Practical household cookery

Pick and wash three pounds of spinach as described in the foregoing, then boil till it becomes quite tender and soft to the touch, drain the water, immerse it in cold, and afterwards squeeze all the water from it between two plates, chop fine and rub it through a coarse wire sieve ; then put it in a stewpan with two ounces of fresh butter ; season with Salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg ; stir the spinach over the lire with a wooden spoon until it becomes quite warm, then add gradually half a pint of good broth, still stirring the spinach. When well mixed together and made quite hot, add a little more fresh butter, and when this is melted and properly mixed with the spinach, dish it up, garnish round with croutons fried in butter, and serve. 766. SPINACH WITH CREAM. Prepare the spinach as above, stir it with a wooden spoon over the fire in a stewpan, with two ounces of butter and seasoned with salt and nutmeg till warm; then add gradually half a pint of cream, a little butter and a dessertspoonful of pounded sugar ; continue the stirring over the fire till the lot is well mixed together and hot, and dish up as in the foregoing. 767. BOILED PEAS A L ANGLAISE. Put a quart of fresh shelled peas in two quaits of boiling water, with a few sprigs of mint and seasoned with a small teaspoonful of salt. Boil quickly till done, which will take between fifteen and twenty minutes ; then drain and put them in a sauté-pan with two ounces of fresh butter, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, toss them till the butter is melted, and serve. 768. STEWED PEAS WITH BACON. Remove the rind of a quarter of a pound of streaky bacon and cut it in dice half an inch thick ; fiy these in a stewpan with one ounce of butter for five minutes, then sprinkle two tablespoonfuls of flour and stir over the fire for four minutes longer ; after which, add a pint of water, one quart of peas, and a few green onions, stew for about half an hour with the stewpan covered, then season according to taste, remove the onions, skim off the fat, and serve, 769. PEAS A LA FRAN9AISE. Put a quart of fresh shelled peas in a stewpan with a gill of water, a few green onions and the heart of a cabbage-lettuce cut in four, three ounces of butter, a teaspoonful of salt, and the same quantity of lump-sugar. Set the stewpan on a slow fire to stew gently for about half an hour with the lid on. Meanwhile knead together a tablespoonful of flour with two ounces of butter, and when the peas are done add this paste to them. Toss the stewpan over the fire till the butter is melted and the peas properly thickened, then taste if well seasoned, and serve Note. — If tinned peas are used, throw them in boiling water, drain, season and finish as with fresh peas. 770. FRENCH BEANS. Pick and remove the strings of one pound of French beans, and if large and old, shred them lengthwise; then throw them in plenty of boiling water with a good pinch of salt, and boil on a brisk fire till tender, which must be ascertained by trying them ; after which, drain them in a colander, dish up with an ounce of fresh butter in a lump, sprinkle a little salt over, and serve. 77L FRENCH BEANS SAUTES. Pick the stalks and strings of a pound of French beans, and boil them as in the previous number; then drain them well and put iu a frying-pan with two ounces of melted butter; fry these over a brisk fire for about ten minutes; season with a little salt and chopped parsley, toss the contents well, squeeze the juice of a lemon over, toss again, and serve. 772. FRENCH BEANS A LA HAItBE D'HdTEL.