FoodNetArchive

Cassell's dictionary of cookery

1892

Page 2368

Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
w is a large oval-shaped pot, into which is fitted an imier case A, leaving a space into which water is poured. The lid c may now be placed on, and the pot, so fiir as cooking meat is concerned, is complete. The meat of course is placed in the chamber A. The pot is placed on the fire, and the water in w kept boiling, the steam of course arising and suiTounding the chamber A, but not entering it. The lid c is made double for the purpose of condensing the steam, which runs back into w. There is, however, a small hole in the lid c in the top, in order to let out the steam in case it should boil too fast. A good-sized leg of mutton takes about tlu-ee hours to cook by this means. Shortly before it is done, open the chamber A, and pour into a basin all the liquor and melted fat that has run out of the leg of mutton owhig to the heat, and replace the mutton in A. Strain ofi" the fat, which of course must be kept for dripping, and warm up this liquor (from the condensation of the steam of the mutton, perchance increased by a trifling escape from the steam in the outer chamber) fresh in a small saucepan, and use it as the gravy to pour over the meat when served on a dish. In a leg of miitton cooked in Warren's cooking pot, a saving of quite ten per cent., if not more, is effected. Joints of meat can be cooked in Warren's pot till nearly done, and then browned before the fire, but a leg of mutton served as a boiled leg cooked this way is far preferable. The portion B of the pot is for cooking vegetables, and can be placed on the top of the chamber A APPENDIX, 1171 before the lid is placed on, and the same lid then fits on B. There is a small tube connecting b with w, so that the steam rises into B, into which vegetables may be placed, that are thus cooked by steam during the same time that the meat is being cooked in its own vapour in the chamber A. For travellers camping out there is probably no invention in the world in relation to cooking so useful as Captain Warren's cooking pot. A few bricks may be collected and ranged round with spaces between, filled with a little coke or coal, and the ])ot placed on the top. All that is necessary is to keep in the fire, and the meat and vegetables will, after a time, be as well cooked, and taste as savoury, though the fire has been stirred by a sol- dier's bayonet, as if served up in the most luxurious Parisian cafe. When the pot is not in use, first let it be thoroughly cleansed, and then put by in separate pieces, and not all fitted together. Of course, quite new pots require washing and boiling to get rid of that tin flavour peculiar to all new tin vessels. Whisk. — There are several kinds of egg whisks ; the one generally used costs 6d. or Sd. Our gTandmothers dispensed Avith an egg whisk altogether, and used captaiiTwarken' s~cookin a pot. either a knife or a fork. Whatever whisk is used, the white of eggs will never froth properly unless the bowl iiito which they are broken is quite cold, and unless they are perfectly free from the least speck of yolk. It is best to whisk them in a cold place.