Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/27

Rh had also to be of herrings, so being wary of disgusting them I first stewed them in vinegar and water, after I had steeped the salt out. Then I removed the skin and bones, and mixed them up very fine with an onion and some mashed potatoes, formed them into balls, dipped them into a batter in which was a quantity of chopped parsley and fried them in plenty of good fat. They made a very pretty dish served on a white napkin, and were excellent eating. Not one of my guests were able to guess what they were made of. Just before breakfast was going in my black boy brought me in a lot of scrub turkeys’ eggs, so I tossed up an omeletomelette [sic] in no time, and thus my table was well dressed after all.

Curry.—In the first place, the meat for a curry should be cut up quite small, so that no knife is needed to eat it with. Spoon and fork should always be laid for curry. Some prefer to use a fork and piece of bread, as with fish when there are no fish knives. Cut off every particle of fat from the meat. Now peel a good-sized onion, put a spoonful of butter into the stew-pan, let it melt over the fire, and put in your onion; fry it a light brown. When that is done add the meat by degrees, stirring it about well, so that all gets equally well fried. If you have any cold vegetables they can be cut small, and added to the meat. Next pour in a cupful of stock, if you have it, failing that, water; let it simmer for an hour or longer, stirring occasionally, and adding more water as it boils away. Cut up some pickles very small, about a tablespoonful, and put them in. If you have thick milk pour in a cupful. You have no idea what a great improvement this is to a curry. If you have not got it pour in some sweet milk. Let it simmer now till ten minutes before serving, and then mix your curry powder and flour together, a little salt and pepper, blend it with either water or milk and stir it in. While the curry is simmering, have half a cocoanut grated, and stir this in last. Let it boil ten minutes and it is ready for serving. Many people prefer the rice served with the curry in the centre, but it is not so nice as having it in a vegetable dish. The correct way is to have the curry in one covered dish and the rice in another.

Egg Curry.—Eggs make a delicious curry in the following way. Boil several eggs for about an hour, or even longer, for the egg that is boiled a long time is less indigestible than the one only just allowed to become hard. When taken from the hot water, plunge them into cold, and leave till cool enough to peel. In the meantime cut up an onion, and boil it in a little milk till quite tender. Put a pint of sweet milk into a stew-pan, let it come to a boil, and then thicken with half a cup of cornflour. Add salt and pepper to taste. A spoonful of fresh butter and grated cocoanut, if liked, but some do not care for it with egg curry. Blend and stir in the curry powder, and then having peeled the eggs, cut them carefully in quarters, trying to preserve the yolk and white together, and drop them into the stew-pan one by one. Stir gently to get all well mixed, and they are ready for serving. Oysters done in the above way are also very good.

Ingredients: Scraps of cooked meat, ¼lb. of suet, ½lb. of flour, one onion, pepper and salt.

Mode: Take the pieces of meat and chop fine, but do not mince, cut up the suet, and chop the onion fine. Mix the flour, meat, suet, onion, pepper and salt in a basin, and moisten with enough stock to make them cling