RECIPES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 19, 7 May 1892, Page 481

RECIPES.

Irish Stew.—To make a really nice Irish stew, take about two and a-half pounds of the scrag end of a neck of mutton, cut the meat into neat pieces and put it into a stewpan with a little dripping, season the meat with pepper and salt, and then add six or eight onions cut up in small Sieces. This dish, as you know, is nothing if not wellavoured with onions. Fry the meat and onions, for a quarter of an hour, taking care they do not become discoloured ; then add a very little flour, and cover with cold water or stock, and let the meat simmer gently for one and a-half to two hours. After it has cooked, say, an hour, the potatoes should be added. Some persons like them sliced, and others like them added whole, but that is a matter of taste ; to make the dish look really nice the potatoes should be trimmed and cut all the same size in olive shapes. The potatoes will take about half-an-hour to cook. If trimmed in olive shape, about three dozen would be the number to add to the above quantity of meat. All the grease should be skimmed off the top of the stew before it is served, and the meat should be arranged in a pile in the centre of the dish, with the potatoes and onions arranged round, and the gravy poured round as well. If a little very finely-chopped parsley is sprinkled over the potatoes it adds to the appearance of the dish ; but a real Paddy’s stew would hardly be ornamented I expect.

Boiled Potatoes.—Wash several smooth potatoes and drop in boiling water ; boil till tender. Carefully pour oil all the water, let it stand on the stove till perfectly dry, and serve hot. Each individual is to pare his own potatoes, mash on plate and season to taste with butter, pepper, and salt. Another : Boil and serve same as above, except that they are to be pared before boiling. A third way is to pare and” boil as above. When tender drain ofl' all the water, add salt, and mash fine. Then add butter the size of an egg, and two pints of cream or rich milk ; or omit the butter and cream and add three pints of hot meat flyings.

Cheese Fondee.—j pound cheese, ? cup bread crumbs, 1 cup sweet milk, 2 eggs, beaten separately, 1 teaspoonful

butter, a little salt. Cut the cheese in small pieces, and add it to the milk and bread, and yolks of eggs. Stir together, adding whites of eggs last, and pour into a shallow tin. Bake for fifteen minutes in a very hot oven. This is a nice dish for tea or breakfast.

Banana Cake.—Use any nice recipe for layer cake, and make a filling as follows :—Boil five tablespoons sweet milk and one cup granulated sugar for exactly five minutes, without stirring, then beat it until cool and thick enough to spread. Put it on the cake, and lay on sliced bananas, then add another layer until all are used. Frost the top layer.