The "Queen" cookery books: Entrees

Blanching Vegetables, &c. — This is very simply done by putting the object to be blanched, after cleaning and trimming it, into plenty of cold water with a pinch of salt, then bringing it to the boil, straining it off directly it has reached that point, rinsing it in cold water, and drying it in a clean cloth. Various meats, such as sweetbread, &c., are blanched, but in that case are allowed actually to cook for a little after the water is brought to the boil, to ensure the firmness of the article blanched. Batter. — Of this there are several kinds. One has already been given ; another is made by putting into a basin say 4oz. of fine sifted flour ; make a hollow in this and drop into it the yolks of two fresh eggs, with a tablespoonful of bes-t salad oil, little by little mixing in the surrounding flour, adding a little cold water gradually, as required, but keeping the mixture thick enough to ensure its rubbing smooth ; when half a gill of cold water has been added in this way, beat the batter well with a wooden spoon till it is quite full of air bubbles, then mix in another half gill of water and let it rest for two hours at least, when you mix in lightly and quickly the whites of the eggs beaten to a very stiff froth with a tiny pinch of salt, and use. A commoner kind of batter is often made, but the above will be found well worth the little extra trouble it entails. For pancakes make a batter with loz. tine sifted flour, a pinch each of salt and coralline pepper, and two and a half tablespoonfuls of milk for each egg used. Strain this and fry in butter, or marrow fat, but not lard. Borders. — These are made of many things, but the principal ones are farce, rice, or potato for hot borders, and savoury cream, rice, or aspic for cold ones. The directions for farce borders have been given in the chapter on creams, mousses, &c. For a potato lordtr ; peel and boil the potatoes carefully, to have them as dry as possible, as when cooked they must be sieved through a wire sieve ; now season with a little salt, and for three averagesized potatoes mix in loz. butter, the yolk of one raw egg, and a dust of coralline pepper, or use a spoonful or two of milk instead of the egg ; mix this all with a clean wooden spoon till it ceases to cling to the finger if touched, then turn it out on to a well floured paste board, and roll it out with your well floured hands into a straight roll, about 2in. across and just half as long again as the utmost breadth you wish your border to be. Cut this roll in half, as Q in Fig. 17, trimming off the ends diagonally, as at the dotted lines c c, then bend these two pieces into a round, or an oval, as in Fig. 18, smoothing over the join with a hot wet knife, and flattening the top (and, if liked, the sides, according to the shape you want your border) with the same knife. Brush it over with beaten egg, and bake a light golden brown in the oven. To dish it slip a palette knife between it and the tin, and slide it gently on to the dish, so as not to break it. If using one of the long narrow entree dishes, you leave this border quite straight, Fig. 17. Fig. 18.