good many people speak in high praise of the pastry that
they have eaten at certain hostelries on the Neilgherries,
and express wonder that similarly excellent feuilletage is
never placed before them here. Climate has a great deal
to say to this, and without wishing to depreciate the ta-
lent of the Coonoor or Ooty pdtissiers, we must remember
the advantages that they enjoy in the matter of tempera-
ture.
The next golden rule is that which enjoins scrupulous
cleanliness. Everything connected with this department
must be as bright and clean as possible.
A third law, which I think our cooks rarely obey, is the
one that demands the careful weighing of ingredients.
Ramasamy converses about " cups" of butter and " table-
spoonfuls" of flour. I do not think that he is nearly
particular enough with regard to the accurate weight of
the things he uses. Carelessness in this matter must
obviously be the precui'sor of failure.
The mere manipulation of pastry is, as I said before, a
gift ; still, every cook should remember that the less ho
thumps and mauls the dough the lighter it will be, and
that the quicker the work is done the better.
The pastry-maker should wash his hands before going
to work in very hot water, and plunge them into iced
water afterwards, drying them well before proceeding to
business. The frequent use of iced water to cool the
hands while working will contribute to the success of the
undertaking.
It is here essential to observe that a little practice will
enable the cook to mix his dough, in the first instance with
two strong wooden spoons, or with a wedgewood mortar
pestle and one spoon. This I consider a matter of material
consequence. Setting aside all hypercritical notions of
cleanliness, it stands to reason that the less the paste is
PASTRY-MAKING, ET CETERA. 261
touched by the warm human hand, the better and lighter
it will prove. Similarly, therefore, let the turns in the
rolling-out stage be done with two spoons. If the mixing
stage were carried out in a roomy enamelled iron pan, or
bowl, set in ice, the spoon process could be easily managed.
Pastry should be made, if possible, in the morning before
the real heat of the day has set in. Fruit tarts are far
nicer cold than hot, why not make them early then ? Or
if you like them served hot, why not re-heat them in the
oven at the time they are required ? For patties, bouchees,
timhales, tartlets, cheese-cakes, &c., this course is strongly
to be advocated. The pastry cases ought to be made early,
baked at once and put away ; in the evening they should
be filled with the salpicon, pitrSe, jam, cheese-cake mixture,
or confiture^ be re-heated in the oven, and sent to table.
Page 147
Presented as published in 1885. 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
good many people speak in high praise of the pastry that they have eaten at certain hostelries on the Neilgherries, and express wonder that similarly excellent feuilletage is never placed before them here. Climate has a great deal to say to this, and without wishing to depreciate the talent of the Coonoor or Ooty pâtissiers, we must remember the advantages that they enjoy in the matter of temperature.
The next golden rule is that which enjoins scrupulous cleanliness. Everything connected with this department must be as bright and clean as possible.
A third law, which I think our cooks rarely obey, is the one that demands the careful weighing of ingredients. Ramasamy converses about " cups" of butter and " tablespoonfuls" of flour. I do not think that he is nearly particular enough with regard to the accurate weight of the things he uses. Carelessness in this matter must obviously be the precursor of failure.
The mere manipulation of pastry is, as I said before, a gift ; still, every cook should remember that the less ho thumps and mauls the dough the lighter it will be, and that the quicker the work is done the better.
The pastry-maker should wash his hands before going to work in very hot water, and plunge them into iced water afterwards, drying them well before proceeding to business. The frequent use of iced water to cool the hands while working will contribute to the success of the undertaking.
It is here essential to observe that a little practice will enable the cook to mix his dough, in the first instance with two strong wooden spoons, or with a wedgewood mortar pestle and one spoon. This I consider a matter of material consequence. Setting aside all hypercritical notions of cleanliness, it stands to reason that the less the paste is
touched by the warm human hand, the better and lighter it will prove. Similarly, therefore, let the turns in the rolling-out stage be done with two spoons. If the mixing stage were carried out in a roomy enamelled iron pan, or bowl, set in ice, the spoon process could be easily managed.
Pastry should be made, if possible, in the morning before the real heat of the day has set in. Fruit tarts are far nicer cold than hot, why not make them early then ? Or if you like them served hot, why not re-heat them in the oven at the time they are required ? For patties, bouchees, timhales, tartlets, cheese-cakes, &c., this course is strongly to be advocated. The pastry cases ought to be made early, baked at once and put away ; in the evening they should be filled with the salpicon, pitrSe, jam, cheese-cake mixture, or confiture^ be re-heated in the oven, and sent to table.