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The "Queen" cookery books: Vegetables

1902

Page 19 · 2 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
them. If properly cooked they should be a delicate green and quite tender. Always choose the smallest sprouts, the large ones are fit for nothing but a puree, in Avhich form, however, they are capital, though seldom seen. Brussels sprouts may be cooked in many ways. For instance, when almost cooked, strain them and dry them gently in a clean cloth, then toss them over the fire with a good piece of butter, pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg to taste, till thoroughly cooked. Or, parboil the sprouts, then lay them in a pan when well drained and dried, with pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg, and finish cooking in some good strong stock or gravy, serving them as Choux de Bruxelles au jus. Or bechamel or maitre d'hotel or alleviande sauce may be used instead of the gravy, of course varying the name. Or cold sprouts may be lightly fried in butter or clarified dripping, seasoned with pepper and salt, and served piping hot. They need care in the frying, or the colour will be spoilt. Or, lastly, a layer of cold sprouts may be placed in a fireproof dish, covered with a layer of grated cheese, minced parsley, a ver}" little chives or shalot, pepper and salt, then more sprouts, and so on till the dish is full, finishing with the cheese, &c., to which you add a few fine breadcrumbs, and some morsels of butter or clarified dripping, then set it in the oven till it is all hot, and the top nicely browned, and serve as C. de Bruxelles au gratin. Brussels sprouts au lard. — Soak the sprouts in the usual way, choosing the smallest, and trimming them evenly ; then put them on in slightly salted water, and boil for fifteen minutes, when thev must be laid on •/ VEGETABLES. a sieve to drain. Cut 6oz. of either ham or bacon into dice and fry these till crisp, but not discoloured ; now- lift out the bacon, lay the sprouts into the pan it was in, sprinkle the sprouts with coralline pepper, and fry them for five minutes in the bacon fat. Now mix the bacon with them, and turn it all out on to a hot dish, strew a spoonful of grated Parmesan cheese over it and serve very hot. Brussels sprouts d la creme. — Soak, trim, and well blanch a pound of sprouts, then drain them well, and put them in a saute or frying pan, with about half a gill of good veloutc sauce, season with salt, pepper, and a grate of nutmeg, pour in a gill of single cream or new milkBrussels Sprouts à la Crème, and let them simmer very gently for five minutes or so, tossing them pretty constantly over the fire. Serve very hot. Burnet. — A herb formerly much more used than at present, both in salads and sauces. At one time it was an indispensable part of a ravigotte composed of green tarragon, burnet, chives, and chervil, all delicately minced. Cabbage {chou). — Trim off the outer leaves from two summer cabbages, halve them lengthways, and steep them for an hour in acidulated salted water ; now put them into just boiling water, and when they have boiled fast for fifteen to twenty minutes, pour off the first water and replace it with fresh boiling and salted water, and cook till done. (Always boil in plenty of water.) Test with a skewer to see if it is cooked, and then place it on a drainer by the fire till all the water is drained oft’, and serve. Cabbages are really better if steamed, though 38 VEGETABLES.