When a saucepan has to be left boiling a long
time without attention, as in the case of a stew, it
is a good plan to place an asbestos mat under-
neath it. This will ensure even and regular cook-
ing and avoid the annoyance of liquids boiling
over. These mats are very inexpensive, costing
about 6 d. each, and can be used equally well on a
kitchen range.
When once the oven has been properly heated
the fight should for most purposes be turned down
half-way, and in some cases even lower. Then the
21
THE KITCHEN, MARKETING, AND CARE OF FOOD
cooking should be so arranged that when the oven
is lighted it should be made use of to the fullest
extent, two or three dishes being cooked in it at
the same time. It is a waste of gas to light the
oven to cook one dish. For instance, if there is a
small roast it maybe cooked on a roasting tin on the
bottom shelf, while such things as a milk pudding,
potato or macaroni pie, baked potatoes, or stewed
fruit might be cooking above. Or, when pastry is
being cooked, cakes or scones might be cooked at
the same time. It would not, however, do to cook
pastry with a roast, as the air of the oven would be
too moist.
To Grill. — A special grill pan is supplied with
every gas stove, and this can be used for many pur-
poses, such as the cooking of a chop, steak, kidneys,
bacon, fish, or, in fact, anything that could be cooked
on an ordinary grill. Very good toast can also
be made under the grill. Place the grill pan under
the griller, light the gas, and wait until the griller
is red-hot before putting the meat or whatever is
being cooked underneath. Then proceed as for
ordinary grilling, turning the meat and reducing
the heat as required. A kettle or saucepan of
water may be boiled above the grill light when it
is in use.
To Make Toast. — Light the gas and wait until
the griller is red-hot. Then turn down the light
and put the bread underneath on the grid of the
grill pan. Watch it very carefully and turn when
necessary. The toast must not be made too
quickly, or it will be soft and heavy.
To Use the Oven. — A gas oven generally contains
two or three grid shelves and always one solid
shelf. The latter is used to throw down the heat,
and is placed above anything that requires browning.
Nothing should be placed on the solid shelf or it
will burn, with the exception of liquid things or
anything that can be placed in a tin of water.
The top of the oven is always the coolest part.
When dishes in course of baking are becoming too
brown before being sufficiently cooked, the solid
shelf should be removed altogether.
It used to be thought necessary to place a tin
of water at the foot of the oven, but this is no longer
considered necessary.
When roasting meat the joint should either be
hung on a hook attached to a bar which runs across
the top of the oven, or put on a roasting tin placed
on one of the grid shelves at the lower part of the
oven. If the former method is adopted the shelves
of the oven will require to be removed and nothing
else can be cooked at the same time. The thickest
part of the joint must always be hung downwards.
Heat the oven well before putting the meat in, and
after the first 10 minutes reduce the gas one-half,
or even more, according to the amount of pressure ;
follow in fact the general rules for roasting.
Page 31
Presented as published in 1914. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
When a saucepan has to be left boiling a long time without attention, as in the case of a stew, it is a good plan to place an asbestos mat underneath it. This will ensure even and regular cooking and avoid the annoyance of liquids boiling over. These mats are very inexpensive, costing about 6 d. each, and can be used equally well on a kitchen range.
When once the oven has been properly heated the fire should for most purposes be turned down half-way, and in some cases even lower. Then the
cooking should be so arranged that when the oven is lighted it should be made use of to the fullest extent, two or three dishes being cooked in it at the same time. It is a waste of gas to light the oven to cook one dish. For instance, if there is a small roast it maybe cooked on a roasting tin on the bottom shelf, while such things as a milk pudding, potato or macaroni pie, baked potatoes, or stewed fruit might be cooking above. Or, when pastry is being cooked, cakes or scones might be cooked at the same time. It would not, however, do to cook pastry with a roast, as the air of the oven would be too moist.
To Grill. — A special grill pan is supplied with every gas stove, and this can be used for many purposes, such as the cooking of a chop, steak, kidneys, bacon, fish, or, in fact, anything that could be cooked on an ordinary grill. Very good toast can also be made under the grill. Place the grill pan under the griller, light the gas, and wait until the griller is red-hot before putting the meat or whatever is being cooked underneath. Then proceed as for ordinary grilling, turning the meat and reducing the heat as required. A kettle or saucepan of water may be boiled above the grill light when it is in use.
To Make Toast. — Light the gas and wait until the griller is red-hot. Then turn down the light and put the bread underneath on the grid of the grill pan. Watch it very carefully and turn when necessary. The toast must not be made too quickly, or it will be soft and heavy.
To Use the Oven. — A gas oven generally contains two or three grid shelves and always one solid shelf. The latter is used to throw down the heat, and is placed above anything that requires browning. Nothing should be placed on the solid shelf or it will burn, with the exception of liquid things or anything that can be placed in a tin of water. The top of the oven is always the coolest part. When dishes in course of baking are becoming too brown before being sufficiently cooked, the solid shelf should be removed altogether.
It used to be thought necessary to place a tin of water at the foot of the oven, but this is no longer considered necessary.
When roasting meat the joint should either be hung on a hook attached to a bar which runs across the top of the oven, or put on a roasting tin placed on one of the grid shelves at the lower part of the oven. If the former method is adopted the shelves of the oven will require to be removed and nothing else can be cooked at the same time. The thickest part of the joint must always be hung downwards. Heat the oven well before putting the meat in, and after the first 10 minutes reduce the gas one-half, or even more, according to the amount of pressure ; follow in fact the general rules for roasting.