Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Speaking of economy in cooking naturally brings us to that most economical way of cooking, viz., stewing. Really, the principles of stewing — the French method of cooking nearly everything — are so simple that they hardly require explanation. Let us for one moment contrast a mutton chop grilled and one stewed in rice. In the former case, some of the chop goes up the chimney in the shape of vapour, and some into the fire in the shape of fat and perhaps a little gravy, and is absolutely lost, so far as the eater is concerned. Take the chop, however, and put it in a small stewpan with just sufficient water to cover it and a spoonful of rice ; cover over the stewpan, put a heavy weight on the lid, and let it gently simmer by the fire for two or three hours. What is the result ? Nothing is lost. Again, take that economical dish — an Irish stew — and see how much farther three pounds of neck of mutton will go as Irish stew than as mutton cutlets. In speaking of stewing as the universal custom in France, recollect I do not refer so much to Paiisian restaurants as to the nation generally, and especially the poor. I believe the contrast in the cooking between the French and English soldiers during the Crimean war was very marked. A very large employer of labour in the North of England told me that he had noticed, among the few French workmen he employed, that on the same wages as other men they lived, so far as eating was concerned, more than twice as well. Fortunately for this country there seems gradually a change going on for the better. The enormous increase in the price of coals will probably do much to abolish, in very small houses, open grates, and stewing over a close stove is far easier than over open ones. The reason of this is, that the principle of stewing is to keep the ingredients at a certain but not too great a heat. Stewing is very different to boiling. Irish stew allowed to hoil is hard ; Irish stew that is really stewed will almost melt in the mouth. Cooks must, however, be very careful in using enamelled stewpans, as should the contents of one of these vessels begin to boil, such is their power of retaining the heat that it it\ be found the boiling process will continue some time after the vessel has been removed from the fire. Perhaps one of the best instances of the power enamelled stewpans have of retaining heat is when one is used for the purpose of making brown thickening. It will be remembered that we recommended, when the butter and flour mixed together had assumed a proper colour, that a few slices of onion should be thrown in, and the stewpan removed from the fire, but kept stirring. Now it will be often found that the stewing process will continue for over ten minutes after the vessel has been taken off the fire, and placed, say, on a cold slab. Of course anything can be fried in butter or oil at a lower temperature than that of boiling water, still the extraordinary length of time the " bubbling " of the butter goes on is a capital means of impressing on the cook's mind how very much these vessels retain the heat. Consequently in. stewing, when boiling is particularly to be avoided, an enamelled stewpan should be carefully watched, and it will be found to PRINCIPLES — BAKING. li