Manual of army catering services, 1945. Pt. 2, Recipes / War Office.

Date:
1945
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Manual of army catering services, 1945. Pt. 2, Recipes / War Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    extracted trom foods there is no loss in nourishment. Other advan- tages are that since this method is the more prolonged form of cooking, foods are rendered more digestible, and is therefore ideally suitable for hospital and invalid cookery. Puddings are lighter, as none of the suet or fat has boiled out. Vegetables which are composed largely of water, shrink less. There are, however, distinct disadvantages to cooking by this method. Foods take much longer to cook ; there is no liquid extracted for the making of gravy or sauce ; it is impossible to satisfactorily cook. green vegetables, and the steamer itself must be kept constantly at boiling temperature. Foods usually cooked by steam are hams, gammons and puddings. 7. Frying Frying (the quickest method), is cooking with the aid of clean fats, _ fresh and free from salt. With care, and clarification after use, fat should last a long time and be thrown away only when it becomes dark brown in colour, when it should be put aside with other inedibie fats for despatch to Salvage Depots. There are two method of frying—deep and shallow. In deep frying there should be sufficient fat to well cover the food ‘to be cooked. Add such food in small quantities, especially those which have been soaked in water such as potatoes, or those which are coated in batter, such as fish cakes, rissoles, fish, etc. The success or otherwise of frying depends largely on the temper- ature of the fat when food is placed into it. The fat should reach a high temperature and is not ready until it becomes motionless and gives off a blue vapour. The fat must be free from pieces and not burnt before cooking. _ Food that is cold or moist will greatly lower the temperature, so allow the fat to regain the right temperature before adding more. Failure to observe this rule, will result in greasy foods tasting strongly of the cooking fat. In shallow frying, only a small amount of fat is used—just sufficient to prevent food sticking to the pan or dish. It is both bad for the digestion and unpleasant in appearance to. have grease adhering to fried foods. They should be lifted out and placed on clean paper to absorb the grease, or dried off in a cloth. Cooking fat can be used a greater number of times if it is not over- heated. Strain fat after use to remove food particles. When not in use, cover the fat, and store in a cold place.