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48 chapters
CARVING AND SERVING.
CARVING AND SERVING.
“Do you teach your pupils how to carve?” “Please give us a lecture on carving; my husband says he will come if you will.” I have been so frequently addressed in this way that I have decided to publish a manual on the Art of Carving. Instruction in this art cannot be given at a lecture with any profit to my pupils or satisfaction to myself. One cannot learn by simply seeing a person carve a few times. As much as any other art, it requires study; and success is not attainable without much practice
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GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
One must learn first of all to carve neatly, without scattering crumbs or splashing gravy over the cloth or platter; also to cut straight, uniform slices. This may seem an easy matter; but do we often see pressed beef, tongue, or even bread cut as it should be? Be careful to divide the material in such a manner that each person may be served equally well. Have you never received all flank, or a hard dry wing, while another guest had all tenderloin, or the second joint? After a little experience
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THE BACK OF THE RUMP.
THE BACK OF THE RUMP.
A roast from the back of the rump, if cooked without removing the bone, should be placed on the platter with the backbone on the farther side. Cut first underneath to loosen the meat from the bone. Then, if the family be large and all the meat is to be used, the slices may be cut lengthwise; but should only a small quantity be needed, cut crosswise and only from the small end. It is then in better shape for the second day. It is more economical to serve the poorer parts the first day, as they ar
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FILLET OF BEEF OR TENDERLOIN.
FILLET OF BEEF OR TENDERLOIN.
Before cooking, remove all the fat, and every fibre of the tough white membrane. Press it into shape again and lard it, or cover it with its own fat. If this fibre be not removed, the sharpest knife will fail to cut through it. Place it on the platter with the larger end at the right; or if two short fillets be used, place the thickest ends in the middle. Carve from the thickest part, in thin, uniform slices....
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ROUND OF BEEF, FILLET OF VEAL, OR FRICANDEAU OF VEAL.
ROUND OF BEEF, FILLET OF VEAL, OR FRICANDEAU OF VEAL.
These are placed on the platter, flesh side up, and carved in horizontal slices, care being taken to carve evenly, so that the portion remaining may be in good shape. As the whole of the browned outside comes off with the first slices, divide this into small pieces, to be served if desired with the rare, juicy, inside slices....
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BEEFSTEAK.
BEEFSTEAK.
It may seem needless to direct one how to carve a sirloin steak, but it sometimes appears to require more skill than to carve poultry, as those who have been so unfortunate as to receive only the flank can testify. I believe most strongly, as a matter of economy, in removing the bone, and any tough membrane or gristle that will not be eaten, before cooking the steak. If there be a large portion of the flank, cook that in some other way. With a small, sharp knife cut close to the rib on each side
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LEG OF MUTTON OR LAMB, OR KNUCKLE OF VEAL.
LEG OF MUTTON OR LAMB, OR KNUCKLE OF VEAL.
Before cooking, remove the rump-bones at the larger end. For a small family it is more economical to remove all the bones and fill the cavity with stuffing. Tie or skewer it into compact shape; there is then less waste, as the meat that is not used at the first dinner does not become dry and hard by keeping. In serving, the thickest part of the leg should be toward the back of the platter. Put the fork in at the top, turn the leg toward you to bring the thickest part up, and cut through to the b
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LEG OF VENISON.
LEG OF VENISON.
This is carved in the same way as a leg of mutton,—through the thickest part down to the bone....
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SADDLE OF MUTTON.
SADDLE OF MUTTON.
Remove the ends of the ribs and roll the flank under before cooking. Place it on the platter with the tail end at the left. Put the fork in firmly near the centre, and carve down to the ribs in long slices, parallel with the backbone, and the whole length. Slip the knife under and separate the slices from the ribs; do the same on the other side of the back. Divide the slices if very long. Cut the crisp fat from the sides in slanting slices. Turn partly over and remove the choice bit of tenderloi
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SADDLE OF VENISON.
SADDLE OF VENISON.
Carve the same as a saddle of mutton. Serve some of the dish gravy with each portion. Venison and mutton soon become chilled, the fat particularly, thus losing much of their delicacy. Send them to the table very hot, on hot platters; carve quickly, and serve at once on warm plates....
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HAUNCH OF VENISON OR MUTTON.
HAUNCH OF VENISON OR MUTTON.
This is the leg and loin undivided, or, as more commonly called, the hind quarter. The butcher should split the whirl-bone, disjoint the backbone, and split the ribs in the flank. The rump-bone and aitch-bone may be removed before cooking. Place it on the platter with the loin or backbone nearest the carver. Separate the leg from the loin; this is a difficult joint to divide when the bones have not been removed, but it can be done with practice. When the leg has been taken off, carve that as dir
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LOIN OF MUTTON, LAMB, VEAL, PORK, OR VENISON.
LOIN OF MUTTON, LAMB, VEAL, PORK, OR VENISON.
These should always be divided at the joints in the backbone by the butcher; then it is an easy matter to separate the ribs, serving one to each person, with a portion of the kidney and fat if desired. But if the butcher neglect to do this, and you have no cleaver with which to do it, it is better to cut slices down to the ribs parallel with the backbone, as directed in the saddle of mutton, than to suffer the annoyance of hacking at the joints. Before cooking a loin of pork, gash through the fa
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SHOULDER OF MUTTON OR VEAL.
SHOULDER OF MUTTON OR VEAL.
Place it on the platter with the thickest part up. From the thickest part cut thin slices, slanting down to the knuckle; then make several cuts across to the larger end, and remove these slices from the shoulder-blade. Separate the blade at the shoulder-joint, and remove it. Cut the meat under the blade in perpendicular slices. Any part of the forequarter of mutton is more tender and palatable, and more easily carved, if before cooking it be boned and stuffed. Or it may be boned, rolled, and cor
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FOREQUARTER OF LAMB OR VEAL.
FOREQUARTER OF LAMB OR VEAL.
This is a difficult joint for a beginner, but after a little study and practice one may manipulate it with dexterity. Some time when a lamb stew or fricassee is to be prepared, study the joint carefully and practice cutting it up, and thus become familiar with the position of the shoulder-blade joint,—the only one difficult to reach. The backbone should always be disjointed. The ribs should be divided across the breast and at the junction of the breast-bone, and the butcher should also remove th
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NECK OF VEAL.
NECK OF VEAL.
The vertebra should be disjointed, and the ribs cut on the inside through the bone only, on the thin end. Place it on the platter with the back up and cut across from left to right, where the ribs were divided, separating the small ends of the ribs from the thicker upper portion; then cut between each short rib. Carve from the back down in slanting slices, then slip the knife under close to the ribs and remove the slices. This gives a larger portion than the cutting of the slices straight would
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BREAST OF VEAL.
BREAST OF VEAL.
Place it on the dish with the breast-bone or brisket nearest you. Cut off the gristly brisket, then separate it into sections. Cut the upper part parallel with the ribs, or between each rib if very small. Slice the sweetbread, and serve a portion of brisket, rib, and sweetbread to each person....
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CALF’S HEAD.
CALF’S HEAD.
Calf’s head served whole is a favorite dish in England, but seldom seen on American tables. For those who have this preference a few hints about carving may be desirable. Place it on the platter with the face toward the right. Cut from left to right, through the middle of the cheek down to the bone, in several parallel slices of medium thickness; then separate them from the bone. Cut down at the back of the throat and slice the throat sweetbread. With the point of the knife cut out the gelatinou
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ROAST PIG.
ROAST PIG.
This is sometimes partly divided before serving. Cut off the head and divide it through the middle; then divide through the backbone. Place it on the platter back to back, with half the head on each end of the dish. If the pig be very young, it is in better style to serve it whole. Before cooking, truss the forelegs forward and the hind legs backward. Place the pig on the platter with the head at the left. Cut off the head, separating the neck-joint with the point of the knife, then cut through
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HAM.
HAM.
If the ham is not to be served whole, the simplest and most economical way is to begin near the smaller end and cut in very thin slices, on each side of the bone. Divide the slices and arrange them neatly on the dish, one lapping over another, with the fat edge outside. Where the whole ham is to appear on the table it should be trimmed neatly, and the end of the bone covered with a paper ruffle. The thickest part should be on the further side of the platter. Make an incision through the thickest
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TONGUE.
TONGUE.
The centre of the tongue is the choicest portion. Cut across in slices as thin as a wafer. The tip of the tongue is more delicate when cut lengthwise in thin slices, though this is not the usual practice....
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CORNED BEEF.
CORNED BEEF.
Corned beef should be put while hot into a pan or mould, in layers of fat and lean, with the fibres running the long way of the pan. After pressing it, place it on the platter and slice thinly from one end. This gives uniform slices, cut across the grain, each one having a fair proportion of fat and lean....
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CHARTREUSE, OR PRESSED MEAT.
CHARTREUSE, OR PRESSED MEAT.
Any moulds of meat, either plain or in jelly or rice, should be cut from one end, or in the middle and toward either end, in uniform slices, the thickness varying with the kind of meat. Be careful not to break them in serving. If only a part of a slice be desired, divide it neatly. Help also to the rice or jelly....
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TO CUT UP A CHICKEN FOR A STEW OR FRICASSEE.
TO CUT UP A CHICKEN FOR A STEW OR FRICASSEE.
Nothing is more unsightly and unappetizing than a portion of chicken with the bones chopped at all sorts of angles, and with splinters of bone in the meat. All bones will separate easily at the joint when the cord or tendon and gristly portion connecting them have been cut. After the chicken has been singed and wiped, and the crop removed from the end of the neck, place it in front of you with the breast up and the neck at the left. With a small sharp knife make an incision in the thin skin betw
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BOILED FOWL OR TURKEY.
BOILED FOWL OR TURKEY.
Fowls or turkeys for boiling should be trussed with the ends of the legs drawn into the body through a slit in the skin, and kept in place with a small skewer. Turn the tip of the wing over on the back. Cut off the neck, not the skin, close to the body, and after putting in the stuffing, fasten the skin of the neck to the back. Put strips of cloth round it, or pin it in a cloth, to keep it white and preserve the shape. In carving, place it on the platter with the head at the left. Put the fork i
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BROILED CHICKEN.
BROILED CHICKEN.
Split the chicken down the back and remove the backbone. If the chicken be very young and tender—and only such are suitable for broiling—remove the breast-bone before cooking, or cut the bone through the middle, lengthwise and crosswise from the inside, without cutting into the meat. In serving, divide through the breast from the neck down, and serve half to each person; or if a smaller portion be desired, divide each half crosswise through the breast, leaving the wing on one part and the leg on
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ROAST TURKEY.
ROAST TURKEY.
Turkeys should be carefully trussed. The wings and thighs should be brought close to the body and kept in position by skewers. The ends of the drumsticks may be drawn into the body or crossed over the tail and tied firmly. After cooking, free the ends of the drumsticks from the body and trim them with a paper ruffle. This will enable the carver to touch them if necessary without soiling his hands. Place the turkey on the platter with the head at the left. Unless the platter be very large, provid
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ROAST GOOSE.
ROAST GOOSE.
A green goose neatly trussed and “done to a turn” looks very tempting on the platter; but there is so little meat in proportion to the size of the bird that unless it be skilfully carved only a small number can be served. The breast of a goose is broader and flatter than that of a turkey. It should be carved in a different manner, although many writers give the same directions for carving both. Place it on the platter with the head at the left. Insert the fork firmly across the ridge of the brea
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ROAST DUCK.
ROAST DUCK.
Place it in the same position and carve in the same way as a goose. Begin at the wing, and cut down to the bone in long thin slices, parallel with the breast-bone; then remove them from the bone. The breast is the favorite portion; but the “wing of a flyer and the leg of a swimmer” are esteemed by epicures. The stuffing is not often desired, but if so it may be found by cutting across below the end of the breast. Geese and ducks are seldom entirely cut up at the table, as there is very little me
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PIGEONS.
PIGEONS.
These, if small, are served whole. If large, cut through the middle from the neck to the end of the breast and down through the backbone. The bones are thin, and may easily be divided with a sharp knife. When smaller portions are required, cut from the shoulder down below the leg, separating the wing and leg from the body....
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PARTRIDGES.
PARTRIDGES.
Cut through above the joint of the wing, down below the leg, and remove the wing and leg in one portion. Cut under the breast from the lower end through the ribs to the neck and remove the breast entire. Then divide it through the middle, and, if very plump, divide again. When very small they may be divided through the breast and back into two equal parts....
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LARDED GROUSE.
LARDED GROUSE.
Turn the legs over and free them from the body. Cut slices down to the bone the entire length of the breast; then slip the knife under and remove the slices. Cut off the wing and leg, and separate the backbone from the body. There are some morsels on the back which are considered choice by those who like the peculiar flavor of this game. As this is a dry meat, help generously to the bread sauce which should always accompany it. Where this is the principal dish, or where a larger portion is requi
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RABBIT.
RABBIT.
A rabbit should be trussed, with the forelegs turned toward the back, and the hind legs forward. Place it on the platter with the back up and head at the left. Remove the shoulders by cutting round between them and the body, carrying the knife up nearly to the backbone. Turn them back and cut through the joint. Remove the hind legs in the same manner. Then place the fork in the middle of the back and cut several slices from each side of the loin parallel with the backbone. The loin is the choice
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SWEETBREADS, CHOPS, AND CUTLETS.
SWEETBREADS, CHOPS, AND CUTLETS.
These are not divided, one being served to each person....
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FISH.
FISH.
A broad silver knife should be used in serving fish. Serve as little of the bone as possible, and be careful not to break the flakes. Halibut or Salmon . A middle cut, or thick piece, of halibut or salmon should be placed on the platter with the skin surface up and the back toward the farther side of the dish. Carve in thick slices down to the bone, slip the knife under and remove them. Then remove the bone, and serve the lower portion in the same manner. A thin slice of halibut should be laid o
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BAKED FISH.
BAKED FISH.
Cod, Haddock, Cusk, Blue-fish, Shad, Small Salmon, and Bass . These when served whole may be carved in a more satisfactory manner if before cooking they are prepared according to the following directions: Stuff them and place them upright in the pan instead of on one side. Fish that are broad and short like shad may be kept in place by propping with stale bread or pared potatoes; but others that are narrow in proportion to the length may be skewered or tied into the shape of the letter S. Thread
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SCALLOPED DISHES, MEAT PIES, ENTRÉES, ETC.
SCALLOPED DISHES, MEAT PIES, ENTRÉES, ETC.
Meats and fish which have the sauce on the same dish require special care in serving, that they may present a neat rather than a sloppy appearance on the plate. A drop of gravy on the edge of the plate will offend a fastidious taste. Scalloped Dishes , or anything with a crust of crumbs, should be served with a spoon. Meat Pies , with a pastry crust, require a broad knife and spoon. Put the portion on the plate neatly, with the crust or browned side up. Poached Eggs, Quails, and other Meats on T
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SALADS.
SALADS.
The most tasteful way of arranging meat-salads or fish-salads is with whole, fresh, lettuce-leaves. Put two or more leaves together on the platter, and in the nest or dish thus made lay a spoonful of the salad, with the Mayonnaise on the top. In serving, slip the spoon or broad knife under the leaves and keep them in place with the fork. Put the salad on the plate carefully, in the same position, not tipped over. Or you may have a border of fresh lettuce-leaves in the salad-dish. With the fork l
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VEGETABLES.
VEGETABLES.
In serving vegetables, take up a neat, rounding spoonful. Lay them on the bottom of the plate, not on the rim or edge. Where there are several kinds, do not let them touch each other on the plate. Serve, on separate dishes, fritters with a sweet sauce, peas , tomatoes , or any vegetable with much liquid. Asparagus on Toast is a dish that one often sees served very awkwardly. Use a square or rectangular platter rather than one narrow at the ends. The bread for the toast should be cut long and nar
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SOUPS.
SOUPS.
One ladleful of soup is sufficient for each plate. It is quite an art to take up a ladleful and pour it into the soup-plate without dropping any on the edge of the tureen or plate, and it requires a steady hand to pass the plate without slopping the soup up on the rim. Dip the ladle into the soup, take it up, and when the drop has fallen from the bottom of it, lift it over quickly but empty it slowly. Croûtons and crackers lose their crispness if put into the tureen with the soup, and should the
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TEA AND COFFEE.
TEA AND COFFEE.
Much has been written on the importance of serving neatly the various drinks for an invalid. But careful service is equally essential at the daily home table. It is mistaken generosity to fill the cup so full that when sugar and cream are added, the liquid will spill over into the saucer. One should never be compelled to clean the bottom of the cup on the edge of the saucer, or on the napkin, to keep the liquid from dripping on the cloth. In serving tea and coffee, ascertain the tastes of those
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PIES.
PIES.
It was formerly considered necessary to divide a pie with mathematical exactness into quarters or sixths. A better way is to cut out one piece of the usual size and offer it, and then if less be desired, cut off such portions as may be needed. In serving a pie, always use a fork with the knife. Pies with no undercrust are more easily served with a broad knife or a triangular knife made expressly for pies. For serving berry and juicy fruit pies, a spoon also may be needed. Where two or three kind
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PUDDINGS.
PUDDINGS.
Hot puddings of a soft consistency should be served with a spoon; sometimes a fork also is needed. With the edge of the spoon cut through the brown crust in a semicircle, slip the spoon under, and take up a spoonful; slip it off on the plate, leaving it right side up. Take special case to serve temptingly anything with a meringue....
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MOULDS OF PUDDING, CREAMS, CHARLOTTE RUSSE, ICE-CREAM, ETC.
MOULDS OF PUDDING, CREAMS, CHARLOTTE RUSSE, ICE-CREAM, ETC.
Anything stiff enough to be moulded should be cut in slices from three fourths of an inch to an inch thick; the wider slices in oval-shaped moulds may be divided through the middle. A broad silver knife with a raised edge is very convenient to use in serving Bavarian Cream, Ice-Creams, and Charlottes....
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FRUIT AND NUTS.
FRUIT AND NUTS.
A pair of grape scissors should be laid on the fruit-dish to use in dividing large bunches of grapes or raisins; but a nut-cracker is too suggestive of hotel life to be acceptable on the home table. Crack the nuts before they are sent to the table. Salt should be served with the nuts. Pass oranges, apples, pears, peaches, and bananas in the fruit-dish, to allow each person the opportunity of choice. Watermelon . Before serving, cut a slice from each end. Make incisions through the middle in the
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THE THICKNESS OF SLICES.
THE THICKNESS OF SLICES.
By “very thin slices of meat” we mean slices less than an eighth of an inch thick. “Thin slices” are from one eighth of an inch to three sixteenths of an inch in thickness. Slices of “medium thickness” are one quarter of an inch. Bread for dinner should be cut in slices one inch and a half thick, and each slice should be divided across into three or four long pieces, according to the width of the slice. For tea, cut slices three eighths of an inch thick, and for toast, one quarter of an inch. Th
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UTENSILS FOR CARVING AND SERVING.
UTENSILS FOR CARVING AND SERVING.
In any first-class cutlery store you will find knives for each special kind of carving. If your purse will permit the indulgence, it will be convenient to have a breakfast-carver, a slicer, a jointer, a game-carver, and a pair of game-scissors. But if you can afford to have only one, you will find a medium-sized meat-carver the knife best adapted to all varieties of carving. The blade should be about nine inches long and one inch and a quarter wide, slightly curved, and tapering to a point. The
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LAST BUT NOT LEAST.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST.
In offering a second portion of anything do not remind one that he has already been helped. “Can’t I give you another piece of meat or pie?” “Won’t you have some more tea or pudding?” Expressions like these are frequently heard. It is in far better taste to say, “Will you have some hot coffee?” “May I give you some of the salad?” “Let me help you to this choice portion.” We trust none of our readers will regard this suggestion as trivial. For, concerning kindness, we know that perfection is no t
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A SELECTION FROM SOME OF THE MANY NOTICES BY THE PRESS.
A SELECTION FROM SOME OF THE MANY NOTICES BY THE PRESS.
“Among all the cook-books, Mrs. D.A. Lincoln’s ‘Boston Cook-Book’ will certainly take its place as one of the very best. It is published and arranged in a very convenient and attractive form, and the style in which it is written has a certain literary quality which will tempt those who are not interested in recipes and cooking to peruse its pages. The recipes are practical, and give just those facts which are generally omitted from books of this sort, to the discouragement of the housekeeper, an
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