COOKERY FOR LICENSED VICTUALLERS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 809, 7 September 1905, Page 24

COOKERY FOR LICENSED VICTUALLERS.

(By “ CtisiNiEß,” in ‘‘ L.V. Gazette.”)

SOME COOKERY OPERATIONS.

I propose in this chapter to deal with some of the preparatory operations of cookery, such as boning, larding, marinading, etc., which are frequently imperfectly performed because not fully understood.

Boning.-—Boning is an art well worth acquiring, although it needs patience, practice, and a fair amount of dexterity. It is certainly an economical operation, as the bones taken from joints and poultry before cooking make excellent nourishing soups, whereas if they are distributed with the portions of meat by the carver they are of no value whatever. Moreover, a boned joint or fowl is easy to carve, and is altogether a higher-class dish than one which is not boned.

As an example of a joint suitable for boning me may take a loin of mutton. Lay it on a clean board, and with a sharp, clean ridge knife detach the bones that go across at the thick end. Work the knife carefully into the irregularities of the bone, in order to avoid waste and disfigurement. Keep the edge of the knife always in contact with the bone When the meat is free at the top, follow the course of the long bones, cutting care fully between each, and freeing them from the meat at both sides. Turn the meat over and work it free on that side also. The whole of the bone will then slip out. Should any pieces f meat come off with the bones they may be used afterwards in the composition of forcemeat or mincemeat, or they may simply be rolled up with the joint. Break the bones into small pieces, and put them, together with the gristle, into the stockpot. Cut off all superfluous fat and melt it down for dripping. Ribs of beef are boned in the same way. To bone a fowl or turkey is a rather more difficult operation. Pluck, but do not draw, the bird. Cut off the neck, leaving a good bit of skin. Gradually

work the skin from the bone till the merry-thought is reached. Detach this bone very carefully from the wing at the bottom of the bone, and then at the top from the breastbone. Keep the knife in contact with the bone, cutting away all the meat, and work up the breast on each side. It is best for a beginner to leave the piece of gristle along the top of the breast until afterwards, for the skin is very thin at that part, and should the knife run through it the bird would be spoiled. When the breastbone is quite free from the flesh, the merrythought can be easily broken away. Work round the ribs and back gradually and carefully till they also are free. Separate the breast with the grille completely from the bone. The carcase of the bird being now completely separated, roll the skin and flesh oi the neck backwards. Work very patiently and gently with the knife round and round. When at the junction of the legs and back cut through the joint, and proceed until the whole of the bird can be turned inside out, leaving the carcase free. .At this stage take out the entrails, but be careful to avoid breaking the gall-bag. Remove the liver and gizzard, and clean the bird thoroughly. Work a thin, firm knife round the thigh bone, and cut through the joint half-way done the leg bone. Saw off the remainder of the drumstick, detach the thigh bones from the trunk of the bird, and work the iiesn over and off the leg-bone from the bottom, turning it inside out. Cut off the first and second wing bones, and remove the bone from the thick part in the same manner as for the legs. Now cut off the gristle left along the breast, and carefully turn the bird back to its original shape. A simpler method is to cut off the neck, legs, and wing, slit the skin down the middle of the back from end to end, and work a thin, firm knife round and round the carcase until it can be easily removed. Then lay the bird flat on a board, the opened part uppermost, and when the legs and wings have been boned place them in it with whatever filling is to be used. 801 l it, sew it up, and after placing it in a clean cloth, bind it in position with broad tape. Remove all stitches before serving. This method gives less trouble, but the former one preserves the shape of the bird intact. Larding. —Larding is an extremely simple operation, the object of which is to give succulence to meat which would otherwise be rather dry and tasteless It is a great improvement to all lean, dry meats, and should be neatly done in order to look well. Cut a slice of bacon fat, about one-eighth of an inch thick, into strips about two inches long and one-third of an inch wide. They should be very exact in size, and the ends should be trimmed evenly. Put each strip of bacon—called a lardoon—into a lardingneedle by pushing it about one inch down the split head of the needle, leaving one inch free. Hold the head of the needle firmly together with the finger and thumb, and take a shallow stitch just under the surface of the meat, leaving about half an inch of the lardoon on each side. Repeat the process with other lardoons, as evenly as possible and at equal distances, until the meat is covered with rows of strips of bacon fat. Generally speaking, the breasts only of chickens, pheasants, turkeys, and partridges are larded, and the backs an! thighs of hares. When the flesh is soft, as in the case of poultry, the part to be larded should be dipped for a moment into boiling water, which will give firmness to it. Marinading. —Marinading is a useful process for softening the fibres of hard or inferior meat and making it tender. A marinade may be described as a sort of flavoured pickle, consisting usually of oil, vinegar, pepper, and salt, to which onions, bay-leaves, and other seasonings are sometimes added. Generally the liquor and seasoning are boiled together, and allowed to go cold before being used. The marinade can then be employed again and again, if it be boiled v" occasionally. The following is a good recipe for marinade :— Fry two onions, two carrots, two bay-leaves, three shallots, a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, and a close of gallic.in three ounces of butter. Pour on this one quart of vinegar, and boil for three minutes. Add pepper and salt, and store for use. The meat, fish, or poultry to be marinaded should be soaked in this pickle for at least three hours before being cooked.