Middle class cookery book

All kinds of puddings are lighter when steamed than when boiled. Cover the basin or mould contain- ing the pudding with a piece of well-buttered kitchen paper ; put it into a saucepan, which must have boiling water in it, enough to come within an inch of the rim of the basin or mould. If there is more water, it may, when boiling' fast, spoil the pudding by flowing over the sides of the basin ; as the water boils away, add more boiling water. It is well to put a small pan of water on the fire soon after the pudding is put into the sauce- pan, to be ready when required to fill up the pan. Puddings take longer to cook when steamed than when covered with boiling water, half an hour, or an hour, according to the kind of pudding. When done, the pan can be moved to one side without injury to the pudding, if the fire is needed for preparing another dish. The difficulty of lifting the basin from the pan without burning the fingers is overcome by placing the pudding on a small drainer before putting it in the saucepan. Garnishing Dishes Joints of cold meat, poultry, etc., look much better 138 MIDDLE CLASS COOKERY BOOK part 11 if sent to table with, sprigs of fresli parsley arranged round the dish, and placed on the meat ; but care must be taken that the parsley is fresh, clean, and dry. A cold fowl surrounded by fresh watercress looks well. A dish of slices of cold meat is rendered more tempting to the appetite if garnished with a little aspic jelly, cut into small pieces (see p. 180). Slices of beetroot cut into dice, slices of lemon, hard-boiled eggs, are also good garnishes. Fried parsley is a nice addition to fried fish, besides improving the look of the dish. For sweet dishes, dried cherries, currant jelly cut into small pieces, candied angelica cut into strips, the whites of eggs beaten to a froth, water icing, candied fruits, etc., make pretty ornaments. The cook should endeavour to make her dishes as pleasant to the eye as they are to the palate. Sippets of toasted bread, or fried bread, should be placed round dishes of minced or hashed meat. Vegetable cutters cost but little; with their help, carrots, turnips, etc., cut into shapes, and boiled or stewed, can be made an ornamental centre for a dish of cutlets or fried cooked meat. Soup also looks better when the vegetables are cut in shapes. Fried Parsley Wash the parsley, dry it on a rough cloth ; divide it into nice sprigs ; throw them into boiling clarified fat ; let them fry for a minute or two till crisp ; drain on kitchen paper. Fried Sippets of Bread Cut a slice from the crumb of a stale loaf ; divide the slice into neat three-cornered pieces; put them in the frying-basket into boiling clarified fat ; when a nice brown colour, drain them on kitchen paper CHAP. X MISCELLANEOUS 139 Eggs in Sauces The yolk of an egg stirred into melted butter (see p. 124) makes the sauce richer. If used, it must be remembered that if the egg is added while the sauce is boiling, the egg will curdle, and spoil the sauce. The yolk of the egg must be put in after the sauce has cooled a little ; the sauce must be stirred during the time the egg is being added. Cooked Vegetables used as Salads