Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

The dry Shrimp Curry (see page 117) forms a capital Savoury served very hot in little open pastry saucers two and a half inches across. Allow a tablespoonful for each. Scallops cut into quarter-inch squares and done in the same way are equally good. Both Savouries may be called Oroides Creuses d VIndienne. COLD SAVOURIES. Of these Caviare, or the roe of the sturgeon, is considered the greatest delicacy. To enjoy Caviare in perfection it must be eaten fresh. Sir Henry Thompson speaks of “ the grey, pearly, succulent, and delicate Caviare eaten in Moscow,” and adds that the “ black herring-flavoured small-seeded Caviare eaten here is but as the shadow to the substance.” However, COLT) SAVOURIES 5lS in these days of express trains even this difficulty lias been surmounted. Monsieur Xanine, Russian Stores, Queen’s Road, Bayswater, imports fresh Caviare from his own fisheries at Astrakhan (where the Caviare is considered the best in Russia^, and, travelling packed in ice, it arrives here, to use Wyvem’s words, “ grey-green, mild, large-grained, and delicious.” Russians eat Caviare quite plain with cold dry toast only. English people generally like a little lemon-juice and pepper. Of course Caviare must in no case be served hot. The jar containing it should be kept on ice, and the Caviare should be served in the jar, with thin slices of crisp cold dr}' toast, or water biscuits. Monsieur Xanine also imports excellent salted and pressed Caviare. This makes a good Savoury if spread on cold croutons of fried bread, and masked with mayonnaise or tartare sauce stiffened with a little aspic jelly made from fish glaze. Other aspic must not be used. Caviare is largely imported from Germany and from America, but the quality is not nearly equal to the true Russian delicacy. Olives. — Those who like Olives generally prefer eating them plain. But they can be served as a Savoury in several ways. (1.) Turn the Olives, and fill the cavities with anchovy paste seasoned with cayenne. Stamp out small rounds of brown bread, spread them with anchovy butter, put an olive on each round, with a fillet of anchovy twisted round the olive at the base. (2.) Fill the cavities with firm tartare sauce, set each olive on a cold fried crouton, and curl an anchovy fillet round the olive. (3.) Fill a border mould with vegetable aspic, arranging turned olives at intervals. Put small salad in the centre. (4.) Olives farcies can be bought ready for use. In this case wipe each olive carefully to get rid of the oil in which Olives farcies are preserved. Make a custard a la Royale thus : In a small bowl beat up three fresh eggs, add a gill of milk, two tablespoonfuls of cream and one of grated Parmesan, season it, pour the custard into buttered dariole moulds, steam gently till set, and let them get cold. Then with a scoop make a hollow in the centre of each, slip an olive into it, cover the opening ■with a little wad of the custard which has been scooped out, turn out the moulds, arrange them in a circle, and garnish with small salad. [See page 351.] HAM BOUCHEES Ham Bouchees. — Grate half a pound of lean ham, mix gently with it a quarter of a pint of whipped cream seasoned with white pepper and cayenne. Have ready some little cold pastry cases, or croutes creuses, and fill them neatly with the mixture.