preparing fillets of beef in foreign fashion, also for
boiling fish), one glazing stewpan, a couple or so of
pipkins, a frying basket, one or two gratin dishes,
one mould for timbales, one for aspics, creams, etc.,
and two or three frying pans made of untinned iron,
with straight sides, one being kept especially for
omelettes. In spite of all prejudices to the contrary,
it is indeed a great mistake to wash a frying pan.
It should be placed over the fire until all the fat
remaining in it is thoroughly melted ; pour it out
and rub with clean soft paper (procurable in large
quantities at a small cost), screwed up in a bunch
and used vigorously — a fresh sheet being constantly
taken, until at last the paper remains quite clean.
Food cooked in a frying pan treated in this way will
never be burnt unless the pan be absolutely worn out.
In the country, or wherever jams and preserves are
made at home, a few other things will be found
necessary, such as a copper preserving pan, a sugar
boiler, a copper skimmer, etc. Further, a pestle and
mortar, roller, chopper, mincing machine, pastry
board or slab, chopping board, ladles, skimmers, a
fruit-stoner, strainer, hair and wire sieve, a good
sharp carving knife for cutting bacon, etc., a set of
small knives for peeling vegetables, salt and pepper
boxes, convenient receptacles for the weekly supply
of sugar, rice, and flour, a set of dripping basins,
odd plates and dishes for keeping remains in the
larder (where the dinner set should never be used),
and a vegetable basket. Finally, the provision of
20
COOKERY.
utensils for washing up and scrubbing ought to be
plentiful, and they should be large enough to allow of
quantities of hot water being used. It is a bad, but
very common habit, on the part of young girls
especially, to attempt to wash up in a vessel too small
for the purpose, with the inevitable result that the
plates and dishes remain greasy and smeared. The
thrifty housewife will avoid all this by occasional
personal supervision, and by providing for her
servants articles with which to fulfil theii duties as
promptly and as thoroughly as possible.
STOCKS AND SAUCES.
21
CHAPTER III.
STOCKS AND SAUCES.
In this chapter we have the whole secret of good
and economical culinary management, and it is just
on this one point that the average English cook fails
from lack of knowledge. This may seem rather a
sweeping assertion, but certainly as far as the stock-
pot is concerned, a great deal of experience is still
lacking in this country. It is from an economical
point of view that the stock-pot is considered to be of
such great value abroad, whereas the average house-
wife in this country knows little about it, because her
notions about so-called economy lead her to think it
an extravagant item ; and until she has persuaded
herself by personal experience that the stock-pot is not
only conducive to economy but imperative for the pur-
poses of practical and dainty cooking, there will be
something lacking in her productions.
It is true that a variety of soups can be made (as
we propose to show in a following chapter) without
the help of any stock, but for sauces, for gravy, for
the preparation of certain vegetables and for many
soups, stock is an indispensable item, and there should
always be some ready for use.
The finality of stock is not to be determined by the
quantity of meat used. If badly managed the best
Cookery
1897Page 5
Presented as published in 1897. 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
preparing fillets of beef in foreign fashion, also for boiling fish), one glazing stewpan, a couple or so of pipkins, a frying basket, one or two gratin dishes, one mould for timbales, one for aspics, creams, etc., and two or three frying pans made of untinned iron, with straight sides, one being kept especially for omelettes. In spite of all prejudices to the contrary, it is indeed a great mistake to wash a frying pan. It should be placed over the fire until all the fat remaining in it is thoroughly melted ; pour it out and rub with clean soft paper (procurable in large quantities at a small cost), screwed up in a bunch and used vigorously — a fresh sheet being constantly taken, until at last the paper remains quite clean. Food cooked in a frying pan treated in this way will never be burnt unless the pan be absolutely worn out. In the country, or wherever jams and preserves are made at home, a few other things will be found necessary, such as a copper preserving pan, a sugar boiler, a copper skimmer, etc. Further, a pestle and mortar, roller, chopper, mincing machine, pastry board or slab, chopping board, ladles, skimmers, a fruit-stoner, strainer, hair and wire sieve, a good sharp carving knife for cutting bacon, etc., a set of small knives for peeling vegetables, salt and pepper boxes, convenient receptacles for the weekly supply of sugar, rice, and flour, a set of dripping basins, odd plates and dishes for keeping remains in the larder (where the dinner set should never be used), and a vegetable basket. Finally, the provision of
utensils for washing up and scrubbing ought to be plentiful, and they should be large enough to allow of quantities of hot water being used. It is a bad, but very common habit, on the part of young girls especially, to attempt to wash up in a vessel too small for the purpose, with the inevitable result that the plates and dishes remain greasy and smeared. The thrifty housewife will avoid all this by occasional personal supervision, and by providing for her servants articles with which to fulfil their duties as promptly and as thoroughly as possible.
CHAPTER III.
In this chapter we have the whole secret of good and economical culinary management, and it is just on this one point that the average English cook fails from lack of knowledge. This may seem rather a sweeping assertion, but certainly as far as the stockpot is concerned, a great deal of experience is still lacking in this country. It is from an economical point of view that the stock-pot is considered to be of such great value abroad, whereas the average housewife in this country knows little about it, because her notions about so-called economy lead her to think it an extravagant item ; and until she has persuaded herself by personal experience that the stock-pot is not only conducive to economy but imperative for the purposes of practical and dainty cooking, there will be something lacking in her productions.
It is true that a variety of soups can be made (as we propose to show in a following chapter) without the help of any stock, but for sauces, for gravy, for the preparation of certain vegetables and for many soups, stock is an indispensable item, and there should always be some ready for use.
The finality of stock is not to be determined by the quantity of meat used. If badly managed the best