A text-book of cooking

If a food that is to be fried contains much water, what happens to the water when placed in the hot fat ? Explain why it is better to leave the potatoes whole rather than cut them into pieces for cooking. Why is it especially necessary to dry the fish and potato mixture before frying ? What ingredient do Fish Balls contain that hardens immediately on being heated ? Of what advantage is this ingredient in mixtures that are to be fried ? What is the price per package of codfish ? What is the weight and measure of a package ? REVIEW IV. — MEAL COOKING Corn Soup Baked Potato Fruit Tapioca See Review I (p. 9) for suggestions regarding the preparation of the lesson. PAT AS A FRYING AND SAUTEING MEDIUM 83 LESSON XXII Fat as a Frying and Sauteing Medium Sautéing and Frying. — Sautéing is browning in a small quantity of fat, and frying is browning in deep fat. At best, foods coated with fat are somewhat difficult of digestion. Fat is not soluble in water (see Experiment 31, p. 80) and forms a seal about other materials, thus hindering their solution or digestion. It is well, then, to have the least possible quantity of fat soak into foods cooked in fats. It has been found that foods soak up much more fat when sauted than when fried. The greatest care should be taken, however, to have the fat and the food to be fried in such condition that as little fat as possible will be absorbed. The fat should be sufficiently hot (see Experiments 29 and 30, pp. 78, 79), the food as dry as possible, and the browned food drained on paper. Although hot fat must be used for frying, care should be taken not to overheat it. Fat is rendered unwholesome by overcooking. Croquettes. — Croquettes are cooked vegetable, cereal, meat, or fish mixtures dipped in dried crumbs and eggs and browned in deep fat. These food mixtures are shaped in various ways. Rice and potato croquettes are usually cylindrical in shape, while chicken croquettes are formed into cones. Croquettes may be dipped in melted butter and browned in the oven or broiling oven instead of frying in deep fat. Starch occurs in considerable quantity in the vegetables and cereals commonly used for croquettes. Meat and fish are usually mixed with a thick white sauce when used for croquettes, hence croquettes invariably contain a starchy substance. If croquette ingredients are heated while mixing, it is necessary to cool them thoroughly before shaping, in order that the starch may be as stiff as possible. POTATO CROQUETTES 1 pint mashed potatoes Celery salt 2 tablespoonfuls butter Onion juice Cayenne 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley 1 teaspoonful salt 1 egg-yolk or ½ egg Mix ingredients together, shape into smooth round balls and then into cylinders. Koll in dried bread crumbs, eggs, and crumbs again. (See Fried Oysters, p. 80.) Fry in deep fat until brown. RICE CROQUETTES 1 pint cooked rice White pepper 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls milk Cayenne 3 tablespoonfuls butter 1 egg \ teaspoonful salt 2 teaspoonfuls chopped parsley Warm the rice in a double boiler with enough milk to moisten it. Add the butter, seasoning, and beaten egg and cook until the egg thickens. Spread the mixture on a plate. When cool, shape into cylinders. Dip in dried bread crumbs, egg, and dried bread crumbs again. (See Fried Oysters, p. 80.) Cook in deep fat, drain, garnish, and serve. SWEET RICE CROQUETTES To make Sweet Rice Croquettes, omit white pepper, cayenne, and parsley; add 2 tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar and the grated rind of ½ lemon. Shape in the form of nests. Eoll in dry bread crumbs and egg as above. Fry, drain, place a cube of jelly in each nest, and then serve.