which are equivalent indeed to quick roasting’ (when the article is
cooked in boiling fat) ; but ‘ frying as generally conducted is rather a com-
bination of broiling and toasting (or scorching) ; and the use of the deep
pan of boiling oil or dripping which is essential to the right performance
of the process, and especially as preventing greasiness, is a rare excep-
tion and not the rule in ordinary kitchens. The principle on which
success depends is, that at the moment of contact with the almost
boiling oil a thin film over every part of the surface of the fish or other
object to be fried is coagulated, so that the juices with their flavours,
etc., are at once locked up within, and no quality can escape. The
bath of oil should therefore be in sufficient quantity, and also hot
enough, to effect this result in an instant, after which, and during the
few minutes required to cook the interior, the heat may be slightly
lowered with advantage.’
Stewing.
Stewing meat has this claim to superiority over boiling it : the more
nourishing and soluble elements are not separated from, but served up
with the meat, the full flavour of which is also thereby preserved. It
is sometimes described as a gradual process of simmering. The meat
selected for stewing should be lean, and as a rule the better the meat
the better it will be for eating ; but it must be remembered that by
stewing the coarser and cheaper parts of meat, such as bones, cheeks)
feet, tails, shanks, knuckles, trimmings, etc., may be rendered highly
palatable and nutritious. A housewife who is thrifty and wise, or one
whose income is small and family large, will consequently do well if
she bears this in mind. Mr. Buckmaster recommends stewing in a
stone jar which will stand the fire as preferable to stewing in metal
saucepans, stoneware retaining the heat longer and being more easily
cleaned. Care must be exercised in not mistaking a glazed earthen-
ware for a stone jar, inasmuch as the former is not only unable to bear
the same degree of heat, but the glaze contains poisonous lead, which
may be set free by chemical action, such as salt, for instance, would
set up. Every pound of meat stewed will require about a quart of
water (if it is found too little, warm water can be afterwards added).
The heating should be slow and gradual, the scum taken off as it rises,
and the stewing continued until the flavour of the meat is entirely ex-
tracted. For stewing, the closed range or gas-stove is preferable to the
open grate, and if the latter is in use, contact between the stew-pan
and the fire should be prevented.
Braising.
This is a kind of improved stewing process, which Sir Henry Thomp-
son thinks we very unwisely neglect. ‘In braising,’ he says, ‘the
meat is just covered with a strong liquor of vegetable and animal juices
COMMON-SENSE COOKERY.
23
Page 9
Presented as published in 1890. 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
which are equivalent indeed to quick roasting’ (when the article is cooked in boiling fat) ; but ‘ frying as generally conducted is rather a combination of broiling and toasting (or scorching) ; and the use of the deep pan of boiling oil or dripping which is essential to the right performance of the process, and especially as preventing greasiness, is a rare exception and not the rule in ordinary kitchens. The principle on which success depends is, that at the moment of contact with the almost boiling oil a thin film over every part of the surface of the fish or other object to be fried is coagulated, so that the juices with their flavours, etc., are at once locked up within, and no quality can escape. The bath of oil should therefore be in sufficient quantity, and also hot enough, to effect this result in an instant, after which, and during the few minutes required to cook the interior, the heat may be slightly lowered with advantage.’
Stewing.
Stewing meat has this claim to superiority over boiling it : the more nourishing and soluble elements are not separated from, but served up with the meat, the full flavour of which is also thereby preserved. It is sometimes described as a gradual process of simmering. The meat selected for stewing should be lean, and as a rule the better the meat the better it will be for eating ; but it must be remembered that by stewing the coarser and cheaper parts of meat, such as bones, cheeks, feet, tails, shanks, knuckles, trimmings, etc., may be rendered highly palatable and nutritious. A housewife who is thrifty and wise, or one whose income is small and family large, will consequently do well if she bears this in mind. Mr. Buckmaster recommends stewing in a stone jar which will stand the fire as preferable to stewing in metal saucepans, stoneware retaining the heat longer and being more easily cleaned. Care must be exercised in not mistaking a glazed earthenware for a stone jar, inasmuch as the former is not only unable to bear the same degree of heat, but the glaze contains poisonous lead, which may be set free by chemical action, such as salt, for instance, would set up. Every pound of meat stewed will require about a quart of water (if it is found too little, warm water can be afterwards added). The heating should be slow and gradual, the scum taken off as it rises, and the stewing continued until the flavour of the meat is entirely extracted. For stewing, the closed range or gas-stove is preferable to the open grate, and if the latter is in use, contact between the stew-pan and the fire should be prevented.
Braising.
This is a kind of improved stewing process, which Sir Henry Thompson thinks we very unwisely neglect. ‘In braising,’ he says, ‘the meat is just covered with a strong liquor of vegetable and animal juices