Good Things to Eat, as Suggested by Rufus. Rufus Estes
minced parsley scattered over.
LOUISIANA COD—Melt one-quarter cup of butter and let it begin to color, add two level tablespoons of flour and stir until smooth. Add one cup of water and cook five minutes. Add half a level teaspoon of salt, half as much pepper, and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Chop fine one medium-size onion and one small green pepper, after taking out the seeds. Brown them in two tablespoons of butter, add one cup of strained tomatoes, a bit of bay leaf, and the prepared sauce. Put slices of cod cut an inch thick into a casserole, pour on the sauce, cover closely, and bake in a slow oven three-quarters of an hour.
METELOTE OF HADDOCK—Wash and skin the haddock and remove the flesh from the bones in firm pieces suitable for serving. Put the head, bones and trimmings to cook in cold water and add a small sliced onion and salt and pepper. Boil six good-sized onions until tender, then drain and slice and put half of them into a buttered baking dish. Arrange the pieces of fish on these, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add the remaining onions. Drain the fish from the trimmings, add to it two tablespoons lemon juice and pour it over onions and fish. Cover very closely and cook in the oven until the fish is tender. Then drain off the liquid, heat it to the boiling point, and thicken it with two eggs slightly beaten and diluted with a little of the hot liquid. Arrange the onions on a hot platter and place the fish on top, then pour over the thickened liquid.
A MOLD OF SALMON—If where one cannot get fresh fish, the canned salmon makes a delicious mold. Serve very cold on a bed of crisp lettuce or cress. Drain off the juice from a can of salmon, and flake, picking out every fragment of bone and skin. Mix with the fish one egg lightly beaten, the juice of a half lemon, a cup fine dry bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to season. Pack in a buttered mold which has a tight-fitting tin cover, steam for two hours, and cool. After it gets quite cold set on the ice until ready to carve.
OYSTERS A LA POULETTE—One quart oysters, four level tablespoons butter, four level tablespoons flour, one-half level teaspoon salt, one-fourth level teaspoon celery salt, one-half cup oysters liquor, one cup each of chicken stock and milk, juice one-half lemon. Look over the oysters, heat quickly to the boiling point, then drain and strain the liquor through cheesecloth. Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and celery salt, and when blended add the oyster liquor, chicken stock and milk, stirring until thick and smooth. Cook for five minutes, then add the oysters and lemon juice, and serve at once.
OYSTER FRICASSE—Put one pint of oysters into a double boiler or into the top of the chafing dish. As soon as the edges curl add the slightly beaten yolks of three eggs, a few grains of pepper and half a teaspoon of salt. Set over hot water and as soon as the egg thickens add a teaspoon of lemon juice. Spread on slices of toasted brown bread and garnish with celery tips. Celery salt is a good addition to the seasoning.
RECHAUFFE OF FINNAN HADDIE—Cover a finnan haddie with boiling water and let it simmer for twenty minutes, then remove the kettle and flake, discarding the skin and bones. For three cups of fish scald two cups of thin cream and add to the fish. Season with paprika or a dash of cayenne, and when thoroughly heated stir in the yolks of two eggs, diluted with a little hot cream.
SCALLOPED CLAMS IN SHELL—Chop the clams very fine and season with salt and cayenne pepper. In another dish mix some powdered crackers, moistened first with warm milk, then with clam liquor, a beaten egg and some melted butter, the quantity varying with the amount of clams used; stir in the chopped clams. Wash clean as many shells as the mixture will fill, wipe and butter them, fill heaping full with the mixture, smoothing with a spoon. Place in rows in a baking pan and bake until well browned. Send to the table hot.
SCALLOPED SHRIMPS—Make a sauce with a level tablespoon of cornstarch, a rounding tablespoon of butter and one cup of milk cooked together five minutes. Season with one-quarter level teaspoon of salt and a few grains of cayenne. Add one can of shrimps after removing all bits of shell and mincing them fine. Use, if preferred, the same amount of fresh shrimps. Put into buttered scallop shells, scatter fine bread crumbs over the top of each, and dot with bits of butter. Set in a quick oven to brown the crumbs, and serve hot in the shells.
STEWED CODFISH—Take a piece of boiled cod, remove the skin and bones and pick into flakes. Put these in a stewpan, with a little butter, salt, pepper, minced parsley and juice of a lemon. Put on the fire and when the contents of the pan are quite hot the fish is ready to serve.
CODFISH CONES—When it is not convenient to make and preparation into shapes, dip them into egg beaten with cream, then in sifted breadcrumbs and let them stand for half an hour or so to dry; then fry them a delicate color after plunging into boiling lard. Take them out, drain, place on a napkin on a dish and serve. The remainder of the chicken stock may be used for making consomme or soup.
BEEF, VEAL AND PORK
BEEF EN CASSEROLE—Have a steak cut two inches thick and broil two minutes on each side. Lay in a casserole and pour round two cups of rich brown sauce; add three onions cut in halves.
BEEF HASH CAKES—Chop cold corned beef fine and add a little more than the same measure of cold boiled potatoes, chopped less fine than the beef. Season with onion juice, make into small cakes, and brown in butter or beef drippings; serve each cake on a slice of buttered toast moistened slightly.
BEEF RAGOUT—Another way to serve the remnants of cold meat is to melt one rounding tablespoon of butter in a pan and let it brown lightly. Add two rounding tablespoons of flour and stir until smooth and browned; add one cup of strained tomato and one cup of stock or strained gravy, or part gravy and part water. When this sauce is thickened add two cups of meat cut in small, thin slices or shavings. Stir until heated through and no longer, as that will harden the meat. Season with salt and pepper, and serve at once.
BOILED BONED HAM—Wash a ham, place it in a saucepan, cover with cold water and boil for four or five hours, according to its size. Take out the bone, roll the ham and place it in a basin with a large weight on top. When cold put it on a dish, garnish with parsley, and serve.
BONED HAM—Have the bone taken from a small ham and put into a kettle of cold water with one onion cut in quarters, a dozen cloves, and a bay leaf. Cook slowly until tender and do not test it until you have allowed fifteen minutes to the pound. Take from the kettle, remove the skin, brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with bread crumbs and set in the oven to brown.
BREADED CUTLETS—Have the cutlets cut into portions of the right size for serving. Dust each side with salt and pepper. Beat one egg with a tablespoon of cold water, dip the cutlets in this and roll in fine bread crumbs. Fry three slices of salt pork in the frying-pan and cook the cutlets in this fat. As veal must be well done to be wholesome, cook it slowly about fifteen minutes. Serve with a gravy made from the contents of the pan or with a tomato sauce.
BROILED LIVER AND BACON—As broiling in most cases is wasteful, the liver and bacon are generally fried together, but the dish is somewhat spoiled by this method. The best way is to fry the well-trimmed slices of bacon, and after having washed and sliced the liver, say a third of an inch thick, dry it on a cloth and dip in flour. Place in the bacon fat and broil over a clear fire, adding pepper and salt while cooking. When done lay on a dish, placing a piece of bacon on each piece of liver.
BROILED PIG'S FEET—Thoroughly clean as many pig's feet as are required, and split lengthwise in halves, tying them with a broad tape so they will not open in cooking. Put in a saucepan with a seasoning of parsley, thyme, bay leaf, allspice, carrots and onions, with sufficient water to cover. Boil slowly until tender, and let them cool in the liquor. Dip in the beaten yolks of eggs and warmed butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with bread crumbs seasoned with very finely chopped shallot and parsley. Put on a gridiron over a clear fire and broil until well and evenly browned. Unbind and arrange on a dish, garnish with fried parsley and serve.