Thickening with Butter or Butter and Cream. — Although it is usual to speak of thickening sauce or soup with butter or butter and cream, these articles do not by themselves serve to thicken the liquor, but only to make it smooth and rich. A little cold butter added at the last moment to sauce greatly improves its flavor; but it should be remembered that it must not be put in until the sauce is poured into the tureen in which it is to be served, and that then it should be stirred until it is dissolved. In the same way, butter or a mixture of butter and cream may be added to soups. Thickening of Egg. — Boil the sauce, and take it off the fire for two minutes that it may partially cool. Beat the yolks of the eggs, and mix them with a spoonful of cold broth or water and a small portion of the hot sauce. Stir them briskly to the re- mainder of the sauce, and continue stirring over the fire until it is very hot. It must not boil or it will curdle. Thickening of Farinaceous Sub- stances. — Occasionally arrow - root, ground rice, or flour without butter is used to thicken soups and sauces. In this case put the thickening sub- stance into a basin, moisten gradu- ally with a little cold stock, water, or milk, and beat it with the back of a spoon until no lumps are to be found in it. With one hand pour this batter into the soup or sauce, which should be boiling quickly at the time, and with the other stir it briskly. Let it boil for a few minutes and it will be ready for serving. Invalids and per- sons of delicate taste often object strongly to butter in their sauces. Thickening, Quickly Made (for im- mediate use). — When it is wished to thicken sauces, and brown thicken- ing. is not at hand, dissolve x/z oz. of butter, and then mix smoothly with it a table - spoonful of flour. Stir it quickly over a gentle fire with a wood- en spoon for three minutes, moisten gradually with a pint of stock or broth, let it boil three or four min- utes, season properly, and it will be ready for use. Sufficient for a pint of sauce. Thickening, Simple (for ordinary brown soup). — Put a breakfast-cup- ful of stock into a saucepan with Y\ oz. of sage, x/\ oz. of chopped 194 Green Pease GRUEL Gumbo Fil6 onion, % oz. of grated lemon-peel, and 2 ozs. of celery. Let these simmer gently for half an hour, strain the liquor, and rub the herbs through a fine sieve. Dissolve 6 ozs. of butter, and incorporate with it, gradually and thoroughly, 6 ozs. of dried flour. Stir it quickly over a gentle fire till it is lightly browned. Moisten the mixt- ure with the liquor from the herbs, and it will be ready for the soup, which ought to boil for an hour after it is added. Suitable seasoning will of course be required in addition. Time, three-quarters of an hour. Sufficient for five quarts of soup. Thickening, White (for sauces). — In making white thickening for sauces✪ White Thickening for Sauces follow exactly the directions given for making brown thickening, remembering only that the mixture must not be allowed to color. In order to prevent this it must be baked over a very gentle fire, and it must not re- main on the fire so long as in the former case. When done enough it must be turned into an earthen jar and set aside for use. White thickening is used for thickening white sauces. Time to bake, about twenty minutes. A dessert-spoonful will thicken a pint of gravy.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Thickening with Butter or Butter and Cream. — Although it is usual to speak of thickening sauce or soup with butter or butter and cream, these articles do not by themselves serve to thicken the liquor, but only to make it smooth and rich. A little cold butter added at the last moment to sauce greatly improves its flavor; but it should be remembered that it must not be put in until the sauce is poured into the tureen in which it is to be served, and that then it should be stirred until it is dissolved. In the same way, butter or a mixture of butter and cream may be added to soups. Thickening of Egg. — Boil the sauce, and take it off the fire for two minutes that it may partially cool. Beat the yolks of the eggs, and mix them with a spoonful of cold broth or water and a small portion of the hot sauce. Stir them briskly to the remainder of the sauce, and continue stirring over the fire until it is very hot. It must not boil or it will curdle. Thickening of Farinaceous Substances. — Occasionally arrow - root, ground rice, or flour without butter is used to thicken soups and sauces. In this case put the thickening substance into a basin, moisten gradually with a little cold stock, water, or milk, and beat it with the back of a spoon until no lumps are to be found in it. With one hand pour this batter into the soup or sauce, which should be boiling quickly at the time, and with the other stir it briskly. Let it boil for a few minutes and it will be ready for serving. Invalids and persons of delicate taste often object strongly to butter in their sauces. Thickening, Quickly Made (for immediate use). — When it is wished to thicken sauces, and brown thickening. is not at hand, dissolve x/z oz. of butter, and then mix smoothly with it a table - spoonful of flour. Stir it quickly over a gentle fire with a wooden spoon for three minutes, moisten gradually with a pint of stock or broth, let it boil three or four minutes, season properly, and it will be ready for use. Sufficient for a pint of sauce. Thickening, Simple (for ordinary brown soup). — Put a breakfast-cupful of stock into a saucepan with Y\ oz. of sage, x/\ oz. of chopped Green Pease GRUEL Gumbo Fil6 onion, % oz. of grated lemon-peel, and 2 ozs. of celery. Let these simmer gently for half an hour, strain the liquor, and rub the herbs through a fine sieve. Dissolve 6 ozs. of butter, and incorporate with it, gradually and thoroughly, 6 ozs. of dried flour. Stir it quickly over a gentle fire till it is lightly browned. Moisten the mixture with the liquor from the herbs, and it will be ready for the soup, which ought to boil for an hour after it is added. Suitable seasoning will of course be required in addition. Time, three-quarters of an hour. Sufficient for five quarts of soup. Thickening, White (for sauces). — In making white thickening for sauces follow exactly the directions given for making brown thickening, remembering only that the mixture must not be allowed to color. In order to prevent this it must be baked over a very gentle fire, and it must not remain on the fire so long as in the former case. When done enough it must be turned into an earthen jar and set aside for use. White thickening is used for thickening white sauces. Time to bake, about twenty minutes. A dessert-spoonful will thicken a pint of gravy.

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Brown ThickeningWhite Thickening for SaucesSimple Thickening for Ordinary Brown Soup

Harper's cook book encyclopædia