In boiling all large white flsh, regard should be had to appearances ; no fish should
be sent up quite plain. If the cook wonld always have in his or her possession a
small quantity of lobster coral, a little could be easily sprinkled over the surface
of the fish. It is wonderful how a fish is improved in appearance by such a simple
means as this. If, in addition, some fresh parsley, cut lemon, and a few good-sized
prawns are used by way of ornament, the fish that would otherwise present quite
an ordinary appearance is made into a really elegant dish.
This principle of " making things look white " will extend beyond the region of
fish. For instance, good cooks will jjut a few di'ops of vinegar into the water in
which they poach eggs. Why 1 For the simple reason that the eggs will look
whiter ; the colouring matter mixed in with the eggs is more soluble in boiling water
slightly acid than in ordinary water, and, consequently, poached eggs treated this
CASSELLS DICTIONARY OF COOKERY.
way will come to table presenting that snowy appeai-auce that renders them far
more appetising — not that they taste better, but that the palate is affected through
the eye.
COOKING A STEAK.
As we have already adverted to those good old sayings current upon the subject
of the principles of cookery, we would refer to that perhaps most common one of all,
viz., " The test of a good cook is to cook a steak and boil a potato." Let us dwell
for a few moments on the important dish in all English households — " a steak,"
or a chop.
I candidly confess that I think a chop or steak one of the very best tests of a
good cook, for the simple reason that the proper cooking of either calls forth certain
qualities on the cook's part, which nothing but experience can give.
These qualities may be briefly summed up in the woi'ds — forethought, patience,
and common sense. In the first place, the state of the fire is of paramount
impoi-tance ; and probably the chief cause of chops and steaks being, as a rule, inferior
when cooked in private houses to those prepared in public establishments is the
difficulty of maintaining a clear fire in the former. To attempt to cook a chop over
a fire on which coals have been recently placed is simply an act of insanity. Here,
therefore, comes in the quality of forethought, to which we have alluded. By
keeping the fire bright, and supplying it with judicious ashes or pieces of what
we may term home-made coke, much may be done to rival " the grill " of large
establishments.
We will, therefore, suppose a moderately bright fii'e, free from gassy exhalations,
and also suppose the cook to be above the barbarism of even thinking of a frying-pan
as an easier, and, with a view to the " grease-pot," a more profitable piece of
machinery than the gi-idiron.
Page 13
Presented as published in 1892. 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
In boiling all large white flsh, regard should be had to appearances ; no fish should be sent up quite plain. If the cook wonld always have in his or her possession a small quantity of lobster coral, a little could be easily sprinkled over the surface of the fish. It is wonderful how a fish is improved in appearance by such a simple means as this. If, in addition, some fresh parsley, cut lemon, and a few good-sized prawns are used by way of ornament, the fish that would otherwise present quite an ordinary appearance is made into a really elegant dish.
This principle of " making things look white " will extend beyond the region of fish. For instance, good cooks will put a few di'ops of vinegar into the water in which they poach eggs. Why 1 For the simple reason that the eggs will look whiter ; the colouring matter mixed in with the eggs is more soluble in boiling water slightly acid than in ordinary water, and, consequently, poached eggs treated this
way will come to table presenting that snowy appearance that renders them far more appetising — not that they taste better, but that the palate is affected through the eye.
COOKING A STEAK.
As we have already adverted to those good old sayings current upon the subject of the principles of cookery, we would refer to that perhaps most common one of all, viz., " The test of a good cook is to cook a steak and boil a potato." Let us dwell for a few moments on the important dish in all English households — " a steak," or a chop.
I candidly confess that I think a chop or steak one of the very best tests of a good cook, for the simple reason that the proper cooking of either calls forth certain qualities on the cook's part, which nothing but experience can give.
These qualities may be briefly summed up in the words — forethought, patience, and common sense. In the first place, the state of the fire is of paramount importance ; and probably the chief cause of chops and steaks being, as a rule, inferior when cooked in private houses to those prepared in public establishments is the difficulty of maintaining a clear fire in the former. To attempt to cook a chop over a fire on which coals have been recently placed is simply an act of insanity. Here, therefore, comes in the quality of forethought, to which we have alluded. By keeping the fire bright, and supplying it with judicious ashes or pieces of what we may term home-made coke, much may be done to rival " the grill " of large establishments.
We will, therefore, suppose a moderately bright fii'e, free from gassy exhalations, and also suppose the cook to be above the barbarism of even thinking of a frying-pan as an easier, and, with a view to the " grease-pot," a more profitable piece of machinery than the gridiron.