Cookes Instruments.
[No images located]
The most ingenious cooks, though they provide fit Nurishment for the support of a man life, yet when meate is brought in, it cannot be dressed without fit tooles and instruments made for that purpose, that thereby he may shew forth his Art and ingenuity in the good ordering of it. Now Master Cooks are generally stored with those tooles; many are, and others not, vnfitt to be born in Coats Armour.
Runner with twitchers
40. Here in this square are three Instruments belonging to the Cook. The first is termed a Runner With Twichers. Some Cooks call these Iging Irons.
Runner with a half round
The second is called a Runner with an Halfe Round. Of these there are seuerall sorts as the Runner in an handle of it selfe, with onely a Button or pricker at the other end. Some haue the Runner with a streight peece, or Angled, &c. These are to cut through past, or make veriaty of marks and indents as the nicks in the wheele and other parts, are Ordered.
Larding pin
The Third is named a Larding Pin: it is to draw long slices of Lard or fat Bacon through the breast and thighs of Turkey cocks, Pulletts, Hares, &c.
Fire fork
41. In this square is foure thing very necessary for a Range-man, one that is Imployed about the fire for Roasting of meat; the first is the fire Fork, a thing necessary to stir vp the fire when it begins to be dull, also the like Instrument is much used to take boiled meate. either out of a Pott, or Caldron, or any large furnice pan.
Feather baster
The second is a Feather Beaster; featheres bound together at the end of a long staffe, by this, meate Roasting is beasted, by dipping it into the Dripping pan in the dripped fatt and so held ouer the meate: These are generally used at great fires, when by reason of heat, the Rang man cannot come neere to beast with a Ladle.
Iron skewer
The third is called an Iron Skuer, or Skewer; these are to truss vp, and some tyme to open or keep streight meat while it is in Roasting, and of these the cooke must be stored with seuerall sorts and sizes as short and long, little and big, slender and strong, according as the largness of the meate. The crooks and bendings on the top are as the workman fancieth; most haueing the top turned round to one side.
Lady ladle
The Fourth is the Lady Ladle; a thing the cooke cannot be without, being necessary for use both to roast and boiled meates, also without it neither B[r]oth, sauces, conserves or preserues can be rightly ordered.
Tin baster
42. In this square are foure other things usefull to cooks. The first is that which lieth in the chief, and is termed a Beaster, it is a Tyn beaster, the beasting part in which the Butter, fatt, or Greavy is put, being a hollow Tyn, and the handle or staile is wood.
Twitchers
The second is that on the dexter side, which is called Twichers; this is them singly without any other kind joyned to them.
Duster
The third or that in the midle of the two, is called a Duster, or dusting Box, it is round, made of tyn, with an eare to hold it by and the couer made full of small holes, for meale or fine flower, put into it, to be dusted out vpon roasted meate.
Custard gaugers
The Fourth, or that on the sinister side is names a custard Gagers or Gages, some call them custard compasses. they have a screw and a nutt with eares, where-by they may be opened and shut at pleasure; these are to cut the height of the walls exactly of set custards.
Rolling pin
43. There is in this square Foure other thing used by cooks: The first is a Rowlling pin. It is a thing made all of an Hard wood turned round and thick in the middle and some what slenderer tapering to the ends, with a round button at one of the ends, generally to hang it by. It work is to roll out all sorts of past whether plaine or puft past, for pyes, pasties, or Tarts &c.
Saucepan
The second and vnder the former is the Sauce pan, it is usuall a brass or copper Pan Tyned all within, which is to keep sauces or Butter melted in it from Brass-severing; they generally are rimed about with an Iron hoope and and Iron staile or handle from it.
Garnisher
The Third, or that lying in base, is by cooks termed a Garnishing ... or a Brass Garnisher because generall made of Brass in the forme either of roses, Triangles, halfe rounds, or Lozenges haueing flower work or Frett works in the midle thereof. With these kind of Instruments dipt in a kind of batter and then boiled in fatt or Lard melted casts of a Molded thing sutable to the open work of the said Brasses, with which the cooks often garnish the bake meates.
There is an other way of garnishing the edges or Brims of dishes with any kind of Bird, Beast, Fish or Flower, by haueing the same cut neatly on a card, and laid on the dish, then sifting fine salt through a sive on the cutt place, the card being taken away, the figure cut in the card in the salt, will remaine on the dish brime.
There are also used by them, Tyns made hollow into seuerall shapes which being clapt vp a carrott or Turnip cut thin, will cut out that shape, the Tyn is turned or sett unto with which cooks often garnish their dishes.
Bread grater
44. he beareth a Bread Gratter, on this peece of wood is fixed two sorts of Graters, the Larger for Bread, the lesser for spice, as Ginger, Nutmugs, &c., and haue therefore their denomination from their work.
There are many other things used by Cooks, but most of them are set else where, and amongst household Goods in Cha. 14 you will find great store of them.
Previous section
Next section
