PUT THE FIRST MEALFIRST.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 143, 18 June 1931, Page 4

PUT THE FIRST MEALFIRST.

HAVE A LITTLE VARIETY IN THE BREAKFAST MENU

People go into such ecstasies about Continental breakfasts of hot rolls and coffee, or about Scottish breakfasts with their laden tables—but really there is nothing can beat English breakfasts if only people took a little more trouble about getting some variety into their breakfast menus and serving the hot things hot. , Eggs Sur Le Plat.

This is a very attractive and easy way of doing eggs. They can be served in little saucers or on small fireproof plates. Grease the dish in" which you are going to serve them, and carefully break the eggs into the dish, being specially cautious about not breaking the yolk. Put them in a moderate oven and bake slowly till lightly set. Just before serving sprinkle over a little chopped parsley. Fish Cakes. Required: One poungi. of fish, half a pound of potatoes, one ounce of butter, two eggs, pepper and salt, one tablespoonful of milk. Any remains of cold boiled fish will do for this purpose. If you have not any, just boil some fish in the ordinary way. • Remove all skin and bones from the fish and break it up small. Put the cold boiled potatoes through a sieve. Put the milk and butter in a saucepan and heat them. When they are hot, add the potato, the fish, and the yolk of one egg. Season carefully with salt and pepper. Make the mixture into neat cakes, using about a tablespoonful for each. Brush them with beaten egg and coat them carefully with crumbs. Fry them a golden brown in smoking fat, and serve in an entree dish very hot, and garnished with parsley. Saute Kidneys. Required: Three or four sheeps’ kidneys, salt and pepper, one ounce of butter, three tablespoonfuls of any brown sauce, half an ounce of glaze. Remove the skins and cores of the kidneys, and cut them in slices across about a quarter of an f nch thick. Sprinkle over them a little salt and pepper. Put the butter in a pan and make it quite hot, then put in the kidneys and then toss them in the butter over the fire for two or three minutes. Next take all the kidneys and well drain all the butter from them. Put into a clean pan the glaze and brown sauce; let this boil for two or three minutes, then put in the kidneys and heat them thoroughly but do not let them boil, or they will shrivel up and be tough. Serve on a hot dish with the sauce poured around.. Grilled Herrings. Wash and clean some fresh herrings, but do not split them. Put them on a slightly greased tin or grid, and grill them slowly. If you have no grid, do them in the oven. In any case, turn them over onec so that both sides are crisp ,and nicely coloured. This is by far the nicest way of cooking fresh herrings. The fisher folk on the Yorkshire coast do them this way, and 3 r ou may rely on them to get the best out of everything. Serve them piping hot. Potted Veal And Ham. This is always appreciated at breakfast especially if it is home-made, and eaten with home-made rolls or. crisp toast. Required: Half a pound of veal, half a pound of ham, two cloves, two allspice, one blade of mace, a small strip of lemon rind, two bayleaves, two anchovies, or two teaspoonfuls of anchovy sauce, salt and pepper, melted butter. Scrape the veal and ham very finely. Thickly butter the inside of a stewing jar, put in the veal and ham, tie all the slices up in a piece of muslin ; put them in the jar with the meat, cover the jar and either place it in a cool oven or on a cool part of the stove, and leave it for about three hours. Then take out the spice, put the meat into a mortar with the anchovy sauce and pound them well. Next rub all through a fine sieve, then add to the meat enough clarified butter to make it into soft, smooth paste; season it nicely with salt and pepper, and work it in the mortar till it is quite smooth. Then press it into clean,

dry jars, and when cold cover them with clarified butter. If liked, chicken and ham, or can be used in the same way.