Very often in private houses stock is made from the water in which mutton has
been boiled. Now, of course, mutton will not make by any means the same quality
of stock that beef or veal will, and consequently stock made from mutton should,
when possible, be reserved for certain kinds of soup, such as oyster soup ; but we
will refer to this subject more fully when we come to speak on soups in general, and
will now conclude our i*emarks on stock with general directions for the removal of
fat and grease, which is very often a great difficulty with young and inexperienced
cooks.
First, cooks should bear in mind that there are different kinds of grease — one
hard, the removal of which gives comparatively little trouble ; another soft, and
held in solution by the stock, which is far more difficult to remove. To illustrate
what we mean, we aWII contrast the stock made, say from boiling a leg of mutton,
and that made by boiling a pig's head. If both are allov,^ed to get cold, the mutton
PRINCIPLES— STOCK.
stock will be found to be covered with a coating of fat as hard almost as wax, and
the broth underneath will, when this fat has been removed, be entirely free from
grease. Not so, however, the other; the- pork stock will likewise be found to be
covered with fat, not so hard ; but when that has been removed the stock itself will
still be veiy greasy. Again, stock made from bones containing gi-istle and soft fat,
is often greasy, even after it has got cold ; so, too, with the liquor in which bacon or
ham has been boiled, though nothing can be better than lean ham to flavour stock.
When lean and fat is mixed togethei', the stock becomes often so saturated with
grease as to be almost useless. When, therefore, stock is in this state, viz., that it
holds fat in solution, the only method by which the fat can be got rid of is by placing
the stock on the fire, and allowing it to simmer gently; while it is simmering the cook
should from time to time carefully skim it. The longer this process is continued the
freer will the stock be from fat. When butter has been in any way mixed with stock
or soup, as in the case of using the brown or white thickening, this is the only
method by which it can be got rid of again. In fact, cooks would do well to disabuse
theii- minds of the fallacy that if stock is allowed to get cold the fat hardens on
the top, and if this be removed that consequently it is impossible for a particle
of fat to remain. Such is not the case, and as one fact is worthy fifty arguments we
should recommend them to try the simple experiment, when they get a somewhat
greasy stock, of letting it get cold, removing all the fat, and then putting on the
stock to boil again for, say, an hour. They mil find that when the stock gets cold
for the second time, that there will be almost as much fat settle on the surface as
before.
Another important little art in which good cooks ought to excel is the removal
of grease from small quantities of stock or gravy "without letting it get cold, aiad
without going through that somewhat laborious and wasteful process when only small
quantities have to be dealt with — of skimming.
Page 37
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
Very often in private houses stock is made from the water in which mutton has been boiled. Now, of course, mutton will not make by any means the same quality of stock that beef or veal will, and consequently stock made from mutton should, when possible, be reserved for certain kinds of soup, such as oyster soup ; but we will refer to this subject more fully when we come to speak on soups in general, and will now conclude our remarks on stock with general directions for the removal of fat and grease, which is very often a great difficulty with young and inexperienced cooks.
First, cooks should bear in mind that there are different kinds of grease — one hard, the removal of which gives comparatively little trouble ; another soft, and held in solution by the stock, which is far more difficult to remove. To illustrate what we mean, we will contrast the stock made, say from boiling a leg of mutton, and that made by boiling a pig's head. If both are allowed to get cold, the mutton
PRINCIPLES— STOCK.
stock will be found to be covered with a coating of fat as hard almost as wax, and the broth underneath will, when this fat has been removed, be entirely free from grease. Not so, however, the other; the- pork stock will likewise be found to be covered with fat, not so hard ; but when that has been removed the stock itself will still be veiy greasy. Again, stock made from bones containing gristle and soft fat, is often greasy, even after it has got cold ; so, too, with the liquor in which bacon or ham has been boiled, though nothing can be better than lean ham to flavour stock. When lean and fat is mixed together, the stock becomes often so saturated with grease as to be almost useless. When, therefore, stock is in this state, viz., that it holds fat in solution, the only method by which the fat can be got rid of is by placing the stock on the fire, and allowing it to simmer gently; while it is simmering the cook should from time to time carefully skim it. The longer this process is continued the freer will the stock be from fat. When butter has been in any way mixed with stock or soup, as in the case of using the brown or white thickening, this is the only method by which it can be got rid of again. In fact, cooks would do well to disabuse their minds of the fallacy that if stock is allowed to get cold the fat hardens on the top, and if this be removed that consequently it is impossible for a particle of fat to remain. Such is not the case, and as one fact is worthy fifty arguments we should recommend them to try the simple experiment, when they get a somewhat greasy stock, of letting it get cold, removing all the fat, and then putting on the stock to boil again for, say, an hour. They mil find that when the stock gets cold for the second time, that there will be almost as much fat settle on the surface as before.
Another important little art in which good cooks ought to excel is the removal of grease from small quantities of stock or gravy "without letting it get cold, aiad without going through that somewhat laborious and wasteful process when only small quantities have to be dealt with — of skimming.