making Good Wives Better

NZ Truth, Issue 1145, 10 November 1927, Page 3

making Good Wives Better

SECRETS OF THE FRYING-PAN

How To Prepare Crisp, Appetizing Food

THE secret of frying is an art worth studying; that is, if you would have crisp, appetizing food instead of greasy, indigestible fare.

FRIED food, if properly cooked, is not so indigestible as our learned medicos would have us believe. Deep-fat frying is the best and an iron pan should be used. Put into l.he pan .sufficient fat to completely immerse the food and yet leave room enough for the bubbling that takes place. Do not allow the fat to heat to a greater temperature than is necessary for cooking, as over-heating causes it to form products that are not -wholesome. Deep -fat frying is usually done between a temperature .of 350 and 300

'Pictures posed by "N.Z. Truth's" omn manneauin

The fat must be smoking hot.

'degrees; the following table may prove a guide: Doughnuts and fritters of average size (370 degrees); croquettes (380-390 degrees); fried potatoes (350 degrees); fish (360 degrees). No food that requires a lot of cooking should ever be fried, as long frying results m a fat-soaked- product. The object of a batter or a coating of egg is to • prevent the food, from absorbing the fat. An important point to remember is that when cold food is placed m the fat, it reduces the temperature ; therefore it is best to have the fat a few — say, five — degrees above the temperature actually required for cooking and to fry only small quantities at' a time. A reduced temperature will result m the food being soggy and greasy instead of brown and crisp. s The correct temperature is absolutely necessary for- successful frying and the use of a thermometer is recommended. After the food is cooked it should be lifted from the pan, drained for a few seconds and placed on absorbent paper. If you are using a deep pan, you . would do well to invest m a wire basket — one that will fit down into the pan so that it rests on the bottom.

Always serve fried food immediately. Croquettes, of course, will stand reheating. Fat may be used over and over again if it is properly looked after, To remove any par^iculea of flour or breadcrumbs, strain through a doublethickness of cheese-cloth each time it is used. , It should also be clarified frequently by adding a slice of raw potato to cold fat; heat slowly until the bubbling has ceased and strain. Another method of clarifying is to take, say, 31bs. of mutton or beef fat; after removing any pieces of nieat or outside skin, cut into small pieces. Put them into a pan with half a pint of cold water and bring to- the boil. After boiling for ten minutes with the lid on — which process helps to whiten the fat — remove the lid and boil until all the water is evaporated. The fat Avill cease to bubble when all traces of water have evaporated. It should then be allowed to cool and strain into a basin.

The finished dish.

CARROT AND TURNIP MOULDS

REQUIRED: Carrots and turnips, but- **• ter, salt and pepper. Cook the carrots and turnips m boiling water till tender. When they are ready take out the carrots and chop finely. Put them back m a clean saucepan and reheat, with a lump of butter and a good seasoning of pepper and salt. Press them down m small cups or moulds. Mash the turnips, re-heat with butter and seasoning, and press also into moulds. Turn them out, alternately carrot and turnip, on to a hot vegetable dish, and serve at once. ;

CUTLETS JARDINIERE

REQUIRED: Four or five trimmed ** cutlets, one small minced onion, a carrot, turnip, a small piece of celery, a thin rasher of bacon, cut m dice, seasoning of herbs, pepper and salt, a pint of stock, an ounce of butter. Season the flour and dip cutlets m it. Melt the butter, add bacon and a teaspoon of minced onion, and fry, with the cutlets, for three or four minutes. Butter a warm casserole, lay m half diced vegetables, add cutlets and bacon, cover over with vegetables, and pour over all enough stock' to cover. Cook for two hours m a-' moderate oven.

ORANGE CREAM

REQUIRED: One pint milk, one **■ orange,' three ounces castor sugar, three ounces cornflour, a tablespoon of rum or sherry, two tablespoons of cream. Whip the cream, put the milk m a saucepan, with the yellow of the orange rind and the sugar. Simmer for five minutes. Take out the rind and mix the cornflour with a little cold milk and stir m. Simmer for ten minutes. Let it cool, then stir m the rum or sherry, the strained juice of the orange and the whipped cream. Stir till well mixed. Turn into a wet mould and leave till set. Garnish with preserved fruit or sections of very sweet orange.

Firm bread crumbs X/vith knife.

VEAL WITH TOMATOES

DEQUIRED: One pound of veal cut- ** lets, not too thick, a rasher of bacon, one ounce of butter,' half a pint of light stock, half a pound of tomatoes, a teaspoon of tomato sauce, flour. Trim the veal into neat ovals, melt butter, add bacon (cut m dice), and fry veal very slowly for four or five minutes. Mix tomato sauce with flour, add to tomatoes, and simmer till thickened. Strain the sauce into a warm, buttered casserole, turn over cutlets m it so that they are well covered, and cook m a moderate oyen for an hour and a- quarter..

LEMQN SANDWICH

WHIP four eggs and four ounces of " castor sugar over a pan of boiling water till just warm". Remove from water and beat till thick and cold. Add three ounces of flour gradually, mixing half a teaspoon of -baking powder with the last spootaful. Turn into baking tins greased with butter and dusted with castor sugar ■ and flour, and bake for half an hour m a modern ate oven. Cut into squares when cold, and spread one half with lemon curd and put the two halves together.

AUSTRAL TRIFLE

REQUIRED: One sandwich cake, half ** a pint whipped cream, half a dozen passion fruit, one pin£ jelly, walnuts if liked. To make the trifle, put one round of sandwich cake m a glass dish, spread whipped cream over It, cover with another half sandwich cake, Over this spread the passion fruit. Make a pint of jelly, adding to it the chopped almonds, and when" this is nearly set pour into the dish. When set, put whipped cream on top and the result will be a delicious trifle. {

COFFEE CAKE

Here is a rather unusual coffee cake, made wiljh 1. teaspoon each of salt, powdered cloves and cinnamon, 1 teacup sugar, % teacup butter, 1% breakfastcup; flour, % teacup treacle and 1 teacup cold, strong coffee: .. : / Well mix the salt, cloves and cinnamon with the flour. Cream the butter and sugar, add the treacle and beat well. Then add alternately the flour and coffee and 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda. Beat .ill thoroughly ..welli together and bake about il hour m not too hot an oven.