CASSEROLE COOKERY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 481, 10 September 1948, Page 22

CASSEROLE COOKERY

HE casserole is a necessary item among our. kitchen utensils and makes a very safe wedding present, for even if a bride gets several she can use them for puddings and cold dishes as well as for the nourishing and complete "one-pot dinner," which practically cooks itself-it can be put in the oven at lunch-time with the heat at the lowest setting, and is ready to eat when everybody gets home:at six o'clock. Casseroled Irish Stew Divide up about 2lb. of neck of mutton into neat pieces, cut up 2lb, of potatoes roughly (peel very thinly), and slice 2lb. of onions. Place these in a casserole in alternate layers, with a good sprinkling of pepper and salt between each layer. Pour in barely a pint of water, and cover tightly. Cook in the even for about 4 hours with the regulo at lowest (about 200 to 250 degrees). Jugged Rabbit This is a traditional recipe from Gloucestershire, You need .one rabbit ‘(neatly | jointed), 4 good rashers of bacon, several small ‘onions (whole), a -bay* leaf, pepper and salt, some dried mixed herbs, stock or water, some red currant jelly (we could substitute any tart red-jelly), forcemeat balls, arrowroot for thickening, and a little lemon juice and port wine for special flavouring. Fry the bacon, then lift it out, and fry the neatly jointed rabbit a delicate brown all over. . Put the rabbit then into a stone jar (a)casserole for. us), add the bacon, the onions fried whole, the bay leaf, herbs, pepper and salt (not much, because of the bacon). Pour on enough stock or water to cover the meat, etc, put the lid. on tightly, end bake in a slow oven about regulo 300 or 320 degrees for 2 hours or so. Half an-hour before serving, thicken the liquor with arrowroot, and flavour to taste with the lemon juice and port wine, Arrange the rabbit on a very hot dish, garnish with the onions and the fried forcemeat balls, and serve with ved currant jelly (quince would do).

Forcemeat Bails Two ounces of breadcrumbs, loz. shredded suet, pepper and salt, 2 teaspoons chopped parsley; 42 teaspoon mixed herbs or grated lemon-rind, a dusting of powdered mace or grated nutmeg. Mix these ingredients together, and bind with 1 beaten egg. Form into little balls, fry brown all over, and arrange around the dished rabbit. Easy Sausage Dish Simmer gently a pound of pork sausages in a little water for about 10 minutes, Prick them first. This is to get rid of some of the fat. Then put them into a casserole, slice in a couple of good-sized onions and the same of apples. Open a tin of beans in tomato sauce, and pour that over the top. Rinse out the tin with water (about half. full), and add that. Put the lid on the

casserole and put it in a very slow oven (about regulo 1 or 260 degrees) for about 3 hours. If you want it sooner, just increase the heat a little. This is an extremely tasty and irexpensive meal and the sausages are of an excellent flavour, There is no need to skin them, Staffordshire Hot Pot This makes a ‘boiling fowl deliciously tender. Separate it into joints, or leave whole. Put it into a casserole with a couple of onions, a carrot or two, a small parsnip, a féw sprigs of parsley and thyme tied in muslin. The vegetables may be left whole, or sliced,

Cover with water, adding salt to taste, and fit on the lid. Cook in slow oven (about regulo 1 or 250 degrees) for 4 hours. If wanted sooner increase the heat’a little, but slow, long cooking is essential for the fowl if whole. A cutup fowl would be done in 24% to 3 hours, During the last 15 minutes, put in a tin of peas. Thicken with a little cornflour, Casserole of Steak Cut up 1%lb. of steak, thickly cut, into fair-sized pieces about 2 inches square. Skin 3 or 4 sheeps’ kidneys and cut into quarters. Roll steak and kidney in’ seasoned flour and fry lightly ¥ for a few minutes in a little fat, Fry

also as many sliced onions as desired, Put all into casserole; make gravy in the pan, flavouring with tomato or worcester sauce, and pour it over-the meat, adding cold water to cover well. Put lid:on casserole and cook in slow oven, as above, for about 3 hours. Make tiny dumplings, the size of marbles, and ‘drop in for the last half-hour. For the dumplings use 1 cup of flour sifted with a teaspoon of baking powder, a good pinch of salt, and 42 cup of shredded suet. Mix with cold water and. handle lightly. ;