Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-29
THE HOUSEHOLD.
Sauces and Things.


orally cook-books, 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 a
sauce is Just enc 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 go through double course of season.
ing. Sauces are really intended either to
relieve food which is in certain degree
savorless, or to give relish or haut QOttt
to such dishes, which, though deli
cate want their taste somewhat height
ened. A simple French BOuelii is in a
CERTAIN degree fade, but becomes highly
y>palatable when served with sauce. The
Is quite wide one. By gravy is meant
the natural juices which are the products
of roasting. Invariably, these grayies are
best their i'll 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 Swimming 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
in warm water and dredging -four into
the gravy. Even this might be passable
If the cook would heat up the sauce. In
serving the gravy to roasted poultry, if the
hverS 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
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 might
not save on vegetables, (and then in
small quantity,) be appreciated by q
more civilized taste. On boiled fish
burned butter is, however, quite admis
sable, land is in common use in France an6
Holland. Simple though it seems it re-
quires skill to know exactly when to ter.
inmate the process. The butter should be
perfectly fresh, and placed in skillet
and cooked until it begins to smoke and
brown slightly. Then it should be taker
off, some chopped parsley thrown into it
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 bt
put in it while it is smoking the ingredi
ents have given to them bitter taste
Burned butter (beurre noire) should be
used in small quantity. Possibly, it i:
the best sauce for broiled mackerel Of
even for broiled salmon. For plain white
drawn butter to be served with fish o.
= with mutton, the following receipt il
right: Take two tablespoonfuls of sifteG
flour and stir it in a pint of cold water
being very sure to have it perfectly smooth
then bring it slowly to the boil, stirring
all the time; add to this three eighths O
pound of the best butter, cut into small
pieces, stirring all the time; add a hal
teaspoonful of salt at the end of the pro
cess; chopped parsley may be added TO
fish, or capers for mutton. The plai1
sauce wants watching and constant stir
ring otherwise it becomes a gumOu
mess. Additional richness may be givel
to this sauce by adding the yolks of al
egg to it, when the egg must be put in a
the beginning of the process. Thu
same sauce, used as foundation, will d
for puddings, when sweatened, with tn
addition of little wine at the end of tn
cooking. For regular sauces, such a
BechGmeJ or MGitre d. Hotel, stock ant
foundation is necessary. In most case
Liebig's extract of meat answers all pull
poses. IF this is not obtainabie, SINAI
piece of lean veal and of ham, as indicat
ed in prior receipt in the making of
sole q la NOTmGnde will do. Here is tn
ordinary receipt for Bechamel sauce
Half pound of veal, slice of lean har
cut into small pieces, and stewed with a
onion, carrot, and a bouquet of herbs j
butter; add very little -four, pint c
milk, and boil gently for an hour; strai
then as clear as possible, and reduce i
Quantity by boiling; it should Away
simmer and hardly boil; this is the stock
add few mushrooms, cut in small pieces
In all sauces-there is no exception to tn
rule-overcooking should be evaded
sauces are decidedly better when made i
water bath, for this reason, because til
temperature cannot be raised over 212 c
The quality of bechamel may be increase
by using cream instead of milk. A sauc
Robert may bemade from the stock, LEI
mushrooms, by adding a teaspoonful {
mustard, tablespoonful of vinegar,
which little tarragon has been addet
and the juice of half lemon; with til
same stock an addition of celery can
made, which 10 excellent for boiled fowl
A sauce piquante is readily made with til
same stock, adding half .teaspoonful
White pepper. and wineglassful of vim
gar and little thyme. An infinite varriet
of sauce may bemade, providing the stoc
isson hand. It must however; be remen
bered that good sauce is the reward
constant vigilance; and that there is
happy moment which must be seized,
end the process, which exactitude is on
to be acquired by practice. There is 1
Ctspent up Utica" of sauces. any body wit
the least gastronomic taste can improvi
them. All that is required ia that
sauce should be even, homogeneous, an
A a.