' generally speaking, should scarcely be so thick as white sauces, and
it is well to bear in mind that when intended to mask the various
dishes of poultry or meat, they should be of a suflScient consistency
to slightly adhere to the fowls or joints over which they are poured.
For browning and thickening sauces, etc., browned flour may be
properly employed. The caramel coloring answers very well for
sauces and gravies, but when they can he made to look brown by
using browned flour, catsup, tomatoes, or any color sauce, it is far
preferable. As, however, in cooking so much depends upon appear-
ance, perhaps it would be as well for the inexperienced cook to use
the caramel. When no browning is at hand to heighten the color of
eauce, dissolve a lump of sugar in an iron spoon over a sharp fire;
CATSUPS AND SAUCES. 107
when it is in a liquid state, drop it into the sauce or gravy quite hot.
Care, however, must be taken not to put in too much, as it would
impart a very disagreeable flavor.
Gravies and sauces should be sent to table very hot, and there is
all the more necessity for the cook to see to Uiis point, as from their
being usually served in small quantities, they are more liable to
cool quickly than if they were in a larger body. The hain marie
will be found almost indispensable for this purpose. This is a large
open vessel kept filled with hot (not boiling) water at the back of
the stove or range or in some warm place. In this several stew-
pans, or large tin cups with covers and hand-
les, are fitted which are intended to hold all
the cooked dishes that are to be kept hot until
the rest of the dinner is ready to serve. When
a dinner is delayed, there is no better way of
keeping all dishes hot, and preserving their BainM^rie.
flavor. If a iain marie is not among the cooking utensils a large
dripping-pan of hot water will be found a very good substitute, or
lay two or three bricks on back of stove or range on which to set
sauces, vegetables, etc., until ready to serve.
Those sauces of which cream or eggs form a component part
should be well stirred as soon as these ingredients are added to
them, and must never be allowed to boil, as they would instantly
curdle. White pepper is a much nicer seasoning than black for
sauces and all fine cooking, as it does not color and has not so
pungent a flavor. An excellent thickening for soups, sauces and
gravies^is prepared as follows : Bring butter just to the boiling
point in a small stewpan, dredge in flour, stirring together until
well cooked. This, when not cooked brown, is "White Roux," and
when browned, "Brown Roux." Thin this ^vith a part of the soup,
sauce or gravy, and add it to the whole, stirring thoroughly. The
flour may be browned before using if intended for brown gravies or
sauces. A richer thickening is made in the proportion of the yolks
of three eggs to eight tablespoons milk or cream. Beat the yolks,
add the milk and strain through a fine sieve. When adding to the
sauce it must be stirred during the whole time or the eggs will cur-
dle, and the mixture should only just simmer, not boil. If sauce is
lumpy after adding thickening rub again through a sieve. Melted
butter or American Cooking Oil may be used in place of oil in all
108 CATSUPS AND SAUCES.
Page 86
Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
' generally speaking, should scarcely be so thick as white sauces, and it is well to bear in mind that when intended to mask the various dishes of poultry or meat, they should be of a sufficient consistency to slightly adhere to the fowls or joints over which they are poured. For browning and thickening sauces, etc., browned flour may be properly employed. The caramel coloring answers very well for sauces and gravies, but when they can he made to look brown by using browned flour, catsup, tomatoes, or any color sauce, it is far preferable. As, however, in cooking so much depends upon appearance, perhaps it would be as well for the inexperienced cook to use the caramel. When no browning is at hand to heighten the color of sauce, dissolve a lump of sugar in an iron spoon over a sharp fire;
when it is in a liquid state, drop it into the sauce or gravy quite hot. Care, however, must be taken not to put in too much, as it would impart a very disagreeable flavor.
Gravies and sauces should be sent to table very hot, and there is all the more necessity for the cook to see to this point, as from their being usually served in small quantities, they are more liable to cool quickly than if they were in a larger body. The hain marie will be found almost indispensable for this purpose. This is a large open vessel kept filled with hot (not boiling) water at the back of the stove or range or in some warm place. In this several stewpans, or large tin cups with covers and handles, are fitted which are intended to hold all the cooked dishes that are to be kept hot until the rest of the dinner is ready to serve. When
a dinner is delayed, there is no better way of
keeping all dishes hot, and preserving their [illustration: Bain-Marie]
flavor. If a bain marie is not among the cooking utensils a large dripping-pan of hot water will be found a very good substitute, or lay two or three bricks on back of stove or range on which to set sauces, vegetables, etc., until ready to serve.
Those sauces of which cream or eggs form a component part should be well stirred as soon as these ingredients are added to them, and must never be allowed to boil, as they would instantly curdle. White pepper is a much nicer seasoning than black for sauces and all fine cooking, as it does not color and has not so pungent a flavor. An excellent thickening for soups, sauces and gravies is prepared as follows : Bring butter just to the boiling point in a small stewpan, dredge in flour, stirring together until well cooked. This, when not cooked brown, is "White Roux," and when browned, "Brown Roux." Thin this with a part of the soup, sauce or gravy, and add it to the whole, stirring thoroughly. The flour may be browned before using if intended for brown gravies or sauces. A richer thickening is made in the proportion of the yolks of three eggs to eight tablespoons milk or cream. Beat the yolks, add the milk and strain through a fine sieve. When adding to the sauce it must be stirred during the whole time or the eggs will curdle, and the mixture should only just simmer, not boil. If sauce is lumpy after adding thickening rub again through a sieve. Melted butter or American Cooking Oil may be used in place of oil in all