We must not suppose, however, that when we have got
our shield round the meat, we are to let it keep on boiling
till it is sufficiently cooked. If we did this the meat would
be shield all the way through, and that would make
unnecessarily hard work both for our teeth and our
digestions. What we want is, not only to keep in the
goodness, but to make the meat tender. This can be done
only by gentle stewing. We must therefore proceed in
this way. First, we plunge our meat into the fast boiling
water : it instantly stops boiling, for the cold meat cools
the liquid, so we bring it to the boiling point again as
quickly as we can, let it boil for five minutes, then draw
it back to a cooler place, put a wine-glassful of cold
water into it to lower the temperature, and keep it
simmering gently till it is done.
If we had a thermometer at hand to put into the water,
we should find that when it was boiling, the quicksilver
rose to 212 degrees. When the saucepan was drawn back
and the cold water put in, the quicksilver would fall to i8o
degrees, and it is at this point it should be kept all the
time.
I know of nothing more difficult than to persuade in-
experienced cooks of the fact that meat is made tender
by gentle simmering, and hard by quick boiling.
Somehow it seems as if, when the water in the saucepan
is galloping away, progress is being made, and the meat
will be done sometime ; whilst, when it simmers only,
things seem almost at a standstill. I have again and
again explained this to pupils, as I thought, in the clearest
manner, and then, if I turned away for a little time, I
should be sure to find the water boiling hard on my
return. At last I have come to look upon those who can
calmly allow meat to simmer, instead of boil, with a great
deal of respect, as being far on the way to make good
cooks.
The rule applies to all fresh meat, — beef, mutton, pork,
poultry, and fish. When once we understand the general
Boiling. 2 1
rule, we do not need to look in a cookery book to see how
different joints are cooked. The rule is for all : a neck of
mutton, a leg of mutton, a chicken, or a salmon, we must
treat them all alike — first surround the meat with a coat
of mail to keep in the goodness, and then simmer it
gently till done.
I know very well that it is very uncommon to observe
this rule, so far as fish is concerned. But I know of no
reason why this should be. It is true, fish does not con-
tain so much albumen as ‘meat; but it contains a little,
and this, when hardened, will help to keep in the goodness.
The only exception should be with mackerel, which may
be put into warm water, because the skin is so delicate
that boiling water would cause it to break.
One would think, to hear people talk, that boiling was
one of the commonest processes in cookery. The fact is,
that wh:n cookery is understood, real boiling is very
uncommon, excepting for a few minutes at a time. If
we used words that really expressed what we mean, we
should say “simmered" rabbit and “simmered” beef,
instead of “boiled” rabbit and “boiled” beef. Boiling,
as applied to meats, is useful chiefly for hardening the
outside to keep in the goodness, and for reducin'’- liquid
to make sauces. °
Page 9
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
We must not suppose, however, that when we have got our shield round the meat, we are to let it keep on boiling till it is sufficiently cooked. If we did this the meat would be shield all the way through, and that would make unnecessarily hard work both for our teeth and our digestions. What we want is, not only to keep in the goodness, but to make the meat tender. This can be done only by gentle stewing. We must therefore proceed in this way. First, we plunge our meat into the fast boiling water : it instantly stops boiling, for the cold meat cools the liquid, so we bring it to the boiling point again as quickly as we can, let it boil for five minutes, then draw it back to a cooler place, put a wine-glassful of cold water into it to lower the temperature, and keep it simmering gently till it is done.
If we had a thermometer at hand to put into the water, we should find that when it was boiling, the quicksilver rose to 212 degrees. When the saucepan was drawn back and the cold water put in, the quicksilver would fall to i8o degrees, and it is at this point it should be kept all the time.
I know of nothing more difficult than to persuade inexperienced cooks of the fact that meat is made tender by gentle simmering, and hard by quick boiling.
Somehow it seems as if, when the water in the saucepan is galloping away, progress is being made, and the meat will be done sometime ; whilst, when it simmers only, things seem almost at a standstill. I have again and again explained this to pupils, as I thought, in the clearest manner, and then, if I turned away for a little time, I should be sure to find the water boiling hard on my return. At last I have come to look upon those who can calmly allow meat to simmer, instead of boil, with a great deal of respect, as being far on the way to make good cooks.
The rule applies to all fresh meat, — beef, mutton, pork, poultry, and fish. When once we understand the general
Boiling. 2 1
rule, we do not need to look in a cookery book to see how different joints are cooked. The rule is for all : a neck of mutton, a leg of mutton, a chicken, or a salmon, we must treat them all alike — first surround the meat with a coat of mail to keep in the goodness, and then simmer it gently till done.
I know very well that it is very uncommon to observe this rule, so far as fish is concerned. But I know of no reason why this should be. It is true, fish does not contain so much albumen as ‘meat; but it contains a little, and this, when hardened, will help to keep in the goodness. The only exception should be with mackerel, which may be put into warm water, because the skin is so delicate that boiling water would cause it to break.
One would think, to hear people talk, that boiling was one of the commonest processes in cookery. The fact is, that wh:n cookery is understood, real boiling is very uncommon, excepting for a few minutes at a time. If we used words that really expressed what we mean, we should say “simmered" rabbit and “simmered” beef, instead of “boiled” rabbit and “boiled” beef. Boiling, as applied to meats, is useful chiefly for hardening the outside to keep in the goodness, and for reducin'’- liquid to make sauces. °