CURRIES AND DEVILS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 536, 30 September 1949, Page 22

CURRIES AND DEVILS

T is not only in India, Burma, and the East Indies that curries and highly spiced dishes are appreciated. Most people here like curried oysters or eggs, devilled kidneys or crayfish, and similar /appetising dishes. Only a very mild form of curry should be given to children, who nevertheless do enjoy this variation of the usual stew of neck of ‘mutton or steak, or even of left-over cold meat warmed in a curry sauce. Coconut Milk Ordinarily we do not use coconut milk in our New Zealand curries, but in case you would like to make a "real" curry, here is the recipe: If you have a fresh : coconut, grate the flesh, add a teacup of hot water, squeeze the pulp well, and strain through a cloth or fine strainer. The same pulp can be used 3 or 4 times, the same quantity of water being added -each time after squeezing. When using desiccated coconut, add a breakfast cup of boiling water to 1 tablespoon of it, stand aside for an hour or so, then strain. Devil Sauce This can be used either poured over grilled chops, breadcrumbed cutlets, fried or grilled kidneys or steak, or the meat can be dipped first into the devil mixture, before passing it through egg and breadcrumbs, or otherwise cooking. The rest of the sauce is poured over when serving. Mix together 4 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon good meat-extract, 1 ‘tablespoon each of worcester sauce, vinegar, and thick fruit chutney, 1 des--sertspoon made mustard (rather thin), cand 1% teaspoon salt. Blend well. Melt a ‘tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan, stir in 1 or 2 teaspoons flour (according to thickness you wish sauce to be), stir till] smooth, then add the mixture, Stir till evenly blended and thickened. Use low heat. You may vary the flavour of the devil by using different kinds of ketchup or chutney in blending. Devilled Kidneys Skin and halve kidneys, brown them on both sides in a pan with a little fat or butter, then drain off the fat, add the devil sauce, cover, and simmer 4 or 5 minutes till cooked. Liver may also be done this way. Devilled Steak Score porterhouse steak cut about an inch thick with a knife. Squeeze juice of a lemon over each side. Mix 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 dessertspoon any dark jam, 1 large dessertspoon worcester sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon each of pepper and salt, 1 or 2 tablespoons vinegar. Pour over steak in a dish, pressing steak well into it. Soak 2 hours, then grill, Heat any of "devil" left, and pour over as sauce. Devilled Crayfish Melt 1% cup butter in a double boiler and stir in 2 tablespoons flour, then add 1 tablespoon minced parsley, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 or 2 teaspoons made mustard, 1 teaspoon salt. (There should be ¥2 teaspoon of bottled horse-radish, giving a subtle flavour, but you probably cannot get this.) Then stir in slowly a

cup of milk, and cook over boiling water, stirring until thickened. Add 2 cups chopped crayfish and 2 chopped hardboiled eggs. Fill little individual dishes with the mixture (ramekins) and sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs, Bake in moderate oven (about 400 deg. or regulo 6) for 10 minutes or so. Devilled Oysters Make a good white sauce with oyster liquor and milk, season to taste with cayenne, salt, pepper, curry powder, worcester sauce, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of tarragon vinegar, chopped parsley. When well mixed add a little cream and cornflour. Cook a little. Put oysters in deep dish, pour over sauce and 1 teaspoon grated cheese, Put small piece of butter on top. Bake in quick oven. Curry Base This is a good general base for all curries, and to it may be added cooked fish, meat, hard-boiled eggs or vegetables. They will need only to be heated through. Melt lb. butter in saucepan, heating till butter is clear. Drop in 5 or 6 small sliced onions, and fry a light golden brown, Add now 3 fablespoons good curty powder, and stir continuously till mixture is practically dry. Squeeze in juice of a lemon, or lime, and add ‘an apple, cored, peeled, and cut fine. Cook a few minutes, stirring vigorously all the time. Gradually stir in a cup of coconut milk and add a little freshly grated coconut or uncooked desiccated coconut and a tablespoon of tomato puree. Keep on stirring briskly until blended into a nice creamy pulp, then add a few chopped raisins or sultanas, a dessertspoon of good brown sugar, and a large cup of stock, or diluted meat-extract, or water, and bring to boil, stirring all the time. Then add the cooked chopped meat or fish and heat through. Serve with chutney. Vegetable Curry Use a variety of cooked vegetables such as 2 or 3 potatoes, 4 small cauliflower, 2 or 3 carrots, a turnip, 42 cup green peas, ¥2 cup French beans. Divide the cauliflower into bouquets, cut up carrots, potato and turnip. Prepare this curry sauce: Using a saucepan, heat 2oz. butter and in it fry till nicely brown, 1 or 2 onions, previously chopped. Stir in 1 tablespoon curry powder, cook about 5 minutes, then stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons tomato puree and 4 pint stock. Put in vegetables, season with salt and pepper and simmer gently about 20 minutes, shaking saucepan occasionally. A few minutes before serving, add a little lemon juice. Serve with boiled rice, Currieg Fish | One onion, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 or 2 teaspoons curry powder, loz. butter, 4% pint stock, 1 teacup tice. Cut smoked or fresh fish into cubes, fry a few minutes in butter. Add onion grated, and curry powder. Add stock and simmer gently 4% hour, then thicken with 1 dessertspoon cornflour blended with milk. When ready to serve add lemon juice and garnish with rice, which should be boiled in plenty of salted water for 20 minutes, then drained and well shaken. ‘