Full directions for making sorrel sonp are to
be found at the end of this chapter ; but here
it may be well to mention that the only ingre-
dients are sorrel and a couple of young onions,
white bread, water, butter, and the \jolk of an
<d^'g. The ^^^ corrects the acidity of the sor-
rel, the bread gives substance to the soup, and
134 SOME LITTLE USED VEGETABLES.
the butter smootlmess. As very little liquid is
needed in wlilcli to cook sorrel, it is better,
when intending to make a puree to serve with
meat, to use a little butter in place of water.
When thoroughly cooked, the sorrel should be
lightly beaten with a wooden spoon, well-sea-
soned ; then it is ready to serve either in the
middle of the dish or to hand round with it.
A few leaves of sorrel, lightly chopped,
give piquancy to a salad. A few leaves of
sorrel may also be added to other vegetable
soups, but never when there is any meat in the
pot, as their acidity will tend to harden it.
Leaving the sorrel, let us consider its sister,
spinach. Although we have no fault to find
either with the growth or the supply of spi-
nach, still it is in only a few better-class
houses that one ever meets with the dainty
dishes of spinach which are its common forms
of presentation on continental tables.
It is of all green vegetables the most decep-
tive, shrinking to but a fraction of its original
bulk when cooked.
It is also one of the dirtiest and grittiest
of vegetables, and needs washing in several
waters. Let it drain thoroughly, and pick
out all stalky pieces. Our French friends go
SOME LITTLE USED VEGETABLES. 135
fartlier tlian tliis : tliey tliink it not too much
trouble to shred each leaf. Staying once at a
country hotel in France, we were much amused
and interested to watch the old grandmother, as
she sat in her chair, doing nothing else all day
but prepare the vegetables for the table or the
kitchen. Verily, Ave decided, it needed the
patience of old age to prepare spinach as she
did it ; but truly, when it came to table, it was
as nearly perfect as could be.
The leaves should be thrown into hoiling
water, with plenty of salt in it — this keeps
them a bright green colour. Boil fast for ten
or fifteen minutes, then drain and press till
firm and dry. In this state most English
people consider spinach is quite done ; French
cooks tliink differently. It is now ready to be
manipulated in any form desired.
For instance. Spinach en Groustades is a
pretty way of serving it as a vegetable dish
alone, or even as an entree. The croiistade is a
thick slice of stale white bread, hollowed in the
centre, and shaped like a dish with a rim.
This is fried to a golden brown in clear fat (if
a joint of meat were roasting it might be done
in the dripping-tin).
Melt an ounce of butter in a small stewpan,
136 SOME LITTLE USED VEGETABLES.
put- in tlie cooked spinacli^ add a little pepper,
heat well through, beat lightly with a fork,
then fill the croustades, and chop a little cooked
beetroot to garnish✪ Spinach en Croustades the top.
A puree of spinach with a garnish of poached
eggs, or an q^^ boiled hard, then cut into strips,
and a few strips of beetroot interspersed to
give colour, is a great improvement to the vege-
table plainly boiled. Some thin slices of ham
frizzled and placed as a border round a puree
of spinach, also makes a very nice dish.
Page 45 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1894. 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
Full directions for making sorrel sonp are to be found at the end of this chapter ; but here it may be well to mention that the only ingredients are sorrel and a couple of young onions, white bread, water, butter, and the yolk of an egg. The egg corrects the acidity of the sorrel, the bread gives substance to the soup, and
the butter smoothness. As very little liquid is needed in which to cook sorrel, it is better, when intending to make a puree to serve with meat, to use a little butter in place of water. When thoroughly cooked, the sorrel should be lightly beaten with a wooden spoon, well-seasoned ; then it is ready to serve either in the middle of the dish or to hand round with it.
A few leaves of sorrel, lightly chopped, give piquancy to a salad. A few leaves of sorrel may also be added to other vegetable soups, but never when there is any meat in the pot, as their acidity will tend to harden it.
Leaving the sorrel, let us consider its sister, spinach. Although we have no fault to find either with the growth or the supply of spinach, still it is in only a few better-class houses that one ever meets with the dainty dishes of spinach which are its common forms of presentation on continental tables.
It is of all green vegetables the most deceptive, shrinking to but a fraction of its original bulk when cooked.
It is also one of the dirtiest and grittiest of vegetables, and needs washing in several waters. Let it drain thoroughly, and pick out all stalky pieces. Our French friends go
farther than this: they think it not too much trouble to shred each leaf. Staying once at a country hotel in France, we were much amused and interested to watch the old grandmother, as she sat in her chair, doing nothing else all day but prepare the vegetables for the table or the kitchen. Verily, we decided, it needed the patience of old age to prepare spinach as she did it ; but truly, when it came to table, it was as nearly perfect as could be.
The leaves should be thrown into boiling water, with plenty of salt in it — this keeps them a bright green colour. Boil fast for ten or fifteen minutes, then drain and press till firm and dry. In this state most English people consider spinach is quite done ; French cooks think differently. It is now ready to be manipulated in any form desired.
For instance. Spinach en Groustades is a pretty way of serving it as a vegetable dish alone, or even as an entree. The croiistade is a thick slice of stale white bread, hollowed in the centre, and shaped like a dish with a rim. This is fried to a golden brown in clear fat (if a joint of meat were roasting it might be done in the dripping-tin).
Melt an ounce of butter in a small stewpan,
put in the cooked spinach, add a little pepper, heat well through, beat lightly with a fork, then fill the croustades, and chop a little cooked beetroot to garnish the top.
A puree of spinach with a garnish of poached eggs, or an egg boiled hard, then cut into strips, and a few strips of beetroot interspersed to give colour, is a great improvement to the vegetable plainly boiled. Some thin slices of ham frizzled and placed as a border round a puree of spinach, also makes a very nice dish.
Records on this page
Spinach en CroustadesSorrel Soup (Potage a l'Oseille)