Myra's cookery book

Steaming is often preferred to boiling for some kinds of food, such as potatoes, rice, vegetables, macaroni, fish, and sweet puddings. The steamer fits into the top of a sauce- pan made for the purpose, and any article that has no strong flavour may be boiled in the water contained in the sauce- pan, and which provides the steam for the steamer. The food to be steamed is prepared as for boiling, and the lid of the saucepan must be firmly closed to prevent the escape of the steam. Steaming is an excellent way of warming cold puddings and meat, as it entirely preserves their original flavour. FRYING. There are two chief points on which the success of fr}'- ing depends ; one is to have a sufficiency of fat to cover the articles to be fried, and the other is to have this boiling before anything is put into it. No food can be properly fried in a thin layer of warm grease ; there must be plenty of it, and it must be at the right degree of heat. A deep pan is therefore necessary for frying any but very flat objects, such as soles ; and an admirable plan is to put the articles to be fried into a kind of wire-work basket, which is dipped into the pan of boiling fat, and then taken out with the fried articles in it when these are cooked. If well METHODS OF COOKING. xiii covered with the fat, they are fried on both sides at once, and do not require turning, or any handling or touching, until they are removed from the basket. Butter, oil, lard, dripping, and clarified suet are all used for frying; of these, lard, dripping, and clarified suet are most used in general cooking. Olive oil answers extremely well for frying fish, and, if strained and carefully kept, can be used several times. Fat, also, may be used more than once for meat, if carefully strained and kept quite fresh. Butter is generally used only in frying vegetables for stews, when it forms part of the gravy, and for light and delicate dishes. No fat that has been used for one kind of food should ever be used for any other kind, as it invariably con- tracts the flavour of the articles fried in it. To test the heat of the boiling fat wait till it has left off bubbling, then dip your finger in water and shake it over the pan ; if the fat crackles and sputters the heat is right, and the articles can be put in. The fat used must be per- fectly fresh, clean, and free from salt, otherwise the food will be spoilt in flavour and colour. All fried food must be carefully drained before it is sent to table ; it should be so dry that it scarcely leaves a trace of grease on the cloth or paper on which it is served. Omelets should be fried in a special enamelled pan kept for the purpose, and never used for any other kind of food. The butter in which they are fried must be boiling hot, but not brown, or it will spoil the colour of the omelet. BROILING. The success of broiling depends almost entirely on the brightness and clearness of the fire: there should be a steady glow at the top, without smoke or flames. Much XIV MYRA'S COOKERY BOOK. can be done to improve the lire, if it is not clear, by sprink- ling a handful of salt on it.