when chef of the Reform Club, or by his friend and patron Lord
Marcus Hill, the consummate gastronome.
Let it be noted that while in all these frying operations
the French use a saute-pan admirably, they scarcely recog-
nise a frying-pan in our sense of the term ; and that there
is no risk of either smoke or soot getting into their pans.
For the rest, while holding an even balance between Lady
Londonderry's defence of broiling, and the opposite advocacy
of frying, I may point out that both processes involve the
waste of dripping. The most economical and perhaps the
best way of cooking the British chop is to roast it in a
Dutch oven before a clear fire, where it can be done " to
a turn," and all the dripping can be saved.
■60 THE THOBOUGn GOOD COOK.
Partridges.
In an old family album, on which I chanced the other
day, I found a pen-and-ink drawing, made, I should say,
by my father, very early in the present century. It repre-
sents a female cook with a knife in one hand and Goethe's
" Sorrows of Werther " in the other, and she is blubbering
in a manner distressful to behold. Beneath Avas written,
" Oh, Charlotte, Charlotte ! oh, Werther, Werther ! I must
go and skin these (adjective) eels." The remembrance of
this humorous drawing is an obvious warning to me to
abstain from any moralising refiections as to the cruelty of
hattucs, the injustice of the game laws, and the hard-hearted-
ness and seltishness of calling the bird Avhich we so
ruthlessly slaughter " Saint Partridge," and speaking of the
First of September as the " Glorious First." The eels had
got to be skinned by the sentimental cook who Avept over
the sorroAvs of Werther, and the partridges have got to be
killed by somebody ; and the fact that I have no kind of
inclination for field sports, and if I Avent out shooting should
probably pepper my next neighbour or m3'self, does not
entitle me, I apprehend, to preach even the briefest of
sermons against the undue preservation of game and the
barbarity of " Avarni corners." Only this I Avill say, and firmly
hold to: — That men should hunt and shoot is right and proper;
Ave have been hunters and shooters for many centuries. But I
do maintain that it is revolting and unwoman-like for any lady
to shoot at birds. I don't care Avhat costume the tailor may
drape la siMrtsiroman in. I don't care Avhetiier she goes out
on a shooting tramp in knickerbockers and gaiters, or in
skirts lined Avith leatlier, or in jack-boots; she has no right
to go out shooting at all. Killing is no part of the vocation
of a Avoman, and least of all should a lady slaughter par-
tridges. The hen partridge is the kindest and most devoted
CHATS ABOUT COOKERY. 61
Page 44
Presented as published in 1895. 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
when chef of the Reform Club, or by his friend and patron Lord Marcus Hill, the consummate gastronome.
Let it be noted that while in all these frying operations the French use a saute-pan admirably, they scarcely recognise a frying-pan in our sense of the term ; and that there is no risk of either smoke or soot getting into their pans. For the rest, while holding an even balance between Lady Londonderry's defence of broiling, and the opposite advocacy of frying, I may point out that both processes involve the waste of dripping. The most economical and perhaps the best way of cooking the British chop is to roast it in a Dutch oven before a clear fire, where it can be done " to a turn," and all the dripping can be saved.
Partridges.
In an old family album, on which I chanced the other day, I found a pen-and-ink drawing, made, I should say, by my father, very early in the present century. It represents a female cook with a knife in one hand and Goethe's " Sorrows of Werther " in the other, and she is blubbering in a manner distressful to behold. Beneath was written, " Oh, Charlotte, Charlotte ! oh, Werther, Werther ! I must go and skin these (adjective) eels." The remembrance of this humorous drawing is an obvious warning to me to abstain from any moralising reflections as to the cruelty of hatreds, the injustice of the game laws, and the hard-heartedness and selfishness of calling the bird which we so ruthlessly slaughter " Saint Partridge," and speaking of the First of September as the " Glorious First." The eels had got to be skinned by the sentimental cook who wept over the sorrows of Werther, and the partridges have got to be killed by somebody ; and the fact that I have no kind of inclination for field sports, and if I went out shooting should probably pepper my next neighbour or myself, does not entitle me, I apprehend, to preach even the briefest of sermons against the undue preservation of game and the barbarity of " warm corners." Only this I will say, and firmly hold to: — That men should hunt and shoot is right and proper; We have been hunters and shooters for many centuries. But I do maintain that it is revolting and unwoman-like for any lady to shoot at birds. I don't care what costume the tailor may drape la sportswoman in. I don't care whether she goes out on a shooting tramp in knickerbockers and gaiters, or in skirts lined with leatlier, or in jack-boots; she has no right to go out shooting at all. Killing is no part of the vocation of a woman, and least of all should a lady slaughter partridges. The hen partridge is the kindest and most devoted