The Book of Household Management Part 46

_Mode_.--Put the giblets, with the head, neck, legs, &c., into a stewpan; add the onion, pepper, mace, salt, and rather more than 1 pint of water. Let this simmer for an hour, when strain the liquor over the bread, which should be previously grated or broken into small pieces.

Cover up the saucepan, and leave it for an hour by the side of the fire; then beat the sauce up with a fork until no lumps remain, and the whole is nice and smooth. Let it boil for 3 or 4 minutes; keep stirring it until it is rather thick; when add 3 tablespoonfuls of good melted b.u.t.ter or cream, and serve very hot.

_Time_.--2-1/4 hours. _Average cost_, 6d.

BROWNING FOR GRAVIES AND SAUCES.

373. The browning for soups (_see_ No. 108) answers equally well for sauces and gravies, when it is absolutely necessary to colour them in this manner; but where they can be made to look brown by using ketchup, wine, browned flour, tomatoes, or any colour sauce, it is far preferable. As, however, in cooking, so much depends on appearance, perhaps it would be as well for the inexperienced cook to use the artificial means (No. 108). When no browning is at hand, and you wish to heighten the colour of your gravy, 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 flavour.

BEURRE NOIR, or BROWNED b.u.t.tER (a French Sauce).

374. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of b.u.t.ter, 1 tablespoonful of minced parsley, 3 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

_Mode_.--Put the b.u.t.ter into a fryingpan over a nice clear fire, and when it smokes, throw in the parsley, and add the vinegar and seasoning.

Let the whole simmer for a minute or two, when it is ready to serve.

This is a very good sauce for skate.

_Time_.--1/4 hour.

CLARIFIED b.u.t.tER.

375. Put the b.u.t.ter in a basin before the fire, and when it melts, stir it round once or twice, and let it settle. Do not strain it unless absolutely necessary, as it causes so much waste. Pour it gently off into a clean dry jar, carefully leaving all sediment behind. Let it cool, and carefully exclude the air by means of a bladder, or piece of wash-leather, tied over. If the b.u.t.ter is salt, it may be washed before melting, when it is to be used for sweet dishes.

MELTED b.u.t.tER.

I.

376. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of b.u.t.ter, a dessertspoonful of flour, 1 winegla.s.sful of water, salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Cut the b.u.t.ter up into small pieces, put it in a saucepan, dredge over the flour, and add the water and a seasoning of salt; stir it _one way_ constantly till the whole of the ingredients are melted and thoroughly blended. Let it just boil, when it is ready to serve. If the b.u.t.ter is to be melted with cream, use the same quant.i.ty as of water, but omit the flour; keep stirring it, but do not allow it to boil.

_Time_.--1 minute to simmer.

_Average cost_ for this quant.i.ty, 4d.

II.

_(More Economical.)_

377. INGREDIENTS.--2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, salt to taste, 1/2 pint of water.

_Mode_.--Mix the flour and water to a smooth batter, which put into a saucepan. Add the b.u.t.ter and a seasoning of salt, keep stirring _one way_ till all the ingredients are melted and perfectly smooth; let the whole boil for a minute or two, and serve.

_Time_.--2 minutes to simmer.

_Average cost_ for this quant.i.ty, 2d.

MELTED b.u.t.tER (the French Sauce Blanche).

378. INGREDIENTS.--1/4 lb. of fresh b.u.t.ter, 1 tablespoonful of flour, salt to taste, 1/2 gill of water, 1/2 spoonful of white vinegar, a very little grated nutmeg.

_Mode_.--Mix the flour and water to a smooth batter, carefully rubbing down with the back of a spoon any lumps that may appear. Put it in a saucepan with all the other ingredients, and let it thicken on the fire, but do not allow it to boil, lest it should taste of the flour.

_Time_.--1 minute to simmer.

_Average cost_, 5d. for this quant.i.ty.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE NUTMEG.]

NUTMEG.--This is a native of the Moluccas, and was long kept from being spread in other places by the monopolizing spirit of the Dutch, who endeavoured to keep it wholly to themselves by eradicating it from every other island. We find it stated in "Beeton's Dictionary of Universal Information," under the article "Banda Islands," that the four largest are appropriated to the cultivation of nutmegs, of which about 500,000 lbs. are annually produced. The plant, through the enterprise of the British, has now found its way into Penang and Bencooleu, where it flourishes and produces well. It has also been tried to be naturalized in the West Indies, and it bears fruit all the year round. There are two kinds of nutmeg,--one wild, and long and oval-shaped, the other cultivated, and nearly round. The best is firm and hard, and has a strong aromatic odour, with a hot and acrid taste. It ought to be used with caution by those who are of paralytic or apoplectic habits.

THICKENED b.u.t.tER.

379.--INGREDIENTS.--1/4 pint of melted b.u.t.ter, No. 376, the yolks of 2 eggs, a little lemon-juice.

_Mode_.--Make the b.u.t.ter quite hot, and be careful not to colour it.

Well whisk the yolks of the eggs, pour them to the b.u.t.ter, beating them all the while. Make the sauce hot over the fire, but do not let it boil; add a squeeze of lemon-juice.

MELTED b.u.t.tER MADE WITH MILK.

380. INGREDIENTS.--1 teaspoonful of flour, 2 oz. b.u.t.ter, 1/3 pint of milk, a few grains of salt.

_Mode_.--Mix the b.u.t.ter and flour smoothly together on a plate, put it into a lined saucepan, and pour in the milk. Keep stirring it _one way_ over a sharp fire; let it boil quickly for a minute or two, and it is ready to serve. This is a very good foundation for onion, lobster, or oyster sauce: using milk instead of water makes it look so much whiter and more delicate.

_Time_.--Altogether, 10 minutes. _Average cost_ for this quant.i.ty, 3d.

CAMP VINEGAR.

381. INGREDIENTS.--1 head of garlic, 1/2 oz. cayenne, 2 teaspoonfuls of soy, 2 ditto walnut ketchup, 1 pint of vinegar, cochineal to colour.

_Mode_.--Slice the garlic, and put it, with all the above ingredients, into a clean bottle. Let it stand to infuse for a month, when strain it off quite clear, and it will be fit for use. Keep it in small bottles well sealed, to exclude the air.

_Average cost_ for this quant.i.ty, 8d.

CAPER SAUCE FOR BOILED MUTTON.

382. INGREDIENTS.--1/2 pint of melted b.u.t.ter (No. 376), 3 tablespoonfuls of capers or nasturtiums, 1 tablespoonful of their liquor.

_Mode_.--Chop the capers twice or thrice, and add them, with their liquor, to 1/2 pint of melted b.u.t.ter, made very smoothly; keep stirring well; let the sauce just simmer, and serve in a tureen. Pickled nasturtium-pods are fine-flavoured, and by many are eaten in preference to capers. They make an excellent sauce.

_Time_.--2 minutes to simmer. _Average cost_ for this quant.i.ty, 8d.