A Good Roast Dinner for Beginners

Choose either a leg of lamb, a loin or forequarter.

If using forequarter slice between ribs and shoulder and cut it off. If left intact it takes longer to cook and is difficult to carve.

A leg needs at least three hours, the others two hours.

Using a frypan put in at least 1&1/2 cups of dripping.

Add 1/2 cup cold water.

Lay meat on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little flour.

Cover and cook at 350F turning after three-quarters of an hour.

Vegetables can either be put in with the meat three-quarters of an hour before serving or at this stage take meat out and put in warm oven. Tip fat out and make gravy.

To make gravy:

After fat has been tipped off sprinkle pan with flour (1 tabspn)[,] turn heat high for a few minutes then add 1/2 to 1 cup cold water and stir well. Let boil a minute.

Pour off into gravy boat and keep hot.

Put the clear fat back into pan and heat. Cut potatoes into slices three-quarters inch thick and lay in hot fat. Turn when brown underneath. Do the same with pumpkin, par[s]nips and carrots.

They will cook in about 30 minutes.

Source: contributed by Vera Jagger in The Embroiderers' Recipe Book. Compiled by members of The Embroiderers' Guild of South Australia Incorporated ([Adelaide], n.d.), p.32.

Lamb in Vermouth

1 leg spring lamb, about 2 kg

Make a marinade of the following:

1 cup sweet vermouth

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tabspns olive oil

1 tspn salt

1/4 tspn pepper

1 tspn paprika

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tspn dried rosemary (or 1 tabspn fresh, chopped)

Method: Marinade lamb, covered, in fridge for 48 hours, turning or basting occasionally.

Before roasting, pat dry very thoroughly with paper towelling. This is important, otherwise the "weeping" sweet vermouth will scorch on the bottom of the pan during cooking and spoil the pan dripping for gravy.

Reserve marinade for gravy.

Place 2-3 tabspns polyunsaturated oil in bottom of roasting tin and roast the lamb on a rack at 180C until well done and tender (allow about 65 mins per kg).

Make gravy by draining off excessive fat from pan, stirring in the marinade to l[i]ft the pan drippings, mixing in 1 tabspn flour to thicken, and bringing to the boil.

Suggested vegetables to accompany - roast potatoes, onions and well-coloured pumpkin and green peas.

Serves 6-8.

Source: contributed by Doreen Callaghan in The Embroiderers' Recipe Book. Compiled by members of The Embroiderers' Guild of South Australia Incorporated ([Adelaide], n.d.), p.31.

Bolar of Beef

Rub a whole bolar with a little mustard and place on a piece of foil large enough to securely, but loosely, wrap it completely. I do this in the baking dish. Before wrapping shake over the beef one packet of French Onion soup mix and pour 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup red wine (or 1 cup red wine) over the meat. Secure foil and cook slowly in oven for 3 to 4 hours between 260ºF and 300ºF depending on size of bolar. While the beef is standing I put the sauce into the deep freeze to allow the fat to rise and set. Remove fat, reheat sauce and serve as an accompaniment.

Source: contributed by Barbara Kesley in The Embroiderers' Recipe Book. Compiled by members of The Embroiderers' Guild of South Australia Incorporated ([Adelaide], n.d.), p.23.

Meat and Vege Puffs

cold cooked meat, diced

any left over vegetables

oil

Batter:

2 cups S.R. flour

Pinch salt

milk

1 egg

Method: Place flour, salt and egg in bowl. Mix well, slowly adding a little milk at a time until batter is smooth. Add diced meat and veg (meat and vegetables can be tinned) to batter. Spoon mixture into hot oil. Fry till golden brown. Serve with tomato and onion fried in margarine.

Source: Mantle of Safety Cookbook 2 (The Port Augusta Women's Air Branch Auxillary of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, c1987), p.84. [Bachelor]

Epicure's Lamb

That shoulder of lamb can be turned into an epicure's delight. Before cooking insert one small clove of garlic in the thickest part near the bone, together with 2 of 3 cloves pressed in here and there. Rub the skin of the lamb with a little olive oil and dust it lightly with sifted flour. Roast in the normal way. When the lamb is about half cooked sprinkle the outside with about 1 dessertspoon of strained orange juice or lemon juice and white table wine, Chablis for preference (1/2 each). Repeat in about 10 minutes, and just before the roast is cooked sprinkle lightly with brown sugar. This burns quickly and imparts a delicious flavour. When making your gravy be sure to pour into it a little of the wine, mixing well, just before serving.

Source: A Cooks' Tour of Recipes. Published for the Adelaide University S.R.C. [Students' Representative Council]. (Adelaide: Commercial Publications of South Australia, 1955), p.53.

To make an old fowl tender

To make an old fowl tender, rub fowl all over with lemon, cover with dripping, place in paper bag and cook.

To make an aged fowl tender, soak in water and cup of cider vinegar.

Source: Blyth Recipe Book: Favourite Tested Recipes of the Blyth Trinity Lutheran Ladies Guild (Blyth Womens Guild, 1972), p.74

Savoury Bran Stuffing

1/4 cup margarine

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

440 gm. can cream of mushroom soup

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup All-Bran or Bran Buds

4 cups Kellogg's Seasoned Corn Flakes Crumbs

Method: Melt margarine in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Spread mixture into a greased baking tray and bake in a moderate oven, 180C gas, 190C electric (350F gas, 375F electric) for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Cut into squares and serve with roast meats. (6 servings)

Source: Better Health High Fibre Cookbook compiled by the Strathalbyn Kindergarten Committee (Hahndorf, S.A.: Fox Publishing, 1978), p.33.

Meat Loaf Roast

500 gm mince
500 gm sausage meat
1 egg
1 pkt. Dutch Curry Soup
1 cup breadcrumbs

Method: Combine all ingredients[,] form into a roll - place in baking dish with a little dripping and vegetables around it and cook about 1&1/2 hours in mod-hot oven. What is left is really good cold in a sandwich.

Source: contributed by Dulcie Stacey in Our Jubilee Year Recipe Book [Ascot Park Uniting Church Friendship Group] (Adelaide, 1986), p.37.