eacli quart of water, with, if liked, a little rice, is the
average ; adding, when nearly cooked, the flesh of a
crab or lobster, and the eggs, if put in. In the
West Indies, okra, plantain, or bananas, yams, &c.,
are all used for pepperpot, and the natives declare
that the longer this stew goes without being actually
emptied out the more succulent does the dish
become. In fact, once started, a pepperpot out there
is kept going for weeks, and, indeed, months, adding
a little more meat and casseripe daily, and boiling it
up regularly.
These may serve as a sample of the many ways
there are of serving fowls for breakfast or lunch,
and almost every housekeeper, and not a few
bachelors, can give most admirable hints for the
preparation of such dishes, which, when given,
should certainly “ be made a note of,” a la Captain
Cuttle, for breakfast is at best a trying meal to cater
for, and no advice on the subject should be despised.
CHAPTBE V.
• COLD DISHES^
Where economy has to be considered it is well to
have some cold dish as a stand-by, on the sideboard,
if the family be a large one. This is by no means
50 expensive an arrangement as may be thought, for
all sorts of inexpensive dishes can be provided which,
if carefully cooked and dished, are very tempting.
The following recipes will be found to bear this
statement out : —
Bacon, to Boil. — For this choose a nice piece of
the back (in contradiction to fried or broiled bacon,
which should always be taken from the streaky part),
having the fat and the lean pretty equally divided
soak it, if possible, for an hour or two, then put it
on with sulGBcient cold water to cover it, allow it to
come very slowly to the boil, skimming it carefully
as it does so, and then draw it to the side of the
stove and allow it to simmer very slowly till cooked
you should allow twenty-five minutes to the pound
at least from the time the water boils up. When
done lift it out, strip off the skin (this should go to
help the stock-pot), strew thickly with breadcrumbs
78 BREAKFAST AND LUNCH DISHES.
or raspings, and leave it till cold. Some people
prefer, after skinning the bacon, to press it like a
brisket of beef between two dishes or plates with a
weight on top. This makes a more compact and
neater joint, but when the dish is removed the top
•of the bacon must be lightly brushed over with very
thin glaze, or even a weak solution of gelatine (or
aspic if liked), and thickly crumbed as before. (If
a piece of bacon lasts too long, it is veiy easy to serve
some of it en rechauffe in this way: Slice it down
thinly, sprinkle each slice generously with seasoned
■breadcrumbs to which you have added a little cayenne✪ Bacon, to Boil
Dr coralline pepper, and toast or broil at once.) Ham
can be cooked, if preferred, like bacon, but recipes
have already been given for this joint in a previous
series. It should be observed that different kinds of
hams require different treatment, and are always
better for being cooked in stock with a mixture of
:soup vegetables, herbs, &c., or else baked or roasted in
a casin g of water paste. Never forget that ham always
requires soaking for a time extending from eight to
thirty-six hours, so it is well when purchasing to
inquire into the dryness and smoking of the joint.
Lukewarm water is best for softening, and should
be changed two or three times during the process.
Page 38 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1904. 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
eacli quart of water, with, if liked, a little rice, is the average ; adding, when nearly cooked, the flesh of a crab or lobster, and the eggs, if put in. In the West Indies, okra, plantain, or bananas, yams, &c., are all used for pepperpot, and the natives declare that the longer this stew goes without being actually emptied out the more succulent does the dish become. In fact, once started, a pepperpot out there is kept going for weeks, and, indeed, months, adding a little more meat and casseripe daily, and boiling it up regularly.
These may serve as a sample of the many ways there are of serving fowls for breakfast or lunch, and almost every housekeeper, and not a few bachelors, can give most admirable hints for the preparation of such dishes, which, when given, should certainly “ be made a note of,” a la Captain Cuttle, for breakfast is at best a trying meal to cater for, and no advice on the subject should be despised.
CHAPTER V.
Where economy has to be considered it is well to have some cold dish as a stand-by, on the sideboard, if the family be a large one. This is by no means 50 expensive an arrangement as may be thought, for all sorts of inexpensive dishes can be provided which, if carefully cooked and dished, are very tempting. The following recipes will be found to bear this statement out : —
Bacon, to Boil. — For this choose a nice piece of the back (in contradiction to fried or broiled bacon, which should always be taken from the streaky part), having the fat and the lean pretty equally divided soak it, if possible, for an hour or two, then put it on with sulGBcient cold water to cover it, allow it to come very slowly to the boil, skimming it carefully as it does so, and then draw it to the side of the stove and allow it to simmer very slowly till cooked you should allow twenty-five minutes to the pound at least from the time the water boils up. When done lift it out, strip off the skin (this should go to help the stock-pot), strew thickly with breadcrumbs
or raspings, and leave it till cold. Some people prefer, after skinning the bacon, to press it like a brisket of beef between two dishes or plates with a weight on top. This makes a more compact and neater joint, but when the dish is removed the top •of the bacon must be lightly brushed over with very thin glaze, or even a weak solution of gelatine (or aspic if liked), and thickly crumbed as before. (If a piece of bacon lasts too long, it is veiy easy to serve some of it en rechauffe in this way: Slice it down thinly, sprinkle each slice generously with seasoned ■breadcrumbs to which you have added a little cayenne Dr coralline pepper, and toast or broil at once.) Ham can be cooked, if preferred, like bacon, but recipes have already been given for this joint in a previous series. It should be observed that different kinds of hams require different treatment, and are always better for being cooked in stock with a mixture of :soup vegetables, herbs, &c., or else baked or roasted in a casin g of water paste. Never forget that ham always requires soaking for a time extending from eight to thirty-six hours, so it is well when purchasing to inquire into the dryness and smoking of the joint. Lukewarm water is best for softening, and should be changed two or three times during the process.
Records on this page
Bacon, to Boil