Page:Art of Cookery 1774 edition.djvu/40

2 and spit a little from the fire, and stir up a good brisk fire; for according to the goodness of your fire, your meat will be done sooner or later.

IF beef, be sure to paper the top and baste it well all the time it is roasting, and throw a handful of salt on it. When you see the smoke draw to the fire, it is near enough; then take off the paper, baste it well, and drudge it with a little flour to make a fine froth. Never salt your roast meat before you lay it to the fire, for that draws out all the gravy. If you would keep it a few days before you dress it, dry it very well with a clean cloth, then flour it all over, and hang it where the air will come to it; but be sure always to mind that there is no damp place about it, if there is you must dry it well with a cloth. Take up your meat, and garnish your dish with nothing but horse-raddish.

AS to roasting of mutton; the loin, the saddle of mutton (which is the two loins) and the chine (which is the two necks) must be done as the beef above. But all other sorts of mutton and lamb must be roasted with a quick clear fire and without paper; baste it when you lay it down, and just before you take it up, drudge it with a little flour; but be sure not to use too much, for that takes away all the fine taste of the meat. Some chuse to skin a loin of mutton, and roast it brown without paper: but that you may do just as you please, but be sure always to take the skin off a breast of mutton.

AS to veal, you must be careful to roast it of a fine brown; if a large joint, a very good fire; if a small joint, a pretty little brisk fire; if a fillet or loin, be sure to paper the fat, that you lose as little of that as possible. Lay it some distance from the fire till it is soaked, then lay it near the fire. When you lay it down, baste it well with good butter; and when it is near enough, baste it again, and drudge it with a little flour. The breast you must roast with the caul on till it is enough and skewer the sweetbread on the backside of the breast. When it is nigh enough, take off the caul, baste it, and drudge it with a little flour.