a hot silver dish with its savoury contents thrust in between
you and the lady you have taken in to dinner ; conversation
would never be annoyingly interrupted ; pretty costumes
and dress coats would be less liable to be baptized with hot
gravy, whilst much valuable time would be saved=
oxacA-T^TEi^ :r^.
Sauces.
fHE consideration of sauces may certainly be rcGfarded
as the most interesting part of the study of cookery.
So much, indeed, is to be gained by this branch of
the art, that I might almost call it the most important.
Whether for fish, for flesh, or fowl, the assistance thus con-
tributed is invaluable. "Without penetrating very deeply
into the mazes of elaborate cookery, if you once master tho
broad principles of sauce-making, you need never be at a
loss for variety in your dishes ; you will be able to improve
good meat, and make that which is indifferent palatable ;
whilst with cold things you will rarely fail to turn out little
rechauffes which will be at once tasty, and economical.
Now, I do not consider it a difficult thing to teach a
native cook the fundamental rules of this part of his work,
for they are simple. The labour is so slight that, if suffi-
ciently devoted to your task, you can select a recipe and
absolutely show the man step by step how to carry it out.
For a demonstration of this kind, you must, of course,
order all the ingredients you may require beforehand, and
have a mineral oil-stove, or brazier of charcoal, brought
into a sheltered verandah, or spare room. The trouble
this may cost you will, in nine cases out of ten, be amply
repaid, for with the native mind practical proof is far more
effective than theoretical discussion.
SAUCES. 79
For sauce-making, in general, you must possess four or
fire small sauce-pans in sizes, a bain-marie pan to set tliem
in, a small pair of scales, two wooden spoons, a plated spoon
of each size, a flour dredger, a couple of eartlienware bowls,
a block tin perforated strainer (a pointed one for choice)
with handle, a wire sieve, a hair sieve, and a mortar.
The materials you will call into play from time to time
will be : — butter, flour, eggs, pepper, salt, onions, limes, a
few cloves of garlic, spices, the contents of your cruet-
stand, say : — Harvey, and mushroom ketchup ; anchovy,
chilli, tarragon, and French vinegars ; besides mustard,
with pickled gherkins, capers, and red-currant jelly. Care-
fully-made gravy, broth, or stock, will generally be want-
ed, for which special provision must be made, but for
ordinary sauces, you can generally manage to make enough
broth from scraps and trimmings. In doing this you have
the consolation of knowing that there is nothing wasted.
Sundry spoonfuls of red or white wine will be necessary
now and then, and if you wander beyond the Rubicon of
moderation to the realms of high art, you will naturally ask
for champagne, truffles, cocks-combs, cream, mushrooms,
and olives.
Page 45
Presented as published in 1885. 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
a hot silver dish with its savoury contents thrust in between you and the lady you have taken in to dinner ; conversation would never be annoyingly interrupted ; pretty costumes and dress coats would be less liable to be baptized with hot gravy, whilst much valuable time would be saved=
Sauces.
fHE consideration of sauces may certainly be rcGfarded as the most interesting part of the study of cookery. So much, indeed, is to be gained by this branch of the art, that I might almost call it the most important. Whether for fish, for flesh, or fowl, the assistance thus contributed is invaluable. "Without penetrating very deeply into the mazes of elaborate cookery, if you once master tho broad principles of sauce-making, you need never be at a loss for variety in your dishes ; you will be able to improve good meat, and make that which is indifferent palatable ; whilst with cold things you will rarely fail to turn out little rechauffes which will be at once tasty, and economical.
Now, I do not consider it a difficult thing to teach a native cook the fundamental rules of this part of his work, for they are simple. The labour is so slight that, if sufficiently devoted to your task, you can select a recipe and absolutely show the man step by step how to carry it out. For a demonstration of this kind, you must, of course, order all the ingredients you may require beforehand, and have a mineral oil-stove, or brazier of charcoal, brought into a sheltered verandah, or spare room. The trouble this may cost you will, in nine cases out of ten, be amply repaid, for with the native mind practical proof is far more effective than theoretical discussion.
For sauce-making, in general, you must possess four or five small sauce-pans in sizes, a bain-marie pan to set tliem in, a small pair of scales, two wooden spoons, a plated spoon of each size, a flour dredger, a couple of eartlienware bowls, a block tin perforated strainer (a pointed one for choice) with handle, a wire sieve, a hair sieve, and a mortar.
The materials you will call into play from time to time will be : — butter, flour, eggs, pepper, salt, onions, limes, a few cloves of garlic, spices, the contents of your cruetstand, say : — Harvey, and mushroom ketchup ; anchovy, chilli, tarragon, and French vinegars ; besides mustard, with pickled gherkins, capers, and red-currant jelly. Carefully-made gravy, broth, or stock, will generally be wanted, for which special provision must be made, but for ordinary sauces, you can generally manage to make enough broth from scraps and trimmings. In doing this you have the consolation of knowing that there is nothing wasted. Sundry spoonfuls of red or white wine will be necessary now and then, and if you wander beyond the Rubicon of moderation to the realms of high art, you will naturally ask for champagne, truffles, cocks-combs, cream, mushrooms, and olives.