Austerity Party Food

From Marguerite Patten's Post-War Kitchen

Fork and Finger Savouries

Spread slices of bread with butter or margarine. Cut off the crusts, and cut into fours. Top each with a slice of hard-boiled egg, a slice of beetroot and a pinch of parsley. (Toast might work better.)

Roll out pastry and cut into small squares. When baked, top with grated cheese mixed with mayonnaise, and a lattice of celery strips.

Cut celery into three-inch lengths. Mix mashed potato, grated cheese and tinned chopped tomatoes. Fill the celery "baskets" with the pink mixture. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. (And eat with care.)

Smoked Haddock with Egg and Cream Sauce

from Delia Smith's original How to Cheat at Cooking.

1.5 lb filleted smoked haddock
1/2 pint milk
1 bay leaf
2oz butter
1/2 packet white sauce mix
2tbsp double cream
1 hard-boiled egg
1 tbsp chives

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Divide the haddock into 4 and lay in a baking tin. Pour the milk over and throw in a bay leaf. Put a few flecks of butter here and there. Bake for 20-25 mins. Make up the white sauce mix using the liquid the fish was cooked in, then add the cream, chopped hard-boiled egg and chives. Serve the fish with the sauce poured over.

You could make your own white sauce, using cream. The bay leaf is optional (funny how we used to add them to everything.)