Culinary jottings

Gouffe's recipe may be condensed in this way : — reduce two table-spoonfuls of vinegar on the fire with a little salt and pepper added to it, till about a tea-spoonful remains : — strain, and add to it two table-spoonfuls of water, and two yolks of eggs ; put this on the fire and heat it thoroughly, stirring it well with a wooden spoon, and add four ounces of butter ounce by ounce by degrees, with a little water now and then to prevent its curdling. This process had better be carried out in a bain-marie, for you thus obtain the amount of gentle heat which is necessary to preserve the sauce in a velvety condition without risk of any kind. Those capital compositions mayonnaise, tartare, remoulade, ravigote, etc., are better known as cold sauces, but there are hot forms of preparing tartare and the two last named not often presented. They are descended from sauce piquante which is simply made in this way : — Fry in two ounces of melted butter an ounce of minced onion with an ounce of chopped carrot, a dessert-spoonful of parsley, one of garden cress, and one clove of garlic. When of a golden hue, add equal parts (claret-glass each) of vinegar, and water, or broth and vinegar, a tea-spoonful of salt, and one of sugar, strain, and serve hot. Some chopped truffles, gherkins, capers, or mushrooms may be added with good effect, and a spoonful of ketchup, or Harvey, is often given to it as a finishing touch. This sauce is not thickened. For hot tart are, add a large spoonful of mustard to the above, and use tarragon vinegar. For ravigote, you thicken with a little flour, and add a very little white wine, and minced shallots with some lime juice instead of vinegar. For remoulade, use neither lime nor wine, but incorporate with your frying onions and green herbs, a table -spoonful of salad oil, and add a dessert-spoonful of French mustard to finish with. Sauce poivrade (maigre) is made like sauce piquante, with this exception, that after the straining, you thicken the liquor with butter and flour, it may be served either white or brown as you may desire. If you want it white, the onions must not be allowed to take colour in the frying stage. Gouffe's brown poivrade is enriched with Espagnole, and his poivrade blanche with veloute. But these are first class sauces, of which more anon. Sauce Robert belongs to this family : — Chop up a fine sweet onion, throw the mince into a sauce-pan with an ounce of butter. Let it take colour, then add an ounce of flour by degrees, and when that has been well worked, half a pint of gravy, pepper and salt at discretion, and a pinch of sugar. When thoroughly mixed, and piping hot, pass the sauce through the tin strainer, catching up all lumps, and, at the last moment, stir in a table-spoonful of vinegar, and one of mixed mustard. Excellent with pork, veal, duck, and goose. Mustard sauce is made in this way : — Melt a couple of ounces of butter in a small sauce-pan, blend with it a dessert-spoonful of flour, and a heaped up tea-spoonful of French mustard with a pinch of salt : when thoroughly mixed, add half a pint of broth or water : let it come to the boil, then strain through the pointed strainer into a hot sauce-boat. If Durham mustard is used, a little vinegar must be added.