=ROUX FOR SAUCES=

One tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter; one tablespoonful of flour.

Roux is used for thickening, giving body to sauces, etc. It is made by cooking together an equal quant.i.ty of b.u.t.ter and flour for about five minutes, or until the flour has lost the raw taste. When the roux is cooked, draw the saucepan to a cooler part of the range, and add the liquor (stock or milk) slowly, in the proportion of one cupful of liquor to one tablespoonful each of b.u.t.ter and flour, and stir until smooth. If the roux is for white sauce do not let the flour color. If for brown sauce, let it cook until brown, but be careful that it does not burn. If more flavor is wanted, fry a few slices of onion or other vegetables in the b.u.t.ter before adding the flour. Sauces thickened in this way are much better than those in which uncooked flour is used. In making roux do not use more b.u.t.ter than flour. Where more b.u.t.ter is required in a sauce, add it, in small pieces at a time, after the other ingredients are mixed with the roux. This will prevent an oily line forming.

=WHITE SAUCE=

1 tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter.

1 tablespoonful of flour.

1 cupful of milk.

1/2 teaspoonful of salt.

1/4 teaspoonful of pepper.

Put one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter in a saucepan. When it bubbles add one tablespoonful of flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for five minutes, but do not let it color; draw it to a cooler part of the range and add very slowly, stirring all the time, one cupful of cold milk, and stir until perfectly smooth and a little thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Most of the white sauces are simple variations from this sauce.

Water may be used instead of milk, and it is then called drawn-b.u.t.ter sauce. It can be made richer by adding a little more b.u.t.ter, in small pieces, one at a time, after the milk is in; also by adding the beaten yolk of an egg. If the egg is added remove the pan from the fire and let it cool a little before adding the egg; then cook for a minute, but do not let it boil, or the egg will curdle.

The secret of making a good white sauce is in cooking the flour until the starch grains have burst, which removes the raw and pasty taste one finds where this care is not used. There is no difficulty in making it smooth if the milk is turned in slowly, as directed above. A common way of making this sauce is to rub the b.u.t.ter and flour together, and then stir them into the boiling milk, but this does not give as good a result as when a roux is made. The intense heat of frying b.u.t.ter cooks the flour quickly, while milk boiled long enough to cook the flour is changed in flavor. When this sauce is used as the basis of other sauces, the amount of salt and pepper must be varied to suit the requirements of the other ingredients.

=WHITE SAUCE FOR FISH=

Make a white sauce, using with the milk two tablespoonfuls of the water in which the fish is boiled. Boil in the water with the fish five cloves, three bay-leaves, one onion, eight peppercorns, and two tablespoonfuls of salt. This will give flavor to the fish and to the sauce.

=EGG SAUCE FOR BOILED FISH=

To a pint, or two cupfuls, of white sauce, add three hard-boiled eggs cut into slices or small dice, and, if liked, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley.

=CAPER SAUCE=

(BOILED MUTTON)

Add to two cupfuls of white sauce four tablespoonfuls of capers. See also page 164.

=OYSTER SAUCE=

(BOILED FISH OR FOWLS)

Scald the oysters in their own liquor until the edges curl. Make a white sauce using oyster-liquor instead of milk, or use half milk and half oyster-liquor. Add the oysters just before serving. One dozen oysters are enough for one pint of sauce.

=CELERY SAUCE=

(BOILED FOWLS)

Cut one half cupful of celery into small pieces. Boil it in salted water until tender. Add the cooked celery to one cupful of white sauce.

=LOBSTER SAUCE=

Chop the meat of a lobster into coa.r.s.e pieces. Add it to a pint of white sauce. Add also a little of the coral (which has been dried and pounded to a powder), and a little paprica.

=VELOUTe AND ALLEMANDE SAUCES=

(FISH AND VEGETABLES)

Make a white sauce (page 277), using chicken or veal stock instead of milk.

_Allemande._ Remove the Veloute from the fire; add two yolks beaten with one half cupful of cream or milk, one tablespoonful of chopped parsley, and a dash of nutmeg. Put on the fire a moment to thicken, but do not let it boil. Continue to stir for some moments after removing from the fire.

=BeCHAMEL SAUCE=

Make a white sauce, using for liquor one half each of rich white stock and milk, or use stock alone. A slice of onion, carrot and turnip should be fried in the b.u.t.ter before the flour is added. A richer Bechamel is made by adding a little cream and chopped mushrooms.

=POULETTE SAUCE=

(FOR CHICKEN-b.r.e.a.s.t.s, SWEETBREADS, AND OTHER ENTReES)

Take a pint of white sauce made with chicken or veal stock instead of milk. Beat four yolks with a cupful of cream. Remove the sauce from the fire, and add it slowly to the eggs and cream, stirring all the time.

Put it again on the fire a moment to thicken; but do not let it boil, or it will curdle. Add one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter slowly, a small piece at a time, the juice of half a lemon, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, and a dash of nutmeg. Serve at once. Do not put the sauce together until it is time to serve, as it is likely to curdle after the eggs and lemon-juice are in. Stir constantly, and for a moment after removing from the fire.

=VILLEROI=

(TO USE FOR EGGS VILLEROI, AND FOR COATING COLD MEATS THAT ARE TO BE HEATED AGAIN)

Put in a saucepan one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter and a slice of onion; fry for a few moments, but not brown. Remove the onion, and add two tablespoonfuls of flour; cook but do not brown the flour. Dilute with two cupfuls of stock, and boil, stirring constantly until the sauce is very thick. Season with one half teaspoonful of salt, one quarter teaspoonful of pepper, a dash each of cayenne and nutmeg; remove from the fire, and add the yolks of four eggs beaten with one half cupful of cream or milk. Place again on the fire, and let thicken until quite stiff and elastic. Do not let it boil after the eggs are added, or it will curdle; stir constantly. When it is beginning to cool pour it over the articles it is to coat, or roll the articles in it as the receipts direct. Chopped parsley, truffles, and mushrooms may be mixed with this sauce, if desired. The thick sauce left from coating the articles may be diluted with stock or milk, and served with them. This amount of sauce is sufficient to coat and to give diluted sauce for a dozen eggs villeroi.

=HOLLANDAISE=

(BOILED FISH, ASPARAGUS, CAULIFLOWER)

In a saucepan or bowl rub to a cream one half cupful of b.u.t.ter; add the yolks of four eggs, and beat well together; then the juice of half a lemon, one half teaspoonful of salt, and a dash of cayenne; then add slowly one cupful of hot water; mix well, and set it into a saucepan of hot water. Stir constantly until the sauce becomes like a thick cream.

Do not let it boil. Remove from the fire, and continue to stir for a few minutes. It should be creamy and consistent. It is one of the best sauces to use with fish. It is also good cold with cold fish or meats.

=CHAUDFROID SAUCE=

(FOR COVERING COLD CHICKEN OR MEATS WHICH ARE TO BE SERVED COLD)

Put two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter into a saucepan; when it bubbles add two tablespoonfuls of flour. Let it cook well, but not brown; stir all the time. Add two cupfuls of chicken or of veal stock, and stir until it is well thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Then add a half box, or one ounce, of gelatine which has soaked an hour in a half cupful of cold water. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved. Strain the sauce, and let it just begin to stiffen before using it. Put a little on ice to see if it will be of the right firmness. If it is too stiff add a little more stock; if not hard enough add a little more gelatine. It needs to be only firm enough to hold its place well without running.