STEWED FISH

* 2 Fish—­9d. * * 1/2 pint Stock * * 1 blade of Mace * * 2 Cloves * * 1/2 oz.  Flour—­1/2d. * * 2 tablespoonful Ketchup * * 1 Onion—­1d. * * 1 Egg—­1d. * * Bread Crumbs * * 1 doz.  Peppercorns—­1/2d. * * Total Cost—­1s. * * Time—­One Hour and a Quarter * Fillet the fish and fry them in egg and bread crumbs; slice and fry the onion, lay this and the fish in a tin dish.  Cover with stock, put in the cloves, peppercorns, and mace, cover over, and put into a moderate oven for an hour.  Mix the flour and ketchup together and stir it in; put back into the oven for ten minutes.  Dish the fish and strain the sauce over it.

OYSTERS AND MACARONI

* 2 oz.  Macaroni—­1 1/2d. * * 1 bottle Oysters—­1s. * * 1 gill Milk or Melted Butter Sauce—­1d. * * Cayenne * * Salt * * Bread Crumbs—­1d. * * Total Cost—­1s. 31/2 d. * * Time—­Half an Hour. * Boil the macaroni in the oyster liquor or in weak stock till quite soft.  Rub a little butter on a dish, cut the macaroni into pieces two inches long and lay it at the bottom.  On this place the oysters, and season them with cayenne, salt, and a little lemon juice or nutmeg.  Pour over the milk or sauce, cover with bread crumbs, and brown it in a quick oven.  A few little pieces of butter laid on top of the crumbs make a richer dish.  It must be served very hot.

CHAPTER XIX.

FIFTY RECIPES FOR MEAT DISHES

COOKERY OF MEAT.

The principal methods of cooking meat are roasting, baking, boiling, stewing, broiling, braising, and frying.  Of these methods roasting and baking are conducted on the same principle—­dry heat; boiling and stewing are often spoken of as if they were the same, but this is quite a mistake.  When we boil a joint we plunge it into boiling water, and this water should cover it completely; but when meat is stewed it must be cooked in a very small quantity of water, and never allowed to boil.  Water boils at 212, but simmering heat is 180, and meat cannot be properly stewed if it is cooked quicker than this.  One of the great faults of English cooks is that they cook too quickly, and it is particularly necessary in stewing to cook slowly, because we want to extract and blend all the different flavours of the various substances, which are necessary for a good and savoury stew.  When boiling meat for table plunge it into boiling water, and then reduce the heat; but when broth or soup is to be made it must be put into cold water, so that the goodness may be drawn from it.  Corned beef or pork should also be placed in cold water and heated gradually, so that some of the salt is drawn out.  The frying-pan should be discarded from the kitchen, at least as far as steaks and chops are concerned; grilling or broiling is by far the