Author Archives: iamsurly

Devilled Whitebait

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1 ½ pounds whitebait
Ice cubes
Flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lard, for frying
Cayenne pepper
Lemon wedges

Put whitebait to firm in a shallow bowl with ice cubes and a little water. Just before frying, spread fish on a clean tea cloth to dry. Place on paper liberally dusted with well-seasoned flour and dredge with more flour; place in a wire basket, a portion at a time, and shake off surplus flour. Then plunge the basket into very hot lard and fry quickly for 3 to 5 minutes, shaking basket continually to keep fish apart while cooking. Lift basket from fat and shake well before transferring fish to paper towels to drain. Place whitebait on a heated serving dish in a warm oven and repeat until all the whitebait are fried. Season with freshly ground black pepper and cayenne, and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4 to 6.

Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd., 36 Park Stree, London W1 © Robert Carrier, 1968

Pear and Gooseberry Summer Pudding

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Cooking time: 20 mins.
Preparation time: 30 mins. plus 12 hours to stand
Main cooking utensils: Saucepan, 7- to 8-in. cake and or plain mold

For 6-8 servings you need:
1 lb. gooseberries*
⅔ cup water
⅓ cup sugar
green coloring (optional)
juice of 1 lemon
4 ripe firm pears
8-10 medium thick slices of bread

*To clean the gooseberries, i.e., cut away the stalk and flower ends, use kitchen scissors.

  1. Clean the gooseberries, simmer with the water and sugar until a smooth thick purée. Color if desired.
  2. Put the lemon juice into a bowl, add the peeled diced pears, and turn round in the lemon juice (this prevents the pears discoloring).
  3. Add the pears to the gooseberry purée and mix well; allow to become quite cool.
  4. Remove the crusts from the bread and line the bottom and sides of the pan or mold with bread slices.
  5. Spoon the gooseberry and pear mixture into the bread-lined pan or mold.
  6. Cover with more slices of bread, then put a flat plate or piece of foil on top; add a light weight and leave for 12 hours.

TO SERVE: Turn out and serve with cream or ice cream.

TO VARY: Use any other fruits, e.g., apples and damsons; apples and whole blackberries; mixed berry fruits, etc.

TO STORE: This can be kept several days in a refrigerator or frozen.

PRINTED IN CANADA Copyright The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd 1973

Jellied Desserts

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All recipes based on a 3-oz. package fruit-flavored gelatin, which serves 4 people. Rinse molds in cold water before adding jelly.

PEAR LIME CREAM

Open a medium can halved pears, strain the syrup into a measure. Put 4 pear halves on one side to serve with the mold, chop the rest of the pears finely. Add water to the pear syrup to give 1 ½ cups. Dissolve the lime-flavored gelatin in this liquid, allow to cool and begin to stiffen. Stir in the chopped pears. Mae up a whipped topping mix with cold milk, fold the gelatin mixture into this. Spoon into a 1-quart mold. allow to set. Turn out and serve with pear halves.

JELLY A LA DUCHESSE

Dissolve a 3-oz package lemon-flavored gelatin into 1 ½ cups water, add 1 tablespoon brandy, 1 tablespoon kirsch, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Allow to cool and stiffen slightly, stir in ½ cup flaked blanched almonds and ⅔ cup shredded coconut. Put into a 1-quart mold, allow to set. Turn out, serve with ice cream.

SULTANA MOLD

Heat 1 cup seedless white raisins in a sauce and with ⅔ cup water for 1 minute. Add the grated rind of 2 oranges (use only the top ‘zest’). Squeeze out the juice from the 2 oranges, add water to give just under 1 1½ cups. Dissolve a 3-oz. package orange-flavored gelatin in this, add the raisins and the liquid from pan. Pour into a mold, allow to set. Turn out, serve with segments of orange.

TO VARY: Harlequin Mold: Add ½ cup chopped nuts and ¼ cup chopped candied cherries to the jellow before putting in the mold.

PRINTED IN CANADA. © Copyright The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. 1972

Gooseberry Fool

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1 ½ pounds gooseberries
½-1 cup sugar
Custard (see below)
Whipped cream

Clean gooseberries and remove stems; wash gooseberries and put them in an enamelled saucepan with sugar and water to cover. Cook until they are quite soft. adding more water if necessary, and then rub them through a fine sieve. Mix custard and whipped cream (reserving a little cream for garnish) with the gooseberry puree, and serve in a glass bowl or in individual glasses. Garnish with whipped cream. Serves 4 to 6.

To make custard: combine 2/3 cup milk with 1 teaspoon cornstarch and sugar to taste in the top of a double boiler. Bring to a boil. Stir in 2 well-beaten egg yolks which you have mixed with a little of the hot mixture, and cook over water, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick and smooth. DO not let the mixture boil. Flavor to taste with vanilla extract. Strain and cool.

© Robert Carrier 1966. Publishers GROSSET & DUNLAP New York, Carton manufactured in Great Britain. Cards printed in the Netherlands.

Port Sangaree and Salmon Mousse Pâté with Cucumber Wafers

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1 an (16-oz size) salmon, drained or 2 cups cooked fresh salmon
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup clam juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon ground celery seed
½ cup heavy cream

Remove skin and bone from salmon and flaked with fork; set aside. Sprinkle gelatin on surface of white win and dissolve. Heat clam juice in small saucepan until simmering; add wine and gelatin and heat until gelatin has melted. Remove from heat; add flaked salmon, lemon juice, salt ,pepper, cayenne, and celery seed. Purée in blender or food processor or pass through food mill or sieve.

Cool to room temperature. Beat heavy cream until light peaks form. Gently fold into salmon mixture. Turn mixture into lightly oiled loaf pan, 8½” x 4½” x 2½”.
Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Unmold on serving platter; serve with Cucumber Wafers
Yield: 4 cups pâté (12-16 slices).

CUCUMBER WAFERS

Select large, firm cucumber with dark green skins. Peel carefully. allowing slivers of peel to reaming for color. Run times of fork lengthwise down sides of cucumber to form ridges. Cut into ¼-inch slices and serve cold.

Copyright © 1977 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Crab-Tomato Aspic

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Preparation time: 20 min.
Chilling time: 2 to 4 hrs.

Perfect for luncheon main dish, this make-ahead molded salad is a popular type and makes the best use of a package of frozen crabmeat.

For 4 servings you will need:
1 pkg. (6 oz.) snow crab or king crabmeat, thawed
2 pkgs. unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
¾ cup chili sauce
¼ cup tomato juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. instant minced onion
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped, Tomato mayonnaise dressing (recipe follows)
Lettuce leaves
Avocado slices

Preparation:
1. Add liquid drained from crabmeat to gelatin in measuring cup. Stir in enough water to equal ¼ cup liquid. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes until gelatin is absorbed, then set over hot water to dissolve.
2. In bowl, combine crabmeat with chili sauce, tomato juice, sour cream, onion, dill weed, salt, fresh lemon juice, and chopped eggs.
3. Stir in the softened gelatin. Chill until thick, stir once. Turn into one oiled salad mold, about 3 cups size. Chill until set.
4. While salad chills, prepare the dressing. Unmold salad onto crisp lettuce leaves. Garnish with tomato wedge or sliced avocado, if desired.

Tomato Mayonnaise Dressing:
Combine 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. tomato paste, ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. prepared mustard, 2 Tbsp. instant minced onion, and 1 egg in blender container. Turn blender container. Turn blender on; slowly drizzle in 1 cup salad oil. Whirl until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Makes 1 ½ cups.

© MCMLXXXV My Great Recipes®. All Rights Reserved. Printed in Holland.

Chocolate Layer Cake

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½ cup butter, softened
Grated rind of 1 orange
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 ½ cups plain flour
1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ cup cornstarch
¾ cup milk
4 egg whites
Chocolate icing
Preserved fruits or finely chopped pistachio nuts

Beat softened butter in electric mixer until light and creamy. Combine grated orange and lemon rind with sugar and add to butter, beating them well together. Beat in egg yolks with 2 spoonfuls flour. Combine cream of tartar and baking soda with remaining flour and cornstarch, and add them gradually to the other ingredients along with the milk. Whip egg whites to a stiff froth, and fold them quickly and lightly into the cake mixture. Bake in a lined cake tin in a slow oven (350°F.) for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until cake is well risen and from to the touch. Turn out of the tin and allow to cool. Then cut the cake in 3 or 4 layers; spread each layer with chocolate icing and assembled cake again. Ice with chocolate icing and decorate with preserved fruits or finely chopped pistachio nuts.

© Robert Carrier 1966. Publishers GROSSET & DUNLAP New York, Carton manufactured in Great Britain. Cards printed in the Netherlands.

Grasshopper (Coffee-Brandy Crème Caramel)

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If you tried the Espresso Crème Brûlée and loved it, but can’t abide the astronomical number of calories contained in the smallest spoonful, try this coffee flavored crème caramel, similar in appearance to the Crème Brûlée but incorporating only a fraction of the calories.

Caramel:
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons water

Custard:
½ cup sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons fine brandy
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup strong black coffee

To make caramel, place 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water in small saucepan and bring to boil. Keep boiling until syrup turns deep honey color: remove from heat and pour into 4-cup charlotte mold or individual custard cups. Roll mold or cups around to coat bottoms and sides with as much caramel as possible before caramel hardens. Cool and lightly oil inside of mold not coated in caramel.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Mix sugar, salt, milk, brandy, and vanilla in saucepan and bring to slow boil. Remove from heat and set aside. Beat eggs and egg yolks together. Add milk slowly, then add coffee, stirring thoroughly. Let stand 5 minutes. Skim off foam. Pour into prepared mold or custard cups. Place in baking dish and fill baking dish with boiling water ½ way up side of mold or cups. Bake 35-40 minutes or until center has set. Remove and chill. Unmold just before serving.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Copyright © 1977 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Deep Fried Chicken – Three Coatings for Fried Chicken

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Wash, dry and cut up a 1 ½ to 2-pound ready-to-cook chicken. Coat with one of the coatings below. If time permits, before frying, place the chicken on a rack for about ½ hour to allow coating to dry.

Heat for or pour cooking oil into a deep fryer to a depth of 2 or more inches. Fat should be heated to 350° on a fat thermometer, or until a 1-inch cube of bread browns in 60 seconds.

Place 2 or 3 pieces of chicken in a basket; gently lower into the hot fat. Fry chicken until tender and golden brown or 15 to 20 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm. Continue frying until all the pieces are fried. Makes 2 servings.

SEASONED FLOUR COATING: Dredge chicken in seasoned flour. (For each pound of chicken combine ¼ cup flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper and, if desired, 1 teaspoon paprika.) Then fry as directed above.

EGG AND FLOUR COATING: Dip chicken first in beaten egg which has been seasoned with salt and pepper, then in Seasoned Flour Coating.

CRISPY COATING: Dip the chicken first in beaten egg and then in one of the following: bread, cracker or cornflake crumbs, crushed potato chips, or corn meal.

Published by –COOKINDEX– Division of H.S. Stuttman Co., Inc., New York © Copyright 1958 Tested Recipe Instituted, Inc., New York

Insalata de Funghi e Gamberi (Mushroom and Prawn Salad)

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Preparation time: 1 ½ hours (including time for marinating)
Cooking time: no cooking
To serve: 4

You will need:

6 oz. firm white mushrooms
1 cut clove garlic
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
ground black pepper
4-6 oz. shelled prawns (U.S. shrimps) or cooked scampi
1 teaspoon salt
fresh parsley

Wash and dry the mushrooms. Remove stalks and slice caps finely. Rub a basin with a cut clove of garlic and in it mix the oil, lemon juice and 2 shakes of pepper. Add the mushrooms, mix thoroughly with the dressing and set aside in a cold place for at least an hour. Just before serving add the salt. To serve pile the prawns (U.S. shrimps) in the centre of four individual plates and arrange the mushrooms all around. With scissors snip a little parsley over the prawns (U.S. shrimps).

©Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968 English text © The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. 1968