The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-05-28
THE HOUSEHOLD.
Sauces and Things.

anu DOllng, VINO hesitate over
the production of a sauce. Protested
cooks have somehow or other shrouded
in mystery, and very gen
orally cookbooks, even the best, are
sometimes vague in giving instruction in
this particular branch. Without pre-
senting any unnecessary difficulties to the
learner, the fact must be stated that |
sauce is just one of those things which |
admits Of no middle course. There is no
nearly right about tit must be perfect
ly right. The sauce, as it has been very |
justly said, draws the line between good |
and bad cooking. 1t is the sauce which |
can make even insipid food palatable.
Cooks, even the best of them, often for
get, in the preparation of the dish, that |
when sauce is to be served, that the |
thing cooked, to be relieved by sauce,
must be subservient to the sauce. AS
we'll thoroughly season the dish itself at
once-it will give far less trouble than
to 60 through a double course of season.
ing. Sauces are really intended either to
relieve food which is in certain degree
savorless, or to give a relish or haut qout
to such dishes, which, though deli
cate want their taste somewhat height
ened. A simple French Bouezzs is in a
certain degree fade, but becomes highly
palatable when served with a sauce. The
distinction between a gravy and sauce
is quite wide one. BY gravy is meant
the natural juices which are the products
of roasting. Invariably, these gravies are
best their in natural condition, without adj
dition or admixture. When meat or
poulty is too fat the oily character Of the
gravy is neither palatable or wholesome.
1t is very easy to get rid of the melted fat
| either by skimming or by taking the
juices of the meat as they fall in the pan,
putting it aside to cool for little while,
removing the fat which congeals, and re-
warming the true extract of the meat. A
made gravy, as it is concocted in the
United States, is, ninety-nine times in a
hundred, very unartistic preparation.
Almost always, an ignorant cook will IN
crease the quantity Of gravy by pouring
the gravy. Even this mi ght be passable
if the cook would heat up the sauce. In
serving the gravy to roasted poultry, if the
livers have not been overlooked they may
be mashed very smooth, and mixed with
the natural juices of the birds. But in
all cases, the more wholesome and best
gravy is that which comes naturally from
the roasted meat, deprived of its grease
as before described. Melted butter is ir
constant use in American and English
cuisines, and is mostly very badly prepar
ed. Melted butter alone, like ghee, may
be good for Hindoos, but nigh
not save on vegetables, (and then il
small quantity,) be appreciated by {
more civilized taste. On boiled fish
} burned butter is, however, quite admis
sable, and is in common use in France anC
; Holland. Simple though it seems it re
J inmate the process. The butter should b.
perfectly fresh, and placed in a skillet
and cooked until it begins to smoke ane
7 brown slightly. Then it should be take1
of, some chopped parsley thrown into ii
l and little salt, and half teaspoonful o
vinegar or the juice of half lemon, add
ed to it. The temperature of the melted
butter is SO high that if the favoring b.
$ put in it while it is smoking the ingredi
!; ents have given to them bitter taste
4 Burned butter (beurre noire) should b
}, used in small quantity. Possibly, it
4 the best sauce for broiled mackerel o
l even for broiled salmon. For plain whit
). drawn butter to be served with fish Q
: with mutton, the following receipt
}, right: Take two tablespoonful of site
f flour and stir it in pint of cold water
r being very sure to have it perfectly smoot
then bring it slowly to the boil, stirrin
I all the time; add to this three eighths c
e pound of the best butter, cut into sma
Y pieces, stirring all the time; add a ha1
teaspoonful of salt at the end of the pre-
e cess; chopped parsley may be added fo
e fish, or capcrs for mutton. The plai
?, sauce wants watching and constant still
e ring otherwise it becomes gumou
d mess. Additional richness may be give
e to this sauce by adding the yolks of a
e egg to it, when the egg must be put in a
# the beginning Of the process. TIN
n same sauce, used as foundation, will d
= for buildings, when sweatened, with tn
e addition of little wine at the end of tn
" cooking. For regular sauces, such a
e Bechamel or Maitre d. Hotel, stock an
,, foundation is necessary In most case
If Liebig's extract of meat answers all pu,
it poses. If this is not obtainable, sma
o ed in prior receipt in the making of
d sole a la No4n,ande will do. Here is til
1t ordinary receipt for Bechamel sauce
!. Half a pound of veal, a slice of lean ha,
J. cut into small pieces, and stewed with a
/. onion, carrot, and a bouquet OF herbs j
b butter; add a very little flour, pint {
IT milk, and boil gently for an hour; strai
y then as clear as possible, and reduce
d quantity by boiling; it should alway
I simmer and hardly boil; this is the stool
e add few mushrooms, cut in small piece
it In all sauces there is no exception to I'll
'r rule overlooking should be evadet
t sauces are decidedly better when made i
o water bath, for this reason, because tn
l temperature cannot be raised over 212
le The quality of bechamel may be increase
y by using cream instead of milk. A sauc
Robert may be made from the stock, LEI
TO mushrooms, by adding teaspoonful {