Middle class cookery book

tables, serve the soup. The bones may be used again in the stockpot (see “ Stockpot,” p. 45), and the vege- tables for thickening other soups. Purees A puiAe is a preparation of vegetables resembling a thick sauce. It can be served as a dish by itself, gar- nished with fried bread or toast cut into sippets, or as an accompaniment to a dish of meat. In the latter case the meat is put in the middle of the dish, and the pur6e put neatly round it. From the recipes given, other purges can be made by varying the vegetables. Puree of Green Peas 1 Quart Green Peas 1 oz. Butter 1 Gill of Stock 1 Sprig Parsley or Mint ^ Teaspoonful Salt Pepper to taste Put the peas into boiling water with the parsley or mint, let them boil till quite tender ; strain off the water, rub the peas through a wire sieve, moistening them from time to time with stock. Add the butter to the pulped peas, with the pepper and a little sugar ; put the peas into the pan with the stock, to heat. Puree of Lentils 1 Pint Lentils ^ lb. Bacon 1 Carrot 1 Onion 2 Cloves 1 Bunch of Sweet Herbs 1 Quart Water Soak the lentils (see “ Lentil Soup,” p. 52) in cold water the night before they are wanted for use. Put them into a saucepan with the bacon, vegetables, cloves, herbs, and water. Let them boil for two or three hours until quite soft. Strain the liquid from them into a basin ; rub the lentils, etc., through a wire sieve ; put them back into the pan with sufficient of CHAP. Ill FISH 59 the liquor in which they have been boiled, to make a thick sauce. Purees of haricot beans and split peas may be made from this recipe. A small quantity of crumbled bread soaked in stock or water, rubbed with the vegetables through the sieve, is an improvement. Carrots, celery, beans, and many other vegetables make good purges. CHAPTER III FISH All fish should be eaten fresh (see “ To Choose Fish,*' p. 28), but mackerel and herrings cannot be too fresh. In order to boil fish well, a fish kettle furnished with a drainer is necessary; if an ordinary saucepan is used, a small drainer can now be obtained which fits into a saucepan and is useful for cooking a small quantity of fish. Before beginning to cook fish, see that it is thoroughly clean, and that no blood has collected near the bone. Do not wash the fish, but wipe it well with a clean damp cloth, both inside and out. A little salt rubbed on will remove the black skin from the inside of haddocks and other fish. The rules given for boiling fish (see “ To Boil Fish ”) will enable the cook to prepare any kind of fish, salmon, cod, mackerel, brill, turbot, whiting, etc. Recipes for sauces will be found at p. 124. To Boil Fish The fish, after being well cleaned, should be put 60 MIDDLE CLASS COOKERY BOOK PART II