Quince jam and jelly we also find good. This is an
old-fashioned receipt : — First boil the Quinces till soft,
for about half an hour ; take off the outer thin skin.
Cut the Quinces in half, removing the core, and pulp
them. To every pound of Quince pulp add half a pint
of the water in which the Quinces were boiled. Peel
carefully and cut up some Blenheim Apples ; add half a
OCTOBER 185
pound of Apples to every pound of Quince pulp, and
three-quarters of a pound of sugar to every pound of
fruit. Boil for three hours.
We find the ripe Beans of the Scarlet Kunners very
good if well boiled, and then served with a little of the
water and a good bit of fresh butter stirred in just
before dishing up. Many years ago Mr. Bright, in the
' Lancashire Garden,' wrote : ' One excellent vegetable I
have generally grown I would recommend to anyone
who has space to spare — the French White Haricot. It
is not often seen with us, though it is so very common in
France. It is a species of French Bean, of which you
eat the white bean itself instead of slicing up the pod. I
suspect that, taking England through, there are very few
gardens where the White Haricot is found.' This was
true nearly twenty years ago, but the astonishing thing
is that it is true still. It is wonderful how rarely the
Haricot blanc is to be seen at English tables. Is this
the fault of the gardener or the cook ? I suspect both.
It is very disheartening to grow vegetables the cook does
not know how to use. English housekeepers, so extrava-
gant about many things, are often curiously economical
on the subject of butter. To use that horrid, fatty, adul-
terated stuff called ' kitchen butter ' with vegetables is
fatal ; it must be good fresh butter. There are only
two economies that generally rather wasteful people try
to practise — one is in coals, and the other is in butter.
Neither makes much difference in the year, and many
other things could be so well done without. Compared
to the expense of wine and meat, they are really nothing
at all. Vegetables should not be cooked in butter except
when really fried ; they should be boiled, and drained, and
warmed up, and cold butter stirred in just before serving.
Vegetables should not look or taste greasy, or rice either.
In the autumn those who keep fowls always have
1 86 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN
some to get rid of that are better stewed than roasted.
The following is an old family receipt I have not seen
elsewhere : —
Poulet a la Turque. — Truss a chicken as for
boiling, put it in a deep fricandeau-pan, spread it thickly
with butter, and lay therein a dozen pieces of raw ham,
some carrots, onions, parsley, and a little nutmeg, pepper,
and salt ; cover with a buttered paper. Braize it for one
hour. When it is dished, place round the chicken in
groups stewed rice, sultanas, and prunes. Pour a
lightly seasoned curry sauce over the chicken, and serve
more sauce in a sauce-boat apart, if desirable — especially
if there are two chickens.
People who have a good deal of game get rather tired of
the eternally roast pheasant or partridge with bread sauce.
The following is a good receipt to make a variety : —
Partridge or Pheasant a la Sierra Morena.—
Page 110
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
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Quince jam and jelly we also find good. This is an
old-fashioned receipt : — First boil the Quinces till soft,
for about half an hour ; take off the outer thin skin.
Cut the Quinces in half, removing the core, and pulp
them. To every pound of Quince pulp add half a pint
of the water in which the Quinces were boiled. Peel
carefully and cut up some Blenheim Apples ; add half a
OCTOBER 185
pound of Apples to every pound of Quince pulp, and
three-quarters of a pound of sugar to every pound of
fruit. Boil for three hours.
We find the ripe Beans of the Scarlet Kunners very
good if well boiled, and then served with a little of the
water and a good bit of fresh butter stirred in just
before dishing up. Many years ago Mr. Bright, in the
' Lancashire Garden,' wrote : ' One excellent vegetable I
have generally grown I would recommend to anyone
who has space to spare — the French White Haricot. It
is not often seen with us, though it is so very common in
France. It is a species of French Bean, of which you
eat the white bean itself instead of slicing up the pod. I
suspect that, taking England through, there are very few
gardens where the White Haricot is found.' This was
true nearly twenty years ago, but the astonishing thing
is that it is true still. It is wonderful how rarely the
Haricot blanc is to be seen at English tables. Is this
the fault of the gardener or the cook ? I suspect both.
It is very disheartening to grow vegetables the cook does
not know how to use. English housekeepers, so extrava-
gant about many things, are often curiously economical
on the subject of butter. To use that horrid, fatty, adul-
terated stuff called ' kitchen butter ' with vegetables is
fatal ; it must be good fresh butter. There are only
two economies that generally rather wasteful people try
to practise — one is in coals, and the other is in butter.
Neither makes much difference in the year, and many
other things could be so well done without. Compared
to the expense of wine and meat, they are really nothing
at all. Vegetables should not be cooked in butter except
when really fried ; they should be boiled, and drained, and
warmed up, and cold butter stirred in just before serving.
Vegetables should not look or taste greasy, or rice either.
In the autumn those who keep fowls always have
1 86 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN
some to get rid of that are better stewed than roasted.
The following is an old family receipt I have not seen
elsewhere : —
Poulet a la Turque. — Truss a chicken as for
boiling, put it in a deep fricandeau-pan, spread it thickly
with butter, and lay therein a dozen pieces of raw ham,
some carrots, onions, parsley, and a little nutmeg, pepper,
and salt ; cover with a buttered paper. Braize it for one
hour. When it is dished, place round the chicken in
groups stewed rice, sultanas, and prunes. Pour a
lightly seasoned curry sauce over the chicken, and serve
more sauce in a sauce-boat apart, if desirable — especially
if there are two chickens.
People who have a good deal of game get rather tired of
the eternally roast pheasant or partridge with bread sauce.
The following is a good receipt to make a variety : —
Partridge or Pheasant a la Sierra Morena.—