in two teaspoonsful of salt and a quarter of
a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. Put in the cabbage and
cover down till it boils up ; then remote the lid and boil
very quickly, pressing it down into the water from time to
COOKEEY BECIPES, #c. 347
time. It will be done in from fifteen to twenty minutes ;
try it with a fork, and if soft turn into a colander, and very
carefully press all the water from it. Slip into a vegetable
dish and cut into neat pieces.
TO BOIL GREEN PEAS.
Shell the peas and wash them well ; just cover them with
cold water, season it with a little salt, sugar, and mint.
Bring quickly to the boil and cook for about twenty minutes.
Wheu- soft, but not broken, strain off the water and put
them into a vegetable dish.
TO BOIL FRENCH BEANS.
Slice up the beans and wash in cold water, put them into
plenty of boiling water, seasoned with salt and a quarter of a
teasix)onful of carbonate of soda ; boil quickly without the
lid for about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. When
soft, strain off and shake the water out thoroughly ; put into
a, hot dish, and serve plainly or with melted butter.
TO BOIL CAULIFLOWERS.
Soak the cauliflowers in plenty of salt and water, with the
flower downwards, then cook, in plenty of boiling water
seasoned with salt, putting the flower to the bottom of the
saucepan. Keep uncovered all the time of cooking ; take up
with a slice and strain in a colander. Turn carefully into a
vegetable dish, and serve with or without sauce.
VEGETABLE MARROW.
1 Marrow 2d.
4 pint White Sauce . . , . 1 « j
Salt I^-
Total Cost - 5d. Time - 15 Minutes.
Peel the marrow, take out the seeds, and cut it into small
348 THE ABT OF LIVING IN AUSTRALIA.
Page 211
Presented as published in 1893. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
in cold water, but not soaked ; put them into a saucepan kept for this vegetable only. Just cover them with cold water seasoned with salt, and bring to a boil. Then simmer very gently for about twenty minutes ; test them with a fork, and if soft, strain off the water and toss them in a saucepan over the fire until they are dry. Some potatoes will not bear boiling as long as this, but begin to break soon after they boil up. When this is the case, pour off nearly all the water, leaving only one inch at the bottom of the saucepan. Cook the potatoes slowly in this and then strain off and dry. Potatoes that are very troublesome to boil often steam well ; they must be allowed from an hour to one hour and a half, a<;cording to the quantity of water over which they are cooking.
TO BOIL NEW POTATOES.
New potatoes may be either scraped while raw, or peeled after boiling ; they are a better flavour if cooked in their skins. In either case they should be well washed in cold water, plunged into boiling water seasoned with salt and a sprig of mint, and boiled quickly until a fork will go through easily ; then strain off the water, dry, and serve.
TO BOIL CABBAGE.
The outer leaves of the cabbage should be removed, then cut it into quarters and cut out the stalk ; wash it well in salt and water, and leave in the water for half-an-hour. Then put it into a colander and shake all the water from it. Place on the fire a large saucepan of v/ater, and when it boils, put in two teaspoonsful of salt and a quarter of a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. Put in the cabbage and cover down till it boils up ; then remove the lid and boil very quickly, pressing it down into the water from time to
time. It will be done in from fifteen to twenty minutes ; try it with a fork, and if soft turn into a colander, and very carefully press all the water from it. Slip into a vegetable dish and cut into neat pieces.
TO BOIL GREEN PEAS.
Shell the peas and wash them well ; just cover them with cold water, season it with a little salt, sugar, and mint. Bring quickly to the boil and cook for about twenty minutes. When soft, but not broken, strain off the water and put them into a vegetable dish.
TO BOIL FRENCH BEANS.
Slice up the beans and wash in cold water, put them into plenty of boiling water, seasoned with salt and a quarter of a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda ; boil quickly without the lid for about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. When soft, strain off and shake the water out thoroughly ; put into a hot dish, and serve plainly or with melted butter.
TO BOIL CAULIFLOWERS.
Soak the cauliflowers in plenty of salt and water, with the flower downwards, then cook, in plenty of boiling water seasoned with salt, putting the flower to the bottom of the saucepan. Keep uncovered all the time of cooking ; take up with a slice and strain in a colander. Turn carefully into a vegetable dish, and serve with or without sauce.
VEGETABLE MARROW.
1 Marrow 2d.
4 pint White Sauce . . , . 1 « j
Salt I^-
Total Cost - 5d. Time - 15 Minutes.
Peel the marrow, take out the seeds, and cut it into small