Vegetables and salads form a very important part of the diet, particularly for growing children. They contain substances which help to
build bone, teeth, etc., and keep the body generally in good condition and enable it to resist disease.In order to obtain the best possible nutriment, vegetables should be eaten raw as much as possible. Many of the valuable contents can be
completely destroyed by bad cooking.Out-of-date methods should be discarded and the newer improved methods adopted if vegetables are to take their rightful place in the diet.
VEGETABLES
Vegetables may be divided into the following classes: -
1. Greens (leaves) cabbage, curly kale, endive, lettuce, nettles, spinach, sprouts, turnip-tops, etc.
2. Roots beetroot, carrots, celeriac, parsnips, salsify, swedes, turnips, etc.
3. Bulbous roots leeks, onions, shallots, etc.
4. Tubers potatoes, artichokes, etc.
5. Blanched stems celery, chicory, seakale, etc.
6. Flower or head broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
7. Fruit beans, peas, cucumber, marrow, tomatoes, etc.
Choice of Vegetables
1. Choose fresh, crisp vegetables.
2. Use straight from the garden or allotment whenever possible.
METHODS OF COOKING VEGETABLES
Conservative Boiling (i.e. cooking in very little water in saucepan).
BASIC RECIPE
2 lb. Vegetables ¼ pint boiling water
1 oz. margarine ⅓ tsp salt
1. Prepare just before cooking (see chart, pp.13-19).
2. Wash very thoroughly. Do not soak.
3. Have ready in a saucepan a small quantity of boiling water (¼ pint is sufficient for 2 lb. vegetables).
4. Add the salt and fat and put in the vegetables.
5. Put a tightly fitting lid on the saucepan.
6. Boil quickly, shaking the pan from time to time.
7. Drain and serve immediately they are cooked.
Note: If these directions are followed, vegetables will b crisp, quite cooked, a good flavour and colour. Use any liquor remaining for
vegetables sauces, soups and gravies.
Steaming
1. Prepare vegetables
2. Place in steamer and sprinkle with salt
3. Cook 20 to 40 mins.
4. Serve very hot.
Stewing
1. Prepare vegetables.
2. Melt the fat and sweat the prepared vegetables. Do not allow the vegetables to brown at all.
3. Cook in very little water until tender.
4. Serve very hot.
Baking
1. Prepare vegetables.
2. Melt fat and when hot put in vegetables and cook in moderately hot oven.
3. Turn from time to time to brown evenly all over.
4. Drain carefully.
Or
Put into fat with roast meat in time to be ready when the meat is cooked; baste and turn.
Braising
1. Prepare vegetables.
2. Place a little dripping or bacon fat into the pan.
3. Put in a layer of vegetables cut into discs carrot, turnip, etc.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Place the vegetable to be braised on top.
6. Place lid on pan and cook for about 10 mins, shaking occasionally.
7. Add stock or water to cover bed of vegetables but not the vegetables to be braised.
8. Baste with stock occasionally.
9. Cook until tender and the glaze (see p. 138) if desired.
Frying
1. Prepare and coat (except potatoes)
2. Coat with batter, egg and crumbs, etc.
3. Fry in deep fat.
4. Drain well and serve very hot.
Puree of Vegetables
1. Prepare and cook in very little water.
2. Rub through a sieve.
3. Return to saucepan, dry thoroughly and then beat in a little milk, except for greens.
Vegetables suitable for puree: potatoes, Swedes, turnips, carrots, and spinach.
ADAPTAION OF BASIC METHODS
| Name of Vegetable |
Special Preparation |
Methods of Cooking |
Time |
Additional Directions |
| Artichokes (Jerusalem) |
Scrub and peel very thinly, using 1 tsp vinegar in the water to keep them white. |
Boiling |
30-40 mins. |
Add 1 tsp vinegar to the boiling salted water. Coat with white sauce. |
| Frying |
Dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Egg and crumb. |
| Asparagus |
Cut away very woody part. Scrape lightly from head downwards. |
Boiling |
15-20 mins. |
Serve with melted butter or Dutch sauce. |
| Steaming |
20-30 mins. |
|
| Beans (Broad) |
Shell immediately before cooking. If old, place in boiling water for few minutes and remove skins. |
Boiling |
15-20 mins. |
Coat with parsley sauce. |
| Beans (French) |
Cut off ends and cook whole. Shred if old. |
Boiling |
15-20 mins. |
|
| Stewing |
30 mins. |
Stew in stock and coat with sauce made from stock. |
| Beans (Runner) |
Cut off ends and slice thinly. |
Boiling |
20-25 mins. |
|
| Beetroot |
Shake soil from roots. Cut off leaves leaving about 2 in. of stem. Do not damage skins. |
Boiling |
1-1 ¼ hrs. (according to size) |
Add just enough water to cover the beetroot. Remove skin carefully.
Serve hot with white sauce (see P. 50) |
| Baking |
1 ½ hrs. (medium size) |
Place on greased tin and bake in moderately hot oven. |
| Broccoli |
As cauliflower |
Boiling |
10-15 mins. |
|
| Brussels sprouts |
Make a slit across the bottom of the stalk. |
Boiling |
10-15 mins. |
|
| Steaming |
20-25 mins. |
|
| Cabbage and spring greens |
Remove and decayed leaves. Cut into quarters, or, if large, smaller. Wash thoroughly in salted water. Rinse and shake well.
Shred fairly finely, using sharp knife. Shred outside leaves very finely |
Boiling |
10-15 mins. |
Serve very hot. |
| Carrots |
If young, scrape and leave whole. If older, peel very thinly. Cut into four or eight lengthways. Place lengths together and
cut across, or Cut into rings. |
Boiling |
20 mins. |
When cooked sprinkle with parsley. |
| Steaming |
30-40 mins. |
|
| Stewing |
30-40 mins. |
As Celery. (Make into puree if desired.) |
| Cauliflower |
Remove outside coarse leaves. Wash thoroughly and hollow out stem,
Or
Break cauliflower into sprigs. |
Boiling |
30-35 mins. (whole)
10-20 mins. (sprigs) |
Add enough water to come about half way up the cauliflower. Coat with white sauce or cheese sauce. |
| Steaming |
15-20 mins. |
Coat with white or cheese sauce. If cheese sauce, sprinkle some of cheese over after coating cauliflower and brown in oven
or under grill. |
| Frying |
45-55 mins. |
Coat sprigs in batter (p. 96) and fry in deep fat. |
| Celeriac |
Wash and brush the celeriac and peel off the outside skin. Cut into small even-sized pieces. |
Boiling |
20-30 mins. |
Coat with white or egg sauce (see p. 50) |
| Celery |
Remove green tops and use for soups. Divide stalks and wash very thoroughly. Cut into even-sized pieces. |
Boiling |
20-30 mins. |
Coat with white or parsley sauce. |
| Stewing |
30-40 mins. |
Stew in milk or stock. Make white or tomato sauce with liquor and coat celery. |
| Braising |
30-40 mins. |
(a) Use carrots, turnips and onions for the bed of the vegetables.
(b) Glaze (see p. 138) |
| Steaming |
40-45 mins. |
Coat with white sauce. |
| Chicory |
Wash leaves very thoroughly. |
Boiling |
20-30 mins. |
Coat with white sauce. |
| Braising |
30-40 mins. |
As Celery. |
| Stewing |
30-40 mins. |
As Celery. |
| Cucumber |
Pell thinly. Cut into neat pieces, scooping out all the seeds. |
Boiling |
20-30 mins. |
Coat with white, egg, parsley or hollandaise sauce (see p. 50). |
| Stewing |
20-30 mins. |
Make a brown sauce (see p. 47) and stew the cucumber in it. Sprinkle with parsley. |
| Curly kale |
Remove very coarse stalks. Prepare as Cabbage. |
Boiling |
15-20 mins. |
As Cabbage. |
| Endive |
Wash thoroughly. |
Boiling |
15-20 mins. |
Serve as Spinach. |
| Leeks |
Cut off roots and green ends and remove outer covering. Slit at root and wash in several waters. |
Boiling |
15-20 mins. |
Serve with white sauce. |
| Braising |
20-25 mins. |
As Celery. |
| Stewing |
20-30 mins. |
As Celery. |
| Lettuce |
As Cabbage. |
Boiling |
10 mins. if young, 20-25 mins. if old. |
Serve as Cabbage. |
| Braising |
30-40 mins. |
As Celery. |
| Marrow (see Vegetable Marrow) |
|
|
|
|
| Nettles |
Use young nettles only. Wash very thoroughly in several waters. |
Boiling |
10-15 mins. |
Omit the boiling water. Use only the water that clings after washing the nettles (See Spinach). |
| Onions |
Skin the onions |
Boiling |
20-30 mins. |
Coat with white sauce. |
| Braising |
30-40 mins. |
As Celery, omitting onion in bed of vegetables. |
| Stewing |
30-45 mins. |
As Celery. |
| Use large onions for baking. |
Baking |
30 mins. |
Parboil (see p. 142) the onions. Place in greased baking tin or fireproof dish and wrap the onion in greased paper. Bake in
moderately hot oven,
or
Boil the onions until just soft. Scoop out the centre. Fill with veal or forcemeat stuffing (see p. 137). Sprinkle with
breadcrumbs and a piece of fat. Wrap in greased paper. Bake in moderately hot oven until brown. Serve with brown or piquant
sauce. Add onion pulp to sauce. |
| Slice finely |
Frying |
|
(a) Cook until golden brown
Or
(b) Coat in seasoned flour and fry in deep fat. |
| Parsnips |
Peel very thinly |
Boiling |
20-30 mins. |
As Carrots. |
| Baking |
30-40 mins. |
As Potatoes. |
| Steaming |
30-40 mins. |
As Potatoes. |
| Peas |
Shell just before cooking. |
Boiling |
10-15 mins. |
Add 1 tsp sugar and sprig of mint. Remove mint before serving. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley. |
| Potatoes |
Scrub and cook in skin.
Scrape when new.
Peel very thinly when old |
Boiling |
15-20 mins. (new)
30-40 mins. (old) |
Add sprig of mint to new potatoes. When cooked, drain and replace on heat with the lid off to dry thoroughly. |
| Baking
(in jacket) |
45 mins to 1 hr.
1 to 1½ hrs. |
Choose even-sized potatoes. Sprinkle with salt.
(a) Place round the meat or cook in baking tin in hot fat
Or
(b) Prick and bake in moderately hot oven. (These may be stuffed.) |
| Steaming |
45 mins. to 1 hr. |
Sprinkle with salt. |
|
Frying |
|
For shallow frying, cut in slices. For deep fat frying, wash and dry and cut into chips. Dry well, place in frying basket
and lower slowly into hot fat. Remove after about 3 mins; reheat fat until quite still and lower potatoes into fat again.
Fry until golden brown, drain well, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve very hot. |
| Seakale |
Cut off root and prepare as Celery. |
Boiling |
20-30 mins. |
As Celery. |
| Braising |
30-40 mins. |
As Celery. |
| Stewing |
30-40 mins. |
As Celery. |
| Steaming |
40-45 mins. |
As Celery. |
| Spinach |
Wash very thoroughly in several waters. Remove any coarse stalks |
Boiling |
10-15 mins. |
Omit the boiling water. Use only the water that clings after washing the spinach. When cooked, drain thoroughly, pressing
out the water. Chop very finely or rub through sieve. Put the fat into a saucepan, add salt and pepper and make spinach
thoroughly hot. Pile up in a hot dish and garnish with croutons of bread or toast sections of hardboiled egg. |
| Spring Greens (See Cabbage) |
|
|
|
|
| Swedes and Turnips |
Peel thickly and cut into thin slices or small pieces. |
Boiling |
30 mins. |
When cooked, mash or make into puree. It may be mixed carrots to improve flavour. |
| Steaming |
45-50 mins. |
|
| Tomatoes |
Use small, firm tomatoes. |
Boiling |
5-7 mins. |
Use draining spoon to lift from pan. |
| Baking |
10-15 mins.
15-20 mins. |
(a) Place on greased tin or fire-proof dish, place a small piece of margarine on each tomato and bake in moderately hot
oven
Or
(b) Scoop out the centre and stuff the tomato before baking. |
|
|
Frying |
5-7 mins. |
Cut into rings; turn about gently in hot fat. |
| Stewing |
15-20 mins. |
Cut into slices or quarters and sprinkle with salt, pepper and sugar. Put into saucepan or fireproof dish with a little
margarine and stew gently. |
| Vegetable Marrow |
Peel thinly and remove seeds. Cut into even-sized pieces. |
Boiling |
15-20 mins. |
If very young, cook whole. (Seeds not formed.) |
| Steaming |
30 mins. |
Coat with white sauce. |
| Baking |
30-45 mins. |
Cut into two length-ways and remove seeds. Fill one half with stuffing (see p. 137) and place other half on top. Wrap in
greased paper and tie lightly. Place on greased baking tin. Serve with brown sauce (see p. 47). |
Potatoes using a combination of pomme duchess and choux paste.
Lorette
Chamonix Cheese
Dauphine Basic
Elizabeth Spinach
Potatoes derived from Macaire.
Bryon cream, Cheshire cheese.
Robert cibols (chives) egg.
Frying
Medium Oil 185oC
Baskets
Spiders
Kitchen Paper
Trays
Salt box
Do not salt over oil.
Classification of Potato dishes
a. Boiled or steamed steamed plain boiled parsley.
b. Mashed (some may be completed with milk), puree, mousseline, Barritz, a la crème.
c. Duchesse, duchesse, marquise, Galette, croquette, St Florentine.
d. Duchesse potatoes, Choux paste, Dauphine, Elizabeth, Lorette, Bussy.
e. Deep-fried potatoes, Pailles, Allumettes, Game chips, Port neuf, batalle, frites.
f. Shallow fried, half cook in their skins, sautés, provencale, lyonaise.
Cooked from raw
A crew, Columbine, Parueutien, Sablees, Noisette, Parsienne.
g.
Anna Potatoes
anna voisin, mirelle, Daudhin.
h. Served in their skins, Au Four, Arlie, Gratinees, Meagerie.
i. Braved Boulangene, savouarcle, Fonclautes Cretan.
Potato Dishes
Pomme de terre lorette (ESC)
125g choux paste
350g Pommes Duchess
Mould crescent shape using flour.
Place onto oiled greased proof paper.
Place into basket.
To lower into fat, carefully remove paper.
Serve on a dish with fried or picked parsley, repotire cigar shape.
Pomme de terre Bussy (ESC)
Pommes duchess lorette with truffles and chopped parsley. Cigar shape.
Pomme de terre Bernx
Duchesse addition chopped truffle apricot shape.
Egg wash roll in sliced almonds, use egg and crumb (egg wash dambed almond).
Deep fry serviette, picked parsley.
Pomme de terre Robert 50g
Pomme au four into Macaire, egg yolk, chopped chives classically cooked in an Anna mould or omelette pan. Trade practise shape as galette
shallow fry.
Pommes Parisienne
Cut potatoes with a spoon, wash, dry and shallow fry in c/f butter/oil even colour making sure inside is cooked. Roll in meat glaze (Glace
de Viarde) pale chopped parsley.
Comparison
Parisinne smaller than Noisette (ESC)
Parisinne larger than Noisette (REP)
Noisettes repatoire cooked as for chateau. |
