We will suppose the beef to have been hanging on
the spit the sufficient time, and the cook has arrived
at the critical moment called dishing-up. Of course,
under the meat, to catch the fat, etc., that drops, has
been placed that large tin vessel with a well in the
centre, called the dripping-pan, which will be found to
contain a pint, or a quart, according to the size of the
joint, of melted fat, or, as it is usually called, dripping.
The cook takes this dripping-pan, and carefully and
slowly pours off all the fat into a basin ; at the bottom
of the fat will be found a sediment, brown or red ; this
is the gravy. Now, the great art is to pour off all the
fat, and yet to avoid losing any of the gravy. What is
requisite is — first, common-sense ; secondly, a httle
experience and a steady hand.
As a rule, it is best to go on pouring till just a little
sediment has run with the fat, and then stop. Next,
take some boiling water, about half a pint or a little
more, and pour it into the dripping-pan, and stir it
about, taking care to scrape those parts where the
gravy is dried on and the dripping-pan looks brown ;
by this means the gravy will not merely look darker,
but will be absolutely richer. This must now be
poured through a fine strainer over the meat. If the
cook sees that the gravy has got a little cold in the
operation, of course she would pour it, just as it is, into
a saucepan and make it hot, but not let it boil, and
SPRING DISHES.
83
then pour it through the strainer over the meat. When
the party at dinner is large, and yet the joint put on
the table, it is a very good plan to pour only half the
gravy over at first, and to send up the rest hot about ten
minutes aftenvards, when it can be poured over in the
dining-room.
Now, we have said that lamb does not make good
gravy ; when, therefore, it is possible, get some thin
stock, and use that to pour into the dripping-pan
instead of boiling water, only take care that the stock
is tasteless — anything like rich gravy would destroy the
delicate flavour of the lamb.
It should be borne in mind, too, that lamb is one
of the few meats that are none the better for keeping ;
the quicker it is cooked the nicer it \vill be. In hot
weather lamb has an unamiable property of getting
high quicker than other meat, especially the shoulder.
The reason of this is probably that it is “ open,” and
not close meat, like a silverside of beef. A loin of
mutton that has been jointed will get bad quicker than
one not jointed.
We next come to the general and nicest accom-
paniment to roast lamb, and that is, nice fresh young
green peas. When we say fresh, we mean lately
gathered. Peas that have been picked some time are
very inferior in flavour to those recently picked. Shell
the peas, throwing them into cold water just like
potatoes after being peeled. Next get a large saucepan
of boiling water, into which has been placed a table-
spoonful of salt, and a very little moist sugar — about
a salt-spoon is sufficient✪ Boiled Peas. Strain the peas, throw them
in the boiling water gradually, in order not to take the
water off the boil for too long.
The next point to be considered is, why do some
people always have peas looking a bright green, and
others send them up with a bad colour ? The secret
84 PRACTICAL HOME COOKERY.
Page 43 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1906. 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
We will suppose the beef to have been hanging on the spit the sufficient time, and the cook has arrived at the critical moment called dishing-up. Of course, under the meat, to catch the fat, etc., that drops, has been placed that large tin vessel with a well in the centre, called the dripping-pan, which will be found to contain a pint, or a quart, according to the size of the joint, of melted fat, or, as it is usually called, dripping. The cook takes this dripping-pan, and carefully and slowly pours off all the fat into a basin ; at the bottom of the fat will be found a sediment, brown or red ; this is the gravy. Now, the great art is to pour off all the fat, and yet to avoid losing any of the gravy. What is requisite is — first, common-sense ; secondly, a little experience and a steady hand.
As a rule, it is best to go on pouring till just a little sediment has run with the fat, and then stop. Next, take some boiling water, about half a pint or a little more, and pour it into the dripping-pan, and stir it about, taking care to scrape those parts where the gravy is dried on and the dripping-pan looks brown ; by this means the gravy will not merely look darker, but will be absolutely richer. This must now be poured through a fine strainer over the meat. If the cook sees that the gravy has got a little cold in the operation, of course she would pour it, just as it is, into a saucepan and make it hot, but not let it boil, and
then pour it through the strainer over the meat. When the party at dinner is large, and yet the joint put on the table, it is a very good plan to pour only half the gravy over at first, and to send up the rest hot about ten minutes afterwards, when it can be poured over in the dining-room.
Now, we have said that lamb does not make good gravy ; when, therefore, it is possible, get some thin stock, and use that to pour into the dripping-pan instead of boiling water, only take care that the stock is tasteless — anything like rich gravy would destroy the delicate flavour of the lamb.
It should be borne in mind, too, that lamb is one of the few meats that are none the better for keeping ; the quicker it is cooked the nicer it will be. In hot weather lamb has an unamiable property of getting high quicker than other meat, especially the shoulder. The reason of this is probably that it is “ open,” and not close meat, like a silverside of beef. A loin of mutton that has been jointed will get bad quicker than one not jointed.
We next come to the general and nicest accompaniment to roast lamb, and that is, nice fresh young green peas. When we say fresh, we mean lately gathered. Peas that have been picked some time are very inferior in flavour to those recently picked. Shell the peas, throwing them into cold water just like potatoes after being peeled. Next get a large saucepan of boiling water, into which has been placed a tablespoonful of salt, and a very little moist sugar — about a salt-spoon is sufficient. Strain the peas, throw them in the boiling water gradually, in order not to take the water off the boil for too long.
The next point to be considered is, why do some people always have peas looking a bright green, and others send them up with a bad colour ? The secret
Records on this page
Boiled Peas