The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c. / by the author of "Choice dishes at small cost" [i.e. Arthur Gay Payne].

  • Payne, A. G. (Arthur Gay), 1840-1894.
Date:
[1886?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c. / by the author of "Choice dishes at small cost" [i.e. Arthur Gay Payne]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    amongst Englishmen that pickles are to be eaten only witli cold meat, and very few have any idea beyond this point. Throughout the present work directions are given for using pickles, not only in the ordinary way—that is, as an adjunct to cold meat—but also for making sauces that can be made hot and served up with hot meat. Such dishes as hashed beef with pickled walnut are now of daily occurrence, as well as many others. Another purpose to which many of these pickles can be turned to account is that of ornamenting. How very few “ good plain cooks ” know the value of a redchili or the pickled red capsicum simply for ornamental purposes. Again, with our pickle bottle, the probability is that what is left will be the small pickled gherkins, or cucumbers. In describing the way to make mayonnaise salad I have shown how useful are these remains when sliced up and used, as the cookery books would say, “ as hereinafter directed.” I must here refer the reader to the contents of the book itself. In using preserved goods of all kinds, there are certain general principles to be observed with regard to all. I will commence with tinned and potted meats. These should be rightly divided into two distinct classes. There is the tinned meat itself, whole, such as Australian beef or mutton, and tinned meat which is made in the form rather of forcemeat, such as potted ham, potted tongue, etc. With regard to the first, the present work has little to say. Some years ago tinned meat in bulk was largely introduced into this country, and much criticised. There can, however, be no doubt about its not being able to compete with fresh meat. The chief point to be taken into consideration with regard to the preservation of tinned meat is the fact that it should be kept cool, or at any rate be made cold before it is opened. In the case of an ordinary piece of meat, such as boiled beef, the meat is surrounded by a bright, colourless jelly, which contains almost as much nourishment as the meat itself. Should it be opened in a hot country this jelly would, of course, be a fluid, and the food would look moist and dis- agreeable. Should the meat, however, be required hot, it would be far best to heat it in the tin itself before opening it. When hot, the tin can be opened, the meat'turned out hot, and the jelly poured round in the shape of gravy. In the case of the vast majority of tinned meats of every description, including rich ones, such as tinned woodcock, tinned Snipe, etc., the cook should always bear in mind the importance of letting the tin be perfectly cold before it is opened. In the majority of cases, when opened, the contents of these tins are surrounded by a rich fat, somewhat similar to lard, and when truffles are mixed with the contents this fat is strongly impregnated with the flavour of the truffles. Now, if owing to carelessness this tin has been kept in a warm place, when it is opened the contents will not turn out neatly on to the plate as they should do, and will have a most disagreeable appearance. In every case, therefore, in turning out a tinned woodcock, or woodcock pate, or tinned tongue, etc., let the cook do her utmost to keep the tin perfectly cool. Next, let the contents of the tin be turned out neatly. The appearance of many a tin of preserved meat is entirely ruined owing to impatience, coupled with want of skill in opening the