Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Gravy from Extract of Meat. — Excellent and nourishing gravy may be made from the extract of meat. It is very good if simply dissolved in a little boiling water and mixed with a rather liberal allowance of salt, but it may be converted into superior gravy by the following directions : Cut 2 ozs. of the lean of undressed ham into dice, and put them into a saucepan with a piece of butter the size of a walnut, two shallots, finely minced, two cloves, a blade of mace, two sprigs of parsley, one of sweet marjoram, one of thyme, and six peppercorns. Place the pan on a moderate fire, and let it remain until the ham and the sides of the pan are brightly colored, moving the pieces of meat about with a wooden spoon to prevent burning, and to allow of their being equally browned on all sides. Pour over them, very gradually, a pint of boiling water in which half a teaspoonful of the extract has been dissolved. Boil, then simmer gently for half an hour, strain, and serve. If a thick sauce is wanted, the flour should be mixed smoothly with the butter before the gravy is put in. Sufficient for a quart of gravy. Gravy for Game. — Melt a piece of . butter the size of a small egg in a saucepan, and mix with it very smoothly a table-spoonful of flour. When lightly browned, add a cupful of good stock, half a teaspoonful of mixed mustard, a tiny pinch of cayenne, as much powdered mace as will stand on the point of a knife, and a dessert-spoonful of lemon-juice. Gravy for Grills, etc. G R A V I E S , ETC. Thickening, Brown Boil for twenty minutes. Add a wineglassful of sherry, and serve in a tureen. Sufficient for half a pint of gravy. Gravy for Grills and Broils. — Rub a table -spoonful of flour into I oz. of good butter. Mix with it half a pint of good, strong stock, a tablespoonful of catsup, the juice and rind of a quarter of a lemon, a teaspoonful of made mustard, half the quantity of the essence of anchovies, half a teaspoonful of pepper, three grains of cayenne, a teaspoonful of chopped capers, and a shallot, finely minced. Put these ingredients into a saucepan. Let them boil, then simmer gently for five or six minutes, strain, and serve. Gravy for Poultry. — Take the feet, necks, livers, and gizzards of the fowls, wash them thoroughly, cut them into small pieces, and put them into a saucepan with a bunch of savory herbs, a small onion, half a slice of bread, toasted brown and hard but not burned, a salt -spoonful of salt, half a salt-spoonful of pepper, and a pint and a half of water. Simmer very gently for an hour or more. Pour the fat from the pan which has been under the fowl, strain the gravy to it, stir it well, strain it again into the saucepan ; add a table-spoonful of mushroom catsup, if this is liked, and serve as hot as possible. Gravy for Roast Meat. — About twenty minutes before the joint is taken from the oven put a common dish under it, and pour slowly and gradually over the brown parts of the meat two or three table-spoonfuls of boiling water, in which half a teaspoonful of salt has been dissolved. When it has all dropped into the dish, set it aside, carefully skim off the fat as it rises to the surface, let it boil, and serve in a tureen. When a larger quantity of gravy is required, there is in ordinary households no necessity to purchase gravy-beef in order to obtain it. The trimmings and hard,