Hand-Book of Practical Cookery, for Ladies and Professional Cooks: Containing the Whole Science and Art of Preparing Human Food

to a yolk of egg makes it thick enough. It makes an excellent drink, to be taken just before retiring, for persons with cough. LARD. Never buy lard ready made if you can help it, but take hog's fat, the part enveloping the kidneys, or leaf lard, and chop it fine, put it in a cast-iron or crockery kettle with a bay-leaf and a stalk of thyme to every two pounds of fat; set on a moderate fire, and as soon as it begins to melt, take the melted part out with a ladle, and put it in a stone jar or pot; be careful not to take any pieces of fat not yet melted. Continue that process till it is all melted. The dry or hard part that remains at the bottom of the kettle when done is no good. Lard made thus is as white as snow, and may be kept a long time. When there is water in lard, it flies all over the fire; in that case, boil it a few minutes with a cover on the pan, and then use. FAT FOR FRYING. Take beef suet, the part around the kidneys, or any kind of fat, raw or cooked; remove as much as possible fibres, nerves, thin skin, or bones; chop it fine, put it in a cast-iron or crockery kettle; add to it the fat you may have skimmed from the top of broth, sauces or, gravies. Set the pan on a moderate fire; boil gently for about fifteen minutes, skim it well during the process; take from the fire, let it stand about five minutes, and then strain. Put it in a stone jar or pot, and keep it in a dry and cool place. Cover the jar when perfectly cold. It is as good as lard and more handy; it does not fly over the pan like lard. A careful cook seldom buys fat; generally there is enough coming from skimming of broth, sauces, and gravies, for every purpose. TO CLARIFY FAT. Set the fat on a moderate fire in a pan,