BEEF TEA.
In making beef-tea it must be remembered that the heat of 150 deg. Fah. will coagulate the albumen in the meat, and thus prevent the juices of the meat from which beef-tea is made being drawn out. For this reason all beef-tea must be heated very slowly, but it must never be allowed to reach boiling heat, i.e., 212 deg. Fah., else the beef-tea becomes void of actual food value, or nutriment, which it is so essential it should contain.
When beef-tea is to be made in large quantities, it is desirable to prepare it in a specially constructed beef-tea cauldron, made on the principle of a double lined stock-pot, such as is now used in most hospitals. The outer lining is filled with water, and the beef-tea is introduced in the inner vessel or inner division. In this way the water can be kept simmering from 6 to 8 hours (being of course replenished as it evaporates), whilst the beef-tea in the inner vessel will cook very gently without being unduly heated. All fats and sinews of the meat should be removed, and if any should float on top of the beef-tea it must be carefully removed before it is served.
HOW TO MAKE BEEF-TEA.
INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. lean beef (topside or gravy beef), free from bones, skin, gristle and fat, water sufficient to issue 1 pint, a pinch of salt.
METHOD.—Shred the meat finely, or pass it twice through a mincing machine; put it into the beef-tea pan with the water and a pinch of salt, allow it to stand for about one hour, and then cook as above directed in a double lined beef-tea cauldron, or 4 or 5 hours in an ordinary pan or stock pot. Time required for cooking 6 to 8 hours.
VEAL BROTH.
INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. knuckle of veal, 2 oz. sago, 1 gill milk, 2 quarts cold water, 1 yolk of egg (optional).
METHOD.—Put the sago in a basin with a little warm water to soak, while the broth is cooking. Break up the veal bone; and cut the meat into pieces, put both into a stew-pan with 2 quarts of cold water and a little salt; let it just boil up and skim it well, draw it off the fire and let it simmer gently with the lid on for 4 hours. Then strain it, and put it back in the stew-pan with the sago, and let it simmer for half an hour longer. Draw the broth off the fire, and let it cool a little. Beat up the yolk of an egg with the milk, and stir them into the broth, stir it over the fire again for a minute to cook the egg, but do not let it boil or it will curdle.
MUTTON BROTH.
INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. mutton (scrag end of neck), 1 oz. pearl barley or sago, lquart water, salt to taste (¼ to ·½ teaspoonful).
METHOD.—Remove all the meat from the bones, free the meat from all fat and skin, and cut into small pieces. Put the meat and water (cold) into a saucepan, boil it very gently for two or three minutes and remove the scum. Wash the barley or sago, drain, and stir into the broth. Simmer the whole very gently for 2 hours, skim occasionally, season with salt. Serve as it is, or strain according to directions received.
CHICKEN BROTH.
INGREDIENTS.—½ chicken (an old bird will do, but it must be fresh), 1 quart water, ¼ teaspoonful salt, 1 oz. rice or pearl barley.
METHOD.—Pluck, singe and truss the chicken as for boiling, cut it into very small joints. Wash the giblets (remove the gall carefully), and put the pieces of chicken and giblets into a saucepan with the water (cold), add the salt. Bring this slowly to the boil, and remove the scum. Wash the rice or barley, drain, and put with the chicken; let the whole simmer very gently for 2 hours. Take out the pieces of chicken and giblets, and serve the broth with or without rice or barley—in the latter case it must be strained. The cooked chicken can he utilized for stew or chicken balls (see recipes for these).
VEGETABLE FLAVOURING
When this is allowed, both Mutton and Chicken Broth will be much improved in flavour. In such case use a small onion (peeled) and half a carrot (scraped), and cook with the meat in the broths.
DIRECTIONS FOR FRYING FISH.
METHOD SUITABLE FOR PLAICE, COD, HADDOCK, OR SKATE.
Wash the fish, wipe it thoroughly with a cloth, and cut up into even sized pieces, each weighing as near as possible ¼ lb. Prepare a batter (see recipe below). Dip each piece of fish into the batter so that it is completely covered, and drop into deep fat (clarified suet and dripping)—the fat must be smoking hot. Fry for about 5 minutes, or until the fish has acquired a nice light or golden brown. Drain well on paper and serve.
Note.—The fat used for frying must be clean, and there must be enough of it to well cover the fish which is to be fried in it. It should be strained every time after using it. Do not attempt to fry too many pieces of fish at one time.
BATTER FOR FRYING FISH, ETC.
INGREDIENTS.—¼ lb. flour, ½ oz. fat (dripping), 1 gill tepid water, ½ teaspoonful salt.
METHOD.—Melt the fat. Mix the flour and salt in a basin, add the fat, and by degrees the water. Beat well, and let it stand for 1 hour or longer. This will make enough batter for frying about one pound of fish. If the batter is found too stiff add a little more water to it just before using it.
BOILED FISH.—COD, HADDOCK, HAKE, ETC.
Wash and wipe the fish, put it in a fish kettle with strainer, and pour over enough warm water to well cover the fish. Add salt and vinegar in the proportion of 1 teaspoonful to 1 pint. Bring the fish slowly to the boil, then move on one side and let it cook slowly till tender. Fish must not on any account be allowed to. boil fast. The time allowed for cooking is 10 minutes to the pound in weight, and 15 minutes over.
SAUCE FOR FISH.
INGREDIENTS.—½ oz. dripping, ½ oz. flour, 1½ gills water and milk, 1 teaspoonful vinegar, ½ teaspoonful salt.
METHOD.—Melt the fat, stir in the flour, and fry for a few minutes without browning, then add gradually the liquor (water and milk). Stir till it boils, add the vinegar and salt, and cook for ten minutes. The sauce is then ready. It must be frequently stirred else it will be lumpy.
FISH STEW.
INGREDIENTS.—½ lb. fish (haddock, cod, or other white fish), 1 oz. butter, ½ oz. flour, 1 gill water, salt and nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful lemon juice.
METHOD.—Cut the fish from the bones, remove the dark skin, and divide the flesh into inch sized pieces. Put the bones and skin in a saucepan with ½ pint water, cook this till reduced to about half the quantity, then strain and use instead of water for the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, cook for a minute or two, then add the milk, boil up whilst stirring, and add the prepared fish liquor (1 gill). Cook for 10 minutes, season with a little salt, nutmeg, and pepper if allowed; then put in the filleted fish, cook for about 15 minutes; add the lemon juice and cook a little longer. The contents of the pan must be frequently stirred else the sauce will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. A little chopped parsley may be sprinkled over the fish when it is served.
FISH CAKES.
INGREDIENTS.—½ lb. cooked fish (any kind of white fish) free from skin and bone, salt and pepper, fat for frying, ¼ lb. cooked potatoes, 1 oz. butter or dripping, 1 egg, breadcrumbs.
METHOD.—Chop up the fish rather finely; rub the potatoes through a sieve. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the fish and potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and stir over the fire till the mixture is hot, and turn on to a plate. When cold divide it into four portions, shape each to a round flat cake, dip in beaten egg and cover with bread-crumbs. Fry in deep fat (very hot) till a golden colour, drain on paper and serve.
CHICKEN STEW.
INGREDIENTS.—Pieces of cooked chicken (see chicken broth), ½ pint milk or chicken liquor, a few drops of lemon juice, ½ oz. flour, ½ oz. dripping, salt and pepper.
METHOD.—Melt the fat in a clean saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for a few seconds, taking care that it does not get brown. Stir in the milk or stock (liquor) cold, and let it come to the boil whilst stirring,—this must be carefully done else the sauce will be lumpy. Cook gently for 10 minutes, add the lemon juice and put in the pieces of chicken. Cook for another 10 minutes and serve hot.
CHICKEN BALLS.
INGREDIENTS.—½ lb. chicken meat, free f
rom bone, 1 gill stock or milk, salt and pepper, fat for frying, 1 egg, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, ¾ oz. flour, ¾ oz. dripping, bread-crumbs.
METHOD.—Chop the chicken finely. Make a sauce as follows:—Melt the fat in a saucepan, add the flour, and stir for a few minutes over the fire, taking care that it does not get brown. Stir in the stock or milk (cold) and boil up,—stir constantly till it boils. Let this cook for about 15 minutes, then add the chopped meat and parsley. Season to taste, re-heat, and turn on to a plate or dish. When cool take a tablespoonful of this mixture and shape into a ball, dip it in beaten egg mixed with half a tablespoonful of water or milk, and cover with bread-crumbs. Continue thus till all the mixture is used up. Fry the balls in deep fat, which must be very hot but not burning. When of a nice golden colour take up, drain on paper and serve.
Note.—Any kind of cooked meat can be thus treated. Mutton and beef balls are particularly nice and suitable for sick diet.
MINCED CHICKEN.
Minced chicken, beef, or mutton, can be made by following the foregoing recipe for chicken balls, by allowing 2 gills of stock or milk instead of only 1 gill. Cook the mixture very gently for about 15 minutes (shaping and frying being of course omitted) and serve very hot.
BOILED RABBIT.
INGREDIENTS.—1 rabbit, 1 onion, 1 carrot or turnip.
METHOD.—Wash the rabbit thoroughly in tepid water, cleanse out the blood near the head and neck, wipe it and truss into shape. Prepare and clean the vegetables. Have ready a saucepan large enough to hold the rabbit, and enough water to cover it; add enough salt to taste, and boil up. Put in the rabbit, allow it to boil, then remove the scum, add the prepared vegetables, either whole or cut into slices, and boil all gently for about 1 hour.
Prepare a parsley or onion sauce, according to the directions given, using the liquor from the rabbit. Cut the rabbit into portions and pour sauce over.
ONION SAUCE.
INGREDIENTS.—One large onion, 1 gill milk, 1 gill liquor, 1 oz. flour, 1 oz. dripping, salt and pepper.
METHOD.—Use the onion cooked with the rabbit, and chop it finely. Boil up milk and liquor together. Melt the dripping, add the flour, and stir for a few seconds over the fire, then add the stock (milk and liquor), stirring all the while; boil up, add the onion, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
BATTER PUDDING.
INGREDIENTS.—3 oz. flour, 1 egg, ½ pint milk, 1 pinch salt.
METHOD.—Sift the flour, beat up the egg, and mix with the milk, add the salt and stir this gradually into the flour, beat well with a wooden spoon, and see that the mixture becomes perfectly smooth. Allow it to stand for about 1 hour, then pour it into a well greased baking tin, or greased pie dish, and bake for ½ hour.
Note.—The same mixture can be poured into a greased pudding basin, the top covered with greased paper, and be steamed for 40 minutes. This is called steamed or boiled batter pudding, and may be served with castor sugar, treacle or golden syrup.
FRIED CHOP.
Trim a mutton chop, by removing the skin and the superfluous fat. Put it in a clean frying pan with ½ oz. of fat (previously heated before the chop is put in), broil over a quick fire for about 4 minutes, then turn and cook the other side, allowing from 10 to 12 minutes in all, according to the thickness of the chop. Take up the chop, put it on a plate, pour off the fat in the frying pan, put in a couple of tablespoonfuls of stock or gravy, season this with salt and pepper to taste, boil up, and pour round the chop.
STEWED CHOP OR CUTLETS.
Take a mutton chop or two mutton cutlets (cut from the neck, best end), free the meat from skin and fat, and put it in a saucepan with half a pint of cold water or cold milk; season with salt and pepper to taste (1 saltspoonful of salt and ½ of pepper); bring it to the boil and skim, then add a small slice of onion (if allowed) and 1 tablespoonful (½ oz.) of rice or pearl barley. Cover the pan, and stew gently for about 1½ hours, or until the meat is done.
Note.—Rice or barley which is used for this dish should, before being stewed with the meat, be first washed and blanched in slightly salted water.
CORNFLOUR CUP.—(LOW DIET.)
INGREDIENTS.—1 oz. cornflour, 1 pint milk, 1 oz. sugar.
METHOD.—Mix the cornflour with ¼ of a gill cold milk. Boil up the remainder of the milk, add the sugar, and stir this gradually into the mixed cornflour. Return the whole to the stew-pan, and cook for 15 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
ARROWROOT.
INGREDIENTS.—1 oz. arrowroot, 1 pint milk, 1 oz. sugar.
METHOD.—Mix the arrowroot with a small quantity of the milk to a smooth paste. Boil the milk, and pour it slowly on to the arrowroot paste. Return to the saucepan in which the milk was boiled, add the sugar, stir with a wooden spoon until it boils, and cook for about 10 minutes longer. The above quantity produces 1 pint of arrowroot.
RICE PUDDING.
INGREDIENTS.—2 oz. rice, ½ pint milk, 1 oz. sugar, 1 egg, nutmeg for flavouring.
METHOD.—Wash the rice and boil it in water, drain it as soon as it boils, return it to the saucepan with the milk, and cook till quite tender. Add the sugar and the egg previously beaten. Pour this into a greased pie dish, grate a little nutmeg on top, and bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes.
A very good and more digestible pudding can be made by omitting the egg and by following the above directions.
TAPIOCA OR SAGO PUDDING.
INGREDIENTS.—2 oz. tapioca or sago, ½ pint milk, 1 oz. sugar, 1 egg, nutmeg or lemon rind for flavouring.
METHOD.—Pour the milk over the tapioca or sago, and let soak for 10 minutes, then boil slowly for another 15 minutes. Beat up the egg and stir into the above, add the sugar, and pour into a greased pie dish. Sprinkle some grated lemon rind or grated nutmeg over the pudding, and bake for 15 minutes in a moderate oven.
ORDINARY CUSTARD PUDDING (Baked.)
INGREDIENTS.—1 egg, ½ pint milk, 1 tablespoonful sugar.
METHOD.—Beat up the egg with the sugar, add the milk, and mix well. Grease a pie dish and pour in the above, place it in the oven and bake slowly for about 40 minutes.
CUSTARD PUDDING.
INGREDIENTS.—¾ pint milk, 2 eggs, ½ oz, sugar.
METHOD.—Break the eggs into a basin and beat up well, add the milk and the sugar, mix thoroughly, and pour into a greased pie dish. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. Great care must be taken not to bake this pudding too quickly, else the eggs will curdle.
CORNFLOUR MOULD.
INGREDIENTS.—1 pint milk, 1½ oz. cornflour, 1 oz. sugar, a strip of lemon rind for flavouring.
METHOD.—Mix the cornflour with a little cold milk to a smooth paste. Boil up the milk with the lemon rind, and pour on the mixed cornflour. Return to the saucepan, and stir over the fire for quite 10 minutes. Remove the lemon, and pour the mixture into small moulds, previously rinsed in cold water. Allow them to stand in a cool place for 1 hour or longer, then turn out and serve.
STEWED FIGS.
INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. figs, 1 pint water, 4 oz. sugar, 1 tablespoonful lemon juice.
METHOD.—Boil the water and sugar in a saucepan, put the figs into a stone jar, pour over the syrup (water and sugar) and the lemon juice, and cook in the oven till tender. It will take about 2 hours.
STEWED PRUNES.
Proceed in the same manner as above directed, using 1 lb. of prunes in place of figs, and cook for 2 hours in a stone jar (covered) in the oven.
APPLE JELLY.
INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. sour cooking apples, ½ pint water, 3 oz. sugar, the thin rind and juice of 1 lemon, ½ oz. gelatine.
METHOD.—Peel the apples thinly, cut them into quarters and core them. Slice them thinly, and put them in a clean saucepan with the lemon rind, sugar, water, and lemon juice. Simmer till the apples are quite tender, and rub the whole through a fine sieve. Put the gelatine to soak for 10 minutes in about ½ gill, of water (cold). Melt this over the fire, and strain when dissolved into the apple pulp. Re
-heat the latter before the gelatine is added. Pour the mixture into small moulds, place them in a cool place to set, and serve when wanted. The moulds are dipped in warm water for a second, when the shape will come out easily.
Note.—Gooseberry or rhubarb jelly can be made in the same way, by allowing an extra ¼ oz. of gelatine and 1 oz. more sugar in addition to the above given quantities.
MILK JELLY.
INGREDIENTS.—½ oz. gelatine (good weight), 1½ oz. sugar, 1 pint milk, lemon rind or cinnamon to flavour.
METHOD.—Put the gelatine to soak in a small quantity of water (about ½ gill). Boil up the milk with a thin strip of lemon rind or an inch stick of cinnamon, add the sugar and then the soaked gelatine, omitting the water. Re-heat and strain, stir occasionally till the mixture begins to thicken, then pour into some moulds previously rinsed in cold water. Set the moulds in a cool place till the jelly is firm.
CHAPTER VII.
BREAD AND BREADMAKING.
INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS.
Bread is so extensive an article of diet that too much attention cannot be paid by Bakers to the scientific principles of its manufacture.
Properly, prepared and well-baked bread should contain the following in a 100 parts:—
Water
40.0
per cent.
Grluten
7.0
,,
Starch, Sugar, and Gum
51.0
,,
Salt and other Mineral Substances
2.0
,,
The Chemical Composition of Coarse Brown Bread (Wholemeal—Prison Bread) is estimated as follows :—
Water
40.0
per cent.
The Prison Cookbook Page 24