The Skilful Cook Part 26

Make the _puree_ hot in a saucepan, and lay the pieces of meat in it to warm through.

Serve in a hot dish, with a border of boiled rice or macaroni.

Cold-meat Pie.

_Ingredients_--Slices of cold meat.

(If liked, slices of cold boiled potatoes).

Some stock or gravy.

Pepper and salt.

Some plain pastry.

_Method._--Roll out the paste, and cut a piece large enough for the cover.

Roll out the sc.r.a.ps, and from them cut a band an inch wide.

Wet the edge of the dish and place this round it.

Season the meat with pepper and salt, and lay the slices in the dish alternately with the potatoes.

Raise them in the middle of the dish in a dome-like shape, and pour in some gravy.

Wet the edges of the band of paste, and lay the cover over.

Trim round neatly, and make a hole in the middle of the crust.

Brush over with beaten egg, and decorate with paste leaves.

Bake in a quick oven for half an hour.

Cold Meat and Macaroni.

_Ingredients_--Slices of cold meat.

Macaroni.

Stock.

Bread-crumbs.

And, if possible, 2 or 3 tomatoes.

_Method._--Put the macaroni in boiling water, and boil it 20 minutes.

Then pour away the water, and stew it in the stock until tender.

Put a layer of macaroni in the bottom of a greased pie-dish.

Lay on it the meat, and cover it with another layer of macaroni, seasoning with pepper and salt.

Proceed in this way, until the dish is full (the top layer must be macaroni).

If tomatoes are used, slice them, and lay over the top; sprinkle with brown crumbs, and bake for about 20 or 30 minutes.

Mayonnaise of Cold Meat.

_Ingredients_--Slices of cold meat.

Green salad.

Beetroot.

Hard-boiled egg.

Some Mayonnaise sauce.

_Method._--Slice the salad, and mix the meat with it.

Heap it high on a gla.s.s or silver dish.

Garnish with beetroot and hard-boiled egg, and pour Mayonnaise sauce over (_see_ Sauces).

Beef and Mushrooms.

_Ingredients_--1 lb. cold roast beef.

1 dozen mushrooms.

1 shalot or small onion, very finely chopped.

2 oz. of b.u.t.ter.

pint of beef gravy.

1 dessertspoonful of vinegar.

Pepper and salt to taste.

_Method._--Cut the beef into neat slices, and wash and peel the mushrooms.

Season the meat with pepper and salt, and lay half of it in the bottom of a pie-dish.

Place some of the mushrooms on the top of it.

Put 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, in pieces, about them.

Then put in the remaining pieces of beef, and the mushrooms and b.u.t.ter in the same way.

Pour in the gravy and vinegar, and cover closely.

Put it into a moderate oven to bake for three-quarters of an hour.

Beef Scalloped.

_Ingredients_--Some cold roast beef minced.

1 boiled onion, very finely chopped.

Some mashed potatoes.

b.u.t.ter.

Pepper and salt.