Practical West African cookery

Tinned Butter. — All the tins of butter should be kept in as cool a place as possible, and each tin should be put in the cooler for some hours before it is opened so that the contents should be more or less solid. When required, empty the tin into a soup plate, pour on enough cold water to cover the butter (soda water or sparklet would be even better), and beat both together with a fork. Then drain off the water, pressing the butter with the back of a spoon so as to get rid of all the moisture. Add half-a-teaspoon salt to the butter, put it in an empty jar (an imperial cheese jar is convenient), press it down tightly, keep the jar covered and standing in a soup plate full of water when not in use. Frying. — We would like to again emphasize the fact that fat must be very hot before it is possible to fry in it If using butter or lard, it should have ceased to bubble, be quite still, and a little smoke should rise from it. Ground nut oil takes much longer to heat than either butter or lard, it must also become quite still and the smoke must be turning blue. All fat can be used several times over if any little bits of batter, etc., are carefully picked out after each frying. The fat used for frying fish should be always kept in a separate jar. Batter.— One egg ; two tablespoons flour ; three tablespoons milk (if Ideal, one teaspoon to the rest of water) ; half-a-teaspoon olive oil or ground nut oil ; a pinch of salt. Mix the flour and milk in the small pudding basin. Add the yolk only of the egg, the oil and the salt. Beat it all well together till it has the consistency of a thick cream. If too thin add a little more flour, if too thick a little water. Cover the basin with a plate and let it stand till wanted, adding just before using the white of egg beaten stiff. If possible, always prepare a good two hours before it will be required. Pie Crust. — One good teacup flour; half a small teacup lard ; a pinch of salt ; a very small teacup water, as cold as possible, The proportions will make enough crust to cover the large pie dish. If wanted for a tart, put a very small pinch of salt and add a small teaspoon sugar. Use only filtered water, taken straight from the cooler, and mix the paste in the coolest place possible. The cook should wash his hands in cold water before beginning. The flour must be dry and well sifted, and the tin of lard should have been kept in the cooler to make it as firm as possible. 1. Mix the flour, salt (and sugar if required) in the large pudding basin. Add the lard and mix well and quickly with the back of a wooden spoon ; pour in the cold water a little at a time until you have made a dough which will come freely away from the sides of the basin, and will be soft but not sticky to the touch. If the lard was firm, a small teacupful will be needed. 2. Sprinkle the bread board with a little extra flour, lay the dough on it, flour your hands well and quickly roll the dough on the board with the palms of your hands. If it sticks to the board, scrape off with a knife and sprinkle on more flour. Continue rolling till it no longer sticks to the board or the hands, and feels elastic to the touch.