Cookery book and general axioms for plain cookery

Method : — Any scraps of fat from beef, mutton, pork, or veal may be clarified together. Cut the fat into small pieces, and put it into a saucepan with the water, leave the lid off, and boil gently about 1 hour, or until the water has quite evaporated, when the fat will be clear and the skin be shrivelled and dry. N.B. — (1) The quantity of water given creates sufficient steam to clarify 2 or 3 lbs. of fat. (2) Beef fat is better for cakes and pastry ; mutton is harder, and better for frying purposes. TO BOIL FISH. Ingredients : 2 or 3 lbs. of any kind of fish (either white or oily fish can be boiled). 1 pint hot water. 1 tablespoonful vinegar (if liked). 1 small teaspoonful salt. 6 peppercorns. Method : — If it is fish with scales, scrape it, and if a whole one, take the eyes out, cut off the fins (wash and preserve them), remove the inside, wash it in cold water, and take it out at once. Put the pint of water into a fish-kettle or saucepan, add the vinegar, salt, peppercorns, and fins ; when it is quite hot, lay the fish in, and cook very gently indeed. Try it with a skewer after a few minutes — if the skewer separates the flesh easily, it is done — and take it up carefully at once , as it will quickly fall to pieces and lose flavour if it is cooked too long. Serve it on a very hot dish. N.B. — (1) See that the fish is fresh (stale fish is most unwholesome, and therefore not cheap at any price) ; test it by pressing the fingers on the flesh. If it is firm and elastic and springs back, it is good, but, if it is soft and an impression is made, it is stale. (2) No special time can be given for cooking fish, because more depends on the thickness and kind of fish than the exact weight. A long flat fish weighing the same, would require less cooking than a small thick piece. (3) As fish contains a large proportion of water, only just sufficient to create steam is required for cooking it. The flavour is lost to a great extent in a large quantity of water, nor is the fish so light and digestible. A further advantage of this mode is that the skin of the fish will not be cracked by putting it into boiling water, as it does not nearly cover the fish, and thus the goodness is retained ; but the rule for gentle cooking must be carefully observed. (4) The dish should be very hot for serving it on, and, when an old tablecloth is done with, there is sometimes a small whole piece left, which will make into a napkin for serving it on. PLAIN SAUCE FOR BOILED FISH. Ingredients : — 1 tablespoonful flour. i pint of the water the fish is cooked in. Method .-—Mix the flour quite smooth with a very little cold water, add the fish water (strained) gradually, stirring well, then put into a small saucepan, stir until it boils, and serve with the fish. If parsley is added, it should be washed and well dried before chopping, and should not be put into the sauce until it has boiled , or the acid of the vinegar will turn it brown. jqr 33 '1) Butter is not really required when the fish watei is used', especially when the fins have been used also, becaus there is a little jelly in them which helps to enrich the sauce. (2) Turbot is cooked with the fins on because they are so rich in this gelatinous substance.