When the water is just on the boil add the coffee and sugar, mix well as above, give just a boil and serve. The grouts of coffee will in a few seconds fall to the bottom of the cups. The Turks wisely leave it there, I would advise every one in camp to do the same.
No. 14.—Cocoa for Eighty Men.
Break eighty portions of ration cocoa in rather small pieces, put them in the boiler, with five or six pints of water, light the fire, stir the cocoa round till melted, and forming a pulp not too thick, preventing any lumps forming, add to it the remaining water, hot or cold; add the ration sugar, and when just boiling, it is ready for serving. If short of cocoa in campaigning, put about sixty rations, and when in pulp, add half a pound of flour or arrowroot.
Easy and excellent way of Cooking in Earthen Pans.
A very favourite and plain dish amongst the convalescent and orderlies at Scutari was the following:—
Soyer’s Baking Stewing Pan, the drawing of which I extract from my “Shilling Cookery.” The simplicity of the process, and the economical system of cooking which may be produced in it, induced me to introduce it here.
Each pan is capable of cooking for fifteen men, and no matter how hard may be the meat, or small the cutting, or poor the quality,—while fresh it would always make an excellent dish. Proceed as follows:—Cut any part of either beef (cheek or tail), veal, mutton, or pork, in fact any hard part of the animal, in 4oz. slices; have ready for each 4 or 5 onions and 4 or 5 pounds of potatoes cut in slices; put a layer of potatoes at the bottom of the pan, then a layer of meat, season to each pound 1 teaspoonful of salt, quarter 1 of pepper, and some onion you have already minced; then lay in layers of meat and potatoes alternately till full; put in 2 pints of water, lay on the lid, close the bar, lock the pot, bake two hours, and serve.
Remove some of the fat from the top, if too much; a few dumplings, as No. 21, in it will also be found excellent. By adding over each layer a little flour it makes a thick rich sauce. Half fresh meat and salt ditto will also be found excellent. The price of these pans is moderate, and they last a long time—manufacturers, Messrs. Deane and Dray.[36]