The Book of Household Management - Mrs. Isabella Beeton

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SPANISH ONIONS--PICKLED.

527. INGREDIENTS.--Onions, vinegar; salt and cayenne to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut the onions in thin slices; put a layer of them in the
bottom of a jar; sprinkle with salt and cayenne; then add another layer
of onions, and season as before. Proceeding in this manner till the jar
is full, pour in sufficient vinegar to cover the whole, and the pickle
will be fit for use in a month.

_Seasonable_.--May be had in England from September to February.

STORE SAUCE, or CHEROKEE.

528. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 oz. of cayenne pepper, 5 cloves of garlic, 2
tablespoonfuls of soy, 1 tablespoonful of walnut ketchup, 1 pint of
vinegar.

_Mode_.--Boil all the ingredients _gently_ for about 1/2 hour; strain
the liquor, and bottle off for use.

_Time_.--1/2 hour.

_Seasonable_.--This sauce can be made at any time.

TOMATO SAUCE--HOT, to serve with Cutlets, Roast Meats, &c.

529. INGREDIENTS.--6 tomatoes, 2 shalots, 1 clove, 1 blade of mace, salt
and cayenne to taste, 1/4 pint of gravy, No. 436, or stock No. 104.

_Mode_.--Cut the tomatoes in two, and squeeze the juice and seeds out;
put them in a stewpan with all the ingredients, and let them simmer
_gently_ until the tomatoes are tender enough to pulp; rub the whole
through a sieve, boil it for a few minutes, and serve. The shalots and
spices may be omitted when their flavour is objected to.

_Time_.--1 hour, or rather more, to simmer the tomatoes.

_Average cost_, for this quantity, 1s.

_In full season_ in September and October.

[Illustration: THE TOMATO.]

TOMATO, OR LOVE-APPLE.--The plant which bears this fruit is a
native of South America, and takes its name from a Portuguese
word. The tomato fruit is about the size of a small potato, and
is chiefly used in soups, sauces, and gravies. It is sometimes
served to table roasted or boiled, and when green, makes a good
ketchup or pickle. In its unripe state, it is esteemed as
excellent sauce for roast goose or pork, and when quite ripe, a
good store sauce may be prepared from it.

TOMATO SAUCE FOR KEEPING (Excellent).

I.

530. INGREDIENTS.--To every quart of tomato-pulp allow 1 pint of cayenne
vinegar (No. 386), 3/4 oz. of shalots, 3/4 oz. of garlic, peeled and cut
in slices; salt to taste. To every six quarts of liquor, 1 pint of soy,
1 pint of anchovy sauce.

_Mode_.--Gather the tomatoes quite ripe; bake them in a slow oven till
tender; rub them through a sieve, and to every quart of pulp add cayenne
vinegar, shalots, garlic, and salt, in the above proportion; boil the
whole together till the garlic and shalots are quite soft; then rub it
through a sieve, put it again into a saucepan, and, to every six quarts
of the liquor, add 1 pint of soy and the same quantity of anchovy sauce,
and boil altogether for about 20 minutes; bottle off for use, and
carefully seal or rosin the corks. This will keep good for 2 or 3 years,
but will be fit for use in a week. A useful and less expensive sauce may
be made by omitting the anchovy and soy.

_Time_.--Altogether 1 hour.

_Seasonable_.--Make this from the middle of September to the end of
October.

II.

531. INGREDIENTS.--1 dozen tomatoes, 2 teaspoonfuls of the best powdered
ginger, 1 dessertspoonful of salt, 1 head of garlic chopped fine, 2
tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1 dessertspoonful of Chili vinegar (a small
quantity of cayenne may be substituted for this).

_Mode_.--Choose ripe tomatoes, put them into a stone jar, and stand them
in a cool oven until quite tender; when cold, take the skins and stalks
from them, mix the pulp with the liquor which is in the jar, but do not
strain it; add all the other ingredients, mix well together, and put it
into well-sealed bottles. Stored away in a cool dry place, it will keep
good for years. It is ready for use as soon as made, but the flavour is
better after a week or two. Should it not appear to keep, turn it out,
and boil it up with a little additional ginger and cayenne. For
immediate use, the skins should be put into a wide-mouthed bottle with a
little of the different ingredients, and they will be found very nice
for hashes or stews.

_Time_.--4 or 5 hours in a cool oven.

_Seasonable_ from the middle of September to the end of October.

III.

532. INGREDIENTS.--3 dozen tomatoes; to every pound of tomato-pulp allow
1 pint of Chili vinegar, 1 oz. of garlic, 1 oz. of shalot, 2 oz. of
salt, 1 large green capsicum, 1/2 teaspoonful of cayenne, 2 pickled
gherkins, 6 pickled onions, 1 pint of common vinegar, and the juice of 6
lemons.

_Mode_.--Choose the tomatoes when quite ripe and red; put them in a jar
with a cover to it, and bake them till tender. The better way is to put
them in the oven overnight, when it will not be too hot, and examine
them in the morning to see if they are tender. Do not allow them to
remain in the oven long enough to break them; but they should be
sufficiently soft to skin nicely and rub through the sieve. Measure the
pulp, and to each pound of pulp, add the above proportion of vinegar and
other ingredients, taking care to chop very fine the garlic, shalot,
capsicum, onion, and gherkins. Boil the whole together till everything
is tender; then again rub it through a sieve, and add the lemon-juice.
Now boil the whole again till it becomes as thick as cream, and keep
continually stirring; bottle it when quite cold, cork well, and seal the
corks. If the flavour of garlic and shalot is very much disliked,
diminish the quantities.

_Time_.--Bake the tomatoes in a cool oven all night.

_Seasonable_ from the middle of September to the end of October.

_Note_.--A quantity of liquor will flow from the tomatoes, which must be
put through the sieve with the rest. Keep it well stirred while on the
fire, and use a wooden spoon.

UNIVERSAL PICKLE.

533. INGREDIENTS.--To 6 quarts of vinegar allow 1 lb. of salt, 1/4 lb.
of ginger, 1 oz. of mace, 1/2 lb. of shalots, 1 tablespoonful of
cayenne, 2 oz. of mustard-seed, 1-1/2 oz. of turmeric.

_Mode_.--Boil all the ingredients together for about 20 minutes; when
cold, put them into a jar with whatever vegetables you choose, such as
radish-pods, French beans, cauliflowers, gherkins, &c. &c., as these
come into season; put them in fresh as you gather them, having
previously wiped them perfectly free from moisture and grit. This pickle
will be fit for use in about 8 or 9 months.

_Time_.--20 minutes.

_Seasonable_.--Make the pickle in May or June, to be ready for the
various vegetables.

_Note_.--As this pickle takes 2 or 3 months to make,--that is to say,
nearly that time will elapse before all the different vegetables are
added,--care must be taken to keep the jar which contains the pickle
well covered, either with a closely-fitting lid, or a piece of bladder
securely tied over, so as perfectly to exclude the air.

PICKLED WALNUTS (Very Good).

534. INGREDIENTS.--100 walnuts, salt and water. To each quart of vinegar
allow 2 oz. of whole black pepper, 1 oz. of allspice, 1 oz. of bruised
ginger.

_Mode_.--Procure the walnuts while young; be careful they are not woody,
and prick them well with a fork; prepare a strong brine of salt and
water (4 lbs. of salt to each gallon of water), into which put the
walnuts, letting them remain 9 days, and changing the brine every third
day; drain them off, put them on a dish, place it in the sun until they
become perfectly black, which will be in 2 or 3 days; have ready dry
jars, into which place the walnuts, and do not quite fill the jars. Boil
sufficient vinegar to cover them, for 10 minutes, with spices in the
above proportion, and pour it hot over the walnuts, which must be quite
covered with the pickle; tie down with bladder, and keep in a dry place.
They will be fit for use in a month, and will keep good 2 or 3 years.

_Time_.--10 minutes.

_Seasonable_.--Make this from the beginning to the middle of July,
before the walnuts harden.

_Note_.--When liked, a few shalots may be added to the vinegar, and
boiled with it.

WALNUT KETCHUP.

I.

535. INGREDIENTS.--100 walnuts, 1 handful of salt, 1 quart of vinegar,
1/4 oz. of mace, 1/4 oz. of nutmeg, 1/4 oz. of cloves, 1/4 oz. of
ginger, 1/4 oz. of whole black pepper, a small piece of horseradish, 20
shalots, 1/4 lb. of anchovies, 1 pint of port wine.

_Mode_.--Procure the walnuts at the time you can run a pin through them,
slightly bruise, and put them into a jar with the salt and vinegar, let
them stand 8 days, stirring every day; then drain the liquor from them,
and boil it, with the above ingredients, for about 1/2 hour. It may be
strained or not, as preferred, and, if required, a little more vinegar
or wine can be added, according to taste. When bottled well, seal the
corks.

_Time_.--1/2 hour.

_Seasonable_.--Make this from the beginning to the middle of July, when
walnuts are in perfection for pickling purposes.

II.

536. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 sieve of walnut-shells, 2 quarts of water, salt,
1/2 lb. of shalots, 1 oz. of cloves, 1 oz. of mace, 1 oz. of whole
pepper, 1 oz. of garlic.

_Mode_.--Put the walnut-shells into a pan, with the water, and a large
quantity of salt; let them stand for 10 days, then break the shells up
in the water, and let it drain through a sieve, putting a heavy weight
on the top to express the juice; place it on the fire, and remove all
scum that may arise. Now boil the liquor with the shalots, cloves, mace,
pepper, and garlic, and let all simmer till the shalots sink; then put
the liquor into a pan, and, when cold, bottle, and cork closely. It
should stand 6 months before using: should it ferment during that time,
it must be again boiled and skimmed.

_Time_.--About 3/4 hour.

_Seasonable_ in September, when the walnut-shells are obtainable.

[Illustration: THE WALNUT.]

THE WALNUT.--This nut is a native of Persia, and was introduced
into England from France. As a pickle, it is much used in the
green state; and grated walnuts in Spain are much employed, both
in tarts and other dishes. On the continent it is occasionally
employed as a substitute for olive oil in cooking; but it is
apt, under such circumstances, to become rancid. The matter
which remains after the oil is extracted is considered highly
nutritious for poultry. It is called _mare_, and in Switzerland
is eaten under the name of _pain amer_ by the poor. The oil is
frequently manufactured into a kind of soap, and the leaves and
green husks yield an extract, which, as a brown dye, is used to
stain hair, wool, and wood.

WHITE SAUCE (Good).

537. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of white stock (No. 107), 1/2 pint of cream,
1 dessertspoonful of flour, salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Have ready a delicately-clean saucepan, into which put the
stock, which should be well flavoured with vegetables, and rather
savoury; mix the flour smoothly with the cream, add it to the stock,
season with a little salt, and boil all these ingredients very gently
for about 10 minutes, keeping them well stirred the whole time, as this
sauce is very liable to burn.

_Time_.--10 minutes. _Average cost_, 1s.

_Sufficient_ for a pair of fowls.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

WHITE SAUCE, made without Meat.

538. INGREDIENTS.--2 oz. of butter, 2 small onions, 1 carrot, 1/2 a
small teacupful of flour, 1 pint of new milk, salt and cayenne to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut up the onions and carrot very small, and put them into a
stewpan with the butter; simmer them till the butter is nearly dried up;
then stir in the flour, and add the milk; boil the whole gently until it
thickens, strain it, season with salt and cayenne, and it will be ready
to serve.

_Time_.--1/4 hour. _Average cost_, 5d.

_Sufficient_ for a pair of fowls.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

WHITE SAUCE (a very Simple and Inexpensive Method).

539. INGREDIENTS.--1-1/2 pint of milk, 1-1/2 oz. of rice, 1 strip of
lemon-peel, 1 small blade of pounded mace, salt and cayenne to taste.

_Mode_.--Boil the milk with the lemon-peel and rice until the latter is
perfectly tender, then take out the lemon-peel and pound the milk and
rice together; put it back into the stewpan to warm, add the mace and
seasoning, give it one boil, and serve. This sauce should be of the
consistency of thick cream.

_Time_.--About 1-1/2 hour to boil the rice.

_Average cost_, 4d.

_Sufficient_ for a pair of fowls.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

[Illustration: THE LEAMINGTON STOVE, OR KITCHENER.]

VARIOUS MODES OF COOKING MEAT.

CHAPTER XI.

GENERAL REMARKS.

540. In Our "INTRODUCTION TO COOKERY" (_see_ No. 76) we have described
the gradual progress of mankind in the art of cookery, the probability
being, that the human race, for a long period, lived wholly on fruits.
Man's means of attacking animals, even if he had the desire of
slaughtering them, were very limited, until he acquired the use of arms.
He, however, made weapons for himself, and, impelled by a carnivorous
instinct, made prey of the animals that surrounded him. It is natural
that man should seek to feed on flesh; he has too small a stomach to be
supported alone by fruit, which has not sufficient nourishment to
renovate him. It is possible he might subsist on vegetables; but their
preparation needs the knowledge of art, only to be obtained after the
lapse of many centuries. Man's first weapons were the branches of trees,
which were succeeded by bows and arrows, and it is worthy of remark,
that these latter weapons have been found with the natives of all
climates and latitudes. It is singular how this idea presented itself to
individuals so differently placed.

541. BRILLAT SAVARIN says, that raw flesh has but one
inconvenience,--from its viscousness it attaches itself to the teeth. He
goes on to say, that it is not, however, disagreeable; but, when
seasoned with salt, that it is easily digested. He tells a story of a
Croat captain, whom he invited to dinner in 1815, during the occupation
of Paris by the allied troops. This officer was amazed at his host's
preparations, and said, "When we are campaigning, and get hungry, we
knock over the first animal we find, cut off a steak, powder it with
salt, which we always have in the sabretasche, put it under the saddle,
gallop over it for half a mile, and then dine like princes." Again, of
the huntsmen of Dauphiny it is said, that when they are out shooting in
September, they take with them both pepper and salt. If they kill a very
fat bird, they pluck and season it, and, after carrying it some time in
their caps, eat it. This, they declare, is the best way of serving it
up.

542. SUBSEQUENTLY TO THE CROAT MODE, which, doubtless, was in fashion in
the earlier ages of the world, fire was discovered. This was an
accident; for fire is not, although we are accustomed to call it so, an
element, or spontaneous. Many savage nations have been found utterly
ignorant of it, and many races had no other way of dressing their food
than by exposing it to the rays of the sun.

543. THE INHABITANTS OF THE MARIAN ISLANDS, which were discovered in
1521, had no idea of fire. Never was astonishment greater than theirs
when they first saw it, on the descent of Magellan, the navigator, on
one of their isles. At first they thought it a kind of animal, that
fixed itself to and fed upon wood. Some of them, who approached too
near, being burnt, the rest were terrified, and durst only look upon it
at a distance. They were afraid, they said, of being bit, or lest that
dreadful animal should wound with his violent respiration and dreadful
breath; for these were the first notions they formed of the heat and
flame. Such, too, probably, were the notions the Greeks originally
formed of them.

544. FIRE HAVING BEEN DISCOVERED, mankind endeavoured to make use of it
for drying, and afterwards for cooking their meat; but they were a
considerable time before they hit upon proper and commodious methods of
employing it in the preparation of their food.

545. MEAT, THEN, PLACED ON BURNING FUEL was found better than when raw:
it had more firmness, was eaten with less difficulty, and the ozmazome
being condensed by the carbonization, gave it a pleasing perfume and
flavour. Still, however, the meat cooked on the coal would become
somewhat befouled, certain portions of the fuel adhering to it. This
disadvantage was remedied by passing spits through it, and placing it at
a suitable height above the burning fuel. Thus grilling was invented;
and it is well known that, simple as is this mode of cookery, yet all
meat cooked in this way is richly and pleasantly flavoured. In Homer's
time, the, art of cookery had not advanced much beyond this; for we read
in the "Iliad," how the great Achilles and his friend Patroclus regaled
the three Grecian leaders on bread, wine, and broiled meat. It is
noticeable, too, that Homer does not speak of boiled meat anywhere in
his poems. Later, however, the Jews, coming out of their captivity in
Egypt, had made much greater progress. They undoubtedly possessed
kettles; and in one of these, Esau's mess of pottage, for which he sold
his birthright, must have been prepared.

546. HAVING THUS BRIEFLY TRACED A HISTORY OF GASTRONOMICAL PROGRESSES,
we will now proceed to describe the various methods of cooking meat, and
make a few observations on the chemical changes which occur in each of
the operations.

547. IN THIS COUNTRY, plain boiling, roasting, and baking are the usual
methods of cooking animal food. To explain the philosophy of these
simple culinary operations, we must advert to the effects that are
produced by heat on the principal constituents of flesh. When
finely-chopped mutton or beef is steeped for some time in a small
quantity of clean water, and then subjected to slight pressure, the
juice of the meat is extracted, and there is left a white tasteless
residue, consisting chiefly of muscular fibres. When this residue is
heated to between 158 deg. and 177 deg. Fahrenheit, the fibres shrink together,
and become hard and horny. The influence of an elevated temperature on
the soluble extract of flesh is not less remarkable. When the watery
infusion, which contains all the savoury constituents of the meat, is
gradually heated, it soon becomes turbid; and, when the temperature
reaches 133 deg., flakes of whitish matter separate. These flakes are
_albumen_, a substance precisely similar, in all its properties, to the
white of egg (see No. 101). When the temperature of the watery extract
is raised to 158 deg., the colouring matter of the blood coagulates, and the
liquid, which was originally tinged red by this substance, is left
perfectly clear, and almost colourless. When evaporated, even at a
gentle heat, this residual liquid gradually becomes brown, and acquires
the flavour of roast meat.

548. THESE INTERESTING FACTS, discovered in the laboratory, throw a
flood of light upon the mysteries of the kitchen. The fibres of meat are
surrounded by a liquid which contains albumen in its soluble state, just
as it exists in the unboiled egg. During the operation of boiling or
roasting, this substance coagulates, and thereby prevents the
contraction and hardening of the fibres. The tenderness of well-cooked
meat is consequently proportioned to the amount of albumen deposited in
its substance. Meat is underdone when it has been heated throughout only
to the temperature of coagulating albumen: it is thoroughly done when it
has been heated through its whole mass to the temperature at which the
colouring matter of the blood coagulates: it is overdone when the heat
has been continued long enough to harden the fibres.

549. THE JUICE OF FLESH IS WATER, holding in solution many substances
besides albumen, which are of the highest possible value as articles of
food. In preparing meat for the table, great care should be taken to
prevent the escape of this precious juice, as the succulence and
sapidity of the meat depend on its retention. The meat to be cooked
should be exposed at first to a quick heat, which immediately coagulates
the albumen on and near the surface. A kind of shell is thus formed,
which effectually retains the whole of the juice within the meat.

550. DURING THE OPERATIONS OF BOILING, BOASTING, AND BAKING, fresh beef
and mutton, when moderately fat, lose, according to Johnston, on an
average about--

In boiling. In baking. In roasting.

4 lbs. of beef lose 1 lb. 1 lb. 3 oz. 1 lb. 5 oz.

4 lbs. of mutton lose 14 oz. 1 lb. 4 oz. 1 lb. 6 oz.

BAKING.

[Illustration: BAKING DISH.]

551. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROASTING MEAT AND BAKING IT, may be
generally described as consisting in the fact, that, in baking it, the
fumes caused by the operation are not carried off in the same way as
occurs in roasting. Much, however, of this disadvantage is obviated by
the improved construction of modern ovens, and of especially those in
connection with the Leamington kitchener, of which we give an engraving
here, and a full description of which will be seen at paragraph No. 65,
with the prices at which they can be purchased of Messrs. R. and J.
Slack, of the Strand. With meat baked in the generality of ovens,
however, which do not possess ventilators on the principle of this
kitchener, there is undoubtedly a peculiar taste, which does not at all
equal the flavour developed by roasting meat. The chemistry of baking
may be said to be the same as that described in roasting.

552. SHOULD THE OVEN BE VERY BRISK, it will be found necessary to cover
the joint with a piece of white paper, to prevent the meat from being
scorched and blackened outside, before the heat can penetrate into the
inside. This paper should be removed half an hour before the time of
serving dinner, so that the joint may take a good colour.

553. BY MEANS OF A JAR, many dishes, which will be enumerated under
their special heads, may be economically prepared in the oven. The
principal of these are soup, gravies, jugged hare, beef tea; and this
mode of cooking may be advantageously adopted with a ham, which has
previously been covered with a common crust of flour and water.

554. ALL DISHES PREPARED FOR BAKING should be more highly seasoned than
when intended to be roasted. There are some dishes which, it may be
said, are at least equally well cooked in the oven as by the roaster;
thus, a shoulder of mutton and baked potatoes, a fillet or breast of
veal, a sucking pig, a hare, well basted, will be received by
connoisseurs as well, when baked, as if they had been roasted. Indeed,
the baker's oven, or the family oven, may often, as has been said, be
substituted for the cook and the spit with greater economy and
convenience.

555. A BAKING-DISH, of which we give an engraving, should not be less
than 6 or 7 inches deep; so that the meat, which of course cannot be
basted, can stew in its own juices. In the recipe for each dish, full
explanations concerning any special points in relation to it will be
given.

BOILING.

556. BOILING, or the preparation of meat by hot water, though one of the
easiest processes in cookery, requires skilful management. Boiled meat
should be tender, savoury, and full of its own juice, or natural gravy;
but, through the carelessness and ignorance of cooks, it is too often
sent to table hard, tasteless, and innutritious. To insure a successful
result in boiling flesh, the heat of the fire must be judiciously
regulated, the proper quantity of water must be kept up in the pot, and
the scum which rises to the surface must be carefully removed.

557. MANY WRITERS ON COOKERY assert that the meat to be boiled should be
put into cold water, and that the pot should be heated gradually; but
Liebig, the highest authority on all matters connected with the
chemistry of food, has shown that meat so treated loses some of its most
nutritious constituents. "If the flesh," says the great chemist, "be
introduced into the boiler when the water is in a state of brisk
ebullition, and if the boiling be kept up for a few minutes, and the pot
then placed in a warm place, so that the temperature of the water is
kept at 158 deg. to 165 deg., we have the united conditions for giving to the
flesh the qualities which best fit it for being eaten." When a piece of
meat is plunged into boiling water, the albumen which is near the
surface immediately coagulates, forming an envelope, which prevents the
escape of the internal juice, and most effectually excludes the water,
which, by mixing with this juice, would render the meat insipid. Meat
treated thus is juicy and well-flavoured, when cooked, as it retains
most of its savoury constituents. On the other hand, if the piece of
meat be set on the fire with cold water, and this slowly heated to
boiling, the flesh undergoes a loss of soluble and nutritious
substances, while, as a matter of course, the soup becomes richer in
these matters. The albumen is gradually dissolved from the surface to
the centre; the fibre loses, more or less, its quality of shortness or
tenderness, and becomes hard and tough: the thinner the piece of meat
is, the greater is its loss of savoury constituents. In order to obtain
well-flavoured and eatable meat, we must relinquish the idea of making
good soup from it, as that mode of boiling which yields the best soup
gives the driest, toughest, and most vapid meat. Slow boiling whitens
the meat; and, we suspect, that it is on this account that it is in such
favour with the cooks. The wholesomeness of food is, however, a matter
of much greater moment than the appearance it presents on the table. It
should be borne in mind, that the whiteness of meat that has been boiled
slowly, is produced by the loss of some important alimentary properties.