The Modern Housewife or, Menagere Part 9

147. _Anchovy b.u.t.ter Sauce._--Put into a stewpan eight spoonfuls of demi-glaze, or three of broth; when boiling, add one ounce of anchovy b.u.t.ter; stir continually till melted: serve where directed.

148. _Soyer's Sauce._--Put six spoonfuls of demi-glaze into a stewpan; when hot, add four spoonfuls of Soyer's Gentleman's Sauce; let boil, and serve with either chop, steak, cotelettes, poultry, or game.

149. _Papillotte Sauce._--Sc.r.a.pe half an ounce of fat bacon, put it in a pan with four tablespoonfuls of chopped onions, stir over the fire for a few minutes, then add ten tablespoonfuls of brown sauce, and boil; then add a tablespoonful of mushrooms chopped, one ditto of parsley, a little nutmeg, a little pepper and sugar, a little sc.r.a.ped garlic; reduce till rather thickish; put on dish till cold, and use it for anything you may put up "_en papillotte_."

150. _Tomato Sauce._--If fresh, put six in a stewpan; having removed the stalk, and squeezed them in the hand to remove pips, &c., add half an onion, sliced, a little thyme, bay-leaf, half an ounce of celery, one ounce of ham, same of b.u.t.ter, teaspoonful of sugar, same of salt, a quarter one of pepper; set on fire to stew gently; when all tender, add a tablespoonful of flour, moisten with half a pint of broth, boil five minutes, add a little cayenne, taste if highly seasoned, pa.s.s it through sieve or tammy, put it back in stewpan, until it adheres rather thick to the back of the spoon, and use it for any kind of meat or poultry. If preserved tomato, proceed as for poivrade sauce respecting the vegetables, omitting the vinegar, add the tomato, instead of brown sauce, add a tablespoonful of flour and broth to bring it to a proper thickness, and pa.s.s it through a sieve, and serve as above.

151. _Curry Sauce._--This I generally keep ready-made in the larder, being very fond of what I consider such wholesome food as curry; but not liking to be troubled with making it often, I cause my cook to prepare a certain quant.i.ty at a time. Mr. B. is very partial to curry, but he likes it in winter; for my part, I prefer it in summer. After having partaken of some one very hot summer's day, I felt quite cool. Capt. White, who has been nearly twenty years in the East Indies, tells me that it will produce that refres.h.i.+ng effect; but I can enjoy it in any season.

Put into a pan four good-sized onions, sliced, and two of peeled apples, with a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter, the same of lean ham, a blade of mace, four peppercorns, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme; stir them over a moderate fire until the onions become brown and tender, then add two tablespoonfuls of the best curry powder, one of vinegar, two of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, one of sugar; moisten it with a quart of broth or milk, or even water, with the addition of a little glaze; boil till in a pulp, and adhering rather thickly to the back of the spoon; pa.s.s all through a fine sieve or tammy, give it another boil for a few minutes, put it in a basin, and use when required. Any kind of meat, poultry, and fish, or parts of game, is excellent warmed in this sauce, and served with well-boiled and dry rice. I have kept this sauce in a cool place in the winter for a month, boiling it now and then. The quant.i.ty of powder may be omitted, and a spoonful of curry paste used, or some mangoes. (_See Curries._)

152. _A very good and useful White Sauce (quite new)._--Put a quart of white sauce in a stewpan of a proper size on a fire; stir continually until reduced to one third; put two yolks of eggs in a basin, stir them well up, add your sauce gradually, keep stirring, put back in stewpan, set it to boil for a few minutes longer, then add one pint of boiling milk, which will bring it to its proper thickness; that is, when it adheres transparently to the back of a spoon; pa.s.s through a tammy into a basin, stir now and then till cold; if not immediately required, and I have any stock left, I use half of it with half of milk. I also try this way, which is very convenient: when the yolks are in, and well boiled, I put it in a large gallipot, and when cold, cover with pieces of paper, and it will keep good in winter for two or three weeks, and above a week in summer; and when I want to use a little of it, I only take a spoonful or two and warm it on the fire, and add enough milk or white broth to bring it to a proper thickness, and use where required. This sauce is very smooth, and never, turns greasy; it lies beautifully on fowl, or any white made dish; the addition of a drop of cream gives it a very fine white appearance.

153. _Onion Puree Sauce._--Peel and cut six onions in slices; put in a stewpan, with a quarter of a pound of b.u.t.ter, a teaspoonful of salt, one of sugar, a half one of pepper; place on a slow fire to simmer till in a pulp, stirring them now and then to prevent them getting brown, then add one tablespoonful of flour, a pint of milk, and boil till a proper thickness, which should be a little thicker than melted b.u.t.ter; pa.s.s through a tammy, warm again, and serve with mutton cutlets, chops, rabbits, or fowl; by not pa.s.sing it, it will do for roast mutton and boiled rabbit as onion sauce.

154. _Puree of Cauliflower Sauce._--Boil a cauliflower well in three pints of water, in which you have previously put one ounce of b.u.t.ter, two tablespoonfuls of salt; when done, chop it up, having prepared and slowly cooked in a stewpan an onion sliced, a little celery, half a turnip, one ounce of ham, two of b.u.t.ter, a little bay-leaf, mace, add then the cauliflower, stir round, add a tablespoonful of flour, moisten as above for onions, pa.s.s and finish the same way.

155. _Jerusalem Artichoke Sauce._--Peel twelve, and well wash, boil till tender, and proceed as above.

156. _Turnip Sauce Puree._--Boil six middle-sized ones, press all the water you can out of them, and proceed as the above.

157. _White Cuc.u.mber Puree._--Peel two, or one large one, cut in slices, put in the stewpan with the same vegetables, &c., as for the cauliflower; when tender, add a tablespoonful of flour, three gills of milk or broth, boil, and finis.h.i.+ng as the cauliflower.

158. _Sorrel Sauce, or Puree._--Wash well four handfuls of sorrel, put it nearly dry into a middle-sized stewpan, with a little b.u.t.ter; let it melt, add a tablespoonful of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, half one of pepper, moisten to a thick puree, with milk, or broth, or cream; pa.s.s it through a sieve, put it back in a stewpan, warm again, add two whole eggs, two ounces of b.u.t.ter, and stir well, and serve where directed.

159. _Spinach Puree (see Vegetables, 2d Course)._--Endive is often used in France, and called chicoree. This puree may be made like the cauliflower, or only plainly chopped, put into a pan with two ounces of b.u.t.ter, a gill of white sauce, a little grated nutmeg, and a little salt, pepper and sugar.

160. _Stewed Peas and Sprew Gra.s.s._--For cutlets, sweetbreads, fowls, or any dishes, they are applicable (see Vegetables, second course), also French beans, only using one third of the quant.i.ty that you would for a made dish for an entremet.

161. _Scooped Jerusalem Artichokes._--Scoop with a round cutter twenty-four pieces of artichoke, of the size of half an inch in diameter, wash them, put them in a small stewpan with half an ounce of b.u.t.ter and a quarter of an ounce of sugar; put it on a slow fire for a few minutes, add two tablespoonfuls of white sauce, six of white broth or milk, let them simmer till tender, skim, mix a yolk of an egg with two tablespoonfuls of milk, pour in stewpan, and move it round very quick, and serve; it must not be too thick, and the artichokes must be well done; they must not be in puree; they are good with or served under any white meat.

162. _Scooped Turnips._--Proceed exactly the same, only serve a little thinner: they will not do if stringy.

163. _b.u.t.ton Onions._--The same, only make the sauce thinner, and boil longer, according to their size.

164. _Young Carrots._--Sc.r.a.pe and trim to shape twenty small and young carrots, pa.s.s in sugar and b.u.t.ter, add white or brown sauce, but keep it thinner, as it requires a longer time boiling; when tender, if for white sauce, add a tablespoonful of liaison, stir, and serve.

165. _White Mushroom Sauce._--Use small white ones; cut the dark part out and remove the tail, wash in several waters, put in a stewpan with a little b.u.t.ter, salt, pepper, juice of lemon, saute it for a few minutes, add a gill of white sauce, four table-spoonfuls of broth, milk, or water; boil and serve under any white meat.

166. _White Cuc.u.mber Sauce._--Peel two cuc.u.mbers, divide each lengthways into four, remove the pips, and cut into pieces one inch long; add, in stewpan one ounce of b.u.t.ter, a teaspoonful of sugar, half of salt, let it stew on the fire for fifteen minutes, then add a gill of white sauce, six spoonfuls of milk, broth, or water, simmer gently and skim, add a tablespoonful of liaison, and serve where directed, but observe that all these garnitures ought to be served under the meat and over poultry.

167. _Ragout of Quenelles._--Make twelve nice small quenelles (see _Quenelles_), warm half a pint of white sauce, in which you have put four tablespoonfuls of milk, and half a teaspoonful of eschalot; when well done, pour on the liaison over with the juice of a lemon, and serve. A few English truffles or mushrooms may be added to this sauce.

168. _Maitre d'Hotel Sauce._--Put eight spoonfuls of white sauce in a stewpan, with four of white stock or milk; boil it five minutes, then stir in two ounces of maitre d'hotel b.u.t.ter; stir it quickly over the fire until the b.u.t.ter is melted, but do not let the sauce boil after the b.u.t.ter is in; this sauce should only be made at the time of serving.

169. _Green Peas Stewed._--Put a pint of young peas, boiled very green, into a stewpan, with three table-spoonfuls of white sauce, two ounces of b.u.t.ter, a little sugar and salt, and two b.u.t.ton onions, with parsley, tied together; boil them ten minutes; add two tablespoonfuls of liaison, stir it in quickly, and serve.

170. _Green Peas, with Bacon._--Put a pint of well-boiled peas into a stewpan, with five spoonfuls of brown sauce, two of brown gravy, a teaspoonful of sugar, two b.u.t.ton onions, and a bunch of parsley; let it boil about ten minutes; have ready braised about a quarter of a pound of lean bacon, cut it in dice about a quarter of an inch square, add it to the peas, take out the onions and parsley, season with an ounce of b.u.t.ter and half a teaspoonful of sugar; mix well together, stew twenty minutes, and serve.

171. _Blanched Mushrooms._--Get a pottle of fresh mushrooms, cut off the dirt, and likewise the heads (reserving the stalk for chopping), wash the heads in a basin of clean water, take them out and drain in a sieve; put into a stewpan two wine-gla.s.ses of cold water, one ounce of b.u.t.ter, the juice of half a good lemon, and a little salt; turn or peel each head neatly, and put them into the stewpan immediately, or they will turn black; set your stewpan on a brisk fire, let them boil quickly five minutes, put them into a basin ready for use; chop the stalks and peel very fine, put them into a stewpan with three tablespoonfuls of the liquor the mushrooms have been boiled in; let them simmer three minutes, put them into a jar, and use where indicated.

Observe: Turning or peeling mushrooms is an art that practice alone can attain; if they are very fresh and white, wash them quickly, and wipe them on a cloth; throw them into the liquid above mentioned.

172. _Onions Stuffed._--Peel twelve large onions, cut a piece off at the top and bottom to give them a flat appearance, and which adds a better flavor if left, blanch them in four quarts of boiling water twenty minutes, then lay them on a cloth to dry; take the middle out of each onion, and fill them with veal forcemeat (with a little chopped eschalot, parsley, and mushroom, mixed in it), and put them in a saute-pan well b.u.t.tered, cover them with white broth, let them simmer over a slow fire until covered with a glaze, and tender; turn them over and serve where required.

173. _Hot Tartar Sauce._--Put two table-spoonfuls of white sauce in a small stewpan, four of broth or milk, boil a few minutes, then add two tablespoonfuls of the tartar sauce (see Salads) in it, stir it very quick with a wooden spoon, make it quite hot but not boiling; put it on a dish, and serve where described.

174. _Mephistophelian Sauce._--Do not be afraid of the t.i.tle, for it has nothing diabolical about it; the first time I tried it was at Mr. B.'s birthday party; and some of his friends having over and over again drank his health, till he had hardly any health left to carry him to the drawing-room, where the coffee was waiting, about eleven o'clock, having asked for some anchovy sandwiches, but, from a mistake, not having any in the house, I composed this ravigotante sauce, which partly brought them back to their senses.

I cut up the remains of the turkey, rubbed some mustard over it, sprinkled a little salt and plenty of cayenne, put it on the gridiron on the fire, and made the following sauce: I chopped six eschalots, washed and pressed them in the corner of a clean cloth, then put them into a stewpan with one and a half wine-gla.s.sful of Chili vinegar, a chopped clove, a piece of garlic, two bay-leaves, an ounce of glaze, and boiled all together for ten minutes; then added four tablespoonfuls of tomato sauce, a little sugar, and ten of gravy or brown sauce; boiled it a few minutes longer, then added a pat of b.u.t.ter, stirring it well in, removed the bay-leaf, and poured over turkey, and served.

SOUPS.

In France, no dinner is served without soup, and no good soup is supposed to be made without the pot-au-feu (see No. 215), it being the national dish of the middle and poorer cla.s.ses of that country; thinking it might be of service to the working cla.s.ses, by showing the benefits to be derived from more frequently partaking of a hot dinner, as I have previously observed, especially in a cold climate like ours. Clear light soups are very delicate, and in this country more fit for the wealthy; whilst the more substantial thick soups, such as mock turtle, ox-tail, peas, &c., are more in vogue, consequent to being better adapted to the million; therefore, after giving a few series of clear soups, I shall proceed to give a greater variety of the thicker sorts, being careful that every receipt shall be so plain as to give a correct idea of its cost.