IN THE KITCHEN

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 144, 14 March 1931, Page 17

IN THE KITCHEN

Spinach as an En-tremet.—To prepare ' spinach pick over by band, leaf by leaf, otherwise there is danger of grit remaining, even when swilled in salt and water. Several waters are needed as spinach is most difficult to clean~properly. Do not drain the leaves, merely lift them dripping into the pan. Spinach has a high content of water, so that no extra water is needed for cooking. Place the pan over a low fire and do not add salt. When cooked turn on to a chopping board and mince finely with a knife. If desired for creaming pass through a sieve. Marguerites of Spinach.—Return the spinach to the pan with melted butter and re-heat. Add a little cream, if this can be spared, and bank up on rounds of fried bread. Decorate with a hardboiled egg cut into strips for petals, the yolk moistened with butter forming the centres. Spinach Pudding.—This is a great favourite in Germany, and is easily made with creamed spinach (as above) mixed with beaten egg and fine white breadcrumbs. The latter must be freshly cut bread. Flavour with nutmeg, season to taste, and place in a greased pudding •mould. Steam until set Turn out and serve with onion sauce. If preferred this pudding may be baked, but it is usually steamed. Savoury Vegetable Custard.—For this dish select Jerusalem artichokes, celery, turnip, and any other white vegetable except potato. Cut into dice. Have ready a well-seasoned egg Custard mixture made without sugar. A Yorkshire pudding batter is quite useful for the purpose. Pour this into a shallow dish which fit into a steamer, and sprinkle in the vegetables. Garnish with chopped parsley. While the custard is steaming, prepare sippets of fried bread. Garnish the custard with threecornered sippets. Parsnip Sham. —Cook a large parsnip until tender in salted water. It is best to add a squeeze of lemon juice to keep the flesh white. Remove from the pan and pass through a sieve; add a piece of butter the size of a hazel nut. Beat up two yolks of eggs, add pepper and salt, and mix with the puree of parsnip. Beat all together until light and airy. Have ready the whites well beaten. Fold these into the puree carefully. Pile in a heap on a gratin dish and bake carefully in a moderate oven. Fried Artichokes. —Artichokes are delightfuTfried in dee_p fat. This dish may be varied by dipping- the vegetable into egg and grated parmesan cheese before frying. Some housewives prefer to cut up their artichokes into diminutive pieces instead of keeping them whole, but it is a matter of taste. ' For certain dishes they look better cut up small and fried, but when serving with a plain roast, keep whole.