The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-03-27
LAMB AND VEAL ROASTS.
BY LOUIS ROLE.

Anything that gives the cook a good
hint, a pointer" as. we say in other
things, is of service to him or her. We
are dealing with the female cook, the
woman who does her own work, who
supplies the family table. She is the
one who needs the suggestions because
she is busy woman and has less time
to experiment than the professional
chef.
At this time of the year lamb, veal
and chicken is beginning to take the
place of beef, pork and heavier meats.
Do you know what to buy for a roast
ing piece of lamb or veal or are you
sure just what you should get for a
stew? Let us discuss the questions.
The best roast of veal or lamb is the
loin. You can get it if you ask for it
and 1t is always desirable. If you do
not especially request that cut you
quite likely will receive an inferior
piece of meat 1t is always best to get
a cut from good sized lamb while
small veal is to be preferred. The dealer
who tempts you with mammoth veal is
not your friend because the meat is not
so desirable after the calf has eaten
solid food.
In roasting, the lamb being fat (and
no other should be accepted should be
placed in che baking pan with the ribs
down while the veal being lean, should
be placed the ribs up. The reason for
this will readily occur to you as it
serves to keep the roast from drying
up when cooking. being kept moist by
the hastings in the pan. | have found
the covered baker particularly de-
sirable for these meats although it is
sometimes well to leave off the cover at
first until the roast has Drowned.
n m ~ not hal fhpcn
roasts should be rubbed well with pep
per, salt and flour and the bottom of
the pan busted with flour and well
Drowned before any basting fluid is
added or any basting done.
The reason for the last suggestion is
this: You VIA want a good brown gravy
and by browning the -four you may OBJ
tain it without the use of caramel or
other coloring substance.
One other suggestion about the gravy
or sauce, as it is called by professional
cooks The pan gravy is often the test
of a cooks efficiency. 1t is the gravy
most often used in the family and yet
quite generally far from what it should
be- The trouble is that the gravy is
not properly made. A pan gravy made
with thickening is a very poor and de-
cdedly a crude substitute for the true
pan gravy. The proper and justly pop
ular pan gravy can be made in but one
way. Pour from the baking pan all but
a few tahcspoonfuls of the fat from
the roast, put the pan on the top Of the
stove, hlend in -four and stir until it is
n rich brown and then add good stock
or water to give it the proper consis-
tency and seasoning to taste.
One word further and that regarding
chicken cooking | mean spring chicken
and not fowls in what follows. Always
remember This point that chicken to be
tender must he so newly killed as to be
still warm with animal heat or so long
killed as to have lost its rigidity, say
two or three days in the refrigerator.
Given either of these conditions and you
may cook as follows and have a nice
tender chicken. Cut up for frying, roll
IN flour, well seasoned with salt and
pepper, and fry rich brown in good
sweet fat. When we'll Drowned remove
the chicken, pour off nearly all the fat,
blend in some flour and slightly brown
add some good rich milk with salt and
pepper, put hacI; the chicken into the
gravy, cover the pan closely and put in
n moderate oven to simmer until the
chicken is tender-about 45 minutes
CenprallV