Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Nantese Salad. — Peel half a dozen small Spanish onions. Take out the core, put a little butter inside each, and bake them in a moderate oven, basting occasionally -with butter until they are quite tender. Let them get cold, then cut them into slices, and lay them at the bottom of a salad bowl. Scrape half a dozen sardines, preserved in oil or butter, or, if preferred, soak a Yarmouth bloater for three or four minutes in boiling water. Remove the skin, take the flesh from the bones, and lay the fish in conveniently-sized pieces upon the onion. Slice half a dozen hard-boiled eggs, place these on the fish, and strew over the whole two tablespoonfuls of finely minced parsley and a teaspoonful of chopped tarragon or chervil. Serve with salad dressing. Time, one hour to bake the onions. Probable cost, Is. 6d. Sufficient for eight or nine persons. Neapolitan Cake. — Blanch and pound to a smooth paste six ounces of sweet almonds and one ounce of bitter almonds, and whilst pounding them keep dropping in a little orange-flower water or rose-water to prevent them oiling. Add a pinch of salt, the grated rind of a large lemon, four ounces of fresh butter, half a pound of sifted loaf sugar, and ten ounces of flour. When these ingredients are thoroughly mixed, work them together with the well-beaten yolks of six eggs, and leave them in a cool place for half an hour.. Roll the paste out to the thickness of a quarter of an inch, stamp it out in rounds about the size of an ordinary cup-plate, lay these upon a floured tin, and bake in a good oven. When they are firm and lightly coloured take them out, trim the edges, and when quite cold lay them one upon another, and spread a thick layer of differently coloured jam on the top of each round ; and as each piece is put on press it lightly with the hand, so that the jam shall make the rounds adhere together, and so form one cake. Before serving sift a little pink sugar over the top, or garnish as fancy dictates. Time to bake the rounds, about half an hour. Probable cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for six or eight persons. Neapolitan Custard Pudding.— Cut two sponge-cakes into slices, and spread a little jam over each slice. Place them in a buttered pie-dish, sprinkle over them six or seven powdered ratafias, and pour over the whole a custard made as follows : — Sweeten half a pint of milk with three lumps of sugar which have NEA ( 4.54 ) NEC ■been well rubbed upon the rind of a largo fresh lemon. Let the custard nearly boil, then stir into it a tablespoonful of flour which has been mixed smoothly with a little cold water. Add two ounces of fresh butter, and stir the mixture over the fire until it thickens. When almost cold add the well-beaten yolks of three eggs, put the pudding into a moderate oven, and bake until it stiffens. Whip the whites of the eggs to a firm froth, sweeten them with powdered sugar, flavoured with ratafia-flavouring, and place them on the top of the custard. Put the pudding in the oven again eight or ten minutes before it is served that the eggs may stiffen a little. Time to bake, one hour. Probable cost, lOd. Sufficient for four persons. Neapolitan Gateau {see Gateau, Napolitaine) . Neapolitan Ice [see Glace, Napolitaine).