be a good method to have a little cold water ready — a dessert-spoonful -will be
sufficient to throw in to stop the boiling, should it accidentally take place. A copper
steAvpan retains the heat comparatively for a very short period. The principal
objection to enamelled omelet pans is that they are far more likely to burn the
omelet than an ordinary one.
We now come in due course tb consider the general principles to be observed in
baking. Most persons know the difference in the flavour of meat roasted in the
ordinary way before the fire or baked in the oven — recollect I am still alluding to
the old-fashioned open gi-ates. What the difierence is in the flavour between meat
roasted and meat baked it is perhaps difiicult to describe accurately, but that the
former is far superior to the latter there can be no doubt. The reason of the
difference in the flavour is however very simple. When meat is roasted certain,
vapours are of course given ofl" which go up the chimney immediately ; when meat
is baked in the oven these vapours are shut in, and consequently affect the flavour
of the meat ; and it will be remembered that the difference between roast and baked
meat, though obvious to the palate, is still more obvious to the sense of smell. Now
cei-tain joints bake better than others ; for instance, a shoulder of mutton is really
quite as nice baked in a close oven as roasted, while a baked leg, and especially a
baked loin, is very inferior. One gi-eat objection to shut-up fire-places has un-
doubtedly been the difliculty of roasting a joint. This difficulty is, however, quite
overcome for all ordinary purposes by a new cookiag range, in the oven of which
a joint may be baked, and yet the result will be that the most sensitive palate
cannot distinguish the difference between the joint so cooked and one roasted in
the ordinary way before the fire.
The principle is as simple as it is ingenious. The oven is so constructed that a
curi'ent of air can always be passing quickly through it. The stove is constructed
on the same principle as a blast fui'nace, and the heat is regulated by turning a small
handle. An opening at one end of the oven is connected with the chimney of the
stove, up which the smoke and heated air ascends.
Of course the hot air of the oven rushes out at this opening, its place being-
supplied by cold air admitted thi'ough a small sliding opening in front of the oven.
Consequently, when any joint is baked in an oven of this description, the process it
imdergoes is exactly the same as in roasting before an open fire.
The joint is, of course, placed on a raised tin with holes in it to prevent the
bottom getting sodden, and the oven door has from time to time to be oj^ened
in order to baste the joint. Of course all the vapours that are given off by the
joint in cooking are instantly carried up the chimney with the current of hot aii-.
In roasting a joint — for such in reality it is — in an oven of this description it
will be found best to turn the joint over when it is half cooked. I have always
found that when the fii-e has been properly attended to, a good colour can be
obtained ; should, however, the joint look pale, a hot salamander will soon overcome
the difficulty.
Page 62
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
be a good method to have a little cold water ready — a dessert-spoonful -will be sufficient to throw in to stop the boiling, should it accidentally take place. A copper stewpan retains the heat comparatively for a very short period. The principal objection to enamelled omelet pans is that they are far more likely to burn the omelet than an ordinary one.
We now come in due course to consider the general principles to be observed in baking. Most persons know the difference in the flavour of meat roasted in the ordinary way before the fire or baked in the oven — recollect I am still alluding to the old-fashioned open grates. What the difference is in the flavour between meat roasted and meat baked it is perhaps difficult to describe accurately, but that the former is far superior to the latter there can be no doubt. The reason of the difference in the flavour is however very simple. When meat is roasted certain, vapours are of course given ofl" which go up the chimney immediately ; when meat is baked in the oven these vapours are shut in, and consequently affect the flavour of the meat ; and it will be remembered that the difference between roast and baked meat, though obvious to the palate, is still more obvious to the sense of smell. Now certain joints bake better than others ; for instance, a shoulder of mutton is really quite as nice baked in a close oven as roasted, while a baked leg, and especially a baked loin, is very inferior. One great objection to shut-up fire-places has undoubtedly been the difliculty of roasting a joint. This difficulty is, however, quite overcome for all ordinary purposes by a new cooking range, in the oven of which a joint may be baked, and yet the result will be that the most sensitive palate cannot distinguish the difference between the joint so cooked and one roasted in the ordinary way before the fire.
The principle is as simple as it is ingenious. The oven is so constructed that a current of air can always be passing quickly through it. The stove is constructed on the same principle as a blast furnace, and the heat is regulated by turning a small handle. An opening at one end of the oven is connected with the chimney of the stove, up which the smoke and heated air ascends.
Of course the hot air of the oven rushes out at this opening, its place being supplied by cold air admitted through a small sliding opening in front of the oven. Consequently, when any joint is baked in an oven of this description, the process it undergoes is exactly the same as in roasting before an open fire.
The joint is, of course, placed on a raised tin with holes in it to prevent the bottom getting sodden, and the oven door has from time to time to be opened in order to baste the joint. Of course all the vapours that are given off by the joint in cooking are instantly carried up the chimney with the current of hot air. In roasting a joint — for such in reality it is — in an oven of this description it will be found best to turn the joint over when it is half cooked. I have always found that when the fire has been properly attended to, a good colour can be obtained ; should, however, the joint look pale, a hot salamander will soon overcome the difficulty.