Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

One of the knives sold for peeling and slicing Onions and marked Onion should be in every kitchen, and no other knife should be allowed to be used for the purpose. Many a plate of bread and butter has been ruined by having been cut or spread with “ an oniony knife.” When Onions are sliced for soups, etc., they should be cut lengthwise, as in that way they go to pieces more thoroughly. Stewed Portugal Onions. — Peel the otiter coats off four onions, and put them into a quart of strong broth with half a pound of sifted sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cover the stewpan closely and set it in the oven. The Onions will take from six to eight hours to cook. When done the broth will be reduced to glaze. A glass of Chablis very much improves the stock. Onion Puree or Soubise Puree.— {Family Recipe.) — Spanish or Portugal Onions are best for this Puree, but if common Onions are used they must be blanched in boiling water for five minutes. Simmer three Onions in sufficient milk or stock to cover them. When quite tender, mash them through a sieve. Work into the Onion pulp a coffeecupful of cream, add pepper and salt, and serve very hot. Never add flour. (See also Page 130.) Onion Threads are not nearly so much known as they should be. They are simply the tiny leaves of the Onion as they appear when the seed has been sown for ten days. To obtain them a little Onion seed should be sown at frequent intervals. Onion Threads minced are far more delicate in flavour than chives. Button Onions Glazed.— These, if mild, are sometimes liked as a garnish. The Onions must be quite small, not larger than those used for pickling. Put them into a stewpan with enough butter or clarified dripping to fry them without burning, A A ONIONS Turn them about with a wooden spoon over a good fire to colour them. Then put them into a saute-pan, moisten with enough broth to cover them, roll them about in this with the spoon over a quick fire, and as the broth reduces it will form a glaze. Baste the Onions with this so as to glaze them evenly, and when that has been done they are ready. PARSNIPS. No vegetable suffers more from bad cooking than the Parsnip. It would not be too much to say that the mess of half-cooked sweetish sticks, or lumps, usually served as Parsnips is uneatable. There is a great deal of nourishment in Parsnips, and although their sweet taste will always be disagreeable to some people they are, if properly cooked, a most wholesome and digestible vegetable. Parsnips must on no account be cut before they are cooked. They must be washed, brushed, and put into just enough boiling water to cover them. Let the Parsnips simmer till tender, which will be about an hour and a half. Do not add anjr water in the course of simmering, and let the water the Parsnips were put on in reduce to the fullest extent, so that when they are tender there will hardly be a drop to drain off. The simmering should result in melting the Parsnips, so that the rich sugary flavour is not lost, and only a creamy pulp full of nourishment remains. Serve in a very hot dish. Parsnips, cooked in this way, and not mashed, are considered- to be one of the most wholesome vegetable foods in the world. PEAS.