Vintage cookbooks are portals to another time and place that doesn’t exist anymore in this day of the Internet, iPads, apps and Kindles. They served as not only inspiration for dishes and ingredients, they also functioned as instruction manuals for devoted housewives. Most cookbooks published from the early- to mid-20th century begin with an illustrated course on how to set the table for various occasions; what the various dishes, glasses and silverware are to be used for; and basic nutrition and meal guidelines to follow.
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Kitchen Gems: Vintage Cookbooks
Try your hand at a recipe from yesteryear with this Whole Roast Chicken Recipe from a vintage cookbook.
Whole Roast Chicken Recipe (Gebraden Kip)
From The Melting Pot of Mennonite Cookery (1974)
Place 1 c. butter in a kettle (iron preferably) and melt. Put in a whole chicken which has been thoroughly dried. Brown on all sides.
Add 1/2 c. water and cover tightly. Cook slowly, adding not more than another 1/2 c. water, to keep chicken from burning.
Cook 1 hour and salt the chicken to taste. Allow 3 hours for a year-old chicken to become tender.
Make a gravy with the liquid remaining by making a paste of flour and water and bring liquid to boil. Serve on chicken.Â
Modern Translation:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 broiler chicken, cleaned and patted dry
1 cup water, divided
Salt
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
In large cast-iron Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Place whole chicken in pot, turning every few minutes, until browned on all sides.Â
Add 1/2 cup water and cover tightly. Cook over low heat, adding no more than another 1/2 cup water to keep chicken from burning.
Cook chicken for 1 hour and season with salt. When meat is cooked through and juices run clear, remove chicken to serving plate, reserving cooking liquid in pot.Â
Place 4 tablespoons flour in small bowl. Add enough water to make paste. Heat reserved cooking liquid over medium heat. To cooking liquid, whisk in 2 tablespoons paste and bring to a boil. Add as much flour paste as necessary to thicken and make gravy. Serve gravy alongside the chicken.
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