Miss Parloa's kitchen companion

Use thirty French chestnuts, one pint of brown stock, one table-spoonful of butter, one of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, and one-fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper. Shell, blanch, cook, drain, and pound the chestnuts ; add the seasoning and the stock, a little at a time, pounding all the while. Rub the preparation through a sieve ; put the mixture into a stew-pan, and cook gently for half an hour. Then put the butter on the fire in a small frying-pan, and when it is hot and beginning to brown, add the flour; stir until the mixture is a dark brown, and then add it to the chestnut mixture. Cook five minutes, and serve. This sauce is suitable for roast turkey or chicken. Asparagus Sauce. This is nice to serve with broiled delicate meats or fish, and is also appropriate for use with roast chicken. It requires the tender green heads from a bunch of asparagus, a pint of white stock, a slice of onion, a small slice of carrot, a bay leaf, a tiny bit of mace, a sprig of parsley, two generous table-spoonfuls of butter, two of flour, and salt and pepper to suit the taste. Put the butter and flour into a saucepan, and rub them to a cream ; then add the seasoning and stock. Heat the mixture slowly, stirring frequently ; and when it begins to boil, set it back where it will only simmer for twenty minutes. Meanwhile wash the asparagus tops, and put them into a saucepan with a cupful of boiling water, half a teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of lemon juice or vinegar. Cover closely, and boil for twelve minutes ; then drain off the water, and rub the asparagus through a fine sieve. Strain upon it the contents of the other pan, and heat to the boiling-point, but not beyond ; for much cooking would destroy the delicate green color of the asparagus. * Oyster Sauce. This is made of a solid pint of oysters, half a pint of chicken stock, a table-spoonful of lemon juice, four table- spoonfuls of butter, two of flour, and salt and pepper in quantities to suit the taste. Put the stock on the stove to boil, and set the oysters on to heat in their own liquor. Beat the butter and flour together until light and creamy. Pour the hot chicken stock on the mixture, and after stirring well, set on the stove to simmer. When the oysters have become heated to the boiling-point, skim off the froth and put the oysters into a strainer. Pour the oyster liquor into the cooking mixture, being careful to prevent any shells or sand from passing with the liquor. Cook for ten minutes ; then add the oysters, some salt and pepper, and the lemon juice. This sauce should be served hot. Put one pint of small oysters into a stew-pan, and heat them in their own liquor to the boiling-point. As soon as they begin to boil, remove from the fire and skim care fully ; then drain the liquor into another stew-pan. Beat to a cream one-third of a cupful of butter, and three table-spoonfuls of flour. Add to the oyster liquor one cupful of milk, and when the mixture has been heated to the boiling-point, stir in the creamed butter and flour. Let the sauce boil up once, and season with salt and pepper ; then add the oysters. This sauce is to be served with boiled fish. Lobster Sauce.