63 you think It is nearly at that point which fits it for frying, test it with a small bit of bread. It is often desirable to place the object when fried on blotting paper before the fire, so that all trace of the fat may disappear from the surface. As the point aimed at in frying is to have a crisp dry surface, it would be well never to serve sauce in the dish, because the under surface must be sodden by the sauce : this applies to everything that is egged or bread-crumbed ; custom moreover requires sauce under cutlets and vegetables in the centre ; it is there- fore a better arrangement to ' saiUer ' cutlets if there is to be sauce, and to hand round sauce when cutlets are egged and bread-crumbed. Croquettes and rissoles are always to be served on a napkin, and do not require sauce. To clarify fat or dripping, place it in a large saucepan with a little water, set it on the hot-plate till all the fat is melted, strain through a cloth or hair sieve into an earthenware jar. Fat that has been used for frying should always be strained into a basin containing a little water, so that the sediment may fall to the bottom. The frying basket should never be allowed to touch the bottom of the saucepan ; and the articles to be fried should be ar- ranged so as not to touch each other ; otherwise where they touch they will be burnt and the covering of bread-crumbs broken. If the articles when fried arc of too dark a colour, WIRE BASKET FOR FRYING. 64 BOILING. the heat of the fat has been too great, or they have been left in too long. If they appear sodden, the fat has not been hot enough. It is expensive to fry in oil, but it is vastly supe- rior to frying in fat. Boiling. This is an easy mode of cooking meat and fish and a necessary mode of cooking many vegetables : it takes away savour, however, and should be restricted to a few joints. The first point is whether the meat, etc., is to be put on in hot or cold water. Salt beef, salt pork, salt fish, must be put on in cold water : so must haricots, rice, etc. Fresh fish must not only be put on in hot water, but in hot water with salt in it, because salt water boils at a higher temperature than fresh water. Fresh meat must be put on in hot water, a little salt is to be thrown in, and the saucepan is then to be placed in a cool part of the stove and only allowed to simmer. There is to be careful skimming in both modes of boiling. In selecting meat for salting always choose that of which the fat is firm, Time Table for Boiling. Ham . . . \ hour to each lb. Salt beef . . 20 minutes to each lb. Leg of mutton . 12 „ „ BROILING. Leg of pork , 12 minutes to each lb. Turkey . , 15 „ Chicken . . about an hour Rump-steak pudding ^\ to 4 hours To boil Meat when Broth and Meat are both to be served. Put the beef or mutton on in cold water and let it heat slowly ; a scum will rise when it comes to boiling point ; remove this very carefully, then cover the pot, keep it at a gentle simmer, from time to time lift the cover and skim till no more scum rises. Take out the meat when cooked enough, let it dry, and keep warm before the fire, slice thin some stale bread, put it in a tureen and pour the broth over Vegetables may be boiled with the meat. Broiling.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

you think It is nearly at that point which fits it for frying, test it with a small bit of bread. It is often desirable to place the object when fried on blotting paper before the fire, so that all trace of the fat may disappear from the surface. As the point aimed at in frying is to have a crisp dry surface, it would be well never to serve sauce in the dish, because the under surface must be sodden by the sauce : this applies to everything that is egged or bread-crumbed ; custom moreover requires sauce under cutlets and vegetables in the centre ; it is therefore a better arrangement to 'sauter' cutlets if there is to be sauce, and to hand round sauce when cutlets are egged and bread-crumbed. Croquettes and rissoles are always to be served on a napkin, and do not require sauce. To clarify fat or dripping, place it in a large saucepan with a little water, set it on the hot-plate till all the fat is melted, strain through a cloth or hair sieve into an earthenware jar. Fat that has been used for frying should always be strained into a basin containing a little water, so that the sediment may fall to the bottom. The frying basket should never be allowed to touch the bottom of the saucepan ; and the articles to be fried should be arranged so as not to touch each other ; otherwise where they touch they will be burnt and the covering of bread-crumbs broken. If the articles when fried are of too dark a colour, WIRE BASKET FOR FRYING. 64 BOILING. the heat of the fat has been too great, or they have been left in too long. If they appear sodden, the fat has not been hot enough. It is expensive to fry in oil, but it is vastly superior to frying in fat. Boiling. This is an easy mode of cooking meat and fish and a necessary mode of cooking many vegetables : it takes away savour, however, and should be restricted to a few joints. The first point is whether the meat, etc., is to be put on in hot or cold water. Salt beef, salt pork, salt fish, must be put on in cold water : so must haricots, rice, etc. Fresh fish must not only be put on in hot water, but in hot water with salt in it, because salt water boils at a higher temperature than fresh water. Fresh meat must be put on in hot water, a little salt is to be thrown in, and the saucepan is then to be placed in a cool part of the stove and only allowed to simmer. There is to be careful skimming in both modes of boiling. In selecting meat for salting always choose that of which the fat is firm, Time Table for Boiling. Ham . . . \ hour to each lb. Salt beef . . 20 minutes to each lb. Leg of mutton . 12 „ „ BROILING. Leg of pork , 12 minutes to each lb. Turkey . , 15 „ Chicken . . about an hour Rump-steak pudding ^\ to 4 hours To boil Meat when Broth and Meat are both to be served. Put the beef or mutton on in cold water and let it heat slowly ; a scum will rise when it comes to boiling point ; remove this very carefully, then cover the pot, keep it at a gentle simmer, from time to time lift the cover and skim till no more scum rises. Take out the meat when cooked enough, let it dry, and keep warm before the fire, slice thin some stale bread, put it in a tureen and pour the broth over. Vegetables may be boiled with the meat. Broiling.

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