JELLIED SALADS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 913, 8 February 1957, Page 16

JELLIED SALADS

JELLIED salad is a really good idea. Late arrivals at mealtimes need never be a worry when a jellied salad has been prepared beforehand and kept in the refrigerator. It makes a substantial meal too, for when the jelly is turned out of a ring mould the space left in the centre can be heaped with a mound of cooked peas or a potato salad, some sheeps-tongues or ham slices, the contents of a tin of salmon or whatever you fancy. Gelatine is itself a good food (being almost wholly composed of protein), besides being one of the most easily digested foods, combating acidity, and assisting digestion. The idea is simply to make a nicely flavoured savoury jelly (with gelatine, stock, bay-leaves or onion added according to taste), and in it set flaked fish, peas, minced ham, corned beef or roast beef, or slices of hardboiled egg or tomato. You have scope for ingenuity and even artistry in arranging the mould so that when turned out the appearance will be charming. Arrange slices of hardboiled egg and slices of tomato at the bottom of the mould, or use asparagus tips and a few green peas and pour a

little of the jelly over; then stand the mould in cold water to set quickly. On top of this, when set, atrange the other

ingredients, either in layers or as a mixture, and pour over the rest of the jelly. You can also coat the whole of the inside of the mould with clear jelly and egeg-slices, etc., all round. There was a fashion-which is really most effectivefor setting pansies (stalks removed) or violets or daisies at the bottom of a mould; dip the flower heads in the gelatine mixture and then press them against the sides of the mould. Remember that one dessertspoon (1% oz.) of powdered gelatine will set a breakfast cup (14 pint) liquid. If set in a refrigerator use a little less gelatine or the jelly will be too ¢hewy instead of soft and shivery. Potato Salad (For Centre: of Ring Mould) Cut cold boiled yileaced into cubes; grate a little onion over them and stir in a little finely chopped celery. Cover with a dressing made by mixing together 2 tablespoons mashed potatoes, 2 teaspoons sugar, and ¥2 teaspoon dry mustard and adding enough top milk to make the whole a thick cream. Arrange

tomato slices, radishes and lettuce or water-cress around the dish. Very good. Crayfish Salad (American Method) Dissolve 1 tablespoon of powdered gelatine in % cup of ‘hot watef. Add this to 2 cups of your favourite mayonnaise, stirring well. Have ready mixed in a bowl the chopped crayfish (about 3% lb.), 2 chopped-up hard-boiled eggs, 2 tablespoons capers, 1 tablespoon minced onion and a few chopped olives. Add the mayonnaise to this, mixing thoroughly. Set in a mould. To serve, turn out on to a bed of lettuce and surround with small lettuce leaves and wedges of tomato. Cucumber in season. Jellied Fish Dissolve 14% dessertspoons of powdered gelatine in 4% cup of hot water; add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 dessertspoon vineg??, a teaspoon of salt and then a cup of sold water. (Use a breakfast cup, ¥/ pint.) Pour a little of this liquid into a mould and stand in cold water to set quickly. When it is firm, arrange slices of hard-boiled egg upon it for decoration. Then just cover with a little more of the liquid and let it set, or nearly so. Meanwhile mix together 2 cupfuls of flaked, cooked fish, a dessertspoon of chopped pickles (gherkins or cucumbers are the best for this) and a few chopped capers. Now fill the mould with layers of flavoured fish and slices of hard-boiled egg. About 2 eggs altogether should suffice. Pour over all the now thickening gelatine liquid and leave the mould to set. Serve with lettuce and salad dressing. The cold liquor in which the fish was cooked may be used instéad of the cold water. Luncheon Sausage in Jelly You can use veal-broth or clear stock for the jelly, flavoured with onion and Worcester’ sauce and allspice, or peppercorns and parsley, and allowing a dessertSpoon of powdered gelatine, dissolved in a little hot water, to each breakfast cup. Or you can make it with water: Put into a saucepan ¥% pint cold water, a small chopped onion, a dessertspoon Worcester sauce, a few cloves, peppercorns (or some pepper), a little salt, a dash of nutmeg, a dessertspoon of chopped parsley, and boil up for 5 minutes. Then strain and stir in 2 dessertspoons of powdered gelatine dissolved in % cup of hot water. Leave till cool, but not set. Then pour a little into a round mould (a cake tin will do) and stand in cold water to set. Arrange slices of hard-boiled egg, strips of beetroot, or anything decorative on this; then pour more cold jelly over and let set. Then arrange slices of luncheon sausage round the side of the mould and fill the centre with layers of sausage, slices of hardboiled egg and tomato, or anything you fancy. Pour rest of liquid over all and leave to set. Vary this recipe by using veal and ham, and so on. Jellied Veal Salad First make the Veal and Egg Loaf: Place 24% Ib. knuckle of veal in a deep saucepan with peeled onion to flavour and pepper and salt to season. Cover with water and simmer till the meat is tender. Drain off the stock. Chop up the meat finely and flavour as desired-a little pickle relish is nice. Now line a glass casserole or basin. with slices of

hard-boiled egg; then fill up with ‘the chopped and. flavoured veal. Pour over the hot veal stock and leave in cold place all night. In the morning it should be set and able to be turned out on to a large dish. Surround this with lettuce nests filled with potato salad.

NEXT WEEK: Peaches and Apricots