Bechamel, or French White Sauce

Ingredients

• some good white clear stock will be required; that will set in a stiff jelly
• a pound of knuckle of veal
• enough cold water to cover them
• a piece of turnip
• carrot
• onion
• celery
• a blade of mace
• twenty white peppercorns
• a tablespoonful of salt
• a tablespoonful of arrowroot
• half a pint of milk or thin cream
• a pint of the white stock

Method

1. 1

   Make stock from the fowl and veal, simmering with vegetables and seasonings for six hours.

2. 2

   Strain and cool.

3. 3

   Whisk stock with egg whites and shells over heat until frothy, then boil.

4. 4

   Leave to settle, strain again.

5. 5

   Mix arrowroot with milk, pour into boiling stock, and stir until smooth and thick.

Nutrition per serving

As published

This recipe was extracted from The handy dictionary of cookery (1890) by Mary A. Everard, page 15. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

Bechamel, or French White Sauce. For the foundation of this sauce some good white clear stock will be required ; that will set in a stiff jelly. It may be made from an old fowl and a pound of knuckle of veal cut up into small pieces, put into a pan, with enough cold water to cover them; bring to the boil ; skim well; add a piece of turnip, carrot, onion, and celery, a blade of mace, twenty white peppercorns, a tablespoonful of salt; simmer slowly six hours ; strain it ; allow it to become quite cold. Put the stock into a clean pan with the whites and shells of two eggs ; whisk all over the fire until a stiff froth is formed ; boil it well to the top of the pan twice ; remove pan from the fire and the whisk from the pan ; leave it quite still twenty minutes ; strain through a clean cloth ; it is then ready for the bechamel, which is prepared as follows : — Mix a tablespoon- ful of arrowroot with half a pint of milk or thin cream ; have ready a pint of the white stock

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.