Imaginative but simple European recipes

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34131, 19 April 1976, Page 6

Imaginative but simple European recipes

During a recent mild ill-: ness which confined me to toed. I browsed through some! nt my "foreign” recipes and: have selected some very simple—but very delicious—> ones which the imaginative! CABBAGE PIES One rather odd little dish which could be described as traditional in Finland. is individual cabbage pies. Thesei are most unusual and very' good to eat unless one has a distinct dislike for cabbage however it is served. The recipe makes six to eight pies according to size. You will need:— 2 cups flour I teaspoon salt 1 cup butter or other shortening 2 egg yolks 4oz butter S cups finely shredded cabbage (about 1 large bead) 2 teaspoons sugar .Method: Sift flour with about i teaspoon of salt and cut in shortening until the consistency of corn meal. Beat egg-yolks with 2 table- 1 spoons cold water and add. tossing lightly with a fork, until a ball of dough is fcntied. Wrap and chill. Mett I 4o® butter in saucepan and' add shredded cabbage. Cook' over very low heat for an; hour (a double saucepan is' better for this) stirring occasionally. Add remaining salt! and the sugar and continue! cooking until cabbage is! lightly browned, stirring al-, most continually after the, sugar is added. Set aside un-i til cool. Roll dough to an

eighth of an inch and cut outp in 4-inch circles. Place a' 1 tablespoon of the cabbage ini; the centre of each circle; foldji over edges and seal with a|: little water or egg white. Place on lightly greased bak- 1 Jng sheet and bake in pre-| ■heated oven at 375 for 20 ( minutes or until golden h brown. ; KARTOFFELN ! Potatoes cooked in a mus- , rard sauce is an Austrian dish • where it is called Kartoffeln. ( It is served as a light extra dish or entree and is suitable for a meatless luncheon or supper or as an additional dish for a buffet-tvpe meal. Ingredients given make enough Kartoffeln to serve You will need:— fi large potatoes, unpeeled fi tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons chopped onion 3 tablespoons flour Ij cups clear stock, or a: bouillon cube and 1 cup boiling w’ater • I I teaspoon salt I teaspoon pepper I cup prepared mustard .' { cup breadcrumbs Method: Scrub potatoes'; , and boil until tender. Drain,l .peel and cut in |-inch slices.;' Melt half of the butter inlj saucepan, add finely chopped | j onion and saute 5 minutes.!. Add flour and mix well and;! cook until lightly coloured. , Add stock, salt and pepper, . stirring constantly until boil- < ing. Cook over very low , heat for 10 minutes. Strain, 1 then add mustard and mix 1 well. Arrange potatoes in but- t tered dish and pour the s

(strained sauce over them. ! Sprinkle with breadcrumbs land dot with remaining butter. Bake at 375 for 15 minlutes or until lightly browned. SACHER TORTE Here are two European 'des rts — f oth e extremely rich — one from Austria and one from France. The renowned Austrian Sacher Torte comes first, for which you will need to make an eight-inch square torte cake tin. You will need: — soz dark semi-sweet chocolate 1 tablespoon water ? cup butter 6 eggs 1 cup castor sugar cups sifted ilou--1/3 ct-H apricot jam 3oz chocolate (preferably unswc tened) | cup icing sugar 1 egg and 1 egg-yolk 5 tablespoons butter (melted) 2 tablespoons hot water. Method: Break the 50z ■ chocolate in small pieces land place in top of double Isaucepao /ith 1 tablespoon water until ch< ilate is melited; add butter (j cup) and I stir until blended. Add j beaten egg ks (6) and 'beat constantly; add sugar land continue beating until iwell mi» ' Cool far 10 minutes. Best 6 egg whites until stiff but not -'ry. Fold chocolate mixture into whites alternately with sifted flour, mixing thoroughly but gently. Pour into buttered and floured 8-inch square pan and bake in oven

pre-heated to 325 for 30 minute or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool.

Place jam in bowl or cup and stand in hot water; stirring until melted. Ipread on top of cooled cake and leave to set for about 20 minutes. Melt the 3oz of chocolate over hot water. Remove from heat and add the icing sugar and 2 tablespoons hot water; beat until thoroughlyblended. Add egg. beating briskly, then the egg-yolk continuing to beat. Add butter a tablespoonful at a time, beating steadily. Spread on top of jam on top of cake. Cool. Cut in oblong pieces to serve. POISSON DE I **. F ERVE DE BEAULIEU From France also comes this easily prepared fish dish, which is served as a houtJ specialty at the Restaurant La Reserve de Beaulieu, Paris, and is called Poisson a la Reserve de Bear leu, where fish called

loup is used. It is necessary that a fish with flavour is used and I suggest sole. Ingredients make enough for six servings. You will need:— 6 fillets of sole plus the heads, bones and skins 3 teaspoons salt 2 cups water | cup white wine 8 slices white bread, crusts removed 4 oz butter 2 egg-yolks 2 teaspoons chopped chives Method: Place fish heads with 2 cups of water and 1

teaspoon of salt in saucepan and boil for 30 minutes or until only 4 cup of stock remains. Place fillets in but-

tered baking dish and sprinkle with remaining salt. Pour over the stock and wine. Soak bread in boiling water then squeeze dry. Cream butter until very soft, beat in egg yolks, and add chives and bread and blend well. Spread this mixture about half an inch thick over the fish. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until browned on top. Serve immediately. SWEDISH LAMB The following recipe will doubtless cause some raised eyebrows. It is for roast lamb in the Swedish manner. For any cock sufficiently adventurous, who has a family: with similar tendencies, it is well worth sampling. You will need:— 1 leg of lamb 3 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 3 onions sliced 3 carrots sliced 1 cup stock or prepared bouillon I cup strong, double-

strength, black coffee i cup cream 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons flour Method: Mix salt and pepper and rub thoroughly into leg of lamb. Place leg in baking dish and surround it with the sliced onions. Cook in a 425 oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and add sliced carrots to dish with the stock and cook a further 30 minutes. Add the coffee, cream and sugar to the dish and continue cooking at the rate of 22 minutes per pound of meat, allowing for the hour that the meat has already been cooking, or until it is tender. Baste frequently. Remove meat from pan and force the gravy through a sieve. Mix the flour with £ cup coldl water to form a smooth paste in a saucepan, gradually add the sieved gravy, stirring continually. Correct seasoning to taste, adding water if too thick. Serve gravy separately in sauceboat.