Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Asparagus, Fricasseed. — Wash a quarter of a hundred heads of asparagus, cut off the tender portion, and lay them into cold water until they are required. Drain them, and chop them with a young lettuce, half a head of endive, and a small onion. Put a piece of butter the size of an egg into a saucepan, melt it, then mix with it smoothly a dessert-spoonful of flour and half a pint of stock. Add the chopped vegetables, with pepper and salt, and let all stew gently until the sauce is thick and good. Serve hot. Time to stew, half an hour. Probable cost for this quantity, Is. Asparagus, French Method of Cooking. — Wash and boil the asparagus about twenty minutes ; then drain them, and cut off the heads and about two inches of the tender part of the stalks; mince them small, and mix with them an onion also chopped small. Add the well-beaten yolk of an egg, salt and pepper. Shake it hot, put a slice of toast upon it, and pour a good sauce over all, or sippets of toasted bread may be placed under it. Probable cost, 2s. 6d. -pev hundred, when fullj' ,in season. Allow one hundi-ed for six persons. Asparagus Heads as Peas.— Take off about two inches of the head-ends of the asparagus ; cut them into pieces about the size of peas, and put them into a saucepan with some cold salt and water. Let them boil about ten minutes; then take them out, drain them, melt a piece of butter the size of an egg in a saucepan, and place them in it. Shake the saucepan over the fire for a few minutes : then sprinkle a dessert-spoonful of flour over it, and a small tea-cupful of boiling water, pepper and salt to taste, and pour over the asparagus the beaten yolks of two eggs, mixed with f om- tablespoonfuls of new milk. Let all simmer gently for five or ten minutes; then serve. Time, half an hour. Probable cost, 2s. 6d. Allow a hundred for a tureen full. Sufficient for five or six persons. Asparagus Omelet.— Boil in the usual way twenty-five heads of asparagus, and cut the green ends, when tender, into pieces the size of peas. Asparagus that has been previously cooked may be used in this way, first heating it in a little boiling water. Mix with them four well-beaten eggs, and add a little pepper and salt. Melt a piece of butter the size of an egg in an omelet pan, -pova' in the mixture, stir still it thickens, fold it nicely over, and serve with sauce and vinegar. Time to fiy, six minutes. Probable cost, Is. Sufficient for three persons. Asparagus Pudding.— Take half a hundred young asparagus, and cut up the green part into pieces as small as peas. Beat a piece of butter the size of an egg to a cream ; add to it a cupful of flour, two tea-spoonfuls of finely chopped ham, four eggs well beaten, the asparagus, and a little pepper and salt. Mix aU well together, and add sufficient milk to make it into a stiff batter. Put it into a welloiled mould, wrap it in a floured cloth, and place in a saucepan of boiling water. "WTien sufficiently cooked, turn it on a hot dish, and pour good melted butter round it. This is a very nice way of cooking asparagus. Time to boil, two hours. Probable cost, 2s. for a pint mould. Sufficient for half a dozen persons.