FoodNetArchive

Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

1898

Page 258 · 2 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Tinned Vegetables. — Vegetables preserved in tins or glasses are extremely useful, particularly at those times of the year when fresh V egetables cannot be procured. Only the best French Vegetables should be used, and they ought to be pro- cured from a first-rate shop. Tinned Vegetables do not require actual cooking, but they should never be sent up hard. This is especially to be avoided with peas, which are too often sent up, whether in soup or as a garnish, as hard as bullets. Wyvern recommends the use of the liquid in which the Vegetables have been preserved, as an addition to the sauce or puree prepared with them, but many people do not like it. In any case, whether the liquid is used or not, the Vegetables must be care- fully freed from it. As soon as the tin is opened, empty the Vegetables gently into a large perforated strainer, drain off the liquid, pour freshly-drawn cold water over the Vegetables, put them into a clean saucepan, and set the saucepan in the bain- marie. As the Vegetables warm, add half an ounce of butter, a saltspoonful of salt, and half that quantity of sugarTinned Vegetables Preparation. When hot the Vegetables are ready, and can be dressed in any way liked. Artichoke-bottoms and French Beans can be served in any of the ways recommended for them when fresh. Flageolets are very good a la maitre d’hotel, a la poulette, or a la creme. Whole Asparagus is not to be recommended as a tinned Vegetable, but Asparagus Points are excellent. Be very care- ful not to break the points in turning them out of the tin and draining them. They must be handled as little as possible, and TINNED VEGETABLES 3 73 are best put straight into the soup or sauce for which they are wanted as soon as they have been heated in the bain-marie. Sauce d’Argenteuil is particularly good with Asparagus Points (see page 358). Or they may be set in a border of aspic round a chaud-froid, or mixed with mayonnaise in a dish of cold masked fillets of chicken. Three kinds of Peas are preserved in France. Of these the Petits Pois fins and tres fins do not require more cooking than that already recommended for all Tinned Vegetables, but the Petits Pois gros are apt to be hard and are best made into a puree. For this, bruise the Peas when they have been thoroughly wanned, and pass them through a sieve. Melt half an ounce of butter in a small sauce- pan, work into it half an ounce of flour ; when this roux is well cooked, but not coloured, stir in the liquid drained from the Peas, let it boil once, and if it is too thick dilute it with a little milk. With this moisten the pounded peas, season with pepper and salt and a dust of sugar, and serve as a garnish for cutlets, •quenelles, etc. \_Wyvern.~\ Tinned Vegetables answer perfectly for a Macedoine (see page 372). For this they should be gently heated in a good sauce such as bechamel, poulette, ox1, if liked brown, espagnole. Or the Macedoine can be allowed to cool, and then be served as a Salade Cuite (see page 378). SALADS.