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SAUCES

HERE is just one general warning to be issued with regard to sauce-making. When
corn starch or flour is used to thicken the sauce, do allow plenty of time for it to
cook thoroughly, otherwise no flavouring extract will disguise the starchy fla-

vour. A double boiler is the one safe utensil to use for cooking such mixtures.

Where either a brown or a white roux is used to thicken a sauce, it may be added
to the liquid instead of the flour or cornstarch and the butter or other fat, named in
any recipe. This prevents any chance of that uncooked, starchy taste, and ensures a
smoothness not always attained when the raw flour is used.

A Brown Roux

FOR thickening soups, gravies, etc., and for colouring them at the same time, a Brown
Roux is a most valuable thing. If you make it in this way, a big jar full at a time,

it will keep for months.

Take 1 Ib. of the best beef dripping, and melt it in an enamel stew-pan. When it
is quite melted, strain it, to get out any sediment that may be at the bottom. Now stir
in 1 lb. 2 oz. of the best flour, which first should have been dried and sifted. Put the
pan on the fire, and keep stirring all the while with a wooden spoon. till the mixture
turns a good brown. Now draw the pan away, and keep on stirring till the mixture
ceases to fizzle, which it will do for several minutes after the pan has left the fire. Have
ready an onion, peeled and cut in halves. Put this in the pan as soon as it leaves the
fire to give a little flavour. When no more sound is to be heard, fish out the onion, pour
the roux into a stone or earthenware jar, and leave it to get cold. When set, itis just
soft enough to be taken out with a spoon.

When you have a soup or gravey or anything else of the same kind that wants
thickening, all you have to do is to bring your liquid to the boil and then stir in one,
two or more spoonfuls of brown roux. The liquid thickens immediately, is perfectly
smooth and free from lumps, and needs no more cooking at all.

The brown roux may be also used for fish and vegetable sauces. A little good po-
tato water, with brown roux stirred into it, and pepper and salt added to taste, makes
a very simple but quite presentable sauce for every-day vegetables.

A White Roux

FOR cream sauces, sweet sauces, etc., a white roux is necessary. It should, if possible,
be made with the best fresh butter. It does not keep quite as long as the brown
roux, because it is less thoroughly cooked, wherefore it is advisable to make a smaller
quantity at a time.
Melt 14-lb. butter in a pan and stir in 9 oz. of flour, exactly as for the brown roux,
except that it must not be allowed to change colour. At the first hint of darkening the
pan must come off the fire at once. No onion, naturally!

Sharp Sauce, for Cold Chicken or Game

GHOP pimentoes, white onions, half a green pepper, white celery and a dill pickle

very fine. Pour over this French dressing and let it stand fora day. Serveina
pretty dish, with a garnish of olives, stuffed with bits of pimento, or slice the meat,
arrange on a large platter and use the sauce as a garnish.

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