The encyclopædia of practical cookery

white. The belly is light-coloured, and may lie pale, or even deep orange, the particular tint varying with the seasons. The flesh is greatly esteemed, and Francatelli used to observe that treated as trout it was excellent eating, and made by far the best “ waterzootje.” Potted Char. — Clean and scale a dozen large fish, washing them twice in cold water, and each time wiping them dry with a cloth. Then well rub in 1 table-spoonful each of pepper, saltpeter, and very finely - powdered salt. Leave them for about twelve hours raised on a slab or dish a little on one side to drain, then remove the first pickle and put the fish into a large stewpan with 1 teaspoonful of cloves, same quantity of mace, 2 grated nutmegs, 1 dessert-spoonful of pepper, and 1 table-spoonful of salt ; all of these being very finely pounded. Put a little butter over the fish, and then several layers of thick paper. Cover over with the lid, and put a weight on top to keep it close ; put the pan in a moderate oven, and bake for from four to five hours. Take out the pan, and when it has cooled a little strain away the liquor, and place the fish belly downwards into a suitable pan or dish. They should be put quite close together, so that they will not break. Then spread butter, a little warmed, over the top to about lin. in thickness, and smooth as it cools with a spatula. The stock may be used for soups, &c. CHARCOAL. — There are two kinds of Charcoal, both having some valuable uses in cookery. Animal Charcoal, which is made by calcining bones or other animal matter such as blood, and Vegetable Charcoal, which is made by burning wood. Animal Charcoal is generally sold in powder, and is much used for decolouring and deodorising syrups and other foods. It has the remarkable property of abstracting from those liquids with which it comes into contact any sulphuretted hydrogen, organic colourings, or odorous matter; the gas being condensed in its pores. It should be used quite freshly burned, and then it is much more effective, and might be used to restore tainted meats, and purify putrid water. The Charcoal prepared from calcined blood is generally deemed superior to all other for the purposes of the distiller and sugar-boiler. The following mode is usually adopted for preparing animal Charcoal : Make a paste of 71b. of powdered bone Charcoal, 1lb. of hydrochloric acid, and 1 pint of water ; let this stand for two or three days, and then stir into it lqt. of boiling water. On the next day let the acid be washed out by successive waters until the liquor passing from it no longer reddens litmus ; then collect it in a cloth, drain, squeeze, press, and dry it. When this is done, heat it once more to redness, and it is then ready for use. Vegetable Charcoal is generally used as a cleanly fuel, and one which throws out a fine steady heat; but as the vapour teems with carbonic-acid gas it is dangerously poisonous, hence the use of Charcoal in cooking has fallen into disuse ; but with a sufficiently large chimneyescape provided for the burning fuel there is no danger. Sauces, die., referred to, see Under their special heads. Charcoal— continued.