Cassell's dictionary of cookery

River Crab. — This a genus of crab inhabiting fresh water. One species — the grancio of the Italians — is very common in the south of Europe, and is often met with figured on Greek medals. In ancient times it was highly esteemed as an article of food, and it is much thought of even at the present day, being commonly eaten in Italy during the season of Lent. It frequents muddy lakes and slow rivers, and in some it absolutely swarms. Its captors bring it to market tied on strings, care being taken that the crabs are placed at such distances as to prevent their fighting and mutilating one another. Roach. — The roach is a fish which inhabits shallow and gently-flowing streams. Its flesh is white, but turns red when boiled ; and its compactness is thought by many to have given rise to the proverb, "As sound as a roach." It is more likely, however, that this is derived from the French }-ocki;, or " rock." Roach is in season from September to March. It seldom weighs more than a pound and a half. It is best fried. Roach, Fried. — Wash the fish, dry them thoroughly with a soft cloth, dredge flour lightly over them, and fry them in hot fat till the flesh leaves the bone easily. Drain, and serve them on a hot dish, garnished with parsley. Send anchovy sauce to table with them. Time to fry, ten minutes. Sufficient, three or four for a dish. Probable cost, uncertain, roach being seldom sold. Roast Meat, Gravy for.— When the meat is done, lay that end which is least done in a clean hot dish before the fire, then pour all the fat out of your dripping-pan through a hair sieve into your stone jar, and put it away , then wipe out of your pan any dust or cinders that may be [in it with a clean dish-cloth, and for a joint of about ten pounds pour a small-sized cupful of boiling water with a little salt in it into your dripping-pan, and with this water and your basting-ladle rub all the baked brown gravy off the pan — for nearly all the real gravy which drops from the meat wiU be baked to the dripping-pan. When you have rubbed and washed all the brown oft" the pan, mix it well together, and strain it through a iine hair sieve into a butter saucepan, simmer it gently over the fire till it is quite hot but not to boil, pour it over the meat, and serve it up. You will find it a good nice brown gravy, better than is frequently made with half a pound of gravy-beef. — liend. Roast Meat, Gravy for (another way). — See Gravy for Roast Meat. Roast Meat, Wholesomeness of. — Roasting is an excellent method of rendering food wholesome and nourishing, as without making any great change in the chemical properties of meat, it renders it more tender, sapid, and highly flavoured, whilst there is not so ROA (759) BOA much dissipation of its nutritive juices as in baking-, boiling, and some other processes.