Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/17

Rh the cook must always have beside her. A bottle of good colouring will last a long time if properly made. To make it you should use an old pan, or a pint panniken will do, but a pan is by far the best. Put into it three or four tablespoonsful of sugar, and melt it over the fire, when it froths up stir with an iron spoon till all the sugar is burnt and frothing, then pour in a pint of warm water and stir quickly; when cool, bottle. A very little is sufficient to colour soups, gravy, stew, etc. It you should run out of colouring, a little can be made for immediate use in an iron spoon.

You should always have three different receptacles for dripping or fat; 1st one for the ordinary dripping from roast joints, skimmings from soup (clarified), which you will use for frying, making pastry and roasting; 2nd for the fish fat, which should never be returned to the other jar, as it will taste of fish. If you use oil for fish it should be clarified before being returned to the jar or bottle, or it can be strained through muslin; 3rd for the fat or dripping poultry has been roasted in and which is very good eaten on bread, used for pastry, cakes, etc. In frying fish use plenty of fat or oil, a brisk fire, and do not turn the pieces till quite done on the one side, but keep your fish slice busy to prevent sticking or burning.

In boiling fish, if you have no proper fish cullender to lay it on in the boiler, use a dish and tie a muslin over it to lift by when it is done. If near the sea, use sea water for boiling your fish.

With boiled fish serve either egg, parsley or oyster sauce; the last named is made as follows: use half milk and half oyster liquor, when it boils stir in a teaspoonful of butter, blend a little corn-flour and thicken with it, and, having trimmed some oysters drop them in, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve poured over the fish. For egg sauce, make it just the same, but have the egg boiled hard, peeled and mashed, and having poured the white sauce over, sprinkle the egg evenly and lightly all over the fish. There is a great art in boiling fish: to know exactly how long it will take, as even the largest will only take a very short time. Having rubbed the fish with a slice or two of lemon, plunge it into cold water well-salted, let it come to the boil, then remove to one side and simmer till done, skimming well. The object of rubbing with lemon is to harden the outside of the fish; vinegar has the same effect. Soused fish or eel is a pleasant change. If doing eels cut them into joints or pieces, lay in a deep pie dish with salt, pepper, and a few pepper corns. Now pour in equal quantities of vinegar and water, put into the oven and bake till done. To be served cold.

The young housekeeper who has all her own housework to do, should always get her puddings and sweet dishes made through the day, that is, if she indulges in late dinners, as many young wives are obliged to do on account of their husband's business