Cookery

Reserve Sauce. — Make a brown roux with two ounces of butter and two tablespoonfuls of flour, and add a breakfastcupful of stock ; let this simmer slowly for three hours. Skim it when necessary, and occasionally take up a ladleful of the contents, allowing them to drop slowly back into the saucepan. Strain and put the sauce into a gallipot ; when cold cover with a layer of butter. It will keep for some time, and is useful as the basis of all kinds of brown sauces, and as a cold garnish for pies, etc. Bechamel. — Slice an onion and a small carrot, and cut into small pieces two or three slices of lean ham ; put them into a saucepan with two or three ounces of butter, stir in two tablespoonfuls of flour (do not give these ingredients time to brown, simply toss them in the pan until they have absorbed the butter); then add the necessary quantity of liquid to allow of its reducing, in the shape of equal quantities of milk and warm stock. Put in a bouquet, and salt and pepper to taste ; stir it, and let it slowly boil for twenty minutes, during which time it will be reduced to the proper consistency. Thicken it with the yolks of two eggs and a small piece of butter. Strain through a fine sieve or tammy, and use as required. Cream Sauce. — Put into a saucepan about three ounces of butter, one tablespoonful of flour, a heaped dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, chives and chervil, a pinch of salt, one of black pepper, some grated nutmeg, and a small tumblerful of cream or good fresh milk ; stir this over the fire and let it boil for a quarter of an hour. It is an excellent adjunct to potatoes, fish, etc. Sauce Blonde. — Put into a small saucepan a small piece of butter (Brand’s marrow fat is equally good for such purposes), in this brown a tablespoonful of flour, moisten with the necessary quantity of stock, add sufficient pepper, salt, mace, and either chopped eschalots or onions to taste. Thicken with the yolk of one egg, and serve with vegetables and stewed meat. Sauce Blonde (with Wine). — Proceed as before, and . put in equal parts of stock and cooking wine, red or white according to the sort of dish for which it is wanted, the juice of half a lemon, and a chopped gherkin. Red wine would be suitable for game and dark meats generally, whereas white wine would suit chicken, fish, etc. To produce a better flavour add a few drops of Maggi’s essence. Sauce Brune (Brown Sauce for Hashes, etc.) — Heat a little butter in a saucepan with some flour. When this is quite brown without being at all burnt, add the necessary quantity of stock, a small tumblerful of red wine, some chopped onions, half an eschalot, a very little garlic, half a bay-leaf, a blade or two of mace, and salt and pepper to taste. Let this boil freely for about twenty minutes, and thicken it a little if necessary. Sauce Paulette. — Stir a piece of butter in a saucepan over the fire, and as soon as it is hot put in a tablespoonful of flour, stirring all the time. Add a cupful of stock, salt and pepper to taste, and a blade of mace. Let it boil over a brisk fire for about twenty minutes. After this, thicken it with a tiny lump of butter, add the yolk of one egg, and finish off with a few drops of lemon juice or white wine vinegar.