The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c

This tends very greatly to impart that peculiar “ Indian ” flavour which is considered so requisite for all first-class curries. In India itself mangoes are used for flavouring curry instead of apples, as in England. In this country fresh mangoes cannot be obtained, but a spoonful of mango chutney of course imparts the desired mango flavour. I would strongly recommend cooks in making curry from curry powder only, to try the effect of using a good-sized tablespoonful of mango chutney instead of the usual apples. When curry is liked very hot of course it can always be increased in flavour by the addition of cayenne pepper. When cayenne pepper is added I would recommend the use of soluble cayenne pepper. This will impart heat, but it does not produce the after burning sensation in the mouth too often caused by using ordinary red cayenne pepper, which is to a great extent insoluble. CURRY SAUCE. — Curry sauce is sold in bottles, and is recommended as an addition to be eaten with chops, steaks, etc. This curry sauce can also be used in conjunction with some good gravy and curry powder to make curry, but its chief uses are to be taken as a plain sauce with cold meats, etc. DAMSONS, BOTTLED. — Damsons are sold in bottles. The liquor in which they are preserved, however, is not sweetened. Bottled damsons are very useful, especially when fresh fruit is not in season, for the purpose of making fin it tarts, fruit puddings, etc., and it is very difficult to distinguish between a pie or tart made from bottled damsons and those made from fresh fruit. One very good form of serving bottled damsons is to make what is known as compete of damsons, and to serve it in an ornamental border made of rice. The damsons should be piled up in a pyramid form in the centre of the rice border, and the juice of the damsons, which is generally of a very bright colour, should be sweetened with white sugar, and slightly thickened. If the compete is served hot the juice must be thickened with arrowroot and poured over the tart. If, however, the compote is served cold the juice must be thickened with gelatine or isinglass, taking care that it is not made so as to set too thick. It does not do to have the juice set in a hard or firm jelly. All kinds of bottled fruits and fruits preserved in syrup can be served in rice borders. The rice borders should be made as follows : — Let the Cook take say a pound of rice, and wash it thoroughly in several waters. The rice should be washed until the water ceases to turn cloudy or thick. Next place the rice in as much milk as it will soak up, and the rice must then be boiled until it is quite tender, and the whole turned out into a large basin or pestle and mortar and pounded well together. Great care should be exercised in pounding the rice to get it all into a smooth paste. The cook, too, must be careful to have the consistency not too thin and not too thick. The whole should now be rolled into a round ball, and if the consistency is right it 'will retain this round shape. Next press the round ball flat till it becomes the shape of a whole cheese. This rice border is now to be baked in the oven, but before baking it can be ornamented in a variety of different ways.