From Savannah Style, Beef Wellington, a recipe that dates back to as early as 1899 and 1903, is an elegant dish that, if you can find it in restaurants, is very expensive. However, you can prepare it yourself at home for just the cost of the ingredients and a little time and effort. Don’t skimp on the cut of meat. Only the most tender center-cut tenderloin (filet mignon) will do for this special dish.
Mary Demetree’s roast leg of lamb with vegetables if you want them, adding them about half-way through the roasting process. It comes to us from Cooking with Foliage La Sertoma of Apopka, a small book of delightful recipes from the ladies of the Sertoma Club.
From Charleston Receipts, Mrs. DeSaussure’s Chicken Country Captain is sure to please those with discriminating tastes. This recipe calls for almonds, currants and vegetables and is served with the sauce poured over a bed of rice and the chicken occupying top position.
We have for your enjoyment, Oyster Stew Herb River from Savannah Style cookbook.
We thank our friends from New Vision Community Church for sharing their cookbook entitled Feeding the Flock. Lorraine Setliff’s Asparagus roasted in a 400-degree oven looks divine.
Plains Pot-Pourri from our friends up in Plains, Georgia, has a lovely recipe they share called Mrs. Rance Foster’s Colonial Carrot-Pecan Cake. We delight in sharing it with you.
BEEF WELLINGTON
Recipe from Savannah Style, a Cookbook by The Junior League of Savannah, Inc.
6 pound beef filet
Salt and pepper
Butter pastry, recipe below
Duxelles (Filling), recipe below
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Roast beef seasoned with salt and pepper on a rack in shallow pan at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 1/2 hour. Cool for 2 hours, then trim fat. Meanwhile, prepare butter pastry.
Butter Pastry:
3-3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup cold butter or margarine
3/4 cup ice water
Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening and cold butter until fine. Add water a tablespoon at a time for stiff dough. Make dough into a square and chill for 30 minutes.
Duxelles:
1 pound fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons flour
1/4 cup cooked ham, finely chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Saute mushrooms in butter with onions; cook until liquid evaporates. Add remaining ingredients except ham and parsley. Stir until thickened. Remove from heat, add ham and parsley. Cool.
Roll pastry into rectangle large enough to wrap around beef (about 3 inches longer than beef, 12 to 13 inches wide). Press cool duxelles into pastry, leaving one inch uncovered on all edges. Moisten pastry edges, enclose beef, pressing edges together. Trim off excess pastry from edges so single layer covers ends. Place roll seam-side down in shallow baking pan. Cut decorations from pastry and place on top. Brush pastry with egg beaten with water. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes until browned. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.
MARY DEMETREE’S
ROAST LEG OF LAMB
Recipe from Cooking with
Foliage La Sertoma of Apopka
5 pound leg of lamb
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 bay leaf, crushed
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
Wipe lamb with damp cloth. Cut small gashes 1/4-inch long on top surface of lamb. Combine remaining ingredients except olive oil. Rub well into meat so that all gashes are completely filled. Give roast a final coating with oil. Sear in preheated oven (500 degrees) for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and roast about 1-1/2 hours. If desired, add peeled potatoes and onions to roasting pan when meat is half cooked. Serves 6 to 8.
MRS. E. H. DeSAUSSURE’S
(ELEANOR CHARLTON)
CHICKEN COUNTRY CAPTAIN
Recipe from Charleston Receipts, America’s Oldest Junior League Cookbook in Print,
a Cookbook by The Junior League of Charleston, Inc.
1 bunch parsley (chopped)
4 green peppers (chopped)
2 large onions (chopped)
Cooking oil
1 (No. 2-1/2) can tomatoes (3-1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon mace
2 teaspoons curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic (chopped)
2 fryers, cut in pieces
Paprika and flour
1/2 box currants
Cooked rice
1/2 pound blanched almonds
Fry parsley, green peppers and onions in cooking oil slowly for 15 minutes. Put this mixture in roaster and add tomatoes, spices, salt and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes, then add garlic. Dredge chicken in a mixture of flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Fry till brown. Lay chicken in the sauce and simmer at 275 degrees in a covered roaster for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Add currants a half-hour before serving. Arrange rice on a large platter, pour sauce over this and place pieces of chicken on top. Sprinkle toasted almonds on chicken. Serves 8.
OYSTER STEW HERB RIVER
Recipe from Savannah Style, a Cookbook by The Junior League of Savannah, Inc.
2 or 3 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup butter
1 pint oysters
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 teaspoon mace
1 pint Half-and-Half
Saute celery and onions in butter until soft. Add oysters including liquid. Add salt, pepper, parsley and a little mace. Simmer until oysters curl. Add Half-and-Half. Heat until bubbles form around the edges, but do not boil. Remove from heat and serve.
LORRAINE SETLIFF’S
OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS,
Recipe from
New Vision Community Church’s,
Feeding the Flock cookbook
1 large bunch asparagus, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to your taste
1/4 Parmesan cheese, shredded (optional)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss asparagus with olive oil in a shallow baking dish. Roast asparagus, turning once, until crisp-tender and slightly browned, about ten minutes. Sprinkle with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.
MRS. RANCE FOSTER’S COLONIAL CARROT-PECAN CAKE
Recipe from Food Favorites of Plains, Georgia
Plains Pot Pourri
1-1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped nuts
Combine oil and sugar. Mix well. Sift together remaining dry ingredients. Sift half of the dry ingredients into the oil/sugar mixture. Sift in remaining dry ingredients alternately with eggs, one at a time. Add carrots and mix well. Then mix in pecans. Bake in three greased pans. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Frosting for Carrot Cake:
1 stick butter or oleo
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 box confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine butter (or oleo), cream cheese, sugar, vanilla. Add nuts. Spread over cake.
