S
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1948.
YULETIDE FEASTING
CHOOSE A SMALL BIRD Reminding and COOK IT THIS WAY
Male ELECTION is extremely important with any kind of poultry, but today the housewife's task is made con- aldorably caster, as birds are carefully graded in 'all the big shops.
Stalonesa In Turkoya or chickens shows very little until they are actually on your plate.
Fine Skin
Choose birds of fine skin— the colour is not so important as the fineness of the pores. Although white-skinned ́birds are supposed to be more tender, with good cooking a
yellow. skinned bird can come to the mouth as tender as a peach,
Turkey is best caten hot- cold turkey having a tendency to taste rather like tough mut ton. Don't then, buy too large
wasto in reckoning your size of bird-an eight-pound turkey for six people, a ton-pound tur- key for seven or eight people, and so on.
The best possible way to cook both turkey and chicken is in a covered aluminium baking dish with ventilator top. You are then saved all basting froubles, and need not touch the bird until half an hour
before
serving, when you either remove the lid of the baking dish or open the ventilator wide,
cloth wrung out in worm water. Wipe your bird over with a clean Use small, neat wooden skewers to fasten up the stuffing, and he rather extravagant with the butter you use for basting.
small
On this important occasion you should allow yourself from 4 to 1b, of butter in which to cook the bird. Melt the butter in a saucepan and pour over the bird just before it goes in the oven. If you wish a crisp skin to the bird, flour, pepper and salt the bird to lightly
before allow two to three pounds of buiter.
pouring on the
ก
bird. It's usually unfe
Sauces and
seasoning for poultry
GIVE that extra flavour to the Christmas poultry dish with
appropriate sauces and seasonings. SEASONING FOR ROAST FOWL
*Ingredients: One cup bread crumbs, 1 dessertspoon chopped parsley, 1 dessertspoon butter ΟΥ finely chopped beef suel, grated rind of lemon, salt and pepper, Ittle powdered thyme ond mar- jorum (1 egg yolk or spoon milk to bind if required).
table-
Method: Mix the breadcrumbs with the seasonings, rub in the butter, and use dry, or neid CKg yolk or milk to bind, as preferred. Place the seasoning in the prepared fowl, whence the crop was removed, and fold the flap of skin smoothly over the back of the neck, folding the ends of the pinions backwards and under, to secure it.
OYSTER STUFFING (Roast Turkey)
Ingredients: Two cups fine brend- crumbs, salt and pepper, 1⁄2 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 1 teaspoon powdered marjoram, 2 tablespoons melted butler, 1
dessertspoon chopped parsley, 18 to 24 oysters.
Method: Mix the crumbs, salt,
lemon pepper,
rind, marjoram, parsley, and melted butter basin. Remove beards from shelled oysters, mix with other Ingredients, and use oyster stuffing for turkey.
SAGE AND ONION SEASONING
a
(Duck, Goose, Pork) Ingredients: Two onions 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon butter, salt and pepper, pinch of sugar and
grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon powdered
Bage.
Method: Put peeled onions in a saucepan with cold, water, boil,
drain, cover with fresh bolling water, and simmer until tender. Drain, and press as dry as possible, chap finely, and mlx crumbs
Cook slowly In a moderato oven, increasing the heat for the browning 15 minutes' cooking per pound of bird, plus the extra balf-hour at the
process of the last half-hour. Allow
end.
Stuffings
What you stuff the birds with is entirely a question of your In- dividual palate. A chestnut stuffing is excellent with either turkey or chicken at this time of year,
For this allow one pound of chestnuts to a good-sized bird, and boil them thoroughly in their skins first. Then plunge into cold water and leave for ten minutes. By that time the sking should come off quite easily, including the fibrous underskin.
brown,
Pound the chestnuts very finely. Bind the nuts with a little butter and either cream or eggs. Add salt, pepper, and a tiny pinch of mustard to flavour, and fill the bird tightly,
The Joint
Your Christmas beef should be ten days old; then it will be in really perfect condition. Wing rib and sirloin are the most popular joints.
You
ANSWER these questions. It
may save you disappoint- ment during the holidays.
with the hairdresser for December Have you made an appointment
20. 20 or 307 Your hair is sure to need re-setting after Christmas.
Are you sure that you have in the house and in working order- a tin-opener, corkscrew, beer bottle opener, nutcrackers, knife- sharpener?
Is your medicine cupboard well- stocked with aspirin, bicarbonate of soda, lodine and sticking plaster?
•
Have you several pairs of stock-* ings washed and mended ready to wear? You don't want to have to lart darning as, you are changing for the party.
•
•
Ilave you enough money in the house--particularly small change- to carry you over the holidays?
Is the house well supplied with cigarettes and matches?
•
Have you got Some cooking brandy to set the Christmas pud- ding on fre? Warm the brandy before you light it,
Are you fully supplied with face powder, cream, rouge, lipstick, sot-
The flesh should be bright red. Ifting lotion and scent to last you
it is at all purple It is sinle and it It is a very pale red it wil be tough.
Wipe the joint over with a wet cloth and then flour thoroughly with flour in which you have sall and pepper in your dredger.
Cook in a deep dish with a good sized knob of butter on top as well as any beef dripping you may have.
Baste all joints frequently unless
you are using a cover.
Serve with batter pudding and at
and spasonings. Dilx with melted | least two vegetables. butter, in use for seasoning duck, goose, pork, & c..
BREAD SAUCE
(Roast Fowl or Turkey)
Ingredients; Half a plot mlik, cup breadcrumbs, 2 cloves, 1 blade of mace, 1 onion, 1 dessertspoon butter, salt and cayenne.
Method: Peel onlon and put into saucepan with milk, mace, and cloves, Heat very slowly to boll- ing point, and add crumbs. Cover tightly with lid, and leave in warm part of stove for 15 to 20 minutes. nutes, unil bread sofiens and thickens mixture. Remove onion, cloves, and maco, add butter, and season with salt and cayenne (a little grated nutmeg is an improvement). Beat lightly with a fork, re-heat, and serve hot, with roast fowl. turkey..
APPLE SAUCE
or
If
you
over the Christmas. week-end?
Have you ene or two extra pre- guests come to your house? sents in hand, in case unexpected
Is the larder amply stocked with cold and inned food? You never know when you will have to pro- vide an extra meal or a snack.
Have you written down a rough plan for meals for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and the Monday after, co that you needn't worry about them during the holiday?
must mix
your drinks...
HRISTMAS drinks are likely to Ube even more elastic thon Christmas fare, and most of us will be hard put to it to stretch them as far as hospitality demands.
made
assist
this usin wassalling Christmas or on New Year's Eve. These pleasant brews will certainly help the drinks to go round; and perhaps remind us with some pride of the past. MULLED ALE
a pinch of nutmeg and a large pinch of ground ginger. Bring nearly to the ball, and then add a wineglass- ful of rum.
It has been wisely suggested that we might venture to return to those ! (Goose, Duck or Pork)
good old English drinks,
Put a quart of good ale in a Ingredients: Four tart apples, 2 mostly with ale or cider, which
saucepan, and add a tablespoonful tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon
were good enough for our forbears-of sugar, a pinch of ground cloves, sugar, 1 dessertspoon butter, V and found their most popular form teaspoon grated lemon rind, uttle in the
Like the Wassall Bowl. grated nutmeg.
flaming bowl of Snapdragon, the wassall bowl has become conne with Christmas and the New though it is of course sultabla foi any festive occasion-the word "wassail" simply being an old English form of salutation. u
Method: Peel, core, and thinly slice apples with a silver or stain- less knife. Put into saucepan with water, cover with lid, and simmer until tender. Beat to pulp with a fork or rub through a sleve. Return nutmeg, lemon rind, and stir while to saucepan. Add sugar, butter,
reheating, simmering for a few minutes before serving with roast duck, g0050, or pork,
THE PUDDING
EVERY
housewife's catch phrase at the moment:
"I must get that pudding made as soon as I can spare the time." Here is the recipe you'll need- and the recipe for the cake.
1
INGREDIENTS: 4oz. plain flour; 4oz. breadcrumbs; Jozi. fat (uct or fard or dripping plus margarine); 2oz. sugar and tablespoon syrup (or Joze, sugar); 2 level tablespoons dried egg; 1 teaspoon baking powder; level teaspoon salt;
b. dates; ib. other dried fruit; 2-3 tablespoons grated orange rind or marmalade; I level teaspoon each of allspice, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg: 2 tablespoons lemon squash (or water flavoured with lemon essence); 11⁄2 teaspoon almond essence; 1⁄4 teaspoon. rum essence (optional),
..
1 large dessertspoon gravy brown- tag: 4 pint stout or old ale, any kind of wine or spirits, or milk. all dry ingredients and mix Clean, dry and-where necessary-chop the fruit. Add the essences and other liquid (including the syrup if used) to the beer, spirits or milk,
For the same reason the contents of the bowl may vary, and in addition to the usual mixture, I am going to suggest one or two other and simpler drinks which may well
FRUIT: Dates give a rich flavour, sultanas a "winey" one. Prunes add favour, but too many make cakes or pudding tart. The same applies to apple rings, too many of which will also prevent the pudding keeping well.
WARNING: You can vary the quantity of fruit or nuts used. Fruit can be increased up to 1lb. for the But don't vary basic cake, 1lb. for the pudding. amounts of fat, sugar and eggs in proportion to flour.. NUTS: Chestnuts or almonds. Use Goza, for cake, 4023. for pudding, minced or chopped finely,
SPICES: Amount depends on freshness. Taste after final mixing-you may need more.
SPIRITS: These preserve cake or pudding. Without them, make cake only 8-10 days in advance, pudding 4 weeks in advance.
& THE CAKĖ.
INGREDIENTS: 12ozs, plain flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; level teaspoon salt; 4 level tablespoons dried egg; 4-6oze, margarine or cooking Jat. (or a mixture); 4oza, syrup; 1 to 11b, dried fruit fmixed); 2 table- spoons chopped candied orange peel or 2 tablespoona marmalade. One teaspoon mixed spice; 14 pint liquid made up of 1 dessertspoon almond, orange and lemon flavourings, valzed and undiluted orange aquaali, or pinger wine or any other wine you have; gravy browning. CLEAN and chop the fruit. Melt the syrup and fat. Mix or sift four, baking powder, salt, egg powder and spice. Beat the syrup and fat until cool. Add the flour mixture, orange squash or wine, and the chopped fruit.
Add 8 tablespoonfuls cold water (to reconstitute eggs) and -1' ten-. spoonful gravy browning (optional). Mix and turn into a prepared tin. Bako on a low shelf in a moderato oven (Reg. 4) for about 11⁄2 Hour then in a very moderata oven (Nor. 2) for, a' further, three hours...
Instead of syrup, you can use the same amount of sugar. Warm but do not melt, fat and sugar and beat creamy, 12.
Add suet-or rub' in the fit-to the dry mixture. Add the fruit and *mix well with the liquid. Put into
a treased pudding basin-size faches in diameter.
Blommor ball fairly, briskly, for four hours, 1. Before serving, steam mr. boll for- a further two to three
To prepare the in nine inches diamaler for these ingredients:
Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to at the bottom of the tin, and a straight strip to go round the aldez. This should be deep enough to stand about one theh above the edge of the tin and turn in a little at the bottom. Grease the paper, on both sides.
BROWN CAUDLE
Mix two large, spoonfuls of fine oatmeal with a'quart of mild_ale, and leave it for two hours. Then strain the beer from the meal, and bring it nearly to the boil. Sweeten it to taste, and add a glass or two of sherry and a touch of grated nutmeg or a squeeze of lemon Juice, if available.
CIDER PUNCH
Put a quart of cider into saucepan with a few lumps of sugar or their equivalent in white sugar. Add an orange stuck with Icw cloves, bring to the boil and boll for two or three minutes. Then add a glass of whisky, and pour the punch, orange and all, Info your bowl, serving it very hot.
OLD ENGLISH PUNCH
a
Rub the rind of a lemon on a quarter of a pound of lump sugar; but it would be better nowadays to favour the sugar with lemon essence. Dissolve this la a littl boiling water, and then add half pint of nearly boiling ale, a quarter of a pint of good strong hot tes, and a wineglassful of rum. If it possible, a wineglassful of brandy should be added as well, but this is a counsel of perfection.
WASSAIL BOWL
Bring a quart of ale nearly to the boll, and add a good flavouring of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to your taste, half a bottle of therry, two slices of toasted bread, the fulce of a lemon or its equivalent in good
lemon flavouring or squash, two well-baked apples, and sugar to taste. Heat it all up until very hot, and serve from the warmed bowl,"
JĄCQMAR SQUARES
visit— BOND TREEI W...
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At The Hong Kong Hotel, Hongkong
Operi troën Sam to 6 pmNDE
18th-444 December t
"All day Naturday 18th December
For your Christmas shopping,
4
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for
CLOSING HOURS:
TO-DAY AT 5 o'c.
NEXT WEEK 6 o'c.
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