As this is the most common mode of preparing food for human sustenance, it is therefore the more necessary that its principles should be well understood; for though the operations of boiling may appear to be very simple, yet a great deal of skill and judgment is required to carry them into effect properly. We repeat, that the young cook ought to read attentively our observations upon this subject, in the " Introductory Remarks." Instead of using the word boiling, we ought rather to have said, the mode of preparing meats for food by means of hot water; for we are quite convinced, that all meats are more or less injured by being subjected to a boiling heat; that is, a heat of 212° of Fahrenheit. We have dressed salt cod fish in water never exceeding 145° of heat, and it was much more tender, and better flavoured, than when dressed in boiling water: we ought to add, that the fish is required to remain in this partially hot water four or five hours, in which time it becomes divested of the salt, and eats, comparatively speaking, quite fresh.

146. Take care that your vessel is large enough for the water to cover the meat, and to surround it. Do not suffer the steam to escape; and to effect this, see that the lid of the vessel fits it as closely as possible; by this means the water may be kept at a proper heat, that is to say, nearly simmering, but not bubbling, whereby fuel will be saved, and the meat much better dressed. In short, one of the greatest errors that can be committed in boiling meat, is to suffer the water to boil violently. It has the effect of hardening the outside of the joints, or, in other words, making it tough, while the inside will be raw, or only partially done.

147. Always prefer soft water to hard, whenever the former is to be procured. River, or clean rain water, should be used in preference to hard spring water; but your water must always be as pure and as bright as possible.

148. In making up a fire for cooking, regard must be had as to whether it is intended for boiling or roasting, or for both. A moderate fire is best for boiling, but a brisk and somewhat fierce fire is required for roasting. If you are going to roast and boil at the same fire, you must take care that your boiling vessels are sufficiently far removed from it. With a good kitchen range, or steam cooking apparatus, all this may be done without difficulty or trouble.

149. All fresh meats are directed by the generality of culinary writers to be put into the pot, or saucepan, when the water is warm, not hot; but salt meat, for the most part, should be put in when the water is perfectly cold; by this means the superfluous salt will be extracted from it. The pot should not, with fresh meat, be allowed to boil, or rather to arrive at the boiling point, under forty or fifty minutes; more time should be taken with salt meat. The usual direction is, as above, to put fresh meat into warm water - but we are convinced, that the better plan is always to use cold. Meat, thoroughly cooked, will take twenty minutes boiling to each pound. Salt, a little more.

150. When the scum rises, let it be carefully removed; and if the heat of the water is checked with a small portion of cold water, it will throw up an additional scum, which must, of course, be also carefully taken away. The scum rises just as the water is beginning to boil. The nice clear appearance of the meat, when done, in a great measure depends upon attending to the above directions.

151. When the liquor in your vessel once boils, after all the scum has been cleared away, let it continue to simmer till the meat is done. From fifteen to twenty minutes is generally directed to be allowed for each pound of meat, but twenty is better. Never stick your fork into meat, whether boiling or roasting, upon any account; the effect will be to let out the gravy. Bacon is an exception.

152. Meats of any description, just killed, and still warm, whether to be roasted or boiled, will do as soon, and eat as tender, as meat which has hung the usual time; but if once suffered to become cold after slaughtering, it will require more dressing, and after all will not eat so tenderly, unless hung a proper time.

153. Meat which has been frozen must be immersed in cold water two or three hours, or till the frost is taken out of it, before it is dressed, or it will never be well done. In cold weather meat requires more dressing than in warm.

154. Salt meat will require more boiling than fresh, and thick parts, whether salt or fresh, rather more than thin ones.

155. In boiling bacon, if very salt, it is a good plan to take away a part or the whole of the water, when it is on the point of boiling, and filling up the pot with cold water. This process renders it more mild. Bacon or ham is done when the skin is easily removed, or the fork leaves it readily.

156. Hams, beef, tongues, and even pork, which have been kept long in pickle, should be soaked before they are boiled - if hard, in warm water. A ham weighing twenty pounds, or upwards, will take from five to six hours to dress it well (the water should not boil); and a large dry tongue should be boiled, or rather simmered, for four hours or more. The following is a good plan to dress a ham: Put a certain quantity of suet into the pan which is to be used for the cooking of the ham; then put in the ham and cover it with paper, over which lay a cover of coarse paste, or the paper may be used without the paste, or the paste without the paper; place the pan in the oven, where let it remain till the ham is done. The gravy coming from the meat will be a jelly, which, mixed with fresh stock or broth for gravies, etc. will greatly improve it.

157. Meat boiled by steam requires no water unless soup is wanted. Meat boiled in the ordinary way should not be permitted to touch the bottom of the pot. This object may be effected by placing a fish-drain in the pot, or by putting a plate upside down in it, or laying some skewers serosa it a little way from the bottom.

158. There is a method of boiling meat without allowing it to touch or come in contact with the water. This plan, which is little followed in America, has been strongly recommended. To effect this object, fowls filled with oysters may be boiled in a bladder, or in a close jar, by which means they are deliciously stewed, and the flavour and animal juices are all preserved. Meat of any description may be dressed in a similar manner, that is, by putting it into a close jar and immersed in water, which is kept boiling till the meat is done. The Scotch dress their haggis in this way, and the custom was followed by the ancient Romans. Similar modes of dressing meat are used by savages in different parts of the world.

159. Any thing that is to be warmed and sent to the table a second time, should be put into a basin or jar, placed in hot water, which is not permitted to come to the boiling point. If allowed to boil, the meat will harden, or the sauce will be reduced and become thick; by avoiding these chances the flavour will be preserved, and the viands may be warmed up more than once without injury. The steam apparatus now employed in most kitchens, is admirably adapted to this purpose, since the heat can be regulated by the required temperature.

160. The heads, brains, and so forth, of animals, every thing in fact, which in the cleaning process requires soaking, should be soaked in warm, not hot water, as the hot will fix the blood, and injure both the appearance and flavour of the viand. All cooks must be particular in keeping their saucepans well skimmed; nothing will more completely spoil a dish of any kind than the neglect of this essential point. In order to take off the fat from the braise, or any other gravy, plunge the basin containing it into cold water; the fat will immediately coagulate, and may be removed.

161. It is much better to dress meat immediately after it is killed, that is, while it is warm, than to suffer it to get cold, and not let it hang a proper length of time. Indeed, there is no doubt that meat dressed while warm is as tender, or nearly as tender, as when it has been hung for some days. If, therefore, you cannot procure well-hung meat, and can get that which has been just killed, you ought to orefer the latter.

162. Bacon, ham, and salt beef, may be done, if you want to use your fire for vegetables, half an hour before serving, as it will not sustain any injury by remaining that time in the hot liquor; but all other descriptions of meat would be injured by such a course of proceeding

163. Potatoes must never be boiled with meat, or indeed with any thing else, for the meat is injured by the potatoes and the potatoes by the meat.

164. You may boil turnips, carrot?, parsnips, and pease pudding-, with salt meat; by so doing these vegetables will be improved, and the meat not injured; but the liquor will not keep so long, though it will be rendered better for some kinds of soup.

165. Green vegetables, such as savoys, etc, should be always put into boiling water with a handful of salt, particularly if they are harsh and strong; they are generally kept boiling till they are done. In warm countries, in Italy, for instance, they first boil them in a large quantity of water for a considerable time; but as this will neither make them sweet nor tender, they are frequently taken out of the pot, and well washed in cold spring water; they are then boiled again till they are sweet and tender. Old tough meat may be similarly treated with like effect.

166. Old potatoes roust never be put into warm or hot water. On the contrary, the water in which this useful vegetable is boiled should be perfectly cold when the potatoes are first put in. New potatoes are better put in boiling water.