The cult of the chafing dish

Kabobs have probably come to us from India, via the Cape. This is an old Capetown- Malay recipe which is thoroughly reliable. Half a pound of cold veal ; the same of lean ham, both cut into slices a quarter of an inch thick ; three apples, and three onions. Cut the meat and the vegetables into rounds with a knife or cutter, about the size of a crown piece. Skewer them up on wooden (or, if you are a de Beers shareholder, on silver) skewers, in the following order : ( i ) a round of veal ; (2) a round of apple ; (3) a round of ham ; (4) a round of onion. Sprinkle them with pepper, salt and curry-powder. Put them in the Chafing Dish with a teacupful of bouillon and a walnut of butter ; simmer steadily for twenty minutes, then thicken the gravy with a little flour, and serve either with boiled rice, or toast, or both. Brigands' Fowls. Cold fowls lend themselves in a hundred ways ,to the kind attentions of Chaffinda. Mention of quite a few of these must urge the gastronomer to further experiments and discoveries. Pollio a la Contrabandista : this is the way brigands cook, or ought to cook, fowls. Cut a cold cooked fowl into neat joints. Put them into the Chafing Dish with four tablespoons of olive oil, and heat up until the meat Is of a light brown colour, turning the pieces frequently. Then keep the flame lower and simmering all the time ; add four tomatoes cut into quarters, two chopped green chillies, one shredded Spanish onion, one tablespoon of Worcester sauce, the same of mushroom ketchup, and four cloves. Let it simmer, closely covered, for at least fifteen minutes. It will then prove a most savoury mess. Howtowdie, ' From Spain to Bonnie Scotland ! This is how to cook Howtowdie. Cut up a young fowl into handy joints. Put them into the Chafing Dish with two walnuts of butter, a cupful of bouillon, three sprigs of parsley, three small onions, salt and pepper. Simmer continuously until the bird is tender. When half cooked add another cupful of bouillon to make up for evaporation. When quite cooked put the fowl on to a hot dish, surround it with poached eggs, then thicken the gravy in the pan with a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of Worcester sauce ; give it a smart boil up and pour it over the fowl. This Howtowdie is adapted from an excellent recipe in " The Scottish Cookery Book containing guid plain rules for makin' guid plain meats suitable for sma' purses, big families, and Scotch stomachs." Roman Fowl. The preparation of Roman Fowl is simplicity itself. Pour four tablespoons of olive oil into the Chafing Dish with a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of Paprika, three cloves, and herbs to taste, but do not overdo the herbs. When the oil is sizzling put in all the limbs of a lightly boiled chicken, cut up. Cook it slowly, turning the meat so that all the flesh is equally cooked all over. When done it should be a delicate brown. Add half a cup- ful of tomato sauce and the same of bouillon, also three shredded onions. Simmer for eight minutes, then serve. Creamed Chicken. This is an American recipe, copied verbatim from an American Chafing-Dish cookery book. Two cups cold chicken cut into small pieces, one cup chicken stock, one cup milk or cream, two tablespoonfuls of butter, one heaping tablespoonful of flour, salt and pepper. Cook the butter and the flour together in the Chafing Dish ; add the stock and milk and stir until smooth ; put in the chicken, salt and pepper, and cook three minutes longer.