Myra's cookery book

Glaze is a thick, but clear brown gravy, produced by the continued boiling of an ordinary good made gravy until it is reduced to a third or fourth part of the original quantity, and is about the same consistence as the best treacle — when cold it becomes a jelly. Glaze is used for brushing over made dishes, and many that are eaten cold — ham, tongue, boned turkey, etc. When two or three coats of glaze are needed, as is some- times the case, each coat must be allowed to cool before the next one is put on. When cold they form a thick, brown smooth jelly all over the article glazed. LARDING. The best fat bacon should be used for larding, and slices of this, free from lean and rind, are cut into strips of equal size and thickness. For poultry, game, and small joints the strips of bacon are two inches long and about the eighth will MYRA'S COOKERY BOOK. of an inch square ; when the larcloons are required for large joints, or have to be taken right through the meat, the strips are longer and nearly half an inch square. Small lardoons on the breasts of birds, or on the upper surface of the meat, should be put in very regularly in intersecting lines, and at equal distances apart. To insert the lardoons, secure one end in the larding needle, and take up with the point as much of the meat to be larded as will keep the strip firm ; draw the needle through and the bacon with it, but leave the two ends out — these should be of the same length— and when the lard- ing is finished tlie meat should resemble a cake stuck with almonds. For larding or daubing the inside of meat, the bacon is rolled in seasoning before it is inserted : a large larding needle is used, and the strips are drawn right through the meat. Larding is a great improvement to meat or poultry of a dry nature. S Y R U P-M A K I N G. The best lump sugar should be used for making syrups, candies, and caramel ; coarser sugar is less easily clarified, and there is more waste in boiling it. The sugar is broken in large lumps into the preserving pan, and a pint of water is allowed to each pound of sugar for syrups, or about a third of a pint of water if the sugar is to be candied. To clarify this half the white of one egg is enough for six pounds of sugar. Beat the white of egg to a light froth, alone first, then add it to the water and beat the two together. When well mixed pour the greater part of the water on to the sugar, and let this stand until dissolved ; stir well, put the pan on METHODS OF COOKING. XIX the fire, and let the syrup boil for five minutes without disturbing it. Take the pan off the fire, let it stand two minutes, and then skim carefully and thoroughly. Put the pan back on the fire, and when the syrup begins to boil pour in a little of the water that was left over. Repeat the skimming until the syrup is quite clear, and then strain through muslin into a clean pan to be boiled again. There are several degrees of boiling sugar which may be learnt most accurately by means of a syrometer, but which may be judged of with a considerable degree of correctness by the ordinary thumb and finger test.