The household gas cookery book

Chicken Broth (An excellent soup for invalids). — Cut a fowl weighing about three pounds into pieces; put it into four pints of cold water and let it gently simmer until the meat falls from the bones. Remove every particle of fat and strain the broth; add a tablespoonful of pearl barley, previously well washed, and one clove, a teaspoonful of finely-chopped parsley, and salt to taste, let it simmer until the barley is soft and the liquor is reduced to two pints. This broth will be found most acceptable to an invalid, and is very nourishing. Pot -au-feu. — This is by far the most wholesome of all soups. Take three pounds of good rump beef, or any part free from bone and not too fat, put it into a saucepan (or preferably an earthenware pot) with three quarts of water, one large carrot, two turnips, two leeks, a head of celery, two onions (stuck with fou'r cloves), three shallots, salt and pepper to taste; let it gradually warm up until it simmers — if once it is allowed to boil fast the whole will be spoiled, as the essence of success depends upon slow cooking. By this means the heat swells the muscular fibres of the beef and dissolves all the gelatinous substances that it contains into the broth ; you have then an excellent broth, with a piece of meat which is both tender and very palatable, and may be eaten hot or cold with or without the vegetables. On the other hand, if the liquor is allowed to boil, the albumen coagulates and hardens and the water is prevented from penetrating the meat, which becomes as hard as leather, and all the liquor without taste or succulence. The time occu¬ pied in cooking this pot-au-feu should be five hours. FISH. HOW TO SELECT FISH, Every practical housewife ought to possess a thorough knowledge, not only how to keep fish, but also how to purchase it, and that she may be able to rely upon her own judgment rather than on that of the fishmonger, a few points enumerated below, whereby fresh fish can be easily distinguished from stale, may prove useful. Flat Fish. — Brill, dorys, plaice, flounders, halibut, soles, and turbot should be chosen very thick, firm, and elastic to the touch, skin cool and thin, the underneath of a rich creamy whiteness, eyes full and bright, gills fresh and very red-looking. Spots on back of the plaice a very bright red colour — if the spots are turning black the fish is stale. Salmon. — The fish stiff, the scales very bright, the gills a brilliant colour, and the flesh when cut a beautiful red. Cod should have a very white firm flesh, large head, thick shoulders, bright red gills, silvery-clean looking skin, plump and rounded at the tail, the sides presenting a kind of ribbed appearance. Trout — This being of the same genus as the salmon, may be judged by the same rules. Mackerel may be known to be perfectly fresh by their full, clear eye, lovely silvery brightness, Beautiful iridescent backs, elastic flesh, and gills of a very deep red. Fresh Haddocks should be chosen of medium size, as the large ones are rather coarse and the small ones rather tasteless, the same rules to be observed as those given for cod. Fresh Herrings and Sprats should have scales shining like silver, plump in shape, bright, clear eyes; when these are bloodshot, the fish should be rejected.