s much better than lard for
many purposes, and for frying especially; it does not leave the dark
look that is sometimes seen on articles fried in lard. The perfection of
"friture," or frying-fat, according to Gouffe, is equal parts of lard
and beef fat melted together.

Yet there are families where dripping is never used--is looked upon as
unfit to use--while the truth is that many persons quite unable to eat
articles fried in lard would find no inconvenience from those fried in
beef fat. It is as wholesome as butter, and far better for the purpose.
Butter, indeed, is only good for frying such things as omelets or
scrambled eggs; things that are cooked in a very short time, and require
no great degree of heat.

The same may be said of oil, than which, for fish, nothing can be
better. Yet it can only be used once, and is unsuitable for things
requiring long-sustained heat, as it soon gets bitter and rank.

Do not be afraid to put a pound or two of fat in your pan for frying; it
is quite as economical as to put less for it can be used over and over
again, a pail or crock being kept for the purpose of receiving it.
Always in returning it to the crock pour it through a fine strainer, so
that no sediment or brown particles may pass which would spoil the next
frying.

To clarify dripping, when poured from the meat-pan, it should go into a
bowl, instead of the crock in which you wish to keep it. Then pour into
the bowl also some boiling water, and add a little salt, stir it, and
set it away. Next day, or when cold, run a knife round the bowl, and
(unless it is pork) it will turn out in a solid cake, leaving the water
and impurities at the bottom. Now scrape the bottom of your dripping,
and put it in more boiling water till it melts, then stir again, another
pinch of salt add, and let it cool again. When you take off the cake of
fat, scrape it as before, and it is ready to be melted into the general
crock, and will now keep for months in cool weather. If you are having
frequent joints it is as well to do all your dripping together, once a
week; but do not leave it long at any season with water under it, as
that would taint it. Fat skimmed from boiled meat, _pot-au-feu_, before
the vegetables, etc., go in, is quite as good as that from roast,
treated in the same way.

Frying in batter is very easy and excellent for some things, such as
warming over meat, being far better than eggs and crumbs. Careme gives
the following rec