Simple Entrees

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 581, 6 February 1929, Page 4

Simple Entrees

To Replace Monotonous Joints

Some Savoury Recipes

Entrees have the reputation of being expensive and unnecessary for everyday use; but as a matter of fact they are, or might be, much cheaper than a plain roast or boiled joint, and, if taken instead of the joint, make an agreeable change in the daily menu. An entree may be either simple, either as a beefsteak or kidney pudding, or complex and recherche as a French chef would send to table. The following recipes are worth a trial: OX TAIL AND PICKLED WALNUTS It is more profitable to purchase a large than a small tail, as there is less bone to the meat. The butcher will have chopped the bone across so there will be no trouble in cutting it into neat pieces. To thoroughly cleanse put the pieces in a pan of cold water, bring to boiling point, and immediately throw away the water. Dry on a cloth, dredge with flour, and fry brown in an ounce of dripping. Take them up, and stir into the dripping with a tablespoon of flour, and, when this is cooked to a pale fawn colour, add three-quarters of a pint of cold water, and allow to boil. Now turn into stewpan with the pieces of oxtail, adding an onion stuck with three cloves, a small carrot cut into slices, a tablespoon of celery seed tied in muslin, a teaspoonful of salt and half of pepper. Simmer gently for quite four hours, and, if the gravy is not dark enough, a little gravy salt may be added. Remove the pieces of tail, and keep hot; strain the gravy, and return to pan with six or eight pickled walnuts cut in halves. When quite hot arrange the tail on a hot dish, and pour the gravy over. LAMB CUTLETS WITH SPINACH It is profitable to purchase a whole neck of lamb, and what remains after the cutlets are taken away will make a nice haricot or Irish stew for another day’s dinner. Direct the butcher to chop off the chine bone; then it will be easy to prepare the cutlets at home. One pound and a-half of best end of neck will be sufficient for a good-sized dish, and each cutlet must be divided with a sharp knife exactly and evenly between the bone. When all are cut chop off the lower end of bone to

make them all of equal length (they should be not more than 3£ inches.) Dip in egg and breadcrumbs. Have ready some smoking hot dripping in a frying-pan, and fry the cutlets from three to four minutes, taking care not to burn them. Boil a pound of spinach with salt, but no water, for 10 minutes; dram and chop finely, adding seasoning and butter. Then make hot again, and shape into a mould in the middle of a dish; arrange the cutlets round it, standing them up on the broad ends, and lapping one over the other. BEEFSTEAK AND SAUSAGE About 21b. of steak, all in one piece and about an inch thick, will be required with one pound of sausages. Lay the steak flat ou a board, and beat it a little with a rolling pin. Remove the skins from the sausages and spread the meat evenly over the steak, and on top of this may be placed a few slices of tomato if liked. Roll up the steak lightly, securing it with tape; place in a baking tin with an ounce of dripping, and roast in a moderate oven for an hour and ahalf, basting frequently. Serve with tomato sauce or brown gravy poured round it on the dish. The tape must be removed before this is done. ENTREE OF BREAST OF LAMB OR MUTTON Place iu hot water in a stewpan with a bit of carrot and an onion in slices, and simmer gently for about two hours, or until the bones will slip out easily. Remove these, and press the meat betweeft two dishes with heavy weights on top, leaving for about 12 hours. Cut into three-inch squares, brush over with melted dripping, dust with crumbs and grill till nicely browned. Serve on a hot dish covered with Soubise sauce (they are very good without sauce) on a bed of fried onions. To make Soubise sauce, take two large onions, peel, and boil for five minutes, strain, and chop coarsely Place them in a saucepan with half a pint of milk, and simmer for half an hour, when they will be tender. Pass through a sieve, and mix with the pulp a quarter of an ounce of buter and a seasoning of pepper and salt, and, if too thick, a little more milk or hot water. Make hot again and the dish will be ready. Breast of veal can be treated in the same manner and should be served with tomato sauce. SAVOURY PUDDINGS Mix together half a pound of cold roast pork minced finely, a quarter of a pound of breadcrumbs, a tablespoon of chopped sage, seasoning of pepper and salt, a beaten egg, and sufficient milk to make a moist paste. Turn the mixture into greased cups or moulds, cover with greased paper, and steam for three-quarters of an hour. Turn out for serving, and cover with white sauce. Apple sauce may be served in a tureen. For a family use double the quantities of all ingredients.