Brown Thickening

Ingredients

• half a pound of flour
• half a pound of butter
• a large slice of onion

Method

1. 1

   Dry flour before the fire, sift it.

2. 2

   Melt butter, skim off impurities.

3. 3

   Mix flour and hot butter in a pan, stirring until it turns light fawn-colour.

4. 4

   Add onion slice to check heat and flavor.

5. 5

   Store in a jar once cooled.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Practical home cookery (1906) by A. G. Payne, page 48. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

brown thickening ” is necessary. Now, as brown thickening is almost an essential in every house where gravies and sauces are made properly, I will describe how this brown thickening 92 PRACTICAL HOME COOKERY. ought to be made. As the process is somewhat trouble- some, and a large quantity is as easy to make as a small one, it will be found best to make sufficient to last some time, as brown thickening will keep good for months if made properly. Take half a pound of flour, and, having thoroughly dried it on a large newspaper before the fire, sift it carefully. Next take half a pound of butter and melt it in an enamelled saucepan ; a sort of white curdled substance will be generally found mixed with it, some of which can be skimmed off the top, and some will settle at the bottom. Skim the butter and pour off all that is as clear as good salad oil, and only use this for the brown thickening. Next mix thoroughly well together the sifted flour and the hot melted butter in an enamelled stew-pan, and stir it over a quick fire with a wooden spoon. If the flour has been properly dried, and the butter properly clarified, the whole mass will stick together and shake about in the stew-pan. The stirring must be continued till the whole mass begins to turn colour. As soon as it has obtained a light fawn-colour, or looks like the outside of a nicely-baked French roll, remove the stew- pan from the fire, but still continue stirring. Throw in a large shce of onion

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