Sparrows
INGREDIENTS for dish for 4 persons. pint of milk, the same of water, 2 oz. of butter, 1/2 lb. of flour, a teacupful of bread-crumbs, salt. AVERAGE COST, 4d.
Make the flour and milk into a thick batter, with salt to taste, and drop this in small spoonfuls into boiling water, and boil about 5 minutes. They are done when they float. Melt the butter in a pan, and fry in it the bread-crumbs; then pour these over the sparrows in a dish, and serve quickly.
TIME.-5 to 10 minutes.
SEASONABLE at any time.
Spinach, To Boil. (English Mode.) -INGREDIENTS for dish for 8 persons.-2 pailfuls of spinach, 2 heaped tablespoonfuls of salt, 1 oz. of butter, pepper to taste. AVER- AGE COST, 8d. 389 SPINACH, FRENCH MODE.
Pick the spinach carefully, and see that no stalks or weeds are left amongst it; wash it in several waters, and, to prevent it being gritty, act in the following manner:
Have ready two large pans or tubs filled with water; put the spinach into one of these, and thoroughly wash it; then with SPINACH GARNISHED WITH CROUTONS. the hands, take out the spinach, and put it into the other tub of water (by this means all the grit will be left at the bottom of the tub); wash it again, and should it not be perfectly free from dirt, repeat the process, Put it into a very large saucepan, with about 1/2 pint of water, just sufficient to keep the spinach from burning, and the above proportion of salt. Press it down frequently with a wooden spoon, that it may be done equally; and when it has boiled for rather more than 10 minutes, or until it is perfectly tender, drain it in a colander, squeeze it quite dry, and chop it finely. Put the spinach into a clean stewpan, with the butter and a seasoning of pepper; stir the whole over the fire until quite hot; then put it on a hot dish, and garnish with sippets of toasted bread. TIME.-10 to 15 minutes to boil the spin ach, 5 minutes to warm with the butter.
SEASONABLE. - Spring spinach from March to July; winter spinach from Novem ber to March.
Note. Grated nutmeg, pounded mace, lemon-juice may also be added to enrich the flavour; and poached eggs are also frequently SPINACH AND EGGS. served with spinach; they should be placed on the top of it, and it should be garnished with sippets of toasted bread.
Spinach dressed with Cream, à la Française. - INGREDIENTS for dish for 8 persons.-2 pailfuls of spinach, 2 tablepoonfuls of salt, 2 oz. of butter, 8 tablepounded sugar, a very little grated nutmeg. spoonfuls of cream, 1 small teaspoonful of AVERAGE COST, 1s. 2d.
Boil and drain the spinach; chop it fine, and put it into a stewpan with the butter; stir it over a gentle fire, and, when the butter has dried away, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Previously to pouring in the cream, boil it first, in case it should curdle.
Serve on a hot dish, and garnish either with sippets of toasted bread or leaves of puff-paste.
TIME.-10 to 15 minutes to boil the spinach; 10 minutes to stew with the cream.
SEASONABLE. Spring spinach from March to July; winter spinach from November to March.