RECIPES FROM AUSTRALIA

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 464, 14 May 1948, Page 22

RECIPES FROM AUSTRALIA

HE old saying that "distant pastures are the greenest" may be applied to our great interest in, and appreciation of, American recipes. But let us this week take a look at some favourite Australian dishes. There is not the same difficulty in getting all the ingredients for these recipes as there sometimes is for the American ones, Creamless Ice Cream Here are two ways of making excellent ice cream without cream, Unfortunately both powdered milk and gelatine are fairly scarce. (1) One pint fresh milk, half a tin of sweetened condensed milk, 4 heaped tablespoons of full cream. powdered milk, 1 teaspoon of granulated gelatine dissolved in) 1 tablespoon boiling water, 1 tablespoon vanilla essence. Warm the frésh milk. Pour into a basin. Add the condensed milk and sprinkle in the powdered milk. Stir well. When cool, add the dissolved gelatine, and beat all together 10 minutes. Pour into refrigerator trays. Freeze half an hour or a little longer. Pour back into basin. Beat 5 minutes. Return to refrigerator for another half-hour or so. Then stir again. Return to basin. Add essence, Beat 5 minutes. Complete freezing in two trays. (2) Make a custard with % of a pint of fresh milk and 3 egg yolks. Flavour well with vanilla. When cold, add the contents of. a tin of sweetened condensed milk which has been well whipped. Freeze in the refrigerator trays, stirring once or twice. Berry Sauce To serve with ice cream many Australian hostesses use a hot or cold berry sduce. About Ylb. ripe raspberries or loganberries is gently with a gill (half a breakfast cup) of water and 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar. Preserved berries may be used. When the berries are soft sieve the fruit and juice to resmove seeds. Measure. There should be half a pint. Taste to see if sweet enough. Return to saucepan. Bring to boiling point. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 level tablespoon of cornflour mixed to a smooth pouring consistency with cold water. It is best to strain it into the hot puree. Stir until it thickens smoothly. Cook a minute or two. Serve hot. If for a cold sauce the quantity of cornflour can be slightly reduced. Jellied Fruit Salad The following recipe will give six servings. One breakfast cup chopped pineapple. One cup water; 1 cup sugar. ‘The juice of 2 oranges and 1 lemon; 3 bananas cut into rings. Half a cup of chopped ripe papaw (or golden peaches or apricots-fresh, bottled or tinned). Gelatine as required with a little extra water to soften it. Remove all rind, core and dark surface specks from the pine- | apple, and cut the fruit, which should not be over-ripe, into little pieces. Put into'a small saucepan with the water and sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, from 15 to 20 minutes. Unless

thoroughly cooked there is a particular enzyme in pineapple juice which will prevent the gelatine from setting the fruit. Don’t cook the fruit rapidly, or use an uncovered pan or too much liquid will be evaporated. Next add the orange and lemon juices, the chopped peaches or apricots and sliced banana. Cover pan again. Simmer less than 10 minutes, Measure quantity, and to each breakfast cup of fruit and liquid allow 1 level dessertspoon of granulated gelatine, Put gelatine in a cup and add just enough cold water to cover it. Return the fruit mixture to the saucepan. Reheat. Slip

in the softened gelatine. Stir until dissolved. Then pour contents of pan into a bowl.-Put in a cool place until fruit begins to thicken. Then turn intoya wet mould or basin. Be careful to see that the fruit is evenly suspended through the jellying mixture. Chill until firm. To unmould, dip the bottom of the basin for one second into really hot water, Loosen around edge of jelly with a knife, Turn quickly into a pretty dish. To ensure that a jelly will "sit" on the centre of the serving dish paint over the floor of the dish with cold water before inverting the mould. Even should the jelly come out a fraction to one side, it will be absolutely easy to "slither" it into place if the dish has a wet floor, Tomato Crumb Custard Australians use this instead of a meat dish and it is most appetising garnished with small rolls of grilled bacon-or it can be served in place of a pudding and will delight those people who prefer savouries to sweets. One pound ripe tomatoes. Half a cup of water; 1 breakfast cup of soft one-day-old white breadcrumbs; 4 eggs (separated); 1 teaspoon sugar; 42 teaspoon salt; 4% teaspoon (or less) pepper. Roughly chop the tomatoes after washing them. Put into a saucepan with the water and seasonings. Stew, covered, until the tomatoes are very soft. Put through a wire sieve to eliminate skins and seeds. Measure the puree. You require 1 pint. (If not enough, make up’ to required amount with boiling water.) Return to saucepan. Add. the breadcrumbs, which should have been lightly pressed into the cup

measure so as to get correct quantity. Mix the crumbs with the tomato puree and beat smooth with a fork. Add the lightly beaten egg yolks and stir over low heat until well blended. Remove from stove.*Stir in the stiffly whisked egg whites. Turn at once into a deep well-greased pie-dish. Bake in a moderate oven approximately 1 hour. Garnish around the edge with tiny bacon rolls and scatter some chopped parsley over the centre.