CO-OPERATION THROUGH COOKING

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 521, 17 June 1949, Page 22

CO-OPERATION THROUGH COOKING

American idea for bringing about the good international relationships for which the "ordinary people" of the world are waiting and longing. She says that if you have an Italian family living next door-or Russian, Spanish, or any other-you should learn to enjoy their kind of ‘cooking, have meals with each other, and exchange recipes. A good allround understanding will be gradually established around the dinner table! So ‘let us consider the favourite dishes of some of the United Nations-and hope , for the best! We may have to adapt the recipes to New Zealand supplies, especially where butter is used. More international recipes will be given next week. England-Steak and Kidney Pie Cut 1%4%4lb. steak into neat pieces. Slice and cut 4 sheep’s kidneys into | smaller pieces. Dredge all with seasoned flour (about 2 tablespoons flour to 1 teaspoon salt and 1% teaspoon pepper). See that meat is properly coated, \but not thickly. Have ready stewpan with a little hot fat, and braize the steak and kidney for a short time, browning nicely. Do this in successive lots, each just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. When all the steak and kidney has been browned, replace in stewpan with a ‘little hot water (barely cover), put on the lid and simmer very gently till tender (perhaps 20 minutes). Now empty all into a deep pie-dish, putting a pie-funnel, tiny cup or egg-cup in the middle to hold up the pastry. Leave till quite cook, as the steam from hot gravy will make the pastry heavy. Wet round edge of pie-dish with water, and line it with a strip of pastry. Wet egain, and cover whole pie with pastry. Press round edge with a fork to decorate, and be sure to make a hole in the centre to let out steam. A few mushrooms, or oysters, may be added to the pie before putting on the pastry, or a finely minced onion may be cooked in the saucepan with the meat. Bake in hot oven till pastry is browned and risen, then reduce heat and cook more slowly for about an hour. . America-Fried Chicken Have the chicken split lengthwise, quartered or cut-up. (The backbone, neck, and wingtips may be reserved for broth.) Heat enough lard, salad oil or good fat in a pan to make % inch. Roll chicken pieces in seasoned flour, or shake them with flour in a paper bag. Place a few pieces of chicken at a time in the hot fat and brown on all sides, then reduce heat, cover or not as preferred, and fry 35 to 40 minutes or until tender. Two to 4 tablespoons water or cream may be added to chicken after browning if desired. To save the turning and watching necessary when frying, the pieces of chicken, after the first. browning, may be oven fried. Transfer to a covered casserole and cook in a moderate oven for an hour or until tender.. Instead of seasoned flour the pieces may be dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, This method is also used to deep fry the chicken, like fish, A NEWSPAPER quotes an

in which case you may dip the chicken in batter. The oven-fried method is the most convenient for an ordinary family. Serve with cream gravy. Pour off all except about 3 tablespoons of fat from pan. To this add 3 tablespoons flour and blend till smooth. Then stir in % teaspoon salt and 2 cups milk, or 1 cup milk and 1 cup thin cream, Cook and stir until thickened. Serve with or over the chicken. Maryland Fried Chicken is the oven-fried method, coating the chicken with egg and breadcrumbs, and serving with cream gravy made with light cream. Russia-Piroschkis These are only meat patties, commonly served in Russia with soup. The Piroschkis are triangular and served on a large meat dish. Each person takes 2 or 3 and eats them from a side plate, with knife and fork, at the same time as soup. You can make about 50 Piroschkis from 3lb. meat and 1%4lb, puff pastry. They are quite good re-heated next day. It is a thrifty meal, especially as the meat used is already cooked, generally the leg-beef from which the Russian stock’ has been made. For soup the meat is left in one piece to boil with carrots and onions and any soup vegetables in season. Salt, a bay-leaf, a little bag of mixed spice; and a pinch of. ginger are added to the water in which the meat is boiled till tender, and the strained liquor added to good bone stock. Then, for Piroschkis the meat is minced finely and mixed in a basin with a little butter, pepper and salt, a pinch of ginger and ‘a little meat extract or good stock, and 2 or 3 chopped hardboiled eggs, all bound together with beaten raw egg. Roll out the puff pastry as thin as possible, cut into 4-inch squares, put a dessertspoon of mince. on each, fold over cornerwise, and cook in hot oven. China-Veal Chop Suey Chop Suey, like Chow Mein, is a Chinese National dish made with slight variations in different parts of the country. It consists of chopped (not minced) meat, or fish, and chopped mixed vegetables cooked together in hot vegetable oil, preferably soya bean or peanut oil, not olive.’ The Chinese dishes I give will be adapted to ingredients we can obtain, leaving out water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and so on, For Bouillon use good stock, and for Soy Sauce use a good meat extract mixed with a little boiling water. One pound of veal, %21lb. mushrooms, 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup diced onion, 4% cup chicken broth. Cut veal into one-third inch cubes and brown them in a heavy shallow stewing-pan in 2 tablespoons oil or fat which has been heated with 1 teaspoon salt and a dash of pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until] meat is brown. Add finely diced onion and celery and the lb. mushroom slices, then the % cup chicken broth. Cover pan tightly and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Then add 2 teaspoons cornflour, 2 teaspoons soy satice blended with % cup water, and cook for a few minutes until the juice thickens and the mixture is very hot. Serve immediately with hot boiled macaroni or rice. t