the disli on which the chop is placed, as well as the cover which goes ovei' it,
should be made not merely warm, but hot.
CLEANLINESS.
Of all the principles upon which really good cooking depends, there is perhaps
none so important as that of cleanliness. I would here remark in passing that
real cleanliness is by no means so common as many would imagine, the reason being
that often sei*vants do not know how to be properly clean. I will give one very
simple example — a wine decanter that looks dull. You will be told it has been
thoroughly washed, and perhaps some brush inserted, with great difficulty and loss
of time, down the neck. Stdl the decanter does not look bright. Suppose, however,
the person in charge of the glass had been properly instructed — a handful of silver
sand jiut in the decanter with a little water — what a difference ! The decanter, after
being well rinsed so as to get rid of eveiy particle of sand, reassumes that bright
appearance that it originally possessed when, sparkling on the velvet stand under the
sunlight in the window, it tempted the passei'-by to enter the shop and purchase it.
It may seem a I'ude statement, but nevei-theless true, that the ignorance of some
persons, especially women, is simply unfathomable. There are cases on i-ecord in
which attemjits have been made to wash greasy things without soda. Tliis ignorance
is, of course, rare ; but, too often, cooks wash up incompletely for the sole reason that
they will not use enough soda. Various causes for this will they assign. They say
it chaps their hands, but I would remind cooks that very often they moisten their
hands with hot soda and water very unnecessarily. It is easy, with a little manage-
ment, to avoid strong soda and water touching the backs of the hands and wrists at
all, and these are the pai-ts principally affected. A little grease, too, rubbed on the
backs of the hands is a gi-eat protection.
Another point often omitted is the washing of the lids of the saucepans as well
as the saucepans themselves. The saucepan may be perfectly clean ; but mairy a dish
has been spoiled by a dirty lid having been placed on it, the perhaps decomposed
flavour of the last ingredients cooked in it dropping down with the condensed steam.
Take, for instance, the case of a large fish-kettle which will take in a turbot
whole or a salmon. Now, the water in which fish has been boiled will often turn to
jelly when cold, and little pieces of fish are very apt to stick in corners, &c. I
would strongly recommend eveiy cook, before filling the fish-kettle, to put it for an
instant on the fire, just long enough to make it warm ; then smell the kettle ; the
warmth will be sufficient to melt any little congealed particles that may by chance
have remained behind. Many a fine fish has been utterly spoilt, and the fishmonger
blamed when the real party at fault has been the cook.
Page 16
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
the disli on which the chop is placed, as well as the cover which goes over it, should be made not merely warm, but hot.
CLEANLINESS.
Of all the principles upon which really good cooking depends, there is perhaps none so important as that of cleanliness. I would here remark in passing that real cleanliness is by no means so common as many would imagine, the reason being that often servants do not know how to be properly clean. I will give one very simple example — a wine decanter that looks dull. You will be told it has been thoroughly washed, and perhaps some brush inserted, with great difficulty and loss of time, down the neck. Still the decanter does not look bright. Suppose, however, the person in charge of the glass had been properly instructed — a handful of silver sand jiut in the decanter with a little water — what a difference ! The decanter, after being well rinsed so as to get rid of every particle of sand, reassumes that bright appearance that it originally possessed when, sparkling on the velvet stand under the sunlight in the window, it tempted the passer-by to enter the shop and purchase it.
It may seem a rude statement, but nevertheless true, that the ignorance of some persons, especially women, is simply unfathomable. There are cases on record in which attempts have been made to wash greasy things without soda. This ignorance is, of course, rare ; but, too often, cooks wash up incompletely for the sole reason that they will not use enough soda. Various causes for this will they assign. They say it chaps their hands, but I would remind cooks that very often they moisten their hands with hot soda and water very unnecessarily. It is easy, with a little management, to avoid strong soda and water touching the backs of the hands and wrists at all, and these are the parts principally affected. A little grease, too, rubbed on the backs of the hands is a great protection.
Another point often omitted is the washing of the lids of the saucepans as well as the saucepans themselves. The saucepan may be perfectly clean ; but many a dish has been spoiled by a dirty lid having been placed on it, the perhaps decomposed flavour of the last ingredients cooked in it dropping down with the condensed steam.
Take, for instance, the case of a large fish-kettle which will take in a turbot whole or a salmon. Now, the water in which fish has been boiled will often turn to jelly when cold, and little pieces of fish are very apt to stick in corners, &c. I would strongly recommend every cook, before filling the fish-kettle, to put it for an instant on the fire, just long enough to make it warm ; then smell the kettle ; the warmth will be sufficient to melt any little congealed particles that may by chance have remained behind. Many a fine fish has been utterly spoilt, and the fishmonger blamed when the real party at fault has been the cook.