FoodNet

Sea Cookery

1911

Page 20 · 3 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1911. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
GRAVY.— It is of the utmost importance that the gravy served with either joints or made dishes should be of good colour and flavour. The greatest weakness of most sea cooks is the gravy which they serve. It is a grave mistake to serve a thick gravy with roasted meats. To obtain a proper gravy, drain off all the fat it is possible to remove from the roasting tin, and retain only the liquor which has escaped from the joint. Put this on the stove, and boil away all the moisture until the sediment which is left behind com- mences to brown, then add saltGrilled Steak and stir round with a spoon. Pour in stock sufficient for the amount of gravy required, and boil up again. Strain off the gravy and send it to table. For made dishes which have a thick gravy, it should be made in the following way — For each pint of gravy required put one ounce of dripping into a pan and leave this on the stove until a blue vapour is seen rising from it. Then to each ounce of dripping stir in one ounce of flour, and con- tinue stirring until the flour is browned. Then add a pint of stock or water for every ounce of flour used, allow to boil, and season to taste. 31 This way of making a thick brown gravy is superior in every way to the old fashioned way of using thickening and burnt sugar, or, as it is usually called, “ black Jack.” The “ black Jack ” ruins your gravy by imparting a bitter taste, and the thickening is in most cases insufficiently cooked in the gravy, which has therefore an appearance not unlike dirty pea soup. A quantity of browned flour may be made at once and a spoon- ful used as required. It will keep good for months. STOCK. — Stock is the liquor made from bones and all trimmings of meat, put into a pan, covered with cold waterStock, and boiled. The bones, etc., may be boiled for several days before all the nutriment is drawn from them. As the stock is used from the pan, more water should be added to make up the quantity again. Stock made in this way is the basis of all soups. No vegetables of any kind should be put into the stock pot, because they will cause the stock to go sour very quickly. Stock must be boiled up daily, and not just allowed to keep warm, or it will turn bad. CLEANLINESS. — Cleanliness is a very important matter in cookery, and it should be the regular practice of all cooks to have a thorough and complete overhauling of all utensils and lockers and all fittings in the galley at least once a week. In addition to the usual everyday clearing up. Make it a rule also to clean all bowls, pans, whisks, etc., imme- diately after use, and much time and trouble will be saved. The principle of cleaning up as you go along is the very best.