If the basket is not to be had, we can take whatever is fried out with a skimmer, and for a great many things that will answer quite as well. If the article to be fried is large, such as a sole, for instance, we shall, if we have no frying-kettle, be obliged to use the frying-pan, only we ought to have in it enough fat to cover the fish. For- tunately though soles are broad, they are thin, so that this can be done without much difficulty. Very thick soles are seldom fried, the flesh being usually lifted from the bone, and cooked in fillets or small slices. And now I must say one word about the fat that is used for frying. Lard is commonly taken for this purpose, and, unfortunately, nothing worse could be chosen, because lard always makes food look greasy ; besides which it often has a peculiar taste. Oil is very good, but it is e.xpensive, and it is rather difficult to manage, because it quickly boils over. Butter is also expensive, and it needs to be very gently heated. The very best fat that can be selected is what is called kitchen fat, that is, the skimmings of saucepans and the dripping from joints, that in nine English kitchens out of ten is put on one side by the cook and sold as her perquisite for about fourpence a pound. When the good fat is well out of the way, inferior fat, that is, lard, is bought at 8d. or qd. per pound to take its place. It is quite a puzzle to me to make out how this most 32 The Girl's Own Cookery Book. absurd custom arose, and a still greater one that it can be kept up. It is a comfort to think that when ladies get to understand cookery, it will soon be put a stop to. I have nothing to say against servants being well paid ; if they do their work well, by all means let them have good wages ; but why we should allow them to increase their wages by selling our excellent kitchen fat at less than half its value, and then expect us to spend double the money in buying fat that is not nearly so good, is beyond my comprehension. I can only imagine that the practice was begun by some one who was ignorant, and kept up by some one who was dishonest. But if, notwithstanding all our care, we are still short of the requisite quantity of fat, what are we to do? Make it up with lard ? By no means. Rather gather together every piece of fat meat upon which you can lay your hands, cut it into small pieces, put these in a saucepan, with cold water to cover✪ Rendering Kitchen Fat, and boil over a clear fire. Leave the lid off the pan, and boil the fat gently, stirring it every now and then to keep it from burning to the bottom of the pan. When the water has evaporated \ve must pour the contents of the saucepan through a strainer into a basin, and our fat will be ready for use. If the pieces of fat taken from joints still do not afford as much dripping as we need, the best thing we can do is to buy what is called by the butchers ox flare, cut it into pieces, and render it down in the same way. This flare can be had for about 6d. per pound.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

If the basket is not to be had, we can take whatever is fried out with a skimmer, and for a great many things that will answer quite as well. If the article to be fried is large, such as a sole, for instance, we shall, if we have no frying-kettle, be obliged to use the frying-pan, only we ought to have in it enough fat to cover the fish. Fortunately though soles are broad, they are thin, so that this can be done without much difficulty. Very thick soles are seldom fried, the flesh being usually lifted from the bone, and cooked in fillets or small slices. And now I must say one word about the fat that is used for frying. Lard is commonly taken for this purpose, and, unfortunately, nothing worse could be chosen, because lard always makes food look greasy ; besides which it often has a peculiar taste. Oil is very good, but it is expensive, and it is rather difficult to manage, because it quickly boils over. Butter is also expensive, and it needs to be very gently heated. The very best fat that can be selected is what is called kitchen fat, that is, the skimmings of saucepans and the dripping from joints, that in nine English kitchens out of ten is put on one side by the cook and sold as her perquisite for about fourpence a pound. When the good fat is well out of the way, inferior fat, that is, lard, is bought at 8d. or qd. per pound to take its place. It is quite a puzzle to me to make out how this most 32 The Girl's Own Cookery Book. absurd custom arose, and a still greater one that it can be kept up. It is a comfort to think that when ladies get to understand cookery, it will soon be put a stop to. I have nothing to say against servants being well paid ; if they do their work well, by all means let them have good wages ; but why we should allow them to increase their wages by selling our excellent kitchen fat at less than half its value, and then expect us to spend double the money in buying fat that is not nearly so good, is beyond my comprehension. I can only imagine that the practice was begun by some one who was ignorant, and kept up by some one who was dishonest. But if, notwithstanding all our care, we are still short of the requisite quantity of fat, what are we to do? Make it up with lard ? By no means. Rather gather together every piece of fat meat upon which you can lay your hands, cut it into small pieces, put these in a saucepan, with cold water to cover, and boil over a clear fire. Leave the lid off the pan, and boil the fat gently, stirring it every now and then to keep it from burning to the bottom of the pan. When the water has evaporated we must pour the contents of the saucepan through a strainer into a basin, and our fat will be ready for use. If the pieces of fat taken from joints still do not afford as much dripping as we need, the best thing we can do is to buy what is called by the butchers ox flare, cut it into pieces, and render it down in the same way. This flare can be had for about 6d. per pound.

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Rendering Kitchen Fat

The girl's own cookery book