1 oz. b.u.t.ter.
_Method._--Mix the flour very smoothly with a little water.
Put the rest of the water, with the milk and b.u.t.ter, in a saucepan on the fire to boil.
When it boils, put in the flour, stirring until the sauce is cooked.
Add pepper and salt to taste. If liked, a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar may be added.
This sauce will form the basis of many other plain sauces: To use with fish, put in a tablespoonful of anchovy. Onion sauce is made by adding cooked and chopped onions when the sauce is ready. Caper sauce, by adding capers; or, as a subst.i.tute, chopped gherkin.
This sauce may be made still more economically by using water only instead of milk.
Wine Sauce.
_Ingredients_--1 oz. of lump sugar.
pint of water.
A winegla.s.s of sherry.
A few drops of cochineal.
A dessertspoonful of jam.
_Method._--Boil the sugar and water together until reduced to one half.
Add the jam; let it melt.
Then add the sherry and cochineal, and strain.
Piquant Sauce.
_Ingredients_-- pint of brown sauce.
1 tablespoonful of capers.
1 tablespoonful of chopped gherkin.
1 tablespoonful of very finely chopped shalot.
pint of vinegar.
Pepper and salt.
_Method._--Simmer the shalot, capers, and gherkin, in the vinegar until the shalot is quite soft.
Pour in the sauce, and let it boil up.
Season to taste.
Sauce Reforme.
_Ingredients_--1 pint of brown sauce.
1 winegla.s.s of port wine.
1 teaspoonful of anchovy sauce.
1 teaspoonful of Harvey"s sauce.
2 tablespoonfuls of red-currant jelly.
_Method._--Boil all the ingredients together, and the sauce is ready.
Port-wine Sauce for Wild Duck.
_Ingredients_--2 winegla.s.ses of port.
Juice of half a lemon.
1 finely chopped shalot.
_Method._--Boil altogether and strain.
Sweet Sauce.
_Ingredients_--1 teaspoonful of arrowroot.
Juice of half a lemon and a little rind.
2 tablespoonfuls of castor sugar.
pint of water.
_Method._--Put the water with the lemon-rind and sugar into a saucepan to boil.
Mix the arrowroot smoothly with a little cold water.
When the water in the saucepan boils, pour it in and stir it until it thickens; then strain it and add the lemon juice.
A gla.s.s of sherry may be added to this sauce if desired.
German Sauce.
_Ingredients_--The yolks of 2 eggs.
1 winegla.s.s of sherry.
1 dessertspoonful of castor sugar.
_Method._--Put all the ingredients into a saucepan, and mill over the fire with a whisk until the sauce froths.
For a _Christmas Pudding_ make the sauce with three yolks, and a winegla.s.s of brandy.
A Nice Sweet Sauce.
_Ingredients_-- pint of plain white sauce or melted b.u.t.ter (omitting the seasoning).
1 winegla.s.s of sherry or brandy.
2 dessertspoonfuls of castor sugar.
_Method._--Add the wine and sugar to the sauce, and it is ready for use.