Mr. Arnott’s Currie

Modern cookery for private families · Acton, Eliza · 1845
Source
Modern cookery for private families
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (13)
Currie base
Protein/Main Ingredient (optional)
Rice accompaniment
Instructions (24)
Currie preparation
  1. Prepare the cabbage heart by pulling away outside leaves until it is about the size of an egg.
  2. Chop the cabbage heart fine.
  3. Slice two apples thin.
  4. Add the chopped cabbage heart, sliced apples, juice of one lemon, half a teaspoonful of black pepper, and one large tablespoonful of currie-powder to a bowl.
  5. Mix the ingredients well together.
  6. Chop six onions fine and fry them brown.
  7. Mince fine one garlic head, the size of a nutmeg.
  8. In a saucepan, combine the fried onions, minced garlic, two ounces of fresh butter, two tablespoonsful of flour, and one pint of strong mutton or beef gravy.
  9. Bring these ingredients to a boil.
  10. Add the previously mixed ingredients (cabbage, apples, lemon juice, pepper, currie-powder) to the boiling mixture.
  11. Stew the whole mixture well together.
  12. If the currie is not hot enough, add cayenne pepper.
  13. Add a roasted and nicely cut up fowl (or other protein option).
  14. Ensure the currie is well stewed.
Rice preparation
  1. Put the rice into water and change the water frequently.
  2. Let the rice soak in the water for at least half an hour to clear and soak it.
  3. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a rapid boil.
  4. Throw the rice into the boiling water.
  5. Cook the rice for fifteen minutes.
  6. Strain the rice into a dish.
  7. Wipe the saucepan dry.
  8. Return the drained rice to the dry saucepan.
  9. Place the saucepan over a gentle fire for a few minutes with a cloth over it to ensure every grain remains separate.
  10. Serve the rice without covering the dish.
Original Text
MR. ARNOTT’S CURRIE. “Take the heart of a cabbage, and nothing but the heart, that is to say, pull away all the outside leaves until it is about the size of an egg; chop it fine, add to it a couple of apples sliced thin, the juice of one lemon, half a teaspoonful of black pepper, with one large tablespoonful of my currie-powder, and mix the whole well together. Now take six onions that have been chopped fine and fried brown, a garlic head, the size of a nutmeg, also minced fine, two ounces of fresh butter, two tablespoonsful of flour, and one pint of strong mutton or beef gravy; and when these articles are boiling, add the former ingredients, and let the whole be well stewed up together: if not hot enough, add cayenne pepper. Next put in a fowl that has been roasted and nicely cut up; or a rabbit; or some lean chops of pork or mutton; or a lobster, or the remains of yesterday’s calf’s head; or anything else you may fancy; and you will have an excellent currie, fit for kings to partake of. “Well! now for the rice! It should be put into water which should be frequently changed, and should remain in for half an hour at least; this both clears and soaks it. Have your saucepan full of water (the larger the better), and when it boils rapidly, throw the rice into it: it will be done in fifteen minutes. Strain it into a dish, wipe the saucepan dry, return the drained rice into it, and put it over 298a gentle fire for a few minutes, with a cloth over it: every grain will be separate. When served, do not cover the dish.” Obs.—We have already given testimony to the excellence of Mr. Arnott’s currie-powder, but we think the currie itself will be found somewhat too acid for English taste in general, and the proportion of onion and garlic by one half too much for any but well seasoned Anglo-Indian palates. After having tried his method of boiling the rice, we still give the preference to that of Chapter I., page 36.
Notes
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