ancc and condition of a chaufroix, and this is the
ice "border. This is easy enough to prepare by any-
one possessing an ice cave, as it is simply a question
of filling a border mould with plain water and setting
it in the charged cave till frozen. Another excellent
adjunct for chaufroix is the ice tray, but this
requires a special double mould, though otherwise it
presents no difficulty, and is well worth its cost in a
kitchen where chaufroix and ices are much studied.
CHAPTER XI.
SAUCES.
The question of sauces is always a puzzle, "both to
the average cook and to her mistress, and it cannot
unfortunately he asserted that either can answer it
satisfactorily. Even plain melted butter, simple as
it really is, appears to present enormous difficulties,
judging by the results only too frequently seen in
the national sauce boats. Yet without sauces, and
well-made ones at that, few, if any, entrees are
possible.
The secret of this failure is in almost all cases the
insufficient cooking of the flour and butter founda-
tions. Unless the flour is thoroughly cooked every
sauce built upon this foundation will have a raw,
harsh flavour, which nothing will eradicate entirely.
Flour takes from ten to twelve minutes steadv
V
cooking, at least, to remove this ; but as the average
cook seldom, if ever, thinks of preparing her sauces
till a few minutes before they are sent to table, it
follows naturally that her sauces are all but in-
variably raw, and consequently seldom, if ever,
smooth. The cook might save herself untold trouble
and much waste of time, temper, and material, if she
would keep at hand (as all good French cooks do)
190
ENTRIES.
a couple of jars containing white and brown roux
respectively. Uoux is practically the French synonym
for thickening, and being used in the first instance
for the stronger-flavoured brown sauces, was always
of a chestnut brown, or roux colour. When, how-
ever, economy in labour and material suggested the
advisability of replacing in white sauces the costly
process of reduction by a thickening differing only
in colour from that used for the darker, fuller
flavoured condiments, a roux blanc was invented ; a
contradiction in terms doubtless, but an intelligible
one all the same. Both are very easily prepared,
and, as said before, add greatly both to the cook’s
success and to the saving of labour. To begin with
a roux brun — put into a pan from 4oz. to 6oz. of
butter, and melt this very gently over a clear, slow
fire, stirring into it as it melts an equal quantity of
fine, sifted flour, and allow it to cook gently over the
fire till it assumes a soft, even, fawn colour ; the
slower it is cooked the better it will be, as if in the
least hurried it will most likely burn, or, at any rate,
catch, and will develope a spotty colour, and an acrid,
harsh flavour, which no subsequent dosing with
wine, cruet sauces, &c., will ever entirely overcome.
When it has reached the required colouring, which
will probably take fully half an hour, if not more,
a slight seasoning of salt should be added to it (do
not overdo this, as it is only used as a preservative,
the actual seasoning of the sauce being added later).
This paste will keep in a cool place for several days,
and may be used as required thus— take out with a
spoon the amount you need (remembering that a
1
SAUCES.
191
Page 92
Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
ance and condition of a chaufroix, and this is the ice "border. This is easy enough to prepare by anyone possessing an ice cave, as it is simply a question of filling a border mould with plain water and setting it in the charged cave till frozen. Another excellent adjunct for chaufroix is the ice tray, but this requires a special double mould, though otherwise it presents no difficulty, and is well worth its cost in a kitchen where chaufroix and ices are much studied.
CHAPTER XI.
The question of sauces is always a puzzle, "both to the average cook and to her mistress, and it cannot unfortunately he asserted that either can answer it satisfactorily. Even plain melted butter, simple as it really is, appears to present enormous difficulties, judging by the results only too frequently seen in the national sauce boats. Yet without sauces, and well-made ones at that, few, if any, entrees are possible.
The secret of this failure is in almost all cases the insufficient cooking of the flour and butter foundations. Unless the flour is thoroughly cooked every sauce built upon this foundation will have a raw, harsh flavour, which nothing will eradicate entirely. flour takes from ten to twelve minutes steady
cooking, at least, to remove this ; but as the average cook seldom, if ever, thinks of preparing her sauces till a few minutes before they are sent to table, it follows naturally that her sauces are all but invariably raw, and consequently seldom, if ever, smooth. The cook might save herself untold trouble and much waste of time, temper, and material, if she would keep at hand (as all good French cooks do)
a couple of jars containing white and brown roux respectively. Uoux is practically the French synonym for thickening, and being used in the first instance for the stronger-flavoured brown sauces, was always of a chestnut brown, or roux colour. When, however, economy in labour and material suggested the advisability of replacing in white sauces the costly process of reduction by a thickening differing only in colour from that used for the darker, fuller flavoured condiments, a roux blanc was invented ; a contradiction in terms doubtless, but an intelligible one all the same. Both are very easily prepared, and, as said before, add greatly both to the cook’s success and to the saving of labour. To begin with a roux brun — put into a pan from 4oz. to 6oz. of butter, and melt this very gently over a clear, slow fire, stirring into it as it melts an equal quantity of fine, sifted flour, and allow it to cook gently over the fire till it assumes a soft, even, fawn colour ; the slower it is cooked the better it will be, as if in the least hurried it will most likely burn, or, at any rate, catch, and will develope a spotty colour, and an acrid, harsh flavour, which no subsequent dosing with wine, cruet sauces, &c., will ever entirely overcome. When it has reached the required colouring, which will probably take fully half an hour, if not more, a slight seasoning of salt should be added to it (do not overdo this, as it is only used as a preservative, the actual seasoning of the sauce being added later). This paste will keep in a cool place for several days, and may be used as required thus— take out with a spoon the amount you need (remembering that a