The Belgian Cookbook Part 14

FISH

When there remains any cold fish, take away all skin and bones, mixing the flesh with salt, b.u.t.ter, pepper, and one or two raw eggs as you wish. Take some small fireproof cases and place in each some lemon-juice with a little melted b.u.t.ter and grated breadcrumbs. Bake the cases till the top of the fish is of a golden color.

REMAINS OF FISH

Make a good white sauce, add pepper, salt, and a little nutmeg and juice of a lemon. Add then your remains of fish and a few pickled shrimps.

Fill some sh.e.l.ls with it and sprinkle over the top a good powdering of grated Gruyere cheese. Lay a pat of b.u.t.ter in the middle of each sh.e.l.l and put them in the oven. When they are colored a good golden brown, serve them decorated with parsley.

[_Mme. Lekent_.]

GOOD RISSOLES

Mince any cold meat, adding to a pound of it one-half pound of fresh lean pork, a chopped shallot and parsley, salt, pepper, a little nutmeg, and bind with an egg, both yolk and white. Form into b.a.l.l.s, and dip them in flour, then color them in some b.u.t.ter, and when they are nicely browned pour into the b.u.t.ter a little stock or meat-juice and water. Let them gently cook in it for ten minutes, and serve.

[_Mme. Lekent_.]

CROQUETTES OF BOILED MEAT

I think that boiled meat when cold is often neglected as being tasteless, but, prepared as I will show you, it will deserve your approval.

Mince your boiled meat and put it into a thick white sauce well-spiced with pepper, salt, and nutmeg, and let it remain for two hours. Then prepare your croquettes by rolling the mixture in white of egg and fine breadcrumbs. Put a piece of b.u.t.ter in the saucepan, sufficient to take all the croquettes, and let them brown in it for about ten minutes. A white sauce served with them is a good addition.

[_Mlle. A. Demeulemeester_.]

CARBONADES DONE WITH BEER

Cut the meat into slices that are thin rather than thick. Mince two big onions and fry them till brown; then fry the slices till they are colored on both sides. Pour on them first some beer, then a dash of vinegar, adding thyme, pepper, and salt, and throw in also a slice of crust of bread, which you have spread with mustard. Let this all simmer for three hours.

[_Mme. Segur_.]

WALLOON ENTReE

Make some toasted bread, either cut in rounds or in squares, and b.u.t.ter them. Cut some slices of salt beef, or, better still, ham, and put them on top; spread the meat with a good layer of grated cheese, and over that place another piece of b.u.t.tered toast of corresponding shape.

Melt some b.u.t.ter in a small saucepan and fry the rounds till they are golden-brown.

[_Mme. E. Maes_.]

Sc.r.a.pS OF MEAT

Your sc.r.a.ps of meat must be cut small or roughly minced; add to them a little sausage-meat, about a quarter as much, and a slice of white crumb bread that you have dipped in water or milk, and well drained. If eggs are not too dear, add two eggs, mixing them with the meat. Place the dish in the oven for half-an-hour--but it must be a slow oven--and take care that the meat does not become dry.

[_V. Verachtert_.]

FRICADELLE

For one pound of minced pork take one and one-half pounds of minced veal; cut three slices of white bread the thickness of nearly an inch, and crumble them up; two raw eggs, pepper and salt. Mix it all well, and place it in the oven for half-an-hour. If you eat this hot, serve it with a gravy sauce. If you wish for a supper-dish, put salad round the meat.

CHICORY AND HAM WITH CHEESE SAUCE

Cook the chicories gently in b.u.t.ter till they are done. Then take each one, and roll it in a slice of ham, and put them in a fireproof dish.

Then make a very good white sauce of flour and b.u.t.ter and milk, adding cheese to flavor it strongly, and the yolk of an egg. Pour this sauce over the chicory, and place the dish in the oven. Let it turn brownish, and then serve it directly.

[_Mme. Vandervalle_.]

CROQUETTES OF VEAL

Make first of all a very thick white sauce of flour, milk, and b.u.t.ter, not forgetting also salt and pepper; when it is very thick add grated Gruyere cheese, in the proportion of a heaped teaspoonful of this to a breakfast-cupful of sauce. Take it off the fire, and stir in first of all the juice of a lemon, and then the yolk of an egg. Let it get cold.

Then mince up finely your veal, or, indeed, any lean meat. Mix it well with the sauce, and make croquettes of it. Then roll each in the white of egg that you have left, and then in grated breadcrumbs, and fry in deep fat.

[_Mme. Vandervalle_.]

ENTReE (CROQUE-MONSIEUR)

Cut out some rounds of crumb of bread, of equal size, with a tin cutter; or, failing that, with a wine-gla.s.s. b.u.t.ter all the rounds and sprinkle them with grated cheese--for preference with Gruyere. On half the number of rounds place a bit of ham cut to the same size. Put a lump of b.u.t.ter the weight of egg into a pan, and fry with the rounds in it, till they become golden. When they are a nice color, place one round dressed with cheese on a round dressed with ham, so as to have the golden bread both above and below. Serve them very hot, and garnished with fried parsley.

[_E. Defouck_.]