The new century cookery book

1355. Chou-fleur a, la Polonaise. — Trim, wash, and drain a nice rigid cauliflower, divide it into separate and even-sized buds or flowerets, pare the stalks, rinse them again. Cook in salted water till they are about three parts done. Pour off the water, add an ounce of fresh butter, season with pepper and grated nutmeg, and finish in the oven. Dish up as neatly as possible on a hot vegetabledish (round dish in preference), give the buds a kind of dome shape in dressing them, sprinkle over some nicely fried brown bread-crumbs, and serve. 1356. Chou-fleur au Gratin.— I cauliflower, H oz. butter, 5 oz. corn flour, i pint milk, 1^ oz. grated cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, bread-crumbs. Trim and wash the cauliflower, cook it till tender in slightly salted water, drain it well, and let cool. Melt one ounce’ of butter in a small stewpan, stir in the flour, cook a little, dilute with the milk, and let boil for ten minutes ; season to taste, add one ounce grated cheese. Press the cauliflower into shape. Put a teaspoonful of the sauce on the dish intended for serving. Place the cauliflower upon this. Sauce over carefully with the remainder of the sauce. Sprinkle over the remainder of the cheese and a few bread-crumbs, place four bits of butter here and there, and brown in the oven. 1357. Beignets de Chou-fleur (Cauliflower Fritters). — Divide a. cooked cold cauliflower into sprigs, dip each floweret into some cold thick white sauce (bechamel or veloutee) ; see .that the sauce is well seasoned. When the sauce is set dip the pieces of cauliflower into a light frying batter, and drop them one by one into hot fat. Fry a golden colour, then take up, drain, sprinkle with fine salt and a pinch of paprika pepper, dish up, garnish with fried parsley, and serve quickly. 1358. Concombres a la Creme. — 2 cucumbers, 1 oz . butter, i gill cream, 1 teaspoonful of caster sugar, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chopped parsley. Peel the cucumber as thinly as possible, split each in two lengthways and remove the seeds, then cut the pieces in cubes of even size. Cook them in salted water for fifteen minutes, take up, and drain on a sieve. Put the cooked cucumber in a saute-pan with the butter, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, add the sugar and the cream, and bring to the boil ; shake the pan well during this process. Dish up, sprinkle over a little chopped parsley, and serve hot. 1359. Beignets de Concombres. — Peel thinly a medium-sized cucumber, cut it into |-inch slices, remove the centre portion by means of a column-cutter. Blanch the slices in slightly salted water for ten minutes and drain on a sieve. Place them on a saute-pan or flat dish, and fill the centre with some liver forcemeat or salpicon of ham. This is best done by the use of a large forcing-bag with a plain tube attached. Prepare a nice light frying batter and let it stand till wanted. Dip each cucumber cube into the frying batter ; see that it is completely coated with batter, then fry in hot fat a golden colour. Drain carefully, sprinkle with fine salt and a little cayenne or paprika pepper, dish up neatly, and serve hot. 1360. Darioles de Concombres a la Mena. — 1 mediumsized cucumber, ^ oz. of butter, 2 eggs, 1 gill stock, a few drops spinach dressing, pepper, salt, and nutmeg, 1 tablespoonful cream, 1 small truffle, tomato sauce {No. 271).