276 On the Construction of Kitchen 



roasters, in preference to coal, where it can be had; 

 and the quantity of it required is so extremely small, 

 that the difference in the expense would be very 

 trifling, even here in London, where the price of 

 fire-wood is so high. And if the durability of the 

 machinery be taken into the account, which is but 

 just, I am confident that, for heating roasters and 

 ovens constructed of sheet iron, coals would turn out 

 to be dearer fuel than wood. 



I have already insisted so much on the necessity of 

 keeping a quantity of water under meat that is roast- 

 ing, in order to prevent the drippings from the meat 

 from falling on any very hot metal, that I shall not now 

 enlarge farther on the subject, except by saying once 

 more that it is a circumstance to which it is indispen- 

 sably necessary to pay attention. 



When meat is roasted by a very moderate heat, it 

 will seldom or never require being either turned or 

 basted ; but, when the heat in the roaster is more in- 

 tense, it will be found useful both to turn it and to 

 baste it three or four times during the process. The 

 reason of this difference in the manner of proceeding 

 will be evident to those who consider the matter with 

 attention. 



When roasters are constructed of large dimensions, 

 several kinds of meat may be roasted in them at the 

 same time. If care be taken to preserve their drip- 

 pings separate, which may easily be done by placing 

 under each a separate dish or dripping-pan, standing 

 in water contained in a larger dripping-pan, there will 

 be no mixture of tastes ; and, what no doubt will ap- 

 pear still more extraordinary, a whole dinner, consist- 

 ing of various dishes, roasted, stewed, baked, and 



