All c^orrants are to be picked on a sheet of paper, being spread over the sheet in a thin layer ; more particularly all small stones are to be removed, as these are liable to injure the teeth of eaters. Sand and other impurities are to be removed by washing. Bice also must be spread on paper and inspected to remove small xohite stones, which, derived partly from the mill- stones under which it is peeled, are frequently contained in it ; it must also be washed in several waters to remove sand. Beef and other suet must be fresh and untainted, and should always be tested by the smell immediately before use. Eggs, after being broken, should be tested singly by the smell, and the yolks, as well as the whites, when used separately, should each be so tested before being mixed with others. A single mouldy egg will spoil a voluminous dish. KITCHEN REQUISITES AND CULINARY AXIOMS 63 All fish is to be scalded, scaled, drawn, cleansed, and trimmed before use in the recipes, except where modifications are expressly prescribed. Eemove all hoiUd fish immediately from the water in which it has been cooked ; if it be left in the water it will lose in flavour and firmness. Do not send plain boiled fish to table on a napkin, nor garnished round with cold and wet parsley, nor with fried small fish ; the latter generally becomes sodden and spoiled, while the mixed vapours rising from both kinds of fish are detrimental to the flavour of each. Nutmeg is never used in any other form except the grated condition ; it is therefore not necessary, in recipes, to use the participle ‘grated’ as an adjective every time that nutmeg is mentioned. Poimding is always done in a mortar ; it is therefore not necessary in recipes always to mention this receptacle in connection with pounding. Never pour cold or hot water into a dry, hot cast-iron, porcelain, or earthen vessel, as it is liable to crack ; k t the vessel cool down before putting the liquid into it. Copper vessels are the least liable to injury by this ill- treatment, wrought-iron ones also little ; but cast-iron saucepans are easily cracked ; cold porcelain (china) and earthenware vessels are also liable to crack by the sudden contact with hot liquids or with flame. Therefore warm all such vessels gradually, either with the cold liquid in them, or before putting hot liquid into them. We might multiply these aphoristic cautions and axioms, but prefer to recite any others which are now in our mind’s eye in connection with the detail out of which they arise. 64 THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY CHAPTER IV. GENERAL CONSIDERATION OF CULINARY PRO- CESSES. Boiling, Baking, Roasting, Frying, Grilling.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

All Currants are to be picked on a sheet of paper, being spread over the sheet in a thin layer ; more particularly all small stones are to be removed, as these are liable to injure the teeth of eaters. Sand and other impurities are to be removed by washing. RRice also must be spread on paper and inspected to remove small white stones, which, derived partly from the millstones under which it is peeled, are frequently contained in it ; it must also be washed in several waters to remove sand. Beef and other suetmust be fresh and untainted, and should always be tested by the smell immediately before use. Eggs, after being broken, should be tested singly by the smell, and the yolks, as well as the whites, when used separately, should each be so tested before being mixed with others. A single mouldy egg will spoil a voluminous dish. All fish is to be scalded, scaled, drawn, cleansed, and trimmed before use in the recipes, except where modifications are expressly prescribed. Remove all boiled fish immediately from the water in which it has been cooked ; if it be left in the water it will lose in flavour and firmness. Do not send plain boiled fish to table on a napkin, nor garnished round with cold and wet parsley, nor with fried small fish ; the latter generally becomes sodden and spoiled, while the mixed vapours rising from both kinds of fish are detrimental to the flavour of each. Nutmeg is never used in any other form except the grated condition ; it is therefore not necessary, in recipes, to use the participle ‘grated’ as an adjective every time that nutmeg is mentioned. Poimding is always done in a mortar ; it is therefore not necessary in recipes always to mention this receptacle in connection with pounding. Never pour cold or hot water into a dry, hot cast-iron, porcelain, or earthen vessel, as it is liable to crack ; k t the vessel cool down before putting the liquid into it. Copper vessels are the least liable to injury by this illtreatment, wrought-iron ones also little ; but cast-iron saucepans are easily cracked ; cold porcelain (china) and earthenware vessels are also liable to crack by the sudden contact with hot liquids or with flame. Therefore warm all such vessels gradually, either with the cold liquid in them, or before putting hot liquid into them. We might multiply these aphoristic cautions and axioms, but prefer to recite any others which are now in our mind’s eye in connection with the detail out of which they arise. CHAPTER IV. GENERAL CONSIDERATION OF CULINARY PRO- CESSES. Boiling, Baking, Roasting, Frying, Grilling.

The spirit of cookery