An ingenious cook will form as endless a
variety of compositions as a musician with his
seven notes, or a painter with his pigments ; no
part of her business offers a more frequent
opportunity for the display of her imagination ;
but to become a perfect mistress in the art of
cleverly extracting flavours, besides the gift of
good taste, requires all the experience and skill
of the accomplished professor.
Hot sauces should be sent to table as hot as
SAUCES. 6 1
possible ; and when wine or tliickening has been
addedj they should be allowed to boil up again,
so that the flavours may be well blended.
In compound sauces the flavouring should be
so nicely proportioned that no one should pre-
dominate over the other, but that the mixture
give out a mellow flavour which cannot but be
acceptable to the most critical gourmand.
Although classed among the elegancies of
cookery, they are not necessarily extravagant,
or they would never form so important a part
of the menu of our honne hourgeoise.
With her, even the juice that runs from the
meat is " sauce,'^ for it is seldom or never served
on the meat dish, as it is in England. That she
would consider wasteful, but carefully pouring
off every drop, by a few skilful additions it is
^^ lengthened,'^ and then served in SLsaiiciere.
Stock forms the foundation of nearly all meat
sauces, as it is easily adapted to whatever colour
is desired.
If clear, bright sauce, which is also to be
thick, is required, the stock should be thickened
with potato flour, as that is transparent, and
wine — either golden sherry or port — is usually
added.
For a thick sauce not necessarily clear, there
62 SAUCES.
are many ways of thickening ; brown roux,
wliicli a good cook will make for herself^ and
keep by her_, is most preferable.
Vegetable juice is the most wholesome colour-
ing matter ; spinach juice as a green when
available, or a good substitute is to be found in
crushed parsley.
A most delicious sauce is made from fresh
tomatoes, for serving hot with boiled beef or
veal ; and when fresh ones are not to be had,
the tinned or preserved ones will do for the
purpose.
They should be frizzled in butter, seasoned,
then just covered with good bouillon, a few
tiny shallots and a little fragrant *' bouquet'''
added to them, and allowed to simmer for
an hour, after which it is passed through a
strainer.
Slices of cold beef or veal laid in this sauce,
and allowed to get thoroughly hot through,
with a few bits of lean ham or bacon, then
dished with finely chopped parsley sifted over
all, makes a very capital way of finishing up a
joint.
A thin clear *^^ sauce piquante " is '^ sauce a la
Diable,'' into the composition of which enter
shallots and several herbs finely mixed, made
SA UCES. 63
mustard, horse-radish grated, salt and pepper,
vinegar and oil or Lutter, well stewed together,
and a little stock, brown thickening and wine
added.
In all brown sauces, the principal ingredients
will be found to be, roughly stated, shallots,
carrots, mushrooms, yolks of eggs, herbs, pars-
ley, garlic, cloves, pepper, mustard, vinegar and
oil; sometimes white or red wine, with thicken-
ing material as required.
When making sauces for game and poultry,
the goodness should be thoroughly extracted
from the giblets and all available bones, by
crushing and thoroughly stewing. The pinch
of salt must not be omitted in any sauce.
Page 21
Presented as published in 1894. 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
An ingenious cook will form as endless a variety of compositions as a musician with his seven notes, or a painter with his pigments ; no part of her business offers a more frequent opportunity for the display of her imagination ; but to become a perfect mistress in the art of cleverly extracting flavours, besides the gift of good taste, requires all the experience and skill of the accomplished professor.
Hot sauces should be sent to table as hot as
possible ; and when wine or thickening has been added, they should be allowed to boil up again, so that the flavours may be well blended.
In compound sauces the flavouring should be so nicely proportioned that no one should predominate over the other, but that the mixture give out a mellow flavour which cannot but be acceptable to the most critical gourmand.
Although classed among the elegancies of cookery, they are not necessarily extravagant, or they would never form so important a part of the menu of our bonne bourgeoise.
With her, even the juice that runs from the meat is " sauce,'^ for it is seldom or never served on the meat dish, as it is in England. That she would consider wasteful, but carefully pouring off every drop, by a few skilful additions it is ^^ lengthened,'^ and then served in a saucière.
Stock forms the foundation of nearly all meat sauces, as it is easily adapted to whatever colour is desired.
If clear, bright sauce, which is also to be thick, is required, the stock should be thickened with potato flour, as that is transparent, and wine — either golden sherry or port — is usually added.
For a thick sauce not necessarily clear, there
are many ways of thickening ; brown roux, which a good cook will make for herself and keep by her, is most preferable.
Vegetable juice is the most wholesome colouring matter ; spinach juice as a green when available, or a good substitute is to be found in crushed parsley.
A most delicious sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, for serving hot with boiled beef or veal ; and when fresh ones are not to be had, the tinned or preserved ones will do for the purpose.
They should be frizzled in butter, seasoned, then just covered with good bouillon, a few tiny shallots and a little fragrant *' bouquet" added to them, and allowed to simmer for an hour, after which it is passed through a strainer.
Slices of cold beef or veal laid in this sauce, and allowed to get thoroughly hot through, with a few bits of lean ham or bacon, then dished with finely chopped parsley sifted over all, makes a very capital way of finishing up a joint.
A thin clea"sauce piquante" is "sauce à la Diable,"'' into the composition of which enter shallots and several herbs finely mixed, made
mustard, horse-radish grated, salt and pepper, vinegar and oil or Lutter, well stewed together, and a little stock, brown thickening and wine added.
In all brown sauces, the principal ingredients will be found to be, roughly stated, shallots, carrots, mushrooms, yolks of eggs, herbs, parsley, garlic, cloves, pepper, mustard, vinegar and oil; sometimes white or red wine, with thickening material as required.
When making sauces for game and poultry, the goodness should be thoroughly extracted from the giblets and all available bones, by crushing and thoroughly stewing. The pinch of salt must not be omitted in any sauce.