The profession of cookery, from a French point of view

White sauces form quite a catalogue by them- selv^es, from the simple white sauce made from C/hickened milk to the somewhat elaborate ^^ bechamel sauce." For a good white sauce — v/hich is also the foundation of the richer kinds of the same — use a tablespoonful of flour mixed with a little water, and an ounce of butter and milk or cream to the amount required. AVhen this is boiled, it can receive whatever addition is to give it character to suit the dish it accompanies — capers, parsley, anchovies, oysters, shrimps. 64 SA UCES. spices, lemons ; in fact^ it can be varied ad Hbitum. Where many sauces are required, it is a great economy of time and material to have a supply of both brown and white roiix at hand. Hastily made roux is impossible ; and no mixture of flour and butter or other thickening agent can fill its place — certainly not in taste^ and really not in appearance. Equal quantities of pure butter and haJccd flour, stirred briskly and steadily over the fire for a longer or shorter time, is the one and only way of making roux ; the difference in colour depends entirely on the time expended upon the task. Sauce dite Beurre Noir. Melt a fairly large lump of butter iu a sauce- pan, and keep it briskly stirred while it changes colour ; let it become quite brown, but not burnt. Throw in a handful of lightly chopped parsley, a pinch of pepper, and a spoonful of vinegar. Black butter sauce is frequently served with fish. SA UCES. 65 Sauce Piquante. Cliop a sliallot finely, and frizzle it in a little butter; add a tablespooufal of brown ?'0».rj a teaspoonful of made mustard, same of mixed salt and pepper, a tablespoonful of vinegar, and half a pint of warm water. Boil together, then strain through a sieve, and lastly throw in a tablespoonful of chopped gherkins. Sauce Robert. A spoonful of brown roux, half a pint of clear stock, plenty of seasoning, and a teaspoonful of mustard added last of all. Frequently served with cutlets and steaks, notably with pork. There are two distinct kinds of wdiite sauce — viz., Sauce hlanclie Farisienne and Sauce hlanclie Norm ancle. Parisienne. Dissolve in a saucepan a small lump of butter, and work into it as much baked flour or potato flour as it will absorb ; when smooth, add a few spoonfuls of water to it. When this boils, add to it a fresh quantity of butter cut in small pieces — enough to make the required quantity of sauce. Stir steadily until all is completely p.c. P 66 SA UCES. dissolved, but do not let it boil again. The juice of half or a whole lemon is added at the last. Normande. Moisten a spoonful of Jecule or flour with suf- ficient water, add to it a small lump of butter, and milk, to make the requi/iite quantity; stir over the fire until it boils freelv. then season and add lemon juice. White rouXj to which is added milk, or milk and wat-er, makes this sauce to perfection. A little thick cream added at the last greatly improves white sauce. Sauce Poulette. Make a white sauce accordincr to either of the above ; allow an onion and a few herbs to simmer in it for a while, then strain, and stir in the beaten yolk of an ^^^^^ Sauce Soubese.