Cookery for beginners

While I give these directions, I may remark that few people of nice taste like made thickened gravy with roast beef. Many prefer, instead) the red essence which follows the carver's knife and settles in the dish. The carver should give each person helped his or her choice in this matter. I am thus explicit with regard to roasting beef because the process is substantially the same with all meats. Dash scalding water over the piece put down for cooking in this way: heat rather slowly at first, increasing the heat as you go on ; baste faithfully ; keep the oven open as little as may be and dredge, then baste, alternately, for twenty minutes, or so, before dishing the meat. Roast Mutton. Cook exactly as you would beef: but if you wish a made gravy, pour it first from the baking-pan into a bowl and set in cold water five minutes, or until the fat has risen to the top. Skim off all of this that you can remove without disturbing the dregs. It is "muttontallow" — very good for chapped hands, but not for human stomachs. Return the gravy to the fire, thicken, add boiling water, if needed, and stir until smooth. • Always send currant, or grape jelly, around with mutton and lamb. Roast Lamb. Cook two minutes less in the pound than you would mutton. Instead of gravy, you can send in with it, if you choose Mint Sauce. To two tablespoonfuls of chopped mint, add a tablespoonful of white sugar and nearly two thirds of a cup of vinegar. Let them stand together ten minutes in a cool place before sending to table. Roast Veal Must be cooked twice as long as beef or mutton, and very * well basted, the flesh being fibrous and dry. To the made gravy add two teaspoonfuls of stewed and strained tomato, oi one tablespoonful of tomato catsup, and cook one minute before pouring into the gravy-boat. Roast Turkey, Chicken or Duck. It would not be- possible for me to write such directions as would enable you to prepare a fowl for cooking. Yet I advise you to learn how to draw and dress poultry. Watch the process closely, if you have opportunity, or else ask some experienced friend to instruct you. For the present we will suppose that our fowl is ready for the roasting pan. Lay it in tenderly, breast uppermost, pour a bountiful cup of boiling water, slightly salted, over it, if it be a chicken or duck, two cupfuls, if a turkey, and roast, basting often, about twelve minutes for each pound. When the breastbone browns, turn the fowl on one side, and as this colors, on the other, that all may be done evenly. Dredge once with flour fifteen minutes before taking . up the roast and when this browns, rub all over with a tablespoonful of butter. Shut up ten minutes longer and it is ready for dishing. Chop the liver and soft parts of the gizzard — which have been roasted with the fowl — fine, and stir into the gravy while you are making it. Fricasseed Chicken. Cut up a full-grown fowl into joints, dividing the back and breast into two pieces each. Lay these in cold water, slightly salted, for half an hour. Wipe dry with a clean cloth. In the bottom of a pot scatter a handful of chopped fat salt pork, with half a teaspoonful of minced onion. On this lay the pieces of chicken. Sprinkle a double handful of pork on the top with another half teaspoonful of onion, pour in carefully, enough cold water to cover all, fit on a close top, and set the pot where it will heat slowly. It should not boil under one hour at least. Increase the heat, then, but keep at a very gentle boil for another hour, or until the chicken is tender. The time needed for cooking will depend on the age of the fowl. Fast stewing will harden and toughen it. When done, take out the chicken with a fork and arrange on a warm dish, covering