Category Archives: International

Choucroute garnie (Sauerkraut garnished with bacon and sausages)

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Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 4 minutes
To serve: 4-6

You will need
1 1/2 lb. fresh sauerkraut*
4 oz. smoked streaky bacon
1 1/2 oz. pork fat or butter
1 carrot, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
ground black pepper
4 crushed juniper berries (optional)
1/4 pin (U.S. 5/8 cup) dry white wine
3/4 pint (U.S. 1 7/8 cups) stock or water (or all stock)
1 lb. piece pickled belly pork
1 garlic sausage
4-6 frankfurters
plain boiled potatoes as required

*Sauerkraut is shredded white cabbage salted and fermented in wooden pickling tubs. It is available fresh from many delicatessen stores.

Put drained sauerkraut into a colander and steep in cold water for 20 minutes, changing the water 3 times. Drain and squeeze dry then unravel strands of cabbage as much as possible. Pre-heat oven to (300°F. or Gas Mark 2). Cut smoked bacon into strips 2-inches by 1/2-inch. Melt fat in a flameproof casserole and fry the bacon, carrot and onion lightly without browning. Stir in the sauerkraut and generous seasoning of black pepper. Add juniper berries (if used), wine and stock or water (or all stock). Bring to simmering point, cover tightly and transfer to centre of oven. Cook for 3 hours then bury the pork and garlic sausage in the sauerkraut and continue cooking another 1 -1 1/2 hours until meat is cooked and liquid absorbed. Add frankfurters 20 minutes before serving, and check seasoning. To serve spread the sauerkraut on a large hot dish. Arrange the thickly sliced pork and garlic sausage on top and surround with frankfurters and boiled potatoes.

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

Chou Farci (Stuffed Cabbage)

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Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
To serve: 4

You will need
2 lb. cabbage with firm heart
salt
12 oz. pork sausage meat
4 oz. chicken or lamb’s liver, finely chopped
1 large onion, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons white wine
1/2 pin (U.S. 1 1/4 cups) stock
3 rashers smoked streaky bacon

Discard loose outer leaves and wash cabbage. Blanc in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain upside down in a colander. When cool enough to handle cut out hard stalk and open out the leaves. Mix sausage meat and liver together and insert a little between each cabbage leaf. Reform cabbage and tie with tape. Put the onion, carrots, bay leaf, wine and stock into a deep casserole and place the cabbage, stalk end down, on top. Lay bacon rashers over cabbage and cover pan closely. Cook in a pre-heated slow oven (290° F. or Gas Mark 1), for 3 hours or longer, basting now and then. Serve the cabbage surrounded with carrots.

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

Paper-Wrapped and Deep Fat Fried Prawns (Jee Bow Har)

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Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
To serve: 4

You will need
1 tomato
parsley
4 prawns
pinch white pepper
pinch salt
1 teaspoon sherry
pinch monosodium glutamate
little peanut oil or lard
8 thin slices ginger
9 slices spring onion
8 snow peas
8 6-inch squares of greaseproof or waxed paper

Make tomato basket and put the parsley in it. Remove shells and the intestines of prawns. Cut each prawn in half, add pepper, salt, sherry and monosodium glutamate, mix well. Rub each piece of greaseproof paper with a little peanut oil or lard. Place one slice of prawn and one slice of ginger, one slice of spring onion and one snow pea on the paper. Fold opposite corners of the paper, then fold the edge as the picture shows.

Heat enough oil and deep fry, flap side down until light brown in colour. Place on the serving plate with the tomato basket in middle as the photograph shows.

© Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968 English text © Shufunotomo Col, Ltd., Japan 1968

Peking Sour and Hot Soup (Sun Lard Tong)

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Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
To serve: 4

You will need
1 oz. black mushrooms
1 oz. canned bamboo shoots
1 oz. raw ham*
1 1/2 pints chicken stock or water
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon cornflour
3 tablespoons water
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
salt
*Pork or chicken meat can also be used.

Soak the mushrooms for 30 minutes. Shred mushrooms, bamboo shoots and ham. Bring the chicken stock to the boil. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and ham, cook for 3 minutes. Add soy sauce, vinegar, cornflour (mixed with 3 tablespoons water), cook 2 minutes. Drop the beaten egg into it, and stir, add pepper, monosodium glutamate. Add salt to taste and serve immediately.

How to cook Chinese vegetables:
The Chinese cook most vegetables in a very hot, round-bottomed pot. In Western cooking the utensil would be a ‘Dutch oven’ or a deep frying pan. This should be ‘piping’ hot and well-greased when the food is placed in it. To retain the vitamins, texture and colour of the vegetables, they should be turned quickly and constantly, and no water should be used as the quick cooking brings out the natural juices and keeps their crispness and colour.

© Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968 English text © Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968

Filets de sole Normande (Fillets of sole Normandy style)

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filets_de_sole

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
To serve: 4

You will need

Fish:
8 fillets sole
salt and pepper
2 level tablespoons chopped shallot or onion
2 sprigs parsley and 1/2 bay leaf
1/2 pint (U.S. 1 1/4 cups) dry white wine

Sauce:
1 1/2 oz. butter
1 1/2 oz. flour
2 egg yolks
1/4 pint (U.S. 5/8 cup) thick cream
few drops lemon juice

Garnish:
8 prawns (U.S. shrimps) or 4 crayfish, cooked
2 pints (U.S. 5 cups) mussels
2 truffles (optional)
8 button mushrooms
8 crescents of fried bread

One of the great classic dishes. Season the fillets, roll up, and arrange in buttered shallow ovenproof dish with the shallot or onion, herbs and wine. Cover with buttered greaseproof paper. Poach in a pre-heated moderate oven (375°F. or Gas Mark 5), until cooked about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile wash mussels thoroughly, discard any that fail to shut tightly when tapped, and scrap off beards. Put into a large pan, cover, and shake over sharp heat until shells open, about 5 minutes. Remove mussels from shells; strain and retain liquor from pan. Wipe mushrooms and cook à blanc as described below. Strain and reserve liquor. Now make the rich sauce Normande. Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour and cook gently, stirring, for 2 minutes. Strain cooking liquor from fish into a measure, add mussel and mushroom liquor to make up to 3/4 pint (U.S. 3 7/8 cups). Add to roux, whisking with wire whisk until sauce is smooth and boiling; simmer 5 minutes. Meanwhile beat egg yolks and cream together, gradually stir in about one-third of the sauce, then return all to rest of sauces and heat gently without boiling, stirring all the time. Check seasoning and add a few drops of lemon juice. Arrange drained fish in clean hot dish with mussels and mushrooms. Coat with the sauce and garnish with the prawns (U.S. shrimps) or crayfish, pieces of truffle (if used), and crescents of fried bread.

Note The original classic recipe includes 8 poached oysters as well as the mussels.

To cook mushrooms à blanc:
Leave mushrooms whole and unpeeled.
In a small saucepan bring 4 tablespoons water, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 oz. butter to boil. Add mushrooms. Cover and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes, tossing the pan now and then.

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

Steamed Prawn Dumplings (Har Gow)

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steamed_prawn_dumplings

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
To serve: 4-6 minutes

You will need
2 prawns
2 tablespoons chopped pork fat
pinch salt
1 teaspoon sherry
1 teaspoon gingelly* oil
1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
6 oz. Chinese wheat starch
hot water

Clean the prawns. Cut pork fat and prawns into small pieces and pound them into a paste. Add salt, sherry, gingelly oil and monosodium glutamate, mix well. Put the wheat starch on a board and make a depression in the centre and add hot water drop by drop, mixing until it becomes a paste. Place paste in a basin an steam for 5 minutes. After steaming remove the paste an form into a roll as soon as you can. Cut into 12 pieces. Press each into rounds about 2 1/2-inches in diameter. Divide the prawn paste between them, fold them like a half moon and pinch the edges together into a Dutch bonnet shape. (See photograph.) Steam for 15 minutes and serve hot.

* Blogger’s note: Gingelly oil is another name for sesame oil.

©Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968. English text © Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968

Pork Meat Balls (Char Yuk Yin)

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pork_meat_ball
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
To serve: 4

You will need
1 tomato
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 lb. minced pork
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon chopped water chestnuts
1 teaspoon chopped bamboo shoots
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sherry
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
1 tablespoon cornflour
peanut oil
1 lettuce

Slash tomato in 8 places not through to the base, (see photograph) and remove the middle part, put in the tomato ketchup. Mix the minced pork with egg, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, chopped ginger, salt, sherry, pepper, monosodium glutamate and cornflour. Mix well and make 20 small balls. Heat enough oil in a pan and deep fry the balls until done. Place the lettuce on serving dish and place the tomato filled with tomato ketchup in the middle of it. Place the pork meat balls around the tomato as the photograph shows. Dip each ball into tomato ketchup before eating.

Note Do not heat the oil too much in case the meat balls get brown before the meat is cooked. You must make sure the pork is cooked well.

© Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968 English text © Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968

Steamed Omelette (Gee Yuk Jing Dan)

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steamed_omelette

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
To Serve: 4

You will need
4 eggs
2 oz. minced pork
1 teaspoon chopped water chestnuts
1 teaspoon chopped onion
1 teaspoon sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon lard

Separate the egg white and yolk, beat the white and mix with minced pork, chopped water chestnuts, onion, sherry, soy sauce, salt, monosodium glutamate and water. Mix them well, remove the mixture into a deep plate or bowl which has been rubbed with lard. Add the yolk gently to the mixture as the photograph shows. Put the plate or bowl in the steamer and steam for 15 minutes.

© Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968 English text © Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968

Terrine aux Aromates (Herb Pâté)

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terrine

Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
To serve: 4

You will need
1 lb. spinach or 10 oz. carton frozen spinach
1 lb. lean belly pork, minced
4 oz. cooked ham, diced
1 heaped tablespoon mixed chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chevril, basil, marjoram, etc.)
2 oz. onion, finely grated
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
1 level teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
1/4 level teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 egg
4 rashers mild streaky bacon

A rough textured green flecked and herb flavored pâté. Cook prepared fresh of the frozen spinach in boiling salted water, drain and press as dry as possible. Chop finely or mince with the pork. Into a basin put the spinach, pork, ham, herbs, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg and egg. Mix very thoroughly. Press into 1 1/2 pint capacity oven-proof dish. Remove the rind from the rashers of bacon and lay them on top of the mixture in the dish. Cover and stand in a baking tin with hot water to reach halfway up the dish. Cook in centre of a pre-heated moderate oven (350° F. or Gas Mark 4), for about 1 hour. When cold, cover and mature in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Serve from the terrine, garnished with olives and herbs when available.

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

Champignons à la Grecque, Oeufs à la Toulonnaise

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champignons

Champignons à la grecque
Mushrooms stewed in oil and wine

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes
To serve: 2-4 (depending if other dishes are served)

You will need
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 level tablespoon chopped onion
1 level teaspoon tomato purée
1/2 bay leaf
salt and ground black pepper
8 oz. small button mushrooms

Put all ingredients except the button mushrooms into a pan and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Wash the button mushrooms (if large cut into halves or quarters) and add to the ingredients in the pan. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the mushrooms and arrange in a shallow dish. Reduce liquid to syrupy consistency by boiling rapidly for minute or two, pour over mushrooms. Serve cold, alone, or in a mixed hors d’oeuvre.

Oeufs à la Toulonnaise
Hard-boiled eggs Toulon style

Preparation time: 15 minutes
To serve: 3 (more if part of a mixed hors d’oeuvre)
You will need
3 hard-boiled eggs
2 oz. anchovy fillets
1/4 pin (U.S. 5/8 cup) thick mayonnaise

Cut the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise and arrange cut side down in a shallow dish. Cut the anchovy fillets into thin strips. If necessary thin the mayonnaise to a thick coating consistency with creamy milk, then coat the eggs. Band each egg with anchovy strips.

Mayonnaise

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
To serve: 4

You will need
2 fresh egg yolks
1/2 level teaspoon salt
1/4 level teaspoon dry or 1/2 level teaspoon French mustard
1/2-1 tablespoon wine or tarragon vinegar, or lemon juice
about 1/2 pint (U.S. 1 1/4 cups) olive oil

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Put egg yolks in a small pudding basin standing on a folded damp cloth. Add salt, mustard and a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice and beat thoroughly before adding any oil. Use a small wire whisk or wooden spoon for mixing. Have the oil in a measuring jug with lip but add drop by drop from a teaspoon to start, beating all the time. When the mayonnaise thickens half teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice and increase the flow of oil to an intermittent thin stream, beating continuously. Continue until all the oil is added.

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