A guide to modern cookery

lemon. 276—LEASON OF GREEN VEGETABLES WITH BUTTER First thoroughly drain the vegetables and toss them over the fire for a few minutes, in order to completely rid them of their moisture. Season according to the kind of vegetable; add the butter away from the fire, and slightly toss, rolling the saucepan meanwhile on the stove with the view of effecting the leason by means of the mixing of the butter with the treated vegetables. 277—LEASON OF VEGETABLES WITH CREAM Vegetables to be treated in this way must be kept somewhat firm. After having thoroughly drained them, put them into a saucepan with enough boiling fresh cream to well moisten without covering them. Finish their cooking process in the cream, stirring occasionally the while. When the cream is almost entirely reduced, finish, away from the fire, with a little butter. The leason may be slightly stiffened, if necessary, by means of a few tablespoonfuls of cream sauce. 278—VEGETABLE CREAMS AND PURÉES Purées of dry and farinaceous vegetables may be obtained by rubbing the latter through a sieve. Put the purée into a sautépan, and dry it over a brisk fire, adding one and one-half oz. of butter per pint of purée; then add milk or cream in small quantities at a time, until the purée has reached the required degree of consistence. For purées of aqueous vegetables, such as French beans, cauliflowers, celery, &c., a quarter of their volume of mashed potatoes should be added to them in order to effect their leason. In the case of vegetable creams, substitute for the thickening of mashed potatoes an equivalent quantity of succulent and stiff Béchamel sauce. 279—GARNISHES In cookery, although garnishes only play a minor part, they are, nevertheless, very important, for, besides being the principal accompaniments to dishes, they are very often the adornment thereof, while it frequently happens that their harmonious arrangement considerably helps to throw the beauty of a fine joint or bird into relief. A garnish may consist of one or more products. Be this as it may, its name, as a rule, distinctly denotes, in a word,