Suppose that gravy is wanted to-day for a joint of beef. Sometning was cooked for dinner yesterday, and it is almost certain that a bone or scraps of some kind were left from it. If the cook had forethought she would have put these on one side, cover them over to keep them dean and when there was a convenient opportunity that IS wdien the hre « as not in use, she would stew them for gravy. Perhaps bacon was served for breakfast or he* provided, in either case she would be particularly fortunate ; of course she would have pre- served the meat liquor, pouring it into a clean earthenware pan, and throwing a little muslin over it to keep it from _ She would first take a small onion, skin it and cut it into rings. She would melt a little drippin- in a sauce- pan, th^row in the onion and shake it over The fire until t was brown but not at all burnt. She would now put in the bones and scraps, together with a sprig of parsley an inch or two of celery, three or four peppeTcorns? and the rind of the bacon which had been scalded in boilin^ water and scraped with a blunt knife to make it quk? all she would pour meat liquor or cold water✪ Gravy for Joints HnSr ^^'■^^‘e'-'als ; then, covering the saucepan placing it by the side of the fire, she wonkf let stew very gently indeed, skimming it every now and then with an iron spoon for a couple of hours t il the liquor was considerably reduced, and was strone a d pleasantly flavoured. 'Ihcn she might strain it off and put ,t on one side to let any fat there might be rLe to he surface, when it could be easily removed If tl e light-coloured, a few drops of sugar browninir ^ be stirred in, but it is probable that the browned colourin'o- -^and supplied all that is required in the way of Sid n A browning should be very sparingly used. Only let the gravy be a rich, deep brown Jn cookery the appearance of a dish is almost as imoortint as Its taste, and light-coloured gravy for join s 5 S. pleasing to the eye ^ joints is not If two tablespoonfuls of the gravy thus made were put i8 The GirPs Own Cookery Book. into the dish with the meat, the gravy that runs from the meat would mix with it, and would furnish an excellent accompaniment to the roasted joint. If it should happen that there was no opportunity to stew the scraps and trimmings in time for the fat to cahe on the top of the gravy, it would be well to pour the licpiid into a jar, and set this in a vessel comainirg cold water. This would make it cool more rapidly, and so cause the fat to rise more quickly to the surface. Care must be taken, however, not to put too much water over the bone. Good gravy is wanted, and this would be more likely to be obtained if water or stock were taken to partly cover the bone, and no more. Gravy thus made would do very well for beef or pork, but not for mutton or lamb. These meats would be served with good brown unflavoined gravy. Therefore the flavouring ingredients should not be stewed with the bone for them ; but the bone should be stewed in nothing but stock or water slightly salted. Good gravy for a leg or shoulder of mutton may be made by stewing the shank bone and one or two trimmings of meat for an hour or two.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Suppose that gravy is wanted to-day for a joint of beef. Sometning was cooked for dinner yesterday, and it is almost certain that a bone or scraps of some kind were left from it. If the cook had forethought she would have put these on one side, cover them over to keep them dean and when there was a convenient opportunity that is when the fire was not in use, she would stew them for gravy. Perhaps bacon was served for breakfast or he was provided, in either case she would be particularly fortunate ; of course she would have preserved the meat liquor, pouring it into a clean earthenware pan, and throwing a little muslin over it to keep it from _ She would first take a small onion, skin it and cut it into rings. She would melt a little drippin- in a saucepan, th^row in the onion and shake it over The fire until t was brown but not at all burnt. She would now put in the bones and scraps, together with a sprig of parsley an inch or two of celery, three or four peppercorns, and the rind of the bacon which had been scalded in boilin^ water and scraped with a blunt knife to make it quick. all she would pour meat liquor or cold water over the vegetables; then, covering the saucepan placing it by the side of the fire, she would let it stew very gently indeed, skimming it every now and then with an iron spoon for a couple of hours t il the liquor was considerably reduced, and was strong and pleasantly flavoured. 'Ihcn she might strain it off and put ,t on one side to let any fat there might be rise to the surface, when it could be easily removed If tl e light-coloured, a few drops of sugar browning may be stirred in, but it is probable that the browned colouring and supplied all that is required in the way of colouring. A browning should be very sparingly used. Only let the gravy be a rich, deep brown Jn cookery the appearance of a dish is almost as imoortint as Its taste, and light-coloured gravy for joints is not pleasing to the eye. If two tablespoonfuls of the gravy thus made were put The GirPs Own Cookery Book. into the dish with the meat, the gravy that runs from the meat would mix with it, and would furnish an excellent accompaniment to the roasted joint. If it should happen that there was no opportunity to stew the scraps and trimmings in time for the fat to cahe on the top of the gravy, it would be well to pour the liquid into a jar, and set this in a vessel containing cold water. This would make it cool more rapidly, and so cause the fat to rise more quickly to the surface. Care must be taken, however, not to put too much water over the bone. Good gravy is wanted, and this would be more likely to be obtained if water or stock were taken to partly cover the bone, and no more. Gravy thus made would do very well for beef or pork, but not for mutton or lamb. These meats would be served with good brown unflavoined gravy. Therefore the flavouring ingredients should not be stewed with the bone for them ; but the bone should be stewed in nothing but stock or water slightly salted. Good gravy for a leg or shoulder of mutton may be made by stewing the shank bone and one or two trimmings of meat for an hour or two.

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Gravy for Joints

The girl's own cookery book