The new century cookery book

It is made exactly in the same manner as the foregoing, with the exception that it is fried longer (“ roasted ”) till it becomes a darker colour, a chestnut brown, or russet brown. It is best to finish the roux in a slack oven, for the slower the process the better the blending and the finer the aroma of the sauce will be. ROUX LIAISON This liaison is made by pouring prepared strained stock slowly into the stewpan containing the roux, which, as before explained, must be allowed to cool a little. The mixture is then stirred over a slow fire until it boils, and allowed to simmer until it attains the desired consistency. With brown and blond sauces the roux employed is usually made up with a ‘ mirepoix ’ to introduce the necessary flavourings. This item ‘ mirepoix ’ is more fully explained later on. EGG LIAISON This is a thickening composed of yolks of eggs beaten up and diluted with a small quantity of cream or cold white stock. Cream is more often used than stock. The sauce to which this liaison is added must necessarily be boiling, it is then removed to the side of the stove, when a ladleful of sauce is stirred into the egg mixture, then the whole is poured into the sauce, and stirred over the fire (slow) for several minutes, without permitting it to boil. Every sauce or soup which is thickened with eggs should be passed through a tammy* before it can be used. This liaison is used for blanquettes and fricassees as well as soups. BUTTER AND CREAM LIAISON. Butter and cream are incorporated in equal proportions into sauces and soups, just before they are wanted for serving. Stir vigorously without re-heating. The flavour of any sauce would become altered if butter or cream were added too soon, or if a sauce were again allowed to boil. The same may be said of butter liaisons. By this process a quantity of cold fresh butter is added in small bits to sauces the moment they are taken off the fire, they are then stirred with a whisk and served without being reheated. KNEADED BUTTER LIAISONS To incorporate or knead as much flour into butter as it will absorb to form a soft paste, and to mix it in small portions into a thin sauce (hot), stirring it constantly until all the butter is melted, constitutes what is called a kneaded butter liaison. BLOOD LIAISON This is mostly used with game and poultry entree sauces. It is made by reserving the blood of poultry or game, to which is added a little vinegar to prevent it from coagulating ; it is then strained through a fine sieve, and stirred gradually into sauces a few minutes before serving. ARROWROOT, CORNFLOUR &c., LIAISON Arrowroot, cornflour, potato-flour, fecule, or other similar farinaceous preparations are frequently used for thickening sauces. Dilute one or the other of these with a little milk, cold stock, or water, pour it through a strainer into boiling liquid, stir continually until it boils, then simmer gently for ten or fifteen minutes longer. MIREPOIX Although the word ‘ mirepoix ’ is a common term in culinary matters, it- does not in the least imply or make clear what it constitutes. It is one of the many words which the gastronomic authorities ought to abolish and substitute with a more appropriate one, one that conveys SAUCES AND THEIR COMPOSITION