第25部分(第4/7 頁)

d　points；　we　have　achieved　this　thing　unconsciously。　Your　ordinary　Englishwoman　engaged　in　cooking　probably　has　no　other　thought　than　to　make　the　food　masticable；　but　reflect　on　the　results；　when　the　thing　is　well　done；　and　there　appears　a　culinary　principle。　Nothing　could　be　simpler；　yet　nothing　more　right　and　reasonable。　The　aim　of　English　cooking　is　so　to　deal　with　the　raw　material　of　man's　nourishment　as　to　bring　out；　for　the　healthy　palate；　all　its　natural　juices　and　savours。　And　in　this；　when　the　cook　has　any　measure　of　natural　or　acquired　skill；　we　most　notably　succeed。　Our　beef　is　veritably　beef；　at　its　best；　such　beef　as　can　be　eaten　in　no　other　country　under　the　sun；　our　mutton　is　mutton　in　its　purest　essence……think　of　a　shoulder　of　Southdown　at　the　moment　when　the　first　jet　of　gravy　starts　under　the　carving　knife！　Each　of　our　vegetables　yields　its　separate　and　characteristic　sweetness。　It　never　occurs　to　us　to　disguise　the　genuine　flavour　of　food；　if　such　a　process　be　necessary；　then　something　is　wrong　with　the　food　itself。　Some　wiseacre　scoffed　at　us　as　the　people　with　only　one　sauce。　The　fact　is；　we　have　as　many　sauces　as　we　have　kinds　of　meat；　each；　in　the　process　of　cookery；　yields　its　native　sap；　and　this　is　the　best　of　all　sauces　conceivable。　Only　English　folk　know　what　is　meant　by　GRAVY；　consequently；　the　English　alone　are　petent　to　speak　on　the　question　of　sauce。

To　be　sure；　this　culinary　principle　presupposes　food　of　the　finest　quality。　If　your　beef　and　your　mutton　have　flavours　scarcely　distinguishable；　whilst　both　this　and　that　might　conceivably　be　veal；　you　will　go　to　work　in　quite　a　different　way；　your　object　must　then　be　to　disguise；　to　counterfeit；　to　add　an　alien　relish……in　short；　to　do　anything　EXCEPT　insist　upon　the　natural　quality　of