enough cold water to cover it. in
Take beef or mutton fat (cooked or uncooked),
bacon fat, fat skimmings from soups or stews. e-
move any skin or lean meat (which may be put into
the stock pot). Cut any or all of these fats into small
pieces, place them in an iron pan and cover with cold
water. Bring to the boil, removing carefully any scum
that rises ; then boil quickly with the lid off, till the
liquid is a clear oil, which shows that the water has
passed away in steam. This generally takes from one
to two hours. Then draw the pan aside to let the tat
go on melting at a lower heat, as it would brown if
kept boiling quickly ; stir frequently. When the pieces
of fat become shrivelled, crisp and brown, and the
liquid spurts, it is ready. Remove the pan from the
fire to let the melted fat cool a little, then strain it
through a cloth into a basin or pie dish, keeping back the
dried pieces. If the fat were poured in when quite hot,
the basin would crack. When cold it should be quite
84
MISCELLANEOUS.
white. It keeps fresh in winter for many weeks. The
dried pieces may be used in peas soup, potato soup,
or haggis. Fat thus rendered down is generally called
clarified fat or dripping , and may be used for pastry,
cakes, and puddings,, for. frying, and for greasing dishes.
To Clarify Dripping. — The same dripping or
clarified fat may be used for a very long time for fry-
ing. When it becomes brown and mixed with sedi-
ment, place it in an iron pan, let it heat till a steam
rises. Have ready a deep basin containing hot water;
pour the hot dripping into this, very little at a time ;
to prevent it flying up ; stir well. When quite cold the
purified dripping will form a solid cake on the top,
which must be taken off and wiped dry, and is then
ready for use again. A quicker way is to put the drip-
ping and cold water together in a pan and bring to the
boil ; pour into a basin and cool. When cold remove
and wipe the cake of clarified dripping.
To Draw a Fowl. — Pluck the feathers, then singe
the fowl to remove the small hairy feathers. Lay the
fowl on its breast, make an incision along the back of
the neck from the body to the head. Cut off the head;
separate the skin from the neck, and fold the skin back
over the breast ; then cut off the neck close to the
body. Draw out the crop carefully and then the wind-
pipe. Wipe the piece of skin to remove the blood.
With a sharp knife enlarge the opening at the other
end of the bird, about an inch upwards, from the
middle. Draw out all the inside of the bird, taking
care not to break the gall bladder which is attached to
the liver. Wipe the opening with a damp cloth. Pre-
serve the neck and giblets for soup or gravy.
To Truss a Fowl for Roasting. — Cut off the
toes at the first joint. Put the legs in a basin of boil-
ing water for a few minutes ; the skin can then be
MISCELLANEOUS.
85
Page 39
Presented as published in 1881. 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
enough cold water to cover it.
Take beef or mutton fat (cooked or uncooked), bacon fat, fat skimmings from soups or stews. emove any skin or lean meat (which may be put into the stock pot). Cut any or all of these fats into small pieces, place them in an iron pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, removing carefully any scum that rises ; then boil quickly with the lid off, till the liquid is a clear oil, which shows that the water has passed away in steam. This generally takes from one to two hours. Then draw the pan aside to let the fat go on melting at a lower heat, as it would brown if kept boiling quickly ; stir frequently. When the pieces of fat become shrivelled, crisp and brown, and the liquid spurts, it is ready. Remove the pan from the fire to let the melted fat cool a little, then strain it through a cloth into a basin or pie dish, keeping back the dried pieces. If the fat were poured in when quite hot, the basin would crack. When cold it should be quite
MISCELLANEOUS.
white. It keeps fresh in winter for many weeks. The dried pieces may be used in peas soup, potato soup, or haggis. Fat thus rendered down is generally called clarified fat or dripping , and may be used for pastry, cakes, and puddings, for frying, and for greasing dishes.
To Clarify Dripping. — The same dripping or clarified fat may be used for a very long time for frying. When it becomes brown and mixed with sediment, place it in an iron pan, let it heat till a steam rises. Have ready a deep basin containing hot water; pour the hot dripping into this, very little at a time ; to prevent it flying up ; stir well. When quite cold the purified dripping will form a solid cake on the top, which must be taken off and wiped dry, and is then ready for use again. A quicker way is to put the dripping and cold water together in a pan and bring to the boil ; pour into a basin and cool. When cold remove and wipe the cake of clarified dripping.
To Draw a Fowl. — Pluck the feathers, then singe the fowl to remove the small hairy feathers. Lay the fowl on its breast, make an incision along the back of the neck from the body to the head. Cut off the head; separate the skin from the neck, and fold the skin back over the breast ; then cut off the neck close to the body. Draw out the crop carefully and then the windpipe. Wipe the piece of skin to remove the blood. With a sharp knife enlarge the opening at the other end of the bird, about an inch upwards, from the middle. Draw out all the inside of the bird, taking care not to break the gall bladder which is attached to the liver. Wipe the opening with a damp cloth. Preserve the neck and giblets for soup or gravy.
To Truss a Fowl for Roasting. — Cut off the toes at the first joint. Put the legs in a basin of boiling water for a few minutes ; the skin can then be
MISCELLANEOUS.