SPRINGTIME DINNERS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 892, 7 September 1956, Page 32

SPRINGTIME DINNERS

: [i the spring the housewife’s f ancy lightly turns to thoughts of lamb! Of course, we know about spring chicken; but, after all, we can buy young and tender poultry almost any time, while early lamb is definitely a spring dish. It isn’t so expensive as it sounds, either, because there is never any left over, and . even the little bony bits of a forequarter are in demand. And spring vegetables served with the lamb help to eke out the servings. New potatoes cooked with a sprig or two of mint, green peas, asparagus, tiny carrots-and newish, imaginative ways of cooking them-are cheering to the cook as well as to those cooked for. Then, what lovely desserts to round off the meal-early strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, pink, tender spring rhubarb. And the spring salads are so wonderful, They make even the smallest piece of cold lamb into a good luncheon, or even dinner if preceded by, say, asparagus soup. Fore-quarter of Lamb To me it always seems a pity to do anything fancy with lamb, which has its own delicious taste and just needs baking in the usual way. Nevertheless, people need to know of other methods of cooking it, especially for small families. The shoulder of lamb may be cut off and pot-roasted, and the neck and breast boned, stuffed with mint stuffing and baked. Pot-roast Shoulder Have the shoulder boned and rolled; brown it in beef dripping in suitable saucepan. Add 2 or 3 sliced onions, 11 cups sliced carrots, 3 or 4 cloves, 42 teaspoon peppercorns, 2 teaspoons salt, 14 teaspoon pepper, 2 cups boiling water, Cover and cook gently until meat is tender (214 to 3 hours). Thicken the gravy as usual, being sure to pour off most of the fat. Stuffed Neck and Breast Get the butcher to bone it. Make a mint stuffing thus: 2 cups soft breadcrumbs, 1% cup butter, 42 cup minced onion, % cup finely-minced mint, 1% teaspoon pepper, 34 teaspoon salt. Combine and moisten to a paste with a beaten egg. Dust meat with a little pepper and salt, and lay stuffing on flat end, and roll it up, fasten with skewers, dust with a little flour, and put in roasting pan, preferably on a rack, with a little fat smeared on, and fat in the pan and a little hot water. Have the oven hot (regulo 7 or 8, or 400 degrees) for the first few minutes, then reduce heat and. cook more slowly, about 20 minutes to the pound. Make gravy as usual. Neck and Breast Stewed This is the basic recipe for stewing lamb in the Greek way. Take 2 Ib. or more of breast of lamb. If you can have cutlets, too, the eye of these is particularly good. Cut meat into pieces, fry them lightly in butter or substitute, and put them in saucepan. In the same frying pan fry 2 or 3 sliced onions, and add these to meat in the saucepan with salt, pepper, a little stock and a squeeze of lemon juice’ Some fresh tomato puree may be added, but this is optional. Cover saucepan and simmer géntly till lamb is tender (about an hour). Very young and tender broad beans may be added, in their shells, when lamb is put

into saucepan, or’ young French beans, | topped and _ tailed, and just broken in, two, or young peas and mint leaves, or

even spinach which has been steamed for a few minutes.

Continental Peas and Carrots» This is a Continental recipe: 11 Ib. young green peas, 1 lb. small new potatoes, 34 lb. small, young carrots, castor sugar, parsley, pepper and salt. Boil together the carrots and peas. Boil potatoes separately. Strain carrots and peas, and in the saucepan in which they were cooked melt about 2 oz. butter; stir in 1 dessertspoon castor sugar, then add 2 or 3 tablespoons water. Put peas and catrots back into saucepan with this sauce, toss them a little, then cover pan and leave to simmer very gently whilst straining and drying off the potatoes. Now put potatoes in with carrots and peas. Simmer all for 4 or 5 minutes, then turn all out on a well-heated dish, sprinkle with finely-chopped parsley and serve immediately. For a richer dish add a little ‘fresh cream. French Green Peas Two to three pounds green peas, 3 oz. butter, a lettuce, a tablespoon castor sugar, 2 small onions, parsley. Unless

peas are very young, parboil them first. Cream 2 oz of the butter with the castor sugar and a pinch of salt. Put it into a saucepan with 3 or 4 tablespoons of water, 2 tiny onions, or a large one cut in quarters, the heart of the lettuce, a sprig ot two of parsley, and the peas. Cover saucepan, cook very gently, shake from time to time, always with lid tightly on. When peas are cooked, take out parsley, add the rest of the butter in little bits, and serve with the sauce in which they were cooked, with the lettuce and onions. Creamed Asparagus Heat thin cream or top milk or unsweetened condensed milk. Season with salt, pepper, butter and minced parsley. Pour over hot cooked asparagus. Or make a thin white sauce, using some of the asparagus water instead of all milk, and adding a chopped hard-boiled egg. Minted Peas (American) Combine in a saucepan 1 tablespoon butter, 4% cup top milk or cream, 1 tablespoon finely-chopped spring mint, and 214 cups of hot, cooked peas. Heat all together. An old American favourite. Gooseberry and Apple Pie The apple softens the gooseberry tartness without spoiling the flavour. Make a syrup first (1 cup sugar to 2 cups water, boiled 3 to 5 minutes), Into this put topped and tailed gooseberries and apples cut in chunky slices, either half and half, or as you wish. Don’t have too much juice, and simmer till tender, but

Lemon ‘Snow Frosting Two unbeaten egg whites, 11/2 cups sugar, 3, tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ¥4 teaspoon grated lemon rind. Combine egg whites, sugar, water and lemon juice in top of double boiler, beating until thoroughly mixed. Place over rapidly-boiling water, beat constantly, cook 7 minutes, or until frosting will stand in peaks. Remove from boiling water, add lemon rind and beat until thick enough to spread.

not squashy. Let cool in saucepan before putting into dish. Cover with short or. flaky pastry and cook in hot oven, Serve | with cream, Gooseberry and Apple Sponge Use about 3 apples, sliced fairly thick, | 1 lb. gooseberries, topped and tailed. Simmer gently with 1 cup each water and sugar. When just boiling, add pinch of baking soda which takes off tartness. a a 7 a as _ a

tiated Oe al When soft, put into piedish and while still boiling pour over it a sponge-crust and bake in hot oven about 20 minutes. Sponge Crust: 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon cornflour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 small teaspoon baking powder, Beat eggs and sugar well, then lightly add mixed dry ingredients.

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