ginger root — can be bought in London ; it must be grated like
horseradish, and then pounded to a paste with a little butter.
A slightly acid flavour, or, rather, “ a sweet and a sour,” is
needed in Curries ; in India this flavour is given by tamarinds,
in England by currant-jelly and lemon-juice. Chopped apples
or green gooseberries should never be used. Many English
recipes advise the use of turmeric or saffron in Curries, the
authors apparently thinking that turmeric and saffron are the
same thing, whereas they are totally different. Turmeric grows
in India, and gives a warm spicy flavour, as well as a yellow
colour, to Curries, whilst saffron, peculiar to Southern Europe
and Asia Minor, only contributes the colour, and even that is
not quite like turmeric. Most Curry-powders contain a sufficient
amount of turmeric.
To make the Curry. — The following proportions are
sufficient for a pound of uncooked mutton, veal, or lamb ; for a
pound of fish ; for a pound of vegetables ; or for a moderate-sized
chicken. Large fowls are not suitable for Curry. Cut the meat
or fish into small squares of about three-quarters of an inch ;
cut up the chicken as for a fricassee, making three pieces of the
breast-bone, two of each thigh, and two of each leg; divide
vegetables into neat pieces. I will choose a Chicken Curry as an
example :
1. When the chicken is cut up, put the pieces in water for
half an hour, then dry them, set them aside, and dredge a little
flour over them.
2. Take all the giblets of the chicken, including head and
feet, with any scraps of meat that can be spared, put them into
a saucepan with a teaspoonful of glaze (or of Brand’s essence),
four ounces of onion sliced, three ounces of carrot sliced, six
peppercorns, a bunch of herbs, a saltspoonful of salt and half
one of sugar. Cover them with cold water, boil, simmer, and
make the best broth you can. When the broth is ready, strain it
into a bowl, and skim it clean. There ought to be from a pint
to a pint and a half of broth.
3. Take a fire-proof casserole. Weigh four ounces of onion
and mince it small. Put two ounces of butter into the casserole, and
set it over a moderate fire. When the butter has melted put in the
minced onion, and leave it to fry very gently, gradually colouring
TO MAKE THE CURRY
421
to a nice yellowish-brown. The onion must on no account burn,
but it must colour. In India the small red shallots are used for
Curries, but here ordinary onions do nearly as well. Some
people prefer the mild Portugal onions. Be careful not to use
more than two ounces of butter to the four ounces of onion, or
the Curry will be greasy. ✪ Chicken Curry
Page 290 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
ginger root — can be bought in London ; it must be grated like horseradish, and then pounded to a paste with a little butter. A slightly acid flavour, or, rather, “ a sweet and a sour,” is needed in Curries ; in India this flavour is given by tamarinds, in England by currant-jelly and lemon-juice. Chopped apples or green gooseberries should never be used. Many English recipes advise the use of turmeric or saffron in Curries, the authors apparently thinking that turmeric and saffron are the same thing, whereas they are totally different. Turmeric grows in India, and gives a warm spicy flavour, as well as a yellow colour, to Curries, whilst saffron, peculiar to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, only contributes the colour, and even that is not quite like turmeric. Most Curry-powders contain a sufficient amount of turmeric.
To make the Curry. — The following proportions are sufficient for a pound of uncooked mutton, veal, or lamb ; for a pound of fish ; for a pound of vegetables ; or for a moderate-sized chicken. Large fowls are not suitable for Curry. Cut the meat or fish into small squares of about three-quarters of an inch ; cut up the chicken as for a fricassee, making three pieces of the breast-bone, two of each thigh, and two of each leg; divide vegetables into neat pieces. I will choose a Chicken Curry as an example :
1. When the chicken is cut up, put the pieces in water for half an hour, then dry them, set them aside, and dredge a little flour over them.
2. Take all the giblets of the chicken, including head and feet, with any scraps of meat that can be spared, put them into a saucepan with a teaspoonful of glaze (or of Brand’s essence), four ounces of onion sliced, three ounces of carrot sliced, six peppercorns, a bunch of herbs, a saltspoonful of salt and half one of sugar. Cover them with cold water, boil, simmer, and make the best broth you can. When the broth is ready, strain it into a bowl, and skim it clean. There ought to be from a pint to a pint and a half of broth.
3. Take a fire-proof casserole. Weigh four ounces of onion and mince it small. Put two ounces of butter into the casserole, and set it over a moderate fire. When the butter has melted put in the minced onion, and leave it to fry very gently, gradually colouring
TO MAKE THE CURRY
to a nice yellowish-brown. The onion must on no account burn, but it must colour. In India the small red shallots are used for Curries, but here ordinary onions do nearly as well. Some people prefer the mild Portugal onions. Be careful not to use more than two ounces of butter to the four ounces of onion, or the Curry will be greasy.
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Chicken Curry