THE NEW CENTURY COOKERY BOOK better if cooked by steam, and inasmuch as the process of cooking is a very slow one, there is no fear of the food being destroyed by too fierce a heat, as the temperature in steaming never reaches beyond 212° Fahrenheit. Fish, meat, and some poultry cooked by steam are as a rule tender, full of gravy, and digestible. The advantages of steaming over boiling are that : — 1. The cooking is more gradual. 2. Puddings and souffles are decidedly lighter than when boiled. 3. No water can ever get into contact with the articles steamed. 4. A greased paper or cloth is not essential when a basin or tin is used. 5. Nutritious elements are not extracted from the food. Against this the following may be mentioned : — Steaming is much longer than any other process. This necessarily involves an extra consumption of fuel. Steaming is not only slower than boiling, but also more uncertain : for instance, if the water supplying the steam ceases to boil fast, the cooking^jjaes not proceed at all, nor does steamed meat produce any brotn^Wn other respects steaming is highly recommendable, and more especially for invalid cookery, because the slower the process of cooking the more digestible foods become. ROASTING. This is the oldest method of cooking on record, and still remains the favourite process. The success of every method of cooking depends largely on the management of the fire — in roasting this is particularly the case, for roasting requires a brisk, clear, and yet steady fire. Boasting before a fire is cooking by radiated heat — i.e. the heat rays coming from the fire are caught by the joint hanging before it. Boasting is admittedly the most expensive, for more is lost in weight in roasting than by any other process. Meat during roasting undergoes certain changes. When properly cooked its outer coating forms a crust of coagulated albumen, thus keeping the interior juicy and tender. It loses water, and some of the fat becomes melted, and so the meat becomes lighter ; connective tissue is changed into gelatine, and dark-coloured substances called osmazomes are developed, and the meat itself becomes a brownish colour instead of red. It is not quite so digestible as raw meat. Rules for Roasting a Joint. — 1. To roast a joint, it should be placed before great heat for the first ten minutes, and then be allowed to cook more slowly. The great heat hardens the outside of the meat and keeps in the juices. If allowed to cook quickly all the time the meat is likely to be tough. 2. The fire should be bright and clear. COOKING PROCESSES AND THEIR EFFECTS 73 3. It should be basted about every ten minutes, as this helps to cook it, keeps it juicy, and improves the flavour. 4. The time allowed is 15 minutes for every pound, and 15 minutes over for beef and mutton ; for veal and pork 20 minutes for every pound, and 20 minutes over. The latter should be well cooked to destroy parasites ; very thick pieces require five minutes longer for every pound. Three ways of roasting are practised, viz : — Roasting before the fire, by exposing meat to the direct heat of an open fire. This mode of roasting is confined mostly to England and America. Very few other countries practise roasting in front of the fire to any extent.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

better if cooked by steam, and inasmuch as the process of cooking is a very slow one, there is no fear of the food being destroyed by too fierce a heat, as the temperature in steaming never reaches beyond 212° Fahrenheit. Fish, meat, and some poultry cooked by steam are as a rule tender, full of gravy, and digestible. The advantages of steaming over boiling are that : — 1. The cooking is more gradual. 2. Puddings and souffles are decidedly lighter than when boiled. 3. No water can ever get into contact with the articles steamed. 4. A greased paper or cloth is not essential when a basin or tin is used. 5. Nutritious elements are not extracted from the food. Against this the following may be mentioned : — Steaming is much longer than any other process. This necessarily involves an extra consumption of fuel. Steaming is not only slower than boiling, but also more uncertain : for instance, if the water supplying the steam ceases to boil fast, the cooking^jjaes not proceed at all, nor does steamed meat produce any broth other respects steaming is highly recommendable, and more especially for invalid cookery, because the slower the process of cooking the more digestible foods become. ROASTING. This is the oldest method of cooking on record, and still remains the favourite process. The success of every method of cooking depends largely on the management of the fire — in roasting this is particularly the case, for roasting requires a brisk, clear, and yet steady fire. Boasting before a fire is cooking by radiated heat — i.e. the heat rays coming from the fire are caught by the joint hanging before it. Boasting is admittedly the most expensive, for more is lost in weight in roasting than by any other process. Meat during roasting undergoes certain changes. When properly cooked its outer coating forms a crust of coagulated albumen, thus keeping the interior juicy and tender. It loses water, and some of the fat becomes melted, and so the meat becomes lighter ; connective tissue is changed into gelatine, and dark-coloured substances called osmazomes are developed, and the meat itself becomes a brownish colour instead of red. It is not quite so digestible as raw meat. Rules for Roasting a Joint. — 1. To roast a joint, it should be placed before great heat for the first ten minutes, and then be allowed to cook more slowly. The great heat hardens the outside of the meat and keeps in the juices. If allowed to cook quickly all the time the meat is likely to be tough. 2. The fire should be bright and clear. 3. It should be basted about every ten minutes, as this helps to cook it, keeps it juicy, and improves the flavour. 4. The time allowed is 15 minutes for every pound, and 15 minutes over for beef and mutton ; for veal and pork 20 minutes for every pound, and 20 minutes over. The latter should be well cooked to destroy parasites ; very thick pieces require five minutes longer for every pound. Three ways of roasting are practised, viz : — Roasting before the fire, by exposing meat to the direct heat of an open fire. This mode of roasting is confined mostly to England and America. Very few other countries practise roasting in front of the fire to any extent.

The new century cookery book