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OATCAKE

See Bannock.

OATMEAL

Made by grinding hulled oats into flour or meal. Oatmeal is generally prepared in grades according to its texture – coarse, medium or fine; medium is the one we use most.

Oatmeal is among the most nutritious of all the grains, and rolled oats, the steamed grain flattened between rollers for faster cooking, have been used to make breakfast porridge for generations of families throughout the world. Oatmeal is also used to give bulk to sausages, to thicken soups and stews or to bake oatcakes, breads, scones, biscuits (see Anzac Biscuits) and puddings. The Scots have many splendid dishes containing oatmeal, including Oatcakes (see Bannock), Crispy Herring in Oatmeal, and, of course, porridge, while the Swiss breakfast muesli contains uncooked rolled or toasted oats. Quick-cooking oatmeal is readily available from supermarkets and grocery stores, and can be used in many recipes as well as for a quick breakfast cereal.

Rolled oats are said to have been invented by the Quaker Oat Company in 1877. Quick-cooking oats are thinner and finer than rolled oats and have been pre-cooked.

GINGER OATMEAL SCONES

1 cup flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup one-minute oats
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons honey
¼ cup warm water
cup milk

Sift flour, baking powder, spices and salt into a bowl. Add oats and rub in butter. Mix honey, water and milk, blending thoroughly. Pour into dry ingredients and mix to a soft dough. On a floured surface lightly pat dough into a round about 2.5 cm (1 in) thick. Cut into rounds using a scone cutter or sharp knife. Place on an ungreased baking tray and bake in a preheated very hot oven (230°C/450°F) for 10–12 minutes. Serve warm with butter and ginger marmalade or apricot jam. Makes about 12.

OAT AND RAISIN BREAD

A delicious tea bread, served sliced with butter.

1 egg, beaten
cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup, warmed
1¼ cups buttermilk
60 g (2 oz) butter, melted
cup rolled oats
1 cup wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
cup raisins

Beat egg with sugar, syrup, buttermilk, butter and rolled oats. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda and fold into oat mixture. Stir in raisins lightly. Turn into a greased and lined 20 × 10 cm (8 × 4 in) loaf tin and spread batter evenly. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Serve sliced and spread with butter.

OATMEAL SODA BREAD

A quick bread made without yeast.

1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups fine oatmeal
1¼ cups buttermilk or sour milk

Sift flours, baking powder, soda, sugar and salt into a large bowl and mix in oatmeal. Stir in buttermilk or sour milk and mix lightly and quickly to a soft dough. Put on a floured surface, knead once or twice and shape dough lightly into a round. Place on a greased baking tray. Using a sharp knife cut a cross in top of loaf. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (190°C/375°F) for about 1 hour or until bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Remove from oven and immediately wrap in a clean tea-towel. Serve while still warm, with plenty of butter.

CRANACHAN

A marvellous Scottish dessert also known as cream crowdie.

4 tablespoons medium oatmeal
1¼ cups cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons whisky, or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Spread oatmeal on an ungreased baking tray and lightly toast in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/ 350°F) for about 15 minutes or until crisp. Cool. Whip cream until it holds soft peaks and fold in icing sugar and whisky or vanilla. Gently stir cooled, toasted oatmeal into cream. Serve on its own or with fresh strawberries or raspberries. Serves 4.

PEANUT BUTTER BISCUITS

90 g (3 oz) butter
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1½ cups caster sugar
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg
1½ cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup rolled oats

Cream butters, sugars and vanilla. Add egg, beat well, then stir in flour and salt. Mix in oats. Form mixture into 2 rolls about 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes. Cut into 6 mm (¼ in) thick slices and arrange on greased baking trays. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for about 20 minutes. Cool on baking trays for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 36.

OATMEAL CRUNCH

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
½ cup raw sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
125 g (4 oz) butter, melted
½ cup mixed chopped raisins and dried apricots

Combine oats, coconut, sugar, vanilla and melted butter and mix thoroughly. Stir in chopped fruits. Spread mixture in greased lamington tin and bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 20–30 minutes. Cut into squares while still hot. When cool, remove from tin and store in an airtight container. Makes about 30.

ROLLED OAT BISCUITS

2¼ cups rolled oats
½ cup raw sugar
125 g (4 oz) butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon molasses (optional)
1 tablespoon sultanas
2 tablespoons chopped dried apricots

Combine rolled oats and sugar. Melt butter, add honey, syrup and molasses and combine thoroughly. Pour over oats and sugar. Add sultanas and apricots and stir well. Place in a greased lamington tin and smooth top. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/ 350°F) for 20–25 minutes. Cut into squares while still warm and remove from tin when cold. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 20.

CHERRY RAISIN DROPS

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
½ cup caster sugar
¼ cup chopped raisins
¼ cup chopped glacé cherries
125 g (4 oz) butter, melted
cup milk

Combine all ingredients and mix well to a stiff batter. Place teaspoons of mixture on greased baking trays, allowing space for spreading. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (190°C/375°F) for 15–20 minutes. Remove from trays and cool on wire racks. Makes about 36.

OCTOPUS

A cephalopod, as is squid. The two resemble each other in that they have tentacles but no visible external shell. The best edible octopus is the small variety, with a maximum weight of about 500 g (1 lb). Larger octopuses are usually not as tender as their smaller cousins.

Octopus can be stewed, fried or stuffed and baked like squid (See Squid). The larger ones need the longest cooking. Little octopuses can be gently fried in olive oil to make up a delicious salad, served warm with plenty of lemon juice, chopped garlic and chopped parsley.

Basic preparation: If your recipe calls for only the tentacles, ask the fishmonger to remove the head for you. Otherwise, cut off the tentacles, set aside and clean octopus by pulling out intestines and ink sac, reserving the latter if the octopus is to be cooked in its ink. Using kitchen shears or a very sharp knife, cut out the eyes and beak-like mouth and discard. Rinse well.

If octopus is large, it must be tenderised. After cleaning, pound with a heavy mallet or cleaver then strip off skin by rubbing with salt and rinsing well. Alternatively, simmer in water to cover for 1 hour, then peel off skin and proceed according to your recipe.

If octopus is under 500 g (1 lb), omit pounding or simmering; simply rub off skin, rinse octopus well and proceed with recipe.

PICKLED OCTOPUS

A delicious appetiser served in Greece.

500 g (1 lb) octopus, cleaned, skinned and pounded
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup olive oil
½ cup vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
lemon wedges and chopped parsley to garnish

Place octopus head and tentacles in a heavy saucepan without any liquid. Cover and cook very gently until octopus turns a deep pink and is tender, which takes about 45 minutes. Drain and, when cool, strip suckers from tentacles into bite-sized strips and place in a bowl. Add garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and leave to marinate in refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Stir occasionally. Drain off marinade, and pile octopus into a serving dish. Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread and provide toothpicks for convenient eating. Serves 6.

OCTOPUS STEWED WITH ONIONS

500 g (1 lb) octopus, cleaned, skinned and pounded
cup olive oil
3 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram, or ½ teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup red wine
1 cup canned tomatoes
2 teaspoons tomato paste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped parsley

Cut octopus into pieces about 5 cm (2 in) long. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add octopus pieces, marjoram, sugar and bay leaf, and cook gently for 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, wine, tomatoes and tomato paste, cover pan and simmer gently for 40–45 minutes or until octopus is tender. Remove bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with plenty of chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread. Serves 4.

OEUFS À LA NEIGE
(EGGS IN THE SNOW)

See Custard.

OFFAL

General term for those parts of an animal left over from cutting up a carcase; they may also be called variety meats. Some types of offal come from inside the animal (for example liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, brains, tripe) while others are external (for example tongue, tail, feet, head).

See also entries for individual names.

OIL

Oils are distinguished from fats in that they are liquid at room temperature. Edible oils are processed from many seeds, nuts and fruits including olives, peanuts, sunflower seeds, coconuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, grape seeds, avocados, sesame seeds, corn, cotton seeds and soy beans.

There are some edible oils of animal origins, but these are mostly used in manufacturing rather than in the kitchen.

Cold-pressed or unrefined oils have been extracted simply by pressing, and retain their full natural flavour. Refined oils, the majority of those available, have been processed to make them relatively flavourless and odourless, and to keep well. Ideally, buy oil in quantities that you will use within a month or two. Delicate salad oils such as walnut, grape seed or pumpkin seed, and other cold-pressed oils, should always be stored in the refrigerator. Cooking oils should be stored, tightly sealed, in a cool place away from light. Do not mix together used and unused oil or else the flavour will spoil.

Types of oil: There are three basic types of oil: polyunsaturated, mono-unsaturated and saturated. They differ from each other in their chemical structure. There is some controversy about the different effects of these oils on health, and it is widely believed that the use of polyunsaturated oils, as well as fats, is preferable to that of saturated ones to help control blood fats (cholesterol and tri-glycerides), which are a risk factor in the development of heart disease and strokes.

Polyunsaturated oils include sunflower, safflower, maize, soy bean and many blended vegetable oils.

Mono-unsaturated oils are usually fairly neutral in context. They include olive and peanut oils.

Saturated oils are mostly of animal origin; coconut oil, however, is saturated.

Ways to use oils:

Salad dressings and sauces: Olive oil is the queen of salad oils and is indispensable for pasta sauces. Its flavour varies in character and strength from one country and from one type of olive to another. A trick for developing a fruity flavour is to keep a few black olives in a bottle of oil. The finest olive oil is virgin oil, from the first cold pressing of the olives. It is sometimes blended with the less expensive, blander oil from later pressings to improve its flavour.

Peanut oil or polyunsaturated all-purpose oils, such as sunflower, safflower, corn or blended oils, can be used in salad dressings and sauces, although they will contribute little to the flavour. You may like to mix them half-and-half with olive oil.

Aromatic oils, such as walnut, grape seed, pumpkin seed and avocado, give subtle flavour variations to salad dressings.

Cakes and breads: Oil is used instead of butter or margarine in some cakes and breads, but it cannot be substituted for these in other recipes. All-purpose oils such as the polyunsaturated ones are suitable; the flavour of olive oil is usually too strong, although it is occasionally called for.

Frying: The best oils for frying are those which can be heated to fairly high temperatures before beginning to smoke (a sign that the oil is starting to break down and will spoil the flavour of the food; it is also very close to its ‘flash’ point – when it will burst into flames). Peanut oil (much used in Chinese cooking), corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower and most blended oils are suitable.

So-called ‘solid oils’ (oils which have been processed to make them solid at room temperature), are much less expensive than polyunsaturated oils; they are recommended by manufacturers for deep-frying and perform particularly well, although the processing makes them more saturated than before.

Olive oil breaks down at high temperatures so can be used for frying only at moderate heat; it is not, therefore, suitable for deep-frying. But its lovely flavour makes it ideal for lightly frying vegetables or for the gentle cooking of onion, which is the first step in so many dishes. Olive oil is also used for Ratatouille and other Mediterranean dishes which are simmered in oil rather than fried. Mustard seed oil, which has a distinctive flavour, is often used to fry the onions, garlic and spices when preparing a curry.

Heat oil for frying slowly to the correct temperature. If it is not hot enough, too much will be absorbed by the food, and if it is overheated, it will not only spoil the flavour but can be dangerous. If overheated oil should catch alight, smother the flames by sprinkling with flour (don’t thrown on too much at once as this may cause oil to splash); or cover the pan with a lid and leave so that flames will extinguish from lack of air. Do not use water as this will only spread the flames. After use, strain the oil through a sieve lined with a disposable cloth and store it, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator or a very cool place. The ‘smoke’ point of the oil is gradually lowered with use.

Oil that smells burnt or looks dark should be discarded. Solid oil or peanut oil, properly used, should last for about 3–5 fryings. Polyunsaturated oils are less robust and will probably last for only 1–2 fryings.

Sautéeing and browning casserole meat: Use only a little oil, and heat slowly until it just begins to give off a haze, then add food (which should be well dried or floured) immediately. If you are cooking several batches, wipe pan out quickly with paper towels and use fresh oil for each batch.

Shallow-frying: Usually used for food which is floured or coated with batter or crumbs. Put in enough oil to come halfway up the pieces of food. Be sure the container is deep enough to allow oil to boil up when food is added. Heat slowly until the oil just begins to give off a haze and add food immediately.

Frying with butter and oil: A mixture of butter and oil is often used for sautéeing and shallow-frying – the butter contributes its distinctive and fine flavour, while the oil with its higher smoking point protects the butter from burning. Heat oil slowly until it just begins to give off a haze, add butter and, as soon as foaming subsides, add food. For sautéeing, use equal quantities of oil and butter unless otherwise instructed. For shallow-frying, use rather more oil and less butter.

Deep-frying: Use a depth of oil sufficient to float the food, but never fill pan more than halfway up as oil will boil up when you add food. Have pieces of food of uniform size so that they cook evenly. A frying basket helps to add and remove food all together so that none is overdone. Heat oil slowly to required temperature – for most deep-frying, this is 180°C/350°F on a kitchen thermometer, or when a cube of day-old bread turns golden and crisp in 1 minute.

OKRA

The rigid green seed pods, elegantly curved and pointed, have a flavour resembling that of eggplants but with a somewhat mucilaginous texture. Okra, also called ladies’ fingers or gumbo, is used extensively in Creole cooking, particularly in the soup-stew Gumbo. It is also used in Indian curries, and in many Middle Eastern dishes.

Choose crisp, fresh, green-coloured pods that are no more than 10 cm (4 in) long. The pods should snap easily and the seeds be firm but not hard. Avoid any pods that are shrivelled, limp, bruised or a dull green.

Okra can also be purchased canned from most supermarkets or delicatessens. Rinse the pods well in cold running water to get rid of the viscous juices before using unless the recipe is for gumbo, curry or meat stew, which may need the juices to give the texture required.

Basic preparation: Wash the pods, carefully remove the tip and the cap – a fringe-like top where the pod meets the stem. Do not cut the pod and expose the seeds and sticky juices inside. This helps prevent the pods splitting and losing shape during cooking when serving whole.

Buttered Okra: Place prepared whole okra pods in lightly salted simmering water. Simmer, uncovered, for 8–10 minutes or until tender and still crisp. Drain and serve tossed in butter.

Okra with Fresh Tomato Sauce: Prepare as for Buttered Okra, but omit the butter and serve in Fresh Tomato Sauce, sprinkled with chopped parsley.

FRIED OKRA RINGS

¼ cup milk
1 egg, beaten
375 g (12 oz) okra, trimmed and sliced into rings
½ cup cornmeal (polenta) or flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
60 g (2 oz) butter

Beat milk and egg together. Drop in okra, drain then coat lightly with cornmeal or flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Sauté okra in butter until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Serves 3–4.

OKRA AND TOMATOES

3–4 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
500 g (1 lb) okra, trimmed
500 g (1 lb) tomatoes, peeled and chopped
juice 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
finely chopped parsley

Heat oil in a frying pan, add onions and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes or until they soften. Add okra and cook to a light golden colour, turning gently from time to time. Spread out okra in one layer in the pan and put tomatoes on top with lemon juice, salt, pepper and sugar. Sprinkle over water and cook for about 20 minutes or until okra is tender and sauce reduced. Shake pan during cooking but do not stir. Serve warm or cold, sprinkled with parsley. Serves 3–4.

OKRA CURRY

1 tablespoon ghee or oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 green chillies, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon turmeric
500 g (1 lb) tender okra, trimmed and cut into 5 cm (2 in) lengths
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1½ cups coconut milk or buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt

Heat ghee or oil in a saucepan and fry onion and chillies over medium heat until onions are golden. Add garlic, ginger and turmeric and fry, stirring, for 1 minute. Add okra, coriander, cumin, coconut milk or buttermilk and salt. Simmer uncovered for 10–12 minutes or until okra is tender. Serve hot with rice. Serves 4–6.

CHICKEN WITH OKRA

500 g (1 lb) young okra, trimmed
½ cup vinegar
185 g (6 oz) butter
6–8 chicken joints (legs, wings or thighs)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1½ cups peeled and chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
2 pieces cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place okra in a bowl, pour over vinegar and toss to coat. Leave for 30 minutes, then drain, rinse very well and pat dry. Melt 125 g (4 oz) butter in a deep frying pan, add chicken joints and brown on all sides. Remove and keep warm on a plate. Reduce heat and cook onion and garlic in butter in pan until soft. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, sugar, salt and pepper and stir well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Return chicken to pan, cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Melt remaining butter in another frying pan and cook okra, turning gently, until golden. Add okra to chicken mixture and cook for 20 minutes longer. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Serve with whole boiled or mashed potatoes. Serves 6.

OLIVE

The fruit of the olive tree, which is a native of the Mediterranean, where so many people depend on its oil for a living. So it is only natural that olives and olive oil are the foundation of Mediterranean cooking. The fruit of the olive tree is either black (the ripe fruit) or green (the immature fruit). Black olives are picked ripe and are full-flavoured and mellow, while green ones are picked immature and are firm and tangy. They are often pickled and stuffed with pimiento or anchovy.

Olives are used in sauces, stuffings and salads as well as for garnishes. They add colour to a Neapolitan pizza and flavour to those wondrous Mediterranean stews which simmer away for hours on top of the stove. Stop at any little café or bar around the Mediterranean and you are likely to be offered a plate of hors d’oeuvre – black and green olives, local salami, cheese and some crisp vegetables. Olives have an interesting salty flavour which seems to complement aperitifs better than anything else. Serve them alone or with cubes of cheese, preferably crumbly Greek feta cheese obtainable from Continental delicatessens.

Olives from various countries differ in shape and flavour. In good Continental delicatessens, you can find olives from Greece – mottled, fat and round and stored in olive oil – inky-black Calamata olives, with sharp pointed ends, and green olives, small and very salty. Black olives from Spain are large and ripe and their green olives are very firm with large stones. Sometimes you find enormous olives called Spanish or Queen olives, which are excellent for stuffing with a little pimiento mixed with capers, anchovies or almonds. Very good olives grow in California, South Australia and also along the banks of the Murray River.

Olive oil is produced from small olives which are not considered good eating, and its flavour varies with each grove. Some oils are delicate with a pure flavour, others extremely fruity and some so refined they are almost tasteless. The olive oils of Italy, France, Spain, Greece, and, more recently, Australia vary enormously in quality and taste. It is simply a matter of preference and how it is to be used. It’s worth experimenting to find one you’re happy with – it can make so much difference to your cooking, marinades, salads, mayonnaise and dressings.

It is difficult to describe the different tastes of olive oil. However, here are a few generalisations:

• Olive oil ranges in colour from a pale straw yellow to the dark green virgin oil.

• Olive oils range in taste from the French style of fruity and light to the Italian oils, which are usually heavier and more complex.

• Olive oil is usually described as having a light or heavy feel in the mouth.

When it comes to cooking you will learn to use different oils for different dishes. Choose a light olive oil for a dish of subtle flavour and an extra virgin olive oil for more robust flavour. The true extra virgin olive oil is cold-pressed from quality fruit, picked at the ‘just ripe’ stage. Whenever possible add at just the last moment, even to hot dishes, to ensure its flavour is maintained.

Always store olive oil in a cool, dark place, not in the refrigerator.

See also Tapenade.

To store black olives: The best way is in a sterilised jar with olive oil to cover. A strip of lemon peel, a sprig of oregano or some garlic cloves and a chilli may be placed in the jar as well to give a subtle flavour. (For sterilising jars see Jams.)

Herbed Olives: Put 1 small red chilli, 1 clove garlic, 1 sprig fresh dill and 2 tablespoons olive oil over 500 g (1 lb) black olives in a jar. Cover and marinate for at least 2 days.

Garlic Olives: Put 500 g (1 lb) olives into a jar with 2–3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed. Cover with olive oil and allow to stand at least 2 days.

Marinated Olives: Put 500 g (1 lb) black olives into a jar and pour over a mixture of 3 parts olive oil and 1 part vinegar. Add 1 clove garlic and 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano and allow to marinate for at least 2 days.

Grecian-style Olives: Place 500 g (1 lb) Calamata olives (black, shiny and pointed) in a jar, cover with vinegar and allow to stand for 2 days. Drain, and pack into sterilised jars, arranging the olives alternately with layers of lemon slices and celery. Cover with olive oil and keep in a cool place for at least a week.

Mixed Italian Olives: With a sharp knife cut slashes in the flesh of 500 g (1 lb) green and black olives. Place in a sterilised jar with 1 small green and 1 small red pepper, 3 sticks celery and 2 cloves garlic, all finely chopped. Add ¼ cup each olive oil and vinegar and 1 sprig fresh oregano (or good pinch dried). Let stand at room temperature for at least 2 days. Store in the refrigerator until required. Use as an antipasto.

Preserved Olives: Choose fresh black olives and prick them all over with a skewer or pin. Place them on a large cane tray, sprinkle with lots of salt and toss them so that they become well impregnated with salt. Leave for 3–4 days. Continue to toss them 2–3 times a day. On the last day, add a little more salt to replace the salt that has been drained away. When the olives have lost all their bitterness, put them in a jar and pour over some olive oil. Add a few bay leaves and seal the jar. Store in a cool place for 2 months before using, turning the jar occasionally.

CAPALATINA

A Sicilian pickled eggplant and olive spread or dip. Serve with crudités, cracker biscuits or corn chips or scoop up with Lebanese bread.

2 large eggplants, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes
salt
¾ cup olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 sticks celery, sliced
2 × 425 g cans Italian-style tomatoes, seeds removed
1 cup stoned black olives
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons pine nuts or slivered blanched almonds
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup wine vinegar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave for 1 hour, turning cubes several times. Press out liquid, rinse and dry with paper towels. Heat oil, add eggplant in batches (do not crowd pan) and brown on all sides. Remove cubes with a slotted spoon as they are browned. Add onions and celery and sauté until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and olives, bring to the boil and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Put eggplant back into pan and add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring often. Cool, then chill. Makes 4–5 cups.

BEEF WITH OLIVES

1 × 125 g (4 oz) piece speck or bacon, cut into 1 cm (½ in) cubes
1 × ½ kg (2½ lb) piece chuck or topside beef
10 small onions, peeled
2 small carrots, peeled
1 bouquet garni
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch nutmeg
6 golden shallots, halved
1 clove garlic
¾ cup red wine
pinch sugar
1 cup green olives, stoned
125 g (4 oz) mushrooms, quartered

Heat speck or bacon slowly in a heavy pan until fat melts. Remove and set aside. Add beef to speck or bacon fat in pan and brown on all sides. Add onions, carrots, bouquet garni, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Then reduce heat, cover and cook gently for about 20 minutes, turning meat once. Add shallots, garlic, wine, sugar and cubes of speck or bacon and simmer for 1½ hours. Meanwhile, blanch olives in boiling water in order to extract some of their saltiness. Drain and dry. Add mushrooms and olives to beef and simmer for a further 1 hour. Adjust seasoning, and remove bouquet garni. Place beef on heated serving platter, carve into slices and spoon over a little sauce. Serve with noodles or boiled potatoes. Serves 6.

BEEF STEW WITH WINE AND OLIVES

1.5–2 kg (3–4 lb) chuck or blade steak, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes
3–4 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons oil
2 onions, chopped
1 bay leaf
1½ cups red wine
½ onion
5–6 parsley stalks
6 black peppercorns
1 cup stuffed green olives

Coat steak cubes in flour mixed with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy frying pan. Add beef, a few cubes at a time, and cook over high heat, turning until brown on all sides. Transfer the meat to a heavy saucepan. Add onions to frying pan and cook gently until golden. Add bay leaf and some of the wine. Bring to the boil, scraping sediment from bottom of pan, then add to saucepan with remaining wine, and onion tied in a muslin bag with parsley stalks and peppercorns. Bring to the boil again, then reduce heat, cover pan and simmer very gently for about 1½ hours or until meat is almost tender when pierced with a skewer or fork. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove onion and parsley stalks, peppercorns and bay leaf. Stir in olives, and heat through. Serve with crusty bread or creamy mashed potatoes. Serves 6–8.

ONION AND OLIVE PIZZA

Some of the simplest pizzas are the most delicious. This one has no tomatoes or cheese, but just two topping ingredients add up to superb flavour.

1 quantity Pizza Dough
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 medium onions, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
20 black olives, stoned and coarsely chopped

After dough doubles in bulk, knock down and knead lightly 4 or 5 times. Place in centre of a greased 35 × 30 cm (14 × 12 in) baking tray and pull and push out with the fingers until dough touches all sides of tray. Allow to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a large frying pan, add onions and cook over medium heat until golden-brown and softened. Season with salt and pepper. Spread dough with onions and scatter olives over top, then press the topping down into dough with the back of a spoon. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (190°C/ 375°F) for 25–30 minutes or until pizza crust is crisp and golden around the edges. Serves 8–10.

OLIVE BREAD

Serve thinly sliced and buttered with salad, or as a sandwich with slices of Cheddar cheese.

2 eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped stuffed green olives
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk

Beat eggs until frothy. Stir in olives and oil. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and add to the olive mixture with milk. Fold in gently. Pour into a greased and lined 20 × 10 cm (8 × 4 in) loaf tin. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 1 hour or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool.

OMELETTE

A good French omelette is a smooth, golden oval that is tender, soft and creamy inside. The perfect omelette must be beaten quickly, cooked in less than half a minute and served immediately.

An omelette is one of the greatest instant gourmet meals. Once you master the simple art of making a good omelette, you are well on your way to being a gourmet cook. Learning to make a good omelette is entirely a matter of practice. A few tips: be sure you have everything ready, the pan at hand, egg bowl and beater, spatula for turning the omelette, butter for cooking, the filling or seasoning, heated plates – and don’t forget the diner, who should be sitting at the table before you start cooking the omelette.

Almost every country has its own omelette in its cuisine; there’s a Spanish potato omelette and one made with peppers; then there is the famous American omelette, hangtown fry, an omelette with oysters, and the egg foo yung of China. The French omelette is a world favourite, and the wonderful thing about learning to make an omelette is that you have not only one dish at your fingertips but nine or ten, for with each different filling you have a new taste sensation.

Dessert omelettes: Sweet omelettes for dessert can be made in the same way as savoury omelettes of the basic type, but more often they are the fluffy kind and are known as soufflé omelettes. Omelettes in soufflé form are closely related to the dessert soufflé proper, but they offer far fewer problems for the cook other than a few minutes’ absence from the table. As for all light omelettes, basic, savoury or sweet, the soufflé kind must be served immediately after it is cooked. For spectacle, the dessert omelette should come to the table enveloped in the blue flames of rum, brandy or a liqueur of some kind, or dusted with sifted icing sugar and burnt in a diamond design. Serve with a bowl of whipped sweetened cream.

Flaming an omelette: A flamed omelette should be flavoured with the liqueur that will later envelop it in flames. A tablespoon of rum or brandy is sufficient, beaten in with the eggs. If the platter is hot, the omelette straight from the stove, the liqueur heated with a pinch of sugar and ignited as it is poured on, the ‘flaming’ will be a success.

Omelette pans: To produce a really golden omelette you must have a heavy pan. Cast-iron or heavy aluminium is the best because the heat is spread easily; once hot, the pan acts like a hotplate and it is the pan rather than the source of heat that does the cooking. Thinner pans allow the heat to come through, so that the centre of the pan over the flame or element is hotter than the outer part. Don’t have your pan bigger than 20–23 cm (8–9 in). This will cook a 3–4 egg omelette nicely and will serve 2; if you are cooking for 4, repeat the recipe.

A new development in pans has been non-stick surfaces; this, combined with strong metals, makes the perfect modern omelette pan. The eggs must be able to slip around freely, and eggs will never stick to a pan that is properly cared for. That is why many people keep a pan especially for omelettes. Certainly you should not pan-fry other foods at high heat in your omelette pan, or you may burn food into the pan and omelettes will stick to it forever after.

BASIC FRENCH OMELETTE

3 eggs
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
15 g (½ oz) butter

Have a plate warmed and waiting and also the diner, and even if making omelettes for several people make and serve each one individually – it will only take 1 minute. Have eggs at room temperature. Break eggs into a bowl, add water and beat lightly with a fork just to combine whites with yolks. It is important not to overbeat as it makes the omelette tough. Add salt and a grinding of pepper. Melt half of the butter in an omelette pan. When foam has subsided pour in eggs. Leave for 10–15 seconds or until eggs start to set on bottom. Using a fork or a metal spatula pull egg mixture into centre of pan and allow runny mixture to run to outside. Do this until eggs have set underneath but the top is still quite moist and soft. If using a filling, spoon across omelette, tilt pan and, using an egg slice, flip over one-third of the omelette towards the centre, then turn over again so that it is folded into 3 as it rolls out onto a heated plate. Melt remaining butter in same pan and when it is sizzling pour it over omelette, or smear butter over surface of omelette to give a nice glazed finish. Serve at once. Serves 1.

VARIATIONS

ASPARAGUS OMELETTE: Use only the tips of 4–5 cooked fresh or canned asparagus spears. Season with salt and pepper and heat in a little butter. Spoon into centre of a 3-egg omelette and fold over.

MUSHROOM OMELETTE: Slice 3–4 small mushrooms, cook lightly in a little butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon mushrooms into centre of a 3-egg omelette and fold over. For an elegant finish, trim stem of 1 mushroom level with cap, slice downwards and just colour slices in butter. Lay the slices, neatly overlapping, along the top of the finished omelette.

FINES HERBES OMELETTE: The official fines herbes are parsley, chervil, tarragon and chives. Add any 2 or 3 of these fresh herbs, finely chopped, to the uncooked egg mixture before making the omelette.

ONION OMELETTE: Cook 1 sliced onion in butter for 5 minutes or until soft. Scatter over 3-egg omelette, then fold over.

CHEESE OMELETTE: Shred ½ cup Gruyère, Emmenthal or a tasty Cheddar cheese and strew over 3-egg omelette before folding it.

BACON AND MUSHROOM OMELETTE: Fry 1 rasher bacon, diced, and remove from pan. Add a small knob of butter to bacon fat in pan and cook 2–3 sliced mushrooms until tender. Mix with bacon and use to fill a 3-egg omelette before folding it.

TOMATO OMELETTE: Peel, seed and coarsely chop 2 tomatoes. Heat a knob of butter in a pan, add 2 slices onion, finely chopped, and the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and heat through. Add a sprinkling of chopped parsley or chives if liked. Use to fill a 3-egg omelette before folding it.

SUPPER OMELETTE

Crispy bacon and crunchy bread croûtons fill this creamy omelette.

4 rashers streaky bacon, rind removed, cut into fine strips
1 thick slice bread, crusts removed, diced
4 eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
good pinch dry mustard
2 teaspoons butter

Put bacon into a cold omelette pan and fry without additional fat over a low heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon. Add bread to pan and fry in bacon fat until crisp and golden-brown on all sides. Remove bread and keep bacon and bread cubes warm while making omelette. Beat eggs with a little salt and pepper and the mustard. Heat butter in omelette pan, pour in egg mixture and cook fairly briskly, lifting edges of omelette with a spatula to let uncooked egg run underneath. When omelette is just set but top is still creamy, sprinkle bacon and bread cubes along centre. Fold omelette in half and serve at once. Serves 2.

NEAPOLITAN OMELETTE

2 cups cooked spaghetti
½ cup tomato purée
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil

Cut spaghetti into short lengths. Add tomato purée, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese and mix very well. Heat oil in pan, pour in spaghetti mixture and cook slowly on both sides. Serves 4.

NOTE: Leftover spaghetti in sauce is often used in this dish.

SPANISH POTATO OMELETTE (TORTILLA DE PATATAS)

Cooked, diced potatoes may be used in this omelette or raw potato fried in the pan before eggs are added.

olive oil for frying
1 onion, chopped
2–3 potatoes, peeled and diced
6 eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a little oil in an omelette pan, add onion and fry until golden. Remove and set aside. Add more oil to pan and fry potatoes gently until tender but not crisp. Beat eggs well with a few drops of water and season with salt and pepper. Return onion to pan with potatoes and pour eggs over. When set and lightly browned underneath invert carefully or lift onto a large heated plate. Put a little more oil in pan and slide omelette back to cook other side. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. Serves 3–4.

VARIATION

SPANISH PEPPER OMELETTE (TORTILLA DE PIMIENTOS): Fry 1 green or red diced pepper and 1 chopped rasher of bacon (rind removed) with the onion. Omit potatoes.

SPANISH OMELETTE (TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA)

This is often offered in Spanish bars, cut into small squares, as a little something to enjoy with a glass of wine. Also good cold, it is a favourite Spanish picnic dish.

1 tablespoon butter or oil
2 peeled, cooked potatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 rashers bacon, rind removed, diced
4 eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tomato, sliced
chopped parsley or chives (optional)

Heat butter or oil in a frying pan, add potatoes, onion and bacon and fry until edges of potato are golden. Beat eggs with salt and pepper and pour over potato mixture. Cook until just set, but no longer. Do not try to fold omelette over – it will be too thick. Serve with sliced tomato and, if liked, a sprinkling of chopped parsley or chives. Serves 4.

FLUFFY OMELETTE

3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons hot water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 g (½ oz) butter

Beat egg yolks and water together until pale yellow.

Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks, and fold in yolk mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Heat butter in a small omelette pan. Pour in egg mixture and cook until golden-brown underneath. Place pan under a preheated hot grill and cook for a few minutes until golden-brown on top. If using a filling, spoon onto half of omelette, fold other half over and slide out of pan onto a heated plate. Serve immediately. Serves 1.

VARIATIONS

FLUFFY BACON OMELETTE: Make Fluffy Omelette and fill with 2 rashers bacon, crisply fried and crumbled, before folding.

FLUFFY HERB OMELETTE: Make Fluffy Omelette and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or other fresh herbs before folding.

FLUFFY SALMON OMELETTE: Make Fluffy Omelette and fill with 2 tablespoons flaked smoked salmon or smoked fish before folding.

FLUFFY HAM AND CHEESE OMELETTE: Make Fluffy Omelette and fill with 2 tablespoons chopped cooked ham, plus ¼ cup grated cheese, if liked, before folding.

FLUFFY MUSHROOM OMELETTE: Make Fluffy Omelette and fill with 3–4 sliced mushrooms, cooked in a little butter, before folding.

FLUFFY TOMATO OMELETTE: Make Fluffy Omelette and fill with 1 tomato, peeled, sliced and cooked in a little butter with a few onion slices and chopped fresh herbs, before folding.

HANGTOWN FRY

15 g (½ oz) butter
2 bacon rashers, rind removed
3–4 fresh oysters
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat butter in a frying pan, add bacon and fry until cooked but not crisp. Place the oysters on top of the bacon and carefully pour the eggs over them. Season with salt and pepper. Cook without stirring until the eggs set. Turn the omelette out upside-down onto a warm plate and serve immediately. Serves 1.

OMELETTE SOUFFLÉ (SWEET)

A last-minute touch makes this delicious soufflé omelette spectacular. A lovely dessert when there are just two for dinner.

3 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons flour
1 tablespoon cream
grated lemon rind (optional)
pinch salt
15 g (½ oz) butter
2 tablespoons good jam
sifted icing sugar

Place egg whites in a china or copper bowl. Lightly beat egg yolks with sugar, flour, cream and lemon rind, if using. Whisk egg whites with salt until stiff peaks form. Pour in yolk mixture and fold in gently with a large metal spoon. Heat butter in a large omelette pan (if you have it, a heavy cast-iron one) and pour in egg mixture. Place in a preheated moderately hot oven (190°C/375°F) and cook for 12–15 minutes or until golden and risen. Slide onto a heated serving dish and spread with jam. Fold over and serve flamed or sprinkle with sifted icing sugar. For a spectacular look, heat 2 metal skewers over a flame and when red-hot, use them to mark a lattice over the icing sugar on the omelette; it will caramelise as you lightly press it. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

ONION

The pungent and aromatic onion acts as both a flavouring agent and a vegetable in its own right. It is indispensable in the kitchen and lends its unique qualities to many savoury dishes.

Onions can be used to flavour stocks, soups, stews, sauces, poultry, meat and vegetable dishes. They appear as vegetable accompaniments, as garnishes, either raw or cooked, shaped or whole. Tiny onions can be glazed as a garnish for roast meats or they can be pickled in spicy vinegar – delicious eaten with good Cheddar cheese and fresh white or brown bread.

When buying onions, choose those that are firm, with no bruising or soft spots. The outer skin should be fine and papery. Always store onions in a cool, dry, airy place.

Types of onion:

Brown onions: Readily available in supermarkets and greengrocers, these onions have a stronger flavour than the white variety, and can be too strong to eat raw. They keep well for some weeks in a cool, dry place. If your eyes water when preparing stronger onions, try peeling them under cold water, but do not let them soak. Dry well before using. Some people say it helps to hold a slice of bread in your mouth while peeling and chopping onions. Use brown onions in most cooked dishes.

Pickling onions: Tiny brown pickling onions are sometimes available from greengrocers during the winter months. They are used whole in casseroles (see Boeuf à la Bourguignonne), glazed as a garnish, or fried whole as well as for pickling. Spanish onions: These large red-skinned onions have a purple-tinted flesh. They are sweet, mild and crisp and delicious sliced in rings in salads, especially those containing fresh oranges and black olives. White onions: These are readily available in supermarkets and greengrocers through most of the year. White onions are milder than their brown counterparts and do not keep as long. Use in any recipe calling for onions. They can also be sliced into rings and added raw to salads.

Green onions: An immature onion with an unformed bulb. See Shallot and Spring Onion.

Basic preparation:

To dice or chop onions: Cut the onion in half through the root end. Remove the skin and place flat side down on a chopping board. Using a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 slits lengthways through to the board but not through the root end, so the slices are still attached. Then make 3 or 4 horizontal cuts from one side to the other, still leaving the slices attached to the root. Finally, chop into dice by slicing downwards from the stem to the root end.

To make onion rings: Peel the onion, cut off the stem end and slice thinly. Carefully push out the consecutive rings of onion from each slice.

To slice onions: Cut the onion in half from stem to root end. Remove the skin, using a sharp knife; lay flat side down on a chopping board and cut slices to required thickness from the stem to the root end.

To cook whole onions, retaining shape: Cut a small slice from the stem end and discard. Remove the skin and scrape the root end, to remove the outer skin and any tiny dried roots remaining. Using a sharp pointed knife, cut a shallow cross through the root base but do not remove or slice off the base.

To extract onion juice: Cut onion in half and squeeze on a lemon squeezer the same way you would squeeze a lemon.

To grate onions: Peel and halve onion. Using short sharp downward strokes, rub it against the medium side of a grater.

To cook: Onions should be cooked over gentle or medium heat; too high a heat may scorch the onions and turn them bitter.

FRIED ONIONS

Use these fried onions for the old favourite, steak and onions.

½ cup oil
4 medium onions, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch each paprika and sugar

Heat oil in a large heavy frying pan and add onions. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring often, for 15–20 minutes or until golden-brown and soft. Season with salt, pepper, paprika and sugar. Serve very hot with grilled rump steak. Serves 4.

VARIATION

QUICK FRIED ONIONS: Dice onions. Melt enough butter to cover bottom of a frying pan and add onions. Stir until well coated with butter, then barely cover with warm water. Cook over high heat until all the water has evaporated. Reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring and adding more butter if necessary, until golden and tender. Season with salt and pepper.

ONIONS BAKED IN THEIR SKINS

These are delicious cooked with roasts.

4–6 medium onions
butter
parsley sprigs

Slice stem ends from onions, scrape root end and make a shallow cross in the root core using a sharp knife. Place onions in baking dish around the meat and bake for about 1 hour or until tender but still firm when pierced with a skewer. Remove from oven, slip off outer skins and place in a heated serving dish. Top with knobs of butter and sprigs of parsley. Serves 4–6.

NOTE: If you cook onions in boiling water for 10–15 minutes first, the cooking time in the oven will be reduced. For baked onions when you are not having a roast, arrange prepared onions in a shallow greased baking dish in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 1 hour or until tender.

BOILED ONIONS WITH PARSLEY SAUCE

Serve with corned beef, hot pickled (salt) pork or boiled beef.

6 large onions, peeled
30 g (1 oz) butter
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup evaporated milk or cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Scrape root end of onions and cut a shallow cross in the base of each. Drop onions into boiling water and cook for about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid. Arrange onions in a heated serving dish and keep warm. Melt butter in a saucepan and blend in flour. Stir in reserved cooking liquid. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, then stir in milk or cream. Heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper and stir in parsley. Pour over onions and serve immediately. Serves 4–6.

CRISP FRIED ONION RINGS

2 cups milk
½ teaspoon salt
3 large onions, sliced and pushed out into rings
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup flour
oil for deep-frying

Combine milk with ¼ teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Add onion rings and soak for 20 minutes. Combine remaining salt, pepper, paprika and flour in a plastic bag. Shake to mix. Drain a few onion rings at a time and dip in seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour, then deep-fry rings in oil until crisp and brown. Place cooked rings on a baking tray lined with paper towels to drain and keep warm in a preheated very slow oven (120°C/250°F) while frying the remainder. Serves 4–6.

NOTE: To test when oil is hot enough, drop a prepared onion ring into oil. Onion should rise to the surface and turn crisp and golden in about 30 seconds. Take care that the oil does not overheat; the rings should be golden and not dark brown. Use only enough oil to come not more than halfway up sides of frying container to avoid splashing or overflowing.

GLAZED ONIONS

250 g (8 oz) pickling onions, peeled
30 g (1 oz) butter
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut a shallow cross in centre of root end of each onion. Place onions in a saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes and drain well. Put in a heavy saucepan with butter, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and cook gently for about 10 minutes or until tender, well glazed and shiny. Shake pan frequently to prevent onions from sticking. Serves 4 (as a garnish).

BRAISED ONIONS

½ cup chicken stock
500 g (1 lb) small onions, peeled
30 g (1 oz) butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring stock to the boil and add onions and butter. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook for a further 5 minutes to reduce liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

CREAMED ONIONS

500 g (1 lb) pickling onions or small white onions, peeled
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup hot Béchamel Sauce or Mornay Sauce
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

Drop onions into boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Add fresh boiling water and continue cooking until tender but still crisp. Just before cooking is completed add salt. Drain onions thoroughly, place in a heated serving dish and pour sauce over them. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if using. Serves 4–6.

ITALIAN SALAD

4 medium oranges
1 Spanish onion, finely sliced and pushed out into rings
¼ cup dry sherry
juice ½ lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch freshly ground white pepper
lettuce leaves
8–10 black olives, stoned

Peel oranges, removing all white pith. Cut oranges into 5 mm (¼ in) slices. Place in a bowl with onion and sherry and marinate for 1 hour. Drain, reserving sherry marinade. Whisk lemon juice, oil, pepper and sherry marinade. Arrange lettuce in a serving dish. Place orange on top, then olives and onion. Add dressing and toss carefully. Serves 6.

NOTE: Use 2 small white onions if you cannot buy Spanish onions.

CREAMED ONIONS WITH SHERRY

750 g (1½ lb) medium onions, sliced
½ cup water
cup sour light cream
3 tablespoons sherry
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

Cook onions in water over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes. Drain and place in a greased ovenproof dish. Mix cream, sherry, salt and pepper and pour over onions. Cover and bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 30 minutes. Serves 4–6.

ONION SAUCE

3 medium white onions, finely chopped
1 cup hot Béchamel Sauce
30 g (1 oz) butter
pinch cayenne

Cook onions in boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and add to sauce. Reheat gently until simmering. Stir in butter and season with cayenne. Makes 1½ cups.

ONION QUICHE

30 g (1 oz) butter
1 tablespoon oil
4–5 medium onions, finely sliced
½ teaspoon ground cumin or nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, beaten
½ cup cream
1 × 20 cm (8 in) Rich Shortcrust Pastry shell, baked

Heat butter and oil in a heavy frying pan, add onions and cook over a gentle heat for 15–20 minutes or until soft and golden, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove from heat, add cumin and salt and stir in egg yolks and cream. Spoon onion mixture into pastry shell. Bake quiche in preheated hot oven (200°C/ 400°F) for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to moderate (180°C/350°F) and bake for a further 20 minutes. Serves 4–6.

NOTE: A less rich version can be made using 2 whole eggs instead of 3 yolks, and ¼ cup each cream and milk or ½ cup evaporated milk instead of cream.

SPICED PICKLED ONIONS

Long soaking in salted water helps keep the onions crisp.

1 kg (2 lb) small pickling onions
cup plus 1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white vinegar
cup water
cup sugar
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1 red chilli (optional)

Soak onions in boiling water to cover in a large bowl for 15 minutes. Drain and peel. Return onions to bowl and soak in fresh water to cover, with cup salt, for 48 hours (cover bowl with plastic wrap). Drain and rinse onions. Place vinegar, cup water, sugar, pickling spice, chilli, if using, and remaining salt in a large heavy saucepan and bring to the boil. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Divide onions between sterilised preserving jars and add hot spiced vinegar to cover. Seal jars with lids and let stand in a cool place for at least 2 weeks before serving.

NOTE: For sterilising jars see Jams.

GERMAN-STYLE HERRING WITH ONION

Herring are the basis of many Continental first courses. Here they are marinated in sour cream and garnished with onions for a piquant appetiser. Make several days ahead and use as required.

8 herring fillets (matjes)
milk or buttermilk
1½ cups light sour cream
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large tart apples, peeled, cored and diced
6 black peppercorns, slightly crushed
1 bay leaf
2 medium Spanish or white onions, finely sliced, and parsley or dill sprigs to garnish

Rinse herring, cover with milk or buttermilk and allow to soak for 2 hours, changing milk several times. Drain, pat dry with paper towels and cut into bite-size pieces. Place in glass or pottery bowl. Mix together sour cream, vinegar and olive oil and fold remaining ingredients through. Pour over herring. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 24 hours, turning mixture once or twice before serving. Top with onion rings and parsley or dill. Serve with a plate of buttered rye bread. Serves 8.

ONION BUNS

Yeast dough buns filled with bacon and onion.

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ cups mixed milk and water
60 g (2 oz) butter
15 g (½ oz) compressed yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
beaten egg to glaze
Filling
4 rashers streaky bacon, rind removed, finely chopped
1½ cups grated onion
freshly ground black pepper

Sift flour and salt into bowl. Warm milk and water, add butter and remove from heat when it has melted. Mash yeast with sugar and stir in warm liquid. Stir a little flour into yeast mixture from edges to make a stiff batter, cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to sponge. When yeast mixture has doubled and bubbles have formed, mix in remaining flour. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in a clean greased bowl, turn dough over so top surface is lightly greased, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in bulk. Knock dough down and knead lightly. Divide into 20 pieces.

Mix filling ingredients, seasoning well with pepper. Place 1 tablespoon filling in middle of each piece of dough. Fold edges over to enclose filling, pinching together to seal, and mould into balls. Arrange buns, seam sides down, on a buttered baking tray and let rise, loosely covered, in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Brush with beaten egg and bake in a preheated hot oven (200°C/400°F) for 15 minutes or until buns are golden and sound hollow when tapped. Serve warm with butter. Makes 20.

NOTE: Dry yeast can be used; see Yeast Cookery.

ONION HUSH PUPPIES

American fishermen cooked these curiously named buns at their fish fries. Legend says they threw the fatty bits to the dogs, at the same time shouting, ‘Hush puppy’. Serve hot and buttered on their own or to accompany fish chowder, shellfish or baked whole fish.

1½ cups white cornmeal
¼ cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne
¾ cup buttermilk, or ¾ cup fresh milk soured with 1 tablespoon vinegar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup grated onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
oil for deep-frying
butter to serve

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne. In separate bowl beat together buttermilk, eggs, onion and garlic. Stir into cornmeal mixture and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Heat 8 cm (3 in) oil in a deep-fryer and fry tablespoons of batter, 4–6 at a time, for 3 minutes or until golden-brown. Drain on crumpled paper towels and eat while still piping hot, spread with softened butter. Makes about 20.

STUFFED ONIONS

6 large onions, peeled
250 g (8 oz) minced cooked ham, or 250 g (8 oz) minced veal and 2 rashers bacon, rind removed, diced
1 tablespoon oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
cayenne
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
butter
1 cup chicken stock

Cook onions in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain. Scoop out centres and chop finely. Sauté chopped onion centres with ham, or veal and bacon, in oil in a frying pan. Add remaining ingredients, except butter and stock, and mix well. Push stuffing into onion cases. Place on a greased shallow baking dish. Dot with butter, pour stock around onions and bake in a preheated hot oven (200°C/400°F) for 35–45 minutes or until tender and golden-brown. Serves 6.

DUTCH ONION TART

3 cups finely sliced onions
60 g (2 oz) butter
500 g (1 lb) ricotta cheese
¼ cup cream
2 eggs
1 × 23 cm (9 in) Rich Shortcrust Pastry shell, baked
salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne

Fry onions in butter over gentle heat until soft. Moisten cheese with cream, then beat in eggs. Pour into tart shell. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with onions, and sprinkle with cayenne. Bake in a preheated hot oven (200°C/400°F) for 20–25 minutes. Serves 8.

ONION TARTLETS

1 quantity Rich Shortcrust Pastry
8 medium onions, sliced
125 g (4 oz) butter
salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese
2–3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Line 6 × 10 cm (4 in) tartlet tins with pastry, prick well and bake blind . Cook onions gently in half the butter until soft. Increase heat a little and cook until a rich, even brown, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Melt remaining butter in a saucepan, stir in flour and cook over medium heat for 5–6 minutes or until flour turns nut brown. Gradually add stock and simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes. Mix in onions and spoon mixture into pastry cases. Mix cheeses together and sprinkle over the top. Bake in a preheated very hot oven (230°C/450°F) for 5–10 minutes, or cook under a preheated hot grill, until cheese melts and colours slightly. Serves 6.

ORANGE

A golden citrus fruit available all year round. We depend on its refreshing, unique flavour and texture not only as a fresh fruit but also for use in cooking many savoury and sweet dishes.

Orange juice starts the day for many people and fresh squeezed orange juice retains its precious vitamin C. What better snack is there than a naval orange, peeled, divided into segments and eaten just as it is? Or try a bite of fresh fruit and then a mouthful of steaming hot, black coffee as is the way enjoyed by many people in Mediterranean countries.

Valencia oranges have thinner and smoother skins than navels. They are sweet, full of juice and available from October through to April. Navels then come in season, lasting from May through to September.

Bitter oranges, also known as Seville or bigarade, are not as easily available. They are too bitter to eat fresh but make excellent marmalade and are used in the classic Sauce Bigarade.

Choose oranges with bright shiny skins and no bruising or very soft spots. They should be firm and quite heavy to hold.

To serve whole: Slit the outer skin into 8 segments, cutting from the stem end to base. Carefully peel the skin away from the orange, leaving the skin attached to the base of the fruit. Tuck the skin points underneath the orange.

To segment: Using a sharp knife, remove all the peel and pith then cut each side of each membrane to release segments.

To cut shells: Halve fruit and remove pulp, leaving the shell. Pulp may be chopped and mixed with other fruit before piling back into the shell. If you wish to have a scalloped edge, halve the fruit by cutting diagonal slits into the centre of the fruit. Carefully separate the halves and remove the pulp.

To grate rind: Rub the rind in short light strokes across a grater. Do not grate any of the bitter white pith.

To make orange rind strips: Peel strips of rind from one orange using a vegetable peeler. Do not include any bitter white pith. Cut the rind into fine matchstick lengths and cook gently in ½ cup water and 1 tablespoon sugar for about 5 minutes or until the rind becomes clear. Use to decorate hot or cold puddings, iced desserts, cakes or as specified in a recipe.

Ways to use oranges:

• Squeeze orange juice over strawberries.

• Add grated orange rind to stewed rhubarb.

• Top pineapple rings with a thick orange slice, drizzle warm honey over and serve with yogurt.

• Cook rice in half orange juice and half water, add chopped mint to the cooked rice and serve with lamb, or add chopped thyme to orange rice and serve with veal or poultry.

• Add grated orange rind to hot, buttery mashed potatoes and serve with fish or veal.

Orange Butter: Mash 125 g (4 oz) unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon orange juice and 1 tablespoon orange rind. Spread on sweet breads, or buns, scones or pikelets.

CITRUS CARROT SOUP

1 large onion, finely chopped
90 g (3 oz) butter
8 medium carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 cups water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups orange juice
chopped fresh mint, and sour cream (optional) to garnish

Gently fry onion in butter in a heavy saucepan until golden. Add carrots, potatoes, water, salt, pepper and cloves. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Purée soup in a blender until smooth (do this in 2 or 3 batches), or push through a sieve. Add lemon and orange juices. Reheat if soup is to be served hot, or chill for 3–4 hours. Serve sprinkled with chopped mint and add a spoonful of sour cream to each bowl, if desired. Serves 6.

ORANGE MARINATED STEAK

500 g (1 lb) round, topside or skirt steak
Marinade
½ cup orange juice
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 orange, peeled and sliced, and sprigs fresh coriander or parsley to garnish

Lightly score steak in a diamond pattern on each side. Combine ingredients for marinade in a glass dish. Add steak, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for 6–8 hours, turning occasionally. Drain steak, reserving 2 tablespoons marinade. Pat steak dry with paper towels. Lightly oil grill rack. Grill steak under a preheated grill for 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare meat. Transfer meat to a heated platter. Cut it across grain into thin slices and sprinkle with reserved marinade. Garnish platter with orange slices and sprigs of coriander or parsley. Serves 4.

CHICKEN IN ORANGE SAUCE

8 chicken joints (legs, thighs, wings) or breasts
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup fresh orange juice, strained
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped blanched almonds
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
30 g (1 oz) butter

Brown chicken joints in hot oil, then place in a shallow baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients, except butter, and pour over chicken. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for about 30 minutes or until tender, basting frequently. Remove chicken to a heated serving platter. Heat sauce, boiling to reduce it if necessary, and swirl in butter. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve with boiled rice and a green salad. Serves 4.

ORANGE CHICKEN SALAD

4 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup finely sliced celery
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup seedless white grapes
2 oranges, peeled and segmented
lettuce leaves
extra orange segments to garnish (optional)

Orange cream dressing

3 tablespoons thawed frozen concentrated orange juice
3 tablespoons Mayonnaise
grated rind 1 orange
few drops Tabasco sauce
½ cup cream

Combine chicken, celery, walnuts, grapes and oranges and chill, covered, for several hours. To make dressing, mix together orange juice, mayonnaise, orange rind and Tabasco. Whip cream until thick and fold in. Add dressing to chicken mixture and fold through gently. Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves, garnished with extra orange segments if desired. Serves 4.

ORANGE AND WATERCRESS SALAD

This orange salad with peppery watercress is excellent served with barbecued meats and poultry or cold roast duck, ham or turkey at Christmas.

6 oranges
1 bunch watercress

Dressing

1 tablespoon vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped mixed fresh mint and parsley

Peel oranges, removing all white pith, and cut into thick slices. Break stalks off watercress. Reserve a small bunch of watercress and add remainder to orange slices.

To make dressing, place vinegar in a small bowl with salt and pepper and gradually whisk in oil until thick. Mix in herbs. Pour dressing over oranges and watercress and toss lightly. Garnish with remaining watercress. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

ORANGE VINAIGRETTE

6 oranges
sprigs fresh mint

Sauce

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
12 black olives, halved and stoned
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch cayenne

Peel oranges, removing all white pith, and slice. To make sauce, combine oil, vinegar, olives, onion and herbs. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne and mix well. Toss orange slices in sauce and arrange on a platter with sprigs of mint. Serve as an accompaniment to veal, ham steaks, lamb or poultry. Serves 6–8.

BEETROOT IN ORANGE SAUCE

1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
60 g (2 oz) butter
2 cups canned baby beetroot, drained
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons snipped chives

Place all ingredients, except sour cream and chives, in a heavy saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with sour cream and chives. Serves 6.

BUTTERMILK ORANGE CREAM

1 tablespoon powdered gelatine
3 tablespoons cold water
½ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1¼ cups buttermilk
cup caster sugar
orange segments and whipped cream to decorate

Soften gelatine in water, then dissolve over simmering water. Cool. Combine remaining ingredients and stir in cooled gelatine. Spoon into individual serving dishes and chill until set. Decorate with orange segments and whipped cream. Serves 4.

NOTE: Use fresh buttermilk for this recipe, as the longer the buttermilk is stored the more acid-tasting it becomes.

ORANGE TEA STICKS

A marvellous recipe for those times when the family wants a sweets course and you haven’t prepared one. These lovely grilled bread sticks are great with ice cream or whipped cream.

8 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
¾ cup sugar
6 tablespoons orange juice
60 g (2 oz) butter
1 teaspoon grated orange rind

Cut bread into 2 cm (¾ in) wide strips. Combine sugar, orange juice and butter in a small saucepan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add grated orange rind. Dip each bread stick in syrup, then place side by side on a lightly greased baking tray. Cook under a preheated grill until brown on both sides. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

ORANGE SHERBET

8 oranges
1 tablespoon powdered gelatine
2 cups milk
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated orange rind

Cut tops off oranges and gently squeeze as much juice as possible from them without damaging skins. Scoop out remaining pulp. Reserve shells. Measure 2 cups orange juice and strain. Soften gelatine in ½ cup milk in a small heatproof bowl for 5 minutes. Set bowl over simmering water and stir until gelatine has dissolved. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and stir in gelatine mixture. Pour into an ice cream tray and freeze until mushy. Turn into a chilled bowl and beat well. Return to tray and freeze until firm. Pile into empty orange shells and serve with an Italian-type biscuit such as amaretti or savoiardi. Serves 8.

COLD ORANGE SOUFFLÉ

2½ cups orange juice
2 tablespoons powdered gelatine
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, separated
fresh fruit to decorate

Place orange juice in a saucepan. Sprinkle gelatine over and allow to soften for 10 minutes. Add sugar and heat gently, stirring to dissolve sugar and gelatine. As soon as mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and strain over well-beaten egg yolks. Stir well to combine and leave until cool and starting to set. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold through orange mixture. Pile into a serving dish and chill until set. Decorate with orange or mandarin segments, strawberries or kiwi fruit. Serves 6.

ORANGES IN CARAMEL

8 large seedless oranges
Caramel
250 g (8 oz) sugar
cup cold water
cup warm water

To make caramel, put sugar and cold water in a heavy saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Boil, without stirring, over medium heat until caramel is a rich golden-brown. Remove from heat. Cover hand holding the saucepan with a cloth to prevent possible splashing and scalding and quickly pour in warm water. Heat gently to dissolve caramel in water, then pour into a jug or bowl and leave to cool.

Using a swivel-headed vegetable peeler, thinly pare a little rind from 1 orange and cut into fine shreds. Blanch for 1 minute in boiling water, then drain and dry. Remove all rind and white pith from oranges and cut each orange in thick slices. Re-form each orange and arrange in a deep glass serving dish. Pour caramel over, sprinkle with shredded rind and chill well. Delicious with Brandy Snaps filled with whipped cream. Serves 8.

MOROCCAN ORANGES

This interesting way with fresh oranges couldn’t be easier to prepare, but the taste is exotic. Use your prettiest plates for serving and eat with a knife and fork.

1 large orange for each person
brown sugar
cinnamon
rosewater
fresh leaves lemon or mint

Peel each orange carefully, taking care to remove all white pith. Slice across with a sharp knife into very thin slices. Arrange slices on individual plates, overlapping them slightly to form a pretty circular pattern. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and cinnamon and then with rosewater. Garnish with fresh lemon or mint leaves, or even a pretty garden leaf, and serve at once.

ORANGES IN SPICED RED WINE

¾ cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup dry red wine
2 cloves
8 cm (3 in) cinnamon stick
2 slices lemon
8 oranges

Dissolve sugar in water and stir in wine. Add cloves, cinnamon and lemon slices. Bring to the boil and simmer until the mixture is thick and syrupy. Allow to cool a little. Peel oranges, removing all white pith, and cut into 1 cm (½ in) thick slices. Place in a bowl and pour over warm spiced wine. Chill. Serve alone, or with sour cream sweetened with brown sugar. Serves 8.

ORANGE AND DATE LOAF

2 cups self-raising flour
125 g (4 oz) butter
½ cup caster sugar
grated rind 1 orange
1 egg, beaten
½ cup milk
½ cup water
1 cup chopped dates
½ cup chopped candied orange peel

Sift flour into a bowl and rub in butter. Stir in sugar and orange rind. Add egg, milk and water and beat well. Stir in dates and candied peel and turn into a greased and base-lined 18 × 10 cm (7 × 4 in) loaf tin. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 1¼ hours. Serve sliced and buttered.

ORANGE QUICK BREAD

An easily made tea bread, delicious eaten still warm, with butter. Eat one loaf and freeze the other.

3 cups self-raising flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup orange juice
1¼ cups milk
¾ tablespoon melted butter
¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Sift flour and salt into a bowl and stir in orange rind and sugar. Beat together egg, orange juice, milk and melted butter and stir in nuts, if using. Pour onto flour mixture and combine ingredients with a few swift strokes, stirring lightly until just blended. Pour into two 20 × 10 cm (8 × 4 in) loaf tins. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 40–50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool on wire racks. Makes 2 loaves.

ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE

An excellent light cake, good on its own or for dessert at lunch or dinner.

1¼ cups fine fresh breadcrumbs
grated rind 1 orange
juice 3 large oranges
125 g (4 oz) ground almonds
1 tablespoon orange-flower water
4 eggs, separated
½ cup caster sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup cream, whipped

Butter a 20 cm (8 in) square or round cake tin and sprinkle lightly with ¼ cup breadcrumbs, the orange rind and juice, ground almonds and orange-flower water. Beat egg yolks with sugar and salt until very pale and thick and stir into orange mixture. Beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks and fold into the orange mixture. Turn into prepared cake tin. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for about 40 minutes. Allow cake to cool in tin. When cold, turn out and spread whipped cream over top before serving.

NOTE: Orange-flower water can be purchased from many health food shops and delicatessens, or in concentrated form from chemists. Use only 2–3 drops if using the concentrate.

ORANGE TEA BREAD

1 teaspoon Earl Grey tea leaves
½ cup boiling water
60 g (2 oz) butter
¾ cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup orange juice
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix tea with boiling water. Leave to steep for 3 minutes, then strain. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and rinds and beat well. Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture with juice and tea. Stir gently then mix in nuts. Turn into a greased and lined 21 × 15 cm (8½ × 6 in) loaf tin. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack. Cool completely before serving, buttered.

ORANGE SEMOLINA CAKE

This cake will stay moist and light for a week if it is wrapped in foil and kept in the refrigerator. Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

125 g (4 oz) butter
½ cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2 eggs
2 tablespoons brandy
1 cup semolina
1 teaspoon baking powder
1¼ cups ground almonds

Syrup

½ cup sugar
1¼ cups orange juice

Cream butter with sugar and orange rind until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Stir in brandy. Combine semolina, baking powder and almonds and fold lightly into creamed mixture. Turn into a greased and lined 20 cm (8 in) round or square cake tin. Place in a preheated hot oven (200°C/400°F), then immediately lower the oven temperature to moderate (180°C/350°F). Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.

To make syrup, place sugar and juice in a saucepan, bring to the boil and boil briskly for 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove cake from oven, pour syrup over hot cake and allow to cool in tin. Turn onto a serving plate and serve with tea or coffee or as a dessert with whipped cream.

ORANGE MARMALADE CAKE

185 g (6 oz) butter
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
2½ cups self-raising flour, sifted
¼ teaspoon salt
grated rind 2 oranges
½ cup fresh orange juice, strained

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly. Stir in marmalade. Add flour and salt alternately with orange rind and juice. Spoon into a greased and lined 20 cm (8 in) round deep cake tin. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 30–40 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Turn out, cool on a wire rack.

PRESERVED ORANGE ROLLS

These little confections are a delicacy from Greece. Serve them in liqueur glasses with a teaspoon. Delicious served after dinner with black coffee.

6 large, thick-skinned oranges
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Lightly grate entire surface of each orange. Score peel deeply into 6 segments from stem end to base and remove peel from orange. (Use orange flesh in another dish.) Tightly roll up peel segments and, using a needle and thread, pass thread through each roll to keep it tightly rolled. When 12 rolls are threaded, tie the ends together to form a circle of rolls. Continue, to make 3 circles of rolls. Put circles of rolls into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and drain immediately. Repeat boiling and draining process twice more to remove bitterness from peel. Cover with fresh cold water, heat, and let rolls simmer gently until tender. Drain and leave until dry.

In a clean saucepan, bring the sugar and the 3 cups water to the boil. Add the lemon juice and boil for 5 minutes. Add circles of orange rolls and boil for 10 minutes, skimming off any scum when necessary. Remove from heat, cover and leave overnight. Next day, bring pan contents to the boil and cook gently for 20 minutes or until syrup is thick. To test if syrup is ready, drop a little onto a cold plate. If drops do not spread, syrup is ready. If you have a sugar thermometer, cook to 105°C/220°F. Cool a little, then remove threads and place rolls and syrup in sterilised jars. Seal and store in a cool place. Makes 36.

NOTE: For sterilising jars see Jams.

ORANGE-FLOWER WATER

This beautiful fragrant liquid, collected from the distillation of oil from the sweet blossoms of the bitter orange tree, is used as a delicate and subtle flavouring in cooking, particularly in Middle East sweet dishes. Orange-flower water is available from Greek and Middle Eastern grocery stores, or in a concentrated form from chemists. The concentrate should be used sparingly in drops, and not spoon measures.

MOROCCAN BEETROOT SALAD

4 beetroots
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon orange-flower water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander or parsley
sprigs fresh coriander or flat parsley to garnish

Cook beetroots in water to cover for 30–40 minutes or until tender. Drain, slip off skins under cold running water and cut into small cubes. In a bowl combine beetroot with remaining ingredients. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Serve garnished with sprigs of coriander or flat parsley. Serve with barbecued lamb. Serves 4.

DATE PASTRIES

3 cups flour
½ cup caster sugar
250 g (8 oz) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon orange-flower water
¼ cup water

Filling

45 g (1½ oz) butter
250 g (8 oz) dates, stoned and chopped

Sift flour and sugar into a bowl and rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix orange-flower water and water, sprinkle onto flour mixture and mix to a firm dough. Knead lightly, then cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

To make filling, melt butter, add dates and stir over gentle heat to soften. Cool. Then take about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Push 1 teaspoon of filling into the centre and mould dough around it. Reshape into a ball. Place on a lightly greased baking tray, flatten slightly and press with tines of a fork around sides and across top to give a slight cone shape. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Bake in a preheated moderately slow oven (160°C/325°F) for 30–35 minutes or until pale gold. Cool on baking tray; the pastries will become firm and crisp when cold. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 30.

KHOSHAF

Dried fruit salad is prepared throughout the Middle East. Some people use only apricots and raisins with nuts; others prefer to balance the sharpness of apricots with the sweetness of prunes. Prepare a day or two in advance and make enough to eat over a few days; it gets better every day.

500 g (1 lb) dried apricots
250 g (8 oz) prunes
250 g (8 oz) raisins or sultanas
½ cup blanched almonds
cup pine nuts
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange-flower water or rose water

Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Add water to cover, stir, cover and put in refrigerator for 1–2 days. Serve chilled with sour cream sweetened with a little brown sugar. Serves 6.

OREGANO

Also known as wild marjoram, oregano is a more potent herb than its close cousins in the marjoram family. It grows well in the warm climates of sunny countries, particularly those of the Mediterranean. Its scent and flavour are robust and strongly aromatic, and flavour many dishes from southern Italy including pizza, tomato and garlic sauces for pasta, seafoods and vegetables, such as eggplants, zucchini and mushrooms.

In Italy oregano is used fresh or dried; in either case it is grown for home use or gathered into big bundles and sold in markets.

Oregano also grows in Greece, where it is known as rigani, the flavour being even more pungent than in Italy. Rigani is often used dried in many beautiful Greek lamb dishes such as arni souvlakia (skewered lamb) and arni lemonato (roast lemon lamb).

MUSHROOMS WITH OREGANO

3 tablespoons olive oil
500 g (1 lb) open mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a frying pan, add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and oregano and season with salt and black pepper. Toss well. Serve as a vegetable accompaniment to meats or poultry, or on hot buttered toast at lunch or supper.

Serves 4–6.

ROAST LEMON LAMB (ARNI LEMONATO)

1 × 1.5 kg (3 lb) leg of lamb
2–3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
juice 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup stock (chicken or lamb) or water

Cut small slits in lamb and insert slices of garlic. Rub skin with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with oregano and place in baking dish. Roast in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/ 350°F) for 30 minutes. Drain off fat and add hot water to dish. Roast for a further 45 minutes or until lamb is done to your liking. Turn once to brown evenly. Allow lamb to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, skim fat from pan juices and add 1 cup stock or water, stirring. Boil on top of stove to reduce, if necessary, and serve this sauce separately. Serves 4–6.

NOTE: A nice accompaniment is potatoes, peeled and quartered and cooked with the lamb during the last hour. Sprinkle with extra lemon juice and fresh oregano leaves.

SKEWERED LAMB (ARNI SOUVLAKIA)

1 × 1.5–2 kg (3–4 lb) boned leg of lamb, cut into 4 cm (1½ in) cubes
½ cup olive oil
½ cup dry white wine
juice 1 lemon
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, crushed
8 bay leaves, broken into pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
parsley and lemon wedges to garnish

Place lamb cubes in a glass dish. Mix remaining ingredients, reserving about half bay leaves, and add to lamb, turning to coat meat. Cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours, stirring occasionally. Thread lamb onto metal skewers, with pieces of reserved bay leaf between some cubes of meat. Reserve marinade. Cook under a preheated hot grill or over glowing charcoal, turning and basting frequently with marinade, for 15 minutes or until cooked to taste. Place on a platter and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. Serves 6–8.

MEXICAN MEATBALLS

500 g (1 lb) minced steak
¼ cup cornmeal (polenta)
1 egg
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Chilli tomato sauce
30 g (1 oz) butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2–3 tablespoons chilli powder or to taste
3 cups tomato juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt

Combine all ingredients for meatballs and shape into balls about 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter. To make chilli tomato sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook gently until lightly browned. Add chilli powder and stir for a few seconds. Stir in tomato juice, oregano and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drop meatballs into simmering sauce, cover and simmer for 10 minutes longer, or until meatballs are cooked. Serve with rice or Cornbread (see Cornmeal). Serves 4.

NOTE: Chilli Tomato Sauce can be used with barbecued meats, or as a dipping sauce for cocktail meatballs or sausages. This recipe makes about 3 cups sauce.

OSSO BUCO MILANESE

This dish has spread far beyond Lombardy, where it originated, and has become part of the international cuisine. It is a wonderful dish of veal on the bone, the marrow still intact, gently cooked in wine and tomatoes; it is at its best when made with very young, tender veal. Osso buco is served sprinkled with gremolata, a mixture of parsley, garlic and lemon rind, and is traditionally accompanied by Risotto Milanese.

OSSO BUCO MILANESE (STEWED SHIN OF VEAL)

1.5 kg (3 lb) shin of veal, cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces
¼ cup flour
60 g (2 oz) butter
cup white wine
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup veal or vegetable stock
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Gremolata

½ cup finely chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

Dust veal lightly with flour. Melt butter in a large deep pan, add veal, a few pieces at a time, and brown on all sides. Remove browned pieces and keep warm while browning the rest. Return all veal pieces to pan when all are browned, arranging them so they remain upright to prevent the marrow falling out as meat cooks. Pour wine over and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and stock and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer very gently, basting meat every 15 minutes, for 1½ hours or until meat is tender but not falling off the bones.

To make gremolata, mix ingredients together and sprinkle over top of osso buco just before serving. Serves 4.

OXTAIL

The tail of a cow or ox. Oxtail soup and stew are among the most comforting dishes of all in winter. The flavour is rich, and the long slow cooking necessary develops the soft gelatinous texture. Oxtail is best cooked the day before serving and refrigerated overnight. The fat will solidify on the surface which makes it easy to remove before the dish is reheated. Preparation a day ahead also allows the richness to develop fully.

Most butchers stock oxtails during the winter months and they are usually sold ready-jointed. Trim as much fat as possible from joints before using (usually only the upper joints need trimming).One whole oxtail serves 2–3 people.

OXTAIL SOUP

A hearty soup that is a meal in itself.

1 oxtail, jointed
30 g (1 oz) dripping
2 carrots, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 stick celery, sliced
1 bouquet garni
2 rashers bacon, or 6 bacon rinds
8 cups beef stock
2 teaspoons cornflour
2 tablespoons cold water
juice ½ lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
finely chopped parsley

Place oxtail joints in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Drain and pat dry. Melt dripping in saucepan, add oxtail pieces and fry until well browned on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add vegetables to hot dripping and fry until lightly browned. Return oxtail to pan with bouquet garni, bacon rashers or rinds and beef stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 3–4 hours. Strain off stock and discard bacon, bouquet garni and vegetables.

Refrigerate stock overnight. Remove meat from bones, shred finely and set aside. To finish soup, remove any solidified fat from surface of stock, pour into pan and bring to the boil. Blend cornflour with cold water to make a thin paste. Gradually stir this mixture into stock and simmer, stirring, to thicken slightly. Add reserved meat and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Stir in brandy, if using, and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Serves 6.

BRAISED OXTAIL

3 tablespoons oil or dripping
1 large oxtail, jointed
2 large onions, quartered
2 large carrots, quartered
2 sticks celery, cut into 5 cm (2 in) lengths
1 tablespoon flour
2½ cups Beef Stock
1 bouquet garni
salt and freshly ground black pepper
finely chopped parsley

Heat oil or dripping in a flameproof casserole and brown oxtail joints all over. Remove oxtail. Add onions, carrots and celery to casserole and brown lightly over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over and stir well, then remove from heat and pour on stock. Return to low heat and stir until boiling and thickened. Return oxtail with bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper. Cover casserole and cook in a preheated moderate oven (180°C/350°F) for 1½ –2 hours or until meat is very tender and comes away from the bone easily. Skim off fat from the surface, discard bouquet garni and serve very hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley. Accompany with creamy mashed potatoes. Serves 4.

NOTE: Cook oxtail a day ahead if you have time and refrigerate overnight to improve the flavour and make the fat easier to remove.

OXTAIL WITH GRAPES

2 medium to large oxtails, cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces
4 rashers streaky bacon, rind removed, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 large carrots, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
750 g (1½ lb) seedless white grapes

Remove excess fat from oxtail pieces. Place in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and dry well on paper towels. Fry bacon in a large flameproof casserole over a gentle heat until the fat runs. Add onions, garlic and carrots and fry gently, stirring a few times, for about 10 minutes. Add oxtail pieces, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for a further 20 minutes over gentle heat. Remove stalks from grapes and crush them lightly in a bowl. Add to casserole, cover with a sheet of foil then the lid and transfer to a preheated slow oven (150°C/300°F). Cook for 3–3½ hours or until meat is very tender and comes away easily from the bones. Remove from oven, cool then refrigerate.

The next day remove fat that has risen to top. Take all meat off the bones. Remove carrots and place meat and carrots in a clean saucepan. Remove herbs, place remaining contents of casserole in a blender and blend at high speed for about 30 seconds, or push through a sieve. Pour over meat and carrots and reheat gently on top of stove. Adjust seasoning. Spoon into a heated deep serving dish, garnish with extra grapes if liked and serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up juices. Serves 8.

OYSTER

A much-prized mollusc, oysters appear on menus throughout the world, their unique flavour and texture being unlike any other mollusc or seafood. Many varieties are extensively cultivated, one of the most highly regarded being the Sydney rock oyster. The best European oysters include the English Whitstable, and the Belon and green Marenne from France. Most of these are sold raw or sometimes frozen in the half-shell; some are bottled in fresh water without preservatives while others can be purchased unopened.

Live rock oysters can survive unopened in the shell for up to 2 weeks if they are stored in a clean damp hessian bag and kept in a cool place. If stored in a plastic bag or in the refrigerator, they will soon die. Always discard oysters with shells that have started to open, or those with an offensive odour.

Select oysters on the half-shell from reliable suppliers. They should be plump, creamy and smell of the sea. Opened oysters should always have a fresh sea smell and be eaten on the day of purchase.

Buy fresh bottled oysters only when refrigerated and in clear liquid with no trace of cloudiness. These are excellent for soups and sauces.

Oysters can also be bought canned, smoked, barbecued or natural, either whole or chopped.

Basic preparation: To open oysters, a special flat-bladed knife with a tough triangular point is used. Insert the knife point under the smooth lip of the joined shells where there is a gap in the corrugated shell edge. Push the knife between the upper and lower shells and lever them apart. Gently detach the oyster from the hinge on the upper shell and serve in the deep bottom shell. It is best to protect your hand with a cloth before grasping the oyster.

Ways to use oysters: They are best eaten raw – au naturel, on the half-shell, served with lemon wedges and brown bread and butter. There are, however, many other delicious ways to use them.

• Use oysters in beautiful soups and soup stews (see Gumbo): serve them hot or cold, baked, grilled or fried.

• In many dishes oysters are traditionally served on rock salt, which can be purchased from health food shops and re-used if stored in a covered container.

• Add 5 or 6 oysters to Steak and Kidney Pie after mixture is cooked.

• Serve oysters au naturel accompanied with hot chipolata or bratwurst sausages.

• Serve canned smoked oysters on crackers or Croûtes, with a sliver of lemon peel and ground black pepper.

• Place a smoked oyster in a hot mini puff pastry case, top with sour cream and snipped chives or hot crumbled bacon, lemon juice and chopped parsley.

• Fill hot vol-au-vent cases or tartlet shells with whole oysters and top with Béchamel or Mornay Sauce.

OYSTER SOUP

30 g (1 oz) butter
2 tablespoons flour
3½ cups Fish Stock
½ cup cream
24 bottled or fresh oysters, whole or halved, drained
salt and freshly ground white pepper
snipped chives

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir in flour and cook over a gentle heat for about 1 minute. Pour on stock and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Stir in cream. Place oysters in a soup tureen or soup bowls and pour boiling soup over them. Add seasoning and sprinkle with chives. Serves 4.

OYSTER SOUP ROCKEFELLER

1 bunch spinach or silverbeet
2 cups Fish Stock or chicken stock
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups milk
36 bottled oysters, drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 drops Tabasco sauce
½ cup cream, whipped, to garnish

Place spinach or silverbeet in a saucepan with stock and onion and simmer for 5 minutes. Purée in a blender or push through a sieve. Heat milk, add spinach purée and oysters and heat very gently. Season with salt and pepper. Add Tabasco and serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with a little cream. Serves 6.

OYSTERS AU NATUREL

Many people think the delicate flavour is best complemented when oysters are served slightly chilled, with lemon, black pepper and thin brown bread and butter. Others enjoy them with a piquant cocktail sauce, and it is usually best to include a small bowl of sauce on each plate.

24–32 fresh oysters on the half-shell
rock salt
2 thin slices buttered brown bread
1 lemon, quartered

Cocktail sauce

½ cup tomato purée
2 drops Tabasco sauce
squeeze lemon juice
3 tablespoons cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chill oysters for 1–2 hours. Place some rock salt on 4 plates and a small bowl for the sauce in the centre of each. Mix sauce ingredients together well and fill bowls. Remove crusts and cut each slice of bread into 4; arrange bread on a small plate. Arrange 6–8 oysters on each plate on rock salt bed and place a lemon wedge on each plate. Serves 4.

NOTE: Horseradish may also be used to flavour the sauce. Add 1–2 teaspoons to taste.

OYSTERS KILPATRICK

24 fresh oysters on the half-shell
rock salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
30 g (1 oz) butter
4 rashers lean bacon, rind removed, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper

Arrange oysters on a bed of rock salt in an ovenproof dish, or directly in the grill pan. Heat Worcestershire sauce and butter to simmering point. Spoon a little butter mixture over each oyster and sprinkle with bacon. Season with pepper. Place under a preheated grill for 3–4 minutes or until oysters are plump and bacon crisp. Serves 2–4.

OYSTERS CZARINA

A marvellously dramatic dish topped with caviar or its close relative, red and black lumpfish roe.

36 fresh oysters on the half-shell
½ cup light sour cream
cayenne
1 small jar each red and black lumpfish roe
rock salt (optional)
snipped chives
brown bread and butter sandwiches, and lemon wedges to serve

Remove oysters from shells and smear a little sour cream on bottom of each shell. Return oysters, put a small dab of sour cream on top and sprinkle with a little cayenne. Mask oysters with red and black lumpfish roe, red on one side, black on the other. Arrange on 6 plates, on a bed of rock salt, if desired. Sprinkle oysters with chives and serve with brown bread and butter sandwiches and lemon wedges. Serves 6.

OYSTERS MORNAY

24 fresh oysters on the half-shell
1 cup Mornay Sauce
rock salt
½ cup grated cheese

Remove oysters from shells, smear a little sauce on bottom of each shell and return oysters. Arrange on 4 heatproof plates, on a bed of rock salt. Cover the oysters well with sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese and grill for 2–3 minutes until lightly browned. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

SOUFFLÉ OYSTERS

24 fresh oysters on the half-shell
3 rashers bacon, rind removed, finely chopped
60 g (2 oz) butter
1½ tablespoons flour
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground white pepper
½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
2 eggs, separated

Put oysters on a baking tray. Fry bacon in an ungreased frying pan until crisp and crumbly. Drain and sprinkle over oysters. Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and stir over medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk. Add mustard, salt and pepper. Return pan to low heat and cook, stirring continuously, until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Add beaten egg yolks and allow mixture to cool until warm. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and gently fold into cheese mixture. Spread heaped spoonfuls of the mixture over each oyster. Bake in a preheated hot oven (200°C/400°F) for 5 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

STEAK WITH OYSTER SAUCE

315 g (10 oz) rump steak, cut thickly
freshly ground black pepper
30 g (1 oz) butter, softened

Oyster sauce

12 bottled or canned oysters
30 g (1 oz) butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt
cayenne
2 egg yolks
½ cup cream
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Snip fat in several places around sides of steak to prevent curling. Sprinkle both sides with pepper and spread with butter. Grill under a preheated grill for 6–8 minutes on each side or until cooked as desired. To make oyster sauce, combine oysters and ½ cup of their liquid in a saucepan with butter, lemon juice, salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 seconds, then add egg yolks beaten with cream and Worcestershire sauce. Heat through but do not allow to boil or sauce will curdle. Place steak on a heated serving platter and surround with sauce. Garnish with watercress if liked. Serves 2.

OYSTERS WITH GARLIC BUTTER

Serve with brown bread, cut into strips, to mop up any juices.

2–3 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
90 g (3 oz) unsalted butter
24 fresh oysters on the half-shell
1 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs

Crush garlic with salt to a smooth paste. Combine garlic, parsley and butter and cream well. Place about ½ teaspoon butter on each oyster, top with breadcrumbs and grill under a preheated hot grill for 3 minutes or until golden. Serves 4.

OYSTER BROCHETTES

24 oysters, bottled or fresh
lemon juice
6 rashers bacon, rind removed, halved
freshly ground black pepper
4 slices rye bread
2 tablespoons sour cream
4 lemon wedges to garnish

Drain and pat dry bottled oysters, or remove fresh oysters from shells. Squeeze lemon juice over. Wrap 2 oysters in each half-rasher of bacon and carefully thread onto metal skewers. Season with pepper. Place under a preheated grill, or in a hot, dry frying pan, and cook for 2–3 minutes or until bacon is just cooked. Place brochettes on rye bread spread with sour cream and serve garnished with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

FRIED OYSTERS

24 bottled oysters
1 egg
fine dry breadcrumbs
oil for deep-frying
freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, quartered, and Fried Parsley to garnish

Drain oysters over a saucepan, reserving liquid. Bring liquid to the boil, then add oysters and cook for 30 seconds only, just until plump. Cool oysters in the liquid and drain. Beat egg lightly. Dip each oyster in egg then in breadcrumbs, coating well. Heat oil in a deep-fryer until hot enough for a bread cube dropped in the oil to turn golden in 30 seconds. Place oysters in a frying basket and fry for 2–3 minutes or until crisp and golden. It is best to fry the oysters in 3–4 batches. Drain on crumpled paper towels, and arrange in bowls on napkins. Grind a little black pepper over before serving. Garnish with lemon quarters and fried parsley. Serves 4.