THE ART OF LIVING IN AUSTRALIA TOGETHER WITH THREE HUNDRED AUSTRALIAN COOKERY RECIPES AND ACCESSORY KITCHEN INFORMATION BY MRS. H. WICKEN TEXT

* Total Cost--1 s. 4 d. * * Time--30 Minutes. * Split open the fish and remove the head and backbone, wash well in cold water and dry in a cloth. Chop the parsley, herbs, and suet, and mix these together; add half the crumbs, the rind of half a lemon, and pepper and salt. Butter a baking tin, lay on a fish skin downwards. On this place a layer of seasoning, a little lemon juice, and a few pieces of butter; on this another fish with the cut part next the seasoning. Do the rest in the same way, piling one on top of another; over all put the rest of the crumbs and butter, bake in a moderate oven for half an hour. Slip into a hot dish, and serve. CODFISH AND POTATOES--BOUILLABAISSE OF COD. * 2 lbs. Murray Cod--1s. * * 1 lb. Potatoes--1d. * * Slices of Roll * * 1 quart Water * * 1 fagot of Herbs * * 2 Leeks or 1 Onion * * Pinch of Saffron * * 1 1/2 oz. Butter--3 1/2d. * * Total Cost--1s. 41/2 d. * * Time--One Hour. * Put the butter into a saucepan, and when it is hot add the leeks or onion chopped small, and let them get a good colour without burning; then add a quart of water, the fagot of herbs, the saffron tied in a piece of muslin, and the potatoes peeled. Bring up to the boil, and when they are nearly cooked cut the cod into slices and lay it in. Cook slowly for twenty minutes, take up the fish, and put it in a hot dish and lay the potatoes round. Season and flavour the liquor, and boil up. Cut the bread into slices, put it into a hot dish, and strain the liquor over; serve with the fish. BUTTERED WHITING * 3 Whiting--1s. * * Pepper and Salt * * 1 1/2 oz. Butter * * 1 Lemon--2d. * * Total Cost--1s. 2d. * * Time--20 Minutes * Wash the whiting, dry them in a cloth, mix a little flour, pepper, and salt together, cover the fish thoroughly with this. Butter a thin dish, lay the whiting in and put the rest of the butter over them in small pieces, and put them into a hot oven; baste constantly with the butter. This must not be allowed to get black; it should be brown. When the whiting are done, which will be in from fifteen to twenty minutes, according to the thickness of the fish, place them in a hot dish and pour the butter in which they have been cooked over them. BROILED FISH * 2 Mullet--8d. * * 2 teaspoonful Oil * * Pepper * * Salt--1/2d. * * Total Cost--81/2 d. * * Time--10 Minutes. * Split the mullet open and wash away the black substance from the bones, dry on a cloth, rub with oil and sprinkle them with pepper and salt, and leave them in a cool place for an hour. Rub a gridiron with a piece of suet, and when it is quite hot put on the fish and broil it carefully, turning it two or three times whilst cooking. Lay on a hot dish and rub over with a little butter. To broil successfully a very clear fire is required, and it should be made up some time before it is wanted. Broiling on a gas-stove is equivalent to broiling over a fire. BOILED FISH To boil fish properly it must never really boil; and in this lies the secret of success. If it boils it has a watery, insipid flavour, and drops of pieces very often when it is taken out of the water. The water must boil well before the fish is put in, and be seasoned with salt and a teaspoonful of vinegar or lemon juice; lay the fish carefully in, and bring the water to the boil again. Then draw it away from the fire, cover down closely, and keep it just below the boil. The time it takes to cook depends so much on the size and thickness of the fish that no hard and fast rule can be given; about ten minutes to every lb., will be sufficient. It is always done when it begins to leave the bone. Take it out of the water directly it is cooked, and if it is not wanted just at the time, cover it with a cloth and keep it hot. Any kind of fish sauce can be served with it, such as plain melted butter, parsley, or egg sauce. SALT FISH To cook salt fish it should be soaked in cold water for twelve hours, then well washed in fresh water, scraped and cleaned. Lay it in a fish-kettle, cover with cold water, then simmer very gently indeed for one hour and a half, according to the thickness of the fish. It should be dished on a serviette, and garnished with sprigs of parsley and slices of lemon. Send it to table with boiled parsnips and egg sauce. DEVILLED SARDINES * 1 tin Sardines--6d. * * 1/2 oz. Mustard--1/2d. * * Buttered Toast * * Cayenne--1d. * * Total Cost--71/2 d. * * Time--5 Minutes * Make the mustard with vinegar instead of water, and stir into it some cayenne and salt. Rub the sardines over with this, and either fry them in a little dripping or grill them. Cut the toast into fingers, lay a sardine on each piece, and serve hot. Sardines are also very good dipped in French batter and fried and served with fried parsley. FISH A L'AURORE * 1 Jew-fish--9d. * * 1/2 Small Onion * * 1/2 teaspoonful Parsley * * 1 Egg * * 1/2 pint White Sauce * * Pepper and Salt--3d. * * Total Cost--1s. * * Time--30 Minutes. * Put some dripping on a tin dish, lay the fish in it, and cover with a buttered paper and bake in the oven for twenty minutes. Take it out, split open and take out the centre bone; sprinkle the inside of the fish with finely chopped onion and parsley, pepper, and salt. Put back the upper fillet, trim away some of the bones, pour over the melted butter or white sauce, and put back into the oven for ten minutes. Boil the egg hard, remove the shell, take out the yolk and either chop it or rub it through a sieve, cut the white into shapes. Take the fish from the oven and decorate the top with the yolk and white of egg; serve hot. FILLETS A LA ORLY * 2 Bream--8d. * * Lemon Juice * * Parsley * * Half an Onion * * 1/2 pint Tomato Sauce * * Pepper and Salt--3d. * * Total Cost--11d. * * Time--5 Minutes * Fillet the fish and lay them in a dish; sprinkle them well with lemon juice, pepper, salt and parsley. Lay over them some slices of onion and leave them for an hour, then fry them either in batter or flour. Drain them for a few moments on kitchen paper, and serve on a dish very hot with some good thick tomato sauce in a sauce-boat. SCANDINAVIAN PUDDING * 2 Bream--8d. * * 2 Eggs--2d. * * 1/2 pint Milk--1d. * * 1/2 lb. Flour * * Pepper and Salt * * 1/2 pint Fish Sauce--2d. * * Total Cost--1s. 1d. * * Time--One Hour. * Fillet the fish, skin and chop very find; sift the flour into a basin, drop in the eggs, and make into a batter with the milk. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the chopped fish. Butter a basin, pour in the mixture and boil for one hour; turn out of the basin and serve with melted butter sauce, flavoured with anchovy, or with any other fish-sauce that may be preferred. OYSTERS AND POTATOES * 1 bottle Oysters--1s. * * 4 Cold Potatoes--1d. * * 1 Egg--1d. * * 2 oz. Flour * * Pepper and Salt--1/2d. * * Total Cost--1s. 21/2 d. * * Time--20 Minutes. * Mash the potatoes and make them into a paste with the flour and egg, roll out and cut into small pieces. Season the oysters with lemon juice, pepper, and salt; put three of four into each piece of potato crust. Roll it up, brush over with milk, and bake for twenty minutes. Pile high on a dish, and serve hot. STEWED FISH * 2 Fish--9d. * * 1/2 pint Stock * * 1 blade of Mace * * 2 Cloves * * 1/2 oz. Flour--1/2d. * * 2 tablespoonful Ketchup * * 1 Onion--1d. * * 1 Egg--1d. * * Bread Crumbs * * 1 doz. Peppercorns--1/2d. * * Total Cost--1s. * * Time--One Hour and a Quarter * Fillet the fish and fry them in egg and bread crumbs; slice and fry the onion, lay this and the fish in a tin dish. Cover with stock, put in the cloves, peppercorns, and mace, cover over, and put into a moderate oven for an hour. Mix the flour and ketchup together and stir it in; put back into the oven for ten minutes. Dish the fish and strain the sauce over it. OYSTERS AND MACARONI * 2 oz. Macaroni--1 1/2d. * * 1 bottle Oysters--1s. * * 1 gill Milk or Melted Butter Sauce--1d. * * Cayenne * * Salt * * Bread Crumbs--1d. * * Total Cost--1s. 31/2 d. * * Time--Half an Hour. * Boil the macaroni in the oyster liquor or in weak stock till quite soft. Rub a little butter on a dish, cut the macaroni into pieces two inches long and lay it at the bottom. On this place the oysters, and season them with cayenne, salt, and a little lemon juice or nutmeg. Pour over the milk or sauce, cover with bread crumbs, and brown it in a quick oven. A few little pieces of butter laid on top of the crumbs make a richer dish. It must be served very hot. CHAPTER XIX. FIFTY RECIPES FOR MEAT DISHES COOKERY OF MEAT. The principal methods of cooking meat are roasting, baking, boiling, stewing, broiling, braising, and frying. Of these methods roasting and baking are conducted on the same principle--dry heat; boiling and stewing are often spoken of as if they were the same, but this is quite a mistake. When we boil a joint we plunge it into boiling water, and this water should cover it completely; but when meat is stewed it must be cooked in a very small quantity of water, and never allowed to boil. Water boils at 212, but simmering heat is 180, and meat cannot be properly stewed if it is cooked quicker than this. One of the great faults of English cooks is that they cook too quickly, and it is particularly necessary in stewing to cook slowly, because we want to extract and blend all the different flavours of the various substances, which are necessary for a good and savoury stew. When boiling meat for table plunge it into boiling water, and then reduce the heat; but when broth or soup is to be made it must be put into cold water, so that the goodness may be drawn from it. Corned beef or pork should also be placed in cold water and heated gradually, so that some of the salt is drawn out. The frying-pan should be discarded from the kitchen, at least as far as steaks and chops are concerned; grilling or broiling is by far the best method of cooking them. Meat unless it is very carefully fried is tough and greasy, yet the same piece of meat if grilled or stewed would be tender and nutritious. There is often a prejudice against meat twice cooked, but the most delicate ENTREES that are so highly esteemed by many are only re-cooked meat. It is the time and care expended on it that makes it so delicious. Even in plain cooking there is no reason why the homely dish of hash should not be appetizing and wholesome. I trust that the following recipes, if carefully carried out, will prove this to be true. STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE * 2 lbs. Steak--5d. * * 2 Kidneys--1 1/2d. * * 1 lb. Flour * * 1/2 lb. Dripping * * 1 gill Water * * Pepper and Salt--2d. * * Total Cost--81/2 d. * * Time--One Hour and a Half * Mix a teaspoonful of flour in a plate with some pepper and salt, slice up the meat into pieces about three inches long by two broad, dip each piece lightly in the flour; skin and slice up the kidneys, and cut the fat into small pieces. Roll a piece of kidney and a piece of fat alternatively in the slices of meat, pile high in a dish, and pour in a gill of water or stock. Make a short crust by directions given for short pastry, wet the edge of the dish and line it with a strip of the paste, wet this strip again with water and cover the dish with paste; trim off the edge, cut a small piece out of the centre of the pie, and ornament it with a few leaves cut out of the paste trimmings. Brush over with water and bake in a moderate oven for one hour and a half. As soon as the crust has acquired some colour, cover with a piece of paper well rubbed with dripping. STEAK AND KIDNEY PUDDING * 2 lbs. Steak--5d. * * 2 Kidneys--1 1/2d. * * 1 lb. Flour--2d. * * 1/2 lb. Suet * * 1/2 pint Water * * Pepper and Salt--1 1/2d. * * Total Cost--10d. * * Time--Three Hours * Make a dry crust, by directions given elsewhere, of the flour, suet, and butter. Rub the pudding basin well with dripping, roll out the crust, take two-thirds and line the basin, well pressing the crust in. Slice up the meat and kidney, season with pepper and salt, pile lightly in the basin, pour in half a gill of water, wet the edge of the crust. Roll out the piece left, and cover the pudding securely. Dip a cloth in boiling water, put it over the top, tie it round with string, and pin or tie the ends of the cloth over the top. Plunge into plenty of boiling water, and boil for three hours. Take it up, take off the cloth, turn it out of the basin on to a hot dish, and serve hot. STEWED KIDNEYS AND MACARONI * 6 Kidneys--6d. * * 1 gill Stock * * 1 oz. Butter * * 2 oz. Macaroni * * Parsley, Pepper, and Salt--2 1/2d. * * Total Cost--81/2 d. * * Time--25 Minutes * Put the Macaroni into boiling water seasoned with salt, and boil for about twenty minutes, or until quite soft, but not broken. When it is boiling, skin and cut the kidneys in half, put them into a frying-pan with the butter, and toss them over the fire for two or three minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, pepper, and salt, pour over the stock or water. Bring it to the boil, then cover down by the side of the fire for five minutes. Place carefully in the centre of a hot dish, boil up the gravy and pour over. Arrange the macaroni round the dish as a border, and serve hot. STEWED STEAK AND WALNUTS * 2 lbs. Steak--5d. * * 1/2 pint Water or Stock * * 3 Pickled Walnuts * * 1 teaspoonful Vinegar * * 1 teaspoonful Cornflour * * Salt and Pepper * * Total Cost--6d.--1d. * * Time--Three Hours * Cut the steak into neat pieces, put it into hot water and bring to the boil, then keep it below boiling point, but simmering very gently for two hours and a half. Mix the cornflour with a tablespoonful of the vinegar from the walnuts and stir it in, add salt to taste and a small pinch of pepper. Cut up three walnuts and put them in, bring to simmering point again, and cook for at least another half-hour, then dish neatly. Boil up the gravy and pour over it. STEAK AND MACARONI * 2 lbs. Steak--5d. * * 2 oz. Macaroni--1 1/2d. * * 1 oz. Dripping * * 1/2 pint Stock * * 1 Onion * * 1 doz. Peppercorns * * Salt--1/2d. * * Total Cost--7d. * * Time--Three Hours * Cut the steak into neat pieces, put the butter or dripping into a saucepan and fry the steak quickly; take it out, shred the onion and put it in with the peppercorns, and let it get quite brown. Pour over the stock and stir until it boils, then put back the steak and let it simmer very gently for three hours. While it is cooking, boil the macaroni in weak stock or water for twenty-five minutes, and if it is ready before it is wanted keep it in hot water. When the steak is done, dish it neatly, flavour the gravy, boil it up and pour over. Cut the macaroni into short pieces and place it round the dish as a garnish. MUTTON CHOPS IN BATTER * 2 Eggs--2d. * * 2 lbs. Chops--5. * * 1 pint Milk--2 1/2d. * * 3/4 lb. Flour * * Salt and Pepper--1/2d. * * Total Cost--10d. * * Time--One Hour and a Quarter * Break the eggs into a basin, beat in the flour with a fork, then add gradually the milk, season with a little pepper and salt. Rub some dripping on a baking dish, pour in the batter, lay in the chops. Put into a moderate oven and bake for about one hour and a quarter. Serve hot. TOMATO PIE * 3 or 4 Tomatoes--2d. * * 1 lb. Chops--2 1/2d. * * 1 oz. Butter--1d. * * 4 Cold Potatoes--1d. * * Pepper and Salt * * 1 tablespoonful Milk--1/2d. * * Total Cost--7d. * * Time--One Hour and a Quarter * Skin and slice up the tomatoes, put a layer at the bottom of a pie-dish, then lay in the chops. Season with pepper and salt, and cover with the rest of the tomatoes; mash up the potatoes until ver smooth. Warm the butter and milk and pour it over them and make into a paste. Cover the dish with this crust, brush the top over with a little milk, put into the oven and bake for about one hour and a quarter. KABOBS * 1 1/2 lbs. of Steak--4d. * * 1 dessertspoonful Curry Powder * * 1 dessertspoonful Worcester Sauce * * 1 dessertspoonful Vinegar--1 1/2d. * * 1/2 pint Stock * * 1 tablespoonful Flour * * 1 tablespoonful Chutney * * 1/4 lb. Rice * * Salt--2d. * * Total Cost--71/2 d. * * Time--One Hour and a Half * Slice up the steak into pieces about three inches long and two broad. Mix the curry powder, sauce, vinegar, flour and chutney together and spread this over the steak; roll up and thread a small wooden skewers. These skewers should be made from a very small splint of wood, just large enough to hold one or at most two of the rolls; lay them in a saucepan, pour over the stock, bring to the boil and simmer one hour and a half. While they are cooking, well wash the rice in cold water and let it soak for half an hour, throw it into boiling water for three minutes and strain off. Put a pinch of saffron in some fresh water, season with salt, and finish cooking in this. Strain off and dry in the saucepan. Pile this on a dish and lay the kabobs over it; boil up the gravy, season and flavour, and strain round the dish. SCOTCH COLLOPS * 1 lb. Lean Steak--2 1/2d. * * 1 gill Stock * * Pepper and Salt * * 1 oz. Butter--1d. * * Quarter of an Onion * * Small Sippets of Toast--1d. * * Total Cost--41/2 d. * * Time--One Hour * Remove all the fat, and cut the meat into very thin and small dice, mince up the onion very finely. Mix together, season with some pepper and salt, and put into a saucepan with the butter. Stir it about for five minutes, then pour on the stock, bring to the boil, and simmer for one hour. Arrange neatly on a hot dish, and put the sippets of toast round. POOR MAN'S DISH * 1/2 pint Poor Man's Sauce--1/2d. * * Slice of Toast * * Slices of Cold Meat--2d. * * Total Cost--21/2 d. * * Time--Half an Hour * Make the sauce by directions given elsewhere, pour it into a pie dish, lay in some slices of underdone beef or mutton; cover over and stand in the oven for a quarter of an hour. Cut the slice of toast into sippets, lay them round, and serve. BREAST OF MUTTON AND PEAS * 2 Breasts of Mutton--4d. * * 2 Onions * * 1 Carrot--1/2d. * * 1 Egg--1d. * * Bread Crumbs--1/2d. * * 1 fagot of Herbs * * 1 pint Peas * * Salt and Pepper * * Hot Fat * * 12 Peppercorns--7d. * * Total Cost--1s. 1d. * * Time--Two Hours * Wipe the meat with a warm damp cloth, and put it into a saucepan with the vegetables; bring to the boil and stew very gently for two hours. Take it up and remove all the bones, put it between two boards and stand some heavy weights on it till quite cold. Then cut into neat-shaped pieces, egg and bread crumb them; fry a good colour. Boil the peas by recipe given elsewhere. Pile the mutton on a dish and put the peas round. A breast of lamb is exceedingly nice done in this way; it may be cut off before the quarter is roasted. The liquor in which the meat was cooked makes excellent soup. TRIPE AND TOMATOES * 2 lbs. Tripe--5d. * * 1 doz. Tomatoes--3d. * * 1/2 pint Water or Stock * * 1 oz. Cornflour--1/2d. * * 1 Onion * * Pepper and Salt--1/2d. * * Total Cost--9d * * Time--Four Hours * Cut the tripe into neat pieces, put it on in cold water and bring to the boil; let it boil for five minutes, put it into cold water, and wash and scrape it well. Slice up the tomatoes and rub them through a sieve; mix them with the stock or water, and season with pepper and salt. Pour this into a saucepan, slice in the onion, put in the tripe, and let it boil up. Simmer gently for four hours, mix the cornflour smoothly with a little water or stock, and pour it in; stir until it boils, dish the tripe carefully, season and flavour the sauce to taste, and pour it over. Tripe is more easily digested than any other animal food, and is therefore good for people suffering with dyspepsia. TRIPE IN MILK * 2 lbs. Tripe--5d. * * 1 pint Milk--2d. * * Pepper and Salt * * 2 Onions * * 1 oz. Flour * * 1/2 pint Water--1/2d. * * Total Cost--71/2 d. * * Time--Four Hours * Prepare the tripe as in the preceding recipe. Mix the milk and water together, pour it into a saucepan; lay in the tripe, slice in