Fried fish is usually garnished with fried parsley. To
prepare this, we wash a few sprigs of parsley, dry it well
in a cloth, put it in the frying basket, and dip it in the
hot fat for a second or two till it is quite crisp. If kept
in the fat too long it will be discoloured. When about to
fry parsley the cook should remember not to hold her face
too near the pan, for parsley contains so much water that
it is sure to make the fat bubble, and if not careful she
may be burnt.
I think now I have spoken of all the general principles
of frying fish, and I hope the hints I have given will be
97
Sauces, and Ilcnu to Make Them.
useful when you carr>' them out for yourself. Do not be
discouraged if you do not succeed perfectly the first time
of trying. Fr\-ing fish is not at all easy work, but skill in
this direction, as in so many others, comes with patience
and perseverance, and remember that —
SAUCES, AND HOW TO MAKE THEM.
^ GREAT French cook, Brillat Savarin, once said,
“ On devient cuismier on natt saucier" which, freely
translated, means, “You may learn to cook, but it
requires genius to make sauce.” Another great French-
man, often quoted — Talleyrand — said that “ England was
a country with twenty-four religions and one sauce ” —
melted butter. You will see, therefore, that people who
understand the subject do not consider sauce-making
very easy work. Nevertheless, we will do our best with
it, and I daresay we shall be able to produce something
which will satisfy our friends, even though we cannot
boast either genius or infallibility.
You will understand that we are not talking now about
gravy, but about sauces. Gravy is the juice of meat, but
sauce is a liquid served with food to improve its flavour.
Sauces are generally looked upon as rather elaborate
preparations. Some of them are so, and exceedingly
delicious into the bargain. All sorts of condiments and
flavours enter into their preparation, and the result is the
production of delicate combinations of unheard-of and
far-fetched luxuries, which it requires the acquired taste
of an epicure to appreciate, while no inquiries must be
made about the cost thereof.
With sauces of this kind I must decline to have any-
thing whatever to do. Let people who want them, and
“Experience join’d with common sense
To mortals is a providence.”
XVI.
q8 The Girl's Own Cookery Book.
can afford to pay for them, engage professionals to make
them. I would very much rather devote my energies to
helping girls who are trying to prepare good, wholesome,
and appetising sauce for their friends at a moderate cost.
If only I can give a few hints which will prove of use to
those who are doing this in perplexity and difficulty I
shall be quite satisfied in this direction ; in fact, 1 shall
feel that I have not lived in vain, and, as poor Artemus
Ward said, I should not like to live in vain — 1 would
rather live in London. ✪ Melted Butter
Page 63 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1882. 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
Fried fish is usually garnished with fried parsley. To prepare this, we wash a few sprigs of parsley, dry it well in a cloth, put it in the frying basket, and dip it in the hot fat for a second or two till it is quite crisp. If kept in the fat too long it will be discoloured. When about to fry parsley the cook should remember not to hold her face too near the pan, for parsley contains so much water that it is sure to make the fat bubble, and if not careful she may be burnt.
I think now I have spoken of all the general principles of frying fish, and I hope the hints I have given will be
Sauces, and How to Make Them.
useful when you carry them out for yourself. Do not be discouraged if you do not succeed perfectly the first time of trying. Frying fish is not at all easy work, but skill in this direction, as in so many others, comes with patience and perseverance, and remember that —
SAUCES, AND HOW TO MAKE THEM.
^ GREAT French cook, Brillat Savarin, once said, “ On devient cuismier on natt saucier" which, freely translated, means, “You may learn to cook, but it requires genius to make sauce.” Another great Frenchman, often quoted —Talleyrand — said that "England was a country with twenty-four religions and one sauce ” — melted butter. You will see, therefore, that people who understand the subject do not consider sauce-making very easy work. Nevertheless, we will do our best with it, and I daresay we shall be able to produce something which will satisfy our friends, even though we cannot boast either genius or infallibility.
You will understand that we are not talking now about gravy, but about sauces. Gravy is the juice of meat, but sauce is a liquid served with food to improve its flavour. Sauces are generally looked upon as rather elaborate preparations. Some of them are so, and exceedingly delicious into the bargain. All sorts of condiments and flavours enter into their preparation, and the result is the production of delicate combinations of unheard-of and far-fetched luxuries, which it requires the acquired taste of an epicure to appreciate, while no inquiries must be made about the cost thereof.
With sauces of this kind I must decline to have anything whatever to do. Let people who want them, and
“Experience join’d with common sense To mortals is a providence.”
q8 The Girl's Own Cookery Book.
can afford to pay for them, engage professionals to make them. I would very much rather devote my energies to helping girls who are trying to prepare good, wholesome, and appetising sauce for their friends at a moderate cost. If only I can give a few hints which will prove of use to those who are doing this in perplexity and difficulty I shall be quite satisfied in this direction ; in fact, 1 shall feel that I have not lived in vain, and, as poor Artemus Ward said, I should not like to live in vain — 1 would rather live in London.
Records on this page
Melted Butter