The Ideal cook book

Tuer Dominion Cook Book. 313. Cucumber (Stewed), —Ingredients—3 large cucumbers, a a little butter, half a piat of brown gravy, a little flour. 3 Cut the cucumbers lengthwise, removing the seeds. Have — the pieces a convenient size for the dish they are served in. _ Plunge them into boiling water with a little salt. Allow itto simmer for five minutes. Put the gravy into another sauce. Qo pan, and when the cucumbers are done, remove from the water _ i and place in the gravy, and allow to boil until they are tender. a If there should be a bitter taste, adda teaspoonful of granulated sugar. Dish carefully, skim the sauce, and pour over the e. cucumbers. 314. Cucumber (Fried)—Ingredients—Two nice cucumbers, pepper and salt, oil or butter. Pare cucumbers, cut into slices, press the slices upon a dry clean cloth ; dredge with flour ; have ready a pan of boiling oil or butter, put the slices into it, and keep turning them until they are brown; remove them from pan and lay upon a sieve to drain. Serve on a hot dish. 315. Cucumber (a la Maitre d'Hotel)— Ingredients—A_nice straight cucumber, boiling water, a little salt, piece of butter size of an egg, bunch of parsley, some small onions, pepper. Peel a nice, straight cucumber, and cut it in four pieces lengthways ; scoop out all the seeds, and then cut it up again into small Jong pieces about a finger length ; throw these into a saucepan of boiling water and some salt. When they bend ~ under the touch they are done, and must be taken out and very carefully drained in a sieve; then put them into a stewpan, with a good sized piece of butter, some finely chopped parsley, some onions, and salt and pepper to taste. The cucumber will not, however, require much salt, as the acid itself renders it salt tasting. ‘Toss the pieces of vegetables well over a brisk fire until thoroughly heated through, and serve on a -_-very hot dish. 316. Cucumber (Farci)—Ingredients—Cucumber, meat stuffing, a bunch of herbs, and some good stock, a little corn flour, butter the size of an egg. Cut off the tail ends of a short, thickly madecucumber, and ~ é scoop out the seeds with the end of a spoon, or marrow-spoon oe is best, then peel it very thinly; prepare a good meat stuffing, _ or even fish can be used as a forcemeat for a change, and fill the cucumber with it, replacing the ends originally cut off with the aid of little wooden skewers. Wrap round the vegetable with a thin linen cloth, and put it into a stewpan with a bouquet of herbs and some good stock. Simmer over a clear fire - until done, then reduce the liquid, thickening it with flour (a am little corn flour is preferable) and butter. Serve in the grav thus made. 317. Cucumber (a la Poulette)—Ingredients—Butter the size of an egg rolled in flour, slices of cucumber, a little cream or stock, 2 eggs, a few drops of vinegar. 3 Put some floured butter (butter rolled in flour) into a stew- - pan, with slices of cucumber dressed as for a la maitre d’hotel ; moisten with some good cream, or stock in default of Senn Toss the cucumber until well heated through, then take it off the fire, and add two yokes of eggs, and a few drops (to taste) of vinegar. 318. Cucumber (Frits). Cut the cucumber (already cooked) into pieces about the length of your little finger, dry them very carefully in a cloth, | and fry them in butter. They can also be dipped in a good batter, and then fried in the same way as salsify. Particular care must be taken to have the vegetable very dry, as the slightest moisture will prevent them frying crisp. 319. Haricot Beans (1).—'ngredients—Half a pint of small white : beans, enough cold water to cover them, % oz. of butter, teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a few slices of raw bacon.