Page:Browne - The Plain Sailing Cook Book.djvu/18

 in cooking anything. In preparing to cook, it is sometimes necessary to secure the maximum temperature in the shortest possible time; and in such a case the burners may of course be turned on full. But during the actual cooking process, it is seldom indeed that the best results will not be achieved with a somewhat reduced heat.

The terms "slow oven," "moderate oven," and "hot oven," which are used in this and practically all other cook-books, do not readily lend themselves to exact definition. Roughly speaking, for a "slow oven" the burners are turned on only about one-quarter of their full capacity; for a "moderate oven," about one-half full; and for a "hot oven," about three-quarters full. Again roughly speaking, a "slow oven" is one which feels warm but not hot to the hand; a "moderate oven" feels hot, but still not uncomfortably so even if the hand is held in the oven for several seconds; a "hot oven" feels so hot that the hand must be immediately withdrawn. The most improved gas-ranges now have oven-gauges which may be set so as to regulate these three temperatures automatically; but in the absence of such a device, the above suggestions are about all that can be offered until experience shows the way. In nearly all cases the oven should be lighted ten or fifteen minutes before it is actually needed. In boiling liquids over a flame, it is often desirable to have the fullest possible flame in order that the boiling-point may be quickly reached. As soon as that point is reached, however, the flame should be at once reduced to the lowest point at which the boiling process will still continue. Otherwise, there will be a waste both of the liquid in evaporation and of the fuel. It is sometimes advisable to slip an asbestos mat between a saucepan or frying-pan and the flame, in order to reduce the cooking temperature and prevent scorching.