Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches Part 21

GRAVY AND SAUCES.

DRAWN OR MADE GRAVY.

For this purpose you may use coa.r.s.e pieces of the lean of beef or veal, or the giblets and tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of poultry or game. If must be stewed for a long time, skimmed, strained, thickened, and flavoured with whatever condiments are supposed most suited to the dish it is to accompany.

In preparing meat to stew for gravy, beat it with a mallet or meat-beetle, score it, and cut it into small pieces; this makes it give oat the juices. Season it with pepper and salt, and put it into a stew-pan with b.u.t.ter only. Heat it gradually, till it becomes brown. Shake the pan frequently, and see that it does not b.u.m or stick to the bottom. It will generally be browned sufficiently in half an hour. Then put in some boiling water, allowing one pint to each pound of meat. Simmer it on coals by the side of the fire for near three hours, skimming it well, and keeping it closely covered. When done, remove it from the heat, let it stand awhile to settle, and then strain it.

If you wish to keep it two or three days, (which you may in winter,) put it into a stone vessel, cover it closely, and set it in a cool place.

Do not thicken this gravy till you go to use it.

MELTED b.u.t.tER, SOMETIMES CALLED DRAWN b.u.t.tER.

Melted b.u.t.ter is the foundation of most of the common sauces. Have a covered sauce-pan for this purpose. One lined with porcelain will be best. Take a quarter of a pound of the best fresh b.u.t.ter, cut it up, and mix with it about two tea-spoonfuls of flour. When it is thoroughly mixed, put it into the sauce-pan, and add to it four table-spoonfuls of cold water. Cover the sauce-pan, and set it in a large tin pan of boiling water. Shake it round continually (always moving it the same way) till it is entirely melted and begins to simmer. Then let it rest till it boils up.

If you set it on hot coals, or over the fire, it will be oily.

If the b.u.t.ter and flour is not well mixed it will be lumpy.

If you put too much water, it will be thin and poor. All these defects are to be carefully avoided.

In melting b.u.t.ter for sweet or pudding sauce, you may use milk instead of water.

TO BROWN FLOUR.

Spread some fine flour on a plate, and set it in the oven, turning it up and stirring it frequently that it may brown equally all through.

Put it into a jar, cover it well, and keep it to stir into gravies to thicken and colour them.

TO BROWN b.u.t.tER.

Put a lump of b.u.t.ter into a frying-pan, and toss it round over the fire till it becomes brown. Then dredge some browned flour over it, and stir it round with a spoon till it boils. It must be made quite smooth. You may make this into a plain sauce for fish by adding cayenne and some flavoured vinegar.

PLAIN SAUCES.

LOBSTER SAUCE.

Boil a dozen blades of mace and half a dozen pepper-corns in about a jill and a half (or three wine-gla.s.ses) of water, till all the strength of the spice is extracted. Then strain it, and having cut three quarters of a pound of b.u.t.ter into little bits, melt it in this water, dredging in a little flour as you hold it over the fire to boil. Toss it round, and let it just boil up and no more.

Take a cold boiled lobster,--pound the coral in a mortar adding a little sweet oil. Then stir it into the melted b.u.t.ter.

Chop the meat of the body into very small pieces, and rub it through a cullender into the b.u.t.ter. Cut up the flesh of the claws and tail into dice, and stir it in. Give it another boil up, and it will be ready for table.

Serve it up with fresh salmon, or any boiled fish of the best kind.

Crab sauce is made in a similar manner; also prawn and shrimp sauce.

ANCHOVY SAUCE.

Soak eight anchovies for three or four hours, changing the water every hour. Then put them into a sauce-pan with a quart of cold water. Set them on hot coals and simmer them till they are entirely dissolved, and till the liquid is diminished two-thirds.

Then strain it, stir two gla.s.ses of red wine, and add to it about half a pint of melted b.u.t.ter.

Heat it over again, and send it to table with salmon or fresh cod.

CELERY SAUCE.

Take a large bunch of young celery. Wash and pare it very clean.

Cut it into pieces, and boil it gently in a small quant.i.ty of water, till it is quite tender. Then add a little powdered mace and nutmeg, and a very little pepper and salt. Take a tolerably large piece of b.u.t.ter, roll it well in flour, and stir it into the sauce. Boil it up again, and it is ready to send to table.

You may make it with cream, thus:--Prepare and boil your celery as above, adding some mace, nutmeg, a piece of b.u.t.ter the size of a walnut, rolled in flour; and half a pint of cream. Boil all together.

Celery sauce is eaten with boiled poultry.

When celery is out of season, you may use celery seed, boiled in the water which you afterwards use for the melted b.u.t.ter, but strained out after boiling.

NASTURTIAN SAUCE.

This is by many considered superior to caper sauce and is eaten with boiled mutton. It is made with the green seeds of nasturtians, pickled simply in cold vinegar.

Cut about six ounces of b.u.t.ter into small hits, and put them into a small sauce-pan. Mix with a wine-gla.s.s of water sufficient flour to make a thick batter, pour it on the b.u.t.ter, and hold the sauce-pan over hot coals, shaking it quickly round, till the b.u.t.ter is melted. Let it just boil up, and then take it from the fire.

Thicken it with the pickled nasturtians and send it to table in a boat.

Never pour melted b.u.t.ter over any thing, but always send it to table in a sauce-tureen or boat.

WHITE ONION SAUCE.

Peel a dozen onions, and throw them into salt and water to keep them white. Then boil them tender. When done, squeeze the water from them, and chop them. Have ready some b.u.t.ter that has been melted rich and smooth with milk or cream instead of water. Put the onions into the melted b.u.t.ter, and boil them up at once. If you wish to have them very mild, put in a turnip with them at the first boiling.

Young white onions, if very small, need not be chopped, but may be put whole into the b.u.t.ter.

Use this sauce for rabbits, tripe, boiled poultry, or any boiled fresh meat.

BROWN ONION SAUCE.

Slice some large mild Spanish onions. Cover them with b.u.t.ter, and set them over a slow fire to brown. Then add salt and cayenne pepper to your taste, and some good brown gravy of roast meat, poultry or game, thickened with a bit of b.u.t.ter rolled in flour that has first been browned by holding it in a hot pan or shovel over the fire. Give it a boil, skim it well, and just before you take it off, stir in a half gla.s.s of port or claret, and the same quant.i.ty of mushroom catchup.

Use this sauce for roasted poultry, game, or meat.