Home cookery

A careless or incapable cook never makes good sauces. They are the part of cookery which requires the greatest care and accuracy. All sauces containing flour must be well boiled and well stirred. If they are not well boiled they will not thicken properly, and will taste of raw flour. If they are not well stirred they will be lumpy. Sauces of this kind should not be made a long time before they are wanted, and allowed to stand ; if this is done they will be lumpy. Sauces should be as smooth as possible. Melted Butter. This is most erroneously supposed to be **the only English sauce." It is, however, the foundation of many sauces, and, as such, should receive more care and attention than generally falls to its lot. The ingredients are usually : — Flour f oz. Butter I oz. Water J pint. Salt a pinch. The above quantities are merely average. When a richer sauce is required more butter is used ; also it must be remembered that the thickening properties of flour difl'er greatly, and sometimes a larger quantity may be necessary. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, cook well in the butter, then take it off the fire, and stir in gradually the cold water. Boil for three or four minutes. Sauces for Fish. In all these sauces fish stock, made from simmering the trimmings and bones of fish in milk or water, is preferable to plain milk or water. Oyster Sauce Oysters Butter Flour Cream Lemon juice I oz. f oz. 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls. a few drops, to taste, i pint. Cayenne and salt Milk and oyster liquor Drain the oysters from their liquor, blanch and beard them, and simmer the beards in the oyster liquor and milk, of which, after simmering, there must be half a pint. Cook the butter and flour together ; add the strained milk and oyster liquor, and stir over the fire till it has thickened ; let it boil well, stirring well all the time. Add the cream, seasoning, oysters, and lemon juice. Let all be thoroughly heated, but it must not boil. Lobster Sauce. Lobster. Butter oz. Flour I oz. Cream 2 tablespoonfuls. Lemon juice. Cayenne and salt. Milk J pint when reduced. Take the flesh from the tail and claws of a small lobster, cut it into small pieces, but do not mince it. Pound the spawn with half an ounce of the butter, rub through a sieve. Stew the shell of the lobster in milk till it is reduced to half a pint. Cook the flour in the rest of the butter, then add the strained milk, and stir till it has boiled well. Now add the spawn, lobster, cream, cayenne, and salt. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil. Last of all, add a few drops of lemon juice. Crab Sauce. I moderate sized crab. Butter Flour Cream Anchovy sauce Milk Lemon juice Cayenne. I oz. 1 oz. 2 tablespoonfuls. I dessertspoonful, rather more than ^ a few drops. pmt. This may sometimes be used as a substitute for lobster sauce, and is less expensive. Take the flesh from the body and claw of the crab, cut it into small pieces, stew the shell of the crab in milk till it is reduced to half a pint. Cook the flour in the butter, add the milk (strained), and stir over the fire till it has boiled well. Add the cream, crab, anchovy sauce, and cayenne, heat thoroughly, last of all stir in the lemon juice. Shrimp Sauce. Shrimps (picked) Butter Flour New milk