A TOUR ROUND THE KITCHENS.
Inspection of stores--Methods pursued--Interview with Lord W.
Paulet--Scene in a kitchen--Terrible confusion--Only one
plate--Underdone and overdone--Receipt for nourishing fare--Mr.
Milton--Cordial reception--Plans for a better system--Dr.
Taylor--Conversation upon cookery--Importance of culinary science
in the medical department--A pleasant night--Value of a
greatcoat--Operations commenced--Question of copper
vessels--Curious method of marking the lots--A decent trick--Wilful
waste--Experiments upon the extra diets--My first-class
interpreter.
At half-past six the next morning I was in the kitchen. The soldiers
were at that hour making the coffee and tea for breakfast. I went with
the serjeant on duty to inspect the quality of the meat, the quantity
allowed, and the place of distribution. I found the meat of a very
inferior quality, the method of distribution too complicated. When the
weight of the quantity allowed was explained to me I found it correct. I
was at first much puzzled at finding that some patients upon full diet
received three quarters of a pound, some half a pound, and some a
quarter of a pound of meat, accordingly as they were placed upon full,
half, or quarter diet allowance--a system unavoidable in a hospital, but
which would deceive the best cook. On some days, in providing for a
hundred patients, this would make a difference of from ten to twenty
pounds of meat, according to the number of half or quarter diets. Yet
the same quantity of soup would nevertheless be required.
I made a note of this, and next perceived that every mess took their
meat separately. Some messes numbered fifteen, twenty, or even thirty.
The meat was spitted upon a rough piece of wood about two feet long,
and then tied as tight as possible with a strong cord. Although this was
a very bad method, I did not choose to interfere, as it was important
for me to show them the evil effects of their system, and ensure a
reform by pointing out a better. We then went to the store-rooms, and
looked over what the contractor called the mixed vegetables, though they
were principally of one kind, and half of these unfit for use. After
having seen the rations weighed, I sent orders to the cooks not to
commence operations until I arrived. We examined all kinds of preserved
meats, soups, sweetmeats, &c. I next went to see the poultry, which I
found of very inferior quality, consisting principally of old fowls,
badly plucked and drawn. The gizzards, heads, and feet, which make such
good broth, were thrown away. Mr. Bailey, whom I had not yet seen, then
entered. When I had explained what we had already done, and the plan it
would be most advisable to adopt for the future, he promised to bring
the contractor, that we might talk the matter over. I examined the
bread, which was very good indeed.
Mr. Bailey accompanied me to the various kitchens, where I had ordered
the men to proceed as usual, and the same in the extra diet kitchen.
During our progress I had the pleasure of meeting and being introduced
to most of the medical gentlemen as they were visiting the patients in
the corridors and wards. Having been informed that Mr. Milton, the
purveyor in chief, had arrived, I called at his office, but
unfortunately he had just gone to some storeroom--no one could tell
which. I left my compliments, and a message to say that I should call
again. I went to see Dr. Cumming, and report progress, and engaged to
let him taste some of my cooking the following day. My next visit was to
Lord W. Paulet, whom I found surrounded by military gentlemen of all
ranks. He called me in, and, in a most good-natured manner, introduced
me to his visitors, saying, “Now M. Soyer is come, I fear he will feed
the sick soldiers so well, that they will be sorry to recover and leave
the hospital.”
“Should such prove to be the case, it will be the best of all bad
complaints.”
Some of the company inquired whether I was going to the Crimea.
“I must first make my _début_ here,” was my reply, “and then we shall
see.”
“Monsieur Soyer, what can I do for you?”
“Your lordship can do what I require in two minutes. Will you be kind
enough to send me a carpenter or two, and a bricklayer, to do some
little matters I wish to have attended to?”
“Certainly; I will drop a line to Captain Gordon, the chief engineer, to
that effect. His office is over the way--you had better go and see him.”
“Captain Gordon,” said a soldier, who brought some letters, “is gone to
Pera.”
“I am happy to be able to inform your lordship that I am progressing
very fast, and that every one is very obliging to me.”
“I am glad to hear that, Monsieur Soyer.”
“I suppose you could not spare time about one o’clock, to go round and
see the meals served out?”
“I will try; but I fear I shall hardly have leisure. See what I have to
do,” he continued, pointing to a pile of letters which the soldier had
just brought in; “as Doctor Macgregor is going round with you, he will
give me an account of everything.”
It was then noon, and about dinner-time. So I returned to the kitchen,
where all was in the greatest confusion. Such a noise I never heard
before. They were waiting for their soup and meat, and using coarse
language, without making the least progress in the distribution. The
market at old Billingsgate, during the first morning sale, was nothing
compared to this military row. Each man had two tin cans for the soup.
They kept running about and knocking against each other, in most
admirable disorder. Such confusion, thought I, is enough to kill a dozen
patients daily. As a natural consequence, several must go without
anything; as, owing to the confusion, some of the orderly waiters get
more and others less than their allowance. Any attempt to alter this at
the time, would have been as wise as endeavouring to stop the current of
the Bosphorus. As I did not wish to lose the chance of seeing the
rations served out in the wards, I went for Dr. Macgregor, and we called
for Mr. Milton--but the latter had not returned. I then fetched Miss
Nightingale, and we went through the wards. The process of serving out
the rations, though not quite such a noisy scene as that I had before
witnessed, was far from being perfect. In the first place, the patients
were allowed to eat the meat before the soup. As I was confident that
this could not be by the doctor’s order, I asked the reason. The reply
was, “we have only one plate.” (What they called a plate, was a round
and deep tin dish, which held a pound of meat and a pint of soup.) I
therefore recommended them to cut the meat as usual into small pieces,
and pour the pint of boiling soup over it. This method had the advantage
of keeping the meat hot.
“It will enable the patients,” I said, “to eat both the soup and meat
warm, instead of cold--the daily practice, in consequence of the slow
process of carving.”
“Very true,” said Dr. Macgregor. “Nay, more, the soup will comfort and
dispose the stomach for the better digestion of the meat and potatoes.
When the men are very hungry, they will often swallow their food without
properly masticating it, and the meat is also probably tough.”
We then tasted both the soup and meat. The former was thin and without
seasoning; the latter, mutton, tough and tasteless. The potatoes were
watery. All these defects I promised to rectify the next day. We
proceeded to a ward where they complained bitterly that the meat was
never done; in fact, it was quite raw, and then of course the cook was
blamed.
“Now,” said I to Miss Nightingale, “I will wager anything that we shall
find some parts very well done, and some, no doubt, too much done,
though it is all cooked in the same caldron.”
“How do you account for that, Monsieur Soyer? is it owing to the bad
quality of the meat?”
“Not at all; that may come from the same sheep, and yet vary.”
At another mess, the meat was well done; a small piece at the end only
being over-cooked.
“I will explain this to you, madam,” said I. “I remarked this morning
that the man tied all the joints together very tight, after having put
them upon a ‘skewer,’ as he calls it, almost as large as a wooden leg.
The consequence is, that when the meat is thrown into boiling water, it
is not properly done; the meat swells, and it is impossible for the heat
or the water even to get at it.”
“Ah, I noticed that several of the men did exactly as you say this
morning,” said Miss Nightingale. “The parts which are well done were
placed loose upon the stick; and this explains the mystery--but I shall
alter that to-morrow.”
Having afterwards inspected several extra-diet kitchens, and tasted
various things, I perceived what I could accomplish, both as regarded
convalescents and extra diets. Miss Nightingale having again offered to
render any assistance in her power, left us; as she had a great deal to
attend to. I retraced my steps to Dr. Cumming’s, and stated my opinion
of the present system of cooking; and explained what I proposed doing,
of all of which he approved highly. I then returned to the kitchen, and
sent a requisition for six rations of everything allowed for making the
soup. I proceeded thus:--
To eight pints of water I put four pounds of meat, a quarter of a pound
of barley, a little salt and pepper, and the allowance of vegetables,
and in about an hour I produced a very good soup--some of which I sent
to several doctors. They tasted and praised it highly, as being very
nourishing and palatable. I then carried some to Dr. Cumming, who
approved of its composition; but expressed his opinion that it would
probably be too expensive. I then informed him I had made it with the
ration allowance, taking the meat at half-diet scale. He was much
pleased with the meat, which he pronounced highly palatable, and thought
that the seasoning should be put in with the other ingredients. I
explained that I could still improve it by the simple addition of a
small quantity of sugar and flour.
“The purveyor will not, I am certain, refuse that,” said he.
“Oh, I am aware of that; but I wish to manage it without increasing the
expense. I must accomplish that, if possible.” Miss Nightingale and Dr.
Macgregor, to both of whom I sent some, praised it even more than the
others had done, particularly the meat, which they stated to be of a
very excellent flavour, and they had the opportunity of tasting the
former. Mr. Milton came in, and though I had not had the pleasure of
seeing that gentleman, from the description I had heard of him, and his
pleasing manner, I knew I was not mistaken in saying--“Mr. Milton, allow
me to have the honour of tendering my best compliments and thanks for
your prompt visit.”
“No person could be more welcome here than you are, Monsieur Soyer. I
only regret I was not in my office when you called. I should have been
happy to have accompanied you round the wards. Your very just remarks
have been repeated to me and the plan you mean to adopt explained, but I
fear you will meet with so many difficulties that you will get tired
before you have achieved much good.”
“Not at all,” I replied; “you will see a great change by to-morrow,
which must be attributed chiefly to the politeness and cordial
assistance I have met with from the members of every
department--especially your own--which to me is the most important.”
“I have given orders that everything you may require is to be placed at
your disposal, if in store; and any alteration or suggestion which is
likely to be beneficial will be immediately attended to. You have only
to ask for anything you need in the way of cooking utensils, and it
shall, if possible, be procured.”
“My great object and delight will be to effect a change with the daily
allowance.”
“That would certainly be as well; but I fancy it cannot be done. The
provisions here are of a quality very inferior to what we get in
London.”
“You are quite right, if they are all like those I saw this morning.
Favour me by tasting these two soups. Julien! please to give Mr. Milton
two small basins of soup--one of mine, and one of that made at the
hospital.” On tasting mine first he pronounced it very good and
palatable, and of an excellent flavour. The other, although made with
exactly the same materials, he could hardly swallow. It had no
seasoning, had a blackish appearance, and was quite tasteless.
“There is no comparison,” said Mr. Milton.
“All the soup will in future be like the sample I have made, and I can
greatly improve it by the addition of a few pounds of brown sugar and a
little flour extra.”
“Monsieur Soyer, I beg you will not regard such trivial expenses, at any
rate for the present; what is required you shall have.”
“I see the fresh vegetables are very bad--as you have a quantity of
preserved ones, I shall mix them.”
“In future we must try and get better meat, poultry, and eggs; and,
above all, charcoal. I am aware you have justly complained of them. Have
you seen our bread?”
“Yes, I have, and very good it is too.”
“That is really all we can manage to my satisfaction. As regards the
meat and poultry, I will send you the contractor; but the charcoal is in
the commissariat department. I shall write an official letter respecting
it. I see,” he continued, looking at some, “it is all dust, and seems
quite wet.”
“Pray send off a letter; and if you will give me the name of the
gentleman who is at the head of that department, I shall be happy to
make his acquaintance; and beg of him not to allow any delay, as I
consider this the most important matter of all.”
I repeated the reason for saying this which I have before mentioned.
After listening attentively to my remarks, Mr. Milton said:--
“You may well call it the most important, and the sooner it is altered
the better.”
We parted. I then told the soldier cooks to have the boilers thoroughly
cleaned, and everything in from the stores by eight o’clock the next
morning, as I intended making the soup myself. I left Julien, my head
man, with them to superintend matters.
Having called upon Doctor Taylor, I had a long conversation with him
upon cookery. In the course of this he said,--
“On finding that the cooking was so badly done, I took upon myself, not
only to superintend the men, but also to cook and teach them; and I must
say I found them very willing. How could I expect them to know anything
about it? they had never been taught to do it.”
“True, Doctor; and, as soon as they begin to know a little about it,
they are recalled to their regiments, and replaced by new-comers as
ignorant as they were themselves at first.”
“Exactly; and I tell you what, Monsieur Soyer, though we may be very
good doctors, and possess a thorough knowledge of medical science, we
still need the aid of culinary science; for the one without the other
will produce but very unsatisfactory results. Since I have turned my
attention to it, I am more and more fortified in the opinion which I
have expressed before several medical boards, that a doctor, to be well
qualified, should have some knowledge of the art of cookery, and this he
ought to acquire in the first stage of his medical education.”
“Indeed, Doctor, it is not with the view of elevating my profession, to
which I have now devoted my attention for more than twenty-seven years,
that I say I am persuaded that this science has been too lightly
treated. In corroboration of your just remark, I have, as you will find,
already stated in my various works upon cookery, that to make a good
cook it is of paramount importance that a man should possess some
chemical as well as medical knowledge.”
“I agree with you, Monsieur Soyer,” said he.
“As soon as my kitchen is ready, Doctor, I hope you will favour me with
a visit.”
“With much pleasure. Let me know when it is finished.”
To my great regret, I was obliged to see about returning to Pera, some
delay having taken place in the completion of my house. On reaching the
landing-place not a caique was to be had, the weather was so bad they
could not cross. A friend offered me shelter for that night at a small
restaurant kept by a Greek called Demetri. There were seventeen of us
lying on straw sofas, with the privilege of covering ourselves with our
great coats, if fortunate enough to possess one. Rooms were at a premium
in Scutari. It was also necessary for anybody who wished to have the
benefit of his great-coat to keep awake all night; for no sooner did you
begin to doze than some of your sleeping partners, who happened to be
wide awake, endeavoured to appropriate the coveted garment to their use;
and the weather being very chilly, this proved anything but pleasant.
Unfortunately, after passing an uncomfortable night, I did not feel much
refreshed, and was almost unfit to undertake the difficult task I had
before me. However, I was up at six, and in the kitchen by seven. None
of my orders had been attended to. My own people were not there as they
ought to have been; and the men told me they could not get the rations
till ten o’clock, that being the usual time for issuing them.
“Really,” said I; “and pray who told you so?”
“The serjeant and some of the orderlies,” was the reply.
“We shall see all about that; come with me.”
The truth is, I did find it very difficult to get anything; but, in less
than half-an-hour after I had been to the purveyor’s head-quarters my
new regiment began to manœuvre admirably under my command. By eight
o’clock everything was ready for the cooking, except my cooks, who had
been sleeping in a store-room upon some straw, and had a regular fray
with the allied rats. These animals, it appears, had come to welcome
them to Scutari.
Upon inspecting the boilers, my first fear was realized--there was
nothing but copper--all the tinning had worn away. And very difficult
was it to ascertain this fact, these immense and deep caldrons being
securely screwed to the marble basement, and extremely difficult, not
only to remove, but also to tin when removed. I consider it most
advisable that all large establishments should have their cooking
apparatus made of malleable iron, which is extremely clean, is much
cheaper, and does not require tinning: the lid may be made of copper for
appearance’ sake, but not so the boiler. The kitchen battery of the
wealthy alone should be copper, as they can afford to employ
professional persons for the preparation of their diet, who never would
attempt using them when coppery. (For my important visit to the
Consumptive Hospital at Brompton, see Addenda.)
That day I was obliged to use them. Having put the proper quantity of
water into each copper, with the meat, barley, vegetables, and salt and
pepper, we lighted the fires; and after allowing the ingredients to
simmer for two hours and a half, an excellent soup was made; I only
adding a little sugar and flour to finish it.
The receipt for this excellent soup, so highly approved of and
immediately adopted by the medical men, will be found in my Hospital
Diets, with a scale of proportions from ten to a hundred.
The meat was so poor that there was no fat to skim off the soup. It was
therefore served out at once, as described in the receipt. Several
doctors went round with me, and asked the men how they liked it. They
were all highly delighted with it, and praised it very much. I also took
care that the rations of meat should not be tied together on the skewer.
The orderlies were now ordered not to tie their rations of meat so
tight. Upon inspection I found that they had a most curious method of
marking their different lots. Some used a piece of red cloth cut from an
old jacket; others half a dozen old buttons tied together; old knives,
forks, scissors, &c., but one in particular had hit upon an idea which
could not fail to meet with our entire approval. The discovery of this
brilliant idea was greeted with shouts of laughter from Miss
Nightingale, the doctors, and myself. It consisted in tying a pair of
old snuffers to the lot.
All this rubbish was daily boiled with the meat, but probably required
more cooking. On telling the man with the snuffers that it was a very
dirty trick to put such things in the soup, the reply was--“How can it
be dirty, sir? sure they have been boiling this last month.”
When all the dinners had been served out, I perceived a large copper
half full of rich broth with about three inches of fat upon it. I
inquired what they did with this?
“Throw it away, sir.”
“Throw it away?” we all exclaimed.
“Yes, sir; it’s the water in which the fresh beef has been cooked.”
“Do you call that water? I call it strong broth. Why don’t you make soup
of it?”
“We orderlies don’t like soup, sir.”
“Then you really do throw it away?”
“Yes, sir; it is good for nothing.”
I took a ladle and removed a large basinful of beautiful fat, which,
when cold, was better for cooking purposes than the rank butter procured
from Constantinople at from ten to fifteen piastres per pound. The next
day I showed the men how to make a most delicious soup with what they
had before so foolishly thrown away. This method they were henceforward
very glad to adopt. Not less than seventy pounds of beef had been daily
boiled in this manner, and without salt. It would hardly be credited,
but for its truth I can appeal to Miss Nightingale and others who were
present.
Nothing was needed but a sharp look-out after the cooks in order to
ensure complete success. The day after I had the coppers tinned. The
next thing was to have a charcoal stove built, an oven, a store-room,
and a larder partitioned off; and a kitchen dresser and chopping-block
made. Through the kindness of the Chief Engineer, Captain Gordon, these
things were accomplished in a few days, and at a trifling expense. If
not a very magnificent, it was, as will be seen, a very spacious and
handy kitchen.
In a few days I made experiments in small quantities upon all the
various extra diets, such as chicken, mutton, and veal broth, the
cooking of fowls, beef and mutton tea, &c. I did not forget the
beverages, such as rice water, lemonades, arrow-root, panada ditto,
barley water, sago jelly, &c.; rice pudding, sago, bread, vermicelli and
macaroni ditto. The receipts will be found in the Addenda, under the
head of “Hospital Diets.”
A gentleman, Mr. Black, who was a first-class interpreter, was then
introduced to me by the Purveyor-in-Chief, and appointed to assist me in
any way I might require his aid. He was highly recommended by Miss
Nightingale, and a number of first-class doctors, as well as by Lord
William Paulet. It is with gratitude that I acknowledge the great
assistance I received from that gentleman during his stay with me, and
the energy he displayed in procuring everything I required. He spoke
French fluently, also the Turkish, Greek, and Armenian languages. This
rendered him invaluable to me, as I was obliged to employ people
speaking those different languages in my numerous kitchens. And what
was more remarkable still, he was the husband of the celebrated Maid of
Athens, whose company I had the pleasure of enjoying several times; and
although this interesting personage is now in her tenth lustre, some
remains of the eulogy of the great Byron seem still engraved on the
physiognomy of the once celebrated Greek beauty; and she informed me
that when Lord Byron wrote his poem on her, she was but ten years of
age, he at the time residing opposite the house of her parents at
Athens.