The Test for Hot Fat. — When the fat begins to smoke put in a bit of bread ; if it brown quicklj^, or while you can count sixty as the clock ticks, it is hot enough for fried potatoes, doughnuts, etc. When hot enough to brown the bread while you count forty, it will do for fish balls, croquettes, etc. When ready to fry, plunge the basket into the hot fat to grease it, and then place in it the croquettes, or what- ever you may be frying, so that they will not touch each other. Hold the handle of the basket with a long fork, and plunge it quickly into the fat, but do not drop the handle, because if the fat begin to boil up, you can then raise the basket quickly, and wait till the ebullition has subsided before plunging it in again ; and thus avoid the danger of burning from the overflowing fat. The fat cools rapidly, when many articles are fried at once, and i6 The Boston Cook Book. should be reheated to the test point before frying any more. Time. — Any cooked mixture, such as fish balls and cro- quettes, or very small fish, oysters, scallops, etc., will be fried brown in one minute. Thicker fish, chops, and frit- ters require longer cooking ; and, after plunging them into the hot fat, the kettle should be set back from the fire to prevent them from becoming too brown before they are sufficiently cooked. While frying, be careful not to spill any fat on the stove. Keep a tin plate in your left hand, and hold it under the basket, or ladle, as you take things from the fat. Draining. — Thorough draining is another secret of nice frying, and 3^ou cannot find a much hotter place than right over the hot fat ; so hold your basket of fried food over the hot fat, and shake slightly, till all dripping has stopped. Then place the fried articles on soft or unglazed paper, to absorb the fat, and keep them hot till ready to serve. Never pile fried articles one on another. Fat for Frying. Lard, a mixture of half suet and half lard, drippings, or oil, may be used for frying. Suet and drippings are cheap- est, and are preferred by many. Suet used alone cools very quickly and leaves a tallowy taste. Drippings should be carefully clarified (see page 18) and freed from water, or the articles cooked will soak fat. Lard, with a small proportion of suet or drippings, is more generally satisfac- tory. There is often a ver}^ disagreeable odor to new lard, and more or less water in it, as is shown b}^ the froth and ebullition as soon as it becomes hot. Before it is used for any purpose it should be clarified with slices of raw potato and heated until it becomes still. Olive oil is the purest fat for frying, but it is too expensive for general use. Cotton- seed oil has been recently introduced for cooking purposes, and is an excellent fat for frying, though mau}^ dislike its peculiar odor. It may be heated much hotter than lard, The Boston Cook Book. 17 without burning, and, when properly used, imparts no flavor to the food. When the fat becomes too brown for potatoes or doughnuts, use it for croquettes, etc., and then use it for nothing except fish balls and fish. When it be- comes very brown, put it with the soap-grease.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The Test for Hot Fat. — When the fat begins to smoke put in a bit of bread ; if it brown quickly, or while you can count sixty as the clock ticks, it is hot enough for fried potatoes, doughnuts, etc. When hot enough to brown the bread while you count forty, it will do for fish balls, croquettes, etc. When ready to fry, plunge the basket into the hot fat to grease it, and then place in it the croquettes, or whatever you may be frying, so that they will not touch each other. Hold the handle of the basket with a long fork, and plunge it quickly into the fat, but do not drop the handle, because if the fat begin to boil up, you can then raise the basket quickly, and wait till the ebullition has subsided before plunging it in again ; and thus avoid the danger of burning from the overflowing fat. The fat cools rapidly, when many articles are fried at once, and The Boston Cook Book. should be reheated to the test point before frying any more. Time. — Any cooked mixture, such as fish balls and croquettes, or very small fish, oysters, scallops, etc., will be fried brown in one minute. Thicker fish, chops, and fritters require longer cooking ; and, after plunging them into the hot fat, the kettle should be set back from the fire to prevent them from becoming too brown before they are sufficiently cooked. While frying, be careful not to spill any fat on the stove. Keep a tin plate in your left hand, and hold it under the basket, or ladle, as you take things from the fat. Draining. — Thorough draining is another secret of nice frying, and you cannot find a much hotter place than right over the hot fat ; so hold your basket of fried food over the hot fat, and shake slightly, till all dripping has stopped. Then place the fried articles on soft or unglazed paper, to absorb the fat, and keep them hot till ready to serve. Never pile fried articles one on another. Fat for Frying. Lard, a mixture of half suet and half lard, drippings, or oil, may be used for frying. Suet and drippings are cheapest, and are preferred by many. Suet used alone cools very quickly and leaves a tallowy taste. Drippings should be carefully clarified (see page 18) and freed from water, or the articles cooked will soak fat. Lard, with a small proportion of suet or drippings, is more generally satisfactory. There is often a very disagreeable odor to new lard, and more or less water in it, as is shown by the froth and ebullition as soon as it becomes hot. Before it is used for any purpose it should be clarified with slices of raw potato and heated until it becomes still. Olive oil is the purest fat for frying, but it is too expensive for general use. Cottonseed oil has been recently introduced for cooking purposes, and is an excellent fat for frying, though many dislike its peculiar odor. It may be heated much hotter than lard, The Boston Cook Book. without burning, and, when properly used, imparts no flavor to the food. When the fat becomes too brown for potatoes or doughnuts, use it for croquettes, etc., and then use it for nothing except fish balls and fish. When it becomes very brown, put it with the soap-grease.

Mrs. Lincoln's Boston cook book