The great art of mixing mustard is to have it perfectly smooth, and
of a proper consistency. The liquid with which it is moistened
should be added to it in small quantities, and the mustard should be
well rubbed, and beaten with a spoon. Mix half a teaspoonful of
salt with two ounces of the flour of mustard, and stir to them by
degrees sufficient boiling water to reduce it to the appearance of a
thick batter : do not put it into the mustard-glass until it is cold.
Some persons like a half-teaspoonful of sugar in the finest powder
mixed with it. It ought to be sufficiently diluted always to drop easily
from the spoon ; and to bring it to this state more than a quarter of
a pint, and less than half a pint of liquid✪ Mild Mustard will be needed for four
ounces of the best Durham mustard.
For Tartar mustard see Chapter VII.
FRENCH BATTER.
(For frying vegetables , and for apple , peach , or orange fritters .)
Cut a couple of ounces of good butter into small bits, pour on it
less than a quarter of a pint of boiling water, and when it is dissolved
add three quarters of a pint of cold water, so that the whole shall
not be quite milk warm ; mix it then by degrees and very smoothly
with twelve ounces of fine dry flour and a small pinch of salt if the
batter be for fruit fritters, but with more if for meat or vegetables.
Just before it is used, stir into it the whites of two eggs beaten to
a solid froth✪ French Batter ; but previously to this, add a little water should it
appear too thick, as some flour requires more liquid than other to
bring it to the proper consistence ; this is an exceedingly light crisp
batter, excellent for the purposes for which it is named.
Chap, v.]
SAUCE! 9.
131
Butter, 2 oz. ; water, from £ to nearly 1 pint ; little salt ; flour, f
lb. ; whites of 2 eggs, beaten to snow.
TO PREPARE BREAD FOR FRYING FISH.
Cut thick slices from the middle of a loaf cf light stale bread, pare
the crust entirely from them, and. dry them gradually in a cool oven
until they are crisp quite through ; let them become cold, then roll
or beat them into fine crumbs, and keep them in a dry place for use.
To strew over hams or cheeks of bacon, the bread should be left all
night in the oven, which should, be sufficiently heated to brown, as
well as to harden it : it ought indeed to be entirely converted into
equally-coloured crust. It may be sifted through a dredging-box
on to the hams after it has been reduced almost to powder.
BROWNED FLOUR FOR THICKENING SOUPS AND GRAVIES.
Spread it on a tin or dish and colour it, without burning, in a gentle
oven or before the fire in a Dutch or American oven : turn it often,
or the edges will be too much browned before the middle is enough
so. This, blended with butter, makes a convenient thickening for
soups or gravies of which it is desirable to deepen the colour ; and
it requires less time and attention than the French roux of page 10
FRIED BREAD-CRUMBS.
Page 139 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1884. 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
The great art of mixing mustard is to have it perfectly smooth, and of a proper consistency. The liquid with which it is moistened should be added to it in small quantities, and the mustard should be well rubbed, and beaten with a spoon. Mix half a teaspoonful of salt with two ounces of the flour of mustard, and stir to them by degrees sufficient boiling water to reduce it to the appearance of a thick batter : do not put it into the mustard-glass until it is cold. Some persons like a half-teaspoonful of sugar in the finest powder mixed with it. It ought to be sufficiently diluted always to drop easily from the spoon ; and to bring it to this state more than a quarter of a pint, and less than half a pint of liquid will be needed for four ounces of the best Durham mustard.
For Tartar mustard see Chapter VII.
FRENCH BATTER.
(For frying vegetables , and for apple , peach , or orange fritters .)
Cut a couple of ounces of good butter into small bits, pour on it less than a quarter of a pint of boiling water, and when it is dissolved add three quarters of a pint of cold water, so that the whole shall not be quite milk warm ; mix it then by degrees and very smoothly with twelve ounces of fine dry flour and a small pinch of salt if the batter be for fruit fritters, but with more if for meat or vegetables. Just before it is used, stir into it the whites of two eggs beaten to a solid froth ; but previously to this, add a little water should it appear too thick, as some flour requires more liquid than other to bring it to the proper consistence ; this is an exceedingly light crisp batter, excellent for the purposes for which it is named.
CHAP. V.]
SAUCES. 9.
Butter, 2 oz. ; water, from £ to nearly 1 pint ; little salt ; flour, f lb. ; whites of 2 eggs, beaten to snow.
TO PREPARE BREAD FOR FRYING FISH.
Cut thick slices from the middle of a loaf cf light stale bread, pare the crust entirely from them, and. dry them gradually in a cool oven until they are crisp quite through ; let them become cold, then roll or beat them into fine crumbs, and keep them in a dry place for use. To strew over hams or cheeks of bacon, the bread should be left all night in the oven, which should, be sufficiently heated to brown, as well as to harden it : it ought indeed to be entirely converted into equally-coloured crust. It may be sifted through a dredging-box on to the hams after it has been reduced almost to powder.
BROWNED FLOUR FOR THICKENING SOUPS AND GRAVIES.
Spread it on a tin or dish and colour it, without burning, in a gentle oven or before the fire in a Dutch or American oven : turn it often, or the edges will be too much browned before the middle is enough so. This, blended with butter, makes a convenient thickening for soups or gravies of which it is desirable to deepen the colour ; and it requires less time and attention than the French roux of page 10
FRIED BREAD-CRUMBS.
Records on this page
Mild MustardFrench Batter