TO EGG AND BREAD=CRUMB — The best way to make breads
crumbs is to rub stale bread through a wire sieve, because th« breads
crumbs should be very fine. A wire sieve is a necessity n every
home where economy is considered or good cooking desved. If
the bread=crumbs are to be used for meat or fish, a little p*pper and
salt can be added; if for sweet dishes, add a little sugar. The eggs
should be beaten up lightly; a teaspoon of water to each egg helps
in beating it thin. The rule is, to dip the article that is b be egged
and bread= crumbed first in the crumbs to dry it; now et it dry a
little, then dip it in the beaten up egg, drain it, and then roll it
again in the bread crumbs and leave it in the crumbs uxtil it is put
in the smoking hot fat. It is best to egg and breachcrunb anything
some time before it is fried. The dryer the crumbs tie better if a
good color is desired.
THE PROCESSES AND PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 123
The philosophy of this process is that the egg, being albumen,
when put into the hot fat, hardens into a thin, tough film, which
keeps the fat from penetrating, and with meat and fish holds the
juices within them. It is evident that for this purpose every part
of the surface should be perfectly covered with the egg, and that
there should be no cracks for the juice to escape through.
If the egg and bread crumbs fall ofp, it is because the crumbs
are too coarse; or there is not enough fat in the kettle; or it is not
hot enough, the latter being often the cause.
DRIPPING — Excepting the fat from mutton, lamb, and that
from boiled ham that has been smoked, " dripping " is any fat tried
from cooked meat. The fat of salted pork is ready for use as
soon as tried, and may be poured from the frying=pan into the
bowl kept for that purpose, but the fat from roasted or boiled
meat contains more or less water and must be heated in the
frying=pan until all the water has evaporated, and then strained
into an earthen vessel. If more dripping is saved in this
way than is needed for shortening or for re^cooking potatoes,
it can be strained into the kettle for frying doughnuts. An econ-
omical cook never allows good fat to spoil. The fat from baked
sausages is excellent for re= warming potatoes, but will not do for
the doughnut kettle. The fat from poultry may be used very soon
after trying out, but it becomes rancid much sooner than the fat of
beef and pork. The fat of mutton and lamb, with that from the
boiled smoked ham, is only fit for the soap^man.
When the drippings to be clarified for use are smoking hot in
the frying-pan, all unpleasant odors (like that of fat from corned
beef) can be removed by slicing 1 or 2 raw potatoes into the pan
and leaving them until fried crisp; the potatoes absorb all unpleas-
ant flavors.
Page 91
Presented as published in 1902. 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
TO EGG AND BREAD=CRUMB — The best way to make breads crumbs is to rub stale bread through a wire sieve, because the bread crumbs should be very fine. A wire sieve is a necessity n every home where economy is considered or good cooking desired. If the bread=crumbs are to be used for meat or fish, a little pepper and salt can be added; if for sweet dishes, add a little sugar. The eggs should be beaten up lightly; a teaspoon of water to each egg helps in beating it thin. The rule is, to dip the article that is to be egged and bread= crumbed first in the crumbs to dry it; now let it dry a little, then dip it in the beaten up egg, drain it, and then roll it again in the bread crumbs and leave it in the crumbs until it is put in the smoking hot fat. It is best to egg and bread crumb anything some time before it is fried. The dryer the crumbs tie better if a good color is desired.
THE PROCESSES AND PRINCIPLES OF COOKING 123
The philosophy of this process is that the egg, being albumen, when put into the hot fat, hardens into a thin, tough film, which keeps the fat from penetrating, and with meat and fish holds the juices within them. It is evident that for this purpose every part of the surface should be perfectly covered with the egg, and that there should be no cracks for the juice to escape through.
If the egg and bread crumbs fall off, it is because the crumbs are too coarse; or there is not enough fat in the kettle; or it is not hot enough, the latter being often the cause.
DRIPPING — Excepting the fat from mutton, lamb, and that from boiled ham that has been smoked, " dripping " is any fat tried from cooked meat. The fat of salted pork is ready for use as soon as tried, and may be poured from the frying pan into the bowl kept for that purpose, but the fat from roasted or boiled meat contains more or less water and must be heated in the frying=pan until all the water has evaporated, and then strained into an earthen vessel. If more dripping is saved in this way than is needed for shortening or for re-cooking potatoes, it can be strained into the kettle for frying doughnuts. An economical cook never allows good fat to spoil. The fat from baked sausages is excellent for re-warming potatoes, but will not do for the doughnut kettle. The fat from poultry may be used very soon after trying out, but it becomes rancid much sooner than the fat of beef and pork. The fat of mutton and lamb, with that from the boiled smoked ham, is only fit for the soap man.
When the drippings to be clarified for use are smoking hot in the frying-pan, all unpleasant odors (like that of fat from corned beef) can be removed by slicing 1 or 2 raw potatoes into the pan and leaving them until fried crisp; the potatoes absorb all unpleasant flavors.