_Ingredients._—1 lb. of the best Carolina rice, 2 quarts of water, 1½
oz. of butter, a little salt. _Mode._—Wash the rice well in two waters;
make 2 quarts of water boiling, and throw the rice into it; boil it
until three-parts done, then drain it on a sieve. Butter the bottom
and sides of a stewpan, put in the rice, place the lid on tightly, and
set it by the side of the fire, until the rice is perfectly tender,
occasionally shaking the pan to prevent its sticking. Prepared thus,
every grain should be separate and white. Either dish it separately,
or place it round the curry as a border. _Time._—15 to 25 minutes.
_Average cost_, 7_d._ _Sufficient_ for 2 moderate-sized curries.
_Seasonable_ at any time.
ROASTING, Memoranda in.
The management of the fire is a point of primary importance in
roasting. A radiant fire throughout the operation is absolutely
necessary to insure a good result. When the article to be dressed is
thin and delicate, the fire may be small; but when the joint is large
the fire must fill the grate. Meat must never be put down before a
hollow or exhausted fire, which may soon want recruiting; on the other
hand, if the heat of the fire become too fierce, the meat must be
removed to a considerable distance till it has somewhat abated. Some
cooks always fail in roasting, though they succeed in nearly everything
else. A French writer on the culinary art says that anybody can learn
how to cook, but one must be born a roaster. According to Liebig, beef
or mutton cannot be said to be sufficiently roasted, until it has
acquired throughout the whole mass a temperature of 158°. But poultry
may be well cooked when the inner parts have attained a temperature of
130° to 140°. This depends on the greater amount of blood which beef
and mutton contain, the colouring matter of blood not being coagulable
under 158°.
ROLLS, Excellent.
_Ingredients._—To every lb. of flour allow 1 oz. of butter, ¼ pint
of milk, a large teaspoonful of yeast, a little salt. _Mode._—Warm
the butter in the milk, add to it the yeast and salt, and mix these
ingredients well together. Put the flour into a pan, stir in the above
ingredients, and let the dough rise, covered in a warm place. Knead it
well, make it into rolls, let them rise again for a few minutes, and
bake in a quick oven. Richer rolls may be made by adding 1 or 2 eggs
and a larger proportion of butter, and their appearance improved by
brushing the tops over with yolk of egg or a little milk. _Time._—1 lb.
of flour, divided into 6 rolls, from 15 to 20 minutes.
[Illustration: ROLLS.]
ROLLS, Hot.
This dish, although very unwholesome and indigestible, is nevertheless
a great favourite, and eaten by many persons. As soon as the rolls
come from the baker’s, they should be put into the oven, which, in the
early part of the morning, is sure not to be very hot; and the rolls
must not be buttered until wanted. When they are quite hot, divide them
lengthwise into three; put some thin flakes of good butter between the
slices, press the rolls together, and put them in the oven for a minute
or two, but not longer, or the butter would oil; take them out of the
oven, spread the butter equally over, divide the rolls in half, and put
them on to a very hot clean dish, and send them instantly to table.
ROLLS, Fluted.
_Ingredients._—Puff-paste, the white of an egg, sifted sugar, jelly
or preserve. _Mode._—Make some good puff-paste (trimmings answer very
well for little dishes of this sort); roll it out to the thickness of
¼ inch, and with a round fluted paste-cutter stamp out as many round
pieces as may be required; brush over the upper side with the white
of an egg; roll up the pieces, pressing the paste lightly together
where it joins; place the rolls on a baking-sheet, and bake for about
¼ hour. A few minutes before they are done, brush them over with the
white of an egg; strew over sifted sugar, put them back in the oven;
and when the icing is firm and of a pale brown colour, they are done.
Place a strip of jelly or preserve across each roll, dish them high
on a napkin, and serve cold. _Time._—¼ hour before being iced; 5 to
10 minutes after. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 3_d._ _Sufficient._—½ lb. of
puff-paste for 2 dishes. _Seasonable_ at any time.
ROUX, Brown, a French Thickening for Gravies and Sauces.
_Ingredients._—6 oz. of butter, 9 oz. of flour. _Mode._—Melt the butter
in a stewpan over a slow fire, and dredge in, very gradually, the
flour; stir it till of a light-brown colour—to obtain this do it very
slowly, otherwise the flour will burn and impart a bitter taste to the
sauce it is mixed with. Pour it in a jar, and keep it for use: it will
remain good some time. _Time._—About ½ hour. _Average cost_, 7_d._
ROUX, White, for thickening White Sauces.
Allow the same proportions of butter and flour as in the preceding
recipe, and proceed in the same manner as for brown roux, but do not
keep it on the fire too long, and take care not to let it colour.
This is used for thickening white sauce. Pour it into a jar to use
when wanted. _Time._—¼ hour. _Average cost_, 7_d._ _Sufficient._—A
dessertspoonful will thicken a pint of gravy.
_Note._—Besides the above, sauces may be thickened with potato flour,
ground rice, baked flour, arrowroot, &c.: the latter will be found far
preferable to the ordinary flour for white sauces. A slice of bread,
toasted and added to gravies, answers the two purposes of thickening
and colouring them.
RUMP-STEAK, Fried.
_Ingredients._—Steaks, butter or clarified dripping. _Mode._—Although
broiling is a far superior method of cooking steaks to frying them,
yet, when the cook is not very expert, the latter mode may be adopted;
and, when properly done, the dish may really look very inviting, and
the flavour be good. The steaks should be cut rather thinner than for
broiling, and with a small quantity of fat to each. Put some butter or
clarified dripping into a frying-pan; let it get quite hot, then lay
in the steaks. Turn them frequently until done, which will be in about
8 minutes, or rather more, should the steaks be very thick. Serve on a
very hot dish, in which put a small piece of butter and a tablespoonful
of ketchup, and season with pepper and salt. They should be sent to
table quickly, as when cold the steaks are entirely spoiled. _Time._—8
minutes for a medium-sized steak, rather longer for a very thick one.
_Average cost_, 1_s._ per lb. _Seasonable_ all the year, but not good
in summer, as the meat cannot hang to get tender.
_Note._—Where much gravy is liked, make it in the following manner:—As
soon as the steaks are done, dish them, pour a little boiling water
into the frying-pan, add a seasoning of pepper and salt, a small piece
of butter, and a tablespoonful of Harvey’s sauce or mushroom ketchup.
Hold the pan over the fire for a minute or two, just let the gravy
simmer, then pour on the steak, and serve.