Blue Ribbon and Pure Gold cook book

Roll the dough into a thin sheet, as thin as you can handle, rolling as gently as you can. From this sheet cut a piece large enough to lap over edge of pan and lay it on greased pan. Into this put your fruit (dried fruit is previously stewed and mashed) and add sugar and spice to taste; about } cup sugar. Carefully moisten edge of lower crust, lay upper crust on top, and with thumb press edges of top and lower crusts together all around. Trim off by running a knife around edge of pan. ‘Then prick a number of small holes here and there in top crust for steam to escape when fruit boils. Bake in a hot oven. An apple pie would take about 30 minutes. Better not give it a name until it is baked, then if you have made crust too thick for pie, call it a cobbler or shortcake. MEATS AND VEGETABLES Reasonably full directions for preparing and cooking these will be found under their proper headings in this book, but perhaps a few hints may not be out of place here. MEAT, GAME AND FISH The main secrets in preparing these are to have a proper fire, good materials, and then to imprison in each dish at the outset its natural juice and characteristic flavor. Also do not over-season meats, as with good materials the only seasoning needed is a little pepper and salt, which should not be added, except in soups and stews until the dish is nearly or dues done. Remember that salt draws the juices. Bachelor and Camp Cooking 133 The juices of meats and fish are their most palatable and nutritious ingredients. We extract them purposely in. making soups, stews and gravies; but in so doing we spoil the meat. Fish, flesh and fowl should be cooked by first “‘sealing’’ the outside by searing in a very hot pan, or by plunging into boiling water. Then move further from the fire to cook gradually until done. The first process preserves the juices, and in the case of frying, seals the meat or fish in a grease-proof protection. Game and all fresh meat should be hung up until it has bled thoroughly and cooled through and through. Salt meats of all kinds should be soaked overnight in cold water, or pan-boiled in two or three waters before cooking. Frozen meat or fish should be soaked in ice-cold water and then cooked immediately. Canned meats should at least be heated through and should never be left standing in the can. All animals from ’coon size down, also duck and grouse, unless young and tender, should be parboiled 10 to 30 minutes, according to size, before frying, boiling, or roasting. Meat, game and fish may be fried, boiled, roasted, baked, broiled or stewed. Frying and broiling are the quickest; roasting, baking and boiling take an hour or two; a stew of meat and vegetables, to be good, takes half a day. ‘Tough meats should be boiled or braized in a pot. Baked Fish Without an Oven—Dig a hole in the ground about 18 inches deep, and of sufficient size to contain the cleaned fish; build a fire in it and let it burn to coals. Remove the coals, leaving the hot ashes at the bottom, upon which place a thick layer of green grass, place the fish on top and cover with another layer of grass, then rake back the live coals and loose earth, and build a small fire on top. At the end of about three-quarters of an hour the fish will be found cooked, with the juice retained. The skin will peel off and leave the flesh clean and free from ashes and dirt. |