Published: Monday, January 30, 2012
Oldie but goodie recipes stand test of time
If you're any sort of a history buff and you love to cook, putting the two together in the kitchen is probably a given.
So let me pass along a recipe for an old-timey classic, dating back to the Civil War era, courtesy of a recent issue of the History Channel Magazine.
So it loses none of its heirloom charm, we have copied it exactly as printed in the magazine.
This dish, I dare say, is every bit as good today as it was back then and is still, albeit maybe with some adaptations, being enjoyed in homes across this incomparably great country of ours.
In fact, the womenfolk in my family made this dish, although we called it smothered chicken. And ours had lots of gravy, because that was served with the always must-have mashed potatoes.
Oddly enough, there appears to be no amount of liquid actually called for, neither water nor milk, for the gravy, something we will want to keep in mind.
Then, for dessert, we'll have another oldie, a pie from Pennsylvania that Lynnwood cook Mardell Anderson says is 200 years old. You'll notice it has been updated for use in our modern kitchens.
Brown fricasseed chicken
1-2 chickens, cut up
Butter, salt, pepper and flour for frying
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon sage, or other sweet herb to taste
3 tablespoons butter for gravy
1 tablespoon flour
Sliced onion (optional)
Sliced 1/2 lemon (optional)
Tomato catsup (optional)
Singe the chickens to remove pinfeathers and cut them in pieces. Pepper, salt and flour them, fry them in fresh butter till they are very brown.
Take the chickens out, and make a good gravy, in to which put sweet herbs according to your taste. If necessary, add pepper and salt. Butter and flour must be used in making the gravy in such quantities as to suit yourself for thickness and richness.
After all this is prepared, the chicken must be stewed in it, for half an hour, closely covered. A pint of gravy is about enough for two chickens; I should think a piece of butter about as big as a walnut, and a table-spoonful of flour, would be enough for the gravy. The herbs should, of course, be pounded and sifted. Some, who love onions, slice two or three, and brown them with the chicken.
Some slice a half-lemon and stew with the chicken.
Some add tomato catsup.
Lemon cake pie
11/4 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
3 tablespoons ice water
11/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted
21/2 cups milk
For the crust, in a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt; cut in shortening, then add ice water and stir to form a dough. Roll out, fit into 9- to 10-inch pie plate and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the remaining flour, 1/2 cup sugar and remaining salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar until stiff. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, butter and milk, stirring to mix thoroughly.
Add to flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Fold in beaten egg whites and turn into pie shell.
Bake at 350 degrees 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
The next Forum will appear in Wednesday's Good Life section.
So let me pass along a recipe for an old-timey classic, dating back to the Civil War era, courtesy of a recent issue of the History Channel Magazine.
So it loses none of its heirloom charm, we have copied it exactly as printed in the magazine.
This dish, I dare say, is every bit as good today as it was back then and is still, albeit maybe with some adaptations, being enjoyed in homes across this incomparably great country of ours.
In fact, the womenfolk in my family made this dish, although we called it smothered chicken. And ours had lots of gravy, because that was served with the always must-have mashed potatoes.
Oddly enough, there appears to be no amount of liquid actually called for, neither water nor milk, for the gravy, something we will want to keep in mind.
Then, for dessert, we'll have another oldie, a pie from Pennsylvania that Lynnwood cook Mardell Anderson says is 200 years old. You'll notice it has been updated for use in our modern kitchens.
Brown fricasseed chicken
1-2 chickens, cut up
Butter, salt, pepper and flour for frying
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon sage, or other sweet herb to taste
3 tablespoons butter for gravy
1 tablespoon flour
Sliced onion (optional)
Sliced 1/2 lemon (optional)
Tomato catsup (optional)
Singe the chickens to remove pinfeathers and cut them in pieces. Pepper, salt and flour them, fry them in fresh butter till they are very brown.
Take the chickens out, and make a good gravy, in to which put sweet herbs according to your taste. If necessary, add pepper and salt. Butter and flour must be used in making the gravy in such quantities as to suit yourself for thickness and richness.
After all this is prepared, the chicken must be stewed in it, for half an hour, closely covered. A pint of gravy is about enough for two chickens; I should think a piece of butter about as big as a walnut, and a table-spoonful of flour, would be enough for the gravy. The herbs should, of course, be pounded and sifted. Some, who love onions, slice two or three, and brown them with the chicken.
Some slice a half-lemon and stew with the chicken.
Some add tomato catsup.
Lemon cake pie
11/4 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
3 tablespoons ice water
11/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted
21/2 cups milk
For the crust, in a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt; cut in shortening, then add ice water and stir to form a dough. Roll out, fit into 9- to 10-inch pie plate and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the remaining flour, 1/2 cup sugar and remaining salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar until stiff. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, butter and milk, stirring to mix thoroughly.
Add to flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Fold in beaten egg whites and turn into pie shell.
Bake at 350 degrees 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
The next Forum will appear in Wednesday's Good Life section.
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