All the above pieces are baked as well as roasted; and when done, served
exactly in the same and every way as when roasted.
Put the meat in a baking-pan with a little butter spread over it; cover
the bottom of the pan with cold water, then put in a quick oven. After
it has been in the oven for about fifteen minutes, baste and place a
piece of buttered paper on the top of the meat. If the bottom of the pan
is getting dry, add a little more water, but it is seldom the case
except with inferior meat. When you see rather too much fat in the pan,
take from the oven, turn the fat off, put cold water instead, and put
back in the oven to finish the cooking. If the paper burns, put on
another piece; but by basting often over the paper, it will remain
pretty long before burning.
With a small knife or a skewer you ascertain when done enough or to your
liking; never cook by guess or by hearsay; the oven may be quicker one
day than another, or slower; the meat may be more tender, or more hard;
remember that if you cook by guess (we mean, to put down, as a matter of
course, that it takes so many hours, or so many minutes, to bake this or
that), and stick to it, you will fail nine times out of ten. When done,
serve as directed above.
_In Croquettes._--Make and serve as chicken _croquettes_.
_In Haricot or Ragout._--Take a neck or breast piece of mutton, which
cut in pieces about two inches long and one broad. Put them in a
saucepan (say three pounds) with two ounces of butter, set on the fire
and stir occasionally till turning rather brown, then add a
tablespoonful of flour, stir for one minute, cover with cold water, add
one onion whole, salt, a bunch of seasonings composed of four sprigs of
parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, and a clove, one clove of garlic,
chopped fine. Boil gently till about two-thirds done, stirring now and
then; add potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut, as far as possible, of
the shape of a carpel of orange. The proportion is, about as many pieces
of potatoes as of meat. Boil again gently till done, place the pieces of
meat in the middle of the dish, the potatoes around, the juice or sauce
over the whole, and serve. Skim off the fat, if any, before turning the
sauce over the rest.