Green vegetables should be boiled in plenty of water, and
very quickly, without a lid, to preserve the colour. Hard
water helps to hold in the nourishing juices, but it is at the
risk of the lime in the water hardening the woody fibre.
Therefore while hard water makes vegetables more nutritious,
soft water makes them more digestible.
There is a good deal of confined air in garden vegetables
which must be set free in boiling water (212° Fahr.), though
the bursting of the starch cells can be effected in a somewhat
lower heat (170° or 180° Fahr.). It is to be regretted that
green vegetables are not more largely used in England ; they
contain many valuable minerals which are needed to keep the
body in health. Cabbage is the most valuable anti-scorbutic
we possess, but this valuable property is lost if the cabbage
4
INTRODUCTION.
has been cut some days and sprinkled with water to give it
a fresh appearance. Therefore we see the great importance
of having all green vegetables fresh ; they should always be
crisp and freshly cut. Onions are very valuable as repairing
the waste of the brain, purifying the blood, also for the
mineral substances which they contain ; but they should
always be scalded before cooking in the following way to
make them digestible : — Peel the onion, place it in a basin
of boiling water with a piece of washing-soda the size of
a pea and half a teaspoonful of salt; cover the basin with
a plate. In about fifteen minutes the water will become
quite green. This should be thrown away, as it contains
the green indigestible part of the onion, which so often
renders it disagreeable and strong to the taste.
Broiling is to cook over, or before, a clear bright fire. If
this is to be done on a gridiron, see that it is thoroughly
clean, rub it with a little suet, then place it over a hot, clear
fire, so that the iron may become quite hot, and when the
meat is put on to it, the hot metal will have the eflfect of
hardening the outside of the meat, so as to keep in its
nourishing juices. The length of time required for broiling
depends upon the thickness of the meat. Turn it very often,
but do not pierce the lean, or the juices will escape.
Frying. — There are two distinct methods of frying — wet
frying and dry frying. In order to accomplish wet frying —
which may be described as cooking things in hot fat instead
of in water — put into an iron saucepan enough clarified fat
to cover the article to be cooked (recipe how to make which
will be given). Make the fat quite hot. It is the proper
heat when a blue steam rises from it and the fat is quite still.
The fat may be tested by putting into it a piece of bread ;
if it becomes quickly a golden colour, the fat is at the right
INTRODUCTION.
5
heat, and you may immediately fry your preparation, which
must have a coating either of flour, egg and bread crumbs,
or a thick batter of flour and water. Directly the things
enter the fat, each piece becomes “ surprised, ” and the outer
coat is sealed, which prevents the fat getting inside and
making it greasy. When they become a bright golden colour,
remove them with a perforated iron spoon on to a sheet of
porous paper to absorb any superfluous fat.
Page 6
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
Green vegetables should be boiled in plenty of water, and very quickly, without a lid, to preserve the colour. Hard water helps to hold in the nourishing juices, but it is at the risk of the lime in the water hardening the woody fibre. Therefore while hard water makes vegetables more nutritious, soft water makes them more digestible.
There is a good deal of confined air in garden vegetables which must be set free in boiling water (212° Fahr.), though the bursting of the starch cells can be effected in a somewhat lower heat (170° or 180° Fahr.). It is to be regretted that green vegetables are not more largely used in England ; they contain many valuable minerals which are needed to keep the body in health. Cabbage is the most valuable anti-scorbutic we possess, but this valuable property is lost if the cabbage
has been cut some days and sprinkled with water to give it a fresh appearance. Therefore we see the great importance of having all green vegetables fresh ; they should always be crisp and freshly cut. Onions are very valuable as repairing the waste of the brain, purifying the blood, also for the mineral substances which they contain ; but they should always be scalded before cooking in the following way to make them digestible : — Peel the onion, place it in a basin of boiling water with a piece of washing-soda the size of a pea and half a teaspoonful of salt; cover the basin with a plate. In about fifteen minutes the water will become quite green. This should be thrown away, as it contains the green indigestible part of the onion, which so often renders it disagreeable and strong to the taste.
Broiling is to cook over, or before, a clear bright fire. If this is to be done on a gridiron, see that it is thoroughly clean, rub it with a little suet, then place it over a hot, clear fire, so that the iron may become quite hot, and when the meat is put on to it, the hot metal will have the effect of hardening the outside of the meat, so as to keep in its nourishing juices. The length of time required for broiling depends upon the thickness of the meat. Turn it very often, but do not pierce the lean, or the juices will escape.
Frying. — There are two distinct methods of frying — wet frying and dry frying. In order to accomplish wet frying — which may be described as cooking things in hot fat instead of in water — put into an iron saucepan enough clarified fat to cover the article to be cooked (recipe how to make which will be given). Make the fat quite hot. It is the proper heat when a blue steam rises from it and the fat is quite still. The fat may be tested by putting into it a piece of bread ; if it becomes quickly a golden colour, the fat is at the right
heat, and you may immediately fry your preparation, which must have a coating either of flour, egg and bread crumbs, or a thick batter of flour and water. Directly the things enter the fat, each piece becomes “ surprised, ” and the outer coat is sealed, which prevents the fat getting inside and making it greasy. When they become a bright golden colour, remove them with a perforated iron spoon on to a sheet of porous paper to absorb any superfluous fat.