Handbook of practical cookery

Put the water into a sauce-pan, sprinkle in the oatmeal, stirring constantly, and when all has been made smooth, place the sauce-pan over a quick fire, and stir its contents until boiling. When boiling, throw into the porridge the salt, and draw the sauce-pan to one side of the fire; let all simmer slowly for half an hour, stirring it occasionally meantime. NOTE.—Oatmeal should always be thrown into cold water when desired to boil, as cold water swells the grain of the meal better, and makes it less heating to the blood. Boiled Rice. — One half pound of rice, three quarts of boiling water, one dessert-spoonful of salt. Wash the rice thoroughly in cold water, and drain it in a strainer. Place it into a sauce-pan, pour over it the three quarts of boiling water, throw into it the salt, and allow all to boil rapidly for fifteen minutes. If at the end of this time a grain of the rice may be readily floured by rubbing it between the finger and thumb, it is sufficiently boiled ; but if it be still hard, continue to boil until the rice comes to this state, keeping in mind that the quicker this cereal is boiled, the drier it will remain, and the more free from starchy matter. Pour the rice, when done, from the sauce-pan into a sieve, shaking the sieve as the water drains off, to release any fugitive drops that may be held in the cereal; and when dry serve at once, heaped lightly in a hot vegetable dish. NOTES.—When rice is desired to fry, it must be boiled slowly and without stirring, in milk; and when boiled, cut into slices an inch thick, and fried in hot clarified fat or lard, until it becomes a delicate brown on both sides. Corn meal mush, which is made by stirring sifted corn meal into boiling water, until a batter as thick as can be stirred with a spoon is formed, is also delicious fried in this way or in hot butter, as the taste may decide. Casserole of Chicken. — Four ounces of cold breast of chicken, four ounces of butter, four ounces of bread crumbs, two eggs, one half tea-cupful of milk, one tea-spoonful of salt, one half tea-spoonful of white pepper. Chop first the breast of chicken very finely, and rub it through a wire sieve. Put the meat into a bowl, add to it the yolks of the eggs and the butter, and beat all together for ten minutes. Add the bread crumbs and the milk, season all with the pepper and salt. Whip the whites of eggs to a stiff froth, and mix this lightly in. Pour the compound, when thoroughly mixed, into a wellgreased pint and a half mould, cover the top of this with a piece of paper, and place the mould in a sauce-pan containing sufficient water to reach half-way up the sides of the mould, and allow its contents to cook in this while the water boils for one hour. Turn the casserole, when done, out into a deep, hot dish, and serve with egg sauce poured over and around it; for which sauce see recipe on page 174. This dish may be garnished with red and green chillies, if desired. Boiled Tripe.— Eight pounds of tripe, one half tablespoonful of salt. Cover the tripe with cold water, and let it stand in this over night. Removing it from the bath, place it in a sauce-pan, cover it with cold water, put the sauce-pan over a quick fire, and, when boiling, drain the water off, and cover it with additional cold water.