30 



liquid ; and the second, application of heat to albumen, -with the 

 result that the liquid was tiirned to a solid. The cook has to 

 apply heat, and ought to know something ahout what is being done. 

 Heat may be communicated by contact or by radiation : the former 

 metliod is used when food is plunged into boiling Avater, and the 

 latter when it is roasted. 



Albumen, and its great nutritious properties were next spoken 

 of, and the various forms it took under different treatment. 

 Albumen heated to 120° showed filaments, at 160° it became a 

 tender jellied solid, but Avith a gradual increase to 212° it became 

 a firm solid, and if kept at this temperature hardened and became 

 horny and cement-like in substance. The usual way of cooking an 

 egg is to place it in boiling water for three-and-a-half minutes, but 

 this is not the scientific method ; plunge the egg into boiling water, 

 take it off the fire and leave it for about ten to fifteen minutes, and 

 then you will have a properly cooked egg. 



The boiling of a leg of mutton should be carried out in a 

 similar manner. Allnimen exists in the meat between the fibres, 

 and the primary thought should be : — How can the albumen on 

 the outside be hardened so as to keep the juices in while that 

 inside shall be kept tender 1 This is effected by placing the meat 

 in boiling water, and then keeping it at the reduced temperature of 

 180°. Gelatine is hydrated when heated under the temperature of 

 boiling water, but at a dry heat above 212° de-hydration takes 

 place ; for an illustration of this, it is only necessary to go to the 

 carpenter's glue-pot and see the effect of over-heating or continual 

 heating on the glue, which gradually loses its adhesive properties. 



Stewing of steaks and meats should be conducted in the same 

 manner. It is, however, better to place a vessel containing the 

 meat in boiling water, one vessel inside the other, like the glue-pot. 

 Frying, when properly conducted, is only Ijoiling in an oil bath. 

 In ordinary boiling, the temi)erature cannot be raised above 212°; 

 but in boiling fat you can raise it to 400° or 500°. In cooking 

 fish it is important to have a fat-bath of about 2in. to Sin. deep, so 

 as to cover the fish entirely ; the frizzling heard when the fat is put 

 on the fire is not from the oil boiling but the water contained in it. 

 Fish contains a large amount of water, whicli, as it boils, drives 



