COOKERY

The fundamental principles of cookery may for general consideration be divided as following under the headings of Par-boiling, Boiling, Steaming, Stewing, Roasting and Baking, Broiling, Frying and Sauter.

Par-boiling is a process principally designed to improve the appearance of poultry, tongues, etc. It imparts a whiter color and softens some items, while adding firmness to others (as Sweetbreads). The usual method is to put the article in cold water, gradually raise the temperature to the boiling point, then take it out, plunge in cold water and leave there until quite cold. It is later removed and wiped dry, preparatory to dressing.

Par-boiling meat, although it renders it more slightly, lessens the nutritive qualities by abstracting a portion of the soluble salts which it contains, especially the phosphates, and thus deprives it of one of the principal features which distinguish fresh from salted meat. Animal food, before being dressed, may be washed or rinsed in cold water without injury, provided it be quickly done; but it cannot be soaked in water at any temperature much below the boiling point without the surface, and the parts near it, being rendered less nutritious.

The term "blanching" is sometimes but incorrectly employed in place of "par-boiling."

Boiling, in the general culinary acceptance of the word, is the simplest and, when properly performed, the most economical method of cooking, as the cooked flesh and the accompanying broth represent practically the entire nutritive value of the raw food.

The actual boiling temperature, 212 degree Fahr., should be maintained throughout the cooking of all green and a majority of other vegetables, but in the cooking of meats it should be restricted to the first five or ten minutes--after that, the meat should be "simmered" at temperature of 175 degree to 185 degree Fahr. The first few minutes' boiling coagulates the albumen in the surface of the meat, forming a kind of hard envelope which prevents an excessive amount of the nutritive elements escaping into the water--then the "simmering" cooks the inside but leaves it tender, as the heat which reaches it is not high enough to harden it as the outside "envelope" is hardened when the water is allowed to boil. The pot should always be covered to avoid loss by evaporation, and the food should always be kept covered with water--if more water is required to take the place of that lost by evaporation, hot water should be added so as to avoid changing the temperature.

Fresh meat for boiling should always be put into boiling water; salt meats into cold water.

No exact rules can be given as to the time required to boil foods properly, but moderate care and judgment will nearly always suffice to determine this point.

(See also additional suggestions at the end of the article on BEEF and in the article on VEGETABLES.)

Boiling Meat for Broth. When strong broth is desired more than the meat itself, the meat should be put into cold water, as that permits a large part of the nutritive ingredients to escape into the water, then gradually brought to a boil and thereafter simmered until done. See also article on MEAT EXTRACT.

Steaming: is slower than boiling, but with proper utensils it is considered especially desirable for the cooking of small pieces of meat and some vegetables and puddings.

Stewing follows the same theories as "Boiling," for it is nothing more nor less than "simmering" in a smaller quantity of liquid the meat and liquid being served together as a "stew" instead of separately as "boiled meat" and "soup" or "broth."

It offers the great economic advantage that, properly performed, it will render tender, palatable and nutritious the coarser, cheaper parts which would seem undesirable if broiled, roasted or baked.

The meat chosen should have little fat, the cooking should be slow and easy, the scum and fat should be removed occasionally and the pot or pan should always be covered. The meat is frequently partly fried ("browned") or par-boiled before setting to stew.

Roasting and Baking. Old-fashioned "roasting" consisted in cooking meats on a spit before an open fire, as still done in England, but in this country the term is now applied almost exclusively to meat cooked in the oven. The term "baked," formerly applied to all foods cooked in the oven, is now confined to fish, vegetables, etc., as "baked weakfish," "baked potatoes," etc.--meats such as beef, lamb, etc., are similarly cooked but are known as "roast beef," "roast lamb," etc.

"Roasting" involves a considerable loss of weight, but it has always been and still remains one of the most popular methods.

The chief points to be observed are:

(1) To keep the oven clean.

(2) To regulate the temperature to avoid both waste of time by too slow cooking and poor results by excessive heat.

(3) That the greatest heat should be for only the first ten minutes, to obtain the outside "envelope" of coagulated albumen to retain the juices--as mentioned under the head of Boiling--and then should be more moderate--and steady.

(4) That the meat must be basted frequently, as this greatly assists in the cooking, keeps the meat juicy and improves the flavor.

Both roasting and baking develop the meat extractives or flavor to a high extent, lightening the meat at the same time by the melting of some of the interleaved fat and changing some of the connective tissues into gelatine.

Braising is a popular French method which may be described as a combination of roasting and stewing. Small joints or pieces of meat are placed in a "braiser"--a shallow stewpan with a closely-fitting, grooved lid--and the cooking, very slowly done, is started on top of the range and finished in the oven.

The braiser is always lined with a "mirepoix," a layer of slices of bacon or ham, vegetables, herbs, etc., and the meat is generally moistened with stock--broth of meats, vegetables, etc.--or stock and wine. Delicate meats are protected by covering with buttered paper. The result is a very savory and aromatic dish.

Broiling is the principle of old-fashioned roasting applied to smaller pieces of meat. Important points to be remembered are:

(1) To keep the gridiron clean and well greased.

(2) To have a clear, bright fire.

(3) To season the meat before putting it on the gridiron.

(4) To quickly harden both sides to avoid loss of juices.

(5) To avoid dropping fat into the fire, as this results in jerky, smoky flames which are liable to spoil the flavor of the meat.

(6) Not to over-cook.

Frying has been erroneously described as "boiling in fat"--in effect it more nearly corresponds to the principle of roasting, as fat or oil attains a much higher temperature than water and more effectually seals the outside of the meat, etc., being cooked.

"Dry frying" signifies the use of only a small quantity of fat or oil.

"Deep" or "wet" frying is the use of sufficient fat or oil to cover the article being cooked. Butter is not suitable for deep frying as it is liable to burn before the food is cooked. Olive and other high-class vegetable oils of similar character, do not offer this objection.

Care should be taken to avoid over-frying as the result is to make foods very indigestible.

Sauter means "to toss." The food is "tossed" by moving the pan quickly back and forward over a brisk fire. When applied to meats, it is practically the same as "dry frying." When applied to items such as French peas, for example, the "tossing" is continued only long enough to heat them through.