Good Things in England - A Practical Cookery Book for Everyday Use, Containing Traditional and Regional Recipes Suited to Modern Tastes. Florence White
few minutes until the flesh leaves the bones easily.
3. Remove all skin and bones, and flake the fish. If you have any sauce left over mix it with it.
4. Skin some tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them; the skins will then come off easily. Slice the tomatoes.
5. Arrange alternate layers of flaked fish and slices of tomatoes, sprinkle with dabs of butter and a little pepper: no salt.
6. Cover with fine bread-crumbs, sprinkle with oiled butter and bake till nicely browned; about 20 minutes.
N.B.— Any white fish may be cooked in the same way. It is simple to do, and delicious; also economical as left over fish can be thus used up.
Kippers
1. These may be cooked gently in a little hot butter in a frying-pan putting the underneath side downwards at first and then turning it over and doing the other; serve very hot.
2. By this method the flavour of the kippers is too strong for some people who like to put them into a pan, and pour boiling water over them; they are then just boiled up to heat through thoroughly, lifted out, drained, spread with a little butter and put in the oven for a few minutes.
Fresh Herrings
The way in which King Edward VII liked them cooked
1. Cut the heads and tails off the herrings, and clean them.
2. Split them down the back.
3. Take out the backbone and with it as many of the small bones as you can.
4. Dip them in oatmeal and
5. Fry or grill them.
This recipe is interesting in another way: writing in 1817 Dr. Kitchiner recommends oatmeal as a cheap substitute for bread-crumbs, when crumbing is required.
New-Laid Eggs
These are delicious either boiled and served in their shells, or poached, and it is worthy of note that an egg that is not new-laid will not poach without breaking. A man writes that for this reason he always, when he wants an egg in a teashop, asks to have it poached.
To Boil Eggs in the Shell
Miss Acton, 1845
‘Even this simple process demands a certain degree of care, for if the eggs be brought from a cold larder, and suddenly plunged into boiling water they will frequently break immediately, and a large portion will often escape from their shells. In winter they should be held over the steam for an instant before they are laid in, and they should be put in gently. They should be put into sufficient boiling water to cover them completely.’
TIME: 1. To boil very lightly (for people who like the whites in a partially liquid state) 3 minutes.
2. To cook the whites to a milky consistency, 3 1/2 minutes.
3. To cook the whites firm but leave the yellow liquid, 4 to 4 1/2 minutes; not a second more.
4. To boil hard, 8 to 10 minutes; for salad dressing, 15 minutes.
To Cook an Egg in the Shell without boiling it
‘An admirable receipt for Invalids.’
(Taken by Miss Acton from ‘The Cottage Gardener’ and tested by her.)
METHOD
1.Put boiling water in a basin and let it remain for a few seconds and turn it out.
2.Put the egg into the basin and roll it over to take the chill off the shell that it may not crack.
3.Pour in on the egg quite boiling water from the kettle until it is completely immersed.
4.Put a hot plate over it instantly, and let it remain on the table for 12 minutes. It will then be found to be perfectly and beautifully cooked so lightly and delicately dressed as to suit people who cannot take eggs at all when boiled in the usual way.
Bantams’, Guinea Fowl’s, Turkeys’ or Swans’ Eggs
Miss Acton, 1845
Bantams’. To boil hard for a salad, 6 minutes, ‘They make an elegant decoration for a salad.’ To poach, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes; delicious with a mince of fowl, or veal and oysters.
Guinea Fowl’s Eggs. ‘Much esteemed by epicures.’ To boil quite hard, 10 minutes. To boil so that the whites are firm, 3 1/2 to 4 minutes.
Turkeys’ Eggs. ‘Though large they are delicate in flavour.’ To boil so that the white is firm, 6 minutes; to poach, 4 minutes.
Swans’ Eggs. Only those of young birds should be used. ‘They are much more delicate than from their size might be supposed; and when boiled hard and shelled, their appearance is beautiful, the white being of remarkable purity and transparency.’ They are excellent stuffed and served with salad. To boil them hard: take as much water as will cover the egg well in every part, let it boil quickly, then take it from the fire, and as soon as the water ceases to move put in the egg, and leave it by the side of the fire — without allowing it to boil, for 20 minutes, and turn it gently once or twice in the time; then put on the cover of the stewpan, put it on the fire and boil it gently for a quarter of an hour; take it from the fire, and in five minutes put it into a basin and throw a cloth once or twice folded over it, and let it cool slowly. It will retain the heat for a very long time, and as it should be quite cold before it is cut, it should be boiled early if wanted to serve the same day.
Savoury Baked Eggs
Florence White, 1931
For these use the delightful little slip-ware pipkins made by Michael Cardew at Winchcombe, Gloucestershire.
1. Butter the inside of each pipkin.
2. Put in a spoonful of nicely seasoned minced meat mixed with a little thickened gravy; or skinned tomato and thickened gravy; or shelled shrimps blended with a little white sauce; or some minced ham mixed with a little made tomato sauce; or some flaked cooked finnan-haddock mixed with a little fresh skinned tomato finely chopped; or some green peas and butter; or some asparagus tips and butter or sauce; any odd ‘left over’ that is delicious and suitable.
3. Break an egg on top of this without breaking the yolk.
4. Put a dab of butter on it and a little chopped parsley.
5. Put on the lid of the pipkin, and bake till the egg is set, about five or seven minutes according to the heat of the oven.
Baked Omelet
Florence White, Chelsea, 1924
1. Butter a small piedish.
2. Beat up one or two new-laid eggs with 1 or 2 dessertspoonfuls of milk, a little pepper, and salt.
3. Pour into the dish, and bake in a moderate oven till set.
4. Time five to ten minutes according to heat of oven.
N.B.— Some minced cooked ham, or parsley, or flaked fish may be mixed with the beaten-up eggs, but will take longer to cook.
To Poach Eggs
Miss Acton, 1845
1. Fill a wide and delicately clean pan about half-filled with the clearest water.
2. Throw in a small saltspoonful of salt.
3. Place over a fire quite free from smoke(!)
4. Break some new-laid eggs into